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DEH GAH GOT'IE KOE/FORT PROVIDENCE
Some Fort Providence residents got an unwelcome surprise when they opened their cellphone bills this month leaving them to question if they were given all the pertinent information about the plans they were signing up for.

Pearl Leishman was one of the people who signed up with Northwestel when the company began offering cellphone service in the hamlet at the end of February. She got the High 10 Plan for herself and her husband Mike after a company representative explained that with the plan, they wouldn't be charged for calls to the 10 phone numbers they called the most.

After receiving three free months, Leishman got her first cellphone bill, dated June 12, this month. She was shocked to find that she owed $207.59 while her husband owed $126.42. The basic rate for the High 10 Plan with Northwestel is $60.

"I feel disappointed," she said.

When Leishman called Northwestel to complain, she was told calls made from areas where customers are roaming on another company's network aren't included in the High 10 Plan. Leishman, who had been travelling in both the NWT and Alberta, said that caveat wasn't explained when she signed up.

"I told them I might as well leave my phone at home," she said.

Leishman is concerned people in other small NWT communities who are getting cellphone service for the first time from Northwestel will also not have all of the information about their contract fully explained to them.

"People are going to end up with big, high bills," she said.

"I said expect more calls from people in Fort Providence."

Alice Bouvier has already made that call.

Like Leishman, Bouvier signed up in March under the High 10 Plan for both herself and her teenage son. Her first bill for both phones is for $480.51.

"I was very upset and really disappointed," said Bouvier, who had never owned a cellphone before.

Bouvier, who purchased her plan from a staff member at the Northern store, said the High 10 Plan wasn't fully explained to her. Like Leishman, Bouvier said it wasn't clear calls had to be made within Northwestel's network area to qualify for the plan.

Bouvier was hit with $20.25 in long distance charges while her son had $13.50. Her son also accumulated a $157.48 charge for data overage.

Bouvier said she can't afford to pay bills this large each month, especially when she was only expecting to pay around $180. Bouvier said she feels trapped because she also can't afford to buy out her contract, which is for two or three years.

"I actually want to get rid of them now," she said about the cellphones.

Bouvier said she's also heard of other Fort Providence residents getting large bills, including one for $500. Leishman said she's considering leaving Northwestel and returning to Bell Mobility, where she previously had a Fab 10 plan that allowed her to make unlimited calls to 10 numbers nationwide from anywhere in Canada. Leishman said she only switched to Northwestel to support a more local company.

In an e-mail, Eric Clement, an external communications manager with Northwestel, stated the company has followed up with Leishman to make sure she fully understands her plan. The company will also be reviewing its procedures to make sure all plan details are clear and simple to understand.

"Upon activation of a new service, it is Northwestel procedure for a representative to fully explain the details and to go over any charges associated with that service," said Clement.

When 4G was launched in Fort Providence, representatives were in the community to answer questions and every effort was made to make sure customers fully understood the details of their plans, he stated.

When signing a new contract, Clement said customers should make sure the plan they choose meets their needs. If they have any questions or concerns about their plan, they should call the Northwestel customer care centre, he stated in the e-mail.

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