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

[ShawnC13]

@mikasik2 they are still rewarding you annually on your anniversary date.  All rewards programs will have something in them that will say they can be changed or eliminated(I know it is despised when I bring that up and am defending the company) air miles Petro points, scene points, they will all have it.

[mikasik2]

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@eyes wrote:

According to PM. In print  ——-"in 5 years, you'll be saving $5/mo".

Maybe this is what we should also point out to the CRTC. 

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I included it in my complaint to the CCTC, definitely wouldn't hurt to raise more awareness.  I think you can reply to your email thread with them to add evidence and help make sure they see it.

[eyes]

According to PM. In print  ——-"in 5 years, you'll be saving $5/mo".

[mikasik2]

@softech wrote:

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@ShawnC13 wrote:

In the thread that announced the points system it did say that customers could stay on the legacy rewards as long as they remained active plans in the FAQ.  When asked directly @J_PM said there were no plans to force a change, that was 2 years ago and plans change especially from the higher ups.  The community Manager of this would not be sitting in high level future planning meetings at Telus so she gave us the information she had at that time.  People talk about a promise, I have never seen the word promise anywhere in PM's wording.  (I know word manipulation). 

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The answer 2 years about people can stay on legacy systems was certainly refer to the situation at the time, no way that was a promise about legacy system will be here forever. People has been bringing that post up again but they were undoubtedly spinning it to their own benefit. 

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You mean this?

Its not a post its an official breakdown of the old rewards system.  As a customer after reading this the only "change" that can occur to remove these rewards is a customer decision not a corporate one.

[ShawnC13]

Edited post at members request

[softech]

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@ShawnC13 wrote:

In the thread that announced the points system it did say that customers could stay on the legacy rewards as long as they remained active plans in the FAQ.  When asked directly @J_PM said there were no plans to force a change, that was 2 years ago and plans change especially from the higher ups.  The community Manager of this would not be sitting in high level future planning meetings at Telus so she gave us the information she had at that time.  People talk about a promise, I have never seen the word promise anywhere in PM's wording.  (I know word manipulation). 

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The answer 2 years about people can stay on legacy systems was certainly refer to the situation at the time, no way that was a promise about legacy system will be here forever. People has been bringing that post up again but they were undoubtedly spinning it to their own benefit. 

[ShawnC13]

@Wolfcore comments below in red so I don't miss anything lol

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@Wolfcore wrote:

There's a reason why people use the term shill, and it's almost never based off of singular comments. With you for example, 99% of your comments are in defense of PM. You are also an Oracle who's being paid by PM for your services ($20/m + extras). You also have power to delete/remove messages from here (and possibly ban users from here as well?), and there have been a ton of messages removed from here that make PM look horrible, as well as users banned.
Pointing out facts isn't defending a company, it is providing all available information. I do get $20 soon to be 20 points per month, but that is totally eaten up and more by this change and how it affects my family.  I do not have the power to delete posts or ban members.  I can move and edit yes.  Oracles have been commenting about the amount of posts being removed as well as it isn't us and we are noticing large amounts as well.  I know of one member that reached out that they were banned and I would suspect that is from the spamming of the thread that they were doing.

Although I'm not a really big fan of name-calling to begin with, and think it should only be used when absolutely necessary, I can see why people would use this type of language, considering what I've said above. It's very rare for somebody to be called a shill based off of singular comments (especially not from what I've seen in this thread).
My first post in this thread was about how not agreeing with this decision and affecting me.  None of the Oracles agree with this and there is a lengthy thread of our own in the Oracle Section.

The reason why you keep getting pushback on the ToS "defense", is because everybody knows that the ToS is used to protect companies. This doesn't change the fact that they outright lied to their users (written lies). Lying to your users, but sneakily using your ToS as a defense on the backend, is actually even worse than a general lie; it's extremely misleading, and is often considered false advertising (even with ToS in place).
In the thread that announced the points system it did say that customers could stay on the legacy rewards as long as they remained active plans in the FAQ.  When asked directly @J_PM said there were no plans to force a change, that was 2 years ago and plans change especially from the higher ups.  The community Manager of this would not be sitting in high level future planning meetings at Telus so she gave us the information she had at that time.  People talk about a promise, I have never seen the word promise anywhere in PM's wording.  (I know word manipulation).   People make a promise to be married forever, situations change and things don't work out.  Plans and goals change over time it happens.  If PM wasn't best for my family financially still I wouldn't be here I would be gone to wherever had the best options for my family.  In my time here we have moved a few family members accounts out of PM and eventually have come back as that is where we are getting the best value for waht we need.
Most companies will use their ToS as protection, but they won't make contradictory promises on the frontend. Other companies will offer up great deals, and you may think that you can keep it forever, but it's written in their ToS that you can't. But what they rarely do, is promise things like PM, where they say you can keep something forever, and then use the ToS as a defense after that, in a completely contradictory way.

