On Wed, 17 Sep 2008 12:32:14 -0400, metspitzer wrote:

I use direct draft for all my utility bills and have been for years. I
still get a paper statement at the end of each month. I would be just
as convenient to get an email as a paper statement, if the utility
company would just email me the damn thing.

Most of the utility companies expect you to log on to their web site and
set up an account. I see no reason for this inconvenience. IDT, my
long distance phone service, even tried to charge me a dollar for a
paper statement. When I called to cancel the service they agreed to
waive the fee. I suggested to them at that time, if they would just
email it to me, that would be fine. They informed me they were not set
up to do that. Fine......mail me the damn thing then.

To make paperless work, the utility companies should realize that we are
talking about a utility bill and not CIA documents. Cut out the web
site log on and just email the bill. A bank furnished email for this
would be nice, but not necessary.

Legal stuff.

Standard Email is not recognized as a legal document in most state
courts. Too easy to for an Email to be falsified. Thus business are not
prepared to invest into a technology that will only result in higher
legal fees in the future.

An attachment that is a PDF file, which is considered a substantially
more difficult to electronic format to falsify, is considered just like a
FAX, that is, the original document must be kept on file somewhere or
somehow.

By you logging on to a secure web site, you, and others, have very little
ability to change any document you view.

No, I have no idea, or guess, as to when business law and all 50 state
courts can (not will, but can) catchup with technology.

BTW: there is a movie with Tom Cruise on the subject of falsified
documents being sent through the US Postal Service comes up. The Firm
IIRC. There is no such law or even a hint of a such anti-fraud
protection for Email. That is why some who respond to Viagra spams
actually end up with the fool just getting sugar in a pill form.

Question: Are you legally responsible for an invoice sent to you by way
of an Email? Example: pretend I sent a mid-sized company an Email for
Telephone service by a company called American Phone and Telegraph,
AP&T. Asleep at the switch accounts payable clerk pays the bill. Does
the company have any recourse for fraudulent invoice and payment? I
don't think so as there is no fraud statue against Email, and the company
sent the payment willing.

Just my opinion, and nothing more.