Other Areas

[WestCoast1]

I had no problem adding my European MasterCard in the Grab app when I arrived last week. Been using it for cars and food.

Good news. Anyone been able to add an Aussie or American CC?

[WestCoast1]

Jones Lover, clear your inbox.

[JonesLover]

Hello friends, often I don't post why my posts don't interest many people. I even stopped to post because some time ago, someone took the piss in my contribution. Now I try again.

I take interest only for regular girls and I like to get a girlfriend experience with every girl for 10 days or more.

Two weeks ago I went to Cagayan de Oro to meet my GF. I was with her for some days only in my rented condo because she got problem with her baby in Pagadian and she had to run away.

I was always alone in that condo for other 7-8 days because it was so hard to meet girls. Girls steal your money for the fare and after they don't come.

All the girls are kind, they talk, talk an talk, bla bla bla, but they don't come. I asked the reason and all told me that very serious things have recently happened with tourists in CDO and they are afraid, terrified of approaching them. The girls were kidnapped.

So I bought a flight to Leyte island. I'm in Tacloban now. Here the girls are very nice, even more so than those of CDO. When I ask if they want to meet me, I notice them are very happy, even enthusiastic. But then they all tell that they have school, they are busy because they have to prepare for exams. Etc. Etc. Many of them are far from Tacloban even if I see this city in their profile. I have been in Tacloban for 2 days and I am always on social networks, but I'm not able to mee, even here. This is the first time this has happened to me in my whole life. Yet I have been to the Philippines several times, from Davao to CDO, Palawan, Manila, etc. Etc. I have to say one thing for sure: the goodness of the Philippines is completely over.

Can anyone give me some advice where to go and what to do?

Anyway I will never rcome back even if someone gives me the flight, I will change country. Jejejeje.

[El Ted]

I'm very interested about hearing from European users about this issue. Europeans have had so-called two-factor authentication for online purchases via debit / credit card for the better part of a year. I had no problem adding my European card and using it for Grab in Thailand, as well buying other stuff online while there. But seeing as I'm going to the Philippines soon, it would be good to get some on-the-ground intel. It feels like some kind of two-factor issue, and I'm not sure all American banks have implemented this yet. Do you have to verify your transaction when you buy something from an American website, WestCoast1? Typically the verification involves getting sent a text with a code, or approving it with some kind of bank app.

I had no problem adding my European MasterCard in the Grab app when I arrived last week. Been using it for cars and food.

[Albert9989]

I tried inputting 2 outside-Phils credit cards, and 2 outside-Phils ATM cards, all from 4 major banks. All failed for the same reason when I contacted Lazada and Grab.

But can we use Gcash easily there? If yes, then we can credit Gcash from our Credit Card with Worldremit or any other money transfer (with some fees.) and then pay locally anything with the Mobile phone app, including Grab or others?

I did that in Kenya with Mpesa and it works very well.

But is it easy to get a Gcash account for small duration like 2 weeks? Or 3?

[WestCoast1]

Do you have to verify your transaction when you buy something from an American website, WestCoast1? Typically the verification involves getting sent a text with a code, or approving it with some kind of bank app.

For example, online purchases (amazon or other). I can't recall getting an OTP while I am in the home country making a purchase. However if I am in Phils, the system seems to detect that I am not in the home country, an on occasion I get an OTP from the vendor.

That's very annoying for short term travellers, but is there a way through Gcash on mobile for example to be able to paty grab and others via mobile phone?

Or we will be obliged to carry cash all the time.

I tried inputting 2 outside-Phils credit cards, and 2 outside-Phils ATM cards, all from 4 major banks. All failed for the same reason when I contacted Lazada and Grab.

I assume you are only talking about online apps etc only?? Surely a foreign card can still be used to buy a shirt at SM, a room at a hotel etc.

Could be fun if not and makes a "Travel" debit card pretty worthless.

Good clarification. My CC's still work for making in-store purchases. And some recent good news on that front. More of the stores that accept CC payment are now utilizing CC devices that are "Touch" or "Tap", versus "Insert". This prevents skimming, which is not uncommon in NCR.

Wrt to original post, pinas flake so often I'd be reluctant to use time, effort and $$ to organise a Grab for a new girl anyway. It sounds great in theory but it's hard to imagine one who would have her act together enough to turn up at the allotted time and place and actually find the driver. Perhaps I need to source better quality girls but if she can't get to me in an agreed hour or two window then it's the end of the discussion. This allows me to get on with my day and then just walk down stairs if and when she arrives. No more sitting around planning and waiting all day for a girl for me.

