A letter from Dave on the infamous $40 for 4GB price change

[Dave_M]

Hey Community,

I am writing to you today to let you know that we will not be moving forward with a price increase on the infamous “$40 for 4GB” plan ($120 90-day Province-Wide Talk + Text + 12GB Data), contrary to the SMS that customers on that plan received yesterday.

After sending out an offer to select customers, we heard your feedback loud and clear: we said no surprises, and we surprised you. While all good things must come to an end at some point – that point is not today. As a brand, we have always been proud of our transparency, and of our commitment to our customers. We are sincerely sorry for any frustration caused and we want you to know that this has been a learning experience for us all.

We have been reminded that you, our customers, are vocal and passionate. We’ve seen how much some of you love Public Mobile and we’ve also seen how many of you like the added value that our sister brand, Koodo, has to offer. To that end, we are happy to say that the Koodo offer that our Public customers on the “$40 for 4GB” plan received still remains available for anyone who wishes to take advantage of it.

Thank you for your continued support,

Dave

[ryanmobile]

"While all good things must come to an end at some  point - that point is not today."

You admitted that there will be no surprises. So im not sure why you have this line in your response. Maybe focus on changing plans for new customers and leave the existing ones alone as promised.  
 
Soon as the plan changes again everyone will complain again even with the warning above... smh 
 
Thank you for continuing the plan and I hope you always do.

[koimr1]

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@Korthwrote:

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@koimr1wrote:

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@PhoneSeekerwrote:

"These $60/month all in plans are not sustainable. ARPU needs to keep growing well over the current $67.

"Consolidated revenue and EBITDA growth of 4.0 per cent and 4.4 per cent respectively. 152,000 new wireless, Internet and TELUS TV customer additions, up 41 per cent over last year. Strong wireless loading with 124,000 total net additions, including 115,000 high-valued postpaid additions, up 32 per cent over last year. Customers first focus delivering industry-leading wireless postpaid churn of 0.86 per cent Wireless blended ARPU growth of 3.0 per cent yielding industry-leading lifetime revenue of $6,540, up 16 per cent over last year. Quarterly dividend increase to $0.5050 per share, up 7.1 per cent for the year." 

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This sort of stuff is very lofty Board Of Directors Message To Shareholders corp-babble.

We didn't sign on with PM because we're interested in ARPU brackets and EBITDA margins, investment annuities, dividend-paying arbitrage in monetized telecommunications commodities, buying and selling shares, etc etc.

We signed on with PM because we want good phone service at good prices, lol.  We're buying into cellular service subscriptions, not company shareholdings.

I can tell you that if I was investing in PM/Koodo/Telus shares, then I'd be thinking about something like this.

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Of course, that wasn't the point of my message at all. I didn't think we were disagreeing. 🙂

The point was I find it difficult to feel sorry for them based on what you said you read when their official stance is that they are doing extremely well. "Industry leading" well, in fact.

[Iqjotgirgla]

Yes

[Korth]

@SD08

True enough.  After all it's only a $17 SIM card, not a $1700 computer or $17000 car ... major (even complete) depreciation over time isn't a real issue when it amounts to all of about five bucks.

Indeed, it could even increase in value.  For all we know, Koodo will raise the price to $25 next month, $50 next year, etc.

[SD08]

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@Korthwrote:

I suppose I should add that SIM cards are not all created equal.

It's unlikely that their form factors will become obsolete, the Full/Mini/Micro/Nano formats basically cover the whole range of useful sizes well enough and have become fully standardized.  Phasing them out would take years and a massive redeployment of devices.  Your Koodo SIM card won't become obsolete anytime quick.

But variant SIM cards do appear from time to time which integrate latest-and-greatest shiny new technologies.  Larger capacity SIM cards.  Active cryptosecurity SIM cards.  NFC/RFID SIM cards.  Multifunction SIM cards.

For the consumer, certain new features and functions on new phones/devices won't work (or are somehow limited) unless they're supported by the appropriate kind of SIM card.

What this means is that while your Koodo SIM card won't "expire" it might become "obsolete" and less desirable if you hang on to it too long.  For all we know, NFC-enabled SIM cards will become fully ubiquitous within a year or three and "old" SIM cards which lack the new technology won't be useful in practice.

