Upcoming Changes to our Old Rewards Program

[J_PM]

Hey Community,

We have an important announcement to share with our subscribers who are currently enrolled in our old Rewards program.

We’re making changes to our rewards program and are sharing how these changes impact some of our subscribers. Starting in May, we’ll be retiring our old Rewards program and moving all subscribers to our Public Points™ program. 

We launched the Public Points™ program in January 2022 to provide our subscribers with more ways to earn and spend rewards, with greater flexibility. As part of our commitment to continuously evolve our products and services, it's time to retire our old Rewards program and shift our focus on enhancing our Points program.

To show our appreciation for your continued loyalty, subscribers on our old Rewards program will receive a special thank you. We'll send you a text message when it has been added to your account by March 31st. 

We’re excited to continue providing you, our valued subscribers, more opportunities to earn and spend rewards with Public Points™ moving forward.

To learn more about your move to Public Points, check out our FAQ here.

The Public Mobile Team

[AnnoyedByPublic]

Frustratingly there’s a banner for a $29 plan at the top of this forum but when I click it it is for new activations only??? So you guys tricked me into getting a more expensive plan a while back and not dropping down will be worse than if I was a new sub?

[Hillbilies]

I'm not impressed with the changes at all, I will be missing out on  26$ a year in savings alone just with my loyalty after 4 years. Glad to see so many others hate the idea too. Hopefully you will reconsider this decision.

[CalvinW]

The appeal with Public Mobile is the reward system, but in return we had to put up with the half baked customer support. Literally no number to call, and most attempts of contact are handled by bots. By the time we do get in contact with a representative, they reply with generic copy and paste answers. Why would we even go with Public Mobile now that reward system is gone? Literally just a couple weeks back, they dropped MMS support for my 5 year old phone and customer support did nothing to help aside from telling me to get a new phone. Guess this is the final straw. 

[Strutin]

Yep, my cost will effectively double without the loyalty and other discounts- I've got a couple numbers I'll have to park on a 7/11 sim.. or maybe some pay as you go/ by the minute thing. It's too bad, Public was reliable and economical 😞

[MeiNi]

I got an announcement via text today informing me the rewards program will change to points system. The "appreciation for continued loyalty" is bonus data of 240GB for 150 days.

This was so ridiculous that I got a good laugh out of it. With my plan, I have enough data that I don't even use 10% of it every month. I believe very few people ever reached the limit of their data plan.

What is the point of giving us something that we'll never use or benefit from, then expire, as "appreciation"? I guess it's just saying that the continued loyalty isn't really that important after all.

[Soon-ex-PM-user]

#Telus #PublicMobile new motto is Paying us more to get the same and less service 

[Antonio_Almeida]

Disappointed and I will more than likely move on elsewhere.  The new rewards nowhere near of those in the old program.  Bearing in mind that this is a rewards program, would the CRTC have any say on this?

[Alawski]

Ya, pretty much like all the long-time members, this change is horrible. I have 4 accounts all earning good discounts and those will essentially disappear. And the added hassle of having to go into the account to redeem the points! No thanks. PM was solid in its simplicity and value for money. That feels like it’s completely disappearing…which means I’ll be disappearing with my accounts as well. 

[Chalupa_Batman]

Hello.

As per the rules of the CCTS, I must reach out to you and inform you that I fully disagree with the discontinuation of the Legacy Rewards program. 

The reason I disagree is because I had a plan that I was more than happy to have for the rest of my life. $25 5GB of data with unlimited talk and text Canada wide with options to purchase US addons. I upgraded to the $34 50GB with unlimited talk and text Canada/US plan solely because I had that $6 buffer which will be $7 as of March 17th 2024. $2 for pre paid and $5 for loyalty. I switched to this plan once again because I had that buffer. Public Mobile knew a head of time before I switched over that they were going to discontinue the Legacy Rewards. This Legacy Rewards discontinuation did not happen overnight. To me, this was premediated, unscrupulous and dishonest of Telus/Public Mobile to do. If Public Mobile informed me this was going to happen one week after I changed to this plan, I would not have switched over. I would have stayed on that $25 5GB plan. 

Please accept this as my official complaint. 

