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]

WOW that was fast... within 30 minutes I got the good news:

"The CCTS is accepting your complaint about Public Mobile. "

[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]

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@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

[SeniorCitizen]

---

@Wolfcore wrote:

You should look into Freedom's yearly plans. They have 3 of them, and they sound like they'd probably meet your needs:

1. $8.25/month - Unlimited talk/incoming text —- 99 year
2. $9.90/month - Unlimited talk/text + 1.25GB/month ——-119 year
3. $12.40/month - Unlimited talk/text + 2.50GB/Month —— 149 year

---

Right now if these plans remain when I jump ship I would take 1 of #1 and 2 of #3. Or I may consider keeping 1 of our 3 PM plans. So for $33 at Freedom I save $12 vs the PM plans. But there is a loss as mentioned below. 

I have huge reservations about Freedoms coverage. It’s not a highly rated carrier. 

Secondly I do like the PM add ons for LD and their coverage. 

[kb_mv]

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

[El_Gato]

---

@Wolfcore wrote:

You should look into Freedom's yearly plans. They have 3 of them, and they sound like they'd probably meet your needs:

1. $8.25/month - Unlimited talk/incoming text
2. $9.90/month - Unlimited talk/text + 1.25GB/month
3. $12.40/month - Unlimited talk/text + 2.50GB/Month

---

Sounds great ---- obviously you must have switched to one of these great value plans - Have you?

[El_Gato]

---

@Wolfcore wrote:

Imagine being so upset with the responses of another user, and having so much time on your hands, that you create a new account, just to impersonate them 😂

Imagine actually wasting your day doing this. Going through the process of creating a new email, turning on your vpn so PM won't know who you really are and ban your real account, going through the signup process, verifying, then taking the time to come up with what you believe to be witty humour, then posting it. Then turning off your vpn and logging into your real account, and spending time trying to interact with what you just posted on the other account. 

Imagine how much a person must be living rent-free in your head, for you to actually do this. We're dealing with a grown adult here, folks. I would call them childlike, but even children aren't as sensitive as this 🤣

---

I thought that this was a help forum? Oh wait I also thought that this thread was regarding to the switch to the point system?   Oh wait maybe for some strange reason I'm on the dark web - how else could all these accusations and bitterness be allowed on a mobile plan forum. 

[Wolfcore]

Imagine being so upset with the responses of another user, and having so much time on your hands, that you create a new account, just to impersonate them 😂

Imagine actually wasting your day doing this. Going through the process of creating a new email, turning on your vpn so PM won't know who you really are and ban your real account, going through the signup process, verifying, then taking the time to come up with what you believe to be witty humour, then posting it. Then turning off your vpn and logging into your real account, and spending time trying to interact with what you just posted on the other account. 

Imagine how much a person must be living rent-free in your head, for you to actually do this. We're dealing with a grown adult here, folks. I would call them childlike, but even children aren't as sensitive as this 🤣

[eyes]

Well said - some members are all up at arms with the change to the point system and are threatening to switch to other providers.   Some that are on a basic $15 plan are more or less paying very little or nothing at all after their discounts. Since PM is not a charity organization— why should they care if non to little cost plan holders leave?

[eyes]

 No no .. you misunderstood what I proposed. To make it more clear I said —- Don’t close your account just yet and lose all your discounts. Hang in there a couple of weeks until May, and wait until this thing plays out. I have down graded my plan to the minimum $15 plan.
PS I’m just trying to help - as I may have mentioned in previous posts — while communicating with CS agent I misunderstood something and because of my hasty ok’d them to switch me over to the point system. I asked to be switched back but no way but for some reason now I got lots of points and used 15 of them to get a free month. 

[staticcory]

@Wolfcore 

I wouldn't say slap in the face.   This is just normal business.

I was with Koodo before and I changed to PM 7+ years ago and referred some friends here.     Service has been great and never had a price increase on any of my plans, nor have any of my referrals.   I can only say good things about Public Mobile so far. 

Some see this change is price increase.  But it is not.  I look at my plan, the price is same, I got the same plan,  $25 for 5GB, and nowhere it says the plan is increasing in price.    I asked my friends I referred, they all see the same price on their plans

Yes, right now I am only paying $10 for the plan with all the discounts and referrals, and after May i will be paying $17.  But I got a great plan.  And I am ok to pay a bit more as I know we should not be just selfish and only care our own bills.   I am a fair person.  We have our consumer rights, but I also respect business for their decision to make change.  No big deal.   If everyone just use "corporate greed" as an excuse to stay paying $0 for plan, how businesses can survive?

[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??