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Review by westcoast3 See Profile

  • Location: Mission, BC, Canada
  • Cost Contract price not specified. (month by month)
  • Install: about 7 days
Stay Away from Teksavvy DSL if you use a VPN
Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:

On December 18, 2012 I became a new Teksavvy customer (High Speed DSL 15 – BC Unlimited Plan). The bill for the first month’s service, connection fees and modem came to $333.36. I already had a Thompson ST-516 modem and asked if I could use it with the service but I was assured by the rep that it would not work with the DSL 15 and I would need to purchase a Zyxel VSG1432 for $130.00.

I run openvpn on my router which I use for privacy and to access US content that would otherwise be inaccessible from Canada. I have used it with both Telus and Shaw in the past with no issues but I was unable to connect to the internet through the VPN on Teksavvy. I called Teksavvy Technical Support for assistance but was told that they do not support VPN’s and they could not do anything to help me. I sent an email to the VPN provider and received the following response:

“What you're now using is an authenticated DSL connection (PPPoE); you can't mask an authenticated session, or it would almost immediately disconnect (as soon as your ISP's RAS server would check the local connection, which happens in regular cycles), and you'd have no internet access at all until you shut down the VPN tunnel. There sadly isn't a way around this, unfortunately, without using a non-authenticated internet service, like cable internet, etc (the same thing happens with portal-auth systems, and cloud-based connections; anything that requires authentication to connect, cannot be obscured by VPN service); this is merely how VPN technology functions, and is not unique to our service alone.

I'm sorry I can't resolve your issues for you while you're using that ISP's current setup. If there's some way they can let you connect without using PPPoE, it should work fine; however, with an authenticated setup, there sadly isn't a way to get this to work. I'm sorry I can't resolve this for you.”

I called Teksavvy to cancel my service and asked if I could return the $130.00 modem which as it turned out I didn’t even need because my Thompson ST-516 works just fine with the ADSL 15 service even though the sales rep assured me that it wouldn’t. Initially I was told that I had purchased the modem and I was stuck with it but after speaking to a supervisor they agreed to take it back but I would have to pay return shipping and a $25.00 restocking fee. Since they would not refund me for the connection fees or the first months service I instructed them to disconnect me on January 17th so I could at least use it for the month that I had already paid for but today (December 24th) my internet went down and I am not able to obtain an IP address. According to the Customer Portal on the Teksavvy website my account status is cancelled and of course it is Christmas so they are closed and there is nobody to call for the next two days.

I had Teksavvy for one week which cost me just over $300, I had several interactions with Technical Support and Customer Service and while I did speak to a couple of people who tried to be helpful most were rude and not willing to help me resolve problems at all. Even without the VPN I found the service unstable and had to reboot my modem and router several times during the week that I had service . I recommend that people stay far away from this company because getting connected is expensive and if you are not satisfied you will not get your money back.

Update: I called TS on the morning of Dec 26th and it turned out that they had not cancelled my service early. They were not able to tell me what caused it to go down, they offered to send out a tech but warned me that the service could cost me $100 depending on what was wrong so I told them not to bother since I was cancelling anyways. I asked if they would refund me for the remainder of the month since I had no service and they told me that they don't give refunds but would send out a tech that may or may not cost me $100. About 3 hours later my internet started working again so they must have figured out what the problem was and fixed it.



member for 11.2 years, 40 visits, last login: 10.2 years ago
updated 11.2 years ago


TSI Jonathan
Premium Member
join:2011-08-24
Chatham, ON

TSI Jonathan

Premium Member

Response

Hi westcoast,

I am really sorry to hear about the experience you have received, if you can send me a PM, I would like to look into your account and see what went wrong here.

Thank you,

TSI Jonathan See Profile

Tx
bronx cheers from cheap seats
Premium Member
join:2008-11-19
Mississauga, ON

Tx

Premium Member

Question

Was that modem $130 flat? If so a $25 restocking fee is over 15%, that's a 20% restocking fee and one of the highest i've heard of.

Just a bout any retail store in Canada charges 10-15% (if they charge it) and most will just allow the return.

This is one thing Teksavvy can control and it's astronomically high.

Aside from that, the OpenVPN part sucks but you should have looked in to that before signing up. I run OpenVPN myself and knew about this prior so i'm assuming you never thought twice about this kind of issue with it.

Hope you get it figured out.
westcoast3
join:2012-12-24
Mission, BC

westcoast3

Member

Re: Question

Yes the modem was $130.00 Flat plus $10 shipping and the restocking fee is $25.00. When I placed the order I asked the rep if I could use my ST-516 and she even placed me on hold while she consulted Tech Support and when she came back she assured me that it would not work and I would need to buy the Zyxel but I have tested the 516 and there is no noticeable difference between that and the $130.00 Zyxel. You would think that after spending over $300 for a service that I can't even use the least they would do is give me my money back for the modem but the attitude was more like they were doing me a favour by taking it back at all even with the restocking fee. One of them even told me "You purchased it, it's yours".

I had no idea that Openvpn does not work with PPPoE and either did Teksavvy Tech support, I called them several times and while most were not interested in helping me resolve the issue I did speak to a couple of people who tried to help but had no idea what the problem could be. I had used the same setup with Telus and Teksavvy uses their lines so I assumed it would work but Telus does not use PPPoE authentication. I should have done more research but there isn't much information out there.
Mango
Use DMZ and you get a kick in the dick.
Premium Member
join:2008-12-25
www.toao.net

Mango

Premium Member

Re: Question

said by westcoast3:

I asked the rep if I could use my ST-516 and she even placed me on hold while she consulted Tech Support and when she came back she assured me that it would not work

Curiously, I've been told the exact same thing by multiple Telus reps. Keep in mind I've only ever had 15Mbit service, and the ST516 is one I received directly from Telus. Next time I call in I'm just going to lie and say I have a Zyxel.
westcoast3
join:2012-12-24
Mission, BC

1 recommendation

westcoast3

Member

Re: Question

You can also flash that Telus ST-516 with Generic firmware and use it with any provider. It will also still work with Telus after the flash.

GermanVPN
@leaseweb.com

GermanVPN to westcoast3

Anon

to westcoast3
Here is me posting via OpenVPN using Teksaavy just fine. I have had zero issues using it with my TPLink modem.

ChuckcZar
@teksavvy.com

ChuckcZar to Tx

Anon

to Tx
Ever heard of Bell Canada? They charge you more for shipping a modem than the modem is even worth. It's cheaper to go out and buy one rather than telling them you need a modem replacement.

TSILiz
Premium Member
join:2012-08-20

TSILiz

Premium Member

Response.

said by westcoast3:

Yes the modem was $130.00 Flat plus $10 shipping and the restocking fee is $25.00. When I placed the order I asked the rep if I could use my ST-516 and she even placed me on hold while she consulted Tech Support and when she came back she assured me that it would not work and I would need to buy the Zyxel but I have tested the 516 and there is no noticeable difference between that and the $130.00 Zyxel. You would think that after spending over $300 for a service that I can't even use the least they would do is give me my money back for the modem but the attitude was more like they were doing me a favour by taking it back at all even with the restocking fee. One of them even told me "You purchased it, it's yours".

