[Canada / Rogers] Petitions / ruinediphone / letter writing campaign / Merged Thread

[protekt0r]

This is the standard MO for all Canadian wireless and ISPs. Canada has a weak telecom competition market because of lack of competition. If Canada would allow American companies to easily operate there Canadians would be a lot better off.

Although it looks like Americans telecos might be switching to limited bandwidth plans too (TWC for example)

[crees!]

This and all those links on Digg to "FUrogers.com" are really, well... annoying and obnoxious to say the least.

[DreamPod]

Look, online petitions do nothing. At all. You want to be taken seriously, you need to get a LOT of Canadian people to

#1. Don't buy an iPhone 3G
#2. Send a letter (not an email, a snail-mail letter) to both Rogers and Apple explaining that you aren't buying an iPhone 3G though you would be thrilled to have one, and explaining WHY you aren't buying it. And that, should the situation change, you would be happy to purchase an iPhone 3G and sign up for service.

[JonHimself]

Originally Posted by crees!

This and all those links on Digg to "FUrogers.com" are really, well... annoying and obnoxious to say the least.

Why is that?

[Donelop]

Originally Posted by PoitNarf

You honestly can't believe that petitions, let alone online petitions accomplish much of anything.

Your best bet is to vote with your wallet. If no one buys then they'll have to reduce the cost.

Having many people write letters to whatever your Canadian equivalent of a Congressman or Senator would probably help as well. Enough calmly and well worded letters might get some wheels rolling to end Rogers rule of terror.

Well it might help. It already got the medias attention.

[salamence502]

Sheesh, it won't kill you to sign a petition. You never know, it might help, it did help with the Canadian DCMA Copyright law.

It won't hurt to try to get Rogers to lower their fees.

[Hoopdy]

Done and done. We shouldn't have to stand for Roger's outrageous pricing. We've gotten the short end of the stick for quite some time and the iPhone was supposed to change that for regular data plans and blackberry plans. Well we saw a price-slice(far from a full cut) but it isn't enough because to get anywhere close to unlimited - highest is 2gb - will cost over $110.

Sign!

[RASHID007]

I have sorted through dozens of forums, blogs, and websites to collect the following information.

If we are to make a difference our complaints must have an impact. If you can, try the following:

1. Avoid buying the new iPhone from Rogers/Fido (if only for a few days/weeks)
2. Copy the information I've gathered below into an e-mail to all your contacts asking them to please read and forward it on.
3. Contact some and/or all of the people below and politely let them know how you feel about the situation.
4. If you own any Rogers stock sell it off starting Monday so they can feel the dip.
5. Copy the information below into a word or other document and print off a few dozen copies. Then on your way to work/school on July 11th make sure you stop by the lineups at Rogers/Apple stores and hand them out (from the public sidewalk) so people know they're about to get ripped off for voice/data etc. Between all of us we could cover thousands of locations and really make the news with the issue.
6. Post the below information (or a link to this thread) on every blog, forum, newsgroup you know of or can think of.

Rogers Voice & Data Plans for the iPhone

UK vs. US vs. Canada iPhone Comparison

Now to Compare Apples to Apples…Rogers costs $247.47/month after adjustments
- 300 less daytime minutes at $0.35/minute is $105.00/month in overage charges
- Starting Evenings/Weekends at 6pm to match is $7/month extra
- Data Overage is $0.50/MB over 400MB so $30/month extra for even 60MB overage
- Text Messages are 125 less so add Rogers $10/month unlimited text - Call Display is $7/month extra
That is roughly $180/month extra to make the plans balance.

This math forces a Canadian iPhone user to go up to the next plan and even then the iPhone in Canada costs $75+$20+$7.45 = $102.45/month plus tax = $115.77/month and you still don't have unlimited data or as many daytime minutes.

Rogers…give Canadian Wireless customers fair plans that compete with the rest of the 1st world countries. Or at least let us keep our current plans and add unlimited data for $30/month like your Canadian (Telus/Bell) and US (AT&T) competitors.

