It looks like AI has mixed the two services together.
Fido, is still requiring that the 3 year contract be honoured, although, you can but it out at a rate of $20 per month for each remaining month. So if you have 2 years left, it will cost you $480 plus the cost of the new 3GS at $199 for a total of $689. You get to keep you 3G.
In 18 months, you are entitled to an upgrade without the penalty.
Otherwise, you can, as a current 3G owner upgrade to the new 16 GB GS for $499 less $100.
Those who spend less than $100 per month but who still bought their iPhones before the end of 2008 get a partial discount. Here, the 16GB iPhone 3G S costs $449 CAD while the 32GB version costs $549.
NOT true for Fido customers - just spent half an hour on the phone with them. They may come out with something but the CSRs I spoke to hadn't even heard of this deal.
I am a rogers customer and I signed up for the iphone 3g in August 2008 .. my bill on average since the first day has been at $107. You would think i am eligible. NOT.
They said
Quote:
If you are an existing iPhone 3G customer who activated or upgraded to your iPhone 3G from July 11-Sep 30 2008 and have consistently spent on average of $100 or more each month on your Rogers wireless services you will get $500 off
Well after spending an hour with them on the phone they said its because the 100$ has to be before any additional minutes charges.. for example my bill is $76 and then i usually pay 30 some dollars a month extra in going over minutes or so.. well i guess that dosent count even thought my average since i signed up has been $107 / month..
I am a rogers customer and I signed up for the iphone 3g in August 2008 .. my bill on average since the first day has been at $107. You would think i am eligible. NOT.
They said
Well after spending an hour with them on the phone they said its because the 100$ has to be before any additional minutes charges.. for example my bill is $76 and then i usually pay 30 some dollars a month extra in going over minutes or so.. well i guess that dosent count even thought my average since i signed up has been $107 / month..
I am very mad.. just letting you guys know.
Wow. So let's clear the air on this:
Only Rogers (not Fido) is offering this
Your monthly bill needs to be $100 per month before extra charges (can anyone verify if taxes are included in the $100?)
So basically, I'm guessing that around 80-90% of Rogers/Fido (same company really) iPhone customers will not qualify. What's the point?
Your monthly bill needs to be $100 per month before extra charges (can anyone verify if taxes are included in the $100?)
So basically, I'm guessing that around 80-90% of Rogers/Fido (same company really) iPhone customers will not qualify. What's the point?
Yes! its ridicilous. Like how many people pay $100 BEFORE any extra minutes/long distance ? Like you said 80-90% wont be able to get it for 199. Thats what they told me.
Yes! its ridicilous. Like how many people pay $100 BEFORE any extra minutes/long distance ? Like you said 80-90% wont be able to get it for 199. Thats what they told me.
I just wasted 2 hours at the Rogers store near my house, and got all the way to the counter and had the lady unboxing the phone, but then found out they wanted to charge me $449 to upgrade. My average, after tax is $97 and I figured that it would be "close enough" but that's not the case, and more so if you think you can simply add a $5 addon to bump you up that won't fly either.
Can anyone explain why companies make it so difficult to give them your money? Because Rogers just lost a $199 sale, and a potential increase of $5-$10/month from me simply by being inflexible. Great customer service, and great PR
Based on our research, there is barely any difference between iPhone plans between AT&T, Rogers or Fido.
Not really. You fail the realize that Rogers customers must commit to a 3-year contract, whereas AT&T wants you to commit to a 2-year contract. That means Rogers gets a whole additional year of charging you $100+ per month.
I am a rogers customer and I signed up for the iphone 3g in August 2008 .. my bill on average since the first day has been at $107. You would think i am eligible. NOT.
They said
Well after spending an hour with them on the phone they said its because the 100$ has to be before any additional minutes charges.. for example my bill is $76 and then i usually pay 30 some dollars a month extra in going over minutes or so.. well i guess that dosent count even thought my average since i signed up has been $107 / month..
I am very mad.. just letting you guys know.
I just had a very similar discussion with a Rogers rep today. My scenario is identical to yours (bought 3G in August 2008, spend $107 per month), and they told me I was not eligible for their "special" upgrade offer.
So, essentially, this is just another scam by Rogers, as they clearly have no intention of allowing existing 3G customers to upgrade at the special price they are advertising. So, if we don't quality, I'd love to know who does?
I plan to wait for another year. By then Rogers will probably be begging us to get new phones and extend our contracts another two years, offering a new 64Gb iPhone 4G for $99. I don't really need video or a compass.
Not really. You fail the realize that Rogers customers must commit to a 3-year contract, whereas AT&T wants you to commit to a 2-year contract. That means Rogers gets a whole additional year of charging you $100+ per month.
