topic Re: Charged for texts not used in Get Support

Charged for texts not used

Wilmes — Wed, 05 Jan 2022 07:24:51 GMT

For 2 months I have had 40 texts listed in my usage but I have not made the texts. I don’t even know the number that it shows me texting. Any idea how I can fix this?

Re: Charged for texts not used

Carld123 — Tue, 06 Nov 2018 00:05:08 GMT

Contact a moderator.....thats pretty much your only option....if you have a genuine complaint thay will rectify it......

Re: Charged for texts not used

Carld123 — Tue, 06 Nov 2018 00:11:07 GMT

You will get some links sent to make things easier shortly....but very easy to find yourself with a quick search..

Re: Charged for texts not used

mimmo — Tue, 06 Nov 2018 00:19:23 GMT

What phone e are you using? What is the number

Both android and iPhone send sms for verification of things.

Re: Charged for texts not used

Anonymous — Tue, 06 Nov 2018 00:34:43 GMT

@Wilmes wrote:
For 2 months I have had 40 texts listed in my usage but I have not made the texts. I don’t even know the number that it shows me texting. Any idea how I can fix this?

I gather you're on the $10 plan.

Yes. Upon initial start up with a provider and even reboots in other cases, phones send out texts all on their own in the background. This is not actually Public Mobiles fault.

iirc Android you need to turn off sms in the permissions for the dialer.

Apple...at this writing I don't recall. It has to do iMessage though.

Re: Charged for texts not used

sulagok — Tue, 06 Nov 2018 01:27:14 GMT

There are too many unsolicited text flying around nowadays, thus making it really unadvisable to be on a pay per use text plan. One will probably need to just shut the sms and there’s no guarantee that the messages will still not be delivered anytime you open the sms. It’s a pain but not PM issue

Re: Charged for texts not used

Anonymous — Tue, 06 Nov 2018 01:31:05 GMT

@sulagok wrote:
There are too many unsolicited text flying around nowadays, thus making it really unadvisable to be on a pay per use text plan. One will probably need to just shut the sms and there’s no guarantee that the messages will still not be delivered anytime you open the sms. It’s a pain but not PM issue

I gotta wonder what the heck the dialer needs frickin' sms for. It's a dialer!

Apple's in their own little world. I'm not touching that.

But incoming is unlimited on the $10 plan so "unsolicited text" doesn't matter.

Re: Charged for texts not used

Carld123 — Tue, 06 Nov 2018 01:31:09 GMT

Ive NEVER had one text that i wasnt supposed to get..not at PM..or the numerous other providers ive had..just saying...

Re: Charged for texts not used

Carld123 — Tue, 06 Nov 2018 01:33:34 GMT

Emails yes..tons..not texts...guess im lucky .lol

Re: Charged for texts not used

Anonymous — Tue, 06 Nov 2018 01:37:15 GMT

@Carld123 wrote:
Emails yes..tons..not texts...guess im lucky .lol

I can't say as I've got many if any junk texts either.

Re: Charged for texts not used

Luddite — Tue, 06 Nov 2018 01:55:28 GMT

@Wilmes wrote:
For 2 months I have had 40 texts listed in my usage but I have not made the texts. I don’t even know the number that it shows me texting. Any idea how I can fix this?

If you are on the $10 plan you need assistance from the Moderator Team to correct this, IF these are outgoing texts. Click this: message to moderators to send a private message to the moderator team with a description of your issue along with your phone number and 4 digit PIN. If you’ve forgotten the PIN, provide any 3 of the following in your message: complete mailing address, email address, alternate phone number, last top up date & amount.

Re: Charged for texts not used

will13am — Tue, 06 Nov 2018 04:23:04 GMT

@Luddite wrote:
@Wilmes wrote:
For 2 months I have had 40 texts listed in my usage but I have not made the texts. I don’t even know the number that it shows me texting. Any idea how I can fix this?
If you are on the $10 plan you need assistance from the Moderator Team to correct this, IF these are outgoing texts. Click this: message to moderators to send a private message to the moderator team with a description of your issue along with your phone number and 4 digit PIN. If you’ve forgotten the PIN, provide any 3 of the following in your message: complete mailing address, email address, alternate phone number, last top up date & amount.

