do you use the mail?

[me]

i was a little surprised to hear that a couple of carriers in my office use the internet to pay bills....why?  i mail EVERYTHING i can!  i think we could at least make a little of our own job security if we don't use the internet for bill paying.  also, when you order stuff, always request it be sent by usps.   700,000 of us doing that has to make a little difference at least!

[bob1]

I think electronic receipt and payment of bills (and banking) has done as much to affect mail volume as the economy or anything else.

I was sitting with a city carrier in a bar a few weeks ago.  There were 5 people, with he and I working for the PO, I made a statment about mail volume and my thoughts on electronic banking and bills, etc.  He did not beleive me that MANY people were now doing this.  He asked his three friends and every one of them said they did their business, banking and monthly bills, online.  He was shocked.

[RCAmdwst]

I prefer writing a check for the bill and sending it out in the mail.  I have never paid a bill online, and dont plan to anytime soon.

[middle of nowhere]

   i had never paid any bills online until this last mailcount.  i was in the process of putting up a 6-8 car garage.  had charged most of the building materials on a credit card just to get the points from it.  needless to say, the bill that month didn't show up until the day after it was due.  cost me some 40.00 for a late fee, and about 450.00 in finance charges. was the bill held up because of mailcount?  i now pay this online.

[me]

wouldn't the credit card company take the postmark on the bill as proof you didn't get it on time?

[middle of nowhere]

 
    take a look at your statements, -   there was no postmark on the letter.  they also raised the interest rate that i've had for over 20 years of 3.9%  - to 29.9%   i  had never had a late payment before.

[me]

example of rip off artists! i'll never get another credit card as long as i live!

[bob1]

And without a credit card you will most likely never rent a car or possibly never  buy an airline ticket unless you go to the counter with cash in hand.  A credit card is almost necessary in many cases and in the case of car rental and airline travel they also provide supplemental insurance.

[oldtimer]

for paying bills- absolutely NOT!! Why should I pay for the cost of the stamp, worry if it is received (on time) when we are all clueless about the Postal System? Forget trying to argue with the creditor, they have heard it too many times
"payment was mailed"
Now, I have refused every offer presented for "paperless" billing, including my bank and my canceled checks, they belong to me and I will destroy them. All the creditors, credit cards, banks, utilities etc..receive a lower rate to mail my bill- and that is what is credited towards the mailcount totals plus I never know if or when my ISP may be unavailable
and prefer to have a record of each monthly statement on hand.
As for other mailings- I have a small business and take full advantage of the Priority flat rate boxes or express envelopes- whenever possible, which totals way more than the bills I pay online.

[me]

bob1-i have a bank debit card, never bought an airline ticket and don't think i ever would being i'd rather drive, i'm too freaked out to fly anywhere.  i have rented cars with it though and haven't been told i have to have a credit card. i'm thinking nowadays though the money in the matress idea makes the most sense with big brother watching our every move. sometimes the "nuts" who actually do that are the only real sane people!

[Wave]

Might want to tell your relatives your money is there though:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/06/10/israel.mattress.money/

A woman in Tel Aviv, Israel, gave her elderly mother a new mattress as a surprise gift, throwing out the old tattered bed her mother had slept on for decades. The gesture ended up bankrupting Annat's mother, who had stuffed her savings of nearly $1 million inside her old bed for decades, Annat told Israel Army Radio.

[suzyanna]

I mail as much as I can.  I even had some post cards printed(for the cost of shipping) that say buy american on them and once a month I mail some out.  
About debit and credit cards, ever wonder if someone, somewhere has a data base of your buying habits?  Scary thought of what they could do with that.  I have a debit card but usually take cash out of the atm and spend the cash.  Of course, they could also have the money coded to tell who gets it out of the atm and where you spend it.   LOLOLOL conspiracies are everywhere!
I'm really not paranoid but it makes ya wonder

[bob1]

I know credit cards track spending habits, and I am glad they do.  It has prevented fraud at least twice with a card I have.  When they know you use one cell phone provider and all of a sudden somebody tries to sign you up with another one, they move into action.  They stop the transaction, notify you and that is the end of the story.  Worst case scenario is you get a new credit card number but you have no liability.

[Connie]

I pay all my bills on line.  My mother recently had outgoing mail stolen out of her box and checks were changed and used in walmart's of neighboring towns for $800 each.  There is a rash of this activity in our area.