Rogers / Reviews

I've been with Rogers for years because back when I started you really had no other option if you wanted any decent coverage. Now, don't get me wrong, there are a few positives to Rogers:
- I do feel like they have the best network coverage overall, but the other companies have been greatly improving in the past few years
- I also feel like Rogers has had the best handsets, but again - Telus seems to be getting on board with things like the iPhone, blackberries, etc.
- I live in a border city, so my phone will often roam to US service if I'm near the border - Rogers has a deal where it's local calling even in the bordering US city, which from what I understand, some of the other cellphone carriers in my area do not.

BUT -
- Be prepared for a hefty bill each month. There are no cheap plans at Rogers - I compared their plans to similar plans in the US and the US companies are all a fraction of the cost. Why are we getting ripped off so badly in Canada?
- Customer Service. I'm convinced that the customer service call center is in Mumbai and they receive special training there to transfer your call 30 times and then put you on hold until you get frustrated enough to hang up. What an ordeal, and all so that you can speak to someone that barely speaks English. I sometimes consider pressing 2 pour en Francais, because I think my Grade 9 French might actually get me a better experience.
- The "value" packages enrage me. I do not want 13871 texts per month, WhoCalled, Free ringtones.... for $15 a month just so that I can have Caller ID & Voicemail. Why can't I just pay like like $5 a month for JUST caller ID & voicemail? No - if you add the two things a la carte, you end up paying around $14 a month. It's a giant rip-off.
- The whole "system access fee" thing also enrages me. I actually called to complain about that (see my next point, about customer service) - and I was told that existing customers have to pay the $7 "system access fee" aka "scam fee," but new customers do not. So basically, you dropped the system access fee to entice new customers, while scamming your old customers who can't do a thing about it because they are on a contract. Apparently there's a new government regulation fee now, but I hear it's only $2 or $3. I'd gladly pay that over my $7 money grab fee.
- Paying for incoming texts if you don't have a text plan - which they said they would NOT do when Bell first announced they would do it. I should have known better than to believe that. I actually called to ask if I could turn off text messaging altogether and was told I could not. So I get charged for text messages people send me that I cannot control? Again - why not get a value pack? Fork over an extra $15 for services that you don't want and probably should be included in your plan anyways like they do in the States. Rip off.