Anyone else having trouble with the EDD phone number 800-300-5616? Can't reach a single agent

Thank you! I was wondering about that. So frustrating that people spread that myth around.

Yep, confirmed. Both numbers route to the same call center. Save yourself the time.

94 calls! How do you even have time for anything else? This is insane.

I've been tracking my attempts and my record is 127 calls in a single day. Still didn't get through that day.

Is that legit? I'm getting desperate enough to try anything at this point.

Yeah, check out claimyr.com - they have a demo video at https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10. I was skeptical too but it worked in 23 minutes for me.

Second this. Used Claimyr last week and got connected in under 40 minutes. Best $20 I ever spent.

Wait, the WHOLE call center takes lunch at the same time? That's ridiculous!

Yep, it's a complete dead zone. They should post this somewhere but they don't. Wasted so many attempts during lunch.

This explains why I never get through when I try calling on my lunch break. Thanks for sharing!

I try to but sometimes I mess up the timing. Do you have the exact pattern memorized?

After calling 800-300-5616, I dial 1 immediately, wait exactly 1 minute 10 seconds, then 1-1-***. Don't wait for the full prompts.

Good point. I always try Monday thinking I'll beat the rush but maybe that's backwards logic.

Wednesday between 2-4pm has been my sweet spot. Still takes many attempts but better odds than Monday.

Exactly! And avoid Friday afternoons too - even if you get through, they can't resolve much before the weekend.

That's my worst nightmare. How do you even recover from that emotionally?

I didn't. I took the rest of the day off and seriously considered paying for one of those callback services.

The call drop rate is supposedly 30-50%. It's a known issue they refuse to fix. Absolutely maddening.

Three times? Do they guarantee it works or is there still a chance of failure?

They don't guarantee a specific time but I've never waited more than 45 minutes. Way better than spending entire days redialing manually.

I was hesitant about paying but honestly, my time is worth more than the fee. Got through in 18 minutes yesterday.

I've tried that but usually just get a message saying they're closed. Maybe I need to try earlier?

I start dialing at 7:50am and keep hitting redial until 8:00am. Sometimes you can slip into the queue just as they flip the switch.

Yeah, it's hit or miss but when it works you avoid the initial rush of 8am callers.

Thank you! I was about to ask if anyone had a specialist number. Good to know it's not real.

So many people still ask about this. The specialist lines were discontinued in 2020. Everyone goes through the same system now.

You tracked 156 failed attempts in one hour? That's dedication to data collection!

I'm a bit obsessive about tracking patterns. It helps me feel like I have some control over this chaos.

This is actually really helpful data. Wednesday afternoons seem to be the consensus best time.

That's awful. Can you use WiFi calling to avoid using your minutes?

I try but the connection isn't always reliable. Missed getting through twice because WiFi dropped mid-call.

Check if your library has free phone access. Some have calling stations for exactly this type of situation.

31 minutes vs 3 weeks of trying... that really puts it in perspective. Maybe I need to stop being stubborn about paying.

Exactly. I calculated I spent over 40 hours manually calling. The service fee was way less than my hourly wage for those wasted hours.

So the real hours are more like 8am-4pm? They should be transparent about this stuff.

Seems like it. The agent said they have to finish existing calls by 5pm so they can't take new ones late in the day.

This makes sense. I never had luck calling after 3:30pm but thought it was just bad timing.

Good practical advice. I ran out of battery twice and had to start over. So frustrating.

Yeah, treat it like a survival situation. I also recommend having a backup activity since most of calling is just hitting redial repeatedly.

That's a good way to think about it. If I make $15/hour and spend 10 hours calling, that's $150 of my time vs $20 for the service.

Plus the stress and frustration factor. Some things are worth paying for just for peace of mind.

Exactly. The mental health cost of this calling process is real. Sometimes you just need to buy back your sanity.