I Owe Verizon An Apology

because I'm a dumbass

from JoeUser Forums
I finally made it home late this afternoon. It felt really good to be home again after a month of road bullshit. After dropping my bags on the living room floor I immediately walked over to the c-store for a 12 pack. I wanted to kick back in my recliner with a cold one or two.

When I got back I fired up the computer so I could order a pizza for dinner. No internet service! What???!!!! It was supposed to be transferred to the new place a month ago for crying out loud! I looked over at the modem/router and it was blinking in a manner it's not supposed to blink. No signal. Jesus on a pony!

I called up the Verizon tech support number and complained about the fact that after a month I still had no dsl service. The tech, "Sherman" (I never knew folks in India named their kids Sherman) assured me that the work order had been completed. We walked through a few troubleshooting steps and he decided that the modem was faulty. Of course it's out of warranty too.

I told him that I did not believe that the modem was faulty but that I would go buy a new one if for no other reason than to prove him wrong. I went and bought a new one. I came back. I began disconnecting the old modem and noticed that when I unplugged the power the modem stayed lit. WTF?

After a quick wire trace I realized that somehow during the quick move and set up I switched the power leads for the speakers and the modem. The speaker power lead was plugged into the back of the modem and visa versa. Ummmmmm, hello? The little speaker power unit can't supply near enough juice for the modem.

Once I corrected the power lead mix up the modem immediately connected and I had internet service.

Naturally I felt like a total dumbass.

I probably should call up "Sherman" and apologize. But I probably won't.

Ah well, it' still nice to be home and maybe I can redeem my pride a little bit tomorrow by fixing the leaky water valve in the bathtub. Or maybe follow through on the whole dumbass trick and flood the joint.
blogging
4,368 views 31 replies
Reply #1 from JoeUser Forums Top
Haha.

And now you know what it's like to be me every single day of my life. LOL.
Reply #2 from JoeUser Forums Top
Haha.

And now you know what it's like to be me every single day of my life. LOL.




I'd like to say I've never done anything that dumb before, but well...I just can't.
Galactic Civilizations IV
Reply #3 from JoeUser Forums Top
lol... at least you admitted it.. You do realize you aren't the only one to ever do that,, but it does make me feel better knowing if you can screw it up.. that I shouldn't feel bad when I do..

Glad you can chill for a few days.. Take care
Reply #4 from JoeUser Forums Top
lol... at least you admitted it.. You do realize you aren't the only one to ever do that,, but it does make me feel better knowing if you can screw it up.. that I shouldn't feel bad when I do..

Glad you can chill for a few days.. Take care


Well, I think we all have our dumbass moments from time to time.

Thanks
Reply #5 from JoeUser Forums Top
Nah, don't worry about calling Sherman back, MM. We're used to PEBKAP and ID-10T errors...lol. ANd the end users NEVER call us back when it's THEIR fault...lol!
Reply #6 from JoeUser Forums Top
Nah, don't worry about calling Sherman back, MM. We're used to PEBKAP and ID-10T errors...lol. ANd the end users NEVER call us back when it's THEIR fault...lol!


Yeah, I know. I used to be in that line of work, but I did the in person stuff not on the phone. Sometimes it was really hard to not laugh at them.
Reply #7 from JoeUser Forums Top
but I did the in person stuff not on the phone.


I do both. And yes, it is hard not to laugh. At least on my phone, I have a "mute" button, which is liberally used.
Reply #8 from JoeUser Forums Top
Don't worry - Verizon's messed with me enough for both of us.
Reply #9 from JoeUser Forums Top
but I did the in person stuff not on the phone.


I do both. And yes, it is hard not to laugh. At least on my phone, I have a "mute" button, which is liberally used.


Yeah I imagine that mute button could be handy
Reply #10 from JoeUser Forums Top
Don't worry - Verizon's messed with me enough for both of us.


I know what you mean.

That reminds me, I need to call and yell at them about something else.
Reply #11 from JoeUser Forums Top

I've done my share, or almost done my share, of mixing up plenty of power supplies in my day.  That whole issue is why people at work think I'm incredibly anal/OCD when I put all of the parts for a router/ switch/ hub/ set of speakers/ etc. into a bag, power supply included and keep things together that way.  Having had a rash of speakers that don't work because they are mismatched with the wrong power supply, and hubs that had the same problem, and lots of other devices, well, you get incredibly frustrated.

What makes matter worse for all of us is that the people that manufacture the devices and the people that make the power supplies many times never bother to actually put any real identifying information on the power supply so you can't tell that 'Innetech' power supply really goes with this hub, or that speaker, or whatever.

Frustrating as all get out.

Reply #12 from JoeUser Forums Top

Texas Wahine said:

And now you know what it's like to be me every single day of my life. .

Now I know that just ain't true as I've seen females remind the males in the populace that until we can pass a bowling ball....

