Quote:
Originally Posted by Wpg_Guy
Rogers again!  |
Indeed. Rogers could festoon its name on every single stadium and field in Canada and it wouldn't make one iota of difference in terms of the hatred that Canadians have towards that brand.
Rogers has come to be a byword for —.
1. Market Consolidation and "Lock-In"
Despite severe public outcry, Rogers officially merged with Shaw Communications, making an already tight telecom oligopoly even smaller.
Rogers has heavily invested in sports media, effectively pricing out regular fans while building a walled garden around Canadian sports broadcasting
2. The Customer Service Collapse
Once a massive user base is locked in, companies scale back services that do not directly generate revenue.
Mass Layoffs: Rogers ended contracts with third-party customer service vendors like Foundever, eliminating many Canadian customer service jobs. They also quietly cut numerous internal frontline and tech support staff.
The "Call-Queue Hell": Customers report waiting hours on hold or facing sudden, automated hang-ups.
AI Replacement: Human agents have been aggressively swapped for automated self-serve tools and an AI-powered virtual assistant named "Anna". This has left consumers trapped in loops when trying to resolve complex issues.
3. Fee Creep and Regulatory Evasion
A major pillar of telecom — is inventing new ways to squeeze capital out of trapped users while evading federal crackdowns.
Circumventing Rules with "Junk Fees": When the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) banned activation and connection fees, Rogers immediately bypassed the spirit of the law. They introduced a $40 device setup fee, a $25 shipping fee, and new SIM card charges.
Mid-Contract Price Increases: Rogers executives have been grilled by Members of Parliament over unfair contract clauses that allow them to raise plan prices in the middle of a customer's contract.
4. Overpromising and Value Throttling
The "Unlimited" Data Illusion: The Competition Bureau took legal action against Rogers for misleading consumers. Rogers advertised "Infinite" plans as having unlimited data, but hidden in the fine print was a rule that aggressively throttled customer data speeds by over 99% once a cap was reached.
The Infrastructure Paradox: While rates remain among the highest in the developed world, massive network outages have plagued users, resulting in class-action lawsuits.
Sources: CBC, CTV, National Post, Competition Bureau of Canada, CCTS
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