Loblaws is not Green
I am ready to ditch Bell Mobility because it is over-priced and unfriendly. I looked around at tons of plans, both prepaid and monthly, and my conclusion is that they all suck. Canada is probably the most expensive place on the planet for cell phones plans. There should be a new carrier in Canada, hopefully by next year, so I decided to stay away from monthly plans that tie you down for 2 to 3 years. The good thing about monthly plans is cheap phones; the bad is the monthly costs. The good thing about pay-as-you-go is all of the free stuff, like voice mail, call display, etc. The bad news is expensive phones. So, I had an idea.
President's Choice Telecom (Loblaws, in other words) has a very cheap pay-as-you-go option. It is operated by Bell Mobility. A light bulb went off in my head. "I'll switch to PC, keep my cell phone, and keep my eye out for future deals." Foiled again.
It seems that one must purchase a new phone to use PC Telecom. I had a circular argument with the Customer Service person about this. She insisted that the phones are different. I insisted that the Bell network protocol is CDMA, or Code Division Multiple Access. If that describes the Bell network, it also describes the PC network because, as it says right on the page: "Services provided in PC mobile coverage areas by Bell Mobility."
The turnover in cell phones is insane. People keep upgrading and chucking the old ones into landfill sites. This makes no sense to me. Surely, if Loblaws wanted to be a good corporate citizen, it would permit the use of compatible phones. But, we really know that it is all about profit.
I rarely shop at Loblaws because it is expensive and inconvenient, but I think I might change the rarely to never, if they can't accommodate a simple request. I am awaiting a reply to a message I just sent, but I have no expectations of success. Too bad for them: they have lost a potential customer.
3 comments:
Why not simply avoid owning a cell phone? That's what we do. Interesting thing. Everyone who needs to get hold of us seems to be able to do so with no trouble.
But you might say, well I need a cell phone in case of emergencies. I suppose that's true. Had any emergencies lately? Once when my car broke down on the 400, I wished I had a cell, but then a nice fellow stopped and let me call CAA with his. Thank goodness for good people.
My pet cell phone peeve is the guy at the grocery store who can't decide on his own if he should get the avocados or the eggplant, and has to call the mothership for instructions. Live a little I say. Decide on your own. Take a chance. It's OK to make the wrong choice. The world won't come to an end. You might even have a little fun. That guy bugs me even more if he has one of those blue-thingies in his ear.
That is why I refuse to own a cell phone. Because of them always finding ways to suck more money from you. Hope you find a good pay by you go sometime soon.
I don't have a cellphone. I have never owned a cellphone.
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