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Add-ons disapeared

smusaji
Great Neighbour / Super Voisin

Hi, I just mentioned that my previously purchased add-ons for 500min Canada-wide talk disappeared from my file. I thought it said they never expire. I have 80% left out of it, where did this go?

33 REPLIES 33

@AE_Collector  Are far as I know only international based toll free numbers are "billable". They would likely require a long distance add on as well.

From everything I have read about on here, I agree, I don't think that any toll free calls use billable airtime.

 

AE_Collector

@AE_Collector 

If anyone can actually confirm using the process I described (refreshing selfserve overview page) that a call to any toll free number DOES consume airtime, I want to know about it!

Okay thanks. It just seemed a potential logical differentiator between two categories of toll free calls if indeed some are and some are not charged for.

 

AE_Collector

Here are two example test toll free numbers in the USA if you want to see for yourself that they do not consume minutes on the current $15 plan:

 

  • 800-437-7950 "Thankyou for calling MCI's ANI verification System"
  • 800-288-2020 "Welcome to AT&T. Calls recorded for Quality." Then ANI.

AE_Collector
Mayor / Maire

@Nezgar 

 

@darlicious  was more specifically advising the OP @smusaji  in how to go through the list of calling to see if it is remotely possible that the minutes were actually used rather than vanishing.

 

AE_Collector

If anyone determines that they have consumed billable minutes for a 1-8xx call a potential wrinkle could be if that call is to Canada or the US. Just throwing it out there but there could be logic in toll free to Canada being included while toll free to US consuming minutes.

 

@Anonymous 

You are "armed" for some serious calling if ever needed!

 

AE_Collector

It's much easier and quicker to just look at your minutes counter on the selfserve overview, then make a test call less than 1 minute, then after ending the call immediately refresh the overview page.

 

If the call consumes minutes, it will immediately reflect 1 more minute than before. If not, you know you can call it again without consuming your minutes.

 

Usage history shows no details to indicate if a call was airtime free or not, so cannot be used to determine this.

@smusaji  While time consuming the easiest way to determine if your toll free calls used "billable" minutes is to scan down the column on the far right of your usage history from your last renewal til present. Add up the "billable" minutes to see if it comes close to the approximately 400 min you had left on your add on. As suggested if you feel it's been improperly charged then contact the moderators. 

      It is always a good idea to take a screenshot of your overview and payment history page before and after your renewal. Then you have proof of what was in your account in case a feature doesn't reset or get applied correctly or some other change occurs within your account. Luckily I learned this lesson on my first renewal and i have taken screenshots ever since. Ive had some pretty weird stuff happen in my account so im always happy to have the proof that im not a crazy person.

I'm on the current $15 plan and I have tested and confirmed all of these toll free numbers do not consume minutes...

611

*611

1-800-

1-833-

1-844-

1-855-

1-866-

1-877-

1-888-

 

811 does consume minutes though...

Anonymous
Not applicable

CannonFodder asked about whether the add-ons acted like the US add-ons. A short while after the $5 add-on was introduced, someone reported that it appeared to be gone. So I ran in and bought another one while I could. But it was a false alarm.

The add-ons will stack. They zero out the counter and add the remainder of the prior add-on to the new add-on. Thus my 989 500 minute add-on. It's the same with data add-ons. Although in my case, the mods very graciously added a gig to my 200MB add-on.

Capture.JPG

 

Yes geopublic toll frees are officially countable. But it has been observed otherwise and so this is another of those things subject to change without notice.

popping: at the speed things get fixed around here ie. roaming texting...maybe some day.:)

popping
Retired Oracle / Oracle Retraité

@CannonFodder wrote:

As for the discussion about 1-800 numbers using up minutes, I could've sworn I'd seen it mentioned here before, that SOME toll free numbers didn't count against plan minutes, whereas some others did..... I don't recall exactly what was said, but for example, 1-800 vs. 1-888, or similar? 🤔 


I read that recently too.  That is the reason why I used my limited 50/50 plan to test it today by checking my minutes usage before and after the toll free calls.

 

This may be a glitch with PM server.  I am hoping that PM is not going to plug this loophole after I openly discussing it.  If PM plugs this loophole, I am apologizing in advance to all subscribers with limited calls minutes, i.e. the $10 and $15 plans.

popping
Retired Oracle / Oracle Retraité

@geopublic wrote:

@popping I'm going off the official PM document:

 

https://www.publicmobile.ca/en/bc/get-help/articles/limited-talk-and-text-plans

 

Nowhere does it say that toll free number don't count.

