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

[will13am]

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@RetiredGuy1 wrote:

Yes, but PM decided themselves to increase their risk - it wasn’t forced upon them. As others have pointed out, Telus just recorded record profits. “If it ain’t broke, don’t try to fix it”

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Well, if I put on my customer hat, I tend to agree with what you are saying.  When I put on my shareholder hat, I can see the merits of what they are doing.  

[softech]

hi @Robbwell 

I don't like the change as much as you.  I would save a lot more with the legacy system.

But please it is true that  Rewards system is a perk and can be change  with sufficient notice 

Ref (Legacy Rewards General Rewards Rules:)

https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Knowledge-Base/General-Reward-Rules/ta-p/164

Public Mobile reserves the right to change all Rewards at its sole discretion and without advance notice.

[RetiredGuy1]

Yes, but PM decided themselves to increase their risk - it wasn’t forced upon them. As others have pointed out, Telus just recorded record profits. “If it ain’t broke, don’t try to fix it”

[will13am]

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@RetiredGuy1 wrote:

Businesses also rely on having a good reputation and this change will impact PMs in a negative way

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All change comes with risks, such is the nature of running a business.  

[Robbwell]

PM can make changes for future activity. Like, they can change AutoPay and subscribers can respond to the new arrangement.

PM can't make changes to past terms like the $1 per year loyalty reward. It's too late. Those rewards are earned. We cannot go back and decline to participate.  They can change legacy loyalty for the future, like they can say if you are working your way to 5, the current year will be the last.

[Matty1234]

Not going for it myself but freedom have annnual plan of $119, I think its unlimited text/calls and 15gb of data over the year. Obviously I don't know your budget and paying $119 upfront will put off some people. 

[dariovitale]

Problem with the Lucky Mobile $15 a month plan is that it's 3G and only has 100 mins talk time. 

BETTER OFF with Freedom Mobile's prepaid $119 yearly 4G plan with unlimited national calling and texting with 15GB total for the year.

[loiccv123]

Public Mobile used to be one of my favorite companies, I would recommend it to all my friends. This announcement, as well as the perfectly engineered completely useless data Add-ons just made me, the entire PM subreddit and others here lose all respect we had. Get in a meeting and figure out some changes you can make to the point system that will make old and loyal customers like myself have any reason to want to stay with PM. Disgusting Corporate Greed

[Gunblastz]

I have the $15 payment plan and I get $6 off every month, only paying $9. Anyone know of a different company that offers a phone plan with that price? I feel stabbed in the back after referring people to PM and being a loyal customer here

[softech]

hi @Michael6666 for a $15 plan which the other provider offering the same price , the 5% points back plus the 10 points per year still a better deal.  Yes, they have a different services and subscribers can weigh them according to their needs

[Amuod016]

“Providing the best possible value to our subscribers”

How is taking away their loyalty discounts providing the best value? 

PM is forcing their longest customers to lose their rewards, and making them pay more for less, bribing them with an “apology” 360GB gift, and pretending it’s good service? 

no thank you.   Lucky mobile is looking better right now. 

[Michael6666]

I just referred a friend to lucky mobile for his mom when asked about the best place for the 15$ plan. Third month free and 20$ Dollarama gift card is hard to beat compared to maybe getting some points over the years.

And the losses begins! 

[hTideGnow]

hi @RetiredGuy1 yes, there will be impact. This business model runs on word of month a d it won't be good for the next little while 

[public_999]

I can't believe he tried to upsell you!  

[RetiredGuy1]

Businesses also rely on having a good reputation and this change will impact PMs in a negative way

[mikasik2]

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@will13am wrote:

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@hTideGnow wrote:

hi @G_Pomzz business always find ways to cut cost and customers already suffer:(

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Not to say that I agree with paying more as I am just as affected as the next customer, you do have to recognize that businesses operate on the profit motive in exchange for goods and services.  If you ran a business, could you operate it sustainably with a charity mindset?  With the massive inflation we have seen since the pandemic, the recent price cuts on the big gig plan offerings have been a breath of fresh air.  What is in your shopping basket that has not gone up in price significantly other than cellular service?  If people think the competition is not fierce, go check BCE's credit rating downgrade.  There is no better mechanism for price discovery than a barrier free open market.  If people think they can find better elsewhere, have at it.  After cycling through the stages of grief, I suspect many will come to the realization that things are not so bad here.  

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Telus just reported record profits

[will13am]

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@hTideGnow wrote:

hi @G_Pomzz business always find ways to cut cost and customers already suffer:(

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Not to say that I agree with paying more as I am just as affected as the next customer, you do have to recognize that businesses operate on the profit motive in exchange for goods and services.  If you ran a business, could you operate it sustainably with a charity mindset?  With the massive inflation we have seen since the pandemic, the recent price cuts on the big gig plan offerings have been a breath of fresh air.  What is in your shopping basket that has not gone up in price significantly other than cellular service?  If people think the competition is not fierce, go check BCE's credit rating downgrade.  There is no better mechanism for price discovery than a barrier free open market.  If people think they can find better elsewhere, have at it.  After cycling through the stages of grief, I suspect many will come to the realization that things are not so bad here.  

