Account #138435288
In November of 2007, I contacted Bell to let them know that I was moving and since I had received poor service in the past, I was going with a different provider. I paid my last bill in full and was told I would receive a credit for the overpayment, since service was shut off before the end of the billing cycle. They owe me a measly $32.00. It is now May of 2009. I have called numerous times and after waiting on hold for over 2 hours in total, I still have not received my credit. I am know contacting my lawyer. It is the principle of it. How much would I be paying in interest if I did not pay my bill for this amount of time. Bell Canada would have sent this to a collection agency by now.

I have been a customer of Bell Mobility for the past 8 years and, generally speaking, have been realitively satisfied. That is until now...

I recently "upgraded" my cell phone as well as my cell phone plan at a Bell World store. The reason for the "upgrade" was that I received numerous promotional materials in the mail along with several text messages which stated that I could upgrade my phone, for free, to a blackberry. So far so good...

I attended the store, spoke with a sales representative, and inquired about the costs associated with upgrading my phone and changing my plan. I initiated the topic of "Pro-rating" with the sales representative who assured me that the "pro-rating" charges wouldn't be too much, possibly $30 at most, and was satisfied with her explanation of my new plan costs as well as the "pro rating" charges. I was under the impression that my next bill would only be $30-40 dollars more than my old billing charges.

I recently received my phone bill from Bell which was $130 dollars more than what I had been assured by the sales representative that I dealt with. Needless to say, I wasn't impressed. Fees that the representative assured me would be waived, a $35 hardware fee and a $50 bill processing fee, were not, and the "pro-rating" charges were higher than what was explained to me.

I attended the store, a 20 min drive, only to have the manager tell me that they couldn't change the bill. I then returned home and called customer service who advised they could only credit my account with the $35 fee as the other one wasn't authorized. I am not sure why the $35 charge was even on my bill if it was "authorized" to be waived. There was no explanation given for this by the customer service representative. The call lasted 50 min, and I was only able to get the $35 waived.

I am extremely angry with this company. Every bill you receive from Bell should be analyzed very carefully as they apparently will apply charges even though they were authorized to be waived. They are just expecting people to pay the bill with out reading it first. This is criminal.

Secondly, I would like to bring attention to what the cell phone industry refers to "pro-rating". I am not sure that anyone understands it, I have to admit, I can't really articulate my understanding of it. I think it is an elaborate way of scamming more money out of the consumer. Be aware that sales reps don't understand this and NEVER bring it up to the person buying into the new plan. To avoid it when switching plans, you should change your plan on the date of your bill or, cancel your plan/contract and start a new one. With cancelling your plan, you may have to get a new phone number...

I will continue my efforts with respect to the $50 fee and never, ever agin renew my plan with Bell Canada. They are one of the most unscruptuously deceitful companies I have ever dealt with.

Bell Canada offers the worst service I have had with anyone anywhere (it even tops auto dealerships).

Ok so I signed up for Bell's new mobile Internet - $30.00 a month.

It doesn't work more than 50% of the time. Then two weeks later, it does not work at all. They tell me they have cut me off of the service (without my notification) because I had accrued $650 plus of charges. When I asked how this might have occurred since I thought I was on a $30 a month plan, they told me the employee had put me on the wrong plan. After about 5-10 phone calls, getting bounced from department to department, from Mumbai to Mississauga, I was told they would credit me (a month later) and that I would be put on a $35 plan (I guess the $30 one no longer existed). A week later, I again need to use my service (I initially tested it and it seemed fine), I could not get on the Internet. I call, and several departments later, I am told I was never taken off of the plan, and I again had my service cut off. I than had had the service for almost a month during which time it barely worked for two weeks and that was it. I asked if I could cancel the service. Yes, for a $200 cancellation fee. So, they promise me my service will work and I will be credited for the month. My credit cad bill comes in and they haven't credited the account the full amount. After another series of conversations with reps of decreasing competence, I am assured on my next bill it will be credited. A few days later, I again need to use the Internet and I can't get on. This is when the fun begins. The store gave me the wrong number (1-800-India). Now I teach English as a second language where I have taught people who cannot speak more than ten words, but I could not, for the life of me, understand what this person said. Eventually I realized I had the wrong department (Internet not mobility) even though the Bell store had given me the wrong number. Then I call the bell store and they give me another number. It was also wrong. It was a technical support line for the modem, and their advice involved programming language. The never bothered to consider if the modem was working of not. (i.e., no software problem). They didn't believe me. I then call Bell mobility explaining I was given over to a programming type at Nortel who had no shortage of computerease vocabulary but lacked troubleshooting skill. They then told me at Bell Mobility the problem was indeed the modem (this is over a month into my service) and I would need a new one. I asked if I could cancel the service. Yes for $200 was the reply. I then waited for the 3-5 business days for the modem to arrive. It didn't. I called. they said it was on back order for an indefinite time. Then I spoke to a manager who said he would mail me a demo model. I said I did not want a used modem. But again a $200 cancellation fee. By this time paying $200 seemed like a bargain But due to my Scottish background I did want to pay the fee. So I give him my address. However, he could not send it. I live in an apartment with p.o. boxes, and they won't send it there. He suggested I drive 25km to his office to pick it up. I refused. Then after seeing an "expert" for consultation about what to do, he called me back to say they could ship it to a friend's address. It is not April 27. I signed up March 1. I do not have a working modem. I then called Consumer Protection (Ontario Government) who said I should not have to pay the $200 cancellation but that their investigation could take up to two months.

