SmarBro TPIN- Why Calling the SmartBRO Hotline is Only a Neverending Quest to Go Online for a TPIN

Save yourself from the frustration of calling the SmartBro hotline. At their Smartbro hotline 672-7277. There are just too many prompts to contend with, you sink deeper and deeper into the rabbit hole and you have to keep up with the instructions on what number to choose.

I think the Smart Communications Customer Service process is just ingenious, they've manage to alienate their subscribers and eliminate any need for a customer service agent at the same time.

I had to choose '1' for billing until I ended up at a level where they had to ask for my Service Account Number which I dialed in, and that's like a really loooong number, the automated voice would actually repeat your smartbro Service Account Numberagain just to make sure its correct, only to find out that's its practically worthless because the next level you'd be prompted for a Smart TPIN! WTF! yes a Smart TPIN! which you have to get online and register here http://smart.com.ph/connect

I doubt anyone who calls their hotline is ready with that fricking TPIN!

and after all that you have to dial again and hope you get through to some human at the other end of the line. And if you're calling from a payphone you're out of luck. Its a hassle.

And Smart is banking on your patience and frustration with their ultimate timewasting customer service process service, it saves them money because you're bound to give up and not call them anymore. Ingenious, di ba?

For a similar story, read this one:
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/views-and-analysis/08/18/09/call-center-catch-22-adel-gabot

So sino niloloko ng Smart? :( Tayo po mga subscribers nila. They earned from us, but wouldn't give you the time of the day to sort out the problems we're encountering with their products and services.

If you don't believe how frustrating things are with their hotline- try dialing  672-7277 and experience Smart's arrogance firsthand. They've built themselves a wall high enough, so they can't hear any of the customer complaints.

Smart's got game, but doesn't play ball right :(

What is my Paypal Address?

What is my Paypal Address?

Your Paypal Address is the email address you signed up with in the Paypal Account.

This email address is what you need to give to the person who plans to send you money. Not to worry, a confirmation of the transaction will be sent to that email by Paypal.

I forgot my Paypal email address - how do I find out?

To find out your PayPal email address you must know the following about your account- name, ZIP code  phone number your credit card number. more info here

Christian Bale Visits Aurora Colorado

Christian Bale is a true knight in these dark times. He's not the sociopathic Psycho Patrick Batemen as we would all like to believe right after his batshit crazy video on the Terminator set went viral. All is forgiven!

Thanks for showing up real classy, not in costume, just jeans and a black shirt just like everyone else.

Quite the stand up guy. Hope the visit will somehow give Christian Bale enough sleep at night. Well he's an actor and a very good and emotional one at that- for sure the pain of the Aurora shootings doesn't escape his thoughts. People got shot in a movie he starred in, no actor wants that kind of baggage.

Imagine, the last thing some of those people saw in that theater before they got shot down was his face on screen. Imagine, them now waking up seeing him at their bedside. Imagine the freakouts that must've been.

Bale looks like a difficult man to deal with, but I think his wife Sibi Blazic really knows how to keep up with his highs and lows, tempers and mania. 

Hey, he went to Colorado on his own, regardless the outcome. Christopher Nolan was just too stucked up in his ass to do the same thing. Nolan just watched shit go down on the news and all he could think about is his 'art' and releasing a statement about the savage shooter. boo hoo.

Publicity stunt or honest show of support - it doesn't matter, Christian Bale braved the public and the anguish of the victims to reach out in Aurora even for a day.

But the one coincidence that boggles me most with the Batman Trilogy - Is James Holmes and Katie Holmes related? Whoa.

Delicious Changes Its Profile Icon from Doodle to Pixel Cat

Woke up today to something new and Delicious! My fave bookmarking site (yes, this is where I hoard everything I don't have time for in the hopes I would read them one day) has change the standard profile pic icon. From the doodle cat or doodle honeybadger, we now have the Delicious pixel art cat!

But really I kinda miss this guy... the pixel cat needs to grow on me a bit

Big Bang Soap Opera at CERN: Professor Higgs in Tears- God Particle Discovered!

