Smart Telecom is Pissing Me Off
By Toni
@toniganzon (72281)
Philippines
May 11, 2011 11:59pm CST
I received a message from smart telecom today that my phone bill amounted to P10,788. That really shocked me big time so I called the customer service hotline and it took me an hour before i can get to talk to a customer service representative, who didn't even know much about his company he works for and the services it offers.
I'm using blackberry and the moment i got hold of it i enrolled it in the blackberry package because i am aware how much the phone company would charge me if i don't enroll it in an unlimited BB plan. April 24th i received a message prompting me to re-enroll my subscription since it will expire athat night at 8pm and i followed the instructions and received a confirmation that indeed i am now currently subscribed.
Upon perusal of my online bill for the said period, Smart Telecom did not credit my blackberry plan but instead charged me per gprs browsing which skyrocketed my bill to more than 10000 pesos. 
Now if you were me, would you pay for that bill?
The customer representative didn't give me any assurance but would bring the matter for investigation which i don't trust at all. Thus i am going to the smart wireless center and see what they can do about this since i have evidence to prove that i did subscribed to the monthly bb package and in fact the message of confirmation is still on my phone.
Now if you were me, would you pay for that bill?
The customer representative didn't give me any assurance but would bring the matter for investigation which i don't trust at all. Thus i am going to the smart wireless center and see what they can do about this since i have evidence to prove that i did subscribed to the monthly bb package and in fact the message of confirmation is still on my phone.2 people like this
12 responses
@o0jopak0o (6394)
• Philippines
12 May 11
Well this is really why i don't do postpaid plans with mobile networks in our country.
And smart has a reputation of having a lot of problems.
@toniganzon (72281)
• Philippines
31 Aug 16
@CaptAlbertWhisker I made this discussion in 2011 and they still have a crappy service until now. Things never change despite them changing their logo.
@CaptAlbertWhisker (32697)
• Calgary, Alberta
31 Aug 16
@toniganzon having Eraserheads back together is the only good thing they did. 
1 person likes this
@CaptAlbertWhisker (32697)
• Calgary, Alberta
30 Aug 16
I already cut ties with their services for that reason. That company is so greedy despite of their garbage service.
1 person likes this
@asiacevillar (643)
• Philippines
12 May 11
very disgusting feeling a Customer Service Representative don't even know the sevices and offers etc of the company he's/ she's working at. I had the same feeling as you are when I called them one time and just told me that their Investigation team will work for the matter which at all nothing really happened. tsk.tsk.tsk.
@toniganzon (72281)
• Philippines
12 May 11
Yes and he even told me to call them back in two days time to check on it. Why the hell should i be the one to call. They should call me instead and let me know of the status. So to solve things and have a peace of mind, i will go to the wireless center the moment my husband arrives.
@asiacevillar (643)
• Philippines
12 May 11
You're right! They should be the ones to call us and not us, the customers.
@LetranKnight25 (33121)
• Philippines
12 May 11
Hello Toni
,
So, that's the disadvantage of having a line on your mobile phone, because they might make a huge mistake there. this is a very complicated case! i hope they do something about it, if you're forced to pay that's the worst thing that could happen, I think you should look for other subscribers because this is a DISASTER! 
,
So, that's the disadvantage of having a line on your mobile phone, because they might make a huge mistake there. this is a very complicated case! i hope they do something about it, if you're forced to pay that's the worst thing that could happen, I think you should look for other subscribers because this is a DISASTER! @toniganzon (72281)
• Philippines
13 May 11
Yeah i told the customer rep over the phone that i'm not willing to pay the charging of the gprs and if i am forced to pay i would quit being their subscriber and i will cut all three liens with them.
@toniganzon (72281)
• Philippines
12 May 11
I have two postpaid and i'm a subscriber of globe too but never had i encountered such thing in globe before so i'm really satisfied with their service.
@gloryacam (5540)
• Philippines
12 May 11
Wow, that's a huge bill! It's almost my bill for a whole year! I wouldn't pay it not unless Smart explains why and how I was charged that much. So, you're right. Go there and personally ask an explanation on that matter. Sometimes, those things cannot be trusted to callcenter agents who answer our queries on our bills. Maybe there was a mix up somewhere and clear things up first before paying.
@toniganzon (72281)
• Philippines
12 May 11
Yes it is and it almost gave me a heart attack since it's auto debit in my credit card. And i just usually pay P2,200 every month including the blackberry package which they failed to credit this month.
@gloryacam (5540)
• Philippines
12 May 11
OMG!!! Autodebited! 