Whether their ToS protects them from this doesn't really matter though, that's the thing. Just like their ToS didn't matter back in 2018, with their other reversal. If your customers are upset, and leaving in droves, companies are willing to abandon their own ToS all the time. 

You're saying that PM did nothing wrong. Everybody signed up for these services, they signed the ToS, so they know what they signed up for. Let's say that this is true, and they're squeaky clean. Why do you feel the need for 99% of your comments to be in defense of them? Why be in defense of a company that makes promises and then hides behind their ToS? It's just a weird position to take, unless you're trying to protect said company. Just let people voice their frustration against a company that supposedly you have no loyalty to.
So by providing the information I have that is defense, I can see how some may see that I see it is making sure all the information is out there.  I have always said this community is only as good as the information provided in it.  The reason I have loyalty to PM is because it is actually more loyalty to my wallet and my family finances and PM is providing the best options for us.  So if people consider me a Shill for making the best decisions for my family so be it.  When PM is no longer the best financial decision for us we will move on, for the same reason we moved here to SAVE MONEY.
Most people understand that these companies protect themselves with fine print, they don't need to be told over and over again. If a company wants to sneakily protect themselves that way, then they should also understand that there will be consequences for misleading people like this. Let them face those consequences, don't protect them. Remember, you are not a shill, stop defending them. 

Customers are not loyal to services like this, they are loyal to the best savings.  If they were loyal to the service providers there would be no porting between them.  So for all the broken "loyalty" comments everyone would port out in an instance if there was a service that suited them better (Price/service) and if they disagree they are making poor financial decisions.

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[JDBlue1966]

Loyalty rewards are what kept me with PM. Thats given I am a very low phone call/data user. Now that’s changed. Put up with PM, because of the rewards, and fact I hardly use the phone, or data. Main issue I had was the lack of international roaming. Basically the cost of my plan was/is not a financial issue. So, as I spend many thousands of dollars roaming the planet, guess it’s time to move to a provider, that can give me a better/similar price, but with the roaming option. 

[Wolfcore]

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How many will stay if PM reverses this decision (I don't think they will) that isn't loyalty to a company that is loyalty to the bottom line of what it is costing you and that is what you SHOULD always do.

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I keep seeing certain people make this comment, and it's quite fragile.

Loyalty comes in many different forms, and it often depends how you look at things:

- Loyalty of not actively looking at offers from other companies, because you're comfortable with what you have
- Loyalty of wanting to stick with a company that doesn't lie to their customers (bad experiences with other companies), and claims no surprises (honour/respect).
- Loyalty of not accepting better deals, because you signed an agreement, and hope that your rewards with PM will leave you better off in the future (and willing to lose money in the meanwhile)
- Loyalty to PM because of being lied to by other companies, and even if you're paying a little more, you believe you won't get screwed over like you would with another company, by accepting a better upfront deal.

I could go on and on, but it's definitely more nuanced than "it's only about money". You could argue that they all eventually boil down to money, but that would be a disingenuous and simplified way of putting it, and I could make that argument about just about anything. 

[Wolfcore]

There's a reason why people use the term shill, and it's almost never based off of singular comments. With you for example, 99% of your comments are in defense of PM. You are also an Oracle who's being paid by PM for your services ($20/m + extras). You also have power to delete/remove messages from here (and possibly ban users from here as well?), and there have been a ton of messages removed from here that make PM look horrible, as well as users banned.

Although I'm not a really big fan of name-calling to begin with, and think it should only be used when absolutely necessary, I can see why people would use this type of language, considering what I've said above. It's very rare for somebody to be called a shill based off of singular comments (especially not from what I've seen in this thread).

The reason why you keep getting pushback on the ToS "defense", is because everybody knows that the ToS is used to protect companies. This doesn't change the fact that they outright lied to their users (written lies). Lying to your users, but sneakily using your ToS as a defense on the backend, is actually even worse than a general lie; it's extremely misleading, and is often considered false advertising (even with ToS in place).

Most companies will use their ToS as protection, but they won't make contradictory promises on the frontend. Other companies will offer up great deals, and you may think that you can keep it forever, but it's written in their ToS that you can't. But what they rarely do, is promise things like PM, where they say you can keep something forever, and then use the ToS as a defense after that, in a completely contradictory way.

