AUB Advises Caution Regarding Online Bill Payments

Media Contact:

Wayne Scarbrough

(423) 745-4501 ext. 6002

wscarbrough@aub.org

March 2, 2018

ATHENS — Increasingly, customers of goods and services across the spectrum of commerce choose to pay bills online.  Convenience is a key.

But consumers must also be cautious about the website they visit and what payment service they are using—or believe they are using—to pay bills.

Athens Utilities Board (AUB) encourages customers to pay their utilities bill online via the AUB website at www.aub.org.

“Go directly to our website by typing that web address into your search bar.  Once on the AUB site, making your online payment quickly and securely is simple.

“Dozens of AUB customers pay online at our website every day quickly and accurately without a hitch,” said AUB’s Wayne Scarbrough.

However, AUB cautions that there are payment companies that mimic other company websites and then act as a payment processor for customers, often without that customer realizing they are paying a third party processor.

“One such company that some AUB customers have encountered is Doxo.com.   The company is not a scam, per se, but their online presence fools some into thinking they are dealing with their local utility, for instance, when they are not,” Scarbrough said.

The result can be fees for making the payment as well as a delayed payment to AUB that can lead to late fees or even a non-payment disconnect in the worst scenario.

“AUB is not affiliated with Doxo.com in any fashion. They are a third-party payment company that can accept a payment and send it to us much like your bank can,” Scarbrough said.

“When you choose to do that through your bank, you know you are doing it.  The problem with Doxo is that the customer often has no idea he is using the service and being charged for doing so,” he said.

Doxo.com is a service that claims to help customers manage billing statements from a variety of companies, including their utility bill.  They may digitally capture and use the utility’s logo, name, and even website homepage banner photos without making any arrangements with or notifying the utility.

The Doxo platform often makes customers think they are paying the utility directly when they actually are paying Doxo and being charged for the service.  Doxo is supposed to then forward payment to AUB, but the payment can be delayed for a week or more.

“Their service probably works for many people who knowingly choose to use it.  And it is a caveat emptor—let the buyer beware—case study,” Scarbrough said.

He said that customers have to take the lead and be certain they are paying the company they intend to pay.

“If they pay via Doxo and their payment arrives late at AUB or if it were to not show up at all, we could not help them get that payment back and yet they would still owe for their utilities services,” Scarbrough said.

Doxo and companies like it use something called “search engine optimization” to get listed in the results page on search engines such as Google or Bing.  For instance, if an AUB customer searches “pay Athens Utilities Board online” many choices will result including both of these:

Note that the first one lists www.aub.org as the site link.  This will take the consumer to AUB’s website, which is the intention.

While the second entry names AUB, the link is clearly is to www.doxo.com.   That’s what consumers must be aware of.

“If you start by typing in www.aub.org into the search engine yourself, you’ll be on your way to AUB’s official website.   If you search otherwise, such as by typing in ‘pay AUB online’ you will want to be careful,” Scarbrough said.

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