To highjack the Crazy phone call thread, like many here, I don't answer
unknown numbers calling my mobile.

Surprising how many companies withhold their numbers but never leave
messages.

Had a card through the door week before last, registered letter to be
collected. Due to the location & opening times of our local sorting
office it took me an hour & 70p in the meter to pick it up.

It was from my van insurance company basically saying 'your direct debit
didn't go through, we want £400 NOW OR YOUR INSURANCE IS CANCELLED".

Been with them 6 years, never missed a payment before. They had
apparently been calling the mobile & not left a message.

I realised what the problem was. For 5 years I've had a Lloyds 'trading
as' account but in January I formed a Ltd Co for tax reasons & opened a
Barclays Ltd Co account.

The cunning plan is that I personally pay all the van exps & claim back
45p a mile from my Ltd Co. I decided to use the old Lloyds T/A account
to do so.

But of a cock up, SWMBO cancelled the wrong DD.

Slightly miffed at their attitude, I called them, paid the months
balance (using a card from the Lloyds account) and told them to
reinstate the DD.

Apparently they couldn't do that, because a DD had been cancelled from
that account, I would have to use another account. I somewhat
forcefully reminded the droid that I was the customer, I'd been with
them for 6 years, had never missed a payment before, they had just taken
a card payment from that account, I decided which account I would use
not them - and if that were a problem I would simply change insurance
companies.

To compound the problem, she put me on hold while she spoke to a
supervisor - and I had to listen to a selection of songs by The Monkees.

Surprise surprise - they could set up a DD from that account after all.

An hour & 20 mins of my life wasted when they could have left a message
for me to call them....



--
Dave - The Medway Handyman www.medwayhandyman.co.uk