Learning about Public Mobile - Have some questions

[ryanpm]

Hi, I'm looking at the $45 boxing week deal and have a few questions:

1) Does the plan include the following?

- 20GB, 4G LTE, call waiting, call display, voicemail 10, conference calling, unlimited call, text, picture/video messaging within Canada, unlimited texting & picture messaging internationally, no contract, no credit check, the points

2) Is there anything else in the plan that I'm missing?

3) Is my only option to call to the US, the $15 for 1000 minutes plan?

4) If I'm in the US and want to use my phone for calls, text or data, do they only offer 10-day plans? (For example, Unlimited U.S. Talk, Text and 250MB Data Bundle for $20) Does this allow me to connect with US numbers in the US and Canadian numbers in Canada?

5) If I get the option to call to the US, the $15 for 1000 minutes plan, can I use that while in the US, or do I have to use the other US roaming package?

6) Can I use my phone while in other countries internationally or just the US with a roaming package?

7) Is the reliability equal to Telus?

😎 Is the coverage equal to Telus?

9) If I'm currently with Telus, do I require a new SIM or can I use my existing?

10) If I sign up with Public Mobile and do not like their service, are there any fees to get out?

11) Can an agent call me or how to I speak with an agent?

[tobibot]

Been on for 1 year. Can confirm coverage is great, and equivalent to Telus. 

[gpixel]

@ryanpm 

7. no it is not. you can check the voice coverage on the telus' website. make sure 4g-HSPA is the only one checked and that is our voice coverage. you can see a big difference. Koodo postpaid will be the closest match to Telus as it has volte.

https://www.telus.com/en/mobility/network/coverage-map

[Nezgar]

re #3 - Keep in mind the $15 for 1000 USA minutes never expires until fully consumed at Public Mobile, so you can widdle away at that add-on for years and years as long as you are a customer. An alternative to purchasing that add-on is to sign up for a free TextNow account, and you can make unlimited calls to USA over mobile data or Wi-Fi for free.

Edit: If you sign up this month, you should also receive a free 500 minutes international calling add-on that includes USA. This add on will also never expire until all the minutes are fully consumed.

[darlicious]

@ryanpm 

Welcome to the community!

1. Yes but you can only activate with a credit card or debit/credit card. You are automatically registered for pre-authorized payments (autopay) but it's not PAP like most providers as it only gives pm authorization for a one time charge per 30 days for your plan payment minus any available funds in your account balance. There are no overages, extra billing or fees with pm. You can disable autopay on under manage your payment method on your payments page in your self serve account.
2. You can change your plan at any time by choosing "change plan immediately"(no refunds or pro-rating) or by scheduling a "change plan on next renewal". If you have a promotional plan (like the $45/20gb) you will lose it and not be able to get it back if it's no longer on offer but if you schedule a plan on next renewal when it is still on offer and the promotion expires before your renewal pm will honour the promotion or any scheduled plan change to a plan that may no longer be offered.
3. The "more is merrier" holiday 500 international minutes add on gift includes calling to all of the international calling destinations pm lists accept the Philippines so it also includes calling to the US and Canada. Or you can download textnow or fongo and call for free on wifi or mobile data.
4. Currently pm only offers 10 Day US Roaming add ons that start immediately after purchase. The unlimited calling/texting works in the US to call or text domestically or back to Canada. Until VoLTE is implemented voice calls will use T-Mobile's 2G network which has decent coverage in many but not all areas. There's a workaround using textnow or fongo if needed.
5. The $15/US 1000 min add on only works in Canada to call the US but its a one time purchase that does not expire rolling over every 30 days until completely consumed.  
6. Pm only has US Roaming add ons. You can call forward your pm phone # to your (voip #) ie. textnow or fongo phone # before leaving Canada and recieve incoming pm calls to your voip # while on wifi or mobile data with a local Sim card. (Texts can be forwarded as well if needed but your pm Sim card must remain in Canada in a powered on working mobile phone using the Mighty Text forwarding app.)
7. Other than not yet offering VoLTE (soon hopefully?) coverage and reliability (network quality) is equal to Telus but no 5G network.
8. 🙈🙉🙊Voice calls are only on the 3G network but SMS/MMS texts and mobile data will work on both the 3G and 4G LTE networks.
9. You will need a pm Sim card. Currently BOGO free online from pm. $10+tax or at corporate telus, koodo corporate stores and some mobile klinik retail outlets. Or online at Canadian Cell Supplies for $5.99+tax with free shipping via Canada Post ( CCS usually within 5 business days....pm usually the same time frame but can also take much much longer....YMMV.) Or sometimes free on Craigslist if you use their referral code when activating for the bonus $10 referral credit.**
10. You can port out at anytime but there are no refunds or pro-rating of plans or prepaid balances. Be sure to disable autopay, replace your card with a $0 gift card (I can help with that!) Or contact customer support to remove your card on file before porting out.
11. All customer support is provided online via the community and your private message box. Support tickets can created via SIMon or you can send a direct message via private messaging. Response times are usually within the hour.