I suggest just posting the Koodo SIM card on your local craigslist or auction sites, get rid of it for ten bucks, give it to someone who needs it, getting anything for it is better than getting nothing from it, it's not really worth hanging onto (or storing in The Electronics Graveyard Shoebox, or simply forgetting about) indefinitely.

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Those are good points. However, rather than sell the SIM at a loss immediately, I think it's worth hanging onto for a little while anyway, just to see what curveballs PM throws at us. If I were a betting man, I'd say the odds are a bit higher that another PM price hike/Koodo offer will occur before the Koodo SIM in hand goes obsolete. If nothing happens, say, within the next half-year, then there's probably still time to sell the SIM. It doesn't have to be an either/or choice immediately. Sometimes it pays to be patient, just like those who didn't jump on the Koodo switch right away have saved themselves some money and hassle.

[Korth]

I suppose I should add that SIM cards are not all created equal.

It's unlikely that their form factors will become obsolete, the Full/Mini/Micro/Nano formats basically cover the whole range of useful sizes well enough and have become fully standardized.  Phasing them out would take years and a massive redeployment of devices.  Your Koodo SIM card won't become obsolete anytime quick.

But variant SIM cards do appear from time to time which integrate latest-and-greatest shiny new technologies.  Larger capacity SIM cards.  Active cryptosecurity SIM cards.  NFC/RFID SIM cards.  Multifunction SIM cards.

For the consumer, certain new features and functions on new phones/devices won't work (or are somehow limited) unless they're supported by the appropriate kind of SIM card.

What this means is that while your Koodo SIM card won't "expire" it might become "obsolete" and less desirable if you hang on to it too long.  For all we know, NFC-enabled SIM cards will become fully ubiquitous within a year or three and "old" SIM cards which lack the new technology won't be useful in practice.

I suggest just posting the Koodo SIM card on your local craigslist or auction sites, get rid of it for ten bucks, give it to someone who needs it, getting anything for it is better than getting nothing from it, it's not really worth hanging onto (or storing in The Electronics Graveyard Shoebox, or simply forgetting about) indefinitely.

[Korth]

@pizza

@Kalla_Awrote:

Public Mobile SIM cards don't have an expiry date if you haven't activated them.

They will only be deactivated after 90 days of non-payment, starting from the expiration of a plan.

Cheers 🙂

Kalla

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I expect the same applies to Koodo and Telus, but they might have their own policies.

Never-used never-activated SIM cards basically never "expire" as long as the carrier which issued them maintains the same technical format.  I found a lot of references online about a 180-day expiry date policy on inactive/unused SIM cards, but they seem to apply to foreign (mostly UK and Europe) cellular providers.

And of course once a SIM card has been activated then it will become permanently deactivated ("expire") after service on the linked account has been terminated or registered on another active SIM card.

@pizzawrote:

Am I just out the $17+ I paid for the sim, since Public Mobile reversed their decision? I can't return it to Koodo. Should I just switch to Koodo, because it looks like the price will be increasing at some point anyway?

What should I do here? 

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Well ... Koodo fumbled the ball just as badly as PM on this whole promo-scandal thing, their people were just as unprepared and uninformed.  And Koodo has done some heavy-handed blundering in the past as well, just like PM recently did.  I think it's fair to say every cellular carrier has made a reckless and costly bad short-term-gain play at some point in the past.

I've seen PM's business model change emphasis a few times over recent years, and we can all see that PM is trying to figure out a new plan to move forward with continued changes.  But I don't think PM is going to disappear anytime soon.  No plan/price structure will last forever but it seems a fair bet that PM will focus on keeping customers happy for a while, it also seems a fair bet that PM will proceed more cautiously on their future restructuring initiatives.

[SD08]

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@pizzawrote:

Hey!

So, I went out and bought a Koodo sim card the day I got the message, because, well, I didn't want to have to pay an extra $10/month.

Am I just out the $17+ I paid for the sim, since Public Mobile reversed their decision? I can't return it to Koodo. Should I just switch to Koodo, because it looks like the price will be increasing at some point anyway?

What should I do here? 

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@pizza

Well, if you can't return the SIM and PM won't give you any credit for it, then I'd say the next best thing (other than selling it at a discount) would be to simply hang on to it and wait for the telegraphed Round 2.  Whenever that comes, I suspect it will again involve some inducement to move to Koodo, in which case, that SIM could come in handy.

