| 1GB the new normal? I'm sure Verizon and Sprint will eagerly rush to match this new cap. Isn't the free market wonderful? |
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openbox9
join:2004-01-26
Alexandria, VA
kudos:2 | A free market goes both ways. Providers are allowed to charge what the markets are willing to bear. Until consumers begin voting with their wallets, the noose is only going to continue to get tighter. |
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EPS
join:2008-02-13
Hingham, MA | reply to SierraRob
said by SierraRob:I'm sure Verizon and Sprint will eagerly rush to match this new cap. Isn't the free market wonderful? Telus isn't in the same market with VZW, S, T, T-Mobile, or any US carrier- you can thank Canadian spectrum ownership laws on that. Though, it may spread to Bell Mobility and Rogers...
However, this appears to be a cap-and-overages, rather a cap-and-you're-done, which is a bit different than the 5GB cap. |
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 elwoodbluesElwood BluesPremium
join:2006-08-30
HarperLand
 ·Cybersurf Intern..
| reply to openbox9
said by openbox9:A free market goes both ways. Providers are allowed to charge what the markets are willing to bear. Until consumers begin voting with their wallets, the noose is only going to continue to get tighter. The problem with voting with your wallet, is all carriers do the same thing.
In Canada, Bell and Telus decided to start charging for incoming text msgs (apparently Americans already pay for this). Rogers/Fido haven't (yet!)
Since 99% of the service sold here is on a 3yr plan you are stuck till your contract expires. |
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openbox9
join:2004-01-26
Alexandria, VA
kudos:2 | What kind of contract allows the terms to be changed without an option to terminate the contract? Is that a Canadian thing? |
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| said by openbox9:What kind of contract allows the terms to be changed without an option to terminate the contract? Is that a Canadian thing? I'm a current Rogers Cable and Internet customer/sucker and a former Rogers Wireless subscriber (although they are still trying to collect payment for data services I didn't use in during the 2 weeks I had the phone before they suspended my account.)
I assume that Bell and Telus have contractual terms similar to those of Rogers. (What one company gets away with, the others will always follow. It's all about the maximizing the bottom line for their shareholders.) Conveniently provided in tiny print on all Rogers bills is the following:
TERMS OF SERVICE
...
15. Rogers may change these terms and any aspects of the services, upon notice to you. If you do not accept a change to these terms, your sole remedy is to retain the existing terms, unchanged for the duration of your commitment period. If you do not accept any other change to aspects of the services, your sole remedy is to terminate.
What's the difference between a "Term" of Service vs. an "Aspect" of service? I asked Customer Care about it and the answer I got was essentially 'that depends.' I gathered that a change such as introducing the clause which now states that all disputes will only be 'determined by final and binding arbitration to the exclusion of the courts' is considered a 'Term'. If you were lucky enough to caught it when it was introduced and informed Rogers that you didn't agree to it, presumably you could still have exercised your right to have your dispute settled in court. Throttling download speeds, introducing caps on 'unlimited data', etc., is probably considered an 'Aspect' of service. Of course, only Rogers gets to decide whether a customer's issue is a Term or Aspect, and I suspect that it varies on a case by case basis.
Note that there is nothing about a 'Notice Period' - Rogers can change their terms and aspects of services with no notice to the consumer. (If the wording on obscure legal sections of Rogers website has changed but Rogers has not actually contacted their customers personally or expressly written to them to explain the changes, have they been adequately notified.?)
And if the customer does decide to terminate their contract because aspects of the service have been changed? The Term of Service concerning Terminations states that customers must give Rogers 30 days advance notice, and "An early cancellation fee may apply."
Didn't Ottawa end the Bell/AGT/SaskTel/etc. monopoly and allow business competition in the telecommunications market so that consumers would have more choices and encourage the introduction of improved service? Ironic. |
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