Why do people keep sending me checks?

At 9AM this morning I had a bill sent to me by a UK based company. By 9.06AM I had paid it online. The money will arrive in their currency, in their account tomorrow, or the day after. That's the beauty of electronic funds transfer - something I can do from this remote island in The Atlantic.

So will someone please tell me why certain US based companies I deal with insist on sending checks to me?

Apart from the fact that it takes me nearly three weeks to get the money, and I lose around 10% in commissions and currency exchange, has anyone stopped to consider the environmental aspect?

Here's what happens when Aweber, for example, sends me my check.

• Someone in their organisation has to print the check onto paper, then print a label with my address on it and put it in an envelope, which
• I can only guess is then sent by road to the nearest airport, where
• It's then flown to Madrid, where they sort the mail for The Canary Islands and put it on another aircraft, which
• Then flies it to Las Palmas, where it is again sorted and put on another 'plane to Lanzarote, to be
• Taken by road to Arrecife, where they sort it and bring it in a van to my village, and
• The postman then brings it to my house on his scooter,  where
• I throw away the envelope, get in my car and drive the check back to
• Arrecife, where I can finally pay it in to my bank, who
• Then have to put it in an envelope to send back to the Bank of Spain in Madrid, as it's a foreign currency, so
• The envelope is then driven to the airport, put back on a 'plane to Las Palmas, and then another to Madrid, and finally
• Once the bank in Madrid has processed it, the money appears in my account.

I can't think of a single reason why any business would continue to send out checks, can you?

Like rants? Here are some more:

1/ Class action lawsuit against Apple

2/ Why do so many businesses treat their existing customers so badly?

3/ Is it me? It is me, isn't it?