With moderator interactions times in the many days, customers should not be encouraged to ask about something like this when it really isn't a Public Mobile problem. It is unfortunate that apps send of text messages unbeknownst to the user.

Re: Charged for texts not used

Anonymous — Tue, 06 Nov 2018 05:20:42 GMT

@will13am wrote:
With moderator interactions times in the many days, customers should not be encouraged to ask about something like this when it really isn't a Public Mobile problem. It is unfortunate that apps send of text messages unbeknownst to the user.

Not that anybody needs to care about my opinion but...

I'm kind of torn over this.

1. it's not PM's fault that phones do this so then why should they do anything for the customer anyway.

b. it seems they have done this for people and so how is it fair to newer people that they can't have the same goodwill gesture.

iii. they're so far back-logged that how proper is it to ask in the first place only to be looking for a goodwill gesture on something that isn't of their doing.

So...I don't offer the idea to the reader. I lean to 1 to avoid goodwill gestures over something that isn't their problem. Not due to back-logs. Not due to fairness.

Hmm...maybe I'm not so torn after all 🙂

Edit: Oh. And the subject line is a bit of a misnomer. One doesn't get charged per se. They just count against the limited quantity. And then it stops. No overages.

Re: Charged for texts not used

Gonzo — Tue, 06 Nov 2018 05:35:39 GMT

@Wilmes, is it always the same number being texted to?

Here’s a link to another poster who was dealing with a similar issue.

https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Getting-Started/Didn-t-send-SMS-only-received-one-but-my-numbers-of-allowable/td-p/288101

It’s certainly frustrating to have your texts used up, but another very real possibility is your phone, operating system, or applications ‘calling home’ and compromising your privacy. It’s always a good idea to tighten up your privacy settings when things like this happen.

Re: Charged for texts not used

will13am — Tue, 06 Nov 2018 05:42:39 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
@will13am wrote:
With moderator interactions times in the many days, customers should not be encouraged to ask about something like this when it really isn't a Public Mobile problem. It is unfortunate that apps send of text messages unbeknownst to the user.
Not that anybody needs to care about my opinion but...
I'm kind of torn over this.
1. it's not PM's fault that phones do this so then why should they do anything for the customer anyway.
b. it seems they have done this for people and so how is it fair to newer people that they can't have the same goodwill gesture.
iii. they're so far back-logged that how proper is it to ask in the first place only to be looking for a goodwill gesture on something that isn't of their doing.

So...I don't offer the idea to the reader. I lean to 1 to avoid goodwill gestures over something that isn't their problem. Not due to back-logs. Not due to fairness.
Hmm...maybe I'm not so torn after all 🙂

Edit: Oh. And the subject line is a bit of a misnomer. One doesn't get charged per se. They just count against the limited quantity. And then it stops. No overages.

I will risk taking lumps each time this topic crops up. I have to stay the course and not encourage build up of the long line up for goodwill that in some ways is quite the stretch. The only basis people suggesting it is that somebody else got it before. Goodwill by its very nature is YMMV. It's not applied uniformly as if governed by terms of service.

BTW, the other day, I tethered my laptop which I hadn't used in a few weeks to my phone. Sure enough, a big windows update was delivered. I burned nearly one gig in a relatively short session. Entitlement would suggest I have a "fair claim" for goodwill with the moderator team. I think I will just own up to it and accept that the usage had nothing to do with my service provider. I could have turned on metered network but didn't, same for those who could turn off SMS permission but didn't.

Re: Charged for texts not used

mimmo — Tue, 06 Nov 2018 06:04:43 GMT

mods are available for everyone. I have no issue with asking of resetting sms, as they are sent without knowledge of the user. A couple extra tickets is not going to improve reply timesnor break the camels back.

