So we're moving... here's the point form version:
-wife calls Bell to cancel, we're switching for the move (many many problems in the past) our phone, internet, and TV
-Bell sweet talks my wife into staying (I'm not home for this part, but whatever -not willing to argue about it)
-Bell calls us the day before our move to confirm the work is being done the next day (Friday) somewhere between 8 and 5
-8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 1, 2, 3 oclock comes, so I call
-Bell confirms on the phone at 3 oclock that I'm on the list for that day, don't worry
-at 4:58 I call again, just curious where they are...... and...... ready for this.....
"Oh sir, you're not on the list for today's work.  Let's make you an appointment for someone to come out."

I nearly had a f&$king breakdown on the phone.  Needless to say, everything is now cancelled, no charge for cancelling.  I was ready to snap, I don't know that I've ever been angrier on the phone.  Here's the best part... when our phone got hooked up, we had a message, from Bell, around 10 in the morning, to confirm they were coming out that day to hook everything up.  Why are they calling my disconnected number (that they disconnected!) to confirm something that can only be confirmed after they reconnect everything!  And then to not have me on the list for something THEY CONFIRMED WITH ME TWICE!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7uvttu8ct0

Sorry to hear about the crap you went through ... but the story was funny  

Bell sucks, no doubt about it.

that was funny...

I once switched to unique bill since i had BEV and Phone on 2 different ones. It took forever for them to cancel the old account.

The kept sending me letters that i was owing money i paid 3 times with the new account, even the guy on the phone couldnt find it in the system ! He told to not worry, since he couldnt even find it in the system himself, then he assumed i would have no problem with that ?? They would send me a letter every month, telling me it was the FINAL notice and that i should pay or else i would be disconnected... I think i called 15 times and i forgot how i resolved it.

I love them too...

... sounds like my experience with Videotron internet a few years back. I had them for my internet at my appartment in 2001. In Jnauary 2002 I called them to tell them I bought land and was building a house on a new street and was moving in on October 30th, and they told me not to worry, they were scheduled to install high speed internet in the area in March.

March comes along, no lines. Called them up, they then said April.

April comes along, no lines. Called them up, they then said May.

... see a pattern developing?

October 28th comes along. No lines up. I call them up to tell them that there is no lines up so I must cancel. Their answer:

"No problem sir... your account will be cancelled on November 27th. There is a 30-day cancellation notice."

These f**kers wanted me to pay them a month!!!! Even though I called them in January, telling them that if no lines are up, I will be cancelling!!! Well, it took 8 MONTHS to get my money back. I got Bell high speed instead (but MAN did they suck) like everyone else on the street. Videotron came to install the lines the next summer. Out of 81 houses, 3 hooked up. They dropped the ball.

And to be honest, I am with Videotron now because the line was already there when I got the house I have now.

Point of the story, you are fine with any company for phone or web service... until you have to call customer services. THEN you are royally screwed. Big corporations don't want your story... just your money.

Oh... and Bell phone... yeah... they cut my bill down to 25$ a month AFTER I wanted to cancel with them and go to a web-phone. They didn't offer me anything when I called them and asked them if they could lower my bill. Classy. But then again, they are all the same.

I left Bell years ago due to their high rates.

One day I got notice that they were cutting the long distance program I was on and there would be higher rates. I called them to tell them this was unacceptable and I was paying on avverage $75 a month when Rogers Home phone was advertising $19.95 for the first year, and free Rogers to Rogers calling so that would solve my long distance needs as my wife calls her Mom in Montreal. The rep told me I can do nothing for you.
SO I switched to Rogers. Two weeks later Bell sends me a "Sorry you left us card" and offered me a $17.95 month rate and cheap long distance pkg. To say the least I was not impressed and till this day refuse to even listen to any offers from Bell.  

We switched to Vonage several years ago. Not too sure if it saves any money but it has been reliable for the most part so long as our (Rogers) high speed internet service is working.

With great joy I did as instructed and opened the little box  outside the house to disconnect Bell's demarcation point.  

Quoted from HP5P

... Two weeks later Bell sends me a "Sorry you left us card" and offered me a $17.95 month rate and cheap long distance pkg. To say the least I was not impressed and till this day refuse to even listen to any offers from Bell.  

