Self-service renewal feature ETA?

[Hyliac]

Hello,

I'm sorry if this has come up before, I tried to use the search for this and my exact question didn't come up. 

Is there anything in the works for allowing users to manually renew their plans through the self service area of the site? I go through data fairly regularly as I have a very long commute and I find it to be quite the bother having to come on here and message the mod team and wait for my request to go through (currently waiting on one at the moment).

I find it super odd that a company that does a great job of cutting out the customer service aspect of phone plans doesn't offer this to their customers. Is there a reason for this other than trying to incentivize users to purchase the data add ons?

Had I not come on here and searched about this when it first happened I would have been out of data and frustrated over my lack renewal options, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels like this is a weird oversight. Even from a moderator's perspective this would cut out the renewal requests and free up more of their time to assist customers with actual issues.

What am I missing here?

[stonechucker]

@Hyliac,

The add-on data I mentioned in my previous reply are full 200 MB or 1 GB data, that is only used if the regular 'plan data' is no longer available.  Buying either of the addons will add data at that time, and any unused data from the addon will be available in the future, if 'plan data' is fully used on any future cycle.

Also, there is currently one plan that is a bit more expensive than what you're currntly on, but would provide 6GB of data per 30 days. The 90-day, province wide calling, global texting, and 12+6 GB of (3G speed) data plan would work out after AutoPay discount to $48 per 30 day.  The plan would be 90 day prepaid, at $150-(3 x $2) AutoPay reward + taxes.

[Hyliac]

@Luddite thank you for the links, this is as much info as I think we're going to to get for now.

Sucks that they don't seem to be open to discussing it, but I guess if they want to put that on the mods it is what it is for now. 

[Luddite · Accepted solution]

They have rejected "true" pay as you go. The feature you would like has been requested in the Public Lab with no response.

https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Public-Lab/Early-Renewal/idi-p/78666

https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Public-Lab/Add-ability-in-self-serve-system-to-renew-...

[Hyliac]

I hear what you Oracle's are saying when you tell me that it's not pay as you go, but it does function in an almost identical way. At least it's near identical to the pay as you go options out here in BC. I know as I came from a pay as you go plan to Public Mobile as it really is just a better version of that plan system.

I'm really just trying to get more information on this regading why it is this way and whether there is something in the works to add this in. Just because something isn't a feature now doesn't mean that it isn't worth talking about or potentially adding in at a future time.

Replying with that this isn't the way it is isn't helpful, we all know this. Someone said PM rejected this idea, why did they do this and does anyone have a link to that post/article? 

Right now it seems the the answer simply is to sell more data add ons, and I was hoping the community could have better answers/reasons to support this decision.

[will13am]

Public Mobile is prepaid.  It is different from pay as you go.  Pay as you go is always prepaid.  Prepaid does not have to be pay as you go.  I hope I said this correctly.

[Luddite]

PM is not pay as you go. They have also rejected the idea. 

[Hyliac]

I understand what you are saying, but I'm still not sure why this is the case.

Public Mobile functions very similar to a pay as you go type phone service from my experience and I personally think that's why it's incredibly innovative. Pay as you go users can top up their plans as needed whenever they like without jumping through hoops.

I get that this isn't the case right now with Public Mobile, but why is this? Why is this a "good will gesture" rather than a option for customers?

[Acekiller]

Both sides have valid arguement. can't really say who's right and who's wrong.

[will13am]

@Hyliac, for 30 day plans the most data rich option is 4 + 2 gig bonus 3G data speed.  For full speed data, it is 5 gigs.  For the 90 day plans, the limits are identical when normalized to 30 days.  The early renewal you have been doing is a goodwill thing.  That is why you have to engage the moderator team.  They are not mandated to do the early renewal, it is purely goodwill.  If this was a pay after service, there would not even be an option to early renew.  You go straight to overage charges. 

[Hyliac]

I feel like that's a pretty poor way of doing business if that's the case then. The data add ons do make sense still if there was a renewal option that customers can use.

For example, if I blew through my data in 60 days on a 90 day plan it would be a better option for most people to get a data add-on and use that rather than renewing let's say a $140+ plan. However if I run out of data a week before my renewal it definitely makes more sense as a customer to use that option. Both have valid places, and hiding that option from most customers seems... Shady. 

I have the 9GB + 3GB plan for $41/mo on 90day plan which I believe is the max amout of data you can have, correct?

[stonechucker]

Well to be honest with you, the proper usage of Public Mobile, when you run out of 'plan data', is to purchase the $10 200mb additional data package, or the $30 1 GB option.

Early renewals are not an offical option in my opinion, and for those who choose to request it, are getting lucky that the moderators are not denying the choice.

I don't know what your plan currently has, but is there another plan available that would give you more data?