Be warned of the PLDT iPhone scam.

In most cases, a scam happens when you pay for something and the goods were not delivered. But in the case of PLDT, some business owners have been scammed in a different when iPhone 5S units were delivered at their places of business intended for their staff but the owner gets billed.

Ms. Chinky Que Yee of Grand Royal Spa Bacolod, posted on her Facebook account that PLDT has been giving free iPhone units to anyone while the owner of the landline foots the bill. Upon query, Ms. Yee recalled that two separate events happened in March this year. A PLDT call center agent called up their branches at the Grand Royal Spa East and Grand Royal Spa Silay. It was the receptionists who received the separate calls. They were told something to the effect that the staff can avail of free iPhone 5S that comes with the Smart Plan 888. The agent did not ask for an authorized representative to complete the transaction. The receptionist at the East branch was interested with the offer so she asked if she can get the phone and plan. She made sure and was assured by the PLDT call center agent that yes, the spa will not be billed. Instead, this was going to be a personal transaction. All that was required was the personal details of the receptionist and she so requested for a new phone.

The same thing happened at the Silay branch where 4 iPhones were ordered by the staff, including their laundry maid.

By the end of May, the phones arrived by courier. The staff were made to sign a form that they were able to receive the units. When the 2nd month of June came, the receptionist received the company’s phone bill and realized that the iPhones and the plans that came with them were charged to the company’s account. She went to the PLDT office, and yes, it was confirmed that spa was billed.

Ms. Yee immediately moved to have the plans stopped. She went to the PLDT office and wanted to return the phones but was told that the PLDT Bacolod office could not get them back anymore. She was just told to wait for the call from PLDT Manila. She also learned during her visit that there are also other business owners who complained about the same issue. So Grand Royal Spa was not the only one and as of this writing, we don’t know yet the extent of this fraudulent transactions. For now, Grand Royal Spa may have to shoulder all the costs of the phones and their plans and usage and just charge it to their staff, which is very inconvenient.

It seems the call center agents have a quota and they would do everything to make a sale, even to the point of fraudulent offers. Since the local PLDT office are “powerless” (I don’t want to use the term “useless”) in solving this case, the best deterrent for business owners is to inform all employees not to make transactions in behalf of the company or to do transactions over the phone if you don’t want to be stressed like this.

PLDT should really look into this smooth-talking agent who is bending rules just to make a sale. It is destroying their company’s reputation. Or do they care?