Plan price increases

[wleung]

Hi, new member having just joined Public Mobile a few days ago here.  Just want to know how has Public Mobile been actually implementing their plan price increases-- Are existing customers forced to pay the increased price in order to keep the same plan or not affected by the price increases advertised to new customers?

For example, I have noticed that before i joined Public Mobile, the unlimited talk & text plan was advertised at $20 / 30 days, but now, the equivalent plan is $25 / 30 days.  The increase being 20% is not small.  I want to know if the customers that were on the $20 unlimited talk & text plan are keeping it at $20 or forced to pay $25 now?

Seeing this sudden major price increase and other posts in the Community here about an even worse past increase of a $40 plan up by $10 that was forced onto customers, I am feeling concerned that small companies really are shady and untrustworthy afterall and preparing for disappointment and possibly having to leave any time.  If Public Mobile starts by offering a very attractive plan (The attractive prices and deals are actually expected since Public Mobile presents itself as a fully online company offering only online and self services which are understood as reasons for the lowest prices in the market.  If Public Mobile doesn't offer especially attractive prices and deals, what motivation is there for customers to choose this company that doesn't offer full conventional customer service?) only to quickly bring the price back up dramatically even for existing customers that entered for the initial offer, I find this to be quite an unethical baiting behaviour.

Does anyone know if we Public Mobile customers are protected by any official terms that says something like we keep the plan price and are exempt from price increases advertised to new customers for a least X amount of time, price increases will be reasonable amounts, etc.?

[wleung]

Thank you @Canadiankid.  That's a great point.

[Canadiankid]

One of the advantages of public mobile is that you are not on a contract (no one is on a contract) so if public mobile decided to raise a certain plan (let's say their new $40 4.5g) by 25% they would possibly lose thousands of customers. Gives you a bit of peace of mind knowing the power of this "group" we are in.

[wleung]

Thanks everybody- @MacMe, @Anonymous, @Luddite, @will13am, @JDT- for your replies.

There's a chance that the $20 plan I saw has always been the unlimited talk plan without texts and I didn't have good memory.

I'm very glad to know that other than the one 25% price increase that was retracted, there has not so far been any more outrageous price increases, and I will have some peace now as a new Public Mobile member!

[JDT]

Unfortunately, all carriers tend to raise their prices from time to time.  It's not an issue specific to Public Mobile.  And when compared to other carriers, Public Mobile is not the worst in terms of price increases.

[will13am]

Apart from a contract, there are no guarantees of price stability.  All carriers have terms in their terms of service that specifies a typical notice should they decide to change anything when there's no contract protection.  Ultimately our best protection from price increases is competition.  Having said that, the 25% price increase in February for the 2016 fall promo was retracted.  Take comfort from this, but don't be complacent.

[Luddite]

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@wleung wrote:

Does anyone know if we Public Mobile customers are protected by any official terms that says something like we keep the plan price and are exempt from price increases advertised to new customers for a least X amount of time, price increases will be reasonable amounts, etc.?

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Officially only 30 days notice is required for a price increase, though current customers' plans are usually "grandfathered" for some time - historically 1 to 2 years. In any case it doesn't matter. If you don't like the price just leave; lots of PM customers have left to gether better deals, lots of people come to PM for a better deal. Just do what's best for you today.

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

@wleung, As far as I know, there has not been an unlimited talk/text plan for $20.  As for the $10 increase you mentioned, that was rolled back a short while later.  that said, the Public mobile terms allow for prices to be increased.  However, we have not seen any other increases since the one you mentioned.  However, we have seen several nice promotions.

Basically, there is no guaranteed price forever.  I don't think that any carrier will offer that.

[MacMe]

I could be wrong, but I don't think the plans have changed.  The unlimited talk plan is $20 and the unlimited talk and text is $25.