Frustrated in NYC

New Yorker, You may be shock after you read this blog, and then you may not, dismiss me like I am a butler, or you can find out more yourself.

My recent return home after living aboard for over a year and a half I was shock to find out I was totally frustrated in the 24 hours of my arrived.

Let say, how many of you have cell phone?

What about computer?

Have you ever took a second to know what it take to get connected to the internet, or you just do not care, because it just works as long as it is charged, and you pay your phone bill.

If you have never set foot on any foreign soil, and I do not meant the farm in Iowa; do you know how SIM card works? Lets put it his way; our great American phone corporations were holding all American hostage and you know who they are.

They are the company you spend one quarter of your paycheck so that you can get connected, and you do not even own any of their company stock. Just a black hole you dump your cash monthly.

Never the less, all foreign phone are luckily unlocked, that meant we can go any where in the world using the same phone, buy a SIM card at the landing airports welcome or tourist information center, vala, you are connected. But not when you have a US phone that will that work.

Too much information on technology, I know you are smart so you know what I meant, making the long story short, upon my arrival, I saw a very attractive new welcome and tourist center as soon as I existed from the immigration services. I was just thinking the old dusty JFK airport finally getting a facelift and catching up with the world greatest airport.

As I approached the information service, they told me SIM card were in the dispenser machine. I should have known better it is United States after all. However the question is which one, there a at least 6 different SIM card, and the others are all phone card, if you are not careful you buy a prepaid phone card instead.

I went back to the information desk to clarify which one to buy, and if all the SIM cards are 3G. That is the trick it must be 3G or they do not work well. They told me they are all OK and it works. Still have doubt I went to another store, they said the same thing, they are all the same price I purchased one after all everyone gave me the same story and it was 6AM, after a long flight from Asia and a red eye cross country, I just wanted to get to the hotel and rest.

An hour later after some needed shut eye, I proceed to install the SIM card, it is just as easy as open up an can of sardine, because after all the experience does smell like a can of rotten sardine. The phone just keeps on idling and nothing works. I am not getting any messages. That is funny, I specify ask for an international card with Internet access. After further investigation, I finally realized that it is a WIFI SIM card.

What is this, who use WIFI SIM card/ do you know what that means?

There are many places in New York do have WIFI access, that means you can use your computer there, but even in Starbuck coffee you need a password.  You ever try to find Internet connection to use your phone? Why do they even sell that anyway? Everyone have 3G or 4G on their phone.  I was furious why sell WIFI SIM card that is literally useless.

Never the less, I finally got some information on which company issue the card and planning on going there to demand a refund. Good luck with that.

For the time being the very helpful hotel concierge is giving incomplete information on where to find the store near by without telling me a visitors that the store is hidden and not easy to find. After many rounds of returning to the hotel and go about again; because I do not have GPS, because my phone is not working, and I get no email again, my SIM card is not working. I finally found the store.

The better story began by telling me that although the phone company issued the card, but they are not the same as one you can get in the store. In order to get one in the store with 3G accesses, I have top pay for a contract, so they show me the menu.

Good salesman, but I am no fool either, first I told them, I am a New Yorker, living aboard, I know all the tricks of their trade, I only need a SIM card, I am willing to swallow my pride, took the losses and purchase a new one from them. But that is not possible they told me, company policy, no contract. No sale. Well I am s_ _ _ _ ed end of story.

Well phone companies, I will get my revenge; I will blog about this for the world to know you ripe people off. In the end, I have to buy a new SIM card, this time with 3G accesses more expensive than the one at the airport anyway, I also had to buy a one-month contract, just to activate my card. I can’t mention their name however if you sign up to my blog on the Internet, I will email you who they are, that is my sell pitch to you.

Do you think the visitor should sell on 3G SIM card? I travel to many cities in the world I had never encounter such a mess before, perhaps I should report them to the convention and visitors bureau. That is a horrible practice by using helpless tourist as guinea pig for target practice.

Chance Encounter NYC.