topic Re: Pm should allow plan changes on expired accounts in Get Support

Pm should allow plan changes on expired accounts

mimmo — Wed, 05 Jan 2022 05:30:37 GMT

@Brooke_C @Alan_K @CS_Agent. The forums often get requests to change plans after a plan has expired, or sometimes with auto-pay failures plans do not reactivate even with enough available funds.

I think PM should allow users to change plans even if their account is expired. Is it possible to add this feature and maybe even a reactivate now button to selfserve.

Or possibly give an explanation as to why the system was designed not to allow plan changes on expired accounts?

Thanks

Re: Pm should allow plan changes on expired accounts

JDT — Tue, 14 Aug 2018 14:02:09 GMT

I agree. Makes no sense that you need Moderator assistance to change the plan of an expired account.

Re: Pm should allow plan changes on expired accounts

ShawnC13 — Tue, 14 Aug 2018 14:03:40 GMT

@mimmo wrote:
@Brooke_C @Alan_K @CS_Agent. The forums often get requests to change plans after a plan has expired, or sometimes with auto-pay failures plans do not reactivate even with enough available funds.

I think PM should allow users to change plans even if their account is expired. Is it possible to add this feature and maybe even a reactivate now button to selfserve.

Or possibly give an explanation as to why the system was designed not to allow plan changes on expired accounts?

Thanks

I agree but the wording I should be changed I think. If your plan is expired you should be able to pick and pay for a new/different plan. I am wondering if there is something in the system with plan changes that conflicts with saving the current plan for 90 days while under suspension.

Would like to hear the answer though.

Re: Pm should allow plan changes on expired accounts

stonechucker — Tue, 14 Aug 2018 14:17:34 GMT

The problem is not the system, it's the lack of effort that subscribers don't research what is required ahead of time. Customers are not prepared for service outages, and letting a plan expire before scheduling a plan change is another issue that the customer should be able to figure out via researching it.

The customers who fail to understand the difference between immediate plan change and renewal date plan changes are another issue.

Why is it so difficult to understand that you get what you pay for, on prepaid service? Pay now, change while active, and away you go.

As much as I would like to see the ability to change a plan while expired, the customer can still renew their plan, then schedule the change for next renewal. The moderators should be enforcing this process, rather than performing an assisted plan activation and change on a self-serve system.

Re: Pm should allow plan changes on expired accounts

ShawnC13 — Tue, 14 Aug 2018 14:32:31 GMT

@stonechucker, totally agree about being people being better informed but what if someone was away for 2 months let their plan go into suspension and when they come back there is a better plan that works for them. They have 2 options pay for a plan that doesn't suit them now or costs more and then deal with the mods or wait for mods to change the plan. The customer should be able to pick a new plan after their old one has expired.

Re: Pm should allow plan changes on expired accounts

stonechucker — Tue, 14 Aug 2018 14:41:49 GMT

@ShawnC13, I'm of the mindset that if you can leave your cell service to go unpaid for up to 90 days, then you can either get a new SIM to start a new plan, or you can renew your existing plan, and schedule the change for the next renewal.

We're actually really lucky here with Public Mobile, and the various differences there are between prepaid here, and prepaid elsewhere. There are ups and downs with any system, and this happens to be one of them. I would never have thought I'd be on a prepaid system until I found Public Mobile. Although it's prepaid here, they have the ability to make it seem postpaid by having the AutoPay option which normally works without a hitch.

I'm also of the mindset that I need a back up for every form of communication - because no system is flawless. I have a secondary phone (actually more than a few), I also have multiple email addresses. If someone needs to get a hold of me in 'emergency' situations, they have all my contact info. I'm prepared for a system failure.

Re: Pm should allow plan changes on expired accounts

ShawnC13 — Tue, 14 Aug 2018 15:05:13 GMT

@stonechucker, I agree with you but my example was more based on travellers who purchase sims in the country they are travelling to not people just going without service.

