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Fido Check-In Goes Live

Posted in Commentary with tags , on November 5, 2013 by itnerd

Fido today announced the details of a new offering. Called Fido Check-In, this appointment–based customer service tool lets customers book a 30-minute appointment with a service representatives at a time of their choosing.  These appointments are best for customers looking to discuss a few items about their account including billing, data usage and travel, FidoDOLLARS, device inquiries and special offers. Once booked, a Fido representative will call them at the time selected.

To get started, postpaid customers can log-in to their online Fido account and choose an appointment within the next 7 days. The new Check-In service joins the Fido ADVANTAGE commitment to our customers along with Fido Tab 24, Fido LiveANSWERS, and Fido DOLLARS.

So, will you be using Fido Check-In?

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Rogers And Fido Voice And SMS Service Down [UPDATED x4]

Posted in Commentary with tags , on October 9, 2013 by itnerd

Rogers and Fido are struggling with a voice and SMS service outage that is nationwide. Here’s what their respective Twitter feeds have said:

I’m sure that things will be back up and running shortly. But in the meantime, people on Twitter couldn’t resist taking shots at their issues:

Sucks to be Rogers and Fido right about now.

UPDATE: It looks like data services are affected as well. Take this Tweet from Beck Taxi in Toronto:

Expect Bell and Telus among other carriers to be getting some new customers.

UPDATE #2: A bunch of hashtags have sprung up including #rogersfail and #rogersoutrage. Not only that, according to my iPhone, which is not on Rogers, Rogers and Fido are starting to trend worldwide on Twitter. Not good from a PR perspective from a company that uses the tagline “Canada’s reliable network.”

UPDATE #3: Everything is back up and Rogers posted this to their Twitter feed:

They also put out this press release where their CEO apologizes.

UPDATE #4: Rogers is looking at compensating Pay As You Go customers as per this Tweet:

 

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Sony Mobile Brings Xperia SP To Canada

Posted in Commentary with tags , , , on July 18, 2013 by itnerd

Another new Android powered smartphone from Sony? Yes. Meet the new Xperia SP which is just about to hit Rogers, Fido, and Virgin Mobile stores. Here’s the key features:

  • Precision-crafted, co-moulded aluminium frame
  • Super-bright 4.6” 720p HD Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA® Engine 2
  • One-touch functions with NFC to display content on your TV or to share music and photos between devices
  • 8MP fast-capture camera with Exmor RS for mobile, HDR and Superior Auto for the best photos, even at night or against a strong backlight
  • Battery STAMINA Mode designed for better battery life
  • LTE-enabled
  • Available in black

But what really stands out is the fact that the phone looks stunning. Here’s what Farhad Esmail, Director of Marketing, Sony Mobile Communications had to say on that front:

“The Xperia SP is a beautifully-crafted smartphone ideal for those who demand quality and functionality that match their lifestyle. Consuming, creating and sharing content in HD has never been easier with this premium device.”

So if you want a phone that is fashionable, here it is. For the geeks out there, you get Sony’s One-touch functions, allowing users to easily and instantly enjoy music and photos across an array of devices, such as Sony’s SRS-BTV5 portable speaker and latest range of NFC-enabled BRAVIA TVs, with just a single touch. It’s sharing made easy with no wires, cables, or fiddling with settings necessary. Plus you get a the stunning 4.6” HD Reality Display.

I haven’t got pricing yet, but I’ll update when I do get that information.

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Fido launches in the Maritimes

Posted in Commentary with tags , on June 15, 2013 by itnerd

I got a note yesterday from my contact at Rogers that Fido is now up and running in the Maritimes and they have a deal on the table. They’re offering a deal to new customers in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick: a $29 data, talk, text and data plan available for a limited time only. See details at http://www.meetfido.ca. Plus there’s more news:

We’re also kicking off launch today with a $100,000 commitment to local SPCAs in the region. The FidoCARES donation reflects the company’s commitment to giving back to its customers and their communities. More info on this donation in our press release.

Now that’s socially responsible. Now if you want to visit a Fido location, here’s a list of what’s up and running:

  • Halifax Shopping Centre –  Halifax, NS
  • Sunnyside Mall –  Halifax, NS
  • Champlain Place – Moncton, NB
  • Regent Mall – Fredericton, NB
  • McAllister Place –  Saint John, NB

More locations will launch this summer including one Fido kiosk in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia and an additional 20 third-party locations.

Need more info? Check http://www.meetfido.ca.

