New Bell Subscriber wanting to avoid any billing surprises

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mclaugd1

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Hi everyone. What can I expect when I first sign-up for Bell TV?

I want the HD PVR and will likely rent for 2 years and take advantage of the free installation. I'll also go with the HD Essentials package. I have no Bell bundles nor am I interested in them. I'm not a Bell POTS, Mobility, or Sympatico subscriber.

My questions relate to the $100 All-in-One activation that should later appear on my account as a "credit". I've heard a ton of bad CSR stories around these forums and the Internet about Bell and their billing practices and policies. Everytime I look around the Bell TV website, I feel like I'm about to be taken for a ride.

Question 1: Are they going to return the $100 All-in-One activation as an actual dollar-value credit on my account or will it appear as a stupid $100 programming credit toward useless PPV events? I don't trust Bell to tell me honestly.

Question 2: I understand Bell will charge me 2 months up front. True?

Question 3: I don't currently have any other Bell services and expect to set this up on a credit card. Are they going to want a credit check or something stupid like that. I'm not worried about it; just curious as its unnecessary ("Its Bell policy"). I'll never give them access to my bank account.

Question 4: Is there anything else a new Bell subscriber would want to know?

Thanks all.
 
New customers should be able to purchase a receiver cheaper than rent for two years.
You get the $100 as a credit for programing not necessarily PPV.
Bell charges a month in advance.
Their small print states that they can do a credit check from time to time.
Order online and save $25
All the stories you hear about CSR and Billing are true.
Welcome to DHC.
 
I'm not 100% sure on these answers, but I'll answer to the best of my knowlege.

1) I believe the credit will be applied as a $100 programming credit that will appear on your bill. It will not be a PPV credit, but credit towards the total of your bill, so the actual programming you subscribe to.

2) I'm not sure about them charging two months up front. Unless things changed, they never charged me two months when I signed up 4 years ago to their two year contract. I believe they get you to lock into a contract though.

3) When I signed up, and even when I bought my 9242 receiver, they asked for a credit card to setup the receiver to the correct account. I believe it's just to verify you are the actual account holder.

4) Don't expect great HD picture quality from Bell once you sign up. The picture is really compressed and most channels are soft. Hopefully they can improve it once the switch to 8PSK is complete or even MPEG 4 later this year. It's been going downhill fast, regular DVD's look better then Bell HD.
 
So it'll be credited to the monthly fee? So its like the HD Essentials would be free one month. I just assumed it was toward any movies you order on those PPV channels.

There was a good deal near the end of last year (50% off a receiver, I believe). Do these deals historically come around the same time each year for Bell?

Installation is free on a 2 year contract. Wondering if anyone has been able to get it free on a 1 year?



A 2 year rental for the HD PVR is $480 (plus tax?) but the purchase price is $399 + tx so it'll be around $455. I just expect to use the PVR big-time and wouldn't want to worry about warranty and such.
 
The credit will come off the total bill and will apply to any charges.

Promos come around all the time, but the offerings change.

You will get a basic warranty on a purchased unit (1 year?) which you can extend through many credit card companies (automatic on some gold cards) or via 3rd party at BB or FS for example or through dish care from Bell. Renting isn't necessarily a bad option though particularly with potential new models coming out although you may not be eligible to replace it until the end of your contract. With a purchased unit, there is no cost for install if you are capable of doing it yourself.

Billing is 1 month in advance so your first bill will reflect "current" month, plus the next month.

My experience (9 years) with Bell have been reasonably trouble free. My only advise is once you get things installed and sorted out, don't make any programming (or anything affecting your bill) unless absolutely necessary.
 
The 100$ is the "rental certificate". If you suscribe on line or by phone BellTV will charge you that 100$ + tax on a credit card. If you go to a Bell store you will have the option to pay cash or interac. Whithin 3-6 weeks after the activation (meanning it could be on your second bill) you will see a credit of 100$ + tax on your BellTV bill. That amount will show as a credit on the total bill, paying for your monthly fee, and, if you ordered any, PPV. If you used a cerdit card to pay the rental certificate you have to pay that 100$ + tax to your credit card provider from your pocket. Often clients are led to think the credit will appear on their credit card bill by the agent who places the order, which is totally not the case



I don't think they do much investigation...they accepted my neighbourg, who'"s on welfare and was cut from Vid
 
Thanks Agent. That was awesome info. That clears up a lot of apprehension I had.



