The wait is nearly over in Canada for customers that want the iPad, Apple’s much-awaited tablet device that has been available in the US for some time now.

The pricing in Canada puts it in the same ballpark as higher-end netbooks and lower-end laptops, but in terms of cost, Canadians get some of the best deals across the board for the device according to Macworld, with the 16GB Wi-Fi version selling at $549. The story seems to differ somewhat when it comes to data, which has been the source of a bit of a headache for both Apple and Canadian wireless provider Rogers.

In a post this morning to RedBoard, Rogers’ official blog, they announced the data pricing for the iPad, with customers able to get 250 MB for $15/month or 5 GB for $35, with both including unlimited access to Rogers Wi-Fi hotspots (available at locations such as Second Cup Cafes).  A more attractive option appeared to surface on Apple’s website earlier today however, stating that for $20 (it was unclear as to whether this was a recurring monthly cost or one-time fee), customers could link the iPad into their existing Rogers data plan (this has since been removed from the Apple website).  Almost immediately in the comments in the RedBoard post, comments started flying asking for details about the option.  Soon after the questions started coming, a comment from Rogers quickly shifted people’s enthusiasm.  Mary, part of the RedBoard team, commented that the reference was indeed an error.

This prompted a storm of comments, many negative, most surrounding the pricing of the data plans for the iPad and the lack of a data sharing option.  Some people have gone as far as to say Rogers “removed” the option (including this article from CBC News), which if true is really not cool on their part, but I like to give people (and companies) the benefit of the doubt.

Let’s say Rogers removed it (which also assumes it existed at all), assuming I even wanted an iPad with 3G, I’d be pretty upset myself.  However, if it’s an error on Apple’s end, then I’d be upset at them for getting hopes up before I’d get mad at Rogers for not offering the add-on to begin with.  In the event that both Rogers and Apple are at fault, then both are bound to (rightfully) get slagged on by the public, who of course can vote with their feet and their dollar by either not buying the iPad at all, or buying one and taking service with another provider.

At the end of the day, people are right to be upset, but while the data plans may be offered by Rogers, Apple is not immune to making errors in their marketing information.  We may never know who was at fault or to what extent they were at fault, but once the dust settles, things are likely to go much smoother.