CC: @CS_Agent @Chalupa_Batman 

[BenjaminClassic]

Any one know of some cheap planes from others carriers 

[Handy1]

I think the customers that have enough friend refferals should drop plans to one that cost them zero $ and the existing customers that do pay jump ship . So PM is left with just those customers with free plans and watch them go belly up ..  be like a situation like game spot had  few years ago . That would be the ultimate back fire for public mobile . And see them whine and complain about their poor decision to rob loyal customers 

[AnnoyedByPublic]

How do we even get through to a human to complain? Every link takes me to the bot. Does this count as an attempt to communicate?

[DamnB]

Taking advantage of loyal customers will have its own repercussions, the only reason most old customer stayed with Public Mobile over the years was the loyalty rewards you are now taking away from us. Your policy was clear from the beginning and now you arbitrarily change it, putting back Public Mobile at a similar rate than other Canadian providers. With this decision,  you are definitely giving us a good reason to leave Public Mobile and change providers. Hope you will find good incentives (not just Point programs)  to keep paying customers as myself here and not filing complaints, otherwise we'll be switching providers, including all our referrals . 

[Korth_]

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@Chalupa_Batman wrote:

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@mikasik2 wrote:

Complain to CCTS https://www.ccts-cprst.ca/for-consumers/complaints/complaint-form/

Complain to CRTC https://crtc.gc.ca/eng/contact/question.htm (not as easy)

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So according to the CCTS complaint form, you must inform Public Mobile about your concerns. They will not take the complaint if you don't. Two options I guess qualify. 1. Posting here on the forum which is considered "contact" since this is an official Public Mobile website. 2. Sending a message to a CS Agent. Now, I know option #2 will tie them up, however, if you wish to file a complaint with the CCTS you must do this. And take a screen shot as proof. I understand folks here will say don't do that as it will tie their hands to help others. However, this MUST be done in order to file a complaint. Just remember, they did this to themselves. 

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Just get a support ticket. With your complaint. And Public Mobile's response (or lack of response) before the deadline.

This is what you need to screenshot.

[sersonz]

5 year customer. Will be leaving when this change takes effect. Shameful behavior by Public Mobile, hope they change course

[Stelawrat]

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@Zahir_h wrote:

https://www.iphoneincanada.ca/2024/03/06/public-mobile-end-rewards-program-may/

https://forums.redflagdeals.com/public-mobile-retiring-their-old-rewards-program-may-2024-2679876/

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Redflag at 10 pages & counting...

[Korth_]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Swing and miss. The only reason I am still here is the savings I get from the loyalty of being on the rewards vs the points. With the difference moving forward. I might as well go with the cheaper company that has a number to call.

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A number to call. A human to talk to. A store to go to. A place you can walk into with your problem and walk out of with your problem solved.

The original reason Public Mobile could pass on savings (low prices and REWARDS) to subscribers was that they didn't have to pay for stores, kiosks, sales staff, etc. "The phone company without a phone number", "No frills", and "Less for Less".

We still don't get the "frills" but now we also won't get the savings.

There is no reason to stay. Public Mobile doesn't offer anything better than competitors.

[mikasik2]

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@Chalupa_Batman wrote:

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@mikasik2 wrote:

Complain to CCTS https://www.ccts-cprst.ca/for-consumers/complaints/complaint-form/

Complain to CRTC https://crtc.gc.ca/eng/contact/question.htm (not as easy)

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So according to the CCTS complaint form, you must inform Public Mobile about your concerns. They will not take the complaint if you don't. Two options I guess qualify. 1. Posting here on the forum which is considered "contact" since this is an official Public Mobile website. 2. Sending a message to a CS Agent. Now, I know option #2 will tie them up, however, if you wish to file a complaint with the CCTS you must do this. And take a screen shot as proof. I understand folks here will say don't do that as it will tie their hands to help others. However, this MUST be done in order to file a complaint. Just remember, they did this to themselves. 

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I just said I posted my complaint on the official PM forums and it was accepted.  Wouldn't hurt to open a ticket though!

