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OFW woes with Globe’s Kababayan SIM Card

An old friend sent me an email about his problems with Globe’ Kababayan SIM card when using it in Singapore. He tried to reach Globe CSR to no avail and requested if I could publish his letter here.

Yugatech 728x90 Reno7 Series

Dear Globe,

I noticed in your website under Globe Postpaid Value Offers and Globe Prepaid Value Offers that your International Text Offers for P1 Globe to Singtel PREPAID Mobile Int’l Text is still in effect as of 1st April 2008. Let me clarify now that all Globe Kababayan subscribers in Singapore are Singtel PREPAID subscribers.

Please explain why my friends are being charged P15 for every text they send to my GLOBE KABABAYAN prepaid number here in Singapore. Furthermore, I just came back from my 2-week vacation from the Philippines and used a postpaid Globe mobile to send quite a lot of texts to my Globe Kababayan friends here in Singapore and I am horrified to look at the next bill.

I know that an SMS was sent sometime around 15 March informing Globe subscribers that the P1 text to SINGTEL promo has ended and I immediately made a call to your Customer Service to clarify whether this applies to texts made to Singtel Globe Kababayan as well and was informed that texts to Globe Kababayan are still at P1. Unfortunately, I could not recall the agent I spoke to nor the exact date I made the call. My best guess would be somewhere between 14March to 18March from 12pm to 3pm. If that call was recorded in any voice recording device, you can verify it from there.

I also know that you have a new promo found in your Globe Kababayan website which only applies to Globe Prepaid subscribers. This is conflicting with the (incorrect) information given under the Globe Prepaid Value Offers in your Customer Service website.

Finally, what options do postpaid subscribers have for texting to Globe Kababayan subscribers in Singapore if the Globe Postpaid Value Offers section in your Customer Service website is also incorrect?

I am looking forward to your answers. I know that it is already hopeless to expect refunds for those charged with P15/text for sending texts to Singtel Prepaid Globe Kababayan subscribers here in Singapore but I would appreciate some clarification. I am still not keen on switching over to Smart Pinoy (never was a Smart fan) as I have been comfortably using your Globe services for a decade. Please don’t disappoint me now.

Thank you.

Regards
Chester

P.S. My friend Yuga can help you get in touch with me. I have decided to clarify the matter with you since my previous experiences with Singtel’s customer service were horrible. And it’s the Globe subscribers that are getting affected really.

I have several Globe Kababayan SIM cards with me here given by Globe before. They come in pairs — one for the OFW and the other for their relatives or love ones in the Philippines. The Kababayan SIM card promises cheaper international SMS rates compared to standard roaming rates by most telcos.

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Avatar for Abe Olandres

Abe is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of YugaTech with over 20 years of experience in the technology industry. He is one of the pioneers of blogging in the country and considered by many as the Father of Tech Blogging in the Philippines. He is also a technology consultant, a tech columnist with several national publications, resource speaker and mentor/advisor to several start-up companies.

55 Responses

  1. Avatar for joan joan says:

    good day bakit ganun po ung family sim ko ay narereciv nman ng asawa ko s saudi ung text ko bakit po sya,,ung ofw n sim nia d nagsesent at error ang lumalabas pag nagsesent sya ano po gagawin para pareho nmin magamit ng maayos ung pareho nmin sim thanks po

  2. Avatar for jbaldwin jbaldwin says:

    My understanding is the 1peso per text to an OFW sim will only apply to 2 Philippine SIM that are link to the OFW SIM.

    To establish a globe to globe link so the SIM cards can avail of the benefits of the OFW SIM:

    For the SIM in the Philippines:
    Simply text REG and send to 2884 for FREE

    For the SIM abroad:
    Just text LINK and send to 2884. Note that roaming rates apply.

    The Family SIM can only register one (1) OFW SIM. If you want to change the registered OFW SIM, all you have to do is text UNREG and send to 2884.

    The SIM abroad can only link with a maximum of two (2) SIMs in the Philippines. So, if a current link has to be changed, one link has to be dropped.

    To cancel the link for the SIM abroad, just text CANCEL to 2884. Roaming rates apply.

    To check the link status:
    Simply text CHECKLINK and send to 2884.

