Technology must hate me
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05-11-2013 10:01 AM
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FloridaHorseman
  - Joined on 01-05-2007
- Lakeland, Florida
- Horse of the Year
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I finally made my last leap into the 21st century last Friday with the acquisition of a "Smartphone". My 9 YO Verizon flip phone was still working but the battery wasn't holding a charge, accessories were impossible to find anymore and the 3G signal strength out here was barely 1 bar. More often than not incoming calls at home went straight to voicemail and I had to call back when I finally got the voicemail alert.
I don't use any phone as often as most and the cheapest way to maintain one was to use a pay-by-the-minute plan that was keeping my monthly cost around $45. But Verizon does not have a pre-paid plan that includes 4G service, only 3G. And since there is no cable or DSL Internet service out here in the boonies my computer is on a separate Verizon wireless broadband contract for 5 Gb of monthly bandwidth for about $50 a month. That system recently upgraded to 4G and I get a solid 2 bar 4G signal and fast connection speed. So.... I figured finding an affordable 4G capable smartphone plan would put me in pretty good shape. Thus, the saga begins...
Verizon had bundled "share everything" packages that would give me a phone and home internet for around $150 a month. But at that rate (their lowest) bandwidth usage on the phone would also be deducted from my overall 5 Gb limit. And when a smart phone is turned on it is always pinging email accounts, GPS, downloading updates, etc., just like a horse nibbling at a round bale all day. Disabling those features makes a "Smartphone" as dumb as my old flip phone, so what's the point of having it? So I could predict bandwidth overage charges would be virtually assured.
Sprint was offering a 4G capable Samsung Galaxy II for cheap ($149) with a pay-as-you-go monthly contract with unlimited minutes and unlimited data for $70. I took the deal with 10 days to return the phone. I get home and find I still have just 1 bar of 3G signal and just to get that I'm roaming on Verizon's 3G network. And ALL of my incoming calls now go straight to voicemail! I played with the phone all weekend, moving from one place in the house to another. I even walked the property line looking for a "hotspot" where the phone would work, The results remained either a 1 bar 3G signal or no signal at all. Needless to say I was totally bummed out. But I was really starting to like the phone.
I called the Sprint store Monday and reported my dilemma. The store manager said I could bring the phone back and switch back to Verizon with no charges incurred. I told him I liked the phone and was thoroughly impressed with customer service that was head and shoulders above what I ever got from Verizon and mused outloud about changing my voicemail message to an apology about having Sprint and calling clients back as soon as I got the message just to keep the phone. That's when he offered up some ideas...
Sprint is partnered with Google Voice ( a "dummy" phone number provided by Google that has full service call forwarding, voicemail and voicemail transcription to text message or email to any phone you select). I already had a Google phone number. And by switching that number to my regular cell phone number I could forward incoming calls to my Magic Jack internet phone that DOES ring through to the house. I just have to leave the computer on for it to work. AND... with a Sprint phone Google Voice has the additional option to forward calls to multiple phones even though they have different numbers so they all ring with an incoming call to my cell number. And I can answer the call on any of them!
The Sprint store manager also told me since I have a broadband speed connection with Verizon there is also a gizmo Sprint offers called AiRave that plugs into a router and my internet connection that links directly to the Sprint phone network and creates a mini-tower in my home with a 5,000 sq. ft. range. He said Sprint recognizes their signal limitations in rural areas compared to Verizon and devised that system to fill the gaps. He also said I may qualify to get the AiRave component at no charge. I'd only have to buy the router to make it work. But the rub was the AiRave unit was designed to work on cable, DSL, T1 and T2 hard wire Internet service. It specifically does not work on satellite and he had no idea if it would work on a wireless broadband modem. So I proposed an experiment. I would bring my phone, laptop and Verizon wireless broadband modem to the store and see if we could get a connection through one of his routers. He agreed and we did the experiment yesterday. It was a success! With the wireless modem plugged into the router and establishing a WiFi connection via the laptop I could connect both the phone and the laptop to the Internet via the WiFi hot spot created by the router on my Verizon connection. However... WiFi can only handle data. So I could still not make and receive phone calls. That would require the AiRave unit to also be connected to the router and he did not have one at the store. But we established the connection could be made, so all I needed was a router and the AiRave unit.