[Chalupa_Batman]

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@mikasik2 wrote:

Complain to CCTS https://www.ccts-cprst.ca/for-consumers/complaints/complaint-form/

Complain to CRTC https://crtc.gc.ca/eng/contact/question.htm (not as easy)

---

So according to the CCTS complaint form, you must inform Public Mobile about your concerns. They will not take the complaint if you don't. Two options I guess qualify. 1. Posting here on the forum which is considered "contact" since this is an official Public Mobile website. 2. Sending a message to a CS Agent. Now, I know option #2 will tie them up, however, if you wish to file a complaint with the CCTS you must do this. And take a screen shot as proof. I understand folks here will say don't do that as it will tie their hands to help others. However, this MUST be done in order to file a complaint. Just remember, they did this to themselves. 

[Anonymous]

Swing and miss. The only reason I am still here is the savings I get from the loyalty of being on the rewards vs the points. With the difference moving forward. I might as well go with the cheaper company that has a number to call.

[Korth_]

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@HALIMACS wrote:

Good point @dabr !!

If prior posts promising legacy reward holders would not be switched are being removed after the fact, that's lower than low.   That's damage control in action, folks.

I do hope Public Mobile is NOT doing that.

However, this is their forum, their site.   They completely own it's content.

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Contrary to assurances from certain Oracles ... yes, I have observed some censorship on this site. Sometimes posts simply vanish. Sometimes posts are just deprioritized on searches so unless you submit very specific and exacting details you just don't find the posts you're looking for. And the "missing" posts seem to consistently attack, or diminish Public Mobile a little more vehemently than usual.

I'm not talking about disruptive posts which are removed by the Oracles.

But yes, this site is owned and operated by Public Mobile (Telus). It is their "property". It is essentially their advertising and "support" platform. They can do whatever they want with it, they can put anything they want onto it, they can remove anything they don't want off it it. And we're talking about Telus here, a corporation which is driven by money and revenues and profits above other (ethical) considerations.

[sharkusmarkus]

I was just logging in to mention the rate plan increase thing, and how there was a massive backlash against it, mainly as the T&C's mentioned something about rates never going up.

I wonder if there is anything like that for the rewards vs points setup?

I suspect many, myself included, have not switched to the apparently oh-so-wonderful rewards system, as it does not seem to provide the same benefits as what we have now. 

[Stelawrat]

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@HALIMACS wrote:

C'mon @Slick66 , I know this sucks, but ....

You have $2163 in available funds ... and you're upset?

Some might be happy to have built up such a credit for years of rewards.

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If I understand the new points system correctly, Slick will only be able to apply that cash credit to his bill payment, meaning he'd be locked into PM for the next 5 years!

He'll be able to redeem any points he earns going forward for other rewards.

If I'm wrong, then I suppose if he wanted to convert some of that cash to points, he could, but what are the chances there'll be something worthwhile for him to do that? 

[pm-smayer97]

Correction... I should have said, you can migrate back to your old community account... access to any posts under the new community account will be lost. That is the catch. It should be straightforward, as long as the CSA does it correctly. That is the only potential glitch.

(I have corrected my previous post).

[AnnoyedByPublic]

Big miss, the “compensation” is pathetic and I will be looking to switch to somewhere else

[Korth_]

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@JJLuke1 wrote:

... I felt I did not want to lose "tenure" to capture a few dollars, knowing full well I'd make it up in the long run with loyalty ...

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And there it is. We've remained "loyal" to Public Mobile as a sort of "investment" into future savings.

Which we're now being denied.

[mikasik2]

Anyone remember this fiasco?

Public Mobile here. Starting March 20th, 2018 your rate plan price will increase by $10 per 30 days, making your plan $150 for 90 days. But don't worry! Our sister brand, Koodo, has a way for you to keep your $40 price point. Until March 15th, 2018, join Koodo and get 4GB of data, unlimited text and now additionally get UNLIMITED CANADA-WIDE minutes for $40/month PLUS get a one-time $100 bill credit! Offer valid for 16479999. Redeem at your nearest Koodo location or online at https://koo.do/gocustomer-service Show this msg and use promo code XXXXXXXX to redeem along with 2 pieces of ID. Your phone number is your validation code. You're included on the list for Public Mobile offers and deals. To be excluded, reply unsubscribe. Conditions apply.