I think before that happens (asking) more info is needed from the poster. Ie what phone, are we able to fix the sms sending issue etc, how many they have left in the cycle .

If the poster is unable to stop the SMSes from sending then they need to change plan or accept the usage. Else they will be needing goodwill every month.

A good idea is to post a disclaimer in the plan description stating that sms are sent automatically and how to stop them.

Re: Charged for texts not used

Anonymous — Tue, 06 Nov 2018 06:19:58 GMT

@mimmo wrote:
mods are available for everyone. I have no issue with asking of resetting sms, as they are sent without knowledge of the user. A couple extra tickets is not going to improve reply timesnor break the camels back.

I think before that happens (asking) more info is needed from the poster. Ie what phone, are we able to fix the sms sending issue etc, how many they have left in the cycle .

If the poster is unable to stop the SMSes from sending then they need to change plan or accept the usage. Else they will be needing goodwill every month.

A good idea is to post a disclaimer in the plan description stating that sms are sent automatically and how to stop them.

"without knowledge of the user": But how is that Public Mobiles problem?

"how many they have left": If they've rebooted their phone for the 15th time this month and they've now used up all of their text alotment just with these background texts...again how is that Public Mobiles problem??

"needing goodwill every month": is not on. And I don't own this company. I agree though that if they just can't fathom how to stop it even though someone here graciously walks them through it step by idiot-proof step then yeah they gotta move on or live with it.

"disclaimer": 100% agree. Have you been here long? (of course I know you have) $h1t takes forever to get done around here if at all.

Re: Charged for texts not used

stonechucker — Tue, 06 Nov 2018 13:35:14 GMT

In my mind, whatever service you have, if your device is doing something that is costing you 'something', you yourself are responsible for fixing the issue to resolve it. No one else is responsible.

If your apps phoning/texting home, figure out why to stop or continue the occurrences.

Re: Charged for texts not used

will13am — Tue, 06 Nov 2018 14:59:23 GMT

@mimmo wrote:
mods are available for everyone. I have no issue with asking of resetting sms, as they are sent without knowledge of the user. A couple extra tickets is not going to improve reply timesnor break the camels back.

I think before that happens (asking) more info is needed from the poster. Ie what phone, are we able to fix the sms sending issue etc, how many they have left in the cycle .

If the poster is unable to stop the SMSes from sending then they need to change plan or accept the usage. Else they will be needing goodwill every month.

A good idea is to post a disclaimer in the plan description stating that sms are sent automatically and how to stop them.

Ignorantia juris non excusat. Works for law and mobile service.

I do recognize that customers also ask for goodwill in cases where the wrong add-on was purchased, plans were renewed immediately as opposed to future dated. In those instances, the issue concerns navigating through the self serve portal which Public Mobile runs. There is some tiny degree of culpability on the part of the carrier for contributing to the outcome. Perhaps the knowledge base was not clear or the self serve portal difficult to navigate for the first time user. A person's phone app sending out SMS has nothing to delivery of service. It really is beyond a stretch to apply goodwill. It really ought to be called entitlement.

Re: Charged for texts not used

srlawren — Tue, 06 Nov 2018 17:14:48 GMT

@will13am here's the thing though--we already know about this issue with iCloud and the Google Dialer. But this information isn't widely known. If all you've ever had was an unlimited plan before, there isn't really an expectation that you'd be aware these apps are sending texts behind the scenes as there is no visibility to it on the phone at all.

Here's the real problem: PM should not be offering a plan with only 50 outbound texts in 2018. This is a ridiculous number. If they want to offer a cheap plan with limited texts, at least make it 100 or even better 250. I realize that no matter what the number is, people will still be shocked to see some of them disappear to a process they didn't realize was happening, but at least it would take the sting out. But I also believe 50 is too low even without these unseen texts. Offering metered texts at all in 2018 to me is pretty silly. Why not just make the plan 50 mins and unlimited texting for 12.50. There, problem solved.