Roaring is good (Read this first!)

 
   Wow, I really hate my new Droid Charge. And don't get me started on the Galaxy Tab. Hey - have you seen those pop-up ads on the U.S. Post Office's web site? What's up with that?? And, let me tell you what I noticed about the decline in quality of the Big 5 chocolate products. Ooooo. Wait, wait, wait. Have you waited on hold for a grillion hours for customer service? Have you noticed thinner shopping bags when you shop? How about all those sneaky new bank charges? I know you noticed those.

   This blog is to share my experiences in the grand American consumer marketplace. It's an adventure lately. Really. I remember when there were unspoken but still existing rules in the marketplace, a time when one could shop and implicitly expect certain things. Like the store would not sell your name to others, or even ask for it. Like if something said something on the box, you didn't have to read it with your lawyer to make sure you bought what you thought you were buying. Like if you used a credit card, you didn't have to wonder if there would be secret overdraft charges that you would discover later.

   But for now, this blog will be concerned with bad, evil, poor technology. I have a lot to say about Samsung, for example. And about 4G. And about the evolution of telecommunications companies and their relationship with consumers. Is your overpriced service slow, bad or down? Too bad! Maybe a technician will come by sometime. Maybe the company will say they tested your line or device and say it works fine - while you continue to have no service, or noise on your line, which squirrels ate through after all. Maybe customer service will cheerfully inform you that you can return your device but they might charge you $299 to fix it - at their discretion - and with no requirement to prove to you why they're charging it, and you cannot stop this if you need to have a device fixed! You know, as per the warranty.

  Blogging about this can be funny, and maybe informative, but maybe also induce reflection. The marketplace is actually, really yours. A lot of these predatory practices evolved over the last 25 years because each little irritation from whichever corporation or service provider - Verizon, banks, cable companies, even, sadly, your physician - is annoying, but we keep buying their stuff. Sometimes that's due to the existence of monopolies, like with cable companies, or the "early termination fee" for telecommunication devices, which effectively creates a time-limited monopoly for 2 years per customer. But sometimes, we're affronted but lazy. We have kids, work, and lives which make it too disruptive to fight back as consumers for what we know is right.

  Here's my thought. It has gotten so that the marketplace is a literal jungle, products are of poorer quality than we expect, and customer service costs so much time on hold and is of such poor quality that we don't pursue it. Think of where this will go in the future if the corporations see us, their customers, as tolerating this. They will provide what we will pay for. Be aware of when an issue of poor quality or bad service, or just unbelievable disrespect of you as a customer, is a systemic problem. By pushing back we will get a more equitable marketplace.

   Meanwhile, I will tell you why Regina Says This Sucks. Welcome.