SUPERANNUATED

Superannuated, the first time I came across this word was during my 20s while reading a steamy novel set in the old south. I had to look it up. According to my 1947 issue dictionary it means; obsolete & outdated. This describes everything I own today including myself!

However the internet is no longer a luxury but a necessity! Imagine being without it for three & a half days along with phone & TV as I was not long ago.

I have a landline only, no cell for several reasons. ONE: I'm retired, home most of the time and the supermarket is right around the corner. TWO: I just don't like them! They're dinky and have no mouthpiece or place to rest my ear. They suck!

Also I still have cable, U-verse in fact. I'm happy with it -- when everything is working properly, that is! I was informed by a tech that it's no longer offered new because they're trying to phase it out. But if you currently have it, they won't take it away. In other words, it's an old folk's product and they're waiting for us to die off.

Unfortunately for them, we're not doing it fast enough! As much as they would like, they can't round us up and kill us. So I think they're trying to give us strokes and heart attacks thru sheer aggravation.

During the repair to my outage I mentioned to all three ATT techs that I was having problems with my DVR. It kept freezing and jumping ahead, also the sound would cut out at times. They listened, but offered no advice. So I assumed that after they unconstipated my TV the issue would be solved! --WRONG!!!

The DVR worked fine for a week and then started freezing and jumping ahead like crazy again! I enjoy Comics Unleashed but was missing half the punch lines and 45 minutes into a Lifetime movie I had to give up and delete because I couldn't follow the story!

The next morning I called ATT. After a long wait I got someone with a heavy accent. While I was explaining the problem I suddenly found myself disconnected. I kept shouting, hello, hello, but no answer!

I called back. After another lengthy wait I got a woman with only a slight accent. Again, while I was explaining the exact thing happened! I literally screamed into the phone in desperation with only dead air on the other end.

I called back yet again! Another long wait ensued. Finally I got a woman in billing who assured that she would connect me with a tech who would stay on the line. Yet another person with an accent, but this one actually listened. He explained that he was going to run some tests, we'd lose our connection, but he'd call me right back.

He never did!!!

I got on the internet attempting to contact someone that way. However I kept going round & round with an ATT robot informing me they did a trouble shoot and my TV was fine. I kept repeating that the problem was with my DVR and NOT the TV!

In 2009 when I got U-verse I was given a faulty DVR. They came out and replaced it. Now they don't even want to hear about it!

Frustrated, I told a friend about this. She said to reboot the DVR which I'd done before. It got rid of the problem temporarily, but I couldn't rewind or pause for long periods or it would return. And the freezing, jumping and sound loss always came back eventually!

However there was a bright spot! After my modem was replaced I stopped losing my internet connection which had been an ongoing problem. Not long ago I was issued a new modem after complaining about this to ATT.

The tech they sent out (costing me $100) told me I didn't need it. He claimed the problem was with my outdated computer. I asked him to take the modem back with him. He stated that I was required to send it back via UPS.

I drove over there and stood in a long socially distanced line that stretched out the door. -- Had the tech just installed the damn thing in the first place I would never have experienced that lengthy outage!

I've had this DVR for over a decade without any issues until recently! I've been told electronics have a short life.

Yes, I know that streaming is the in thing now. But my older TV (which works fine) cannot be converted. Also it may as well be space alien technology to me. I can't afford to pay a tech person to come out here every time I have a problem. And worse, everything seems to go out of date almost as fast as it's installed!

Just recently my bill jumped $12. After complaining I was informed that it was the yearly ATT increase. Hot cat pee! A yearly increase should be only a couple dollars! This is pure corporate greed and gouging at the worst possible time! This practice has gotten worse since ATT merged with Time Warner.

And I must say customer service has declined dramatically during my 71 years alive. Every time I think it has struck rock bottom it always manages to hit a newer low.