[Blade_27]

Purchased a cell phone from Bell without a contract or a plan on December 18, it arrived Christmas Eve. In the list of instructions it recommended that I let it charge for 24 hours the first time. After 8 hours the only thing I managed to get, was on the display screen of a battery with a red "X".

After a search though here I realized that it wasn't that the battery was completely depleted like I thought. Batteries with a red "X" is an indication of a problem, I'd also get the same red "X" after pulling the battery out and plugging back into charge.

Now I understand that Bell can't be blamed for defective devices and know the Bell didn't intentionally send me one that wouldn't work. My issue is the 2 hours total I spent on hold with three different 1-800 numbers since Friday till yesterday to get this rectified. Like seriously 2 hours!?

How is it that the first rep couldn't have taken a statement from me about what my concern was? Then send it the appropriate source for them to get a hold of me. What I did get was "Not my department please call..." or "I'll have to transfer you over to..." & "One's who handle this are closed, please call back between..."

I eventually did end up receiving a call and looks like this will be all sorted out, replacement for the defective unit is currently on it's way. I'm just incredibly disappointed that I had to spend a total of 2 hours on hold to get this fixed.

[tediprude]

Well... @Blade_27. All I can say is lucky you. My brother spent from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (4 hours) on Christmas day - in and out of Verizon's answering machine graveyard and 5 different CSR's trying to activate 2 non-defective upgrade with 2 year contract phones.

I thought that was a bit much.....

Peace...

[Blade_27]

I was complaining about 2 hours spread out over 5 days. 4 hours in one day of all days Christmas!? That's brutal!

Didn't Al Bundy spend an entire episode on one of those answering machine graveyards you speak of? It was meant to be funny because it "wasn't" happening in real life. Theirs NOTHING humorous about it in the real World!

[Stojko]

Bell customer service, if you can even call it that, brings pointlessness to a whole new level.

[Fubaz]

Actually Bells customer service has come along way
Make sure to call 1 877 DATA 123

I get taken care of instantly all the time.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[Blade_27]

My most recent update: Chalk up anther 10 mins to the amount of time I've spent on hold.

Reason: Bell Wireless has billed me for a second phone!

I will say that I have had dealt with defective devices in the past with Rogers. Rogers allows a grace period between receiving the working replacement and retuning the first defective unit, can't quite remember just how much time it is but it's more then adequate to prevent ever being billed for two phones at any one time.

Bell's CSR has explained to me they can't/won't send a replacement without receiving payment because they don't know if they'll receive payment or not, keep in mind that they already have my all my credit info. I wasn't told I'd be being billed or had any expectations of being billed for 2 phones when all I ever wanted was one working one.

[Stojko]

Actually Bells customer service has come along way
Make sure to call 1 877 DATA 123

I get taken care of instantly all the time.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

I got a new phone for my (very old and not tech savvy) aunt a few months ago, shortly after that she moved so I had to get the number changed for her. What I thought would be a simple procedure turned out to be a lot more. I went to a Bell corporate store/kiosk and they processed the number change, didn't tell me what the number was or give me any confirmation papers or anything on it until I asked. They said it could take up to 24-48 hours. I waited about 3 days (72 hours) and the old number still connected to the phone when called, whereas the new number said it wasn't in service. Called DATA-123 a few times, they said it's an "issue" with HSPA (I bought her the cheap Nokia prepaid hspa phone), and that they would look into it but I had to add more prepaid balance to the account for them to test it - the balance had ran out that day, ironically, and I hadn't bothered to reload it if I wasn't sure whether this change would ever work. $15 later and hours on the phone over several days, they could not figure out why the change had not been successful. They said the old 'profile' was deleted in the 'system', as vague as that is considering outgoing calls' caller ID was the old number AND you could still call the old number to reach this phone. Finally, they suggested changing the number again - they did and it worked immediately...after about 5 or 6 calls to DATA-123 as they 'escalated' the issue over and over again and I re-explained to each and every rep who didn't have a clue what to do. In the end they suggested it was because the old number was a Quebec number and that 'the system' was different there.

[Blade_27]

I've had to speak to several Bell employees over the last few weeks, I just can't help but wonder if that any of these were the one's I had spoke with.

Off The Hook

TORONTO — A group of office workers from a Bell Canada call centre in east-end Toronto has hit the jackpot just in time for the new year, winning a $50-million lottery prize.

Nineteen workers at the call centre, adjacent to the Scarborough Town Centre, were heard throughout the building Monday as they celebrated their big win.

The $50-million Lotto Max prize, drawn on New Year's Eve, marks the largest single-ticket jackpot win in Ontario lottery history, and the second largest group win in Canadian history.

"This is really exciting," said Sarah Kiriliuk, a spokeswoman for the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. "It's not very often that we get to change the lives of so many people."

The winning ticket was validated Monday at an Esso gas station in Scarborough, Kiriliuk said. While she acknowledged a group of office workers won the prize, she would not confirm details on the group's size or where they worked, citing the potential for disputes to arise before the claims process is complete.

