New Plan: $35 for 2GB

[David_J]

Hey Community,

Effective September 17, 2020, the following price plan is being offered. This offer is available for new and current customers.

Plan details:

$35 for 2 GB at 3G speed

• 30 day plan
• 1.5 GB Data at 3G speed
• +Bonus 500 MB with AutoPay
• Unlimited Canada-wide Talk
• Unlimited International Text and Picture Messaging

How to get this plan: 

New Customers	Current Customers
Purchase a SIM Card: Click here to order online or locate a participating retailer to purchase a SIM Card. Visit activate.publicmobile.ca and follow the instructions to activate your SIM Card. If purchasing from a participating retailer, the retail associate can assist you with the activation. During the activation process, select the Ready-made plan that you want.	Log in on Self Serve Go to “Plan and Add-ons” Select “Change Plan” Select the Ready-made plan that you want. You will have the option of changing your plan immediately or upon the next renewal date.

To learn more about Public Mobile, click here.

- The Public Mobile Team

[Scarybear]

That's what I figured - I might just wait until Christmas then. 

[Jb456]

@Scarybear you're always free to switch plans up or down or if a new plan comes out that is available to current customers. Sometimes new plans are only available to new signups.

To do so when you have an account. You click "change plan". Then you're provided with 2 options.

1- Change now (it will say top up now if you don't have funds in your account) You don't want to select that option as you will be charged right away for new plan, new plan will start and no refunds on unused days from old plan.

You will want to select option 2. Change at next renewal. This will reserve the plan you want for next payment due date. Even if the plan disappears before your payment due date you have it reserved and still will get it. At renewal date you would be charged for new plan and it would start then.

If you are considering to sign up. Don't forget to use a referral code for a $10 sign-up bonus credited to your account within 72 hours of activation.

[JoyLuck]

• ---

  @Scarybear wrote:
  

  Correct - was asking about freedom. 

  I really don't need much data. 2 gig seems like it should be a minimum for any plan. 

  If I pick a public plan now - I can switch to a better deal if one comes up? Or are do they have good deals just for new customers? Thanks! 

  ---

Since joining PM in February, most of the deals I have seen have been for new customers.

[Scarybear]

Correct - was asking about freedom. 

I really don't need much data. 2 gig seems like it should be a minimum for any plan. 

If I pick a public plan now - I can switch to a better deal if one comes up? Or are do they have good deals just for new customers? Thanks! 

[darlicious]

@Scarybear 

All depends on where you live really....and how much data do you need? If you were looking as t the $30/2gb plan?

Edit: I'm going on the assumption you were asking about freedom.

[Jb456]

@Korth  Koodo has VoLTE.

https://www.koodomobile.com/en/help/voLTE

[Korth]

@Jb456 

You are correct, I am corrected.

Although VoLTE is only available on select Telus-contract plans with premium Telus-purchased smartphones. So it's already unavailable (even on Telus itself) if you're only paying the sorts of prices which PM and the other third-tiers charge for monthly service.

[Jb456]

@Korth  I used the wording "pretty much the same" because Koodo/ Telus offer VoLTE while Public does not. 

[Korth]

"Pretty much same" actually means "exactly identical" in this case.

The same is also true with Bell-owned and SaskTel-owned towers. Doesn't matter which of them or which of their lesser brands you subscribe to. Or so @sheytoon and other experts (who had or still have a tech career in this field) have explained in other threads.

(I still harbour doubts about it, I still suspect that a carrier can somehow prefer or prioritize some network traffic over other network traffic. But my doubts are apparently contraindicated by the network engineering. And they're unimportant here anyhow.)

[Jb456]

@Scarybear Telus owns Koodo and Public Mobile. So pretty much same reception.

[Scarybear]

How is reception? I've been with Koodo for 10+ years with no problems, but their plans are garbage.  My understanding is public is the same telus network so that would be nice. But the public prices are still not good enough. 

[Jonavin]

I’m a big Public Mobile fan but with Freedom currently offering 7GB plans (1GB + 6GB bonus) for the same $35, it’s really hard to recommend this to people. Yes I know about the reception differences, I used to be with WIND/Freedom.

[Scarybear]

Bought a sim card today but think I'm gonna wait to activate it until another deal comes up - that $30/2gb seemed nice. Hopefully something comes up for holidays. 

