Split from New channel thread

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fricfrac

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"Subscribing to SD does not mean you are entitled to HD" Well, I was lead to belive I WAS entiltled to HD when I signed up for my HD programing.
And I'm not getting anything for free, I'm paying $10.00 a month for my HD programing.
 
Exactly fricfrac. We signed contracts and were told "if a channel is added in HD, and you subscribe to the equivalent SD channel, you will get it in HD without additional charge". Bell is free to change its pricing structure for new customers, but if it signed a contract with us it has to honour it and grandfather us with those channels at least until our contract expires....mine was for two years and should be good until November.
 
Sorry that's not true. I was not told in January 08 that a new structure for HD, (That does not exist yet) will come out in April of 08 3 months later and my package $10HD package will no longer be honoured.
Bell continued to sell the $10HD package up until the April date with the "prerequisite" term you will receive the HD channel as long as you subscribe to its associated SD Channel.
Thousands no the facts so indicating its not a legitimate complaint does not wash.
 
I don't think anyone has reported an incident of Bell changing programming/packaging for anyone still on a contract with time left to run and if they did, the subscriber would have a legitimate beef. I am not on contract and therefore don't really have any basis to complain to Bell that I won't get any more new HD programming with my no longer offered package.

What I do think is a bit dirty is for Bell to get around the obligation to add the new HD counterparts to SD channels a $10 HD legacy subscriber subscribes to by calling these channels a "free preview" until such time as enough of these $10 legacy contracts have expired to force the now contract-less subscribers to change their programming to be able to continue to view them. If I were a betting man, prettysteve, I'd bet all of the imminent new HD counterpart channels like Golf HD will also be in "free preview" for you until after your contract expires in November.
 
Im not actually sure what it is that you're trying to argue with your statement, nothing that I said was a lie. Not to mention that I have no reason to lie.. why would I waste my time, coming on to this forum just to lie to people that I dont even know? I'm sorry if you dont agree, or if you dont understand.. but I'll try to explain it again:

You were never paying for those channels, they were on a free preview, when something is on free preview as a new channel it is not technically in a package, it gets added to a package after.

It was not a payed for channel at the time of the 10 dollar HD value pack, therefor it was never part of that package.

When the new package came in April, like I had posted already, it was then added to that package, as they knew that it was the one that would be in effect at the time the free preview ended.
 
Although as a $10 legacy HD subscriber, I'm peeved that the day of new HD channels being automatically added for no additional charge is over, I can't really fault Bell for it - I don't have a contract and am aware that one consequence of that is Bell is free to change the terms of service whenever they please, subject to some notice period (which they have given).

I do agree with Haystack that the changeover to the new HD theme approach that ended the old "get any new HD channel for no extra cost if you subscribe to the SD channel" rule was not as clean as BellTVBlyss is suggesting. In particular, Discovery HD, Showcase HD and A & E HD were all introduced months before the new HD theme approach was implemented. So all we $10 legacy HD subscribers really have a legitimate beef about is losing any of these three channels and, in my case, the only channel I've lost is Showcase HD. Although I have enjoyed some of the Showcase programming in HD (esp. the Will Ferrell movies they were airing a few months ago), it's hard to muster a lot of outrage over loss of one HD channel when I still have the SD counterpart and don't watch the channel much anyway.

I also think throwing the "must subscribe to SD channel to get HD channel" rule out might turn out to be a positive, as it (hopefully) moves Bell closer to offering all HD packages like those of the US sat TV cos.
 
Don't get me wrong, I do agree it is an annoying situation, I'm not saying its not. I just think its a hit and miss with customers. and believe it or not, most understand, and prefer this layout... once its fully explained.. which is all i was trying to do.

oh and Discovery and A+E HD are still and will always be in the old HD package, because they were paid for channels at the time that was the active package. its just the Showcase and NatGeo that aren't, because of that Gray area I mentioned during the free preview.
 
Residential Customer Agreement
These Residential Terms of Service apply to new and renewing residential customers who have signed a new or renewal contract with Bell ExpressVu as of July 1, 2008.




Residential Customer Agreement
These Residential Terms of Service apply to existing residential customers who have entered into contracts with Bell ExpressVu prior to July 1, 2008.



As you see, it is the same whether you are a new customer, or an old. as long as bell gives you notice (which they did) they have the right to change it as they see fit.

Now you, as legacy HD subscribers, were given the benefit of being able to keep your previous package at the same rate, even though no where in the agreement, does it state that they are required to allow you to keep it, and continue paying the same price for it, even after they've added more to it to justifiably warrant it costing more. which is why it is frozen at the same amount of programming it had before they changed the rates. basically its giving you the option... which as you can see, is well more than they are required to do.

