HELP - suspended account

[agyang]

Hi there, I am really confused - when I make a call today I hear a robot voice saying I don't have an active plan. I log in here and it says my account is suspended, but then it says to ignore the message if I have sufficient funds or Autopay. Well I have sufficient funds and I have autopay, so why is my account suspended?! 

I am a frontline healthcare worker and I need the plan to be active ASAP as part of the two-step verification system, so can someone please help? Since ignoring the message as the disclaimer said is not helping. 

Thank you very much!!

[Luddite]

@agyang @leeg84 As a backup for glitches, you may want to install the app from Fongo.com, TextNow, or Google Hangouts. Free calling across Canada on wifi (or cellular data). I have fongo, though have never needed in 5 years.

[JoyLuck]

---

@leeg84 wrote:

@JoyLuck just went to Petrol Canada, got my code, they never charged me any fee. Maybe it was just some specific Petrol Canada's that charge fees. 

---

That is good. Do you mind adding an entry into the voucher catalog about that to let others know that they all do not charge a fee.

Have a good weekend and stay safe.

[leeg84]

@JoyLuck just went to Petrol Canada, got my code, they never charged me any fee. Maybe it was just some specific Petrol Canada's that charge fees. 

[JoyLuck]

@leeg84 

Here is some info on Petro Canada from the voucher catalog;

 

hyT

 

Great Citizen / Super Citoyen

‎04-24-2020 08:47 PM

Re: Voucher Catalogue

What a great idea! 

The first voucher I bought was from PetroCanada. I paid by cash and was charged $1 transaction fee plus 13% tax. I wanted to buy $100 but was told the maximum they could sell was $60. The attendant wanted me to buy another $40 voucher and to charge me another $1 fee. I didn't.

I tried dialing 611 to enter it right away in my car and it did not work. I went home and used my self-serve account online and it did not work either. Then I realized I was trying to enter the Serial Number instead of the PIN #.  They were both 12 digits and appeared one above the other. When I entered the correct PIN number, it worked right away (within 1/2 hour of my purchase).

The next time I bought a voucher was from a different PetroCanada station. Same $1 transaction fee. The PIN number appeared on a different location of that voucher!

So vouchers from different PetroCanada station can look different too.

Unfortunately, I only found this thread today and have already thrown away my vouchers. So no pictures to show here.

Take away:

1. PetroCanada charges $1 fee for their vouchers. Maximum $60 at a time.

2. Be sure to look for the correct PIN #, they can appear in different locations.

3. PetroCanada's vouchers work right after purchase (at least the two I have bought so far).

Question:

Do any of the other outlets charge transaction fees for their vouchers?

[JoyLuck]

What a great idea! 

The first voucher I bought was from PetroCanada. I paid by cash and was charged $1 transaction fee plus 13% tax. I wanted to buy $100 but was told the maximum they could sell was $60. The attendant wanted me to buy another $40 voucher and to charge me another $1 fee. I didn't.

I tried dialing 611 to enter it right away in my car and it did not work. I went home and used my self-serve account online and it did not work either. Then I realized I was trying to enter the Serial Number instead of the PIN #.  They were both 12 digits and appeared one above the other. When I entered the correct PIN number, it worked right away (within 1/2 hour of my purchase).

The next time I bought a voucher was from a different PetroCanada station. Same $1 transaction fee. The PIN number appeared on a different location of that voucher!

So vouchers from different PetroCanada station can look different too.

Unfortunately, I only found this thread today and have already thrown away my vouchers. So no pictures to show here.

Take away:

1. PetroCanada charges $1 fee for their vouchers. Maximum $60 at a time.

2. Be sure to look for the correct PIN #, they can appear in different locations.

3. PetroCanada's vouchers work right after purchase (at least the two I have bought so far).

Question:

Do any of the other outlets charge transaction fees for their vouchers?

[JoyLuck]

---

@leeg84 wrote: 

@JoyLuck  really even ones purchased at retail locations like petrol canada? 

---

I have never purchased one at Petro-Canada so I cannot comment on it. Where I live Petro Canada  charges a fee. I have purchased mine at Shoppers Drug Mart which is activated immediately. I'll have a look at the voucher catalog for Petro Canada.

