16,000+ Canadians hopping mad over iPhone 3G rates
Mon Jun 30, 2008 10:43AM EDT
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The Canadian carrier of the iPhone plans on charging its customers $75 a month for just 300 minutes, 100 text messages, and only 750MB of data, making AT&T's monthly rates look like a bargain—and judging from a rapidly growing online petition, Canadian iPhone fans are none too happy.
Rogers announced its iPhone 3G rate plans late last week, and as Fortune reports, they're pretty brutal.
For starters: You must sign a three-year contract, rather than two (or, as Fortune points out, just 18 months in the U.K.).
And get this: Rogers is not offering any unlimited data plans. Instead, you can sign up for any of four plans, ranging from $60 to $115 a month and offering caps of 400MB, 750MB, 1GB, and 2GB of data, with steep penalties (50 cents per MB for the first 60MB, then three cents/MB after that) for going over your allowance.
Believe me, 750MB of data may sound like a lot, but when you consider that your average HTML Web page weighs in at about 1MB—well, that's only 25 Web pages a day, not even counting your e-mail use.
Meanwhile, for $70 a month, AT&T gives you unlimited data, plus 450 minutes and 200 text messages.
Naturally, would-be iPhone 3G customers in Canada are furious, and they've got a petition—complete with 16,800 signatures (and growing)—to prove it.
"3 years?! No unlimited data plan?! I own an iMac, a PowerBook, two Airport base stations and have been an Apple product fan since the Apple II, but no matter how much I'd love an iPhone, this package is an insult. If enough people boycott this package, Apple might come to its senses and contract with a carrier that isn't intent on ripping off its customers. Rogers is bad for consumers and bad for Apple," one comment reads. Well said.
Fortune got a quote from Rogers, which defends its rates: "Unlimited plans could end up costing customers more for what they don't use," a rep said. "Our iPhone plans more than accommodate the vast majority of customers."
Well, sure—so long as you don't use that iPhone Safari browser (the one that's supposed to give you "the Internet in your pocket") too much. Or check your e-mail too often.
Related:
15,000 Canadians petition for iPhone rate relief
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7 Posted by raidergreg3079 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:27PM EDT Report Abuse
Just don't buy it. I don't see the big deal. There are lots of other things that are expensive and we do not buy them cause of that reason. If no one buys the phone when it comes out then Rogers will change their plans. Remember its just a phone.
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8 Posted by gooddayz39 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:11PM EDT Report Abuse
Hey there are products just as good as the Cultist I-phone! people please don't believe everything you read in blogs! there are many people with selfish interests posting in them.
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9 Posted by norreggy on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:41PM EDT Report Abuse
Well, goodday, there are such products that exist, yes. But if people bought stuff based solely on features and real value; then there woudn't be any need for marketing and advertising. If refrigerators can be sold to eskimos why can't iphones be sold to cult zombies?
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6 Posted by jgon_9 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:34PM EDT Report Abuse
"3 years?! No unlimited data plan?! I own an iMac, a PowerBook, two Airport base stations and have been an Apple product fan since the Apple II, but no matter how much I'd love an iPhone, this package is an insult. If enough people boycott this package, Apple might come to its senses and contract with a carrier that isn't intent on ripping off its customers. Rogers is bad for consumers and bad for Apple," one comment reads. Well said. That's a good one. All contracts for a good discount in Canada are for 3 years. Also it can only come out on Rogers because they own the only GSM network in Canada. When they bought Fido they created a monopoly.