Mobile Merry-Go-Round

~ beetleypete

One downside of my recent holiday was that my mobile phone decided to act strangely. It would no longer accept my PIN code, to unlock the screen. I knew it was the correct numbers, as they are the dates of Julie’s birthday. After three tries, it locked.

Julie contacted the service provider on her phone. They accepted no reponsibility, and said I had to contact the manufacturer of the phone. When Julie eventually got through to them, they said it was my fault, and I would have to take it somewhere to get it unlocked and reset. As I was a very long way from any town or city of any size that might have such a place, I was stuck.

A second call to the manufacturer finally got them to admit that many other users were experiencing the same problem, and that the phone would have to be sent back to them for repair. The location was still the problem, as I had no chance of packaging the phone and sending it back to them. Meanwhile, I had no access to my contact numbers, and a phone that was just a useless lump of metal, through no fault of my own.

The service provider refused to suspend my contract, saying they are still providing a service that I am contracted to pay for, and the fault is not theirs. So I am paying £19 a month for the privilege of having a phone I cannot use, and they will not upgrade the handset or supply me with an alternative until my contract expires next year.

I am on that roundabout of technology, caught between two opposing sides both failing to provide genuine customer service, and unable to get off.

On top of everything else going on with the floor-laying this week, I now have to find the time to drive into Norwich to argue my case with the service provider in their shop.

I can already feel my blood pressure rising!

82 thoughts on “Mobile Merry-Go-Round”

  3. I learned from the cable repair man that the automated system somehow detects if someone is yelling and then gives them a person to talk to. It doesn’t really address your issue, but it does illuminate the chillingly callous approach to “customer service” these days.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  6. It’s frustrating when you’re the one who’s inconvenienced by someone else’s miscue. I hope you get a satisfying resolution with a minimum of effort on your part.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  8. Great post 🙂 So you did have a situation (a la Nuts in May) during your vacation – I KNEW IT? Ha ha ha – only kidding 🙂 In all honesty, it sucks when one’s often used device starts acting all screwy. Occasionally, when I am out, the screen on my iPhone will stay still for a second or two even when I had it on for a while. This has not happened recently thank goodness, but it really is frustrating when an electronic does something awkward. Anyway, keep up the great work as always 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Thanks, Pit. It’s a ‘first world’ problem of course, not the end of the world. But it is just another thing to deal with, on top of all the rest of the techno-rubbish I find so hard to cope with. 🙂
      Best wishes, Pete.

      Like

      Reply

  16. I sympathise. I don’t understand my smart phone at all. I haven’t locked it for fear I couldn’t unlock it but I keep turning it off because I still get paper bills and I don’t understand why it notches up loads of data usage when it is on. It doesn’t charge for it but I’d like to know what it is doing. It seems to be Google play but I don’t!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. The installed Apps update all the time your phone is on, Julie. Some can be unistalled completely in the settings. I had no option but to use a lock code for my phone, as it would not let me skip that option on setup. More ‘progress’!
      Best wishes, Pete.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  17. Terrible, and I agree with the comments on costumer service services (although I’ve found some good people too, but it seems more down to the individual than to the company). I tend to try and attack on all fronts, including Twitter, Facebook, and whatever places they have available (sometimes you can chat online, but I’m sure you must have tried that). Sometimes one might be lucky and find somebody who will go the extra-mile. Asking for a manager doesn’t do much and I’m sure you’ve also tried. I hope you get it sorted, but this week there’s enough disruption already going on…
    Good luck, Pete.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Thanks, Olga. I avoided online chat for now, as I have to visit the shop and give them some face to face debate. If only to make myslef feel I did something positive! 🙂
      Best wishes, Pete.

