Shopping Discussion

Bell home phone going up $3.03??

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  • May 1st, 2012 1:23 pm
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Deal Fanatic
Oct 18, 2004
5534 posts
2000 upvotes
Wat

Bell home phone going up $3.03??

Just got my bell bill:

"Effective June 3, 2012, the monthly price of your Home phone service will increase by $3.03."

Are they freaking kidding me? It just went up $3 last year!!! This is ridiculous.
17 replies
Deal Addict
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Apr 4, 2009
1537 posts
87 upvotes
Planet X
Cancel Cancel Cancel.

Who has a land line for voice services anymore anyway?

Unless it is a must in your household, then never mind.
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but it's starting to dim.
Member
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Feb 26, 2009
436 posts
32 upvotes
Sudbury
Teksavvy for local phone service. A warning, their DSL service SUCKS, and they routinely block websites from their customers.
Deal Addict
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Mar 8, 2002
4235 posts
880 upvotes
Ottawa
OK, you pointed out that you had exactly the same complaint last year, but you stuck with Bell anyway. You are the kind of customer that Bell loves! Just keep paying the bill...

Get off the fence and switch to Teksavvy or another wholesaler. It will be a pain with service disruptions during the switchover, but by my count, I have saved $800 in three years with their home phone, long distance, and DSL internet, plus I get Canadian based technical support that doesn't read from a script. Billing is light years ahead of Bell. Invoices come in via email, pay via online banking, if there is a mistake they cancel the bill and email you a new one. Bell won't do that!

Bell Call Display $10.95/mo, Teksavvy $3. On that front alone I've saved $286!
Deal Expert
Jan 7, 2002
29710 posts
29128 upvotes
Waterloo, ON
LondonOntGuy wrote: A warning, their DSL service SUCKS, and they routinely block websites from their customers.
Utter nonsense, plain and simple.

Perhaps there's an issue with your line or you live too far away from a CO or RDSLAM to get fast, reliable DSL. So do many, many Bhell customers. But to extrapolate that into a blanket statement such as yours is both false and outrageous.

P.S. Why is it that Teksavvy's scores for DSL service have topped DSLReports' ISP ratings charts for years?
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Oct 22, 2007
9280 posts
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London
LondonOntGuy wrote: Teksavvy for local phone service. A warning, their DSL service SUCKS, and they routinely block websites from their customers.
You're going to have to explain that.
Deal Addict
May 3, 2008
4442 posts
248 upvotes
LondonOntGuy wrote: Teksavvy for local phone service. A warning, their DSL service SUCKS, and they routinely block websites from their customers.

Yeah I have Teksavvy DSL for the last 4-5 yrs and that's not true.

I think I'm gonna switch to their land line as well if it's still cheaper. How do you go about switching, do you just fill out that form on the Teksavvy website and they do everything or should I call Bell + Teksavvy? I think it works out to being $28/month for Teksavvy home phone with caller ID and call waiting.
Sr. Member
Mar 15, 2008
557 posts
132 upvotes
Montreal
There's no reason to still be with Bell (other than lack of any other provider in the area, or masochism). They're like an abusive partner that people are afraid of leaving. But you can do it and never look back.

You can go Teksavvy for DSL And phone and have the exact same quality of service (and more bandwidth for less money) while actually having respectable customer service (not that you will ever need to call them beyond the initial setup - I haven't) and monthly bills that actually have the same amount on them every month (versus having to call Bell every goddamned month to fix their "mistakes").

Take it a step further and you can get a pretty good VOIP line instead of home phone, or transfer your number to Fongo and forward it to three phones, and you can replace your home phone for free, or nearly for free.

And there are tons of options to cut the cord for TV, though it's understandable if you still want to keep some kind of traditional TV service.

Hope this helps give you a little push.
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Feb 26, 2009
436 posts
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Sudbury
More often than not, a website I use to view streaming video, Ch131, comes up as 'server not found' when I try to visit it from my main computer. On the bedroom laptop, using an open connection from neighbours that use either Bell or Start, it works just fine.

I doubt that it matters but the Teksavvy IP I get usually identifies me as being in Toronto. On the open wifi, it comes up as London, which is where I'm located.
Deal Expert
Jan 7, 2002
29710 posts
29128 upvotes
Waterloo, ON
LondonOntGuy wrote: More often than not, a website I use to view streaming video, Ch131, comes up as 'server not found' when I try to visit it from my main computer. On the bedroom laptop, using an open connection from neighbours that use either Bell or Start, it works just fine.
That sounds like a DNS issue.

1. Have you flushed your DNS cache?
2. Have you reported it to Teksavvy?
3. Have you tried using a generic DNS like Google or OpenDNS?

Or is it just that much easier to post "Teksavvy's their DSL service SUCKS" on RFD on a thread about Bhell?
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Deal Expert
Jun 14, 2001
15556 posts
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LondonOntGuy wrote: More often than not, a website I use to view streaming video, Ch131, comes up as 'server not found' when I try to visit it from my main computer. On the bedroom laptop, using an open connection from neighbours that use either Bell or Start, it works just fine.

