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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Sidious, Snoke and Salacious B Crumb’s Sarcastic and Sassy Situation Saloon (Fanfic Social Thread)

Discussion in 'Fan Fiction and Writing Resource' started by Briannakin , Oct 11, 2017.

  1. CaraJinn

    CaraJinn Jedi Knight star 3

    Registered:
    Jan 8, 2018
    *venting and ranting - you're hereby warned *

    I seriously hate customer support for IT... I''ve had automatic backup for my computer for several years, in addition to backing up to a remote disc every now and then. Mid March I got a mail that my computer hadn't been backed up since early March. OK, went through all the steps in the FAQ to revive it but to no avail.

    About then it was time to contact customer support, which didn't answer for about a week (with to decreasingly friendly reminders from my side). Since then they've been pestering me with standard mails containing link to the FAQ about reinstalling - which I have already done 11 times and it doesn't work . I even sent them screenshots of where it fails. But, standard mails keep coming.

    The other option is calling them, which I do not do. They are located in the US and my employer is paying for my cell phone... Third option is the chat, but as long as they cannot give me an attempt of an answer in mail after receiving screenshots and potentially necessary info from me why should chat work?

    So I found another possible provided which I installed without any hickups. I had a minor question about where to find a menu which I didn't recognize from the image in their FAQ and sent a question to their customer support - and had an answer which made sense after only two hours.

    I'm really close to getting impolite with supplier no. 1 now. Doesn't help that I had a similar problem back in 2019 and their customer service was a nuisance back then as well.
     
    Last edited: Apr 10, 2021
  2. mavjade

    mavjade Former Manager star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Sep 10, 2005
    CaraJinn - that sounds like terrible customer service! It's so frustrating when people clearly aren't paying attention to what you are saying.

    The chat might work better for you. I can't say for this company, but when I worked customer service for a bank, the phone, chat, and email services were all trained separately. So you might get someone better trained or at least different. It's possible you won't and it will just be a waste of time, but maybe? Also, sometimes actually talking to someone live, even if it's online makes things a bit easier. I did that with my insurance company the other day over chat. I kept getting the run around, but with the chat I was able to actually get across what I needed and finally got the answer. (I wanted it in writing, which is why I didn't want to call.... well that and I just HATE calling.)
     
  3. jcgoble3

    jcgoble3 Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Nov 7, 2010
    Today was a really blah day. It was raining all day and that just contributed to the fact that I did not want to do anything productive like schoolwork. Instead, I went to Best Buy and bought a new Chromebook that I had been considering, and have now spent the past six hours playing with it. It's not as powerful as my gaming laptop-turned-Linux workhorse, but Chromebooks can still run a Linux container so I can install my favorite stuff on it with some command-line fu. Best of all, it has a working internal microphone, which my Linux machine has never had due to driver incompatibilities, meaning that online classes will be easier with the Chromebook.

    So I have accomplished nothing useful today, but I have a new toy to play with.
     
  4. Briannakin

    Briannakin Former Manager star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Feb 25, 2010
    I honestly just avoid dealing with customer service at all (reasonable) costs. Case in point: It took me 6 months to send an email about my new wheelchair (turns out it was never ordered: mostly their fault, but also kinda mine for not inquiring about it - I chalked it up to COVID and I honestly did keep forgetting. Long process short, it's finally going into fabrication tomorrow... hopefully).

    Woohoo for new toys JC! Chromebooks have always interested me. My MacBook pro is kinda nearing the end of its life (but I'm going to squeeze it for everything it has!). Part of me would like to explore the possibility of a Chromebook, but Macs do have great accessibility features, plus work runs on Macs so, having everything Apple just makes life easier.

    I also did very little this weekend. Built some lego, watched a lot of TV. It was kinda nice but also kinda boring. I'm in my classic situation of wanting to write but none of my ideas are worth the physical effort. But I've been feeling a bit run-down so doing nothing for 2 days was probably needed. I've had this annoying hint of a headache that I just cant get rid of. I think I'm going to cap off my weekend with a bath.
     
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  5. Kit'

    Kit' Manager Emeritus star 5 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Oct 30, 1999
    @CaraJinn I hate sucky customer service. It's the absolute worst. Best (worst) experience I ever had was trying to explain to someone pn the phone that I couldn't just pop down to my local bank branch outside London to close my bank account (it hadn't been used for 10 years) because I was living in Australia. He thought Austria. I explained kangaroos. He still didn't understand that I couldn't just pop over from Australia to England to close my account.

    That was five years ago. The account is still open. They are still sending blank bank statements to my Australian PO Box.

    Today has been the perfect Autumn day of cold mornings (11C or 52F and then hitting a high of 29C or 82F), with clear skies and a slow breeze. Magpies have been calling all day, I've been watching tv and doing a bit of gardening of the houseplants. I think I might have killed an orchid, but it's been unhappy for a while so I'm not blaming myself too much. So nice.
     
