News

Bell Hit With Quebec Class Action Over Throttling Practices

L'Union des Consommateurs and a Quebec consumer have launched a class action lawsuit against Bell Canada over its throttling practices.  The suit, which is seeking certification on behalf of all provincial subscribers, argues that the practices deliberately slowed consumer services and raises privacy issues.  It seeks a refund of 80 percent of the monthly subscription price, in line with the reduction in advertised speeds.  It further seeks $600 per subscriber to compensate for false advertising and $1500 for privacy rights violations.

37 Comments

  1. Steven Hodson says:

    And the rest of us
    now if the same thing could happen in the rest of the provices this could be a very good thing to remind Bell that customers count for something

  2. Luke Closs says:

    Unlimited
    When is the class action lawsuit for Bell’s ridiculous “Unlimited data” plan happening?

    [ link ]

  3. pat donovan says:

    net neutrality
    filtering, throttling and ad insertion.

    we are getting actio on at least one attempt to absound with the biz.

  4. Anonymous says:

    The only people who makes money from class actions are the lawyers. And as Bell is owned mostly by pension funds, basically we end up paying!

  5. Rob Wiebe says:

    Bell Hit With Quebec Class Action Over T
    Great news! We live in Québec and just left Bell because of their poor customer service, inconsistent rates, limited “unlimited” plan and their practise of opening packets, which I learned about on this blog.

    -R

  6. Antoine W says:

    I love UDC
    I love l’Union des Consommateurs!

  7. Privacy Guy
    Right on!

    I never took Law 101 though, how do we start our own class action suit here in Ontario???

    Patrick

  8. I would gladly join a class acttion lawsuite against Bell in Ontario.

  9. class action lawsuit
    I’m up for joining! In the last two days I’ve tied up about 4 hours with Sympatico Billing and tech, I finally got a tech guy who promised me if I upgrade to a 7MB package I could boost my up and download speed to 60 kb/s WOW!!!, PASS Where do I sign up for this class action lawsuit

  10. Anonymous says:

    If there is a lawyer with the parts to take up a class action against roger’s in Ont, with out any up front fees, I’ll join up pronto.

    Cheers… ‘ole

  11. @Alan T
    The Bell trained rep lied to you.

  12. Bell lying to a customer… isn’t that what this is all about?
    I think if just take my measly forty odd dollars an go play somewhere else they win.
    There has to be a better way.

  13. Berry Boy says:

    Ontario Lawsuit!
    I don’t subscribe to Sympatico DSL (I use TekSavvy), but Bell is still interfering with my internet connection. I would love to join in a class action lawsuit here in Ontario!

  14. Ontario LAWSUIT
    I left BELL due to:
    threatening me for illegal activity ( using utorrent ) which isn’t illegal ( was grabbing public domain ebooks )

    They changed my contract without proper authorization.
    They defrauded that credit card on that account after it was closed and i reopened another without that credit card. BUSTED anyone. Still not sure if its been remitted to the card holder.

    They also screwed me on satellite service which hasn’t worked for 5 weeks properly, getting run aorund there as well.

    The 50 lies i was told when they changed my account without authorization to a “limited account” form an unlimited one. HUH that made more sense then i can OHHH the humanity.

    WILL SOMEONE GET A WEBSITE UP AND START THE DONATIONS FOR A LAWYER. I AM SICK A THESE NOOBS.

  15. I HAVE 15$ to start the roll
    I have 15$ to contribute
    WHAT WOUDL you donate ….

  16. CRTC modifies Decision
    You should all have a look at this!

    [ link ]

  17. Ontario LAWSUIT
    I hope that the class action lawsuit against Bell Canada launched in Quebec is not about hitting Bell with some ridiculous financial penalty. If the CRTC limits the maximum monetary compensation for any complaint, to $5,000, so be it. It’s the practice of bandwidth throttling and the use of deep-packet inspection technology that should be at issue here.

  18. looking at the decision modification i’d say
    the CRTC sleeps with bell

  19. Beavers_Cant_cut_IT says:

    Mia Baloch
    Why isnt this happening in Ontario?

  20. no idea
    About Class Action Lawsuits in Canada

    A class action allows one person, called a representative plaintiff, to start a lawsuit on behalf of himself/herself as well as all others who fit into the defined class, subject to the rights of class members to withdraw or opt-out. This means that a single person can commence a class action on behalf of hundreds or thousands of people.

