Running Away from Home

I was looking forward to running the 21k in the Globe-Ayala Land Run for Home. It will be my major race after doing my first marathon. I was interested to know if in two weeks I would be well enough to run a half-marathon, and if running a marathon would actually help me run better the shorter distances. The event has all the trappings and excitement of a major race, but more than these, I was excited for a couple of friends who have decided to do this for their first half-marathon.

I heard about the initial difficulties in the early part of the registration period but I was expecting they would have been ironed out when I went to the Globe business center this morning to finally register. I had the choice of registering with the business center or Fitness First, but I opted to register with the former thinking that for Php300 I would be registered in a race and get Php80 worth of Unlitxt.

I was misinformed. I spent more than Php80 of my time trying to tell the service clerk that the form clearly says Php300 cash-out for post-paid subscriber, with me thinking that Php80 worth of unlitxt is embedded in the cash-out. I was told that the actual cost would actually be Php380, for I would also automatically be billed for a service I do not exactly want nor need. That detail was not in the form but was in the website I eventually learned after walking out of the business center.

I would also learn from the Globe website that the race pricing scheme varies, that while the scheme may promote their business interests, it sends a different signal for a loyal, old-time mobile post-paid subscriber like me. Current pre-paid subscribers gets the cheapest rate, followed by the new prepaid subscriber, then the post-paid and Platinum subscribers.

Promo options:

I’m not a Globe subscriber but I want to avail of the promo package

Promo Bundle 1: Globe Prepaid SIM P45.00, P300.00 load with UNLI ALL DAY P80.00 (P345.00)

I’m an existing Globe Prepaid subscriber and I want to avail of the promo package

Promo Bundle 2: P300.00 load with UNLI ALL DAY P80.00(P300.00)

I’m an existing Globe Postpaid subscriber and I want to avail of the promo package

Promo Bundle 3: P300.00 Registration Fee, UNLI ALL DAY for P80.00 charged to MSF (P300.00)

I’m an existing Globe Platinum subscriber and I want to avail of the promo package

Promo Bundle 4: P300.00 Registration Fee, UNLI ALL DAY for P80.00 charged to MSF (P300.00)

I’m not interested in any of the promo. I will pay the normal rate(P500 for 3k-10k or P700 for 21k).

Note: Online registrations will be charged an additional 13%. This additional charge will be used to cover the processing of your application form and payment. Upon registering, you should receive an email confirmation within 24 hours.

I had already spent a good deal of time and energy trying to register for this race. But in the end, I opted to cancel my registration and get back my Php300. For Php80 difference I walked out of a race. Eighty-pesos will not even buy me a cup of Starbucks coffee. I know Globe heavily subsidized the use of timing chips for this race, but why differentiate among runners/subscribers? Why discriminate against post-paid customers? In my 12 years as a subscriber, I never felt so unwanted.

Maybe I will just pace some friends, in whose company I feel at home.

-o-

I am still Smarting from this Globe marketing/pricing scheme. So I decided to do the next best thing: (Don't get mad,) get even!

I registered using a friend's prepaid number. I paid Php300. I get to give prepaid load to a friend, I get to race, I get to support my friends, and I intend to get all the freebies I can lay my hands on race day.