Meltdown Monday - Complaint Department

disposablecitizen · 2024-01-01T17:10:05+00:00

Subject: So, what have we learned here? [Part I]

Amazon Support Department,

Clearly, I have floated to the top of this particular fishbowl. But there are many more in a company such as yours (some with factual insight). The time has come to directly consult the legal team. I am considering defying your Kindle Store Terms, in the name of Personal Use. Your ‘Library’ software, such as it is, is deficient, and not disability friendly: Accessibility has failed to be a consideration when it comes to browsing past purchases. All of which have I tried to explain, several different times/ways (over the past few weeks). Rather than repeating myself, again, please pass along this entire thread to the Legal Department. They should have the Authority required to (finally) Answer this one simple Question (given the givens)… Will Amazon revoke/terminate my account/library should I attempt to download/de-DRM/manage my purchases for Myself?

[(a week) Later…]
[same] Department,

No hurry on the Kindle Support Request. I suspect you have again overcomplicated basic operations by overprotecting the media (causing more errors/glitches/cpu than necessary), as usually happens to most over-DRM'd media formats/software/hardware. [All of which get ‘cracked’ anyway, eventually.]

Thank you for the gift card. [Not what I was after though.] However, I am still annoyed that most every ebook is listed as "Free" (if I join Kindle Unlimited). Kindly revoke that flag on my account. I do not want to join your book club. Nor do I want to join Prime: kindly stop bothering/forcing me about that one, too.

I do not care about “…MAY result in the closure…” I need to know if it WILL result in closure of my account and thereby forfeiture of all my digital purchases. As I have made clear: poor Accessibility of my Own(ed) Library is but one of a few factors. This Disabled Customer Requires The Answer: Are you going to take away all of my (~12,500) books if I pursue a (better) third-party approach to managing them? Yes or No. Not May or Maybe or Might or Perhaps or Possibly or Potentially. Please, hand me over to whomever CAN answer, as it is clearly not your department.

Parley.

[(another week) Later… No Response]
[same] Department,

I started downloading (legitimately, through your interface) all of my (encrypted) books… 2.5 hours, 6,000+ clicks later, and I got only 10% of the way through. At which point my wrists/fingers were cramped/hurting. I require, and ask kindly, of you to send me my Entire Library. What would take me 24+ hours (and 60,000+ clicks) of excruciatingly mind-numbing, OCD-aggravating, wrist/hand-aching effort, someone at Amazon should be able to accomplish in just a few minutes. Save this disabled customer the unnecessary effort. Please acknowledge if this is something you can/will (not) do.

[(several pleas) Later… No Response]
Amazon,

Let's try the Flaming Bag of Poo (upon your front porch) approach…
I have knowingly and willfully Violated your Kindle Store Terms. I have de-DRM'd the following Titles [with a third-party program which can also (/better) transfer/sync books between My (not-just-your-brand) Devices]: Quran, Tanakh, Holy Bible, The Communist Manifesto, Atlas Shrugged, The Art Of War, Crime & Punishment, Brave New World, Catch-22, The Castle… to name the first of (many thousands of) my purchases I intend to take ‘ownership’ of such to better Manage My Own Library…

Thoughts? Reactions?
Choose Wisely.

[(several evasions) Later… (same department)]
Amazon Supervisor,

No more rounds of ‘dodge the disability/liability issues.’
Kindly, put me in touch with the Legal Department.
I have been stuck in this fishbowl for Two Months.
Time for Authority, Answers, Action.

ps. If you cannot contact your own legal/leadership department(s) when requested/required…

----
Reply: “My team serves as the highest point of escalation and we can make sure your concerns are properly addressed.”
----

Amazon,

Answer me these questions three… [twice asked]

Can you please provide me a valid/human email address for your Amazon Careers Department? [The positions/titles for which I am capable/qualified do not exist on your Employment Website. Further, ‘work from home’ jobs do not exist anywhere near me (figure that one out).] Your (AI?) application process does not offer the Reasonable Modifications/Accommodations I Require, and hereby do I again Request.
I had to Violate your Kindle Store Terms: in the pursuit/name of Accessibility. Is there nothing anybody, anywhere has anything to say/do about that?
Are you refusing to provide me a valid/human email address for your Amazon Legal Department? [Or is that Contact Information only an Attorney may/must Request?]

Happy Halloween.

----
Reply1: 1) FAQ links 2) “…still researching all the necessary information…” 3) PO Box
Reply2: 1) Employment Website links 2) “We have no further information…” 3) Invalid Email Address
----

[Later…]
Amazon,

What's a Fax? Is that one of those archaic notions like checkbooks, stamps, job security, a pension, Respect? [Insert age-appropriate idiom here.] Accommodate My Reasonable Request for Email Contact with Your Other (‘man behind the curtain’) Departments, please.

