A letter from Dave on the recent changes

[Dave_M]

Hello Community,

The past week has been full of announcements and changes: we launched 3G speed plans, we made our SIM cards available at Walmart, we changed the pricing for 4G LTE plans, and we changed how our support model works. That’s a lot. I want to take the time to thank you for coming on this journey with us, for reading all about the changes, and for voicing your opinions (good and bad). I also want to take some time to share with all of you, the path of learning we have been on at Public Mobile, in hopes that it provides context to some of the changes you have seen.

Nearly two years ago, we defined what ‘doing wireless differently’ would look like, and we launched Public Mobile in beta. At the time, we had a grand vision of being a small niche brand that appealed to a very specific person - a ‘life hacker.’ Many of you joined us during that time and have been with us through the ups and downs (and we love you for it). Since then, we have learned a lot. We have learned about our competition, our industry, and most importantly, we have learned a lot about Canadians and how they use their wireless services.

Those learnings are what have brought us to today and to the changes you’re seeing now. We’re coming up with new ways to deliver more options for Canadians and new ways to remain competitive. Many of these decisions were challenging to make - change always is - but we believe they are the right things to do to continue to offer Canadians more choice and flexibility at great rates on Canada’s largest mobile network. And we believe we’re celebrating those changes by being transparent about it through our “Less for Less” campaign: managing expectations and making sure that customers know that they are trading some frills in favour of lower prices.

Today, I ask you to continue supporting us on this journey. If you have a plan you love, keep enjoying it. If you have a friend who wants a great network for less, tell them about us - why we’re great and why we are different. We aren’t for everyone, but we believe we are the right choice for a lot of Canadians. We are not who we were a few weeks ago, but we are proud of how we’ve evolved to keep up with the wireless needs of Canadians and hope you will join us on this path.

Sincerely,

Dave

[Rockdaddy22]

From what I remember. Some people were somehow using this service to get free data on other websites. I'm not sure how it exactly worked. It been spoken about many times in the past.

[phoneemail]

Ok and it did not work out because? What because of bandwidth telus has to pay for?  I can guarantee that a judge would say atop charging data usage or provide phone support. 

[Rockdaddy22]

Maybe you should only use support on free wifi at timmies:) Problem solved 🙂

[Rockdaddy22]

You think your so smart hey. PM used to offer free data on the community, it didn't work out. If you want Shawn to stop responding, then stop posting on a public forum.

[phoneemail]

Shawn please exclude yourself from any of my replys. As I have been dealing with the mods. So once again please exclude yourself as you dont know what the issues are. 

I will be taken them to court for a fact now after I'm being charged data usage for being on this support site. Like wtf is that? Charging members data usage to get help and or support because no phone support??? Im sorry but how does that make it cheaper service when you have to pay data when using your phones data to get help and support? Cant believe peoplr are so stupid to not catch this. This is more expensive to user then just having phone support. Ijust wasted 15MB of data just to get my phone working and still having issues. And how much is 15MB Of data? Going Rogers its 1.00 per MB on per day usage so thats 15 00 ive just wasted so that brings my plan to 82.00 rather then the 67.00  On support so how is having no phone support cheaper? ( yes i know you going to tell me this is not rogers. And my reply to that is I was just using rogers as an example) 

[ShawnC13]

@phoneemail, message a MOD for assistance, click on this link Moderator Team

to send a private message .

In your message please include:

* PM account email address

* SIM card number(if available)

* PM phone number

Explain how you wasted two days getting account active to 100% and look for an adjustment on your next renewal date.

Other than that if you choose to spend the time and money taking them to court let us know how it goes.

More info on moderators: https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Knowledge-Base/Updated-Contacting-our-Community-Moder...

[phoneemail]

1.) They have no legal standing when it comes to their TOS/TOU/TOA ECT (A judge said this sone years ago when someone took rogers to court)

2.) My account says its due on the 28th of aug but my account was not 100% active until this afternoon so it should say the 30th not 28th

3.) Public/telus charges DATA when using the Community to get help and or support. Why charge data when its only way to get support?

5.) The hassle/waste of time just to get account 100% working (I wasted 2 days of my time)

I'm sure any judge would rule in my favor for the listed above reasons.

[will13am]

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@Eric-S wrote:

I've been with Public Mobile since May this year. After being a Bell Mobility customer since the early 1990s, and my Bell contract ending in mid-May, Prior to my contact ending, I researched all the carriers to find the best deal possible, including PC Mobile and Chatr. I made the jump to Public Mobile on the first day without a Bell Mobility commitment.

