My Bell contract just expired and I'm looking for a couple of mobiles for my wife and me.
We're both very light users and only need the phone for the occasional emergency or the "I'm at Loblaws and <whatever> is on sale, how many should I get..." calls.
The basic Bell/Rogers (I hate Telus) family plans (2xSAF) seem to be running at around $55-60 for a pair of phones, which I can get for little/no additional outlay. However, I've started thinking that PrePaid would be a better option since many offer no SAF, and don't charge for callerID and other features. The downside is that 1) airtime is more expensive and 2) I have to shell out for a couple of handsets.
Looking at the PrePaid plans, I picked up some info from;
I think there are other options like 7-Eleven and I think PetroCan, but I haven't researched those yet.
Based on the rates and top-up expiry, I'm thinking that Virgin2 (above) is the best option for my wife.
Virgin has the longer expiry period, but no US roaming. However, that's not a priority for a secondary mobile.
Question now is, is that the best choice for the scenario I've described or are there better deals out there?
Next, what's the best option for a primary mobile, for-which we do want US roaming?
Solo is out of the question with SAF and 40c/min rates. I can't use Virgin since no roaming options. PCM expiry is short. Does anyone have any experience with Rogers? Do they charge SAF and other fees?
Another option is answering Bell's "please come back" calls and seeing what kind of sweetener they'll offer on a post-paid renewal. However, if I renew and my wife does use 100mins/mo ($20), then on a monthly basis, I'm close to a 150min family-shared post-paid plan.
We're both very light users and only need the phone for the occasional emergency or the "I'm at Loblaws and <whatever> is on sale, how many should I get..." calls.
The basic Bell/Rogers (I hate Telus) family plans (2xSAF) seem to be running at around $55-60 for a pair of phones, which I can get for little/no additional outlay. However, I've started thinking that PrePaid would be a better option since many offer no SAF, and don't charge for callerID and other features. The downside is that 1) airtime is more expensive and 2) I have to shell out for a couple of handsets.
Looking at the PrePaid plans, I picked up some info from;
Code:
Solo: $3.95 SAF, 40c/min, max $30 top-up expires @ 75 days
Virgin1: $0.00 SAF, 30c/min, max $100 top-up expires @ 365 days
Virgin2: $0.00 SAF, 10c/min ($10/mo), max $100 top-up expires @ 365 days
PC Mobile: $0.00 SAF, 20c/min, max $50 top-up expires @ 60 days?
Rogers: $?.?? SAF, 40c/min, max $100 top-up expires @ 365 days
Based on the rates and top-up expiry, I'm thinking that Virgin2 (above) is the best option for my wife.
Code:
Virgin2 50mins = $15, 100mins = $20
PC Mobile 50mins = $10, 100mins = $20
Question now is, is that the best choice for the scenario I've described or are there better deals out there?
Next, what's the best option for a primary mobile, for-which we do want US roaming?
Solo is out of the question with SAF and 40c/min rates. I can't use Virgin since no roaming options. PCM expiry is short. Does anyone have any experience with Rogers? Do they charge SAF and other fees?
Another option is answering Bell's "please come back" calls and seeing what kind of sweetener they'll offer on a post-paid renewal. However, if I renew and my wife does use 100mins/mo ($20), then on a monthly basis, I'm close to a 150min family-shared post-paid plan.