After 35+ Years I'm Parting (Most) Ways With Rogers Soon

[pmcsplaza]

I regretfully announce that I am giving up all my Rogers services bar the Mobile ones very soon.  I've been offered a deal I can't refuse with Bell Fibe.   Although Rogers tried to match they couldn't quite and there are other reasons too.  The main one being that I am sick and tired of all these cables running everywhere and the often intermittent nature of my Internet service which seems to go down with regularity at least once every 24 hours along with the cable TV, not always coincidentally either.

There are drawbacks to the competitor's services which I am aware of but I'm ready to give it a shot.

I'm just hoping the switch doesn't kill me as I am going to have to move several pieces of furniture in order to access the major part of the cabling and the phone modem etc.

At almost 77 and with a heart condition I don't need the fuss, but there's that old saying "it's never too late"....so here goes (on the 21st).

[BS]

Consider escalating just so your experience is known to senior staff - Go to MyRogers and use report a concern - indicate exactly what happened and an ID number if you have one and what you expected as an appropriate response - they usually respond within 48 hours from the office of president.  If not satisfied with the outcome, you have two other levels, you can choose one or the other - Ombudsman - tell them that you are going to that level and have them clarify how to do it, or you can go directly to CCTC.  I don't know if CCTC has taken over Cable issues if that is the concern - if not, it is CRTC.  

Search internet for Rogers escalation process.

Bruce

[Gdkitty]

I am all for fighting for whats right.. make sure that you get what you were promised, get a fair price, etc.

But too often now a days, I do find that people are very quick to jump the gun.. and not take the time to actually work or solve a problem.
Sometimes yes, that may mean taking more than one phone call.  Like anywhere in life, you may find bad people. 
But at the same time, i have found some GREAT reps, who have gone above and beyond.

[barndoor]

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@Gdkitty wrote:

Sometimes yes, that may mean taking more than one phone call.  Like anywhere in life, you may find bad people. 

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Absolutely ... but on several occasion's  it has taken me  three calls to get to to that "good " rep .   Maybe some would just like to try a company that has upped the game to ,two calls or better .  

While I agree that just one call is being a little short sighted  if this is the fourth time you have had an issue  one call may quite understandably  be enough to flip the switch . 

[pmcsplaza]

Got a call saying they would waive the rental of my newest Nextbox 3 for 1 year and give me a slightly more favourable Home Phone plan. but not nearly enough to make me hesitate about the switch.

I may come back to Rogers TV, Home Phone & Internet when, if ever they install fibre-optic cables to each suite here and offer wireless hubs for everything.  Time will tell.

[Gdkitty]

Hopefully everything works out 🙂

I think what really gets me.. is that everyone who hates on Rogers, is like "Just switch to Bell"

Thats sometimes easier said than done.

That most of them, are in the bigger cities, etc.. where there is full Fibe rollout.  
Not everywhere has Fibe yet.  Its been a few years, and only 10% of my town does.  So its Rogers (at up to 1gbps) or 6mb DLS (not even 15) and satalite.
Tough decision.

Each person needs to make that evaluation on their own, where they are, whats available there, etc.

I would totally consider it.. IF the Bell infrastructure was there. (though, the bell lines here are REAL old.. prob one of the reasons for the slow fibe rollout.. not sure how well it would run).

I just wish everything, to make it easier, was much more OPEN and EVEN and FAIR against each other.
Just yesterday, I was en an EB Games.  Worker and someone else were talking about internet.. they were saying they were on Fibe 25, considering going higher but for this cost.. but wasnt unlimited. (or something to that effect)  I had said that rogers similar speed was unlimited.
They were like "But rogers connection is shared, it will slow down and you wont get that speed".  Im like.. Um.. no...  Yes its shared, but so is bell, all itnernet after the Node.  But with the node upgrades, the 'shared' lines has more than enough bandwidth to cover the load.   Yeah if you were on a grandfatherd plan with a D2 modem.. sure, but with the multichannel.. congestion barely ever happens anymore.
But they were like "No, the bell rep told me, Bell is fiber to the node and rogers isnt" (WRONG) and that you'll still get the congestion.

