Guy Makes It Very Inconvenient For This Company After It Tried To Charge Him $14.95 ‘Convenience’ Fee For Online Payments

Revenge is truly sweet when you know for a fact that someone was trying to pull a fast one on you. And among the hierarchy of dumb and evil things that exist out there in the world, ‘convenience’ fees sit comfortably in the top 100.

Put simply, convenience fees are a company’s way to cover the cost of processing certain types of payments. And some even charge them for making payments online. These can quickly add up over many months.

Redditor u/TheUncleBob shared how the company that bought his mortgage tried to get him to pay a $14.95 convenience fee for making the monthly payments online. Frankly, that was ridiculous. So instead, he got some revenge by making things far more inconvenient for them. Scroll down for the full story, dear Pandas.

Some companies charge ‘convenience’ fees to cover their processing costs. In some states, this is illegal; in others, it’s perfectly legal

Guy Makes It Very Inconvenient For This Company After It Tried To Charge Him $14.95 ‘Convenience’ Fee For Online Payments

Image credits: CardMapr (not the actual photo)

One redditor shared how he got back at a company that bought up his mortgage when they wanted him to pay a fee for making payments online

Guy Makes It Very Inconvenient For This Company After It Tried To Charge Him $14.95 ‘Convenience’ Fee For Online Payments

The redditor’s story on r/MaliciousCompliance went viral and got over 24.1k upvotes. What’s more, u/TheUncleBob’s tale inspired other internet users to share their own experiences with mortgage payments.

To say that there’s a dark side to some companies that buy up mortgages would be an understatement. Emperor Palpatine could take lessons from them. It is vital to read the fine print before agreeing to anything. And even then you might miss something if you don’t have some insider info on how these companies operate. Luckily, Reddit is more than up to the task and gladly shared some insights.

The redditor made things marginally more inconvenient for the company by sending them weekly checks instead of one monthly one. He also mentioned that he would’ve sent them a small check every single day of the month if he could get away with it.

A convenience fee is usually charged by businesses for payments that are made through alternative channels rather than by cash, check, or ACH (Automated Clearing House, an electronic network for financial transactions in the United States).

Convenience fees are typically charged for payments for taxes and tuition and can either be flat fees or a percentage of the total amount paid.

“Convenience fees are charged by businesses to cover the cost they pay to payment processing companies for when a customer pays by credit card. A convenience fee is different from a surcharge, which is a charge simply for just using a credit card. Surcharges are illegal in some states. All businesses have to follow the policies of payment processing providers and government laws when it comes to convenience fees and surcharges,” Investopedia explains.

“Convenience fees can help a business cover some of the costs imposed through electronic payment processing. Businesses have to pay a merchant fee every time one of their customers uses a credit card.”

Here’s what some redditors had to say. Some of them shared their own experiences with mortgage payments

Guy Makes It Very Inconvenient For This Company After It Tried To Charge Him $14.95 ‘Convenience’ Fee For Online Payments

Storytelling, journalism, and art are a core part of who I am. I've been writing and drawing ever since I could walk—there is nothing else I'd rather do. My formal education, however, is focused on politics, philosophy, and economics because I've always been curious about the gap between the ideal and the real. At work, I'm a Senior Writer and I cover a broad range of topics that I'm passionate about: from psychology and changes in work culture to healthy living, relationships, and design. In my spare time, I'm an avid hiker and reader, enjoy writing short stories, and love to doodle. I thrive when I'm outdoors, going on small adventures in nature. However, you can also find me enjoying a big mug of coffee with a good book (or ten) and entertaining friends with fantasy tabletop games and sci-fi movies.

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I'm a Visual Editor at Bored Panda since 2017. I've searched through a multitude of images to create over 2000 diverse posts on a wide range of topics. I love memes, funny, and cute stuff, but I'm also into social issues topics. Despite my background in communication, my heart belongs to visual media, especially photography. When I'm not at my desk, you're likely to find me in the streets with my camera, checking out cool exhibitions, watching a movie at the cinema or just chilling with a coffee in a cozy place

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What do you think ?

