Consumer group Keep Me Posted has launched a national series of public forums to step up its campaign against banks and utility companies who charge customers for receiving paper bills and statements in the mail.
The Keep Me Posted (KMP) team headed to Tasmania this week to continue lobbying politicians to support the campaign for a customer's right to choose how they receive important financial information without penalties or fees.
Senator Anne Urquhart, Member for Braddon Justine Keay, Colin Ormsby from Fair Go for Pensioners, Judy Huett from Speak Out and KMP executive director Kellie Northwood were guest speakers at the first public forum to engage with members of the community and discuss key campaign issues.
“The practice of charging a fee for paper bills is excluding many in our community that don’t use or don’t have access to the Internet in their homes," says Keay. "I don’t think it’s right for our elderly community members or vulnerable Australians to be charged with extra fees that can easily stretch to hundreds of dollars a year."
State and federal government departments and major companies including banks, utilities and telcos are charging customers anywhere from $1.69 to $3.20 to receive paper statements, claiming the fee is reflective of actual transaction costs.
Senator Urquhart, the organiser and host of the event, called on the audience of more than 50 to write to their local and federal representatives and pledge their support to the campaign. "The power of the people is strong," says Senator Urquhart. "We know that these fees are disproportionately hitting those who can least afford it, and Tasmanians are hardest hit than other states across Australia which is even more disturbing.”
Northwood says the campaign is gaining widespread support.
“The opportunity to participate in the public forums is terrific and the Keep Me Posted campaign is certainly gaining momentum – to put it simply Australians prefer printed communications and this should be a choice they’re entitled to without penalty when dealing with companies. As the campaign travels across Australia we are hearing more and more the first hand impact on the community of fees for paper bills and statements and it is simply unjust.”
The forum in Tasmania follows a series of meetings in Canberra last week where the KMP team met with over 20 federal politicians from across the political spectrum. More public forums will be organised across Australia in the weeks to come, first in Victoria and Western Australia, then the rest of the country.