Another Rogers screw-over
Rogers, like most telecommunications companies on this planet, is a money grabber. Recently they decided to charge customers who wanted to make calls over a wifi network (UMA) with compatible devices, instead of over the regular Rogers network. The advantage of using UMA wifi service is that if you live in the boonies and don't have cellphone service, which is very common with Rogers as they have a crappy network, it's usually easy to find wifi. With wifi you can make regular phone calls (with your phone number and all), receive phone calls, send texts and even check email/browse the web.
Previously, if you did not have an addon/plan designated for UMA service, it would use your texts, data and voice bucket minutes and charge you accordingly (ie long distance/additional minutes). NOW: if you want to use the service, you must add a $5 addon to access the service. This is bull. Mainly for the fact that Rogers refuses to improve coverage in vast parts of this country, so this made it an easy way to keep in touch with friends and family. Also, when you're making the calls, texts and using the internet on the UMA-compatible device (usually a Blackberry), it would use your home Internet connection.
I wish Canadian cellphone carriers would stop gouging us like this. I'm a very pro-Canadian person, but I would NOT feel bad for Rogers if Deutsche Telekom bought them out, or started up their own subsidiary here.
Why (else) am I sick of Rogers?
*Constant ignoring rural Canada for upgrading technology. Okay, yes I know it costs several thousands of dollars (if not hundreds of thousands of dollars) to set up a tower, but I've been in the situation before where I had to call 911 and I couldn't - No Service!
*3 year contracts - for the prices we pay for the phones on a 3 year contract, it's not worth it. I'd rather buy a phone outright unlocked.
*Over promising/under delivering - last year Rogers promised 3G service here in Manitoba by sometime MID this year, it's currently in testing stages but Sasktel announced 3G much later on than Rogers, and already has almost identical service area as Rogers does in the same province. Rogers EDGE is crap, it's dialup-esque speeds. Speaking of which, when I signed my first contract in Sept 2003, I was "promised" by the Radio Shack employee (yeah I know) that there would be service at the farm, he even showed me a coverage map, sure the farm was part of the service area, but after nearly half a dozen devices (and different sim cards) - nothing!
*Frankly, I pay my bills on time, usually pay the day I receive my bill, and every once in a while get random charges that aren't right, get told I'm a liar. One such situation was back in March/April - Rogers did something to their tower identification in the community, instead of calls being recognized as local, it was being recognized as being sent/received in a community FOUR HOURS AWAY! Rogers never apologized for it and never will.
*I need a new phone right now as it is, my iPhone 3G is on the fritz, getting white screen of death, screen is cracked, GPS is fried, and iOS 4 is sluggish. But that's not *entirely* Rogers fault, this time.
*Not listening to customers. With Wind, Mobilicity, Shaw and Videotron (both soon) out now, you would think Rogers would listen to the customer more and create plans per customer demand, sure they created "Chatr" but just watch them disband the brand after they bankrupt a new carrier. Their PR acts like they take customers' suggestions/feedback seriously, but they never do as they aren't the ones who decide Rogers' policies (they're the damage control), and they even have a whole team of internet PRsters that constantly search blogs/social media who will disagree with that statement. Even getting ahold of CEO of Rogers' office wasn't much help, the rep was confused about they were saying!
www.howardforums.com/showthread.php/1626452-UMA-WORKING!!...
forums.crackberry.com/f73/uma-down-522348/
Dear Rogers "Helps" PR team: don't spam my Flickr with your advertising swill again.
You should not be charging for this service in the FIRST place, by saying it "uses up all your bandwidth" is total BS. Especially since it's going through a person's personal internet connection instead of your cellphone towers. Also stating that it will help improve rural coverage.. that's another piece of bs. I've been a customer of Rogers for long enough to know that you will never improve rural coverage. If you hadn't signed a deal with MTS well over a year ago to upgrade to 3G+ (which will never be launched anyways), there would never be coverage at the farm. Now I'll have coverage only because MTS tower is a stone throw from my parents, not because YOUR COMPANY improved service. 7-8 years of 0 cellphone service from your company at the farm makes me want to re-consider doing business with you. If MTS can beat my plan when the new "network" is launched. I will sign with them. As I've stated before, my entire family is with MTS. It's awesome that they offer unlimited calls to other MTS mobility customers (including long distance apparently), everyone I know is on MTS. Rogers is considered a joke in Manitoba, piss poor coverage area in the boonies, and overcharging on bills (ie - being charged roaming in the USA when the cellphone was turned off the entire time).
Rogers, if you're still reading this: do a few things - STOP charging for the service. Listen to what customers have to say instead of telling the customers what YOU want them to have. I'm happy you listened after tens of thousands of people were furious back in 2008 (re iPhone plans), but you rarely listen any other time. To everyone else, I'm sorry I'm a crusty dude, we're ALL sick and tired of Canadian cellphone carriers; where a call to your best friend half an hour away may be considered local, but your mother 35 min away is somehow considered long distance. Look at the USA - long distance virtually no longer exists. Charging over 30¢/minute to make a call from Brandon, MB to Moosomin, SK (only an hour away) is outrageous.
Anyone else want to rant about their cellphone provider?
