#convenience fee

[catandgirlcomic]

I Am the Ticket-Master

[jessiguess0910]

Things just get better and better, don't they? 🙃

[blorpy]

The origin of the "Convenience Fee."

Wescotte, of Reddit, enlightens us on this pesky charge.

The original intention was a "tax" to add these new services.

When you pay with credit card the merchant is charged a percent of the sale that the vendor is paying for. Big companies can obviously lobby to have these fines reduced but a mom and pop shop pays like 1-2% on each purchase which adds up quick. American Express isn't widely accepted because it has higher rates.

Obviously today everybody has a web site but in the past it was a convenience for customers to be able to pay online. The companies had to pay for people to build the page, buy/rent the hardware, and support the entire thing. This is expensive so charging people a convenience fee was designed to support these new features without raising prices of existing customers.

Today however most of these fees are bullshit but they did have a purpose at one time.

[thefanarchist-blog]

The Walking Dead – Ticketmaster Apocalypse

We would like to inform all Fanarchist Fans that, we have published our first video against Ticketmaster and we are dedicating this video to all the Bruce Springsteen’s fans who have experienced a terrible time ordering tickets online for the Bruce Springsteen concert scheduled for April 1, 2012.

On Friday, the 27th of January 2012, there was another bad day for Bruce Springsteen’s fans and so for Bruce Springsteen. Many fans were furious and angry with Ticketmaster after being left without tickets due to the website errors. On event sale date, fans were waiting through an endless 15 minute countdown to get connected to Ticketmaster website and book their tickets, but many fans either left there indeterminately or eventually disconnected.

This is the third time when Bruce Springsteen and fans face the same problem with Ticketmaster. This is still not clear if it’s a Ticketmaster illegal trick to redirect fans to their secondary ticketing website; ticketsnow.com, or Ticketmaster security is so weak that scalpers block the server and create problem for Springsteen fans, whatever the reason, the bottom line is either the Ticketmaster is corrupt or incompetent and both the cases take us to on conclusion i.e. ARTIST AND ORGANISERS SHOULD STOP WORKING WITH TICKETMASTER.

Hope you all enjoyed the “Ticketmaster Apocalypse” video. Please do not forget to share your thoughts and comments with us, as it will motivate us to come up with some more stuffs like this.

[odinsblog]

AT&T FAIL

For the first time in forever, I go to pay my cell phone bill in person and what happens? AT&T charges me a $5 "convenience" fee for the privilege of paying with cash!!! Really AT&T? Convenient for whom?

Really? A convenience fee for the honor of taking my money, with a currency note that is "legal tender for all debts public and private?"

So, sincerely AT&T:

Now you're just a carrier I used to have.

[webconnex]

See how simple it is to add a "convenience" fee or processing fee to your form.  Keep in mind, 100% of the funds collected go instantly to you!

[mygettinglostblog]

Verizon Will Start Charging a $2 Single Bill Payment Fee in January

On January 15th, 2012, Verizon Wireless will institute a new $2.00 convenience fee to all customers who make single bill payments online or by telephone.  Verizon claims that the fee is to help them to continue to support the single bill payment options.  The fee does not apply to Verizon’s AutoPay Service, payment by electronic check, payments made in the store, online through a bank, or by paper check or money order mailed to Verizon.  The additional fee will be disclosed up-front and throughout the transaction.  Why is it called a “convenience” fee? Yep, you guessed it, because it is convenient for Verizon.  Can you hear me now?  For two dollars, yes I can.

Customers Encouraged to Use Options to Avoid Single Payment Fee That Starts Jan. 15

 12/29/2011

Verizon Wireless offers customers numerous free and simple payment options and we encourage customers to use those options. Starting January 15, a new $2 payment convenience fee will be instituted for customers who make single bill payments online or by telephone. There are a couple of exceptions. See below. The fee will help allow us to continue to support these single bill payment options in these channels and is designed to address costs incurred by us for only those customers who choose to make single bill payments in alternate payment channels (online, mobile, telephone). It is waived for those who pay by electronic check or enroll in AutoPay — we encourage customers to use those or other payment options that incur no fees. [See complete list below.] The telephone and online single payment fee, which takes effect January 15, will be disclosed up-front and throughout the transaction.

There are numerous payment options available to our customers where the fee is waived or where no fee applies. They include:

Electronic check online (My Verizon Online, My Verizon Mobile/Handset). Fee waived.

Electronic check via telephone. Fee waived.

Enrollment in AutoPay using credit/debit/ATM card or electronic check; fee does not apply

Online from the customer’s home-banking service provider website; fee does not apply.

Credit/debit/ATM card, electronic check or cash at a Bill Payment Kiosk, Panel or with a representative at a Verizon Wireless Communications Store; fee does not apply.

Use of a Verizon Wireless Gift Card or Verizon Wireless device Rebate Card to pay a bill in-store, online or by telephone; fee does not apply

Paper check or money order mailed to the VZW remit address on customer’s bill; fee does not apply.