I had no idea that Openvpn does not work with PPPoE and either did Teksavvy Tech support, I called them several times and while most were not interested in helping me resolve the issue I did speak to a couple of people who tried to help but had no idea what the problem could be. I had used the same setup with Telus and Teksavvy uses their lines so I assumed it would work but Telus does not use PPPoE authentication. I should have done more research but there isn't much information out there.

Hi There,

Have you spoken to any associates on DSLR about this? I would really like to look into this for you to ensure everything that was told to you was correct- please message us in the Direct Forum with your account info so we can review your account.

Thanks!
Liz
westcoast3
join:2012-12-24
Mission, BC

westcoast3

Member

Re: Response.

I'm not really sure what associates here can do when I have already spoken to several people at TS. I am now on Shaw, the modem has been sent back, I will take my loss and move on.
80289148 (banned)
join:2012-12-24

80289148 (banned)

Member

Re: Response.

said by westcoast3:

I'm not really sure what associates here can do when I have already spoken to several people at TS. I am now on Shaw, the modem has been sent back, I will take my loss and move on.

We the people of IRC agree that this is no big loss and allows TSI to focus on more important people/things.

BTW PPPoE and VPN have nothing to do with each other.
cog_biz_user
i ruin threads apparently
join:2011-04-19

cog_biz_user

Member

huh

I'm sorry, but if you can't get internet while you're using a VPN, that's your VPN provider's fault and not Teksavvy's, and they were right to tell you that they're not obliged to help you.
malocite
join:2004-05-24
Hamilton, ON

malocite

Member

Re: huh

I have three teksavvy accounts and use vpns with all three of them.

A VPN basically passes your data over an encrypted tunnel over the public internet. Step 1 is to connect to the internet. Once you are connected then you establish the tunnel. Teksavvy does not block vpns (because I use them here) and your internet connection should not have anything to do with your vpn.

This sounds like a setup problem and not an ISP problem.
docbill
join:2006-10-24
Stoney Creek, ON

docbill

Member

Sounds obsurd to me

There is absolutely no conflict using openvpn oven PPPoE. Millions of people do it everyday. What I guessing happened is you had a port conflict, or your vpn was configured to use the same subnet TekSavvvy is using. Simply switching subnets should have resolved the problem.

jtl999
join:2012-11-24
canada

jtl999

Member

Why it was not working.

I believe the reviewer was using VPN's directly on his router. He problem misconfigured a setting related to WAN routing.

Review by sorcerer0 See Profile

  • Location: Burlington, ON, Canada
  • Cost: $52 per month (month by month)
  • Install: about 10 days
Monthly quota
Slow speeds, bad support, re-selling Bell services!!
If you're lucky you might get a good speed and all is good otherwise it's endless tech support with no results, just excuses
Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:

[UPDATE Dec 18, 2012] - Teksavvy finally acknowledged my line can't handle more than 5Mbps although they sold me a 6Mbps service. They dispatched a Bell technician who did something so now I'm close to 5Mbps (still not there) so it's not entirely bad, but the fact they lied to me about the service/line makes them no different than Bell & others. I asked for a discount to upgrade at fiber service, but they said no, so I'm thinking seriously switching to Bell Fibe which gives me the same service directly from Bell, not from a re-seller.

[UPDATE] It's been more than a year now that I have been with Teksavvy and it's dissapointing. The speeds are far below the promise; I have the 6Mbps service and at best I get 3Mbps most of the time it's between 1-2Mbps. Tech support it's mostly over their forum, over the phone it's near impossible to get a someone (most of the time I gave up after 30-45min of wait, and the few times I got a hold of someone they dropped the call when the conversation was turning bad for them. The biggest complain for Teksavvy is that they are a 2nd tier ISP, they re-sell Bell's services therefore for every single technical issue they tell you "it's Bell not us, they own the lines". Well, since Teksavvy is selling me the service, they should be responsible for the entire experience end-to-end not just getting our money. Bottom line, it might be cheap for 300GB cap or unlimited, but what's the point when it's so slow and poor quality?! I'm personally done with Teksavvy.

Everything went wrong from ordering online the DSL service to the day when the service was supposed to be activated. I had to call the sales department to get a confirmation of my order placed online and an activation date. A few calls later with their CS they were able to give me a tentative activation date which was later postponed.

At present I'm still waiting for my DSL service to be active after 10 days from the order date. I keep calling the tech support (who btw puts you on hold and conveniently drops the call; waiting time is very bad; over 30min). They always blame Bell and open tickets with Bell, but nothing gets done at the end of day. Very frustrating!!

UPDATE Oct 30, 2011

Finally Bell showed up and fixed the mess (they were trying to hook up a home phone line instead of DSL line! Can't believe it when I heard. After Bell fixed their mess, I called Teksavvy support and I was up and running in about 30min. All is good now, I'm curious to see the reliability of their service over time.

I've requested a credit for 10/24 - 10/30, I'll let everyone know if they are true to their word and we'll credit as promised.

UPDATE Oct 28, 2011

I called TS support again, and they mentioned the Bell ticket was closed and guess what no mention why; of course TS didn't bother to call or schedule another Bell dispatch; TS would just let the issue as it, happy to continue to charge me for a service I don't have. At this point I think I'm going to call my CC and ask for a refund. If TS thinks they can abuse customers like this, well it's not going to happen.

UPDATE Oct 27, 2011

Bell didn't show up, so I called TS and they told me there is nothing they can do, they have to talk to Bell again and re-schedule. What's interesting is that in the meantime, TS will continue to charge my account, just because Bell reports that the service has been activated and it's up and running !!!! TS doesn't give a damn that their own modem does not have DSL signal at the demarc point!! They will not offer a refund unless Bell demonstrates that the customer is not serviceable, which obviously they don't have any interest to do it, because they can charge TS and TS can charge you. Bottom line: TS+BELL is a big rip-off !!! BEWARE pre-paid service in their Terms and Conditions means that if Bell tells them you have DSL signal up and running they can charge you w/o any ways for you to tell otherwise!!! I cannot believe this is possible!!

UPDATE Oct 25, 2011

Bell called and asked me to be at home on Oct 27, as a technician will come and check my DSL Dry Loop. Let's see if this time they bother to ring and check if the actual DSL line works after they work on it. On the activation day, they came, they did their work and left a note in the door not even bothering to ring and check if everything is fine. That is after I was specifically told to be at home as they need to check!



member for 14.1 years, 33 visits, last login: 8.6 years ago
updated 11.2 years ago


JenSuisUn
Premium Member
join:2006-02-23
Chatham, ON

JenSuisUn

Premium Member

Help needed?

Please let me help you as this isn't what we attempt to portray.
Please either contact me via PM JenSuisUn See Profile for via the »/forum ··· avdirect forum.

Thanks,
Martin
sorcerer0
join:2010-02-11
Burlington, ON

sorcerer0

Member

Re: Help needed?

Martin, I'm not sure why you asked me if I need help and then in a PM you tell me you can't do anything about my situation... it looks like you're trying to portray a different image on the public forum...

