Insurance rant (OT)

In message <[email protected]>
"Dave Liquorice" <[email protected]> wrote:

>On Sat, 01 Oct 2005 17:37:37 +0100, Stephen Hull wrote:
>
>> Now I am with the Norwich Union who use English call centres ...
>
>Unless things have changed in the last 6 months they use a mixture of
>local and foreign call centers.
>
>In my experience if you get connected to an english call center you'll
>be speaking to some one who understands the insurance, your particular
>usage of English (accent or otherwise), your problem and how to get
>the computer system to accept what is required. Get connected to a
>foreign call center and you get someone who doesn't understand
>insurance, has to be spoken to in very simple and plain english and
>can only follow the computer script.
>
>--
>Cheers [email protected]
>Dave. pam is missing e-mail

During my insurance ordeal on Friday I spoke to a Scot twice infact once
in the evening and again the following morning, I just presumed the call
centre was in Britain.

Two years ago I had an argument about our water rates being in a
different band when we moved house, the old house had a water meter and
the cost was far cheaper than what we pay now quarterly, The Indian
call centre United Utilities use had no idea that the water rates in
England was based on the ratable value of the house.

Steve.


--
Vehicle Painting Pointers: http://www.stephen.hull.btinternet.co.uk
Coach painting tips and techniques + Land Rover colour codes
Using a British RISC Operating System 100% immune to any Windows virus.
"Whatever is rightly done, however humble, is noble". Henry Royce

In message <[email protected]>
hugh <hugh@[127.0.0.1]> wrote:

>I had a similar experience with Nat West trying to explain that the
>branch in Nantwich Road, Crewe wasn't the Nantwich branch and wasn't the
>Crewe town square branch. All I wanted to know was whether it was open
>on a Sat morning.
>--
>hugh
>Reply to address is valid at the time of posting

Small world, I used to bank with Nat West in Crewe.
I was in bed one day after working nights and heard a knock at the door,
I got up and answered the door all bleary eyed and was confronted by two
representatives from the bank who wanted to know when I was going to pay
off my unauthorised overdraft.
Ok it was in the 80's but for goodness sake it was only a tenner.

I made the bank wait by paying back a pound per week on principle for
coming to my home without an appointment and I soon after closed the
account, We just can't win.

Steve.


--
Vehicle Painting Pointers: http://www.stephen.hull.btinternet.co.uk
Coach painting tips and techniques + Land Rover colour codes
Using a British RISC Operating System 100% immune to any Windows virus.
"Whatever is rightly done, however humble, is noble". Henry Royce

On Sun, 2 Oct 2005 13:56:40 +0000 (UTC), "Badger"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>BTW, I informed N.U. in writing that if they didn't employ people who could
>actually speak english I would not be renewing with them.

A Scot demanding the correct use of English. How quaint.



--
His knife see rustic Labour dight, An cut you up wi ready slight,
Trenching your gushing entrails bright, Like onie ditch;
And then, O what a glorious sight, Warm-reekin, rich!
"Address to a Haggis" Rabbie Burns 1759 - 1796

On Sun, 2 Oct 2005 14:00:26 +0000 (UTC), Badger wrote:

>> This only works if there isnt a big queue/wait first (obviously)
>
> Whole point is, you/we shouldn't have to!

And the chances are there is a long queue anyway.

--
Cheers [email protected]
Dave. pam is missing e-mail

In message <[email protected]>
Mother <"@ {mother} @"@101fc.net> wrote:

>On Sat, 01 Oct 2005 21:40:56 +0100, Tom Woods <[email protected]>
>wrote:
>
>>You can't beat actually dealing with a human face to face rather than
>>over a phone and it made the hassle of getting cover notes at short
>>notice much easier!
>
>The downside of this being that Agents occasionally got knocked up
>half way through the night with some drunken **** demanding a cover
>note... My father was always very understanding, and polite in his
>decline of such requests. My mum never liked it when I got to the
>door first and told them to **** off...
>
>
I feel happier now after reading that, I've split my sides laughing

This is what I miss, speaking to someone face to face, the problem with
the direct debit date would not have arisen if it had been possible to
sort it out face to face, Too many establishments these days hide behind
PO box numbers or email addresses and cannot be met in person.

