Why does so much stuff simply not work?

This has been one of those days where things just do not want to work. But what I do not understand, it why? All this stuff should be simple, yet there are companies out there who seem to go out of their way to make it difficult or complex. Here is what my day looked like:

I was trying to make a DVD with my new MacBook 13″. It was a double layer DVD, and, using Toast, I toasted 4 double-layer blanks into perfectly good coasters. The error messages were no help, these were random seek errors. No other programs were running (to be sure) and the failures was different each time. Why does this now work? No clue.

So, I moved all the files to my iMacG5, and tried again. But when I insert the double layer blank, the iMac spits it right out. Huh? According to Toast 9, I can burn DL disks. BUT, according to Apple’s System profiler, I cannot. I look up the drive info, a Pioneer DVR-K04, and Pioneer says it should support DL burning as well. BUT, as I dig more, it turns out Apple’s version of the DVR-K04 has double layer burning disabled. How come Toast does not know this? And why did Apple do this to a drive that supports it? A search of a firmware updates from Pioneer says the update works on all DVR-K04 drives EXCEPT the one Apple uses. Really? So, I cannot burn a DL DVD disc now. How nice.

Well, I need to send a review unit back, I will do that. The company gives me a UPS account number, I log onto UPS’s website, and I click “Create Shipping.” Now this is the worst web site for customer friendly input I have seen in a long time. I log in, because I have an account, and nothing changes except a Welcome Owen at the top. Fill in my portions of the form? Not this time. As I fill in the info for sender, I am asked to click a button to get some info for zip code, and when it returns to the shipping page, all info I entered is cleared. I enter it again, plus about 30 other pieces of info (destination, size, weight, etc) and this time I get to the payment info. I say Bill Receiver, and enter the account number of the company, and their name, and click continue. But I get an error. It seems that UPS now requires that I, the sender, also have an account with UPS EVEN if I am billing the receiver for the shipment. No problem, I have one. I thought. I click the enter account link, and am taken to page of my accounts, which show empty. Huh? So I say cancel, and am returned to the shipping page, which is cleared again. Really? I enter all the info again. But it still wants my account into. There is a button that says create an account, but it warns that pressing it will take you away from this page, which, as we now know, translates to delete all info and start over.

So, I decide to call UPS. After 30 minutes on the phone with several “clerks”, they are confused because, they say, because I actually have 4 accounts with UPS. Really? Well, can I use one. NO! Why? They do not know. So, I am transferred to “accounts”, who says I need to create a new one, and am taken through that process on the phone. Now, I am told, I can enter this info into the form, and create my shipment. And, I seem to now have 5 accounts. I can’t help wonder if I will need a new account for every box I ship with UPS these days?

Back to the shipping page, I enter my newly created account info into the page I filled out, press NEXT, and the screen says “>>>Your shipping data has been reset. Restarting your shipping session. (UPS: 80007)” REALLY? I guess in the 40 minutes to sort out and open an account, I timed out and they, of course, toss away all my info. AGAIN! Really?

OK, one more time, 40+ pieces of info all entered with new account, and I press next. and this time it tells me that my account cannot be used to ship this package. No reason, just cannot be used. This has me really baffled, as it is a new account, and the receiver is the one being billed. Back to the phone.

I am told that I have to have a valid account “just in case” the receiver refuses to pay. Do I want to open a new account? NO!!!!!

This time, I am given to tech support. They tell me that it may take from 30 second to 24 hours for my new account to show up on-line. “But I can see my new account number on the account screen now.” I say. Well, I have no idea says the IT guy, try it later, and hangs up.

Ok, I will wait a few hours, I will get back to this. Next crises…

I got a letter from my credit card company about a week ago saying that one of the merchants I use had their database hacked into, and my credit card number “might” have been stolen. They do not know? It also says a new card is coming, to arrive in 7 to 15 days (I see it was urgent) and to continue to use my card until it arrives. Really? That important?

