Best time to buy a cellphone? Might be now

Personally, I think that these three year conracts should be made illegal. They lure you in and then hammer you with loophole after loophole.
I bought a phone on a 3 year contract with an extended warranty just in case the phone were to die during my contract. The phone (Samsung Instinct) was defective from the start and to this day still has major issues with its operating system. Bell's answer is to give me a basic flip phone to use while they "fix" my phone. They just reboot it and send it back, leaving me to do the same almost daily. The phone they gave me as a loaner had all kinds of information from the last person who used it, so if you get a loaner phone from Bell, delete everything yourself, or the next guy will get your info. The extended warranty however does not have a lemon clause so they can fix the phone forever and you get nothing in compensation. Want to just each the costs andgive up. No wait they will gouge your for $200-$400 in a cancellation fee.
Family plans are also a big rip off.
My dreaded contract is up soon and when it is, I will NEVER return to Bell or Rogers, unless they get rid of the $6.95 fee, the per minute billing, the garbage limits on the data plans and lower their rates and elinate the contracts.
The main problem with 3 year contracts is often the phones don't last that long.

Just like the other guy I had huge issues even though I was locked into a 3 year contract and bought an extended warranty. But I bought my phone from Rogers.
It was about 6 years or so ago now and I was dumb enough to buy a phone out of the blue, with no research or anything... So I ended up buying a motorola v300 which the guy said could be used as an mp3 phone (that was fancy back then heh) and it had a camera. I was dumb enough to through down $100 for the phone and $100 for the extended warranty... So I got 1 year from moto and 1 year after that from Rogers.
This is what happened. As a flip phone it had a very simple way to turn off the screen and detect the phone was flipped shut, it had a small protrusion near the hinge that clicked a button to turn off the screen. Why am I telling you this? Cause about 9 months in, after already having buggy phone use, my phone would constantly think I was flipping it shut, as if that button was being pressed. It happened daily, causing dropped calls, errors and even shutting the screen off when dialing, sending me back to home screen, took about 3-5 tries EACH TIME to try to call someone, and then it usually dropped that call.
So this is with about 1 year and 2-3 months left of warranties. I take my phone to rogers, get a loaner for a while, then get called back to swap phones again. What would happen is they would give it back to me and it would be ok for a few days, then get buggy and back to useless.
Like the other guy, there was no lemon clause in my warranty so they just kept trying to fix it.
I took it in about 12-13 times over the coarse of those 15 months. You see, sometimes it worked fine for a few weeks after getting it back, but it was never really fixed. So I bring it in, about a week b4 my 2nd warranty is up and follow the same pathetic routine. They call me back 2 days b4 to give me my phone back.
I get my phone, open it up in the store and try to make a call. What happened? I dialed the first number (4) and it cuts out back to home screen. I try again, same thing. I show the guy at the store whats going on and he looks annoyed... WTF? So he takes it back and gives me the loaner he just put away.
I get a call the day after my warranty is up. Same thing. I take the phone out of his hands, try to dial... glitch back to home screen. I show it to the worker and he sighs and asks for my account info to put it through again for fixing. Heres where it gets stupid... He looks at me in the face and says "Your warranty ran out.", so I just look at him waiting for him to say something else but he doesn't. So I obviously say "well you guys have tried to fix it for OVER A YEAR and you haven't fixed it yet, it should still be covered."
He looks at me and tells me they did fix it and they gave it back and that my warranty has run out so for any tech to even glance at it now will cost the min. $50 service fee, plus parts and labour.
I was livid, I was pissed off, but he wouldn't do anything and the manager wouldn't either. So I leave planning on calling head office.
This is getting long so long story short Rogers told me they didn't sell me the warranty, the individual store did, so it has nothing to do with them but they offered me a v330 as a replacement for the last year of my service for only $60 as long as I sign another 3 year contract....
I was young then, otherwise I would have spent enough time on the phone that I would have gotten a free top-o-the-line cell... but back then I was too young and didn't know the ins and outs of cust. service... Only those who cause the company trouble get anything. Sad yes but its how the world works.
So I ended up buying a used phone and swapping sims till my contract was up. I will never buy anything rogers related or from any company owned by rogers.
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DO YOUR RESEARCH. Look into the contracts/warranties/terms of service. And don't buy a subsidized phone on contract either... They end up costing you more, not less. Seriously, this isn't my opinion but oftentimes fact. Just look into it and find out for yourself.
Save up if you can't get the phone you want right now, wait a little and save a lot of money and headache. Companies get you into a contract for a purpose, to keep you locked up. You might think that someone who signs a contract up front SHOULD be taken care of better than someone who buys the phone up front and does a month to month contract. This is FALSE. When your in a contract your stuck, and to get out you have to pay heavy fee's. Why would they bend over backwards for you? Your stuck. But the other guy on month to month, he can leave whenever he wants and get a better deal, the company will work to keep these people (discounts, promotions, no hassle cust. service.
It all makes sense doesn't it?

