Split from New channel thread

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Did you miss your January bill where there was an increase in the base price? Ppl were signing up and a month later getting hit with a price increase despite the contract which they just entered into. /shrug
 
Many of the posters keep referring to a contract signed with Bell when they initially subscribed. I'm not so sure that just because you are no longer under your one or two year agreement, that Bell doesn't legally have certain responsibilities to you the subscriber. The one or two year contract that you signed, the way I see it is simply to cover the initial outlay of costs incurred by Bell for installation and the true price of the receivers if purchased outright by the customer, and so that contract simply protects "Mother Bell". As a business entity Bell has continued legal responsibilities to maintain prior offering/committments to you as a paying subscriber.

Just because a car wash sign states, "we are not responsible if we damage your antenae" it does not limit liability on the part of the car wash company. In fact that sign is only useful in fooling ignorant motorists whose cars become damaged and then drive away; but those intelligent consumers know that regardless of what that sign states; if damage ocurs, the car wash company has a legal responsibility to pay damages.

Similarly Bell has legal responsibilities which need to be maintained to it's customers. Trust me, the last thing Bell wants is a "class action law suit", so their every move is clearly thought out, strategized and implemented at the direction of their legal department.

This is how I see it. New subscribers must choose the new H.D. Theme Packs as they are currently structured by Bell, as there is no other option available. Legacy subscribers on the $10 H.D. package like myself, I bet could argue successfully from a legal position that when they subscribed to Bell Express Vu they were told as long as they subscribed to the equivalent S.D. channel, and as long as they paid for the $10 H.D. package, they would get the equivalent H.D. channel. I really don't care that I am no longer bound to my one or two year contract, as I don't beleive that it has any bearing on this argument. Furthermore, did Bell advise any subscribers that after their contract committment was over that the S.D and H.D. rule would no longer be in effect? I don't think so! However Bell certainly probably could raise their prices, but my understanding is that those price increases would need to be approved by the CRTC and they certainly could not do it overnight. Food for thought!

Cobra
 
I've invested in receivers that I couldn't get full price for and I originally went to Bell because they had a special program I could only get on Bell. I like Bell's programming and where I live, Shaw's HD is pretty limited. I just wish I wasnt' always viewed as the enemy.
 
"Changing the rules as they go along to suit themselves" Interceptor hit the nail on the head, I'm now expected to pay another $5 a month and only get 2 stations, both of which I'm all ready paying for in SD. When I got my HD programing I was told "If you subscribe to a channel in SD you will get the HD channel", period; end of sentence, I don't care if the channel is added now or 2 years from now.
The fear of course is that instead of placing new HD stations in existing HD Theme packs Bell will come up with a bunch of new HD theme packs.
I would not be surprised to see 'More HD Variety 8' a year from now.
And you can be damn sure you
 
Subscribing to SD does not mean you are entitled to HD. HD and SD are 2 different cost structures. Does SD TV's cost the same as HD TV's?? Obviously HD services are bandwidth dependant, thus the higher cost of service.

If you were told "get the SD and get HD free" it is true in many instances - TMN, MC HD, HBO, The SCORE HD, all of the french HD including RDS HD, All the US Networks (5 US HD Stations) , Canadian Networks (4-6 HD stations), Other CDN HD stations.... APTN, etc.

Bell TV offers you a basic HD package free of charge or "included with the basic subscription to TV" at $33. Compare Shaw's basic HD package - see where you get.
 
I don't understand why everyone is so upset. Pay the $5, call retentions and complain and get 30% off your entire bill for a year. And if you are already on a retention deal, you don't really have anything to complain about.

If you are really that upset about it, leave BTV and go to another provider.
 
Furthermore do you actually pay for your subsription or is it your parents account? Not that easy to switch providers when you've invested $1,500 in receivers now is it?
 
This is the clincher for me, all the bitching about a $1 here and $5 there, as kandkt says, if you can afford the 50"HD TV, you should be able to afford the service, if not, then you did not do your homework before dropping a couple of Grand on the Idiot Box.
 
Obviously you guys don't pay the bills in your house. Nobody said bell is the only company out there to act this way, they all do it. They never take it in big lump sums they do it a nickle at a time. Does that mean you should just bend over and take it? I think not.
Where would we be if no one ever stepped up for something.
To be upset enough to complain about those that think something is unfair and your retort is its only money, now that I find odd. :confused:
 
I do pay for my subscription and don't wine about it like you do. Where did the "parents account" comment come from?

