Follow Up From Shaw Communications Inc.
Shaw called me back the same day and I was able to connect with a customer experience manager.
Shaw offered me a $5 monthly discount valid for 6 months, and they said their 30 days advance notice complies with industry standards, but they would review it to ensure all customers are treated fairly based on their individual circumstances.
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A Letter to Shaw Communications Inc.
Friday, February 7, 2014
From:
Carter Kagume
To:
Shaw Communications Inc.
Suite 900, 630 - 3rd Avenue
S.W., Calgary, Alberta
Canada T2P 4L4
Phone: (403) 750 - 4500
Fax: (403) 750 - 4501
Website: www.shaw.ca
Dear Shaw,
As my internet service provider, I'm grateful to you because I use the internet almost every day - to check emails, read the news, study, do research, write on my blogs and enjoy online entertainment.
However, I have two complaints:
1. The Cost
It costs me $60 a month for internet service, with taxes, I pay $67.20. Due to health reasons, I'm on disability, which means I get $906 a month to live on. So my internet bill is 7% of my income.
By comparison, Bradley Shaw, the CEO of Shaw Communications made over CDN $12 million dollars in 2013 [1].
Since I'm on a limited budget, I have to go to the local food bank for food because the less money I spend buying food, the more money I have for other expenses.
Your high internet prices are directly responsible for: me having to use the food bank, not having enough resources to buy food for my nutrition, decreasing my overall standard of living and increasing my stress and unhappiness.
Ideally, it would be nice to see fair pricing that benefits me and everyone else, instead of feeling used and abused as your top leaders enjoy outrageous salaries at my expense.
2. 30 Days Advance Notice
According to your company policy, I have to give you 30 Days notice to cancel my internet service. The terms read, "Please note that the Joint Terms of Service require that you provide Shaw with 30 days advance notice in the event that you wish to terminate all of your Services."
Life doesn't give us 30 days notice. Life is spontaneous and dynamic. If for whatever reason, I had to move immediately, I would still have to pay Shaw an extra months bill, even though I wouldn't be using the service.
This is corporate theft. Just because it's part of your corporate policy doesn't make it right. Theft is theft. If a mugger walked down the street and mugged me, saying it was part of his policy, that still wouldn't make it right.
Ideally, if I wanted to cancel my internet service, I should be able to call Shaw up, cancel immediately, with Shaw reimbursing me for any unused portion of the service.
I hope you take my comments seriously. I write not only on my behalf, but also, on behalf of everyone else who finds themselves in a similar situation.
May The One True God, The Infinite God, The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob guide you, may He lead you and may He show you the way.
God is with us and to Him we shall all return.
Carter
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References
1. Bloomberg Businessweek, Consumer Discretionary Sector, Media Industry, SJR/B. Accessed Feb 7, 2014 http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/people/person.asp?personId=1123368&ticker=SJR/B:CN
Copyright © 2014, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.
