Payment Problems and I’m upset

[Marth2]

I am trying to activate my account with public mobile after leaving a different carrier that was charging me way too much. No matter how I enter my payment details, it rejects it. I’ve tried all my cards and all the details are entered correctly so please don’t patronize me by telling me to make sure I entered the info correctly. I did. Chat support takes for ever to answer and will not actually offer any help. Then I find out they don’t bother answering the phone. Is this how it’s really going to be? :(. I’m so tired of being jerked around my phone companies and not getting what I pay for. Or not even getting the opportunity to use an affordable service. Do I really have to reach out to the support community just to get help with a very basic problem? That’s not very helpful or efficient. I hope this isn’t the way this company always operates because I already feel discarded by them. Can somebody please help me with this payment problem? I have entered the info correctly and I have the funds to make the payment on all my cards. It just won’t work. Please help 😞

[hTideGnow]

hi @Marth2 

sorry they just updated the link 

it should be this one

https://expert-messaging.publicmobile.ca/guest/chat/

[Marth2]

Here’s what I see when I click the link you provided:

“click here for our help page” gives me the same explanation as every bot I’ve spoken to.  

submitting a ticket does. Not. Work. 

Submitting a ticket does not work. 
submitting a ticket does not work. 
submitting a ticket does not work. 

I won’t say it again. 

[hTideGnow]

hi @Marth2 then it is a simple thing.  Use Expert Messaging!!  You can submit it from My Account using a browser (best way!!), and here are all the ways :

• My Account on a browser: click Message Centre on the left pane to "Start a Chat"
• Public Mobile App : Go to Support tab, click "Chat with an Agent", and "Start a chat"
  (If unable to receive 2FA SMS, click "Didn't Receive Code" or "Resend Code" and Select "Send Email" or Send Voice Message)     

If you cannot access My Account/PM app, use this link:  https://widget.telus.tiia.ai/publicmobile/publicmobile.html 
please use the same Community account login you are using now to login and submit ticket

[Marth2]

I’ve done exactly what you all say to do and I get this nonsense in response 

The CSA agent is literally telling me that they’re not gonna help and the messaging system is not supported by the team. The rest is the same AI BS about submitting a ticket (which I’ve done a number of times and nobody is answering). I don’t know if public mobile is worth this much hassle if I’ll be dealing with this every month when I try to pay the **bleep** bill. 

[hTideGnow]

hi @Marth2 

if you replied them, they will reply for other suggestions and get your issue resolved.   Or ask them to escalate further 

We are just customers and we helped as much as we can.  But if you like, you can post screenshots of what you asked, what they answered and maybe we can help after we see what suggested (of course , remember to hide any personal info)

[Marth2]

Do you genuinely think I haven’t let them know that the solutions don’t work? That’s why I’m here asking for more help. These “live” people are only giving automated canned responses that I can find in the FAQ page. Can you address this in your next reply and stop wasting my time please? Everyone is just repeating the same BS which IS NOT WORKING. THAT IS WHY I AM ASKING FOR HELP. 

[hTideGnow]

hi @Marth2  @CSA_PM and @CS_Agent are PM staff , LIVE person,  and only thry can see your messages. Your messages with them are private.   Others who replied on this Community forum are just Community members and won't be able to see your private messages with CS_agent or CSA_PM in the Community inbox or Expert Messaging.  We, Community members, only see the posts you made in this Community forum.   

So, Please kindly reply  CS_agent or CSA_PM using Community message system or Expert Messaging if you really want to resolve the problem.  If what they suggested and it didn't work, reply them there and let them know.  That is a direct, private messaging system

And we said many times, those have been working with you and replying you are not AI.  You don't seem to understand the fact and put your focus on the wrong place.  

[Marth2]

They sent me the same AI generated response I’ve been getting for 18 hours which is no help. Submitting a ticket gets me another AI agent. 

why are you able to see my messages? Are they not private?

[CSA_PM]

Hello @Marth2 ,

I can see that an agent has already been assisting you and is currently waiting for your response. Please check your inbox and reply to their latest message so they can continue working on your case and help resolve the issue.

https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/notes/privatenotespage 

[Marth2]

So people are working for free in the community forum so that PM (aka Telus) can continue functioning. Without this forum it would literally be a dumpster fire. I know everything you’ve said about the ticket charade with the “live” agent, but the “live” agent who claims to be a “real person” is also very obviously AI. I also found someone in real life who confirmed to me that literally everyone you speak to within PM is AI, with the exception of customers. So I’d really like if we could all just be honest here. And stop telling me about the **bleep** ticket process because it gave me AI while it tried to claim to be a real person. Stop lying. 

[Dunkman]

---

@Marth2 wrote:

Are you a customer or do you work for PM? Why is this forum so strange? Can you please get that person to answer the other messages I sent them 14 hours ago now? Why is this such a circus? Why do I need to do this to get any help?

---

@Marth2 

I am a just a customer with more experience and have some extra community responsibilities and duties. Customer service agents don't work overnight, so hopefully, you will get some response this morning. 

Public mobile's customer service model is different from other mobile companies. This community forum is manned by customers like yourself, who volunteer to help other fellow customers. We help trouble shoot issues but have no access to customer's account. When customers need CSA intervention, then they need to submit a ticket for CSA help.  The chatbot is AI assisted to help customers, but CSAs are actual humans that respond to tickets. However, it is a slower process.  It is not a live chat system.  It will take some time in between responses.  This model reduces costs for the company so then they can offer "cheaper" plans to customers.  

[Marth2]

PM Agent is AI and hasn’t responded to me since yesterday. This forum is extremely strange and you all seem like AI. Can you please just be honest and tell me whether to expect this kind of experience from public mobile going forward because I need to make a decision. I would really really appreciate if you could ALL stop beating around the bush and wasting my time. 

