More Mobile Madness

~ beetleypete

I finally felt just about well enough to try to get my phone sorted out. First stop was a shop in Dereham that unlocks phones. I thought to save myself a trip to the outskirts of Norwich by paying a fee to unlock my troublesome phone. The young man assured me that he could unlock my phone, and make it fully functioning again.

But, there was a big BUT.

I would lose everything stored on it, including all my contact phone numbers. Now although I have a book at home with many numbers written down in it, most of those are home numbers, and few people I know use those much anymore. I might have my phone going again, but I would have no idea who was calling, and would have to ask almost 100 people for their phone numbers again, probably by email.

The young man told me that the phone provider’s shop would have software to recover all the details stored on the phone, and I should try there.

So back in the car, and off to the edge of Norwich anyway, to the EE phone shop on a retail park where I got the phone in the first place. There were barriers across the entrance, and I was approached by a young man who asked me what time my appointment was. He said that customers have to have an appointment now, to keep down the numbers in the shop because of the Covid-19 situation. I said I didn’t have an appointment, so he suggested I use my phone to free-call customer services and make one. I told him that if my phone worked to call customer services, I wouldn’t be standing outside his shop. He made me an appointment for tomorrow afternoon, then asked what the problem was. I told him.

“Not sure we can do that” was his reply.

I asked if there was any point in my driving all that way again tomorrow, if he couldn’t do what was needed. He assured me that it would be, as I could ask Cliff, and he was good with phones. Cliff will be working tomorrow, apparently. I replied that I thought they should all be good with phones, as they worked in a phone shop. I think he smiled, but as he was wearing a mask, I couldn’t tell. He took my details, and then added, “I had better take your mobile number, in case we have to contact you”.

After waiting long enough to make sure he wasn’t making an ironic joke, I asked him if he had listened to anything I had been saying. “My phone doesn’t work. That’s why I am here”. Nodding sagely, he tried this, “Perhaps you have another mobile number I can contact you on?” I shook my head, asking how many people he knew had more than one mobile number. “You would be surprised how many people do, sir”.

Tomorrow, I have to drive almost 40 miles round trip in the hope of seeing Cliff, and geting some satisfaction.

Something tells me I am going to be back in the first shop later, getting the phone unlocked, and losing all my contact details.

You couldn’t make it up, you really couldn’t.

79 thoughts on “More Mobile Madness”

  3. Goodness I have cell stories too-and conversations like that, as well. I am shocked everytime and later on, I laugh, for it is almost like a joke!! Just had to get a new cell and did lose all info. I do not get fancy cells, but I can barely text on this one. Such a complicated affair. Best wishes to you. My kids won’t even go with me, for I have blown a gasket or two in those places!

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  5. Everything now seems to be geared to forcing us to update all our technology with monotonous & rapid regularity, and it annoys the hell out of me. I am making do with my iPhone 4S for as long as possible [I no longer receive software updates, of course], but I know it can’t last for ever. Then again: neither can I…….. Cheers, Jon.

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  7. Years ago, I decided to write down the cellphone numbers of my friends and contacts in an address book, maybe it is time to visit it and update that list…just in case something happens like yours did.

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  10. Ah Pete I know this is a right embuggerance but you did make me laugh with the telling of it. Hope you are feeling better, and Ollie is doing OK, and mostly that you get your phone sorted. I keep forgetting to say to you that you said you can’t get on twitter anymore because of the phone, but you can access twitter on a tablet and a PC you know.

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    1. It is on the PC that I can’t get on it. That’s because they want to ‘validate’ my security by sending a code to my phone. The phone that isn’t working. I don’t even have Twitter on my phone, FR, only on the PC!
      Best wishes, Pete.

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  12. AS Ricky Gervais said on “Extras”: “are you having a laugh?” This is MADDENING, Pete….so, you pay all that money for a phone service that can only be handled by a guy named “Cliff!” Please keep up updated and good luck!

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  16. Hey Pete! I’m sorry you have to go through so much pain. My RedMi 4 is now slowly ‘losing it’, I can’t hear properly without yelling and I can’t call my husband without disconnecting the call at least 3 times. Unsure if it is phone, service provider or Karma! With your experience, I will move everything to Google Drive tomorrow morning.

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    1. Good idea, Shaily. My issue is with the phone, not the service provider. But the phone manufacturer insists that I have to go through them in the first instance.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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  17. Aaarrrggghhhh. I remember the days people would call me on a phone. Boy, do I miss it. I have so MANY contacts; yet nobody contacts me. Thank you Mom for calling me! Best wishes on this most frustrating situation. We all get it.

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    1. I can’t cope with much more tech horror, Susanne. If they don’t help me tomorrow, I will pay to have it unlocked, and lose the contacts. Only half a dozen people ever phone me on it anyway!
      Best wishes, Pete.

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  19. I’m sorry Pete, I know how bloody frustrating this is, but you do make me laugh in the way you tell these stories. Your phone could have a backup of all the data and settings so all might not be lost. Fingers crossed 🤞

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                    1. Tried to suggest that, but they blamed the company, said it’s not their fault. I feel trapped in a cycle of piss-poor customer service. If not for being tied into contracts, I woulb bin all of it and start again. x

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  22. It would appear that the mobile telephone companies are in a world created by Joseph Heller. Good Luck with them. The alternative is to pitch the phone into the river the next time you take Ollie out for a stroll. Warmest regards, Theo

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    1. It does feel like a game. One where neither side admits responsibility for anything kind of game. Perhaps I should invent that one? It would be a circular board, where no player ever wins. 🙂
      Best wishes, Pete.

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        1. Julie gave it to her daughter when we bought a nice new white one. She still had it (going well) until almost 3 years ago, when the door rusted away on one corner at the edge, leaving a ‘dangerous gap’. I loved that microwave, and to this day it’s the best one I ever had! Has to be the best value for money microwave ever built!

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    1. It is annoying, but the fault is with the Oppo phone, not really with EE. We have two phone contracts with them, and our broadband and home phone too. Until this latest phone issue, we never had a problem with that company. I suspect that I am going to once again be told that I have to take it up with the manufacturer, but I live in hope!
      Best wishes, Pete.

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  26. What an odyssey! I’m keeping my finders crossed, Pete! Isn’t there any backup of all your phone data? For me, Samsung keeps one and updates it regyularly. So, even with a “factory reset”, which, as far as I know, deletes all the data from my cell phone, I shoul d still be able to recover those. I hope that I’m right there. Well, actually I hope I’ll never have to try it.

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    1. It is more like exercising control over my temper, than patience. I don’t have patience with anything, but have learned to my cost that I have to control my temper. Getting angry has never solved anything for me. 🙂
      Best wishes, Pete.

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