    Ontario, British Columbia, Quebec, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland are the only five provinces in Canada with Class Action Legislation in effect. The Supreme Court of Canada has recently ruled that court procedures allowing representative actions can be interpreted so as to allow for class actions.

    Class action legislation in Canada allows greater access to justice by permitting groups of people who are similarly affected to join together in commencing legal action.

  21. Bell = misleading at best
    I’m in Ontario. Sympatico started throttling my connection back in October of last year between the hours of 3pm to 11pm. It’s only weeks later that I received a letter telling me this was being done as I’m a heavy internet user. I was on the unlimited plan. I phoned them up, asked about my throttling observations and subsequent letter, and was told that “unlimited is not really unlimited”. Then I saw on their main page that they no longer offered the “unlimited plan” I was on. However, digging deeper on their site, I found a page that still offered an “unlimited” package for an extra $25/month on top of what you’re paying for whatever capped packages they now offer.

    I inquired about that page, and the Sympatico representative told me the “undisclosed limit” still applied, so there was no point in me trying to switch from my grandfathered unlimited package to this “new” unlimited” offering.

    Cable or other ISPs are not an option in my (rural) area, so I’m stuck with Bell, one way or another. The Sympatico rep’s suggestion was to go from Sympatico to a Bell Business account (even though I’m on a residential line), as the business unit has a “truly unlimited” package (though I see no reason to trust their word any more than Sympatico’s, really, since none of this is in writing).

    Funny thing is, they sent me a nastygram in the first place because I’m apparently “affecting my neighbours’ service” (a claim they can’t substantiate–and like I told them, being in a rural area, I have maybe 8 neighbours within a square kilometer, half of which don’t even have internet access in one form or another to begin with). I swallowed the pill and I’m now a more expensive business account… They finally left me alone, I’m not getting throttled anymore, but have my neighbours’ service “problems” (as Bell claims) been alleviated? Of course not. The data still comes down through the same lines, so whatever impact (however small) I might have on my neighbours is still exactly the same. The only difference is that Bell is getting more money out of me.

    God, I hope this lawsuit is extended to cover Ontario. I want in.

  22. Bell = misleading at best (addendum)
    …I should probably add that I work from home and VPN into the office–so I’ll use whatever bandwidth I need; that’s why I made the switch. Being threatened to have my access cut off is not a pleasant thing.

    In this day and age of conservationism and high gas prices, apparently Bell’s position is to discourage the telecommuters. If anything, they (the work-at-home crowd) should be given incentives to continue.

  23. Misleading Advertising?
    How many people recall a widely publicized commerical that Bell Canada ran, containing a certain beaver equipped with a loudspeaker, telling all of his neighbours to “stop using the internet, i’m trying to download a video!”, to which another beaver responds “there’s no need for that, we’re with Bell and your connection isn’t shared with the neighbourhood!”

    Isn’t this just blatant misleading advertising, since they are now claiming that due to too many people “downloading videos, etc”, your connection has to be throttled?

    Any bets on whether we will see this commerical again?

  24. Pick up your socks, Bell
    How ’bout you build, promote or advocate for more and better infrastructure, Bell? Or am I oversimplifying it?

    L’Union des Consommateurs is my hero. I hope they can offer their strategy to other provinces, I’m in BC and would love to pitch in the equivalent to my internet bill for a class action lawsuit.

  25. Mickey Hickey says:

    Did I read a 1/2 inch in a weekend paper about two weeks ago that consumers would not be allowed to sue Common Carrier after a new office would set up to deal with complaints. Shades of Ontario’s Auto Lemon complaint resolution. There was also a cap on awards of $5,000 related to what was paid and explicitly excluding related damages.
    The neocons are responding to a number of lobby initiatives. Some get press and some get issued late on fridays
    Vote early and vote often.

  26. CRTC Rulings Unjust
    Thanks JasonN

    Looks like if anything is to come of this, then a class action suit will have to preceed the action again Bell and placed against the CRTC for limiting the rights of citizens to a fair and equitable compensation judgement.