Battling it out with FEATURES and PRICING?  Go for it.  Offer me the best stuff and I'll go there.
But I hate that they have to resort to lying and name calling, etc.. to get the better of the other.   Its as bad as when election time comes around..

[pmcsplaza]

My high-rise waited years and years for the competition (Fibe) to arrive, now it has, finally.  Prior to that the only "competition" was Satellite which was no comparison to Rogers' superior service, and not even possible if you weren't south-facing.

In my  case it's the competition offering me a deal I couldn't refuse and Rogers not matching it.

I'm remaining a customer however, my 2 mobile accounts remain with Rogers.

[BS]

@Gdkitty

I agree with all you have said - I don't always say go Bell, I also say consider the 3rd party options too.

But just to continue the story - I had a Bell rep who said "you won't be shared if you take us on right now because you will be the only one on your node".  I responded, true, unless my neighbours decide to switch too.

The price was quite good - no real savings on my discounted prices on contract with Rogers right now, but I have been told that price is going up and I can consider new in market bundles or pay the new prices to stay with what I want.

She then talked about three bands on their modem - yes true 2 5mhz and 1 2.4 mhz.  They are solving the problem of the slowdown of Internet and IPTV by providing  seperate bands for each, and they are also bringing in two feeds now, One ADSL for IPTV, and one ADSL for Internet - you don't even have to have both - they will market it to you, but you can keep TV and cancel Internet.

Many comparisons back and forth, just like Rogers, better features on this, not on that, playing around with wording of "fastest Internet available", when I don't care because I use 60 and it is overkill for me.

Bell offered unlimited on 50, Rogers won't give me unlimited on my 60, have to go currently to 150 on my current package - and everything is pushed around that magical discount - you know you will lose your discount - issue is final price, and price at end of the year, not whether I keep my current discount.

Lots of fancy dancing around the use of language and how technology works - I spin their heads right round because I know tech and can challenge them on all they say, but it is all partial truths as I say to them.  They never lie, just word it very carefully - like up to.

So yes, the important thing for purchasers is not to just jump ship, but to get to know what your "real" needs are and what they are saying they will and won't offer.

Come on forums and ask questions, and the other forums around too.

And as I said, "really know your needs" and don't get tricked by the marketing pitch of "we're better, you will get a better discount if you add this service - do you really need it", etc.

Buyer be educated and beware.

Bruce

[barndoor]

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@BS wrote:

And as I said, "really know your needs" and don't get tricked by the marketing pitch of "we're better, you will get a better discount if you add this service - do you really need it", etc.

Buyer be educated and beware.

Bruce

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And really how unfortunate is it that that is where it is at ?  That companies are that willing to take advantage of us that  we have to be so educated and beware to know that we are indeed not being screwed over ?   Those companies , at least with regard to  telecommunications as well as many others  have all that info  at their finger tips  ...what the customer needs , what quality of product works well and so on  ...but many still choose to cut corners and manipulate to basically take advantage of their customers . Seems to be the new order of things . Yup,   Buyer Beware !!! 

On second thought  ...it's same old same old   ...it would just be nice if there was a break from that  attitude. Maybe the part that gets me most is when you see all the advertising about how customer oriented a certain company is  and then when you deal with them you find out how  far fetched those advertisements really were.

[BS]

Well, I finally sat down and did the retentions call (or customer relations).

I had talked to a front level rep about changing up my services to better meet my needs - I am looking to remove cable and finally cut the cord and use the savings to pay for an antenna and pvr. I was also looking at a bit more savings with the wireless home phone rather than the home phone (not much, but 7.00 is 7.00 when you money is really tight - every dollar counts).

So far things were going well, then the discussion about Internet - because I am looking to use online services, in combination with my antenna, I was looking to upgrade my Internet cap.  Unfortunately, the only way you can get up over the 250 on the 30Mhz package, I was first quoted the 500 or 150, to get unlimited.

