When selecting a plan it should be made more clear that if you select a 90 day plan with 6GB of data, it should be made very clear to the end user that the 6GB is for the course of 90 days and does not replenish itself every 30 days.
I disagree with your general allegation that PM is being deceitful by virtue of its webpage design.
What you're accusing the carrier of is a form of bait and switch, or false advertising.
Why not put your accusations to the test? Write to the CRTC, CCTS, and federal Competition Bureau, detailing your concerns.
When each replies that there is no substance to your grievance, I hope that will convince you that there is nothing underhanded in how Public Mobile does business.
@srlawren, I understand what you are saying and I don't think it's a malicious intent. I just mean that it is most likely a marketing strategy given how it is displayed, making it appear a little more attractive than it actually is.
@chukdefatey , yes I understand your viewpoint and I also see how it works now, however, you cannot ignore what others have said. I'm sure it's a pyschological thing...most people think in the mindset of things happening monthly and that the 90 days was paying in advance by 3 months. This is especially the case for those so used to how the other carriers handle their billing. My mind has not been groomed to think that when I was in a 2 year contract with Fido, that I was getting a 2 year, 48gb plan, but that's how PM is setup (which I understand fully now). I just think it would make things more clear if prior to finalizing the plan, it state that the data you choose (e.g. 6gb), is 6gb/90 days. If it actually said that, it would be so much clearer and it would avoid confusion. It's certainly not a difficult request.
@Martin I agree it is not a bait and switch, but I truly believe it is a marketing method nonetheless. I realize my error and should have taken 6gb plan, and after reviewing it, I realize that it was in fact MY error. That said, I still consider the way it is displayed makes it appear a little more attractive than it actually is with regard to price/data relationship. I agree that it is not false advertising, but it does tend to cause people to pick the wrong plan (which you can't adjust without losing money) simply because of how most people tend to think about cell phone plans (i.e. monthly).
It's intellectually disingenuous to say that it's not false advertising or bait and switch, but a marketing strategy. Which is it? If the strategy is to mislead, that IS bait and switch or false marketing.
I was shocked to find out that if I wanted to upgrade my Data (even after only one minute on a 90 day plan) that I would get absolutely no credit for the portion of the plan I have not used. Not what I would expect ever. Wrong in my opinion. Again - this is a mistake people make only once when new - why rob them for misunderstanding? Not a good first impression at all.
Hi @jellybean, you bring up a good point. Specifically for those new customers who intend to remain a customer but wish to make a change, there should be a grace period to make the change without penalty.
If you have experienced this situation, I encourage you to write to the PM support via the "Contact Us" page and they may be able to do something for you.
My advice in this situation is to send an email to our customer service department in a timely manner. Nothing guarantees that the change will be made but it is always worth the try.
I thought it was by month at a discount from paying for three months at a time. All the people saying why would someone assume yadayada, don't worry about it. You didn't make the monthly correlation. Others like me did. Now at least I undertand why my data limit was hit a couple days in to a new month... Not so hard to add an astrix to the plan page stating data is for whatever period you pick, so why even discuss this? It's a no-brainer fix. Bummer though about how little data I can use per month now though. Still a smokin deal I guess.