Complaining about a discount

APNZ reports:

A Dunedin couple are feeling left out in the cold after receiving a letter from Contact Energy with their power bill this week.

Geoff and Eve Thomson, who do not own a computer and have no interest in internet banking, were less than impressed with the letter’s offer of a “whopping 22 per cent prompt payment discount” to customers who receive and pay their power bills online.

Well I think that is great. Firms that offer discounts for customers who impose less costs, should be encouraged.

As long-standing Contact Energy customers over many years, Mr and Mrs Thomson pay their bills on time through the Post Shop by preference, receiving a 10 per cent discount.

This is what annoys me with this story. The Thomsons are getting a perfectly good discount for prompt payment. They’re just complaining that other people may be getting a bigger discount. They want to punish those who do use the Internet.

The couple calculate that paying their latest bill of $200 at the Post Shop will earn them a “prompt payment” discount of $20 compared with a $45 discount for paying the same amount online.

“That is a very big difference,” Mrs Thomson said.

“There are a lot of things we could do with an extra $25 – there’s quite a bit you could get in the supermarket with that,” Mr Thomson said.

And to get it, all they need is a g-mail account, and to go to the Library instead of the Post Shop.

The couple see the discrepancy between the two discount rates as “grossly unfair” and are concerned the new policy will disadvantage older people and those on low incomes who may not have access to computers and internet banking.

Again, no discount is being removed. They are complaining about a new discount. How selfish, in my opinion. If you receive and pay your bills electronically you save a company a considerable amount of money. Also if you agree to a direct debit, you allow a company to reliably predict cashflow.