[Fido] Fido - Retention Plans
Overview
Customer Retention / Relations is the department in-charge of cancellations at Fido. This department is able to offer special plans and options as incentives to prevent customers from switching to another carrier or cancelling their line / account.
Why Fido?
As a subsidiary of Rogers Communications since November 2004, Fido Solutions operates on the well-developed Rogers Wireless nationwide GSM, UMTS, and LTE network (MCC-MNC: 302-720) at the 850MHz and 1900MHz frequencies.
Fido also offers a loyalty program called Fido Rewards where customers can accumulate 5% of their monthly bills (pre-tax) in FidoDollars. FidoDollars can then be redeemed (at a rate of 1 FidoDollar to CA$1) towards a new handset or up to two months of a newly added voice / data add-on.
Eligibility
To be eligible for retention plans and options, you must be a current postpaid (i.e. month-to-month) customer who has been with Fido for at least 3 months. Prepaid accounts are not eligible for these offers.
Contacting Customer Retention / Relations
The only way to reach Customer Retention / Relations is to be transferred by Customer Service; these agents will transfer you if you express your intent of either 1) cancelling your line / account or 2) transferring your services to a competitor.
Customer Service can be reached by phone at:
1) 611 (from your cellphone)
2) 1-888-481-3436 (English / French)
3) 1-866-888-3436 (Cantonese / Mandarin)
4) 1-514-933-3436 (when calling from USA)
5) 1-514-925-4590 (when calling from abroad)
Available Retention Plans & Options
A list of current retention plans and options (maintained by thirstyears) can be found in POST #7332 of this thread.
Hardware Upgrade Policy
When you sign a new two-year / three-year agreement (i.e. contract), you are eligible to receive a handset at a subsidized price (subject to a $25 handset upgrade administration fee). You may also apply your FidoDollars (applied to the subsidized price after taxes) to receive a further discount on your new handset.
Fido's current selection of handsets, along with pricing, can be found on their website under the phones, iphones, and smartphones sections.
The complete Fido Hardware Upgrade Policy and Agreement Renewal Policy is explained in-detail by frenchguys, a Fido Customer Retention / Relations Employee, in POST #14487 of this thread.
Negotiation Strategies
There are many factors involved (account tenure, payment history, monthly spending, Fido's policies, etc.) in determining what plans / options you are offered. Offers can also vary between agents, so you may want to call back if you get a stubborn / bad agent (but always remember to be polite and don't call too often as your account may get flagged).
In their attempt to retain you with Fido, Customer Retention / Relations will try to offer you a plan of similar or better value compared to its competitors. So, it is always in your best interest to be well-aware of plans that are currently available in the market before negotiating. Also, be sure to make use of these plans as examples of why you think your current plan is uncompetitive to obtain a better offer.
Although you can negotiate a retention plan anytime during an agreement, you will likely obtain the best offer available (or close to the best offer available) if you negotiate when you are either 1) no longer in an agreement or 2) within your agreement renewal period (i.e. 6 months prior to your agreement end date) since your early cancellation fee (ECF) and data early cancellation fee (DECF) will be at its lowest (and you are viewed as most-at-risk to move to a competitor or cancel).
As well, you should read through the last few pages of this thread to see what other forum members are being offered. This will allow you to gauge the value of any offers you receive with respect to offers given to other customers.
Lastly, whenever you are made an offer (whether you accepted it or asked the agent to make a note of it in your account) at Customer Retention / Relations, it is always a good idea to note down the agent's name, extension, interaction ID of the conversation, date, and time. This will allow you to provide proof of the offer in the unfortunate event that what you agreed to or what you are offered is challenged in the future.
So, to sum it up, in your negotiations, you should 1) be prepared (before calling), 2) be courteous (to the agent), 3) clearly convey your reasons (for cancelling / porting-out), 4) explain your needs / wants (for a suitable / realistic plan), and 5) back-up your arguments with examples (of competitor plans).
