BDO Customer Support: “We Find Ways… to Stress You Out”

Ah, the joys of fixing up a new home. Nothing screams “domestic bliss” like budget juggling, hardware store hauls, and of course, swiping the credit card like it’s a magic wand that makes plywood and paint appear.

Now, we’ve been slowly patching up our fixer-upper here in Bacolod City. Nothing major yet—we’re still in that charming phase of “a little paint here, a door knob there.” So, naturally, we find ourselves living at Citi Hardware, Ace Hardware, and Triumph. If those stores offered a loyalty program, I’d be on a platinum tier by now.

Enter: the BDO credit card. We use it often. It has a high credit limit, it’s convenient, and supposedly, it works. Except when it doesn’t.

Swipe. Failed. Repeat. Nightmare.

So here’s what went down (multiple times, mind you): I’m at Citi Hardware, cashier swipes the BDO card, and voilà—I get a text message that I was charged. Meanwhile, Citi Hardware’s system goes, “Payment not received. Please swipe again.”

They swipe again. Still nothing. BDO texts me again. And again.

End result? I’m charged multiple times. Citi Hardware insists I haven’t paid. From their system’s point of view, no payment went through.

Imagine standing at the counter with ₱100,000 chopped off your credit limit… and the cashier still holding your purchases hostage. Now imagine the staff telling you to swipe again. 😮‍💨

At that point, I said, “NOPE.” I pulled out my UnionBank Mastercard, paid with that instead, and walked out with my dignity and plywood in tow.

Cue me calling BDO’s hotline while juggling shopping bags, trying to explain that I’ve been charged multiple times for literally nothing. But unless those charges post, they can’t do anything about it.

A week later—after escalating things through Sir Gerry, the ever-reliable BDO Hinigaran branch manager—those phantom charges were finally lifted. Honestly, if there’s one person in the entire BDO system who deserves a raise (and possibly a shrine), it’s him. Sir Gerry ALWAYS helps, ALWAYS solves the problem, and never makes you feel like you’re being unreasonable—even when you’re on the verge of a breakdown at the cashier.

I’ve since stopped using my BDO card at Citi Hardware altogether. Fool me once…

But Wait, There’s More! Now Streaming: Fraudulent Charges on Netflix Night

Just when I thought BDO and I were on a break, last night happened.

There I was, minding my own business, watching Exterritorial on Netflix when my phone suddenly lit up like it was possessed. Eight—yes, EIGHT—charges from APPLE.COM for ₱569 each. All in rapid-fire succession.

Now, unless Tim Cook is personally charging me for every minute of my Netflix binge (and news flash: I don’t even use my BDO card for Apple subscriptions), this had “fraudulent” written all over it.

So, I call BDO. Their advice? Block the card immediately.

Okay, cool. I get it. Security first. But here’s where things go off the rails (again): They can’t reverse the charges yet because they’re still floating.

Excuse me?

Eight rapid-fire charges from the same merchant in seconds. It’s not a mistake. It’s fraud. But instead of just canceling the transactions on the spot, I have to wait for them to “post” first before they can do anything. Meanwhile, I’m left with no working card, no quick replacement (apparently 15 business days is the gold standard of urgency), and no real solution.

And to top it all off, BDO’s slogan? “We find ways.”

Sure you do—just not the helpful ones.

Moral of the Story (and a PSA)

If you’re using a BDO credit card, please double-check with the merchant if their terminal is acting up before allowing multiple swipes. And monitor your transactions like a hawk. Fraud happens. But unfortunately, so does bureaucracy.

Thankfully, UnionBank came through when BDO tapped out. At least I didn’t walk out of Citi Hardware with nothing but a heart rate spike.

So, dear BDO: maybe consider finding ways that don’t involve giving your clients a minor stroke.