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Bell TV Retentions?

347K views 797 replies 276 participants last post by  dganz1 
#1 ·
I posted my first post in the wrong forum. I think it's more appopriate to post here instead. Well, we have been with Expressvu since like 1998. We are probably their first couple hundred customers. I still remember when they have an XPRS channel advertising how they are gaining customers and the start package was $8.95. Anyways, what I was wondering if I try to cancel will they try to keep me as a customer? I might be switching to Rogers digital cable because their Chinese channels are $5 cheaper.
 
#267 · (Edited)
An update to my previous post...

The installer showed up yesterday and told me he doesn't have any of the new 9241 receivers yet and asked me if I would like the 9242 instead. :D
Not trying to get too excited I told him sure why not since he didn't have any of the new ones yet. (Considering the 9242 was the receiver I wanted in the first place, this just put the icing on the cake)

So my retention deal I received was for the 9242 receiver for $499 plus a $250 credit on my account and 20% off on my programming for a year. :cool:
 
#270 ·
Phoned today to complain about ever increasing prices, the loss of Showcase HD, and to potentially cancel my Satellite TV. After the expected offers, I ended up just accepting 30% off my bill for a year. I probably could have got a little more, but I had to get supper going! It will save me a little over $400 smackos this year with a simple 10 minute phone call.
 
#272 ·
I'm not under contract. My two-year contract expired last year sometime. Personally, I don't believe in mid-contract negotiations - if I didn't want to live with the contract, I wouldn't have signed it in the first place.

Anyways, they offered 10% off, then 20%, then 20% plus a discounted new receiver, then the 30% discount which I accepted. I also didn't have to re-sign a contract so I am free to change things at any time, as are they.
 
#273 ·
further to my post # 261. they called me. i kept emailing them telling I would not call bell and they can accept my instructions via email. i kept getting the friendly reply telling me they cannot do that and please call. I kept at it and emailed the addy that someone posted in a much earlier post. something about executive.office@bell.ca iirc. anyhow last night i told them i did give 30 days notice via email. i also told them i would not call and would send a fax confirmation and copies of emails to visa as evidence that i had cancelled and ask for a chargeback. i get the friendly reply telling me they cannot accept me cancelling via email.

so what i did is googled bce and up comes corporate governence people from the president on down. i emailed everyone of them in one shot. and told them to accept my instructions and deal with it now. haha they called me within 15 minutes and offered up an hdpvr for 199.00 plus 40% off the bill for a year.

I said no as shaw was offering me a free hdpvr on a 6 month deal. and unless they beat it no deal. they said they couldn't do that. so i said no problemo. if i don't like shaw i'll sell the hdpvr and use the cash to pay for a 199.00 bell hdpvr. Ed
 
#274 ·
Well after calling retentions and asking for a deal to stay, I was told they had no retention offers and thanks for your business, after indicating I knew people who were offered % discounts on services, I was finally offered 10% off the TV bill for 12 months which I declined, up to 20% which I declined and asked for 30% off for 12 months which they finally agreed to with no contract obligations. I know some people got 40% off but I didn't feel like negotiating anymore and my bill has now basically been cut in half after removing a rental PVR I had. All in all I think I did ok.
 
#278 ·
If it is anything like Rogers, they do not care, as long as there is a card, if that model requires one.

I know several Rogers Technicians who have between them dozens of receivers, as they do not always hand them in at the end of the day.
 
#280 ·
i read in Bells faq's that the smart cards are and remain the property of Bell. that said I have no intention of allowing the Shaw technician to take the cards. I will simply explain to Shaw that I cannot give away something I do not own. anymore than the technician can give me the company van. Ed
 
#281 ·
Retentions

I was paying $110 a month for:

7 Themes and Premium Movies $46
1 HD Value Pack $10
1 HD PVR 9242 $20
1 Digital Standard $31
1 Service Fee $3

(I subsequently found out that the total cost is now $112...)

I called and said I didn't want to cancel, but that I could not pay this anymore. The rep offered me 30% off for 12 months and free rental for a year on a 9241. I declined the free rental because he said you could only use 1 TV on it. I currently have the 9242 in my living room and the 2nd feed in my kitchen. So, I am happy with the 30% discount. I also got rid of 1 theme pack (More Movies) to make my total monthly $76.40. I asked if there was anything else that could be done to reduce the cost. He must have mentioned 4-5 times that I should get rid of the HD Value Pack. I also asked him about NG HD and Showcase HD and why they were no longer there...he said he would look into it.
 
#289 ·
Having to call every 6 months for 50% off is a wee pain, but I always get an agent within 30 seconds calling Bell or Telus. I'll only stay with Bell if they continue to match what I would be paying from Shaw or Telus in a bundle (which Bell does not really offer where I live).

Shaw, even though I fully intended to take them up on their win-back offer, took so long to get through that I gave up.

OT: They switched to a Cisco call centre and lost the nice ETA and call back features they had before on their NEC system.
 
#290 ·
Shaw, even though I fully intended to take them up on their win-back offer, took so long to get through that I gave up.
Be carefull with the win-back offers. Make sure you really check into them and make sure you're going to get exactly what they say they're going to give you. Especially if it involves other things other than just TV service. I worked for shaw for a very long time and when i was there there were a lot of CSR's promising many things especially when it came to other services such as internet that they just couldn't fulfill and then dump on the next rep or another dept to deal with afterwards. Winbacks were a big thing for them there and they really pushed to give those ppl just about anything that would get them to sign backup because it was a bonus on thier paycheque.

As for the phone system i can tell you that the call back feature was really really annoying for most reps. Half the time you'd get voice mail right away or ppl just wouldn't answer.

I'm beginning to think that the best way to do anything, and i've pretty much known it all along just havn't taken advantage of it because i just don't want to make a big fuss is to deal with the retention dept for anything now. At least they can get you something if you're a current sub or need new equip. Sad really that its come to this. It used to be ppl would get upgraded out of old equip and were rewarded for long time accounts. I guess they've figured they make more money with ppl like me who just acept what they have to offer and give rewards to those who complain.
 
#291 ·
Wow, why go through chat? The reason for discounts is very personal - chats are cold and totally devoid of any human interaction - They won't care if you cancel.

Just call them, it works!!
The reason I used chat was because someone of RFD claimed they were successful getting 30 or 40% off through chat. Thought I would give it a shot.

I am acutally contemplating getting shaw for basic cable and then going with Apple TV for HD content. I never watch live tv as I am a full time student and have a full time job. When I do watch TV epidsodes, I FF through all commericals. Looking at the cost benefit of just downloading shows like House, ER, L&O EVU, CSI from apple TV and paying for a season or by episode. Wonder if I would come out ahead.
 
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