A statement from the South Australian Commissioner for Consumer Affairs has said consumers may not realise that the bills they receive in their letterbox are costing them more than other avenues of notification.
Commissioner Dini Soulio said this fee “could be a couple of dollars for some service providers, and for those receiving multiple paper bills over the course of a year, it’s an added cost people don’t need”.
Highlighting that this is especially true for those on a low income, Mr Soulio said people who want to avoid the fee should switch to online billing.
For people who want or need to continue receiving paper bills the old-fashioned way, he flagged that people can find out whether they may be eligible for a fee exemption.
“Many companies offer fee exemptions for people who meet certain criteria, such as if they are seniors, registered for a concession, on low incomes or if they have limited access to the internet.”
According to the commissioner’s statement, paper bill fees are designed to cover an organisation’s printing and mailing costs.
“But many service providers have exemptions from fees available for people who receive paper bills because they have no real alternative,” Mr Soulio reiterated.
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