pub mobile closing shop and being rolled into koodo?

[sum1]

as title.  was told by a rep working at telus.today like 20 minutes ago

also   should sim cards be 5 bux at retail outlets or 15 or 20, in alberta if makes difference.and during the activation process  can u use a time card or does it need to be debit or credit all questions telus rep couldnt or wouldnt tell me.

[Luddite]

@darlicious  At the moment Koho is the way to go as they offer $20 credit when activating with a referral.

[darlicious]

@Community_QA 

For a prepaid credit card to be accepted it requires a CVV and expiry date as I had previously posted about kelloggs gift cards being accepted however the weird plan amount minimum payment presents an issue for payments....but can still be used to replace the card and give the ability to remove a "real" credit card after a payment is made and if applicable keep your $2 autopay reward.

[Korth]

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@Community_QA wrote:

i never use a prepaid visa.  does it has expiry date and ccv to fill in for the credit card info?

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There are many prepaid credit card brands. Official Visa, Mastercard, and Amex are typically the worst deals - the various little one-off competino brands tend to offer more competitive and compelling rates.

Ideally, they charge no top-up fee, no per-use fee, no activation/setup/registration fee, and no ongoing maintenance/subscription fee or funds depletion or hidden cost. With or without your name printed on it, with or without an eventual expiration date. Basically the same thing as a gift card which must be spent on (anything) which only accepts Visa, Mastercard, or Amex payment types.

Ideally, they are functionally almost exactly like actual gift cards. No ID or credit check or whatever required to purchase, no way to restrict who uses them (you can give them away to anyone, lol).

Mogo used to be like this, before they got too popular and greedy. There are always consumer review websites which summarize current options on the market. If they require a credit check or banking/financial reference or anything like that then they're basically trying to just subscribe you onto a "real" credit card which isn't going to provide any useful protection or anonymity for online usage.

[Community_QA]

i never use a prepaid visa.  does it has expiry date and ccv to fill in for the credit card info?

[computergeek541]

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@Community_QA wrote:

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@computergeek541 wrote:

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@gpixel wrote:

@sum1 

yes you can activate without a credit card. one can purchase a voucher or a visa gift card to activate. 

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Vouchers can no longer be used to activate a new Public Mobile account.

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What if people have no credit card?

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New customers would then need to either purchase a prepaid visa/mastercard/amex card and use that for the initial payment or get permission from a friend or family member to use one of their cards.

[Community_QA]

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@computergeek541 wrote:

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@gpixel wrote:

@sum1 

yes you can activate without a credit card. one can purchase a voucher or a visa gift card to activate. 

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Vouchers can no longer be used to activate a new Public Mobile account.

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What if people have no credit card?

[Community_QA]

@sum1  search the community here and you see at least 10 posts like this every year. LoL

[Korth]

So they've taken the final steps forward, lol. A physical identity linked to every data user.

Too bad this means they've taken several steps backward. Reducing the number of physical retailers. Reducing their advertising presence. Moving back into their Telus basement with their Koodo sibling.

I think frustrated customers like @sum1 will be a frequent theme.

They used to bribe users to submit this information (with a $2 Reward).

How long before they start forcing credit card registrations to pay for your service - to buy Payment Vouchers?

[hTideGnow]

Hi   @Korth   PM is now on fully online model.  There is no in store activation at all.  The only in store service you can get is to buy sim card from only Telus and Koodo stores

[smp99]

@Korth I don't think Walmart/London Drugs will activate anymore since PM has gone fully online. 

[sum1]

visa gift cards will work   good to know  thanx

[darlicious]

@sum1 

Unfortunately the requirement to use either a credit card, debit/credit card, prepaid credit card (like a koho card) or a credit gift card like "The Perfect Gift", "Vanilla" (but not "My Vanilla") is an extremely bonehead move by Public Mobile and in my mind a valid reason to launch a complaint regarding accessibility. It makes no sense to me to have eliminated the ability to activate using a voucher.

It's also so very comforting to hear that telus reps are emulating koodo's best business practices of jacking up the price of a pm sim card from the MSRP of $10. Way to go Public Mobile!!

@sum1 

If you were in Vancouver I could help you easily overcome the activation/credit card issue....I still can but requires some trust. The offer is there if needed just private message me. So is help if you wish to lodge a complaint on accessibility.

@Korth 

There is a serious issue with not being able to activate without some form of a credit card and a form of discrimination.

@J_PM 

Am I just blowing smoke at a brick wall here? Maybe point this out to Mr Entwistle....or wait maybe that's his plan all along? If you can't migrate the vulnerable to a more expensive plan telus will just make it extremely difficult to obtain a public mobile sim card and activate it online?!!

