# Another "Rogers Ripped Me Off On Data" post - $756.38 bill



## bob99 (Aug 16, 2007)

A few weeks ago I got fed up with the Rogers online billing system - it was never working, so nine times out of ten I could not view my bill online.

I received my first printed Rogers Bill today, and it did not fail to disappoint. My June bill was for $756.38, with $619.24 of that being for wireless data use on my 1st generation iPhone. My plan is currently $10 / 10MB, and when I last spoke to Rogers, they said that they would cap the data after that, so I didn't get stuck with a big bill. Obviously that didn't happen. 

How much did I download in order to rack up this huge bill, you might ask? I downloaded a whopping 29 MB! Yes, that's right, 29 Megabytes. P.S. It's 2008. 

Needless to say, this is completely unacceptable. For future reference, this is what I did to have the charge removed:

1. I called the customer service department, who transfered me to the data department. I spoke with someone there and explained that I was charged $620 for a plan that was supposed to be $10 per month. After a lot of discussion, the best they could do for me was cut the fee in half, making it $310.

2. I spoke to a manager who said "I'd love to help you, but you did use that data." I asked about the new lower rate plans coming out next month, and he said that he couldn't do anything. After some additional discussion, he agreed to cut it to 75% of the original cost, bringing it down to $155. He refused to go any lower.

3. I called back to the customer service department and told the robotic Rogers voice-o-tron that I wanted to "Cancel My Account". This immediately connected me to a Retentions person whose job it was to make me not cancel my account. I told them that I was canceling since I had been grossly overcharged. After some additional time on hold, she eventually refunded the overage on my account.

The moral of this story - if you're overcharged by Rogers, call up and tell them you want to cancel your account. They'll do something about it, since they don't want to lose a customer. 

In other news, hopefully the new data plans from Bell are enough to get Rogers to come out with some better data rates!

Bob


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## mirkrim (Oct 20, 2006)

That's _insane_. Good job on the cancel move though.


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## uPhone (Jun 29, 2008)

Good job for getting the charges reversed!

One time I let my friend use my phone to take pictures and send them to her phone. She sent 7 pictures to her phone from mine. My bill was $800 for that month because I didn't have a picture messaging plan with Rogers. I had the charges completely reversed as well.

I also one time called Rogers to complain that Bell had a plan that was 60$ for 30MB while I was paying 90$ for 25MB on Rogers (this was a while ago). They told me they couldn't do anything about this. I told the rep then that I wanted to cancel my account so that I could switch to Bell. She said "wait a minute....", put me on hold, came back and reduced my plan from 90$ to 60$ for 25MB.


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## hayesk (Mar 5, 2000)

bob99 said:


> 1. I called the customer service department, who transfered me to the data department. I spoke with someone there and explained that I was charged $620 for a plan that was supposed to be $10 per month. After a lot of discussion, the best they could do for me was cut the fee in half, making it $310.


I don't understand. What did they say when you said "My plan has a 10MB cap - why didn't Rogers cap my data usage at 10MB? I have no way of knowing how much data was used at the time - this is why my plan is supposed to have a cap." Or did you not say this at this point?

29MB of data, huh? Hmm... according to everyone else around here, they NEED unlimited data.


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## johnnyspade (Aug 24, 2007)

I'm more interested in how you racked up the charge. Was it a per/MB charge on data over 10MB?


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## Maverick (Sep 18, 2007)

Prior to the new data plans coming online for the iPhone, Fido (and I think Rogers) charged $0.05 per KILOBYTE for overages.


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## bob99 (Aug 16, 2007)

Maverick is right - they charge 5 cents per KB after the initial 10MB is used. Very frustrating.

Hayesk, when I said "You were supposed to cap the data, obviously I did not want to incur a charge that was 50x my normal fee" they just said "Well, you used it, so there's nothing we can do about it." That's when they started to bargain, saying "we'll cut it by half" etc. They also said there was no record on my account about capping the data use, which might have been the case, but it shouldn't be my $700 problem.

By the way, as a previous generation iPhone owner, I STRONGLY support the need for unlimited data. I racked up those 29MB by using my phone approximately once per day to check gmail through the safari browser. In addition, I think I used the map application ONCE. I never used youtube, I never checked other sites or surfed the web.. I always kept a close eye on my data use, because I was paranoid about getting screwed by super-high charges from minor overages.