Whether their ToS protects them from this doesn't really matter though, that's the thing. Just like their ToS didn't matter back in 2018, with their other reversal. If your customers are upset, and leaving in droves, companies are willing to abandon their own ToS all the time. 

You're saying that PM did nothing wrong. Everybody signed up for these services, they signed the ToS, so they know what they signed up for. Let's say that this is true, and they're squeaky clean. Why do you feel the need for 99% of your comments to be in defense of them? Why be in defense of a company that makes promises and then hides behind their ToS? It's just a weird position to take, unless you're trying to protect said company. Just let people voice their frustration against a company that supposedly you have no loyalty to.

Most people understand that these companies protect themselves with fine print, they don't need to be told over and over again. If a company wants to sneakily protect themselves that way, then they should also understand that there will be consequences for misleading people like this. Let them face those consequences, don't protect them. Remember, you are not a shill, stop defending them. 

[golfball]

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@ShawnC13 wrote:

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@golfball wrote:

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@kb_mv wrote:

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@golfball wrote:

The bait and switch was offering plans like the $34 can-us plan for people to swap to and then surprise announcing that the price you thought you'd be paying will actually be much higher. Just look at my rewards page, next month I'll have to pay over $10 extra after taxes. As someone who was on the $15 plan before this month I would never have signed on for such a drastic jump. 

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@golfball That argument is getting old. Their ToS say/said they can change or even cease the rewards program as they see fit. As you no doubt read the ToS when you signed up perhaps you should have taken it into consideration that they could at any time change or get rid of rewards. As for your plan, there is nothing stoping you from changing back to the $15 plan before your next renewal.

Bait and switch? Not even close. You got the plan you signed up for and as i said you can change back to the $15 plan before you are out any more money. Google bait and switch. If you feel that strongly about this whole thing call a lawyer.

Everyone on the old rewards is losing out going forward, myself included. No more available funds deposited into my account monthly. It sucks but it isn't near as traumatic for me as it appears to be for some. 

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@kb_mv  Excuse me, I don't appreciate the condescending tone. I did NOT agree to pay $34 for my phone bill, I agreed to $28 max after rewards, simple as that. To say otherwise is just disingenuous. Whether they are allowed to do it or not isn't relevant. 

Yes, I will be weighing my options and adjusting my plan appropriately when the changes take effect.

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@golfball,, but you did agree to the $34 plan, and the ToS that goes along with it saying rewards can be changed or ended with appropriate notice.  This plan didn't have a sale tag on it for $28 like you would see an item on sale in a retail store.  

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@ShawnC13  Yes, I agreed to the $34 plan on the condition that the rewards existed making it an attractive price to me. I will exercise my right to change plans/providers just as PM is exercising their right to discontinue the rewards. Sale or rewards, doesn't matter to my bank account.

[ShawnC13]

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@golfball wrote:

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@kb_mv wrote:

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@golfball wrote:

The bait and switch was offering plans like the $34 can-us plan for people to swap to and then surprise announcing that the price you thought you'd be paying will actually be much higher. Just look at my rewards page, next month I'll have to pay over $10 extra after taxes. As someone who was on the $15 plan before this month I would never have signed on for such a drastic jump. 

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@golfball That argument is getting old. Their ToS say/said they can change or even cease the rewards program as they see fit. As you no doubt read the ToS when you signed up perhaps you should have taken it into consideration that they could at any time change or get rid of rewards. As for your plan, there is nothing stoping you from changing back to the $15 plan before your next renewal.

Bait and switch? Not even close. You got the plan you signed up for and as i said you can change back to the $15 plan before you are out any more money. Google bait and switch. If you feel that strongly about this whole thing call a lawyer.

Everyone on the old rewards is losing out going forward, myself included. No more available funds deposited into my account monthly. It sucks but it isn't near as traumatic for me as it appears to be for some. 

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@kb_mv  Excuse me, I don't appreciate the condescending tone. I did NOT agree to pay $34 for my phone bill, I agreed to $28 max after rewards, simple as that. To say otherwise is just disingenuous. Whether they are allowed to do it or not isn't relevant. 

Yes, I will be weighing my options and adjusting my plan appropriately when the changes take effect.

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@golfball,, but you did agree to the $34 plan, and the ToS that goes along with it saying rewards can be changed or ended with appropriate notice.  This plan didn't have a sale tag on it for $28 like you would see an item on sale in a retail store.  

