On June 4, 2010 I'd had enough with Bell and changed providers. Called to advise and was told boxes would be received within 10 business days to send back their equipment. Because I felt uneasy about that phone call (as the person could barely speak English!) I followed up with a personal letter outlining the cancellation of the Bell Bundle which included my unlisted phone number.
On June 18 I received a personal card from Mr. Steve Bickley, Senior Vice-President, Residential Services, Bell Canada stating "so sorry to see me go and it was better with you here" - the very same day I received a letter from the same person stating in part "We're delighted that you have chosen Bell and we're pleased to have you as a customer! " I was floored!
On July 22 I received a letter from one B. Benoit, Senior Rep, Correspondence Dept Bell TV L.P. - Montreal advising me that the letter I sent cancelling service did not satisfy their protocol! I sent a further letter on July 3 to said Benoit with a copy to Mr. Bickley as well as Bell Canada in Don Mills advising that I had not yet received the promised boxes to send back their equipment.
I heard nothing further from Bell, nor did I receive the boxes at that time. A short time later (July 19), I again called Bell and after about 6 phone calls speaking with 6 different people, I was advised by a male rep that Bell had no record of cancellation and that although I had a different provider with my unlisted number, Bell had "dry routed" services (whatever that means) for my Internet and Bell Xpress Vu and charges were still being made to my "active" account! He advised he would cancel the account while we were speaking and would arrange to have the boxes mailed to me. On July 21 the letter I had sent to Benoit in Montreal was back in my mailbox marked "unknown! " Two days later I received the boxes for the equipment and I quickly mailed these out together with the Benoit letter indicating my frustration at having had this letter returned to me.
From approximately June 10 until today (August 11) we have received approximately 50 automated phone calls per week which we did not answer because no message was ever left.
Now today, August 11 I received a voice mail the one and only since June requesting that I call the number asap. I did in fact call them today, and was shocked to find that I was speaking to someone in Bell's Collection Department. Again, of course, poor English was very noticeable. He said he could not help me and transferred me to "the Internet Department" - this guy was reasonably civil but told me he could do nothing about the continued monthly charges and would transfer me to another department! Can you believe it? By the time I was finished with a French-Canadian speaking representative, I was ready to KILL! No-0ne from Bell had indicated that my account was in Collections - only today did I find this out. All because the call I made was not followed through, and they would not accept my follow-up letter as it didn't fit "
their protocol! This bill now totals over $400 as they bill one month in advance!
I was told I would receive a revised account on August 24 with credits being retroactive to only July 29 which was when the account was closed. I never spoke to anyone on July 29 - I had the account closed verbally July 19! So now, I must wait until the end of August to hear of my fate - we are ALL at the mercy of these crooks! To my mind, they are worse than any Mexican cartel! Everyone is under a huge thumb and who knows what kind of scams are lurking in their corridors just waiting to get a strangle-hold on law-abiding people!
What to do? Do any of us have a leg to stand on against this conglomerate??
I'm so very glad I have this venue to get all this "poison" out of my system today, for I can't ever, ever remember feeling so demeaned!
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