Well.... Sprint will not GIVE me an AiRave because I am on a month-to-month contract. But they will SELL me one for $299. Good to know since I already bought a router I would not otherwise need. Plan B: bought an older version on eBay for $43. So I'm at least a week away from finding out if all this will work out as planned.
And here's the coup d'grace to my tale of technology woe... When I returned home from my "experiment" at the Sprint store I plugged in my laptop, hit the power button and... nothing. The hard drive is DOA. That makes the third one in three years. I guess it figured 'You have a Smartphone now. My work here is done.' My PC wasn't equipped with WiFi to connect to my router like the laptop was. But luckily (if there's any luck to be found in any of this) I did have an old WiFi USB adapter from one of my previous laptops that has found a new home on my PC.
The old adage "When you're up to your ass in alligators it's hard to remember all you wanted to do was drain the swamp" certainly applies to my "simple" adventure of upgrading to a Smartphone. ~FH
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Re: Technology must hate me
OMG!!! I'm busting a gut laughing here - sorry its at your expense. I hope your eBay purchase works out.
I myself pay way too much to AT&T for home phone service that we perhaps use for legitimate calls once seek and the rest of the calls we get are sales calls which we ignore. In addition to the home phone service we also pay forU-Verse tv and Internet. Although we don't watch a lot of tv, we have three computers so we figure its worth it.
In addition I have a low end Smartphone - An LG Optimus Elite, on a month to month Virgin mobile plan. I was loving it and getting quite a bit of use out of it until my husband bought me a new iPad with G4 service. I love my iPad and use it for a lot of the things I used the smart phone for - checking email, Facebook etc, plus reading or listening to books on the way to and from work.
So now I pay $30 a month for an AT&T data plan for the iPad and the smartphone only gets used for emergencies, like when I got to my car at the end of the workday and realized I had a flat tire. AAA is the first number I added to my contacts list!
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48northfarm
  - Joined on 03-01-2009
- Port Townsend, WA
- Horse of the Year
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Re: Technology must hate me
I have an LG dumbphone which rarely gets used. I never receive calls, only make calls, on a T-Mobile pay-as-you-go plan, not even a contract. I just put money in the acct, and use whatever I need on the infrequent times I need to make a call. I'm not really in the boonies, but I can't get a signal because the nearest tower is behind a hill. My phone stays in my purse, if I need to make a call away from home. Nobody calls me, and I don't need to call anyone so urgently that I need a smartphone. The geek in me loves the idea of a smartphone, but the miser in me cringes at the thought of paying those ridiculous fees. I HAVE to have satellite TV--no cable and no local channels except Canadian--and I also need wi-fi for my iPads, but that is as far as I'll go.
Megan
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"The horse you get off is not the horse you got on. It is your job as a rider to ensure that as often as possible, the change is for the better."
Anonymous |
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FloridaHorseman
- Joined on 01-05-2007
- Lakeland, Florida
- Horse of the Year
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Re: Technology must hate me
UPDATE:
The Smartphone is going back. I already ported my number back to Verizon and my old pre-paid plan. The Verizon CS rep had trouble getting it switched back because she couldn't believe the ancient ESN on my phone. I don't know why. It's only 9 years old.
My continuing investigation of the Sprint plan revealed a number of things the store reps apparently don't know about their own products. They believed the Sprint-As-You-Go plan (month-to-month no contract billing) was different than the pre-paid plan where you pay for minutes up front, which is something they don't actually offer under the Sprint brand. It's their subsidiaries; Boost, Virgin and Assurance and the special ESN phones assigned to them that are bona fide pre-paid plans. But the 611 customer service reps cannot access the Sprint-As-You-Go accounts and always have to transfer calls over to the pre-paid department, even though a Sprint spokesperson confirmed Sprint-As-You-Go is NOT a pre-paid plan: "This is essentially a retail initiative for Sprint-branded stores only, created for customers who have an affinity for the Sprint brand and have indicated they want a no-contract option," explained Sprint spokeswoman Jayne Wallace. "As for our prepaid brands, this actually allows us to strengthen the focus on our primary prepaid sales channels."
