Are we having fun yet?
This is NOT a political rant…I swear it.
We know that I have leanings – one way of the other – but this is not a
rant about whether I agree with, or like, this…simply how my experience has
been attempting to gain access.
I am a member of a family.
I have health insurance from my company but due to the price of family care being a bit out of
reach, I am hoping to either find a less costly option for my husband and kids,
or at least a more viable option. For two
days I have attempted to access the “obamacare” websites… and this is what I
get for about 10 minutes:
Eventually, (yesterday) this page leads to a “login” page of
sorts where one can, ostensibly, create their “user account” and then go on to
access the information supposedly available.
Since Obamacare is ready for us to check out and is NOT currently
affected by the Government shut-down.
Thanks for your patience.
RIGHT…b/c I have an option?
Yesterday (10/1) I got to this page and was passed through at least 5
times. I created my account, I entered
the information requested and then I got to the dreaded screen that asks for
you to complete security questions – but the drop down boxes identifying the
questions are blank. I entered responses
into the appropriate fields and clicked “next” and got the response back that
my answers had to be DIFFERENT from each other (I placed 3 totally different
words/phrases in the boxes). The next
few attempts I was able to see the drop down boxes, and answered each question
accordingly in the text field provided, clicked “next” and got…..THE SAME EXACT
ANSWER that the responses to the security questions could not be identical.
I continued to attempt this and then gave up. So today I am back and still faced with the
same thing, only I have yet to be passed through to the inaugural “sign up”
page…. I am just in visitor landing page limbo.
I guess the better way to make this experience better would
be to ensure that you have enough bandwidth to provide speedy service to the
majority of your potential constituents…right? But I guess no level of planning
could have lead them to some good assumptions of how many users/access points
would be needed…
And so I continue to wait.
I guess it would be no big deal if I were sitting at home and had
nothing else to do, but realistically, I keep looking at this site and trying
to log my information, holding my breath and gritting my teeth as I click “next”
hoping hoping hoping that my login is accepted and NOTHING. And it makes me
want to scream at my laptop and perhaps bang it just a little bit, on the desk
but I don’t b/c it’s my WORK laptop and though I can’t afford the insurance to
cover my family, I also cannot afford to not have a job… conundrum x 2.
Well, I will check back, it’s been over 45 minutes at this
point that the “we have a lot of visitors” pop up started. I wonder if I will get to the semi-completed
login part and get frustrated again before I leave for the day? Hmmmmm
And now:
REALLY? Who’d have thunk it?
One more attempt and I got to the create login pages:
as you can see, my answers are all distinct and not the same at all. and I clicked "Create Account" and held my breath, and gritted my teeth and I did NOT get the original error! Success, right?
not
And I am attempting again:
Who’d have thunk it?
And with that, I have success…. Right? My account has finally been created.
I am dancing rather wantonly at my desk... my coworkers may wonder if I am having a seizure, I don't know... b/c all of a sudden the jaunty green "continue" button is calling my attention, asking me to click on it. so i do.
What in the world is a “spa waiting room” and why does the
jaunty green “continue” button take me to something that I am not allowed
access too (nor do I want to hang out in a fricking “spa waiting room” really???) So I go back to the main page, click "login" and get the first page all over again.
Blah. This is time I will never get back. Let me know what YOUR experience has been.
