going to Scream..Bell says US text msging plan is no longer!!!

[vacation_junkie]

i spoke to a Bell rep in February.
they told me when I'm down in the US i can add a package to my phone for sent text messeges from the US.
$5 for 50
$10 for 100
$20 for $1000

I just called bell to get it added to my phone today and guy said there is no such plan for the US.
the person gave me the wrong info.
I can pay $10 a month and then it only cost me 25 cents each sent messege!
WHAT!!!!!

 

[damo]

The deal you were originally quoted is if the text originates in Canada and goes to the US.

Texts that originate in the US are $0.60 each, I believe.

http://www.bell.ca/support/PrsCSrvWls_Cvg_Travel.page#1

 

[fivebyfive]

Don't even get me started on Bell. I just switched my cell phone to Rogers (after being with Bell for 10 plus years) because their CS reps don't know what they are doing.

I know that others will have the same (or similar) horror stories with Rogers, but at the moment they were the ones who didn't upset me (lol).

 

[Ted in Halifax]

My Bell blackberry worked so poorly this month in Disney .... I could not believe it.

 

[vacation_junkie]

The deal you were originally quoted is if the text originates in Canada and goes to the US.

Texts that originate in the US are $0.60 each, I believe.

http://www.bell.ca/support/PrsCSrvWls_Cvg_Travel.page#1

I called Bell back to confirm, and he said yes it was available until last week.

And then he said I should have added it to my account but future dated.
I said well I would have at the time if they would have told me I could do that. I said they told me to call back before the 1st of the month. Nothing they could do!!

Now for the US..its either

$10 a month service fee and then you pay 25 cents a text.

or the 60 cents pay per use!

I bought a Net10 phone for use when i was down in Texas because it was 10 cents a min. to call canada and 5 cents in the US.... but the time has expired and the phone deactivated. I can reactivate it..but one catch..the phones don't work in Canada only the US...so i can't reactivate here..lol

I doesn't cost me anything to text to the US. i have unlimited texting regardless of if its to the US or Canada!

 

[Salinger]

Bell has the worst customer service of any large company I've ever dealt with. It's corporate culture there because I've had terrible service from mobile, home phone and internet; doesn't matter.

On my TELUS plan, I can text from the US or Canada and it's all included in my plan, no add-ons or additional charges. It's only on the CDMA network though, if you sign up for one of the new plans on the new HSPA network, you pay fees as mentioned above with Bell. I've read it's temporary until they negotiate better roaming rates with AT&T (that's who they roam on now with the new network) but I figure if they're getting away with it now, they're just going to keep on charging the high rates even with a new agreement in place; just more profit for them.

Get a Virgin Mobile US phone. You can get one with X minutes for like $10. It's easy to activate once you get down there. Much cheaper than anything the Canadian companies can offer you. (except for Wind).

 

[Think I'm Tink]

It's cool to know that I'm not the only "crazy" Canadian who bought an American prepaid cell phone. I have a TracFone and I was super lucky that I got it at the BX on a USAF base - no tax on the phone and double minutes for the life of my account. Free long distance anywhere in USA or Canada, it just uses minutes. But I can't turn it on north of the border or it voids my account.

My Telus plan also has the free text messaging from the US or Canada but according to the 3 different CSRs I spoke with this weekend it's no longer available. I'm grandfathered in. But the international roaming charges are something ridiculous like $1.45 a minute (if I'm remembering my daughter's bill right). Which is why I have a TracFone. And my daughter has one now too.

 

[vacation_junkie]

It's cool to know that I'm not the only "crazy" Canadian who bought an American prepaid cell phone. I have a TracFone and I was super lucky that I got it at the BX on a USAF base - no tax on the phone and double minutes for the life of my account. Free long distance anywhere in USA or Canada, it just uses minutes. But I can't turn it on north of the border or it voids my account.

My Telus plan also has the free text messaging from the US or Canada but according to the 3 different CSRs I spoke with this weekend it's no longer available. I'm grandfathered in. But the international roaming charges are something ridiculous like $1.45 a minute (if I'm remembering my daughter's bill right). Which is why I have a TracFone. And my daughter has one now too.