Closer investigation also revealed the special AiRave machine is not a free service for Sprint customers like me who live outside the Sprint network. No matter where you get the unit from it has to be registered to your Sprint account, pay a set up fee and an additional $5 monthly access fee. PLUS... phones that are identified as pre-paid account phones by their special ESN are BLOCKED from accessing the AiRave system! Although the AiRave I bought has not yet arrived and I couldn't test it to be certain, all indications are my phone would be blocked since it's considered to be pre-paid by everyone except the store reps and the company president. And I also don't feel responsible to pay for Sprint's signal coverage inadequacies.
And I also discovered my exact same Samsung Galaxy Victory S2 phone is available to Virgin pre-paid customers. That pretty much clinches the fact its ESN locks it into a pre-paid category.
AND... I had to find, download and read the complete TOS agreement for my phone since it was not provided with my phone when I bought it at the Sprint store. All I got was a receipt and a very abbreviated description of fees and "some restrictions may apply". Buried within the TOS is a clause that allows Sprint to charge extra usage fees on an UNLIMITED minutes and data plan like mine if the majority of the monthly bandwidth and phone minutes are accumulated while roaming on a non-Sprint network. I LIVE in a non-Sprint network area! And at least 90% of my phone use is at home. That by itself is a deal breaker. And absolutely nothing was said about that at the Sprint store even though they knew where I lived and knew I would have Sprint network connection problems BEFORE they signed me up.
In all fairness, my local Sprint store reps were much more pleasant to deal with than any of their Verizon counterparts I have encountered in close to 15 continuous years as a Verizon customer. And I do not think I was intentionally misled by them. But it's apparent to me they don't know as much about the Sprint system structure as I think they should. Phones and plans are constantly changing everywhere and it's hard to stay current, I'm sure. But everyone at Sprint should be on the same page to at least what is and isn't considered a pre-paid plan, what "restrictions may apply" and most definitely the TOS disclaimer about non-Sprint network use charges.
So, after spending about $175 on; a wireless router I don't need and cannot even use since my laptop died, phone case, holster, extended life battery, screen protectors and mobile chargers for a phone I will be taking back and an AiRave signal booster that only works on a Sprint account my attempt to join the 21st century communications community has been a very expensive lesson about futility. Adding insult to injury I expect a $35 "restocking" charge to be deducted from the $150 refund due upon returning the phone within 14 days of purchase. You can bet I will be asking them to waive that fee considering what I've done at my own expense to try to remain a new Sprint customer.
For those who long for the good ol' days of the 20th century just drive 4 miles East of US 98 in Polk County, Florida, look for the roadside fruit stands, old tires and furniture dumped in the ditches, Burma Shave advertising rhymes, washing machines on front porches and eventually the welcome sign that says "Yes. Out here even 1 bar of 3G signal is a luxury" and you'll know you've arrived back into the Clinton presidency era...
... and you are most definitely NOT on a Sprint network. ~FH
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ShireHorse
  - Joined on 05-17-2011
- Eastern Washington
- Ground Training
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Re: Technology must hate me
Your comments made me chuckle, and I couldn't help but laugh. :) I'm a seventeen-year-old in the twenty-first century who couldn't even work a track phone until four months ago, let alone turn on a smart phone. My dad was complaining to me that this was my generation and I should know how to use these things. ;) I basically believe as long as the phone can call people I'm good. Though I think it's kind of fun to take pictures. :) Then again that's because my sister's camera I still haven't figured out how to use and take pictures and the phone one is a little easier... Who says we have to buy into the technology of the day? I wish we could all go back in time even back to the fifties when my mom could ride all day long on her horse in rattle snake country and return home without her parents worrying about her. All of you have my envy at having such freedom when you were kids... :)
"We were ninety-nine percent trouble and one percent innocent...What could we say? We were adventurers!" -The I Can! Cowgirls
"I'm not a horse trainer, I'm a horseman. What’s the difference? A horse trainer trains horses; a horseman trains himself." – Chris Cox
"How do you gain your horse's respect? By moving his feet forwards, backwards, left and right and always rewarding the slightest try." -Clinton Anderson
“It’s the way you ride the trail that counts.” -Roy Rodgers
"Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there." - Will Rogers
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48northfarm
- Joined on 03-01-2009
- Port Townsend, WA
- Horse of the Year
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Re: Technology must hate me
When do you suppose the time will come you can no longer get a landline, just a cell phone?