I still give jeep money for fare. I stopped the taxi game some time ago. I still taxi (if raining) for girls departing my place, especially if she doesn't have an umbrella. But I walk her out to get a taxi with my umbrella, and I pay the driver directly w / tip at the start of the ride. Too many times before I saw one of my girls depart, step into a taxi, the taxi moves 10 M and stops, she steps out (keeping the money), and she heads to a jeep.

The flaking part. So correct. You'd have to wait until the girl actually got to the pickup landmark (ie, Petron station), THEN order a Grab to go there for pickup. THEN tell the driver what she is wearing and tell her the vehicle plate number and color. THEN hope he says yes to you not being there. Risking the p50 fee for him cancelling is small, and risking a girl not coming to me is a PITA (for me), as I'd have to start with plan Bee.

[Goferring]

The credit card. All of the large Phils organizations have stopped allowing CC use if the card is from outside of Phils.

I assume you are only talking about online apps etc only?? Surely a foreign card can still be used to buy a shirt at SM, a room at a hotel etc.

Could be fun if not and makes a "Travel" debit card pretty worthless.

Wrt to original post, pinas flake so often I'd be reluctant to use time, effort and $$ to organise a Grab for a new girl anyway. It sounds great in theory but it's hard to imagine one who would have her act together enough to turn up at the allotted time and place and actually find the driver. Perhaps I need to source better quality girls but if she can't get to me in an agreed hour or two window then it's the end of the discussion. This allows me to get on with my day and then just walk down stairs if and when she arrives. No more sitting around planning and waiting all day for a girl for me.

Obviously, a past acquaintance with known reliability is totally different.

Enjoy. G.

[Albert9989]

The credit card. All of the large Phils organizations have stopped allowing CC use if the card is from outside of Phils. FoodPanda, Grab, Lazada, Shoppee, etc. , will no longer accept your CC from the US or other outside countries (assuming you are adding the outside CC as a new card on your account). In emails with these organizations asking why my outside-Phils CC was no longer allowed to be added to a my new account, I initially get different excuses. "Just you get a Phils credit card sir and it will work".

K

Its good to hear that you were able to get Grab to remotely pickup or drop off your girl. I have had zero luck during pandemic. When drivers figured out that I was not going to be in the car, they cancelled the ride and I got hit with said fees for making the attempt. Back then, the charges went to my outside-Phils credit card! However I have not re-tried recently.

That's very annoying for short term travellers, but is there a way through Gcash on mobile for example to be able to paty grab and others via mobile phone?

Or we will be obliged to carry cash all the time.

[DoktorEn]

The credit card. All of the large Phils organizations have stopped allowing CC use if the card is from outside of Phils

I'm very interested about hearing from European users about this issue. Europeans have had so-called two-factor authentication for online purchases via debit / credit card for the better part of a year. I had no problem adding my European card and using it for Grab in Thailand, as well buying other stuff online while there. But seeing as I'm going to the Philippines soon, it would be good to get some on-the-ground intel. It feels like some kind of two-factor issue, and I'm not sure all American banks have implemented this yet. Do you have to verify your transaction when you buy something from an American website, WestCoast1? Typically the verification involves getting sent a text with a code, or approving it with some kind of bank app.

[WestCoast1]

Even with all this, twice the Grab guy took off and I was charged a cancellation fee. Its 50 pesos and you'll pay next time you use a Grab car. Assuming you use cash. I haven't been able to use my US credit card on my Grag account.

The credit card. All of the large Phils organizations have stopped allowing CC use if the card is from outside of Phils. FoodPanda, Grab, Lazada, Shoppee, etc. , will no longer accept your CC from the US or other outside countries (assuming you are adding the outside CC as a new card on your account). In emails with these organizations asking why my outside-Phils CC was no longer allowed to be added to a my new account, I initially get different excuses. "Just you get a Phils credit card sir and it will work".

Keep pressing them and they send you some technical jargon regarding why your outside-Phils credit card has weak online security (hard to believe that my major bank's CC is less secure than a Phils card). I took the time to copy / paste the jargon in a message to my country's bank that issued my CC, asking the bank what the tech jargon means. Reply: "The jargon means that we don't send an One-Time Password on each of your purchases. Grab wants us to send you an OTP to you on each purchase to confirm that you are indeed you, then to confirm to Grab that they can charge your card. Its not a bad idea, but we only use OTP when you log into your credit card account online. Sending an OTP for each individual purchase is old technology and we have better ways to protect you. Sending an OTP is the responsibility of the vendor, not this bank".

