Rogers Cancellation Fee Dropped After Wildfire

Why were the Browns asked to pay $660?

Greg Brown told CTV that his wife called Rogers and explained what had happened. According to Brown, the company offered two options: pay the $660 disconnection charge or keep the inactive account open for $10 a month until the family found somewhere else to live.

“My wife called to cancel our Rogers account, and she was told, despite our situation, that we would have to pay a $660 fee to disconnect, or pay us $10 a month to hold the account until we land somewhere again,” he said.

The couple also expected they might be charged for Rogers equipment destroyed in the fire because the hardware belonged to the provider. Recovering a router from the remains of a burned home was not presented as a practical option, for fairly obvious reasons.

Early termination fees are common in fixed-term internet contracts. They are intended to cover the remaining commitment when a customer leaves early, although applying one after the service address has been destroyed raises a rather different customer-service question.

What did Rogers do after the case became public?

Rogers eventually reversed course. The company apologized to Greg Brown and his wife, waived the charges and said it would “make it right” for the family.

After the fees were removed, Brown said his concern extended beyond his own situation.

“We’re going to be OK. Others may not have been so lucky,” he told CTV.

The resolution spared the couple from paying hundreds of dollars to disconnect internet service from a property that could no longer receive it. Still, the case showed how standard cancellation policies can produce absurd results when automated contract rules meet an actual disaster.

Some governments and cities have introduced rules intended to make subscriptions easier to cancel. Yet many customers still face lengthy procedures, retention offers and early-exit charges. Services may advertise simple sign-ups, while cancellation remains the administrative equivalent of a small endurance test.

When infrastructure and contracts collide

Customers can lose internet access for reasons entirely outside their control, from wildfires and floods to damaged cables. Providers then have to decide whether to enforce ordinary contract terms or recognize that the circumstances are plainly not ordinary.

In another unusual disruption reported in February, the sale of an internet provider collapsed after rats repeatedly chewed through its cables. The rodents apparently found the wiring “tasty,” proving that broadband infrastructure has critics across several species.

For the Browns, Rogers ultimately chose the sensible option and removed the fees. It just took public attention before the company arrived there.