Community

Jaimin · ‎09-04-2020

I got some bonus data and minutes in my account. I am wondering if the bonus can stay when I change my plan. Thank you

dabr · ‎09-09-2020

@Catherine_T wrote:
Hi everyone! The bonus data should behave like normal add-ons, with no extra strings attached. I will be flagging this to our Moderator team. Thank you for your patience and feedback!

@Catherine_T Thank you for an important clarification.

Anonymous · ‎09-09-2020

@Catherine_T wrote:
Hi everyone! The bonus data should behave like normal add-ons, with no extra strings attached. I will be flagging this to our Moderator team. Thank you for your patience and feedback!

Thank you @Catherine_T . Can we also make sure the correct terminology is being used. Not bonus, not promo...gift data (and LD). I'm sure your marketing department would call it promo but you present it as gift.

While we have you...your recent flash sale posting says 30 business days. That really ought to be just 30 days wouldn't it?

UFO · ‎09-09-2020

@Catherine_T thank you. And if you would like to know the name of the 3 Mods I talked to, please PM me. I found the entire experiencing very frustrating. All 3 of them sounded so sure of their answers and yet the answers turned out to be incorrect.

Catherine_T · ‎09-09-2020

Hi everyone! The bonus data should behave like normal add-ons, with no extra strings attached. I will be flagging this to our Moderator team. Thank you for your patience and feedback!

darlicious · ‎09-09-2020

*

@UFO

I have downgrading both of my accounts since recieving free gifts from public mobile. My first account recieved the 1gb data add on promo from August 2019. At the time i recieved the 1gb gift I was on the $40/5gb plan. Shortly after recieving it I changed my plan to the $15 plan (my first renewal) and the 1gb data gift remained on my account. The following month I again scheduled a plan change on next renewal and downgraded to the $10 50/50 plan. Again the 1gb data gift remained on my account. 2 plan changes and the gift remained.

The more the merrier campaign at Christmastime gave us the opportunity to purchase for $0 the holiday 400min international calling add on and the holiday 1gb data add on. My bf who was on the $50/8.5gb plan and my second account with the $40/5gb RBC promo 5gb data add on and the account with the $10 50/50 plan "bought" these two add on gifts.

My first account has not been upgraded to a new plan so everything remains the same. The bf scheduled a plan change to the $40/5gb the gifts remained. Subsequently he changed the it again the following month to the $25 plan and the gifts remained until he burned thru his plan data and the data add on by forgetting to turn WiFi back on but the 400min add on remained through out his final plan change to the $15.

My first account has not changed plans but continues to collect gifts. My second account has downgraded from the $40/5gb to the $15 plan. Despite the terms and conditions of the RBC promo stating a plan change would cause the 5gb data add on promo to disappear and a moderator reiterating the t&c the 5gb RBC promo add on remains as do the two "more the merrier" add ons and a pm feedback compensation 1gb data add on recieved before the plan change occurred.

I cannot speak for the recent 5gb data and 1000min add ons since i cant downgrade any further to test it out but i would say you are very safe to change your plan and keep your promotional add ons.

dabr · ‎09-08-2020

@UFO I still think the moderators are getting confused between sign up data bonuses and gifts that PM have given to customers. Those will not be removed upon changing to a different plan and I do believe many customers have changed plans since receiving all these gifts without it affecting those gifts.

You should also ask @Catherine_T for clarification as this information doesn't seem right and is very confusing for customers.

UFO · ‎09-08-2020

@gpixel

you have mentioned that you will change your plan after me so i wanted to get back to you. I have just msged the mod to confirm what will happen to each of my add-ons if i change my plan, they said ALL my add-ons will be gone (even the ones i got from xmas), so i think i will not change my plan if that's the case. I didn't mind losing the 5gb and 1000 CAD mins, but if all my other add-ons will be lost - then that's a problem for me. So i am sorry to disappoint you haha - i won't be downgrading my plan anymore. 😛

This part is for the other PM users:

Based on the previous discussions, I know there is a lot of people not believing the add-ons will be gone, or think PM shouldn't be doing that, or think the mods are not right etc. I am not here to argue, I just don't want people to figure this out AFTER the fact and be frustrated with the situation. This is the 3rd mod that i talked to and their answers are all the same.

So for the general public interest, I am going to copy and pasted my email to them and their response to me below just so everyone is aware of the situation (whether they believe it or not). People can continue to believe what they want to believe - but at least i have done my part to share my knowledge.

