Goodbye Bell Canada

[ColdH20guy]

Just a rant,

 

So I called Bell Canada today to cancel our phone number at home as we both have new smartphones with a plan and voicemail and dont need to pay $60-$70 a month for another phone bill that we hardly use.

I first got the ever so friendly voice prompt..for English press 1 ,for Billing press 2 etc; once past that I then needed to confirm my voice password. I said the prompt 3 times and received. "I'm sorry the voice doesnt match the voice/name on file"..

 

I am the one the bill comes to and has spoken to Bell numerous times over the years! What a joke..I finally pushed '0' and spoke with some one who was having issues with her headset and could not hear me at all going back and forth between her headset and handheld..my blood pressure was just starting to rise by this time..She finally connected me with a guy in the 'connections' department who said I had been a customer for many years and wondered why I was cancelling my phone. I told him why and he said to 'hang on' that he was going to speak to his manager to see 'what he could do'. I reminded him of the reason for my call but he was a persistent little bugger and tried everything to get me to stay including lowering the price, but that he would have to get authorization from his manager. By this point, I said that I too would like to talk to the manager.

 

Here's the kicker when he finally stopped harassing me, he said you have to give 30 days notice and that it would be another $60 for a months worth and it would be cancelled sometime in the next 30 days!! (I had waited until now as our billing date was the 7th January and wanted to time it that way) ...Are you kidding me..

The home phone was the only service we had with Bell and I cant see us going back to Bell..ever!

 

thanks for the vent...

Rich

[lookinforwalleye]

Got rid of my home phone when I moved back to Orangeville in September, don`t need it,don`t miss it and we don`t get those disturbing phone calls at dinner time anymore.

[Harrison]

Same thing happened to me except for phone, cable and interent when I moved. Toughest part was trying to talk to someone who didn't have a script in front of them or I could understand. Sad, but very true.

 

Rogers has been better customer service wise. I'll never go back to bell.

 

So your not alone sir.

 

Just to add:

 

I did cancel the services but still got dinged and threatened with collections if I didn't pay. Livid is putting it lightly.

Edited January 5, 2011 by Harrison

[ColdH20guy]

see..I feel better aleady

 

big breath...........

 

thanks guys

[Bernie]

Now if there was only an option for hydro....

[bassman87]

With any services I think you require 30 days notice of cancellation, again for all I know. The rest sucks though.

[grt1]

after reading the topic title, I thought you might be one of the lucky 19 that spit the $50 million.

[shan&jay]

i got screwed by bell a few years ago i called to cancel our services (phone internet and expressvu) and switched to cogeco they kept billing me for the next several months for the services that they cancelled and we where no longer recieving ( ther satelight stopped working the next day!) well calling did nothing and i was stuck paying in the end, if not my credit gets ruined. its too bad these companys keep getting away with this kind of stuff. the sad part is bell isnt even canadian company anymore, but the name bell is what keeps customers

[LeXXington]

Got rid of bell telephone months a go. They called every day begging to come back, sent me please come back letters..

 

Funny they treated me like a hack for 15 years . Then when I leave we are like long lost friends.

 

So long don't let the door hit you on the way out.

[cwpowell]

Majic Jack! Can't be happier!

[mistaredone]

Bell are predatory in nature. I was charged for 6 months of service for a location that hadn't been built. After a long hard fight I still ended up paying $$ to protect my credit. Worst costumer service ever. Never again.

[MCTFisher9120]

Mine was hooked up...then that was it, have not had 1 problem for 4 months now. Some reason the channel never leaves 419(WFN)....something's wrong

[tb4me]

Hey Lets get a report on thise Magic Jacks? Im interested. I hear you get voice mail and caller ID with them....Any input?

[BUSTER]

I still owe 900 since 2005 and I wont pay them.

Last year a friend who had gone bankrupt due to divorce needed a cell phone, I went to get a cell phone for him in my name to help out and completely forgot about it!

I am sure its on my credit however I don't have any issue's getting money from the bank?

and the story behind the 900....bah , my fingers would cramp and then I wont be able to give them the finger every time I drive past the store.

