News:
August 19, 2010
Interview on CTV's CanadaAM!
What should students consider before signing the dotted line on a phone plan? The Cell Plan Experts speak to CTV's Pat Foran about how students can find the best plan for them. You can view the clip here at CanadaAM or read the accompanying article. This story was also broadcast nationally on the evening news!
CellPlanExpert.ca is a free online tool that helps consumers with the process of comparing cell plans and determining which ones will give them the most value. And of course, if you're a student, you can be sure that we currently have all the latest "back to school" promotions in our database.
September 23, 2009
The Tiny Phone, the Fine Print & the Big Bills
As founders of cellplanexpert.ca, we were invited to participate as industry experts by Costos Halavrezos on the CBC Maritime at Noon radio show yesterday. Listen in as consumers answer the question, "What do you think would help deliver affordable cellphone service?" It's about 11 minutes into this podcast. Also, some interesting follow-up and our response the next day
We like to think that cellplanexpert.ca will be part of the solution. By allowing consumers to actually compare prices (without spending weeks becoming experts themselves), we aim to encourage carriers to compete more on price. In addition, as new companies build new wireless networks and debut new services in the coming months, we will continue to help Canadian consumers navigate the many choices, identify new opportunities for savings, and help make sure they are getting the best possible value for their money.
December 16, 2009
David and Alexa Lemstra, Creators of CellPlanExpert.ca
Listen to our conversation on CBC radio show "Ontario Today" to find out how to make sure you're getting the best cell plan deal on the market.
Let the competition begin. In light of new entrant, Globalive, to the telecommunications market, CBC radio "Ontario Today" asked the creators of CellPlanExpert.ca to answer listener's questions about how to find the best cell plan for them. Know how you use our phone, be aware of different providers in your area, and let us help!
September 23, 2009
The Tiny Phone, the Fine Print & the Big Bills
As founders of cellplanexpert.ca, we were invited to participate as industry experts by Costos Halavrezos on the CBC Maritime at Noon radio show yesterday. Listen in as consumers answer the question, "What do you think would help deliver affordable cellphone service?" It's about 11 minutes into this podcast. Also, some interesting follow-up and our response the next day
We like to think that cellplanexpert.ca will be part of the solution. By allowing consumers to actually compare prices (without spending weeks becoming experts themselves), we aim to encourage carriers to compete more on price. In addition, as new companies build new wireless networks and debut new services in the coming months, we will continue to help Canadian consumers navigate the many choices, identify new opportunities for savings, and help make sure they are getting the best possible value for their money.
September 12, 2009
CBC News Article!
cellplanexpert.ca is in the news!
CBC News senior science and technology writer Peter Nowak contacted the Cell Plan Expert to find out about our cell plan calculator and how it compares to the one recently canceled by Industry Canada.
We were surprised when Mr. Nowak reported that the government spent $1.4 million on their calculator. Well, kind of. Having built one ourselves, we are quite aware of the effort involved.
The Cell Plan Expert isn't just a comparison shopping tool, it is also an “optimizer”. It works its way through literally millions of option combinations (about 7 million currently) to figure out how to lower the monthly price of each plan based on your profile. That means consulting the Cell Plan Expert will not only save you time, but it can also reduce your monthly bill by a significant percentage.
It's a good idea to take the time to fill out the profile as best you can. The more the Cell Plan Expert knows, the better it can use its vast knowledge to figure out which options will save you money.
With all the attention lately, the calculator is getting a little overworked. Given the amount of effort it's expending on your behalf, we hope you'll cut it a little slack if it takes a while to get your results.
Let us know what you think through the Feedback page!
September 3, 2009
Press Release:
Canadians could use a cell plan calculator, but who should provide it?
Hamilton, On, September 3rd - The Canadian government has recently reported failed efforts to provide citizens with a calculator tool to research and evaluate mobile phone plans. As a company that is currently providing a similar service, the cellplanexpert.ca understands that mobile phone plans are exceedingly complicated and that Canadian consumers are regularly frustrated when trying to research and compare them.
