# Koodo and the BIG LIE



## keeperofthegood (Apr 30, 2008)

Hey oh

Ok, time for me to rant.

I got, about 4 months ago, 2 Koodo phones

One for me, one for my 10 year old son. He has a tendency to forget time so, I have it to help keep my eye on him.

Now, when I got this phone, I was EXPLICITLY told that getting the plastic cover at 15 dollars more would warranty the phone against breakage. My son being 10, I shelled out the 15. I did not for myself because well... meh.

My son's phone cracked. Right up the front under the cover. Guess what. IT WAS A LIE!

GUESS WHAT!! The only way they are willing to discuss the matter is if I track down and bring in the now months moved on store employee that sold me the phone in the first place :|

Well!

Ok, so, the phone I got is their second cheapest. I only need it for gmail really. Gmail, for the past 4 months, has been fine. Now, it is not. I continually get errors trying to access it due to the phone not accepting the security certificate. It is THEIR phone and THEIR software and up to them to ALLOW a Certificate or to keep up with changing certificates. No no no no no they tell me they cannot service the phone that I have to go on google and register my phone with them and I am like W T F :|

Yea, oh, Google ended the "register for google mobile" stick over a year ago. History. Ancient history as far as on-line goes. SO yet another LIE from them :|

The insult on this injury is this. THEY still want their TAB money paid for me to walk away from them :|

YES for broken phones, no warranty, and no service, they want from me 240 dollars for the two phones :|


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## cheezyridr (Jun 8, 2009)

one of the many reasons i continue to choose not to have a cell phone. 
it helps me limit the ways i allow people to rip me off.


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## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

cheezyridr said:


> one of the many reasons i continue to choose not to have a cell phone.
> it helps me limit the ways i allow people to rip me off.


...you and russell decarle (prairier oyster) are the last two holdouts, evidently.

-dh


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## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

...i'm pretty happy with my koodo deal, althought the phone they sold me is easily the worst pos i've had yet.

it seems to me i was told something similar when i got mine as well - not that getting the plastic cover would warranty the phone against breakage, but that my warranty would be, at least, supported if i had the cover (which, by the way, i quickly stored somewhere - it was just a nuisance).

i think that, if you are polite and congenial but very, very persistent, you will get some satisfaction. the trick is to pursue this "up the line". to every person in customer service that tells you they can't help, say "that's okay, i understand. can you give me the name of someone who might be able to help me."

don't give up without a (civilized) fight, and let us know how you do.

-dh



keeperofthegood said:


> Hey oh
> 
> Ok, time for me to rant.
> 
> ...


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## keeperofthegood (Apr 30, 2008)

kkjuw My last bill from Ma Bell was over 400, maybe over 600 dollars!! That was 10 years or so again, I have not seen a land line since.


I miss VOIP with Southmount Cable. It was the best phone service I have had. Then the became Source Cable and they were still good. Then I moved, and I heard recently they are now Shaw Cable.


THE WORST was Rogers.

We did deliveries, the Mrs and I, and I got the "family" plan and two phones so we could use them to keep in contact. They dicked us around with contracts, did funky things with the billing, did some questionable things with time-zones and the last bill from them was for 1600 dollars. We took a while to pay that off, but we did. We got, in the same envelope that said we paid off our account, a bill for 1800 dollars in legal fees.

9kkhhd they may still be waiting to see that...


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## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

...thats the great thing about my koodo deal. $62/month covers everything, and i do mean everything. and no more ma bell - bonus!!!

-dh





keeperofthegood said:


> kkjuw My last bill from Ma Bell was over 400, maybe over 600 dollars!! That was 10 years or so again, I have not seen a land line since.
> 
> 
> I miss VOIP with Southmount Cable. It was the best phone service I have had. Then the became Source Cable and they were still good. Then I moved, and I heard recently they are now Shaw Cable.
> ...


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## keeperofthegood (Apr 30, 2008)

david henman said:


> ...thats the great thing about my koodo deal. $62/month covers everything, and i do mean everything. and no more ma bell - bonus!!!
> 
> -dh



I am also paying the 10 dollar Internet, and the 5 dollar over time charge too but yea...


Except for gmail  to me that becomes a bit of a deal breaker.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

david henman said:


> ...you and russell decarle (prairier oyster) are the last two holdouts, evidently.
> 
> -dh


There's three of us. I plan to go to my grave not owning, or even knowing how to operate one, or any other mobile hand-held device for that matter.

A *real* phone is black, weighs about a pound or so, and comes with a curly cord (for Hendrix tones). It permits you to cup your hand over the mouthpiece to block out extraneous sounds or merely make your voice inaudible to those not part of the conversation. It never runs out of power, has no menu, no embarrassing ring-tones, has no hidden roaming fees, and pretty much always works where you plan to use it. It helps you to learn how to remember things on your own, and children who phone it are obliged to acquire the legacy phrase "Hello, may I please speak to....".

