cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

No longer using the service but keep getting billed every month

Rics4ntos
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

Hi, 

I switched from Public Mobile to a different provider a few months ago and when transferring the phone number they said they'd take care of everything and cancel my account with Public Mobile for me. 

Well, they did transfer the phone number and I've been using it with the new provider ever since, however, Public Mobile is still billing me every month, looks like they deactivated my online account as well and I can't log in. 

How do I contact Public Mobile so they can remove my credit card from their system? I don't even want my money back. I just want them to stop charging my card. 

34 REPLIES 34

Rics4ntos
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

I contacted a civil litigation lawyer to assist me, I know it's not worth it but I got so pissed off with this company for the way they're treating this matter I'm gonna go after this money, I won't give up. 

dust2dust
Mayor / Maire

It does seem ridiculous that they can't be bothered to track down what account might be using your card, if any. We have heard of this happening before where customers port out, all seems done but the company keeps on charging. That's on you to notice at the time. Of course we should trust these things to work as intended but it's your money. Coulda shoulda woulda. I would take up the offer from the bank to do the chargebacks and cut your losses. Whether someone is fraudulently using the card or indeed the company fraudulently continuing to charge it kind of doesn't matter now.

Maybe small claims court for that which the bank won't give back?

hi @Rics4ntos

 

 you have submitted ticket with PM yet?? you have all the right to get back all the money

I'd have long ago done a chargeback with my credit card provider, @Rics4ntos 

 

Doing so will cause the 'user' of the device to not only lose use of your credit card, but they'll also not be able to use a credit card to pay for services for up to a year due to the chargeback.

 

So... it's kind of sweet revenge against the person who (seemingly) has been using your credit card on an unauthorized basis.

 

Do the chargeback.   Now.   Get back what they'll give you and be done with this.

Rics4ntos
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

I realize I may have lost a considerable amount of money due to my lack of attention, I was able to contact my bank but they can only dispute the last 3 months of charges. Public mobile has been stealing from me since April 2022. 

I will let this one slide cause I'm partly to blame for this, for trusting Public Mobile, but I hope this can alert others out there. 

Rics4ntos
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

Here are some of my conversations with the dates. See how the acknowledge the phone numbers were ported and the account was canceled but they "can't locate" the account that's using my credit card. 
5.png

Rics4ntos
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

The number was ported to Fido in April 2022 and Public mobile has been charging me ever since. They refuse to remove my credit card from their billing system and refuse to let me know who's using my card for "safety issues" ahhaha

How about my safety? Just an unbelievable situation. I spoke with my bank and they can probably do a chargeback for a few months back but not for the entire period. 

Rics4ntos
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

That is what I did, I ported the number to Fido. 

Hi @Rics4ntos   so how many months of charges was that?

 

For the refund investigation, yes, PM usually have different able to reply, not a single one to follow a case.  But ask them to escalate.   If the number was ported out, you are entitled to the money back even you are unaware of it for awhile

 

Here’s the crazy part, @Rics4ntos 

 

You can’t actually ‘cancel’ a public mobile account. The only way it stops charging to a payment card is if the holder of the number ports the number to another mobile service provider or if the method of payment is removed from the account. (thus the account will go into suspension and eventually deactivate after 90 days without payment.)

 

So if I were in your shoes, I would be requesting a formal chargeback from my credit card provider as what you have described is clearly unauthorized use of your card for someone else’s benefit. It fits squarely under the chargeback rules for credit card companies to refund you the charges that you did not authorize. 

Now, if you at any time provided your credit card information to a third-party for the purpose of acquiring the service, that’s a completely different ball game.

 

 

esjliv
Mayor / Maire

This does all seem ridiculous @Rics4ntos . I would be very upset as well, and also persistent. I do find it hard to believe Public Mobile billing department cannot nail down where (what account/phone number) the charges are going to.

And, they they are suggesting a 'charge back' with your card company. Funny, cause we often suggest otherwise..but this would only be if there would be any chance this same card could be attached to any other Public Mobile account it has services one.

 

I may directly ask the CS Agent something like "May I connect to the Billing Department so they tell me which phone number these charges are going to?"  Sure, if it wasn't your number, they probably could not tell you, but if it IS your number, then ask them to show this to you (some evidence of that, if they can).

Rics4ntos
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

I know it's not very responsible on my part for not noticing it, I use this card to pay many bills and for day-to-day shopping. The $39 charge went unnoticed for a while. My card is not compromised, nobody is using my CC for public mobile there are only two people in my house and we both use Fido. 

And about your last comment, since when that's the rule? usually, when you ask to cancel an account/service it's understood you also don't want to pay for a service you'll no longer be using. is that such a wild idea? 

Rics4ntos
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

- Nobody is using the account, it has been canceled, and a previous public mobile agent has confirmed that.
- They charge my card every month. 
- I already contacted my bank and they said to speak with the merchant to get a refund. 

