Bell Expressvu HD RETENTION - FREE PVR (1 Year) FREE HD RECEIVER (2 years)

[DOC SB]

*** UPDATED JANUARY 17th, 2009***

Thanks to MikeeyMike for the update to on how to call

call 1-888-sky-dish and 1 for english, 6 for other information, and 3 for cancel..call during business hours.

Looks like some are still able to get the deal, not as good though. It also looks like there have been a few people able to renew for another year of savings. There is also mention of new receivers out today starting on Page 32.

*************************

UPDATE FEBRUARY 12th:

Here's an update ..

Call 1-888-673-3788
Follow these options.

Step #1 -> Press #1 for English
Step #2 -> Enter 10 digit phone number
Step #3 -> Press #2 for all other options
Step #4 -> Press #3 to cancel subscription
Step #5 -> Press #4 to cancel subscription (again!)
Step #6 -> It's going to ask you to enter your PIN, you may not have one, so just randomly enter 4 digits
Step #7 -> PIN again .. randomly enter 4 digits
Step #8 -> 'Please hold while we transfer your call.'

That's it, you're in on retention line now!!!

Remember, the larger monthly bill you have, the better the discount you can negotiate!

Hope that helped!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ORIGINAL POST:

Just thought I would post my experience with Bell HDTV and what I just got.

HD PVR 9242 - Free rental for 1 year ($20 a month thereafter)
Free HD Programming for 6 months, plus an additional $60 credit (equal to 6 additional months of programming)
Free installation
Free hardware upgrade

On top of this, I also got a 30% discount on all of my Expressvu programming for 1 full year. That equates to a $24.90 discount plus taxes each month!

I also had the option to go with the 6100 free for 2 years, $10 a month thereafter
----------------------

I told them that I was thinking of moving to Rogers and that they were offering me 2 years free HD programming, and 2 years free rental of an HD unit.

The original offer was only:

HD PVR 9242 - Free rental for 6 months ($20 a month thereafter)
Free HD Programming for 6 months
Free installation
Free hardware upgrade
10 % discount for 1 year

[twboy1999]

got the exact same deal as you yesterday

the csr, gave me this deal right away without hesitation

nice deal

i also told them about the rogers 2 year hd-pvr

[mrwinky]

What was your current plan with bell? I'm on an HD plan till Nov 2008. (renting the equip) so I might have to give them a call

[DOC SB]

What was your current plan with bell? I'm on an HD plan till Nov 2008. (renting the equip) so I might have to give them a call

Basic programming, $31 a month. Been with them for 2 & 1/2 years. So my contract was done, had to sign a new one year contract though .. worth it in my eyes though. I'll just call them again a year from now!!!:cheesygri

[twboy1999]

no contract for me

[DOC SB]

no contract for me

They must not have told you then, if you're getting the receiver for free for one year, that's because you are on a 1 year contract.

[Zoomby_U]

They must not have told you then, if you're getting the receiver for free for one year, that's because you are on a 1 year contract.

Just called and got the same deal as well, 30% off current programming (already have HD with Bell) and free HD-PVR (Free install) for a year which you can cancel after the 1 year contract. There is definetly a 1 year commitment which is still an awesome deal! Thanks DOCSB!

- Oh BTW .. one other thing ... they take a $100.00 deposit for the deal and then refund it on your next bill ... so it better come through or else!

Cheers,
Zoomby_U

[WKampff]

I have been using Bell for a few years, I am no longer on contract and have always owned all my recievers. I saw this post and figured "Its worth a try!" I used the original post as a base offer, so I was expecting something similar... The CSR first offered me 30% off my bill for 1 year... Then after a little hesitation on my part she then offered 40% plus a free 9242 PVR for a year... I already have a 9242, so she game me a 6141 instead... Not bad for making a simple call... I will save $575 in monthly fees over the year, and another couple hundred in rental fees... Next year when its all done... Ill call again...! ;)

[Zoomby_U]

$575.00 in monthly fee's?? Holy crap ... so your monthly bill is $120.00 a month just for programming ??? BTW did they take the $100.00 "deposit" ??

Cheers,
Jay


I have been using Bell for a few years, I am no longer on contract and have always owned all my recievers. I saw this post and figured "Its worth a try!" I used the original post as a base offer, so I was expecting something similar... The CSR first offered me 30% off my bill for 1 year... Then after a little hesitation on my part she then offered 40% plus a free 9242 PVR for a year... I already have a 9242, so she game me a 6141 instead... Not bad for making a simple call... I will save $575 in monthly fees over the year, and another couple hundred in rental fees... Next year when its all done... Ill call again...! ;)

[WKampff]

$575.00 in monthly fee's?? Holy crap ... so your monthly bill is $120.00 a month just for programming ??? BTW did they take the $100.00 "deposit" ??

Cheers,
Jay

Yeah i know... $120 a month is alot, but its split between 4 of us... :)

Yes, they took the $100 deposit, but it doesnt make a difference to me. Ill get it back by credit on the account.

[starR]

so after all said and done...how much is your approx monthly bill??

Just thought I would post my experience with Bell HDTV and what I just got.

HD PVR 9242 - Free rental for 1 year ($20 a month thereafter)
Free HD Programming for 6 months, plus an additional $60 credit (equal to 6 additional months of programming)
Free installation
Free hardware upgrade

On top of this, I also got a 30% discount on all of my Expressvu programming for 1 full year. That equates to a $24.90 discount plus taxes each month!

I also had the option to go with the 6100 free for 2 years, $10 a month thereafter
----------------------

I called 1-888-673-3788 .. option #1, then option #2, then option #3, then option #4. Brings you to the retention.

I told them that I was thinking of moving to Rogers and that they were offering me 2 years free HD programming, and 2 years free rental of an HD unit.

The original offer was only:

HD PVR 9242 - Free rental for 6 months ($20 a month thereafter)
Free HD Programming for 6 months
Free installation
Free hardware upgrade
10 % discount for 1 year

[twboy1999]

mine is $42 with 7 theme packs:D

[Zoomby_U]

I assume at some point Bell is going to catch on with the flood of calls coming in suddenly for people who are looking to switch services :)

Cheers,
Zoomby_U

[2k4accord]

I don't know! Bell CSR are not very trust worthy from hearing people complains about billing errors.
Make sure you check your first bill because those CSR might not give you all the special credit or the deal they told you about.

[Crowbarfoot]

This has been going on now for a bit and discussed a few times on here in a few threads.

I took advantage of this last month. Didn't know about the 30% discount tho.

[DOC SB]

Basic - $31
11 theme packs - $40 (general offer, get 11 theme packs for $40, a savings of $15!)
Premium Movies - $16
US Time switch - $1
Fees - $3
HD Programming - FREE

So, it is $91 minus the 30%, ($27.30)

$63.70 a month .. We have 4 receivers!

[mrwinky]

Hmm I'm not sure how to approach this with bell, I signed a 2 year deal in Nov 2006, I have 9 months left at $90 a month bill. (includes 2 HD and 1 SD reciever) I really dont know what to tell them if I call, that I want to go to Rogers? Just wondering what advice someone can give on what to tell or say to them


Thanks Winky

[mike_leafs13]

Basic - $31
11 theme packs - $40
Premium Movies - $16
US Time switch - $1
Fees - $3
HD Programming - FREE

So, it is $91 minus the 30%, ($27.30)

$53.70 a month .. We have 4 receivers!

how did you get 11 theme packs for $40?

what is the us time switch fee for?

[Dave12345]

anyone here have bell HD service in their toronto condo?
Last i checked (a year ago) it was not available.

[fuzzai]

Nice, im renting an HD PVR, no contract, its over...so ill have to try and see if i can get a nice deal from them.

Nice OP!

[civildefense]

Hey, just wanted to mention about the pvr.. I got this same deal about.. well a year ago. they made me commit to two years, including the pvr and the programming.. what they didnt tell me, I got standard boring boxes in a couple of extra rooms in the house.. and wanted to cancel them as I never use them.. you are committed to them as well..

ALSO, this pvr and the model before it has a known issue with sound cutting out when using HDMI, It seems to be lesser in the newer model mentioned in this thread, but I would plan if possible to not use it(hdmi), I am on my third unit, and the newer unit does make this popping noise. I spoke with the higher tier support, who confirmed it has been a known issue for more than a year, and they are
working on it (yeah right). They say it doesnt happen on component cables..

Just google 9200 9242 sound cutting out to see.

just an FYI, so you dont get stuck like I did.

[noncanonical]

I don't know! Bell CSR are not very trust worthy from hearing people complains about billing errors.
Make sure you check your first bill because those CSR might not give you all the special credit or the deal they told you about.

+1 ... I moved to HD in December with a similar promise of 30% off, free rental for 2 years, 6 months free HD.

So far, I've received 2 bills with no discounts ... been on the phone a couple of times ... ask me to be patient, the discounts "just take a while to process".

So beware ... it sounds good in theory ... but prepare yourself for some headaches and disappointment!

[gewain]

Anyone in Winnipeg or the West in general tried this. Shaw has a deal where they will exchange a HDPVR for any Bell receiver etc. In such a situation do you think Bell would be willing to give the same kind of deal that they give Toronto subscribers?

[bigwiggum23]

Has anyone used a Shaw offer to get a deal from BEV?

[ceccam]

Basic - $31
11 theme packs - $40
Premium Movies - $16
US Time switch - $1
Fees - $3
HD Programming - FREE

So, it is $91 minus the 30%, ($27.30)

$53.70 a month .. We have 4 receivers!

That is a great deal. I am going to call to see if I can get smthg similar. I already have HD and I am on an old legacy package If I can it would be nice to sign for 2 or 3 years. I do not see prices dropping that much. :)

[happyplato]

Yes. BEV don't care if it is Rogers, Shaw, Echostar or whatever.

Has anyone used a Shaw offer to get a deal from BEV?

[wiebecj]

Anyone in Winnipeg or the West in general tried this. Shaw has a deal where they will exchange a HDPVR for any Bell receiver etc. In such a situation do you think Bell would be willing to give the same kind of deal that they give Toronto subscribers?

About 7 months ago I got this:

1 month free everything (or may have been 2 months - can't remember) - Worth $110 a month - I have the full package
1 year of free HD channels
Free 6100 rental for a year
Free installation of the 6100
They promised me a 10% discount on my bill every month as well, but this I never received. Phoned back to complain, but they said there was nothing about it on the account (I didn't push, but probably should have). THEN after 6 months, I started getting charged for the HD channels, even though I was promised them for free for a year, and I got that credited back to me.

I am in Winnipeg by the way, and was phoning in to actually cancel my account... Got suckered in for another year. Oh well.

[sledbc]

I have 2 6100 receivers i bought for $100 each on ebay. no rental, no contract. when i signed up 2 years ago i got 6 months free hd package. $10 or $20 rental per month is ridiculous imo.

edit: i looked and theyre selling for more than that now. my bad

[ceccam]

Basic - $31
11 theme packs - $40
Premium Movies - $16
US Time switch - $1
Fees - $3
HD Programming - FREE

So, it is $91 minus the 30%, ($27.30)

$53.70 a month .. We have 4 receivers!

Just a point of clarification, $91 minus 27.30 = $63.70. which is still a great deal. hope I can get it when I call...:)

[yu130960]

FWIW

I wasn't interested in any more equipment and I was given the choice of

60 HD credit + 30% off

or

60 HD credit and 4 months entirely free

I took the 4 months entirely free plus 60.

[Inno]

Anyone know what I could expect to get without HD? I am paying around $63 per month, full retail.

Has anyone gotten a Retention deal for non-HD?

[ppthomas]

Im using cogeco (In my windsor home) and i only get very few HD channels..hw many channels u guys r getting

[WKampff]

Im using cogeco (In my windsor home) and i only get very few HD channels..hw many channels u guys r getting

I have ordered all available HD channels... I have not counted them in a while but they start at 800 then go to 873 (I think). 4 are HD movie channels, and around 5 sports HD channels. Many are dual feed, which have SD content, however over the years the SD content is slowly going away... ;) All new shows are presented in HD, so usually its the older syndicated shows that are HD. Either way, no other provider has more HD than bell... Thats what I chose them for in the first place... I would rather watch nothing at all than have to watch SD... Once you go HD you simply CAN'T go back... Especially if your into sports... Just try and watch a SD sports game after watching a few HD ones... HA!

[t240]

I did the switch to shaw from bell, gave them my old sd non-pvr reciever (3100 i think) and got a free, brand new HD PVR from shaw (they ran out of refurbs:D ).
When I called bell and told them I wanted to cancel the offered me a free "rental" for a year, free HD and 20% off my bill for a year. No matter how hard I tried I could not get them to give me a no strings attached free bell system that would be mine after the one year. The csr that I spoke to suggested I take the deal and call back in a year and get another deal - thanks, but no thanks!

[coolblue24]

Just got my deal. I was paying $69 a month (including $10 for HD). I own my 9200 so rental credits were no good to me. I got 50% off for 6 months, plus one month free, and no contract. The CSR said to call back again near the end of the 6 months to negotiate a new deal at that time. Thanks to the person who started this thread. My 6 months savings are around $240!!! This is on top of the deal I got yesterday for my Bell Sympatico. I was paying $34.95 on a 1 year contract for high speed, but my contract expired. I got the rate down to $32.95 a month plus $5 a month off my home phone and $5 a month off my expressvu. Not sure if this new deal with expressvu will affect my $5 off for the interent retention of not. Time will tell.

[bubble.tea]

how did you get 11 theme packs for $40?

what is the us time switch fee for?

Time-shifting for the US networks.

I only got 20%...presumably. yet to get my first bill though.

[cmld]

[QUOTE=mrwinky;6374281]Hmm I'm not sure how to approach this with bell, I signed a 2 year deal in Nov 2006, I have 9 months left at $90 a month bill. (includes 2 HD and 1 SD reciever) I really dont know what to tell them if I call, that I want to go to Rogers? Just wondering what advice someone can give on what to tell or say to them

I currently rent one HD PVR , one SD receiver and get 6 themes and premium movies channels in addition to the regular channels (no HD channels).

Only into 2 months of a 2yr contract, so I couldn't use the excuse of switching to Rogers. Called Retention and told the rep that I'm having a hard time paying my Expressvu bill b/c it's too expensive.

She gave me free premium movies for 6 months ($19/mo) and 20% discount on total bill right away without any hassles.

I tried to get 12 months free HD PVR rental but was told she would have to send me a new HD PVR inorder to process my request. I declined since I have tons of programming on my PVR that I haven't watched yet.

Thanks SB ;)

[McLaren]

Thanks OP for the tip, called in and got 50% off billing for 6 months, and guy said to call back in 6 months to extend the discount. Im happy.

[mike_leafs13]

This is on top of the deal I got yesterday for my Bell Sympatico. I was paying $34.95 on a 1 year contract for high speed, but my contract expired. I got the rate down to $32.95 a month plus $5 a month off my home phone and $5 a month off my expressvu. Not sure if this new deal with expressvu will affect my $5 off for the interent retention of not. Time will tell.

did you go through retention to get the $32.95 per month? if so, what deal did you compare it too?

i've been paying regular price $44.95 for internet. :cry:

[androidus]

I already have a 9200 PVR. CSR gave me 2 choices. 40% off my bill for 12 months or 50% off my bill for 6 months

[Battscrew]

Currently rent 9200 HDPVR and 1 3100 - also own 1 3100 and 2700.

Called - got 1 9242 HDPVR rental free 1 year (I'll be returning the 9200), 30% off programing. Asked about also renting a 6141 ($10 per month) for a year and got a $60 credit. Supposed to be installed (free) this Sunday afternoon.

I'm happy.

[spyd4r]

Got the deal, no 30% off programming though :/

[crazyce]

Got the same deal (with the 30% off programming). I mentioned I also use their other services (cell, internet, home phone), so I'm not sure if that was a factor to getting discount on the programming. Hope that helps others.

Thanks!

[gewain]

Hey, just wanted to mention about the pvr.. I got this same deal about.. well a year ago. they made me commit to two years, including the pvr and the programming.. what they didnt tell me, I got standard boring boxes in a couple of extra rooms in the house.. and wanted to cancel them as I never use them.. you are committed to them as well..

ALSO, this pvr and the model before it has a known issue with sound cutting out when using HDMI, It seems to be lesser in the newer model mentioned in this thread, but I would plan if possible to not use it(hdmi), I am on my third unit, and the newer unit does make this popping noise. I spoke with the higher tier support, who confirmed it has been a known issue for more than a year, and they are
working on it (yeah right). They say it doesnt happen on component cables..

Just google 9200 9242 sound cutting out to see.

just an FYI, so you dont get stuck like I did.

Is the newer model you mention an HDPVR? Is it the 9242 or is there another one?

[RedMosquito]

hmm I am with Bell but live in Cogeco area which is about the crappiest cable company there is - they don't offer any HD promos to compare with (more $$, less channels, weak hardware).. will the bell rep grill me on specifics if I call in? i'm not good at this kind of stuff :|

[Battscrew]

hmm I am with Bell but live in Cogeco area which is about the crappiest cable company there is - they don't offer any HD promos to compare with (more $$, less channels, weak hardware).. will the bell rep grill me on specifics if I call in? i'm not good at this kind of stuff :|

Maybe depends on your area code? Phone Starchoice and see what they have to offer - or tell them about Rogers offering a deal.

[brunes]

As someone who will be signing up with Bell shortly - where is the best place to go for the best sign up deals? Should I just use Bell.ca to get the $25 "online credit" or are there better deals in certain stores? Or could I negotiate a better deal over the phone?

I have been with Rogers for years but they have pissed me off too much.

[careh]

Im using cogeco (In my windsor home) and i only get very few HD channels..hw many channels u guys r getting

From http://www.bell.ca/web/tv/en/all_regions/pdfs/channels/channel_lineup.pdf

The * means you need a dish with two LNB's on it to get 82 & 91 sat's.
I am in the West and my 'All Channel' list does not match up with this one so I think this list is out of date.

High Definition (HD) Programming
CTV — East HD* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800
Global —Toronto HD*. . . . . . . . . . . 801
CBC HD *. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 802
Citytv HD* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 803
CTV — West HD* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 806
Treasure HD* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 809
OasisHD* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 810
Rush HD* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 811
Equator HD* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 812
A & E HD* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 813
HD Net*. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 814
NBC — East HD* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 815
ABC — East HD* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 816
CBS — East HD* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 817
Fox — East HD* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 818
PBS — East HD* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 819
NBC — West HD* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 820
ABC — West HD* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 821
CBS — West HD* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 822
Fox — West HD* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 823
PBS — West HD* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 824
WGN HD* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 825
HD Barker Channel . . . . . . . . . . . . . 829
Vu! — Pay-Per-View HD* . . . 830 – 833
MPix HD* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 839
The Movie Network HD* . . . . . . . . . 840
MC – Movie Central HD 1* . . . . . . . . 841
MC – Movie Central HD 2* . . . . . . . . 842
Super Channel HD1* . . . . . . . . . . . . 843
Super Channel HD2* . . . . . . . . . . . . 844
Raptors NBA TV HD* . . . . . . . . . . . . 849
TSN HD* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 850
Sportsnet HD*. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 851
Discovery Channel HD* . . . . . . . . . . 853
Ztélé HD* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 854
VRak HD* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 855
Historia HD* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 856
Séries + HD* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 857
Canal Vie HD* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 858
Canal D HD* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 859
SRC HD* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 860
TVA HD* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 861
TQS HD* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 862
RDS HD*. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 863
Super Écran HD* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 865
NHL Centre Ice HD . . . . . . . . . . 866-869
MLB Extra Innings HD 1 . . . . . . . . . . 881
MLB Extra Innings HD 2 . . . . . . . . . . 882
MLB Extra Innings HD 3 . . . . . . . . . . 883

[RedMosquito]

National Geographic HD - 828
Showcase HD - 838

[ceccam]

Thanks OP for the tip, called in and got 50% off billing for 6 months, and guy said to call back in 6 months to extend the discount. Im happy.

I was on old super 7 pkg, have 5 receivers. Got 50% off any package I wanted for 6 months, no contract, and was told to call back in 6 months. Finally Bell is offering smthg to long time subs. mmmm...could it be to keep customers and revenue until the big buy out?..

[shaolinmonk]

rogers.. isn't in my area... (oakville) anyone know a story i could try to pull with cogeco?

[DOC SB]

rogers.. isn't in my area... (oakville) anyone know a story i could try to pull with cogeco?

I bluffed with Rogers, truth is, you need to tell Rogers that you're getting a better deal from Bell to get the free HDPVR and programming. You have to tell Bell that you're getting Rogers free HDPVR and programming to get their deal. It's all a circle ...

Just use Rogers .. Bell doesn't know any better. Put it this way, they would be happy to have you sign up at a discount. It's not costing them any extra to send you a sat signal .. so any money is better than no money.

[ceccam]

I agree, I did not call Rogers but just phoned Bell..went to retentions and asked what notice I had to give to cancel. Said I was considering Rogers deal. From that they gave me 6 months 50% off any pkg, no contract..I can change to a lower pkg in 3 months and still get the 50% . The rep suggested I call in 6 months and see what was available.

[mrwinky]

Anyone know what bell charges to get out of a contract? We signed up for 2 years in Nov 2006, and I wanted to use the Shaw Winback promo to get some type of retention, but I just wanted to be clear what the charge if I decide to cancel all together.


Thanks Winky

[audiohs]

I just called and got:

Basic + 11 themes + HD at 40% off for 1 year ($50, regularly $82)
Free rental of 9242 for one year
Free installation

I was on their old Super7 package with HD. And with the old packages, you don't get some of the HD channels like TSNHD and Discovery. I fought switching to their new bundles for so long but they've finally come around.

I decided to take the 9242 for the year even though I don't really need it. Figured, what the heck, it's free. :cheesygri I'll probably just return it after a year.

Thanks OP!

[surgimus]

Nice... great idea OP,
I called in, free HD PVR 9242 for a year,
40% off regular programming, my dad has some international combo's

Savings: programming + Rental + tax = 57.64 per month
Bill + tax = $60.06 per month

[coolblue24]

did you go through retention to get the $32.95 per month? if so, what deal did you compare it too?

i've been paying regular price $44.95 for internet. :cry:

It started about 2 years ago. I got on a one year contract for $34.95 a month (including modem). My memory is a little hazy as to how I went about to get this deal. I renewed the contract a year later. This year I called in and told them I wanted a better deal. She said the current price is $47.95 and if I signed a one year contract, she would give me $10 off per month. On top of that, I said I was a home phone and Expressvu customer as well. She offered me an additonal $5 off per month on each service. To answer your question, I believe I just called the billing department.

[doylie]

Thanks OP.

I was on Contract for another 2 years. Called in and got the 9242 free for a year. free HD programming for 6 months and 30% off. All I said was I am calling because Rogers is offering a free HD PVR for 2 years.

I will return my 9200 when I get the 9242 in 2 weeks.

Saved me about 50 bucks a month. Sweet! I might call in a few weeks and try to get a free 6141 for a year as well.

[ayb]

Anyone know what bell charges to get out of a contract? We signed up for 2 years in Nov 2006, and I wanted to use the Shaw Winback promo to get some type of retention, but I just wanted to be clear what the charge if I decide to cancel all together.


Thanks Winky
I think it all depends on how many months you got left. Call them and find out. Then ask Shaw if they would cover the charges for you to switch... lol..... worth a try.

@ those who only has Cogeco, agree with previous postings. Call Bell and tell them about the Rogers offer. The CSRs are servicing calls from all over, they don't check what cable company services your area when you call in. My buddy in the office did it and got a deal from Bell after I told him about the deal I got from Rogers.

[flamenko]

I dont mean to sabotage the thread but my answer is probably found here.

Has anyone gotten any good retention deals or stories for cogeco?

I got the bundle (tel/cable int/cable w/HD) a year ago for 119 and its jumped to 152 total. Im shopping around for something bundled or separate to better this but cant because they gave me the HD channels and receiver free for 2 years. Im not on any contract though.

[Eduardo]

Does Bell have a cabin deal?

I recall hearing in the past I could get 2 dishes a receiver for my cabin and buy a couple for the city. I'm looking at switching from Shaw so I can get clear TV at the lake.

Or would I have to buy a dish and haul a receiver back and forth?

[Battscrew]

Does Bell have a cabin deal?

I recall hearing in the past I could get 2 dishes a receiver for my cabin and buy a couple for the city. I'm looking at switching from Shaw so I can get clear TV at the lake.

Or would I have to buy a dish and haul a receiver back and forth?

officially no - I haver heard tell of folks buying receivers for their home - buy an extra dish from a small Satellite company and leave a receiver at the cabin

[Potsman]

Does Bell have a cabin deal?

I recall hearing in the past I could get 2 dishes a receiver for my cabin and buy a couple for the city. I'm looking at switching from Shaw so I can get clear TV at the lake.

Or would I have to buy a dish and haul a receiver back and forth?

Under the terms of their agreement, you will have to pick up another dish (cheap on e-bay especially if you don't need HD as you would only need one LNB)

The catch though is that the only way that you are permitted to do this legally is to take the receiver back to your home residence when you are not at your cabin, otherwise they will ding you for a second subscription

[MooNDawG]

I called today, they wouldn't give me the HD deal . . said that was for new customers. I gave them a guilt trip "your giving new customers better deals than long term clients with big monthly bills". He then asked what the reason for my call was> I basically told him I wanted a better price. So I got 40% of programming for 12 months, I can add additional programming later with 40% off if I want, including HD programming.

[Max_Dealing]

So let me get this straight (without reading 300 posts) 1 year contract about $25 a month for the package. No other strings?

[ephemera]

Right now I have just the basic+5 themes and I am paying $62/mth.

I still have my contract thats due in just less than a year.

They gave me the hdpvr+30% off everything for one year, except I have to pay $10/mth for the hd programming. But all in, taxes incl my bill should be $58/mth. I figure I am stuck in their contract anyways, may as well get the hdpvr too.
They said if I was a new customer I could have got a better deal.

[mike_leafs13]

It started about 2 years ago. I got on a one year contract for $34.95 a month (including modem). My memory is a little hazy as to how I went about to get this deal. I renewed the contract a year later. This year I called in and told them I wanted a better deal. She said the current price is $47.95 and if I signed a one year contract, she would give me $10 off per month. On top of that, I said I was a home phone and Expressvu customer as well. She offered me an additonal $5 off per month on each service. To answer your question, I believe I just called the billing department.

alright thanks, i'll try calling in when i get a chance.

[DOC SB]

As an update, I called bell today. If you already have expressvu, and are subscribed to a more expensive package, you can actually get more than the 30% off. She told me that because I only had the basic package at the time, I could only get the 30% off. She also told me that once I was subscribed to the higher package ($101 - 30%) for 30 days to call back to get a bigger discount!!!

This just keeps getting better and better!:cheesygri

[Johnny767]

I'm going to give this a try, is Retentions open on weekends?

Thinking about waiting till Monday.

Thanks

[blanzcs]

Instead of the free rental, they usually will give you 50% off the purchase of a new ird. I got a great deal. 30% off for one year and $150 off a 6141. I got this deal back in January when FS was selling the 6141 for $200.

[Mervincm]

My initial 2 year Bell contract was over, and was able to leverage a promo shaw was offering me (free hd pvr and 19.95-29.95 a month for cable for 6 months) into getting a deal from bell as well. 9242 for 12 month free rent and 12 months of 40% off. So i stayed with bell after all.

[Potsman]

OK.. not to sound like an idiot here, but is the phone path in the first post still valid? I tried calling and I get the activate new equipment section.:confused:

How is this happening.. Are you calling to cancel your service and they then pitch the discount offer. I live in Quebec and am paying $90.00 month.. 5 themes plus prem movies, US timeshift, magazine sub plus taxes.

Any help would be appreciated

[Battscrew]

OK.. not to sound like an idiot here, but is the phone path in the first post still valid? I tried calling and I get the activate new equipment section.:confused:

How is this happening.. Are you calling to cancel your service and they then pitch the discount offer. I live in Quebec and am paying $90.00 month.. 5 themes plus prem movies, US timeshift, magazine sub plus taxes.

Any help would be appreciated

After you press option 1 for english - enter your phone number as requested - before pressing the next set of numbers wait for the automated voice to begin saying the menu options.

Then again maybe it does not work on weekends

Supposed to get my install today - here's hoping!!

[blairs1]

I am a current Cogeco subscriber. I received a Free HD package with my TV Purchase.

I haven't been happy with the selection of channels in HD from Cogeco at all. I called Cogeco to inquire about "The Score" being offered in HD, but me not receiving it. They said that it's not in my area, and they'll have a form sent off to the Marketing department. I receive TSN and Sportsnet in HD, just am confused as to why I don't get the other Sports channel.

This brings me to my question - with Bell, is The Score HD included? Is there any specific items I need to sign up for to get this? The website states I need to sign up for something - but it's not really that clear.

I'm thinking on dumping Cogeco.

[RedMosquito]

I am a current Cogeco subscriber. I received a Free HD package with my TV Purchase.

I haven't been happy with the selection of channels in HD from Cogeco at all. I called Cogeco to inquire about "The Score" being offered in HD, but me not receiving it. They said that it's not in my area, and they'll have a form sent off to the Marketing department. I receive TSN and Sportsnet in HD, just am confused as to why I don't get the other Sports channel.

This brings me to my question - with Bell, is The Score HD included? Is there any specific items I need to sign up for to get this? The website states I need to sign up for something - but it's not really that clear.

I'm thinking on dumping Cogeco.

Yes The Score HD is on ExpressVu.

[921]

Called a couple of days ago..managed to get 1 year free HD PVR Rental, 6 months HD programming ($10 after 6 months) and 40% off total programming for 1 year. Locked into a 1 year contract now obviously. All in all, not a bad deal if I do say so myself.

[Battscrew]

Currently rent 9200 HDPVR and 1 3100 - also own 1 3100 and 2700.

Called - got 1 9242 HDPVR rental free 1 year (I'll be returning the 9200), 30% off programing. Asked about also renting a 6141 ($10 per month) for a year and got a $60 credit. Supposed to be installed (free) this Sunday afternoon.

I'm happy.

Called Feb 7 - Installed Feb 10 - Installer arrived 11:00am out by 11:45am. All channels up and running by noon.

So far very happy!!

[blanzcs]

I am a current Cogeco subscriber. I received a Free HD package with my TV Purchase.

I haven't been happy with the selection of channels in HD from Cogeco at all. I called Cogeco to inquire about "The Score" being offered in HD, but me not receiving it. They said that it's not in my area, and they'll have a form sent off to the Marketing department. I receive TSN and Sportsnet in HD, just am confused as to why I don't get the other Sports channel.

This brings me to my question - with Bell, is The Score HD included? Is there any specific items I need to sign up for to get this? The website states I need to sign up for something - but it's not really that clear.

I'm thinking on dumping Cogeco.

To get the Score HD you need the Sports 1 theme pack.

[MooNDawG]

OK.. not to sound like an idiot here, but is the phone path in the first post still valid? I tried calling and I get the activate new equipment section.:confused:

How is this happening.. Are you calling to cancel your service and they then pitch the discount offer. I live in Quebec and am paying $90.00 month.. 5 themes plus prem movies, US timeshift, magazine sub plus taxes.

Any help would be appreciated

I am an existing Bell Expressvu customer, I called during the week and used the phone path in the OP. When I spoke to the CSR I told him that I had heard people were getting a particular HD package that was cheaper than my regular satellite pack with 6 themes and premium movies. He said this deal was for new customers only. I responded by saying that I had been a long time Bell customer and felt it was ridiculous that they could no offer there long term customers the same or similar deal. He then offered me 40% off programming for a year which I accepted and also offered me the option of adding HD channels with 40% off. However I would still have to pay the monthly rental fee for the box and pay to have my dish upgraded ($75.00). I told him I would take the 40% of the plan I had now.

[Johnny767]

I'm a LONG time BEV customer and cannot stand them, to bad there isn't much choice.

Best I could squeeze out of them is a 9200 receiver and a lousy 10% off programming.

In 12 months I'll tell them where to stuff their receiver.

[Dogma]

Called Feb 7 - Installed Feb 10 - Installer arrived 11:00am out by 11:45am. All channels up and running by noon.

So far very happy!!

I'm scheduled for an install on Sunday. I was wondering what is included in the free install. Sound like all they had to do for you is hook up the receiver.

I need a couple additional lines from my dish and the switch upgraded from a couple of SW21s to a SW44 in order to hookup the extra tuners. On their web site it says that only basic installation is included. Fishing wires trough walls is not included. Is this true? I need them to bring in two extra lines into the house and run two of them to the basement. There is already a hole to the bassement from my original install. Will they charge extra for that? How much? Anyone know?

[DOC SB]

I'm scheduled for an install on Sunday. I was wondering what is included in the free install. Sound like all they had to do for you is hook up the receiver.

I need a couple additional lines from my dish and the switch upgraded from a couple of SW21s to a SW44 in order to hookup the extra tuners. On their web site it says that only basic installation is included. Fishing wires trough walls is not included. Is this true? I need them to bring in two extra lines into the house and run two of them to the basement. There is already a hole to the bassement from my original install. Will they charge extra for that? How much? Anyone know?

From what I can see : http://www.bell.ca/shopping/62129.details?tab=INSTALLATION

Professional installation of your satellite TV system* includes:

* Assembling your new dish antenna and mount
* Grounding your system’s components
* Peaking your system
* Installation of RG-6 cable, routing through frame structure and a single entrance through a wall where necessary
* Testing equipment to see that it works properly and that you understand how it works
* Connecting cables to the receiver

[DOC SB]

Updated title with a little more enticing detail!!!:cheesygri

[hesp]

Can I get this deal even though im on just the basic with 1 international channel ?. I'm not on any contract. I have just two 3100 receivers

[Johnny767]

What has changed? I am tempted to call them back and cancel.

On the hardware front, the 9200 receiver (should) come with a new dish, SW-44 Switch, 2 LNB's.

You will likely have to pay a bit extra for labor.

[jayoldschool]

I called 1-888-673-3788 .. option #1, then option #2, then option #3, then option #4. Brings you to the retention.



I feel silly asking, but can someone be more specific? I call the number, then it says, "Press 1 for English". Does this count as "option #1"? Do I type in my number, then start the "options" mentioned above? I have tried just about every sequence I can think of, and I can't get to where I need to be. Could someone put a name to those "options" above so I know what to select?

I am currently 4 months into a 2 yr contract at about 100/month (9200, HD, 6 theme packs, another HD terminal). Let's see what they will do...

Thanks to all who have posted!

[222computer]

Thanks everyone. I got a 30% discount on expressvu and a discount on my sympatico. I didn't know you could do this. thanks to everyone

[DOC SB]

I feel silly asking, but can someone be more specific? I call the number, then it says, "Press 1 for English". Does this count as "option #1"? Do I type in my number, then start the "options" mentioned above? I have tried just about every sequence I can think of, and I can't get to where I need to be. Could someone put a name to those "options" above so I know what to select?

I am currently 4 months into a 2 yr contract at about 100/month (9200, HD, 6 theme packs, another HD terminal). Let's see what they will do...

Thanks to all who have posted!

Hey Oldschool,

Here's an update ..

Call 1-888-673-3788
Follow these options.

Step #1 -> Press #1 for English
Step #2 -> Enter 10 digit phone number
Step #3 -> Press #2 for all other options
Step #4 -> Press #3 to cancel subscription
Step #5 -> Press #4 to cancel subscription (again!)
Step #6 -> It's going to ask you to enter your PIN, you may not have one, so just randomly enter 4 digits
Step #7 -> PIN again .. randomly enter 4 digits
Step #8 -> 'Please hold while we transfer your call.'

That's it, you're in on retention line now!!!

Remember, the larger monthly bill you have, the better the discount you can negotiate!

Hope that helped!

[6g72tt]

thanks OP, just got 40% of programming

[reepaapaa]

Phoned and as advertised...

Got the 6141 (not the 6100) for 2 years
40% off programming for a year
6 months free HD
Free install
They would not budge on the $60 programming credit so, I didn't get it.

[jayoldschool]

Hey Oldschool,

Here's an update ..

Call 1-888-673-3788
Follow these options.

Step #1 -> Press #1 for English
Step #2 -> Enter 10 digit phone number
Step #3 -> Press #2 for all other options
Step #4 -> Press #3 to cancel subscription
Step #5 -> Press #4 to cancel subscription (again!)
Step #6 -> It's going to ask you to enter your PIN, you may not have one, so just randomly enter 4 digits
Step #7 -> PIN again .. randomly enter 4 digits
Step #8 -> 'Please hold while we transfer your call.'

That's it, you're in on retention line now!!!

Remember, the larger monthly bill you have, the better the discount you can negotiate!

Hope that helped!

For me, after I type in my phone number, #2 is "technical support". There is "press 4 to cancel", then if I pressed 4, "press 3 to cancel". If I do those two steps, it says, "your call is being transferred". I hung up when that happened because I am not sure if it is the right department.

More thoughts?

[rain]

Anyone know how new customers can get this deal?

[twboy1999]

bell is pretty sneaky

they said, they need my credicard for deposit for the installation

i just checked my credit card bill, and it shows up $113 from bell.. and wonder where is the refund for the deposit

i called bell, and ask about it, they said u will get credit back to your bill


i mean comeon,, wtf.. i use my credit card for deposit, give my money back to credit card.. first time experienceing a company giving back refund with their own credit..

[kipper3256]

bell is pretty sneaky

they said, they need my credicard for deposit for the installation

i just checked my credit card bill, and it shows up $113 from bell.. and wonder where is the refund for the deposit

i called bell, and ask about it, they said u will get credit back to your bill


i mean comeon,, wtf.. i use my credit card for deposit, give my money back to credit card.. first time experienceing a company giving back refund with their own credit..


I just called in and the rep was very,very nice. I also had to give a $100 deposit but she told me that the amount would be given back on my Express Vu account. Anyways I got 1 year free rental of the 9242, Free HD Programming for 6 months, Free installation, Free hardware upgrade. At first she said she could give me 30% off each month I asked her for 40% and she said that doesnt even exist. She looked into it and said You win you get 40% off. Again the rep was very nice...probably one of the nicest person i have talked through over the phone.

[bubble.tea]

.....At first she said she could give me 30% off each month I asked her for 40% and she said that doesnt even exist. She looked into it and said You win you get 40% off. Again the rep was very nice...probably one of the nicest person i have talked through over the phone.

:eek:....WTF. I settled WAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY to easily :(.

[reepaapaa]

bell is pretty sneaky

they said, they need my credicard for deposit for the installation

i just checked my credit card bill, and it shows up $113 from bell.. and wonder where is the refund for the deposit

i called bell, and ask about it, they said u will get credit back to your bill


i mean comeon,, wtf.. i use my credit card for deposit, give my money back to credit card.. first time experienceing a company giving back refund with their own credit..

Interesting, they never asked for my credit card. The said they could charge the security deposit and install deposit on my bell bill, then they would credit it back to my bell bill...so in reality I'd only pay the taxes.

[DOC SB]

Hey all,

Just a quick update, I had my HD Expressvu installed this morning. Of course, Bell and their great customer service screwed up!

When the installer showed up, he told me it would take about 20 minutes!? I said really, to put up the dish, run the wiring and setting it up.

Turns out, he understood that all he had to do was add the additional LNB to the dish (which I didn't have,) run two additional wires, and hook the receiver up. I actually needed the dish, both LNB's, 4 wires run into the house! He told me it was going to cost me an additional $215 plus taxes! I told him I would have to call Bell and that there was no way I was paying. Finally got through to Bell and they told me that they would credit the $215 to my next bill. I was sure to get the employee number and name! So, come February 27th, we will see if there's a credit on there.

Just be sure to double check with Bell before they show up what is included in the price!!!

[badass]

As always keep on calling for your credit because it took me 3 months, tons of excuses why it wasn't appled, and 5-6 calls to get it!

hopefully things have change......or maybe not!!!

Cheers!!!

[DOC SB]

Got everything hooked up in both rooms, had some problems with the remote, figured it out!

All I have to say is: WOW!!! HD is truly incredible, it definitely beats out Rogers or Cogeco. Watching the Discovery HD channel right now .. can't wait till we get more channels!!!

Worth the price!

All in all:

Bell service over the phone - 10/10
Installation service - 11/10 (Felt bad for the guy as Bell screwed up!)
HD Quality - 10/10

Still playing with the PVR, but thus far, it's pretty cool!

[blairs1]

Any New Subscribers?

What did you get?

How did you go about getting your deal?

[fstedy]

Just called Retention today and received:

1 Yr HDPVR Rental FREE
1 YR 30% off Programming
6 months free HD Channels

No Contract, only for receiver for one year. After one year i was told to call back and negotiate again

[mrmoe]

free hdprv for 1 year
6 months free hd channels
40% off a month for a year
and he even payed my last bill of 88 dollars!
He told me to tell roger to BEAT THAT!


LOL

I love it.

Plus I just canceled my sympatico account and moving to teksavvy.

THANKS OP!

[kab122]

Any New Subscribers?

What did you get?

How did you go about getting your deal?

I called about a new subscription and hinted at this deal (very politely) and was told they could not offer it to new customers "it wasn't fair", but only to existing customers. Tried again, with someone else, same response.

[techliquidators]

I called about a new subscription and hinted at this deal (very politely) and was told they could not offer it to new customers "it wasn't fair", but only to existing customers. Tried again, with someone else, same response.

tried the same thing...no luck!!:cry:

[micronta]

Thanks OP. I should have called rentention a long time ago since I always had to call technician for my no signal problem.

Got 30 % off for a year (at first he said 6 months) and $50 credit. Was not able to get PVR offer though, maybe because my bill is only 72 after tax. For those in Vancouver were you able to get the PVR free rental offer and how big is your bill ?

[Kuiper13]

Fu****in pricks only gave me 30% off for 1 year. I've been an unsatisfied customer for 7 years and this is all they give me?

It's a good thing that the retards I was talking to were on the phone and not face-to-face otherwise I'm sure I would have done something illegal.

Still looking for the right opportunity to dump Bell altogether, already went to Teksavvy....

[Jon2000]

Thanks OP. I just called and got the following:

- HD PVR 9242 - free for one year (was told to call back after 1 year to renegotiate a new deal). This comes with the SW44 switch ($149 through Bell) as well.
- Free HD programming for 6 months
- Free installation
- HD 6141 for $10 /a month
- 30% programming discount for 1 year (was told to call back after 1 year to renegotiate a new deal).

I only had digital standard and 2 theme packs. I upgraded to 5 theme packs (total) for an extra $4/month.

The installer is coming this Sunday for the install.

When I called I did not threaten to go to a different company, I simply said that I heard about a great deal that people were getting through retention and that I would like to get in on this deal. The rep said "No problem. Let's see what we can do."

I'm located in Niagara by the way.

Thanks again.

Jon

[Cisco KId]

Thanks OP. I just called and got the following:

- HD PVR 9242 - free for one year (was told to call back after 1 year to renegotiate a new deal). This comes with the SW44 switch ($149 through Bell) as well.
- Free HD programming for 6 months
- Free installation
- HD 6141 for $10 /a month
- 30% programming discount for 1 year (was told to call back after 1 year to renegotiate a new deal).

I only had digital standard and 2 theme packs. I upgraded to 5 theme packs (total) for an extra $4/month.

The installer is coming this Sunday for the install.

When I called I did not threaten to go to a different company, I simply said that I heard about a great deal that people were getting through retention and that I would like to get in on this deal. The rep said "No problem. Let's see what we can do."

I'm located in Niagara by the way.

Thanks again.

Jon

I got the 9242 free for 1 yr plus 30% off my Bill but I have to call back tommorrow to get the PVR as I called after loyalty dept closed and spoke with a rep who takes overflow for 1 hr after they close back east (what he told me) I increased my programming from 64/mth to 90 before tax and the 30% off

Tommorrow I will ask for 6mths HD for free when I call to arrange the 9242 install. I will put my extra 6100 away for the next yr or possibly just sell it now.

[queenofhearts]

I have BEV, basic programming with one speciality channel. 2 recievers (pretty old ones). However, I also have sympatico and Bell home phone and I want to negotiate a better package on all 3. So my question is: Is the number in the OP the one to call to get this? Or do I have to call each separately and negoatiate each individually?
Thanks in advance

[mefreakboy]

I called about a new subscription and hinted at this deal (very politely) and was told they could not offer it to new customers "it wasn't fair", but only to existing customers. Tried again, with someone else, same response.

tried the same thing...no luck!!:cry:

Were either one of these through retentions or new customer sign-up?

[techliquidators]

Were either one of these through retentions or new customer sign-up?

It was through retentions. Have not tired the new customer sign up.

[Leeboy]

Hey everyone, i have never subscribed to Bell ever, i already have the dishes up and pinting correct on my roof and lines going in. Whats the best deal or how do i go about getting the best deal on a complete HD package and 2 extra recievers. I would like to get similar to what evryone else is getting. Dont really wantt o buy a 9242 for $599.......Any ideas? Thanks in advance.

[nini]

Thanks for this thread, called Bell and got following

1 Yr HDPVR Rental FREE
1 YR 30% off Programming
6 months free HD Channels

I live in GVR.

[DOC SB]

So I called Expressvu, (I was the one who started this thread ...) & told them that I know people that have gotten 40% off instead of the 30% that they gave me.

Long story short, I ended up getting 50% off because I pretty much got every channel that you can subscribe for. Basically my programming would be $118 a month, but thanks to the 50% off, it's only $59, actually $4 cheaper than what I had before with less programming!!!

THANKS BELL EXPRESSVU.

A couple of side notes:

1. Called Sympatico & got 1 year at $34.95 wireless modem included, 7 mbps, no cap as I have been a customer for 3+ years. They were nice enough to give 3 months free too. 1 year committment!

2. Called Bell home phone as I am paying $37.98 a month (5 calling features,) they wouldn't budge worth a sh*t. Got $5 off for 3 months no committment.

[Spidey]

I have BEV, basic programming with one speciality channel. 2 recievers (pretty old ones). However, I also have sympatico and Bell home phone and I want to negotiate a better package on all 3. So my question is: Is the number in the OP the one to call to get this? Or do I have to call each separately and negoatiate each individually?
Thanks in advance

Ive still got my old 3500 from I think almost 10 years ago. Id love to upgrade it but they wont give me a thing for it. Think for being a loyal customer for this long Id get something.

I have the baswic programming and it was just rasied to $35 a month now, was paying just under $30 before.

What can i do to get some good deals. I have 2 receivers right now.

[hesp]

I have BEV, basic programming with one speciality channel. 2 recievers (pretty old ones). However, I also have sympatico and Bell home phone and I want to negotiate a better package on all 3. So my question is: Is the number in the OP the one to call to get this? Or do I have to call each separately and negoatiate each individually?
Thanks in advance

I'm in the same boat. I have 2 receivers (2700 and 3100) with basic programming and 1 multi cultural channel.


Any deals for us guys without contracts?

[aleksandar_2000]

yes-same deal as with contract
I am in same situation as you (but have all packages) and I really wanted to cancel - ended up taking HD PVR free for a year,HD channels for 6 months and 30% off (including installation and switch). Have to pay 100$ credit but I spend that money anyhow..

maybe you will not get 30% off since you are not paying much but ask for it

I'm in the same boat. I have 2 receivers (2700 and 3100) with basic programming and 1 multi cultural channel.


Any deals for us guys without contracts?

[Cisco KId]

Thanks for this thread, called Bell and got following

1 Yr HDPVR Rental FREE
1 YR 30% off Programming
6 months free HD Channels

I live in GVR.

I just called in myself to book my 9242 install and I was not offered the 6 mths HD programming yesterday but today I just asked for it and they gave it to me in form of $60 credit. They also explained they charge your cc 100 plus tax for deposit on the 9242 and then this is returned to your account in a credit.

I can not complain overall the process was simple however I do not expect to see credits immediate I expect them on my next bill. But now I have more programming and pay less mthly plus get a free PVR, after or near a year I will call back either return the pvr or keep it and reduce my programming to what it was originally, the only extra cost would be 20 for the PVR.

Now to decide should I sell the one spare 6100 HD receiver I own?

[mike_leafs13]

thanks op i just got it installed today. its pretty neat, i didn't know you can watch 2 different shows on 2 different tvs at the same time.

hopefully when the 1 free year is up, it will be less than $20 per month to rent...

[hesp]

yes-same deal as with contract
I am in same situation as you (but have all packages) and I really wanted to cancel - ended up taking HD PVR free for a year,HD channels for 6 months and 30% off (including installation and switch). Have to pay 100$ credit but I spend that money anyhow..

maybe you will not get 30% off since you are not paying much but ask for it

my bill is coming out to about 56 bucks a month and other guys are paying the same price and getting more programming, better hardware,etc.

[blanzcs]

Just fyi, free installation(of one receiver) and the free sw44 is not some 'special offer', its basically the free nimiq2 upgrade kit that anyone can get if they want to sign up for nimiq2 programming.

Also, for the people the have the bare minimum for programming and multiple bell services(and are looking for a retentions deal)...call 310-bell instead of 1-888-SKY-Dish.

[absorber]

Free HD 6100 2 yrs and 40% off 1 yr contract thanks !!!!!!!!!!

[kab122]

Were either one of these through retentions or new customer sign-up?

I tried the regular path for new subscribers, but I also called back and tried through retentions. Their responses were consistent, that this offer was only for existing subscriber. Perhaps others have had better luck?

[sixer]

This is only for Existing Customers, hence the word Retention.

Not for New Customers! You need to pay your dues first before getting a sweet deal. Still some good deals for new customers.

[RedSoxFan]

Just called ..... 3 minute phone call got 40% of programming for a year.. just said I saw Videotron was offering free HD and Free HD PVR for 2 years.

My original programming with rental was 108$ its now down to 72$...

3 minute phone call = 12 x 36$ = 432$ savings not bad

[lead]

I rather install my self how do you get the equiptment if you get the retention plan.Do they ship it or do you pick it up.

[fuzzai]

I rather install my self how do you get the equiptment if you get the retention plan.Do they ship it or do you pick it up.


I told them i would install it my self, they told me i couldn't because its a "rental"

the guy comes today, ill see if he can just drop it off.......

[Zheph]

I've been reading every page on this thread. Seems like everyone is getting a retention offer w/ HD

No point of me getting/upgrading to those HD receiver/programs when I dont own a HDTV Television right?

Im paying about $112 for my programs after tax for

Digital Standard
Digital Service Fee
Chinese Combo
7 Themes & Premium Movies

Own 3 Digital Receivers.


Is it still possible for retention?

[gewain]

I told them i would install it my self, they told me i couldn't because its a "rental"

the guy comes today, ill see if he can just drop it off.......

I had a sort of similar experience. They wouldn't install the switch as they felt it was too high - too icy - too cold etc. I said I'd hook up the wires to the dish but they said "No way" as they would be responsible if something happened to me. They set another date and then cancelled over the phone after I'd hung around for a couple of hours or so because they felt it was too cold and windy. They are now supposed to be coming next Wednesday. I can't imagine what their excuse will be this time. I did get the 9242 free for a year with 30% of programming for a year. I'm thinking of phoning back and asking for an extra 10% or 20% off for the inconvenience. But all in all, if they do get it installed eventually it will not be that bad a deal. Appreciate the advice from the OP - you saved me a bunch of cash for a bit of effort.

[supracor51]

I've been reading every page on this thread. Seems like everyone is getting a retention offer w/ HD

No point of me getting/upgrading to those HD receiver/programs when I dont own a HDTV Television right?

Im paying about $112 for my programs after tax for

Digital Standard
Digital Service Fee
Chinese Combo
7 Themes & Premium Movies

Own 3 Digital Receivers.


Is it still possible for retention?
i have 3 receivers too been paying 80.33 a month,called them and said i wanted hd but need 6141, tried renting,but cause where i live they have no installation in my area,and cant rent unless installed cause of warranty issues..was told i could buy one @FS for 299.00 and add hd for extra 10.00 a month...

final deal was 30% off current bill of 80.33 for 12 months and add hd whenever i want if i want..

so i would definetly call them and get some sort of saving even if you dont upgrade. that call saved me approx. 300.00 over 12 months..

thank you OP for this great post :cheesygri

[JohnHarris]

I called today and received somewhat of the same deal:

1. Free upgrade from my HD PVR 9200 to HD PVR 9242. Free install and rental for the year.
2. 40 percent off all programming.
3. I could not get the free HD programming for six months but was offered a $100 credit instead of a $60 dollar credit.

Saved a lot of money. Thanks for the deal!

[mefreakboy]

This is only for Existing Customers, hence the word Retention.

Not for New Customers! You need to pay your dues first before getting a sweet deal. Still some good deals for new customers.

Would you care to enlighten us on the details for these good deals for new customers? From what I've seen on the Bell website, they are not up to par with the deals that existing members are getting.

[mrmoe]

Did the installer bring the receiver with him?
or
Does bell ship the receiver directly to your house?

EDIT: installer just stopped by, with my pvr. I am a happy guy.

[drumboz79]

thanks OP

i got 1 HDPVR 9*** model free for 1 yr
6 months free HD programming
20% off my bill for a yr

they offered the basic HD box free for 2 yrs but i wanted the PVR
i'll just call back in a year...:cheesygri

[Potsman]

Would you care to enlighten us on the details for these good deals for new customers? From what I've seen on the Bell website, they are not up to par with the deals that existing members are getting.

Not to sound like a**, but this is the first time in the history of Bell that they are giving existing customers a break. For years, they continuously kept upgrading there equipment and giving away for free (outright ownership that is) to new customers. If existing customers called wanting the same break, they were basically told it was for new customers only and that was the end of it. Bottom line, people like me were stuck with receivers that were equal in function to a commodore 64 computer. I would think this finally caught up to them as many people were furious (including myself)

I ended up getting a deal but it was a little different when I called. I was going to go to videotron and told the rep the reasons why. (Problems with billing, being cheated out of the tell a friend promotion they ran a few years back etc) I ended up getting the next 4 months of programming free (which was compensation for the people I recruited under the tell a friend deal as well as a $100.00 account credit to cover the billing problem

If I were you, I would buy a basic package (4120 system) for $99.99, sign up for a month and then shop around and call them what other companies are offering. I think they will be willing to negotiate to keep you aboard

For anyone interested, I found this document below. It appears to be an internal business plan by BCE talking about offering breaks to existing clients. Not sure if it supposed to be internal or not, but I found it on a google search. Here is the link as it refers to all bell services

http://www.bce.ca/data/documents/reports/en/2007/q2/2007q2-pres-en.pdf

[mefreakboy]

Not to sound like a**, but this is the first time in the history of Bell that they are giving existing customers a break. For years, they continuously kept upgrading there equipment and giving away for free (outright ownership that is) to new customers. If existing customers called wanting the same break, they were basically told it was for new customers only and that was the end of it. Bottom line, people like me were stuck with receivers that were equal in function to a commodore 64 computer. I would think this finally caught up to them as many people were furious (including myself)

I ended up getting a deal but it was a little different when I called. I was going to go to videotron and told the rep the reasons why. (Problems with billing, being cheated out of the tell a friend promotion they ran a few years back etc) I ended up getting the next 4 months of programming free (which was compensation for the people I recruited under the tell a friend deal as well as a $100.00 account credit to cover the billing problem

If I were you, I would buy a basic package (4120 system) for $99.99, sign up for a month and then shop around and call them what other companies are offering. I think they will be willing to negotiate to keep you aboard

For anyone interested, I found this document below. It appears to be an internal business plan by BCE talking about offering breaks to existing clients. Not sure if it supposed to be internal or not, but I found it on a google search. Here is the link as it refers to all bell services

http://www.bce.ca/data/documents/reports/en/2007/q2/2007q2-pres-en.pdf

I totally agree with you regarding giving existing customers the shaft. This is one of the reasons I haven't signed up as of yet, and I am a subscriber to all Bell's other product offerings.

Not sure if signing up for a basic package and then trying to renegotiate would work, and I don't think I'd want to take a chance on this, primarily since new customers usually sign up for a 2 year contract, correct? I'm not looking for the exact same offering, but at least something in the ballpark of what existing customers are getting here. I don't understand Bell's motivation to separate the two. Both provide money in their pockets, and take money away from their competitors.

[forgiven]

I'm using Rogers cable & I'm sick of Mr. Ted Rogers increasing the price across the board so here's my question: If anyone has tried both service pls tell me which one is better (& cheaper)? Does this retention offer apply to new subscriber if I decide to switch from Rogers?
Thanks for your input
Happy Family Day

[jayoldschool]

For me, after I type in my phone number, #2 is "technical support". There is "press 4 to cancel", then if I pressed 4, "press 3 to cancel". If I do those two steps, it says, "your call is being transferred". I hung up when that happened because I am not sure if it is the right department.

More thoughts?


Still hoping someone has an answer for me. I just don't want to end up talking to the wrong department and having my file flagged or something...

[masterc]

I'm using Rogers cable & I'm sick of Mr. Ted Rogers increasing the price across the board so here's my question: If anyone has tried both service pls tell me which one is better (& cheaper)? Does this retention offer apply to new subscriber if I decide to switch from Rogers?
Thanks for your input
Happy Family Day

In the end they are one in the same... they get your money.
The best thing is to call up the provider you have and tell them you are considering switching to the other, they will usually offer you sometype of promotion or credit to your account. I've done that a couple times with BEV and they offered an upgraded package for my current rate for 12 months.

[mooki]

Thank OP

after a 5 minute phone call I got:

1 year free HD PVR rental
6 months free HD programming
20% off monthly bill
I had to sign a one year contract for the PVR but I can renegotiate at the end.

THANKS!! :lol:

[mefreakboy]

Still hoping someone has an answer for me. I just don't want to end up talking to the wrong department and having my file flagged or something...

