cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

Out of country - call fwd was turned off (not by me)

Tryinginvain
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

I’ve been out of Canada since Nov. I set up my call fwding to my Fongo number. It has worked SEVERAL times. Today, I needed a call to get a password to log into something. I never got the call so I called my public mobile number. Call forwarding did not work - it has somehow been turned off while I’m out of the country. 

 

How do I get this turned back on? I cannot use my public mobile sim where I am the moment. To be clear, it was on….I did not turn it off and now it has been turned off. I need this turned back on!

 

Thanks

27 REPLIES 27

@Tryinginvain the suspicion is that the recent VoLTE enablement project is what reset call forwarding and caused many other calling issues for some customers.

 

Once VoLTE rollout is completed, things should be back to normal. We don't know how long this will take, it could be a few months.

 


@Cosmicspaceman wrote:

Hi! I had this same problem. I was told by an agent that call forwarding doesn’t work unless you are in the US, have purchased a roaming package, and are forwarding to a Canadian number. I asked them when this change happened (since like you I’ve been able to forward to a Fongo number in a non US country until recently). Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but thought you’d want to know !


I'm sorry I have a hard time understanding what you are saying. 

 

The following is based on how things worked 'til the end of February 2023. I'm not sure if/how the "reset" after the voice problems last week is affecting things and if the previous options will be available again to all down the line.

 

Historically, Public Mobile only allows / has allowed call forwarding to Canadian numbers, even if you have an international or US calling add-on. *

 

You are forwarding to a Canadian Fongo** number. What happens to the call at the Fongo account is past Public Mobile's control.

The call could be going to the Fongo voice mail, or picked up (wherever you are in the world, as long as you are connected to data or WiFi), or you might even find a way to forward out of Fongo to yet another provider, all PM "sees" is that your call was routed to your Fongo number, and how long it lasted (deducting the minutes as outgoing minutes on a limited feature plan)

 

To set up call forwarding, the SIM needs to connect to the Public Mobile network, so you need to set it up from your phone while you are still in Canada. Once it's set up the call forwarding is handled on the network level, so you can put your SIM in your wallet or wherever you'll find it again on your return. The account needs to be active for call forwarding to work, but you don't need a roaming package.

 

You could use forwarding to Fongo (instead of your voice mail number) while roaming (which is only available in the US). So technically, if you are not in reach of T-Mobile's 2G network and therefore can't get calls directly to your PM number, but are connected to T-Mobile's 4G network for data (or a local data SIM or WiFi), you could get the call on your Fongo number.

 

The OP is accessing their Canadian Fongo account from a data or WiFi connection somewhere else in the world - the Public Mobile system only sees the Canadian number.

 

 

 

 

* There was a recent report of forwarding to a particular US toll free number being previously possible. I believe this number was recognized by the system as a Canadian number, but obviously I don't know the details.

 

** or a VoIP provider of your choice, of course - as long as it's a Canadian number

Tryinginvain
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

It was forwarded to a Canadian number. Where you are with your phone without your public mobile sim in it is completely irrelevant! 

 

 

Cosmicspaceman
Great Neighbour / Super Voisin

Hi! I had this same problem. I was told by an agent that call forwarding doesn’t work unless you are in the US, have purchased a roaming package, and are forwarding to a Canadian number. I asked them when this change happened (since like you I’ve been able to forward to a Fongo number in a non US country until recently). Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but thought you’d want to know !

Tryinginvain
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

No. I used my Fongo to call my PM number and get into my voicemail. 

@Tryinginvain you meant you still make call forwarding work??

Tryinginvain
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

Surprisingly I was able to get the CRA code from my vm. I didn’t think all the digits would be there but they were. So today’s crisis averted, but I would still to get my call forwarding back. 

Tryinginvain
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

I’ve wrote a few times that my account is paid to date and that I have a positive balance. My account was NOT closed. 

BKNS27
Mayor / Maire

@Tryinginvain 

Are you on AutoPay to make the monthly payment while you are out of the country? If you haven’t kept up with payment longer than 90 days, your account is closed, SIM is useless now and you lost your number.

It has been 4 months if you stopped payment.

Tryinginvain
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

It has not been renewed for a long time. 

 

 


@Tryinginvain wrote:

In the past I looked into wifi calling and Public Mobile didn’t offer it. Does anyone know if that changed? I could do a workaround with that if they have. 


There's no Wi-Fi calling at Public Mobile.

esjliv
Mayor / Maire

Yes, there was posts about call forwarding being affect during the service outage over a week ago.

 

@Tryinginvain Perhaps you are affected by this: https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Announcements/Resolved-Service-Impacts/td-p/955119

 

Did your account happen to have a recent renewal? Seems many customer experienced this during renewal times.

Tryinginvain
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

In the past I looked into wifi calling and Public Mobile didn’t offer it. Does anyone know if that changed? I could do a workaround with that if they have. 

Tryinginvain
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

If they had an “issue” that reset call forwarding I would certainly hope they could turn it back on! Ridiculous if they can’t. I’m away every winter, this is enough of an issue to make me switch providers when I’m back in Canada. I need this to work. At the moment I’m trying to do my taxes and need a CRA code that I cannot get. 

 

I thought about trying to get someone at home to get a new sim for me - and I appreciate someone suggesting it. It seems like a ridiculous thing to have to do but I guess I might end up needing to try that if nothing else works. 


@hTideGnow wrote:

@computergeek541 wrote:

@dust2dust wrote:

Public will not turn this off with an active service. We're asking about the account/service. Not the phone. Maybe the autopay failed for whatever reason and your account is suspended.

