Comments on: Freebie (or nearly) Wednesday: Apple, Rogers, Consumers’ Revenge

By: squawkfox » Welcomes, Link Love, and Carnivals Oh My!

squawkfox » Welcomes, Link Love, and Carnivals Oh My! — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 21:08:00 +0000

[...] Nancy Zimmerman simmers over the Rogers iPhone plan in Apple, Rogers, Consumers’ Revenge. [...]

By: Krupo

Krupo — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 05:15:51 +0000

It’s clearly obvious that urban cell phone users subsidize those in parts unknown.

Of course, by “urban” I mean, “people who NEVER go on a road trip” and pay the same rates as everyone else does – or, for that matter, even higher rates despite being in “easy to cover” cities.

Still, what we have here is a textbook case of oligopoly and Market Failure. That’s when even economists believe government intervention can do more good than harm.

n.b. no one guarantees it’ll do good though – you just hope whatever they do is competent.

By: Raul

Raul — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 16:47:24 +0000

I wrote a full post on the iPhone/Rogers failure and the implications for public policy, but I had a headache and had to post-pone it. I’ll have to work on it sometime this week

By: Friday links: Apple iPhone edition « Unspending

Friday links: Apple iPhone edition « Unspending — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 11:57:20 +0000

[...] Rogers, Apple iPhone and disgruntled Canadians: Blogger Nancy Zimmerman explains the kerfuffle that is the Canadian iPhone story. [...]

By: Peter

Peter — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 05:06:58 +0000

Hehehe, despite the cool factor of these devices, for now I’m making the decision to stay clear of them. I want no part in helping Rogers and friends gouge Canadian consumers.

By: nancy

nancy — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 05:36:33 +0000

@bcj most of the time I agree (I’m all over the map, politically, including a strong conservative streak to my own surprise), however, it seems to me that when there isn’t enough competition to *truly* have an open market, there is a place for the gov’t to intervene. I would love if Canadians boycotted the phone – in fact, boycotted cels for a while! In my dreams…
@unspending you and me both – no thanks, Rogers, for even the most tempting of offers. Re: large land mass, I think there is a measure of legitimacy there. Having said that, let’s be clear: ROGERS MADE $708MILLION PROFIT in their wireless division in the Q1 of 2008 ALONE.
@loopy Thanks for dropping by! yes, Canada air and wireless is a dizzying array of charges upon charges. Currently I have a bb from my (awesome) employer, but apart from that, I would honestly opt out of the whole cel phone experience. It’s too insulting as a consumer. (Am I annoyed?)

By: Looby

Looby — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 20:11:13 +0000

I agree with unspending this is not just an apple issue this is the entire cell phone industry in Canada. I moved here from the UK 2 years ago and was appalled at the charges (bear in mind almost everything else is more expensive in the UK except cell phones).
Pay extra for voicemail? Extra for caller display? Pay for incoming calls? Contracts of several years?
I don’t think politicians should care much about an iphone, but there needs to be some regulation of the industry.

By: Unspending

Unspending — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 19:29:05 +0000

I think the entire cell phone industry in Canada needs to be examined. I just don’t understand why we have such high cell phone rates when compared to other developed countries. Is it the large mass of land companies have to cover? Is it the fact that there are only a handful of companies that provide the service? Is it both?

Anyway, thanks for updating us on the situation, Nancy. I’m glad consumers spoke up. Still, as much as I love Apple products, I won’t be getting an iPhone because I refuse to sign a contract with Rogers.

By: Big Cajun Man

Big Cajun Man — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 18:42:05 +0000

… oh and to answer your question, “We have a government?”

The Conservatives view this as the Open Market helping set the pricing, so they will not intervene. If Canadians don’t buy iPhones, the pricing will change
–C8j

By: Big Cajun Man

Big Cajun Man — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 18:36:25 +0000

Excellent points made, I want an Iphone, but I can’t afford to pay that much money to have something that interesting.