    See JasonN\’ comments:
    CRTC modifies Decision

    Written by JasonN on 2008-05-31 10:48:15

    ——–
    You should all have a look at this!

    [ link ] ]

  27. Paul Kambulow says:

    Sympatico
    I find it ironic that Bell is being sued about the same time they falsely cut of my interent servcies with a false excuse as well.

    To: CorrespondenceMinister@ic.gc.ca ; mpremier@gov.ab.ca ; premier@gov.bc.ca ; premier@leg.gov.mb.ca ; Premier@gnb.ca ; premier@gov.nl.ca ; floyd_roland@gov.nt.ca ; premier@gov.ns.ca ; rwjghiz@gov.pe.ca ; premier@gov.sk.ca ; dennis.fentie@gov.yk.ca ; compbureau@cb-bc.gc.ca ; info@ccts-cprst.ca ; infomgs@mgs.gov.on.ca ; ccbbb@canadiancouncilbbb.ca ; pm@pm.gc.ca ; Nicholson.R@parl.gc.ca ; Day.S@parl.gc.ca ; Dion.S@parl.gc.ca ; letters@cbc.ca ; news@ctv.ca ; newsroom@herald.ca ; newsdesk@lfpress.com ; submit@theherald.canwest.com ; letters@thegazette.canwest.com ; localnews@tc.canwest.com ; sunnewstips@png.canwest.com ; city@thejournal.canwest.com ; globalnews.reg@globaltv.ca ; mmarshall@leaderpost.canwest.com ; oped@ott.sunpub.com ; editor@tor.sunpub.com ; tabtips@png.canwest.com ; sanderson@thecitizen.canwest.com ; newsroom@canadianchristianity.com ; ministre@finances.gouv.qc.ca ; ministre@justice.gouv.qc.ca ; Letters@globeandmail.com
    Subject: p2pnet news » Blog Archive » p2pnet traffic shaping digest

    Paul Kambulow Says: May 16th, 2008 at 2:32 am
    It has also been decades of my own experiences in rightfully complain about unacceptable negatives that still a written letter sent to the right party works best, a letter sent to the the people who have the power to make changes, and that includes all of the news editors and the elected representatives too, for that public exposure and prosecution of the guilty persons serves everyone’s best interest. I am a prolific writer who has now for decades written a wide range of social, moral, political issues but I too was surprised as to how much attention comparatively the the Bell posts are getting now. But for some reasons Bell still is not getting enough attention by the government.. [ link ]

    My Blog’s most common Search Words used related to Bell Sympatico

    bell Sympatico complaints
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    My own Most Active Blog Posts, Issues

    Basic Contract law,
    Bell Sympatico,
    CHRISTIAN & MISSIONARY ALLIANCE,

    Paul Kambulow Says: May 16th, 2008 at 2:39 am
    >>the latest customer service mail out today from Bell: “Download movies at warp speed. Nothing is more important than speed when it comes to downloading movies and music. Don’t let viruses, Trojans and worms slow down your computer. We have tips to put your PC in overdrive.” as if it were viruses, Trojans and worms who were slowing down music and movie downloads…

    not only is this a typical Bell misdirection, another false Bell diversion but it is a misleading Bell ploy merely to earn more money by selling more of Bell services, for Bell they really do care about the customer’s best interest firstly but only their own… as we Bell customers all seem to know firsthand too.

    Paul Kambulow Says: June 11th, 2008 at 5:00 pm
    I have openly rightfully shared with the Prime Minister of Canada Stephen Harper’s office that Bell Sympatico undeniably is one of the most dirty, immoral, abusive Corporation, firm I have dealt in Canada in my lifetime. One that even falsely suppressed my complaints against it, my right of free speech as well.

    Because Bell Sympatico has UNACCEPTABLY TOO often HAD breached my ISP contractual agreement and NEXT Bell Sympatico had forcibly falsely disconnected my ISP service with them too thus next I have been forced to switch over to the Canadian http://www.acanac.ca/ -Residential High Speed ADSL without any Limits and No Blocked Ports or Traffic Shapping, plus Unlimited Downloading 100 GB of Online Storage Up to 5 Mbps Download and 800 Kbps Upload $18.95 per month This offer is available on a 1 year term and the first year of service. http://www.acanac.ca/Webhosting.html Call Tel: 1-866-281-3538 , 1-416-849-8520 On top of that I repeatedly do ask why Bell is now so expensive in comparisons to it’s competitor that uses the same TROUBLED EVEN Bell internet lines..

