Can Fido actually deny you a plan that is avaiable under your account

[basarfahad]

So Fido gets stranger day by day.  They have a plan that is  10 GB for 33/mo. This plan is on offer under by accout that has 4 lines all on a month to month basis without contract. However since some of then are very old llines they offer very low data with higher prices, so are $55 for 10GB. All I asked FIdo to give me same plan i.e. $33/mo for 10GB on all of my lines but they refuse. Reason: Can't downgrade you. 

So this situation feels like going into a grocery store and getting a loaf of bread then on the check out counter you are told to pay $10 for the loaf whilst it is on offer for $3 -- when you ask for the reason, it is said that since you are an old customer you have to pay more.  

I am wondering if this constitue a reason to file a complaint with CRTC.  Of course, I have the option to move to another carrier. which I am actively lookinga t doing, but I find this behaviour strange and cringworth and unethical. 

[Cawtau]

Hello Barsarfahad,

  Welcome to the community!

  I understand it's frustrating not being able to avail of an offer available to one of your other lines. However, as FidoVan noted below, the offers are exclusive to the line and not necessarily to the account. I think there are many factors which are considered when identifying the offers available to a particular line. In addition to duration of service, factors likely also include usage statistics. 

  To expand on your analogy, the situation is more akin to grocery loyalty programs. I understand all of the lines may be under one account, but it would be similar to each line having its own loyalty point card. While there are offers available to the general public, specific offers are catered to previous purchases (or usage). Take PC Optimum for example: my sister, my parents and I had constituted a Household in their program; however, the specific offers available to each of us are very different. I usually to drive more than my parents so I tend to get better offers on fuel purchases at Esso (Mobil) than they do because of my repeated refuellings. On the other hand, my mom buys more bread than I do so they tend to get better offers on baked goods...

  I think it would be likely the lines with the better offers are using more of their services. 

Hope this helps 😀

Cheers

[basarfahad]

A wonderful way of putting a spin on a simple true fact. The reality is that Fido looks at my account and looks at the  probability of churn (12 years no churn) so Fido thinks that it can maximize profit from a marginal customer ( that is  me) without risking chrun ( this is called Milking).   

This is pure form capitalism, which is not really that I protest, however, your claim that Fido really want to deliver value to its customer is false that can be proven from Fido's action. 

Consider for example a vending machine that sells pop for $1 to its customer, however on August long weekend  when the temperature reaches 40 degrees this vending machine operator sells the pop at $5.  Is he wrong in doing that -- no, at the same time, if the vending machine operator claims that is cares for its customer then that is FALSE as well. 

This is exactly the point.  FIDO by not offering same plan is basically  exploiting the sitatuion with an assumption that chace of customer leaving is low. 

However, this time FIDO is going to be proven wrong.  Not for  20 dollars but on the priciples of ethical and moral behaviour.  And this is FACT that I want the world to know about FIDO.

[Cawtau]

Hello again,

  Firstly, you should note that the forums are community-driven so I do not work for Fido. I

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@basarfahad wrote:

... your claim that Fido really want to deliver value to its customer ....

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  I never made any claims on value. I only stated that duration of service is probably not the only determining factor of loyalty promotion offers. Another factor is likely your usage behaviour. It isn't uncommon to reward high usage. Many reward programs tend to give better rewards if you spend or use more.

  While you can certainly decide to switch providers, you could choose to try to manipulate the system by changing your usage behaviour. The more services you actually use within your plan, the more likely you would receive a better offer. I can't guarantee when the system will start to provide better offers, but I think consistant high usage would generate those offers.

  You can believe what you want. However, kindly please don't state I made claims which I had not.

Cheers

[basarfahad]

Completely off topic. The situation is very simply and let me lay it down in very simple way. Not for you, but for everyone else reading this forum.

