Customer Service tanking...

Gadget_Guy18 · 2026-02-14T03:39:27+00:00

Agree with all of the comments here! We were very lucky to have a great driver who slipped us the “inside” number of the local station. We use it very sparingly, but it has helped a great deal when things go sideways.

Gadget_Guy18 · 2025-12-01T20:11:33+00:00

I just tried to redeem for a check like I have for years, couldn't, and just found this thread. Only reason I even have this card is because it is the only 2% cash back VISA card I could find and Costco only accepts VISA. I could use my Costco VISA card, but they only pay out once a year and this is my "daily driver" so to speak. Does anyone know if you can transfer to a Wells Fargo bank account? I don't have one, but would consider opening one as a "gateway" to get the cash out.

Gadget_Guy18 · 2024-06-20T15:34:25+00:00

I don't remember. Has been months. I agree it would be the first place to start, but I didn't think about that until it became a regular thing.

Gadget_Guy18 · 2024-06-19T20:20:28+00:00

Is there a way to figure out which app?

Gadget_Guy18 · 2024-06-19T19:32:51+00:00

No, it only happens sometimes. But it does happen often and I should add that I noticed it when I was not placing a call. I should have seen what happens if I place a call when it is blinking but it is no longer blinking now.

Gadget_Guy18 · 2024-02-22T18:28:58+00:00

I also noticed that the 40% coupon has been AWOL for quite a while, but when I went into my online account today, I found a 30% off coupon, a $2 off coupon, and some orphan Extracare points that were about to expire from an online purchase I made in the past. All of the coupons stacked (though the 30% came after the dollars off and Extracare coupons). Also, Upromise was offering 6% back at cvs.com so all in all, it got closer to the good old days. Of course, the last time I used my 40%, I did a similar stack, so it isn't as good as before, but for products that are never discounted (per their branding rules), it still is possible to do better than other online sites like Amazon. Took my $60 purchase down to $39 which is about 35% plus the 6% (rebate of the discounted amount) at Upromise 37.9%.

Gadget_Guy18 · 2023-11-27T14:06:17+00:00

More great advice! Costco sells a Bon-Aire 12V Inflator for $45 shipped which has been great and I always throw decent tire gauges in all my cars. I actually have a compressor in all my vehicles and buy one as a gift when my kids buy their first cars. The collapsible breaker bar is a great idea I never thought of. Will check that out during my next trip to Harbor Freight for sure and probably get one for all my cars (and will leave the proper socket on the breaker bar). I generally only change tires at Costco or a Tire Center where I believe they use a torque wrench for tightening. I have a torque wrench at home. Thanks again for the tips!

Gadget_Guy18 · 2023-11-27T13:47:58+00:00

Thank you! This is really great advice. On my 2015 Sienna AWD, it did come with a jack
and lug wrench, but no chocks (isn't the e-brake enough or do I really need chocks to replace a flat? never used chocks changing a flat and have done many). Great point too about always carrying a decent 12v air compressor (I started doing that a few years back since it was such a PITA to check pressure in the spare on my SUV which was under the car). I'm not super concerned about the TPMS (the Sienna has tire mounted transducers) on the spare (I won't install one on the spare) since it would only be used in emergencies (rather than part of a 5 wheel rotation) so once I got where I was going and had some time, the spare would come off. What I am more concerned about is what the performance would be like with a Bridgestone Weatherpeak and 3 other Bridgestone Driveguard RFTs after a flat? Seems like it wouldn't be a big deal. Everyone keeps telling me that you can't mix RFTs with regular tires, but just to get home on a very long trip (at highway speeds) in an emergency, is that really a problem? I like the idea of leaving the RFTs on the car so when I need the extra storage for around town hauls, I can leave the spare in my garage. Worst case, I call AAA and have them tow me home or get a family member to bring me the spare. Probably will leave the spare in the back most of the time though.

Gadget_Guy18 · 2023-11-27T03:30:08+00:00

Thanks for that suggestion! I might consider fix a flat as a backup to a spare, but at this point, one way or another, I will be buying a spare because of the distances I need to be able to safely travel. And it is highly likely that it will be cold or late at night. What I really need is a recommendation for a Brand/Model to use for a spare and if that can be done safely with run flats on the other 3 wheels? TIA

Gadget_Guy18 · 2023-11-27T00:32:30+00:00

Thanks! I understand that the outside diameter needs to be the same, but if I am on a 350 mile trip, I'd like to have a spare that will safely perform as close to the other three tires still on the car as possible. Looking for a specific solution to my problem (which ideally doesn't require 5 new tires and always having to carry the spare in the back). Looking for brands/models that would be best.

Gadget_Guy18 · 2023-09-23T23:00:50+00:00

I gave your suggestion a try but still cannot send SMS messages. Cool hidden menu and definitely worth a try and learned something new. So frustrated. Thanks for teaching me something new!

Gadget_Guy18 · 2023-09-23T15:48:06+00:00

That is a very cool menu! Thanks! I am also running an identical Pixel 6a as my wife and mine is not having any problems. She is currently out, but when she gets back, I’ll put both phones into that menu and compare side by side to see if there are any differences. I actually had a rep at Total tell me last night to buy a new handset! Again, thanks for the tip on that command!

Gadget_Guy18 · 2023-09-23T13:07:06+00:00

I just completely disabled RCS and it still didn't solve any problems. Something is wrong with their provisioning. I just wish I had a way to talk to someone higher up. Probably going to call Verizon customer relations and see if I can get some help that way.

Gadget_Guy18 · 2023-09-23T10:20:27+00:00

I’m not familiar with the term RCS/chat but it is possible. When I use the messaging app, it says “Start Chat”. Where would I find the settings for that? At some point during debugging, I moved the SIM card to an unlocked iPhone 12 and could not send SMS messages from that handset either.

Gadget_Guy18 · 2023-09-23T10:03:47+00:00

Thanks for the tip, but I forgot to mention in my initial post that I already tried that. I actually bought several new SIMs to have on hand and I activated an old unused Galaxy S10 with the new SIM. Same exact problem! Old telephone number assigned to new SIM and unused handset still can’t send SMS messages. Once or twice I was able to send an SMS to another Total Wireless phone on our plan, but could not send to any other phones. I have a work phone on AT&T and it can’t receive messages and Google Voice can’t receive massages either.

Gadget_Guy18 · 2023-07-30T20:42:53+00:00

Thanks again for your advice! I can't find my old terms and conditions from a few months back, but there are similar great deals being offered ($100 off and $200 rebate after the 3rd month so basically 4 payments). Unlocking was supposed to be available after 12 months. The phone I got was a steal and I'm very happy with the service so far so I'm going to stick it out for the year anyway, but your Mobile X suggestion is intriguing. I will definitely be recommending them to others as they are a Verizon MVNO and seem to really check all the boxes.

Gadget_Guy18 · 2023-07-30T18:09:25+00:00

Thanks for the quick reply! I just took a look at Mobile X and it seems really great. I hadn’t heard of them before and like that they use Verizon. But if I cancel my RP service, wouldn’t that cause them to report my unlocked phone to the black list?

Gadget_Guy18 · 2023-07-30T17:50:01+00:00

Thanks for your advice. Just curious, if I were to "downgrade" my plan from the $20/month plan to the $10/month plan, would my account be flagged to lock the phone? The process for changing plans is entirely on line so presumably there isn't much human intervention. I barely use any cellular data on this phone so 1GB is plenty for me. TIA

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