My biggest beef is you buy time (pay as you go) and all big carriers give you a certain amount of time (30 or 60 days) to use it up or they take any remaining balance away. To me this is theft. I work overseas so contracts are not feasible. Why pay for something I'll only use every other month. All overseas carriers never take your time from you or they give you a year or more (with $30 purchase) to use it up which is very fair. Canadian carriers could learn a lot from them. The big 3 Canadian carriers are thieves, crooks, and a rip off. They charge too much, especially for data packages. Its less than 1/2 that amount in the Middle East for a much better service. Only recently in Canada did providers allow you to sign up for data package on a daily basis but it still costs to much. I can make long distance calls from overseas at rates less than Canadian carrier charge for local calls. The CRTC should be disolved. It does nothing except justify their pay cheques. They're the ones that allow this to happen. When you talk to the carriers they say it's administrative cost associated with keeping accouts open and approved by the CRTC. That's the biggest load of BS I ever heard.
It's about time they start catching up. For years you could buy unlocked phones overseas. I bought my iPhone overseas unlocked and just transfer my SIM Card when I change locations to avoid the astronomical roaming charges local carriers charge. Rates in Canada are not equal either. If you're a light user (like me) $20 a month is usually enough but because I purchase the lowest amount the minute rate is the highest (20 cents a minute incoming and outgoing), what's with that!!! If I buy $30 it drops to 15 cents a minute. As I stated earlier if I don't use it up in 30 days they steal the balance of my account. It does give you an option of $1/day. To get the lowest rate you have to spend the most $50 / month. Canadians have always been to passive. It's about time we stood up for our rights and sue (like the Americans) and abolish government control.

Bell is a rip off!!! Years ago Bell discontinued my plan without ANY notice and because my contract was not expired yet they put me on same plan (minutes wise) but $20 more expensive a month. If I new back then it was illigal I would sue.

kinda funny I never much had to hard of problems with bell. I right now how the Lg Shimmer, plus for 7 dollars a month I got the SPC plan.( pretty much its you get three replacement phones of the same kind for 50 bucks. Anything that was damage not done by water, dropping it, crack screen was free)) Well end u getting water damage to my original so paid the 50 buck and got a differ one. That one had a problem that when you open the screen it would go either blank, messed up colors, upside down or moving vertical/ horizontal fast) Called intold them the problem got sent a free phone, and sent the bad one back. Anyway did this through five cells all doing the same problem . The last one they tried to make me pay for but after a long two hour talk between bell and the SPC people I got 100 dollar credit. Later on my cell for some reason erased my whole Micro card with all the music I bought, so called in and talked to them and got the credit back. Gotten including the 100 credit like 300 credit.

Did though get a stupid women on the phone once( just got the cell fully in my name and my ex taken off as the main person) had 50 credit from the last bill I paid and wanted transfered to my account. Was told couldn't cause I wasn't my ex and she was going to send a check to the last address which was my old place where no one was living in his name. Had to tell her twenty times no one was living there and I don't see my ex anymore nor know where the hell he is so sending a check in his name to my old place was pointless. After like an hour got someone from higher up to talk to and they did transfer the credit after only five minutes of talking to them.

kinda funny I never much had to hard of problems with bell. I right now how the Lg Shimmer, plus for 7 dollars a month I got the SPC plan.( pretty much its you get three replacement phones of the same kind for 50 bucks. Anything that was damage not done by water, dropping it, crack screen was free)) Well end u getting water damage to my original so paid the 50 buck and got a differ one. That one had a problem that when you open the screen it would go either blank, messed up colors, upside down or moving vertical/ horizontal fast) Called intold them the problem got sent a free phone, and sent the bad one back. Anyway did this through five cells all doing the same problem . The last one they tried to make me pay for but after a long two hour talk between bell and the SPC people I got 100 dollar credit. Later on my cell for some reason erased my whole Micro card with all the music I bought, so called in and talked to them and got the credit back. Gotten including the 100 credit like 300 credit.

