Public Mobile is overstating my data use by 10x

[soaringhawk]

I want to make this post as short as possible, but it won't be easy. I am sure we've all had issues with our respective mobile carrier. Like many Canadians, I have been always been alert to save money and get a better deal. Over the last 25 years I’ve been with many different carriers, and here in BC specifically, I have been off and on with Telus, Rogers, and Fido. Six months ago, however, I made the switch to Public Mobile, to try their system out. While no carrier has scored very high in terms of value or service, my experience with Public Mobile the first example of what appears to be outright fraud, or if not that, just complete and utter ineptness.

My wife and I are on a three month prepaid plan with Public Mobile, but every time our account has renewed, there has been problems. For example, in a recent renewal period, my wife’s data plan didn’t recharge despite payment, and it took me complaining several times to acknowledge the error, after which they finally did credit her account with the 6 GB we paid for.

Recently, while I was traveling, my 6 GB data plan ran out in only a few weeks after renewing. I am not a power user by any stretch, and consistently use no more than 2 GB/month. Thus it was a shock for me to see that Public Mobile was telling me I used up 5+ GB in less than three weeks. This problem was compounded by errors in their online account system, wherein my password had been "changed," but often as not, the system wouldn’t even let me login to reset it. Even when I was able to login, to review my data usage, that particular page was blank. And through it all, I sent many messages to Public Mobile's Team_Moderator informing them of my issues, each time getting a new moderator to whom I had to re-explain my predicament. However, each time I pitched my case, each new person to answer my query absolutely insisted that I used up all my data in only a few weeks.

There was no way for me to independently prove that there was an error because I didn’t have an app installed to track my data use. I remedied this in the last week of March, and added an app to my phone called “Traffic Monitor”. While I have being trying to resolve this issue with Public Mobile, on Thursday, April 29, one of their Team Moderators named Mary_M said she would add 1 GB of data to my account as a courtesy. Actually, it looked to me like 2 GBs were added to my account. Nonetheless, since that time I have been able to track and compare what the app on my phone is telling me about my data use, versus what Public Mobile states in my account. Please refer to the following image:

https://i.imgur.com/WsyW2wF.jpg

According to Public Mobile, by Sunday April 1st 2018, I had used 1218.706 MB since Mary_M added a 2GB to my account as a courtesy, with only 829.294 MB remaining. Considering that I barely used my cell data during this time, something seemed very fishy. Sure enough, when I looked at what the Traffic Monitor app was telling me, there was a huge discrepancy. From Thursday March 29 through April 1, the app told me I had used only 166.5 MB, which was consistent with my actual usage. If you compare this with what you look at how much data Public Mobile has said I have used, it over-stated my data usage by a factor of 10.

Throughout this time, Public Mobile has refused to acknowledge any kind of error, telling me I needed to buy more data. But as this proves, there is a serious problem with Public Mobile overstating my data use, and they have done nothing to remedy this problem, continuing to insist that I am misusing my phone, and not accounting for my data use.

Suffice it to say, I have had it with this company. I have filed a complaint with the CCTS, and am cancelling my account with Public Mobile today. Never have I used a carrier that is so buggy, inept, and fraudulent as Public Mobile. Based on my experience, I am warning all of you to stay away from Public Mobile. For me, it’s not about the money (although $30 for one GB add-on data is ludicrous), so even though I am losing money by cancelling my account, I will feel better not using Public Mobile.

My advice: stay away from Public Mobile, please!

Ok, thanks for reading. Good luck to all of you

[soaringhawk]

and i am not sure about my recent trip to NYC, where i bought and used a 3GB T-mobile sim card and was on it pretty much constantly, figuring out the subway and watching netflix without wifi - if cell data stats aren't cleared when the SIM card is changed out, then my data use with PM is even less

btw, yes when it comes to dealing with CCTS I am a TOTAL NEOPHYTE - i have never, ever had to resort to such measures with any cell phone company in the US or Canada, period!!!

[GreatCanadian]

Public mobile is overstating your data usage 10x, and a separate monitoring app is also overstating your data usage 10x. Have I got that correct . 

[soaringhawk]

Here is further evidence. The last time I reset my phone was late March of 2017, and I have only used 26.1 GB data. PM is telling me I used 25% of that in three weeks. The other app is also showing overstating data use by 10x.

[soaringhawk]

Here is the cell data usage on the phone for the last year. PM is stating i used 25% of my data in three weeks. explain this

[will13am]

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@soaringhawkwrote:

Good for you. Maybe I am just unlucky, but its been nothing but troubles. And, the CCTS agrees with me, that's why they have approved my case against Public Mobile:    

"We have received your complaint 00000000851961 and hereby advise you that your complaint falls within the scope of our mandate and will be processed in accordance with our Procedural Code, which can be found at..."

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Are you a neophyte with CCTS complaints?  When they say that the complaint falls within the scope of their mandate, it does not mean you have won your case.  It just means that the scope of their mandate allows them to review your complaint and provide a ruling.  When you get the actual ruling, please report back the results.  We can discuss further from there.

[GreatCanadian]

I'm not trying to silence anyone. You can say what you wish. But as a Public Mobile consumer, I can defend the product if I wish.  All I stated is that PM has been great for me, and that I believe the eventual findings of your case will show that you used the data. You've made note of my usernane? Lol, that's funny  Why the heck would anyone care about my username  But fill your boots, doesn't matter to me.