JenSuisUn
Premium Member
join:2006-02-23
Chatham, ON

JenSuisUn

Premium Member

Re: Help needed?

I'm sorry but there was no indication as this was for the review or any account information provided. There has never been a post in the regular or Direct Forum so I had no way to identify who this was. I've sent you a PM still requesting account information as that has yet to be provided.
BellVictim
join:2011-10-24

BellVictim to sorcerer0

Member

to sorcerer0
said by sorcerer0:

Martin, I'm not sure why you asked me if I need help and then in a PM you tell me you can't do anything about my situation... it looks like you're trying to portray a different image on the public forum...

You need to send the info before you can claim they did nothing this is how things work.
sorcerer0
join:2010-02-11
Burlington, ON

sorcerer0

Member

Re: Help needed?

For your info I did send the info, I'm not absurd or stupid to expect them to do something w/o any info whatsoever. Anyways, thanks for your really helpful comment.

Crowbar10
join:2009-06-23
Toronto , ON

Crowbar10

Member

Reselling Bell Services

TSI Does NOT resell HBELL Services FYI . They rely on HBELLS last mile to reach your home . And have no choice but to use HBELL techs as they are not allowed to touch those or have any access to HELLS equipment , if HBELL screws up their only recourse is to open a ticket with them .... If you don't care for this arrangement , you can always go to HBELL and pay more for their services

Review by TorontoSM See Profile

  • Location: undisclosed location
  • Cost: $40 per month
None
Everything - Pathetic service
17 days and $100 later, I'm still waiting for my phone to work
Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:

I tried signing up for phone service with Teksavvy and it has been a
nightmare so far. I signed up over the phone and was given a specific
installation date and time window (9-5). I stayed at home that day for
installation, but no one showed up. I called Teksavvy and was told that I
had to wait for a confirmation Email and the date that was given to me was
just an estimate.

I waited another five days and never got an email, so I called Teksavvy
again and was told that my phone had already been connected several days
ago. I asked which jack was "live" and the guy told me to go around the
house and try all of them until I found the right one! Anyway, despite my
anger, I did that and yet couldn't find any with a dial tone.

I called Teksavvy back and was informed that it is not their problem, as
they only connect the line to outside the house, and after that, it is my
responsibility. They then said that they would charge me $90 for a
technician to come out and see what was wrong. I asked for a refund for
the phone service I am not receiving, and that was refused. So, I'm stuck
paying for a service that hasn't worked and I've wasted over 2 weeks in the
process.

While the Internet may work well, avoid these scam artists for phone
service. Their customer service is worse than Bell's!

member for 11.4 years, 1 visits, last login: 11.4 years ago
updated 11.3 years ago


TSI Pierre
Premium Member
join:2011-09-23
Chatham, ON

TSI Pierre

Premium Member

I'm sorry you feel this way..

I can assure you we are not scam artist and if anyone wants to see what happened and how much we were trying to help out please check out this thread...

»Beware of Teksavvy Phone Service

JonF
Premium Member
join:2012-11-22
Chatham, ON

JonF

Premium Member

"17 days and $100 later, I'm still waiting for my phone to

see post above

Review by PPTHOMAS See Profile

  • Location: Dollard-Des-Ormeaux, QC, Canada
  • Cost: $55 per month
WAS Good prior to Sept 2012
Won't recommend
I can't even reach tech support due to wait times and can't reach anyone to cancel
Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:

I am a tecksavvy customer and a great promoter when they came into the market. Was so impressed so took connection for my condo and home. Also recommended to all my friends in Quebec and Ontario..

Had a smooth run for the past few years, Also when i signed up back in 2010 the speed was max 5mps and i was able to get 4.35mbs. Now they offer 6mbs and i never seen more than 4.3mbs.

Recently my connection start dropping and slow. (Seems like they are going thru congestion or hitting the limit or so, but I don't think they figured that out yet).

So after giving few weeks hoping it will be fixed, I tried calling the tech support expecting the response i received in 2010 (ie fast response)...OOops I couldn't believe myself after holding the phone for 12 mins with no answer....So after few tries, able to get in touch with a rep, he concluded its noise on my upload. but he doesn't have a solution.

So I switched the modem and connected directly to the demarking point, nothing changed, same story so after 4 tries(each 30mins ) I was able to talk to a rep, and she concluded if I WANT TO FIX then they will let Bell to check it and if Bell says its my connection problem then i have to pay 87 +tax...so i am in a situation where if i want to solve i have to risk 87 dollars or go with another provider which will cost me less than that..OR SHUT UP AND SUFFER WITH THE CONNECTION ISSUE. and I asked the rep, What if Bell realises the problem adn decided to blame it on me... (How can u prove that its not Bells false other than BEll says that ) NO ANS

But i been trying to reach customer service to cancel or check my speed, but no luck and I don't have the patience to wait for more than 15mins onthe phone..



member for 13.2 years, 3 visits, last login: 11.2 years ago
lodged 11.3 years ago


JenSuisUn
Premium Member
join:2006-02-23
Chatham, ON

JenSuisUn

Premium Member

Hello

If you could please send me a PM [TSI Martin]so I can take a look at your situation.

You may not have anything wrong. But in certain occasions things stop working like they used to. Many things could be at play & so we always attempt to double check things with you.

If you could include contact information in the PM & I'll look things over & get in touch with you.

Regards,
Martin
LondonOntGuy
join:2004-05-12
London, ON

LondonOntGuy

Member

cancel

I guess I'm luckier than you. At least I got through to cancel, but the rep hung up on me when I said I want to cancel the DSL service.

Review by rsisinni See Profile

  • Location: Mississauga, ON, Canada
  • Cost: $99 per month
In the distant past they used to have good support.
speed, support, unwillingness to offer fair solutions.
time to find another provider.
Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:

I have the DSL/6 package however I was only getting 2 megabits instead of 6, that is well below acceptable. And then I had then trying to get something about it done just cost me money.. and the proposed solution was to spend more money.

Here is the timeline. Used the direct form to report the bad speeds, I waited for well over 12 hours for a response, I saw the they didn't deal with my issue and newer posts than mine were being responded to. I explained my modem was at the demarc. The demarc is inside the house. They send a bell tech, this is where things go off the rails. They run a test and tell me its my wires, well I think thats B.S. here is why. They hook up my modem only no other wiring just the modem straight to the demarc, and it fails, they tell me its my modem, but i have tried up three different modems myself directly on the demarc, house wires disconnected, none of them were able to better than 2mbs.

Well now the service call will cost $89, since bell says the problem is on my side, there is no solution and they only thing teksavvy offers to do is to switch me to cable, that sounds reasonable to me, until I find out they want me to pay a sign/activation fee I will have to buy a new modem.. and the monthly costs is more. What the heck are you guys thinking?? How about switching me over and compensating me for the service not provided, in the form of no activation fee, provide me with a modem.