I think you need to substitute this:

Step #3 -> Press #4 for PPV...or to cancel

I'm using Rogers cable & I'm sick of Mr. Ted Rogers increasing the price across the board so here's my question: If anyone has tried both service pls tell me which one is better (& cheaper)? Does this retention offer apply to new subscriber if I decide to switch from Rogers?
Thanks for your input
Happy Family Day

You may want to check out this thead: Rogers vs Satellite (http://http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=21215)

[anoxia]

WOW.. I just phoned as well and they offered me two packages. One for 40% off my programming fees and a HD 9242 PVR plus free installation for a year (I already have the 9200). The second was for a $300 hardware credit if I wanted to buy the 9242 outright but no monthly discounts.

Thanks all that helped keep us informed.

Cheers

[Leeboy]

Man, being a new subscriber to Bell is tuff! There was no deal or anything for being new. Just 1/2 back if i purchased a 9242 which would be taken off the bill....I used my cell number to verify where im calling form , so if someone has a idea, i could call back and use my land line to try and get some deal....

[killuminati]

Were any of you guys that are getting the 30 and 40% of deals already on a contract?
I am in the middle of a 1 year and paying a ton without PVR. Can you still
threaten to switch while on contract?

[jayoldschool]

Just got off the phone. Btw, it was #4 to cancel, then #3 to cancel (after putting in my phone number).

Just to give a little background: I am currently on a two year contract, and only got Bell for the first time in October, after moving to a new house.

First offer was 20% for six months. I replied that my Bell bill was still MUCH higher than my Rogers services. I told the (very nice) lady that many of the channels that I now paid for in my themes are free with Rogers VIP. She asked me to hold. She came back with 30% for six months, and a credit of $60. She said this was the best she could do, as the account was very new and the system wouldn't allow her to do more. I very nicely replied that it was still really expensive, and asked if she could do 40%. She asked me to hold again. After a looonnnnggggg wait, she came back with 50% off programming for six months, $60 credit. I knew I was getting to the end of my luck, so I asked for a channel to be thrown in. She agreed.

Told me to call back at the end of the six months, and I would be able to do better with hardware freebies because I will have been with them longer.

Thanks, OP, and to those that clarified the #s for me!

To sum up:

- 50% off programming for six months
- $60 credit
- a free channel for six months

[stubby43]

Found this forum today, called expressvu today and the outcome:

6141 receiver - 2 years free, after that time I could keep it or return it.
Programming - 20% off for 1 year
Upgrades / Installation - Free

I didn't push as hard as I could have, I was a little surprised at the quickness of the offer, plus I don't spend as much as others do on this thread. I didn't go into any details about which company was offering what, I just told him what I wanted and if he could do anything about it.
I did have to offer up the $100 which was to be credited on my bill and agree to stick with Expressvu for a year.
Thanks to this thread. Appreciate.

[Spidey]

Ok, got my first taste of the PVR at my brother-in-laws. Taped Knight Rider when we were out. Ability to fast forward commercials, etc, etc. And the easy of setting it up.

So now after this I WANT ONE:cheesygri

But how do I go about getting the great deals it sounds like everyone does on here.

I have basic programming right now, as bare bones as u can go, and spending about $35 with tax.

I have 2 receivers right now, one 10 years old the other 5. This was back in the day when u needed a receiver per tv.

With this PVR he had he only needed one for 2 tvs.

So what can I do to get these deals. Whos been saying what. Like someone said they are getting over $100 worth of programming for just over $50, etc, etc

Or a free PVR which would be cool. Ive been a clinet of Expressvu for at least 11 years

[mrmoe]

Ok, got my first taste of the PVR at my brother-in-laws. Taped Knight Rider when we were out. Ability to fast forward commercials, etc, etc. And the easy of setting it up.

So now after this I WANT ONE:cheesygri

But how do I go about getting the great deals it sounds like everyone does on here.

I have basic programming right now, as bare bones as u can go, and spending about $35 with tax.

I have 2 receivers right now, one 10 years old the other 5. This was back in the day when u needed a receiver per tv.

With this PVR he had he only needed one for 2 tvs.

So what can I do to get these deals. Whos been saying what. Like someone said they are getting over $100 worth of programming for just over $50, etc, etc

Or a free PVR which would be cool. Ive been a clinet of Expressvu for at least 11 years


Just call them and tell them you are going to rogers for the free pvr and channels that they are offering, then they will give you the deal.

[Spidey]

Just call them and tell them you are going to rogers for the free pvr and channels that they are offering, then they will give you the deal.

Thanks, Ill give it a shot. See what they do for loyal customers. Seems we never get the good deals, just new customers

[EvolutionIV]

Thank you OP, here's the deal I got
--------------------------------
HD PVR 9242 [dual tuner]- Free rental for 1 year ($20 a month thereafter) [200 hours non-HD/20 hours HD]
1 year - 40% bill off for 12 months
6 months of HD programming
free install/hardware upgrade
--------------------------------

I have been with them for 10 years.

[twotoneblue]

Same as above. Amazing how Bell doesn't mention these things.......

[bobjunior]

Thanks to the OP!

I was able to get 30% off programming for a year. I already have a purchased 9200 that has been acting up, they are replacing with a 9242 under warranty.

Sounds good to me and I didn't have to sign up for ANY term since I was not getting a "free" rental receiver (no HD for 6 months though). Awesome!

Jr

[Spidey]

Thank you OP, here's the deal I got
--------------------------------
HD PVR 9242 [dual tuner]- Free rental for 1 year ($20 a month thereafter) [200 hours non-HD/20 hours HD]
1 year - 40% bill off for 12 months
6 months of HD programming
free install/hardware upgrade
--------------------------------

I have been with them for 10 years.

Sweet deal, thats what i want. Im calling them today, and if they argue, Ill use some examples off here. About time us long time customers got something free for once

[surgimus]

HD PVR 9242 [dual tuner]- Free rental for 1 year ($20 a month thereafter) [200 hours non-HD/20 hours HD]
1 year - 40% bill off for 12 months
6 months of HD programming
free install/hardware upgrade

Got this deal too.
It actually works out to a savings of 62%!

Before:

HD programming: 10
Digital Standard: 31
Hindi Combo: 25
5 Themes: 20
DSF Fee: 3
Rental 6100 10
Rental 3100 3

Total 102 + tax = $112.20

Now:

HD Programming: 0
Digital Standard: 31
Hindi Combo: 25
5 Themes: 20
DSF Fee: 3
Rental 9242 0
Rental 3100 3

Total 82 - 40% = 49.2 + tax = $54.12

54.12/112.20 = 48.2%!

[drumboz79]

anyone have any problems where some stations don't work at times? they say error or no signal?
this is with or without hd, just a bell question.

i got my pvr setup today, i swear the guy didn't know what he was doing, took him 4 hours, i was with bell before so he only had to run a new wire to one room and set up the exterior switches.
i got the 6 months of free HD also, does anyone know if they is for all hd channels, besides movie channels, i get fox, abc, nbc on standard but i don't on hd, only ctv, cbc sports net...?

thanks

[audiohs]

anyone have any problems where some stations don't work at times? they say error or no signal?
this is with or without hd, just a bell question.

i got my pvr setup today, i swear the guy didn't know what he was doing, took him 4 hours, i was with bell before so he only had to run a new wire to one room and set up the exterior switches.
i got the 6 months of free HD also, does anyone know if they is for all hd channels, besides movie channels, i get fox, abc, nbc on standard but i don't on hd, only ctv, cbc sports net...?

thanks

Next time it goes down, go into the installation menu and check your signal strength. Flip through the transponders to see which ones are getting a signal. Take note if it's just the odd number or even number transponders that are down.

It could be the switch, LNB or wiring. I'd start diagnosing in that order. Run a Check Switch first.

[wpooh888]

I know the title says "HD Retention", but has anyone called to get a retention package who doesn't currently have an HD package and does not want HD programming going forward ? I have only 5 theme packages and Fairchild so my total bill is only about 60 bucks with 2 standard 3100 receivers.

My first call only resulted in 20% off my bill, anyone else with a relatively small bill get 30 or 40% off ?

[hwshi]

Thanks op.

Just got:
-9242 free 1yr

-$100 credit ,bill is $40/Month so it works out to roughly 20% off. Originally only offered 10% but asked for more. I believe the higher percentages are for larger monthly bills.

-6 months free hd.

No contract.

[Drawbar]

My expressview bill is now 56$ amonth. I have no hd and have 2 2700 and 2 3100 hooked up.

I called the retention center at bell claimind Videotron called with a good offer and I was considering going over.

Best she would offer me was 20% off and a pvr rental free for a year. I said I would think about it in hope they may call with a better offer.

[Talus91]

Have a 9200 and a 5900, I own both, so rental deals are of no use to me, but I did get 40% off for 12 months, no contract, no obligation. Reduced my bill by $37.00 per month, plus taxes. Not too bad for a 4 minute phone call.

[Drawbar]

Does anyone know what is involed in installing a pvr. I have tv equipment that I prefer an installer not see!!!

[Spidey]

Does anyone know what is involed in installing a pvr. I have tv equipment that I prefer an installer not see!!!

Why, is it stolen :confused:

[Zheph]

Does anyone know what is involed in installing a pvr. I have tv equipment that I prefer an installer not see!!!

I want to know to. Does it require dish replacement?

[ottawarc]

best 5 mins I've spent on the phone ever! thanks OP!

[carisma]

Hopefully they don't screw up your bills.....with all these discount they offered. BTW does anyone know if you're currently on the contract (6 mths left) can you still get this deal?

[barky]

Called Yesterday and got my new deal.
Old deal was 14 themes which was 71 bux plus all the digital and service fees, etc (another $34)
I don't have an HD tv so I didn't care about HD programming, but I did want the 9242 because of its PVR features (runs 2 tvs, can record on one while watching another, etc) so I ended up with the 9242 free rental for a year (he told me I don't need an HTDV to use it) and 30% off my bill for 12 months. I was originally offered 20% but asked for 40 or 50.. he kept saying no, and eventually put me on hold and came back with 30%.

But here is something interesting... I asked him to walk through my bill with me so I could understand what my new charges would be. He informed me that the 30% discount only applied to my 14 themes and Premium movies (the $71 item). Everything else would stay the same (Digital Standard, Digital Service fee, and any other rental commitments).
So really, I save $21.30 and get a free PVR rental (I am renting 2 others right now with my previous contract, but I get a credit for them as part of a sign-up promotion back then). While its not as awesom as I had hoped, its better than a kick in the crotch

Also, to answer the questions about PVR intstalls.. I have a PVR unit right now (not sure which one.. its not HD though) and it is basically the same as any other receiver, but with a hard drive. no additional stuff required to install it, just a bigger box with more features.

[wpooh888]

Hopefully they don't screw up your bills.....with all these discount they offered. BTW does anyone know if you're currently on the contract (6 mths left) can you still get this deal?

I've still got 4 months left and was offered 20% so far. Option of which PVR as well. Didn't ask about HD programming.

[mrmoe]

he brings a new dish and sw44 switch.
installs it.
goes back to the van and get the pvr
hooks it up to the tv
tests it.
then he calls bell to activate it.
then you talk to bell so they can raise you monthly bill by trying to sell you more channels.

if you dont want him to see something, then put it away.
or put a sheet over it. lol



I would imagine if you only had one receiver (3100) on a 20" dish wqith one lnb, he would only install the upgrade kit on that dish. The upgrade kit includes another lnb and a sw44 switch. Then he would run two more wires into the house for the pvr unit.



Since i already have a pvr unit and a few 3100's taking up all the feeds from my sw44, they had to install another dish with a sw44. The installer even said he could use splitters somehow but i said no thanks.

[Drawbar]

Why, is it stolen :confused:

Nope. I just have an extra dish on my roof pointed towards DN with the switches and wiring throughout my house. I do not want some installer seeing
that I also have a sub to an american network.

[Spidey]

Nope. I just have an extra dish on my roof pointed towards DN with the switches and wiring throughout my house. I do not want some installer seeing
that I also have a sub to an american network.

Ahh, so the tv's not, but the other stuff is illegal. I get it :cheesygri

[drumboz79]

i have DN set up right next to my bell dish (mind you it hasn't been up and running for over a year), the guys don't care, there contracted out from bell. plus i'm sure most of them have illegal cable also....

[Spidey]

Maybe add to the original post that they are open till 8:00 p.m eastern. I just called and retention was closed

[RedMosquito]

Well I didn't do as well as some others did, I was given the choice of 30% off for 6 months or 20% off for 12 - I took the latter. The main reason was because ExpressVu the ONLY service I have with Bell and that I was only had $66 worth of programming with them.. I already own 2 9200's and 2 3100's so I didn't need any receivers or anything. 20% savings and I am still under no contract with them is fine by me :)

[jayoldschool]

Just got my first bill since my retention deal. NO changes are on it. I'll be calling tomorrow. Sigh... how did I know they would screw this up?

:mad:

[ottawarc]

Just got my first bill since my retention deal. NO changes are on it. I'll be calling tomorrow. Sigh... how did I know they would screw this up?

:mad:

they told me changes would NOT be on march bill but April's and the 12 months would run from then. but Bell bills have always been screwy and require a keen eye for what was promised vs what they delivered!!

[Battscrew]

I was told a couple of billing cycles to take effect

[Spidey]

I cant call Bell in time for this. They close at 8 eastern and by the time I get home its 6 mountain, so they are always closed when I get home.

Are they open on the weekend?

[Cisco KId]

got setup last week it is all tight, good deal I am happy

[yabadabdo]

Thanks to everyone who posted their deals. I aready have Hd programmiing with a 9200 pvr. I did not want to rent anything so this is what i got.
I purchased 6141 for $299.00 and got 40% of my prgraming for 1 year plus a $60.00 credit and no contract. Total savings for me was $438.00 minus the cost of the 6141.
Thanks again to everyone who made people aware of these retention deals.

[noncanonical]

Just got my first bill since my retention deal. NO changes are on it. I'll be calling tomorrow. Sigh... how did I know they would screw this up?

:mad:

I got in on this deal in December ... and I'm still waiting to see the changes on my bill. Next month if things still haven't changed I'm going to tell them to come and take all their stuff away ... and I'll sign up with Starchoice.

[noelliam]

Has anyone had success in purchasing the PVR instead of renting? I currently have Bell programming (no contract) and would like to add another HD PVR receiver & dish for my gazebo but don't want to rent it. I see that Visions here in Winnipeg is offering the 9242 for $298 on contract right now and I would be happy if they would let pay this price, plus some programming discounts. I'm paying about $110 per month for my HD programming.

Does anyone have any advice before I phone?

[Variance]

Has anyone had success in purchasing the PVR instead of renting? I currently have Bell programming (no contract) and would like to add another HD PVR receiver & dish for my gazebo but don't want to rent it. I see that Visions here in Winnipeg is offering the 9242 for $298 on contract right now and I would be happy if they would let pay this price, plus some programming discounts. I'm paying about $110 per month for my HD programming.

Does anyone have any advice before I phone?

Couple of pages back someone was offered a $300 discount with a 1 year contract or something plus the regular bonuses.

[RedMosquito]

Has anyone had success in purchasing the PVR instead of renting? I currently have Bell programming (no contract) and would like to add another HD PVR receiver & dish for my gazebo but don't want to rent it. I see that Visions here in Winnipeg is offering the 9242 for $298 on contract right now and I would be happy if they would let pay this price, plus some programming discounts. I'm paying about $110 per month for my HD programming.

Does anyone have any advice before I phone?

I picked up both of mine brand new off eBay for about $400 each - no contract, no tax, etc.. Didn't have any problem activating them under my account.

[Canadianpsycho]

Thanks, just got 30% and a PVR installed free for a year. No offer for the 6 months HD but I'm fine with that. We don't have a lot of themes so I didn't want to argue too much.

[noelliam]

How do I get the 9242 receiver and dish with this deal withought them installing it? Will Bell just ship it? Or if they come to install it can I ask them just to leave it and I will install myself?

I want to install this one at my cabin like someone else suggested but obviously I don't want Bell to know that.

[hesp]

called but got nothing because i have the bare minimum

[Spidey]

called but got nothing because i have the bare minimum

Uh oh, so do I. Maybe the long time customer card will work with them

[noplayer10]

Thanks OP!!

I just got my parents pretty much the same deal as you got.
-1 yr free HD PVR 9242 ($20 after-no contract)
-6 months free HD programming + $60 credit you have to ask for after 6 months free is completed
-30% discount off all programming for 12 months
-free install
-free h/w upgrade

I also got the guy to throw in 3 free pay per view movies in the deal.

The funny thing is, Rogers isn't even available in our area....!!

[surgimus]

haha... ditto about rogers not being in my area, I got teh same thing as you except wihtout the free ppv movies, nice work.

Thanks OP!!

I just got my parents pretty much the same deal as you got.
-1 yr free HD PVR 9242 ($20 after-no contract)
-6 months free HD programming + $60 credit you have to ask for after 6 months free is completed
-30% discount off all programming for 12 months
-free install
-free h/w upgrade

I also got the guy to throw in 3 free pay per view movies in the deal.

The funny thing is, Rogers isn't even available in our area....!!

[noncanonical]

I got in on this deal in December ... and I'm still waiting to see the changes on my bill. Next month if things still haven't changed I'm going to tell them to come and take all their stuff away ... and I'll sign up with Starchoice.

Still no changes. Bell is a joke. Now they are promising me an extra $50 credit. They can't retroactively apply discounts you are promised - so they just keep pushing out the date by 4-8 weeks for when your 20-30% discount will take effect.

I read the thread on home phone retention - also full of horror stories of Bell's false promises.

The $50 extra has me holding out for one more billing cycle - after that point they can come and take away every service I have with them.

[Inno]

Are there any deals for non-HD Retention with Bell Expressvu??

[Spidey]

I decided to forsake my jog at lunch today and call them, since they are alwaysw closed by the time I get home

This is what i got, I was surprised since I have the least amount of programming you can have

HD PVR 9242 - Free rental for 1 year ($20 a month thereafter)
Free HD Programming for 6 months, plus an additional $60 credit (equal to 6 additional months of programming)
Free installation
Free hardware upgrade

This is sweet. RFD ROCKS I got HD tvs but dont really use them, plus the dual tuner thing will be sweet for another tv. Cabling could be a bugger though

Thanks to the OP for such an awesome deal. Fianlly long term customers get something

[kpolly]

Thanks for the deal OP. I called last week and got:

Free 9242 PVR rental for one year
Free Hd programming for 6 months
20% off programming for one year
Free install
Free h/w upgrade

The installer came out today and hooked things up. Left while I was on the phone with Bell to confirm details, stating that I would be up and running in 15 mins to 2 hours. Well... I have picture but no sound :S

I am not a techie at all. I do know that my tv has dvi so that the dvi to hdmi cable was needed. But with this cable you still need to use rcas cables for sound. The audio for my tv before this install would come out of my yamaha home theatre receiver. Does anyone know how to get the sound to work? I am sooo lost. Any help would be greatly appreciated!!!

[Battscrew]

Just an FYI starting to receive my credits on my second billing cycle.

[twboy1999]

just got my first bill after the deal

my total was credit of $26
i have no idea what happen

lol.. either way. i am happy
BOOYA

[aleksandar_2000]

you are right, DVI connection is only for video

try to connect RCA (red and white) cable between hdtv receiver and sound system
you should get sound





Thanks for the deal OP. I called last week and got:

Free 9242 PVR rental for one year
Free Hd programming for 6 months
20% off programming for one year
Free install
Free h/w upgrade

The installer came out today and hooked things up. Left while I was on the phone with Bell to confirm details, stating that I would be up and running in 15 mins to 2 hours. Well... I have picture but no sound :S

I am not a techie at all. I do know that my tv has dvi so that the dvi to hdmi cable was needed. But with this cable you still need to use rcas cables for sound. The audio for my tv before this install would come out of my yamaha home theatre receiver. Does anyone know how to get the sound to work? I am sooo lost. Any help would be greatly appreciated!!!

[kpolly]

Thanks Aleksander... I figured that out on my own 10 minutes before my husband came home from work. After following the trail of multiple cables I found some rcas from the back of the sound system not hooked up and figured that the other end should be in the hd receiver. But I do appreciate you taking the time to respond.

[danielmorra1]

I hear all of this talk about the hd receivers (9242, 6141...etc). Which one is the HD receiver, and if I have a choice which one is the best?????

Also, as a new customer, if I call up Bell and ask them for a deal, how much do u think I should be paying a month for the HD channels and 2 theme packs (with the receiver and dish)?? $50? $60? cheaper???

Thanks.

[Variance]

Same deal I got too.



Free 9242 PVR rental for one year
Free Hd programming for 6 months
20% off programming for one year
Free install
Free h/w upgrade

[MARZ]

I hear all of this talk about the hd receivers (9242, 6141...etc). Which one is the HD receiver, and if I have a choice which one is the best????? Thanks.

They both are HD, the 9242 is the HD PVR, whereas the 6141 is the non PVR HD satellite receiver.

[valen]

Thanks OP, here's what I got.

Called as directed, mentioned that my contract was up and that the 'cable guys' were offering promotions for me to switch, asked if there was anything he could do.

I currently rent the 9200, 6100, and 4100.
First thing we did was swap the 6100 for a 9242 with Free rental for 1 year (need to keep it for 1 year). Then he said he could offer 30% discount on programming.

I said 'sounds decent, but I'm worried about the $20 rental charges I keep paying in the 9200'. He said, ok, we'll up the programming discount to 40%.
I inquired about replacing the 9200 with the 9242 and replacing the 6100 with the 6141, but he said the 6141 is being offered for sale only for now (I don't really think that's the case, but they may have limited quantities right now).

We started processing that, when I mentioned that I heard some people getting free HD. He said he wasn't able to do 'free HD', but could offer a $60 credit on my bill to cover programming for 6 months.

I may swap the 9200 for a 6141 once the hard drive option is available.

So in summary (sorry for the long post) I got,

40% programming credit (in my case I think $27 off)
Free HD for 6 months ($60 HD Programming credit)
Reduced the receiver rental charge by $10-20 per month, I used to have the 9200 and 6100 for $30 per month, now I get 2 PVRs for $20 per month (for 1 year).

Plus free installation (as with previous posters, the'll charge my cc $100, and then credit it back to my bill). I think I need a 2nd diplexer or whatever those things are called, because I'll now need 5 tuners (new 9242 comes with new diplexer installation)

I think there is some kind of 'escalation' protocol they have there, if you keep asking questions about certain parts of your bill, they must be allowed to keep offering discounts.

I must say, the guy was very helpful. Thanks to Bell for offering this program for ongoing customers!

[harrietloyer]

Got a deal today. Long time Expressvu, sympatico user.

2 yr free HD receiver rental
1 yr PVR rental
6 months free HD, phone in 6 months for maybe more
30% off programing (basic 5 theme) for 6 months, phone in 6 months 3o% more

(could have had 20 % for yr or 2 months free for 12 month period)

free install etc

Called about sympatico as well, was paying 42 , now getting 32 for one year, phone after one year to see what I might get.

[ipse]

Thanks OP!!!
Got a deal today...took me 40minutes (not for arguing, but for trying to ensure that I am indeed getting all they promissed):
- 2yr HD receiver 6141 (not interested in a PVR)
- 2yr free HD programming (1 yr free + 100$ credit for the next)
- 30% off my bill (not including HD) -- most likely will have to call again after 1yr
- kept the digital bundle discounts and the themes at old price (5$)

Will see how the bill looks like, quite frankly I have doubts....why can't they just email the offer terms as agreed upon so next time you have proof.

Now...If I can only find the magic key to get something for my local phone and DSL...all I want is Call Display for free and a lower Internet fee :)
Any idea how to go about this?

Thanks!!!!

[drumboz79]

got my first bill since getting my pvr but it's really off. i know they said it takes around 2 or 3 bills for it to be correct but this ones got some weird extras, as in extra time for the install?? and charging me for another HD receiver... i'm going to call them tomorrow and give them **** so hopefully they offer me some more or i'll say come and take it back and i'm going to rogers!! :lol:

[wookie]

anyone tried to get in on this that didnt have hd already? I just got a 46" 1080p tv so I want hd now but dont have it currently. what do you think they will do for me?

[Spidey]

anyone tried to get in on this that didnt have hd already? I just got a 46" 1080p tv so I want hd now but dont have it currently. what do you think they will do for me?

I did and got it. In fact the guys here right now installing everything

[frozenmelon]

Just called and got:

2 years HD receiver
1 year HD programming
free dish installation
30% discount on current bill for 1 year

he also said phone in 12 months for more (possibly...)

[frozenmelon]

I definitely should have asked the CSR this but does the HD satellite replace the original one? Are my other TV's going to require HD receivers or can I reuse my originals?

[mike_leafs13]

I definitely should have asked the CSR this but does the HD satellite replace the original one? Are my other TV's going to require HD receivers or can I reuse my originals?

you can still use your standard def receivers

[mcewen]

Just called, was actually truthful (although he probably didn't believe it...). said my receiver (old 3100) crapped out on me, so I need a new receiver and we were checking out our options at the time. We pay
31 Monthly service
-5 digital bundle discount
3 Leafs
40 11 themes
69 subtotal
3 digital service scam fee
72 + tax

explained rogers is offering 53/month and wanted to know how much lead time they need to cancel service.

He offered:
$69 - 30% +$3 scam fee = $51.30 + tax
and 50% off a 5920 receiver ($299-$149.50) (non HD PVR)
or 4100 basic receiver for free ($99- $99)

called back after spoke with wife and got new guy.. he wasn't as nice as original. I tried to get him to increase the receiver credit but he wouldn't. (maybe next time I will have wife do it... women always get treated better... hmmmmmm).

Anyways.. that is my deal. not sure if the receiver was a good deal or not, but am happy about the lower monthly price.

[feisty]

Thanks OP. I called and right off the hop they offered me 40% discount off all my programming, as I already own the HD PVRs, for the next year as well as 6 free pay per movies. No questions asked.

[Gedge]

Any deals for new subscribers? Just spoke to the most oblivious CSR so would love to hear from anyone who got a deal as a new customer (I already have Bell for my phone).

[Pinchy74]

I called to "cancel" as we are moving to a new home, and this is what I got:

1 x 9242 Free rental for 12 months
1 x 6141 @ $10/month (nothing special)
1 x 40% off my programming for 12 months
1 x $60 credit (I'm assuming that is for the HD $10/6 months credit)
Free dish/switch/wiring to all four receivers in my new house, including any additional time/equipment required (that was a surprise)

I had to put a $100 deposit down for the 9242, but will get $100 credit on the 1st bill issued after we've moved in (Apr. 25th).

I was also told that "prices with ExpressVu are always negotiable, especially for a customer like you who has been with us for a long time." I was also told "please call back at the end of the 12 months, and we will be able to offer you a discount or new equipment again at that time."

All in all, I'm pretty happy. My bill went from $140/month down to $82.42/month, and I got better equipment to boot.

As a side note, I was also told that I could purchase the 9242 for $599, but I would receive $300 credit applied to my account immediately after activation. I was also offered $40/receiver (for my 2x3100, 1x6100, and 2x4100) if I wanted to trade them in for credit, but I kept them as I figured $40 was a little low.

Thanks RFD for a great catch - this one is sure to save a lot of us some serious coin, and give us better equipment to sweeten the deal even more!

[audiohs]

Imagine that, two billing cycles and Bell still hasn't reflected the 40% discount. My bill does, however, credit me for the hd-pvr rental. So, I called Bell up and spoke to two very nice CSRs. They were very apologetic and applied the credit. However, the credit will only start as of today for the next 12 months but she also gave me $35 customer satisfaction credit. It doesn't quite equal what I should have gotten off the last two bills but at least I'm good to go for the next 12 months. Oh well, still a decent deal for only having to make a phone call.

[crizwell]

Similar issue, i got the 40% off the bill but was charged for the rental AND installation.

But one phone call and i got the credit back for the install ($75) and credit for the rentals. For the trouble they gave me HD for 6 months free ($10 per month) and 3 free PPV credits (have to be used in the next 3 months).

So far so good :)

[MarioP]

Called today got the dual tuner HD PVR free for 1 yr, 6 mos free HD programming, free installation, and 20% off my bill.

Wasn't expecting anything big....but I got more than I had and will be paying less.

Thanks !!!!

[studbeefpile]

I phoned today and recieved 30% off of the bill and a 9242 for 12 months no charge. I was asked for a security deposit of $100, which is returned on the bill. Not bad for a phone call! That saves me $20 a month for renting the reciever and about $22 on my programming, for a savings of $42/mth. That's almost a 50% discount (I was paying $95/mth)!

RFD Strikes again. Glad I don't own Bell shares.....

[aleksandar_2000]

I got deal and free PVR rental for a year but than cancelled everything after started getting bills (charged for HD programming which should be free, extra receiver??, for HD rental...)
They disconnected everything after I called and I am still getting billed for HD...

I couldn't believe in these stories until it happened to me.

CHECK YOUR BILL !!!!

[Mecne]

Got off the Phone with BEV a few minutes ago.
I've been a customer for over 8 years..

Ended up getting :

HD 6141 free rental for 2 years (Already have a 9200 PVR)
Free Installation
40 % Off all Programming for a year
6 Months free HD $10.00 Package
Free installation ( For tomorrow )


Right off the bat they offered the receiver and 30% off programming.
Had to push for the 40% off the programming pretty hard.

They didn't offer up the HD free for 6 months either.. until I said StarChioce was offering it..

All and all I happy with the discount.. and the newest receiver to boot.

[adre77]

Do all these promotions also apply to new customers?

[xinix]

Do all these promotions also apply to new customers?

BUMP! I'd like to know any deals for new customers as well. Thanks.

[Mecne]

BUMP! I'd like to know any deals for new customers as well. Thanks.

Nope! This Thread is for Bell Expressvu HD Retention , "Retaining existing customers"

New customers have always gotten better deals when first signing up , that existing customers could never get, I had tried at one point.
I think most cable companies are doing Retention deals as well. I think there is a thread for Rogers Retention.

[rob1]

Just called and followed the advise posted here....

Got 40% off ($39 a month discount) - I have the old 12 theme pack w/HD.
Free 12 month rental on the 9242

I'll call back next year and repeat the process.....

Cheers
Rob.

[surfmonster]

I just got a HDTV two weeks ago so I called Bell to upgrade my current SD sat service to HD programming and all I got was:

- 6 months HD programming for free ($10 bill credit per month)
- free installation
- 30% off for 6 months

I saw this thread, so I called Bell Expressvu customer service today and tried to get a better deal and they flat out refused to give me 12 months PVR rental for free (or any discount on the HD PVR rental for that matter). They said that since I did not have a "starter kit" I was not entitled to anything else. I bought the TV @ Costco so I don't know if I was supposed to get this kit or not, but I asked to talk to a CS Supervisor and they told me they have a new escalation process that they cannot put customers through but rather they would have to have one call me back...so I am waiting for that call now. I guess we will have to see what they say.

[eggomiego]

Thanks so much. Called last saturday I think it was. First gave me the free HD PVR rental for a year. Wouldn't give me the free installation, but I told him the local cable company was giving free installation. Put me on hold, and then told me I would get free installation since it was my first HD upgrade. Couldn't give me the free HD programming because I had a 50% discount off my programming applied to my account already, and it wasn't possible because of that. Either way thats fine, I just call them every 6 months and they give me 50% discount off my programming for 6 months. Thanks again, the installer is coming tomorrow. In my case they gave a really quick installation date. On the saturday I called, they gave me the installation date for tuesday, but no one would have been home.


P.S Since I always get that 50% off programming, I only pay around 40 bucks for Digital standard, 5 theme packs, and 4 HD theme packs.

[kevinlo2]

I get a mail from Shaw about trading in my old satellite receiver for an HDPVR plus one month of HDTV servicea and trading in a 2nd receiver for a digital terminal. Does Bell giving out the HDPVR receiver, instead of free 1 or 2 years rental? I have two basic receiver, can I ask for two HDPVR?

Thanks in advance.

[sporb]

CHECK YOUR BILL!!

i just got my bell bill for this deal, and bell is charging me for god knows what. seemed like the hd programming wasn't free like they said or the hd pvr rental.

and on top of that i wasn't happy with the stinky install guy. i had to air out my place after he was finished installing everything. i'm surprised there wasn't a stench fee on my bill.

[xing93111]

Got off the Phone with BEV a few minutes ago.
I've been a customer for over 8 years..

Ended up getting :

HD 6141 free rental for 2 years (Already have a 9200 PVR)
Free Installation
40 % Off all Programming for a year
6 Months free HD $10.00 Package
Free installation ( For tomorrow )


Right off the bat they offered the receiver and 30% off programming.
Had to push for the 40% off the programming pretty hard.

They didn't offer up the HD free for 6 months either.. until I said StarChioce was offering it..

All and all I happy with the discount.. and the newest receiver to boot.

How you guys can get such a good deal? I just called and ask similar offers, but Bell Expressvu does not give me. They only give me 50% off for purchasing receiver or 2 months free programming if I rent one. I am a new customer. :cry:

[TheHans]

How you guys can get such a good deal? I just called and ask similar offers, but Bell Expressvu does not give me. They only give me 50% off for purchasing receiver or 2 months free programming if I rent one. I am a new customer. :cry:

That's a good question. I'm thinking of changing from Star Choice and would be interested in knowing what's possible for a new Expressvu customer.

The Hans

[Bonaduce]

Hi all:

I tried to get something similar to this deal for my folks who live an hour outside Edmonton.
It seems they won't offer the rental option as it is too far for their installers to drive. My folks would have to buy the receiver ($599), pay for their own installation and Expressvu would then credit them $300 towards the receiver, and up to $100 for the installation (if they fax in a copy of their receipt).

Rigth-off the bat they did offer a Long-service/good customer %20 discount off all packages and 6 months free HD if we go for that.

Any ideas on how to get a better deal without my folks having to fork out so much money up front. I'm a little nervous given all the problems people are having with their bill credits.

Thanks !

[MarioP]

As another mentioned....CHECK YOUR BILL.

I originally posted that I had gotten a great deal too after calling in.

However, I have since been fighting with them....and now they are just ignoring me hoping I just go away.

Seems they removed my previous discounts...

Now I am paying 20$ per month more for the same services. (OK ...I know I got a HD PVR free for one year.)

There is no such thing as free!!

Buyer beware.

[elkwood]

I'm hoping not to have the same issues with my bill but called in today after my previous contract expired.

New one year contract with the standard deal:

30% off for the year (or 50% off for 6 months)
HD PVR free for the year
Free installation / hardware upgrade.

Tried for the extra $10 off for 6 months for HD but wouldn't bite.

[Bushaway]

I just got off the phone with Bell. I told them that I was considering canceling my subscription with them, as I thought my bills were to high, and that the local competitors were offering better deals. After being put on hold a few times (to take time to make my decision about staying with bell), this is the final offer I accpted.

I was offered a 40% discount on my existing programming charges for 12 months.
I agreed to a 12 month contract.
2 years free rental on the Bell 6141 HD receiver. (I was offered 1 year on the PVR, but I already own my own 9200)
I placed a $100.00 deposit on my Mastercard for the receiver. I was informed that $100.00 would be applied as credit to my account once my receiver is activated.
Free installation was offered on the receiver, and is scheduled for May 13, 2008

I will keep an eye on my bill.

[sam_sensei]

When I called Bell back cause they billed me incorrectly, and when I told them what I was suppose to be getting, they could not find it in their notes. Any suggestions as to the next step? I just signed a 3 year term with them

[mjl]

is there still a limit to the number of receivers you can have in your home?

[MARZ]

When I called Bell back cause they billed me incorrectly, and when I told them what I was suppose to be getting, they could not find it in their notes. Any suggestions as to the next step? I just signed a 3 year term with them

You should have been given a confirmation number when you ordered, if not ask for a supervisor and hope for the best.

[MARZ]

is there still a limit to the number of receivers you can have in your home?

4 with the standard multi switch, upto 8 with some extra parts that come with the PVR installation.

[peacofmind]

and a 20% reduction in programming. also supposed to pay for re-locating my dish but I am sure I will have to fight this one out for the next 6 months.

[lastchild01]

PLEASE READ IF YOUR CONSIDERING THIS

Hi I am a Bell Technician and work for Bell Canada. Just a heads up the Expressview service is the only service that is outsourced to a company called VIEWCOM (I believe that is it). This is one thing the union at Bell is trying to change ... as these technicians are paid based on the amount of service they install NOT BY THE HOUR.

So for example if you have 4 TVs and they have to run the line on the outside of the house to 4 separate TVs and they see the other installs for the day involve 1 tv installs, they will try and pass the buck, pretend you can’t get service, or even rush the job.


Why this is important is if you do not feel right about the person that comes out to your house, if you feel they are rushing or just tell you to put the TV somewhere else (for their convenience) ... you can tell them to leave your house right away and Bell will send out another tech. People don’t really no this ... Another thing to remember is bell is all about customer service and doing work right the first time. All Bell techs are paid by the hour.

Now part of our workforce include multi techs (techs that are trained in everything, including Expressview ... IF YOUR LUCKY, they will send out one of these guys ... i believe we have around 20 in the GTA. they are paid by the hour and will do whatever you like ... )

Now dont get me wrong, the contractors are not all bad ... but some are just lazy, most are very good, but we have gotten complaints before ... Luckily bell isn’t roJers and is a very customer oriented company ...

Last point, if you would like I do have a special number for services that is only for Bell Techs and for customers that have just been given service, friends and family and can be used at our discretion. Basically instead of calling Bell @ 310 Bell and going through all of the ridiculous prompts ... we have a team of 10 ladies in Markham that are knowledgeable in every product @ Bell and work with the Techs.
The difference is …

1. you will have no long hold time or run around
2. you will receive a good discount in some cases (almost guaranteed as they believe you are a family member from a technician, so they work hard on bundling or trying to get the best for you and send out proper technicians for Expressview for example)
3. you will also get to talk to a real person and if you call back later that day or the next day and ask to talk to Anne for example, you will get to speak to her as it is not a call center.
4. Be nice to these ladies as my tech number is attached to it and again they don’t work for a call center
5. I am no sales man ... its not part of my job description ... this is just a service or perk we get as technicians
6. One thing I did find out recently, is finally the CRTC is allowing Bell to compete with prices from other companies (namely RoJers) ... Bell was told to hold their current pricing for X amount of years to let other companies enter the market ... 2 weeks ago this period finally finished. All customers new and existing are eligible for new pricing ... you will definitely save $5 - 10 dollars ... just call in
7. Again no long hold times and no run around so its not really a hard process to do ...

As technicians we use this number if a customer is asking about pricing for example when we are at a customer’s house for example. E.g “Hey Sarah what’s the price for the new DSL service” … and yes I am allowed to give it to people I know, people I meet, people who ask about my service, family& friends ... and I believe fellow RFDrs are like family! :)


When you call they will ask you what you will like help with ... explain you met a technican ... We are friends or you met him in an elevator or gas station or something and he gave you this number to call ... Then they will ask for a B number (a Technician number) and if they dont please give it to them ... The ladies are nice and will help you out ... please be nice to them ...

If you would like this number please PM me ...

[gert22]

I just talked to bell they offered me upgrades & installs for free, and 1yr HD PVR for free and 40% off programing for 1 yr. This will be a savings of $734.00 THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH for the info Red Flag subscribers

[kquon]

Last time I checked Bell told me that you're allowed 6 receivers per account. That means even if I have 2 splitters allowing 8 receivers I'm allowed only 6 per account but if I want all 8 I'll be charged 2 accounts. Kind of a rip off if you ask me.

[supergenius]

But those 6 can all be dual tuner receivers so technically you can feed 12 TV's with their own signal. This is assuming you have the hardware to feed that many tuners.

[Cisco KId]

well I am spending some time on the phone right now. Just looked at my bills, lol the whole [urpose for me to enter into this 1 yr contract was to get a free 9242, increase my programming and essentially have a similar monthly bill that I was paying prior to the contract of about $72/mth.

Well I look at my latest bill and my monthly charge is $144 pretty much double, I find that they dinged me $75 for 9242 install in March and another $50 on my May statement as "additional line install" I also noticed that I did get my $60HD credit but that they were still charging me $10/mth for HD programming which was suppose to be free for 6mths so essentially 1 yr HD programming free

So now the CSR has put in requiest for reversal of $145 plus taxes, I told her my whle point of taking a 1 yr contract was to take advantage of getting 30% off of all programming allowing me to increase my prgramming for the 1st year, and get a free 9242 for 1 yr. At the end of the year I would eliminate the most recent programming I added which would wipe out the 9242 rental fee and leave me with a mthly programming charge of approx $72-75 similar to what I had originally when I was running 2 x6100 HD receivers

I did not enter a contract to be paying near double and explained this nly came to my attention after I decided to check my billing statements since this started.

All should be corrected but I did not do this to pay more monthly and was clearly told free install and 30% off all programming selected plus $60 credit and 6mths HD free, my cc would be billed $100 for deposit and I would see that back in programming credit which has occurred

Oh well I guess 20 minutes on the phone will sort this all out and get me back to normal but check your bills peeps

[wiebecj]

Well, My initial deal (from 1 year ago) runs out this month, so I called in to see what kind of deal I can get. I told them I wanted to cancel (if they actually went ahead and canceled me, I was willing to go). They asked me why and I told them that it was just too much money, so it wasn't worth it to me.

Put me on hold for 5 minutes and came back with 40% off programming. I had a 6100 that they gave me for free for the year last year, that I assume they are going to start charging me for, but that's OK, it still ends up being a good deal for me (basically the same final cash as I was paying last year). So yeah - the deals are still on!

[MrDave]

I called in on May 28th.... a bit of haggling and got the 40% off for 12 months + additional one-time $50 credit.

Was told that $50 CR would be 1-2 cycles and 40% off would happen on July invoice. 40% would come off of programming only, not the extra fees....

Well got my June eBill today. No delays... All credits already! :D

Got 40% off the full charges before the $1 TMN Adjustment... $37.60 off the $91 - $50 - $1 TMN adj... for a bill of less than $3 due this month.

Woo Hoo! :D :D :D

11 Themes and Premium Movies $56
Digital Standard $31
US Timeshifting $1
Digital Service Fee $3

Before:
$91 - $1 = $90 + $10.70 tax = $101.70 => =>

After:
$91 - $37.60 - $1 = $52.40 + $6.81 = $59.21

Again thank you RFD!

Think I'll try for the free HD this fall..... :idea:

[jagulrud]

Got a 30% discount on programming for a year (my normal rate is $61/month plus fees). Happy enough with that as the guy first tried to get me to "drop the HD programming" to save money (like that was gonna happen).

[aleksandar_2000]

again - check your BILL !!!

[MrDave]

again - check your BILL !!!
Not sure if you were referring to me....

The numbers are from my latest bill.... I did expect a battle and a few extra phone calls after following this thread but I was pleasantly surprised. :D

Don't know if me bringing other issues to the attention of the Executive Services office late last year helped to make things happen as promised on the very 1st bill but whatever the reason I'm happy.

"Save Offer - 40% Off for 12 months" is the text on the bill.

[Bastich]

Well, My initial deal (from 1 year ago) runs out this month, so I called in to see what kind of deal I can get. I told them I wanted to cancel (if they actually went ahead and canceled me, I was willing to go). They asked me why and I told them that it was just too much money, so it wasn't worth it to me.

Put me on hold for 5 minutes and came back with 40% off programming. I had a 6100 that they gave me for free for the year last year, that I assume they are going to start charging me for, but that's OK, it still ends up being a good deal for me (basically the same final cash as I was paying last year). So yeah - the deals are still on!

Sweet. Do you have any other Bell services that might have convinced them to be more generous?

:cool:

[Meekame]

Is this much better compared to what you can get from Rogers as a new customer....I guess there really only is Bell, Rogers or Starchoice for TV?

[scavman]

Just got off the phone with the retention dept and I can't believe my luck!:cheesygri The deals are certainly still rolling on this!

I didn't expect much of a discount if anything as I'm on a 2 year contract and still have 16+ months left...but thought i'd give it a try. What's more, I was 3 months overdue on my bill which I just paid off earlier today. This may have worked in my favour in some strange way- maybe Bell's CS rationale is that anytime a large payment is made could indicate a point in time when the customer is apt to go looking for alternative services.

When I made my pitch to the effect that I'm paying too much and have been offered better pricing by Starchoice and Shaw (I'm in Vancouver) the CS agent said "Oh, so you know the trick eh?" I decided to just flat out tell her yes I do know the trick. Maybe she appreciated the honesty and thus her generosity given my situation.

Anyway, the deal I got is:

30% discount on all programming for 12 months

free HD PVR rental for 12 months

free HD for 6 months

AND I'll be getting upgraded for free to the new 9242 receiver- with free installation of course! In order to get the free rental, the CS agent said that she'd have to send me a new receiver to run along with my existing 9200. So I told her it occasionally freezes and has audio drop-outs (this is true but they're very occasional- not really an issue) So she said if I paid a $100 refundable deposit, the installer could deactivate and take away the 9200 (which I'm currently renting for $20/month) and I'd be left with the 9242 with free rental for 12 months. It didn't take me long to go for that!

By my calculations, this will save me about $550 over the next year...and this only took 15-20 minutes of my time. Thank you RFD and DOC SB who posted this!

I'm not getting too excited yet as there's still the issue of whether or not and how soon this registers on my bill. And the last time I called billing it took me 45 minutes just to get movies removed from my programming and get the CS agent to come up with a proper calculation of what my bill would be going forward.:mad: However the highly competent CS agent I talked to today did say it was even possible these discounts would be applied to my July bill and, if not, certainly to the August bill. We'll see...

I'm a newbie to RFD. I thought I'd drop a quick mention of the Pioneer plasma TV group buys on this site- excellent deals to be had! (that's what brought me to RFD in the first place).

[mike_leafs13]

yeah, definitely check your bill.

i just got off the phone to correct it and i should get a bunch of credit on my next bill. hopefully it works this time...

[baz5]

How much is it outright to buy the HD PVR? $20/month seems like quite a pain in the ass to be paying. I have been with Bell for about 5 years now I think. I have two HD receivers, and 2-3 regular receivers. Any way I could get a HD PVR for free? I only use the HD and normal receiver, could I see the HD receiver? Is it worth anything?

[midget_man]

I called them and got sweet shat all. They said they would not budge on jack .. 10% off on programming, but they were going to charge me more for other things .. it actually ended up costing more ... I was furious ... I called the Expessvu retentions ... even spoke with a manager ... who was a royal biaaatch. Am I missing something ... I am no spring chicken when it comes to negotiation ... I cashed in on all the Rogers PVR deals for both myslef and family (when I was with Rogers) -- I had actually called Bell to have them fix an overbilling problem as I was promised a free PVR almost a year ago and they are still billing me for it ... but this asswad said there is no such promotion, nor has there ever been .. but everyone here is cashing in on that very thing!! WTF is going on???

[YanD]

Thanks OP

Got a free HD PVR rental for 1 year and 10% off my monthly bill (wich is currently $47.50). I wasn't interested in the free HD programming for 1 year since the only channels I watch are included (HD version) on my programmation.

Thanks again OP

[mahoo]

After 6 months of the run around with Bell, (30+ year customer) trying to purchase/rent an HD receiver; and going in circles with call centre employees in what I believe is a distant land where English is not a priority, I stumbled upon this post & gave it a try.

I've got an HD PVR receiver coming and being installed on Thursday afternoon, with what I consider a good deal (not great, but hey,,I'm happy).

Hats off to the OP, and everyone else's ideas on this topic. You have saved me from the loony bin (and considering the last eejit I spoke to told me I'd have to pay $700, AND the price of some special switching system, AND do so on my VISA card) and I am grateful.

[Spidey]

Finally got around to looking at my bills from the last 3 months (long story)

Looks like everything is done the way it was supposed to.



30% off for a year - $10.20 cr
HD credit - $10 cr
All-in-one HD activation credit - $100cr
Rental discount - $20 cr

For the first time in a long time with billing I never had to phone Bell about them screwing up,

After 3 months I finally got a bill that wasnt in a credit, but for $7.01

Thanks to the OP, I love my PVR and the HD is awesome. My monthly bill is now only $21.84

[ronx]

I've been a subscriber for 9 years and still use 2 old 2700 receivers. I want HD on my new 42" LCD, so I called BEV to see what they could do for me. On the first call the offer was 50% off a new HD PVR and free installation (same as a new customer gets). I asked, but they wouldn't give me any programming discounts. I told them the local cable company had a better deal and I would get back to them.

I called my local cable company (Shaw) and they have a satellite swap program. I can swap both receivers for one HD PVR and one SD box with one month of free programming. The rep told me after the first month basic programming is $33, $2 for 10 HD feeds, and $14 for 14 specialty channels of my choosing. I use Shaw for HS Internet, so they will take $8 off to bundle the services. I didn't ask, but have hear there is no contract.

Call 2 to Expressvu explaining the Shaw offer details... The same deal, but this time 20% off programming for a year. My current bill is $31 for standard, $20 for 5 themes, $1 for time shifting (plus digital service fee and taxes).

It appears swapping to Shaw will cost $0, be free for 1 month ($115 savings), then cost $41/month for what I want as explained above. BEV will cost $300, then cost about the same $41 for 12 months. The Shaw rep did not say anything about needing their digital or HD packages to get the HD channels. Can anyone comment on Shaw's offer or service?

Ronx

[N8Magic]

I'm sure this has been asked before, but are these deals available to new customers if they lock in for a 1 year contract?

I'd search around, but the thread is 18 pages now... :(

[YanD]

I'm sure this has been asked before, but are these deals available to new customers if they lock in for a 1 year contract?

I'd search around, but the thread is 18 pages now... :(

I think the best thing is to give them a call. Specify that you already got digital tv with your cable provider, and you want to know what they offer to new customers.

[Shrike]

Thx OP. I just received 1yr of 40% off and free rental on my 6100 receiver for a savings of roughly $50.00 a month/no contract. :D :D :D

[buzzerk]

One year hdpvr rental for free, 30% off programming and a very friendly retention person. tried for more but she said thats the most she could do. Even left her hanging after i hung up, she returned the phone call with the deal. Thanks op!

[averagejoeto]

Thank you OP!

I should have done this months ago. I'm on a contract until Dec 2008.

Called and was told it would cost $299 to cancel. Said go ahead. 15 minutes of haggling later. Got a free HD PVR + 40% off my programming $41 bucks off a month!

If your an Expressvu customer, doesn't matter if you're under contract. Call and tell them you are going to Rogers. Bell seems to be terrified of them.

[wiebecj]

Well, I've got 2 bills and I am totally happy with it! Getting my 40% off credit! (Still expensive for TV, but - i do get all the channels!)

[BRAISKI]

I'm sure this has been asked before, but are these deals available to new customers if they lock in for a 1 year contract?

I'd search around, but the thread is 18 pages now... :(

I am thinking same thing, I will try to give them a call tomorrow.

[rebel_rfd]

What do you think?

Home phone service with 5 features
Internet servce, old 5 Mbps with No CAP
HD PVR with Basic Channels

With taxes 118

So???

[s1301950]

Anyone got their 9200 upgraded to 9242? I already got 40% off 2 months ago.

[rayq]

What is the latest competitive offer in Calgary that we can threaten BEV to switch over to? I still have another year contract with them, it might be an uphill battle for me :)! Thanks.

I have just called the retention dept and got offered

1 year free HD PVR 9242 rental
6 months free HD programming
30% off all programming for a year
free installation

I am more than happy with this offer since I still have contract with them until Sept 2009 (> a year) with the basic + one international theme. Thank you and long live RFD!!!

Raymond

[ChzPlz]

I have just called the retention dept and got offered

1 year free HD PVR 9242 rental
6 months free HD programming
30% off all programming for a year
free installation

I called earlier this week and my first offer from retention was:


1 yr free HD PVR 9242
25% off all programming
1 year contract


I'm coming to the end of my 2 year contract and had only hoped for a free HD PVR. Was happy with the offer, but thought I'd check here first - now I get to go back and try to squeeze some more out of them.

Thanks OP & RFD!!!

[ChzPlz]

I called earlier this week and my first offer from retention was:


1 yr free HD PVR 9242
25% off all programming
1 year contract



Called back - could only get them up to 30% - no extra programming credits or anything. Took it.

[tron319]

A subscriber since 1999, they originally offered me a 20% discount on programming (I didn't need any new hardware, so declined their offers on that). I asked if that was the best they could do, seeing how I've been a customer for so long, with a full load package + Sunday Ticket every year.

He immediately came back with a 30% discount for a year. Bell, you definitely get to keep my business! Great service and thanks RFD.

[Nethervue]

He immediately came back with a 30% discount for a year.

I got 40% off my entire bill, but I wasn't getting the whole big channel line up and Sunday Ticket..maybe 30% is the best they could do in that scenerio. I rent an HD PVR, have the base line up with the HD pack, and get the second set of US feeds. According to the CSR, I'm only going to pay $37 (maybe it was $34..something like that and definelty under $40) a month in total..well, plus taxes. We'll see how the bill looks though.

[tron319]

I rent an HD PVR, have the base line up with the HD pack, and get the second set of US feeds.


Gotcha - I purchased my 2 PVR's so have no rental charges. So part of the additional discount probably goes toward reducing the rental cost.

Either way, found money!

[guiness]

Ok, I know this is the wrong thread...but it's close!

Has anyone heard of retention deals with Starchoice? I've been with them >1yr, and would like to know if they offer anything.

I'll call and try, regardless, but just wondering if anyone else has had success!

tx!

[snitch1]

hey guys

just an FYI i also got 40% off for 12 mos, plus free HDPVR 9242 for 1yr rental. includes free install

took a lot of negotiating but they finally caved, he had to put me on hold to check with the mgr, but because we've been with bell so long and are paying over $100/month they gave it to me. not sure how much of that is the company line, but glad i called.

[kevinlo2]

Why renting is better than buying? Is it $20/per month for renting? If the HD PVR is $300 after 50% discount, it take 15 months to earn it back. Adding the 12 months free rental, it takes 27 months to earn it back. Will you use the receiver for 27 months? I am not sure about the quality and warranty, if it does not have problem, I think I will use the receiver for a few years. Well, I am using my old basic 2700 for 5 years already.

Can someone explain the pros and cons of renting and buying? I know renting can exchange a new one if the box has problem and it can switch to new model. But if the quality of the box is good, I may not change a new one. It is just like I usually buy a car, instead of leasing and I drive it at least 10 years.

[lip1978]

Can someone explain the pros and cons of renting and buying? I know renting can exchange a new one if the box has problem and it can switch to new model. But if the quality of the box is good, I may not change a new one. It is just like I usually buy a car, instead of leasing and I drive it at least 10 years.

I think the big thing right now is that Bell's supposed to be moving to MP4 from MP2 technology soon, making the old boxes obsolete. I think the 6121 might do MP4, you're going to have to read up, but just make sure that if you buy a box, it's one that can do MP4.

[Spidey]

Made my first payment to Bell since the install way back in the spring. $3.84. This thread is so awesome, and the PVR is one of the best things I have. I love the thing

[Nethervue]

Why renting is better than buying?

just an FYI i also got 40% off for 12 mos, plus free HDPVR 9242 for 1yr rental.

Why bother buying when you can get one for free? I'm paying $37 a month for basic programming, HD programming, 2nd US feed, and an HD PVR...pretty sweet.

[rabuol]

Got a similar deal...told operator I wanted to cancel...he never asked why...told him I should be getting a better deal because I've been a subscriber for a couple of years...he said OK, let's see what I can do..

Free HD PVR 92 series...for 1 year
Free installation and switch, hardware...
Free total HD channels for 6 months

then I asked for a discount....he said I'll have to check with superV...then offered 30 % on programming

I accepted the deal...to be renegociated in a year's time

Thanks for this thread!!

Rabuol

[bf_ns]

Great deal, got 30% off, HD PVR for a year and free install (ran all new wire etc). Although this is probably the biggest scam going because I don't think I can do without the PVR, I'm hooked now! Pausing and rewinding live TV is just way too convenient, especially with kids!

On a side note I got my first bill and it was wrong, charged me for the PVR and deal only said 6 months at 30%. Called Bell and they confirmed deal was 12 months and credited for PVR. So as others have said before watch your bill to be sure everything is as promised.

Thank you very much OP.

[parry]

Anyone knows who to call in Bell for setting up their service in a highrise condo building? Our building only offers Rogers. Some competition would be nice.

[badass]

Having troubles with the 9200 free rental that I have, it tends to shut down from time to time so decide to call to cancel. The CR offered me a new 9242 for another year and 20% of programming. So I will be saving $1 and getting 4 other theme packages included in my bundle for another year.

thanks again!!!

[bkushner]

Is there a new customer thread?

[hankey01]

Woohoo!

I finally get a discount!

I get the new 9242 free for a year, free installation, and 20% off my bill!

About time!!

[kevinlo2]

Just call Bell and it is what I get:

1 year free HD-PVR or 2 years free HD receiver.
40% off for 1 year (first he gives me 30% only, I ask for more).
Free installation
HD

He also mentions if I subscribe 4 HD themes and I need to pay 2 themes only ($10). Including the 40% discount, it will be $6.

I need a second HD reciever, but he cannot give me discount for it.

Do you think it is a good deal? I think it is just like most people get.

I just worry after 1 year my bill will go up big after the discount is gone. Don't know if Bell will allow another discount at that time.

[canucktfi]

renewals/retentions should be a 1 year term, when it is close to end of term, ask for the same thing.

[jayoldschool]

Just got off the phone. Btw, it was #4 to cancel, then #3 to cancel (after putting in my phone number).

