Community

alohaya · ‎02-15-2018

Just got this text message from Public Mobile. They are raising my plan price by $10/month, trying to get me to switch to Koodo. Anyone else got this text?

Public Mobile here. Starting March 20th, 2018 your rate plan price will increase by $10 per 30 days, making your plan $150 for 90 days. But don't worry! Our sister brand, Koodo, has a way for you to keep your $40 price point. Until March 15th, 2018, join Koodo and get 4GB of data, unlimited text and now additionally get UNLIMITED CANADA-WIDE minutes for $40/month PLUS get a one-time $100 bill credit! Offer valid for xxxxxxxxxxx. Redeem at your nearest Koodo location or London Drugs or online at https://koo.do/gocustomer-service. Show this msg and use promo code GOKOODO404GB to redeem along with 2 pieces of ID. Your phone number is your validation code. You're included on the list for Public Mobile offers and deals. To be excluded, reply unsubscribe. Conditions apply.

steelworx · ‎02-16-2018

EVERYONE please file a complaint! Public Mobile (Telus) should not be increasing our bills by 25% in some backdoor scam to screw us out of the deal many of us signed up for!! $120 for 3 months and 12GB is what I had my entire family switch to Public for and now Public is trying to screw us all over... not acceptable!!

FILE COMPLAINT HERE!!:

http://www.ccts-cprst.ca/for-consumers/complaints/complaint-form/

will13am · ‎02-16-2018

Ah, conspiracy theorist!

ShawnC13 · ‎02-16-2018

@sbreakin, not sure if this is the one you were looking for

Took Koodo Offer - Community

Koodo Plan for PM Customers

* 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 *

steelworx · ‎02-16-2018

EVERYONE please file a complaint! Public Mobile (Telus) should not be increasing our bills by 25% in some backdoor scam to screw us out of the deal many of us signed up for!! $120 for 3 months and 12GB is what I had my entire family switch to Public for and now Public is trying to screw us all over... not acceptable!!

FILE COMPLAINT HERE!!:

http://www.ccts-cprst.ca/for-consumers/complaints/complaint-form/

alby905 · ‎02-16-2018

Where do you send to PM that your going to write about there price increases?

kav2001c · ‎02-16-2018

@Luddite yup the issue is whether Public can prove they informed the client of this since they do not give out a critical info summary sheet (which is also technically required by code)

Just showing the TOS are not rock solid for those who wish to pursue this route

I personally do not like the way this was done and further do not like the attempted restriction to force migrate to Koodo

jheili99 · ‎02-16-2018

Here's what I think happened:

PM does not and probably never intended to keep the promo rate going...the idea was to get as many customers away from the competition luring them over to PM...then keep them happy for a while..then force a price change so high, that people get upset and offer a switch to the sister company...once switched over, icrease the koodo rate as well and offer a switch to Telus directly...boom, now they got you on the hook...

I strongly believe the price increase has only 1 intend, which is to force you to either leave or give in accepting an offer, which down the line will also be broken and not to cover extra costs, as this price increase is solely targeted on us "promo customers" but nobody else..

CLEARLY FALSE ADVERTISING AS WELL AS 100% BAIT AND SWITCH...BOTH ILLEGAL, NO MATTER WHAT TH TOS SAY...TOS'S ARE NOT ABOVE THE LAW..

IT'S TIME FOR THE COMPETITORS TO STEP UP AND MAKE A SWITCH AWAY FROM TELUS TASTY TO US....!!!!!!! I ALREADY CANCELLED MY TELUS AND SWITCHED TO SHAW.....NO MORE MONEY OUT OF MY POCKET OVER TO TELUS

Cheers

sbreakin · ‎02-16-2018

Gosh there was a great Koodo deal summary post just now but it disappeared.

Notice - Koodo deal - might be $3 more expensive for those that call forward to Fongo or similar when traveling (including overseas where PM has no add-on or just to the USA with data only).

Sorry since there is no good summary in the featured discussions areas - it seems everything is getting posted as a new post.

kevinf · ‎02-16-2018

Public Mobile,

I activated 2 lines for myself and my wife with Public Mobile in 2016 under the Fall promotion: 3 months for $120, 12GBs of data, and 200 minutes of US and Canada long distance. I received a text message on Feb 15, 2018 informing me my rate would be increased by $30 for each 3 month period. After accounting for the discounts I've accrued with Public Mobile, this amounts to a 27% price increase.

