I am now an upstanding Canadian and an all-around fine fellow! The Governor General has so informed me at the command of Her Majesty herself.
The CanaDoper Café (2012 edition of The great, ongoing Canadian current events and politics thread.)
You just became a Canadian citizen? If so, congratulations. I got my citizenship in 1974. Best country in the world.
Congratulations and welcome to the insanity. What citizenship did you previously have and are you a dual citizen now?
Congratulations! where’s the celabratory beer? It’s tradition to buy every Canadian a beer (or beavertail for those of you who are not legal or do not partake) upon getting your citizenship, you know… 
No, I became a Canadian the easy way, by being born. I received the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal yesterday for “significant contributions to Canada” (or, as three of my friends shouted simultaneously as soon as I hauled out the box to show them, “You’ve been Jubileed!”). It’s one of the 4,000 allocated to the Public Service from the 60,000 to be awarded, so maybe she didn’t select me personnally, but thanks anyway, Ma’am. For public servants it’s essentially a special job recognition award, but it comes with an impressive certificate.
I’m not sure why this is a big deal. If you buy your phone outright you can select any plan you want. The reason the three year contracts are in place is to offset the cost of the handset so you don’t have to pay $600 up front for a new one. And if you balk at the cost of that, think about what a new smart or superphone can do compared to a top rated phone like the original Razr of ten years ago. I wonder how long it’ll be before they come up with a handset rental?
I do think making customers aware of the cost of roaming fees is a good idea, though.
Yes.
I finally gave in to my 13-, 14-, and 16 year-old kids (although the 16 yo had a phone on a pay-as-you-go plan) and set them up with Bell on some kind of family plan for the three of them. This was in September 2010, and was/is a 3-year contract; $35.00/month each; unlimited text; unlimited calls only amongst themselves; exorbitant rates for all other calls; exorbitant rates should they happen to go on the internet (and risk certain death).
Needless to say, 3 years is a lifetime.
Last year I suspended one of them from the plan for punitive reasons, so his phone would not work, although I was still being charged, per the contract. Unrelatedly, he moved back in with his mother. He now has been on a pay-as-you-go plan which costs him $20/month; unlimited text; unlimited calls to certain numbers; and a certain amount of mobile online data.
His plan, which requires no customer loyalty, or guaranteed term of service to the provider, is not only less expensive, but a superior product.
Not to mention that the handsets we got at the time are not just antiques after three years, they’re practically fossils*.
I cannot fucking wait til next September so I can let Bell know what I think of their contract.
*They each have upgraded by either buying a phone from one of their friends, or paying the $75.00 “Free Upgrade!” fee.
I actually have a lot of sympathy for teachers, in general, having changed my attitude about them about 10 years ago.
But just came across this and it made me laugh:
http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=15780671&postcount=5
Well, congratulations again. It wasn’t immediately obvious in your post though.
I’d litke to buy a new phone, but I do not like the contract provisions from any carrier. (Thus, my current phone is seven years old–i.e. ancient and outmoded; it makes and receives calls, and is supposed to be able to do texts, but I have no idea how; nothing else.) While I could buy a new phone outright, what guarantees do I have that the carrier from whom I buy it will not prevent me from taking it elsewhere? Do I need a three-year contract, given that today’s phones will be outmoded by then?
I admit that I am woefully uninformed in this area. In other threads where our European and American friends have posted, I see references to “unlocked” phones, and the ability to “use SIM cards.” What does this mean? As I understand things, if I can do as our European and American friends can do, I might be able to avoid “receiving charges” for texts and calls. Or maybe I cannot. I don’t know.
At any rate, the news report has opened my eyes as to how poorly (in terms of cellphones) we’re serviced here in Canada as opposed to other areas of the world.
As an aside, when I went to my local Bell Phonecenter to ask what could be done, what I might buy and enjoy; I encountered a young man, maybe 19 or 20 years old, who looked at me, rolled his eyes, and said, “Just call our head office.” He was not interested in dealing with me, an obviously old guy. He would not answer my questions. I have
I’d like to buy a new phone, but I do not like the contract provisions from any carrier. (Thus, my current phone is seven years old–i.e. ancient and outmoded; it makes and receives calls, and is supposed to be able to do texts, but I have no idea how; nothing else.) While I could buy a new phone outright, what guarantees do I have that the carrier from whom I buy it will not prevent me from taking it elsewhere? Do I need a three-year contract, given that today’s phones will be outmoded by then?