[ShawnC13]

@Ha2fly if you needed international roaming them PM was never the place for you and that is ok there are other providers that do offer that service

[ShawnC13]

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@Bunnyhop wrote:

Good save! Thank you for sharing those!

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So someone can post something from the past like over 2 years ago and anyone that posts the ToS from that time gets called names?  I understand people are upset but we are where if you aren't happy there is NOTHING holding you here.  NO CONTRACT, NO SUBSIDIZED phone to pay for.  You are free to go wherever you can find the best plan just like you have always been.  A lot of people were very supportive of the 30 day contract as it didn't tie them in but now the new 30 day contract ever 30 days doesn't suit their stand and say they have a long standing contract with PM.  You don't you have a long term service relationship.  I know I will get called a SHILL or corporate lap dog but just putting out facts.  How many will stay if PM reverses this decision (I don't think they will) that isn't loyalty to a company that is loyalty to the bottom line of what it is costing you and that is what you SHOULD always do.

[kb_mv]

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@Ha2fly wrote:

I'm honestly a bit tired of this answer whenever I explain my disappointment with the lack of roaming. I know how to use a esim. I am European; I have European esims every time I travel. Have you ever received a notification from the CRA abroad? Have you dealt with the frustration of not being able to receive a verification code because PM doesn't want to offer roaming? PM is not longer cheaper than the competitors; it is no longer an excuse. 

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@Ha2fly My apologies for offending you. It wasn't intended. Lot's of people aren't aware of the options when it comes to international roaming and think the pricey add ons from providers is it. I only replied thinking that you are a PM customer and haven't worried about roaming until now.

CRA doesn't send me text message notifications, they email them to me. Never had occasion to receive a verification code or 2FA on any of my accounts when I have been away. The Government (not all departments yet) has started using authenticator apps which is better than using a phone number and SMS. All my social media and email accounts as well as US government accounts are all set up with an authenticator app. My bank sends alerts through my banking app, even when I am not signed in, no phone number needed.

Again, sorry for ruining your day with my useless reply, perhaps someone else reading will find it beneficial.

[simon247]

I'd upvote this a thousand times if I could. The lack of International Roaming has ruined my vacation and cost me more than all of my savings so far with PM, which I documented on my only thread on this Community. Having our numbers become paperweight (if even that) the moment our flight takes off until we land back in Canada is unacceptable in 2024.

I'm unaware of any other carriers outside of Canada that disable roaming functionality. I use random Polish and Thai pre-paid SIM cards that are receiving text messages for free in Canada and anywhere else in the world, that I don't even have to pay anything monthly for, and I'm not sure there's even a way to *disable* roaming anymore, as in 2024 it's a given that a valid number will work anywhere there's a network signal.

In Canada, even Freedom Mobile (say what you will about their service quality) allows you to make and receive texts and calls through wifi calling abroad, for free. You can also do this with Rogers and Fido.

Currently, beyond the need for a Canadian number to authorize access to plenty of Canadian institutions, Banks, authorize Credit Card purchases, I wouldn't be able to even log in to this community from another country. I'd be unable to even see any important texts or call, as the number is useless and inaccessible for the duration of travel.

The fact we've been waiting for International Roaming for so many years and still haven't gotten it is a huge issue steering me away from PM. And the removal of old rewards seem like the final push, as it won't even be affordable anymore to keep PM as a "backup" number for data in Canada if I get a main number with a non-Telus carrier that doesn't make my number useless and doesn't expose me to unexpected critical risks whenever I leave North America.

[Patrick_PM]

So I submitted 2 complaints with CCTS - One for each mobile number I have with Public Mobile)

Despite the complaints being nearly identical, one gets accepted and the other hasn't been accepted. I guess it all depends on who picks up your file.

[golfball]

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@kb_mv wrote:

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@golfball wrote:

The bait and switch was offering plans like the $34 can-us plan for people to swap to and then surprise announcing that the price you thought you'd be paying will actually be much higher. Just look at my rewards page, next month I'll have to pay over $10 extra after taxes. As someone who was on the $15 plan before this month I would never have signed on for such a drastic jump. 

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@golfball That argument is getting old. Their ToS say/said they can change or even cease the rewards program as they see fit. As you no doubt read the ToS when you signed up perhaps you should have taken it into consideration that they could at any time change or get rid of rewards. As for your plan, there is nothing stoping you from changing back to the $15 plan before your next renewal.

