SBC - automatic payment to mileage CC
 

For all of you like me who call every month to pay your SBC telephone bill(s) with your mileage cc, SBC has added an automatic cc payment option. No more waiting on hold every month. SBC agent told me the option started last week.

SBC Easy Charge

Thanks so much AA! I just signed up (unfortunately they only take Visa or MasterCard, not American Express). And I had a 70 cent late fee last month for some reason, so this should help.

Oh well - just tried and it says not available in Connecticut!

Since they just rolled this out, I suspect that it will become available in Connecticut sooner or later.... You could always call and ask.

Thanks. I have been calling in every month and sometimes I am late. So this will be most useful.

Thanks AAgoraku! This makes me very happy. I've been waiting for them to implement this for over a year, dreading the monthly calls to SBC (I think my record on hold was 45 mins, just to earn < 100 miles...sigh!).

...................

The Web form happily took my Amex for Illinois service. It's about time they separated electronic payment from electronic billing. Thanks for the heads-up, AAgoraku.

(And I do take scruffy's admonishment seriously. Unfortunately, I'm so scatterbrained that my local service is at risk of being shut off a few times a year. It was much easier to be disorganized before SBC borged Ameritech.)

Just call your phone company and request a lock on your account. This requires your current company to contact you when a change in phone carrier is requsted. If you have a problem with your billing, you can always have the credit card company dispute the charge for you.



[This message has been edited by sbc94523 (edited Feb 28, 2004).]

I didn't know people still had landlines...

Some of is still need to hold onto them for DSL.

If you ever need to call 911 and are unable to speak, etc... they know where to find you immediately with a landline.

I use MLS service (measured local service) for my landline. It's about $10/month including all taxes, and lets me keep a reliable, clear, no-static landline. Local calls are charged per minute, but they give you a $3.00 allowance each month, and I don't make that many calls from home.

It's nice to have a real phone number for people to call, and it's a good backup to the cell phone.

Plus, having a landline lets me put long distance service on it (and get bonus miles) - and then lets me change that service every 6 months for a 5,000-10,000 mile bonus!!

It's been available in CA for about a year, but it has a two caveats: you allow them to autocharge, and you stop getting the paper statements.
What I need - and get from the most places - is ability get a paper statement and to pay it with a credit card online. Autopay is the worst - you pay first and then try to get your money back, very weak negotiating position!
Besides, who has the discipline to review your phone bill online?

Do you get an email or direct link to your online phone bill?

how do you check your phone bill? is it a pdf?