December 10, 2008 33 Comments

Using eBillMe Wasn’t Too Tricky- But It Can Improve

You might remember that this month’s sponsor is eBillMe. I wrote a post about their cash payment method a week or so ago. Today, I had a chance to use the service, and I found it really interesting. I thought I’d walk you through my experience, and then, give you an idea of why it’s cool, but also why eBillMe has some room to improve.

First, I went to their list of companies and decided to try Buy.com. I wanted to buy a Jawbone BlueTooth headset, and I found them there. However, it turns out that Buy.com has a kind of blended selling area, where some of the items are from 3rd party merchants. The eBillMe service couldn’t pay on those types of merchants.

To me, from the outside, I was a bit confused, but I’ve seen the same experience at Amazon.com, where the 3rd party stuff sold there doesn’t have the same rules as the “official” stuff, so I fault Buy.com not eBillme.

No worries, I went to TigerDirect.com and found the same product. I added it to the shopping cart, and I went to select payment. I clicked eBillMe, and then it walked me through the next steps. Here’s what you do:

Fill out the account info for TigerDirect.
Get the form from eBillMe on the TigerDirect site.
Go to my own bank.
Select Add Payee in the online billing area.
Copy the info from the TigerDirect form into the right spots on my bank.
Select Make a Payment.
Complete the transaction.

What I really love about eBillMe is that I’ve used it to shield my payment information from TigerDirect, and I’ve used it to shield my purchase information from my bank. It’s safe, and it lets me pay cash instead of credit. (Remember, that’s the main point of eBillMe. This is a way to pay cash safely and get out of the credit grind.)

What needs work is the process overall. It’s complex, has lots of steps, and just isn’t very smooth. I realize that this is a one-time setup. The next time I go buy something at TigerDirect, I’m all set. I presume that the same info carries through if I buy at Buy.com. But even then, the process just isn’t as smooth.

I’m not sure how one would improve it, though. I can complain, but I don’t really have the next move. I think it’s a matter of threading a bunch of financial data needles that just aren’t as easy as implementing something like OpenID.

So, that all said, I still endorse eBillMe, and I’m going to use it more now that I have my account set up. I hope more merchants jump on board, because it’s neat paying cash instead of using a debit card or paying credit.

Have you tried it? Go to eBillMe to see what’s interesting.

This post wasn’t sponsored, but it relates to a sponsored post.

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http://www.ebillme.com Samer Forzley

Thanks Chris

You are correct, once you set up, you can use it anywhere, you just checkout and pay the bill.
http://www.ebillme.com Samer Forzley

Thanks Chris

You are correct, once you set up, you can use it anywhere, you just checkout and pay the bill.
http://www.yahoo.com billy

at first,i was not that excited about this but i checked out their site .. i have not bought anything yet..i like that i dont have to give the merchant my credit card info.. i personally dont mind giving out my card to some merchants.. but i dont like giving it to merchants i have not bought from in the past or dont know much about.

they talk about guaranteeing best price and seem to have a return policy.. so that is cool.. at least they have dispute resolution and protection similar to credit cards.. I agree, it is more work to setup ebillme initially as a biller.. but it not that bad.. it took me more time to setup my paypal account anyway..

it seems like that i can get the same protection that i get with credit cards, but i dont give the merchant my card info..so why not use it.. the only downside is that it is not yet available at some of the stores that i buy from.. thanks for posting this
http://www.yahoo.com billy

at first,i was not that excited about this but i checked out their site .. i have not bought anything yet..i like that i dont have to give the merchant my credit card info.. i personally dont mind giving out my card to some merchants.. but i dont like giving it to merchants i have not bought from in the past or dont know much about.

they talk about guaranteeing best price and seem to have a return policy.. so that is cool.. at least they have dispute resolution and protection similar to credit cards.. I agree, it is more work to setup ebillme initially as a biller.. but it not that bad.. it took me more time to setup my paypal account anyway..

it seems like that i can get the same protection that i get with credit cards, but i dont give the merchant my card info..so why not use it.. the only downside is that it is not yet available at some of the stores that i buy from.. thanks for posting this
Kelly

