The Consumer Complaints Blog

On May 22, 2010 I contacted Bell Express Vu loyalty department regarding an offer I had received from Rogers. The idea was to get my $103 bill down. After talking with them I accepted a deal that was offered. Imagine my surprise when my first bill was $481.80.

The deal I was offered included bundling with my home phone. The following is what I was told on May 22, 2010.
· My current TV package would be reduced to $73.00 including taxes
· My home phone would continue to be $34.15 plus taxes
· A free rental HD PVR for 12 months

· A purchased HD receiver at $199.00 of which I would receive a $100.00 credit on my first bill. Total cost $99.00

The above would be approximately $225.00 for the first month bill.

When my bill arrived for June, I contacted Bell on June 18 to discuss the amount of $481.80. After 45 minutes of being told that I should pay the $481.80 and it would be fixed later I asked for the cancellation department. Instead of cancellation I was passed to the loyalty department. Agent 6033286 told me that I shouldn’t pay the $481.80 and that the billing errors would be fixed on the next month’s bill. She agreed with the approximate price of $225.00

On July 20, 2010 my July bill arrived. The amount on this bill was $431.57. If you add the approximate $225.00 that the first bill should have been to the approximate $107.00 for satellite and land line the total should be around $332.00.

On July 21, 2010 I proceeded to call Bell and asked for Express Vu cancellation. After 20 minutes of speaking to a person and explaining the situation I was told they couldn’t help and that I had to talk to the people in bundling. After 10 minutes with bundling, where I had to repeat the entire saga again I was told they couldn’t help and that I had to talk to the people at Express Vu. At this point I asked for cancellations. I was transferred to the loyalty department. The person who took this call did not want to listen to what I had to say. She had no interest in the June bill and only wanted to talk about the July bill. She repeatedly stated that she didn’t want to discuss “past problems”. After 45 minutes on the phone she finally said she would look into the problem and call me back within 30 minutes.

One hour later I got a call back. I was told that the bill was accurate and that the “purchased” HD receiver was $199 with no discount. Also the line item on bill that says “refund” is actually a deposit charge. A very strange use of the English language. Once again I asked for the cancellations department.

This time I spoke to somebody to whom I once again had to start at the beginning. After telling them I did not want to speak to anybody else and that I no longer trusted the word of Bell employees he actually gave me a cancellation date for the account of August 21. I asked for two boxes to return the rental HD PVR and the “purchased HD receiver”. I was told that they would send me a box for the rental HD PVR but I now owned the second receiver at a price of $199.00. I explained it was a purchase at $99.00 and not $199.00. This seems to be an extreme version of ‘bait and switch”.

I am extremely disappointed with Bell as a corporation if they feel this is an acceptable way to treat customers.

I have no issue paying the agreed costs for Express Vu and the landline, but under no circumstances will I pay for an HD receiver that was sold to me at one price and then billed at another.

Dave (last name protected for privacy)

Disclaimer
This article was submitted by one of our readers. Penciltrick cannot make any claims as to its authenticity but the article was accepted on a good faith belief that it is an accurate and truthful account of the events listed.

I first wrote TicketMaster on June 28th. I received just an automatically generated acknowledgement but was otherwise ignored.

On July 7th I wrote to BBB and they said its outside their purview.

Am I alone in getting such a bad treatment from TicketMaster?

I am sure you have a better take on this than me but if you are getting other complaints add mine to them.

Here’s the original complaint:

Better Business Bureau of Mid-Western and Central Ontario
COMPLAINT ACTIVITY REPORT Case # 1213844

Consumer’s Original Complaint:
This is what I wrote Ticketmaster on June 28th, 2010:

Hi, I am writing to inform you of the very bad service we received from TicketMaster yesterday. My son lost his ticket for the Sanatana concert and we went to the Ticketmaster Retail Outlet at Oakville Place Mall Guest.

The persons who attended us were courteous and helpful and tried to do the best they could in the circumstances. They had to call Ticketmaster centre five times to resolve the issue however. On three of those times they explained the problem and they told them to hold on only for the line to be cut. On another occasion they were cut off as soon as they mentioned the lost ticket.