Just to give a little background: I am currently on a two year contract, and only got Bell for the first time in October, after moving to a new house.

First offer was 20% for six months. I replied that my Bell bill was still MUCH higher than my Rogers services. I told the (very nice) lady that many of the channels that I now paid for in my themes are free with Rogers VIP. She asked me to hold. She came back with 30% for six months, and a credit of $60. She said this was the best she could do, as the account was very new and the system wouldn't allow her to do more. I very nicely replied that it was still really expensive, and asked if she could do 40%. She asked me to hold again. After a looonnnnggggg wait, she came back with 50% off programming for six months, $60 credit. I knew I was getting to the end of my luck, so I asked for a channel to be thrown in. She agreed.

Told me to call back at the end of the six months, and I would be able to do better with hardware freebies because I will have been with them longer.

Thanks, OP, and to those that clarified the #s for me!

To sum up:

- 50% off programming for six months
- $60 credit
- a free channel for six months

Checking in six months later. So, my original retention deal (above) just expired. I called back in, and was quickly told that the 50% was the best deal, and deals can only be applied once. I told the rep that I would be happy with something on a longer term. He offered 30% for a year. I told him I would be happy with 40%. He had to get it approved, but they came through. After that, I mentioned that I was interested in another HD receiver. My 9200 still has a year on contract at $20/month. He told me that it would be $50 to return it (and break the contract). He then offered me a 9242 free for a year, no contract. I can keep my 9200 and install the complete 9242 system, or just swap out the 9200 (and pay the $50).

So, another sucessful retention call.

Summary
- contract length hasn't changed (now one year in on a two year)
- 40% off programming for a year
- free 9242 for a year (no contract)

I'll be back in a year with my next report:D

[ipse]

Quick questions for those who got the "Free for a year HD receiver"...if I want to cancel the service NOW (6 months into the 1yr period) am I liable to pay penalties? I called billing and they said I'm NOT in a contract "other then for HD receiver rental".

Help?

[w3ss]

Hey guys...just got off the phone with a Bell rep... I had the 50% discount from before.

They first offered 30% off 6 months or 20% 1 year. I then told the rep that rogers gives my fairchild for free (RH area). He talked to a supervisor and gave me 50% again.

If you dont need equipment like the PVR try to go for the bigger discount. Don't take the "It can't be applied again because you had it" for an answer.

Hope this helps.

[penduboy]

I phones Retention last week. Told them that I don't want to renew my contract as my old contract is just over last month . Got the following without entering into a new contract.

1. PVR 5900 for $150 after $150 programming credit.
2. 2 month of free programming or 20% off for 1 hear (I took 2 months free). As after 2 months or so I can enter into a new contract with some more discount on programming.

I don't know whether it is a good deal or not but sounds good to me.

[suezieq4u]

I called retention this morning...

I got 30% off programming
$60 pay per view credit
Dual HD Pvr free for 1 yr
Free installation, hardware upgrade
Free swap of older larger regular receiver with newer compact model

I am a happy camper.
Was so close to walking away from bell before I read this thread.
You guys ROCK!!!!!
Thanks 4 the svgs!!:cheesygri

[ipse]

Bump....can anyone help me find out

Quick questions for those who got the "Free for a year HD receiver"...if I want to cancel the service NOW (6 months into the 1yr period) am I liable to pay penalties? I called billing and they said I'm NOT in a contract "other then for HD receiver rental".

Help?

[antman59]

I know the thread is "Retention" but I am curious if their is anything for new subscribers? What they offer currently is not very appealing.

[Scarface74]

I'm actually on the phone with a retention rep. right now and telling him how I don't appreciate Bell adding on the Show magazine to my a/c without my knowledge. Also, how un-happy I am with their service. She transferred me to a retention rep. and he is offering 40% of my package but I have to pay for my 9294 receiver ($20 + $3 system fee). Didn't bug on the free receiver for a year. He is know transferring me to some Dept. that can cancel all of my service. The rep. from Loyal dept. said she can offer me 20% off of my programming and I laughed because I was just offered 40%. She advised that she has to transfer me back to the Express Vu retention to get that.

I am now on the phone for almost 45 mins...

[antman59]

:mad: :mad: I Hate their website. It's one of the most frustrating things to navigate.:mad:

Wonder if they still do trade in's, I have a couple of old Look receivers that I would'nt mind unloading. BTW I noticed that the 9242 is selling for $499 at Futureshop, everywhere else seems to have it on for $599, might be able to negotiate a better price. (At least if you dont want a 24 month contract.)

[Scarface74]

Finally got everything settled...below is my new plan/program

ExpressVu
40% off of programming
1 yr free rental of the 9242 (I already have the 9242 but they want to replace it...the new 9242 is able to hook up to 4 additional receivers)
$50 credit for Pay Per View

Telephone
$20.94 with one free feature of my choice (this includes 911 fee)

Internet
Currently paying $39.95/month and now it will be $30.95/month

Hope this helps out the ones that are going to negotiate.

[bulls]

thank you so much op!

got free hd pvr for a year, 30% off for a year and free install that took the whole day.

[Candiana]

I called and csr insisted on tagging on $75 installation fee which is basically a tech bringing the pvr along with 40% off programming + free hd9242 rental for a yr. how do u guys get that insane installation fee off. I've been w/expressvu for 8 yrs.

[MrGLuong]

Thanks op! Got 30% off my bill and free hd pvr 9242 for a yr. Free installation etc.

[twotoneblue]

Just got off the phone with Bell for th3 5th time since I got the deal in Feb.

Seems they have not been applying my credit for the PVR. This time they talked to the retentions team and hopefully, fingers crossed, the credits will be applied. Apparently the CSRs do not have much luck getting the credits approved, that is why it went to the retentions team.

[jayoldschool]

I got my "free for one year" 9242 installed on Oct 10th. Yesterday, I got a new rental agreement in the mail showing a fee of 20/month. I called retentions, and they apologized, and noted that it already said on my file that it was to be free. They removed the install charge while I was on the phone, too (you always have to call in for that). While I was on the phone, the guy helped me with a problem I was having with my 3700.

Their prices aren't great (without retention), but in my one year of experience, the customer service with Bell is better than Rogers.

[bbhmj]

Like many others ...
Free 9242 for 12 months
Free HD for 6 months
Free installation
20% off for 12 months

I was actually on Bell's website and ready to hit the ORDER button, when it was suggested to check out RFD. Total savings: aprox $600

Many thanks.

[Magoomba]

Do you guys know if there's any promotions for new customers and/or customers wanting to switch over from other providers (Shaw)?

Thanks.

[movieking]

Probably a stupid question, but if you are an existing customer, why do you need any installation? Do they just come down and plug in your 9242 (if you are upgrading)? All of the wires should be run already anyway, correct?

[careh]

Probably a stupid question, but if you are an existing customer, why do you need any installation? Do they just come down and plug in your 9242 (if you are upgrading)? All of the wires should be run already anyway, correct?


A HD PVR like the 9242 has two tuners in it so it requires two cable feeds to it and the dish has to see both satellites (82 and 91) to get at all the channels available. Most HD channels are on the 82 satellite. Many subscribers have a single cable running down to their receiver and have one LNB on their dish. That LNB is typically aimed at the 91 satellite. So when the Bell installer comes out they will:
* add a second LNB to the dish
* re-aim the dish so the dish can see both 82 and 91 satellites
* add on a SW-44 switch at the dish to join the two LNB signals into one.
* run a second cable to the location of the PVR to provide the feed for the second tuner

There is a way to have just one cable connect your dish to your HD PVR receiver and then splitting the cable out at the receiver end to feed the two tuners but that requires changing out the LNB's on your dish to a Dish Pro Plus LNB and then using a Dish Pro Plus Seperator at the receiver end. I have done this at my place and it works fine - however Bell does not yet sell or recognise this type of setup - so I doubt the Bell installer is going to be able to supply this option to you. The Dish Pro Plus equipment is available off eBay.

[movieking]

Sorry, I guess I should have mentioned that I have a 9200 already, but I can definitely see why others would need the installation.

So do you have to agree to another contract for this deal?

[movieking]

For those of you that have received the 6 months free for the HD channels, did you already have those channels? When I called in, I was told that I couldn't get the 6 months free because I already have HD, even though it is specifically listed on the website as available to anyone who didn't sign up for the All In One HD Package in the last 6 months (I've had HD for a few years now).

[djino]

Sorry, I guess I should have mentioned that I have a 9200 already, but I can definitely see why others would need the installation.

So do you have to agree to another contract for this deal?

Any "rental" agreement requires a contract. Whether you are paying for the rental or not. I got 12 months free "rental" on 9242 (on 12 month contract).

djino
"yup"

[djino]

For those of you that have received the 6 months free for the HD channels, did you already have those channels? When I called in, I was told that I couldn't get the 6 months free because I already have HD, even though it is specifically listed on the website as available to anyone who didn't sign up for the All In One HD Package in the last 6 months (I've had HD for a few years now).

I'm not positive, but I believe the 6 month free HD is apart of the Upgrade Promo. So if you already have programming on 82.. ie HD (9200), then I do not think you are intitled to 6 months free HD (with free installation).

djino
"But I'm not sure"

[rayq]

For those of you that have received the 6 months free for the HD channels, did you already have those channels? When I called in, I was told that I couldn't get the 6 months free because I already have HD, even though it is specifically listed on the website as available to anyone who didn't sign up for the All In One HD Package in the last 6 months (I've had HD for a few years now).

The free HD is for the new subscriber for HD channels. In your case you can ask for 40% off the programming for a year. My friend got it that way, even with $60 credit.

[Candiana]

Probably a stupid question, but if you are an existing customer, why do you need any installation? Do they just come down and plug in your 9242 (if you are upgrading)? All of the wires should be run already anyway, correct?

in my case with an existing 9200, yes that's all the guy did: bring the receiver in, attach cables and activate by calling bell. i insisted free installation 'cuz it's bs if i had to pay $75 for that.

[Swarez99]

in my case with an existing 9200, yes that's all the guy did: bring the receiver in, attach cables and activate by calling bell. i insisted free installation 'cuz it's bs if i had to pay $75 for that.

has anyone been able to get anything beyond one PVR for for free?
My sister with Rogers has 2 PVR's and a SD box for free for two years plus free TMN for a year.

My bell deal is coming up in Feb/March and might start calling in over the next few weeks to see what kind of offers they have.
Currently have 1 free HD PVR, 40%off programming; want a second HD tv so want to try to get the same deal with a second HD PVR.

I'm in a Cogeco area or else I would try Bell, but have my phone and Internet with Cogeco so might try with them and see if I can get anything better from Cogeco.

[bubble.tea]

Those of you who don't know...you can connect up to a 750gb external hard drive via USB for extra HD recording time.

Unfortunately it's not a seemless expansion of the recording space, rather an archivable storage space. You must record first on the PVR, then 'archive' it to the Ext'HD.

Still., I picked up the Costco 640Gb for $99 and now have an extra EIGHTY-FIVE HD hours LOL.

Such a relief. It was such a PITA balancing all the recordings in a 20hr CAP :(.

It was easy as plug-n-play LITERALLY. Very impressed.

[jon2k]

im not sure i totally understand what is going on here....

is it something along the lines of you call in and say you're not happy with their service and they try to keep you as a customer by throwing some deals at you?

[Candiana]

im not sure i totally understand what is going on here....

is it something along the lines of you call in and say you're not happy with their service and they try to keep you as a customer by throwing some deals at you?

you got it. bell must have done something that irked u and just 'highlight' it during ur negotiation.

[tomtong]

Bottom line. You have to tell them you're leaving even though you're not.

[infamouskid]

lol i got 30% off. 1 year no rental fee for hd pvr
1st month free. free installation. and a 75 dollar activation credit.
i have been with bev a total of 3 days. and called to cancel cuz the technician who came brought the wrong receiver. oh yeah btw i also get 2 monthly $10 credits on top of that.

[TerryB]

Those of you who don't know...you can connect up to a 750gb external hard drive via USB for extra HD recording time.

Unfortunately it's not a seemless expansion of the recording space, rather an archivable storage space. You must record first on the PVR, then 'archive' it to the Ext'HD.

Still., I picked up the Costco 640Gb for $99 and now have an extra EIGHTY-FIVE HD hours LOL.

Such a relief. It was such a PITA balancing all the recordings in a 20hr CAP :(.

It was easy as plug-n-play LITERALLY. Very impressed.


Only the 9242...not the 9200

[rayq]

lol i got 30% off. 1 year no rental fee for hd pvr
1st month free. free installation. and a 75 dollar activation credit.
i have been with bev a total of 3 days. and called to cancel cuz the technician who came brought the wrong receiver. oh yeah btw i also get 2 monthly $10 credits on top of that.

Wow, excellent! I wonder if you can do the same thing even if the tech didn't do anything wrong. Can the receiver be returned (to FS for example) for refund after activation within 30 days?

[tofinoguy]

Do you guys know if there's any promotions for new customers and/or customers wanting to switch over from other providers (Shaw)?

Thanks.

Same question. My small local cable company costs signficantly less than Bell TV for a similar line-up, but they have very poor HD options so I would be interesting in switching if price was better or the same. Unfortunately, Bell currently wants about $20 more/month for a similar channel lineup - and that's after purchasing the equipment from Bell.

Also, how does the second TV thing work for the HD PVR? Does the second TV have to be in the same room? How is it connected?

[bubble.tea]

lol i got 30% off. 1 year no rental fee for hd pvr
1st month free. free installation. and a 75 dollar activation credit.
i have been with bev a total of 3 days. and called to cancel cuz the technician who came brought the wrong receiver. oh yeah btw i also get 2 monthly $10 credits on top of that.

bastardo!!!:twisted:

[krobin]

I have an old joe receiver and called back in the summer and they gave me 50% of my package. I really enjoy having $40 bills instead of $80. If I phone through to retention again do you think they would extend the 50% offer.

[antman59]

lol i got 30% off. 1 year no rental fee for hd pvr
1st month free. free installation. and a 75 dollar activation credit.
i have been with bev a total of 3 days. and called to cancel cuz the technician who came brought the wrong receiver. oh yeah btw i also get 2 monthly $10 credits on top of that.

I am getting Home Phone and Hi speed Lite installed next week. I will get TV if I can get a better deal. Cutrrently they won't budge because I don't have an account. I am going to try next week and see. If I could get the free HD PVR I would be happy the 30% is a bonus. What package are you on? I am looking at Essentials.

[llcooljayce]

Hey guys, I'm a new Bell customer so I don't qualify but from what I'm reading, does it make sense to buy the HD-PVR or just rent it, call, threaten to cancel and then get the offer? Is there a minimum number of months you have to be with Bell to get this offer?

With the 50% off the HD-PVR, it's a bit of a toss up for me ... any suggestions?

[acshun]

I've been with BEV for 2.5 years so far when I got this deal:
I'm supposed to get 30% off programming and 1 year no rental fee for hd pvr (9242).
I had to pay a $100 plus tax deposit, that is supposed to be creditted back on my
Bell bill. After one month, this hasn't happened yet.
So I will have to phone customer service--wish me luck!

[llcooljayce]

Okay, I just made this into a New Customer 'Retention' thread.

I ordered the HD-PVR (9242) for $600 with a $300 bill credit ... so $300 for the HD-PVR basically. That's the current Bell deal (Valid until December 31st, 2008).

Then I got curious ... could I play Shaw against Bell?

So I called to cancel my account for the HD-PVR system I placed 2 hours earlier. I told them that Shaw offered me free HD programming for the year and they countered with 20% off my bill for the first 12 months ... I scoffed at that offer saying, 'Shaw is offering me free HD programming for a year ... can't you do better than 20%?), then they offered me 40% off programming for the year which I took. Not bad.

For those of you wanting to do the same thing, make sure that when you call to cancel, offer up the reason that you want to cancel rather than wait for them to ask why ... sometime you can get a CSR that doesn't care and will just cancel your order.

Good luck!

Oh ... and order online for $25 on line credit, $10 PPV credit and 2 months of Movie Central, including HBO Canada for 2 months!

[movieking]

I've been with BEV for 2.5 years so far when I got this deal:
I'm supposed to get 30% off programming and 1 year no rental fee for hd pvr (9242).
I had to pay a $100 plus tax deposit, that is supposed to be creditted back on my
Bell bill. After one month, this hasn't happened yet.
So I will have to phone customer service--wish me luck!

I was told it would be 3 - 6 weeks to show up on my account. If you got charged for installation, you have to wait until it shows up on your bill, and then call to get it removed.

[tofinoguy]

Okay, I just made this into a New Customer 'Retention' thread.

I ordered the HD-PVR (9242) for $600 with a $300 bill credit ... so $300 for the HD-PVR basically. That's the current Bell deal (Valid until December 31st, 2008).

Then I got curious ... could I play Shaw against Bell?

So I called to cancel my account for the HD-PVR system I placed 2 hours earlier. I told them that Shaw offered me free HD programming for the year and they countered with 20% off my bill for the first 12 months ... I scoffed at that offer saying, 'Shaw is offering me free HD programming for a year ... can't you do better than 20%?), then they offered me 40% off programming for the year which I took. Not bad.

For those of you wanting to do the same thing, make sure that when you call to cancel, offer up the reason that you want to cancel rather than wait for them to ask why ... sometime you can get a CSR that doesn't care and will just cancel your order.

Good luck!

Oh ... and order online for $25 on line credit, $10 PPV credit and 2 months of Movie Central, including HBO Canada for 2 months!

Nice work - too bad Bell didn't just offer it to begin with. Does Bell have a return policy on the HDPVR receiver if this doesn't work?

[llcooljayce]

Nice work - too bad Bell didn't just offer it to begin with. Does Bell have a return policy on the HDPVR receiver if this doesn't work?

Ya, there's a 10 day buyer remorse clause in their contract ... I'll try to find it for you ...

[llcooljayce]

10. Early Termination. If you terminate or cancel this Agreement or cease to be a subscriber of
ExpressVu’s Service under the RCA prior to the end of the Initial Service Period, except when you cancel
this Agreement within 10 days from the receipt of a copy thereof by providing ExpressVu with a Notice
of Buyer’s Right to Cancel, you will have renounced and be in breach of this Agreement and ExpressVu,
without prejudice to any of its recourses under Section 14 hereof, will be entitled, to the extent permitted by
applicable law, to charge you a fee in the amount of $27 or such other amount disclosed to you prior to
entering into this Agreement that represents the minimum amount you must spend per month to remain an
ExpressVu customer as provided by the RCA, for each month remaining on your Agreement before you
terminated to a maximum of $100. If you are a New Customer and you terminate this Agreement prior to
the end of the Initial Service Period, ExpressVu will also be entitled to recover the basic installation costs it
Bell ExpressVu Equipment Rental Agreement (National Direct Channel) (the “Agreement”)
Not for signing, for reference only
incurred in connection with your agreement to subscribe for 24 months by charging your Credit Card or
ExpressVu account $99 for the primary Receiver and $50 for each additional Receiver rented under this
Agreement. The charges described above are collectively referred to herein as the “Termination Charges”.
All the stated Termination Charges, to the fullest extent permissible by law, represent a reasonable estimate
of damages suffered by ExpressVu as a result of your failure to fulfill your obligation to continue your subscription
to the Service under the RCA for the duration of the Initial Service Period as set out in this Agreement.


http://www.bell.ca/web/tv/en/all_regions/pdfs/aio_contract.pdf

[shadowbreaker_z3]

llcooljayce sounds like you got a good deal there

im going to try that

[solaraxis]

For those who got a Free rental PVR, I was wondering how the PVR was sent to you? I currently have a PVR that I had purchased and I would like to have another one and my house is full wired up for it already, so I wont be needing any installation. How would they send the PVR to me? Could I go pick it up from a Bell store?

Does Bell allow for more than 1 PVR on a account?

Thanks

[woodenni]

So I called today to upgrade to expressvu through customer retention and here's what I got:

1 year free HDPVR rental
6 months free HD programming ($60 value)
50% off Digital Program for 6 months
Free installation

I tried to get the 50% off for 12 months but the most the CSR would offer me was 30% for 12 months. He said that after 50% for 6 months, I could call back and get the same deal rolled forward.

Sounds like a pretty good deal to me and I'm getting the dish upgrade on Sunday! Sweet!

[Obama44]

Longtime Bell customer, never tried this before.

Followed instructions from top of the post, said I would go with Rogers HD deal if I did not get a better offer - they readily offered me:

2 yrs of free 6141 receiver (could have had 1 yr PVR)
6 mths free HD
40% of ALL programming for 12 mths
Free Install (new dish, 3 receivers)

They install on Saturday. Thanks everyone for the info, it made life much easier!!

[antman59]

Longtime Bell customer, never tried this before.

Followed instructions from top of the post, said I would go with Rogers HD deal if I did not get a better offer - they readily offered me:

2 yrs of free 6141 receiver (could have had 1 yr PVR)
6 mths free HD
40% of ALL programming for 12 mths
Free Install (new dish, 3 receivers)

They install on Saturday. Thanks everyone for the info, it made life much easier!!

:( I have phone and internet and tried this. They would not offer anything other than what's standard. Guess going to have to FTA. I refuse to comit to a company for 24 months that dos not want to comit to me for the same time.

Are you locked up for 12 months or 24 months? If so Everything will go up after a year except for the 1 HD box. I like Rogers offerning better.

[badkarma]

I called last week. All they would give me was 1 free theme pack. :mad: Unbelievable. Going to try again today.

UPDATE: Just got off the phone. I got 30% off my programming and free 9242 HD PVR rental for a year. 2 different things I did, I added 5 theme packs for 20bux, had only basic and hd before and followed the instructions in the first post instead of last time where I may have ended up at the wrong place.

[Battscrew]

Can someone show/tell me how the free HDpvr and 30% discount shows on the bill? I am little confused with mine.

Thanks!

[Magoomba]

Hi folks,

To get the retention deals, do we have to sign up for a 1 or 2 year contract?
Thanks.

[badkarma]

Hi folks,

To get the retention deals, do we have to sign up for a 1 or 2 year contract?
Thanks.

The free HDPVR rental is a 1yr term, but the discount was not. So programming is still month to month.

[rhounsell]

Hey Everybody,

Just started reading this forum a couple weeks ago and you've already saved me money. I was resigned to renting at $10/mth or buying a 2nd HD receiver. Couldn't get a good deal, looked it up on here and gave bell a call, prompts were a little different from the original post but got through to retention and got the deal most have been getting:

2yrs free 6141 rental (1yr contract)
Free HD programming for 6mths
30% off my bill for 1yr

I was informed about the $100 charge as others mentioned, which will get credited back, they said it may take a couple bills (I believe she said within 45 days of installation date).

But mostly just big thanks to everyone, this place is awesome.

[mrwinky]

Anyone know if its worth calling bell on my current Sat? I currently have Bell on a rental program (expries this month) I called Rentention 8 months ago, and got 20% off my bill for 12 months, and a HD-PVR for 1 year free (no i never did get it free, but they applied a $360 credit on my account so I never called to ***** about it) Anyways I pay $128 before discounts (rental hardware costs are $43 a month) I was wondering since my 2 year rental agreement is coming to an end if I can/should call and get anything decent, more or less I would like to lower my rental costs.


Just curious is all

Thanks Winky

[uglyguy]

Hi all,
So what is the best deal I should try to get our of Bell? My contract expired last May after 2 years and since then I didn't even get an egg for being a royal customer. I want to keep my bill as low as right now, around $42 taxed in which included Standards + 1 Theme + US/CAN Time Shift.

Any suggestion? Please and thank you in advance,

Cheers,

[Fonzy]

Same question. My small local cable company costs signficantly less than Bell TV for a similar line-up, but they have very poor HD options so I would be interesting in switching if price was better or the same. Unfortunately, Bell currently wants about $20 more/month for a similar channel lineup - and that's after purchasing the equipment from Bell.

Also, how does the second TV thing work for the HD PVR? Does the second TV have to be in the same room? How is it connected?

Yeah I'm curious to if they have any new promotions for this as well?Can new customers form rogers get a deal like this if they call or is it just for existing customers?

Getting a new HDTV for Christmas and don't really care for Rogers.

[BiduleX]

I got 50% for 6 months on programming. They told me to call back in 6 months to have 50% for an other 6 months. I own my DH PVR so only needed programming.

Before : 3 Themes + Super écran = 65$ tx incl.

Now: 5 themes + Super Écran = 23,70$ tx incl. (no contract)

[Jay-c]

I got 50% for 6 months on programming. They told me to call back in 6 months to have 50% for an other 6 months. I own my DH PVR so only needed programming.

They told me that too a while back...called back after 6 months, they wouldn't go past 30% for 6 months. After those 6 months, called back and they told me to stick it. The girl was ridiculous too... tried telling me that betweem the 50% for 6 and 30% for 6, I've been getting 80% off for the past 12 months.... After trying to give her a math lesson for a few minutes I gave up.. Tried a few other reps after that and nobody will budge because I've already had retention offers....

I really wish I didn't like Bell's dual-tuner HD PVR so much!!!

[Troi]

Thanks for all the information. My contract with Expressvu ends soon, and I'm looking for better customer service. Bell, so far, has been very difficult to deal with.

[antman59]

I wanted an expresvu but I didn't like what was offered so I told them to stick it. More people need to do the same. When they have no customers they will either need to change or go the way of the dinosaur. Their offers prove bad customer service. They want you to commit to them for 24 months, but they only wnat to commit to you for 6 months.

Don't do it!:mad:

[Johnny767]

My retentions deal is about to expire, one year free HD PVR receiver.

What is Bell saying to you guys, reference the receiver?

Thanks

[Fonzy]

Any promotions coming up?

[SkeeterJohn]

Called last night... Been a customer for almost 3 years paying $109/month inc taxes.

I only managed 20% for 12 months and nothing else.

We spoke about a pvr but the only deal he was offering was 1/2 price or 12 months free plus i pay for the install. I guess i didn't press hard enough or got someone who was playing hard.

I'm going to call back today and say i spoke to rogers and they offered me a great deal and see if they can bump me up to some of the better deals that have been posted here...

Wish me luck :lol: I'll post my results.

[SkeeterJohn]

That was much better. The rep was very easy to deal with compared to the first call.

Free HD-PVR for 12 months
Free Installation
Free 6 Months HD
30% programming for 12 Months

Can't complain at that! :razz:

[wilS]

Just got my deal

40% off programming 12months
hd pvr rental 12 months, installation included

was offered the hd pvr retail at 50% off or rental, but rental must stay on 1 yr term (not a biggie for me). they also offered 50% for 6 months, and told I can call back after to get another offer, but I just wanted a 12 month offer instead.

Thanks for all the posters with the deals, definitely great info to have when discussing with them!!

[careh]

Good luck with FTA - Bell is already off the air & Dish will soon follow.


:( I have phone and internet and tried this. They would not offer anything other than what's standard. Guess going to have to FTA.

[worldjerseys]

Just got my deal

40% off programming 12months
hd pvr rental 12 months, installation included

was offered the hd pvr retail at 50% off or rental, but rental must stay on 1 yr term (not a biggie for me). they also offered 50% for 6 months, and told I can call back after to get another offer, but I just wanted a 12 month offer instead.

Thanks for all the posters with the deals, definitely great info to have when discussing with them!!


my 3 year term end next month... do you have to ask for the deal above or is it just offered?

[hempopotamus]

Talked to them last week and was offered the 30% off for 12 mos and 6 months free HD PVR. Told them Id think about it. I called back this morning and straight out asked for 12 months of PVR Rental as that's what everyone else was being offered and shed did not hesitate.

So now I have what most people got.

30% off Programming for 12 mos
12 mos of HD PVR Rental
6 mos FREE HD Programming - This I don't really understand, is it extra channels over and above the HD that would be in my regular programming??

Install is scheduled for WED morning. Can someone let me know what cable's come in the box with the 9242 PVR. I'm having a hard time finding the "box content's" on the Bell website.

[wilS]

my 3 year term end next month... do you have to ask for the deal above or is it just offered?

I was 3 months shy of my term ending. I just told them that I was considering switching to Shaw because the bill is too high, cited thier offers and also that I get internet bundled cheaper. They offered me 30% first to retain me and i told them I would think about it. Called a couple days later and spoke to another rep for additional discounts and they offered me what I got.

it seems that 50% off for 6 months or 40% off for 12 months is the max they can do.

[rayq]

Talked to them last week and was offered the 30% off for 12 mos and 6 months free HD PVR. Told them Id think about it. I called back this morning and straight out asked for 12 months of PVR Rental as that's what everyone else was being offered and shed did not hesitate.

So now I have what most people got.

30% off Programming for 12 mos
12 mos of HD PVR Rental
6 mos FREE HD Programming - This I don't really understand, is it extra channels over and above the HD that would be in my regular programming??

Install is scheduled for WED morning. Can someone let me know what cable's come in the box with the 9242 PVR. I'm having a hard time finding the "box content's" on the Bell website.

You can ask them to activate the 3 (free) HD themes (HD Variety, More HD Variety, HD World), and 2 (free) HD Sports and More HD Sports with SD prerequisite (SD Sport 1 - not free).

9242 comes with HDMI, component, and composite cables.

[hempopotamus]

You can ask them to activate the 3 (free) HD themes (HD Variety, More HD Variety, HD World), and 2 (free) HD Sports and More HD Sports with SD prerequisite (SD Sport 1 - not free).

9242 comes with HDMI, component, and composite cables.

So it does come with an HDMI cable and a composite, Sweet. Too bad I just ordered these cables from Monoprice on the weekend. Oh well they were cheap and backup is good.

So HD Variety, More HD Variety and HD World are Theme packages. So I would get these free for the 6 months?? The HD feeds of all the networks are all included in the my basic programming correct??

[worldjerseys]

I was 3 months shy of my term ending. I just told them that I was considering switching to Shaw because the bill is too high, cited thier offers and also that I get internet bundled cheaper. They offered me 30% first to retain me and i told them I would think about it. Called a couple days later and spoke to another rep for additional discounts and they offered me what I got.

it seems that 50% off for 6 months or 40% off for 12 months is the max they can do.

Cheers... I'll be calling them shortly.

[brockster]

So it does come with an HDMI cable and a composite, Sweet. Too bad I just ordered these cables from Monoprice on the weekend. Oh well they were cheap and backup is good.

So HD Variety, More HD Variety and HD World are Theme packages. So I would get these free for the 6 months?? The HD feeds of all the networks are all included in the my basic programming correct??

It comes with an HDMI to DVI cable not an HDMI to HDMI cable... but you can order one from monoprice for under $10 shipped...

[rayq]

So HD Variety, More HD Variety and HD World are Theme packages. So I would get these free for the 6 months?? The HD feeds of all the networks are all included in the my basic programming correct??

With those 3 HD themes, you don't need to have any prerequisites. You do need to have regular Sport 1 ($5.99 but less 30% off?) for HD Sport and More HD Sport. In the other words, the last two are not 100% free!

[taliosfalcon]

I called them up over the weekend and they offered me the standard free two year rental on the 6141, 30% programming reduction for a year, 6 months hd programming and all new roof equipment + installation (mine was almost 10 years old and starting to flake out a bit) With no prodding whatsoever, i said i was thinking about switching to starchoice and they couldn't offer it fast enough. i decided to go with the 6141 as when it was released bell stated they'd be releasing a firmware update so you could hook a usb hdd up to it and use it as a pvr, and that firmware update just went live on the dishnetwork equivalent last week, bell usually doesn't lag to far behind them.

[raylau]

Sweet! Thanks for the heads up.

Even though I still had 6 months left on my contract, I got the following:

12 Months of free HD PVR rental
40% off all programming
$60 credit

Now.... Any retention plans for Rogers Wireless or Shaw Internet? :D

[vanhalen26]

Just got off the phone with Bell retentions. I would be a new subscriber, and asked for:

1) 30% off programming 1 year + 6 months free HD
or
40% off programming 1 year

2) Free HD PVR 1 year

3) Free install / equip

They said no and that this deal is only available to new subscribers. How have new subscibers made out?

[worldjerseys]

Sweet! Thanks for the heads up.

Even though I still had 6 months left on my contract, I got the following:

12 Months of free HD PVR rental
40% off all programming
$60 credit

Now.... Any retention plans for Rogers Wireless or Shaw Internet? :D


nice... what approach did you take and how did you swing the $60 credit?

[djino]

nice... what approach did you take and how did you swing the $60 credit?

I Think the $60 credit is equivalent to what most people get for 6 months free HD Programming.

djino
"I think"

[worldjerseys]

I Think the $60 credit is equivalent to what most people get for 6 months free HD Programming.

djino
"I think"

that would make sense.

[Mickeybear]

Sweet! Thanks for the heads up.

Even though I still had 6 months left on my contract, I got the following:

12 Months of free HD PVR rental
40% off all programming
$60 credit

Now.... Any retention plans for Rogers Wireless or Shaw Internet? :D

Raylau,

Nice deal. What programming package(s) do you have? I've been a Bell TV customer for over 6 years.

I have the 9242 PVR which I rent for $20 a month (2 more months left in contract), HD Value Pack and 5 themes. Initially all I was offered was a 12 month credit of $10 per month for the HD channels. Only when I called back in April did they offer me 30% off for 6 months. Never was I offered a credit on the rental.

I called today because the 30% promo expired and all they could offer me was the Movie Channels free for 6 months. I said I didn't want more programming, I wanted to lower my bill. The agent said I would have to wait until my contract was up in 2 months and call back.:cry:

I just called Bell back and the agent says "I see you already talked with one of my colleagues today". I said "Yes, but I want to lower my bill, not increase it". She said the best she could do was 30% off for 6 months and to call back in 6 months to renew. I said this is ridiculous if Bell is going to keep offering and renewing the 30% promo, why should a customer have to keep calling in every 6 months. She agreed and said she would put it on for 12 months.

I asked about the possibility of getting the PVR rental for free and she said that wasn't possible. When I told her I knew of other existing subscribers that got 1 or 2 years of free rental, she mumbled some excuse about maybe they have different programming than you do.

I guess 30% off for 12 months is better than nothing. Looks like I'll be phoning them in a year's time to extend the 30% promo, but I'll bet I have to phone them sooner to get the HD Value Packed renewed.

I just hate having to phone them all the time. I spend more time on the phone arguing with Bell about home phone, internet and TV. And when they promise you a deal the billing department never seems to get it right which means you have to call them back and argue with them again:mad:

BTW, I just got my December bill and Bell is increasing their TV services by $4 a month starting January 1. :evil:

[djino]

Raylau,

Nice deal. What programming package(s) do you have? I've been a Bell TV customer for over 6 years.

I have the 9242 PVR which I rent for $20 a month (2 more months left in contract), HD Value Pack and 5 themes. Initially all I was offered was a 12 month credit of $10 per month for the HD channels. Only when I called back in April did they offer me 30% off for 6 months. Never was I offered a credit on the rental.

I called today because the 30% promo expired and all they could offer me was the Movie Channels free for 6 months. I said I didn't want more programming, I wanted to lower my bill. The agent said I would have to wait until my contract was up in 2 months and call back.:cry:

I just called Bell back and the agent says "I see you already talked with one of my colleagues today". I said "Yes, but I want to lower my bill, not increase it". She said the best she could do was 30% off for 6 months and to call back in 6 months to renew. I said this is ridiculous if Bell is going to keep offering and renewing the 30% promo, why should a customer have to keep calling in every 6 months. She agreed and said she would put it on for 12 months.

I asked about the possibility of getting the PVR rental for free and she said that wasn't possible. When I told her I knew of other existing subscribers that got 1 or 2 years of free rental, she mumbled some excuse about maybe they have different programming than you do.

I guess 30% off for 12 months is better than nothing. Looks like I'll be phoning them in a year's time to extend the 30% promo, but I'll bet I have to phone them sooner to get the HD Value Packed renewed.

I just hate having to phone them all the time. I spend more time on the phone arguing with Bell about home phone, internet and TV. And when they promise you a deal the billing department never seems to get it right which means you have to call them back and argue with them again:mad:

BTW, I just got my December bill and Bell is increasing their TV services by $4 a month starting January 1. :evil:

I think you approached/handled the situation pretty rough. You have to be a little more slick than that to get what you want from Bell.

First of all, Its a No No to say "well I know of other subscribers who got the deal"

For one, that will eventually ruin it for others who want the deals. It tells them that you are just fishing for retention deals, that you will stay no matter what happens as a result.

Second, You gotta do your homework. Well that part you did. You know of the average retention deals one can get (30% off for 12 months, Free PVR for 12 months, 6 months of free HD Programming is the average retention deal). Knowing this, you DO NOT call in and ask for this. You call in and imply that the competitor in my area is offering something simular.

Third, YOU MUST ALWAYS start with the reason why you are calling "To Cancel". So When you call 1-888-sky-dish, choose the option for Cancel your programming as I believe that automatically send you to Retentions.

Example:
CSR - "Thank you for calling Bell TV, how may I help you?"
You - "Yes, I would like to cancel my programming today."
CSR - "No problem I can help you with that, but may I ask the reason why you would like to cancel"
You - "I feel I am paying a little too much for my programming. Dont get me wrong, I love the quality I'm getting 'heh', especially the HD Channels, but I feel that during these economic times, it might be best to find a cheaper service. I did look into my cable provider, and they are able to give me a great deal"

As you see with the above approach, there is no evidence that you fishing for just a retention deal. You let them know that they need to do something to keep you as a customer. You also let them know how they could keep you (Indirectly - this is key). I myself used the above approach this summer (I was also 2 months before my contract was done) and got

Free 9242 Rental for 12 months
30% of Programming for 12 months
6 months of free HD Programming

Keep in mind that there is that small chance, they will just put through a cancellation (But you have 30 Days to call back and try something else).

djino
"That should work"

[Aske001]

As a long-time Star Choice customer, I'm beginning to feel cheated that they're the only company not reducing prices or offering retention deals. Instead they're raising prices and removing favourite channels from some of their packages so they can charge more! And they're the only company that won't rent their expensive digital PVRs - purchase only. I don't know how this company intends to survive. Sounds like it's time to re-explore the options elsewhere. :mad:

[Mickeybear]

I think you approached/handled the situation pretty rough. You have to be a little more slick than that to get what you want from Bell.

First of all, Its a No No to say "well I know of other subscribers who got the deal"

For one, that will eventually ruin it for others who want the deals. It tells them that you are just fishing for retention deals, that you will stay no matter what happens as a result.

Second, You gotta do your homework. Well that part you did. You know of the average retention deals one can get (30% off for 12 months, Free PVR for 12 months, 6 months of free HD Programming is the average retention deal). Knowing this, you DO NOT call in and ask for this. You call in and imply that the competitor in my area is offering something simular.

Third, YOU MUST ALWAYS start with the reason why you are calling "To Cancel". So When you call 1-888-sky-dish, choose the option for Cancel your programming as I believe that automatically send you to Retentions.

Example:
CSR - "Thank you for calling Bell TV, how may I help you?"
You - "Yes, I would like to cancel my programming today."
CSR - "No problem I can help you with that, but may I ask the reason why you would like to cancel"
You - "I feel I am paying a little too much for my programming. Dont get me wrong, I love the quality I'm getting 'heh', especially the HD Channels, but I feel that during these economic times, it might be best to find a cheaper service. I did look into my cable provider, and they are able to give me a great deal"

As you see with the above approach, there is no evidence that you fishing for just a retention deal. You let them know that they need to do something to keep you as a customer. You also let them know how they could keep you (Indirectly - this is key). I myself used the above approach this summer (I was also 2 months before my contract was done) and got

Free 9242 Rental for 12 months
30% of Programming for 12 months
6 months of free HD Programming

Keep in mind that there is that small chance, they will just put through a cancellation (But you have 30 Days to call back and try something else).

djino
"That should work"

Thanks for the recommendations. I DID call retention both times and DID state that I was thinking of canceling my service as it was getting too expensive. BOTH agents stated that because I was still under contract I would have to pay a $100 cancellation fee. Both did not seem to care that I wanted to cancel my service (maybe I just got two agents in a row that didn't want to offer me the complete deals everyone mentions). I don't feel that I was fishing and stated my intentions from the beginning.

Unfortunately, I live in a small town and the cable provider doesn't offer ANY deals and the programming packages come nowhere near what Bell or Rogers or Shaw offers. In addition StarChoice doesn't offer any deals and their PVR sucks (and you have to buy it). Bell knows this so I really can't use the excuse that I can get a better deal elsewhere (I've tried that approach before). Perhaps if I lived in the GTA or a large city that DID offer comparable programming and deals I would have better leverage. All in all I'm very pleased with the equipment and programming I have from Bell, just not happy with a bill of almost $100 a month.

30% off my entire TV Bell is fine with me but saving an extra 20 bucks for the PVR rental would also be nice. :razz:

[raylau]

I Think the $60 credit is equivalent to what most people get for 6 months free HD Programming.

djino
"I think"

You are correct. Since everyone here was getting Free HD programming for 6 months, I asked for it and the rep said they can only enter in a max of 2 promotions at a time (40% off programming and free HD PRV rental for a year). The $60 credit is to offset the 6 free months of HD programming.

[HoTnickZ]

I get an employee discount so we get a decent % off on the bundle. I called to cancel, and they offered the HD for a year, and 20% off on the total TV bill. No free programming as we already have the channels.

I guess I should've driven a harder bargain for a better discount or credit since there was no free programming thrown in. I'm just wondering if it's worth calling in again and/or if the total tv bill discount is better than the programming discount. Total tv bill is down to like 68 bucks, but I feel like I left something on the table. :|

[LilPumpkin]

Thanks for the heads-up!

30% off HD programming for a year
Free HD PVR rental for a year
Free upgrade and install to newest HD PVR box
$60 credit

Thanks guys!

[HoTnickZ]

Called back, and got 30% off programming. Worked out to be better than 20% off the total bill.

[Gold Monkey]

Has anyone been a subscriber for less than 2 years and received this deal? I called and they told me there is a 200 cancellation fee for the dish!

[djino]

Has anyone been a subscriber for less than 2 years and received this deal? I called and they told me there is a 200 cancellation fee for the dish!

You definitely want to call towards the end of your existing contract. You really do not have a leg to stand on if you are calling having more than 3 months left in your contract.

As in my previous post, I mentioned calling when I was just a little less than 2 months left.

djino
"Remember, the cancellation fee is something they will always keep in mind before offering a retention deal"

[Turk12]

I got the same deal a couple of days ago....

* HD PVR Model 9242 (1 year free rental)
* free installation (Includes all wiring, switch's and HDMI cable)
* free hardware upgrade
* $60 credit on account (he couldn't give me the 6 month free HD so the $60 credit was the equivalent)
* 30% discount on all express vu programming each month for 1 year

(Had to give a $100 deposit on this transaction - it is fully refunded on the first cycle bill)

Saved me over $400 for the year! :lol: Thanks to all of you for the great tip!

[sunkids]

Hi everybody, just wondering what program you usually pick. I really like the HD program, so what's the best option? Thanks

[soblecram]

LOL.. I have been off contract for 7 years... just got a letter for a $60 PPV credit if I renew for 2 years. Called in, and get absolutely NOTHING (no HD pkg, no PVR)
Will be taking a good long look at cable that just rolled out in my area....

[celica00]

Been a customer for 2 months on basic standard. Called to upgrade to HD, after an hour of fighting, got Free HDPVR for 12 mths, and 20% off programming for 12 months. I think they just wanted to get rid of me.

Maybe not the best deal but I'm very happy...Thanks everyone....

[midget_man]

WATCH YOUR BILL!!!!!!

These crooks will tell you anything .. but a strong possibility exists that nothing, nothing at all will change on your bill. This has now happened twice with Bell in the past year for me.

I called in and negotiated a new deal and new equipment in August. My bad for not checking the bill, but by December, my bill had still not been adjusted. They continued charging me for equipment I did not have since the summer, but oddly had billed then credited me with returning the equipment. So in essence, saying .. thanks, we got the stuff back, but we are still charging you for it.

I called in and chewed the ass off anyone who would listen .. and got my bill adjusted retroactively and future $$ off for my troubles .. lets see if this actually gets reflected or not on my next bill.

Piece of advice .. worth its weight in gold .. write down EVERYTHING they say ... record it if you can ... and be sure to get the reps name and employee #. Trust me .. this is a big company, and without record of who you talked to, they will act like the conversation never occured and place the onus on you to prove it .. they treat you like a criminal, even though they clearly are the crooks.

[Mickeybear]

WATCH YOUR BILL!!!!!!

These crooks will tell you anything .. but a strong possibility exists that nothing, nothing at all will change on your bill. This has now happened twice with Bell in the past year for me.

I called in and negotiated a new deal and new equipment in August. My bad for not checking the bill, but by December, my bill had still not been adjusted. They continued charging me for equipment I did not have since the summer, but oddly had billed then credited me with returning the equipment. So in essence, saying .. thanks, we got the stuff back, but we are still charging you for it.

I called in and chewed the ass off anyone who would listen .. and got my bill adjusted retroactively and future $$ off for my troubles .. lets see if this actually gets reflected or not on my next bill.

Piece of advice .. worth its weight in gold .. write down EVERYTHING they say ... record it if you can ... and be sure to get the reps name and employee #. Trust me .. this is a big company, and without record of who you talked to, they will act like the conversation never occured and place the onus on you to prove it .. they treat you like a criminal, even though they clearly are the crooks.

Midget Man,

You are absolutely correct! What they say and what they do are usually two completely different things. I always regret having to change/modify anything with Bell because I am guaranteed they will screw it up. The aggravation is usually not worth it. After calling back 3-4 times I usually get some sort of credit for my issues, but $25 here and there does not make up for the hours you spend on the phone explaining their screw-ups.

Like every other major company, all of their support is contracted out to a call center and Bell is no different than any of the others. They just seem to do a worse job than anyone else :(.

[gumby]

Midget Man,

You are absolutely correct! What they say and what they do are usually two completely different things. I always regret having to change/modify anything with Bell because I am guaranteed they will screw it up. The aggravation is usually not worth it. After calling back 3-4 times I usually get some sort of credit for my issues, but $25 here and there does not make up for the hours you spend on the phone explaining their screw-ups.

Like every other major company, all of their support is contracted out to a call center and Bell is no different than any of the others. They just seem to do a worse job than anyone else :(.

+10 :lol:

Exactly what happened to me every single time I made any change to my Bell phone or TV account. Keep having to call back demanding my promised credit. Some of their reps will lie through their teeth and of course without leaving any trace in your records. I have less than a month left on my 1-yr HD contract and I asked them if there is any incentive for me to stay and they said no - so I will cancel. I'm wondering what they trained these guys/gals - promise the customer anything to get them off the phone ???

[MarioP]

It is frustrating. You never get what you expect. They will screw you......I called retention, got the 30%, free HD PVR for 12 months.....and I pay way more than before......

They lie....and play a shell game where you pay in advance....you get this ridiculous bill 300-400$ you call back ....they acknowledge the mistake...they advise you to pay the bill, and the corrections will be made on the next bill.......well 10-20 calls later......things get fixed.......but you find out the deal you got was not a good deal....

I am going to Rogers once my term is up...I know...I know.....the grass isn't always greener....but at least it is a different lawn....

Be Aware!!!!

Mario
Ottawa

[Mickeybear]

Hi everybody, just wondering what program you usually pick. I really like the HD program, so what's the best option? Thanks

Depends on whether you want to rent or buy a receiver, whether you want a regular HD receiver or a HD PVR. Depends on your current package. Depends on how many theme packs you want. For $20 more a month you can choose 6 theme packs.

To just add HD programming only, you would want the HD Value Pack which gives you the following channels for $10/month and you usually get a $10 credit for 6 months or 12 months:

* Rush HD
* HD Variety
* A&E HD
* Discovery HD
* More HD Variety
* National Geographic HD
* ShowcaseHD
* HD World
* Treasure HD
* Equator HD
* Oasis HD

plus the western feeds of
* ABC HD
* NBC HD
* CBS HD
* FOX HD
* PBS HD

plus these "Free" HD Channels
* APTN HD
* ABC HD
* CBS HD
* FOX HD
* NBC HD
* PBS HD
* Global HD
* Global HD West
* CityTV HD
* CTV HD-E
* CTV HD-W
* CBC HD
* CBC HD West
* TQS HD
* TVA HD
* SRC HD

All in all, it's a minimum of $20 more a month if you rent a regular HD receiver and the HD Value Pack or $30 if you rent the HD PVR (not including discounts or promos). If you buy your receiver, then it's only $10 more a month. Then just add your theme packs to the total. Oh yeah, and don't forget the minimum basic programming of $31 a month plus the $3 "digital fee" (which is going up to a total of $38 on January 1).

And then there are the Sports Packages, the Movie Packages, etc., etc.

[Mickeybear]

+10 :lol:

Exactly what happened to me every single time I made any change to my Bell phone or TV account. Keep having to call back demanding my promised credit. Some of their reps will lie through their teeth and of course without leaving any trace in your records. I have less than a month left on my 1-yr HD contract and I asked them if there is any incentive for me to stay and they said no - so I will cancel. I'm wondering what they trained these guys/gals - promise the customer anything to get them off the phone ???

I hate to say this, but, call back again. It all depends on which agent you get as to which "deal" you will get. If you are in the last month of your contract you should be able to renew your current promo (you do have one I assume). And I also assume you are calling the retention department as outlined at the beginning of this thread and not just the regular billing department. Just flat out say that you will cancel your service and you SHOULD get a promo of at least 30% of your programming. You may also get a $60 credit which represents 6 months of HD programming and free rental of your receiver for 6 months or 12 months (depends on the agent).

Good luck :lol:

[joel_79]

Hi everyone .... I really like this site and now I need some advice from you guys. I want a sweet deal like this since I just bought a plasma tv. The thing is I currently have videotron cable (no contract), phone with bell, and internet with bell. This retention office is for bell tv only, where shoud I call to get a sweet deal like this? Should I call there anyways, make no sense I guess since I have no tv programming with bell but have the other services. Should I call to cancel my internet and phone service to see if they will offer me a good tv programming for me to stay?

Thanks,
Joel

[djino]

Hi everyone .... I really like this site and now I need some advice from you guys. I want a sweet deal like this since I just bought a plasma tv. The thing is I currently have videotron cable (no contract), phone with bell, and internet with bell. This retention office is for bell tv only, where shoud I call to get a sweet deal like this? Should I call there anyways, make no sense I guess since I have no tv programming with bell but have the other services. Should I call to cancel my internet and phone service to see if they will offer me a good tv programming for me to stay?

Thanks,
Joel

It doesn't exactly work like that. Although you are an Existing Bell Customer, you are not a Bell TV/ExpressVu customer. Every Bell Service has its own Retention Department. To get a Retention deal like many of us have, you need to be an existing Bell TV customer near the end of your contract (no more than 2-3 months left in contract is optimal).

But being a new customer isn't bad either, as there are New Customer promos aswell (just not as good as the retention deals). So check it out.

djino

[gumby]

I hate to say this, but, call back again. It all depends on which agent you get as to which "deal" you will get. If you are in the last month of your contract you should be able to renew your current promo (you do have one I assume). And I also assume you are calling the retention department as outlined at the beginning of this thread and not just the regular billing department. Just flat out say that you will cancel your service and you SHOULD get a promo of at least 30% of your programming. You may also get a $60 credit which represents 6 months of HD programming and free rental of your receiver for 6 months or 12 months (depends on the agent).

Good luck :lol:

Thanks Mickeybear. No I did not go through the steps outlined by the OP but got through to the retention dept after some billing questions to check my contract anniversary date.I got the same original promo as you mentioned for the current contract. I will try to go the steps again when it's time to cancel in a few weeks.

[ipse]

Guys...I asked this before and never got an answer...the "free receiver rental"...does this qualifies as a contract?
Ie...can I cancel before the 1 year period? I am not in any other binding contract as far as I know (Bell might think optherwise :)

[djino]

Guys...I asked this before and never got an answer...the "free receiver rental"...does this qualifies as a contract?
Ie...can I cancel before the 1 year period? I am not in any other binding contract as far as I know (Bell might think optherwise :)

Any Bell TV Rental (regardless if you are getting it for free or paying) requires a minimum 1 year contract.

djino

[patenl]

for those getting the installs...if we already have HD and the tech comes to install the 9242 HD PVR(Basically just a swap from the 6100), can he just give it to me and I can install it myself?
thanks

[djino]

for those getting the installs...if we already have HD and the tech comes to install the 9242 HD PVR(Basically just a swap from the 6100), can he just give it to me and I can install it myself?
thanks

Thats up to the tech. As if anything goes wrong, you'd complain to Bell, bell would re-schedule another tech visit (at the Tech's company's expense). With any rental, its Bell policy that the tech come install it (even if its just an upgrade swap of receivers).

And you'd have to sign his papers indicating he did the install.


djino
"Bell will say no, but the Tech may let you do it on your own"

[JustPass]

I'm very happy with my Bell TV bill, half price as Rogers.

[SheeB]

Wow, just got off the phone with them and they would only offer 30% off for 12 months nothing else! :twisted: I already have a 6141 and a 5900 which I purchased so I do not want any equipment from them at all. Been with them for just over a year so cancelled. I really tried to get them to give me the HD programming for 6 months for free, but no go. Oh well.

[SilverFire]

little better this year then last yrs 20% off

just got 9242 purchased for 299$
40% programing for 12 months

worked them hard for a 2nd hdpvr since i need another but no go

[uglyguy]

Hi All,

I am into the 5th year with Bell Expressvu and I currently have no contract. What can I call them for? 20-30% discount for 6 months, etc.? I do not want additional programs or theme or any upgrade, can I still use the retention program for my advantage?

Thanks,

Cheers,

[Cisco KId]

Wow, just got off the phone with them and they would only offer 30% off for 12 months nothing else! :twisted: I already have a 6141 and a 5900 which I purchased so I do not want any equipment from them at all. Been with them for just over a year so cancelled. I really tried to get them to give me the HD programming for 6 months for free, but no go. Oh well.

You did not think 30% off was more than fair? You have only been with them 1 yr? I had 2 x 6100 and a digital box w 7~ yrs on Bell. I got rid of a digital box and kept the 2 x6100 then sold one to get their current HD PVR deal last March. I got 30% off and free HD PVR rental for a year and was happy. Sad thing for you is you are not gonna find a better deal going elsewhere if you were offered 30% off I would have taken it

I will renogotiate my deal in March 09:)

[djino]

Hi All,

I am into the 5th year with Bell Expressvu and I currently have no contract. What can I call them for? 20-30% discount for 6 months, etc.? I do not want additional programs or theme or any upgrade, can I still use the retention program for my advantage?

Thanks,

Cheers,

Did you see my post below (2 Pages Back)?

I think you approached/handled the situation pretty rough. You have to be a little more slick than that to get what you want from Bell.

First of all, Its a No No to say "well I know of other subscribers who got the deal"

For one, that will eventually ruin it for others who want the deals. It tells them that you are just fishing for retention deals, that you will stay no matter what happens as a result.

Second, You gotta do your homework. Well that part you did. You know of the average retention deals one can get (30% off for 12 months, Free PVR for 12 months, 6 months of free HD Programming is the average retention deal). Knowing this, you DO NOT call in and ask for this. You call in and imply that the competitor in my area is offering something simular.

Third, YOU MUST ALWAYS start with the reason why you are calling "To Cancel". So When you call 1-888-sky-dish, choose the option for Cancel your programming as I believe that automatically send you to Retentions.

Example:
CSR - "Thank you for calling Bell TV, how may I help you?"
You - "Yes, I would like to cancel my programming today."
CSR - "No problem I can help you with that, but may I ask the reason why you would like to cancel"
You - "I feel I am paying a little too much for my programming. Dont get me wrong, I love the quality I'm getting 'heh', especially the HD Channels, but I feel that during these economic times, it might be best to find a cheaper service. I did look into my cable provider, and they are able to give me a great deal"

As you see with the above approach, there is no evidence that you fishing for just a retention deal. You let them know that they need to do something to keep you as a customer. You also let them know how they could keep you (Indirectly - this is key). I myself used the above approach this summer (I was also 2 months before my contract was done) and got

Free 9242 Rental for 12 months
30% of Programming for 12 months
6 months of free HD Programming

Keep in mind that there is that small chance, they will just put through a cancellation (But you have 30 Days to call back and try something else).

djino
"That should work"

Now go call bell and Cancel.

djino
"Goodluck"

[Sheed30]

I'm very happy with my Bell TV bill, half price as Rogers.

Never thought I would ever hear someone say something like that concerning Bell...:-0

I have been a subscriber to Bell TV for about 10 years now and I am seriously considering calling in and canceling my service.Last January they raised our bill by $3 (Digital Service Fee) and this year in January my bill is going up another $4 (Just another BS excuse).:mad: A $7 increase in 12 months.I am not on contract with Bell TV so if they want to keep me as a customer there better be some kind of sweet deal to retain my services when I call to cancel.

I have a question for anyone offered the 30% - 40% off for 12 months who were not on contract....If you accept the 30% - 40% off for 12 months are you under contract then for 12 months? I wouldn't mind the 12 month contract as I am more than satisfied with Bells service but the price increases all the time is making it harder to keep my programming intact.Almost paying $70 for TV is getting to be a bit much...:(

[uglyguy]

Did you see my post below (2 Pages Back)?



Now go call bell and Cancel.

djino
"Goodluck"

HOLY COW, it is working like a charm. I just called Bell and use your approach. I asked them to cancel the program in 15 days so I can shop for a new provider. The Rep right away said he can lower my monthly bill from $44 + GST to $28+GST for 12 months and nothing will change.

I just saved $192/year, that's good for 5 boxes of diapers for my little guy.

