WARNING: Do not subscribe to SMART
While the Philippines are getting out of the 3rd world zone and begin to be an emerging country, their biggest telecom company, SMART, behaves like a colonial 3rd world company.
WARNING:
SMART promises services they do not deliver.
Worse, once you subscribe to a postpaid service, they are not able to make sure that you get the bill.
And once you do not pay the bill, you haven’t got, they do not allow you to sleep anymore. This is a clear violation of human rights!
What happened?
I subscribed to a SMARTbro postpaid package 2 years ago. During the first 14 months everything run smoothly. Each month I got a printed bill delivered to my office and I paid it next day either at PNB or LBC. I can prove this by my own records and SMART’s confirmations of payment.
But suddenly I received no more bills. Two months later SMART started to call and send texts at any hour. They did wake us up at 2:00 AM and 4:00 AM. We could not sleep anymore one full night.
We could not call them back, because their phone numbers had been truncated either on a GLOBE phone or on a SMART phone. Was this intentionally? The courts will decide.
When we could catch a call, because it reached us during daytime, the ladies and gentlemen of the SMART call center told us to pay the bill. What bill? We did not get a bill during several months. They told us to pay the amount of the bill, we received last. Hmm, sorry, I am paid that bill and if there is a new bill, they must make sure that I receive it.
Then they cut our Internet connection. OK, that’s SMART, they are not able to make sure that I receive a bill, but they are on the switch to cut me off. But they still continued to call us at any time during day and night. Always with a truncated phone number, so we couldn’t call back.
And now on June 3, our post-office delivered the first bills. The post-office received this bill on May 30, but SMART claims to be paid until April 15, otherwise they would endorse a Lawyer or Collection Agency.
Today we got another menacing SMS (text). This is enough.
I’ll file complaints against SMART tomorrow. There will be several complaints.
SMART did not only violate several laws and several sections of the constitution of the Philippines, they also violated international human rights.
I really feel sorry. We are promoting tourism in the Philippines since 2007. We have some 170,000 visitors from all over the world each month. If there is a problem, we help tourists and expats to avoid them. At this moment we strongly recommend not to subscribe to any SMART service.
I am willing to pay the correct amount of the services, if SMART is able to deliver a bill to me. They can send a text with the amount to pay or they can send an e-mail. But I am not willing to pay interests of PHP 199.16 and collection fees of PHP 885.62 because SMART is not able to deliver correct bills within a reasonable time-span.
If you have encountered similar problems with SMART, then please click on like.
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Smart Call and Text and Smart talk tipid dont buy it!!!! Call and text only use one time with one minute then its gone… Waisting MONEY… Talk tipid cannot hear in headset…
Hope if ever they have some products like this make sure that it works because this affect US..
The consumer….
I agree, Smart is a bunch of incompetent jackasses who could not run an internet company if their damn life depended on it. Go with Smart (should be called stupid) and you will certainly be cheated. You will be overcharged significantly for an internet service that they are just not capable of providing. Smart managers are cowards who hide behind their desk while they hire morons who do not have a clue as to what is going on, to handle the customer.
Here is a thought, Smart. Fire every damn manager who does not give access to your customers. What do you need them for? To take your customer’s money while you continue to cheat them month after month after month. You all belong in jail.
I am an ofw..
I subscribe to talk tipid, it was awesome for the first time I used it, the voice is clear.. but the second time a day after, their website says the service is not available. it’s been at most 3 weeks now that the service is not available.. I still have some credits there.
also, when I attended the PDOS, one of the speaker there told us the roaming sim call charge is only about 5 pesos, so most of us who attended the PDOS bought that SIM. but it is not, it is still 20 pesos or higher..
Our problem with smart is postpaid overcharging. like P106,000.00 (NO THIS IS NOT A TYPO ) over a 2 day period on an account that is capped at P999.00 per month, a P27,000.00 over a 3 day period that is capped at P2500.00. Refusal to negotiate the matter, phone calls as per your experience. I am an Australian expat living in the Philippines, I expect better from the leading telco in this country. They have picked on the wrong person with me because I will take them publicly to the highest court in the land if they continue with their arrogance and untimely phone calls.
It is now 4 months since we emailed them our concerns and received “SR” numbers, not one contact have they made with us to address these concerns except to regularly ring demanding payment.
We also have had problem with bill deliveries, just doesn’t happen, so on the 12th of the month (our bill is due on the 10th) our internet gets disconnected because I didnt pay the account I never got. their answer to us ” just pay your bill at the beginning of every month”
Just a side note, The largest telco and internet provider in Australia, “Telstra” is starting a genuine high speed internet service into the Philippines in 2016. I say ” BRING IT ON “
I haven’t use my smart sim plan for almost six months but how come I have a balance payable amounting to Php 7,000 plus? Also I haven’t received any Statement of Account (SOA) from Smart and now their Law Office threatened me to file a Legal action against me. This is bullshit!
