Customer Backlash on iPhone Rate Plans, Launch Approaches

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

Well, considering that you guys have the highest cost of living in the world, I wouldn't be so surprised...perhaps when oil revenues stop feeding your economy, things will go down a little bit...

Remember, I don't really mind the price in general, at least on the cheapest plan, that's fair enough... it's the minute data plans that are the problem.

There's only two companies that have reasonable data plans (for mobile phones) in Norway, and one of them has extremely poor coverage and just offers free data when you're using their network, the other is Chess, which - just as Netcom - is owned by TeliaSoneria (who has the exclusive rights to the iPhone in Scandinavia/the Balitc countries), and they manage to offer free data as an extra plan for NOK 450,- per month. That's FREE amount of DATA!

If you combine that with one of their cheaper plans, which is NOK 69,- per month (which gives you about 70 minutes plus 70 SMSs) then for a mere NOK 519,- per month you get what would be the ultimate iPhone plan (in Norway). And this is from basically the same company that's offering us the insulting iTalk plans...

*** Insert various swear words here ***

I don't want iTalk, I want iData!!! And I would totally pay 519,- per month (about US$102).

 

[aristotle]

Alternative? Telus? Maybe if I liked getting it in the rear.

First of all, the Instinct has inferior software in the factory base install but the reason why so many people want the iPhone is because it is not full of crapware installed by Rogers or Telus or any other provider. Every other handset sold by a cell provider is going to be crippled and tied in some way to their ringtone download service. I am sick and tired of the crapware and disabled features.

I also have had my fill of CDMA services that do not work anywhere I go for holidays. Telus can take their offer and shove it up their ass.

The data caps for the Rogers plans are not going to be tge big deal that the Telus and Bell employees logged in here make it out to be. The iPhone has their employers scared crap-less.

What Rogers should do at a minimum is revisit the iPhone plans to give us more weekday minutes, more outgoing texts and unlimited incoming calls. It would be nice to get a higher data cap but that is not going to be an issue in real usage for most people.

 

[leerf001]

As a Canadian Mac user, I'm disgusted with the limited amount of options we have for telecom companies and the way the existing 3 companies (especially Rogers) uses this to their advantage. One Minister of Parliament is trying to change this and has an online petition going. Check it out and if you feel the same way, sign up.

http://www.davidmcguinty.com/englis...n_The_House/Petition_C_555_Frais_d_acces.html

I want the iPhone, but I don't think I can support a company that is knowingly taking advantage of us. However, if I had a virtual monopoly, I guess I'd probably do the same.

 

[Sijmen]

our tariffs and purchase price are very good. but we like to moan so we're not happy about the on/off pay and go iphone.

The British iPhone plan is great.

When the Dutch plans weren't announced yet, I was praying it would be anything like the British plan, and not the (bad) German T-Mobile plans.

Then T-Mobile NL announced the prices for the Netherlands and they're great! Couldn't have asked for more.

 

[ciccillo3131]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU like Mac OS X; en) AppleWebKit/420.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.0 Mobile/4A102 Safari/419.3)

what about pricing in Italy? The tariffs are at best confusing, no real price competition between Vodafone and TIM, the principle seems to be how to extract as much money as we can from the customer.

 

[nagromme]

I'm not sure I understand why those who can't afford the iPhone feel as if they have some right to own one.

The price increase sounds very normal today, we live in a world where improvements come at a cost.

I agree, there's no "right" to any product, and for that matter, it's not an increase at all: it's the same US 3G plans as other 3G phones. The iPhone wasn't 3G before. People wanted it, now they have it, and it costs what 3G has always cost. More, naturally, than the excellent EDGE plan on the old iPhone.

So people don't have the "right" to an iPhone. But people DO have the right to complain about bad deals! (Even bad deals, like the lack of SMS in 3G plans, that were around before the iPhone.) Criticizing a major corporation should not be seen as off-limits. AT&T and other carriers do deserve complaints. And consumers deserve to HEAR the complaints. That's how things can actually improve. Not by silence.

 

[Sijmen]

nagromme, totally agree with you. This "you don't have a right to own bla bla so don't complain about the price" is lame. There is a large difference between "having the right to own" and "having the right to complain about the price of owning".

 

[gugy]

I'm not sure I understand why those who can't afford the iPhone feel as if they have some right to own one.

The price increase sounds very normal today, we live in a world where improvements come at a cost.

As time passes, you expect to get paid more, while paying more taxes and new technology will ALWAYS cost more.

However, the whiners in here -- expect to get the new iPhone and plan at a lower price point, but will demand higher levels of service quality from both Apple and AT&T.

Heck, if I were AT&T I'd be charging more if I knew I had to support a bunch of penny pinching whiners who should be using the free phone option anyway.

I have read numerous posts in here about $10.00 and $20.00 causing massive budgetary concerns. If $20.00 breaks you, then you have much larger problems then the data and texting plans of AT&T.

It's not a right, it's a choice! If you can't afford it and still do it, then it's irresponsible as well.

There are many things in life I can't afford and you won't find me posting online about it.

I can pretty much guarantee this is the same bunch of people who claim to be so poor, but are sitting in front of their LCD TV with cable and broadband Internet. Go check out the real world, they don't have that stuff and aren't in here whining about the price of a mobile data plan.

Now I expect to get all of the excuses why you feel justified and I am a rotten person for suggesting anything other than "you are right, and they are wrong".

Thank You!!!!!

At least somebody with common sense. I am so tired of people whining about the $10 data plan rate increase. If you can't afford it then you should not have an iPhone in the first place.