One of the “tips and tricks” I Iearned, after using eBillme several times, is to be VERY consistent with the email address you are using on merchant sites, when you are going to check out using eBillme. The eBill that gets generated, and corresponding account number, provided by eBillme is unique, based on the email address. If you end up using multiple email addresses, you will end up getting multiple eBillme account numbers, which could result in eBillme’s customer service team getting involved.
Kelly

One of the “tips and tricks” I Iearned, after using eBillme several times, is to be VERY consistent with the email address you are using on merchant sites, when you are going to check out using eBillme. The eBill that gets generated, and corresponding account number, provided by eBillme is unique, based on the email address. If you end up using multiple email addresses, you will end up getting multiple eBillme account numbers, which could result in eBillme’s customer service team getting involved.
http://www.msn.com Joey

I work at a bank and i find eBillme to be a really smart application built on top of bill pay. I can see this being very popular. there are millions of people that use bill pay and this is a nice way for them to buy stuff on the web. With all the issues in the credit market right now, this is a good payment tool for shoppers.
http://www.msn.com Joey

I work at a bank and i find eBillme to be a really smart application built on top of bill pay. I can see this being very popular. there are millions of people that use bill pay and this is a nice way for them to buy stuff on the web. With all the issues in the credit market right now, this is a good payment tool for shoppers.
Mary Ann

@Joey or anyone else that would like to respond

Once I do a transaction with ebillme, does the merchant record show up on my banking statement. For xample if i buy at Tiger does it show that i made a $100 payment to Tiger on my banking statement.
http://m@m.com Mary Ann

@Joey or anyone else that would like to respond

Once I do a transaction with ebillme, does the merchant record show up on my banking statement. For xample if i buy at Tiger does it show that i made a $100 payment to Tiger on my banking statement.
http://www.ebillme.com Samer Forzley

@Mary Ann

When make a transaction with eBillme, on your statement it will show as eBIllme. If you purchase say from Buy.com, and Tigerdirect.com then both transactions will show up as eBillme transactions.

In addition to having no finacial information shared with eBillme or the merchant, if someone takes a peek at your statement, they will not know what you bought or from where, its almost like stealth shopping.

Samer
http://www.ebillme.com Samer Forzley

@Mary Ann

When make a transaction with eBillme, on your statement it will show as eBIllme. If you purchase say from Buy.com, and Tigerdirect.com then both transactions will show up as eBillme transactions.

In addition to having no finacial information shared with eBillme or the merchant, if someone takes a peek at your statement, they will not know what you bought or from where, its almost like stealth shopping.

Samer
http://www.saglikveegitim.com ali paşa

I’m writing from turkey. I like your writings.
http://www.saglikveegitim.com ali paşa

I’m writing from turkey. I like your writings.
http://www.zaldor.com Les Zaldor

Great site – I like the fact you can pay without providing credit information, but how is this that much different that PayPal? With PayPal, it takes it from my checking account, and I don’t provide any credit card information to the retailer – isn’t that the same?
http://www.zaldor.com Les Zaldor

Great site – I like the fact you can pay without providing credit information, but how is this that much different that PayPal? With PayPal, it takes it from my checking account, and I don’t provide any credit card information to the retailer – isn’t that the same?
http://www.ebillme.com Samer Forzley

@Les
With eBillme you don’t give anyone, your finacial information, you keep your personal finacial information to yourself, and you don’t give anyone authority to access and draw on your account. You are in charge of your payments.

With eBillme you also get premium coverage often associated with platinum credit cards, for example among other things, eBillme provides price protection which grantees that if you buy something and the price drops within 90 days eBillme will pay you the difference.

So with eBillme you get the best security and privacy, and benefits of a premium credit cards with a cash like payment
http://www.ebillme.com Samer Forzley

@Les
With eBillme you don’t give anyone, your finacial information, you keep your personal finacial information to yourself, and you don’t give anyone authority to access and draw on your account. You are in charge of your payments.

