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Vacation Disconnect?

AE_Collector
Mayor / Maire

My $40/30 day 5Gb plan renews (starts next 30 days) May 31, the same day my wife’s identical plan renews. I would rather the renewal days were staggered. We both step onto Golden Princess at Vancouver the next morning for 14 days where we won’t be using our phones at all. 

 

I just got my last $10 x 6 months credit but my wife has received about 3 of the 6 so far. What are the implications of me doing whatever it is to not renew my phone for 15 days until we return? If it were my wife’s phone that we didn’t renew would she still ultimately/eventually get all 6 of the $10 credits? We both have autopay set up. I have more referral credits (6) on my account. So may be better to furlough her phone if none of the $10 credits would be lost. 

 

And finally, what would callers get when calling the inactive number? Would voice mail still be there with my greeting even if there were no option to leave a message? I typically put a message on to call my landline to leave messages when we are away.

 

Thanks for helping me figure out just how this works and how to set it up!    Terry

17 REPLIES 17


@AE_Collector wrote:

@geopublic wrote:


@AE_Collector  The easiest way to find out is to try it. You can temporarily put your phone in suspension using the lost/stolen option and try calling your number from your wife's phone and see what happens.Smiley Happy

 

Note: Some community members have reported that using the Lost/Stolen method might affect with rewards being applied correclty on renewal so please use at your own risk.

 


Yes for sure. Probably not too much danger in trying it. I would think that this feature would just deactivate the ability to make or receive calls until you are able to find your phone. Thus your renewal date would move along a day for each day it is suspended. Thus VM May continue to take messages if you are called.  But things could be different once you go past your renewal date. In actual fact I wouldn’t behave been surprised if you were still charged for the next month even with this feature activated since it is really just there to prevent someone from using it if they find it. 


Yes, when a plan is in any kind of on hold status, all features stop working, including VM. All the caller gets is the phone rings without ceasing and never goes to VM (I have MANY plans and frequently place them on and off hold, so am very familiar with this).

 

For a complete and up-to-date review of all your options and the implication of each, please read the following:

When and How to Suspend or Place an account on Hold (Extended absence, etc)


@geopublic wrote:


@AE_Collector  The easiest way to find out is to try it. You can temporarily put your phone in suspension using the lost/stolen option and try calling your number from your wife's phone and see what happens.Smiley Happy

 

Note: Some community members have reported that using the Lost/Stolen method might affect with rewards being applied correclty on renewal so please use at your own risk.

 


Yes for sure. Probably not too much danger in trying it. I would think that this feature would just deactivate the ability to make or receive calls until you are able to find your phone. Thus your renewal date would move along a day for each day it is suspended. Thus VM May continue to take messages if you are called.  But things could be different once you go past your renewal date. In actual fact I wouldn’t behave been surprised if you were still charged for the next month even with this feature activated since it is really just there to prevent someone from using it if they find it. 


@AE_Collector wrote:

@geopublic wrote:

 

So lost/stollen phone is the easiest way to make one inactive? Any idea what a caller would get in this scenario?


@AE_Collector  That's a good question, to be honest I'm not sure. My guess is that the call drops and does not go to VM because your service has been suspended.


Yes hard to say for sure. Someone likely knows! Thanks for your input! Terry


@AE_Collector  The easiest way to find out is to try it. You can temporarily put your phone in suspension using the lost/stolen option and try calling your number from your wife's phone and see what happens.Smiley Happy

 

Note: Some community members have reported that using the Lost/Stolen method might affect with rewards being applied correclty on renewal so please use at your own risk.

 

Straying a little here but an interesting thing I have learned on cruise ships when using both iMessage and Hangouts is that when you disconnect from ships internet plan (typically billed or supplied per minute of connection irregardless of data usage) both of these communication methods will continue to work for some time. Conversations with anyone you were talking with on iMessage or Hangouts while online will remain active for quite some time allowing the conversation to continue without burning expensive internet minutes.


@geopublic wrote:

 

So lost/stollen phone is the easiest way to make one inactive? Any idea what a caller would get in this scenario?


@AE_Collector  That's a good question, to be honest I'm not sure. My guess is that the call drops and does not go to VM because your service has been suspended.


Yes hard to say for sure. Someone likely knows! Thanks for your input! Terry


@mimmo wrote:

@AE_Collector @I have used it with no charges incurred and without USA roaming(hence no texting out) 

 

Here are some good reads

https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Plans-Add-Ons/Another-Cruise-With-Public-Mobile/m-p/3...