In a week this will just be a historical tale, one of the final few people to get hosed by Rogers rates. It's interesting though, you can even see it in the new iPhone plans. They cost X amount, and then it's 50 cents per MB for the first 60MB, and then 3 cents per MB after that. The 50 cents / MB for the first 60 MB is a way to guarantee they'll make an extra $30 off people who accidentally go over their plan. I'm sure that was calculated, because they know most people will just eat a $30 charge, rather than fighting it like they would on a $700 charge.

Rogers is a bad company, plain and simple. All the scams, like extra charges for voicemail and caller ID (again, I'll point out that it's 2008) are total scams. Plus, I'm pretty sure that CALLER RING TRAX (TM) aren't supported on the iPhone, so why should I care that I get them with the value pack? It's like a bunch of idiots work there, and they didn't even customize the plans for the iPhone.


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## whatiwant (Feb 21, 2008)

bob99 said:


> Rogers is a bad company, plain and simple. All the scams, like extra charges for voicemail and caller ID (again, I'll point out that it's 2008) are total scams. Plus, I'm pretty sure that CALLER RING TRAX (TM) aren't supported on the iPhone, so why should I care that I get them with the value pack? It's like a bunch of idiots work there, and they didn't even customize the plans for the iPhone.


:clap: 
As I stated in my email to Ted Rogers "If you are to continue in your opportunistic, greedy, wallet gouging ways, I can only hope that in the future you are humbled very publicly."

And I truly hope he is. He's like Bill Murray in Scrooged, except he's not as cool.


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## groovetube (Jan 2, 2003)

whats funny is the 'you saved 13.33!' on that bill.


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## adagio (Aug 23, 2002)

I asked a good friend in the US what his average usage is. He said it varies from month to month but anywhere from 600 MB to 1 GB is his norm. Keep in mind this is on Edge. He expects this to be MUCH MUCH higher on 3G when he upgrades to the new iPhone. In fact, he says it will at least be double that amount.

My friend is a 60 year old man who uses his iPhone everyday on his breaks and lunchtime as well as sitting in the car while his wife is in the mall shopping or he's waiting for his son to get off work.


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## htdub (Sep 11, 2007)

You can't be capped on data, not sure what they told you but it's not possible.

The logging of data is not very sophisticated at all. It's not real time at all. Everyday the network logs how much data you used, a total of the data is calcuated once a month for each IMEI for billing. Call up the data dept half way thru your billing cycle and ask for a total of data usage, someone will manually count line by line your usage and give you a total, the system is that bad.

So you could go thru 1gig a data at the beggining of your cyle, and you wouldn't know until you got your bill, hence all the horror stories of huge bills.

With cingular/at&t, you can log into your profile online and see your usage in real time.

Another note, don't trust the iphone data counter, mine never matches the data usage on my rogers bill at all it's way under.

My average for 9months of the iphone is 240meg's a month on my rogers bills, and i'm a light user.


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## uPhone (Jun 29, 2008)

htdub said:


> You can't be capped on data, not sure what they told you but it's not possible.
> 
> The logging of data is not very sophisticated at all. It's not real time at all. Everyday the network logs how much data you used, a total of the data is calcuated once a month for each IMEI for billing. Call up the data dept half way thru your billing cycle and ask for a total of data usage, someone will manually count line by line your usage and give you a total, the system is that bad.
> 
> ...


Can you give us an idea of how 'light' of a user you are? 

I don't know if I would consider myself a heavy user, because I have a BlackBerry - with the not-upto-iphone-standards web browser and not very many fun applications, I dont use as much data as I probably would on the iPhone.

I know how I want to use my iPhone 3G, I just have no idea what plan that would fit into. Definately not the 400MB one but maybe the 750MB plan. 

 

This is why there should be unlimited for the first month, so that a user can gage how much data they use when they don't have to worry about going over - and from there they can decide at the end of the month which plan to go into.


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## htdub (Sep 11, 2007)

Light user compared to some of my other friends.

I check 3 mail accounts (Gmail, .mac and a work IMAP), probaly 40-50 emails a day, some with attachments, and i'll fwd some of the attachments, I use the map app probaly 15x a month to route directions, and to search for a local shop. I rarely use youtube on edge.

Safari, i'm on digg, facebook and google, a couple times a day, but all iphone versions.

