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oh LOOK
@videotron.ca

oh LOOK

Anon

Rogers Bills beloved customer 2-million dollars

Rogers tells client she owes $2 million in roaming fees
»www.ellenroseman.com/?p=1436

... The story started last July, when Paul was heading to the United Kingdom for the Olympics. She called Rogers to buy a data plan for her smart phone to go overseas.

“They said I had to do it online. I made a mistake — it’s very confusing and I’m actually quite able at these things! — and signed up for a US, not a UK data plan,” she says.

“Though I screwed it up, I got hold of a great woman when I came back, who said she could fix things. Told me what I owed, we agreed on a price, done.

“Then I started getting billed for roaming charges overseas and monthly service fees. I tried to call to ask what these were. I would be put on hold endlessly. Sometimes I’d get to a voice mail, where I would energetically leave my name and number.

“All the while, I was getting notices through mail and email and text that I owed Rogers money.”

On Nov. 2, she did a live chat with Rogers to clear up the confusion. She was told that if she didn’t pay a $225 fee, she would owe close to $2 million.

“Yes, two million dollars. I have photos of this insane conversation. It doesn’t seem right that one lonely person (a former Rogers employee) would owe close to $2 million.”

By Nov. 5, all was fine again. Paul contacted a friend at Rogers, who managed to get someone in the President’s office to rectify things.

...

“The situation is resolved, but only because I knew someone on the inside! (And yes, I used to work at Rogers Sportsnet as a reporter.) I thought you might get a kick out of the figure she quotes me.”

By now, you’re probably itching to know what happened on the phone. Check the comments below for the verbatim details.


Note: See Ellen's website in the comment area for more details (ie chat log)...

I hope someone enters this on record for the wireless code the CRTC is coming up with, »CRTC wants public help on new wireless rules.

Sure glad Rogers doesn't inflate oversea costs, as some people say. This person might have owed 20-million dollars instead of 2 million to Rogers.

milnoc
join:2001-03-05
Ottawa

milnoc

Member

Next time, she should get a Pay-As-You-Go SIM card in the UK. Much cheaper, and much better service.

El Quintron
Cancel Culture Ambassador
Premium Member
join:2008-04-28
Tronna

El Quintron

Premium Member

said by milnoc:

Next time, she should get a Pay-As-You-Go SIM card in the UK. Much cheaper, and much better service.

My thoughts exactly... at that rate should could've gotten whole new service, phone included.

second read
@videotron.ca

second read to oh LOOK

Anon

to oh LOOK
upon second read, she was told she owes that amount. Not billed that amount. But nonetheless...

elwoodblues
Elwood Blues
Premium Member
join:2006-08-30
Somewhere in

elwoodblues to milnoc

Premium Member

to milnoc
Only if the phone is unlocked.

milnoc
join:2001-03-05
Ottawa

milnoc

Member

She can buy one while she's there. Not necessarily a smartphone, but she can easily get an unlocked throwaway phone for less than $20.

I still have mine from my London trip three years ago. Can't be used here, but it was still cheaper than roaming. And the sound quality was surprisingly excellent.
old sparks
join:2011-02-17
Greely, ON

old sparks

Member

Last time I fly into Heathrow, o2 was giving away sim cards at the airport. Great rates for cals back to Canada...
st7860
join:2004-05-13
San Francisco, CA

st7860 to oh LOOK

Member

to oh LOOK
Many years ago I overpaid a Telus landline account i was closing by 2 cents just to see what happens. Telus sent me a cheque for $0.02
ForeverBlind
join:2003-11-27
Mississauga, ON

ForeverBlind to oh LOOK

Member

to oh LOOK
Hahah talk about a passive aggressive CSR!
bigddybn
join:2000-10-18
Stuart, FL

bigddybn to oh LOOK

Member

to oh LOOK
So this woman is clueless, signs up for the wrong package and gets charged according to the terms she agreed to. As a courtesy they remove those charges and put her on the correct plan. This woman then uses data outside of the window that was apparently discussed during the first "fix me please" conversation so they try to be proactive and change her to a plan that costs less money so that she isn't billed an insane roaming fee? Am I following?

