Comments on: Bell Mobility Presents Calgary Cell Phone User with Bill for $85,000

By: Cell Phone Less

Cell Phone Less — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 17:18:06 +0000

Looking at all these comments makes you wonder why anybody has a cellphone in the first place. Do you REALLY NEED it? Wouldn’t it be nice to walk down the street and enjoy the birds singing, or talk to a live person beside you? Wouldn’t it be nice to be free from the prying of friends to find out where you are? Wouldn’t it be nice to have $50 bucks a month to spend on your favorite hobby like music, or painting, or fishing? What is with the obsession with cell phones? Get an answering machine, plug it in at home, and pick up your messages when you get back to home base. Lovely way to live. And so much cheaper.

I may break down and get a phone for my student children…. but not sure.

By: Gary

Gary — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 18:24:16 +0000

All of the above comments just go to show that what we need in this country is government stimulus to create more competition between wireless carriers. I, for one, will not be using Bell any time soon.

By: Chris

Chris — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 08:25:32 +0000

OMG…I totally understand what most of you are talking about…BELL SUCKS, THEY DO NOT EXPLAIN ANYTHING CLEARLY AND KEEP YOU ON HOLD FOR HOURS JUST FOR 1 SIMPLE QUESTION..I’m going through the same thing. For the past month and a half I would text the BELL t-care to check the account balance and usage and I did not get a reply back, which it usually does in a few seconds with your account balance, date of your last payment and data usage, voice call usuages, etc. I just don’t understand why I DID NOT GET A TEXT BACK??? As soon as my bill nears $300, automatically I would receive a text!!! WHAT HAPPENED???? Obviously the women above are employees of “BELL”..a hand clap to you..the only one who understands the BS of BELL!

By: bev

bev — Sat, 10 May 2008 21:30:59 +0000

I just want to share my story so we can inform more people out there who might become a victim of Bell. Im one of those people overly charged by Bell with data usages totalling almost $1000 bucks for 2 months just to make a call once in a while. I have an HTC 5800 and I only know how to use the built in cam and video and to make a call so far since I’ve only “enjoyed” it for maybe 2 weeks before learning something horrific. Now this phones shut, have it disconnected, but because of the contract, they will “officially” cut the services off in a month since Im past the billing date. Is this legal? I already paid a month advance for services I dont use. Im suppose to pay about $70/month and thats what they told me with 4 mb max usage . My first bill I didnt mind and it was $167 coz i thought theres the connection fees, etc. Then here comes my second bill, a whopping $560 dollars!!( I also have my third bill and same thing).Now,I was thinking there must be some mistake with this print on my bill! Here comes the start of my numerous calls to them to verify this. And all they keep telling me that it shows in their system that I have been using it by either downloading or using my phone as a modem. I told them HONESTLY that I have not done any of those accusations ( like DO WHAT?? I barely know how to download anything in my own computer).And even after showing my phone to the sales agent at the store to have it physically check for technical problems or settings. Now how the heck would it skyrocket to about 45 MB in 2 days before I even get to know the buttons on my phone? Finally they offered me some credit and still let me pay $100.00 for data usage. We didn’t really resolved anything here because they just advise me not to download or use my phone as a modem. Huh??? To me that was still a mystery?! How am I suppose to stop those when in fact Im not doing anything? Anyways, now that Im paranoid, I only use it to call my friend in Ontario coz she was in my Fab 5. Does somebody out there a have better explanation than those people working at Bell that I see as incompetent?! They told me when they sold me the phone , 4MB /month( about 230 emails) would be more than enough to check/send emails. And the only 2 things they can offer me right now is to increase my data usage capacity and of course pay more for it which is understandable BUT I dont NEED it I say! Why would I? I DONT USE IT. Its because I was under contract for 3 years ( big mistake )that I decided to just keep it. I dont know why they would think that I wanted to be in that same situation again?? Here’s their second option ,is to cut off my messaging/internet service but I will still have to pay $70/month! Now, wait a second, does this line sound fair to anybody? In fact, this upsets me more! This is the first time in my whole 37 years of my life that I have a problem like this that a company wouldn’t do something favorable to their customers, and to think that their clients are liars and stupid! They’re pretty close to being called “mechanical” and no one seems to have the brains to come up with answers to this problem. Otherwise, this could have been resolved the first time i talked to them. What a bunch of useless __**@#! I definitely learned a lot about Bell in a matter of days and they like to RIP people off!!
I have filed complaints against them and I still have to hear a reasonable answer from their side.

