Will I lose my "Black Friday 5GB one time add-on" if I change my plan?

[zfan]

Hi,

I am trying to change my current plan ($25 per 30 days) to $15 per 30 days. But I got a message saying that "After changing your plan, you will lose your current promotion". What does this mean? I have the "Black Friday 5GB one time add-on" in my account right now. Does this mean I will lose my "Black Friday 5GB one time add-on" if I change my plan?

Thank you!

[Korth]

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@AE_Collector wrote:

None or little of it had been used so far? Data use can be unpredictable. Suddenly it starts getting used and then it’s gone! I have other free data add-ons from a year and a half ago now that haven’t been touched and are still on my account.

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This doesn't happen if you are in the habit of keeping cellular data turned off (when you're not actively using data), if you disable all app permissions for background data and automatic updates and cloud sync (when you're not actively running the apps and allowing these activities), if you have full control over your device software (which may require rooting).

Installing adblockers and scriptblockers also reduces data usage when you use the browser. Removing those apps for email, youtube, netflix, facebook, app stores, etc (and just using the browser to access those things when you want them) also reduces data overhead a lot.

My data never gets "mysteriously" consumed. It never does anything I don't know about. It never gets padded, bloated, inflated with extra traffic I don't want or need.

[AE_Collector]

@jeffohs 

None or little of it had been used so far? Data use can be unpredictable. Suddenly it starts getting used and then it’s gone! I have other free data add-ons from a year and a half ago now that haven’t been touched and are still on my account.

AE_Collector

[Triguy]

The add-on should remain in your account until they are used up.  If you made a plan change then you may lose the add-on.  Check your usage history.

[jeffohs]

Both my wife and I got the Black Friday 5GB promotion back in 2019. Starting from last month (Dec 2020) and this month, she apparently got notified by sms her data ran out. I wonder if that 5GB promotion actually expired exactly 1 year after, instead of staying on for as long as she remains as a customer. Anyone (preferably a staff from Public Mobile) can confirm?

[Anonymous]

 @zfan 

I would not bother the moderators over anomalies that go to our benefit. Of course they would cite policy and wording anyway. But why challenge it? Didn't you get the same warning when you changed to the $25 plan from the initial $35 one of the promo?

[AE_Collector]

@darlicious 

I was tripped up by the quote bars around your new wording in that previous (the long one) post. Saw my screen name near the bottom of it and began reading from there.

AE_Collector

[darlicious]

@zfan  So you have already previously confirmed you can so you can safely downgrade it again and keep the 5gb data add ons. You have also answered @AE_Collector question that the warning is generic so getting some clarification from the community or a moderator before making a plan change is a good idea.

[zfan]

Thank you for your reply. Yes, I activated on a $35 plan and got the black Friday add-on. I downgraded to the $25 plan when I found that 1.5G data are too much for me.

Since I am working from home due to the Covid-19, I need much less data now. But when I tried to change the plan I saw the warning so I gave up.

[darlicious]

@AE_Collector  Huh?!! Did you read both of my posts? I think I've given a pretty definitive answer for the two different promos I am confused with what you are trying to say....

[AE_Collector]

@darlicious 

The RBC Promo goes back further than the November/December data promos. It too had the No Changing Plans wording? I sort of thought that wording was a new development with the Nov/Dec promotions. 

I do recall Alan K clarifying that the coding on Nov/Dec deals was entered as ANY Plan change at which time we asked if upgrades should not be allowed but no changes were ever announced. I found this entire scenario to somewhat go against the grain of Public Mobile because one of the perks of PM is the ability to constantly change plans. It is a big perk for me at least.

I fully understand not being able to downgrade below some threshold in exchange for $ off each month for the first 6 months for example but even there, if the minimum threshold were a $35 plan, you activated on a $50 plan and will lose the promotion if downgrading to a $40 plan?? 

In any event, there was another promotion besides the RBC Promo that came with the 5Gb add-on and since the wording and/or coding of each promo could be different, it is likely impossible to know what will happen without trying it. Maybe that message saying you will lose promotions when starting a plan change IS accurate based on your plan and promotion as opposed to a generic message? If it can be trusted then there is a way to determine for certain before changing plans.

AE_Collector

[darlicious]

@smp99  I have confirmed with a moderator that you will lose the 5gb data add on bonus from the RBC promo if you change the plan.

[smp99]

My wife joined with the RBC promo. That promo was $10 off for 6 months and a 5GB add-on. The 5GB add-on was listed in the promo section along with the $10 off. The $10 off for six months is finished now and has been removed, but the 5GB add-on is still there. 

I have no idea what would happen if she changed plans, would the add-on disappear? I don't know but she is not changing plans just yet.