1. Woman goofs up data plan.
2. Evil corporation fixes it for her.
3. Woman again goofs up data plan.
4. Evil corporation fixes it for her without even being asked because even THEY think the roaming fees are insane.
5. Woman has a hissy on a web blog.
6. DSLR posters start trashing Evil corporation because this is DSLR and it's the cool thing to do.

Got it.

sip
@videotron.ca

sip

Anon

said by bigddybn:

4. Evil corporation fixes it for her without even being asked because even THEY think the roaming fees are insane.

So you are saying even rogers thinks their own fee's are insane? I C...

EUS
Kill cancer
Premium Member
join:2002-09-10
canada

EUS to bigddybn

Premium Member

to bigddybn
C'mon think a little, in what other type of service can you get an unsecured line of credit for $2,000,000 ?
The fact that this can occur in a corporate billings system is absolute rubbish, a joke, whatever.
If these service providers are willing to gamble millions on roaming fees to the general public, then f&*^ them, everyone should roam, then not pay. If these companies were making a reasonable rate of return, say 15%, then these types of roaming charge write offs would bankrupt a company in no time.
So either these charges are complete horseshit, meaning there are thousands of % in markups, or the companies writing these charges off are doing the right thing (in terms of the consumer), but bankrupting the company at the same time.
Which could it be?
bigddybn
join:2000-10-18
Stuart, FL

bigddybn

Member

But it *didn't* occur. She didn't get a bill for 2 million (a number based on the poor math skills of an online chat rep.) She got a charge for 225 which was done to make sure she didn't see some insane roaming charge. You know, exactly the type of action that people would be screaming "The billing system should have switched her automatically!!!" if she had instead been hit with the roaming charge.

At some point people need to take responsibility for their own actions. It is NOT always the business that is at fault.

I'm not defending rigged roaming fees. I am simply pointing out the hypocrisy and bias in this and many other forums.
bigddybn

bigddybn to sip

Member

to sip
said by sip :

said by bigddybn:

4. Evil corporation fixes it for her without even being asked because even THEY think the roaming fees are insane.

So you are saying even rogers thinks their own fee's are insane? I C...

Would appear that I just typed that. Did you have a question or anything else at all to add to the discussion?

Pauly
join:2004-05-29
canada

Pauly

Member

first of all, this lady elen has not shown concrete proof of a 2 million dollar bill, a chat rep is human, could easily make a mistake and type an extra few zero's in a chat window.
bigddybn
join:2000-10-18
Stuart, FL

bigddybn

Member

said by Pauly:

first of all, this lady elen has not shown concrete proof of a 2 million dollar bill, a chat rep is human, could easily make a mistake and type an extra few zero's in a chat window.

Are you replying to the wrong person perhaps? I also stated there was no 2 mil bill.

shaner
Premium Member
join:2000-10-04
Calgary, AB

shaner to milnoc

Premium Member

to milnoc
said by milnoc:

Next time, she should get a Pay-As-You-Go SIM card in the UK. Much cheaper, and much better service.

Problem is, the change of number. Most people who resist doing this do so because they want to be reachable on the number all of their contacts are comfortable with. Yes, yes, the obvious solution is to leave a voicemail message stating what the new number is, I'm just pointing out the reason most people give for not buying a new SIM overseas.

milnoc
join:2001-03-05
Ottawa

milnoc

Member

Ok, fine. They can simply pay the 2 million.
balur
join:2010-04-28

balur to shaner

Member

to shaner
Or call forwarding, you'll take the hit on the LD costs though.

sbrook
Mod
join:2001-12-14
Ottawa

sbrook to oh LOOK

Mod

to oh LOOK
I take my Wind Nokia phone ... got it unlocked in a few minute phone call to Wind ... which they'll gladly do after 2 months service.

Then in England I pop into the nearest CarPhone Warehouse and pick up a SIM card for Lebara ... dirt cheap call rates even back to Canada and 50p per day data. If you buy a 10pound top up when you get the SIM, the card is usually free!

There are so many ways to save money other than Roaming.