On the last we got a lady on the phone who said that we had to pay $15 for the replacement ticket (when the original costs $28.75, that’s more than 50%). Not only so, though, but I, his father, had to pick it up personally before the show rather than the replacement ticket being mailed to me ! And this even though my son showed them the proof of payment via his bank account statement. (I got in the picture because I had a credit card and Ticketmaster would not accept my son’s driect debit card for the extra $15.) This took us more than one hour to resolve.

The lady on the phone was also generally rude. I told the lady I was going to complain in writing about this and she told me I can do whatever I wanted. You can check our phone calls between 2PM and 3PM Sunday June 27th from that retail outlet to verify.

I am writing this because I feel that customers should be treated much better: (1) no hanging up from Ticketmaster’s side, (2) the replacement fee should be much less, (3) replacement tickets should be sent by mail, (4) direct debit cards should be accepted especially when proof of payment for the original ticket is presented, and (5) courteous service. Finally, in this day and age, since every ticket has a number, I don’t know why Ticketmaster don’t just cancel the first ticket and issue an new one once they see proof of payment.

I am writing because I would like an apology within 48 hours from a senior manager at Ticketmaster. I also want a promise that management would look into this case as a case study so that they improve their customer service especially as regards replacement tickets. It’s in your own best interest, after all.

If I don’t get an apology, I am going to take this further so that the public at large and the concert organizers would know what service is being meted out to paying customers.
Regards, Paul (name hidden for privacy)

Since writing I received nothing back except that the email has been received (and other info which was not relevant to this case). As expected, I received no apology for the inconvenience nor any indication that the company cares or wishes to improve customer service. But I guess one expects this from Ticketmaster.

Consumer’s Desired Resolution:
Just an email from a senior executive apologizing for the inconvenience caused and a promise from his or her that they would look into customer service in order to improve it.

BBB Processing
2010-07-07 web BBB Complaint Received by BBB\par 2010-07-07 BEA BBB CASE JUDGED TO BE OUT OF BBB PURVIEW : Under $20. bk\par 2010-07-07 Otto BBB INFORM CONSUMER – CASE CLOSED OUT OF PURVIEW : May we suggest contacting the Ministry of Consumer Services at 1-800-889-9768 or 416-326-8800. bk\par 2010-07-07 Otto BBB Case Closed as BEYOND PURVIEW
========================================================================
BBB Complaint Case#1213844(Ref#32-1090941-1213844-3-11010)

> Complaint ID#: 1213844
> Business Name: Ticketmaster Canada Ltd
>
> Thank you for contacting your BBB regarding your complaint.
>
> The complaint was received by your BBB on July 7, 2010 and has been assigned case# 1213844 in our files.
>
> We regret to inform you that your BBB cannot process your complaint. The case has been reviewed by one of our Complaint Administrators and was found to contain issues that are out of your BBB’s purview.
>
> It is our policy to process only those complaints that fall into your BBB’s scope. Items such as landlord/tenant issues, criminal allegations, requests for punitive damages, pricing issues, employer/employee disputes, cases already involved in litigation, civil right violations, business to business collection issues, cancellation of contracts, complaints under the value amount of $20, anonymous complaints, remove collection reports, etc, are not handled by your BBB.
>
> Thank-you for contacting your BBB.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Bea Krieschneider
> Consumer Consultant
> BBB Complaint Department
> bea@mwco.bbb.org

Disclaimer
This article was submitted by one of our readers. Penciltrick cannot make any claims as to its authenticity but the article was accepted on a good faith belief that it is an accurate and truthful account of the events listed.

On June 16th I had to cancel a flight from Winnipeg to Toronto for my husband due to a death in the family. I called Expedia and they said no problem – they would issue a credit for the flight. They sent me an email confirming credit $262.63 and credit booking procedures.

