Suggestion: offer something to match Speakout's deal

[Vic5]

Not a question; I don't know where else to make this suggestion to Public Mobile leaders. 

I'm currently porting from PM to Speakout, because for the next couple of years, I expect rare use of the phone.
If PM had a similar deal as Speakout - $25 top up that doesn't expire for 365 days - I'd never want to port out. And then after, compare (again!) phone providers to see if PM still best option for me. 

So I suggest PM offer one of following:

a) a pay-as-you-go top-up similar to Speakout. Non-expiring for 1 year, or at least 0.5 years...

b) an "emergency plan" of just 5$/month. Could have a pricing to match speakouts: $0.35/per minute talk and $0.20/sent message . Which means at least 15 min / month of talk.
https://www.speakout7eleven.ca/talk-text-cell-phone-rates

c)  "service-going plan" of just 5$/month, and nothing included, and you'd have to purchace an add-on, non-expiring (rolling from cycle to cycle), that offer lots of call/text. 

PM could be more generous than Speakout, but doesn't have to be: I'd still have no incentive to port out with any of such options. 

[musicollector]

I love that idea, especially if that is going to preserve share value.

[CountyDownIeUk]

Years ago I considered both Speakout and the Petro Canada plan. 

Just looked at Speakout and they hide the costs of using the $25 credit. 

But the idea idea is good, but I can’t see it fitting in. 

Or would  a $5 fee per month with absolutely no usage be the answer to hold your account and rewards? 

So so let me guess...where are you going to be for a couple of years? 

[Korth]

@musicollector 

Telus makes money from the subscribers in other ways. I wouldn't be too surprised if things do eventually (years down the road) reach the point where the Big Three give "free" service to subscribers.

Big Data is worth a lot of money. Just ask Google about their "free" services.

[musicollector]

"Low cost plans"? 🙂 How low can they go? I thought $15 a month is low. Of course, TELUS can't simply give free service as it costs them to offer even this plan! They are a business, not a charity!

[musicollector]

And, rightfully so, Korth. As a TELUS shareholder I know full well that they have been giving INCREDIBLE value to stockholders. So, whatever they are doing, they are doing it right and they will stay the course. Darren is running a tight ship, indeed. Why make things unnecessarily complicated? AMEN!

[Vic5]

I don't claim that in general Speakout is a better deal. It depends on your circumstances, and it is only better if you're going into a "hermit" mode for a while, when you're sure you're not going to need much if at all phone usage. More so if you have free internet at home so you don't need data. 

The way I see it, PM would have nothing to lose by adding one of the 3 options I gave. 
@Korth options b) or c) don't complicate things / switch direction. They just offer something at the lowest end of the needs. 

[JL9]

Yeah I am in complete agreement, that is why I wouldn't hold my breath on the OPs wishes of new plans

[Korth]

Public Mobile doesn't like rocking the boat. They'll match whatever the other third-tier providers offer, they'll even sometimes giveaway attractive promos full of one-time bonus or short-term bonus bribes when they feel like getting a little edgy.

But they worked hard to cull away all our options which didn't fit into the Telus format. They're not going suddenly switch direction for no reason. They're not going to complicate things they're trying to simplify.

[popping]

From OP link:  

• Local Talk Rate: $0.35/per minute for incoming and outgoing local calls, including toll free numbers. Rate now includes Canada Wide Calling!

$0.35/min is too much!  PM is still cheaper than SO.  Refer below for details...

Exactly 4 years ago, around Aug 2018, I compared PM $10 50/50 plan vs SO pay-as-you go.  (SO $0.30/min vs PM $0.16/min)  The break even point is 27 minutes/month.  i.e. if someone uses more than 27 minutes/m, it will be cheaper to switch to PM with the PM rewards program.  The 1 cent/CW minute after using the plan 50 minutes is cheap.  In addition of $25 refer-a-friend one time bonus back in Aug 2018, I referred lots of seniors to switch from SO to PM.

