SIM Card: Is Rogers ripping me off??

October 19th, 2005, 11:10 PM

I'm new on this board and I apologize if this has already been posted. I did check but I couldn't see any posts on SIM cards, so here I go:

Two days ago, I bought a new phone with Rogers and I am very happy with my phone. What I'm very upset about is the ownership of the new SIM card.

My new phone came with a new SIM card (even said so on the box) but I decided to use my own SIM card and the Rogers Store employee set it all up for me. When I got home and looked into my box, I realized my new SIM card isn't in the box. So I thought there was a mistake and that they have forgotten to put it into my box. So I called the store and here is where my frustration started. It took me like 10 minutes to even convinced the guy that my phone came with a new SIM card b/c according to him, they don't usually shipped the phone with a new card (but he could've easily verify that by checking the box on one of the phones at the store). Then, I tried to tell him that because I paid for the phone, I do entitled to everything that comes with the phone, including the SIM card. He said, "No, you don't. You paid for the hardware and that because you used your own SIM card, we won't give you a new card." I told him that they are not giving me any SIM card; the card is part of the hardware because IT CAME WITH THE PHONE. Finally, about 15 min of arguing, he said that although it's not the normal protocol, I can come to the store to pick up my card.

So I went to the store and guess what? They won't give me my card. I told the guy (sounds like it's a different guy from the phone) that since the card came with my phone, technically I paid for it and therefore it belongs to me. He said that it's "store policy" that they don't issue unactivated new SIM card. So I asked him, "If my SIM card fritz out on me in 2 months, do I have to pay $25 for the new card?" He said, "Well, the SIM card never breaks." Whatever! He can't say "never" b/c if the SIM card has 0 problems, then Rogers would probably have a guarantee on it. Just b/c he hasn't seen it, it doesn't mean it won't happen. Besides, that's not the point. I'm just trying to get back whatI feel is rightfully mine. So I asked him if I do have a problem with my SIM card and need a replacement, would I have to pay $25 for the new card PLUS an activation fee. He went on and on about how there are no activation fee to switch from one card to another. (I thought that sounded a big fishy b/c I find it hard to believe Rogers won't charge me an activiation fee.) But b/c he said that there's no activation fee, to me, that meant that the $25 is solely to pay for a new SIM card. My next question to him was that why should I PAY Rogers $25 for a new SIM card that I should already own because IT CAME WITH MY NEW PHONE?! Then all the guy could say was babbles about "store policies", "Rogers policies", "We only do what Rogers asked us", etc. Basically, he doesn't have a good explanation for me.

Then I told him about my friend who bought the same phone online; she got a new SIM card with her phone and she got to keep her new SIM card even though she's using her own card. And this is the stupid response he gave me: "Well, your friend bought the phone online and didn't get any customer support as you do here. We set up your phone for you; you get a service from and you don't have to pay for anything." BAH! If I knew I had to pay for their service at the store, I would've just gotten the phone online and do it all myself!! Besides, if they were to charge me a service fee for setting up for the phone, they should've just charged me a money-fee; they can't withhold my SIM card as a form of payment!! He probably didn't mean that the SIM card was my service charge but oh boy, it sure sounded like it to me!!

By this point, my blood was just boiling and I've completely lost my cool. I couldn't think straight and just left the store. I should've stuck around and ask to speak with the manager. I would've accepted an explanation such as "Oh, the $25 will include the new SIM card and service activation on that card" or something along that line. But all I got from him was just a bunch of BS that were full of contradictions.

By the time I got home, I've almost convinced myself that there's nothing I can do about it because if it is "store/Rogers's policy", I can't really argue about that. I learned my lesson the hard way: "Never buy from the store...always purchase online, then I won't have to deal with stupid people." I was ready to forget about this whole thing but then this happened: Last night, I emailed the customer service at the Rogers website asking them what happens to the new SIM card that comes with my new phone if I decide to use my own card. Their response was that I can keep the card or sell it to my family/friends.

Now, I have the Rogers Store telling me I can't have my SIM card back but have their online Cust.Service saying the card belongs to me. I'm so pissed off now!! If they are going to rip off their customers, at least get their stories straight! So now, I'm just seething with anger. I've always been a loyal customer. I've had a cell phone for 10 years and I have always gone with Rogers. But nothing about this whole incident seems right and I am just so mad b/c I feel like I'm being ripped off. I mean, they are taking this "free" SIM card away from me just so they can turn around and sell it to another customer for $25??

So, does anyone have any advice? Is it really Rogers policy to take away something the customer technically pay for? They say they don't give out SIM cards to customers who decided to use their own, but it isn't Rogers who's giving me a SIM card. It's my SIM card because it came with my phone. So wouldn't that make it Motorola's property or mine? How does Rogers fit into that picture?

October 19th, 2005, 11:37 PM

I'd go print off what you got online and then go into the store with it and tell them to give you your property before you wring there ****ing necks If your from here I'd be more than glad to stand there behind you and look threatening

October 20th, 2005, 08:07 AM

Return the phone. Tell them there was something missing from the box (the sim card) and just buy the same phone else where, let them know that AFTER you get your refund.

