Rogers to charge for incoming text messages - July 7

[Zero102]

I just wanted to share this information with everybody:

Starting July 7 Rogers Wireless will be charging for RECEIVED text messages at a rate of $0.15/message. This fee will not apply if you have a text messaging bundle on your plan already.

A little while ago Rogers started advertising in their plans that you would get "Unlimited Received Text Messages", people who have this on their plans are not subject to these new rates, but for everybody else without a texting plan, you will be subject to this new billing rate.

Spam messages can be reported, and once you report them Rogers will waive any charges associated with them, however "premium" text messages (the ones you subscribe to for sports updates or whatever) are not eligible for this exemption, you will pay the $0.15 for these even if you complain. Also, any text messages sent from other Rogers customers are not considered spam and their fees will not be waived. There is an option to block _ALL_ incoming text messages which customer service can add to your account (its free).


This is not new, Bell and Telus have done this already, but what really grinds my gears here is Rogers' REASON. I am paraphrasing here (since I don't have the memo in front of me) but here is their response to the "why are you doing this?" question:

Rogers has conducted a market survey and we have noticed that all of the other leading wireless retailers are charging this fee so we are adding it to our bills.


Seriously, the answer, in THEIR message to why they are adding the charge is because everybody else is doing it.

I know when Bell and Telus introduced this people could get out of their contracts free of charge because of these changes, so I called the support line and asked about this, and they basically told me that it is in the fine print of every person's contract that Rogers can change the contract provided you get 60 days notice. They will be putting a little note on everybody's wireless bill starting this month so that they have provided at least 60 days notice. If you wanted to cancel because of this you will still be liable for the maximum of $100 or $20/month for the remainder of your contract (voice only, data cancellation fees may also apply!).

I don't know about you guys, but I am pissed, I am going through my filing cabinet right now to find my printed copy of my contract.

Think about it, if somebody you know and don't like does not have a text messaging plan, and you do, you can send them a few random texts to jack up their bill. I get billing people for things they are responsible for (roaming, long distance, data usage, etc.), but billing people because SOMEBODY ELSE is sending them text messages makes no sense.


Sorry if this came out as a rant, this really pisses me off but I thought I should share it with people as early as possible so you have more warning about this.

[toyboy88]

Oh wow, so Rogers follows suit finally - I knew it was a matter of time.... (even though I have a text plan in a bundle).

But as for the liable for the remaining contract, it's $20/month for each month left, to a maximum of $400 and a minimum of $100 - whichever is greater.

[Zero102]

Okay, so for anybody who is curious. My old ToS which does not specify that they can add any charges they like is no longer void. In it (and in their current ToS) they have this:



If you do not accept a change to these Terms, your sole remedy is to retain the existing Terms unchanged for the duration of the Commitment Period (as efined below), upon notice to us within 30 days of your receipt of our notice of change in the Terms.


So, they can mail you out a new ToS, and unless you called within 30 days of receiving it you are now bound to the new ToS. And, in the new ToS they have the following:



Unless otherwise specified in the Service Agreement, we may change, at any time, any charges, features, content, programming, structure or any other aspects of the Services, as well as any term or provision of the Service
Agreement, upon notice to you. If you do not accept a change to the Services, your sole remedy is to terminate the Service Agreement and the Services provided under the Service Agreement, within 30 days of your receipt of our
notice of change to the Services (unless we specify a different notice period), by providing us with advance notice of termination pursuant to Section 31.


So, basically if they want, they can add a charge tomorrow that says you have to pay $1/minute just to have your cell phone ON. Oh, you don't like that? Sure, cancel your plan, $20/month for the remainder of your contract. They can do this and be fully legally justified.

Here is the referenced Section 31:


Unless otherwise permitted by applicable law:
• you may terminate all or any part of your Services upon no less than 30 days advance notice by contacting Rogers at the appropriate points of contact specified in these Terms; and
• Rogers may terminate all or any part of your Services or accounts upon no less than 30 days advance notice to you at your billing address.
Applicable charges continue to apply until the end of the notice period or until the Services are no longer
accessible by you, whichever is later. The transfer of your telephone number to another telecommunications service provider constitutes a termination of the applicable Service(s), and an ECF may apply as set out in Section 8.


And the section 8 they reference:


Unless otherwise set out in the Materials, if you agree to subscribe to one of our plans or Services for a committed period of time (the “Commitment Period”), you may be subject to an early cancellation fee
(“ECF”) for each Service. Any decrease in your Commitment Period may be subject to a fee. If your Service is terminated prior to the end of the Commitment Period, you will pay us an ECF as specified in the Service Agreement, plus taxes.


Check your service agreement, it will say that you are liable for the greater of $100 or $20/month for the remainder of your contract.
*EDIT*
Depending on when you signed there may be a $400 maximum on this charge

[Jlude]

Wow... that's gay.

I'm with rogers... but I'm sure I have some sort of bundle.

[dandia89]

I find it kind of dumb how this is set up, so do you have to open the message to be charged 15 cents, or does it automatically charge you 15 cents for any message sent to you?

[Kloubek]

Telus started doing this to me a long time ago.

