My experience in our family with different companies, since we often buy phones outright, is that they all require you to take on a plan to buy it from them - this lies in the old "locked phone model", which is still in place until tomorrow - who knows what will happen. In the past, most companies wouldn't let you unlock your phone until 90 days after activation so that "you can fully experience the features of their network". This would be true these days as all the networks now support some phone features while not others on phones purchased outside their networks, for things like Google rich text communications, or WI Fi calling.
Tomorrow all the rules change, but we may still see that you may not get the full feature set if not bought through them, and it still doesn't stop them from saying you can only buy a phone with a plan, even if no term, and yes, now that it is unlocked, you could walk away the next day - There is no 30 day notice to cancel plans anymore as ordered by CRTC, so you could buy the phone on no term price and then cancel - the past practice was you couldn't unlock a plan phone for 90 days, but you were allowed to (under CRTC) to unlock immediately (if I recall correctly) - it is all moot tomorrow, and who knows what fine print will be in place that slips through the rules, then we appeal to CRTC and get it changed again to clarify in our favour.
And yes, there are many reps in all companies who really don't have a high level of training - I compare it to my call today to my bank about a program with a third party company - she knew exactly the details of the program, the flaws that were causing problems, and new exactly how we had to approach it and offered to help us to work through it because as she said "it is confusing for all and that is what we are here for to guide you through the confusion" and the problem was not even created by the bank, but the partner company registration process, yet she spent no time blaming them or anyone else, just accepted her responsibility to help with a service that they are part of.
Now wouldn't that be a surprise if we consistently got that from CSR's. Never have I received two different answers from my bank and when they don't know, they don't guess, they say they will get back to you or direct us to the appropriate person.
So in summary - wait until tomorrow until we see what the companies decide to do with the unlock ruling and do remind them plans do not need 30 days to make notification.
Ahh, telecom companies of all names - little competition.
Bruce
