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

[JDBlue1966]

What about inflation?

[kb_mv]

@JohnDoe3 Independent MVNO's in Canada are pretty much dead. The CRTC ruled in 2022 (I'll paraphrase) that MNVO's had to essentially build their own infrastructure which flys in the face of what MNVOs are and all but killed off the possibility of having independent MVNOs like dotMobile, TextNow and Mint.

[mikasik2]

You know PM could just settle this by giving everyone $7+tax in cash each month for the rest of our lives

[HALIMACS]

@hTideGnow 

there’s no sense weighing in.

“The sky is blue. The sky is blue. The sky is blue.”

“I didn’t say the sky was blue.”

“When I said blue, I meant sad, not the colour, dummy, your reading comprehension is low”

 🤣 

[JDBlue1966]

Glad you did. Also, hope you look for another provider. It’s one thing putting up the price of plans. I can live with that. However, taking away rewards is not on.

[mikasik2]

I for one would like to say something positive about this whole fiasco..

[Matty1234]

Public may have the right with regards to their ToS but if they're going to increase their fees by approx $94 for me (7 x 12 plus GST/PST) then I'm going to look elsewhere, it's ethically wrong to remove the discount for regular paying customers.

For me Public has less than a month to reverse the decision or I'm gone. 

[ShawnC13]

By having no contract here at PM every time you renew your service you are agreeing to a new ToS

[ShawnC13]

The thing is I don't think Telus is even open to evening things out.

[ShawnC13]

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@RetiredGuy1 wrote:

@Wolfcore 

Please don’t shoot the messenger here but this is at the bottom of that page:

Other Reward Rules

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

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This statement is on my pages and has been posted in here a few times.  Glad it got received better when you posted it lol

[ShawnC13]

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@RetiredGuy1 wrote:

@hTideGnow 

Perhaps generally speaking, some plans have come down in price when taking a multi-year snapshot. Of course, as a general statement, most would agree a lot were outrageously expensive back then so they really had no choice but to rein in some control on price points.

I’m referring to current market conditions. For, example PM’s recent promo of $34 for 50 GB 5G Can-US has ended and was effectively replaced with the current $39 for 60 GB 5G Can-US. So, in that example the price increased. This example is what I mean by the perception of better value (oh look, for only $5 I get 10 GB more). This is the approach PM (and all others really) are taking to capitalize on the FOMO attitude of customers while, at the same time, increase their ARPU.

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Plans have definitely gone down over the 7 years I have been here.  I was on a 90 day plan but it was basically $40 for 4GB and that was WAY cheaper than anything out there at the time.  It was a true indrustry disrupting plan the Famous 2016 Fall Promo.  I actually thought I would never leave it lol but now $34 for 50GB Can/US

[JohnDoe3]

Ottawa for a long time had a sort of not-for-profit internet provider, NationalCapitalFreenet (NCF), always had the best budget connectivity available. Imagine if a new non-profit MVNO was started up, perhaps operated as a joint initiative from interested university campus computer science departments, which essentially forced the bigger telcos to have to compete on value because they would no longer be able to screw the budget customers. Web dev, program administration, business administration, etc. It would all be fertile ground for student participation in operating a business from many angles, as well as providing a sort of lab environment for developing public access to emerging technologies.

[ShawnC13]

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@hTideGnow wrote:

hi @Hollister but you cannot deny price really comes down , and down a lot. $35 used to be just 3GB and now it gives you Canada-US plan for 20GB or so

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It is actually 50GB now for $34
 

[ShawnC13]

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@marcnoel wrote:

You're welcome.

Victoria, BC.  Sorry, I didn't think to specify.

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Thanks for the review as well.  I am in Victoria as well

[ShawnC13]

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@JDBlue1966 wrote:

I haven't been given the 250gb? Do I have to ask for them?

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The amount of data depends on what plan you are currently on.

[marcnoel]

...as is found with other carriers.