But think further, with all that is going on and staying home, she is hardly using any data now. So I am going switch to the $25 plan. She still has the Christmas promo 1GB promo. If the 5GB promo sticks, it could be a while before she goes back to the $40 plan.

Edit - when I went to change, it specifically said I would lose the RBC 5GB promo data add-on. So I left it for now. 

[darlicious]

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@zfan wrote:

Hi,

I am trying to change my current plan ($25 per 30 days) to $15 per 30 days. But I got a message saying that "After changing your plan, you will lose your current promotion". What does this mean? I have the "Black Friday 5GB one time add-on" in my account right now. Does this mean I will lose my "Black Friday 5GB one time add-on" if I change my plan?

Thank you!

@zfan  Could you please clarify which plan you currently have? The $25 or the $35 plan as I want to make sure there is not a typo and you are on the $25 plan currently. Have you changed your plan since you activated on the black friday promotion?

     When I read the conditions of this promotion there is no cavaet saying you will lose the 5gb data add on if you change plans however it does say you are only eligible for the bonus data add on if you activate on any $35+ plan. So if you activated accordingly to recieve the bonus data then you must have already downgraded to the $25 plan and kept the data so downgrading again to the $15:would not affect your bonus data because you have already done it once and the promotion does not state you will lose it.

     My concern would be if you activated on the $25 plan and accidently got the bonus....but shouldn't affect keeping it if you downgrade but if a moderator noticed that you were not entitled to it they may take it away. Please note that warning when changing plans comes up quite often but does not always mean you will lose your promotion.  As always make sure you choose "change on next renewal" unless you really intend to lose the rest of your current plan and pay to start a new 30 day plan immediately...then choose "change plan now."

    Below are the conditions of the black friday 5gb bonus data add ons if you can clarify by answering my questions then you will probably keep the bonus data.... you may or may not want clarification from a moderator.

From November 25 to December 2, customers that activate online or in-store will receive a one-time bonus 5GB of data. Simply activate before December 2, 2019 11:59PM ET, on a $35+/mo plan to claim this offer. This will be applied as an Add-On. This offer is available to new customers only and not stackable with any other promos (except for Refer-a-friend bonus).

How to Get this Offer:

• Click here to order a SIM card online through Public Mobile (shipping time is 3 to 7 business days) or order through Amazon and choose your shipping speed. Alternatively, you can purchase a SIM card by locating a retailer near you
• Activate in-store OR visit activate.publicmobile.ca to activate at home on a $35/mo or higher plan by December 2, 2019 11:59PM ET
• Eligible customers will be provided the one-time 5 GB data Add-On within 2 business days of activation.

@AE_Collector  The change in keeping bonus data add ons mentioned by Alan came after black friday on December 2nd I believe when he said they were now being coded to automatically drop the bonus data when changing plans. But saying that there was a member @mynewhome  I believe....and activated in early December with the promo that had the 1gb monthly bonus data with those conditions who decided to risk it and downgrade his plan and he kept the bonus data....but I would have to double check that to be absolutely positive. I seem to recall a member upgrading from the $35 to the $40 with the same promotion and losing it. So maybe pm accidently only coded the  upgrades to lose the bonus data and not downgrades.

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[AE_Collector]

I do recall hearing of someone in here that changed a plan and lost that promo. There was much speculation that you likely wouldn't but someone did. Another person wanted to upgrade their plan so went through a moderator who chose to let them keep the data add-on since they were upgrading not downgrading. The no changing plans rule seemed ridiculous to me if someone were upgrading.

AE_Collector

[hairbag1]

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@hairbag1 wrote:

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@zfan wrote:

Hi,

I am trying to change my current plan ($25 per 30 days) to $15 per 30 days. But I got a message saying that "After changing your plan, you will lose your current promotion". What does this mean? I have the "Black Friday 5GB one time add-on" in my account right now. Does this mean I will lose my "Black Friday 5GB one time add-on" if I change my plan?

Thank you!

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Your 5GB of promo date will disappear if you change your plan.

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There's unsubstantiated evidence circulating that although PM officially says you'll lose the promo data....you might not lose it. I haven't heard from anyone else who's tested that theory though.

If you do change your plan...let us all know how it goes.

[Korth]

@zfan

You might want to read the promo details again. I can't recall if it was one of the promos which had the bonus data expire after six months - if it was then your promo data add-on might vanish in a while even if it's never used up.

[zfan]

Thank you very much for the quick response!!

[hairbag1 · Accepted solution]

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@zfan wrote:

Hi,

I am trying to change my current plan ($25 per 30 days) to $15 per 30 days. But I got a message saying that "After changing your plan, you will lose your current promotion". What does this mean? I have the "Black Friday 5GB one time add-on" in my account right now. Does this mean I will lose my "Black Friday 5GB one time add-on" if I change my plan?

Thank you!

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Your 5GB of promo date will disappear if you change your plan.