Believe it or not

Last night I went to Hub in Podium to apply for a line. It was rather late, close to 9:30 pm, in fact. We were attended to by P and it was quite a challenge clarifying the Plan 500 with him. According to him, Plan 500 had 500 free texts and 20 minutes of phone calls. When he said free, I thought, it meant free, as in you don't pay. But "Free" per Globe is a misnomer in that you have to pay for those 500 free texts with your 500 peso plan. Instead of saying free, Globe should have said that the plan entitles you to 500 text messages and 20 minutes of calls. Thus vis-a-vis the prepaid card, Plan 500 is not that much more attractive. Why?

A prepaid load of 500 entitles one to 85 really free text messages and the load of 500 is merely deducted from once one consumes the 85 free as in literally free text messages allotment. Ergo, what really is free in Plan 500 would be the call time of 20 minutes. Moreover, under a prepaid arrangement, one can always avail of unlmtxt for 15 pesos that entitles one to 100 text messages a day. DO the math. That's 100 texts/day times 30 days = 3000 texts for P450 only

After asking P about the "Free" texts and it dawned on me what the real score was, that those 500 text messages weren't really free, I told P so but he insisted they were free. Semantics? Oh well.

And while during the day I was assured my application would be processed immediately provided I would come in before 930, P said they couldn't do it because it was late. The one who had taken my call in the day was a woman. So ok, I conceded and told P I'd wait for his call the following day, meaning today. He said he'd call in the morning.

By 330 pm, I still had not heard from Globe. SO I called. A lady answered. I asked for P, it was his day off, she said. I said what about the other man? She said it was the security guard and it was his day off too. Then I said no, there were 3 men including the security guard. She said that was the cashier and it was his day off too. I was aghast. Imagine that, all 3 men had their day off at the same time? Is that possible? So I asked, may I speak with the manager? At first she said it was his day off too and I exasperatedly told her, really? She then promptly corrected herself and said he was in the head office in Makati. I asked for the number and at first she said she couldn't give it. Then she conceded and gave it. I said I'd call the head office.

But I really couldn't as there were other people in the house and I didn't exactly want them to witness my emoting. Shortly after I finished talking to the lady, would you believe she called and said, "Ma'am I took it upon myself to follow up your application." I guess she was scared I'd call the manager. Then she said "I'd like to verify your address." I guess she thought someone else would answer the phone. Then she asked are you really a freelance editor? I said yes. then she asked if she could call the office that had issued my ID, I said go ahead. I gave her the names of people she could call. We put down the phone.

Shortly after, she called again, she couldn't reach the "office" where I was connected. I asked so my application is still not approved? She said, "Sige, okay na to." I asked her then what about the cut-off date? Here again I thought I was brain dead because either I was asking the wrong questions or she just couldn't answer what I was asking her, clearly. She said something to the effect that good thing I asked so I wouldn't be surprised when my bill came. She said the cut-off date was determined by the computer. I said so if I get my phone now, my cut-off date could be tomorrow and I'd forfeit what I had paid for? Then she said, "how will I explain this?" Then she added, "i-prorate po. tama, i prorate." But when I asked her to explain, she couldn't, at least not to my satisfaction. Ang gulo.

Will I proceed with getting that plan? I'm not too sure.

When Globe had a Hub in Power Plant, the lady we transacted with there seemed to explain things clearly but it seems Hub in Podium is a different story altogether. I hope someone enlightens me with regard to this "prorate", computer-generated cut-off date, etc. Do I end up losing precious pesos because of an all too soon cut-off date, if ever?

Truth to tell, I am utterly confused. Somebody, help.. (I won't edit this piece anymore because it might confuse me even more."