So in order to placate me they finally decide to switch my profile, but instead of doing something reasonable like trying 4 or 3mbs, to see if the modem performs better, they switch it down to 1.5???,

Does anybody else understand teksavvys logic, I don't. What kind of diagnostic skills and customer service is that, how about doing a binary search for the best performance mark. I was getting 2 mbs my profile was set to 5, I was not getting disconnects, so hey how about trying setting the profile to something in the middle??? If it gets better try higher, if it gets worse/stays the same try lower???,

So in the end, I now have to go through the hassle of switching my internet my parents internet and my home phone away from TSI, as no reasonable solution has been offered to me.

One more thing, switching to cable they did offer a "discount" for the modem and activation fee, together the cost totaling $100.00.

So I hope you understand that If you have a connection problem with TSI, they may not be able to deliver, and they seem to be in no position to remedy some issues, an are unwilling to fairly remedy problems. I refuse to have to pay an additional $100 on top of the $89 service call to have this issue resolved.

member for 14.7 years, 11 visits, last login: 11.1 years ago
lodged 11.4 years ago


TSILiz
Premium Member
join:2012-08-20

TSILiz

Premium Member

response to review

Hi There,

I'm really sorry about this, I'm looking into the matter as we speak and will respond on here shortly with more details.

TSI Andre
Premium Member
join:2008-06-03
Chatham, ON

1 edit

TSI Andre

Premium Member

My 2 cents...

Hi rsisinni,

I am sorry that your experience has been bad with us. As Liz mentioned, she is looking into your account and she will get back to you shortly.

I looked into your post and I wanted to clarify a few things…

1) Although we strive for excellent customer service, we will not always succeed. There will always be learning curves with staffing and the evolution of the industry and the curve balls we sometimes get from the incumbents. We do try our best to make things work.

2) Over the past few weeks, you will have noticed that our presence on DSLr has been greatly increased as we recognize the need to keep our customers happy and to have a great online presence. You during the night time, and unfortunately, at this time, our E-Services team is not operating on a 24/7 basis. We do however offer a 24/7 phone support. (Yes, wait times are higher than usual, and we are working on getting them down)

3) Based on your comments, I honestly doubt that you will be billed the $89.70+tax DMC (Diagnostic Maintenance Fee). If you do, please let me know and I will personally investigate as if you are able to get service using different modems at the demarc.

4) As for the profile change, I want you to understand that we do not control which profile you are placed on. We can only ask for it to be adjusted and they never take our suggestion of what it should be at. Sometimes, this can be frustrating as we need to go back and forth with them on multiple tickets to get it just right. I want you to understand that we do not dictate your profile, Bell does… All we can do is just keep fighting!

5) When an issue seems to persist, whether it’s with DSL or Cable, we often offer our client the opportunity to make the change. In those cases, and depending on the severity of the issues, we work with our clients to make the financial aspect a little less of a burden. Now, that being said, I am sure there is more that I can help you with in regards to the switch if that is what you are willing to do. If you are, let me know, and I will make something happen (andre@teksavvy.com).

I hope that you will consider not leaving us and allow us the opportunity to make this right by you. By any means, we are not perfect, but we certainly get an A+ for Effort and Caring.

Cheers,
Andre

TSILiz
Premium Member
join:2012-08-20

TSILiz

Premium Member

Response.

I will be reiterating a lot of what Andre was saying, as much as we work to provide the best customer service around, situations can arise that leave the customer dissatisfied. The great thing about having an E-Service department, is we get to see reviews like this and work not only to improve your situation, but to stop it from happening to other customers.

With that said, E-Services is not a 24/7 service, and so when something is sent late at night, we may not be able to answer it until morning. I was the one to respond to you in that matter, and did so within the first 30 minutes of my shift. However, it's very possible I may have answered a newer post before yours and I apologize for that. That was my mistake.

Concerning the charge, looking through the troubleshooting, and again as Andre stated, I do doubt you will be charged the DMC. If you are, there will definitely be someone looking into the matter between Andre and myself.

I hope you will consider staying and let us rectify this situation, whether it being trying to resolve your DSL or making your switch to cable more reasonable. We really do want to keep you as a customer.


ChuckcZar
@teksavvy.com

ChuckcZar

Anon

Fleeced by Bell

You obviously got fleeced by Bell since what you did ruled out all your inside wiring. Ask your neighbours what speed they get on dsl. Likely none get more than 2 mb/s.

Review by tech2002 See Profile

  • Location: Mississauga, ON, Canada
  • Cost: $52 per month
When it works you have internet,
Long waiting times for support, frequent disconnections , very little support, always issue on customer side
Time to look elsewhere
Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:

I have been Teksavvy customer since 2008 , I chose DSL service 5MB the price was good and service was excellent , I had no issues for 3 years smooth connection, I recommended them to many friends and family as it was worth it, then something had happened in 2011 ,

Since September of 2011 I have been having multiple disconnections on my DSL service in sept of 2011 it lasted for 4 weeks on daily basis I had disconnection every 5-10 minutes during peak hours from 8-5 pm , Bell came in run test couldn't locate issue ; Told me must be something on Teksavvy end not syncing . after talking to Teksavvy support I had stable internet access,

November 2011 for 3 weeks daily disconnections , Teksavvy team suggested must be my equipment or wiring in house , I have replaced run new wires and I had collection 4 dsl modems (speedtouch 516, 780, 2 wire, TP-link) all of them were doing exactly the same thing, and after my complain somehow it stopped having problem it was stable connection

January 2012 for 3-4 weeks daily disconnections, bell arrived lower my profile from 7mb to 5mb,if this doesn't work there is a issue somewhere else , he can lower my profile to 3MB to make more stable but left it at 5MB

April 2012 for 2 weeks daily disconnections , nobody knows why could be my equipment new modem purchased

July 2012 for 3 weeks daily disconnections , nobody knows why

August 2012 for 2 weeks daily disconnections, nobody knows why

then by mid September 2012 until now I have daily disconnections, I can't be on net for 5-10 minutes during day or to late evenings , I have been swapping modems to try if this will improve anything, (modems were connected directly to Demarc box outside 3 feet of tel wire) found tel wire exposed between Bell demarc outside and leading to inside (Bell guy hadn't discovered or didn't care much about it) and I put new wire and thought connection was stable for 2 days, but it started again, I was in contact with one of the support stuff, since September 13, trying to figure out what is happening this time, but on your end everything was fine then roughly beginning of october I was inquiring about changing to cable service as I was very frustrated with DSL issues, (mind you I never got any credits issue for all the disconnections ) and when I told tech that I would like to upgrade to cable the communication stopped on october 11 no more replies (maybe the tech died or computer burned down that she lost my emails, I don't know ),

then I tried to call sales or customer service to get switch to cable and I was hold for very long time that I had to buy minutes to my prepaid cell phone on Friday oct 19 I called at 2:35 pm waited 38 minutes and I hang up , on Monday I called around 1pm and I waited 39 minutes and then I hang up, on Tuesday I waited total 45 minutes called at 11 am , then at 2pm, I run out of time on my minutes on cell phone, I had to go and buy time, then I tried one more time at 4 pm waited 15 minutes , and decided I will call list of companies and the first person answers within 5 minutes gets my business and I got connected within 2 minutes waiting after calling 4 different companies and made decision to switch ,

I wanted so badly to continue service with Teksavvy (mind you I have been teksavvy customer since 2008) but I have lost confidence and hope , I have lost a lot of money by replacing new cables in my house (suggested by teksavvy tech that my wires are probably too old) original were very good, bought brand new modems because Teksavvy tech told me must be my equipment, I spent close to $1000 on all this without any solution since October of 2011 until now, I am tired and broke, I wanted to continue my services with Teksavvy but I had to made a decision to move on.

