Today’s Commission for Complaints for Telecom-television services (CCTS) annual report for 2023-2024 has shown that Canadians continue to deal with major issues with telcom providers.
Consumer advocacy group OpenMedia pointed out that with Rogers seeing a 68% increase in complaints year-over-year, shows that the merger with Shaw has harmed Canadians, calling it a “consumer disaster”.
“Canadian consumers are furious,” said OpenMedia Executive Director Matt Hatfield, in a statement. “When our government allowed Rogers to buy Shaw, we were told it would be a net benefit to Canadians. Instead we’ve seen Rogers spike prices and the sharpest increase in consumer complaints in five years.”
While the Competition Bureau opposed the Rogers-Shaw merger, the CRTC, Competition Tribunal and ISED Minister François-Philippe Champagne gave the deal the green light. We were told prices would not increase from Rogers, but that has not been the case, as TV box rentals, home phone and internet have gone up.
“Every federal party should look this failure in the face and tell Canadians how they’d undo this disastrous deal, and stop similar monopolistic power grabs in the future. Canadians cannot afford to be growing our oligopolies when our economy is already amongst the most concentrated and least competitive of any OECD country,” said Hatfield.
How was your experience been with Rogers and Shaw so far? Has it been better or worse than before?
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Our current woke culture doesn't take kindly to people complaining unless it's a member of the LBGTQ+ community. Most people these days (similarly who adore Donald Trump) feel the teleco industry in Canada has resulted in lower prices not more proving once again denial and living in a distorted reality are common place.
And if anyone thinks the Cons, assuming they get elected will do anything about this? They are as delusional as the far left or the far right.
Speaking of reality – the first part of this comment is as out of touch with it as both Trudeau and Trump.
Go touch grass.
Absolutely horrible experience and I'm paying about twice as much.
Definitely worse and I didn't think that was possible.. They should be ashamed of themselves. They've thrown away the opportunity to be a positive force and have instead reduced service, rewarded the office sitters and grown the dissatisfaction of their consumers..Any start-up has a Golden opportunity to Cash in on their greed and consumer dissatisfaction. We're ready to try any other service, because we've already had the worst. Very little chance of consumers being disappointed by a new company, the competition would be welcomed and the disappointment could Not be matched. Let's hope that someone can jump into the arena and get some service to the consumers, that's all we're asking for. Not overinflated,. Improved service and products. Pathetic and embarrassing to the industry and the customers. Shame on them and the regulators.
I think that Shaw customers and Freedom mobile customers have had vastly different post merger experiences. If you read the r/FreedomMobile subreddit, Freedom Mobile customers have benefited from the deal. While still a small player, Freedom Mobile today is leagues ahead of what it was pre-merger…as long as you don’t have to deal with customer service.
Oh you people have it all wrong, don't you remember the crtc and the lib government (the ones who approved the merger) telling Canadians the sale would be better for Canadians and it would lower prices. Like Canadians aren't smart enough to figure out that less competition is a bad thing. This mergersale never never never should have been approved by the government. The big player have a monopoly and always get only what they want. Thanks to the liberal government. Canada will never see any competition let into this market. Always been this way and will always be this way. I don't think PP will even change this. Canadians just keep paying the high rates and don't complain or do anything about it, as usual.
So far, so good. I struck a 5yr contract for phone and Internet. My bill has dropped $30-$40 per month and I have Mexico roaming now included and 3 times the Internet speed that I had previously. Only problem is that I've noticed small price increases over the past few months.
i think I just got lucky and lost within the merger and managed to get possibly the last good deal ever. Can't wait to see what will happen when it's time to renew.
Every time I see that Champagne guys face on TV i think of the suffering this insane merger has caused so many people. It was laughable that he even considered taking a run for the PM role. SMH
Yes we are in bc. Since the merger my TV reliability has deteriorated, cost of TV boxes increased without cause or notice, one hour call wait times, and useless so called freebies like Disney. I want shaw back.
