Starting in Sept. - Price Increase for Each Additional Ignite Entertainment Box

[Rjagger]

Now the Extra boxes are going up to $17 per month....

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[Flavour1]

I just called Bell Fibe for exactly the same services we have with Rogers - 1 box included, (cast to second tv) Flex 10 + U.S. channels, internet, home phone, and cell, and 30% accessibility discount, $144 taxes included. Bell Fibe wanted $30 a month more. Not a fan of Rogers never have been, but at the end of the day when the bill comes in that’s what counts. We aren’t gamers needing speed. We have other ways to up our channel count with apps and other sources without constantly exchanging. We have checked in the London area with other providers - Bell Fibe, Bell satellite, Tek Savvy, V Media, Execulink, Start TV though they all might might offer some things that Rogers doesn’t have, but at the end of the day they all couldn’t beat the price we have.

Rogers went down this road with Comcast, instead of building their own IPTV system.

[wayner92]

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Rogers went down this road with Comcast, instead of building their own IPTV system.

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To be honest, that was probably smart.  This is really becoming a commodity offering where TV channels are video streams sent over the internet.  The receiving box can be anything - a smart TV, a PC, a Roku, an Apple TV, an Android TV or a proprietary box.  No point spending millions building your own in-house systems for all of this.

[Flavour1]

As long as Rogers offers their Ignite TV app you get everything that is on the box and you cast to TV watch on your mobile device you have the internet. I don’t why people are so hung up with price increase. You get the first box included

Use your phone, IPad that is your receiver cast from them to your TV’s 

I agree with what you said, being do this since we got Ignite. So simply

[57]

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@Flavour1 wrote:

I don’t why people are so hung up with price increase. You get the first box included

Use your phone, IPad that is your receiver cast from them to your TV’s 

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Of course you're entitled to your opinion (especially since you have stated it numerous times in several threads in the past few days), however, many people on here would disagree because:

1. They do not wish to cast because it's a pain, finicky, difficult for technophobes, etc., especially if you prefer watching your recordings, not live.

2. The "hangup" with the price increase is that it's 70% on a device that is not worth even the previous $10/mo, so it's also the principle of the thing.

[bkbarry]

Agree.  Though I'm sure that it is possible to work around the ignite set top box it just isn't as elegant. I'm just put off by the optics of  this price increase as well as the financial impact.

- Like others I was forced to switchover from legacy digital cable to Ignite last December. I had owned all my set top boxes. In switching over to Ignite I had to rent the additional boxes (3 of them) at $10 per month per box. Just 9 months later the rental for each of these boxes has increased to $17 per month.

- I am on a 24 month contract and while my bundle cost is fixed for the term the boxes are considered month to month and subject to this increase.  Rogers is taking the opportunity to increase price on whatever isn't nailed down, contractually.  Cancelling my service is not an option as I would be subject to $20 per month cancellation fee. Only other option to mitigate the increase would be to return boxe(s). 

- The reasoning for the increase has nothing to do with the boxes themselves but rather the costs of the technology.  The fact that price increases are being applied disproportionately is concerning. Those with only the one box included with the service see no increase while in my case I am looking at a $21 increase for my 3 additional boxes.

[Flavour1]

Yes it is my opinion. Years ago with Digital (legacy) which is still around, you had a choice to have a PVR buy or rent, if you had two or TVs you had to have a digital terminal for each TV ( our last digital terminal was $12 a month) we had a PVR but it was ours and if something went wrong your problem not Rogers.

We all have the internet now. Subscribers didn’t ask Rogers to put the Ignite TV  app on the App Store it is there to download, in fact the Rogers installer tipped us off about the app and we might think about cancelling the second entertainment box as you get most of the features as the box. 

There is nothing finicky about using the Rogers Ignite TV app finding recordings, scheduling recordings in fact you can do it when you are away.

I will agree as you said it is the principle behind this, and it is unjustified and a

ridiculous increase. But if Rogers did this with Digital ( Legacy) would we have a choice NO, because you would need a box per tv to watch different channels etc. but subscribers have a choice, because services are delivered by the internet. Other providers offer IPTV service with an app to cast, what they charge for additional boxes I don’t know.