 

Does anyone know if the same is true for the $15 plan?


I am not sure that the free toll free calls may be the new measures provided by PM during COVID-19 pandemic so that subscribers can call Services Canada, CRA.or banks etc.

As for the discussion about 1-800 numbers using up minutes, I could've sworn I'd seen it mentioned here before, that SOME toll free numbers didn't count against plan minutes, whereas some others did..... I don't recall exactly what was said, but for example, 1-800 vs. 1-888, or similar? 🤔 


@popping wrote:

@CannonFodder wrote:

@smusaji  So, have you checked your usage history? You DO realize, don't you, that if you're on the $15 plan, calls to voicemail count against your minutes, and any part of a minute gets rounded up to the next full minute, such that a call of 1:37 counts as 2 mins.?


@smusaji In addition to the voicemail does not account against the plan minutes, calling toll free number will not against the plan minutes too.  PM is actually very generous on counting minutes usage.


Uhm.... was that a brain fart(the bold & underlined part, above), or am I misunderstanding what you're saying? I threw that info out there, because I thought just MAYBE the OP had used up all the plan minutes, and had then used up TONS of the add-on minutes by checking voicemail. That, and given that the OP said the account showed ~400 mins. at the beginning of this month, and it's now the 27th, it seemed like a good possibility that those minutes got used that way.

Whether toll free minutes are billable outgoing minutes would only be relevant to the $10 or $15 plan and every discussion I have seen here concluded that they don’t get billed in reality. Toll Free calls were always free to dial on payphones without the need to deposit any $ as well. 

AE_Collector

@popping I'm going off the official PM document:

 

https://www.publicmobile.ca/en/bc/get-help/articles/limited-talk-and-text-plans

 

Nowhere does it say that toll free number don't count.

 

Does anyone know if the same is true for the $15 plan?

I have never checked as @popping did but I don’t believe that I have ever seen a discussion about toll free calls on PM that concluded that they are billable minutes...IE: NOT billable. Collecting your voice mail messages using your cell phone IS consuming billable minutes but the person who left you the messages didn’t trigger any billable minutes leaving a message.

 

Thats my take on it at least.

 

AE_Collector

popping
Retired Oracle / Oracle Retraité

@smusaji wrote:

I have checked my history and even if they charge me for those long calls to 1-800 like CRA office or something like that - it would hardly get me below half of those 500. It is just impossible to have them disappeared due to consumption.


I called a toll free number this afternoon using my $10 plan with only 50 incoming or outgoing minutes.  The minutes usage line on the overview page did not change. The details usage still showing my toll free call and did not count against my plan minutes.  The call used 9 minutes.  But that counted 0 minutes against my plan minutes.

 

27/03/2020 2:12Outgoing Callxxx831xxxx888xxx3436ALBERTANANP area0:08:14 Minutes$0.00

 

To prove that PM did not charge the toll free 9 minutes call, my plan minutes usage line showing that I used only 6 minutes since my renewal.  Otherwise, my minutes usage line will be at least 9 minutes or more.  

 

@geopublic 

Do you have any proof that PM charge the toll free call against the plan minutes.  You may be correct if PM does not apply the same rule to all toll free calls.

 

  • Data & Add-OnsAmount Used
    $0 Free Holiday Giveaway: 1GB Add-on
    0.091  /  1024 MB
    $0 Free Holiday Giveaway: 400min INTL Long Distance (incl CA & US)
    0  /  400 MIN
    50 International Outgoing Texts and Unlimited Incoming Texts
    8  /  50 Unit
    Limited Canada-Wide Talk
    6  /  50 MIN


@smusaji wrote:

I have checked my history and even if they charge me for those long calls to 1-800 like CRA office or something like that - it would hardly get me below half of those 500. It is just impossible to have them disappeared due to consumption.


@smusaji  The minutes counter is pretty accurate. Please note that 1-800 do count towards your minutes. If you still feel there was an error then submit a ticket to PM so that they can investigate.

 

To submit a ticket to the Moderator Team, please start a conversation with the Public's virtual assistant, SIMon by clicking the icon below:

 

s.JPG

 

If you are still having problems contacting Public Mobile then click here. The link  sends you to the private message function and adds the moderator team as recipient for a private message. You just have to enter a title and text in the body of the message describing the problem and post. The message will be received by the moderator team and they will respond to it. You will receive the response in your private message inbox.

