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

[S_PM]

Hello Fellow PM users,

I got a good plan from https://www.nonamemobile.ca/en/plans/ with 2GB data @$19/month at a 4 G speed.
Let us all make an EXODUS, to this plan or any other plan of your choice to any provider.
Public Mobile has really thrown us out of bus. No point being loyal to them when they don't care about you anymore.

[kb_mv]

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@yyjyyj wrote:

Where are my two new posts then?

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@yyjyyj As a moderator has posted before, they cannot delete posts. They can move them but you will see a post saying it has been moved to an area you cannot see or to another thread or combined threads. If your post is being deleted it is some bizarre algorithm that has for some unknown reason sent your post to your "Rejected Items". I have had this happen off and on over the years with no satisfactory explanation from PM CS. It just happens. Rest assured there are dozens of posts in this thread that have competitors offers and plans. You are not being singled out and sensored. Check the link below, it should take you to your rejected posts. 

https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/premod/moderationitemspage/tab/rejected

 

[yyjyyj]

I started two brand posts, and never found them. Pig back posts were ok.

[Michael6666]

You're right, I am able!

The port was easy and now I have to do two more accounts!

Dunno if anyone at PM cares but that's 60$ a month out the window for PM because of their greed.

[RetiredGuy1]

Absolutely. Of course every business exists for the sole purpose of making money and, by extension, keeping shareholders happy. So, yes, as long as there is no impact on the bottom line then they don’t care. My point is there is a fine line between that and going a bit overboard to the point of losing existing customers and keeping potential new customers away. When that happens, it will affect the bottom line and so they should care. At this point, nobody knows until from May onward (why I said a yet-to-be-determined lesson).

[ShawnC13]

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@yyjyyj wrote:

they are monitoring what we post, my two posts were deleted right away because i asked about other companies. dictators?

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That is strange, have you seen this thread it is full of what other providers are offering

[SimonGood]

I raised a ticket and Customer service quickly refunded the extra cost to me having switched plans and then switched back because I needed data. Also gave me some data for my trouble.

[Matty1234]

Just received my exit survey by email, let them know in every written response that it was solely the removal of the rewards program. 

[EdN]

Red Flag Deals has long discussions regarding PUBLIC MOBILE retiring the legacy rewards program and alternatives. 

https://forums.redflagdeals.com/hot-deals-f9/

[RetiredGuy1]

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@dudesbot wrote:

Wow!

Hundreds of thousands of views and 4,300+ replies, and not a word from PM outside the CCTS responses. Hopefully they're prepared for the results starting May 1. I've started to get my referrals and I prepped.

Unbelievably bad corporate communication!!

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Agreed @dudesbot and, if I may, two thoughts come to mind:

• In April 1985, the Coca-Cola Company announced a change to its nearly-century old formula and launched New Coke (with a smoother, sweeter taste). Market researchers and pollsters were sure it'd be a hit. However, a poll showed afterward that only 13% of soda drinkers liked the new Coke. The pop was a bust of epic proportions. The backlash grew large over the next several weeks until July 1985 when Coca-Cola held a press conference to officially announce the return of the old Coke - and to admit it had made a mistake. "The simple fact is that all of the time and money and skill poured into consumer research on a new Coca-Cola could not measure or reveal the depth and abiding emotional attachment to original Coca-Cola felt by so many people," said Donald Keough (President of Coca-Cola at the time). Replace “Coke” with “Old Rewards Program” and “New Coke” with “Public Points Program” and is history repeating with perhaps a yet-to-be-determined lesson for PM and their marketing geniuses?

• Its been over a month since the announcement with no communication from PM other than objecting to complaints filed with the CCTS (which they based on procedural/legal matters). One cannot help but think PM would want to “get ahead of the story” as is the nature with communications involving unpleasant news. The backlash is not contained just here but has spread to elsewhere online. If this change was necessitated due to the old rewards program no longer being financially viable to maintain, PM could have helped prevent, to some degree at least, the resulting PR disaster it has become by simply being proactive with either a written statement or even a one-off interview by Darren Entwistle (or delegate). Instead, their silence will only continue to foster the public’s belief that this change is simply motivated by greed. Not a good look for any company.

