My planet-sized
problem all started when I said “Yes!” to the Globe Telecom CSR's (Customer Service
Representative) pitch to upgrade my postpaid line to Plan 599 from Plan
499. It seemed like a good idea at that time. I would be getting so much more
for a mere Php100 per month, I said to myself. And I would have probably been
another satisfied customer if someone at Globe hadn’t bungled up. Eleven months
down the road and an unquantifiable amount of stress on my part later, they
haven’t managed to untangle my problem yet!! Here’s what happened:
1) In November
2016, I went to Globe SM Masinag branch to request for recontracting of
my postpaid plan. I upgraded from Best
Ever My Superplan 499 (Combo GOSURF PV299 700MB + Combo All Net Texts PV100
+ Combo All Globe Calls PV100) to My
LifeStyle Plan 599 (built-in Unli Call & Text to Globe/TM499 + GOSURF
PV99 200MB) with free Huawei Titan Black
mobile phone. After submitting the required documents to CSR Bong, I was told
that the changes in my plan would be reflected in my Statement of Account (SOA)
starting Dec 16, 2016 or two (2) billing cycles later.
One billing cycle later (instead of
the 2 billing cycles agreed upon), I found out that My Lifestyle Plan 599 was already included as part of my Monthly
Recurring Fee (MRF) for the bill period 16
Nov 16 – 15 Dec 16.
Also, I started monitoring my monthly
mobile data consumption using my Android device’s built in Data Manager. Almost
every 15th of the month, I would get a screen grab of my Local Data
usage because it may come in handy.
2) On June
2, 2017, I called Globe Hotline (211) to inquire about the
discrepancies in my Local Data browsing charges. Although I have a 200MB
monthly data allocation, this was not reflected in any of my SOA since December
16, 2016. Instead of P599 per month for Unli
Call & Text to Globe/TM and GOSURF 200MB, Globe charged me an extra
Php1 for every 1MB that I consume within my data allocation! My bill spiked up
to P799 per month even if I did not consume more than the data allowed by my
new plan.
Apparently, Globe has charged me on Time Browsing instead of Volume/Bulk Data Browsing. The CSR
informed me that she would rectify the billing for June 16 onwards. As for the
previous SOAs (December 16, 2016 to June 15, 2017), I was advised to proceed to
SM Masinag Branch to rectify it.
3) On July
12, 2017, I again called 211 to inquire about the uncorrected
discrepancy in my SOA. The CSR bluntly told me that it was not within her power
to remedy my problem. It was after this conversation that I decided to
personally take my complaint to Globe SM Masinag branch.
4) On July
19, 2017, I went to Globe SM Masinag branch and hand carried a formal
complaint letter and copies of the erroneous SOAs. As I asked for a number to be queued at the
Customer Service, the Globe security personnel told me that their system is
offline so they were turning down customers because their staff won’t be able
to pull out our records! But I insisted anyway to talk to a CSR since they can
just receive and put a stamp on my complaint letter.
CSR Leni, the branch officer, read my
letter and started reviewing my case. Within an hour, she reversed a total of
P1,982.31 (inclusive of 12% VAT).
5) On August
16, 2017, I returned to Globe SM Masinag branch to report that the REDEEM GOSURF 50 (1GB/30days) Rewards
that I claimed via text last June 26 was not reflected in the SOA dated 16 Jun 17 – 15 August 17. I even showed CSR Nathan a confirmation text from Globe 4438 that I’ve successfully redeemed the
Globe Reward. Nathan told me that he would study the problem then get back to
me in a few days with an answer. And so, I left the Globe store with no
solution in sight!
Supposedly, for only 25 points I am
entitled to 1GB of data for 30 days. Not wanting to let my accumulated points
to just expire as it has in the past, I decided to use those points. For
reasons still unexplained, Globe did not honor their own promotional points and
instead charged me an extra P1249.20 (exclusive of 12% VAT) for excess data
charges that month!
6) On August
23, 2017, I called 211 for an update on the status of my bill reversal request
at Globe SM Masinag. According to the CSR, my request/complaint was not even on
the record so I had to begin the lengthy process from scratch! For the very
first time, the CSR gave me an 8-digit Reference Number (42265335) so I can
follow-up my case after 2-3 working days.
7) On August
31, 2017, I called 211 for an update on Reference # 42265335. Upon
checking, the CSR said that he will have to re-process said request because the
Reference No. should have 9-digits instead of 8-digits. Meaning my file
won’t reach the “back-end” which I surmised pertains to the decision-makers. So
again I have to narrate my request just to be sure that everything is in order.
Then, the CSR gave me a new 9-digit Reference # (112319522).
8) On September
5, 2017, I called 211 for an update on Reference # 112319522. According
to CSR Cheryl, my case was denied so they will not reverse the amount of
P1,399.10 (Php1,249.20 + 12% VAT) which I paid for in advance through the Auto Pay
arrangement with my credit card provider. She further suggested that I email my
complaint at talk@globetel.com.ph if I want to
reopen the case.
So
you see, after 11 months, 5 Globe Hotline calls, 3 Globe Store visits, and 1 complaint letter, only two
of my three complaints were acted upon favorably. This is really perplexing
because I had more than enough evidence to substantiate my claim of erroneous
billing on all three instances!
What
bugs me even more is why I, of all people (on the third planet from the sun in
this solar system), was erroneously billed on three separate occasions in the
space of less than a year?! And why was I given an apparently non-existent
8-digit reference number? All that I can say right now is that a loyal customer
of 15-years like me should not have to endure all this!
In
case someone asks why I felt the need to publicize my personal woes, my answers
are as follows:
- To nudge Globe management (and other companies giving similar services) into remedying weaknesses in its billing system so no other customer will suffer the way I did.
- To inform the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) that these problems do exist, they are not unique and so they should be considered in government policy-making.
- And because there are lessons to be learned here that can benefit all us consumers in the long run.
As
for me, the greatest lesson I have learned from this experience is that we
should never allow our consumer rights be eclipsed by corporate bureaucracy. If
absolutely needed, we should be prepared to bombard them with a meteor shower
of complaints! --Misis
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