Technology hates me
Mar. 23rd, 2026 07:06 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
offcntrI already blogged about the failure of my Garmin satnav in Wisconsin. Since I got back, things have only gotten worse.
Sometime on Friday, my cell phone failed. It still turned on, still got wifi, but the signal was abruptly worse, no bars inside the house, and even outside, it wouldn't make calls. Or texts. Or even connect for data. You've no idea how much you depend on that little box, until you can't.
And then there's my email. I usually access my email one of two ways. If I'm on my desktop, I'll download everything with a POP mail client (Eudora, don't laugh. It still works), to read, sort and archive offline. Other times, I'll preview on my tablet, using their web interface. I always click the "Keep logged in" button, and they always log me out again in about a day.
Well, this time, I couldn't log back in. I'd get a little red message, "error with login or password." I almost tried a password reset, but that required two-factor authentication, and my cell phone isn't working. I tried to log in to my account to be sure I'd paid the bill--grabbing at straws here--but I'm locked out there too. And CenturyLink's customer support is only on duty weekdays during business hours, and their chatbot is useless.
If that's not enough, on Saturday, my debit card failed. Trying to gas up the car at Costco, neither of my Oregon Community Credit Union cards would work. Fortunately, we have another account at a different institution, so I was able to get home. But on Sunday, when I tried to deposit a check at an automatic teller, it told me my card didn't support that transaction. And when I tried to log in to their web portal, it said my account was "disabled." And of course, no customer service on weekends.
I'm beginning to feel like that Twilight Zone character who'd died and didn't know it.
I had a little success, though. Testing my Garmin on a charger at home proved the unit itself kept a charge, though still not on the cord connected to the car. I do have a USB plug that fits a car 12 volt/cigarette lighter outlet, and tried running the (too short) proprietary cord from plug to satnav. It booted fine when I turned the car on, though had trouble finding satellites until Denise held it up above the dash. At which point, it was able to direct us to our concert down in South Eugene.
Then yesterday afternoon, it occurred to me to check whether my cell provider had support on weekends, and Hallelujah! Boost Mobile were open from 8 am til midnight seven days a week. Did the chat, and the bot ran me through some simple tests--take out the SIM card, restart the phone, and when that didn't work, connected me to a human. She confirmed the tests I'd done, then took a phone number to have tech support call me. (Oddly, couldn't call my landline. Fortunately, Denise's cell is on a different provider.) They called fairly promptly, heard my story, took info about my phone, and decided I needed to replace the SIM card. I could have them send one in 3-4 business days, or I could buy one locally. There are no longer any Boost stores in Eugene but Walmart sells SIM cards, and they put a $10 credit on my account.
Turned out to cost $11.13, rounded down to $11.10 because I paid cash--no debit card, remember?--and they didn't have any pennies in the till. And while I was at Delta Oaks, I dropped in to Goodwill's computer department. Couldn't find a replacement charger for the Garmin, but was able to score a USB extension cord that would allow me to stick my satnav to the windshield where God and the satellites intended, for $2.75 with the senior discount.
Got home, installed the SIM, had a brief panic attack when the phone booted up on T-Mobile. Tried calling 611 for set-up help, as instructed, on Denise's phone, but that went to Trac-Phone. So I called the Boost set-up number from their website, argued fruitlessly with the phone menu, hung up and called the customer support number, got the same dialog. I'm not sure how I finally got it to connect me with a human--I think by saying Technical support in increasingly impatient tones--but finally got a human, who took the SIM number, my phone ID, had me turn off the phone and remove and replace the SIM--I shouldn't have turned it on yet. She did arcane things on her end, and when she told me to turn on the phone again, it was working properly again.
Two down, two to go.
ETA: Email is back! Though I had to change the password. Will have to update my Eudora. Still waiting on a callback from the credit union.
Sometime on Friday, my cell phone failed. It still turned on, still got wifi, but the signal was abruptly worse, no bars inside the house, and even outside, it wouldn't make calls. Or texts. Or even connect for data. You've no idea how much you depend on that little box, until you can't.
And then there's my email. I usually access my email one of two ways. If I'm on my desktop, I'll download everything with a POP mail client (Eudora, don't laugh. It still works), to read, sort and archive offline. Other times, I'll preview on my tablet, using their web interface. I always click the "Keep logged in" button, and they always log me out again in about a day.
Well, this time, I couldn't log back in. I'd get a little red message, "error with login or password." I almost tried a password reset, but that required two-factor authentication, and my cell phone isn't working. I tried to log in to my account to be sure I'd paid the bill--grabbing at straws here--but I'm locked out there too. And CenturyLink's customer support is only on duty weekdays during business hours, and their chatbot is useless.
If that's not enough, on Saturday, my debit card failed. Trying to gas up the car at Costco, neither of my Oregon Community Credit Union cards would work. Fortunately, we have another account at a different institution, so I was able to get home. But on Sunday, when I tried to deposit a check at an automatic teller, it told me my card didn't support that transaction. And when I tried to log in to their web portal, it said my account was "disabled." And of course, no customer service on weekends.
I'm beginning to feel like that Twilight Zone character who'd died and didn't know it.
I had a little success, though. Testing my Garmin on a charger at home proved the unit itself kept a charge, though still not on the cord connected to the car. I do have a USB plug that fits a car 12 volt/cigarette lighter outlet, and tried running the (too short) proprietary cord from plug to satnav. It booted fine when I turned the car on, though had trouble finding satellites until Denise held it up above the dash. At which point, it was able to direct us to our concert down in South Eugene.
Then yesterday afternoon, it occurred to me to check whether my cell provider had support on weekends, and Hallelujah! Boost Mobile were open from 8 am til midnight seven days a week. Did the chat, and the bot ran me through some simple tests--take out the SIM card, restart the phone, and when that didn't work, connected me to a human. She confirmed the tests I'd done, then took a phone number to have tech support call me. (Oddly, couldn't call my landline. Fortunately, Denise's cell is on a different provider.) They called fairly promptly, heard my story, took info about my phone, and decided I needed to replace the SIM card. I could have them send one in 3-4 business days, or I could buy one locally. There are no longer any Boost stores in Eugene but Walmart sells SIM cards, and they put a $10 credit on my account.
Turned out to cost $11.13, rounded down to $11.10 because I paid cash--no debit card, remember?--and they didn't have any pennies in the till. And while I was at Delta Oaks, I dropped in to Goodwill's computer department. Couldn't find a replacement charger for the Garmin, but was able to score a USB extension cord that would allow me to stick my satnav to the windshield where God and the satellites intended, for $2.75 with the senior discount.
Got home, installed the SIM, had a brief panic attack when the phone booted up on T-Mobile. Tried calling 611 for set-up help, as instructed, on Denise's phone, but that went to Trac-Phone. So I called the Boost set-up number from their website, argued fruitlessly with the phone menu, hung up and called the customer support number, got the same dialog. I'm not sure how I finally got it to connect me with a human--I think by saying Technical support in increasingly impatient tones--but finally got a human, who took the SIM number, my phone ID, had me turn off the phone and remove and replace the SIM--I shouldn't have turned it on yet. She did arcane things on her end, and when she told me to turn on the phone again, it was working properly again.
Two down, two to go.
ETA: Email is back! Though I had to change the password. Will have to update my Eudora. Still waiting on a callback from the credit union.