The worst vicious circle you can imagine with Public Mobile

[TroysMom]

I have NEVER been SO frustrated with a business in my life. We have been dedicated Public Mobile customers for a year. However, unfortunately, my son lost his phone recently. We went and bought a new SIM card to put in his new phone to get connected again to our plan. HOWEVER...this is the CRAZIEST THING...in order for me to log into our existing Public Mobile account (to activate the SIM), the log in system is asking us to authenticate with a code sent by text to my son's phone number. NOW...how is that supposed to occur when the whole point is that he lost his phone and we can't activate the new one? How ON EARTH is that supposed to work? The CRAZY thing is that in order to get support (which is not available at all with a "live" agent), you have to join a "Community" for Public Mobile online...but GUESS WHAT? In order to do that, you have to log into your account...but I can't log in because it is asking for me to enter a code sent to my son's phone number...for the phone he no longer has.  To solve this and get this posting, I have created a whole other new account with an alternate e-mail address, but this still does not help me get to our actual account.  The MOST ridiculous thing is that I have no recourse with this organization...no one to call...no way to submit a complaint. We are now PAYING for a service (which we have consistently paid for a long time) that we can't use (with Rewards that we have collected that we cannot use) and I can't even CANCEL the service because we can't authenticate to log into "My Account" to cancel. It is one very, very vicious circle with no solution. In my many years of life, I have never seen anything so ridiculous. I guess I will have to explore how we are paying and just stop the payments somehow - although really all I would like to do is reactivate a phone for my son on our existing plan. WE have had absolutely no other issues using Public Mobile, but if they don't give you a way to actually reactivate a new SIM card, I am stuck.

[No2]

In same boat as you since July. No way to CANCEL non-refundable payments. Who needs loyalty programs when PM can simply hold your CC hostage.

[dust2dust]

@why_no_email_pm- Indeed, who did? But if you dare to presume with some sarcasm then you get attacked and bullied by the fanbois.

[why_no_email_pm]

I'm with you on this one. Support used a temporary number to setup my account before I ported. Now the 2FA challenge goes to my temporary number, and I can't login.

I've forgotten my account pin, so support hasn't been very helpful. What a joke. Who designed this system?

[wetcoaster]

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@shamaltime2 wrote:

To get your son's new phone online, try loading the public mobile app on another cell phone. Start the new phone offline with the new SIM. Use the app on the other phone to link the new sim to Public mobile. Seems like you can only activate on a new plan through the app. On line on a computer does not work! Buy the cheapest plan in case things don't work out. Link the new phone to your new User on line account. You will have to select a new number, but once it is working you probably can port the old one if the old subscription is still live. This worked for me. Not sure whether you can recover the old plan though.

@shamaltime2 

I disagree with this part. Do not go through the activation process in the OP's scenario. 

The priority is gaining access to the account again - all relevant information for that is in @esjliv 's post.

Then go into account and change the SIM card number. (the option is found under "Profile")

Put SIM int.o new phone. Personalize phone. Done.

[ava5]

i am facing the same circle of hell, and cannot even get to the point of receiving a phone number! we've been at it for 2 days, over 6 hours wasted trying to complete an activation. Extremely poor service. This process is the worst designed of any that I have ever used.

[shamaltime2]

I sympathize. I've just been through something similar. The doom loop can be broken but it takes patience

First - use the link #3 provided by ESJLINK  to talk privately to an agent. Response is slow but steady.

To get your son's new phone online, try loading the public mobile app on another cell phone. Start the new phone offline with the new SIM. Use the app on the other phone to link the new sim to Public mobile. Seems like you can only activate on a new plan through the app. On line on a computer does not work! Buy the cheapest plan in case things don't work out. Link the new phone to your new User on line account. You will have to select a new number, but once it is working you probably can port the old one if the old subscription is still live. This worked for me. Not sure whether you can recover the old plan though.

Seems like this is the price for low cost service. Suspect Tellus will slowly sort out the problems now they own Public, but prices are likely to rise too.

Hope this helps

[esjliv · Accepted solution]

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@TroysMom wrote:

Yes, I did that as well and nothing...didn't do anything different!  In fact, the link that was sent for a reset to my e-mail didn't even work!

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@TroysMom - I can imagine the frustration, as you described it quite well. This can get worked out, now that you have posted here some fellow members (like you and Troy 🙂 ) can get help.

So an email option was presented to you? did you check your spam/junk folder? It is possible your son's Eversafe account was never created. Did you get the option to create one?

If you were able to log into your son's account, see "How To Change Your SIM Card" in this Help Article: https://www.publicmobile.ca/en/on/get-help/articles/change-sim-number

If you continue to go in circles ask Public Mobile agents:

1-Normally Faster - use this link to: Get Help With Public Mobile Chatbot], also found in various places in Public webpages, OR 

2-(as @dabr already described above) go to your envelope at the top right of your Community Account which is where your Inbox and Sent messages are. Select the orange/peach color box with the pencil inside it to start a new message. Type CS_Agent in the SEND TO box. This will create a private message to Public Mobile Customer Support (link is provided in #3 below as well). 

3 -Use this link (same as #2)  Private Message to Public Mobile Customer Support Agents (CSA)

[dabr]

@TroysMom   The code being received is only valid for a couple of minutes, so a new one has to be requested if you didn't use it within that timeline.

[TroysMom]

Yes, I did that as well and nothing...didn't do anything different!  In fact, the link that was sent for a reset to my e-mail didn't even work!

[dabr]

@TroysMom    Unfortunately, there's been quite a few hiccups with the new updated rollout. 

Try clicking the resend option several times (at least 4) and you should get the option to receive the 2FA via email instead.

To send a private message to support, click your message box top right and click the edit (pencil option) and type CS_Agent in the "send to" field.

[TroysMom]

It won't provide the e-mail option when I do that - only text/voicemail to the phone we don't have.

[Proxima]

did you click forgot password? it will give you the option for both email and phone number