[marcnoel]

I was going to move from one unit to another in the same building.  The old and current one are out of range of free Wi-Fi (anybody), but the other unit was in ShawOpen range.  My luck.

I recently got a Tangerine Mastercard upgrade, which gave me free access to Boingo hotspots.  On the hotspots map, it showed one in my current unit (former tenant) and one in the other unit.  Registerd and tried to access... nothing.  Turned out they USED to be hotspots, but the previous tenants didn't notify Boingo when they moved out.  I am puzzled why they would still show up on the map, unless it isn't real-time, but based on what Boingo is told, until further notice.

[RetiredGuy1]

@JDBlue1966  I’m the exact same - never posted for years as I was a happy customer with no problems and being an old fart, not very tech savvy to help others -  but I felt compelled to react to PMs action

[JDBlue1966]

Thing is, lots are like me. Never bothered to post on here for years. Given this issue, I decided to. Bet most wont. Or don’t know how to.

[Public_Cust_17]

@hTideGnow  don't be sorry b/c seriously you couldn't pay me to take it. Monitor all you wish if that's what floats your boat!

[Wolfcore]

This guy lives in la la land; just the irony and brazen confidence he has, when the thread is literally filled with evidence telling a complete opposite story lmao. Just makes me giggle.

[Wolfcore]

Hahaha, he's just insufferable. He keeps trying to go for "gotchas", but keeps failing. It's getting sad to watch at this point. I'd be embarrassed, but some people just have no shame.

[hTideGnow]

you two are funny, when someone present you the other view of it, the real fact, you find it hard to accept and ignore.   But I will keep monitor your posts

and no sorry @Public_Cust_17 , you can say what you want, but I won't be sharing our technical paper to you for free.

[RetiredGuy1]

@Wolfcore 

I’m somewhere in between. I don’t believe PM will reverse their decision entirely but I do believe there is a reasonable chance they may make some concessions. With 6 weeks more to go to May, there has already been a considerable backlash with this thread now appoaching 3,000 posts. Consider the ripple effect as well as this activity here in the forum is getting reported on by other online sources that non-PM subscribers research for reviews of telecoms. Throw in the CCTS complaints and now the emails to the Standing Committee on Industry & Technology and PMs reputation is definately taking a hit. Will it be enough? Nobody knows. But what would be certain is if nobody complained at all, then we’d all have to prepare to starting paying more for the same service while, at the same time, afford PM the knowledge they can lie to you without any repercussions.

p.s. I feel 3,000 posts are nowhere near enough as every single legacy reward subscriber should make at least one post objecting to the forced change and lies made by PM. Also, @Public_Cust_17  was kind enough to share a very good email template to send to that committee. It took me only a few minutes to do - about the same time as doing one post here

[Public_Cust_17]

@Wolfcore  I gave up replying to Mr. Secret Report.. he's drank so much PM koolaid it hurts and I'm pretty sure he just chimes in incessantly, often repeating what other have said, so that he can get his monthly attaboy.  🤣 😂

[Dunkman]

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@Mike409991 wrote:

If I don't opt in , it's automatic switch to points rewards programs?

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@Mike409991 

Correct.  Starting in May, automatic switch. 

[JohnDoe3]

Indeed. I presently pay $5+tx monthly. Annually that's $60.

Under the new plan, I'll have to pay $15*12= $180. PM will get to benefit from sitting on that money from all their users in aggregate until they have to give some back. By year end, the points will be worth $10 loyalty and 5% of $180 = $9 (less if the 5% reward rounds off any) and referrals of $4/m. Net annual points 10+9+4*12=67 of which I can only recover 60 in the calendar year, but we'll go with decimals to keep the long-term average going. Net loss of $53 a year. The only to make up any of that is to push the referral bonuses even more, but good luck convincing people when the value of the offering is no longer the most economical choice for people looking for a "budget" plan.

[JDBlue1966]

Nope. 

[JDBlue1966]

Yes

[JDBlue1966]

Nope. Their rules, say they can change whatever they like. Only thing we can do, is find another provider, or bend over.