---------

Hi there,

I have received some many add-ons from various promotions. These add-ons were given to me by PM for free during xmas or just randomly as promotions. They were NOT associated with any new plan activation bonuses.

You can look at them by going into my account: xxx-xxx-xxxx. My pin is xxxx.

I plan to change my plan from the existing $25 plan to the $15 plan on the next renewal date. Can you please confirm which of these following add-ons will be LOST due to the plan downgrade?

1) Free holiday give away: 1GB add-on

2) Free holiday give away: 400min INTL long distance

3) 1GB promo

4) 5GB one-time data bonus

5) Free 1000 CAD LD mins

Please be specific in your answer. Your answer will determine whether I would want to proceed with the plan change.

Thank you so much.

Hi xxxxxx,

Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Our top priority is to make sure your concerns get addressed properly.

I have reviewed all terms from the promotions you had and on all of them, it states that will be removed in case you replace the plan, then if you want to get back to the same plan, the promotions will not be available.

Also, I see that 1000 CAD LD Mins is not provisioned on the account since they were for plan $15 or less but if you get that plan, you will not get it since the time to redeem the offer has gone.

If you have other concerns, feel free to reach me back.

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

There. Hope it helps someone out there!

Anonymous · ‎09-07-2020

@computergeek541 wrote:

I was thinking that the lack of unlimited minutes would deter people from going all the way down to the $15 plan, forgetting that the 1000 long distance minutes would likely be enough for most people.

If I were just starting in to save money here that $15 plan would be perfect. But I'm on the $10 plan with all the gifts I can use. Just that one little bit with texting. But as I've said before...there are workarounds.

computergeek541 · ‎09-07-2020

@Anonymous wrote:
@gpixel wrote:
on top of all of that, if we can't downgrade how do we use the 1000 min gift?. I think we have our answer now. next renewal I will change. I think I need free data add-on for misinformation!

I will be waiting for a response from Walter...
Who's Walter?
The minutes in the $25 and up plans that came after it turned into a shamozzle have been mentioned many times in the prior threads.

I can only assume that Walter is the name of a moderator.

I was thinking that the lack of unlimited minutes would deter people from going all the way down to the $15 plan, forgetting that the 1000 long distance minutes would likely be enough for most people.

Anonymous · ‎09-07-2020

@gpixel wrote:
on top of all of that, if we can't downgrade how do we use the 1000 min gift?. I think we have our answer now. next renewal I will change. I think I need free data add-on for misinformation!

I will be waiting for a response from Walter...

Who's Walter?

The minutes in the $25 and up plans that came after it turned into a shamozzle have been mentioned many times in the prior threads.

gpixel · ‎09-07-2020

on top of all of that, if we can't downgrade how do we use the 1000 min gift?. I think we have our answer now. next renewal I will change. I think I need free data add-on for misinformation!

I will be waiting for a response from Walter...

Anonymous · ‎09-07-2020

@darlicious

That's why I added my assumption. Assuming of course that the gift acts the same as any add-on. Sure....call those T&C's if you like. It's all within the boundaries of using the service, so of course.

darlicious · ‎09-07-2020

@Anonymous

Mobile providers give gifts all the time that have terms and conditions tied to them but they have to make them clear and easy to understand when you recieve the gift. The best example is a gift card when purchasing/ signing a contract for a new phone. You can return the phone and break the contract within 14 days with no penalty....but you also have to return the gift as well. It's the same basic principal at play here....it was a gift with no terms and conditions attached so you get to keep it unless you change providers or let your account get cancelled.

Anonymous · ‎09-07-2020

@darlicious wrote:
there is no way they had the tech department code them to disappear if you change plans when there were no terms and conditions presented at the time of acceptance.

Why would they have any T&C's? It was a gift! Here you go. Enjoy. End of story.

I do kinda doubt the CCTS would care about a gripe over a gift though. You didn't pay for it. The company wasn't obliged to give it. It wasn't a compensation for anything.

It. Was. A. Gift.

computergeek541 · ‎09-07-2020

@Anonymous wrote:
@computergeek541
And I wouldn't use the term "offer" either in this context.
All we know is that it was handed out as a gift. That word. Not an offer. Not a contract (albeit always implied when dealing with any service provider). No conditions. No provisos. No cautions. You simply don't take gifts back when you never gave any hint of the possibility. Period.

