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IP: AT&T and snails -- from RISKS
From: Dave Farber <farber () cis upenn edu>
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 1998 04:30:58 -0400
Hmmm, I use e payment for my ATT Wireless, we shall see Date: Fri, 21 Aug 1998 10:21 -0400 From: Bob_Frankston () frankston com Subject: AT&T and snails Using Quicken I sent a payment to my ATT wireless account. A few weeks later they started dunning me though the payment was clearly listed and processed. But it hadn't cleared. After a while I looked at the payee record and noticed it was queued for electronic payment. But that confuses ATT wireless which claims to not accept electronic payments. So I try again but notice that my paper payment is coerced into an electronic payment automatically. I finally figure out that if, instead of paying "ATT Wireless Services", I add a {} comment to the end, it remains a paper payment. At least on my side. I figured this out when one of the ATT billing people called me on the phone. She said she would note that the payment is on the way. Just got another call from someone at ATT wireless demanding payment. Of course, nothing in my record and once again told me that ATT doesn't handle accept electronic payments and that everyone places a check on the back of a snail (OK, snailmail might not be a fair term but it seems most appropriate or, at least, colorful here). Of course, this is nonsense considering the demographics of the PCS early adopters. Maybe I shouldn't be surprised since this is the same company that has been sending me a monthly bill for a $.15 credit on an old home office line for over a year. My real puzzle is why ATT doesn't seem to have a clue that it is their fault that the payment is coerced to an electronic payment and that someone should attempt to solve it. The larger issue is that whether a problem is caused by new technologies or more traditional problems, I'm struck by the lack of an attitude that problems are there to be solved instead of simply suffered. It is a reaction consistent with dealing with any bureaucracy but for those of (some of) us reading this list they are teething problems which need attention. [Although this is otherwise a contribution that RISKS does not usually include, even though it represents an all-to-common problem, we have included it here in the public-service mode of trying to inspire companies to get moving in the right direction. PGN]
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- IP: AT&T and snails -- from RISKS Dave Farber (Aug 26)