Monday: Busy day. I changed the sheets, did all the laundry, ran and emptied the dishwasher, cleaned the master bath, vacuumed all but the family room because I didn't want to wake Pepper (cat moms are pushovers), ate the rainbow, posted last week's blog, and ordered the cutting strip for the cutter I bought at Goodwill. I hope it will work, but it isn't scheduled to arrive until after mid-June. Tracking says it was shipped by Royal Mail. Isn't that fun? Sounds as if I'm getting a letter from the king.
I also ironed the scarves I found at Goodwill for 50 cents each (75% off red tags). I like big scarves which can be used as a light wrap when you go to a restaurant.
The week started off just fine, but quickly went south. Here's why.
Lessons I've learned about switching cell phone providers:
I only use my cell phone for emergencies when I leave the house or to look up some info about restaurant hours, etc. I decided I could save money by going from T-Mobile to Consumer Cellular.
T-Mobile had been charging my credit card monthly, and I never saw a bill after my email got hacked and I could never get my new one updated at T-Mobile. I needed to get this handled first, so I told them to send me paper bills and stop charging my credit card. They said it was handled. Cost $5/month more. Okay.
I went to Target to sign up with Consumer Cellular. There were two guys in red shirts working in the phone department. I told them I wanted to switch to Consumer Cellular. They said there's no one here to help you. We can make an appointment. We have a cancellation on May 25. I told them I had an appoinment to get my teeth cleaned that day, and I didn't know the time, so that wouldn't work. Why couldn't they help me? Because they only work for Target.
Lesson 1: There are no full time Consumer Cellular reps at Target. You must make an appointment or sign up online.
I went home and decided to try it online. No problem, I was told. We need $5 to mail you a new sim card and it will take five to seven business days to arrive. In the meantime, we need from T-Mobile your account number, your IME number, and your transfer code. We're setting up your account now, so you'll have a reference number when you call. Okay.
I went to T-Mobile and got my account number and my IME number and they told me that my account was past due and I owed a late fee. Horrors! I always pay my bills on time. I told them I'd never received a bill, and they told me we can't send paper bills. Then why did you tell me it was all set up?
I paid the bill by credit card and they started working on getting a transfer code. It took an hour and three people working on it and talking to the tech department at headquarters or wherever.
The result was that I couldn't get a transfer code because I had them turn off texting when I got the phone. So I asked them what does this mean? You can't keep your number. What?! Why didn't you just say so? I don't give a rip about keeping my number. No one uses it unless I don't answer one of the phones I have in my office, bedroom, family room, kitchen, guest room, or garage.
Lesson 2: T-Mobile does not do paper billing.
Lesson 3: Your trans code is only to transfer your cell phone number to the new service provider.
Lesson 4: If you turn off your texting at T-Mobile, they cannot give you a trans code.
My sim card finally came, so I called Consumer Cellular for directions. They sent a little tool with my card. It looks like a piece of wire, twisted into a loop, and with a tail. You remove the phone from it's case, insert the tail into a hole on the side of the phone, and it pops out a little door with your sim card nestled inside. You change the sim card and then they activate your phone. I told the rep that I needed a new phone number. No problem. This will take a minute.
After two hours on the phone with the rep, trying this and trying that, I was told that my phone is not compatible with Consumer Cellular. What does this mean? I need to buy a new phone. They could have checked this with my IME number before we even got started, but didn't bother.
Lesson 5: Cell phones are not compatible with all companies; especially if it was a "free" phone. Most companies can check with the IME number right up front. Some require you to open an account first.
Lesson 6: The sim card is like the software from the service. It's like the operating system for that specific company.
Now I had a dead phone.
Lesson 7: Don't cancel your old provider until you're certain that the new provider is working properly.
I changed back to the T-Mobile sim card and it worked.
Lesson 8: When changing providers, don't discard the old sim card or handle it too much until you're sure your phone is operating with the new sim card.
