I wanted to write to you to share my growing concern over the excessively expensive price plans provided by Rogers to their cellular customers. This is something I’ve been upset (even angry) about for a number of months, but the recent release of the iPhone plans has pushed me to the point where I have to make myself heard.

I can only hope and pray that you will listen to myself, and the literal thousands of others who have grown extremely and excessively tired of what I would call the price gouging of your faithful customers.

When it came time for me to get a new cell phone (August 2007), I specifically chose Rogers because I knew it was inevitable that you would be the exclusive provider of the iPhone in Canada. My wife and I now both have a ”$25/month” cell phone plan with Rogers, and this is where my frustration begins. Personally, I don’t know how it is legal to advertise a ”$25/month” cell phone plan, when after you add the features needed to make the phone usable (I don’t believe a cell phone is any use without voicemail, call display, call waiting and call forwarding, along with several hundred text messages) – plus add a bunch of special System Access Fees and 911 Fees and Random Other Fees – our two ”$25/month” plans total over $100/month, WITHOUT going over our minutes. How is this legitimate? How does this have any semblance of reason at all? While I lived in Singapore, I had a cell phone plan with 200 minutes, unlimited incoming text and 1000 outgoing text, voice mail, call display and call forwarding (plus the phone was free) – for SGD $18.90 / month (about $14 Canadian dollars).

The reason I am writing this now, is because in addition to being frustrated to the point of being near furious with my existing phone plans, your recent addition of the iPhone, and the voice/data plans associated to them are downright laughable.

Oh, it’s a value pack, alright

Then, the idea that you can advertise a “Value Pack” – which basically includes Call Display and a few text messages, for FIFTEEN DOLLARS A MONTH – is verging on absurd. There aren’t even words in the English language to describe how much “Value” that package does NOT deliver. Actually, if you have the time and generosity to reply, I would love to hear how you can describe this as a “Value Pack” at all. It seems to me that this package should cost about $5/month. Rogers, however, is charging 300% of that. Then there is the interesting idea that your base plans give us “Bonus Text Messages”. Oh Yay! Seventy-five “Bonus Text Messages” with my $60/month voice plan that’s going to cost me ~$70.82/month after all my special fees are added.

Would you like some ‘bonus’ text messages with that kick in the face?

I’m also quite confused and perturbed as to how you offer Visual Voicemail as standard with an iPhone (as it should be) – but don’t offer Call Display as part of the base package. How does it make sense that I can watch my phone ring, have no idea who’s calling, wait for the call to go to voicemail, NOT know who’s calling unless I subscribe to some $15/month “Value Pack”, or purchase Call Display for $7/month, but after the person leaves me a voicemail, I can see on screen who called me. Does that make any sense at all? To anybody?

I can’t even describe how much of a marketing debacle the launch of the iPhone has been for Rogers. To have a “something special is coming July 11” banner on your web site, for days, along with no plan information is one of the biggest marketing blunders I’ve ever seen. The iPhone was essentially a product of infinite value, handed to you by Apple. I believe that the iPhone could have actually been a turning point for Rogers. A turning point where your company decided that actually caring for and listening to customers was more important than corporate greed. You could have advertised that phone 38 ways from Wednesday, and had customers lined up out the doors for miles, handing you hundreds and thousands of dollars, millions of dollars, in three year contracts to get their hands on it – and you could have offered us decent prices, decent plans, and a semblance of fairness. But instead, Rogers took their monopoly, completely botched the largest marketing opportunity their company has seen in the past decade, AND decided to kick their customers in the teeth all in one foul swoop.

I am sick and tired of being gouged on my cell phone plans and random service charges. I am so sick and tired of customer support that can’t answer my questions. I’m sick and tired of trying to get my Call Forwarding to work, and finally getting through to a technical support person telling me “Oh, sorry, our $3/month call forwarding is broken right now, I have to set you up with our $2/month call forwarding.” (I wish I could say that wasn’t a true story).

Please, for the love of all things holy and good in this world, make a change. Make a difference. Do something for your customers. For once. Please. Prove to us that you actually listen, that you actually care, and that the voice of the customers can actually make a difference. Prove me wrong.

• Get rid of the crazy “System Access Fee”.
• Give us fair rates for our iPhones.
• Stop pretending that $15/month constitutes an “iPhone Value Pack”. There is no value to be found in that package at all.
• Give us fair rates for unlimited data, for all phones, not just iPhones.
• Start modeling your business after other companies who care for and listen to their customers.
• Start modeling your business after other companies who care for and listen to their customers.

That’s when I’ll sign a 3 year contract. That’s when I’ll line up at 5am, and wait 83 hours if I have to, to get my iPhone.

Please. Listen to us. Prove me wrong.