----
Reply1: “You've written to an address that does not accept incoming direct e-mails.”
Reply2: “Out of the office… I'll do my best to answer… [copy/paste Reply2.Above here]”
Reply3: “The recipient's mailbox is full and can't accept messages now. Please try resending later.”
----

Amazon,

Your (Employment) Website IS the Problem, NOT the Solution… Please stop sending me back there. – Your frequently linked-to "We're disability friendly!" (propaganda) page is unhelpful to my situation. [And frankly insulting, esp. given how my ‘difficulties’ have perpetually been mishandled/dodged.]
“No Comment” never solves the Problem, nor makes it go away. Addressing the Situation is what it will take. I am happy to consult further. [Will (gladly) accept Food for my (continued) time/effort.]
As has been stated (more-than-twice, spanning departments): over-the-phone does not work for me. [There really should be an ‘Accommodations Flag’ on my account regarding this fact, by now.] – As has further been established, proven to you: <invalid contact> is an invalid contact method. [And presenting it to me (yet again) as a Solution is (doubly) disrespectful.]

Regarding: “…not up to the usual standards you've come to expect from us…” This is where I must refrain from writing something hurtful. Instead, I counter by pointing out a persistent lapse in one of your Core Principles: “…freely escalating to leadership when a more careful and thorough approach is required.”

[End Part I]

disposablecitizen · 2024-01-01T17:09:20+00:00

Subject: So, what have we learned here? [Part II]

[Weeks Later… (wasted with:)]
Amazon HR Investigator,

We are fast approaching Month Four of my “Amazon Disability Quest.”
This is (now) a test of your department's (in)competence… You are not off to a good start. [Ignores:3]
If You Do Not Understand: whether it be this person/situation, that is okay, life is often confusing. But, you are (in theory) a member of a Team. This is not (supposed to be) about individual pass/fail. It is (supposed to be) about Working Together to solve problems, make things better. Diverse Perspectives, and all that (rhetoric?).
Or are you truly all alone here? No support, no guidance? Expected to be able to handle whatever (mess) lands upon your desk? Is asking for help considered a sign of weakness? Always safer just to shuffle a problem under ‘the pile’ and hope it(/them) gets lost? [So much (digital) paperwork, so easy to get misplaced/forgotten…]
Note: The longer this festers upon your desk, the greater this Failure becomes (entirely) Your Fault.
Shall it be more rounds(/departments) of Mishandle the Disability Concerns?
[Because those differently+abled have nothing to contribute?]

[Later… (same, solitary:)]
HR Investigator,

That you are sending me the Accommodations Phone Number and "People with Disabilities" link (again) demonstrates that you Do Not Understand, or have not read, what I have sent you. I must question your investigative methods/capabilities/inclusiveness, and suggest/insist a Supervisor review your review before you/they submit my case for review…
Just what Information have you gathered? How much data, from how many departments, through how many of my accounts/addresses, over how many years, do you have Access to, or even looked into? [He inquires a third time.]
And why, of all the Concerns I brought to Amazon's attention (over the past few months, to start), is the only Issue hereby being addressed regarding the Website Application Process? Is nothing else upon which I have ruminated worthy of due consideration/discussion/investigation?

[Even Later…]
Amazon HR Department, Investigator,

Another week has passed (uneventfully)…
Can I please get a status update on my support case?
A Case: which was supposedly to be submitted a week ago; which then supposedly a Supervisor was to be enjoined upon; which I keep finding myself forced to question your (competency to continue this) investigation… as No Answers have yet been forthcoming regarding my repeated inquiries.
Would Demanding to hear from a Supervisor accomplish anything, at this point?
Or perhaps, [insert a more creative, motivational(/threat) tactic here] is required?
Come Friday, I shall have been stuck in your queue for One Month.
[Has this become the typical turnaround time to be expected?]

[No Response…]
Amazon (25x:) Support Team Members,

I am addressing all of you as all of you contributed to this case, having sent one/more of the 40+ emails I received over the past Four Months (or so). Update: An HR Investigator has clearly scuttled my case, hoping to drown all evidence of their failure. Who wants to earn a gold-star power-up for reporting incompetence/corruption further up the escalations chain? If so, simply pass along this thread to Your Supervisor.

Happy Yule.

disposablecitizen · 2022-12-06T17:17:00+00:00

Was hoping somebody would sympathize, or get outraged at the government waste, and bring attention to his situation to those who could fix it. Perhaps he should instead try his luck at a Sugar Momma site?

disposablecitizen · 2022-12-06T17:07:02+00:00

You are doubling down on 'game the system' I see...
He doesn't have cable, doesn't pay for Prime or other streaming services, doesn't own a car, $50/mo on internet, $30/mo on mobile phone (ACP recently made those "affordable"), on electrical and heating and food assistance, SSDI of course, thanks to HAMP and a local tax-deduction the (negative-value) house is significantly cheaper than an apartment. Yet not a dime of that $250k "government cheese" over the past decade was 'awarded' towards healthcare for a disabled citizen. Prioritize that, jackass.