We didn't list the term lengths in this commentary as it too differs around the world. The argument maybe mute as most subscribers continue their services year after year. The primary difference being that the subscriber gets to 'upgrade' the cell phone 'sooner', 'at the same interval', or later. On this note, we are not sure just how good the offered 'upgrades' truly are.
Many don't realize that the price of new 'upgrade's has become lower in value over the years. Thus customers will upgrade to the newer version at a 'slightly' higher price in order get the latest features.
Notice, I did not include 'system access fee' (SAF) that Rogers charges, but apparently Fido or some others don't?
Firstly, the system access fee "…began as a government licensing charge in the 1980s to cellphone providers for using public airwaves. In 1986, the government transferred the collection of the fee to cellphone providers, who were to incorporate them into their monthly charges. Instead, the carriers opted to keep them separate.*"
It is that last statement that suggest that there is a government surcharge that Rogers post separately?
"For those that signed up for an iPhone 3G, your bill statement after calculating your monthly plan, data plan, taxes, 911 emergency fee, and the dreaded System Access Fee (SAF) could be close to almost $100 per month. Owning an iPhone 3G can be expensive if you’re on a data plan and subscribed to a value pack.*
The cellphone companies say the charges, which no other carriers in the world break out separately, are for ongoing maintenance and investment in their networks."†
What this suggests is that where other carriers around the world do is hide their so-called system fees in their plan, whereas Rogers breaks them out.?
For example, At&T has additional monthly "discretionary charges" that may offset Rogers' SAF, i.e.:
AT&T fine print:
Total Due Monthly/Subtotal" does not include the one time activation fee, applicable taxes, Pay Per Use charges, State and Federal Universal Service Charges, Regulatory Cost Recovery Fee and other surcharges. Please visit discretionary charges to view the estimates of the discretionary charges for your area. Your first month's statement will include a one-time activation fee, prorated monthly charge, as well as one month's charge in advance. If you are keeping an existing plan, the monthly fees you already pay will not be reflected in the shopping cart.
The amounts shown below are based on the highest fee/surcharge rates assessed in your state; your actual fees/surcharges may be less. In addition to the AT&T charges described below, you will be billed for mandatory taxes and fees imposed by federal, state, and local governments on wireless subscribers.
State CALIFORNIA
Regulatory Cost Recovery Charge 0.83
Federal Universal Service Fund 11.3%
State Universal Service Fund $0.00
Other AT&T Surcharges 0.18%
Regulatory Cost Recovery Charge
The Regulatory Cost Recovery Charge is a charge assessed by AT&T associated with payment of government imposed fees and to recover the costs of compliance with government imposed regulatory requirements. It may include costs incurred in prior years that are not yet fully recovered. It is not a tax or charge which the government requires AT&T to collect from its customers. This charge is subject to change from time to time as the cost of compliance changes.
Components of the Regulatory Cost Recovery Charge
This charge is composed of the following elements:
Federal Regulatory Fee
This component is designed to recover the annual fee imposed on AT&T by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC); this fee is assessed by the FCC on each of the entities it regulates.
Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS)
This component is designed to recover the contributions that AT&T is required to make into the Federal TRS fund. This fund is designed to assist hearing and speech impaired persons with making and receiving messages.
Wireless Number Portability and Number Pooling
This component is designed to recover the costs associated with the federal mandates of number portability and number pooling:
Wireless Local Number Portability (WLNP)
This enables customers to keep their wireless telephone numbers when they switch wireless service providers.
Number Pooling
This is a telephone number conservation method that helps to delay area code exhaust situations.
Enhanced 911 (E911)
This component is designed to recover the costs in certain states where E911 cost recovery for wireless carriers does not exist or exists in a fashion that only provides partial recovery of E911-related costs. These E911 costs relate to government mandates requiring wireless carriers to deploy advanced technology to help emergency response agencies to better determine the location of the customer calling 9-1-1.
Wireless Tower Mandates Costs
This component is designed to recover certain costs incurred by AT&T to comply with the additional administrative requirements associated with regulations relating to wireless towers, including regulations imposed by the National Environmental Protection Act, Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, Endangered Species Act, and the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act. This charge also recovers certain costs associated with regulations relating to historic properties impact studies, antenna registration, and costs incurred to comply with requirements related to the inspection of marked and lighted cell towers.
State Area Code Relief Costs
This component is designed to recover certain costs incurred by AT&T to comply with mandated geographic splits to implement new area codes in areas where an existing area code is close to number exhaustion.
Customer Proprietary Network Information (CPNI) Notification Costs
This component is designed to recover costs incurred by AT&T to comply with FCC CPNI notice requirements.
Network Outage Reporting Costs
This component is designed to recover certain costs incurred by AT&T to comply with FCC-mandated network outage reporting requirements.
