EDD phone number for claims - still getting busy signal after 200+ attempts

At least you know about the lunch break! I was wasting hours calling between 12-1:30 before I figured that out.

Yeah they all disappear for lunch but don't advertise it anywhere. Learned that the hard way after 50 pointless calls during lunch.

2 hours on hold?! Did the calls actually stay connected or did they drop?

First one dropped after 1 hour 45 minutes. Second time I got through and resolved my issue. It's about 50/50 whether calls drop.

That drop rate is why I gave up on manual calling. Too risky to invest 2+ hours just to get disconnected.

Is Claimyr legit? I keep seeing it mentioned but wasn't sure if it's a scam.

Totally legit. Check out claimyr.com - they have thousands of reviews. It's paid but way cheaper than taking unpaid days off work to call manually.

How much does it cost? I'm desperate at this point but money is tight.

This is huge! I've been waiting for each prompt to finish completely. No wonder my attempts take forever.

Exactly. When you're making 50+ attempts per day, those seconds add up to hours saved.

Also try calling at 7:58am before they officially open. Sometimes you can get in the queue early.

You're tracking this like a science experiment! What about Tuesday and Thursday?

Tuesday is decent, Thursday is good. But avoid calling after 4pm any day - they seem to stop taking new calls even though they're open until 5pm.

Wait seriously? I've been alternating thinking the 833 number was better!

Nope, complete myth. Same system, same hold queue, same agents. The specialist line everyone talks about doesn't exist anymore post-pandemic.

This explains why I wasn't seeing any difference. Thanks for clearing that up.

This is the dedication level needed? I have a full-time job, can't dedicate entire mornings to calling.

Then you need to find another way. Manual calling requires serious time investment or you're just wasting attempts.

This is exactly why services like Claimyr exist. For people who can't make calling EDD their full-time job.

How does Claimyr actually work? Do they have some special access?

No special access, they just have software that dials constantly and stays on hold for you. When an agent picks up, they transfer the call to your phone. Check out their demo video: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10

That actually makes sense. Let the robots do the tedious redialing while I live my life.

This is the worst part! Getting through all the busy signals just to have hope crushed by a dropped call.

Exactly. And there's no way to get your place in line back. You start over completely.

The system is clearly overwhelmed. They need to fix their phone infrastructure but we can't wait for that.

I didn't even think about phone bill costs! Mine must be through the roof too.

Yeah, add that to the stress of needing benefits and it's a double hit to the wallet.

Google Voice is free for calling if you have wifi. Might save you some money while you keep trying.

Only 23 attempts?! You got lucky. What was different about yesterday?

Mid-week, right after lunch break, and I used the menu shortcut method. Also got lucky with the call not dropping.

This gives me hope. Going to try the exact same time slot tomorrow.

They should post this information somewhere! So many people don't know about the lunch blackout.

Right? It's like a secret that makes everything harder than it needs to be.

I learned this after wasting 3 days calling during lunch thinking I was avoiding the morning rush.

5 weeks pending? That's terrible! Did they say why it took so long to resolve?

Simple identity verification issue that took 5 minutes to fix once I actually got through. The pending time was just because I couldn't reach anyone.

This is exactly my situation. Simple issue but can't get through to fix it.

Thank you! I've wasted so much time trying fake 'insider' numbers I found online.

Yep, all roads lead to the same overloaded phone system. There are only two legitimate numbers and they're identical.

The specialist line rumors are the worst. People waste days chasing numbers that don't work.

Those numbers are depressing but probably accurate. The system is completely broken.

It's unsustainable. I calculated I spent 47 hours just redialing, not counting hold time.

This is why automated solutions exist. Your time is worth more than 47 hours of redialing.

This matches my data perfectly! Tuesday-Thursday afternoons are definitely the best window.

Even in the 'good' windows, expect 50+ attempts minimum. It's all about probability and persistence.

89 attempts for one hold placement. That's roughly 4 hours of redialing assuming 3 minutes per attempt cycle.

Only $20? I thought it would be way more expensive.

Different prices for different lines but way cheaper than losing work hours. Plus my sanity was worth it after weeks of frustration.

Cheaper than my phone bill increase from all the calling! Might actually save money.

Smart approach! I've been putting my life on hold to focus on calling. This is better.

Exactly. You can't let the calling process consume your entire day. Multitask or go insane.

I do this too. Have my calling routine down to muscle memory so I can do other things simultaneously.

That's awesome! I think I'm convinced to try it too. Manual calling is clearly not sustainable long-term.

Yeah, do it sooner rather than later. I wish I hadn't spent weeks suffering through manual attempts first.

Welcome to the 'why didn't I do this sooner' club! At least we all figured it out eventually.

This thread should be required reading for anyone trying to reach EDD. Realistic expectations plus practical solutions.