Difficulty of Obtaining Receipts

[dj_ilon]

I don't want to be a disruptive individual but why is it so difficult to obtain receipts for payments?

I require my receipts for both, expenses and my personal records and I have to jump through a whole new set up of hoops everytime I request this and it is frustrating.  This time around, they asked for me ot remove my SIM card to give them the SIM card #; not only is it something I don't like doing (I have to remove my case, find a pin, read tiny grey writing) - I just find it absurd.

I'm going to go on a limb and even assume that it is required by law in Canada to provide a transaction receipt for my funds. 

I am happy to verify who I am but for these admins to keep asking different questions, at increased levels of irritability is bizarre to me.

[dj_ilon]

@ksee @mimmo my thread with the MOD team has 82 messages and dates back to 2017 😓

[kselmak]

Actually i searched through community and this is what's needed for the statement (not verification)

First name:

Last name:

Street address:

City:

Province:

Postal Code:

Customer phone number

Account #

Requested Period

[dj_ilon]

@kselmak it's not even an issue... just a recurring request for my receipt / invoice. 

[dj_ilon]

@mimmo they got rid of the 3mo plans, those were convenient.  I don't mind some hoops 4 times a year but on a monthly basis, is not worth it. 

[kselmak]

That is so strange. Usually if i provide sim, that's it, we can talk about the issue.

Now for the pdf they will need the name and address and period that the statement is for, but that's not for verification that is just got the statement itself.

[mimmo]

@dj_ilon  ticket requests through SIMon were supposed to deal with account verification .  So not sure what else to suggest. Other than paying 3 months at a time as you were before or asking for a yearly invoice.

[dj_ilon]

@HALIMACS I agree with you... I don't know why they can't just refer back to the threads! 

I've provided all answers in one shot but they often comeback with other 'trick questions' lol 

I have taken apart my case, removed my sim (wrote it down) and have no provided that to the MODs, let's see what happens now.

[dj_ilon]

@Dunkman an official receipt at time of payment with an HST # and the HST broken down is more than enough. 

PM isn't all that low cost really, I'm really considering switching given this ridiculousness. 

My current PM plan is $50 with 8.5GB on 3G with unlimited US and CAD talk 

VIRGIN has a 8gb, unlimited phone plan for $55 on 4G LTE

- what is missing is US calls, which is .65/min or $15 for an unlimited plan; but I rarely make US calls and there is WhatsApp, FaceTime Audio etc.  

- US roaming is $9 per day, with your existing plan, but it's cheaper to just buy a pay as you go US eSim if and when that will be needed
- FREE SIM CARD / capability of doing an eSim 
- one month free

This is a quick search just online; there's room to negotiate with providers and there's a lot of other low cost providers i can bring my 4PM lines to. 

[HALIMACS]

@dj_ilon 

Definitely one of the more frustrating aspects of dealing with Moderators is the shift changes, especially those that happen around a required timeframe for certain requests.

I've never quite understood why they are unable to reference prior trails for efficacy.

My recommendation is that on another reply, input all those items that were asked for into one reply and then surely the Mods will have sufficient verification to process your straightforward request.

[dj_ilon]

@mimmo  and i have provided all of that; and then they come back with further verification questions... and not in one shot, the questions just keep going 

[dj_ilon]

@kselmak 

One of the issues I was going to mention also is that there's something different every time and the messages keep going...

me: hi i would like the receipt for my most recent transaction on (date), here's my phone #, here's my address, etc...

mod: can you please use this 2FA authorization

me: done thank you

mod: can i have the 4th # you called on April 4th.. 

me: here you go

mod: can you provide your pin 

me: ok... what else now..

mod: some other question

me: here you go.. can i have the receipt now please?

new mod: what date are you looking for?

me: as stated above, this date

new mod: what's your address?

me: here you go.. again

another new mod: what's your phone #?

another new mod: it has been 24 hours so ticket is now closed..

process starts again...

another new mod: i am here to help you, please take your sim card out and give me the sim card # 

[Dunkman]

@dj_ilon 

I doubt that PM will change their billing policies in the near future.  To save on admin costs, PM has not generated official invoices.  To keep costs lower for their plans.  PM is a low cost, no frills type of company.  

As mentioned above, you could still ask for billing invoices every 3 months or 6 months.  Interesting, chatbot mentioned billing history 180 days.  Some customers have gotten billing invoices for the whole year for tax purposes.  

Others have just copied and pasted their transaction history in self service account for their own tracking purposes.  Not good enough for tax purposes though.  

[mimmo]

@dj_ilon I got that then the option of one time receipt. With the option to contact us (submit ticket).   

I need a one-time invoice sent to me

09/04/2021, 06:37:06

If you need a prepaid invoice sent via email or mail, please contact us and include the following information:

14-digit account number

10-digit phone number

Your 4-digit security PIN

Requested payment month/year(s)

Invoice delivery option:

   Email address:

   Billing address:

To verify your account, please also include: what is the last number you called or texted?

Invoices will reflect the following information

Payment amount

Payment date

Confirmation number

Applicable taxes

*Be aware that invoice will be processed within 30 days of the initial request date.

Please select below 

Contact Us

[kselmak]

@dj_ilon 

Once they verify your identity they will provide you with all the activities on your account for the requested period, to prove your payment you should pair it with your credit card statement and/or voucher receipts.

