An open Letter to Shaw Direct

Dear Jim,

You write, “Over the last 8 years, we have seen huge advances in the technology of our receivers without an impact on the MRF. Effective Feb. 1, 2010, the monthly rate for MRF (multiple receiver fee) will increase by $1/month to $5.99/month”

Over the past 8 years this is simply not true.

When I signed up in the summer of 2001, there was no multiple receiver fee. So, the MRF fee has in fact gone up by $5 over the last 8-9 years.

Meanwhile, my receiver is still the same VERY SLOW piece of crap motorola receiver you made me buy in 2001. I’ve seen no improvement in technology at all, and I’m locked into buying crappy, closed source, proprietary receivers if I want to receive your signal. You make me pay for the equipment, and then prevent me from using it the way I want.

When I first signed up, you gave me this “credit” on programming, but you made me spend it on your premium package, rather than on the basics package that I wanted, which meant that the receiver really cost me 2x as much as I was lead to believe.

The packages are such that I get hundreds of channels I do not want, and I can not get the two or three channels that I want without huge expense.

Meanwhile, the number of Pay-per-vue channels continues to decrease (and most of them are porn), I guess because you never bothered to offer your loyal customers an upgrade to the oval dish, and I can only see one of the two satellites.

If hulu.com opens in Canada, you can kiss my business goodbye.

If any local TV stations disappear from my dial, you can kiss my business goodbye. If you pass on any local TV tax to me, then I can assure that I will simply cut my bill by that same amount, or give up, and just watch DVDs.