# A letter to people who don't pay their bills: **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 20, 2003, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-letter-to-people-who-dont-pay-their-bills/162701 "2003-03-20T02:13:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-letter-to-people-who-dont-pay-their-bills/162701/21 "2003-03-20T15:19:21Z")
Here’s another fun story. I paid my phone bill. Three weeks later, my service was cut off. For non-payment. The CSR was very reasonable. He belived me when I said I’d paid it, so he told me to put a stop payment on the check and write another one. I did. He restored my service that day. Very nice guy. Two weeks later, my service was off again. I called, and explained the situation. Loser ass bitch cunt said that I was a deadbeat because I put a stop payment on the check. Yes, I said, I was told to do so. Stupid ass bitch cunt called me a liar, a deadbeat, ans a stupid ass bitch prick. Can I speak to your supervisor? No, you deadbeat. Can I have your name? No, you prick. So I got it straightened out about a month later. The cause for all of this unhappiness? “Oh, we get too much mail. Sometimes it takes us a while to open all of it.” ---
**Author:** ![Fluffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Fluffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fluffy)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-letter-to-people-who-dont-pay-their-bills/162701/22 "2003-03-20T15:22:11Z")
Here we go…So you charge $20 to knock on the door to give them one last chance to pay before they’re disconnected. Who the fuck asks you to do that? And you have the balls to complain about the cost of having to use postage?!As far as complaining about actually having to use your precious trucks to get to a residence and do a little work, what the hell are you guys being paid for? Cable is too expensive for what you get and it sucks ass! Maybe people are threatening to get a dish because they’d receive better service all the way around. I have a dish now and have no complaints. By the way, I do pay my bills. Cable is a joke! ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-letter-to-people-who-dont-pay-their-bills/162701/23 "2003-03-20T15:49:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by gobear \* > \*\*I do not understand why anyone buys PPV movies on cable. The charge for PP is $4.95, a full $1.60 over what it costs to rent a DVD, which you can watch over again with better audio and video quality and special features as well. \*\* You’re sick. You’re mostly undressed. You’re under your comfy warm bwanky. It’s 3 degrees outside. It’s snowing. The video store is a 20 minute walk away. And Speed III Part Deux is on in 2 minutes. 'Splain these options again? ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-letter-to-people-who-dont-pay-their-bills/162701/24 "2003-03-20T15:58:41Z")
Just what we need. A shill from the Cable Company. ~My name is Winston, and I steal cable. ---
**Author:** ![Lizard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@Lizard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lizard)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-letter-to-people-who-dont-pay-their-bills/162701/25 "2003-03-20T16:00:16Z")
But, but, but. . . if I paid mah cable bill, I wouldn’t have enough for beer, cigs, and muh lottrie tikets! ---
**Author:** ![Sauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Sauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sauron)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-letter-to-people-who-dont-pay-their-bills/162701/26 "2003-03-20T16:07:40Z")
Not to mention the final installment on Linda Jean’s tattoo … ---
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-letter-to-people-who-dont-pay-their-bills/162701/27 "2003-03-20T16:12:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by tdn \* > \*\*You’re sick. You’re mostly undressed. You’re under your comfy warm bwanky. It’s 3 degrees outside. It’s snowing. The video store is a 20 minute walk away. And Speed III Part Deux is on in 2 minutes. > > 'Splain these options again? \*\* That’s why I have a [DVD collection](http://www.dvdaficionado.com/dvds.html?cat=1&sub=ANF&id=gobear). If you are sick, undressed, 3 degrees, yada, yada, yada… . . then that would constitute an exceptional circumstance. But to buy PPV regularly is, IMO, fuckin’ stupid. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-letter-to-people-who-dont-pay-their-bills/162701/28 "2003-03-20T16:27:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by gobear \* > \*\*If you are sick, undressed, 3 degrees, yada, yada, yada… . . then that would constitute an exceptional circumstance. But to buy PPV regularly is, IMO, fuckin’ stupid. \*\* Not quite. “But to buy PPV regularly **considering the crap that they normally offer** , is, IMO, fuckin’ stupid.” ---
**Author:** ![missbunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/76d3ee/32.png) [@missbunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missbunny)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-letter-to-people-who-dont-pay-their-bills/162701/29 "2003-03-20T16:27:21Z")
When I get PPV, not that I do it all that often, but since a first-run movie from Blockbuster is usually at least $3.50, paying $4.95 for PPV is not bad - to get a video or DVD, I’d have to drive several miles, look around the video store, stand in line to pay, and drive back - probably at least 1/2 hour’s worth of time (probably a lot more, actually). My time is much more valuable than the difference between $3.50 and $4.95. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-letter-to-people-who-dont-pay-their-bills/162701/30 "2003-03-20T16:30:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by missbunny \* > \*\*When I get PPV, not that I do it all that often, but since a first-run movie from Blockbuster is usually at least $3.50, paying $4.95 for PPV is not bad - to get a video or DVD, I’d have to drive several miles, look around the video store, stand in line to pay, and drive back - probably at least 1/2 hour’s worth of time (probably a lot more, actually). My time is much more valuable than the difference between $3.50 and $4.95. \*\* Honestly, I’d go to the local Blockbuster, but I’ve seen both of their DVDs already. Gotta love netflix. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-letter-to-people-who-dont-pay-their-bills/162701/31 "2003-03-20T16:40:56Z")
