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Keys to trouble free PM service

Luddite
Oracle
Oracle

Given my experience, and the 10 friends/relatives I persuaded to join, the keys to glitch free service (after one gets correctly activated Robot wink) are:

  • turn on autopay
  • never change your plan
  • never port-in while activating
  • never buy an add-on
  • always delete the current credit card before making any changes

2-4 years, and counting, glitch free. None had a problem activating as well.

 

BUT, sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and risk one of the changes. In which case, https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Getting-Started/BE-PREPARED/m-p/112014#M20827 


>>> ALERT: I am not a CSA. Je ne suis pas un Agent du soutien à la clientèle.
16 REPLIES 16

I agree...i was with freedom for years with unlimited data for $40 p/m but as soon as I left the city I had no service or had to roam. Occurred to me while I was camping to just switch over to public mobile on a run into town for supplies. 20 minutes later I was connected to the world again. I still put my phone away most of the time. The other problem was loss of service in certain buildings and I was unlucky enough to lose my service all the time in my house. Even in the city the service could be sketchy.

JackQuint
Model Citizen / Citoyen Modèle

 


@jor123 wrote:


You would think if anything issues would push people away from Telus brands and into Rogers or Bell.


Hence the periodic incentives to "upgrade" to Koodo ... that keeps it in house. And, frankly, Rogers and Bell are no better (main or flanker brands). 

 

The only light at the end of the tunnel for customers is Freedom. They are willing to disrupt, put Shaw's money behind the disruption, and provoke the other carriers. Unfortunately, they have yet to get the coverage levels they need to be an option for everyone.

srlawren
Retired Oracle / Oracle Retraité

@ShawnC13 wrote:


I see the activation and port later just adding a second interaction with the self serve where something can go wrong.


@ShawnC13 it seems we are diametrically opposed on this one!  Let's agree to disagree.  Robot LOL


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@srlawren wrote:

@ShawnC13 wrote:

I know this goes against what a majority of people say but of the 15 lines I have been involved in for porting numbers we have done it during activation with no issues at all.


@ShawnC13 I've heard you make this argument before and I understand what you're saying.  What you're overlooking is that you--as a highly-seasoned PM vet--are helping these people activate and avoid landmines.  Most new customers don't have that kind of guidance.

 

I still can't figure out why you can't see the benefit in de-coupling activation from porting.  Maybe you've never run into issues, but what if you had?  We see people in the community that have had failed activations but successful ports, and are left without a usable service or phone number.  Activating first allows you to keep using your previous provider SIM seemlessly while you sort out the activation/phone compatbility issues.  Especially in these days of multi-mulit-day waits for help from the moderators, this benefit cannot be overstated IMHO.  


@srlawren, when I was new to PM i had 5 lines done in the first couple of weeks that is during the fall promo when I wasn't a "seasoned vet".  I have also seen examples of people who have done the activation with a new number then do a port and still run into issues with neither sim working so they are in the same situation.  I see the activation and port later just adding a second interaction with the self serve where something can go wrong.

 


I am happy to help, but I am not a Customer Support Agent please do not include any personal info in a message to me. Click HERE to create a trouble ticket through SIMon the Chatbot *

srlawren
Retired Oracle / Oracle Retraité

@ShawnC13 wrote:

I know this goes against what a majority of people say but of the 15 lines I have been involved in for porting numbers we have done it during activation with no issues at all.


@ShawnC13 I've heard you make this argument before and I understand what you're saying.  What you're overlooking is that you--as a highly-seasoned PM vet--are helping these people activate and avoid landmines.  Most new customers don't have that kind of guidance.

 

I still can't figure out why you can't see the benefit in de-coupling activation from porting.  Maybe you've never run into issues, but what if you had?  We see people in the community that have had failed activations but successful ports, and are left without a usable service or phone number.  Activating first allows you to keep using your previous provider SIM seemlessly while you sort out the activation/phone compatbility issues.  Especially in these days of multi-mulit-day waits for help from the moderators, this benefit cannot be overstated IMHO.  


>>> ALERT: I am not a moderator. For account or activation assistance, please click here.

Great points but as we have seen recently people can have a working plan for a week and then it stops from some sort of other issues.

 

I know this goes against what a majority of people say but of the 15 lines I have been involved in for porting numbers we have done it during activation with no issues at all.  Not purchasing addons is tough especially if you are on one of the older Province wide calling plans as I am and for the US roaming I have come to expect (even though I shouldn't have to) that my texting could be messed up and I will need to message moderators to remove the addon manually from my account.

 

I think the only way to be 100% safe of problems with PM is not to be with PM.  I personally can risk manage staying with PM and the savings is worth the risk to me.  Others will have to decide for themselves.

 

After saying that I am totally happy with the service I have had from Public Mobile and so  have all of the people I have referred and the ones they have referred.

