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Archive of entries posted on 8th July 2008

Bell and Telus to charge for incoming text messages

Posted by Joanne on 8 July 2008, 4:04 pm

I was just paging through the Financial Post and came across this rather disturbing item – Outrage over texting charge:

Cellphone users are about to be hit with new fees as two of Canada’s telecommunications giants plan to bring in a levy on incoming text messages.

Bell Mobility will begin charging customers 15¢ per incoming text message on Aug. 8. Telus Mobility is moving to the same billing practice effective Aug. 24. Until now, their pay-per-use customers who send text messages have been charged a 15¢ fee per message, but it hasn’t cost anything to receive them.

The pending new charge has sparked outrage on blogs, with customers saying they can’t control who sends them messages , especially when spammers obtain their cell number or retailers send them unsolicited messages…

Apparently Rogers has no plan to charge for incoming, or so they say for now.

Has anyone else heard about this? I would like to be able to have an option to not accept incoming text messages at all if this is the case. Time to switch to Rogers I guess.

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Update: More at Canwest - Get ready to pay for incoming text messages.

Bell and Telus race to the bottom – Torontoist.

Wednesday Update: The Politic – Garth, Different Species and Two different types of communication. (It’s Matthew’s all-inclusive rant.)

And please check out Reid’s post about the NDP petition against Bell and Telus.

Prentice demands Bell, Telus explain text-message pricing – Post. (H/T to Paulsstuff).

And check this out: Ottawa calls Bell, Telus on carpet – Star:

…Spokespeople for the two firms have said that customers can contact them to have charges for spam messages deleted from their bills…

Yah, right! And then you end up in voice-mail jail!!!

Not good for the blood pressure.

And please, do not miss ChuckerCanuk’s post on this topic – A message from Bell and Telus.

Filed under Consumer Tips.
43 Comments

Liberals better step up that fund-raising campaign!

Posted by Joanne on 8 July 2008, 7:46 am

Cadman widow denies author’s story – Citizen.

Dion’s Green Plan faces legal challenge – Star.

And don’t forget to support The Victory Fund!

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Update: If you examine that Star report by Allan Woods closely, it is quite the laugh in its bias:

EDMONTON–Liberal leader Stephane Dion’s carbon-tax plan got a friendly pass in the court of public opinion, but appears set to face a legal challenge from a firm that says the party swiped its name.

About 400 people turned out at a hall in the country’s oil capital last night that was decorated, campaign-style, with posters of Dion and flashy backdrops promoting the carbon-tax. One observer noted that the crowd represented the "who’s who" of the city’s left wing, including environmentalists and NDP members…

The court of public opinion? Well, I suppose in the Star’s world view, the only public opinion that really counts is that of the left. However, a recent Ipsos Reid poll indicates that other pesky voters may have a different opinon, and that Dion actually has a very rough road ahead.

And BTW, other than Garth Turner and Ralph Goodale, do you hear any other in-your-face Liberals championing this carbon shaft?

Also please check out Alberta Ardvark’s excellent first-hand account – Stephane Dion in Edmonton. Well worth the read.

Filed under LPC, Liberal arrogance.
23 Comments