I called the following day to rebook my husband’s flight as per their procedures which required that I book through their customer service department. I was connected to an agent named Chaza. I gave her the flight info but for some reason she could not find it on her screen even though it was on Expedia’s website screen. She tried to offer alternative flights. Suggestion 1. Fly to Toronto from Winnipeg via Calgary. Told her not acceptable when there are 3 direct flights on line. Suggestion 2. Direct flight leaving Winnipeg 9 am arriving 5 pm. Not acceptable again as flight is 2H15m. She told me the flight required 7 hours for refueling. After I explained that her website showed at least 3 direct flights leaving the following morning she finally located the info. She said she could book the flight however the cost would be $235.26+my credit+cancellation fee = $544.89. I told her this was unacceptable as I could book it on line with her company for $298.23. Could she explain why my price was double from what is offered to everyone else. She said she would look into it. I was put on hold for 3 HOURS! After 3 hours I told her I had to go to work and she promised me she would call me back and have everything resolved. I waited until 8 that evening. I called customer service and was told that she had left for the day. I asked to speak with a supervisor. I was put on hold – after 25 minutes I hung up and booked a flight directly with the carrier.

I called back the following morning and asked to speak with a supervisor. After being on hold for ½ an hour I was connected to a Ms. Nesson who told me that she would look into the matter and call me back. I never heard back for her either. I have also sent two emails to Expedia. No reply or acknowledgement.

Your assistance most greatly appreciated.

Disclaimer
This article was submitted by one of our readers. Penciltrick cannot make any claims as to its authenticity but the article was accepted on a good faith belief that it is an accurate and truthful account of the events listed.

Big Problem with Pest Management Company in Toronto

After receiving bites on my leg in a telltale pattern, I discovered that my home had a light (thankfully) infestation of bed bugs. It may be hard to believe but this has been, bar none, the most upsetting domestic pest problem I’ve ever had. Even mice did not distress me this much. After some exhaustive research, I was able to determine a few things about bed bugs.

They are rampant in Toronto and Montreal. Since discovering them at home, nearly everyone I’ve spoken to has had the problem or knows someone who has. There may be a stigma attached to having bed bugs but the sheer ubiquity of the problem would suggest that it’s not a matter of slovenliness at all (they’re blood suckers, not at all attracted to garbage),simply a question of the pervasive nature of these tiny beasts.

I probably acted too fast in choosing a pest control company but my 2-year old son had been bitted as had I. I contacted the first company I could find on-line who dealt exclusively with bed bugs.

Their name is Royal Forest Pest Control. Don’t forget that name since – if you do happen to be infested with bed bugs – you never, ever want to call them to solve your problem.

At first, the woman who answered the phone was lovely – helpful, sympathetic and full of advice about preparing the home for fumigation. She sent a technician out the very next day (they have a 2-hour window of service), as promised. But the technician obviously wanted to be in and out. He was dismissive, rude and careless. I had requested mattress encasements from the company twice; he never recorded the order. I asked him to do my son’s room as well; he said he didn’t have time. He didn’t even check the mattresses for the little critters. You’re not allowed to stay in the home when they spray since there’s a certain amount of toxicity. I asked him to tell me where he was going to spray; he said ‘around’.

When I called the next day and spoke to the same woman, she was barely responsive. I’ve since realized that once they had my money – you have to pay in full at the first appointment even though they come back for a second spray – there was no need to court me anymore. She had also strongly suggested that I purchase a bottle of ‘organic’ pesticide to spray things like shoes, luggage, purses, etc.

I’ve since spoken to an officer at Toronto Public Health. He’s been the only person without a vested (read: economic motive) interested in misinforming me. He said anything you can buy in a store or on-line that claims to get rid of bed bugs is pure bunk. The lady also said not to vacuum. Apparently, that’s the best thing you can do.

I left a message earlier this week inquiring about the bed casements I had asked the technician, Justin Wong, for. No call back. The next day I called again, made the same inquiry. That afternoon, I got a call back from someone who may well own the company, Daniel Morgan. He told me I hadn’t ordered the encasements since I would have had to pay for them on the spot. I had asked Justin twice for these encasements and even been told by Justin that I should expect them by Monday, latest. I told Daniel that it was very upsetting that his technician had f—-d up – admittedly a poor and offensive choice of words which I regret – since he had told me to expect them immediately and told me to put them on the bed and box springs immediately. Now, it was four days later. There was no apology, only a flat-out refusal that his technician hadn’t done the most thorough or reliable job. He told me I’d have to wait until the next spray appointment – one week later – and order them then. In and of itself, this was no big deal but his attitude was so hostile and anything but oriented to a satisfactory outcome for his customer, that it took my breath away. He actually hung up on me. I called back, calmer and said ‘ok let’s try this again’. I explained that I had indeed asked Jason – twice! – to order those encasements. He assured me I didn’t which was why they weren’t ordered and didn’t I know that since I hadn’t paid for them, they couldn’t have been ordered. I said I assumed I’d pay on receipt of goods. He told me that was stupid. He took absolutely no responsibility for his employee’s utter failure to do his job right which was frustrating in the extreme.