[Rockdaddy22]

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@Iqjotgirglawrote:

I want to migrate to Koodo's $40 unlimited canada-wide calling 4GB internet plan and right now I am on one $120 PM plan. I did not get the message from public mobile to Port out my number. Is there a way for me to put into Koodo?

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Are you currently on the fall promo?

[Korth]

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@koimr1wrote:

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@PhoneSeekerwrote:

"These $60/month all in plans are not sustainable. ARPU needs to keep growing well over the current $67.

"Consolidated revenue and EBITDA growth of 4.0 per cent and 4.4 per cent respectively. 152,000 new wireless, Internet and TELUS TV customer additions, up 41 per cent over last year. Strong wireless loading with 124,000 total net additions, including 115,000 high-valued postpaid additions, up 32 per cent over last year. Customers first focus delivering industry-leading wireless postpaid churn of 0.86 per cent Wireless blended ARPU growth of 3.0 per cent yielding industry-leading lifetime revenue of $6,540, up 16 per cent over last year. Quarterly dividend increase to $0.5050 per share, up 7.1 per cent for the year." 

---

This sort of stuff is very lofty Board Of Directors Message To Shareholders corp-babble.

We didn't sign on with PM because we're interested in ARPU brackets and EBITDA margins, investment annuities, dividend-paying arbitrage in monetized telecommunications commodities, buying and selling shares, etc etc.

We signed on with PM because we want good phone service at good prices, lol.  We're buying into cellular service subscriptions, not company shareholdings.

I can tell you that if I was investing in PM/Koodo/Telus shares, then I'd be thinking about something like this.

[PhoneSeeker]

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@Iqjotgirglawrote:

I want to migrate to Koodo's $40 unlimited canada-wide calling 4GB internet plan and right now I am on one $120 PM plan. I did not get the message from public mobile to Port out my number. Is there a way for me to put into Koodo?

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You can go to a Koodo kiosk/store and ask if you're eligible. Give them the GOKOODO404GB code and your phone number and see if it works. Alternatively, you can try inputting the above code and your phone number on the Koodo website and see if it works.

[torontokris]

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@Iqjotgirglawrote:

I want to migrate to Koodo's $40 unlimited canada-wide calling 4GB internet plan and right now I am on one $120 PM plan. I did not get the message from public mobile to Port out my number. Is there a way for me to put into Koodo?

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@Iqjotgirgla

You can pretty to Koodo at anytime on a regular available plan. But to get this special promo plan...

Try using code GOKOODO404GB online or in store. It was a targeted promotion only for certain phone numbers. You may not be eligible but it's worth a try. 

[Iqjotgirgla]

I want to migrate to Koodo's $40 unlimited canada-wide calling 4GB internet plan and right now I am on one $120 PM plan. I did not get the message from public mobile to Port out my number. Is there a way for me to put into Koodo?

[will13am]

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@torontokriswrote:

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@PhoneSeekerwrote:

I had some fun reading some Telus shareholder comments on various business websites, here is one of them (although it isn't factually accurate, it's what the average shareholder sees): 

"These $60/month all in plans are not sustainable. ARPU needs to keep growing well over the current $67. Just this past week Telus flanker brand Public Mobile tried to transfer people out of a promo they only started 2 months ago into a plan with less data,perks and a higher price, had to succumb to a flurry of social media outrage and postponed the plan. Over 1000 complaints filed and Telus damaged their great record for customer service.."

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A bravo for sharing the info. Good that they know we will fight for it. I'd still like to know average net profit per user from Koodo vs pm (no phone customer service no retail stores no phone number)

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You would have to be an insider to know this level of detail.  I don't think even if you were a shareholder with 10% in the company they would divulge this to you.  It doesn't matter what the profit margins are anyway.  It doesn't affect pricing.  That is based on other factors like what the market will bear.  We all know Apple has by far the highest gross margins.  Does that affect how they price the product and their sales?  There seems to be an inverse relationship in this case.

Bottom line is this entire thing is starting to reach over discussed region. 

