Apple not happy with Rogers over the iPhone plan pricing? - Page 2

slicecom · Jul 6th, 2008, 06:19 PM

Don't you think Apple would have demanded to know what the plans were going to be before they gave the rights to Rogers? Seems very un-Apple like not to have EVERY aspect under control.

uPhone · Jul 6th, 2008, 06:20 PM

	Quote:			Originally Posted by johnnyspade
	Why would it be smarter? It would be a gesture of goodwill to be sure, but I expect there will be plenty of people purchasing phones on launch day with existing plans. I'm starting to see the "Who is lining up?" threads already.

Well I mean, if all the sudden right now they changed the plans, more people would want to get it. This means that these people will be able to participate in "the launch" and buy their iPhones on the day it comes out. But if they announce new plans after, people won't be so rushed to come and buy an iPhone. Rigggggggght?

uPhone · Jul 6th, 2008, 06:22 PM

	Quote:			Originally Posted by slicecom
	Don't you think Apple would have demanded to know what the plans were going to be before they gave the rights to Rogers? Seems very un-Apple like not to have EVERY aspect under control.

Maybe they thought we'd just accept it like we've been accepting all of the other crappy plans from Rogers.

BUT WE WONT ACCEPT IT!!! (Ok I will, I really want one, but you guys won't, right?)

uPhone · Jul 6th, 2008, 06:27 PM

Ok in the comments section of the report on the Boy Genius Report I found this, by someone who claims to be a Rogers Dealer:

	Quote:
	On Jul 6, 2008 @ 5:34 pm, Rogers Dealer Said: Just wanted to let everyone know that the staff issue mentioned above was limited to only specific Rogers Wireless Dealers, and then generally only in major cities across Canada. As an employee of one of those dealerships, I am certainly upset about what has happened, and apologize to any staff who have been let go. As a dealer, we independantly hired these additional staff to help with the anticipated increase in customer traffic on July 11th, and throughout the summer. This was done to help increase our overall efficiency, and improve our customers overall in-store experience. We were hoping to minimze wait times and help deal with customer questions and issues as effectively as possible. The decision to let these people go was certainly not arbitrary, and resulted from a last minute decision by Apple which reduced the number of units being distributed to Canada. On our part, it was a financial decision made due to the huge drop in revenue that we were facing due to the change in allocated units. Like anyone else, we are in business to make money, and our budgets are based on incoming revenue weighed against fixed costs like staffing. Let be clear and say that these additional staff were not being subsidized by either Rogers Corporate (RCI) or Apple. The decision and cost to hire them was entirely ours. Without additional iPhones to sell, we are inevitably faced with significantly reduced revenue potential, and as such were forced to make the decision. Apple’s decision mentioned above, as many of you are already aware, was to divert a number of iPhones to another carrier, as a result of an increase in demand from that market. This was done in order to be fair and equitable to all the launch partners, and ensure that customers all over the world get the same launch day experience and access to devices as every other. This was certainly not done out of spite towards Rogers, nor was it an attempt to penalize us for our plan pricing. I will go out on a limb here and point out that while these plans may seem expensive, they are in line not only with what other carriers are offering, but also very reasonable compared to our other plans for Data devices. They provide consumers at every level the features and data they need to get the most out of the iPhone. Additionally, it is not really fair or accurate to compare cellular pricing in Canada with that of other countries. Canada happens to be one of the lowest per capita users of cellphones in the world, and combined with our large geographic area and the fact that we strive to provide coast-to-coast network coverage to over 90% of the population, our average revenue per user is actually very low when compared to similar networks in the US and overseas. Add this to the fact that Rogers made the move to GSM at its own expense several decades ago, and since then has been a world leader in rolling out the latest technologies , and you start to realize the cost of running such a network in Canada. What you may or may not be aware of, is that it is due solely to the fact that Rogers has one of the fastest and most advanced 3G networks in the world that Apple made the decision to offer the iPhone in Canada. Without this network, we simply would not have the iPhone 3G in Canada, for obvious reasons. So be cautious when you compare our pricing to that of other countries, as it is not generally fair or equitable to do so. I might add that if you looked at countries facing similar issues as us in terms of cellular usage and geography, you will find similar pricing. Take a lookat countries like Australia for realistic comparisons. Thanks for reading! I hope this helps clarify some of the issues at hand. I look forward to seeing you in store soon. Cheers!

KMPhotos · Jul 6th, 2008, 06:29 PM

As I posted in the other thread, this rumour of limiting the iPhone in Canada makes no sense to me as it relates to Apple.
It's obvious to me Rogers could care less about the iPhone right now. Not a whole lot of promotion. Rogers knows people will buy it and will want the iPhone at whatever the cost.
Rogers also knows they are the ONLY game in town when it comes to being able to carry the iPhone. Telus and Bell are talking about changing but not until at least 2010, 2011.
So what does Rogers care if Apple pulls the plug on the deal or limits the phone? It's no skin off Rogers back. They just tell customers to complain to Apple.
If the iPhone is limited or gets pulled, then Canadians again have to buy a jailbroken phone. So what carrier to they have to use? Rogers. So Rogers cashes in no matter what. Apple pulls the plug and Rogers still benefits.
Apple can't make Rogers do anything because Rogers is the only carrier able to provide the iPhone.

We the consumers have to make the stand. We have to keep the pressure on Rogers to lower fees. That's the only way it changes.

johnnyspade · Jul 6th, 2008, 06:29 PM

	Quote:			Originally Posted by uPhone
	Well I mean, if all the sudden right now they changed the plans, more people would want to get it. This means that these people will be able to participate in "the launch" and buy their iPhones on the day it comes out. But if they announce new plans after, people won't be so rushed to come and buy an iPhone. Rigggggggght?

I don't think Rogers, or Apple, is worried about demand. I think this is why the price plans were launched as they are in the first place. Why sell something for half price when you know people will buy it at full price? I do think what you will see, as a result of bad publicity, is Rogers adding a bit more value to what they initially announced but I wouldn't expect drastic changes. Besides, I'm not sure they'll even have enough stock to meet the initial demand anyway.

uPhone · Jul 6th, 2008, 06:35 PM

	Quote:			Originally Posted by johnnyspade
	I don't think Rogers, or Apple, is worried about demand. I think this is why the price plans were launched as they are in the first place. Why sell something for half price when you know people will buy it at full price? I do think what you will see, as a result of bad publicity, is Rogers adding a bit more value to what they initially announced but I wouldn't expect drastic changes. Besides, I'm not sure they'll even have enough stock to meet the initial demand anyway.

I agree - I didn't make it clear that I am okay with the price, and I know Rogers wont change that. It IS the value that I'm not okay with. I want unlimited data. Or at the very least, higher data caps (say 25GB for the $115 plan)

ericlewis91 · Jul 6th, 2008, 06:40 PM

well Apple better fix them!!

MannyP Design · Jul 6th, 2008, 06:44 PM

Why wouldn't Apple just sell the iPhone in Canada without any support from cell companies? It seems to do well in countries that prohibit locked phones... why not here? Or is the cost just not palatable when it's not absorbed into some sort of plan?

iJohnHenry · Jul 6th, 2008, 06:46 PM

	Quote:			Originally Posted by uPhone
	Maybe they thought we'd just accept it like we've been accepting all of the other crappy plans from Rogers. BUT WE WONT ACCEPT IT!!! (Ok I will, I really want one, but you guys won't, right?)

Just who are you??

A sycophant, or worse, a shill??

I would feel somewhat more at ease if you didn't just join-up last month.