Here’s what happened (updated)
Attica! Attica! Al Pacino in Dog Day Afternoon
Monday morning I get a call from the head of corporate communications at Globe. She admits that there are technical problems with their broadband product and asks to meet me.
I know what you’re thinking, so I’ll save you the neural traffic.
You: Jessica, you’re a media person so they have to talk to you. What about us ordinary consumers, are we going to get calls from corporate communications?
Me: Yes. No.
Around 4pm I meet with two managers from Globe. They are already aware of my complaint, and offer copious apologies. Essentially they admit the service is crap, though the word is not used.
You: You’re scary so they have to agree with you. What about us ordinary consumers who do not threaten Red Army Berlin 1945-scale wrath?
Me: Yes. I don’t know.
According to the reps, Globe systems were gravely damaged by typhoon Ondoy, and they are currently making repairs. They call it “recovery work”. They say this accounts for the slowness or nonexistence of a signal.
You: Yeah, right.
Me: Things I might’ve been told when I first made my complaint, thus heading off the unpleasantness.
And what of the disappearing load? Ah, the crux of the matter. It is supposedly the same problem that afflicts Globe postpaid subscribers who surf the internet with their phones, unaware that they are being CHARGED PER KILOBYTE. The charge is P5 for 15 minutes IF you are in Time-browsing mode. However, the Prepaid kit is automatically set to charge you PER KILOBYTE. You have to text TIME to 111 to have them change this to Time-charging.
Who charges per kilobyte?!?! The Globe reps say gamers prefer this as it saves them money. (Could a gamer confirm this, please. Update: See comments. A gamer explains why this argument is crap.) Why, when I installed that new prepaid SIM, was I not informed that I am being charged per kilobyte? (My postpaid SIM is on Time-browsing mode. I had assumed that prepaid, being presumably for the budget-conscious, would offer the more customer-friendly option. Na-ah.)
Nowhere in the package does it say, “We’re automatically going to charge you per kilobyte!” In the printed materials that come with the SIM, there is a section, “How you will be charged”. It goes on to say, “P5 for 15 minutes.” There is no mention of having to shift to Time-browsing.
The Globe reps say they need to work on educating the public about the difference between the two rate options.
For starters, they could print it on the package so users are not “inadvertently” suckered.
So. Official explanation as to why I was charged P165 for 12 minutes of a bad connection: kilobyte charging. But I couldn’t access anything in those 12 minutes since the connection was averaging 0.00 kbps!
The Globe reps say it all goes back to the recovery work that is being done on the systems damaged by typhoon Ondoy. They add that by early November there should be a dramatic improvement in the service.
You: Eyebrows shoot off the top of your head and go into orbit.
Me: So it’s true that the service right now is crap, but it’s supposed to get better in early November. This does not fully explain why the gadget works efficiently with my postpaid SIM, but we’ll see.
Then the Globe reps give me a new broadband kit, SIM, and prepaid cards to replace my vanished load.
You: Well, where’s my replacement kit, SIM, and prepaid load?
Me: File under “intrinsic unfairness of life”.
You: What, no Titus Andronicus even?
Me: Face it, anything less than a bloodbath will disappoint you. However, you now have the urge to check out Shakespeare’s lesser plays.
I’m going to test this new unit, then observe whether there is an improvement in the service by the first week of November. However, I cannot stop you from fulminating about worthless pieces of crap that you have shelled out good money for. Send me the horror stories, I will send them on to those who should be horrified.
* * * * *
22 October. Yesterday we received three comments in a row defending Globe and denouncing the manner of my complaining as “bastusan”, “You made us look like angry teenagers”, “kinda harsh…they didn’t exactly force you to use their products.”
Readers are entitled to express their opinions, but the arrival of three consecutive pro-Globe comments from members who only recently registered on the site, all using gmail addresses, and their admonition that we be kind to a huge corporation that spends millions in advertising the product in question, makes us suspicious. Also, they are clearly new to the general tone of this site.
If we are wrong and these readers are genuinely concerned (or just genuine), lashings of apologies. Rest assured that your opinions have been delivered.
Answers to questions you might be asking, unless you wandered onto this site purely by accident >>>
October 20th, 2009 at 02:43
Here’s my problem with that Typhon Ondoy alibi. My friend from Davao who had exactly the same experience with yours bought her Tattoo kit around third week of September, before the typhoon. And she’s in Davao at that time.
