New Pay As You Go Maximum Balance

[lmcjipo]

Had my prepaid phone off during the holidays and just turned it on today to receive the following text from Rogers:

Rogers service msg: Starting at the end of 2018, our prepaid services will have a maximum allowed balance of $150. Any balance above $150 will no longer be available as of end of 2018. We will be in touch with more information on how you can use your balance soon, but in the meantime you can continue to use your balance as normal. Questions? http://rogers.com/contactus

What are the options? The option that I think that they will do is to force those high balance users to go to postpaid. Unless they give me the option to get a new phone, there is no way that I would be able to use my balance or reduce it to under $150 before the end of 2018. The only other thing which would reduce my balance is for me to take options/services that I don't need (like data/SMS/addon services) that I don't need for the sake of just reducing my balance.

This seems ridiculous.

***EDITED LABELS***

[RobTheGob]

I've been on Roger's Pay As You Go for more than a decade and have close to $300 in credit on one number and maybe $175 on another.

I've always bought the $100 voucher each year and used $5 per month for 250 SMS. So - essentially, I'm banking about $40 per year, per number. It's dirt cheap.

I wasn't aware of the "pay $100 and get extended for a year" option - but I'm not sure I would have done it if I had known of it. If I continue in my current manor - I pay $5 per month and bank $3 or $4 per month for possible future use. If I agree to use $100 to extend - that's a cost of $13 per month ($8.33 for the charge, plus $5 for SMS).

I'm not really sure what I'm gonna to do with the excess credit - at this point, it likely makes sense to do the $100 to extend. I'm not wild about losing my credit - but having said that, it just keeps building up and up. I was hoping at some point there might be some reasonably priced data to spend it on... The Pay As You Go data charges are insane.

I'll have to call to stay on my current "anytime" plan as well. I briefly considered moving to the $120/yr plan last year - but I use a dual SIM phone with calling on the other SIM... And now it's $180/yr...

[barndoor]

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@RobTheGob wrote:

I've always bought the $100 voucher each year and used $5 per month for 250 SMS. So - essentially, I'm banking about $40 per year, per number. It's dirt cheap.

I wasn't aware of the "pay $100 and get extended for a year" option - but I'm not sure I would have done it if I had known of it. If I continue in my current manor - I pay $5 per month and bank $3 or $4 per month for possible future use. If I agree to use $100 to extend - that's a cost of $13 per month ($8.33 for the charge, plus $5 for SMS).

I'm not really sure what I'm gonna to do with the excess credit - at this point, it likely makes sense to do the $100 to extend. I'm not wild about losing my credit - but having said that, it just keeps building up and up. I was hoping at some point there might be some reasonably priced data to spend it on... The Pay As You Go data charges are insane.

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I happen to do the exact same thing with our phone as you do re the $100 plan and text addon.

When deciding if using  the hundred  dollars from balance is worth it you need to look at the bigger picture . Like what are you going to do with the balance ? I  would rather keep the balance down  and add money if I need it for emergency use... you don't need a balance to make a 911 call anyway do you ?

  Next look at how much money you actually paid for the service  when you use money from the balance.  The balance money has already had the HST and if you pay any, the income tax paid  on it  so it is certainly no where close to being comparable to adding another $100 voucher.  If it is a phone for personal use and you can't claim it as an expense you may easily  need to have had $135 in income  to buy that $100 voucher.

Lastly but along the same lines look at how much you actually spend over the ten years if you use $100 of balance to renew ...since for many the balance is basically useless other than locking them to Rogers, unless they want to go nuts and splurge  on buying a bigger better plan in postpaid . But that would be just the opposite of the frugal nature that built that large balance in the first place .  

edited to ad ...Did Rogers notify you of needing to call in to stay on the anytime plan or did you read it here ?

[wleadie1]

1) there are 128 messages here! But is there any official news item on the official Rogers.com website confirming their desire to limit maximum balance for "pay as you go" customers? 

2) anyone had any success escalating their concerns to "Office of the President"?  I called "Pay as you Go" support # 1-800-575-9090 and was given a ticket # 6 days ago!, yet no phone call back from Rogers!

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@wleadie1 wrote:

1) there are 128 messages here! But is there any official news item on the official Rogers.com website confirming their desire to limit maximum balance for "pay as you go" customers? 