With eBillme you also get premium coverage often associated with platinum credit cards, for example among other things, eBillme provides price protection which grantees that if you buy something and the price drops within 90 days eBillme will pay you the difference.

So with eBillme you get the best security and privacy, and benefits of a premium credit cards with a cash like payment
joebobb

I found ebillme easy to use as far as paying for an internet purchase but the only reason I used them was for an offered $25 rebate. 10 weeks later and no check. I copied all the doc I sent them and called with the info. Of course they stated they had never recvd. my mailed in rebate but would be happy to file for my rebate over the phone, starting the 6-8 week cycle all over again. I do not know why anyone would use this service other than to get a rebate and that remains to be seen if you get even that. 2 thumbs down…
joebobb

I found ebillme easy to use as far as paying for an internet purchase but the only reason I used them was for an offered $25 rebate. 10 weeks later and no check. I copied all the doc I sent them and called with the info. Of course they stated they had never recvd. my mailed in rebate but would be happy to file for my rebate over the phone, starting the 6-8 week cycle all over again. I do not know why anyone would use this service other than to get a rebate and that remains to be seen if you get even that. 2 thumbs down…
mwpool

Interesting article. I agree with you 100%. I too used ebillme for the first time and found some “stumbling blocks”. However, after I got through all of them I am glad I used it. It is nice to see a site where Cash can be used. Dave Ramsey would be proud!!! I intent to use ebillme more in the future; Like you, I hope more merchants jump on-board.
mooooo

I have used ebillme a couple days ago. In the second day of the payment from my bank, the customer service of ebillme called me and started asking my old address(I have just moved to new place, but I've already noticed my bank), my husband's name(bank was “joint account”), and last 4 digits of my social security #!? Of course I denied to give the ss#, then they said that they'll try to verify the purchase with my bank without my ss#…… My bank statement already shows that money were paid to ebillme. Why do they need all those further personal info?? – I felt very fishy about them.
Also, I have received “welcome to ebillme” e-mail, but never received “thank you for your payment…confirmation message, still 2 dyas after my bank withdraw the amount.
I hope my order and products get to me safely and quickly. Now I feel that I should have used PayPal.
mooooo

I have used ebillme a couple days ago. In the second day of the payment from my bank, the customer service of ebillme called me and started asking my old address(I have just moved to new place, but I've already noticed my bank), my husband's name(bank was “joint account”), and last 4 digits of my social security #!? Of course I denied to give the ss#, then they said that they'll try to verify the purchase with my bank without my ss#…… My bank statement already shows that money were paid to ebillme. Why do they need all those further personal info?? – I felt very fishy about them.
Also, I have received “welcome to ebillme” e-mail, but never received “thank you for your payment…confirmation message, still 2 dyas after my bank withdraw the amount.
I hope my order and products get to me safely and quickly. Now I feel that I should have used PayPal.
Schoeneck

check this out – http://www.my3cents.com/showReview.cgi?id=31806

Using ebillme could lower your credit score !!
http://www.yuregininsesi.com sesli chat

I work at a bank and i find eBillme to be a really smart application built on top of bill pay. I can see this being very popular. there are millions of people that use bill pay and this is a nice way for them to buy stuff on the web. With all the issues in the credit market right now, this is a good payment tool for shoppers.
ArJ

Ebillme is a good idea, in theory, but only if it were a business that was execute well…I liked the idea of making a purchase online without using my bank information for just anyone to grab a hold of, so I made a purchase online and decided to us ebillme, in which they offered a discount of $5 (ebillme was supposed to send $5 towards my order directly to the vendor, and I was to send the remaining balance). After my purchase, ebillme sent me an email with all the information as to where I send the check. After sending the check, it was cashed by the vendor, yet ebillme never sent the additional discount….a long story short, I had to call both the vendor and ebillme numerous time and play middle man to find out what had happened to my order. I thought the customer reps were pretty rude, and were quick to accuse me of sending my check to the wrong party and to the wrong account number because they could not find it in their system. Even though my check was cashed by ebillme it was never processed by their system, they never paid the discount, and my order was unable to be shipped. I never received an apology, but instead they did offer a higher discount if I would have increased my order by $15, which doesn't make sense if supposedly I never sent a check to the correct place. In fact, the entire story doesn't make sense…All ends well-They had to send back my check (which had the same account number on them that I had sent my original check to), and after three months I started my order all over again, while using debit….There are too many steps in the process. If one thing goes wrong there are too many thing to keep track of to try and untangle the issues…The reps on ebillme's side were quick to blame, inexperienced with handling customers, and never offered any apology to try an ease to process.
Hanhunk

