Will Fido add the Blackberry Classic or Passport to their phone line up in Sep?

[dieselgg]

To Fido staff,

Has there been any advanced notice as to whether Fido will carry Blackberry's Classic or Passport phones?

[dieselgg]

Response from Fido ...

" Thank you for taking the time to write to us via www.fido.ca , my name is xxxxxx (omitted agent's name). For strategic reasons, our marketing department will only release information about new handsets at the very last minute. We can simply say that new models are being tested on an on-going basis and are launched once they meet our strict quality standards. For information regarding the latest handsets, we invite you to check back regularly on fido.ca/phones.

And there you have it.

[dieselgg]

Thanks Sheedy17!

[rbk604]

I think I speak for most of the Fido users that if Rogers isn't going to issue the Blackberry Passport to Fido in hopes of having existing customers switch to Rogers for more premium plans. We would avoid Rogers intentionally and go to its competitors. Atleast I personally would anyways.

[bradyriordan]

Remember last year when Verizon was making a bid to move into Canada? Remember when all the Canadian carriers were complaning that an American company shouldn't be able to do this? It's completely hypocritical if Fido doesn't start selling BB devices. As Canadians we should boycott Fido if they don't. In the interest of Canadian's they fought against Verizon moving in. In the interest of Canadians they should sell devices made by a Canadian company. It's a complete joke if they don't. I've been a customer for 5 years. If they don't sell the Passport, I'm gone. 

[dieselgg]

You have an excellent point. The Canadian wireless carriers should be supporting BB. But as mentioned before, in the case of Fido, it seems that Rogers has the say in what phones Fido will carry. In the meantime, I am going to go o a Telus store and go look at the passport. I will be patientsnd see what happens. Crossing my fingers, hoping Fido will carry it.

[brek]

If Fido decides not to carry the Passport, I am definitely switching. I've been with them since they actually started Fido but I have no problem switching if they decide to carry **bleep**ty iPhones exclusively because they're the mainstream. People who need actual good phones to go on with their day instead of loading games and wasting time deserve a better service! They're killing serious clientelle and only carrying teenagers at this rate!

[dieselgg]

My thoughts exactly. When I think of the IPhone, the first thing that comes to mind is Angry Birds and nothing more. I tried out the passport at a Telus shop. I really like the physical keyboard. It feels more natural to use a physical keyboard than a virtual one.

[BBfuse]

It will be foolish for Fido not to carry the Blackberry Passport, it already sold out on Amazon Online. If this turns into another ploy like they did with the Z30 to get you to join Rodgers, then no thanks i'm out.

[pbdat]

I am another one who may leave if we cannot get passport. 

[peterkalicki]

I have been a loyal Fido customer since Fido's inception and have been a Blackberry user since the thumbwheel devices.  I'll admit I have strayed to iPhone (for a few months), and Android (cheaply made plastic toys), yet I use my "smartphone" for what a Blackberry is inteded to be used for (efficient messaging, email, security, etc).  Blackberry devices are made to last, and I can't help but feel proud to support a Canadian company. 

As everyone else that has posted has said, it would be foolish not to support a company that:

- Created the smartphone segment

- Is Canadian

- Has a device that has sold out everywhere on launch

- Offers a product that consumers want and need

The endless slew of propaganda, slander, misinformation, alterior motive marketing, publicity stunt lawsuits, etc. from the American counterparts with vested interests in Apple (iPhone) and Google (Andriod) is slightly infuriating, especially when your own sales staff and customer service agents PUSH their customers to iPhones when some of us want Blackberry's.  Prime example was myself when the Z10 came out.  I called customer service to order one and the agent ignored the fact I asked for a Z10 and said "your iphone will ship..." At this point I said I asked for a Blackberry Z10, not an iPhone actually.  I was met with the response of "Why? You would be the first" (roughly to that effect).   Fast forward a year later, a couple friends of mine (one an iPhone user, the other an Andriod user) used my device while we were on vacation and wanted to purchase one when returned (both are Fido customers...actually, were not are).  They called me a few days later and said they couldn't find a Blackberry at any local store, and the sales staff told both of them (at various locations) that the Z10 is "garbage", "has lots of problems", "is hard to use", "has sh**y battery life", "Blackberry is going out of business and Fido isn't carrying it anymore", "can't order it from Fido", etc. etc. 

Fido, let me remind you that these "customers" that you lost, asked for a Blackberry.  No sales pitch required.  They walked in and asked to purchase the devices.   Rogers stores didn't have this device in stock either since the aforementioned excuses were given there as well...  In a nutshell, these two customers switched carriers so they could have the device they wanted (and since their contracts were up, and they found it humorous that they were swayed from a purchase). 

I am not elgible for a subsidized upgrade, so I will buy it outright, but I would prefer to buy it locally from my Fido store.  I hope this will be a reality shortly.

[dieselgg]

That was an excellent post Peter. I believe everything that you described in your post regarding Fido reps stating that the BB Z10 has lots of problems. I had a Fido rep say the exact same thing to me. I have had no issues with my phone. All my friends have blackberries. I use to have an Iphone 4. After my contract was up, I switched to the BB Z10, which I bought off my friend. He got the Z30.I swtiched to the Z10 after I realized the blackberries are number 1 for messaging/communication/security and that IPhones are only good for playing Angry Birds or other games. I am not on contract now but month to month.

Just last week, I asked a Fido rep about the Passport and he told me that if Fido acquires it, it will show up about 1 week after Rogers launches it. Rogers will launch it tomorrow. I had a wirless rep from an indpednant store tell me that Fido won't get the Passport as it is a premium phone. Well Z30 is a premium phone and Virgin mobile carried that phone. The Galaxy 5 and Iphone 6 are at the same price point as the Passport so I see no reason why Fido should not carry it.

[Original_Lucy]

I agree, I have been off contract for over a year waiting to see if Fido would get the Z30 and now the Passport. I bought my Z30 outright from shopBlackberry as I didn't want to wait and be disappointed. The Passport would be enough for me to go back on a contract, or use my fido dollars and pay the rest up front. We shall see. I am heading to the states next week and if there is no indication on Fido getting it, I will purchase it while there. Who knew it would be so hard to buy a Canadian product in Canada?

[kdkd]

Even if fido offers the passport they will make us change our monthly plans to one of those 'shareplus' bs. Rogers/bell/tellus are all doing this so I wouldn't expect fido to be different. That being said it would at least allow existing fido customers to use their fido dollars towards buying it outright

[dieselgg]

Shareplans???? Fido does not offer share plans. The only plans they have are the Standard,  Smart, and Max Plans. Max plans are only for Iphones. Standard and Smart plans are for all other smartphones.

[kdkd]

I wasn't sure what Fido was naming their higher priced plans hence the quotation marks. I've been following rogers passport reservation thread on crackberry and read this article http://business.financialpost.com/2014/09/25/iphone-6-blackberry-passport-costs/ outlining what major carriers are requiring customers to do if they want to HUP to a passport. I'm just saying it wouldn't surprise me IF Fido offers this phone, that they would follow suit

[Original_Lucy]

I will be buying my Passport from shop BlackBerry I decided. That way, no contract, no higher plan. I currently am on $39 a month that was a special offer last year and if I have to go to a smart plan at $60, that means paying an extra $21 plus tax per month for 24 months. that would equal $24x24 = $576 extra over the existing $39 and tax I already pay. Seems to make good financial sense.