# Company charging me for paying them **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 21, 2004, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/company-charging-me-for-paying-them/230302 "2004-02-21T01:01:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![paul\_smars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3be4f8/32.png) [@paul\_smars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/paul_smars)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2004, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/company-charging-me-for-paying-them/230302/41 "2004-02-23T01:03:58Z")
> [@dmartin](#): > > Actually, you’re objecting to them **telling** you that a portion of your premiums goes to actually collecting those premiums. That is pretty obviously the case whether they tell you that or not - a portion of your premiums goes to all the administrative aspects of running an insurance company, including collecting the money regardless of whether they itemize that part of it or not. > > Seems to me that State Farm has made a bad marketing decision (people **like** “free” things even if they are actually paying for them as hidden costs), but otherwise they’re not doing anything wrong. When you’re shopping for insurance, make sure you look at the entire cost. Of couse, but would u like to see the food store increase the price and tell u it is to cover increased costs for advertising. Or the gasoline pump tell u the increase for for the maintenance of the pump?? This was a very stupid marketing decision. My guess is that maybe the state has capped their rates for"insurance" so they r looking for a different way to get more of our money. Just a WAG ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2004, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/company-charging-me-for-paying-them/230302/42 "2004-02-23T22:02:16Z")
I’m a little surprised that they tell you about this charge, too; were I them, I’d just charge folks an extra $20 or so a year, and then offer a discount to folks that paid through the method that I preferred, or else charge a smaller surcharge on ways that I didn’t like (but make it clear that the way I preferred was “free”). Now, I did just find out that our company has long distance on our fax machine with AT&T. We spend between $1 and $2 a month on long-distance faxes; turns out that AT&T charges us a $15.95 **penalty** each month for not spending enough on our long distance (minimum $15, I believe). In other words, if we called the weather in Hong Kong from the fax machine once a month for long enough to garner $15 in long distance charges, we’d be paying **less** on our LD bill than we’re paying now. I called AT&T, and they told us that all their payment plans have that obnoxious feature. Tomorrow we’re shopping for a new company. On the bright side, I still hate BellSouth far, far more that I could ever hate AT&T, unless the latter company comes down to my office and smashes my kneecaps with a wiffle-bat. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![paul\_smars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3be4f8/32.png) [@paul\_smars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/paul_smars)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2004, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/company-charging-me-for-paying-them/230302/43 "2004-02-23T22:30:29Z")
> [@Left Hand of Dorkness](#): > > I’m a little surprised that they tell you about this charge, too; were I them, I’d just charge folks an extra $20 or so a year, and then offer a discount to folks that paid through the method that I preferred, or else charge a smaller surcharge on ways that I didn’t like (but make it clear that the way I preferred was “free”). > > Now, I did just find out that our company has long distance on our fax machine with AT&T. We spend between $1 and $2 a month on long-distance faxes; turns out that AT&T charges us a $15.95 **penalty** each month for not spending enough on our long distance (minimum $15, I believe). In other words, if we called the weather in Hong Kong from the fax machine once a month for long enough to garner $15 in long distance charges, we’d be paying **less** on our LD bill than we’re paying now. > > I called AT&T, and they told us that all their payment plans have that obnoxious feature. > > Tomorrow we’re shopping for a new company. > > On the bright side, I still hate BellSouth far, far more that I could ever hate AT&T, unless the latter company comes down to my office and smashes my kneecaps with a wiffle-bat. > > Daniel yes, shop for a new company. There are chearper deals. I hate when people get screwed and just keep using that company / store or whatever. Screw me once and I will see ya later( if I can do it cheaper or even for a little more elsewhere) ---
**Author:** ![Spiff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiff/32/9852_2.png) [@Spiff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiff)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/company-charging-me-for-paying-them/230302/44 "2004-02-24T16:01:14Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > The other options are online billing thru a credit card > > Why sending TWO bills thru the mails Heh. **Musicat** wrote “thru” instead of “through.” Twice. **Musicat** is evil 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/company-charging-me-for-paying-them/230302/45 "2004-02-24T16:42:14Z")
Quote: Originally Posted by Tentacle Monster Not even Albert Einstein would have been taken seriously if he had tried to publish a paper on “T3H TH30rY 0f R3|4T1v1TY” > [@asterion](#): > > Ooh, can I steal this as a sig? But could you correct it to “TH3”? It looks so much more intelligent that way. 😉 OT, I use Nationwide for auto and there’s no fee if you pay six month’s worth at a time, $3 per payment for the three-month installment plan. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/company-charging-me-for-paying-them/230302.md?page=2)