Manila bankers is the worst

My Experience with Manila Bankers: A Cautionary Tale

Let me share a frustrating experience I had yesterday at Robinsons General Trias, Cavite.

I was approached by one of their agents who mentioned a raffle in celebration of Manila Bankers’ anniversary. He asked me to choose a number between 1 and 7 to receive a freebie. He then led me to the second floor, claiming that’s where the freebies were available. However, when we arrived at the office, it was empty; the staff was supposedly out. I told the agent I would come back later as I was looking for a place to eat. I even suggested just taking a brochure, but he said they didn’t have any.

Before I knew it, the agent was calling me back, saying someone had returned to the office. I thought, “Alright, this won’t take long.” As I stood at the booth, I asked the agent if it would be quick, and he assured me it would be.

Once I entered the lounge area, a woman, presumably the branch head, approached me. I inquired once more if it would be brief because it was lunchtime, and she replied it would only take about 20 minutes. Little did I know, that 20 minutes would stretch far beyond my lunch break.

A financial advisor soon began discussing various products with me. Although I had some understanding of what he was explaining, the conversation became exhaustive and unnecessary. I was clear from the start that I wasn’t ready to open a savings account and emphasized that I needed to consult my husband before making any decisions. The advisor even asked if my husband would be upset about my indecision. I reassured him that my husband wouldn’t be angry but emphasized the importance of involving him in discussions like these.

The pressure intensified when the advisor hinted that others had made decisions without talking to their spouses first and implied I should do the same. It was uncomfortable and felt manipulative. Despite my repeated insistence that I couldn’t decide alone, the advisor continued to speak at length, seemingly ignoring my concerns.

After over an hour (during which I was growing increasingly hungry), I finally asked about the lowest offer available. The advisor mentioned a money saver plan costing 4,400. From what he said, I mistakenly thought that was the yearly amount—10 pesos a day, totaling about 366 monthly. He repeatedly emphasized that this offer was only valid “TODAY.”

Eventually, I agreed to it, and after a lengthy process of signing forms, I got my credit card approved and went to the cashier. Here, another staff member rudely told me to wait until she finished speaking before I could clarify something.

While waiting for the policy, I asked again if the monthly payments would truly be just 366. To my shock, I learned that the 4,400 was actually a quarterly payment—not monthly—and I had to call the bank myself to set up the installment. If I hadn’t asked, I would have remained in the dark.

I inquired if I could withdraw my money after a year, to which the branch head replied it would take two years. After finally getting my policy (and even taking a picture with the financial advisor), I felt a sense of relief as I left the office.

However, upon researching Manila Bankers later that day, I found numerous complaints regarding their selling tactics and misleading offers. I submitted a cancellation request that afternoon but received no acknowledgment. Following up, I sent an email to [email protected] and received a prompt response indicating that my request was under review.

When I called customer service the next morning to discuss the cancellation, I learned it would take 15 days and incur a 1,000 admin fee. I had paid 4,400, but would only get back 3,400 since I hadn’t utilized any benefits. While I was fine with a small fee to cover printing, the 1,000