[leeg84]

@JoyLuck  really even ones purchased at retail locations like petrol canada? 

[JoyLuck]

---

@leeg84 wrote:

Thank You all for your help, I prefer to just go to the gas station near my home to get one, I do not trust these third party payment options and I feel I should not have to pay extra fees as this is no fault of my own.

I will send a note to the moderators to make sure this does not happen next month. 

---

Some vouchers take up to 24 hours to activate.

Here is a voucher catalog you can have a look at:

https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Paying-for-your-service/Voucher-Catalogue/m-p/479165#...

[leeg84]

Thank You all for your help, I prefer to just go to the gas station near my home to get one, I do not trust these third party payment options and I feel I should not have to pay extra fees as this is no fault of my own.

I will send a note to the moderators to make sure this does not happen next month. 

[JoyLuck]

@leeg84 

https://www.publicmobile.ca/en/on/get-help/articles/voucher-payment-options

How To Pay With Digital Vouchers

If you do not have access to, or prefer not to register a credit card or Visa Debit card to your account, you may also top-up your account using a digital payment voucher. However, please be aware that this would be done through a third-party, like Recharge.com, which would charge fees for their service.You can purchase a digital payment voucher (in the form of a code) through Recharge by following these steps:

1. Access the Recharge.com website
2. Select the desired top-up amount. Once you have selected the desired top-up amount, you will be shown a breakdown of the total, including the applicable fees that Recharge will charge you
3. Fill in your email address where you would like your code to be sent
4. Submit a payment; through Recharge, you can pay with a Visa or Mastercard credit card, Mastercard debit or PayPal account.
5. After your payment, the code will be sent immediately to your email address. Please check your spam folder if you do not receive your code immediately.
6. Once you have received your code from Recharge, you can then top-up your Public Mobile account by calling * 611 and following the prompts. Or you may also top-up by signing in to your Self-Serve account, select the ‘Payment’ tab, then ‘One Time Payment’. In the form on the next page, select ‘Payment Voucher’ as your payment method and enter your voucher code below, then click ‘Submit’.

[geopublic]

---

@leeg84 wrote:

I have tried everything so far, tried so far my BMO mastercard, BMO debit card, TD Debit card, and Royal Bank Visa, nothing works! Ugh.. so frustrating. 😠 I have never had this happen before.

Is there any other options of getting my account restored? Other than buying a payment voucher at a shoppers drug mart?

---

@leeg84 The fastest way to get back up and running is to use one of the following:

1. Xoom
2. Recharge
3. Ding

Hope this helps!

[JoyLuck]

---

@leeg84 wrote:

Will the moderators be able to fix this in a timely manner? I need my service ASAP, as this is my only way to contact people.  

---

 You can always pay for your account using vouchers or at recharge.com. Some vouchers take up to 24 hours to activate depending on where you purchases them.

Moderators are available at the times below.

Monday to Friday from 8 AM to midnight Eastern time.

Saturday and Sunday from 8 AM to 10 PM Eastern time

[gpixel]

@leeg84 go to an esso and use the instant top up method.

 

[leeg84]

Will the moderators be able to fix this in a timely manner? I need my service ASAP, as this is my only way to contact people.  

[JoyLuck]

---

@leeg84 wrote:

I have tried everything so far, tried so far my BMO mastercard, BMO debit card, TD Debit card, and Royal Bank Visa, nothing works! Ugh.. so frustrating. 😠 I have never had this happen before.

Is there any other options of getting my account restored? Other than buying a payment voucher at a shoppers drug mart?

---

Here’s how to contact the Moderator Team (Public Mobile representative) for assistance:

• Get help with your account the easy way by starting a conversation with our virtual assistant, SIMon. It’ll take you to relevant help articles, or if it’s something more urgent, it can help you submit a ticket to the Moderator Team. Click here to get started.
• Alternatively, you can send a private message to the Moderators by clicking here. You’ll need to be logged in to your Community account for the link to work.

[leeg84]

I have tried everything so far, tried so far my BMO mastercard, BMO debit card, TD Debit card, and Royal Bank Visa, nothing works! Ugh.. so frustrating. 😠 I have never had this happen before.

