This is how I wasted over two hours today trying to resolve an issue that should have taken 5 minutes.
I had renewed my car registration online on July 3rd. But then I realized the DMV still had my old mailing address on file. I needed to update it so the new registration card would be sent to the right place. I thought it was a simple task. But not even close.
When I tried to update my address, the DMV system told me I needed to create an account at my.dmv.ny.gov. That I did. But within my account, under the “My Vehicles” tab, it said:
“You do not have any registered vehicles to display... If you have questions or feel that you have a registered vehicle that is not being shown, contact us.”
So I clicked the “contact us” link, which took me to a page that told me—again—to do everything online. I clicked on “Change Address” again, and it sent me back to my DMV account page. I was stuck in a digital loop, no escape, no solution. A perfect bureaucratic ouroboros.
I searched for a phone number and called. I waited 40 minutes... and was cut off by them. I called again. More time lost, more nothing. It honestly felt like the system was designed to discourage human contact.
I tried the chatbot. To its credit, when it couldn't resolve my issue, it suggested Live Chat. I tried. No luck. "All agents are currently busy."
I refreshed and retried—over and over—until finally, someone named Michelle came online.
I explained the problem: I had a DMV account, and I had a registered vehicle, but the two weren’t linked. That’s why I couldn’t change my address. She submitted a request to link my vehicle to my account. Once that’s done, I’ll be able to update my address online.
But since the new registration card was already mailed to the old address on July 7, I’ll now have to request—and pay for—a replacement.
What I Learned
This experience revealed two systemic problems:
1. The online system is broken.
It promises self-service but can’t deliver. It sends users in circles, provides no meaningful support, and fails to connect obvious information—like your car and your name.
2. There’s no fallback when the system fails.
Phone support is nonfunctional. You wait endlessly, and often there’s no one on the other end. We all know hiring actual humans is prohibitively expensive. That’s why government agencies rely so heavily on automation. But when that fails and there’s no one behind the screen to help, the cost is shifted to us: in wasted time, frustration, and more.
The Bigger Picture
We hear a lot about "automating” public services in order to save money. But that shouldn’t mean totally replacing people with digital iron walls. A well-functioning public system needs both: efficient technology and real human beings when things go wrong.
I got my issue resolved only because it's me who refused to give up and who's determined to try and try. But it shouldn’t take that much determination just to change an address. And not everyone has the time or patience to navigate these broken systems.
The real cost is measured in how many people simply give up and rush to the office in order to meet a live human!