Unreturned Equipment Charge

[caneishafry]

So since my house burned down and I havw called rogers and have told me there wasn't anything they could do for me-that regardless I need to pay for the requirement which is over $250. They expect for me to claim It on
insurance, but I didn't not have insurance.
I am trrying my best to make payments on the bill as much as I can but I just really don't think it's fair I have to pay so much for equipment.

Thanks in advance

*** Edited Labels ***

[122477]

Hi!

I cancelled my Rogers services in May. I boxed up their equipment and took it to the post office on Jun 3rd. Canada Post kindly lost the package. Rogers has billed me for almost $1,100 for their equipment that they didn't receive. Even though Rogers has viewed the Canada Post tracking that proves that Canada Post received it from me but have done nothing with it except lose it, Rogers continue to hold me responsible. They refuse to take it off my bill. I've had 2 investigations launched. The first one they closed because they still don't have the equipment back and I haven't heard anything from Rogers for the 2nd investigation that was launched Jun 28. The $1,100 is still outstanding on my bill. Canada Post told me that it looks like they lost the package and Rogers need to call them. Rogers said they don't do that. Canada Post also told me that this a matter between Canada Post and Rogers, there is nothing more I can personally do from my end to resolve this issue. How can I get Rogers to credit my bill?

[-G-]

@122477  How far did the package get through Canada Post's network?  Has Canada Post actually formally declared the package as "Lost"?  It's hard to force any resolution if the package's status is still in limbo.

This should not be your problem to resolve.  All that you can do is follow the instructions that were provided and ship the stuff that you had to ship back in a timely manner.  Once you have done that, you have done your part and should not have to suffer the consequences of Canada Post failing to do their job or Rogers failing to process the return in a timely manner.

[Datalink]

Yet another reason to complain to the CRTC about Rogers behaviour:

https://www.ccts-cprst.ca/for-consumers/complaints/complaint-form/

You need an official declaration from Canada Post indicating that the package was lost.  However, I don't know what good that will do when Rogers has two fingers in their ears, basically saying "I can't hear you".  

This is like an old fashioned Monty Python movie ......

At some point Rogers will notify the credit reporting companies if you don't pay the bill.  I'd go there first and have a discussion with both Equifax and Transunion concerning a potential fraudulent credit report that Rogers might generate in the near future.  That deserves some type of action and alert to prevent Rogers from tanking your credit rating as they "refuse" to talk with Canada Post.  

The interesting conundrum here is that the Rogers stores have either been instructed by Rogers to refuse equipment returns as the stores don't actually belong to Rogers anymore or the company that actually owns the Rogers stores has made that decision on their own.  We'll never know.  So, that forces customers to use Canada Post, for which it appears Rogers will not hold responsible for lost packages.  I suspect that Canada Post will tell Rogers to go pound sand.  End of story as far as Canada Post is concerned.  There has to be some type of contract between Rogers and Canada Post to allow returns thru Canada Post to actually happen.  You would think that lost packages and who pays for those packages would be a contractual item.  If Canada Post pays for losses, then Rogers is trying to have its own cake and eat it too, and stiff the customer with a non-existent bill. 

Now, if the equipment in question was a CGN3 modem, Home Phone modem or a Nextbox, my bet is that their all headed for the recycle heap and are only worth a few cents for recycled metal content.  Consider as well that the equipment in question has been paid for several times over and completely written down in value by Rogers.  So, assuming this is the case, its pretty outrageous that Rogers is demanding full value for those items.  Yet another reason to complain to the CRTC .......

First stop CRTC complaint:

https://www.ccts-cprst.ca/for-consumers/complaints/complaint-form/

Next stop, Equifax Canada and Transunion Canada.

I've sent a private message to you.  When you're logged into the forum look for a number overlaying your avatar at the top right hand corner.  That avatar serves as a link to your personal profile and message inbox/outbox.  Follow that avatar (link) down to the message inbox. 

[122477]

The Canada Post tracking on the package shows it being received by them on the date I handed it over to them and that's it. It appears to have never left the location I dropped it off with.

[Babylegs1]

Canada Post lost it therefore it’s their responsibility to find it! Call their head office

[Deathaddict]

Call customer service and escalate it up if the rep is telling you they can't call Canada Post to confirm its been lost. I'd imagine front line reps  can't really call Canada Post on their own to confirm the package has been lost and it's up to management to make that happen. As far as the bill hitting your credit until you actually see a late payment posted or it's been sent to 3rd party collections I'd keep it in the back of my mind for now. 

