Update [Resolved] *611

[J_PM]

Update: the open issue impacting *611 has been resolved. Thank you all for sharing your experiences to help support this fix! 

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Hey Community, 

We continue to see a number of you having trouble using  *611. Our teams have identified the issue and are working quickly to resolve. We will continue to share updates on this thread as they become available. Thank you.

Confirmed Updates:

• The issue is impacting customers with expired plans trying to make payment using *611. 
• If you need to make a payment, you can log  into My Account  as an alternative, until the *611 issue is resolved. 

March 30 update: Our teams are working on the fix during off hours to ensure we're not making interruptions.  Appreciate your patience, please continue using troubleshoot tips above. Thank you. 

- Public Mobile Team

[dust2dust]

@Patchio- It also seems to be just the $15 plan. I have one device that is dual sim with two Public sims in it both on the old $13 plan. It doesn't use the minutes of this problem. And no volte. But it uses volte for the US service I have (when in the US). So the phone can do it. Just that pesky whitelist issue. I have another device (spouse) on the $15 plan. No known volte. It is the account that uses the minutes.

[Patchio]

@dust2dust 

I’ve been a PM customer since September 2022, and I would never describe any of my experience with PM’s service as “great”. I’m perpetually worried that I’ll wake up one day and realize that my account isn’t working because PM did some system maintenance overnight and broke something without realizing it.

I haven’t been affected by the voicemail issue yet, but it’s only a matter of time before that happens. It’s not a matter of if it happens, but a matter of when it will happen. 

I’m aware that unanswered calls that go to voicemail with the caller leaving a message shouldn’t consume any minutes under normal circumstances. But as Nezgar noted in this post, the issue seems to be related to the VoLTE rollout and it appears to affect VoLTE enabled accounts.

You may not have VoLTE on your device due to the separate whitelisting issue, but it doesn’t mean VoLTE hasn’t been enabled on your account and that might explain why callers leaving you a voicemail will consume minutes from your plan. 

I suspect I haven’t been affected by this voicemail issue yet because my account is relatively “new” and won’t get access to VoLTE until the very end when most accounts are already VoLTE enabled. 

[dust2dust]

@Patchio- I don't have volte either. The minutes are being consumed when a call comes in and it drops to voicemail and the caller leaves a message. That shouldn't be happening. Minutes will be consumed when the phone is used to access voicemail to listen to them. Checking voicemail from another phone and using the 4001 (etc) number will not use minutes. Calling your number from your phone would also use minutes.

So if the first part is not happening to you then great.

[Patchio]

@dust2dust 

I guess you could say the quality assurance at PM is lacking when it comes to fixing one issue without creating a cascade of other issues as a consequence of the initial “fix”.

While I understand the VoLTE rollout has been much more challenging than PM might have envisioned, it is still disappointing to see that implementing one single feature manages to break so many other parts of the system that were previously working just fine.

@wetcoaster & @maximum_gato

Just to add another data point for reference purposes.

Since this “checking voicemail consumes minutes on the $15 plan” issue was brought up, I’ve been checking my voicemail periodically to see if I’ve been affected by it yet.

I started checking on Sunday March 26th, and so far up to today, Wednesday April 5th, nothing has changed when I check my voicemail from another phone line.

I call my PM phone number from a VOIP phone line and leave a voicemail message. My PM account currently does NOT have VoLTE activated yet (i.e., my calls will drop to 3G even when it starts off with LTE indicator on), and it does NOT consume any of the available minutes left in my $15 plan.

I have checked my Usage History multiple times and tapped the refresh icon at the bottom just to ensure I was getting up to date information. 

Under the detailed Usage History section, the calls are listed as “Outgoing Call  00:47  Min 1 (647) 580-4001”.

It would be nice if this voicemail issue gets resolved quickly, but I won’t get my hopes up considering how long it took to resolve the previous two issues. 

[wetcoaster]

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@dust2dust wrote:

And @Williamlu1166 reports this as well.

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Here's another one: https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Get-Support/Checking-voicemail-from-non-Public-Mobile... 

And I'm sure I've missed more of those reports / questions, since I am not here in the community 24/7.

[dust2dust]

Seems more like your customers are "testing this out now". As frequently happens, the company tries to add or fix one thing and then they proceed to break other things. Testing? Knowledge? Experience?

[J_PM]

@wetcoaster the team is testing this out now. We'll return with an update shortly. Thanks all for checking!

[maximum_gato]

@dust2dust 

Thanks. I just checked my $15 plan and can confirm it is also happening on my account starting sometime after March 29th as that is the last date I have with calls forwarded to voicemail that appear to metered correctly. I then have a forwarded call to voicemail on April 1st for 2:29 minutes and 3 minutes used of my 100 outgoing minutes (yes... amazingly I have not made a single outgoing call in the past two weeks since renewal making this very easy to track!) This is not acceptable.

This also needs it's own thread and preferably an announcement thread from public mobile addressing the issue. This is good test to see if the new employees are living up to their promises of actively monitoring the community forum to address service issues and keep the lines of communication open between pm and it's customers?

@wetcoaster 

Thanks again for noticing this issue and bringing it to the forefront.

[dust2dust]

@maximum_gato, @wetcoaster , @Williamlu1166 - I can confirm that calls dropping to voicemail on the $15 plan do in fact consume minutes. This obviously should not happen.

The $13 plan does not.

[maximum_gato]

@wetcoaster 

Sorry but are you saying incoming calls being forwarded to voicemail are being counted as outgoing minutes on the $15 plan? Is this affecting a certain group of users ie. VoLTE enabled customers or should I be testing my account?

