I just got a bill for 66 cents.

[rjh01]

I just received a bill from Telstra for 66 cents. I do not think I owe them anything and the bill is in error. So what do I do?

Background
1. I bought a new mobile phone and transfered my number from another carrier.
2. Telstra stuffed up the transfer and put the number on a post paid plan when it should have gone to a pre paid plan.
3. Received a bill for $30 for the post paid plan
4. Rang them up and spent 30 minutes and 25cents for the phone call. They said I did not have to pay it.
5. Received a new bill with the $30 as an opening balance and $29.34cr as new charges. Total is 66 cents.
6. The 66 cents is for the one day I was on the post paid plan.


Options
1. Ring them up again.
2. Ignore it.
3. Send them an e-mail.
4. Pay it anyway.

If I do not pay it they can add a late fee of up to $15.

I can post a picture of the Summary off Charges if you like. This does not include any identifying information.


Notes. This is in Australia. All money is in Australian dollars.

If anyone else has had a similar experience of receiving a small bill (under a $1) please give the story here.

[Yeggster]

I'm self employed and am always short on time .. if paying 66 cents would make it go away I'd just do it ... I have paid bills up to $10 that were in error to save time (maybe 3 or 4 times all together) ... making ONE phone call during business hours is not worth $10 of my time, never mind a few cents.

[gtc]

Does the bill say that you have to pay it? I've had a bill from either Telstra or Optus for less than a dollar and it said something to the effect that they would just add the cents to a future bill, if I ever became a customer again.

[rjh01]

gtc - Just checked the bill. There is nowhere on the bill to say do not pay or words to that effect.

Yeggster - that would be the logical thing to do. But I am not a Vulcan (Star Trek).

[Yeggster]

gtc - Just checked the bill. There is nowhere on the bill to say do not pay or words to that effect.

Yeggster - that would be the logical thing to do. But I am not a Vulcan (Star Trek).

Life is short .. sometimes we have to set emotions aside to make time for more productive pursuits.

[The Man]

Not actually compliant with your under $1 limit, but I once worked for a company the paid by a “PayTM” account. Basically an ATM card for an account the pay would be deposited in. They charged you for every transaction even just to check your balance and you could only withdraw in multiples of five dollars. When the job ended I still had about $2 in the account that I could not withdraw. Some time later I got a letter from them saying that they would start charging me $10 a month for an “inactive account” and it would cost me $15 (administrative fee) to have them cut a check for the remaining amount. I sent them a response saying they should just keep that money that was in the account because they would get no more from me. I got a check a week or two later for the remainder in the account and no “administrative fee”.

I would just send them a check for the 66 cents. It will cost them more then that to process the check and they will have no recourse upon you.

[rjh01]

The Man - They have already thought of that. For certain payment types, e.g. check (or, in English, cheque) they charge $2.20. Do not want them to send another bill for $2.20.

However a credit card payment will only incur a fee of 1% which they will add on to the next bill. So I have just paid the bill by credit card. There will be no other transactions on the next bill, other than what I have mentioned in this thread.

The only problem is how do I pay a bill for a fraction of a cent? Or even one cent? Will they be stupid enough to even send me the bill? Stay tuned for the next exciting installment of this adventure, due in about a month.

[dasmiller]

The only problem is how do I pay a bill for a fraction of a cent? Or even one cent? Will they be stupid enough to even send me the bill? Stay tuned for the next exciting installment of this adventure, due in about a month.

I'm going to guess that they are. Many years ago, I received a letter (snail-mail) from my credit union explaining that there had been an error in computing the interest on my account and they were therefore docking my account by . . .. 6 cents. They spent 30 cents just for the stamp to tell me they were taking 6 cents.

[DevilsAdvocate]

If they have an email option I would send an email. It is probably just some glitch where the account will be closed but it hit a billing cycle before it hit the account closing cycle. Sending an email probably takes less time than it would to pay it. And if they respond back that you don’t owe, you have it documented in case they (or their computer system) starts charging you fees or reporting it as a delinquent debt to credit bureaus. If they say you owe, then pay it. If they don’t respond, just wait for the next bill.

[The Man]

The Man - They have already thought of that. For certain payment types, e.g. check (or, in English, cheque) they charge $2.20. Do not want them to send another bill for $2.20.

However a credit card payment will only incur a fee of 1% which they will add on to the next bill. So I have just paid the bill by credit card. There will be no other transactions on the next bill, other than what I have mentioned in this thread.

The only problem is how do I pay a bill for a fraction of a cent? Or even one cent? Will they be stupid enough to even send me the bill? Stay tuned for the next exciting installment of this adventure, due in about a month.

