At telus we care??? about what?

So why was this blog about Telus customer service created? Am I bitter? Ticked off? dissapointed? Mad? Frustrated?
Absolutely.
But that is my right, to have freedom of speech. Yes. Free. Didn't cost me a dime, of course speech through my telus phone was a different story. 
How about you?
What is your reason for visiting?
If you are hear to vent your issues about Telus mobility or cvb collections we are here to listen and post. And yes. We also accept blackberry frustrations, collection agency harassment issues, or anything else related to phone companies. Also their lack of customer service, or their ability to defraud you of your money.

Yes, defraud is a harsh word, but very true. How else is it that the companies with access to the absolute most advanced technology in the world seem to have such a problem with proper billing of their customers?
Think about that for a minute?
These companies advertise, brag, boast, and compete with one another every day about how amazing their technology is, yet they can't make a simple bill? One that you can read and understand clearly?

I remember when I was a Bell customer years ago and the customer service rep apologized that she didn't understand how to read it either. ( This was 3 weeks before I received a $680 credit for overbilling me for services) They were good about it though. They even said sorry, and claimed it was a human error.

After reading many posts and complaints on the web, I wanted to start my own blog to hopefully gain some momentum for people to take more action against phone companies. Maybe with enough push, we could have them knocked down a few pegs in the right places?

The problem with cell phone companies is that they have most of their customers by the balls. ( sorry if I have offended anyone with that word, it's all I could think of.)

Once you are in that contract, they own you. They have all the cards in their hands, and if you don't like anything they deal to you.......Too bad. Take it or else, because you can't break that contract without having to pay them out, or have bad CREDIT. OUCH. That C word again. Don't you love the way people throw that around as a threat?

Quick fact. Telus does 9.9 billion dollars worth of annual revenue.

Another quick fact. (Maybe not completely true) Phone contracts have become the best legalized scam since insurance.

"Well sir, if you break the contract and don't pay us, it will affect your credit."

So here is my short story about Telus customer service ( Or lack of), and cvb collections. ( Please don't EVER do business with them.)
OH..and it's not about the money, it's all about the principle.

I had joined Telus and thought everything was great until I actually had a legitimate problem that needed to be handled. My blackberry (Absolute junk), lasted about 6 months before I had issues with the trackball and the keys. The recharging plug in the side was also poorly secured and the play and slight movements of the wire had made it separate from the circut board.

I lived with it for just about a year until it completely died and I couldn't charge it any more. After inquiring about the warranty, I realized that it had a few dents and bruises and I was going to have to suck it up and buy another phone.

I had no problem with this, as I was a little harder on phones, and never purchased a case for this one. So, I bought a new Blackberry pearl again. I liked the smaller phones. It had a touch pad instead of a ball. I won't get into the authorized, or should I say useless dealers that know nothing about the phones they sell.

After about 3 months, the numbers started to wear, and the glass that was glued down lifted. I treated this one like gold, with a case and all. I went back to the store where the sales girl informed me that
"I shouldn't keep it in my pocket. That was why the numbers were wearing off."

 ( huh????) I NEVER had it in my pocket. (Sometimes people just shouldn't open their mouths.) Also, the pattern that they were wearing in gave no indication of this happening either.
Not wanting to argue with her, I left. It would have been a waste of time anyway.

So next step was to talk to customer service people from Telus on the phone. It's amazing how far they go out of their way to get your business (handcuffed you into a contract),  but once you have a problem they change their tune. (Sometimes you will ocassionally get someone very nice but they have no power to do anything for you.)

I was politely told that I would have to send it away to see if it would be covered under warranty. I was out of town at the time so I figured I would tackle it another day. In the next week or so, the plug on the side gave out on me again. I took great care of this one, and couldn't understand how it could go so easily?
My last call ever made from that phone was to customer service explaining I had more issues than the glass and buttons.

After I explained my situation and it couldn't be charged anymore, the response shocked me. I quote from the customer service rep on the phone.

"You aren't supposed to use that plug to charge the phone anyways. They are a sensative plug. There is another way to charge it."
I explained to him that was the only plug but he insisted that it wasn't.

 "hold on I will be right back." he said.

When he returned, he said. "Ok, I guess that is the only way to charge those ones"
(Another fine example of someone that just shouldn't open their mouth.)

So here I am back in town giving up my phone and paying $150 for a loaner phone. (Another piece of crap blackberry) And yes, the plug had play in it already and would only be a matter of time before letting go.

Two weeks later.

I received a phone call from the phone center I dropped off the phone at telling me to come pick up my broken, unrepairable phone that was not covered under warranty.
They claimed it was external damage.
So what to do next? Call Telus customer service again.
They explained to me my options.
(OH..but wait, I was stupid enough to lock into a contract) uh oh...

