new plan $34 for 20 GB

[patricklvs]

I changed to a new plan $34 for 20GB on November 19th 2023 and I was charged $10 for a service I didn't authorised. This $10 is illegal. I want my refund.

[dust2dust]

The manual payment has a different name though. I'm not sure what's so confusing about that term though. For some unknown reason they decided to call autopay "subscription" as well as what used to be called "plan". Maybe that line could say Autopay instead. Or I guess Subscription to be in line with the name in the payments screen. And appropriate, intuitive names for other methods of payment would be helpful. But this is Public Mobile. They don't seem interested in intuitiveness or making things easy and understandable for customers. And certainly not streamlined websites and apps not loaded down with all that web site junk that slows it to a crawl.

[patricklvs · Accepted solution]

Hi All, thank you for all your support. I have to recall how public mobile unique way works and their system is not friendly. If only the charge was named other than "automatic top-up" all of this misunderstanding would be naught.

[LitlLdy]

@patricklvs , thank goodness! This is what I thought was happening but I couldn’t figure out how to word it correctly to get it clarified! Sorry 😔 It has to automatically top-up or you manually add the funds to the account for the amount that's short in your balance to pay for the plan or you will not have working phone service! 🙂 It only took 5 hours but it’s figured out! 🙂

[DennyCrane]

Exactly what we've been saying the whole time. Seems like a pretty big overreaction.

[dust2dust]

You got it buddy. So for the next renewal you should see $0 + $7 (5+2) needing $27 from your "payment account" as the so-called Automatic Top-up and then - $34.

Adding - this is why we ask the questions. This one is plain as day. Sometimes we see things that make no sense and at that point we suggest contacting support.

[dwh1]

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@patricklvs wrote:

I think I know how this payment systems works. This is prepaid plan as such you have to pay in advance. My renewal date is today. So the system took the available rewards funds $24 and $10 from my payment account to make it $34 which is from Nov 19th to Dec 19th.  On Dec 19th, then the new amount would be $34 less any rewards $ I accumulated.  The system misnamed it as automatic top-up which is confusing.

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Exactly so.  Payments happen from your account, not from your credit card, in order to take account of rebates, voucher payments, and so on.  So the day before the renewal, it needs to top up from the credit card so that the balance needed for the subscription payment is present.

[hTideGnow]

hi @patricklvs yeah, as suggested earlier, you had $24 before this renewal (and PM add some of those funds thr day before renewal, those are your rewards)

They called it automatic top up because the $10 was not a manual fund load, you enabled Autopay earlier for P.M to top up whatever amount needed for the renewal 

[patricklvs]

I think I know how this payment systems works. This is prepaid plan as such you have to pay in advance. My renewal date is today. So the system took the available rewards funds $24 and $10 from my payment account to make it $34 which is from Nov 19th to Dec 19th.  On Dec 19th, then the new amount would be $34 less any rewards $ I accumulated.  The system misnamed it as automatic top-up which is confusing.

[hTideGnow]

hi @patricklvs 

from the look of it, you have $24 in Available funds before  amd  that was why Pm only charged you $10+tax.  It would be helpful if you can post one more transabefore the two you posted here, that transaction  an confirm how much Available Fund you had before this plan change 

And, you clicked Change Now for the plan change?? or you did Change in Reneamd today is the plan renewal/change date??

[dust2dust]

How about that additional payment history? Maybe a page of transactions before the two you supplied earlier. Maybe back to your previous renewal.

[patricklvs]

[LitlLdy]

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@dust2dust wrote:

Green numbers are money in, black is money out. Then you see the running balance underneath. What was the balance on the previous transaction in your payment history?

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@dust2dust , thank you! I forgot about that part! 😊

[LitlLdy]

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@patricklvs wrote:

I was charged only $10 + tax (automatic top-up). It should have been $34 + tax according to the new plan starting today. We will see how the support response to this issue.