There is an line that is $55/mo for 10 GB sold couple of years back. There is a second line that is 15/mo that too is from at least last one year.
A new plan comes up, and it is offered on the $15/mo line but not on the $55/mo line.
REASON:
REVENUE OPTIMIZATION:
Fido want to extract more rent from the $15 line but will not downgrade the $55 line because that will reduce revenue.
Your claim about -- and yes,  you are making this claim -- usage impacting offer is false -- Unless you prove otherwise by providing evidence.
Understand the unit economics of a marginal user for any telecom company( should you need evidence then please read few peer reviewed or expert article on it). The cost to serve one additional line is extremely negligible, so it doesn’t even impact decision on how to optimize revenue.
The reality is that in revenue optimizing Fido completely ignores ethical behavior and its commitment to provide value to its customer. Their marketing claims are proven false.
Furthermore this is not my opinion and my biased believes rather an fact that is proven by my experience.

[FidoVan]

Hey there @basarfahad and welcome to the Community!

When you are logged into your account and see an exclusive plan for one of your lines, it doesn't necessarily mean that all your lines are eligible to that same plan. Each exclusive plan is unique to each one of your lines and may or may not be offered to your other lines in the same account.

That said, plans you see on our website without having to log in are available to anyone given that you meet the requirements (IE: activate a new line in your account). Your analogy with the grocery store works here where everyone gets the same thing at the same price. However for our exisitng customers, we may offer different things with increased value, not advertised to the public in the ''store''.

Hope that clarifies the situation and if you still need assistance, you can reach us out on our social media pages here.

[Wenshanliu]

So the old customers have to do shopping behind the door, and have to take the so called offer with increased value. So why cannt the old customers do shopping in the front food and take whatever is available there to the public? 

That is called discrimination.  

[FidoVan]

Hey there @Wenshanliu,

You can do both! However plans, offers and promotions have requirement criterias which anyone would need to meet in order to be eligible for them. Hope that clarifies the situation for you.

[FidoAnthony]

That's not how we want you to feel. Please feel free to contact us if you still need assistance, you can reach us out on our social media pages here.

We would love to go over the situation with you.

[basarfahad]

I have talked to your front line CSR -- She trasfered me to Retention who in turn tranfered me to Accouting and Credit who in turn trasferd me back to Rogers' CSR desk (dont know why she trasferd to Rogers). Then I lost patience. Furthermore, I filled a survey metioning this issue. It seems at this point based on market comeption Fido feels that it can renegate on the speech of it CSR.  Very sad indeed. 

[FidoSaira]

Hey @basarfahad,

My colleague @FidoVan, provided you with the answer regarding the plans. If you have any other questions related to account, you're welcome to contact us through these channels.

[basarfahad]

You wrote and I quote " However for our exisitng customers, we may offer different things with increased value, not advertised to the public in the store".

I indeed commend you on your wonderful marketing skills, however you are only using obfuscation  tactic  to hide the true  underlying issue. 

Let me show the uglyness  of the corporate Fido and how it really doesnt care for its customers. 

I have a $55/mo plan (not under contract)  for 10GB that was sold to me couple years back. Now due to competitive pressures you have introduced a similar paln for $33/mo. 

Fido looks at my account looks at the churn rate (  12 years with FIDO), so Fido's sales team think we can extract  fess from this customer as this customer has very low probability of churn and there is no reason to offer extra discount.  

There is no value add between two plans. 

Reality is the FIDO is trying to maximise its corporate profits and DOES NOT really care to deliver true vlaue to a marginal customer, which is contrary to your spin of "Deliverying value".

Beleive me  FIDO will be proven wrong this time, as customer churn will happen. It is just matter of time. 

A better similitute is that of a person who goes to a vending machine that vends pop.  customer get the pop for $1 but one day outside temperatures reaches 40 degrees so the vending machine  raised the price to $5 knowing that it can extract extrac profit.  This is capitalism and we accept this. However lets not sugar coat it. This is prure greed  in which the corporation is looking for its own interest and there is nothing for the customer. No need to put a spin. 

I am pretty sure you will remove this post of mine. Nevertheless, principles demans that truth be spoken.