    I also find it really hypocritical, how basically unfair, totally unacceptable, one sided too it still is that that Bell Sympatico very loudly still demands full payments for their supposed services from all of their customers, when they Bell Sympatico clearly too often and unacceptably Bell Sympatico did not meet it contractual obligations to many of it’s customers, even when Bell Sympatico have not only provided a very poor, inadequate, incomplete services to many of their net customers, but in the process Bell Sympatico had also lied to, and had abused their customers.

    It is undeniably also that rather than initially honestly admitting the truth in Canada that Bell Sympatico lacked their advertised capabilities to provide adequate ISP, actually high speed internet services. Bell Sympatico when confronted with their failure to deliver the speeds as promsied to it’s cusomers had instead resorted to misleading statements, and lying to too many of the customers. Bell Sympatico had abused them further by falsely and lying in Canada diverting the blame on the customers own equipment, local connections, and the customer’s operating software as well. And finally when confronted by technical knowledgeable, competent persons with the undeniable proof that Bell Sympatico had been guilty of false, misleading business practices, Bell Sympatico next tries to screw the customers some more by Bell Sympatico trying next to charge them extra monies for the services they Bell Sympatico had promised long time ago to start of with too and had not delivered, their high speed downloads sites and adequate support services now too.. You can readily check your actual downloads speeds at [ link ] or many other similar sites too. Such witnessed by even me immoral acts, behaviors by Bell Sympatico has never been denied back to me and is never acceptable now still too and Bell needs to be fully regulated by the federal Consumer Affairs Ministers, even confronted, punished appropriately by the justice ministers as well for it’s much too many unacceptable bad, immoral acts too.

    Bell Sympatico now even wants an extra payment of 75 dollars if I do not return ASAP their high speed modem as soon as possible, conveniently forgetting that they themselves had wrongfully had breached my ISP contract, and also that they had falsely refused to refund me for an overcharge of an extra 55 dollars, to me for this high speed modem that I had never even requested from Bell Sympatico in the first place, and they too easily seem to forget that fact they Bell Sympatico had falsely also now tried 4 times to withdraw, steal my money from my bank account even during the time I as supposed to have free 6 months high speed unlimited internet as well. An agreement they too had falsely breached now.

    Now Bell Sympatico’s executive care Sasha Rollins had complained to me in writing 3 times back that in the last 18 months I have written 280 letters of rightful complaints to Bell about their inadequate, pretentious, services, even their false breach of their contract obligations. Me I am even next still even rightfully complaining to Bell Sympatico now that I had even firstly to to write any of these 280 letters of complaints to Bell Sympatico, and I as a direct result do even rightfully still do demand full payment of 2500 dollars from Bell Sympatico NOW for all my wasted time in even having now to do so now as well, plus further payment for the many years I had paid for a high speed internet services but never got one from Bell Sympatico as well. And I rightfully still expect this rightful 2500 dollars payment to me now from Bell Sympatico ASAP AS WELL , and so also NEXT I too will demand an extra 250 dollars in payment if they do not pay me my 2500 dollars COMPENSATION as soon as possible.

    And so the Circus with Bell Sympatico continues..

    Reader’s Write Says:
    June 11th, 2008 at 6:43 pm
    For the record, most of what Paul Kambulow has to say is bullsh*t.

    In addition after spamming bell, and members of parliament, he was warned that his service would be terminated due to harrassment.

    It got to the point that Paul Kambulow had the cops visit his place no less than 4 times for what he had to say to members of parliament (threats?).

    Paul, go away and take your bullsh*t with you.

