Wind Mobile

Average sized store, with actually less orange décor than others; easier on the eyes.
at first, considered giving them a 2 stars for service, as only one staff on a Fri afternoon, and the one girl helping a customer with initializing a phone, went to back, ask for backup… no one came, I’m guessing coffee break. So she apologized, told her I just wanted to pay my bill, and went back to customer.
after 5 min of waiting, I left, then returned 15 min later, and customer still there! Urgh… til she saw me, then quickly took care of it.
Yay.

This is what you need to know about WIND: The cost for what you get is extraordinarily expensive. This is because they charge relatively little but deliver nothing. WIND has coverage zones in major metropolitan areas. When you are in a coverage zone, the phone/​text/​data are very cheap. Outside the coverage zones, they are very expensive. We live in the middle of an alleged coverage zone and do not receive WIND coverage. The result is that all usage is through their partner networks (probably the big 3) which is very expensive. In summary, WIND is a good idea in theory but in practice they are useless.

Pathetic network coverage. Coverage map is wishful thinking.
The staff in the Kitsilano store are reasonably friendly and the prices are certainly low. The technical staff at the call centre are very apologetic about the poor network coverage, and reasonably knowledgeable with regard to technical issues. The difficulty I have with WIND is not with the staff, although they appear to be woefully ill-​informed about just how bad the coverage is. The problem is with the WIND network itself.
The coverage is, in a word, TERRIBLE. The coverage map is a gross deception. The map denotes three levels of service: 1. WIND Network (Best Coverage), 2. Variable Network & Coverage, and 3. Partner Networks (Away Coverage) — known otherwise as roaming. I live in a house in the heart of an area that the map indicates as ‘WIND NETWORK (Best Coverage)’. One would think, if one believed the coverage map, that I’d get good reception and good coverage. Not so.
Initially I was getting, what I assume was, Variable Coverage at my home. I notified WIND that I wasn’t getting the coverage they promised. I was told that their ‘Network Technicians’ were looking into it. I was hopeful that the deficiency would soon be fixed. But they didn’t fix it. Rather than fix the weak to non-​existent service, it got worse.
I now find that I’m always on so-​called Wind Away (roaming) at my home. When I notified WIND about the ongoing and worsening problem I was informed that they didn’t «guarantee» that their network would function as they advertise. They didn’t offer to adjust my bill. They didn’t suggest that their ‘Network Technicians’ would try to fix the problem. Their attitude was simply «We’re very sorry, but it’s your problem, there’s nothing we can do.» I can accept that the service might be a bit spotty, but to be charged roaming fees when I use my phone in my own home is too much. It is, to say the least, outrageous.
Luckily, I brought my own phone to the WIND network. So when I cancel my WIND service I will only be out for the $ 25 SIM card I purchased from them. Unfortunately, I’ll now have to return to one of the overpriced service providers.
Lesson learned — although you don’t always ‘get what you pay for’ with cel phone service in Vancouver, you get even less if you go with a ‘discount’ service provider. Cel phone service in Canada is a monopolistic overpriced rip-​off.
As noted by others, the first reviewer, Crystal H. is clearly not a Wind customer.

Buzzing with activity, bright colours, happy, friendly staff and a truck load of information, I very happily waltzed into Wind today. Not a brisk sales tactic in sight, and definitely no pushing, aside from people gawking at their price plans plastered on the wall. What? NO CONTRACT? The next 6 months at 50% off? No Contract. No Contract. No contract. I’m still rocking back and forth over this one.
Honesty goes a far way with me, and it was refreshing to hear them discuss their «dead zones» openly with me. They said that they’re still small so as they grow and as their network connectivity person (this is someone’s job?) finds dead zones, they’re fixed. When I asked how they were able to do all of this for such reasonable prices they said it wasn’t that the others couldn’t do it, it’s that they didn’t have to. I love this approach.
Voice plans from $ 15-​$ 45 (unlimited Canada-​wide calls, wind to wind calls, texts in-​and-​out, vm and call control), uh, oh hell ya!
I can’t really get out of my contract with Telus, nor would I because I am too in love with my iPhone… Wind doesn’t carry the iPhone (yet) but if I was to ever to recommend a new phone for someone else, this would be it.
If I were one of the big mobile players, I’d be scared. Very, very scared!