[dust2dust]

And @Williamlu1166 reports this as well.

[wetcoaster]

@J_PM 

Thanks for sorting this out.

So next is the minutes deducted for missed calls going directly to voicemail on the $15 plan?

Being told by the CSA to buy an add-on or upgrade to a plan with unlimited minutes is not cool, when all plans are advertised as including voice mail. We have zero control over who is calling us and it's not right to be punished for missing a call for whatever reason. Heck, bots leaving garbled/cut off/nonsensical/foreign language messages on my voice mail are costing me minutes now, after 6 years of never doing so.

(And no, I am not talking about me calling my voice mail from my phone to check messages! I do understand how it works.)

After some creative things happening in my payment history a week ago I was told that it was all good - sorry, it's not. Another ticket about this coming up.

[maximum_gato]

Fantastic! Fixed! Let's hope those who experienced this issue report back that they can now access the 611/IVR system once again. Thank you for the update.

[maximum_gato]

@Derrickb73 

Instant top ups and RTP (real time payments)can be made at Mobil/Esso stations and Canadian Tire gas bars for a $1 fee. I have heard that they may be available at some Loblaws banner stores and MacEwans back east but cannot confirm it myself.

[dust2dust]

@Derrickb73- From another phone?

And to both you and @Cloud905 , you can also use the real time payment method in some stores.

[Derrickb73]

That number doesnt work either...

[softech]

@Cloud905 

did you try calling 1.855.4PUBLIC from. another phone?

if that does not work, try to reset password yourself

or iopen ticket with PM support and ask the to help you access My Account

1.  Open ticket with Chatbot for faster response (2-48 hours), using direct link: https://publicmobile.ca/chatbot.

Start by typing "Forgot Login Information", then click "Contact Us",, then click "Click here to submit a ticket ↗" 

2. if you have problem with Chatbot: Private message CS Agent at:    

https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/notes/composepage/note-to-user-id/22437

**Monitor your Community inbox (envelope icon on the top right) after the ticket is opened. CS Agent will reply to you there

[Cloud905]

Hi *611 doesn't work.  I can't use my phone.  I can't log into my account either.  Fix asap. My only means of communication. Thanks

[softech]

@Derrickb73 then weekend might mean Sunday nighr:)

did you try calling 1.855.4PUBLIC from. another phone?

[Derrickb73]

I've tried, still not working. 

[softech]

@Derrickb73 

according to @Dunkman :

Scheduled for a fix later this weekend, during off hours since the fix would involve other potential interruptions. 

I would assume they fixed it last night  Try it!!

[Derrickb73]

Any idea as to when you will be getting this fixed. I've just about had enough of this....if it wasn't for the fact that I can't get my money back out of my card I just purchased, I'd have gone to another provider. 

[MissJenni]

That worked out, thank you sooooo much 🥰

[softech]

@MissJenni the Page Expired error because saved password used and browser issue 

what you need to do is to pick the saved password, and do not click login, let the browser auto login for you and you will be in.

try again and load your voucher there

[MissJenni]

I didn't get text notification this month, that my plan (pre paid every month via vouchers when I choose to go get mins, since I don't use credit cards or want money taken from my bank automatically) would be expiring in 2 days, like I have ALWAYS gotten since having my phone with PM.

Phone plan expired and next day went and bought my voucher.

Tried entering *611 like I have ALWAYS done, doesn't work.

selfserve.publicmobile.ca doesn't work. Your link here, doesn't work.

Screenshot is what I get when I try the web ways and calls immediately drop trying *611.

Very frustrating to only have wifi and for who knows how long 🤷‍♀️ 

At least I can email work when needed and vice versa 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

[maximum_gato]

@Dunkman 

Thanks for the update. For anyone desperately awaiting the fix instant top ups or real time payments are the best option to add payments that should automatically reactivate accounts. (Available at Esso/Mobil stations and Canadian Tire gas bars for a $1 fee.)

I certainly hope no one loses their account for missing the 90 day suspension window because of this issue. While the account can be restored when the fault lies on pm's side a $$ rewards account is lost forever.

[Dunkman]

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@Community_QA wrote:

So, when will we see this fixed?

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Scheduled for a fix later this weekend, during off hours since the fix would involve other potential interruptions. Unfortunately, according to PM, this issue was more difficult to diagnosis by the technical teams.  

[LitlLdy]

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@J_PM wrote:

Hey Community, 

We continue to see a number of you having trouble using  *611. Our teams have identified the issue and are working quickly to resolve. We will continue to share updates on this thread as they become available. Thank you.

Confirmed Updates:

• The issue is impacting customers with expired plans trying to make payment using *611. 
• If you need to make a payment, you can log  into My Account  as an alternative, until the *611 issue is resolved. 

March 30 update: Our teams are working on the fix during off hours to ensure we're not making interruptions.  Appreciate your patience, please continue using troubleshoot tips above. Thank you. 

- Public Mobile Team

A week is a long time for this to still not be fixed! A very important part of using & keeping our phone service active with Public Mobile! A lot of things have been messed up lately with our services!

[Community_QA]

So, when will we see this fixed?

[treefrog]

What a pain!! So the 611 system is accepting vouchers but not automatically reactivating accounts? It's a long shot but you can try logging into self serve (if you can?) and suspend using lost/stolen. Log out and back again and unsuspend the lost/stolen status. Log out and reboot. Check for service.

This troubleshooting trick stopped working when PM rolled out the new self serve accounts as it was my go to method to ensure my payment reactivated my account after self suspension. Who knows maybe it will work now since 611 isn't? It's worth a try?