I took a nice little vacation from technology the past 36 hours. I didn't talk on the phone, I didn't go on the Internet, I didn't use my Blackberry and I didn't watch TV.
No, it's not because I'm becoming Amish, or anything extreme like that. It's because I forgot to pay Verizon. And Verizon runs my world.
Once they turn your service off, it's impossible to speak with human, and if you don't have a copy of your bill and the 3 digit number after your phone number, you're screwed.
I spent at least 2 hours trying to get a human to speak with me, and when I finally did, she tried to transfer me to a voice activated computer system that reacted every time someone in my house put a cup down on a counter or breathed too loud. I made a valiant attempt to find a silent corner of my house to attempt to pay my past due amount through the system, to no avail.
This morning, I succeeded in snagging a human being in the billing office who was willing to speak with me for 30 seconds and give me my secret code. I paid my bill, and order has been restored to my world.
Why, you might ask, was this debacle a "blessing in disguise?" Well, without the distraction of my computer and Blackberry, I spent some very nice quality time with my sister and her family, we watched the kids put on a puppet show and talked. I even managed to read a couple chapters of a book. I felt like a regular Laura Ingalls Wilder.
Yes, that 36 hours without technology was a time in my life I will cherish.
In the meantime, I'm putting my Verizon account on autopay so I never, EVER have to go through that again.
No, it's not because I'm becoming Amish, or anything extreme like that. It's because I forgot to pay Verizon. And Verizon runs my world.
Once they turn your service off, it's impossible to speak with human, and if you don't have a copy of your bill and the 3 digit number after your phone number, you're screwed.
I spent at least 2 hours trying to get a human to speak with me, and when I finally did, she tried to transfer me to a voice activated computer system that reacted every time someone in my house put a cup down on a counter or breathed too loud. I made a valiant attempt to find a silent corner of my house to attempt to pay my past due amount through the system, to no avail.
This morning, I succeeded in snagging a human being in the billing office who was willing to speak with me for 30 seconds and give me my secret code. I paid my bill, and order has been restored to my world.
Why, you might ask, was this debacle a "blessing in disguise?" Well, without the distraction of my computer and Blackberry, I spent some very nice quality time with my sister and her family, we watched the kids put on a puppet show and talked. I even managed to read a couple chapters of a book. I felt like a regular Laura Ingalls Wilder.
Yes, that 36 hours without technology was a time in my life I will cherish.
In the meantime, I'm putting my Verizon account on autopay so I never, EVER have to go through that again.
8 comments:
Wow. I would die without the internet & phone. Glad you're back on.
Okay, here's a stupid question - how did you call to get the service turned back on?
Kara- that's actually a very good question. The only number my phone would connect to was BILLMATRIX a sucky automated phone system.
Oh no! I couldn't live without my phone. Especially since I just got an iPhone and found NEW technological ways.
Too funny. Our internet was down for 8 hours yesterday and I was almost hyperventilating...
Obviously I have a problem. I'm hoping that paddle starting next month will break my computer addiction.
Oh and your friend that plays paddle? I don't know her, but now I get all these hits of people googling her name! Does she know how famous she is?
My iPhone is broken and instead of walking it into the Apple store (which is over an hour away and I made three different appt. that I had to cancel for different reasons) I have chosen to mail it in. The first few days without the phone was HELL. HELL. I tell you. HELL. Now, I've reached an eerie calm. It's freaking me out how calm I am about not having a phone. Or internet access at my fingertips.
I was out of the country in May for 10 days. No phone, Internet or television and it was liberating. But don't think I didn't turn my television and computer on as soon as we got home!
You poor dear! It would take a forced outage to get me and my peeps off our modern technology too... kinda sad really.
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