Customer support review

[NatashaL]

Well hello Fido community!

I wasn't sure how to submit a review for the customer support team, so I figured I'd just pop it in here because this needed to be said.

I've been with Fido for, 16 years now?! How the time flies. I started with them because that's who my mom was with, and I stayed with them for the pricing - they were always competitive when it came to pricing. 

But another reason, was for the support. I've always been lucky in terms of wait time and the customer support agents I've been connected with. And I am thrilled to say that today was no different.

It's "Black Friday" time, which means great deals, but also super busy for the Fido customer support team. Today I called in mid-day, and there was a bit of a wait (30 minutes, which was still significantly less than what the expected wait time was), BUT it was absolutely worth the wait! 

Today I had the pleasure of speaking with, and being helped by, Caitlyn from Ontario. Caitlyn was the most positive, thorough, detailed-oriented, kind and compassionate customer support representative I've likely ever spoken to. Although the phone I wanted was on backorder, she walked me through the entire process step by step and told me exactly what to expect. She also took AMAZINGLY detailed notes (even included the promo codes for future reps so they wouldn't have to look them up when my phone shipped). Despite the countless people I'm sure she's already spoken to today alone, she treated me like I was important and took the time to make sure I was taken care of properly. She didn't rush me off the line while I still had questions and she was genuinely kind. I just can't say enough kind things about Caitlyn or her work ethic! 

For everyone here complaining about their customer support experiences, I'm sorry that you've had them, but I hope in the future that you get to speak with someone like Caitlyn, because people like her who genuinely want to help, do exist. Thank you Fido, and give Caitlyn a raise!

[Stepmcfree]

I ordered an upgraded cell for my daughter.  She drove to the Fido store and was told she could not pickup the cell as her id did not match the name on the account (my name).  I called Fido and asked to see if her name could be added to the account.  They said yes but it would take 30 days.  They suggested canceling the order and changing to home delivery.  They canceled the order on the phone.   And I created a new order for home delivery.  I received an email with the confirmation number of the home delivery order.  Then I waited.  And waited.  40 days later, the phone was never delivered.  When we went online to try reordering, the message only said that a current order was already in process.  I called back to Fido support on Nov 26.  I was placed on hold multiple times, and when asked to hold again, I asked if they could call me back when they had the answers as to where my phone was, because I had to work and could not continue to sit on hold.  They agreed to call me back and took my name and number.  I received no return call.  The next day I called again.  I was told that the home delivery order was cancelled.  I explained again that there were two orders, the original instore pickup that was canceled, and the home delivery, that was not.  They just kept insisting that I canceled the home delivery order.  I did not.  And had it been canceled, I would have expected that the message I kept receiving online saying a current order was in process wouldn't have popped up.  He also kept getting what I think was a personal call during our discussion, and I think at one point he belched in my ear.  He created another order for me and said it will be delivered in 3 days (we shall see).  I asked if a credit could be applied against my account for having to wait over 40 days for my daughter to receive her upgraded phone.  He said, no, nothing could be done there.  All in all, the worst customer service I've ever received from a cell company.  Stay away from Fido if possible.  Unfortunately I'm stuck with them for now.  

[Amarji-ji63]

hey i like best costumer service , the girl name umam , she is very kind and knowalageble to explain every t

[hello90]

I recently had a very frustrating experience with Fido's customer service. As a loyal customer, I requested to downgrade my plan due to financial constraints. Unfortunately, I was only offered plans with higher data and higher costs. Despite explaining my situation multiple times, I was told there were no other options available.

When I asked to speak with a supervisor, I was told they couldn't offer anything different. I feel scammed, as my monthly bill has increased significantly without my consent, from $58 to $98.26, including a phone payment that wasn't clearly communicated to me.

This kind of customer service is unacceptable. Companies like Fizz and Bell offer more affordable plans with better options. Fido needs to prioritize helping their customers, especially during tough times. Until then, I can't recommend their services.

[Amarji-ji63]

i found the girl name umam is best costumer service provider

[FidoVan]

Hey there @hello90 and welcome to the Community!

Offers and promotions change often so make sure to check for your options through your account online every now and then if you didn't find anything that suits you yet.

