New Province-Wide Calling Plans + Limited-Time Offer on Canada-Wide Calling Plans

[Catherine_T]

[Edited: Feb 16, 3:45PM EST]

Hey Community, 

Public Mobile is introducing some changes to our suite of rate plans. Effective February 16, 2021, we will offer two types of plans: plans that include Province-wide minutes, and plans that include unlimited Canada-wide minutes. The Canada-wide calling plans will be priced at an additional $5/month, compared to the Province-wide calling plans.  All of our plans will continue to offer Canada-wide data and unlimited international texting.

We never take the decision of changing our plans lightly.  That's why, for a limited time, we’re offering our Canada-wide plans at a $5 discount. That means customers who value Canada-wide calling can still access these plans at the original prices before they change. 

The introduction of a Province-wide calling plan comes as a result of our commitment to give you more options on features and provide savings to help you create and customize the plan that’s right for you.  If you don't value Canada-wide calling, you can still access our plans starting at $15 per month.  If you value Canada-wide calling, it will continue to be available for an additional $5 per month. 

See below for more details on our new plans: 

New province-wide calling plans: 

Province-Wide Calling
Monthly Rate	Province-wide Minutes	Data (*with 500MB Autopay)
$15	100 Minutes	250MB
$25	Unlimited	1GB*
$35	Unlimited	2.5GB*
$40	Unlimited	5GB*
$45	Unlimited	6.5GB*
$50	Unlimited	8.5GB

For more information on how province-wide calling works, check out this Help Article.

Concurrent with this launch, we are offering $5 off all Canada-wide rate plans for a limited time. 

Canada-wide calling plans:

*Current promotion: $5 off Canada-wide plans for a limited time

Canada-wide Calling
Monthly Rate (*Promotion price)	Canada-wide Minutes	Data (*with 500MB Autopay)
$30 $25*	Unlimited	1GB*
$40 $35*	Unlimited	2.5GB*
$45 $40*	Unlimited	5GB*
$50 $45*	Unlimited	6.5GB*
$55 $50*	Unlimited + U.S. Talk	8.5GB

How to change your plan: 

1. Log in on Self Serve
2. Go to “Plan and Add-ons”
3. Select “Change Plan”
4. Select your preferred plan. You will have the option of changing your plan immediately or upon the next renewal date.

FAQ’s:

What happens to existing customers’ plans?

There is no impact to existing customers' plans. All customers’ plans will be grandfathered, including those who had scheduled rate plan changes before this update. Note, if you change your plan you may not be able to go back to your previous plan if it is no longer available on our website. 

What is happening to the $15 plan?

All plans in the Canada-wide suite have unlimited Canada-wide minutes. The $15 limited talk plan will remain in the Province-wide suite and will have 100 Province-wide minutes with 250MB of AutoPay data bonus.

Can I buy an add-on with Canada-wide calling?

Yes, we currently have a $5 for 500 Canada-wide minutes add-on available which you can purchase in Self-Serve.

How does Province-wide Calling work?

For more information on province-wideon how province-wide calling works, check out this Help Article. 

To learn more about Public Mobile plans, click here.

- The Public Mobile Team

[HALIMACS]

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@computergeek541 wrote:

Who really believes that this is really a "price reduction" or that this helps Public Mobile remain competitive?

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Certainly not I.   Whomever does believe such nonsense has drank the Public Mobile Kool-Aid and there's no goin back...

[Asher2]

I do know that Changes will happen with Plans. But with the future coming upon us we are needed to be more connected with eachother as we go on.

I feel that this is a big step back and is disappointed with the plan changes that Public Mobile has made. I expect that we should be starting to get more for less or ATLEAST getting more at the same price. 

@Catherine_T Really disappointed with the changes that Public Mobile has made, if price increases with no other upgrades keep happening, I’ll be moving my business elsewhere.

[dabr]

Just double checked today's date and nope, unfortunately, it's not April 1st!!

A couple of phrases come to mind "sooner or later, everything old is new again" or maybe it's "back to the future".

Disappointing direction...

[mh1983]

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@computergeek541 wrote:

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@BearFBI wrote:

@Catherine_T You also mantioned NOTHING about existing users and wether or not our plans will be grandfathered. Makes me worried as our plan prices may be subject to increase in the future...... Mabey thats why it wasn't mentioned. 

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With any price plan, Public Mobile could always increase the price for existing customers by giving 30 days notice. So, even if Public Mobile says no pirce increases, that doesn't mean forever.

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Of course, but it'd be good to know for sure what the impact is (if any) on existing customers, in light of this specific announcement. 

[dabr]

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@mitchnet12 wrote:

@Catherine_T, thank you for making a proper announcement with the changes coming to the plans. Will any customers who are on existing plans need to "switch" to the new "promotional" Canada-Wide plans? The general consensus seems to be that the existing plans will be Grandfathered, however, do any existing customers that are happy with their existing plans need to take any action? Below is a screenshot of the self-help.

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How to change your plan: 

1. Log in on Self Serve
2. Go to “Plan and Add-ons”
3. Select “Change Plan”
4. Select your preferred plan. You will have the option of changing your plan immediately or upon the next renewal date.