Testify, brother man! I do the same job for a local telephone company, and if you think people bitch and gripe about losing cable service, try dealing with them when they’re about to lose dial tone. See, somewhere along the line people got the idea that telephone service is a right, a notion I have to disabuse people of on a daily basis. Customers just get enraged at the idea that they have to pay their monthly phone bill every month. I’d list off some of the lame-ass excuses I hear every day but the post would end up so long it’d probably crash the board. And before anyone gets all up on my ass about not having compassion for people in bad circumstances, I do have compassion for the person who is genuinely in a rough patch and is making an effort to get themselves out of it. I’ve been there and I know what it’s like trying to keep body and soul together after being out of work. The person I _don’t_ have compassion for is the person who runs up hundreds of dollars in charges knowing full well that they do not have the means of paying them, then calls up to bitch that we’ve blocked their ability to accumulate those charges further (by removing long distance, collect calls etc.) then calls again when we notify them they’re going to be disconnected, then calls up to bitch again when they are disconnected. Some of them even call up to bitch becuase after we disconnect them they can’t ever be our customer again. Only the knowledge that I would end up fired stops me from calling some of these people thieves right to their (as it were) faces. Fuck 'em. ---
**Author:** ![whiterabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/cab0a1/32.png) [@whiterabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whiterabbit)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-letter-to-people-who-dont-pay-their-bills/162701/32 "2003-03-20T19:09:06Z")
I went through four years of scrimping to pay my bills, cable included. I got behind on some of them fairly regularly, but I did not call the office or show up AT the office and abuse the people there, I called or showed up with the required money in hand. I never got to the point where anything beyond my cell phone was turned off, though I did get a few nasty notices from the power company. I got three months behind on my phone bill once, and nary a disconnect notice did I receive. How far behind do you have to BE to lose the phone? Geez! These people need to find out that paying at least SOME of the bill will get the companies off their backs for a while, as long as they can come up with the rest in the fairly near future. At least that’s how it worked for me. Pay some of the bill at least, keep the service, pay off the rest later. Now when I moved I got behind on my last bills and both the cable and phone bill got sent to collections, but I got the collections notice on the cable bill AFTER I’d already sent a money order. Everybody got their money. And now I’m with my parents, and THEY pay the bills. Bliss. ---
**Author:** ![bernse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@bernse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bernse)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-letter-to-people-who-dont-pay-their-bills/162701/33 "2003-03-20T19:27:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by missbunny \* > \*\*When I get PPV, not that I do it all that often, but since a first-run movie from Blockbuster is usually at least $3.50, paying $4.95 for PPV is not bad - to get a video or DVD, I’d have to drive several miles, look around the video store, stand in line to pay, and drive back - probably at least 1/2 hour’s worth of time (probably a lot more, actually). My time is much more valuable than the difference between $3.50 and $4.95. \*\* Yeah, but if you have to take a piss, get a drink, grab some munchies, answer the phone, yadda you miss that time in the movie instead of hitting \ (unless youve invested in a tivo or the like). Personally, I think if the cable/dish companies maid their PPV far less costly, like say $2 each they’d lock the market up for movies. As it is right now, I can go to the video store and rent a new release for $3. If I have a night that I would like to watch a movie at home, you’re _lucky_ if the one you want to watch is on PPV, and if it is (which it likely isn’t) you pay a premium for it. I’d rather take 15min to go to the video store and pick out a movie I want and have the ability to pause it and watch it exactly when I want. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-letter-to-people-who-dont-pay-their-bills/162701/34 "2003-03-20T19:37:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by gobear \* > \*\*[smug]We have our cable bill paid automatically every month, so we never need to worry about paying the bill on time.[/smug] > > I do not understand why anyone buys PPV movies on cable. The charge for PP is $4.95, a full $1.60 over what it costs to rent a DVD, which you can watch over again with better audio and video quality and special features as well. \*\* I don’t know, can one tape a movie on PPV? (It wouldn’t be blocked, would it?) I don’t know-I don’t watch too many movies, and I’ve NEVER ordered PPV. Also, not all of us can afford a DVD player at this time. I am one of them. I’d love to have one, but right now money’s tight. ---
**Author:** ![MysteryFellow63427](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e4f/32.png) [@MysteryFellow63427](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MysteryFellow63427)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-letter-to-people-who-dont-pay-their-bills/162701/35 "2003-03-20T19:40:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by alice\_in\_wonderland \* > \*\*So, how about cable