Beware of switching from a monthly plan back to the standard plan

[cdavidhess]

I originally signed up with Page Plus with $80 for the standard plan. After a few days, I decided to try the Talk n Text 1200 plan and purchased a PIN for it. Yesterday, I called Plus Plus support and switched from the Talk n Text 1200 plan back to the standard plan. I was surprised to find that I am now being charged $.12 per minute for calls. I know that this is the overage rate when you are on a monthly plan, but I have switched back to the standard plan.

I submitted a ticket on Page Plus's web site and asked them to correct this. I received this prompt reply:


The $.04/minute rate for the $80 replenishment card applies to an account when it is initially applied on the standard prepaid plan, and if the account remains on that standard prepaid plan. In your account, you initially received a $.04/min rate when you had applied your $80 replenishment card to the account. Afterward, you changed plans to Talk n Text 1200 and have since returned to standard prepaid. When switching from Talk n Text 1200 to standard prepaid, you are not applying a replenishment PIN, you are using the remaining balance that is present on the account. Voice calls are at the $.12/min overage rate because the Talk n Text 1200 has not renewed. We cannot change your billing rate for the remaining balance on the account.

If you have any further questions or concerns, or if we can be of further assistance, please feel free to contact pageplus customer care by calling 1-800-550-2436 or by dialing #737 from your mobile device.

Our customer service agents are available Monday through Saturday from 9 AM – 10 PM, and from 12 PM – 8 PM on Sundays (all times Eastern Standard).

This is a bummer. They should have at least provided this information on their web site.

[tmason68]

Yeah, that's a dumb rule...but that's their rule. So now its time to think...how much $ do you have left in your account? Does it make sense to throw another $30 at it and buy a 1200 tnt card? Then the remainder would go towards renewing the 1200 tnt plan in future mos. Once you burn it all off, then go back to standard if it still makes sense for you and buy another $80 card.

[cdavidhess]

It would have been nice if they had provided some information on their web site that this was their rule, or at least informed me of such when I called to switch back to the standard plan. For that matter, it would even be nice for Kitty to post this information on her web site.

I have $73 on my account. I may pay another $30 and get back on the 1200 plan.

Alternatively, if I purchase a $25 PIN, would this revert me to $.06 per minute on the remainder of my balance?

[tmason68]

No. It would mean that you'd get a 6 cent rate once you burned through the $73 @ 12 cents a minute.

[groze]

Now, I am confused again. Didn't Kitty say, if you switch back to the standard plan, it would be 10 cent, not 12 cents. 12 cents is only for the free start time & overages while your on the 1200 or UTNT plan. Technically, you are not doing an overage.

[tmason68]

Not sure on that. I was going by the email he got from ppc.

[groze]

I can understand Pageplus not pricing him at 4 cents, but it shouldn't be 12 cents. It should be the 10 cent standard rate. I read where people bought extra funds for overage, then switch to standard plan and were charge 12 cent. I read somewhere, that they are to be charged 10 cents. They had to call in and say, I am not getting the 10 cent standard rate. I maybe wrong.

[tmason68]

Thats probably worth a shot...but the rate still stinks.

[Kitty]

Please send an email to support@kittywireless.com. Mention this thread in the email, and give us your phone number, and I will happily address this with Page Plus for you. Your $80 PIN, which was purchased/applied before your TnT1200 PIN according to you, should NOT be reverting to 12 cents/minute.

I'm happy to help you resolve this, send me the info to support@kittywireless.com

Kitty

[tmason68]

Kitty...what should it go to? 10 cents? 4 cents?

[Kitty]

I think it should go to 4 cents. That's what he paid for. We have had this situation in the past and were able to get it corrected. I see no reason why we would not be able to get this one corrected. it's worth a shot.

Kitty

[cdavidhess]

Thanks Kitty! I have sent you an e-mail.

[tmason68]

Excellent...I hope it works out.

[Lortikit]

It would be interesting to hear the details on what happened, Kitty. My guess is that the account is in some sort of limbo between the two plans. It's off the Tnt plan, but won't offically change over until the end of the Tnt expire date. So, until then it would charge 12 cents. After that, it would charge 4.

If that's what's happening, then perhaps there's a new rule we should follow when switching from Tnt to Standard, like: "don't switch until the last day?"

[cdavidhess]

Obviously, I will be interested in the details of this too. My Talk n Text 2000 plan was to expire on 9/17 (today). I called and switched to the standard plan on 9/15. I checked my account on their web site after I called to make the switch. The web site confirmed that my account had been switched to the standard plan.

[Lortikit]

Then let me be the first to say "take two aspirin and call me in the morning." It will only cost you 4 cents and all your problems will go away. :)

And, maybe by then Kitty will have recovered the 12 cents per minute they've already taken from you too? A bonus!

[cdavidhess]

As of today, I am past when my Talk n Text plan was originally supposed to expire. I made a test call this morning. I am still being charged 12 cents per minute.