I am a self-help person and I can work with the Community Support model rather than calling a live agent. I had a perplexing problem with my connection that I was able to communicate with Public Mobile tech support via email. It turned out to be an issue with a strange phone setting with my new Android phone. I'm totally new to Android too.

To comment to Dave's announcement. My new Public Mobile plan that I got in May this year, made me was jumping up and down compared to Bell and their loyalty plan. When I saw the new Public Mobile rates, that Public Mobile plan I got in May has now gone up 33%. From base of $180 to $240 before 90-day payment discount, or $120 to $180 after 90-day payment. Yes, 33%..

Again, with our family being Bell Mobility customers since the early 1990s, I was testing the water to also move my wife and daughter's phone. With this substantial 33% increase, the difference from their Bell plan and Public Mobile new rates makes their move to Public Mobile more in doubt.

If I could make a suggestion?

Consider special pricing rates for existing customers to bring in family members into Public Mobile. Send offers directly to existing accounts that are tied to draw in family members. Ensure the pricing that makes a move to Public Mobile irresistible.  

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Public Mobile doesn't have a loyalty department and I don't think we want them to acquire one.  The more they seek to be like other existing brands, the less viable they become as an alternative.  We just need to lobby for a return to the old plans and make them universally available.  The continued negative response to the new plans will have an effect.  They have no advertising budget, existing clients are the major method of advertising.  We can make a difference.

[Eric-S]

I've been with Public Mobile since May this year. After being a Bell Mobility customer since the early 1990s, and my Bell contract ending in mid-May, Prior to my contact ending, I researched all the carriers to find the best deal possible, including PC Mobile and Chatr. I made the jump to Public Mobile on the first day without a Bell Mobility commitment.

I am a self-help person and I can work with the Community Support model rather than calling a live agent. I had a perplexing problem with my connection that I was able to communicate with Public Mobile tech support via email. It turned out to be an issue with a strange phone setting with my new Android phone. I'm totally new to Android too.

To comment to Dave's announcement. My new Public Mobile plan that I got in May this year, made me was jumping up and down compared to Bell and their loyalty plan. When I saw the new Public Mobile rates, that Public Mobile plan I got in May has now gone up 33%. From base of $180 to $240 before 90-day payment discount, or $120 to $180 after 90-day payment. Yes, 33%..

Again, with our family being Bell Mobility customers since the early 1990s, I was testing the water to also move my wife and daughter's phone. With this substantial 33% increase, the difference from their Bell plan and Public Mobile new rates makes their move to Public Mobile more in doubt.

If I could make a suggestion?

Consider special pricing rates for existing customers to bring in family members into Public Mobile. Send offers directly to existing accounts that are tied to draw in family members. Ensure the pricing that makes a move to Public Mobile irresistible.  

[kav2001c]

@phoneemail the Public BETA is long over. About a year ago it ended.

What legal action do you propose, bearing in mind the terms of the contract you sign specifically state they do not guarantee service?

[ShawnC13]

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@phoneemail wrote:

Dave you gonna make a post about how people are tired of your **bleep**? Gonna make one to say that Public/telus will be facing LEGAL ACTION? 

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@phoneemail, no need to take this thread in that direction with a personal attack on employees.  You can disagree with their direction but don't make it on one person.  As for your other post, no one is holding you to PM if you don't like it you don't have to stay.

[mimmo]

Im sorry but the service works once you get it going. Its the initial stages signup, that are an issue.

Why not just copy and rebrand the old koodo selfserve site.

[phoneemail]

Well that and for the BULL POOP that custmers like my self have to put up with just to get our services going...if you cant provide service without interpretations or issues then dont orovide services at all.. public has been in this so called beta stage since when? Also its just BULL.. telus adds the headaches on purpose. They are using us paying customers as guinea pigs all so they can profit on services that they know how to provide. 
 
So cant provide service without issues then STOP CHARGING FOR YOUR SERVICES.... 

[Rockdaddy22]

Legal action for raising prices?

[phoneemail]

Dave you gonna make a post about how people are tired of your **bleep**? Gonna make one to say that Public/telus will be facing LEGAL ACTION? 

[Watoko]

Glad to hear everyone speaking up! As Public Mobile says, "Let's keep the conversation going".

