Smart Bro Share It Misfortunes Part 3
The last two problems I encountered with Smart Bro Share It were very disappointing. But I was optimistic I won't be having any more problems with my new internet connection. Then, I was wrong. What I experienced was only the tip of the iceberg.
Very Poor After Sales Support...
Technical Support not technical at all...
It was December 24, 2009 (48 days after we received our Smart Bro Share It) when my elder brother came home from Manila to sped Christmas vacation with us. I was excited to show him our new internet connection with built-in wireless LAN (wifi) capability. It was almost 12 noon that suddenly we could not connect to the internet. I noticed that our Huawei 3G Router (the Smart Bro Share It unit) indicated "searching for signal". I thought it was just an ordinary interruption so I did the Smart-24-hour-hotline-connect-most-recommended-troubleshooting technique, the very famous Unplugging-then-Restarting of the internet modem/router. From this point onward, let's call it the "Smart Troubleshooting". After several attempts using Smart Troubleshooting, our internet connection was still down and the same "searching for signal" indicator status in the Router unit.
I thought it was time for more "smarter" troubleshooting techniques. As a senior Electronics and Communications student I was gifted with the technical skills in network troubleshooting. So I tried checking the different network devices to see which one of them is not properly working. I can give a detailed explanation on network troubleshooting but to make the story short, I found out that our Smart Bro Share It unit was problematic. To verify my findings, I observed my internet connection for 24 hours.
December 25, 2009. Still no internet connection. I double checked everything and still the same problems as yesterday.
Since we were busy with different Christmas activities, we were able to report our problem December 26. My mother called the Smart Hotline, talked to the representative, and explained our problem. As expected the representative advised us the Smart Troubleshooting. Even though we had performed it several times already, even had in-depth troubleshooting, we still did what the representative told us. After nothing happened, he just told us that we observe our internet connection for next 24 hours. Wow, we already did that, but still, we followed.
The next day, December 27, we called again. And again, we were asked to wait for another 24 hours. And we waited. December 28, still there was no internet connection. We called again, and finally we were advised to visit the nearest Smart Wireless Center.
Was this their best way to handle a complaint? What were they doing for 3 days??? After all the waiting, telling us to go to the nearest Smart Wireless Center was all they could do. Thank you very much for wasting our time!
You can read my previous entry on my Smart Bro Shareit Misfortunes Here:
Smart Bro Shareit Misfortunes Part 2
Remember my Smart Bro Shareit Misfortunes Part 1? Here is the sequel..
Promo.. Promo.. What Promo?
As I mentioned my my last blog entry, we applied for the Smart Bro Shareit that came with a promo. With the promo flyer given to us together with the application form, it said that new Smart Bro subscribers can avail of a 4GB Imation flash drive. Wow, I thought it was pretty nice.
After getting our new Shareit unit last November 6, I noticed that there was no 4GB Imation flash drive in the package. So the next day, I texted the agent/representative who took care of our application the following day. To my surprise, he replied that the promo period expired October 31. Whaaat? We applied and gave all the necessary requirement October 25, and thanks to their turtle-slow processing, it was approved November 5. To be honest, I was quite disappointed I did not have the 4GB Imation flash drive.
Well, I guess there are things we just have to charge to experience... and write in our blog of course.
You can read my previous entry on my Smart Bro Shareit Misfortunes Here:
Smart Bro Shareit Misfortunes Part 1
Just a couple of months ago, we had our internet connection changed. From the old fixed-wireless line-of-sight Canopy-style Smart Bro, we changed it to the new Smart Bro Shareit Unlimited 999.
The Long Process of Application...
Even if I was a 3-year subscriber of the old Smart Bro service, I was not eligible to apply Smart Bro Shareit myself simply because I didn't have any income documents which they required. Wow, for 3 years I was always on-time in paying the bills (thanks to my parents and brother's money) yet Smart still required me those documents. So I had to interrupt my mother's busy schedule and asked her to apply for the internet service. She immediately went to Smart Wireless Center at Lim Ket Kai, I think it was October 25, 2009, with all the necessary documents they required. At that time, we received the application form, a promo flyer (free Imation flash drive for new subscribers), and another form I could not clearly remember (I think it was some kind of an agreement that Smart will not be liable for any loss of connection if we access the internet outside the registered service area). Unfortunately, I had to go to Manila to attend a field trip starting October 26.
I returned home October 31, and guess what, our application was still pending. I didn't know what's keeping it long but we were getting impatient. We followed up our application and we kept on waiting.
Sometime after the Halloween, my mother got very impatient and called the Smart sales agent and said that if Smart isn't interested in our application, they should tell us immediately instead of making us wait for nothing. They just said they are working on it and we waited.
I think it was November 5, 2009 that my mother finally had a return call from Smart. Our application had been approved and that we can get our internet router anytime now. Around 1pm that same day, I immediately went to the Smart Wireless Center to get our router. I asked the for the agent/in-charge that called us and I was excited when he came out. To my surprise, he said he needs to have his lunch first, and I can leave the P1,000 fee to him so that he will forward it to the cashier himself for my convenience. Was it they way Smart transacts its business? Of course I did not give the money to him, I wanted to pay to the right person, the cashier. So he said, "Okay, I'll be back." I had a class at 1.25pm so I cant wait for him to finish his lunch. I just said I will come back by 5:30. It was almost 6 that I came back. Too bad, the agent was already off duty. I recognized that I was late, so I just decided to go back the following day.
The next day November 6, morning, I came back. After almost 2 weeks of waiting and waiting and waiting (since October 25), we finally received the Huawei 3G router from the Smart Wireless Center. At last!
More of my Smart Bro Shareit Misfortunes to follow...
Unlock Your iPhone 3GS
My friend has this iPhone and she wanted it to be unlocked so that she could use the phone for another service provider. I don't have my own iPhone but I have my classmate who has it. So I ask for instructions and here it is.
1. go to http://blackra1n.com/
2. choose your OS (windows or mac) to download the software
3. install blackra1n
4. check your iphone's firmware/model (in your iphone settings/general/about)
5. connect your iphone to the pc and run blackra1n
6. just follow the instructions after runningcl blackra1n
According to my classmate, the data won't be deleted when you run blackra1n to unlock your iPhone. However, after unlocking it, you must sync it to only one iTunes because connecting it to another iTunes will delete everything in your phone. But i suggest, always backup your data everytime you change your iPhone's software.
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