Papa Peter Higgs is crying his eyes out and maybe just maybe feeling quite orgasmic deep inside. Finally the discovery of the God Particle and some proof that it exists.... never thought I would see this discovery in my lifetime.

Its like a higher form of power is winking right back at us. It makes the Big Bang business is so darn sexy!

 Man-made giant bunghole: The Hadron Collider particle Accelerator

View from the top- whoa! Damn the Swiss! Damn the French!

UnionBank.com.ph?

Is UnionBank.com.ph a scam? Doesn't look legit to me, but it is showing up in Google searches when you look for a link to Unionbank Philippines. And also the link been brought up at the Unionbank Facebook page.

UnionBank.com.ph looks fraudulent, and could be out to get unsuspecting Unionbank account holders passwords. But it could also be an internal site meant for the bank's employees.

I asked Unionbank's customer service, but they only answered that their official site is http://www.unionbankph.com. They have no comment or refuse to comment about the existence of the site above.



This is the real and official link of Unionbank Philippines- http://www.unionbankph.com
Just to be safe, lalo na mga OFWs, do not login at UnionBank.com.ph (baka peke po yan, nanakawan kayo ng password). Dito na lang po kayo sa official site http://www.unionbankph.com

Public service lang po, kasi yung Unionbank mismo walang kusa abisuhin mga account holders nila :(

Unionbank Philippines: EON Account and Paypal Transfers

What does Unionbank have to say about the delay of money transfers from Paypal to EON?

Statement from Unionbank: The way PayPal works is that it sends out the script of transfer for crediting to accounts and that script goes from one process to another, from one bank to another. Delays are usually because of holidays or because of the different processes on how PayPal transfer the money.

Our commitment is to credit funds from your PayPal proceeds within 24 hours when we receive the script. In most cases, we do better than that. There are times when we receive tremendous surge of script of transfer but we never exceed 24 hours in crediting your funds.

If your PayPal withdrawal has not been credited, this means we have not receive instructions from PayPal. Also, please make sure that your PayPal name matches that of your UnionBank account name to avoid rejection.

Again, our apologies for the delay. Please note that once we receive the instructions from Paypal bank, we credit the funds to your account. Usually, when we receive the scripts of the transfer which is usually 1-3 banking days, we credit it to your account within the day but you may allow the maximum turn around time of 5-7 banking days especially when there were prior holidays. We are continuously crediting what we have been receiving. For other concerns, you may also call 8418600. Thank you for your patience.

---

Okay sa mga rumaraket sa Odesk, eLance, Craigslist or mga OFW na nagpapadala ng pera. Let's just accept the fact na wala na gagawin ang Unionbank to ease our banking experience. So mag buffer na lang kayo ng araw, kung nilagay ni Paypal 2-3 days or ganitong araw mo matatanggap money mo sa EON account mo... hwag ka ng umasa na darating ang pera mo sa tamang araw... mag-padding ka na lang ng 1-2 weeks. In 7 days siguro naman ma-re-receive mo na, worse case na ang 2 weeks pero huwag na natin asahan na papasok yan in 3 days. Swertihan na lang kung mangyari yan.

The only upside to this is- at least may access ka sa Paypal kahit wala kang credit card at may magpapadala sa 'yo ng pera. The money will eventually come. So stay calm and keribels on!

Unionbank Philippines EON Account: Invalid TXN Password

Since tamad mag disseminate ng info ang Unionbank Philippines about what to do when you're hit with this Invalid TXN Password during a online banking transaction. Di ba sila nagtataka sa dami ng nagrereklamo about this common problem, the Invalid TXN Password scenario, eh di pa nila magawan ng paraan ayusin?

I'm sure they've studied their banking process, if it hits a snag somewhere and people are seeing this as a common problem, then something should be done about it- either change the way the system works or disseminate info to all EON account holders when they open their account at the bank branch that they should remember their first password because the entirety of their online banking transactions depend on it.

