My Phone blew to pieces in an accident. I was already finished my contract and on a month to month basis. I asked for a replacement and bell told me that the only way i would be able to use my credit (255$) is if I would re-sign a 2 year contract. I wasn't interested in a yearly contract, customer for 6 years and have credit... please give me a new phone. Because I wouldn't sign the 2 year plan, Bell Canada threw my credit out of the window and slapped me an additional 30 day fee for cancellation. I was robbed my credit and billed for an additional month i would not be using, because my phone is busted. I am not renting an apartment, it's a phone, why should I have to pay for a 30 day cancellation notice??? That's just another way of giving it to you in a very bias unfair manner. I am disgusted and i feel robbed. What other companies have this 30 day cancellation notice??? It should be illegal.

WHat is the point of credit if they are simply going to waive it without your consent?

On April 8, 2008 a Bell telemarketer called me at home to offer me 3 months of free phone service and 5 cents long distant any time minute to North America and Hong Kong. After 3 months my phone bill would be $17.95 per month, after one year my phone bill would be $22.95 per month if I agreed to return to Bell. I accepted his offer and agreed to have the Bell technician to come in on April 17, 2008 to reconnect to the Bell line in my home. He assigned a confirmation #1000954233 to this conversation.
My first phone bill received on May 12 was $126.21, with $ 65.51 for 302 long distant minutes. After numerous phone calls to Bell and talked to five different staff in two occasions, finally on June 5 someone by the name of Marg agreed to assign an investigation into this issue and provided me with an investigation #5493893 and promised a report in five days. On June16, a message left on my home phone to inform me that I was not qualify for the three months free service because I only have one feature on my phone, I need to have at least three features to qualify for the three months free service. I am really disappointed to hear this message and admired Bell's inovative way to trick customers into their trap. At this moment I feel helplless in terms of getting Bell to honour their offer and committment. Any suggestions is appreciated.

On May 28, 2008 I received a call from the automated service from Bell, asking me to hold the line and that a french message would follow, after listening to their message for ten minutes I tried to hang up the phone to call them back to find out what seemed to be the problem. No luck. When I tried to dial out I still was listening to Bell Canada is trying to reach you... a french message will follow. How long does it take Bell Canada reps to contact me? I have been on hold with their techs for less time. I am finishing this to call an emergency outgoing number, from my pharmacy five minutes away. Thanks to Bell Canada. My money working hard for them. Hello Bell? What if it were your children who needed the emergency help? And please, no apology will EVER make up for this one.

On October 27, 2007, I received a call from a representative from Bell Canada. A bell representative asked me if I would like to receive a new 'wireless' modem, no charge for this. It would increase speed of my computer by 20%. (Guess what, no increase in speed) I accepted the offer. But wait, bell Canada had an exceptional 'promotional offer' if I was interested. A laptop for an increase in my monthly billing of just $12.00 a month for 36 months. The total would ultimately be a total of $432.00 for 36 months. Frankly, I hardly use the computer I have now. But my daughter asked if she could have it for school research, homework for the grand daughter. OK with me, I can pay $12.00 a month added to my monthly billing for 36 months. I had gotten the phone number and called the representative. I accepted the promotional offer with the aforementioned terms. Shortly thereafter I received the wireless modem.

About a week later I received a call from a rep. stating bell had depleted its supply of the promotional laptop and it was necessary to reorder to satisfy customer orders. But wait, the substitute would be an improved model. He said I was lucky to get the improved model under the same terms given to me before. OK with me.

Couple weeks or so later I received the laptop. My daughter was visiting me and opened the package. She took the instructions and I immediately put other documents into a file folder. I did not read anything as I already knew the terms. This was in late November. We contacted Bell customer service and arranged for my daughter to have the laptop and her added to my account. This was necessary in case there was a future problem and she needed a technician, etc.
My bell billing for January arrived. I checked the charges and saw that a $30.00 charge for a 'laptop starter fusion' was debited to my account. I thought this might be an initial activation fee so I paid it. My February arrived with another $30.00 charge for a 'notebook starter'. I called Bell and queried the charge. I was told the substitute laptop was a more expensive model that I had received. I explain the original call from Bell offering a laptop at $12.00 monthly for 36 months, and the latter call saying I would receive a substitute as Bell had depleted its supply. Also, that I was told there was no extra charge. The terms remained the same.

