Wireless Nightmare: A Wind Mobile Review
Over the years it has become a national pastime for Canadians to complain about the high cost of wireless service in Canada.
The volume of complaints typically rises to a crescendo every six months or so after a research firm publishes a report which finds that Canada has some of the highest wireless rates in the world. The findings are then disputed by the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA), an industry advocacy group funded by the telco giants, who tell us that Canadian rates are quite reasonable especially considering our small population base and the enormous size of our country.
The good news for consumers in some of Canada’s largest cities is the competitive landscape appears to be changing. Thanks to the arrival of new wireless providers such as Mobilicity, Public Mobile, Videotron and Wind Mobile in the last thirteen months, Canadians in Quebec City, Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver are beginning to see lower wireless plan prices and more expansive wireless offerings.
The first new Canadian wireless company in years and perhaps the largest of the new providers is Wind Mobile. The company, which is controlled by an Egyptian Company Orascom Telecom Holding S.A.E, began offering service in December of 2009 in Toronto and Calgary. Since that time Wind has rolled out
service in Ottawa, Edmonton and Vancouver. By November of 2010, the company said it had close to 140,000 customers.
Wind Offerings
Wind Mobile offers three voice plans which range in price from $15 to $45 a month and three data plans which range in price from $25 to $35 a month. In the last several months, the company has also offered discounts on the first six months of existing plans along with other short term promotional plans.
For use with its voice plans, the company offers just over a dozen feature and smartphones ranging in price from $48 to $450. A data stick and SIM card is available for $100 and $25 respectively.
The company sells its products and services out of standalone Wind Mobile stores and through selected Blockbuster stores. Wind says these Blockbuster stores house a 150 square foot “store within a store” featuring Wind Mobile products, and staff that can to help with subscriptions and bills.
Picking Wind Mobile
Before Christmas my son asked whether he could have a wireless phone. After some discussion, my wife and I decided that it would be appropriate for him provided we could find a reasonably priced phone and plan.
I had no strong preference for providers. My wife has wireless service with Telus, my daughter has service through Virgin Mobile, a subsidiary of Bell Canada, and I have service with Fido, a subsidiary of Rogers Wireless. We are generally quite satisfied with the performance of each company although, like most Canadians, we grumble about the high cost.
Thanks to some cut-rate holiday promotions from the upstart wireless companies, I thought it would be an excellent time to check out their offerings and carry out a hands-on review of the service for Digital Home.
After Christmas, while investigating potential vendors and plans, I was alerted by a Digital Home reader of a new promotion from Wind Mobile which was cost effective and would be ideal for my son. The decision was made. My son would get a Wind Mobile phone with a voice and text plan and I would be able to assess the quality and performance of Canada’s first and perhaps largest upstart competitor.
The Nightmare Begins
On December 29th, I left my house with the goal of purchasing and activating a wireless phone from Wind Mobile.
In the intervening three weeks, I have been subjected to perhaps the worst retail customer experience I have ever encountered in my life.
My Wind Mobile odyssey which is detailed on subsequent pages includes: inordinately long wait times; faulty product; being lied to by Wind Mobile Staff; being patronized by Wind Mobile staff, being given false and misleading information by Wind Mobile staff; intransigence by Wind Mobile staff; and a refusal to grant me a refund.
The short Digital Home review is to avoid Wind Mobile. In compiling a list of pros and cons for Wind Mobile, which is detailed later in this article, I was unable to tally one pro and had to limit my cons to just six lengthy items.
On the subsequent pages, is a step by step account of my wireless nightmare, followed by an official public relations response from the company, followed by my summary.
Interesting story and can certainly relate to some of his frustration.
I also purchased a phone at a Kiosk in a Mall in Surrey, BC around december 15th. I was advised that I could get a 100% refund if I returned the phone within 15 days if less than 30 minutes of airtime was used. So I took the phone for 3 days, never used it as I wanted to drive around the greater Vancouver area and Victoria, to see when the phone was in the “Wind Zone” and when it was not. For the most part, the phone worked in all the areas it claimed it would, with the exception of Tsawwassen near Point Roberts and it worked in several areas of the Fraser Valley that Wind did not promote. The Tsawwassen area was important as the phone would have been used by my daughter, who works for BC Ferries. It did not work in Victoria or anywhere on Vancouver Island. (I did this because Wind was suppose to be available in Victoria in the fall of 2010 but moved the date forward to spring of 2011 – My belief that some of the towers were active in the area and subject to testing)
So without any airtime used and only 3 days since purchase i took it back to the kiosk in the Mall in Surrey, BC.
