Unionbank's Email Customer Service Exists!

I have sent several email inquiries to establishments before. I usually do my inquiry this way because it's faster and more convenient. If companies had provided email addresses so we could contact them, how come we seldom get replies from our emails? So I'm used to not getting any. I always have to visit the actual store or the company's office and get answers from an actual human being. 

So when I received a reply from Unionbank's email customer service (and it clearly wasn't some automated response), I caught myself thanking invisible gods. I then felt guilty in my having lost faith in the Filipino email customer service.

The email I sent to them was about my EON card and Cyberaccount. I have an EON card which I got in October 2008 but have never really used it. Now, I'm taking online jobs for real whose payments are sent to my Paypal account. I have earned quite enough to make a withdrawal but I was worried about my EON card and Cyberaccount if it's still valid for a Paypal transfer. My Cyberaccount and EON card has been inactive for almost 2 years and when I checked my account online (at www.unionbankph.com) it said, Please enter a valid card number. I tried enrolling my card again but I get this reply instead: Card number already enrolled in banking system. I have also visited a Unionbank branch and the staff told me that my card is still active. I just had to re-enroll my card number at www.unionbankph.com. So I tried re-enrolling several times everyday, but I always get the same error message.

Frustrated, I tried my luck at emailing my problem to customer.service@unionbankph.com. Immediately the day after, I got a response that I could now re-enroll my EON card number at their website. And I successfully did! It turned out there was just some technical glitch in their website. Woohoo! Kudos to Unionbank for having an existent Email Customer Service! And the best part of this all? I finally was able to withdraw money from my Paypal earnings. I used the method Withdraw to Bank Account and was deducted Php 50 only. After 2 banking days, the transfer was completed---my Paypal account deducted of the amount and my Cyberaccount debited with the amount.   ^_^

Follow-up Review for Alcatel OT-S210

If I don't write this, I would feel responsible and guilty to those who have read my first review of the phone and have trusted so much on the capability of the Alcatel OT-S210.

But the bestfriend I found has disappointed me lately.

I bought this OT-S210 last November 2. But just last November 28, I found its LCD not displaying anymore except a plain, navy blue colour. I remember just playing its Tetris clone called Russia (amazingly you'll somehow get hooked to playing their version of the game) for over an hour then decided to put down the phone since it gave me annoying alerts of "Battery Low" everytime I resumed playing. But when I checked it again if its battery has emptied so I can charge it, its display was all navy blue. Thinking it only needs charging, I plugged it up for normal charging. Morning came and it still has all navy blue on display.

So the next day, I went to the store where I bought my unit and the staff disappointed me more because they kept asking stupid questions.

Customer Service: Maam, are you sure this is where you bought this unit? Because I cannot tell whose signature is this in your receipt...

Chiril: Huh? (Thinking: So you're saying I have made all this up and have asked somebody to print for me a receipt that looks exactly like what you have here? And I couldn't have just barged in to the wrong store because you're the only Alcatel concept store in Cebu, hello??!!).

But instead told her,
Chiril: Isn't THAT your receipt?

CS: Ah yes, but... Uhmm. When did you purchase this?

Chiril: It's there. The receipt has a date. Eleven-zero-two-zero-eight. See?

CS: Sure?

Chiril: Huh?

CS: Hehe.

Chiril: Grrr.

To make shorter the story, they didn't have an inhouse technician pala. So they lead me to another store that accepts repair of Alcatel phones.

At least the CS who attended to me in the 2nd store was OK naman. She said she had to re-format my phone but if it still gives the navy blue display then it's the LCD that's defective. The next day, this CS called me in my landline and informed they had to send my unit to Manila because they ran out of LCDs for that particular model. So all right, what else could I do. I just clarified if I had to pay shipping or anything for the phone. But she kindly told me that since it's under warranty I won't be paying for anything. She also told me I had to visit their office so they could issue a service phone that I could use for the meantime.

After a week, I got a call from her again and that my unit is OK for pick-up. Now my bestfriend is with me again. It turned out it had defective LCD talaga.

Haayz. So you get what you pay for? I couldn't rant so much din because I asked for a budget phone. Would I expect Titanium casing for it? Of course not.

It may have disappointed me, but sometimes we have to NOT overexpect. It is AS IT IS, but at the end of the day you can tell yourself that this phone could still be lovable.

Meet The Alcaltel OT-S210, My New Found Friend.

Here is a phone that could be the bestfriend you're looking for. Reliable, no-nonsense, interesting. But unlike a human bestfriend which is for free, this requires you some cash. (The best things in life aren't free, c'mon). Just some 1K pesos and you get to bring this friend anywhere you wish.

The OT-S210, a candybar handset from Alcatel Mobile Phones, is a basic phone for undemanding users. Pinoys would often get 2 mobile phones--one being a personal phone and the other, a business phone. Or some would prefer calling their second unit, the back-up phone. This OT-S210 could be IT. SMS and calls, 250 names in your phonebook, polyphonic tones, an alarm clock, a calculator, some wallpapers, and COLORED display. You get all these with rubberized keypads and easy navigation (because of its menu icons and shortcut keys). And forget that image of an Alcatel phone that looks like Safeguard. Because this one wouldn't embarrass you in front of your fashionista friends.
Lightweight and handy, it fits very well in your jean pockets. The circle designs on its back cover give the phone a modern look.

So far, it hasn't given me a headache. Its battery can last to a week . And after using it for 2 weeks, I'm now thinking of getting another Alcatel phone (one of their music phones) in the future.

A sulit AND surprising buy, this phone could be anyone's bestfriend. =)

Paid Surveys for Filipinos

Another form of GPT or Get Paid To- program (see previous post on GPTs) that Juan may want to try is the paid survey. Take that VERY literally. Yes you get paid. Just by answering surveys!

These online surveys pay you just for sharing your opinions/views on certain social topics or most often, your preferences and comments on particular products or brands. Market research companies (or the paid survey sites) get hired by private companies/manufacturers to check how their products affect consumers. The results of these surveys are vital since these could help determine the future products that will be launched in the market. These results could guide manufacturers on innovations needed and standards they have to set to dominate the global market.

Like PTCs, there are a lot of scam paid survey sites out there. So for a start you can check Survey Police first. This is a website with a list of legitimate paid survey sites that you can register to. Note that when choosing a paid survey site, you have to qualify first as a respondent. Most paid survey sites unfortunately (again) accept US, Canada, Australia, or UK residents only. So far, I have found three (3) paid survey sites that Filipinos can register to: Global Test Market , Brand Test Institute and Survey Savvy.

Remember to create a separate e-mail where these surveys go in. Since you will be receiving loads and loads of spam emails upon signing in these survey sites.

Hope this helped. Good Luck! 8)

PBBY now accepts entries for book writing contest

If you're a Filipino citizen and is into writing books for children aged 6 to 12 years old, then you might want to join this contest.

The Philippine Board on Books for Young People (PBBY) now accepts entries for the 2009 PBBY-Salanga Prize. Submission is only until 5:00 pm November 14, 2008.

Here are the details posted at www.panitikan.com.ph.
Just scroll down until you reach to their 3 October 2008 announcement.

There's still much time so mail your stories now! =)