Bizarre Bell CS Requests

[craigy2009]

Recently I have tried getting answers to questions from Bell Customer Service via e-mail through the Bell website. Yes, through the Bell website.

My first question was why was there a delay of several days between my billing date and being notified of a new bill via e-mail. (Apparently there may be as many as 5 business days between the billing date and the e-mail notification.) Part of a response message from a (supposedly) Bell CS rep included the following statement.

"I also wish to clarify that you deemed it necessary to add a password to
your account in order to prevent unauthorized accesses. I invite you to
provide it before we can answer specific questions pertaining to your
account."

Huh??? Yes, a Bell CS rep was asking me for my account password. (Remember, I submitted my question about billing through the Bell website.) Wouldn't CS have any information about my account available without having to log in to mine?

A couple of days later I submitted a new question asking when BB OS 5 would be available for my phone, the 9630 Tour. (Bell seems to be the only major North American carrier that doesn't have it for the Tour. The response from a different Bell CS rep was nonsensical - that 4.7 is the latest version for that device.) Again, part of the response message included this.

"If you have further questions specific to your account, please ensure
that you include the following information so that we may proceed:

- account password

We hope you will understand that these security measures are in place in
order to protect your account from unauthorized access."

They have security measures, but they want me to ignore those measures???

So, I sent off a curt response saying that asking for a customer's password was pure nonsense, and that they should have access to any information about my account via their computer system. In a new response message a third Bell CS rep acknowledged my dissatisfaction with the previous response, but included this sentence in her own response message.

"Your account password was only requested for additional
inquiries not related to this matter."

Are there any Bell reps/employees who still look at these forums (Corruptyd, where are you?) who can fill me in about what is going on here? Remember, these are not unsolicited e-mails. They are responses to questions submitted through the Bell website.

[MobileMadness002]

And you may have your PW automatically added or submitted. So to verify your account, include the PW as requested. Seems inconsequential to you but not too the people looking at your credit information it is required before providing any account related information. Bottom line, just do it. It;s for your own good.

[Oilersboy]

my advice is go to bell store in person and they will know your situation with your tour.

[crotalian]

its called security dude...what if i somehow knew your email address and emailed them for info on your account...that means i could get any info on your account i wanted without verifying your password by your logic...if you dont like it then remove your password

[crotalian]

and they dont need a password to get into your account...they need a password so they know you are who you say you are and so they know they are giving info to an authorized person...email addresses are very easy to manipulate these days

[Shaylguul]

A password in this case would save most of the steps in the verification process. They would have to ask a gozillion questions to I'd you. It would be something different than you have for accessing your account online. I use one saves me a ton of time.

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[craigy2009]

I would like to thank the above posters for giving some insight into this issue. Giving my account password to verify that I am who I say I am makes some sense.

Still, nowhere was it stated in any instructions that I should include my account password in my query. The question submission process required me to submit more that just my e-mail address. Bell Mobility clients (like me) are required to provide their Bell Mobility account number, mobile phone number, and daytime contact number as part of the submitted form. Also, I didn't really ask about account specifics. I just wanted to know why I seem to be getting bill notifications much later than in the past, and when Tour owners can expect to see a Bell version of OS 5.

I've sent a message to Bell suggesting that if CS reps need a client's password that they add a password field in their question submission form on their website.

Anyways, thanks once again for your input.

[drewbot]

just install a leaked OS 5.0, very stable

[Fubaz]

About the billing.

Common sense, your billing date is your cycle reset.

From there even though it is an ebill, take times to get totalled and passed to accounts receivable. From here it is double checked, added to the system and then processed for your viewing.

So with all the suscribers bell has and only a few offices handling it 3 to 5 days is normal and is very reasonable!

I just made all that up, but that seems about right to how a business model works

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[Fubaz]

Oh and as for a tour 5.0? Good luck on a discontinued model.

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[Coruptyed]

Just sneak in quickly, as posted the password they are asking is a different password from the one you use to log into the bell site. Its an account password for verification purposes like the bank uses when you call over the phone. They wouldve asked for it over the interenet because if you replied and asked another question about billing(which is personal information and must be verified) they could answer. Reson being is they can't do birthdate over the web due to security.
In regards to billing on your bill date or next day bell.ca is usually updated with your bill the fastest, email takes a bit because of the computer sending the notices goes down like a list, self serve is even longer.
Reason I don't come and post is because I would post information or answer someone with the truth and the op did not like my answer and would attack

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[craigy2009]

Thanks for the reply Coruptyed. I'm sorry you felt your advice went unheeded, and that the replies were uncivil. I for one value your input.

As I mentioned in an earlier response, I contacted Bell CS with a suggestion to have a field for entering password included for customers making queries. The response from them was along the lines of "We're sorry you are not completely happy with our website. We will be making some changes soon. We hope the site will be more to your liking.".

I'd still like Bell to release an official, Bell-approved version of OS 5 for the Tour, preferably not the Verizon version. I still don't see why I should sign up for a three year contract and the only official OS update is one posted a mere 3 months after I agree to a new 3-year contract and get a new phone. I do wish RIM would be the one to put the OS updates in its site, not the providers.

[Coruptyed]

Ya the web reps we have noticed don't help much or tell you to call the bell help.. Well why would we have reps on the internet then.. That confuses me but what can you . And its actually not bells choice for the os it is actually regulated by rim and they send the update that's why Telus and Rogers our out dated too. It is a disappointment to send customers there for out dated os

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