EastWest Payment MIA: My Epic (and Expensive) Saga with Online Banking

Okay, raise your hand if you’ve ever stared at your online banking account like it holds the secrets to the universe, willing a payment to magically appear. 🙋‍♀️

Yeah, that was me last week. And the week before that.

See, I like to think I’m pretty madiskarte when it comes to finances. I pay my bills on time (most of the time), I know the difference between debit and credit (usually), and I even have a dedicated budgeting app on my phone (that I may or may not ignore sometimes).

So, imagine my gulat when my usually reliable online banking system decided to play hide-and-seek with my EastWest credit card payment.

Here’s the tsismis:

July 16: Feeling proud of my adulting skills, I confidently paid my EastWest credit card bill using my trusty UnionBank online banking. Easy peasy, right? I even took a screenshot for posterity (and peace of mind, let’s be real).

July 18: Crickets. Nothing reflected on my EastWest statement. But hey, I’m a chill person. It’s probably just a minor delay. Kalma lang.

July 20: Still nothing. My inner tita starts to panic. Did I enter the wrong account number? Did the internet gods conspire against me? I check my UnionBank account – payment deducted. Okay, maybe EastWest is just being… EastWest.

July 25: My usual grace period is waning. I decide to be proactive (read: slightly frantic) and try a small payment of ₱100 through the same online banking channels.

July 26: Lo and behold, the ₱100 payment posts! Suddenly, I’m a genius. See EastWest, it wasn’t me, it was you all along! But wait… where’s my original payment?

July 27: The day of reckoning. My EastWest statement finally updates – with a lovely finance charge. Because apparently, paying your bill (but not really) is a punishable offense.

Cue the dramatic music.

The Struggle is Real (and Expensive!)

Friends, I was officially in credit card purgatory. My larger payment was stuck in online banking limbo, and I was racking up unnecessary charges because of it. This wasn’t just a minor inconvenience anymore; it was a full-blown financial teleserye.

What I Did (and What You Can Do Too)

Desperate times call for desperate measures. Armed with the patience of a saint and the tenacity of a mananahi rushing a deadline, I decided to fight back.

Step 1: Gather Your Evidence

Remember those screenshots I mentioned? Thank goodness for my borderline-obsessive documentation habits. I made sure I had proof of:

• Successful transaction from UnionBank online banking: Screenshot with transaction date, amount, and reference number.
• EastWest statement showing no payment: Screenshot of my latest statement with the missing payment and the added finance charge.
• Proof of the successful ₱100 payment: Just in case they tried to say their system was down or something.

Basically, I channeled my inner Jessica Soho and gathered enough evidence to make even the most skeptical tambay believe my story.

Step 2: Contact Customer Service (and Brace Yourself)

I knew going into this that dealing with customer service can be a gamble. But armed with my arsenal of evidence, I sent strongly-worded (but still polite) emails to both UnionBank and EastWest.

And then… I waited.

The Waiting Game (aka the Most Frustrating Part)

Let’s be real, waiting for customer service to respond is like waiting for your crush to text back – a mixture of hope, anticipation, and the crushing realization that it might never happen.

Days turned into nights. I dreamt of reference numbers and finance charges. Still, there was no word from either bank.

Step 3: Social Media to the Rescue (Because Desperate Times…)

Remember that tita panic I mentioned earlier? It was back with a vengeance. In a moment of pure desperation (and after exhausting all other options), I turned to social media.

Before you judge, hear me out. Sometimes, a little public shaming (done politely, of course) can light a fire under these big corporations.

I drafted a carefully-worded post, tagging both banks and outlining my ordeal. I even added a touch of humor because Filipinos love a good laugh, even when we’re complaining.

Step 4: The Plot Twist (and the Happy Ending?)

Whether it was divine intervention, the power of social media, or just sheer luck, something finally happened.

An actual human being from UnionBank responded to my email! Apparently, there had been a system glitch (shocker) that affected a number of EastWest credit card payments.

After a few more emails (and a healthy dose of follow-ups), my original payment finally reflected on my EastWest statement. The finance charge? Reversed, thank goodness.

Lessons Learned (Because Every Teleserye Has a Moral)

This whole experience was a rollercoaster of emotions, but it taught me a few valuable lessons:

1. Always, always document everything: Screenshots are your best friend. Take them, save them, and cherish them.
2. Patience is a virtue, but so is persistence: Don’t be afraid to follow up (multiple times if necessary) until you get a resolution.
3. Social media can be a powerful tool: Sometimes, a little public pressure is all it takes.
4. Credit card payments are serious business: Maybe I’ll stick to cash next time. Just kidding (or am I?).

So, there you have it. My cautionary tale of online banking woes, customer service battles, and the importance of standing up for your hard-earned money.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go update my budgeting app (and maybe treat myself to a stress-relieving halo-halo).