PM should really do a better job at explaining the provincial calling and the LD add-on

[bryanbreguet]

With a lot of new customers flooding to PM (just look at the thread on RFD), you really realize how unclear the provincial calling only is. And the LD add-on as well. About half the question on RFD is about that and I remember I was confused as well when I switch this summer.

I'm also not sure why PM insists on this provincial calling only. Are they really saving that much money? It seems a little bit overcomplicated for no good reason.

Anybody has a super easy to understand page or table explaining these two things? I think it should be a sticky post somewhere...

[daredogg]

I agree @Chaos_Scorpio that people should use search. I posted in this thread yesterday that it took less than five minutes to find posts on adding add-ons and one that explains what province-wide calling is. The duplicate posts on here can be annoying, but I was even more peeved off when reading the thread on RFD. The same questions are asked every 2nd page.

Hope you don't take too long of a vacation from the forums as you've obviously made a difference here with 262 bravos received!

[Chaos_Scorpio]

Why oh why do these threads exsist... People are just LASY to read the footnotes on the plans. it is explaned all there ... or use SEARCH as there are thousands of posts for the same thing (sorry I am angry this morning. too many duplicates everywhere... I might just take a break from the PM forums until people learn to read... might be a long vacation though. because who is going to read this?)

#2 is for province plan. Pretty clear to me. 

1. Taxes are extra. The account must have enough service credits to cover the total cost each month.
2. Includes outgoing calls you make anywhere in Canada to a number with an area code in the same province, and incoming calls you receive while you are in your home province. A long distance talk add-on is required to receive incoming calls while you are outside your home province.
3. Includes text and picture messaging. Premium and subscription-based messages are not included. Picture messaging on BlackBerry smartphones requires the BlackBerry 10 operating system.
4. Data usage is rounded up each session to the nearest 10KB. Data service on BlackBerry smartphones requires the BlackBerry 10 operating system.
5. Add-ons are available for use only with an active plan. Long distance add-ons require a monthly talk feature on the rate plan.
6. 10-day plans are not eligible for Rewards.

[thymaster]

The Add-ons long distance minute is easily misinterpreted by many people. PM should not use terms like roll over or next billing cycle because people assumed it's a monthly add-on that whatever LD minute you don't use, it gets rolled over and the minutes gets accumulated over time. I'm sure this is not the intention but this is where a lot of people are confused.

Discription should be like... 'Prepay 200 LD anytime minutes, no expiry date. Or top up 200 anytime LD minutes as you go.'

[ute1978]

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@Luddite wrote:

@ute1978 Perfect. 👍👍

You may wish to show all the times time is deducted from the add-on, not only Incoming calls are deducted from your add-on.

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Thanks, corrected.

[Luddite]

@ute1978 Perfect. 👍👍

You may wish to show all the times time is deducted from the add-on, not only Incoming calls are deducted from your add-on.

[bryanbreguet]

I think your table is now correct. Good job.

[ute1978]

deleted

[ute1978]

I see my post with the graphic dispeared 😞

Is it against some conditions?

Here the updated graphic. 

 

[ute1978]

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@bryanbreguet wrote:

Sorry, second reply: without the LD add-on, you CAN receive calls from anywhere as long as you are in your home province. So you should remove the last line of the "while in your home province/No LD add-on" in your table.

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Not quite following logically.

[ute1978]

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@bryanbreguet wrote:

One mistake I believe: without the LD addon, while outside of the home province, you can't receive ANY call. This is my understanding.

Edit: look here, it seems I'm right.

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Corrected and updated.

[bryanbreguet]

Sorry, second reply: without the LD add-on, you CAN receive calls from anywhere as long as you are in your home province. So you should remove the last line of the "while in your home province/No LD add-on" in your table.

[bryanbreguet]

One mistake I believe: without the LD addon, while outside of the home province, you can't receive ANY call. This is my understanding.

Edit: look here, it seems I'm right.

[ute1978]

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@srlawren wrote:

@ute1978 excellent graphical presentation of the info here:

http://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Plans-Add-Ons/What-is-Province-wide-calling/m-p/2404#M....  

I believe this to be the correct explanation.

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Thanks, I already added info and corrected the graphic, but I still think something is missing.

