topic Re: How to return a phone under the Device Return Option - DRO in Mobility

How to return a phone under the Device Return Option - DRO

Cow girl — Mon, 16 Jun 2025 12:48:08 GMT

I need to return my phone to bell because I am on the return your mobile phone plan. I have the new phone but need to return my old phone.
I actually have 2 to return my daughters and my own. How do I complete this step. Best Buy said they don’t do it I have to send my phones myself.

Re: How to return a phone under the Device Return Option - DRO

WelshTerrier — Mon, 16 Jun 2025 12:48:47 GMT

Good Day.

If you opted in to the Device Return Option (DRO) program when you bought your phone, you have two choices when your 2-year term ends. You can either return your device in good working condition, or keep it and pay back the Device Return Option Deferred Amount. This also applies if you cancel your service before your term is up.

You can return your smartphone in good working condition at a Bell store or online.

Please refer to the instructions that are included in the web link I have attached.

Device Return Option: when your agreement ends : Device Return Option: when your agreement ends

Should you require any further assistance, do not hesitate to call Bell Customer Service Accounts & billing. Please call: 1 800 667-0123 or dial *611 from any Bell mobile device.

Take care.

How to return a phone under the Device Return Option - DRO

Candy1992 — Mon, 29 Sep 2025 12:25:50 GMT

I have a phone on the bring it back plan and the phone I want is listed as online only. If I get my new phone online can I wait until I receive the phone to bring my old phone back to the store and have a customer rep change all my stuff over to my new phone?

How to return a phone under the Device Return Option - DRO

WelshTerrier — Mon, 29 Sep 2025 12:26:25 GMT

Good Day & Welcome to the Bell Community Forum.

Based on the limited information that you have provided, I can only assume that you purchased your mobility plan & device within the last 24 months. If I am correct, then you probably signed up for the: SmartPay plan with the Device Return Option.

You can view your Bell mobility agreement in MyBell. It will include all of the details that you agreed to when you activated your mobility service & device.

This question is best answered by a Bell Mobility Customer Service representative. We do not have access to your account, billing details & mobility agreement on the Bell Community Forum.

For more information, please take a look at the support page on Device Return Option: when your agreement ends

This option allowed you to reduce your monthly payments even further over the 24 month period with the option to upgrade after 3 months, keeping the device or returning it in good working order.

Please call: 1 800 667-0123 or dial *611 from any Bell mobile device.

Take care.

Re: How to return a phone under the Device Return Option - DRO

Ixt — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 11:53:47 GMT

Hello everyone,

I’m writing this post not just to vent, but to start a constructive conversation about the state of customer service at Bell Canada. Like many of you, I have been a loyal Bell customer for years, using their services for my home phone, mobile phone, internet, and television. Recently, I decided to streamline my services and use Bell exclusively for my mobile phone. Unfortunately, this transition has exposed a level of disorganization and inefficiency that I feel needs to be addressed; not just for my sake, but for all of us in the Bell community.

To give you a concrete example of the systemic issues I’ve encountered: At the beginning of January, I personally dropped off my daughter’s cell phone at a Bell store in Pickering to process a return. It seemed like a straightforward transaction. I was given a confirmation number for the return in-store, and I assumed the matter was settled.

Since then, however, it has been a nightmare. I have had to call Bell customer service four separate times to get the credit applied to my account for the returned device. During each call, I have provided the in-store return confirmation number. Yet, here we are, approaching the three-month mark, and the situation remains completely unresolved. To make matters worse, I am now receiving automated email messages from Bell threatening to suspend my services due to the outstanding balance; a balance that only exists because Bell has failed to process my legitimate return.

This experience highlights a deeply broken system. The disconnect between the retail stores and the billing department, the inability of customer service representatives to resolve documented issues, and the automated punitive actions taken against customers for the company’s own administrative failures are unacceptable. It is incredibly frustrating to provide proof of a return multiple times, only to be ignored and threatened with service suspension.

This brings me to the core purpose of this post: How can we, as a community, help Bell become better?

It is clear that the current system is failing both the customers and the frontline employees who have to deal with these administrative messes. I want to open the floor to hear your experiences and, more importantly, your suggestions for how Bell can improve its customer service and operational efficiency.

Here are a few areas where I believe immediate changes are necessary:

1. Seamless Integration Between Retail and Billing: When a customer returns a device in-store and receives a confirmation number, that information should immediately and automatically update their billing account. Customers should not have to act as the intermediary between different departments of the same company.
2. Empowered Customer Service Representatives: Agents on the phone need the authority and the tools to resolve issues when presented with valid documentation (like an in-store return receipt). Having to call four times for the same issue indicates that agents are either not empowered to fix the problem or the internal ticketing system is fundamentally flawed.
3. Halt Automated Suspensions During Disputes: If a customer has an open, documented dispute regarding a billing error or a return, automated systems should not be allowed to threaten or execute service suspensions until the matter is fully investigated and resolved by a human.

I know I am not alone in experiencing these frustrations. I invite you all to share your stories, but let’s also focus on solutions. What specific changes would you like to see Bell implement to make their company more efficient, effective, and respectful of their customers’ time and loyalty? Let’s compile our feedback and see if we can get Bell’s attention to enact real, positive change.

Thank you for reading, and I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Re: How to return a phone under the Device Return Option - DRO

dks — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 11:54:30 GMT

Thank you for your comments. Have you tried the all the options found in Bell's Unresolved Concern page? I encourage you to reach out directly to Bell management in that way as you have had an unsatisfactory customer experience.

As this is a peer to peer forum, we do not have access to your account or billing information and can not resolve those matters directly. It may be also useful to know that Bell Mobility stores are often franchises or third party vendors and not owned, operated or directly controlled by Bell. That does not excuse your experience, just adds some factors for consideration.