Life is complicated
In this country you need a PhD in Law only to manage your household. You need it order to deal with you broadband provider who does not provide what it should, or your gas or electricity supplier who bills you three times more what they should, or with the TV licensing office who wants to be paid twice, or with the car insurance company ecc... the list is a very long one. Life seems to be very complicated in the UK. Almost everyone I know is obsessed by one of this domestic issues. And if you are unlucky and have to deal with two of them at the same time you feel really miserable.
I had tea with a few friends today. The conversation we had triggered me writing this post:
I have just had a problem with British Gas that has lasted 4 months, they were billing me for the wrong meter. It has taken me 4 months to convince them I was right and they were wrong. Four months in which I have received many threatening letters, about cutting the supply, going to court, sending report to credit agencies bla, bla, bla.
Another one bought a TV. The shop made a mistake in his address in the bill and now "TV Licensing" is accusing him to have another TV in that address for which he does not pay license. It is almost impossible to make them understand the error. The thing is that if you ignore them they will report to the credit agencies.
Another one has been paying a broadband provider for 5 months and he does not have broadband yet.
Another one has had his boiler broken since September and the thing is that he is paying a service that is supposed to come immediately and repair it.
Another one is still being billed for a mobile phone contract that terminated a few months ago.
Another one is migrating to Australia.
Everybody I can think of has or has had a similar problem recently with some provider or supplier. They seem to have the right to threat and menace you. The starting point is that they are right and you are wrong and show the contrary if you can. Everything is a struggle.
I know many people leaving abroad, in Italy, Spain, France, Switzerland, Germany... and they seem not to be obsessed by things like these. Life seems to be simpler elsewhere, they seem to work and live their lives without having to write infinite letters to companies to prove they are innocent.
I had tea with a few friends today. The conversation we had triggered me writing this post:
I have just had a problem with British Gas that has lasted 4 months, they were billing me for the wrong meter. It has taken me 4 months to convince them I was right and they were wrong. Four months in which I have received many threatening letters, about cutting the supply, going to court, sending report to credit agencies bla, bla, bla.
Another one bought a TV. The shop made a mistake in his address in the bill and now "TV Licensing" is accusing him to have another TV in that address for which he does not pay license. It is almost impossible to make them understand the error. The thing is that if you ignore them they will report to the credit agencies.
Another one has been paying a broadband provider for 5 months and he does not have broadband yet.
Another one has had his boiler broken since September and the thing is that he is paying a service that is supposed to come immediately and repair it.
Another one is still being billed for a mobile phone contract that terminated a few months ago.
Another one is migrating to Australia.
Everybody I can think of has or has had a similar problem recently with some provider or supplier. They seem to have the right to threat and menace you. The starting point is that they are right and you are wrong and show the contrary if you can. Everything is a struggle.
I know many people leaving abroad, in Italy, Spain, France, Switzerland, Germany... and they seem not to be obsessed by things like these. Life seems to be simpler elsewhere, they seem to work and live their lives without having to write infinite letters to companies to prove they are innocent.
posted by admin at
15:20
1 Comments:
I live in a small village in the Midlands, and we have quite a lot of problems with our broadband connection. It works about 70% of the time, but the other 30% of the time it seems to break down.
The problem is that it's very difficult to contact the broadband company because they don't seem to exist in the real world, so-to-speak. The only way of getting in touch with them is by email, which - as you probably know - people don't take seriously in replying to.
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