But, what if you are not, or even don't want to be, on the internet?

V3ra

My husband recently changed his car and had a tax rebate for the old one.
Despite paying the tax online originally, and the fact that refunds should be made by the same means the bill was paid, the DVLA have sent him a cheque for the refund.
So tonight he's making a special trip into town to pay it into the bank.
He thinks they do it deliberately to make it awkward for people, in the hope that some won't bother.

But if he did online banking and had a smart phone he’d probably be able to pay the check in online. I can’t remember the last time I physically entered a bank.

I thank my ex-husband for my level of computer literacy. He said to me, many many years ago, when I was offered a data entry job, 'Take it. Computers are the way forward.' I learned to type at school, so was ahead of some of the others at work and have always been grateful that he convinced me.

I did a couple of easyish courses many years ago and have sort of kept up, ever since. I'm no whiz by any means. By the standards of someone under 30, I'm a dinosaur, but thank god I've got the ability I have.

I DO worry about the loss of the net though. All of my photographs are online. I do still have a cheque book, so COULD revert to that.

I also very occasionally revert to a (typed) snail mail registered letter Spangler, if the addressee is not responding to my emails. Nothing like proof of receipt to get them to reply!

To those who think that they are of no interest, I've got some news for you.

Whilst the harvesting of data is not something new, the granularity of data available and the potential power to sway the public, through that data is.

For example, it is well known that Facebook’s business model is so lucrative because of the ability to offer targeted advertising, based on user information like age, location and interests. This has proved so appealing that political parties want in. In the same way that online advertising targets people based on interests, personality and mood to ultimately sell products, political parties try to persuade you to buy what they are selling come election time.

Now you might say that Mr Bumbles, in number ten, would stop at nothing to achieve his ambition, and you might be right, but Tony Blair did exactly same, even managing to persuade traditional right wing voters to change sides.

And the most famous of this example of using your data to persuade you has got to be the 2016 referendum. Think about it.

But you ARE on the internet - you're here! Why not just use it for the things you are comfortable with, which is what I do. I also have an old-fashioned "just makes calls and texts" mobile phone, which I'm quite happy with.

There is a scene in one of the old Downton Abbey episodes, where butler is very wary of the 'new fangled' telephone system - I feel a bit like that about this interweb thingy. I'm guessing you do too.

Yes I think hackers would probably give me a ring and say do you need to be doing this level of internet shopping with that overdraft.

who the hell would be interested !!
Precisely! In fact, I live in hope that anyone hacking in will think "poor old sod; how does he manage?" and put a couple of thou. in to my A/c to tide me over till Christmas!
Cheers

That Moneycard looks like an interesting idea, I will look into that next time I'm in the Post Office. Thanks for that.

Enormous swaths of the U.S. are without internet access, without cell service-

Long story short, that level of negligence got Trump elected-

Spangler try the moneycard issued by the Post Office. We use it to load up currency for safe use when abroad, but I see no reason why it couldn't be used here for sterling purposes. Have a look online and check, it may be the answer to your needs......oh hang on, you would have to go online to check! You are fortunate you can afford a broker to get the best deals for you, few of us have that luxury. I too am uncomfortable about how much is known about me and my spending habits, but on the other hand, who the hell would be interested !!

GillT57, what surprises me about everyone embracing the internet is that nobody seems bothered having the personal data harvested. I mind a great deal. For that reason I refuse to use a card when spending, debit or credit, adamantly refuse any sort of loyalty card and always pay by cash. As I suggested previously, if there was some sort of card that could be topped up anonymously, I would be fine with that, but keeping a profile of my spending habit, where I spend, how much I spend, when I spent it, on and on and on. No, I'm not going to give in.

My insurances are all done through a broker, a company that I used for twenty years when I had my own business, they have access to Lloyds of London, often I get a new insurer but remain with the broker, they beat anything I can get, hands down.

Utilities, a pox on them, BT is the worst. I do pay more and there's no need to, but I won't sign up to direct debit.

And as for the tracking of personal data on the internet, why can Duckduckgo duckduckgo.com/?t=crhs operate without tracking personal data, whereas Google make millions doing it?

Thanks to you all for the concern and for the money saving tips. I'm fine, truly. I will still shop at the shops, bank at the bank and pay bills at the Post Office.

I thought all banks accepted scanned cheques, V3ra! I’ve learnt something today.

Spangler despite your obvious pride in being what you call a dinosaur, you are likely losing money through your stubborn behaviour. Do you ever check other companies when your house insurance comes up for renewal? Do you doggedly stick with the same energy suppliers? If you do, it will be costing you thousands. As to the lack of contactless payment cards, you will be in for a surprise if you try to go out for lunch at the moment as most restaurants only accept card payments to cut infection risk. Don't let dogged stubborn behaviour cost you money

I gave up having broadband because it was out of order so often, necessitating long waits on the phone, to be told I need a new router, waiting for that to arrive before more long waits on the phone to tell them it made no difference and I need an engineer, then wait for the engineer to arrive (or maybe not if the appointment was messed up) to get it going again.

Luckily, the mobile signal is okay here or I'd be up a gum tree.