State Commission Annual Reporting Costs (Applies only in IN, KY, LA, NM, OH, VA, WI, WV, WY)
This component is designed to recover certain costs incurred by AT&T to comply with state-mandated annual reports and filings required to be filed with the state utility commission or other state governmental entities.
Gross Receipts Surcharge (Missouri Only)
This component is designed to cover costs incurred and payments made by AT&T Mobility to settle claims related to past gross receipts taxes claimed by certain municipalities applicable to Missouri customers who are also billed a Municipal Gross Receipts Surcharge.
Puerto Rico Regulatory Fee (Puerto Rico Only)
This component is designed to recover the intra-island fee imposed on AT&T by the Puerto Rico Telecommunication Regulatory Board (PRTRB); this fee is assessed by the PRTRB on Telecom Service Revenue.
Federal Universal Service Fund Fee
The Federal USF, created by the federal government, is designed to help ensure first-class, affordable telecommunications service for all consumers across the country, especially residents in high cost rural communities and low-income customers. Additionally, the Federal USF provides for discounted telecommunications services for schools, libraries and rural health-care facilities. All telecommunications providers are required to pay into the Federal USF, and their contributions may be recovered from customers.
State Universal Service Fund Fee
Certain states have established state Universal Service Funds. The purpose of these state universal service funds is to ensure affordable telecommunications service for all consumers in the state, especially residents in high-cost rural areas and low-income customers. In certain states, all telecommunications providers are required to pay into these funds, and their contributions may be recovered from customers.
Other AT&T Surcharges
A percentage based and/or flat fee that AT&T assesses on the customer that allows it to recover its costs with regard to specific government taxes or fees imposed on the Company's gross receipts, sales and/or property. Such fees include the State Telecommunications Relay Services, gross receipts surcharges, 911 access line charges, DEAF surcharges, local wireless surcharges, state infrastructure and similar surcharges, a property tax surcharge variable up to $1.00 (Puerto Rico only) and other fees imposed for government purposes. The Other AT&T Surcharges are remitted by the Company to the government but are not mandated charges to the customer.It should be noted that AT&T has reported that the average iPhone user spends nearly $100 US/month for their iPhone. **
Which then begs the question, are any of the services around the world much different?
"System access fee" in fine print is simply blatantly-misleading advertising designed to fuck the customer. It is not a tax, levy, tariff or any other kind of government fee.
When paying the monthly invoice, the customer is paying for access to the wireless service. By definition the service that they are selling is purely one of system access. To split this surcharge out and bury it servers no justifiable purpose.
A savvy shopper wanting a new 3GS unencumbered would simply sign the contract, and immediately cancel it.
-ben
If you terminate with 30 days and have used the iPhone for less that 30 minutes you will be refunded all your monies and you will have to hand in the phone.
Other wise, if you do go over the limit you lose the $199 payment on the iPhone, and you will be charged a $100 for cancellation of the contract plus $400 for the Data Early Cancellation Fee
"The Data Early Cancellation Fee more fully described in your Wireless Service Agreement does not apply to the iPhone Voice & Data Packages.
By the way, Rogers on-line is offering anybody that has had their current 3G for at least 6 months, to trade it in and get a new iPhone 3GS for $250.
"System access fee" in fine print is simply blatantly-misleading advertising designed to fuck the customer. It is not a tax, levy, tariff or any other kind of government fee.
When paying the monthly invoice, the customer is paying for access to the wireless service. By definition the service that they are selling is purely one of system access. To split this surcharge out and bury it servers no justifiable purpose.
Fucking Rogers.
b
Man, just about every service provider around the world has charges buried, included or like Rogers, openly posted for scrutiny in one form or another. There is no law that any company has to disclose how they price their products out.
Bottom line, they all charge virtually the same no matter where you go. Some are just more creative at how they present it.
If you terminate with 30 days and have used the iPhone for less that 30 minutes you will be refunded all your monies and you will have to hand in the phone.
Other wise, if you do go over the limit you lose the $199 payment on the iPhone, and you will be charged a $100 for cancellation of the contract plus $400 for the Data Early Cancellation Fee.
Really... where is that described? For that matter, is the text of the service contract available for scrutiny online somewhere?
If and/or when I decide to buy an iPhone, I would prefer not to have to spend half an hour in the store reading over the contract before agreeing to it. It would be useful to pre-familiarize myself with it.
Really... where is that described? For that matter, is the text of the service contract available for scrutiny online somewhere?
If and/or when I decide to buy an iPhone, I would prefer not to have to spend half an hour in the store reading over the contract before agreeing to it. It would be useful to pre-familiarize myself with it.
-b
The quote I posted above is part of "Important Information for Apple iPhone 3G Pricing." which I discovered reading through a subset of the FAQs.*
As I said before, comparing plans are very difficult, as no two are alike, and the information is buried or disguised in a multitude of variations. But in the end, they basically mean, deliver and charge the same.
