Looking at a new prepaid cellphone service provider

[ssfc72]

So, my long time use of PCMobile as a prepaid cellphone service provider is about to end, this Feb..

This summer they changed the structure/pricing of their prepaid service.  I had bought in Feb 2022, a $100 card for prepaid service that was good for 365 days. I paid a per minute of voice  and a per text message charge.
In about June they changed their Contract wording and started to charge a $10 per month fee, even if I did not use any voice minutes or text messages. I filled a complaint with the CRTC with this change in Contract terms, during the 1 year of my prepaid service.
The new PCMobile service now only has a prepaid service that starts at $20 per month, with unlimited talk and texts but no Data.  One GB of Data costs an extra $10/month.

Edit: I am now looking at the luckymobile.ca (they use the Bell network)  which has a $15/month prepaid plan which includes 100 minutes of outgoing voice (Canada Wide), unlimited incoming voice (Canada Wide), unlimited texts and 250 MB of Data.

Koodo has a prepaid plan of $15/month which includes 100 minutes of outgoing voice, unlimited incoming voice, unlimited Canada texts, and 250 MB of Data.

Looks like I will probably go with Koodo, but unfortunately I will have a different cellphone number.  :-(
Edit:  apparently with Koodo you can transfer your telephone number to your new account with them.

Edit: The Data speed for both prepaid services is 3G.

[William]

What happens after 100 min of voice or 250MB of data limit?  Do you get kicked off, and have to wait for next month?  Or, is it deducted from next month's allocation?

[ssfc72]

Hi William. I think on LuckyMobile the voice just stops working unless you topup for another 30 days. The Data will still work, at a very slow speed, when you run out of your Data amount. If you choose automatic topup, another $15 is charged on your credit card or bank account. There is something called a Service Pass which you can buy for $3 or $5, for each service such as voice or Data or text, for 30 days, if you run out of voice or Data.  Not sure why you would want this, rather than just topping up for another 30 days?

With Koodo, I believe that if you use up your 100 outgoing voice minutes, then you would get charged 70 cents per minute for outgoing voice, until you paid for the next 30 days service. With the Data, Koodo will send your warning messages as you near the end of your limit and then will pause your Data when your limit is reached.

[Jason]

Hi William. I think on LuckyMobile the voice just stops working unless you topup for another 30 days. The Data will still work, at a very slow speed, when you run out of your Data amount. If you choose automatic topup, another $15 is charged on your credit card or bank account. There is something called a Service Pass which you can buy for $3 or $5, for each service such as voice or Data or text, for 30 days, if you run out of voice or Data.  Not sure why you would want this, rather than just topping up for another 30 days?

With Koodo, I believe that if you use up your 100 outgoing voice minutes, then you would get charged 70 cents per minute for outgoing voice, until you paid for the next 30 days service. With the Data, Koodo will send your warning messages as you near the end of your limit and then will pause your Data when your limit is reached.

I believe that's correct, Bill. I think I read it in the fine print.

One thing to warn you about Koodo that I found out the hard way. If you upgrade your plan, even temporarily, you can't downgrade back to the $15 plan. The cheapest plan you can downgrade to is the next one up at $35/month and you can't make the change online. You have to call in. They only offered to bring it down to $25/month after I bitched at them (it was a nice bitching but I wouldn't have it and switched her over to Lucky.

The other thing, and this might be true with Lucky Mobile too, is that they use an automated chat system for support, at first. You can get call support but the info for it is buried. Best just to type in something like "I want a callback" and it'll set you up. That's how they do it, a callback that you can schedule.

I got a great deal with Koodo last year. I needed a new phone so got a plan. I switched to them from Freedom because they were offering a Chromebook for doing so. It was an older Chromebook but unlike with phones, I will keep getting updates for it until 2027.

Freedom Mobile has a plan for $129/year that gives you unlimited voice and text across Canada. $100/year if you're only making calls from within their network. Not sure if their Peterborough zone stretches up to Lindsay. They don't give you any free data although I think you can add it. And it's 4G speed.

[William]

Check Rogers's prepaid plans.  Last time I checked, they had $10/month prepaid.

[William]

Hi Bill,  I just checked Freedom Mobile.  They have $99/year prepaid plan.

[ssfc72]

Thanks for the info Jason.
Isn't it Telus or Shaw that is trying to sell Freedom Mobile to a Quebec mobile provider?  I don't think I would want to pay in advance, for a year's service of mobile, when they might wind up swiching their Network infrastucture.

I believe that's correct, Bill. I think I read it in the fine print.

One thing to warn you about Koodo that I found out the hard way. If you upgrade your plan, even temporarily, you can't downgrade back to the $15 plan. The cheapest plan you can downgrade to is the next one up at $35/month and you can't make the change online. You have to call in. They only offered to bring it down to $25/month after I bitched at them (it was a nice bitching but I wouldn't have it and switched her over to Lucky.

The other thing, and this might be true with Lucky Mobile too, is that they use an automated chat system for support, at first. You can get call support but the info for it is buried. Best just to type in something like "I want a callback" and it'll set you up. That's how they do it, a callback that you can schedule.

I got a great deal with Koodo last year. I needed a new phone so got a plan. I switched to them from Freedom because they were offering a Chromebook for doing so. It was an older Chromebook but unlike with phones, I will keep getting updates for it until 2027.

Freedom Mobile has a plan for $129/year that gives you unlimited voice and text across Canada. $100/year if you're only making calls from within their network. Not sure if their Peterborough zone stretches up to Lindsay. They don't give you any free data although I think you can add it. And it's 4G speed.

[ssfc72]

Thanks for the info William, I will have a look at Rogers.

Check Rogers's prepaid plans.  Last time I checked, they had $10/month prepaid.

[Jason]

Thanks for the info Jason.
Isn't it Telus or Shaw that is trying to sell Freedom Mobile to a Quebec mobile provider?  I don't think I would want to pay in advance, for a year's service of mobile, when they might wind up swiching their Network infrastucture.

I believe it's Rogers that is making a play for Shaw. I guess Shaw owns Freedom; had no idea. I don't think the infrastructure would change, just the owner, Videotron, out of Quebec as you say. I think the feds were requiring them to divest themselves of Freedom to even consider letting them buy Shaw. Honestly, I think Rogers should fix their network since they had two wide-scale outages in 2 years and not buy another one. I'm hoping the Minister doesn't let them do it. We need more competition in mobile, not less.

[Jason]

Telus had a prepaid plan for $10/month - no idea if they still do. I'd be surprised if Rogers had one; they're so expensive.


Update: Telus doesn't have the $10 plan anymore.