Text regarding $5/mo 3G usage price increase

[Sham_Madani]

Hello, I just received a message that I’m going to charge 5$ more because of my device that uses 3G, I’m not sure why because I’m using 5G data on my phone & I don’t really understand the extra charge!

[hTideGnow]

hi @Paulina3 check with PM agent. But carriers have right to select to provide support to only selected phones and there is really no justified complaints 

submit a ticket with CS Agent using Chatbot here:       
            https://widget.telus.tiia.ai/publicmobile/publicmobile.html 
             Type the question "Submit ticket", Then click the following in order: "Contact Us" ,  "Other",  "Log In".  
             (If unable to receive 2FA SMS, click "Didn't Receive Code" or "Resend Code" and Select "Send Email")         
If any issue with ticket submission, you can submit  ticket by direct message:  
          https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/notes/composepage/note-to-user-id/22437 

Remember CS_agent will reply to your Community inbox within 2 to 4 hours, please check your inbox here:
           https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/notes/privatenotespage  

[Paulina3]

And I've been charged the extra $5/mo.

[Paulina3]

No, when I checked my phone's IMEI on their whitelist, it's not included.

[hTideGnow]

hi @Paulina3 it works for you because your phone is already in PM's VoLTE whitelist 

[Paulina3]

I'm going to contact CCTS once I get a reply from PM. My MotoG8 is not included on their 'whitelist' - but it seems to me that it should be. I checked that it uses 4G when making a call, by following this:

How to Check Your Phone

• Open your phone's Settings.

• Tap Network & internet, then Mobile network.

• Look for a VoLTE toggle or check your Preferred network type to see if LTE/4G is enabled.

• Turn off Wi-Fi, make a phone call, and look at the status bar. If the icon stays on 4G or LTE during the call, VoLTE is active. If it drops to 3G or HSPA, it is not working.

If the option is missing or grayed out, your specific carrier configuration file (carrier policy) on the phone does not natively support VoLTE for this international model. 
____
When I did the above, the status bar displays 4G when I make a call.

[Dinisarnaldo]

To all of you with fully compatible VoLTE phone my advise to all of you facing this issue is to flood CCTS with complaints AFTER you get a written statement from PM saying that they will not add your phone to the whitelist created by them.

1 - Complaint to PM do add your phone to the whitelist. Wait for the answer is ''not possible'' because your phone ''is not'' compatible. They will invite you to buy overpriced phones from them.

2- Fill a complain in CCTS and upload the written answer from PM refusing to add your phone to that whitelist.

PM MUST answer to CCTS and close this issue during the next 20 days. If many of us do the same thing this will be flagged in CCTS and something will happen, can take time but something will happen.

good luck

[TaylorE]

It is an LG 4G LET with Volte . It always worked on 4G LTE Volte service for my calls since that outage they had a few weeks back. It's just this company trying to rip us customers off for an issue they cannot fix. And why would they if they are charging all their 5G and 4G customers an extra $5 per month for being forced to use 3G for voice. I'm so fed up with this company and its parent Telus. 

[slusagm]

@TaylorE what phone do you have and which province you are at? 

Did you check if your phone is fully compatible here

https://www.publicmobile.ca/get-help/articles/volte

[TaylorE]

Public mobile had a network outage about 3 to 3.5 weeks ago. They said they have it fixed , but since them my phone will only connect to 3G for calls despite me setting to 4G LTE Volte and NOW THEY ARE CHARGING ME FOR THEIR ISSUE THEY CANNOT SEEM TO FIX. WHAT ROGUES!! 

[TaylorE]

I have the same issue here. I have even set my phone to prefer 4G LTE calls . They had a network outage a little while back and said they had a workaround Since that , my phone only connects to 3G for voice and now they are charging me more for this network issue they say they have fixed , This is their problem and they are making me pay for it. What a rogue company this is. 

[cigarsmoker]

i'm not into social media so samsung or apple phone is just overkill for me,just a regular flip for me is fine,so i see you are moving on to another carrier . i was thinking of doing the same thing ,again thanks for the reply have a great weekend.

[Dunkman]

@cigarsmoker 

---

@cigarsmoker wrote:

thank you for your quick reply.. i have been looking at the SONIM XP3 PLUS is this a good choice for PM,i can;t just buy a phone bring it home to check the IMEI number and then send it back .again thanks for your quick reply

---

Previous to the IME checker, Public mobile had a list of VoLTE compatible phones. The Sonic XP10 Rugged Phone was on that list. So hopefully that means your listed phone should be VoLTE compatible.  However, you will need to check IME to make sure. 

Safer to buy the more popular brands like Google Pixel, Samsung and Apple. 

[Dunkman]

@Phone78change 

---

@Phone78change wrote:

Hi:

Rec'd the same message. Confirmed on my account today, that my next bill on Jun 23 increase by $5. I have a 4G phone, not using a 3G network. Moving on to another mobile carrier. 