Thanks again and cheers,

[bungaboy]

HOLY COW, it is working like a charm. I just called Bell and use your approach. I asked them to cancel the program in 15 days so I can shop for a new provider. The Rep right away said he can lower my monthly bill from $44 + GST to $28+GST for 12 months and nothing will change.

I just saved $192/year, that's good for 5 boxes of diapers for my little guy.

Thanks again and cheers,

Glad to hear that.

Now could you doa us all a big favour????

Please send Bell your little guy's used diapers with a note attached telling them you are so happy with the new deal that you wanted to give them back some of the same they have been giving you. ROFL

Thanks and Merry Christmas.:D

[Mike71]

Never thought I would ever hear someone say something like that concerning Bell...:-0

I have been a subscriber to Bell TV for about 10 years now and I am seriously considering calling in and canceling my service.Last January they raised our bill by $3 (Digital Service Fee) and this year in January my bill is going up another $4 (Just another BS excuse).:mad: A $7 increase in 12 months.I am not on contract with Bell TV so if they want to keep me as a customer there better be some kind of sweet deal to retain my services when I call to cancel.

I have a question for anyone offered the 30% - 40% off for 12 months who were not on contract....If you accept the 30% - 40% off for 12 months are you under contract then for 12 months? I wouldn't mind the 12 month contract as I am more than satisfied with Bells service but the price increases all the time is making it harder to keep my programming intact.Almost paying $70 for TV is getting to be a bit much...:(

I got the 30% off and I was a subscriber for about 4 years and not on a contract. I asked them about the same issue you are concerned about and they told me that unless you are renting the equipment or a new subscriber you aren't on a contract.

[spudz2000]

Just wondering if anyone here has gotten a good retention deal from Bell if Cogeco or Starchoice is the only other options available to you? Where I live we can't get Rogers for Cable TV only Cogeco, and then there is Starchoice for Satellite HD. I've been with Expressvu non stop since 1998 so 10 years now. I am on an old grandfathered plan but want to get HD now so I need get on a new plan (less channels more $$, go figure) in order to get the HD package. I would also want an HD-PVR.

Before I call I thought I'd ask if you guys think my chances are as good as someone who can get Rogers Cable? Seems like Rogers has better deals then Cogeco/Starchoice to me.

[SilverFire]

Before I call I thought I'd ask if you guys think my chances are as good as someone who can get Rogers Cable? Seems like Rogers has better deals then Cogeco/Starchoice to me.

yes
i just got the deal and where i live rogers is not a option..just tell them other companies have offered you better deals you dont have to say what companies

[soblecram]

Never thought I would ever hear someone say something like that concerning Bell...:-0

I have been a subscriber to Bell TV for about 10 years now and I am seriously considering calling in and canceling my service.Last January they raised our bill by $3 (Digital Service Fee) and this year in January my bill is going up another $4 (Just another BS excuse).:mad: A $7 increase in 12 months.I am not on contract with Bell TV so if they want to keep me as a customer there better be some kind of sweet deal to retain my services when I call to cancel.

I have a question for anyone offered the 30% - 40% off for 12 months who were not on contract....If you accept the 30% - 40% off for 12 months are you under contract then for 12 months? I wouldn't mind the 12 month contract as I am more than satisfied with Bells service but the price increases all the time is making it harder to keep my programming intact.Almost paying $70 for TV is getting to be a bit much...:(

It is probably because you have a "legacy" package.. one of the older programming packages that they do not offer anymore. I am in the same boat, where I have a package that is 13 yrs old (have never changed my programming) but have received the steady $2 or $3 increases per year. Old package, digital upgrade, system fee, etc etc etc..
Trouble is I live in the boonies and have no choice except for StarChoice..

[bacid1]

Has anyone been able to get bell to give them a free receiver rather than a free rental?

[djino]

Has anyone been able to get bell to give them a free receiver rather than a free rental?

I doubt Bell will go that far as to give free receiver purchase. Although, I'm sure they will be willing to go as far as giving you the new customer promo (as retention deal) which is 50% off the HDPVR Receiver (pay $599 up front, $300 credit towards bill).

djino
"I say, ride the free rental as long as possible, then look at purchasing for 50% off"

[bacid1]

I doubt Bell will go that far as to give free receiver purchase. Although, I'm sure they will be willing to go as far as giving you the new customer promo (as retention deal) which is 50% off the HDPVR Receiver (pay $599 up front, $300 credit towards bill).

djino
"I say, ride the free rental as long as possible, then look at purchasing for 50% off"

Good point... might as well ride out the free rental for as long as i can !

[Sheed30]

It is probably because you have a "legacy" package.. one of the older programming packages that they do not offer anymore. I am in the same boat, where I have a package that is 13 yrs old (have never changed my programming) but have received the steady $2 or $3 increases per year. Old package, digital upgrade, system fee, etc etc etc..
Trouble is I live in the boonies and have no choice except for StarChoice..


I don't have a legacy package...I am currently on a package I signed up for late last year..... Digital standard plus 5 theme's for $51/month + $3 digital service fee + new $4 increase and tax....I am seriously thinking of either downsizing my programming or just canceling my sub altogether and finding a different TV provider.I think it is time to give Bell a call and threaten to cancel just to see how much they value me as a customer after being with them for 10 years...:)

[soblecram]

Pays to be persistant... Called in again today, and VOILA!

30%, Free HD rental 1 year (now on 12 month contract after 13 years of no contract). Took the $83 package (which will go up to $88 in January) so with 30% off, brings me right back to the $60ish I was already paying.

Now, just need to watch my bill, and keep their number on speed dial...:cheesygri

[openskies]

Well I'll tell ya'. Been with Bell for ten years. I cancelled last May. I was inundated with mail and phone calls to come back. I was moving into a new home December 1st and said what the heck. My offer was the digital package, with 11 themes, first two months free, a free pvr for one year and all hd free.
+
December 17 I received a bill, then another December21...The first was for 226, the second for 297 dollars.

On the phone for an hour with them today. Explained the situation and was told that noone could have offered me that deal. I will have to call back again. LESS THAN ONE HOUR after I got off the phone, I received an automated marketing research phone call from Bell asking me to rate my satisfaction with the last call I made. You can imagine my reply.
I had forgotten why I left in the first place....and that reason being the number of calls I made in my life where the answer was "Welcome to Bell."

[Matzel]

I just got off the phone with a BEV CSR:

Here's my deal (coming from no HD BEV service with over 7 years as a promptly paying customer):

- FREE HDPVR (9249) rental for 12 months
- FREE HARDWARE UPGRADE (for dish)
- FREE 4-WAY SWITCH
- FREE INSTALLATION
- FREE HD PROGRAMMING for 6 months
- 30% DISCOUNT on all Programming for 12 months

Installation is taking place on Monday, January 5th. <fingers crossed>

Just to elaborate, I have been happy with BEV but was ready to switch to Rogers to get HD. For a $600.00 savings compared to the regular offer that is available to existing BEV customers it would have been a no-brainer. However, I am really happy with this deal. Thanks OP! :D

[t240]

Bell is such a gong show...after about an hour on the phone with them I think I finally have my credits they said they would give me applied. Make sure you check your bills people that's all I have to say - they owed me over 60 bucks worth of credits.

I am really looking forward to the "customer satisfaction" automated call now:twisted:

[mbm]

oh well, not complaining but happy with what i got

12 month free HD Rental,
50 % off programming for 6 months
6 months HD programming free.

wish i could squeeze out more outta him :D

[lip]

Are any of you still mentioning a competing deal from Rogers?
Just trying to figure out how to approach them before I call retentions. I don't want to leave (their French programming is better than Rogers) but I think calling retentions is the only way.

LIP

[rob1]

I pretty much got the same deal you all are talking about here last April. My 12 months FREE rental will be up of course this April.

Do you think they will extend it for another 12 months if I threaten to cancel again???

I would like this to be an ongoing deal! :)

Has anyone renewed with the same deal???

Cheers

[twotoneblue]

Bell is such a gong show...after about an hour on the phone with them I think I finally have my credits they said they would give me applied. Make sure you check your bills people that's all I have to say - they owed me over 60 bucks worth of credits.

I am really looking forward to the "customer satisfaction" automated call now:twisted:

They owed me almost $300 before I got it fixed.

[mbm]

Are any of you still mentioning a competing deal from Rogers?
Just trying to figure out how to approach them before I call retentions. I don't want to leave (their French programming is better than Rogers) but I think calling retentions is the only way.

LIP

follow the steps what djino outlined and viola :D

I had to call on two ocassions, i got the ExpressVu starter kit when i got my HDTV so i called in and told them the starter kit mentions that i should get a free HDTV PVR and etc etc, she said ok to everything but wasn't willing to give me anything off, so i hung up, called back in 15 minutes and told the guy i called back 15 minutes ago and used djino's apporach, at first he agave me 30 % off programming and asked to give $100 deposit on CC or home bill which ticked me off so i told him talk to his boss...literally he puts me on hold for like good 25 seconds and says he'll make the 30 % to 50 % but i still ahve to put the $100 deposit which gets credited on the Bell TV bill as soon as the receiver gets activated.

[Roonis]

Just an update on the offer I got from Bell. I been a bell customer for 8+ years, and subscribe to Digital Basic + Chinese Channels, so my bill is 49.00 a month.

I ho and hummed about cancelling ExpressVu and they offered me 50% off HD or HD PRV receivers (I wonder if I can get both). I said I'd think about it and call them back.

I'll probably ho and hum again until they sweeten the deal.

[Swarez99]

Has anyone done back to back retention deals??
I am currently on a retention deal that comes due in February....Free HD PVR and 50% off for a year, pretty much what every one gets.
I obviously don't want to go back to regular price, so think Bell will give me a second year at this?? Scanned this forum, say nothing about going into year 2

Also Just got a second HD TV couple weeks ago for the bedroom...think they'll give me a second HD PVR free?? I am thinking about buying one used but if I can get a free one that would be my preference obviously.

[Roonis]

Has anyone done back to back retention deals??
I am currently on a retention deal that comes due in February....Free HD PVR and 50% off for a year, pretty much what every one gets.
I obviously don't want to go back to regular price, so think Bell will give me a second year at this?? Scanned this forum, say nothing about going into year 2

Also Just got a second HD TV couple weeks ago for the bedroom...think they'll give me a second HD PVR free?? I am thinking about buying one used but if I can get a free one that would be my preference obviously.

you got a FREE HD receiver or free HD receiver rental for a year?

[SigBro]

My fiancee called in today and they offered a free HD receiver rental for 12 months, and 10% off our bill for the next 12 months. My fiancee was fine with that, but I feel like calling back and having me threaten to leave for Rogers, and see if they will go any lower...because that deal isn't as good as what the majority of people have been getting on here.

Anyone suggest that I call back in and play hardball, or should I just leave it with what I have?

[djino]

My fiancee called in today and they offered a free HD receiver rental for 12 months, and 10% off our bill for the next 12 months. My fiancee was fine with that, but I feel like calling back and having me threaten to leave for Rogers, and see if they will go any lower...because that deal isn't as good as what the majority of people have been getting on here.

Anyone suggest that I call back in and play hardball, or should I just leave it with what I have?

Well, calling back wont really hurt, but it maybe a waste of time (assuming you've already accepted the offer).

1) By accepting the offer, you are bound to the 12 month contract (well I guess not really, since the Tech has not been out there to install your receiver and thus accepting the 12 month contract.

2) You really need to do all your negociating during the initial Call to Cancel. As the following agent will see what was already offered and if you accepted, there is more of implication that you are gonna stay no matter what is offered, so no need to offer more.

Since you were offered something below what the average retention deal (you said 10% off Programming), I would have said, "hmm, well that is decent, but when I work out the numbers with said competitor, they are still a bit better, I'm not sure if you can offer something better?"

djino
"But go ahead and call back, but I doubt they will change the offer if its been accepted"

[ChzPlz]

Make sure you check your bills people that's all I have to say - they owed me over 60 bucks worth of credits.

This has been said many times before, but it's worth saying again. WATCH YOUR BILLS AFTER YOU ACCEPT A RETENTION OFFER. I have had monthly calls with Bell since August. And take notes when you call. At the end of the call go over everything they have agreed to do, and get them to confirm that your understanding is correct. Get the person's name and employee number. If/when it shows up wrong on the next bill, call back and quote who you talked to, the date, and what was agreed. They cave pretty quickly when have your **** together.

On the upside, you can use their disorganization against them. I've got them to refund me the same thing twice. :)

[Roonis]

Just an update on the offer I got from Bell. I been a bell customer for 8+ years, and subscribe to Digital Basic + Chinese Channels, so my bill is 49.00 a month.

I ho and hummed about cancelling ExpressVu and they offered me 50% off HD or HD PRV receivers (I wonder if I can get both). I said I'd think about it and call them back.

I'll probably ho and hum again until they sweeten the deal.

so I stuck to my guns and called back, final deal:

1) 50% off the purchase of HD PVR 9242 (credit my account)
2) 30% off programming for a year.

hope this helps someone

[mbm]

Well, calling back wont really hurt, but it maybe a waste of time (assuming you've already accepted the offer).

1) By accepting the offer, you are bound to the 12 month contract (well I guess not really, since the Tech has not been out there to install your receiver and thus accepting the 12 month contract.

2) You really need to do all your negociating during the initial Call to Cancel. As the following agent will see what was already offered and if you accepted, there is more of implication that you are gonna stay no matter what is offered, so no need to offer more.

Since you were offered something below what the average retention deal (you said 10% off Programming), I would have said, "hmm, well that is decent, but when I work out the numbers with said competitor, they are still a bit better, I'm not sure if you can offer something better?"

djino
"But go ahead and call back, but I doubt they will change the offer if its been accepted"
Good points, i was having difficulty getting a date for the installer to come out, so the rep told me if i miss my date (meaning if no one is home) i may have to call back and ask some other rep to give me the same deal that my current rep gave me, so i guess you dont really sign the contract until the tech comes out :) but like u said, no harm in asking ;)
so I stuck to my guns and called back, final deal:

1) 50% off the purchase of HD PVR 9242 (credit my account)
2) 30% off programming for a year.

hope this helps someone

not bad...if only u could get them to do 50 % ...but still not bad.

why didn't u scoop out the free HD programming for 6 months?

[Roonis]

Good points, i was having difficulty getting a date for the installer to come out, so the rep told me if i miss my date (meaning if no one is home) i may have to call back and ask some other rep to give me the same deal that my current rep gave me, so i guess you dont really sign the contract until the tech comes out :) but like u said, no harm in asking ;)


not bad...if only u could get them to do 50 % ...but still not bad.

why didn't u scoop out the free HD programming for 6 months?

I asked but they said they coudn't do it. I would have been happy with 50% the HD PVR since I have to buy a new one anyway. :)

[Matrixvibe]

Just an update on the offer I got from Bell. I been a bell customer for 8+ years, and subscribe to Digital Basic + Chinese Channels, so my bill is 49.00 a month.

I ho and hummed about cancelling ExpressVu and they offered me 50% off HD or HD PRV receivers (I wonder if I can get both). I said I'd think about it and call them back.

I'll probably ho and hum again until they sweeten the deal.

+1, they never seem to have good deals for existing customers, when ever theres a sale on a pvr, its always for new customers old, ive also been a customer for around 8 years, i sub to chinese, basic and HD. And i've maxed at 6 receivers.

[ehhemz]

I have been a Bell customer since 1999 with a 2700 and 3100 system. I called about this retention deal on Dec. 1, 2008. I was offered the free HD PVR rental for 12 months and free installation.

I was given an installation appt for Dec. 22 and took the afternoon off work to make sure that somebody would be here when the Tech arrived(between 12 - 5 PM). After waiting all afternoon, I contacted Bell and was told that the Tech was at my home but noone was there. I question as to the time and explained that it was impossible since I was here all afternoon. The person I spoke with the put my call on hold and returned to explain that the Tech couldn't have made the appt. because of a snowstorm in the area. (It was sunny all afternoon!!!).

My appt was rescheduled till yesterday, Jan. 5, however I received a call to reschedule this appt. also because there was a shortage of Techs available. Now my appt. was rescheduled for a third time for today, Jan. 6 and low and behold, I received another call this morning telling me that my appt. would need to be cancelled YET AGAIN because the Tech's truck was broken down and he couldn't / didnt have access to another vehicle.

By this time, I just about lost it...the person I spoke with on the phone put me on hold and SUPPOSEDLY spoke with his Supervisior, came back and told me that they would try and arrange for another Tech to come and complete the work this afternoon. He said that he would call me back within an hour to confirm this or reschedule yet again.

I waited for the hour and contacted Bell myself. The lady that I spoke with told me that when she checked my file, my appt for today, between 8-12 PM was stll listed as on schedule with no special notes as to the cancellation or rescheduling.

Eventhough I just called to try and get this new retention deal, I have to admit that because of this lousy service, I am seriously considering cancelling my service. Sure I will receive a free PVR renatl for 12 months but so far, I have used 2.5 days in annual leave...is it really worth it???

[Swarez99]

you got a FREE HD receiver or free HD receiver rental for a year?

free 12 month rental...sorry should have typed that.
I was offered either $300 or $200 off the purchase price of the 9242 (can't remember which), but decided to rent because they offered that free for 1 year.

[Pavel6969]

Just called in. Been a customer since 2005, own a PVr and a 3100. My monthly bill right now is $108 taxes in.

Told them Rogers was offering me a free hd pvr for two years, the retentions lady offered this

Free HD PVR rental for 1 Year
Free Installation
20% of for 1 year

I did pay the $100 deposit. Never pushed hard for the free hd programming or a higher % off per month, thinking maybe I should call back and see if they go higher. Just tell them I called Rogers to cancel my pending order and Rogers upped their offer.


On a side note, I never asked the rep anything about the HDPVR I was getting. I just assumed it would be the 9242. Is the 9242 what everyone gets or might I get a 9200?

[micronta]

Don't assume you'll get the newer model. When I negotiated my deal for 1 yr free rental, if I had not asked the rep was going to give me the older model. Cause after the rep agreed to give me the 1 yr I asked which model and he told me the older one.

[Candiana]

This has been said many times before, but it's worth saying again. WATCH YOUR BILLS AFTER YOU ACCEPT A RETENTION OFFER. I have had monthly calls with Bell since August. And take notes when you call. At the end of the call go over everything they have agreed to do, and get them to confirm that your understanding is correct. Get the person's name and employee number. If/when it shows up wrong on the next bill, call back and quote who you talked to, the date, and what was agreed. They cave pretty quickly when have your **** together.

On the upside, you can use their disorganization against them. I've got them to refund me the same thing twice. :)

this should be stickied. I follow similar routine w/bell,rogers...etc. btw, it doesn't hurt to record the conversation and let the csr know after u asked for their emp id. the way they do biz is disgusting and i hate that I need to treat every csr call like I'm about to be scammed.

[beripari]

I used to have the same problem with Fido although they've gotten much better in the past few years. But, it used to be a 6-mos. part-time job calling them every time an invoice came in -- incorrect monthly! Once, I DID record the call & when I called about the first incorrect invoice, they tried to say that the agreement was different -- until I told them I had the call on tape. Then I realized that the onus is not up to ME to prove them wrong so, whenever they disagreed with what had originally been agreed to, I told them to go & check their files for the "taped call" ("this call may be recorded") of xxx date with xxx -- definitely take note of date/time & who you spoke to whenever you call ANYwhere! That always shut them up immediately!

[Bastich]

Does anybody know the cost to "buy out" the rental 9242 after the free year? It should be cheaper than new, since it would be used, after all.

:cool:

[Johnny767]

Is the 9242 the latest model?

I am just coming off my free year and would like to know what is the best approach, to dealing with my least favorite company.

The BEV website not longer shows model numbers. I have the 9242 and can't remember if it has the USB slot, for external HD.

[TerryB]

Resigned with free HD Box rental for 2 years (already have PVR) + 20% off for 1 year....

[bacid1]

Anyone know what time retention is open till?

Just called and it's closed ?! (8:15pm).

According to their website Billing should be open till 9pm..

[Bastich]

Is the 9242 the latest model? ... The BEV website not longer shows model numbers. I have the 9242 and can't remember if it has the USB slot, for external HD.

I believe 9242 is the latest one (black) with USB slot for addon drive. I spent a good 10 minutes searching around their incredibly slow site trying to find the model numbers myself. The downloadable manual only shows the 9200 model!

:cool:

[mbm]

for all the 6141 owners :D new firmware available to make your receiver a PVR ;)

http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/showthread.php?p=8037202#post8037202

[Johnny767]

I think the p l icks are trying to be coy with the model numbers. Going to have to rip my receiver out of my audio stack and check it out.

[llcooljayce]

This has been said many times before, but it's worth saying again. WATCH YOUR BILLS AFTER YOU ACCEPT A RETENTION OFFER. I have had monthly calls with Bell since August. And take notes when you call. At the end of the call go over everything they have agreed to do, and get them to confirm that your understanding is correct. Get the person's name and employee number. If/when it shows up wrong on the next bill, call back and quote who you talked to, the date, and what was agreed. They cave pretty quickly when have your **** together.

On the upside, you can use their disorganization against them. I've got them to refund me the same thing twice. :)

I just discovered how idiotic their CSRs are. I've had 5 calls into Bell in the last month trying to get my 40% discount. This idiot CSR picks up and says that she sees nothing on my account regarding a 40% discount.

I then tell her to read me all the notes on my account. She then proceeds to read 1 note at a time and then says, that's all that it says ... then I say 'that's not possible, I have had CSRs confirm that they see the note there'. She then says, oh ya ... and then starts reading other notes.

Basically the CSR was a lazy ass that didn't want to read all the notes so that they didn't have to do the work.

Man, it's ridiculous how stupid some people are.

[Ninja Robot Pirate]

Just got off the phone with a rep. I have two old 3100 models and have been with Bell for four years, off contract for the last two. I told them I was going to Rogers and I was offered:

Free HD PVR rental for one year
20% off my bill (I used to pay around $83, now it'll be $75 with HD programming)
No installation fee or deposit

Sounds good to me.

[Sheed30]

Just got off the phone with a rep. I have two old 3100 models and have been with Bell for four years, off contract for the last two. I told them I was going to Rogers and I was offered:

Free HD PVR rental for one year
20% off my bill (I used to pay around $83, now it'll be $75 with HD programming)
No installation fee or deposit

Sounds good to me.

I am soon going to call in and "threaten" to cancel too but I will say no to a 20% offer off for 12 months until I get at least 30% off for 12 months....If not I will simply say cancel my sub ( I am seriously thinking of canceling anyway) and I will go with Starchoice instead.You can bet before my cancel date is up I will be getting a call from Bell trying to keep me as a customer....

[Crowbarfoot]

Got my PVR for another 12 months free and 30% off my bill for 12 months.

Happy with that, CSR was nice and I didn't feel like pushing for 40%. She knew what I was doing and asked for a competitor that I was "thinking" of going to.

[whodaphucru]

I own a 9242, 6100 and 2 3100s and have been with them for a while. They gave me 30% off for 12 months without much effort. Which works out to about $240 + tax for the year. That just paid for one flight to florida!

Thanks for all the posts everyone.

[TerryB]

for all the 6141 owners :D new firmware available to make your receiver a PVR ;)

http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/showthread.php?p=8037202#post8037202

Got it going last night after 2 calls to Bell. First person said it the feature was not available yet....umm wrong. Called back after double checking on web and called back. This time I got someone who knew what to do. Works great!

[Dungeon]

Phoned in to cancel and the csr only offered free rental of 9242 for a year and 5 sub package for 20/month, this did not include installation and did not include the hdtv package i currently have. When i said that wasn't acceptable she says ok i have cancelled your tv then in 30 days.

Anyone know if Bell will call back within the month to try to get me to stay?

I really didn't want to cancel but she was being a real b@#$ about it.

[mjl]

I have been with bell for 8 years. I own 6 receivers. I have never had a contract and I have never been offered anything. Should I complain. My bill is 75 a month.

[mikeeymike]

I just bought a new 60" Pioneer Kuro Elite Tv and I'm looking for a another HD receiver from Bell. I have been with Bell for more than 12 years and currently not under any contracts.

I logged onto myBell account and found the following renewal offer if I sign for 2 years:

25 % discount on retail price of a receiver -
Up to $60 PPV credit to be used over the 2 yr period
One time bill credit of $40

I plan on getting the 6131 receiver or 6141 when the price drops to $199 this thursday. But I also plan on calling Bell to see if I would get a better offer. Based on the above, I would get $150 as incentives....

Has anyone gotten a better deal when buying the 6141 receiver? I don't want to sign up for 2 years... 1 yr is fine. What should I go for?

Thanks

[ReFuGeE]

What does the 6month free hd package include?

[djino]

What does the 6month free hd package include?

Includes 4 out of the 5 HD Theme packs.

Package is worth $10/month (or $15 for all 5 HD Theme packs).

djino

[ReFuGeE]

Includes 4 out of the 5 HD Theme packs.

Package is worth $10/month (or $15 for all 5 HD Theme packs).

djino

Do we have a choice as to which 4 we can choose?

[djino]

Do we have a choice as to which 4 we can choose?

Yes I believe you have a choice. But also note that the HD Channels with a star beside them (from the programmingguide brochure) will need a subscription to the equivalent SD Channel.

djino
"Some HD Channels (not all) require the Equivalent SD Subscription"

[Sheed30]

I have been with bell for 8 years. I own 6 receivers. I have never had a contract and I have never been offered anything. Should I complain. My bill is 75 a month.

Just call and threaten to cancel and just tell them it is getting too costly with all the price hikes and you're thinking of switching to cable or Starchoice.Bell will give you an offer to stay with them..It seems it usually starts with 20% off for 12 months + free HD box rental for 12 months but people get better offers than that after turning down their first offer to stay as a customer.Just give them a call and threaten to cancel.You have nothing to lose really.You can back out of canceling if you like....Good luck.

[tugzy]

I called retention as my 2 years is up next month. This is what they are giving me:

1 HD PVR (Free for 1 year, pay $12/monthly after)
2 Standard Receivers
ALL HD channels
Digital Basic STD + 6 Theme Packs
Free Installation to my new home next month
Wave off the Temporary Suspension Charges (Moved out of my home in Sept to get ready for new home next month) charges came to $120

$57.00/month + tax

Good deal or can I negotiate better?


EDIT: actually, it don't look like a good deal.... :confused:

[Bastich]

I plan on getting the 6131 receiver or 6141 when the price drops to $199 this thursday. But I also plan on calling Bell to see if I would get a better offer. Based on the above, I would get $150 as incentives....

Price drops?
:cool:

[mikeeymike]

Yes, Bell is slated to announce the arrival of two new receivers to replace the 6141 and 9242 on the 16th - their prices will be $199 and $499, respectively. The 6141 and 9242 are also expected to drop by a $100.

[Battscrew]

I just bought a new 60" Pioneer Kuro Elite Tv and I'm looking for a another HD receiver from Bell. I have been with Bell for more than 12 years and currently not under any contracts.

I logged onto myBell account and found the following renewal offer if I sign for 2 years:

25 % discount on retail price of a receiver -
Up to $60 PPV credit to be used over the 2 yr period
One time bill credit of $40

I plan on getting the 6131 receiver or 6141 when the price drops to $199 this thursday. But I also plan on calling Bell to see if I would get a better offer. Based on the above, I would get $150 as incentives....

Has anyone gotten a better deal when buying the 6141 receiver? I don't want to sign up for 2 years... 1 yr is fine. What should I go for?

Thanks

where do you find this?

[mikeeymike]

I logged on to my account on Bell.ca and found it there. I'm not sure if the renewal offers differ based on the customer. That was my unsolicited renewal offer

[Sheed30]

Phoned in to cancel and the csr only offered free rental of 9242 for a year and 5 sub package for 20/month, this did not include installation and did not include the hdtv package i currently have. When i said that wasn't acceptable she says ok i have cancelled your tv then in 30 days.

Anyone know if Bell will call back within the month to try to get me to stay?

I really didn't want to cancel but she was being a real b@#$ about it.

I have read they do call before the cancel date is up but I don't know if they do it in all cases.My guess is they will call to try and keep you as a customer but if you don't want to cancel you may have to call in and resend the cancel order at the last minute...Let us know what you do...Good luck.

[MoboMofo]

************BEWARE*************
I called customer retention and they sent me a new PVR reciever for free with 6 months free HD programming. Free installation.
Now they are charging me for the installation, PVR rental, and rental on the reciever I sent back. I have been lied to by several of their phone representatives. I am getting very frustrated with Bell's customer service and billing practices. My free PVR experience has turned into a nightmare. 4 Emails, 4 phone calls, and problem still not resolved. I told them to take automatic withdrawalls off of my account, which they said they did, and they are still charging to my checking account. Lies Lies and more Lies.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:mad:

[mikeeymike]

When I got my 9200 installed a few years back, I got free installation too. But they told me they had to bill me $100 to dispatch the installer and once the installation was done, I had to call back and they would credit my bill for $100. I called back and they did!!

[soblecram]

************BEWARE*************
I called customer retention and they sent me a new PVR reciever for free with 6 months free HD programming. Free installation.
Now they are charging me for the installation, PVR rental, and rental on the reciever I sent back. I have been lied to by several of their phone representatives. I am getting very frustrated with Bell's customer service and billing practices. My free PVR experience has turned into a nightmare. 4 Emails, 4 phone calls, and problem still not resolved. I told them to take automatic withdrawalls off of my account, which they said they did, and they are still charging to my checking account. Lies Lies and more Lies.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:mad:

How long after you had the installation and the PVR did you return it?? If it was within the year, it does state on the contract that the installer had you sign that you will be billed for any promotional charges if you cancel prior to your contract expiring...

[browser]

Yes, Bell is slated to announce the arrival of two new receivers to replace the 6141 and 9242 on the 16th - their prices will be $199 and $499, respectively. The 6141 and 9242 are also expected to drop by a $100.

I was all set to call in for my second call to firm up the offer they made me, i'm not sure how some people got the % off deal but i was ok with what they offered. now i see there's a new receiver coming friday!? the details are scarce about the next hd pvr so i can't tell if i should grab the deal before they retire the 9242 in favour of something potentially worse. I've seen a few decent receivers bell has killed off for one reason or another and in my case the 9242 would work great with one hd and one sd output. but if they drop the price are they likely to rebate me the difference?
i think they were offering me the same deal a new sub would get, not fantastic but better then the "retention deals" from the bell website they offered also

[MoboMofo]

How long after you had the installation and the PVR did you return it?? If it was within the year, it does state on the contract that the installer had you sign that you will be billed for any promotional charges if you cancel prior to your contract expiring...
I am talking about the older 6100 reciever I had rented. Anyhow I talked to the escalation department today, and they promised me that I will be credited for all of their screw ups. For other people having billing problems try this number:
The Bell Executive Office of Customer Relations - 1-866-317-3382

[Sheed30]

Yes, Bell is slated to announce the arrival of two new receivers to replace the 6141 and 9242 on the 16th - their prices will be $199 and $499, respectively. The 6141 and 9242 are also expected to drop by a $100.

Thanks for the heads up about the new receivers coming on the 16th..Will have to keep an eye out for these...

[mikeeymike]

I called retentions and he gave me two offers...

If I signed up with him today, he was going to give me 50 percent off the 6141 in the form of bill credit. This would be $149. He also offered me 20 percent off my monthly bill for 12 months. This would have equated to $144 for me. But I would have to get the receiver from him and an installer would bring it over and I would get charged installation.

Second option: Wait for Jan 16th and get it from Futureshop. He won't say what their offer is going to be but he said it would be worthwhile for me and he would still give me 20 percent off the bill for 12 months. I would get the receiver from future shop and also under no contract.

I took option 2.

This is the interesting part... he confirmed that the price is going to drop tomorrow for the 6141 and that the new receiver is coming out as well. I am free to choose whichever receiver I want tomorrow. So I await until tomorrow to see if what part two of my deal is....

[whadda_dealio]

After speaking with retentions, finally agreed to the following :

- 1 year contract
- HD-PVR 9242 (12 mths free / 20$ per mth thereafter)
- 30 % off monthly programming.

Agent also confirmed that if I wanted the 9242, today would be the last day to get it as the newer model PVR-9241 will be released on the 16th.

Forgot to mention :

- Free installation (75$ otherwise)

[mikeeymike]

hmmm... the future shop flyer is out and no Bell receivers on there.. they have starchoice and Rogers.... I think the Bell rep gave me wrong information... unless, the in-store pricing changes with no mention in the flyer. Also, futureshop.ca still have the old 9242 and 6141 receivers listed with their old higher pricing...

I'm going to have to call Retentions again on friday morning...

[Sheed30]

hmmm... the future shop flyer is out and no Bell receivers on there.. they have starchoice and Rogers.... I think the Bell rep gave me wrong information... unless, the in-store pricing changes with no mention in the flyer. Also, futureshop.ca still have the old 9242 and 6141 receivers listed with their old higher pricing...

I'm going to have to call Retentions again on friday morning...


I just read your post on digitalhome and decided to check out Futureshop too for the new 6131 and for the new pricing on the 6141.No mention of the 6131 at all and like you said the 6141 is still $300.Might be a delay from Bell's end or the prices will be adjusted later today...The 6131 looks like a nice receiver for only $199.

[Hooters23]

Has the procedure for accessing retentions changed from the first post? I tried calling in and the options were slightly different. I chose the cancel option, however, was not offered a very good deal at all.

They were not willing to renew the HD PVR rental free for one year nor did they offer any free HD programming. Has anyone else been able to get their rental renewed free for one year? Was also hoping to get a 6141 for 50% off as my 6000 mysteriously stopped working.

Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

Cheers!!

[mikeeymike]

Bell.ca already has the new prices listed... $199 for the HD Receiver and $499 for the HD PVR... no model numbers are mentioned but they are likely to be the new models.

[Sheed30]

Bell.ca already has the new prices listed... $199 for the HD Receiver and $499 for the HD PVR... no model numbers are mentioned but they are likely to be the new models.

It would be nice if they listed the model # of the receiver just to be sure.I am already an existing customer not on contract and when trying to purchase the $199 HD receiver from Bell.ca they want me to either sign a 24 month contract for free installation or a 12 month contract and charge me a $99 fee for installation.....:mad:

So basically if I want to buy a HD system from bell they want me under contract for at least a year which would make the $199 receiver $300 because of the $99 installation fee. I would like to be able to just buy the $199 receiver save the $99 installation fee and avoid signing any contract and install the receiver myself since I already have the hardware to do so.....

[mikeeymike]

It would be nice if they listed the model # of the receiver just to be sure.I am already an existing customer not on contract and when trying to purchase the $199 HD receiver from Bell.ca they want me to either sign a 24 month contract for free installation or a 12 month contract and charge me a $99 fee for installation.....:mad:

So basically if I want to buy a HD system from bell they want me under contract for at least a year which would make the $199 receiver $300 because of the $99 installation fee. I would like to be able to just buy the $199 receiver save the $99 installation fee and avoid signing any contract and install the receiver myself since I already have the hardware to do so.....

I wanted exactly what you wanted and I got what I wanted... I called Retentions back today and they upped my 20 percent off per month for 12 months to 30 percent off (not a lot of effort on my part for this) and gave me a $150 bill credit on activation of my new 6141. I have to pay $295 plus taxes = $330. My credits equal $216 (30 percent off for 12 months) plus $150 = $366.

They didn't require a contract and they won't be sending an installer to my house. The receiver will be couriered to me and I will install it myself.

Update: I questioned the price that they charged me for the $6141 and after some persistence, they upped my monthly discount to 40 % off per month for 12 months.

[Sheed30]

I wanted exactly what you wanted and I got what I wanted... I called Retentions back today and they upped my 20 percent off per month for 12 months to 30 percent off (not a lot of effort on my part for this) and gave me a $150 bill credit on activation of my new 6141. I have to pay $299 plus taxes = $335. My credits equal $216 (30 percent off for 12 months) plus $150 = $366.

They didn't require a contract and they won't be sending an installer to my house. The receiver will be couriered to me and I will install it myself.

How did you get in contact with Retentions? Seems some have been having problems either contacting Retentions or getting much of a deal from them lately...What procedure did you go through to talk to Retentions for people having problems contacting them?

[mikeeymike]

call 1-888-sky-dish and 1 for english, 6 for other information, and 3 for cancel..call during business hours. Good Luck!!

[Sheed30]

call 1-888-sky-dish and 1 for english, 6 for other information, and 3 for cancel..call during business hours. Good Luck!!

Thanks...On your deal with Bell you got...How I understand your post is you basically still paid $299 for the 6141 up front which probably included the activation fee but they gave you a bill credit for $150 upon activating your new HD box and no contract to sign.Plus you also got 30% off your bill for 12 months..Does that sound correct? Pretty good deal but I think I will wait for the 6131 and then see what happens then...Thanks for the info.

[Akuma3]

Went to Bell World and all they have is the 6131, no 6141's available. Called retentions and basically all I got was the 6131 for $199 and 50% off my total bill including HD programming for 6 months. I still have to decide if I want to even bother.

[mikeeymike]

yes.. basically, it amounts to a new HD Receiver free plus another $35 or so in my pocket..no contract.

Reason I chose the 6141 over the new 6131... well, the agent told me that the 6141 looks nicer, sleeker... and a lot of people have already started using the EHD so the bugs are close to being ironed out.

If I had chosen the 6131, I would only still get 50 percent off the receiver...meaning, $100 instead of $150. And I don't think he would offer me the 30 percent off... I would have only received 20 percent off the monthly bills... essentially, what they were trying to do is to get me a new receiver for free after accounting for the retail price plus taxes.

[Swarez99]

I tried calling in today over lunch, I am on a retention plan...Free HD PVR rental, 40% off my bill for one year, my plan expires at the end of Feb, want them to basically renew if for another year or else I would go to Cogeco cable (which I actually would if I can't get what I want).
They said they can't do back to back retention plans!! I know other people here have got them, was it easy or take some time??
I am only going to call in one or twice more b4 I actually do cancel which will be at the end of next week. I will lose some HD channels but pick up TMN/HBO canada for free for 1 year so meh it is what it is.

[djino]

I tried calling in today over lunch, I am on a retention plan...Free HD PVR rental, 40% off my bill for one year, my plan expires at the end of Feb, want them to basically renew if for another year or else I would go to Cogeco cable (which I actually would if I can't get what I want).
They said they can't do back to back retention plans!! I know other people here have got them, was it easy or take some time??
I am only going to call in one or twice more b4 I actually do cancel which will be at the end of next week. I will lose some HD channels but pick up TMN/HBO canada for free for 1 year so meh it is what it is.

To renew a retention deal I would have called back and followed a bit of my example (Page 25) but change it up a bit.

To Renew Retention Deal:

Client calls 1-888-sky-dish and choses the IVR option for Cancel Programming
Bell Rep - "Hello and thanking for calling Bell Tv, how may I provide you with excellent service"
Client - "Yes I would like to cancel my service today"
Bell Rep - "I can definently help you with that, may I have your phone number, PIN, etc"
Client gives info
Bell Rep - "May I ask the reason for cancelling"
Client Rep - "I know my contract is about to expire which I assume will increase my programming cost. I like my Bell services, but I dont think I can afford to pay anymore and thought about switching to cable"
Bell Rep - "Ok, can I place you on hold while I look into this for you"
Bell Rep verifiys what you currently have and what they can offer you.

Side Note: From what I'm told from some friends that work for Bell TV is that you can only have 2 promos going at once. Meaning, many of us had free PVR Rental for 12 months, 30% of programmign and 6 months of free HD. This would be considered 3 promos on your account which they can no longer do (Max 2). So you might only be offered Free HDPVR Rental and % of Programming

Bell Rep - "What I can do is offer you the same deal (30% off Programming and Free HDPVR for 12 months, how does that sound?"


I'd say this scanario has a 50% success rate. What you may need to increase your chance of success perhaps ask for a 2nd HDPVR (which this would be the one discounted on 12 month contract) and then on your next call, cancel your first HDPVR.

djino
"The above example is for people who wish to renew on their existing Retention deal. See My Example on Page 25 if you are wanting it for the first time. Let us know how it goes for you"

[Swarez99]

To renew a retention deal I would have called back and followed a bit of my example (Page 25) but change it up a bit.

To Renew Retention Deal:

Client calls 1-888-sky-dish and choses the IVR option for Cancel Programming
Bell Rep - "Hello and thanking for calling Bell Tv, how may I provide you with excellent service"
Client - "Yes I would like to cancel my service today"
Bell Rep - "I can definently help you with that, may I have your phone number, PIN, etc"
Client gives info
Bell Rep - "May I ask the reason for cancelling"
Client Rep - "I know my contract is about to expire which I assume will increase my programming cost. I like my Bell services, but I dont think I can afford to pay anymore and thought about switching to cable"
Bell Rep - "Ok, can I place you on hold while I look into this for you"
Bell Rep verifiys what you currently have and what they can offer you.

Side Note: From what I'm told from some friends that work for Bell TV is that you can only have 2 promos going at once. Meaning, many of us had free PVR Rental for 12 months, 30% of programmign and 6 months of free HD. This would be considered 3 promos on your account which they can no longer do (Max 2). So you might only be offered Free HDPVR Rental and % of Programming

Bell Rep - "What I can do is offer you the same deal (30% off Programming and Free HDPVR for 12 months, how does that sound?"


I'd say this scanario has a 50% success rate. What you may need to increase your chance of success perhaps ask for a 2nd HDPVR (which this would be the one discounted on 12 month contract) and then on your next call, cancel your first HDPVR.

djino
"The above example is for people who wish to renew on their existing Retention deal. See My Example on Page 25 if you are wanting it for the first time. Let us know how it goes for you"


I'll give that a try that over some point this weekend and let ppl know how that goes.

[algrande]

call 1-888-sky-dish and 1 for english, 6 for other information, and 3 for cancel..call during business hours. Good Luck!!

I called and told them that it was getting too expensive and was I thinking about canceling. The girl offered 30% off for 1 year. I was happy as my current contract runs for another year and I owe my HDPVR. Saves me close to $400 over the year.

[rayq]

How did you say to get a HD receiver (6141) @ 50% off if you are in the retention plan (free HD PVR, 30% off programming) for another 6 more months in contract? Thanks.

[Bastich]

Yes, Bell is slated to announce the arrival of two new receivers to replace the 6141 and 9242 on the 16th - their prices will be $199 and $499, respectively. The 6141 and 9242 are also expected to drop by a $100.

Any ideas what they replaced the 9242 with? Bell's site is useless for anything other than marketing jargon.

:cool:

[hempopotamus]

Any ideas what they replaced the 9242 with? Bell's site is useless for anything other than marketing jargon.

:cool:


I understand that it is going to be the 9241 wuth the main difference that it only supports 1 TV. I read this on with digitalhome or the avsforums can't remember which though.

[DOC SB]

Updated original post to include new steps to get to the retention department.

Some people have already been able to get another year of savings.

[browser]

I understand that it is going to be the 9241 wuth the main difference that it only supports 1 TV. I read this on with digitalhome or the avsforums can't remember which though.

the pictures of the receiver look like they have changed also, i dont' see a picture of the hd pvr with 2 remotes anymore on the bell site either.

[mikeeymike]

I wanted exactly what you wanted and I got what I wanted... I called Retentions back today and they upped my 20 percent off per month for 12 months to 30 percent off (not a lot of effort on my part for this) and gave me a $150 bill credit on activation of my new 6141. I have to pay $295 plus taxes = $330. My credits equal $216 (30 percent off for 12 months) plus $150 = $366.

They didn't require a contract and they won't be sending an installer to my house. The receiver will be couriered to me and I will install it myself.

Update: I wasn't happy about being charged $295 yesterday for the 6141 receiver when the HD Receiver on bell.ca clearly showed the price to be $199 since yesterday. The website doesn't outline model #'s but after some persistent debating, I managed to get them to upgrade my 30 percent off a month for 12 months to 40% off for 12 months. I will still get $150 credit on activation of my new 6141 receiver. :cheesygri

[Sheed30]

Update: I wasn't happy about being charged $295 yesterday for the 6141 receiver when the HD Receiver on bell.ca clearly showed the price to be $199 since yesterday. The website doesn't outline model #'s but after some persistent debating, I managed to get them to upgrade my 30 percent off a month for 12 months to 40% off for 12 months. I will still get $150 credit on activation of my new 6141 receiver. :cheesygri

Good job that's an even better deal....You can also now buy the 6141 online from FS for $199.

[mytiburon]

Just called, i have been a customer for a few years under no contract, i always bought my equipment outright.
Asked to cancel and was offered 20% discount for 1 year. I simply asked if they could do a little better and told me they would offer a 30% discount for 1 year. Im satisfied, they are in business to make money so i didnt pressure them and finally got a break on billing. It always made me angry that i had to pay in full to get equipment but new customers got these great deals.

[djino]

Thanks OP for the updated method of reaching retension. I called and was able to renew my 40% off savings for another year.

Nice. Good stuff

djino

[Ally SheDevil]

I'm been a Bell Expressvu customer for five years with also Bell High Speed internet and land line. I spend $75 a month on Expressvu programming. As I'm purchasing a HD television I called retentions and stated I was interested in switching to cable and after a five minute discussion with a no helpful operator I was only offered a 9242 HD PVR at $599 with free installation and a $300 credit to my account!

No programming discounts and no free HD channels!!!

Do you think I could do better? Any advice how would be great!

[djino]

I'm been a Bell Expressvu customer for five years with also Bell High Speed internet and land line. I spend $75 a month on Expressvu programming. As I'm purchasing a HD television I called retentions and stated I was interested in switching to cable and after a five minute discussion with a no helpful operator I was only offered a 9242 HD PVR at $599 with free installation and a $300 credit to my account!

No programming discounts and no free HD channels!!!

Do you think I could do better? Any advice how would be great!

1) Were the first words out of your mouth "I would like to Cancel?"

Reason being is you may NOT be speaking to a retentions agent. Not saying this, implies that you are just looking for a better deal and will stay regardless (yes, granted you did say you were interested in cable, but this isn't threatening enough for them).

2) I would say I have JUST Bought an HD TV (assuming you DO NOT already have any HD Receiver/programming) instead of I WILL be purchasing.

This sorta implies that you need your HD Programming ASAP and are willing to goto the competition for it.

3) Say that the competition also has cheaper HD Programming.

This will bring out the discussion of giving you a % off programming.


Now this might be tought to goback to if you have already accepted an offer they have made. Look on Page 25 of this thread for my complete discussion you should be having with Bell.

From what you have posted above, your intent to really switch providers isn't evident. Your intent to just get a better deal is clear (which is what you have to hide when speaking with Bell CSR). And also, make sure when you call Bell, you choose "Cancel Programming" from the IVR. The first words to come out of your mouth should be "I would like to cancel".

Also note, you wont have much of a leg to stand on if you still have at least 3 or more months left on an existing contract. So just be patient and wait until you are closer to the end (or you can accept their current offer).

djino
"Goodluck"

[washer]

Hi. I currently have the old (very old) ultimate 7 package. It consists of 7 theme packs and movies east (TMN) all of which are SD. I pay 67.99 per month and 5.99 system charge for a total of 73.98 before tax. I just picked up a 6141 HD box from Future Shop and would like to know your advise as how I should go about receiving the most bang for my buck. I currently do not own a HD TV and probable won't be getting one for a few months ( 6 or more). I really purchased the 6141 for Its PVR feature and for Hd in the future. Should I just activate it to my current account or call Bell retentions first and try to receive a better monthly price. Thanks for your time and input.


I have an extra dish with two Dual LNBs and the dish is skewable. Also have the switch needed so I have absolutely no need for their connection services. :| So (BELL) hooking everything up is unnecessary.

This site is great.

Thankx

D

[djino]

Hi. I currently have the old (very old) ultimate 7 package. It consists of 7 theme packs and movies east (TMN) all of which are SD. I pay 67.99 per month and 5.99 system charge for a total of 73.98 before tax. I just picked up a 6141 HD box from Future Shop and would like to know your advise as how I should go about receiving the most bang for my buck. I currently do not own a HD TV and probable won't be getting one for a few months ( 6 or more). I really purchased the 6141 for Its PVR feature and for Hd in the future. Should I just activate it to my current account or call Bell retentions first and try to receive a better monthly price. Thanks for your time and input.


I have an extra dish with two Dual LNBs and the dish is skewable. Also have the switch needed so I have absolutely no need for their connection services. :| So (BELL) hooking everything up is unnecessary.

This site is great.

Thankx

D

What I would have done (Before purchasing at Futureshop)...

Me - Dials 1-888-sky-dish and chooses Cancel Programming option
Bell Rep - "Thank you for choosing Bell Tv, how many I provide you with excellent service"
Me - "Yes, would like to cancel my programming"
Bell Rep - "I can help you with that, may I have your phone number, PIN"
Me - gives account info
Bell Rep - "May I ask the reason you would like to cancel?"
Me - "I have just purchased an HD TV, so my money is kind of tight now. I was looking at your website and my cable provider for HD Equipment (push the 6141 model here) and Programming, they seem to be a bit cheaper"
Bell Rep - "Ok, I understand, may I place you on hold to see what I can do"

Bell Rep will most likely offer you 6141 for $199 with a $100 credit to your account and some % off your programming. Also note, that this will most likely come with a 12 month contract and free install. You may also be required to change your legacy programming to the current programming.

If you do not like any of the above, I'd just continue with what you have and activate your receiver and choose your HD programming.

djino
"Goodluck"

[SpykeYs]

Hello,

What if I have never been a Bell Client and would like to go with them ? Can I call retention anyway and get good deals ?


Thanks!

[djino]

Hello,

What if I have never been a Bell Client and would like to go with them ? Can I call retention anyway and get good deals ?


Thanks!

Um, short answer. "No".

The retentions group are there to retain clients (Keep them as client). Calling them and telling them you are cancelling wont get you anywhere if you have nothing to cancel.

But you still have one leg up on existing clients and thats there are plenty of New customer promos. Check out www.bell.ca/tv . You can at least get any purchased equiptment at 50% off as a new client.

djino
"Check it out"

[SpykeYs]

Thanks I will look it up.

The only issue I am having is with TV. It seems that there is soo many packages to choose from.

With videotron it's simple, Telemax + HD

Here I have to select French or English, then choose soo many darn packages.

Any help would be appreciated.

I am looking for alot of HD channels, like the telemax package from videotron

Thanks!

[djino]

First place I'll start you off is at Bell.ca/programmingguide (or I think there is a newer version, I just can't recall the link)

With Bell, the minimum amount of programming you have to subscribe too is the Digital Standard (Standard Definition channels) ($32).

Having this will automatically (without any HD Subscription) give you access to many HD Channels without subscription.

Bell then also has 5 HD Theme Packs which are $5 each or 4 for $10 (all 5 for $15). Keep in mind here that some HD Items in these them packs will require that you subscribe to the SD Version (I believe the ones that have a * next to them)

There are other specialty HD Channels that come with subscriptions to NHL Center Ice, Movie Network's etc.

djino
"But yeah, take a look"

[mbm]

What I would have done (Before purchasing at Futureshop)...

Me - Dials 1-888-sky-dish and chooses Cancel Programming option
Bell Rep - "Thank you for choosing Bell Tv, how many I provide you with excellent service"
Me - "Yes, would like to cancel my programming"
Bell Rep - "I can help you with that, may I have your phone number, PIN"
Me - gives account info
Bell Rep - "May I ask the reason you would like to cancel?"
Me - "I have just purchased an HD TV, so my money is kind of tight now. I was looking at your website and my cable provider for HD Equipment (push the 6141 model here) and Programming, they seem to be a bit cheaper"
Bell Rep - "Ok, I understand, may I place you on hold to see what I can do"

Bell Rep will most likely offer you 6141 for $199 with a $100 credit to your account and some % off your programming. Also note, that this will most likely come with a 12 month contract and free install. You may also be required to change your legacy programming to the current programming.

If you do not like any of the above, I'd just continue with what you have and activate your receiver and choose your HD programming.

djino
"Goodluck"

thats what she said...

j/k djino ur the man :) anyone who follows these simple steps will get the discounts...again also depends on your current package.

[Ally SheDevil]

Thank you for the advice! Called back and had a different CSR and received the HD PVR installed for $250, free HD package for six month, 30% discount for one year and no contract! I love this site :lol:

1) Were the first words out of your mouth "I would like to Cancel?"

Reason being is you may NOT be speaking to a retentions agent. Not saying this, implies that you are just looking for a better deal and will stay regardless (yes, granted you did say you were interested in cable, but this isn't threatening enough for them).

2) I would say I have JUST Bought an HD TV (assuming you DO NOT already have any HD Receiver/programming) instead of I WILL be purchasing.

This sorta implies that you need your HD Programming ASAP and are willing to goto the competition for it.

3) Say that the competition also has cheaper HD Programming.

This will bring out the discussion of giving you a % off programming.


Now this might be tought to goback to if you have already accepted an offer they have made. Look on Page 25 of this thread for my complete discussion you should be having with Bell.

From what you have posted above, your intent to really switch providers isn't evident. Your intent to just get a better deal is clear (which is what you have to hide when speaking with Bell CSR). And also, make sure when you call Bell, you choose "Cancel Programming" from the IVR. The first words to come out of your mouth should be "I would like to cancel".

Also note, you wont have much of a leg to stand on if you still have at least 3 or more months left on an existing contract. So just be patient and wait until you are closer to the end (or you can accept their current offer).

djino
"Goodluck"

[SpykeYs]

Hello everyone,

I have all my services with videotron right now..

What if... I subscribe to Bell Phone line without contract... then a few days after I contact retention saying videotron is offering me a nice package to come back with them..

Do you think they will then be able to offer me a better package with nice deals for XVU.. or they will only offer me a better deal on phone + same deal for any new customer on xvu ?

Worth a try eh ?

Thanks!

[SpykeYs]

Or.. is it that bell phone and xvu retention isn't the same ?

Thanks!

[djino]

Hello everyone,

I have all my services with videotron right now..

What if... I subscribe to Bell Phone line without contract... then a few days after I contact retention saying videotron is offering me a nice package to come back with them..

Do you think they will then be able to offer me a better package with nice deals for XVU.. or they will only offer me a better deal on phone + same deal for any new customer on xvu ?

Worth a try eh ?

Thanks!

That wont work. Each bell service (TV, Internet, Mobility, HomePhone) all have their own retentions department.

Let me stress this once more: You will NOT get a retention deal if you DO NOT have Bell TV.

Even if you did have Bell TV, you still wont get a retention deal if you still have many months left in your contract.

You can still get decent deals if you are a new client signing up. So stop trying to get as good a deal as existing clients. In this day in age, Companies should be bending over backwards to keep their existing clients instead of catering to new clients as most do. Its about time a company is much more loyal to existing clients.

Visit bell.ca/tv or call 1-888-sky-dish. Have a look at the new customer promos. Get signed up. Then come back to this site when you have less then 3 months left in your contract to see how you can get a better deal.

djino
"Need to have Bell TV, to get Bell TV Retention Deal"

[leafnation5]

What is difference between 6131 and 6141? What is Bell offering between these two nowadays?
Tnx

[goathead]

Out of curiosity, we have only our phoneline & LD from Bell, and are looking to add HD satellite TV. Would cancelling only the phone be likely to get a retention discount on new TV service? I had the most miserable experience ever dealing with one of their front line salespeople for new TV service, and gave up after 45 minutes - and to boot had the same salesgirl call me up 2 days later trying again to sign me up with an even worse offer than I'd turned down.

[djino]

What is difference between 6131 and 6141? What is Bell offering between these two nowadays?
Tnx

6141 comes with HDMI Cable.
6131 Does not.

I think there is 1 other minor difference, but I forget right now.

djino

[Sheed30]

6141 comes with HDMI Cable.
6131 Does not.

I think there is 1 other minor difference, but I forget right now.

djino

The 6141 as a OTA tuner...The 6131 does not...

[djino]

Out of curiosity, we have only our phoneline & LD from Bell, and are looking to add HD satellite TV. Would cancelling only the phone be likely to get a retention discount on new TV service? I had the most miserable experience ever dealing with one of their front line salespeople for new TV service, and gave up after 45 minutes - and to boot had the same salesgirl call me up 2 days later trying again to sign me up with an even worse offer than I'd turned down.

Did you read my post on the previous page...

That wont work. Each bell service (TV, Internet, Mobility, HomePhone) all have their own retentions department.

Let me stress this once more: You will NOT get a retention deal if you DO NOT have Bell TV.

Even if you did have Bell TV, you still wont get a retention deal if you still have many months left in your contract.

You can still get decent deals if you are a new client signing up. So stop trying to get as good a deal as existing clients. In this day in age, Companies should be bending over backwards to keep their existing clients instead of catering to new clients as most do. Its about time a company is much more loyal to existing clients.

Visit bell.ca/tv or call 1-888-sky-dish. Have a look at the new customer promos. Get signed up. Then come back to this site when you have less then 3 months left in your contract to see how you can get a better deal.

djino
"Need to have Bell TV, to get Bell TV Retention Deal"

[goathead]

Did you read my post on the previous page...

Missed it (clearly!) Thanks for the info, sounds like I just need to wait till Bell (or Rogers) has a decent new customer promo.

[leafnation5]

The 6141 as a OTA tuner...The 6131 does not...


Does OTA make any major difference?

[Sheed30]

Does OTA make any major difference?

The OTA (Over The Air) tuner is good if you live in an area where there are free HD signals that you can pull in with an antenna..If there are no OTA signals in your area it won't make that much of a difference in my opinion...

[tomtong]

6141 comes with HDMI Cable.
6131 Does not.

I think there is 1 other minor difference, but I forget right now.

djino

It could now become a PVR with USB ext HDD after firmware update. I read it from other forums and it's quite buggy.