They're all bastards. Every one of them.

[Zero102]

Originally posted by dandia89
I find it kind of dumb how this is set up, so do you have to open the message to be charged 15 cents, or does it automatically charge you 15 cents for any message sent to you?

Text messages received, not read. They can't tell if you open it or not, the fee is for sending a message to your phone, something you have no control over.

[w_man]

Oh wonderful ... Thank Ottawa for regulating the industry in such a manner that corporations can work together to create a monopoly instead of creating competition.

It's hilarious how this has become an 'industry standard' ... with no real justification. I am still erked about the system access fee which has generated millions (if not billions) for these companies and nothing can be done about it.

[Zero102]

Considering text messages are sent in a highly under-utilized control channel and do not in any way interfere with voice calls or data transfer I don't understand why they are charging for them at all? Realistically they should be able to give everybody ~1000/month and only charge the high users to keep usage reasonable. But hey, apparently I don't know jack shit since every company is charging for them.

[ZMan2k2]

Thankfully, I just checked, and I have 125sent/unlim. incoming text messages. I don't text much, but I have a couple friends that are avid texters. I can see how this is just a money grab, but how many people don't have texting on their contracts? I think the number of affected people may be smaller than we think.

[5000Audi]

yeah this sucks for people without a bundle, i have unlimited texts so its fine by me, i bet more then 80% of people that text have a plan for text's anyways... this more for those people who dont pay to text and do it once and a while i bet

[markan]

screw rogers. i cancelled my useless HDTV theme package and the movie network as well

[Xtrema]

Fuck it, we should make a change that people who make the call or send the message pays.

There will be much less spam that way.

[mazdavirgin]

We just need all those people who bid on that wireless spectrum last year to get their act together and provide some much needed competition.

[rumeo]

I lold at this, they just spent so much money advertising the no charge for received texts and then this

[black13]

It's like there is no competition between Rogers/Telus/Bell. One of them add's a charge and instead of the other getting rid of that charge to get more customers, they also add that charge.

They're all working together to milk as much money as possible with nobody doing nothing about it.

What a fucking joke these 3 are.

[sxtothe240]

So....even WITH a text plan, if you go over your limit for receiving/sending, you'll still be subjected to 0.15 to each text sent or received now? Instead of the old if you were over your limit you'd still get free receiving?

[STI]

Originally posted by mazdavirgin
We just need all those people who bid on that wireless spectrum last year to get their act together and provide some much needed competition.
yea so much for all the promises of a new cellphone carrier.

[GQBalla]

im not sure about this, but i was informed by a rogers rep from saying they werent?

probably a uninformed person though

[Shogged]

Originally posted by rumeo
I lold at this, they just spent so much money advertising the no charge for received texts and then this

yea fuck, not to mention that I used this as a closer for quite a few sales over the past few months, lots of pissed off people i'm sure. I even remember reading an article about telus and bell doing this, with a quote from a rogers rep saying "we'll never charge for incoming text messages"

ah well, this really doesn't effect a whole lot of people, even a basic voicemail + call display package exempts you from this.

[Canmorite]

I wish they CRTC would let Verizon, Sprint or another big US name come in and undercut the big 3's prices by half. Cell phone users get RAPED in Canada.

[Zero102]

Originally posted by Shogged


yea fuck, not to mention that I used this as a closer for quite a few sales over the past few months, lots of pissed off people i'm sure. I even remember reading an article about telus and bell doing this, with a quote from a rogers rep saying "we'll never charge for incoming text messages"

ah well, this really doesn't effect a whole lot of people, even a basic voicemail + call display package exempts you from this.

Can you back that up? I could have sworn the note we got said that you had to be subscribed to a text messaging plan to not pay the fees. If voicemail / call display will exempt you then that really cuts down the number of affected users. I'll double check it when I open tomorrow but I thought this is how it read.

As for using this as a closer, all of the recent plans say right in them "unlimited incoming text messages" and those people are set. And, if you go over your texting limit you still aren't charged for the incoming. It is a requirement that you have a texting plan to have the incoming fee waived, not that you both have a plan and are under the limit.

[toyboy88]

Originally posted by Zero102


Can you back that up? I could have sworn the note we got said that you had to be subscribed to a text messaging plan to not pay the fees. If voicemail / call display will exempt you then that really cuts down the number of affected users. I'll double check it when I open tomorrow but I thought this is how it read.

As for using this as a closer, all of the recent plans say right in them "unlimited incoming text messages" and those people are set. And, if you go over your texting limit you still aren't charged for the incoming. It is a requirement that you have a texting plan to have the incoming fee waived, not that you both have a plan and are under the limit.

+1 your correct.

To sum up:
1) Incoming fee is waived if you have a texting plan with "unlimited incoming text messages".
2) Each incoming text does not count towards the "allowed" # of text as per your bundle (ie. 125 text pack = 125 SENT, unlimited received).
3) Only reason why some people would be exempt as per shoggud said if you have VM and CID is that most people with VM and CID have a bundle that also includes some sent text, and thus unlimited received text messages.

