Why do poor people pay utility bills in person?

[PepePeru]

nothing else to do?

 

[zinfamous]

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: zinfamous

Originally posted by: Crusty
They can only pay by cash?

this. most poor people don't use/trust banks. It's strangely common, actually.

it's not that they don't trust them. Nobody will give them account because of all the bad check writing in the past.

Both are correct. There is a rather prevalent mindset among the more militant that the banks are "stealing mah money." There is serious paranoia among wide populations in this class.

 

[erub]

Stamp, what's that?!? Online bill pay, rewards >*

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: SparkyJJO

Originally posted by: meltdown75
i don't know, why is everyone on the internet a geek in their parent's basement?

I'm on the 3rd floor of a dorm building 😛

gratz on the all-boys school your parents send cash too.

 

[fstime]

You're a fucking moron.

For one, you cannot "tell" if a person is poor or rich.

In fact, your probably the same moron who thinks the the guy who leases a new 5 series every 3 years is rich.

Some people just like paying for things in person and in cash. Wealthy people especially because since they don't have to work, they have nothing better to do then go do these things and bitch and complain to people.

 

[Oceandevi]

Originally posted by: TheoPetro

Originally posted by: DEMO24
I go and do it in person. It's approximately a mile away and right across the street from the bank. Easier to just go do it in person rather than keep mailing all these bills in.

SHUN THE POOR!!!!!

shunnnnnnn

shunnnnnnn!!!

FuuuuuuuuuuGuuuuuuuu!!!

 

[episodic]

I pay in person. . . because everything is on the way home from work - I actually planned it that way when I bought my place . . .

Work 1.2 miles away
Grocer 1.6 miles away
Bank 1/2 mile
Staples/Office Depot 1 mile
Dentist - Doctor - same building 3 blocks away
Downtown 1.5 miles away
Gym 3/4 mile away
Commute - less than 3 minutes - 1 redlight.


🙂

 

[nageov3t]

maybe their credit is so bad they have no other choice but cash.

 

[mxyzptlk]

Correct answer is:

Originally posted by: JS80
mail takes a day or two. often times these people are overdue by months and are about to get their shit shut off.

+

Originally posted by: Crusty
They can only pay by cash

because

Originally posted by: Perknose
Plus, many SO live paycheck to paycheck that they have literally never had money left over to put in an account.

Also re: ATM's in the ghetto.. If you're especially unlucky, the ATMs that do exist are automatically turned off after dark to keep the people using them from becoming potential targets for a mugging. 🙁

 

[Inspector Jihad]

my pops pays some of his bills in person and he makes more money than you.

 

[Geekbabe]

I pay ours in person but only because there's a payment place directly across the street from my bank and both places are directly on my route to work. It's just simpler.

 

[Modelworks]

Originally posted by: zinfamous

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: zinfamous

Originally posted by: Crusty
They can only pay by cash?

this. most poor people don't use/trust banks. It's strangely common, actually.

it's not that they don't trust them. Nobody will give them account because of all the bad check writing in the past.

Both are correct. There is a rather prevalent mindset among the more militant that the banks are "stealing mah money." There is serious paranoia among wide populations in this class.

Or some of us are so pissed off at banks we will not give them the benefit of making money off us anymore.

I had one that accused me of owing them money on a closed account, yet when I inquired they couldn't show me what the money was owed for. "We are sorry we delete the records on closed accounts, it just shows you owe us $87".

 

[Geekbabe]

Originally posted by: Perknose

Originally posted by: Skoorb
I guess that I think of it they probably don't have bank accounts because of that "credit system" for bank accounts for bounced checks and things, which make it hard for certain people to get checking accounts, so they live their life on cash, pure liquid!

It's more of a cultural thing. They have never had an account, and are literally as scared and uncertain about banks as your grand-dad was about programming his VCR.

Plus, many SO live paycheck to paycheck that they have literally never had money left over to put in an account.

Moreover, have you ever been in poor urban areas? Not only aren't there any banks reasonably nearby, there are scarcely any ATM machines at all.

That's why all those usurious check cashing places thrive there.

You could Google all of this, maybe I will and be back.

BOA now charges people who don't have accounts a $6 fee to cash a check ,they're wracking up a nice chunk of change there.

 

[Modelworks]

Originally posted by: Geekbabe


BOA now charges people who don't have accounts a $6 fee to cash a check ,they're wracking up a nice chunk of change there.

Yeah I went to cash a check at a BB&T bank written on BB&T account and they want $7.50 to cash it because I didn't have a account there.

Ridiculous.

 

[StinkyPinky]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
I had to go to the power company to drop some keys off that I found and low and behold there is a line of people just to pay their bills. They were clearly all poor (I can tell these things). There is also the line to bleat and complain about disconnected power, but it's a separate line, so I know these people were paying their bills.

Is it really that much effort to write a check and put a $.42 stamp on? It's not like it's convenient where I was, since it's in the middle of the city and requires parking--which costs a minimum of $.25 for the parking meter anyway.

Why do poor people also continue to use stamps?! Use the internet to pay man. Holy crap.

 

[murphy55d]

I pay all our utility bills at once at the local pharmacy as its easier to make 1 payment with my debit card than it is to write out checks and mail 4 different bills.

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: JS80
mail takes a day or two. often times these people are overdue by months and are about to get their shit shut off.

Yup. They're there paying because if they pay any later, it will get shut off.

Being poor isn't fun.

 

[lizardboy]

Originally posted by: DEMO24
I go and do it in person. It's approximately a mile away and right across the street from the bank. Easier to just go do it in person rather than keep mailing all these bills in.

yes, much easier than automatic bank/credit card draft

 

[Special K]

Originally posted by: murphy55d
I pay all our utility bills at once at the local pharmacy as its easier to make 1 payment with my debit card than it is to write out checks and mail 4 different bills.

Doesn't your bank offer free online bill pay? Do the billers have their own website that accepts online payments?

 

[DaWhim]

save your 44 cents, use paybill with your bank.

 

[murphy55d]

Originally posted by: Special K

Originally posted by: murphy55d
I pay all our utility bills at once at the local pharmacy as its easier to make 1 payment with my debit card than it is to write out checks and mail 4 different bills.

Doesn't your bank offer free online bill pay? Do the billers have their own website that accepts online payments?

Our gas and electric companies both charge to make online or phone payments. It's like $4 or $5 surcharge for anything but a check or paying at an authorized payment center, which the pharmacy is.

 

[Strk]

I just use auto-draft from the utility company. They don't charge extra for it. The one lesson I learned the hard way, although the bank was nice about it, was that if you change your billing info -- specifically the bank account -- it takes three to four weeks for it to be accepted.