Can't incrementally upgrade my plan without full charge

[cpdohert]

So when I signed up to my custom plan the form screwed up and did not include any talk options -_- and I only noticed now that I can't make and receive calls.  I want to add in talk but I can't adjust my custom plan because if I add talk to my 90 day plan it wants to charge me the full 90-day cost right now, a week after I alreayd paid for the next 90 days.  Because apparently the form's too dumb to do a simple delta calculation.

I can't be without talk for 90 days until the plan re-bills.  How do I fix this?

[smp99]

Since you have a 90 day plan you would gone into the Build my Plan section. This is pretty straight forward. Text/talk/data columns make your selection. 

But I do agree with your argument that you should not be able to purchase a talk add-on if you do not have a talk enabled plan. 

[pamiro]

So is someone forcing you to use PM?  If not and you don't like the way it works, then simply don't use it. There...I figured that out for you. You're welcome.

[cpdohert]

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@Psygineer wrote:

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It's an easy to use tool.

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No, it really, really isn't.  Changing options on the custom plan offscreen in response to user input is a massive UX fail, as is allowing a customer to purchase invalid add-ons.  And not allowing a customer to upgrade their plan without double-billing them is quite possibly fraud.  Seriously, go ahead and justify that one:  "Oh, you'd like to add more data to your plan?  We'll just charge you for all the things we already charged you for again."

Stop trying to defend the indefensible.  Every other web store in existence gets this right. I don't expect a bargain basement carrier to provide white glove service;  I do expect them to learn from obvious mistakes.

[pamiro]

Is it possible to give more 'bravos' to this reply?  perfect!

[Psygineer]

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@cpdohert wrote:

 Guess I'm off to bitch out the moderators...

@cpdohert wrote:

So far I'm not impressed with Public Mobile.

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So you made a mistake and are not impressed that the service gave you exactly what you ordered (Your custom plan)? Now you plan to "bitch" at the only people who could fix it? Keep in mind it is a prepaid service. They owe you nothing more than your plan as you picked it. You selected what you got, you paid for it and they gave you what you asked for. They did not force you to make a mistake. It's an easy to use tool. Be nice, explain what happened and they may as a good will gesture fix it, but they are under no obligation to do so.

[XionBunny]

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@cpdohert wrote:

I work in the as-a-service space myself, and "no live customer support" only works if your self-service tools are bulletproof and have excellent UX.  Among other things, that means not resetting *all* options back to default when *one* option gets changed (which is how talk got dropped from my plan), designing your UI for all common browser resolutions (having to scroll back and forth between the monthly cost and the options was why I didn't notice talk had been dropped) and putting some basic logic in your webstore (buying an add-on that can't be used should at the very least pop up a "hey, you can't use this add-on without talk on your plan.  Are you sure you want to buy this? Yes/No" prompt).

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It is what it is sadly, but for the price In the long run I don't complain at their parent companies lazyness, for all we know that may change after the up coming maintenance in a couple days though.

[cpdohert]

I work in the as-a-service space myself, and "no live customer support" only works if your self-service tools are bulletproof and have excellent UX.  Among other things, that means not resetting *all* options back to default when *one* option gets changed (which is how talk got dropped from my plan), designing your UI for all common browser resolutions (having to scroll back and forth between the monthly cost and the options was why I didn't notice talk had been dropped) and putting some basic logic in your webstore (buying an add-on that can't be used should at the very least pop up a "hey, you can't use this add-on without talk on your plan.  Are you sure you want to buy this? Yes/No" prompt).

[Anonymous]

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@cpdohert wrote:

That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard, especially since there is no "add talk to a plan that doesn't have it" add-on option.

So far I'm not impressed with Public Mobile.

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Yup. Some people do have some startup difficulties. Once you get going then you'll see that you can save some money and even get some rewards to lower the bill even more.

[cpdohert]

That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard, especially since there is no "add talk to a plan that doesn't have it" add-on option.

So far I'm not impressed with Public Mobile.

[wetcoaster]

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@cpdohert wrote:

So I bought a 500 minute Canada-wide long distance add-on, and my account says it's active, and I *still* don't have talk service.  Any time I try to make a phone call I get the pre-recorded "Hi, this is public mobile and you don't have talk on your plan" message.  Guess I'm off to bitch out the moderators...

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Talk add-ons need talk as part of a base plan.

As pointed out above, only moderators can help you do an immediate plan change without paying for the full price. I suggest that you do not "bitch" at them, it could backfire. 

You could use a VoIP service to tide you over?

[geopublic]

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@cpdohert wrote:

So I bought a 500 minute Canada-wide long distance add-on, and my account says it's active, and I *still* don't have talk service.  Any time I try to make a phone call I get the pre-recorded "Hi, this is public mobile and you don't have talk on your plan" message.  Guess I'm off to bitch out the moderators...

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@cpdohert  Unfortunately that won't work because you need to have an active talk plan in order to use a talk add-on.

[cpdohert]

So I bought a 500 minute Canada-wide long distance add-on, and my account says it's active, and I *still* don't have talk service.  Any time I try to make a phone call I get the pre-recorded "Hi, this is public mobile and you don't have talk on your plan" message.  Guess I'm off to bitch out the moderators...

[geopublic · Accepted solution]

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@cpdohert wrote:

So when I signed up to my custom plan the form screwed up and did not include any talk options -_- and I only noticed now that I can't make and receive calls.  I want to add in talk but I can't adjust my custom plan because if I add talk to my 90 day plan it wants to charge me the full 90-day cost right now, a week after I alreayd paid for the next 90 days.  Because apparently the form's too dumb to do a simple delta calculation.

I can't be without talk for 90 days until the plan re-bills.  How do I fix this?

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@cpdohert  Your only option is to contact PM and ask them to make a change for your. To contact Public Mobile click here. The link  sends you to the private message function and adds the moderator team as recipient for a private message. You just have to enter a title and text in the body of the message describing the problem and post. The message will be received by the moderator team and they will respond to it. You will receive the response in your private message inbox.

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