[Rxtodd]

After discovering PM  a year ago, I told anyone who would listen, about this great altenative to all the other overpriced, overdone carriers in the Canadian market. It made great sense, minimal infrastructure means we can save you money, and there was tremendous value in the plans available at the time. I switched myself my 2 kids and eventually half a dozen of their friends.  I can no longer recommend. There is nothing here  to get excited about anymore. Just another carrier looking to maximize profits. As others have suggested, PM has becone Koodo without physical stores and staff.  And whoever came up with the "Less for Less" slogan should be fired.  It reeks of "YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR"  - a phrase not usually used in a positive way.  Hopefully PM will listen to us, that niche market that they carved in the beginning, Otherwise I can't imagine why people would want to pay similar dollars for a carrier with minimal support.

[danielj]

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@will13am wrote:

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@danielj wrote:

As aaronmartin said "They didn't lose money on my referrals cause those guess all give PM ..." more money and revenue. The referrals are a way of advertising. Companies' typical do not think they are wasting too much on advertising. They attempt to do cost benefit analysis. In this case, the are not getting rid of the advertising but trying to capitalize on it too much on it by charging new customers too much defeating one of the primary selling points of the advertising and referral system they had.

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+1.  Word of mouth is the cheapest and probably most effective form of advertising. 

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Even if that word of mouth includes a dollar per customer added.

[will13am]

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@danielj wrote:

As aaronmartin said "They didn't lose money on my referrals cause those guess all give PM ..." more money and revenue. The referrals are a way of advertising. Companies' typical do not think they are wasting too much on advertising. They attempt to do cost benefit analysis. In this case, the are not getting rid of the advertising but trying to capitalize on it too much on it by charging new customers too much defeating one of the primary selling points of the advertising and referral system they had.

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+1.  Word of mouth is the cheapest and probably most effective form of advertising. 

[danielj]

As aaronmartin said "They didn't lose money on my referrals cause those guess all give PM ..." more money and revenue. The referrals are a way of advertising. Companies' typical do not think they are wasting too much on advertising. They attempt to do cost benefit analysis. In this case, the are not getting rid of the advertising but trying to capitalize on it too much on it by charging new customers too much defeating one of the primary selling points of the advertising and referral system they had.

[mimmo]

@aaronmartin I was being sarcatic about the referal issue.  I have about 1/2 the number you do.   Even if it was an issue they found the wrong solution.

We were their best promoters, and least costly method compared to the new billoards etc...

Unfortunatly unless there are some changes it will be hard to refer people with the increased prices, and the constant portal issues.  but then again for some the plans are still positive.  

[aaronmartin]

Let's hope PM realises that they'll loose money as well if they don't get new clients. They didn't loose money on my referrals cause those guess all give PM 40 or so a month to make up for the dollar

[mimmo]

$96 wow congrats.

I guess PM realised they were loosing too much money on referal rewards. So to stop the referals the uppep the price lol. I guess they achieved their objective.

[gulafshan]

Thank you for sharing this, Dave. Though it may not answer all my questions and concerns, though PM's management is better than nothing. I look forward to seeing what other developments PM has planned for us in the future.

[Jonavin]

@suefs they won't change grandfathered plans. The recent change for older users was more to do with moving the old users onto the HSPA/LTE network because Telus will be shutting down their old CDMA network and reframing it for LTE.

[suefs]

I see that the plan prices have significantly increased which will impact potentially new customers.

But what about those that are on the grandfathered $120/90 days plan? Will those prices change?  

[aaronmartin]

Hello Dave, I used to reccomend pm to many people and was a proud supporter. i have bought many sim cards and and helped friends and family and more activating public mobile. you can see proof of that by seeing that i have 96 $ in friend referals. each and every one of them, not one excluded, activated with pm due to better prices. and i believe with the new prices i wont be able to activate any more because i wont be able to use the sole talking point i used to use. 

[danielj]

Since I have been with Public Mobile they have made significant changes to the plans offered at least twice both time removing more affordable options and having the overall price of the plans increase. This is very disappointing. People look at Public Mobile and Freedom Mobile to be leaders in offering affordable prices but they are becoming too much like the parent organizations and the big three. Affordable plans should not mean going to Chatr or somewhere else and getting little to no data and/or network connectivity.

[Jonavin]

No matter how you look at it, these new rate plans will be a hard sell for anyone I thought I could convince to switch to PM.

RIP referral credits.

[Michael77]

Hey,

I guess I am going to try and stay positive. My hope is that the new Chairman will look at this industry more from the paying customer perspective. I would not want politics to get in the way of doing what's right. I will cross my fingers. 🙂