In October of last year, Kate purchased a Samsung Galaxy smart phone (shown above). After her first month of usage, the Methots received a bill for over $1000, mainly consisting of data charges.
The couple was shocked. Initially they thought they must have done something that they didn't realize was consuming huge amounts of data. Daniel deleted every app he had downloaded to the phone, thinking maybe it was an app that was accessing network data when not in use. Kate and Daniel also became scrooge-like with their data usage, basically not using the phone for any data if at all possible.
The couple also called Bell asking for an explanation into how is was possible they had used so much data. Bell was unable to give them an answer.
Even with their efforts to keep their data usage to a minimum, The Methots received another astronomical bill in December of 2010. At one point in December, the bill stated that they had used 30 hours of Data in one 24 hour period. The Methots maintained even if they had been frequently using their data capabilities on the phone, it would be impossible for them to use the phone continuously for a 24 hour period.
The couple has spent countless hours of time on the phone with Bell Customer Service to attempt to find an answer about the billing. Every time they called Bell, they were not able to speak to the same service agent, and would have to retell the whole story from the beginning. The responses from Bell was typically an agent telling the couple that they must be downloading video and to stop watching movies on the phone.
One other possibility that Bell suggested was that the couple had the hot-spot feature of the phone turned on, which allows tethering to 3 other devices. In other words other wireless devices that the Methots use, or someone else nearby uses has been connecting to the phone to access the internet.
The couple categorically denies that scenario is possible, stating that since the first two bills came in, the phone is rarely used and is always turned off because of the fear of excessive data charges. Daniel also maintains that some bills show data usage during time periods in which he knows the Samsung phone was turned off.
By the end of December, Bell Mobility had offered no answers for the outrages billing and had offered no solutions for the gigantic bills. Finally the Methots enlisted a lawyer for $400 and had the attorney send a letter to Bell, but that did not bring about any results.
However, in January, Daniel thought he had finally made a breakthrough with the phone company. On a call with a Bell rep that Daniel had recorded, the rep told Daniel that the problems they were experiencing was "known", and was a software problem that Bell was experiencing. Their account was immediately credited $3300. The couple thought that was the end of their problems.
They were wrong.
Within a few days, the couple received another bill for $1200. Bell has since recanted their admission to a software problem, saying the Account Rep the Methots spoke with was incorrect. Bell now says that the software issue they had been experiencing had charged a small number of customers for the correct amount of data, but at a rate that was much higher than in accordance with their monthly plan. Bell says this cannot be the same issue, as the Methots claim they are being billed for data they didn't use.
Since the Methots have taken their issues to CBC news, the couple claims that Bell has now offered to cancel their contract and waive all outstanding fees. The couple has not yet accepted this offer, as they feel this is not enough to make up for the hours of conversations with Bell Mobility, and the $400 for the unanswered lawyer's letter.
The CCTS, or Commissioner of Complaints for Telecommunication Services say this happens more often than people think. Last year alone the CCTS received almost 1000 complaints solely for over-billing by cell phone companies. And those are just the customers that actually filed a complaint. The CCTS also recommends installing a third party app on your smart phone that monitors your phone usage. It's important that it's a third party software, so if there are discrepancies between billing and usage, the customer has some evidence to back them up.
If you are having problems with your cell phone company, and want to file a complaint with the CCTS, you can do so here.
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