[hillmar]

Well I tried to cancel my 3 year contract with Telus today ( mobilicity plans are so much better) with 2 years remaining and they wanted 600 dollars to buy it out. What I don't understand is how they can charge 600 dollars for a contract that they only put out 400 dollars for( phone credit). Are there seriously charging 200+ dollars to sign up for a 3 year contract when you can go to mobilicity and sign up for free??!
The CSR also said if I would have canceled a month after I signed up, it would have been over 700 dollars to cancel.
It really gave me a negative perspective on Telus completely and once my contract expires it looks like I'm going to be finally leaving them after 10 years with them.
Still can't believe they wanted 600 dollars for a 400 dollar phone credit that was a year ago.

[nabs]

a contract is a contract.. there are terms to early termination. read the print.

[hillmar]

a contract is a contract.. there are terms to early termination. read the print.

I completely understand that but my venting is how is Telus even going to survive when people start realizing that good phone plans are free with no contract while they charge 300 dollars for a phone plan! I'm not even talking about the phone, they literally charge 300 dollars for a phone plan.
I really didn't realize this till I tried to cancel

[Not really racist!]

Well you really have 4 options.. contracts are contracts, you signed.. probably didn't read carefully enough

1) Cancel and pay
2) Stay with Telus till contract ends
3) Get some idiot to take over (depending how expensive your contract is)
4) Somehow call into retentions and get a cheaper plan

Good luck.

[hillmar]

Thanks for the options.... Actually when I was inquiring about canceling my phone plan at metrotown. Both telus store employee couldn't even give me a definite answer on the cancellation fee. One told me 20 dollars a month on the remaining and the other one told me 11 dollars a month on the remaining. I mean for people that signed my contract a year ago they are clueless to the cancellation terms! So I went to the Telus store next to superstore in metrotown and they told me to call in to find out too. I mean for people that sign up contracts daily, you would think they know what the cancellation fee's are!

[bcrdukes]

I completely understand that but my venting is how is Telus even going to survive when people start realizing that good phone plans are free with no contract while they charge 300 dollars for a phone plan!

Because it will cost them a heck of a lot more in capital in order to keep you as a customer. The same goes for any provider. Mobilicity is offering cheap plans for the short term in order to create a user base and will eventually level off with every provider. The same can be said about Wind Mobile and whichever startup provider decides to pop up.

[vitaminG]

As per your contractual agreement that YOU signed and apparently didnt read its $20 a month for each month remaining on your contract.

[TheNewGirl]

You also got a 500-600 discount on your handset that Telus has had to pay to the dealer who sold you your phone and THAT is what they're trying to re-coop from you now.

Most people have NO clue how expensive the things are to buy out right.

[hillmar]

It was a 400 dollar off the handset, I had to pay out of my own pocket 150 dollars. If Telus asked for the 400 dollars back after I used the phone and their service for one year I would say no problem, here's the money. I would call that fair!
They are charging me 110 dollars for 1 G data... 200 weekday minutes...unlimited text, voicemail, early evenings and weekends. It seems like I am doing them a favor by paying that monthly for a year now.
I completely agree that a contract is a contract, but when have you ever heard of the sales Rep who signed you up for the contract even mention the cancellation fee's. Heck even If i did the math at 20 dollars a month for 24 months it would only come to 480. So there is also a extra 100 dollar on top of 20 dollars to cancel. But apparently, alot of sales reps that sign 100's of contracts a month don't even know the cancellation fee's let alone the customer that signed it. So if Telus really wanted they can slip into their fine print any amount they want.
I really hope mobilicity, wind, etc is the future of our mobile phone trend. I company that has no contracts yet have competitive plans means they have to work extra hard to keep their customers!!! :thumbsup:

I just looked up Rogers cancellation fee's and it makes complete more sense then what Telus is charging!
An Early Cancellation Fee (EECF) applies if, for any reason, your service is terminated prior to the end of the service agreement. The ECF is the greater of (ii) $100 or (iii) $20 per month remaining in the service agreement, to a maximum of $400 (plus applicable taxes), and applies on each line in the plan that is terminated.

