Technology Frustrations

Dear Liza,

I got a new phone the other day. I didn’t want one, but my old one (which was a refurbished used one) had finally died. It wouldn’t hold a charge and wasn’t able to be secured anymore.

In usual times, we would head downtown to the Apple store and choose a new one, and their clever experts would set it up. But these are not normal times and Apple is wisely limiting crowds in the store. Grandpa Nelson ordered one from the website and asked that it be delivered across town, with the promise that the delivery person would also set up the phone. Three delivery dates came and went, and no phone.

Frustration was running high, but after the third day, we pivoted to a new plan. We ordered the phone online, drove downtown, and were handed the phone to set up ourselves. Once we got it home, however, the real frustration began. First, the phone, the charger, and the sleeve had to be ordered and shipped separately. When they arrived, the adapter to connect the charger to the wall socket wasn’t included. More ordering. More waiting. Another drive downtown.

It got weirder. Grandpa Nelson has an android phone, and we use a google network for all our phones. It is cheaper than Apple -friendly systems like Verizon. The trouble is, to set up the Apple phone in the Android universe takes some fancy dance steps. After more than an hour on the phone with a very patient customer service guy, we got my phone plugged in and able to talk to folks.

So, after four solid days of technology frustrations, I have a phone that works.

Don’t even get me started on passwords.

Love,

Grandma Judy