Megan
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"The horse you get off is not the horse you got on. It is your job as a rider to ensure that as often as possible, the change is for the better."
Anonymous |
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Re: Technology must hate me
I hope never. I can barely get a signal on my Virgin cell phone (on the Sprint network) at the house. I'd have to go to Voice Over IP, like Vonage or something for home phone service. But the thing that worries me about that is that if your internet goes out, so does the phone.
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FloridaHorseman
- Joined on 01-05-2007
- Lakeland, Florida
- Horse of the Year
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Re: Technology must hate me
UPDATE to the UPDATE:
Sprint has their phone back. The store manager was personally involved in my connection dilemma, knew everything I did trying to get their technology to work out here on the dark side of the Moon, refunded the phone price, did NOT charge a restocking fee and gave me an additional $25 store credit that wiped out the prorated phone usage bill for 11 days. I think that's a pretty fair shake. I AM, however, stuck with the Sprint AiRave signal booster, the wireless router and the accessories I bought for the phone. I will re-sell the AiRave on eBay and the phone accessories will go in a bag awaiting the day I may possibly get a Samsung Galaxy that will work out here... or be left to my estate, whichever occurs first. The router I have decided to keep. My laptop is in rehab and it will be several days before I know if it's repairable (affordable). Either way I will need a laptop since Smartphones remain dumb as a post at my location. And wireless WiFi here at the house will be useful with another laptop. In fact, I'm using the wireless router between the PC and my Verizon Wireless Broadband USB modem right now... just because I can.
The router came with only a power cord. No instructions, no manual, NO USER NAME, NO PASSWORD and NO EXTERNAL ANTENNAS! It took me almost 2 hours to hack my way into the router and get it set up and working. But that's a different story for a different day.
The router is a discontinued model and I searched the entire global Internet community for the dual external antennas needed to extend WiFi range beyond 50 feet. Every supplier on the first two pages of Google results said "discontinued" or "out of stock". On the third results page I found a small retailer in Utah that still had a pair so I snapped them up. That tacks another $50 onto "The Failed Sprint Experiment". Until I sell the AiRave unit the total now is approximately what it cost to feed 2 horses for 6 weeks. And since I will never cut back on care and feed for my animals that really translates to me not eating for about 2 1/2 months (well... a steady diet of baloney & government cheese) and no gas for the Firebird until August. I have two additional new training clients and a 350 mile horse transport... all pending. So I may see my way clear to a McHappy Meal by Memorial Day.
But "Woo-Hoo! Look at me!" I'm on the Internet with a wireless router but only 1 machine "talking" to it. I guess this is as close to 21st century technology as I can get. Time to celebrate with a grilled baloney and cheese sandwich. ~FH
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Re: Technology must hate me
Well if you must live in the boonies..... At least the store manager was decent about the whole mess and gave you a discount as well as store credit. I'm impressed that you were able to hack into the router -- perhaps you're in the wrong line of work? Perhaps a nice lucrative position showing Fortune 500 companies the weaknesses in their security systems would be in line with your talents? Just kidding... but hey, think about it... 
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48northfarm
- Joined on 03-01-2009
- Port Townsend, WA
- Horse of the Year
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Re: Technology must hate me
Hey, he might not be completely in the boonies. I live only three miles from the Port Townsend city limits, but I can't get any cell phone coverage at my house, because of the afore-mentioned hill. Of course the town is only around 6000 residents, so it's not a hot spot of technology. But we do have a Starbucks, and you can get wi-if there if I couldn't get via satellite at my house. Good thing the horses are not 21st century technology.