 

[kavika411]

I wish the government would step in and put price controls on these plans. Perhaps even nationalize Apple. We can't nationalize Rogers obviously, but a trade embargo against Canada perhaps?

 

[mi5moav]

Don't get mad at Apple they don't actually control data package costs anymore. Blame American shareholder greed and economic stupidity on their part. It's time for the Socialist party to rise from the ashes... weeeehoooo.

 

[KittyToy]

Could not agree more. Was waiting, and waiting. Now it's renewal with a Blackberry Curve with Verizon.

Screw at&t. The 3G should be $299 and $399 with the same plan as V1.

Your all caught up in the frenzy while Apple gets more $ and at&t takes it from us.

Horse ****.

I went on verizon website just out of curiosity...and I fail to see where their plans are any cheaper than AT&T

 

[sananda]

I agree, there's no "right" to any product, and for that matter, it's not an increase at all: it's the same US 3G plans as other 3G phones. The iPhone wasn't 3G before. People wanted it, now they have it, and it costs what 3G has always cost. More, naturally, than the excellent EDGE plan on the old iPhone.

isn't it that the old data plan was cheaper than other phones because unlike other phones iphone wasn't subsidised but the new data plans is the same one available for all the other phones as iphone is now to be subsidised? it's not more because the new iphone is 3G rather than only EDGE, is it?

 

[bushido]

we should probably start a petition too (germany) t-mobile is offering the iPhone with a redic 45 $ plan that doesnt even include any texting and just 500 mb of data + about 400 $ for the iPhone itself

 

[stagi]

I wonder when apple will release the launch time for apple us stores? It seems like the past week has been pretty quiet.

 

[rckstwrz]

wow, that's sweet about Bell Mobility offering the Instinct. i mean, the Instinct isn't as great as the iPhone, of course, but i just love seeing the killer business move on Bell's part. if i were Canadian, that's probably what i'd go with.

 

[AlphaAnt]

isn't it that the old data plan was cheaper than other phones because unlike other phones iphone wasn't subsidised but the new data plans is the same one available for all the other phones as iphone is now to be subsidised? it's not more because the new iphone is 3G rather than only EDGE, is it?

You are exactly correct. If you'll look at the AT&T Blackberries, they have yet to go 3G (their first 3G Blackberry will the be the Bold coming out later this Summer) and yet the Unlimited Data plans are still $30 with no texts. If we were to have cheaper plans, we definitely wouldn't get the iPhone 3G for 199/299, probably more like 499/599.

 

[ppnkg]

That's good news. The canadian plans were really ridiculous, so people have every right to shout about them. I hope the protest is successful

 

[Philberttheduck]

Competition always benefits the consumer. Hats off to Bell Mobility for offering the Instict at a much more affordable rate plan.

 

[JoeG4]

I'm not buying it because $80+ a month (after tax) is outrageous - an apples to apples iPhone plan (discounting the fact that $60/month is internet service) costs ~$140 a month after tax to replace the $70/month cell service we have on our 2 cellphones (combined)..

$30/month for cellphone internet is outrageous, you can get decent DSL and even cable service for that much! For what? A stupid little phone? Gimme a break people.

 

[tiiim]

I bet apple are really annoyed at some of these prices as it will hinder some of their sales.

It just telecoms companies trying to make a quick cash as they know this is a very desirable device.

If your living a country with a bad plan, speak with your wallets and dont buy it.. if enough people dont buy the device, the plans will come down (eventually? )

 

[mciarlo]

I have read numerous posts in here about $10.00 and $20.00 causing massive budgetary concerns. If $20.00 breaks you, then you have much larger problems then the data and texting plans of AT&T.

It's not the $15 dollar increase to get the same plan that breaks us, its the extra $180 over a 12 month period that breaks us, in addition to the fact that paying $5, $15, or $20 dollars for texting is utterly ridiculous. And even if the $180 is affordable to us, is the added cost worth it? I can only imagine how many people are gladly paying more than $15 a month just to send around 20MB worth of texts a month.

 

[Glideslope]

The market will be flooded with new/like-new iPhones after the 3G release.

It already is.

 

[gwangung]

nagromme, totally agree with you. This "you don't have a right to own bla bla so don't complain about the price" is lame. There is a large difference between "having the right to own" and "having the right to complain about the price of owning".

Then don't complain when you raked over the coals for "having a lame reason to complain about the price."

$30/month cell phone for internet is outrageous? Uh, guys....take a look at other internet plans?

 

[Glideslope]

I bet apple are really annoyed at some of these prices as it will hinder some of their sales.

It just telecoms companies trying to make a quick cash as they know this is a very desirable device.

If your living a country with a bad plan, speak with your wallets and dont buy it.. if enough people dont buy the device, the plans will come down (eventually? )

Speak with your wallet!!!!!!!!! Wait 3 months and see what happens.

 

[Scandals]

Apple should divert ALL of its Canadian iPhone stock to Europe for their launch.

Rogers plans are a joke. They really had a big chance to be seen as wireless technology leaders and innovators, but instead they chose to use the iPhone's popularity to squeeze more money out of their subs... Well guess what? We've had enough of their business practice, and they will pay the price by losing the loyalty of their customers. Take note Rogers - there are far better ways to increase your profits over the long term, and plenty of thriving examples out there. But, I guess it is easier to be greedy than it is to be creative when you have a bunch of bozo executives calling the shots.

Not buying on July 11th until Rogers plans change.