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Doctor35
Premium Member
join:2008-06-05
Toronto

Doctor35

Premium Member

Rogers Wireless Bullies Elderly Widow

Last November my uncle passed away due to cancer. He was on a 3 year contract with Rogers wireless. (No idea why, he never seemed to use it or understand how to work it.)

Very shortly after he died my 80 year old aunt called in to cancel the wireless service. She was under no obligation to continue the contract as it was not under her name. The Rogers representitive told her that she needed to continue on with the contract and to find someone else who could use the cellphone service. My aunt agreed to this even though she said she had no use for it and didn't even know how to work the cellphone to begin with. They told her she needed to pay off the $200 fee for breaking the contract. So she continued paying around $30 per month thinking this payment was to pay off the $200 break contract fee which she didn't even need to pay for to begin with.

Of course this $30 per month charge was for cellphone service, not to end the contract. So for the last 11 months she has been paying around $30 per month which is about $330 or more in total by now. I was speaking to her today and didn't know this was going on. My aunt is obviously confused and thinks what happened is perfectly normal.

Obviously I am angry and I think it is utterly shameful Rogers would trick an old confused pensioner into continuing on with a useless service. I hope the rep who was speaking to her got his $10 bonus for keeping her a customer and I hope he feels good about himself.

I will be calling in today demanding 10 months payment be credited to her account and to get the contract out of her name. Obviously if she wanted to use the cellphone service she could of just used the cellphone and made a new account not on a contract. Nobody in their right mind would continue a contract when there is no need to.

I just wanted to let people know about this and Rogers shameful practices.

Notsuprised
@rogers.com

Notsuprised

Anon

It's strange that every post you make involves an injustice being done to someone or yourself.

Doctor, at some point you need to relax and chill out

DKS
Damn Kidney Stones

join:2001-03-22
Owen Sound, ON

1 recommendation

DKS to Doctor35

to Doctor35
said by Doctor35:

I will be calling in today demanding 10 months payment be credited to her account and to get the contract out of her name. Obviously if she wanted to use the cellphone service she could of just used the cellphone and made a new account not on a contract. Nobody in their right mind would continue a contract when there is no need to.

I just wanted to let people know about this and Rogers shameful practices.
And you will be whistling in the wind. The only person who can cancel the contract is the executor of the estate. They will have to provide proof of death. That should end things. But unless you are the estate executor, Rogers will tell you to go fly a kite(as they properly should).

Have the estate executor deal with this matter. They are the only person with the legal authority to do anything about it.

Doctor35
Premium Member
join:2008-06-05
Toronto

Doctor35

Premium Member

With what you are saying then because the service was not in my aunt's name they had no right to transfer over the contract to her name because my uncle did not give his consent obviously.

So problem is solved. Let them keep billing him for all I care.
howi
join:2005-07-27
Mississauga, ON

howi to Doctor35

Member

to Doctor35
Doctor,

DKS is right and I can back him with my late friend's case. All your aunt needs is faxing the death certificate of your Uncle to Rogers. No drama whatsover.

BTW, if you genuinely care about the welfare of your family and relatives, especially the elders, call Rogers with them on the phone to become their "Authorized Agent". It just requires a simple verbal authorization from them on the phone. I've been taking care of my old man's Rogers Cable Internet/TV/HomePhone/Wireless account for years as he's in his 70s.

DKS
Damn Kidney Stones

join:2001-03-22
Owen Sound, ON

DKS to Doctor35

to Doctor35
said by Doctor35:

With what you are saying then because the service was not in my aunt's name they had no right to transfer over the contract to her name because my uncle did not give his consent obviously.

So problem is solved. Let them keep billing him for all I care.
That is one way to look at it. It's wrong and it will affect her credit rating, though. As his spouse, the law gives authority to make decisions to her unless an estate executor was named in a will.

But at some point proof of death will have to be provided. You can be authorized as your aunt's agent, as Howi suggests, then fax them the proof of death certificate and cancel the contract. But they may say (and have solid grounds to say it) that she properly accepted the contract and it is hers. They will only cancel the contract out of good will. And to get that you will have to be nice and polite to them.

Having been an executor, it gave me great satisfaction to call a company (Bell Rogers, and so on) and to ask a contract be terminated. When asked for a reason, I said, "So and so has died and I am the estate executor." The responses ranged from complete silence to "Let me transfer you to a supervisor." to "My deepest sympathies, sir. Would you please send me a copy of the certificate of death and I will cancel the account immediately?"

Doctor35
Premium Member
join:2008-06-05
Toronto

1 edit

Doctor35

Premium Member

I believe you DSK, but something doesn't sound right about that. Let's say at the time of his death he had a rogers account solely in his name and owed Rogers $1000, Rogers can affect the spouse's credit and legally collect from the spouse? That just doesn't seem right to me.

sbrook
Mod
join:2001-12-14
Ottawa

sbrook

Mod

Remember that there are several "legal entities" (meaning people, or a situation that is for some purposes the legal equivalent of a person) involved here ... Your uncle, his estate, and your aunt. (The estate being the legal equivalent of a person when dealing with matters of finances and property.) Dealing with your uncle's bills and other financial matters other than "joint" accounts at the time of death passes to the estate. Joint accounts normally pass to the joint account holder (normally the spouse).

If I am the sole name on a bill related to a contract and die, then my "estate" is responsible for that bill, not my beneficiaries, and the contract terminates on the date of death. Now for a solvent estate, practically speaking, the beneficiaries of my estate pay, in as much as they get less from the estate because the estate paid the bills. But, for an insolvent estate (no funds left), the unpaid account or portion thereof must be written off by the payee. They cannot go after the beneficiaries.

If I am NOT the sole name on a bill related to a contract (e.g. my spouse name is also on the contract) and die, then the other person on the bill is then responsible for the duration of the contract, depending on the wording of the contract.

In this case, it would appear that Rogers coerced her into continuing the contract. They continued the contract in her name without legal authority to do so. To transfer the contract to her name required the legal authority of your uncle (which clearly they couldn't get!) or the authority of the executor. If she was the executor, then that puts it into a goodwill scenario, but lack of documentation may save that one. Depending on the wording of the contract, the estate MAY be responsible for the remainder of the contracted billings.

Try to convince Rogers that in her confusion due to age and her husband's recent death that she agreed to this and shouldn't have and that the Rogers agent was wrong to do so (not to mention that he probably didn't have the authority to change the contract given the situation).

In reality, the BEST way to deal with this is to put it before the solicitor (lawyer) dealing with the estate if there was one. (For the cost of a solicitor, it can save a LOT of problems).

DKS
Damn Kidney Stones

join:2001-03-22
Owen Sound, ON

DKS to Doctor35

to Doctor35
said by Doctor35:

I believe you DSK, but something doesn't sound right about that. Let's say at the time of his death he had a rogers account solely in his name and owed Rogers $1000, Rogers can affect the spouse's credit and legally collect from the spouse? That just doesn't seem right to me.
sbrook has given you the correct explanation. This is an estate matter and should be taken to either the estate's executor or the lawyer involved.