Hint. Terms and Conditions can be revised at any time. Sound familiar? Best spend a little time right before you sign the contract. Otherwise, you will end up as well as informed as many are here. And you don't want to be that bad.
I refuse to sign up for a 3 year, $100/month contract with Rogers or Fido. It's an absolute ripoff.
I'm with Telus now, which is CDMA. However, it's been confirmed that they will be switching to GSM. This means they'll be able to carry the iPhone in theory.
So the way I see it, there's absolutely no point in getting locked into a 3 year contract with Rogers when competition may be just around the corner. My current voice-only cell phone does what I expect it to, so there's nothing preventing me from waiting.
I refuse to sign up for a 3 year, $100/month contract with Rogers or Fido. It's an absolute ripoff.
I'm with Telus now, which is CDMA. However, it's been confirmed that they will be switching to GSM. This means they'll be able to carry the iPhone in theory.
So the way I see it, there's absolutely no point in getting locked into a 3 year contract with Rogers when competition may be just around the corner. My current voice-only cell phone does what I expect it to, so there's nothing preventing me from waiting.
If you really think that Telus will offer a shorter contract, I have a bridge to sell you.
If you do the math, the prices here are comparable or even lower than the US for much of the services. Especially when you factor in the exchange rates.
Right now, the iPhone has been the same price as AT&T. The services as outlined above aren't much different in price or features. Rogers undoubtedly gets their investment back in part by commanding a longer contract time. Yet as we have seen, they in fact offer upgrades long before the contract reaches its expiry date.
In particular, there is no price differences between any of the Canadian carriers when you do a forensic anaylysis of the costings. It may appear so, but trust me it isn't. Otherwise, one of the companies would have been using it as a significant factor when advertising their programmes.
$60 CAD/month: 250 minutes voice 1Gb data 3 year term
$75 CAD/month: 400 minutes voice 2Gb data 3 year term
Bell (Palm Treo):
0, 1, 2, or 3 year contracts
$45 CAD/month: 1 Gb/month
AT&T:
Nation Unlimited
$99.99/month
Rate Plan Details
Anytime Minutes \tUnlimited
Night & Weekend minutes* \tUnlimited
Mobile to Mobile minutes \tUnlimited
AT&T Unity Minutes \tNot Included
Long Distance \t$0.00
Roaming Charges \t$0.00
Additional minutes \t$.00 per minute
One-time activation fee \t$36.00
Contract length \t2 years
Nation 1350 w/Rollover® Minutes
$79.99/month
Rate Plan Details
Anytime Minutes \t1350
Night & Weekend minutes* \tUnlimited
Mobile to Mobile minutes \tUnlimited
AT&T Unity Minutes \tNot Included
Long Distance \t$0.00
Roaming Charges \t$0.00
Additional minutes \t$.35 per minute
One-time activation fee \t$36.00
Contract length \t2 years
Nation 900 w/Rollover® Minutes
$59.99/month
Rate Plan Details
Anytime Minutes \t900
Night & Weekend minutes* \tUnlimited
Mobile to Mobile minutes \tUnlimited
AT&T Unity Minutes \tNot Included
Long Distance \t$0.00
Roaming Charges \t$0.00
Additional minutes \t$.40 per minute
One-time activation fee \t$36.00
Contract length \t2 years
Nation 450 w/Rollover® Minutes
$39.99/month
There's no such thing as an unlimited data plan in Canada. Other Canadian carriers don't force you into 3 year contracts for smartphones. They give you the option of a month-to-month data plan.
Next time do some basic research before posting this nonsense.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Abster2core
If you really think that Telus will offer a shorter contract, I have a bridge to sell you.
If you do the math, the prices here are comparable or even lower than the US for much of the services. Especially when you factor in the exchange rates.
Right now, the iPhone has been the same price as AT&T. The services as outlined above aren't much different in price or features. Rogers undoubtedly gets their investment back in part by commanding a longer contract time. Yet as we have seen, they in fact offer upgrades long before the contract reaches its expiry date.
In particular, there is no price differences between any of the Canadian carriers when you do a forensic anaylysis of the costings. It may appear so, but trust me it isn't. Otherwise, one of the companies would have been using it as a significant factor when advertising their programmes.
You are comparing a Treo and a service plan to an iPhone?