Btw the fastest way to verify your account is to provide the pin, so if you forgot it it's a good idea to change it to something you won't easily forget but others won't guess. If you file the ticket for pin change you will have to go through all that verification once and then won't have to bother with it when filling subsequent tickets. It's worth it, otherwise you are looking into the same thing next time you need assistance

[dj_ilon]

@mimmo 

Here is what the chatbot yielded below; although monthly bills and statements are not generated given that is a pre-paid service as mentioned, a legitimate transaction receipt outlining the taxes, HST # etc should be available without much difficulty.  

The vouchers that can be pre purchased are only credits, they don't actually outline the expense and cannot be used as an expense, simply an exchange of CDN $ for "PUBLIC MOBILE $" but the details of the service rendered is not available until that prepaid card is used to purchase the prepaid / postpaid service.  

As a prepaid company, Public Mobile does not automatically generate monthly statements or bills.

To view your payment transactions:

• Sign in to your Self Serve account
• Click on 'Payment', then on 'Transaction History'

Please note, we only provide billing history for your last 180 days.

[dj_ilon]

hi @mimmo i'm using messaging feature with @CS_Agent 

I'll try the chatbot

[mimmo]

@dj_ilon  Those are strange questions. How are you contacting the mods? Through SIMon the chat bot or through private message.   If through SIMon and you verified the account then they I believe should not need additional info.  If via private message then they need to verify account and are probably going through a list of items which can not be found in your message history.

If you used simon and are still being asked  for verification  let me know and I will mention this to pm management .

Edit just a note  when replying to someone it's good to mention their name start with @  that way people know who you are replying to with your reply.

[dj_ilon]

I used to be on a 3-mo plan which was less painful as I had to go through this process only 4 times a year but now that I'm on a monthly, this is extremely irking. 

I may just pay an extra $10 with a different service provider, get actual 4G and not worry about receipts. 

[dj_ilon]

I see what you're saying but since I am paying for a specific product that that is clearly defined, a receipt should be available for that. 

If I went to the grocery store and bought a 2L carton of milk, I get a receipt for the entire 2L whether I end up pouring it down the drain, letting it go sour, drink 50% of it, 75% of it or a 100% of it; I don't come back to the grocery store after with half a carton asking for a receipt for only what I used.  

[dj_ilon]

I'm happy to provide the standard info such as my name etc but I've been asked to provide the phone # of the person I have called on a certain day, a text message that was sent on a certain time and now they want me to remove my SIM card from my phone and give them the # of my SIM card.  

[dj_ilon]

they ask for something different EVERY TIME 

[dj_ilon]

I will do that!

[mimmo]

@dj_ilon I agree with you it is painful.  But I doubt it is going to change anytime soon.  So the options are 

• Continue as you are going
• Pay a lump sum and get a receipt for that say 3 months at a time
• Ask for 1 yearly statement (some people say this is possible
• Buy vouchers at a store as they provide receipts at point of sale
• Change providers

[hTideGnow]

---

@dj_ilon wrote:

If I am on autopay and I have an actual plan with PM, I wouldn't consider that a 'prepaid' service. 

---

Prepaid means you paid for the service before you use it.    If you don't pay for the next month, service stops 

The other type of service is Postpaid.  For postpaid, you use the service first.  At the end of the month, the company will  bill you what you have used.  If you don't pay for one month, they still let you use the service for another month or two

All Prepaid mobile services don't have a bill because they think you know what you "buy" in the beginning, there is no need for a bill.  However in  Postpaid, you can be using "extra" data, LD calls and they have to send you a bill in case there is argument.  Of course,  Prepaid services try to save money this way.

Not sure what question Moderator tried to "challenge" you.  Of course, this is not account change and the bill is going to send to your email on the record anyway, I agree they can make this process less tricky.

[BearFBI]

PM should make this an option in selfserve. There is a large enough amount of people that need something like this.

@dj_ilon I recommend writing down your SIM card number somewhere and all the information they ask for and keep it in a safe place. The next time they ask it'll make the process easier. 

[Spudster]

@dj_ilon 

If you have a complaint about your mobile service, you need to make it to the CCTS

https://www.ccts-cprst.ca/

What @HALIMACS  has stated is correct however.  Sure the process seems painful, but it is ultimately there for one's own protection.

[dj_ilon]

I don't understand why my receipt is not available after I make a payment. 

[dj_ilon]

If I am on autopay and I have an actual plan with PM, I wouldn't consider that a 'prepaid' service. 

Even buying a 'burner' phone at a grocery store yields you a transaction receipt the moment that transaction is made.  

I am happy to verify who I am but if there's a thread that is over a year long of me verifying who I am, that is accessible to more than one admin - I am losing the point of 'privacy' here. 

It is almost as if they don't want me to have a copy of a my transaction records.   There is something wrong here, I am going to make an inquiry with the CRTC and CRA.

[Quigley]

@dj_ilon    I agree with you 100 percent.

[HALIMACS · Accepted solution]

@dj_ilon 

Prepaid services generally do not provide receipts or statements for services, unless specifically requested.

The reason you're being asked all these verification questions is to ensure you are the customer of record and not another individual looking to attain these documents.

Ultimately, these processes are there to protect your privacy of information.