This is especially interesting



They either do automatic withdrawls from your account, or automatic billing to a credit card, right? Its easier to control what comes off a credit card, especially one used only for Bell TV as I plan on doing.
 
Keep in mind when you give access to someone to withdraw funds they have the same rights as you to withdraw . You should never take the easy way out and let them take what they feel you owe out of any account. Just get the bill and pay online or by cheques.
Especially as you have been forewarned of Bells billing.
 
There is no problem with using your credit card to make the purchase of the rental certificate (the 100$ + tax).

If you have a phone with Bell Canada that 100$ could added to your telephone bill (under certain conditions) which they usually don't tell you upfront, they only tell you if you complain about having to use your credit card

Problems I saw where with the pre-autorised payment... Some clients complained that the money wasn't always taken at the same date each month. Some others got the unpleasant surprise of being billed an unexpected extra 250$ for installation when they moved. The agent told them the dish will be installed free of charge, but forgot to mention only 1 receiver was installed free of charge. Since they had been misinformed (and I could read it on the agent notes) I requested a credit (the credit appears on the BellTV bill), but still, they had an extra 250$ to pay on the credit card. I also heard about a client who client paid his receiver (9242 at 599$) in store with Interac, then set up everything to go on pre-autorised payment. To his surprise, on the first bill they were charging him, again, a receiver at 599$!

Bell requires a 30 days notice to disconnect your service, no matter how long you have been with them and if your contract is finished or not. You have to pay the service for that 30 days period and will receive service as usual



It is possible that the agent will let you remove the theme pack on the day of your call, but he is not supposed to. The theme pack is usually removed on the day of the billing cycle. As mentionned, you are paying a month in advance. If you requested to remove an item on your programming you will be charged on your current bill, then be credited next month. Here's an exemple:You call today to remove Playboy channel. We are the 8th of April and your billing cycle is from the 16th to the 15th. The agent place and order for the channel to be removed on the 16th. On the 16th the channel dissapears from your programming and BellTV prints your bill. The programming charges on that bill are from the 16th of May till the 15th of June. On that bill, you will see the 16$ (unless prices have changed) for that Playboy channel for the period from the 16th of May till the 15th of June, even if the channel have been removed. On the following bill, which will in that case be printed on May 16th you will see a credit of 32$ to credit the period from the 16th of April till June 15th. Thing could be way more simpler if they were removing the theme pack the last day of the billing cycle. If they were proceeding that way in the same situatin the client would have gotten a credit for the Playboy channel from April 16th to May 15th as soon as the channel was removed (meanning on April 15th). Since client will no longer suscribe to the theme when the billing period starts (April 16th) there would be no charges for the theme on the current bill for that channel, avoiding the possible problem of the credit not being applied

If you add a theme pack in the middle of a billing cycle you will see pro-rata charges for that theme pack, and the cost for the following month, making your bill higher for that month. Here's an example:Your billing cycle is from the 16th to the 15th. When you paid your last bill your service was paid until the 16th of May, since you pay a month in advance. You call today (8th of April) to add a theme pack at 5$. On your next bill you will see: pro rata charge for that theme pack from 8th to 16th of April + 5$ for the theme pack from April 16th to May 15th + Current month (16th of May to 15th of June) that includes the added 5$ for the new theme
 
.

Buying online at the Bell TV website implies you have to pay using an account (I asumed pre-authorized payment from a bank account) or via a credit card. Thats what I thought.

It must really mean on an existing Bell account at that address.

I'm happy to hear I can simply be sent a monthly bill and pay it online manually like I do with other stuff. Thanks.
 