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@mitchnet12   Not sure if anyone already answered you, but if you're an existing customer and are happy with your current plan then you don't need to do anything further as your current plan will be grandfathered in.   Just remember if you opt to change it in the future then you will not get the option to go back to it as it has been/will be discontinued.

[computergeek541]

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@benfatto wrote:

@BearFBI  Disappointing for getting referrals unless competitors also increase prices. Nothing may have been said but PM has good history of grandfathering current customers. 

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Referral prospects have all but dried up. About a year ago, it got pretty bad, but over the last couple of months, I believe them to be almost non-existent.  As happy as a customer as I am because of what I pay after rewards, not even I would join today as a new member for plans that I do not consider to be even close to competitive.

[computergeek541]

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@BearFBI wrote:

@Catherine_T You also mantioned NOTHING about existing users and wether or not our plans will be grandfathered. Makes me worried as our plan prices may be subject to increase in the future...... Mabey thats why it wasn't mentioned. 

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With any price plan, Public Mobile could always increase the price for existing customers by giving 30 days notice. So, even if Public Mobile says no pirce increases, that doesn't mean forever.

[computergeek541]

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@will13am wrote:

The discussion of a day ago turns out to be true.  This is definitely a turn for the worse.  It is unfortunate.  How long is the "price reduction" for the Canada wide calling plans?  I feel like I am shopping at the Bay; increase the price on the weekdays to set up for a big sale on the weekend.  

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Who really believes that this is really a "price reduction" or that this helps Public Mobile remain competitive?

[TheGx]

Booooooo👎

[ShawnC13]

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@darlicious wrote:

@ShawnC13 

My point is with the $15 plan. As of 9pm pt it was no longer in self serve but it was on offer on the publicmobile.ca/plans page until about 2:30 am pt. Is this not breaking their terms of service?

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D'oh hit post before replying

Would have to find someone that was trying to activate (and be able to prove they were) that "old" $15.  They can remove it from our Self Serve options at any time without notice as it isn't a price change it was removing a plan no longer offered.  Without going through the activation process we can't tell for sure if you were not able to select that plan while ACTIVATING vs the option not being there in self serve for a PLAN CHANGE.  Two different things

[darlicious]

@ShawnC13 

My point is with the $15 plan. As of 9pm pt it was no longer in self serve but it was on offer on the publicmobile.ca/plans page until about 2:30 am pt. Is this not breaking their terms of service?

[dlambro]

@darlicious wrote: @Anonymous  Nope wasn't me.....I know that as a fact as @CannonFodder  is currently on that plan.  

@darlicious  Yup...sorry...it was @dlambro in one of the other threads. ... 

Yes you are both correct, they do have a $15/m plan, sure now, when I was with Chatr last year, the plan was $20/m for talk and text, 100 minutes Canada wide, no data, so I switched to PM to get data and unlimited Canada Wide minutes for a few dollars more.  Now they offer a cheaper plan, I guess they are all competing with each other. 

[sa7375]

This is how I read today's announcement.

Has anything changed for the existing users? No, not really, as everything remains as-is for the existing users.

The people affected will be newcomers or the existing users only if they change their plan: and if the latter, the existing users still have the time to switch using the old rates.

PS. I remain a happy camper 😊

[Staliger]

Oh....what a huge step backwards for PM 😐 Provider should improve plan offers instead of making them more unattractive, especially to new customers.

[JK8]

[mh1983]

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@kb_mv wrote:

This drama could have been avoided by doing things just a bit differently.

"Hey, PM here. Unfortunately in 30 days time we will be raising the price of all Canada wide calling plans by $5. We don't do this lightly and in an effort to mitigate the effect on people that only call within their own province we are introducing Province wide plans for the current prices. We apologize to those that will be affected but please note that any plan you are on now, or that you switch to before the 30 days are up, will be honored going forward."

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That would've been much more well received. Of course there'll always be detractors but this feels like "leveling" with us instead of talking around or fluffing up a change as if it's of benefit to us and not Telus.

[kb_mv]

This drama could have been avoided by doing things just a bit differently.

"Hey, PM here. Unfortunately in 30 days time we will be raising the price of all Canada wide calling plans by $5. We don't do this lightly and in an effort to mitigate the effect on people that only call within their own province we are introducing Province wide plans for the current prices. We apologize to those that will be affected but please note that any plan you are on now, or that you switch to before the 30 days are up, will be honored going forward."

[Anonymous]

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@darlicious wrote:

@Anonymous 

Nope wasn't me.....I know that as a fact as @CannonFodder  is currently on that plan.

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 @darlicious 

Yup...sorry...it was @dlambro in one of the other threads. Sorry to bother you. Apparently I skimmed. It was also a long post a la your style.

 @dlambro : Chatr does have a $15 plan.

[ShawnC13]

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@darlicious wrote:

@Anonymous 

I think you are missing my point....we as is pm are bound by the terms of service. When pm does not follow their own terms of service that are most advantageous to the provider who sets their own terms according to the WCC regulations that creates a problem. Public Mobile has very simple terms.....why did they not follow them? 

