Unable to make calls, receive texts in US

[whale66]

I just signed up with this service & was told I was able to use it in the US. The plan I chose was $40 for unlimited international text & talk in Canada/US as I will be in the US for 2 weeks. I arrived yesterday & couldn’t text or call, when I text I’m getting a message from 611 saying: 

Sorry, your current plan does not include US Roaming text messaging. To update your plan to include US Roaming texting visit publicmobile.ca/selfserve

When I arrived at my condo, I connected to their wifi I logged into my account & added the US roaming 1GB add on for $20 thinking it would resolve the issue but it didn’t AND I really didn’t need roaming yet so I’m not happy about having to activate it for 10 days prior to needing it. 

Im using an iPhone X & when I activated my account/SIM, I got the message about the APN settings: Cellular Data APN should be "sp.mb.com" but mine is showing "imp.mb.com" (assuming it’s because it’s an iPhone?). I also couldn’t find the LTE Setup on the iPhone X to check the APN settings for MMS. I went to the local store & was told apple did everything automatically & was assured it would all work in the US. 

Data roaming is turned on, I’m receiving some texts but not able to answer, some look like they went through but the recipient told me they didn’t receive them & other times I get a text from 611 right after I hit send. When I try to call anyone (using 1+area code+number) I’m getting a message saying “your call can not be completed because your plan doesn’t include a US roaming add on” which it DOES & I’m SUPPOSED to having calling in Canada & US with my base plan. If I try to call my cell it just gives a fast busy signal. 

Needless to say this is very inconvenient & I’m not very happy that I’m having to try to fix this my first day here. I’d appreciate some help/advice as I need this resolved ASAP. 

[whale66]

Done, thanks!

[Lieux]

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@whale66  a écrit :

Interesting......the person/store I dealt with isn’t listed as a retailer in my area. So I’m unable to provide feedback. Guess I’ll just use my Facebook page for that!

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I would let the moderator know that..https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/notes/composepage/note-to-user-id/22437 and give them adress, name...

[whale66]

Interesting......the person/store I dealt with isn’t listed as a retailer in my area. So I’m unable to provide feedback. Guess I’ll just use my Facebook page for that!

[Tammy1970]

Nothing came in or went out! I had NO service at all, previously with the same add on, it gave me incoming and outgoing calls and texts, the phone previously worked exactly the same in USA as it does with my usual plan service in Canada after purchasing the $15 add on.... not this time

[Tammy1970]

Yes this was the same phone, never had an issue before. I have used the link to send a message to the moderators Thanks. Hopefully they will correct this, and no one else has to have this unnecessesary panic happen to them. I know its just a phone, but for family to be getting just voice mail when they are trying to reach their parent & child, whom a driving in another country it was very alarming, and ended up costing more $$ to use other ways to call home to let family know how our cross country driving was going, and that we are safe.

[Anonymous]

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@srlawren wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@Tammy1970 wrote:

how do I send a message to moderators?

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@Moderator_Team < Click this.

Edit: for future reference, you can actually receive texts and calls without a roaming add-on. You just can't call or send out.

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@Anonymous not quite:  you can receive texts without any roaming add-ons but not calls.

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Well ok officially then 🙂

I was able to receive calls when I was last in the states. I didn't buy any roaming add-ons.

[Tammy1970]

I have used this before , and usually it works for incoming and outgoing, this time I GOT NOTHING!!! My daughter was frantically trying to call us to make sure we were okay as we were driving 1265km each way. She got no response, just went to voicemail. I tried calling her to check in and got message that my plan does not provide this service from my location.

[srlawren]

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@Tammy1970 wrote:

how do I send a message to moderators?

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@Moderator_Team < Click this.

Edit: for future reference, you can actually receive texts and calls without a roaming add-on. You just can't call or send out.

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@Anonymous not quite:  you can receive texts without any roaming add-ons but not calls.

[geopublic]

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@Tammy1970 wrote:

yes the funds were taken from my credit card, all payments show in history, and on credit card. No service worked while we were travelling. Phone was rebooted etc, still nothing. I have purchased this add on numerous times for travelling I do with my 7 year old grandchild, as a safety precaution, and never had an issue until this time. I have disputed the charge on my credit card. I am not paying for a service that didnt work.

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Were you using the same phone or was this a new phone? The reason I ask was to make sure roaming was turned on your phone when you crossed into the US.

Click here to contact Public Mobile.

The link sends you to the private message function and adds the moderator team as recipient for a private message. You just have to enter a title and text in the body of the message describing the problem and post. The message will be received by the moderator team and they will respond to it. You will receive the response in your private message inbox.

Moderator Hours: Monday-Friday 8 am(Eastern) to 12 am(Eastern) and Saturday, and Sunday from 8 am(Eastern) to 10 pm(Eastern).

Hope this helps!

[Anonymous]

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@Tammy1970 wrote:

how do I send a message to moderators?

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@Moderator_Team < Click this.

Edit: for future reference, you can actually receive texts and calls without a roaming add-on. You just can't call or send out.

[Tammy1970]

how do I send a message to moderators?