I could argue that it's not really a gift. This is an offer by Public Mobile and incentive for customers to use a service for a set fee. That's a contract. It's not going to go over well if Public Mobile tries to take these bonuses away.

darlicious · ‎09-07-2020

Simply put its an add on they will stay on your account there is no way they had the tech department code them to disappear if you change plans when there were no terms and conditions presented at the time of acceptance. This would go against the WCC legislation and open up other whole can of worms. The moderators need to do their homework there is no excuse for "guessing" or talking authoritatively to have a customer believe you when you just don't know.....its simple public mobile must adhere to the WCC. The moderators should know this or maybe they need to get the quarterly text from pm reminding you about your rights and the CCTS.

Anonymous · ‎09-06-2020

@computergeek541

And I wouldn't use the term "offer" either in this context.

All we know is that it was handed out as a gift. That word. Not an offer. Not a contract (albeit always implied when dealing with any service provider). No conditions. No provisos. No cautions. You simply don't take gifts back when you never gave any hint of the possibility. Period.

computergeek541 · ‎09-06-2020

@Anonymous wrote:

@Catherine_T, @Alan_K , @Tiana_V
Hello folks.
I'm sure you're all having a lovely Labour Day weekend and won't see this until Tuesday but... We're having some discussion about whether the lovely gifts you gave many BC/AB customers (thank you very much) have any strings attached. Your mods seem to be saying that they do. It would be mine and many others opinion and experience that they would not. There has never been any mention of any strings anywhere. Just opt-in and that's it. With the assumption that they would behave as any other Canadian add-on. There may be some confusion of terminology between "gift" and "promo" as well.

Could you please clarify here and with your mods whatever the case may be.

Thank you

I am very doubtful of any such condition, especially after not informing customers of any such before acceptance of the offer through text messaging.

This will end up going very bad for Public Mobile publicity and marketing-wise if they do actually take such bonues away. I fully realize that many are probably joking about temporarily lowering their accounts to $15 or $25 plans temporarily, but Public Mobile should have though about that before making such an offer.

I see the Public Mobile offer as a contract, and Public Mobile being required to abide by it to terms that both it and the customer agreed to. Customers can't agree to something that was never told to them.

gpixel · ‎09-06-2020

seeing the big uproar in 2018, makes me a Belieber! I'll change my plan after UFO 🙂, just in case

Anonymous · ‎09-06-2020

@gpixel wrote:
@UFO guess it looks like I'm not changing... not sure what will happen, but I'm not willing to find out

Thank you very much for authenticating your account and also for your reply, after checking the details of the promotion, I really need to bring to your attention if a plan change takes place you will lose both benefits since keeping the same plan is one of the eligibility criteria of this offer.

I hope you have found this information useful, my best recommendation is spend the bonus data that you have before making a plan change.

@Catherine_T, @Alan_K , @Tiana_V

Hello folks.

I'm sure you're all having a lovely Labour Day weekend and won't see this until Tuesday but... We're having some discussion about whether the lovely gifts you gave many BC/AB customers (thank you very much) have any strings attached. Your mods seem to be saying that they do. It would be mine and many others opinion and experience that they would not. There has never been any mention of any strings anywhere. Just opt-in and that's it. With the assumption that they would behave as any other Canadian add-on. There may be some confusion of terminology between "gift" and "promo" as well.

Could you please clarify here and with your mods whatever the case may be.

Thank you

computergeek541 · ‎09-06-2020

@gpixel wrote:
@UFO guess it looks like I'm not changing... not sure what will happen, but I'm not willing to find out

Thank you very much for authenticating your account and also for your reply, after checking the details of the promotion, I really need to bring to your attention if a plan change takes place you will lose both benefits since keeping the same plan is one of the eligibility criteria of this offer.

I hope you have found this information useful, my best recommendation is spend the bonus data that you have before making a plan change.

Such criteria aren't enforceable as they were never communicated to the customer when making the offer. Doing so with just be bad PR.

gpixel · ‎09-06-2020

@UFO guess it looks like I'm not changing... not sure what will happen, but I'm not willing to find out

Thank you very much for authenticating your account and also for your reply, after checking the details of the promotion, I really need to bring to your attention if a plan change takes place you will lose both benefits since keeping the same plan is one of the eligibility criteria of this offer.

I hope you have found this information useful, my best recommendation is spend the bonus data that you have before making a plan change.

Anonymous · ‎09-06-2020

@UFO

The second mod message says nothing about losing these gifts.

