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The negligence of Public Mobile

dave2
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

I am a customer with Public Mobile. Yesterday my monthly rate was increased. While speaking with a Public Mobile service rep yesterday, I was told that a text had been sent informing me of this imminent price increase. This, I assured her, was categorically FALSE, as I had NEVER received any such text, nor had I received any information about the opportunity to switch my account to KOODO at exactly the same monthly rate I had been paying prior to yesterday's increase – otherwise I would probably have done so (or switched service providers). Now, from what I understand, the aforementioned offer is no longer available, and I'm expected to pay almost $10 more a month (the latest increase is the second in the past 6 months) for a service that has in no way been improved?

 

After speaking with the service rep, the extra charge was refunded to my account for this month, and then I had to get the overlimit charge I incurred (because I had not deposited enough cash into my credit card since I hadn't been informed that Public Mobile had increased my monthly rate) reversed – which it was, since they recognized that PUBLIC MOBILE was ultimately at fault for not informing me of the rate increase.

 

Considering that all recent difficulties with my phone plan are due to Public Mobile's negligence, I would appreciate it if Public Mobile, in all its beneficent glory, would now offer me the same deal that was offered to other loyal customers (i.e. the same rate/plan I had prior to yesterday's price increase), otherwise I will have no choice but to search for a new service provider – one in no way affiliated with Telus.

 

Yours truly,

 

Dave "Mr. Impecunious" Dave

26 REPLIES 26

Mary_M
Retraité / Retired
Retraité / Retired

Good morning @dave2,

 

thank you for taking the time to express your interest in switching over to our sister brand Koodo. I'm really sorry to hear about the confusion the proposed increase has caused - you've come to the right place for answers.

 

To begin, not all customers are eligible to redeem all offers. Offers are unique for each customer based on their accounts.To check whether you are eligible or not, you can simply text the word "OFFER" to 5133 or 5132 (depending on the plan you're on) but please try both. If eligible, you will receive a text message with the promo code.

 

If you want us to check on your current rate plan and view your options, simply send us a private message, I'll be more than happy to look into it for you 🙂

 

Cheers,

 

Mary

 

** Please do not post private info such as: phone number, account number, pin etc.. This is a public forum. **


@ShawnC13wrote:

@mimmowrote:

@ShawnC13 great post. Is it true you are migrating your plans?


Undecided as of yet.  I have started the process so that I do have the option come the 15th.  Up until the moment I decide if I need to port my number I am a PM customer!!!


I haven't seen anything in the promo terms stating the a new customer must port the phone number to get this plan.  If they allow it, an option might be to have one plan on each.  Where this comes to play is if you decide not to go through with porting your number, the new number at Koodo would have a good plan, and the Public Mobile plan would still be pretty good too.

 

If you really can't decide and you think that there's a even a slight chance that you might want this Koodo plan, I would go ahead and place the order for a sim card only activation (because who knows if they offer will get extended).  You could always just cancel the service after you receive the sim card if you decide you don't want the plan.  I don't even think Koodo would charge you any plan fees if you did it right away, under some type of Koodo 15 day satisfication guarantee.

 

Back to the point about if Koodo isn't actively requiring Public Mobile customers to port their phone numbers:   Public customers who have every intention of staying could sign up to the Koodo 6GB $40 plan and a brand new phone number.  I am unsure if Koodo would immediately allow it, but I'm sure after a few months, they would allow a transfer of ownership/responsiblity.  A clsoe firend or family member could use the service in the meanwhile,  or even the plan sold off to someone else.

 

People could even "sell" their Public Mobile validation codes (Public Mobile phone number) just so other people could sign up. 

 

So, the question remains, will Koodo force Public Mobile migrants to the port the phone number to keep the plan?


@mimmowrote:

@ShawnC13 great post. Is it true you are migrating your plans?


Undecided as of yet.  I have started the process so that I do have the option come the 15th.  Up until the moment I decide if I need to port my number I am a PM customer!!!

 


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 *

mimmo
Retired Oracle / Oracle Retraité

@ShawnC13 great post. Is it true you are migrating your plans?

@dave2, I have to say this is a great thread and shows what a great option the community it to help people out.  I read that you are on a 30 day plan so the price increase on the Legacy plans was actually Feb 15 I believe so you would have renewed just before it happened and then it caught up with you this renewal.  As @wetcoaster, @mimmo, @srlawren, @Luddite have helped you out I hope you find an options that works for you within your budget and I pretty sure there will be something for you with PM still.

 

Again great thread to the work of the members in this one to assist this member well done

 


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

@dave2 just to confirm:  yes the texting is international (they call it "global" now).  Meaning, while you are physically in Canada, you can receive texts from anywhere in the world, and send texts to mobile phone numbers anywhere in the world.  