companies that cash all 12 of the years post-dated cheques on the same day, and then the following month contact you and say they haven’t received that months payments. > > “Well, you collosal assholes - that’s because you took this months, as well as the next 10 months out of my account last month.” > > How about when this has to be proven, with copies of the cashed, returned cheques from my bank at the cost of $4 each. > > How about I will never, no mater **WHAT** sort of “_DEAL_” you come up with, ever have one of your products in my home again. > > How 'bout that? > > Cable company indeed. \*\* Why would you try to send them a year’s worth of payment at once, without making special arrangements 😕 The cable company may be dumb, but this SNAFU wasn’t entirely their fault. ---
**Author:** ![bjohn13](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@bjohn13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bjohn13)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-letter-to-people-who-dont-pay-their-bills/162701/36 "2003-03-20T19:50:37Z")
I’ll respond to these one at a time. It is my duty, after all…I’m the one who started this rant. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Shodan \* > \*\*Look, you don’t understand. > > None of that stuff about having to pay your bills on time applies to _me_. You need to go after all those _other_ deadbeats, no question. > > But I need cable. And it doesn’t cost you anything extra to keep feeding it to me for free. As a matter of fact, I am doing you a favor by sparing you the expense of shutting me off. \*\* Very, very, very wrong. We do not pay a flat fee for the content we provide. Every single cable channel we offer requires us to pay a surcharge for each customer we have on billing for that particular channel. Basically put…yes, it does cost us money to keep you on billing when you are not paying us. ---
**Author:** ![bernse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@bernse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bernse)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-letter-to-people-who-dont-pay-their-bills/162701/37 "2003-03-20T19:51:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by neuroman \* > Why would you try to send them a year’s worth of payment at once, without making special arrangements 😕 I assume they would have asked this. When I was younger without much of a credit rating yet, I had that asked of me too with cable and a few other companies (insurance, rent yadda). > [@](#): > > The cable company may be dumb, but this SNAFU wasn’t entirely their fault. How is it **not** their fault? ---
**Author:** ![bjohn13](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@bjohn13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bjohn13)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-letter-to-people-who-dont-pay-their-bills/162701/38 "2003-03-20T19:51:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by mhendo \* > \*\*Firstly, how much did your employer pay you for this whine on their behalf? I hope it was a lot. > > Second, before you start ranting at people who can’t do their sums, learn mathematics yourself. > > You say that your trucks do 10 trips a day for fifty weeks a year, and that this adds up to 500 trips a year. Wrong. Last time i counted, there were five days in a regular work week. This means the trucks make 50 trips a week, for 50 weeks a year, which is **2500** trips a year, not 500. > > Which makes 12,500 trips over the 5-year life of the truck. > > Which is $2.40 a trip, not $12. > > And $2.40 is NOT “just a fraction of what it costs to send the truck to your house.” \*\* I did make a mathematical mistake (a fairly severe one) in this post. Remember, though, all of the other charges I did not quote in that price. ---
**Author:** ![bjohn13](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@bjohn13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bjohn13)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-letter-to-people-who-dont-pay-their-bills/162701/39 "2003-03-20T19:55:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lorinada \* > \*\*So, you think it only costs $37.50 per month to raise a kid? \*\* I never said that $37.50 a month was all it took to raise a kid. I was implying that the people (who account for, roughly, 10% of the non-pay disconnects I do) who have kids screeming in the kitchen with no clothes on, a dirty diaper, appearing obviously malnourished, and has garbage lying on the floor have a much better use for the $37.50 a month that we charge for cable. And, yes…if a person knows how to spend money wisely, he can feed a child for $37.50 a month thereby preventing the child from being malnourished. A loaf of bread costs less than a dollar around here…and that bread can feed an 8 year old child for almost a week. ---
**Author:** ![bjohn13](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@bjohn13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bjohn13)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-letter-to-people-who-dont-pay-their-bills/162701/40 "2003-03-20T19:57:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by alice\_in\_wonderland \* > \*\*So, how about cable companies that cash all 12 of the years post-dated cheques on the same day, and then the following month contact you and say they haven’t received that months payments. > > “Well, you collosal assholes - that’s because you took this months, as well as the next 10 months out of my account last month.” > > How about when this has to be proven, with copies of the cashed, returned cheques from my bank at the cost of $4 each. > > How about I will never, no mater **WHAT** sort of “_DEAL_” you come up with, ever have one of your products in my home again. > > How 'bout that? > > Cable company indeed. \*\* We do not accept post dated checks. It is illegal to do so in my state. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-letter-to-people-who-dont-pay-their-bills/162701.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-letter-to-people-who-dont-pay-their-bills/162701.md?page=3)