 


I am happy to help, but I am not a Customer Support Agent please do not include any personal info in a message to me. Click HERE to create a trouble ticket through SIMon the Chatbot *

srlawren
Retired Oracle / Oracle Retraité

@GR wrote:

I set up my 7 accounts with autopay but a week or so before each is due I log in and click make a payment and add the funds needed for the renewal and I've never had a problem. 


@GR yeah this is another great tip, that I've also been doing since fall of 2015.  It's very effective!  You still get the AutoPay discount by leaving it on, and it's still there as a fail-safe if you forget the manual top-up.  But also, with the manual top-up, if anything goes wrong, you have time to deal with it.


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jor123
Town Hero / Héro de la Ville

@JackQuint wrote:

@stonechucker wrote:


I fully agree with this statement.  It’s limiting to have reoccurring errors which have been around for years, without being fixed.  Telus needs to up the funding to fix these ongoing issues.


Telus has the funding. They are doing this by choice. The PM business model is clearly designed to push customers to Koodo. Get everyone frustrated and periodically incent them to upgrade. The costs of fixing these issues are nominal because Telus and Koodo have prepaid platforms that work without any of these glitches. Telus could easily port PM/PM customers to their working platform with a few coding changes for branding and be done with it. They don't because they prefer PM to f**cked up because they think it makes for better business.


You would think if anything issues would push people away from Telus brands and into Rogers or Bell.

I agree with @JackQuint Public Mobile's Billing / selfserve system is "off the shelf" solution by Optiva with customization by Public Mobile.. Optiva also works with AT&T, Tmobile, Vodafone etc. so I got a feeling they know what they are doing.

 

Back to the topic, I prepare for the worst and hope for the best, to add something relevant to the thread. I would say keep a month's fee in the account before account renewal time.. just in case autopay fails. You can sync your voucher purchasing when Canadian Tire do their 50x events at their gas bars.. apparently CT's 50x purchasing work differently in store / gas bars, you get 50x when you are at gas bars.

JackQuint
Model Citizen / Citoyen Modèle

@stonechucker wrote:


I fully agree with this statement.  It’s limiting to have reoccurring errors which have been around for years, without being fixed.  Telus needs to up the funding to fix these ongoing issues.


Telus has the funding. They are doing this by choice. The PM business model is clearly designed to push customers to Koodo. Get everyone frustrated and periodically incent them to upgrade. The costs of fixing these issues are nominal because Telus and Koodo have prepaid platforms that work without any of these glitches. Telus could easily port PM/PM customers to their working platform with a few coding changes for branding and be done with it. They don't because they prefer PM to f**cked up because they think it makes for better business.


@sheytoon wrote:

While your points are accurate @Luddite, I would say the customer shouldn't be held hostage due to poor implementation by Telus. They need to fix issues so that services offered are glitch-free.


I fully agree with this statement.  It’s limiting to have reoccurring errors which have been around for years, without being fixed.  Telus needs to up the funding to fix these ongoing issues.

While your points are accurate @Luddite, I would say the customer shouldn't be held hostage due to poor implementation by Telus. They need to fix issues so that services offered are glitch-free.

dabr
Mayor / Maire

Good suggestions @Luddite  but I'm in agreement with everyone here that not changing to a different plan if your needs change would be restrictive and having add-ons makes limited plans not only more complete but still affordable for anyone who is more budget conscious.

 

I have made a couple of plan changes without any issues, one during a particularly trying time when PM upgraded their $15 plan a few months ago.  I have also bought add-ons and am on autopay and never preload funds for renewal, and have not experienced, so far, any major glitches.  

 

Hope I'm not jinxing myself though:)

I set up my 7 accounts with autopay but a week or so before each is due I log in and click make a payment and add the funds needed for the renewal and I've never had a problem. Also once I downgraded a plan for 40$ to 25$ and I put the 40$ on the account just in case and it went down no problem.   I've never bought roaming add ons but I bought the 5$ and 8$ extra minutes before and those worked great! I can't complain, I love public mobile and the money savings! 

Anonymous
Not applicable

Yeah I don't quite get the not buying add-ons. Roaming add-ons maybe due to known bugs and general hassles. But the other add-ons are solid as far as I've experienced.

srlawren
Retired Oracle / Oracle Retraité

@Luddite I'm trying to decide if this guide is somewhat tongue-in-cheek or 100% serious?  I mean, yes, never changing your plan and never buying any add-ons I guess would be trouble-free, but also quite restrictive.  It's kind of like never leaving your house so you know you will never be hit by a bus while walking down the street--sure, you're safe, but you're also missing out on a lot in life.  

 

But overall, I'd agree with most of the advice above, particularly the bits about not porting until after you've activated and confirmed the services are working, your phone is compatible, your data (if applicable) is flowing, etc.

 

EDIT: here's one to add to the list:

 

Never, ever, under any circumstances, look at your self-serve account between about 10 AM on your Payment Due Date and about 2PM on the following date.  If you make the mistake of looking and think something is amiss, as long as your services are still working (you're still able to call/text/data (as applicable) like normal), then whatever you do, don't do anything.


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