Bell Canada takes action in breach by sales rep

A Bell Canada spokesman said Monday the company has taken corrective action after investigating a report that one of its door-to-door sales representatives allegedly told a Toronto man his new bill would stay at $100 for two years.

The customer says that when his bill started to rise a few months later, he learned that Bell’s only guarantee was that there would be a monthly discount of $25 per month for two years — not a price freeze. Customer Gianmarco Minichillo also said he didn’t receive an email copy of the contract after hearing a subcontractor’s sales pitch at his home.

Bell spokesman Marc Choma said in an email Monday — after a CBC report on Minichillo’s experience — that there was a serious breach of its policies by a subcontractor working for one of Bell’s suppliers.

Choma said Bell apologizes to anyone who may have been adversely affected by this conduct.

He also said the unidentified supplier has severed its relationship with the subcontractor, who also wasn’t identified by Bell, and that Bell has implemented immediate corrective training.

“While the agents are not directly employed by Bell, all door to door sales agents must always provide consumers with complete information about Bell products and pricing, receive direct training from Bell experts to ensure all Bell sales procedures are followed, and abide by Bell’s Code of Conduct,” Choma said.