2) anyone had any success escalating their concerns to "Office of the President"?  I called "Pay as you Go" support # 1-800-575-9090 and was given a ticket # 6 days ago!, yet no phone call back from Rogers!

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1. The only official news would have been received by text on your phone, and only if your phone is turned on because if it's turned off for several days at a time, the text may be lost to the ether, due to the limits of storage.  In one of my previous posts (perhaps in another thread) I did contact the "share a concern" people and they stated that they would look into the matter of a different sort of official notice. I have found "share a concern" to be an excellent resource where people genuinely try to help and typically do get back to you.  

https://www.rogers.com/consumer/contactus/share-a-concern

2. People have had success in various ways, as discussed in this thread.  Without diminishing the issue itself, I suspect that there are not a huge number of people affected by this.

[RobTheGob]

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@barndoor wrote:edited to ad ...Did Rogers notify you of needing to call in to stay on the anytime plan or did you read it here ?

I had heard *nothing* of that change, other than in this thread! I've been on my plan for probably 15 years, and do not want to switch.

So I'm happy I read through the various threads after receiving the "$150 max" SMS...

[InEx]

Just called and wanted to share in hopes it helps some of you.

1) Got to keep my $0.01 evenings and weekends anytime $0/month plan you have to call before March 2018 to avoid getting switched to the $10 month plan. Note I've had this plan since 2002

2) Extended expiry date to May 2019 with no effect on $150 limit until then and did not get $100 deducted to extend expiry

Overall very pleasent and quick call less than 1 min wait and done in 5 mins is almost as if the media attention has made them not fight back on this. Although please note the first option was offered is to spend $100 from my balance to renew for 1 year

[barndoor]

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@InEx wrote:


2) Extended expiry date to May 2019 with no effect on $150 limit until then and did not get $100 deducted to extend expiry

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That sounds too good to be true !!

Just curious ... is your balance currently more than the  $150?   If the expiry is May are they going to take $100 of your balance  in May at renewal time rather than now?

[InEx]

No at that time i was told I can renew for $100 off balance or top up my balance is 214 to be noted
And no I didn't pay to extend this time that was waived

Here is a screenshot
https://ibb.co/bCr68b

[barndoor]

Wowsers !!   Congratulations .

So let me get this straight..... we have  those that if they call in can keep their balance AND get a FREE 15 months  on their  grandfathered plan on one hand and on the other side we have those that would seem that they are not  even going to get notification that their plans will be changed to something most likely more expensive come the first of March? Am I missing something ??

[BS]

@barndoor  No based upon the fact that there has been no additional formal communications in a way that will ensure that impacted customers will even know about this, I don't think you have missed anything.

I suspect that there will be some very annoyed customers when they do find out, and hopefully the company is prepared to do for them as they have for others we have seen here and as the Toronto Star article said.

It looks like it will be individual decisions for each person who contacts them, but if they don't have their phone on when the texts come through, they will no nothing.  And I suspect that there are some who may even have texts blocked on their phones as they have no need for them.

So, no I don't think you have missed anything in your summary.

They may want to consider bringing on more staff come March an onwards to give each customer their due time to understand, deal with their emotions and come to a decision.

Certainly everyone of those who did not get the text has a legitimate reason to push for a satisfactory decision to them or to push it to the CCTC, because they can legitimately say that the method of advising customers meant that they could not be informed of the change and to argue that it is a violation of the wireless code.

Bruce

Bruce

[fiona59]

That was the plan I was on and it just plain disappeared from me.

Somehow I wound up on 50 cents a minute at all time.

It started out at 39 cents a call and 1cent after 8pm until 8 am and all weekend.

Then it just became 50 cents a minute, no warning.

[barndoor]

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@fiona59 wrote:
That was the plan I was on and it just plain disappeared from me.

Somehow I wound up on 50 cents a minute at all time.

It started out at 39 cents a call and 1cent after 8pm until 8 am and all weekend.

Then it just became 50 cents a minute, no warning.

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Did you call them ? 

May as well call 1855-654-2244  take option 2 and see what they can do for you . 

edited to add ...I do wonder in @InEx's case if the  free year was given to credit for  money spent  on the $.50/min plan pricing screw up .