Once I get time, I am switching to Rogers.

Complaint: Bell Canada - Customer Service Representative: Harassment/Forceful Actions/Illegal Inquiries

We recieved a call from someone claiming to be a 'representative' from Bell Canada around 4:45 PM, he was harrassing my wife first and then me, forcing us to provide unnecessary information already given the fact that both of our names were on the phone line regardless of my elderly father who has retired and is a stroke patient who has trouble coming to the phone. He was constantly argueing with my me and kept asking why we use the phone number if the number is registered on my fathers name, which is obviously none of his business, he kept using harsh words and was unprofessional. Even after my wife confirmed that her father in law (my dad) was living with us, he kept asking me if who this 'women' was unprofessionally. Completly unacceptable and i want to file a complaint for this person. I told him to hold on so that i could give the phone to my elderly father, and as soon as my father came on the phone to confirm his identity he hung up. I was merely telling him that me and my wife's name were also on the phone line regardless of my father who was original owner of the line. He is also a senior and has suffered a stroke recently. I told him consistantly that my name and my wife's name were on the phone line with Bell Canada and he kept ignoring that and wouldnt check on his computer for our names. His tone of voice was as if he was someone of a harassing stature whose main reason for the call was to ask unnecessary personal information.

At about 5:00 PM I contact Bell Canada and tried to file a complaint on this person, i do not know his name nor did he give me it as he hung really fast. The representative i spoke to considered my complaint and told me that my name and my spouse's name were already on the file and expressed doubts on why the other rep would not look over that before calling. They also said that as a customer service representative, the person we spoke to earlier shouldnt ask personal information due to the fact that it does not concern them and is a violation for the companies rules and regulations - that is to force and harass someone or provide false 'judgement.' They adviced me to visit this website and file a legal complaint on this rude, biased and unprofessinal representative. I want this representative to recieve deciplinary actions, I have been a customer for many years from Bell Canada and i did not expect that i would be treated like this. I have been harassed constantly by this person and i want the company to 'trace' this person and find out who he is and get him terminated immediatly. I am deeply sadened and frustrated by this call from your company. After being a customer for many years i told him that this was not a proper way to treat customers/clients which did not seem to effect this man. Once again, i want to request that this person be caught, traced, and brought to justice as it is unethical for any representative from Bell Canada to call customers up and harass them upon disbelief or force customers into providing sensitive information as well as lay out misjudgement on their customers. I want this representative i spoke to caught. This is a legitimate harassment call from someone claiming to be calling from Bell Canada as a customer service representative.

Shahid Syed,

([email protected])

04/16/09

I am making a claim in Small Claims Court against Bell Canada for over billing, failing to deliver a promised Internet speed and deliberately wasting my time in an attempt to discourage me from complaining. They over charged me by hundreds or thousands of dollars and refuse to give me back a nickel.

If you can send email that would help me to [email protected] or visit the site and use the contact form -- http://SeekPhone.info, I would very much appreciate it. Many people have complaints, but none have contacted that mail address yet.

I have assembled some information and am working on more to establish that my various complaints are not particular to me. Bell has a long-standing pattern of such abusive behavior going back at least a decade.

The BBB (notorious for NOT listing complaints against companies), shows hundreds of complaints against Bell. It gives Bell its lowest rating (F) of its thirteen different ratings. Amway, a company with a less than spotless public record has the highest possible rating (A). The number one complaint at the BBB is over billing.

I am looking for any material that people can supply that might help me with my claim and in particular to establish Bell's pattern of overcharging and dealing in bad faith. Any information you can supply as to the nature of the complaint, the investigation and resolution (if any) would be very much appreciated.

Just an Email with your story (mailto: [email protected]) would be helpful.

None of the agencies charged with oversight is doing its job, as far as I can tell. There are plenty of agencies that should have stopped this behavior and there is plenty of legislation to do it with. Despite that, after ten years of this, it goes on.