[vitaminG]

Well you also have to consider that telus incurred costs in acquiring you as a customer, such as commision to the person who sold you the phone.

Second your paying a $100 data cancellation fee, rogers has that as well so its no different.

thirdly your plan is shit, what you need to do is threaten to cancel then they will transfer you to retentions. Then tell them wind has better plans and you want to switch, in my experience telus is very accomadating and will likely be able to get you something comparable.

[hillmar]

Whatever loss Telus incurred during my last renewal, they made by charging me probly the most expensive data plan for what you get for the past 12 months. Let alone, I've been paying over 100 dollars a month the past 3 year term I had with them. I've tried calling their retention office and all they have brought up to the table is a plan that only matched Bell's current promo plan of 65 a month. I mean its better then nothing but I'm really starting to get more dissapointed with them. If I didn't accept their offer they say I'll get billed the 600 + tax and loose my number immediately. I feel like they are using the high cost of cancellation as almost a dare for me to cancel their service. So I'll stick it through till the contract ends but I'm definitely not going to renew with them after the term. I'll even go to rogers or bell then even consider resigning with them. Too bad though, Like I said I've been with them since my first cell phone( Motorola Microtac Elite) and they went by BC Tel .

[Gh0stRider]

$20 per months remaining is pretty standard with all carriers.

[hillmar]

$20 per months remaining is pretty standard with all carriers.

But at least put a cap on it like rogers. Its almost insane to pay about 800 dollars on a newly activated phone. They gave only a 400 dollar discount on, and probly paid 40 dollars commission to the rep for a line that is not going to be used anymore. Like I said, Rogers make sense
An Early Cancellation Fee (EECF) applies if, for any reason, your service is terminated prior to the end of the service agreement. The ECF is the greater of (ii) $100 or (iii) $20 per month remaining in the service agreement, to a maximum of $400 (plus applicable taxes), and applies on each line in the plan that is terminated.

[Gh0stRider]

Ya, Rogers has the cap. I figured Telus would have one too.

[!MiKrofT]

It's capped. At max $400 for voice only and an extra $200 if you have data. You really can't complain as this was all in the contract you signed.

[TheNewGirl]

It was a 400 dollar off the handset, I had to pay out of my own pocket 150 dollars. If Telus asked for the 400 dollars back after I used the phone and their service for one year I would say no problem, here's the money. I would call that fair!
They are charging me 110 dollars for 1 G data... 200 weekday minutes...unlimited text, voicemail, early evenings and weekends. It seems like I am doing them a favor by paying that monthly for a year now.
I completely agree that a contract is a contract, but when have you ever heard of the sales Rep who signed you up for the contract even mention the cancellation fee's. Heck even If i did the math at 20 dollars a month for 24 months it would only come to 480. So there is also a extra 100 dollar on top of 20 dollars to cancel. But apparently, alot of sales reps that sign 100's of contracts a month don't even know the cancellation fee's let alone the customer that signed it. So if Telus really wanted they can slip into their fine print any amount they want.
I really hope mobilicity, wind, etc is the future of our mobile phone trend. I company that has no contracts yet have competitive plans means they have to work extra hard to keep their customers!!! :thumbsup:

I just looked up Rogers cancellation fee's and it makes complete more sense then what Telus is charging!
An Early Cancellation Fee (EECF) applies if, for any reason, your service is terminated prior to the end of the service agreement. The ECF is the greater of (ii) $100 or (iii) $20 per month remaining in the service agreement, to a maximum of $400 (plus applicable taxes), and applies on each line in the plan that is terminated.



Do you have a smart phone? Because if you do I am 100% sure your phone is more than $400 (though that may not be readily apparent to the consumer) and if you signed up for a three year contract there were additional commissions paid to the dealership who sold it to you, they also got extra commissions for your data plan... all based on you having the contract for three years.