Not good. Forced to move to Rogers with Shaw sale and Rogers tech sucks compared to Shaw….Shaw had better equipment and technology, better tv watching /skip/rewind tv capabilities. Our government, Champlain and Trudeau sold us out!! Not impressed. They can't leave soon enough!!
Support is certainly much worse. There are no callbacks, no emails, no appointments, no online forms, no way to talk to support other than waiting an hour plus on hold. T
Roger's are a bunch of criminals! Terrible service! Prices up! Once my contract is up I'm done!!!!
Rogers cranked my 500 Internet/tv to 180.00 w tax. Saw freedom had 1 GB with same tv for 100.00. w tax. Called Rogers to cancel and was offered 140.00 plus tax. Changed to freedom. Really it's just IPTV like Telus is now but working fine. Also with Rogers I was lucky if I ever got more than 250 down with my 500 plan while freedoms 1 GB plan is giving me 960 down on average. Oh yeah and after 1 week after the switch Roger's called and offered me $120 plus tax to cancel freedom and switch back. Don't think so Rogers.
Ever since the merger I now pay twice the price for my services when I was with Shaw and get less for my value. My phone plan was changed to suit theirs. I paid $45/month for my cell phone with 25gb unlimited data unlimited calling and text within north america. I now get 25gb not unlimited and now 2500 min talk and text in north america and guess what my bill rose to $90/month for it. That goes the same for my cable and internet. Shaw had a no fee cancellation to end your services but not Rogers. Now if I want to cancel I have to payout my entire contract for the next 3yrs…. YUP ROGER SHAW MERGER WAS THE WORSE TO HAPPEN TO CANADIANS…
I had shaw cell phone and internet service. Rogers sent an email stating the price for cell service would not increase for 5 years. Within a month I received a notice cell service price increase was going to be 20% and immediate. I cancelled cell service and internet service and went to a different provider.
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I had a credit card maxed out due to emergency travel after a family member passed away in Dec. Payed it off but noticed that I missed a Shaw/Rogers payment. Went online and immediately payed the bill the same day. The next month I got a bill with an additional 70$ charge for 'NSF' fee. My bill was only 105$. Almost a 70% punishment for missing a payment by one day. I called in, sat on hold for over 2 hours. Told them what happened and they reversed the charge "this one time only". This isn't how credit cards work. There is no chargeback by the card company, and this whole process is automated. The 70$ charge is a punishment.
Imagine going to the cashier at the grocery store and your card doesn't go through at first. You whip out another card, and the cashier says "F_&$ you. The bill is now 70$ higher". I'd leave everything sitting there and walk out.
SO much worse. The internet no longer functions reliably, the bill was already too high, and just got spiked again for no reason. It inspired me to finally cut the cord on cable TV because the value was no longer there. Rogers' response to that was to INCREASE the bill even more because removing TV meant I no longer had a "bundle".
Horrible Experiences ever since they merged. I've been with both companies for almost 30 yrs and I never had any major issues until now! Constant service disruptions with Cell service, internet and cable tv! I've been trying to call in to shaw for almost 2 weeks to cancel my services and im on Hold For Hours without getting a luve Person!! Rogers is just as bad! Dont try to Dispute Any of their wrongful billing claims or cancel services unless ypu want to be told your in the wrong and still responsible for the charges They Decide! Not to mention they raises the prices on cable channels to watch the Repeats and Internet prices! They Do Not Care about their Customers anymore! I've Never been so disgusted with a service provider as I am wirh Rogers & Shaw!!! And anyone I talk too says the same thing! Best Smart choose a company that Actually Cares About Their Customers.
Pretty bad.
I was told to throw out my old TV cable box (probably by a former Shaw employee), only to find out later that I had to return this antiquated equipment or be hit with a massive fine. I wasted a whole day sorting the mess out.
I suspect it was a conflict between Shaw and Rogers policies.
Pretty bad.
I was told to throw out my old TV cable box (probably by a former Shaw employee), only to find out later that I had to return this antiquated equipment or be hit with a massive fine. I wasted a whole day sorting the mess out.
I suspect it was a conflict between Shaw and Rogers policies.