Cell phone users! What service provider do you use? What phone? Likes/dislikes?

Xeri_28 · 10-26-2007, 03:11 PM

Hi all,

I'm in the market for a new cell phone and I was hoping for some general feedback from you regarding your phone, calling plan and service provider.

I currently have an Audiovox 8910 and am looking to upgrade and to switch to another service. I have Bell Mobility at the moment and am thinking of either Virgin Mobile, Fido or Telus as my new provider.

What phones do you have? What do you like/dislike about them? Why?

What service provider do you have? Like/dislike? Why?

As for the accessories, all I really need on my new phone is a camera. MP3 players, streaming video, email, video games, etc. are not high on my list of priorities. Texting is ok but I wouldn't be spending a great deal of time doing it.

Any and all input would be greatly appreciated!

Hugs to all my cysters,

Xeri

BeetleGirl · 10-26-2007, 10:10 PM

I hate Bell Mobility.
The person who receives my call come December to cancel our plan is going to wish that they had called in to work sick that day.
2+ years ago the guy at a local Bell Store convinced dh to upgrade our phones for free and with no fine print.
Well everymonth for the last year I get quoted almost $400 per phone to terminate our contract early.
We move, and change our address, they cancel our phones because they don't have an updated address. Fine when this happens once or twice but by the sixth time....it's kinda of a pita!
They don't have the same customer service hours here in BC that they do in Ontario so at the end of the day when you find out there is an issue, don't even consider calling....cause they are closed for the weekend.
They constantly screw up our bills and take forever(if they even do) correct them.
My first cell contract was with Bell about 13 years ago and the service I got then & the service I receive today....are not comparible.

I plan to give Virgin Mobile a try in December!

Ajani · 10-29-2007, 11:48 AM

Hubby has a Razr from Telus and likes it. It has a canera.

He's had Bell before and far prefers Telus, both for service and coverage.

erimentha · 10-29-2007, 10:17 PM

Telus has horrible customer service. It's like talking to a brick wall. Fido was pretty good (this was a few years ago) but their coverage is a little more spotty in the rural areas. Oh and when I tried to return the freebies they gave me with my phone, I couldn't because I didn't have the reciept!

Mireille · 10-30-2007, 12:27 AM

I haven't had a cell so far, but as soon as I can afford it I'm going with Virgin Mobile. I don't hear anyone exactly raving about them, but neither do I hear all the urgent hatred that gets expressed toward Telus, Bell, and Fido.

megsbaby · 10-31-2007, 11:46 PM

I don't mind Bell actually. The only thing is, you have to be careful who you get at their customer service line. One lady I talked to about checking my plan to make sure I had the same as my DH was so out of it. I ended the call and a few minutes later called back and got a really helpful guy who answered my question in 2 seconds flat. I wasn't really impressed with the store I bought my phone from because I overheard the manager being really derogatory about a potential girl they were going to hire. It was after I paid for the phone when I heard it or I would have walked out.

Ajani · 11-01-2007, 04:42 PM

I hate all things Bell.

Baumann · 11-02-2007, 04:39 PM

I use AT&T, phone SE p990i, I like everything

lumineux · 12-09-2007, 10:52 PM

There should be more choices through more competition next year, the government is auctioning off wireless spectrum to new entrants.

Bell, Telus and Rogers have a cozy little thing going, among the highest cell rates in the world, with the lowest penetration (<60% of us have cellphones). It's sad unless you had shares in those companies, especially Telus, then you did well.

Virgin is a Bell wholesale customer, just with a different Marketing and Customer Service team, but new Virgin customers are reported in Bell's numbers. Their phones are very basic and geared to a young crowd.

I like Rogers for the GSM network (what is used in Europe) as they get all the newest phones, and will be the likely provider of the iPhone, and your phone works when you travel. The TELUS perks are cute (coupons and movie passes with your invoice). Bell bundles can be good if you get Sympatico, ExpressVu etc. as you save more when you use more of their services.

Videotron/Quebecor may be an option for you soon in Quebec... they could be awesome.

Don't sign a long term contract, rates should come down, phones are always improving. Heck, get a phone off Ebay and shop around for the best plan (one that doesn't involve a "free" phone and then stick you with an auto-renewing contract at rates that will look scary in 2 years).

lumineux · 12-09-2007, 11:08 PM

Oh, by the way, your son will likely have a cellphone by Google, with services paid for by ads, and he'll be asking "who's Bell?" It will be a different world shortly

BeetleGirl · 12-13-2007, 12:20 AM

Well I am down to days to the termination of my contract.
However with the ineptness of the idiots working at Bell I have turned it into daily insults and Bell bashing. I really hope that everyone reads the small print and never believes what the idiot behind the counter tells you. I would never want anyone to have to deal with the bs that I have to tolerate over the last 3 years.
Bell Sucks!

dom_is_gone · 01-26-2008, 02:34 PM

I hated Fido. We ended our contract in December with only being with them for a year. What ended that was I was having five to ten calls a day dropped... just like that. Its not like I had a crap phone, but my calls were being continously dropped. My fiance was with telus for about five years, so we went back with them. It's not too bad, my bills have been under 100 bucks cause they have that five friends I can talk free too. My fiance got that mike phones which supposibly its like a walkie talkie, but we haven't figured it out cause no one around us has one of those.

All cell phones has their own perks and downfalls. I really don't think you can find one that is absolutly perfect.

But good luck anyways!