That would really give me a heart attack! It's hard enough that you have to pay that much, but it's harder in your case because you've actually paid it! I hope you figure this out with Smart soon.
That would really give me a heart attack! It's hard enough that you have to pay that much, but it's harder in your case because you've actually paid it! I hope you figure this out with Smart soon.
@chuyins123 (2112)
• Philippines
12 May 11
Wow! what the...
Sad to say my friend, these TELCOs in the Philippines have their so called "Customer Service" they even call it "Customer Care" but honestly, you wouldn't feel any care for the customers at all. I have once been victimized by this particular TELCO and well, as my boss put it, BIG Company as they are, they'd usually say to the customer, "you have a problem with your bill? Then,it's your problem not ours"
I do hope though that the wireless center could be of help. *fingers crossed* And maybe you already figured it out, that it would help if you were able to keep the message confirming your subscription. If you could show it to them, then it would be easier to win your case.
Customer Service representatives are usually, USELESS... Yeah, well, I am sorry for the lack of appropriate word, but they really are. And it could really piss you off.
Anyway, just calm down my friend. Work things out. Look and prepare your proofs of subscription. May it end well with you and SMART. God bless. See ya around. :)
chuyins123
@toniganzon (72281)
• Philippines
12 May 11
Yes i have printed my copy of the online billing and i have perused each and every single detail and i was really right that they have failed to enroll me in the subscription when in fact i still have the message on my phone that i did. I do wish to talk to someone higher in authority in smart like Manny Pangilinan himself so he could understand that there's really something wrong with his company. I just can't pay such huge amount when it's not my fault at all.
@chuyins123 (2112)
• Philippines
12 May 11
Oh well you're right this time. You're a barista, you should know those things well than me.
I am relieved that you have the copy of the confirmation. I believe you can well win the case, no sweat! :) It's great that you've kept the confirmation message and was able to print it. :)
About talking to Manny himself, I would just like to warn you, you might have a hard time doing so. LOL. Well, maybe you're saying those things because you were totally and really pissed off. :)
It's most probable that you wont pay such a huge amount though. It's internal fault that shouldn't have come to the customer. But since it did, the company shall pay the price of losing some of the customers in the market. Customers have the power to decrease or increase a company's sales exponentially as said in marketing. It's too bad, the fault reached the end user. Tsk tsk tsk... Pretty good really if you'd be able to talk to Manny. :)
@missyphoebe (289)
• Philippines
12 May 11
If I we're given a bill like that I would have a heart attack! hahaha. You should not pay the fee. You should go to the nearest smart wireless center in your area and tell them what happend. BUt I don't think that they can help you, you would be prompted to call their call center too and even there, I think they would tell you that they would try to resolve the issue, you should leave your smart number with them and they would call you.
I think the best way to talk your problem is to talk with the manager/head of the wireless center and try to get him to explain what you and smart should do to resolved this issue then wait for them to contact you. After a day of waiting call them again and do a follow up with your problem. Bug them until they resolve it.
@stanley777 (9402)
• Philippines
12 May 11
As you have said you will go directly to smart wireless center to clear things out, that's a huge bill my friend.Anyway you have your proof on your cell the confirmation that you are already subscribed.Those customer representatives are not of help most of the time because the final say will come from their higher officials.I hope this will be work out soon because the fault is on their side...
@sweet_pea (3322)
• Philippines
12 May 11
Wow that is a lot Toni!
You are right about complaining it to the service center rather than just depend on customer service. Last night, my husband was complaining that he is experiencing difficulties connecting to smart bro. He was supposed to avail of their unlimited surfing for a day, but he just can't subscribe. So he made smart richer by availing of their regular surfing rates. Thumbs down for a bad service.
@asliah (11137)
• Philippines
29 May 11
hi,
that was really stressful pissing you off,if that happen to me,i think i will not pay that amount,since you have the evidence that you really subscribed to the monthly bb package you can still prove it and can prompt it to them.just dont or avoid to erase the confirmation message.
@toto145 (16)
•
12 May 11
I will not pay if the amount they are billing me is wrong. Paying for services that are wrongly billed is crazy. Me paying is like waiving my right to complain. I just hope that they will really address the issue you brought. And if indeed the adjustment will really happen, I wish it will not take them forever to make the bill adjustment. The problem with these big carriers is they are way too big to listen to consumer complaints. Also, I just hope that before PLDT buy another carrier, they improve their customer service first.
@sophiecheer (931)
• Philippines
12 May 11
That's a huge bill, I would really mind bothering someone at smart and complain!
That kind of service would be detrimental to their company's reputation. I think they should really put much importance and act on your concern immediately otherwise they would be facing far more complaints in the future.