Can the terms of service change?
Yes, Public Mobile has the right to change any of the terms of service, including rates, without notice. Changes become effective thirty days after being
posted at publicmobile.ca/ plans. By purchasing service after a change is posted, including by continuing to top up your account, you accept the current
terms of service. You can cancel service at any time, without penalty or cancellation fees.

Public mobile changed the plans in our self serve about six hours before they changed on the "publicmobile,ca/plans" page. This broke their own terms of service by preventing customers from making a plan change to the current (at the time) plans being offered by public mobile. This is a legitimate complaint to be taken to the CCTS. But nobody seems to get this?!!

@ShawnC13  Do you see my point? Care to cobble together a bandwagon?

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@darlicious, both plans are in our self serve and are listed at the same price.  Someone can future date their own plan change without the price going up.  As of right now with the LTO their hasn't been a price change for the Canada Wide calling plans.  You can still get any Canada wide calling plan today for what it was yesterday, except maybe the $15 plan I haven't looked but that is now a new plan if it has changed.  When it comes down to it the Province wide calling Plans are "new" plans for at the price of the old Canada wide calling and after the LTO (my thinking is 30 days) the "new" Canada wide plans will have  a $5 price increase.

[darlicious]

@hstraf 

Just don't change your plans and you should be fine. Unless announced at publicmobile.ca/plans your plans are grandfathered in.....

[LurganIeUk]

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@hstraf wrote:

I'm confused.   

Are our *existing* subscriptions changing?   Will we (existing customers with a current plan) lose the "Canada-wide" calling ability unless we re-signup?   Are our existing/current plans grand-fathered and will not change?  (Will we keep Canada-wide calling at the "old" price?)

Do we need to change our plans to the "new" Canada-wide plans today to get the discount (same pricing) if we want to keep canada-wide calling?

Thanks.

In our home, we have four children with the $15/month plan and four adults with the $40/month plan.  All currently have Canada-wide calling, and we want to keep that.

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@Catherine_T  Should be the one to answer this. 

While the change was well thought out...the questions and concerns from existing customers.....their base......was a total MISS and a bad decision to omit. 

[darlicious]

@Anonymous 

Nope wasn't me.....I know that as a fact as @CannonFodder  is currently on that plan.

[hstraf]

I'm confused.   

Are our *existing* subscriptions changing?   Will we (existing customers with a current plan) lose the "Canada-wide" calling ability unless we re-signup?   Are our existing/current plans grand-fathered and will not change?  (Will we keep Canada-wide calling at the "old" price?)

Do we need to change our plans to the "new" Canada-wide plans today to get the discount (same pricing) if we want to keep canada-wide calling?

Thanks.

In our home, we have four children with the $15/month plan and four adults with the $40/month plan.  All currently have Canada-wide calling, and we want to keep that.

[Anonymous]

 @darlicious : Maybe it was one of your posts in one of the other similar threads...you had said Chatr does not have a $15 plan. They do. I was just using my little post to also add that bit. So as not to be too obviously padding my post count 🙂 .

[LurganIeUk]

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@benfatto wrote:

@BearFBI  Disappointing for getting referrals unless competitors also increase prices. Nothing may have been said but PM has good history of grandfathering current customers. 

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The whole referral program is kind of like a pyramid method of gaining customers. It will now likely slow down as there will be better plans offered by the competition. 

[mh1983]

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@computergeek541 wrote:

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There hasn't been any announcement about changes to plans that existing customers already have.

@computergeek541 wrote:

Your plan stays the same. 

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Thank you, but how are you deducing this if there hasn't been any announcement? Would be nice if they said "existing customers who don't want to change their existing plans aren't impacted" or something along those lines.

[benfatto]

@BearFBI  Grasping at straws perhaps, but just found this: 

https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Plans-Add-Ons/Shame-on-Public-Mobile/m-p/655467/highl...

[darlicious]

@Anonymous 

I think you are missing my point....we as is pm are bound by the terms of service. When pm does not follow their own terms of service that are most advantageous to the provider who sets their own terms according to the WCC regulations that creates a problem. Public Mobile has very simple terms.....why did they not follow them? 

Can the terms of service change?
Yes, Public Mobile has the right to change any of the terms of service, including rates, without notice. Changes become effective thirty days after being
posted at publicmobile.ca/ plans. By purchasing service after a change is posted, including by continuing to top up your account, you accept the current
terms of service. You can cancel service at any time, without penalty or cancellation fees.

Public mobile changed the plans in our self serve about six hours before they changed on the "publicmobile,ca/plans" page. This broke their own terms of service by preventing customers from making a plan change to the current (at the time) plans being offered by public mobile. This is a legitimate complaint to be taken to the CCTS. But nobody seems to get this?!!

@ShawnC13  Do you see my point? Care to cobble together a bandwagon?

[BearFBI]

@benfatto They have a good history of grandfathering but dont kid yourself. PM has changed.

[benfatto]

@BearFBI  Disappointing for getting referrals unless competitors also increase prices. Nothing may have been said but PM has good history of grandfathering current customers.