Community

epsteinsbody · ‎03-15-2021

Just went through an hour of time simply trying to change a sim card (they had that feature before, it was simple, and worked..), and eventually I got to this stage:

So.. you have to wait 48 hours to change a sim card? Are you kidding? Good thing I don't have any lives or people depending on a working phone.

I know this is a cheap service, but this is just ridiculous bureaucratic nonsense.

RosieR · ‎03-17-2021

@epsteinsbody wrote:
So.. Andu says now that I must either go to London Drugs to verify, or I need to provide the expiry date of the last.credit card (even though it is a prepaid vanilla card, and I don't keep them), or BOTH.

No bloody way I am changing my number. I've had this number for years. I am job hunting. It's on all of my resumes.

Please someone help me. I don't know what to do...

@epsteinsbody sorry you are having this problem. @Andu_S is one of PM very helpful and knowledgeable moderators. If you can't give him the information required then it is doubtful other moderators could help you.

I have read that other members are also using (even recommend) vanilla cards. Well good for them as long as there are no problems, like in your case.

I don't know if London Drugs can help you verify your account, but that is your only option left so you could keep your number.

Best of luck

RosieR

HALIMACS · ‎03-17-2021

OK, @epsteinsbody , here's what I would do:

If you feel completely dismissed and unable to provide the necessary verification and YOU ARE the customer of record for the said service/account, request to escalate your concern to a senior member of the Moderator team.

If that doesn't work, reach out to any current users online with the PM designation behind their username - they are not Moderators, but PM staff. You'll see that on the Community homepage if you scroll down a bit to the Users Online - click on that to get user info. [perhaps the Oracles might have something to add or can tag the appropriate PM staffer]

If you're legitimately an existing customer who really has a service they're unable to use because of what should be a simple SIM change process being made untenable, they have some serious making up to do.

If you're not, well then, it is what it is.

Anonymous · ‎03-17-2021

It's odd that we can't see our payment card details and/or edit them ... but did you use that card anywhere else that _does_ show the details? The self-serve does show some of the digits. If you can find that same card elsewhere that shows the details then maybe that would help.

Edit: even maybe a receipt

epsteinsbody · ‎03-17-2021

So.. Andu says now that I must either go to London Drugs to verify, or I need to provide the expiry date of the last.credit card (even though it is a prepaid vanilla card, and I don't keep them), or BOTH.

No bloody way I am changing my number. I've had this number for years. I am job hunting. It's on all of my resumes.

Please someone help me. I don't know what to do...

Anonymous · ‎03-17-2021

We did hear yesterday about somebody that went to a store (London Drugs) and the store called their number that they use for activations and got support for the customer. So it's not entirely impossible.

But I think now, for the OP, their account has been flagged. I'm not sure a different moderator would do or say anything different. But stranger things happen.

I'm still completely puzzled as to why all the id verification has failed all this time.

And particularly, why the OP was even trying to change their SIM when they didn't have a SIM on hand at the time. Or so I gather from this astounding story.

HALIMACS · ‎03-17-2021

@computergeek541

OP already said earlier had already spent "at least $50" on this.

That likely exceeds anything lost from remaining cycle, however, good additional consideration to weigh.

computergeek541 · ‎03-17-2021

@HALIMACS wrote:
I got to give it to you, @epsteinsbody , for sticking with this. Can't wait to hear the eventual outcome (if we ever will...) as to why PM was unwilling to fulfil this request.

Unless you're attached to the prior number, have a lot of referrals and/or loyalty rewards or a significant available balance left or lots of data/international minute freebies remaining on the subject account, if you have a Public Mobile SIM card and a compatible device, why not just abandon the old account and create a new account?

Just leave the old account in lost/stolen mode, and it'll eventually deactivate.

We also don't know how much time is remaining in ther plan that has already been paid for the account is in the middle of a billing cycle, so even if the customer doens't mind changing the phone number, there could also be money lost because of that factor.

HALIMACS · ‎03-17-2021

I got to give it to you, @epsteinsbody , for sticking with this. Can't wait to hear the eventual outcome (if we ever will...) as to why PM was unwilling to fulfil this request.

Unless you're attached to the prior number, have a lot of referrals and/or loyalty rewards or a significant available balance left or lots of data/international minute freebies remaining on the subject account, if you have a Public Mobile SIM card and a compatible device, why not just abandon the old account and create a new account?