This is a direct contradiction of material representations made by your staff to induce prospective customers into moving from our previous cellular providers and purchasing your services. Here is an example of one such representation made by Brooke_C, a Public Mobile representative:

"If you have signed up for the promotional plan, you will be able to keep it after the promo period, as long as you are an active customer. This means that, as long as you are an active customer on this plan, your plan price will remain at $120, even after your initial 90 days. No surprises."

Source: https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Announcements/UPDATE-Last-day-to-get-our-limited-time...

This makes the representation false or misleading under the Competition Act.

If the cost of my plan increases, I will file a complaint with the Competition Bureau for your contravention of the Competition Act. If I do not receive a response within 5 calendar days explicitly stating that my plan's price will not increase, I will file a complaint with the Competition Bureau for your contravention of the Competition Act.

Further, the text I received offered me a seemingly equivalent plan if I move to Koodo. Here are the problems with such an offer:

I just paid for 3 months of service on February 12th, 2018. I received the text in question on February 15th. The offer to move to Koodo expires March 15th, 2018. If I take advantage of the offer, I forfeit 2 months worth of prepaid service with Public Mobile - equivalent to roughly $74.
I forfeit the discounts I have accrued with Public Mobile - equivalent to $9 every 3 months.
I forfeit the acrrual of long-distance minutes that I have.
The plan does not include US long-distance.
There is no mention if any of the additional services I currently receive are included in this offer e.g. Caller ID, Voicemail.
4GBs of data per month is not as flexible compared to 12 GBs of data every 3 months.
I am not being given any assurance that the plan's cost will not change in the future.

Therefore, I must conclude that this is not a fair or equivalent offer, even after the $100 credit being offered.

If the cost of my plan increases, I will file a complaint with the Commission for Complaints for Telecom-television Services. If I do not receive a response within 5 calendar days explicitly stating that my plan's price will not increase, I will file a complaint with the Commission for Complaints for Telecom-television Services.

Please respond as soon as possible. I wish to resolve this matter in an amicable and timely fashion.

-Kevin F.

steelworx · ‎02-16-2018

EVERYONE please file a complaint here!! Public Mobile (Telus) should not be increasing our bills by 25% in some backdoor scam to screw us out of the deal many of us signed up for!!

http://www.ccts-cprst.ca/for-consumers/complaints/complaint-form/

jheili99 · ‎02-16-2018

Here's what I think happened:

PM does not and probably never intended to keep the promo rate going...the idea was to get as many customers away from the competition luring them over to PM...then keep them happy for a while..then force a price change so high, that people get upset and offer a switch to the sister company...once switched over, icrease the koodo rate as well and offer a switch to Telus directly...boom, now they got you on the hook...

I strongly believe the price increase has only 1 intend, which is to force you to either leave or give in accepting an offer, which down the line will also be broken and not to cover extra costs, as this price increase is solely targeted on us "promo customers" but nobody else..

CLEARLY FALSE ADVERTISING AS WELL AS 100% BAIT AND SWITCH...BOTH ILLEGAL, NO MATTER WHAT TH TOS SAY...TOS'S ARE NOT ABOVE THE LAW..

IT'S TIME FOR THE COMPETITORS TO STEP UP AND MAKE A SWITCH AWAY FROM TELUS TASTY TO US....!!!!!!! I ALREADY CANCELLED MY TELUS AND SWITCHED TO SHAW.....NO MORE MONEY OUT OF MY POCKET OVER TO TELUS

Cheers

alby905 · ‎02-16-2018

We all need to show them where not going to take this. Protest. Call city TV

AJCrowley · ‎02-16-2018

Unforunately, my billing cycle restarted 2 days before this message showed up.

However, I spoke to Koodo, and they said that my Public Mobile balance would be automatically transferred in 3-4 months.

The Canada wide calling is unlimited any time on the $40 plan.

...and the two things I really missed when I switched to public - $7/day roaming in the USA to use my regular plan, and iPhone visual voicemail should be back.

It sucks losing my referral bonuses, and I was surprised to see they were jacking the rates so substantially (25% is a HUGE increase), as any other mobile provider I've been with, once you lock in on a plan, that's your plan forever...but overall, it's still a decent deal.