Reply #13 from JoeUser Forums Top
What makes matter worse for all of us is that the people that manufacture the devices and the people that make the power supplies many times never bother to actually put any real identifying information on the power supply so you can't tell that 'Innetech' power supply really goes with this hub, or that speaker, or whatever.


Yup.

I've handled more routers than I care to remember, and checking and triple checking the voltage is a PIA. It's just a good thing the speaker voltage was LESS than the modems so it didn't get fried!
Reply #14 from JoeUser Forums Top
What makes matter worse for all of us is that the people that manufacture the devices and the people that make the power supplies many times never bother to actually put any real identifying information on the power supply so you can't tell that 'Innetech' power supply really goes with this hub, or that speaker, or whatever.


Yeah that's always been a major complaint of my own. Why can't they label the damn things?

I normally also package up everything together but this move was a rush job and in no way organized.
Reply #15 from JoeUser Forums Top

YOu are lucky.  Underpowering those boxes is usually what causes them to die.

As for Sherman, I have called a company back and appologized in he past when "an impossible" was the truth.  This does not include Verizon who I called to have reset a password, and they spent 2 hours on the phone with me, calling me every idiot name they could when they thought I could not hear, just to find out after 2 hours (and finally getting the password), that it was the Linksys (which I would have been able to tell in about 10 minutes if they had given me the stupid password!).

No, I dont have any sympathy for Verizon and their idiots.

Reply #16 from JoeUser Forums Top

YOu are lucky.  Underpowering those boxes is usually what causes them to die.

As for Sherman, I have called a company back and appologized in he past when "an impossible" was the truth.  This does not include Verizon who I called to have reset a password, and they spent 2 hours on the phone with me, calling me every idiot name they could when they thought I could not hear, just to find out after 2 hours (and finally getting the password), that it was the Linksys (which I would have been able to tell in about 10 minutes if they had given me the stupid password!).

No, I dont have any sympathy for Verizon and their idiots.



Yeah, when I realized what I had done I was sure the box was fried. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it worked fine once I switched the power supplies.

Those Verizon people are asshats and I really hate dealing with them. If I had cable I'd just get Roadrunner, but I'm just not home enough to justify the expense.
Reply #17 from JoeUser Forums Top
I went and bought a new one.


Just curious, did you return the box?

Naturally I felt like a total dumbass.

I probably should call up "Sherman" and apologize. But I probably won't.


And that's why they usually ask those questions that make people think they are calling us stupid like "is the power cord plugged in?" and "is the phone line/cable line/ethernet cable connected?".

Reply #18 from JoeUser Forums Top
Just curious, did you return the box?


Of course. Once I knew the problem I returned the new one.

And that's why they usually ask those questions that make people think they are calling us stupid like "is the power cord plugged in?" and "is the phone line/cable line/ethernet cable connected?".


Yes, I know. I used to be in the troubleshooting business myself. It's especially embarrassing for me as I am a degreed engineer
Reply #19 from JoeUser Forums Top
It's especially embarrassing for me as I am a degreed engineer


hey, this only proves that no one (with the exception of Col gene) is perfect. It happens to the best of us.
Reply #20 from JoeUser Forums Top
It's especially embarrassing for me as I am a degreed engineer


hey, this only proves that no one (with the exception of Col gene) is perfect. It happens to the best of us.


true nuff.
Reply #21 from JoeUser Forums Top
It's especially embarrassing for me as I am a degreed engineer


It goes back to "you get what you pay for". In the early days of networks, when we did everything from desktop to ISP, I usually asked a few probing questions first to determine the level of the end user, and then geared my questions and instructions to that level. Now (as I stated up top), when you call, they dont even listen to you, but start into their playbook,. barely getting our responses.

So it does not matter if you are pedigreed or mutt, you get the same spiel and the same condescending attitude.
Reply #22 from JoeUser Forums Top
So it does not matter if you are pedigreed or mutt, you get the same spiel and the same condescending attitude.


Yeah, I do find that annoying, especially when they ask you something you just answered five seconds earlier.
Reply #23 from JoeUser Forums Top
Now (as I stated up top), when you call, they dont even listen to you, but start into their playbook,. barely getting our responses.


Yea, basically the playbook starts by telling them "you are smarter than they are, that's why they are calling you".
Reply #24 from JoeUser Forums Top
I love it when you explain the entire problem, and then they ask specific questions that are targeted to gather the information you just gave them.
Reply #25 from JoeUser Forums Top
Now (as I stated up top), when you call, they dont even listen to you, but start into their playbook,. barely getting our responses.


Yea, basically the playbook starts by telling them "you are smarter than they are, that's why they are calling you".


I actually heard the guy tell a coworker "Geez! look at the time on this one. I always get the morons."

yea buddy, that is why you did not hear me ask for the freaking password! idgit!