  3. Avatar for malteesers00 malteesers00 says:

    bakit ganon nawala ang signal nang roaming ko dito sa brazil normaly my signal naman ang mga kasama ko pwede bang iparoam on uli via enternet>>> yup, using this link http://www.globe.com.ph/talk2globenow?jsid=A2CA9B94001D1757693D60DD71CBC31D.11344328132461 click TALK TO GLOBE

  4. Avatar for dondon dondon says:

    bakit ganon nawala ang signal nang roaming ko dito sa brazil normaly my signal naman ang mga kasama ko pwede bang iparoam on uli via enternet

  5. Avatar for april santos april santos says:

    Please responce bakit nawalan ng signal ang sim ko wala nman pinadala ang globe na expired na sim ko pero kalod ko lang

  6. Avatar for Lincoln Lincoln says:

    Hi.. May I ask if Conggo Africa is within the coverage of the globe OFW sim? Please email me asap to hernandez_lin****@****.***.. Thank you GLOBE.

  7. Avatar for vida vida says:

    how can i place a call to OFW sim card in vietnam from U.S…tnx

  8. Avatar for hannah hannah says:

    hello,
    where i can buy OFW sim pack po?
    kase pumunta na po ako sa globe sa sm, wala naman po…

  9. Avatar for yuki yuki says:

    The weird thing about it is that i saw the clerk placing every sim card into her phone checking if it is working. Doesn’t it activate the services or something. She is supposed to insert it into the buyers phone. And that is why i think my sim card is not working plus. after reading all the comments here. I guess we were all fooled by false marketing. I’d rather buy a new phone abroad than waste my money again to Globe and Smart’s false marketing.

    Maybe if they train their clerks to study about what their selling maybe there won’t be much complains.

  10. Avatar for Yuki Yuki says:

    I bought the OFW Family Pack because i don’t want to waste time registering for Roam Services. I was told by the clerk that i can immediately use it. But when i landed to Japan there is no signal at all even though it has 300php load. What happened to “you can immedaitely use it” the sim cards is 100php freaking 100php and i can’t even use it.

  11. Avatar for Marieta Marieta says:

    Dear Customer Service
    I bought my SIM card when I went back home last March 2011′ My OFW SIM card expired. Can I reactivate my SIM Card?
    OFW no.9279418455 and barcode no.4103 2215 1002 9083
    Please advise me what steps I should do.
    Awaiting for our reply ASAP>

    Thank you,

    Marieta

  12. Avatar for kmerc kmerc says:

    Choosing the the right OFW Roaming Sim Pack,
    a very informative link, check this out

    http://workabroadpinoy.blogspot.com/search/label/Best%20OFW%20Roaming%20SIM

  13. Avatar for Rb Rb says:

    My loved one was on his way to the US on a short notice and we forgot to read up on using the roaming services of his prepaid sim. Long story short (which deserves another post), on the eve of his flight, we weren’t able to avail of Smart’s roaming so we went over to Globe to inquire on the OFW sim.

    Mr. How-may-I-help-you-today was very helpful and accomodating. He did tell us that :

    a. the ofw sim is ready to use abroad, no waiting time

    b. the ofw sim can have 0 maintaining balance as long as we reload or call the sim once a month

    c. only 80 pesos for 2 sims

    and…

    d. it would only cost us P1.00 to text
    (at this point, I was like “Uy, good deal!”)

    So we bought the sims.

    When my loved one arrived on the states, the globe sim didn’t have a signal. Oh no.

    Good thing my loved one has a spare Tri-band phone.

    And then when my loved one texted… gasp! P15.00? Where did that come from?

    So, main rant of this is, Mr. How-may-I-help-you-today:

    a. failed to mention that you need a tri-band phone for this to work, and in some cases, like guam and other islands, would require quad band phones.

    b. withheld (NOT failed-to-mention) information that sms from the US would be P15.00, not P1.00. He just stood there and smiled as we assumed that the world is not full of deceipt and false marketing.

    Well, at least it beats Smart’s P20.00 per SMS.

    Oh btw, this was in Globe megamall. And Mr. How-may-I-help-you-today is a 5’6″ish light skinned chinito early 20’s guy.

  14. Avatar for Marichelle Manguiat Marichelle Manguiat says:

    I bought a Globe OFW sim pack and sent the OFW to my husband in dubai. But when he tried to use it, it is basically dead… no signal… what should i do about it? should i buy him another sim roaming ready? can i still use the Family sim that’s still with me? please advise.

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