The Unofficial 7-Eleven Speak Out Wireless Canada Consumer Page 
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9:44 pm
Hi folks -- just bought my SO phone. I'm not clear from the SO webpage as to something. I'm a 705 area code. I'll be travelling across Canada this summer. I'll need to call the UK. I'm inclined to use justdial.ca or Yak for my LD calls...but... the SO site suggests that you ALWAYS pay LD rates (on top of airtime) when outside your own area code. So my fear is instead of AIRTIME plus 2.5 cents/min (justdial.ca rate), I'll pay AIRTIME plus SO long distance to access Yak/Justdial plus the 2.5 cents/min charged by justdial. I'm hoping I've got this wrong...can someone confirm? Many thanks.
11:06 pm
I've just ascertained from SO that I will indeed be charged AIRTIME plus CDN LD (ie total 45 cents/min) when accessing Yak, Justdial or any of those third party LD providers through a local access number. ANd I've just contacted Yak, and they don't have a Canada-wide toll free number; while they have some toll free numbers, they're restricted to use in areas where they don't have local access numbers. Hmm. Not good.
So I started Googling and found a company called OneSuite.com which seems to provide one toll free number for all of Canada. Their rate is slightly cheaper if you use a local access number...but from an SO phone, it's still way better to use their toll free number to call internationally from an SO phone which is roaming outside of its area code.
Has anyone had any experience with OneSuite.com or any other provider that gives you a Canada-wide toll free number to use for international calls while outside your SO area code?
11:19 pm
October 14, 2008
Offline
Yes, I used to use OneSuite. They were ok, but the one thing I didn't like (and that goes with most similar companies) is that your funds expire after a certain time. I believe it was 6 months or so. That's why I went with JustDial.ca. The funds in your account never expire.
JustDial has better rates than OneSuite as well. 2.5 cents/minute compared to 3.5 cents/minute. And you are right, it does not matter which company you go with, when using your SO cell, you will get charged the LD SO rates when making an outgoing call outside your local calling area.
JustDial has toll-free numbers as well, found here:
https://shop.goldline.net/daccess/accessnum.asp
No, I do not work for JustDial
I did lots of research before I chose them though, mostly for their no expiry accounts and decent rates, which are in my opinion, two of the biggest things to look for in a company.
12:29 am
Hi -- the link doesn't seem to work, but I agree, Justdial.ca has the best rates. However, those rates are only decent when you're using your cell phone in your own area code area. When you are roaming elsewhere in Canada (ie outside your area code), the only way to get int'l LD rates is to call a toll free number. When you do that, you only get charged for airtime. And then, of course, you pay the LD rate charged by the third party provider you've just called toll free! But to give you an idea, to the UK, I'd pay:
Using Justdial/Yak or any other company with a local access number (ie no toll free number): 25cents/min airtime + 20 cents/min LD to call the "local" access number (which isn't local to me as I'm travelling outside my area code) + the rate charged by JustDial/Yak (about 2.5 cents/min). Total: about 47.5cents/min.
Compared to SO's rate of 25 cents/min airtime + 83 cents/min LD (total: $1.08/min), the above looks good.
But using OneSuite.com, it looks like I'll pay: 20cents/min airtime + toll free number (no charge on SO) + 3.7 cents (US...so about 4.3 cents/min Cdn). Total: 24.3 cents/min. So using OneSuite looks like it makes huge sense for those of us needing to call international LD when we're outside our own area codes within Canada.
I'm testing the waters here...if someone can show me that I'm wrong, please do so! I'd rather hear it from you than on my credit card statement!
1:52 pm
I use YAK.ca (at home) and, they have a service (free) (called a call back service- specifically for Cell Phones), where you call one of their numbers, it rings busy(so you don't pay anything), and then it calls you back (from a local Number). And when you answer it you get a dial tone, and then you dial your LD call and get charged at their 3 cents a minute rate (charged to your YAK a/c).
All you have to do set up an AC with them (you can pay by CC or get a bill each month and pay), they will also give you a calling card (for land lines) - just remember to "register" your cell phone number with their call- back service.
ps. I don't work for ANY phone company.
5:04 pm
October 14, 2008
Offline
Hi Kate,
Sorry the link didn't work. JustDial has toll-free numbers as well. I use them all the time. I tried the link again, and it did work for me. You can try this one:
http://www.justdial.ca/home.html
Then click on Just Dial Long Distance. You can then choose the Canadian site, where you will see the rates, as well as the access numbers.
As I have tested it myself, it won't matter if you dial a number that's local to the area you are in, or a toll-free number, if you dial ANY number outside your local calling area, you will be charged the long distance rate. At least that's what happened I on my trips just a few weeks ago.
My phone is based in Niagara Falls, and while I was in Montreal, I called a toll-free number (phone banking), and I can assure you I was deducted the long distance rate. That's my experience anyways.
ANY outgoing calls made outside your local calling area are rated as long distance calls.
1:42 am
July 7, 2009
Offline
Onesuite expiration policy has been changed. Now you don't need to put money to your account to get another 6 months. You just need to use your account and it automatically adjust the expiration 6 months from that date. So no more expiration worries if you are using your account once every 6 months.
And "using your account" can be through an outgoing fax, voip or prepaid calling card service.
Onesuite local access number rate from Canada to UK is 2.2c US = 2.5c Canadian
HTH
9:09 pm
Jeremy/ Iamdrumming
Thanks for your very helpful responses. I called customer service and they assured me that a call to a toll free number made by me outside my own area code would only incur airtime (ie 25 cents/min). See:
Airtime Rates
From 20c/minute for both outgoing and incoming local calls.*
[...]
Airtime
How much does it cost to call a Toll Free number (1-8xx)?
All local airtime rates referred to above under Rates apply.
See here for the Speak Out page reference.
The language above suggests that they would only charge air time, not LD on top of that air time. Moreover, this is consistent with what customer service confirmed for me on the phone. If they charged you otherwise, I think they are up against a consumer law issue.
I suppose Jeremy's workaround with Yak call back is a good alternative...but dammit, Speak Out should not write one thing on their website and tell you the same thing on the phone and then charge differently. That is a big legal no-no...
11:47 pm
October 14, 2008
Offline
I know. I'm going up by Ottawa (well out of my local calling area) in a couple weeks, so I'll make a few toll-free calls to see if it's changed. I know that there can be glitches, so hopefully that's only what happened with me.
As for customer service, it is unfortunate, but I have found you get differing replies to the same question when calling them some times. You just get their opinion at times, and not fact.
I'm not harping at all against Yak, I have researched them, and a myriad of other companies, but in my view JustDial is still the best company and the best rates. Your account will never expire. If you make 5 calls in a week, then not another call in a year, your account and funds will never expire. To each his own though 🙂
2:41 pm
Hi I use this company for my long distance calls. They are excellent and have used it for over 2-3 years.
I DO NOT work for them - i got their ad in one of those envelope stuffers many years ago
http://www.telehop.com/residen...../index.php
1888-835-3467
After reading the above post i thought perhaps the justdial.ca may have a better deal for me. So i phoned justdial.ca and they gave me the long distance rate to India as 5 cents but telehop it is 3.8 cents. Also i make calls to New Zealand and the rates are very cheap.
If you use a land line no access # is required but if only a cell is used then they give you a local access no.
And if you are travelling to another city one can call them and they will give you the local access # for that city and it is the same price as the local access # from your own home town.
If you cannot get them while you are in transit before you travel then you can go to their website and under the home phone there is a list of access numbers for each city you can use the number.
If there is no local access no. then we can use the toll free 1-866-848-9466 number and will be billed additional 3cents per minute.
hope this helps
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