A grumpy day

DS1 got a phone upgrade (mom coupon) for christmas so we went over to change his up. After we pick out the phone he wants we know it comes with a $25 activation fee and then $50 plus a 3 year contract. I asked the lady helping us about four times what the bottom line would be on my bill. DS1 could see me twitching as she kept going through itemized numbers instead of the bottom line. We finally got that sorted out and we about to change up his phone. He is on my account and was on the 'add a phone' option for billing. It was very busy there and it took her a long time to get through to the activation folks on the phone. Then came the bad news that we could not continue the 'add a phone' option we were used to. Reason? DS1s new phone is a data phone and mine is not (it's older). Can't do add a phone with two different species of phones. So either I have to pay for a data phone package for me (even though I don't have one) or we have to split the bills apart. Either way it comes to the same amount. $50 extra a month. Ow. big ow.  The lady knew I was not pleased about this. I told her I knew she was just the messenger, but that I was still grumpy about how one gets trapped into decisions.


This took an hour. they were very busy in there.


We headed over to my mom's and discovered she had upgraded her 6 year old cell phone and got the same one DS2 got for Christmas (his first phone). Still with me?


DS2 looks at his phone and says "well I thought that seemed weird". His phone has a slide keyboard and the framework around the letters was all raised. He had thought it was supposed to be that way. what did he know? His phone is under his father's contract. Father and I separated our cell bills a few years ago after we had one too many fights about how much long distance and charges he was making on there, yet not paying any money towards the bill. It was just easier for peace of mind to split. So I phone the 1 800 number and sure enough they won't let ME go exchange DSs phone as it is under his father's bill. Father is out of town so that makes it harder. I finally get them to agree to phone husband and get his authorization for me to act on his behalf and off to the store we go again.


En route to the store, DS1 tells me that  only SOME of the letters on his keyboard work. others do not. I tell him to be sure before we go and tell him to get his brother to look at it first to be sure so we don't look like idiots. nope.


DS1s lady looked at me and probably thought  'oh hell what does she want? explained and they went off to see what was up with his phone.


DS2 and I stand in line and when it's finally our turn we explain to lady2 what the problem is and say we'd like to exchange the phone. She says she's never seen anything like that before and that it didnt' seem to affect texting except that you had to push harder. I said 'all that is true but this phone has to last for three years and if it's already starting to come apart, I don't know that it would last for the three years. She was grumpy about that. then she asked if i had the box that DS2s phone in. "well no," says I, "I actually didn't make it home from purchasing DS1's phone and it's not working'. nope they won't replace it without the box'. I did  understand that but  I was soooo tired of driving back and forth to home.


Home I went. Then back. again. DS2s lady has disappeared. "oh she's gone for her break' says lady 3, whom I actually taught a few years ago'. " or she doesn't want to talk to me again" says I. "Well' says lady 3, "she did say you were grumpy". 'And I AM" i say, 'for suchnsuch and such reasons. but I wasn't rude to her, I didn't swear, and I hope when she told you I was grumpy in private and not out front where others could hear'. I didnt' care much for the way lady 3 was snippy at me given that she knows me,but at this point I just let it all go"

End result: I think both phones work. I spent way too long fixing problems that were not my fault. I am paying more than I want to and I'm not even sure at this point what I'm paying for.

Time to curl up with a glass of wine and watch the Canadian Jr Team play hockey. DS1 actually played on the same line as one of them at a WHL camp he went to, so we are cheering, in particular, for that young man.

Update: I called Sk Tel thurs and spoke to an incredibly helpful woman who told me the lady was wrong yest about DS1's phone package. She said we were actually paying too much before too. She tinkered with things around, got us a ton more minutes, DS1 gets unlimited local evening calls and his data/online thingie. My bill will only be about $15 more, which I expected with the new phone he has, instead of the $50 to $60 the lady said yesterday. I thanked the lady today profusely for her help in explaining and fixing things. She laughed and said 'that's what we're here for'. I laughed and said 'perhaps you could tell that to the ladies yesterday who thought I was a biatch.