Ma Bell Won't Help - Unless You Pay

That's what I was told. If I have a problem with telemarketers, they can block those calls, but it would cost me.

And then, this new "Do Not Call" law came into effect. Rah!!! Rah!!!

It certainly eases the issue of unwanted telemarketing calls, but I'm still ticked. You've probably noticed that lately, anything "extra" that you request from a service provider (and others) costs you more... things that should be covered.

I find it abhorable that they give you a service and then allow telemarketers to aggravate Bell's customers. So much for "customer service". They penny-pinch every step of the way.

Here in Canada, they implemented a "wire care" service. So if you want to be sure your service is working, you can go for this additional wire maintenance service. Basically, you pay around $8 per month to cover in case anything goes wrong with the phone wire inside your home.

Now I ask you. Why should the customer be responsible for a wire that Bell needs in order to deliver the service they so badly want you to have? It makes no sense.

Add to that the Cancellation Fee they wanted to charge me for dropping my call display feature that was costing me $8 a month. The fee was $25. I was awestruck!

This brings me back to telemarketers.

Bell telemarketers call now and then offering me their new Internet service and phone package that's supposed to save me money. Remember, I'm already ticked off at Bell for the penny-pinching.

I told the guy, "If I didn't need Bell for my internet, I wouldn't have it."

He wanted to know if I'd mind sharing why I'm not interested in Bell services. I explained that every time I turn around they're trying to sell me yet another service at additional cost. In particular, I told him about the Cancellation Fee.

At one time, one price paid for it all - wire care, pulse tone, phone calls and even the phone itself. If you cancelled your service, so be it. No cancellation fees.

Today, you pay extra for pulse tone, wire care, call display, call-back, answer service… the list goes on. By the time you're done, you're paying an additional $15 a month for your phone service.

The telemarketer continued with his pitch about how he has this great new Bundle that would "lower my monthly rate". (Actually, it would end up costing me more than my current Internet/Phone combo.) So I asked him, "What if I decide I don't want it after I try it out for a month?" He replied, "There would be a cancellation fee if I didn't keep the service for an entire year."

WHAT?!

Point made, I think. He hadn't absorbed a word I said.

Sometimes, you just have to throw your hands into the air.

Sylvia
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