[TorontoColin]

Actually, in this case I think the main problem was incomplete information posted here. To get the HAITF you have to go to a corporate store and you have to have the brochure with you. These are things the poster in the other thread failed to mention.

As far as I can tell, they don't have the brochure in stores. I don't know how you get the form, other than online or from a Wind CSR with whom you are either friends or family. A bulletin went out about this two weeks ago, but many of their in store CSRs don't read the bulletins regularly.

This is probably a silly way of doing things, but I can sort of understand why. Wind doesn't want to advertise this too much because they devalue their own product. They put the form out there, leaked the information on it to MobileSyrup, and put out a bulletin for their CSRs. In this case, it sounds like the CSR at the corporate store didn't read her bulletins properly. As for the lengthy wait time on the phone, I suspect that's due to their boxing day sale combined with the imminent end of the Holiday Miracle Plan. I recommend using their online chat service anyway, whenever possible.

You also would have run into the issue that you can only have one HAITF per person, so unless you made it pre-paid in your kids' names you would only be able to activate one account.

 

[TorontoColin]

I checked with a couple of people and it looks like the CSRs can't give the forms out. What happened was Wind offered this plan up to a few organizations to offer internally to their employees (this kind of thing happens all the time at my work). Of course, since this isn't 1985, someone leaked the form online, but it was never meant for everyone.

The idea is that Wind CSRs aren't supposed to give the form out because you need to get it from the organizations who are supposed to distribute it. That's why it doesn't seem to be on their website. At one time they didn't need a referrer, but since they discovered the form was leaked, you're now supposed to list the organization who gave you the form.

Wind is at fault here for not realizing that this would be leaked online within minutes, and the CSR is at fault for not explaining how the HAITF works.

 

[TorontoColin]

I get offers that come across my desk all the time for discounts on theatre tickets, theme parks, vacations, etc. One of my friends, who works for one of the banks, gets discounted tickets and products through his concierge service all the time.

It's arguably shady, but it is the reality of doing business in Canada. You can't buy off officials (or at least not as many of them) like you can elsewhere in the world, so companies use these kind of tactics to beat the system instead. I guess the takeaway here is that Wind is no different than any other wireless carrier. I'll continue to use them, but only for the same reason I used them before: they're cheap and unlike the other three they haven't screwed with me yet. I have no illusions of their higher moral code.

I'd recommend taking a look at Mobilicity. Their $25/month plan probably covers the needs of your kids (unlimited local calling and texting) and if you're willing to commit, if you pay 6 months up front the price drops to the same $20 as Wind. Also, if anyone is likely to hold to a higher moral code I'd say it's them.

Edit: If you sign them up for a family plan the total bill would be $45/month for the two lines, without any upfront commitment.

 

[TorontoColin]

I always think of it like buying a car. They're all out to take advantage of you somehow, and if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

If you do chose Wind, I'd recommend you shy away from the 'lightly loved' devices. Wind seems to have a very loose definition of 'lightly'.

Good luck, and let us know which carrier you choose and why.

 

[TorontoColin]

It does say "an extraordinary offer exclusively for the family and friends of WIND employees" and that it can only be done via a Wind corporate store, though there is no clear indicator on their site as to which are corporate stores.

I think the problem may just be poor communication between Wind and their front-line staff. I'm not sure whether that is due to Wind not making the information available or their staff not doing their job and reading their bulletins. Nobody seems to be entirely clear on who is eligible for this offer.

 

[TorontoColin]

They have a call centre in Mississauga, Peterborough, and one in Egypt that is used for after hours and overflow.

The Samsung is a pretty good feature phone, though reception is below average. Waiting for a second line is a good idea, especially if you're out in the 'burbs, because you never know how strong their signal will be in your neighbourhood.

 

[TorontoColin]

You should try emailing your story to Wind CEO Ken Campbell ([email protected]).

I had very similar issues trying to port my number in. It took nearly two weeks and they didn't call me back several times. That said, I've never found any telecom who actually calls me back reliably. From what I've heard, they're using a software system that just isn't very good. However, I don't get why you can't just go to another Wind store, pickup a SIM card, and activate it with your plan. It seems like you have reached some clueless CSRs.

 

[TorontoColin]

Somehow, I doubt it will be that easy.

I've been with Wind for about 8 months now. From my experience and the experience of others I've found that getting your service set up is often a nightmare, but if you can get it set up things will go much better from there.

If you're still interested in getting a cell for your son I'd recommend you look at Mobilicity. I've heard much better things about their customer service.

 

[TorontoColin]

"Take-out" locations are locations which just have prepackaged phones for purchase with later activation, they have no actual Wind staff.

I avoid the Blockbusters at all cost, I only deal with the stand-alone corporate stores. In this case though, I would have considered calling Wind support while standing in the Blockbuster to yell at them.

I'd recommend filing a complaint with the BBB. Wind addresses all BBB complaints, and usually promptly.

 

[TorontoColin]

I have no real issues with the review itself. However, I do think you should consider clarifying that the form that you obtained and printed did not come from Wind, you found it from an unofficial internet source. While they still shouldn't have processed your order, I do think that detail matters.

Also, though you never activated or used the service, I think low pricing deserves a spot under pros, as it was what attracted you in the first place.

Good luck to your wife in returning the phone.

 

[TorontoColin]

Rockjock, again, it's not about defending Wind. In fact, if you look at some of the strongest complaints against Hugh's post, they all make it clear that the treatment he received was not acceptable. The problem is in the way Hugh's post - as an official statement on behalf of the site - is unbalanced. If he had simply described his experience and positioned it as his personal bad experience with Wind, this might not have been an issue. His calling it a "review" (which, in the public's mind, suggests an actual assessment of the product), his positioning it as an official recommendation from the site, the complete lack of any assessment of the actual telephone and data service, the fact that DH gets picked up by international news feeds - all of that is what made the post inappropriate.

Digital Home is his site. He owns and runs it. His opinion is the site's opinion. Anyone who reads the review enough to see him recommend against Wind will see that he didn't actually review Wind service. We have numerous companies that this site recommends against, despite having never used, for unethical business tactics (see the spammer list).

Also, I'm not sure what relevance the international news feeds have, as Wind is only trying to sell service in Canada.

It seems a lot of Wind's customer support issues happen because of CSRs not reading their email properly, and I'm not just referring to this case. I see that all the time at my job too, but in a position like that you have to be checking your email all the time.