[srlawren]

@ute1978 excellent graphical presentation of the info here:

http://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Plans-Add-Ons/What-is-Province-wide-calling/m-p/2404#M....  

I believe this to be the correct explanation.

[bryanbreguet]

Looking around, I actually think the two links you posted in your initial reply are by far the best explanation. They should just be more visible. In particular, I think PM should put a link on their page about that, because the little footnote you get is really not enough.

[daredogg]

Go for it... but I'd say let's get one of the oracles involved, because they seem to have a pretty good grasp on how things work around here. @Luddite @srlawren @imm1304 Is it possible to send private messages to multiple people to work out the details?!  Either that, or we just use this discussion thread to work it out, before creating new "official" postings.

[daredogg]

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@ute1978 wrote:

The basics are clear. But nowhere I can find an official statement from PM about the problem if you are outside of the province that incoming calls will be deducted from your add on.

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@ute1978 I guess it's implied because you're roaming, but I see what you're saying, that you can't find it. I guess the real determining factor is to try it out and see what happens.

[bryanbreguet]

I'm gonna try to do it but I'm afraid indeed that I won't be able to list everything correctly!

Edit: seems to me that this should simply be stickied here: http://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Plans-Add-Ons/What-is-Province-wide-calling/m-p/2404

[ute1978]

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@daredogg wrote:

@bryanbreguet then maybe a few of us need to take initiative and make a post that explains these things, having it pinned to the top. That's what @alexzxn did creating step-by-step instructions for existing users to get the new plan. He took initiative and his post has had nearly 800 views!

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Agreed! But it has to come from a PM member who is 1000% sure how it works.

[daredogg]

@bryanbreguet then maybe a few of us need to take initiative and make a post that explains these things, having it pinned to the top. That's what @alexzxn did creating step-by-step instructions for existing users to get the new plan. He took initiative and his post has had nearly 800 views!

[ute1978]

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@daredogg wrote:

I saw @imm1304's name on the RFD forum, and I think you said @ute1978 that you've been also posting on there.

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Yes, I type and type and try to explain and help with questions. But this specific question comes two or three times per page. And there are already 70 pages of comments....

[ute1978]

The basics are clear. But nowhere I can find an official statement from PM about the problem if you are outside of the province that incoming calls will be deducted from your add on.

[bryanbreguet]

Yes I have. I have been trying to help people there as well.

[daredogg]

I saw @imm1304's name on the RFD forum, and I think you said @ute1978 that you've been also posting on there.

I don't really understand why people don't get the provincial calling! I think it's quite straightforward... DON'T LEAVE YOUR PROVINCE! j/k

[bryanbreguet]

I understand that. That wasn't my point or my specific question there.

[daredogg]

@bryanbreguet if you don't leave your home province, you don't have to worry... making local calls are ALWAYS free no matter where you are. When you're out of your home province, that's when you need a LD add-on if you want people to still be able to phone you.

[bryanbreguet]

That's fair, people are sometimes lazy. Still, when that many people keep asking the same question, then maybe it is indeed not that clear. The blame is shared definitely. But from PM's point of view (as a business), I truly think they should try to make it simpler.

[daredogg]

I hear what you're saying about this information being front-and-centre, but if you sift through the main announcement post for this promotion you'll find the answers to what you're asking. These questions have been answered and explained probably a dozen times.

For Add-ons, there's already a KB document that explains... All about our Plans and Add-ons

Scroll down to What Add-ons can I purchase?

For provincial calling, refer to this one... What is Province wide calling?

It took me 5 minutes to search for both of those threads and to reply to your message. But I do understand that sometimes people don't know what they're actually searching for, so it's easier just to ask.

[bryanbreguet]

It is really weird. Especially the part where, if you live in BC and have a BC number, and you are currently in Ontario, then you can call Ontario numbers... and only receive phone calls from Ontario numbers!

By the way, in this situation, if I don't have a LD add-on, this is my understanding I would not receive a call from BC. In this case, what would the caller hear? That my phone is not reachable?

[ute1978]

Totally agree. Hundreds of questions on the RFD forum to this "provincial calling and add on" issue which I myself still don't understand after being a PM customer for 6 months now.