Don't Lose Your Marbles

See my previous post on Xend here. After my bad experience with Xend's customer service, it was a surprise that another courier showed a more proactive customer service. I was expecting an item to be delivered by UPS last September 15 (even with the impending landfall of super typhoon Ompong) based on the tracking on the website.  I waited the whole day since the tracking showed it was out for delivery. Nightfall came but the delivery truck never showed. Ok. Maybe they cancelled it because of the weather. Fine. That night, the tracking showed that item was not delivered due to an incomplete address. Seriously?!!! So I signed up for a UPS account and put in my complete address again. On Monday morning, I filed a support ticket at the UPS site to ask why they claim it's an incomplete address when my shipping address is complete.  A few hours later, someone from UPS replied and asked for details. Later that afternoon, they delivered my package. I asked the ...

Update: If you're having problems with your shipments at Xend, scroll down at the bottom of the post for some contact info. ------------------------------------------ I've been using Xend for a long time and have always been satisfied with their service, even with the  few missed pickups and super delayed tracking on their website.  The convenience of having items picked up at home at a cheaper rate compared to commercial couriers with cut-off hours (hello LBC!) made using their service tolerable. My recent shipment and dealing with their unhelpful and useless customer service was the last straw.  I shipped an electronic item worth 10k within my same city and used a paper waybill.  The rider who picked it up said he does pickups for Xend and another courier and did not give me an official receipt (and even claims they don't give official receipts nowadays). Waited 24 hours for tracking to appear but the tracking number nev...

I booked the Superior room at  Sunlight Guest Hotel via Agoda  at a discounted rate (Php 1770/night).  It's located near the public market (advantage if you want to bring back fresh seafood and fruits to Manila), a local fastfood chain (Jollibee), and within walking distance to the Boardwalk.  You can hail a tricycle passing by to take you anywhere within the city.  Since it's across a public market, there are a lot of people around so best to be vigilant when walking around the area.    There's also a mini supermarket and pharmacy located beside the hotel and 2 ATM machines near the entrances.  The 1st floor is only a receiving area/lobby and the 2nd and 3rd floors of the hotel's building contains local clothing shops, a courier, etc.   Head for the elevator and straight to the 4th floor for the hotel's main reception area to check in. There's also a LCD that shows a welcome sign with the guests' names on it.  It's a ...

[October 22, 2011] After the firefly watching at Iwahig River, we went to Ka Lui Restaurant for dinner.  We had already asked Ms. Tiara to make the reservations for us.  They request having reservations before going since they can be up to full capacity especially for dinner and walk-in customers are only entertained if they have vacancies. The restaurant is located along the stretch of Rizal Avenue too and the trike ride from Marianne Home Inn to the restaurant took less than 10 minutes.  It's setup like a traditional Filipino home with floors and walls made up of bamboo and native wood.  It's also surrounded by a landscaped garden with some interesting pieces. Before heading inside, all guests need to take off their shoes/sandals and leave them by the foyer. Since we were a group of 4, we ordered the Special of the Day Set (good for two people) at Php 415 per set which includes plain rice and mixed vegetables.  You can order other items on ...

We were booked at Marianne Home Inn for 3 days and 2 nights.  It's less than 15 minutes from the airport and     includes roundtrip airport transfers and free wifi in the rooms.  The market is less than a 10 minute walk from the inn. Breakfast included in the package consists of rice, hotdog/fried fish/ham, fried egg, 1 banana, and a sachet of Milo or instant coffee.  They also offer free mineral water thru a dispenser located at the end of the corridor.  Rooms are air-conditioned with an intercom, small LCD TV, desk & chair and the bathrooms include soap, shampoo, and toilet paper in the dispensers.  White towels are also included but you might want to check it first before using. This bed is good for 2 people but can fit 3.  The mattress is a little firmer than what I am used to and the yellow blanket is a little thin for my liking.  We should've booked for twin beds instead. closet, LCD TV (with TV out), bathroom, desk &...