Jan 2010 Price Increase

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cslusarc

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As everyone may be aware of the Jan 1st 2010 Bell TV price increase. The information is floating around several threads. I just thought that there should be a single thread coving this important topic.

From the Bell.ca website I've been able to determine the following.

From what I can learn there are no changes in pricing to: Digital Standard, US Network Timeshifting, any HD programming, or any combination of French Digital Themes with or without Popcorn.

- Base num
 
Horrible news, and don't forget we'll be paying even more with the new combined HST Tax Rate on top of everything!!!
 
I am hoping there is no increase in my package. I have the digital standard and 5 themes with west coast feed and I pay $66.67 which includes tax and $3.00 system fee. I can't cut my package I am down to the lowest I can go. The only thing I could cut is the west coast feed but that will only make my bill $1.00 less.

If Bell keeps raising their rates I will have to look elsewhere. My only other option where I live is Shaw Direct or Shaw Cable.

I wouldn't mind paying extra if more channels were added. I think more channels should be added to the Digital Standard Pack and some channels from Tier 2 Theme packs should be moved to Tier one theme packs. Tier 3 them packs should be moved into Tier 2 theme packs with Tier 3 packs eliminated.

I have been a Bell TV Subsciber since Oct 31st 2003. In 2003 I paid $35.00 plus taxes for basically the same channels I am getting now so the price has pretty well doubled in 6 years.
 
Among the various customer's path to be receiving services, most require a contract:

1. Rental customers must be on contract, no but, or if.

2. If you want them to come and install, which the first receiver is free, you have to sign for 2 year contract (supposed to be 1, or 2 year, but I was never given a choice and was automatically put onto 2 years, and then it wasn't changeable afterward).

3. If you want the equipment discount, you have to be on contract.

So the only way to not to be on contract is to:

1. Must purchase equipment at full retail pricing, even knowing that these are worthless if not used w/ this provider, as they are locked down for Bell and Bell only.

2. Install it yourself (not for everyone), or pay (read: high price) for someone to install it. However, if not installed by Bell, they probably will have an excuse when you phone in with some problems. I think Bell's install fee is $150. for first dish and receiver? (not sure).

3. Forfeit any possible equipment discount at all.

So the dilemma is if you will bet the future with this deal, as no one will know how much an increase providers will announce, what channels they will remove, change, etc.

What we have here (not unlike cellular service) is that these contracts are completely unilateral, written by them, not changeable by customers, and written by their lawyers in a way that they can pretty much do whatever they want to do.

What I meant by "bait and switch" is that as a party to the contract, the customer promises to pay Bell for 2 years worth of monthly service fees (and all the other fees initially mentioned and agreed upon), but the key is that there must be an amount that is also agreed upon here. A contract cannot say that:

"Customer must agree to pay monthly fee for a minimum of 24 consecutive months."

and

"Bell reserves the right to change the monthly fee at any time within the contract, and customer must agree to pay the new fee, regardless of how much it is set to."

Would you agree to such a contract? What if Bell changes the Basic Rate to $1,000. a month? Would you pay that too?

It might not be per se "bait and switch" , but it is still completely unfair to tie customer to this.

It might as well also say that "Bell reserves the right to beat you on the head with a stick, should the oil price goes up more than 10%". geez.
 
Not exactly. It's a price increase on programming and one rental fee, before other fees like the LPIF, which was mandated by the CRTC, and which Bell TV started collecting from customers, in September.

The other "TV Tax" in the commercials these days is something entirely new.

The LPIF, and the potential new tax, will be charged ON TOP of the new price.
 
HAHA, that comment just made my night fortissimo. Thanks for that. I was actually thinking (knowing how Bell attorney's work) that they would write in that they would get possession of 3 generations of first borns.

But seriously, you're right, there's no way a company should tie you to a contract that they can change the price on at any given moment. However, it's also not fair for a company to absorb price increases which don't allow them to be profitable. And to say they should wait for you to finish your contract before they jack your rates up is also unfair, because then there's not only no incentive for you to stay with the company, there's actually a good reason to leave them.

It's a catch 22 for Ma Bell. She's damned if she does, she's damned if she doesn't, don't you agree?
 
Yes, the way I understand it, on your Bell TV bill, you are paying the following:

- a digital service fee
- Program fee increase (January)
- Rental fee increase (January)
- a Cancon fee, which has been in place for years
- LPIF
- PST/GST on all of the above, including the Cancon & LPIF (effectively a tax on tax)

And possibly later, the fee-for-carriage.

Note that a program fee increase leads to higher Cancon fee, LPIF and PST/GST as well.
 
It is not worth the money saved if it means you are locked into a contract. Getting tied to a Bell contract is like dancing with the devil.
 
What is the Cancon fee? My bill shows:
Digital Standard $32
Digital Service Fee 3
6 Themes 26
US Timeshifting 1
4 HD Themes + HD US Timeshifting 10
and under Other Charges
Contribution Fee to CRTC's LPIF 1.08

Where is the Cancom fee? Also, what is a TV tax or fee for carriage?
 
I'm guessing "special" price increases with no access to the new channels. That is the historic pattern from Bell.
 
Don't want to veer too far OT but the ignorance surrounding the HST is amazing.

Anyway, I'm sure other providers will raise rates, they all do... Shaw Direct raised theirs in September, I believe.
 
I too am at the end of what I'll pay for programming, currently 7 themes and time shifting for $72.00 plus fee plus taxes. For every dollar increase that BEV has I'll cut back the same amount. If it means less themes so be it. For me not to have TCM available yet is just amazing.( I know off topic.) Nonetheless if some of the packaging gets re-arranged and it fits my budget I'll re-consider. I'd like to get HD but not at the expense of having to keep Digital standard.

I was wondering if BEV and others can't start offering an HD standard package,similar to Digital standard,of must carry channels even if it includes SD channels of must carry.(New topic discussion.) I don't mind paying for what I want.

We'll see what happens in the next couple months.
 
I am one of the old "The Works" Movie Channel,Old networks
Bell has been trying for years to get me away from this package
Oakvillerick:
 
Does it make it any different from any of the phone contracts from any provider?
 
No it doesn't make much of a difference Roman, but saying that "everyone else is doing it, so we are too" is just a lame excuse. Every last payroll loan company in the country was charging horribly high interest before the laws changed, does that mean they were in the right? A company as large as bell should be the leader in setting trends, not following them. Don't you think?
 
No one has mentioned the $1 increase on all SD receiver rentals ... what was $3/mth before is now (Jan 1) $4/mth.

There have been a number of promotions in recent years with 4 receivers included in a two year contract. Each of those just went up by $1 ... making an Essentials package increase $6/mth, not $2. Some people were encouraged to rent, not buy, so they'd get free install on every TV.
 
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