Bell Expressvu Programs, Equipment and Rants

[tkroeker]

Hi all,

I just wanted to start a thread for Bell Expressvu (BEV) users so we could have a place to rant, discuss equipment or other issues that come up. Bell has a poor track record for customer service and firmware updates and my hope is that this thread may give people a place to go.

On that note, I wanted to share my latest experience with Bell. I had heard grumblings that if pressed bell would give discounts and or new equipment to people that called and demanded to be let go, or that they found better deals with other companies. So what I did was call bell, and told them that I was looking at canceling my service because of better equipment and programing at Shaw and MTS. Within 5 minutes I had 20% off my programming for a year, a New 9241 HD receiver free for a year (rental), and a free install. I think if pressed it I could have gotten 40% off, but I was happy to get anything at all.

If you call, you are looking for the retentions department, which is who you'll get if you call the bell 800 number and follow the menu to "disconnect service". I would bet money that all the big service providers have this department.

It doesn't sound like much money but after being nickle and dimed for years by bell, I felt pretty good.

[Suave]

This must have been a hilarious coincidence but as I was reading your post, the google ad below the post was from Rogers and it said "Get a free Rogers HD box when you trade in your satellite receiver". What are the chances...

I know that you started this as a Bell thread but I thought that I would share my story about the deal I got from Rogers 2 weeks ago because it's very similar.

Recently, my Rogers bundle package promotion (TV, internet & phone) expired. I used to pay about $165/month and my bill jumped to nearly $210/month. I phoned Rogers and told them that Bell was offering me the same services at a much lower cost (I didn't say a price) and that it simply didn't make sense for me to be paying Rogers $210/month. The first person that I spoke with couldn't do anything for me, but they escalated the call to client relations. I told them the same story and within minutes the reduced my bill to $133/month - that's a savings of 37 percent!

The point is that clearly we can play TV cable providers against each other in order to get a substantially better rate these days.

[AlienTech]

/rant on/

I upgraded my bell internet to "fibe" the 16 mb package in Feb. and it never shows 16 mbs on any speedtest including Bells own test site. I called tech and complained 4 days after getting the new service. They escalated me to the top tech and he said there was nothing wrong that he could see and would send a tech to my location. 2 days later a guy showed up, did some tests outside and then came in to check my lines. His little yellow test box said I was getting 16mbs... so I told him I don't surf the net with a little yellow box and I expressed my deep disappointment in the deception that bell perpetrates with this gear. When I go to any speedtest site it STILL only shows 10 - 12 mbs....

Bell called earlier this week to do a customer satisfaction survey and I told them how disappointed I was and that I would soon be switching to Primus with their 6mbs and unlimited BW package and save $40 a month, taking my phone and internet with me. They cut the 16mbs package down to $55 a month with 105Gb BW included. I still only see 10 - 12 mbs on test sites but the price is OK for now.

THEN yesterday I got an email solicitation from bell offering 7/25Mbs for $57.95 a month!!! so now I have to call and complain about that....

I hate the telecom industry in Canada, it's uncompetitive, slow and over priced. After living in the US for 4 years and getting my pre-paid cell for $0.10 a minute with NO roaming and NO Ld charges anywhere in the US and Canada I got a little spoiled. Not to mention 8/45Mbs internet for $50 a month

Canadians are being ripped off by big telecoms which are aided and abetted by the CRTC and other gov agencies all in the name of "protecting" Canadian teleco's when in reality they are doing more harm to our economy that good.

Bell still has a surcharge for "touch tone" dialing for petes sake, when was the last time you saw a rotary dial phone?? in the 70's?

/rant off/

[tkroeker]

I should have named this thread something a little more general. I think there are lessons to be learned from experiences with all the major providers.

[AlienTech]

the thread title works for me I've hated Bell forever and back in the 90's when sprint came to town I switched immediately. Went with bell this time to give them a second chance and from recent experience they don't deserve my business but with the limited options in Canada you don't have much choice

[Suave]

A limited choice of content providers in Canada - that's the whole problem isn't it?

If we had more providers were would have better programming choices, better receivers and more competitive pricing. A healthier competition would be better for all of us.

[AlienTech]

better for us as consumers but the Cdn gov doesn't see it that way

[Brad]

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/1...eign_ownership

not sure if you guys have seen this yet...its only for cell phones for now, but its a good step.

personally i would love to see rogers and bell squirm, lose business and have to up the ante...BIGTIME...

especially bell and their pathetic excuse for HD tv.

[Suave]

This is good news indeed. The current lack of choice of TV providers gives them way too much power for controlling prices and quality of service.

On the cell phone front - about a month after Wind Mobile launched in Canada, Telus phoned me and offered to lower my bill by $20 a month! Come to think of it... I'm going to check Wind rates on their website and try to negotiate an even better deal with Telus

[SoundGame]

My wife needs a hardware replacement on her cell phone. I think I'm going to follow your suggestions and check out Telus and Wind Mobile before I put an offer to Rogers to potentially retain my business.
You always think you negotiated a great deal and then after you've renewed you hear about a new promotion that's better than the deal you negotiated with blood, sweat and tears. Enough with the sad stories, already, eh?