By: nova

nova — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 06:19:03 +0000

Wow! Now I don’t feel so bad. I was angry about my $1700 bill but now I see that is pales in comparison to the dude in Calgary. And, as far as that goes, even $5,000 is too much. And I will explain why.

Bell Mobility or other Telecom carriers, like many large companies, have terms of service that are usually dozens of pages, written in language unfamiliar to common folk (non-lawyers) and using definitions that we do not find in the common lexicon. Because we, the customers, are asked to sign a document in order to receive service, the Terms of Service are then viewed as contractual law. Unless we, the customers, are also lawyers, the scope of understanding that a lay-person would have of that contract is limited at best. Who does the burden of understanding fall upon? Does it rest on the company making practices that are clear, defined and understood by the majority of their customers, or does that responsibility lie with us? The company, whether it is a telecom company or otherwise has the means and the resources of a legal team. I, on the other hand, in my day to day life have no such legal resource to review contracts that I sign. I really need to explore the legal definition of duress, because perhaps it applies here.

In other words, does signing my name on the dotted line make that company’s Terms of Service practicable law? And, if so, do I then need a lawyer to acquire the services of a telecom company?

In our current society we are bombarded by a variety of terms of service or service contracts. So many, in fact, that I have often wondered if anyone actually reads each and every one? These contracts are often forced in some way. For example, software cannot be downloaded unless you agree to the terms of service (thereby contracting you), signing up for websites, contests, etc. all ask that you read the terms of service. The other type of service agreement is one that is implicit. For example, by using the service you are agreeing to its terms. You are not actually ever asked to agree, but by using the service you must adhere to their policies. All of which, use legal language to convey their meaning.

We have tens of thousands of rules we must abide by in our society, of which, I estimate we only actually understand less than 5%. Does caveat emptor still apply in today’s society? Can it? Are they just using it against us?

To top it all off, one of the most common clauses in all of these agreements is that they are allowed to change the rules, when they see fit.

We operate daily on a faith system with these contracts. We sign our names and hope nothing goes wrong. When something does, these companies are fully able to say that we have agreed to their services. We live in a “gotcha-in-the-fine-print” kind of world. We seem to think that is perfectly acceptable to live this way. We usually concede that this business practice is fair.

When we walk in and ask a service clerk what does the service mean, they are also not lawyers and often reply using as friendly language as possible in order to achieve the sale.

In the circumstance of the guy who still owes $5000, I am sure the conversation with the sales person went like this.

“So, the $7.50 per month includes unlimited internet?”
“Yes, it does.”
“Great, thanks.”

Who knew? You may argue that he didn’t ask the right question. But, didn’t he? Was he aware that “internet” now means something different? Where the heck was his lawyer?

In the circumstances of all of these complaints, including my own, there is no fail safe by the company that protects the consumer. i.e. A simple text message or a phone call to inquire about unusual usage. My credit card company is fully capable of monitoring my usage. My bank is fully capable of monitoring my usage. Both have called me in unusual circumstances. Bell Mobility will text me the second my bill is overdue. It is automated. Why couldn’t Bell have contacted me or any of these people about their accounts in due time and before substantial charges were incurred? Where is their responsibility to us?

Why can’t they give us a cheat sheet of common telecom misunderstandings when we sign up? Long distance rates, bill and charges explanations, roaming rates and fees, data charges, etc.

I am tired of living in world where “it’s in the fine print so I just got screwed” and where companies think it’s perfectly legitimate to allow their fine print to dictate their business practices.

A section of the Telecomunnications Act has this to say: “27. (1) Every rate charged by a Canadian carrier for a telecommunications service shall be just and reasonable.”

I just want reason.