It's amazing how quickly emotions flare and then subside these days. It appears the potential cancellation fee for an iPhone is not $7700, but only a maximum of $400. Typo. Jesus, you'd think such a large company would think to proof their fine print before hitting the submit button.

Here's my communication with Elizabeth Hamilton from Rogers today:

[blah blah blah, see my last post for what I said to her]

Thank you for your email. There is some incorrect and confusing information in the marketplace. iPhone 3G bundles released June 27 are not the ONLY price plans available to our customers, they are the high value plans that allow our customers to use this device to its fullest and offer considerable savings over separate voice and data plans that exist in market today.
As always, our customers have many choices, they can use their existing voice and smartphone data plans if they wish, including for example, selecting from our new data pricing (ranging from $30 for 300MB to $100 for 6GB or $50 Flex Rate plan) and then adding a voice plan that suits their own needs, or they can choose a voice and data plan to best suit their individual needs.
Customers do not need to take the value packs, and can order most other features a la carte, such as $7 for Caller ID.
With respect to existing customers, all customers' accounts are unique. If desired, customers can keep their existing voice service plan and pick a separate data plan (not in the iPhone 3G bundle) to meet their needs.
They will need to check their upgrade eligibility but any customer with a monthly service fee that is over $30 for example, can upgrade to an iPhone 3G at $199 (for the 8GB model). Other pricing may be available depending on the customer's individual information. If you are interested in this exciting device, I hope that this information is helpful to you. Thank you. Liz Hamilton

Cool. That's been said on other sites and blogs, but it's reassuring to hear. However it didn't address the issue about $1100 cancellation fees. So I replied:

Hi Liz. Thank you for getting back to me about this. I've heard the information you've just emailed me about other places too. I appreciate that, and right now I don't have much of a problem with that. I know the rates are much more than they are in other places in the world, but that's always been the case with Canadian wireless. In fact as it stands my bill WILL be lowered. Right now I'm using the $65 unlimited data plan. Or I could use another of your new, much friendlier data plans.

What actually was the last straw for me was this:
http://www.rogers.com/cms/html/iphone_vpterms.shtml

The ECF is the greater of (ii) $1100 or (iii) $220 per month remaining in the service agreement, to a maximum of 400 (plus applicable taxes), and applies on each line in the plan that is terminated.

I first read it as, if I want to cancel an iPhone plan, I will be subject to the lesser of $1100 or $220 x whatever months are left in my contract. So that would mean that I'm on the hook for $1100 if I decide to cancel my phone before there are 5 months remaining in my contract. Then when I reread it I saw that it actually says greater. So if I bought an iPhone and decided to cancel my contract after 30 days I would be liable for $7700! You must realize how ridiculous this is. I sincerely hope this is a typo or miscommunication. There are a lot of people who are absolutely livid after reading this!

There is the point where it says "to a maximum of 400," which I hope would be what was actually intended. The way it reads now is ambiguous as to whether it means $400 or 400 months. $400 would be in line with what US customers are paying for early cancellation. As well in the US they are offering iPhones without contracts for a $400 premium. http://www.tuaw.com/2008/07/01/doin-the-wacky-atandt-math2/

Would you please be able to clarify this? I will get the word out immediately. Thank you.

Then I hit up the wirelessnorth.ca thread that got our panties in a bunch again. Someone said it was a typo. Then someone else pointed to the French version of the page.

Maybe we jumped a little quick. But what I find the most surprising is how we wouldn't put it past Rogers to do something like that.

So I guess I'm back to the front of the line again. Ha!