I doubt that it matters but the Teksavvy IP I get usually identifies me as being in Toronto. On the open wifi, it comes up as London, which is where I'm located.

Even Cogeco was having issues like with a website that according to a thread over in their DSL Reports forum a few months ago. Customers were complaining, Cogeco was trying to get it fixed, the site was passing the buck back to Cogeco.

The internet is...well the greatest, most buggy piece of crap ever invented.
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Deal Addict
May 23, 2008
1712 posts
1767 upvotes
GTA
Unless you live in an area with very frequent power disconnections and your landline is critical, then why are you still with Bell?
Five years ago I moved and I have asked Bell to move the line. They said it costs $200 to activate the line in the new house. I said what? $200? Cancel my account. I was paying $40/month for basic service. I did my research at I went with Freephoneline.ca. I had to buy a VoIP adapter for $80 and a configuration file for $50, but that was it. Free home phone in the last 5 years! No downtime ever, except when my Internet was down for a few days - I was with Teksavvy over DSL and the (Bell) line went down. I moved to Teksavvy over cable (Rogers) and no problems since.
So I saved over $2700 dollars. If the home phone ever becomes critical, which I doubt with three cell phones in the house and another VoIP line, I will buy a gas generator for power, and it will still be cheaper then Bell.
Member
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Feb 26, 2009
436 posts
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Sudbury
I tried the alternative DNS options and did the usual 'flushdns', I had pretty much the same result. Very odd that it only seems to happen with that site. :confused: I retract what I said earlier, but their service still not perfect by any means. - I still get booted off whenever I get called on my building's intercom. (Enterphone 2000)

As for switching your phone number to TekSavvy, just call them up and tell them you want to jump ship. They'll handle all the details on their end, and there will be zero interruptions. You might even be able to convert your number to 'TekTalk' as well, which is what I'm doing so I can save my number when I move.
Deal Expert
Jan 7, 2002
29710 posts
29128 upvotes
Waterloo, ON
LondonOntGuy wrote: I tried the alternative DNS options and did the usual 'flushdns', I had pretty much the same result. Very odd that it only seems to happen with that site. :confused:
As I said, contact Teksavvy, explain that this doesn't work with them but does with other ISPs, give them the URL, and ask for their help. That's what you're paying them for.
I still get booted off whenever I get called on my building's intercom. (Enterphone 2000)
That's a well-known problem but it's got nothing to do with Teksavvy. Apartment building intercoms tap into your phone line when someone calls from downstairs. Remember all those DSL filters you installed in front of all of your phones? Well there needs to be one between your phone line and your apartment building's intercom system. Expect a hassle from the building super. But that's got nothing to do with Teksavvy. It's a DSL problem that you'll have with every other DSL ISP. If the super doesn't cooperate you have two options, (a) switch to cable, or (b) get a dry loop just for DSL.
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Member
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Aug 9, 2007
470 posts
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Ontario
When we moved into our house, Bell had come the day we moved in trying to FORCE us to hook up our phone. We sent them away.

I'm using Dell Voice with my own VOIP box ... $0/month. Hooked up to a UPS for any power outages.
Deal Addict
Sep 22, 2009
2760 posts
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Canadia
Bell really is like a physically abusive husband. Why victims of abuse choose to continue a relationship with the abuser is a topic of ongoing debate and research, although some of the reasons have been clearly identified.

- belief that the abusive partner will change because of their remorse and promises to stop battering
- attachment to the partner
- fear of making major life changes
- feeling helpless, hopeless and trapped
- lack of information regarding community resources

For those struggling to escape from an abusive relationship with Bell, make use of the resources that are currently available for victims of domestic abuse. Help is available.
If you’re hoping your abusive partner will change... The abuse will probably happen again. Abusers have deep emotional and psychological problems. While change is not impossible, it isn’t quick or easy. And change can only happen once your abuser takes full responsibility for his behavior, seeks professional treatment, and stops blaming you, his unhappy childhood, stress, work, his drinking, or his temper.

If you believe you can help your abuser... It’s only natural that you want to help your partner. You may think you’re the only one who understands him or that it’s your responsibility to fix his problems. But the truth is that by staying and accepting repeated abuse, you’re reinforcing and enabling the abusive behavior. Instead of helping your abuser, you’re perpetuating the problem.

If your partner has promised to stop the abuse... When facing consequences, abusers often plead for another chance, beg for forgiveness, and promise to change. They may even mean what they say in the moment, but their true goal is to stay in control and keep you from leaving. But most of the time, they quickly return to their abusive behavior once they’ve been forgiven and they’re no longer worried that you’ll leave.

If your partner is in counseling or a program for batterers... Even if your partner is in counseling, there is no guarantee that he’ll change. Many abusers who go through counseling continue to be violent, abusive, and controlling. If your partner has stopped minimizing the problem or making excuses, that’s a good sign. But you still need to make your decision based on who he is now, not the man you hope he will become.

If you’re worried about what will happen if you leave... You may be afraid of what your abusive partner will do, where you’ll go, or how you’ll support yourself or your children. But don’t let fear of the unknown keep you in a dangerous, unhealthy situation.
http://www.helpguide.org/mental/domesti ... ention.htm
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