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@patricklvs , ok. Sorry. I was just making sure that you didn’t already have $24 in available balance making it so you only need to be charged $10 more to cover the cost of the $34 plan. Thank you for being patient. Your last screenshot made it look like you only needed $10 more at 2:23am to total $34 (showed $34 balance after $10 charge) to pay for the plan. Then it showed total $34 at 4:03am with $0 balance (I assume paid for the $34 plan fee)

[dust2dust]

Green numbers are money in, black is money out. Then you see the running balance underneath. What was the balance on the previous transaction in your payment history?

[patricklvs]

I was charged only $10 + tax (automatic top-up). It should have been $34 + tax according to the new plan starting today. We will see how the support response to this issue.

[Dunkman]

@patricklvs 

Another payment history line below the $10 line may show $24 in available funds. 

When you do an immediate plan change, you will be charged the full $34 + taxes.  Besides the $10 charge, were you charged anything else?  It would make sense that you had $24 in funds available and just needed $10 + taxes to top up to $34 needed for plan change. 

[DennyCrane]

So you renewed into a $34 plan and had a $24 credit/rewards? What does it show prior to the $10 line?

[LitlLdy]

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@patricklvs wrote:

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@patricklvs , although we cannot see the plan fee $34 plus tax, we see the extra $11.30 fee which means you were charged a total amount of $44 plus tax. Correct?

I thought maybe you may of only had $24 in available balance & needed $10 more to pay for the plan. Hence why you would’ve been charged $10 plus tax. I guess I was incorrect in my thinking. Sorry. 😞 

Edit: Please ignore this message, I type way to slow & now theres a new response! Sorry 😔 

[DennyCrane]

@patricklvs Oh so you did schedule. I don't know then! See what support says. From your receipt it looks like you purchased something for $20 and had a $10 credit on your account. Did you buy an add-on? Did you run out of data early and did you respond to a text for top up data?

[patricklvs]

[Dunkman]

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@patricklvs wrote:

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@patricklvs 

That is the receipt that you screenshot.  Try the payment history.  That would provide information. 

[patricklvs]

[patricklvs]

[patricklvs]

I created 2 tickets with the CS_Agent and will await for their response

[Dunkman]

@patricklvs 

As mentioned before, a screenshot of your payment history would provide valuable information.  

[dwh1]

An automatic top up happens when you have have authorized credit card billing and your new service period requires more money than is currently in your account. 
It’s possible an accounting error occurred in which case I’m sure it will be fixed when you report it - it more likely it was the authorized payment required for your scheduled plan change to occur. 

[DennyCrane]

@patricklvs That usually means you had funds available as a credit, and $10 was needed to supplement the credit to complete the purchase of the plan.

I suspect you chose to renew immediately/mid-cycle, which means you're effectively paying twice. There are no refunds for unused time, so we always recommend to schedule your plan change for your next renewal date.

EDIT: You confirmed further up that you did renew early. That is your issue, and was completely valid. When you switch immediately there are warnings about this.

[LitlLdy]

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@patricklvs wrote:

yes I change to the new plan before the renewal date. It is not about the unused time. The $10 is about a service I didn't subscribed which I didn't authorised.

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@patricklvs , does it show what the $10 fee is for? Edit: Sorry, you posted your response to this question while I was typing!

Unfortunately we’re all Customers here on this Community forum & help when we’re able to but we are not able to help you with refunds. Sorry 😔 

Please use the link I provided to ask a CS_Agent for help for the unauthorized $10 charge. Let us know how it goes please.

[patricklvs]

It says on the receipt "Automatic top-up" which is crazy

[DennyCrane]

@patricklvs You're going to have to provide more details than that for us to be able to help you. If your plan is $34, why were you charged $10? Are you referring to missing discounts? An independent charge of $10? Can to show a screenshot of your payment history from your account. Please ensure not to include any personal info, as we are all customers just like you.