Just a heads up folks! I recently got totally screwed over by the phone company and banks. turns out they can change policy and therefore your agreement. That means that they can change your bill and charge you more and there is nothing you can do about it. I even went through the Better Business Bureau who completely and totally sided with the Bank and telephone company. So be careful what you sign up for because it may give the companies lattitude to bump your bills up.
—Michael
This article appears in Jun 11-17, 2009.
Something like that happened to me. I paid out my contract and now refuse to get any contract with cell phone companies.
I don’t understand..how is this earth shattering news? Companies are certainly able to change their fees at any point in time as far as I know. Have you guys been living under a rock?
Going along with BRoc, I’m pretty sure that’s covered in the agreement you sign.
You signed it, therefore, you were under “informed consent”. However, legally, most companies are required to give you 30 days notice, in writing, of most changes (the banks have to as a condition of the Bank Act, although in most cases they’ll give you 90 days). You probably just didn’t read your bill/statement like every other lazy consumer out there. Oh, and by the way, the BBB is useless as tits on a bull unless the company is a member of the BBB. All they can do is make a formal written complaint to non-members. If there is a legal dispute, they’re totally hands off and they can’t even refer you to a lawyer. You want results? Go to the Province’s Consumer Complaints department. They actually have legal standing and will get results (albeit at a slow pace).
When I signed my contract, it was stated that I could talk for free after 6 O’clock, I didn’t sign it so that a year and a half into it when they let’s say “change their name” they could change it to 8. Fuck that shit.
Welcome to big people’s world.
Yeah, the BBB is totally useless; it’s freaking VOLUNTARY to join them people. Why you’d bother complaining to them, I’m unsure….