Yay for options!!

So, as you might have guessed, I was pretty upset over my cell phone provider's "service". So today I decided to shop around and see what other options there were for me in town. It turns out quite a few.

My first stop was at one well known provider. They started putting in a credit check while I browsed phones and discussed rate plans. By the time I left the store, I had a phone and a rate plan picked out. We didn't sign any paperwork because while the credit check resulted in a deposit being needed, we didn't know how much yet. Since the person there said it could take up to five hours (why???), I was told that they would call me when it was complete.

So then I went to another place. I was in Future Shop and saw that they were indirect dealers for Koodo. What the hell, I thought, let's see what they say. A quick credit check resulted in NO deposit. Wicked cool! So I picked out a phone and browsed rate plans.

UNLIMITED TEXT MESSAGING INCLUDING INTERNATIONAL TEXTING
(yes, that really got my attention)

My old service provider never had unlimited texting. Yes, old service provider because in my mind, our relationship had come to a quick end :)

DOUBLE THE MINUTES FOR HALF THE PRICE
(you're kidding me, you mean I don't have to mortgage the house?)

THE PHONE WAS FREE
(yay!)

That sealed the deal for me.

So I wanted to port my number over because I had memorised it and everything. The process went in to have it ported over. I signed the paperwork and left the store a much happier person than when I went in.

While in the van, I got a call from the first place I went to. They informed me that it would be a $500 deposit. I laughed and said "no thank you".

A few minutes later I got a call ... from KOODO ... they wanted to let me know that there was a problem with the porting process and that my old cell provider was not allowing my number to go over. Apparently there was already a port out request already made by another provider. That's when I realised that the first place had started the porting process (without my approval). By now, I just didn't want to deal with it all so I got a whole new number. The nice person changed the number, gave me the programming steps and wished me a good day. You could hear him SMILING on the phone.

SO, now because I didn't port out my number (and therefore cancelling my account with ex-service provider), I had to call them to cancel. After being on hold for like EVER, I finally got through to someone who told me that even though I'm the authorised contact on the account AND the only person who calls in to do anything AND that the contact number was my cell number AND provided all information on the account that I couldn't cancel the line because the billing name was not my name. So now I need to have my husband call in with me standing next to him so I can give him all the information he needs in order to cancel MY line.

In the meantime, my new phone was still not accepting calls. So after I finished with ex-service provider (it feels really good to say 'ex'), I called the technical support to Koodo. I was put through right away. I talked to Mark. Mark helped me without any problems. I was done with the phone call in five minutes.

Then I decided I needed to do a master clear on my Samsung Jack. Sigh, nothing in the user manual so another call to the ex. Again I was on hold for 15 minutes. I talked with person who informed me that he had NO idea what a Samsung Jack was and that he'd need to put me on hold to research it. Then he came back onto the phone to tell me that he's not equipped to handle the call and cold transferred me to another department. Again on hold - only 10 minutes this time - before I talked to another person who then fired through steps to clear it. He used high technical terms (thank goodness I work at a centre and can kind of understand). Anyway, phone is cleared of everything.

Phew, that's all done.

And my phone is red :) And it makes cute sounds when I dial :)