So, it's ok for you to post your experience with Public Mobile. But if I post mine I'm a shill, employee, cheerleader, etc. Interesting.

[mimmo]

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@soaringhawkwrote:

ps - thanks re: private info, i have PM the moderator

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just edit your post and remove the image and upload a modified one.   

I can not speak to your specific case, but I  have to say that my personal experience is similar to others here that my data usage on the server and on my phone are typically spot on.  

It would be interesting to know how your data usage goes on the new network that you choose.   

[soaringhawk]

I do accuse them being fraudulent - after they deny any problem or validate my experience in any way - yes - that is misrepresenting their service, and therefore fraudulent. I didn't just make that claim without providing evidence, which you have not acknowledged.

[soaringhawk]

yeah i am full LTE - thanks for confirming my experience

[soaringhawk]

no the data wasn't working... but considering that all my data suddenly got used up w/o explanation, can you see why i would want to check?  it's not like my account "disappears" - the whole purpose of having this ability to check data use is to access the history - if not, it's bad software otherwise

[mimmo]

@soaringhawk  your image shows your phine number you might want to edit it out.  

out of curiosity

• was your data working when you saw no data usage (as per your screenshot)  that usually means that the data was used up.
• were you on tle Full LTE or 3g, as you might know there were issues with teh 3G plans not resetting properly.

[soaringhawk]

see attached evidence - you can't make this stuff up

while there may be some difference in how data is calculated between the (highly rated) app i installed vs the server side, there is NO way there should be a discrepancy of 10x - the app is tracking the actual data that is being used by the cell service - just look at the image i posted - look and read and think

in the end, you're not stating any kind of possible technical issue, you're just trying to slience someone that hasn't had the experience you "profess" to have, that things are all peechykeen here at Public Mobile

I began by stating that my wife and I have both had issues EVERY single renewal period - some glitch, or failure to properly reactivate, suspending the actual use of the phone, not to mention the unacceptable delay i had porting my old number (from Telus, no less) to PM when I first signed up

so anyway, your doubtful statement and mischacterizations do not seem honest or transparent, sorry - you're clearly cheerleading, the only reason is why?

i have made note of your username. can you answer honestly if you are a PM employee or from a PR firm..? or maybe just admit that you're someone that at the very least has been exceptionally lucky

this isn't a diatribe - this is an observation: i see now why PM is soooo much cheaper than koodo or Telus - it has nothing to do with the actual network, it's the company itself

very little in the way actual service, buggy software, and inexperienced employees...

maybe you're not an employee or a "shill", and maybe this isn't fraud, but i will not deny my experience with PM

after 20+ years of using cell service i give PM a honest score of 3/10

you might deny the fraudlentand IMHO estimation after using cell phone companies for 20+ years

[GreatCanadian]

Diatribe, by your definition, is a very appropriate description of your post. You attacked public mobile and accused them of being fraudulent. And advised the rest of us to leave. That's more than just stating your case  It was, uh, yeah, a diatribe. 

[soaringhawk]

also, for several weeks the data wasn't even posted on that page, see attached

I have several other screenshots of various error messages from the PM website - EXTREMELY buggy in my experience

[GreatCanadian]

Fair? Whats not fair about it. And I don't see how you'd let it bother anyway. As for your case, my guess is that the findings will show that you actually used the data . 

[soaringhawk]

how can you characterize my post as a "diatribe" ? 

you need to look up that word in your dictionary, i.e. "a forceful and bitter verbal attack against someone or something"

i was simply stating my experience and a providd a warning

[soaringhawk]

btw, how is it fair that team moderators can like such replies?

[soaringhawk]

yes, I know that - thanks anyway

[soaringhawk]

So maybe I am just unlucky?

[soaringhawk]

Good for you. Maybe I am just unlucky, but its been nothing but troubles. And, the CCTS agrees with me, that's why they have approved my case against Public Mobile:    

"We have received your complaint 00000000851961 and hereby advise you that your complaint falls within the scope of our mandate and will be processed in accordance with our Procedural Code, which can be found at..."

[Luddite]

@soaringhawk If you use iPhones be sure WiFi Assist is turned off, otherwise you may be using cellular data even while on wifi.

[mimmo]

@soaringhawk sorry to hear about your troubles, typically mods manage to resolve most problems. 

The only issue I have with the post is the part about the price of extra data. Yeah it might be high but other carriers ie koodo bell etc charge around 7$/100 mb or $70/GB so if the 30$/GB is ludicrous not sure what word I would use for the other carriers.

[will13am]

@soaringhawk, I too disagree with your diatribe.  The data monitor that tracks the data usage in your accunt is the same one that tracks data usage for all customers.  If what you say has any bit of merit, then many of us would be seeing the same issue.  I have been with this service for about a year and a half.  The data monitor on my phone is generally in very good agreement with the usage shown in my account.  From time to time, people like you come here and rant about the data monitor being totally in error.  At the end of the day, there is never any agreement shown by other customers.  This can only mean one thing, you used up the data.  Just because you can't account for it, that doesn't mean it didn't happen.

[GreatCanadian]

Sorry, cannot take your advice. PM has been smooth sailing for me. 

GC