Some will have perfect service with no issues but I didn't and I was disappointed, leaving Teksavvy is probably best option at this time..

member for 13.3 years, 26 visits, last login: 9.3 years ago
updated 11.4 years ago


TSI Keith
Premium Member
join:2012-07-09

TSI Keith

Premium Member

DSL issues

Hello,

I am very sorry to hear you've been having these issues. First off I'd like to thank you for your patience and perseverance here with us.

I went ahead and had a look into your service from here, and unfortunately I have to say that your line stats here do look great at the moment. Certainly I am not going to suggest your wiring or modem at this time. I would like us to have one more attempt to make this right for you. Again, honestly, I don't see anything at this time. Do you lose the DSL/SYNC/Broadband light on your modem during these disconnects? If so it might not hurt to get Bell involved again.

In short I would love us to have another chance to correct this issue for you and I'd ask that you post here: »/forum ··· avdirect so we can do so. With that being said I can see this has been a long process with you and the disconnection (and new provider) is already in place so if you choose not that would certainly be understandable.

On a side note I would also like to apologize for the difficulty you've had reaching us by phone. We are fully aware that these long wait time are an issue have been bringing in new agents as well as cross-training existing agents in an attempt to correct this problem as quickly as possible.

Regards,
Keith
tech2002
join:2010-11-12

tech2002

Member

Re: DSL issues

for the last 15 minutes or so it is stable, but I don't know for how long this will be but before that it was down every 2-5 minutes,
most of the times internet light turns off, then DSL after that , then waiting for reconnection , and once I had all green lights I couldn't go anywhere in internet , typed google.ca no connection and it hangs and resets the modem, once everything reconnects I get couple minutes of internet usage and the cycle starts over again internet light off then DSL line down , and this does with all 4 modems I have , tried with bridge mode through my router and did the same thing , Bell last time was here couldnt located issue he was for 45 minutes
usually after 6pm it was stable enough that I could be longer in internet but kept reconnecting in longer intervals

I have brand new phone line run from the box , I have new wire from outside box to the box inside, right now my modem is connected to bell box.
I have already signup for new service and prepaid to be connected I don't think I can cancel now .. my last day with Teksavvy is Nov 4

TSI Keith
Premium Member
join:2012-07-09

TSI Keith

Premium Member

Re: DSL issues

Thank you for taking the time to reply. Again at this point I certainly would not point the finger at anything internal. The wiring has all been redone and you have tried multiple modems, plus connected directly to the demarc, not much more we can really ask there.

I was currious about the light patter because occasionally the problem may actually lay on our end (I have, for instance, seen connectivity issues resolved by creating a new login). However if the DSL light is going out on you then there is a definite loss of sync, if we have ruled out the internal (as I believe we have) that would then leave an issue on Bell's end.

Obviously they have had difficulty finding and fixing this for you. I fully understand what has led to your decision to leave. Again I just want to apologize for all of this difficulty and thank you once more for your time with us, and for taking the time to replay and explain further.

Thank you,
Keith
tech2002
join:2010-11-12

tech2002

Member

Re: DSL issues

thanks for reply
Funny thing after we exchanged posts since Friday oct 26 I had not one disconnection , which is very "interesting" . I am checking my event logs in my modem since Oct 26 not one disconnection and the IP I have is the same now .. so I as your customer and soon to be ex-customer you can only imagine what I am thinking now "that there is something not working on the other side of the my house and it is beyond my control "
Maybe I should've post here to get faster resolution then going through the company website

Zubair
@teksavvy.com

Zubair to TSI Keith

Anon

to TSI Keith
Mr. Keith,

I am in Brossard, QC and having same intermittent issues, Secondly I agree with this gentleman regarding waiting time, once I waited almost 30 minutes and hang up and then its been more than 20 minutes and I m still on wait.
I guess you guys have only few ppls on support....
I am definately going to quit TekSavvy because this pathetic.....

Review by thisisthespo See Profile

  • Location: undisclosed location
  • Cost: $44 per month
Disorganized with Zero Technical Support. You are your own tech Support
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:

Important Facts about Tek Savvy (I was told this by multiple TekSavvy Reps)
- They get all their modems from Bell.
- Bell does diagnostic services and repairs on all modems used by TekSavvy
- Teksavvy does not have any service technicians, they use Bell.
-

I signed up for Teksavvy in January to try and avoid being linked to monopolies like Bell or Rogers, which typically force their customers into buying expensive plans to keep minimal benefits. As a company, Teksavvy has been marketed as the independent company that offered reasonable pricing and quality customer service. Let me start out by saying, they have the worst technical support I have ever experienced. A few of their representatives even refused to continue talking about a particular issue ( I never once raised my voice, used foul language or insulted them, just asked them direct questions)

The Main Problems

The first problem occurred when my Internet was cut off expectantly and without warning because their billing system failed to accept the payments I had made online. Their explanation was that the system had been having problems accepting and logging payments from customers. But the worst part about that small blip was that they never emailed or contacted me to tell me they would shutting off the service. This should have been a warning sign to me, but I gave them the benefit of the doubt.

The second problem occurred when I came back from New York and again, my Internet was cut off. I called and they said said that there were two options:

1. They would send a bell tech support person to test my phone line to see if the line was working or not. The caveat about this option is that if there was no problem with the Bell line, I would be charged $70-80 for wasting the Bell tech's time.

2. The second option the tech support advised was to find a way to test my modem and see whether it was faulty and to send it back for a free replacement if it was broken(was still under warranty). They did inform me that if the modem sent back was not faulty, I would be charged a $25 restocking fee. The first suggestion I got was to find a friend/family member that has DSL and test the modem to see whether it worked. The second suggestion was to drive to Futureshop, buy a modem, test it and then return it to futureshop. WOW. I'm sure Futureshop's head office would cringe at that second suggestion. This was warning sign #2.

What I did
I decided to go with the more ethical solution and find someone with DSL to test the modem. So I went to a family members house, had the Teksavvy tech walk me through the diagnostic procedure to determine that the modem was faulty....The tech assured me that short of being there to test it, she was almost positive that the modem was faulty.

The Conclusion
Two weeks later, I received a charge of $25 on my bill and a note that read "Modem fully operational, additional $25 fee". I called tech support again and the woman on the line said she was unsure how the testing occurred and therefore was unable to tell me how they were able to get the modem working, while we were unable to do it prior. I was pretty frustrated and asked "how ethical it was for a business to place all the responsibility of a failed service on their client?". She dismissed my concern and instead stated that I had agreed to absorb a $25 cost if the modem proved to be functional. While some may say, "its only $25", you have to look at the larger picture. A company that values its customers will always try to avoid passing on ridiculous charges because they see the bigger picture: YOUR CUSTOMERS DETERMINE THE SUCCESS YOU HAVE IN BUSINESS.