    Paul Kambulow Says: Your comment is awaiting moderation.
    June 14th, 2008 at 12:50 pm
    Reference my rightful Bell Sympatico complaints

    The above reader’s write as I can see by his posts now clearly works for the devil, and Bell likely.. Dirty slander and personal attacks clearly is the another bad Bell way of operation, he firstly needs to get all his facts straight.. No cop ever had ever visited my home because of any threats to any MPs any politician for that matter ever.. My public exposure in writing so effective alone.. thus the above write is a slanderer and a liar. He likely does work for Bell executive services, and his name likely is Sasha Rollins too again. Cause Bell Sympatico has before this already slandered me and I had objected to this rightfully too to all, on the net too before, as I have rightfully complained to all about this as to how dirty Bell they really are when you make a valid complaint to them. Real dirty, Big liars too, incompetent too. . The reader should prove to all now the fact I had threatened any politician for the record, for the pen is mightier than the sword, ,do tell him give us all a copy of specific police reports he lying refers to firstly or to shut up this still Big liar.. But yes Sasha Rollins from Bell he did not want to talk to me on the phone now we will let the whole world read about it still in full.. and who will hire him after he gets does next laid off for failing to deal adequately. dealing poorly with a Bell Sympatico customer clearly now too. [ link ] The CBC market place confirms how bad bell is and not appreciated by many customers now too.. 2 million past Bell customers have left them even.. more more are leaving Bell too.

    A Prime Minister, a Ontario Premier and a Mayor had sent the police to my home in reply to my emails to them 6 times, because I wrote to them and also with a copy to the news editors, other MPs , and they really did not like it.. too bad for them.. and too bad for Bell too.. the ex premier of Ontario Ernie Ewes lost the election immediately next, so gone are are the bad liberal PMs Jean Chretien, Paul Martin and the bad Alberta mayor too.. even the other alcoholic Premier, Progressive Conservative politician Ralph Klein, the laughed at clown by the rest Canada, but hey I am still writing my email, internet posts for decades too eh.. My most popular recent posts read by thousands world wide too are about Bell, the Pentecostals, and evangelical pastors, the bad Christian Missionary alliance church, even about the bad cops, the bad RCMP and the unacceptable alcoholics now too..

    But this Bell Sympatico corruption, abuses are not a simple matter .. Sure Bell does wants me to go away, but do dream on.. I and many others do have hundreds of posted rightfully undeniable complaints about the bad Bell from out witness, experiences and about the the bad Conservatives who work on behalf of the crooked corporations that everyone can read, and many already have now too. Some persons had even phoned me at home about them. I told Bell Sympatico and Bell’s Sasha Rollins long time ago when he had threatened to take me to court to go ahead, I need the good publicity, andnext I will enter all my 280 past complaint letters to Bell into the court’s permanent records too. I also do have a anckldgement reply from Jim Prentice minister of Consumer affairs to my letters, and two replies from the Prime Minister’s office on these Sympatico matters and they are also posted on the net.

    Immoral, lying Bell Sympatico does not deny it did not honour it’s contract agreement with me but looked for some false excuse to try to shut me up, and did it work, of course not.. once my emails letters are sent they cannot be taken back by anyone, the damage to bell is rightfully done too as a result now..

    Hey Paul was supposedly warned by Bell about harassment???? but firstly that is totally an inside Bell privacy matter.. a violation of the customer’s privacy firstly and the CRTC should look into this in full now as well. How will others feel when they read how Bell wrongfully violates their customers privacy now too? AS per my right of free speech I can write to anyone worldwide and I do even about bell now.. The 3 Bell letters and they are posted on the net too had said a warning that I could not sent any more letters of complaints to Bell, or post any complaints on the net, or talk to any Bell employee, or to the RCMP as well even about how bad Bell was, or Sasha Rollins of bell executive care was, Sasha Rollins had my filed transferred to him alone and he would would not return any of my phone calls, and did not deny my my charges of his wrong doings posted also on the web and now it is too late to do so as well.. and he Sasha Rollins or his Bell subordinates would not send me any official signed ISP payment invoices for the last 6 months, he or his subordinates added extra charges to my unlimited 6 meg download account this year too, he or his subordinates charged me extra for a new modem I never requested, he and his subordinate falsified the fact I had renewed my bell Sympatico contract in 2008, and he would not send me a copy of this new 2008 contract as well.. Bell had lied they were proving me high speed system for years but when I did a speed test I found this was big lie.. and I proved it as well to all. All THIS I WRITE AGAIN IS ALL UNDENIABLE TOO.. AND all the major news editors got copies of these charges, so did they key Mps, others, and they are posted on the web for all to read still to date. BELL UNACCEPTABLY PLAYS A DIRTY GAME FOR A PROFESSIONAL SERVICE NOW.