We keep getting people cold calling in person selling plastic facia
panels or whatever for the house and they never take NO for an answer
you do indeed end up telling them to **** off!

Steve.


--
Vehicle Painting Pointers: http://www.stephen.hull.btinternet.co.uk
Coach painting tips and techniques + Land Rover colour codes
Using a British RISC Operating System 100% immune to any Windows virus.
"Whatever is rightly done, however humble, is noble". Henry Royce

In message <[email protected]>
Mother <"@ {mother} @"@101fc.net> wrote:

>
>My father was a CIS Agent for 30+ years. It wasn't an easy job but he
>worked at it and developed a couple of good 'books'. He retired 20
>something years ago, died 11 years ago, and would probably be spinning
>in his grave had he not been cremated.
>

My Dad died nearly fifteen years ago and was probably one of the first
victims of pension fraud brought about when the company he worked for
went bust but had already spent the pension fund trying to keep the
company afloat, My Dad only received a pittance in compensation
compared to the amount he'd paid into the fund for over twenty years.

Indeed its sad and to witness all that was once good crumble around us
as Britain slowly loses all connection with established British
heritage.

Steve.


--
Vehicle Painting Pointers: http://www.stephen.hull.btinternet.co.uk
Coach painting tips and techniques + Land Rover colour codes
Using a British RISC Operating System 100% immune to any Windows virus.
"Whatever is rightly done, however humble, is noble". Henry Royce

On Sun, 02 Oct 2005 18:00:36 +0100, Stephen Hull <[email protected]>
wrote:

>We keep getting people cold calling in person selling plastic facia
>panels or whatever for the house and they never take NO for an answer
>you do indeed end up telling them to **** off!

s'funny really, but we get very few cold callers here...

I had some LibDem canvassers cleaning the street earlier this year
after dropping some leaflets, the JWs won't even enter the road, and
as for the untrustworthy parasites who want me to change the billing
for my gas, leccie, water, [add - nausia]... I have a certain special
strategy...

Neighbours love it to ickly bits

Mind, did come unstuck once with a pre-emptive strike of "so you think
it's alright to ring my doorbell and generally waste me time do you?".
T'was a local plain clothes plod asking about an abandoned motor at
the other end of the road which had been used in a robbery...
(They make them so young these days...)


--
"We have gone from a world of concentrated knowledge and wisdom to one
of distributed ignorance. And we know and understand less while being
increasingly capable." Prof. Peter Cochrane, formerly of BT Labs
In memory of Brian {Hamilton Kelly} who logged off 15th September 2005

"Mother" <"@ {mother} @"@101fc.net> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Sun, 2 Oct 2005 13:56:40 +0000 (UTC), "Badger"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>BTW, I informed N.U. in writing that if they didn't employ people who
>>could
>>actually speak english I would not be renewing with them.
>
> A Scot demanding the correct use of English. How quaint.

Yeah, ok fair point Martyn. You get my drift though. At least we can still
spell the words of the english language correctly, look at what the yanks
have done to it! I suppose the scottish dialects are no worse really than
some of the english ones.... cornish, geordie and 'swampy' spring to mind.
;-)
Badger.

Just a note on the bank charges Steve - don't pay them...

I had a similar problem recently when I went overdrawn by (IIRC)
£208.xx for 24 hours. As I have an overdraft facility of £200 anyway
I got a bit ****ed at being charged £30 for an unauthorised overdraft
AND £28 for an unpaid Direct Debit.

I wrote to Halifax and advised them that they could have the £58 but
it would cost them a customer of over 10 years standing (and one who
was once considered worthy of a six figure mortgage and almost daily
invitations to loans, credit cards etc).

They wrote back cancelling the charges as a goodwill gesture.