[Tammy1970]

I have disabled auto pay for next month and will be using another provider if this is not corrected

[Anonymous]

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@Tammy1970 wrote:

yes the funds were taken from my credit card, all payments show in history, and on credit card. No service worked while we were travelling. Phone was rebooted etc, still nothing. I have purchased this add on numerous times for travelling I do with my 7 year old grandchild, as a safety precaution, and never had an issue until this time. I have disputed the charge on my credit card. I am not paying for a service that didnt work.

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And my other question...? Is/was the roaming add-on showing down in the add-ons area of the overview page?

Edit after your post: Have you sent a message to the moderators? They would likely (no guarantees) put it back into your Available Funds for future use.

[Tammy1970]

the money is showing as spent, not in available funds

[Tammy1970]

yes the funds were taken from my credit card, all payments show in history, and on credit card. No service worked while we were travelling. Phone was rebooted etc, still nothing. I have purchased this add on numerous times for travelling I do with my 7 year old grandchild, as a safety precaution, and never had an issue until this time. I have disputed the charge on my credit card. I am not paying for a service that didnt work.

[Anonymous]

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@Tammy1970 wrote:

I was charged $15 for the add on to be able to receive calls and texts coming from Canada (from my daughter ) to keep in contact with her child whom was travelling with me in the USA from Friday April 12 2019 until Monday April 15 2019,. IMMEDIATELY  as we crossed the border we were disconnected from ALL cell service until we reentered Canada. I want the $15 credited to my account, how do I get hte funds back. I know Add Ons are supposed to be  "non refundable" but they are also supposed to WORK!!! My daughter was very upset and anxious when she was unable to reach her child & myself while travelling, and this panic and concern was unnecessarily caused by Public Mobile failing to provide the services paid for!

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 @Tammy1970 

Is the $15 still in your Available Funds? If so then you didn't complete the steps to purchase add-ons.

Is the roaming add-on showing down in the add-ons area of the overview page?

[Tammy1970]

I was charged $15 for the add on to be able to receive calls and texts coming from Canada (from my daughter ) to keep in contact with her child whom was travelling with me in the USA from Friday April 12 2019 until Monday April 15 2019,. IMMEDIATELY  as we crossed the border we were disconnected from ALL cell service until we reentered Canada. I want the $15 credited to my account, how do I get hte funds back. I know Add Ons are supposed to be  "non refundable" but they are also supposed to WORK!!! My daughter was very upset and anxious when she was unable to reach her child & myself while travelling, and this panic and concern was unnecessarily caused by Public Mobile failing to provide the services paid for!

[Anonymous]

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@whale66 wrote:

Still confused, bear with me as I’m a newbie! You said “returning stuff should work” but also said there may be a day problem with the add-on expires? So I might have an issue on May 5th? I had a private message from a moderator yesterday & I responded but didn’t hear back, not sure if I’m doing it correct or what? How do I pm a moderator?

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You're getting that info from an Oracle. Oracle's know a thing or two around here.

Returning, stuff should work. As said from the Oracle it's when the add-on expires there might be a day problem. You could private message the moderators on the 10th day and depending on their response times they might be able to clear it for you.

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You quoted my reply where it shows a comma after returning. Sorry. I'm ain't no English eggspurt. That could otherwise be said as - upon returning to Canada...the services of your plan should all work fine.

So yes...there's that day or so that could be trouble for just texting.

[stonechucker]

@whale66, glad to hear you're enjoying the service provided here.

The txt issue when coming back, if you experience it, you can send a message again to the Moderator_Team, and they can remove the soon to be expired roaming add-ons for you.  A power cycle may be required at that time also.

There's now a new feature on the 'Get started' page, which will allow you to leave feedback on where (and who even) you dealt with to get your SIM card.  You might wish to check that out.  Link is at the top of the forum webpages.

[Lieux]

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@whale66  a écrit :

Still confused, bear with me as I’m a newbie! You said “returning stuff should work” but also said there may be a day problem with the add-on expires? So I might have an issue on May 5th? I had a private message from a moderator yesterday & I responded but didn’t hear back, not sure if I’m doing it correct or what? How do I pm a moderator?

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You're getting that info from an Oracle. Oracle's know a thing or two around here.

Returning, stuff should work. As said from the Oracle it's when the add-on expires there might be a day problem. You could private message the moderators on the 10th day and depending on their response times they might be able to clear it for you.

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To PM a moderator it's to send them a private message..as you did. waiting time is few hours to 2 days. And you did write a message to them but to early if you want to renew your add-on. You need to wait 1 day before it will end so the 4th may.

[Lieux]

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@nikki7918  a écrit :

Added US add on worked for 10 days then tried to add on both my phones again but wouldnt work. would like a refund.

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To ask for a refund you need to reach the moderator...https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/notes/composepage/note-to-user-id/22437 and explain what happened. Waiting time is few hours to 2 days.

For the US add-ons you can't buy a same add-on right away after the 10 days or you need to ask to do it the moderator. But you can buy a different one. That's how it works with public mobile.