Adding - Or you're in the states and the sim is in your phone in the states and it got switched on (if it was off) and then it saw a US tower and that affects call forwarding.


I checked my call forwarding settings, and the settings have been erased/disabled and it wasn't by me.  I suspect that the recent calling issues to be a factor here.


Hi @computergeek541   Yes, very likely  I remember seeing post about call forwarding troubles.  But did you got voice problem?  I thought only those got the voice problem will have trouble with call forwarding issue after.  Maybe they reset everyone?


I encountered no voice outage.


@computergeek541 wrote:

@dust2dust wrote:

Public will not turn this off with an active service. We're asking about the account/service. Not the phone. Maybe the autopay failed for whatever reason and your account is suspended.

Adding - Or you're in the states and the sim is in your phone in the states and it got switched on (if it was off) and then it saw a US tower and that affects call forwarding.


I checked my call forwarding settings, and the settings have been erased/disabled and it wasn't by me.  I suspect that the recent calling issues to be a factor here.


Hi @computergeek541   Yes, very likely  I remember seeing post about call forwarding troubles.  But did you got voice problem?  I thought only those got the voice problem will have trouble with call forwarding issue after.  Maybe they reset everyone?

I think htidegnow has hit on the likelihood. I also don't think support can return the forwarding. I don't recall reading here that this is something support can do. So, let us know.

 

Adding - and wetcoaster 🙂


@computergeek541 wrote:

@dust2dust wrote:

Public will not turn this off with an active service. We're asking about the account/service. Not the phone. Maybe the autopay failed for whatever reason and your account is suspended.

Adding - Or you're in the states and the sim is in your phone in the states and it got switched on (if it was off) and then it saw a US tower and that affects call forwarding.


I checked my call forwarding settings, and the settings have been erased/disabled and it wasn't by me.  I suspect that the recent calling issues to be a factor here.


This would have been my guess. There were other reports re: call forwarding since the trouble shooting of last week's voice problem.

 

Do we know that call forwarding is reliable again? I assume re-setting still needs to be done with the SIM physically in Canada / connecting to Canadian towers...

 

The only way I see for the OP to get back on track with this is swapping SIMs. Have a trustworthy person in Canada buy a new SIM from a corporate Koodo / Telus store, OP can log into their account and replace their SIM number with the one in the hands of their friend *, friend puts active new SIM into their own phone and sets up forwarding to OP's Fongo number. Take SIM out of phone (put their own SIM into their phone) and keep it safe until OP is coming back home.

 

 

 

* Disclaimer: I have not done this personally recently, it's based on the assumption that it's still possible to get account intern 2FA sent to e-mail instead of phone number. If it's needed for SIM card switch, that is.

Tryinginvain
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

I’ve been doing this for years! My phone is active. My account is fine, I have a positive account balance. My call fwding was turned on by me before I left Canada (as I do every year). I am not in the US. It worked MANY times on this trip. It is no longer turned on, my only guess is that it was somehow turned off by public mobile. I am aware this is unusual. My phone and SIM card are with me, nobody else turned it off. I don’t know what else to say. I was able to submit a ticket so we’ll see if that helps. 

hTideGnow
Mayor / Maire

HI @Tryinginvain   were you in USA?  If your phone in US and was turned on, PM sim card tried to connect, it will disable call forwarding

 

Also, PM has some voice and forwarding problem last week.  That could be another reason the forwarding was off


@dust2dust wrote:

Public will not turn this off with an active service. We're asking about the account/service. Not the phone. Maybe the autopay failed for whatever reason and your account is suspended.

Adding - Or you're in the states and the sim is in your phone in the states and it got switched on (if it was off) and then it saw a US tower and that affects call forwarding.


I checked my call forwarding settings, and the settings have been erased/disabled and it wasn't by me.  I suspect that the recent calling issues to be a factor here.

Public will not turn this off with an active service. We're asking about the account/service. Not the phone. Maybe the autopay failed for whatever reason and your account is suspended.

Adding - Or you're in the states and the sim is in your phone in the states and it got switched on (if it was off) and then it saw a US tower and that affects call forwarding.

Luddite
Oracle
Oracle

You cannot activate call forwarding without access to the PM network. I do this forwarding to Fongo as well and have never had an issue. 
I assume your PM account is active, so you should able to retrieve voicemail by calling your PM number with Fongo. When you hear the voicemail intro press * and follow the prompts. 


>>> ALERT: I am not a CSA. Je ne suis pas un Agent du soutien à la clientèle.

Tryinginvain
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

My phone is active and with me. I’ve done this the last 3 years! My call fwd’ing was TURNED OFF by public mobile. I need to get it turned back on. 

esjliv
Mayor / Maire

@Tryinginvain - if your phone still ON, do you know?

 

Does anyone have access to it in Canada? Have them check it.

dust2dust
Mayor / Maire

The account needs to remain active. Is it? Are you in the states?

hycm53
Mayor / Maire

@Tryinginvain wrote:

I’ve been out of Canada since Nov. I set up my call fwding to my Fongo number. It has worked SEVERAL times. Today, I needed a call to get a password to log into something. I never got the call so I called my public mobile number. Call forwarding did not work - it has somehow been turned off while I’m out of the country. 

 

How do I get this turned back on? I cannot use my public mobile sim where I am the moment. To be clear, it was on….I did not turn it off and now it has been turned off. I need this turned back on!

 

Thanks


Is your account activated? Did you paid plan when you're outside Canada?

Need Help? Let's chat.