OLG's prize office was closed Monday for the new year's statutory holiday, but the group was expected to claim its prize later this week. The corporation plans to hold a news conference with the winners afterward.

The largest group jackpot win in Canadian history was $54-million, awarded to oil-and-gas workers in Alberta who cashed in a winning Super 7 ticket in 2005.

A couple from Vancouver won a $50-million Lotto Max jackpot Oct. 29.

[Nathan87]

Bell customer service is horrible, I've spent countless hours with them and about 95% of the employees don't even know what to do ever!

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[Blade_27]

Guy's Can't Seem To Get Anything Right

They may have the golden ticket, but a group of co-workers who won a $50 million Lotto Max draw won’t get their cash just yet.

The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. delayed the prize payout after others came forward on Tuesday to claim a share in the winnings.

The OLG said there is only one winning ticket and the additional claimants who have come forward say they have a stake in the group win. The number of claimants has not been released.

There will be a “rigorous review process” before any prize money is handed over, the OLG said.

“We need to interview them and assess their claim for the prize and to see if all the stories jibe,” said OLG spokesman Tony Bitonti.

The winning ticket was purchased by a group of employees at a Bell Canada call centre in Scarborough, who formed a lotto pool just four weeks ago.

The members of that pool will also have to undergo interviews as part of the standard process for group wins.

Pool leader Natalie Damianidis showed CTV a check-marked list of the 19 office members who she says paid to be part of the draw.

She said anyone whose name is not on the page was not a member of the pool and the dispute has left her feeling “bittersweet” about the win.

A man smoking on the porch outside Damianidis’ Scarborough home on Tuesday evening said she was so upset by the situation — and the attention she’s been getting since the win — that she left the house.

A day earlier, Damianidis was in better spirits.

On Monday at the Scarborough call centre, cheers and hollers echoed through the office as pool members celebrated their win and talked of paying off mortgages, retiring early and buying houses.

Group members were counting on collecting about $2.6 million each within a few days.

But now those plans will be delayed; for how long, no one knows.

“Office pools are really popular and we do come across (disputes) occasionally, especially if they’re larger groups,” said Bitonti, who couldn’t speculate on how long it will take the OLG to resolve the dispute.

The commission lists guidelines and tips for group lottery play on its website and has a group play form available for download.

The OLG recommends lottery pool members appoint a leader and keep their own photocopies of purchased tickets. Group leaders should always keep a list of participant names with signatures, phone numbers and the amount paid.

The OLG also suggests the leader send a weekly email to all members with the jackpot amount, draw date, cost per play and cut-off time for payment.

“Make sure there’s a clear line of communication with the group leader and group members,” Bitonti said.

“We want to make sure that everyone knows what’s going on.”

The Dec. 31 draw marked the first time a single ticket sold in Ontario won the whole $50 million Lotto Max jackpot.

The jackpot for the next Lotto Max draw this coming Friday will be an estimated $23 million.

[Blade_27]

It's been over a month that I've purchased this phone, here's where I am now.

I'll be receiving my credit card statement in the mail soon, I've already seen the online balance. I've still got two phones from Bell on my statement in addition to the interest accrued plus an over my credit limit fee. I'm basically being penalized $70 because Bell originally sent me a defective device.

I spoke with a CSR again today {chalk up another 15 mins on hold!}. I'm being told that if this isn't resolved {just the price of the device} on the next statement it should be done on the statement after that!

WHISKEY
TANGO
FOXTROT

I just have to reiterate here the second device {the replacement} I was not warned or given ANY notice my credit would be charged nor did I give permission for it to be used for anything other then for the first phone. Before this is all said and done I'm gonna expect to owe an extra $70 just due to Bell's own incompetence.

If anyone has any words of advice please feel free to post up. To say I'm P.O. right now would be an understatement.

[Blade_27]

Most recent update for the vary few of you that care/have been following along. I haven't made ANY progress with Bell Mobility, sorry I should have sat you down for that. I had a client care representative contact me Wednesday to tell me if I didn't accept store credit i.e. money off my next monthly statement I'd be more or less S.O.L. I explained to her yet again. The phone I purchased for full price without any contract or plan to be used off of the Bell network where Bell isn't even available. She replied with it's not her department she'd put me on hold {please note the tread topic title} & transfer me to someone else. Their actually now calling ME to put ME on hold!

I made one call to my credit card agency. My over the balance credit fee and the interest have been waived. It took one call and about 5-10 minutes, they were more then glad to do it. Credit card agency has a note within my file to follow up and ensure that the phone is in fact deducted by Bell.

I can't f'in believe that Bell Mobility has left it to a third party to accept responsibility for the their own incompetence. I couldn't possibly be any more disgusted and let down by a company I voluntarily gave money to then I am right now.

VISA has willing taken care of my concern and I just have to wait to see if Bell does in fact remove the second device from my account. I'm just incredibly disappointed that this wasn't handled at the source.