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Original poster

Why is Alexa being such a temperamental, touchy bitch?

74 replies

Squiff70 · 28/04/2022 21:55

I bought DP an Echo Dot, 4th gen for Christmas.

We set her up as per the instructions and away we went. The mood was quite harmonious for a short time.

Fast forward about six weeks. During a storm we had a brief power cut and Alexa stopped working. We tried everything we could think of and went through the troubleshooting pages on Amazon. Every time we said "Alexa" she would light up blue to indicate that she was listening. We'd give her a command (ie. "add carrots to the shopping list") but she wouldn't talk back to us. She was silent but the command would be followed (ie. carrots were added to the shopping list).

This went on for weeks. We tried unplugging and plugging back in, resetting, adjusting the volume, begging, pleading and asking what her problem was.

One day, I gave her a command and suddenly she spoke back! I gave her a second command.... no reply.

Fast forward to today after she'd been mute for several more weeks. I said "Alexa, add bread to the shopping list". She replied "I've added bread to your shopping list". We shit bricks as the volume was up high and not only did we not know this, she had barely said a word for the best part of four months.

I asked Alexa where she had been and got some passive-aggressive response, so I asked her if she was broken, to which she replied "as far as I can tell, everything is working fine" or words to that effect.

I asked her to play one of our toddler's favourite songs and was met yet again with stony silence and now she clearly has the hump and isn't responding.

What is her problem?

OP posts:

Wagsandclaws · 28/04/2022 21:57

That's all kind of creepy.

Can you do like a factory reset or something ? Sorry I have no tech knowledge whatsoever!

MiddleParking · 28/04/2022 21:59

She’s a cunt.

Duchess379 · 28/04/2022 22:00

My Alexa has also become a rude biatch. When I'd say 'Thank you Alexa' she always replied 'no problem'. But now, nothing! Just a straight talking Alexa! However, she does remind me to put my bins out every week, so I can't be too mad at her... 😆

Theunamedcat · 28/04/2022 22:01

Have you contacted amazon?

chubbachub · 28/04/2022 22:01

PMS, probably.

ListenLinda · 28/04/2022 22:02

Factory reset.

or contact Amazon and see if they can replace under the manufacturers warranty, if less than a year old?

AnImaginaryCat · 28/04/2022 22:07

She's just not that in to you I'm afraid. Now me, well I have an AMAZING relationship with Alexa. Laughing and joking, never a cross word, no silences nor doing stuff like playing the same classical music list no matter what music was asked for.

Useranon1 · 28/04/2022 22:13

Mine does this when I swear at her. She goes 'beeboop' and goes quiet. Have you crossed her in some way?!

Gaspingandleaping · 28/04/2022 22:13

We have 2. Kitchen one is reliable and cheerful. Although very persistent on continuing to offer news headlines after me repeatedly declining politely.

The bedroom one is rude and petulant. Sometimes plays Spotify and podcasts other times nothing.

Set an alarm and it was so quiet it was useless. Witch.

Pixiedust1234 · 28/04/2022 22:28

Gaspingandleaping · 28/04/2022 22:13

We have 2. Kitchen one is reliable and cheerful. Although very persistent on continuing to offer news headlines after me repeatedly declining politely.

The bedroom one is rude and petulant. Sometimes plays Spotify and podcasts other times nothing.

Set an alarm and it was so quiet it was useless. Witch.

Sounds like you have the teenage version upstairs 😂

DecayedStrumpet · 28/04/2022 22:28

Have you put it on do not disturb by mistake?
I thought I had somehow switched off its cheery follow up comments at some point, but i cant see that in the app settings any more

Original poster

Squiff70 · 28/04/2022 22:55

These comments 😂

I don't think it's on a 'do not disturb' mode due to the randomness with which she has started replying, then not, without touching any settings. We'll look into that though!

Yep, done factory resets and all that palaver. I just think she's being an arse but since she won't talk to us we can't ask if we've upset her.

PMS is the other option...

OP posts:

Conniebanana · 28/04/2022 22:57

Mine is so moody. Constantly trying to sell me Amazon music and saying "well no. You can't listen to that". I even asked her she liked being thanked. Silence. She's an ignorant git

FAQs · 28/04/2022 23:02

I think you need to bond more, say good morning, ask her how she is, her interests, she loves dogs and has a song she has written about dogs if you ask her, you’ll win her back.

megletthesecond · 28/04/2022 23:09

If you think your Alexa is bad you should meet my DS's Google. Proper grumpy fucker.
Our alexa is lovely.

Original poster

Squiff70 · 28/04/2022 23:13

I find it hard to bond with her when she doesn't reply. Getting shit done with this Alexa is like a herd of turtles stampeding through peanut butter. We ain't gettin' anywhere fast.

OP posts:

Justmuddlingalong · 28/04/2022 23:13

I have to repeat every command. With the price of energy rising, the stroppy bitch's coat is on a very shoogily peg.

Fernsinthegarden · 28/04/2022 23:17

I’ve found my people!! I’ve been wondering why my kitchen Alexa is such a twat whilst the other two fall in line, Kitchen Alexa is an Echo Show and absolutely will not listen to anyone, she doesn’t understand the word stop! ‘Alexa stop’ ‘Alexa cancel’ ‘Alexa pause’ ‘Alexa home screen’ she’s utterly insufferable and I live in permanent fear that our neighbours think we have a child called Alexa with the amount we shout at it!!

britneyisfree · 28/04/2022 23:23

The one in my kitchen is a cunt too.

I was having an excitable moment with my two year old and wanted to play Up Middle Finger by Oxide and Neutrino and she kept trying to tell me I don't have Amazon unlimited so I can't listen.

Spotify is my default player and has been since the beginning but every time I cancel Amazon prime she starts acting up.

My husband used his phone in the end from the living room as he was sick of hearing me saying it over and over again.

Toddler and I had fun dancing around the kitchen while I pretended I was a teenager again

AnotherTroyforHertoBurn · 28/04/2022 23:37

My DS (21) plays a lot of music in the kitchen whilst cooking himself a full English, she frequently plays a song, and then another and then he will ask her to play the first one again and she tells him it is not possible.

When he gets really frustrated he says, ALEXA you are drunk.

She replies in a manner most prissy, oh no, not I.

Also a few years ago, I could ask Google to play I have no more fucks to give (Benjamin Thomas Wild ), she would play it, just for balance Alexa would announce with the word fucks bleeped out.

MayorDusty · 28/04/2022 23:41

I thought this would be about snooker.
Mine has developed a crush on John Virgo so I've had to turn the commentary down.
Started playing Spotify for him earlier when he got excited at Higgins missing.

AnotherTroyforHertoBurn · 28/04/2022 23:42

Even if you think it is not your thing, listen to it, it is a very good antidote to a very bad day, played at full volume, with a glass of wine and kitchen dancing.

marmiteloversunite · 29/04/2022 00:01

LTB(bitch)!

ilovesooty · 29/04/2022 03:15

Mine is very even tempered. And when I say "Thank you Alexa" she says "You're welcome.

aurynne · 29/04/2022 03:33

She's shagging your DH when you're out, and now getting huffy because you're around too much.

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