“As an AT&T subscriber, you’ll be committing to two years of a voice plan (individual plans start at $40 per month for 450 minutes and increase to $100 per month for unlimited calling), an optional text-message plan, and a mandatory $30 unlimited data plan. (Tethering, a feature that the iPhone OS 3.0 software supports but isn’t yet offered by AT&T, will presumably cost even more.) For even a basic plan, that’s $1,680 over the course of two years, plus significant taxes and fees. Of course, you may already be paying something close to that for your existing calling plan. Consider your current cell phone bills and your potential new bills carefully when calculating the cost of an iPhone.*”
I didn’t include unlimited data as part of the comments, because its value is questionable. The average user consumes about 200 MBs per month. Text messaging, tethering, etc are extra in some cases, not in others. Service fees, except for Rogers are buried. It is like taking somebody with bulimia to a “all you can eat buffet” and paying the same price as candidates for The Biggest Loser”
More importantly, there are limited choices of carriers. It doesn't matter what others charged for their dinky smartphones, they don’t have the iPhone and all its functions.
As well, although Rogers prices the iPhone for the same amount as AT&T, when you consider the exchange rate, which in the past year has ranged from 12 to 24%, the additional cost to the subsidy offsets the necessity for 3-year vs a 2-year contract.
Right now, I am paying $84 CDN, i.e., $73 US, ($65 US in March) for 400 min, and my 6 GB data plan ensures that I have more than enough to tether with, as well as unlimited text messaging, voice mail, call display, free 6 pm evening start, and including the dreaded System Access Fee. Taxes, extra.
Comments
It looks like AI has mixed the two services together.
Fido, is still requiring that the 3 year contract be honoured, although, you can but it out at a rate of $20 per month for each remaining month. So if you have 2 years left, it will cost you $480 plus the cost of the new 3GS at $199 for a total of $689. You get to keep you 3G.
In 18 months, you are entitled to an upgrade without the penalty.
Otherwise, you can, as a current 3G owner upgrade to the new 16 GB GS for $499 less $100.
Those who spend less than $100 per month but who still bought their iPhones before the end of 2008 get a partial discount. Here, the 16GB iPhone 3G S costs $449 CAD while the 32GB version costs $549.
NOT true for Fido customers - just spent half an hour on the phone with them. They may come out with something but the CSRs I spoke to hadn't even heard of this deal.
They said
If you are an existing iPhone 3G customer who activated or upgraded to your iPhone 3G from July 11-Sep 30 2008 and have consistently spent on average of $100 or more each month on your Rogers wireless services you will get $500 off
Well after spending an hour with them on the phone they said its because the 100$ has to be before any additional minutes charges.. for example my bill is $76 and then i usually pay 30 some dollars a month extra in going over minutes or so.. well i guess that dosent count even thought my average since i signed up has been $107 / month..
I am very mad.. just letting you guys know.
I am a rogers customer and I signed up for the iphone 3g in August 2008 .. my bill on average since the first day has been at $107. You would think i am eligible. NOT.
They said
Well after spending an hour with them on the phone they said its because the 100$ has to be before any additional minutes charges.. for example my bill is $76 and then i usually pay 30 some dollars a month extra in going over minutes or so.. well i guess that dosent count even thought my average since i signed up has been $107 / month..
I am very mad.. just letting you guys know.
Wow. So let's clear the air on this:
- Only Rogers (not Fido) is offering this
- Your monthly bill needs to be $100 per month before extra charges (can anyone verify if taxes are included in the $100?)
So basically, I'm guessing that around 80-90% of Rogers/Fido (same company really) iPhone customers will not qualify. What's the point?Wow. So let's clear the air on this:
- Only Rogers (not Fido) is offering this
- Your monthly bill needs to be $100 per month before extra charges (can anyone verify if taxes are included in the $100?)
So basically, I'm guessing that around 80-90% of Rogers/Fido (same company really) iPhone customers will not qualify. What's the point?Yes! its ridicilous. Like how many people pay $100 BEFORE any extra minutes/long distance ? Like you said 80-90% wont be able to get it for 199. Thats what they told me.
Yes! its ridicilous. Like how many people pay $100 BEFORE any extra minutes/long distance ? Like you said 80-90% wont be able to get it for 199. Thats what they told me.
I just wasted 2 hours at the Rogers store near my house, and got all the way to the counter and had the lady unboxing the phone, but then found out they wanted to charge me $449 to upgrade. My average, after tax is $97 and I figured that it would be "close enough" but that's not the case, and more so if you think you can simply add a $5 addon to bump you up that won't fly either.
Can anyone explain why companies make it so difficult to give them your money? Because Rogers just lost a $199 sale, and a potential increase of $5-$10/month from me simply by being inflexible. Great customer service, and great PR
$100 a month?
I get same AT&T voice for only $10 a month and the $30 phone is paid for!
Now just trot those iPhone apps over to OS X and I'll be happy.
Someone build a port, emulator, time machine or something...
I'll pay $$ to have the iPhone apps on my Mac.
Contact the Developers to make a Desktop version. It is rather obvious is it not?
Based on our research, there is barely any difference between iPhone plans between AT&T, Rogers or Fido.