Someone from Unionbank is definitely passing the buck on this badly design user experience and kawawa naman customer service nila, trying to fix something this broken. Mahiya naman din sana ang Unionbank sa mga OFWs na nagpapadala ng pera through their online banking system, you make money from these people, the least you could do is fix the Invalid TXN Password trope.

So from Unionbank's FB, this is what they have to say about the Transaction Password or TXN Password:

The transaction password is the password you elect during your first login session in Online Banking. This is a special feature added to protect your account from being debited without your permission.

The transaction password is prompted every time you make a transaction with your account using Online Banking (whether it be bills payment or funds transfer). Your transaction password should be reset every 180 days, whether you use the Online Banking facility or not.

In the event that you no longer remember the transaction password that you've previously elected, you need to call our customer service at 841-8600 to request for a reset. Thanks!

I suggest kuyugin niyo ang Unionbank Facebook page and let your voice as an EON Unionbank customer be heard. We are not screaming loud enough for them to hear that our complaints are valid.

So for transaction password reset, please call Unionbank Customer Service at 8418600. Upon calling, they will ask for your email address and send you a notification email on how to reset password which takes about 3 days or more.

Unionbank Philippines EON Account: You cannot enroll this Biller, Transaction Password and Invalid TXN Password

After going through the Invalid TXN Password problem, ito naman bumulaga sa akin...http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

'Click on the biller name to add to my billers list'
I am adding a new biller to my EON Unionbank account- that service provider is MERALCO. The reason I chose to try online banking is to pay my bills via the internet and spare me the trip to Meralco. But the bug in the Unionbank Eon online banking system in the Philippines is that it won't accept this sole power giant corporation.

Attempting to add Meralco results in this pop-up prompt box
You cannot enroll this Biller. Please pay through the Search Biller option
I already went through the Search Biller over and over, in fact I tried other service providers Manila Water, Smart Bro, Manila Polo Club and Medicard- and they work fine! These companies can be easily added...

Out of frustration, I decided just to pay my SmartBro bill except this time I am prompted for a Transaction Password. This is not your ATM Pin, mind you. Naisip ko ito rin ba yung bwisit na TXN password? Malamang!

Antagal ng problem ng Unionbank ito and they haven't gotten around fixing this. The process is not user-friendly, they could at least inform people how important this TXN password/transaction password is when they open their accounts. So much hassle. See? di ka makapagbayad ng utility bill agad kasi either papa-reset mo pa yan sa customer service hotline nila. Its also money loss for Unionbank and they simply don't care about fixing this. Eh kung nakabayad kami me agad ng bills, agad sila makaka-kaltas ng transaction fee or whatever it is they earn from their account holders.

Wait, what is this Transaction Password ba? If its not the ATM 4 digit Pin so what is it?

Transaction Password is the TXN password. It is the very first password you set at the bank branch where you enrolled for EON online banking system. Your 4-digit ATM pin is only used to log-in to your EON account online and this TXN password is used for bills payment, bank to bank transfer, security password expiration reset every 90 to 120 days.

So How Do I Get my Transaction Password/TXN Password from Unionbank?
Please call their Customer Service at 8418600 or their Domestic Toll Free: 1-800-1888-2277 (using your PLDT landline) to request for a reset of your transaction password which takes two banking days to activate. Saya di ba? Lalo kung kailangan na kailangan mo yung pera o kailangan mo ng magbayad, you have to wait that long for your password.

Goodluck Philippines!

Open Read Only or Click Notify to Open Read-Only

Open 'Read Only' or 'Click Notify' to Open Read-Only and Receive notification when the document is no longer in use is the prompt box Microsoft Excel opens when you attempt to save a file.This happens when the same file is open in another computer within your network or another copy of the file is open in Excel.

What you can simply do to save the file and stop the prompt box from launching is to close all copies of the excel or .xls file that is currently open. If another user in the network is using the file, ask him to close it first so you can save it.

Anyways, this was my experience. If you're some whiz tech guru, please do enlighten me more :)

Banking in the Year 2012: Changing the Temporary Pin of your BPI ATM Card

Changing your ATM pin should be a simple one-way stop from the bank, instead it becomes an agonizing afternoon of long walks to the bank branch (yeah, a BPI branch with no ATM machine in The Fort) to the next available ATM almost a mile away. Thanks BPI, here's putting new ATM cardholders through the hassle.

