UPDATED: JUNE 22, 2019
Dear PLDT,
My patience has run out.
Since application period SEPTEMBER 2018 until today JUNE 2019 – I had no reliable working internet despite the countless follow-ups and troubleshooting. And yet my bill keeps growing or coming back.
I have returned all your devices and just want whatever I paid reimbursed.
Just so you know, there is no amount equal to the stress, the unnecessary travels and lost of income, you have given me for 10 months.
SUMMARY OF GRIEVANCES
The way your agents handled my account from application until now has been awful and unprofessional, causing me immense stress, unnecessary travels and lost of income.
- Horrible application process
- It took 81 days
- Address creation mishap was caused by your staff. REALLY FRUSTRATING.
- Midway, application was cancelled “due to aging” despite constant communication for updates. VERY ILLOGICAL!
- Wrong plan, wrong modem and wrong bill
- We applied for a fiber connection, we were installed with DSL
- Despite constant queries, no heads-up or prior information was given about non-availability of fiber and the change to DSL. SO UNPROFESSIONAL.
- I applied for a full cash payment of installation fee and was billed with a monthly fee. I needed the correct bill to be able to pay for this installation.
- Internet disconnected all the time
- From installation until now, NO INTERNET.
- In 7 months, total availability of internet was less than a week. And yet speed was very slow and browsers timed-out when loading. USELESS.
- My work is online-related (website content, booking and marketing) so many times I was forced to travel out or cancel projects due to internet problems.
- Frustrating re-connection process and bill adjustment system
- Even if mistakes were done by your side, agents had to let me go through the basic troubleshooting (over and over) and made me suffer through the 72-hour wait before they resolved my problem. WHY?!!
- Even if it was clearly the company’s fault (like closing unresolved tickets), the system did not allow me the correct bill adjustments for the precise days that I had no internet. It took horrible hours on the phone explaining and discussing this with your agents.
- Insincere approach to resolve issues
- After NTC gave PLDT notice about this case, you instantly came up with an amount as resolution, which I paid without question. 2 weeks later, you sent me another bill to pay – it was the waived amount for the settlement! WHY?!!
- After I paid my bill, you disconnected my account, reconnected my landline (which I had no problem with) and deleted WIFI from my plan. WHY?!!
- You have committed so many mistakes for this account.
- Unprofessional agents and incapable systems
- I have spent more hours talking to clueless agents, being passed from one person to the other, than actually using my internet connection.
- Agents keep promising that my wifi will be connected on the day, also promised to call me back, BUT STILL NO INTERNET and NO CALL BACKS.
- Some agents try their best but perhaps the system is just not efficient, resulting to so many inconveniences.
JUNE 11, 2019
Dear PLDT,
I am returning all your devices and I request a FULL REFUND and COMPENSATION for the stress and grievances your incompetent services have given me for 10 months.
As courtesy, I have not posted this for public help as I wanted to give PLDT the chance to resolve this quietly. But my patience is running out.
TIMELINE OF INCIDENTS
SEPTEMBER
12 – visited the PLDT Service Center SM North Annex for application. Advised to apply online due to long lines.
13 – SUBMITTED APPLICATION ONLINE
14-18 – application status: Address Creation
19 – visited PLDT Service Center again. Manually updated my address as advised by agent.
22-29 – application status: Address Creation
30 – PLDT asked to recheck my address. I verified my address again with agent.
OCTOBER
4 – PLDT informed me of address mismatch again.
5 – sent all necessary documents (old PLDT bill, visual map, google earth map) to confirm and verify my address.
LEFT THE CITY DUE TO NO WIFI
NOVEMBER
6-16 – series of follow-up with PLDT. Received not-so-helpful replies from agents
17 – shocked to be informed that my account was “CANCELLED DUE TO AGING”
18 – sent confirmation to reprocess application.
27 – my account was still “cancelled due to aging”
29 – finally received a service Order
30 – received call for installation. Had to send people to my condo unit to receive team.
DECEMBER
2 – FINALLY CONNECTED!
7 – arrived in condo to NO WIFI
7-10 – WIFI NOT WORKING, WRONG MODEM & WRONG BILLING
23 – sent letter of request to verify account as advised by agent.
