Have you ever had a bad experience with the use of high tech?

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Freshi Asked October 2022

Have you ever had a bad experience with the use of high tech?

I've tried very hard to keep up with fast-changing high tech applications. Some benefit our daily life and some create troubles. For example, recently I bought a new cellphone for a few hundred dollars and used only three months, then the big phone company announced that they no longer support a list of phone models. In addition, I couldn't transfer my existing phone number to another carrier (called port-in failure). Too much hassle to mention and Smartphone becomes "stupid". I didn't have my cellphone working properly for a month.

Today, I bought a new cellphone for another few hundred dollars. What a surprising bad experience! Regarding this aspect I can't predict the future for us, better or worse?

Activities of Daily Living Burnout Senior Health

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score 0 · Answer 1

Freshi I use the navigation (maps app) on my smartphone, not a regular paper map. I've always been directionally challenged

Helpful Answer (0)

Catskie62, you're better than me. :)

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score 1 · Answer 2

I like a change of pace.

Really, since you had your phone for only 3 months, you should have gotten some money back or credit towards a newer model.

I have used Tracfone for years. Went from a flip to an Samsung android which was a $200 phone I got on a holiday special for $100. Its basically for when I am away from home. My daughter has the same model and thats her main phone. need to keep a landline because of my husbands special hearing phone. No, he can't use a cell. I have a Samsung Tablet so do most of my stuff on that. My HP laptop is no longer supported in any way, so I disabled the WiFi. I use it for card labels and doing envelopes. Download my phone pictures to put on a flash drive. My DH plays games on it.

I too would be upset if I paid hundreds for a phone that was considered obsolete 3 months later. My BIL tells me I need an iphone. Not paying a $1000 or more for a phone. Can't justify the cost or the cost of a carrier for something I don't use that much. Tracfone cost me maybe $25 a month if that.

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Thank you for sharing your story.

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score 2 · Answer 3

Freshi, I am sorry that some unethical phone seller sold you a soon to be obsolete phone.

When 5g went live, the systems were no longer able to support 3g technology.

Lots of people got caught in this situation and every person I know that HAD to replace their devices, were notified months in advance that this was coming. I would file a complaint with Amazon about the seller, because they knew this was happening and unloaded stock to unaware customers.

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This sounds worth trying since I just bought a new phone also from Amazon to see if they are willing to do something. Thank you.

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score 0 · Answer 4

I use the maps for directions when taking my mom somewhere. And somehow I still get lost :)

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Using Smartphone to navigate and a physical map handy might be the best, assuming the information is entered correctly :) thank you.

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score 1 · Answer 5

I just use a flip phone pre-pay for an emergency phone while traveling. I also have a prepay smart phone to run certain apps on. But, it usually stays around the house as the emergency back up for power outages.
I have found that smart phones are pretty much horrible.
If I am doing anything online, I use my laptop.

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Glad you found the ways to meet your needs. Thank you.

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score 1 · Answer 6

Freshi - a $200 model IS a base phone, brand new high end smart phones cost $1000

I've been satisfied with my cheap Samsung j3; it makes phone calls and texts and if I need to I can do a little web browsing and use the GPS and maps... I have no interest in doing anything more on that tiny little screen.

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True. I've no complains about all functions that this Smartphone offers for my needs including WiFi Internet activities and phone communication until the phone company announced they no longer provide any service for this phone, together with other Smartphones, something called partially compatible. It could be related to signal coverage or device. I don't fully understand how big communication companies make profit. People are always smarter than machine (?) . It's too technical and reps can't explain it clearly neither.

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score 1 · Answer 7

The basic models are okay if you don’t expect much of them. My first was a 99 cents refurbished model from ATT when I signed up for one of their cheap plans. If you want a reliable smartphone that is good for banking, scheduling appointments, and links to your computer as well as picks up signals well, you need to spend more money for one with more power. For me it was worth it. I have an iPhone now and it’s worth what I paid for it and so helpful for my caregiving chores.

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I thought a $200+ brand new phone from Amazon should be reliable to do all basics, but not able to imagine in advance the phone company would make this incompatibility announcement at some point. Thank you.

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score 2 · Answer 8

Freshi, I gave up on my SmartPhone which is made for seniors. If I had known before hand that the instruction book was 150 pages, I wouldn't have bought that phone. The instructions were written so technical that I gave up trying to set up my phone, plus it wanted me to sign up for G-mail before I could set the phone to hear voice-mail [that in itself didn't make any sense].

I am going back to my old flip phone that had a slide-out keyboard, if I can find a new battery. All I need is phone and text. I have a desk-top computer I can use for everything else. Plus I know how to read a map :)

Those who now believe the Smartphones of today are so easy to use, just wait 10 or 20 years from now. You'll be grumbling just like the rest of us.

Hopefully we will still be able to use our landlines.

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I used a flip phone for a long time before switching it to Smartphone. :)

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score 1 · Answer 9

This has to do with caregiving, how?

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Sorry, but I don't agree at all! Using technology has a lot to do with caregiving. If you can't call doctors, medical providers, etc. that's a huge problem, for one thing. (I'll put a few things on this in another response). And then there's computers: I myself was going to put in a question here because I tried since February of this year to buy a new laptop as my old one no longer functioned: turns out it was a horrific problem at a major retailer and with one of the 2 main laptop makers: from my research they (the retailers & manufacturers of laptops) are selling a lot of laptops that don't work -- I'm talking about not EVEN TURNING ON from the get go. Some of the reasons: 1) pandemic/post-pandemic chip shortage; 2) very weak consumer protection in this country that wouldn't happen in European countries, according to my research. Accessing "portals" from medical providers is almost essential now -- that's another whole topic. But, anyway I respectfully disagree with you that smartphones, etc. has nothing to do with healthcare. I was talking to a younger person on the phone the other day, and I said something to the effect that many seniors are being "bypassed" by the speed of technology (changes, new products on the market, the cost, etc.) as things are moving so fast! She replied: "Listen, it's bypassing everyone -- even younger people."

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score 1 · Answer 10

I've had iPhones ever since I went from a flip phone to a smart phone. Apple has free phone and chat support, as well as Apple Stores where you can physically go in for help. You can buy used iPhones (mine is a fairly old model).

YouTube has many tutorials on just about any subject. You can solve almost anything by searching YT and watching any number of videos. I've never searched YT without at least 1 video being found.

Tech can be intimidating -- and expensive -- but it is mostly very helpful.

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I found out later that iPhone works with any phone carrier. Thank you.

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Have you ever had a bad experience with the use of high tech?

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