Have you ever made the face above after receiving your monthly cell phone bill? Well, I definitely have, but that ended a couple of years ago after I threatened to leave my dog-logo telecommunications company.
(It wasn’t an empty threat either because I did my homework, calling all the competitors, to do a price comparison. With this information, I told said company that I was able to get a deal elsewhere.)
After I said the magic words, “I’m leaving”, I was passed onto a supervisor and put on a special retention plan. 
My old plan was $25 for 200 daytime minutes, free after 7pm, and on weekends. Not terribly bad per se, but after all the features were added + lovely taxes = over $30. And for what? Not much.
My new plan is $17 for 200 daytime minutes, free after 5pm, and on weekends. Plus since they screwed up a bill, they threw in 100 free text messages/month for a year.
Since I’m not much of a gabber, I don’t need more than my plan provides. HOWEVER, Call Display would be nice, but I’m not willing to pay $8/month (+ taxes) for that 1 feature. I’m also unwilling to spend $11/month (+ taxes) for the Call Display/Call Waiting/Voice mail package.
I find these charges to be highway robbery and Call Display, at least, should be free. An Aussie friend of mine told me that all those features are included in his monthly cell phone bill. I asked a couple of friends who live in Asia and they said that an average plan usually includes 300-500 free texts/month.
So when I heard a recent news story, similar to this one from the Toronto Sun, reporting that Canadians pays the highest cell phone bills, it wasn’t a surprise to me!
I’m sure that the majority of high school kids now have either an iPhone (4s) or at least some kind of Smartphone. And I don’t even want to know how much their plans are with Data, texting, and stuff like Facebook/Twitter.
Unless you run your own business, I don’t think it’s necessary to pay for a Data Plan. Sure, it’s convenient to have, but I don’t want to become one of those people who cross the street with their head tilted down, go to dinner while both my partner and myself are on our separate devices, &/or a customer who proceeds through the cash while snickering about something posted on Facebook.
So how much do you pay for your cell phone bill? Have you ever tried lowering your monthly bill by talking to your cell phone provider? And if the data on the news stories is correct, is there anything we can do as a country of cell phone users to LOWER our costs?
I have a smart phone but am currently on pay as you go. Data doesn’t work since I don’t have a pricey plan. At first I didn’t think I would miss having it but I do.The one time I needed directions (and wanted to use google maps on my phone) was the day I discovered that the carrier lied to me and that data wasn’t “pay for what you use” unless you actually had a $50+ data plan. What a difference in answers you can get talking to two different people from the same company! I was originally told that I could remain a pay as you go customer and just pay per mb of data used. Then got the run around before finally being told oh you have a smart phone so to use everything you need to pay $50+ but we recommend the $65/month plan…bahaha yeah right seeing as I only use about $100 a year on my phone right now on pay as you go. I can get wifi pretty much anywhere so I don’t miss data unless I am traveling and forgot my map!
I’m considering wind mobile, but I’m not sure if I am able to bring my phone over to that carrier. They seem to have the best smart phone deals and I don’t plan on having a house phone since I’m never home so I will be using my cell phone a lot more.
HAHAHA that picture is so awesome – totally looks like my parents faces when they first saw my little sisters cell phone bill years ago!
The answer is very simple: Stop giving all your money to the Big Three (Rogers, Bell, Telus) and their phony sub-brands (Koodoo, Fido, Chattr, etc).
These companies just keep getting fatter and fatter because Canadians refuse to shop around for a better value. RoBellUs keep raising their prices because people keep paying. Their prices are purposely set around the same level so that there is very little competition happening. They’re fat and happy with their oligopoly.
There are other choices, like Wind Mobile, that provide far superior value. Since they are a smaller carrier, they are not suitable for everyone. But if you can switch, you should. It’s the only way to send a message to the Big 3 that it’s time for some competition.
Wind has had some amazing specials over the last year. If you acted at the right time, you would have a grandfathered plan with unlimited local, unlimited long distance in canada, unlimited data, unlimited texting all for $40 a month, No contract.
People need to wake up and stop falling for the anti-deals that Rogers keeps pushing (oh wow, free Xbox 360??? Great, but you have to commit to 3 years of paying them exorbitant rates. That’s a non-deal to fool people who can’t use logic and math.)
There are better deals out there for telephone, internet, and cellular. People need to stop being lazy and shop around. Oh, and Wind needs to start building their LTE network so that they can finally support the next iPhone, that will be a game changer right there.
Also, look at the iPad LTE data plans that RoBellUs offer. They are PATHETIC. Why not get a cheaper iPad with only WiFi and a Wind data hotspot? That way multiple wifi devices can use your unlimited data, and it’s way cheaper than paying for the same data usage with RoBellUs.
Do the math, Canada. Cut your ties to the Big 3.
