I have been a customer of Globe at least for the past three decades now. Proof of this is that I still keep the ‘Plan 100’ that I got as my first postpaid line when Globe wasn’t as big as it is today.
I still remember having gotten that line at Globe’s small office on United Nations Avenue beside the Manila Doctors Hospital where only five cars can park. I was assisted by Bobot Banaga, who, over the years, rose from the ranks until he became head of the Globe Telecom Quarter Century Club (GTQCC) and the company’s branch in SM Manila, before he passed away.
Even if I now constantly use another postpaid line which of course is a higher plan and which had already been with me at least for a decade now, I still keep my ‘Plan 100’ (acct no. 11646057) because it is, to me, already a ‘collector’s item’.
Since its monthly billing is only P133 per month, I sometimes put in amounts good for several months as ‘advance payments’.
Although the bills are still being sent to the old address which my nephew now occupies, I pay religiously precisely because I want to keep the old number. I’ve put the simcard in a low-end phone since I hardly use it anyway.
Now, here’s the sad part. It got cut off recently and when I inquired with Globe at Cash & Carry, I was told that the line incurred browsing charges worth P6,801.60. The amount was for browsing done for a period of –hold your breath—a staggering 22,875 minutes!!This translates to over 381 hours or 15 days! Imagine?!
I of course contested it since I don’t even get to use the line and the phone where it’s at is low-end and browsing there would be very difficult.
My regular cellphone is an IPhone Xs, my backup phone is an Iphone 8s and I also have an Ipad. In addition, I have a SmartBro pocket wi-fi under an ‘unlimited postpaid plan.’ I opted for an ‘unli’ kind of internet service simply because the nature of my job requires it.
Therefore, there is no way that I would ever have the need to to browse on another phone, specially a low-tech one and worse, browse without using my SmartBro. It’s simply irrational.
At the said Globe office, I was amply assisted, in fairness. They directed me to their hotline and the woman at the other end of the line told me to pay P927 while the reversal of the undue charges is being done. Although the amount is still way too much since my plan is only worth P133 a month, I agreed since I was assured that everything will be reversed anyway.
That was on October 22, 2019. Twice after that, while awaiting an advisory that the reversal had been done, my line had been cut off due to the said billing problem. On those two occasions, I was lucky enough to have been helped by retail manager Maria Aileen Ruiz of Globe Glorietta. She had been efficiently and patiently taking the cudgels for those who are remiss in their duties and who should be doing what I asked her to do for me.
Until when will I be doing this? More importantly, until when will I be unduly bothering Ms. Aileen for help, knowing that she is a busy person?
Considering the years that I’ve remained a customer of good standing –those from Globe can check my two postpaid accounts’ history — this is the kind of treatment I get? Where is the premium for loyalty? Or is this how Globe rewards its most loyal customers? I’m not asking for any VIP treatment here. Just the kind of swift and just treatment that I deserve.
I hope those prodding me to file a formal complaint are wrong. They say that Globe might want to create a reason for me to drop the ‘Plan 100’ since it’s been phased out a long time ago. I’m told it could be a sinister plot.
I am appealing to Globe authorities, headed by President Ernest Cu, to do their job. I was erroneously charged and now suffer the consequence of such error that is not of my own doing.
I also urge the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to kindly look into this because for all we know, I might not be the only one who fell victim to this kind of inefficiency on the part of Globe.
This is one of the reasons why the public are overly excited about the entry of a third telco.
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Jokjok (from Elijah Crisostomo of F.B. Harrison, Pasay City)— FATHER: Ang lahat ng gustong magdonasyon ay tumayo pagtugtog ng organ/ ORGANISTA: Father, ano po ba ang tutugtugin ko?/ FATHER: Pambansang awit ng Pilipinas.
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