[BS]

Just to insert some humour from an army brat and ex military man myself.  This situation is the epitome of

FUBAR  “Fouled Up Beyond All Recognition”

the brother of Private Snafu  “Situation Normal, All Fouled Up" and Private Tarfu “Thing Are Really Fouled Up"

Any of them apply together on this one, and at times, Snafu seems most appropriate when it comes to communications of change.

Keep posting how each of you worked out a viable solution as you get them.  I suspect there will be more people in the near future looking to read this thread. The power of the consumer voice, action, and lets not forget the media and the CRTC - CCTC working on their behalf.

Bruce

[russia123]

If you think about it, most postpaid customers do not use all they pay for in their package. Most people, I think, want to be on the safe side and knowingly buy more then they're likely to need. Judging by my kids, they do it happily, too (which annoys me). So, post paid customers forfeit money each month. Pay as you go has been a bit of a sweet deal, although less sweet as time goes by. Like most on this thread, I think changing the terms seems like a money grab. Then again, large balances probably mean we're not really going to use that money up anyway.

In response to the question, 'what can we do' here's the cheapest solution and it works. Cancel you pay as you go. Get a data plan for a tablet. You may have to get a new SIM (since you rarely use the phone now, it won't matter much if you have a new number). Put the SIM in your phone with the data plan active. Download Fongo, a free calling app made in Kitchener, which calls over WIFI or data (but won't switch while on a call). In signing up with Fongo you can get a local number in whatever city you want or port a number for $25. Fongo calls and incoming texts are free. If you want to send texts to non-Fongo users, you can buy a plan - unlimited Canadian for $10 for 6 months. The Rogers data plan for tablets is a flex plan. $5/mo gives you 10 MB of data, good for about 20 minutes of calls. If you use more, it scales up to $10 for 100 MB, good for 200 minutes of calling. Or you can get email, surf a bit and use some for calls. If you have a MagicJack you can use their app and take your home number with you (but you'll need another messaging solution, like free Text+). There is no rule saying you can't put a tablet data plan on a phone (small tablet!). Check out Fongo.com for more info (I use it but am not otherwise attached to them). You won't build up a balance and very light users will have reduced their cost to $5/mo.

[fiona59]

Somebody in Rogers is following this.  I've suddenly got 1cent a minute back!

[BS]

@russia123  Now that is what I would call a real creative solution - there have been many stories reported on the web where people speak of using smart phones with no plan, and keep a pay as you go sim from other companies with access to phone and small data per use.  Not as low cost as you describe, but I too have actively used Fongo for a while now, keeping it as an option for when or if I pack my current individual post paid plan. My plan is as small as you can get away with, no data and a international text us discount rate as my daughter is in the states.

Ironically, what got me intrigued by the Fongo option was when they cancelled one number.  My current plan does not have wifi calling because I don't have data, even though the phone supports it.  It is ironic that in the drive to push us to data and share everything plans, and top end phones, since I only want minimal use, I started finding alternatives, but I have not really wanted to leave Rogers along the way, but they keep closing my options for affordability and meeting my minimal needs both on phones, and on home services, so I have been building a core of alternative services ideas, all with less services, or even none in some areas, like cable and home phone, and a very low end Internet (people who fall me have seen shades of what I have found); We have to make more cuts as our income is dropping significantly again this year after me being on fixed disability since 2009, and my wife loosing her quality paying job coming on 2 years ago, and we have made cuts in everything including our existing plans across the board but still have to find more.

Life changes, and I like this solution you just described.  I have no problem with Rogers trying to be the Cadillac of services, but I have never been able afford one, nor have I ever wanted one.  My used cars that I run to the ground do me quite well, with a local small mechanic.  If you can afford it go for it.  When we made more money, we used to have top end cable, but we have always been careful with our money, so we have inexpensive home phone, bottom end phone plans, new phones replaced every 5 years or when they fail, and 3 in the cupboard that still work, but we got a deal on replacements when plans came up so we grabbed it.

I love it when someone comes forward and says how they can keep their cost of service down and meet their basic needs.  If there is anything I have learned, it is that life and how much money I will have next year is completely unpredictable, so I have never been on contracts, and I buy used and cheap.  I have no problems using Rogers, as long as they can provide me with services that I want, no extras, at a cost I can afford.