Did though get a stupid women on the phone once( just got the cell fully in my name and my ex taken off as the main person) had 50 credit from the last bill I paid and wanted transfered to my account. Was told couldn't cause I wasn't my ex and she was going to send a check to the last address which was my old place where no one was living in his name. Had to tell her twenty times no one was living there and I don't see my ex anymore nor know where the hell he is so sending a check in his name to my old place was pointless. After like an hour got someone from higher up to talk to and they did transfer the credit after only five minutes of talking to them.

bell is the worst company possible.

Telus isn't any better......they overcharge you. I was convinced into signing a $50/month contract and paid double the price. Then, when I asked them to find a solution in lowering it, they said they couldn't help me. HORRENDOUS service.

I would like to have an iPhone, how can you tell from Fake and Real one?
Please email me forever_love178@hotmail.com. thanks millions

This is with ref to Joe H comments on July 31 2010. Canadians as we all know are not only too passive but 100% ignorant. Big business like the big 3 mobile phone companies rips people out of their savings. It is true they don't force us into their plan of locked 3 yrs. But who can afford a phone paying upfront and to add salt to injury the Govt as we know it just sits on their hands does nothing or little to help its citizens. Not so in Europe or Asia even the US or Japan this happens only in CANADA where we canucks like to moan and groan and complain then takes its lumps as tho' it was a nightmare. Then we gladly forgotten about it..take for instance the politician who cleans us all we complain he quits and that is about it.

Bell will also charge you an extra 2$ to send you a paper bill, but they won't take that fee off if you switch to e-billing. I found that out from one of their own customer service reps that is being mistreated that way.

I was a Bell cellphone user because i was happy with the service and many monthly plans over the years. About a year ago I went with Rogers and purchased a yearly $100 (plus tax) pay as you go and so far have used up half and its just what i needed because it works for me.
No contracts - No fees. No cancellation penalties. The only obligation to keep it active is to purchase more before the year is up and any balance left from the previous year is added to it.

I am not a heavy user and won't go back to any monthly plans. I agree with the above user Robert Sherman why are our savings taken away from us by these companies ? and no one cares or does anything to stop this. For years in Europe having more than one cellphone was very common and affordable.

Bell is the absolute worst - they love ripping off the elderly and disabled. I have been in convesation with bell employees for more than 3 years - yes three years all to find out where 2 payments I made went. Bell Mobility has no access to Bell one or Bell. I am now at the "executive" level [the term should be used loosley]- George Cope CEO should choose his staff more carefully.
When Bell could not find the money [my bank has bent over backwards to help] they cut off my cell. At first it was a collection department. I was having a major reaction to a new drug and was trying to call my doctor - I was told you can speak to your doctor when we get our money. Real nice - we were on the highway and had to stop off at a hospital. Although still in almost daily contact with Bell, our phones were cut off - leaving two disabled and elderly people up north with no phones and to boot a bill for "breaking a contract" which now stands at almost $700 dollars - the interest keeps rising. For the first couple of years I continually got india - now that really an experience - day after day getting people who did not speak English or French - because they did not have a clue what to do except transferring. One conversation was for 2hrs 45mins. Being transferred 8 times. The executive offices in Montreal are not much better - they feel if they keep igoring you or giving you information not relevant you will go away. They have this week admitted that they have the money it was mistakenly paid to a bell land line we had up north - only used for summer and only used once. They did not send me a bill - I asked and asked - even at a very senior level. Last year, a Mr. Warburton's office sent me a cheque for $100 but still no bill. Thus proving that bell will take your money - give no receipt of services provided and have an accounting system which cannot be accessed by the only people you are allowed to speak to in India. To reitterate they feel they can sluff off the elderly and disabled, take advantage of them. Mr. Cope's first action should be to remove all call revew systems from staff phones - I had one customer service person brag that she didn't need to take calls she didn't want to. At least Rogers gives you real live people they employee in Canada - and they do try. By the way when I cancelled my internet with Bell - I could no longer access my contacts - encrypted?

Pauline