A Few Hang-Ups

Today's discussion was going to be a sequel of sorts to the rant about layabouts sponging off us. That will have to wait because I want to talk about some hang-ups I have. And I'm naming names.

Try to follow this. I'll tell this story the best that I can, and hope that I remember all the pertinent details myself.

Since I'm not a fan of cell phones (and long-term commitments), I did not get one until I absolutely had to. The Agency insisted, so I relented and got a Tracfone pay-as-you-go plan. I felt cheated, and went to a similar company called Simple Freedom. They were all right, but suddenly, I had been given up to another company. (It's kind of like going to bed as a CIA operative and waking up working for the NSA. I hate when that happens.) The company I was given to was Verizon Wireless Prepaid.

Well, the price was adequate, but I felt short-changed. Other people had Tracfones, and were pleased with their service; they did not have the difficulties that I had experienced. The other day, I switched from Verizon Wireless Prepaid to Tracfone.

I "ported" my number, since I'd had it a few years and my contacts were familiar with it. Who needs to learn a new number if you don't need to? Tracfone botched the job and gave me a great deal of grief for a few hours, but they got it done, finally, and the service was working.

A few days later (yesterday), my home land line was not working. HUH? The message was that it was now a Verizon Wireless number. Well, my number was a Verizon number, never a VW number (there I go with abbreviations again).

I called Verizon. An order to cancel had been placed. I told them in no uncertain (and vaguely menacing terms) that nobody ordered a cancel, I was not changing providers, etc. They told me to call VW, who had control of the number.

So I called VW. They said that it wasn't their problem, they didn't have the number, to have Verizon fix it. I have to admit here that one sweetie at VW was doing her best to have it fixed, but the Verizon department that she was working with had closed for the day, and she would resume the next day.

I called Verizon. The representative that I was supposed to contact never answered, so I started over and insisted on a supervisor. I eventually talked to Etienne (and got her phone number, giggity giggity!) and she worked on it. She got other departments and technicians involved. She insisted that everything was lined up on their end, and Verizon Wireless had control. The proof was that the message I received when I called my own number was from VW.

Back to VW. They had me talk to other departments about my "inadvertent port" issue (also called "slamming"), highly frowned upon by the Feds. It was released.

My new girlfriend Etienne called me and said that the problem was resolved. Later, another of the technicians followed up. Finally, good news.

So, that was my twenty one hours of hassle and anxiety.

How are things with you?