[darlicious]

@zhadj030 

Yes sadly the elimination of the $30/2gb limited time plan instead of its installation as a permanent plan was a step backward leaving a big hole between the $25/1gb and the $40/5gb. But the new activation promotions, occasional bonus referral credits,, free gifts are still enticing but they have not abandoned the rewards program  and it still makes public mobile stand out if you are a DIYer....a little hard work eventually pays great dividends.  It took me one year of hard work to not only go from neophyte flip phone user to a knowledgeable public mobile customer but I'm a poster child of their favourite advertising tag line....lower your bill to $0 per/ month (two actually!)

[zhadj030]

When I saw this plan I was not even surprised.

I mean the only reason this plan exists is just to make the 40$ plan look very good.

It is like the new features stripped plastic Samsung Note 20 compared to it's Ultra brother. Why pay 1399 CAD for a lesser note while you can get the super uber duper galactic Ultra Note 5G for ONLY 1899CA. 

This is nothing but upselling you to the next tier to increase their Average revenue per user (ARPU), or straight up push you out to Koodo /Telus. 

PM is like any other company that is looking for profit, which perfectly fine, but offering these plans would be perfectly fine if we were still in 2014. Not in 2020 and during a pandemic.

Instead of receiving e-mails from Telus about how to keep exercising and tips on how to spend time during isolation, I rather have a reduction in my plan's price or at the very least have more data so that it could be used in case Wifi is not working or available. Data cost companies pennies after all.

Unfortunately since Telus is the big boss, PM cannot be very competitive if at all. It is really sad to see PM just keep going downhill (promo and plan wise) for years now, while you can see that the online model they are made for is working perfectly fine (overlooking the few glitches from year to year) and you can see that the mods are very helpful and best at what they do... Unfortunately we are in the Canadian market. 

[Anonymous]

---

@bluejaywpg wrote:

Thanks guys & gals. @darlicious LOL mind blown indeed! Actually, my mind was blown because I thought someone recently said that when you change your plan, it will take effect immediately & so that person advised to do it when it's time to pay up.

Or so I thought. Maybe I misunderstood?

---

There are 4 things available to do with plans:

1. ask moderators to renew your plan early before the usual 30 days. This is often to get a refill of plan features like minutes and data. This restarts everything about the plan and forfeits any counted features and you have pay in full (other than any balance)

2. change plan now or immediate plan change. Also often to upgrade to more plan features like more data or to move up to unlimited minutes. This also restarts everything about the plan and forfeits any counted features and you have pay in full (other than any balance).

3. change plan at next renewal or schedule plan change. This just changes your plan at your normal renewal and you don't lose anything. Due to a bug, it's advised to have a sufficient balance to cover the higher cost plan whether changing up or down.

4. don't pay (and have insufficient balance) and let it expire which puts it into suspension status where nothing works. Then after 90 days the whole thing is deactivated. But you can pay up again and reactivate the plan (or change the plan then too)

[bluejaywpg]

Thanks guys & gals. @darlicious LOL mind blown indeed! Actually, my mind was blown because I thought someone recently said that when you change your plan, it will take effect immediately & so that person advised to do it when it's time to pay up.

Or so I thought. Maybe I misunderstood?

[Jb456]

@bluejaywpg when changing a plan.

Left side will say "change now" if there is not enough funds to cover the new plan it will say "top up your account".

Doing that option you're charged right away, new plan starts and no refund on unused days from old plan.

On right side it will say "change at next renewal". The preferred choice in most cases. The new plan will be charged and start at next payment due date.

 

[Anonymous]

---

@bluejaywpg wrote:

You can "schedule" a plan??? How? Never heard of that. 

---

As bolded above, the "scheduled" plan change is generally regarded as when you set it to change on your next renewal.

[darlicious]

@bluejaywpg 

Mind blown?!!!!

[dabr]

---

@bluejaywpg wrote:

You can "schedule" a plan??? How? Never heard of that. 

---

@bluejaywpg   When you go to change plans in your self serve account, you will be given the option of making an immediate plan change or change at next renewal.  It is always (generally) recommended to change at next renewal as that way you will not lose whatever is remaining on your current plan as there is no pro-ration or refunds for prepaid service.  It's particularly useful to lock in a promotional plan price that may be discontinued before your renewal date.

[bluejaywpg]

You can "schedule" a plan??? How? Never heard of that. 

[Savebig2]

Well said 

[Korth]

@darlicious 

Some people use very little data. Perhaps because online addiction just isn't part of their lifestyles. Perhaps because of access to other machines (computers and wifi at home/work/school) which provide far more than a few measly GB at pathetic cellular speeds.

I agree that buying something you never use is wasteful, yet the providers are always happy to encourage overspending all the same.

But some people use all the data they can get, and more. They can never get enough. They don't resort to rationing and wifi alternatives until they realize what little data they have left has to somehow last the rest of the month.