I'll email 1 or 2 photos a day from the camera. 

Occasional installer.app install, but I usually leave app installs for wifi.

That's about it, and it's been avg 240mb. The first month I had the phone, I used 600mb.

It would be way higher if the EDGE connection was faster and worked when you need it. Safari and mail times out alot, very fustrating. 

Comparing to other friends who are using 600-800mb a month on edge, everyone feels limited by the battery, it dampens how much time one is spending browsing. I don't have it docked all day.

I have a good voiceplan now, and I have the $65mb 1gig data plan addon, i'll probaly keep the same plan july 11th.


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## MacGYVER (Apr 15, 2005)

htdub said:


> Light user compared to some of my other friends.
> 
> I check 3 mail accounts (Gmail, .mac and a work IMAP), probaly 40-50 emails a day, some with attachments, and i'll fwd some of the attachments, I use the map app probaly 15x a month to route directions, and to search for a local shop. I rarely use youtube on edge.
> 
> ...


WAIT WAIT WAIT A MINUTE!!! Are you confirming with what I have predicted in some of my responses with the above? OMG!! Finally someone with some REAL WORLD usage of the iPhone.

You state that your data usage would be way higher if EDGE were faster? Well when 3G hits us, you will see that no problem. You also say you were averaging 240MB of data on EDGE. Your FIRST MONTHS data usage was 600MB?? Impressive! But you then say if EDGE was faster that your data usage would have been a lot higher, hence it would have easily gone over 400MB which Rogers is capping for the base package rate. Thank you, for stating the obvious for what I have said earlier in other threads. When you give people faster service they will use MORE OF IT! Your friends use 600MB -800MB per month on EDGE? That sounds about right for those who will be on 3G. That's why it is important for Rogers to start at 1GB or go Unlimited.

I now see a law suit against Rogers for stating that most users will not reach 400MB of data usage so we won't offer anything higher to start. So imagine a first time user who believes this, then goes wayyyyyyyyyyy over the 400MB usage before Rogers can even send out the message, they would have to pay Rogers for the over usage right? Not really as Rogers told them they would never reach that point according to their research. Hmmmmmm...... therefore if you were told you never would reach it, and you go hog wild using data and actually go over 400MB? Who will be paying for that? Certainly not the customer. I strongly encourage Rogers to fix some of the wording in their PR and perhaps look at the above example of how easy it is to use high amounts of data for some customers. Remember first time buyers will not know how much data they will use, and since 3G will be very fast, they will not even think twice of caring. Especially those that are not Apple users.


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## htdub (Sep 11, 2007)

MacGYVER said:


> WAIT WAIT WAIT A MINUTE!!! Are you confirming with what I have predicted in some of my responses with the above? OMG!! Finally someone with some REAL WORLD usage of the iPhone.
> 
> You state that your data usage would be way higher if EDGE were faster? Well when 3G hits us, you will see that no problem. You also say you were averaging 240MB of data on EDGE. Your FIRST MONTHS data usage was 600MB?? Impressive! But you then say if EDGE was faster that your data usage would have been a lot higher, hence it would have easily gone over 400MB which Rogers is capping for the base package rate. Thank you, for stating the obvious for what I have said earlier in other threads. When you give people faster service they will use MORE OF IT! Your friends use 600MB -800MB per month on EDGE? That sounds about right for those who will be on 3G. That's why it is important for Rogers to start at 1GB or go Unlimited.
> 
> I now see a law suit against Rogers for stating that most users will not reach 400MB of data usage so we won't offer anything higher to start. So imagine a first time user who believes this, then goes wayyyyyyyyyyy over the 400MB usage before Rogers can even send out the message, they would have to pay Rogers for the over usage right? Not really as Rogers told them they would never reach that point according to their research. Hmmmmmm...... therefore if you were told you never would reach it, and you go hog wild using data and actually go over 400MB? Who will be paying for that? Certainly not the customer. I strongly encourage Rogers to fix some of the wording in their PR and perhaps look at the above example of how easy it is to use high amounts of data for some customers. Remember first time buyers will not know how much data they will use, and since 3G will be very fast, they will not even think twice of caring. Especially those that are not Apple users.


Easy now...i'm assuming you aren't currently using a iPhone? Everyone's usage pattern is going to be different. I know people that do just fine with 10mb/$10 data plan. 