 

 

   https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Getting-Started/Cruising-with-Public-Mobile/m-p/28937...

 

Here is a topic I started when I discovered the loophole. I was never billed on ship or via pm. 

 

   https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Discussions/Cellular-at-sea/m-p/216946#M61886 

 

 

 

   

 

 


Wow, interesting info @mimmo ! Thanks for the links, I will read all of that info later today. I may cautiously experiment with that this trip but I suspect that if it works... it works. My understanding of Cellular at Sea is that the ship only provides the access via their satellite network and your carrier determines what the end user pays based on your plan.  Ever thought about Prepaid plans having no ability to charge for it.

mimmo
Retired Oracle / Oracle Retraité

@AE_Collector @I have used it with no charges incurred and without USA roaming(hence no texting out) 

 

Here are some good reads

https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Plans-Add-Ons/Another-Cruise-With-Public-Mobile/m-p/3...

 

 

   https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Getting-Started/Cruising-with-Public-Mobile/m-p/28937...

 

Here is a topic I started when I discovered the loophole. I was never billed on ship or via pm. 

 

   https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Discussions/Cellular-at-sea/m-p/216946#M61886 

 

 

 

   

 

 


 

So lost/stollen phone is the easiest way to make one inactive? Any idea what a caller would get in this scenario?


@AE_Collector  That's a good question, to be honest I'm not sure. My guess is that the call drops and does not go to VM because your service has been suspended.


@mimmo wrote:

Hi Terry, personally I would enable lost stolen mode, then renew your wife's account a day or two after activation. That will stager the activation dates. 

 

My experience as of February is that pm will connect to cellular at sea when enabled. You will be able to make and receive calls at no cost. Sms won't go through.

 

 


Cellular at Sea typically comes with a hefty surcharge varying and determined by each cell provider. Are you saying that since PM is prepaid with no way to collect extra charges... it just works? Or at least voice works as a part of your unlimited Canada calling? 


@geopublic wrote:

@AE_Collector wrote:

My $40/30 day 5Gb plan renews (starts next 30 days) May 31, the same day my wife’s identical plan renews. I would rather the renewal days were staggered. We both step onto Golden Princess at Vancouver the next morning for 14 days where we won’t be using our phones at all. 

 

@AE_Collector  If the cruise offers WiFi then it's a good idea to bring your phone along. If you have an Android device you can use Google Hangouts Dialer or an alternative  to make calls and check your voicemails via WiFi. 

 

I just got my last $10 x 6 months credit but my wife has received about 3 of the 6 so far. What are the implications of me doing whatever it is to not renew my phone for 15 days until we return? If it were my wife’s phone that we didn’t renew would she still ultimately/eventually get all 6 of the $10 credits? We both have autopay set up. I have more referral credits (6) on my account. So may be better to furlough her phone if none of the $10 credits would be lost. 

 

In your wife's case it's best to renew so that she doesn't risk losing the 3 x $10.00 promo credits. As for you for 14 days quite honestly not worth the hassle to save ~$18.70. Your rewards and credit cover $8.00 so your going to save $10.70 of actual funds. Is it worth it? Your call if you decide yes just suspend your service via the Lost/Stolen option.

 

And finally, what would callers get when calling the inactive number? Would voice mail still be there with my greeting even if there were no option to leave a message? I typically put a message on to call my landline to leave messages when we are away.

 

If you decide to let the renewals proceed then calls will go to VM and since you brought you phones with you will be able to check/retrieve your messages and return calls using a WiFi based calling app.

 

Thanks for helping me figure out just how this works and how to set it up!    Terry


 


Yes agreed @geopublic .. not really worth the hassle normally. The thought that I could get the renewal dates staggered was the largest benefit to me. This is because a large part of the reason we switched to PM is so we can really step up our data plan over summer at the cottage and then back to a much smaller data plan in the off season. This avoids us having to look at an internet plan for the cabin.  We go back and forth a lot slowly ramping up the cabin time through the spring, pretty much living there full time through summer and then ramping down in September. Thus with staggered renewal dates we can step one phone at a time up or down and share the data on the phone with the larger plan early and late in the season. Both retired and almost always in the same place at the same time.

