Home Phone Pricing

[blewis042]

When I signed up for Shaw, I read that Home Phone "Includes Call Display, Call Waiting, Call Return, Voicemail, and all calls to other Shaw Home Phone customers are free" - see below:

However, when I didn't actually get these features, I was told that the keyword is "From $20/mo".  In other words, even though it says "Includes", you don't get those features unless you pay more than $20! 

Does anyone else find this very misleading?

[rstra]

@blewis042  If the bundled price for home phone is from $20, how are you paying less?

[mdk]

@blewis042 -- the "From $20 per month" phrase implies that add-ons, such as better rates when calling India, add to monthly invoice.

I could not find the web-page that appears in your image. The page I found states $40/month for new Shaw customers, and that package includes voicemail, and the other add-ons.

[blewis042]

I'm not paying less - I'm actually paying $26 / mo, because it was an additional $6 for voicemail and call waiting.  I find this misleading because the blurb above says that it's included in the $20 price.

[blewis042]

It's under "TV & Streaming" --> "Internet + TV Bundles".  After you pick a plan (essentially, what internet download speed you want), you are shown your "cart" and are given the option to add-on products and services, including a phone plan (see below).  If you check the "Home Phone" box, no additional options pop up.  The only option is to proceed to checkout.  During the checkout process, I didn't see anything that indicates that I would not be getting "Call Display, Call Waiting, Call Return, Voicemail, and all calls to other Shaw customers are free" as implied by the wording for the phone plan (again, see below).  However, when I realized that I didn't have voicemail (and most of the other services), I called and was told that they were available for an additional charge.  This is very misleading, at least to me.

[rstra]

@blewis042  I would call back, the bundled price includes those options and your should be getting them.

[blewis042]

@rstra they discounted the bundled price of $20 by $10 (i.e., I'm only paying $10); should I still expect to get those options for that price?

[rstra · Accepted solution]

@blewis042 If you are only paying $10 for the phone, you don’t qualify for the free add-ons.

[mdk · Accepted solution]

@blewis042 --  the bundled price includes those options and your should be getting them

It depends whether you are an current Shaw Home Phone customer, or you are a new customer.

Existing customers pay $20 to $25 for "basic" services, and add-on $6 for voice-mail / call-waiting / et cetera. 

I agree that it is bad wording, using "and" to join the included "free Shaw-to-Shaw calling" phrase with a phrase describing a partial list of extra-cost add-on features:

• Call Display
• Call Forward
• Call Return
• 3-Way Calling

There are more extra-cost add-ons:

• 250 North American Long Distance minutes
• 500 North American Long Distance minutes
• Asia Unlimited Long Distance
• India Unlimited Long Distance
• 1000 Minutes International Long Distance
• voice mail

So, the choice is (was?) yours.

[taz12004]

Yes I would. When says includes it means you get those with it. I got the $20 one and ended up being asked if I wanted to spend another $6.95 to add voicemail and call waiting. These days you get a home phone package those are wgT you get with it not have to pay extra for it