MoFromTo2016 · ‎02-16-2018

Well if that’s the case then I’ll be moving to Fido by April. Hopefully they still have that $45 plan for 2GB with VoLTE and WI-FI Calling. Thanks!

steelworx · ‎02-16-2018

EVERYONE please file a complaint here!! Public Mobile (Telus) should not be increasing our bills by 25% in some backdoor scam to screw us out of the deal many of us signed up for!!

http://www.ccts-cprst.ca/for-consumers/complaints/complaint-form/

25jai · ‎02-16-2018

Dear Public Mobile,

Please accept my formal attempt to resolve a complaint with regard to the $10/month price increase, as announced on February 15, 2018.

Increasing this price for this plan is against the original marketing by Public Mobile employees during the promotional campaign on the community forums:

"If you have signed up for the promotional plan, you will be able to keep it after the promo period, as long as you are an active customer. This means that, as long as you are an active customer on this plan, your plan price will remain at $120, even after your initial 90 days. No surprises. "

(Source: https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Announcements/UPDATE-Last-day-to-get-our-limited-time...).

I look forward to resolving this issue. Please contact me directly by phone or emial to resolve this issue. If I do not hear back within 24 hours, I will pursue the resolution of this complaint via the CCTS.

Thank you.

computergeek541 · ‎02-16-2018

I could write the annoucement now.

Step 1: Greet the customer and thank them for being a customer.

Dear community,

We, at Public Mobile, would like to thank all customers for being loyal to us.

Step 2: Acknowledge changes to the price of the $120 promo plan.

Effective your next billing date after March 20, 2018, the price of the Fall Promo 2016 plan will increase from $120 to $150 per 90 days.

Step 3: Deflect by saying how Public Mobile offers great pricing to suit a wide variety of customers.

Public Mobile is comitted to bringing the best value to customers of the wireless industry. We understand that these changes may not suit all customers, so we'd like to take this time to remind customers of the other price plans that we offer. (the announcement would then probably go on about how customers can keep about a $120 price for 90 days by switching to a 6 or 12 GB 3g plan).

Step 4: Make the Koodo pitch and convince customer how it's a good thing.

We have a great offer for you from our friends at Koodo. For a limited time, sign up until March 15, 2018 (or whatever date it was) and receive unlmited Canada-wide calling, unlimtied text messaging, and 4GB of data per month for $40 - (insert further details here). You'll remain on the same great nation-wide network you've come to love and rely on, and you'll gain calling to any Canadian phone number without long distance charges! The option to acquire a fantastic discounted phone will allso be available to you. In addition, you'll have access to our great country-wide retail channel to help you with your wireless needs.

Step 5: Thank the customer and make some vagure forward-looking statement

Once again, thank you for support during these changes. We value you, as a customer, and look forward to providing with you with the best wireless communications value in Canada.

Sincerely,

The Public Mobile Team (or some other generic title, or the name of someone high up whom we don't usually hear from for the purpose of the customers not going after or directing their anger at any one specic person)

Okay - that was for a bit of comedic relief, but did I get it about right? - a broad general statement with a whole bunch of words but really pretty much saying nothing?

ute1978 · ‎02-16-2018

@steelworxwrote:

Whoever is managing Public Mobile should be ashamed of themselves!!

That would be Telus then.

Fiduciary · ‎02-16-2018

Hello,

When I signed up for the $120/12GB promotion, I did it based upon the premise that the rate would not be increased in the future. This was advertised at the following link: https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Announcements/UPDATE-Last-day-to-get-our-limited-time... . I received a text yesterday saying that the plan price would increase. This is a clear "bait and switch" scheme, and is illegal under Section 52(1) of the Competition Act. I am requesting to keep my current plan and price in perpetuity, unless I decide to change it, as was advertised.

Please contact me within 1 business day with a resolution to my complaint. I will also be following up with the CCTS and the Competition Bureau about these illegal practices.

Thanks,

Mike

steelworx · ‎02-16-2018

Did you see the text that the 4GB for $40/month recieved yesterday saying our bills are increasing by $10 per month , or advising us to swtich to Koodo?? Is Public Mobile a scam?

EVERYONE please file a complaint here!! Public Mobile (Telus) should not be increasing our bills by 25% in some backdoor scam to screw us out of the deal many of us signed up for!!

http://www.ccts-cprst.ca/for-consumers/complaints/complaint-form/

Who do I contact to get my Public Mobile SIM charge refunded?? THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE!!