Are you saying you are paying for cancelled service since April 2022 and decided to complain just now?????

Why waiting so long?

PM advice is very sound - talk to your bank to do chargeback. Maybe your credit card is compromised? Maybe friend/family is using it to pay for PM services.

Anybody leaving PM should request removal of credit card from account BEFORE closing such account.

hi @Rics4ntos you sure it wasn't a friend or family using the account and the account was not compromised?

 

was it a one time charge in Jan and no longer on your card on Feb?

 

I hate to suggest that, but in such case, you can try to call your credit card and tell them it is not a valid charge , the CC night arrange a charge back on this transaction.  

Rics4ntos
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

This post is in reference to this issue: https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Get-Support/No-longer-using-the-service-but-keep-gett... 


After waiting a long time and going in circles over and over with different agents here's what they told me today: 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Screen Shot 2023-03-07 at 1.21.42 PM.png

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Basically, they ended the investigation, never notified me and surprise surprise, the results were that someone is using my account (an account that admittedly was canceled completely a long time ago according to a previous agent) and they don't know who is using my credit card, they don't know which account is associated to my credit card (very unlikely) but they keep charging me every month since April 2022 when I switched from Public Mobile to Fido. Every month they charge me $39,55, my only option now is to contact the transaction disputes department of my bank (they will probably just tell me to cancel my credit card)

Just an awful customer service experience, people that have no idea what they're doing, and constantly switching agents that have no insight into the context of previous conversations. Not recommended  

Rics4ntos
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

So, just an update regarding this topic. I still haven't received my refund, the agents keep asking for the same information over and over again every time I ask for updates.

 

They say there's an "investigation" in progress. They keep assigning different agents to my case every time I ask for updates and the new agent apparently has no insight into the context cause they keep asking me the same questions over and over. Going in circles and wasting my time. They are still charging my credit card. 

betht
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

Okay thank you 

@betht   , OP's case is different.  OP ported away but PM kept charging, not a fee to leave

 

But either way, both you and OP will definitely able to get a refund back if it is just a system glitch for wrong charge.  Just need to open ticket with PM support.  I have sent you the way to engage support on your own post 

betht
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

Did you get charged “a fee” when you left? It looks like that’s maybe what they did to us 

Rics4ntos
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

Last update, they said to provide the card details and they will start a "Payment investigation" 
I will keep you all posted regarding the progress on this. Thanks for your help. 

Rics4ntos
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

I wasn't even using the thing and the agent said himself the account was completely closed. Makes no sense 

@Rics4ntos 

I agree but PM is a prepaid service. You will get a refund prorated if it was a postpaid service.

Hi @Rics4ntos   you only had one line with PM and it was ported away?

 

Reply and ask for escalation and have a senior staff to review it

Rics4ntos
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

Thanks but that's not an acceptable justification for what they're doing.

@Rics4ntos 

You can reply to the private message and ask for a refund…it is worth a try.

Rics4ntos
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

Here's what the Public mobile agent said: 

 

Seems to be 1 Public Mobile account is currently attached to that credit card with Preauthorized Payment activated, unfortunately since We handle so many lines/account it is very difficult to locate which line is the one attach with your credit card, since that line is unknown from both ends. Our best recommendation to get rid of that unknown transaction is to request a new Card to your Financial Institution, by doing that the current card will be cancelled and it will automatically  unlinked from any provider data base, and it won't be processed any more.

 

 

That is, without a doubt the most ridiculous thing I have heard from all the customer support I ever contacted. I will have to request a new credit card because this company is too incompetent to track down one account in their system. I can't believe this. How about getting my money back?

 

BKNS27
Mayor / Maire

@Rics4ntos 

This only happens when you ported to another carrier after your renewal date.

To prevent this from happening is to port out a day or 2 before your renewal date.

@Rics4ntos  You might have to get bank to do a charge back and or change / get new credit card tell bank it’s been compromised.. pain in the butt then no more charges from pm . Just have to up date cc info on all other systems you use 

Rics4ntos
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

CS_agent said my plan was canceled in their system and I should contact my bank, here's what he said: 

"At this point We have found those phone number totally cancelled, from those dates the accounts got automatically cancel and everything on those account was totally deactivated and deleted from our system due to the port out request as follows>>

[Phone numbers]

If after that time you have transactions from Public Mobile and Credit Card hasn't been shared with any family or friend, We highly suggest to contact your Financial Institution to dispute those charges, requesting chargeback for those unknown charges. "

The problem is, I already contacted my credit card support center and they said there's nothing they can do and I should contact the merchant to resolve the issue. Now what? I'm gonna continue to get charged every month for a service I'm not using? 

Funny the CS_agent says the account is closed but their system keeps charging my credit card: 
Screen Shot 2023-02-01 at 7.34.43 PM.png

Need Help? Let's chat.