This is the consumer group which providers target.

I think PM would be smart to make things like a $20 1GB plan (technically a $22 AutoPay-only plan) and a $30 2GB plan ($32 AutoPay-only) for the light-data market. To hook customers who are conscious of spending, customers looking for deals and disinterested in wasting money.

But some (many?) of these customers will find low-data insufficient and eventually choose to upgrade. So unless PM wants them to float away to better deals offered by competitors, PM must offer $40 and $50 and $60 plans with competitively large data buckets to retain their heavy-data customers.

PM does a great job offering compelling promos for "new customers only".

They do a lousy job offering compelling upgrade options to existing customers.

[darlicious]

@Pawprints1986 

Providers don't want you to use less for less. They want you to use less for more. They will give you lots of data you don't need for "less" money. Only $2/1gb compared to $25/1gb. But if you only use 1gb or maybe 2gb....they sell you 25gb for $45 but you push yourself to use 2gb. You think you got a good deal but really they just upsold you something you dont need or use. I believe there are stats they say 70% of mobile users don't use all of their data allotment per month. The average customer uses 3gb per month. What do you do with the other 22gb? This is just a ploy by providers to get and keep you as a customer that they can bill you for more than you need. It's like donuts.

1. 1 donut =$1
2. 1/2 dozen = $5.79
3. 1 dozen = $10
4. 2 dozen = $16

Buying a half dozen saves you $0.03, a dozen saves $0.18 and 2 dozen saves you $0.33 per donut. Do you need or want more than one donut? Or maybe 2? $1 or $2 spent is better than $16. But you could have 24 donuts for only $16 you get so much more for less money........

[Pawprints1986]

Someone mentioned 45 unlimited with 25gb ... 

I've wondered this for years. Where are the deals for the little guys? Even at other carriers why not offer a 1gb unlimited calls and texts for even $10, in comparison to the 45 25gb it's still high

Why do they include more and more data but we're not ever seeing any reductions in smaller plans (aside from promos)?

[darlicious]

@pm-smayer97 

All very true. Surprisingly all of my referrals with the exception of the bf have been 99% trouble free despite their varying degrees of computer prowess. Unlike my own account(s) one of which has had a myriad of issues. I'm certainly glad I don't rely on autopay that I'm sure would just be one more issue to deal with.

[pm-smayer97]

---

@darlicious wrote:

@pm-smayer97 

Agreed. But your targeted referrals should be suitable to the pm model of service. If a referral has many options then keeping them at pm will be difficult. If your referrals have limited options and you help with management and troubleshooting and keep them here for at least one year and they are on a lower priced plan so that rewards make a difference then keeping them here is easier especially if they are actually a friend or family member. 

---

True...but you hit on two challenges....

1. "referrals should be suitable to the pm model of service" - that is a tough proposition and getting tougher because the value of plans is getting harder to justify with decreasing price differences or benefits, especially when you have to deal with PM's support model...I won't elaborate on that one...I know you know the ins and outs and ups and downs of that...

2. "you help with management and troubleshooting and keep them here" - if you want to take on such a role... and with the challenging support model, being the "contact" person can turn into an onerous task... I know... I supported up to 14 accounts at one point... now down to 4 thankfully (was 5 but I recently lost one because I missed the 90 window by 2 days to re-activate one). Point is, it is not for everyone.

[darlicious]

@pm-smayer97 

Agreed. But your targeted referrals should be suitable to the pm model of service. If a referral has many options then keeping them at pm will be difficult. If your referrals have limited options and you help with management and troubleshooting and keep them here for at least one year and they are on a lower priced plan so that rewards make a difference then keeping them here is easier especially if they are actually a friend or family member. 

[pm-smayer97]

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@darlicious wrote:

@marcmasters 

Stuck on a plan for 5 years? Sounds like you got a great deal with full speed 4G data with a minimum $7 in rewards being applied to your account. You need to do more with your referrals to keep them with pm. Can i get a winback offer from telus, fido or freedom that would beat pm in terms of data amounts vs price? Absolutely. Can any provider offer me two separate accounts for free? Absolutely not! I'll put up with the little glitches and what nots....free is free.

Edit: @marcmasters  whoops sorry hit post by accident.

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And that is probably why @marcmasters  is likely still here but others may not be able to get to that point as easily or at all anymore, especially if having to get referrals or getting them to stick around gets harder because the entry price point is not as attractive as it once was, as he has pointed out (and I agree, even compared to 2 1/2 years ago when I started). It is not the same PM as it once was.