PLDT’s heyÜ is NOT Free After all for TelPad

You may call it “marketing deception”. I am calling it as simple deception and dishonesty to its subscribers. In my previous post, i bragged that PLDT’s first VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) is free for all subscribers who has a TelPad account. (Learn about TelPad here.)

But heyÜ, to be honest as i discovered lately, is NOT free after all even to TelPad subscribers. I had discovered that PLDT is charging me P100 monthly for the heyÜ service even if my account is a TelPad account. The first time, i’d noticed it, i immediately filed a complaint over PLDT’s hotline and requested for a bill adjustment. But PLDT has yet to correct my bill until my next billing period. So, i called up again the PLDT hotline for the second time and the third time when i’d noticed that the charges for heyÜ is reflected on the bill as a “balance from the previous bill” while i am charged again for the second month.

Not convinced by the hotline customer service, i went personally last Saturday at the PLDT’s office in SM North EDSA and asked for the cancellation of my heyÜ subscription and at the same time ask for the removal of the heyÜ charges. I maintained that i shouldn’t be billed for the service since according to PLDT’s website–it’s free for Telpad subscribers.

I won’t accept any excuse if indeed i was wrongly billed for heyÜ since PLDT is supposedly a professional company run by very much competent people like MVP.

I tried going over the Terms & Conditions (below) if i had just overlooked (honestly, i didn’t read it when i subscribed to it) any provision stating the monthly charge. So, i was able to confirm there’s no P100 monthly charge stated in the terms and conditions. It’s not also mentioned in the “about” and “FAQ” in the heyÜ web pages. So, what the hell PLDT is doing to its customers? Give me a word to describe it.

UPDATE!

PLDT Home through its customercare@pldt.com responded to the several links to this post that i’d posted on their official Facebook page and admitted that “there are clients who have been erroneously billed” for  heyÜ. PLDT maintained that the service is free to TelPad subscribers. They have promised to make the necessary adjustments on my account. Check the screen shot of their email to me below.

PLDT heyÜ Terms & Conditions Applicable to Telpad (residential or KaAsenso) subscribers only
By clicking Submit below, I confirm that I have read and understood the following PLDT heyÜ (the “PLDT heyÜ service” or the “Service”) Terms and Conditions:
1. I understand that PLDT relies on the information that I supplied and that providing false or incorrect information may result in PLDT heyÜ provisioning delays, suspension or termination.
2. I understand that my subscription shall be valid for as long as I do not request for its disconnection/termination. I understand that I need to maintain a PLDT Postpaid Landline subscription (the “Main Line”), which is a pre-requisite for a PLDT heyÜ subscription. I understand that my PLDT heyÜ service will continue unless a written request for cancellation is submitted to PLDT. In the event that the Mainline is disconnected for any reason whatsoever, the PLDT heyÜ service shall likewise be disconnected. I further understand that I can avail for a maximum of three (3) PLDT heyÜ lines per account.
3. I am aware that I will be receiving only one (1) Statement of Account for my PLDT Postpaid Landline and my PLDT heyÜ service. All toll usages on the PLDT heyÜ line shall be shown as separate items in the said single Statement of Account.
4. PLDT may, at any time, without notice or liability for damages in any case, restrict the use of the PLDT heyÜ service in order to perform service or equipment maintenance activities. I understand that PLDT shall however immediately inform me, whenever feasible, of any operational problems or outages, and shall forthwith restore the service within reasonable period therefrom.
5. I understand that a Username, Password and Number shall be allocated to me. I agree that I will not transfer or attempt to transfer my Number to anyone else.
6. Should I opt to change my VOIP number during the period of my subscription, I agree to pay a fee of Php300.00. Said fee shall be applied for each VOIP line with change-number request.
7. I understand that in the course of using this service, I may encounter content that may be deemed offensive, indecent, or objectionable. Nevertheless, I agree to use the service at my sole risk and PLDT shall not have any liability to me for content that may be found to be offensive, indecent, or objectionable. I agree not to exploit the service in any unauthorized way whatsoever, including but not limited to, trespass or burdening network capacity. I further agree not to use the service in any manner to harass, abuse, stalk, threaten, defame or otherwise infringe or violate the rights of any other party, and that PLDT is not in any way responsible for any such use by me, nor for any harassing, threatening, defamatory, offensive or illegal messages or transmissions that I may receive as a result of using this service.
8. I understand that unauthorized use or access to my PLDT heyÜ service is my responsibility. To prevent unauthorized use, I shall keep my password confidential and shall not share it with any third party or use it to access third party websites or services. If I suspect that someone else knows my password, then I shall immediately request to change it from PLDT in order to protect the security of my account.
9. I understand that to be able to experience quality voice calls through the PLDT heyÜ line, my internet speed must be at least 384kbps and must solely be used for this purpose. I understand that quality of calls made is subject to my internet speed and other online activities such as but not limited to, web browsing, downloading, video & audio streaming and gaming.
10. PLDT cannot guarantee that the application will always function without disruptions, delay or errors. I understand that a number of factors may impact the quality of my communications and use of the service, and may result in the failure of my communications including but not limited to: my local network, firewall, my internet service provider, the public internet, the public switched telephone network and my power supply. PLDT takes no responsibility for any disruption, interruption or delay caused by any failure of or inadequacy in any of these items or any other items over which it has no control.
11. I understand that I will be charged for toll usages. The charges payable for calling phones outside the country and cellphone calls are set out herein:

