Fool me infinity (or how I learned to stop worrying and just pay) - Part 2

Hi all,

In October of 2011, I was brought back into the warm and wonderful folds of my previous employer, and with that lavishness came a company phone again.

Not needing a personal line anymore, I was very glad that I hadn't signed up for a contract that I'd have to pay out. I thought I'd be able to walk away financially unscathed.

I called my carrier to cancel my service, did the whole "It's not you, it's me" thing (which was very true), and then I was presented with an excellent option, or so I thought.  Instead of cancelling the account outright, I could convert it into a Pay-as-you-go plan, and with the credit I was due, buy some airtime, and keep the phone for emergencies.  I loved the sound of it, and it looked like no one would be hurt.

The next month, I was surprised to get a mobile phone bill, and even more surprised that it had an amount owing on it, similar to what I had seen in previous months. Hmmmm.

I called the nice folks back to see what happened - turned out they hadn't made the change at all, but there were luckily notes saying that this was what I wanted to do.  I was told they would make the switch, but there would be another bad bill coming in the meantime.  I was cool with that, although confused, so I let it slide.  Computers are hard to interrupt.

2 months passed, and I got not only a bad bill (as promised), but another bill with the charge now doubled. Hmmmm.  Another call found that the change hadn't gone through again, but this time, they were able to take care of the whole thing, and backdate my account for 3 months, give me my credit, apply it to pay-as-you-go, and away I went. Awesome.  I was free.

Just like Michael Corleone (at least in my mind), just when I thought I was out, they pulled me back in.

Read part 3 to find out how!

Fool me infinity (or how I learned to stop worrying and just pay) - Part 1

Hi all!

I did a bad thing when I chose my wireless service provider.  That has changed, but I can't quite get the monkey off my back.  The choices I made were bad, but the main thing I want to emphasize is that I knew what I was doing, and still had trouble.  I feel terrible for those who don't know, and are being fleeced constantly.

My story is one of millions, and we're all very excited to tell it.  From my experience, there are no good service providers, just lucky people who get a neutral experience.

Here's the beginning of my story:

When I was downsized in July of 2011, my first concern was "Where do I get phone service?"

The answer to this really REALLY important question was the quick and easy path. I should have known that this would lead to the dark side, but I wasn't ready for star wars imagery.

I technically could have gone with any carrier. I had leftover phones that would work with any of them, but I made a quick reaction, and went into the store to get my SIM card.

That process was easy, and the sales staff were awesome.  It was also the last good experience I had with them.

My first obstacle was getting daytime minutes.  I needed to make calls, do interviews, and not worry about minutes.  I remembered WiFi calling, and even though people hadn't talked about it in a while, that it fit my situation quite nicely. The general gist is that while you're connected to WiFi, you can make calls over WiFi, and those calls don't affect your cellular minutes. Helps for people who live in the boonies, and want to make and receive calls, but don't have cell service everywhere.

I called the good folks at wireless carrier R to get hooked up with some WiFi action, and although it still existed, they hadn't been talking about it in a while either.  Thankfully, calls to them were not included in my minutes, otherwise I wouldn't have a dime left to my name. I patiently waited on hold while they scrambled to find information on it, and when they got that information, it was incomplete.  Here's a short re-creation of these events:

Me - I'd like to sign up for WiFi calling, how does that work?

R - Hold please.

R - Yes, we have WiFi calling.

Me - Great!  How does it work?

R - Hold please.

R - We have three plans, one costs $5 a month, the other costs $10, and the other costs $15.  Which would you like?

Me - What's the difference?

R - Hold please.

R - We don't know.

Me - I'll take the $5 plan.

I didn't hold it against them for not knowing about this arcane thingy that can really help people out - it wasn't on everyone's mind at the time. I understood.

However, after a while, I got a bill, charging me for calls I'd made while at home, on WiFi.

I called them advising that this happened. I told them that I understood that it was hard to tell that I was on WiFi at the time, but for one of the examples (a 65 minute interview), I was sure I had been home the whole time, and that it shouldn't have affected my cell minutes.

I got chucked back and forth from billing, to tech support, and back again, until VOILA, it was revealed that they could see that the call was made using WiFi, and not through the cellular network. Booya, right? Wrong.

Although at the time I was asking about WiFi calling, the rep didn't know the difference between the $5, $10 and $15 plan, this rep did, and explained that while the $5 plan gave me access to use WiFi calling, the minutes still counted against me.  To get the full benefit of not having the minutes count, I could pay $10 a month.

