Timeline

In an effort to make money online I have done the following at the given dates.

10Aug2010 -- Open an EON account at a UnionBank branch

19Aug2010 -- Received a notification via mail about my new account in UnionBank
20Aug2010 -- Claimed my EON card, paid annual dues and deposited PhP1000 at a UnionBank branch
(I was asked to wait for 24 hrs (for the activation process) before I could change my PIN.)

22Aug2010 -- Changed the PIN for my ATM.
22Aug2010 -- Registered for a Cyber account using my EON account (online)
(I was asked to wait for 2-3 business days prior activation.)

22Aug2010 -- My first attempt to verify my PayPal account using my EON account
24Aug2010 -- (Today) I have note received any notice (approval or rejection) yet.

(Random Thought #1: All the waiting for activation and verification is a major deterrent.)

25Aug2010 -- Successfully activated my EON Cyber account and linked it to my PayPal account. Since I want to purchase something from eBay and pay via PayPal, I tried to add fund to my PayPal account. I got the disappointing message below.

(Random Thought #2: Is my attempt to be able to shop online using PayPal going down the drain?)

This post will be updated on further developments in my account.

How To "Withdraw" From Your Paypal Account Free of Charge in the Philippines

Take note of the quotation in"withdraw". By that, I mean covert your Paypal money to cash without going through the hassle of going to the bank and paying transaction fees of around $5 or PhP250.

First things first. I don't have an active Paypal account yet. So why the hell am I posting this? I don't know if anybody has thought of it but it would sure help people with and without Paypal.

I wanted to buy from an international seller. Of the payment options given by the seller, Paypal was the only option available for me. Since I don't have a Paypal account, I have to look for somebody trustworthy enough (trustworthiness: one important factor) who I can pay to make the payments on my behalf. Luckily I have a friend who has enough funds on his account. He made the payment and I paid him in peso using the current conversion rate. I sat beside him as he transferred the funds just to be sure.

It's a win-win situation. I get to buy stuff via Paypal without the hassle of having my own account and verifying it. My friend gets to convert his Paypal funds to cash without any fees!

I wonder why people haven't thought of this as a business. This could be an added service to internet shops, don't you think?

BEWARE: CHEAP HOUSE AND LOT FOR SALE IN SANTA (STA) ROSA LAGUNA GOLDEN CITY

There are a lot of foreclosed house-and-lots in Golden City Santa Rosa, Laguna and these are being sold at  cheap prices. Buyers should be aware that Golden City gets flooded with a slightly heavy rain. Floods yearly can reach to up about knee high and waist high during the typhoon Ondoy. You may buy a house at a cheap price but consider the yearly cost of damages to property. One shouldn't buy a refrigerator every year, right?

With all that flooding one would think that water supply should not be a problem. Distribution of potable water is also a long time problem in the subdivision. Nobody uses the water from the faucet to cook their food, and if your a long time resident, you'll be stupid to drink directly from the tap. There are black soil-like particles coming out of the faucet. The water from the artisan well is safer.

So if you're looking for a house, look somewhere else. I am.

Banco De Oro Interbranch Charge

Banco De Oro banks in Metro Manila charges PhP50 when depositing to provincial account. I found out about this when I deposit to my brother's account in Sta. Rosa Laguna. The deposit was made in a Quezon City branch. Upon withdrawal, my brother will have to "pay" at least PhP10 since the nearest BDO atm is a long drive away, he opts to use another bank's atm. The PhP10 charge can be reasonable but I don't know about the PhP50 charge.

There was no charge in depositing on a BDO Mandaluyong account (his wife's) even if the transaction was made in a QC branch. A regular consumer like me would see this as senseless. Why charge for one transaction and not for the other? Are they not supposed to be centralized?

Apparently there are other banks having the same practice. I have no first-hand info on these banks but one can check this forum (even though there are a lot of digression in the forum).

This should be one criteria in which bank we choose to save our money. I'm lucky I don't have a BDO account! Unfortunately, my relative do. It makes me think that I should let them open an account in another bank.

Gateway Cinema Popcorn Scheme

I went to see "Alice in Wonderland" last Sunday at the Gateway Cineplex 10 in Cubao. They charge PhP271 per head per screening. I was wondering why the hefty price for a movie when the rest of the movies cost PhP161-171 only. It was only then that I realized that it was in 3D. I was willing to pay good money for a good movie but what surprised me was when I got the tickets, each only costs PhP201. Now where did the PhP70 go? A piece of paper (not an official receipt) was stapled at the ticket saying that we get some snacks worth PhP70 bundled with the movie ticket.

I don't know if that was a fair practice of their business. I wanted to see just the movie and not buy the popcorn. Shouldn't they be sold separately? Shouldn't the viewers be given the chance to choose for themselves the snack they would like to have? And if we are forced to buy those lousy snacks, shouldn't we at least get an official receipt?