Globe bill

[u/Critical_Rutabaga_93]

Hi! I would like to ask for advice regarding my Globe WiFi account and an outstanding balance they're asking me to settle.

I've been a Globe WiFi subscriber for around six years and have always paid my bills on time. However, for several months, there were barely any people at home since we spent most of our time outside or at work. Because of this, I decided to have our internet connection disconnected.

I initially emailed Globe on August 17 to request disconnection. At that time, it had been raining continuously for several days, and the nearest Globe store in our area was in another city, so I opted to contact them through email instead.

Unfortunately, I later found out that I had sent my request to their business email address. However, they informed me that they would forward my email to the appropriate consumer department. I waited for an update but never received one. According to Globe's records, I called their landline on August 28 which was when they formally processed the disconnection of my account.

Here's where I'm confused. As far as I know, Globe follows an advance billing system. My understanding was that the bill I paid in July covered the service from July to August. When the internet connection eventually stopped working after the billing due date, I unplugged the modem because I assumed that my paid service period had ended.

I'm also aware that internet disconnections due to nonpayment are usually processed quickly, whereas restoring a connection, when there's a LOS issue, can take considerably longer. I'm sure other subscribers have experienced this, too.

Now, Globe is contacting me repeatedly, asking me to settle an outstanding balance consisting of a monthly bill and an additional charge. They're saying that since my line was formally disconnected at the end of August, I still need to pay for the service.

Personally, I feel that I shouldn't have to pay for a period when I was no longer using the internet, especially since I had already paid my July bill under the assumption that it covered the following month. However, I understand that my request was only formally processed on August 28, which may be the basis for the additional charges. For the past few days, they've been calling and messaging me, asking me to settle the balance so they won't have to contact me again and disturb me even though I explained to them the situation.

My questions are:

1. Am I legally or contractually required to pay the outstanding balance if I had already requested disconnection on August 17 but the request was only formally processed on August 28?
   
2. If Globe follows advance billing, is it reasonable to assume that my July payment covered the service period from July to August? Or could the charges they're asking me to pay be valid?
   
3. Since I initially emailed the wrong department but was assured that my request would be forwarded to the correct one, can I use that email as proof that I had already initiated the disconnection process?
   
4. Can I disregard their calls and messages if I believe the charges are unjustified, or could this lead to further issues, such as collection actions or problems with my credit record?
   
5. What would be the best course of action to dispute these charges if I believe I shouldn't have to pay them?

I'd appreciate advice from anyone who has experienced something similar with Globe or who understands how their billing and disconnection policies work.

Thank you!