They also tell me that I should watch my account for bogus activity and report it if I see it. OK, I log onto my credit card page, and go to the account activity page. “Due to security reasons, this account is locked out.” Huh? REALLY?

A phone call to Citibank and I am told that “for security reasons,” I cannot use my on-line account to view my credit card info, pay bills, or anything. Why I ask. For security reasons I am told again. It is worth pointing out here, as I did to Citibank, that EVEN if YOU had my credit card, you cannot log on to my account page as it does not use the account number anywhere to gain access. What security reasons would this be? But for “my protection”, this page is now locked down, and they will not remove it. Really?

I call back to Citibank, I ask the rep how just how, as they ask me to do, am I to “watch my credit card for suspicious activity” if I am locked out of the activity screen? I am told they can fax me my last statement. Huh? How does that tell me about new activity? They do not know, it is the best they can do.

Also, my payment was almost due. But I am on paperless statements, and pay THROUGH this website. But I am locked out. I can see my balance and pay that if I wish, but I cannot see my charges. Just how am I supposed to pay this I ask. Well, she says, I should just pay it, and when this is all straightened out, if there are bad charges, they “will investigate them and remove them.” But, I explain, according to terms, this can take 90 days! So I am supposed to pay for possible bad charges and then wait 90 days for my money back? “Oh, no cash will be returned” she says, ” you will receive a credit on the new card.” REALLY? Well, I just paid it because it “seemed” about right. I will now when they send me a paper statement, which they wanted to charge me for (“you can see it on line sir”,) but I was able to finally talk them out of that charge. I hope!

My new cards arrived today. Upon “activating” them, my old account was immediately turned off. I received an insert in the new cards that said I should immediately contact all those merchants that auto-charge to my card, and update that info.

So, I start doing that. I update two AT&T accounts. I update my internet account. I update my Netflix account. I update Dish Network. And a few others. I finally get to Sprint, and Sprint’s system tells me that the card is not authorized to be used. Really?

After 20 minutes on the phone with Sprint, they say that Citibank has blocked the card. OK, now a call to Citibank again. After 20 questions to prove I am me again, they tell me that there was a lot of recent activity on my card, and they have blocked out my card “for my protection.” SIGH! I am bumped a few levels up, explaining the problem each time, giving my account number and pass code each time, and finally get someone who can unblock the account, but he wants to know why all this sudden activity? REALLY? When I explain this to him, he says “Oh” and unlocks the card. Why is this info not on my file? I did what they asked and they blocked my card. Damn glad I discovered it on-line. What would have happened if I was done just before Sprint, and tried to use it at a store the next day?

Back to Sprint, and now I can update my card info. EXCEPT Sprint requires that I pay my bill immediately to authorize this card for LATER auto pay. WHY? Where do these guys come up with this crap? Well, it is only a week away to payment anyway, so I proceed. NOW I am done here.

OK, back to UPS. It is now 8 hours later, so I try again. Gee, maybe the card was locked out here? Nope, it cleared my screen two more times in two more attempts. After 3 hours of trying to ship a box on UPS, I give up. I would try FedEx, except UPS bought the Mailboxes, Etc store near me, and booted Fed Ex out. The nearest FedEx drop off is 5 miles away. I’ll say one thing for the UPS site, it sure gives the US Postal service a lot of customers.

OK, I am done trying to do computer stuff, so I put my newly repaired iMac G5 to sleep. This machine JUST recently came back from Apple where the mother board was replaced, because the power supply went bad 6 months ago, but Apple “forgot” to replace the faulty mother board at the same time. SIGH!

The computer goes to sleep…..no sleep light. I press the mouse, it wakes up. No light. I put it to sleep, no light. Did Apple not check this? Great job Apple. I wonder if they will fix that?

I think I will go read a book. I am sure if I turn on my TV tonight, something will go wrong…go wrong….go wrong……

SIGH!