[fobulaus]

I'll be leaving town for a year or so, does anyone know whats the best way to hang onto a mobile number?

Fido wants me to pay $15 a month (cheapest plan) for the whole year while I'm not here, but is there a better way? My contract happens to be up too so I can switch to another company too..

Any ideas?

Thanks!

[kyo]

transfer your number over to 7-11 speak out plan (there's probably a one-time transfer fee)

then you can buy a $25 prepaid card that last a year.

total cost for holding your number would be less than $50 a year.

[skyxx]

write it down on a piece of paper and hold it.

[2 n r]

^
bwhahaaha u beat me to it!

[InvisibleSoul]

Another option is to port your number to a cheap VoIP provider...

http://www.vitelity.com/index.php?p=retailserv

Looks like the initial cost would be $35 and it would be $2.95/month after that... so just parking your number there for one year may cost about $70.

Not sure if it's worth the time and effort to save the $100 or so.

[4PPLE]

call into fido csr and get it converted to a prepaid. (no cost)

buy a 10$ voucher itll last you around roughly 6 months of inactivity, so just refill once or get someone to refill for you around 6 months after that. so in total you'll only have to spend $22.40 to maintain your number

you can refill from a landline without having your phone physically there

[JesseBlue]

just tell fido your cutting your expenses and the phone has to go...watch since they'll give you a year to think about it...happened to me...

[Anjew]

call into fido csr and get it converted to a prepaid. (no cost)

buy a 10$ voucher itll last you around roughly 6 months of inactivity, so just refill once or get someone to refill for you around 6 months after that. so in total you'll only have to spend $22.40 to maintain your number

you can refill from a landline without having your phone physically there


:thumbsup: that is your best option

[fobulaus]

thanks everyone, I think I'm going to do the Fido pre-paid...

[W2K]

a 10$ voucher only lasts you 30 days. So you will actually need to pay 120$ + tax.

http://www.fido.ca/web/content/prepaid/prepaid_airtime_rates

[Greenstoner]

Ya I thought a fido voucher only last 30 days ???
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[Zerius]

+1 on speakout for 365 day at $25.

[CT10]

a 10$ voucher only lasts you 30 days. So you will actually need to pay 120$ + tax.

http://www.fido.ca/web/content/prepaid/prepaid_airtime_rates

the voucher/airtime value itself lasts 30 days, but after the 30 days, even if you don't refill it, the sim card is still active and your phone number is still active for another X days (i believe for another few months)

So all you gota do is refill another $10 into it just before the number becomes deactivated.

you'll have to call and ask Fido how many days that would be as I don't remember at all.

Also to convert to prepaid, there is a $25 charge (at least that's what it was over a year ago when i checked)

[nipples]

nonono. call fido or whoever, and tell them you do not want to cancel, but if you are given the choice of canceling or having to pay out your contract for the period you're gone, you'd rather cancel.

i did this, and fido credited me $675 for the year. basically paid my bill for a year.

[fobulaus]

Hey nipples, were you still on contract when you wanted to cancel? How much was the cancellation fee?

[4PPLE]

a 10$ voucher only lasts you 30 days. So you will actually need to pay 120$ + tax.

http://www.fido.ca/web/content/prepaid/prepaid_airtime_rates


Like I said in my post,

after the 30 days is up, you're allowed to have 6 months of inactivity before your number is deactivated.

[fobulaus]

the voucher/airtime value itself lasts 30 days, but after the 30 days, even if you don't refill it, the sim card is still active and your phone number is still active for another X days (i believe for another few months)

So all you gota do is refill another $10 into it just before the number becomes deactivated.

you'll have to call and ask Fido how many days that would be as I don't remember at all.

Also to convert to prepaid, there is a $25 charge (at least that's what it was over a year ago when i checked)

I just called Fido about this.. apparently theres a $35 fee to go from plan to pre-paid, and another $35 to go back from pre-paid to being on a plan.. That's $70, plus $20 for the refills.. Hmmm

[4PPLE]

Oh right, migration fees.

I guess you should go back to skyxx's way....

write it on a piece of paper :(

[CT10]

Or pay $35 to migrate it from post paid to prepaid...fill it up for $10 and refill again for 6 months

Then when you come back, instead of paying $35 to migrate it from prepaid to postpaid at Fido, just port the number to telus/bell/rogers and activate a new line there so you skip the $35 from fido.

[nipples]

I had 1yr left (675 roughly) and it was 200 to cancel. Or 100 or something. May have been 400 to cancel.
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[nipples]

It might be a lil diff as I've been with fido for almost(then) 10years. And don't worry bout not being eligible for future good plans as I was offered 56bucks taxes in for 450dt mins, unltd eve/wknd at 5pm, 1000txt, 1gb data and a phone. Gave up the phone for more credits and caLler I'd, vm,evm, etc and got a saf credit
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