Those speeds are gross overkill for my needs, but Rogers will not flex on that model of if you want speed, you get lots of bandwidth you may not need, or if you want bandwidth, you get speed you don't need and don't want to pay for.  I was looking for low speed and higher bandwidth.

I was provided the whole sales pitch about how "everyone wants speed", Rogers has the fastest speeds, and you do have choice over speed versus bandwidth.  I listened and got my quotes and wrote them down.

Then tried the other big competitor - they will do lower speeds and unlimited, but their home phone price is crazy, same as Rogers now quoted single price on a home phone is crazy.

I heard the pitch about more reliable,most reliable home phone, still have phone if there is a power failure, better TV features (let's remember I said no TV - don't know how many times I said that), but add TV into the package and the bundle is only 20.00 more than Internet and Phone (isn't that a great deal).

Finished off that conversation with I had a cheaper offer from Rogers for what I need - phone and Internet, and even cheaper from a third party company, and even cheaper through an affiliate through a local service company.  Got to hear about their Internet is not shared - I explained, most certainly is, it comes from a fibre switch beside the big brown box, then copper is punched down on those ports (I used to do this in our company with the trunk lines), and then the copper goes out to the little junction boxes in front of each house - so yes, it is shared, just at a different place.  Lots of talk about throttling with the third party companies, peak time problems, etc.  Again, I said thank you, took the quotes and will go to the third party providers later this week.

Bottom line is Rogers wants to sell speed and has their Internet packages all set to influence you in that direction, so if you need the speed, feel free, but I don't and I said clearly that Rogers does not have a package that is designed for my needs.  TV is packaged so that when I take it down to the minimum TV channels, with the starter and the ones we watch, the price is identical to the top package, so no savings there.

Bell's IPTV solution had a better mix of channels and the add-ons I would have considered if I had the cash flow, and the entrance bundle well below Rogers, but as with my current package, it goes up at the end of the contract.  Learned that you can run Bell IPTV without their Internet, but you lose all the important features - what are those - the Internet access to netflix and crave on the TV box as well as other apps - you would need two devices - exactly like I do now, so what is the difference I asked - couldn't answer that one.

But with Bell, the push is they put together a better mix and price on TV, price goes up a lot in a year, so you play the game again.

Mentioned to Rogers about how much better a new customer is treated on pricing versus a long term customer - you can leave and come back on new packages after three months - I said, once I move, I am not coming back in any hurry.

So the two fight each other trying to churn customers from their competitor with entrance deals and fight each other on marketing descriptions of why they are better than the other.

So I am probably opting out of Cable as I considered, and going to Voip and Internet from my local provider, and maybe I will add TV to it later, which I can as they are an affiliate of one of the larger alternative IPTV providers - sure the set top box is limited in its feature set related to PVR, but we will learn to live.

I am sure I will have to listen to some more offers or pitches when I make the decision to cancel it all and move somewhere else, but there was so much inflexibility today in my call, that I don't expect more - maybe I will run it by communityhelps, I have never used them for anything, but suspect that I will still have to go through the last ditch pitches if I do cancel, but once I have made the decision to move, I doubt that any offer will keep me.

The bottom line is the mix of services from Rogers, which has always met my needs well for 24 years now, they just won't provide flexibility in services on the Internet side, and once you pull the TV out, any discounts pretty much vanish.

Oh well, I have tried hard and done a lot of homework, but the reality is that rogers is trying to sell me either a big car when there are only two of us, or a real fast car, when we rarely drive out of our town.  I don't need either, I need the two person car, with a basic speed (back to Internet - I need low speed, and a bit more bandwidth at what I define a fair price, I refuse to listen to why one or the other is better than the other and how good a bundle is if you get everything but the kitchen sink).