 

So lost/stollen phone is the easiest way to make one inactive? Any idea what a caller would get in this scenario?

mimmo
Retired Oracle / Oracle Retraité

Hi Terry, personally I would enable lost stolen mode, then renew your wife's account a day or two after activation. That will stager the activation dates. 

 

My experience as of February is that pm will connect to cellular at sea when enabled. You will be able to make and receive calls at no cost. Sms won't go through.

 

 

Yes I have seen other comments suggesting that invalidating the $10 credits by switching to a sub $30 plan will terminate them even if you return to a $30 or higher plan shortly after. I really only intended on idling one of the two phones anyway so my phone that has received all 6 - $10 credits should be the one. 

 

As as suggested I could set up to switch to the $10($8) voice only plan the day before vacation and then just do an immediate plan change back to $40/5 GB plan on our return. That would only cost the $8 and then I would renew early after only 15 days likely with no additional autopay or referral credits at that point since they are monthly credits. I just need to hope that the $40 plan didn’t disappear AGAIN while on vacation but I doubt it. I could preselect the change back to $40 plan right after the $10 plan starts. That way if the $40 plan DID disappear while I was away I could limp along with the $10 plan until my next auto renewal putting me back to the $40 plan. 

 

Good info everyone!     Terry

geopublic
Mayor / Maire

@AE_Collector wrote:

My $40/30 day 5Gb plan renews (starts next 30 days) May 31, the same day my wife’s identical plan renews. I would rather the renewal days were staggered. We both step onto Golden Princess at Vancouver the next morning for 14 days where we won’t be using our phones at all. 

 

@AE_Collector  If the cruise offers WiFi then it's a good idea to bring your phone along. If you have an Android device you can use Google Hangouts Dialer or an alternative  to make calls and check your voicemails via WiFi. 

 

I just got my last $10 x 6 months credit but my wife has received about 3 of the 6 so far. What are the implications of me doing whatever it is to not renew my phone for 15 days until we return? If it were my wife’s phone that we didn’t renew would she still ultimately/eventually get all 6 of the $10 credits? We both have autopay set up. I have more referral credits (6) on my account. So may be better to furlough her phone if none of the $10 credits would be lost. 

 

In your wife's case it's best to renew so that she doesn't risk losing the 3 x $10.00 promo credits. As for you for 14 days quite honestly not worth the hassle to save ~$18.70. Your rewards and credit cover $8.00 so your going to save $10.70 of actual funds. Is it worth it? Your call if you decide yes just suspend your service via the Lost/Stolen option.

 

And finally, what would callers get when calling the inactive number? Would voice mail still be there with my greeting even if there were no option to leave a message? I typically put a message on to call my landline to leave messages when we are away.

 

If you decide to let the renewals proceed then calls will go to VM and since you brought you phones with you will be able to check/retrieve your messages and return calls using a WiFi based calling app.

 

Thanks for helping me figure out just how this works and how to set it up!    Terry


 

bridonca
Model Citizen / Citoyen Modèle

@will13am wrote:

@bridonca wrote:

Switch to the $8 plan if you plan to use the service again.   You can future date it for the next month, so you do not lose your old plan.  I do not know if you can stagger the plans easily.

 

The only downside to this is that you can only switch back to any plan that is available at the time


Switching to a less than $30 plan will mean illegibility for the $10 reward. 


True.  I guess it depends on how long the vacation will be.  The $10 reward is only good for 6 months, so that is also something to consider.


@bridonca wrote:

Switch to the $8 plan if you plan to use the service again.   You can future date it for the next month, so you do not lose your old plan.  I do not know if you can stagger the plans easily.

 

The only downside to this is that you can only switch back to any plan that is available at the time


Switching to a less than $30 plan will mean illegibility for the $10 reward. 

will13am
Oracle
Oracle

@AE_Collector, I am a little more familiar with the rewards.  They obviously do not get paid out when the account is suspended.  They will restart when you resume the service.  As for the $10 rewards, I thought that the reward also suspends on account suspension but will not resume thereafter.  The wording on the second last bullet seems to suggest this.

 

https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Announcements/Activate-any-30-mo-plan-and-get-10-off-...

bridonca
Model Citizen / Citoyen Modèle

Switch to the $8 plan if you plan to use the service again.   You can future date it for the next month, so you do not lose your old plan.  I do not know if you can stagger the plans easily.

 

The only downside to this is that you can only switch back to any plan that is available at the time

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