Un-smart marketing by SmartBro
Even with the occasional minor hiccups, I’ve always been happy with my SmartBro DSL connection at home, and I’ve always recommended the service to friends, colleagues, clients. But lately, this Internet company has been spamming their subscribers! Not via email, but in a way that’s much worse.
The image above is a screen-capture of an insidious Web page automatically loaded by SmartBro. There is no warning, and there is no opting out — the page just loads by itself as you browse the Web. It’s happened to me twice already, and it seems to be a once-a-month nuisance. The first time, I was just reading a friend’s blog, so it wasn’t such a big nuisance. But the following incident, I was editing one of my own blogs: so when I clicked on the save button inside my WordPress admin area, that despicable SmartBro page took over my browser!!
There is no way to proceed out of it, either. Are they not aware of what browser cookies are? Or about browser sessions?
What if I was in a shopping cart system, purchasing something online? What if I was withdrawing funds from PayPal, and that SmartBro page was loaded after clicking on a transaction button??
Smart Communications is supposed to be a 21st-century corporation, an Internet service provider for crying out loud! Don’t these people think? Don’t they realize the potential harm their intrusive marketing gimmicks can cause?
Meet-up with Smart’s CSR peeps
i got this a few times over the past weeks also. i thought it was a disconnection notice or something :-)
very uncool of smartbro!
I also have this page too from time to time.
I think Smart is now starting to SPAM its client. Am i right.
SmartBro din ang gamit ko and nakita ko na rin yan though hindi pa naman siya ganun kalaking issue sa akin. uhm.. ireport mo kaya sa Smart mismo?
Bad trip yan pag ganyan. Di kaya may nakainstall na adware na dyan sa pc mo?
@fjordz — I couldn’t get through to their customer service lines.
@Noel — No adware as far as I can tell. In fact, I have a very powerful adware blocker installed (a licenced copy of Kaspersky Internet Security 2009).
Thanks for your comments, guys!
Hi Blogie – I have gotten this page a few times too. It never really bothered me much. However, after reading your article, you did point out some instances where it would really create a hassle! You’re right – not wise marketing from Smart!
I heard Smart have recently retrench its more than 100 customer service in Cebu. A lot cried during that day. I am not sure but i just here it from a friend.
Maybe this is the reason why there are no answer in our call.
Hi there — i’m from SMART and i came across this post while looking up Davao (i might go there next month). Is your Smart Bro postpaid or prepaid? I’ll report this. Thanks!
@nick wilwayco – Thanks for that! I have the postpaid SmartBro plan (the one with the canopy antenna installed).
My SmartBro is prepaid, and I am getting this a lot now. Seems it has increased in the past week or so.
Now that really sucks… I hope the people over there smarten up soon!
Smart Bro bugged-down last night from around 8:30PM and I was able to go online around 2AM na.
Basta umulan at may bagyo mawawala ang Smart Bro. Ganyan talaga ang presyong P1000 serbisyong mababa.
Pero sa katulad natin medyo kulang ang budget malaki na yon syempre
I just got this page spamming tonight. and it also appeared before like 10x already and i. do. not. like it!
Like the many others who have posted a comment, I have experienced this several times already. At first, I thought it was a sort of reminder to pay the monthly dues. Then, I realized that I have paid my bills on time and have no outstanding balance! And so, I reckon that this must be something they do to all their subscribers. I wonder if I agreed to this (fine prints and all) when I signed the service contract. :(
With so much discussion about Smart let me tell you everyone the story of my office mate internet connection. He is very happy before for having a broadband and telephone connection from Globe. Things change just less than to months. He do not have internet for almost 1 week and he billing is still the same even he ask for the deduction of 1 week no connection.
In this case, i find Smart bro acceptable rather than paying internet without connection..