This effort gained nothing from the many Bell representatives I have emailed (online chat with representatives) and spoken to regarding the promotional offer. The callously tell me I received a more expensive model and, to put it simply, I need to pay for it, period! My last conversion with a Bell rep. named 'Edward' (don’t give surname) with Agent ID of X7515, located in the Ottawa Billing office. Understand that there have been numerous contacts with Bell but never with the same representative. He apparently perused my complaints (with some callous I might mention) and suggested he could lower the total monthly billing for me by eliminating my anti-virus, and other internet services to lower the bill. However, this did not affect the charge for the laptop which is $30.00 for 36 months for a grand total of $1, 080.00! Needless to say I was reluctant to accept this as this whole thing was not my mistake by one made by Bell. Edward and I agreed that he call me the next day to confirm my acceptance of his suggestion. I waited all day and received no call from him. (By the way, during these contacts I was informed that Bell does not directly offer promotional products. Bell sub-contracts such offers to different companies). As far as I am concerned the mistake belongs to Bell or its sub-contractor. I was told by another bell rep. named 'Caleb' Agent ID 6806 that he had forwarded a request to investigate the company offering the promotional laptop. As of now, that appears still on-going if in fact he did indeed make the effort and to follow-up on the investigation. As of now, I do not have anti-virus because Edward took it off my internet services. I believe he thinks his suggestion for lowering my monthly payments thought eliminating is ok with him as there is no contact from him. The problem is it has poor English speaking reps with little knowledge of comprehension skills with the language. They don’t care what happened, who caused it, who to lay blame on, EXCEPT hey the customer got the laptop he should pay for it. Misleading information from Bell or not, Customer has it so shut up and just pay for it.

Communication is lousy because of poor English from reps. I have been to India many time, to ten Philippines, and around eastern Canada. How the hell can one focus on anything in this organized chaos of Bell Canada.

I understand that Bell Canada now has call centers in central Asia. If they are going to send jobs overseas, perhaps they could ensure that there employees speak English. After nearly 90 minutes on the phone last Friday, trying to sort out my Internet account... (I had Wimax installed that morning, however when I called Bell that afternoon to find out why it wasn't working, they advised my account had been terminated... that's another story...)... I was eventually transferred to a gentleman who obviously didn't finish in the top half of his "English as a second language class".

As the Bell customer service rep read me my new account number, the exchange went something like this:

Bell: “B” as in bob
Me: Yes
Bell: “one”
Me: Yes
Bell: “Y” as in unicorn
Me: Sorry….”Y” or “U”
Bell: Yes…..”Y” as in “you”
Me: Sorry, I just want to make sure I’ve got it right…are you saying “Y” or “U”
Bell: (now becoming impatient)…..”Y”…”Y”……as in unicorn
Me: Do you mean “Y” as in yellow….or “U” as in unicorn
Bell: Oh…sorry…yes…….”Y” as in yellow….
Me: Ok….got it thanks
Bell: Next letter…..”J” as in George
Me: Sorry….”J” or “G”…..
Bell: (even more impatient)……”J”….”J” as in George….
Me: Sir, I don’t mean to be rude, but would it be possible to speak with someone who speaks better English
Bell: I’ll put you though to customer service

After nearly 25 minutes on hold, the line finally went dead...

After calling back, and spending another 45 minutes on the phone, the problem was eventually worked out….(I hope)……My total “Bell experience” this time…..2 hours, 45 minutes….

I truly believe that hell is not actually fire and brimstone, but a Bell Canada call-loop…..and that the devil is not named Lucifer, but “Emily, the automated attendant…”

Thanks for letting me vent,

A. Taylor
Ontario, Canada