I did that, and took the hit on the calls I made, chalking it up to me doing a bad thing, and that I should have done more of my homework, or sat lazily by while someone else did their homework.

More questionable decision making by me in Part 2!

Fun things my eldest son has said

Hi all,

This post is as much about remembering these quotes as it is about sharing them. Although both of my sons are completely awesome, my eldest is 100% more vocal, so all of these quotes are by him.

"When I get to Aunt Jeannie and Uncle Tony's house, I'm going to go into the living room, and yell 'How's everybody doing?'"

"I LOVE YOU, THE SYSTEM!" (yelled to no one in particular, so, to the system, I guess?)

"I shouldn't stand up in the car so that you'll love me."

Joel: "I have a headache."
Heather: "What does it feel like?"
Joel: "Potatoes. And cold."

"We have to run across the desert, Jerome!" (I was Jerome the camel from Little Drummer Boy, the scariest puppet show there ever was.
"Oh wait, we don't have to run, because I have all my gadgets"

What awesome things have you heard from youngins?

Time Travel

My friend and blog mentor recently posted about visiting himself in the past.  This was an awesome way to jog my brain - thinking how I would tell myself things.  I'm not going to lay out the conversation the way the inspirational entry did, but here are four basic thoughts I would absolutely convey:

1 - Do what makes you happy - I spent (spend?) a lot of my time doing my best to make people happy.  I wouldn't do away with that part entirely, but I would remind myself to consider what I want.

2 - Stop trying to be cool - This one is harder to get across, because it's tough to prove the absence of something. Growing up, I was sure my every choice, every word, every action, and every emotion was being meticulously reviewed by SOMETHING, to determine if I was cool. This mythical judicial committee does not exist.

3 - Hope is good. I've found that having hope is considered by society to be "silly" in some instances. I should have held on to hope, and there isn't a time when it isn't awesome.

4 - Other people are interested in what you're interested in.  I didn't have any interests which completely ostracized me while growing up, but living in pre-internet society in Canada led me to believe that society was boring. Hockey is fine, and wrestling is passable if you're looking to justify watching a soap opera with different characters, but I wanted lazers, space ships, and robots ALL THE TIME. Pre-internet, outside of my group of friends, I didn't think I could share those things with other people, and worried about that. I didn't need to.

From "just internet" to full meal deal

Cross posting so I can test writing on wordpress and Blogger.

So, this evening, we get a knock on our door at 6 something pm. It's a Bell guy talking about a new promotion they have with FibreOp, and I am PSYCHED to shut him down with my objections. I've done the research, and the promotional rate lasts for a paltry amount of time, and then you're stuck with a horrendous rate for another eternity to fulfill a contract.

Dude stuns me immediately with both barrels - "We stopped requiring contracts and the promotional rate lasts for 12 months. After that, you can do what you want without penalty."

Yes please!

The dude is giving his spiel about the full meal deal package (internet, phone, tv), but I stop him to say all I dig is internet. His face falls, and he gives me the rate, which is way better than I was expecting, and he's in.

While we're doing the obligatory credit check, he asks me about why I only want internet, and I launch into very familiar territory - everything is available online (no mention of torrents) and my better half and I both have cell phones, so cable and phone are un-needed expenses. I totally believe these objections too. We've lived without cable TV since 2007, and without home phone since 2008 (not counting magicjack's awesomeness for a year). Despite minor reservations, it's been awesome, and for those who want to cut back in spending, I heartily endorse this method.

Since a land line is something I'd like to know more about, I ask what the diffference would be. Small potatoes, appparently, and since my wife's cell phone is through Bell, we get a $5 bundle discount. Hmmmmm. Would it be all that bad?

20 minutes later, we're signed up for cable, PVR, land line, internet, and I have to cut up my custom "lived without cable for 5 years - and I'm still here!" tshirt. I feel like a baby looking at "channels" and "networks", and I'm excited.

Although I hope to go bqck to minamialist in 2 months (a built in trial so that we get to keep a gift card), I'm going to try to stay open to my previous self and see how it goes.

How have your experiences gone with or without cable and/or landlines? Any pitfalls I should watch for?

Technology RULES!

Hi all,

This feels like it's a self serving post for me, since I'm a person who makes their livelihood by "making things go" with technology.  Even still - it's worth talking about.  Technology makes everything awesome, and I'm not just talking about computers.

Here are some things that I used today that made my life a kabillion times easier:

Google Maps

GPS

Cell Phone

Email

Smartphone Apps

Social Networking

Online Voting

Torrents

Anything else that makes you feel like you'd be all curled up without?

