WTF - $10 charge to activate a new handset on Telus?

[Jodie]

I just went online to activate my new Telus handset and found that there is a $10 charge to activate a new handset. WTF is that all about? I just paid big bucks for a new phone, and now they want me to pay $10 more to activate the phone. Considering the phone is useless to me if I don't activate it, that has got to be one of Telus' biggest scams going. $10 for changing handsets online, electronically, without the help of a customer service agent... wow!

Anyone have any success in getting Telus to remove this charge from their bill?

 

[maverick73]

I just went online to activate my new Telus handset and found that there is a $10 charge to activate a new handset. WTF is that all about? I just paid big bucks for a new phone, and now they want me to pay $10 more to activate the phone. Considering the phone is useless to me if I don't activate it, that has got to be one of Telus' biggest scams going. $10 for changing handsets online, electronically, without the help of a customer service agent... wow!

Anyone have any success in getting Telus to remove this charge from their bill?

I'm sharing your frustrations... I went with Primus unlimited long distance... worked great and saved me a bundle... so I thought what the heck, I'll try a diff. phone company than Telus... I can't get their voicemail to work and I can't do a *82... called in and they said they would look into my voicemail and call back... it's been 2 weeks lol... ah well... sometimes life sucks... sorry I couldn't help, but good luck "lisa" ... I'm sure you'll find a way.

 

[Jodie]

And furthermore, it's been almost two hours since I activated the phone, and it still doesn't work! I got the confirmation of activation online, then I followed the directions to program my phone, got a confirmation message for that too, but when I try phoning my cell number, the old phone rings. The message online said it might take up to 15 minutes for the new settings to take effect. Customer care has been closed since before I activated the phone online, so there's nothing I can do until tomorrow.

I hate Telus...

 

[GreatGatsby]

yep, had to change my phone recently and took a whole day to get activated...i also hate that they have the worst customer service around...did you phone Telus and were you able to get any new phone discounts or bonuses? ..let me know if you want more info.

 

[Cappy1]

Find out what your friend's getting

I recently had great phone service from Telus. The only annoying part of the call was that Erik kept asking me if I was happy with the way Telus (he) was resolving my issues...!@#!#$
I'll share some ideas and tips I've learned:

1. Find out what deals and offers your friends are getting. Some (most) people I know are better negotiators than me. Mention any special or renewal enticements "the other guy/gal" is getting. Once the service rep can verify it - they've matched me. Mind you, it has to be the same plan.

2. Try to get to the loyalty department. They're a level higher than customer service. They really like to retain existing customers. The folks in customer retention or loyalty have more latitude than they let on.

3. If doesn't pay to yell or rant with these people. If one person can't or doesn't want to help, call back and speak to somebody else the next day. I can generally find somebody who's willing to go the extra mile for me. I've caught more flies (deals) with honey (patience). I've set a few new standards and even surprised some Telus shop people with the deals I've been able to arrange this way.

4. Your plan renewal times are the best times to hold out for the best offers. But sometimes the deals change; and it can be some time after you've signed your contract. Using the above strategy, I've been able to get the loyalty or service rep to add something I've found (like a bundle) into my plan (at no charge) a year or more later or into my contract.

I hope this helps.

yep, had to change my phone recently and took a whole day to get activated...i also hate that they have the worst customer service around...did you phone Telus and were you able to get any new phone discounts or bonuses? ..let me know if you want more info.

 

[westwoody]

I guess Airsource aren't the only goofs.

A married couple I know got a matching pair of cameraphones from Telus. After two weeks one of them stopped working, so they took it back to the store. They were offered a "free" loaner for a $75 deposit (the deposit was not mentioned anywhere in their protection plan), wait a minute, we don't have any loaners...It's been two weeks now since the phone has been down and they are paying for service but have no loaner.
The whole industry is full of hidden charges like "911 Access fee" and "System Access Fee" and "Detailed Billing". The CRTC and Consumer and Corporate Affairs really should take them to task, I would like to see a Royal Commision with customers telling about their problems and Ted Rogers trying to explain away everything.

 

[Jodie]

yep, had to change my phone recently and took a whole day to get activated...

Apparently that's what's happening here too. I just spent a half hour on the phone with customer service trying to figure out what went wrong, and even their helpdesk people can't figure out why it's not working. The advice I got was to wait 24 hours until my request times out, then try again.

I'm also trying to change my rate plan, and I can't get that to work online either. But when you call Telus to do it, they give you that whole "you know you can do this online" spiel. Ya, well I CAN'T do it online, because your system DOESN'T WORK!!

 

[hitrack]

How come you didn't activate the phone where you bought it??

I just bought 2 LG 200's from the telus store in the London Drugs complex on KGH in Surrey. No worries, phone were activated and working before I left the store.

The one time I had to call Telus to figure something out the chick helping acted like I should have been born knowing how the phone worked. No big deal to me since I can act like a total dink on the phone to if needs be. So I set my "dink" meter to 50% and gave some back to her.

 

[Jodie]

How come you didn't activate the phone where you bought it??

The dude at London Drugs told me he couldn't do it there. Maybe because it's a handset switch versus a new activation? Who knows!

 

[GreatGatsby]

The dude at London Drugs told me he couldn't do it there. Maybe because it's a handset switch versus a new activation? Who knows!

same thing happened to me and i was told that they can't do it if it's not a new contract...the replacement phones need to be activated at a specific telus dealer or by yourself and i'm like....wtf? how do i activate my phone without a phone???

 

[visiting]

For the 'system access fee' for cellular phones, that's actually the fee for a radio device licence that has to be paid to the DOT every year. Any radio capable of more than 1 watt of output has to have it, CB radios and taxi radios and such used to be the only examples, but now it applies to cellphones....

Not sure this is correct. If you talk to sales clerks you will get all sorts of answers on this topic, but if you talk to the CRTC, they will tell you it has nothing to do with them. I believe last year on W-5 or Market Place, they did a story on the cell phone costs, and one of the questions they answered was that Access Fee. Ask your company where the money goes... (they keep it all) I can't wait until number portability comes out! (I heard 2006-7?) Then the fees will drop, like in the US. I hope....

I had a CSR from a phone company tell me that in order to have cell phone service they needed to have towers in a 5 mile radius, he said as technology was improving he could see that new towers may be every 10-20 30 sq Miles, but since those towers cost (can't remember I think it was 2 million each to put up), that is what the access fee was for. Not all companies have national networks, or in the case of Virgin, I think they just use Bell's.


I use my cell phone a great deal, and I get very upset when I see my bill and I have gone over my minutes by example 445 minutes., why don't they think of the customer, and automatically change my plan and add extra 400 minute block to my plan for this month, and 45 minutes at the higher rate. instead they Fu... me on the whole 445, and next month when I only use 350 out of 1500 minutes, they don't thank me..... I don't get a credit...... Nothing, nada!

Then there is the long distance charges, they bill my airtime by the second, but the long-distance by the minute... WTF? I talk 1.01 minute, I get dinged for 2 minutes long distance....

Sorry Guys, Got my bill yesterday!!! up 445!!!!!