That is Bell's modus operandi. They don't care until you stop paying them and leave. They are such a large corporation now that their internal departments don't even speak to each other. This is quite common for most large companies. even the company I work for often falls in that trap. Luckily, we have lots of people working here that still care, so often the calls are properly directed. Not so the case for Bell. Most support and customer service departments are outsourced, so there is ZERO accountability nor sense of duty. Just a dude in India answering for a ton of companies and paid to give people the runaround.

Hey... doesn't anyone here work at Bell??? are these comments actually sent their way?




... yeah, right.

I work at Bell,

and i'm sorry you guys are having trouble, but to be honest, mess happens, and it happens with every company, not just Bell,
go to Rogers, or Videotron, or even some of these new VOIP companies you might have a problem, or you could be lucky and everything could go smoothly.

It's the nature of the beast, i mention to my management all the time about problems i hear about through customers, but it always falls on deaf ears.
all i can do as a technician in the field is to try to fix the problem as quickly as possible and get that customer back up in service.

Please what ever you do, don't take out your frustrations on the technician who comes to your house, it's not his fault that there have been missed appointments
and so on and so forth, as for Bell, we get one job at a time, so as soon as i get it on my board i call the customer right away, let them know i am on my way and approcimately how long it's going to take for me to get there, i will also search through the records to find any contact numbers to call incase they aren't home and arrange to come back later when they are around.

I feel for you guys, i really do.  but most of us technicians really want to help you, so when they promise you a tech between 8am and 12pm, and i call you at 3pm it's because i just got the job, i haven't been sitting on it all day trying to piss you off.

I am actually one of the techs that gets sent out to fix customers who have multiple problems or re-occuring problems, as i'm usually really good at finding the crazy troubles, and i am really good at calming down customers who are really upset, i have received multiple letters and phone calls through bell to commend me on my customer service skills.

So again, i'm sorry that you guys have problems, but us as technicians try to do the best job we can, as we are the only face of Bell you actually see.

And just for future reference, if you want to switch to bell, and want a really good deal, or would like to see if they can get you a better price on what you have already call this number and give them my info.

Number : 1-866-242-0008
Tech Name : Eric
Tech ID : B53644

Thanks, and sorry for the long winded speech

Eric

I have a similar situation going on NOW!

In addition to the 3-services-one-bill mess similar to what Azatotht had (we were "overpaying", receiving a check, then a letter that we owe this exact same ammount, from some VP, saying that they would disconnect us - for months we had to call them 2-3 times a month for hours to argue with them.  They "fixed" it at least 3 times before we started to receive "correct" bills - but higher then the expected price.)


We just moved. Wanted a service hook-up during our vacation time, they scheduled on saturday instead.  Don't ask me why, I still don't get it. There was supposed to be a second technician to come for all things internet... we're still waiting. L.O.L.
No problems, I hooked up the router myself. Yay me.
Worked no problem for more than 24 hours, then yesterday the WHOLE PHONE LINE was disconnected. it was DEAD!! Oh, joy.

Called them to ask why they switched us off, the guy was telling me "we didn't disconnect you, please disconnect everything and try again" ... yeah right. They wanted us to stay home today to receive their technician!!!!!!!

Turns out someone had completely switched off our line from their dispatch. They called this morning to say it was their fault.  Who in their right mind would find it natural to turn off a recently reconfigured line and number?

Eric, will the tech will still come by, now that we don't need it anymore?


They got lucky. I promised them if they wouldn't have it fixed by the time I get home today, I was actively looking for a replacement phoneline supplier in the evening.

(altough, I think that I would get similar problem with any of them, they all suck in phone tech support.  Its not the service itself the problem, but the calltakers not knowing what to do.)
I've been suggested to look into teksavvy for a replacement net hookup.

If they have a technician booked to come by your place, odds are he'll still come, but if you are lucky and he's like me, he'll call you on your contact number
or try your house number, and if everything is working and ok, tell him he doesn't need to come, he'll be happy to go get a coffee.

As for switching to teksavvy, it might save you some money, but if you were having line troubles and trouble getting technicians sent to your house,
then i have bad news for you, any company offering DSL internet still uses bell's lines and technicians to come out and hook everything up for you,
so if thats the trouble, you'll still have it with another supplier.

Hope everything gets worked out, and if anyone has a technical problem or question, feel free to PM me, i'll try to help you out,
but things with the call centres or billing, or things like that, sorry folks, can't help.

Eric