If they refuse to give you a refund, get a store manager. If the store manager refuses, dont stop bugging the manager until you get the head office number. By the point, they should cave in. If they don't, call the head office and just say that the store employee stole the sim card from the box.

Just make sure you act innocent, as you are, and keep insisting that the employee stole something from the box.


Best of luck!

October 20th, 2005, 11:10 AM

Rogers does have the right to keep the blank simcard if you choose to use your own sim card. The only reason is "fraud". Rogers got a few customer got their phone line transfered, without notice, to a different sim card. As a result, they order us (dealers) to keep the blank simcard when the customer wants to use their old simcard. The only condition to give you the new simcard, it's to transfer your existing account to the new simcard, in which will make your old simcard burnt and useless. So you're still ending up with 1 simcard.

When you purchase online, they would assume that you will be using the new sim card. As a matter of fact, the new sim card# is registered to your account when the phone ship out from the warehouse. So then, when you receive the new phone and decide to keep using the old sim, the new sim cannot be activated under different number from the one it was assigned.

Depending on stores, at my store, if we can duplicate the problem, WE WILL replace the sim card for the customer no matter how long they have the sim card for. The only time we don't replace the sim card is when the customer loose it. And for me, that's reasonable.

But the chance for sim card to have issue are less than 0.001%. I've got only 3 in my 7years of experience.

edit : grammar, i suck in english!

kalok~

October 20th, 2005, 12:43 PM

An update on my situation: I spoke with the manager this morning (the same guy I first spoke to on the phone yesterday) and he gave me a new SIM card. So I guess that issue was settled quickly.

As for Rogers not giving out unactivated SIM cards, well, I can understand it if that was Rogers policy to protect themselves. But I've contacted Rogers Cust.Serv. directly (email and phone) and everyone told me that's my card to keep, not the store's. In fact, both cust. rep. I spoke with today on the phone told me they have never heard of a such a Rogers policy (to keep the new SIM if the old card is used). One rep tried to order me a new card and ship it to me but couldn't b/c they were out of stock at the moment (problem with the Motorola stock, I guess). If she was willing to just send me a new card for free, then it can't be Rogers policy to limit the number of SIM card a customer can possess. The next rep even suggested that I call the police and have them settle the matter!! I thought the police suggestion was a little too extreme. If the store refused to give me my card back, I would file a complaint with the BBB.

So Kalok, I guess your store is also telling their customers the same thing my store was telling me. I do not dispute what you said b/c it probably is your store policy, right? But that's different from Rogers policy. I have been told by all the Rogers rep. (phone/email) that the stores are only their product dealers, that they are independent businesses and can set their own store policies. Therefore Rogers can't tell the store to give me back my card. I don't have a problem with Rogers or the employee at the store; my problem is with this particular policy because I do not believe it is right.

Besides this isn't about the SIM card anymore, it's a matter of principle. Whatever came in that box belongs to me. My phone came with a new carrying case. What if I decided to use my old carrying case? Will the store requests that I give them my new case just because I'm not using it? No. Why? Because it is mine.

I went to the store yesterday to get either 1) an satisfactory explanation or 2) my card. I got neither. The guy fed me a bunch of lines that didn't make much sense. I asked very specifically what would happen if my card fritz out and I need to replace it. The only answer I got from him was that I'll need to pay $25 to replace it (not to activate it, to replace it). He never said anything about replacing it for free. All I know is that I will be paying $25 for a SIM card that I technically already own.

Anyhow, the matter is finally settled. As I said in my original post, I've learned my lesson. I will never buy from a store again. At least when I buy online, I know I'm actually dealing with Rogers; they do seem more reasonable than the people at the store.

October 21st, 2005, 03:54 PM

Like I said, we will give the sim card to the store, but we will pre-activate the sim. (Meaning that the sim card will be registered to the account, but the owner will still be using the old sim card) or we can duplicate the problem of the sim.

Then again, it's a good thing that you got your sim card back, even myself sometimes I find the policies are.. 1#$!@#$!@!#.

kalok~

December 8th, 2007, 07:42 AM

I have a suggestion.
Stop searching for ways to find out if you're being screwed.
Think if this retarded ordeal, you wasted so much time.
You have a working phone, right?
Okay, so leave it at that.
The sim card is a tiny plastic card, and you just got all worked up over it, then search for cust. svc. online to contradict what you already knew would be contradicted, and you invested so much usefull time and energy into getting angry over something you can't control.
Know how I deal with it? Let it f*k'n be.
done.

December 8th, 2007, 10:27 AM

Jawsman02 accepts that Rogers is williing and capable of ripping of its customers....

Giving license to other people to steal from you and introduce stress and difficulty into your life is perfectly OK according to some people....

Rogers is the epitome of faceless soul-less greed and anyone who believes that it's OK to simply let this kind of thing slip by...prepares the soil for greater injustice and broken promises. Kind of like voting in political situations.....

December 17th, 2007, 12:30 PM

This is exactly why we pay so much for wireless in Canada. We are so complacent with the wireless industry that the big 3 telcos can get away with charging big bucks for basic services and offer us crappy phones when compared to the rest of the world.

I say good job to the original poster for getting the Sim card back because it's not a waste of time. We need more people like you here in Canada.