Best Cell Phone Plan

[angel_2011]

We used to be with Rogers and Bell for mobile... hubby's cell phone bill was always $150+ every month.

We switched to wind nearly a year ago. In the beginning he had a lot of problems with the call zones - he would not get reception in our family room, but got great reception in our kitchen. However, he doesn't have that problem anymore - seems that it's been "fixed". The max we have paid on his wind bill is $63..... unlimited text, data, and canada wide calls.

[bhlombardy]

don't quote me on this but I think cell phone companies can only charge you a max of 2 months or maybe it's 3? I know there is a rule somewhere for this. So technically you aren't locked into a contract, you can escape

(Sorry, I quoted you... )

But just FYI, this isnt completely accurate. What you are "locked into" paying for is the hardware over the term of your contract. A portion of your monthly service plan fee is also a payment plan for the hardware. This is included in your commitment to their service. -- When you see an ad that says $0 for a phone, this means "up front" cost -- but the phone still has a value, be it $300, $500, $800... whatever. The phone still has a full retail value and they pro-rate the cost of the phone's value across the length of your service contract. Each month, the phone's 'value' drops by that much each month.

If you want out of your contract you need to satisfy two things:

1.) As long as you pay off the remaining balance of the phone's stated value THEN you can cancel your contract.

2.) On top of that, they MIGHT be able to charge you a "cancellation notice" period. This might be the 60-90 days (2-3 months) "max limit" of which you speak.


However you DO get to keep the phone, FWIW. You paid for it, it's yours.

[Dan in Canada]

My wife has Koodo and loves it. She pays $15 per month plus whatever data she uses so it works out to around $20 per month. Not bad for an iPhone. I am looking into Wind Mobile - they have a plan that is $35/month with unlimited data

[valentinabear]

If you work for the public sector, I'm sure you can find a corporate plan. I switched from Telus to Rogers and this is my plan:

$50 per month
5GB data
350 day
1000 incoming calls
200 long distance
unlimited evenings and weekends
voicemail
US roaming at 25 cents a minute

Telus retentions couldn't match the deal and was offering a $70 with 500mb of data. Good luck!

[xlxo]

Bell and Telus uses the same towers as they partner with each other across the country. The difference is Bell misbills and Telus does not.

Personally I don't care how cheap other carriers (ie Mobilicity, Wind). If these discount carriers don't offer indoor coverage to me and my friends.... the service is useless. Discount carriers charge me roaming IN CANADA.

If you research complaints... all carriers are getting record complaints.... Telus is the only one successful at reducing complaints.
http://business.financialpost.com/20..._lsa=d353-07d0

[xbbx]

If you work for the public sector, I'm sure you can find a corporate plan. I switched from Telus to Rogers and this is my plan:

$50 per month
5GB data
350 day
1000 incoming calls
200 long distance
unlimited evenings and weekends
voicemail
US roaming at 25 cents a minute

Telus retentions couldn't match the deal and was offering a $70 with 500mb of data. Good luck!

Dang that sounds like a good plan, is that a 3-yr term?

I just got a call from Rogers, offering me a "better" plan. With the CTC laws I guess I can't renew my plan in 15 months. I don't really want to pay $10 more for 1 GB more of data, unlimited calling within BC and nation wide. 5 minute voice mails and 10 day storage.

[bhlombardy]

I just got a call from Rogers, offering me a "better" plan. With the CTC laws I guess I can't renew my plan in 15 months. I don't really want to pay $10 more for 1 GB more of data, unlimited calling within BC and nation wide. 5 minute voice mails and 10 day storage.

There may be a mis-definition in what they define as 'RENEW'. If you/they mean to 'renew' for a new contract so that you get a new phone at a discounted/advertised rate... then yes, that's right.

First up, the CRTC laws have no bearing on this. If that's what the Rogers rep told you they have it wrong. The CRTC laws were created to make it fair for customers... no long-term contracts (no more than 2 years), and the freedoms to unlock your hardware to change carriers, etc. But the new CRTC rules dont prohibit you from keeping your plan after the contract expires.

When your contract ends, there is nothing that states you cant just keep the plan you're on and continue to pay the same rate and have the same features. You're not "renewing" it per se, you're simply no longer under contract. You're now on a month-to-month, so you can cancel, unlock your phone and change carriers, do whatever you like.

Now, if you want to upgrade your phone at that time you're either going to be hooped into paying full price for said phone -- or then ditch your beloved plan for whatever the current offering is in order to go back under contract to get the reduced price on the hardware.

The reason you got a call from Rogers was them trying to convince you to sign a new contract now, probably by offering you new hardware upgrade as well. They want to rope you in now, so you don't opt to ride out your contract where they don't reign over you anymore. That'd be my guess. -- While technically true you can't "renew" your current plan... you dont actually have to cancel it either.

