My Metrobank Experience

Metrobank website says "Our commitment to you drives us to be the Best Bank in the country"...

I used to love my Metrobank credit card. It's the one card that goes through the very busy Cebu Pacific promo time and you don't have to worry since they also have this online secure access. Further, they have this "waive your annual fee" thing with a catch that is so manageable. It used to be my favorite credit card, with the smallest credit limit, manageable charges and good service.

UNFORTUNATELY, they seem to have lost it. When my first card got expired (I've had it since 2006), they sent me a new card with the same card number and all. When I tried to use it to purchase tickets online, it won't go through since my secure access key is incorrect. I thought, they must have changed it, since this is a new card. I called their customer care and requested to reset it, if they cannot retrieve it and send it to me either via email or text message and they said yes. I was very grateful and the agent was nice to accommodate my request. BUT, there was no email, call or text which came with my new online secure access key.

It takes quite a few minutes waiting for an agent to take my call, so I decided not to call anymore and use my other cards on online purchases. So for my plane tickets or something over the net, I would use my other cards, my Metrobank card became almost restricted to groceries and fuel/gasoline.

One month came that I ALMOST max this card, I never bothered to pay before the bill came since I know it's still within the limit and so overlimit charge should not be expected. SADLY, when the bill came, I was charged with an overlimit fee since it also happened to be the time they included the annual fee payment, which we will know only when the billing statement came (or you've really monitored which month the annual fee comes-which I don't since it's only annual!!!).

I called their customer care again and requested to take the overlimit charge of Php 500.00 since it went beyond the credit limit by a couple of hundreds (if I recall it right), not because of my purchases but due to the annual fee. The agent insisted it is NOT possible, since it's automatically charged when the card reaches beyond the limit. So, with a disappointed heart I asked if they can waive my annual fee like they usually do, and the agent said, they will only waive a portion of the fee which is Php 700.00 if I pay a certain amount (Sorry I forgot how much) within a certain period (I forgot how many days it was after the call). So, I did.

Next bill came, they did not waive the Php 700.00 they promised. So I had to pay everything, including the overlimit charge. To my DISMAY, I paid up everything and called their customer care to terminate my credit card. They transferred me to a Metrobank Officer and I told him all my disappointing experiences. He checked my records and said, that yes there was a waive of annual fee request. And I said, you did not approve that. He apologized for all the bad experiences I had and requested me to keep the card and they will debit that requested Php 700.00 annual fee. He also offered me to increase my credit limit, to which I declined.

The Officer seemed to be apologetic and kind enough, so I agreed to keep my card. (Labsy also gave them another chance and so instead of terminating his Metrobank credit card, he kept it too.) The Officer transferred me to another Officer In-charge on online access and we agreed that she will send me through a text message my new secure access key. Which to date, have not been received.  :(

About a couple of months ago, I used this card to pay for an appliance. Before the bill came, an agent called and said, they will offer a balance transfer so I will have a fix very little interest for six months. He said I only have to pay the minimum amount for this month's bill because they will not consider it for the balance transfer. If I agree to the balance transfer, I won't incur finance charges anymore as long as I'll pay the fixed monthly payment. The finance charge, (if there will be) will only be calculated base on the future purchases. It was a nice offer and I said, why not. So I did what he told me and only paid a little more than the minimum amount.

This afternoon came the new billing statement. I was surprised to see a finance charge. I then called their customer care and she told me that the balance transfer was not considered as a payment thus I will still get a finance charge, but only for the first month. I was promised a no-finance charge billing statement, so I'm more than disappointed. The lady on the other line was apologizing for the misinformation, but this is my money I'm giving this bank, because they misinformed me. Had I known, I may have not agreed to their offered promo, or I could have paid more than what he said and did not use my card until the next statement, so the finance charge won't be as much as it is.

I told the agent to take note of my complains, so it will be recorded and hopefully they will be careful next time to their other clients. To me, since I have agreed to this six month installment thing, I will just continue this and terminate this card later. (Labsy also is very much considering to terminate his as well) and perhaps withdraw my deposit accounts in the bank as well (they are not much, but it's something I worked hard for)...

To some, a thousand is just as much as a centavo, but to most hard working people, a thousand would not be a thousand if there is a missing centavo... So when you promise a good service, try to live up to that promise, because to "regular work force", more often than not, that's one if not the only thing we look forward to and we cannot tolerate to be bullied and betrayed...