People who can't have either broadband or mobile signal must be mightily annoyed by the constant demands to do everything online.

Love the internet, there is so much you can do with it. Keep in touch with far flung friends is one. A few of my ex pupils come on Facebook and ask "Teacher what does xxxx mean and how do I use it. Its quick and easy. Easy to get questions answered and find information. As for online banking, love it, both for my own account, my joint account and my daughters PoA account.
I did for a year help older people learn the how to use the computer down at our local library, we always finished the lesson with a game of cards.

I embraced the internet years ago as I feared a loss of independence when I got old and might have to depend on others to shop etc for me. Then things got so much easier with iPads and lap tops and now smart phones. My dh maintained he didn’t need any of that so things were sent by post in place of dealing with it on line and receiving a confirmation email in minutes. Slowly the penny dropped and after giving him my old iPad he actually showed an interest in one of his own. So for his eightieth birthday last year I bought him the latest one and he uses it to look things up, read the news and read books. He has even sent the odd email. He wasn’t happy about the online banking but now he realises that we can transfer money to family when we need to instead of trekking up the high road to the bank. We can check if a cheque has been received. Keep an eye on things on a daily basis if we wish to. As for Corona, Without the internet I would never have ordered my shopping groceries and clothes etc. I am able to order repeat prescriptions in minutes and if need be use face time to speak to the doctor. In the main, I think most people who don’t engage with it are afraid that it is too difficult so they cover this up with the attitude that they don’t need or want it. The downside is the expense of wi fi and I appreciate that is a real problem for so many people. If that is the reason then I completely understand but if not then get an iPad and get a savvy member of the family or a friend to show you the ropes. In a couple of weeks you will be on the way and enjoying it. Any interim problems ask Mr Google.

she never fails to use polite language when inputting her requests
Quite right too! Otherwise it's easy to slip into sloppy bad manners; I'm often having to insert a question mark at the end of an automated suggestion in case he thinks I'm making a statement instead of asking a question and wouldn't see the need to reply!
The other, boring stuff? Nah
MissAdventure
As has just been pointed out, you are almost computer literate and with just a little more effort a whole new world of delights will open before you!
Whether the other stuff is boring or not depends on you.!
Without wishing to change the thread too much; as I sit at my desktop I'm watching the bungalow opposite going through the modern version of "improvement" by being demolished to make way for 2 "town houses."
Such a shame! Only 50 years old in good condition, with 3 bedrooms and double garage.
On the topic of computer stuff-ups, I'm thinking how terrible it would be if the demolition crowd was given the wrong address; imagine coming home from a holiday to find your home wasn't there anymore!
Good Health.

SueDonim my husband says no, apparently he can't scan or photograph the cheque, it has to go in a machine on the wall at the bank.
He took two cheques to pay in today, the machine chewed up the first one and wouldn't work so he couldn't pay the second one in either.
Personally I haven't accepted cheques in my business for many years, since I had one for £800 bounce back after initially showing as cleared in my account.
I complained and was told a cheque can be "recalled" up to six months after clearing!
So it's bank transfer or occasionally cash for me.

My mum is in her 80s, and won't use Internet banking, and is very wary of getting her groceries delivered during Covid, preferring to let someone else go into the shop to check that the fruit is fresh etc and bring it to her. My sister and I have both offered to help her to set up a supermarket delivery, but she won't hear of it, although she has both an iPhone and an iPad, which she can use perfectly well.

She sends cheques to my (adult) children for their birthdays, which, whilst very kind of her, is a real nuisance, as they both work full time, so are rarely near a bank during opening hours. It can take days, and a special trip, to get to a bank, during which time my mum keeps asking me if they have cashed the cheques. When the children were at University and changed address fairly regularly, there was also the issue of the cheques going to the wrong flats, involving more trips across town.

It would be so much easier if the money could just be transferred directly.

V3ra can’t you scan the cheque and pay it into your bank account? I can do that and even better, it pays up within 24hrs instead of the usual five days clearing.

I use the internet but what gets me is everyone expects you to have a smart phone. Only have a bog standard phone that does what its meant to do, make and receive calls.

I can't get my head round Siri, Apke's virtual assistant! Just unbelievable how he replies in a natural human voice to various questions and requests! Not 100% sure how it works, even though it has been explained to me before

That's it.
I feel railroaded into it.

We are in our seventies.We are online for everything. We have ipads, smart phones, a desktop and a laptop. We live part of the time in Ireland where everything to do with the government is online. It is virtually impossible to live here without internet connectivity or someone to do it for you. It is not only an age issue but also a financial issue; fibre connectivity is not cheap. I have no idea how you can function in society these days without being online. It is not right but that is how it is.

I think you and your wife were lucky Spangler.
It's just as likely that your letter could have been never heard of again.
Sorry if I seem to be derailing the topic.
My point was that being computer literate, or any other kind of literate, doesn't help in dealings with the DWP which seems deliberately designed to obstruct people.

Of course, when you're under the guidance of a dwp "work coach" you have to give them your email, so they can log into the account you had to make, to check how your job searching is going. (And sanction you - that means stopping your money)

How that is progress, I'll never know.

It certainly does nothing to help a demoralised person.