Canadian Personal Finance Blog

Archive for September 3rd, 2009

Rogers Relents

After sending an e-mail to Rogers cable asking why their web site claimed there is a cap on the “surcharge” for Internet over-usage (I mentioned this initially in Rogers Cable and Overruns), and why I didn’t get that cap, I received a satisfactory reply (for now).

Evidently Rogers will be crediting my account by $5 for the $30 fee I paid last month, and this month’s $50 surcharge will be capped at $25.00 which is satisfactory. I still am not very happy with this whole surcharge for “overuse” and am investigating a few different high speed Internet companies (who were suggested by my intelligent readers), but I am happier that Rogers at least isn’t throwing salt in my wounds after gouging me.

Remember the importance of complaining if you do not like what is going on.

Back To School Ink

After returning from Staples and having paid $180 for ink jet replacement cartridges, I was fit to be tied. The three printers combined didn’t cost that much to purchase in the first place. Yes, I did buy XL cartridges for two of the printers (which allege to be able to print 3 times as many pages for only 2 times the cost (unless the cartridge dries out, from lack of use, like one of my printers)), however this cost for “Back to School” just drives me spare. Maybe it is cheaper to buy laser printers, does anyone know of a web site that does the price comparison?

Another important back to school cost to remember in your budgeting exercises next year.

Broken Contracts and Cell Phones

The CWTA (Canadian Wireless Telecom Association) came out with a Code of Conduct which says it is the Consumers right to be able to break contracts if their service provider changes the service being given to the consumer or raises the price of these services.  Read that sentence again, and then ask yourself, “I wasn’t allowed to get out of my contract if the service provider broke their word in the contract?”, I guess the CWTA is just reinforcing this point?

Unsubstantiated rumor has  it that it was a common practice to penalize folks who tried to get out of their contracts even if their service provider changed the contract or started to charge more, but now you have Consumer Rights!!! Whoo Hooo!!! (sarcasm for those who cannot tell).