[-G-]

---

@122477 wrote:

The Canada Post tracking on the package shows it being received by them on the date I handed it over to them and that's it. It appears to have never left the location I dropped it off with.

---

You might have to remind Rogers again that you didn't pick Canada Post to fulfill the return of the rental equipment; they did, and that you were just following their processes.  There is nothing more that you can do after Canada Post receives the package.  Rogers needs to figure out how to get that charge off your bill.

FYI, Canada Post's Report a Problem page provides the following link:  https://origin-www.canadapost.ca/cpc/en/support/kb/receiving/mail-delivery/mail-with-tracking-number...

You could open a ticket.  (Select that the receiver is a Business address and that you are the Sender, and fill in the Delivery information details.)  That might speed up the process to get the package declared as Lost.

However, somebody at Rogers should have done this already during one of their investigations.

You can also try sending a Private Message to the @CommunityHelps  team to see if they can see where things stand.  They can also open a ticket and escalate it to the appropriate team internally.

[122477]

Hi!

I already escalated it up and they were of no help at all. I asked her to connect me with someone higher than her and she refused.

[Datalink]

@122477 out of curiosity, what were the items that were shipped back?

[-G-]

---

@122477 wrote:

I already escalated it up and they were of no help at all. I asked her to connect me with someone higher than her and she refused.

---

The key to getting this resolved quickly is not escalating it "higher up" in the Rogers organization.  Rogers will not do anything if the package is still in transit.  There are business processes that everybody in the organization needs to (and are forced to) follow.  Your package either needs to arrive, at which point they will process the return and reverse the charge OR it needs to be declared Lost.

Trust me.  I KNOW.  Last year, in the early days of the first COVID lockdown, one of my Ignite set-top boxes was deemed defective and they shipped me a replacement.  The new box arrived and I promptly shipped back my defective STB.  The next day, my bill arrived, and I was shocked to find that Rogers had proactively added a $120 Unreturned Equipment charge to my bill, BEFORE my replacement STB had even arrived on my doorstep.  I tried to get the charge reversed. The package tracker showed that Rogers received it, but Rogers was backlogged processing returns and they would not reverse the charge.  My bill by that time was also coming due, and I really did not want to have to pay a charge that should not have been applied in the first place.  It didn't matter how far I escalated up the management chain within Customer Care.   They said that they couldn't just reverse the charge because the return would eventually get processed, and their automated processes would apply the reversal to my bill again.

I had to take a different approach, get somebody to find my shipment and process my return.  Rogers also told me that I did not have to pay the Unreturned Equipment charge on my next bill payment, and told me that there would be no penalty.  However, their billing system didn't get that memo, charged me late fees, which took several billing cycles to finally straighten out.

Rogers' internal processes are broken, and the worst part is that the consequences of these breakages often have a negative impact on customers.

@122477  You need to open a case with Canada Post and get them to either locate the package or declare it lost.  You also need to contact the @CommunityHelps via Private Message.  They know how to navigate the Rogers organization and find somebody who will also open a similar case with Canada Post, and who can then take action to get your return resolved as soon as possible.

DO NOT let this mess get to the point where Rogers sends Collections after you.  You will eventually prevail, but you will then also (almost certainly) have an even worse mess to clean up, that will involve long, painful battles and MUCH more effort to clean up.

[RogersCorey]

Greetings @122477!

Welcome to our Community!

I am sorry to hear of your difficulties with getting your equipment returned via Canada Post. Considering the circumstances, I would like to investigate this matter further on your behalf and see what I can do before this gets sent to collections.

Feel free to send us a private message to @CommunityHelps so we can assist you further. For more information on how our Private Messaging system works, you can find out more here.  

Regards,

RogersCorey

[-G-]

---

@caneishafry wrote:

So since my house burned down and I havw called rogers and have told me there wasn't anything they could do for me-that regardless I need to pay for the requirement which is over $250. They expect for me to claim It on
insurance, but I didn't not have insurance.
I am trrying my best to make payments on the bill as much as I can but I just really don't think it's fair I have to pay so much for equipment.

---

What specific equipment got lost in the fire?  If you are able to talk to the right person at Rogers, you may be able to get special consideration on compassionate grounds, especially if it is something REALLY old (like a Standard Definition set-top box, that Rogers would likely dispose of when it gets returned) or if your rental fees have paid for that asset many times over.