[yyjyyj]

of course, my posts were deleted when I asked about other plans. wow, censors

[Frank_M]

$40 > Downgraded to $34

$40 > Downgraded to $34

$40 > Downgraded to $34

$24 > Downgraded to $15

Will be launching x4 CCTS complaints today, will start by contacting Telus on x4 accounts then will use the template from the Reddit thread to file the CCTS reports.

Telus made less money on me now and once this issue is resolved if it is not reversed I will move all 4 accounts to PC mobile but not before I make sure I have joined all class actions.

[Bottomshelf]

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@Camera4617 wrote:

As expected, PM objected to my CCTS complaint, and CCTS rejected their objection.. Now, PM has 2 weeks to respond to it.. Love it.. Even if nothing happens, at least we are making some noise.. 

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I am wondering how your complaint differs from those that were rejected by the CCTS.

[Camera4617]

As expected, PM objected to my CCTS complaint, and CCTS rejected their objection.. Now, PM has 2 weeks to respond to it.. Love it.. Even if nothing happens, at least we are making some noise.. 

[dudesbot]

Everything about this fiasco directly contravenes Telus's mission statement on page 1 on their financial statements.

"Our long-standing commitment to putting our customers first fuels every aspect of our business, making us a distinct leader in customer service excellence and loyalty"

Hopefully a material change in customer churn will bring some reason to management.

[eyes]

We all did a lot of wheel spinning that got us nowhere ---And why should  J_PM respond since they stand firm as outlined in the announcement, am I wrong? 
Over the past J_PM has never responded even to my private messages so it’s quite possible that she no longer even works for PM.

"The Commissioner may not direct or require a Participating Service Provider to change any of their policies or practices.  As your complaint pertains to PSP making changes to their reward program, we are unable to proceed with your complaint and are proceeding to accept your provider’s objection."

[dudesbot]

Wow!

Hundreds of thousands of views and 4,300+ replies, and not a word from PM outside the CCTS responses. Hopefully they're prepared for the results starting May 1. I've started to get my referrals and I prepped.

Unbelievably bad corporate communication!!

[hTideGnow]

hi @dabr I actually did an extensive study to Freedom neteork for a client and confirmed that it is not as reliable as any of the Big3

In terms of PM coverage, other than the lack of full VoLTE and Wifi Calling , the network coverage is pretty much same as Telus.  So, the difference here is more the features and services 

[Frank123123]

Because you may have spent your time to get friends/family to switch and use your referral code to bring down your monthly bill.    And that is what Public Mobile promised and now they are going back on their word.  Those that came first helped to build their customer base.  The least they could do is grandfather them into the old program or offer the same amount in the new points system with a auto-apply option to the $15 add-on.

[Geo11]

I think you will still be able to log in and post to the PM Community even if you are not a subscriber. Let us know how it goes.

[Michael6666]

Exciting day!

After so much research and buying a fizz Sim card, I found that the combination of Rogers or Fido and the Rogers credit card is an absolute deal for me. I'm not saying which I choose, but if you're a credit card points person, it's a game-changer option I wanted to leave the community with. 

I've placed my order and this will be my final post here, not waiting for the CCTS outcome. My port should happen today or tomorrow.

With a heavy heart and lots of love, good luck to all. 

[dabr]

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@hTideGnow wrote:

@eyes 

i didn't meant Telus/PM is unreliable

I meant the network people wants to go, the one that give them freedom 🙂

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@hTideGnow    Are you speaking from personal experience regarding FM having an unreliable network or just going by complaints/reviews on the internet?   If the latter, then you can pretty much find numerous complaints for every single provider around, including the so called first tier service carriers.  After all, we've read more than enough complaints on this forum from customers who found PM's network seriously lacking despite it being on the Telus/Bell grid of networks.