** Public Mobile will likely have another bonus referral credit promotion around Xmas for an extra $25 credit ($5×5 months) for both the referrer and the referred customer (you)+the $10 regular bonus referral credit. If you don't have a friend to refer you make a new one here by sending a private message to a community member of your choosing and ask for their referral code.🤪😀 Unsolicited referral codes are against the Community's ToS and should not used but rather be reported but that's totally up to you. 🤔

If you port your number in I suggest you choose a temporary phone # (Pick an Alberta # and pay only gst on your plan payment.) at activation then once your pm Sim card has all of its services working properly....port in via your self serve account and put your telus Sim card back in your phone and reply YES to the PAT (porting authorization text) within 90 minutes of recieving it. Your port will complete within minutes but max 2 hours.

[softech]

😎is 8 )   I missed that question too!!

@ryanpm   😎  Yes, coverage is the same

[Chrissyrioux12]

It’s there just not numbered well done at answering

[BKNS27]

@ryanpm 

1- Yes

2- Covered most of it

3- Yes but you can use WhatsApp or TextNow app for free wifi calling and texting

4- Yes

5- Callings only from Canada to USA

6- Roaming is only while in the USA

7- PM is 3rd tier of Telus and uses the same cell towers

9- Yes you will need a new PM SIM which you can purchase from a Telus/Koodo store and activate yourself online so no activation fees

10- No cancellation fees because PM is a prepaid service so you pay ahead for service. If you cancel before your renewal date there are no refund

11- PM is an online service so you can’t talk to an agent. You can chat with them on SIMon Chatbot on the bottom of the page or private message on the envelope icon above

BTW where is question 8? 😉

[will13am]

@ryanpm , yes to all but 5, 6, and 11.  This service is 100% online and no call center.  If you have questions, the community which is staffed by other customers at large and ticketing system (chatbot link) is your support sources.  

[softech]

@ryanpm 

1. YES

2. please note PM is a prepaid provider.  Also, PM has a 30 days cycle instead of monthly

   PM is using 3G network for voice and no VoLTE.  So, for area with weaker 3G network, voice could be affected.  

   PM service can only call limited countries for Long distance calls and PM can only roam in US

3. Yes, that is the US Long distance add-on  The addon is non expiring until minutes all used up

4. you have to buy roaming addon , they are all 10 days in length.  It could be better and cheaper to use  US local preapid data

5.   US LD addon is for used when  you are calling from Canada.  When you are in US, you need one of those 10 days roaming

6. No roaming other than US

7. YES, using telus-bell network.  Only thing is that voice is on 3G network only , no VoLTE yet like Telus or other provider

9 Yes, you need a new PM sim card.  Cannot reuse Telus sim card here

10.  no fees to go, PM is prepaid provider. You can port you number out and account will than be closed.  

11.  No agent to call.  PM support is all online.  You can either post here like what you did or open a proper ticket with PM support.  PM support will respond using the Community inbox here