[Elect] Fido - Retention Plans

[keitaro]

200 weekday u/l evening/weekend starting at 5
500 MB data
Caller ID
not sure if it includes the 2500 texts

... for 47.50 on a 3 year contract with an IPhone.

or

200 weekday u/l evening/weekend starting at 5 (17.50)
no discount on new phone and
10 dollars for the Caller Id add on - no credits

I actually had to talk to two CSRs because my phone ran out of battery.

The first one was pretty nice and offered me the 17.50 plan right away for just the remainder of the contract and told me that I can get a better one if I decide to renew, asked me which phone I wanted..

The 2nd representative gave me the offers above...

How good are these plans? Thanks.

[Metninja]

How many of you guys have secured an iphone 4 in your retentions deal? What did it cost you?

[kuznagi]

thanks for that. I just watched a video on youtube about a tomtom app, but i'm not sure if it uses internet or not. It's 1.5 gigs apparently, so maybe it stores all the maps on your phone and just creates your route as you go? At 50$ it's definitely cheaper than a 200$ gps

I actually just tested this out for a friend. While its not a 100% guarentee I think I configured my iphone to not use data in sbsettings, I turned off 3G and Edge and still had an 'E' symbol but I could not browse the net.

The tomtom app certainly works fine without data however, it will take longer to find your current location not sure why.

Retentions related question, my 3years ends Dec252010, I definitely want to get an Iphone 4 out of it, one thing that sucks is that I had a 18 month $10 monthly credit on my 6GB data plan which just expired, should I wait till they start releasing more Iphone4 information before trying retentions and maybe get them to credit the $10 or should I try to get an iphone 4 through retentions now.

Also, if you get an Iphone4 through retentions is it possible to pick it up at a fido store/apple store on launch date instead of having them ship it, I remember last year ppl who had it shipped waited up to a month to get their 3gs.

[MadCow]

They haven't started accepting pre-orders of the phone yet, so they won't be able to renew your contract with the iPhone 4. The CSR or CRR will more than likely ask you to call back when they start pre-ordering for the iPhone 4.

You could negotiate your renewal now (with respect to your voice and data plan), but nothing can be processed until they can order the phone.

[william879]

Just spoke with the retention department, here is what I was offered on a two years renewal.

$20+Tax

200 min day time,
1000 W/E starting at 5PM
unlimited incoming call
VM+CID.

I was trying to ask them for some basic text message plan, but no luck.

What is your opinion?

[Jay Hova]

I have 500mb for the month right now, through FidoDollars. I called in today asking if there is any deal I can work out with them to get data, but suitable to my needs - I have only used 53MB and there is 10 days left till it expires, no way I'll use the remaining 450MB lol.

So what they offered me was a flex plan, but what this pricing:


<100MB = $10
<150MB = $15
<500MB = $20
<1GB = $25

Which seems better than their advertised flex deals:

Up to 500 MB of Internet access $30
Up to 1 GB of Internet access $35
Up to 3 GB of Internet access $50
Up to 5 GB of Internet access $65
Over 5 GB of Internet access 5¢ per MB

I am definitely considering this, it seems like a very good deal. I told them to leave a note on my account so I can get back to it. And this is month to month, of course.

I asked them about BlackBerry data plans, because I was considering moving to one of them. They said to call later, because I have an iPhone 3G from them.

Any suggestions/comments? Are there better data deals out there?

[cwsm]

Current Plan:
3 Years: December 07, 2007 - December 07, 2010
150 + Unl.E/WE + Unl. Incoming
Unl. text messages
Call Display w/Name Display
$30.25
After 911, SAF, taxes = $42.89

I'm wondering if this is possible:
iPhone 4, 3yr contract
150
EITHER unl.e after 5/we OR unl. incoming (the one that's cheaper)
1000 txts
caller id
500mb or 100mb with flex plan
for around the same price?

And if not, approx. how much would it be?
Should I call once they begin pre-orders for iPhone 4?
One more thing, I won't be in Canada early July to late August.
Will I be able to get the iPhone before I leave?
Can I pause my plan?

Thanks

[st7860]

call fido retentions directly at:1-877-288-4240 (push 5)

[Rayne]

^I called that number and I managed to get this plan:

200 Daytime
Evenings after 5PM and weekends
100 texts (free)
Caller Id (free)
No SAF/911
17.50 + tax

I think he said something about not worrying about the texts and caller ID for 3 years, but I only have 15 months left on my plan. . . so I don't know if he extending it or if he got confused (my plan is originally a 3-year plan). I guess I can check when my bill changes on the 17th of this month.

