Bell has launched its two-year term pricing on its website, which is in line with details previously leaked.
Hardware pricing has increased on certain handsets on two-year terms by $20-$30. For example, the BlackBerry Z10 is now $179.95 instead of $149.95 on a three-year term. As for the iPhone 5, it remains at $179.95 on a three year term with no options for a two year term, yet.
Bell spokesman Paolo Pasquini previously stated the move to two year terms could restrict flexibility for customers:
“Most have chosen three-year contracts because of the big price reductions they mean on the latest smartphones,” he said. “Restricting to two years means less flexibility for consumers, so it remains to be seen how they’ll respond.”
Virgin Mobile (owned by Bell) is set to move all of its plans to two year terms and increase prices by $5 per month, starting August 1, 2013.
TELUS previously announced its new two year term pricing will begin on July 30, 2013, while a Rogers memo from yesterday stated its own two year term plans will launch shortly.
The CRTC is set to implement its new Wireless Code on December 2, 2013, so carriers are quickly changing over their plans to meet the requirements of two year contracts.
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I understand why device costs go up on a shorter term but raising monthly plan prices is just plain gouging.
they are simply trying to make the two year plans unatractive as an option
Yea, I’ll stick with WIND for the meantime. Thanks anyways for all the “choices” you’re making available to me Big Three.
Charge more for the phone because of less commitment time, fine. But there is NO reason to also charge more for the plan too.
My only question is: Contracted under Telus, Rogers and/Bell, do we as customers have the option of both 3-year and 2-year contracts or are we all forced to eventually change over to one less year?
You will be forced to have 2 years contract instead of 3 years by CRTC regulation. There won’t be any 3 years contract after December.
to be honest, we are just financing the phones now, you should be allowed to finance the phone for as long as you want, just like a house, a bed set… and cancel the plan when ever you want. pretty dumb really.
Question… no matter what, can’t a customer, under the new guidelines, cancel a contract after 2 years? Doens’t that mean one could take a 3 year contract with the normal pricing (without the $5 add on) and then simply cancel after 2 years?
I was going to ask the same question! When you see companies like Bell doing things like this it really makes you wonder.
They are simply not offering 3 yr terms anymore.