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

[NoseyNick1]

> A good marketing team may conclude to leave the “old timer” accounts be and just focus on gaining new accounts

I dunno, there's also a certain expense in keeping 2 systems active, not just running 2 sets of servers and 2 sets of software, but the support hassle of "oh wait, you're a legacy rewards customer, let me check the other system", training staff for 2 different systems, and so on. Take this to its illogical extreme, they could be maintaining 5 (dis)loyalty systems in a few years and training staff to understand all 5 of them? From time to time, you just gotta obsolete the old stuff and force people onto the new stuff... I get it.

HOWEVER, we were promised that "in 5 years, you'll be saving $5/mo" - that was a pretty long-term commitment, part of the reason I signed up, part of the reason I acted as uncontracted PM marketting with my referrals too. It SHOULD have been trivial to offer 2 points/mo for autopay, 1pt/mo for a year of loyalty up to 5pts/mo for 5 yrs loyalty, and so on - keep 1pt=$1, ideally make it so I can automagically spend X pts to take $X off every bill, but in any case continue to reward our loyalty as promised, just on the new system.

That, they haven't done. I signed up for "up to $5/mo discount after 5yrs, $2/mo for autopay", knowing that even if it started out overpriced, like the rest of the Canadian mobile providers, it would eventually approach more reasonable EU/UK/rest-of-world pricing (even if MUCH less data).

It might not be an immediate bait-n-switch, it might have been a bit of a long-con bait-n-switch, but I was still sold on a 5+yr loyalty plan commitment, only to later find it rug-pulled before i ever had a chance to claim that $5/mo back.

[G_Pomzz]

@Ohnewone  said;

This is bait and switch and bad business practices we were told this was supposed to be for new users only and old users were supposed to be kept with the old rewards program

You are pretty misinformed. It's absolutely not a case of "bait and switch" advertising. 

A vendor that advertises an item to get you into the store, then doesn't have that item but pressures you into buying a similar higher priced item is the classic bait and switch technique. 

[kb_mv]

@Bunnyhop So everyone who disagrees with you is a corporate shill?

Edit: Shill - a person who publicly helps or gives credibility to a person or organization without disclosing that they have a close relationship with said person or organization.

The four posts that you showed are from people that you believe have an undisclosed close relationship with PM?

[Bunnyhop]

Here are three examples of what these corporate shills on reddit think about about us

1. The sense of entitlement is pretty strong. I would just shut down PM and let those entitled brats choose between Telus and Koodo.
Anyhow, even without any rewards system, Public already has the most competitive plan in the market with great coverage.

2. Agreed, even with the new points system (I typically cash in for the $15 off my bill) PM is still the best price I have found. Most phone companies don't have any rewards program at all. I have been a part of many rewards programs for different businesses/ stores that have changed over the years (or just flat out ended).I understand that people are mad about the changes, really I do. But i just don't think there is much of a claim here... "this company was giving me free stuff and now they decided to stop (give less)". I am sure in the fine print than no one ever reads it says something like “we reserve the right to modify the rewards program”.

3. So what? My PM plan is five years old. You are entitled and paranoid. Imagine protesting over a BONUS.  Just move to another provider. Pretty sad when you're in here criticizing the age of my Reddit account. Laughable. $34 for 50GB!!!!

Edit: I had to take one example off because it is duplicate.

[Public_Cust_17]

@Bunnyhop  I'm also encouraging everyone to read over the email I drafted up and sent to The Standing Committee on Industry and Technology (E-mail: INDU@parl.gc.ca) and to use it as a starting point (or to create a new one themselves) and include all of their points in an email to the committee. The committee is currently reviewing the pricing policies of the mobile operators and I'd like them to have every complaint and bit of information that they can regarding PM's tactics.. the more they hear from might not help but it won't hurt.   Cheers

https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Announcements/Upcoming-Changes-to-our-Old-Rewards-Pro...

[Bunnyhop]

Yikes guys the astroturfers on r/publicmobile are so balatant and disrepectful.

[Bunnyhop]

I support you and wish you the best in your fight for customer protection.

[eyes]

After all these posts PM ‘s MESSAGE IS CLEAR—- Take it or leave it we don’t care. 

[kb_mv]

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@Ohnewone wrote:

This is bait and switch and bad business practices we were told this was supposed to be for new users only and old users were supposed to be kept with the old rewards program. 

---

@Ohnewone Bait and switch is where a company advertises one thing to get you in and then tries to switch you to an more expensive product once you're in. You have been on the legacy rewards for at least two years, receiving monthly "cash" rewards payments. How is this bait and switch? If they tried to do this immediately after you signed up sure. But two years (minimum) later?