I will stick with my opinion and use what I need to save money. If you are not happy with Rogers find another provider and move on. We have found ways to save money all because of the INTERNET which now offers us choices, not like Digital ( Legacy) where had to have box for multiple TV’s

Rogers will do what they have announced, I do hope some form outcry from subscribers makes them change their mind or rethink this increase.

But with us we have found ways long before this announcement to number one save money it works for us and monthly cost is great. I called Bell Fibe this morning told them who we were with, gave them all what we have and could they match it NO $30 a month more for exactly the same services. This is my opinion 

[Flavour1]

Agreed 150% like everything else as a consumer we all have choices

[57]

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@Flavour1 wrote:

There is nothing finicky about using the Rogers Ignite TV app finding recordings, scheduling recordings in fact you can do it when you are away.

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I'm well aware of what the app is capable of, however, I hate using it to watch my recordings and I hate using it to stream to a TV and others, especially technophobes, aren't capable of using it.

Edit - I far prefer using my remote control, where I have muscle memory for  thumb and fingers.  It's far better for most people than squinting at a small screen to get it to do what you want. This is also important for people who wear glasses for watching TV. Those glasses, unless they are bifocal or progressives are not good for use with a phone or tablet.  I far prefer single vision glasses which in my case are designed specifically for TV viewing.

[Flavour1]

To agree or disagree for the time being the only way for the time being to eliminate this extra cost to be incurred for additional boxes is to return them and use the option of casting. Even if you went to another provider they would charge for additional boxes.

This is my new technology not Rogers technology without paying for extra boxes.

Again not happy with Rogers and price increases. Move on!

[57]

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@Flavour1 wrote:

To agree or disagree for the time being the only way for the time being to eliminate this extra cost to be incurred for additional boxes is to return them and use the option of casting.

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For the time being maybe, however, Rogers have been forced to roll back their methods in the past (negative option billing, etc), so if enough people complain or contact CCTS, or OOTP, then this $7/mo may be rolled back.

I forgot to mention one of the best features of using a remote control with the STB - The Voice Command feature which cannot be duplicated with the App.  Some people may not use it or miss it, but many others use it all the time, so Rogers customers, who don't wish to use the app, are "forced" to pay the $7 and it's not a simple matter of a workaround.

[Flavour1]

I will not be writing letters to Office of the President, CCTS, or the CRTC, we have found our workaround a few years ago. And we are very pleased with it . And nobody is forced to pay $7 a month. We all have choices and alternatives

[Flavour1]

(Merged to this thread by moderators)

How many Ignite tv subscribers does Rogers have with additional entertainment boxes out in the market at the moment and how much is Rogers making off of them every month.

 Simply return all of them. When their return Center is flooded with all these returns and there is lost revenue to Rogers they may have a change of heart. It may be inconvenient for you for a short while, but this will put the point across to them very quickly.

[aboyaci]

I think you have given the best suggestion at this point. People should "complain or contact CCTS, or OOTP, then this $7/mo may be rolled back." because at this point, this price increase is completed unwarranted, and its a hit that is below the belt. Its completely unacceptable.

When Rogers signs people up to the the 24 month contract, their sell is that the prices will not increase during the 24 month period. When they sell you that there will be no price increases, they need to keep their word. No and if or buts about that. No shenanigans or games. When someone needs extra boxes... because, they need the extra boxes.. the whole 24 month agreement comes as a package. Its a fundamental breach on the part of Rogers to increase prices as they propose, and its not expected or acceptable.

If Rogers has agreed to provide free boxes to some customers or agreed to charge $10 a month, whatever it may be, Rogers should be bound by this, for the entire duration of agreement. It is exactly that. An agreement. If a new customer wants to sign up and Rogers decides to charge $17 a month a box, then the customer can make that decision, and has the choice to go ahead or go elsewhere. A customer that has already signed up before, and has been in an agreement with Rogers already on a fixed price that was clearly sold as, no price increases for 24 months contracts, then that customer has no other choice to move elsewhere,  unlike a new customer who has the choice to agree or go elsewhere.

