$50 8GB Plan Question

[stefanthehuman]

If I sign up on this plan can I keep it for as long as I want or can PM change the rate or data amount whenever they please since there is no contract involved?

[stonechucker]

Telus can announce any change to the terms & conditions today, and in less than 30 days, those new T&Cs will be effective.  The announcement is the notice.  Announcements are public in nature.

By way of Public Mobile,  the Announcements forum is generally the place it happens.  PM does not send monthly billing statements, which for most 'renewing' services is where you would normally see such information.  Along with things like the notice about the CCTS complaints information, PM has to advise you, so it's done by SMS, because there is no 'bill'.

[Anonymous]

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@ShawnC13 wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@ShawnC13 wrote:
If they are changing a plan that is no longer offered on the plan page that is when they need to notify you. 

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That is a subtle distinction I can understand but where is that written?

Edit: @stonechucker: right...older plans with old T&C. Agreed.

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@Anonymous, it doesn't say it in writing but if the plan is no longer offered on the current plan page and that is where they post changes how else can they get it out to the customers 30 days prior to the change?

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This is getting twisty for my feeble brain 🙂 and there seem to be a couple subtle avenues being mentioned.

We sign up for a plan for a term. We agree to those T&C's. The term expires. We decide to continue on and renew (either by autopay or top up). We've just agreed to any new and altered T&C's. (This would be a question for lawyers) The wrinkle here is that we can keep the plan we were last on even though it may no longer be available.

So now...PM decides to change the plan/price of one of their offerings. Even though you are on a plan that is still being offered, you will be affected on your next renewal if you renew on it. It's beholden upon the customer to be aware of this change seeing as how it's a term-to-term "contract". To renew to a changed plan of either price or services offered.

The other wrinkle here is if PM wants to get you out of your no-longer-available plan or change it. ie. Fall 2016. Another question for lawyers.

That's how I interpret things. Nowhere does it say that PM will notify anybody personally. Just generally on the plans page. The wrinkle that I acknowledge is for plans that are no longer available.

[srlawren]

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@stefanthehuman wrote:
So if I sign up and it changes my next cycle could be a different price?

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Yes like any provider. But like I said, I haven't seen it happen yet.

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@Anonymous technically, this has happened.  It's probably before you signed up so I'm not surprised you're not familiar with it. There are a number of customers that got on their plans prior to Jan 2015 and are considered "Legacy" or "Pioneer" customers.  Some may have migrated to other newer plans over the years but many are still grandfathered on their original legacy plans.  However, PM did increase prices on some/all (not sure which) of those plans over the years.  PM justified the increases becuae these legacy customers still have access to phone-based support (talking to a human via 611), and the cost of operating that call centre was rising.  Or something like that. 

So, while it's rare, and we haven't yet seen it on any of hte newer "pick-and-pay" plans available from Jan 2015 onward, it *could* happen.  And you may or may not know/recall that PM actually tried to raise the rates on the Fall 2016 Promo plan (the one @stonechucker and many others are on--I was on it too before porting to Koodo this spring) early this year or late last year, but the community had an uprising and a flood of CCTS complaints were logged and PM eventually backed down and cancelled the price increase but didn't promise it was forever.  It was around that time they started being VERY careful with how they answer people asking if they get to keep the plan+price forever when asked, and that they revised the T&C's to make it clearer they could do this.  

[stonechucker]

@Anonymous, each time you renew your plan (any plan) you agree to the new terms and conditions.

When the $50 8 GB plan was first created, it had the Canada-Wide calling.  A couple days later, PM changed it to include US (with few exceptions) for the same price.  A perceived benefit for new subscribers.

If you as a subscriber on the now old $50 plan want US calling, you'll need to change, but Public Mobile isn't forcing you to.

[ShawnC13]

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@ShawnC13 wrote:
If they are changing a plan that is no longer offered on the plan page that is when they need to notify you. 

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That is a subtle distinction I can understand but where is that written?

Edit: @stonechucker: right...older plans with old T&C. Agreed.

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@Anonymous, it doesn't say it in writing but if the plan is no longer offered on the current plan page and that is where they post changes how else can they get it out to the customers 30 days prior to the change?

[Anonymous]

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@ShawnC13 wrote:
If they are changing a plan that is no longer offered on the plan page that is when they need to notify you. 

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That is a subtle distinction I can understand but where is that written?

Edit: @stonechucker: right...older plans with old T&C. Agreed.

[stonechucker]

@Anonymous, plans and prices change all the time here.  There are Legacy and Pioneers still on pre-Jan 2015 plans that have had price increases (twice or 3 times now), and they've been notified by SMS and/or Announcement forum postings.