[slusagm]

@Marth2 you replied PM agent? Then please continue to work with them 

And this forum is not strange, customers just try to help as well 

[Marth2]

Are you a customer or do you work for PM? Why is this forum so strange? Can you please get that person to answer the other messages I sent them 14 hours ago now? Why is this such a circus? Why do I need to do this to get any help?

[Marth2]

I’ve never seen an actual person’s name in the chat. I created a ticket and was told a real person would help me. Two hours later I got an AI response summarizing the same **bleep** that’s on the FAQ page. CAN ANYONE HELP ME GET IN CONTACT WITH A HUMAN BEING!? Don’t tell me to make a ticket because I did and I still got AI. I just want to setup my account. I cannot believe how poorly this is run. 

[Marth2]

It can work for simpler questions, but it really doesn’t know how to answer more specific problems, I find that’s the way with most AI used by most businesses. Also, they use it to replace people when it isn’t nearly as reliable as a person. It takes away peoples’ jobs at a certain point. It’s better for businesses to be upfront when they’re using it in their support system. 

[hTideGnow]

hi @Marth2 

we are just customers. But as far as we know, it only the Chatbot part is AI.  Customer support replies are from real live person, person with names and from. traditional call center 

And even with AI, AI is not bad, why discriminate AI?

[Marth2]

Please give me a straight answer about how much this company uses AI. 

[Marth2]

It is absolutely unreasonable to wait 2 hours for an AI response. It is clearly AI. Maybe waiting for a real person for that amount of time would make sense, but not for an AI response. The message I received privatelyis useless because the person who spoke to me clearly didn’t actually read what my problem is and did not address anything regarding it. So the mediocrity (it’s much worse than that actually) continues. 

[hTideGnow]

hi @Marth2 honest, 1 or 2 hours is not unreasonable. Sometimes you call to a call center and will be on hold for the same time too.  With this system, you will have SMS or email alert, so don't need to tie up beside the phone. 

And , Agent already sent you messages, please check your inbox 

[CSA_PM]

Hi
I sent you a private message. 

[Marth2]

1-2 hour standard response time is ***** dismal. That’s insane. If there’s no **bleep** phone number, live chat is the least they can do. This is such an utter failure of customer service. Genuinely how can they pass this off as service? And Can you (OR ANYONE) please give me a straight answer about how much the company uses AI? Because everything I’ve encountered seems like AI. I know it’s impossible to avoid at this point since corporations are disgusting scum, but I’m not into that. I will not be talking to robots every time I need help with something. And it seems I’m gonna need a lot of help on a regular basis based on the way this carrier functions. 

[Dunkman]

@Marth2 

Unfortunately, bad timing for your situation. Public customer service recently changed platforms for their ticketing system.  There are still some issues that need to be resolved. There is no call centre or live chat feature. From your previous post, you did submit a ticket.  It will take up to 1-2 hours for response. 

I did try to escalate your previous post to CSA_PM who may private message you directly. 

PS. I will combine this new post to your original post. 

[Marth2]

Been trying for two hours to get in contact with a real person in chat or otherwise. Every “person” I speak to is clearly AI. Can someone tell me if this company functions primarily with AI service? Because I’m having terrible trouble activating my account and if I find out it’s all AI, I’m just going to go elsewhere. Because that is disgusting. 

[Marth2]

Businesses should NOT be going that direction because it results in very poor service and drives customers away. At this point, I’m only here for the affordability because they clearly put NO priority on actually serving people. And that’s a very stupid way to operate as a business. I’m not going to run an obstacle course just to get my phone running. I should be able to simply pay and move on. This is so dumb. 

[Marth2]

I’m doing literally everything you’re saying and it’s not working because this is an AI company it seems. 

[Marth2]

I actually opened a ticket and I have proof of it in my email. They’re just being useless bots and not answering a **bleep** thing I send. I do not believe one bit that it’s a real person on the other end. 

[Marth2]

As stated, I’ve tried multiple different payment methods and I’m running into the same problem. I am entering the info correctly and it simply won’t accept it. I just want to activate my phone number! I shouldn’t have to jump through flaming hoops and wait 24 hours and go buy a voucher and all that nonsense. They offer payment by card but it clearly has technical problems. Why don’t they fix those problems? I’m currently in a chat with a “real person” who hasn’t answered or even begun typing anything for nearly half an hour. This is just a very frustrating and dumb mess. Leaving a terrible impression and I’m not even officially a customer yet. I’d love to have an affordable plan but if they can’t offer real help, real people, or a real phone number to call, why the **** should I choose them? I’m so frustrated and haven’t even begun the service. It should not be this difficult and painstaking. Fix some of these bloody problems, PM. 

[slusagm]

You actually opened ticket or just using Chatbot? Did you use try new Expert Messaging?

And what help you were trying to get? Share and maybe we can help (Community members here are all real people, real PM customers 🙂 )

Fyi, this is how to open ticket:

Simply open ticket with PM using Expert Messaging. Click the Orange Chatbot icon on the lower right to start, or use this link https://expert-messaging.publicmobile.ca/guest/chat/

 (Use your Community account to login. For 2FA, you might need to use email to receive if you cannot receive the text on the phone.) 

PM will reply you via Expert Messaging between 9AM-10PM EST (Mon-Sun)

(for help with Expert Messaging, check here: https://publicmobile.ca/en/get-help/articles/expert-messaging )  

[slusagm]

Public Mobile system is glitchy sometimes.  When it can't debit using the card, it is best to wait at least 24 hours before you try again.  Since you are activating, it might be best to use a different card and use a different email address and try again. And remember to use PM app to subscribe.  If you already using the app, also, if is better to uninstall and reinstall