[djino]

It could now become a PVR with USB ext HDD after firmware update. I read it from other forums and it's quite buggy.

That I dont have any experience with.

I only have a 9242 and a 2x 5900.

djino

[TheZodiac]

I got my parents the 6131 for $99 bucks and the rep said since were getting HD it's free install with HDMI cables. I'll find out tomorrow if it was BS.

[taliosfalcon]

That I dont have any experience with.

I only have a 9242 and a 2x 5900.

djino

With the latest firmware updates they very rarely get a green screen that requires a hard reboot, other than that the 6141's work flawlessly with HDD's. It's expected that bell will fix the green screen issue soon as its the exact same issue the 9242's had with one of their earlier firmwares

[sunkids]

I got my parents the 6131 for $99 bucks and the rep said since were getting HD it's free install with HDMI cables. I'll find out tomorrow if it was BS.


That HDMI cable comes with is piece of crap!

[djino]

That HDMI cable comes with is piece of crap!

Monoprice.com another.

djino
":D"

[Sheed30]

Is the price drop on the 6141 for all stores? Last I checked BB still had it $299 and a rep at TSCC told my friend it was only $199 after programming credits...

[djino]

Is the price drop on the 6141 for all stores? Last I checked BB still had it $299 and a rep at TSCC told my friend it was only $199 after programming credits...

The price at Futureshop dropped to $199. So you can goto BB and PM FF. Its $199.. ($99 if you are a new customer after programming credits - or if you can get retention deal :D).

djino

[Sheed30]

The price at Futureshop dropped to $199. So you can goto BB and PM FF. Its $199.. ($99 if you are a new customer after programming credits - or if you can get retention deal :D).

djino

I wouldn't be a new customer since I have been with Bell for about 10 years....I am contemplating switching to Starchoice anyway so the retention route is probably the way to go..Having to sign a contract with Bell would be a deal breaker for me.....

[djino]

I wouldn't be a new customer since I have been with Bell for about 10 years....I am contemplating switching to Starchoice anyway so the retention route is probably the way to go..Having to sign a contract with Bell would be a deal breaker for me.....

I'm sure you can pull off getting it for $99 without a contract (I think others here have said they did). But dont expect to get a % off your programming without it.

Though I think getting it for $99 along with like 30% off programming is worth sticking with them for another 12 months.

djino
"Goodluck"

[Sheed30]

I'm sure you can pull off getting it for $99 without a contract (I think others here have said they did). But dont expect to get a % off your programming without it.

Though I think getting it for $99 along with like 30% off programming is worth sticking with them for another 12 months.

djino
"Goodluck"

Yeah getting the 6141 for $99 and getting 30% off for 12 months would probably keep me as a customer even if there is a 1 year contract involved...:)
Time to weigh my options.....

[SpykeYs]

Hi Guys,

Here is what I have been able to get with a BACK TO BELL offer (No Rentention, but the other way around hehe)

Here is what they offered me:

1- Bell Telephone: 18.41$ (no extra fees, no contract)

2- Bell Sympatico: 26.95$ (no extra fees, no contract, 60GB (Enough for me))

3- Bell ExpressVu HD Essentiels (6 themes + 4 HD Themes): 52$ (12 months contract)

5- 50% 9241 HD PVR (500$ - 250$) = 250$ and 99$ for the 6141 HD Receiver

6- 10$ PPV Credit + 3 months free of Movie Network

Total: 97.36+ tx = ~110$/month

I am currently paying 133$ a month with Videotron for less HD Channels...

[browser]

I had my installation yesterday, it was -19 but the guy got up the ladder and did some re-wiring. For people getting HD PVR keep an eye on what unit they bring into the house. He tried to bring in a 9241 first but i said i requested a 9242 (which is what was on the install sheet also) which he also had on the truck.
now i just get to watch my bills for the promised credits and discounts, thanks rfd!

[TheZodiac]

I had my installation yesterday, it was -19 but the guy got up the ladder and did some re-wiring. For people getting HD PVR keep an eye on what unit they bring into the house. He tried to bring in a 9241 first but i said i requested a 9242 (which is what was on the install sheet also) which he also had on the truck.
now i just get to watch my bills for the promised credits and discounts, thanks rfd!

I had BELL installer come by yesterday. BELL was supposed to bring me a 9242 but instead brought 9241 I feel like it was a bait and switch.

Did you let him run the wire around your house my installer said they don't fish wires??? Calling BELL today to see WTF is going on.

[djino]

1- Bell Telephone: 18.41$ (no extra fees, no contract)

I suppose thats a good deal. I dont use Bell Homephone. CIA Voip here ($3.95/month all features - www.cia.com)

2- Bell Sympatico: 26.95$ (no extra fees, no contract, 60GB (Enough for me))

Good deal.. My retention deal was $29.95 - 60GB - 12 month contract.

3- Bell ExpressVu HD Essentiels (6 themes + 4 HD Themes): 52$ (12 months contract)

I believe thats a good deal as regular price would be:
Digital Standard - $32
5 Themes - $20
+1 Theme - $5
4HD Themes - $10
-------------------
Total - $67

I currently have 30% off (Digital Standard + 5 Themes + 4free HD Themes)
for $36.40

5- 50% 9241 HD PVR (500$ - 250$) = 250$ and 99$ for the 6141 HD Receiver

Good deal. I plan on riding the free rental as long as possible then try to jump on a 50% off deal.

6- 10$ PPV Credit + 3 months free of Movie Network

Good stuff.

djino
"Did you accept?"

[goathead]

Hi Guys,

Here is what I have been able to get with a BACK TO BELL offer (No Rentention, but the other way around hehe)

Here is what they offered me:

1- Bell Telephone: 18.41$ (no extra fees, no contract)

2- Bell Sympatico: 26.95$ (no extra fees, no contract, 60GB (Enough for me))

3- Bell ExpressVu HD Essentiels (6 themes + 4 HD Themes): 52$ (12 months contract)

5- 50% 9241 HD PVR (500$ - 250$) = 250$ and 99$ for the 6141 HD Receiver

6- 10$ PPV Credit + 3 months free of Movie Network

Total: 97.36+ tx = ~110$/month

I am currently paying 133$ a month with Videotron for less HD Channels...


This seems like a good deal. Any advice on getting it? DId you have to take all the services to get this deal? When I last spoke to them they wanted $67 for HD essentials, 2 yr sign up. My internet is teksavvy for the same price, so I could switch but would prefer not to.

[Sheed30]

Looks like the 6141 is now sold out online @ FS... Is the 6131 being sold anywhere online?

[SpykeYs]

This seems like a good deal. Any advice on getting it? DId you have to take all the services to get this deal? When I last spoke to them they wanted $67 for HD essentials, 2 yr sign up. My internet is teksavvy for the same price, so I could switch but would prefer not to.


Hi,

The deal should be valid if you are an old Bell customer. It is called the "Win Back" dept.

If you were with bell before, but are now with another company, if you call 1 877 866-8894 they should be able to do something similar.

Thanks!

[brockster]

So I have 12 months free of the 9242...

Should I just ride out the free rental and see what is available or grab a 9242 new before they are no longer available anywhere? I use the Bell TV in another room feature that only the 9242 offers?

Anyone else who got the rental free for a year weighing their options?

I am leaning towards ride the rental out and see what other offers are available then...

[djino]

So I have 12 months free of the 9242...

Should I just ride out the free rental and see what is available or grab a 9242 new before they are no longer available anywhere? I use the Bell TV in another room feature that only the 9242 offers?

Anyone else who got the rental free for a year weighing their options?

I am leaning towards ride the rental out and see what other offers are available then...

Yup that's what I'm doing, just gonna ride the free rental as long as possible then eventually jump on a 50% off Equipment deal.

djino

[ncnmra]

Anyone else who got the rental free for a year weighing their options?

I am leaning towards ride the rental out and see what other offers are available then...
I did a deal like this last year, so my HD PVR rental is ending sometime soon. I'm not sure what to do, since $20/month is a lot for that thing. All in all, I pay around $120 (taxes in) with Bell right now, but that's ONLY TV and Home Phone (with *only* Call Display), so I think I'm getting ripped right now....

Any comments on deals I should be on the lookout for? I have internet through TekSavvy (5mbit, 200GB) and their customer service is amazing so I don't really want to switch, but if its gets me a package deal, I might be interested.

[openskies]

I joined December 2nd....My letter to Bell, posted below explains the unbelievable ineptness of this company.

Office of the Manager
P.O. Box 920, Station A,
Toronto (Ontario)
M5W 1G5
*
Dear Sir Or Madam,
*
I have never been moved to*submit of a letter of complaint to any corporation, large or small.* And while I have found a hero at Bell Canada, the stress I endured before finally resolving this horrible mess, literally made me ill.
*
I was a customer of Bell tv for some seven or eight years before quitting in disgust.* As I recall I had tired of having to dispute my bills every two or three months.
*
After an absence of some two + years and the target of four "We want you back calls"* I was finally given an offer I couldn't refuse.
*
It just so happened one of your representatives contacted me about three weeks before I was to move into a new home.* I have multiple sclerosis and*found it necessary to downsize.* The offer I was made included a free installation, so I jumped on board.* I should have known better.
*
The service was hooked up December 2.* Please keep that date in mind. In returning I was promised a tv package that included 11 themes, all high definition channels free, a free pvr for one year and the first two months of programming free, *After the two months my bill would be $65.00 per month. *Let the games begin.*
*
As is the custom of this huge monolithic corporation, Goliath pounced on David without any warning.* At least the original David was armed with a slingshot and the battle ended in seconds.* I on the other hand, needed 11 hours and 40 minutes on the phone*over a four day period to reach a service rep who actually cared or knew what to do.* I'll* reveal your employee of the century in a few lines.* (Hold on there is more to come and if you are skeptical, I have the documents and tapes to prove it.)
*
Okay, quick now, what day did I renew service with that great nimiq satellite in the sky?** Yes, December 2nd.
*
Remember now, the first two months are free..$65 a month thereafter. You can imagine my shock when less than three weeks later, I received a bill for $293.41 for service from November 11 to December 10.*The bill*Indicated*a due date of January 1st. *Weird I thought, my service didn't start until ...yep...Dec.2
*
A couple of days later.... another bill. Dated December 17th. It indicates*I owe $239.56, due January 11.* Now if you think I am saving the best for last, I am, but this isn't it.
*
On December 30 I received a letter from none other than Gary Smith. (now there's a name) *I got a warm fuzzy feeling as I opened the envelope feeling someone at Bell was welcoming me back and apologizing for the billing errors.* Nope!* Seems as though*Gary is feeling the effects of the financial slowdown and wants some cash. The letter is headed
*
*********************************** * DISCONNECTION NOTICE!
*
Seems my account,* started on December 2nd, is now seriously past due and my services will be disconnected if I don't pay by December 30th. *BTW the letter was received December 30th.
*
This was just the beginning of my horror story.* I won't bore you with the details, but they are fascinating. I made twelve calls over a four day period, spending 11 hours and 40 minutes on the phone trying to resolve the problem.
*
I was disconnected twice, transferred to the wrong department twice, told by one rep that no-one could have possibly made me the offer I described and I spent 55 minutes on hold during yet another call.*
*
Enter my hero. A woman who knew what she was doing and took pride in her work.

In 42 minutes she had it all resolved and even promised a follow up call to me next month to make sure all is well.* Were it not for this lady, Bell and I would once again be history! As it is I think you should offer me some type of compensation for my time and the stress this has caused.* Regardless, you have one employee in you retention centre at Eglinton and Don Mills who deserves special recognition from you because she cares.* Let's hear it for (name omitted for privacy purposes.

Oh, another thing. After most of the calls to Bell, within hours I received an automated marketing research call. I was kind enough to take the time to register my honest (yet somewhat jaded) opinion. I came to the conclusion this is a little ploy by Bell, to suggest to the customer that the company really cares. Twice I said someone should give me a call, which of course never happened.

*
Thankyou for your time
*
*
Sincerely
*
*
Today, January 26th. While I thought this was all resolved, I received another DISCONNECTION NOTICE!!!!

[beripari]

Can't say I'm surprised in the least - after all, its Bell!!! But I THOROUGHLY enjoyed your excellent letter!! Please keep us posted on any response & hopefully some sort of compensation for your valuable time - Bell thinks consumers have nothing better to do than make 1 hr phone calls. SO very glad you taped the calls!!!

[brockster]

With Bell, after they promise you something you always have to check your bills. I have had to call almost every month to get corrections made (ie I have been waiting FOREVER to get the box for my old receiver to send back while they still bill me for it).

Also, never take them up on their offers for things like Sunday Ticket. I got it for 50% off when I signed up for Bell TV but they charged me all 4 installments and it was a lot of work and waiting to get the 50% off.

Bell does not know if the right hand is even remotely talking to the left hand.

I only keep their services because the evil empire alternative is just as bad. I would consider OTA HD but I cannot go back from the Bell 9242 after having it. Also, I need TSN and Rogers Sportsnet.

Anyone who deals with Bell or Rogers has pretty much had a problem of some sort with them. You can debate all you want who is better but the bottom line is neither and the CRTC does not do their job... if they did we would have much more choice.

[sml]

So here's my story:
I got the 30% off programming for 6 months and free 9242 rental for 1 yr last December. That deal has now expired and I called in to try to basically get the same deal again. No go, the new deal is only 40% off programming for 1 yr and full price for the 9242 rental. There was a purchasing option of 25% off $499 for the PVR if I sign a 2 yr contract, which I would never consider. I asked if I can get 50% off the PVR and they said it's only for new customers. Wouldn't budge at all. Now I'm no better staying at Bell than to switch to Shaw because once you factor in the free hdpvr from Shaw, my monthly bill is the same even with the 40% discount from Bell. Now I'm seriously considering switching to Shaw cable.

[djino]

So here's my story:
I got the 30% off programming for 6 months and free 9242 rental for 1 yr last December. That deal has now expired and I called in to try to basically get the same deal again. No go, the new deal is only 40% off programming for 1 yr and full price for the 9242 rental. There was a purchasing option of 25% off $499 for the PVR if I sign a 2 yr contract, which I would never consider. I asked if I can get 50% off the PVR and they said it's only for new customers. Wouldn't budge at all. Now I'm no better staying at Bell than to switch to Shaw because once you factor in the free hdpvr from Shaw, my monthly bill is the same even with the 40% discount from Bell. Now I'm seriously considering switching to Shaw cable.

1) When you called Bell, did you choose the IVR option for 'Cancel your programming?' - This gets you to the retentions, as regular Bell Rep have very little authority on offering the deals we all want.

2) Were the first words out of your mouth "I would like to Cancel"? - As this puts the negociating on Bell's side on what they should offer you instead of you saying can I have this, or can I have that

3) When they ask, "May I ask why you would like to cancel". Your response should be along the lines of "I know my contract has ended (or is coming to an end) which means my price of my programming/rentals will go up. Im just not able to afford to pay anymore then what I am currently paying".

4) Maybe push it by adding "I have done a little price looking with cable, and they seem to be priced a bit better"

Following those 4 points should get you something better or keep the same retention deal.

djino
"Call back and give 'r a try"

[sml]

1) When you called Bell, did you choose the IVR option for 'Cancel your programming?' - This gets you to the retentions, as regular Bell Rep have very little authority on offering the deals we all want.

2) Were the first words out of your mouth "I would like to Cancel"? - As this puts the negociating on Bell's side on what they should offer you instead of you saying can I have this, or can I have that

3) When they ask, "May I ask why you would like to cancel". Your response should be along the lines of "I know my contract has ended (or is coming to an end) which means my price of my programming/rentals will go up. Im just not able to afford to pay anymore then what I am currently paying".

4) Maybe push it by adding "I have done a little price looking with cable, and they seem to be priced a bit better"

Following those 4 points should get you something better or keep the same retention deal.

djino
"Call back and give 'r a try"

Thanks for the response, but I did do all the above but still no go. I guess I was pushing my luck a bit since I already got the retention plan a year ago(actually, it's 2 yrs ago now). I didn't think they would keep giving me a free PVR rental forever! But I am suprised that I was not offered 50% off the PVR purhcase.

[soulize]

Is there a receiver that Bell currently offers that has picture-in-picture support?

If so, which model is it?

I was getting a free HD rental and 30% off my programming for a year...I'm not on a contract and have all services (home phone, internet, expressvu) with Bell and no contracts on those.

I pay $112 for everything (Home phone + 2 features, Internet Performace (60 GB), Expressvu with HD channels and 7 themes)

I called into Expressvu and wanted some HD receivers since a friend at Rogers is offering 2 free HD units if I switch my services over, and the rep said I can get the 6141 HD receiver for $99 and she'll continue my 30% off for another 2 years. I'm currently getting one HD receiver free rental, so this would be a second one.

My account would stay on no-contract status and nothing more will be charged except for the HD receiver and my credits extended...

Is this a decent deal? I like it because I don't have to renew any contracts. My only gripe is the picture-in-picture issue. From what I understand it's the 9242 model that costs $399 that only has PIP. I'm not willing to spend that much just for PIP (I'll be connecting an external hard drive for PVR purposes on the 6141) and I don't watch that much TV to warrant spending that much, and I also don't want to trade in my free rental if $20 a month is the rental fee for the 9242.

[squinty]

I just got off the phone with a BEV CSR:

Here's my deal (coming from no HD BEV service with over 7 years as a promptly paying customer):

- FREE HDPVR (9249) rental for 12 months
- FREE HARDWARE UPGRADE (for dish)
- FREE 4-WAY SWITCH
- FREE INSTALLATION
- FREE HD PROGRAMMING for 6 months
- 30% DISCOUNT on all Programming for 12 months





I've been with Bell for at least 6 yrs, most of that without a contract. I own all my 4 sd receivers and am looking to cut my bill. I see loads of people getting great deals with HD packages (like the one above), but i'm just wondering what i can get if i'm only looking for a better price on what i already have. After reading the above post, i'm almost tempted to go and upgrade, but there's really no point since i don't have an HDTV just yet.

Here's what i have now:
$15 fairchild (chinese)
$32 digital standard
$3 service fee
$26 6 themes
---
$76 plus tx

[djino]

I've been with Bell for at least 6 yrs, most of that without a contract. I own all my 4 sd receivers and am looking to cut my bill. I see loads of people getting great deals with HD packages (like the one above), but i'm just wondering what i can get if i'm only looking for a better price on what i already have. After reading the above post, i'm almost tempted to go and upgrade, but there's really no point since i don't have an HDTV just yet.

Here's what i have now:
$15 fairchild (chinese)
$32 digital standard
$3 service fee
$26 6 themes
---
$76 plus tx

Yeah, just wait until you get the HDTV (or maybe a week or 2 before). Then callback and use the dialogue in my post on Page 25.

djino

[Sheed30]

I just called Bell to cancel and I got offered 20% off my programming for 12 months to keep me as a customer...:mad: After I said no to the 20% she just proceeded with the cancel order... No mention of any deal on a HD receiver even after I told her I was going to buy a HD system from Star Choice and switch to them which I will more than likely do now...I just told the CSR I would think about the 20% offer for a couple of days and let her know..Looks like I will be switching TV providers in the very near future....

[djino]

I just called Bell to cancel and I got offered 20% off my programming for 12 months to keep me as a customer...:mad: After I said no to the 20% she just proceeded with the cancel order... No mention of any deal on a HD receiver even after I told her I was going to buy a HD system from Star Choice and switch to them which I will more than likely do now...I just told the CSR I would think about the 20% offer for a couple of days and let her know..Looks like I will be switching TV providers in the very near future....

I guess they maybe tightening up on the retention deals due to the economy.

djino
":|"

[Sheed30]

I guess they maybe tightening up on the retention deals due to the economy.

djino
":|"

Maybe...I was first offered 10% off for 12 months which I said no to.She then offered me 20%...I am quite surprised really she didn't offer me some sort of deal on a HD receiver after I told her I was going to buy a Star Choice HD system and switch to them..I will call again maybe later today or tomorrow.Star Choice is offering a HD system to new customers for $89 after programming credits so that is looking more like an option for me...


Edit: Just called back and got a feisty female CSR :lol: and she wouldn't budge from the 20% off for 12 months.I was offered the standard HD receiver for the regular price of $299 - $100 in programming credits.Since I didn't get a better offer I decided to take the 20% off for 12 months that I have to keep for at least 30 days before I can attempt to cancel my services again.I suppose 20% off for 12 months is better than nothing but I was really hoping to get the standard HD box for $99 after programming credits included too.I guess I am still a Bell customer for at least another 30 days....:lol:

[Mickeybear]

I joined December 2nd....My letter to Bell, posted below explains the unbelievable ineptness of this company.

.......

Today, January 26th. While I thought this was all resolved, I received another DISCONNECTION NOTICE!!!!

What a sad waste of almost 12 hours of your life. I sincerely hope that this situation has been resolved and you are compensated for your inconvenience.

This situation almost parallels mine except for the disconnection notices. Since moving over 2 years ago I have spent at least an hour every month on the phone with Bell trying to get them to correct their billing mistakes (I only stay with them because I currently live in a small town and there isn't an alternative). When I moved, twice they sent an installer to my previous residence in a city over 100 kms away! It took them 10 days to finally send an installer to the correct address.

Please keep us informed and I certainly hope you don't have to spend more time on the phone with them but I wouldn't hold my breath!

[openskies]

I appreciate you kind words Beripari regarding my earlier post, #537. I have decided to adopt a "wait and see" attitude. If I am disconnected I'll simply move on, but I am loathe to get back on the phone with these people any longer.
I am sure should they disconnect me, they will try to bill me for breaking the contract. I have all the evidence I need to prove they never lived up to their end of the bargain. I would urge anyone who talks with Bell to record their calls. Just before leaving Bell the first time, my bill was in dispute and it appeared I had it resolved after chatting with a CSR. I got a confirmation number at the time, but later when I presented it as evidence, I was told there was no such number.

Now I can just ask, "wanna hear the tape?" Of course that entails more work for me. I have yet to catalogue the recordings which probably will take me about an hour.

A cautionary note to the poster who is thinking of Starchoice. I have a friend who has had nothing but problems with them, so try to get everything in writing. My bet is they won't do it.

[openskies]

Mickeybear, I was typing as you posted. Thanks for your concern and sharing your story.

[w3ss]

I believe thats a good deal as regular price would be:
Digital Standard - $32
5 Themes - $20
+1 Theme - $5
4HD Themes - $10
-------------------
Total - $67


Did something change recently with the $20 for 5 themes (its $23 on my bill now but online it hasnt changed)

Monthly Services (Jan 16 to Feb 15)
1 Fairchild 15.00
1 Digital Standard 32.00
1 Digital Service Fee 3.00
1 5 Themes 23.00
Total Monthly charges (before taxes) 73.00

I had to recall to get my 50% discount back and noticed this on the bill.

[Sheed30]

Did something change recently with the $20 for 5 themes (its $23 on my bill now but online it hasnt changed)

Monthly Services (Jan 16 to Feb 15)
1 Fairchild 15.00
1 Digital Standard 32.00
1 Digital Service Fee 3.00
1 5 Themes 23.00
Total Monthly charges (before taxes) 73.00

I had to recall to get my 50% discount back and noticed this on the bill.

I have the same package of Digital standard + 5 themes (minus Fairchild) and my bill went up $4 for my Feb bill...I knew this was coming from the notice in either my Nov or Dec bill last year...Everyone's Bell TV bill went up either $2 - $5 starting with their Feb billing period..I have read where some customers bills increased by $2 and some as high as $5.How they came up with how much everyone's bill increased is beyond me.Why they didn't impose a flat rate increase for everyone but this is Bell we are talking about here..I think those 2 beavers are actually running that company...:lol:

Edit: My bill is the same as yours minus Fairchild so it looks like both our bills increased by $4...I was wondering how Bell was going to add the $4 in the bill.Looks like they added $1 to the Digital Standard and $3 to the 5 theme pack bundle.....

1 Digital Standard 32.00
1 Digital Service Fee 3.00
1 5 Themes 23.00
Total Monthly charges (before taxes) $58

[goathead]

I guess they maybe tightening up on the retention deals due to the economy.

djino
":|"

I'd think they'd be going the other way. People are less likely to be willing to sign up for 2 years at $90/month when they are concerned about their jobs.

I agree, my conversations with Rogers and Bell last week were horrible, and I kept thinking they are likely going to have to get more competitive soon (and I can wait).

[linorman]

I just negotiated 20% off last weekend and now that I have thought more about this I am thinking I should another HD receiver to my package. I called Shaw and of course they are offering a free HDPVR and standard digital receiver to switch. Would it be possible to negotiate another HD receiver at this point or did I mis my opportunity by not asking for it last week? Any advice would be appreciated! thankx

[Potsman]

I was a little kinder as I called to ask what was required to cancel my service and never said I was going to leave. CSR asked why and I told him I had looked at Videotron and the price would have been about $23.00 per month less which put my bill at $56 permonth plus the Harper and Charest contributions. He said he would take 30% off for one year with no contract and give me the HD PVR rental for 1 year free as well. I told him I didn't have any use for the PVR but thanked him anyway as it was very kind of him to offer. He then asked if I wanted to buy a 6121 receiver for $199 / net $99 as they would give a $100 credit to programming. I said no (which I am now regreting as I read about the new PVR software update for this unit). In any event, I said thanks and you convinced me to stay, so I took the 30%. This was the first monthly discount I have recieved, but my second call to retentions as last May I got 4 months of free programming plus $114 credit, but that was due to complaining about not getting the tell a friend free programming promotion. In the end I am quite happy. I am going to e-mail them and ask if there are any promotions to change my phone and internet to them.

[Sheed30]

I was a little kinder as I called to ask what was required to cancel my service and never said I was going to leave. CSR asked why and I told him I had looked at Videotron and the price would have been about $23.00 per month less which put my bill at $56 permonth plus the Harper and Charest contributions. He said he would take 30% off for one year with no contract and give me the HD PVR rental for 1 year free as well. I told him I didn't have any use for the PVR but thanked him anyway as it was very kind of him to offer. He then asked if I wanted to buy a 6121 receiver for $199 / net $99 as they would give a $100 credit to programming. I said no (which I am now regreting as I read about the new PVR software update for this unit). In any event, I said thanks and you convinced me to stay, so I took the 30%. This was the first monthly discount I have recieved, but my second call to retentions as last May I got 4 months of free programming plus $114 credit, but that was due to complaining about not getting the tell a friend free programming promotion. In the end I am quite happy. I am going to e-mail them and ask if there are any promotions to change my phone and internet to them.

:mad: The 6131 or 6141 is what I was after yesterday when I called in and threatened to cancel...All the cranky female CSR would give me was 20% off for a year and offered me a standard HD receiver for $299 - $100 programming credit..I can't cancel my service for at least another 30 days due to accepting the 20% off for 12 months but I will probably be calling again shortly after the 30 days are up and probably leaving Bell this time if I can't get a decent deal on a HD box....

[HHH103]

Yes I believe you have a choice. But also note that the HD Channels with a star beside them (from the programmingguide brochure) will need a subscription to the equivalent SD Channel.

djino
"Some HD Channels (not all) require the Equivalent SD Subscription"

Can you have RushHD (Channel 811) included in the 6 month free HD programming without subscription to Sports SD channels? It does not have a star beside on the programming guide brochure. But the Bell CSR said I need to subscribe to the Sports 1 theme pack in order to add RushHD to my 6 month free HD programming.

It is also weird that the channel does not appear on the All Channels list, not even in red (not subscribed). Channels 810 (OasisHD) and 812 (EquatorHD) are there. Anyone know why?

Thanks.

[djino]

Can you have RushHD (Channel 811) included in the 6 month free HD programming without subscription to Sports SD channels? It does not have a star beside on the programming guide brochure. But the Bell CSR said I need to subscribe to the Sports 1 theme pack in order to add RushHD to my 6 month free HD programming.

It is also weird that the channel does not appear on the All Channels list, not even in red (not subscribed). Channels 810 (OasisHD) and 812 (EquatorHD) are there. Anyone know why?

Thanks.

Yeah, I noticed that when I got HD Programming months ago. I never called in inquire about that as I wasn't getting the channel.

Though I think the CSR is correct as I remember reading on another website (forum) that you do need to subscribe to the sports theme to get RUSH HD.

djino
"Why?, I dunno"

[mbm]

I joined December 2nd....My letter to Bell, posted below explains the unbelievable ineptness of this company.

Office of the Manager
P.O. Box 920, Station A,
Toronto (Ontario)
M5W 1G5
*...... Today, January 26th. While I thought this was all resolved, I received another DISCONNECTION NOTICE!!!!

Wow, just wow.

[NYR]

Called in and they offered me 40% off my bill. Bill is pretty high, not on contract anymore, pay around 137 bucks a month. This was the first offer. Managed to get new pricing on the international prpgrammng as well so I saved 15 bucks there too. Bill is down to 80 bucks..

[Bastich]

Yeah, I noticed that when I got HD Programming months ago. I never called in inquire about that as I wasn't getting the channel.

Though I think the CSR is correct as I remember reading on another website (forum) that you do need to subscribe to the sports theme to get RUSH HD.

djino
"Why?, I dunno"

Same with the National Geographic channel. After the free preview ended, it's gone from the lineup completely. Weird.

:cool:

[djino]

Same with the National Geographic channel. After the free preview ended, it's gone from the lineup completely. Weird.

:cool:

Well with National Geographic you DO NOT need the SD Version to get the HD. If you have subscribed to the HD Theme pack that includes National Geographic and you are still not getting it, I would call Bell to get the fixed.

djino

[klawman19]

My 1 year discount was up for the free PVR rental and 20% discount off my bill. About $34 savings per month. I called Retentions and explained to them that I couldn't afford the extra $34 per month going forward and I had to cancel. I told them that Telus was offering a great deal right now with free PVR rentals.

It was much more difficult to get anything this time. She had to put me on hold "to speak to her manager" several times while we negotiated. Everything was cordial. At the end, I said I had to cancel my service before she went back to her manager for the last time. The final offer she made was to give 30% for 1 year, so I took it which works out to $21 savings per month. Still not bad. I'm happy.

[Sheed30]

There seems to be a lot of subscribers calling in these days complaining about high prices and threatening to cancel their BellTV service..me included...:) Anyone else here think that Bells current programming packages are total crap..I mean you have Digital Basic for $33 and the next bundle pack is Digital basic + 6 themes for $59...:mad: And to think when I first started using Bell the basic package started at $10 a month and now it is $33....

Why doesn't Bell also include a bundle of Digital Basic + 3 themes or something similar? If I were to choose digital basic + 2 themes it would cost me $33 + $16 for 2 theme packs which is very costly IMO....You are almost forced to go with the $59 bundle just for the savings even if you don't really need all the channels....:evil:

[openskies]

Well I told you my story in earlier posts about disconnection notices when I had been back to Bell for less than three weeks. i still have service and today received the standard mass mail from the president of residential services. I'm sure a lot of you got it...It says "We've just added more channels to your tv package."
It goes on to say HBO tsn2 and tsn2 hd are coming to me at no additional cost.
Then it says,,"please take a look at the enclosed brochure for the highlights of how these new channels will enhance your viewing experience."

There was no brochure enclosed.

So when I started in december I had bills for something like $294 then $256, then two disconnection notices and now, some free channels.

Maybe if I continue to ignore them i'll get all channels free.

I jest...I am so frustrated by all of this that I am thinking of writing letters to the editor at several newspapers. Something has to be done to give these people a wake up call....n'est pas?

[Mickeybear]

Well with National Geographic you DO NOT need the SD Version to get the HD. If you have subscribed to the HD Theme pack that includes National Geographic and you are still not getting it, I would call Bell to get the fixed.

djino

I was also previously receiving National Geographic as part of the HD Value Pack and also noticed I wasn't getting it anymore and it did not show up in the guide at all. So I just called Bell and was informed that they have made changes to the HD theme packs on January 1 and since I had an older package that is why I am not receiving it. He said he would fix that and my bill would not increase. In the next breath he says there will be some programming charges on my next bill but he can't tell me how much (maybe $5-$6). So I ask if the old package costs $10 and the new package costs $10 then how can there be any additional charges???

He says because I've already paid my current bill there will be additional charges but in the future my bill will stay the same! How the hell will it stay the same when I'm being charged for changing mid-month???

In the end I told him to forget about about it and do nothing, but asked him if I could be transferred to a supervisor because as far as I was concerned I'm paying $10 for HD programming and receiving less channels. On top of that Bell has increased my bill by $5 this month for Digital Standard and 5 theme packs.

He said he has escalated the problem and to call back in 3-4 days. I said I want to speak with someone now and he says all of his supervisors are busy. I said no wonder if that's the way Bell treats their customers. So tomorrow I will phone retentions to see what the hell is going on! And last month was the first time in 2 years Bell has gotten my bill correct. I should have known something was wrong!:mad::mad::mad:

[Mickeybear]

Just got off the phone with Retentions. Due to the restructuring of Bell's HD theme packs you now have to subscribe to National Geographic SD to get the HD channel. In addition, those customers that have the old HD value pack which was $10 per month will lose any HD channels unless they subscribe to the corresponding SD channel. Way to go Bell!

I currently have 5 SD theme packs which did not include National Geographic. To get National Geographic I would either have to add another SD theme pack for $3 a month or switch a theme pack and lose more programming.

Due to the new way Bell structures their HD themes, each theme pack is $5 or 4 for $10 or 5 for $15. In my case I could choose 3 HD theme packs for $15 or if I wanted 4 for $10 I would have to add an SD theme pack for $3 more.

I complained about why I had to still pay more to get the same programming I had before and the agent finally relented and gave me a $20 credit which equals 6 free months for the extra SD theme pack. First, we'll see if they get the bill correct in the next couple of months and then we'll see what happens in 6 months.:mad:

[Sheed30]

Just got off the phone with Retentions. Due to the restructuring of Bell's HD theme packs you now have to subscribe to National Geographic SD to get the HD channel. In addition, those customers that have the old HD value pack which was $10 per month will lose any HD channels unless they subscribe to the corresponding SD channel. Way to go Bell!

I currently have 5 SD theme packs which did not include National Geographic. To get National Geographic I would either have to add another SD theme pack for $3 a month or switch a theme pack and lose more programming.

Due to the new way Bell structures their HD themes, each theme pack is $5 or 4 for $10 or 5 for $15. In my case I could choose 3 HD theme packs for $15 or if I wanted 4 for $10 I would have to add an SD theme pack for $3 more.

I complained about why I had to still pay more to get the same programming I had before and the agent finally relented and gave me a $20 credit which equals 6 free months for the extra SD theme pack. First, we'll see if they get the bill correct in the next couple of months and then we'll see what happens in 6 months.:mad:


So to add another SD theme pack to the 5 you already have now is only an extra $3 a month for each additional theme pack? I thought the theme packs were $8 each but if you had 5 or more theme packs it was $5 each for additional theme packs...Did this change recently? Trying to find info on the Bell site is a nightmare...

[djino]

As the past few people have said, it is true, Bell has changed a bit of its HD Programming restrictions.


1. If you are NOT on the current programming package (on a grandfathered plan - lagacy programming) and you are subscribing to $10 HD Pack (4 Themes). You will/may notice many HD Channels missing.

How do I get them back?

You must subscribe to the equivalent SD Version of the channel. Example: National Geographic HD is a channel that you previously could get without having to subscribe to National Geographic SD. Legacy programming requirements have changed for this. You must have SD Version for all HD Programming. Or change your package to whats current.


2. For those on any of the current programming and you subscribe to the $10 HD Pack (4 Themes): As you know there are 5 HD Themes (HD Variety, HD More Variety, HD World, HD Sports and HD More Sports). To have 4 of these themes obviously means picking either HD Sports or HD More Sports (or both). The Requirement for these 2 HD themes (HD Sports, HD More Sports) is that you subscribe to the Sports 1 SD Theme pack.

Who cares, I will just get 3 HD Themes and pay $10

This is also false. If you only pick 3 HD Theme packs, Bell has to now apply this as $5 per HD Theme pack (resulting in an increase of $5 for less channels). The only way to avoid this is to Add Sports 1 SD Theme pack for $8 (if you have less then 5 SD Themes), OR switch around your SD Theme subscriptions to include Sports 1, OR to reduce your HD Themes to just 2 out of HD Variety, HD More Variety, HD World for $10.



Conclusion
4 HD themes for $10 is a bit of false advertising as you must have Sports 1 SD (Costing you an extra $8). 3 HD Themes cost you $15 if you do not add Sports 1. Bell is further more pushing its loyal legacy customers to switch to its current programming or pay for every SD Channel channel to get its HD eqivalent.

Note. If you already have 5 SD Themes for $23 (Price increase from $20) and Sports 1 is Not one of them you can add a 6th theme (Sports 1) for $3 more (as its 6 SD Themes for $26).

djino
"I have decided to reduce to 1 HD Theme for $5 and remove my 5 SD Themes for just 1 for $8 - Enough is Enough :mad:"

[Mickeybear]

As the past few people have said, it is true, Bell has changed a bit of its HD Programming restrictions.


1. If you are NOT on the current programming package (on a grandfathered plan - lagacy programming) and you are subscribing to $10 HD Pack (4 Themes). You will/may notice many HD Channels missing.

How do I get them back?

You must subscribe to the equivalent SD Version of the channel. Example: National Geographic HD is a channel that you previously could get without having to subscribe to National Geographic SD. Legacy programming requirements have changed for this. You must have SD Version for all HD Programming. Or change your package to whats current.

No wonder Bell boasts "the more HD channels - 70 and growing". Now that they've split them up all over the place you have to pay more to get them. :mad:


2. For those on any of the current programming and you subscribe to the $10 HD Pack (4 Themes): As you know there are 5 HD Themes (HD Variety, HD More Variety, HD World, HD Sports and HD More Sports). To have 4 of these themes obviously means picking either HD Sports or HD More Sports (or both). The Requirement for these 2 HD themes (HD Sports, HD More Sports) is that you subscribe to the Sports 1 SD Theme pack.

Who cares, I will just get 3 HD Themes and pay $10

This is also false. If you only pick 3 HD Theme packs, Bell has to now apply this as $5 per HD Theme pack (resulting in an increase of $5 for less channels). The only way to avoid this is to Add Sports 1 SD Theme pack for $8 (if you have less then 5 SD Themes), OR switch around your SD Theme subscriptions to include Sports 1, OR to reduce your HD Themes to just 2 out of HD Variety, HD More Variety, HD World for $10.



Conclusion
4 HD themes for $10 is a bit of false advertising as you must have Sports 1 SD (Costing you an extra $8). 3 HD Themes cost you $15 if you do not add Sports 1. Bell is further more pushing its loyal legacy customers to switch to its current programming or pay for every SD Channel channel to get its HD eqivalent.

Note. If you already have 5 SD Themes for $23 (Price increase from $20) and Sports 1 is Not one of them you can add a 6th theme (Sports 1) for $3 more (as its 6 SD Themes for $26).

djino
"I have decided to reduce to 1 HD Theme for $5 and remove my 5 SD Themes for just 1 for $8 - Enough is Enough :mad:"

Djino:

Good summary except I tried getting HD Sports and Sports 1. Bell says "No can do". Why? Because Raptors TV is in Sports 2. So if you want HD Sports you have to subscribe to both Sports 1 AND Sports 2. Very clever Bell!

I said I didn't care if I didn't get Raptors TV in SD or HD but retentions says you MUST subscribe to EVERY channel in the theme to get it. I told the woman that this was nothing short of blackmail!

Just so that I could get 4 HD themes for $10 I had to choose Sports 2 SD and More Sports HD. The stupid thing in all of this is I don't watch any sports channels and will never use these channels. I will probably do the same thing you did after 6 months is up or call back and try to get more credits.

No wonder Bell boasts "the most HD channels - 70 and growing". To get them you have to pay more now that they've moved them all over the place! :mad:

[synmag]

What I would like to know when Bell is going to have HD service in condos? I haven't called them lately.

[bitteralex]

Just called retentions and right away they offered me:
40% off programming for a year
free HD PVR rental for a year
free install

tried to buy the reciever but they would only give me regular price with a $100 programming credit... and no free install...

so i took the deal... after the year ends they can have their reciever back.. i'll buy my own...

[Mickeybear]

So to add another SD theme pack to the 5 you already have now is only an extra $3 a month for each additional theme pack? I thought the theme packs were $8 each but if you had 5 or more theme packs it was $5 each for additional theme packs...Did this change recently? Trying to find info on the Bell site is a nightmare...

There is no longer any package with 5 theme packs. The minimum is now 6 unless you purchase them individually for $8 each. Bell's website is a joke.

Digital Basic is $33 and has no themes. Digital Essentials is $59 and includes 6 themes ($26 for 6 themes). If you want more than 6 it is $5 for each theme. That is why I will only be paying $3 more as I had 5 themes (legacy package) and was paying $23.

Their brochure explains it a "little" better. They could have made things a lot easier for customers but have chosen to screw us. :mad:

[Mickeybear]

Just called retentions and right away they offered me:
40% off programming for a year
free HD PVR rental for a year
free install

tried to buy the reciever but they would only give me regular price with a $100 programming credit... and no free install...

so i took the deal... after the year ends they can have their reciever back.. i'll buy my own...

Great deal! What equipment and programming did you have and what new equipment and programming did you add???

[Sheed30]

Djino:

Good summary except I tried getting HD Sports and Sports 1. Bell says "No can do". Why? Because Raptors TV is in Sports 2. So if you want HD Sports you have to subscribe to both Sports 1 AND Sports 2. Very clever Bell!

I said I didn't care if I didn't get Raptors TV in SD or HD but retentions says you MUST subscribe to EVERY channel in the theme to get it. I told the woman that this was nothing short of blackmail!

Just so that I could get 4 HD themes for $10 I had to choose Sports 2 SD and More Sports HD. The stupid thing in all of this is I don't watch any sports channels and will never use these channels. I will probably do the same thing you did after 6 months is up or call back and try to get more credits.

No wonder Bell boasts "the most HD channels - 70 and growing". To get them you have to pay more now that they've moved them all over the place! :mad:

That is one of my gripes with Bell...They pretty much force you to include channels you absolutely don't want in order to get the ones you actually do want.More choices for their programming bundle packs would be nice also...It starts with Digital Basic and the first savings bundle starts with Digital Basic + 6 theme packs...A few more choices on bundle packs would be nice for people who don't require 6 theme packs and want to save a little....

[Mickeybear]

That is one of my gripes with Bell...They pretty much force you to include channels you absolutely don't want in order to get the ones you actually do want.More choices for their programming bundle packs would be nice also...It starts with Digital Basic and the first savings bundle starts with Digital Basic + 6 theme packs...A few more choices on bundle packs would be nice for people who don't require 6 theme packs and want to save a little....

You are perfectly correct! I wonder whatever happened to the legislation from CRTC that was to have cable and satellite providers unbundle channels to allow customers to choose exactly what programming they wanted. Although I suspect this option would probably cost you more as the providers would charge $2 - $2.50 per channel.

Your statement "A few more choices on bundle packs would be nice for people who don't require 6 theme packs and want to save a little...." is really an oxymoron! :cheesygri

[Sheed30]

There is no longer any package with 5 theme packs. The minimum is now 6 unless you purchase them individually for $8 each. Bell's website is a joke.

Digital Basic is $33 and has no themes. Digital Essentials is $59 and includes 6 themes ($26 for 6 themes). If you want more than 6 it is $5 for each theme. That is why I will only be paying $3 more as I had 5 themes (legacy package) and was paying $23.

Their brochure explains it a "little" better. They could have made things a lot easier for customers but have chosen to screw us. :mad:

I guess we are on the same package deal..I also have Digital Basic + 5 themes which I was paying $51 for before the $4 increase this month so it might be worth my while to add the extra theme pack for only $3...Thanks for the heads up...

[Sheed30]

Just called retentions and right away they offered me:
40% off programming for a year
free HD PVR rental for a year
free install

tried to buy the reciever but they would only give me regular price with a $100 programming credit... and no free install...

so i took the deal... after the year ends they can have their reciever back.. i'll buy my own...

Very good deal...When I called I got probably the crankiest female CSR they had..:lol: It was as if she didn't care if I canceled or not..She wouldn't go any higher than 20% off for a year and wouldn't give me any deal on a HD receiver at all...:evil:

[Mickeybear]

Very good deal...When I called I got probably the crankiest female CSR they had..:lol: It was as if she didn't care if I canceled or not..She wouldn't go any higher than 20% off for a year and wouldn't give me any deal on a HD receiver at all...:evil:

Sheed30:

We must be talking about the same CSR because that's all she would give me but only for 6 months.:mad:

I told her to forget the whole thing, called back the next day and was offered 30% for 6 months with the option of calling back in 6 months to renew the 30% off. I complained that I have better things to do than to keep calling Bell every 6 months (although I usually have to call them every month anyway due to billing screw-ups). The retentions CSR finally relented and agreed with my point and gave me 30% off for 12 months. We'll see what happens next January if I can renew the 30% offer for another year.

[MikeyP]

Just called in. We've been a customer since they were Dish Network Canada (was that their first name?).
30% off Digital Max (~$70ish taxes in) and $100 for a 9241 receiver with $100 programming credit. Not bad for a 15 minute call. Great CSR!

[Sheed30]

Sheed30:

We must be talking about the same CSR because that's all she would give me but only for 6 months.:mad:

I told her to forget the whole thing, called back the next day and was offered 30% for 6 months with the option of calling back in 6 months to renew the 30% off. I complained that I have better things to do than to keep calling Bell every 6 months (although I usually have to call them every month anyway due to billing screw-ups). The retentions CSR finally relented and agreed with my point and gave me 30% off for 12 months. We'll see what happens next January if I can renew the 30% offer for another year.

When the female CSR asked me at the end of our conversation how I would rate my call I told her it was less than satisfactory and I wasn't pleased with the service I had just received....She seemed a little stunned by my comment at first but she just apologized and just thanked me for the call and politely ended it...

The thing is I don't blame the CSR's at all..I blame Bell for not training them properly. I can't imagine some of the crap some of these CSR's must have to put up with every day due to unhappy Bell customers calling and complaining...I guess I just caught my CSR on a bad day or something...:) I know it is a job I wouldn't want to have....:lol:

[Mickeybear]

When the female CSR asked me at the end of our conversation how I would rate my call I told her it was less than satisfactory and I wasn't pleased with the service I had just received....She seemed a little stunned by my comment at first but she just apologized and just thanked me for the call and politely ended it...

The thing is I don't blame the CSR's at all..I blame Bell for not training them properly. I can't imagine some of the crap some of these CSR's must have to put up with every day due to unhappy Bell customers calling and complaining...I guess I just caught my CSR on a bad day or something...:) I know it is a job I wouldn't want to have....:lol:

I have only had one CSR ask me on a scale of 1-10 how I would rate his service. with 1 being poor and 10 being excellent. I had spent almost an hour on the phone and had to keep repeating my problem over and over again before he finally understood what I was talking about. I didn't want to be too hard on him and said I would give him a 5. He almost lost it with me and basically was insulted. I said if he had paid attention our phone conversation could have been resolved in one quarter the time.

FWIW, I believe almost ALL of Bell's support has been outsourced to call centers and the employees are paid minimum wage and the staff turnover is extremely high.

[eaglez]

Earlier today, after my third call to retentions over the past 2 days, I was given 40% off my bill (~$80/mth) for 12 months. I had just purchased 2 PM'd 9242's from BB the other day for $380 each + taxes. And the CSR offered to install one of the PVR's for free. I already have a 9200 installed that I am getting rid of in place of one of the 9242's. I had only been using the 9200 as an SD unit and PVR, so I had no second LNB on my dish. But since I have both coax cables already at my 9200, the PVR he installs will be the new one in another room. So, they are bringing an new SW44 and LNB. I am happy. I think I got a reasonably good deal. The first 2 retention CSR's didn't pony up the 40% or the install. They wanted to sell me a 9241 instead. Although, for all you would-be renters, I also was offered rental of a 9241 PVR for 2 years for free as well as my bill credit if I wasn't buying the 9242's. But I prefer to own.

D.:D

[dealCker]

I called in, asking to see what it would take to cancel, the CSR told me it would take 30 days notice and then asked me why I was cancelling, I told her that I could get a better deal elsewhere and was looking at going to HD. she offered me 30% off for 12months OR a free HD receiver for a year. I asked what kind of deal i could get on a hd receiver and was offered one for 199.
So it ended with me taking the 30%.,
I also asked if i could get the hardware install after I buy a HDTV, they said i could still get it free as a Nimiq 2 upgrade.

I had called back a couple more times to see if i could get a better deal but dealt with a couple of different csrs who wouldn't budge.
SO i guess YMMV mine is similar to most.. however not to hijack the thread, if I get a 6131 or 6141 can i use it on dish pointed to one dish (91) to be used as a SD PVR?? ( I just need a yes or a no from someone who knows for sure)

[eaglez]

Well, my 9200 HD reciever has never been hooked up to the HD signal. Only the one LNB at the moment, until next week. No problem.

D. :D

[ckeir]

Greetings.
I have own 2 4700s, both acting flakey, and am interested in purchasing two 9242HD units. I have been a Bell customer since at least Feb 2000. What is the best deal I can expect from Bell Expressvu? There seems to be a wide range of 'breaks' people are getting through the Bell retention department.

[eaglez]

Greetings.
I have own 2 4700s, both acting flakey, and am interested in purchasing two 9242HD units. I have been a Bell customer since at least Feb 2000. What is the best deal I can expect from Bell Expressvu? There seems to be a wide range of 'breaks' people are getting through the Bell retention department.

First, Bell does not have 9242's anymore, so anything you get from them will be the 9241 (single room HD PVR) or 6131 (HD Receiver). If you can find a 9242 locally, at this point, I would say you would be lucky. They went to $399 and that took care of getting them off the market quickly so the 9241 could take its place. If you are looking to own the receivers, then my post at the top of this page is probably the best you are going to get from Bell at this point. If you are looking to rent, they have bill credits and free PVR rentals for a period of time (1-2 yrs). But don't expect to get the best deal on the first call. You might, but might not.
Good Luck
D.:D

[silentjen]

Just got off the phone with Bell. My 1 year retention deal (Free HDPVR for 1 year and 3 months free programming) is up in a few weeks. She first offered 10% off programming and then went up to 20% for a year but would not renew the free HDPVR. She said I had 9 months left on my television contract but only 2 weeks on the PVR deal. I said I'd think about it.

Not a good deal, right?

[sml]

I called 3 times to renew my free HDPVR for 1 yr and concluded that it was impossible. I ended up getting 40% off programming and buying the 9241 for $399, which in itself took quite a bit of negotiating just to get the $100 off! Maybe Bell's stiffening up a bit on the hardware deals or maybe I was pushing my luck with the double free rental. That's just my experience.

[djino]

Just got off the phone with Bell. My 1 year retention deal (Free HDPVR for 1 year and 3 months free programming) is up in a few weeks. She first offered 10% off programming and then went up to 20% for a year but would not renew the free HDPVR. She said I had 9 months left on my television contract but only 2 weeks on the PVR deal. I said I'd think about it.

Not a good deal, right?

9 Months still left? You are lucky to get what you were offered. Wait until you are closer to the end like less than 2 months.

djino

[djino]

I think it would be interesting to hear if some could record there conversation with Bell (cutting our their name/account info) for their attempt at getting a retention deal and post it online whether the result was positive or negative.

djino
"Just to get a consensus on if Bell is tightening up their retention deals or if its poor negociating on the client's part :)"

[silentjen]

9 Months still left? You are lucky to get what you were offered. Wait until you are closer to the end like less than 2 months.

djino

I agree with you but my free 9242 will no longer be free in three weeks. Should I go ahead and pay the $20/month for the next 7 months or so until I am closer to the end of my contract? I was just really hoping to get a back to back free HDPVR deal.

[djino]

I agree with you but my free 9242 will no longer be free in three weeks. Should I go ahead and pay the $20/month for the next 7 months or so until I am closer to the end of my contract? I was just really hoping to get a back to back free HDPVR deal.

Hmmm.. why is it that your television contract is longer than your equiptment contract?

Whenever your choose to rent equiptment that comes with a 12 month commitment, but how is any of this effecting your programming contract.

Maybe I'm missing something, but even when you are a new client and are on a 2 year programming commitment, your equipment is of the same length aswell.

If the information is accurate, then perhaps you should go ahead now and take what you can get instead of paying 7 months of $20 rental fees.

djino

[silentjen]

Hmmm.. why is it that your television contract is longer than your equiptment contract?

Whenever your choose to rent equiptment that comes with a 12 month commitment, but how is any of this effecting your programming contract.

Maybe I'm missing something, but even when you are a new client and are on a 2 year programming commitment, your equipment is of the same length aswell.

If the information is accurate, then perhaps you should go ahead now and take what you can get instead of paying 7 months of $20 rental fees.

djino

When I called last year and got the HDPVR for free for one year, I still had other equipment and my contract was not up for renewal. I guess they didn't renew the contract when they offered me the HDPVR deal?

[Johnny767]

Just called BELL, my one year was up.

They gave me two choices:

1. Give back by 9242 and get a 9241 for another year free. But lose any programing discount.

2. Get an increase in programming discount from 20 - 30 % Keep my 9242 BUT pay the $20 / month.

Couldn't get both! At the end of the day my monthly bill will be exactly the same as it was. Keep the 9242, which is a better STB than the 9142.

They would not let me purchase my existing STB, which seems ridiculous.

[eaglez]

I have been hearing that the business model of selling 2 room receivers did not work out well for other new reciever sales for Bell. That is one reason why they are not offering them going forward. The other reason is that the installation of the second room was not included in any free install deal they had. So it created a ton of negative feedback from 2 room receiver buyers, when they didn't get a full install for free. So I think they want to get as many of the 2 room receivers out of the system (returned back to them from rental customers) so they can sell more new receivers. Also, dish network is selling an updated 2 room solution, but Bell has chosen not to participate and offer it to Canadian customers. They might in the future, but not right now. They are in a financial mess, and they need to maximize revenue generated by new receiver sales right now.

Just my $.02.

D.:D

[steve99zx6r]

I'm a former Bell customer that cancelled my service about 2, maybe 2 and a half years ago. Does Bell have any sort of deals to get old customers back? Or should I just expect to pay regular price for everything?

[djino]

I'm a former Bell customer that cancelled my service about 2, maybe 2 and a half years ago. Does Bell have any sort of deals to get old customers back? Or should I just expect to pay regular price for everything?

You can expect to get new customer pricing. Just check the promos at www.bell.ca/tv

djino

[shootclick]

I'm a long time expressvu subscriber and considering to upgrade to HD programming.
What's the best deal I can get in these days? most of the promotion is for a new subscriber.

Is that better to rent? or own?

Currently, I own 3100 receivers. If I upgrade to HD programming, can I still use 3100 receivers as well?

Thanks,

[GuitarMan]

.... The other reason is that the installation of the second room was not included in any free install deal they had. So it created a ton of negative feedback from 2 room receiver buyers, when they didn't get a full install for free. ...

D.:D

When I got my 9200 PVR plus 2nd room receiver installed in Dec. 2007, the install was done entirely for free (both rooms).

[llcooljayce]

You can expect to get new customer pricing. Just check the promos at www.bell.ca/tv

djino

Not quite ....

http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/showpost.php?p=7666838&postcount=327

[djino]

Not quite ....

http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/showpost.php?p=7666838&postcount=327

um, everything in that post can be found at bell.ca/tv . All new customers can get the hardware for 50% off.

djino

[llcooljayce]

um, everything in that post can be found at bell.ca/tv . All new customers can get the hardware for 50% off.

djino


Maybe you missed the part where I save 40% off my programming ....


Okay, I just made this into a New Customer 'Retention' thread.

I ordered the HD-PVR (9242) for $600 with a $300 bill credit ... so $300 for the HD-PVR basically. That's the current Bell deal (Valid until December 31st, 2008).

Then I got curious ... could I play Shaw against Bell?

So I called to cancel my account for the HD-PVR system I placed 2 hours earlier. I told them that Shaw offered me free HD programming for the year and they countered with 20% off my bill for the first 12 months ... I scoffed at that offer saying, 'Shaw is offering me free HD programming for a year ... can't you do better than 20%?), then they offered me 40% off programming for the year which I took. Not bad.

For those of you wanting to do the same thing, make sure that when you call to cancel, offer up the reason that you want to cancel rather than wait for them to ask why ... sometime you can get a CSR that doesn't care and will just cancel your order.

Good luck!

Oh ... and order online for $25 on line credit, $10 PPV credit and 2 months of Movie Central, including HBO Canada for 2 months!

[Pavel6969]

Got my first bill in the mail today. Everything is correct on it. I was worried after hearing about everyone's problems with billing, but mine worked out great. And they even threw in the FREE hd for six months, which was not part of my deal with the retentions csr. Very happy!

[jayoldschool]

Anyone have any luck getting Retentions to add Showcase HD and/or National Geo HD back with no charge? I am on the grandfathered $10 HD package. I have always had Show SD, but not Nat Geo SD...

[Akuma3]

I called in, asking to see what it would take to cancel, the CSR told me it would take 30 days notice and then asked me why I was cancelling, I told her that I could get a better deal elsewhere and was looking at going to HD. she offered me 30% off for 12months OR a free HD receiver for a year. I asked what kind of deal i could get on a hd receiver and was offered one for 199.
So it ended with me taking the 30%.,
I also asked if i could get the hardware install after I buy a HDTV, they said i could still get it free as a Nimiq 2 upgrade.

I had called back a couple more times to see if i could get a better deal but dealt with a couple of different csrs who wouldn't budge.
SO i guess YMMV mine is similar to most.. however not to hijack the thread, if I get a 6131 or 6141 can i use it on dish pointed to one dish (91) to be used as a SD PVR?? ( I just need a yes or a no from someone who knows for sure)

The 6141 won't work pointed to 92 alone. The receiver will give you a message saying to check your installation, switches etc.

