Rogers and the iPhone

As most people who know me know, I've been anxious to get my hands on an iPhone ever since they were first released. Sadly it took more than a year for the thing to come to Canada (yes I know I could have bought one, unlocked it, etc) but now that it is finally arriving - we are getting the latest and greatest, and at the same time as the rest of the world - that is good news indeed! Anyways, when Apple announced that the iPhone 3G was coming on July 11th, I was all set to rush out and get one...until Rogers announced their rate plans that is. After careful consideration, I decided that it just didn't make sense at the prices they were offering and so I signed the petition at ruinediphone.com and set about moping and cursing Rogers. I also decided to send them an email to express my displeasure, here it is:

Like many many other people I know, I have been anticipating the release of the iPhone in Canada ever since it was first released in the US. While I didn't think it would take over a year to get here, I was excited to see that we would be getting the second generation iPhone at the same time as the rest of the world. I was all set to go out and buy an iPhone on July 11th...that is until I saw the rate plans that Rogers is offering with the iPhones. No unlimited data?! An extra $15 or $20 a month for caller ID?!

I'm sure you (whoever *you* are) are well aware of the website, http://ruinediphone.com/ which, at the time of writing of this note has over 45000 signatures on it. Why is it that Rogers doesn't see the simple business case of making a little bit of money off a lot of people instead of making a lot of money off a few people? Those 45000 people who have signed the petition at ruinediphone.com are potentially 45000 people who will not be purchasing an iPhone come July 11th. I am really sorry to say that I will be among those people who WILL NOT be purchasing the phone. This is a very sad thing for me because as I already stated - I've been wanting this phone since it first came out.

I am hoping that Rogers will be re-thinking its rate plans for the iPhone. There is still time to adjust things before the July 11th release date.

A so-far loyal customer
Kevin Haggerty

In response to this email, I got the following:

Dear Kevin Haggerty,

Thank you for taking the time to write to us, we appreciate your use of online customer service.

In your recent email, you have informed us that you are disappointed with the recently announced voice and data packages for the release of iPhone 3G.

Each carrier has a different pricing strategy. Rogers has designed a pricing structure that offers high-value, flexible voice and data packages so that Canadians can make the most of their iPhone 3G experience.

The majority of carriers offering iPhone 3G worldwide do not have unlimited plans for this device. Some carriers have implemented a 'soft cap' so the plan isn't truly unlimited. For example, in France the soft cap is 500MB where we have a plan that includes 4 times that amount in your bucket. Unlimited plans could end up costing you more for what you don't use.

Based on reports that the average usage for the first generation iPhone was less than 100MB per month, our iPhone 3G plans more than accommodate the vast majority of customers. Rogers and Fido customers get 4 times the data on our $60 entry level plan (400 MB) and 20 times the data on our most comprehensive plan.

We are sorry to hear that our iPhone 3G voice and data packages are less than you were expecting. We would like to point out that they do offer more data and airtime than our traditional packages and they also come with the added features of bonus text messages and visual voicemail. However, we appreciate that this release has come with expectations from our customers. At Rogers we are always aiming to improve service to better meet the needs of our customers and we appreciate your feedback. Your comments will be passed along for further review and consideration.

We are pleased to have been able to address your inquiry. You are a valued customer and we thank you for your business.

For future email correspondence with respect to this e-mail, please quote reference number XXXXXXXX

Regards,
Melissa P.
Rogers Online Customer Service
http://www.rogers.com

In my opinion, that response was weak, but expected. I've already replied back with something along the lines of, "If the average user uses less than 100 MB a month, then why not just offer unlimited data so that the consumer gets at least a perceived value for their money - it shouldn't be any impact to Rogers if your reports are true." Should be interesting to see what response I get to that.

UPDATE: Steve just shared this post from Engadget which states that Rogers will be offering a 6GB data plan for $30 a month. Checking the Rogers press release site confirms that this is true. Looks like I may be back on the iPhone wagon afterall! Sweet!