So, I guess the reality right now is that Rogers does not offer a service model that meets my current needs, and that is ok with me - it is their business, and I don't have to buy what I don't need.  It is unfortunate that I have had to make this decision after 22 consequtive years of service, and over 45 years use of Rogers in my life time due to short points where I lived in areas that didn't have their services.  But the bottom line is that although I have been served fairly by Rogers over the years, they just don't have a mix that meets my needs and price point.

So be it, the world changes, and I change with it.

I will continue to follow and post to the forum in areas that I can contribute, but once I make the change, which I am pretty sure I will - my wife even said yesterday, time to change, and the sooner the better - she was my last hold over because she is the TV watcher, not me; I will probably have far less I can say about Rogers service and I will probably be learning about the problems that may or may not come from a different provider - at the end of the term, as the OP said, I can always consider coming back if need be and if they have a mix that meets my needs and price - which some of the current new customer promotions I would seriously consider.

It has been a fun ride.

Changes of some time will occur by the end of the summer.

Bruce

Bruce

[pmcsplaza]

Rogers is a good product, don't get me wrong, but it's unbelievable how better this place looks without cables running in every direction.  I'm pleased with my choice thus far although some things need getting used to with the "Other" service.   There are negative things I would change there too, time will tell I guess.   I'll drop those off at "Rogers Cathedral", as we lovingly call their Toronto HQ, tomorrow on my way back from the dentist's.

I got a smart email from Rogers reminding me I had 5 days to return the boxes (1 x Nextbox 3, 1 x Phone Modem, 1 x Internet Modem and I even threw in the 1 free Digital Box I got to give me basic cable in a seldom used area).

Does anyone remember Rogers Interactive TV (CH: 100 back then - basically the US-based WebTV ) ?   One could email via the TV using a wireless keyboard and surf the web....even make ones own website.  I was so teed off when they cancelled that service, but they were starting the real push to get people to go the computer route.

How times have changed !

[Gdkitty]

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@dallasdinatake wrote:
Get Android tv box and cut cable and upgrade your connection

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This is not always an option for everyone.  Using an android box, with accessing LEGAL content..  not necessarily everything everyone would want, is accessible via the legal apps/sites/methods.
And also when they are, there is sometimes all SEPARATE subscription fees.

Adding up all these subscription fees, can sometimes actually be MORE than cable.  (all depends on what you want to watch).

As for watching content OTHERWISE on Android.
While not 'illegal' yet per say to do.. all the content you are watching on it, is ILLEGALLY put up there.  The people posting the content are doing so illegally.  They are stealing the content and putting it up there.
If EVERYONE started watching via an android box... no cable/sat company would be paid, nor paid via their direct sub... the content provider then gets NO money.   They have no money? They stop making shows.  Then no one gets to watch.

[RogersCorey]

Thanks @Gdkitty.

I'd just like to take a moment to remind everyone that discussion of Android boxes is not allowed on our forums. I will leave your post up as it highlights the nebulous legality of these boxes that some people may not be aware of.

Regards,

RogersCorey

[Pauly]

I would agree. Not only are android boxes with illegal plugins questionable, they are also illegal in most cases because you are acquiring programming without paying for it.  To go onto a form and publicly admit you want to cancel your cable subscription and instead steal TV programming by utilizing an android box with illegal grey market plugins is not a good thing to admit in public, its also morally wrong. I'm very religious, I'm a Catholic and taught about right from wrong and this is clearly wrong in the eyes of God.

[Donjer]

Good morning folks you are leaving after 35 years peter and I am just starting so maybe you can answer my questions I took the basic package

At least it says over 130 channels 90 of them are standard definitions who

would watch a screen that does not fit your tv some are in a differentLanguage I do not understand! So that leaves around 20 channels in High definition that I watch that is if you can find them, I have phoned three times and they have nothing,In writing a guide which shows the channels

you have in your package??? How did you do it for 35 years I dont have that much time left! Peter you should get your package free!

[pmcsplaza]

For me it was simply financial reasons I switched.   Your HD channels are all inn the Channel 500+ range if I remember correctly.