For a more in-depth primer, thirstyears made a detailed guide on strategies in POST #7285 (part 1) and POST #13415 (part 2) of this thread.
Also, frenchguys, a Fido Customer Retention / Relations Employee, listed some excellent pointers of what not to do when negotiating with Customer Retention / Relations in POST #15250 of this thread.
Other Useful Information
Fido's Early Cancellation Fee / Data Early Cancellation Fee
Fido's ECF / DECF is calculated based on when you obtained your current plan and where you live in Canada.
Quebec
Plan Obtained Before 06/30/2010: ECF = Same as Other Provinces Below
Plan Obtained After 06/30/2010 (with Subsidized Handset & No Data): ECF = Discount on Phone / Contract Length x Months Remaining
Plan Obtained After 06/30/2010 (without Subsidized Handset or with Sudsidized Handset & Data): ECF = Lesser of $50 or 10% of Monthly Plan
Data Obtained Before 06/30/2010: DECF = Same as Other Provinces Below
Data Obtained After 06/30/2010: DECF = Discount on Phone / Contract Length x Months Remaining - ECF
Other Provinces
Plan Obtained Before 02/01/2007: ECF = $20/month remaining, $200 Maximum, $0 Minimum
Plan Obtained Between 02/01/2007 and 07/19/2009: ECF = $20/month remaining, $400 Maximum, $100 Minimum
Plan Obtained After 07/19/2009: ECF = $10/month remaining, $300 Maximum, $100 Minimum
Data Obtained Before 07/19/2009: DECF = $5/month remaining, $100 Maximum, $25 Minimum
Data Obtained After 07/19/2009: DECF = $10/month remaining, $200 Maximum, $100 Minimum
Actually Porting Out or Cancelling
If you still want to port-out or cancel after Fido's retention offers, you should be aware that you are required to give Fido 0 days notice (Quebec) or 30 days notice (other provinces) prior to porting-out or cancelling. Otherwise, you will be charged an extra 0 days (Quebec) or 30 days (other provinces) of service (as outlined in Section 34 & 35 of Fido's Terms and Conditions). The 30 days notice can be avoided if you migrate to prepaid first, but you will be charged a $35 migration fee on your final bill. Do note that, if you are still in an agreement when porting-out or cancelling, these fees are in addition to the ECF / DECF.
However, even if you do not give sufficient notice and are charged an extra 30 days, you may still be able to recover the extra 30 days charge (under certain circumstances) by filing a complaint to the CCTS. More information on this matter can be found in this thread (in the cell phones section) or blog (maintained by 7KXakq).
List of Fido's Competitors
The Big 3 (Usually More Expensive)
1) Rogers Wireless: http://www.rogers.com/wireless
2) Telus Mobility: http://www.telusmobility.com
3) Bell Mobility: http://www.bell.ca/mobility
The Big 3 Subsidiaries (Main Competitors)
4) Koodo Mobile: http://www.koodomobile.ca
5) Virgin Mobile: http://www.virginmobile.ca
6) Chatr Wireless: http://www.chatrwireless.com
7) Solo Mobile: http://www.solomobile.ca
8) Clearnet (BC / Alberta): http://www.clearnet.com
New Entrants (Less Likely to Match)
9) Wind Mobile: http://www.windmobile.ca
10) Mobilicity: http://www.mobilicity.ca
11) Public Mobile (Toronto / Montreal): http://www.publicmobile.ca
12) Videotron Mobile (Quebec): http://www.videotron.com/wireless
Regional Providers (Only in Specific Regions)
13) SaskTel Mobility (Saskatchewan): http://www.sasktel.com/mobility
14) MTS Mobility (Manitoba): http://www.mts.ca/wireless
Mobile Virtual Network Operators (Unlikely to Match as Mainly Prepaid)
15) Speakout Wireless: http://www.speakout7eleven.ca
16) PC Mobile: http://www.pctelecom.ca
17) Petro-Canada Mobility: http://mobility.petro-canada.ca
18) And others: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Ca ... _companies
Customer Retention / Relations is the department in-charge of cancellations at Fido. This department is able to offer special plans and options as incentives to prevent customers from switching to another carrier or cancelling their line / account.