Another Rogers screw-over
Rogers, like most telecommunications companies on this planet, is a money grabber. Recently they decided to charge customers who wanted to make calls over a wifi network (UMA) with compatible devices, instead of over the regular Rogers network. The advantage of using UMA wifi service is that if you live in the boonies and don't have cellphone service, which is very common with Rogers as they have a crappy network, it's usually easy to find wifi. With wifi you can make regular phone calls (with your phone number and all), receive phone calls, send texts and even check email/browse the web.
Previously, if you did not have an addon/plan designated for UMA service, it would use your texts, data and voice bucket minutes and charge you accordingly (ie long distance/additional minutes). NOW: if you want to use the service, you must add a $5 addon to access the service. This is bull. Mainly for the fact that Rogers refuses to improve coverage in vast parts of this country, so this made it an easy way to keep in touch with friends and family. Also, when you're making the calls, texts and using the internet on the UMA-compatible device (usually a Blackberry), it would use your home Internet connection.
I wish Canadian cellphone carriers would stop gouging us like this. I'm a very pro-Canadian person, but I would NOT feel bad for Rogers if Deutsche Telekom bought them out, or started up their own subsidiary here.
Why (else) am I sick of Rogers?
*Constant ignoring rural Canada for upgrading technology. Okay, yes I know it costs several thousands of dollars (if not hundreds of thousands of dollars) to set up a tower, but I've been in the situation before where I had to call 911 and I couldn't - No Service!
*3 year contracts - for the prices we pay for the phones on a 3 year contract, it's not worth it. I'd rather buy a phone outright unlocked.
*Over promising/under delivering - last year Rogers promised 3G service here in Manitoba by sometime MID this year, it's currently in testing stages but Sasktel announced 3G much later on than Rogers, and already has almost identical service area as Rogers does in the same province. Rogers EDGE is crap, it's dialup-esque speeds. Speaking of which, when I signed my first contract in Sept 2003, I was "promised" by the Radio Shack employee (yeah I know) that there would be service at the farm, he even showed me a coverage map, sure the farm was part of the service area, but after nearly half a dozen devices (and different sim cards) - nothing!
*Frankly, I pay my bills on time, usually pay the day I receive my bill, and every once in a while get random charges that aren't right, get told I'm a liar. One such situation was back in March/April - Rogers did something to their tower identification in the community, instead of calls being recognized as local, it was being recognized as being sent/received in a community FOUR HOURS AWAY! Rogers never apologized for it and never will.
*I need a new phone right now as it is, my iPhone 3G is on the fritz, getting white screen of death, screen is cracked, GPS is fried, and iOS 4 is sluggish. But that's not *entirely* Rogers fault, this time.
*Not listening to customers. With Wind, Mobilicity, Shaw and Videotron (both soon) out now, you would think Rogers would listen to the customer more and create plans per customer demand, sure they created "Chatr" but just watch them disband the brand after they bankrupt a new carrier. Their PR acts like they take customers' suggestions/feedback seriously, but they never do as they aren't the ones who decide Rogers' policies (they're the damage control), and they even have a whole team of internet PRsters that constantly search blogs/social media who will disagree with that statement. Even getting ahold of CEO of Rogers' office wasn't much help, the rep was confused about they were saying!
www.howardforums.com/showthread.php/1626452-UMA-WORKING!!...
forums.crackberry.com/f73/uma-down-522348/
Dear Rogers "Helps" PR team: don't spam my Flickr with your advertising swill again.
You should not be charging for this service in the FIRST place, by saying it "uses up all your bandwidth" is total BS. Especially since it's going through a person's personal internet connection instead of your cellphone towers. Also stating that it will help improve rural coverage.. that's another piece of bs. I've been a customer of Rogers for long enough to know that you will never improve rural coverage. If you hadn't signed a deal with MTS well over a year ago to upgrade to 3G+ (which will never be launched anyways), there would never be coverage at the farm. Now I'll have coverage only because MTS tower is a stone throw from my parents, not because YOUR COMPANY improved service. 7-8 years of 0 cellphone service from your company at the farm makes me want to re-consider doing business with you. If MTS can beat my plan when the new "network" is launched. I will sign with them. As I've stated before, my entire family is with MTS. It's awesome that they offer unlimited calls to other MTS mobility customers (including long distance apparently), everyone I know is on MTS. Rogers is considered a joke in Manitoba, piss poor coverage area in the boonies, and overcharging on bills (ie - being charged roaming in the USA when the cellphone was turned off the entire time).
Rogers, if you're still reading this: do a few things - STOP charging for the service. Listen to what customers have to say instead of telling the customers what YOU want them to have. I'm happy you listened after tens of thousands of people were furious back in 2008 (re iPhone plans), but you rarely listen any other time. To everyone else, I'm sorry I'm a crusty dude, we're ALL sick and tired of Canadian cellphone carriers; where a call to your best friend half an hour away may be considered local, but your mother 35 min away is somehow considered long distance. Look at the USA - long distance virtually no longer exists. Charging over 30¢/minute to make a call from Brandon, MB to Moosomin, SK (only an hour away) is outrageous.
Anyone else want to rant about their cellphone provider?