cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

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

svance
Great Neighbour / Super Voisin

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?

16 REPLIES 16

Wafer
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

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/

SD08
Retired Oracle / Oracle Retraité

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...

 

Edit: incorrect link fixed



Acekiller
Deputy Mayor / Adjoint au Maire

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

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

jgrose1
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

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.

 

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. What is great about Public Mobile is no long term plan, good prices, self-directed solutions for individuals. We need less bureaucracy - not more - in our public administration and consumer lives. Choice is the way, not corporate trade deals that arent even transparent.

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! Robot LOL

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


>>> ALERT: I am not a CSA. Je ne suis pas un Agent du soutien à la clientèle.

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.


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. 



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.

jgrose1
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

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.

Michael77
Deputy Mayor / Adjoint au Maire

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

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. 

sheytoon
Mayor / Maire

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.

MoraMan
Great Citizen / Super Citoyen

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.

will13am
Oracle
Oracle

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.

Mana
Mayor / Maire

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. 

Need Help? Let's chat.