[JennalynnFlesch]

PM's answer to my refusal to be moved to their new points program was this, followed by my answer; (I am filing with CCTS )

Hello there,

Thank you for your time and patience on this matter.

We totally understand your point, and we truly appreciate your loyalty and interest towards our reward program. We’re making these changes in an effort to ensure we’re providing the best possible value to our subscribers.

Now about opting out from the new migration isn't possible. The old rewards program is being retired to make way for the enhanced Public Points program, offering greater flexibility and new ways to earn and use your rewards.

We also reserve the right to process changes on our services, this can be found trough our terms and conditions 

We appreciate your time as client, investigating your account we found that your current base plan is for $25 1GB, unlimited calling and texting  in Canada, what we can do to help you is to help you getting a better base plan such as the $29 20GB at 4G speed, unlimited calling and texting in Canada.

Kind regards,

Danny

Customer Support Agent.

a moment ago

So your help is to charge me more?  Switch me to a more expensive plan?  No thank you.

[R2_D2s_BFF]

Like others, I am unhappy about being forced from the old rewards program to Public Points because Public Points isn't matching the old rewards program by offering the same value for each discount I currently receive. In addition, Public Mobile stated that they will not be forcing old rewards program users into using Public Points:

I am on a $34/month plan and receive $9.00 per month via the old rewards program:

By being forced into the Public Points program I will have the following billing:

Cost: $34/00 per month (pre-tax). I'll earn 5% of that amount back in points, 1.7, plus 2 points for referral bonus as long as my referrals remain a customer with Public Mobile. The new Public Points program will not reward me 2 points per month because of Pre-authorized payments or 5 points for Loyalty. However, I will receive 10 points annually = .833 points / month. In total, I can receive 4.53 points per month (average out across one year) vs. $9 per month in current savings. 

I haven't changed my plan and do not consent into paying more for the identical plan.

[Matty1234]

I agree that is their logic but it really doesn't make any sense to me. It's so much easier to retain a customer than it is to get new customers, it's baffling that they have decided to go through that process. 

I've got my fizz sim already, it was too late for my current billing cycle (starts today) but I've found a better priced plan that meets my needs. 

[hTideGnow]

hi @Aehmttw 

sorry, they are going to do it regardless. Nothing you can do

Some will give you hope and suggest you make complain , but it won't make them change the mind. Rewards is a perks and is offer extra by mobile carrier, they don't even have to offer it

[Aehmttw]

Or, how about we not do that? Cause the points program doesn't look that good honestly. I like the money I just auto get taken off my bill. 

[Soon-ex-PM-user]

Also inconvenience for us as we need to logon to use 15 points unlike the previous reward of automatic straight deduction.

lol like most people, I hardly ever logon to my account prior to the current fiasco.

[MajesticFluff]

It wouldn't be such a big deal if PM just made the points similar to the original deal. They said when we signed up that we would get 1$ off per year we were with them. Then it got capped at 5, now they are just removing it altogether... I would go use the points to save the money if they decided on that, but they are outright saying that we should all just accept a 3-5 dollar bump to our phone bill and calling it a good thing

[Jo_sh]

I am very disappointed by this forced change. The only reason to boast for PM was the old loyalty program, now there is no incentive for me to stick around. 

[G_Pomzz]

It's easy to see the plan is to drive away all the long term customers and then recruit new higher paying customers through a media blitz rather than referrals. The original owner/developers who built PM from the ground up through blood sweat and tears must be horrified! 

[eJonavin]

They also allowed carriers to be bought.  In the past few decades these are the independent that got bought up:

• Microcell Fido -> Rogers
• Clearnet/MIKE -> Telus
• Public Mobile -> Telus
• Mobilicity -> Rogers
• WIND/Freedom -> Shaw -> Videotron

Everything else is largely MVNO or flanker brands of the big 3. Those other brands just creates the illusion of competition

I'm leaving out smaller local players like Thunderbay, SaskTel, etc... but these were all independent carriers that got bought up by larger carriers. 

Even somewhat independent NVMOs like CityFone and Virgin Mobile was later acquired by their host carrier (Rogers and Bell respectively)

[hTideGnow]

hi @G_Pomzz business always find ways to cut cost and customers already suffer:(

[G_Pomzz]

It's going to lose them a lot more customers than the money they will save. Then again maybe the plan all along was to create a poison pill for PM and slowly kill it? Corporate greed at it's finest. 

[G_Pomzz]

One of those brilliant marketing moves, like when Coke decided to change their recipe.