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

[vmec68]

This has a big effect on seniors! A few members are on low cost plans and need to remain on low cost plans and the rewards is how this is feasible. I will be filing a complaint with CCTS as rewards should remain a "grandfathered" option! 

I will be forced to shop around for an alternative unfortunately. We have been happy with PM otherwise. 

[Korth_]

February 20th, 2018. Never forget ...

https://www.ccts-cprst.ca/lessons-from-the-public-mobile-price-increase/

[Edit: Too bad I don't subscribe to any social media sites.]

[marcnoel]

I have more to say now.

My previous post wasn't even about the switch to points, just about the data issue.

I switched both my wife and myself to $ 15.00 plans, but then found out that she might get only 5 GB, plus, she needed more data, as she was going away this weekend.  I ended up paying $ 34.00 for a 50/unlimited plan, as I didn't know when or how much data she'd get, then I got an e-mail saying she is getting 240.  THAT SHE CAN'T USE.  I am out of pocket $ 64.00, dealing with this.

[mikewo]

Thank you so much for this reply. This is exactly what I needed.

Unfortunately, I'll likely be moving service elsewhere since my bill is going to go up $21/month (less the 10 point annual award) for no additional benefit. The referral rewards are fine, though the lack of auto-redemption is also essentially a no-go for me.

It was a good run, I think I've been a customer for 8 or 9 years now. Public Mobile was great for what I needed: I don't need brick and mortar. This question has been the first piece of customer service I've actually needed. I appreciated the low cost offering based on this. Now I can get fairly similar plans elsewhere, so the value proposition is basically gone.

Business is business, and Public Mobile has the freedom to make these decisions. I will be letting them know that I disagree by moving elsewhere.
I really appreciate your reply @Dunkman - all the best.

[Legacy_Rewards]

Customers need to stop assisting others on here. Your loyalty means nothing to Telus. Why are you on here working for pennies per hour. There are people out there who need jobs to support themselves and their families. You are taking jobs away from those people that need them. If you enjoy helping people out do some volunteer work at a shelter, etc.

[nate12]

Not  a fan of this change at all, one of the main reasons why I used public in the first place. And then the 250gb im supposed to use with an expiry??? I think you can do better

[wetcoaster]

I can't say that I'm surprised about the move. However, the way Public Mobile is pulling this off is... outright bad.

Not that we would have been happy dancing, but if there had been a tangible effort to soften the blow of the transition, there would be less anger and more consideration of staying, specially on the low cost plans that will take the main hit.

Instead of taking away the conversion bonus, it could have been applied upon transition in May. Or add a bonus amount when starting the first points cycle - 5 points is ridiculous.

Instead this whole data add-on thing... Really, what were they thinking?? And who came up with those T&C for it?? People on unlimited plans can't access the bonus data. 240GB on the higher plans - who will burn through plan data, that they have chosen because it fits their needs, and then another 50GB on top of that? Expiry date - really? It's a gift and doesn't cost PM anything, why not make it non-expiring?? Oh, and it's taken away if you change plans - we have a couple of plans that have scheduled plan changes... to higher plans. It doesn't feel ok to punish people for changing to smaller plans, why would you tick people off that actually wanted to give you more money??

[dwh1]

---

@EdN wrote:

Good thing Public Mobile doesn't have retention department.

---

Things have changed. Carriers have only limited (maybe no?) grounds for refusing a port-out request, and wanting to try to argue with you about leaving isn't one of them.  Even if your carrier has a retentions department, if you really want to go, you don't talk to them - just port out and be done with it.  At most they may send you a winback offer, but they can't actually block you.

[legend]

I've completely lost my trust in PM as I had to find this out through the forums instead of an email or sms. To force us into the new system is a betrayal to the loyal customers who've been using PM's services for years. Imagine the thousands of customers who're going to switch when they find their bill going up in May with no notice. I don't think it's going end well at all for PM. I myself have been a loyal customer for over 4 years and was planning to stay for years longer, but I guess I'll have to switch, if I can't trust PM no longer, for better alternatives.

