Canadian Telcos - 007; a license to @#$% the Canadian Consumer

Up here, in the great white north where I'm on a sojourn from the USA, Canadian TV, internet and phone companies all get their licenses from the government body, the CRTC, the equivalent of the FCC in the USA. Given that Canadian telcos are essentially, and oligopoly, it's a license to screw the average Canadian.

I have another blog dedicate to railing on cell phone and cable companies, affectionately called - The Telco Blues, but I felt compelled to write in this blog given the magnitude and apathy that seems to be inflicted on your average Canuck by their cell provider. It's know that Canadians pay more for broadband internet and their cell phone rates than most other industrialized countries. The government tries to mollify their grumblings by saying it's part of that wishy washy Canadian social contract, that the people in the south and urban areas pay more to subsidize the prohibitive cost of service in bum @#$% northern Ontario or Saskatchewan. Some consolation.

 But I again, digress. I'm writing today to call our Rogers Wireless, who's been screwing my friend for the better part of 10 years. She's a sweet one, an honest one, and really doesn't have the tenacity or vigor to take on the sharks that work the call center. Today you can get pretty much a new phone and a plan with about 500 minutes (anytime) and unlimited week nights and weekends, for at least $75. Taxes in, she's been paying over $80, no 'free' phone, free calling after 9pm and only 200 minutes. This was the deal they told her to sign up for when her contract last ended. I guess the lamb was lead to the slaughter. Of course they'd say that. I mentioned that she could get out of her contract and get a better deal elsewhere and still be ahead. Apparently Rogers ( and tacitly, the Canadian government since they license Rogers) allow them to charge up to $20 to break a 'contract'.

Now, really, since no subsidized phone was involved, was a contract needed? Where rates going up? (her plan was terrible). The only entity benefiting was Rogers. They @#$'ed her royally. So, she calls up to see what they 'can do' to improve her plan/monthly rate. Apparently the system access fee (WTF was that for anyway - you're paying for cell phone service, presumably, the ability to make and receive calls is part of the plan, so what's with the fee?) was no longer 'mandatory' was the word they used, a year ago. So, they did her a favor by taking it off her bill now. They wouldn't refund it though.

So, to get this straight, Rogers, is allowed to charge $8/month, when they are no longer authorized to do so. And they don't have to pay or refund back? WTF??? Legalized robbery. What else is it? They @#$% you for a year, you pay something you don't have to, (how would you know unless you called?) and then happily continue to collect vs. just canceling the fee. Honest to christ what is it with this country and the hold the major telcos have in government to continue this bullshit.

The sooner the government opens up more competition and develops an even playing field, the sooner Canadians can find companies that are focused on providing a good service for a fair price vs. an oligopoly that seemingly bilks at will. Shame on you Rogers Wireless. Shame on the CRTC. Shame on Canadians regulated oligopoly.

For Canucks, write your MPs and tell them you want fairer dealings and more accountability on behalf of the major telcos, and to have a level playing field for new entrants in to the phone, cell, long distance, cable and internet industry.

I'm having a bad tech day. I'm pissed off with technology. Yes, the irony isn't lost on me that I'm writing a blog post about it, but I feel I wanna throw in the towel and just live off grid. On my death bed I'm going to want all the time in my life spent on hold with effen customer service support lines, back. From my wireless modem to my internet to my cell phone to the satellite tv to wrong billings for my utilities, to god knows what else. And do you notice you always have the same effen IVR message. They're so busy it's a larger than normal call volume. Oh, ok, I guess I'll go to a company that knows what they're doing then and who's underlying service isn't so effen bad that there's a larger than normal effen call volume of people wanting effen service!! And here's another favorite. Why is the first thing those effen CSR a'holes ask you after you put in your phone number, is, WHAT'S YOUR PHONE NUMBER. For cell phones, if I wanted to pull out the battery of my cell phone every day or 2x a day to fix a problem I WOULDN'T HAVE BOUGHT THE EFFEN CELL PHONE. If I have to reboot the fucking modem every other day, or as a matter of use, I WOULDN'T GET IT!. What is it with tech and making shit that doesn't work?????? Holy Christ, can you image what Caterpillar or Boeing or any major industrial company would be like if you have to reboot the freakin thing every day. And another thing - if anyone in the CSR blogosphere reads this - if someone is calling in for tech support - they're already pissed off. They're pissed at the company, the same company where some MBA asswhipe in marketing spends a whollop of cash to build the brand that is destroyed through shit product and bad IVR or CSR systems - SO, when I'm calling in, and yes, pissed off, DON'T make things worse by having an overly long, taxing IVR system, or marketing messages for some stupid effen service, where all I really want is my effen modem, cellphone internet or TV service to be back up and effen running!!! Really, ever notice, when all you want is tech support it's never an option? Even worse, when you spend 5 minutes in IVR land and then you get a message the office is closed. Why not effen tell me that at the effen beginning???? Just help people up front. And don't sell me more shit from the same fucking company I'm calling because the first shit I bought doesn't work. And you get these effen Barbie like IVR messages touting something stupid like the new web site like it's the best fucking thing going on with your day. You know what a good fuckin for me is - NOT HAVING TO CALL FOR FUCKING TECH support.! A good day is when I don't have to dial 9 for more fucking options cuz you have you haven't addressed my fucking problem in the first fucking 8 options. Why god, why!! Help me. I'm at a loss with this 1's and 0's universe, I just want simple!