And the typhoon certainly doesn’t explain why if she uses her Globe postpaid sim (from her iPhone) in the Tattoo modem, the connection becomes continuous and fast. If only her expensive iPhone can be used like a modem like other expensive phones from other manufacturers. Then she wouldn’t need the Tattoo kit. But that’s a different story. She’s now in Cebu and the last time I check she still uses her postpaid sim to power her usb modem because the prepaid Tattoo sim is just as slow and disconnects as frequently in Cebu as in Davao.
Anyhow, hopefully they’ll fix their buggy system that I doubt is truly caused by the typhoon. It’s easy to blame the typhoon. You should have asked them why exactly the typhoon is to blame. I used (I’m using it right now to post this) a similar prepaid internet product (P.W. not S.B, hehe…) which I bought February of 2008. It was very fast and continuous the first two months, but after that it was crappy. Frequent disconnections. Slow speed. It was truly crappy. But I had no choice. There weren’t a lot of choices then for usb internet in 2008 outside of Metro Manila. But thankfully in December 2008 things improved with the availability of HSDPA signal near my place and I have been satisfied with it since then. I thought they fixed some stuff as they upgraded the cellsite where I’m picking the signal. So hopefully they are honest about fixing their system and you’ll have the same experience with your Globe Tattoo as I did with my mobile prepaid internet provider, because after all these different brands uses the same or similar brands of usb modems. So any problem is most likely at the cellsite level. Assuming of course the sites are not programmed to favor postpaid sims.
October 20th, 2009 at 07:08
bakit hindi na lang kasi nila nilabas yung kit nila after november kung kelan mas maayos na DAW ang service nila. mga patay-gutom sa pera sila.
October 20th, 2009 at 08:30
As a gamer, I have never heard of how charging per kb of download will save me money. Considering most if not all games now, will require a gamer to download oodles of megabytes worth of game clients, patches (game improvements) and other info every few days, not to mention the consistent bandwidth that is required to keep an online game running, net service will actually end up being more costly if this supposed “money-for-kilobyte” is really in play. It’s just utterly deceptive twaddle-speak, I’m afraid they’ve not only sold you crap, but in that discussion, have been trying to feed it to you as well.
October 20th, 2009 at 08:34
Next time this happens, and they ask for a meeting, maybe it would be a good idea to drag along a consumer advocacy group? It could get tiring waging these battles all by yourself.
It is sad that we still have to resort to some sort of power–in this case, your blog–and sprinkle in a bit of insanity to get attention. I’ve done it myself, and while it makes for funny stories to tell friends, it can wear you out.
One of my alternatives is to meditate and let it pass, but while that means less oxygen consumption for me–good for the ecology, that still allows evil to thrive unchecked.
October 20th, 2009 at 09:59
Ayala companies have a different approach to the rest of the world. check out the rules of a photo contest they are sponsoring:
Nuvali Dirt Weekend Photo Contest
Terms and Conditions:
1. A copy OF ALL photos taken during the NUVALI Dirt weekend
Photographer’s tour and photo contest shall be turned over to Ayala
Land Inc. on October 10, 2009 in CD Format.
2. To participate in the photo contest, you are required to submit your
photo entries (either raw or enhanced; minimum of 300 DPI resolution)
by uploading it at the NUVALI website.
3. ALL PHOTOS SUBMITTED AND PHOTO CONTEST ENTRIES SHALL BECOME SOLE AND
EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY OF AYALA LAND INC. AND MAY BE REPRODUCED AND/OR
REPRINTED INTO ANY SIZE FOR EXHIBITION OR ANY OTHER PURPOSE WITHOUT
SEEKING PERMISSION FROM THE OWNER NOR PAYING COMPENSATION FOR THE
ACQUISITION OF SAID PHOTOS.
4. By participating in the NUVALI Dirt weekend Photographer’s Tour and
Photo contest, you agree that any image you submit may be used by
NUVALI / AYALA Land Inc. for their marketing and promotional efforts of
this event or future events and/or marketing and promotional
requirements of NUVALI / AYALA Land Inc. These uses include but are not
limited to the following:
Displaying of images in NUVALI and / or Ayala Land Inc. website, public photo exhibits
Using the images on Brochures/Flyers; web banners; calendar;
Audio-Visual Presentations; as part of photo/press releases to promote
NUVALI / and / or Ayala Land Inc.
Cropping and re-sizing the images necessary to fit pre-defined formats
to promote the competition and to promote NUVALI and / or Ayala Land
Inc.
Inclusion within any materials promoting the event or any exhibition of
images from this event organized by NUVALI and / or Ayala Land Inc.
