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Member review of Bell Sympatico


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read 999 reviews (394 positive) (399 negative)
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Six Month Rating

Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:


$50 per month avg ($25 to $150)

Speed test results 3 year trend
Review by dav_ID See Profile
UPDATED: 2.2 years ago
member for 8 years, 2198 visits, last login: 2 days ago


Toronto
$32 per month (12 month contract)
about 5 days
Bell Canada
"None - they have gone downhill"
"Tech Support - Don't even know what a DNS Server is"
"CAPS ARE BACK"
Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:
(ratings match consensus)

    My Other Reviews·TekSavvy Solutions..
    I was originally with Sympatico back on the 1 meg service. They used to have tech support and usenet back then. However as things started changing I got to thinking - and left pronto when they imposed strict caps with an exorbitant surcharge. Eventually to stem the flow of customers to smaller ISP's and cable Sympatico cancelled the caps. I only returned to Sympatico because my smaller ISP (IGS) was being bought out by a larger company and at the time I didn't know of a better alternative.

    Sympatico's computer system can play some wonderful tricks - when I had a noise problem on my line it took a while to get to a Level 2 tech to get them to fix it - and they also said they would send me a new modem which can better handle 'noise'. They sent me the "Home Networking" modem and when I called to say that I did not expect this and did not like the $80 fee that went with it I was assured that it would not apply in this case as the modem was sent to improve service. Their billing system charged me the $80 anyway and the pre-authorized payment just grabbed the money out of my bank. Sympatico expects you to finance their mistakes as it takes them two months to issue a cheque, so I finally just let the credit run and was prepaid for a few months - and totally annoyed.

    Meanwhile - now that I had the new modem I had to return the old one but did not get a return kit for it - so I had to call and request one. So fine, they send me yet another modem instead. duh...... Perhaps I should have just been collecting them but eventually managed to get them returned. Annoying for something that should not have happened.

    Their outsourced tech support is a joke. I wasn't kidding in my 'bad points' comment that they don't even know what a dns server is. Sympatico's dns servers are usually down once or twice a week for an hour or two - so forget about surfing and wait it out. One night I got so frustrated with it I called tech support just to be sarcastic and ask "OK, how long are the dns servers going to be down for this time?" I got no reply - he just went into his cheat sheet spiel to 'diagnose' my problem LOL. When he told me to reboot my computer - unplug my router - and reboot my modem I finally hung up on him. At least for once this one spoke a bit better english so I could understand what he was saying. The solution to the DNS problem I've found in the 2wire modem I purchased to prepare for my move to a new ISP - it has provision to provide your own DNS servers rather than accept sympatico's default ones.

    Further comments on outsourced support: I see this as simply a move by Sympatico to save money at their customers expense. I believe the jobs should have stayed in Canada. Also, I try not to be prejudiced - but when I am forced to call support and sympatico now tosses me into a culture halfway around the world with limited english speaking capabilities - peoples names I cannot spell nor pronounce, I get very uncomfortable and frustrated. That is just the way I feel.

    The only good thing they've done since being back with them is the 5 meg upgrade. However even this they made sure that all the sympatico customers had it first before they would update the profiles for any other ISP. Ok, I did benefit from this by getting it early - doesn't mean I think their tactics fair. Right now they are in the process of changing to a 7meg upgrade for high speed - except they are changing the rules along with it and if you want the 7meg you have to signup for the 'new pkg' which has caps imposed on them again. More money grabbing.

    Contract rates are not what they seem. I've reported I'm paying $32 per month including tax as the reviews expect it rounded to the nearest $ However my invoice is for $47.95 less a $10 monthly discount and a $2 modem discount plus another $1 monthly discount which brings me to $34.95. When we did the contract last year they didn't have a $29.95 rate for Ontario so the lady had to go through the billing system and make up 12 monthly credits for $5.35 - the extra $5 discount plus allowance for the tax at that time. This shows as an adjustment each month to the $34.95 and then they add $2.26 taxes. Grand Total is $31.86 - SIMPLE HUH?

    I've not seen the need to review my ISP previously - however now that I'm leaving sympatico it only seems appropriate to vent my frustrations here



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