Hi everyone,
I am a new customer with Public. I signed up some weeks back but only activated the phone a week ago. I realised that I cannot receive inbound SMS. I made a ticket with Public and it's been a nightmare. Close to 48 hrs of Dear John responses, cut-and-paste "we appreciate your time" etc. with no semblance of support. So I thought I'd look here for some help.
SMS is blocked at the network level. The only way for me to receive an SMS is for me to initiate an SMS to someone which seems to safe-list their number such that if they reply, I can receive their texts then. I have to:
1) initiate and outbound SMS to someone (works)
2) they can then message back (then it works for them)
Again, this is a network config. issue. The account is BLOCKING all UNKNOWN numbers from texting in (inbound).
The support agents have been fairly terrible, they have sent generic messages to:
1) ask for my name, address, email etc. (when I'm securely logged in)
2) ask me to reboot (twice)
3) reset network settings (twice)
4) stop the thread to say my email (which I'm securely logged in with isn't in their system and to give me my sim number instead, which, of course, I have to access with the same logged-in email address anyway)
5) After testing and explaining the situation very clearly 3 times (see above), they asked "so the problem you're having is with one number texting you specifically, right?"
This is 48 hrs, about 8 back and forths and they keep making new ticket threads (intentionally?). I worked in IT management for years, I can assure you email-only support costs more money. It leads to long threads, miscommunication and lack of escalation. I firmly believe that this is in place not to save money but to irritate customers into paying for the daddy service with Telus. It has no benefit time wise to the customer or the company, as illustrated above. I thought it might've been an issue with my area code (https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Get-Support/Changing-Number-672-doesn-t-work/td-p/553...) but I doubt it at this point. It seems fairly clear that SMS inbound is blocked in general. Could be a flip of a switch but I can't get help or the requested escalation. Having been with Telus before leaving Canada and experiencing telcom in Mexico and Saudi Arabia and the UK the last 3 years, this is the height of unnecessary incompetence. I've never experienced this anywhere else.
Hoping some of the kind people here may have some advice. Very bad first look Public Mobile.