Fall 2016 members were advised for sure in the community, for a $30 per 90-day cycle change, with an effective date more than 30 days out (essentially the at least 30 day notice period).  Backlash stopped the change.  We still have it if we continue to renew our plan.

In-Market plans (the plan builder, the ready-made plans also) come and go, and you keep them, as the Fall 2016 folks do, until you wish to change your plan, or port out.

There used to be a $90 or 90-day plan that a lot of folks kept for ages.  I'm sure there's still someone on it.  Some folks still have Canada-Wide texting (not international).  This is no longer offered.

[ShawnC13]

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@stonechucker wrote:

@ShawnC13, yes the can do that, BUT, if a plan is signed up for, and continues to renew (without 90-day suspension of service), the plan is still available to be renewed by the subscriber.

PM will notify by text *IF* the currently subscribed play will be changing affecting the customer in the next 30-days.

If a plan changes to benefit the customer, the customer *MUST* change to get that benefit themselves.  If the change 'costs' the customer in some way, the customer can then decide if they keep or change their current plan.

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@stonechucker, PM does not need to notify customers by text if the plan to change the price of a plan that is currently an in market plan.  If they are changing a plan that is no longer offered on the plan page that is when they need to notify you.  If you have a plan that PM changes the price mid cycle (30 day) your next renewal will be at your current price as it hasn't been posted for 30 days but the renewal after that you will need to decide if you still want that plan at the new price.

Can the terms of service change?

Yes, Public Mobile has the right to change any of the terms of service, including rates, without notice. Changes become effective thirty days after being posted at publicmobile.ca/ plans. By purchasing service after a change is posted, including by continuing to top up your account, you accept the current terms of service. You can cancel service at any time, without penalty or cancellation fees.

[Anonymous]

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@stonechucker wrote:

@stefanthehuman, I'm on the mentioned Fall 2016 plan.  It is no longer offered, and no longer available to new sub subscribers.  IF Public Mobile wishes to change "my plan" they must notify me via text (or announcement forum to all "Fall 2016 Promo" members with at least 30-days notice to make a change.  This gives me time to decide if I want to accept the change or change my plan (or provider).

Generally, you get to keep your plan as long as you are happy with it.  

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stonechucker: for your plan from back then perhaps the terms and conditions DID say that you would get a text/notification. But they make no mention of prior notification anywhere. Just that if you renewed on the plan they alter THEN you have agreed to it. This makes it rather awkward for set-and-forget autopay folks but those are the terms as I interpret them. It seems to me to be a basic month-to-month contract.

I guess we need a plan/price change to happen and to see what if anything people get for notifications.

[stonechucker · Accepted solution]

@stefanthehuman, I'm on the mentioned Fall 2016 plan.  It is no longer offered, and no longer available to new sub subscribers.  IF Public Mobile wishes to change "my plan" they must notify me via text (or announcement forum to all "Fall 2016 Promo" members with at least 30-days notice to make a change.  This gives me time to decide if I want to accept the change or change my plan (or provider).

Generally, you get to keep your plan as long as you are happy with it.  

[stonechucker]

@ShawnC13, yes the can do that, BUT, if a plan is signed up for, and continues to renew (without 90-day suspension of service), the plan is still available to be renewed by the subscriber.

PM will notify by text *IF* the currently subscribed play will be changing affecting the customer in the next 30-days.

If a plan changes to benefit the customer, the customer *MUST* change to get that benefit themselves.  If the change 'costs' the customer in some way, the customer can then decide if they keep or change their current plan.

[Anonymous]

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@stefanthehuman wrote:
So if I sign up and it changes my next cycle could be a different price?

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Yes like any provider. But like I said, I haven't seen it happen yet.

[stefanthehuman]

So if I sign up and it changes my next cycle could be a different price?

[Anonymous]

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@stefanthehuman wrote:

If I sign up on this plan can I keep it for as long as I want or can PM change the rate or data amount whenever they please since there is no contract involved?

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They can change it whenever they please. Pretty much like any business. You will see the plan change at your time of renewal...not mid-term. I haven't heard about these changes since I've been here but there was a brouhaha about the famed Fall 2016 plan when they tried to change it.

[ShawnC13]

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@stefanthehuman wrote:

If I sign up on this plan can I keep it for as long as I want or can PM change the rate or data amount whenever they please since there is no contract involved?

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Just like any cellular provider PM can change the Price or plan with posting the changes on the Plan page.  After 30 days of it being posted there the changes take effect.