Mods have been known to be wrong on many occasions. It's partly why I would cringe when people report that they asked the mods for some policy clarification. Asking a PM employee like say Catherine or Alan might get a proper truthful answer if they decided to reply. Mods are in a different "class".

I think AE_Collector explained things well.

Add-ons are just add-ons. Like any other add-on. They stay on the account until consumed. Through thick and thin. Plan changes, suspensions, more add-ons.

Unless stated in a promo. These gifts were not a promo. Even then, oddities happen around here.

UFO · ‎09-06-2020

@gpixel That i am not sure. The wording they used was "if you change or cancel your plan". I would assume upgrading is fine - it makes no sense that they take away something from you when you are giving them more money.

mm80 · ‎09-06-2020

@UFO wrote:
The above response didn't really give me the condition/fine prints, however it does seem to hint that the previous Mod's response was correct in that the 5gb (and maybe the 1000 CAD min?) will disappear if you downgrade your plan. Maybe you guys will interpret it differently - but anyway, here is their response!

A gift can't be taken away after being granted to customer. No conditions were imposed on the customer to receive the bonus other than to reply to the text message. If Public Mobile takes said bonus away and refuses to return it, customer files CCTS complaint and wins.

gpixel · ‎09-06-2020

@UFO is it just downgrading you will lose the 5gb? I'm upgrading my plan soon. let's see what happens 😬.

I have a 1gb data add-on, but this free gift is currently being used before the 1gb. maybe that's an indicator?

UFO · ‎09-06-2020

I have promised to post the Mod's response here - so here it is. By the way, it seems that the Mod i was talking to forwarded my email (the email where i asked for conditions/fine prints of the 5gb bonus) to another Mod ... anyway, here it is, word for word, copy and pasted:

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

First, only select customers would receive this offer and congratulations on having these offers, a one-time 1000 Canada-wide minutes and a one-time 5GB of data add-on!

Second, every offer has to meet certain conditions, but they may not be communicated in a text message.

Every company has its right to do so and since this is a gift, a free add-on(s), there is no obligation to communicate all the details in a message. Moreover, to implement any add-on to existing plans requires some constraints due to practical aspects.

Do let me know if my explanations are clear and if there's anything else we can help you with.

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

The above response didn't really give me the condition/fine prints, however it does seem to hint that the previous Mod's response was correct in that the 5gb (and maybe the 1000 CAD min?) will disappear if you downgrade your plan. Maybe you guys will interpret it differently - but anyway, here is their response!

Anonymous · ‎09-04-2020

It's rather discouraging to read mods pulling facts out of their...ears.

Look...regulars here know that oddities happen around here. Official things say one thing but it's not really the case. Or fuzzy, unclear wording for promos.

But gifts??? They're gifts! Why would they have strings attached? (other than needing active service)

(hmm I wonder if having a data-only plan got the 5gb AND the 1000 minutes? hmm 🙂 anybody in the know wanna hazard an answer? )

AE_Collector · ‎09-04-2020

@mm80 wrote:
@UFO wrote:
Yes that is what i am referring to.

And Mod is telling me that it won't stay if you change or cancel your plan. I copy and pasted Mod's answer (in quote above) word for word above.
Don't believe everything you read. Add-ons are there to stay until you use them.

It isn’t quite that simple. There were add-ons including one for 5Gb of data that were given as new customer sign up perks with the wording that any change to the persons plan would forfeit the remainder of the add-on. This was basically because the person had to sign up for a $35 or higher plan as a new customer to get the bonus add-on. For some odd reason the made it so you couldn’t CHANGE plans at all. I would have said you either couldn’t lower your plans cost or you couldn’t lower it below the original $35/30 day requirement but that isn’t the way they worded it.

Clearly right now we are talking about the very recent 5Gb gifts that were handed out so the moderator is getting these confused with the previous 5Gb add-on that was a new customer promo. But my point is that saying add-ones will never be lost by changing plans is not correct.

These current 5Gb/1000 minute add-ons will not be lost through any plan changes.

AE_Collector

UFO · ‎09-04-2020

Yes, I also received the 1000 mins along with 5GB data.

From everyone's comments, it seems like the moderator is mistaken afterall. But again, for those that REALLY need the 5GB data, it is safer to confirm with a Mod before switching....JUST in case.

For my case, I am home all the time nowadays so the 5gb data is good to have but not a must for me.

Community

Regarding one-time bonus data