Expiring contract - what to expect?

  • Thread starter Thread starter theflake
  • Start date Start date
If I understand correctly you currently have the base with 3themes...

You are currently paying 25$ for the base, plus 5$ each theme, meaning 40$

When you contract expires you will pay 31$ for the base, plus 8$ for each theme, meaning 55$

You're right 15$ increase!

What I recommend you...add 2 extra themes, you will then have what we call and extra value combo (you will see it one the bell.ca/programmingguide). Remove 3$ (receiver cost, you said the receiver is yours) and the package will cost you 51$. 4$ less than keeping the present set up and you'll get 2 extra themes

Whathever you do now your on a month to month suscription, there is no more contract for you!
 
don't forget to factor in all the extra little fees, etc (of course, BEV doesn't have any extra ones, but the others do).



not much of an advantage, especially if we get those channels in a couple of months.

BEV all in one packages also have a lifetime warranty.


why would you want to remove HD channels from starchoice?....what would that leave with, 4 channels? :p


again, don't forget about the fees.

let's face it, starchoice hasn't done much of anything in the last 5 years...they have seen very minimal growth and i am actually surprised shaw hasn't shut it down or sold it off to someone who actually wants to run the company.
 
My contract ends during the first week of June. My bill will automatically increase by $6, which isn't that big of a deal except for the fact that I've been unhappy with the service since the beginning of my contract. At this point I've pretty much decided to head back to Star Choice land. Quite honestly I'n not sure why I ever left. With the new (hopefully very stable code for the 5xx), additional HD with 8PSK and iTV services coming it pretty much seals the deal. Back to Bell...If they offer me a nice discount, maybe I'll stay, but why should I continue to be unhappy if I have the choice? If you don't like something either learn to live with it or change it.
 
i know this is the first knee jerk reaction to a statement like mine, but let me try to explain it further...BEV offers a product/service at a market price...why people feel they need to be "bribed" in order to continue to deal with the company puzzles me...do you ask your dentist (who i assume you have been loyally seeing for a number of years) to throw in some free braces, for your "valued business"?...why the need for BEV to "throw in some free stuff, or you will leave" attitude...i don't have an attitude, i posed the question...in reality, it is many consumers who have the attitude, a culture of entitlement, more or less, where if they aren't bribed and given free stuff, they threaten to cancel and go elsewhere...when "discounts and credits" are given away, it increases the cost of providing the service...the company will still NEED to make its money and revenue targets, so guess what happens, price increases, cuts in service levels and things like delays in new products/services/offers...you guys really aren't hurting anyone but yourselves...once you see that, perhaps then you will understand.

think of the "greedy" consumer, constantly demanding the lowest possible price...the "store", let's say Wal-Mart for example, pushes back to the suppliers, demanding lower prices...there comes a time where the supplier can not offer any further discounts and remain in business, so the supplier, in an effort to keep the business, closes its local plant, and imports its products from china...now you have your lower priced t shirts (for example), but no longer have a job.
 
I don't think I agree to that. Internet is roughly the same access fees but Bell charges extra for security features over Rogers. And satellite TV and cable tv are rapidly diverging, particularly on the point of On Demand and International programming. At some point the added value features of security on Internet, On Demand on TV, no requirement for contracts or savings if you opt in, do set one cable provider apart from satellite and its associate companies. At the moment, those things may not mean so much to you; but others will not be so complacent -- and the gap is widening.

I think Bell ExpressVu satellite offers a well-chosen set of programming and package options, solid hardware and competitive pricing. It's especially good value if you live outside of major cities where there are fewer alternatives. I continue to wonder why people choose Star Choice over Bell if they end up going with satellite.
 
These are BOTTOM line numbers, my friend.
Your post shows how much you really know about the competition

And there are a more than 1 person in this household who wants TCM
 
Point taken. I meant for my current requirements it doesn't really matter; I probably watch 10 channels with any regularity, and the internet is really for email... Again, I'm not unhappy with the service for either Sympatico or ExpressVu, I'm more miffed that they would elect to quietly increase the price without even a courtesy notice that my old plan was expiring. This reminds of the bad old days where you had to call in every few months to change to the latest and greatest "Bell Real Plus Super Duper Fuel injected Supercharged Ultra" long distance package...
 
If Bell, or any other company, "greases the squeaky wheel" by giving a discount to customers who ask for a better deal, they'll have to raise their advertised prices to mantain their revenue. That will hurt the customers who don't get the discount (assuming they don't switch providers).