Dang nab it, they’s a get’n smarter these days. I surmise you signed some agreement to such payment stipulations? If not, you are not contractually bound by such stipulations. A 1% fee on 66 cents or .66 cents? Heck I’d keep it going just see if they would disregard it at .00000000000000000000000000066 cents. An interesting point comes to mind though. That if you did sign some agreement that stipulated such payment considerations it should have also explicitly expressed the timing of said payments (post or pre). A 67 cent lesson (that’s getting off cheap) to read what you sign or at least the salient points, before you sign. As I’m sure it most likely also stipulates that amounts will be rounded to the nearest cent (since they did not charge a whole dollar amount). Glad to hear though that you’ve bitten the 67 cent bullet on this one.

[Foolmewunz]

I had a client once, 'lo these many years ago, who kept it going with our computerized collection process back in Montreal.

This was the early days of things like mailmerge(remember when that was all the rage?), and our accounting department had decided to get rid of the whole manual process of dunning notes, so would send out:

Statement
Reminder Letter
Second Reminder
Third Reminder
Final Notice
Imitation Lawyer's Letter

All produced by merging a Wordstar (or some other prehistorical WP program) document with the list of statements run with an open balance of any sort. The guy had a credit note for $3.22, and we actually got up to the point of threatening to take him to court if he didn't pay off the amount we owed him!!!

Meh, I'm with you. I'd play with them. But I'd also probably start sending them letters. Letters get read and get passed upstairs.

[rjh01]

I never agreed to be on a post paid account, so yes, one option is to refuse to pay and then when they drag me to court complain about harassment.

But I have rung them up about the $30 and they have agreed I did not have to pay that. I have paid the 66 cents, so I have done what I can. If they send me a bill for one cent then I complain. That will be worth an e-mail.

The only thing I signed for was to transfer my number over. Nothing else. Even that I doubt was a legal document.

I have never received a bill for a fraction of a cent.

[Foolmewunz]

Oh, and by the way, ....

Somewhere in that agreement you signed way back when there's probably a rounding note or rule, or they are allowed to round according to local law, perhaps. Count on the fact that it works in their favour, not yours. They'll take it up to the next penny, so you could be really lucky and get a new statement for AUD .01 !

[skullerello]

Snail-mail them a box containing 66 1-cent coins. I'm sure they'll really appreciate that.

[The Man]

I never agreed to be on a post paid account, so yes, one option is to refuse to pay and then when they drag me to court complain about harassment.

But I have rung them up about the $30 and they have agreed I did not have to pay that. I have paid the 66 cents, so I have done what I can. If they send me a bill for one cent then I complain. That will be worth an e-mail.

The only thing I signed for was to transfer my number over. Nothing else. Even that I doubt was a legal document.

I have never received a bill for a fraction of a cent.

Well I doubt you’ll get a faction of a cent bill, but I’m just glad it has panned out in your favor.

[rjh01]

Sorry, the smallest Australian coin is now the 5 cent coin. They got rid of the 1 and 2 cent coins years ago. When I get that bill for 1 cent I think I will pay by cash over the counter. Round down 1 cent as per local regulations and I get 0 cents. I will ask for a receipt. All I want to do is pay my bills.

I could have rung them up about the 66 cents too but it is more fun the way I have done it. I have a strange sense of fun.

[brumsen]

I would just let it get to the point where it gets to go to court. I'm sure the judge would appreciate Telstra's letting it escalate to that point very much.

ETA: I once got a bill from a dentist wanting to charge me for an appointment that I never asked for and where I did not show up. Only way to contact them was on a phonenumber for which I had to pay.
In the end I transferred 0,01 to their bank account with a communication to the effect I didn't owe them anything.

[Dave Rogers]

Sorry, the smallest Australian coin is now the 5 cent coin. They got rid of the 1 and 2 cent coins years ago. When I get that bill for 1 cent I think I will pay by cash over the counter. Round down 1 cent as per local regulations and I get 0 cents. I will ask for a receipt. All I want to do is pay my bills.

I could have rung them up about the 66 cents too but it is more fun the way I have done it. I have a strange sense of fun.

Why not send them a dollar and demand exact change? You could reasonably charge them interest at current credit card rates.

Dave

[plumjam]

Doesn't make much cents.

[ToddH]

It could be worse. I once got a bill for $0. I laughed and threw it away. So what happened the next month? I got the $0 bill again. I threw that bill away as well. The next month I received a nasty letter from their collections department informing me I needed to pay the $0. I basically ended up calling them and they were a bit embarrassed about it.

[GT/CS]

I know you already took care of this but if you had sent them a check for $.67 would they have been forced to send you a refund check for the difference?

