And how much did your friend pay? because I have to change mine soon, the battery is going bad, and since I rarely use it, I don't want to spend a lot.
Foobarator,
He paid more than he needed to, and the reason why is somewhat complicated. In the weeks prior to the trip my friend told me his US prepaid phone was shot and he needed a new one. Our debate then focused on whether he should buy US prepaid vs. Canadian prepaid. Because he hobbies in various US cities to which he travels on business and is not often in Canada, I had suggested he get a US prepaid. He agreed. Unfortunately due to shit happening/procrastination, he did not get one before our trip. So on the drive to Montreal he told me we would have to go buy one as soon as we arrived in Montreal. We arrived in Montreal and checked in at our downtown hotel at 3:30 p.m. and we did not have a lot of time because we had to exchange our money, buy gifts for his kids, get the phone, shower, eat dinner, and then walk about 10 blocks to get to the Good Girls party location. There was a lot of pressure to scramble and get shit done. So we went to a few downtown stores.
In the final analysis I think he paid around $50-$60 for the phone which was purchased in one of the downtown malls, plus whatever money he put on it, so I think he ended up paying around $80-$90 total. I am sure if you go to the Walmart in Lasalle there is a much cheaper selection of phones. We, being tourists trapped by time limitations and geographical constraints, did not have the luxury of shopping for reasonable alternatives.
Don't feel sorry for my friend though, he makes well into 6 figures and it did not put much of a dent in his wallet. He will also be able to use the phone if we return to Montreal as expected in February for the next GG party.