to do is hold the bill at their premises for a few extra days to make sure that you get less than a fortnight's notice.

There is not a lot that you can do about it. I have taken to date stamping each account on the day that it arrives at my address. You should too - just to see how widespread this nasty little practice has become.

Here's another tip - I take a red pen and I put a big red ci

Next time you receive your credit card statement or your cell phone account or your utility bill for gas or water or electricity don't just put it aside for payment. Read it. Have a GOOD look at it.

These so-called service providers are becoming increasingly cunning in the way they are making money from their customers.

Search for a little line somewhere that says something like "a surcharge may apply for late payment of this account."

That is a sneaky way of informing you that "a surcharge WILL apply for late payment of this account."

MAY means WILL. Make NO MISTAKE about that. They want you to pay the bloody thing two or three days late. That will then allow them to nail you with a $5 or a $25 or a $37 or whatever "late fee."

Next, check this...

Look carefully at your account. Where IS the due date? That is, the date by which you MUST pay the account to avoid this late payment surcharge.

Is it less than 14 days away? I'll venture to say that it will be somewhere around 9 to 12 days away from when you get it, sometimes it is even less.

You see, the boffins in the bowels of these companies know that it is almost impossible for most ordinary wage and salary earners to meet such a deadline. This is especially the case when you have a credit card statement, a gas bill, an electricity account, a cell phone bill and a host of other bills all due around the same time.

By restricting the time that you have to pay and enforcing the overdue fee upon you, they get to make a nice little earner for themselves. All they have to do is hold the bill at their premises for a few extra days to make sure that you get less than a fortnight's notice.

There is not a lot that you can do about it. I have taken to date stamping each account on the day that it arrives at my address. You should too - just to see how widespread this nasty little practice has become.

Here's another tip - I take a red pen and I put a big red ci

arge may apply for late payment of this account."

That is a sneaky way of informing you that "a surcharge WILL apply for late payment of this account."

MAY means WILL. Make NO MISTAKE about that. They want you to pay the bloody thing two or three days late. That will then allow them to nail you with a $5 or a $25 or a $37 or whatever "late fee."

Next, check this...

Look carefully at your account. Where IS the due date? That is, the date by which you MUST pay the account to avoid this late payment surcharge.

Is it less than 14 days away? I'll venture to say that it will be somewhere around 9 to 12 days away from when you get it, sometimes it is even less.

You see, the boffins in the bowels of these companies know that it is almost impossible for most ordinary wage and salary earners to meet such a deadline. This is especially the case when you have a credit card statement, a gas bill, an electricity account, a cell phone bill and a host of other bills all due around the same time.

By restricting the time that you have to pay and enforcing the overdue fee upon you, they get to make a nice little earner for themselves. All they have to do is hold the bill at their premises for a few extra days to make sure that you get less than a fortnight's notice.

There is not a lot that you can do about it. I have taken to date stamping each account on the day that it arrives at my address. You should too - just to see how widespread this nasty little practice has become.

Here's another tip - I take a red pen and I put a big red ci

is...

Look carefully at your account. Where IS the due date? That is, the date by which you MUST pay the account to avoid this late payment surcharge.

Is it less than 14 days away? I'll venture to say that it will be somewhere around 9 to 12 days away from when you get it, sometimes it is even less.

You see, the boffins in the bowels of these companies know that it is almost impossible for most ordinary wage and salary earners to meet such a deadline. This is especially the case when you have a credit card statement, a gas bill, an electricity account, a cell phone bill and a host of other bills all due around the same time.

By restricting the time that you have to pay and enforcing the overdue fee upon you, they get to make a nice little earner for themselves. All they have to do is hold the bill at their premises for a few extra days to make sure that you get less than a fortnight's notice.

There is not a lot that you can do about it. I have taken to date stamping each account on the day that it arrives at my address. You should too - just to see how widespread this nasty little practice has become.

Here's another tip - I take a red pen and I put a big red ci

e for most ordinary wage and salary earners to meet such a deadline. This is especially the case when you have a credit card statement, a gas bill, an electricity account, a cell phone bill and a host of other bills all due around the same time.

By restricting the time that you have to pay and enforcing the overdue fee upon you, they get to make a nice little earner for themselves. All they have to do is hold the bill at their premises for a few extra days to make sure that you get less than a fortnight's notice.

There is not a lot that you can do about it. I have taken to date stamping each account on the day that it arrives at my address. You should too - just to see how widespread this nasty little practice has become.

Here's another tip - I take a red pen and I put a big red ci

to do is hold the bill at their premises for a few extra days to make sure that you get less than a fortnight's notice.

There is not a lot that you can do about it. I have taken to date stamping each account on the day that it arrives at my address. You should too - just to see how widespread this nasty little practice has become.

Here's another tip - I take a red pen and I put a big red circle around that due date to make sure that I don't miss the date. Then I put it in a file that alerts me several days prior to the due date.

If you try to telephone any of these companies you will be placed in a queue and may have to wait half an hour while they play endless advertisements about how caring they are. This ensures that you will be disgusted enough not to keep waiting. They WANT you to hang up. So, here is what I do...

... I write a note on my remittance advice complaining about the lack of time I am given to make the payment. I always ask a question too. That forces some overpaid paper shuffler to go to the trouble of making a reply.