LEFT THE CITY DUE TO NO WIFI
JANUARY
7 – arrived in condo to NO WIFI
7-9 – NO WIFI AGAIN
12-29 – NO WIFI AGAIN AND AGAIN
13-29 – series of calls to customer service
25-30 – I discussed billing adjustment with customer service
FEBRUARY
1-12 – I appealed to PLDT to adjust bill. Due to technicality PLDT cannot correctly adjust my bill
13 – WIFI DISCONNECTED
MARCH, APRIL, MAY – OUT OF THE COUNTRY. NO WIFI
MAY
3 – I emailed PLDT with my formal complaint. Same agents replied asking for information I already provided
3 – I emailed NTC asking for help
9 – NTC emailed PLDT to fix the problem
14 – PLDT asked me to pay 3,481 PHP as resolution
15 – with no questions asked, I paid the amount as requested
22 – PLDT arrived in my condo to install only VOICE (LANDLINE) because my plan has no WIFI (DSL) included
23-31 – emailed PLDT for WIFI connection
JUNE
1 – arrived in condo to NO WIFI
2-3 – followed up with PLDT
4 – PLDT informed me they mistakenly DELETED the WIFI from my plan
5-8 – coordinated with PLDT customer service to reconnect WIFI. Agents promised me it will be done on the day. STILL NO WIFI
7 – received a bill for 2819.76 PHP
7-11 – STILL NO WIFI. Appealed to NTC for help.
11 – Returned all devices to PLDT Service Center SM North Annex and request cancellation and reimbursement
MAY 3, 2019
MY PLDT BACKGROUND
As long as I can remember, we have been loyal customers of PLDT and have paid our bills regularly.
- I have another active PLDT account under my name VIOLET ELRAYS, located in my hometown, Nueva Vizcaya with account number: 251937680
- We had a PLDT account from year 2014 to 2016, located in the same unit and building as where I am applying now. I sent this information to you as well. Why did it take forever to match my address?
DETAILS OF TIMELINE
SEPTEMBER
My mother was diagnosed with end-stage kidney disease, we decided to apply for an internet connection to help in the global fund-raising from friends and relatives from abroad. See story from BLOG and FACEBOOK.
12 SEPTEMBER – VISITED PLDT SERVICE CENTER
I went to the PLDT Sales & Service Center (SM Annex North Edsa) and lined up to apply. Because of the very long queue and slow service, I was advised to apply online instead.
13 SEPTEMBER – SUBMITTED APPLICATION ONLINE
14 to 18 SEPTEMBER – STATUS: ADDRESS CREATION
FROM PLDT:
19 SEPTEMBER – VISITED PLDT SERVICE CENTER AGAIN & MANUALLY UPDATED MY ADDRESS
I was told that the connection process would take 2-3 weeks. Just to make sure that everything was in order with my application, I visited the PLDT Sales & Service Center (SM Annex North Edsa).
I arrived at 10am mall opening hours. I was served at around 3pm. As expected, the agent said there was a slight mismatch with my address. She asked me to wait as she manually changed it to match your system. I left the center assured that the problem was fixed.
FROM ME:
FROM PLDT:
22 SEPTEMBER – RECEIVED A CALL FROM PLDT
I was in the hospital, in the middle of the doctor giving an update on my mom’s condition when I received the call. I picked up but the line was too noisy I had to drop it. After the doctor left, I called back immediately, but no one answered. I kept calling to no avail. I sent an email asking for a call back. NO CALL BACK received.
FROM PLDT:
FROM ME:
23 to 29 SEPTEMBER – STUCK IN ADDRESS CREATION, PLDT CANNOT PROVIDE TIMEFRAME
FROM ME:
FROM PLDT:
FROM ME:
FROM PLDT:
30 SEPTEMBER – PLDT ASKED TO RE-CHECK MY ADDRESS
I personally went to your center to update and made sure my address was in the system. Also, my condominium is in a prime location along EDSA, full of tenants using PLDT. I was surprised at how hard it was for PLDT to resolve this.
I had no time to get our neighbor’s landline number because I was busy arranging for my mother’s hospital transfer. Instead, I sent all necessary information online.
FROM PLDT:
FROM ME:
OCTOBER
4 OCTOBER – PLDT INFORMED ME OF ADDRESS MISMATCH
Again, like a broken record, I was told that I had a problem with my address. Worst part, no resolution was given.
FROM PLDT:
5 OCTOBER – SENT ALL NECESSARY DOCUMENTS TO CONFIRM MY ADDRESS
I emailed the visual map of my address and also our old PLDT bill to clear up this mismatch.