[Dunkman]

@mikewo 

---

@mikewo wrote:

In the FAQ:

"What is the difference between the old Rewards Program and Public Points Program? What do I keep? What do I lose?

For detailed comparisons and what changes to expect, please refer to our current help articles."

Where are these "current help articles". It seems like my plans will change how they are treated/billed, why is it not more clear what the material changes will be?

At the end of the day: Am I paying more for the same service?
Can the points be auto-redeemed?

My wife and father in law are set up on accounts. Neither will be interested in logging in to redeem. Can they auto redeem?

---

You will be paying more for the same service unfortunately.  Losing $2/month autopay and up to $5/month loyalty rewards.  Referral rewards/points are the same.  5% back per month on plan payments and once a year 10 points on the anniversary date of sign up. 

Points can't be auto-redeemed.  Points customers have to redeem minimum of 15 points for $15 bill credit.  So, no monthly redeemption.  

[AnnelieseM]

Terrible news. I've been with Public for several years and stuck with them even when better offers from other providers came along, because of my loyalty rewards and the promise of increased ones too.

I have referral bonuses from friends after I highly recommended PM to them but they'll likely all move on after this change too, which means those bonuses are moot. Without those, and with the other reductions in rewards, my bill will be significantly higher.  The 240GB "consolation" offer is almost insulting too, as most people will have no use for it - especially as it expires.

If this decision isn't reversed (and I doubt it will be) I have no reason to stick around as other providers are becoming increasingly competitive and I will port out at the next better offer. Really disappointed to have to leave.

[anotheran]

Yup exactly same impact to family I switched over to public mobile. The loyalty discount was the sticky but now I'll go shop around and by September when all the back to school specials are running, I'll probably be switched out.

With this switch, I'll be paying $5-7 more per line. Erodes the competitive advantage pm had for me

[EddieG]

I am deeply disappointed that Public Mobile considers it acceptable to unilaterally terminate the trusting relationships of loyalty that have been built over the years. This also prompts former loyal customers to seek better deals and turn to other mobile operators who truly value customer loyalty.

[tkr]

Very bad move, PM !! Working on my exit strategy after 8 yrs!

You've effectively removed any incentive to stay with PM, as the Loyalty bonus has changed from $5/month to 0.83/mth, accrued annually.  Your 240G loyalty bonus is useless to me, as I don't need it, and I certainly don't want something with an expiry date and downgrading rules.

PM. why are you letting the marketing types in head office play these silly little games with your points system, and Plans for "New Users Only", and just have a transparent system where the customer is not being gamed by the PM marketing department ?!

[Virkam]

I agree this sucks. My bill will almost double. I have been supporting additional users by getting them to join and getting a dollar off my bill etc. Now seems like this will be wiped up. Not a happy camper.

[EdN]

Good thing Public Mobile doesn't have retention department.

[dabr]

@ShawnC13   Thanks for finding the link but it really doesn't change anything regarding how I think most customers' expectations were of believing the legacy rewards would stay as long as they remained with PM.   Obviously, that belief was misplaced.

Also noting that the FAQ link goes to a page saying "article not found".

[mikewo]

In the FAQ:

"What is the difference between the old Rewards Program and Public Points Program? What do I keep? What do I lose?

For detailed comparisons and what changes to expect, please refer to our current help articles."

Where are these "current help articles". It seems like my plans will change how they are treated/billed, why is it not more clear what the material changes will be?

At the end of the day: Am I paying more for the same service?
Can the points be auto-redeemed?

My wife and father in law are set up on accounts. Neither will be interested in logging in to redeem. Can they auto redeem?

[Dunkman]

---

@Peeg wrote:

Very disappointed that I received this information through social media rather than an email. My bill is going to increase by $7 per month, and the bonus data will be unusable since I already have unlimited throttled data. Will start searching for a new provider.

---

@Peeg 

From our understanding, this bonus Data add on should work with unlimited throttled PM plan.  This was asked to PM management. 

