Requesting invoices

[rwchui]

Hi, I remember I used to be able to request a copy of invoices via emailing support. Now I've been told the only way to get a copy of invoices is through the community.

If that's the case, that's very inconvenient. Should there not be an easier way. I can't be the only one that needs invoices as records for income tax purposes...

Can I please get a copy of all invoices that reflect payments made in August 2017 and on until the most recent payment made please. Thank you.

[ShawnC13]

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@rwchui wrote:

So, I did end up switching out of PM into Koodo. The invoice situation wasn't the only reason why, but it certainly didn't help. PM was just not worth the hassle. They got me to switch over when they did the whole scheme of trying to increase my fees but gave me a better deal if I went from PM to Koodo... At least at Koodo, there's no need to worry about invoices ever again!

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Great to hear so you took the early migration offer.  There have been a few more since then and the last one was a great deal.  5GB for $35 or 8GB for $40 and a $180 bill credit

[rwchui]

So, I did end up switching out of PM into Koodo. The invoice situation wasn't the only reason why, but it certainly didn't help. PM was just not worth the hassle. They got me to switch over when they did the whole scheme of trying to increase my fees but gave me a better deal if I went from PM to Koodo... At least at Koodo, there's no need to worry about invoices ever again!

[srlawren]

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@f15eagleger wrote:

I am wondering if this is just an attempt to get us to switch to Koodo. 

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@f15eagleger no, but if you want an invoice effortlessly without asking every month, you might be better served with a post-paid plan at Koodo (or Telus, Virgin, Bell, Fido, or Rogers)

[f15eagleger]

It has taken 2 months of waiting for an invoice with tax info on it from PM. I am wondering if this is just an attempt to get us to switch to Koodo. 

[drmartin]

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@Acekiller wrote:

they are busy finding ways to shut down PM, not improving PM.

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Very interesting conversation.  Was just trying to find out why I am not getting invoices, and I guess I shouldn't expect one.  🙂  For me it's not a problem but it is an interesting predicament others are in!

[dr-et]

sorry Mimmo but i disagree with you,

cant be that difficult to program an automatic email with amount paid send to

the client in printable format.

any computer science second year coder would be able to do it.

regards.

[Acekiller]

they are busy finding ways to shut down PM, not improving PM.

[kyle1911]

@srlawren Renewed for how much and what dates...? I can't use it for proof of expense. 

Whats more frustrating with the process - is the first time I asked they only needed my phonenumber and PIN, second time I need to give them all the details to literally write the invoice.

Definitely going to shop around for a different service... I signed up for PM before I was in a position to expense my cell phone costs.

[dna2016]

@matbasm I agree I think people are going a bit overboard with this.  In order for PM to conduct business in Canada it must meet the minimum regulatory requirements, and when Telus took over PM I'm sure their legal team completed a thorough review prior to the acquisition.   

At the end of the day PM is a self serve company with a focus on being inexpensive.  If they can cut costs anywhere that is legally allowed then they will.  It's a much different story if we request an invoice and they deny the request.  Let's not jump to conclusions calling it illegal unless there is a section in the regulations stating it's required.  If it truly is required then we should hold PM accountable. 

Yes it may be inconvenient, but it is saving on costs which in turn saves the customer money as well (even if it's not very much).  Also look at it from PM side, how many of us even need an invoice for tax purposes, I'm going to assume less than 10% of the customers, so why put money into creating and maintaining an automatic system for that (just saying look at it from a business perspective), I'd make this a "when requested" option as well if it's legal.

[mimmo]

@rwchui  its all good, this idea was brought up several times in the now defunct public lab.  

the "doubt anything will change"  is based on how fast things seem to move at PM.  the password reset took a very very long time to fix (i think its now fixed) don't know the exact time frame and there are many other bugs that have been around for even longer.  It  is clear that PM does not see a need to invest in this issue at the moment. 

 If you really want to take up this cause then private message the moderators and brooke_c and ask them to comment on the topic.  

I do not know of other way to make suggestions for change to the community. 

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@rwchuiwrote:

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@mimmowrote:

@rwchui, @KeithInVan no one is disagreeing with you. Unfortunately the system is set up the way it is and no matter how much we complain I doubt anything will change.

Options/work arounds  have been provided. If they are not viable then...