POST

Monica Martinez Castañeda 2 years ago

I am guessing this is in the US? It really shocks me that you guys actually still use checks! It seems so crazy. I've had my own bank account for about 23 years now, and never had (or needed) a check... (talking about Europe)

12points

Robert T 2 years ago

The US banking system is pretty primitive and is less protective of customers. A simple bank transfer between two accounts is quite difficult. I am trying to remember the last time I wrote a cheque - must be several years ago - though I receive them quite often, as my parents and MIL do not do online banking. I can pay them in through the bank's app on my phone.

6points

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jjdubs W 2 years ago

I think what the author is saying is that the bank issues a check, from his account, to the mortgage company. That check in not written by the author, but issued directly from the bank.

2points

Nubis Knight 2 years ago

Thought the same (am from Germany) but on the other hand our banks don't sell mortgages. I'd not trust murican banks o.O

1point

AnnaBanana 2 years ago

This is great!! Convenience fees are a rip off, not to mention unethical. But I'm still curious as to why America still uses cheques - I haven't used a cheque in years!

7points

Paul Davis 2 years ago

Pretty much only old people use checks in the day to day, but there are rare situations where you end up still having to use a check.

2points

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Kimberlee Lofink 2 years ago

I usually don't use cheques, however, I have had to deal with paying some places (rent, loan, utilities) where *every.single.scrap.* of traceable paper was an absolute necessity. Some real nightmare places, but didn't have any other choices at the time. Found out more about the notes line on a cheque too. Favorite words to write there... Paid in full. A cheque/ payment isn't just money being transferred to the business, it is a legally binding contractual instrument between payor/payee.

2points

Naesil 2 years ago

Im in my thirties and I dont think I have ever seen real cheque, only the big fake ones some organization gives on public event (and probably has been 20 years since I saw even those)

2points

Yort 2 years ago

Most people don’t use checks, but there’s enough possibilities to need them that some people just have them.

1point

madbakes 2 years ago

Most people don't, but a lot of older people do. For online bill pay through the bank, the bank will send it electronically if able, but sometimes have to mail a check.

1point

Potato 2 years ago

The last time I used a check was over 5 years ago when the online resident portal was down for unexpected technical issues. But, they also would have accepted money orders. Most companies don't want to accept checks.

0points

purple zebra 2 years ago

I really don’t see the difference in this vs having set up auto pay. It’s not the mortgage company can decide to take more out. Also, I highly doubt the mortgage company cares at all that this guy is doing this. They probably haven’t even noticed since it more than likely just comes through as an e-check which is the same as setting up auto pay. People are weird and they think they are being so clever but really they are just showing extreme stupidity

1point

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POST

Monica Martinez Castañeda 2 years ago

12points

Robert T 2 years ago

6points

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jjdubs W 2 years ago

I think what the author is saying is that the bank issues a check, from his account, to the mortgage company. That check in not written by the author, but issued directly from the bank.

2points

Nubis Knight 2 years ago

Thought the same (am from Germany) but on the other hand our banks don't sell mortgages. I'd not trust murican banks o.O

1point

AnnaBanana 2 years ago

This is great!! Convenience fees are a rip off, not to mention unethical. But I'm still curious as to why America still uses cheques - I haven't used a cheque in years!

7points

Paul Davis 2 years ago

Pretty much only old people use checks in the day to day, but there are rare situations where you end up still having to use a check.

2points

Load More Replies...

Kimberlee Lofink 2 years ago

2points

Naesil 2 years ago

Im in my thirties and I dont think I have ever seen real cheque, only the big fake ones some organization gives on public event (and probably has been 20 years since I saw even those)

2points

Yort 2 years ago

Most people don’t use checks, but there’s enough possibilities to need them that some people just have them.

1point

madbakes 2 years ago

Most people don't, but a lot of older people do. For online bill pay through the bank, the bank will send it electronically if able, but sometimes have to mail a check.

1point