Technology makes me want to be a hermit

 

I am not a Luddite. I embraced technology loving word processing, spread sheets, email, internet, on-line banking, etc. 

It has gone too far. Systems to do simple things are complicated eating up hours.

At first I thought it was me. Then it has happened to Rick too.

Why would my saved password at my credit union disappear? I put in the password, but it didn't work. I clicked the box that asked for a new one. They wanted my phone number. I never gave them the phone number because my European mobile has too many digits to fit the American-limits.

I called. After almost an hour on hold, someone answered. I appreciate security but reading tons of addresses to see if one was familiar was over the top. The phone automatically disconnected before the problem was solved.

I tried again but in a couple of days. Another hour plus wait and just as we were about to solve it another disconnect.

I still haven't solved the problem and am writing old-fashioned checks. (Switzerland stopped using checks three decades ago.)

My saved password for Jacquie Lawson cards disappeared. I was sent a new one immediately EXCEPT it didn't work. I emailed where they told me. Three days and no response.

I was put in Twitter jail and my attempts to get out needs a phone number. See the problem with the credit union plus I do not want to put my phone number out there. Still to be solved.

Rick wanted to cancel Canal Plus. He responded to the instructions on the renewal notice. There were no instructions of how to do it on line and there is cost with a phone number that doesn't respond.

He also had a problem with our Swiss bank account. The only solution was to call. Hold times were less than for the credit union in the States. The woman said she would send the password. She didn't. We were able to book a phone call for Friday. No call.

And then there they are the codes they send to verify the transaction or request. We are about to run out of fingers to count the time the codes come too late -- the screen had gone blank. The record for a late code arrival was two hours. We'd forgotten almost what we wanted.

We are talking hours and hours and hours spent trying to solve simple problems. 

I can't give up banking unless of course I become a hermit. Then again, that might not be that bad. Do you need a password or code to be a hermit?