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This post really wasn't meant to start as a complaint. However, I believe this discussion has ended up bringing up a very valid flaw of the system, so I view this discussion more as a suggestion on how to make things more convenient for customers. I would like to think that PM is open to such suggestions rather than just assuming "I doubt anything will change".

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[srlawren]

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@KeithInVanwrote:

Oh right. That should be good enough for anyone who expenses their phone as part of a company allowance or for CRA deduction purposes.  Sure that will work.

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@KeithInVan you are 100% correct that the text is not CRA friendly.  I never said it was.  What I did do was to quote this from @kyle1911, which is what I was replying to:

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@kyle1911wrote:

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A basic one liner is all that I need, but that is not even available after your payment is made. Not even a confirmation email. 

How do you have proof of purchase? You don't... just hope that they hold up to thier side of the bargain and your phone keeps working. 

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 The text I posted seems like it would cover this requirement.  Just sayin'.

[ EDIT: copy and paste error :)]

[rwchui]

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@mimmowrote:

@rwchui, @KeithInVan no one is disagreeing with you. Unfortunately the system is set up the way it is and no matter how much we complain I doubt anything will change.

Options/work arounds  have been provided. If they are not viable then...

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This post really wasn't meant to start as a complaint. However, I believe this discussion has ended up bringing up a very valid flaw of the system, so I view this discussion more as a suggestion on how to make things more convenient for customers. I would like to think that PM is open to such suggestions rather than just assuming "I doubt anything will change".

[mimmo]

@rwchui, @KeithInVan no one is disagreeing with you. Unfortunately the system is set up the way it is and no matter how much we complain I doubt anything will change.

Options/work arounds  have been provided. If they are not viable then...

[rwchui]

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@KeithInVanwrote:

Oh right. That should be good enough for anyone who expenses their phone as part of a company allowance or for CRA deduction purposes.  Sure that will work.

I apologize for my sarcasm and cynicism.  I simply feel not providing a transaction receipt at time of purchase shocking from a business standpoint.  Anyway, PM's management position is clear.  A previous poster was correct regarding Wind Mobile, they do provide tx receipts, both by email automatically and through website on customer demand, so its apparently not unheard of to give customers a receipt.

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Exactly! Thank you for supporting me on that -- I can't be the only one (or the only few) that need invoices/receipts for business/CRA purposes. Even if we're a minority of their customers, there must be an easier way... such as a simple click of a "Request proof of payment" or something similar when we log into our account to see payment history.

I understand that PM wants to keep operating costs low by not having to generate invoices for everyone, but wouldn't it be more cost efficient to have a simple algorithm/method/auto-generation/etc in place for those who do need an invoice.... rather than having to PM moderators, who then apparently has to submit a specific form to the support team, who then has to create personal invoices and email them individually...? 

[KeithInVan]

Oh right. That should be good enough for anyone who expenses their phone as part of a company allowance or for CRA deduction purposes.  Sure that will work.

I apologize for my sarcasm and cynicism.  I simply feel not providing a transaction receipt at time of purchase shocking from a business standpoint.  Anyway, PM's management position is clear.  A previous poster was correct regarding Wind Mobile, they do provide tx receipts, both by email automatically and through website on customer demand, so its apparently not unheard of to give customers a receipt.

[srlawren]

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@kyle1911wrote:

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  A basic one liner is all that I need, but that is not even available after your payment is made. Not even a confirmation email. 

 How do you have proof of purchase? You don't... just hope that they hold up to thier side of the bargain and your phone keeps working. 

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@kyle1911 although they don't issue an email or a proper receipt, you do get a text notifying you that your AutoPay payment was received and your plan renewed:

[mimmo]

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@rwchuiwrote:

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@mimmowrote:

So your receipt was provided when purchasing the voucher. 

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That means a receipt was still provided at the initial point of payment? In other words, upon taking our payments here, whether it is for a pre-paid or post-paid service, proof of payment received (i.e. recepit/invoice) should still be provided. THe only thing is, no "voucher" is issued. So what is skipped is the "voucher/card/pin activation", not the receipt/invoice itself, correct?

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@rwchuiI was referring to buying the voucher at a store say shell 7-11 etc. that is the only place you can buy vouchers.

I don't disagree with you, and did ask for a receipt feature in the public lab.  Unfortunately PM has decided it is cheaper to manually create receipts upon request than to change their system, which probably means there is not a big demand.

