OFF TRACK WITH THE TRACFONE

 

A migraine inducing exercise in futility!!! -- Also why I’m keeping my landline.

Recently, I purchased what is commonly referred to as a drug dealer phone. It was the cheapest one I could find. This was for emergencies; and eventually to replace my landline saving me money, I thought.

Why are all these modern devices made for elves? It was so tiny I had difficulty reading it and finding anything even with my glasses. And it doesn’t help that my vision is impaired thanks to posterior vitreous detachment, which I developed after cataract surgery.

My power & internet go out with alarming regularity here, taking my landline along with it. My lifeline is my next-door neighbors. The lady is sympathetic, but although she denies it, her husband doesn’t like me. – Probably because I vote differently!

She has informed me that if I require help, I’m no longer allowed to ring the bell or knock since it upsets her husband. Instead, I’m to write a note and tape it to the glass on their front door. She’ll see it and help me.

I find this silly, and more than a tad belittling. So, I purchased the Tracfone. I’m a senior and far from a tech person, so I had to pay $150 an hour for a professional to set it up. He gave me a crash course, and I took notes, but I still couldn’t figure out how to operate the damn thing! And there’s absolutely no instructions that came along with it!

This I don’t understand, why are there detailed instructions with TV dinners that should be plain common sense, such as: Remove from box before placing in oven. Yet, with something this complicated that requires a manual there’s nothing!

I tried googling for instructions, hoping for a demonstration on YouTube, but also found nothing! I kept getting notifications, & despite my notes I was unable to open them.

In frustration, I checked the box again when something caught my eye. – There was a cancer warning! Hot cat pee! Cancer runs on both sides of my family. Both my parents died from it. I don’t want this cancer device anywhere around me! I really wanted to undo the deal!

Only a couple weeks later, I thought I’d killed it! Or else it read my thoughts and commit suicide. Since it was an emergency phone, I probably didn’t charge it as often as required. As I stated previously, there was absolutely no instruction enclosed.

So, I called their customer service. After a lengthy wait, a pleasant and patient lady with a foreign accent helped me. We chatted for quite a while and eventually got it working again.

I cancelled the auto refill after she confirmed what I had been told (too late) that this phone would not work once power or internet have been lost. Sadly, now I’m back to depending on my neighbors with my scotch tape & note paper at the ready.