FROM ME:
NOVEMBER
6 OCTOBER to 16 NOVEMBER – SERIES OF FOLLOW-UPS
Click on photos to enlarge and read the many email exchanges and not-so helpful status updates. By November, you can feel my frustration through my emails.
17 NOVEMBER – ACCOUNT WAS CANCELLED DUE TO AGING
After so many emails back and forth, I was shocked to receive a message saying my application was cancelled due to aging.
FROM PLDT:
FROM ME:
FROM PLDT:
18 NOVEMBER – SENT CONFIRMATION TO REPROCESS APPLICATION
Even when I was annoyed and frustrated, I immediately requested to reprocess my application.
FROM ME:
27 NOVEMBER – ACCOUNT STILL CANCELLED DUE TO AGING
After 10 days of waiting, I followed up again and discovered my application was still cancelled. I replied asking them to back-read and see my confirmation to reprocess.
FROM ME:
FROM PLDT:
FROM ME:
29 NOVEMBER – RECEIVED A SERVICE ORDER NUMBER
FROM PLDT:
30 NOVEMBER – RECEIVED CALL FOR INSTALLATION
Without prior notice, I received a call saying the technical team was ready to connect my wifi at my condominium. I was not in Manila so I had to push the date and scrambled to find someone to go to my place and receive the technicians.
DECEMBER
2 DECEMBER – FINALLY CONNECTED!
I had another person be present during the installation. I quickly planned my trip back to Manila since my internet was already connected.
7 – 10 DECEMBER – WIFI NOT WORKING, WRONG PLAN, WRONG MODEM & WRONG BILLING
- WIFI WAS NOT WORKING
When I arrived on 7 December the internet was not working. I called the service center who did their technical solution from the backend. When finally connected, the speed was so slow, webpages timed-out when loading. This took almost 4 days to resolve.
Since my work and source of income is online-related, the availability and speed of internet is very important for me. In the end, I had to leave Manila again and travel to another place with a more stable internet connection.
- MODEM WAS DSL AND NOT FIBER
During the application process, I specifically asked about the modem.
I was under the assumption that my building had fiber service because sometimes I could see my neighbors’ wifi. I later found out that this was not the case. We had no fiber service in our building.
Even if I had the wrong assumption, is it not standard protocol of PLDT to inform clients about the non-availability of fiber connection and the switch to DSL? This is written in your application receipt email.
- WRONG MODE OF PAYMENT FOR INSTALLATION SERVICE
When I received my phone bill, I was surprised that the mode of payment for the service connection was in INSTALLMENT when we CLEARLY applied for FULL CASH.
A sponsor was to pay for my connection service, so I needed the accurate receipt and billing to be able to receive the payment. This made my life difficult.
23 DECEMBER – SENT LETTER OF REQUEST TO VERIFY ACCOUNT
After another series of back and forth with telephone agents, I was advised to send a letter of request to verify my account application. As requested, I drafted and sent the letter together with all necessary documents.
JANUARY
7 – 9 JANUARY – NO WIFI AGAIN
When I arrived back in Manila on 7 January, I had no internet service again. Since I spent Christmas break in the province, I had no idea when my internet was disconnected again. I spent hours talking to agents to resolve the issue. It took 3 days.
12 – 29 JANUARY – NO WIFI AGAIN AND AGAIN
On 12 January, while in the middle of an important online project, my internet suddenly got disconnected. The error message showed the “customer payment reminder portal”.
I spent hours talking to agents to prove that my bill was paid. In the end, it was because of a downtime from PLDT. This was a major migration from your end that you knew will take days to be finished. Yet, I received no heads-up, no prior notice at all.
Again, I was forced to travel out and move location because of this. I was told downtime will be completed in 3 days, but when I travelled back, I still had no internet connection. In the end, I had to travel out again.