I hope this doesn’t seem petty. Please understand that bed bug infestations are enormously difficult to get rid of and can wreak havoc on your mental state since it’s almost impossible to sleep. All you’re thinking about is getting bitten!

If the news stories are accurate, bed bug infestations in Toronto are only going to get worse. Which is why I’m writing. I’d like to warn away anyone from this company who not only are unpleasant to deal with, but are one of the most expensive pest management companies out there. And they’re peddling mis (or dis?!) information to boot.

Please call or email me if you require any further information. Thanks in advance for your time and attention.

Disclaimer
This article was submitted by one of our readers. Penciltrick cannot make any claims as to its authenticity but the article was accepted on a good faith belief that it is an accurate and truthful account of the events listed.

When were companies given the right to no longer send statements or bills? I have tried contacting the Consumers Bureau about this, but to the best of my knowledge, no one works there. There’s an answering machine and no one responds to messages.

My complaints:

For years I have given permission for companies to pay bills by direct payment from my bank account or on a credit card with no problems. Lately, companies have decided to save money by never sending a bill or statement. Some say they will e-mail one. It seldom happens. When you contact them, they tell you they don’t have your e-mail address and somehow they never have it, no matter how many times you give it to them. Upon request for a paper bill, they promise but don’t deliver. The problem? You have no proof of payment, no knowledge when problems arise and payment isn’t made, and when you cancel a service they continue to take your money.

1. Rolly’s Transfer – a moving and storage company in Winnipeg. I removed my items from storage, direct billing on my credit card ceased for 2 months, then started again. I contacted the company; they said they’d look into it. I never heard from them again. Visa fought this battle for me.

2. Telus – Just stopped sending bills, then cancelled my cell phone service. When I contacted them, I owed them a large sum of money because my credit card number had changed. With no bills I had no way of contacting them so I waited for them to contact me. It took 3 months. As it was, I had a problem even when I phoned the number in their message on my cell phone. They can’t find the appropriate department themselves. They said they didn’t send bills by e-mail because they didn’t have my address ( not that they ever requested it or even told me they were stopping paper bills.) I have yet to receive an e-bill.

3. U Weight Loss – I used their finance company which offered interest free loans if you signed a paper authorizing them to take the payment directly from your bank account. I have never received a loan statement even though I have repeatedly requested one. I refuse to deal with this company as a result.

4. AAA Alarms – My alarm monitoring company sold their monitoring service to AAA Alarms. I have never received a statement or bill. When I recently married, my husband had a monitoring contract with AAA which he could not be released from even if he sold the house. They did agree to move it to my house. However, they have given us 2 months of run around and red tape. Every time we comply with their wishes, a new rule is brought out. The final one was that I had to prove I had no monitoring contract. Interesting, with absolutely no paper work from AAA. I contacted the servicing company which had the original contract and was told they were not happy with what their parent company had done and were having no end of problems with AAA. They said they would contact AAA on my behalf for the proof and relay the proof to me. AAA never responded to their written requests. Then I began the red tape process of just cancelling my service. I have yet to receive confirmation of cancellation or final billing information. I contacted the Consumer’s Bureau to determine my rights and advice; left a message and have never had a response. Does this place really exist or is it a government front to placate us?

5. Shaw – A direct payment didn’t go through. I didn’t notice. No bills, no contact until service was cancelled. I went down to Shaw in person to straighten out the mess and pay my bill. They had switched to e-bills and mine didn’t go through. They were very nice and said they would send me a paper bill. That was 6 months ago. I have received one paper bill.

Is anyone else having similar problems?

Disclaimer
This article was submitted by one of our readers. Penciltrick cannot make any claims as to its authenticity but the article was accepted on a good faith belief that it is an accurate and truthful account of the events listed.