Upcoming Changes to our Old Rewards Program

[J_PM]

Hey Community,

We have an important announcement to share with our subscribers who are currently enrolled in our old Rewards program.

We’re making changes to our rewards program and are sharing how these changes impact some of our subscribers. Starting in May, we’ll be retiring our old Rewards program and moving all subscribers to our Public Points™ program. 

We launched the Public Points™ program in January 2022 to provide our subscribers with more ways to earn and spend rewards, with greater flexibility. As part of our commitment to continuously evolve our products and services, it's time to retire our old Rewards program and shift our focus on enhancing our Points program.

To show our appreciation for your continued loyalty, subscribers on our old Rewards program will receive a special thank you. We'll send you a text message when it has been added to your account by March 31st. 

We’re excited to continue providing you, our valued subscribers, more opportunities to earn and spend rewards with Public Points™ moving forward.

To learn more about your move to Public Points, check out our FAQ here.

The Public Mobile Team

[TECHRANG3R]

When you think about it... It's kind of stupid and ironic!  This whole phone service was founded on the premise that the community is what supports the service.... Whether it's the advertising by word-of-mouth or ist support via the forums, and then some VP, Finance or Marketing guy decides they have a great idea to increase the profit margins by revamping the points system and squeezing the subscriber base for extra $$$!!! What did they think this community would do? SMH It's a community built on helping each other - not your paid employees!  You can 'try' to fool us but we are smarter than that and we will support each other to make our voice heard!  This community is awesome and it won't go down without a fight!  It's really kind of sad they didn't realize what they had built here.

[jtennyuk]

Thank you! Just submitted my complaint as well.

 

[JDBlue1966]

[Falconium]

Been with PM for years. Just adding my voice/complaint to all the others here, this change is ridiculous and frustrating, and if it goes through I and my family (of 9) will look elsewhere. I hope PM listens to their community and decides NOT to go ahead with dropping the old rewards system. Otherwise they will be losing a LOT of long time loyal customers.

[JDBlue1966]

[JDBlue1966]

Done. I suggest everyone does it.

[JohnDoe3]

It can be argued that when the discount is directly at the point of sale (direct discount on a monthly bill), that the true price of the service is the amount agreed, not the price before discounts. There is precedence for this in contract law.

[Michael6666]

I'm actually starting to get excited to jump ship. 

I love sticking it to the man and being part of a collective, one dollar at a time.

We should all start running speedtests at 4:20 pm everyday with our extra data. That would be a nice way to protest

[JohnDoe3]

For those interested, go here: www.ccts-cprst.ca/for-consumers/complaints/complaint-form/

[JohnDoe3]

They'll only regret it when they lose customers. I encourage people to share alternatives that they discover. For instance, Fonus is american, but has unlimited for $20USD and global roaming.

[JohnDoe3]

This change completely removes my reason to keep my entire family on public mobile.

I was on $15/m with autopay, full loyalty, 5 direct referrals, and some of them have their own cloud of referrals. My monthly bill was nearly $0. It was fantastic. I hardly ever need data, and when I do and it goes over 250MB, I could just by the smallest addon, it would last and last.

Now, autopay benefit is crippled because I was only $15/m to begin with, loyalty is nowhere near as good, and I have to wait a year to even get 10 points (not 12 like you would think if they were lining it up with monthly cadences), and they added expiry to addons. Like really, FU public mobile.

[PimpT]

Been with PM since 2019 and even recommended them to my friends. Now we’re being forced to a new rewards system that we don’t want. So much for loyalty right? We do not want to use the new point system!  I will be switching providers this May along with my friends.

[JDBlue1966]

I’m sure there are lots like you. Public mobile should be ashamed of themselves.

[RNk6xib2]

I'm on the $15 plan that I got down to $7 or so after tax. I only use it for texting and still have ALL the old holiday bonus data from when I became a customer. PM, I'm SSSOOOOO glad you gave me 5GB of data for 150 days. This is reallllyyy going to help me cover the extra ~$120 a year I'll have to pay out when I already cant afford a proper phone plan.

[IWorkForRogers1]

We had a similar situation in a company of mine years ago, we disguised an inferior point system to replace an old one to gain more profits, then we got rid of the reward system altogether. Happy to see you did not mention any of this,  no one will ever figure it out, very impressive.

[JDBlue1966]

They should be ashamed of themselves. They wont though. Anyway, i hope they regret what they are doing.

[JDBlue1966]

So much for loyalty to long term customers. 