Though Industry Canada's earlier concern for consumer well-being is commendable, the government's involvement would likely have raised some serious conflicts undermining the usefulness of the now-abandoned cell plan calculator. If the government service had fallen short in the quality of their estimates or consideration of complicated features and options, or passed along out-of-date or otherwise incorrect information, they would have risked misleading the public or creating an unfair bias to wireless providers. If such a service were operated by Industry Canada, its government affiliation would risk it becoming the de facto clearing house for mobile-phone plan information upon which consumers might unjustifiably expect the government to be the last word on the best mobile plan for them. It's even possible that innovation might be curbed should the government be unwilling or unable to adapt its calculator to new pricing models that providers might otherwise experiment with.
Though it may be for the best that Industry Canada backed out, cellplanexpert.ca is prepared to meet the challenge. "This is really a business opportunity for private business to respond to a need in the marketplace. We have developed a high-quality, unbiased product to help cell phone users determine what plans are best for them. We are directly accountable to consumers because we will succeed or fail on the merit of our service, and all at no expense to the taxpayer." states David Lemstra, the founding entrepreneur. "With our calculator, Canadians will have unprecedented access to comprehensive, accurate, and timely information about cell plans, as well as a powerful tool to make sense of it all"
About cellplanexpert.ca:
Just finished graduate school and nearly broke, Mr. Lemstra set out to find an affordable cell phone plan. He soon realized, as most hapless cell phone owners have, that it is all but impossible to determine in advance what a plan might actually cost at the end of the month, much less realistically compare them. Not only are there a complex array of cell plans and optional features, many important pricing details are relegated to the fine print, difficult to find places on websites, or worse, not even mentioned at all.
He went on to develop cellplanexpert.ca, a cell plan calculator that can save consumers the hassle and hours of research by finding their ideal wireless plan at the best possible price. Users can complete a profile about their cell plan requirements and let the Cell Plan Expert generate detailed estimates for most plans and providers across Canada.
Currently available as beta, cellplanexpert.ca is completely free. Stay tuned as we introduce additional improvements in the near future.
September 1, 2009
Newly Updated Fall'09 Data!
We've had to put Cell Plan Expert aside for the last little while and were planning to relaunch later this month. However, thanks to a very interesting article by staunch consumer/citizen advocate Michael Giest in the Toronto Star, we've decided to push out our most recent data RIGHT NOW!. The user interface still needs some polish and we're holding back on some of the new features that were supposed to be part of the all encompassing relaunch, but here you go. With the new data, most people should find this site very useful again. And yes, it's still completely free.
November 2, 2008
Vancouver Sun Interview
I had the pleasure of speaking with reporter Tim Lai of the Vancouver Sun. With the economy in rough shape, people are looking for ways to cut back on spending. The cellphone bill is a large monthly expense for many people, and a prime place to find smart savings. I spoke with Mr. Lai about some of the tricks providers use, and how to go about saving money by matching a plan to your needs. The full interview is here
September 8, 2007
Prepaid Support Added
New support has been added for Prepaid Plans as well as the new "Call List" options. Estimates for Prepaid Plans, and all their idiosyncrasies, can now generated by the Plan Advisor. It also figures out which prepaid cards you should use to get the best value by avoiding cards that expire before you finish using them. Adding Prepaid support is particularly significant because wasted prepaid credit and many unique hidden fees can easily end up costing much more than you ever anticipated.
September 8, 2007
Favourite Callers Now Supported
Features like Rogers' "My 5", Telus's "Fave 5", and Bell's "Touch Base" are now also supported by the Plan Advisor. By answering a few quick questions about how much you talk to your friends, the Advisor can quickly deterimine if these features will save you enough money to compensate for the higher prices, fewer included minutes, and higher rates often associated with these plans.
July 23, 2007
Cell Plan Expert Beta Débuts!
The Cell Plan Expert is a new site that intends to become an independent authority on mobile phone plans in Canada. Its premiere service is the "Plan Advisor" that helps consumers identify the plans in their region that represent the best value.
There are many sites trying to sell plans, but few actually try to help find the plan that best meets your needs. The key advantage of the Plan Advisor is that calculates what each plan will cost the user based on how they use their phone and the features they need.
This site is a work in progress, however the Plan Advisor can already save shoppers a significant amount of time, money, and aggravation. While in Beta, it is completely free. Afterwards it will be available on a "Try before you buy" basis. Eventually the Plan Advisor will also be able to help people who are considering couples, family, or small business shared plans.