Activation Fee

Just to confirm, were you quoted that fee in a store, or is it what you're seeing when you try to add the watch yourself in Self Serve?

On the Koodo side, what a watch needs is the OneNumber smartwatch plan. It starts from $10/month, includes 5GB of data for the watch, uses the same number as your phone, and is postpaid only. https://www.koodomobile.com/en/help/smartwatch-faq

I would recommend you is to start in Self Serve and go as far as the order summary before you confirm anything. Any one-time charge is itemized there, so you'll see the actual number before you commit, and you can back out if it's still there.

Connection fees have been eliminated as of June 12. Were you charged by any chance?

I just gave this a try myself with my Apple Watch.

When trying to set up cellular service in the Watch app, it clearly states that there will be a $70 charge for the eSIM. I reached out to Koodo support through the chat app, mentioning that I was under the impression that connection fees had been eliminated. Their response was basically that what was showing in the Watch app was incorrect.

I then specifically asked them this:

So help me understand: you’re telling me that even though when i go through the Watch app, Koodo tells me that I’ll be charged $70 for the eSIM, I will NOT in fact be charged that amount?

And the response was this:

That’s absolutely correct. The amount shown in the Watch app during setup doesn’t reflect the actual eSIM charge. eSIM cost varies depending on your account type and situation. When you complete your activation, you’ll see the accurate amount at checkout. The Watch app display can sometimes show estimated or bundled pricing that gets adjusted in the final transaction.

So I then went back into the Watch app to complete the connection process, then logged into the self-service portal to see the effect on my billing. I now see my watch showing up under a separate number, and when I view “My add-ons”, it shows “Koodo SIM (one time) $15”. So it looks like the rep was right in that the Watch app info is wrong, but there’s still a $15 eSIM charge (the same one that the CRTC has suggested might not be legal). 

One other thing too – this bit is wrong: “When you complete your activation, you’ll see the accurate amount at checkout.” No - there’s no checkout screen in the Watch app. On the screen where it says there’s a $70 fee for the SIM, there’s just an “Activate” button. Tap it and you’ve activated, with no visibility into what you’re actually being charged.

Hi ​@ducky10 

Thank you for sharing these details!

Did you get the chance to take a screenshot of the screen where it states the activation fee of $70?

I did in fact:

Thank you for sharing the screenshot!

We have forwarded the details regarding the $70 fee to our team and we will follow up as soon as we have more info.

When it comes to the $15 sim/esim fee, a Sim Card or an eSIM has always been a physical or digital product for purchase, rather than an activation or modification fee. The option to purchase a SIM card or eSIM on its own or as part of a plan has always been available.