It would certainly be true that FM (for now) doesn't have quite as expansive coverage that Telus (or the big 3) does, however, most customers living in or near the larger centers (majority of Canadians) should have very few problems.  

Also speaking as a former customer (for couple of years) over 6 years ago (actually my number is originally from WIND) when they were still WIND, I rarely experienced any problems with their service.  Of course, at that time their network was much smaller and there was a charge for roaming on partner networks (5 cents/min IIRC) outside their coverage which is no longer the case as calling is nationwide.  There were also some dead spots in apartment buildings/underground subway that others complained about which, according to what I've read, are no longer an issue.

Of course, their service, just like PM's model, will not be suitable for all, but for most, IMO, it should work as well as any other.   Plus they've also always offered roaming options globally, not cheap but definitely reasonably priced if needing roaming for urgent/limited usage of (2FA?) calls/texts. 

[Wolfcore]

Yeah, weird. Not sure why I only wrote talk, thanks for the correction.

[wetcoaster]

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@Wolfcore wrote:

Freedom = $29/20GB + US Talk

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This is actually a full on roaming plan, similar to what the now discontinued PM S34 Can/US plan offered. Just cheaper and less data. So arguably it could be better value than the others in the category (for people who don't use a huge amount of data, spend a considerable amount south of the boarder, and live in Freedom native coverage, see below)

For a fair amount of people network coverage and local number portability will be influencing their decision as well...

Examples: While Freedom and Fizz can use Canada wide infrastructure by roaming on the big three, their native network and with that the option to port your PM number are limited to a much smaller foot print.

I have not gone into depth NoName Mobile and it's features and limitations just yet, but from a quick read it seems that it's physical SIM only, which are only available at NoFrills store. 

[dariovitale]

So this is the email I received today from CCTS where I replied to them "So CCTS is totally useless, thanks." 

""

On March 20, 2024, Public Mobile objected to Sarah xxxxxxxs complaint further to section 4.3 of the CCTS Procedural Code on the basis that, in Public Mobile’s view, the customer’s complaint is related to their operating practices.

Pursuant to Section 6.8 of our Procedural Code, we have considered Public Mobile’s objection. After a full review of the complaint, we are accepting the objection for reasons explained below. 

The Objection

The customer filed their complaint as Public Mobile has provided notice of an upcoming change to the existing rewards program. As per Public Mobile Service Terms, the services offered may be changed at any time with 30 days’ notice provided.

Our Assessment

The Commissioner may not direct or require a Participating Service Provider to change any of their policies or practices.  As your complaint pertains to PSP making changes to their reward program, we are unable to proceed with your complaint and are proceeding to accept your provider’s objection.

Conclusion

In light of our assessment of the complaint and Public Mobile’s objection, we have concluded that the complaint does not meet the requirements of the Procedural Code; falls outside of the scope of our mandate.

Therefore, we have proceeded to close the complaint further to section 4.3 of our Procedural Code. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the anything contained in this correspondence, please do not hesitate to contact us.""

[Wolfcore]

Just adding NN to my previous list of providers that have a better $29 plan than PM:

Freedom = $29/20GB + US Talk/Data/Text
Lucky = $29/25GB 
Fizz = $29/40GB
PC Mobile = $29/25GB
Chatr = $29/30GB
No Name Mobile = $29/30GB

Then we have PM, basically all the way at the bottom of the budget brands:

Public Mobile = $29/10GB

[Handy1]

Not sure who first mentioned the no frills mobility . But thanks for that . Just been checking it out and it seems like a great contender especially for the $29 plans and down 

[eyes]

No worries- no need to visit the store it’s all on line and , I would imagine you could setup with eSIM if your phone is capable. But hold on until this issue comes to a close. You never know PM may be forced to reverse their decision. 

[hTideGnow]

@eyes 

i didn't meant Telus/PM is unreliable

I meant the network people wants to go, the one that give them freedom 🙂

[eyes]

I would disagree with you that TELUS/PM has unreliable network.