Scott's Pet Peeve #8446
by Scott Hardie on July 12, 2010
Not all mobile phones mix a qwerty keypad with their main numerical keypad, but I have an old Blackberry that does. That makes me especially frustrated by companies that only provide a letter-based phone number without showing a numerical alternative (800-LIKE-THIS). I just went to cancel Nutrisystem, and of course they require you to call a counselor rather than just cancel online, and the only number they give is 888-459-THIN. I actually started double-tapping the H before I realized it wasn't going to work. In retrospect, I could have searched online or maybe even brought something up on the screen to map letters to numbers, but instead I searched through a pile of old junk to find a landline phone that I haven't used in five years. After sitting through two commercials and two live sales pitches to continue the program, I finally managed to cancel.
Seven Replies to Scott's Pet Peeve #8446
Erik Bates | July 12, 2010
[hidden by author request]
Steve Dunn | July 12, 2010
Hmmm, that doesn't seem to work on mine. I don't think my Blackberry is that old, either. I think it is this model: http://na.blackberry.com/eng/devices/blackberrytour/
An additional problem is that there ARE letters associated with the number keys... but they're not the letters traditionally associated with telephone keypads. 123 = WER. 456 = SDF. 789 = ZXC.
Tony Peters | July 12, 2010
I only have a Motorola F3 which is likely the most un-tech cellphone
Scott Hardie | July 13, 2010
I would like a more un-tech cellphone. I guess it's nice to be able to get online every once in a while when I'm stuck at an airport or something, but the connection is so slow that I rarely bother. (This site's Dashboard auto-refreshes before it has finished downloading the page, so it never finishes.) I really don't use my phone for anything but calls and a few text messages, and I would like a phone that just handled those functions well and skipped the bells and whistles. I know the Jitterbug is marketed to senior citizens, but it holds a certain appeal. I guess this should make me feel old.
Jackie Mason | July 14, 2010
[hidden by author request]
Lori Lancaster | July 16, 2010
[hidden by author request]
Logical Operator
The creator of Funeratic, Scott Hardie, blogs about running this site, losing weight, and other passions including his wife Kelly, his friends, movies, gaming, and Florida. Read more »
Not Exactly Red Hot
Her: "What's that CD you're holding?" Me: "Chili Peppers. I still haven't gotten over their album from last summer." Go »Jacked
It's good to be back online. We lost our Internet connection at home on Tuesday, and it has only come back on for a few minutes sporadically ever since then, just enough time to send a quick email before it vanishes again. Making sure goos got published in time wasn't easy. Go »Without Teeth
Turns out I'm not the only one in this household in need of medical attention. I took my cat to the vet for an eye infection, wound up getting her a $500 physical since she's overdue, and the doctor wants to pull her teeth in a few weeks for another $400. He says her teeth and gums are impossibly infected and there's nothing else that can be done now. Go »Documenting My Discomfiture
My company hired a new guy to do documentation a few weeks ago, Rajeev. I've seen him walking around talking to the software developers, and attending meetings with managers in glass-walled rooms. I've heard several managers praising Rajeev by name and telling me that we need to get Rajeev to review prior documentation before we begin on projects. Go »New Baby Upstairs
WAAAH WAAAH WAAAH WAAAH WAAAH WAAAH WAAAH WAAAH WAAAH WAAAH WAAAH WAAAH WAAAH WAAAH WAAAH WAAAH WAAAH WAAAH WAAAH WAAAH WAAAH WAAAH WAAAH WAAAH WAAAH WAAAH WAAAH WAAAH WAAAH WAAAH WAAAH WAAAH WAAAH... Go »
Steve Dunn | July 12, 2010
Preach on, brother. I've had the same problem with the Blackberry keypad.