Let me set the backdrop:
Feb 27th 2009.
I went to transfer my cellular Bell account over to my Granddad and was informed that there was $4 owing on my account so he wouldn’t be eligible for a $200 phone upgrade nor could we transfer the account until the amount was paid in full. I went home and paid on line.
March 4th.
The payment went through and my Granddad is eligible for the upgrade. We go back to bell, purchase a phone and have the sales person call Bell Customer Service so he can give them his personal information, provide credit card information and transfer the account from my name to his.
Oct 2nd.
My Grandfather died.
Mid October.
I call Bell to inform them that my Grandfather has died. “Sure,” the Bell customer service rep says, “I need a death certificate for Ron Smith and we can close the account.”
I inform her that I am Ron Smith and the person in question is Geoff Shepherd. Who is Geoff Shepherd she asks?
It appears that Bell took my Grandfathers info (changed address, home phone and provided a credit card) but apparently this wasn’t actually a “transfer.” Apparently I needed to call and tell Bell to officially change the account over even though I was sitting there in the store with my Granddad while this passing of information took place.
Me, being pissed off and up for a stand off, contacted the manager of Customer Service and had it out with him. He told me there is nothing he can do for me because according to his notes there was no note of a transfer made, even though the evidence is strongly in my favor.
He then said “its $400 to close the account out or you are better off getting someone else to take the account over” to which I replied “I tried to transfer already with my Granddad but apparently you have a bunch of retards working for you, further more do you think I would EVER put anyone through the agony of using bell as their cell phone provided?”
Sure, yelling at him does nothing for the situation but for 30 seconds I felt damn vindicated.
In the end I will pay the $400 because my credit is now going to be effected if I don’t pay. As furious as I am about the entire ordeal I feel I will win this battle.
Firstly, they lost me as a customer. I am closing the phone and in doing so will end a 6 year relationship of 384-5400. I used to say “Ron Smith is 384-5400.” Not anymore.
Secondly, I work in the technology field and what bell fails to realize is that we are a word of mouth society. People respect my technology input and you can be damn sure that Bell is now the last company I would suggest for anything wireless, home phone, internet or cable.
Third: A part of my job is to manage cell phone accounts for our many employees. Accounts renew all the time and Bell is now on my “transfer” list.
So, thanks for the memories Bell, you should have taken all that money you used on a new look and invested it in handling your customers better.
#1 by Crystal on November 5th, 2009
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I feel for ya Ron!
Bell is such a bad company! They gave me nothing but bullshit last year… over a bill that was LONG paid online.. that they LOST and stalked me over for a period of about 4 months.. no apoligies.. nuthin when they finally realized their mistake.
Just seems like a bunch of incompetent people working there for sure!
#2 by Nathan Colquhoun on November 5th, 2009
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I hate bell, so much, only problems with their customer services
#3 by JT on November 5th, 2009
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I too desire to kick every member of Bells customer service staff in the nuts (or vagina).
#4 by Roger Strong on November 5th, 2009
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I’d advise you to not pay the $400, but they’ll hurt your credit rating. The next time you want a mortgage or car, it’ll cost you far more than $400. Keep phoning them, and at different hours to get different people. Where one rep won’t help you, often another will.
Beyond that, word-of mouth won’t hurt them one bit, because the competition is just as enthusiastically sleazy.
I’m on Telus in Steinbach, Manitoba. I spent a fortune on a three-year PDA phone and data plan, because I needed web access and email while travelling around the province.
Less than a month later, Telus’s data access disappeared across Manitoba, except for Winnipeg. They made me keep paying – “the service is subject to change”, and “disappearing altogether” is one such change. It turns out I can’t get a usable signal at home either, so I can’t give my number out. That also counts for nothing. The phone is essentially a brick with a massive payment plan.
As for the honesty of Telus dealers, I’m convinced that Telus does a criminal background check on any would-be dealer – and rejects those without one.
On MTS, my wife paid an extra $100 for an extended warranty where if it had a problem, they’d replace it on the spot rather than make her wait 3-4 weeks while it got shipped east for service. It had a problem. They made her wait.
I know people on Rogers, and what they say about the company is unprintable.
For every disgusted Bell customer that moves to Telus or Rogers, there’s another disgusted Telus or Rogers customer moving to Bell. The cell phone companies know this, and so they feel no obligation – none at all – to be even remotely honorable.
#5 by Danielle R. on November 6th, 2009
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I have had TERRIBLE experiences with Bell, Rogers, OSAP and Hydro 1. Rogers, Bell and Hydro 1 ALL let someone else register things in MY name and ALL of them have messed up my formerly PERFECT credit because of their own costumer service inadequacy. IT IS ABSOLUTELY INSANE how TERRIBLE they are and how few options there are for you when you are screwed over by them! I too would like to kick those particular costumer service people in the vagina (or nuts)… but I will more likely just write letters… or i guess i will be more likely to THINK about writing letters and instead do nothing… i am part of the problem….
#6 by Danielle R. on November 6th, 2009
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I would like to add that Im sorry to hear about your grandpa and I pray that this added stress from Bell would end quickly to at least give you peace of mind in that area. Prayers stranger.
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