I have the Net10 version as i previously mentioned..but now how do i reactivate from here? lol..I can't. I plugged it in last night and it wouldn't charge ..grrr.....bell is $1.35 a min..from the US. I guess I'll just buy another cheap Net10 or tracphone while i'm down there!!!!


The only reason why I am still with Bell is because we are on a corporate rate plan through the Hospital. And no other company can come close to it...we get
250 outgoing min's.
Unlimited incoming calls
free evenings and weekends starting at 6pm
unlimited text messeging
and all the features, call display, vm..etc....
our bill comes to $28 a month including all taxes and charges for each phone.

If it wasn't for that I would have switched long ago

 

[5boyz]

Dont you know...that is typical BELL one person tells you one thing and then the other tells you that is not true, but your stuck in the plan so suck it up....I have VERY GOOD friends that work there but I got rid of Bell almost 2 yrs ago and am now with Rogers.....have had no problems with them ...... so far...lol

 

[5boyz]

Yes those roaming charges are brutal. We were in Michigan in Oct for hockey tournament, one of the boys on the team was using his phone the whole time we were there. The parents got a bill for $1300.00. They had to pay it!

 

[Cdn Gal]

Bell could screw up the Lord's Prayer! I have had sooooooo many troubles with my phone bill!!! Even this month (after of almost 1 year this Aug) of getting everything straightened out they mess it up!! (but this time is was in my favour so I'm not calling) I mean really, how hard is this? I am an uncomplicated woman who just wants a phone, tv and the internet. We haven't switched yet, but probably will if they keep messing everything up. So why have I stayed? My MIL was a Bell operator for over 20 years and hmmmm the teacher's pension plan owns Bell.

 

[wdwr]

I got rid of my Bell Cell phone for just that reason!

I used to pay extra to have unlimited texting with Bell. They changed all their texting rules and couldn't tell me the right info either. So I got a Virgin Pay As You Go at Disney in 2008 to use on trips.

Finally in Oct of last year, I had enough of Bell and switched over to Koodo. They offered me Double the daytime minutes, the same evenings & weekends and ALL of my texting from anywhere in North America all for $16 LESS. I used up the last of my money in the Virgin phone on my Oct trip and have let it expire.

I'm happy texting. I never use my phone for calls...I'm actually surprised when it rings. "If" I have to make an emergency call while I'm in the US, I'll live with any roaming/long distance charges.

 

[vacation_junkie]

I got rid of my Bell Cell phone for just that reason!

I used to pay extra to have unlimited texting with Bell. They changed all their texting rules and couldn't tell me the right info either. So I got a Virgin Pay As You Go at Disney in 2008 to use on trips.

Finally in Oct of last year, I had enough of Bell and switched over to Koodo. They offered me Double the daytime minutes, the same evenings & weekends and ALL of my texting from anywhere in North America all for $16 LESS. I used up the last of my money in the Virgin phone on my Oct trip and have let it expire.

I'm happy texting. I never use my phone for calls...I'm actually surprised when it rings. "If" I have to make an emergency call while I'm in the US, I'll live with any roaming/long distance charges.

The funny thing is Kudoo is owned by Bell...they have the 3 divisions.. Solo, Kudoo & Bell mobility...and they can offer things on one plan and take advantage of you on the others

 

[Hockeychic]

i spoke to a Bell rep in February.
they told me when I'm down in the US i can add a package to my phone for sent text messeges from the US.
$5 for 50
$10 for 100
$20 for $1000

I just called bell to get it added to my phone today and guy said there is no such plan for the US.
the person gave me the wrong info.
I can pay $10 a month and then it only cost me 25 cents each sent messege!
WHAT!!!!!

I just used this in January? Paid $10 for 100 text messages originating in the US, the ones my kids sent me from Canada did not count.

When did this change?

 

[vacation_junkie]

I just used this in January? Paid $10 for 100 text messages originating in the US, the ones my kids sent me from Canada did not count.

When did this change?

My Original call was Feb 10th..I wrote down all the info , so it was still available at that time. Apparently the girl on the phone told me it was discontinued 2 weeks ago!! I was sooo not impressed since the first CSr told me to call back on March 30th to have it added for April 1st....she could have future dated it in the system and I would have been fine!!