SpeakOut 7Eleven Cell Phone Deal

[leoc2]

Here is a deal for those of us who only need a cell phone for emergency and the odd convenience call. AKA an old geezer phone.

Promotion until December 31, 2011 :
- Free Nokia 1661 phone or $39 off any other phone with $100 airtime.
- Get a $25 airtime bonus with a $100 airtime purchase.
Click here for info.

The phones can be topped up online for a min of $25 that does not expire for 1 year. That's $2.10/month. Remaining airtime is extended on top up!

The 1661 is unlocked and you can use a T-Mobile pay as you go SIM when in the USA. I have the older 1508 and use it in the USA. Here is a link.

[kcowan]

Bell had a promotion on Samsung Galaxy paygo phone at Zellers for $70. But they were out of stock. I took the rain check to Future Shop and got one for $67, then FastGSM unlocked it online for another $10 so it runs my Rogers Paygo SIM ($10/mo). I am currently using it on Telcel Paygo (Amigo).

It is the only luxury purchase I have made in 2011. My existing Motorola was acting up so needed to be replaced.

[Sherlock]

This is only worth it for people who use their phone VERY rarely. It's 25 cents per minute, which even if used rarely will get used up really quickly. And you get charged that 25 cents per minute even when someone else calls you. Also remember that you pay that even when you call toll free numbers. And that is for local calls. For long distance (eg Kitchener to Toronto) you pay significantly more (even if someone else calls you). I think it's worth it to pay slightly more for Wind's cheapest plan ($15/month), which will also work in the US without a separate SIM card.

[carverman]

This is only worth it for people who use their phone VERY rarely. It's 25 cents per minute, which even if used rarely will get used up really quickly. And you get charged that 25 cents per minute even when someone else calls you. Also remember that you pay that even when you call toll free numbers. And that is for local calls. For long distance (eg Kitchener to Toronto) you pay significantly more (even if someone else calls you). I think it's worth it to pay slightly more for Wind's cheapest plan ($15/month), which will also work in the US without a separate SIM card.

What you are saying is all true, but for someone who has a land line (or doesn't) and only needs the cellphone for low personal calling habits..or just occasional use...it may still be worth it.
I don't have a landline, so my cell phone IS my only contact (besides email).

I'm still on the Wind promotional plan $25 a month (includes voice mail and free calling to any Wind serviced area within Canada
PLUS 15 cents a minute to any area (US/Can) not serviced directly by Wind..

BTW..I can also call YAK locally from my cellphone and get LD for 3c a minute charged to my MC, but this applies only to major centers (Ottawa/Toronto etc) where there is a
locally accessed YAK number, and you have to register your cell phone number with YAK to use it.

so for me that works out to $28.25 a month (WIND) for the convenience of unlimited local calling + from my vehicle to CAA,...if I have a breakdown or flat tire.

The 7/11 cell phone plan includes a cellphone for $100 (not sure how tax is included..probably calculated and charged on the calls, as you make them. In Canada, (Ont) you cannot escape paying HST for any kind of communication,
except maybe smoke signals from your own back yard..and you would be paid a visit by the fire dept..even if you actually had that option.

Ok... so if you don't do the topups..the unused cell phone time expires in 365..so thats roughly...$8.33 a month charged against your initial $100 you paid (no included voice mail access minutes) ..USE IT OR LOSE IT.

or putting it another way...
25c a minute + taxes charged against your $100 up front credit..for ALL air time..incoming or outgoing calls.

Lets say, you make on average, 5 calls a month (3-5 minute duration average) and receive 5 calls a month) (3-5 minutes duration average) and access the voice mail 4 times a month for any missed calls..(1 minute duration
each time you access it).

That's 15min x 25c = $3.75 (outgoing) + 15min x 25c =$3.75 (incoming) + voice mail access (4 mins) $1.00 ...about $8.50 a month + taxes charged against
the initial $100 credit..so lets see..thats roughly $11.00 a month of usage charged against the $100 credit..
...so that $100 credit you paid up front ( + free cell phone included) is only going to last you 9 months (approximately), and you will need to top up.

Note: this is only local access air time..
LD rates apply on top of that, but if you seldom ever make any LD calls or register with YAK, you don't have to include LD into the equation....

so for an old geezer like me...hmmm???
WIND: $20 a month ($15 + $5 voice mail charge) = $20 + taxes = $22.60 monthly for unlimited cell phone within Wind calling areas
(15c a minute for other LD calls)
Wind (lowest cell phone tier will cost me $22.60 a month.)