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Fido Extending Service To The Maritimes

Posted in Commentary with tags , on June 2, 2013 by itnerd

I got a note late last week that Fido is bringing their wireless service to the Maritimes in the next few weeks. Here’s what my contact had to say:

We’re thrilled to announce that Fido is launching in the Maritimes in the coming weeks, opening five kiosk locations in Halifax, Moncton, Fredericton and Saint John. Fido will also be available in over 50 third-party retailers across the Maritimes this spring.

Known for its caring, customer-friendly approach and providing straightforward and affordable wireless services to Canadians since its launch in 1996, Fido will bring more choice to residents of these provinces. Benefits from being a Fido customers include:

Also, Maritimes customers can now join the Fido online community on Twitter and Facebook.

You can find the full press release here: http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/1175429/fido-to-bring-wireless-services-to-the-maritimes

So, by the end of the year people in the Maritimes will be able to get cool phones with Fido’s LTE service easily and quickly. That’s a plus for those in that corner of Canada.

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Rogers And Fido Bring Forth News A Plenty

Posted in Commentary with tags , on April 2, 2013 by itnerd

So I got two separate pieces of news from Rogers. First from the Rogers brand is this offer:

This offer is available to new or existing customers who add a new line (single line or family plan), who get a new device on select three-year plans. Customers who meet the criteria will be able to get a 3G Paperwhite Kindle.

For more information, customers who add a new line can  visit:www.rogerspromotions.com/kindle where they can redeem the offer until May 30.

To kickoff your reading list, the Rogers Social Media team has listed some of its favourite summer reads over on RedBoard. We’re also giving away reader a Kindle Paperwhite 3G and a brand new Sony Xperia ZL smartphone to one lucky RedBoard and FilRouge reader. To enter, readers just have to leave a comment on RedBoard or FilRouge sharing their favourite summer read before April 15 for a chance to win.

Sounds good? Here’s what Fido brought to the table today. They let me know about new tab programs called Fido Tab24 and Tab36:

Here’s how it works:

  • Choose a smartphone with an eligible term plan – the price and savings will depend on the device you choose, but we’ll spot the majority of the upfront full device cost. The remaining amount is your Fido Tab24 or Tab36 balance.
  • Every month into your term, the Tab24 balance automatically decreases
  • Want to upgrade your smartphone? Simply pay off the Tab24  or Tab 36 balance and you’ll be eligible to upgrade to the device you want

Tab24 is such a great benefit for our customers that we’re adding it to our Fido Advantages along with Fido LiveANSWERS, FidoTRADE and FidoDOLLARS.

For more information go to www.fido.ca/tab24

That makes it much easier to get the smartphone you want. This sounds cool as well. Check it out today.

 

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Fido Cusotmer Gets $22,000 Bill….. How You Can Avoid Being Him [UPDATED]

Posted in Commentary with tags , , , on March 4, 2013 by itnerd

A story that’s making the rounds today is one from CBC where a BC man went on vacation with his family and came home to find a $22,000 bill waiting for him. Apparently, even though he had set the phone to “airplane mode” to allow his son to play games (and not use any cellular data), his son turned off “airplane mode” and then started to stream YouTube videos over the phone. As in 12 hours worth of YouTube videos. That’s where the “fun” begins. When he got in contact with Fido which is owned by Rogers, this is what happened:

Fido immediately said it would cut the bill to $2,200. However, Buie has been negotiating since to get a better deal. He believes the company is using the “shock factor” of the huge initial charge, to get him to settle for a bill that’s still too high.

“It is gouging,” said Buie. “It is $20 in Mexico [for domestic customers] to get the same amount of data [700 MB] from their carrier and it is $40 to get the same amount of data while in Canada.”

But it doesn’t end there:

Rogers’ packages for roaming in Mexico are also more expensive than its competitors — as much as five times more.

“It’s simply a way for these companies to make significant amounts of money,” said Buie, who said he didn’t buy a package because he didn’t plan to use any data on vacation.

He said what upsets him most is Fido didn’t send a message to his phone until three days of charges had piled up. If he were a Telus customer, its system would have cut off data access when the bill reached $200.

“I would rather be cut off,” said Buie. “If Fido was just reasonable about it, I would pay the amount and that would be the end of it.”

Now, should have the parent in this case better controlled the access to his phone? Yes. No question.

However Rogers/Fido doesn’t pass the smell test here because of the following reasons:

  • From polling friends who are on Telus and Bell who have roamed without a data package, what CBC claims in their story seems to be true as their phones got cut off quickly and the financial damage was manageable. Rogers/Fido doesn’t seem to work that way and one has to wonder why.
  • Even if you wanted to protect yourself by buying a roaming plan with Rogers, you are still going to pay more than you would with Telus or Bell. Thus it appears that with them you either pay on the front end or the back end if you do not buy one of these packages. But pay you will.