Why Fido?
As a subsidiary of Rogers Communications since November 2004, Fido Solutions operates on the well-developed Rogers Wireless nationwide GSM, UMTS, and LTE network (MCC-MNC: 302-720) at the 850MHz and 1900MHz frequencies.
Fido also offers a loyalty program called Fido Rewards where customers can accumulate 5% of their monthly bills (pre-tax) in FidoDollars. FidoDollars can then be redeemed (at a rate of 1 FidoDollar to CA$1) towards a new handset or up to two months of a newly added voice / data add-on.
Eligibility
To be eligible for retention plans and options, you must be a current postpaid (i.e. month-to-month) customer who has been with Fido for at least 3 months. Prepaid accounts are not eligible for these offers.
Contacting Customer Retention / Relations
The only way to reach Customer Retention / Relations is to be transferred by Customer Service; these agents will transfer you if you express your intent of either 1) cancelling your line / account or 2) transferring your services to a competitor.
Customer Service can be reached by phone at:
1) 611 (from your cellphone)
2) 1-888-481-3436 (English / French)
3) 1-866-888-3436 (Cantonese / Mandarin)
4) 1-514-933-3436 (when calling from USA)
5) 1-514-925-4590 (when calling from abroad)
Available Retention Plans & Options
A list of current retention plans and options (maintained by thirstyears) can be found in POST #7332 of this thread.
Hardware Upgrade Policy
When you sign a new two-year / three-year agreement (i.e. contract), you are eligible to receive a handset at a subsidized price (subject to a $25 handset upgrade administration fee). You may also apply your FidoDollars (applied to the subsidized price after taxes) to receive a further discount on your new handset.
Fido's current selection of handsets, along with pricing, can be found on their website under the phones, iphones, and smartphones sections.
The complete Fido Hardware Upgrade Policy and Agreement Renewal Policy is explained in-detail by frenchguys, a Fido Customer Retention / Relations Employee, in POST #14487 of this thread.
Negotiation Strategies
There are many factors involved (account tenure, payment history, monthly spending, Fido's policies, etc.) in determining what plans / options you are offered. Offers can also vary between agents, so you may want to call back if you get a stubborn / bad agent (but always remember to be polite and don't call too often as your account may get flagged).
In their attempt to retain you with Fido, Customer Retention / Relations will try to offer you a plan of similar or better value compared to its competitors. So, it is always in your best interest to be well-aware of plans that are currently available in the market before negotiating. Also, be sure to make use of these plans as examples of why you think your current plan is uncompetitive to obtain a better offer.
Although you can negotiate a retention plan anytime during an agreement, you will likely obtain the best offer available (or close to the best offer available) if you negotiate when you are either 1) no longer in an agreement or 2) within your agreement renewal period (i.e. 6 months prior to your agreement end date) since your early cancellation fee (ECF) and data early cancellation fee (DECF) will be at its lowest (and you are viewed as most-at-risk to move to a competitor or cancel).
As well, you should read through the last few pages of this thread to see what other forum members are being offered. This will allow you to gauge the value of any offers you receive with respect to offers given to other customers.
Lastly, whenever you are made an offer (whether you accepted it or asked the agent to make a note of it in your account) at Customer Retention / Relations, it is always a good idea to note down the agent's name, extension, interaction ID of the conversation, date, and time. This will allow you to provide proof of the offer in the unfortunate event that what you agreed to or what you are offered is challenged in the future.
So, to sum it up, in your negotiations, you should 1) be prepared (before calling), 2) be courteous (to the agent), 3) clearly convey your reasons (for cancelling / porting-out), 4) explain your needs / wants (for a suitable / realistic plan), and 5) back-up your arguments with examples (of competitor plans).
