[fuzztester]

>Lastly, I get that the proliferation of apps for tangible goods is frustrating,

I had the same experience with a mobile service provider that I use, recently.

since the last few days, the USSD code that used to work to find my prepaid recharge expiry date, so that I could recharge again in time, does not work. it doesn't even give a proper error message. it just suddenly exits, and tell me to install an app for that purpose.

mobile self service / IVR features are brain dead, and don't work a lot of the time anyway. I don't know what the reason is, except stupidity.