[jackass_ca]

Currently, I own 3100 receivers. If I upgrade to HD programming, can I still use 3100 receivers as well?

Thanks,
You can still use the 3100's, I believe you just won't be able to enjoy the HD content. Although, I am not sure, if you use an SW44 switch how that would work, running to the 3100... may have to feed the 91 separately to those receivers???

[Potsman]

You can still use the 3100's, I believe you just won't be able to enjoy the HD content. Although, I am not sure, if you use an SW44 switch how that would work, running to the 3100... may have to feed the 91 separately to those receivers???

SW44 switch is fine as I am running a 2 2700's as well as 2 6100s

[Cisco KId]

well i called in today to inquire on what Bell was able to do since my 1 yr was up. I have the 9242 and they increased my discount to 40% from 30. However no credit for receiver rental but all in all total bill went down by $10 mthly so I was fine with that.

Keep the 9242 and all billing the same painless and simple and no contract just a month to month deal

[linorman]

just finished my third call into retentions and have been offered hd receiver (6131( for new customer pricing ie $200 plus $100 programming credit so net $100. I have already accepted 20% off three weeks ago so they will not budge on bumping that up. Strangely though they will give me 40% off if I rent 9242? I do not want to rent though as I want to install myself and not be hassled having to be home for the installers schedule. I already have a 9200 installed with a sw44 so the 6131 will be very easy to install. My question is will they move on the 20% discount or did I dig myself a whole by accepting it 3 weeks ago? Any advice on how to push a bigger discount or is it even possible??? Finally I wanted Sportsnet HD added found out I have to pay $5 for More Sports HD WTF!!!! I already subscribe to sports 1 in SD and that includes Sportsnet!! Damn Bell Expressvu!!

[Vieux]

Just one call to the retention dept got me :

- Free 9241 for one year
- Base SD & HD programming
- 11 packs

for 50 bucks a month.


They first tried to offer the 61xx for a year. Said no.
Then they offered the 9241. Said no.
Then they offered free packs. Kept saying no, so they added more.
Eventually they offered 20% off. Said no.
At 30% off, I didn't push my luck and said yes.

Didn't want to risk losing it all trying to get to 40% off.

Not bad, huh?

As always, YMMV.

[efilosi]

Those bad seeds charged me the 100$ which they were suppose to credit me. At the end, they did credit me after I yelled, but charged me the installation, and rental fee. I was suppose to have 2 years free rental on the 6141. Hence, the 100$ credit was a scam. They make you wait so long at the phone, incredible. It's their tactics. If you say nothing they win. Now, they tell me that after I combine my bills, I will get 10$ off TV and 5$ off phone. What a bunch of liars. They did give me 5$ on phone, but the 10$ rental, they charge me and they say my bundle credits it. This is not what I signed in for. It was suppose to be free rental + 10$ off my TV programming. I am so mad. Waiting anxiously for my contract to end, and adios!:mad:

[Hugh Jass]

Just one call to the retention dept got me :

- Free 9241 for one year
- Base SD & HD programming
- 11 packs

for 50 bucks a month.



How long have you been with Bell for TV?

[Vieux]

How long have you been with Bell for TV?

3 years

[openskies]

As to my post #539 about three weeks ago, I may have had a resolution. I received a call Friday from Special Customer Care in Montreal. They went over my complaint, apologized for the terrible mixup. They said the matter had been rectified and I would receive what I had been promised plus an additional two theme packs for my trouble. So I now have all the high def channels, the free pvr for a year, 13 theme packs and a full credit for the first two months. My billing began on February 2nd. They told me to disregard the earlier bills and that my cost for my phone and satellite is set at 82.95 per month.

I suppose I can live with that until they screw up again. But next time this person has told me to make direct contact if there is any problem. That in itself is worth something to me. (edit)

Forgot to mention it includes all the movie channels.

[thomas9992]

My 1 year free rental, and 20% discount ended last friday.

I called them to confirm whether I would be able to continue service with that discount for the next year. I know many people were having issues with this.

The service Rep agreed immediately and indicated that there was no contract renewal required, but that my services would be continued with the discount, and free HD PVR for the next 12 months. Sounds a little too easy.

I had him confirm several times that the discount for the PVR and the services would both continue to be applied.

Curious as to whether this will actually get applied exactly as discussed.

[brockster]

My 1 year free rental, and 20% discount ended last friday.

I called them to confirm whether I would be able to continue service with that discount for the next year. I know many people were having issues with this.

The service Rep agreed immediately and indicated that there was no contract renewal required, but that my services would be continued with the discount, and free HD PVR for the next 12 months. Sounds a little too easy.

I had him confirm several times that the discount for the PVR and the services would both continue to be applied.

Curious as to whether this will actually get applied exactly as discussed.

Not doubting they told you this, just doubting you will get it. They are so screwed up with promises they never come thru for and every rep told me there is absolutely no way they can extend the HD-PVR rental so I just bought a 9242 before they were gone.

Good luck though and be prepared to call Bell billing every month...

[Cisco KId]

Waiting anxiously for my contract to end, and adios

what you will find out there is no better lol, just work it

[linorman]

just finished a "live chat" via website and secured 40% off programming for 1 year, no contract, but no receiver upgrade or credit. Was offered a rental for free but really am not interested in a rental receiver as I previously stated so I will just watch for a deal sometime on an outright purchase!! Was actually a pleasant experiance because i had no trouble trying to filter through an accent, so everything was very clear and very understandable.

[Sheed30]

just finished a "live chat" via website and secured 40% off programming for 1 year, no contract, but no receiver upgrade or credit. Was offered a rental for free but really am not interested in a rental receiver as I previously stated so I will just watch for a deal sometime on an outright purchase!! Was actually a pleasant experiance because i had no trouble trying to filter through an accent, so everything was very clear and very understandable.

Good job...It just gets depressing when I come into this thread and read others getting 30% and 40% for 12 months and all I could get was 20% off for 12 months from a very cranky female Bell CSR....:lol:

Maybe "live chat" is the way to go to contact Bell from now on.....:)

[bubba67]

Got 30% off for 1 yr - originally he offered 6 months but I pushed for 1 yr. They wouldn't extend the free pvr offer so I'm returning the rented 9242 from last year.

[Mickeybear]

As to my post #539 about three weeks ago, I may have had a resolution. I received a call Friday from Special Customer Care in Montreal. They went over my complaint, apologized for the terrible mixup. They said the matter had been rectified and I would receive what I had been promised plus an additional two theme packs for my trouble. So I now have all the high def channels, the free pvr for a year, 13 theme packs and a full credit for the first two months. My billing began on February 2nd. They told me to disregard the earlier bills and that my cost for my phone and satellite is set at 82.95 per month.

I suppose I can live with that until they screw up again. But next time this person has told me to make direct contact if there is any problem. That in itself is worth something to me. (edit)

Forgot to mention it includes all the movie channels.

Well, this sounds like a happy ending for you after all of the problems you have encountered. It's just too bad you had to 'waste' almost 12 hours trying to get it resolved. Let's just hope that after all of this Bell continues to get your bill right every month!

[jjoaquin23]

just finished a "live chat" via website and secured 40% off programming for 1 year, no contract, but no receiver upgrade or credit. Was offered a rental for free but really am not interested in a rental receiver as I previously stated so I will just watch for a deal sometime on an outright purchase!! Was actually a pleasant experiance because i had no trouble trying to filter through an accent, so everything was very clear and very understandable.

where did you get the "live chat" option on the website? ican't seem to find it

[linorman]

during normal business hours it is a link on the left hand side of the screen when you are logged into your account.

[mconway]

I called in maybe 6 months ago and was offered 30% off and the 9242 for a year which I politely declined. The CSR then asked what it would take to keep me as a customer to which I replied, "I'll think about it." I let things slide til last week when I called back to negotiate a deal. I was offered 40% off and the PVR for a year. Seeing as I had no need for a PVR I asked for 50% off for a year to which the CSR countered 50% off for 6 months. I refused and told them to cancel my service which they did. A few days later I noticed an 800 number on my phone which called back every business day around the same time. A quick google revealed it as coming from BEV retentions. When they finally got in touch with me in person, the CSR offered me 50% off for a year, no contract which I accepted. He even left me his name/phone number should I have any issues. I've been a customer for about 10 years and currently am paying $100/mth before taxes. All in all, I'm very satisfied with the outcome.

[Battscrew]

Last year got in on the free pvr and 30% off, just renewed at 2 months programming credit and 30% off for 12 months after that.

Also bad on me I did not realize that they charging me for 2 pvr rentals (originally had 9200 in 2007) they had it in different sections of the bill. Got the 240 back in credit.

[Hugh Jass]

I'm just coming to the end of a 2yr contract. Currently paying way too much. HDPVR/PVR/Standard Receiver rentals $20/$10/$3,
plus programming
Digital Standard $32
Digital Service Fee $3
HD Value Pack $10
5 Themes $23
Setanta Sports $15

Total $118 + tax.

I priced it out at about $85 with cable. I'll walk if they can't beat it.

Any tips on getting the best deal from Bell? What could I hope for?

I have Bell internet and home phone too btw.

I'm going to call tomorrow.

[gmaier]

My free PVR rental is coming to an end, anyone had any luck purchasing their rental unit outright?

[brockster]

My free PVR rental is coming to an end, anyone had any luck purchasing their rental unit outright?

They won't let you purchase a rental, at least that is what they told me...

[benyl]

just finished a "live chat" via website and secured 40% off programming for 1 year, no contract, but no receiver upgrade or credit. Was offered a rental for free but really am not interested in a rental receiver as I previously stated so I will just watch for a deal sometime on an outright purchase!! Was actually a pleasant experiance because i had no trouble trying to filter through an accent, so everything was very clear and very understandable.

Got nowhere with the chat and cancelled. oh well.

[Sheed30]

Got nowhere with the chat and cancelled. oh well.

Did you try calling the retentions # in the first post in this thread? I know it's a pain to have to call Bell but give that a shot.Threaten to cancel and they will offer you a deal to stay...Good luck.

[qtips]

Just called retention. Got 30% off and free HD PVR rental for 1 year. (No Contract)
Thank you very much!!

[Hugh Jass]

Called just now. Offered me 20% off programming and free HDpvr. She told me that it was a great deal and I should take it, lol.

Will call back to cancel next week and will hold out for more, esp when I use internet and phone as a further bargaining tool.

[vinman152000]

Hi all,
I know this is a thread for the retention forum but i'd like to see what people have been offered as a new customer for bell expressvu

i called and chatted to their online salesperson
and got the following offer


499$ -100$ =$399 for the HD PVR

and 10$ cheaper a month if I sign for 2 years.

I need to be able to do better than this.

[NYR]

A lot of people looking for a discount in this thread need to take into account the amount of your bill determines the discounts offered - The discount is all about ARPU - the higher the bill, the higher the incentive for Bell to want you to stay.

If your bill is in the $50 range, don't be expecting 40% off. They'll make there money back on getting a new customer and offering an incentive to them to lock them into a long term deal.

For example, my bill was tipping the scales at well over $100 a month - I called and said I wanted to cancel and was offered 40% right off the bat.

[Hugh Jass]

Hi all,
499$ -100$ =$399 for the HD PVR

and 10$ cheaper a month if I sign for 2 years.

I need to be able to do better than this.

They seem to be willing to give out rent-free pvr's, why not go for that?

As for getting a better deal, it might also depend on the amount of programming you choose to go with.

[jjoaquin23]

A lot of people looking for a discount in this thread need to take into account the amount of your bill determines the discounts offered - The discount is all about ARPU - the higher the bill, the higher the incentive for Bell to want you to stay.

If your bill is in the $50 range, don't be expecting 40% off. They'll make there money back on getting a new customer and offering an incentive to them to lock them into a long term deal.

For example, my bill was tipping the scales at well over $100 a month - I called and said I wanted to cancel and was offered 40% right off the bat.
you guys think i can increase my bill one month prior to my contract ending will get me a better deal?

[Hugh Jass]

you guys think i can increase my bill one month prior to my contract ending will get me a better deal?

Very crafty.

It could work I suppose. Load up on a load of theme packs. Get 40% off programming, then reduce it the following month. make sure you get the discount in writing.

[beljevina]

Hi all,
I know this is a thread for the retention forum but i'd like to see what people have been offered as a new customer for bell expressvu ...got the following offer: 499$ -100$ =$399 for the HD PVR, and 10$ cheaper a month if I sign for 2 years. I need to be able to do better than this.I too am a possible net new customer - all I really want is HD programming w/no sports but would like Equator, Oasis and most of the arts. (actually minus the GTA OTA ATSC tunable channels would be best, but that'd be customer service/centric and I know that's not Bell's style!) Their site is horrendously unclear. On deals, there was a $99 TSCC (reg $199?) receiver that you could attached a USB external drive to, and you have a full HD PVR. That'd then be $99 + ~$75 (500gb) which seems good. If anyone has the lowdown on the least monthly cost for solely HD, that'd be great.

[Zoolou]

Thanks for the tip....Was able to 30% off and 1 year Free HD-PVR Rental for my elderly parents who were being hooked along for over 2 years with no discounts....Question ...Does Cogeco also have a similiar retention plan?

[Dave12345]

Does anyone know if Bell supports HD units for condos?

[whodaphucru]

They seem to be willing to give out rent-free pvr's, why not go for that?

As for getting a better deal, it might also depend on the amount of programming you choose to go with.

Too many people piss money away on the rentals, if you plan to be a customer for 30 months or more (may be less depending on the cost of the receiver) you will save a bundle. I have a 6100 that is almost at the break even point, 9242 that I am half way to break even and 2 3100's that are 8 years old well past break even. Even though the initial cost seems high it is better in the long run and you can still get the good retention offers.

[Hugh Jass]

Too many people piss money away on the rentals, if you plan to be a customer for 30 months or more (may be less depending on the cost of the receiver) you will save a bundle. I have a 6100 that is almost at the break even point, 9242 that I am half way to break even and 2 3100's that are 8 years old well past break even. Even though the initial cost seems high it is better in the long run and you can still get the good retention offers.

Yes and no. We have had a 9200 coming upto 2yrs. Was $599+tax to buy when we were getting BellTV. I balked at paying $700 before even watching a show. So we rented for $20 a month, the first six were free. So we'll say for the two years it'll cost us (18 x $20) + tax = $407.

Now that does seem pricey, but the kicker in our favour was that after 15 months, the receiver was toast, kaput, useless. They sent us a new one within two days. If we'd bought it, it would have been out of warranty and we'd have been out money.

I know it worked out for us, but that's what you get when you rent, piece of mind.

And now they're giving them out rent free, why on earth would you even think of buying ?

[tsgee]

A lot of people looking for a discount in this thread need to take into account the amount of your bill determines the discounts offered - The discount is all about ARPU - the higher the bill, the higher the incentive for Bell to want you to stay.

If your bill is in the $50 range, don't be expecting 40% off.

For example, my bill was tipping the scales at well over $100 a month - I called and said I wanted to cancel and was offered 40% right off the bat.

Got 30 % off, my bill was around the $50 range and my parents got 20% off, they only had basic channels. I tried hard for the 40% but it does seem to matter what your original bill total is. Plus they new what Shaw was offering in my area and would only beat it by a small amount, but every little bit helps.

[Hugh Jass]

Got 30 % off, my bill was around the $50 range and my parents got 20% off, they only had basic channels.



Did you simply ask for a better deal?

[Zoolou]

Did you simply ask for a better deal?

In my case, I told them my parents were going to cancel because they couldn't afford the monthly payment on their package and were going to Cogeco instead

[tsgee]

Did you simply ask for a better deal?

Basically I got to the cancellation line and asked what I had to do to cancel. They told me they need 30 days notice... etc. Then they asked why I was thinking of cancelling.

Then I told them I got flyer from SHAW (which is true) that offered new customers a discounted rate for six months plus first month free on selected packages.

For example, Basic cable which includes Canadian and US networks, news, sports, YTV, MM and the Weather Network is $9.95 per month or Classic cable which includes everything from Basic cable plus A&E, TLC, CNN, Spike and movie channels for $19.95 per month. All deals included installation and four cable outlets.

She seemed to know what offers were comparable to what I subscribe to and she then offered me the 30% off.

[edmonite]

I think I must have got the same one you did, as she made me the same offer you got. I said I'd think about it, and called back in half an hour and had a much different experience - the guy I got this time offered me 40% off my programming and a free HD PVR rental for one year. FYI, my total programming cost before the discount totalled $66/month.

[whitecastle]

Just got 30% off for 12 months, no commitment. Was not offered anything else, and since the rep basically just added the discount, I didn't really argue.

I can always call back and try to get more.

QUESTION:

How does one initiate the Live Chat? It doesn't show up under the TV option. Seems to only be available for Internet support. ?

[geoffRR]

hi,

just wanted to share my experience as well. Everything is as advertised, mentioned a SHAW offer and the fact I felt I was paying too much. Got 30% programming credit and twelve months free PVR. My bill is about $70 mo so this will reduce it to $50. Plus I don't have to shell out $375 for a new PVR since my 6000 is now a boat anchor. I could have got the non PVR, but I figured I will try out the new PVR for one year, if its reliable I will purchase one...

thanks for the advice !

[bycwong]

hi,

just wanted to share my experience as well. Everything is as advertised, mentioned a SHAW offer and the fact I felt I was paying too much. Got 30% programming credit and twelve months free PVR. My bill is about $70 mo so this will reduce it to $50. Plus I don't have to shell out $375 for a new PVR since my 6000 is now a boat anchor. I could have got the non PVR, but I figured I will try out the new PVR for one year, if its reliable I will purchase one...

thanks for the advice !

Were you offered a free replacement 6141 for your 6000? I got a free replacement because the 6000 won't work after March 31. Not everyday you get something free out of these guys!

[tsgee]

I think I must have got the same one you did, as she made me the same offer you got. I said I'd think about it, and called back in half an hour and had a much different experience - the guy I got this time offered me 40% off my programming and a free HD PVR rental for one year. FYI, my total programming cost before the discount totalled $66/month.

I called back and got the 40%, though they had to get a manager to approve. My programming before discount was $52.

[Hugh Jass]

I called back and got the 40%, though they had to get a manager to approve. My programming before discount was $52.

Nice. Did you have to push it for the 40%? Did you really threaten to cancel? ( Did you make it sound like you were?)

[tsgee]

Nice. Did you have to push it for the 40%? Did you really threaten to cancel? ( Did you make it sound like you were?)

I phoned back and said after sitting down with a calculator, the Shaw deal over the year was still better. Could he come close to the same monthly price, if not I would have to decide if I was going to cancel. He said 30% was the best deal but he would contact a manager and he came back with 40%.

[Hugh Jass]

Thanks tsgee. Just want to know what's ahead of me when I call back.

Has anyone actually given their 30 days notice and got a call back soon
after with an improved deal? Or is that not how it's done?

[redbulldrinker]

My bills have been over $110 for years with EV. Ya think they will give e some decent offer?

I have all 3 services with bell, totaly over $250 a month

[redbulldrinker]

They would not play ball, I cancelled my EV after 10 years, only offered my $20 discount a month

[Hugh Jass]

They would not play ball, I cancelled my EV after 10 years, only offered my $20 discount a month

That seems unusual, considering all that's been said in this thread.

[redbulldrinker]

Could barely hear the agent in India the line was so, bad. She didn't give a s*&t

[Sheed30]

They would not play ball, I cancelled my EV after 10 years, only offered my $20 discount a month

You must have talked to the same "evil" female CSR as I did when I called in a while ago...:lol:

[Sheed30]

Could barely hear the agent in India the line was so, bad. She didn't give a s*&t

Are you sure you talked to retentions? When you get to retentions you don't talk to India as far as I know....Go to the first post in this thread call the phone # there for retentions and follow the instructions posted....

Since you already canceled they will probably call you again before your service is shut off and offer you a deal to stay...Good luck.

[Hugh Jass]

Could barely hear the agent in India the line was so, bad. She didn't give a s*&t

Hang up. Call again.

[redbulldrinker]

Called back,

Got a local agent in Canada. He offered me free HD PVR for 1 year & 30% off. So I took it :)

[TheZodiac]

So I got screwed on my offer for a 9242, they bait and switched on me.
So I refused to accept the 9241 the installer brought.

Now I think I'll just get the 6131 but what programming is everyone getting?
4 HD theme packs can be had for $10.00, but are we not paying twice for TSN and other channels?

[redbulldrinker]

Bas tards!!

If they do that to me I'll do the same. Send him packig.

[Hugh Jass]

So I got screwed on my offer for a 9242, they bait and switched on me.
So I refused to accept the 9241 the installer brought.



Whats the difference? I wouldn't mind knowing.

[TheZodiac]

Whats the difference? I wouldn't mind knowing.


9242 you can hook up two Tv's with the 1 tuner

[sixer]

9242 you can hook up two Tv's with the 1 tuner

And use the 2nd remote in an entirely different room as it's UHF! The Best!!!

[Hugh Jass]

9242 you can hook up two Tv's with the 1 tuner


And use the 2nd remote in an entirely different room as it's UHF! The Best!!!

OK cool. Our current one allows us to do that, but we never use it. Bell want to send us the single room one for free rental and take back the old one. Why would they do that at all? Wouldn't it be better for them to let us keep the old one as the free rental?

[cr_hard]

Does anyone know how to get this sort of deal if trying to switch from rogers to BELL? I am moving in April to an area with only dish options and i'd like to get the aforementioned deal but when i called to 'see my options in the area' (without them knowing I can't get my Rogers there) the lady on the phone told me the only deal BELL had was $100 from a newly purchased PVR would go to programming credit. No free HD-PVR rental, no 30% off programming, etc. Is this maybe because I didn't go through their cancellations dept on the phone and went to CSR directly? Or is it because I am not with Bell already?

[goathead]

When I called as a new customer, the offers were way too low to make it worth signing up with Bell. In my case though, I don't watch that much TV, more movies on DVD (via Zip). I was going to wind up around $80/month, but it took me about 40 minutes with an unbelievably bad CSR to figure that out. Amazingly, after I said no way, the same CSR called back 2 days later to make me an offer, and it was WORSE than what they had offered before. This time it was a really short call...

I watch more during football season, so I'm waiting to see if there is a decent offer before then.

[Tumster]

Not sure if this is a great deal but this is what I got when I called them and telling them about Telus' free basic TV offer.

-Free 9241 dual tuner HD PVR for 1 year
-Free HD Channels for 6 months
-20% off all programming for 1 year including the HD channels after the first 6 months.

-No obligation to keep receiver after 1 year or keep HD after 6 months.
-The strange part is, even if I give up HD after 6 months, I still have to keep the receiver for 1 year... and I am not paying for the receiver... wouldnt they have preferred to get the receiver back early to give to another person?

[worldjerseys]

Not sure if this is a great deal but this is what I got when I called them and telling them about Telus' free basic TV offer.

-Free 9241 dual tuner HD PVR for 1 year
-Free HD Channels for 6 months
-20% off all programming for 1 year including the HD channels after the first 6 months.

-No obligation to keep receiver after 1 year or keep HD after 6 months.
-The strange part is, even if I give up HD after 6 months, I still have to keep the receiver for 1 year... and I am not paying for the receiver... wouldnt they have preferred to get the receiver back early to give to another person?

I would guess that you're tied in for the programming package for the year... regardless of the HD or not.

[Leya]

I understand that everyone is trying to get a good deal on EVERYTHING these days, but come on, do you really think that you are outsmarting Bell? :lol:

If you do not like what you are paying for your programming, you have 2 choices - Call to cancel, and go to the competitor that is offering you a better deal and cheaper price
OR (as all of you are trying to do here) call to cancel and see if you get lucky with a retention deal. :|

Welcome to the large world of business, where you are nothing but a number. :( No one cares about your feelings, nor do they ultimately care if you cancel or not. :cheesygri
Please don't weep and play poor me as the choice is your on what to do. :cry: Bell would obviously like to keep you as customer and away from competition, so they give you discounts.
They are still making PROFIT off you, so it's not a big deal. :D

When you speak or rant to a CSR (retention or not) and threaten to cancel your service, they can tell if you're looking for credits or not.
It's pretty obvious that when you take a save offer (you were looking for credits) and if you decline and cancel anyways (well, you get the point.) :idea:

Also, when retention reps *saves* you as a customer - they get a *sale* off of you and make bonus money, so they are also happy. This way, both people win. :razz:

Unfortunately, if you do call very often to complain and threaten to cancel - notes are left on your account. When a retention rep offers you something, and you take it,
and keep calling back, and do the same thing 2-3 times, YOU WILL get a rep that does not care about their bonus money and will
let you cancel. I've seen it happen many, many times. This is what you people are calling the *evil agent?* Is this because you are trying to get discounts and it's not going your way?
You do have the choice of canceling and going to the competition that you all seem to be boasting about. It's okay though if you would like to call these retention reps *evil agents*
because most of them do think of you as *cheap greedy* customers.
These *evil agents* are just people that are doing their jobs, and have seen you try to take advantage of the system, time and time again.
They are not stupid people. They know what you are up to. They tried their best to give you discounts, but as you've seen on these threads, people are extremely greedy.

Good luck getting retention deals, and remember - Don't call to complain too much, because in the end, they will call your bluff and let you cancel :lol:

Once again, life's not fair... live it and learn it. :o

[djino]

I understand that everyone is trying to get a good deal on EVERYTHING these days, but come on, do you really think that you are outsmarting Bell? :lol:

I dont think the point is to try to outsmart Bell, but to get as good a deal as the next guy, to be treated like a loyal customer and get the same (if not better) discounts as the offers to potential new clients.

If you do not like what you are paying for your programming, you have 2 choices - Call to cancel, and go to the competitor that is offering you a better deal and cheaper price
OR (as all of you are trying to do here) call to cancel and see if you get lucky with a retention deal. :|

I think we are all aware of our choices. We either stay and pay the regular price, Stay but try to get a better deal, or Cancel.

Welcome to the large world of business, where you are nothing but a number. :( No one cares about your feelings, nor do they ultimately care if you cancel or not. :cheesygri
Please don't weep and play poor me as the choice is your on what to do. :cry: Bell would obviously like to keep you as customer and away from competition, so they give you discounts.
They are still making PROFIT off you, so it's not a big deal. :D

I Dont think clients care if they are just a number as long as they are satisfied with the service they are receiving and the price they are paying for it.

I see nobody crying/weeping here.

I dont really care if Bell is making a profit off me, as long as I feel I'm getting a great deal, then I'm satisified.

When you speak or rant to a CSR (retention or not) and threaten to cancel your service, they can tell if you're looking for credits or not.
It's pretty obvious that when you take a save offer (you were looking for credits) and if you decline and cancel anyways (well, you get the point.) :idea:

I dont think it matters to most people here on what appears to be obvious as long as the end result is the CSR follows their procedures (tries to retain the client when client wishes to cancel) and follows through with a more discounted service.

Also, when retention reps *saves* you as a customer - they get a *sale* off of you and make bonus money, so they are also happy. This way, both people win. :razz:

Good for them. :)

Unfortunately, if you do call very often to complain and threaten to cancel - notes are left on your account. When a retention rep offers you something, and you take it,
and keep calling back, and do the same thing 2-3 times, YOU WILL get a rep that does not care about their bonus money and will
let you cancel. I've seen it happen many, many times.

I agree. This is why I've said many times in this thread that all the negociating/tatics to get a better deal should be done all on the initial call to cancel. I've stated a few discussions clients should have with Bell on attempting to get the very best deal they can get.

This is what you people are calling the *evil agent?* Is this because you are trying to get discounts and it's not going your way?
You do have the choice of canceling and going to the competition that you all seem to be boasting about. It's okay though if you would like to call these retention reps *evil agents*
because most of them do think of you as *cheap greedy* customers.
These *evil agents* are just people that are doing their jobs, and have seen you try to take advantage of the system, time and time again.
They are not stupid people. They know what you are up to. They tried their best to give you discounts, but as you've seen on these threads, people are extremely greedy.

I dont recall anyone calling Bell CSR's "evil agents". And I dont care how cheap and greedy Bell CSR's think of me as long as the end result is that I get the discounts.

Good luck getting retention deals, and remember - Don't call to complain too much, because in the end, they will call your bluff and let you cancel :lol:

Yup, but then a few days after, another retention agent will call that client back to get the client to come back with another deal.

You may feel that most of us are pretty immorial, but hey, this is Business. And during these rough economic times, it should be a time to keep prices consistant (or lowered). It aint the best idea to re-arrange the programming so that the client ends up having to pay more or add service charge after service charge (as we've seen with Bell TV and Bell Internet). So I when I hear someone post in these threads that they have been successful in getting such a deal, I'm happy for them, and happy for Bell to have made that offer.

djino
"That is just Good Business."

[beripari]

OK - I have done nothing with respect to our account but just want to point out that, even in the BEST of economic times, offers of any kind (programming, cell phones, magazine subscriptions, yes, even mortgages!) are always offer to entice NEW clients. The loyal customer of 25 years+ basically gets nothing -- UNLESS THEY ASK! That's how business works! And, sometimes you have to ask more than once cause it's not where you go but who you get!

Add to that bad economic recessionary times where too many companies are downsizing their staff, consumers are losing their jobs & many just don't have the $$ for those now "luxuries" - they're just manageing keeping afloat with their everyday bills, never mind any type of discretionary spending. So, these companies should do everything in their power to retain their existing customers and keep their own jobs! Yes, it may take more than a few phone calls but hey that's the way things are today! I don't think anyone is being greedy or need apologize for not only trying to save a few bucks but to be rewarded for their long time loyalty in the same way as any NEW potential customers are! I think we've all btdt!!

[Tig]

Just thought that I would share my experience with Bell when I moved about 2 weeks ago...

It all started when I called bell expressvu to get them to install a dish at my new place where they give me 2 options: 1) have the technician come out on Tuesday at no charge or on Saturday, my move in day, for $60...

So I ask them to waive it because I have been paying $100/month for 2 years and that made me, at least in my mind, a loyal customer and they flat out refused...

So steam starts coming out of my ears and I ask the guy to tell me when my contract is up...and Im thinking that it will be up in about a years time...in which case I would have told him that I would have remembered this and cancelled as soon as I was up for renewal...

but get this...he comes back to me and says "Sir, your contract expired this month..."

B-I-N-G-O

so I tell him, ok then, I'd like you to cancel my contract because Im moving anyway and I bet that Rogers won't charge me anything to come on Saturday and install my HD box...

so he says..."Sir, can you hang on a second while I put you through to our loyalty department?"

and I'm like, "that's ironic, when I told you I was a loyal customer and asked you to waive my install fee, you said not, but now that I want to walk, you're forwarding me to your loyalty department..."

so he laughs and says "yes sir...please hold"

So I get on the phone with the loyalty guy and I tell him that Im moving and want to cancel my sub....so he goes...."I can certainly help you with that sir, but I see here that you've been a loyal customer for these last 2 years so I'd like to waive the install fee for your move"

so I laugh, and I tell him, "that sounds great, and I appreciate it, but if Im under no obbligation to stay, then what's stopping me from going to Rogers and seeing what new customer promotions they are willing to offer me?"

so anyway, long story short, I got free install on saturday, 4 months free service (that's over $400 worth before taxes) and I didn't have to sign on to another contract...

Before I got off the phone with the loyalty department, I did mention to him that all of this could have been avoided had they just waived the install fee for the Saturday...I mean, why should I have had to wait 3 days sitting at home on my thumbs with no tv???

[beripari]

Before I got off the phone with the loyalty department, I did mention to him that all of this could have been avoided had they just waived the install fee for the Saturday...I mean, why should I have had to wait 3 days sitting at home on my thumbs with no tv???

Sad but OH SO TRUE! Loyalty counts for little these days BUT, as you learned -- "ask & you shall receive"! Unfortunately most of the population doesn't think that way & end up paying way too much for far too long!

[Tig]

Unfortunately most of the population doesn't think that way & end up paying way too much for far too long!

That's why after that experience, I called Rogers the next day and renegotiated a better cell phone plan and saved myself about $30/month...same thing...called and asked to cancel since I had been up for renewal for a while...I can't do the same with my internet connection because bell has no rough-in into my house so theyre out and so is Acanac and all the other DSL resellers...so Im trying to figure out a way to gain some leverage with Rogers before I call..:twisted:

[Sheed30]

I understand that everyone is trying to get a good deal on EVERYTHING these days, but come on, do you really think that you are outsmarting Bell? :lol:

If you do not like what you are paying for your programming, you have 2 choices - Call to cancel, and go to the competitor that is offering you a better deal and cheaper price
OR (as all of you are trying to do here) call to cancel and see if you get lucky with a retention deal.

Welcome to the large world of business, where you are nothing but a number. :( No one cares about your feelings, nor do they ultimately care if you cancel or not. :cheesygri
Please don't weep and play poor me as the choice is your on what to do. :cry: Bell would obviously like to keep you as customer and away from competition, so they give you discounts.
They are still making PROFIT off you, so it's not a big deal.

When you speak or rant to a CSR (retention or not) and threaten to cancel your service, they can tell if you're looking for credits or not.
It's pretty obvious that when you take a save offer (you were looking for credits) and if you decline and cancel anyways (well, you get the point.)

Also, when retention reps *saves* you as a customer - they get a *sale* off of you and make bonus money, so they are also happy. This way, both people win. :razz:

Unfortunately, if you do call very often to complain and threaten to cancel - notes are left on your account. When a retention rep offers you something, and you take it,
and keep calling back, and do the same thing 2-3 times, YOU WILL get a rep that does not care about their bonus money and will
let you cancel. I've seen it happen many, many times. This is what you people are calling the *evil agent?* Is this because you are trying to get discounts and it's not going your way?
You do have the choice of canceling and going to the competition that you all seem to be boasting about. It's okay though if you would like to call these retention reps *evil agents*
because most of them do think of you as *cheap greedy* customers.
These *evil agents* are just people that are doing their jobs, and have seen you try to take advantage of the system, time and time again.
They are not stupid people. They know what you are up to. They tried their best to give you discounts, but as you've seen on these threads, people are extremely greedy.

Good luck getting retention deals, and remember - Don't call to complain too much, because in the end, they will call your bluff and let you cancel :lol:

Once again, life's not fair... live it and learn it. :o


Are you a Bell CSR? Not to sound harsh but if people call in to get a retention deal what does it matter to you? Did you call Bell and wasn't offered a retention deal and you're not happy about it? :lol:

If a customer can call in and get 20 - 40% off their bills for 12 months they are going to do it..We could care less if Bell is still making money off of us even after the discount..The bottomline is if myself as a customer can save $15 - $20 a month for a year it is a good deal for me regardless if Bell is making money off of me or not....

If I do get a CSR that just don't care and just lets me cancel without a retention deal I don't really care....Bell will definitely call me again with another deal to keep me before my programming ends but even if they don't we can move on and go to the competition...

BTW...Welcome to RFD where people come to find good deals and to save a little money...:)

[TurboRegal]

Just another example. My dad was offered the following:
-Free HD 9241 rental for a year
-30% off programming

However, because they couldn't install at their place (too rural) he offered $300 programming credit for buying a 9241 at the store and my father installing it himself. Well after picking up the 9241 and being told it didn't come with all the extra LNB's/dish etc that we was told it did on the phone, he called bell back, and now apparently they CAN install it, so he's still getting the 30% and $300 credit, as well as a free dish, lnb's, cabling, and install of the HD system.

[Robino]

Just spoke to bell since my 1 year free pvr 9292 rental was up. Was offered 30% programming for 1 year and $5 off pvr rental. Would not budge for the free pvr for another year. I didn't commit but gonna to think about it and call back in a few days.

[Hugh Jass]

Just spoke to bell since my 1 year free pvr 9292 rental was up. Was offered 30% programming for 1 year and $5 off pvr rental. Would not budge for the free pvr for another year. I didn't commit but gonna to think about it and call back in a few days.


What's your monthly programming bill?

[Hugh Jass]

Good luck getting retention deals, and remember - Don't call to complain too much, because in the end, they will call your bluff and let you cancel :lol:


So what?

If they want to play silly beggars and lose a customer by 'calling their bluff', let them. Competition here we come.

[rjd75]

Just spoke to bell since my 1 year free pvr 9292 rental was up. Was offered 30% programming for 1 year and $5 off pvr rental. Would not budge for the free pvr for another year. I didn't commit but gonna to think about it and call back in a few days.

Is there a buyout option at the end of the one year? Has anyone done it? I don't want to have to downgrade to a 9241! Is there anywhere where you can still buy a 9242 without contract? I missed the FS deal in January as I did not realize they were going to do away with the 2 room feature, I still can't believe they did that!

[Potsman]

Just a thought... anyone call and threaten to cancel while your will still in receipt of the retention deal. IE... you receive 30% off programming for a year and do not have a contract. After 10 months, you call and tell them you want to terminate as company X is offering a better deal even after the discount you are getting. You may have to cancel but would probably get a phone call back in the next few days judging by some of the posts.

[mrwinky]

Well my 20% off for a year expired last month, I tried to call in. I was told that they would renew my 20% deal for another year. And I was getting the Best HD in canada. so I should be happy with that, I had the PVR as well from before, but they screwed up when it was billing me, they kept charging me $20 a month, for 2 months before I got a $360 credit. He wouldnt even budge on getting me a PVR for a year free. My bill was $130 a month before discounts. Its time for me to explore going to shaw since they will give me a HD PVR free.


Winky Out

[brockster]

Well my 20% off for a year expired last month, I tried to call in. I was told that they would renew my 20% deal for another year. And I was getting the Best HD in canada. so I should be happy with that, I had the PVR as well from before, but they screwed up when it was billing me, they kept charging me $20 a month, for 2 months before I got a $360 credit. He wouldnt even budge on getting me a PVR for a year free. My bill was $130 a month before discounts. Its time for me to explore going to shaw since they will give me a HD PVR free.


Winky Out

That is why I bought the 9242 from Futureshop deal... I would suggest anyone who wants to retain a 9242 without paying rental $ after a year buy a 9242 before they cannot be found anywhere (that is if you value the 2 room solution otherwise the 9241 is fine).

[sml]

Is there a buyout option at the end of the one year? Has anyone done it? I don't want to have to downgrade to a 9241! Is there anywhere where you can still buy a 9242 without contract? I missed the FS deal in January as I did not realize they were going to do away with the 2 room feature, I still can't believe they did that!

Tried it, I conclude that it is impossible to buy out your rental. I was renting the 9242 and it was awesome. Ever since I got the 9241, I've had nothing but problems with both hardware and firmware. Well, the fixed a couple of things on the firmware side with V231 so it's not as bad as before, still not as bulletproof as the 9242. *end rant*

[Sergio]

Guys,

I just called Bell to cancel my existing sat service, and this is what I was able to close:


40% discount on all programming services
9241 PVR recvr for 12 months for free
Free HD for 12 months
New Dish + install for free (I also get to keep old dish - not sure if worth $)
10$ bell bundle (no clue what this is????)
Old Price 52$+tx
New Price 27$+tx (I had to remove 1 theme from old package)


It took a total of 25min with rep. They started with 30% + 6131 box, I refused and was ready to hang up, she put me on hold and came back with 40% and 9241 box. I'm happy with deal.

Thanks for oppurtunity!
Ciao...
Sergio

[Hugh Jass]

Guys,

I just called Bell to cancel my existing sat service, and this is what I was able to close:


40% discount on all programming services
9241 PVR recvr for 12 months for free
Free HD for 12 months
New Dish + install for free (I also get to keep old dish - not sure if worth $)
10$ bell bundle (no clue what this is????)
Old Price 52$+tx
New Price 27$+tx (I had to remove 1 theme from old package)


It took a total of 25min with rep. They started with 30% + 6131 box, I refused and was ready to hang up, she put me on hold and came back with 40% and 9241 box. I'm happy with deal.

Thanks for oppurtunity!
Ciao...
Sergio


Looks like you got a decent deal there Sergio. Dishes are worth next to nothing btw.

Did you have HD already or are you a first timer? Maybe they gave you a good deal to get you hooked :razz:

[EbonyRose]

Hi guys,

I've been with Bell since early 2000. I own two receivers, but I cancelled my service on one a few years back. I'm paying $61 for the OLD Canada Digital Advantage package, which is literally basic programming. I'm planning to cancel with them soon, because for $61 my programming sucks. I want to negotiate a deal with basic programming, five value packs and the Chinese combo. I was just wondering what a good price would be for all that? Is there anything else I could ask them to throw in? My receiver is ghetto, could I ask for a better one? Please give me some advice on how to go about this. I've never dealt with Bell retentions before. THANK YOU!

[djino]

Guys,

I just called Bell to cancel my existing sat service, and this is what I was able to close:


40% discount on all programming services
9241 PVR recvr for 12 months for free
Free HD for 12 months
New Dish + install for free (I also get to keep old dish - not sure if worth $)
10$ bell bundle (no clue what this is????)
Old Price 52$+tx
New Price 27$+tx (I had to remove 1 theme from old package)


It took a total of 25min with rep. They started with 30% + 6131 box, I refused and was ready to hang up, she put me on hold and came back with 40% and 9241 box. I'm happy with deal.

Thanks for oppurtunity!
Ciao...
Sergio

EXCELLENT!!.. bon.. nice job there.

Since I assume this is will be your upgrade to HD, I'd like to see what you can get outta them in 12 months. Let us know

djino
"awesome chit!"

[Sergio]

New Dish with LNB, new coax run, and service is worth probably 200-300$.

Never had HD in my home.

If they hook me, in 12 months the rates will be more competitive.

Take care...
Sergio

Looks like you got a decent deal there Sergio. Dishes are worth next to nothing btw.

Did you have HD already or are you a first timer? Maybe they gave you a good deal to get you hooked :razz:

[Hugh Jass]

New Dish with LNB, new coax run, and service is worth probably 200-300$.



I was answering your question about your old dish. Not worth much.

[Sergio]

Ohhhh......makes sense - thanks!
I will probably throw it at the cottage

I was answering your question about your old dish. Not worth much.

[Dave12345]

does anyone know if bell has a HD unit for Condos?

[bhp]

If I buy an HD 6131 from Futureshop for $199, do existing customers still get the $100 programming credits? I'm guessing no but has anyone tried going through retentions to get the credit??

All retailers are advertising the 6131 for $99.

[ben hancock]

I've been a Bell customer for 4 months now and I pay about $69 before tax per month. Any chance I could get a certain percentage off my monthly rate? What if I add a movie package? I figure anything less than $69/month + additional programming is a better deal than what I pay now.

[Hugh Jass]

I've been a Bell customer for 4 months now and I pay about $69 before tax per month. Any chance I could get a certain percentage off my monthly rate? What if I add a movie package? I figure anything less than $69/month + additional programming is a better deal than what I pay now.

Did you sign a contract? More than likely you did and more than likely you won't be able to get better than that until near the end of contract. If not, then you can call retentions and threaten to cancel.

[dealCker]

If I buy an HD 6131 from Futureshop for $199, do existing customers still get the $100 programming credits? I'm guessing no but has anyone tried going through retentions to get the credit??

All retailers are advertising the 6131 for $99.

I was able to get the credit for a receiver i bought instore.
It happened after I called in, and they offered me 100 bucks off a hdpvr, because I said i was looking at getting pvr, I said I'd think about it, called back and asked if i could get 100 bucks off of a receiver I bought at another store(bestbuy) because there isn't a bell store where I live, and the girl said yes.

It took a couple of calls, but i was able to get it to happen.. (but I am waiting for our bill to come to see if it really did occur)

[happyplato]

There is no difference between HD unit for house or condo, as long you can install a receiver dish at your location.

does anyone know if bell has a HD unit for Condos?

[Robino]

My monthly bill was $87 for progamming plus $20 rental for 9242. I never asked about purchase option for my 9242.

[Variance]

So is the only difference between the 9242 and the 9241 is the room sharing feature correct?

My retention was up and was only able to keep the 30% off and I would have to pay for the PVR rental. I think I'll just be looking out for a new 9241 unit on craigslist or something. Wonder what they do with all these returned 9242s heh.

[eaglez]

So is the only difference between the 9242 and the 9241 is the room sharing feature correct?



1. No PiP on the 9241.
2. 9241 hardrive fan is very NOISY comparing to the 9242 even at idle temperatures.
3. The remote on the 9241 acts like an IR instead of UHF cause it needs line of sight in order to work. I tried flipping the thingy under the bell logo on the remote from black (UHF) to silver (UHF PRO) and the remote didn't even work on the silver side.
4. there are differences with what inputs/outputs are available as well, not sure exactly which though.

And there might be other differences.

D.

[corcoran_chris]

any tips at all for a 100% new subscriber?

[sml]

1. No PiP on the 9241.
2. 9241 hardrive fan is very NOISY comparing to the 9242 even at idle temperatures.
3. The remote on the 9241 acts like an IR instead of UHF cause it needs line of sight in order to work. I tried flipping the thingy under the bell logo on the remote from black (UHF) to silver (UHF PRO) and the remote didn't even work on the silver side.
4. there are differences with what inputs/outputs are available as well, not sure exactly which though.

And there might be other differences.

D.

You have to re-sync the remote and the 9241 in order to get it to work on the silver side (UHF PRO) but it does work. Try to google for the 9241 manual on the Bell website. The remote works WAY better on UHF.

[Bwadd]

any tips at all for a 100% new subscriber?

Yes please.... any tips on what to say to get the most when we subscribe for the first time?? Just bought a place in Burlington and would love to score a good deal.....

Thanks

[Dave12345]

There is no difference between HD unit for house or condo, as long you can install a receiver dish at your location.

Thats the thing, I cant. The dish is on the roof, and last I checked bell does not support HD when that is the case (which is terrible, what year is it 1998?)

Just wondering if anyone has herd different.

[Bwadd]

OMG the worst!

We have Bell currently at my parents place where we are moving from so I know the horror of being their client and dealing with CS.... but none the less they are far superior in HD TV over Cogeco, and unfortunately we dont have Robbers here in Burlington....

I called the New Customer line and spoke to a sales rep to see what they could offer me and the woman could barely speak english and quoted me more than the online price, and when I asked her why it was higher, she said she was not sure.... WTF??

Anyone know how I should go about getting a better deal and speaking with a proper rep? Is there a certain time to call that is better than others?

Bad experience so far.... no shock there!

[rob1]

My 1 year @ 40% is about to expire in April.

Has anyone here been able to repeat the deal for a second 12 month term???

I would like to know before I call.

Cheers

[Sheed30]

OMG the worst!

We have Bell currently at my parents place where we are moving from so I know the horror of being their client and dealing with CS.... but none the less they are far superior in HD TV over Cogeco, and unfortunately we dont have Robbers here in Burlington....

I called the New Customer line and spoke to a sales rep to see what they could offer me and the woman could barely speak english and quoted me more than the online price, and when I asked her why it was higher, she said she was not sure.... WTF??

Anyone know how I should go about getting a better deal and speaking with a proper rep? Is there a certain time to call that is better than others?

Bad experience so far.... no shock there!


Seems as though you weren't talking to the retentions dept when you called in....As far as I know when you are connected to the retention dept you are talking to CSR's here in Canada but on a regular call to Bell you get connected to India...Did you follow the steps in the first post in this thread on how to get to the retentions dept? I am not sure on the best time to call in but anytime during regular business hours should be fine....Good luck.

[mre]

My 1 year @ 40% is about to expire in April.

Has anyone here been able to repeat the deal for a second 12 month term???

I would like to know before I call.

Cheers


Yes, I phone Bell every year once my current deal expires. In the past I was on a 30% discount but I just got that upped to 40% last week.

[rayq]

Thats the thing, I cant. The dish is on the roof, and last I checked bell does not support HD when that is the case (which is terrible, what year is it 1998?)

Just wondering if anyone has herd different.

You need to have two LNB's (pointing to 82 & 91 sat) for SD and HD channels. Bell will include free installation if you're a new subscriber.

[maxtrix]

Yes, I phone Bell every year once my current deal expires. In the past I was on a 30% discount but I just got that upped to 40% last week.

Did you just go through the cancellation process as before... my 1 yr will be coming up within the next few months too, and would love to get this deal again (or better)

[Talus91]

Did you just go through the cancellation process as before... my 1 yr will be coming up within the next few months too, and would love to get this deal again (or better)

I received 40% last year, and was told that wasn't an option for them anymore, CSR was very helpful, I did receive 30% off for my second year, and to answer your question, yes, you do have to go through the cancellation process.

[mikeh1159]

Well -it is true. I think that I have been a subscriber from about mid 2005 and never got anything. My subscription is also $100+ per month.

Today I called and finally got to talk to a retention specialist. After a little bit of haggling (very little) here is what they are giving me:

30% off for 12 months (about $30/month)
Free Installation/Upgrade to HD system – includes hardware (big money because I will have 3 receivers in my house which means switches will have to be included).

HDPVR free rental for 1 year($20/month value)
Free HD Programming for 6 months ($15/month value)

RFD definitely saved me a few bucks here.

Thank you.

[doylie]

Well i am legitimately considering leaving bell as i have a way better offer from the cable company including 2 hd-pvr's. I could stay with bell but they want to swap my 9242 for a free 9241.. they say they cant offer the free rental unless i give them my 9242. wtf? has anyone had sucess in keeping there 9242? I told them just waive my rental fee on the 9242 and continue my discount and /i would stay.. apparently my only choice is to go with the free 9241 and lose the whole house pvr... ******.. i might have to cancel and go to cable..

HAHA I cant believe *****ty is banned

[doylie]

ok ****** is another word for poopy :)

[Hugh Jass]

I could stay with bell but they want to swap my 9242 for a free 9241.. they say they cant offer the free rental unless i give them my 9242. wtf?

******** eh?

[RedBargainz]

You need to have two LNB's (pointing to 82 & 91 sat) for SD and HD channels. Bell will include free installation if you're a new subscriber.

A little off topic... anyone know if the 'Y' adaptor from a Dishnetwork hardware is the same as the Bell one? I am using Dishnetwork dish and 'Y' adaptor with a twin LNB (built-in switches instead of external switches) and cannot catch sat 82.

[patpond]

I could stay with bell but they want to swap my 9242 for a free 9241.. they say they cant offer the free rental unless i give them my 9242. wtf?

hey ppl, thanks for all the tips and tricks! One question about this issue. I'm currently in that sort of promo now, and my 9242 free rental will be up in approx July - Aug. Now when I was originally on the phone with the rep he said I would be able to call back at the end of the promo and be able to buy the PVR at the 'new customer' rate of $299 or $399 or something. You think I'll still be able to do this???

The reason I called in the first place was to see if they would sell me that unit at that reduced price because we were getting offers from StarChoice for 2 free ones. eh... any ideas? :confused:

[patpond]

Ok, I tried to post this earlier, and I have no idea where it ended up... :confused: anyways, i'll try again.

I'm in the same boat as you guys, got the nice deal to keep me 'happy', but now I'm a little too happy. I want to keep the 9242 and my free rental deal is up in July or August of this year. What do you suppose my options are? When I was on the phone with the rep he said I would have the option to buy the receiver at the end of the year, just call back the same dept and tell them at that time.

Anyone else have some thoughts on my situation? any advice would be welcomed :D

[brockster]

Ok, I tried to post this earlier, and I have no idea where it ended up... :confused: anyways, i'll try again.

I'm in the same boat as you guys, got the nice deal to keep me 'happy', but now I'm a little too happy. I want to keep the 9242 and my free rental deal is up in July or August of this year. What do you suppose my options are? When I was on the phone with the rep he said I would have the option to buy the receiver at the end of the year, just call back the same dept and tell them at that time.

Anyone else have some thoughts on my situation? any advice would be welcomed :D

No matter what they tell you, they are NOT able to sell rented receivers, they don't even own them.

[yabadabdo]

I had a 40% discount in the last 12 months which just expired.
I called today to see if they would continue with the same discount for another 12 months and they agreed to my request without any problems.

[basic]

My PVR hardrive crapped out this morning - what kindof deal should I be angling for?

[densil_lopez]

My PVR hardrive crapped out this morning - what kindof deal should I be angling for?

look around for the computer genius on kijiji and craiglist...they will put a new 250 GB or 320GB or 500 GB hard drive in your pvr....

[mjl]

I am looking at the new pvr, should I find a used one from last year or go with the new model. can someone let me know how the old one would allow you to view a pvr show on another receiver in the house. Does the new one do that also.

[mjl]

another post shows this receiver on sale for 399 at the source so I ordered one. hope everything works out!

[Hugh Jass]

another post shows this receiver on sale for 399 at the source so I ordered one. hope everything works out!

Why buy one when it's free to rent?

[penduboy]

Called Bell today, CR offered me 30% discount I asked for 40 but he said no, so I took 30% discount but he said it will take 2-3 billing cycles to apply for the discount which means it will take 2 to 3 months... is it normal?

They offered me earlier 50% discount on the purchase of PVR 5-6 months ago. I am still waiting for that credit, every time I wait for 2 billing cycles they say it will take some time....and this time this CR said there is no credit on my account but he will apply that now and it will take another 2-3 months to show up on my account.

What kind of game they are playing with me. :mad:

I will apprecitate your comments on this.

Thanks, Pendu

[mjl]

they offered the 6131 but I need a uhf remote. So I will take the one they offered, the 30% discount for a year and I am buying this pvr.

[fat1138]

I too talked to retention and got 40% off programing and use of hdpvr for 12 months,back in january .Last bill was correct but they never gave me back owed credit($100).New bill came and they billed me rental of hdpvr twice ,installation and no programming discount.Called them and was told to pay bill in full and they would adjust next month,i refused and said i would pay the same as previous months bill.I f*%$ing hate dealing with these people when they bill me incorrectly .Last time i had problem with bill it took months to fix

[CatDog]

first time negotiating with Bell, not getting anywhere really.

Currently have phone with them

HD Essential $54
2 SD
1 HDPVR
1 $100 credit
$10 monthly credit 1yr
$5 bundle credit

$68 a month

[mikeh1159]

A little off topic... anyone know if the 'Y' adaptor from a Dishnetwork hardware is the same as the Bell one? I am using Dishnetwork dish and 'Y' adaptor with a twin LNB (built-in switches instead of external switches) and cannot catch sat 82.


I will help you one time here - Yessir - it is one and the same. Remember - you have to adjust the skew to get both birds.

PS: Please note - This probably is NOT the place to be asking that question as it does not pertain to retention at Bell.

[doylie]

hey ppl, thanks for all the tips and tricks! One question about this issue. I'm currently in that sort of promo now, and my 9242 free rental will be up in approx July - Aug. Now when I was originally on the phone with the rep he said I would be able to call back at the end of the promo and be able to buy the PVR at the 'new customer' rate of $299 or $399 or something. You think I'll still be able to do this???

The reason I called in the first place was to see if they would sell me that unit at that reduced price because we were getting offers from StarChoice for 2 free ones. eh... any ideas? :confused:


They will not sell you the 9242 either.. trust me I asked.. I would rather buy it outright then pay 20 bucks a month for it. WE really enjoyed being able to watch our pvr'd programs anywhere. Oh well I think ill be sending the 9242 back.. what happens to all these returned rental units anyway?

[canadian250]

I had a 40% discount in the last 12 months which just expired.
I called today to see if they would continue with the same discount for another 12 months and they agreed to my request without any problems.


That's good to know as I'm on the same 40% discount right now. Will have to call and see if I can get the same deal as you when it expires :)

[dealCker]

I too talked to retention and got 40% off programing and use of hdpvr for 12 months,back in january .Last bill was correct but they never gave me back owed credit($100).New bill came and they billed me rental of hdpvr twice ,installation and no programming discount.Called them and was told to pay bill in full and they would adjust next month,i refused and said i would pay the same as previous months bill.I f*%$ing hate dealing with these people when they bill me incorrectly .Last time i had problem with bill it took months to fix

I got the same problem where they charged me for the installation of a new dish. I called the retention line to deal with the matter. The guy told me he credited my account, gave me a confirmation number of the credit as well, and said I just had to pay for the subscription.
I am just gonna pay for the discounted price and see what happens, If the credit doesn't get applied and I get late pay charges, I am gonna call back and complain again. (crossing my fingers this doesn't happen)

Did you call the retentions line as well or did you call the billing dept?

[Subiegt]

Well, looks like I'm the latest victim of the famous 'billing' errors from Bell!

Second time calling in, but gets worse and worse! Was offered the programming discount and free hdpvr rental for the year, and now the retention line is saying they only show the programming discount, and one month free rental!!!

They are suppose to call me back and investigate the issue...not sure what the means, their system is down again (same thing last month when I called!).

Getting annoyed trying to get all my back-dated credits also! I've told them that I would only pay what I was promised, and not paying anything more. They keep saying the credits will show up, so I said that is fine. I asked them to make a note on my file that I would not pay any interest on overdue balances (as there is no overdue balance), and the rep told me they added that comment to my file.

Just make sure you tell them to note whatever you negotiate!

Update:

So they called me back today, and this was quite an interesting conversation! The lady informs me that they will not be able to offer me the 1 year free hdpvr rental as that was last years' promotion??? Also, according to their records, my so-called '1 year contract' is up in May 09!!!

So I tell her that this is not making sense, I have the installation documents showing that the tech. came in on Jan 10, 2009 to do the install, and also the time which we made all the programming changes. Yet she is telling me that I was under this arrangement since May 08?

End result - Rep: Yes, my system shows this information, and we can't give you the free hdpvr rental anymore and you have to stay until May if you wish to cancel.