I had a Solo (Bell) phone with the same deal for 8 years, no changing of prices as long as you kept paying the bill. I lost an AMAZING deal by switching and I am outraged!! I had my entire family switch over to Public Mobile for this deal with you guys and you guys screw us??

Let's all go to the news about this. This is the worst thing I have ever seen a company try and do to loyal customers.

Whoever is managing Public Mobile should be ashamed of themselves!!

Wolfsighs · ‎02-16-2018

Please consider this my formal complaint before I file a complaint with the CCTS.

I joined with public mobile for the $120/90 day plan after I read in a public post by public mobile that:

"If you have signed up for the promotional plan, you will be able to keep it after the promo period, as long as you are an active customer. This means that, as long as you are an active customer on this plan, your plan price will remain at $120, even after your initial 90 days. No surprises. "

This forced price change and coercive attempt to get us to change to a non-prepaid plan is not appreciated and I feel lied to and unappreciated as a customer.

Terren

justzmee · ‎02-16-2018

Hello Public Mobile,

This is a message for a Public Mobile moderator or representative. In order to comply with the requirements for submitting a complaint to CCTS. I am advising you that I would like to keep my current plan with 12GB / 90 days at $120 minus my rewards that I have had since the Fall 2016 Promo.

Per your own promotional material and answers to customers:

"If you have signed up for the promotional plan, you will be able to keep it after the promo period, as long as you are an active customer. This means that, as long as you are an active customer on this plan, your plan price will remain at $120, even after your initial 90 days. No surprises". Link to website to this quote: https://productioncommunity.publicmobil ... td-p/77350

Please contact me directly to discuss the matter further regarding my two affected plans. If you do not respond within a 24 hr time frame I will assume that you reject all communication on this topic.

Thank you,

justzmee

kevin_camera · ‎02-16-2018

@Manawrote:
@kevin_camera if you need an answer from the mods then please send a private message to @CS_Agent.

@Mana

Well, I wanted them to answer in the open because this will hopefully clear up the forums -- it's a mess in here right now to find the answers.

I'm sure all the mods are being spammed as well.

therockgamers · ‎02-16-2018

Hello Public Mobile, Normally, I would PM a mod, but I feel like this is a better method of keeping things organized, as it seems like a majority of people are trying to reach out to you here. I'm writing you to inform you that I would like to keep my current plan of $40/12gb/90 days, not including my rewards, as that is what was promised to myself, and everyone else, during the promotion for this plan. As stated by your company: "If you have signed up for the promotional plan, you will be able to keep it after the promo period, as long as you are an active customer. This means that, as long as you are an active customer on this plan, your plan price will remain at $120, even after your initial 90 days. No surprises." I am extremely dissapointed that I was lied to. Myself, and others, were told that this plan would never change, as long as we were an active customer, and now you are increasing our plan by $10 per month, equating to a 25% increase over 90 days, basically forcing us to leave your company, or pay $10 more per month "for the same service" as you say. This is downright bad business practice. Please contact me directly to address this matter, whether it be by phone, or private message. - Thanks

I currently have four accounts with your company and it is outrageous to pay $40 per month more for something promised to remain the same as long as we remained active accounts.

scpm · ‎02-16-2018

Hello Public Mobile,

After being a happy customer for more than a year, today I have signed up to the community forum to expess my disconformity regarding the 25% price increase to my current plan which is the 2016 Fall promotion of $120.00 for 3 months. The main reason why I have joined Public Mobile was the NOW misleading advertisement that you produced back then in which you let us believe that the price will not change as long as I am an active user.

Fast forward now, I am still an Active User but the price will increase next month by 25%. Before we signed up for the plan, could you have at least told us the truth and not putting a false advertisement statement.

If we take into considereation inflation of 2% annually, you are raising the price far more than the 2% inflation. Where did you come up with 25% increase?

I wasn't interested in Koodo before so why do you think I will be interested in Koodo now?

As stipulated by the CCTS, I have to first let you know my concerned before I could formally complain to CCTS. You can take this post as my formal complain regarding the price increase. Can you kindly response me back within 24 hours? Failure to have any reply from your part, I will take it as ignoring my plead and I will formally write my complian to CCTS.