Here is my personal experience from chatting with them on 10-13-10 at 12:28p:

Thanks for contacting us. An operator will be with you shortly…

[J] Mail in rebate changed, please note account is qualified
[David] Thank you for contacting eBillme support.
[J] hello?
[David] just pulling up your account , ill be a moment
[J] When I went to look at the current mail in rebate that I originally purchased this under for Amazon certificate, the terms have changed. These are not my original terms, as I have the original rebate in front me
[J] and it does not state any exception for prior use of coupon
[David] yes the rebate terms were changed. the rebate will not be approved. as you have already used some eBillme coupons.
[J] They changed after I purchased the items
[David] eBillme reserved the right to change or stop the promotion at any time
[J] That is pretty crappy business ethics
[J] I want a refund
[David] the gift cards are not refundable
[J] You should honor it, and also, note the account accordingly
[J] Yes, butt changing the terms nullifies the contract doesn’t it
[J] Why should I have to abide by your policies when clearly you don’t
[David] the right to change or stop the promotion is stated in the original rebate terms as well
[J] So you’re telling me that you can make a claim, say that it can change at any time, and it is alright. Why should I believe anything you write anywhere with that kind of legalistic unaccountability
[J] I will post my experience everywhere with your company
[J] They will find out what a fraud this really is
[J] including this chat. I think you don’t respect your customers, and it shows.
[David] sorry you feel that way because you cannot take advantage of coupon and rebate discounts.
this chat has been recorded, you have not been treated unfairly or with disrespect.
[J] Look, I have because I feel that way. When you make a promise and write it down, that is the basis for a purchase decision. If you change it with negative impact on the consumer, it is a bait and switch, regardless if language is included saying that you reserve the right to change. That is not honoring the original agreement, and predatory on consumer’s faith in your business practices. That is not being respectful. That is cheating and lying, and don’t worry you don’t have to record it, I already have and will post it everywhere likewise.
[David] Thank You have a nice day.

The operator has ended the chat. Thanks for contacting us.

I followed up to cancel my account immediately after, chatting with the same operator after being ignored two times when connecting with “Thomas”. Then I called in to confirm my cancellation and spoke with Thomas, who is the supervisor and highest up the customer support chain (must be a pretty small operation) and registered my disappointment in eBillMe’s business practices. He did confirm that I would be receiving no further charges.

That is my experience, hope people become more aware of who they are dealing with as a result of my posting this information.
Jan

November 2010. I used eBillme to see what advantage it had for me and just out of curiousity. My order was not shipped for almost 10 days due to a delay in them getting a bank check instead of an electronic payment from my bank. Seems like that end of the business should have been taken care of by eBillme. Now I wish I had used my credit card to get faster service. I will never use them again. The whole point on online shopping is quick service and eBill defeats this purpose.

SimpleShopper

I agree, had similar experience. I believe they hold $ to collect interest out of greed. They keep it up and they will not have customers!

Pingback: Review - Send Online Gift Cards with eBillme | GiftCardRescue.com
Kimpohemeng

i want german car
simpleshopper

I used ebillme. The first time it was great, the second time they deducted nthe $ from my bank then claimed the company I ordered from had my money. I called them and they didn’t have my money but in formed me ebillme can delay payment up to 10 days. Well then why go through them when PayPal would’ve provided the same service with less hassle. I regret using them and will NEVER use them again. Now i have to track down my money! Not cool!
Mlmaxx

Never utilize a company where a live person is unavailable to assist you!

Using eBillMe Wasn’t Too Tricky- But It Can Improve

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