For a more in-depth primer, thirstyears made a detailed guide on strategies in POST #7285 (part 1) and POST #13415 (part 2) of this thread.
Also, frenchguys, a Fido Customer Retention / Relations Employee, listed some excellent pointers of what not to do when negotiating with Customer Retention / Relations in POST #15250 of this thread.
Other Useful Information
Fido's Early Cancellation Fee / Data Early Cancellation Fee
Fido's ECF / DECF is calculated based on when you obtained your current plan and where you live in Canada.
Quebec
Plan Obtained Before 06/30/2010: ECF = Same as Other Provinces Below
Plan Obtained After 06/30/2010 (with Subsidized Handset & No Data): ECF = Discount on Phone / Contract Length x Months Remaining
Plan Obtained After 06/30/2010 (without Subsidized Handset or with Sudsidized Handset & Data): ECF = Lesser of $50 or 10% of Monthly Plan
Data Obtained Before 06/30/2010: DECF = Same as Other Provinces Below
Data Obtained After 06/30/2010: DECF = Discount on Phone / Contract Length x Months Remaining - ECF
Other Provinces
Plan Obtained Before 02/01/2007: ECF = $20/month remaining, $200 Maximum, $0 Minimum
Plan Obtained Between 02/01/2007 and 07/19/2009: ECF = $20/month remaining, $400 Maximum, $100 Minimum
Plan Obtained After 07/19/2009: ECF = $10/month remaining, $300 Maximum, $100 Minimum
Data Obtained Before 07/19/2009: DECF = $5/month remaining, $100 Maximum, $25 Minimum
Data Obtained After 07/19/2009: DECF = $10/month remaining, $200 Maximum, $100 Minimum
Actually Porting Out or Cancelling
If you still want to port-out or cancel after Fido's retention offers, you should be aware that you are required to give Fido 0 days notice (Quebec) or 30 days notice (other provinces) prior to porting-out or cancelling. Otherwise, you will be charged an extra 0 days (Quebec) or 30 days (other provinces) of service (as outlined in Section 34 & 35 of Fido's Terms and Conditions). The 30 days notice can be avoided if you migrate to prepaid first, but you will be charged a $35 migration fee on your final bill. Do note that, if you are still in an agreement when porting-out or cancelling, these fees are in addition to the ECF / DECF.
However, even if you do not give sufficient notice and are charged an extra 30 days, you may still be able to recover the extra 30 days charge (under certain circumstances) by filing a complaint to the CCTS. More information on this matter can be found in this thread (in the cell phones section) or blog (maintained by 7KXakq).
List of Fido's Competitors
The Big 3 (Usually More Expensive)
1) Rogers Wireless: http://www.rogers.com/wireless
2) Telus Mobility: http://www.telusmobility.com
3) Bell Mobility: http://www.bell.ca/mobility
The Big 3 Subsidiaries (Main Competitors)
4) Koodo Mobile: http://www.koodomobile.ca
5) Virgin Mobile: http://www.virginmobile.ca
6) Chatr Wireless: http://www.chatrwireless.com
7) Solo Mobile: http://www.solomobile.ca
8) Clearnet (BC / Alberta): http://www.clearnet.com
New Entrants (Less Likely to Match)
9) Wind Mobile: http://www.windmobile.ca
10) Mobilicity: http://www.mobilicity.ca
11) Public Mobile (Toronto / Montreal): http://www.publicmobile.ca
12) Videotron Mobile (Quebec): http://www.videotron.com/wireless
Regional Providers (Only in Specific Regions)
13) SaskTel Mobility (Saskatchewan): http://www.sasktel.com/mobility
14) MTS Mobility (Manitoba): http://www.mts.ca/wireless
Mobile Virtual Network Operators (Unlikely to Match as Mainly Prepaid)
15) Speakout Wireless: http://www.speakout7eleven.ca
16) PC Mobile: http://www.pctelecom.ca
17) Petro-Canada Mobility: http://mobility.petro-canada.ca
18) And others: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Ca ... _companies