I decided to go shopping online. I went to Verizon and they asked for my IME number, and told me my phone was not compatible. I checked Mint Mobile. Same thing. I checked AT&T and got nowhere.
AT&T has an office in Nixa, so I went there and was told that I had to open an account before they could check my IME number. I told them I didn't wish to and went to Walmart.
There was no one working in the phone department until 11:00 a.m.
Lesson 9: Walmart's website might have hours listed online for the wireless department, but that does not include phones. The phones are a concession and their hours don't always match with Walmart's hours. You have to check the schedule posted in the phone department.
I did some shopping and went back to phones at 11:00. I was told that the rep is always late, and sure enough, he showed up at 11:15. My Walmart phone department handles T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon.
I knew I didn't want T-Mobile - been there/done that. I'm not happy with AT&T U-verse prices, and didn't want to open an account to see if my phone was compatible, so tell me about Verizon.
I got a free phone, paper billing, no contract, I can up my plan to include hot spots if traveling, and then change back later if I wish. Hot spots are where you can access the internet, even though your phone service is in a dead zone. It costs extra.
After an hour or so, working with the tech department at headquarters, my phone was finally activated.
Lesson 9: Changing providers will take longer than you thought. Be sure you have the time before you start.
Glad I hadn't put ice cream in my cart before we started.
My mission was to lower my bill, but instead I raised it, though I now have unlimited text I won't use and unlimited data (internet) which I won't use, a new phone to learn even though it's the same maker - just an updated version, but I do have paper billing.
I went to the T-Mobile office and told them to cancel my account and I wanted to pay my pro-rated bill. I was again past due and had a late fee. Why didn't you charge my credit card? Because you changed to paper billing (which they don't have). Fine, just tell me what I owe right now, final bill, and I'll pay it by credit card. You're past the cut off date, so you have to wait until the next bill for the prorated amount from May 25 to May 31. Come back to our office toward the end of June and we'll handle it.
Then I got an email from Consumer Cellular that I owed $10.25. I called to ask why and it was my prorated bill from when I signed up until their cut-off date. I told her that my phone was not compatible and I'd never had service. After much back and forth, she said that she'd take care of it and that someone should have checked my phone before we ever started. I heartily agreed.
A few days later I got another email from Consumer Cellular that I owed $11+ by June 20. I called again and the robot told me that my bill was past due in the amount of $11+. What? not June 20 like the email says? And because my account had never been completed with a password, etc. I couldn't even see the bill. Once again I called and told them the story and finally had to get the manager on the phone to get it handled. I hope!
Lessons I've learned in the past: Everything bad happens for a reason. You might not know why immediately, but be patient and the answer will be revealed.
Then I got a call that the painter would be here on Thursday to paint my dining room and entry. Great! Now I had to empty the buffet of glassware and s&p shakers, plus take all the glassware off the tea cart. I removed all the furniture but the buffet and table.
Now the painting is finished and looks great, but my kitchen looks like this. I decided to go ahead and wash all the glassware and the pumpkins from the top of the buffet, plus I'm orgainizing the things in the cabinets to sort out what goes to Jean's church for their rummage sale.
The dining room and entry still look that same but with fresh paint. I need to shampoo the carpet before putting furniture back. I also need to clean the buffet and tea cart before putting the glassware etc. back. The glassware on the table is washed and ready.
These things need to be washed.
These salt and pepper shakers and knick knacks need to be gone through also before I put away the ones I want to keep.
And I have all this ready to go to the church.
I still have room to tuck in little things, so I need to get with it.
It's been a boring week, but life isn't always about the things you want to do; sometimes it's about what you need to do. Believe me, I needed that painting finished, my decluttering continued, and all the organizing of things in the garage which resulted from the decluttering.
Next week won't be any more exciting, but I'll get back to the fun stuff soon.
And kudos to Joey - she's back to making cards. I just got one in my mail.
I also got a sweet thank you from Katie as well.
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I'm definitely making a note of the day of this post so I can refer to it the next time I decide to change cell phone providers.
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