5. Ayala Land Inc. will have the exclusive right to use submitted
photos in various advertising and / or promotional materials to be
developed by and for NUVALI without the need to secure prior consent of
the Photographer.
6. Photographer will be credited as the author of the photos/s on two occasions:
a. If your photo/s is chosen to be showcased in the NUVALI and / or Ayala Land Inc. website.
b. Should your photo be declared as a winning entry in the NUVALI Dirt
weekend Photo Contest, a winner’s print advertisement to be published
in a publication
7. By participating in this contest, you confirm that you have read and
understood, and agree to abide by the Terms and Conditions of this
photo contest.
in other words, give us your pictures dummy and make sure to thank us for allowing you to participate.
October 20th, 2009 at 10:57
thanks a lot for posting this. my officemate has been experiencing problems with globe for a week now, and she’s a post-paid subscriber. she’s really upset about having to pay the fixed monthly price and yet being unable to use the net for a week. (and internet connection is an important part of life now, in case globe people don’t know.)
she’s also complaining about the customer service. she says that it’s hard to contact them, she gets cut off at times, and the representatives repeatedly tell her that “tinitignan nila.” i don’t know, they need one week to look at the problem and around two weeks more to solve it? there goes the whole month fixed price.
her relative is also a globe subscriber, and the relative’s husband’s an OFW so they really, really need the internet connection to communicate. it’s sad and frustrating for the family. the child wants to see her father everyday, and because there has been no internet connection, maybe she misses him terribly now.
fyi, i experienced the same thing with the competitor, so i guess there’s no better option.
October 20th, 2009 at 11:49
hey I also have a crappy prepaid globe tattoo which I got when I purchased a laptop. It has a P100 load when they gave it to me. connection was so sloooooooow that the whole 100 peso “load” was consumed without me even getting connected to my home page (even tried moving from the ninth floor to the penthouse because i thought it was just a “signal” problem. worthless piece of crap! btw, this was before ondoy so they cannot give me a bs answer about “recovery work”. yun sayo pinalitan kasi nasa media ka, how about “lowly” consumers like us?hey GLOBE, dapat pansinin niyo rin yun ibang consumers (here’s my email-ethan_dy3@yahoo.com). I’m waiting for your explanation.
October 20th, 2009 at 11:50
Globe should stop advertising and acquiring new customers till they have fixed the problems with the services they are selling. Simple and the right thing to do.
Globe should make time based charging as the default. Data packet based charging is better for gamers? Crap. Gamers with no own real broadband connection go to internet cafe. Cost is 15 -20 pesos per hour. Again this is simple to understand and the right thing for Globe to do.
Prepaid clients have no voice. Exploit them. Simple to do. Right, Globe?
October 20th, 2009 at 15:19
I’m very grateful to you Miss Jessica…laking tulong po nito…kasi balak kong bumili ng Tattoo, buti na lang nabasa ko to. Salamat po talaga.
October 20th, 2009 at 17:52
Yeah, right. I don’t think the disappearing load credits can be attributed to Ondoy. Duh! What a convenient scapegoat! This problem has been around even before the typhoon struck!
Globe, how about doing the right thing. At least inform the public about this problem and desist from selling the service until it has been fixed?
Or it is really your corporate money-grabbing ass that needs fixing!
October 20th, 2009 at 18:27
Hmmm. Do you think the threat of a bloodbath prompted this? :)
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/business/10/20/09/globe-prepares-p300-m-typhoon-related-expenses
October 20th, 2009 at 19:34
I’m not sure about gaming but I do know that per kb charging is good for those who use push email in smartphones like the Iphone. Think about it, if your smartphone checks for email regularly, you’re down P480 per day and P14,400 per month. Some of the first Iphone users in Manila were charged that much on their first bill because their SIM cards were set to per 15-minute charging.
October 20th, 2009 at 19:47
totoo yan kermit. i agree with your suggestion. masisira lang lalo ang pangalan ng globe dahil sa crappy prepaid globe tattoo kit nila kung itutuloy nila yang ganyang pangit na serbisyo nila.
October 20th, 2009 at 21:39
im quite familiar with the distinction between kb-based vs time-based charging but like paopao i disagree with the analogy given by the globe rep. i use kb-based browsing if i’m only doing a quick email check as this process entails downloading only a few kbs of info. i use time-based browsing when im going through media- or text-heavy sites, i.e. looking up items on wikipedia or browsing through facebook.
jaycamus – the “unfair” photography exhibit rules you cited are pretty standard i think.