Refunding the phone was a very simple matter however the repayment made for airtime would be done via a cheque from the head office. I pointed out that I was never advised this and furthermore it said nothing about this in the fine print or the refund policy on the receipt I was given. I was advised that the cheque would be in the mail within 4-6 weeks.
Well 6 weeks rolled by, so I called Wind. I was advised that the cheque had not been processed and could be another 4-6 weeks. I complained in vain. Normally I simply go down and start a small claims action against large companies like Wind because the cost to them to challenge is in the thousands of dollars, but in this case I simply called TD VISA and told them my story. The TD VISA rep said that she could connect me to a supervisor at Wind and perhaps we could iron out our difficulty.
All three of us were on the phone, Wind basically said I could wait until hell freezes over. The TD VISA rep ended the phone call, refunded the money directly to my Visa Card and stated that TD VISA would take up the issue with Wind Mobile. My remaining money was credited to my card within a couple days and I am sure Wind Mobile has had a letter from TD Visa on this matter.
I have successfully sued Telus & Rogers and I simply refuse to use any Bell products. I really wanted Wind Mobile to succeed. I simply wanted to see how their product was working before I committed, but based on their actions I’m forced to reconsider whether Wind should be on my future list. Personally the marketing has been just terrible… they spend billions of dollars purchasing rights to operate and build infrastructure and then use the same tactics Rogers, Bell and Telus use… Why? Canadians were desperate for a better option, Wind knew that and blew it. I’m very disappointed.
Article is clearly absurd. I’ve been with and know people who are on the Wind network and have only minor issues with them. I have mostly dealt with the Blockbuster location on The Queesway near Parklawn. Excellent customer service so far.
The article is an experience that, that customer had. You were fortunate to have had a different experience. To say the article based on that customer’s experience is absurd is absurd.
I have different issues against Wind/Orascom/Tony Clement where being foreign owned I would love to see them finally out of the market or to be sold without any ties to their present predator backer,especially after the Judge’s incredible verdict to make them INVALID as they always were…and we will fight any merger with Mobilicity as it would be ridiculous to honor dishonesty by over-looking what both Wind/Tony Clement did which seems like a last minute under the table deal considering so many millions were spent to get the Spectrum licenses and this should be reviwed.However,this article itself is brilliant/accurate and dead on…you’ll never see these complaints on the Wind site with the high amount of censorship they have although they do permit constant bashing of the Incumbents everyday and all they go on is hype and lies.So much for the principle of CONVERSATION they preach where they actually act like a cult and Fanboys get to roam the site freely as long as they push the doctrine.Thank you for telling the truth and giving the other side a voice.Please help the Wind Mobile appeal fail and demand a full investigation where we would also love to see Tony Clement resign for what he is doing to our industry that is a complete joke.
On Dec 22nd I ported over my number to Wind. After 3 phone calls, 4 weeks and endless delays it was finally completed. During the third phone call I told wind that I wanted to abandon the process because it was taking to long. I was warned that I would loose my number and told not to. I was promised compensation from the Presidents Office as soon as my phone was activated. After a total of 12 hrs on hold, multiple broken promises from CSR Reps, several occasions where I would have to re-explain my issues have yet to receive a penny from Wind. I have tried to port my number back three times as well and all three times Wind has blocked the port and WILL NOT RELEASE my number. ( Im still trying ) You would think after sending two letters to Anthony Lacavera President of Wind, this would get a resolution. This whole experience has been a nightmare. Wind is a dirty company that lies. They will tell you what you want to hear to get you off the phone. Don’t look for any Customer Service from this company. I was warned about Wind and I didn’t listen. Now I am out $125 and my friends can say `We told you so!` I still have my FIDO cell phone and gladly pay twice as much to be treated like a human being. I hope Wind’s license is revoked by the CRTC because they certainly don’t have shown that they dont deserve to do business with Canadians. They will not be missed.