Marketplace's Asha Tomlinson was hosting a Facebook Live with consumer advocate and Toronto Star columnist Ellen Roseman when they found out that Air Miles was scrapping the expiry policy. Here is their reaction. (CB
Thought your phone bill was bad?
Branch, N.L., resident Megan Mooney says she can't afford the $5,500 fee for Bell Aliant to hook up home phone and internet services. (Keith Burgess/CBC)
Now try forking out $5,500. That's how much Bell Aliant is charging a rural N.L. family to hook up their phone and internet. The family can't afford it (but let's be real, who can afford this?), so they'll go without the services for now.
Just keep this in mind next time you are griping about how much you pay a month.
Not the news you want to hear from a doctor
As if undergoing open heart surgery wasn't enough, two Halifax hospitals are warning thousands of heart surgery patients they may have been exposed to a rare infection from contaminated medical tools.
More than 4,000 people who have undergone heart surgery in Halifax hospitals are being notified that they were potentially exposed to a bacteria. (Majdi Mohammed/Associated Press)
But it gets worse. The symptoms may take months or years to develop.
Your miles are safe
You don't have to buy that toaster anymore. Air Miles owner LoyaltyOne caved on its expiry policy threat just before the looming end-of-year deadline. Just to repeat: there's no longer a five-year expiration date on unused miles acquired from 2012 on.
Not much solace for collectors who rushed to redeem miles for stuff they may not have really wanted.
Shop around
Stephen Weyman in Moncton, NB., has tips for how Canadians can get super cheap home phone service and find free TV on the internet. (Stephen Weyman)
No, we're not talking about the Miracles/Smokey Robinson song (or the Captain & Tennille cover, for that matter). We're talking about advice for saving on TV, phone and internet bills. Just look at how happy this guy looks.
We have some tips for you here: from getting free cell service to sharing your Netflix password (really, it's totally legit).
This week in recalls
If you have a baby, you might want to check out this week's recall list. There are several infant-geared items including a potentially flammable onesie and a pacifier that's a choking hazard.
No kids? Well, some broccoli slaw has been recalled. Sigh. Getting your greens just got a bit harder.
In other news: The small screen edition
A busy week in the world of TV. Pick and pay channels are here, but they've been getting some pretty poor reviews. So, what else is new?
Well, Netflix is eager to fill the gap. After a push from subscribers, the streaming service is now allowing downloads of some movies and TV shows so you can watch them offline.
Gilda Spitz in Toronto is not happy with Rogers pricing for some of its pick and pay channels. (Gilda Spitz)
That announcement comes as another video streaming service bursts onto the Canadian scene: Amazon Prime looks like it is coming north soon.
So, do you want to Amazon Prime and chill? It doesn't really have the same ring to it, does it?
Get your questions answered
Hoping to get some answers to questions about consumer news? We have you covered with our Facebook Live series. We've hosted three of them on our page this past week. No fear if you missed out. Rewatch them here:
- Rewards programs with Asha Tomlinson
- Pick-and-pay plans with tech writer Matthew Braga
- How not to break the bank this holiday with On The Money
Here's what happens when there's a major announcement during a live chat on Facebook. Watch tonight when @AshaTomlinson unpacks the facts.
Give us a like on Facebook so next time around, you can join the conversation, too.
On Marketplace: Air Miles rage
About 17 million Canadians are members, making it the biggest loyalty program in the country. But is all that loyalty paying off? All this and more on TV this weekend or online right now.
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