Bell TV: Price increase again?

  • Thread starter Thread starter alienc
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My take on this is that Bell and any other cable or sat company that announces price increases in coming months is going to shoot themselves in the foot.

Price increases in these tough economic times will force many (not all) people to evaluate what they are spending which will likely lead to increased churn or package reductions.

Every company out there now is lowering prices so this type of move will be greeted with a lot of hostility.
 
Well my bill (back after 1 1/2 years) for Bell is going up by I believe $3 and yes I will suck it up. The thing is in Western Canada (Calgary) the choice is really minimal (Bell, SHAW/*C or Telus)...really a no brainer that Bell wins out as there is not really any quality cohice here!

Alt
 
Absolutely, and you will likely get some hardware or programming credits if you do so. (Ask for the credits/promo, agree to the contract rather than just asking for the contract)
 
The Skydome, and a crappy baseball team....
I hope with this price increase, they put some of that money into R&D so they can get a 16x9 EPG for their HD boxes
I have to close my eyes when I'm at my neighbors house, as the sight of that epg makes me ill :rolleyes:
 
Mine is going up by $5, but with no explanation. Did anyone get any explanation as to the formula they are using for these increases?
 
I didn't know the sale was finalized. So that means we should grab our pitchforks and torches, and head to your local school, as its the teachers who made the price increase! ;)
 
I think if you read the fine print in their contract you'll find that it's all slanted Bell's way and you did agree to those terms didn't you?
 
I only switched from Ultimate 7 which was 7 themes to what they currently call Ultra Value Combo with 6 themes. I switched about 2? years ago.

They added Discovery HD, TSN HD and SportsNet HD if you wanted them you had to pay $1.99 ea. for them on top of the $10 HDTV pack when I was on the Ultimate 7.

When I switched I lost one theme pack from 7 to 6 however since the old combo's had the US networks as a theme and the newer style did not I didn't really lose a theme since the US networks were now in the Digital Standard.

Anyone who has been with Bell for 4 years will have about the same increase. I actually went to double check my bills it is all there in black and white.

I have nothing against the providers increasing there rates but this last one really pissed me off and IMO is unjustified.
 
Maybe I'm wrong but HD time shifting is always at no cost. I don't subscribe to SD timeshifting but I have always gotten HD timeshifting. There does not, at least up to now, seem to be a relation between the two.

On another matter regarding new channels does anyone know how Bell will be handling National Geographic, Showcase and TLC when their HD previews finish at the end of Jan.? Are they going to be added to the existing HD packs or are they going to cost extra? If the latter thery certainly won't get me as a customer. All three have been very disappointing. Same old. Same old.
 
I got my ebill notification for the month of February today and I too got a $4 increase as quoted above. This kinda sucks cause I'm just a new customer; 3 months to be exact, yet I'm getting the increase already. It's quite unfortunate. Is there any way I could contest/complain to a Bell CSR and get some discounts? I know that seems devious, but with the economy tanking as it is, I'd like to save some money.

The one fortunate thing I noticed in my ebill is that Bell has billed me the new customer rate for the international channel (GMA) I'm subscribed to for the month of February and January (credited me). I thought I wouldn't be qualified because I remember reading on the fine print that the promotion is only for new customers signed this year. I signed up in December. You win some and you loose some I guess.
 
I'll answer that one for you, yes, channels have been added...

A bit of a hyperbole, don't you think?
Abusive? C'mon....
How many HD channels do you get on your landline phone?
It's kind of hard to compare apples and kiwi's, as they are, well, different...
I don't understand why there isn't the same anger in the Starchoice forum, with a hot topic thread like this one....I guess Starchoice subs like to be abused, unlike Bell customers?
 
I found the new programming brochure PDF files on the Bell website:

This one seem to have the actual price:
http://www.bell.ca/web/tv/en/all_regions/pdfs/channels/channels_roc_en.pdf

For Quebec:
http://www.bell.ca/web/tv/en/all_regions/pdfs/channels/channels_qc_en.pdf
And Ontario:
http://www.bell.ca/web/tv/en/all_regions/pdfs/channels/channels_on_en.pdf

I haven't printed them out and scrutinized them carefully but it looks like the QC version has a 10$ and the ON version has a 5$ bundle discount. In tiny text right below it says: in a Bell Bundle and refers you to the fine print. In the fine print says that the price is for customers with two Bell services.

For me, I have:
31$ Digital Standard (no US timeshifting)
03$ Digital Service Fee
16$ 2 Themes
15$ Fairchild
and my bill has a 1$ increase announcement.

Note that there is no pricing information at all for the Digital Theme Packs so they must have increased the price too.
 
Just got my bill today.
No mention of a price increase.
So I went and checked my last couple of bills in case I missed it. Nothing there either.
 
Terms and conditions can change at any time and by continuing to use the service you accept the terms and conditions even tho changed to suit our needs 5 minutes ago without notice to you. Written deep in those terms is a free slap in the face once every 6 months by Bell who may change your package while still offering new customers the existing package that you're on for the rate you were paying but because you're an existing customer that doesn't matter!

Does that sound about right? :)

Im sure the increases are likly to bring those ppl who have the old $10 HD package in line with what the cost is with the new subs and the HD themes or something along those lines. That or they're really redoing the packages for January and even tho you sign up now with the existing package you'll likly get an increase a month later. I just don't llike the idea that they up your rate despite being on a contract. It just makes the whole thing a big joke and not honouring a contract just leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I can understand if mine was expired but not during. Ohh well, other option is to cancel and spend about the same anywhere else to get similar programming and equip.
 
Nope. All I've seen is a one liner at the very end of my last bill. Presumably it will be itemized on the next bill. All I know for sure is that $1 is for Digital Standard. The rest ($1) is a mystery.
 
TLC HD, National Geographic HD and Showcase HD will be in the "More HD Variety" pack after the preview.
 
I find it very interesting that reidw is only getting hit with a $2 increase but I am getting hit with a $5 increase while we have the exact same programming.
 
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