[122477]

Update:

I reported this issue to all the places you mentioned plus Rogers 'Office of the President'. I checked the tracking again with Canada Post and lo and behold they found the package. Looks like they sent it to Richmond, BC who then sent it to Mississauga, who received it on July 26th. The tracking said that it had been through the final sorting and it would be delivered either that same day or the next day. That's approx 11 days ago. I talked with Canada Post who said that tracking states that they attempted delivery once and Rogers was closed. It was returned to Mississauga and was to be delivered the next day, but it wasn't. She opened an investigation into why Mississauga was not delivering it. She also mentioned, as I was told before, that Rogers needs to contact them since they paid for the shipping label, the shipping and they hold the contract with them. Reminder: I told this to Rogers before and they told me that they don't contact Canada Post. I informed CP of that and she said that was standard procedure and anybody at Rogers should know that.

Then I called Rogers, starting with Customer Service. I asked for a manager immediately. She insisted she needed to get the info of what the problem was and then she would transfer me to a manager.  To my surprise she told me that Rogers had put several credits through my account, thereby they reversed all the charges totalling almost $1,100. I was shocked and so relieved that they finally did that.  She then transferred me to a manager but after a few rings, the phone disconnected.

Then I was reviewing my email and found one from the CRTC. They accepted my case and informed me that Rogers can not ask me to pay the bill, can't have a collection agency hound me for payment, can't charge interest and must reverse any interest they've already charged and can not forward this to Equifax or TransUnion. Obviously at the time of their email they didn't know of the changes that have occurred since my email to them.

I'm more than happy right now. I can finally stop stressing over this.

I want to thank everybody who took the time to reply to my post and give me info on how to resolve this. I am sincerely grateful. I can not say that enough.

Sue

[Datalink]

Congrats and good work.  The CRTC response is rather interesting to say the least 🙂

[cocokaka8888]

Oh my God, this just happened to me!

I moved and cancelled home monitor system the end of July this year. I returned my alarm panel with the shipping form Rogers emailed to me in via Canada post in and shipped it at beginning of August. I thought everything should be done since my billing balance was $0 after that. Yesterday (almost 4 months later) I suddenly got email saying I owe them $514. It took me a long time to connect to an online support.  She told me their warehouse did not get my shipping therefore they charged me for $514. She started a case to check the package and told me to check back in 5 days. If they still can't find that I need to pay for the lost shipping. I am very very update now. Why took them 4 months to tell me they did not get the package? Why they never told me it was that expensive before I ship it back, at least I would ask for a tracking number or keep the tracking number if they have one? Why such expensive item they insist me to ship instead of drop off (no option for drop off at all). I do not know what happened in their warehouse or in Canada post, I should not be responsible to pay for their mistake!!!! $514 is not a small amount. I will definitely try to dispute it. I was even thinking of install it in my new home before today. I will never do that anymore!!!!!!

[green_]

Rogers announced me that I'll be charged for equipment I sent using Canada Post  - Rogers label which seems to be lost by Canada Post as tracking showing the item didn't arrive to Rogers, but wasn't also updated in over 1 month.

Seeing so many issues with lost items by Canada Post, the question is why Rogers didn't have a solution for this situation. The reps are clueless and they said that I'll likely be charged and then I'll have to call back. There is no way Rogers reps to open a claim with Canada Post, which is the actual solution expected by Canada Post.

[green_]

WHO HAS THE SOLUTION for THIS CASE? Thank you

1. I sent a package using Rogers label (I was forced to do that, even as I offered to go myself to a Rogers store and return the box)

2. Canada Post seems to lost it because there was no update since over 4 weeks ago,

3, Rogers said they'll charge me because package didn't arrive,

4, Canada Post said Rogers need to file a complain

5. Rogers reps said they are no filing any claims with Canada Post

... and I am helpless in the middle with no solution in sight ...

[green_]

I am not sure if it was because I posted here, or because the calls with Rogers Reps where I provided the Canada Post tracking details, or because of the chat I had with this forum moderator, but I just received a message from Rogers Back Office few minutes ago saying they investigated and that my issue is fixed, and the returned equipment charges are removed from my account.  

[vuluan]

I just got the unreturn item charge bill from Roger then I came here and found out that I am not the only one. I returned the whole package to Roger via Canada Post but they sent me the bill because of unreturn item.

[Pauly]

yes sometimes they charge you because the item was returned but it was not processed in time so the time the bill was printed it was not in the system but if you were to call now im sure they would see it and reverse the charges.