MY SUGGESTIONS FOR YOU

- Avoid Teksavvy completely. Even Rogers and Bell have better support systems for their clients. They may be monopolies, but their business model is more centered around customer service, than Teksavvy

- Teksavvy does not have technicians to help you trouble shoot issues. You will have to do all diagnostic and fixing yourself. And guess what? if it magically ends up working when it gets back to Tek Savvy, YOU GET CHARGED.

- There are good and Bad Tech Reps at TekSavvy (like any company), but three of the four I talked had weren't interested in solvingthe problem. They kept trying to get me to agree to a Bell Service technician coming to my house, which would have cost $70-80 (because the line was still functional).

- FIND AN INTERNET COMPANY THAT VALUES THEIR CUSTOMERS. Don't bother using a company that steps on the back of their customers to save a dime.


member for 11.4 years, 3 visits, last login: 11.4 years ago
lodged 11.4 years ago


TSI Eric
TSI David
Premium Member
join:2007-06-25
Chatham, ON

TSI Eric

Premium Member

Account Issues

Hi,

Its very unfortunate you have experienced these types of issues. If possible can you PM me your account information so we can investigate what is going on with your specific account?

Regards,

David

EDIT: typo
koreyb
Open the Canadian Market NOW
join:2005-01-08
Etobicoke, ON

koreyb

Member

You don't get how Wholesale works.

All wholesale companies run this way... If your getting dsl, your local phone company is always involved, as is your local cable company for cable services.

Under your mentality, there is no choice.. It's Bell or Rogers..

Doesn't sound like a choice to me..

Sadly due to how our lovely government/CRTC set up the system, there is trouble.. If you have issues, you have to understand it may take time to get things fixed. Bell has been playing hard ball ever since TEKSAVVY and the rest stood up to them over UBB etc. They can't bring in their own techs to work on Bell's network.. Bell would never allow it.

I would recommend you have your issue escalated or go back to Bell or Rogers and pay extra for the hand holding approaches.
LondonOntGuy
join:2004-05-12
London, ON

LondonOntGuy

Member

Re: You don't get how Wholesale works.

I've seen a few Execulink trucks out in the wild here in London. But I think that's because in some of the smaller towns, they are their own phone company.
thisisthespo
join:2012-10-03

thisisthespo to koreyb

Member

to koreyb
@koreyb The main issue I had was with tech support and the lack of accountability when modem issues occurred. I'd rather not support the big corporations (due to the issues you mentioned above), but I also am not in favour of covering the costs for a modem that is still under warranty.

UPDATE:

David contacted me and made it his priority to resolve the issue, which I really appreciate. So Thanks David! Now, I'm waiting to see if the discussed changes show up the next billing cycle.
Cubytus
join:2007-08-24

Cubytus

Member

Not typical

I was on and off with Teksavvy for the past few years, as well as some friends, and all the described was a "human" company. They don't waste time trying to upsell you or bullshitting you about their supposedly stellar internal tools.

When they work, they don't brag about it, they just use them.
When they fail, they tell you right away, apologize, and offer a solution, not empty promises.

Review by GreenLantern4 See Profile

  • Location: Waterloo, ON, Canada
  • Cost: $110 per month
  • Telco party Bell Canada
nothing anymore sadly
service,support,speed, lack of any help to customers with actual issues.
TekSavvy used to be good now they don't back up the services they sell
Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:

Honestly posting this message pains me to write as a once firm believer ,customer and refer-er of 4 customers (now 0) but I am done with these issues if you are considering buying teksavvy dsl DO NOT its oversold and it will not be fixed anytime soon (don't believe me google it or even look here people all over Ontario are reporting nightly slowdowns) Im not talking small amounts I am talking going from 10mbit down to 0.26 every night from 8pm to 1am for months I've spent hours on the phone with them they don't care they know the issue they just have no way to fix it either since supposedly its bells issue (as always) I have been with teksavvy since 2008 my phone lines are exceptionally good and have great line stats (I can get over 10mb when it works) so please don't post here saying it could be my lines I don't have to reconnect or do anything to modems its like a switch is flipped every night between these hours.

I pay a stupid amount for my internet (2 dsl lines running mlppp) because until tonight I was under the impression I had no other choices I have now been made aware I can get cable from a different provider.

Once again I hate to write all this but its the facts I have never had anything but praise for teksavvy but they aren't the same company they used to be and I'm honestly sorry I supported them this long considering this issue has been going on for months steadily (and over a year off and on) with no end in sight.



member for 14.8 years, 4 visits, last login: 11.5 years ago
updated 11.5 years ago


JenSuisUn
Premium Member
join:2006-02-23
Chatham, ON

JenSuisUn

Premium Member

slow speeds

Hello,

A few things to clear up first. There is no such thing as overselling DSL. We have plenty of capacity. Even after 4 AGAS links had issues. Are your slow speeds been confirmed as a Slow Speed Pattern Issue?

I don't see you ever posting in our »/forum ··· avdirect forum.

I would like to take a look at your situation if you would allow me. Please feel to PM me. JenSuisUn See Profile

Regards,
Maritn
GreenLantern4
join:2009-05-09
Waterloo, ON

1 recommendation

GreenLantern4

Member

Re: slow speeds

I was told by your tech support that its an issue with bells network being overused between those hours as the network itself is getting old and cannot handle the load in layman's terms until its updated which could takes years to do.

my slow speeds have been a documented issue for over a year I don't see the point in posting in a forum when I was on the phone for many calls and wasted time.

I can post speed test everyday between the same hours after dinner say 6pm until around 12am it slowly gets better pings start coming down then by 1 am its back to full speed.

Reconnecting does nothing as the lines are connected at full speed just starving for the actual bandwidth.

I guess thanks for taking the time to reply but I don't feel like anything is going to change In fact I'm sure it won't after this much time and documented cases popping up all over.
hottboiinnc4
ME
join:2003-10-15
Cleveland, OH

hottboiinnc4

Member

Re: slow speeds

I want o note that dsl is over sold. It can and does have the same issues as cable if there are more customers on a dslam than the connection to the actual internet. Dsl is not safe from overselling. Its how the internet works.
morisato
join:2008-03-16
Oshawa, ON

morisato

Member

Dsl Cannot be oversold..

The actual links on teksavvys End Are not Oversold, I am guessing the poster is in Kitch/waterloo Nightly slowdowns occur there i have heard due to the Actual Feed from the remote/co Not being fast enough to handle the Load, Thats Not something Teksavvy as a Company Can do anything about unfortunately. Its Up to the Network provider(Bell) in this case to hook up a better feed / more of them between the C/o And 151 front where the traffic gets to teksavvys Servers.

On a Side note I am Located in oshawa Ontario on 25/10 I get My Full speed 24/7
hottboiinnc4
ME
join:2003-10-15
Cleveland, OH

hottboiinnc4

Member

Re: Dsl Cannot be oversold..

