Customer Complaint.

[dwseabrook]

I have been with Public Mobile for over a year and had set up auto pay with ZERO/NEVER missed payments. My card on-file was compromised sometime in the last few days therefore I am assuming the payment did not go through. This morning I receive a txt by Public mobile that my phone had been deactivated. NO NOTICE NO CALL NO NOTHING. You deactivated my phone and then gave me notice. I couldn't call you at @611 because my phone was deaactivated and I couldnt use my internet because to get into the mobile app because the phone was deactivated. I then went to a library to try and log on to the site and couldn't get in because it said my account was deactivated. I then walked to a shoppers drug mart and bought 2 public mobile gift cards and walked to a public phone because my phone was deactivated and called *611 to use the gift cards to reactivate my service. I am generally not a complainer and stuff happens BUT this was to much. Never missed a payment and you deactivate my phone without any notice. This all took over 4 hours. I tried everything. I am on the verge of cancelling my account. In the meantime I missed several calls for  work and a lot of response needed email because my phone was deactivated. What are you prepared to do about it ???????????????? Your system in my opinion is very flawed !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. 

Seriously

[chukdefatey]

@dwseabrook  

I think you are not Familiar with Prepaid Service. When you are on a Prepaid Service you 'PAY BEFORE' you use the service. This is goes for almost all Prepaid Provider around the world and it's like this for all Canadian & US Prepaid Service providers. With Prepaid Service they have no idea to who you are regardless to how long you have been on Auto Pay or Paying Manually. Like I said this is just how Prepaid Service works.

Also when you don't pay on time your service isn't cancelled, it's just suspended till you pay again. The reason is again this is a Prepaid Service, so when you don't pay you have no service.

Another thing what you bought is called a Prepaid Voucher or Prepaid Top up card or Pay as you go card and some people call it 'Minutes'. Gift is totally different 

[darlicious]

@dwseabrook 

Thanks for clearing that up I just wanted to make sure you had been able to reactivate your service. Its unfortunate that your credit card registered for autopay had been compromised but at that point it was up to you to ensure that you made other arrangements to pay for your pm service as you have to do with any other service you have set up for automatic bill payments with the compromised card.

If those services are post paid and paid up to date then the payment will fail and you will be charged a late payment fee and charged interest around 30% until such time that you change your card on file and arrange payment. With prepaid services and pm in particular you get a reminder text a few days before renewal to top up your account or if on autopay to not worry about it except in your case this case was the reminder that should have triggered you to sit up and say "Oh shoot I better change my credit card or make a manual payment perhaps by voucher to ensure my plan renews without interruption!"

Like all other merchants who accept credit cards for payment until a payment request is sent to the credit card issuer for approval the merchant has no idea whether it will be approved or not. Once rejected a merchant with an employee standing next you can ask you for another method of payment an automated system cannot. If you have a pre-authorized card on file with a merchant they may try several times to charge the card on file. Public Mobile's payment system is not pre-authorized it will only attempt a one time payment. Even if it was it would have made no difference because your card on file was compromised and cancelled.

At this point the automated system did what it was programmed to do it sent you a text telling you your payment did not go thru and your service has been suspended (or suspended immediately after sending you the text.) To clarify it was not deactivated as that in pm terms means after 90 days without paid service your account is cancelled and deactivated....as in unrecoverable.

Unlike most prepaid providers pm does give you about 6 hours after payment is due to make a payment and avoid service suspension. It also gives you service during that extra time rather than cutting you off right at midnight. More than what is required by the WCC and more than most prepaid providers who require early payment, minimum balance requirements and charge expensive overage fees if service is provided for a short time after a late payment or a failed payment.

If you want to avoid service disruption in the future make a note of the expiry date of your credit card to ensure you update your card info before it expires. And do what many customers do to ensure continuous service....make a manual payment after you get the reminder text. Your plan amount gets taken from your available funds in your account balance, you still earn the $2 autopay award and you won't miss any important calls or texts and sleep easy on renewal night.

[Anonymous]

 @popping : OP has reported it's all working now. Seems it was more of a complaint that the services stop.

[popping]

@dwseabrook 

I think there is a confusion on the wording...  Don't assume that your account was deactivated yet.  We need to know what exactly happened.

1.  Please post the content of the text message you received this morning?

2.  Can you login to your self-serve account at the library?

If yes and your account status is expired or suspended, your renewal did not went through.

If no, what is the message you got from PM server?

[hTideGnow]

@dwseabrook   Just want to confirm you have the service now with the same number, right?  If that is the case, You service was in fact suspended and no cancelled.   

 PM is prepaid, you add fund before the due date to avoid service interruption.   Usually Autopay will take care of this.   Because your credit card was compromised, then Autopay failed and your service was suspended.

Unlike postpaid service, prepaid service won't let you continue to use the service without payment in the beginning of the cycle.  It is a bit trouble.  But the good thing is that you pay what you need, no surprise billing and not ridiculous interest rate.  Postpaid service will let you continue using the service, charge you high interest, and at some point will send your file to collecting agency.  

Your situation is just unfortunate because of the credit card issue.

[Anonymous]

 @dwseabrook : Wait...are you saying it's been over 4 months since you last paid? If not...

Yes, you're right, customers aren't warned that they're now suspended other than after the fact. You should have got the "heads up" text that your plan was expiring shortly. Like 2 days ago. At that time you could have updated your card.

You should be able to call 611 from the phone with the PM SIM in it. That might be an assumption you made that you thought you couldn't.

The only way your account would be deactivated for login is if you haven't paid for 4 months. You would have received texts at that time too. Otherwise maybe you were locked out for wrong credentials.