 

EDIT:  missed that there was a second page and that @wetcoaster had already replied 27 mins ago.  Sorry for the duplicate reply.


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


@dave2wrote:

@wetcoaster

 

Actually, I have one FINAL question:

 

When you write "Canada-wide talk and text" –  is the texting part of the equation still INTERNATIONAL?


Yes, it's international texts (sent to foreign countries from Canada) or no texts at all. Canada wide texts aren't an option anymore.

dave2
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

@wetcoaster

 

Okay, it actually makes sense to me now. (The whole "plan builder" concept was TOTALLY foreign to me.) Also: I'm just going to assume that texting is international, so please feel free to ignore my last question.

 

Thanks again.

dave2
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

@wetcoaster

 

Actually, I have one FINAL question:

 

When you write "Canada-wide talk and text" –  is the texting part of the equation still INTERNATIONAL?


@dave2wrote:

@wetcoaster

 

Okay, I think I'm right on the edge of understanding everything you've written. I am curious about one thing in your explanation, though: "adding 500MB of data for the same price." 

 

What is the rationale for that addition? Is it simply meant to incentivize the 90 day option?


It's the way the plan builder is set up.

If you'd buy the features seperately you'd pay $32 for Canada-wide talk, $20 for international texts, $30 for 500MB of data.

They give you a "discount" if you choose more than one item: $15 if you choose 2 items, $45 if you choose three items.

 

Talk and text: $32 + $20 - $15 = $37

Talk and 500 MB data: $32 + $30 - $15 = $47

Text and 500 MB data: $20 + $30 - $15 = $35

Talk, text and 500MB data: $32 + $20 + $30 - $45 = $37

 

So because of the bigger discount for choosing three items over two, and 500MB costing the same as that difference in discount you can add 500MB at no extra cost.

 

If you compare line 2 and 4 you see that under certain circumstances you are actually better off choosing three items, even if you wouldn't use the third one at all (although, not having a text plan means you also don't receive texts, so it's a good item to add regardless.)

 

dave2
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

@wetcoaster

@mimmo

 

Okay, I think I've pretty well got the picture now. Thank you very much for all your help.

mimmo
Retired Oracle / Oracle Retraité

Adding additional items gives you a discount.

1 item no discount

2 items small discount

3 items bigger discount.

 

So adding just talk and text give price "a"

Adding talk text and text 500mb data still gives you price "a" so do no extra cost you get some data

dave2
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

@wetcoaster

 

addendum to most recent reply of mine:

 

Oh, the 500MB is added to ALL the options? 

dave2
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

@wetcoaster

 

Okay, I think I'm right on the edge of understanding everything you've written. I am curious about one thing in your explanation, though: "adding 500MB of data for the same price." 

 

What is the rationale for that addition? Is it simply meant to incentivize the 90 day option?


@dave2wrote:

@wetcoaster

 

Before I continue, let me just note that I have had almost NO interaction with anyone at Public Mobile in the several years since first signing up with them, nor have I had any reason (up until yesterday) to consider any alternative plans (i.e. I'm really outta the loop), and therefore some of the offer info you provide is kind of baffling to me. Also: I am a bit of an idiot.

Now, with regard to this:

"In-market plan 90 days Per 30 days with rewards ($2 autopay + $3 loyalty)"

 

What, exactly, does that mean? Does it mean that the plan lasts ninety days, after which I need to renew, and that I have to pay every thirty days, and that they're gonna give me 5 bucks? Or does it mean something COMPLETELY different?

 

Like I wrote: idiot. Sorry.

 

 


You can still be on a 30 day plan, if that suits your circumstances better. But 90day plans give the best bang for the buck, if you are willing to commit to that longer period of time. There are no refunds if you decide to switch carriers, so, assuming that you don't want to loose money, the 90day plan is giving you less flexibility to jump on an offer by another carrier.

 

So lets assume you change to the in-market Canada-wide talk & text plan, adding 500MB of data for the same price. If you pay every 30 days the full cost is $37, after the change you are eligible for rewards, so take off $2 for registering your credit card (you can still top up with vouchers if you prefer! If there are enough funds in the account at renewal time there will be no charge to your credit card), you'll also get $3 off for being with Public Mobile for that long, so you are paying $32 + tax.

 

If you decide to pay every 90days instead, you are paying $105 for Canada-wide talk, text and 1.5GB of data. Minus auto pay $6, minus loyalty reward $9 = $90 + tax every 90days, which makes your effective cost per 30days $30.

