The Inheritance on Snapchat, the “Unavailable” iPad, and Why I’m Finally Escaping Retail Hell
A story that could be a sitcom episode, a tragic comedy, or a very long‑running customer support nightmare.
It all started when a polite grandma named Gertrude walked into a big electronics retailer armed with an iPad and a stubborn belief that a 1960s inheritance document lives on Snapchat.
After two years of endless loops, a broken screen, and a dead Apple ID, the narrator (a tech‑savvy, coffee‑stained retail worker) decided that the only sensible career move was to leave the frontline and go straight into cybersecurity.
The Great “Snapchat” Conspiracy
Gertrude first came in for a simple print job.
The store was empty, so the employee (our hero) offered to help.
Gertrude’s iPad became a drumstick—she hammered the screen with the force of a woodpecker on speed.
She claimed that the real estate agent had posted her father’s settlement papers on Snapchat.
“It’s right here! Help me!” she shouted, swiping like a tornado on a tablet.
The employee tried to explain that real‑estate lawyers don’t use Snapchat to share 1960s legal documents.
Gertrude was unconvinced, accused the employee of terrible service, and stormed off to the bank.
The Endless Loop of “I Need It, I Won’t Stop”
For two years, Gertrude became the store’s most frequent visitor—an 80‑year‑old ping‑pong ball that refused to stay on the ground.
Each time she returned:
- The store couldn’t find the nonexistent paper.
- The bank told her the case was old and from a different bank, and that she should “go to the store to fix the tablet.”
- Gertrude came back, mad, and the cycle repeated.
The employee eventually tried to involve Gertrude’s son, who was traveling and had no clue about his mother’s digital life.
Result: still no inheritance paper, still no tablet fix.
iPad Apocalypse: The “Unavailable” Screen
The final showdown happened when Gertrude’s iPad locked itself after she entered the wrong pass‑code too many times.
The dreaded message “iPad Unavailable” glowed ominously.
It required a factory reset, an Apple ID, and a password.
Gertrude’s Apple ID was tied to a landline that hadn’t existed for a decade and an email she never used.
Her reaction?
“This is your fault! You must have done something to the code. It should be covered by the warranty.”
At that moment, the employee’s patience snapped.
It wasn’t a tech support issue; it was a case of dementia‑driven frustration, a broken device, and a dead phone number.
The employee finally decided it was time to quit.
The Great Escape
After leaving the retail world, the employee landed a job in cybersecurity and B2B telecom.
No more old‑timer customers demanding Snapchat inheritance documents.
Just businesses, data, and a new level of responsibility.
To anyone still grinding in retail after five or more years: you’re made of steel.
And if you’re ever tempted to ask a grandma about 1960s legal documents on Snapchat, just say “Sorry, we don’t have that” and walk away.
TL;DR
A tech‑support employee quits after 2 years of dealing with an 80‑year‑old grandma who insists her 1960s inheritance papers are on Snapchat, repeatedly visits the store, the bank, and finally locks her iPad in a dead Apple ID. The employee moves to a B2B cybersecurity job because nobody wants to babysit a grandma’s digital life.
I would have sent her to the Estate Agent, if such a person was a) Alive b) ever existed.
The career change was probably your best move.
I started talking to a guy who was fixing my gutters a few weeks ago because we both had a mutual history in tech.
He had worked for years doing electronics repair. Cell phones, tablets, random PCB boards for discontinued things.
Got out of it for the same reasons. He was tired of babysitting or getting yelled at by people who couldn't follow basic instructions and that was somehow his fault.
Realized he wanted out of it completely and ended up in gutter installation and erosion repair/mitigation.
Glad you're in a B2B job now. Isn't always a cake walk with those people either but it's still light-years better in my experience than just dealing with whoever happens to walk through the door.
lol fr tho, some ppl just have zero clue how tech works and expect miracles. like, chill and maybe read a manual before going full savage on your screen. this kinda stuff is why retail tech support is a nightmare smh.
So, I got a new job in cybersecurity
If cybersec seems stress-free compared to the previous position you held, I salute you.
I was gonna say that. I think the difference is that it’s the kind of stress that OP is signing up for, versus the kind being inflicted on him.