Date: Tue, 19 Dec 2000

Friday night, I was in LA and lost my TimePort 8767 phone.  I went back to where I went and couldn't find it.  I tryed to call Verizon on the (phone number) Business support channel (I'm a corporate user) it rang, then hung up, I called three times (I was calling on my Dobsen/Cellular One (Car) phone).  I was (calling) around 10 pm.  So I switched to the opposite carrier, the "B side" and called 611. I got an Airtuoch recording that said that I wasn't registered and to call *611, I had called 611.  I recalled *611, I got the same message but to call #611. So I called again using #611. Same recording, but to use *611.  I also tryed to call my A-side 611 (611, *611, #611), with no luck.  Then I called my cairers 800 munber, this went through but after 5 minutes on hold, hopfuly not wale roaming, I hung up...

Back at my motel, I called an old GTE number, and after waiting 20 minutes on hold, I reported my phone lost. The service shut off and unfortanly thay did not continue to forward my calls to my VM number, and I missed a vary important call (I was checking my VM regularly). The CS Rep said that a call was made about the time my phone was lost.  So I may have calls on my account that I did not make...

Monday I called the Insurance company, after on hold for 15 minutes, I was told that I had to get a Police report from LA Sheriff Dept. I said that I thought that this may be difficult, and suggested if I could use my SO (Santa Cruz), they said ok.  I called SC SO, they said it wasn't there jurisdiction.  So I called LA SO.  After several calls to LA SO, they said they don't do phone reports.  So I called the Ins. Company back, I was on hold for 10 minutes then the line went blank, I got hung up on, this happened twice.  I called back, after 10 minutes on hold, I was told I HAD TO GET A REPORT.  So I called the SO back, they gave me eventually to a supervisor, who said, also, that they cant.  He told me to call my local SO, I told hin what they already said.  Then he decided to gave me anther number, an ID number, that they said the ins company should except. All this after I asked for his name and badge number.   So, again, I called the Ins. Co. back, this time I was on hold a little less than 10 minutes.  Eventually, they said this would do...

Finally the insurance company, would except the information that I could provide.  They said that don't have a Time port but they have an equivalent phone a StarTac 7868 (an older phone (has less memory for phone numbers, Possibly slightly less radio performance (sounds less clear). They said that I had to except
the down graded because the phones are identical, I asked then why douse Verizon Sell it for ~$100 more then?  I got a stupid answer.  The conversation became augmentative, I ask for her supervisor, she said that they don't have one. We agreed that I'd call back every couple weeks and check to see if they had a Time port...
And, I said that I was going to report the is to my Corporate Verizon Rep, and I did.

I called back later that week, and talked to another rep, who said they just got them in and he would send on to me. It arrived Friday 22. This phone is a little different than the first on but is still, ok.

Do things really have to be this complicated?
12/26/00

My (this) story made it into the New York Times...
4-9-01