Not true! DSL CAN and is OVER SOLD. How do you think they make their profit? They sign up more customers on the DSLAM than what the backhaul can handle. They do this betting on the fact that NOT everyone is going to be on the Internet at the same time and not maxing out their speeds.

DSL is a SHARED resource of the Internet. The same as Cable and every other service. The only thing that is dedicated and not shared is the line between you and the Telco/DSLAM once your data hits that DSLAM you are on a shared resource thus, when it is oversold to where a simple t3 will NOT support everyone, EVERYONE seeds the speeds fall down.

Stop using the old BS saying DSL is not an oversold technology and is not shared when it is fully shared. And you even admit that the network is OVERSOLD by saying that bell needs to update the actual backbone connection. Thus meaning the network is OVERSOLD.
morisato
join:2008-03-16
Oshawa, ON

morisato

Member

Re: Dsl Cannot be oversold..

Just To explain the Difference in the sharing...

You ever Open a Cable ped or see one opened all u see is a Splitter.. or 2 with some Cables feeding it, But each one feeds Multiple Homes. i imagine in The Cable Node again its Just a Big arse splitter feeding all the other splitters.. never seen inside there Nodes just the peds.

But In Your average Bell Opi The big brown dressers on the roads etc. Theres Thousands of Cable pairs. every single wire Its own individual Wire. feeding back to the Central office. totally Unshared. Thus Where the Feed gets Shared becomes much different. meaning Dsl is Extremely Resistant to Saturation As its not shared at the Node Level Like cable is. and Much easier to upgrade.

All of which is a Moot point because teksavvy is Not OverSold for there usage patterns, Sure they have More customers than they do bandwidth for but as a combined total we do not use more bandwidth than they have available at anyone time.
GreenLantern4
join:2009-05-09
Waterloo, ON

4 edits

GreenLantern4

Member

its not one area

Its not just that area as you can see from the review below me and if you look at the teksavvy direct forum its the same thing here is some links to prove how spread this issue is the first is kitchener based but has reply's from a person in Montreal ? its not a Kitchener issue only I am closer to stratford I have been looking into this all trust me I wouldn't have posted my review but I stuck it out for over a year putting up with this bs since I had no choice in isp until now , and even now I'm still with teksavvy as I post this id rather see this this fixed for us all and stay with them and them show they actually see us as customers as this is not about one user.

»[DSL] Slow DSL Internet Speeds in Kitchener in Evenings

»[DSL] Evening slow speeds, North Bay, ON.

»slow 6M DSL Montreal (evening only?)

»[DSL] Peak-time congestion

The last link im posting shows the same issues with lack of bandwidth at the same hours in many areas.

Thanks for the post and backing up teksavvy you think if they complained enough bell wouldn't do something ? lol they are the biggest reseller bell has if im not mistaken they just don't care and really is your post supposed to make my 100$ a month bill acceptable?

ANYONE reading this please speedtest.net your connection between 6pm eastern time and up until 1 am eastern time and post if you have the same results this is NOT an issue only in one area!

Review by darionco See Profile

  • Location: Mississauga, ON, Canada
  • Cost: $101 per month
  • Install: about 7 days
  • Telco party Bell Canada
Good Price
Have not been able to get the service working
Teksavvy seems like a company that offers more than what they can actually deliver
Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:

Previous company: Bell
Previous speed: 16Mbit/s + FibeTV
Previous modem: CellPipe 7130 (VDSL2)
New service: High speed DSL 25 (TekSavvy)
New modem: CellPipe 7130 (VDSL2)

Although this is my first participation ever in DSL Reports I have been to this website more than once, either to research about companies and services or to find help "unlocking" my Bell modems and setting up my network.

We rely on our internet service for all our entertainment needs, and most importantly for my work, as a programmer that sometimes works remotely, having a reliable internet connection to establish a VPN connection to my company is vital.

We decided to make the switch to TekSavvy because Bell could not offer us more bandwidth per month in our new location (Mississauga), which was the only problem we had with them: for internet, land line and FibeTV we were paying around $300/month and most of that money went to pay the bandwitdh overuse every month.

The selling point for me was that I had read mostly good reviews of TekSavvy in DSL Reports and the ones that were not so good were responded and fixed by TekSavvy somehow; and that they use Bell's network, that had proven to be reliable in my own experience. On top of all that the price was unbelievable to me; $101 monthly for land line (with add-ons), 25Mbit internet connection with tons of bandwidth and way (WAY!) cheaper penalties for overuse.

We recently moved to Mississauga from Toronto, by the end of August I called to cancel all my Bell services and then called TekSavvy and explained my situation to the representative: I am moving on September 4th, I just cancelled all my services and I would like to get your services in my new house, but it is very important that we get the internet running before September 10th as I have work to do.

The representative was very cheering and helpful, she said that it was not a problem, that she had found a way to have someone come and activate the phone line in the morning and the internet on the afternoon of September 6th. Everything seemed to be perfect.

On September 1st, the bank pushed our closure date on the house from September 4th to September 7th, I called TekSavvy right away to let them know and explained the situation again: It is very important that I have internet before September 10th

This time the representative told me that it would be impossible and that the best he could do was September 10th itself, I tried to understand the situation and because I gave them short notice I agreed to be home all day that day, so they could come get the phone working in the morning and the internet in the afternoon. I had to go through a lot to get my company to allow me not just to not get my work done that day but to not work at all!

So I waited all morning (of September 10th) when at around 1:00 pm decided to call TekSavvy to find out what the status of the order was, I waited in line for about 30 min when I got a recording saying that I could leave a number and that someone would call me back as soon as possible (and that I would keep my place in line, you don't always get this recording BTW) so I left my number and called again, that way I would have two chances at getting a response because, to me, 30 min on hold is outrageous.

I was not prepared to what happened next; I was put on hold for more than 5 hours!

While I was waiting I unpacked a bunch of kitchen stuff, cleaned and installed a fishtank, figured out the new thermostat and a lot more. Since we rely on online services to listen to music, the only music in my house was the stupid TekSavvy lounge song that doesn't even loop properly and gets interrupted once in a while by some dude that says:

"Thank you for your patience, please continue to hold the line while we connect you to one of our representatives"

I hung up eventually, at some point through my evening: no answer, no call back, no technician, no phone line and, obviously, no internet connection.

My wife had to stay home the next day (September 11th), because we couldn't even contact TekSavvy, she called them again the next day and after about 2 hours of listening to the stupid TekSavvy lounge song that doesn't even loop properly and gets interrupted once in a while by some dude that says:

"Thank you for your patience, please continue to hold the line while we connect you to one of our representatives"

She actually was able to speak to someone, the person said that the phone line was activated and that we should have a working phone. When my wife explained that we didn't, the person answered that it was most likely our fault and that if my wife wanted, TekSavvy could send a Bell technician to check the line but if it was indeed our fault we would have to pay a fee of $80. So we already paid activation fee, the technician didn't show up, we are to blame for the line not working and we may be charged $80 for "our mistake"???

...My wife decided to not go to work one more day and wait for the Bell technician...