Wow! I asked her to just look at my old invoices as all I had was the regular digital receiver which I bought, and standard digital package prior to Jan 10...so she would know right away that this is not making sense! But all she kept saying was, this is what my system shows, and she can't do anything!

I am just shocked! I'll be calling in to speak with another rep and see if they can sort this out...but think I'm done with Bell! I'll pay what I owe based on my calculation, and they can pursue it if they wish!

Good luck to everyone else!

[openskies]

I have arguably had more difficulty with billing through bell than most. all I can tell you is to record everything!!!!!I have and now that they know, their tune with me has changed dramatically. I still have to wait for next month's bill before I can claim I have resolved issues that started two weeks after I signed up last December 2nd.

[sonofab]

I had a 40% discount in the last 12 months which just expired.
I called today to see if they would continue with the same discount for another 12 months and they agreed to my request without any problems.

I too had the 40% discount for the last 12 months which expired. I called today and asked to have it extended and the person I talked to said no. I asked if there was anything she could do to reduce my bill and all she suggested was to reduce my programming. I called back and this time said I wanted to cancel and quoted a current promotion Cogeco has. She mentioned that she saw the notes from my previous call and offered me 30% off for the year, I pushed for more but she wouldn't budge. I ended up taking the 30% for 12 more months.

[djino]

Without threatening to Cancel... Has anyone been successful in purchasing a 6131 HD Receiver from Bell/Futureshop/Bestbuy/etc and able to get a $100 Bill credit?

djino
"Tempted to jump on the The Source by CC deal for $49.99, but its $100 credit for new customers"

[bobjunior]

I had 30% discount for the past 12 months and noticed it expired. Followed instructions on first page to get to retentions again... said I had 30% and it expired. Not happy... blah blah blah, mentioned Shaw is offering cheap tv and "free PVR" blah blah blah. Got 30% again for 12 months. I own my PVR, so I did not talk hardware.

Jr!

[ac328]

Just coming off a 2 yr contract, followed the protocol in this thread and got 40% off programming for the year and 1 yr free PVR rental.

Let's see if Bell actually follows through or if we fall victim to Bell's billing errors...

[Hugh Jass]

Just coming off a 2 yr contract, followed the protocol in this thread and got 40% off programming for the year and 1 yr free PVR rental.

Let's see if Bell actually follows through or if we fall victim to Bell's billing errors...

Did you threaten to quit?

Was 40% and free PVR their first offer or did you have to squeeze it from them?

[djino]

Without threatening to Cancel... Has anyone been successful in purchasing a 6131 HD Receiver from Bell/Futureshop/Bestbuy/etc and able to get a $100 Bill credit?

djino
"Tempted to jump on the The Source by CC deal for $49.99, but its $100 credit for new customers"

Sweet jesus.

Well I didn't threaten to cancel, but I choose the 'Cancel Programming' option from the IVR and got to the Loyalty (Retentions) department.

I basically said what -> 'Is there anything you can do for me so that I can get the 6131 HD Receiver for the $99 you offer new customers?'.

Since I already have 30% off for 12 months and 9242 Rental free for 12 months, she couldnt place $100 credit on my account without also charging me $75 to send a tech out (Not sure why, but whatever).

She then instead said for me to go buy it at Bell/futureshop/etc and they will place 2 month free credit on my account to make up for the $100 credit (with my 30% discount, my bill expressvu bill is usually around $90 - so thats $180 saved).

Since The Source is pretty much sold out everywhere from for the $149 (-$100 credit) deal, I will just buy it at Futureshop or Bestbuy for the regular $199 price using my Citi Petro Mastercard.

Get Citi to refund me $50 using their Price Protection - since The Source has it for $149.

In the end It will be
$199 - Bestbuy Purchase on Citi Petro Card
-$50 - Citi Credit - Price Protection - The Source advertised $149
-$180 - 2 Months free Bell Credit

= Spent Nothing and received $31 + 6131 HD Receiver

djino
"YAY ME!!!"

[ac328]

Did you threaten to quit?

Was 40% and free PVR their first offer or did you have to squeeze it from them?

Had to squeeze it out after suggesting I wanted to go with Shaw cable. Initial offer was 20% off only. After some back and forth it became 30%, then 30+PVR. Finally 40+PVR.

Took about 15 mins.

[tsgee]

followed the protocol in this thread and got 40% off programming for the year and 1 yr free PVR rental.

Let's see if Bell actually follows through or if we fall victim to Bell's billing errors...

OMG, I just got my first bill and it's correct, 40% off.

[DealAdik]

Has anyone else been successful is negotiating 40% + Free rental? I called last week and so far only been able to get 30% but no free rental. Calling tmr to haggle more. :lol:

[baz5]

$20/month after free rental is up, sucks.
Anyway to get a free one, period? lol

[brockster]

Nope, gotta go buy one.

[mjl]

Hey I got the 30% off free pvr and free 6 months hd. Not bad and they had to do the install. I also bought the pvr from the source so I am set for a long time.

[baz5]

How much do PVRs go for?

[baz5]

Just got 30% and PVR for 1 year. Good enough for me.

[Tumster]

Just got my first bill after getting free HD etc., the bill is all frakked up. I did not get all of the discounts, I got charged for HD receiver rental, etc. Instead of staying about the same with free HD, my bill doubled. I called Bell, very polite CSR, told me that the retention department will get everything fixed up in 3-6 weeks. If they don't get it all fixed to my satisfaction, I am switching, Bell's incompetence amazes even me, one who works with incompetent people daily - literally...

Watch for the $100 deposit they charge for HD, they charge your credit card $105 (including tax) but only give you a credit for $100 on the bill. The CSR argued that by reducing my bill by $100, I get full benefits for $105 as I didnt have to pay for tax on the first $100. I says "NO", the way Bell has their bills, the credit is applied against after tax amounts; so we lose out on the $5. He did not argue at all after I said no, I think they know the accounting is wrong. Watch out for this.

[Hugh Jass]

If they don't get it all fixed to my satisfaction, I am switching,




I take it you're not on contract then?

[djino]

I take it you're not on contract then?

He'd have to be on contract if he's getting a "rental" receiver regardless if its free or not.

djino

[Hugh Jass]

He'd have to be on contract if he's getting a "rental" receiver regardless if its free or not.

djino


How can he switch then? ( without penalty)

[djino]

How can he switch then? ( without penalty)

He can't without penalty.

Though provincial laws may allow one to cancel a contract within a certain amount of time (10 days/etc).

djino

[Hugh Jass]

He can't without penalty.

Though provincial laws may allow one to cancel a contract within a certain amount of time (10 days/etc).

djino



He said he'd wait 3-6 weeks for it to be sorted out. So any law allowing you to cancel within 10 days wouldn't be applicable here.

[Potsman]

I take it you're not on contract then?

He'd have to be on contract if he's getting a "rental" receiver regardless if its free or not.

djino

Not necessarily..... I was offered 30% for one year and a free PVR with no contract. The CSR told me if I leave, I had to tell them 30 days in advance and they would send a prepaid shipping box for the PVR to be sent back

[djino]

Not necessarily..... I was offered 30% for one year and a free PVR with no contract. The CSR told me if I leave, I had to tell them 30 days in advance and they would send a prepaid shipping box for the PVR to be sent back

I find that hard to believe not less you already had the receiver in question. If this is a new "rental", they'd have to send out a tech to install (as they have to do with every new "rental" - and need you to stay for a minimum amount of time). I really doubt anyone can get a new rental WITHOUT signing a contract.

If you think you did, try canceling as I'm sure you'll be surprised when Bell bills you the ETF (early termination fee).

djino
"If bell said no contract, they lied to you, not less you were already renting the receiver"

[djino]

He said he'd wait 3-6 weeks for it to be sorted out. So any law allowing you to cancel within 10 days wouldn't be applicable here.

Yup, so the only way he can get out without penalty is if he called and spoke to a really really nice manager/retentions agent who would decide to credit the account for the ETF.

djino
"but why would they do that when they'd be losing you as a client anyway"

[Potsman]

I find that hard to believe not less you already had the receiver in question. If this is a new "rental", they'd have to send out a tech to install (as they have to do with every new "rental" - and need you to stay for a minimum amount of time). I really doubt anyone can get a new rental WITHOUT signing a contract.

If you think you did, try canceling as I'm sure you'll be surprised when Bell bills you the ETF (early termination fee).

djino
"If bell said no contract, they lied to you, not less you were already renting the receiver"

Well, I am not sure what to say to that as I can only tell you what I was told by the CSR. BTW, I did not take the PVR and actually asked if I could get a higher discount if I went on a contract and was told no. I have been with Bell EV since 2000. All the other details of my retention offer are in a previous post about 2 months ago in this thread.

[Tumster]

Not necessarily..... I was offered 30% for one year and a free PVR with no contract. The CSR told me if I leave, I had to tell them 30 days in advance and they would send a prepaid shipping box for the PVR to be sent back



Ding Ding Ding Ding Ding, give the man a prize. Same here, 30 days is all I am "suppose" to be on the hook for. I have been with Bell since around 2001. I am suppose to keep the free receiver for 1 year and HD for 6 months IF I stay with Bell. If I am not happy, and I specifically asked, I only need to give a 30 days notice. I made sure that I have an out if Telus or Shaw comes up with a better offer.

In Alberta, it is 30 days to cancel "any" contract and 1 year if they don't fullfill (or only partially done so) their side of the bargain. So if they don't fix up the credits as per the agreement, I maintain that I have the right to cancel without the 30 days notice (up to a year from the date we entered into the agreement).

[bubble.tea]

Just tried again...let's see if things work themselves out :).

[leadfoot]

Bell must be getting more hard-nosed or I'm just a bad haggler! I've been with Expressvu since 2000 and also have phone-cell-internet with them. I called up and did the cancel service routine. I mentioned that StarChoice was offering incentives for new customers and their HD programming package was much cheaper. The best the CSR would give me was 10% off programming and that was it. She was convinced this was a great deal and equivalent to Star Choice. I argued for at least 20 minutes and finally she said she could possibly get 20% if she went to her manager. I then suggested a free 6131 for a year as well which she agreed to present to her manager as well. I was exhausted by this time so I took the 20% and free 6131 for the year with free install and free HD theme packs for 6 months. Sigh...

[Swarez99]

has anyone been able to get free rental on two boxes??
I dont think its possible, but just curious.
Just picked up a 2nd hd tv and would love to get 2 free pvr's :)


I actually called last month but they said i was still on my previous retention plan until and contract until April....which is wrong because I called Jan 2008, but they did mess up my bills for 3 months and maybe this was another accident trying to correct the billing issues.

[rob1]

I was given he 40% free 9242 PVR deal last April....I just called in again to "renew" the same deal and the best I got was 30% and no free rental.

First call was only 20%....

Don't really care about the PVR since I still have my original 9200.....

So I asked about free HD for 6 months.....the rep gave me a $60.00 credit which should appear on my next bill :o

Bell is not as generous as last year....

Cheers

[wilburyan]

Bell actually called me yesterday because my contract is up soon... they wanted to sign me on for 2 more years... in exchange for a $40 credit :S

Currently I'm just a basic subscriber and I own my own receiver.

[djino]

Bell actually called me yesterday because my contract is up soon... they wanted to sign me on for 2 more years... in exchange for a $40 credit :S

Currently I'm just a basic subscriber and I own my own receiver.

I hope you tried to turn the tables on them and say that you were planning on going to cable as they are cheaper (in hopes of them offering you some discount over 12 months) maybe even through in a free rental for 12 months.

djino

[Sheed30]

I was given he 40% free 9242 PVR deal last April....I just called in again to "renew" the same deal and the best I got was 30% and no free rental.

First call was only 20%....

Don't really care about the PVR since I still have my original 9200.....

So I asked about free HD for 6 months.....the rep gave me a $60.00 credit which should appear on my next bill :o

Bell is not as generous as last year....

Cheers


Did you call the retention phone number from the first post in this thread to try and get your 40% deal "renewed" for another year or the regular Bell phone number 1 800 sky-dish?

[ncnmra]

I got the free PVR last January. Now my bill sky-rocketed, so I was following this thread closely. Seems to be a split between people getting 30%-40% off. I tried two different times and could only manage 30%. I even told the CSR that some of my friends were getting "40% off" and he shrugged and said the best program they have is 30%.

The funny part is he said "if we gave all our clients 40% off, what would we get"...and I said "60%", and he laughed.

The $8/mo difference isn't enough for me to raise my blood pressure, so I decided to accept the 30% for 12 mos with no contract...(and keep my PVR).

We'll see what happens on the next bill :)

[rob1]

Did you call the retention phone number from the first post in this thread to try and get your 40% deal "renewed" for another year or the regular Bell phone number 1 800 sky-dish?


Yes - Retentions from the first post. I was told the 40% is not being offered anymore.....30% max.

If anyone gets the 40% again - let us know.

Remember I got 6 Months free HD as a one time $60.00 credit - I simply asked for it as he would not give me 40% off. They will do this.

I guess I'll be repeating this again next year since I do not have a cable option where I live - only Bell or Starchoice and I'm not going to Starchoice!

Cheers

[Swarez99]

Yes - Retentions from the first post. I was told the 40% is not being offered anymore.....30% max.

If anyone gets the 40% again - let us know.

Remember I got 6 Months free HD as a one time $60.00 credit - I simply asked for it as he would not give me 40% off. They will do this.

I guess I'll be repeating this again next year since I do not have a cable option where I live - only Bell or Starchoice and I'm not going to Starchoice!

Cheers


I just called got 30% too.
they changed my 25 ATN (indian) package to $15, which matches new subscribers..the 30% comes off the new price.
Forgot to try to get a credit for the HD.

So the bill will be 31 for basic, 20 for 5 themes, 10 for HD, 15 for ATN.
Will give me a free just HD, no pvr reciever for the year.

I keep my 9242 receiver that is hooked up to two tv's right now.
And the new reciever goes to the bedroom where there is HD. Is this worth is?
I'm going to call my cable company now though which has my internet and phone so see what they offer.

[mrmoe]

i got 40% off for another year.

he gave me an option of 50% for 6 months. if i only have to call them once a year. i will take a hit.

I just asked for it.

[CatDog]

new customer, with telephone service for decades. Im going to try and get 30% off..again

[Spidey]

I got the free PVR last January. Now my bill sky-rocketed, so I was following this thread closely. Seems to be a split between people getting 30%-40% off. I tried two different times and could only manage 30%. I even told the CSR that some of my friends were getting "40% off" and he shrugged and said the best program they have is 30%.

The funny part is he said "if we gave all our clients 40% off, what would we get"...and I said "60%", and he laughed.

The $8/mo difference isn't enough for me to raise my blood pressure, so I decided to accept the 30% for 12 mos with no contract...(and keep my PVR).

We'll see what happens on the next bill :)

Got mine yesterday to and mine has more than doubled becaue I lost the 30% off as well.

Whats the best thing to say to get this deal again. I cant believe its been a year already. Theres no way I can do without my PVR anymore, Im hooked

[dvdrat]

I called yesterday as well because my $76.61 bill went up to $120.91 after last year's 40% discount expired (both figures are after taxes). I explained the situation and they quickly agreed to giving me 40% off for another year. I was offered a free HD receiver, but I wanted a PVR. They offered me a new 9241 for $399 as an outright purchase. Not bad considering I bought my first 9200 for $649 and my second 9200 off of eBay for $480.

So my next bill should be $75.26 after taxes. In ten months, the after tax cost of the 9241 should be made up and I still enjoy over $90 in savings over the remaining two months.

- dvdrat

[Spidey]

I called yesterday as well because my $76.61 bill went up to $120.91 after last year's 40% discount expired (both figures are after taxes). I explained the situation and they quickly agreed to giving me 40% off for another year. I was offered a free HD receiver, but I wanted a PVR. They offered me a new 9241 for $399 as an outright purchase. Not bad considering I bought my first 9200 for $649 and my second 9200 off of eBay for $480.

So my next bill should be $75.26 after taxes. In ten months, the after tax cost of the 9241 should be made up and I still enjoy over $90 in savings over the remaining two months.

- dvdrat

Did you have to say anything in particular to get the deal again. Any kind of story to give them. I would be happy with just 40% off again and pay for my receiver rental. I was onyl getting 30% last year, but the pvr rental was free

[djino]

Did you have to say anything in particular to get the deal again. Any kind of story to give them. I would be happy with just 40% off again and pay for my receiver rental. I was onyl getting 30% last year, but the pvr rental was free

- Dial: 1-888-sky-disk
- Press Option to Cancel Programming (gets you to loyalty dep.)
- "I would like to cancel"
Rep will ask your reasons for cancelling
- "My discount is coming to an end and I can't afford to pay more" or "My discount is coming to an end and my cable provider is offering me a good deal"
Rep should give you same discount (or better).
- You accept contract for another year
- You hang up phone and come on this thread to post what you got
- You then paypal $50 to me

djino
"I say thankyou"

[Spidey]

- Dial: 1-888-sky-disk
- Press Option to Cancel Programming (gets you to loyalty dep.)
- "I would like to cancel"
Rep will ask your reasons for cancelling
- "My discount is coming to an end and I can't afford to pay more" or "My discount is coming to an end and my cable provider is offering me a good deal"
Rep should give you same discount (or better).
- You accept contract for another year
- You hang up phone and come on this thread to post what you got
- You then paypal $50 to me

djino
"I say thankyou"

sweet, ill call tonight. I should of done it sooner so this bill wasnt full price

[CatDog]

not getting anywhere really...nothing that competes with you guys

[rayq]

I was offered a free HD receiver, but ...

A free HD receiver? Is it yours to keep or a free HD receiver rental? BTW, BB has 6131 on sale for $149. Thanks.

[rincewnd2002]

- Dial: 1-888-sky-disk


It should read 1888 SKY DISH

(888 759 3474)

[djino]

It should read 1888 SKY DISH

(888 759 3474)

my bad.

djino
":D, but you still owe me $50"

[dirk]

My 1 year 9242 rental and 30% discount expires end of April and the best they can offer is 30% (no contract) and $120 rental credit (6 months 9241 or 1yr HD receiver).

If I purchase my own HD PVR I can get a $100 credit regardless of where I purchase. My local The Source has a 9242 for $599 and will not sell me a 9241 for $399.99; and this was the store owner I spoke with. It wasn't in the flyer so it doesn't exist to him; just reaffirms the reason I only purchase sale items there. Too bad I like to support local shops when I can.

[monkeywork]

I'm coming off the 40% reduction from last year called today and got 30% and 1 year free pvr rental.

My programming bill:

Without any promotions came to - 102.xx after taxes.
With old 40% promotion came to - 72.xx after taxes.
With new promotion 30% + PVR - 58.xx after taxes (1 year contract attached).

With the new PVR I lose the second TV function (I had the 9200) however I wasn't using that functionality anyway - I also had to do the deposit of 100$ however that will be credited back to me on my next bill.

So I'm actually coming out ahead, getting a new PVR (which is good because the 9200 was starting to get flakey), but I'm locked in for a year which isn't a big deal

[jory29]

Hi, thanks to RFD, I was able to negotiate 40% off and free PVR HD rental for 1 year. Thanks! I did also have to pay the $100 fee and it will come up as a credit on my next statement. (Install will be free though.)

My questions for you RFD'ers who now have Bell HD TV are:

1.)We have an old UHF model (3100 I think it is), hooked up in our basement, and it is hooked up to 2 of our TV's.

We have one PVR in the family room, that is coming in directly from it's own cable from the dish. I'm assuming we have a dual feed dish right now, in order to have this type of dual receiver set up? [Or maybe we do just have a cable splitter somewhere from the dish to allow it, I'm not sure of the initial set up.]

Q.'s) If we introduce a 3rd receiver now, the HD PVR, it's my understanding he will have to replace the dish itself. But - if he replaces the dish, can we still continue on with our previous setup? Or will they have to uninstall the first dish as well? Also, where we have the HDTV, we are not close to a phone line - will that be a problem for them for setup, or will they be able to hook it up without? I seem to remember that they used to request the phone lines being plugged in to set up the receiver? Thanks, if anyone can tell me what our new setup might be like. :)

[tomtong]

They just have to replace your 2 x SW21 (pic A) to SW44 (pic C)

http://www.satellite-connection-systems.com/Expressvu-switches.html

Last week, I called the customer service about that and they told me Bell will charge me $150 for the SW44 regardless of the free installation. Let me know if that's true.

http://www.satellite-connection-systems.com/Satellite-Receivers.html

[Spidey]

Ive goit to call these guys. My last bill was the full bill, but been so busy havent been able to call. That extra $35 on the bill sucks. if they can do it for a year, they can do it for another

[jory29]

They just have to replace your 2 x SW21 (pic A) to SW44 (pic C)

http://www.satellite-connection-systems.com/Expressvu-switches.html

Last week, I called the customer service about that and they told me Bell will charge me $150 for the SW44 regardless of the free installation. Let me know if that's true.

http://www.satellite-connection-systems.com/Satellite-Receivers.html

I know I told the first person in retention our setup and the CSR told me we'd be able to have as many receivers as we wanted to. They definitely didn't tell me anything about a $150 SW44 so I hope they won't try to charge me for that! Maybe they only charge it if they inform you first, and get your approval? I'll let you know, probably not until after our billing is all straightened out, etc. Thanks for letting me know that an SW44 will probably be needed. I didn't know how they might work it out. Thanks! :)

Edited to add: I wish I would have paid attention to this thread a long time ago! Because we were happy with Bell, it didn't occur to me to try to get a better deal, etc. I'd have saved from $300-$400 in the last year, if I'd been doing this for the past year. This is the first time I'm doing a retention. They had offered me 30% off, but the next time I phoned, I did ask if they could provide a 40% discount since we'd been with them over 10 years, and since we had always had one of the highest priced package deals. The had to o.k. it with their supervisor, but they said yes. I thought it was really good of them to do that. They didn't tell me I'm in a contract, but I wonder if I am, since they said 40% off for a year, and free HD PVR for a year?? Makes me wonder. Still, I don't plan on leaving Bell anytime soon. :)

Good luck, Spidey! Let us know how you fare. :)

[shawn99]

is it possible to get HD channels without paying for basic SD package? Any satellite companies do this?

[jory29]

I called the customer service about that and they told me Bell will charge me $150 for the SW44 regardless of the free installation. Let me know if that's true.


Hi, as it turns out, they installed the new dish and the install included (the install tech. told me) being able to hook up the previous 2 feeds (one for a UHF receiver, and one that was also directly connected to the non-HD PVR previously. We had started out with a dual line dish I think because we were already using a PVR.)

Recap: We previously had one dish with a dual feed - one line to main TV with PVR, and one line was connecting the other line to a UHF receiver, (which we then split out to the remaining TV's in the house.)

Now, for the the new dish, (old one was removed): Because the HD PVR needed 2 lines of it's own anyway, that receiver is using 2 of those 4 available lines from the dish. Our other 2 lines are connected to the 2 remaining available slots on the dish.

So - I was told that there were no extra equipment being used for our particular install, and that it was just a regular install to them. Had we wanted one more box set up, that would have been more expensive, as they'd have needed to use something like what you had described to me.

[Spidey]

Got only 30% this time but no free receiver rental. They did give me an additional $20 credit because my last bill was full price, so I basically get one more month free of PVR rental.

Ill maybe call again in 6 months and see, by bill is still under $50 with the rental

[james-007]

Bell Express Vu sucks and I think everyone should stay away from them. I've been with them since January and they can't even get the billing straight. Every month I have to fight with them for over an hour before they understand that I'm right. My billing cycle is from 20th to 19th every month. Last month I called them they offered me more channels for just $1 more a month. Well to my surprise $99 for the last month and $79 this month. Well I subscribed to the new package 1 day before the last billing period. Last bill is missing the %20 discount.

Here it is Mar 20 - Apr 19 $77 paid (last bill)
Mar 18th subscribed to the new theme package
New bill Apr 20 - May 19 $98 less %20 = $79
Extra changes Mar 18 - Apr 18
7 themes and Premium Movies 50.10
6 themes - 27.69
------------
22.41

Someone tell me if I crazy should have I not paid $79 from Mar 20 - Apr 19 because I subscribed to the new package on Mar 18th ????
From Mar 20 - Apr 19 Just because the bill was already mailed, it doesn't give them the right not to give the discount.

[skads_187]

just a general question, im thinking about switching to bell from videotron for phone and tv. is the tv service better?
also, how come they dont offer the hd pvr which covers 2 tvs?
thanks

[skads_187]

is there a forum for new bell members and what their offering?

[bronzejolene]

Read the whole thread, hemmed and hawed about calling (I'm terrible at bargaining). Called last night, got 30% off, and free PVR rental for a year. They set up an appointment today, installation included. I've been a customer for 4 years.


Thanks everyone.

[ggparts]

- Dial: 1-888-sky-disk
- Press Option to Cancel Programming (gets you to loyalty dep.)
- "I would like to cancel"
Rep will ask your reasons for cancelling
- "My discount is coming to an end and I can't afford to pay more" or "My discount is coming to an end and my cable provider is offering me a good deal"
Rep should give you same discount (or better).
- You accept contract for another year
- You hang up phone and come on this thread to post what you got
- You then paypal $50 to me

djino
"I say thankyou"

Cheque is in the mail..LOL

Followed all steps exactly except I just paid one full priced month no rebate (:

Litterally no more that 7 minutes from start to finish got another year of 40% off woo hoo!
I had almost forgotton that I needed to make this call
I asked if there was any term obligation and she said no (don't really care I have been quite satisfied so far)

Thanks again and watch for that cheque

[karmanwalia]

I have been a bell customer for 2 years with renewal coming up in June. I got the following deal:

* Free HD or HD PVR reciever for 1 year
* 30% off monthly programming
* Free installation for 2 HD recievers( I had 2 standard recievers)
* 1 year term

All thanks to this thread. :razz:


Cheers!!

[Bl0art]

I just got the same deal, was 0 effort

[Hugh Jass]

Finally took my finger outta my rear and called. I said I'd like to give my 30 days notice to cancel. The rep then asked why and I told her that I could get a better deal with cable. She asked me what the deal was and I told her $65 for the same services I was paying $120 for now.

She told me she could do close to that, went away a few minutes and came back with an offer of 30% off entire bill. I told her that's still more expensive so if that's the best she can do, I'd like to go ahead with the cancel. She paused for a few seconds and hummed and hawed a bit before saying she could knock 50% off for six months, so of course I jumped on it. She said I could get the same deal once the six months was up but I would have to call in.

I like the way they will strike a deal to keep a customer, so many places won't even bother.

[valen]

I also got surprised with the size of my latest bill. I had forgotten it had been 1 year since I last called. My previous discount was 40% off programming and a free PVR rental (my 2nd PVR).

I called in on Friday, and was first offered 20% off for 1 year. I wasn't going to bite on that, letting him know that was a huge difference from what I was getting, particularly when talking about the pvr rental.

He put me on hold (ostensibly to talk to a supervisor), then came back with a choice of either 30% off for 1 year or 50% off for 6 months. I wasn't crazy about 6 months, because I already forgot to renew after 1 year, so I said to him 'I'd be happy if we could split the difference and make it 40% off for 1 year'. I asked about getting my PVR rental covered, but there didn't seem to be any give on that. As a previous poster mentioned, I asked about gettting some credits for the 1 month overlap where my bill was more expensive.

The rep put me on hold again, and came back saying that they could do 40% off for 1 year, and give me a $20 programming credit to somewhat compensate for the month I missed.

I guess I'm still stuck with paying 40 bucks to rent 2 pvr's, but what are you gonna do...

Thanks OP.

[DOC SB]

- Dial: 1-888-sky-disk
- Press Option to Cancel Programming (gets you to loyalty dep.)
- "I would like to cancel"
Rep will ask your reasons for cancelling
- "My discount is coming to an end and I can't afford to pay more" or "My discount is coming to an end and my cable provider is offering me a good deal"
Rep should give you same discount (or better).
- You accept contract for another year
- You hang up phone and come on this thread to post what you got
- You then paypal $50 to me

djino
"I say thankyou"

my bad.

djino
":D, but you still owe me $50"


Actually, they owe me $50 since this was my thread .. stop trying to hack it and take credit for my work.

In fact, I wouldn`t expect anything since I am paying back fellow RFDers for all the deals they have gotten me in the past!

[mart69]

Still working

Got 30% off for a year.
Free HD PVR for a year.

+ all Hd channel for year ( except HBOs and HD movies ).

Thanks Redflag !

;)

[bitteralex]

god i am so fed up with bell... after getting my retention deal a few months ago its been nothing but hassles every billing cycle...

first month... charge me for 2 pvr rentals despite the fact i only have 1 rental that is FREE!...
next month... didn't charge me for pvr rental BUT didn't credit me for the PVR rental charges from the previous month...
next month... charged me for 1 pvr rental again!! called them and they said they'll do a onetime credit of $240 because the pvr rental charges weren't working or something like that...
now i have to wait to see if i actually get the credit... @#@$*&#!!!!

im so tired of calling them every month... just to be put on hold to talk to a CSR (who i already know... knows nothing) just so i can be put on hold again as they transfer me to retentions just to tell me they screwed up again...
:mad:

[slowtyper]

Been on expressvu SD a long time, no discounts. Called in because I got a new HDTV.

Got 1 year free PVR HD rental + 30% discount.

My current package is $67.99 for 7 "packages" and normal digital service. I just kept the same package and got 6 months of free HD content and I'll decide a bit later what to do. I think I"ll move to a cheaper base plan since I don't watch most of the channels anyways.

What kind of package plans do you guys have? For me the most important would be the news pack (cnn), sports (golf channel, tsn, sportsnet) and then all the free major networks.

Anyone know if there is a deal for Chinese combo other than the website posted $20/2 channels?

[djino]

Actually, they owe me $50 since this was my thread .. stop trying to hack it and take credit for my work.

In fact, I wouldn`t expect anything since I am paying back fellow RFDers for all the deals they have gotten me in the past!

lol, as if you took me serious!

djino
"Dude, its a joke.! :D"

[Breionlok]

THANK YOU !!!
bill was $93/months.
Make the call, keep the same package for 63.50 and no contract!!!!

[andsoitgoes]

I've had my issues with Bell, and if I ever get charged with a service fee, it'll all go to waste, but the price is just fantastic.

- 1 year free HDPVR rental
- 1 yr 40% off all programming

Even after that, a lesser package with Shaw would cost me $10 more. Sure with Shaw I'd have my full HDPVR for free, but the box sucks. I don't like it, and it's just not worth it. So Bell it is!

[elkwood]

god i am so fed up with bell... after getting my retention deal a few months ago its been nothing but hassles every billing cycle...

first month... charge me for 2 pvr rentals despite the fact i only have 1 rental that is FREE!...
next month... didn't charge me for pvr rental BUT didn't credit me for the PVR rental charges from the previous month...
next month... charged me for 1 pvr rental again!! called them and they said they'll do a onetime credit of $240 because the pvr rental charges weren't working or something like that...
now i have to wait to see if i actually get the credit... @#@$*&#!!!!

im so tired of calling them every month... just to be put on hold to talk to a CSR (who i already know... knows nothing) just so i can be put on hold again as they transfer me to retentions just to tell me they screwed up again...
:mad:

Got to admit that Bell's billing and installation departments just don't talk to each other. I've had my share of negatives with Bell, but the price with the retention discount is too good to pass. When I did this a year ago I removed two of the standard boxes at $3 each per month and replaced it with the $20 per month PVR. The billing department didn't get the installation guy's information. I paid the extra $6 for 6 months and then complained. Got my $36 back 2 bills later. For the entire time the $20 for the PVR has not shown up on my bill and now after a year and my bill going up, its still not on there so they do screw up both ways.

[jjoaquin23]

when do you call them? right after the contract is done or could you do this a month before?

[rayq]

For the entire time the $20 for the PVR has not shown up on my bill and now after a year and my bill going up, its still not on there so they do screw up both ways.

Does the PVR itself shows in your account? If not, it is yours to keep :lol:!

[karmanwalia]

when do you call them? right after the contract is done or could you do this a month before?

I called them on May 10th when my contract was for renewal on June 30th. Got the same deal, 30% off programming, 1 yr free HD or HD-PVR, Free installation for 2 HD recievers.

so you can call them anytime. :-)

[jjoaquin23]

I called them on May 10th when my contract was for renewal on June 30th. Got the same deal, 30% off programming, 1 yr free HD or HD-PVR, Free installation for 2 HD recievers.

so you can call them anytime. :-)
was that this past may 10? did you ask for the free installation for 2 HD recievers? I would love to get more recievers in my home but im not willing to pay there installation costs

[micronta]

I called in to renew my contract (after 1 year) and was first offered 20 % off and said I wouldn't be happy with. I was then offered 30 % and was told this would not be available next year upon renewal. RFD effect ? Well I'm still gonna try next year. Maybe I didn't try enough for the pvr rental, didn't get that free. So, now I'm thinking of buying one instead of renting. Anyone know if they'll be coming up with a new pvr model better than 9242? Worst thing is buying one and then a new model comes out.

But everyone, watch out your billing. I've had to babysit and call in 3 times. They charged me for a free 2700 series box on my mastercard on Feb 2nd, which was suppose to be credited, but took till June for the rep to tell me it's now going to be on the next bill. I never even thought about this credit which I was told I would be given back until someone on this thread said to have a look at your statement. So naive of me to assume it would be automatic.


Also overcharged me for a 2nd pvr installation by $50 which I had to call in and finally got a credit for. And I am still waiting for a $20 satisfaction credit since March. They really make you work for the credits.

[Drawbar]

I have been in on this deal from the start. Thanks OP

So I redid the deal after 1 year for the same money but then decided to purchase my receivers rather than rent at 20$ a month. I call the CSR in India and ask for a price should I wish to buy my 9242 and she quotes me the full retail price of 500$ .

So I buy a couple of receivers from Bestbuy and cancel my rental. Bell couriers over an empty box to place the old receiver in and courier it back to Toronto at their expense.

Thing is....they now have a used receiver without it`s original packaging. WTF are they going to sell this for as a refurb after the expense of shipping...repackaging..erasing the HD...etc... and make a profit.

I would have paid them 250$ to keep it.

[Hugh Jass]

Thing is....they now have a used receiver without it`s original packaging. WTF are they going to sell this for as a refurb after the expense of shipping...repackaging..erasing the HD...etc... and make a profit.



They rent it out for $20 a month.

[wilburyan]

I figured I would post how I made out.

I've been a subscriber for just over 2 years, just came off contract. They called a few months ago and offered me a month free if I signed on for 2 more years :S.

I'm currently subscribed to the minimum and pay $35 +tax. I have a SD receiver.

They offered me the 1 year HD PVR free rental, 6 months of all programming for free.

[craymail]

Just got the standard deal:


Free HD PVR Rental for 1 Year
30% off all Programming for 1 Year
First 3 Months HD Programming Free
Free Delivery & Installation


Thanks op!

[Seanhfx]

Been with BEV since 2001.

Currently paying 143.50 all in per month including 9200 rental ($20) and HD Value Pack ($10).
Called today and received a pretty much haggle free easy retention.

-30% programming each month for 1 year - savings of $31.50 + tax monthly
- 9241 rental for 1 year - savings of $20 monthly.

My new monthly bill will be 86.50 per month with savings of $57 per month for 12 months.

Had to put $100 deposit on credit card +tax that will be credited to my account 2 bills away.
Will send back my 9200 receiver, but will continue to be charged for this receiver rental ($20) monthly until BEV receives it...once they receive it, they credit the account back to the 9241 install date.

I have had billing issues in the past as most have here as well. The CSR I had today explained everything by the monthly billing cycle perfectly...I realize that I may have to pay for my 9200 rental for 2+ months, but I will get the credit back but won't get the tax back. Still can't complain with $684 savings for 12 months.

Will update after my Sept billing when everything is suppose to be as was discussed.

[jakk]

I am currently a BEV customer, but will be moving soon into a rental house until my house is finished being built. I am considering switching to Shaw for the time being (score a free hdpvr), and then switching back to Bell in my new house. Reason is because I can't install a dish at the rental, and I don't want to stick with Shaw because I own 3 HD bell receivers already.

My question is would I be a new customer with Bell after being gone for 6 months? CSR I talked to told me I would not be considered 'new', and they would charge me $50 reactivation when I came back. If so that is B.S. :mad:. I am hoping to be considered a 'new' customer so I can take advantage of any new activation credits they will be offering at the time. Anybody know if after 6 months I would be considered a new customer?

thanks.

[EGee6]

Have people been successful asking for this as a new subscriber?

[tsgee]

I am currently a BEV customer, but will be moving soon into a rental house until my house is finished being built. I am considering switching to Shaw for the time being (score a free hdpvr), and then switching back to Bell in my new house. Reason is because I can't install a dish at the rental, and I don't want to stick with Shaw because I own 3 HD bell receivers already.

My question is would I be a new customer with Bell after being gone for 6 months? CSR I talked to told me I would not be considered 'new', and they would charge me $50 reactivation when I came back. If so that is B.S. :mad:. I am hoping to be considered a 'new' customer so I can take advantage of any new activation credits they will be offering at the time. Anybody know if after 6 months I would be considered a new customer?

thanks.

If you have someone else in the household that isn't listed on the bill, tell Bell you are selling your equipment. Then in six months the new person activates the equipment and it'll be at a new address so you shouldn't have a problem. My friend did it and the new account is now under his wifes name.

[Binden]

Existing customer for 7 years and this is what I got today.


Free HD PVR Rental for 1 Year
30% off all Programming for 1 Year
First 6 Months HD Programming Free
Free Delivery & Installation (w/ new dish and signal switch thing)

[lorax1284]

...why aren't you TOTALLY PISSED OFF?

People seem to be grateful that they can suddenly lower their bills by up to 50% a month... doesn't it bother you that they have been effectively overcharging you every month if they can offer you more for less, just because you are telling them you might discontinue your service?

They are NOT giving you a good deal "because you're a loyal customer".

They are giving you a good deal because it is PROFITABLE for them to do so, going forward. If it was NOT profitable for they, and you could get a better deal from a competitor, they would LET YOU GO!!

So to all of you who think being a "loyal customer" carries any weight with them, you are delusional.

Instead of any cockamamie "free HD PVR Rental" try asking for this:

* Charge you full price for the HD PVR
* Give you a credit equal to that amount on the same bill
* Give you a decent price on your monthly programming bundle.

Then you are getting a good deal. All this "for the first 6 months" crap is just an opportunity for them to forget to give you anything free without you having to call and remind them not to charge you for stuff you should be getting for free:

And those of you who have "re-upped", check this poll:

http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/showthread.php?t=750043

[karmanwalia]

was that this past may 10? did you ask for the free installation for 2 HD recievers? I would love to get more recievers in my home but im not willing to pay there installation costs

Yes, it was this May(2009). They offered me the standard one HD reciever installation free but when i said i don't want to pay for the other one as well, they agreed to give me bill credit for the installation amount.

[clegster1]

has anyone tried this when they are locked in a contract? I really want to upgrade to hd but dont want to pay what bell charge. I have 19 months on my bev contract 0 on phone and 0 on internet. I'd be grateful for any replies.



Got 2 years free hd rental, free install etc, 20% off all programming for a year and 6 months free hd.

[scruff]

Well, I just went through retention.

Here's the deal I got.

I buy HD PVR $499 (got it at $474.99 at Future Shop)
I buy HD $199 (got it at $149.99 at Future Shop)

I sign up for Digital Max $95 + HD 4Pak $10 = $105

They give me credit of FREE 4 months = $420
I get 40% off for 12 more months ($42 x 12) = $504

That's a $925 credit to offset the receivers and programming. I'm happy with the deal.

[elkwood]

Does the PVR itself shows in your account? If not, it is yours to keep :lol:!

Actually it shows up that I have it for their support department, but their billing department doesn't have a record of it being a rental, so looks like I'm good to go.

I just called in to get my discount for another year:

I tried to get a discount on a new receiver purchase but the CSR wouldn't allow me to get a bill credit for it as well as the programming discount. After some small talk, he put me on hold for 5 mins to check to see what discounts my account qualified for and then came back with 40%. I'm pretty happy with $40 off my bill every month.

[contact_markm]

Just got second retention deal. Previously, 30% off, free 20 credit for pvr. Now 50% off for 12 months, no contract.

[Hugh Jass]

Just got second retention deal. Previously, 30% off, free 20 credit for pvr. Now 50% off for 12 months, no contract.

Nice.

Did you threaten to quit or just straight up ask for a deal?

[wlemst88]

didn't read the entire thread, but any deals for new customers? (other than what's on Bell.ca's tv website.

[beljevina]

... doesn't it bother you that they have been effectively overcharging you every month if they can offer you more for less, just because you are telling them you might discontinue your service?You are absolutely and completely correct - the slant with which people look at this (ie., exactly how the marketing people wants things positioned), has been making me sick for quite some time. People sheepishly accept most anything and any treatment, and when they "fight" through some quasi-retentions department, walking away with what they feel was their stellar negotiating skills and a better deal - they are all of a sudden happy. The truth is the company felt they could hose you for quite some time, and now that you've somewhat caught on, they give a little back GOING FORWARD.

My beef is with Rogers: 13 years with their high speed internet (same location), have maybe called their tech support or other areas 3x (since I know more than 99% of the techs they employ), I've never been able to score any free service months, still rent my modem, and have never been fortunate enough to get a free router from them. And what do I get? Mail telling me how my 60GB cap allows me to watch 7000 YouTube videos, and therefore each GB @ $2 is a steal, but they'll only shaft me for an additional $25 per month, when anyone with a low IQ knows data charges are plummeting. Yes, labour is their highest operating cost swath, but their gross inefficiencies aren't a reason to hose me. Take Fido for example, I'm not on any contract and on a basic plan for 15 years (thats 180 months, some with very large bills), and now that I want to change plans, they're going to charge me a $35 admin fee, while the guy moving from provider to provider, and likely no track record with Fido, gets what he wants, with no service charge levied. Hardly fair or equitable treatment of those who've help them grow and sent customers their way.

[superdsi]

$48 month 1st year
$53 second 2nd year
free install, 1 HD Receiver, 1 standard receiver.

They call my house every month but they have changed the package.

I asked the guy many times he said I would get HBO and all of the movie
stations at $48 a month.

I negotiated with Cogeco for free boxes and I pay $48 plus taxes but no movie channels.

I will call today and probably sign up.

I have Bell phone/internet.

I like dealing with Bell billing, if they screw up just ask for more discounts.

[Mooned By Jamario]

Always write down the time, date and then name of the person that you talked to. Every change I've made in the past has been screwed up. They'll overcharge all the time. Especially watch out if you're getting 2 deals at the same time (100 off a PVR AND 30% off programming for example) as I've been told by one of their workers that they are not able to enter 2 deals into their computer at the same time.... so she enters one deal, keeps notes, waits a few days and then adds the other. A recipe for disaster.

[ECM543]

$48 month 1st year
$53 second 2nd year
free install, 1 HD Receiver, 1 standard receiver.

They call my house every month but they have changed the package.

I asked the guy many times he said I would get HBO and all of the movie
stations at $48 a month.

I negotiated with Cogeco for free boxes and I pay $48 plus taxes but no movie channels.

I will call today and probably sign up.

I have Bell phone/internet.

I like dealing with Bell billing, if they screw up just ask for more discounts.


Assume this is as a new customer?

What do you get for this? Any other charges?

Where do you contact them?

Thks

[ECM543]

General question
- need reasonable selection of channels, including HD & TS
- 2-3 TVs; 1 HD
- prefer 1 PVR but not mandatory
- no movies

What's the best Bell deal on this?

Thks

[nkn]

Thanks to this thread, after much procrastinating, I called Bell. My current bill is $90 per month. After a very painless discussion (no negotiating, really), I received:

Free HDPVR rental for 12 months
30% off my bill for 12 months
No contract, free installation, etc.

So, pretty standard deal, but I am happy with it, and pleased with the service I received. The trick really is to choose the "cancel my service" option, which is on the second menu (Call 1-888-SKY-DISH, key in your phone number, press "6" for more options, then "3" to cancel your service). I got the CSR, I merely said that Shaw had offered me a great deal, and I wanted to give Bell a chance before I cancelled.

He said "you've got the right department and the right guy" and after a few minutes on hold made me the offer above. I half-heartedly tried to get a second HD receiver too, but didn't push very hard.

I did have to pay a $100 deposit, refundable on the next bill. I will watch my bills carefully to make sure this goes through.

So, thanks RFD!

[contact_markm]

Nice.

Did you threaten to quit or just straight up ask for a deal?

I said I got a deal from the cable company and asked them if they could make me an offer to keep me as a customer.

[leafsrule06]

Here's what I just negotiated....

-Free HD PVR for 1 year
-40% off total bill for 1 year
-Free HD programming for 6 months
-free install
-$20 credit for prior technical issues
-First six month price including movie networks, six themes and HD programming is 43.40/month +tax

I think i did pretty good. Now what to do when the 12 months is up.....call again and threaten to cancel??

[Swarez99]

Just an FYI they are willing to deal on ethnic/specialty channels it seems. I have (well my parents have) 3 south Asian Channels normally costing $30/Month, they matched the new subscriber rate of $15, than from that we get the 30% off so it makes it $10.50, I wanted to confirm that it appeared on our bill, which it did so if anyone has any specialty or ethnic programming give it a try.
-Other than that standard deal, 30% off, free PVR 1 HR, install also got a $60 credit this month, which is equivalent of getting HD free for 6 months.

[junkyard dog]

hey guys
i just called to get the rention deal, not sure how good a deal i got but the agent wouldnt budge anymore?

Here is my programming:

HD Value pack - $10
HD PVR - $20
Digital Standard - $32
Digital Service fee - $3
6 themes - $26
specialty channel - $2.50
South Asian channel - $15

total bill before discount of $108.50.

I previously had a 30% discount going. This time she offered me 50% discount on the total package (above) for 6 months. So i'll be paying around $54 per month for everything above.

I wasn't pleased about the 6 months, but she wouldnt budge and said i could call back in 6 months to see what could be done.

thoughts? do i have room to negotiate more?

[lip1978]

I got 20% discount on my $70 programming for 1 year and a free year HDPVR to replace my HD receiver.
I'm also adding a standard def receiver @ $3/month with $30 install for the 2 receivers

[jjoaquin23]

can you make changes to your account while you have the discount? say my bill now is 100 and i get a 30% discount. can i just remove everything and get just basic and still have teh 30% discount?

[fathobo231]

You should be able to, I think regardless of your current plan you would be able to get the 30% even if you just have the basic

[rocking23nf]

My contract expires aug 8th, so I called today to inform I am switching to telus sat tv. Bell offered me a measily 30% off and no free pvr. I had a free pvr rental for the last year and 20% off.

So I said cut the service, and she didnt even try to keep me.

Oh well.

[lip1978]

My contract expires aug 8th, so I called today to inform I am switching to telus sat tv. Bell offered me a measily 30% off and no free pvr. I had a free pvr rental for the last year and 20% off.

So I said cut the service, and she didnt even try to keep me.

Oh well.

I wonder if Bell gets a high enough cut from Telus sat TV that it's not worth trying to keep people who move over there.

[rocking23nf]

I just called telus Sat TV and was told I cant join them unless i wait 30 days after Bell is disconnected. Arg so frustrating for a customer.

[shoppingmama]

Thanks to this thread, after much procrastinating, I called Bell. My current bill is $90 per month. After a very painless discussion (no negotiating, really), I received:

Free HDPVR rental for 12 months
30% off my bill for 12 months
No contract, free installation, etc.

So, pretty standard deal, but I am happy with it, and pleased with the service I received. The trick really is to choose the "cancel my service" option, which is on the second menu (Call 1-888-SKY-DISH, key in your phone number, press "6" for more options, then "3" to cancel your service). I got the CSR, I merely said that Shaw had offered me a great deal, and I wanted to give Bell a chance before I cancelled.

He said "you've got the right department and the right guy" and after a few minutes on hold made me the offer above. I half-heartedly tried to get a second HD receiver too, but didn't push very hard.

I did have to pay a $100 deposit, refundable on the next bill. I will watch my bills carefully to make sure this goes through.

So, thanks RFD!


Wow, could have posted word for word, this is what we got too. We dropped our bill from $109/month to $59 for a year by sending back the rental units, got the free HDPVR and two receivers from a friend for free. We are happy :)

[dandiggler]

Id also like to try this....can eveyone get Shaw service?

Im in the richmond hill area....

I dont want to say Shaw offered me something and then have them say i cant even get shaw service in my area.

**UPDATE - I dont get Shaw in my area...can anyone help with cable providers in Richmond hill for comparables?

[BiduleX]

Only got 30% off my bill for 12 months...No contract.

Last time I was offered 50% for 6 months

[Hugh Jass]

Only got 30% off my bill for 12 months...No contract.

Last time I was offered 50% for 6 months

Call to cancel and tell them that 30% is not good enough to keep you, that you can get cable from 'whoever' for less.

[DOC SB]

Only got 30% off my bill for 12 months...No contract.

Last time I was offered 50% for 6 months

Call to cancel and tell them that 30% is not good enough to keep you, that you can get cable from 'whoever' for less.

Actually, the 30% for 12 months is better!

Example using $100 monthly bill:

30% off for 12 months

12 x $100 = $1200
$1200 - 30% = $840 for 1 year of service

50% off for 6 months

6 x $100 = $600
$600 - 50% = $300
next 6 months of programming = $600 + $300 = $900 for 1 year of service!

[tsgee]

Actually, the 30% for 12 months is better!

Example using $100 monthly bill:

30% off for 12 months

12 x $100 = $1200
$1200 - 30% = $840 for 1 year of service

50% off for 6 months

6 x $100 = $600
$600 - 50% = $300
next 6 months of programming = $600 + $300 = $900 for 1 year of service!

That's assuming you aren't going to get another discount after the first six months. Last time I got 40% off for a year.

[Vladimir]

man im so pissed im glad I found this thread as I am going to be calling them tomorrow.

I bought an HD PVR receiver today and the guy said it would be free installation and upgrade of dish if I subscribe to at least 1 HD package. I said that would be great and ordered it.
So they came today installed it, etc.
They gave me a brochure of all the themes and whatnot so I could look over it before calling.
I called them, and they said I was on old programming, and had to upgrade to current programming before I was even eligible for getting HD.
I flat out said "so basically I am going to be paying more money for less channels?"
They said, yes it will bea bit more money but you will get a lot more channels.
We were paying $67 a month. I said, ok so to get everything we have now, how much would it be on the new plan? $95 a month. I said I dont think $30 a month is a "bit more money".
So I picked and choose the themes, and got it to $83 a month, which was still a tad higher then what I wanted, but whatever.
We signed up for the sports package 1 and noticed we didn't get sportsnet, which on the brochure it says we should.
So I called them up and they said sportsnet is on sports 2. They said I must have an old brochure .. I was getting a little pissed at this point and said "HOW THE HELL CAN I HAVE AN OLD BROUCHER IF THE INSTALLER JUST GAVE IT TO ME TODAY!" They had no explanation.
Then I also said "Also, how is this 83 a month when on the brochure it says a digital extra package is 75/month and I would be getting 2 more theme packs?"
Oh it's for new customers only? WTF? I been a loyal customer for 10 years, we get land line, 2 cellphones, internet, and satellite is there any loyal customer deals. They said I had to call retention department. I said ok how about you cancel my account, and then start me up again so I am a new customer.. They said they can't.

Called up retention, but they closed at 8. Gonna call them tomorrow. Going to tell them if they don't give me some sort of good deal, that I will be switching internet to teksavvy, satellite to star choice, landline to something else, and switch cellphone to rogers. As well as doing a charge back on credit card for my bell receiver. I am dead serious to. this is pissing me off. All I wanted was my old programming and the HD.

If i don't get this 40-50% off like others have they can kiss a loyal customer goodbye. It's like these companies don't even know what the word loyal means anymore. Maybe they wouldn't have to fight to keep trying to get new customers all the time if they actually cared about the ones they already have.

Sorry for long rant but I am getting very pissed off at Bell.

[Hugh Jass]

Going to tell them if they don't give me some sort of good deal, that I will be switching internet to teksavvy, satellite to star choice, landline to something else, and switch cellphone to rogers. As well as doing a charge back on credit card for my bell receiver. I am dead serious to. this is pissing me off. All I wanted was my old programming and the HD.


Re-read your post just before calling, just to try and keep the anger going.




Maybe they wouldn't have to fight to keep trying to get new customers all the time if they actually cared about the ones they already have.



Well said. Seems like a no-brainer.

[Vladimir]

just called them up, didn't get quite as good of deal as some of you guys, but I got all HD channels for free, they gave me sportsnet for free (it was funny she said sportsnet is part of 1. I said they said it isn't.. she checked and said oh they must have just changed it this month, Ill give it to you anyways)
and then she matched the bill to what we were paying before.
She said the package was worth $91 and we now paying $64 so about 30% off for 12 months. She also gave us a $20 credit on our bill for next month.
I guess it not quite 40 or 50% but I don't really care that much.
Thank you rfd for this thread!

[Mastermis]

Sort of off topic, but is there anything interesting for new subscribers out there? I fail to see any specials/incentives.

Thanks

M.

[k790a]

Sort of off topic, but is there anything interesting for new subscribers out there? I fail to see any specials/incentives.

Thanks

M.

I just called and was offered exactly what's on the internet, $10 monthly credit if renting a regular HD receiver, $5 extra monthly credit if renting for a PVR. Both come with 24 month contract. If buying it's $499 less $100 for 1 year contract or $150 for 2 years. very unattractive prices.

How can I possibly get anything close to the retention deals out there?

[djino]

I just called and was offered exactly what's on the internet, $10 monthly credit if renting a regular HD receiver, $5 extra monthly credit if renting for a PVR. Both come with 24 month contract. If buying it's $499 less $100 for 1 year contract or $150 for 2 years. very unattractive prices.

How can I possibly get anything close to the retention deals out there?

Dont you think its about time a company offers something better to keep the loyalty of an existing customer then to always cater to obtaining new clients?

Just jump on board with what they are offering you. Or if you dont like contracts, buy your equipment install it yourself and callback to setup a new account. Wait a few months and call to cancel and see if you can get what we're getting.

djino
"Just deal or stay where you is"

[jmalias]

man im so pissed im glad I found this thread as I am going to be calling them tomorrow.

.......

Sorry for long rant but I am getting very pissed off at Bell.

I hear ya

[jmalias]

just called them up, didn't get quite as good of deal as some of you guys, but I got all HD channels for free, they gave me sportsnet for free (it was funny she said sportsnet is part of 1. I said they said it isn't.. she checked and said oh they must have just changed it this month, Ill give it to you anyways)
and then she matched the bill to what we were paying before.
She said the package was worth $91 and we now paying $64 so about 30% off for 12 months. She also gave us a $20 credit on our bill for next month.
I guess it not quite 40 or 50% but I don't really care that much.
Thank you rfd for this thread!

I hear ya...

but you should have yelled louder at BELL, as i dont think they hear it enough from their loyal customers.

I have been BELL free for over a year now, still go to the meetings though, I am still worried i may fall off the wagon and call them up:|

[jmalias]

???? Bell:!:

[RedMosquito]

I previously had 20% off and that expired a few months ago so I decided to call back today.

If you are like me and are not good at negotiating, here was my negotiating technique:

call in to cancel, tell them you can get pretty much the same channels on cable for about (say 25% less than what you are paying). With me they offered another 20% for 12 months but I wanted more and since I suck at talking, I just kept going "Hmmm... hmmmmm... i dunno... hmmmmmm.. well... hmmmmm" - I literally did this for about 1 minute until she finally broke in and offered me 30% off.

I was not confident enough to try it again at 30% (my bill is only $67 before credit) so I happily accepted the 30%.

[woodenni]

When I initially signed up to bell expressvu I secured 50% of HD programming for 6 months. It just expired at the beginning of this month. What I did was I called in a couple of weeks before it expired and they told me that the best they could do was offer me 30% for 1 year. The CSR said that the 50% off for 6 momths deal may be posted when my actual agreement expired.

I called back yesterday and the 50% was still on allowable on their system but because there was a note placed on my account, the CSR told me he had to forward the request to his supervisor. Because the note was on my account saying that I would be expecting the 50% deal for 6 months, he said the supervisor would approve it and that I should see it on my next bill.

[jjoaquin23]

just called and got 30% off programming and free HD PVR rental for a year. not bad. thanks rfd!

[Seoulkid]

Alright guys

My 12 month deal with bell just expired and I was getting 40% off of an 118 dollar account.

I called into Bell today, and I asked if I could get the same deal as previous and he said that they couldn't do that. Instead he offered me a 20% discount on any package that I was going to take. He explained that they couldn't offer me the same thing because they wouldn't be able to make as much money putting me on something like that. WHAT THE ****!

I'm wondering how i can get to that 40% again. I guess I did talk to them like an ass but then again, Bell pisses me off everytime I talk with them.

Thanks

[pstar]

$18 off $113 bill for a yr, plus free HD pvr rental for a yr.

Prob could've done better, but still saved some $$.

Thanks!

[mmnot]

Thanks to this thread, I called Bell.

My current bill is $99 per month.

After a very simple negotiating, I received:

30% off my bill for 12 months

$100. HD box shipped to my house, free installation (I declined), No contract etc.

I am happy with the deal and pleased with the service I received.

[wiebecj]

got my bill 40% off for another year (which is good, because I got a $145 bill this last month). So yeah, 40% off makes it a decent deal again :-) I was just polite and honest and said that if I didn't get the same discount, I would just cancel my account and go with shaw, which would be cheaper for me. Put me on hold for 2 minutes and approved! this is my 3rd year of discounts now.