I know others on this forum got better plans, but since I don't use my phone that much I'm happy with this plan, haha.

[Loophole14]

They haven't started accepting pre-orders of the phone yet, so they won't be able to renew your contract with the iPhone 4. The CSR or CRR will more than likely ask you to call back when they start pre-ordering for the iPhone 4.

You could negotiate your renewal now (with respect to your voice and data plan), but nothing can be processed until they can order the phone.

Exactly, I said throw in an Iphone 4 (which i or he didn't know the price) and he said call back in a month and he'll give it to me with the plan.

[thirstyears]

How many of you guys have secured an iphone 4 in your retentions deal? What did it cost you?

>It is possible to negotiate the terms of a contract now, with the option to purchse the iPhone 4 when it comes out. You would then enter into a new agreement when you order/receive the iphone. (I have done this and have 3 months of recurring credits (to tie me over until the product release) which would then be re-applied for 36 months when I order the iPhone.)
>The pricing of the iPhone 4's have not yet been released.
>You can sign up to get the lastest information at: www.fido.ca/iphone

[thirstyears]

TUTORIAL ON FIDO's "CUTOMER RELATIONS"/RETENTION (CxR) & other unadvertised PLANS/OPTIONS/CREDITS & HUP RULES

NOTE
»"Retention Plans" can only be negotiated/applied via "Customer Relations"/Retention (CxR) phone agents; stores & regular CSRs do not have access to retention plans/options
»It is at a CxR agent's discretion whether to OFFER any 'special' plans/options; therefore, before you call it is advisable to read & follow the suggested strategies
»FOR AN OVERVIEW ON WHO QUALIFIES, NEGOTIATION STRATEGIES & HOW TO CONTACT CxR AGENTS → http://forums.redflagdeals.com/fido-...6/#post4319005

»PLANS, OPTIONS & POLICIES DO CHANGE! I don't work for Fido; all info has been gathered from RFD/HoFo Fido-forums, so there's no guarantee it is accurate/up-to-date. (Feel free to PM me with corrections/suggestions/new info. Please, no PMs with questions re your plan/situation; use the forum!)

ABBREVIATIONS/DEFINITIONS:
Ā / ā / ⱥ=Āgreement / Ā required / no Ā required; BB=Blackberry; BBM=BlackberryMessenger; CFZ=CityFidoZone; CM=CompetitiveMatch; CW=CanadaWide calling {airtime+unl.Cdn.LD}; Cx=customer; F2F=local Fido2Fido calls; F2F+R=local Fido2Fido+Rogers+RogersHome calls; [FC_]=Feature Credit of $_ available (see Credits section below); M2M=month2month/no-Ā; MMS=picture/video messages; Ŕ / Ř=Ŕetail / Unadvertised-Řetail(CM) options/pricing {any CSR can add these; ⱥ}; SMS=texts-Cdn; SMS°=texts-global; SP=SmartPhone; unl=unlimited; WC=WhoCalled ;*=Team Leader's permission req'd to make exception

SMARTPHONE MONEY SAVING TIP:
>maximizing use of WiFi (home/work/???) & using free/inexpensive 3rd-party-apps/services for IM, SMS, MMS, & mobile-VOIP (DellVoice/GV/Skype/etc for placing LD & local calls) may allow you to choose less expensive options from Fido

RETAIL OPTIONS: www.fido.ca/plans & www.fido.ca/options

VOICE PLANS
»MOST RETENTION PLANS REQUIRE AN ĀGREEMENT (current-existing or new); exemptions noted: ⱥ, Ŕ, Ř
»IF YOU DON'T WISH TO RENEW AN ĀGREEMENT: negotiate & apply a retention plan BEFORE your current Ā expires!
»All have call waiting/3-way calling/no SAF/per-second billing
»Except for CityFido, all plans are non-zoned with the expanded (full Rogers) network
»The features of plans are fixed; one can add additional features (add-on options), but no substitutions possible

ā$10→Airtime@$0.35/min; (M2M: $12+$0.75/min)
ⱥ$15→50'Anytime/choice of CID or VM
ā$17.50→200'/unl E+W@5pm-8am (includes a $7 credit for 5pm eves){no 'voice credits' allowed}
ā$20→200'/unl E+W@7/1000'F2F
ā$25→200'/unl incoming/1000'E+W@7/CID
ⱥ$25→200'/unl F2F & E+W@7/2500SMS/VM (includes a $7 credit for VM)
ā$40→700'/unl F2F+R & E+W@7