Just leave the old account in lost/stolen mode, and it'll eventually deactivate.

darlicious · ‎03-17-2021

@epsteinsbody

Did you recieve that last message from Lexie? ( Who is obviously new!) or Andu who is not new? Reply with as much info as you can from the following list which what I advise customers to supply when verifying through private message only.....

Contact the moderators by sending a private message and leave a detailed message explaining your issue and the info to verify your account by including the following information:

Full name and address on account.
Email, phone # and pin #.

If you cannot remember your pin # include at least three of the following:

Date of birth
Last payment, date, amount, type and last 4 digits.
Alternate phone number if any.
Security question and answer.
Plan amount, any add ons or promos on account.
Last 4 digits of sim card.
Any rewards in your account.
Autopay y/n?

Answer all 8 questions if you can then have access to your daily usage available to you so you can further verify by listing specific calls or texts to/from certain numbers.

I realize this is frustrating as all get out.....but lets try to get you over this hurdle and as a community we will question the logic behind this once we get your service restored. We're on your side and you're a perfect example of how it can all go wrong......by eliminating access to change your sim card.

computergeek541 · ‎03-17-2021

@epsteinsbody wrote:
Guess I'll have to wait until tomorrow since they're not replying, and I assume he's the only moderator.

Thanks for your help. Not sure why users on the forum know more than the people paid to do this.

I do believe that it's possible that moderators are refusing this request possibly becuase not enough information is being provided to them to allow to them to to pefrom the procedure. Howevver, physically going to the store to show ID won't accomplish anything since anyone who access to the online Public Mobile account could simply change the name. The name provided duing activation was also never verified in the first place. Also, as store employees do have access to Public Mobile customer accounts, they wouldn't even be able to put a note on your accoutn that they saw identification, regardless.

Reply to the the Moderator_Team private mesage (don't post the infromation here) with information such as your name, birthday, addresss, phone number, account number, the original plan that you actrivated on, your accont activation date, the phone number that you call most often, and information about your last payment.

epsteinsbody · ‎03-17-2021

Guess I'll have to wait until tomorrow since they're not replying, and I assume he's the only moderator.

Thanks for your help. Not sure why users on the forum know more than the people paid to do this.

computergeek541 · ‎03-17-2021

@epsteinsbody wrote:
Okay, but I've already spent all day verifying, and I completed the verification.

What do I do if the moderator refuses to help me until I go to a store, even if this is the wrong information?

There's nothing you can do other than to keep trying with a diffrerent moderator. The current procedure is to have the moderaotr preform the swap. That bieng said, you do need to provide enough information about your account to the moderator for them to be able to do it.

epsteinsbody · ‎03-17-2021

Okay, but I've already spent all day verifying, and I completed the verification.

What do I do if the moderator refuses to help me until I go to a store, even if this is the wrong information?

computergeek541 · ‎03-17-2021

@epsteinsbody wrote:
I've already verified with Lexie, to which I told the moderator. This is the response:

"
Hi again!

I'm deeply sorry, we are here to help you but, before we can do that, we need to make sure you’re the account owner. We do this to keep your personal information safe and ensure we’re only making account changes on your behalf.

We've even updated our sim swap procedure in order to protect your account from any unauthorized sim swap and you can check the article by going here!

"NOTE: Do not reply to this email address: community-notifications@publicmobile.ca. Please log into the Community and reply via Private Message".

Andu

I'm incredibly frustrated, and don't know what to do at this point. Going back to the city into the store is an incredible hassle. I really don't get how all of this is even possible...

After enough information is provided to the moderators to prove that hte account is yours, it is the moderator that needs to peform the SIM card swap, the same as if a self serve e-mail address change was being done.

epsteinsbody · ‎03-17-2021

I've already verified with Lexie, to which I told the moderator. This is the response:

"

Hi again!

I'm deeply sorry, we are here to help you but, before we can do that, we need to make sure you’re the account owner. We do this to keep your personal information safe and ensure we’re only making account changes on your behalf.

We've even updated our sim swap procedure in order to protect your account from any unauthorized sim swap and you can check the article by going here!

"NOTE: Do not reply to this email address: community-notifications@publicmobile.ca. Please log into the Community and reply via Private Message".

Andu

I'm incredibly frustrated, and don't know what to do at this point. Going back to the city into the store is an incredible hassle. I really don't get how all of this is even possible...

darlicious · ‎03-17-2021

@epsteinsbody

Yes @computergeek541 is completely right. Don't take no for an answer and always seek a second opinion. New accounts don't even ask for your address or birth date upon activation. Submit a new ticket and hopefully Andu will answer your request if he sees you online now and common sense will prevail.....

computergeek541 · ‎03-17-2021

@epsteinsbody wrote:
No worries. So, I just wanted to update everyone on what happened.

