Last Message - for now

The paper work for the move is largely complete - we've been able to cancel, alter and change everything that needs to be done and life is good!

Now comes the actual task of moving - sadly this means that as of today, I will be only contactable via telephone, as my machine is being taken apart and moved to a place where it cannot be connected to the internet! :(

Hopefully to be reconnected in early to mid-January!

So have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

The Great Move - Part III

Moving progress has taken a bit of a hit today as I've been quite ill. However, I will update the progress on some other matters.

House Insurance Company - Rating So Far ***
I phoned them - they answered quickly and the guy was very nice. I wasn't able to do anything as security procedures mean that both the Toad AND myself need to be on the other end of the phone to cancel. This in itself is not a problem, excpet that they are only open till 6pm, and we're very rarely home then. Curse them!

Internet Supplier - Rating So Far *****
My internet supplier is Zen internet. Here is a comprehensive list of EVERYTHING that is bad about Zen, they're a bit expensive. That buys you flawless customer service, a connection that I've never known to break, and very high bandwidth. I would recommend them to anyone. I would recommend that NTL attempt to become even an eighth as good at customer service, (that would raise them to adequate.) To cancel - I simply went to the cancelation website that they provide. They emailed confirmation to me the next working day.

The Great Move - Part II

Of course - it's not just me who's moving out of this house. The inimitable Toad is also leaving this place, and she has taken on her share of the responsibility! Today Alice dealt with BT, so I will leave it to her to take over.

BT - Rating So Far ***

I felt that as boB had made a start on the fun that is canceling all the bills, I too should shoulder some of the responsibility. boB had informed me during the day of his antics with BT so I felt maybe I should give it the woman's touch.

I too went to the BT website, but unable to find a suitable link I typed "disconnect" into the search engine! Low and behold .... it took me to the same link as boB! So much for that woman's touch! Anyway after dialing the aforementioned number, I got through to a lovely lady [atoning for the guilt of cutting someone off earlier in the day? - boB] who did exactly what I wanted and has cancelled our phonebill at the date I requested for a time I requested, with very little difficulty. The nice lady even put up with my inadequate ability to prepare for the phonecall, and coping whilst I put her on hold and ran round the house looking for our customer account number, then forgetting the new address to post the bill on to. Bless her!

United Utilities - Rating So Far *

Water - all I needed to do was transfer the name over to our Landlord's so that he can pay the January bill. I managed to get through to someone after a couple of minutes of button pushing and someone telling me there was a queue. Then I got through! Yep to be told that there wasn't enough people available and could they take my number and a message and someone would call me back! Since when have call centres had receptionists??!!!!

Anyway I left my message and number and am waiting for the return call.... [This is being published after 3 hours of waiting! - boB]

Powergen- Rating So Far *

Gas and Electricity - again this needed to be transferred over to Landlord's name. Although Powergen supply both our gas and electricity they give us separate bills and account numbers - just because life would be boring otherwise!
Anyway, I phoned their number and again sat in a queue telling me I was in a queue. Then after about the fourth time of being told I was in a queue I was asked if I wanted to leave a message and my number and someone would get back in contact with me - what no receptionist? Only a machine? How will I cope?! I didn't leave a message by this time I was fed up with queues!

Oh well! BT was a success, just gas, electricity, water, house insurance, and internet bill to go!

The Great Move - Part I

So, I'm moving house, and I've decided to keep a record of that most perilous journey into the world of mind-numbing bureaucracy - cancelling all those contracts and accounts with the various suppliers.

Those of you that know me personally will know that my current record holders for the most ridiculously poor level of customer services, are NTL. Cancelling NTL was a process that lasted four months after the date I left my house. They over-charged me, agreed to cancel the account, and then didn't, tried to charge me for the additional months connection that I would receive because they couldn't get a service engineer out to actually cancel the connection, until finally working out that they owed me £50. I gave them an address to send the cheque as requested... that was the last I ever heard of them, (I would of paid them more than that if I knew that was the way to make them leave me alone!)

So today I started the process with the first two bills on my list. The council tax and the phone bill.

Local Borough Council - Rating so far ****

So I'm off to a bad start as a customer because, in actual fact, I called the wrong number for council tax enquiries. This was my fault, but the lady on the other end of the phone was nice, and transferred me. The next lady was efficient, gave me all of the information I needed, and ordered the cancellation there and then. There should be a final bill coming through soon. So we'll leave it at that for now....

BT - Rating so far *

To figure out how to cancel the phone line I went HERE now, the untrained eye will see this website and think that the words "To cancel your home BT account please call us free phone 0800 800 880" mean that if you want to cancel your home BT account, that you should call that number... but you'd be wrong.

I called the number, pushed 2 because it wasn't a bill enquiry, and had the following conversation with the DBL, (Dappy BT Lady) - abridged.

DBL: Hello, how can I help you?

Me: Hi I'm moving house, I'd like to cancel my BT line please

DBL: Ok, where are you moving to?

Me: A hall of residence.

DBL: Oh. So you don't want to move your account?

Me: Err. No

DBL: Well, I'll need to put you through to a different advisor, can I take your details?

Me: [PROVIDE DETAILS]

DBL: Okay, I'll put you through...

[Hayden's Creation Piped down the phone for a minute or so]

DBL: Right, I have an advisor for you, I'll just put you through.

Me: Thanks

[Hayden's Creation Piped down the phone for a couple of seconds]

DBL: Hello??

Me: Hello???

DBL: Oh - you haven't gone through yet, I'll just try again

[Click as I'm disconnected]

Thanks BT. I'll try again later, when I've calmed down...