[mikasik2]

Worst PR move ever?

[kylewm]

PM's about to **bleep** around and find out. As others have pointed out, THE PEOPLE made Public for what they were - a success and an attractive carrier. I signed up about a couple weeks ago - or whenever it was, and generally had good first impressions. However, my tune changed the moment I found out about this change, and the fact that I was already on the new system and wasn't getting the same benefits as everyone else. I hope PM takes the L on this one and back-peddles. Mark my words: corporate greed will be this company's downfall.

[Oakestester]

The difference is that Petsmart isn't regulated by the CCTS. We're all filing CCTS complaints, and my understanding is that each one filed costs Public $140.

They are going to quickly find out that this change is a bad idea, just like they did when they tried to increase the price of the $120/12GB 90 day plan back in 2018. Consumers filed over 1600 CCTS complaints, and Public Mobile reversed course.

I very much hope they reverse course again, or they're going to lose a huge chunk of their user base.

[Oakestester]

No they will not.

Instead of the $2 autopay discount ($24/year), you will get 5% x $34 = 1.7 points per month (20.4/year). 

Instead of the $5/month loyalty discount ($60/year), you will get 10 points once per year.

So instead of $84 per year under the old system, you will get 30.4 points per year. Points are redeemable in increments of 15 for a $15 bill credit. So, putting the hassle of manual redemptions and having to wait until you have 15 points, you're spending an extra $53.60 per year.

[rustynailz76]

Very valid point….if customers want more GB data, plans today from all carriers give you tons of data. Saying thank you to customers with data bonus will expire is not a thank you…it’s a slap in the face. The discounts that all loyal customers of the old rewards is was kept a loyal customer to PM…in my opinion those should remain grandfathered in. Why should past customers be put in a new rewards program that they sign up for, plain and simple the public points rewards system isn’t much savings at all…not going to convince past customers to stay on. In May, PM won’t be rewarding past customers with public points, they are going to be saying goodbye.

[rustynailz76]

This change of old rewards is hurting Public Mobile. The rewards is what kept customers staying and referring friends and family. Customers stayed loyal to public mobile, but, now public mobile isn’t saying thank you to long time customers…this is making them say goodbye. In May, I don’t plan to stay with Public Mobile and many friends and family I referred PM to are planning to leave. Makes no sense to remove these rewards from long lasting customers when it doesn’t affect anything. Public points is new to new customers. Let the past long lasting customer enjoy for the reason they originally joined Public Mobile for and offered to them at the time. PM don’t say goodbye to the ones that put PM where it is today…In May, many will be saying goodbye…that’s unfortunate.

[kevin37]

I am not happy about this. When the new rewards system was put in place it was made clear the old system for retreats was not changing and was implied that it wasn't being removed due existing customers. 

Also it seems I am being given 240GB of "free" data that expires in 150 days. I won't be able to access our use that data in the time frame as I have a larger monthly data plan that I don't go through fully each month. It feels more insulting than anything. 

[ShawnC13]

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@Kydd wrote:

10 years before they made big changes hmm  well was good while it last 🥂

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There have been many changes.  Pioneers with Public Mobile still had a call centre for customer service.  Like any business there are ups and downs, new leaders trying to put their stamp on things.  So this is not the first Big Change

[Kydd]

10 years before they made big changes hmm  well was good while it last 🥂

[computergeek541]

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@Kydd wrote:

When exactly did Telus took over ?

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2013

[ShawnC13]

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@Kydd wrote:

When exactly did Telus took over ?

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October of 2013

[Kydd]

When exactly did Telus took over ?

[Community_QA_]

Since so many people thinks rewards system cannot be changed, and so many upset why @J_PM said the new system brings "more ways to earn and spend rewards" but it was indeed worse

here is another example, Petsmart
https://www.petsmart.ca/new-treats-rewards/

and the response:
https://www.reddit.com/r/petsmart/comments/1b82wpx/thoughts_on_new_petsmart_treats_program/

Petsmart also said the new system has " exciting new features" but truth is nothing to be excited.

So, what we learned? 

1. Rewards system will change
2. terms like "excited", "better" are just polished phases
3. "They will never make a program that costs more. Any change is going to be to the company’s benefit."

Is PM bad? Corporate greed?  YES.  But they are just as bad as every other business

And an important thing to know:  Rewards are just perks and not the plan price.  While a reward system change will cost you more, the plan price itself stays the same.  This is not something CRTC or CCTS can help.