To another PLDT heyÜ	FREE & UNLIMITED
To any PLDT landline nationwide	FREE & UNLIMITED
IDD calls	Budget Card rates
CMTS calls (Smart/Sun/T&T)	P5.00 per minute (VAT-in)

PLDT may change the call rates at any time by posting such change at www.pldtheyu.com. The new rate will apply to my next call through the PLDT heyÜ line after the new rates have been published. I understand that I will be responsible to check the latest rates before I make a call through the PLDT heyÜ line. And if I do not accept the new rates, I should not make the call.
12. I understand that I shall not use the PLDT heyÜ service for the following purposes:
 - Using subscriptions for telemarketing or call center operations;
 - Sharing subscriptions between users whether via a PBX, call center, computer or any other means;
 - Calling numbers (whether singly, sequentially or automatically) to generate income for myself or others as a result of merely placing the call, other than for my individual business communications;
 - Unusual calling patterns inconsistent with normal, individual subscription use, for example, regular calls of short duration or calls to multiple numbers in a short period of time.
 - Other practices may be relevant in determining legitimate use and PLDT reserves the right to take any unlawful, prohibited, abnormal or unusual activity into account in making its determination. PLDT may at its option, terminate its relationship with me, or may suspend my subscription immediately if it determines I am using my subscription contrary to this Terms and Conditions. Where reasonable, PLDT will provide me with notice of improper usage before suspension or termination of my subscription and, if appropriate, PLDT may offer me an alternative subscription.
13. If I fail to pay the monthly charges for my PLDT subscription along with my PLDT heyÜ subscription within the required period, I understand and agree to pay late payment charges as may be required by prevailing PLDT credit policies.
14. I understand that reconnection of permanently disconnected service shall require full payment of the outstanding balance, corresponding late payment charges.
15. I understand that if I am not the subscriber on record but am, for whatever reason, the user of the Main Line referred to herein, the above provisions apply to me as such user. By clicking on the Submit button, this confirms my subscription and agreement to the foregoing terms and conditions. I understand that this shall give PLDT the right to transfer the covered PLDT heyÜ service under my name. I further agree to hold PLDT free and harmless from any claims, liabilities or damages to which PLDT may be exposed by relying upon my representations under this paragraph, including but not limited to any and all claims or demands by the customer on record to cancel the transfer of the foregoing subscriptions in my name