Complaint against Fido (Rogers communications)
My invoice numbers xxxxxx8529, xxxxxx8539, xxxxxx8549 - services for my iPhone:
When I received invoice number 8529 I was stunned to see I was charged $0.03/Kb for roaming data usage while traveling in the US - upwards of $400 in fees. I called to complain, and after haggling for a half hour the agent agreed to absolve me of half the debt - I was credited more than $200. I was willing to accept half the responsibility since I hadn't really paid attention to their roaming charges.
HERE'S THE IMPORTANT PART: I then said to the agent: I travel in the US quite a bit for business and my company emails are received on my phone, so I will need a plan that prevents these kind of roaming charges. He told me I could add a $10 package to my plan that would cover my roaming fees for data usage in the states.
I hit the road - traveling sales manager, I was out of town and fell behind on my mail - I get home and open bills 8539 & 8549 at the same time. $383.61 in data roaming fees on one and $546.68 in roaming data fees on the other. I call immediately, where I'm informed that in fact the $10 monthly plan was to access a beneficial rate for my roaming data - $1.00/Mb instead of $0.03/Kb. This was not what I had been told, and certainly if I had been told that I would never have agreed! After haggling and elevating with customer service for over an hour I received a credit of $738.00.
• Here are the main points for my complaint:
• They advertise Data plans in Canada at $30.00 per 1 Gb
• They charge roaming data at $0.03 per Kb (this is $30, 000.00 per 1 Gb!!)
• I need to repeat that again - $30, 000 per Gb
• They charge $10.00 per month to access the preferential rate of only $1000.00 per 1 Gb
1) How is it possible that the CRTC and the CCTS allow suppliers to charge 1000 or 100 times the price for roaming data? Bulk bandwidth is sold between telecommunications companies, in this case AT&T selling to Rogers (Fido), are nowhere near these prices - I promise you Rogers would not accept paying 100 or 1000 times the wholesale rate... This is criminal gouging. I'm not an idiot - I expect to pay a premium for roaming - but 1000 times the rate?
2) How are they allowed to mislead people on their documentation (website, pamphlets and invoices) by expressing their rates in different measures - how can you advertise Data by the Gb in Canada, but fine print the prices by the Kb and Mb on roaming.
3) How is it that they are allowed to sell powerful devices like the Apple iPhone that use considerable amounts of data by nature, without WARNING consumers of the potential costs - My iPhone should have come with a giant red piece of paper that said WARNING - if you cross the boarder and check your Facebook you will pay $30, 000.00/Kb of data...!
4) FURTHERMORE - why are they allowed to discriminate their charges based on the wireless device you use? Rogers only charges $0.006 per Kb of roaming data if you own a Blackberry! (still an exorbatent $6, 000.00 per Gb) Data transmission doesn't cost more based on the receiver - its a radio signal - signal sent, signal received... end of story.
5) This is the most important one - if a 12$/hour supervisor at a call center has the power to strike $738.00 off my invoice, how valid were the charges in the first place? Isn't this practically an acknowledgment of their practice?
Thus, on behalf of travelling business men accross Canada I ask the CCTS and the CRTC to regulate:
1) the rates allowed for roaming data (again, I reiterate - $30.00/Gb in Canada, $30, 000.00 per Gb if I roam in the US...) Isn't there a NAFTA clause we can apply to transmissions?
2) force the Cell companies to standardize their roaming data pricing regardless of what equipment is being used to receive the data
3) reimburse any customer who has been charged $30, 000.00 per Gb to the new rate decided on, retroactive to the release date of the iPhone
Sincerely,
outraged Canadian consumer of wireless gadgets
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