Consumer Alert: Smart Philippines Free Ringback Marketing Scam

Recently, I have been receiving an automated promotional text message from Smart Communications Philippines everytime I share load credits using “Smart Pasaload”. The message says: “ForUsingPasaload! Free Ringbacks for 5 days”, which is followed by a list of codes of usually five (5) hit songs and an instruction to text your desired code to “239”. For instance JD1 is the code for the famous song “Time of My Life”.

Other Smart mobile subscribers are also receiving this automated message. But Beware: This free Ringback offer is actually a carrot that comes with a poisonous stick. Here’s my personal experience.

Last week, I innocently took the bait of this 5-day free Ringback marketing gimmick. Being a big fan of Glee, I subscribed to the free offer by sending to “239” the assigned code for the song “Billionaire” and in an instant I received a message confirming that my free Ringback has been activated. At first, I was elated by the free service. It seemed like a nice reward for being a loyal customer to Smart’s Pasaload service.

But five days after, when the free Ringback was suppose to have expired, the deception finally hit me. That day I received a message from Smart saying: “Your Caller Ringtune ... has been renewed for P15.00 valid for 15 days”. Hence, my Billionaire Ringback was automatically extended and charged against my credit without my prior consent.

Do you think it’s a fair marketing practice?

I am not sour graping against Smart. To be robbed of P15.00 is certainly not something worth raising ire. But consider, which I believe is very likely, if there are thousands out of the more than 45 million Smart subscribers who fell into this deception, then Smart undoubtedly is milking millions from its helpless subscribers.

It is grossly unethical. Unfortunately, it is coming from the Philippine's biggest telecommunications company. I wonder if the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) are aware of this deceptive marketing strategy.

That day I complained my case to Smart’s customer service. The apologetic agent who talked to me said she was going to report my concern to someone else. In minutes, I received a message telling me my Caller Ringtune has been deleted. But until this writing I have yet to be advised if the P15.00 that Smart stole from my account has been returned.

But how about the thousand other subscribers who do not have the time or patience to wait in Smart’s painstakingly slow customer service? Who is going to speak for them?