[torontokris]

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@PhoneSeekerwrote:

I had some fun reading some Telus shareholder comments on various business websites, here is one of them (although it isn't factually accurate, it's what the average shareholder sees): 

"These $60/month all in plans are not sustainable. ARPU needs to keep growing well over the current $67. Just this past week Telus flanker brand Public Mobile tried to transfer people out of a promo they only started 2 months ago into a plan with less data,perks and a higher price, had to succumb to a flurry of social media outrage and postponed the plan. Over 1000 complaints filed and Telus damaged their great record for customer service.."

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A bravo for sharing the info. Good that they know we will fight for it. I'd still like to know average net profit per user from Koodo vs pm (no phone customer service no retail stores no phone number)

[koimr1]

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@PhoneSeekerwrote:

I had some fun reading some Telus shareholder comments on various business websites, here is one of them (although it isn't factually accurate, it's what the average shareholder sees): 

"These $60/month all in plans are not sustainable. ARPU needs to keep growing well over the current $67. Just this past week Telus flanker brand Public Mobile tried to transfer people out of a promo they only started 2 months ago into a plan with less data,perks and a higher price, had to succumb to a flurry of social media outrage and postponed the plan. Over 1000 complaints filed and Telus damaged their great record for customer service.."

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Hmm... I won't start crying yet for them as they think they are doing quite well themselves:

"Consolidated revenue and EBITDA growth of 4.0 per cent and 4.4 per cent respectively. 152,000 new wireless, Internet and TELUS TV customer additions, up 41 per cent over last year. Strong wireless loading with 124,000 total net additions, including 115,000 high-valued postpaid additions, up 32 per cent over last year. Customers first focus delivering industry-leading wireless postpaid churn of 0.86 per cent Wireless blended ARPU growth of 3.0 per cent yielding industry-leading lifetime revenue of $6,540, up 16 per cent over last year. Quarterly dividend increase to $0.5050 per share, up 7.1 per cent for the year."

Source: TELUS reports strong results for third quarter 2017

[Noosiekins]

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@BadHarwrote:

Either Koodo or PM

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Unfortunately the PM one isn't available anymore. This thread talks about how they were going to increase the price on those that is on that plan. 

The Koodo one is an offer for current PM users that received the price incrase threat. It's Telus' way on moving their customer around between the two 

[wetcoaster]

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@BadHarwrote:

Either Koodo or PM

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As @Anonymous mentioned, it's only available at Koodo if you migrate from the Public Mobile 12GB/$120/90days promo plans (either the 2016 Fall promo or one of the 2017 Flash promos for former Freedom customers).

And you only get it back at Public Mobile if you switched to Koodo between the two announcements end of last week.

So, sorry, not available for new activations, neither on Public Mobile nor on Koodo.

[PhoneSeeker]

I had some fun reading some Telus shareholder comments on various business websites, here is one of them (although it isn't factually accurate, it's what the average shareholder sees): 

"These $60/month all in plans are not sustainable. ARPU needs to keep growing well over the current $67. Just this past week Telus flanker brand Public Mobile tried to transfer people out of a promo they only started 2 months ago into a plan with less data,perks and a higher price, had to succumb to a flurry of social media outrage and postponed the plan. Over 1000 complaints filed and Telus damaged their great record for customer service.."

[BadHar]

Either Koodo or PM

[Anonymous]

@BadHar, that promo was for Public Mobile customer willing to move to Koodo (post-paid).

[Noosiekins]

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@BadHarwrote:

I'm currently with Koodo. How would I go about it in order to be eligible for the 4GB/40$

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The one at Koodo or the one at PM?

[BadHar]

I'm currently with Koodo. How would I go about it in order to be eligible for the 4GB/40$

[Noosiekins]

I wonder how long I'm going to be safe at $141 90-day Province-Wide Talk + Text + (9+3GB Data)... Good thing I didn't take over my cousin's plan when he offered it to me being "$20 cheaper"

[will13am]

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@canucks4lifewrote:

Just received my first Koodo bill on initial shortened cycle and can confirm $100 activation credit was applied in full.

Also if anyone is still considering jumping ship Koodo has a referral program both new/existing client receive a $50 bill credit within a couple months up to $300 max per year

https://referafriend.koodomobile.com/ZVe2Xpq-5UYqDPN

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Interesting, so the bill credit is worth $88.50 in Public Mobile dollars. 