Well, after verifying through submission forms and through customer service, I then headed to the city.. I then get home and sent the customer service representative the new sim card, and guess what they say?

'I'm deeply sorry, but you will have to go to a Public Mobile store and validate your ID and after that we'll do our best to help you activate the _________ sim card number!
'
I'm now on day 3... simply trying to do a sim card swap. I've probably spent atleast 50 dollars just trying to get this done. A process that used to take five seconds.

~~Open another ticket Unfortunately, you have been given incorrect information Stores cannot verify ID, nor do they provide any customer servcie to existing customers.~~

epsteinsbody · ‎03-17-2021

No worries. So, I just wanted to update everyone on what happened.

Well, after verifying through submission forms and through customer service, I then headed to the city.. I then get home and sent the customer service representative the new sim card, and guess what they say?

'I'm deeply sorry, but you will have to go to a Public Mobile store and validate your ID and after that we'll do our best to help you activate the _________ sim card number!

'
I'm now on day 3... simply trying to do a sim card swap. I've probably spent atleast 50 dollars just trying to get this done. A process that used to take five seconds.

darlicious · ‎03-16-2021

@epsteinsbody

You did put your service in lost/stolen mode? Thank you for giving us the run down on the verifying process for changing your sim card. Looks like its going to a major pain in the hip the next time the bf loses his phone. I'll report back in the next few weeks.

Anonymous · ‎03-16-2021

@epsteinsbody : Phew! At last. But I had assumed you had a SIM card. Otherwise why were you wanting to change it? Change it to what?

epsteinsbody · ‎03-16-2021

They eventually did verify me. They 'found' the phone number. Now I just have to go into the city to get a new sim card

epsteinsbody · ‎03-16-2021

Yep. Entering the information on the receipt they gave me to renew my contract, since they don't allow you to use the computer, and won't do it for you because of privacy.

HALIMACS · ‎03-16-2021

@epsteinsbody wrote:
I went to the store to renew my plan. Since the store didn't have wifi, and my phone wasn't activated, I sat on a sidewalk by Subway to enter the information. I must have dropped my phone by accident, and someone stolen it. So yeah, I lost my phone.

Lemme get this straight, @epsteinsbody

You went to the store to renew your plan. You were sitting on a sidewalk to enter the information (do you mean enter information on the phone that you lost shortly afterwards?). Then you dropped your phone and someone stole it.

That's quite a series of unfortunate events.

Something with this whole situation doesn't add up - it is very curious why Public Mobile moderators are incapable of properly verifying you.

epsteinsbody · ‎03-16-2021

That's why I'm complaining. Whenever you modify a system too heavily, you will face problems. The system before may have had problems, but trying to fix those problems, seems to have only created more problems, for something that was kind of working. Anyways, I've literally written a dissertation on here. Have a nice day.

Anonymous · ‎03-16-2021

@epsteinsbody : Oh yes...I read your prior thread. Sorry. So you got a phone, got a SIM and ran up against the recent removal of the change SIM function. Sucks. I wonder if whoever picked up your phone maybe got in to your account and changed things and therefore you can't verify the information properly...or something. But then you can log in. I dunno. What a giant hassle this sim-jacking problem has caused you. Wow.

LurganIeUk · ‎03-16-2021

Can you just start a new plan with new sim? Where are you located approximately.

Have you called your phone?

epsteinsbody · ‎03-16-2021

I went to the store to renew my plan. Since the store didn't have wifi, and my phone wasn't activated, I sat on a sidewalk by Subway to enter the information. I must have dropped my phone by accident, and someone stolen it. So yeah, I lost my phone.

Anonymous · ‎03-16-2021

No you can not use a Telus SIM.

So like what the heck started all this anyway? Do you think you were sim-jacked? Did your services become suspended for lack of payment? Had you got a new PM SIM? What's the back story here?

epsteinsbody · ‎03-16-2021

The employees shouldn't be responsible for a bad system. Anyways.. my old public mobile sim card won't work. Anyone know if I can use a telus sim card, or do I have to travel into the city to a store?

Anonymous · ‎03-16-2021

@epsteinsbody : Wow. I can only guess you haven't answered the questions properly. Did you put in fake information anywhere? Perfectly fine to do so. But if you need to verify the account, you need spit the fake info back at them. Ok not spit 🙂

Community

Absolutely insane bureaucracy. I can't just change my SIM card?