OTOH
7/11 prepaid plan (roughly $8.50 a month..for very minimal calling)..it WILL cost more if the air time goes up (at 25c a minute air time rate!)..
If you spend 5 minutes a week placing outgoing calls and 5 minutes a week receiving incoming calls..that's 20 + 20 + 10 min for voice mail access..
that's roughly 50 minutes a month of air time...$12.50 + 13% taxes added against the air time = $16.25 a month with 7/11

So if I leave WIND and go with the 7/11 prepay/topup scheme..my infrequent calls will on average cost me..

$22.60 (Wind) vs $16.25 (7/11)..

that's roughly a savings of $6.35 a month over the fixed Wind plan...

or putting it another way..

$6.35 a month or $76 a year saved on my 33% reduced month pension...

Did I miss anything?

[Jungle]

I stand behind 7-11 speakout wireless. All vouchers expire 365 days. Great for me.

[leoc2]

Without doing any math ... I have been using the service for 2 years ... I leave it in the car ... It is available for emergencies, replies to Honeydo errands, and the odd call. My $25 voucher lasts 1 year.

My wife goes through a $50 card each year. She is a bit more chatty.

Yearly, we take a phone to Florida put in a t-mobile $10 pay as you go card and vacation for a week. We are not retired yet.

We are frugal old geezers AKA frugalogeezers.

[carverman]

My $25 voucher lasts 1 year.

My wife goes through a $50 card each year. She is a bit more chatty.

That goes without saying for the fairer sex, they are just
chatty by nature.

Me... I just stick to business (conversation limited to about 1-2 minutes or less)..
Ie: "I'm looking for a"....
or... "state your business and get off the phone!"..
or..how can I summarize what takes most people 5 minutes to say in one minute"..

After working for a telephone switching apparatus company
and being on the phone 8 hrs a day for 25 years..
I just have a physcological thing about being on the phone any longer than I have to.

but you know...the old story...

In one's busy waking hours..allotting time to talk on the
phone needs to be carefully rationed...

telemarketer: NO! and hang up immediately before they
are finished with their marketing scam/speil (5 secs tops!)

salesman calling...no thanks (10secs)

bill collectors calling: ( I don't answer..leave a message and maybe I'll get back to them..ha! ha!

ex-wives: absolutely no time! (0 secs)
ex-wife's lawyers: absolutely no time! (0 secs)
my lawyer: 1-2 minutes only to discuss their inflated
bill!
friends calling: depends on how good a friend (1 -2 minutes)

girlfriends: ( 2-10 minutes depending on how "hot" they look)

Kim Kardasian: I got all day!


[/quote]
We are frugal old geezers AKA frugalogeezers. [/QUOTE]

ah!.. a new buzzword for the baby boomer generation..
I guess I'm in the "cheapoldcrankygeezer" catagory

[Addy]

I buy one $100 card a year, when they have the 'buy a $100 airtime card and get a free phone deal'. The phone comes with $5 on it already. I'm on my third free phone and although the reception is not as good as hubby's iPhone (same provider), it works for what I need it to do.

I like that you can now top up online too, handy.

Would like to hear more about t-mobile in the US, can I buy a sim card anywhere in person?

[leoc2]

Would like to hear more about t-mobile in the US, can I buy a sim card anywhere in person?

I have the older phone Nokia 1208 from a couple of years back. It is an unlocked GSM phone. That means you remove the 7/11 SIM and replace it with any other provider SIM and it will work. The current deal has the 1661. I provided a link that talks about unlocking it. Hopefully you have kept one of the older phones that are likely to be unlocked.

When I go to the USA I walk into a T-Mobile kiosk I hand over the phone with an expired T-mobile pay as you go SIM (in your case it would have no SIM) and they bring the phone back to life. They charge me $5 for a new SIM (includes minimal airtime) and then I buy a $10 top up. Once the SIM is active you can go to Walmart (or any store) to buy airtime. I travel to USA so infrequently that the SIM expires....so I repeat the process.

[Jon202]

The 1661 is a terrible and cheap phone. I got that deal with Petro-mobility b/c 7-11 doesn't exist in Eastern Ontario anymore.

7-11, Petro, etc.. are all just resellers of Rogers GSM service. Petro requires a $100 for 1 year of service (22c/min). Fido (rogers) is now offering that too on their prepay.