[Billy Bob]

Hey Lets get a report on thise Magic Jacks? Im interested. I hear you get voice mail and caller ID with them....Any input?

 

As soon as my deal with Verizon expires I will be going to MagicJack...my son has one without any issues.

 

http://www.magicjack.com/6/index.asp

[Big Cliff]

I have noticed some improvement in Bell's customer service in the last little while, people that can actually speak English, a little friendlier. BTW when they put you on hold, they can still hear everything you are saying. The hold routine is used to get you pissed off so you'll give up and hang up. If they ask to put you on hold tell them NO, then they are not allowed to do it.

 

One of the things that really bother me is that there are still a lot of people paying rental on the old style phones back before you could use your own phone. Most of these people are seniors, Bell knows it but won't offer to wave the rental fee or anything unless you call in and ask about it. They are collecting a lot of money every month for phones that aren't even being used anymore.

 

Lastly 30 days cancellation isn't unfair, you contract with them to provide you with a service, I think that 30 days notice isn't unreasonable. I just call them 30+ days in advance and tell them what date I want it cancelled on.

 

We will be cancelling our bell phone service in the very near future and using our cell phones anyway.

 

I'll still be stuck with them for Satellite but that is OK, you are allowed up to 6 receivers on your account. I have 1 at my son's place, 1 at my daughter's place, (I have cottages there (hint hint) and 3 here. So, if you have kids or friends that want satellite TV...... well, you figure it out.

 

So from now on, if you want to talk to Big Cliff my cell # is 705-928-8899

[ColdH20guy]

I have noticed some improvement in Bell's customer service in the last little while, people that can actually speak English, a little friendlier. BTW when they put you on hold, they can still hear everything you are saying. The hold routine is used to get you pissed off so you'll give up and hang up. If they ask to put you on hold tell them NO, then they are not allowed to do it.

 

One of the things that really bother me is that there are still a lot of people paying rental on the old style phones back before you could use your own phone. Most of these people are seniors, Bell knows it but won't offer to wave the rental fee or anything unless you call in and ask about it. They are collecting a lot of money every month for phones that aren't even being used anymore.

 

Lastly 30 days cancellation isn't unfair, you contract with them to provide you with a service, I think that 30 days notice isn't unreasonable. I just call them 30+ days in advance and tell them what date I want it cancelled on.

 

We will be cancelling our bell phone service in the very near future and using our cell phones anyway.

 

I'll still be stuck with them for Satellite but that is OK, you are allowed up to 6 receivers on your account. I have 1 at my son's place, 1 at my daughter's place, (I have cottages there (hint hint) and 3 here. So, if you have kids or friends that want satellite TV...... well, you figure it out.

 

So from now on, if you want to talk to Big Cliff my cell # is 705-928-8899

 

Hi Cliff

As per my post, thats what we are doing but just frustrating trying to actually do it. I wonder if we will get calls and letters like others suggested to stay with them..time will tell..

 

thanks for the comments guys

[SRT8 smoker craft]

I still owe 900 since 2005 and I wont pay them.

Last year a friend who had gone bankrupt due to divorce needed a cell phone, I went to get a cell phone for him in my name to help out and completely forgot about it!

I am sure its on my credit however I don't have any issue's getting money from the bank?

and the story behind the 900....bah , my fingers would cramp and then I wont be able to give them the finger every time I drive past the store.

 

I'm in the same boat but it's from 08 and it will NEVER show up on your credit rating it's just a scare tactic there's pretty much nothing they can do and the same thing with me very long story why I won't ever give Bell another dime.

[solopaddler]

it's just a scare tactic there's pretty much nothing they can do

 

Not true. My issues with Bell would take long time to outline.

I don't merely dislike them I despise them.

 

There were threats of lawsuits from my end. They tried to stick me with a $900 bill that ultimately went to a collections agency and would have affected my credit rating.

 

Ultimately they backed down and my "debt" was erased.

 

Never again, they're an absolute joke.

[bigugli]

I used to get the continual phone calls to come back to bell, I no longer receive those calls.

 

I made 2 threats. 1) I threatened to sue them for harassment and breach of privacy.

