# Rogers Home Phone System Access Fee



## slacker (Mar 8, 2010)

Hi all,

I just noticed on my home telephone bill from Rogers that there is a $5.95 monthly system access fee. I currently bay $21.95 for "Basic Line".

Is there a better alternative out there that is cheaper than Rogers Home Phone?

Thanks


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## Andrej (Feb 25, 2010)

Talkit.ca
No issues for me in over two years of service. $70/yr


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## smihaila (Apr 6, 2009)

voip.ms


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## kcowan (Jul 1, 2010)

Forunately System Access Fees have been ruled illegal. Join the class and get some of your money back!


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## Lephturn (Aug 31, 2009)

I recently dumped Rogers - dumped their home phone last year and ported the number to Wind mobile at $ 40/ month for completely unlimited everything including long distance anywhere in Canada.

If I did want a "land line" (I don't) I would go with my Internet provider TekSavvy. If I add a VOIP solution it's $ 9.95/month. http://teksavvy.com/en/res-homephone.asp Click on TekTalk. The Rogers version is WAY over priced.


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## mind_business (Sep 24, 2011)

Here's my Bell landline bill. It's their cheapest plan where you can still make phone calls:

Monthly Services (Jul 01 to Jul 31)
Residence line
25¢ a min feature

$26.95 1 Home Phone Lite package
$ 0.00 1 Service Area Charge
$ 0.17 1 911 emergency service access 
$ 2.80 1 Touch-Tone service 

$29.92 Total Monthly Charges (before taxes) 

$ 3.88 HST 
*$33.80 Total (after taxes)*

Looks like Rogers is still cheaper.


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## Jungle (Feb 17, 2010)

I got the same as op except $10 off per month, because we deal with retentions every year. But I agree that is a scam fee. Just put the price all in one.. so annoying to see that as a fee and misleading when selling and marketing.


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## Spudd (Oct 11, 2011)

mind_business, that's not the cheapest. I have the cheapest and it is as follows:

1 Residence line 24.56 
1 911 emergency service access 0.17 
1 Touch-Tone service 2.80 
Total Monthly charges (before taxes) 27.53

I'm not sure why mine is $2 less than yours but I don't know the difference between a "residence line" and a "home phone lite package". 

I've been thinking of going to VOIP but the inability to make phone calls during a power outage is somewhat troubling.


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## HaroldCrump (Jun 10, 2009)

Ha, I can do one up :

_Monthly Services (Jun 04 to Jul 03)
1 Home Phone Basic package - 36.95
1 911 emergency service access - 0.17
1 Touch-Tone service - 2.80
1 Home Phone Promotion - 14.97cr
Monthly Charges - 24.95
Bell Home Phone Bundle Savings - 4.00 cr
Total Monthly Charges (before taxes) - 20.95_


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## Spudd (Oct 11, 2011)

Wow, Harold, how'd you manage that? It looks like you even have features.


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## HaroldCrump (Jun 10, 2009)

Keep hounding them until they give you a discount.
Say you are getting better deals at a competitor.
There are all sorts of junk fees and fake fees that they add on.
If you do not push back, you will end up paying all that.
In the end, the final price matters so the more junk fees you can remove via negotiation, the lower your final price will be.


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## Eclectic12 (Oct 20, 2010)

Spudd said:


> ...I've been thinking of going to VOIP but the inability to make phone calls during a power outage is somewhat troubling.


Even more troubling - I thought the Rogers had priority bandwidth for the phone network. However, a co-worker was saying his neighborhood is bandwidth challenged. At times the cable picture is pixelated for quite a while and his neighbour was saying their phone was dead whenever the network was swamped.


Cheers


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## Lephturn (Aug 31, 2009)

If there is a power outage I use my mobile.

Rogers will far over-subscribe their network and muck up all of their services IMO.

The only thing that really works is threatening to leave. Don't be vague - call Bell or another competitor and get actual pricing - then call Rogers to cancel. Don't take their first offer. They will generally want you to lock in for one year for a good deal. For the last three years I would call every year in the spring when my year was up - otherwise they would just turn off that deal and jack up my price.

I got tired of dealing with them and dumped it all. TekSavvy for Internet, Apple TV, and Wind Mobile for phone (ported my number over). This is saving me over $ 100 /month.


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## Kail (Feb 7, 2012)

I actually use Magicjack Plus and have never had an issue. It's fairly cheap too, after the initial startup cost it is only $10 a year to renew a Canadian phone number.


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## kcowan (Jul 1, 2010)

Kail said:


> I actually use Magicjack Plus and have never had an issue. It's fairly cheap too, after the initial startup cost it is only $10 a year to renew a Canadian phone number.


Plus the cost to continue their basic service. It is renewable every year unless you buy 5 years at a time.


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## Homerhomer (Oct 18, 2010)

We have been using vonage since the beginning of the year, for us the savings are significant over bell/rogers because of the overseas calls we make and we could keep the existing phone number, we have had no issues. It's not the cheapest option out there but it's been worry free for us ever since we signed up.


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## Sherlock (Apr 18, 2010)

I like how they charge extra for touch tone service, as if you can still buy rotary phones. I wonder if they would waive that fee to people who actually do have rotary phones?


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## smihaila (Apr 6, 2009)

Sherlock said:


> I like how they charge extra for touch tone service, as if you can still buy rotary phones. I wonder if they would waive that fee to people who actually do have rotary phones?


Of course not! They will just state that pulse/rotary phones are no longer compatible with their network


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