Yesterday I was using my Blackberry Curve, the device I am composing this entry on. All of a sudden my data services went dead. Each time I tried a different feature it had a window saying something along the lines of, "Server Busy, Try Again." In 2009 I was in the US for my medical treatment and T-Mobile (my carrier at the time) had a 3 week outage. It was maddening. Right away I thought the same, though now my carrier is Verizon. I checked with my friends with whom I am staying and who also use Verizon. They were fine.
I waited a half hour, then called Verizon. Verizon immediately told me that their Fraud Department had suspended my account. I use Verizon International fir 2 devices, my Blackberry and my Sidekick (1 for personal other for business). As time progresses I depend more and more on these phones and even in 200c I didn't have the feeling I had yesterday.
So I asked the talking head to connect me to Fraud, only to be told to leave my name and contact number. The problem being that my phones were dead, so I gave my friend's landline and hoped for the best.
No response. This morning at 8AM, the time Fraud opens, I had Verizon Customer Service patch me through. Finally I got a Fraud Co-ordinator on the line.
She tells me my account info doesn't match my Credit Report info. I was a bit relieved because of a prior relationship (which I will eventually get to in the "My Life" entries) where a lover took out several credit cards (actually 12) in my name, without my knowledge, then maxed them. I ended up paying 11,000 US to settle that shit but still had crap popping up years later. I don't believe in credit and until those cards had never even applied for credit. The Fraud Co-ordinator said my Report had me listed at 400 Brook Avenue, my flat here in the Bronx. I explained that I hadn't lived there since early 2006. I told her I have the International Contract because I live and work abroad and that this was all covered when I signed with them. She asked me to fax her copies of my official I'd with my current address on them. I explained that as an expat in the Philippines I did not get any type of official I'd (actually if you get Official Residency you do get a card but I am ineligible for that since it requires FBI Clearance if I claim my American citizenship, or Department of Interior Clearance from Israel. Can't get FBI having been in an American prison and Israel wont allow me to live in Mindanao because it is a war zone with Islamic based insurgencies). I asked if my civil marriage certificate from the Philippines might suffice (not that I bring it everywhere I go) but she said no. Finally I asked, if I provide something with the address I am staying at, would that do the trick. She asked what address was it, I told her, she said yes as long as it is "official." Asking what would constitute "official" proof I was told that government or utility correspondence.
Luckily I had just received a letter from OASAS (the NY State regulatory body for methadone maintenance) regarding my transitioning between foreign medical providers and my programme here in NY. I went to a pharmacy around the corner faxed a copy of my passport, as well as that paper and within in hour was re-connected.
The outage though made me realise that I really need to stop being so reliant upon technology. That's me, always looking for the blessing in disguise.
I do love this Blackberry though. I have internet radio on it, getting a Vocal Trance (my fave genre) from Brussels right now. I need to buy a pair of those Dr.Dre HD Headphones though! I have Sony 700s (DJ Headphones). I bought 3 pairs (I love them) for 540 US (total) since my single pair broke in Mindanao and I found it impossible to repair. Now I see J and R Musicworld in Manhattan has them for 80 US each! DR Dres are fantastic, 320 US a set though.
Anyway, enough for now...
I waited a half hour, then called Verizon. Verizon immediately told me that their Fraud Department had suspended my account. I use Verizon International fir 2 devices, my Blackberry and my Sidekick (1 for personal other for business). As time progresses I depend more and more on these phones and even in 200c I didn't have the feeling I had yesterday.
So I asked the talking head to connect me to Fraud, only to be told to leave my name and contact number. The problem being that my phones were dead, so I gave my friend's landline and hoped for the best.
No response. This morning at 8AM, the time Fraud opens, I had Verizon Customer Service patch me through. Finally I got a Fraud Co-ordinator on the line.
She tells me my account info doesn't match my Credit Report info. I was a bit relieved because of a prior relationship (which I will eventually get to in the "My Life" entries) where a lover took out several credit cards (actually 12) in my name, without my knowledge, then maxed them. I ended up paying 11,000 US to settle that shit but still had crap popping up years later. I don't believe in credit and until those cards had never even applied for credit. The Fraud Co-ordinator said my Report had me listed at 400 Brook Avenue, my flat here in the Bronx. I explained that I hadn't lived there since early 2006. I told her I have the International Contract because I live and work abroad and that this was all covered when I signed with them. She asked me to fax her copies of my official I'd with my current address on them. I explained that as an expat in the Philippines I did not get any type of official I'd (actually if you get Official Residency you do get a card but I am ineligible for that since it requires FBI Clearance if I claim my American citizenship, or Department of Interior Clearance from Israel. Can't get FBI having been in an American prison and Israel wont allow me to live in Mindanao because it is a war zone with Islamic based insurgencies). I asked if my civil marriage certificate from the Philippines might suffice (not that I bring it everywhere I go) but she said no. Finally I asked, if I provide something with the address I am staying at, would that do the trick. She asked what address was it, I told her, she said yes as long as it is "official." Asking what would constitute "official" proof I was told that government or utility correspondence.
Luckily I had just received a letter from OASAS (the NY State regulatory body for methadone maintenance) regarding my transitioning between foreign medical providers and my programme here in NY. I went to a pharmacy around the corner faxed a copy of my passport, as well as that paper and within in hour was re-connected.
The outage though made me realise that I really need to stop being so reliant upon technology. That's me, always looking for the blessing in disguise.
I do love this Blackberry though. I have internet radio on it, getting a Vocal Trance (my fave genre) from Brussels right now. I need to buy a pair of those Dr.Dre HD Headphones though! I have Sony 700s (DJ Headphones). I bought 3 pairs (I love them) for 540 US (total) since my single pair broke in Mindanao and I found it impossible to repair. Now I see J and R Musicworld in Manhattan has them for 80 US each! DR Dres are fantastic, 320 US a set though.
Anyway, enough for now...