[hillmar]

Do you have a smart phone? Because if you do I am 100% sure your phone is more than $400 (though that may not be readily apparent to the consumer) and if you signed up for a three year contract there were additional commissions paid to the dealership who sold it to you, they also got extra commissions for your data plan... all based on you having the contract for three years.
Yeah the phone cost 599 without contract, But I paid 199 + tax out of my own pocket so Telus put out 400 even. I didn't even know they made that much commission on renewals, always thought the big money was on new activations!

[TheNewGirl]

Yeah the phone cost 599 without contract, But I paid 199 + tax out of my own pocket so Telus put out 400 even. I didn't even know they made that much commission on renewals, always thought the big money was on new activations!

Because the phone costs the CONSUMER $599 without a contract does not mean the phone is worth $599. It may very well have cost the dealership $750 or $800, meaning your total hardware credit was actually about $600 or more. Depending on the type of phone it is. Month to month cost on a phone doesn't always reflect list price and is still based off the notion that you will stick around and pay your phone bill for some period of time.

The heavier commissions are in new activations, for certain, but there's still commissions paid per plan, particularly if you have data all of which would have been paid based on the premise that you would be maintaining the plan for 36 months.

But I assure you, while the fees seem extreme they represent Telus (and the dealership who sold you the phone)'s investment in you. And you DID sign a contract essentially promising to be giving them $X a month for the next 36 months.

Their requests of you are not unreasonable keeping that in mind.

Instead what I would suggest you do is continue with your plan and pay your bill ON TIME every month until you get within 6 months of your renewal date. THEN call Telus or go to a dealership, tell them you're unsatisfied with what ever is irritating you, aim to get escalated to retentions and loyalties. If they see you've been with them for an extended period of time and reliably paid your bill they'll work with you to create a plan you are satisfied with (and maybe get you extra credit on a new phone).

This is what you should do every time your contract is up and if you're not sure if the market is going to change, you always have the option of keeping your current hand set and going month to month when your contract expires, or just resigning for 1 year instead of three if you want a new phone.

[hillmar]

Because the phone costs the CONSUMER $599 without a contract does not mean the phone is worth $599. It may very well have cost the dealership $750 or $800, meaning your total hardware credit was actually about $600 or more. Depending on the type of phone it is. Month to month cost on a phone doesn't always reflect list price and is still based off the notion that you will stick around and pay your phone bill for some period of time.

The heavier commissions are in new activations, for certain, but there's still commissions paid per plan, particularly if you have data all of which would have been paid based on the premise that you would be maintaining the plan for 36 months.

But I assure you, while the fees seem extreme they represent Telus (and the dealership who sold you the phone)'s investment in you. And you DID sign a contract essentially promising to be giving them $X a month for the next 36 months.

Their requests of you are not unreasonable keeping that in mind.

Instead what I would suggest you do is continue with your plan and pay your bill ON TIME every month until you get within 6 months of your renewal date. THEN call Telus or go to a dealership, tell them you're unsatisfied with what ever is irritating you, aim to get escalated to retentions and loyalties. If they see you've been with them for an extended period of time and reliably paid your bill they'll work with you to create a plan you are satisfied with (and maybe get you extra credit on a new phone).

This is what you should do every time your contract is up and if you're not sure if the market is going to change, you always have the option of keeping your current hand set and going month to month when your contract expires, or just resigning for 1 year instead of three if you want a new phone.

So the dealership( say Telus) is getting no discount from the phone manufacturer for buying huge quantities of their phones?? I mean If I was Telus and I put out a order for say 500,000 Iphone4, I'd expect to get them for at least 500 dollars each if not less??!!! But, I could be wrong, and they are paying $750.00+ for their data phones.
As for waiting till my contract is 6 months before my renewal date to start negotiating for a better deal....I think I'm going to pass. I got some real negative vibes from them now, especially when they used the" take this offer or we will just bill you $600 immediately, and cancel your phone number as of now." I made platinum perks last year, and never missed a phone bill payment for the 10+ years I've been with them. If this is how they want to treat a long time customer that has stayed with them for that long, I'd rather take my loyalty somewhere else.