Thank you,

SCPM

Xevyn · ‎02-16-2018

I don't disagree with anything you've said but then it begs the question of why PM would include that statement to begin with if they would never be able to stick to it.

The other thing that bothers me is that they literally just gave us all 30 days notice of a 25% price increase. In all the years I've had a cell plan I've never received a notice for that large of a fee or plan increase. It just seems very underhanded with a "bait and switch" feeling...

@@computergeek541 wrote:
The argument that seems to be used for each of these complaints is that Public Mobile said that they will not increase your price as long as you remain an "active customer".

That there really is the key to any complaint filed with the Competition Bureau or with CCTS.

If someone files some complaint and simply states that he or she is unhappy because of a price increase, I believe that complaint to be highly likely to fail.

I wold love to keep my price at $120 per 90 days. There's no disputing that. But I'm really not sure what customers think will be done by submitting these complaints, other than to preasure Public Mobile to back down on this price change.

If it goes to the point where Public Mobile agrees to allow an indvidual cusomer to keep the plan based on such complainit, or even if CCTS orders it so, all Public Mobile really has to do is give you proper notice that they will be discontnuing your service at a future date. You will then fail to remain an "active customer", and you would no lnoger be entitled to the plan. While I agree that would be a very bad PR move, remember that such a customer is already unhappy about the price change and is likely to leave anyway.

I am uncertain of how many customers really expected Public Mobile to let them keep the price forever. To me, I believe such expectation to be considered unrealistic, and I believe that some people may be using Public Mobile's no price increase statment as a basis for the complaint even when they never truly expected that to be honored in the first place.

Wolfcore · ‎02-16-2018

Hello Public Mobile,

Normally, I would PM a mod, but I feel like this is a better method of keeping things organized, as it seems like a majority of people are trying to reach out to you here.

I'm writing you to inform you that I would like to keep my current plan of $40/12gb/90 days, not including my rewards, as that is what was promised to myself, and everyone else, during the promotion for this plan.

As stated by your company:

"If you have signed up for the promotional plan, you will be able to keep it after the promo period, as long as you are an active customer. This means that, as long as you are an active customer on this plan, your plan price will remain at $120, even after your initial 90 days. No surprises."

I am extremely dissapointed that I was lied to. Myself, and others, were told that this plan would never change, as long as we were an active customer, and now you are increasing our plan by $10 per month, equating to a 25% increase over 90 days, basically forcing us to leave your company, or pay $10 more per month "for the same service" as you say. This is downright bad business practice.

Please contact me directly to address this matter, whether it be by phone, or private message.

- Thanks

Tallguy11 · ‎02-16-2018

@Michael6wrote:
Public mobile should just be shut down.

I'm pretty sure thats what telus is trying to do with this stunt... was the plan from the begining when they bought public mobile!

rvalen · ‎02-16-2018

Hello Public Mobile,

This is a message for a Public Mobile moderator or representative. In order to comply with the requirements for submitting a complaint to CCTS. I am advising you that I would like to keep my current plan with 12GB / 90 days at $120 minus my rewards that I have had since the Fall 2016 Promo.

Per your own promotional material and answers to customers:

"If you have signed up for the promotional plan, you will be able to keep it after the promo period, as long as you are an active customer. This means that, as long as you are an active customer on this plan, your plan price will remain at $120, even after your initial 90 days. No surprises". Link to website to this quote: https://productioncommunity.publicmobil ... td-p/77350

Please contact me directly to discuss the matter further. If you do not respond within a 24 hr time frame I will assume that you reject all communication on this topic.

Thank you,
Rene

sbreakin · ‎02-16-2018

Yes, i suspect that a price increase would come at some point.

For me, it's the rather large increase $40 to $50 (less the credits for each) and so soon after joining.

In fact, I only just got my first 1-year loyalty credit of $1/mo (or $3 for my plan). That $10 increase after one year is more than the maximum 5 years of loyalty credits.

At the risk of giving Telus ideas, I would point out that the Koodo pre-paid plans that I was on before I came to PM are still the same price and they just had a double your add-on special. The postpaid plans seem to change very often for new sign-ups but in the past, I've had plans that went month to month and didn't change for ages (well except Rogers removing credits - I had a $35 plan for many many years).

Community

$40/4GB Plan - getting $10/month price INCREASE!