The next day (September 11th), we get Bell's modem in the mail and the Bell technician shows up and confirms that the line was NOT activated, he goes ahead and activates the line, once the phone is confirmed to be working he also installs the POTS splitter for the internet line. While all this is happening at home I get a call to my cellphone in the middle of the work day from TekSavvy saying that my internet will be activated on September 17th... When I asked:

"and what are the unanticipated circumstances?"

I asked that question because every single e-mail from TekSavvy reads:

"Please note that your activation date could be delayed up to 10 business days due to unanticipated circumstances"

But it does not say anywhere that TekSavvy will not give you an explanation of such "unanticipated circumstances" so I asked. The person just responded:

"Nothing, it is standard. The internet activation always happens at least 5 days after the phone line is confirmed to be activated"

Now I feel stupid; someone lied to my face just to get my credit card number that was charged the very next day after the order was placed.

I couldn't argue with them at the time because I was at work so I just let it go. When I came home and found a working phone line, a VDSL modem and a POTS splitter installed, I couldn't help but wonder "why the hell is my internet not working yet?"

...So I called TekSavvy again...

After about one hour of listening to the stupid TekSavvy lounge song that doesn't even loop properly and gets interrupted once in a while by some dude that says:

"Thank you for your patience, please continue to hold the line while we connect you to one of our representatives"

My wife entered the room and we had the following conversation.

wife: "hahahaha if they don't answer during the day, what makes you think they are going to answer in the evening?"
me: "no, look, it says on their website that the technical support is 24/7"
wife: "ahhhh... I think you are misreading it, what they actually mean is that YOU have to be available 24/7 if you want to contact TekSavvy"
me: *hangs up*

You know what? I think she's right... this is a company that makes you feel like you are being scammed, they get your credit card information, bill you and then disappear.

On top of all this I already ran out of daytime minutes on my cellphone and I am almost over my limit of data as well...

Oh well I guess this is an example of why the saying "you get what you pay for" holds true to this day.

And to explain.
Pre Sales information: 0 - They lied to me about installation dates
Install Co-ordination: 0 - Technician didn't show up and then they lied about line being activated when it was not
Connection reliability: 0 - Haven't been able to test it
Tech Support: 0 - Totally non existent
Services: 0 - Haven't been able to test them
Value for money: 2/5 - If I ever get the services (and decide to keep them) the price is great for a service that, in my opinion, is running on a very reliable network.

TL;DR: The only thing TekSavvy has done right and on time is billing my credit card. Also TekSavvy's support is not existent and you can't get in touch with them after they've charged your credit card, not even to cancel your order!

member for 11.5 years, 9 visits, last login: 8.1 years ago
updated 11.5 years ago


TSI Keith
Premium Member
join:2012-07-09

1 edit

TSI Keith

Premium Member

phone + internet activation troubles

Wow. Okay, I'd like to start by saying how sorry I am for the way this has started for you. There are a couple points I'd like to touch on here.

For starters the Bell technicians do not report directly to us. If the order gets marked as complete that is unfortunately all we have to go off of and if the service is still not working our only option is to trouble shoot and open a ticket. It does happen on occasion that the physical part of the activation proves to be done without the home owner actually seeing the technician so again, we have to go off of what is marked on the order.

When we open a ticket with Bell there is a possible service charge ($87.70 + tax) if the issue is not on their network. This is why we do the troubleshooting we do, to try and narrow down the possibility of that charge as much as possible. However we will not open a ticket without the customer knowing this is a possibility as we do not want our customers to see that kind of surprise on their bill. With that being said, you should have only been advised of the possibility, you should not have been made to feel like it was your problem. We do occasionally have customers that just want a ticket opened and do not want to troubleshoot any. Our agents are not supposed to let that happen (because we don't want to see that charge) and may stress the importance of the troubleshooting to try and make sure the issue isn't internal. Again if it went beyond that if you guys were told, or made to feel that the agent was sure it was your issue I'm very sorry.

The wait times are definitely very frustrating right now there can be no doubt about that. The callback option should always be available unless it is after 6PM. We have added 40 new agents to help alleviate these times as well but this is unfortunately our busiest time of year. With that being said there is a team of us that provide off phone support as well. We can be reached here, facebook, twitter, or via email at support@teksavvy.com.

With all of that being said I'd like to touch on the part of this that bothers me the most (and you as well I would expect). We are unable to activate phone and DSL on the same day. Bell requires 5 business days notice to process and activate a DSL order for us and will not except that order and begin working on it if the phone line that the DSL is going on is not yet active. I know the last agent you spoke with advised you of this 5 business day wait. You should have been told much sooner then that. If you were not informed that is a problem. If you were told otherwise that is much worse. I would like to have this looked into and addressed to make sure the misinformation does not continue. If you could please PM me or post in the direct forum here: »/forum ··· avdirect with your account and/or phone number I will have these calls looked into.

Thank you

ChuckcZar
@teksavvy.com

ChuckcZar

Anon

Did you try a user name and password?

Maybe all you needed to do was enter the user name and password after Bell left

Review by jo207 See Profile

  • Location: Scarborough, ON, Canada
  • Cost: $45 per month
High bandwidth limit
Service
Customer service has dropped dramatically.
Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:

The biggest disappoint of all has been their customer service. I had made a call to switch from their DSL service to their Cable service. They had forgotten to cancel the DSL service however and I did not notice that they been charging me both services for almost a year due to automatic payments. I had requested for a refund on the DSL service and dealt with 3 managers and all have failed to prove that any of this was my fault. Yet, they refuse to grant the refund.

I have been a customer of Teksavvy since they were a very young company. I was initially pleased by their prices, customer service reps, and connection reliability but more recently, I have been very disappointed with Teksavvy on all aspects.

They could have kept my business for years to come had they granted the refund (though miniscule to a growing company like Teksavvy) but I guess they are willing to lose more money in the long run. I have since cancelled all services with Teksavvy. I am just glad there are still competitors out there that seem more promising than Teksavvy.

member for 15.8 years, 4 visits, last login: 11.6 years ago
lodged 11.7 years ago


TSI Keith
Premium Member
join:2012-07-09

TSI Keith

Premium Member

service overlap

Hello there,

First off allow me to say that we do have some customers who have both DSL and Cable service active with us. Some do this because they work from home and want a backup connection in case there are any outages. Others surely have their own reasons. We do not make assumptions on behalf of our customer and typically the customer should give us a call once the new service is working properly if they wish to cancel their current service.

With that being said though, this obviously should have been explained to you when the order for cable service was made. Now, if you have already spoken to management multiple times I can make no guarantees here, but if you can message me your account info, or post it here: »/fo ··· avdirect I'd like to look into this for you one more time.

I have posted this already under your cable review but re-posting here as well.

Thank you,
TSI-Keith
alex68
join:2012-08-25
l4

alex68

Member

Just awlful!

WORST EXPERIENCE EVER YET.
Hold time to actually speak to someone is ridiculous.
Internet hooked up10 days late, would not consider to give us a credit.(prepaid in advance)so not much I can do.Installation guy knew it wasn't working,still was charged for installation fee what not sure.. 5 days later 3 and half hrs on the phone finally with service and a bill of just over 220.00 .. is not worth it ..