Also, while you are in an agreement, no price increase on your device or plan's fee can happen so if your bills fluctuate from one month to the other, make sure to review them so you understand which usage done incurred the extra charges. For more indo about our Fido Payment Program, you can visit this link if needed:

https://www.fido.ca/support/billing-payment/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-new-fido-payment-program

[Vicky78694]

I came to Canada 8 years ago. Fido was the best network i could find at that time. I have been with fido for so long but i dont reach out to customer service bery often. My work involve traveling to US often and I normally turn off my internet the moment i cross the border. Last month i was 10 minutes late to do that and maybe i consumed 5MB data accidently. I was charged $36 on top of my base plan that include 60gb data but i used only 14 for entire month. I reach out to virtual assistant, after wasting my time she give me the number to call them. I wait for 35 minutes just to get to the agent and just within 1 minute they tell me they cant help me. Back in 2016 if i call the fido customer service. They answer back within 5 minutes. Not anymore. If anybody here is from forgien countries. Please dont waste your money on fido. There are plenty of cheaper options out there. And i guess time for me also to switch to a new network.

Thank you Fido!

[FidoAlex]

Hey @Vicky78694, Alex here, I'm really sorry to hear about your experience! 

Note that with Fido Roam, you'll only be charged the $12 daily rate once per day, so you definitely shouldn't be charged $36 if you only had your phone turned on for 10 minutes. 

Make sure to get back in touch with our customer service so that we can get a proper look at this. 

[Pedro373]

I am writing to express my deep concern and frustration regarding an unexpected charge of $400 for long-distance calls on my Fido account.

Upon discovering this charge, I immediately contacted your customer service, seeking clarification on the matter. Unfortunately, I was met with a lack of a logical explanation. As a student, this unforeseen expense is beyond my financial means, and I find it extremely unfair to be charged for calls I did not knowingly make.

I want to bring to your attention that I have been utilizing WhatsApp to connect with my family back home for several years, and this is the first time such an exorbitant charge has occurred. According to your support manager, the charge resulted from my internet disconnection, which supposedly connected directly with my phone line. Frankly, this explanation seems both ridiculous and potentially illegal.

What adds to my disappointment is the absence of any notification from Fido regarding the connection to long-distance calls. As a responsible service provider, I believe it is Fido's duty to inform clients about such activities to avoid any unforeseen financial burdens.

I chose Fido based on recommendations from my sister and friends who spoke highly of your services. However, this incident has shattered my trust in Fido's commitment to customer satisfaction.

I kindly request your immediate attention to this matter, and I am hopeful that we can find a resolution that does not burden me financially. I urge Fido to rectify this situation promptly, ensuring a fair and transparent resolution. I am open to any suggestions that can help resolve this issue amicably.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter, and I trust that Fido will uphold its reputation for providing excellent service to its valued customers.

[Cawtau]

Hello Pedro373,

  Welcome to the community!

  Sorry to hear you've incurred unexpected long-distance charges. Unfortunately, the issue appears to result from a not widely known operation of the app. 

---

@Pedro373 wrote:

 ... I was met with a lack of a logical explanation...

...According to your support manager, the charge resulted from my internet disconnection, which supposedly connected directly with my phone line. Frankly, this explanation seems both ridiculous and potentially illegal....

---

  While you may find the explanation provided to be ridiculous and illogical, WhatsApp does seem to be the culprit. While it's not mentioned on their website, it appears as though the app will automatically switch to using mobile airtime minutes (within the app) if it deems the internet connection is too slow for voice calls (see here). It happens across multiple providers (see here, here and here... etc). It should also be mentioned that other messaging apps may also behave in a similar manner.

   Phone companies cannot divert calls from within apps to cellular calls. They have no control over how apps work. The mobile providers do not decide which calls go over their networks or how they transmit. That determination is made entirely by the phone. With an adequate internet connection, WhatsApp calls are usually sent via the internet. On the other hand, if the internet connection is not sufficient, WhatsApp apparently switches to mobile airtime minutes. The mobile providers merely connect calls which the phone request to be made. If WhatsApp makes a call using data, the providers will transmit data; if WhatsApp makes the call using mobile airtime minutes, the providers will transmit it as a call over the cellular networks. Unfortunately, in your case, it appears as though WhatsApp made the call over the cellular networks.