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  6. CaraJinn

    CaraJinn Jedi Knight star 3

    Registered:
    Jan 8, 2018
    I think I got the last word. Finally. When Trustpilot was full of negative feedback for the provider and several of them also reported that the provider would attempt withdrawing money from the registered credit card even after auto-renewal was stopped, I decided to take action so I sent a new remedy ticket to customer service and asked them specificly to delete my user, my files and my credit card information.
    Bad thing is that my new provider also get bad score on Trustpilot [face_phbbbbt] , but at least they were cheaper, their program was possible to install, they have got good score in some IT related articles and they answer my questions, so - they cannot possibly be worse than provider no. 1.
     
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  7. mavjade

    mavjade Former Manager star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Sep 10, 2005
    I got a Chromebook when my last Macbook Pro died a little over a year ago. While I loved my Mac, I decided I wasn't doing anything that required me to pay that much for a laptop, since the vast majority of my use is playing on the internet. Recently I even switched from an iPhone to a Google Pixel so now I'm completely Google based (except my work phone that is an iPhone).


    It's been cold-ish and rainy here the past few days and I don't think it's helping my already blah mood. I think I need a vacation. A real one, that I'm still not comfortable taking yet.
     
  8. Chyntuck

    Chyntuck Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Jul 11, 2014
    I hope your parents both get better soon @Mistress_Renata ! Crossing fingers that all goes well.
    Same here. And I need to dye my hair too, because after a year of Covid I'm a very fluffy grey-white Shetland pony. I'm so envious of Mr Chyn who still doesn't have a single white hair.

    Also, it looks like we can start a club of people who don't want to deal with customer service. It's just the worst.
     
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  9. CaraJinn

    CaraJinn Jedi Knight star 3

    Registered:
    Jan 8, 2018
    Story still ongoing. They wouldn't let me delete my account because I obviously gave them my wrong billing address. At least according to them. I can see that they have it wrong on my user account page so I just sent them a screen dump. And I also attached about 37 of the 51 replies I have got from their so called customer service through the years. If I were a scammer I would likely not have all that stuff stored, right? O:)
     
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  10. Briannakin

    Briannakin Former Manager star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Feb 25, 2010
    I just had to go through my own customer service headache. Basically, my postal code (Canadian equivalent to a zip code) is so new that it doesn't exist according to certain databanks(?). It was kinda a headache when I first moved here but I just had everything sent to my sister's address for like a month and then it resolved itself. Fast forward like 18 months and I get an email saying "Your package cant be sent because your address doesn't exist" [face_waiting]. I'm... pretty sure it does exist. So after some arguing, I just gave them my sister's address and all was well with that :rolleyes:

    I also gotta be an adult and put some money into my retirement fund. Every year the government matches what I put into up to a certain amount, so it's a really great plan (advantages of being disabled)... I just haven't contributed in a few years. So I should put in the max amount to get the full amount possible matched... I just dont want to see my savings become unreachable for the next 30 years (conditions of the grant are that I cant access the funds till I am of retirement age... if we ever reach that far without humanity self-imploding).
     
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  11. Jedi_Lover

    Jedi_Lover Chosen One star 5

    Registered:
    Nov 1, 2004
    I don't know about your specific savings plan, but some retirement funds allow you to take a loan from the funds, but you have to pay it back. Also some accounts allow Hardship withdraws with no penalty. But yeah, the whole part of a retirement fund is making it hard for you withdrawing your money. Most of us will spend, spend spend unless there is a penalty to taking the money out. If you have a matching plan I would put in money up to the match limit. As my financial advisor told me, "Hey, it is free money." In the USA I think the age we can start taking money out is 59.5 years old. That age sneaks up on you. I am playing catch up at work and putting away 25% of my income so I will have some money to enjoy my retirement. Keep saving, I really don't think you will regret it.
     
  12. Briannakin

    Briannakin Former Manager star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Feb 25, 2010
    No, this one is pretty strict (rightfully so given the government grant attached to it). Can't take anything out of it until I am 55 (or else I have to pay back the grant). If I contribute too much, there are some pretty hefty penalties. I could contribute throughout the year until I hit the limit but I'm really bad at keeping track of that stuff, but it is free money! I should contribute to it. 55 year old me will thank me in 27 years.
     
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  13. gizkaspice

    gizkaspice Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 27, 2013
    I'm guessing you mean contributing to your RRSP? you should absolutely regularly contribute provided you don't need the money since when the time comes to pay any potential taxes you can use it to deduct from your taxes and that's always a plus.
     
    Last edited: Apr 13, 2021
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  14. Briannakin

    Briannakin Former Manager star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Feb 25, 2010
    No, it's an RDSP (Registered Disabilities Savings Plan... but it's functionally the same thing).

    I was an adult and just bit the bullet and contributed the max. It's not like I'm travelling anywhere or doing anything fun anytime soon.


    But man, do I need a vacation too! I'm feeling all the anxiety I have been feeling over the past few months, added to the fact that I haven't been able to write much to escape any anxiety. I'm just feeling so burned out.
     
    Last edited: Apr 13, 2021
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  15. Mistress_Renata

    Mistress_Renata Manager Emeritus star 5 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Sep 9, 2000
    Mine is coming in pure white. I've decided to embrace it. Everyone seems to love it, I'm told I look like Billie Eilish. I think she's a singer? Yeah, I'm old.