Actually, they will send you a paper bill.
Your payment options are as follows

1- Pay at the bank
2- Pay online at the bank
3- Pay at a bank machine
4- Mail a cheque
5- Take a cheque into a Bell World or Espace Bell Store
6- Make a payment online at the Bell.ca site with your credit card
7- Direct withdrawl from your credit card monthly
8- Direct withdrawl from your savings/chequing account monthly

Once you get your first paper bill you can sign up for billing at the bell.ca website and either get both an electronic bill and a paper bill or just the electronic bill.
The electronic bill is available on your billing date. The paper bill comes 10 business days after your billing date.

Explanation of your first bill.
Bell bills one month in advance.
Your first bill total will depend on your conection date.
For example: If your connection day is the 16th of the month and your billing date is the 26th of the month you will be billed for 1 month and 10 days. Which equates to 1 month in advance and the 10 days from the 16-26th.

If your connection date is the 16th and your billing day happens to be the 14th, you will be billed for just about 2 months. I month in advance and the 30-31 days from the 16 of one month to the 14th of the next month.

Nem, who hopes that helps a bit.
 
I had just called Bell today to see what offers they had for new customers. Here's my situation:

1. Bought a brand new 9242 before X-Mas for $600 (right before they got slashed for $400). Not willing to buy/rent any more receivers.

2. Don't need installation done (already setup by my contractor).

So the best deal the CSR could offer me was -$100 credit because I bought the unit overpriced, and -$25 credit for using Bell.ca.

Now the catch was I HAD to get their installation (even tho I told him its already done?!), and had to be bound to a 2 year contract in order to get the $100 credit.

I asked about their $10 off per month for 12 months deal, and he informed me it was ONLY for rentals.

Questions I have remaining now;
1. Can't I opt for no installation and reduce my contract to 1 year? Is there any possibility to NOT be bound by any contract at all?
2. In order to get that $10 off per month deal, can't I just rent the cheap 4100 receiver for $3/month, and have a net -$7 a month credit, since that would qualify me for the deal? Is it true that ALL rentals require Bell's professional installation even tho I told them I'm already having my own contractor do it for me?

Everyone seems to be complaining that they give great deals to new customers...I think their new customer deals are very weak...they're like a 5%coupon when you look at the big picture. I'd take a retention deal anyday, but I assume that's impossible for new customers that are joining?
 
If you bought a 9242 before Xmas and have yet to activate it, I just hope it was not pre-authorized at the store. If it was you might be about to get hit for NOT activating it within 90 days.

You can install your own system but you get no deals.

All Rentals are installed by a Bell approved Technician at a charge of $75 min, which may or may not be credited back.
 
Ordered Bell TV online last night. This morning I had to call in to provide drivers license and social insurance info because I don't currently have any Bell services (WTF??). I have a sweet VoIP phone through Primus.

Was on hold with a nice lady but of course the line went dead. Called back and was a little annoyed I had to provide my info, and then some, to the new CSR who then proceeded to tell me I shouldn't have hung up. Nice.

Bell makes it hard to become a new customer, that's for sure. He couldn't find my old Bell phone number I canceled back in 2006 or so. Was starting to think he was going to insist I put a deposit down as if I were a college student or something.

Anyways, the Bell installer dude is due Sat morning Apr 25th!!
 
Since the installation date given exceed 10 days after the date the order was place (order on the 14th-installtion on the 25th-11 days later) you can call in and complain that the date is too far away and have the agent fill and EDG ticket. This is an electronic form that the agent will fill, which would be sent to National Install. Whinthin 24 hours they are supposed to call back to see with you if it's possible to schedule a closer date.

Why National Install will be able to do so and not the agent who answers? The system let the agent put for example 20 technicans visit per time slot per region (that number is fictive), regardless if it's a service call or an installation the agent could put only 20 calls for that time slot. National Install is the dispatch office for the technicans. They know exactly what needs to be done for each appointement. In the case where there is, in the 20 appointements 2-3 service call it is possible that they could "squeeze in" an extra appointement for an installation.
 
Maybe... I was just explaining him that he had an option if he wasn't satisfied with the date
 
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