MY previous blog post on watching the Pacquiao-Solis bout on your mobile phone drew reactions from readers who are far from happy with the Smart Bro wireless service.
In fact, a number of Smart Bro subscribers are so unhappy that they’ve set up The Smart Wifi Chronicles site.
Here are some of the recent entries on the site:
April 11
What is your current download speed?
Posted by khalil1974 as DSL/Broadband ReportsI noticed an increase in my download speed just last month… Normally, I only got 45KBps d/l speed and that’s max and until recently, it got up to 62-65KBps.
I am on SmartBRO 988 Plan. I guess, they have upgraded their service huh?
April 8
Call for a Class Action LawsuitGuys, can’t we form a serious Class Action Lawsuit against this BIG SMARTBRO / WIFI SCAM?
I mean, instead of just posting our frustrations, we can open a dedicated thread to petition signatures for a CAL. We need to get a good lawyer.
This HELL must stop. We’ve been trapped in this for a year, and they also renew it automatically if it ends. Be sure to call them in advance that you don’t want to continue your subscription. One year is enough hell to deal with their crappy technical and customer support. And they have the nerve to sue if you don’t pay. Evil to the core.
Please, whoever is capable of opening a dedicated section for CAL, here or on some other website, do so. We need to act together. I’ve read stories of people forced to pay for SmartBro service that they didn’t receive. If we take on them one by one, we can’t do anything. We must take on them in full force and in the manner they play.
PLEASE!!!
So what gives, Smart? Are you doing something to address these complaints?
July 31st, 2007 at 9:24 am
Mga pre pare-pareho lng tayo!!!Wla kaming magawa dhil nka kontrata kmi ng one year.Wish nlng namin n mtapos n ang one year, at magpapalit n kmi ng cable internet.
KASAR TLAGA!!!!
July 8th, 2007 at 1:43 pm
If you think PLDT sucks, try smart bro.
Smart bro can not access all internet websites. I suspect because of unfair marketing. Certain Netblock address range owned by competing companies like PLDT DSL are blocked. Dis means, di mo ma access some local websites hosted by the other big isp providers. Why will you subscribe to a company that controls what you surf ? I want to surf at a webpage hosted through a competitor’s IP address, but I can’t because smart bro has blocked the competition punishing in effect smart bro subscribers. Kaya yun, I moved to PLDT just because smart bro used unfair biz practices and violates my rights as a consumer. We are basically paying them for a gimped internet.
btw PLDT also sucks but I’d rather choose the far lesser evil.
July 3rd, 2007 at 12:13 am
Smart BRO is the worst service provider I have ever come across with. Not only that they have a very unstable connection, they even have a horrible customer service. I recently filed a relocation request last June 5, 2007 to transfer my Smart BRO from my Las Pinas City residence to my Dasmarinas Cavite residence in SM Southmall Wireless Centre and was told that it will take only 5-7 working days to complete the request. I waited for a full 2 weeks and there was no action so I decided to do a daily follow up at their Alabang Town Centre branch from June 23 - 29. I was told that my request would be prioritized. And on June 27, the Smart BRO contractors pulled out the antenna equipment from my Las Pinas residence. I was then expecting that it will be installed the following day. But unfortunately nothing happened till today. I am so disappointed with the service since relocation requests doesn’t come free as I paid Php 1,400 for it. It is only right that they provide the appropriate service. On top of this I am also being billed for usage for the month even though I was not able to use the service since they were not able to transfer the equipment as requested. This is just plain and simple robbery. I hope that there is some government agency out there who can control such malpractices by these service providers. I have also been sending out complaint emails to their customer care but to my disgust, I did not get even a single reply from them. It is quite ironic that they label themselves as customer care when in fact they don’t even care a bit of their customers. I would like to rant more about the kind of service Smart BRO is providing but it only gets to my nerves. So I guess I don’t have any chhoice but to wait for their so called “support” or “Customer Service”. I just wish that these ranting of mine gets heard by someone who can look into this.
June 21st, 2007 at 7:01 pm
I’m feeling your pains brothers and sisters, Those son of a bitch tech support and call center agents give the same bullshit every god damn day.
- A very angry person
May 27th, 2007 at 5:44 pm
I am posting a copy of complaint letter I sent to ntc@ntc.gov.ph(does not work, my letter bounced back) and ospac@ntc.gov.ph
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am writing your good office because of my predicament. I am Erhard J. Larga, 40 years of age, a businessman owning several colleges and residing in 84 Mother Ignacia Ave, Quezon City, Philippines. Last year 2006, I applied for a DSL line with PLDT but was informed later on that they do not have available line in my area. Some time later, one of PLDT’s marketing officers called me over the phone and offered their wireless internet connection informing me that the connection is fast and will be like the regular DSL. I accepted their offer and was installed the connection on March 23, 2006. After installation, it worked for a few hours then the connection became intermittent. In the succeeding three or four days I still experienced the same connection but every time I called the service hotline they appeared to get the problem fixed but then the intermittent or no connection at all returns again after a few hours. And thats the better part of my experience.
