On Being Angry on the Web: Globe Billing

This is just really to take out all the frustrations in my head and compartmentalize it to this space. Because I am just tired. Tired of talking to all those agents and repeating myself. Tired of not seeing any progress.

Background: Growing up with Globe. 

My family has been using Globe from when they had ‘Ain’t no mountain high enough commercials.’ My first prepaid number in grade school was 09164486611. And I’ve been on post paid for three years. I’ve had similar problems on billing but not to this magnitude. You can say that I am loyal to my provider – at the very least. But all I want is to clear this up and move on and maybe find a different provider.

The Problem.

If you follow me on Twitter, I think it’s obvious that I have more than just a bone to pick with my mobile service provider. The original problem I had was that on a recent trip to Malaysia, I took one of those roaming promos to make sure I don’t spend much but still be able to get work done and keep in touch with the family.

On the second or third day I was there I suddenly lost my signal and apparently my line got cut off because of 30,000+ incurred charges. Of course I was mad but I told my self I’ll handle it when I get home. As soon as I arrived in Manila, I filed a complaint, the agent I talked to was nice enough to say they’ll look into it and investigate.

3 days later, Globe messaged me and said that my bill racked up 60,000+ pesos and that I had to pay immediately or else my line will get cut off. I called the hotline again and the agent sympathized with me and again filed a report to investigate my bill since the cut off period is until 2 weeks. I had to sit tight and hope that this was all a mistake.

Issues:

1. The promo bundle I got wasn’t reflected in the system

2. I was charged per kilobyte in data charges

3. They waited until 30,000 before cutting my bill of when my maximum limit is 2,500.

 

Following up.

After that, trouble started. It was during Globe’s system maintenance that I experience poor customer service. One of the times that I was following up (this was around end of March) an agent was being sarcastic and said ‘Eh, how can we check if we’re undergoing system maintenance.’ Was it so hard to tell me that the investigation was pending? They couldn’t even file transaction report because of the maintenance.

When you say ‘building a better Globe’ how about securing customer information?’ It’s like saying, ‘To serve you better we have to go through some inconveniences. by ‘we’ we mean ‘you’. To top it off, I went to on-ground center to get help. Nothing happened so I expressed my anger on Twitter.

Suddenly I got different different Globe representatives following me on Twitter and it just got a bit messy. They did try to help, but I felt it was in reaction to my angry tweets as opposed to really identifying the problem. I had to repeat myself, find transaction numbers, reference numbers, screen caps – and all of them either said ‘Wait some more.’ or ‘Just pay a percentage so you won’t get cut off.’

Memory Wipe-Out: Sometime in Early April

Finally after the long awaited end of their system maintenance and the end of my billing statement cycle, I called again. The process started getting weird and disheartening. Agents said they didn’t have a record on the reports I made. (How convenient for Globe, right?) And the on-ground agent never got back to me when she said she would after a week. Why is that you say? Yup, its because they just finished with their system maintenance.

 

A few of my frustrated tweets. A friend tweeted me back from a different topic and said, ‘What was that? I thought you were fighting with Globe again.” This has been going on for too long.

 

I was getting tired and I had to think – is this some kind of strategy? Tiring out customers with issues until they give up? It’s like a conspiracy theory I know but seriously, I don’t know what else to think.

Currently.

Now at the last day of April, I got my formal bill and it’s as if nothing happened. I still have 69,000 pesos to pay for. And the break down shows that I’m being charged per kilobyte of data charges on top of the calls and texts.

All these customer service nags aside, the origina issue is that the system is reflecting I got a voice and sms bundle for roaming. When I got a consumable bundle with data. And just my luck, my phone’s Message app crashed and all my messages got erased. So now I’m stuck with a losing hand. After nearly two months of waiting, I couldn’t initially present evidence because it might just be a mistake. Now that it’s needed, it’s damn well too late.

The agent I talked to today was at least kind and tried his best. But his only solution was that I wait for a week or so because they will request an IT extraction of my mobile behavior. What’s that you say? Oh, it’s just the full breakdown of my transactions.

What immediately went in my head was: ‘Isn’t that redundant because it’s coming from the very same system that has a messed up report of my bill?’ How else do I argue with that?

Sadly, if the extraction shows the same thing in the report – they won’t have leverage to waive the fees. 69,000 PESOS. I don’t even have money now to buy a semi-fancy pair of shoes for 3,000. That’s just messed up.

And just so that it’s out there: around two weeks before my trip to Malaysia, I went to Singapore and availed of a roaming bundle. Not the exact same one, but still from Globe. And I was less careful about my mobile use that I was in Malaysia.

 

My bill? Less than Php 2,500.

 

Bite me.

SOLO: Blog Creeper

I doodle a lot and I have mishaps and weird occurrences when it comes to my relationship with the Internet. So I thought I’d share them to the world. It’s not the first time I shared my ‘art’ but I am slowly accepting my 8th grade style.

Whatever. It brings me joy.

Cheers!

Say, what? Free stuff?!

I seriously felt like one of my limbs got decapitated for not having a personal laptop anymore. But I am thankful for my iPad and the sudden urge to make things and just going all gung-ho.

So here’s a special treat for everyone on the Intarwebz – a free post card!

 

 

I am amazed at my Powerpoint skillz ( no, seriously!) Eye-balling alignment was pretty tough and I do  wish I could do the back part better. But for now, this will have to do.