[Stelawrat]

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@JJLuke1 wrote:

I normally don’t post on this forum, but thought I’d chime in a few points here, albeit from a different angle.

I am a long-term heavily invested Telus shareholder so I understand this move is meant to in theory increase overall average revenue per user (ARPU) by converting a direct discount into extra revenues two ways: 1. By sidelining cash savings to points which need to be applied by the customer, and 2. By squeezing margin from existing customers. Telus with their Optik Internet/TV and Mobile plans do something similar by periodically adjusting their prices to create greater profitability from the existing customer base, churn aside and all else equal.

I strongly feel this decision was made without considering the strategy of what Public Mobile was/is SUPPOSED to be, and this is a knee-jerk reaction from Telus management to overcome their recent performance slumps. By design, PM is positioned to be a higher volume, low cost/margin “fighter” or “flanker” brand, meaning they capture the price-conscious, self-serve types of customers that their other brands (Telus, Koodoo) cannot offer due to their strategies. For the reasons everyone here has explained in their replies, PM customers are very price sensitive. Personally, I moved to PM as I was tired of Telus/Koodo doing their price squeezes and having to deal with their loyalty teams. I do the “bring my own device” plans to maximize my flexibility.

What the previous direct discount model brought Public Mobile, frankly, is “indifference” to other options, which was a brilliant tactic. In other words, the yearly loyalty discount created a price disparity favouring PM and thus customer indifference to other competitor offerings. In many cases, when an appealing offer came up from a competitor, the yearly tabulated loyalty savings created this indifference and thus maintained the revenue streams. I felt I did not want to lose "tenure" to capture a few dollars, knowing full well I'd make it up in the long run with loyalty. This is a user base PM can count on. You may not make everyone happy, but it was an easy and working system. Plus with PM, this was an equitable mechanism for loyalty (short of having incredible negotiating skills with Telus loyalty teams).

Removing these direct discounts now exposes the existing customer (remember, these are price sensitive and generally savvy customers in BYOD situations) in a position to be more elastic and sensitive towards competitor offerings. I wonder how many new customers are required to replace the lifetime revenues of a long term churned customer lost to this change, i.e., those who would have stuck it out four or five years to maximize their discounts. These new customers will only stay as long as they can until something better comes along, and average customer tenure will plummet. Above all else, these customers are not on contracts and can navigate between providers at will.

I realize the PM/Telus folks likely have modelled or analyzed the potential impact of this change. I’m really hoping they did the full math to consider the consequential secondary fallout. I am in a unique position as an investor - I am all for more profits as my yearly Telus dividends exceed what I pay for my family’s phone plans. However, I am gravely concerned and I fear the domino effect of this change, particularly when you consider referrals and loyalty frameworks can begin to collapse and implode, and the new customer base coming in will not have incentive to put in the tenure due to the offerings. This is a fundamental mission misalignment with PM. The margin squeezing strategy can and does work for Telus and maybe Koodo to an extent but will cause some significant uproar with PM and significant, possibly irreparable, collateral damage down the line.

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Appreciate all of your post, but this in particular is what I wondered about as well,

"I wonder how many new customers are required to replace the lifetime revenues of a long term churned customer lost to this change, i.e., those who would have stuck it out four or five years to maximize their discounts."

Especially in today's market, I suspect that the income from these new customers can't offset the income lost from long time customers, their referrals & the referrals' referrals & on down the line.

Based on the comments in this thread, it's already happening. Ironically, we long term customers chose to stay immobile all these years. That won't be the case with new customers who, like the rest of us, are cost conscious & for whom, mobility & flexibility are a way of life. 

The writing is on the wall though & I have no expectations that Telus / PM will change directions at this stage.

[Wolfcore]

Nope, now you'll be treated the same as somebody who joins tomorrow, and has no proven loyalty. Without referrals, you'll be rewarded around $2 per month, if you're lucky. And you'll be forced to jump hurdles and deal with restrictions.

Or as PM likes to put it, you're being given this superior and amazing new rewards system, that you'll value greatly! 🤣

[Salvo1]

Nope I'm hoping it's an early April Fool's joke