Sometime middle of April of 2006, I totally lost my internet connection and after trying to get the thing fixed over the phone with the help of Tech Support, I was advised that they will just send technicians to my place to fix the connection. The first time they set an appointment I did not go to work and waited the whole day but they did not arrive, was even advised to wait till 9:00 pm . They again scheduled a visit by the technicians but the same thing happened. Another day wasted. Finally hoping to put an end to this problem I again called their tech support and for the third time they scheduled a visit by the technician. I was assured that the technician will arrive before 10:00am the next day but I waited till evening but nobody arrived. I called their tech support again and was advised to just wait for the technicians the following day so I again waited in the house the whole day but the same thing happened, no technicians showed up. Already fuming mad I still gave it another try, for the third consecutive day I was again made to wait and was promised my case will be the first to be acted upon the following day . I waited till lunchtime that day and when the technicians still did not show up, I called Tech Support again but to my surprise I was informed that the technicians already dropped by my place and they alleged that there was nobody in my place. I informed the Tech Support that their technicians may just be lying because I have been waiting for them in my place for the past few days wasting my time for nothing. During my conversation with the Tech Support, I was made to wait and was assured that the technicians will be back that same day, I again waited until late in the evening but again they did not show up. All throughout these incidents, their Tech Support did not have any decency to inform me that their technicians will no longer be coming, they just made me wait and wait . I am a very busy businessman and I have lost a lot of productivity during this period.
After experiencing the worst kind of service , bar none in any business, I finally decided that I had enough. So I called Tech Support requesting that my subscription be cut . I was informed that I need to pay pretermination charges, and I countered that I do not remember being informed regarding this by their marketing officer when they offered the service over the phone so I insisted that they waive the pretermination charges. I was made to wait again for the approval of my application. After a month of regularly following up the status of application for service termination, I sensed on my own ipinion that they are delibarately delaying processing of application so that my monthly bill will continuously pile up. And on July 11, 2006 I again called up 171 and requested that even if they apply pretermination charges, I no longer care, I just want to get this thing over with, I just wanted that they stop sending me bills because it is irritating to receive bills for something that I am not consuming. I was informed that I need to pay all my back accounts and clear my account before they process my application so I immediately paid all my accounts hoping this will end my predicament. All throughout this episode, the following service personnel and supervisors I dealt with can attest to the authenticity of my experience; Agnes Salvador, Carol Abaya, Francis Cadiente, Michael Sy, Tessa Isip, and some that I failed to jot down surnames who are as follows; Marge, Vio, Ellen, Phil, and Laarni.
Finally on July 31, 2006, I was informed by Ms. Cynthia Almirol that my account had been terminated and I will no longer be receiving bills .Unfortunately my misfortune did not stop there as up to now after exhausting all my means to finally put an end to this outstanding service called SMART BRO, they are still billing me. For the past months I have been going back to PLDT Aranerta Center Cubao Office and SMART Center Megamall like a Ping-pong ball to sort this matter. Last January 5, 2007, I visited SMART service center in Megamall to show proof to affirm that I should no longer be billed as shown by the report given to me by PLDT Cubao Office. Ms Jenny Po of SMART said they needed clearer document showing proof of my claim so I went back again to PLDT and asked for that PROOF. I got the report and submitted it to Jenny Po . She said she will get back to me as soon as she gets the result of my request. I made several follow-up after that visit but until now they still do not have a decision.
It has been a year since this big headache hit me and it has got to stop. I already lost a lot of productive time, that is equivalent to lost income opportunities which means loss of substantial amount of money attending to this problem. I also spent real money to pay for something which was not delivered. Therefore I would like to request your good office to help me rectify this injustice that was being inflicted on me. I would like your good office to help me in the following;
1. Get a full refund of all my payments to PLDT Wireless Internet Service and/or SMART Broadband Inc. Internet Service.
2. Compel SMART Bro to stop sending me monthly bills as I have already requested for the termination of service a long time ago.
As the governing agency in-charge of the Telecommunication/Internet industry, I would like to appeal to your officers not to allow businesses to take advantage of helpless Filipinos. We are small and powerless and we rely on you to protect us from businesses who are without morality and decency and whose business model is comparable to a vampire with a novel trap (Aggressive marketing using exaggerated performance claims or should I say false advertising plus lock in contracts ) and then sucks the blood of every victim till they are all dead dry. But then again, the owner and the chief apologist of these kind of companies can always say ” Nobody Forced them In”. Good for them, but wouldn’t it be better if they just offer excellent products and services so that they won’t have to level with snake oil peddlers just to earn money?. I do not know how the owners of these kind of companies, some of whom are prominent sponsors of sports and fair play and very visible supporters of leading catholic universities , can tolerate these kind of business practices of their companies?.
As I rest my case, I appeal for your sense of fairness and may you act with decisiveness and urgency on this matter.
Respectfully yours,
Erhard J. Larga