Since the beginning of this year, all Austrians who do not have an exemption have been ORF supporters – whether they want to or not. But apparently the many new contributors to the infrastructure pose a challenge.
“As soon as I received the letter, I signed up for the ORF contribution, but I did not agree to a direct debit,” says a “Krone” reader in an interview. “Then nothing came for weeks and suddenly the postman came with a payment reminder including a late fee and proof of payment.”
Late payment fee of 23.88 euros
Why didn’t he want direct debit? “I don’t trust ORF enough to automatically give them access to my account. “Moreover, with a payment slip you have a better overview of your finances,” the reader explains. “The insolence is the late fee. We always review the mail carefully, including the advertisements, and nothing has ever come up.”
As a precaution, his wife also registered again so that the compensation would work. “We have been waiting all this time for the receipt. “There should actually have been two letters,” said the reader. Yet the first letter after registration was a payment reminder. “Ten percent late payment surcharge of 23.88 euros is simply too much. I know this is regulated by law, but we have done nothing wrong,” the reader clarifies.
On hold for an hour and a half
Then he tried customer service. “On the first day I gave up after being on hold for over 90 minutes. On the second day I reached a supervisor after 30 minutes. The lady was understanding and offered that the late payment fee would be waived if I gave a direct debit authorization,” reports the Klagenfurt resident. “They couldn’t help me at the Chamber of Labor either because it was an administrative fee.”
Our reader has now paid the compensation via a receipt, but without late payment surcharge: “I have transferred the case to my legal aid. That’s impertinent and others probably feel the same way.” A quick internet search proves him right. There are reports on various forums that people wait forever for ORF letters and receive instant reminders.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
