The Smart Bro Flexitime Data Minutes that deplete faster than real time use

The Smart Bro Flexitime offers allow you to take full control of your time and enjoy every surfing minute.

Smart Bro Flexitime 100
Smart Bro Flexitime 100

The main feature of this offer is it’s basically internet charged by the minute — not by blocks of 15 minutes nor by volume. It is good for people who like to do ‘hit-and-run’ when it comes to internet use.

I subscribed to Smart Bro’s Flexitime 100, which allowed me 15 hours of internet access valid for 7 days. This subscription costs P100, and should translate to 900 minutes of data.

The various Flexitime options.
The various Flexitime options.

However, upon checking (and continuously monitoring) my data minutes in the My Smart dashboard (also in Smart Bro dashboard), my data minutes seem to deplete a lot faster than my real usage. Here’s how:

At 10:58 AM (09/28/2015), data minutes left is 797 minutes.
At 10:58 AM (09/28/2015), Data Minutes left is 797 minutes.
At 11:10 AM (09/28/15) Data Minutes left is 775 minutes.
At 11:10 AM (09/28/15) Data Minutes left is 775 minutes.

At 10:58 AM today (September 28, 2015), the data minutes left in my account was 797 minutes. At 11:10 AM or approximately 12 minutes later, my data minutes left is down to 775 minutes, or 22 minutes chopped from my data minutes!

Furthermore:

At 4:38 PM (09/28/2015) Data Minutes left is 745.
At 4:38 PM (09/28/2015) Data Minutes left is 745.
At 4:51 PM (09/28/2015) Data Minutes left is 723.
At 4:51 PM (09/28/2015) Data Minutes left is 723.

At 4:38 PM, data minutes left was at 745, and 13 minutes later at 4:51 PM data minutes is down to 723, or another slice of 22 minutes.

Now, I’m calling the attention of Smart Communications. This is error at the least, fraud at worst. You have to address this issue. Please leave your comment below.

By the way, this is on top of the issue I experienced last Thursday, where I already unplugged my Pocket Wifi device from its power source but my Data Minutes still kept waning for the next 30 minutes or so when checked in My Smart dashboard.

No Comments

Angel October 7, 2015 Reply

I have also encountered this problem. I have been messaging the Smart Facebook account but they kept saying the charges are valid. This is really frustrating because I just used my Smart Bro USB stick for 5 minutes and the balance was 850 minutes. After using, I unplugged the USB stick and up to now my minutes are getting deducted even if I am not using it anymore. As of last check I only have 803 minutes left.

deuts October 7, 2015 Reply

Thanks for sharing your opinion. I’m exchanging DM right now with @SMARTCares. They said they’re looking into it. But I’m publishing a follow up post about depleting data minutes even though you’re not using their internet anymore, so watch out for that.

Angel October 7, 2015 Reply

I am still refreshing my MY SMART Account and I have 781 minutes left, down from the original 850. I took my USB stick apart hoping it will stop the minutes or something (haha!) but I am still getting charged.

deuts October 7, 2015 Reply

I did that too! Unfortunately, the dropping of the data minutes won’t stop even if you throw the bare sim to the trash can. That is until around 65 minutes have been deducted from your #Flexitime data minutes.

Camille November 4, 2015 Reply

This happened to me too. I registered for Flexitime 100 at exactly 1:31pm, which means I have 900 minutes surfing time. Then I turned off my data as soon as it turned 1:49pm (yes, I waited for that exact minute). When I rechecked my balance after 2 hours it was 857!!! I only surfed for less than 30 minutes, so I don’t know how they deducted those additional minutes on my balance.

deuts November 4, 2015 Reply

Their system is flawed, and they’re not admitting it!

Errol November 6, 2015 Reply

maybe they did that on purpose

jek003 November 9, 2015 Reply

same here.. I’ve been escalating the issue but no resolution has been provided. i bought another smart bro sim card thinking the issue is with the original sim/account… but no!!!! i’m having the same issue with the new sim. this is so frustrating!

John January 16, 2016 Reply

Di lang pala ako ang may problema na ganito. Madami pa kaya tayo? Di lang ako marunong pero baka puwede tayo mag-petition sa ntc? Mahirap pag nag iisa. Baka di nila pakinggan. Pero pag madami. Baka may gawin sila.

kingbornok January 26, 2016 Reply

share ko lng din yung sakin… every time n mg avail ako ng flexitme offers nila laging double charging, instead n 15hrs s flexitime 100 nagiging 7.5 lng.. khit s aling flexitime promo laging half lng nagagamit ko

Weakako January 30, 2016 Reply

Same here. Registered Flexitime 100 by 12 mn and by 7am, nakakuha ako ng confirmation na tapos na daw ang subscription ko. Ang galing talaga ng SMART. Mautak sa pangloloko ng tao!

Babyface February 5, 2016 Reply

This has to reach the media. I also experienced this and despite numerous calls to their hotline, smart telecommunications refuses to address this problem. However, what I noticed is that this only happens when I’m in pasay city (villamor air base, specifically)
When I’m in New manila, quezon city, my flexitime works just fine so I don’t know where the problem is.

Juls February 7, 2016 Reply

Sakin din half lang ang na co consume kung time tapus tapos na daw agad. Ung 7 hours na nakalagay sa promo nila 3 hours ko lang nagamit. Tapos na daw kc tumawag ako sa kanila puro follow up nalang. Dapat makasuhan talaga sila.

Andrei Estano May 14, 2016 Reply

grabe nakakaloko yung follow up. nakakabagot kaya mag antay

kingbornok March 9, 2016 Reply

share ko lng din.. grabe na tong flexitime… biro nyo tumawag ako for refund kc instead n 15hrs eh 7.5 lng nagamit ko… i called feb 27 ng ff up ako 5 times n gang ngayon wla p rin balik load sakin? ibang klase tlg cla

kingbornok March 9, 2016 Reply

same lng palagi sinsabi ng mga nakakausap ko s smart… escalate daw nila , pasensya n daw, just wait another 24 hrs, biro nyo lagpas n 1 week until now hindi p nila naibabalik yung load… pinapaasa nila mga subscribers at pinagtatawanan cguro (maghintay kyo habang buhay!) Magaling tlg cla!!

kingbornok March 22, 2016 Reply

anak ng &*^%&^$%^$% eto p rin ako ng hihintay Feb 27 ako ng reklamo sa knila ng double charging until now March 22 n? wala p din? Smart nga tlg cla … magulang!!

1 April 13, 2016 Reply

Nag avail ako ng flexitime100 pero wla parin ako net! 2 times na ngyari sa akin to nung una pina lagpas ko nalang kaya bumili nalang ako ng ibang sim then ito nnman ulit! As in kaka register lang pero wla parin tlagang net! Grabe na talaga! Wla na atang ititino

Andrei Estano May 14, 2016 Reply

nararanasan ko din yan ngayon. misleading ang ads nila nakakapikon kasi sayang yung P100 pesos na pinapaload ko everyday

anonymous July 19, 2016 Reply

sana mapansin din ito ni pres. digong yun lang

Leave a Reply to Angel Cancel reply