Copy / paste that last part back to any Phils business last year, gets a response like this: "Yes we don't want to send an OTP txt message each time". BTW, Grab has completely eliminated email as a method to contact them or complain to them. Sending an email to the support@grab.com address gets an auto-reply like this: "We are no longer using email to communicate". The reply does not give an alternate method of communication. You might find similar communication difficulties with every similar Phils company such as the ones I mentioned above, to include GCash.

Related recent example. Recently I tried to purchase a subscription to a vid streaming service here in Phils. One of the payment methods was CC. I entered my CC info and was told that the service would verify my CC account by placing a small charge on my CC first. "We have added a small charge to your credit card to verify". That, followed a moment later by: "Something has gone wrong! Try back again soon!" I checked my CC bank statement, and there was the $0. 12 USD (twelve cents) charged to my card from the streaming service. I emailed the streaming service asking what went wrong. Reply: "You tried to use a credit card from a bank outside of Philippines. We don't accept credit cards outside of Philippines". Does this have anything to do with OTP? "Yes its everything to do with OTP. We expect your bank to OTP. Not us. Get a Philippines bank credit card". Shouldn't you have that message on your website when the customer orders, so he doesn't waste his time? Reply: "I will forward this to our media department. Its a good idea!" Duh! All of those are email exchanges, which take days for them to reply (sometimes 1 day, sometimes several).

Its good to hear that you were able to get Grab to remotely pickup or drop off your girl. I have had zero luck during pandemic. When drivers figured out that I was not going to be in the car, they cancelled the ride and I got hit with said fees for making the attempt. Back then, the charges went to my outside-Phils credit card! However I have not re-tried recently.

[Dashing Don]

I was in Manila in September and I sent Grab several times to pick up the girl. The communication between you and the girl must be up to the minute though. Sometimes the address she gives you doesn't show on the app and can be a few blocks away from the nearest pickup spot. You have to settle on a pickup spot with her before you book.

Girls running late: The Grab driver usually won't wait more than a minute so you have to make sure that she is there. You can share the driver's details with her.

Even with all this, twice the Grab guy took off and I was charged a cancellation fee. Its 50 pesos and you'll pay next time you use a Grab car. Assuming you use cash. I haven't been able to use my US credit card on my Grag account. All in all, I like the option of sending the car because often these girls don't have a nickel in their pocket.

[El Ted]

I am in Bicol (Naga City) for a few weeks. Any tips on where to go for a good time? Google gave me a club spectacularly named Volcanic Eruption Superclub, but it is quite a bit outside the city center.

[AsianPursuits]

Hi friends,

Now I am in Cagayan de Oro.

I'm old but very good-looking hahahaha I'm getting bored because it's incredibly difficult to find a girl.

I'm not looking for hardened pros. I would like to go to an island with beautiful beaches, where there are simple, natural (unsophisticated) girls with an affordable cost.

And I'd like to get some GF experience. I would not go to Samal because I was there last year. I don't think Cebu is for me.

Can you give me an advice please?

Thank you.

Jones.

If it was me in CDO. I would catch a bus to Surigao. Book a hotel there for a couple of nights. Use DIA / wechat to meet local girls. As them to join you for a few days at beautiful Siargao island.

[Old And Ugly]

Hi friends,

Now I am in Cagayan de Oro.

I'm old but very good-looking hahahaha I'm getting bored because it's incredibly difficult to find a girl.

I'm not looking for hardened pros. I would like to go to an island with beautiful beaches, where there are simple, natural (unsophisticated) girls with an affordable cost.

And I'd like to get some GF experience. I would not go to Samal because I was there last year. I don't think Cebu is for me.

I would like that too, please let me know if you find a place like that.

In the mean time, if you can't find any action, give 500 p to a taxi driver, and he will take you to the hidden local watering holes, or deliver take out local talent to you. Just make sure if you are getting deliveries, to see the photos before you order, because most of the time feminine beauty is perceived different across cultures.

[JonesLover]

Hi friends,

Now I am in Cagayan de Oro.

I'm old but very good-looking hahahaha I'm getting bored because it's incredibly difficult to find a girl.

I'm not looking for hardened pros. I would like to go to an island with beautiful beaches, where there are simple, natural (unsophisticated) girls with an affordable cost.

And I'd like to get some GF experience. I would not go to Samal because I was there last year. I don't think Cebu is for me.

Can you give me an advice please?

Thank you.

Jones.