NEW! CanadaWide calling/CompetitveMatch plans {to be offered these, Cx MUST cite the equivalent Koodo/Virgin plan}
Ř$20→CW50'/unl SMS°+MMS+BBM
Ř$20→CW50'/VM/CID/50 SMS°+MMS/unl BBM
Ř$30→CW100'/unl SMS°+MMS+BBM
Ř$35→CW200'/unl incoming & E+W@5/unl SMS°+MMS+BBM
Ř$35→CW200'/unl incoming & E+W@5/VM/CID/50 SMS°+MMS/unl BBM

Unlimited calling plans {no 'voice credits' allowed}
ⱥ$35→unl local calling
Ŕ$35→CityFido: unl local calling (within any CFZ) & SMS°
Ř$40→unl local calling & SMS° {Cx MUST cite CityKoodo/VirginCityUnl}
ⱥ$45→unl local calling & Cdn+US SMS (only benefit/this plan only: add unl US LD for $10)
Ŕ$50→unl CW calling & SMS°

Additional plans for QC RESIDENTS ONLY
Ŕ$25→CW100'/unl E+W7pm-7am/choice of: CID+VM or unl SMS°+MMS+BBM
Ŕ$30→CityFido: 2000'(within any CFZ)/unl SMS°

VALUE PACKS
»VPs without SMS:
Ř$6→VM(3msgs@≤3days)/CD(#only) {CM "mini VP"}
Ŕ$11→VVM/CID/WC/unl MMS/2500'CallFwd
Ŕ$14→VVM/CID/WC/unl MMS/2500'CallFwd/50'CdnLD

»VPs with SMS:
$11→VM/CID/WC/125SMS
$15→VM/CID/WC/500SMS+MMS
$20→VM/CID/WC/unl SMS+MMS
$30VP for SP/BB→VVM/CID/WC/unl SMS+MMS/500MB Data {3yr-data-ā; discounted $5 with in-market-retail voice plans; NOT compatible with Ř / CM plans}

POPULAR ADD-ON FEATURES (Monthly)
-Additional airtime: Ŕ$5-50'; $10-200'[FC10]; (sometimes as renewal gift: 50')
-Early-evenings (5pm start for E+W): $6[FC6]
-Unl F2F (local+LD calls & texts between Fido subscribers): Ŕ$10
-Unl F2F+R (local calls): $10[FC10]
-Unl incoming calls: $10[FC10]
-LD Cdn: $5-100'; Ŕ$10-unl
-LD Cdn+US: $10-100', $15-500', $20-unl
-LD Asia (CN,HK,IN,BD,KR): $15-500'
-MMS: Ŕ$5-100; (also with some VPs)
-SMS: Ŕ$5-200, Ŕ$10-unl[FC10]; (also with some voice plans & VPs; sometimes as a renewal gift: $0-100/$5-2500)
-SMS Int'l: Ŕ$4-25, Ŕ$7-50, Ŕ$10-250, Ŕ$15-500; (& with some retail voice plans)
-CID+WC: Ŕ$8[FC4]
-VM: Ŕ$7[FC4]
-VVM: Ŕ$9

RETENTION DATA PLANS
»All are compatible with 3yr-data-Ā (some Ŕ data plans are not)
»A 3yr-data-Ā requires a voice plan ≥$25 (unless grandfathered)
»[≠BB]=Not BB compatible

"Flex Data"→usage based/variable monthly billing [≠BB]: $10→<100MB/$15→100-150MB/$20→150-500MB/$25→500-1GB/$25 plus $0.05/MB for anything over 1GB to a max of $500/mo; no tethering; no data credits allowed
$15→50MB for BBs; overage@$0.03/MB; no tethering; $5 data credit possible {good choice for BB users with 3yr-data-Ā & requiring <383MB/mo (<550MB/mo with the data credit!)}
$15→150MB for SPs [≠BB]; overage@$0.03/MB; no tethering; no data credit allowed {good choice for SP users who consistently use between 150-316MB/mo; otherwise consider flex or $30VP}
$30→6GB for SP/BB; 3yr-data-ā; no data credit allowed
$40→3GB [≠BB]; can be standalone for data sticks or added to a voice plan; up to $10 data credit possible
Also the $30VP for SP/BB includes 500MB; 3yr-data-ā; overage@$0.05/MB; no tethering