Is there any other options of getting my account restored? Other than buying a payment voucher at a shoppers drug mart?

[geopublic]

@agyang  Glad to hear that you got it working. Don't think it was the card that expires in three months that was the problem. Public's payment processing has issues and is need of an overhaul. If your phone is mission critical it's best to not rely on Auto-Pay and just make the payment to your account manually two days before your plan renewal. You will still get there Auto-Pay reward and you will have a couple of days to fix any payment issue before your account gets suspended.

[gpixel]

 

@agyang to avoid this problem in the future just manually pay a few months ahead of time. just make sure there is "available funds" in your account. especially if you need your phone for work.

have a great day!

[gblackma]

@agyang  try adfing $1 extra to the cost of the plan, using the one time payment option. Then hit the reactivate button. If it doesn't reactivate with this option try the lost/ stolen trick. From your self service account enable the lost/ stolen feature log out, wait 5  minutes, log in and take it off. Log out and restart your phone.  Stay safe. 

[agyang]

Ok so I changed my credit card to something that expires in 2021 and it worked. 

So maybe there's some system issue which doesn't allow you to use the credit card if it expires in 3 months...my last payment from the Aug expiry credit card was end of April. XD.

OK got my account back, going to discharge some patients now.

Thanks guys!

[Dunkman · Accepted solution]

@agyang 

---

@agyang wrote:

Ok this gets weirder. It's the same credit card I have been using the past 6 months and it expires in Aug 2020, but when I try to manually load it it says it can't process it.

Like what? I used the credit card yesterday and it was fine.

Is there something on Public Mobile that doesn't accept credit cards expiring in 3 months or something? I don't understand. 

---

The credit card should be accepted until expirary date.  Might be a glitch in the system.  Try dialing 611 on your phone to manually load funds.  

https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Self-Serve/611-IVR-Menu-System/m-p/289352

If that does not work, you may need to try to re-enter the same credit card information or maybe even try a different credit card.  Make sure address exactly matches the billing address and if you live in an apartment, leave the apartment number blank.  

If that fails, you may need to contact moderator.  

If you really need service right away and can't wait for moderator help, you could buy a payment voucher online via recharge.com (service fee applies) and load voucher to get service going.  The sort out the credit card issue. 

[Solution highlighted ........ Luddite]

[gpixel]

@leeg84 try using your browser in incognito/private mode. if you're still having issues your payment system most likely got locked up, contact customer support here:

https://www.publicmobile.ca/en/bc/get-help/articles/contact-a-moderator

Moderators are available from Monday to Friday from 8AM to Midnight EST and from Saturday and Sunday from 8AM to 10PM PM EST

[leeg84]

I am experiencing the same issue, I tried to top up to re-activate my account, tried two credit cards and a visa debit card and it says "It can not process my payment" 

I think it is an issue with Public Mobile, can someone look into this. I tried last night and this morning and have the same problem. 

[agyang]

Ok this gets weirder. It's the same credit card I have been using the past 6 months and it expires in Aug 2020, but when I try to manually load it it says it can't process it.

Like what? I used the credit card yesterday and it was fine.

Is there something on Public Mobile that doesn't accept credit cards expiring in 3 months or something? I don't understand. 

[Dunkman]

---

@agyang wrote:

Huh that's just weird - it's via a bank credit card so should work and I am nowhere near the credit limit. 

OK I'll top it up manually and see what happens...

---

@agyang 

Autopay does fail sometimes, but when it does, it is a hassle.  Some regular customers will manually load funds a day or so before the due date just to avoid the potential hassle of autopay failure and interruption of service.

[agyang]

Huh that's just weird - it's via a bank credit card so should work and I am nowhere near the credit limit. 

OK I'll top it up manually and see what happens...

[Dunkman]

@agyang 

When you say that your account has sufficient funds, do you have sufficient funds to cover the full plan cost?  When was the payment date?

Likely your autopay failed.  As stated above, manually load enough funds to cover the plan cost and it should just re-activate.  

[gpixel]

@agyang your auto-pay glitched out and failed. can you manually make a payment in your self serve by topping up your account. then click the "reactivate" button