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Elsewhere in the Ist-a-Verse
In yet another significant change of policy following customer outrage, Rogers appears to have changed the rule that prevented existing customers who had changed their phones over the past year from upgrading to an iPhone. According to a forum thread on ehMac.ca (sent to us and confirmed by reader K. Robson), existing Rogers wireless customers can now get iPhones so long as their wireless account has been active for at least three months. Hey, maybe Rogers doesn't have contempt for their customers after all—maybe they're just totally inept.
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I'd like to know what sparked all these stupid desitions in the first place. It sounds as if they are trying to control the distribution of iPhone and avoid a great deal of people getting one, having it unlocked then swapping their sim card from their old phone keeping Rogers from charging the customer more money. I think all it will result in now are people using Rogers for as long as they have to then swapping for a better service.
Gaulder - Asked and answered. It's all about squeezing more money out of people. O2 and AT&T do the same thing in the UK and US from what I've read.
Rogers is lucky nobody else runs a national GSM network or they wouldn't have any customers left at all.
My experiences with Rogers reinforce the thesis that a lot of what looks like evil is in fact ineptitude in disguise.
now only if they would stop the DNS hijacking pratice they took up recently
That's Rogers all right: Hanlon's Razor writ large. Of course, they could also be held up as proof of Sturgeon's Law.
They pay people six-figure salaries to think of this stuff, and other people also making six figures approve it.
The problem with Rogers is that everything they do is so pathetically transparent. The "no upgrades" policy was obviously to help curb the initial demand for the phone. Now that supply and demand are leveling out, *quel surprise*, the policy changes.
Damnit, I hate looking back on my posts and seeing stupid spelling mistakes. FAIL.
I went to Rogers one last time today to check what I'd be paying if I picked up an iPhone, considering that I had previously not qualified since I replaced a broken handset within the last year.
So, to get the "early adopters" data plan (which expires on Sunday), I'd have to pay the early cancellation fee of $40 (I have one month left on my contract, but it expires after the promo offer), and then because my voice plan is $30/month, I'd have to pay a $50 penalty to upgrade to a more expensive monthly voice plan (minimum $35/month before data). Yes, I have to pay them $50 to put me on a more expensive plan.
Of course, with the mandatory System Access Fee and 911 fee, my $30/month plan is actually $37.45/month, pre-tax, and I've also got a $11 "value pack" (read: voicemail) on top of that, but they don't count that toward the eligibility. So, I'd be forced to pay $50 more for the phone because my monthly plan falls $5 short. And then there's also a $35 activation fee on top of that.
And if you want Visual Voicemail, which normally is included with the iPhone, it's an additional $8/month under the soon-to-expire promo.
Some other things I learned, which Rogers isn't very upfront about on their website or marketing materials:
• If your iPhone gets lost or broken or stolen within your three-year contract, you can't get another iPhone. Rogers will sell you another phone; just not an iPhone. To get a new iPhone, you have to close your account (paying the early cancellation penalties) and open a brand-new one, and you can't keep your number unless you move from Rogers to Fido or vice-versa.
• If a newer model gets released that you wish to buy within your three-year contract term, you have to pay the early cancellation fee on your contract, and then your three-year contract term starts again from scratch, including the $35 activation fee and the original, exorbitant data rates.
• If you make a change in your plan within your three-year contract term, it resets your three-year contract from scratch again.
• If you make a change to your plan during your contract term to a cheaper one, you have to pay a $50 penalty.
• Rogers can change the terms and rates of your contract without notice. You legally only have 30 days to cancel without penalty if this happens, so better keep a close eye on your bill.
In conclusion, Rogers can go fuck themselves, and I'll stick with my iPod Touch (which I love).