p2pnet news Advertising | Mobiles | Freedom:- They say no publicity is bad publicity and that certainly appears to be the case as Rogers rogers Canadian consumers.

For all the, “griping over pricing plans for Apple Inc.’s new iPhones, the exclusivity contracts the big telecom carriers have signed with the computer giant to distribute the coveted touchscreen devices are paying off as planned,” says the Globe & Mail.

“AT&T Inc. in the United States and Rogers Wireless Communications Inc. in Canada have exclusive rights in their respective countries to sell Apple’s updated iPhone,” it says, going on, “And each is taking heat online from customers for the pricing packages they’ve put together, as well as for their reluctance to offer the phones without lengthy contracts.”

But, “Even with the public relations headaches and the fact it had to shoulder the costs of a recent price cut when Apple decided to make the iPhone cheaper, you won’t hear AT&T complaining. Publicity is firmly on its side and consumers are expected to fall in line.”

The story even has happily complacent AT&T spokesman Michael Coe stating:

“I mean, you know, from the time that the iPhone was first announced it’s been the most written about device probably in the history of the industry.”

Say NO to Rogers

However, Canadian consumers aren’t taking it lying down and as various entities and individuals are finding to their cost, what the Net bringeth, the Net can also taketh away.

Two online petitions are currently running, one (http://ruinediphone.com/) asking for $2 donations to “get more bandwidth, more exposure and more impact,” with the other, Rogers Canada iPhone Data Plan, saying >>>

We, the future users of the Apple iPhone, living in Canada, would like to see an unlimited data plan at a reasonable price, comparable to those seen in the United States, prior to the Q4-2007 release of the iPhone in Canada.

Increasing numbers of users have paid several hundred, and in some cases more than $1000, during one month for data usage that would have not been charged extra on any other North American carrier on their best data plan. Some customers have posted messages about their Rogers data overage costs at the following forum websites:

http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php?t=580161&page=3&pp=27

http://www.blackberryforums.com/showthread.php?p=164173

Admittedly, ruinediphone was going up and down like a yo-yo. But $2?

The site’s organisers don’t say what they’ll do with whatever’s left over after they’ve paid the bills, but they today said 25,141 people had said NO to Rogers.

Meanwhile, at 5:52 am Pacific, the other petition showed 8,197 signatures.

Will Rogers get away with it here as AT&T did in the US?

Stay tuned.

. .Stumble It!

Globe & Mail – Carriers cheerfully take heat on iPhone pricing, July 2, 2008
aren’t taking it lying down – ‘F*CK YOU ROGERS!’ iPhone protest site down, July 1, 2008

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Net access blocked by government restrictions? Use Psiphon from the Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto. Go here for details. Download here.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 2nd, 2008 at 6:06 am and is filed under Advertising, Freedom, Interviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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