$30 1 GB 4G lte Add on - Using up basic plan data first?

[Villefranche]

Hi.  I'm a new member.  I'm pretty happy so far, but I wanted the 4G speed so in addition to the $15 basic plan which comes with 250 MB of 3G data, I bought the $30 1 GB data add-on.  I want to use the higher speed data service and I thought I read somewhere that the add-on plan data plan would be applied first and that if I ran out of the add on limit in a given month it would switch over to the 250 MB at 3G data.  Also, if I didn't use the full 1GB that comes with the $30 add-on I thought I read somewhere that it would carry over till used up.

Pictures and videos were taking a long time to download, so I just checked my uage and after the first week of service and it shows that my 3G basic data is being accessed first (currently I've used 50 GB of the 250 GB total) and no 4G usage at all?  Is there something I have to do to access the 4G data add-on first?

[Villefranche]

"You made assumptions, you didn't validate them before buying, and you got burned.  This is one of those live-and-learn moments."

Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but please don't patronize me.  The fact remains, the information on the website is poorly organized, misleading and incomplete (my opinion).

I gues there is a possibility that I'll eventually use the $30 worth of data.  In the meantime, begging for a refund is too much aggro.

[srlawren]

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@Villefranche wrote:

It would be a good idea to make the website more informative if anybody at Pulic Moble is listening.

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@Villefranche you can ask all you want, but Public Mobile is a no-frills, what-you-see-is-what-you-get provider.  You made assumptions, you didn't validate them before buying, and you got burned.  This is one of those live-and-learn moments.

If you feel truly cheated by this and/or just don't need the extra data (remember: add-on data stays on your account until used up, so it could stay as a buffer for the future if you use up all your plan data before cycle ends), then use the question mark at the bottom right of every page here in the community to submit a ticket to the moderator team, asking them to consider removing the add-on and crediting you as a good will gesture.  They are not required to do so, but are known to generally respond well to polite requests.  

[Master2000]

When you bought your 1GB Add-On, footnote was there directly.

[Villefranche]

It's hardly transparent.

First of all, the website doesn't explain any of this unless you know that the footnotes flagged by numbers (1,2,3,4,5, etc.) are only accessible if you realize or otherwise stumbler on the fact that to see them you have to click on the "Terms and conditions" link.  This obscure way to have to unlock the footnotes is not readily apparent.

In the interest of full and fair disclosure, footnotes should either appear at the bottom of the page on which they appear, or there should be instructions at the top of the "Plans" page to tell th reader to click on the "Terms and conditions" link burried at the bottom of the page to see the footnotes and learn the "small print".  Some FAQ's on the subject would also be a good idea.

And clearly, as one of the footnotes, when you finally figure out how to see them, says "data add-ons to supplement a Data Plan will be provisioned at the data speed selected in your plan", the "1 GB of 4G LTE Data" in the $30 Plan should say "1 GB of 4G LTE Data or 3G speed Data, depending on your plan"

[Master2000]

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@Villefranche  a écrit :

The Public Mobile website doesn't explain all of the hidden rules governing 4G and 3G availability or the difference between an "add-on" and a "plan".

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It’s written here:
Go to https://www.publicmobile.ca/en/bc/plans
Click Add-Ons
You will see "In Canada Data Add-Ons⁷"

Terms and conditions
7. Data Add-Ons to supplement a Data Plan will be provisioned at the data speed selected in your plan. If you have a Talk and/or Text Plan only with no data, the Data Add-Ons available to you will be defaulted to 4G LTE speed.

[Villefranche]

I've been out of circulation for a bit, but thanks to everyone for helping out with your responses.

The Public Mobile website doesn't explain all of the hidden rules governing 4G and 3G availability or the difference between an "add-on" and a "plan".  There are footnote tags on some words on the "Plans" part of the site that aren't supported by footnotes.  Maybe a footnote once associated with the superscript number 4 by the "1 GB of 4 LTE Data" explained that you can only get the 4G speed if you've been grandfathered in, but there is no related footnote. Also this distinction between "add-on" and "plan" is dubious.  I guess it means I've p****d away $30.

It would be a good idea to make the website more informative if anybody at Pulic Moble is listening.

[Tripoffirsts]

Hello ..I am a new user also. Not sure what type of phone you have or what email account, but I have an iPhone 5s with a Gmail account. It can be set to manually download your emails to your phone. Mine was set to "push", so when I was on my cell phone data plan, basically my entire gmail account downloaded eating into my data. I now hae it set up to manually download email when I choose, usually on my wifi at home. Also helpful, I cleaned up my gmail account of all email I no longer wanted and it uses less storage on my iPhone. So depending on your phone/email account it may be possible yes.