You can't call 611 from just any phone to get in to your account. You _can_ call 18554public though. But you can dial 611 using the phone with the PM SIM in it while under suspension.

Edit: This is a prepaid service. If you don't pay, you don't get service. Think of it as a revolving 30 day contract. You agree to pay, they agree to provide you service. No pay, no get.

[dwseabrook]

No, as per my community complaint as per Simons instructions. I purchased a public gift card and reactivated my phone at *611. My phone now has service

[dwseabrook]

Outside source, resulted in cancelled card resulting in non payment. My point is if you had called text emailed prior to deactivating account I could have taken action. Public mobile deactivated and then told me. On top of that my track record for payment was flawless. Yet you chose to deactivate and then left me basically useless

[darlicious]

@dwseabrook 

From the sounds of it you have reactivated your service? You said your card was compromised. Do you mean from an outside source or do you mean you are assuming this because your autopay failed?

Edit:

I have reread your post....maybe you are still without service?

[Anonymous]

@dwseabrook 

very important to do, i suggest you close all Browser and do clear cache and cookies for any Browser,

and try it for a different Browser and open incognito mode,

how to open Browser incognito mode visit Here link,

how to clear cache and cookies and History visit Here link,

and use a Browser from your computer,is better

use Browser microsoft edge or chrome latest version
and just make sure your Browser is up to date update
sometime is the Browser is not update is give a issue.

how to update your Browser visit Here link, 

and Restart your computer, is will help a lot,

and if you use a home internet please do one thing take your power internet off for about

a 1 minute and put it back on,to refreshing your network,

and go sign in to Self-Serve, to review your account,

1. Click on Payment

2. Make a Payment

3. one Time Payment 

4. you will see your Amount Due:$ !

5. Payment Type: selected other ( Enter the desired payment amount )

6. how much you see at Amount Due:$ ! you will do manually enter Amount: $ ! + $1 extra

7. Tax: will collect automatically,

8. Click ‘Submit’,

9. after payment gone through, you have to do Rebooting your phone

what is mean for Rebooting the phone means to turn off your phone and turn it back on again.

10. and how much you pay the extra is will going to your account Available funds:$ ! has the amount left,

and for next bill cycle the will take it from there automatically,

and if still not fix it follow this,

1. Add Funds to your Plan Amount through Self Serve  
2. Go to “Plan and Add-Ons” TAB
3. Select "Lost/Stolen Phone" TAB
4. Select "Suspend Service" BUTTON
5. Then, Select Resume/Reactivate Service
6. Reboot your phone.

7. what is mean for Rebooting the phone means to turn off your phone about 2 minutes and turn it back on.

and if still not fix it please you Have to Contact Customer Support Agent by CS_Agent ,

Explain your issue they can solve your issue, they are nice service Team the will help you 100%.

Here’s how to contact Customer Support Agent by CS_Agent,

• you can send a private message to Customer Service by CS_Agent, by Click Here link. 
• You’ll need to be logged in to your Community account for the link to work.

• please include in your message,
  
• your account number, 
  
• your phone number,
• your account 4 digit pin,
• your Email address,

• Customer Support Agent by CS_Agent, will Response to your inbox by private message 
  Check your private message inbox (click on the envelope top right of your screen)

         Good Luck

[esjliv]

@dwseabrook 

If your renewal was not due today, try one or more of the below:

*turn off your phone, leave off for a minutes, then reboot                                                            

*removing your SIM for a few minutes, then reinserting it

*go into airplane mode for a few minutes, then going back to regular mode

*reset network settings

*Is your phone locked? Contact your previous provider to unlock it for you. You will need your imei number, dial *#06# to get it.

*Check if your phone is blacklisted here: https://www.devicecheck.ca/check-status-device-canada/

[esjliv]

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@dwseabrook wrote:

I have been with Public Mobile for over a year and had set up auto pay with ZERO/NEVER missed payments. My card on-file was compromised sometime in the last few days therefore I am assuming the payment did not go through. This morning I receive a txt by Public mobile that my phone had been deactivated. NO NOTICE NO CALL NO NOTHING. You deactivated my phone and then gave me notice. I couldn't call you at @611 because my phone was deaactivated and I couldnt use my internet because to get into the mobile app because the phone was deactivated. I then went to a library to try and log on to the site and couldn't get in because it said my account was deactivated. I then walked to a shoppers drug mart and bought 2 public mobile gift cards and walked to a public phone because my phone was deactivated and called *611 to use the gift cards to reactivate my service. I am generally not a complainer and stuff happens BUT this was to much. Never missed a payment and you deactivate my phone without any notice. This all took over 4 hours. I tried everything. I am on the verge of cancelling my account. In the meantime I missed several calls for  work and a lot of response needed email because my phone was deactivated. What are you prepared to do about it ???????????????? Your system in my opinion is very flawed !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. 

Seriously

---

@dwseabrook 

Was your renewal due today? If so, and you have no services, than is sounds like an Autopay failure.

1. Add Funds to your Plan Amount through SELF SERVE (or by calling 611 if you have a card registered)
2. Go to “Plan and Add-Ons” TAB
3. Select "Lost/Stolen Phone" TAB
4. Select "Suspend Service" BUTTON
5. Then, Select Resume/Reactivate Service
6. Reboot your phone.

If this was an Autopay failure, I would let the Customer Support Agents (CSA) know.

And, also ensure all rewards were or will be provided to you.

Methods to contact the Customer Support Agents (CSA): https://www.publicmobile.ca/en/bc/get-help/articles/contact-a-moderator