    Absolutely do it! It's not exactly 'free' money but it's on offer and it's scary how fast retirement age rolls around. I also have money deducted directly from my paycheck into a savings account. Not a lot, but over a year it adds up. I don't have a debit card or easy access to that account, so spending it takes thought and concerted effort. But if I need it, it's there.
    Amen! The last two years were hospitals for me, and then covid, and while I love working from home, I'm still working. I am fantasizing about beaches. Salt water. And someone else cooking.

    Shaking my head at the incompetencies, @CaraJinn. Hard to believe that with all that evidence they're being stubborn. Or maybe they're counting on that monthly service fee.
     
  16. CaraJinn

    CaraJinn Jedi Knight star 3

    Registered:
    Jan 8, 2018
    It was yearly... And just renewed when I got the message that the backup had failed. So first I tried to get them to actually help me, but they just kept sending me links about how to reinstall - which I had already tried multiple times.
    But - victory to me. Today they sent me mail and told they had deleted my account. Do I get refund? No. Do I avoid them trying to draw more money from me one year from now? Certainly hope so.
     
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  17. DarthIshtar

    DarthIshtar Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Mar 26, 2001
    Just got my second vaccination yesterday and called in sick to work after being up all night. I now just have the headache, chills, aches, and lack of appetite. But worth it.
     
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  18. Briannakin

    Briannakin Former Manager star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Feb 25, 2010
    I hear you. I promised myself in 2019 that when I finished my master's I would treat myself to lying on a beach for a week doing absolutely nothing but drinking from a glass with a tiny umbrella. I submitted my dissertation in September 2019 and still haven't fulfilled that promise yet.

    I have way too many tabs open in my work browser for it to be okay for my mental health.

    I hope you feel better! I hear the second shot is a doozy. Cuddle up in a warm blanket and watch some comfort TV. I get my first shot on Saturday. I havent heard much about the first one, but I already got some canned soup and freezer meals ready to go, plus the rest of my weekend cleared.
     
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  19. DarthIshtar

    DarthIshtar Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Mar 26, 2001
    Advice from friend who worked on the clinical trials: drink as much water as possible because you will get dehydrated. I’ve been lying down and reading books today. I’ve had 400 calories because I’m not hungry, but a friend offered on Sunday to bring me vegetable soup and biscuits for dinner tonight. I took my migraine medication a little while ago and am hoping I’ll feel normal not long from now.
     
  20. amidalachick

    amidalachick FFoF Hostess Extraordinaire star 5 VIP - Game Host

    Registered:
    Aug 3, 2003
    Hope you feel better soon @DarthIshtar! Yay for getting the vaccine though!

    @Mistress_Renata and @Briannakin I'm totally with you on the beach fantasies!

    Currently I'm at a year and a half of nothing but work and stress. I just want to lay on a beach and drink. And hug my best friend. And go horseback riding. Hell, at this point, I'd settle for like a weekend just sitting alone in a hotel room doing nothing at all.

    On a happier note, I got my sandalwood-vanilla perfume and it smells heavenly. Kind of spicy, with like a hint of vanilla. Patchouli-citrus is still my fave, but this one is right up there. [face_love]
     
  21. DarthIshtar

    DarthIshtar Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Mar 26, 2001
    I had so much healing happen when I could play in the ocean with my nephews and hug my best friend at midnight. I desperately need another vacation.
     
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  22. jcgoble3

    jcgoble3 Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Nov 7, 2010
    I had plans for a busy day today. Capstone project meeting in the morning, followed by a drive into downtown for a Girls Who Code volunteer activity and networking opportunity, then come home, do an independent study project meeting, and then dive into homework. I brought my new Chromebook to the volunteer activity, and the professor leading it was discussing some of the recent projects in her classes and mentioned several of her students had made Cookie Clicker clones for a project and she didn't know what that was. I immediately showed her Cookie Clicker on my Chromebook, and now I have proceeded to waste the rest of the day after the independent study meeting playing Cookie Clicker for the first time in months. :p

    At least I only have two weeks left in this semester, but I have two group projects where the rest of the group is not pulling their weight, so I might lose my summa cum laude (3.9+ GPA) chance after this semester. I can only suffer one B between this semester and the fall semester, and need the rest to be A's in order to qualify for summa. Otherwise, I will probably end up with magna cum laude (3.7+ GPA).
     
  23. Mistress_Renata

    Mistress_Renata Manager Emeritus star 5 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Sep 9, 2000
    The way of the world, it seems. Make sure the prof knows which work is yours & that it's stellar, and feel free to call them out on their laziness. Won't win you friends, but do you need them? Any cum laude will be an accomplishment, though.
     
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  24. Gamiel

    Gamiel Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    Dec 16, 2012
  25. gizkaspice

    gizkaspice Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 27, 2013
    My first question to that comic is: does that anthro-fox have like a special hole in her chair where her tail goes and does this anthro universe hence have special chairs designed specially for this purpose? Yes, this is important to know.
     
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