The country's biggest wireless company, Rogers Communications Inc, has eventually decided to kill off its questionable $6.95 system access fee, but customers shouldn't hold their breath waiting for a less expensive monthly bill.
As of Oct. Five, plans offered to new Rogers Wireless customers will replace the charge with a new executive regulatory recovery fee that goes from $2.46 to $3.46 every month, depending on the province.
At the same time, Rogers will raise the base price of its plans by $5 and throw in three free-calling features, that the company claims is an $11 price.
Liz Hamilton, a spokeswoman for Rogers, announced the new billing structure is an attempt to offer subscribers more clearness on their regular debts.
'What we are going to be breaking out is what you'll be paying for your wireless services and what you pay for state charges, which will change by province.'
Hamilton expounded the carrier will spell out the new fee breakdown on its internet site and clarify that it isn't a fee Rogers is mandated to collect on the govt's behalf.
Rogers' move comes as many new wireless corporations - Wind Mobile, Public Mobile and DAVE Wireless - prepare to go into the market in the approaching months with promises of cheaper rates and better buyer service.
In obvious preparation for the competitive attack, Rogers ditched the system access fee at its discount Fido brand last year. Likewise, the discount brands of Bell and Telus - Solo and Koodo, respectively - don't charge their customers system access charges.
however [*COMMA] the carriers have so far been reluctant to dump the charges for their main brands. Telus now charges customers $6.95 a month while Bell charges between $6.95 and $8.95.
Such fees are the topic of a class-action suit that was certified by a Saskatchewan court last year. The suit argues the charge was erroneously presented to customers as a executive tax, which hasn't been the case for decades.
Carmi Levy, an independent technology researcher, said Rogers' call to replace an opaque fee with a more certain one is likely based on the idea that it is going to be simpler for subscribers to swallow.
'The more clear you can make it to customers what goes into a monthly charge, the bigger the chance they'll accept the fee,' he said, noting that gas stations and airlines have broken out government charges in their pricing for a long while.
'But let's not make any bones about it, you're not going to end up paying less at the end of the day if you're a Rogers customer.'.
