Cogeco Had Been Misleading Consumers About DTV Transition

[Kevin S]

I'm home now and the letter is missing from my computer desk... The wife may have tossed it as it was sitting around for a couple weeks now I'll inquire about it when she gets home though, and if I do find it, I'll scan it and post it up here.

I found this thread:
http://www.dslreports.com/forum/r214...-going-off-air

...and it sounds like the identical letter I got that 'John Q Public' quotes as saying:

I have the letter in front of me as I type this, and the first sentence reads:

"In February 2009, all U.S. channels are going off the air. That means you won't be able to get your favourite shows anymore if you use an antenna."
It also has a little window off to the side that says, "Here are some of the stations will lose after February 17, 2009 if you keep using an antenna:" and has the logos for NBC, ABC, CBS and Fox.

This is a lie, plain and simple... trying to drum up business.

[tvlurker]

I'm home now and the letter is missing from my computer desk... The wife may have tossed it as it was sitting around for a couple weeks now I'll inquire about it when she gets home though, and if I do find it, I'll scan it and post it up here.

Did it look like this: http://www.cogeco.ca/en/digital_tv_transition_o.html

Specifically:

What is the US Digital Transition?

As of February 17, 2009, US broadcasters will shut off their analog over-the-air (OTA) signals, and switch entirely to digital broadcasting.

Canadian broadcasters will not be impacted.

This forced digital transition is required and imposed by the US government. The changeover to digital broadcasting will diminish the signal spectrum used by broadcasters. This bandwidth will be reallocated to essential services such as local police and fire departments.

How will this affect my service?

After February 17, 2009, all homes with analog TV sets (with no digital tuners) who
receive their TV signal from over-the-air signals will lose their TV signal indefinitely.
• I.e. TV sets with rabbit-ear antennas will no longer receive TV signal.
• Some areas in southern Ontario receive over 20 over-the-air channels.

For TV sets connected to analog or digital cable with Cogeco, there will be no impact. Customers connected to Cogeco cable will continue to receive all their favourite programming, just like before.
• For homes with a Cogeco cable subscription that have secondary
TV sets not connected to cable, these secondary TV sets will no longer
receive TV signal. These secondary TV sets can however receive TV
signal from Cogeco via the installation of an additional outlet.

For those among you with no Cogeco cable who are concerned
about losing their favourite TV shows, why not get yourself a
simple, reliable, stable and fairly inexpensive way to assure
you keep your favourite TV shows. What are you waiting for?
Call Cogeco today to get yourself connected. Call
1 866-229-7981 to learn about some promotional
offers that are waiting for you!

I've bolded three key parts. The one in green is technically correct; the other two, in red, if read out of context (or even in context) are at best misleading and at worst wrong, since it does not include the original caveat about an analog-only tuner.

[Kevin S]

That does sound like it's close to the same wording that was in the letter, but I'm almost positive that is was not specific in mentioning "analog TV sets (with no digital tuners)"... I remember reading the letter a couple times and it being a blatant lie about no longer being able to receive the network stations via antenna. This may have been changed on their site due to complaints perhaps?

Regardless, even the possibly revised statements are still (IMO) intended to mislead the customers and strong arm them into thinking they have to get cable to get their TV stations.

I also want to see how they worded the little box on the right side of the letter. This was the most misleading part from what I recall, and was meant to catch your eye - it had all the network logos and basically said you will no longer get these channels if you have an antenna.

Even the green portion is an outright lie - if you buy a converter for your analog TV, then it will most definitely not lose signal. It's purposely misleading, and has likely drummed up a good amount of business for them due to customers that simply do not know any better.

I can't say for certain, but I'm pretty sure the gentlemen I quoted above typed these quotes word for word from the letter. His location is the same as mine, so he would have received the same letter as I.

I have the letter in front of me as I type this, and the first sentence reads:

"In February 2009, all U.S. channels are going off the air. That means you won't be able to get your favourite shows anymore if you use an antenna."
It also has a little window off to the side that says, "Here are some of the stations will lose after February 17, 2009 if you keep using an antenna:" and has the logos for NBC, ABC, CBS and Fox.

That sounds more familiar, and what I am pretty sure my letter stated. Unfortunately it looks like it's been tossed... I'm actually a bit ticked, as I would have loved to have blown them in to the CRTC. Purposely misleading people is an extremely pathetic approach at trying to gain customers.