Below is a record of my calls to customer service:
| DATE
REFERENCE |
ACTION | PLDT RESOLUTION |
| 13 January Ref no: 28605285 |
Reported no internet. Did basic trouble shooting with agent. Agent revealed that the reason is downtime due to migration from copperwire to fiber. |
To wait for migration to finish, it will take more than 3 days. |
| 24 January Ref no: 28725703 |
Reported no internet for 12 days. Did basic troubleshooting, problem unresolved. |
To just wait. I was informed that on 20 January my previous ticket was closed due to migration being finished (even if I still had no internet) |
| 25 January Ref no: 28732106 Agent: Giselle |
Reported still no internet. Did basic troubleshooting, problem unresolved. |
To just wait for line testing from technician |
| 28 January Agent: Anne Agent: Ritz (ID 88272) |
Reported still no internet. Did basic troubleshooting, problem unresolved. |
To wait for 72 hours |
| 29 January | PLDT called to restore internet | Resolved in less than 5 minutes. Restoration team just needed to re-allign from their end. |
- Why did you inform me that downtime will take at least 3 days when it took more than a week to finish? I returned earlier expecting wifi only to be stuck for days without one.
- Why did you close an existing ticket even if it was still unresolved?
- Why did I have to wait 17 days, without internet, for this to be resolved?
FEBRUARY
25 JANUARY to 12 FEBRUARY – DISCUSSED BILLING WITH CUSTOMER SERVICE
On 9 February, I arrived in Manila again. Because of the constant interruption of my internet service, I spent hours explaining and discussing my situation with billing agents.
| DATE REFERENCE |
ACTION | PLDT RESOLUTION |
| 25 January Ref no: 1113878863 |
Requested bill adjustment for no internet from 7-9 January | For bill approval (to show after 1-2 billing cycle) |
| 26 January Agent: Allen (ID 69994) |
Requested billing adjustment for no internet from 12 January up to current date | Due to technicality, they cannot adjust my bill correctly because ticket was closed and resolved on the 20th (even if internet was still not available) |
| 12 February Ref no: 453317318 Agent: Allah (ID 0923) |
Requested billing adjustment | Had to file for no internet in different batches of dates (Jan 12-20 and Jan 21-24 and another for remaining days until internet will be back) |
| Ref no: 22511882 | Requested not to cut internet first until I get assurance that my bill adjustment will be done or if not, negotiate a cancellation of service. | Advised to visit a PLDT center.
After negotiations, agent asked me to communicate thru email instead. |
| 13 February | No internet connection |
13 FEBRUARY – INTERNET DISCONNECTED
Not even a day after I requested and talked to your agent to hold my internet connection while I settle my bill adjustment problem, my internet is GONE AGAIN.
MARCH, APRIL, MAY
I was outside the country
3 MAY – I emailed PLDT with my formal complaint. Same agents replied asking for information I already clearly provided.
3 MAY – I emailed NTC asking for help
9 MAY – NTC emailed PLDT to fix the problem
14 MAY – PLDT provided a resolution. I was asked me to pay 3,481 PHP.
15 MAY – with no questions asked, I instantly paid the amount as requested. I pleaded if they can connect my internet as soon as possible. I paid some people to stay in my condo unit incase PLDT shows up for the reconnection.
22 MAY – PLDT technicians arrived in my condo to install only VOICE (LANDLINE) because my plan has no WIFI (DSL) included. This was clearly PLDT’s mistake. WHY DO YOU MAKE SO MANY MISTAKES?
23-31 MAY – followed up internet connection
JUNE
1 JUNE – arrived in condo to NO WIFI
2-8 JUNE – PLDT informed me they MISTAKENLY DELETED the WIFI from my plan and I needed to wait for the reconnection process. Agents promised me it will be done on the day or else they will call me back. NO WIFI & NO CALLBACKS. How do your agents sleep at night?!
7 JUNE – received a bill to pay for 2819.76 PHP. WHY? Was this not the waived amount during the settlement?
7-11 JUNE – STILL NO WIFI. Appealed to NTC for help.
11 JUNE – Returned all devices to PLDT Service Center SM North Annex and request cancellation and reimbursement.
MY APPEAL (JUNE 2019)
I am sick and tired of all these. Please reimburse the amount I have paid so far:
Dec 29 – 1,634.49 PHP
May 15 – 3,481.01 PHP
Just so you know, there is no amount equal to the stress, the unnecessary travels and lost of income, you have given me for 10 months.
MY ACCOUNT INFORMATION
Name: Violet Elrays
Account Number: 0270903754
Telephone Number: 02-2511882
Plan applied for: FIBR UNLI PLAN 1299
Date of application: 13 September 2018
Actual installation date: 2 December 2018
Respectfully,
Violet Lucasi-Elrays
violetelrays@yahoo.com
VIOLETOLOGY 