[xbbx]

There may be a mis-definition in what they define as 'RENEW'. If you/they mean to 'renew' for a new contract so that you get a new phone at a discounted/advertised rate... then yes, that's right.

First up, the CRTC laws have no bearing on this. If that's what the Rogers rep told you they have it wrong. The CRTC laws were created to make it fair for customers... no long-term contracts (no more than 2 years), and the freedoms to unlock your hardware to change carriers, etc. But the new CRTC rules dont prohibit you from keeping your plan after the contract expires.

When your contract ends, there is nothing that states you cant just keep the plan you're on and continue to pay the same rate and have the same features. You're not "renewing" it per se, you're simply no longer under contract. You're now on a month-to-month, so you can cancel, unlock your phone and change carriers, do whatever you like.

Now, if you want to upgrade your phone at that time you're either going to be hooped into paying full price for said phone -- or then ditch your beloved plan for whatever the current offering is in order to go back under contract to get the reduced price on the hardware.

The reason you got a call from Rogers was them trying to convince you to sign a new contract now, probably by offering you new hardware upgrade as well. They want to rope you in now, so you don't opt to ride out your contract where they don't reign over you anymore. That'd be my guess. -- While technically true you can't "renew" your current plan... you dont actually have to cancel it either.

Thank you for the clarification!

Well I was talking to the rep, because I was having problems with my current phone.I was wondering what kind of solution they had to offer for my battery draining every hour, my phone isn't that old either. They said that if I were to get a new phone, I must pay $244 for the remaining balance of my phone + the cost of the phone that I'm planning on getting.

[MTLcouponer]

Thank you for the clarification!

Well I was talking to the rep, because I was having problems with my current phone.I was wondering what kind of solution they had to offer for my battery draining every hour, my phone isn't that old either. They said that if I were to get a new phone, I must pay $244 for the remaining balance of my phone + the cost of the phone that I'm planning on getting.

That is my situation exactly! I got my phone less than a year ago and have brought it to the Apple Store 5 times since. That's a huge waste of my time, but I was told by Rogers that I had to pay $300 to pay off my phone, pay for a new phone AND a new contract.

I was just gonna suck it up, but DH has offered to pay for the balance of the phone as a birthday gift So now I'm researching plans and preparing to call Retentions

[savess]

My contract with Rogers ends tomorrow. I have had very unpleasant conversations with them lately, and am not interested in getting a (much) more expensive plan. I asked if I could just keep what I have and continue with my current phone, and they said yes. Now I see a $1.75 month to month charge.
So not happy with them now.
I need something else ASAP.
I would like a very simple phone for me and my DH wants the new iphone.A
Any advice?

[xlxo]

Have a look at this chart that came out this week. Telus complaints are so low compared to the other major and minor carriers! Is it Koodo or Kudo's???
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/repor...ticle21432273/

Provider Accepted complaints in 2013-14 Percentage of all complaints Change from last year
Bell Canada 3,651 32.20% -6.60%
Rogers Communications Inc. 2,379 20.98% -37.40%
Fido (Rogers) 905 7.98% -9.30%
Virgin Mobile Canada (Bell) 815 7.19% 5%
Telus 653 5.76% -26%
Wind Mobile 510 4.50% -19.70%
Videotron 294 2.59% 1%
Comwave 179 1.58% -36.50%
Koodo (Telus) 172 1.52% -13.60%
Bell Aliant 160 1.41% -1.20%

[savess]

That's interesting - thanks for sharing!

[juju2122]

i guess jesus

[mandolinatou]

I'm with Bell at work and I like the service I get. That being said I am on a corporate plan that costs a lot more per month than I would ever pay for personally. I have a blackberry and I love it. I acknowledge its not as cool as an iphone but blackberry is awesome. I don't need a phone that does more and for handling photos, phone calls, internet surfing and emails its excellent. It bridges with my blackberry playbook and thats an awesome feature to have and my playbook comes with word, power point, and excel installed. Now I have had prepaid public mobile and virgin mobile personally and did not like either plan at all.

[Dan in Canada]

My wife uses Koodo prepaid (iPhone 4) and loves it. Great reception and affordable plans. The total per month is about $18 including data. She doesn't use a lot of data because she relies on wifi in most locations and pays by credit card monthly which means 10% off. I don't know anyone else who has an iPhone that pays less than $20 per month. Obviously not realistic for heavy data users but for those who want a smart phone but don't want a $50 plan, definitely something to look into.

Koodo is great because their "boosters" that you need to buy to get prepaid minutes, data etc don't expire. The unused portions get carried forward to the next month as long as you keep the base plan ($15 per month unlimited texting)