I strongly encourage customers to voice their dissatisfaction on this price increase, and also to report to CCTS, as such complaints in this situation are warranted. Rogers needs to roll back its decision, and also be sensitive in these situations where prices are agreed to be locked.

[asturias7]

I really want to see what my bill will look like after Sept 17... My 2 additional boxes are completely discounted from my bundle, in other words I've never paid for them and they were offered to me by someone in Loyalty as part of their offer... and he guaranteed that nothing would change for 2 years.

[Gregbetuzzi]

I agree a deal an agreement is an agreement 24 months and an increasenow

[wayner92]

The thing now is that since this is Internet Protocol TeleVision (IPTV), there is no reason for set top boxes at all.  If you want to charge $17/box then give us apps for AndroidTV, Roku, AppleTV, etc in addition to the current apps for phones and the web portal.  To be charging $204/year for these boxes is an extreme ripoff.

[BM881]

I have been with Shaw for so many years.  I signed the two year contact to make sure that I will pay the same price every month for at least two years.  Recently, unexpectedly, Rogers with Shaw has increased the TV box rental to all users.  I have to accept the increase cost, has no options. If I cancel my Shaw, I will need to pay penalties. The contact is to protect the supplier, NOT the users. 

I may consider to switch to other suppliers when my contract ends or cancel my TV subscription. 

[Greydog]

As we pay for service a month in advance, I think you would already have seen some pro-rata increase if they were going to apply it in your case.

Their billing system is probably set up to apply the increase where the current charge for a box is non-zero (e.g. $10 etc.).  So I would expect you will be exempt from the increase.

But agree with your suspicion that a verbal agreement from Loyalty/Retention could be worthless.

[CK241]

Rogers has decided to now charge an additional $7/TV box to rent. Below was on my Aug bill in fine print. The equipment has not changed so not sure what latest technology  they are referring to as I am satisfied with my current boxes. 

Was on hold for over 1.5 hrs with rogers agent who said I have to continue holding if want to speak to supervisor as she cannot resolve request.

Been a Shaw customer for over 22 years, Rogers customer service is extremely poor! It needs attention. Asking rogers to look into this matter asap. 

"Upcoming change to your TV box rental fees: We hope you're enjoying your TV service. Currently,
you have one TV box provided with your package. While the rate of that box remains unchanged,
with the rising costs to deliver the latest technology, we'll begin charging an additional
$7/month (plus taxes) for each additional rental box, starting on your first bill on or after
September 15, 2024. Any existing discount will remain in effect until its end date. Please note, if
you have box(es) included as part of your condo maintenance or property rental fees, they
remain included. Any additional rental box(es) will increase by $7/month (plus taxes)."

[-G-]

@CK241  That note to justify the price increase is just PR spin.

Re: "While the rate of that box remains unchanged, with the rising costs to deliver the latest technology, we'll begin charging an additional $7/month (plus taxes) for each additional rental box", all I that can say is hogwash.  They are charging an extra $7 for both legacy Digital TV set-top boxes and Ignite TV set-top boxes.  Rogers should have retired the Digital TV service YEARS ago -- they have aging, unsupportable infrastructure (that had already reached end-of life at the time that they decided to transition to Comcast's technology for Ignite TV) that is still powered up and servicing fewer and fewer customers.  Also, one of the reasons for transitioning to IPTV is to reduce capital and operational costs.  The only thing that is costing them more to deliver current services is that they now need to write off recent equipment upgrades for Cable Internet because their vendor went bankrupt.

Most of that $7/month, for each set-top box, will (almost certainly) go towards paying down corporate debt for the $26B acquisition of Shaw and the $4.7B to acquire Bell's stake in MLSE.

Rogers also spent a TON of money to acquire content rights for programming from NBCUniversal and Warner Bros. Discovery.

However, I see all of the above as as total waste of money (including any investments to upgrade their DOCSIS 3.1 infrastructure or to deploy DOCSIS 4.0) and I have no desire to foot the bill for it.

At $17/month for each set-top box, that will come out to $204 + tax per year, all for a box that does not even cost Rogers $100.

Yeah, I'm not happy.

[asturias7]

Did you get a hold of a supervisor or manager? If so, what was his/her reply?