Here is an older CRTC decision that clearly shows that despite the obvious bad faith on Bell's part (you can see background at PIAC's site), the CRTC was unwilling to make a decision that would act as a deterrent to future abuse. The decision they made here still left some of Bell's victims over-charged. I would not be going to court now if the CRTC had done its job, because Bell would not have over-charged me in the first place. It is decisions such as this that has made illegal over charging a money-making proposition for Bell. (sic -- in one court decision, DeWolf Vs Bell, they were found to be in violation of the criminal code)

http://liveweb.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2004/dt2004-8.htm

For Bell, cheating customers is a net profit making activity even though they officially lose some (all as far as I can tell) of the formal challenges made against them.

Note that I contacted the CRTC quite some time ago with my complaints before during and after filing my claim against Bell. So far there has been no response at all from them.

I also contacted a cynical body (CCTS) that claims to be an impartial body that accepts and mediates complaints against a group of companies that includes Bell. It is funded entirely by the group it is charged with overseeing. Their (untimely) response to my complaint was to send me back an Email asking me to enter into a legal agreement before they would investigate. Whether by accident or design they sent me back a PDF file with their claim set up, with part of my information missing, part incorrect, and a status of
CLOSED. That is, they had closed my complaint prior to investigation.

Bell has a very well documented habit of essentially 'negative option billing' customers such as me. It is completely outside the bounds of acceptable business behavior. It would never be tolerated from most businesses. Bell, without my knowledge or permission, simply changed the rules by which it billed me and started billing me more than ten times (more than 100 times in one instance) the real value of what I was getting. This is a very common practice with them. In my case, it was contrary to an explicit agreement. However, I submit that no customer should ever have to continuously monitor a vendor to prevent the vendor from deliberately cheating them by suddenly over-charging, contrary to their original agreement. Bell is absolutely notorious for this.

Please be one of the few people that actually responds in a timely fashion. So far, despite plenty of postings and contacts to various people and agencies only two have responded. One was a columnist who has had numerous complaints sent to them about Bell and the other was someone who successfully sued Bell themselves. They are being very helpful. However, I am expecting Bell to defend very aggressively and would like as much evidence as possible to increase my chances of an award for punitive damages.

In my complaint, which is typical of complaints against Bell, Bell promised me a thing and delivered something else. They also promised me a price and charged me something else. When confronted the first
time, in 2005, they gave me *some* of my money back. The second time they did it, they offered me no compensation at all (it's worse -- see below).

Bell uses a variety of noxious practices. I would very much appreciate it if people could send along any stories and/or supporting material that would help me to establish this beyond doubt. These practices include:

# Improper Charges

# Cutting off Service

# Unauthorized Billing Increases and Changes.

# Threatening to cut off service resulting in fees (this is disallowed by legislation, but they threatened to do it to me anyway).

# Refusing to give a street Address and contact information. I was actually unable to ever get the name and street address where I could provably deliver court documents. I ended up delivering them to a Bell Store and half expect Bell to claim it never was served.

# Deliberately unpleasant/frustrating customer service. In one case, someone claims to have spend a thousand hours with them. I personally have had several weeks of time wasted and the number
continues to climb.

# Attempts to Frustrate -- "Customer Avoidance"

# Charging without consent. They just change the rules and slap the charges on your bill.

# Passing the buck in a deliberate effort to frustrate complainants.

# Over billing and billing issues

# A policy of aggressive upselling that includes complete falsehoods about the service offered. They do this as a matter of course constantly while pretending to deal with a complaint.

# They have policy of misrepresentation. For example, their bills read 'savings' highlighted and circled when they are charging the maximum rate -- ten times or more what customers usually pay. This is one of the ways they manage to over bill and get away with it for so long before people notice.

# Offering and charging for wrong Internet speeds. This is a particularly egregious practice. They offer and charge for 3-6Mb service on lines they know can carry much less. In one case personally known to me, this went on for years, during which the client complained. Bell finally admitted that the speed being charged was not possible on that line. No refund was offered.

# Harassing Calls -- Despite telling me on three different occasions *NOT* to pay my bill while they 'investigated', their collections people repeatedly harassed me. I am not alone in this.

# Offering fake reference numbers or refusing to give any reference that would allow you to prove a call took place.

# Constantly Broken Promises (more than a dozen in my case)

# Wasting customer's time

# Billing for services not installed. Some have been billed for services they did not even get and were still refused a refund.

# Broken refund promises. It is typical to initially offer a refund, 'up sell', provide and bill the 'up sold' service (but sometimes, as in my case, not even the one promised), and then deny a refund offer was ever made.

# False claims of 'investigations'. As in my case, people at call centers say they are starting an investigation when they do not even have the power to make notes on the file.

As you can see if you look around, there are many complaints similar to the above about Bell. However, I cannot thus far get any of these complainants to contact me directly so that I can make a credible claim in court that I have first-hand knowledge of the problems not being limited to me.

If you have a complaint about Bell, please get in touch. Whatever the court will allow me to publish, I will so that that you will have a better chance at getting some of your own money back.