Please note that account verification may be required when contacting the Moderator Team 

smusaji
Great Neighbour / Super Voisin

I have checked my history and even if they charge me for those long calls to 1-800 like CRA office or something like that - it would hardly get me below half of those 500. It is just impossible to have them disappeared due to consumption.

popping
Retired Oracle / Oracle Retraité

@CannonFodder wrote:

@smusaji  So, have you checked your usage history? You DO realize, don't you, that if you're on the $15 plan, calls to voicemail count against your minutes, and any part of a minute gets rounded up to the next full minute, such that a call of 1:37 counts as 2 mins.?


@smusaji In addition to the voicemail does not account against the plan minutes, calling toll free number will not against the plan minutes too.  PM is actually very generous on counting minutes usage.

@smusaji  So, have you checked your usage history? You DO realize, don't you, that if you're on the $15 plan, calls to voicemail count against your minutes, and any part of a minute gets rounded up to the next full minute, such that a call of 1:37 counts as 2 mins.?

@smusaji  try adding the other $5 add on again. If you still feel that an error occurred then contact a moderator and ask them to check it for you. Click on the green questionmark in the white circle at the bottom right of your screen.  This connects to the autobot Simon.  Type moderator and follow the prompts to get to one (CLICK on account specific question and human and submit a ticket)


Keep an eye on the envelope top right of your screen. The mods answer will show up there.
You can also enable email notification to receive a private message notification in your email INBOX.
Go into your community account > my settings > PREFERENCES > Private Messenger > enable "Receive email notifications for new private messages" > Save

popping
Retired Oracle / Oracle Retraité

@smusaji wrote:

I did not use them. They just disappeared. Moreover, I wanted to get another one a couple of days ago. I went to add-ons, selected the option for 500 Canada-wide minutes, paid it and got a confirmation that everything worked. However, now I can see that the purchase did not work and I just got the money back as credit. What is going on? In case the option is discontinued, I want to at least got my unused balance that I had.

 

@smusaji wrote:

That is correct. At the beginning of March I remember having around 400/500 left. I did not talk them out, but now they are no longer there. Moreover, when I tried to add another 500 min - it did not work and those $5 paid just went into my currently available credit.


Buying add-on is a 2 steps process.  If your account has $5 available fund in your account, you finished the first step.  Now, you need to buy the add-on with the available fund $5.

smusaji
Great Neighbour / Super Voisin

That is correct. At the beginning of March I remember having around 400/500 left. I did not talk them out, but now they are no longer there. Moreover, when I tried to add another 500 min - it did not work and those $5 paid just went into my currently available credit.

I don't THINK this is the case with this add-on, but guys, is there any chance that this is like the US roaming add-ons, in that the system has a brain cramp when you buy a 2nd one while you still have the 1st one???

smusaji
Great Neighbour / Super Voisin

I did not use them. They just disappeared. Moreover, I wanted to get another one a couple of days ago. I went to add-ons, selected the option for 500 Canada-wide minutes, paid it and got a confirmation that everything worked. However, now I can see that the purchase did not work and I just got the money back as credit. What is going on? In case the option is discontinued, I want to at least got my unused balance that I had.

CannonFodder
Mayor / Maire

@smusaji 


@smusaji wrote:

Hi, I just mentioned that my previously purchased add-ons for 500min Canada-wide talk disappeared from my file. I thought it said they never expire. I have 80% left out of it, where did this go?


Since you made that statement, highlighted in bold, above, can we assume you HAVE logged into your self-serve account, as @popping  showed, quite recently, and at that point it showed up as having ~400 mins. left? 🤔   If so, I suggest you log in once again, and take a look at the usage history, just to make sure there aren't a few REALLY long phone calls you may have forgotten about..... any chance you made a few calls where you got put on "hold" for a significant amount of time?

hairbag1
Mayor / Maire

@smusaji wrote:

Hi, I just mentioned that my previously purchased add-ons for 500min Canada-wide talk disappeared from my file. I thought it said they never expire. I have 80% left out of it, where did this go?


It never expires...you use up to 500 minutes of Canada wide calling for the cost of $5. Once your regular plan minutes run out, then the 500 minutes add-on take over. Any of those 500 minutes that you don't use during your regular cycle, will just keep rolling over until you do use them up. If you find you're using much more, consider getting the $25 plan with unlimited Canada wide calling...as suggested by @gblackma 

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