The Keep Me Posted campaign has met with Treasury to deliver its submission for the Government's consultation on paper billing fees. Throwing its support behind a complete ban on the practice, the campaign has urged industry to do the same.
Campaign representatives met with Treasury in Canberra yesterday to support a total ban on companies charging fees to customers who receive paper bills. "It’s time for Government to apply a bit of good old fashioned common sense and make it clear to super profit companies that hidden or added costs along the way are not acceptable," said Kellie Northwood, executive director, Keep Me Posted.
The consultation paper lists five options for paper billing fees:
- Option 1, the status quo, but with the addition of an industry-led consumer education plan on exemptions;
- Option 2, a complete ban (favoured by Keep Me Posted);
- Option 3, banning paper bill fees for 'essential services' (eg water, gas, electricity, telecommunications and banking);
- Option 4, limiting the fee for the bill to the cost of its production; and
- Option 5, using 'behavioural nudges' to promote exemption programs.
“We clearly stated Keep Me Posted’s position to support a total ban on all billing fees, which is option 2 of the consultation paper,” said Northwood. “We call on all Australians, industry stakeholders, interested groups and consumers to have their say and support the ban.”
Northwood noted that, despite the perception of digital bills being a 'free' option, this is often not the case, and many Australians don't have easy access to the internet. "When you opt-in to electronic bills and statements it means you need to possess and keep an electronic device, pay for an internet subscription or for mobile data, and more often than not you pay to print the bill at home," she said.
A spokesperson for Australia Post, which could not confirm earlier whether it would be making a submission, today told Print21 that it would participate in the process, but could not yet say what the national mail carrier's submission would contain. "We can confirm that Australia Post will be putting forward a submission, and will make this document publicly available by the December deadline," the spokesperson said.
Michael McCormack, Minister for Small Business, announced the consultation paper on Tuesday, saying better outcomes and protections were needed for consumers who could not access digital bills. "The development of protection options has been led by the Federal Government since being agreed as part of the Consumers Affairs Ministers' extensive consumer protection agenda in August this year. A public awareness and education campaign will also be developed to assist consumers understand their rights under consumer law," McCormack added.
Submissions can be made online via the Treasury website or via mail to The Treasury, Langton Crescent Parkes ACT 2600, and close on Friday, 22 December 2017.