October 20th, 2009 at 23:08
I had the same problem when I used my phone to check my e-mail and then some. After I switched to “TIME” browsing, I called customer service to ask whether or not I would be charged P5/15 mins each time I went on-line. I spoke with 3 reps (I wanted to make sure) and they all told me, “No, ma’am. We will add up all of your minutes and you will still be charged P5/15 minutes”.
Pretty good deal… until I discovered that I was being charged P5/15 mins each time I checked my e-mail. So I called to complain about many times and they all kept telling me that “someone” from the Investigations Department would call me about it. They never apologized and they never gave any sign that the Internet browsing charges would be credited back to my account.
I waited for the mysterious “someone” from the Investigations Department to call, but it was all for naught. I like to imagine that everyone from that department has had their fingers cut off.
I went to one of their branches to talk to a manager about it and after she looked at my account, the first thing she said was, “Ma’am, it’s a valid charge. Were you on-line for 32 hours straight?”
October 20th, 2009 at 23:39
woah.. Thanks for informing about the prepaid TIME 111 thingy. I just got one. Haven’t heard much from Cebu users about the extent of crappiness the Globe tattoo has in their lives, but I’ll be sure to share the joys of crappifying one’s life through Globe Tattoo.
I heard Globe Visibility= Globe Tattoo. One thing is for sure. Globe Visibility is not even deserving of the word crap. Crap is too good for them.
October 20th, 2009 at 23:51
How about us MERE MORTALS? Who would answer to our complaints? THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE CALL CENTER IS ALSO A BIG PIECE OF CRAP! Iba rin talaga no, kse nung si Enrile ang nagreklamo pinansin nila, ngayong si Jessica Zafra ang nagreklamo, pinansin din nila…PERO KAMING MGA ORDINARY CONSUMERS WALANG PUMAPANSIN HUHUHU.
October 21st, 2009 at 13:09
If it be any consolation to the tattooed ones, I have exactly the same problem with my SMARTBro..ken.
I was contemplating on shifting to Globe Tattoo until this post by Jessica.
I opted to just make do with internet in the office, despite the risks.
October 25th, 2009 at 15:44
I’m happy to learn that there are more victims with this globe tatoo internet. I bought a globe tatoo internet plan of 499 knowing that they advertise FREE 45 hours per month. That was September 11. They activated it September 12. Then I used it. By September 20 something I just found out that I have a bill of 2,500++. And they cut the line and they cannot account for the 2,500++ that they were claiming that I used. Free 45 hours for 499. Lets go forward. I just received my bill and I found out that I was charged KB and not time based. Where in fact they did not inform me that even if it was a PLAN with 45 FREE HOURS internet usage for 1 month I still need to register it to be time based. I found it ILLOGICAL because the ads were Free hours which means that it was supposed to be TIME based. They told me that I need to put the sim in a cellphone to register it. Which means that It really was just a CRAP because you can actually use your cellphone for time or kb browsing and one need tot buy their plans. It also suggest that if you WILL not REGISTER it you’ll be payung twice one for your KB usage and another for the plan which you did not actually used (REMEMBER the FREE HOURS that goes with the plan).
In cases like this where do consumers usually file a complaint? If there will be more who experienced the same maybe they will actually attend to our needs.
In addition, I believe any person who buy postpaid plans would want to surf the net for long hours and by KB. Who knows how many KB a website use for downloading?
October 28th, 2009 at 08:58
hay naku Globe namumuro ka na, isa na lang BINGO na!
November 9th, 2009 at 14:59
OMG.. mine is a different story. I subscribed to gsm phone kit plan 1200 and I used it once just to check with my mails using my gsm phone kit as a modem plugged to my PC and what surprised me was that after a few weeks when Im about to pay my bill they told me this huge amount for about 20k?????? i was really shocked to find out about my huge bill and they told me its all about my internet browsing coz I didnt subscribe to TIME based and it was charging me per KB?????? can you imagine that? I only browsed using gsm phone for about an hour and my bill already went up to 20k???? i mean there’s what we called credit limit where in your gsm phone will automatically shut off its network when you reach certain amount (2000php) but how come mine exceeded up to 20K ?????
November 17th, 2009 at 21:53
Here’s an excerpt from my FB note re: Globe (In)Visibility/Tattoo. Globe REALLY, TRULY SUCKS!