So this has nothing to do with your "contract" as everything has been followed appropriately, and well beyond.

but id be happy to see where in your contract it says "any SD channels you subscribe to, you will be getting the equivalent channel in HD for the duration of your contract" like you are claiming.
 
So which one is it ? Why did the customers that currently subscribed to the $10 HD theme and their prerequisites at the time of the introduction, loose the HD channels that fell within their subscription package?
 
It used to be that those clauses and statements were put in the agreements in case of some unforseen change in cost or issues that the provider could not control. Now those clauses are just being used to force price increases and enable the providers to change packages on a regular basis. It's not just with Bell its with all of them. The suits have figured out how to make and twist EUA's to thier full advantage while squeezing the little guy.

I don't believe i'm ever entitled to anything new on the price plan that i'm on. It's a bonus if they give me more channels without it costing me more. I just don't agree with having to double pay for channels which i already have. Most of the new channels that they've added in HD don't interest me or i could care less if i watched them in HD which is why i havn't complained or havn't changed my package. And when i put them on on occation, such as TLC and view upconverted content i tend to not want to purchase it even more if i do lose it.

Until the majority of the HD content on the non sports HD channels is actually in HD and not just upconverted i won't add anymore.
 
Unfortunately nothing has been thrown out. That rule still exist, with some of the HD channels you still need to subscribe to the associate SD channel.
 
ok, i will say it again...

in a normal situation, if there wasnt the migration of HD packaging in the middle of the term of the free preview, it would be known that it would be added to the 10 dollar HD Value Pack. but that isnt the case. before the free preview was over, there was the switch.

when something comes off free preview in HD it gets added to the ACTIVE hd platform. the old hd value pack wasnt the ACTIVE hd platform when it came off free preview, therefor thats not the one it was added to.

the same way that new channels dont get added to the Legacy Programming Platform and just the genesis one, but the free preview is still available to everyone - because its not in a package yet - whether or not its an obvious channel.

IF the new hd platform never exsisted, then the 10 dollar HD value pack would be the ACTIVE platform, which would mean that would be the one it was added to.

so to sum it up. if TCM came to bell, everyone would get it for the free preview. if they decided to put it into a package that you currently subcribe to, then you would get it, but if it was to be added to a new theme pack, even though the theme pack was added to bells programming brochure AFTER the channel was added to the line up, it would still be in the new theme, and you would still have to subcribe to it in order to get it.
 
What is not reflected in RSAs, which apply to every subscriber whether on contract or not, is Bell's oft-cited commitment that, even though the RSA gives them the right to do so, Bell will not increase charges or reduce programming during the term of the contract. As noted in my prior post, I've never seen any post on this forum suggesting Bell has ever breached that commitment. Certainly, there is a large incentive for them NOT to do so - if they regularly increased charges/reduced programming while people were under contract, what incentive would there be for people to ENTER the contract? Bell's commitment not to change anything during the term of a contract gives them a competitive advantage over contractless service providers like Shaw - why would they ever give that up, regardless of what the RSA says?
 
With the above noted, please double speak away the system access fee. :) Remember, the first SAF was blended into the base package. So we're actually paying a SAF on top of a SAF.

BellTV will continue and have increased charges during contact periods.
 
Listen we all know Bell makes the rules. They can make and change them but they shouldn't break them. When is a channel not a channel! Originally the free preview for Showcase HD ended in late DEC 07 it was later changed to 09.
I'm sure HD subscribers sold in early 08 were not told these channels would only apply to whatever HD platform was active in 2009.
The funny part is Bell will easily migrate customers to HD themes with the adding of "new" channels.
No need to provoke this bad blood.
 
These posts have nothing to do with new channels in 2009 so they have been split

In future members who wish to hijack threads will have their posts deleted and be issued infractions.
 
I said we were told - it was the salesperson who convinced me to go with Bell who stated clearly that i would get any HD equivalent that was added.

I'll wait until November - should be another provider willing to take my business, or perhaps there will be an FTA option that's more to my liking at that time.
 
Taking away these two channels, to me is just another example of Bell TVs sleazy business practises. Changing the rules as they go along to suit themselves. Whatever became of "the customer is always right". I realize Bell can't give us everything we want but it would be nice if they were a little bit consistent. As another poster said, as new channels are added we'd probably switch over to the new plan anyways and not be blackmailed into it for an extra 5 bucks, especially after they just raised my rates by 5 dollars. Yeah, I'm mad.

In contrast Shaw just increased my internet speed by 50% with no extra charge.
 
is there a reason why you do not have shaw television then, as opposed to bell? couldnt you get a bundled discount or something?
 
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