They just called me earlier. They told me that the smart telecommunication forward there complains to the law office because i have a balance of 11k. And I’m not using my smart sim for like 5months. And then they charge me 11k. I was able to pay my bills for like 4 or 5 months. Did you pay for your bills even though your not using it? But u have 1 yr contract?
If you use your SIM or not, the bill depends on your contract.
If you have a postpaid contract with a monthly plan, then you have to pay, if you use your phone or not.
I propose to get immediately in contact with SMART to clarify the situation.
Cheers, waebi
I also subscribe for SMART plan with phone and 1200pesos worth of load to register in flexi bundle. On the first month it’s ok, so I paid my 1st bill, 2nd month, I did not receive 1200pesos worth of load, I chat, email, call and even went to SMART customer service location, they fixed my account but I only have 5days left so I have to consume the 1200pesos load or it will expire after 5days. I registered it to flexi bundle with mobile data and unli text for 1month. After 1 week, I cannot receive text, sent message, cannot use my mobile date, no internet connection and cannot check for balance. So what’s the use of the 1month load I registered. Again, I wasted 1200pesos. I’m a full time mom, I cannot go to smart customer service every month to fix this. So I choose not to pay the succeeding bills. Now, they did not stop threatening me that they will file a case. They wrote me letters to pay 16k for not paying 4000++ of bill which I did not use and I did not receive and the termination fee if 11k+.. Calling me even if its already late at night. To much stress smart. Too poor services. Why should I pay you???? What should I do to their messages saying they will file a case in court?
That’s not true. A friend of mine works at smart, not really smart but agents from certain call center in ayala tasked to collect on delinquent accounts. The lawyer and a case in court is not true its just a bluff. You can change phone number and it ends there. Don’t pay them its okay
Hello Troll,
This is an old article from 2012.
If you like to spam, do it. We are amazed of your posting.
And changing the phone number? Is this a smart “SMART advice?
Cheers, waebi
Now, the charges they put in our Smart Postpaid bills are not correct. They just invent the no. of texts and calls minutes we used. Monitor it using the smart online. Every day, they put numbers of texts and calls that I never used. If you are checking it, you won’t know. They are doing it to many smart subscribers. I will switch now to Globe. Spread this scam that the Smart is making.
It has been 6 yrs that im with Smart. I had a bro line as well 3 yrs ago. I made a contract with smart that i am to pay the monthly fee until cancellation. With or without bills i knew that i am to pay my monthly bill. You may have activated the paperless billing in your case. You can call the hotline or go online to check your outstanding bill.
Ka nga nila, kung d ka sisingilin hindi un dahilan na hindi mu babayaran utang mu.
Irresponsible subscriber. You better read the Terms and Conditions imposed to you by Smart upon signing of contract with them. Okay! I will specifically state herein since based on your above-statements, you do not read Terms and Conditions; therefore, you are an ignorant subscriber!
Article number 3 namely Payment Terms section E under Smart Postpaid Terms and Conditions states that;
—Notwithstanding the non-receipt of any bill, it shall be the Subscriber’s responsibility to inform himself of his outstanding fees or charges through the SMART Website, Customer Care Hotline, or any SMART Store and effect payment, without need for further demand on or before the Due Date.
Got a dispute on this? Well, under such Terms and Conditions is your signature. Hence, states your agreement to such contracts!
You do not have the absolute right to complain them and write such pathetic and ignorant post like this. Being a customer does not mean that everything will be spoonfed to you by the service provider. Mahiya ka naman sa balat mo!
If I were the customer service agent who spoke to you about your case, I will never ever hesitate to read the Terms and Conditions whilst you were talking to me on the phone. I was a customer service agent before and I did this multiple times to a lot of customers who had the gut to put all these blames where in fact, the main issue was there irresponsibility to become an efficient business partners!
Here’s the link of Smart Postpaid Terms and Conditions and please me a favor! Read this for god sake before you make yourself one of the most stupid people in the world to complain such!
https://smart.com.ph/Postpaid/postpaid-terms
Thank you.
Dear Clyde,
Thank you for your comment. I do not accept the title you gave me: Irresponsible subscriber.
This is a 7 years old article. I think that the Terms and Conditions of SMART have evolved in these 7 years. So your link does not the reflect the situation of 2010, when I signed the contract.
If you want to check therms, have a look here: https://web.archive.org/web/20100608193643/http://smart.com.ph:80/buddy/services/UNLI+Surf+Plans
While digging in the archives, you will also see what SMART wrote 2010 and 2012 about billing and payment methods. It’s been another world then. You might be astonished.
I absolutely pardon a former customer service agent. This must sometimes be a really hard job. But I have some problems with your today’s writing, 7 years later.
You wrote: “You do not have the absolute right to complain them and write such pathetic and ignorant post like this. Being a customer does not mean that everything will be spoonfed to you by the service provider”.