Yes, of course people are going to use more data if it's quicker, that's stating the obvious. EDGE blows.

I didn't see this detail posted on the rogers website about the plans, but rogers plan will give you 1,2,3 months of unlimited calling and data, to get you hooked but at least that gives an indication of data usage.

Is everyone waiting for $7 unlimited data on the iphone? 

Rogers HSPDA coverage is pretty light, so I'm not sure how much 3G speeds one can get all the time. Hopefully that will improve.


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## jfpoole (Sep 26, 2002)

htdub said:


> Light user compared to some of my other friends.
> 
> I check 3 mail accounts (Gmail, .mac and a work IMAP), probaly 40-50 emails a day, some with attachments, and i'll fwd some of the attachments, I use the map app probaly 15x a month to route directions, and to search for a local shop. I rarely use youtube on edge.
> 
> ...


Weird. I've got similar usage patterns (3 email accounts, Google Maps, Safari, and some YouTube usage) and I've not gone above 200MB/month (lately my average is 100MB/month).


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## htdub (Sep 11, 2007)

jfpoole said:


> Weird. I've got similar usage patterns (3 email accounts, Google Maps, Safari, and some YouTube usage) and I've not gone above 200MB/month (lately my average is 100MB/month).


I think email's with attachments are killing it, I tend to get alot of larger PDF's, 2-5mb, so the phone is pulling it down and then i'm sending it out.

Could be safari.


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## bob99 (Aug 16, 2007)

I think the unfortunate thing about the Rogers plans is that they go against the very nature of the iPhone, which is an "always-connected" internet device. The minute you need to think "I better not download that PDF" or "I want to load up that youtube video, but I better wait until I get connected to wifi" you're not really using the device to its full potential.


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## JSvo (Nov 12, 2007)

bob99 said:


> I think the unfortunate thing about the Rogers plans is that they go against the very nature of the iPhone, which is an "always-connected" internet device. The minute you need to think "I better not download that PDF" or "I want to load up that youtube video, but I better wait until I get connected to wifi" you're not really using the device to its full potential.


Well said, and I think that is ultimately the crux of the issue for me.

I don't mind the pricing, but with those prices, the data caps should be 1GB, 2GB and Unlimited, at the _very least_. And throw in Call Display, fer chrissakes! $7 more? That is truly truly pathetic.


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## ehMax (Feb 17, 2000)

I predict this type of thread will be one of the most popular types of threads a month after July 11th.  

Not me.


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## hayesk (Mar 5, 2000)

Would usage be that much higher on 3G? 

You are still downloading the same content. Either you download your mail or you don't. Unless you are goofing around trying to download as much content as possible in a given time period - but is this really a typical use case?


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## CdnPhoto (Jan 8, 2006)

hayesk said:


> Would usage be that much higher on 3G?
> 
> You are still downloading the same content. Either you download your mail or you don't. Unless you are goofing around trying to download as much content as possible in a given time period - but is this really a typical use case?


In a similar way, would you use more data if you went from dial up to broadband. I think you would. All of a sudden, your opportunities open up.


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## groovetube (Jan 2, 2003)

hayesk said:


> Would usage be that much higher on 3G?
> 
> You are still downloading the same content. Either you download your mail or you don't. Unless you are goofing around trying to download as much content as possible in a given time period - but is this really a typical use case?


oh I bet a bunch of poor hapless souls are about to find out...


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## Jeepdude (Mar 3, 2005)

htdub said:


> Light user compared to some of my other friends.
> 
> I check 3 mail accounts (Gmail, .mac and a work IMAP), probaly 40-50 emails a day, some with attachments, and i'll fwd some of the attachments, I use the map app probaly 15x a month to route directions, and to search for a local shop. I rarely use youtube on edge.
> 
> ...



I've had the $65 1 GB plan since March, and my usage is about the same as htdub's. Identical usage.

I'd say a factor that could increase data usage over 3G would be the increase in usability of YouTube with the speed increase. It's painful on the EDGE.

That said, no need for a lawsuit or conspiracy theories. The flex-rate data plan gives you a safeguard from major overage charges, until you figure out what your average usage is.


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## kb244 (Apr 23, 2002)

Hell my email alone would cost me thousands in overage with Rogers, especially since I'm a webdeveloper (can you imagine the overage a typical blackberry user would get?)


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