Re: Pm should allow plan changes on expired accounts

will13am — Tue, 14 Aug 2018 15:06:39 GMT

@stonechucker wrote:
@ShawnC13, I'm of the mindset that if you can leave your cell service to go unpaid for up to 90 days, then you can either get a new SIM to start a new plan, or you can renew your existing plan, and schedule the change for the next renewal.

We're actually really lucky here with Public Mobile, and the various differences there are between prepaid here, and prepaid elsewhere. There are ups and downs with any system, and this happens to be one of them. I would never have thought I'd be on a prepaid system until I found Public Mobile. Although it's prepaid here, they have the ability to make it seem postpaid by having the AutoPay option which normally works without a hitch.

I'm also of the mindset that I need a back up for every form of communication - because no system is flawless. I have a secondary phone (actually more than a few), I also have multiple email addresses. If someone needs to get a hold of me in 'emergency' situations, they have all my contact info. I'm prepared for a system failure.

I have used Tbaytel prepaid which offer 4 months of lead time to top up or lose the account. Let's not look at this as a situation of pandering to people who have issues with account management. Let's look at it as something that will help to better use scarce moderator team resources. On the surface there really isn't anything broken with the account that customers could not safely navigate themselves. The only impediment I see is back office appetite for more software changes. They seem like quite the impenetrable clay layer.

Re: Pm should allow plan changes on expired accounts

Alan_K — Tue, 14 Aug 2018 18:15:42 GMT

@mimmo wrote:

@Brooke_C @Alan_K @CS_Agent. The forums often get requests to change plans after a plan has expired, or sometimes with auto-pay failures plans do not reactivate even with enough available funds.

I think PM should allow users to change plans even if their account is expired. Is it possible to add this feature and maybe even a reactivate now button to selfserve.

Or possibly give an explanation as to why the system was designed not to allow plan changes on expired accounts?

Thanks

Good news @mimmo, this is in the works and coming soon! We appreciate your patience

Re: Pm should allow plan changes on expired accounts

mimmo — Tue, 14 Aug 2018 19:08:14 GMT

Thanks @Alan_K @ that should help lighten the load in the mods. Look firward to seeing it soon. Next is the password reset 🙂

Re: Pm should allow plan changes on expired accounts

stonechucker — Tue, 14 Aug 2018 19:23:40 GMT

Password reset should never have failed - especially for so long!

It needs to be fixed first.

Re: Pm should allow plan changes on expired accounts

mimmo — Tue, 14 Aug 2018 19:31:19 GMT

@stonechucker wrote:
Password reset should never have failed - especially for so long!

It needs to be fixed first.

Don't disagre, they have been working on the password issue, and almost had a fix, do hopefully they find a perminant solution soon as well.

Re: Pm should allow plan changes on expired accounts

shodder26 — Tue, 14 Aug 2018 19:46:27 GMT

Why not just go on automatic pay. Makes things simpler. For me at least.

Re: Pm should allow plan changes on expired accounts

pm-smayer97 — Tue, 14 Aug 2018 20:10:26 GMT

@mimmo wrote:
...
Is it possible to add this feature and maybe even a reactivate now button to selfserve.
...

Actually, there is a REACTIVATE button that shows up on an account on hold. I currently have one of my accounts on hold and that is what I see.

In my case, I had a mod place the account on hold. I do not know if the same would be the case if the account when on hold by itself... I would hope so.

Now in the context of this thread, I do not know if reactivating an account with this button will automatically cause the plan to renew immediately or if I would have the opportunity to change the plan beforehand.

I will try to report back when I reactivate the account, if I remember and if I can find this thread again 😉

Re: Pm should allow plan changes on expired accounts

srlawren — Tue, 14 Aug 2018 20:37:49 GMT

@Alan_K wrote:
Good news @mimmo, this is in the works and coming soon! We appreciate your patience

@Alan_K hey that's great news! And only a year-and-a-half after I requested it! 😉

Re: Pm should allow plan changes on expired accounts

pm-smayer97 — Thu, 25 Oct 2018 10:29:15 GMT

Of course, there is now this annoucement as of Oct 2, 2018.

https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Announcements/Systems-Update-Ability-to-change-plan-while-in-suspend/m-p/282776