Not really. You fail the realize that Rogers customers must commit to a 3-year contract, whereas AT&T wants you to commit to a 2-year contract. That means Rogers gets a whole additional year of charging you $100+ per month.
I am a rogers customer and I signed up for the iphone 3g in August 2008 .. my bill on average since the first day has been at $107. You would think i am eligible. NOT.
They said
Well after spending an hour with them on the phone they said its because the 100$ has to be before any additional minutes charges.. for example my bill is $76 and then i usually pay 30 some dollars a month extra in going over minutes or so.. well i guess that dosent count even thought my average since i signed up has been $107 / month..
I am very mad.. just letting you guys know.
I just had a very similar discussion with a Rogers rep today. My scenario is identical to yours (bought 3G in August 2008, spend $107 per month), and they told me I was not eligible for their "special" upgrade offer.
So, essentially, this is just another scam by Rogers, as they clearly have no intention of allowing existing 3G customers to upgrade at the special price they are advertising. So, if we don't quality, I'd love to know who does?
I plan to wait for another year. By then Rogers will probably be begging us to get new phones and extend our contracts another two years, offering a new 64Gb iPhone 4G for $99. I don't really need video or a compass.
From System access fee to the worst value of any industrialize country to the problem we are reading about today.
It should not matter what Bell or Rogers does to keep business.
All of use should screw them back and support the new competition when it arrives and our contract is up.
Why doesn't the competition put out a press release and give some guidance for a startup date before we lock into Bell and Rogers for 3 more years.
I would wait if competition stated a startup date.
Not really. You fail the realize that Rogers customers must commit to a 3-year contract, whereas AT&T wants you to commit to a 2-year contract. That means Rogers gets a whole additional year of charging you $100+ per month.
We didn't list the term lengths in this commentary as it too differs around the world. The argument maybe mute as most subscribers continue their services year after year. The primary difference being that the subscriber gets to 'upgrade' the cell phone 'sooner', 'at the same interval', or later. On this note, we are not sure just how good the offered 'upgrades' truly are.
Many don't realize that the price of new 'upgrade's has become lower in value over the years. Thus customers will upgrade to the newer version at a 'slightly' higher price in order get the latest features.
Notice, I did not include 'system access fee' (SAF) that Rogers charges, but apparently Fido or some others don't?
Firstly, the system access fee "…began as a government licensing charge in the 1980s to cellphone providers for using public airwaves. In 1986, the government transferred the collection of the fee to cellphone providers, who were to incorporate them into their monthly charges. Instead, the carriers opted to keep them separate.*"
It is that last statement that suggest that there is a government surcharge that Rogers post separately?
"For those that signed up for an iPhone 3G, your bill statement after calculating your monthly plan, data plan, taxes, 911 emergency fee, and the dreaded System Access Fee (SAF) could be close to almost $100 per month. Owning an iPhone 3G can be expensive if you’re on a data plan and subscribed to a value pack.*
The cellphone companies say the charges, which no other carriers in the world break out separately, are for ongoing maintenance and investment in their networks."†
What this suggests is that where other carriers around the world do is hide their so-called system fees in their plan, whereas Rogers breaks them out.?
For example, At&T has additional monthly "discretionary charges" that may offset Rogers' SAF, i.e.: Regulatory Cost Recovery Charge
The Regulatory Cost Recovery Charge is a charge assessed by AT&T associated with payment of government imposed fees and to recover the costs of compliance with government imposed regulatory requirements. It may include costs incurred in prior years that are not yet fully recovered. It is not a tax or charge which the government requires AT&T to collect from its customers. This charge is subject to change from time to time as the cost of compliance changes.
Components of the Regulatory Cost Recovery Charge
This charge is composed of the following elements:
Federal Regulatory Fee
This component is designed to recover the annual fee imposed on AT&T by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC); this fee is assessed by the FCC on each of the entities it regulates.
Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS)
This component is designed to recover the contributions that AT&T is required to make into the Federal TRS fund. This fund is designed to assist hearing and speech impaired persons with making and receiving messages.
Wireless Number Portability and Number Pooling
This component is designed to recover the costs associated with the federal mandates of number portability and number pooling: Federal Universal Service Fund Fee
The Federal USF, created by the federal government, is designed to help ensure first-class, affordable telecommunications service for all consumers across the country, especially residents in high cost rural communities and low-income customers. Additionally, the Federal USF provides for discounted telecommunications services for schools, libraries and rural health-care facilities. All telecommunications providers are required to pay into the Federal USF, and their contributions may be recovered from customers.
State Universal Service Fund Fee
Certain states have established state Universal Service Funds. The purpose of these state universal service funds is to ensure affordable telecommunications service for all consumers in the state, especially residents in high-cost rural areas and low-income customers. In certain states, all telecommunications providers are required to pay into these funds, and their contributions may be recovered from customers.