Best decision I made so far.

Move on, moving on  . . .  Goodbye Public Mobile.

---

Having a 4G phone is not enough.  It needs to be VoLTE compatible phone.  Did you check the IME checker to see if your phone is compatible with PM network?

https://www.publicmobile.ca/en/bc/get-help/articles/volte

If it is VoLTE compatible, then you can contact customer service agent to determine whether there was an error in the text message. Some customers received the text in error. 

[Phone78change]

Hi:

Rec'd the same message. Confirmed on my account today, that my next bill on Jun 23 increase by $5. I have a 4G phone, not using a 3G network. Moving on to another mobile carrier. 

Best decision I made so far.

Move on, moving on  . . .  Goodbye Public Mobile.

[nhykwan]

I see "access denied" ?

huh?

[cigarsmoker]

thank you for your quick reply.. i have been looking at the SONIM XP3 PLUS is this a good choice for PM,i can;t just buy a phone bring it home to check the IMEI number and then send it back .again thanks for your quick reply

[softech]

@ICE_ICE_Baby @waytay 

S23 will work and you will not need to pay the $5 surcharge.  You might see the IMEI checker showing not VoLTE compatible but it is a false negative.  It can use VoLTE on PM network and no surcharge 

[ICE_ICE_Baby]

Yeah irritating.. I have an S10 too... had been thinking about getting an S23 Ultra for the camera - and as a bonus to dodge the $5 penalty charge - but I guess that doesn't work then?

[waytay]

Got the same message on my S23 phone and the $5 surcharge will be automatic.  Even though it is whitelisted as being fully compatible.  I also now notice when I go into my PM account there are no more subscriber-specific plan offerings.  Instead PM is now flagrantly pushing me to sign up for Koodo.  These tactics are insulting.  I think I may just switch to Loblaws No-name plan -- they are offering very competitive deals (they even sent us 2 free SIM cards!).  Their plans ride on the Bell system, which says my phone (and my wife's S10) is fully compatible.  Maybe when Telus (who owns PM and Koodo) gets their crap together, I may switch back  ...but I doubt it once we're gone.

[ERICSJ]

My sister got this message as well. We checked her IMEI with the compatibility tool and it was good enough for 5G and VoLTE. It's an S21FE so that wasn't a suprise.

Her plan was only 3G so she will select a new plan which should hopefully solve this. I think the Public Mobile text message was unclear since it talks about the device, and not the plan itself.

 

[ammarcoux]

I got a response from support that the message of the $5 surcharge may not apply to everyone if your phone is compatible. My OnePlus 8 shows it's VoLTE provisioned and indicates 4G when I make calls so should be good.

Guess I'll wait and see.

[Tamarra]

Thank you! Mine did too. PC Mobile has a great plan and offers $20 in bonus points on your PC points if you collect. I didn't know PC Mobile was on the Bell Network until I saw it somewhere in this thread.

[OrionSteel]

Yes! It passes the bell IMEI 😅

[OrionSteel]

Thanks re Bell. Now the great news. No name mobile plan (somehow part of PC mobile, not sure of details, is $19/month for same features as PM hero plan, and double the data at 2gb data not 1gb).

If my phone works on Bell I just saved a new phone and $6 a month rather than getting dinged an Extra $5 for a total of $30 with PM.

I guess my problem may be solved.

[OrionSteel]

Thanks. I was trying to remember which carrier passed it 😅.

Personally I think more than  5-6 years is not unreasonable expectations for a $700+ phone, but such is life.

PM Support just told me their whitelist will be updated by June 15, so maybe it will be ok after all. If not I guess I'll go with Bell until they kick me too. Still cheaper than a new phone that barely is better by the specs and worse battery.

[OrionSteel]

Update: support told me PM white list should be updated by June 15.

I guess I'll wait and see, and if my phone is still not supported according to PM, switch to a carrier that doi support a Canadian moto g8 power that was bought in 2020.

[slusagm]

@OrionSteel 

G power 8 is a bit old.  I checked for you, only Bell will take it, not even Rogers

[OrionSteel]

Motorola G8 power, bought in 2020, and yes it was bought in Canada (apparently that matters if what I'm seeing on forum is correct)

But I did try a online check with another carrier (I forget which but higher tier)  and checked white lists with Robbers and He'll, er Rogers and Bell. From what I can see this is a PM issue (maybe Telus too).

I think you are right and I need to avoid tier 3 providers who could not be bothered updating their lists for anything but newest phones.

[slusagm]

@OrionSteel 

what phone do you have? if your phone is not whitelisted here, likely it is not whitelisted with other Tier 3 providers as well, so you will have to check with Tier 2 or Tier 1

[OrionSteel]

Yes. I meant 4G. Thanks.

Well it will be cheaper to find a new carrier I guess, since the phone does do 4G, volte, etc. so this is just some whitelist snafu disguising a cash grap, IMO