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

[jhhead]

And for fun the CCTS complaint had an option for compensation with a maximum amount of $5000 so I put $5000 lol.

In reality over time if they remove these benefits I could be out that much 😉

[jhhead]

Wow this is brutal. Sent a message to PM and got a generic response that didn't acknowledge any of my concerns and just said they are switching etc. They ended the message with

"We could also help you by providing you a different plan for a lower price if you'd like. "

I then say sure because I'm already on the $15 plan and would love a lower price... 

Yeah then come back with a horrible reply:

"Yes, upon checking your account I can see you are already on the cheapest plan.

However with Public Points you could get this plan for free each month, since you can exchange 15 points for 15 dollars worth of bill credit. "

I then ask AGAIN to please read my messages to which they responded:

"We are aware of your initial message.

Rewards had to be eventually changed since Public Mobile had to continue evolving. After May 1st, rewards will no longer be available, only the new Public Points system. 

At the beginning, you woudl receive one dollar for each year you were with Public Mobile, now you will receive 10 points for each year you remain with Public Mobile. 

The reason why this change was made, was to have all customers under the same reward program, this will make it easier to launch in the market, new ways to earn points, new bill credit rewards, and make it easier and faster or customers to reach 15 points each month, meaning to have a 15 dollar bill credit each month.

You could have your current plan for free each month just by earning 15 points. You can earn them easily by referring friends, which would provide you a recurring credit for each referral every month."

Clearly they are just scripting crap now... 

CCTS complaint now officially submitted!!!

[Y4J259]

@ansontg  You can file a complaint with CCTS. When PM give you a gift, then remove it if you change plans, its extortion. CCTS are accepting these complaints.

[Y4J259]

@Cheefster CCTS objected to PM's objection. Now I'm waiting for CCTS to mediate (whatever that's going to look like)

[hTideGnow]

hi @dariovitale yes, life is a lot different these days.  As long as you have a solid internet, we can do everything with it.. TV, Phone, Security..

[dariovitale]

Yup and since I live in southern Quebec where there is no Telus tv I used to be with Bell Satellite. My channels were accessible on the fibe tv app therefore the rest of the family watched through the fibe tv app at their addresses and split the bill until we totally cut the tv cord and went using "other" services and "other" streaming android apps. 

[hTideGnow]

hi @dariovitale thanks for the tips.  

yes, Telus is pushing hard with its alarm system service, add that to the bundle and you will get surprises.  And yes, Telus family is not as bad as many though 🙂

[dariovitale]

NOTICE.............I have been under the Telus family umbrella including Koodo, PM and when the company was originally called CLEARNET. After almost 20yrs under Koodo and PM this past November '23 under the Telus name they offered a bundle price of $120 a month for home alarm coverage (free system and install) with 5 cell lines. Each cell line has CAN-U.S. Calling, text and 50gb data with roaming included on 5G network. That's $20 a line. How I did that you might ask. Well, I learned that calling Telus, Rogers and Bell directly during November Black Friday deals had a better deal compared to goin online or even at their stores / kiosks cause sometimes all 3 have different deals. How I did it, well at my home I have the alarm system and although my daughter and 3 other close family members live at different addresses their cell phones are registered to my family plan. How do they pay their share, its easy, Telus pulls out the total amount out of my bank monthly and on the same date the family automatically etransfers me their share. Another way they could make payments is by registering the family cell account number in their online bank accounts to pay their share automatically directly into the family cell account..................So that's just a heads up how one could possible get better pricing deals. Cheers. 

[RetiredGuy1]

https://www.iphoneincanada.ca/2024/04/23/quebecor-drops-manitoba-plans-blames-crtc/

Just the latest example of the power an oligopoly wields. And the beat goes on…and the beat goes on…

[RetiredGuy1]

https://www.publicmobile.ca/en/bc/get-help/articles/public-points

The linked overview states you’ll receive 5 welcome points “up to 4 days since joining Public Points” and to earn them you “need to register for Public Points”. As this is a forced migration by PM, one could presume that PMs action (and the date they take it) will address these criteria.

[BainTrain55]

Thank you for the response, and yes I was wondering because my anniversary date is March so that would just give me even more of incentive to look elsewhere if I have to now wait that long.

[HALIMACS]

Supposed to get the 5 welcome points right away. (though I’ll believe it when I see it)

And the 10 loyalty points for anniversary should occur on your next anniversary, whenever that is.

what is less than clear is if Public Mobile will start everyone’s anniversary from the switchover date – which would be inherently unfair due to the variance of dates.

[BainTrain55]

When we get forced to switch to public points, do we get the 5 welcome points? Also do we get the 10 loyalty points right away or de we have to wait a full year?

[Wolfcore]

I never claimed you were giving an opinion, I was simply commenting on what you had said. Commenting my thoughts on this change PM made.

[kb_mv]

---

@Wolfcore wrote:

Yeah, but it still lags in comparison to their competitors:


Freedom = $29/20GB + US Talk/Data/Text
Lucky = $29/35GB (dropped to 25Gb after 2 years)
Fizz = $29/40GB (or 20GB with US included)
PC Mobile = $29/20GB (25GB with autopay)
Chatr = $29/30GB (+500mb with autopay)
No Name Mobile = $29/25GB (30GB with autopay)

According to my calculations, PM is still dead last in terms of the budget brands:

Public Mobile = $29/20GB

---

@Wolfcore I made no comment on how good it is compared to others nor did I insinuate it was a good plan at all. I just put it out there that they had changed it. I'll leave it to others to decide what works for them in their circumstances.

