Since we’re now heading into the Holiday season, thought I’d share something that just happened.  I love those no-interest promotions so many stores offer – especially when you can set up online payments for the next year without having to think about it!

New card processor moved up the due date one day – which meant a $25 late fee.  Since I now insist on paper statements (see below), I caught it in in one and called to have the fee waived.  But then I had to go online and revise all the due dates for the upcoming year.

I used to go with those “paperless” offers – Help Mother Nature and all.  But if they don’t print and you don’t print, someone’s gonna get screwed and I can guarantee it won’t be the pooch.

Case in point:  Call the phone company for any problem and they’ll ask for your customer code, which is a number printed on the bill…which you don’t have…and can’t print ’cause you’re probably calling to report an internet outage.  Last time I actually went through the bill online, I noticed some overseas calling service which was only a couple of bucks.  Very easy to miss if you were only paying online – you’d assume it was just another of those handy-dandy fees or government-mandated offerings.  Turns out it was a spin-off of a prior freebie promo and I’d been paying it for who knows how long – they can only go back six months.  So now all bills are on paper – go hug your own tree.