2) I was going down to the call center and ripping someone's throat out.

[SRT8 smoker craft]

Not true. My issues with Bell would take long time to outline.

I don't merely dislike them I despise them.

 

There were threats of lawsuits from my end. They tried to stick me with a $900 bill that ultimately went to a collections agency and would have affected my credit rating.

 

Ultimately they backed down and my "debt" was erased.

 

Never again, they're an absolute joke.

 

I check my credit regularily and my bell debt has been with 3 different collection agencies and has never made it onto my report and it's going on 3 years now I just keep telling the agencies I won't pay it and they stop calling until it's sent to another short of taking you to small claims court there is nothing they can do (which rarely happens for less tham $1000) a utility company can't even report to equifax anymore like they used to.

[crappieperchhunter]

Bell never did us any wrong. We're lucky I guess. But a few years back we looked into changing our package with them and found Rogers offered a way better deal..so we switched. bell has bugged us ever since to come back to them. We did this spring..cause now they have a better deal then Rogers.

 

I hope they bash each other to death competing for my business. I'm paying less a month now then I was 4 years ago ...with better TV and internet packages. Competition is a good thing

[spincast]

Bell ran my BP up to explosion point too many times. Problems with internet service, problems with land lines, problems with satellite TV; beyond a doubt THE worst customer service I have ever experienced; disconnected my phone and internet and telepone a MONTH before our move date and then took three hours of phone calls to get them admit it was their error (business cell phone) - then they tried to bill me for service for months after I left and had actually cancelled the service. The CSRs I did dealt with couldnt speak Englishunless it was from the paper in front of them , nor understand me (that may not have been all their fault given my mental state ) and they had NO managers available to escalate even after waiting an hour (speaker phone). Fortunately, I had all the canellations and communications documented, the names dates and times pf the people I spoke to recorded, so when it came to them telling me I owed them money I just sent them photocopies of that along with my lawyers phone #. END

 

The Leafs will win 3 cups in a row before Bell gets another penny from me, and when they are retarded enough to call me on my Rogers land line and druel maple syrup voices at me promising they would walk a mile through the desert wearing ice fishing survival suits if I would just, please, with sugar on top give them one more chance as a service provider - I tell them that - then tell 'em to quit harrassing me.

[ColdH20guy]

Bell ran my BP up to explosion point too many times. Problems with internet service, problems with land lines, problems with satellite TV; beyond a doubt THE worst customer service I have ever experienced; disconnected my phone and internet and telepone a MONTH before our move date and then took three hours of phone calls to get them admit it was their error (business cell phone) - then they tried to bill me for service for months after I left and had actually cancelled the service. The CSRs I did dealt with couldnt speak Englishunless it was from the paper in front of them , nor understand me (that may not have been all their fault given my mental state ) and they had NO managers available to escalate even after waiting an hour (speaker phone). Fortunately, I had all the canellations and communications documented, the names dates and times pf the people I spoke to recorded, so when it came to them telling me I owed them money I just sent them photocopies of that along with my lawyers phone #. END

 

The Leafs will win 3 cups in a row before Bell gets another penny from me, and when they are retarded enough to call me on my Rogers land line and druel maple syrup voices at me promising they would walk a mile through the desert wearing ice fishing survival suits if I would just, please, with sugar on top give them one more chance as a service provider - I tell them that - then tell 'em to quit harrassing me.

 

[castgame]

my full bell rant would take an hour to write out.

to sum up:

1) they put my in two contracts without notifying me i was in a contract (how can i be in a contract without a single record of my consent?!)

2) they just recently mailed me a new modem because my old one (which i have to rent for an absurd amount of money) was malfunctioning. it came with some setup instructions which i ignored because i didn't need them, but in with that literature i just noticed a small paragraph stating that i had two weeks to mail back my old modem or incur a $75 penalty. are you kidding me?! never thought to mention that to me on the phone, any of the three people i talked to about this?! good luck getting that money from me. if they insist, i'm cancelling my account, leaving any unpaid balance, and switching providers immediately.

Edited January 5, 2011 by castgame