Need advice: Desperately Looking for a Good, Reliable Cell Phone Plan in Ontario
 

Hey TFP

I did a search for threads on cell phone plans, and found only an outdated thread from 2003 that gave me no answers/help whatsoever.

I'm reaching out to you now for help. I need a good, reliable cell phone plan, and I don't know which one to pick. I'm going out of my mind here! I never thought finding a phone plan would be so difficult.

At the moment, I'm on a phone plan with my mom on Telus Mobility... on what is considered a one-of-a-kind deal now: two phones, 200 minutes, $20/month. All other features are add-ons, and so the bill usually comes to $40 or $50 per month with all those icky taxes piled on top.

I need to get my own phone plan now, because I'll be moving out soon, and never intend on getting a home line...I hate those so much. I hope to give my share of the phone plan to my brother who still lives at home, and just get my own separate plan from them.

Some of the Canadian wireless mobile plans out there are from companies such as Rogers, Telus, Bell, and a pile of small branches from those companies like Virgin, Fido, Koodo, etc.

I've been reading up on these companies and their phone plans, and while I know what I want, I don't know if it is what I'll get...phone companies are tricky that way, with all those invisible additional fees...

...here's where I need your help! ^_^ I want as much feedback as possible from you guys. Your opinions on your phones, your phone plans, other phone companies, every little detail you want to dish out.

I feel that the only way I'll be able to choose a plan, is from the opinions of those with said plans.

I also have some probably very dumb questions about phone plans I can't get answers to from the companies themselves. Like, Verizon seems like a cool company to use, but its US based. Is it possible to get a plan with them at all? Would it cost a shitload more then? What's the deal?

I was mildly interested in Koodo mobile for its boasted plans, but once I heard it was a branch of Telus, I started to have my doubts.

I'll tell you now what I want in a phone: I want unlimited evenings and weekends, 100-200 anytime minutes, and unlimited text messaging. I also want either a LG or Nokia phone, with bluetooth tech. I've used all sorts of different phones, and these two seem to be the most durable/most efficient/capable of long battery lives.

So please, help a girl out here. ^_^ Don't make me beg. *puppy dog eyes* :lol:

I use Bell, but I'm grandfathered. Therefore my plan is useless to you.

My sister is using Koodo and is happy with them so far. They have a talk and text combo plan listed on their website that seems to match your specifications exactly. The downside is that they only offer three phones and two of them are Motorolas (the other is a Samsung). They do all have Bluetooth capability, though.

I cannot personally endorse them, having never used them, but what I'm hearing elsewhere (from my sis and others) is positive.

You really want unlimited? How many evening/weekend minutes do you use? How many daytime minutes do you use?

Sometimes buying it in raw minutes ends up being cheaper...

I talk a lot at night... for hours at a time with even one person. During the day, I use my phone for work/business. While I'm not on the phone for hours, minutes add up, so anywhere between 100-200 minutes is best there.
I've put a lot of thought into this before. Heh.
Remember, this will be my only phone. I never plan on getting a home line.
As for long-distance calls, which I make often, I use a phone card for that: CiCi. It's the best card out there.

Do you have an existing bill? Add up your minutes spent in the last X months.

Now compare the fixed rate plans to the flex rate plans.

Some of the fixed rate plans give really low per-minute rates in the evenings. :) Some even offer unlimited incoming for a fixed price.

How much are you looking to spend?

My current plan is pretty much what you are looking for minus the text messaging. However, i do have caller id and voicemail. i don't know how much text messaging costs, but i'm sure if you got rid of both these features, you could easily substitute it in. Right now, my plan costs $25-26 BEFORE taxes, system fees, etc. I think it works out to about 32 or so a month...

I've settled on Rogers, and it is a grandfathered plan (4.95 System Access Fee!!) of $20/month unlimited.

But what I like about it is the fact that I can swap my card into new hardware. I don't think that Bell phones have SIM cards. so I keep upgrading my hardware on their annual hardware upgrade ($300 or less) programme.

I do not have email or text messaging though. Look a Rogers if you want flexibility. Also, they are the ones bringing in the iPhone.