    Paul Kambulow Bachelor of Civil Engineering, Concordia University 1968 Montreal, Quebec

    Copy to ; Abbott.J@parl.gc.ca ; allenm@parl.gc.ca ; Ambrose.R@parl.gc.ca ; Anders.R@parl.gc.ca ; Baird.J@parl.gc.ca ; Bell.D@parl.gc.ca ; Bernier.M@parl.gc.ca ; Blackburn.J@parl.gc.ca ; Cannon.L@parl.gc.ca ; casson@rickcasson.com ; Chong.M@parl.gc.ca ; Clement.T@parl.gc.ca ; davebatters@shaw.ca ; Davidp@parl.gc.ca ; delmad@parl.gc.ca ; DevolB@parl.gc.ca ; Emerson.D@parl.gc.ca ; Faille.M@parl.gc.ca ; Finley.D@parl.gc.ca ; Flaherty.J@parl.gc.ca ; Fletcher.S@parl.gc.ca ; Goodale.R@parl.gc.ca ; hawnL@parl.gc.ca ; Hearn.L@parl.gc.ca ; Holland.M@parl.gc.ca ; info@dickharrismp.ca ; jaffer@parl.gc.ca ; Keeper.T@parl.gc.ca ; Kenney.J@parl.gc.ca ; Layton.J@parl.gc.ca ; Lukiwski.T@parl.gc.ca ; Lunn.G@parl.gc.ca ; Mackay.P@parl.gc.ca ; MacKenzie.D@parl.gc.ca ; martin.paul@parl.gc.ca ; mathyi@parl.gc.ca ; Mayes.C@parl.gc.ca ; Moore.J@parl.gc.ca ; Obhrai.D@parl.gc.ca ; OConnor.G@parl.gc.ca ; Oda.B@parl.gc.ca ; ottawa@larrymiller.ca ; Pallister.B@parl.gc.ca ; pepinl@sen.parl.gc.ca ; Prentice.J@parl.gc.ca ; rajotte.j@parl.gc.ca ; sgroj@parl.gc.ca ; silva.m@parl.gc.ca ; simmssc@parl.gc.ca ; Skelton.C@parl.gc.ca ; Solberg.M@parl.gc.ca ; sorenson.k@parl.gc.ca ; Toews.V@parl.gc.ca ; Verner.J@parl.gc.ca ; volpej1@parl.gc.ca ; warkentin.c@parl.gc.ca ; Yelich.L@parl.gc.ca ; zedp@parl.gc.ca ;

    [ link ]’ target=’_blank’>link ]

    PS writing a letter of complaint now to a news editor, elected official is not spam,

    Bell Sympatico wrongfully had cut of my internet services last month cause they had wrongfully objected to my rightful complaints and me also going public about it world wide.. I next got a cheaper service at 1/5 the cost from Bell form another firm, that ironically still gives me the same service even from Bell that I had before.. so they Bell had meant it for evil but it next had caused me to save loads of money instead.

    [ link ]
    [ link ]’ target=’_blank’>link ]

  28. Wireless Mesh Networks
    Hi guys, I am looking into wireless mesh networks, in part as a personal response to stuff like ISP throttling and ACTA.
    Apparently, meshes may take corporate ISP’s out of the picture and make everyone their own ISP as a node of the network.
    BTW, I just viewed a seminar Lawrence Lessig did:
    [ link ]

    Happy computing.

  29. ... according to CBC says:

    Gord Clark – Rockburn, QC
    I live in an area where DSL is not supported, and probably never will be. To make matters worse, my home is nestled in a little area on the side of the Adirondacks where broadband is nearly impossible to get. The only solution is PC Direct, and I can\\\’t afford that.

    So while Bell twiddles their corporate thumbs, we suffer with (only) dial-up. The bottom line is, because we have green laws (here) that prohibit any new buildings, the market for (population) growth will never exist, and as long as Bell refuses to put in any new copper, we will be forever stuck with dial-up.

    However the issue of the day is the CBC program last week, where CBC compared the internet services of Bell (Sympatico) Telus and Rogers. From the report I saw, Sympatico was significantly slower that Telus or Rogers and that in most cases, most subscribers were not getting anything near what they were paying for in terms of file transfer rates.