My son's phone, on the other hand, is seemingly always somewhere where he cannot feel or hear it. Moreover, his incoming voice message box is perpetually full, such that he cannot be reached by anyone other than by e-mail. That's one useful appliance.


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

david henman said:


> ...you and russell decarle (prairier oyster) are the last two holdouts, evidently.
> 
> -dh


four...... I can check my answering machine.. from anywhere in the world...


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## LowWatt (Jun 27, 2007)

mhammer said:


> There's three of us. I plan to go to my grave not owning, or even knowing how to operate one, or any other mobile hand-held device for that matter.


Make that four of us. I'm a 31-year-old with an active social life and I have no interest in ever owning a cell phone. 

The way I see it, I can always find a phone if I need to call someone. All that having a cell phone does is make it easier for others to reach me. So, I'm not paying $60+ a month for the priviledge of carrying a delicate piece of plastic everywhere I go that adds nothing to my life except the inconvenience of people feeling they should be able to reach me whenever they want.


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## keeperofthegood (Apr 30, 2008)

kkjuw I get less than a phone call a week, and make maybe 2 calls a month.

I use gmail from my phone maybe 300 to 500 times a month according to the data usage!


I also text friends internationally. Far better rate than long distance 

And most importantly, it is how I tell time!!! (my fav watch broke when I was 28 or so, I never found a replacement that matched it for comfort and now, I just use the phone).

OH and I use the camera and the video recording all the time too!!


O_O and I'm 40! My son uses it for keeping up with his friends on Facebook more than as a phone as well.


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## Duster (Dec 28, 2007)

I thought they were against Big Billification?

I'm not surprised Koodo is a big lie.

Frankly, most of what you hear in advertising is a big lie. Hell, most of what you hear on the news is a big lie, why should advertising be any more honest.

--- D


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Many years ago, I remember reading a line in an article that went "The same people who used to sell you big stereos now sell you computers". I think we can probably rephrase nowadays as "The same people who brought you junk bonds and the mortgage crisis now develop cellphone contracts".


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

LowWatt said:


> Make that four of us. I'm a 31-year-old with an active social life and I have no interest in ever owning a cell phone.
> 
> The way I see it, I can always find a phone if I need to call someone. All that having a cell phone does is make it easier for others to reach me. So, I'm not paying $60+ a month for the priviledge of carrying a delicate piece of plastic everywhere I go that adds nothing to my life except the inconvenience of people feeling they should be able to reach me whenever they want.


$60???

My plan costs a lot less than that.

Mine is actually more for emergencies, peace of mind, and divide & conquer...



mhammer said:


> Many years ago, I remember reading a line in an article that went "The same people who used to sell you big stereos now sell you computers". I think we can probably rephrase nowadays as "The same people who brought you junk bonds and the mortgage crisis now develop cellphone contracts".


I like big stereos, I don't have one, but I don't have a tiny one either.

(Unless you mean stereo consoles--those were a pain.)


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## Jim DaddyO (Mar 20, 2009)

LowWatt said:


> Make that four of us. I'm a 31-year-old with an active social life and I have no interest in ever owning a cell phone.
> 
> The way I see it, I can always find a phone if I need to call someone. All that having a cell phone does is make it easier for others to reach me. So, I'm not paying $60+ a month for the priviledge of carrying a delicate piece of plastic everywhere I go that adds nothing to my life except the inconvenience of people feeling they should be able to reach me whenever they want.


I am another Non cell user. Don't plan on ever becoming one either. There are times that I enjoy not being able to be reached.

That being said, if they came out with a $20/month cell that did phone calls only, I may reconsider.


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## Morbo (Aug 26, 2009)

Jim DaddyO said:


> That being said, if they came out with a $20/month cell that did phone calls only, I may reconsider.


That's my plan, 20$+tx (only taxes, no other stupid charges) for a basic but very functional cell phone with plenty of time for me to call or receive call. It's really useful for me since I have no car and in Quebec City, public transportation is so bad it has to be intentional. 

The telecommunications industry is the biggest scam that's actually legal. I am not sure why, but the government seems to be very tolerant of their terrible practices. I recently studied Quebec's Consumers protection act. Not sure how the equivalent laws are in your respective provinces, but in Quebec, "the client is always right" is pretty much law: it is full of presumptions that work in favor the the consumer and against the merchant. Until very recently (2-3 years), one of the very few exceptions was the telecommunications industry. If anyone can enlighten me as to why they got what amounts to a permission do to shady business practices, I'd appreciate it.


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## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

...you guys that are paying $20/month for full phone service, could you let us know who is offering these deals!