There are still many people with standard definition TV's so those "smaller" looking screens are to fit their TV's.

Also the law requires all companies to provide multi-lingual channels.

You should be asking questions about this under "TV".

Good luck.

http://communityforums.rogers.com/t5/TV/bd-p/PVR_settop_boxes_remotes

[barndoor]

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@pmcsplaza wrote:

For me it was simply financial reasons I switched.

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 That's not what you said in your original post .    

  I was certainly  under the impression from that , that the Rogers lack of quality service  was a factor as well . 

[pmcsplaza]

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@barndoor wrote:

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@pmcsplaza wrote:

For me it was simply financial reasons I switched.

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 That's not what you said in your original post .    

  I was certainly  under the impression from that , that the Rogers lack of quality service  was a factor as well . 

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As this thread has been sidetracked so much I had to go look at my original post to be sure.  My second and third sentences are:

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I've been offered a deal I can't refuse with Bell Fibe.   Although Rogers tried to match they couldn't quite and there are other reasons too.

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[pmcsplaza]

Then I went on with the other reasons.
That indicates monetary reasons.

Sorry about 2 posts but the darn thing wont let me edit it properly.

[BS]

I know it has been mentioned that the alternative boxes used for access to over the top services - and I am talking about honest things like apple TV, Netflix, Amazon Prime, Crave, and many others - I never saw the original post, as it appears it was deleted about the Android boxes (or a laptop for that matter), between an Antenna, attached PVR, and honest OTT services via whatever device I choose, it is an alternative.

I emphasize, I am talking about honest OTT services.  There are alternatives choices of what we watch in our TV mix, and this thread has seemed to digress into a discussion of illegal uses of service delivery to our TV viewing.

Just my view and I will say no more, and I will make my choices, but I can already tell you as with @pmcsplaza my change is purely financial (I can't afford TV services via Rogers or any alternative IPTV services period - I will live on less.  It is a purely financial decision, and as one service goes, that opens up the discussion on all services which my discussions to date, Rogers has provided no flexibility in meeting this customers needs.

Bruce

[BS]

@Pauly

It is unfortunate that I can't see what was originally posted, so I can't even comment on what was originally said since it appears to be gone from the thread.  Maybe the whole follow-up discussion should be stripped too as I see a lot of judgement that are not supportive of a friendly community (just a comment).

There are no shortage of honest OTT the services, I currently run them from my laptop, but plan to feed them either on a Smart TV, or and Android box bringing my Crave, Netflix, Amazon Prime on the box as I would with my phone, and it will actually be a PVR for ditital OTA antenna feeds, with the android OS on it to run the PVR and my OTA apps.

I won't even discuss the non-legal concepts, as stated early, they don't belong on this forum, so my opinion, is strip all this discussion totally, including my own. If it doesn't belong, then let's not be selective on the discussion.

Bruce

[barndoor]

Do you  

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@BS wrote:

It is unfortunate that I can't see what was originally posted, so I can't even comment on what was originally said since it appears to be gone from the thread.  Maybe the whole follow-up discussion should be stripped too as I see a lot of judgement that are not supportive of a friendly community (just a comment).

I won't even discuss the non-legal concepts, as stated early, they don't belong on this forum, so my opinion, is strip all this discussion totally, including my own. If it doesn't belong, then let's not be selective on the discussion.

Bruce

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Do you want a butterflies and rainbows community or a healthy one ?  

This is not a place to  discuss religious affiliations  or what one person  believes God thinks is right   ... but why is it unacceptable to discuss hijacked signal  ...it has to do with the industry and it educates those involved . To delete the discussion  just exhibits a head in the sand  attitude  .   It certainly looks as though there are enough law abiding adults here that  mentioning  such a topic   should not  be a deleteable  offence . 

Nothing wrong with not wanting to add to the discussion  but really  deleting  the post  just suggests to me that Rogers doesn't trust us to be able to discuss it in an adult, law abiding manner ... is that an environment you feel is positive ?