[Ohnewone]

This is bait and switch and bad business practices we were told this was supposed to be for new users only and old users were supposed to be kept with the old rewards program. 

[Retiree2024]

I think this is a bad idea as we were always told the points program was for new subscribers and if we wanted to join it was voluntary. Now we are told we have no choice you must join the points program. Well my choice will be to find a different provider as PM is changing the way their organization dictates to their subscribers. The bonus data you have given will run out before i use any of it. Also my bill will increase by $6.00 plus tax and as a senior on a fixed income that extra money will have to be taken from somewhere and i dont know where that is. 

[Yatti4201]

You can see how much of a rip off it is see my pics. I coululdnt use the promo data if I wanted too right now.. 

[SBM1]

This is unacceptable. I chose Public Mobile a number of years ago because of the rewards program. As a senior on a fixed income, it's very important that I control my spending as much as possible. The rewards program allows me to save $$ every month on this essential service and the additional saving of $1/month for each year is a key component of that.

When I first signed up with PM, I was assured the rewards program was a permanent feature. Forcing this change on existing customers who have already declined the new program is unacceptable. If PM goes through with this change, I will have no options other than filing a complaint against PM and looking for a company that treats customers fairly.

[kb_mv]

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@Bunnyhop wrote:

I dont know where to begin with that part unfortunately.

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@Bunnyhop  Maybe call a lawyer?

[Bunnyhop]

I dont know where to begin with that part unfortunately.

[kb_mv]

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@Bunnyhop wrote:

 We could start a class action lawsuit as-well for false advertisement.

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@Bunnyhop Any luck finding a law firm to take on a class action lawsuit?

[Bunnyhop]

You can file complaints here

CCTS: https://www.ccts-cprst.ca/for-consumers/complaints/complaint-form/

CRTC: https://crtc.gc.ca/eng/phone/plaint.htm

[Bunnyhop]

To the new customers please do not turn on your fellow man saving a few dollars instead use that anger to turn on Telus for ending public mobile's old rewards and demand that they bring it back for all customers. They were still making a killing on the old rewards.

[Bunnyhop]

Thank you. You're doing your part!

[Bunnyhop]

How about this Public Mobile. How about you cancel this unpopular change and let the old customer stay on the rewards system indefinitely and then just focus on maintaining/improving the service while gaining more customers. Be like Valve or Brother.

[Bunnyhop]

Telus is a company of poor quality.

[Bunnyhop]

File your complaint with CCTS and CRTC and oppose all future company mergers. They will rob us dry.

[eyes]

It’s possible that these bad decisions are because they may have a new market team of just recent graduates with no experience. 

[ElectricMayhem]

Wow this is a ridiculous change, I can’t understand why Public would do this? 
Thank you to everyone who has posted complaint info and ideas on new providers, I’ve looked into a few of them and will be switching to Fonus. Bye public!

[cfard]

This is absolutely unacceptable. I’ve been with PM for almost eight years and this is how you treat your most loyal customers. I’m actively looking for another provider for my number (not Rogers or Bell either) and unless PM backtracks on this (which they have done so before) I am absolutely leaving Telus in the dust. Do better.

[Camera4617]

Two CCTS complaints accepted.. Let's see how will PM work with me to resolve this.. 

[Bunnyhop]

Just filed mine. We could start a class action lawsuit as-well for false advertisement.

[Bunnyhop]

PM needs to be regulated. File a complaint to your regulator.

[Kevlar44]

Just thought id post a copy of my service ticket measage as some might find my description of the cause for dispute helpful:

When i signed my wife and I up for public mobile the main selling feature was the loyalty rewards. It was always advertised as an incentive that would never change. For each year you get another dollar off up to 5. "Loyalty pays". The rewards program caused me to recommend PM to many others for many years. When the new program was brought in I was assured i would never have to switch. This is a horrible change that is being disingenuously presented as beneficial. When you offer an incentive program that takes years to accumulate and is based on years of patronage it is not ethical to drop it on a whim. When i signed up i factored in long term costs and made that a part of my consideration as this was a promised benefit of a long term commitment. In other words the deal i was evaluating i considered prudent based on prospective savings over a continued duration of patronage given the advertised benefits of being a long term customer. Because of this i have not considered other carriers and have been deprived of economic opportunities for my own betterment based on false and misleading advertisments/assurances. I hope you consider the justifications of this complaint and reverse this unethical decision as it will result in the loss of my wife and I as customers as well as a formal complaint to the CCTS.