  Unfortunately, WhatsApp appeared to deem the internet connection unsuitable for those particular calls and switched to mobile minutes. One suggestion to prevent the switch in the future would be to enable Airplane or Flight mode and manually enabling Wifi prior to making the call(s). Doing so should prevent the app from switching to mobile minutes if the Wifi internet connection is not sufficient. However, it also means that you wouldn't be able to make WhatsApp calls using a mobile data connection.

  I understand you are also disappointed that you were not provided any notification prior to the long-distance calls. It has always been the customers' responsibility to monitor their own usage:

   It is not necessary to cap voice or text messaging service charges since the use of these services is generally well understood and managed by consumers. ~ The Wireless Code; point 127

...it considers that a requirement to provide usage notifications or usage monitoring tools is not the best solution to prevent bill shock. ~ point 124

  While Fido does not provide notifications for long-distance usage they do provide a means of monitoring call usage (ie My Account app).

  You might consider requesting an International callling block on your line. Though, it should be noted that it would not be possible to block calling to destinations with the same +1 Country Code.

  I also understand this is a difficult time and receiving such a bill even more distressing. If you're unable to make full payment on the bill, you might consider arranging a payment schedule. To make an arrangement, you'll need to contact the credit operations team. It should be mentioned that a payment arrangement might not be available in all situations.

  You should note these forums are community-driven and not intended as a venue for customer services. If you would like to further discuss those charges, you would need to re-contact customer service. In addition, they can also be contacted via Live Chat, Facebook, or Twitter. Those methods can be accessed via the contact page posted above. Though, you would likely still need to contact the credit operations team for the payment arrangement.

Hope this helps 😀

Cheers

[Pedro373]

I've been using WhatsApp for over 10 years, and it has never been charged by any operator until now – and this time, it happened with Fido. Do you believe there's a problem with your system? I've come across numerous complaints about unexpected long-distance charges in your reviews. This indicates a glitch in your system that needs addressing. It doesn't make sense to shift the blame to other apps or companies; it reflects poorly on your company's responsibility and customer care.

Yesterday, I wasted over an hour waiting to speak with your associates, support manager, and finally, your customer service transferred me to Likewize Insurance. When I called them, they had no idea why I was transferred to their company! I'm reaching out here to find a solution and resolve my problem, not to be redirected to your seemingly inefficient customer service

[Cawtau]

Hello again,

  I understand there have been many issues reported in these forums. As mentioned, the issue is not widely known. I understand you may not have had an issue in your 10 years of using the app. However, your internet connection might not have been an issue previously.

  In addition, you seem to have missed the part where it's happened with multiple different providers. Not only has it happened with different providers, those ones mentioned the links provided were from the US --  T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T. Their inclusion was intentional. So, it's not even a Canadian provider issue.

  The same issue is happening over multiple providers with one commonality. Your claim of a glitch on Fido's system seems less likely if it's been happening across Countries. Does every provider have the same glitch?? As also mentioned, phone companies cannot divert calls from within apps to cellular calls. If WhatsApp directed the call as data, the mobile providers would not even have known you were making calls.

  I understand you believe I'm trying to shift the blame. That is not my intention. The available evidence suggests WhatsApp is directing the calls as cellular minutes if it deems the connection insufficient. Do your own research. It's not just a Fido glitch.

**edit** From one of those links provide above:

**

**edit 2**

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@Pedro373 wrote:

... I'm reaching out here to find a solution and resolve my problem,...

---

  As also mentioned previously, these forums are not a venue for customer service. Unfortunately, I'm not sure how you will be able to find a solution and resolve your issue without contacting customer service. **

Cheers

[Bosshoss]

I call BS cause you must work for Fido....the customer service is worst ever and they cannot fix or get anything right. Was stuck over new years without two phones working my teenage kids are really upset it's ruined our new years forsure....thanks costco sales lady you suck

[FidoAnthonyZ]

Hello @NatashaL,

Welcome to the community!

I'm very happy to hear that you had a great experience. This is exactly what we aim to offer you.

Thanks for sharing!