Once your regular data runs out, this bonus data add on should kick in and you will have regular speed with this bonus add on.  If that works in reality, we won't know until somebody tries it out.  The older grandfathered data add ons (ie. XMAS bonus) does not work with the unlimited data plans. 

It obviously still disappointing with the forced migration.  

[DLS_64]

I really am hoping they will change their mind, although I doubt it will happen. They could have even just introduced a cap on the discount you receive each month? Like max it out at $10 or something. Some people still would have been upset, but again would have been an easier pill to swallow.

[terrywkw]

Imagine having one of the worst quarters on record right after a record breaking quarter. How funny would that be

[Wolfcore]

Truth is, costs aren't really up (not significantly). They've just posted one of their highest yearly earnings on record. It's really just price gouging. They have an old system where people are paying very little for their service, including people who are paying absolutely nothing, and they don't like that. Telus isn't in the business of being generous, so they see these people who are paying very low bills, and feel there's no reason why they can't siphon more money from them. 

This strategy almost always wins, but sometimes the consumer backlash is so bad, and reputation-destroying, that it ends up being the opposite. Guess we'll see how this one goes.

[Tiffani_]

Dear Public Mobile,

I am writing to express my extreme disappointment and dissatisfaction with the recent decision to terminate the Old Rewards program. I have been a loyal Public Mobile customer for 10 years and have consistently relied on the benefits and savings that this program provided.

The Old Rewards program was a significant factor in my decision to choose Public Mobile as my phone service provider. The ability to earn points towards reducing my monthly bill and the additional perks offered by the program made Public Mobile a more appealing and affordable option compared to other carriers.

Ending this program unexpectedly feels like a breach of trust. I have actively participated in the program by referring friends, consistently paying my bills on time, and maintaining a long tenure. To have these benefits removed without sufficient notice or a suitable replacement is deeply frustrating.

I understand that businesses make operational changes, but the lack of transparency and minimal options offered to compensate for the loss of these rewards is unacceptable. I would urge Public Mobile to reconsider this decision or introduce a new program that provides similar value to loyal customers.

If no resolution is possible, I will be forced to re-evaluate my service options with other providers who offer more consistent loyalty programs.

[ily]

And leave we will. Just watch.

[computergeek541]

---

@d3rdonnergott wrote:

They already censored my original post! The wording was a bit different but I wrote: What a crappy way to treat your customers! 

---

I understand that you do not liike this announcement. However, inappropriate language isn't permitted.

[MichelPM1]

Very disappointed...to say the least. I will start shopping around for better deals for my 2 accounts. I thought I would be grandfathered and would keep my $15 in monthly credits. I have no use for the additional data received. So much for a special thank.

[Wolfcore]

For those who are going to be sticking around, I think the most important thing to remember moving forward, is that PM should no longer have your trust, or even benefit of the doubt. They've lied about things in the past, but nothing of this scale.

Of course, the truth is that nobody should be trusting any of these companies to begin with, but when you're out there preaching about "no surprises", and being transparent with your customers, and then you pull something like this, it's just a whole different level.

Consumer trust should be non-existent after this. If PM advertises something and claims that there will be no surprises, they should not only be called out on that, but you should go into it expecting to eventually lose what you signed up for. 

Subscribers should also speak with their wallet, and port out at a moments notice. With sim cards being as cheap as they are, and e-sim's being a thing now, there's no reason to support companies that screw over their customers like this.

Blind loyalty should not be a thing. If there's a better offer out there, just take it. It's not like it's a hard process to make a switch. Follow your wallet, and that's it. If PM wants you back, make them lure you back in by offering something better. 

[Peeg]

Very disappointed that I received this information through social media rather than an email. My bill is going to increase by $7 per month, and the bonus data will be unusable since I already have unlimited throttled data. Will start searching for a new provider.

[Chalupa_Batman]

Only thing is they don't have any US roaming. Not even any addons to purchase.

[terrywkw]

Submitted a complaint to CCTS anyways. They probably can't do much but at least this will bring it to their attention. In the meantime, I will be looking at viable alternatives for my 4 lines.