      Like

      Reply

  18. I have seen the fall of customer service as I have aged. My mother-in-law complained about it all the time. Companies no longer encourage free thinkers and problem solvers. Everything goes by script to the detriment of the company and the consumer. Good luck. The only thing that ever works for me is to escalate.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  20. Bring back the phone box 🙂
    The thing that really pisses me off is that these phone companies are printing money, so you would expect at least some customer service. Name, shame and ditch the contract asap. I would always advise buying your own phone as well (contract free), separate the two so you have more options open to you.
    I carry a phone for much the same reason as you Pete, ‘just in case’, but when you dont have ot thats the most likely time something will go wrong!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  24. Ugh…that’s so typical. It seems this is just a lot of pointing fingers at each other instead of one of them stepping and saying we will take care of it for you: the customer. Seriously what happened to the old saying: “the customer is always right?”. I hope it will get solved for you Pete, and well that the rest of what’s going on this week will go smoothly as well. Keeping my fingers crossed for you🤞😊

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Thanks, Michel. I have been with the same phone service provider for 20 years, but they just fobbed me off to the phone handset manufacturer. Is it any wonder younger people just change all the time, and are no longer loyal to one company?
      Best wishes, Pete.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      1. Hey Pete! We never had to go to court. You see, if you know who is guilty and you tell them you will sue them, they reconsider your request seriously this time. They know that a lawyer’s fee for one day is far more than the cost of your phone or connection.

        Liked by 1 person

        Reply

  27. That’s really rubbish Pete. I think you should name and shame your service provider so we can all avoid them. I would also recommend posting a bad review on a consumer website – we did this when we couldn’t get any joy with Curry’s and they responded straight away

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. Thanks, Sarada. I want to keep my temper down at the moment, and give them a face-to-face chance to sort it out when I can get there. The issue last week was not having a phone if I went out on my own. Car breakdowns or falls, etc. That’s the main reason why I have a phone, as i hardly ever use it for calls.
      Best wishes, Pete.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      1. It’s still a crap response to your problem. I agree about staying calm but one can post a negative report whilst remaining at peace within. Still, each of us deals with these things in our own way. best of luck

        Liked by 1 person

        Reply

  28. That’s dreadful. I had a similar nightmare with Amazon and the third party seller over my camera. Two payments were taken and it took me weeks to get either one to accept the mistake, during which I became more and more stressed. Good luck at the shop, and you should still follow Fraggle’s advice. This is so wrong.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. I am trying to keep my stress levels low, Jude. I just had that nice holiday break, and coming home to household disruption and phone grief is the last thing I need The flooring is still being laid, and we cannot really use the kitchen. Then there is some lighting to get installed, and I can’t deal with phone arguments on top of all that. I will probably sort it next week when the weather is cooler, as being angry in the heat is not a good combination for me. It was 28 C here yesterday, and up to 30 C today. I don’t want to sit in a shop wearing a mask while it’s that hot.
      Best wishes, Pete. x

      Liked by 3 people

      Reply

  29. I would use the ‘persuasion’ technique that I refuse to pay for a service I’m not receiving. Look forward to seeing them in court. Remember to start calm, friendly and reasonable to give you wiggle room to escalate. Good luck – that is an appalling situation. (Do you have your PUK number?)

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

      1. I managed to get my PUK number by phoning the service provider her in Spain from another phone and after a security question they gave it to me. I’d also locked myself out after 3 attempts with what I knew was the correct sign in (but maybe my nails were too long!) I was then able to sign in OK. Worth a try.

        Liked by 1 person

        Reply

  32. What an awful situation: you have my sympathy. I don’t know if the instances of manufacturers and/or suppliers refusing to take responsibility after they’ve taken our money is more prevalent now than ever, but it seems to be happening depressingly often; also the refusal to accept responsibility seems to be the norm in public life, but let’s not go there now…….. Cheers, Jon.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    1. They admit it is their fault, then expect me to make all the arrangements to rectify the situation. It’s appalling, Jon. If I could, I would cancel the contract and get a ‘basic’ phone with nothing Smart about it. But I would have to pay for many months that are left on the contract.
      Best wishes, Pete.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

All comments welcome

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.