Other AT&T Surcharges
A percentage based and/or flat fee that AT&T assesses on the customer that allows it to recover its costs with regard to specific government taxes or fees imposed on the Company's gross receipts, sales and/or property. Such fees include the State Telecommunications Relay Services, gross receipts surcharges, 911 access line charges, DEAF surcharges, local wireless surcharges, state infrastructure and similar surcharges, a property tax surcharge variable up to $1.00 (Puerto Rico only) and other fees imposed for government purposes. The Other AT&T Surcharges are remitted by the Company to the government but are not mandated charges to the customer.It should be noted that AT&T has reported that the average iPhone user spends nearly $100 US/month for their iPhone. **
Which then begs the question, are any of the services around the world much different?
* http://www.iphoneincanada.ca/iphone-...r-iphone-bill/
† http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2...ellphones.html
** http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-...11-712962.html
When paying the monthly invoice, the customer is paying for access to the wireless service. By definition the service that they are selling is purely one of system access. To split this surcharge out and bury it servers no justifiable purpose.
Fucking Rogers.
b
The device-only pricing is sort of amusing given the contract rates.
16 GB 3GS without contract: $699.
16 GB 3GS with contract ($199) + termination fee ($400) = $599.
A savvy shopper wanting a new 3GS unencumbered would simply sign the contract, and immediately cancel it.
-ben
If you terminate with 30 days and have used the iPhone for less that 30 minutes you will be refunded all your monies and you will have to hand in the phone.
Other wise, if you do go over the limit you lose the $199 payment on the iPhone, and you will be charged a $100 for cancellation of the contract plus $400 for the Data Early Cancellation Fee
"The Data Early Cancellation Fee more fully described in your Wireless Service Agreement does not apply to the iPhone Voice & Data Packages.
By the way, Rogers on-line is offering anybody that has had their current 3G for at least 6 months, to trade it in and get a new iPhone 3GS for $250.
"System access fee" in fine print is simply blatantly-misleading advertising designed to fuck the customer. It is not a tax, levy, tariff or any other kind of government fee.
When paying the monthly invoice, the customer is paying for access to the wireless service. By definition the service that they are selling is purely one of system access. To split this surcharge out and bury it servers no justifiable purpose.
Fucking Rogers.
b
Man, just about every service provider around the world has charges buried, included or like Rogers, openly posted for scrutiny in one form or another. There is no law that any company has to disclose how they price their products out.
Bottom line, they all charge virtually the same no matter where you go. Some are just more creative at how they present it.
If you terminate with 30 days and have used the iPhone for less that 30 minutes you will be refunded all your monies and you will have to hand in the phone.
Other wise, if you do go over the limit you lose the $199 payment on the iPhone, and you will be charged a $100 for cancellation of the contract plus $400 for the Data Early Cancellation Fee.
Really... where is that described? For that matter, is the text of the service contract available for scrutiny online somewhere?
If and/or when I decide to buy an iPhone, I would prefer not to have to spend half an hour in the store reading over the contract before agreeing to it. It would be useful to pre-familiarize myself with it.
-b
Really... where is that described? For that matter, is the text of the service contract available for scrutiny online somewhere?
If and/or when I decide to buy an iPhone, I would prefer not to have to spend half an hour in the store reading over the contract before agreeing to it. It would be useful to pre-familiarize myself with it.
-b
The quote I posted above is part of "Important Information for Apple iPhone 3G Pricing." which I discovered reading through a subset of the FAQs.*
As I said before, comparing plans are very difficult, as no two are alike, and the information is buried or disguised in a multitude of variations. But in the end, they basically mean, deliver and charge the same.
Hint. Terms and Conditions can be revised at any time. Sound familiar? Best spend a little time right before you sign the contract. Otherwise, you will end up as well as informed as many are here. And you don't want to be that bad.
I'm with Telus now, which is CDMA. However, it's been confirmed that they will be switching to GSM. This means they'll be able to carry the iPhone in theory.
So the way I see it, there's absolutely no point in getting locked into a 3 year contract with Rogers when competition may be just around the corner. My current voice-only cell phone does what I expect it to, so there's nothing preventing me from waiting.
I refuse to sign up for a 3 year, $100/month contract with Rogers or Fido. It's an absolute ripoff.
I'm with Telus now, which is CDMA. However, it's been confirmed that they will be switching to GSM. This means they'll be able to carry the iPhone in theory.
So the way I see it, there's absolutely no point in getting locked into a 3 year contract with Rogers when competition may be just around the corner. My current voice-only cell phone does what I expect it to, so there's nothing preventing me from waiting.
If you really think that Telus will offer a shorter contract, I have a bridge to sell you.
