I recently brought my 88-year-old mother to the Bell store at Carlingwood to renew her mobile contract. I was visiting from London, England and only in Ottawa for a few days, so we handled everything during that visit.
We were told that she could receive a new Ahlo phone for approximately $1 per month and that, after credits, her monthly bill would be about $31. Since she did not need to upgrade her phone, we agreed based on that understanding of the price.
After I returned to London, my sister—who manages my mother’s payments—sent me a copy of the contract renewal. The contract clearly stated in capital letters that the TOTAL MONTHLY CHARGE would be $51.30 per month. There was no clear statement anywhere indicating that the final monthly amount payable would be around $31.
Assuming there had been a mistake, I called the Carlingwood store. The staff member who answered said he had been present when we came in. When I tried to go through the contract and clarify where the credits were applied, he repeatedly interrupted me, simply saying, “You have credits.” While I could see YOUR PROMOTIONS listed, the contract still showed $51.30 as the total monthly charge, and nowhere did it clearly state that the final amount due would be $31.30. I live in London and have never dealt with Bell before. In the UK, bills are typically very clear about the exact amount you owe each month, so this contract was confusing and not transparent.
Instead of explaining how the credits were applied or clarifying the breakdown, the staff member, Moody (he might have lied about his name), kept repeating "You have credits". When I asked for clarification, he became impatient and said, “I’ve told you five times already that there are credits.” He then threatened to hang up when I told him he was being impatient and rude.
I eventually spoke with the manager, who reviewed the contract details. However, at no point did she acknowledge or apologise for Moody’s behaviour. She was completely unsympathetic, even after I explained that my brother recently passed away and I have had to manage his phone line, which is connected to my mother’s account. Rather than showing any compassion, she simply said, “Let’s just get what you need to get done and we can move on.”
The lack of empathy and basic courtesy was deeply disappointing. As a 56-year-old trying to sort out phone services for my elderly mother during an already difficult time for our family, I expected clear explanations and respectful treatment. Instead, the experience was dismissive and unnecessarily confrontational.
Claim your business profile now and gain access to all features and respond to customer reviews.
Bell is Canada's largest telephone and telecommunications company. We provide consumer and business customers with phone and other communication services.