[kookbreaker]

It could be worse. I once got a bill for $0. I laughed and threw it away. So what happened the next month? I got the $0 bill again. I threw that bill away as well. The next month I received a nasty letter from their collections department informing me I needed to pay the $0. I basically ended up calling them and they were a bit embarrassed about it.

Ah, so you have Philadelphia Gas Works, eh?

[JAStewart]

I got a bill for £0.02 once.

[rjh01]

It is strange that large companies do not have in their billing software a step that says
If amount payable is less than ~$5 then do not produce bill.

If I overpay the bill then it carries forward to the next bill. However there should never be another bill. I might pay them 5 cents and then watch them send me a bill for 4 cents credit (do not pay) every month until Hell freezes over.

[Foolmewunz]

It could be worse. I once got a bill for $0. I laughed and threw it away. So what happened the next month? I got the $0 bill again. I threw that bill away as well. The next month I received a nasty letter from their collections department informing me I needed to pay the $0. I basically ended up calling them and they were a bit embarrassed about it.

See post 11. You weren't in Montreal in the 70s were you?:spjimlad:

Sorry, 'bout that ToddH.

[Metullus]

It could be worse. I once got a bill for $0. I laughed and threw it away. So what happened the next month? I got the $0 bill again. I threw that bill away as well. The next month I received a nasty letter from their collections department informing me I needed to pay the $0. I basically ended up calling them and they were a bit embarrassed about it.The identical thing happened to me: I was sent a final bill for $0.00 after discontinuing electric service for a move. I ignored it and the subsequent bill as well. I was sent a notice that the account would be sent to collection if I did not pay the outstanding bill in 14 days. After several phone calls and two letters I sent a check for the disputed amount as payment along with a promise that if there was ever a negative report to any credit bureau regarding anything having to do with them they would hear from my attorneys. I never heard from them again.

[I Ratant]

I received an income tax refund from CA in 1992 for $2.00.
I didn't cash it.
Keepsake.
Since then, I have not received the usual mailing of the 540 tax forms, and have pick them up myself, or use those in Turbo Tax.
Closed out an account with BOA, but left some money in it.
They took out the monthly service charge until the account was depleted, and then sent me a bill for maintaining this account with zero dollars in it.
I told the account had been closed out months ago, and they stopped sending me anything.
Another BOA foible. They offered to arrange the checks on the statements by check number instead of processing date for some fee.
I have some facility with numbers so I didn't take them up on this.
After awhile, the statements came thru with the checks in check number sequence, with no charge.

[Furcifer]

I just received a bill from Telstra for 66 cents. I do not think I owe them anything and the bill is in error. So what do I do?


This thread might have played itself out here, but I think I can get it moved to conspiracy theories.

I honestly believe many of these companies engage in "hedging". The "system" seems to always add some little, inocuuous fee onto a bill. When you catch it, you call the company and they usually end up removing it "We have no idea how that got there".

In the mean time, 1000 other people got hit for 50 cents here, or a dime there, that they just can't be bothered paying.

The "system" seems rather adept at adding charges to your bill, but the heck if it ever takes one off.

I'm just saying it's my experience companies know the "system" is billing people erroneously and they do little to correct it. If the "system" can't keep track of all those "minutes" and decimal places. it's time to go to a flat rate fee. Then all the system" has to do is add the tax.

[Kestrel]

I just received a bill from Telstra for 66 cents. I do not think I owe them anything and the bill is in error. So what do I do?

Screw with their billing system by sending them a check for $1.

[rjh01]

Actually I am waiting on them to send me a bill for 1 cent. Making a payment of 10 cents is one option for that. When I get this bill I will start another thread. You all will get a PM with a link to this new thread.

[Furcifer]

Actually I am waiting on them to send me a bill for 1 cent. Making a payment of 10 cents is one option for that. When I get this bill I will start another thread. You all will get a PM with a link to this new thread.

I just assumed once they removed the penny from circulation, bills would follow suit and automatically be rounded to the nearest nickel ($0.05)

Well let me know, if you want, I'll mail you a bunch of Canadian pennies ;)

[gtc]

I just assumed once they removed the penny from circulation, bills would follow suit and automatically be rounded to the nearest nickel ($0.05)

Well let me know, if you want, I'll mail you a bunch of Canadian pennies ;)

That would be convenient. But electronic payments can handle cents so few things are rounded.

Even then, a lot of things are still priced as x.98 or x.99 even when cash would be the most obvious way to pay.

[Yeggster]

That would be convenient. But electronic payments can handle cents so few things are rounded.

Even then, a lot of things are still priced as x.98 or x.99 even when cash would be the most obvious way to pay.