[Wolfcore]

Yeah, but it still lags in comparison to their competitors:


Freedom = $29/20GB + US Talk/Data/Text
Lucky = $29/35GB (dropped to 25Gb after 2 years)
Fizz = $29/40GB (or 20GB with US included)
PC Mobile = $29/20GB (25GB with autopay)
Chatr = $29/30GB (+500mb with autopay)
No Name Mobile = $29/25GB (30GB with autopay)

According to my calculations, PM is still dead last, in terms of these budget brands at least:

Public Mobile = $29/20GB

[hTideGnow]

thanks @kb_mv yes, great plan for $29, nice to see it back, and it is for everyone

[kb_mv]

I see the $29 plan is back up to 20GB, 4G.

[HALIMACS]

@bam00 

They will argue that notification was provided, and that this isn’t really a billing change because it relates to their reward program, which is not a regulated part of mobile provider service.

But they know full well it’s the equivalent of a billing increase for their most loyal and long-standing customers.

If you’re unhappy about the way this was handled, and wish to dispute the matter, contact them to express your displeasure, and when they reply that there’s nothing they will do to change it, consider contacting the CCTS and follow their processes for disputing matters relating to your mobile service provider.

To contact a Customer Support Agent, there are 2 methods:

1. Use the ticketing system for a faster response time. Click here and type Customer Support Agent, then select Contact Us, then select Other (or the topic that more closely matches your request).  Click the result which states Click here to submit a ticket and follow the prompts,  or, 
2. Send a private message to the Customer Support Agent by clicking here  You’ll need to be logged into your Community account for the link to work.

Watch for their response in your Community private mailbox which will be indicated by a number on the small envelope icon to the left of your Community avatar.

[bam00]

I never got a notification about the rewards change through email or text, and only knew about this through a pop-up when I checked my account today, and reading through forums. Isn't Public Mobile supposed to notify me about changes to my billing? Or was I just supposed to find out when I check my bank statement since I have autopay? I was also under the impression that the old reward system was not going to change, how is this change allowed??

[HALIMACS]

Not even close,  @WisdomCookie 

As a point in comparison, on the $15 plan, after 5 years on this service you would save $84 a year on Legacy Rewards with auto pay enabled.

With public points you save a grand total of 19 points or the equivalent of $19 annually.

So you've gone from saving $84 a year to $19 a year.

Can you guess whose pocket your lost savings are going into?

Telus executives and cronies. 

Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy?

[Dunkman]

---

@WisdomCookie wrote:

Are points equivalent to the old program?

---

@WisdomCookie 

Unfortunately, the programs are not equivalent.  

With the points program, you will not be receiving monthly $2 autopay or up to $5 loyalty rewards.  

Each month, you will receive points for your friend referrals and 5% back on points on your plan costs.  You will receive 10 loyalty points on your anniversary sign up date (instead of monthly loyalty rewards).  You will also need to cash 15 points to $15 bill credit.  

Here is some additional information:

https://www.publicmobile.ca/en/ab/get-help/articles/move-to-public-points

[fixin1]

@WisdomCookie - Not really. For measure you will lose:

• $2 autopay
• $2+ loyalty rewards

But they have an other thing for points:

• 5% back in Public Points every $1 you spend on your plan
• 5 welcome one time points
• 10 annual loyalty points

You will continue to have these to be transferred over:

• $1 per friend referred = 1 point per friend referred
• $1, 2, 5, 10, 15 & 20 rewards = 1, 2 5, 10, 15 & 20 points.

[WisdomCookie]

Are points equivalent to the old program?

[RetiredGuy1]

Two companies approach to make a win-back offer:

Public Mobile: one-time 15 points ($15)

Freedom Mobile: $29 (after digital discount) 50 GB 5G unlimited Canada/US plan with guaranteed price freeze promise (this represents $5 off each month of a currently-featured plan)

[fixin1]

@El_Gato - Bell prepaid does not compare to the tier three of the big three prepaid providers - Public Mobile, Lucky Mobile & Chatr Wireless.

Public has for $40 75GB while bell has it for $60/month (Not including bonus data)

Oh and forgot to say that PM is at 5G 250mbps speeds compared to the 150mbps of the LTE / 4G plan on bell.

[fixin1]

@Dbray43 - I didn't know that at all. No Name's fine print said that no MMS. But their FAQ changed from the $0.50 MMS charge to having no word of that at all.

[EdN]

PUBLIC MOBILE SURVEY: Is there anything else that you would like to share with us about your experience with Public Mobile?

Here's a former customer's response to the survey regarding their departure from Public Mobile 

"Public Mobile thought removing $84 a year worth of legacy rewards was a good idea and replace with only $10. Now, Public Mobile has lost $408 a year from my one account (ported out) and $240 from my other account (lowered plan). Removing $74 worth of credits lost you $648. Was it worth it?"

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