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9:46 pm
January 10, 2009
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Hello,
I'm looking at getting a prepaid phone from either Petro-Canada or 7-Eleven.
I really don't need a cell phone at all most of the time, but there are times when it would really be convenient to have one.
I got a prepaid Virgin Mobile phone a couple years ago for that reason but they've been upping prices and cutting expiration times pretty much non-stop since I activated, so I haven't deposited or used it in quite a while. For the next few months, though, I need to be accessible so I'm looking again.
These providers seem like they can still offer what I was looking for with Virgin.
Before getting the phone, though, I just wanted to ask a few general questions about the quality of the service you've received.
-I'm looking at getting the Nokia 1208 since none of the extra features of the pricier phones seem all that useful for me. Does anyone here use one? How do you find the sound quality when talking to someone? I've read the reviews but everyone seems so focused on features and looks that they forget to mention how well it works as a phone :p
-Is the 1208 unlocked? It seems like some models that are supposed to be unlocked aren't, according to this board.
-People have had problems trying to get their old locked phones to work with a SO SIM card, but does anyone ever have trouble getting a phone that was never locked to begin with working with either of these (such as the ones you would order off an unlocked phone website)?
-How's the quality of the network overall? Can you hear people you're calling alright? Do they ever complain about not hearing you?
-How is customer support? It seems like every major company receives failing grades for customer service. Are these smaller providers any better?
Sorry if some of these have been answered already, I've been researching phones and carriers non-stop for the last couple of days and I'm having trouble thinking straight now :p
Thanks very much for any help,
-John
10:35 pm
October 14, 2008
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I was also with Virgin Canada before I came to Speak Out, and I chose the Nokia 1208 when I joined. Now, on to answering your questions.
1. Yes, the Nokia 1208 comes unlocked.
2. All unlocked phones that use the North American bands (850/1900 mhz) will work with a Speak Out sim.
3. The quality of the network (Speak Out uses the Rogers network) in my opinion is vastly superior to the Bell network (which is the network Virgin uses). I find the call quality better, and the coverage is much better. Of course call quality also depends on the cell phone as well, as sound quality can vary from phone to phone.
4. Customer support has been good in my experiences. I prefer it over Virgin. When I used to call Virgin, it seemed that they were trying too hard to use "cool" lingo, and too hard trying to be hip. That got old really fast for me.
When I ported my number to Speak Out through customer support, it was ported over in the time frame promised by the rep.
Hope that answers some of your questions!
Also, here's an excellent review of the Nokia 1208:
http://www.arcx.com/sites/Noki.....201208.htm
10:52 pm
January 10, 2009
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Thanks so much for the detailed answers, iamdrumming
I'll go and look into it tomorrow. I'll come and update the thread with my experience, not that anyone cares or anything :p
Now, to decide between tiny differences of Petro-Canada and 7-11.
Thanks again!
11:04 pm
October 14, 2008
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John07 said:
Thanks so much for the detailed answers, iamdrumming
I'll go and look into it tomorrow. I'll come and update the thread with my experience, not that anyone cares or anything :p
Now, to decide between tiny differences of Petro-Canada and 7-11.
Thanks again!
You are welcome
The main difference why I chose Speak Out over Petro-Canada, is that any top-up with Speak Out lasts a year. With Petro-Canada, only the $100 top-up lasts a year. The $20 and $50 top ups expire after 180 days. I like not having to worry about topping up again for a whole year.
11:27 pm
October 21, 2008
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As far as choosing between PetroCan and Speakout here are some tips.
1. If Speakout is having it's famous "Buy $100 worth of airtime and get $74 off a phone" promotion, then go with Speakout. Since they just finished their promo last month it won't be coming around anytime soon (maybe September, maybe not).
2. If you think you'll never get anywhere close to using $40 per year in airtime (well, $28 per year once you subtract the $.99 monthly fee), then get Speakout since their airtime lasts 365 days. Do you think you'll average much less than 10 minutes per month?
3. If you much prefer the Nokia 1208 in grey instead of black, go with Speakout. (yeah, I know, it's nothing, but since they are run by the same company, PetroCan and Speakout are almost exactly the same).