[feisty]

Last year got my programming 40% off for the year. Got two $120 bills for the last 2 months and decided to call & see what they could do to retain my business. I told them that Shaw was trying to get me to switch over internet, phone and TV and that I was considering same. The best this CSR would offer was a free rental on the new PVR for 6 months on a 2 year contract (never been on a contract), or 25% off the purchase. Or a one time cash incentive of $40. Asked if that was his best offer and he said that was all that was available to me. I have had bell expressvu for 6 years or more and my bill averages $120 a month. He said that was all that was available. I am going to try my luck one more time with hopefully someone else, if nothing like what every one else is getting I may be going to Shaw. Don't really want to though. >:(

[Hugh Jass]

Last year got my programming 40% off for the year. Got two $120 bills for the last 2 months and decided to call & see what they could do to retain my business. I told them that Shaw was trying to get me to switch over internet, phone and TV and that I was considering same. The best this CSR would offer was a free rental on the new PVR for 6 months on a 2 year contract (never been on a contract), or 25% off the purchase. Or a one time cash incentive of $40. Asked if that was his best offer and he said that was all that was available to me. I have had bell expressvu for 6 years or more and my bill averages $120 a month. He said that was all that was available. I am going to try my luck one more time with hopefully someone else, if nothing like what every one else is getting I may be going to Shaw. Don't really want to though. >:(

This doesn't sound like Bell at all.

Did you call customer service or did you call to cancel?

It's very important you reach the retention dept, as their job is to entice you to stay.

[whodaphucru]

So I had called into Bell as per this thread about 2 months ago and received a 30% discount without much effort. Then in the process I trying to get a better deal on home phone and internet I got sent to a person that further reduced my expressvu bill by another 30%.

So my $71 bill + tax is about $26 or so a month including 6 themes and HD for the next 12 months. I am pretty sure they aren't making any money off me right now!

My entire Bell bill for the performance internet package, home phone with all the features that matter (call display, call answer, call waiting, etc.), unlimited long distance and my TV as described above come to $112/ month taxes in!

[raingod1]

So here's the story about taking the cancellation process through to its conclusion:

I called Bell tonight to cancel and went through the retention department. Been with Bell for TV for quite a few years at about $120 a month. My 2 year contract expired 6 months ago but I kept it until Battlestar Galactica and Torchwood was over.

I said we just didn't watch TV enough and would like to cancel. After the obligatory 'put on hold while I pull up our account' I was offered 6 months @ 30% off.

When I persisted with cancellation I was offered 12 months @ 30% off. When I still persisted with cancellation I was offered the absolute very basic service for ~$30 a month with the 30% discount.

So there you go - best they will do is 30% up to 12 months, even when you go all the way through with cancellation.

But then again if I was such a good customer they could have just called me and offered it before I decided to cancel. So not their best customer after all... except for the cash cow part!

So since I am going with Over-the-Air I though I would share.... since we don't watch TV that much no loss to us!

[Hugh Jass]

So since I am going with Over-the-Air I though I would share.... since we don't watch TV that much no loss to us!

Thanks for posting. I'm surprised they didn't go further.

[hans slayer]

So here's the story about taking the cancellation process through to its conclusion:

I called Bell tonight to cancel and went through the retention department. Been with Bell for TV for quite a few years at about $120 a month. My 2 year contract expired 6 months ago but I kept it until Battlestar Galactica and Torchwood was over.

I said we just didn't watch TV enough and would like to cancel. After the obligatory 'put on hold while I pull up our account' I was offered 6 months @ 30% off.

When I persisted with cancellation I was offered 12 months @ 30% off. When I still persisted with cancellation I was offered the absolute very basic service for ~$30 a month with the 30% discount.

So there you go - best they will do is 30% up to 12 months, even when you go all the way through with cancellation.

But then again if I was such a good customer they could have just called me and offered it before I decided to cancel. So not their best customer after all... except for the cash cow part!

So since I am going with Over-the-Air I though I would share.... since we don't watch TV that much no loss to us!


After my 12 month HD PVR free rental and 30% discount expired I was given a 40% discount for an addition 12 months. No luck renegotiating on the PVR rental.

[Demeech]

I called in and got my sister a NEW pvr hd rental and 40 % off their bill for 12 months..they are now paying 41 plus tax for their programming and no charge for the newer version of the HD pvr

[elgcostain]

Called today as my 20% off and free HDPVR rental expired next week. At first they were going to straight up cancel the service but at the last minute offered for retention offers. The best they would offer me was 30% off and free HDPVR rental for 12 months. Funny thing is that they are going to send a new 9241 receiver rather than having me keep the 9242 I already have.

[exnihilio]

Funny thing is that they are going to send a new 9241 receiver rather than having me keep the 9242 I already have.
Um..cancel that 9241 order dude.
The 9241 is a stripped down version of the 9242:

No PIP
No dual remote function (i.e. one RF and one IR)

The 9242 is impossible to find now and you'd be best to cling on to that sucker or even buy it outright.
They are downgrading you by switching those receivers out.
ex

[lightningflik]

Last year got my programming 40% off for the year. Got two $120 bills for the last 2 months and decided to call & see what they could do to retain my business. I told them that Shaw was trying to get me to switch over internet, phone and TV and that I was considering same. The best this CSR would offer was a free rental on the new PVR for 6 months on a 2 year contract (never been on a contract), or 25% off the purchase. Or a one time cash incentive of $40. Asked if that was his best offer and he said that was all that was available to me. I have had bell expressvu for 6 years or more and my bill averages $120 a month. He said that was all that was available. I am going to try my luck one more time with hopefully someone else, if nothing like what every one else is getting I may be going to Shaw. Don't really want to though. >:(

lol, i don't that's the cancellation department. I was offered the same offer w/o cancelling, that's a loyalty offer if your not in a contract.

[dafunky1]

got my bill 40% off for another year (which is good, because I got a $145 bill this last month). So yeah, 40% off makes it a decent deal again :-) I was just polite and honest and said that if I didn't get the same discount, I would just cancel my account and go with shaw, which would be cheaper for me. Put me on hold for 2 minutes and approved! this is my 3rd year of discounts now.

I was on 40% until april...and like you it ended and after two bills at 120/month I called in to "cancel" (using the switching to shaw reason). I talked to 2 CSR's and even a supervisor/manager and the best I could get was 30% off on no contract.

What pissed me off is that they kept saying that the system is only allowing 30% at this time....so I asked them what conditions would allow 40%.....they couldn't tell me (or they wouldn't tell me). I use the arguement that they are treating me differently now then then were before as well as they are treating me different to other customers (my RFD friends). Still nothing. Anyone know how one can get 40% off.....

Are there specific things one should say.....or have a certain dollar amount on your regular bill? I'm sure this would be valuable to all readers.

[Vladimir]

I don't know, but I wouldn't be suprised if it is mainly on who you get, what your story is, etc. There is probably a $ figure also... If your bill is <= 50 you can get up to $20.. if it between 50 and 80 you get up to 30... if it over 80, you offered 30, but if you push you can get 40.... etc
That would be my guess anyways.

[elgcostain]

Um..cancel that 9241 order dude.
The 9241 is a stripped down version of the 9242:

No PIP
No dual remote function (i.e. one RF and one IR)

The 9242 is impossible to find now and you'd be best to cling on to that sucker or even buy it outright.
They are downgrading you by switching those receivers out.
ex

I don't use the PIP or the dual turners anyway as I have a 6141 receiver for my second tv. I understand where you are coming from but from what I was told they would not renew the free rental offer on the existing receiver. Maybe a second call to Bell wouldn't hurt.

[Battscrew]

Um..cancel that 9241 order dude.
The 9241 is a stripped down version of the 9242:

No PIP
No dual remote function (i.e. one RF and one IR)

The 9242 is impossible to find now and you'd be best to cling on to that sucker or even buy it outright.
They are downgrading you by switching those receivers out.
ex

I didn't think you could buy out a rental? Details please.

[jrs61]

Been following this thread and am interested in re-joining Bell after a few years away. I remember trying this before after another previous absence of two years and got nothing from them in the way of discounts because they claimed ALL the advertised deals were for "new customers" only, and even though I had not had the service for over two years I was still considered an "existing customer"....funny I didn't feel like a customer those two years!!
So in preparation for the call and their claims of me being an existing customer, how do I get the 30-40% deals with free PVR rental possibly when I try and re-join? I won't have a need to contact the rentention line since I'm not quitting but signing up again? I'm in the country so the only card I can play is Starchoice.

Any ideas? At this point....rent or buy the HD receiver/PVR? Will they force me into a contract this first time?

[fathobo231]

If you plan on buying a receiver they usually go on sale for 99.99 at like bb/fs I see alot I guess after you get your vu setup just call and threaten to cancel because I got 30% and free rental really easy without a hassle but that could be because I been a user for a long time

[jrs61]

If you plan on buying a receiver they usually go on sale for 99.99 at like bb/fs I see alot I guess after you get your vu setup just call and threaten to cancel because I got 30% and free rental really easy without a hassle but that could be because I been a user for a long time

It seems like I will have to get back in somehow first. You might be right...buy a receiver on sale(can I really get the $199 HD receiver for $99?), get basic programming for a month. Then phone the retention line and complain that Starchoice will give me a better deal for a PVR rental package, then work the free rental and programming discounts.

Maybe I can somehow use my old receiver as a way to use the retention line....as in, call the retention line and tell them I'm thinking about re-activating with my ancient receiver but SC is offering HD deals. Any opinions on whether that will work....saves me buying another receiver, just so I can get free rental on a PVR.

[jrs61]

I just made the call to rentention and explained that I was an old customer and was considering re-activating my account. She checked and I hadn't been active since 2007. Apparently now there is a 6 month period after which you can/do become a "new" customer again. But she said I could go either way. I played the...I'm shopping with Starchoice/Rogers card and said the deals on the website didn't look too great but it really didn't seem to phase her. I was on the phone forever working her and basically I honeatly was so confused that the deals she was offering me seemed to be worse or different than the website. As I kept humming and hawing and saying I was gun shy because I had been burnt by them in the past, she left it with...I should go away and think about it and her offer is in the notes on my account if I want to take advantage.

Long story short I could only get...on a 2 year contract....$10 off the PVR rental, $5 off for a bundle(HD and home phone might be a bundle...she seemed unsure) and 20% off programming for a year. Not great for all that time spent!

She did tell me that when the tech is on the line ordering the programming, have him get transfered to Retention to receive the 20% discount.

[torontoraptor]

I just made the call to rentention and explained that I was an old customer and was considering re-activating my account. She checked and I hadn't been active since 2007. Apparently now there is a 6 month period after which you can/do become a "new" customer again. But she said I could go either way. I played the...I'm shopping with Starchoice/Rogers card and said the deals on the website didn't look too great but it really didn't seem to phase her. I was on the phone forever working her and basically I honeatly was so confused that the deals she was offering me seemed to be worse or different than the website. As I kept humming and hawing and saying I was gun shy because I had been burnt by them in the past, she left it with...I should go away and think about it and her offer is in the notes on my account if I want to take advantage.

Long story short I could only get...on a 2 year contract....$10 off the PVR rental, $5 off for a bundle(HD and home phone might be a bundle...she seemed unsure) and 20% off programming for a year. Not great for all that time spent!

She did tell me that when the tech is on the line ordering the programming, have him get transfered to Retention to receive the 20% discount.

Seems like she knew what you were up to and she was having none of it :lol:

Just try another CSR. However if she already put those notes on your file, the next CSR may already know that you're trying to get a deal. That shouldn't matter though, you can say that the 20% is not good enough for you to rejoin.

[jrs61]

Seems like she knew what you were up to and she was having none of it :lol:.

Oh yeah! I tried to be subtle about it but in the end she knew....but with some of the stories I read on here, it looked like they were almost throwing the discounts out without much resistance.

Just try another CSR. However if she already put those notes on your file, the next CSR may already know that you're trying to get a deal. That shouldn't matter though, you can say that the 20% is not good enough for you to rejoin.

Well I already went for the deal....my time does have some value too!! Any opinions on how long I would have to wait to start complaining that my deal isn't good enough? For sure I'm calling in a year at the max.

Hopefully this mini-thread helps some of the other new/old subscribers who have posted looking for help.

[wingman75]

Just wanted to throw in my results from this call... I am calling from Quebec and the options from the op have changed (for me anyways):

Called the same number
Option 2 for English (because I was calling from QC I guess)
Option 4 for other options
Option 3 to cancel
Got a tech right away

Anyway, had told them Videotron was offering me a super deal to switch, little over the top perhaps.

They offered me 6 months HD PVR and 20% off bill. We haggled for another minute and I got the standard 1 yr 9241, 1 yr 6131 plus 30% off the programming for 1yr w/free installation. Said it would take 2 months to show on the bill.

Interesting, he mentioned the 'next day' service option for 60 bucks, but I only had to wait to Saturday to get it free... he said he had to tell me about the paid 'quicker' service but didn't sound like he was pushing it at all. The tech was a really nice person to deal with.

Interesting he said the receivers were on a 1 yr contract, however, the programming was not - so I was free to change at any time with no penalties - not sure if that is usually the case but figured I would post that point in case anyone was wondering.

I have Bell bundle so I am getting another 10 off my tv bill already. Works out to some cheap TV for the year. Guess I will be calling again! Thanks op! Love we can all help each other save a few bucks ;-)

[timmmmm]

i tried extending my plan. All i had was free HD PVR rental and $5 off my monthly invoice and they wouldn't even extend that. I told them i'll cancel if i don't get the deal. they're sending me a box to return my HD pvr at the end of the month :cry:

[openskies]

Well I bought a 6100 on ebay for 99.00....didn't have a card so i phoned expressvu, they said they would supply one free....it arrived with a 69 dollar bill. I'm getting too tired to fight. I was thinking of sundayticket this year, but I haven't heard the price yet. My cable company offers what they call the Super Package....nfl sunday ticket, mlb, nhl center ice, Ontario Hockey League and the NBA all for 29.95 a month....fabulous deal...the onlhy stipulation is you subscribe to it for at least four months. I'd do it, but I then have to sell all my bell stuff. Anyone heard yet of an early bird special...CSR I talked to knew absolutely nothin.

[wysiwyg]

I have Rogers Cable TV + Internet + Cell, I also have home phone via VOIP.

I'm thinking of swithing all services back to Bell (Except for Cell since they don't have GSM-yet).

Would that give me any chance of negotiating a good deal with them?

I currently get so many discounts with Rogers like free PVR for life, Free HD terminal rental, 20% off internet extreme, etc.. but the removal of the 15% bundle discount put it over the edge and looking for some change. Plus Bell offers more French TV services which Rogers is so much lacking.

[jory29]

I had to call in to get a credit for being over charged on PVR rental (they charged me twice for the PVR rental in one month but didn't credit me twice as they were supposed to, since I am on the free PVR rental for a year w/40% off that I had negotiated with them in May. We were long timers, over 10 years, and bills were always around $80. They had offered me 30% off but I asked them if they could go up to 40% since we had been such good customers, and they did.)

Anyway... we were offered, during this last phone call, an extra theme pak for $2 more a month (usually $8) and if we wanted 2 more theme paks, http://www.bell.ca/shopping/PrsShpTv_Programming.page?pack=3 it would cost only $2 for the first pak, and $5 for the second pak.) We went with the pak that has the deja vu channel on it. (Three's Company, One day at a time, etc.) She had started off by asking what stations we liked to watch, and then said because we were good customers, and were able to take part in a special offer. So, if you have to call in to Bell to get them to remedy an error in billing, etc., keep an open mind when they offer you additional value packages, as it might be something worthwhile. :) This was the 2nd time I called in on the billing error, and the first CSR didn't offer me anything extra, so YMMV.

[redflagdog]

Long time customer of Bell Expressvu here in Quebec and well, I gave it a try and this is what I got:

Currently have Digital Essentials and was paying 58$ a month before tax.
Mentioned about the new Shaw offer and the retention lady automatically give me a 30% discount for the next 12 months, no haggling, no questions asked.

So now I will be paying ~ 41$ a month. I'm happy :):)

[DaSnipe]

I called in today for my dad's account at home in the suburbs. They stated that I was already under contract for the HD rental and I couldn't get it discounted (which is pretty crappy). Also he had 20% off for 6 months previously so the best I could get was 30% off for 6 more months (Sept-Feb 2010, contract up in May 2010). My dad didn't really think when he signed a 2 year contract.

Should I call back after 6months or call back now and complain some more?

[jc196]

What's up everyone, just phoned in Bell, to get a better deal. I'm in Montreal. And I've been with them for over 5 yrs. My contract is ending shortly.

Previously I had the digital standard + 1 digi theme = about 44+tax$ a month tax in. 3 receivers: 2 x owned, 1 x 6100 free rental for the last 2 yrs.


After negotiating, i ended up with:
30% off programming, and a hardware upgrade to a 6131 for a year with free install. This was offered based on a 12 month contract.

Hope this helps out.

[rabuol]

Has anyone enjoyed a deal with Bell ExpressVu and succeeded in renewing their deal for an extra year.

Rabuol

[chaoticmonk]

i just renewed my retention deal today. last year they gave me the 9242 for $299 and 40% off my bill for a year.

just called to cancel and the rep extended my 40% off for another year.

[RJones89]

My grandma is paying $98 a month for Digital Expressvu (with no HD). She's been a subscriber for 5+ years and has 3 old receivers (and dishes). She got it on an old promo, but I think Bell believes she's just using it in 3 different rooms (actually used at a cottage instead). I want to call in to see if she can get 30-40% off plus a free HD PVR rental. My question is, if her subscription is moved to HDTV, will her old non HD receivers still work?

Thanks

[dealCker]

My grandma is paying $98 a month for Digital Expressvu (with no HD). She's been a subscriber for 5+ years and has 3 old receivers (and dishes). She got it on an old promo, but I think Bell believes she's just using it in 3 different rooms (actually used at a cottage instead). I want to call in to see if she can get 30-40% off plus a free HD PVR rental. My question is, if her subscription is moved to HDTV, will her old non HD receivers still work?

Thanks

Yup, the old receivers will still work.
good luck

[RJones89]

Thanks! Is Bell Retentions open on Saturday?

[jr!]

As an existing customer would I be able to get a deal on the purchase price of a PVR?

[RJones89]

Called Bell today, got 30% off the bill for 12 months.

Thanks for the informative thread!

[BooFA1010]

What kind of things are you people saying to get this amazing discounts? There are so many posts, hard to keep up. We don't have Shaw in our area so we can't really tell them they have a better deal. Rogers deals are worse from what I see. Any suggestions on what I can tell them to get 30-40% off?


Do you know if they allow 4 9200 dual tuner receivers plus 2 SD receivers in one account? None of the receivers will be rented either.

[RJones89]

Just tell them you saw the Shaw / Starchoice Ad offering you satellite for $24.95 a month for 6 months, a free HD receiver and no contact. Say you're calling to either cancel or see if Bell can match it. Thats all I said, was put on hold for 1 minutes and offered 30% off.

[BooFA1010]

Just tell them you saw the Shaw / Starchoice Ad offering you satellite for $24.95 a month for 6 months, a free HD receiver and no contact. Say you're calling to either cancel or see if Bell can match it. Thats all I said, was put on hold for 1 minutes and offered 30% off.

Thank you I will try that and let everyone know my luck!

[Bushaway]

Back in July of '08 I was given 40% discount on programming for 1 year and free rental of a 6141 receiver for 2 years. On my last bill I had noticed that my 40% discount had expired. I called in today to see if they could renew my 40% discount. After a very brief time on hold I was told that the best they could do was 30% discount, and that I would not be eligible for 40% for 1 year, as I had just received that particular discount. I told the CSR that 30% was not good enough and I was still considering closing my account. The CSR asked if 40% off would "seal the deal"(his words). I told him it would. He went to his manager, and after another very brief time on hold, he came back with 40% off. It will not be applied to my next bill, but it will be to the one after that.

[Nethervue]

Just called, I was on 40% off for 12 months..it was about to expire any day now. I called, they offered 30% off, said it was the best they could do. I said thank you, I really appreciate the discount...however, there is too much competition and at 30% off, I have to take my business elsewhere. As a new customer, I can get those discounts plus free hardware. I was put on hold and ended up with my 40% off again for another 12 months.

I think the key is...be polite. You aren't entitled to these discounts...its a courtesy. If you go in with your guns loaded and demand discounts, the CSRs don't go that extra step to the manager.

Peace.

[vinman152000]

I just called Bell expressvu to see how i can stop renting one of my receivers and buy it (6131). I was told that i am under contract to rent the receivers for another 17 months and will be charged $50 if i choose to break this "rental contract".

Im p*ssed. Has anyone else gone through this? Doesn't seem right. I should be under contract for the subscription services only.

[zinger4111]

Just called - customer a little over 2 years - rent 2 hd and 2 normal boxes. Was on the old hd plan, bill was $135. Got the new channels for $5 and then 40% off for 12 months. Not bad - save $500 over a year for 10 minutes on the phone.

[alanp]

Can somebody please help me with this:

I'm looking to signup very shortly, I picked up 2 6131's at $99/e at Future Shop today. If I signup and then try to cancel within my 10 day "buyer remorse" period, will I get a discount? Has anybody tried this?

[djino]

Can somebody please help me with this:

I'm looking to signup very shortly, I picked up 2 6131's at $99/e at Future Shop today. If I signup and then try to cancel within my 10 day "buyer remorse" period, will I get a discount? Has anybody tried this?

You can cancel, sure. What type of discount are you suggesting? Will futureshop take back your receivers? No, not if its activated (same as returning opened software). You'd have to sell them on fleabay.

djino
"Goodluck"

[alanp]

You can cancel, sure. What type of discount are you suggesting? Will futureshop take back your receivers? No, not if its activated (same as returning opened software). You'd have to sell them on fleabay.

djino
"Goodluck"

Ignore the receivers.... If I try to cancel within the 10 day period will they give me a discount on programming?

[galon989]

I called this morning, I got 30% off for 12 months without a contract.

I'm in Montreal and I just told the rep that I can get more of the channels I want with Videotron for less than what I'm paying with Bell. She offered me 20% off + 2 months full programming. I said I rather have 30% off and upgrade my programming, she spoke with her manager and said it was no problem.
She was really nice and even suggested ways for me to get the more channels for less money. There's a discount when you take 5 theme packs or more. Since I have Bell's home phone line, she also added a 10$/month discount for bundling.

I was paying ~65$ + tx for 2 theme packs + Chinese combo.
Now I'm paying 54.61$ + tx for 6 theme packs + Chinese combo + 4 HD theme packs + free installation for the 99$ 6131 I got at FS (they will charge me 80$ and I will have to call back to get 80$ credit)

[Matryx]

I'm really thinking of going back to Bell right now. With all the discounts Bell will be a lot cheaper than what I'll be paying at Rogers which is $126. This includes home phone, internet, and cable TV.

For all you that have home phone, internet, and TV how much are you paying with the 30-40% off?

[djino]

I'm really thinking of going back to Bell right now. With all the discounts Bell will be a lot cheaper than what I'll be paying at Rogers which is $126. This includes home phone, internet, and cable TV.

For all you that have home phone, internet, and TV how much are you paying with the 30-40% off?

Well for 1, when they give you the 30-40% discount, it is only on the TV programming (not the rental receivers, nor any other Bell services).

I currently have Bell Internet and Bell TV.

Bell Internet: 7mbps - 60GB Cap (Dry-Loop)
$29.95 - Internet Performance (Quebec Only Price)
$3.95 - Modem Rental Fee
Total before tax = $33.90

Bell TV: - I rent 1 9242 Receiver, and own 1 6131 Reciever
$40.00 - Digital Standard + 1 SD Theme
$5.00 - HD Variety Theme
$1.00 - HD 2nd U.S. Networks
$2.50 - Much Vibe
$20.00 - AOV
$20.55CR - 30% Discount
$3.00 - Digital Subscriber Fee
$20.00 - HD PVR Rental
$20.00CR - HD PVR Rental credit (12 months)
Total before tax = $50.95

$5.00CR - Bell Internet Bundle Credit
$10.00CR - Bell TV Bundle Credit

Total for both services before tax = $69.85

djino
"My Telephone service is VOIP with CIA -> $3.95/month"

[Matryx]

Total for both services before tax = $69.85

djino
"My Telephone service is VOIP with CIA -> $3.95/month"

That is a lot cheaper than what I'm paying with Rogers for three services. I'm paying $130/month. I'm really considering moving my services to Bell if they can offer something like that. How long were you with them before you can get that retention plan?

I also need to look more into this VOIP. From what I know its basically home phone using a cable modem correct?

[djino]

That is a lot cheaper than what I'm paying with Rogers for three services. I'm paying $130/month. I'm really considering moving my services to Bell if they can offer something like that. How long were you with them before you can get that retention plan?

I also need to look more into this VOIP. From what I know its basically home phone using a cable modem correct?

The price I got for Bell Internet ($29.95 + $3.95 - $5.00 Internet Bundle Credit) is not a retention price. Its the price you can get if you live in Quebec.

As for Bell Tv. When you sign up with Bell as a new client, you usually have to go on a 1 or 2 year contract depending on what promos you request. Once your contract is coming to an end, you can threaten to cancel and retentions will offer you anywhere from 20-40% Discount (usually depending on how much you pay per month) and would also throw in a free rental for their HD PVR. Bundling your services on one bill will also give you a $10 Bell TV Credit.

As for VOIP. There are two different kinds (Private and public). Rogers has their Home phone services which is run over their private network. The VOIP service I have is with CIA ( http://www.cia.com/products/phoneBasic.html ) - scroll to the bottom and see Digital Home Phone - Basic which they advertise as free (but comes with a $3.95 network access charge). This VOIP services runs over a public network (need an existing high speed connection) which you'd connect your CIA VOIP Adapter too.

djino
"Goodluck"

[Matryx]

I'm looking at the CIA website right now and the network access charge I don't see but I see an option for a voice terminal that you can buy for $60 or rent for $4.95/month. Was that what you were referring to?

[djino]

I'm looking at the CIA website right now and the network access charge I don't see but I see an option for a voice terminal that you can buy for $60 or rent for $4.95/month. Was that what you were referring to?

Nope. But what you said is something else to consider. As if you choose to rent the voice adapter, then its $3.95 + $4.95/month . Or pay $60 (one time) and its just $3.95/month.

Click the Sign up button, 2 Pages later (the page after selecting I am a new CIA client) . At the bottom you will see the following:

A $3.95 monthly access fee applies to CIA Long Distance plans eligible for the bundle and save promotion. The monthly access fee will be applied to your long distance invoice.

This is basically your monthly fee. The service comes with unlimited local calling with Call Display, Voicemail, and Call return. Any other calling features (like Call Waiting) is $1.95/month.

[Matryx]

Nope. But what you said is something else to consider. As if you choose to rent the voice adapter, then its $3.95 + $4.95/month . Or pay $60 (one time) and its just $3.95/month.

Click the Sign up button, 2 Pages later (the page after selecting I am a new CIA client) . At the bottom you will see the following:



This is basically your monthly fee. The service comes with unlimited local calling with Call Display, Voicemail, and Call return. Any other calling features (like Call Waiting) is $1.95/month.

So if I sign up what do I have to do to get setup? Is there any other equipment I need to get besides the voice adapter? If that's all I need, do you know anyone else I can get a voice adapter for cheaper? I rather buy it than rent it for $5/month

[djino]

So if I sign up what do I have to do to get setup? Is there any other equipment I need to get besides the voice adapter? If that's all I need, do you know anyone else I can get a voice adapter for cheaper? I rather buy it than rent it for $5/month

If you just want the VOIP Telephone service from them, then all you need is a Voice Adapter that you would connect to your existing high speed connection.

They also have a Internet / VOIP bundle for $39.95 with this you would also need a modem and Voice adapter which you can rent for $5 each ($10 total/month) or buy for $60/each ($120 total). I don't recommend their Internet service as they are just resellers of Cable/DSL. If you have any technical issues they can't resolve, they send a ticket to "Rogers/Bell/etc" and you wait days for them to action it (which means you have no phone and internet service). With the VOIP only service, they have more control over the technical issues that could arise. I've used the VOIP only service for about 2 years now with very little to no down time.

The Voice Adapter I got from them is the Linksys SPA 2102. I suppose you could buy the adapter elsewhere (Fleabay/etc), but then you'd have to worry about unlocking it from whatever provider it is locked too. I'm not sure if any other type of voice adapter is compatible, you'd have to contact them. If you just want to try the service for a month or two, I'd say rent it, then once you are satisfied, buy it from them for $60.

djino
"Goodluck"

[attitude21]

I just got a discount on my phone lines for one year, and satellite for one year. But this time around (second year I've asked for discount) they weren't able to give me a free PVR rental for one year, that I got last year. I asked several times, but she wasn't able to do it. Said I could try asking the satellite department, they might be able to do something for me.

Anyone else get this?

[tomtong]

I'm in a similar situation. I got bundle discount with the existence of PVR and Home Phone lite. If they don't give you the free PVR rental, the discount will be removed once your return the PVR.

I'm going to call them tonight and see what they say.

[attitude21]

I'm in a similar situation. I got bundle discount with the existence of PVR and Home Phone lite. If they don't give you the free PVR rental, the discount will be removed once your return the PVR.

I'm going to call them tonight and see what they say.

Oh, I don't plan on returning the PVR, I love that thing. Would just like it for free again.. LOL :D

[tomtong]

She extended my 20% off for another year but won't promise anything on the rental. She told me to call back after the rental discount was over. She stressed nothing was promised for now.

[hello2006]

nevermind it seems clear now after surfing the site that the hd value pack is replaced by hd basic

[daverach]

A couple of stupid questions that I would like to know before calling:

- I have an old tv, but still want a PVR, do I have to get the HD-PVR, isn’t there just a normal PVR? Will it still work with my TV?
- I have a regular receiver from 5 yrs ago (3100 I think). I would like to move that to my basement and have the new one in my main room. Would the old receiver connect to my new one or would I have to have 2 satellites? What does dual tuner mean?
- Right now I have digital plus 5 themes for $55, what kind of a deal should I be able to get??


Thanks in advance, I would rather look stupid here instead of on the phone trying to get a deal!!

[sinvids]

quick question... I bought a hd receiver off ebay (the 6100) for $75.00. But when I looked in the back there is no hdmi output. Is this real hd? Or should I buy the 6131? I don't really care to add an extrenal harddrive to it, just want a kickass picture for my great tv.Thanks in advance for any answers.

[tsgee]

quick question... I bought a hd receiver off ebay (the 6100) for $75.00. But when I looked in the back there is no hdmi output. Is this real hd? .

I'm pretty sure that unit is only 720p or 1080i technically that is high definition but not 'Full HD' which would be 1080P. Even if it had HDMI it doesn't mean it's 'FUll HD' either. I'm not sure of anyone broadcasting in 1080P.

[Hugh Jass]

- I have an old tv, but still want a PVR, do I have to get the HD-PVR, isn’t there just a normal PVR? Will it still work with my TV?


I have a 'normal' PVR on my old-style TV in the bedroom. It only has a single tuner, which means you can't record one show and watch another channel at the same time. But at the same time you can record and watch something previously recorded.




- I have a regular receiver from 5 yrs ago (3100 I think). I would like to move that to my basement and have the new one in my main room. Would the old receiver connect to my new one or would I have to have 2 satellites?




Once you have a cable going down there, you'll be fine, no need for a second dish. Even if you have HD and SD on multiple sets, they only add onto the little box on the dish, called LNBs.

[calendervulture55]

My free pvr contract is up in December, I wonder if I xould get another year with the free pvr from Bell?
Anyone have experience in this?Thks

[wmahmud]

I am a Bell phone customer but never a Bell TV customer..do you think its still possible for me as a new customer to get 40% off for 1 year and free PVR or HD boxes ?

Any thoughts or how to approach this would be helfpul. I know somewhere in the thread there may be info for new signups, but too many posts to go through.

Should I just call the direct Bell customer service line as a new setup?

Thanks for the help!!

[roguetomato]

quick question... I bought a hd receiver off ebay (the 6100) for $75.00. But when I looked in the back there is no hdmi output. Is this real hd? Or should I buy the 6131? I don't really care to add an extrenal harddrive to it, just want a kickass picture for my great tv.Thanks in advance for any answers.

You will get your HD content through the DVI output on this receiver. You need to purchase a DVI-to-HDMI cable or adapter, unless you have a DVI input on your TV, then a DVI cable is fine.

[Zetterberg]

I have had nothing but problems with bell forever, I will be calling them later on because I am supposed to be getting the HDPVR free for 1 year and 30% off but theres always something screwed up with my bill, for example my last bill had $250 in receiver installation charges noone knows why and im fed up with their **** customer service ... and honestly all they do is screw things up when i call them later i am certainly going to be getting the maximum that retentions can offer a client otherwise i will 100% cancel with them. I will report back with what i get but im expecting nothing short of 2 years free HDPVR AND 30%-40% off/month and perhaps more free stuff because if it wasnt enough that the service (customer service) was awful, this last $250 charge really has put me over the edge.

[daverach]

If I want to buy the HD PVR, what price do you think I can get it for? Regular Price is $499.99 and new customers can get it for $299.99. But I am an existing customer?
Thanks

[talannon]

If I want to buy the HD PVR, what price do you think I can get it for? Regular Price is $499.99 and new customers can get it for $299.99. But I am an existing customer?
Thanks
The source is selling it for 450$...

http://www.thesource.ca/estore/Product.aspx?language=en-CA&catalog=Online&category=BellExpressVu&product=1528204

[brockster]

I am so glad I got a 9242 when they were available for $350... it runs 2 televisions.

[buzzerk]

tried to renew the hdpvr free rental the csr wouldnt budge. asked for a price on the unit i rented and they said they dont sell the used rentals. so i said return it got 30% off programming like last time. tough sell gonna try again.

[jrs61]

I am a Bell phone customer but never a Bell TV customer..do you think its still possible for me as a new customer to get 40% off for 1 year and free PVR or HD boxes ?

Any thoughts or how to approach this would be helfpul. I know somewhere in the thread there may be info for new signups, but too many posts to go through.

Should I just call the direct Bell customer service line as a new setup?

Thanks for the help!!

All the deals being discussed here are ONLY if you go through the "Retention/Loyalty" department, and NOT a regular Customer Service rep. Typically the CS people can't do a thing for you. I was a previous Expressvu subscriber but had concelled a couple of years ago. I phoned as if I wanted to cancel in order to get to the retention line. I told them my story about the last time I tried to "re-subscribe" and got hassles from them about not being a "new" customer and therefore had to settle for a crappy "existing customer" deal.....which were lousy.
Well times have changed and they are now putting much more emphasis on Retention......why this thread exists. So I had a partial reason to be talking to the retention dept, threatening to not re-subscribe. But then they said...no problem I could now be considered a new customer for the new deals. Which sort of took a bit of my negotiating power away. In the end, they kept saying "but you aren't an existing customer, there isn't any business to retain...so what do you want us to do for you" I kept at it and eventualy got 20% off programming, $10 for HD channels and PVR rental of $10(then another $5 off for some reason) for 1 year. But I had to agree to a 2 year contract. Better than nothing! I'll phone back in a year and threaten to cancel my contract....penalties and all, just to see what I can get.

Hope this helps the non-subscribers get a deal.

[loonieryan]

I can't believe the offices are closed on Sunday and statutory holidays! Now I gotta wait till Tuesday!

[octogon]

Yes , But 1 is HD and 1 is Standard Cable.

I am so glad I got a 9242 when they were available for $350... it runs 2 televisions.

[jumbojones]

All the deals being discussed here are ONLY if you go through the "Retention/Loyalty" department, and NOT a regular Customer Service rep. Typically the CS people can't do a thing for you. I was a previous Expressvu subscriber but had concelled a couple of years ago. I phoned as if I wanted to cancel in order to get to the retention line. I told them my story about the last time I tried to "re-subscribe" and got hassles from them about not being a "new" customer and therefore had to settle for a crappy "existing customer" deal.....which were lousy.
Well times have changed and they are now putting much more emphasis on Retention......why this thread exists. So I had a partial reason to be talking to the retention dept, threatening to not re-subscribe. But then they said...no problem I could now be considered a new customer for the new deals. Which sort of took a bit of my negotiating power away. In the end, they kept saying "but you aren't an existing customer, there isn't any business to retain...so what do you want us to do for you" I kept at it and eventualy got 20% off programming, $10 for HD channels and PVR rental of $10(then another $5 off for some reason) for 1 year. But I had to agree to a 2 year contract. Better than nothing! I'll phone back in a year and threaten to cancel my contract....penalties and all, just to see what I can get.

Hope this helps the non-subscribers get a deal.I tried to deal with them today as a new subscriber, but no go. What's with Quebec getting better start up deals than Ontario?

[loonieryan]

Need advice please: I called today to get my new receivers activated and a new account created. After being tossed around from the "new account" department to the "activation" department because I already purchased receivers from FutureShop and because B(h)ell has no clue what they're doing, I finally got through to a CSR to set things up.

I want the HD Extra package but I need a SW44 from Bell. I was told I can only get the $10/month off and free installation (which includes the SW44) if I sign a 24-month contract and I'll get a $10/month discount for all 24 months here in Quebec. OR I can go no-contract, have my receivers activated right away and take care of the SW44 myself. Strangely, the first option doesn't allow me to have my receivers activated until the installer shows up even though my signal is up & running and all I need is an SW44!

So should I:
1) Go with a 2-year contract, get $10 off for 24 months and a free SW44 (which I can buy on ebay for $35)

OR

2) Go with no contract, pay $10 more per month and call Retentions in the 2nd month to get a bigger discount than just $10/month. Or will Retentions make me go on a contract to get any kind of discount?

I'm really leaning towards option 2 and thinking of calling to cancel my installation date scheduled for this weekend.

[Vladimir]

I think I would just buy a SW44 on my own. I have bought 2 off of ebay for $14 each (including shipping)

[loonieryan]

I think I would just buy a SW44 on my own. I have bought 2 off of ebay for $14 each (including shipping)

$14? Can you link me to the seller if they've still got some?

Thanks

[loonieryan]

Ok, so I've decided to call today to cancel my installation appointment and avoid the 2-year contract.

I want to get my $200 credit for the 9241 I purchased, so should I activate an account with no contract, then call retentions immediately and sign a 2-year contract with the 20-30% discount and will they then still give me the $200 credit for the 9241?

Or should I sign up for a 1-year contract to get the $200 credit for the 9241, then call retentions immediately and threaten to cancel to get further discounts?

[rayq]

Or should I sign up for a 1-year contract to get the $200 credit for the 9241, then call retentions immediately and threaten to cancel to get further discounts?

That's called greed, man! Stay at least a few months (3-6 months). I think the $200 credit is for new customer activation with contract only.

[lightningflik]

lol, if you call right away they'll cancel your account! the $200 thing is contract only, sorry.

[loonieryan]

lol, if you call right away they'll cancel your account! the $200 thing is contract only, sorry.

Ya, so I'm thinking I sign up for a 1-year contract, get the $200 credit, then call and say I wanna cancel and get an additional 30% off on a 2-year contract

OR

Sign up on no contract, then call to cancel and get on a 2-year contract with 30% off and then I wonder if they'll still give me the $200 credit?

[jakemtl]

1) Go with a 2-year contract, get $10 off for 24 months and a free SW44 (which I can buy on ebay for $35)

Is it $10 off per month AND a $100 credit? Or does the $10/off per month only apply if you rent the receiver? (assuming new customer)

[nufan]

Is it $10 off per month AND a $100 credit? Or does the $10/off per month only apply if you rent the receiver? (assuming new customer)
Assuming no shenanigans like loonieryan is trying, its one or the other. New customers who rent get the $10 credit, new customers who buy get the $100/$200 one time credit (amount depends on which receiver is bought)

EDIT: Actually it depends where you are, just noticed you are in Montreal. I believe QC gets $10 off per month AND a one time credit of $100/$200, other provinces just get one or the other, don't know why. All the details are on the Bell website, just make sure you select the right province at the top, and you read all the fine print.

loonieryan, what you are trying makes no sense.

[loonieryan]

loonieryan, what you are trying makes no sense.

Lol!

Well, I just called retentions to complain about the horrible service I got yesterday: being tossed around from department to department and being lied to that I don't need an SW44 and then being told that I need an installation appointment in order to get a 2-year contract when all I wanted to do was activate my receivers.

I happened to fall upon a super pleasant retentions rep who:
- Activated my receivers over the phone even though I wasn't home and only had my receiver and smart card numbers on me at the time.
- Set me up with the HD Extra package with a few international channels and was patient enough to list the channels in each of the theme packs since I didn't have my selection on me.
- Gave me a 20% overall discount.
- Gave me the $10/month discount for 2 years (Quebec only).
- Told me I'll get the $200 programming credit for the 9241.
- Gave me her email address so I can correspond with her directly.
- Put a note in my file allowing me to make changes to my programming without having to wait 30 days since I wasn't home when she set it all up.
- Put a note in my file that would allow me to call back in a couple of months to get a free HD-PVR rental for 1 year. She couldn't give that to me right away because I'm a brand new customer.

All this and I'm a brand new activation :D This is the first time ever that I'm happy to have a service with Bell!

[ashs]

man I just want 1 channel, G4Techtv and it costs so much

[MaggieC2]

Current bell tv bill:
6 themes and premium movies 45.00
digital standard 32.00
us timeshift 1.00
digital service fee 3.00
tmn adjustment? -1.00
gst 4.00
pst 6.40

Total 90.40

Called retention and asked if i was on contract (i knew i wasnt)
Retention guy says no, I said good my hubby says rogers is way cheaper and we are probably going to switch. He asked what kind of deal I had with Rogers. I tell him I am not sure but that my husband says its good enough to go throught the hassle of switching. He offered me total $ 65.09 total tax in.

Not bad for a quick phone call. THANK YOU RED FLAG and ALL POSTERS!!!

also

B4 Christmas i called to purchase a digital box as Bell was offering them at 50 per cent off for new customers. I told the CS guy that I was a long time loyal client and should be rewarded and not pay double the price of a new customer. I got it for the new customer price. I did have to call CS 3 more times to get the credit processed but it did finally come through.

[ag76]

Geez today I called, and they were more than willing to cancel my account. My only out was that my wife who is the main name on the account had to be on the phone to cancel.

I did try this trick over a year ago, and it did work, so I guess they have it on record and were ready to call my bluff.

[Hugh Jass]

Geez today I called, and they were more than willing to cancel my account. My only out was that my wife who is the main name on the account had to be on the phone to cancel.

I did try this trick over a year ago, and it did work, so I guess they have it on record and were ready to call my bluff .

Shouldn't matter that you did it before, they should still want to keep you as a customer regardless.

What's your monthly bill?

[Nethervue]

Geez today I called, and they were more than willing to cancel my account. My only out was that my wife who is the main name on the account had to be on the phone to cancel.

I did try this trick over a year ago, and it did work, so I guess they have it on record and were ready to call my bluff.

That happened to me to, but don't worry, they will offer you something. I was right down to the end of ends and didn't budge...I said I wanted to cancel and unless I got my same 40% off, it wasn't worth staying with Bell. It wasn't until I was about to hang up that the retentions person asked me to hold so she could "talk to her manager"...they came back with the 40%.

[ag76]

Monthly bill is about 80 dollars which includes the HDPVR rental.

[ag76]

Ok so I called back armed with my wife to cancel, and ended up getting 30% off and free installation of 2 more lines. So I'm happy.

[tomtong]

Hi ag76, you mean 2 more lines with no receivers?

[ag76]

Hi ag76, you mean 2 more lines with no receivers?

Yes, cause I had an extra receiver, and my sister inlaw is giving me her SD one.

[tomtong]

Wow, I better negotiate that on my next term. Just the SW44 cost me $50. :lol:

[oasis221]

Upgrading to HD and was offered the following (12 month contract)

Digital Standard + 6 Theme Packs = $59
4 HD Theme Packs = $10
Free PVR rental for 1yr

69 - 30% = 48.30 + 3 service fee = $51.30

Does this sound reasonable?

[david.a.cummings@gmail.com]

Used to have:
1 HD Value Pack 10.00
1 HD Receiver (6100) 10.00
1 Digital Standard 32.00
1 US Timeshifting 1.00
1 Digital Service Fee 3.00
1 5 Themes 23.00
Taxes 10.27
Total 89.27

With retention got:
$99 purchase of 6131 (to replace rental 6100)
30% of programming for 12 months
free PVR for 12 months
on a 1 year contract
Total with taxes: 55.94

[loonieryan]

Used to have:
1 HD Value Pack 10.00
1 HD Receiver (6100) 10.00
1 Digital Standard 32.00
1 US Timeshifting 1.00
1 Digital Service Fee 3.00
1 5 Themes 23.00
Taxes 10.27
Total 89.27

With retention got:
$99 purchase of 6131 (to replace rental 6100)
30% of programming for 12 months
free PVR for 12 months
on a 1 year contract
Total with taxes: 55.94

Your username is actually your email address? That's funny...

[reznorio]

I'm a longtime Rogers customer. I cancelled my account during a transition with a house sale/move. My new house has an ExpressVu dish mounted already so I figured 'what the hell'. I call to inquire with Bell about a similar rogers package. This is what my bill WOULD look like for the next 4 months

HD essentials 72
HD terminal 10
HD PVR 20
rental discount -$10
NHL 51
NFL 50


She said it'd come to 218/month through January 31st LMAO
I asked if there was anything she could do to play with rental costs and/or packages to reduce the cost. She, of course, said no. I said 'you're making my decision very easy'. She said 'sorry it's all fixed pricing'. She closed with "may I add that for your money, you get more sports HD channels'. Ya for 220/month I better get every god damn channel they have to offer.

If you're a sports fan, don't even think about going with Bell. Period.

[beripari]

Your username is actually your email address? That's funny...
Hey, with all the different pseudonmyms we all use on diffierent boards/forums, at least he won't forget his!

[mediaguy]

It was nearly a year ago that I had success with the Bell retention CSR. I got a 30% discount on programming plus 12-month free rental of HD-PVR. Now my year is nearly up and I plan to go back to them for a new deal.
When I cut the deal 12-months ago, I had a copy of the Rogers offer to Bell ExpressVu subscribers. I used it to get my Bell retention offer.
But I haven't seen anything in the mail from Rogers recently and can't find anything on their WWW site.
Anyone know what the current Rogers offer might be, if there is an offer?
Please share info or PM
Thanks

[winson82]

Just called and got the following.

Currently

- Using 2 standard receivers
- Digital Standard - $32
- Fairchild - $15
- DSF - $3
Total $56.84 after taxes

They offered

- 1 free 6103 HD Receiver with free install and new dish. Receiver also has lifetime warranty. If I choose to get another Receiver on top of that it would be full price but 50% off install ($25 instead of $50)
- Fairchild for $10 instead of $15 (Lifetime)
- 30% entire bill for 12 months
- DSF fee waived
- No Contract

Pretty decent imo as originally I was gonna cancel my account and reopen a new one. However, the 30% on bill for 12 months plus no contract makes this deal better.

[tomtong]

It was nearly a year ago that I had success with the Bell retention CSR. I got a 30% discount on programming plus 12-month free rental of HD-PVR. Now my year is nearly up and I plan to go back to them for a new deal.
When I cut the deal 12-months ago, I had a copy of the Rogers offer to Bell ExpressVu subscribers. I used it to get my Bell retention offer.
But I haven't seen anything in the mail from Rogers recently and can't find anything on their WWW site.
Anyone know what the current Rogers offer might be, if there is an offer?
Please share info or PM
Thanks

Just receive Rogers promo in the mail:
Call 1-877-465-3279 to trade in your old satellite receiver
We'll bring an HD box right to your door
It's yours to keep

1. Get a free HD PVR worth $499 when you trade in your old SD or HD satellite receiver and also get roger's internet or rogers home phone.
2. Get one free HD box + One free digital box worth $348when you trade in 2 old satellite receivers
3. Get a free HD box worth $249 when you trade in your old satellite receiver.

The first one look very attractive since I already have Bell Internet and home phone.

Now, it's up to Bell retention if they're willing to match.

I also see another poster said Retention offered free 6103 receiver, is it free rental for a limited time or free for you to keep?

[MARZ]

After being "forced" to switch to Rogers from Bell, all I can say is I will be happy to dump Rogers. The PVR is garbage, compared to Bell's, and I was lied to about Rogers pricing, that they would match Bell's pricing.

[winson82]

I also see another poster said Retention offered free 6103 receiver, is it free rental for a limited time or free for you to keep?

I called today and they said the 6103 receiver would be free to keep.

[thepred]

Wow my bill is $142 a month, and I by on average of $40 in PPV a month. I have never got any deals from Bell. I payed full price for all my receivers. Guess I should call. Dumb thing is I just ordered Sunday Ticket, they will know I will not cancell untill season is over.

[Vladimir]

It was nearly a year ago that I had success with the Bell retention CSR. I got a 30% discount on programming plus 12-month free rental of HD-PVR. Now my year is nearly up and I plan to go back to them for a new deal.
When I cut the deal 12-months ago, I had a copy of the Rogers offer to Bell ExpressVu subscribers. I used it to get my Bell retention offer.
But I haven't seen anything in the mail from Rogers recently and can't find anything on their WWW site.
Anyone know what the current Rogers offer might be, if there is an offer?
Please share info or PM
Thanks
Just tell them that the service is not worth it to you at the upped price (regular) but you will stay on if you can get it for the 30% off.
You will get it.

[Vladimir]

Wow my bill is $142 a month, and I by on average of $40 in PPV a month. I have never got any deals from Bell. I payed full price for all my receivers. Guess I should call. Dumb thing is I just ordered Sunday Ticket, they will know I will not cancell untill season is over.

Eh doesn't matter. i got my bill reduced the day after I bought and activated a new HD receiver. Just tell them you didn't realize the bill was going to be 142 a month (holy crap that is a lot) and you cannot afford that high of a bill, but can afford something lower.
You should bea ble to get 30% off without any trouble

[thepred]

What I would like more is 2 new HD PVR. Do they ever upgrade your 6100 up to pvr for free?

[tomtong]

I called today and they said the 6103 receiver would be free to keep.

Can't find anything about 6103 receiver. Is it 6131?

[winson82]

Can't find anything about 6103 receiver. Is it 6131?

Oops for some odd reason i kept thinking it was call the 6103 but yes the 6131 is the one i'm talking about.

UPDATE: so yesterday when I talked to the guy I was under the impression that the free HD Receiver was free to keep. However, when I called today and spoke to 2 reps they said no the notes say it's 2 years free rental. After some thinking and trying to get more from them I just took the free rental anyways. Ah wells no biggy for now I'll worry about it 2 years later. By then who know, maybe I can get this box for uber cheap or whatever.

[glacierice]

So I had the free rental HD PVR 9242 for a year plus 30% of programming for the year. Well my deals running up and they offered free rental of a HD PVR 9241 and 30% off programming for a year again.

Well the 9242 controls 2 tvs, which i want, the 9241 only 1. The guy told me they did a survey and only 10% of their customers used the 2 tv function so they went with the 9241.

So he said they won't sell me the 9242 at my house now. Anybody try and have any luck with buying the 9242 they were renting?

He said he can't apply the rental rebate on the 9242, they have to switch it out for the 9241 so I can get the free rental period, seems ridiculous to me.

UPDATE
So I called back, another agent still would not sell me the 9242 or extend the free rental on this unit. So i asked to talk to a supervisor as she said they might be able to do more. Before she put me through she asked if 40% off and now start paying the $20 rental fee would change things. I accepted this as the 40% off is for a year, no contract, it will work out to about the same price for me now anyway.

[Jason]

Just receive Rogers promo in the mail:
Call 1-877-465-3279 to trade in your old satellite receiver
We'll bring an HD box right to your door
It's yours to keep

1. Get a free HD PVR worth $499 when you trade in your old SD or HD satellite receiver and also get roger's internet or rogers home phone.
2. Get one free HD box + One free digital box worth $348when you trade in 2 old satellite receivers
3. Get a free HD box worth $249 when you trade in your old satellite receiver.

The first one look very attractive since I already have Bell Internet and home phone.

Now, it's up to Bell retention if they're willing to match.

I also see another poster said Retention offered free 6103 receiver, is it free rental for a limited time or free for you to keep?

Is there a website detailing this offer?

[tomtong]

found this http://your.rogers.com/store/cable/ptv/satellite_offer.asp
but the order page does not work. It probably is an old one.

[mediaguy]

found this http://your.rogers.com/store/cable/ptv/satellite_offer.asp
but the order page does not work. It probably is an old one.

I saw that page too. That offer ended Feb 2008 so I'm looking for info on any current offer.

[tomtong]

I checked the mail and there's no link on it. Only thing is call their number to find out.

The best I could do.
http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/6556/img0849j.jpg

[skutterbutt]

Question,

I am now on the 2nd year of a 2 year commitment (tv & internet - my phone was not on the contract). I had 12 months free tv & internet (not including $20 HDPVR rental). Now they are taking it to me with hefty prices.

Internet $47.95 (performance)
Modem $3.95

TV 4HD Themes $10
Digital Standard $32
US Timeshifting $1
Superstations $5
Digital Service Fee $3
5 Themes $23
HDPVR rental $20

This comes up to $167.78 for internet & TV. Is there any chance of getting this reduced while under contract? I called once and they said there is nothing they can do.

[Swarez99]

Question,

I am now on the 2nd year of a 2 year commitment (tv & internet - my phone was not on the contract). I had 12 months free tv & internet (not including $20 HDPVR rental). Now they are taking it to me with hefty prices.

Internet $47.95 (performance)
Modem $3.95

TV 4HD Themes $10
Digital Standard $32
US Timeshifting $1
Superstations $5
Digital Service Fee $3
5 Themes $23
HDPVR rental $20

This comes up to $167.78 for internet & TV. Is there any chance of getting this reduced while under contract? I called once and they said there is nothing they can do.

You probably just talked to regular customer service last time. When you call in tell them you are thinking of canceling because you found another deal at the cable company in your area. Your termination fee should be $100 for your TV, not sure for your net.
Ask for your PVR for free for one year, which is standered and 40% off for one year. I'm on my third year of doing this do them, no issues at all.
TV should cost you about $50-60 month after you call in. I am sure if you have Internet they will throw something off there too, I have Rogers internet and have my package which is there mid package for the lite cost. All these companies will work with you so don't hesitate.

[tomtong]

Wow, I better negotiate that on my next term. Just the SW44 cost me $50. :lol:

I call them today with my rogers flyer, they offered me an HDPVR for 12-months free rental plus installation with the extension of 1-yr contract. $100 deposit is required and will be refunded to my statment after activation.

[mediaguy]

Tomtong, I got the Rogers mailing you showed today. Not much to 'crow' about. Certainly not an incentive to move to Rogers.
Give them my receiver, they give me one of theirs.
That's no deal!

[tomtong]

That's certain not enough incentive to lure me over but it's a good bargaining chip for me to ask for a free 12 month rental of HD-PVR worth $20/mth. They only gave me PVR worth $10/mth last year. The CSR promised me without any hesitation when I mentioned the Rogers' deal.

In case anyone who need to convert, one SD receiver cost ~$50 can switch to one HDPVR receiver ~$250 is still a good deal IMHO.

[skutterbutt]

You probably just talked to regular customer service last time. When you call in tell them you are thinking of canceling because you found another deal at the cable company in your area. Your termination fee should be $100 for your TV, not sure for your net.
Ask for your PVR for free for one year, which is standered and 40% off for one year. I'm on my third year of doing this do them, no issues at all.
TV should cost you about $50-60 month after you call in. I am sure if you have Internet they will throw something off there too, I have Rogers internet and have my package which is there mid package for the lite cost. All these companies will work with you so don't hesitate.

Thanks for your help. They ended up reducing my internet to $29 all in monthly and gave me 30% off programming for expressvu. They wouldn't budge on the free HDPVR for the year though. Thats ok. Saved ~$60 a month though....:cheesygri

[heymrdj]

Sorry I know this is perhaps off-topic but I've been a Rogers customer for over 10 years and we're finally thinking of switching to Bell. Does anyone have any good Bell Expressvu / Sympatico deals for new customers?

I cashed in on the Rogers retention so am getting Rogers Express HSI w/ Wireless Networking Gateway and Rogiers Digital VIP package with the free HD-PVR rental all for $85 / month taxes in.

How can I go about getting a deal with Bell as close to what I'm getting with Rogers as possible?

Thanks!!!

[beripari]

Sorry I know this is perhaps off-topic but I've been a Rogers customer for over 10 years and we're finally thinking of switching to Bell. Does anyone have any good Bell Expressvu / Sympatico deals for new customers?

I cashed in on the Rogers retention so am getting Rogers Express HSI w/ Wireless Networking Gateway and Rogiers Digital VIP package with the free HD-PVR rental all for $85 / month taxes in.

How can I go about getting a deal with Bell as close to what I'm getting with Rogers as possible?

Thanks!!!

Why not just give them a call & tell them you're thinking of switching, what incentives do they hae for new customers? You don't even have to gie them your name but you'll ge the "basic" info as a starting point of reference. Don't even tell them what you're paying w/Rogers at this point - save that for later negotiations.

[kevinlo2]

My one year contract is ended. I call Bell these two days a few times trying to get back my current discount - 40% off programming and free HD-PVR.

All CS can only give me 40% off. They decline to give me free HD-PVR which costs $20.

I am not sure if I should buy the boxes. Anyone know if there is discount for the box? If I buy the box, can I keep my current one? I don't want to mail the current box back and get a new one as I have programs recorded in the PVR.

I am also considering switching to Telus or Shaw. But Telus now gives $15 credit for the HD-PVR rental credit if I sign up 3 years contract. I don't think it is a good deal

Have not checked what Shaw can offer now.

I hate to call the CS again and again!!!!