Smart Aleck, smart alec, doesn’t matter ~ everyone knows at least one.    In cyberland, there are millions.  Some just give sound advice that you wish you never knew existed.  Others like to point out how you can change things in your life, if only you would.  Some just like to laugh at your misfortunes, even if they caused them in the first place.  Some think it’s funny to make and deploy viruses.

Two days ago, I met one of the last group.  It took me and my husband over four hours to “work around” and get access back to my computer.   How did this happen you ask?  I went out to the web to look at a thesaurus because the word I wanted to use “unfixable” just didn’t fit with my article.  I found one I wanted to use ~  incurable ~  but I also got zapped with a virus of mega proportions.  Ironic right after that to feel like my computer was might ultimately be incurable.

This virus would not allow me access to any of my programs, anything on my desktop or allow access to the internet. It just kept popping up and telling me I had to click here, and of course as a seasoned computer user, that was not going to happen.  Even with our considerable computer knowledge, and other computers we could use to investigate and find out how to get around this particular virus, it took us four hours and considerable cursing.  If that’s what the smart aleck of this had in mind, someone tell him or her, it worked. Read more “Smart Aleck’s”

Raise your hand if you’ve ever been frustrated by this.

How many times have you called only to be told by a machine the phones are staffed between certain hours  —  and those hours make it almost impossible for you to reach them?  I then love it when they hang on up you and don’t even give you an option to leave a message. “I’m sorry we’re closed, call back later.” Clunk.

Have you experienced the automated attendant who for some reason just doesn’t understand anything you say or any number you press as a response?  “I am sorry we did not get a response, please push 1 to continue.”  And you are yelling into the phone… “I am pushing one, you stupid machine.” Clunk.

Gone through the entire menu system and never being able to pick any number or option that gets you where you need to go?   And no other way to contact them?

Have you finally found how to get to a real representative, only to find out they are busy and your expected wait time is more than you can spend waiting for them?

How about when you find out there isn’t any real person to take any calls?  Have you been directed to customer service on line 3 and then been told you “are important” but we are “busy” and you need to leave your message.  And you do, and they NEVER get un-busy enough to call you back. Read more “It’s Annoying: Automated Attendants”

I am not a novice when it comes to eBay or contracts.  I have used both.  I had sold items on their site for years.  My business account has over 4100 positive feedbacks.

They have a great business model.  It provided for a triple WIN situation.  eBay gets fees for listing and selling (win), sellers were able to rotate inventory and make sales(win), and the buyer got a product at a great price (win).

eBay, however, has grown and changed.  In my opinion and everything I write is my own opinion, if you are still selling on eBay there might be a few things you didn’t read very carefully when they presented you with the “changes” to your agreement.  That contract is the reason we don’t sell on eBay any longer, and I’ll get to them in a minute.

Am I the only one who believes you need to read and be able to agree to everything in every contract or agreement you sign.  If you don’t agree, you don’t move forward. You should never just think… well, that will never happen – and just sign (although a sales person may tell you so).  Or just sign because you don’t want to take the time to read the contact.  Please remember you are bound legally by what you sign/agree to, and when someone (anyone) presents you with a contract – the terms and conditions of the contract are in their best interest, not yours.

Read more “It’s Annoying: Contracts & eBay”

My parents used the phrase “It must have fallen off the truck” all the time. As a child I thought it was something literal. I wondered how or why some of these things actually could be falling from trucks. Why the items didn’t break when they fell, and how anyone could actually get to the item and pick them up once it did fall?  The phrase often made me watch trucks to see if I could actually see something falling. I never did.

As I grew older, someone explained it to me. It”s basically a euphemism for any illegially obtained goods or merchandise. I assumed after that, probably correctly, anytime that phrase was used it really meant someone stole it.

Read more “It’s so annoying ~ Is everything falling off the truck?”