    The throttling is only one aspect. Bell is playing all sorts of games.

    I can only hope that with the Ontario Teacher\\\’s Union now the major stakeholder in BCE/Bell Enterprises/Bell Sympatico, that the new owners will choose to serve Canadians more fairly than we have been. As far as I\\\’m concerned a monopoly like this is bad for the public, and the sooner the CRTC or any body politic, sees through this sham, the better we can only dimly hope to be.

    Gord Clark
    Rockburn, Qué.

  30. bell is evil
    I cant prove to you that Santa Claus isn\’t real.
    I cant prove to you that Bell/CRTC aren\’t riding the same gravy-train.
    But most of us don\’t really have to guess.

  31. Bent Over By Bell
    I just want to make more people aware of what happened to me and what could be happening to them right now.
    My history:
    Bell customer for several years, started with dial-up, switched to high-speed 3G as soon as it was available in our area approx 5 maybe 6 years ago, last year I accepted a 3 year contact after a promise of faster speed of 5 or 6G for $35 plus taxes per month less than the $47.95 plus taxes I was paying before.
    My past experience:
    As soon as I switched to the high speed internet from dial-up, I have called Bell technical support 310-SURF India a countless number of times. I have heard all the excuses and bold face lies about my poor internet connection ie. too far away from the central office, increased construction in my area, something wrong with my equipment, need to put filters on all the phones in the house, even though, I have 2 separate lines coming into the house that I am paying for. That\’s no different than going to my neighbour and telling them that I have internet service now and they have to put filters on their phone. I am paying full price for each line that is separated by a splitter at the box in my backyard. Anyway, after time went by, I just started living with the sporadic speeds and constant disconnections. Every once in awhile I would get angry enough to call Bell, especially when my family was driving me crazy with their complaining about the internet.
    Most recent experience:
    On the 1st of August 2008, once again, I called 310-SURF India for Technical Support went through the talk about something wrong with my equipment in the house, unplugged my modem and went to the other phone jacks in the house with it, was told I had to put filters on all my phones in the house (a note put on my file?), end result of my call was, \”There is nothing wrong with your equipment, it is on our end. We will call you back when the problem is resolved.\” I waited for that call, there wasn\’t any. Two weeks went by and the problem still wasn\’t fixed, I called 310-SURF India again and they told me they were still working on the \’problem\’. Once again, I started living with it, until I decided to look into cutting the cost of telephones and internet service that we had. (A lot of money from our house is going into Bell\’s coffers each month ie. internet, 2 phone lines into the house, 2 Bell Mobility, 2 Solo phones and a business phone. After doing some research, I ordered Vonage and they sent the adapter last Monday. When I received it, the first call I made on the VOIP Vonage phone became a dropped call (a problem with the internet service). Then I thought I should be checking the actual speed I was getting, I followed a link through the Vonage website and did a speed test for my internet connection it was 1.42 and then I called Bell to find out the status. There was apparently no record of my call in August and went through the same routine again, and again there was something wrong with my equipment, etc. I asked that they perform a speed test to find out what speed I was getting and their results were 1.68. The technician advised me to call and have my service reduced to 2G so it would cost me only half of what I was paying now. Was he totally missing the point? \”I was paying for high speed, I wanted high speed.\” Then I said, \”Well maybe it\’s the actual telephone line coming into the house because it seems to be worse when it rains.\” I was switched to Bell Repair India who immediately transferred my call to Customer Care Canada when they didn\’t understand what I was talking about, \”checking my telephone line\”. Finally got to talk to someone in Canada who said that this was really a \’Repair problem\’ but was nice enough not to transfer me back to India. The person I spoke to was very understanding and placed a work order for someone to come and physically test my telephone line that day. So I waited for someone to come, there was a no show. The next day while I was in a meeting my daughter called to tell me that the \’Bell dude\’ was at the door. What should she do? She apparently covered everything with him, he checked all the lines said that \’all was good\’ accept there was a line to a jack in the house that was causing the problem he unhooked it and I told him to leave it unhooked because no one ever uses it. He said the charge for this would probably $40 and that I should be getting a speed of at least 3G and, \”Bell is a dedicated service and you do not share the internet with your neighbours like cable.\” When I came home yesterday afternoon, I immediately ran a test on my internet speed, nothing had changed I was still at 1.42. Then after several attempts (even to the point of telling Bell I wanted to buy something) I got to speak to a Bell Account Billing Supervisor (Bell does not use the term \”Manager\”, I was informed of that yesterday). Anyway, this Supervisor was generally nice to me, understood how frustrated I must be. It took him all of five seconds to test my line and then another five seconds to test my neighbour\’s line, he said, \”I know what the problem is, the line from the Bell Central Office to your house will carry a maximum amount of 1.2 (I am not a technician and don\’t really understand what that means) he explained it as being like a funnel where it goes from large opening to a very small opening. He said that I should never have given high speed because of the capacity of the line. What the heck! I was sold and paying for high speed all these years. Last year, when I switched to the 3 year contract that included a higher speed, a Bell Service technician would have changed a part at their Central Office that they would have put in when I went from dial-up to high speed. All this time, all those calls to 310-SURF India their blaming my equipment accusing me of doing something wrong and it took this Supervisor all of ten seconds to discover that I have been placed on a wrong tier because of what my actual phone line was capable of? For my troubles, he gave me a credit for $35 for 3 months, let me continue with my security package that I got with my Total Wireless Internet package for a year (credit of $10 per month.) He offered me a more appropriate package of Essential Plus 2g with 20g internet usage with charge of $2.50 per gig charge if the usage is over 20g for 1 year at $29.95, regular price $39.99 (credit of $10 per month). He also told me that he was going to terminate the contract and would wave the fee for early termination. He gave me his name, employee ID and confirmation number after I agreed to his offer. I thanked him for being so helpful to me.
    Last night, thinking about my day I thought \’Did I make the right decision? And am I going to be shafted again?\’. My anger brewed the more I thought about being lied to and bent over by Bell.
    Please if you have read about what happened to me with Bell and you are a subscriber. Do not sit back and take it like I did for a very long time. Be more proactive than reactive! Do your research, ask questions, and then ask more questions, if you\’re not satisfied ask to speak to a Supervisor, have Bell do a speed test for you, find out exactly what speed your paying for and what your lines are capable of!

