This.

People learned the phone company would refund any Denied All Knowledge of a long distance call. Call up, get a credit.

Then phone company said you cant DAK calls 2 months in a row: so customers called in every other month.

Then, they eliminated operator handled calls for small bills. Call in, get an IVR, get a credit.

Phone company caught on and limited credits to $7 per month, every other month.

Customers started crediting <$7...

And on and in...cat and mouse.

Then, few realized you only had to pay 91% of the past due balance to not get shut off..

Others finally realized that if your account gets associated with a elected federal official or a PUC complaint you account will never get treated for collections.

--- Another simple one: having to press "0" 3 times to get to an agent on some IVRs..