A data plan is very handy, and not for being rude during social interactions…checking e-mail while commuting is one way of making productive what otherwise is a waste of time for one thing, whether you own your own business or not…when I’m travelling out of town it is also a great tool for finding maps, stores, etc. ‘on the go’ (without having to pre-plan every single moment ahead of time)…but cell phone bills are ridiculously expensive. My current voice+data is $75 a month, my contract expires this month so I’m hoping to get a better deal somehow. I’ve noticed Rogers and Bell plans classify evening talking as 9pm or later now, what happened to 6pm! I’m sure most people talk before 9, another way to get more money, grr!!!
Just paid an $83 bill for two phones, our plan is really basic and a retention plan and yet it is time to get rid of one, because it’s just too expensive and we really only have them for emergencies, we can make do sharing.
I pay $120/month for my cell phone alone, it’s an absolute joke considering I use maybe 100 minute max of talking time a month. My plan has to be that high though so I can have enough data on my phone that I don’t go over. I have recieved $400 bills because I’ve over used my data which I think is ridicoulous.. Why even have a smart phone if this is the case. I don’t own a computer & therefore don’t have to pay for Internet, my original logic was that I was saving money by just using my phone however the bills I recieve are 3 or more x more than what an Internet bill would be. So I think it’s time to give up on the smartphone, it’s a fantastic piece of technology but the fact that I can’t get a plan under $50/month with my company makes it hard to justify.
The low population density of Canada makes the overhead very expensive for many businesses. Hong Kong, with extremely high density, is always very cheap with cellphones. Fewer infrastructure is needed to offer the services.
It sucks, but that’s Canada. Some part of the US (Native American settlements) don’t even get internet, you know.
40 bucks a month for unlimited CANADA WIDE talk, text, data, email EVERYTHING and not a penny more. I switched to a new company just over 2 years ago when they launched in canada and love love love love them. No more crazy 300 dollar bills for ummm? roaming? random fee? from Rogers… i loathe rogers.
oh and i have voicemail, call display and call waiting
At one time husband and I were paying over $200 a month for our shared cell phone plan. Mind you, hubby spends almost all waking hours a day with his iPhone at his ear …
I have a cell phone paid for by my employer – its on the WIND network. Unlimited minutes and unlimited data plus unlimited US and Canadian long distance for $50 per month. Not sure if anyone can beat that, but they are only in a few cities.
Only downside to WIND is if you use your phone in one of the areas they don’t cover (example – if I travelled to US) I would pay 25 cents per minute.
easy, go with prepaid!
I’m a teen and I only spend 100$ per YEAR compared to friends who spend 4-5 times that much!
$25+tax
-100 daytime minutes (including canada wide long distance)
-50 text messages
-voicemail, caller id, call display etc
-unlimited after 7 including canadawide long distance
That is with Koodo. It works for me considering that I work during the day, so I don’t need a lot of daytime minutes. I love having long distance as I use that instead of having a long distance plan on my home phone.
my husband pays $25/month FLAT for unlimited calling & text (ingoing and outgoing) its the best plan for us since we have no use for data while we are out even though we have facebook and check emails constantly in my opinion data is a waste of money, just look or check for whatever you want when you get home this plan is with WIND and since joining them i will never join anyone else because its a waste of money, he also gets call display and call waiting, the only thing he doesnt have is voicemail but the way we think about it is: if its THAT important they will call back, also if he misses a call (i.e. his phone is off or just plain missed it) he gets a text message saying that said person tried to call him anyways! wind is worth it! $25 A MONTH awesome awesome awesome lol
“Unless you run your own business, I don’t think it’s necessary to pay for a Data Plan”
Hahahahahahahahahhahaha.
im not sure what this has to do with freebies or good deals… seems a little out of place to me
I was paying around $25 for Rogers my5 (unlimited text and call to 5 people) but it really wasn’t convenient at all, so when we went to cancel, they lowered it to around $12!! After the contract ended with that phone, I got an android with Bell and they lowered the price from $25 to $20. I now have unlimited text and not sure how many minutes, but I have never gone over. I also have access to the internet when in a WiFi zone (that’s all I need since the mall, mcdonalds, etc. all have WiFi!), so it’s technically a smartphone, but without the crazy price
How’s the reception on Wind Mobile? Canada-wise?
am with WIND and don’t recommend anyone to switch to it, very unreliable and week phone lines keep cutting off ,very annoying ,and their tech support don’t know anything!
I am currently with one one of the bigger companies on their City Plan, for $35 plus tax and an extra $9 to get voice mail, call display etc. I dont get data (which sucks) and I hate being on a contract.
Luckily my contract is about to expire and I am planning to switch to Wind. If I end up not liking Wind the good thing is that I will not be on a contract and can go somewhere else. I will be paying the just about the same amount but will get unlimited data, so that is my bonus.