Of course customers want the lowest price. That's how Wal-mart became the world's largest retailer
 
it sure has, but at what cost.

it has alreadys started the decline of the north american standard of living...they pay their staff next to nothing, they get their goods for next to nothing...many of the companies that used to provide products to wal-mart have closed ALL of their NA facilities and now produce their products overseas...that's hundreds of thousands of NA's out of work...the ironic result is out of work people won't be able to afford to shop anywhere BUT Wal-Mart.

it's a vicious circle, created out of the brilliant mindset that consumer greed will become the end of our society as we know it.

keep in mind, much of our tech support is already being outsourced to places like india.

it won't take too long before there isn't anywhere HERE to work.
 
You are wrong sir... Tech support level 2 is done out of the Montreal, Sherbrooke, Toronto and Branford offices. Tech support level 3 is done out of or Dorval or Toronto office
 
^ i wasn't specifically talking about BEV tech support/CS...i was talking about Bell as a whole...most of 611 is outsourced, as is much of sympatico and other areas of bell.
 
I've been reading many of the posts on this subject and have actually gone through that last month as I could have had similar services from Videotron for 96$... now let me tell you that I would be getting less channels and wouldn't get High speed anymore, just a step down from High Speed plus VOIP but it would have suited my needs. When I called Bell to find out if I would have any cancellation fees to deal with if I went with Videotron, I was immediatly transferred to "Account Retention" where a lovely lady was there to assist me and try to retain my business. I did not ask her for anything. She did the offering. I had calculated everything beforehand knowing the services diffenrences between what I presently have with Bell and what I would get with Videotron. It was still cheaper with Videotron and that is why I wanted to change... but the CSR wouldn't let me go without making me an offer first though.. and guess what, I'm still with Bell... Here is what was offered to me:

Sympatico High Speed: Price drop from 39.95 to 32.95 including three free months + 3 months at 19.95

BEV: 20% discount no matter what I do with my account ie: upgrade or downgrade my programming

Bell (phon): A price decrease from 27.95 to 22.95 plus a 75$ credit if I signed up for a long distance package at 4.95$ a month for 1200 minutes

Should I feel bad? Not at all as I am saving money but still will be paying about 30$ more a month then I would have paid with videotron when all is said and done. My goal was not to bribe them but simply find out if I would be hit with any cancellation fees.. they did the rest and I must say that I am quite happy with that deal.. but there's more..

She told me I had to sign for 1 year. When I asked if I could sign up for 2 or 3 years she refused because she told me that sometimes in 2007 early 2008 there would be price decrease with Sympatico, Bell and maybe BEV and she didn't want to sign me up for 3 years and miss out on those deals also. I was told to call back in a year and she would work something out for me... What's a guy to do??

I honnestly am perfectly happy with Bell on all fronts but sometimes the bank account speaks louder and choices have to be made and cutting down on the luxury that is TV, Internet and phone to some extent was my first pick in "downsizing" my expenses at home..amongst other things..

So, yes it is a good debate that is going on here as in one hand you have a company that doesn't seem to be making much profit, at least on the BEV front and on the other hand you have people like me who need to save a few bucks here and there and have to look at all the viable alternatives and if Bell will give me and others discounts to stay with them I don't see why I wouldn't take advantage of it. Look at it this way, Bell is still ahead by giving me a 20$ plus discount every month than losing me as customer and lose 160$ a month.. that's the way I see it anyway as it does not cost them more to provide service to 1 million people than it does for 1 500 000 people..
 
it's a vicious circle, created out of the brilliant mindset that consumer greed will become the end of our society as we know it.
keep in mind, much of our tech support is already being outsourced to places like india.
it won't take too long before there isn't anywhere HERE to work.

It is just a matter of time that ALL levels of tech support will be out sourced...this is Bells way to slow but quietly start taking things away!!

As to the price increased, they are just trying to push their 5 thems for $20.

I was quite happy with my basic and 1 theme and paying $25 but I don't mind paying the $30 since I am an old client, but to have me pay $39 that is ridiculous.

Take cell phone companies as an example. I have a basic life package for my wife for $15.00 including 50min per month now going for about 8 years. When I wanted to upgrade her phone they told me that they didn't offer that package anymore that I would have to choose another one or buy a new phone and stay with what I have current.
So basically it came down to, if I wanted a new phone then I would have to switch packages or buy a new phone and activated on the same package, so I bought a new phone!

Customer loyalty!

Cheers!!!
 
Back
Top