"well sir, it seems you spend a small fortune with us every month"
Yes I do.
"Unfortunately you are not due for an upgrade. But we are willing to give you a $50 credit off of your early upgrade penalty fee."

wooooooooooooooooooooo hooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Don't open your shirt, or your heart will surely fall out lady.
I had to ask her to repeat that.
Yup, I heard her right. Early upgrade penalty fee.

So I was going to have to pay $280 because my 4 month old phone was a piece of crap, and blackberry was just starting to go down the toilet. ( Yup..it's true. At the time of this writing, they had recently laid off 3000 plus)

But wait. I got a $50 discount on that, so I was only going to have to pay $230, then buy another phone on top of that. What a bargain.
I am sorry about your luck, but that's not our problem. We don't make the phones. That's between you and blackberry.

That's like a restaurant telling you sorry you got food poisoning, but we just supply the seating. We don't cook the food. No one ever want's to take responsiblity for anything any more.
And why would they, have you ever read the Telus contract?

Ever try to bargain with Telus?

So I offered them my deal.

How bout this. I never want a blackberry again and I am willing to buy an i phone, if you guys wave that penalty fee? You just told me I spend a small fortune a month and I am a great customer.
( $30000 worth of business over 10 years we figured out together)

NO. NO. NO. NO. and NO.

I am sorry but NO. Was a pretty clear answer.

So the long and short of what I thought was a pretty fair deal was refused outright.
Telus throws away $30000 worth of business over a penalty fee, and a crappy phone that didn't last 5 months.  Wow. The future is friendly?????

Icing on the cake.

I returned my loaner phone to the store only to find out that they kept my $150 deposit because I got it wet??? huh? I am not very proud of my behaviour in the store, so I won't tell you about it. It wasn't good.


So fast forward to part 2

I refused to pay them another nickle. (Right or wrong, that was my decision based on principle of it all.)
I said if they wanted my money they could always sue me. 

Bring on the dogs.

A few months later I got a call from cvb collections.

I was pretty straight forward. Sorry but NO. NO. NO. is what Telus told me. So I am telling you the same thing. I am not paying a dime. Don't bother threatening me with credit, that won't work either. I can pay cash for everything for the rest of my life, due to some smart moves recently in my life. Just go back to Telus and tell them that I presented a fair deal and they did not want any part of it.
end of call.

So here is is a couple of months after that. I get a call from a friend of mine that lives 1000 miles away. He tells me there is some.... Wait..here is a copy of his email.

"Somebody called me from 1778 330 2284 on my cell asking for you ,i told him this was not your number and he started to argue with me that he talked to you from my number recently .this number has been ringing my phone a few times lately .call me when you get a chance.i didn't want to call or text you because i am not sure about your sleep schedule"

Then I got the same thing from my ex-wife who was pretty understanding about it at least. And my common-law wife has gotten them too and a few others that I know about. ( maybe a few I don't too?)

So this CVB collection agency has my phone number and has already talked to me. So their next step is to start calling and harassing people? How did they get these numbers? I am pretty sure that they could only be found through a phone bill of mine. (Unless there is another way, someone please tell me?) There is no connection of last names or anything else?

The sad part is, the people they were harassing, were Telus customers. What kind of company operates like that? I have never heard of that before. How does that work? They think that harassing random people that I may or may not even get along with will make me pay them? And this company has been in business for some crazy length of time like 80 years?

So, if you are looking for a great collection agency to harass your other good paying customers,  cvb is the call you should make. 1-778-330-2284  http://www.cbvcollections.com/opening.shtml Tell them I sent you and they will give you a 50 credit off your next purchase.

How is this for an intro from a collection agency that will surely drive customers to your business away.  let's call families with babies at 10 o'clock at night that have absolutely NOTHING to do with the person that owe's the money?

" As times change, so does the economic climate. The goals of companies today are to improve profitability while maintaining an excellent rapport with their clientele. At CBV Collection Services Ltd., we believe it is our responsibility to be responsive to your company's particular needs and realize the importance of achieving "the established" goals.

CBV Collection Services Ltd. can help you improve your profitablility with leading edge technology and cost effective services designed specifically for all your credit and financial needs."

As soon as I found out, I called Telus to let them know that their collection agency was harassing some of their customers. Here is the quote from Telus customer service people.

"We did not give out your information to them, it's against the privacy act and you will have to take it up with them" also....when I told them that their collection service was uneccessarily harassing their customers, she told me. "That's just the nature of the business"
Cool, You learn something new every day I guess.

TBC.

So what's your beef?
Your story?
It's Ok to vent your frustrations, or tell me I was wrong, right, or just a complete fool. That's OK. That is why you are here. Please keep the language a little tame though please.
Sometimes venting is good, but don't get to hung up on negativity. Keep some humor in it if you can.
Have a wonderful day.

Suzie Q