If none of those apply to you, then go with PetroCanada. The Nokia 1208 is $15 cheaper there, and the airtime is either the same price or less expensive depending the denomination of top-up cards you plan on buying.
Also, if you're going with PetroCanada, you might want to consider the getting the Nokia 2630. PetroCanada has a special on if you buy the 2630 (or the more expensive 3555) and $50 of airtime, you get a discount of $25. That brings the price of the 2630 down to only $10 more than the 1208, and you get a larger screen, and it's thinner.
8:05 am
January 10, 2009
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Hi again, thanks for the responses 🙂
I was planning to go with petro-canada but apparently they're out of phones =/
They're supposed to be getting some this week so I guess I have more time to think about it.
I like that I can spend the smallest amount up-front with Petro-Canada, but I like that you only need to tup-up once a year with SO. I think what put it in Petro-Canada's favour is the fact that their rates are a bit lower. But they could hike their rates at any time, probably...
Does anyone have any idea if they're likely to do that? Because if they did they'd lose a lot of their appeal.
Thanks 🙂
8:13 am
March 15, 2008
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I like that I can spend the smallest amount up-front with Petro-Canada, but I like that you only need to tup-up once a year with SO. I think what put it in Petro-Canada's favour is the fact that their rates are a bit lower. But they could hike their rates at any time, probably...
My logic is that if you use airtime infrequently then it's not that important whether you pay 20¢ or 25¢ per minute for it. It's more important that your airtime lasts a full year because you're less likely to forget and let it expire (and then lose your phone number, etc.)
Does anyone have any idea if they're likely to do that? Because if they did they'd lose a lot of their appeal.
Well we all used to think that about SO until they raised their rates without warning. But then they did and as far as I can see they still have a lot of appeal
9:37 am
January 10, 2009
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bylo said:
My logic is that if you use airtime infrequently then it's not that important whether you pay 20¢ or 25¢ per minute for it. It's more important that your airtime lasts a full year because you're less likely to forget and let it expire (and then lose your phone number, etc.)
Yeah, that's true, I guess I'm not exactly sure how much I'll end up using it. Since the 1208 is more expensive at the 7-11, I figure it'll take about a year for the costs to equal out and then 7-11 becoming more efficient (if I only refill once a year/180 days).
Well we all used to think that about SO until they raised their rates without warning. But then they did and as far as I can see they still have a lot of appeal
OK, that extra $.05 per minute isn't a huge deal :p
This is why it's so annoying to try and decide, the differences are so minor!
7:44 pm
October 14, 2008
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The 1208 is a bit more money at Speak Out. However, I have seen plenty of people on this site selling their new 1208 (with a sim) on this site.
11:52 pm
January 10, 2009
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iamdrumming said:
The 1208 is a bit more money at Speak Out. However, I have seen plenty of people on this site selling their new 1208 (with a sim) on this site.
I've noticed that, but some of these deals seem way too good to be true (Phones retailing for 90 at 7-11 for 25-30 new, or same phone inc. sim card for not much more). Plus none of them happen to be in my area unfortunately (Southern Ont., WAY south :p), which complicates things.
12:12 am
January 7, 2009
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John... check your Private messages!
Jesse
10:12 am
October 21, 2008
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One reason why there seems to be a flood of cheap Speakout phones is probably because everyone got a feww phone and SIM whenever Speakout has its "Buy $100 in airtime, get a free phone/sim" deal.
Existing clients buy $100 in airtime, get a free phone/sim, wait for the promo to be over, and then turn around and sell that phone and/or sim to new Speakout customers for less than they would have to spend themselves.
Works out great for everyone, including Speakout since they end up getting new clients.
11:54 am
March 15, 2008
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Existing clients buy $100 in airtime, get a free phone/sim...
Even if you don't sell the phone, assuming you needed the $100 airtime in the first place, you end up with a free phone that you can use as a spare, replace if your old one is broken or even just cannibalize parts like the battery. And as you say, there's always a demand for SIMs from people who already have unlocked GSM phones.