:)

[7thgenvic]

I feel bad for people who don't have these packages! GREEEDYYYYY

[yipb]

http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/1384/fido.jpg

the 25$ is my plan

will i get charge for text messages when this new rule comes into effect?

[dino_martini]

Originally posted by yipb
http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/1384/fido.jpg

the 25$ is my plan

will i get charge for text messages when this new rule comes into effect?

Only Rogers customers will be effected. Not Fido.

[Zero102]

Originally posted by yipb
http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/1384/fido.jpg

the 25$ is my plan

will i get charge for text messages when this new rule comes into effect?

You answered your own question. Received: Free
Also, you are on FIDO and this is for ROGERS

[desto2para]

I really dont think this is true
do you have a rogers link to back it all up?

[dandia89]

what does the 3 footnote say!

[dino_martini]

Originally posted by desto2para
I really dont think this is true
do you have a rogers link to back it all up?

http://www.rogers.com/web/content/wireless-plans/essentials?content10=text_msging#start

http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd86/dino_martini/textinmg.jpg

It was also on CBC...so I'm pretty sure this is happening.

[stockedfridge]

Just a question out of curiosity
will this users of the "My5" plan be charged to send/receive texts to people that are on their five?

[Zero102]

Originally posted by desto2para
I really dont think this is true
do you have a rogers link to back it all up?

Nope, totally false, world is flat too, don't you know? :nut:


As for the my-5 thing, likely that would count as a text plan and all incoming will be free. I would call in to ask as I don't have an answer for that specifically, that is just my guess.

[copynpaste]

this is not a big deal. What I didnt like was when they stopped the unlimited texting within North america. I would always txt friends in the U.S. But now, its only canada and 15c per txt to the U.S.

I wish Rogers would come up with a unlimited txting package for all of North america, not just canada.

[rumeo]

Originally posted by copynpaste
this is not a big deal. What I didnt like was when they stopped the unlimited texting within North america. I would always txt friends in the U.S. But now, its only canada and 15c per txt to the U.S.

I wish Rogers would come up with a unlimited txting package for all of North america, not just canada.

Agreed, but I think they should move towards something like koodo..unlimited international...

[Shogged]

Originally posted by toyboy88



3) Only reason why some people would be exempt as per shoggud said if you have VM and CID is that most people with VM and CID have a bundle that also includes some sent text, and thus unlimited received text messages.

:)

bingo, 12 dollar vp includes 125 sent/unlimited recieved text messages, and that won't change on your account. Whether or not they change the plan come july is still up in the air, but just like with all plans, if you have it you'll be grandfathered until you take it off your account

[sneek]

Originally posted by copynpaste
this is not a big deal. What I didnt like was when they stopped the unlimited texting within North america. I would always txt friends in the U.S. But now, its only canada and 15c per txt to the U.S.

I wish Rogers would come up with a unlimited txting package for all of North america, not just canada.


:D Just go to telus. Where you can text to and from Canada and the States without differentiation.

The only problem is that your phone will suck.

[Dumbass17]

question!

i have a telus contract and i've been paying $16/month extra that includes unlimited texts (send/receive) and voicemail and caller ID.

now, my 3 year contract expires July 15th. so will i continue to be on the same plan and pay month to month. OR will i get totally screwed and end up having to pay for each incoming text etc?!?

[toyboy88]

^^
As long as you still have the value package with the texting on your account (even after contract, and your month-to-month), your still good to go (don't have to pay per text).

[chulito]

ok what about the access fees that we get charged for? i know the goverment used to ask for that before but not anymore. can you call them and ask to get rid of that?

im sick of paying for cr@p i shoulbnt be paying for

[rumeo]

Originally posted by chulito
ok what about the access fees that we get charged for? i know the goverment used to ask for that before but not anymore. can you call them and ask to get rid of that?

im sick of paying for cr@p i shoulbnt be paying for

No, cuz now its a non-government fee! haha, but you can switch to providers like solo,koodo, fido that do not have SAF.

[JGerke]

From what I heard, the text message fee was only for pay as you go customers. Regardless, your looking at an additional $5 a month to avoid this.

Regarding the Cdn telecom industry...I *believe* we are one of the most expensive places in the world to own and use a cell phone due to the garbage rules put in place to limit competition. Don't forget that customer service survey they conducted ~a year ago that listed the telecom companies as essentially the WORST 3 in customer service. I think we have all experienced the bs rules and wait-time that is involved with owning a phone...one of the most important things for personal life and business. Its really quite rediculous we have to put up with this.

[Zero102]

Originally posted by JGerke
From what I heard, the text message fee was only for pay as you go customers. Regardless, your looking at an additional $5 a month to avoid this.


Incorrect. It is actually listed in the fine print at the bottom of the web pages explaining what is / is not included in each of the plans on the Rogers website, and it was listed on every person's bill 1 month before it went into effect. I think that's enough to say it is not only for pay-as-you-go customers.

It is not an extra $5/month to avoid this. You can call and have all incoming texts blocked free of charge, or if you want to chance it, you can wait and if you receive a spam text message (or unwanted one) there is a number you can text their number to (free of charge) to have the message reported and that charge removed from your bill. It is more hassle but if there are some texts you need to get then this is the best free option.