[99gecko]

For those among you with no Cogeco cable who are concerned
about losing their favourite TV shows, why not get yourself a
simple, reliable, stable and fairly inexpensive way to assure
you keep your favourite TV shows.

Since as far as I can tell, most of the highest-rated prime time shows that are available OTA from US broadcasters, are also available from Canadian broadcasters, what about simply tuning into the Canadian broadcaster who has the rights for that show?????

Seems pretty simple to me.

[blakew]

It's somewhat infuriating that the chain stores constantly advertise that the only way to get HD is through Cable or Satellite.

That's why I wrote the Canadian Truth in Advertising Organization a letter telling them that companies are lying to customers, misinforming them, so that they'll purchase HD cable boxes or HD satelite boxes. They, just like the CRTC, looked into it, and required the named offender to explain. I received a letter from the organization. It came with a slippery reason why they worded it that way. To this day, I haven't seen either FS/BB willingly disclose to customers in store, print in store, or ads on TV that OTA (where available) is also a valid method of receiving HD programming.

I'd buy a copy just to photocopy (don't want to give anymore money to CTVgm ) that ad and plaster it all over the front window of all the BB and FS stores in my area.

I've often thought about wearing a "Ask me how I watch the Superbowl in HD for free" t-shirt outside BB/FS stores so that people aren't duped into buying a HD box just for the event, when an antenna would do (BB/FS don't make it easy for you, 'cause they don't sell any antennas worth buying).

[globaldiv]

http://www.cogeco.ca/en/digital_tv_transition_o.html

This latest version corrects the errors we found in the earlier version. It no longer makes it sound as though all OTA stations will be lost on the transition date. Good job.

[stampeder]

Nice to see that they've revised it. Thanks!

[roger1818]

Although greatly improved, it still has one sentence that is misleading:

For homes with a Cogeco cable subscription that have secondary
TV sets not connected to cable, these secondary TV sets will no longer
receive TV signal.

It should say they will no longer receive "American analog TV channels." The rest is very good however.

[stampeder]

I somehow overlooked that - thanks Roger - okay folks, time to complain again...

[spoonky]

i went into cogeco the other day to order it for the football season and the lady told me that as of feb next year all over the air channels will be turn off permately.lol they'll do anything to get new customers

[stampeder]

So they're still telling the same old fibs as last year...

[ota_canuck]

I sent this to the CRTC. Let's see if they dare to reply in 10 days. I'll post it here if they do.

_______________________________________
When you call cogeco, they'll tell you; "next year all over the air channels will be turn off permantely". It appears that they are desperate and they'll do anything to get new customers or upgraded customer service fees.

Why is COGECO lying to the public about television going off the air and telling the public that they need to get more cable services before August 2011. Is this not false advertising and a sad excuse for marketing their services. TV is not going off the air, it simply switching from analog to digital over the air reception. This type of BDU advertising is illegal and misleading and these BDU companies are using scum-business tactics on the general public. Why does the CRTC tolerate such illegal activity. I thought CRTC was an agency whom is working on behalf of the taxpayer, and not on behalf of the BDU lobyists.
___________________________________________________
This is your complaint reference number: 500581

Thank you for contacting the CRTC. If a further response is required, we will contact you within 10 working days.

[majortom]

A fib is when ur seven year old lies sayin they ate all their dinner, when in fact they slipped some under the table to the dog. Doesn't really hurt anyone, except for maybe the dog. A lie coming from the mouth of an adult business representative may in fact actually hurt someone.

[nakedgord]

Originally Posted by stampeder

So they're still telling the same old fibs as last year...

I'd be leery of being a paying customer of any company pulling "fibs" like this since what else will they think it's fine to fob about.

I can imagine, since much of Cogeco's territory is in the OTA hotspots of Hamilton, Niagara and Winsor and unlike Rogers in Toronto they don't have their celphone division to fall back on, they are likely the BDU most scared of free digital TV.

Sure they're pushing their digital phone but how viable is that as a business with services like Magic Jack popping up?

I suspect one day Cogeco may be little more than an ISP.

[argilo]

I recently switched my girlfriend's grandparents from cable to OTA (they're in a south-facing condo in Scarborough, so reception is great), and when I called Rogers to cancel their cable service I got the same lie. The representative I spoke to insisted that over-the-air TV would be disappearing in a matter of months, both in Canada and the US. Even after I made it clear I knew this was not true, the representative continued to repeat the lie. Argh!