I think many who are on pay as you go plans are of similiar minds - we started that way and only went family plan (now called shared) to provide for free calling between four family members.  We just went to individual plans, bucking the share anything concept totally, went low end, subsidy on phones released two years ago, allowing us to buy out anytime if necessary, and our next step was pay as you go under the old model, but the new model is not competitive at this time with the competition plans we are looking at.

Thanks for popping in with your wonderful option to the question, what do those with this pay as you go issue in front of them.

Now that is creative for sure, customer driven solution.  Meets your needs and budget all in one shot.

Bruce

[barndoor]

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@fiona59 wrote:

Somebody in Rogers is following this.  I've suddenly got 1cent a minute back!

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Congratulations ! 

Just remember though that you apparently still need to call  in and confirm with  Rogers that you are staying on the same plan  ..It would be sad to see you get it changed back to your old pricing and then loose by having  it automatically changed to  the 10/month flat rate plan in March. 

Unless that has changed .... any Rogers staff want to take the bull by the horns and either confirm or deny here  if that change is still going to happen automatically  ? 

[lmcjipo]

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@wleadie1 wrote:

1) there are 128 messages here! But is there any official news item on the official Rogers.com website confirming their desire to limit maximum balance for "pay as you go" customers? 

2) anyone had any success escalating their concerns to "Office of the President"?  I called "Pay as you Go" support # 1-800-575-9090 and was given a ticket # 6 days ago!, yet no phone call back from Rogers!

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I was the starter or original poster for this thread since I received the SMS probably before most people (maybe because of my high balance).

I can't comment on #1 but in terms of #2, my issue was escalated to the Office of the President and after a heated but polite > 60 minute "discussion" over the phone, I got as good of a deal as I wanted which I felt was fair to both Rogers and myself given the new cap of $150 would not be changed. By "heated", I mean that I did raise my voice and was upset and by "polite", I mean that no swearing/cursing was involved. The person who called me at close to the end of our 60 some odd minute call seemed to suggest that she was willing to refund the entire balance of my account and let me go elsewhere but when I mentioned I would only go with that option if she allowed me to port my number out first and then refund the balance (which prepaid accounts aren't eligible to have refunds of balances). After placing me on hold for a few minutes, she returned to give me what I wanted.

During the call, the lady whom I spoke with indicated that she wouldn't/couldn't offer me what I wanted and being the Office of the President for Rogers, it was the last recourse. I corrected her to say that if she wanted to end the call, I was fine with that since I was already contacting the CCTS. She told me that the CCTS has absolutely no control over price plans. I told her that this was true BUT where the carrier is changing the terms of the original contract and wiping out the balance of the customer, they might have something to say about that. I think made her try to address my concerns.

[Sarcee]

Okay, so I just talked to a CSR about my PAYGO Talk All Day Plan, and I found out if I switch to a monthly plan I can keep and transfer my credit balance. My credit balance was due to expire on Feb 8th, so they said they would extend the expiration date for 5 months on the new plan as a courtesy offer.  I guess this makes sense, but for some reason in my mind I was thinking  the expiry date would be re-set once I switched plans, and I could carry the balance for another year.

This throws a monkey wrench into my plans and I'll have to think more about what I want to do. My current balance is $87.00.

It looks like my options are either ask to stay on the current plan, and shell out another $100 (for a total credit of $187.00) to last me another year. Or pay $10.00 /mth and carry $87.00 for only 5 months.

[wleadie1]

lmcjipo:  you said "Rogers willing to refund the entire balance of my account and let me go elsewhere".  This afternoon, I spent over 15 min on the phone with an Office of the President rep, and they REFUSED to give me a refund when I explicitly asked.  Why is Rogers making private, SECRET deals with selected customers; that's UNFAIR!  And who is CCTS ?

[57]

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@wleadie1 wrote:

1 Why is Rogers making private, SECRET deals with selected customers; that's UNFAIR! 

2. And who is CCTS ?

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1. No one ever said life is fair.  What you get depends on several factors like with whom you're dealing, your negotiating skills and what services you have with Rogers (monthly payments), etc.

2. CCTS: https://www.ccts-cprst.ca/