problems | Piss and Moan

Locked out

Buying a car from an auto dealership and using the service department is one of the biggest jokes that can be played on a consumer. They tell you when you buy the car that you have a warranty, you have lifetime oil changes, you have access to loaner cars if needed…they tell you a lot of things.

What they don’t tell you is that they are severely understaffed (which has only gotten worse). What they don’t tell you is that their service department hours are limited to the hours you are working (no weekends), so it makes it virtually impossible to schedule even routine maintenance without having to take time off. What they don’t tell you is that they don’t really have loaner cars, just that they will get a rental for you IF they deem it necessary.

So, the long story…

I bought a 2018 Kia Niro almost four years ago. I like the car. I really haven’t had any issues with it up to this point. But, the routine maintenance has been a challenge for the reasons listed above. It’s just hard to schedule an appointment.

About three or so months ago, the car started to give me issues when unlocking the car. Initially, the car wouldn’t recognize when I walked up to it (mirrors open and lights come on). The keyfob is the trigger for this function so I started keeping my eye on how often it would happen. It slowly began to progress to the point that pushing the button on the keyfob wouldn’t unlock the car. Pushing the button on the door handle wouldn’t unlock the car. Eventually, after pushing the buttons for several minutes, it would eventually unlock.

It did what most people would do and I assumed the battery in the keyfob was going dead. Afterall, it’s been four years with lots of use. I was actually surprised it took so long for it to be needed. So, I replaced the battery.

Did is solve the issues? Nope. It seemed to have made them worse.

Not only was it still difficult to get the doors unlocked, but now suddenly the car wouldn’t start! The car is a push button start, so there is no auxillary ignition slot for a key. Now I was getting a message that the keyfob needed to be in the car – while I was holding it while inside the car! Again, after furious button pushing, eventually it would start. But now I am wondering when I would be stranded for good if something didn’t happen soon…

So, I took the car to the dealership (last Wednesday) to see if they knew if there as an issue that was something fairly easy. They initially discussed that the keyfob might need to be reprogrammed to the car.

Cost? Approximately $75…

Mind you, there is NO OTHER WAY to start the car as there is no key. The keyfob is the key!! So, it is kinda required equipment. To charge a customer for this is absurd!

I complained loudly. The car is even still under warranty. There should be no charge for this!

They decided they better investigate further and find out if that really is the issue. So, an appointment is needed. Remember the whole schedule thing? Can’t do it and I am afraid I am going to be stranded. Soonest they could get me in would be five days (a Monday) because their “electronics guy” is out for training. They offer to pay for a rental while I wait for the car to be looked at.

OK, I supposed. Whatever.

Monday comes, no call from the dealership.

I call. I am told they are too busy to look for the paperwork, they’ll call me back. Two hours later, I call back. I am now told that the car wasn’t looked at and that the “appointment” wasn’t really an appointment so much as they were going to see if they could squeeze me in. I am told they will for sure get to it tomorrow…Tuesday…as yet, still no call with a status update.

Are car dealerships set up this way just to be a pain in the ass? Does everyone else have an issue with their car dealership after purchasing a car?

Line drawing

Posted on March 18, 2022 by backuphill

Some people have a pinchent for drama, for creating their own problems, for causing more trouble than they’re worth. Sometimes those people are family members, sometimes they are just friends or acquaintences.

In all seriousness, how do people live that way? You would think that it gets really old, really tiring. I know it does for everyone watching. Everyone who is watching the sh*tshow from afar. Everyone who is mouthing “WTF?” in their heads. Everyone throwing their arms up in silence as the comedy of errors repeats itself over and over and over again….

At what point do you draw the line for banging your head against a brick wall?

At what point do you stop talking yourself blue in the face because listening, understanding, and following through were just never learned or reinforced?

At what point do you wash your hands of the situation, the people, and just move on?

At what point do you stop cutting off your arm or any other appendage to help?

At what point do you stop bending over backwards to even make suggestions?

All rhetorical questions, but questions that have to be asked any time someone you love (or maybe just even yourself if you are reading this) goes through any of the above exercises. You hate to see people flounder, but at what point do you just draw the line and say, “I don’t care any more?”

Comedy of errors…you can’t help but just laugh at how ridiculous some people can be.

Guess I’ll just grab a beer, make some popcorn, and watch it all over again.

Assume

Posted on December 10, 2020 by backuphill

There seems to be a lot of assumptions going around these days. And you know that old saying about those that ass-u-me, “You make an ass of you and me.”

If that is the case, there are a lot of asses running around with no clue as to what they are speaking of.

Shall we count the ways?

There are a lot of people that assume the last two elections were “stolen” by one party or the other. The Democrats spent two plus years of wasted time and wasted money to investigate Trump, on the assumption that there is no way he could have legitimately beaten Hillary, only to find there was scant to no evidence that he had help in stealing the election. Now, the Republicans are going to waste time and money to try to stop or investigate whether or not Biden has stolen this election. Again, there seems to be little evidence of such an occurrence and lots of assumptions are being made.

There are a lot of people making assumptions about a vaccine that will “save the world” from Covid. The assumption is that once available it will help life go back to “normal.” It is safe to say that even with a vaccine, life will not return to normal as we are now seeing evidence that if you don’t get the vaccine you may be excluded from society until you. There are also those who assume that when it become available that it will be mandatory for all. There is nothing normal about that.

There are a lot of assumptions being made about wearing, or not wearing, as mask. Violence being done to those without. Name calling to those who do. People thinking it’s their job to inform others of the mandates or rules or whatever. Lots of assumptions being made about others without actually knowing them or their situation.

There are a lot of assumptions about people who are different from ourselves. That’s definitely a part of the problem we see in society at large. We someone who is different from us and we assume we know something about them, or people like them. Never a good way to deal with people.

