topic Re: How many times are they legally allowed to increase the monthly fee? in Get Support

How many times are they legally allowed to increase the monthly fee?

svance — Wed, 05 Jan 2022 09:03:44 GMT

I am a "legacy" customer, originally paying about 25$ monthly for unlimited text, talk, Canada-wide... they have already raised rates once for 3$, now for a second time 5$ in February. Is there not some legal rule that they cannot raise the fee past a certain amount total or at one time? When will this stop?

Re: How many times are they legally allowed to increase the monthly fee?

Mana — Sat, 03 Feb 2018 23:22:59 GMT

Every service provider has the legal statement mentioning "plan And pricing subject to change".

So I don't think there is anything legally that can stop the service provider to raise the plan pricing.

However, I do believe that PM has given an option to the legacy customers to switch to koodo keeping the same price.

Re: How many times are they legally allowed to increase the monthly fee?

will13am — Sat, 03 Feb 2018 23:24:03 GMT

Without a contract, there's no protection from any price increases. They could even cancel all legacy plans. The price increases are their way of telling people to jump ship to Koodo or get an existing plan. If I were a legacy customer, I would get the hint.

Re: How many times are they legally allowed to increase the monthly fee?

MoraMan — Sat, 03 Feb 2018 23:49:40 GMT

wrote:
Without a contract, there's no protection from any price increases. They could even cancel all legacy plans. The price increases are their way of telling people to jump ship to Koodo or get an existing plan. If I were a legacy customer, I would get the hint.

Agreed. Sounds like PM is sending message.

Re: How many times are they legally allowed to increase the monthly fee?

sheytoon — Sun, 04 Feb 2018 00:55:15 GMT

wrote:
Is there not some legal rule that they cannot raise the fee past a certain amount total or at one time?

No such rule or law. They can increase indefinitely at will, with postpaid accounts requiring 30-days advanced notice.

Re: How many times are they legally allowed to increase the monthly fee?

computergeek541 — Sun, 04 Feb 2018 04:56:05 GMT

Any carier can raise plan prices as many times as they want. It's up to customers to decide if they're willing to pay the new price. The cell phone companies do have to let customers out of any applicable contracts if they want to make such price changes. With Public Mobile, the only gurantee that you can get of prices not going up with be for the duration of the current billing cycle for the plan that you're subscribed to.

Re: How many times are they legally allowed to increase the monthly fee?

Michael77 — Sun, 04 Feb 2018 15:07:08 GMT

It's time for some real competition. Hopefully NAFTA opens the Canadian telecom market to US companies. I can only hope and dream. 🙂

Re: How many times are they legally allowed to increase the monthly fee?

jgrose1 — Sun, 04 Feb 2018 23:08:55 GMT

If the Prime Minister has his way, locking Canada into the secretive TPP deal with China might reduce real competition and instead everything will start to be part of a 5-year GosPlan, and a central committee of the people needing individuals first to be consult the central committee (or the liberal party) for permissions and which websites are verboten.

Do agree with your point about the need for competition to get pricing trends more favourable to what consumers need- Canada is simply too high cost, and ranks as one of the most expensive countries in the world for mobile phone service and broadband. Maybe Premier Wynne and PMinister Trudeau could work on legislative guidance, and closer scrutiny of the CRTC to erode favourable advantages of the Big 3 telcos, and incentivize the smaller carriers to grow. High energy cost, and high telecomm services costs are a factor in companies leaving Ontario and Canada. Maybe the PMinister will have time to think about policy shifts needed when he is on Aga Khan's yachts or para-sailing wtih buds Richard Branson of Virgin and ex-POTUS Barry Obama.

Re: How many times are they legally allowed to increase the monthly fee?

Korth — Sun, 04 Feb 2018 23:27:05 GMT

No such rule or law. They can increase indefinitely at will, with postpaid accounts requiring 30-days advanced notice.

This. The contract defines obligations for both parties (PM and PM customer), and the defined contract duration, and whatever conditions/penalties apply to breach or renewal of contract.

But the best part is that you/we have (as always!) already preemptively "agreed" to any changes to any terms and conditions of this agreement which the provider might later impose, lol.

But to be fair, PM has not been an evil tyrant (this time) ... their business model has changed, their customer "demographic" has changed, and they're always pushing these changes forward ... they simply can't continue to maintain legacy service at legacy rates ... but they've arranged/provided an alternative for their legacy customers which is still better (cheaper) than other options. It's still an impersonal business decision but at least it's one which isn't inhuman and unfeeling, they've put some legit effort into keeping their legacy customers happy.

Re: How many times are they legally allowed to increase the monthly fee?

zhadj030 — Sun, 04 Feb 2018 23:27:39 GMT

wrote:
It's time for some real competition. Hopefully NAFTA opens the Canadian telecom market to US companies. I can only hope and dream. 🙂

Yeah, I don't that one happening. As much as I want for real competition, that might not happen, the country is too big and any new company will have to invest heavy money in infrastructure before offering something real, at least with the current laws .

But I would like to have different new companies enter, Australia would be a good comparison to us, since the population and the land mass is comparable (relatively speaking)

I would like to see Orange, Vodafone etc in here.

Re: How many times are they legally allowed to increase the monthly fee?

Korth — Sun, 04 Feb 2018 23:42:48 GMT

The Big Three are fighting (a losing battle) to not become the Big Four, lol, but they've successfully repelled numerous attempts at regulation and deregulation and reorganization and foreign entry to "their" market before.

Re: How many times are they legally allowed to increase the monthly fee?

Luddite — Mon, 05 Feb 2018 00:00:27 GMT

PLUS while still providing call centre support for Legacy customers there are no limits to the length of time you may be placed on hold!

Anecdotally, current wait time on PM's call centre is 30 - 90 minutes.

Re: How many times are they legally allowed to increase the monthly fee?

jgrose1 — Mon, 05 Feb 2018 00:01:44 GMT

Dont believe CRTC has strict price guidelines. If the federal leaders have their way, locking Canada into the TPP with/without NAFTA deal, with China as the big player, this might reduce real competition and instead everything will start to be part of a 5-year GosPlan, and require central committee (of the people of course) approval for individuals to view certain websites or internet freedom.

Re: How many times are they legally allowed to increase the monthly fee?

Korth — Mon, 05 Feb 2018 00:06:07 GMT

How does this compare vs current wait time on PM's current system of private msgs and emails?

Re: How many times are they legally allowed to increase the monthly fee?

Acekiller — Mon, 05 Feb 2018 21:11:15 GMT

what was the time period between the raises? 1 year?

Re: How many times are they legally allowed to increase the monthly fee?

SD08 — Tue, 06 Feb 2018 20:21:39 GMT

wrote:
what was the time period between the raises? 1 year?

@Acekiller

See this thread for the previous time they increased prices on legacy plans:

https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Announcements/Effective-April-1-changes-are-happening-to-Legacy-Pioneer-rate/m-p/138212/highlight/true#M8442

Edit: incorrect link fixed

Re: How many times are they legally allowed to increase the monthly fee?

Wafer — Fri, 16 Feb 2018 00:38:15 GMT

This is a bait and switch:

http://www.competitionbureau.gc.ca/eic/site/cb-bc.nsf/eng/03798.html

They are breaking the law.

Make sure you attempt to contact the company first (the only way is @CS_Agent here) then file a complaint here https://www.ccts-cprst.ca/