UW’s CampusTechShop outlet has become an authorized Rogers Wireless dealer, and lately they’ve been trumpeting the $25 and $45 student packages. Every carrier in Canada has similar student deals to try and bump new subscribers and ARPU in the fourth quarter.
What I don’t understand is how such an outlet expects to attract new signups through this ridiculous device pricing. (Yes, these prices are on three year contracts.) I’m assuming this is what they’re charging without a data plan… that’s really the only way I think Rogers could justify selling a Pearl for $300.
- Blackberry Pearl 8120 – $299.99
- Blackberry Curve Red – $399.99
- Blackberry Bold – $599.99
Yeah… no thanks. If this is their idea of a special promotional price worthy of an email blast, forget it.
{ 2 } Comments
Wow! That is terrible!
Maybe it’s a typo? However, there are a few devices listed above the BlackBerrys which are “free”, so one must wonder. And besides, Rogers cannot set dealer pricing on devices, most dealers choose to offer devices at the advertised Rogers rates to remain competitive. But there is nothing stopping a dealer from offering a lower price on a device…or a higher price (pure profit).
And don’t forget: “while quantities last”; at those prices, they will always have stock.
However, as a mobile user for over a decade, those new student plans are quite good. In 1995 on AMPS with Bell, 500 e/w minutes and NO daytime minutes was $40, and if I ever used the thing during the day, it was 50ยข / minute. And I can’t even remember the ridiculous amount of money is cost for long distance, which was pretty much everywhere I would go; thankfully the wireless companies have expanded local areas to be larger than the comparatively small areas for land lines. And this was ages before caller ID, SMS, or even the world wide interweb.
All you need to do is get a part time job at a Rogers Video store to get your 50% employee discount.
The devices listed above – especially the W580i – seem to be offered at about a $20 to $30 discount from what I’ve seen in a corporate store.
I’m actually a huge fan of these student packages as well. What they’re doing is putting a MSD code on the account and it effectively offers a ‘corporate’ rate and the 6pm early evening/weekend discount.
For $55 per month ($25 package plus $30 6GB data plan, and a few extras from Retentions included in that price) I’m pretty happy.
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