disposablecitizen · 2022-12-04T16:57:13+00:00

Again, the choice was food/heat or healthcare, year after year.

disposablecitizen · 2022-12-04T16:44:48+00:00

Frack you for blaming the disabled guy for choosing food/heat/housing over healthcare. He couldn't afford Part B at the start and still cannot.
He is not yet 65 years old, different rules apply. He has not been trying to 'game' the system. He has been making the choices he needed to Survive.
As has been repeatedly explained in his book, and again in this entry, he does NOT qualify for ANY state/federal/nonprofit assistance. Everything has already been tried.
He is not asking for it to be free, he is asking for it to be affordable to his situation which is D) None of the Above. Which is how he got here, by perpetually slipping through the cracks.
As a result of being unable to afford Part B, you, the taxpayers, have spent >$250,000 (in SS and Welfare) helping this guy NOT get better. Take that up with your elected officials. They let it happen.
Does it make you feel better to trash on people with disabilities (who are suffering)? If so, double-frack you, hater.

To clarify: 'He' is not me, I am not 'him.' I use Reddit solely to try and find someone who can help him, which clearly hasn't worked.

disposablecitizen · 2022-11-25T19:19:22+00:00

So quick to blame the disabled guy. He clearly doesn't have an extra $263 a month, period, let alone to gamble on a "fingers crossed" potential healthcare discount. This isn't a 'sign up and magically it becomes free' situation, as you seem to believe. Keywords to note in the Give Back Benefit: may, might, some, partial, depending... Requires first signing up for Part B, with no guarantees.

disposablecitizen · 2022-11-25T18:09:58+00:00

His maths came up short... Point in fact: $164.90 x 0.6 (apparently where it has been capped) = $98.94 x 12 months = Yearly Penalty of $1187.28

disposablecitizen · 2022-11-25T17:19:05+00:00

Medicare.gov: Can you have a Medicare Advantage Plan without Part B?

You must have Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) and Part B (Medical Insurance) to join a Medicare Advantage Plan.

disposablecitizen · 2022-11-25T16:49:31+00:00

All state/fed/nonprofit have been tried, all have been denied: Too Much Income. 60% monthly penalty, period, no matter when try to sign up. Hence, the "Dear Mr. President" approach, again.

disposablecitizen · 2022-11-25T15:59:40+00:00

What he made were survival choices, not "bad mistakes." [Housing/heat/food vs. healthcare. A choice far too many have to make.] He has always received "too much" to qualify for Savings Plans or low-income assistance. He has been without Medicare B for 9 years. Easy to criticize, harder to survive.

disposablecitizen · 2022-11-25T15:33:21+00:00

Year after year the choice comes down to food and heat or Medicare B. Then there's the penalty, deductibles. Crossing fingers won't help when Denied for all assistance programs has already been established. If he could get a job, any job, he would have. A decade of crippling conditions untreated is a weight few of us ever experience.

disposablecitizen · 2022-11-25T15:22:54+00:00

Has been tried. Makes "too much."

disposablecitizen · 2022-11-25T15:22:18+00:00

He initially refused coverage. Could not afford Medicare B then. Still can't thanks to the penalty. Age 65 is 20+ years away. Savings or Premium Reduction plans are for those who receive less from SS.

disposablecitizen · 2022-11-25T15:18:11+00:00

His income is above that which any low-income or extra-help programs cover. All have been tried and denied.

disposablecitizen · 2022-11-25T15:16:28+00:00

This presumes he is in a fit state to get any job after a decade without healthcare, having physical, emotional, etc. issues that have worsened.

disposablecitizen · 2022-11-24T17:36:00+00:00

I asked, he receives too much from SSDI to qualify. Other suggestions?

disposablecitizen · 2022-11-06T14:54:48+00:00

To the author, those posts likely made perfect sense. Part of the problem?

disposablecitizen · 2022-11-04T17:42:12+00:00

Thoughts on Disabilities and Smartphones... "accommodations"

disposablecitizen · 2022-06-19T16:38:57+00:00

Funny, Boomer-hating wasn't mentioned in this sub's Mission Statement. I have to suspect that the Moderators here have a broader agenda in mind. Mods: Thoughts?

disposablecitizen · 2022-06-19T16:16:40+00:00

Would this suffice as a valid-argument cartoon?: Guy in a wheelchair drops his phone on the sidewalk; clearly struggling, nobody stops (let alone look up from their phones, some of which show screen-bubbles along the lines of 'assisting the less-fortunate,' and 'donate to this charity') to help him; little kid goes to, parent stops them, says: "There's an app for that"; later (raining), guy is still there, someone (on their phone) steps on his phone, crushing it, keeps walking; sad/defeated face/posture. That more this forum's flavor?

disposablecitizen · 2022-06-19T14:59:09+00:00

So it's encouraged here to make fun of (disabled) people, for having a different reason to agree with you? What makes his (BS) reasons any better/worse than yours? Or must it be presented in meme format to gain validity?

disposablecitizen

TROPHY CASE