Keep in mind that the 1.5GB data is for the full 90 days, an average 500MB per 30 days, but you can used it however you like, say 200MB the first month, then you travel and use 1.2GB the second month, and have 100MB left for the third month)

 

Does this make sense or did I completely miss your question?

 

 

Edit to add that you are not an idiot - I completely get the frustration!

dave2
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

@wetcoaster

 

Before I continue, let me just note that I have had almost NO interaction with anyone at Public Mobile in the several years since first signing up with them, nor have I had any reason (up until yesterday) to consider any alternative plans (i.e. I'm really outta the loop), and therefore some of the offer info you provide is kind of baffling to me. Also: I am a bit of an idiot.

Now, with regard to this:

"In-market plan 90 days Per 30 days with rewards ($2 autopay + $3 loyalty)"

 

What, exactly, does that mean? Does it mean that the plan lasts ninety days, after which I need to renew, and that I have to pay every thirty days, and that they're gonna give me 5 bucks? Or does it mean something COMPLETELY different?

 

Like I wrote: idiot. Sorry.

 

 


@dave2wrote:

Unfortunately, as far as I can tell, the Plans on offer are not comparable to my current plan. Even the $40 plan is only province-wide, and I require Canada-wide talk.


I'll repost my chart here, but for all other pertinent information about switching to an in-marked plan that I originally posted with it you should really read the post I linked to above, here it is again: https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Announcements/Effective-February-15th-changes-are-hap...

 

legacy-inmarket-comparison.jpg

dave2
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

Unfortunately, as far as I can tell, the Plans on offer are not comparable to my current plan. Even the $40 plan is only province-wide, and I require Canada-wide talk.

dave2
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

I have what I now learn is a legacy plan. I did not disable updates. There was a price increase several months ago (which I was texted about) and one yesterday (which I was not texted about). I was not informed about anything related to the most recent price increase nor the offer to switch to Koodo, which I was told (yesterday) would have given me the opportunity to maintain my current rate and plan. 

@dave2 I think you are a Legacy account with access to the call centre? A friend in the same situation decided to switch to a standard plan with provincial calling, global texting because:

a) he calls outside Ontario rarely so the long distance add-on made sense (400 minutes for $15)

b) he has never called customer service in 3 years

c) his cost for the 90 day plan after rewards (autopay and loyalty which you would also receive) is $66 (plus tax of course)

He switched first to a 30 day plan just to make sure everything was working before committing to 90 day cycles.

We can provide directions for you to do this if needed.

 

@wetcoaster you finally beat me to the draw. Robot LOL


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

ute1978
Deputy Mayor / Adjoint au Maire

@wetcoasterwrote:

@ute1978

Looks to me like they are a Legacy customer and were affected by this 

Ah, right, I forgot. It was announced far in advance.

will13am
Oracle
Oracle

@dave2, what plan were you on?  The only increases in recent times was to a legacy plan a while back and most infamously the $10 increase per month to the 2016 fall promo plan which was rescinded almost immediately.  As for not getting informed, I wonder if you opted out of receiving updates.  If you did, then they won't send them to you. 

dave2
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

Yes, the initial link you provide is EXACTLY the information I never received. The rep I spoke to yesterday did, in fact, say I would retain the same rate if I switched over to Koodo, but then, as you mentioned, she noticed that the offer had expired.

 

I will check out the second link you provided. Thanks.

@ute1978

Looks to me like they are a Legacy customer and were affected by this https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Announcements/Effective-February-15th-changes-are-hap....

 

 

@dave2

Public Mobile doesn't have a retention centre, and since the price increase is meant to "entice" legacy customers either to Koodo or to an in-market plan with PM I'd consider it highly unlikely that you'll get the same plan at the old pricing. Since you still are a legacy customer you'd need to talk to *611 customer service again - if anything can be done to get you on that Koodo migration offer, more than 3 weeks after it expired, they would be the ones to help you with it.

 

You could switch to a cheaper in-market plan with Public Mobile if you are willing to loose customer service over the phone (all customer service for in-market plans is starting here in the community. https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Announcements/Changes-to-our-Support-structure/m-p/16...  You'd have to call *611 to make the switch - they want to make sure that you understand that you'll loose access to customer service over the phone and that all your support goes through this community (with private messages to the moderators = Public Mobile employees).

Find a chart on in-market options in this post: https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Announcements/Effective-February-15th-changes-are-hap...

 

dave2
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

Monthly plan. Was, prior to yesterday, $32.19 a month. Canada-wide talk, international text, etc.

ute1978
Deputy Mayor / Adjoint au Maire

That is bad news. Where you on the 90/120 plan? Was your renewal yesterday?

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