-dh




Morbo said:


> That's my plan, 20$+tx (only taxes, no other stupid charges) for a basic but very functional cell phone with plenty of time for me to call or receive call. It's really useful for me since I have no car and in Quebec City, public transportation is so bad it has to be intentional.
> 
> The telecommunications industry is the biggest scam that's actually legal. I am not sure why, but the government seems to be very tolerant of their terrible practices. I recently studied Quebec's Consumers protection act. Not sure how the equivalent laws are in your respective provinces, but in Quebec, "the client is always right" is pretty much law: it is full of presumptions that work in favor the the consumer and against the merchant. Until very recently (2-3 years), one of the very few exceptions was the telecommunications industry. If anyone can enlighten me as to why they got what amounts to a permission do to shady business practices, I'd appreciate it.


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## Morbo (Aug 26, 2009)

david henman said:


> ...you guys that are paying $20/month for full phone service, could you let us know who is offering these deals!
> 
> -dh


I'm with Fido. Not a great company, but since I've been with them a while, it was very easy for me to get a retention plan. Every company has this, at least Fido, Telus, Rogers and probably Bell have it. After a while in your contract (people have said 3 months is okay), you call and say you'll cancel. Then they transfer you to their retention department, who'll usually negotiate a new contract with you. They have basic plans to offer, and will throw various "credits" for services. For instance, I wanted called ID, wouldn't pay for it, so I have it free. 

The plans are better if you sign a contract, but I haven't, I'm on a month-to-month basis. To give you an idea, the cheapest plan with an agreement is something like that:

200 anytime minutes
unlimited 5PM evening and weekends
call display
100 outgoing texts
no system access/911 fee
===================
$17.50 + tax = $19.78

There are monstrous threads on another forum with lots of information on retention plans, but I'm not sure I should link it here, so send me a pm if you want the info.


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## james on bass (Feb 4, 2006)

I had a cell phone about 10 years ago when I was in sales. When I quit that job I cancelled the phone and it's been my battery back-up alarm clock ever since.

With my new position at work I was given a company cell. I guess it's handy, but pretty much anytime I've been called on it I'm either in my house, or just arriving to work.


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## Stratin2traynor (Sep 27, 2006)

I've been kinda fortunate in that my employer supplied me with a cell phone (and future upgrades) about 12 years ago with the understanding that it was not for personal use. Since I quite frankly hate talking on the phone, I rarely use it for personal reasons. I'll use the internet access for checking emails and GC. I've since been upgrade to a Blackberry with full internet access. It's a great little device. Having said that, if I didn't have my work phone anymore, I don't think I would replace the cell. 

I got my wife a Koodoo phone for xmas last year. It lasted about six months until the keyboard fell apart. I can't remember if Koodoo replaced it or not but the one thing I do remember is that I had her on a $25/month deal with 300 min and unlimited texting but when we had to replace the phone the plan was bumped up to $30/month. Since she had no "contract" so apparently every time she replaces the phone she has to pay the "new" rate for the plan. BS. 

Unfortunately my wife doesn't have the same reservations about cell phones or phones in general so her minutes regularly exceed her plan. Yayyy! Costs a fortune. But at least she's happy. :smile:


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

zontar said:


> $60???
> I like big stereos, I don't have one, but I don't have a tiny one either.
> (Unless you mean stereo consoles--those were a pain.)


I like 'em too. My comment was not so much about the stereos themselves but about the folks who sold them. The generally did not know very much at all about audio, sound or electronics, but relied on the superficial to sell product. Similarly, many of the folks who would sell computers (and probably still do) understood very little about throughput, typical user needs, or compatability issues, and would sell based on superficial aspects.

Similarly, I think the folks who work out phone plans delight in devising complex schemes which can appear to provide value for money to the consumer....at a superficial level....while providing all sorts of hidden (or difficult to anticipate) revenue streams for the service provider....sorta like junk bond dealers.


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## lyric girl (Sep 4, 2008)

I have to say that I'm not surprised in the least. The only reason they tell you to buy a case is so they can sell you a case. I bought a iPhone in September and got suckered into a case because they told me if I dropped it, and I drop everything, it would be broken.

What does the back of your contract, if you have one, say about breakage etc.

I took on Bell Mobility and got out of my contract for far less than they were gonna charge me originally because I wouldn't give up and I know enough about the law.

Let me know if I can help in any way.


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

mhammer said:


> I like 'em too. My comment was not so much about the stereos themselves but about the folks who sold them. The generally did not know very much at all about audio, sound or electronics, but relied on the superficial to sell product. Similarly, many of the folks who would sell computers (and probably still do) understood very little about throughput, typical user needs, or compatability issues, and would sell based on superficial aspects.
> 
> Similarly, I think the folks who work out phone plans delight in devising complex schemes which can appear to provide value for money to the consumer....at a superficial level....while providing all sorts of hidden (or difficult to anticipate) revenue streams for the service provider....sorta like junk bond dealers.


I see, well I have to agree with you on that.


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