I admit that I am woefully uninformed in this area. In other threads where our European and American friends have posted, I see references to “unlocked” phones, and the ability to “use SIM cards.” What does this mean? As I understand things, if I can do as our European and American friends can do, I might be able to avoid “receiving charges” for texts and calls. Or maybe I cannot. I don’t know.
At any rate, the news report has opened my eyes as to how poorly (in terms of cellphones) we’re serviced here in Canada as opposed to other areas of the world.
As an aside, when I went to my local Bell Phonecenter (in Lethbridge’s Park Place Mall) to ask about changing my old phone to a newer one, I encountered a young man, maybe 19 or 20 years old, who looked at me, rolled his eyes, and said, “Just call our head office.” He was not interested in dealing with me, an obviously old guy. He would not answer my questions about the phones on offer; he walked away. His attitude made it apparent that he wanted to get rid of me.
I have been a Bell subscriber (in various forms) since 1987; I have only ever experienced superior customer service. This one young man made me think badly of Bell at the time. Subsequently, I reflected that Bell has done me well over 25 years or so, and one employee is not indicative of the organization. So I’m willing to give Bell a second chance.
As long as I don’t have to deal with that asshole kid at Park Place Mall in Lethbridge. Are any adults available?
Not sure how that duplicated, but apologies to all for the duplication. I wasn’t able to catch it with Edit in time.
Even without a contract, cell phones in Canada are still able to call 911. If this is not of any use to you, consider donating your old cell phone and its charger to victim services or an abuse shelter so that it can be used for emergency calls by a person who is at risk.
We’ll forgive you if you mail us cookies before Christmas.
Spoons, the SIM card is a tiny little plastic chip that inserts into the battery compartment of the phone. The ones we have were provided by Bell.
I am by no means an expert on this, but my kids have bought phones from other kids, and simply transferred service to the new phone by moving the SIM card from old phone into new phone.
I don’t believe you will get service without one.
I could easily live without internet in my pocket, but having mobile email has been invaluable. I use voice calling and text regularly, and unless you’re a photographer you will be pleased to have such a convenient camera which takes pretty damned good photos (Mrs_Doom’s iPhone cam is far superior to my BB).
Before you decide to buy a new phone, I hope you scope out kijiji or some such for a used one, as it will likely have any feature you seem likely to need.
The Samsung models are apparently just as good as Apple, and look identical, to me. I like my 18-month old BB with full keyboard, because it’s tiny (as is the screen, which is why it’s not too popular) and I can use it with one hand.
Ah, Spoons. I’m a few years younger and a few years ahead of you on his curve, but I completely understand you. Remember thirty years ago when we used to joke about old folks not being able to program their VCR?
We have become them. And I get it now. They didn’t set the clock or program the VCR because they just didn’t care enough that they could watch “Matlock” or “Barnaby Jones” at some other time; if they missed it, so what? Send you a text? Why don’t I just call you?
Pass the Metamucil.
We’re looking at our home phone bills and cable bills and wondering why we’re paying so much and getting so little, but we keep getting stuck whenever we try to figure out how do do things better. I suspect we basically need someone like a 22 year old to come figure it all out for us. Sigh. You done with that Metamucil yet?
Spoons. One suggestion. Buy an iPhone outright at an Apple store or reseller. Stay away from any phone provider kiosks or stores in the mall! They are retail operations and will tell you what you want to hear regardless of what head office (Telus, Bell, Rogers) will actually do.
Good, you got your shiny new iPhone. Now go to 7-11 and buy a sim card and an account. Load that account with minutes. Right now if you buy $100 dollars worth of minutes, they add an extra $25 worth for a bit of savings. They also throw in a free phone, but you’ll have to pay shipping for that. Get the phone or not. If you do, sell it on kijiji for whatever you can to offset the price of the minutes a little more. Buy their cheapest data plan. Buy their cheapest texts plan if you like, or just text normally and it comes out of your minutes. You will pay per text, but not to receive.
Over the three years, if you went for 7-11’s data plan and text plan, you will save about three hundred dollars. Sure, not much, but better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick. If you don’t text much, the savings will be greater. You own your phone outright and you only pay for what you actually use.
Make sure you avail yourself of free wifi whenever you can and you’ll keep your data usage outlay low as well. Starbucks, Safeway, Shaw serviced neighbourhoods, work, home. I rarely use the data on my phone, and I am paying dearly for my frugality.
Why yes, I didn’t follow my own advice. D’oh!
I found the whole cell phone negotiation to be so confusing that I ended up confusing the sales person. A few days after the contract was made, the phone company tried to cancel it.
The phone company is a major headache for me – just one problem after another.
I think there is a setting on the phone for that, to automatically find a wifi hotspot and use that rather than paid data minutes.