But what really doesn’t pass the smell test for me is the fact that data costs almost nothing for any cell phone provider and the rates that cell phone providers charge each other for roaming is at best 1/10 the cost that you as a consumer pay based on conversations with people who are in the position to know about this sort of thing. Thus Canadian consumers are paying too much for roaming regardless of whom the cell phone provider is. Having some competition in the Canadian cell phone marketplace would likely solve that problem. But that’s a rant discussion for another day. Let me get back on track.

How do you avoid being this guy? Simple. In order of preference, here are my tips:

  1. Don’t use your phone while on vacation. Besides just avoiding this issue altogether, you might feel better being unplugged from the world.
  2. If you must grab e-mail on your phone, use WiFi only. That will save you a pile of money.
  3. If you must use cellular data and voice, get a local SIM card. This of course would only work if your phone is unlocked. If it’s not, you’re out of luck on this front.
  4. If all else fails, buy a roaming package from your provider and monitor your usage. Avoid using your phone for things like Google Maps and the like if you can so that you don’t blow through your roaming package. You’ll pay more than you should, but at least you won’t have a $22,000 bill waiting for you when you get home.

Got any tips of your own? Please leave a comment and share your thoughts.

UPDATE: Rogers reached out to me (almost instantly I might add) and had this to say:

I just wanted to clarify something in your post about the Fido roaming story. The customer was never billed $22,000. When this type of situation happens, we have internal processes in place to identify these customers and their usage prior to their bill being sent out and then we proactively work with them towards a resolution.
 
Also, when a customer has purchased a Roaming Data Pass, customers are able to stay informed of how much data they use since they receive text message usage alerts when they reach 50%, 80% and 100% of data usage. In order to ensure customers never spend more than they expect, their usage will be suspended once their MBs are fully used. Once suspended, customers will be presented with the option to purchase another Roaming Data Pass, start using data at the regular pay-per-use rates or stop using altogether (their choice).

Thanks for the clarification.

 

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Other Canadian Cell Carriers Join The Unlimited Party [UPDATED]

Posted in Commentary with tags , , on November 7, 2012 by itnerd

It looks like Rogers isn’t the only one to have an announcement involving unlimited cell phone plans. Other providers quickly joined the party:

  • Bell is joining the party by offering new plans that seem real familiar. If you take a look at their press release, they’ve pretty much matched Rogers.
  • Telus is next on the list with eerily similar plans as well according to MobileSyrup.
  • Fido which is owned by Rogers has a $57 plan that offers unlimited text and talk and 1GB of data. That doesn’t sound half bad to me. The only catch is that it is a limited time offer until November 25th.

So, is this good for Canadian cell phone users? Or shall I be cynical and chalk this up to this up to the oligopoly that exists in the Canadian cell phone marketplace? Post a comment and share your thoughts.

UPDATE: Telus has now issued a press release on their plans.

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LTE Is Live For Fido Users In Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal And St. John’s

Posted in Commentary with tags , on September 1, 2012 by itnerd

You might recall that in late July, Fido announced that they were going to light up LTE access for their users. This week, Fido announced that LTE is live in those cities. More cities are coming soon and in terms of devices that support LTE, they have a mobile hotspot that allows you to share your LTE connection with your friends. I’d expect smartphones to appear shortly so that as many Fido users can get some LTE love.

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Fido Rolling Out LTE In Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and St. John’s

Posted in Commentary with tags , on July 26, 2012 by itnerd

For the last year or so, Rogers customers have been getting all the LTE lover. But now Fido customers can get some of that love too:

“We are thrilled to offer the benefits of LTE network technology to Fido customers this year,” said Steven Sarfin, senior director of marketing, Fido Solutions. “Our focus at Fido has always been on providing the best value to our customers. With data plans starting from $10/month, affordable LTE service is a perfect complement to the exclusive FidoADVANTAGE programs like FidoTRADE™, Fido LiveANSWERS™ and FidoDOLLARS™ our customers already enjoy.” Sarfin added.

But having LTE requires having devices that leverage that as well. Fido has that covered:

Coming this summer, the Fido Mobile Hotspot will be the first LTE-enabled device available from Fido. This device creates a Wi-Fi hotspot wherever, and whenever customers need it, and wirelessly connects up to 10 Wi-Fi capable devices simultaneously. LTE-enabled smartphones will be available at Fido later this year, and all of the Fido LTE-enabled devices are capable of running across Fido’s 4G HSPA+ network which covers 96 per cent of the population of Canada.

So. if you’re a Fido user it sounds like you’re going to get all the LTE love that you can handle this summer.

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