[canucks4life]

Just received my first Koodo bill on initial shortened cycle and can confirm $100 activation credit was applied in full.

Also if anyone is still considering jumping ship Koodo has a referral program both new/existing client receive a $50 bill credit within a couple months up to $300 max per year

https://referafriend.koodomobile.com/ZVe2Xpq-5UYqDPN

[Rockdaddy22]

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@torontokriswrote:

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@pizzawrote:

Ugh can I also just complain for a second that my 90-day plan had JUST renewed? Like it doesn't renew again until May -- I would have lost 2/3 of my 90-day plan if I had switched ugh ugh ugh 

What a poor implementation. Thank goodness it wasn't pushed forward, but GEEZ, I hope they learn from this. 

/rant

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That was *part* of the outrage that people just renewed for 3 months and then an offer comes. So you couldn't even go to Rogers/freedom or you'd loose 3 months of paid service.

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Isn’t that what the $100 credit was for?

[Michael77]

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@will13amwrote:

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@Michael77wrote:

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@will13amwrote:

I am going to take some risks with this post but I have to call it as I see it.  The current rules was not the desire of the carriers or the CRTC.  It was totally caused by customer desire to have access to hardware at greater than 3 year frequency.  People have to understand that when new policies are developed, it's not a one sided affair.  Input has to come from both sides.  As a result, you don't always get what you want.  The cure can in some ways be worse than the disease.  Bottom line is the consumer apparently won and we have this new system where contracts are built around hardware upgrades every 2 years with terms on how remaining balance is reduced.  Those who want zero dollar up front iPhones and Galaxy phones, stand up and give yourselves a big Pat on the back.  

I have always advocated buying service and hardware separately and I will always do so.  This is just like how we buy cars, the fuel and the periodic service.  Why should cellar be any different.  

As for staying or leaving, I don't know that this episode has caused any changes to this service after the price increase was taken off the table.  Public Mobile has always had the legal right to increase prices.  The fact that they backed down says our voices do matter.  Rest assured any future changes will be much more customer friendly.  If this is reassuring enough, then stay.  If not, then go.  However it must be recognized that Koodo is bound by the same wireless code.  Koodo customers are in the same boat as we are.  One last thing, if you do leave, you will have essentially played right into telus' hands. 

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Hi @will13am,

The only way this plays into Telus' hands is if you go to Koodo or Telus.  If customers leave to one of the other providers then this will hurt Telus' bottom line, especially if people leave on mass.

I was referring to taking the Koodo offer.  

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Aww...... got it. 🙂

[Vickel]

This is good news for now

It's awesome how everyone banded together.

I wouldn't have been as mad of they didn't pull this right after everyone's renewal date.

Give me the koodo offer closer to my end date and the $100 credit. I'll gladly move over to post paid 

[will13am]

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@Michael77wrote:

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@will13amwrote:

I am going to take some risks with this post but I have to call it as I see it.  The current rules was not the desire of the carriers or the CRTC.  It was totally caused by customer desire to have access to hardware at greater than 3 year frequency.  People have to understand that when new policies are developed, it's not a one sided affair.  Input has to come from both sides.  As a result, you don't always get what you want.  The cure can in some ways be worse than the disease.  Bottom line is the consumer apparently won and we have this new system where contracts are built around hardware upgrades every 2 years with terms on how remaining balance is reduced.  Those who want zero dollar up front iPhones and Galaxy phones, stand up and give yourselves a big Pat on the back.  

I have always advocated buying service and hardware separately and I will always do so.  This is just like how we buy cars, the fuel and the periodic service.  Why should cellar be any different.  

As for staying or leaving, I don't know that this episode has caused any changes to this service after the price increase was taken off the table.  Public Mobile has always had the legal right to increase prices.  The fact that they backed down says our voices do matter.  Rest assured any future changes will be much more customer friendly.  If this is reassuring enough, then stay.  If not, then go.  However it must be recognized that Koodo is bound by the same wireless code.  Koodo customers are in the same boat as we are.  One last thing, if you do leave, you will have essentially played right into telus' hands. 

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Hi @will13am,

The only way this plays into Telus' hands is if you go to Koodo or Telus.  If customers leave to one of the other providers then this will hurt Telus' bottom line, especially if people leave on mass.

I was referring to taking the Koodo offer.  

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