# SpeakOut 7Eleven Cell Phone Deal



## leoc2 (Dec 28, 2010)

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.


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## kcowan (Jul 1, 2010)

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.


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## Sherlock (Apr 18, 2010)

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.


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

Sherlock said:


> 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?


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## Jungle (Feb 17, 2010)

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


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## leoc2 (Dec 28, 2010)

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.


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

leoc2 said:


> 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


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## Addy (Mar 12, 2010)

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?


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## leoc2 (Dec 28, 2010)

Addy said:


> 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.


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## Jon202 (Apr 14, 2009)

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.


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

leoc2 said:


> 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.


So it costs you $15 each time you visit the US?
... or you buy the t-mobile SIM (Subscriber Identity Module)once, and only buy the topup each time?

I thought that in the US, the topup unused minutes could be rolled over if you buy another topup card?

I suppose it depends on how air time you use on your cell phone in the US, and it may work to your advantage.. (or not).

Wind has no roaming charges..and you can travel with a Wind SIM card equipped cell phone in the US, and all they charge you is 25c a minute on calls (placed or received) from there..
...so for that $10 that you spend on a topup card for
t-mobile or other service providers..you can get 40 minutes of calling on your WIND cell phone and not have to worry trying to find a kiosk to reset the SIM card in your cell phone.

It just seems like a bit of a hassle?


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## leoc2 (Dec 28, 2010)

Every February, I rent a car and I spend a week in Florida visiting family. No big hassle. I don't want to top it up every 90 days. Now if I was regularly travelling to the USA then that's a whole new ball game.


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

leoc2 said:


> Every February, I rent a car and I spend a week in Florida visiting family. No big hassle. I* don't want to top it up every 90 days*. Now if I was regularly travelling to the USA then that's a whole new ball game.


Ok, I understand the week in Fla in the winter..but why would you need to top it up, if you are not in the US?

What I was saying that with WIND...you take your Wind cell phone with you, and you can even make emergency calls from your vehicle on route..without having to worry about topups and getting a different SIM..

All you pay with the WIND $15 a month (100 airtime minutes included) + $5 for voice mail... is 25c a minute for any LD (no roaming charges) if you are outside of Canada.

If the call is originated inside Canada to the US..(ie:
you are using Canadian cell phone towers), it's only 15c a minute.
$20 a month + taxes) I've switched over to their Frugal plan. I don't mind paying 15c a minute for the odd time I go over 100 minutes..thats 1.6 hours of cell phone time per month and I'm not even close to using that much now.

I'll see how things work out on my December billing
as I switch over today. My $25 12 monthpromotional rate expires end of December the rate then goes up to $45 a month...heck I left Bell for that very reason!

In my case, I have my cell registered with YAK and it's only 3.5c a minute, if you dial the number through YAK's access code. But you have to call a local number for Yak to get onto their trunk line..from Ottawa, or Toronto
or any major centers..it doesn't work outside of metropolitan areas.


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## leoc2 (Dec 28, 2010)

With 7/11 phone I pay $2.10 per month ($25/12). I don't want to pay $15 per month. The T-mobile airtime and SIM cards expire in 90 days unless you top them up.


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## Sherlock (Apr 18, 2010)

I find that whenever I go to the US I end up using my phone more than in Canada. I would go through the $25 voucher in no time. I don't like pay as you go plans because once you use them up you can't talk any more, and what if you have an emergency when your minutes are all used up?


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## Sherlock (Apr 18, 2010)

leoc2 said:


> With 7/11 phone I pay $2.10 per month ($25/12). I don't want to pay $15 per month. The T-mobile airtime and SIM cards expire in 90 days unless you top them up.


Wait I thought only the $100 voucher lasts 365 days and the $25 one is only good for a month? Or have they changed the rules since the last time I checked?


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## leoc2 (Dec 28, 2010)

7/11 $25 airtime lasts 1 year.


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

leoc2 said:


> With 7/11 phone I pay $2.10 per month ($25/12). I don't want to pay $15 per month. The T-mobile airtime and SIM cards expire in 90 days unless you top them up.


I understand. If you only use the 7/11 phone while you are down there and have another phone here in Canada..yes it probably makes sense in your case.

I only have one cell phone which I am now paying $15 a month (down from $25. I could go to a prepaid-buy-airtime-credit scheme with some other cell phone provider..but to me it just seems like a lot of hassle..
...and being disabled now, (not being able to change my truck tires in case of a flat on the road) ..I would rather have a reliable monthly plan where I can call CAA (or AAA in the US) from my vehicle to get a tire changed,
or a tow into the nearest garage if it's a breakdown. 

I haven't used the CAA service yet and I'm paying $100 annually for that, 
but it's a necessary evil in my case.. like other insurance policies, I have. 
pay hundreds for..and haven't collected on them..at least so far.


