Ditto here for my gf. Bought the $35 Sim kit at a store; then activated by calling customer service. No charge for that. Stuck it into an unlocked phone and was good to go.

And even though I'm on el-cheapo prepaid, I never had problems with getting to customer support. (Getting COMPETENT customer support, that's a different story, and about 50/50 probability) Even when my balance was cleared because I didn't refill in time, they restored it without much hassle. (I think on my account, they now expect sh*t to happen, and know it their fault, not mine)

I think though that there is an additional charge for activating postpaid plans, maybe that's where the extra charge was.

Still, I will switch as soon as a reasonable alternative appears. At this point in Canada, I think the rule is "Friends don't let friends sign mobile service contracts!"