[srlawren]

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@Villefranche wrote:

Pictures and videos take a long time to download.  Any idea why the section of the Public Mobile website that provides information on the plans and add ons hasn't been updated to provide the correct information about data speed fot the $30 add on?!

Very misleading  and unprofessional in my opinion and I wouldn't have bought the $30 plan if I'd known it wasn't what it said it was!

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@Villefranche here's how it works:  any data add-on(s) you purchase will be at the exact same speed as the data on your plan.  Your plan is at "3G" speed, so so is your add-on.  If you were on a full-speed plan, any add-ons you purchase would be at full-speed.

The $30 link you provided is a plan, not an add-on.  It is a data-only plan (no talk, no text), and is the only plan you can select today that includes full-speed data, unfortunately.

Anyone on a grandfathered full-speed plan continues to receive full-speed service and full-speed add-ons (if purchased) until such time as they select a different plan.

PM no longer offers any plans that do not incude any data, but for anyone on a grandfathered $10 plan that did not include any data, any data add-on(s) they purchase are at full-speed as long as they remain on that plan.

[GR]

@Villefranche  oops I forgot to add the link! 

https://publicmobile.ca.ada.support/chat/

It's the same as clicking on the question mark on the right hand side of the page!  

[Villefranche]

Thanks for all of this and your quick replies, GR.  Much appreciated. 

Sorry I'm a dumb newbie, you say in your post "you can click here and get a ticket made", but where exactly do I click to get a ticket made?

[GR]

@Villefranche you can click here and get a ticket made so you can discuss it with the moderators! Like you said it shouldnt put that it's 4g on the plan page if it's not!  Also is your phone on 3g or LTE? I find it's better to be on lte 

[Villefranche]

Pictures and videos take a long time to download.  Any idea why the section of the Public Mobile website that provides information on the plans and add ons hasn't been updated to provide the correct information about data speed fot the $30 add on?!

Very misleading  and unprofessional in my opinion and I wouldn't have bought the $30 plan if I'd known it wasn't what it said it was!

[GinYVR]

@VillefrancheThe community sends email by default with replies.. it is seperate from your account / selfserve account. You can turn off the email notifications under profile in this forum, under My subscriptions -> Notification Settings.

[GinYVR]

@VillefrancheThere is no way to access unthrottled 4G LTE speed anymore with Public Mobile. The last remaining way was to get $10/ month plan then get 1Gb add ons but that plan has been cancelled.

[GR]

@Villefranche  there is no 4g data any more  it's all 3g! 

As for the emails just go in the settings on the top right of the page and set it to not email you for everything.

[Villefranche]

????

This $30 add on:

https://www.publicmobile.ca/en/bc/plans/30for1GB-4GLTE

(the one in your answer) is the one I bought!

[Villefranche]

So am I missing something, or is there no way to access a 4G data plan without having to work your way through the slower data service first?  

Also, is there any way to turn off the emails?  I have so far reeceived 7 emails in the last 10 minutes since I registered here, 4 of which came i overe about 3 minutes abd were the same message, i.e. the answer you provided above.

[DanielleMarie]

@Villefranche 

You might have gotten this plan confused with the add-ons: https://www.publicmobile.ca/en/bc/plans/30for1GB-4GLTE

It's the only way to get LTE now as far as I know.

[GR]

@Villefranche   there is no more 4g data, the 1gb you bought is an add on at 3g speed and is only consumed after your 250mb in plan data is used up and that 1gb will also roll over every month until all used up !   Were you able to do everything you needed with the data speed?  I have no problem doing anything on my phone with 3g speed, the phone stays on lte most of the time! 

[computergeek541]

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@Villefranche wrote:

Hi.  I'm a new member.  I'm pretty happy so far, but I wanted the 4G speed so in addition to the $15 basic plan which comes with 250 MB of 3G data, I bought the $30 1 GB data add-on.  I want to use the higher speed data service and I thought I read somewhere that the add-on plan data plan would be applied first and that if I ran out of the add on limit in a given month it would switch over to the 250 MB at 3G data.  

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Sorry, but there will be no higher speed service. Your data add-on will be at the same speed as the 250MB. Your 250MB will be used first. Then, the 1GB will be used. Any unused portion of the 1GB will remain in your account until depleted.