Q&A with Chatr

**howard** · 07-28-2010, 01:30 PM

Okay just got off a call with CHATR. Here are some Q&A's. If you have any questions you'd like me to ask them please reply and I'll ask them.

Q: Will Rogers and Fido phones work with chatr or will they have to be unlocked first?
A: Yes, they will work without having to be unlocked (I'm skeptical myself since many Rogers phones don't work on Fido and vice versa without being unlocked first)

Q: Can I buy a Chatr SIM?
A: Yes, there's a $10 activation and you have to choose the $35 or $45 plan

Q: When will data launch/Why no data at launch?
A: They're targeting people who just want talk and text

Q: Any Social networking plans?
A: See previous answer

Q: Is chatr a prepaid service?
A: Yes, you refill using a credit card or via top up cards.

Q: When will Montreal launch? (right now there are Chatr zones in Toronto, Ottawa, Edmonton, Alberta and Vancouver)
A: Fall 2010, they're not ready to launch in Montreal yet so that's why it's not here yet.

Q: If I take my Chatr zone and go to another Chatr zone will it work without roaming? (say I jump on a plan from TO to Vancouver)
A: Yes, as long as you're in a Chatr zone you're okay.

They stressed a few times that they're only going after ppl who want talk and text.

While Chatr is 100% owned by Rogers I couldn't help noticing that they have their own PR and office. It turns out Chatr is run as a separate unit, with a separate office, sales staff, service staff and distribution network.

**computergeek541** · 07-28-2010, 04:26 PM

Sims are priced at $9.99 but don't go to a Future Shop. The location I went to says they won't sell sim cards separately and even with the prepaid phones, they refused to sell the phone unless you activated on the spot (probably because of comission reasons). Best Buy (owned by the same company) gladly sold me a Chatr sim card activation kit and the employee gave me the choice of activating in store or going home and doing it by peforming the task online or by phoning Chatr customer service.

As to the the point about locked Rogers phones and if Chatr sims will work in them:
This is 100% confirmed by myself as a Chatr user. If you stick a Chatr sim card in a Rogers phone, it will work even without unlocking it (I tried it on 2 locked iPhones). However, I can't tell you if Chatr sims will work in Fido phones or if Rogers/Fido sims will work in Chatr branded phones.

**nzoka** · 07-28-2010, 05:32 PM

Is there unlimited Chatr-to-Chatr ( on the $35 plan) like on the Wind Mobile plans where there is unlimited Wind-to-Wind?

**gyozaman** · 07-28-2010, 10:15 PM

1. Can anyone confirm if it is possible to check voicemail on a landline ?
2. Do you call your own cell number and press * or # and then your access code ?
3. If checking voicemail on landline, can anyone confirm whether you are charged the $0.25/min message retrieval fee ?

**BellVictim** · 07-29-2010, 03:16 AM

Originally Posted by howard

While Chatr is 100% owned by Rogers I couldn't help noticing that they have their own [...] office.

From:
chatrwireless.com/terms

or write to chatr customer service, 34 Eglinton Avenue W. Suite 316, Toronto, ON M4R 2H6.

and a lookup at https://www.canadapost.ca/cpotools/a...execution=e4s1 shows that this postal code is reserved for Mailboxes Etc.

Meaning this customer service address is about 6 inches by 6 inches by 18 inches in size.

Odd, it seems.

**MStar** · 07-29-2010, 05:13 AM

Originally Posted by BellVictim

Meaning this customer service address is about 6 inches by 6 inches by 18 inches in size.

Odd, it seems.

Meh. Suppose they aren't expecting much physical mail.

Working for Bell Mobility, the amount of postal mail we got from clients was minimal, rather they opt to fax or escalate over the phone.

**Dx3** · 07-29-2010, 08:53 AM

Originally Posted by computergeek541

Sims are priced at $9.99 but don't go to a Future Shop. The location I went to says they won't sell sim cards separately and even with the prepaid phones, they refused to sell the phone unless you activated on the spot (probably because of comission reasons). Best Buy (owned by the same company) gladly sold me a Chatr sim card activation kit and the employee gave me the choice of activating in store or going home and doing it by peforming the task online or by phoning Chatr customer service.

As to the the point about locked Rogers phones and if Chatr sims will work in them:
This is 100% confirmed by myself as a Chatr user. If you stick a Chatr sim card in a Rogers phone, it will work even without unlocking it (I tried it on 2 locked iPhones). However, I can't tell you if Chatr sims will work in Fido phones or if Rogers/Fido sims will work in Chatr branded phones.

Which Future Shop did you go to? I had a sim activated at the Future Shop at Empress Walk in North York without any trouble.

**computergeek541** · 07-29-2010, 11:40 AM

Originally Posted by Dx3

Which Future Shop did you go to? I had a sim activated at the Future Shop at Empress Walk in North York without any trouble.

Queensway

He told me that they don't sell the sim cards separately which I think really means that he can't be bothered helping me with a $10 product and wanted me to spend more money on a phone that I didn't need.

He also refused to sell me the phone unless I activated on the spot. It's not even that he told me the the fact that he didn't want to sell the phone without on-stie activation that bothered me that much but rather how he lied to me and said that he wasn't allowed to sell it. I knew he was lying becuase the phones were just sitting on the shelf and I could have just grabbed it and went to main cash register to pay for it. That itself wouldn't have been a problem if I actually needed the phone but I didn't and plus I wasn't willing to wait in store for the activation to be completed. He refused to allow me to purchase a prepaid phone. Now because he wanted his $5 or whatever comission on that product (and even though I would have had to have waited an hour because he was already in the middle of doing multiple activations for a customer), there's probably now 5 other people who won't go to that store. Good job, Queensway Future Shop employee!

**computergeek541** · 07-29-2010, 12:13 PM

Originally Posted by gyozaman

1. Can anyone confirm if it is possible to check voicemail on a landline ?
2. Do you call your own cell number and press * or # and then your access code ?
3. If checking voicemail on landline, can anyone confirm whether you are charged the $0.25/min message retrieval fee ?

1. yes it is possible
2. yes, when you get sent to your voicemail, press pound (I believe * is for Bell, Telus)
3. no charge if you have the $45 plan