Abby Ongyanco-Lim

Yesterday, I attended a digitalfilipino club eyeball. During the presentation/discussion about ebay.com, our speaker Mr. Randy Manoloto of MyUsMailBox says 95% of U.S. shoppers transacts online using their paypal account. Thus, one of our club members asked about opening an account with paypal. Randy said paypal is not available in the Philippines. He shared to the group about using xoom.com. Asked about xoom, Ms. Janet Toral immediately mentioned my name and ask me to share my experience with xoom.

Last year, during the 1st PBB heights. I mentioned about selling PBB prepaid online. So, I got a couple of interested parties. For my first sale, I asked the buyer to pay via 2CO.com Unfortunately, 2CO does not allow selling of prepaid cards via their payment gateway. So, I diverted to using xoom.com

Xoom was easy to use. Just create an account (take note make sure that name or info you provided with creating xoom account matches your bank account info or else you will have problems with settlement) and create item for email billing.*

My client mentioned about having difficulty registering her credit card with xoom. So, in order to transact with me she asked some of her friends with paypal account. This paypal account is what she used to pay for the PBB vote cards.

Since the transaction was successful, I just ignored the difficulty of registering the credit card.
Next, another client wants to purchase a globe prepaid cards. The client is base in the U.S and he has a globe sim card. He wants to buy globe prepaid cards from me. Again, I used xoom email billing to request for payment. It was a successful transaction. As I was about to email my client his pin codes, I got an email from xoom stating that my client has cancelled the transaction. I wonder why it is so. So, I emailed my client asking for explanation. He said he can use his paypal account with xoom but with 3 days verification. This has discourage a lot of my prospect clients.

*Email billing - is you request payment via email by providing a link to the site of payment provider. when client click this link the information of the item they are paying are displayed all they have to do is to provide their billing information and credit card info for payment processing

• Leave a comment... (0)

It’s Feb 28, 2006. I thought Philippine Internet Commerce Society 1st General Membership Meeting will be postponed due to National State of Emergency declared by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Anyway, the 1st GMM pushed through and I had the pleasure to meet once again Director Sonia Aquino. That’s one of the reason why I wanted to attend the GMM.

Director Sonia Aquino discussed about APEC Trace. She discussed with us a program by APEC together with UP-ISSI (Institute for Small-Scale Industries University of the Philippines) The program is a training for business counselor. For more information, I suggest you to visit UP website

In order to take part in the program, the following are the basic qualifications:

1. College degree, or
A successful Entrepreneur at least 3 years or
A college degree holder senior executive for three years or
more and
2 Have completed 400 hours of counseling/consultancy work to at least 10
clients for the past 3 years

If you satisfy the above qualification we will give you the forms as
listed in the attached Entry application package after payment of an
application fee.

Upon acceptance you will prepare your learning plan together with the
manager of the Learning Delivery Center. In the Plan we will
determine your counseling competencies and identify skills for
development

The program is divided into two delivery modes. Six self-directed
modules by
distance learning and 5 through workshops. The workshops are held at the
UP
Campus in Diliman and are usually scheduled on Thursdays and Fridays.

Experience shows that if the learner has many good experiences, the
training component is done in 6-8 months because you pace the
completion of the modules.

According to Director Sonia Aquino, the application fee is P800.00 and the course/module fee is P100,000 when the modules is about to be taken. This is not an upfront payment.

Hmmm.. I’m interested.

Another interesting talk that night was that of Mr. Ben Colayco, president of Level Up. The company that popularized online gaming - ragnarok. He shared with us some marketing strategy of Level Up. I learned a lot from his talk. And, I amazed at how Level Up marketed itself and has successfully reached the market.

Here are some of the marketing efforts

• printing collectible prepaid cards
• typing up with fast food chains - bundle jolli meals with cd and ragna items
• coming up with an album containing ragnarok songs - Rok On
• comic strips - inquirer and manila bulletin
• billboards

Beat that!

Lastly, PICS is coming out with a handbook for SME on e-commerce - softbound - for only P195 to be released on May 2006.

• Leave a comment... (0)

I just got an email from cebupacificair.com ….

Cebu Pacific is turning 10 on March 8, 2006. To celebrate ten years of providing everyone with Low Fares and Great Value service, we’re selling more than 100,000 seats for only Php 10++ from March 3 to 8, 2006 to allow more people to fly.

Yes, you read it right – you can fly to any domestic destination for only Php 10++ per seat, for travel from June 20 to October 18, 2006. But the sale is only from March 3 to 8, 2006 or until seats last so better hurry and grab a seat!

Getting the PhP 10 fare is so easy - just book and buy online, and print your e-ticket from www.cebupacificair.com. You can get your ticket in no more than 5 easy steps or in less than 10 minutes.

For more inquiries, you may also call our Reservations office at (+632) 70-20-888 or visit your travel agent.

Visit www.cebupacificair.com NOW before seats run out!

So, I visited their website. I looked at Manila-Kalibo-Manila fares I started with Jun 20 - no more P10++ fare until I reached Oct 12. And, so I decided to book and buy ticket online for me and hubby. Hmmm, the fare is only P20++ roundtrip so that’s P40++. Hey, before doing the booking online I want you take note of the fineprint.

P10++ fare is exclusive of fees, taxes & surcharges.
Surcharges may vary depending on destination and range fro P550 to P900!!

So all in all, our total bill amounted to P3304.

• Leave a comment... (0)