EDD talk to a person - been trying for 2 weeks straight, what am I missing?

I dial at exactly 8:00am thinking I'll beat the rush but maybe that's the problem? Should I wait until like 8:15?

Actually try 7:55am - the system sometimes lets you through a few minutes early and you'll be first in queue when agents arrive.

Wait, the ENTIRE call center takes lunch at the same time? That explains why I never get through during my lunch hour calls!

It's not officially posted anywhere but yeah, total dead zone from 12-1:30. I wasted probably 50 calls during that time before someone told me.

Is that the callback service? I've seen it mentioned but wasn't sure if it's legit or just another scam.

Totally legit - they have tons of reviews and it's been covered in news. Basically they call for you, wait on hold, then forward you to an agent. Way better than burning your phone minutes and lunch breaks.

claimyr.com if you want to check it out. I was skeptical too but desperate times and all that. They have a video demo that shows exactly how it works.

I never thought about pressing early! I always wait for each prompt to finish. That could save me hours over all my redial attempts.

Exactly! Also the 833 number and 800 number are the exact same line despite what people say. Don't waste time switching between them.

I've been focusing on Monday mornings thinking it would be better after the weekend. Completely backwards strategy apparently!

Monday mornings are the worst because everyone with weekend issues calls first thing. Wednesday afternoon is definitely the move.

That's what I'm afraid of. I can't take time off work just to call EDD but I need to resolve this claim issue.

Same boat here. That's exactly why I ended up using the callback service someone mentioned above. Couldn't afford to keep missing work for phone calls.

I've been calling until 5pm thinking I'd catch them before closing. Another wasted strategy!

Yeah, 4pm seems to be the unofficial cutoff for getting into the queue. After that it's just busy signals.

Thank you! I wasted so much time trying to find these mythical back-door numbers people keep posting about.

Right? All those old forum posts from 2019 are completely outdated. It's just the main line now, no shortcuts.

A part-time job just to talk to unemployment - that's depressing but probably accurate.

I actually started a spreadsheet tracking my call attempts. 73 calls over 8 days just to get one successful hold that lasted 2 hours before connecting.

That's way faster than my 2+ hour holds that keep dropping. What's the cost like compared to the time saved?

Think it was like $20 for the call. When you consider the lost work time and phone bill from hundreds of redials, it pays for itself easily.

There's a demo video at https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10 that shows exactly how the callback works if you want to see it in action first.

Good point about the 3 second rule. I've been putting the phone down during holds and probably missed connections.

I lost two successful connections this way. Now I keep the phone right next to me even during 2-hour holds.

That's my situation exactly. I have maybe 30-minute windows to call but need 2+ hours to get through.

Right, and even if you get through, the actual conversation takes 15-20 minutes. So you need 2+ hours to get 15 minutes of help.

Great advice. I started tracking after week 2 and realized I was wasting tons of calls during their lunch break.

Exactly! The data helps you optimize your strategy instead of just randomly calling whenever.

That's what I'm starting to realize. I need a solution that works around my work schedule, not the other way around.

Same conclusion I reached. These callback services exist because the manual process is broken for working people.

38 minutes is amazing compared to my failed 2-week marathon. Was the agent able to handle everything you needed?

Yeah, full resolution in one call. The agent was just as helpful as if I'd called manually, but without the 47 failed attempts to get there.

That's smart - prioritize based on urgency. My claim status definitely qualifies as urgent at this point.

Good strategy. Use the tools that work for important stuff, experiment with manual calling when you have extra time.

You're right, I can feel it getting more complicated already. Time to try a different approach.

Exactly. Sometimes paying $20 for a callback saves you weeks of hassle and potential complications down the road.

Thank you for saying that. I was starting to think I was doing something fundamentally wrong.

Nope, the system is genuinely terrible. That's why alternative solutions exist - the official process is broken.

This has been incredibly helpful. Finally have a clear picture of what I'm up against and some real options to consider.

That's what this community is for. We've all been through the EDD nightmare, so might as well help each other navigate it.

Good reminder. I've been tempted to hang up after 90 minutes but that just wastes all the effort to get that far.

I got through after a 3 hour 17 minute hold last month. Painful but worth it when you finally get that human voice.