“Man, Globe (In)Visibility/Tattoo really, really sucks. Last week, on Tuesday, 10 November 2009, I reloaded P100 into my Tattoo account at a 7-11 branch near my office before going home. The guy at the counter said “Pumasok na ho, ma’am,” before printing out my receipt, so I was pretty confident that I would be able to do some work when I got home. However, when I got home, my account hadn’t been reloaded; it was still showing the same balance from the night before.
“I called the 7-11 branch I bought the load from the next afternoon and asked them what their procedure was for situations like this. They advised me to call EC Pay, the third party provider for their mobile reloading station. I called EC Pay, and they said that according to their records, the transaction was successful; they advised me to call Globe instead.
“I called Globe and spoke to a customer service representative. The CSR said that they couldn’t check the system because it was down for maintenance. Take note, this was at 5:30-6:00 pm on a weekday: peak hours are not exactly a good time for doing system maintenance, is it? The CSR took the details of my complaint down, gave me a tracking number, and asked me to call back after an hour and check again. I was starting to do a slow burn, but decided to keep my temper in check. I also reloaded another P100 into my account via a reseller at a roadside stand that I passed on my way to the mall. (That transaction was successful, btw.)
“I went ahead with my plans for the evening — errands, dinner with a friend — then I went home and called Globe again. I spoke to another CSR and gave him the tracking number I got from the previous CSR, but either he didn’t read the case file he called up on the monitor or he just wasn’t paying attention; either way, I had to explain the problem again — twice, I might add — before he told me that Globe would be recrediting the amount to my account within five (5) days. He also gave me a new tracking number in case I needed to check with them again.
“Guess what? It’s been exactly a week since that fiasco, and I still haven’t received my load. Worse yet, I had our helper reload my account with another P100 at the store more than an hour ago, and the same thing happened again! The lady at the store said that the transaction was successfully completed, but I still haven’t received my load. It’s deja vu all over again, as the man said.”
November 20th, 2009 at 15:16
Hi Jessica, it’s me again. Just wanted to post an update on the Globe complaint I posted earlier before I disappear into the ether again.
Excerpts from my FB update:
I got an email from a representative of the Globe Customer Engagement Department a few minutes ago. I’m attaching excerpts from the email and my reply here.
+++++++++++++++
From Globe:
Thank you for bringing to our attention your report on your Globe mobile number 0926-XXXXXXX via Facebook. I was trying to get in touch with you but your phone cannot be reached.
Please allow us to relay to you the findings on the following:
* The reload transaction on November 10, 2009 via 7-11 E-Pin was not actually credited to your account, however, given the system limitation on data retention in our record, we cannot confirm the reason why it was not processed successfully.
* 100 AMAX load transaction via retailer last November 17, 2009 was not credited too. This may be attributed to the delay in the retailer’s action and was only prompted to process it when you made the follow-up.
* To clarify your concern on the receipt of P200 load on November 18, 2009, P100 was provided by us due to the report you made with the reference number TUGXXXXXXXXXXX. This was to compensate the unprocessed transaction for November 10. The remaining P100 however came from the retailer where you purchased the load on November 17.
We hope to have addressed your concern on the matter. Should you need further assistance, you may direct your queries thru this medium.
+++++++++++++++
My reply:
Thank you for your update regarding my concern. The reason you were not able to call my Globe number is because, as I stated in my Facebook entry, it is a Visibility account and as such, it cannot accept incoming calls.
Thank you for crediting my missing load to my account. If I might make a suggestion, it might be in the best interest of both parties if you could send a text message to your customer stating the resolution of their reports. That way, any additional confusion could be prevented.
I’ll be posting excerpts from your findings and from my reply in my Facebook entry as an update for anyone who might still be following the story.
+++++++++++++++
Lesson learned from this little episode: complaining on social networking works! :P
Thanks for letting me post these on your blog. Disappearing again in 3… 2… 1…
*poof*
December 27th, 2009 at 02:11
omg, Globe really is a useless piece of crap. Im vacationing in the Philippines and just subscribed to their prepaid blackberry service. Cost me 220 pesos for 5 days. My credits have been charged off, but it’s been 2 days and it’s still not working.
Globe customer reps tell me to keep monitoring (what the F), and as for the “lost number of days”, they want me to just report to them how many days were lost so they can perhaps refund. I DONT NEED A REFUND, I NEED A SERVICE THAT ACTUALLY WORKS. They dont even count in the inconvenience they give to the customers.
Why should everything with the Globe brand have to be so crap and mediocre? Hish! Add to that, i dropped by the Globe business center at Glorietta to ask them about the service and the customer assistant did not even know they were offering blackberry on prepaid. What the double F??