How much did you pay for your HDTV? If you can afford the TV, I would assume you can afford the HD service. Nobody if forcing you to pay the extra $5, that is your choice to either pay or not. I don't understand why you would expect to get it for free. Do you get every additional service your telephone provider has for free?
 
I recently switched from Starchoice to Bell (just because SC doesn't carry MLB EI). I believe my package costs roughly the same but to tell you the truth it could be $10 more and just didn't notice. To me it is not a big deal but I can see how it would bother some people. The reason I am posting is because someone said they couldn't switch providers because they invested big $$ in the Bell equipment, I think this is a bit of a cop out statement since you can always sell your equipment on EBay or elsewhere (even on Digital Forum which I did). If you really hate the nickle and dime activity of Bell yes there are other options.
For the record I sold 3 Starchoice recievers and in the end lost $150 on my intitial investment which is not bad considering the nature of electronic depreciation. I remember paying $4000 for a PC with a 486 in it, 3 year bank loan and it was worth $50 about 5 years later- LOL!:D
 
As awkward as I find it to continually defend Bell, there is no "legal position" that I can think of that would allow any $10 legacy HD subscriber to now argue Bell is doing something it is not allowed to do in (presumably) refusing to give new HD channels to legacy subscribers for free. The RSA that governs all Bell accounts clearly gives Bell the right to charge more/change programming, subject to going through the hoops of getting CRTC approval, giving notice to subscribers, etc. That is the default legal position. The fact Bell, from time to time and in certain circumstances, promotes that it won't exercise this right with respect to customers in contracts does not mean Bell can be considered to have abandoned this right.

This is not to say that Bell can't be weasily with things, e.g. the offering of new HD channels on free preview until a large number of contracts expire or increasing charges other than for programming. To the extent someone is p/o'd at Bell for doing these things, again, they can always vote with their feet, but other than FTA, they're going to find the same practices whoever they choose to replace Bell with.
 
Why are most missing the big picture here?
1) Bell initially stated pay for the S.D. channel and for $10.00,
the equivalent H.D. channel is included
2) Then they introduced five new H.D. Theme Packs
3) Old subscribers (Legacy) were aligned with four Theme Packs (H.D.)
4) If I no longer still had to purchase any S.D. channels to obtain
the equivalent H.D. channel, then I would be more than willing
to pay a fair price for all of the H.D.channels, and would be in
agreement with your argument, however;
5) Bell still requires that subscribers purchase some S.D. channels
in order to get the equivalent H.D. channel
6) Life and the "Legal System" work on the principal of a "two
way street" (fairness); so you tell me what is two way or "fair"
with that? It needs to be either one way or the other.
It can not work both ways to Bell's benefit; and not have any benefit
for the consumer!
7) Bell would need to completely sever from the requirement of the
customer having to purchase the S.D. channel to totally satisfy
my concern, and then as stated I would agreeably purchase all the
H.D. Theme Packs!
8) Sadly many in this room typify exactly how Canadians have been
characterised world wide by other nations, that being
"complacent people"
9) I don't run from my problems....and like Haystack stated,
"Does that mean you should just bend over and take it?
I think not." "Where would we be
if no one ever stepped up for something?" Again I see this simply as
a matter of principal.
10) Finally this has absolutely nothing to do with being able to afford
the $1 or $5 as some have inferred. I for one have a Sony
SXRD XBR60" with PS3, a KDL 46XBR6, BDP S550 Blu-ray,
Cadillac CTS and Mustang Cobra Convertible just to name a few
assests. I obviously have the financial ability to pay,
but I am not a complacent Canadian, nor will I run from
problems. I take them straight on when I believe that those
are in the wrong. Oh, and principle, I too would not
call "retentions" to get a discount on my bill, because
having principles, that in my opinion is dishonest.
Furthermore I never said I was not happy with the service.

Cobra
 
I don't think this is true - I went to the Bell site the other day and there is no reference to needing to subscribe to a SD channel in order to be able to get the HD channel equivalent, with (IIRC) the possible exception of TSN.

Not sure about life, but I'm pretty certain a fundamental of the "legal system" is "contractual rights are enforceable irrespective of "fairness"".
 
From the bell web site you need to subscribe to the SD equivalent digital channel for new HD Theme Channels WGNHD,TSNHD,TSN2HD,Raptors HD, Rogers Sportsnet HD and all 19 of the "MORE FREE HD"channels. Plus Digital Basics to get any Free HD and the other channels in the HD themes.
That's everything.
 
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