Megan
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"The horse you get off is not the horse you got on. It is your job as a rider to ensure that as often as possible, the change is for the better."
Anonymous |
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Solaris
  - Joined on 07-03-2006
- Durham, NC
- Forum Hall of Fame
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Re: Technology must hate me
OMG, fh, that is terrible but hilarious. This is why I live in terror that my current cell phone might die someday. I HATEZ the smartphones, there is never a single one that gets as strong a signal as my phone and they seem to think that everyone has leprechaun fingers and enjoys wasting their life yelling at touch screens that won't obey. They made us get these field computers for work; I did make good faith effort to use the damn thing - it's basically a big, really heavy tablet since it's waterproof, etc. It now works hard as a paperweight, bleh. Verizon is, I am sure, plotting to kill my phone so they can make me "upgrade" since my plan is an old on that no longer exists, but is grandfathered in with ZERO data charges or any of that other crap they've added on and unlimited everything. Now I feel like less of a dork for vetting every single piece of real estate I've looked at by checking to see what cell service is like, LOL.
 Solaris -- 16 hh Appendix Quarter Horse = MY DREAM COME TRUE! We Are Flying Solo
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FloridaHorseman
- Joined on 01-05-2007
- Lakeland, Florida
- Horse of the Year
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Re: Technology must hate me
 Solaris:...Verizon is, I am sure, plotting to kill my phone so they can make me "upgrade" since my plan is an old on that no longer exists, but is grandfathered in with ZERO data charges or any of that other crap they've added on and unlimited everything. Now I feel like less of a dork for vetting every single piece of real estate I've looked at by checking to see what cell service is like, LOL.
When I ported my cell # back to Verizon on my 9 YO flip phone I was told I could not get my old pre-paid plan back and would have to take the new one that replaced it. The new one is $35 a month for 500 minutes. I NEVER hit 500 minutes a month and my old plan was $1.99 every day I actually used the phone with unlimited minutes for the rest of that day until midnight. My monthly average bill on the old plan was about $40-$45, so Verizon screwed up and gave me a less expensive plan. In fact, the new plan also has unlimited text and data for the same $35. But the flip phone has no QWERTY keypad and a 1" screen. So unlimited text & data for me is like giving a prisoner for life with no parole unlimited free meals at the nearest town's steakhouse. I can see it from here but would have a huge problem getting there.
The laptop surgeon called today. One of my memory sticks died. No loss of data. Apparently the BIOS was set to first try to boot from internal memory rather than my disk drive so I could reboot with my recovery disk. For some reason the boot source did not march down the pecking order to find the operating system and the laptop would just shut down with a blank screen. $70 for the labor, $25 plus tax for the part. The laptop lives to surf another day. When it comes home from the geekatorium it will complete my honest-to-God new wireless home network... that I still don't really need. But I will use it anyway. I must have something to show for this $200 out of pocket Sprint fiasco.
I'm already tired of baloney & cheese. Kibbles 'N Bits is starting to look pretty good. ~FH
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Solaris
- Joined on 07-03-2006
- Durham, NC
- Forum Hall of Fame
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Re: Technology must hate me
Spaghetti noodles. Moar filling, tastez great! Hahah! And that amuses me deeply that Verizon gets LESS money after denying you your old plan, dorks. I'm so sorry it's such a long walk to the steakhouse though. If the phone has the T9 option for texting, I actually got pretty dang fast at that on my previous phone that I had for about six years till the #3 key stopped working -- I kinda needed 'e' and 3, sadly, so I had to replace it, but I love love the phone I have now with Samsung's 'magic' keys, I really need to stop dropping it in parking lots. :\
Solaris -- 16 hh Appendix Quarter Horse = MY DREAM COME TRUE! We Are Flying Solo
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NWBuckskinLvr
  - Joined on 08-27-2007
- Oregon
- Competitor
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Re: Technology must hate me
Thanks, FH. I finally had time to read this and really needed the laughs today.
You do need to consider cloning yourself. You simply cannot alone accomplish all the things you are so excellent at performing.
Oh, and where do you get that government cheese? I want some!
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