So I went into an AT&T store today. After waiting a considerable period of time, I was helped by the store manager. My purpose today was to get a NanoSim for a new USB data modem I had bought. Being old school, I prefer having a separate modem with a sim rather than just put a sim card in my computer. It’s easier to upgrade the USB device, and I believe they have more flexibility. Anyway, when the store manager got to me, it turns out that the business account that I have had with ATT for almost 30 years doesn’t have me on it as an authorized user. He says that there is nothing he can do to help me since it won’t accept my DL as a form of ID.

So I leave the store and call ATT.  After about 15 minutes I get to a Customer Service person who gets me back on the account (with no ID, simply with an ID phrase) and says she can send me a nano-sim. Great, I think, we decide on shipping (which she waves the 9 buck cost on) and then after getting a new email for me asks for a Credit card to put the$5 sim charge on. At this point I am driving down the highway and ask her if it’s possible just to put in on my account (which, oddly enough, is paid every month by the very credit card I would use, on an automatic basis). She says she is unable to do this, and since I am unwilling to pull off the road in order to pull out my cc and read her the numbers (the same credit card that is already on automatic billing on the account) we end the day.

So, I have a USB modem (which I had to buy on Ebay, since it was impossible to buy from ATT), without a SIM card, on an account I have had for 30 years. I have now spend an hour on the SIM card issue, and hour (at least) on the USB issue and an hour doing research on the USB modem. ATT has claimed 3 hours of my life, and I am no closer to getting my SIM card than I was at the beginning of the YEAR.

There are changes coming. I have moved one of my phones over to the very excellent Project Fi from Google. I am looking at a cloud PBX system for the company. ATT isn’t a terrible company, just as long as you don’t have to interact with them. I plan on getting out of that situation soon.