I only have to request receipts 4 times a year so really no big deal. I live within the limitations /parameters of the  service, in order to save some money.  If I needed a receipt immediately I would go to my local shell buy a voucher and be done or I would find a service that fits all my needs.  

Another limitation of the service is calling history /payment history.  I recal users requesting histories that go back a year or further and PM only goes back a limited amount. 

[Luddite]

@KeithInVan In case you want it: " Credit or Visa Debit payments include taxes based on the applicable province of your phone number. GST/HST# 10065 2692, QST# 10029 28058". It's on the Payment page of your account.

Of course, one also has their credit card statement for proof of payment.

Still and all, just one of Public Mobile's quirks. Friendlier than some.

[slavitch]

Drugs?

[Civic_E]

I totally agree we should be e-mailed with a confirmation receipt even if it is pre-paid service. I remember with Wind mobile every time i used online top-up i would get a confirmation email for the transaction.

[kyle1911]

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@matbasmwrote:

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A little bit exaggerated, no?  It's an online system for a service(not a physical product), and they just don't issue detailed receipts  automatically.  No ideal, but hardly qualifies as 'sketchy' to me. 

But, you have the right to your opinion.

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Not any reciept.  A basic one liner is all that I need, but that is not even available after your payment is made. Not even a confirmation email. 

How do you have proof of purchase? You don't... just hope that they hold up to thier side of the bargain and your phone keeps working. 

[rwchui]

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@kyle1911wrote:

I don't know how its considered typical not to provide a reciept for a purchase regardless of the industry. 

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Thank you for your support on this! I'm glad I'm not the only one who think's it's odd that I have to jump through hurdles just to get a receipt or some sort!

[rwchui]

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@mimmowrote:

So your receipt was provided when purchasing the voucher. 

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That means a receipt was still provided at the initial point of payment? In other words, upon taking our payments here, whether it is for a pre-paid or post-paid service, proof of payment received (i.e. recepit/invoice) should still be provided. THe only thing is, no "voucher" is issued. So what is skipped is the "voucher/card/pin activation", not the receipt/invoice itself, correct?

[mimmo]

I am sure I might be corrected.. I agree with you there should be a receipt. but my understanding is the other prepay services also don't give receipts. This might be because they were originally only voucher based. So your receipt was provided when purchasing the voucher. 

These are the current limitations. People will do what they need.

[KeithInVan]

> Easy temp/perminant solution is go to your local shell/7-11 etc any buy vouchers. They will give you a receipt.

Right.  Because it makes total sense for a national cellphone provider to send their valued clients to a third-party for a receipt.  And by the way, many people are porting out already so you don't have to worry about suggesting that option.  I can see why Telus wants to scuttle this now.

[mimmo]

Easy temp/perminant solution is go to your local shell/7-11 etc any buy vouchers. They will give you a receipt.

If that is not a viable solution then asking for an invoice and waiting or switching to a different provider are your remaining options.

[KeithInVan]

I understand your point, however, on EVERY e-commerce system I have used in the past 15 years automatically issues a receipt on payment transaction.   Not getting a receipt is sketchy. What happens if there is a billing error? Whats their GST number?  Whats their official business office address?  It is highly irregular. So yes, this "policy" does annoy me greatly. 

What other things do you not expect receipts for?  How about nothing?

[matbasm]

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@KeithInVanwrote:

I don't expect a receipt when I buy something from Kijiji or Craigslist yet on PM this is somehow considered acceptable. It makes PM feel more sketchy than meeting people in dark alleys at night. 

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A little bit exaggerated, no?  It's an online system for a service(not a physical product), and they just don't issue detailed receipts  automatically.  No ideal, but hardly qualifies as 'sketchy' to me. 

But, you have the right to your opinion.

[KeithInVan]

> You will have to send a message to the moderators to request for a copy of an invoice

This isn't a "solution".  Its a disgrace to flag this as a solution.  Every Canadian consumer has a right to get a reciept upon payment transaction.  Ever notice retail stores ask if we'd like a copy of our reciepts? We have the option to decline them.

I don't expect a receipt when I buy something from Kijiji or Craigslist yet on PM this is somehow considered acceptable. It makes PM feel more sketchy than meeting people in dark alleys at night. 

[kyle1911]

I don't know how its considered typical not to provide a reciept for a purchase regardless of the industry. 

Can you provide an example of any other product or service that is purchased and a reciept is not given? This process is a massive PITA.