So dumb question ... if the price is $10.98 .. do they round UP or DOWN to the nearest nickle?

[rjh01]

They round to the nearest 5 cents. So if it ends in

.01 -> .00
.02 -> .00
.03 -> .05
.04 -> .05
.06 -> .05
.07 -> .05
.08 -> .10
.09 -> .10

You can add as many multiples of 10 cents to the above table as you like.

So to answer your question $10.98 becomes $11.00 if paid by cash. Or $10.98 if paid by credit card.

[Yeggster]

They round to the nearest 5 cents. So if it ends in

.01 -> .00
.02 -> .00
.03 -> .05
.04 -> .05
.06 -> .05
.07 -> .05
.08 -> .10
.09 -> .10

You can add as many multiples of 10 cents to the above table as you like.

So to answer your question $10.98 becomes $11.00 if paid by cash. Or $10.98 if paid by credit card.

Sounds fair enough :)

We had a video store at one time and the software we choses had an toggle called "Australian patch" that set prices in 5 cent increments, but I never tested it.

Here in Ontario, Canada the government run Liquor Stores have all (the tax included) prices set in 5 cent increments so they don't normally keep pennies in the cash registers.

[Furcifer]

Sounds fair enough :)

Here in Ontario, Canada the government run Liquor Stores have all (the tax included) prices set in 5 cent increments so they don't normally keep pennies in the cash registers.

Yah, my only other experience with this was the BC Ferry company.

Seems weird the Provincial government embraces it, but the feds won't move on it?

Stinky pennies :(

[KoihimeNakamura]

Pennies are useful in aggregate though.

[rjh01]

Pennies are worthless in Australia. They were abolished in 1966. That is when Australia went to decimal currency. We abolished the 1 and 2 cent coins in the 1990s (but not sure). Now even the 5 cent coin is not worth much.

[sigmund]

You're in Australia.

This billing issue needs a full expose on A Current Affair before there is rioting in the streets.

[gtc]

I was just about to bump this thread too.

I received a letter from the Government's fund for lost superannuation accounts*. Upon opening it I found out I had 9 cents in lost super! They must have expended many times that amount in tracking me down. Plus they gave me details in how to claim that amount.



*For those who don't know, a fraction of Australian's earnings go to retirement funds.
People often lose track of these funds when they change jobs, eventually these lost accounts end up with a government run fund manager who tries to track down the owners.

[GreenLines]

I recently received a letter from a bank where I had closed down all of my accounts the past month. The letter said that due to having an inactive account I would be assessed a $5 monthly charge. I went into my old online account, saw that I had no balance information, and wrote a nasty note to them. In retrospect the same affect of not having any more mailings sent to me could have been done without threatening language or vulgarities.

[rjh01]

It has been just over a calender month since I got my last bill and not got any more, so I guess I will not get that bill for 1 cent.

[Metullus]

Now even the 5 cent coin is not worth much.About 5 cents, one would hope.

[rjh01]

Actually I would not be surprised if it cost more than 5 cents to make.

And if you were paid $10 for an hour's work in 5 cent coins you would be paid 200 coins.

[The Man]

Actually I would not be surprised if it cost more than 5 cents to make.

And if you were paid $10 for an hour's work in 5 cent coins you would be paid 200 coins.

200 coins of perhaps the 200,000 you made that hour.

ETA:

I would not be surprised if it cost more than 5 cent to make.

[gtc]

About 5 cents, one would hope.

By my calculations the coins currently have about 2.9 cents worth of metal in them. A combination of a weaker Aussie dollar and higher metal prices could easily push that over 5 cents. I'm not sure but I wouldn't be surprised if it had happened in the recent past that it was worth more than 5 cents.

ETA. Our 1966 round 50 cent coins were 80% silver and are now worth more than 10 times their face value. I'm lucky enough to have been given a couple as a child.

[Furcifer]

By my calculations the coins currently have about 2.9 cents worth of metal in them. A combination of a weaker Aussie dollar and higher metal prices could easily push that over 5 cents. I'm not sure but I wouldn't be surprised if it had happened in the recent past that it was worth more than 5 cents.

I think the Canadian penny did that in 1992? when they changed from solid copper. Even now I think the cost of metal and production is around $0.01. It's such a stupid unit of currency. As long as we have the penny you guys aren't allowed to complain about your 5 cent. Plus you guys have the tear proof plastic currency, with what I recall as having the highest anti-counterfeit measures. Between that and Nicole Kidman you're sitting pretty. :)

[gtc]

Funnily enough, I have a loonie on the desk in front of me. I like them better than the new US dollar coins, they look like Chuck E Cheese's tokens to me.