No early renewal?

[Chanah]

Okay, my computer died last month and I've been renewing my plan a few times because I need Internet.

Tried to renew it again today, v

But CS tells me they can't do renewals because they cause system errors. Never heard this before.

Aaargh, its going to be two weeks before the new computer gets here, and further, I already put money into my account to upgrade to the 55/35$ 20 gig plan, so if I switch providers, I lose that.

Help? Or is the money just gone?

[dust2dust]

Customers can change plans all they want whenever they want. Just be aware that there is no pro-rating here. You start a whole new 30 day plan.

I'm not sure I've read any updates about renewing the same plan early before the 30 days. As far as I know, this has always been an option. Again, no pro-rating. But then again, messaging around here is terrible. Or cryptically provided through little dropped hints from "moderators". The company should make these announcements or the "moderators" should provide the exact text of the question asked and the exact text of the answer provided so as to avoid any misinterpretations.

[Chanah]

Thanks, sorted. I had to change it from the 55$ 20 gig plan to the 45$ 20 gig plan and was able to change it early myself.

[wetcoaster]

So, just for me to get this right...

- at this point you are on the $40/15GB plan

- you have scheduled a change at renewal to the $55-$20/20GB

- after two weeks on your $40 plan you have run out of data

- you had hoped to do an immediate plan change to the $55-$20 plan, but since it has been pulled from the plan selection, you are unable to do so yourself, and by the sounds of it the CSA doesn't want to or can't help you doing it

(it might be a terminology thing? If the above scenario is what you're dealing with, then you are technically immediately changing your plan, not doing an early renewal [of the same plan]?)

I think I'm repeating myself here, but I personally would switch to the $45/20GB.

If you still have that change to the $55-$20 plan scheduled you first need to cancel that, then initiate a fresh plan change.

ETA to add the terminology bit...

[Chanah]

Worth a shot, wetcoaster, thanks.

[Chanah]

I'm pretty sure I put the change plan in while it was still available given that everything was still working,  including the discount code - can't remember the exact date but it was a couple of weeks ago. The problem is that CS says they can't do an early renewal at all.

[wetcoaster]

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@computergeek541 wrote:

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As for rewning again on the same plan (but early), it's long been the case that a customer support agent was necessary to perform an early renewal.  While I haven't personally tried this, I no longer beleive that is the case.  To try that, you would need to perform a combination of pre-scheduled change to a different plan (even if you want to keep the same plan as now).  After that going back to the plan change page will allow you to select the plan that you're already on for an immediate plan change.   Only do this if you understaned that there will be no refund/no credits for the unused portion and time remaining from your original plan billing cycle that you are abandoning.

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Hm, too bad I still have too much data that I want to actually use, or I'd actually go and give this a try.

[Chanah]

Hi wetcoaster

I had the 40$ 15 gig plan, but changed it to the 55/35$20 gig plan, since it seemed still available and the discount code worked when I put it in. However, CS just told me that plan is no longer available.  Okay.....

I'd switch to the 45$ 20 gig plan if I could renew early, but apparently that's the hitch.

[wetcoaster]

@Chanah 

Please share what plan you are on right now?

I've already mentioned immediate change to the $45 plan above. If you are on that already you could do an immediate change to th $40/15GB and then "immediately" schedule a change at renewal back to the $45/20GB?

[computergeek541]

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@Chanah wrote:

Okay, my computer died last month and I've been renewing my plan a few times because I need Internet.

Tried to renew it again today, v

But CS tells me they can't do renewals because they cause system errors. Never heard this before.

Aaargh, its going to be two weeks before the new computer gets here, and further, I already put money into my account to upgrade to the 55/35$ 20 gig plan, so if I switch providers, I lose that.

Help? Or is the money just gone?

---

Customer support agents can definitely help you. They seems to be running into a temporary isssue, or the CSA might be not recommending to renew early because you wuold lose the amount paid and the time remaining on the old plan.

The $55 plan is no longer aviailble, so no new changes to that plan are possible.  This means that you  won't be able to perform an immediate change to that plan. As for if the scheduled change will still work, that remains to be seen (but it should still work based on Public Mobile policies).

As for rewning again on the same plan (but early), it's long been the case that a customer support agent was necessary to perform an early renewal.  While I haven't personally tried this, I no longer beleive that is the case.  To try that, you would need to perform a combination of pre-scheduled change to a different plan (even if you want to keep the same plan as now).  After that going back to the plan change page will allow you to select the plan that you're already on for an immediate plan change.   Only do this if you understaned that there will be no refund/no credits for the unused portion and time remaining from your original plan billing cycle that you are abandoning.

[Chanah]

Thanks, Will, but that doesn't really solve the problem.  I need to renew the plan now because I need the data, but the plan I'm on now doesn't expire until 4 January.  Which isn't going to work for me. Neither is losing the money in my account.  I don't know what to do at this point.

[wetcoaster · Accepted solution]

What plan are you on right now?

Unfortunately PM pulled all plans above $45 last week, and, while you can try ask the CSA to honour it, if you have a screen shot of a scheduled plan change to that $55-$20/20GB (for 15months) plan, I would not get my hopes up since it technically was for new activations.

You could do an immediate change to the $45/20GB that is available right now? It's not as good of a deal, but it doesn't have the time limit on it.

ETA to add time references.

[will13am]

@Chanah , I have not heard of the issues that you are describing.  The self serve might have been down I think once in recent weeks.  Other than that it is working and you should be able to change to whatever plan is available at the time.  As for what happens to account funds if you leave, they are left behind.  This is a prepaid service that does not provide refunds.