Bait and switch? Not even close. You got the plan you signed up for and as i said you can change back to the $15 plan before you are out any more money. Google bait and switch. If you feel that strongly about this whole thing call a lawyer.

Everyone on the old rewards is losing out going forward, myself included. No more available funds deposited into my account monthly. It sucks but it isn't near as traumatic for me as it appears to be for some. 

---

@kb_mv  Excuse me, I don't appreciate the condescending tone. I did NOT agree to pay $34 for my phone bill, I agreed to $28 max after rewards, simple as that. To say otherwise is just disingenuous. Whether they are allowed to do it or not isn't relevant. 

Yes, I will be weighing my options and adjusting my plan appropriately when the changes take effect.

[JDBlue1966]

So they lied then. 

[JDBlue1966]

I have the same problem with roaming. It’s so frustrating. 

[Ha2fly]

I'm honestly a bit tired of this answer whenever I explain my disappointment with the lack of roaming. I know how to use a esim. I am European; I have European esims every time I travel. Have you ever received a notification from the CRA abroad? Have you dealt with the frustration of not being able to receive a verification code because PM doesn't want to offer roaming? PM is not longer cheaper than the competitors; it is no longer an excuse. 

[Bunnyhop]

Good save! Thank you for sharing those!

[Bunnyhop]

Some folks dont know what they're doing sadly.

[Wolfcore]

Why exactly are you even here then? You've spent the past month telling people that PM did nothing wrong, and for them to just get over it. Why not just let people voice their frustration? Why do you feel the need to constantly defend PM with every message?

[kb_mv]

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@golfball wrote:

The bait and switch was offering plans like the $34 can-us plan for people to swap to and then surprise announcing that the price you thought you'd be paying will actually be much higher. Just look at my rewards page, next month I'll have to pay over $10 extra after taxes. As someone who was on the $15 plan before this month I would never have signed on for such a drastic jump. 

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@golfball That argument is getting old. Their ToS say/said they can change or even cease the rewards program as they see fit. As you no doubt read the ToS when you signed up perhaps you should have taken it into consideration that they could at any time change or get rid of rewards. As for your plan, there is nothing stoping you from changing back to the $15 plan before your next renewal.

Bait and switch? Not even close. You got the plan you signed up for and as i said you can change back to the $15 plan before you are out any more money. Google bait and switch. If you feel that strongly about this whole thing call a lawyer.

Everyone on the old rewards is losing out going forward, myself included. No more available funds deposited into my account monthly. It sucks but it isn't near as traumatic for me as it appears to be for some. 

[Joe_G]

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@golfball wrote:

The bait and switch was offering plans like the $34 can-us plan for people to swap to and then surprise announcing that the price you thought you'd be paying will actually be much higher. Just look at my rewards page, next month I'll have to pay over $10 extra after taxes. As someone who was on the $15 plan before this month I would never have signed on for such a drastic jump. 

 

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I too was on the $15 plan with legacy rewards, and upgraded to the $34 can-us plan. When the points system kicks in for me in May I will actually pay around $30 plus tax, which I think is a pretty good deal for that plan. I have one referral so I will get 1 point for that, plus 5% of my payment, plus 10 points every twelve months =  0.83 points/mo. I pay with vouchers which I buy at a grocery store with a credit card which pays 3% cash back at grocery stores. I know its not as good as the legacy rewards but I think it's still a pretty good deal.

[kb_mv]

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@Ha2fly wrote:

Anywhere outside US

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@Ha2fly If you are travelling outside the USA a much cheaper option is a travel sim, data only. I use one all through the Caribbean, central America and Europe with no issues. Add on roaming from providers is usually way more expensive. Rogers roaming outside the US is $15 day. Freedom has a monthly plan, 15GB/$45 per month. Telus Easy Roam is $16/day. There are much better options out there. 

[Bunnyhop]

It is good to see where you stand on this.

[golfball]

The bait and switch was offering plans like the $34 can-us plan for people to swap to and then surprise announcing that the price you thought you'd be paying will actually be much higher. Just look at my rewards page, next month I'll have to pay over $10 extra after taxes. As someone who was on the $15 plan before this month I would never have signed on for such a drastic jump. 

 

[ashishg1]

i think what it comes down is deceptive plans and unethical marketing practices. Here is a 100$ plan with 20 discounts that bring it down to 15$. these discounts are forever but we can take away at anytime and create a loophole of increasing price of grandfathered plans without giving any more benefits.

The best way to deal with companies that do this is to switch. Plain and simple. Our governments are too inept to have any laws that prevent these companies from doing such things so its all legal