[nikki7918]

Added US add on worked for 10 days then tried to add on both my phones again but wouldnt work. would like a refund.

[whale66]

Still confused, bear with me as I’m a newbie! You said “returning stuff should work” but also said there may be a day problem with the add-on expires? So I might have an issue on May 5th? I had a private message from a moderator yesterday & I responded but didn’t hear back, not sure if I’m doing it correct or what? How do I pm a moderator?

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You're getting that info from an Oracle. Oracle's know a thing or two around here.

Returning, stuff should work. As said from the Oracle it's when the add-on expires there might be a day problem. You could private message the moderators on the 10th day and depending on their response times they might be able to clear it for you.

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[Anonymous]

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@whale66 wrote:

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@Luddite wrote:

@whale66 Please be aware of the following quirks:

a) you must wait until the 11th day after activating a US add-on to buy it again

b) the day you acquire the add-on counts as day 1 of the 10

c) you must purchase US add-ons sequentially; if you purchase 2 of the same the add-on will not function

d) when you return to Canada texting will not work for 24-48 hours after any US text add-on expires. Only the moderators can speed that up.

Bad start with PM, but if you review the plans carefully you should be able to find a decent fit.

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Thanks for that info, very helpful but d) is an issue, I need texting when I’m back in Canada. The 11th day of my talk/text is April 24th so I will have to put on another one on April 25th because I’m here until May 1st. So that won’t expire until May 5th. Are you telling me I won’t be able to text until May 6th or 7th? My base plan is $40 & has international texting, I just assumed I would revert back to that when I land in Canada. I read all the fine print about these add-ons & didn’t see anything about this. Can someone confirm this please? Not being able to text from May 1st - 7th is a major problem. 

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You're getting that info from an Oracle. Oracle's know a thing or two around here.

Returning, stuff should work. As said from the Oracle it's when the add-on expires there might be a day problem. You could private message the moderators on the 10th day and depending on their response times they might be able to clear it for you.

[whale66]

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@Luddite wrote:

@whale66 Please be aware of the following quirks:

a) you must wait until the 11th day after activating a US add-on to buy it again

b) the day you acquire the add-on counts as day 1 of the 10

c) you must purchase US add-ons sequentially; if you purchase 2 of the same the add-on will not function

d) when you return to Canada texting will not work for 24-48 hours after any US text add-on expires. Only the moderators can speed that up.

Bad start with PM, but if you review the plans carefully you should be able to find a decent fit.

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Thanks for that info, very helpful but d) is an issue, I need texting when I’m back in Canada. The 11th day of my talk/text is April 24th so I will have to put on another one on April 25th because I’m here until May 1st. So that won’t expire until May 5th. Are you telling me I won’t be able to text until May 6th or 7th? My base plan is $40 & has international texting, I just assumed I would revert back to that when I land in Canada. I read all the fine print about these add-ons & didn’t see anything about this. Can someone confirm this please? Not being able to text from May 1st - 7th is a major problem. 

[whale66]

He told me he doesn’t pay anything for his cell due to referral rewards....I think there should be a way to report people who give new customers wrong info. At the end of they day, it’s coming out of my pocket, not his. The experience put a bad taste in my mouth about all of it but after the great experience I had with the community forum, it’s now just toward this guy & his store. I will definitely promote this service but will be telling people to avoid him/his store & go elsewhere to get their SIM card & just deal with the community re: plans.

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[Luddite]

@whale66 Please be aware of the following quirks:

a) you must wait until the 11th day after activating a US add-on to buy it again

b) the day you acquire the add-on counts as day 1 of the 10

c) you must purchase US add-ons sequentially; if you purchase 2 of the same the add-on will not function

d) when you return to Canada texting will not work for 24-48 hours after any US text add-on expires. Only the moderators can speed that up.

Bad start with PM, but if you review the plans carefully you should be able to find a decent fit.

[Anonymous]

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@whale66 wrote:

Thank you so much everyone, I did the talk & text add on & it’s now working. I’m at $75 & counting within 4 days & will have to do add ons again as I’m here until May 1st so it’s not the cheapest but it’s working!

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Yeah that clerk sucks. It would be nice if they could take some accountability. But they probably got a larger commission on the larger plan. Probably why they just sluffed you off to here.

You coulda done all this for $10 plus $20 for the complete bundle.

I agree with others though about getting a local SIM and service. I used H2O in Hawaii. Local #, pure pay as you go. $1 SIM and then pay into the pot to consume.

[whale66]

Thank you so much everyone, I did the talk & text add on & it’s now working. I’m at $75 & counting within 4 days & will have to do add ons again as I’m here until May 1st so it’s not the cheapest but it’s working!

[geopublic]

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@whale66 wrote:

Question - you said I can get a talk/text add on for 10 days for $8 - do you mean each?The only bundle I see is $15? So I can do unlimited calls for $8 & unlimited texts for $8 ($16 total) or $15 for the bundle. Is this correct? I’ve already added the $20 1GB data bundle (unecessarily but I have it). I just want to make sure I’m using the correct add on option before I spend more money. 

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Yes, that is correct.