British Expats

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-   -   Mobile phone, sim, prepay, all that stuff (https://britishexpats.com/forum/canada-56/mobile-phone-sim-prepay-all-stuff-453366/)

Novocastrian May 31st 2007 3:00 am

Re: Mobile phone, sim, prepay, all that stuff
 

Originally Posted by Notiaink...honest (Post 4856202)
Call me stupid if you like...but why not just buy a new low end $60 virgin canada phone on arrival? Are you that attached to your current fancy phone you cant live without it?

It would pay for itself pretty quickly over the higher rates Rogers/ fido (the same company now) charge for PAYG services, plus unlocking etc etc.

Rogers customer service is abysmal too, another thing in Virgins favour.

PAYGO is probably cheaper than a monthly contract in most cases at first...given that you wont know anyone to call / be called by at first.

Considering that you're "Notiaink...honest", you have remarkably similar opinions to the sorely missed denizen of Quinte.

Welcome back Iain

dozy_muppet03 May 31st 2007 3:58 am

Re: Mobile phone, sim, prepay, all that stuff
 

Originally Posted by Notiaink...honest (Post 4856202)
Call me stupid if you like...but why not just buy a new low end $60 virgin canada phone on arrival? Are you that attached to your current fancy phone you cant live without it?

It would pay for itself pretty quickly over the higher rates Rogers/ fido (the same company now) charge for PAYG services, plus unlocking etc etc.

Rogers customer service is abysmal too, another thing in Virgins favour.

PAYGO is probably cheaper than a monthly contract in most cases at first...given that you wont know anyone to call / be called by at first.


I did this simply becuase I wanted to be ahead of the game for things like job hunting, apartments etc which can all be done from the UK, so I totally understand this request, makes perfect sense.

rgds


John

acer rose May 31st 2007 4:28 am

Re: Mobile phone, sim, prepay, all that stuff
 

Originally Posted by Notiaink...honest (Post 4856202)
Call me stupid if you like...but why not just buy a new low end $60 virgin canada phone on arrival? Are you that attached to your current fancy phone you cant live without it?

It would pay for itself pretty quickly over the higher rates Rogers/ fido (the same company now) charge for PAYG services, plus unlocking etc etc.

Rogers customer service is abysmal too, another thing in Virgins favour.

PAYGO is probably cheaper than a monthly contract in most cases at first...given that you wont know anyone to call / be called by at first.

Be aware that Virgin Canada's phones cannot be used outside Canada (at present). We have one Virgin PAYGO phone and one fido contract phone as I regularly have to be in the US. The Virigin phone was excellent to get started with and if it wasn't for the US business trips I wouldn't have bothered with fido.

edit: it is actually cheaper for us to run on two different networks than to get two fido phones.

Notiaink...honest May 31st 2007 5:16 am

Re: Mobile phone, sim, prepay, all that stuff
 

Originally Posted by acer rose (Post 4856573)
Be aware that Virgin Canada's phones cannot be used outside Canada (at present). We have one Virgin PAYGO phone and one fido contract phone as I regularly have to be in the US. The Virigin phone was excellent to get started with and if it wasn't for the US business trips I wouldn't have bothered with fido.

edit: it is actually cheaper for us to run on two different networks than to get two fido phones.

When you look at the cost of the phones on the US virgin site ($10 and up) I wonder if it wouldnt be better to get a US Paygo phone too for those trips "dahrnsarf"?

If you can get a slick phone in the states for $50US or less, why are the Canadian ones so much more I wonder.

Notiaink...honest May 31st 2007 5:16 am

Re: Mobile phone, sim, prepay, all that stuff
 

Originally Posted by Novocastrian (Post 4856299)
Considering that you're "Notiaink...honest", you have remarkably similar opinions to the sorely missed denizen of Quinte.

Welcome back Iain

Dunno what/ who you mean;)....just passing through anyway (I think)

Novocastrian May 31st 2007 5:20 am

Re: Mobile phone, sim, prepay, all that stuff
 

Originally Posted by Notiaink...honest (Post 4856719)
Dunno what/ who you mean;)....just passing through anyway (I think)

That's what you said last time. Don't worry, only 9,996 to go.

Good to hear from you.

gibbos1 Jun 1st 2007 1:56 am

Re: Mobile phone, sim, prepay, all that stuff
 
Cheers Steved61,
nice one mate, will have a look. Can you buy a two week pay as you go, or do you just get the simm with a one off payment?
Anybody know how much calls and text is out there please?
regards,
carl:thumbup:

steved61 Jun 1st 2007 3:33 am

Re: Mobile phone, sim, prepay, all that stuff
 

Originally Posted by gibbos1 (Post 4860147)
Cheers Steved61,
nice one mate, will have a look. Can you buy a two week pay as you go, or do you just get the simm with a one off payment?
Anybody know how much calls and text is out there please?
regards,
carl:thumbup:

We just paid i think $29 for the sim card then we needed to put credit on the phone

i can't give you figures but it wasn't particulary cheap

regards

steve

Notiaink...honest Jun 1st 2007 4:40 am

Re: Mobile phone, sim, prepay, all that stuff
 

Originally Posted by gibbos1 (Post 4860147)
Cheers Steved61,
nice one mate, will have a look. Can you buy a two week pay as you go, or do you just get the simm with a one off payment?
Anybody know how much calls and text is out there please?
regards,
carl:thumbup:

Depends who you go with and how much you pay in, but Ive never heard of a 2 week expiration, a month is the minimum on a $10 balance AFAIK. Pay in more, it wont expire as soon. $100 gets you a year with Virgin. Rates are in the 25-40c per minute range in broad terms, but it depends also on the plan you choose...some are the same rate all the time, some are more expensive day time with cheap weekends/ evenings. Texts are ~15c each, not that texting is nearly as prevalent in Canada as it is in the UK where everyone seems to text.

Note that long distance rates are in addition to the regular per minute rate, calling to the next town can sometimes be long distance..depending where you are.

Im not sure the data here
http://www.comparecellular.com/compa...&CategoryID=20
is up to date, virgin is soon to go up to 30c/min, and there are several options not listed here (maybe its sponsored by Rogers:) ), so go to provider websites and get rates from the horses mouth.

Even if Rogers was cheaper than Virigin, wild horses would still not drag me back to the fold now.

Expiration periods and carry over of balances should also be a factor in your decision, cheaper rates mean nothing if your balance expires before you get to use it. Watch out for system access and 911 charges that eat your balance with some providers too.

acer rose Jun 1st 2007 4:41 am

Re: Mobile phone, sim, prepay, all that stuff
 

Originally Posted by Notiaink...honest (Post 4856717)
When you look at the cost of the phones on the US virgin site ($10 and up) I wonder if it wouldnt be better to get a US Paygo phone too for those trips "dahrnsarf"?

Thanks, I looked at it, but I need to be in contact with/contactable by clients and colleagues in the US, Canada and the UK during these trips and I really wanted to avoid looking like the sort of kn0b that is so important that they need 3 cell phones with them at all times! Fortunately my company is picking up the tab for the roaming charges.

Notiaink...honest Jun 1st 2007 4:55 am

Re: Mobile phone, sim, prepay, all that stuff
 

Originally Posted by acer rose (Post 4860753)
Thanks, I looked at it, but I need to be in contact with/contactable by clients and colleagues in the US, Canada and the UK during these trips and I really wanted to avoid looking like the sort of kn0b that is so important that they need 3 cell phones with them at all times! Fortunately my company is picking up the tab for the roaming charges.

Hey if its business they should be buying the phone and paying for a monthly contract if you ask me. I was thinking personal usage / security primarily. FWIW my rogers paygo was supposed to roam to the US, but they never did sort that out. Not that that surprised me by the time I was done with them. Virgin are allegedy trying to sort out a roaming deal in the US, although thats been the case for at least a year now.

liquidsuite Jun 5th 2007 6:32 am

Re: Mobile phone, sim, prepay, all that stuff
 
Just an update I manage to buy a rogers pay as you go sim from a cool seller out there on ebay. They are also setting the sim up with anytime $10 and then posting it to me. So will have a ready to go sim card which will just pop into my phone when I land. Thanks for advice guys.

dozy_muppet03 Jun 5th 2007 6:43 am

Re: Mobile phone, sim, prepay, all that stuff
 

Originally Posted by liquidsuite (Post 4876601)
Just an update I manage to buy a rogers pay as you go sim from a cool seller out there on ebay. They are also setting the sim up with anytime $10 and then posting it to me. So will have a ready to go sim card which will just pop into my phone when I land. Thanks for advice guys.

No problem....makesure to go to rogers web site and register an account for yourself.

rgds,


John

gibbos1 Jul 19th 2007 9:32 pm

Re: Mobile phone, sim, prepay, all that stuff
 
Hi all,
just had a word with o2, and they said they can put my mobile to use while over there, but it will cost £2.99 month international calls service, with this they will drop call rates to 90p min, with 45p call charge to rreceivea call, then 25p a text or 4 of my bundle text to every 1 text I send in Canada:eek::confused::unsure: So I think I will sort something out when we get over there.

Rogers looks a good bet, because we are only going for two weeks and need mobile because I am having a few interviews while over there and need to keep in touch with the wife. So she will need hers sorted to, so we think we will go for pay-as-go?????? What ya reckon?

Cheers all,
Carl:thumbup:

destinationnovascotia Jul 19th 2007 10:22 pm

Re: Mobile phone, sim, prepay, all that stuff
 
Daft question probably, but here goes...

If I buy a PAYG phone in one part of Canada, will I get the same service at the same rates in other provinces?

Just as one bought in Scotland would be the same deal if used in England, as Canada is just a bit bigger I thought that this may be different.


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