In a civilised country as the Philippines, I think a customer has a right to complain if he is not satisfied with the service or the product. And yes, “pathetic” maybe, but “ignorant” is a wrong description. Please check Webster’s dictionary https://www.yourdictionary.com.
Your last insult I do not forgive: “Read this for god sake before you make yourself one of the most stupid people in the world to complain such!”
To close this answer:
– SMART and I settled the conflict of 2012 in a civilised and friendly manner.
– I am still a SMART customer today under the same contract
– SMART does not call anymore during Philippines standard sleeping time (10 PM to 6 AM).
– Do as I do, when upset, take a break. Write only when you are calm. And yes, maybe read the date of the original post.
Cheers, waebi
Hi, I would like to know how you went about the case? I have issues with them now and stressing me out esp at this time that we are experiencing a pandemic.
Sorry, this is an 8 years old story.
We settled the case without fees. No we pay by LBC or e-banking.
Cheers, waebi
Let me stop you there! Smart telecommunications abuses and takes advantage of the contract and also it’s subscriber, and which by the way is a contract of adhesion. If you’ll read the whole Terms and conditions it’s obviously one sided. One may argue that if you do not agree then don’t sign ,but then again it’s not to permit prejudices to it’s consumers.
The specific provision you pointed out refers only to the non-receipt of bill and non-receipt ON OR BEFORE DUE DATE. But still the after due date bills shall be served also it is under R.A 7925 Article VII Sec. 20 par 3,rights of end-user to have regular, timely and accurate bills. These are important especially in a huge telecommunications company who have all the means to do so.
Saying that those who didn’t pay on due date are irresponsible subscriber, are we also allowed to say that they are irresponsible telecommunication provider.
In a contract of adhesion only one party has made the contract and it’s term, leaving no other choice for the other to negotiate or modify it. Although it is a binding contract, such cannot be heavily weighed in fsvor of one party.
You keep saying na people or subscriber should read the terms and conditions, it’s obvious that it only favors them.
On September 2020, I received a billing which is beyond my usual dues of 999+ monthly charge for the IPHONE (around P1.200.00+) amounting to P2,724.00. I checked on why its very unusual for me to be charge that high when I seldom used my Smart Postpaid call, text and data. My main contact no is my Globe Postpaid which I hold since 2012 where I never had issues for monthly charges.
I have called Smart Hotline No. for may occasions. I explained everything, that there might be glitch or something wrong with the system, I seldom/ almost never used my Smart Postpaid, that I have my Globe Postpaid as my main number, I have WIFI both in my office and at home so over usage of data is near impossible. These are the Reference No. given to me for my 4 dispute reports:
1. Reference No. 1734245269
2. Reference No. 176754907
3. Reference No. 1785440635
4. Reference No. 18190509701 last December 23, 2020
Thru phone patch, I agreed to pay the said P2,724.96 on September 29, 2020 to avoid disconnection and for I can continue to use my postpaid number making an agreement that this incident be investigated and excess payment shall be reflected/ deducted to my succeeding month bill. To my dismay, another billing was issued to me on November 2020 which is beyond my usual bill amounting to P2,700+. I called to the Smart Postpaid hotlines so many times and some calls even takes about almost an hour with no proper closure and with more promises to address the issue.
On November 2020, I paid P999.00 in which my Plan was based upon. Smart disconnect my line stating that I didn’t settle my dues in full. I am very frustrated that in time of need and pandemic, SMART would do this kind to extortion.
In one of the conversations, the agent suggested to me to upgrade my plan to a higher bracket to avoid this from happening. I felt that this was intentionally done to force me to upgrade my plan, however this is not economically good to me, as I said I never/ seldom use their services at all. I ask also to talk for a supervisor so that I can have a better chance to have a better and dependable results but with no avail. She said same things will be discussed so no further report thru her supervisor was needed. I said that this was a bad customer service and I wish to end my existing plan and hang-up.
Starting January 2021, I never use and paid my SMART Postpaid up to this moment. It never really affected my productivity evidently that I really never in use that much as they want me to pay for it. They disconnected my out-going calls since and on March 2021, I get no reception/ signal.
Starting April 2021, I received demand letter asking me to settle around P40,000.00 including text messages and calls anytime of the day. The legal office demanded me to settle everything but I refuse due to poor service and customer service SMART had exemplified. Call me to court if you will but I will never spend a peso for their incompetence. Extortion during pandemic should be stop.
You should immediately get in contact with a business lawyer. Do not tell him about the amount that Smart is demanding. Just inform him about the outlines of your case. As a customer you won’t have a chance against one of these companies. They have their own legal office better staffed than their maintenance crews.
Wishing you goof luck.
Cheers, waebi
I have same case, how did it went?
Hi Mirada,
Sorry, this is an almost 10 years old story.
We settled the case without fees. Now we pay by e-banking. Everything is going well now. Never had new problems anymore.
Cheers, waebi