Data usage notification alert for extra add-on data

[audrar]

This month I reached my data limit early (shocked as this has never happed before). Leading up to my data limit, I did receive a text saying I was at my 75% limit and again at the 90% mark.  All of this was as it normally has been for me and like for everyone as indicated on this feed (https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Knowledge-Base/Managing-your-data-usage/ta-p/152760).

I was tracking my data very closely until I was at the 100% mark and then decided to purchase an add-on of 1GB of data. And this is where the issue is...

This showed up in my account under the add-ons, but should I not receive notifications when I was at the 75% and 90% mark on that data usage as well? Because I didn't and all of a sudden I didn't have access to internet. No warning or anything, and I was actively using wifi and trying not to use up that 1GB, and yet it disappeared in just over a week and I am not able to see where my usage was....

The other issue I noticed that on my account, for the data usage section where it normally shows you how much data you had used, the data disappears if you used it all up?!?! I had never noticed that before. So when I had used up that extra 1GB of data, when I logged in, I couldn't see it anymore to see that it was used up. It showed NOTHING under the data & add-ons section.

Any insight about this?

[CalgaryBen]

The way things work is very bizarre indeed!

I found that if you have a data add-on plus your alloted data "bucket" from your plan, the notifications don't quite happen predictably, and you're notified when you use certain percentages of the combined data.  I described a recent experience of that in this message.

However, after you've depleted your data allotment from your plan, it seem no more notifications are generated at all regarding the add-on  That is my recent experience.

One might expect notifications described in this thread, but that post doesn't provide a lot of details for various scenarios such as add-ons, etc.

It definitely seems like the logic is buggy and developers did not have all requirements or use-cases in front of them when this was developed.

Due to the lack of notifications, I log into my self-serve portal page frequently (in fact I have a shortcut from my phone's home screen) to keep an eye on data usage... that's ultimately what I'd recommend doing.

[lat34hat34]

You should always receive notifications when you're close to the end of your data. That, to me, sounds like a technical error on their part. What I would do for that, is call them and explain that you bought the add on but were never informed when your data was almost used up. Since PM is usually nice as pie, I'm sure they'll fix it so maybe you get your data free for the month to make up for their error.

As for the other issue, again that sounds like a glitch or maybe that's just how Public Mobile rolls (which isn't cool and why you should get the texts to help you keep track). Honestly, because Public is a very affordable company, they may make their website affordable, meaning that they probably do this to everyone. I could also be wrong and it's just something on their end. I would just call and ask them. I'm curious to know what they'll say.

[Anonymous]

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@audrar wrote:

 But why do you get notifications when you use purchased US data? I was in the states in August and purchased data add-on and received a notificaiton that I was 75% and 90% used up on that data. So why is that different from other add on data?

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Welcome to the inconsistencies and foibles of a low budget cell service. I didn't know about the US add-on notifications and so then I agree...why not? So this is all really yet another suggestion to Public Mobile to make this consistent.

Will they? Anytime soon? hmm. They can't seem to get a permanent fix on the password reset so I'm not holding my breath.

I'm personally fine with it just disappearing when done. But I agree that notifications would be nice.

[audrar]

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@kellykellz wrote:

I have purchased the data add-on a couple of times and have never received any notifications regarding how much has been used.  It just shuts off when it has been fully used.

If you log into your account you can check how much of your add-on you have used under this link: https://selfserve.publicmobile.ca/Overview/plan-and-Add-ons/Add-on-Usage/

I believe that is the only way to check at this point, since there are no reminders. 

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But why do you get notifications when you use purchased US data? I was in the states in August and purchased data add-on and received a notificaiton that I was 75% and 90% used up on that data. So why is that different from other add on data?

[audrar]

I get that my data is done when it's used up, but why is it not visible that it is done in that data section?

[kellykellz]

I have purchased the data add-on a couple of times and have never received any notifications regarding how much has been used.  It just shuts off when it has been fully used.

If you log into your account you can check how much of your add-on you have used under this link: https://selfserve.publicmobile.ca/Overview/plan-and-Add-ons/Add-on-Usage/

I believe that is the only way to check at this point, since there are no reminders. 

[Anonymous]

 @audrar:

Once you've consumed an add-on, they're done. They're gone. As you've found. It's normal behaviour.

I'll let others explain about the warnings. I'm curious about that myself.