It is a difference story 4 years later.  No more $2/30days reward on autopay with the points system.  No more $10 50/50 plan. 

The $10 50/50 grandfathered plan is $13/30days.  Even with the $13/30days is still a bargain.  For those seniors switching from SO to PM 4 years ago, they are getting $2 autopay + $4 loyalty per 30 days for doing nothing just stay with PM and paying $7/30days.  PM  $0.14/min(after 4 years) vs SO $0.35/min(new rate)  After 4 years, PM is till cheaper than SO per minute rate.

No more $25 refer-a-friend one time credit for the referrer and referee.  What I did was refer myself for extra $10 accounts.  With the one time credit, I used the $10 plan SIM card as the US travel disposable SIM card.

[fujiyama]

Some interesting plan ideas OP, I would be very interested in one of those plans for a super low usage line that we are keeping. Unfortunately, I don't think PM is interested in adding any low cost plans at all.

Off topic, but this made me think of Dot Mobile...(RIP ☹)

[musicollector]

Well, this struck a chord for me. 🙂 I was with Speakout for years, and it took some research and careful thought before I moved FROM Speakout TO PM.

The one thing I loved about SO is that my $25 of talk time will last an year, 365 days! You can't beat that. Nobody else has that.  However, I thought of what else I liked about SO and turned up blank! It irritated me that I had to pay 30c a minute even if it was an incoming call. I don't need that garbage! Moreover, I just didn't like the thought of having the thought in my mind that I am paying 30c a minute on every single call! Also, you pay $10 for a measly 100 MB which expires at the end of the month, unlike the talk time.

OTOH, PM has been a joy to use. I am getting 2 1/2 times the data (that alone would mean $25 for the same amount of data at SO!), unlimited free incoming calls, international texts (which is no longer a big draw with the advent of Whatsapp, Telegram and Signal) and 100 minutes of outgoing calls, which is more than enough as I have a landline for the long calls. SO does not have the discounts on premiums that PM has. You pay the same $10 monthly for data forever. SO also charges $1.99 for 911 calls. Hogwash! Here is the final thought - you can chew up your entire years talk time in no time at all if you are stuck holding on long calls to various companies. 

Hope this helps.

[Vic5]

It would save people like me the time to port out, then eventually back to PM, most likely.  Also will make PM the money I will give to Speakout (7/11, yes). It would be just more efficient for all. Not to mention the potential users who otherwise go to Speakout (and many of them actually ending up paying more than at PM, with more top-ups than they thought they'd need ). 

[JL9]

I can't see that being a thing going forward. Or any provider doing that other than Speakout. Some new ones may as we go forward. Is speakout the 7/11 carrier?

[computergeek541]

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@Vic5 wrote:

Not a question; I don't know where else to make this suggestion to Public Mobile leaders. 

I'm currently porting from PM to Speakout, because for the next couple of years, I expect rare use of the phone.
If PM had a similar deal as Speakout - $25 top up that doesn't expire for 365 days - I'd never want to port out. And then after, compare (again!) phone providers to see if PM still best option for me. 

So I suggest PM offer one of following:

a) a pay-as-you-go top-up similar to Speakout. Non-expiring for 1 year, or at least 0.5 years...

b) an "emergency plan" of just 5$/month. Could have a pricing to match speakouts: $0.35/per minute talk and $0.20/sent message . Which means at least 15 min / month of talk.
https://www.speakout7eleven.ca/talk-text-cell-phone-rates

c)  "service-going plan" of just 5$/month, and nothing included, and you'd have to purchace an add-on, non-expiring (rolling from cycle to cycle), that offer lots of call/text. 

PM could be more generous than Speakout, but doesn't have to be: I'd still have no incentive to port out with any of such options. 

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Unfortunately, no carrier will offer everything that a customer asks for.  The concept of paying a per minute rate for each minute (or for each instance of any type of usage) goes against Public Mobile's pricing model.