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Bell review: hidden costs 4

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10:43 pm EDT
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I am uncertain as to where to turn here. I have been receiving hidden costs from Bell Mobility for some time and each time I call they say that these costs were agreed by me due to having a contact with them. At no time was it told to me that I would have additional costs incurred throughout my contract period.

Please allow me a moment to explain:

In January 2012 we had three cell phones in our name through Bell. We called and cancelled the cell phone that we had given our 16 year old daughter as a disciplinary action for her behavior. Bell informed us that there would be a $400.00 cancellation fee and we had agreed to this. In Feb we received our bill and it had $400 added to the bill so we assumed that this was the cancellation fee for our daughters phone, as it was not clear on the bill. (Their bills are extremely difficult to follow).

Today however we received a with an additional $400 on our bill stating that it was the cancellation fee for our daughter. When my husband spoke with them on the phone they told him the $400 in Feb was for a data service agreement adjustment billed to my own personal cell and our daughters cell. He indicated that it was supposed to read that it was a cancellation of our daughters phone and where did this adjustment fee come from. They said they are within the rights to charge us for these as we have been told about these when we signed the contract. One: We were not told of these additional charges and Two: why would we get a charge for this on a phone that we previously cancelled?

In November of 2011 we renewed our contract with Bell for another 3 years and never had any of these charges in the past, that I know of... Now I will be reviewing all our bill. I have no idea why they are charging these now. This is unacceptable and fraudulent. They hide additional charges and gauge the consumers and make it very difficult to fight these additional charges that they come up with.

I will be cancelling all my services with them due to feeling like I am being taken advantage of. I can’t believe in 2012 that companies can do this to people and get away with it.

Update by Rmeilleur
Apr 25, 2012 11:12 pm EDT

So you agree that any company can charge hidden fee's without people complaining? They never explained that this additional fee will be charged, period. You must either work for Bell or be a sketchy business owner.

Update by Rmeilleur
Apr 25, 2012 11:59 pm EDT

It does not show on the contract and I have reviewed every line. I know I will have to pay for a cancellation fee for the other services we have, however I am looking at it like what is worse, stay and get charged for things we did not expect or were told about, or leave and not have to worry about this any longer. Currently, a normal monthly bill, we pay over $400 per month for our services with Bell. In the long run they lose. I would have placed my daughters phone aside, and was thinking of doing that, however she was stealing from us :( and got mixed up with some undesireable people and we had to take a stand and take her "toys" away.

Thank you for your comment. We have sent the complaint to the president of Bell, George Cope, and will see where that may take us.

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4 comments
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DSgamby
Thunder Bay, CA
Apr 26, 2012 3:10 am EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

Here is the Bell Contract section for cancelling contracts

If we end your Agreement and the Services before the end of your SCP because of your non-payment or other breach of the Agreement, you must pay (i) an amount, plus applicable taxes, equal to the greater of (a) $100 or (b) $20 per month for each month remaining in your SCP, to a maximum of $400, due to termination of your monthly rate plan; and (ii) an amount plus applicable taxes, equal to the Data Credit divided by the total number of months in the SCP, multiplied by the number of months remaining in the SCP after termination, due to termination of your data plan or feature which you committed to receive during the SCP. You must pay both amounts (plus applicable taxes) if we terminate both monthly rate and data plans, or a combined monthly rate and data plan, before the end of your SCP. Upon deactivation of the Device, and/or termination of the Services and this Agreement, you must pay in full all charges that are due including any amounts set out in the main part of your Service Agreement if you choose to terminate before the end of your SCP, late payment fees and any outstanding payments, fees and charges owing under this Agreement, plus applicable taxes. This obligation survives termination of this Agreement. Any SIM card will be deactivated and may not be reactivated. Bell will provide a refund of the amount of any credits greater than $5 which remain outstanding (after netting out any amounts payable by you) upon the termination of this Agreement. You must contact your financial institution to cancel any direct debit and credit card authorizations relating to your account.

It is in the contract so the OP is wrong.

http://www.bell.ca/Bell_Mobility_Terms_of_service#Ending

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DSgamby
Thunder Bay, CA
Apr 26, 2012 2:52 am EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

You read the Bell Contract?

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DSgamby
Thunder Bay, CA
Apr 26, 2012 2:20 am EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

Rmeilleur: As I stated. Since you can't find it, contact Bell and tell them to show you were the fee is.

The Facts Only Please: The OP said that it is not in the agreement.

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DSgamby
Thunder Bay, CA
Apr 25, 2012 11:41 pm EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

They are not hidden fees if they are in the contract. Just because you didn't read it, doesn't make them hidden.

Read the whole contract and see where it says that. If you can't find it, contact Bell and tell them to show you were it says that.

When you cancel your cell phone, you will get hit with the early cancellation fee as well. You will need to wait until your contract is up before you can cancel with no cancellation fee.

You should have just taken the phone away from your daughter and put it somewhere where she can't get at it until the punishment is over unless the punishment is severe like for 3 years. Sure, you would still pay for the every month she is punished but no cancellation fee.

I am pretty sure Bell won CBC's Marketplace worst phone bill.