RENEWAL GIFTS
»Every customer that makes an early renewal is eligible for a gift:
a) 3-6mo before end of Ā: Cx can either have Fido$ (2Y=30, 3Y=50); OR a secondary gift. If Cx chooses a secondary gift, they will not receive F$
b) 0-3mo before end of Ā: Cx is not eligible for F$, but can have a secondary gift
»Retention agents sometimes allow secondary gifts with a new Ā (if Cx was M2M); & sometimes allow more than one secondary gift
GIFT EXAMPLES:
3/6mo of: unl local calling, 50'CdnLD, or bonus data; OR for term of Ā: bonus 50', SMS@$0-100/$5-2500, or F2F+R calling@$5local/$10nationwide; etc. (early-eves no longer offered)
»Offers do change. If an offered gift is not useful to you, ask what else might be available!

CREDITS
»Recurring monthly credits are sometimes added to an offer in order to lower the monthly bill & achieve a more competitive price:
-Feature Credits: some add-on features have an associated full or partial credit, such as: $4 for: CID, & VM; $10 for: +200', F2F+R, unl incoming, & unl SMS
-Data Credits: available on retail data, & some retention options ($15-BB50MB/$40-3GB/old$30-1GB); $5Credit possible on $15/$25 data plans; up to $10Credit possible on data plans≥$30; NO DATA CREDITS ALLOWED with 6GB plans (promo or retention)
-Voice Credits: generic monthly credits of $5, $7, or $10; only on voice plans ≥$25*; maximum one voice credit per line*; NO VOICE CREDITS ALLOWED with the $17.50 or any unlimited-calling plans

Observations & guidelines for credits:
»Retention plans & options have good value on their own, even without credits
»Generally the larger ($) the plan, the more add-ons, & the stronger the competitor's offer which you cite/use as leverage, the more credits an agent may be able to justify
»Agents may add credits (where allowed & justified) to make an offer competitive, while not creating inordinate value; availability of a credit ≠ entitlement
»TOTAL CREDITS CANNOT EXCEED THE VALUE OF THE VOICE PLAN
»As an incentive to renew, more credits may be offered with an Ā than M2M
»When not on an Ā, credits are for a shorter time (6/12mo), after which Cx will have to call back & renegotiate for them
»IF YOU CHANGE VOICE PLANS: all credits will be removed (you'll be negotiating/building a new plan from scratch)
»IF YOU CHANGE/REMOVE OPTIONS: your plan's over all value will be re-assessed & unwarranted credits can be removed (again, be prepared to negotiate/justify the over all price/value of your plan)
»Generally $4-$9 is good/$10-$19 is very good/$20+ is pretty exceptional & rare; YMMV with plans/options chosen & other factors
»At times credits may be more easily obtained, while at others they may be more difficult to obtain; plus some agents might be more willing to offer them than others. Read the last dozen, or more, pages of the forum to see what others have been able to negotiate recently
»SEEK TO HAVE ANY/ALL CREDITS COVER YOUR FULL COMMITMENT PERIOD! (If renewing early: ask the agent to 'read back their notes' CONFIRMING: "upon completion of the current term, all credits are to be RE-APPLIED for the full new 2Y/3Y term". Then verify at start of new term)

HUP RULES (Hardware Upgrade Program=Subsidized Phones)
»Commitment Period=[remainder of current term]+[new term]
»Fido charges a $25 HUP admin.fee, no matter where you get your phone
ELIGIBILITY:
a) Cx is M2M or in the last 6mo of term
b) Cx takes a new 2Y/3Y term with a voice plan¹ ≥$25; {¹ excludes add-on features/VPs}

SP-HUP: 3YR ĀGREEMENT PRICING ON SMARTPHONES FURTHER REQUIRES:
a) voice plan¹ ≥$25
b) ($[voice plan¹] + $[eligible data plan²] - $[voice+data credits]) ≥$50(Android/iPhone) or $35(BB); {² Ŕ$10-100MB, Ŕ$15-BB100MB, & Ŕ$25-2GB data plans ineligible}
-violating either rule will trigger the DECF/ADSRF
-EXCEPTION: Cx with BOTH voice & data on Ā, activated prior to Dec 1st, 2010, will be eligible renewing the SAME voice & data options via phone agents (611) only; new phone will be shipped; don't expect credits to auto-renew

For an in-depth TUTORIAL ON NEGOTIATION STRATEGIES → http://forums.redflagdeals.com/10969156-post7288/

««You can SAY THANKS by clicking on THANKS

[Jay Hova]

Thanks for the awesome post thirstyears!