 

I’ll be doing a lot more of these and knowing me, I won’t stay with a specific style. Right now, the target is to just have one post card per month until I get the hang of schedule to do more. Mail swap maybe, even?

Have a great day, everyone!

Paint Some Happy!

In the past weeks, I’ve had the pleasure of spending time with my friends, catching up with them, and getting a chance to be a part of their passion projects. No questions asked, Tippi and I jumped at the chance to help one particular project a good old creative push. (Illustrations and direction by yours truly. Editing and DOP-ing by the awesome Tippi Sy.)

It’s inspiring to see people do good in their own way. That’s why I was very excited that Meggie Valdez and Roanna Medina are opening this very colorful and inspiring project to  more people.

As one of the pioneer projects launching The Spark Project, Ro and Meggie are asking people to back Paint Some Happy - a project that focuses on creating hope-inspiring art for children and spreading it to places that need them most like hospitals, orphanages, and schools.

For Meggie’s birthday, they painted the AFP ward two years ago.

The Spark Project is  the Philippines’ first and very own crowdfunding site. It can be similar to Kickstarter but what’s good to know is that they focus on having a community to support social entrepreneurs and start-ups. You can back the project or read more about it and Spark project, here. I do hope you give time to support their cause.

I’ll see you guys during the painting event, I hope!

Cheers!

Substances

It’s one of those nights when you go and get a soda and see a bottle of wine beside it. Then you think a spritzer would be nice but then what happens is that you’re not drinking a spritzer but more like carbonated kind of wine with the fizz and all that’s great about alcohol without the stupid aftertaste. I drank a glass or two to wash away the feeling of work and the impending growth of my career. I giggle a little as I was the dishes while I drink. ‘And boy, you have to give it to my mother, she has terrific timing to make everything just blow’, I said aloud.

-Allie
A character from a possible short story that just re-enacted parts my evening.

Just finished Catcher in the Rye. Loved it. Obviously inspired this spurt of writing, I can assure you. (No, really?)

My 2 Cents: Movies in the PH

This isn’t going to be some hoity-toity dissertation about the rise and fall of films in the country. Another clarification: I haven’t watched any of the recent MMFF entries. I have read people’s reactions online. Most have gone mourning for the quality of Philippine cinema and how most Filipinos are ‘stupid’ to have made the comedy, Sisterakas, the top grossing entry.

All I’m saying is that the mass appeal makes up most of who we are in the country. (Thus, ‘mass’. Duh.) Films that might make most literary critics and enthusiasts cringe and ask why we churn out so much of the usual slapstick, fantastical, movies will be faced with a simple answer. They bring thrill and joy to plenty. That’s why so much is made and tons of money circulate in it.

What about the expression of Filipino creativity? (Cries someone who knows better.)

I guess whether we like it or not, these films are a part of them. There can be tons of reasons why they aren’t good but I’m more interested in the few who try to be different. An interest that is more that the momentary expression of sadness that the underdog didn’t gain following.

With tons of people griping over the Internet, I’d like to think there’s an increase with the number of people who are aware of the state of Philippine Cinema. Aside from those who make films, what else are we doing to support it? Is it a matter of marketing? Do great films need more support from the angry people on the web?

Possibly. Could be. Maybe.

The only conclusion I came to was that its a frustrating and beautiful thing -to see passionate storytellers fighting tooth and nail to open people’s minds.

As for the mass favorites, honestly, I can’t wait to see them for myself.

Random Writing Practice

Greetings from the homeland.

I thought I’d stretch out the writing muscles. I’m sure there won’t be any lines that are worthy of the Pulitzer but it’s good to just write. And write and write and write. The millions of words, letters, and feelings filtered from the cloud hovering over my head, to the tip of my tongue, and down to my fingertips. To what hopefully, will be an organized conversation displayed on paper the screen.

Christmas and the holidays came in a wave, crashing and washing away what was left of my resolve to work over the break. I’m sure I’ll start on a couple of things when I finish this entry. But honestly, I don’t want to. (My professionalism is tsk-ing in the background.)

One thing I especially noticed when I’m back home is that I go off the grid. More than the usual, anyway. No tweeting, Facebook-ing and even texting? Instagram might have a special place in my heart but I don’t post often either. Not just in social media but even with myself!

At home, mirrors aren’t needed or clothes really don’t have to be flattering. My grandmother would pinch me if she saw how I could care less. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a stickler for hygiene, still. Aaaaand I wear Fitflops! Haha! My boyfriend would cringe at the size of those boats on your feet. Buti must say: 1. Some people carry it well, 2. It really gives my legs a workout without a strain! I regret nothing! But I still don’t find reason to buy. I just borrow my sister’s because I’m too lazy to pack footwear for different functions.

Listen to me, could I sound anymore shallow? I guess at some point, when all check lists are finished, projects have closed, you go back to the simplicity of things. At one point you appreciate the plan, one dimensional aspects of whatever makes up your day. And then there’s trying to find meaning in that. Whether it’s a pair of shoes or feeding hungry children.

Every time I come home I feel the need to complicate ,y life and at the same time keep it simple. Do I want to extend my job description or do I want to be known for one thing and one thing alone? Some days I go for the simple, but mechanically, I cho for the complicated. It’s like I have to prove something. It’s annoying, really.

Universe, is there a switch to turn this off?

If this were a play, I’d call this a fake out. Starting off with shallow and self-absorbed musings to throwing a pass at the universe. -Sheens