COMPARISONS

Telus Mobility - unlimited data $30/month (all smart phones)

Bell Mobility - unlimited data HTC Touch $7/month
unlimited data $30/month (all smart phones)

Rogers/Fido - 300MB limit $30/month (all smart phones – EXCEPT iPhone)
1GB limit $60/month (all smart phones – EXCEPT iPhone)

CNN Money: Rogers + iPhone = Ruined
http://apple20.blogs.fortune.cnn.com...e-rate-relief/

Sign the Petition
http://www.ruinediphone.com/

WHY?

Why can’t iPhone users keep their existing plan and add a data package to it?
Why do Telus and Bell give UNLIMITED data for $30/month and Rogers/Fido have limits?
Why do the new iPhone plans have reduced daytime minutes and stripped features?
Why can't iPhone users get family plans?
Why can't iPhone users get Megatime plans?
Why can't iPhone users get Mega incoming plans?
Why can't iPhone users get Business plans?

ROGERS – CONTACT INFO
Here is the contact information for a few of the top people at Rogers.
Please email them, politely, to express the disappointment you feel with the new iPhone voice & data plans

NAME, DEPARTMENT, NUMBER, E-MAIL

Elizabeth Hamilton, Corporate Communications, 416-935-8710, elizabeth.hamilton@rci.rogers.com
Bruce M. Mann, Investment Contact, bruce.mann@rci.rogers.com;
Eric A. Wright, Investment Contact, ric.wright@rci.rogers.com;
Jan Innes, Corporate and Media, jan.innes@rci.rogers.com;
Heather Armstrong, Wireless, heather.armstrong@rci.rogers.com
Suzanne McMeans, Rogers Wireless Relations, suzanne.mcmeans@rci.rogers.com
Robert Bruce, President of Rogers Wireless, robert.bruce@rci.rogers.com
Nadir Mohamed, President and CEO of Rogers, nadir.mohamed@rci.rogers.com
Ted Rogers, trogers@rci.rogers.com
J Innes, Vice President, jinnes@rci.rogers.com
Jane Haitsma, Customer Relations Executive, jhaitsma@rci.rogers.com
Dan Coombes, Investor Relations, 416-935-3550, dan.coombes@rci.rogers.com
Deborah Deroche, Investor Relations, 416-935-3551, deborah.deroche@rci.rogers.com

SKIP REGULAR *611 CUSTOMER SERVICE COMPAIN TO THE CANCELATION/RETENTIONS DEPARTMENT - DIRECT NUMBERS
Fido: 1 888 259 3436 / Rogers: 1 888 936 7283

APPLE – CONTACT INFO
Here is the contact information for a few of the top people at Apple that need to know what Rogers has done to their revolutionary product.

NAME DEPARTMENT NUMBER E-MAIL

Simon Atkins Canadian Media Relations satkins@apple.com
Steve Dowling US Media Relations 408-974-1896 dowling@apple.com
Katie Cotton VP Communications katiec@apple.com

Apple iPhone Feedback
http://www.apple.com/feedback/iphone.html

Competition Bureau Canada – Let the Government know you’re not happy that Canadians pay more for cell phone data than many third world countries.
http://www.competitionbureau.gc.ca/e...en/01260e.html

Contact your Member of Parliament here:
http://www2.parl.gc.ca/Parlinfo/Com...e.aspx?Menu=HOC

Digg.com
http://digg.com/apple/Rogers_you_ruined_my_iPhone_dream

Bill C-555 GET CONNECTED FAIRLY ACT
Petition - Canadian consumers pay on average 33% more for cell phone use than American consumers
http://www.davidmcguinty.com/english...s_d_acces.html

[Hoopdy]

Very informative. Thanks for posting...already signed, though.

We should get this stickied or at least get MacRumors to run a article.

[Mo0st]

wowws !! Very nice planned out and informative ).. Would help out but live in usa ))... Yea awws u got me hyped up though I saw " protest" and thought there'd would be a march...... Lmao yup goood luck and I too understand u guys need the unlimitted data )

[Hoopdy]

Originally Posted by Mo0st

wowws !! Very nice planned out and informative ).. Would help out but live in usa ))... Yea awws u got me hyped up though I saw " protest" and thought there'd would be a march...... Lmao yup goood luck and I too understand u guys need the unlimitted data )

Even if you`re American you can still sign to support the cause. Thanks from all us Canadians.

