Day 4 Fighting with Verizon
Today Kurt and Kim are readying themselves for their trip to the Maldives for their 15th wedding anniversary get-away. From all the pictures I've seen, this will be a relaxing and romantic time for the two of them. They fly out of Singapore tonight (Saturday night in Singapore; Saturday pre-morning hours back home), arrive late at a way stop and take a float plane to their island resort Sunday morning. AND I GET TO "KID SIT" FOR SOPHIA!!! YAY! I hope she doesn't miss them too much since she isn't usually left behind.
So. A phone for me in Singapore is a must for calling a Grab or just checking my location with help traversing the city. I didn't have wifi at Gardens by the Bay and hence couldn't use the Grab app to order up transportation. Being stranded with no phone ability, I had to call Kurt who then called Grab and then called me back with the tag number of the Grab. By the time I was writing down the tag, the security guard at the Gardens overheard Kurt on the speaker and let me know the Grab vehicle was here! Great service! But I wasn't pleased with not being able to use my phone.
Today I will walk to Singtel and get a local sim card. Singtel is only a couple blocks from the apartment. It took as long to get across Killiney Road as it did for me to walk there! Gotta watch those cars since they don't stop for you! I was prepared with my request of sim card and so...
For only $30, I can get either one of these options which is sooo much cheaper than Verizon:
Kurt and Kim prepped me for a long line and wait but I was pleasantly surprised to walk into the shop and get directed to Window #6 for immediate service. There were many people sitting around the tables and comfy chairs and couches as they worked on their computers or phones while waiting for their number to be called to assist them with their technology problems. I guess since I had no "problem" (YET), I could get waited upon immediately.
So. A phone for me in Singapore is a must for calling a Grab or just checking my location with help traversing the city. I didn't have wifi at Gardens by the Bay and hence couldn't use the Grab app to order up transportation. Being stranded with no phone ability, I had to call Kurt who then called Grab and then called me back with the tag number of the Grab. By the time I was writing down the tag, the security guard at the Gardens overheard Kurt on the speaker and let me know the Grab vehicle was here! Great service! But I wasn't pleased with not being able to use my phone.
Today I will walk to Singtel and get a local sim card. Singtel is only a couple blocks from the apartment. It took as long to get across Killiney Road as it did for me to walk there! Gotta watch those cars since they don't stop for you! I was prepared with my request of sim card and so...
For only $30, I can get either one of these options which is sooo much cheaper than Verizon:
 |
| for 30 days |
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| or a 12 day option but it's consecutive from the day of purchase |
The Singtel clerk spoke perfect English and showed me my choices of prepaid cards that I could purchase. She asked if my phone was "unlocked" and I had no idea! A locked phone will not accept a sim card. So she opened my sim slot and put in her own card to test it. Sure as shit...IT'S LOCKED! And so begins my Verizon hell.
When you purchase a new phone (which I did to get the iPhone 11's better camera ability for this trip), it is locked for the first 60 days to prevent FRAUD! The Singtel clerk told me I had to contact my carrier to get the phone unlocked in order to purchase a sim card. Well, that was a quick stop for information and back I go to contact Verizon from home.
First I tried verizon.com where I had to sign in, have it send me a security code to my phone, follow the texted link to verify I was the one trying to get into my account, answer the question "do you want to allow this access to your account", click "yes" and THEN GET AN ERROR MESSAGE: We aren't able to process your request at this time!!!!
Now I turn to every online chat, link and self-help I could find on my computer. The online chats are all automated and give me stupid pre-programmed answers. Then I went to my Verizon app on my phone to get information on unlocking my phone all to no avail. I try the *611 trick but that only works in the U.S. I look up the international 1-800 help number that Verizon provides online and it doesn't work. So I guess I have to pay through the nose to call Verizon directly in the States and get help.
I call Verizon and the rep there tells me I have to call Frontier! Frontier?! I call and they send me back to Verizon. A young girl at Verizon uses up 9 minutes of my international calling charges only to end up telling me I had to call Apple since it is THEIR software! So now I call Apple and they put me in a queue to talk to a tech. After explaining my problem YET AGAIN! he tells me that the CARRIER is the one who locks the phone and I had to call Verizon. Fool me once...
I go back to the online chat and type "representative" and the machine asks if I want to chat with an "agent". Hell yes!!! I have a lengthy not-so-nice (on my end) chat with Spencer who, at one point, asks if I had added an international plan to my phone. He explains the fraud ruse to me as if I haven't heard it multiple times thus far. I give him, "I'll take the risk of fraud to have safety in a foreign country NOW". At which he decides to send me to Tech Help. (Guess he was afraid to anger me further and let someone else deal with my wrath.) I wait a long time for a chat line to open up. I explain my situation yet again and tell this person that I read they can waive the 60 day lock for re-assigned military. He asks if I'm military!!! I say "No" but it sets a precedent that there are exceptions to the rule. He doesn't care. I threaten to take my business elsewhere and he tells me that that is my choice and would I like to review the international options that Verizon has. ME: "You have me in a corner and I have no other option. Offer me what Singtel offers and I'll consider it." There's no way they can do 100 GB data and 90 minutes of talk with texts free and he sends me an email with the plans I can use for Singapore and Thailand for $70 or $10 per day!!! The 60 day lock will remain until 3.13.2020.
Moral: DON'T BUY A PHONE BEFORE GOING ON VACATION UNLESS YOU WILL DEPART AFTER 60 DAYS!!
As long as I can get wifi, I can use my phone. Kurt and Kim tell me that any shop along my walking travels will allow me to connect to their wifi if I ask so I'm going to rely on the "kindness of strangers" here in Singapore. And be damn Verizon!
I call Verizon and the rep there tells me I have to call Frontier! Frontier?! I call and they send me back to Verizon. A young girl at Verizon uses up 9 minutes of my international calling charges only to end up telling me I had to call Apple since it is THEIR software! So now I call Apple and they put me in a queue to talk to a tech. After explaining my problem YET AGAIN! he tells me that the CARRIER is the one who locks the phone and I had to call Verizon. Fool me once...
I go back to the online chat and type "representative" and the machine asks if I want to chat with an "agent". Hell yes!!! I have a lengthy not-so-nice (on my end) chat with Spencer who, at one point, asks if I had added an international plan to my phone. He explains the fraud ruse to me as if I haven't heard it multiple times thus far. I give him, "I'll take the risk of fraud to have safety in a foreign country NOW". At which he decides to send me to Tech Help. (Guess he was afraid to anger me further and let someone else deal with my wrath.) I wait a long time for a chat line to open up. I explain my situation yet again and tell this person that I read they can waive the 60 day lock for re-assigned military. He asks if I'm military!!! I say "No" but it sets a precedent that there are exceptions to the rule. He doesn't care. I threaten to take my business elsewhere and he tells me that that is my choice and would I like to review the international options that Verizon has. ME: "You have me in a corner and I have no other option. Offer me what Singtel offers and I'll consider it." There's no way they can do 100 GB data and 90 minutes of talk with texts free and he sends me an email with the plans I can use for Singapore and Thailand for $70 or $10 per day!!! The 60 day lock will remain until 3.13.2020.
Moral: DON'T BUY A PHONE BEFORE GOING ON VACATION UNLESS YOU WILL DEPART AFTER 60 DAYS!!
As long as I can get wifi, I can use my phone. Kurt and Kim tell me that any shop along my walking travels will allow me to connect to their wifi if I ask so I'm going to rely on the "kindness of strangers" here in Singapore. And be damn Verizon!
So sorry!!
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