If you do the math, the prices here are comparable or even lower than the US for much of the services. Especially when you factor in the exchange rates.
Right now, the iPhone has been the same price as AT&T. The services as outlined above aren't much different in price or features. Rogers undoubtedly gets their investment back in part by commanding a longer contract time. Yet as we have seen, they in fact offer upgrades long before the contract reaches its expiry date.
In particular, there is no price differences between any of the Canadian carriers when you do a forensic anaylysis of the costings. It may appear so, but trust me it isn't. Otherwise, one of the companies would have been using it as a significant factor when advertising their programmes.
Rogers:
$60 CAD/month: 250 minutes voice 1Gb data 3 year term
$75 CAD/month: 400 minutes voice 2Gb data 3 year term
Bell (Palm Treo):
0, 1, 2, or 3 year contracts
$45 CAD/month: 1 Gb/month
AT&T:
Nation Unlimited
$99.99/month
Rate Plan Details
Anytime Minutes \tUnlimited
Night & Weekend minutes* \tUnlimited
Mobile to Mobile minutes \tUnlimited
AT&T Unity Minutes \tNot Included
Long Distance \t$0.00
Roaming Charges \t$0.00
Additional minutes \t$.00 per minute
One-time activation fee \t$36.00
Contract length \t2 years
Nation 1350 w/Rollover® Minutes
$79.99/month
Rate Plan Details
Anytime Minutes \t1350
Night & Weekend minutes* \tUnlimited
Mobile to Mobile minutes \tUnlimited
AT&T Unity Minutes \tNot Included
Long Distance \t$0.00
Roaming Charges \t$0.00
Additional minutes \t$.35 per minute
One-time activation fee \t$36.00
Contract length \t2 years
Nation 900 w/Rollover® Minutes
$59.99/month
Rate Plan Details
Anytime Minutes \t900
Night & Weekend minutes* \tUnlimited
Mobile to Mobile minutes \tUnlimited
AT&T Unity Minutes \tNot Included
Long Distance \t$0.00
Roaming Charges \t$0.00
Additional minutes \t$.40 per minute
One-time activation fee \t$36.00
Contract length \t2 years
Nation 450 w/Rollover® Minutes
$39.99/month
There's no such thing as an unlimited data plan in Canada. Other Canadian carriers don't force you into 3 year contracts for smartphones. They give you the option of a month-to-month data plan.
Next time do some basic research before posting this nonsense.
If you really think that Telus will offer a shorter contract, I have a bridge to sell you.
If you do the math, the prices here are comparable or even lower than the US for much of the services. Especially when you factor in the exchange rates.
Right now, the iPhone has been the same price as AT&T. The services as outlined above aren't much different in price or features. Rogers undoubtedly gets their investment back in part by commanding a longer contract time. Yet as we have seen, they in fact offer upgrades long before the contract reaches its expiry date.
In particular, there is no price differences between any of the Canadian carriers when you do a forensic anaylysis of the costings. It may appear so, but trust me it isn't. Otherwise, one of the companies would have been using it as a significant factor when advertising their programmes.
Bell (Palm Treo)
You are comparing a Treo and a service plan to an iPhone?
“As an AT&T subscriber, you’ll be committing to two years of a voice plan (individual plans start at $40 per month for 450 minutes and increase to $100 per month for unlimited calling), an optional text-message plan, and a mandatory $30 unlimited data plan. (Tethering, a feature that the iPhone OS 3.0 software supports but isn’t yet offered by AT&T, will presumably cost even more.) For even a basic plan, that’s $1,680 over the course of two years, plus significant taxes and fees. Of course, you may already be paying something close to that for your existing calling plan. Consider your current cell phone bills and your potential new bills carefully when calculating the cost of an iPhone.*”
I didn’t include unlimited data as part of the comments, because its value is questionable. The average user consumes about 200 MBs per month. Text messaging, tethering, etc are extra in some cases, not in others. Service fees, except for Rogers are buried. It is like taking somebody with bulimia to a “all you can eat buffet” and paying the same price as candidates for The Biggest Loser”
More importantly, there are limited choices of carriers. It doesn't matter what others charged for their dinky smartphones, they don’t have the iPhone and all its functions.
As well, although Rogers prices the iPhone for the same amount as AT&T, when you consider the exchange rate, which in the past year has ranged from 12 to 24%, the additional cost to the subsidy offsets the necessity for 3-year vs a 2-year contract.
Right now, I am paying $84 CDN, i.e., $73 US, ($65 US in March) for 400 min, and my 6 GB data plan ensures that I have more than enough to tether with, as well as unlimited text messaging, voice mail, call display, free 6 pm evening start, and including the dreaded System Access Fee. Taxes, extra.
*http://www.macworld.com/article/1412...gs_review.html