[s8film40]

I think you got the right idea, to making an impact. Actually being there at the store in person will be much more effective than these online petitions. The iPhone release is sure to garner a lot of press attention and if you can convert the news headlines from "iPhone now available in Canada" to "outrageous iPhone prices" you might just see a change. Even if Rogers doesn't care Apple may not want to see there name tarnished for the benefit of a Canadian cell company.

What are the overages charges anyway for data. This was one thing that generated a lot of bad press was the international data because the iPhone can use so much more data than other phones. A few stories of thousand dollar or more phone bills certainly does it's part to scare consumers away.

[marksman]

iPhone 3G- Only for People who can AFFORD to be cool.

None of those other places have an iPhone. It is apples and oranges.

It is like when someone in the US talks about their super cheap Sprint plan. Sprint gives their service away because they suck and would not have any customers if they did not charge half the price of anyone else. Combine that with them not having a phone comparable to the iPhone and it is not valid.

Same goes here.

They know they have an advantage of having a distinct product that a lot of people want, and regardless of the message board protests, I suspect lots of iPhones will be sold in Canada.

[citron230]

Lots of information. Ive signed the online petition but I don't know how effective they really are.

[Hoopdy]

Originally Posted by marksman

iPhone 3G- Only for People who can AFFORD to be cool.

None of those other places have an iPhone. It is apples and oranges.

It is like when someone in the US talks about their super cheap Sprint plan. Sprint gives their service away because they suck and would not have any customers if they did not charge half the price of anyone else. Combine that with them not having a phone comparable to the iPhone and it is not valid.

Same goes here.

They know they have an advantage of having a distinct product that a lot of people want, and regardless of the message board protests, I suspect lots of iPhones will be sold in Canada.

It`s the pricing, not necessarily the product. The iPhone was supposed to bring change to data plan pricing in Canada so that we could see comparable rates to Telus and Bell who currently offer Unlimited Data.

Consider this:

Of the 14,000+ people that have signed the petition so far, I`m willing to bet at least 11,000 are Canadian. Look at the plans and you can see the average is around $87.50 for the plans.

$87.50x12(months of the year)
$1050x3(length of contract)
$3150x11,000(approx. amount of people that have signed petition and are Canadian)

Total: $34, 650, 000 lost in sales.

This could also be a make or break for future exclusivity it gets with any products from Apple, as well.

[Sobe]

The best message to send is if no one buys it.

That is what will force them to change.

That's pretty unlikely to happen though. People prefer to agree to the terms then complain.

[taran420]

i did sign the petition and i AM speaking with my wallet and not buying the iphone...i had been waiting pateintly since last year for it to come to Canada, an now i am not in the position to buy it because of that MF Ted Rogers who wants more and more

[kthacher]

This is great, but I think it overlooks an important point. Rogers requires a three year plan which adds to the outrage. Just imagine how obsolete your phone will be in three years if you succumb to these gougers and sign up to one of their plans. Vote with your wallet - don't buy until Robbers gives us a sensible plan.

[ChrisN]

ye online petitions never do much sorry

ChrisN

[thedarkhorse]

For people who say petitions don't work or don't bother emailing the company because you can't change anything, don't forget it was because of customers doing that, that last year that all the early adopters of the iphone got a $100 rebate.

[RASHID007]

Several of the top Rogers and Apples stores will have media coverage on the 11th. Downtown Toronto for sure. If we can get those stores it would definitely make news. And beyond that by July 11th if everybody on here copies the above info into an e-mail and sends it to their entire contact with the message to please pass it on...we'll make an impact.

Keep up the good work, team.

[RASHID007]

And don't forget the Facebook groups, type 'Rogers iPhone' and see how many there are already.

[cosmokanga2]

Signed! I sure hope this work and support you guys 100%. Good luck!

[kunze50]

It is great that this is happening!; also how would visual voicemail work without caller ID, (Call Display)?

[Project-79]

Originally Posted by thedarkhorse

For people who say petitions don't work or don't bother emailing the company because you can't change anything, don't forget it was because of customers doing that, that last year that all the early adopters of the iphone got a $100 rebate.

100% agreed.

We have to tell them what we want in order for them to give us it!

P-79