Good screen banking interface, mind you, should prompt the user with simple text on what to do. The BPI ATM screen doesn't tell you what you should or should not press and the bank teller would only bother to tell you once you get back to their branch after hitting a snag.

So here how it goes:
Once you get your new ATM card, you get a sealed envelope and in it- your card glued to the paper... behind the card is your unique temporary ATM pin.

When changing your ATM pin... Go to Change Pin

Once at the Change Pin section, you will see two blank boxes onscreen, this is where you will enter your PIN. Instinctively, you will enter your the 4 digit unique temporary ATM pin provided by the bank. THIS IS NOT THE WAY. This will result in an automatic error and leaves you 3 tries in order to change the PIN.

The first thing you should ENTER is the PIN you have in mind, the personal PIN you want for your bank account. Gets? (Yeah, and the teller didn't bother to tell you that) Luckily, I haven't tried it thrice or it would have resulted in a capture card or getting the account locked. Grrr...

Okay, once you ENTER the PIN you want- for example, your 4digit PIN is 1234. Enter it on the first BLANK BOX then DO NOT MAKE THE ATTEMPT OF PRESSING THE ENTER BUTTON on the ATM Machine. Out of habit, don't we press ENTER when we fill out any info? Users who do 'Press Enter' in an attempt to go the next blank box will only be met by an error message. This will result in the same error message and leaves you 3 tries in order to change the PIN.

What you should do (after kicking the ATM machine out of frustration)

ENTER the PIN you want on the first blank box- for example, your 4digit PIN is 1234. Enter 1234 then press your 4 digit pin again 1234 (continuous lang, no spaces, no enter). The numbers will automatically go below into the second BLANK BOX. Now you can PRESS ENTER. Now you have changed your PIN! before logging off the machine, it may finally prompt you for the bank's issued 4 digit unique temporary ATM pin that came with the envelope. Comprende?

Okay, I posted this because the lady next in line with a new ATM card had to go through the same USABILITY FAIL. Sorry, not all your USERs belong to the age group of natural navigators, not everyone can risk playing your bank's screen interface. I am honestly scared of the card capture fail safe in any login attempt. As I do not want the hassle of waiting days or weeks just to claim my ATM card again.

You know a simple text on the screen, on what PIN the cardholder should use would be HELPFUL! or just the teller informing us to use our desired PIN on the very first try!

Frolick in the Tropics

Summer is Here!



Even an island wears a hat on a sunny day :)

The Uses of Née

How does one use née in a sentence? This frenchy French term called née refers to a gal's maiden name before she tied the knot with someone.

So how do you use Née? Let me count the ways:

Kate Mountbatten-Windsor, née Middleton

Carla Sarkozy (née Bruni)

Elizabeth Hilton Wilding Todd Fisher Burton Burton Warner Fortensky, née Taylor

Okay, gets?

More Badings in the Philippines

Ang ratio ngayon 1 machong TNL sa bawat 3 bading sa Pilipinas. Madadapa ka sa bawat kanto sa dami ng badings sa ating populasyon. There approximately 5 gays every 30 square meter ng Metro Manila. Di bale carry naman naten etetch! Madami naman tayong Hot Papa para sa lahat ng vaklush, sorry na lang mga girlaloo, yung mga chaka at tira-tira na lang sa inyo :p

My Cobra Energy Drink Hissy Fit

The perk me up I need whenever I'm having a rough day- a real Cobra energy drink!

Be My Valentine!

Every year being single means spending Valentine's Day with your secret... Ooooh!


Sweaty smoldering hotness: Joe Levitt (That's my JGL!)


The now grown up Harry Potheads?


Ronan Farrow (Mia Farrow + Woody Allen = this yummy political fierce hottie!)


Pete Cashmore of Mashable.com

RAWWWR!

Shoe porn of the day! Niiice! Madame Imelda would be proud :)