[Lortikit]

Rats!

[Kitty]

As of today, I am past when my Talk n Text plan was originally supposed to expire. I made a test call this morning. I am still being charged 12 cents per minute.

I submitted this to someone at Page Plus yesterday. I also spoke to them on the phone voice re: the matter. There has been some internal turnover at Page Plus recently, so we are working with a new person who seems to be catching on quickly. I hope to have a response to this on Monday or Tuesday, and I'll followup.

Kitty

[cdavidhess]

Thanks!

[cdavidhess]

I just noticed another weird thing. While I am being charged the overage rate ($.12 per minute) for voice calls rather than the standard rate, I am being charged the standard rate for text messages ($.08) rather than the overage rate ($.15).

[cdavidhess]

Any further word on this, Kitty?

[Kitty]

Any further word on this, Kitty?

Nothing yet, I'll followup. This is not like my contacts to not respond.

Kitty

[Kitty]

Unfortunately, it appears Page Plus is not going to be able to fix this. They said that when you change BACK to the Standard plan from a monthly plan, any balance in your cash balance gets billed out at 12 cents/minute until it's gone. Then any pin you add after that will be at the correct rate. I disagree with this assessment and told Page Plus so, however, they are considering this matter closed and will not fix the billing rate.

:-(

Kitty

[cdavidhess]

Thanks for trying, Kitty.

[groze]

Kitty here is an example.

You buy tnt or untnt plan. Then you buy a standard $10 pin to cover for overages. Then the person decides to switch to the standard plan. It is billed at 10 cents not 12 cents. So what is the difference? I read people were switched to the 10 cent rate, when they dropped down to the standard plan, not the overage rate. Was that a mistake? Some people called in and said they were being billed at 12 cents overage rate & were switched to the 10 cent rate. It is not an overage if you are on a standard plan.

Would it help if cdavidhess called in & said I am being billed at the 12 cent overage rate and it suppose to be 10 cents for the standard rate?






Side note
What they did doesn't help pageplus image. JMO

[Kitty]

Kitty here is an example.

You buy tnt or untnt plan. Then you buy a standard $10 pin to cover for overages. Then the person decides to switch to the standard plan. It is billed at 10 cents not 12 cents. So what is the difference? I read people were switched to the 10 cent rate, when the dropped down to the standard plan, not the overage rate. Was that a mistake? Some people called in and said they were being billed at 12 cents overage rate & were switched to the 10 cent rate. It is not an overage if you are on a standard plan.

Would it help if cdavidhess called in & said I am being billed at the 12 cent overage rate and it suppose to be 10 cents for the standard rate?

Side note
What they did doesn't help pageplus image. JMO

Groze, you are preaching to the choir on this one. I agree with you completely. I summarized & documented the situation, submitted it for review, made multiple phone calls on the situation, argued for over an hour on the phone for the customer, and it was still denied. I can't get into it more than that, but believe me, I fought hard for this and still nothing.

I *agree* with you. Page Plus should have fixed this.

Kitty

[groze]

cdavidhess,
I guess if you want to try. Call in yourself, but don't mention your bought an $80 dollar pin. Just say I am being charged the 12 cent overage, it should be 10 cent for the standard rate. Since, it is not an overage.

Kitty,
The 10/12 cents problem needs to be fixed. Maybe (Some people will hate me for this) make it 11 cents for free minutes from a dealer, standard rate, overages and funds left when you drop down to the standard rate. It would make it much simpler. It did use to cost 12 cent for the standard rate plan.

You might want to mention a drop down advisory in your email newsletter.

[Kitty]

Groze,

I agree with you, but let's take it one step at a time. We win some battles, lose others. We're getting stacking PINs as of Monday. Overall Page Plus, as a whole, is a phenomenal deal. Quirks exist. Sometimes wrongs don't get put right. I acknowledge all of that. We, as a dealer, cannot come in hard-fisted and demand stuff. All we can do is submit it, debate it, argue for it, and accept what the result is. We've won MANY issues we've submitted, but this issue was not resolved in the customer's favor.

Again, you have to look at the big/whole picture. Things will get better, with time, as changes are made. It takes a LONG time for most companies to implement lasting changes.

Kitty

[cdavidhess]

While I am certainly disappointed in the outcome of my current situation. I plan to stay with Page Plus. As Kitty points out, it is still an excellent deal when compared to other options. I will just know better in the future and act accordingly.

I would think it appropriate for Kitty to make it clear (perhaps in the list of FAQs) that this is Page Plus's policy when customers switch from a monthly plan to the standard plan. It will help prevent future misunderstandings and disappointments.

[Kitty]

Written up and added to Knowledgebase:

http://help.kittywireless.com/index.php?_m=knowledgebase&_a=viewarticle&kbarticleid=59&nav=0,2

Also added to FAQ:

http://www.kittywireless.com/pageplusfaq.html

[cdavidhess]

Excellent!