The Unofficial 7-Eleven Speak Out Wireless Canada Consumer Page 
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7:58 pm
This website is amazing. Thank you. I'd be a bit lost without it since the 7-11 site is US only (as far as I can tell) and the customer service staff seem to be a bit confused.
I just got off the phone (twice) with customer service. The first time, they told me that I could use the phone no problem in the states. Then I read your faq which said I couldn't, so I called back. The second time, they said that I could, but first they'd have to mail me a new SIM card. The new card is free and I use the new card in the US and my original one in Canada. Does anyone have experience with this?
On a related note, the assured me that the phone can be used for 911 service in the states even without the SIM card switch. This seems to make sense as I believe that the US has the same deal as here in that any cell phone can call 911 even if it's not hooked up to a provider as long as it can find a cell tower to talk to. Do I have that right?
Thanks for your help,
Chris
2:44 am
They were right both times. You can use the phone down there, but not the SIM. Right frequencies, wrong carriers.
Up here, they use the Rogers network. Down there, they use Cingular. So, your phone needs to have dual citizenship, as there's no "roaming agreement" between them.
And yes, 911 calls are required by law, though many cell companies are thoroughly pissed off by it. There's people driving around with non-activated phones in their glove boxes, able to access their precious networks without paying!!!! Boo-freaking-hoo!
6:06 pm
Speakout mails us a new SIM to use in the US. This opens a lot of questions. Will the US SIM have a US phone number? Can I use Canadian minutes or do I need to buy US minutes? How much? Are there roaming charges? Do I pay .20/ min or is it .10/ min? Is there a currency conversion? My poor head is spinning like a top! If I use a formerly Rogers phone in Canada can I use a formerly Cingular phone in the US? Crossing the US/Cdn border either way is very much like going through the looking glass... eh,Alice?
10:51 am
The customer service people told me that it would come off my original ballance and that I would just pay the long distance charge (30 cents per minute, Canadian). Since they're sending me a SIM, I suppose they may even be able to program it with my phone number.
1:55 pm
I use my Canadian 7-Eleven phone in the states and it works great! I called customer service and they sent me a U.S. sim card (with $5 of time on it). So, I swap cards and can make very affordable calls while there.
This does, of course, result in having a separate U.S. phone number as well as incurring monthly 911 charges for each sim card.
I just got back from Amsterdam (Netherlands) a few days ago and the phone worked fantastic over there too - and it was even cheaper to use! I bought a sim card by http://www.lycamobile.nl - lots of stores sold it. It only cost about 12 cents a minute to call Canada. Again a new phone number was required, but once I called home to check on the kids I was able to give them the number and felt secure knowing that if they needed us they could call.
2:56 am
March 31, 2007
Offline
For the UK, I fully recommend the Orange Call Abroad SIM card (I blogged about it here). I've been calling Canada from London for 5p per minute.
Hmm, maybe I should start a forum discussing the best "call home" cell phone plans. For some areas, I'm sure a cheap local plan + calling card would be better, while for others, a cheap long distance plan is best.
So many forum possibilities...
2:09 pm
Hi Guys, Did everyone call the Canada customer service number to receive a US Sim card (and how long ago)? I phoned 3 different times and three different people told me that I can't purchase just the Sim card. I have to buy a new package from a 7-eleven in the states.
Any info would be appreciated.
8:17 pm
Mike said:
Hi Guys, Did everyone call the Canada customer service number to receive a US Sim card.
Ummm.. was "everyone" supposed to?
Sorry, I forgot! 🙂
10:09 pm
Mike, I asked same question to one serv. rep., the answer from the person that I talk to was that it was possible, but they could not tell me how much would the US SIM card cost or how to go about getting one. Some of the serv. reps. might be more knowledgeable,... try calling few more time, at diffrent time of day.
3:30 pm
I just tried calling customer support for a US SIM card, but they said they've stopped sending them out since Feb 2007.
Is this true? Has anyone been able to get a US sim card sent out after Feb 2007?
4:41 pm
Just call 611 again and ask if you can use your canadian speakOut in the US. Or if roaming is allowed. Someone eventually will give you a valid answer.
7:37 pm
I use my Canadian 7-Eleven phone in the states and it works great! I called customer service and they sent me a U.S. sim card (with $5 of time on it). So, I swap cards and can make very affordable calls while there.
How much do you have to pay for that??
I just got back from Amsterdam (Netherlands) a few days ago and the phone worked fantastic over there too - and it was even cheaper to use!
Which phone?? I thought the 850/1900 GSMs would not work in Europe?
9:51 am
Any one has any luck getting a US SIM card?
I called Canadian 7-11 Customer Care (1-866-310-1023) on June 30. I was told
"when you are in US, go to a 7-11, ask if you can buy a SIM card alone. If not, you might have to buy the whole package."
I said I read from the web that some Canadian 7-11 users were able to get a US SIM mailed to them. I was told "That policy has changed. We no longer mailing out US SIM card to Canadian customers."
I called 7-11 Speakout International at 1-800-555-2620. I was told to contact 7-11 Speakout US at 1-888-832-8633.
The last number is 7-11 US dealer support group. The lady who answered said "your Canadian SIM should work in US".
I told her I'm pretty sure it won't.
She said she has to ask her manager what to do, and said she'll call me back.
I haven't got any answer yet, but doubt if 7-11 US would simply mail out SIM to Canadians for free.
10:17 pm
To PeterP
I was sometime in January'February when I got my U.S. sim card. I guess I lucked out!
They sent it for free. I didn't even have to pay for shipping!
I go to Las Vegas 4 times a year, in addition to other (usually shorter) trips to the states. My 7-Eleven phone works great!
I have a Nokia 3120b (850/1800/1900). That's why it worked (flawlessly) in Europe.
4:39 pm
Called them on Sep 20 and was told to get a sim card from 7-11 store in USA and that it would cost me US$25.00.
12:40 am
so does that mean getting a free US speakout SIM card is a thing of the past?
1:04 pm
Is it possible to buy a simple new phone in the U.S. (a little more elaborate than the average 7-eleven phones) that would work with a Canadian 7-eleven SIM in Canada? If so, what should I look for?
Wal-Mart usually has good, inexpensive phones for sale but they are all linked to specific American companies.
3:02 pm
wannabuy said:
Is it possible to buy a simple new phone in the U.S. (a little more elaborate than the average 7-eleven phones) that would work with a Canadian 7-eleven SIM in Canada?
Any unlocked GSM phone that covers the 850/1900 bands should work with a SpeakOut SIM both Canadian and US as well as other SIMs. You generally can't buy such phones from cellular service providers, however, there are many places that sell them on the web, including eBay, http://www.tigerdirect.ca/ and http://www.puremobile.ca/
Anything you buy at Wal-Mart or similar retailers will be tied (locked) to a specific cellular provider even if the phone is GSM 850/1900.
