FIDO - The terrible service. How I got shammed.

The following is what I had just posted minutes ago to Fido's website that speaks my experience:

Fido (Personal Communication Services) has given me the most terrible customer service experience that I will begin sharing publicly if I do not receive an apology and feedback for what's happened.
1) I am a Canadian Citizen who has moved to the US. I visit Canada for about 2 days, every 3 months.
2) On November 27, 2009, I had visited a Fido retailer (Scarborough Town Center) to inquire about the Pre-paid service plan. I was told (by Employee #: 718552) that with Fido, my SIM Card (and respective telephone number) does not last forever; such that it would only last for 6 months from activation or use along the pre-paid voucher amount. (Which is incorrect - but I had not realized that this was false information until today)
3) The sales representative said he may help me activate the card, or I may do activate it myself upon my return. Also, the 6 month timer will only begin upon the service activation. (As I was on my way back to the US, the logic was to purchase the FIDO prepaid card, so I may activate and use it immediately upon my next re-entry into Canada.)
4) Today is December 24th, 2009 - I had returned to Canada to visit family, and had just placed 2 calls to FIDO's designated customer service line.
Call #1 (9am): I placed my call and the customer service representative gathers all of my information, gives me my "Fido Phone Number" and "Access Number" to recharge the dollar amount on the phone. I was told at this point that the $10 voucher would Expire a month from today! I was a bit confused, telling her this was not what I had been told by the retailer selling me the package. So I asked whether there are other options available by Fido where the vouchers last for the 6 month duration that I was initially told? She responsded saying there's no such thing, there's only a $50 voucher that would last 2 months as oppose to 1.
(Considering I am only in Canada for 2, sometimes 3 days every 3 or 4 months; it would be economically reasonable to purchase a prepaid SIM that lasts for 6 months or more, but nothing short thereof.)
5) After I responded with "Okay" - the customer representative had cut the line without further ado.
6) I called back.
Call #2 (9:20am): After the annoying loop on the automated system, I got hold of another customer service agent. I explain to her the situation - how I feel a bit shammed from being given false information by the original retailer. She said, since I purchased on Nov 27, and it is Dec 24th - it's past the 15 days of which a refund may be issued; regardless of the fact that I just tried to activate this whole thing today.
7) I accepted the information she presented to me, and asked how I may voice my frustration from this experience I just had - being shammed to some degree. She offered I may go to the webpage. I said, "Well, someone must read whatever I post on the webpage. May I speak to someone who can manage my concerns now?". She told me "I guess that would be my supervisor. Please hold."
I hold for about 10 minutes, with music playing in the background. Then they Disconnect me!!!
9) Hence this post.

So....you're pis*ed off at fido because YOU didn't understand. That's wonderfull.


The sim card and phone number last 6 months if you don't use it. In other words, use it or lose it. The prepaid vouchers last 1 to 2 months depending on what you purchase. The first rep did NOT "lie" to you, or misprepresent in any way. The sim card and assigned phone number DO last a max of 6 months of inactivity.

If you had bothered to read the prepaid voucher you bought you would have seen that the minutes expire after 30 days..... unless you reload BEFORE the expiration date then any unuised minutes roll over.

Welcome to the world of "what you pay is what you get".. Hence low cost and no service fees and little customer service..

Wrong...fido will and does bend over backwards for their customers. when we were doing the "pay as you go" route through fido with our 2 youngest, there were a few times we forgot to reload their phones before the 30 days...... twice my wife called and they reinstated the minutes that we lost because of it, 3 rd time however they couldn't. The reps are only givin a certain amount of leeway for customer forgetfuillness.

Not reading or understanding the terms of an agreement is not Fido's fault.

You should consider yourself fortunate that Fido had a real live Canadian to talk to. Try explaining your problem to a rep in India or Malaysia after being on hold for 20 minutes.