# My AT&T bill sealed upside Down? Why? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 27, 2010, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-at-t-bill-sealed-upside-down-why/537472 "2010-04-27T00:19:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Pessor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/439d5e/32.png) [@Pessor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pessor)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-at-t-bill-sealed-upside-down-why/537472/1 "2010-04-27T00:19:01Z")
I asked this almost 10 years ago and got no sensible answers. Any new technology out there to explain WHY when my AT&T bill (et, al.) arrive, I have to turn them UPSIDE DOWN to open them with the letter opener where they have sealed it? Did they get a shipment of sixty billion envelopes at a rate where the window was in the wrong place and they are enjoying the savings? Or is that where my Federal Tax on the bill isn’t going? -Pessor ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-at-t-bill-sealed-upside-down-why/537472/2 "2010-04-27T00:21:08Z")
Most likely they found out it’s cheaper to send the bills out that way. Mine is that way too and it doesn’t matter to me. ---
**Author:** ![Saltire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saltire/32/553_2.png) [@Saltire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saltire)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-at-t-bill-sealed-upside-down-why/537472/3 "2010-04-27T02:17:07Z")
Where I work, we have a folder/stuffer/sealer machine. One of our forms has the name and address at the bottom of the page. We discovered that there was no way that this machine could fold the sheet and put it in a normal window envelope with that information showing. One of the things the machine’s salespeople suggested was to get window envelopes with the flaps on the bottom, which would work. Instead, we’ll be redesigning the form. I guess ATT found they liked the form that way, and had the funny envelopes made. ---
**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-at-t-bill-sealed-upside-down-why/537472/4 "2010-04-27T02:22:21Z")
When they have the quantities of envelopes we’re talking about, yes they have them custom made to fit whatever the criteria is - - cheap, fast, easy, all of these, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-at-t-bill-sealed-upside-down-why/537472/5 "2010-04-27T03:16:51Z")
> [@campp](#): > > When they have the quantities of envelopes we’re talking about, yes they have them custom made to fit whatever the criteria is - - cheap, fast, easy Yes, and annoying as hell to their customers. But so what? To quote Ernestine from 30-some years ago: _We don’t care. We don’t have to. We’re the Phone Company._ ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-at-t-bill-sealed-upside-down-why/537472/6 "2010-04-27T05:19:32Z")
When I worked in payment processing, I noticed that a certain percentage of envelopes opened from the bottom. It is a huge pain in the ass for anyone processing any volume of mail, because efficiency depends on standardization. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-at-t-bill-sealed-upside-down-why/537472/7 "2010-04-27T05:21:52Z")
At work my AT&T bill is the normal way, but the Waste Management bill is upside down. ---
**Author:** ![3waygeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/e95f7d/32.png) [@3waygeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3waygeek)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-at-t-bill-sealed-upside-down-why/537472/8 "2010-04-27T15:52:04Z")
I have both AT&T and MCI for phone service (2 separate lines) and their envelopes are both upside down. Back when I got paper bills for my cell service (AT&T), their envelops, IIRC, were right-side-up.