The Australian Newsagents’ Federation has let newsagents down with this announcement to the press about Bill Express. here is some of what the press release says:
Newsagents today are dealing with the fallout of the collapse of Bill Express after news of their decision to enter voluntary administration.
The Bill Express electronic platform provided over 3500 newsagents nationally with the ability to process bill payment, mobile phone recharge, calling cards, prepaid credit cards and other products and services.
Bill Express’ decision to enter voluntary administration means many newsagents may not be able to process bills and phone recharges in the usual way. …
“While this may have a major financial impact on the newsagent network, newsagents will be working to ensure the effect on the consumer is minimised where possible,” MacAskill said.
The ANF and newsagents have been working together to source alternative EFTPOS facilities with electronic mobile recharge and value added services from other providers.
In the meantime, newsagents nationally are stocking up on physical mobile recharge cards in the event that electronic mobile recharge is not available, although an alternative bill payment platform has yet to be found.
Rather than talking down newsagents, the ANF would have been smarter in talking up the considerable preparations newsagents have undertaken in preparation for Bill Express to go down. For at least 1,000 of the 3,500 Bill Express newsagents it is business as usual. Why would the ANF not mention this?
Newsagents have alternative eftpos, mobile phone rehcarge and phonecard supply available now. the ANF holds back from talking about most arrangements since it does not make any money from them.
The ANF needs to decide if it is to be an association representing members or a commercial player chasing profit. It is the pursuit of the latter which got it into the Bill Express mess in the first place.
I think that the ANF has acted deplorably in this whole situation. I can understand the push to get newsagents to sign up for the fee they received and to be truthfull I quite enjoyed BE whilst it was running in my business albeit with the frustration of not having enough billers online to compete with Aus. Post, the lack of local, mi-ads etc.
The slowness of communication coming from the ANF about this issue in the weeks leading up to yesterdays’ announcement is both disappointing & hopeless in its timing. Only in the last 48 hours have I noticed any increase in the speed of their advice to newsagents. I have been in this industry for only 2 years and have learnt far more from reading this blog, the Yahoo Group, other blogs and in general by doing my own research than simply relying on information put out by the ANF.
Mark, kudos to you for taking up the opportunity to inform all newsagents about the various financial structures and stages of the collapse of BE. I will be taking away some positives from this such as reading the fine print closer and considering my options defensively in the case of something like this happening again before I sign a contract.
Whilst I appreciate that some may view your musings as shrouded spruiking I say “so what” it’s your blog take it or leave it. I personally get quite a bit of inspriration from it which is streets ahead of what I have got from the ANF in two years.
Upon reading what the ANF put out today and what I can only consider to be negative spin about prepaid products from newsagents I cancelled my membership today and all things considered have absolutely no regrets about it whatsoever. As you say, they could cast us in a better light and together with their comments to the ABC about this issue one would easily perceive Newsagents as not the place to go for a phone recharge.
How stupid!
I agree totally about casting newsagents negatively about selling phone recharges.
I for one are totally prepared with hard copies to sell even before installing ezipass.
ANF has definitely lost its plot over representing newsagents.
All current members should reassess their position and act accordingly and vote with their feet.