Question. Does the $15 BB data plan, 50MB, include BBM+push email.

[thirstyears]

Thanks for the awesome post thirstyears!

Question. Does the $15 BB data plan, 50MB, include BBM+push email.

You're most welcome :-)

Yes, but the data for BBM + email all count towards your 50Mb. Remember though, BB's servers compress your data so you use a fraction of the data of any other smart phone. (hence the reduced data allotment compared to a regualr data plan)

[羽羽]

As people seem to be asking a lot of "is this a good plan or not" questions, I thought I'd compile a list of the more common plans, add-ons, and credits available through retentions, to reduce the number of those enquiries (hopefully for a while). I’m compiling this list from memory… if there’s something I’ve posted in error, or neglected to mention, feel free to PM me and I’ll edit the list in order to try to maintain one comprehensive list. Cheers!

It is possible to have any plan or feature posted on the website at retail prices; however, retentions have some good deals as far as plans and add-ons:

There are a few base retention plans:

$17.50 plan:
200 Daytime
Unlimited Evenings and weekends starting @ 5pm

$25 plan includes:
Caller ID
200 Daytime
1000 E+W starting at 7pm (current promotion is E+W start at 5pm, if you sign a contract)
Choice of: Fido to Fido, OR Unlimited Incoming calls

$80 Unlimited plan:
Unlimited local calling ($50)
6GB data ($30 -can only be combined with the unlimited local calling feature)

Common retention add-ons are:
$10 -Value pack (CID, VM, 2500 Cdn texts)
$15 –Value pack for iPhone (Visual Voice mail, CID, 2500 Cdn texts)
$10 -unlimited incoming calls
$10 -1000 minutes of Canadian long distance
$10 –unlimited international texts

Data plans:
>$5 data credit off any retail data plan seems fairly common (and sometimes gets applied to the $15 retention plan)
>$15 data retention data plan has 150Mb for iPhone OR 50Mb for Blackberry
>Flex data plan: (data credit generally NOT available with this plan, but some exceptions have been reported)
$10 up to 100Mb
$15 100-150Mb
$20 150-500 Mb
$25 500-1Gb
$25 plus $0.05/Mb for anything over 1Gb to a max of $500/month

Monthly credits:
>$2.50, $5, $7, & $10 generic credits and any number of combinations possible
>$5 ‘data credit’ as mentioned above

>General observations (rules?) for credits:
-credits are easier to get when agreeing to a contract (freedom has a price)
-when not agreeing to a contract, credits are for a shorter term (often 6 or 12 months), after which you will have to call back and renegotiate for them
-the larger the plan ($) and more add-ons you have the more credits you might qualify for
-credits are not to exceed the cost of your base plan
-there is a limit/maximum of $20 in credits (exception being the $80 unlimited plan where $25 seems fairly common when adding both the 1000 LD and a Value pack)

One very common credit is for $10 to cover one $10 add-on such as the VP. If you are a light user, and you bring up Wind’s $15 plan for comparison, you can usually get either the base $17.50 or $25 plan with a value pack and probably be able to get a $5, if not $10 credit for the VP.

If you want subsidized pricing on a higher priced phone you generally will have to sign a contract. If you are after a subsidized smart phone you generally have to agree to a data plan on contract as well, which will be subject to early data cancellation fees.


The whole purpose of retentions is to prevent customers from switching to another carrier. TO NEGOCIATE A GOOD DEAL, THEY MUST BELIEVE YOU ARE SERIOUS ABOUT CHANGING CARRIERS, so be prepared to state your case as to why you feel your current plan is not competitive. Generally, to be in a good (easier) position to negotiate, you would be in the last 6 months of, or out of, a contract. Yes, some have renegotiated their terms prior to that, but it is less common, and I suspect you’d have to present a strong case to have luck with that.

For strategies on negotiating retention plans see this posting:
http://forums.redflagdeals.com/10969156-post7288/

You can reach retentions directly at: 1-877-288-4240, then press 5 (be aware they will know you have called directly rather than being referred by a regular CSR; which may, or may not, affect your negotiations)

thank you for telling us this, !!