The VAS difference

I go to the Globe Hub and Smart Wireless Centers every so often to check out the latest phones. (See Mr. Suave's Star Trek Phone)

Today, I did the rounds but focused more on the latest Value Added Services (VAS) and promos of both telcos. Here's a brief round-up of the latest ones based on my pamphlet raid.

Globe

6 gives, 0% interest; 12 gives, low interest - various handsets bundled with various subscriptions. Handsets aren't free, nor are they purchased in one go. Instead, you buy the handset in 6 or 12 installments.

Japan-to-Phils Share-a-load - uses an international rechargeable card in Japan to transfer load from a Japayuki's cellphone to a Philippine cellphone. Credit is deducted from the Japayuki's rechargeable card.

Globe Autoload via Credit Cards - requires SMS registration of credit card. You can load your phone or another phone and credit will be deducted from your credit card.

20% Libre Load - promo for autoloadmax retailers. Basically gives load or raffle prize incentives for retailers to increase sales of load.

Insured Ka Na Ba? - You get accident insurance of up to P250,000. You need to send in your P15 every 15 days. Failure to send your contribution terminates your insurance coverage. (Hrmmm... nasty! - Ed) (See www.onepesoaday.com; tel 02-9102000)

Globe call n text collect - With or without load, this service allows you to txt n call collect. The recepient/called party should register the sender/caller's number.

Golden and Preferred numbers - Globe Hub branches have a bulletin board of "nice" numbers, eg 092x8881188 or 092x1234123. These are prepaid numbers and they cost P5,500 (Golden - repeating numbers, especially 8's) or P2,750 (Preferred - just nice numbers).

Smart

MyISP - via your cellphone, get a dial-up username and password. 5-hours Internet for P15 which will be deducted from your cellphone load. (See this airfagev.com discussions on myISP)

Textmate - register your your username, ASL (age, sex, location) and the service helps find a match for you. In essence, it's a service that facilitates text flirting.

Smart Multi-Line SIM - for Smart Gold subscribers, you can have up to five lines in one SIM. Hmmmm... ngayon ko lang narinig ito a, but that's how I understand the flyer. A menu in the SIM allows you to switch lines. Now, what person would need five lines?! (I could imagine eating my words in a few years)

Smart Padala - "The world's 1st International Cash remittance through text". In brief, an OFW goes to a Smart Remittance Partner abroad, sends money, then the recepient gets the money via a SmartMoney cash card.

Me and my friend, Cong in Malaysia, have done this on a small scale. Others have done it too (See YesPinoy.com). Smart's claim of being first - not true.

But, hey, deploying it with this scale (London, athens, tokyo, Hong Kong, New York, LA and many others) - this is great, helps our OFWs! Hope they give Western Union a run for their money. I couldn't find the sending charges though. (Call Smart Padala hotline +632-845-7788; *7788 using a Smart Cellphone; 1-800-10-845-7788)

Partner - In essence, it encourages rural folk to put up a service of public-calling, public-texting and cellphone loading business. (tel 888-1111; *888 using a smart cellphone; 1-800-1888-2220)

This business can actually be done even without a promo. I guess what the partner promo does is it "legitimizes" charging your kamag-anak or kapit-bahay because it's formally re-packaged as a business. Here's to Smart and their ever-expanding user base. That's last mile for you.

~~~~~

The telcos are trying to out-do each other. As a result, we're getting more substatial and useful services.

- edwin
Next time: Sun Cellular services; my list of most wanted services (both real and fantasy services). Watch out for that ;-)

Read:
Smart Padala, Sweaty Padilla
Smart's killer app (On Inq7.net Money)
YesPinoy.com

Some references:
Globe - customer service hotlines 730-1000 or 211 on any globe handyphone; Myglobe.com.ph

Smart - 888-1111; *888 using a smart phone; www.smart.com.ph