[!MiKrofT]

Doesn't matter how many years you've been with them. They will still charge you for cancelling the contract early. What are you gonna do when they bill you the ECF? You make it sound like you can just ignore it and cancel anyways. You won't be able to ignore the collections and the negative future credit rating.

[hillmar]

Doesn't matter how many years you've been with them. They will still charge you for cancelling the contract early. What are you gonna do when they bill you the ECF? You make it sound like you can just ignore it and cancel anyways. You won't be able to ignore the collections and the negative future credit rating.

My intentions was for Telus to treat my like a loyal customer and offer me I plan not equal but better then its competition. But instead you get a do or die circumstance, not even caring if I was happy with it even after I've been with them for over 10 years. Its like if you are having reception problems with your phone after a year, but instead of them trying to help you out... they say your on your own. I'm working in customer service currently , and my company will bend its back to help out loyal customers and to reassure everything is to their liking! That's what I expect from Telus, not a threat of giving me a huge bill and terminating my number. If you work in retentions in a company, you do what it takes to keep a high paying customer.

[goo3]

My intentions was for Telus to treat my like a loyal customer

I've been on their ADSL since it came out. They really don't give two shits about you, only your money. Now you know.

[skyxx]

^ You sure, I was able to negotiate my internet and home phone for a pretty good price.

Anyway, Telus Mobility is separate from Telus home.

[suzuka84]

^ You sure, I was able to negotiate my internet and home phone for a pretty good price.

Anyway, Telus Mobility is separate from Telus home.

if only telus mobility was run like telus home, we wouldn't be having this conversation.

Get this, the monthly penalty for telus home is only $10/month (all inclusive for all three services-home telephone, tv and internet). The amount they charge to cancel the mobility side is ridiculous but all the carriers do it and will continue to do it as long as we the consumer continue to turn a blind eye. My contract expires with Telus Mobility in a few months and I'm jumping to Mobilicity/Wind right away as they need our support.

[bcrdukes]

The cost margins to retain a wireless client over a landline client are significantly higher hence the tougher penalties.

[hillmar]

if only telus mobility was run like telus home, we wouldn't be having this conversation.

Get this, the monthly penalty for telus home is only $10/month (all inclusive for all three services-home telephone, tv and internet). The amount they charge to cancel the mobility side is ridiculous but all the carriers do it and will continue to do it as long as we the consumer continue to turn a blind eye. My contract expires with Telus Mobility in a few months and I'm jumping to Mobilicity/Wind right away as they need our support.
I completely agree with you, my plans are to switch to mobilicity/wind after my contract expires too! It doesn't make sense anymore signing any long term contract when there are providers out there that have cheaper plans and good customer service with no contract! There is absolutely no benefits signing a 3 year contract anymore!
Wind/mobilicity offer discount on the handset, cheaper plans, probly better customer service, no 20 dollar month cancellation fee all with no contract!
Posted via RS Mobile (http://www.revscene.net/forums/announcement.php?a=228)

[Soundy]

Remember the old saying, if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is?

Just saying... read the Wind/Mobilicity fine print...

Just saying.

[hopalong]

warning a little bit of a long read

my gfs telus bb curve was just acting up so with 1 yr and 1 month left i told her just to call telus and renew her contract, so she did and telus said that she had to pay 200 just to renew her contract and pay for the new bb. she payed the 200 and told me about it. i called tellus back and told them how ridiculous that was that she had to pay to renew her contract. telus should be happy to renew a contract, especially with all the competition out there. so i just asked how much it was to cancell the plan and they said 220. i told her to use the 200 she paid to renew her contract (she didnt get a new phone yet) towards her contract and cancel the contract. the telus girl put us on hold for 5 mins and when she came back she offered to renew the contract w/o the 200 and she can put the 200 towards the new torch.

moral of this story is bitch! theres too many other providers out there for them to treat customers like this.

ps: my gf was happy with her plan and telus service before this so wanted to stay with telus.