@parent, I have heard different stories about Wind and I am sure as they grow they will end up getting better. I used to hear the same problems way back in the day with Telus.
I pay $20 a month on pay as you go fido. this includes 100MB data a month, unlimited texting, call display, voice mail, and call waiting. Also i pay 30 cents a minute to talk on the phone, which I only use about 20 minutes a month. So its about $27-$28 a month total with taxes and i get 10% back in fido dollars
I love making fun of the people who sign 3 year contracts and pay $60-$80 a month lol
I pay $50 per month, my husband pays $150. Both of us use our phones lots. We have limited service providers in rural alberta, very frustrating.
Though I had a pay-as-you-go back in 2000 for a little while, it wasn’t until I worked for said “dog-logo” company that I got a cell phone for real use. Since we were a call center and not an actual Fido location, no discount
. Either way, I got the minimalist plan of 50 mins / 50 texts for $15. Never have I gone over, it’s just used for quick calls and emergencies.
I don’t have a cell phone… if I need to call from outside home, I use a public phone with my Videotron card that charge my call on my land phone bill.
My monthly cell bill with one of the big 3 – Robellus – was about $75 +tax a month, if I curtailed my phone use and did not make any long distance calls. I now pay $40+ tax for unlimited calling, texting, data, long distance, free voice mail, call waiting, call display, call forwarding. On the very rare occasions when I am outside the GTA, Hamilon, Kitchener/Waterloo/Guelph/Cambridge, it may add a couple of dollars to my total.
Last week my internet went down for a whole day. I turned my cell phone into a portable hot spot, and used my laptop all day to surf, chat, email, do banking, play games, etc, as if I was on my home network. This will not affect my cell phone bill at all.
I don’t understand why so many people let themselves get ripped off by Robellus, when they could dramatically cut their cell phone bills by moving to Wind Mobile. There is no contract. You can get a free phone on your Wind Tab, and each month 10% of your invoice will be applied to reduce your Wind Tab balance. If you decide to leave Wind, just pay the balance owing on your phone. Any balance after 36 months will be erased. There are no penalties for leaving at any time.
The highest my Wind Mobile cell phone bill has ever been is $46, as I was on vacation in the States that month, and used my cellphone to stay in touch with family in Canada. If I am out in a park with my WiFi iPad,I can give it an internet connection through my Wind smartphone. No need to pay for a separate data plan for my iPad. I love being able to use my cell phone wherever and whenever I want. This is total freedom ! This is liberating!
The voice quality is the best I have ever had from any cell phone company. I have had no problems at all with Wind. I would not be surprised if some representatives of Robellus have posted bogus negative reports about Wind Mobile, as they are not only losing customers to Wind, but if Wind continues to grow and prosper, Robellus will be forced to lower their rates to compete.
If Canadians just wake up and switch to Wind Mobile, Robellus will have to lower their rates. Come on people, wake up !
I switched from Telus prepaid flip phone to a Koodo Android phone and only pay $5 more per month.For $20 a month (plus tax) I get 50 Canada-wide minutes, unlimited text messages, and some other stuff I don’t worry about. Me and my boyfriend bought our phones at the same time, on the same bill so we have unlimited Canada-wide calling to each other which is awesome since he’s the only one I call anyways. I use wifi for all my online stuff so I don’t have data. Been really happy with service and call quality too.
Ps. Koodo is owned by Telus so if you’re trying to get away from the big 3 its not happening. I find it strange that the same company can have such a price range.
I pay $11.50/month for my phone – I don’t bother with a plan, & I put a $10 phone card on it every month.
You can do 90% of things through the internet, so there’s no point in having a phone other than for emergencies (I also don’t have a home phone either)
Oh, & I also get call display for free, along with voicemail (only 3, but it’s all I need)
Well we like new gadgets and we will pay anything to have it and be cool . I just use my phone for texting and emergencies . I paid $50 for my phone and pay $12.50 a month for unlimited texting and about 5-7 mins a month to talk for emergencies. i dont need those new expensive phones. Also canada is known for taking it up the you know what because we like it
Telus + AllDayTalk. No contract, unlimited anytime incoming/outgoing calls, unlimited long distance to most major Canadian cities, voicemail, caller Id. Costs $15/month plus tax. I’ve been doing this for 2 years now.
I used to live in the UK and I paid 10 pounds (~$20) every 6 weeks for unlimited texting, and I forget how many minutes of calling. 6 cents a minute to Canada, 23 cents a minute in UK after my limit. I can not BEAR to pay for cell phone plans in Canads and so I don’t have a cell phone.
The reception on Wind and the non-big 3s are terrible and not worth the price. A friend of mine couldn’t get reception in his own house. I would hate to be in an emergency and not be able to connect to anyone.
“Unless you run your own business, I don’t think it’s necessary to pay for a Data Plan”
Hahahahahahahahahhahaha.
