Goodbye Rogers! - Is a class-action appropriate?

Updated - 20091231

I can't believe these Rogers guys -- they can't keep their hand out of my pocket. I was trying to let it go, but it's really a comedy of errors that has played out over 4 months: 

• Sept 2009 - See the post below. Basically, they slap me with a $360 early cancellation fee on my cell plan. 
  
• Oct 2009 - They reversed my VIP savings and charged me back. I cancelled all of my other services with Rogers.
• Nov 2009 - They slapped me with another set of early cancellation fees (despite their assurance there wouldn't be) for my TV and Internet (God Bless TekSavvy). 
• Dec 2009 - This is the best part. I get a card from Rogers saying "Something's Been Missing You" and "We've missed you and want you back" - the envelope was addressed to "RESIDENT". Yes, that's right, they miss yours truly, Resident. Incredible. The best part, they offered a "free" digital cable box, valued at $550. Wouldn't it have been cheaper to retain me by showing a bit of empathy and flexibility with their ECF policy? 

Rumor has it that Rogers has engaged in some kind of social media presence. Search Twitter for #rogersfail, and you'll see @rogersrob diligently blocking and tackling (I'd imagine, not an easy job). I'm going to drop Rob a note, or maybe Mr. Phil Hartling, the VP that misses "resident" so much. 

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Not that it will make a difference, but the story needs to be told -- if only for my personal sanity. I'll make it short here, I promise:

• Becky and I move back to Canada last year, she brings a BlackBerry (she had her own hardware, this is important) and I sign her up for no-contract service.
• Becky starts school at Ryerson - and they up sell her, over the phone, to a "student plan". Cool - good deal.
• Turns out we don't need Becky's line anymore, so we go to cancel it. Rogers dutifully cancelled the service.

Here's where it goes pear-shaped I get a bill in the mail, and I'm actually excited. Will be nice to not have that re-occurring expense. Turns out there was an early cancellation fee of $400 on the student plan.

This is BS for so many reasons:

1. We didn't even need their stupid student plan.
2. We didn't even get a "phone" out of the deal. If they had subsidized the phone, this is fair, but for an under-used wireless line, $400 is a little heavy handed.
3. I've been a subscriber of rogers services as long as I've been buying phone-internet-cable.
4. They screwed me last time I moved from Waterloo->Seattle with an early termination fee.
5. We don't remember, but at no time were we told that there was an early-cancellation clause.

Anyway, I digress - so:

• I call rogers last week and say "come on guys, this is crazy. I've been a rogers subscriber for years. I still have internet and cable with you. Cut me a break." The woman on the phone was arrogant and antagonistic and didn't budge.
• I tweet my discontent and several people write back saying "check out teksavvy". I call them up, and they're rad - nicest people on the phone (the one guy said sarcastically about their $0.25/GB overage charge, "yeah, we rape our customers" (!awesome), great price, no contracts, they're in Chatham. Great except I needed to confirm that my building supports their service.
• Confirmed today.
• I called Rogers to cancel, one last chance to be a good corporate steward. Nope. I told him to cancel the remainder of my services, didn't ask for anything, didn't really mention the wireless issue until he asked, "yes, I'm a little frustrated with the wireless guys." His retort, "what?! you expect that you're going to threaten to cancel over a $400 ecf from a contract that YOU signed?" Fair enough, but still.

Technically, that is legally-technically, it's probably my fault -- I should have inquired about early-cancelation-fees, though I don't remember signing a contract. The spirit of the situation here makes me think we need more consumer protection around this sort of thing:

1. It's illegal in California
2. It's regulated elsewhere

Here are the clinchers:

1. When I left Seattle for Toronto, TMobile hit me with an early cancellation fee. I called an explained - THEY WAIVED IT!
2. I recently got an annual fee for a TD visa card that we don't use anymore. I called and cancelled the card after-the-fact, and TD (a bank for christ's-sake!) waived the fee and closed the card.

When the banks are the good guys in a story, you know we have problems with wireless providers in Canada.

To all the Americans looking forward to the 'public option' imagine renewing your healthcard at the dmv. I am doing so in Ontario right now.