There are a lot of assumptions being made in every Hallmark Channel movie, especially the Christmas ones. Good grief I had to endure one last night and the assumptions written into the storylines to generate conflict to enable the resolution are ridiculous. Of course, I can’t help but make assumptions about the people who regularly consume such entertainment, so there is that for me…

Anyway, you probably assumed where this post was going or where it wasn’t going. You may have been write, or you may have been wrong. The fact is we all make assumptions and it is hard to do so. As such, there’s a little bit of ass in us all.

I assume you read to the end. Tell me what you think if you did. What assumptions do you have, or are willing to admit?

Perfect storm

Posted on October 29, 2020 by backuphill

I could use a perfect storm. Not just any perfect storm though. I want a specific perfect storm of relief, not one that full of problems either.

I want a perfect storm that:

Gives me unlimited free time (I don’t want a job).
Gives me an unlimited amount of money (ok, doesn’t have to be unlimited, but a VERY VERY large amount).
Gives me freedom from all current responsibilities…read that however you’d like…

That’s it.

I am easy to please (ok, not really but those things would go a long way to pleasing me).

You might be thinking, “Oh, but money creates problems too, so it won’t solve all your problems.” If you’re thinking that, you can just take your negativity some place else. I am the only one around here that can have this kind of attitude.

Besides, I have never had that kind of money, time, and freedom. I would like to see if I can handle those “problems” that arise from this perfect storm of relief. I think I can do it.

I know I can!

Who wants to perfect storm with me?

Shop

Posted on September 21, 2020 by backuphill

Is this normal? Asking for a friend…

No, not to shop. Everyone shops. It’s something that is probably done at least once per week, if not more. I get that.

But, what I am wondering is if it is normal for someone to go shopping and then ask if anyone in their family (not immediate, but extended) needs anything? Not just once, but every store you are running to for errands that day?

Three stops. Each one had the question posed to family. Different family members want us to pick up stuff for them at these three different locations?

Would this irritate you? It does me, obviously.

I am not out to shop for other people. I am not a service. I am not running it around to you and I am not going to store it for you until you have time to pick it up. I don’t care if you are family or not, I don’t wanna do it, especially if you are physically capable of doing it!

Small exception: While we were in lockdown and the older parents were afraid to go out in public, I made an exception here. I fully understood and supported this.

Not the case now.

Irritating AF. I guess that is my lot in life. First world problem, I know. But still. I’ll take care of my own crap and they can take care of their own…now if someone else in the house, er, I mean, that friend I was asking for could catch the drift…

Check out

Posted on August 13, 2020 by backuphill

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

Rhetorical questions here: Everyone had enough already? Everyone feel like everything is on fire and there is no way in hell you can make it stop? Everyone feel like everything is on fire while there is a tornado whirling around you? A tornado with sharks and snakes and alligators in it?

OK, enough of those questions. I know the answer. That’s why they were rhetorical.

I lied. One more.

Ever wish you could just check out of life like you check out of a hotel room?

“OK, I’m done here. I am not picking up or cleaning. I am not making the bed. Here’s the key. I am moving on. Nothing here is my responsibility any more.”

Yeah, I wish life was that easy.

I have had enough of everyone. Of everything.

Time to start over. Another time. Another place.

Ever feel like that?

That question, it’s not rhetorical. Go ahead and answer.

Projects

Posted on January 22, 2020 by backuphill

Photo by Ivan Bertolazzi on Pexels.com

Ever feel like you just have too many? Projects, that is. Ever feel like you have so many projects going at once that keeping up on all of them takes enormous effort and time?

Yeah, me too.

I am not just talking about the ones at work. While there are lots of projects at work to always do, at least there I feel like I can block time effectively and focus on what needs to be done when it needs to be done.

I am talking about projects in my personal life.

Owning a home is a never ending project – improvements, maintenance, yard, cleaning and organizing. It just seems overwhelming at times because you can literally stand in one room and identify 17 things that need to get done or want to get done. There is never enough money and never enough time.

Social media projects. This is sort of a self-imposed problem. As you all know, there is absolutely no actual need for social media. It is there to distract and entertain (or infuriate) but there is no real need for it. But, blogs and Facebook and Instagram and Reddit and Snapchat and Twitter and [insert whatever else you have going on], can really take a lot of time. Am I right? Promotion of your businesses, blogs, ideas, etc. takes time and obviously it is something that needs to be done on a regular basis or you lose your following. I guess I am probably preaching to the choir here…

Anyway, I think my job is interfering with my creative side and completing those personal projects I have going on. Plates are spinning, and wobbling, and keeping up is a challenge.

I don’t have a solution. Just a whine. Just a complaint. Just general angst. I know it is all self-imposed, but I want to do a better job at it.

Anyone have any suggestions? How do you balance everything you have going on, outside of your actual job? I know, “first world problems,” right? I am open to suggestions….and if you just need to virtually slap me on the back of the head and tell me I’m an idiot because my self-imposed struggle is stupid, you can do that too.

I need staples…

Posted on December 4, 2018 by backuphill

black and white blur business conceptual

Photo by Dom J on Pexels.com

The supply cabinet at the office should do the trick. No, I am not stealing from the office for my stapler at home. These are for my actual work stapler.

Here’s the thing. The office supplies are ordered from an office supply store named “Staples.” Guess what? They have store branded items! Great if you are buying office supplies and want something cheaper than the name brand stuff. Perfect solution.

But wait! What happens when you go to the supply closet/cabinet and open it up looking for staples? Yep. Sure. OK. There are fifty small boxes in the cabinet all with the work “Staples” on them…now I am supposed to look for a box labeled Staples Staples?

Good luck to me. Maybe I didn’t really need staples that badly.

#fml #smh