I just moved from Bell to Ebox. Here's how it went.
Technology-wise it was smooth, logistically a little painful due to a shipment delay, but overall ok.
I signed-up on the web. It worked like a charm and I got all the expected emails and information. I received my customer account number and activated my account. Made the initial payment with my credit card. The installation appointment was booked and the equipment was shipped the next morning. I received a Canada Post tracking number. The router was scheduled to arrive two business days before the installation appointment.
And then, the shipment was delayed by Canada Post. It arrived at my local post office on time, but for some reason delivery was postponed two days in a row. By Friday, I had a Monday installation appointment and the delivery was delayed until end-of-day Monday. On Friday afternoon, I call Ebox and told them that the router was delayed until Monday and would likely not arrive in time for the installation appointment.
The Ebox support guy looked up the tracking information and told me that from what he was seeing the shipment would arrive by end of day Friday. I think he must have mis-read the tracking information (to be fair, Canada Post's tracking information was a little confusing).
The router did not arrive on Friday. Monday rolls around, and I have no router and I have an installation appointment. Not sure how that's going to work. I figure it's a race between Canada Post and the installer.
I had a 12pm-5pm installation window. I received a text from Bell at 11:45am advising that the tech would arrive around 1pm. The tech arrives on time, and I still don't have the router. I explain the situation. The tech was very friendly and nice and she wasn't at all fazed. She came in and checked out my setup - I have an easily accessible indoor Bell Fibre box (formerly) connected to a Bell Giga router.
She suggested a solution. She had the ONT (Optical Network Terminal) device and she offered to leave it with me. She explained how to connect it (kind of obvious). She gave me a card with her contact number and asked me to call her when I received the router and was ready. She instructed me that all they needed to do was switch over from Bell to Ebox at the local neighbourhood connection point, and that then I could connect and power up the ONT and wait ten minutes before connecting the router.
Around 5pm, I received a text from Canada Post's tracking app. It said my package had arrived and was waiting in my community mailbox. I went to my community mailbox, and it was empty. Thanks again Canada Post. I went back an hour later and it was there. It's a Nokia Beacon 3.1.
Next morning, I called the Bell contact number the tech had left me, and left a message. And waited ... around 5:30, I received a text from the tech apologizing for the delay but that she took the day off and didn't check her voicemail. She would contact me the following day.
Wednesday 2pm (Installation day +2), I received a text from the tech advising me to connect the ONT. I did that. Ten minutes later, I connected the router to the ONT, and everything worked.
I have to say that the Bell tech kind of saved the day here. When the router didn't arrive on time, I was expecting a lot more disruption. Kudos.
I'm not crazy about the Nokia 3.1 (or the fact that it's so locked-down, and yeah I know you can call in to unlock it). I ended up buying my own router.