Airplanes are Awesome (if I could remember this stuff)

Hi all,

Airplanes are truly awesome - they get us from Point A to Point B in a matter of hours instead of days.  Sure, flying is expensive, but so is the alternative sometimes.

Once upon a time, I learned all of these tips through either the wisdom of others, or my mistakes.  I've done more driving than flying lately, so I forgot nearly all of these, so I thought I'd write them on the blogosphere for next time.

If you're flying, airports are your biggest challenge, and where you might end up spending a few extra hours for weather, or sinkholes, or other awesome events that make planes late.

Here are musts to have in your carry-on bag, preferably near the top, but you can only do what you can, right?:

1- Charger for entertainment - Whether you entertain yourself with a laptop, an iPod, a BlackBerry, a Kindle, whatever it is, bring a charger.  Playing a video is an enormous drain on battery life, just to keep a screen alive, and heaven forbid you're using a physical media like DVD or Blu-Ray - spinning the drive will suck the battery drier than most deserts.  A nice physical book is a fantastic backup, but it can be a little bit bulky.

2 - Your wallet, keys, and cellphone - Huh? Won't I need those in my pockets or purses? Yes, but if you're a pocket wallet, keys and/or phone person, and you need to go through security, SURPRISE! You have to put them all in a bin, and then take them back and re-arrange.  I don't know about everyone else, but when there's someone in front of me to get their stuff back from security, and they have to put it back into 15 different pockets, holding everyone else up, I get a tiny bit annoyed.  It saves you time going into securtiy too, because you don't have to go into those 15 pockets to get the stuff out.

3 - Earbud headphones - This is for those of you who get sucked into screens (myself included), but they're a must for us.  No matter how much I want to avoid the in-flight entertainment, those screens are just so pretty, that I eventually succumb to their wily charms.  Even if I manage to last through take-off without plugging in, my neighbour ends up watching something amazing, so instead of reading lips and watching over shoulders, I'll pop in my headphones and watch in my own pod.  Most airlines are cool with all types of headphones for the middle of the flight if there isn't any turbulence, but those earbud headphones let you enjoy the awesomeness during takeoff, landing, taxiing, the whole she-bang.

4 - Collapsible travel pillow- Awesome for quick airport naps (remember to set an alarm somehow), back support or nap support on the plane itself. The ones they sell in the airport themselves are complete rip-offs, but they've got a captive audience of people who sit around doing nothing...

5 - A light sweater (also near top) - Planes and airports alike do not follow weather patterns, and often like to crank the air conditioning. Being cool is cool.  Being cold sucks.



These 5 things being said, it's a good idea to keep your carry-on luggage pretty light, especially if you want to grab a meal or something.  This is one of the reasons I will always check a bag rather than cart it around. I know, it's faster since you don't have to wait, and it's more secure since the airline doesn't have to lose your luggage, but it's hassle at security to go through your toiletries  and you have to hire a pack mule to go to Tim Horton's. To each their own.

Seating deserves its own bullet as there are a few mistakes I've made:

1 - The front row of an aircraft might have extra leg room, and you will be the first off the plane if you've got your carry-on luggage. That's a big if, because if the airline keeps their stuff in the cabin, it's often up at the front so the staff can do the safety dance and show you how to wear an oxygen mask.  To prepare for this eventuality, I recommend carrying numbers 1-3 in a jacket, which will also be your pillow and sweater, and you can put it in your lap.

2 - The emergency exit has awesome leg room, but some airlines will charge extra for the privilege of stretching out your tootsies.

3 - The last row of a plane is often built for tiny people without elbows. Sure, it might not be a priority to get off the flight first, but after sitting jammed into that tiny space for awhile, those priorities change FAST.

4 - This might be common sense, but if you're a person who might have to go to the bathroom, or is a brave soul who travels with children, pick an aisle seat. If you're gonna hold it until the airport anyway, pick a window. Please.

Some other airport tips:

1 - Wear slip-on shoes for ease of getting through security.  Quick off, quick on.

2 - If you're bringing a laptop, have it out already before you get to the station, or pack it in checked baggage if it isn't your entertainment.

3 - Wear a watch, or find a seat facing a clock - this keeps me "in time" so I don't lose track, either missing stuff, or thinking it's been FOREVER when it's really only been 5 minutes.

4 - Online checkins rule, and should be done as soon as you can. That way you get access to the prime seats (first row or emergency exits for legroom), and if the airline decides there aren't enough people, or the plane is broken, they can let you know before you show up at the airport.