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Sounds like the evening I spent wasted a few months ago, trying to sort out one of my relatives' Bell account. Had to do a password reset, but in order to do that, I had to login first. I quickly exhausted all options and kept getting forwarded to pages that rejected everything I could provide.
The chat-bot I talked to insisted he was human, but if that's the case, it's high time for the machines to take over, well, at least his job. Artificial or not, I could not detect any intelligence.
In the end it took a Bell employee (who happened to be friends with my relative) to make some internal calls to "undocumented numbers" to get his password reset.
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So today I got an email from my gas and electricity company that they want to "do things differently."
I don't know how people in other countries get billed, but over here you pay the same amount each month and once a year someone comes to check on your meter and what your actual usage was and you either get money back or have to pay extra.
It's an archaic system and people fear the yearly end bill.
Now, with the "new" system they want to give people a reminder to check their own meter every few months.
Here's the good part though: lots of people, including myself, have "SMART" METERS!
The company can read my actual usage at any time they please!  
This has been bothering me for a while, so I decided to reply to the mail by clicking the "contact" link.
I got a 404... "This [provider]-web-tst.azurewebsites.net page can’t be found" 
Head over to their website, contact page, and find their chat is unavailable, but I also can't send an email during business hours because they want you to use chat
Does this even count as a single fail?
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you do realise they will sympathise with you and tell you your feedback is important, and then...
do it their own way anyway.
sometimes it is worth fighting the system, most of the time though: not.
This internet thing is amazing! Letting people use it: worst idea ever!
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Yeah, probably.
But now I have to know 
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This is what Bill Gates and Elon Musk meant when they said that AI would destroy us all.
AI will be programmed by these same people. 
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AI may well rescue us from Natural Stupidity!
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Sander Rossel wrote: AI may well rescue us from Natural Stupidity!
It is more likely that "Natural Stupidity" will be codified into AI and the AI will find it to be the "best logical path" to a solution. Bureaucracy v2.0!! 
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Seems to be common for electricity companies to fail with online services.
My company stopped to send around people last year. Instead you get a snail mail once a year to enter the readings on a card. You can send the card back by snail mail (please place stamp if on hand), register and use the account to enter the data on a web form, or use an one time ID printed on the card to enter the data on a different form (URL to be entered manually or using a QR code).
Used the one time ID last year and it worked after some tries.
So guess what was not working this year:
Tried to use the one time ID many times on subsequent days. Does not work too for family and friends.
As a result, we all send them back the card - without stamp.
Have not received the final bill one month later. They are probably still having people sitting there reading the cards and enter the readings into their system 
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Jochen Arndt wrote: My company stopped to send around people last year. Instead you get a snail mail once a year to enter the readings on a card.
Yeah, over here too!
And I still get the card even though I have a smart meter.
I once entered the data on their website only to get a snail mail back that I didn't have to do that because I had a smart meter
I say smart meter, DUMB company! 
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The way the electricity meters are set up all that needs to change from measuring real power to measuring apparent power is to switch a bit (digit!) over. Your electricity bills goes up over night. The problem is there is no rule that says they have to charge 'real' power or 'apparent' power...A classic version of Technology moving faster than legislation.
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Sander Rossel wrote: [provider]-web-tst.azurewebsites.net
So, substitute web-test for web-tst and I think you have figured out what is wrong...this is only a test.
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They're a bit more thoughtful, here. You generally have two options:
1 - pay as you go (meters are readable remotely).
2 - budget-billing: 1/12 estimated usage/month with periodic corrections.
For those who follow method 2 (such as myself, for both gas and electric), it works out rather well: comparatively uniform bills and periodic corrections attempting to reach a $0 year-end balance.
If you get through the 404 error, you can tell 'em how we Yank's do it.
| Ravings en masse^ |
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| "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein | | "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010 |
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Hi,
Good lesson, should follow the guy opposite who watches sailing video's on YouTube...
Then rolls out a PCB late and with reversed components. 
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maybe [between tacks] he was watching you, hence...
This internet thing is amazing! Letting people use it: worst idea ever!
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"Sterilize with a jar - could give you a lift" (5,3,4)
Probably far too easy, but let's see?
Andy B
modified 31-Jul-18 7:44am.
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Well done, that's the correct answer! I had started to worry a bit  .
Andy B
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 Doh! The first crossword comp I win comes with huge responsibility - tomorrow's CCC. Still, something to tell the grandkids about.
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Nice clue - I was nowhere near it.
Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect. - Mark Twain
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I don't get it
edit
Ah weightlifting 
We can’t stop here, this is bat country - Hunter S Thompson RIP
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@LabVIEWstuff you won yesterday, remember?
Sent from my Amstrad PC 1640
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
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Of course I (hadn't) remembered! I've got it right, erm... here somewhere. It was here a minute ago, now where did I put it...
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Have you looked behind the fridge? It's the last place I'd look, and by definition that is where things you search for are, so looking in the last place first is generally a good idea...
Sent from my Amstrad PC 1640
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
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Found it! One of the dogs was shredding it, just caught it in time .
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