[Korth]

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@computergeek541 wrote:

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@gpixel wrote:

@sum1 

yes you can activate without a credit card. one can purchase a voucher or a visa gift card to activate. 

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Vouchers can no longer be used to activate a new Public Mobile account.

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This is unpleasant news. Why would they change it after many years?

[computergeek541]

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@gpixel wrote:

@sum1 

yes you can activate without a credit card. one can purchase a voucher or a visa gift card to activate. 

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Vouchers can no longer be used to activate a new Public Mobile account.

[gpixel]

@sum1 

yes you can activate without a credit card. one can purchase a voucher or a visa gift card to activate. 

[Korth]

@sum1 

If you're leery of the DIY online approach then you have another option. Many retailers - like London Drugs and Walmart - can sell you the SIM card, setup and activate your account, configure and test your phone, get you walking out of the store with working phone service a short time later. And they won't need your credit card or ID or anything, you can be effectively anonymous and pay for your service with Payment Vouchers (which you can buy with cash). They only require a valid email address. You only require a working, compatible, unlocked phone (plus enough cash to buy a SIM card and one prepaid billing cycle).

Some people have had bad experiences with these retailers - it seems hit-or-miss, the person behind the counter was hired more for retail sales than for technical competence - but I have taken several referrals to London Drugs without being disappointed. Just remember to login to your Self-Serve account and change the password promptly, so that you can manage your account yourself instead of relying on the retailer forever.

If you're activating a new account then you can use a referral code and/or a promo code to save a little money, get a little credit, or get a little bonus.

[CountyDownIeUk]

Give me a break. 

A new website. 

Went all online recently. 

Just brought in a new Points program. 

I bet that you were talking to commissioned sales liar at a franchise Telus shop. 

A sales person  that would say anything to get you to sign a Telus or Koodo contract.  

[sum1]

softech

Mayor / Maire

2 hours ago - last edited 2 hours ago

@sum1   this is not true.  PM is staying by itself, not rolling into Koodo

Sim card is $5 online at the moment.  It is around $10 in Koodo and Telus retail stores.

During activation, you can only use credit card or Visa debit.

Once activated, you can use credit card, visa debit or voucher to pay.  You can also do instant top up at some stores.

so is this guy mistaken and website is vague and will let u activate plan with a time voucher that will cover selected plan?

[sum1]

iam going buy what i was told in this thread and upon further searching  the p mobile website itself about activation a link to page    https://publicmobile.ca/en/ab/portal/activation

[JL9]

Lol this sums it up perfectly 

[Korth]

You don't need a credit card to activate a prepaid subscription, to activate a new account, to activate a SIM.

At least not Public Mobile or (almost) anywhere else.

They want credit card, credit check, ID, etc because they want to get you onto a postpaid plan - a contract. And they want to sell you a new phone (every couple years) on a Tab or whatever else they claim is "not a contract" (until you default on a payment or opt-out early, in which case you will absolutely be forced to pay the fees and penalties specified in the contract).

[sum1]

dont think so  was willing to sell it o me for 20 bux, just said it would have to be switched over eventually on there dime to koodoo.   can anyone else verify the info i have gotten in this thread about needing a credit card to activate a sim nowadays? didnt push  toward any other provider other than when asked that i wouldnt need a cred card with koodoo in store activation   wasnt sure self serve online

[hTideGnow]

HI @sum1   He could be just trying to convince you to join telus for his won commission.  

[sum1]

was a telus rep at telus kiosk, self claimed telus employee and an assumption on my part as he was in telus uniform.doesnt matter anyhow apparently u need a credit card to complete activation of sim card, based on a previous response in this thread

[Korth]

This rumour appears from time to time. Year after year. And yet Public Mobile is still here.

It usually seems to start (or so people say) with something said by a Koodo rep.

A Koodo rep who, like any other smiling salesperson, is always entirely genuine, forthright, honest, and scrupulous.

A Koodo rep who, incidentally, will get paid better commission for selling Koodo Mobile than for selling Public Mobile.

A Koodo rep who, somehow, is privy to confidential executive-level information about unannounced corporate restructures, apparently just moonlighting at a sales counter to pass time.

I'll go with my usual posture on this. Show proof. Specific links to specific proof which specifically names Public Mobile. No real evidence (for whatever reason, with whatever excuse) equals nothing more than unsupported hearsay and speculation.

[sum1]

thanx....  guess i cant re join pub mob .. have a good day

[softech · Accepted solution]

@sum1   this is not true.  PM is staying by itself, not rolling into Koodo

Sim card is $5 online at the moment.  It is around $10 in Koodo and Telus retail stores.

During activation, you can only use credit card or Visa debit.

Once activated, you can use credit card, visa debit or voucher to pay.  You can also do instant top up at some stores