Beware - Domain Registry of Canada

I got a note in the mail the other day from this Canadian company Domain Registry of Canada. Although they do say in bold and caps, it's not a bill, but a solicitation, the way it's positioned, "Domain Name Expiration Notice", you might think it's from your host provider. They're requesting that you renew, to the tune of $40 a year. We all know most domain name registries, at least ones in the US, are usually less than $10. So, they hope to net in people who forget, don't know, or are otherwise not paying attention to not only shift the domain, but pay 400% more than most other places. Really? Is this the best business you could come up with? Taking advantage of people's lacking attention span and business lives. Really?

Hey, DR of Canada, F-you.

These guys get a nomination for the 2011 Chizzler Awards.

If you have other stories of companies business models built more on taking advantage of people than truly providing a for value service, let me know, we'll include them for this year's nominations.

Thanks,
Morley.

Oy Gevalt!!! Again with the #$%^n Fees - Rental Cars in Toronto

So, trying to be a little more green here, I got rid of my car and thought, now that I'm living in DT Toronto, I'd do as many locals do, which is what I did in Manhattan as well - rent when you need car. Take the subway, ride your bike, take a cab, rent a car.

This prospect seems to be attractive, and one that I used to undertake - rent when you need a car.

I've just finished looking in to reservations with Hertz and Avis in the downtown core, there is a $10 per DAY surcharge on all reservations. Like WTF??? Am I now responsible for a rental car company's expenses? Ok, maybe adjust your rental rates up, as is the practice in different markets, big cities are generally more than smaller ones where real estate is cheaper. But $10 a day, I don't even have the car there. Jeezuz H Christ I swear sometimes we exist just so companies can charge us fees. Our life is fees and taxes. Our environment, which should be host, is parasitic, and every company or government org has some fee to reach in to our pockets.

As an fyi to anyone renting in Toronto, look outside the downtown core for a rental, there may not be a fee. I found an Avis in HighPark that doesn't charge this fee. To those downtown locations, go self procreate yourself.

: )

Sincerely,
Morley.

Stop the Gouging!! Sign a pettition and let the CRTC know, NO to internet metering.

http://stopthemeter.ca

Make a donation to help us stop the meter at http://openmedia.ca/drive (Donating to us will be less expensive than paying punitive fees.)

- The OpenMedia.ca Team

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The CRTC just decided to let your Internet Service Provider put a meter on your Internet!

Bell Canada and other big telecom companies can now freely impose usage-based billing on independent Internet Service Providers (indie ISPs) and YOU. Big Telecom companies are obviously trying to gouge consumers, control the Internet market, and ensure that consumers continue to subscribe to their television services.

This means we're looking at a future where ISPs will charge per byte, the way they do with smart phones. If we allow this to happen, Canadians will have no choice but to pay more for less Internet.

This will crush innovative services, Canada's digital competitiveness, and your wallet.

We need to stand up for the Internet.

Sign the Stop The Meter petition at: http://StopTheMeter.ca

Want to know more? Here’s the lowdown:

This decision is a blow to consumer choice, to access, and to free expression. Independent Internet service providers (ISPs), such as TekSavvy, pay incumbent telecoms like Bell for access points in their networks. In applying usage-based billing (UBB) to these indie ISPs, the CRTC has allowed Bell to determine and limit how many gigabytes of usage their independent competitors can provide to their customers.

- This severely limits competition in the telecommunications market, which is bad for innovation and diversity of content.

- This also means that the cost will necessarily be passed down to you, the consumer.

- Usage-based billing or metering discriminates against certain forms of information insofar as it charges consumers more for content that requires the use of a large amount of gigabytes, such as audio and video.

- This also means that those who produce media-based art, and depend on the Internet to show the world their work, are less able to produce and disseminate their content freely. This means less innovation and more control of art, film, music, and other forms we may not yet know of!

Sign the petition and save the freest medium we have ever known (again!). Stop the Meter and save our net!

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Read more at SaveOurNet.ca: http://saveournet.ca/content/what-does-usage-based-billing-mean-net-neutrality

Read more at OpenMedia.ca: http://openmedia.ca/blog/crtc-decision-all-bell-and-usage-based-billing-all

Read TV Versus The Internet by Steve Anderson: http://thetyee.ca/Mediacheck/2010/10/06/TVversusInternet/

Read more at CBC.ca: http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2010/10/28/crtc-usage-based-billing-internet.html