^ I agree. I text over 2000 messages a month, and the way my family keeps in touch is through BBM for free. BBM would be impossible without a data plan.
Does anyone know if the wind 25 plan will work with smartphones? I’m seriously considering that plan since it’s the cheapest I have found so far and I don’t need a ton of data.
I only pay 20.00 per month for unlimted talking amongst other users(my mom, my kids and me) for free, unlimted texting and not sure about the min don’t do much calling
Mobilicity. 40 a month, unlimited voice, text, data, north american long distance
Good phone selection(no iphone though)
Tend to lose signal when leaving highrise for a few minutes, which can be frustrating, but overall a pleased customer. Switched from rogers, cause after the old man died(Ted Rogers) their company and customer service went down hill. big time.
I pay $12/month -Mobilicity. The coverage is not everywhere and quality is not good, but it’s the cheapest price.
i have a retention plan from company “woof woof”.
it’s $45 plus tax:
200 daytime min.
unlimited incoming
1000 evenings and weekends
unlimited text and picture messaging
500mb
caller id
visual voicemail
now my plan is not the CHEAPEST (i want it to be a bit lower), however, it’s very good compare to new customers. i have a $10 discount on my plan.
i would say, if you’re with one of the Big 3′s call them up and see if they can give you discounts/retention plan (example, free caller id for one year. that’s about $100 of savings).
Honestly, Wind has been great. Yeah, sometimes the service is spotty, but it’s getting better every day. For $40 unlimited Canada, US, talk, text and data it can’t be beat- plus you’re not locked in to a contract. Also, I’ve had great experiences with their CSRs in the store, so all in all, no complaints. If you live in a WIND zone and rarely use your cell out of one then I honestly think they’re the way to go!
im with telus and have a blackberry with 1 gb of data, day time minutes, free after 6 and on weekends, call display and all the little perks i need. i pay for it though, my cell phone bill each month is roughly 82$ which im completely happy with considering when i was with rogers, i was robbed blind and my first bill was 900$ due to one of there sales personel’s mistakes, after months of trying to pay that off, i said enoughs enough, left rogers..
If you are like me and don’t care about getting a fancy new phone, and don’t mind the contract, when your contract is up you can forgo the new phone and use that to get a lower rate.
If your with Rogers the value packs with call display and voicemail are 50 percent off for the rest of your contract if you add it soon. So 6.40 a month for call display, name display and voicemaill. You have to call and ask for the value pack for 50 percent off. The deal was suppose to expire but they continued it because it was so popular! My friend works for Rogers call centre
My husband and I pay $120/month for our two smart phones with data plans; we are with Bell. I feel like I’m getting raped up the a$$ every time the bill comes!
I only pay $10 a month for mine, but then I’m a pay as you go. I couldn’t justify spending a minimum of $30 a month on a cell phone that might get used 2-3 times a month. I get laughed at because of my phone too cause it’s so old. It’s from 2004.. and I have no plans to upgrade because there’s nothing wrong with my phone. It makes calls which is all I need it to do!
I play about $35 a month with Koodo on a non-smart phone plan. Thinking of switching to the iphone, but on a 3-year term, it’s $65 a month, most of which I won’t use. Hopefully iPhones get some deals going!
Er…pay! hahaha
Ah!!!I was leaving in mexico for 8 years,and there cell phone are really expensive!!Also,if you call to a cell phone from your house phone,they charge you!!!!
big 3 is the worst… but honestly you were being ripped off with your old plan stephania, at 17 your plan is better but next time you are up for renewal ask for more (like caller id, call waiting, etc).
i switched over to mobilicity just recently – big 3 could not match this so there was nothing they could do.
25 – unlimited talk, text, data and 25 credit for porting my number over, plus when i bought the phone they gave me 70 visa gift card.
i’m on the border of Mississauga and have had no problem with reception thus far.
You are doing yourself a real disservice if you dont call you phone company and try to get a retention plan. I get $30 off regular price with my retention plan. ~45 month, 1 gb data, unlm evening 500 wkday mins, cid, vm unlmt incoming., unlmt rogers 2 rogers was going to switch but they offered me this and an $750 phone so that kinda made it worth it to me. I travel for work alot in rural areas where im sure id have no wind coverage.
I never thought I wanted data until I got it and now i dont know how i ever lived without it!
CRTC is letting us get screwed on cell plans. In US and most other countries there are not allowed to have 3 yr contracts, were banned in UK last year. Friend told me in hong kong they get a new phone every year. Internet and cell phone, canadians pay the most for in the world… thanks CRTC really looking out for us
$100/year on prepaid with a smartphone. Wifi’s pretty common now, so I don’t need data.
1 cent evenings and weekends for calls, 39 cents otherwise, but I mostly text ($5 for 250/month as an add-on), so that’s not an issue. Caller ID is included.