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  33. G. L. Hall says:

    Juat got off the phone with Bell….I will start the class action lawsuit NOW!
    After numerous internet problems & after a couple technicians scratched their heads in wonder I am ready to start a false advertising/class action lawsuit against Bell. Signal dropped…no problem we will send out a technician…wanna go from 6kbs to 16 with no price increase-hang on we will send out a technician only to find out that the service Bell provides in your area will take you to 10 at the max and the last service tech told you that the max your entire neighbourhood can get is 8. After a new modem is sent out by Bell… thanks for the $35 shipping fee tacked on to my bill to replace a faulty piece of equipment….after 2 technicians come out and test and re-test and give me a dedicated internet line and still the problem persists. To have their overseas support person tell me I can get a speed of 16 no problem oh wait the local tech says max 10 but heck I will pay for 16 just cuz I am Canadian. I own my own business and if I tried to tell any of my customers these deranged stories I would be out of business! Bell Canada right hand…meet left hand…meet my lawyer

  34. home owner
    hi just wondering if anything has been done with this i was sucker into going back to bell giving me an offer of 120 a month for the same services that easlink offers, when i got my first bill i was being charge 150 for the tv and 130 for internet and home phone now they say i owe them 1500 i need to know if anyone is in the same boat.. so we can get something going and stop bell from doing this to others..

  35. 460!! for a bundle??>>>> of TWO services???
    How is it they get away with false advertising like this…?? Charging exhorbirant prices…Starting from 49.95 my a** !..for bundled services.

    That is my bundled savings..They sent me my very first bill of $461.00…That is my TV and PHONE..not even internet>?? That itself is over 100…which i don’t get either!..It’s supposed to be 45..and I just sent them $122.00

    How does a person ever come down from 500+..when they continually charge crazy prices like that..? And how does a regular person fight that..u know..Talk about take advantage of ppl.

    You know..I complained of ROGERS..but at least they bundled my 3 services into ONE bill…not 3 paper bills..the paper loving @#$% idiots.

    Outrageous…

    Can you can tell i just opened this bill..

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