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## leoc2 (Dec 28, 2010)

I use one phone in Canada and the USA. I swap out the SIM cards when I change countries. My phone is as reliable as yours as 7/11 uses the Rogers network. You won't beat the frugalty angle argument with me  heehee

p.s. I use credit card equivalent to CAA ...or... use groupon/kijijij deal of day ... save more money. Currently on a Kijij deal for 1 year at $29 as I switch to mbna smart cash card this spring.


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

leoc2 said:


> I use one phone in Canada and the USA. I swap out the SIM cards when I change countries. My phone is as reliable as yours as 7/11 uses the Rogers network. *You won't beat the frugalty angle argument with me*.


Whatever. It's your money and your cell phone service. 



> p.s. I use credit card equivalent to CAA ...or... use groupon/kijijij deal of day ... save more money. Currently on a Kijij deal for 1 year at $29 as I switch to mbna smart cash card this spring.


I looked into those CC card "emergency road service deals"..cheap ok, but you get what you pay for. 
I would rather pay CAA the $100 + tax and get the CAA+ service, where they have to tow me up to 200km to my
home... or the garage of my choice. 
I don't want to be stuck in a "mickey mouse" off road garage, for a day waiting for parts... or worse l having
to pay for motel room if its after 6pm..as most mechanics/garages quit after 5 or 6pm..and do
not offer 24/7 service (depending on time of breakdown.

If its on a sunday after 6pm..you are SOL as far as getting your vehicle serviced until next morning...so I don't mind pay a bit extra for the option of having CAA tow me home and sleeping in my own bed. It's worth the extra few bucks
for that feature to me. YMMV..*your mileage may vary* as they say.


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## CanadianCapitalist (Mar 31, 2009)

carverman said:


> I looked into those CC card "emergency road service deals"..cheap ok, but you get what you pay for.


Which CC roadside emergency program did you try out? I have a TD Visa Gold and I've made two service requests so far both for boosting the car. One was done really fast (less than 15 minute wait) and the other entailed a 90 minute wait, which is comparable to what I've received with CAA in the past.


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## leoc2 (Dec 28, 2010)

Many road side assist services use the same set of tow truck operators ... thus no mickey mouse. But I agree ... CAA is cadilac of road side assistance


CC I never had to call credit card road side assist. I am now using ...

http://www.kijijideals.ca/deals/barrie/access-roadside-assistance-1-year-advantage-membership-barrie


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## CanadianCapitalist (Mar 31, 2009)

leoc2 said:


> 7/11 $25 airtime lasts 1 year.


I'm a happy 7-Eleven customer as well. $25 will easily last me an year. And now that 7-Eleven has online account top ups, I'm a happy camper.


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## Four Pillars (Apr 5, 2009)

CanadianCapitalist said:


> I'm a happy 7-Eleven customer as well. $25 will easily last me an year. And now that 7-Eleven has online account top ups, I'm a happy camper.


I was just thinking it's been a while since I've bought any minutes for you.


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## CanadianCapitalist (Mar 31, 2009)

Four Pillars said:


> I was just thinking it's been a while since I've bought any minutes for you.


 Thanks for getting those minutes in the past Mike. I did get a voucher when I was in Toronto over the summer. And I was able to top up online recently.


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

CanadianCapitalist said:


> Which CC roadside emergency program did you try out? I have a TD Visa Gold and I've made two service requests so far both for boosting the car. One was done really fast (less than 15 minute wait) and the other entailed a 90 minute wait, which is comparable to what I've received with CAA in the past.


This was discussed a few months ago here.
http://canadianmoneyforum.com/archive/index.php/t-87.html

I looked at most of them , including President's Choice, my bank and CC company.
Most of them only pay to tow you to the nearest garage..which may or may not be open, when you have the breakdown...and this is the part that I'm concerned about being partially disabled..but still driving.

There are a lot of CAA affliated tow truck operators and garages out there because of the length of time CAA have been around.
http://caaneo.ca/automotive/emergencyroad.jsp


Having a 14 year old vehicle that has known to have brake caliper seizures, as well as a rear brake failure (this summer),and wheel bearing failure a few months ago, (which made the vehicle basically undriveable right on the highway), I am glad to have roadside assistance available from my cell phone call to CAA.

I chose CAA+ for the past 2 years mainly because of the
fact that I can get a tow truck dispatched even at night..if I am stuck somewhere. I can't walk very far these days, change a fla, or work on an engine problem at night anymore.

CAA+ gives me up to 200km tow included and any tows longer than that I may have to pay the difference, but in most of my travels..the tow will get me home to my own home and put the truck in the driveway... where
I can deal with the mechanical failure the next day, by calling them to tow it again to the nearest garage. 

In my situation (partial disability), I want reliable service to be dispatched quickly if I need it. Last thing I need is to be stuck at the side of the road in -20c winter temperatures because the CC roadside assist can't find
a tow truck operator when I call...and this is what concerns
me about some of the CC offerings.


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