About to go through it all again now due to finger trouble with
paypal!




--

Tim Hobbs

'58 Series 2 88" aka "Stig"
'03 Volvo V70

On Sun, 2 Oct 2005 18:31:19 +0000 (UTC), Badger wrote:

> At least we can still spell the words of the english language
> correctly, look at what the yanks have done to it!

Apart from the fact the Yanks haven't actually messed with the
spelling of some words since they left our shores with them, we
have...

--
Cheers [email protected]
Dave. pam is missing e-mail

"Mother" <"@ {mother} @"@101fc.net> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Sun, 02 Oct 2005 18:00:36 +0100, Stephen Hull <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
> >We keep getting people cold calling in person selling plastic facia
> >panels or whatever for the house and they never take NO for an answer
> >you do indeed end up telling them to **** off!
>
> s'funny really, but we get very few cold callers here...
>
> I had some LibDem canvassers cleaning the street earlier this year
> after dropping some leaflets, the JWs won't even enter the road, and
> as for the untrustworthy parasites who want me to change the billing
> for my gas, leccie, water, [add - nausia]... I have a certain special
> strategy...
>
> Neighbours love it to ickly bits
>
> Mind, did come unstuck once with a pre-emptive strike of "so you think
> it's alright to ring my doorbell and generally waste me time do you?".
> T'was a local plain clothes plod asking about an abandoned motor at
> the other end of the road which had been used in a robbery...
> (They make them so young these days...)
>
>
remember when the weaselly lib dems promised to ban 4x4s ? one of the
beggers asked me if I would support them - at the time I was lying
underneath a Trooper so I got up and explained it to him.
Derek

In message <[email protected]>
"Thingy_wotsit" <[email protected]> wrote:

> "Stephen Hull" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>
> > Now I am with the Norwich Union who use English call centres and I have
> > fully comprehensive car insurance as opposed to just Third Party Fire
> > and Theft offered from CIS and as an extra bonus 30 quid cheaper than
> > what CIS offered.
> >
>
> Stephen,
>
> I'm with you on this one. I certainly think it's on topic as many Landy
> owners will utilise CIS. I would support a scheme where companies have to
> disclose if they make use of cheap foreign labour the likes of call centers.
> I feel that we should have a choice to ensure our custom goes towards paying
> the wages of folk in our own country first before making use of cheap labour
> elsewhere. I'd not mind paying a little extra to know my neighbours and
> countrymen were able to have some job security.I've also been very
> frustrated by the lack of grasp of the english langauge by people in call
> centres.Don't get me wrong I'm not on a racist mission, I would be equally
> as happy knowing some of the members of our local ethnic minorities as well
> as the rest of the community were able to earn a crust too rather than
> sponge off the tax payers.
>
> Lee D
>
>

It's funny how people (in general, not particular Lee) are getting so
excited about "cheap labour" in call centers, yet are more than happy to
buy clothing from Asda, Tesco etc which is made by the cheapest labour
going, as indeed are a large percentage of budget spares for our Land
Rovers (China, India, Turkey). It's also funny how firms like Dyson
out-source "to reduce costs", yet don't lower prices. Me? Well, for
example, I would have considered a Dyson hoover, but now they are
made in Korea I won't touch one as I think of all the poor sods in
Malmsbury for who got the company going and then got shat on.
I was living in Portsmouth when the Thompson (French) TV tube factory
was closed - of the three in the group (France, Germany & UK) the UK one
was chosen for closure, despite it being the most efficient, becuase
closing the French or German ones would have met with strong "consumer
resistance" (i.e boycott) according to a French spokesman (before being
told to shut up!).
Similarly, 100's of jobs went in Stoke when Michelin moved production
to other EU plants - apparently for the same reasons.

Personally, though I don't like the idea of overseas call-centres (I
hate call centres period), I'm quite glad they are being out-sourced -
I didn't, and still don't, hear the office whalla's supporting
our manufacturing industry, so why should we (those who used to
work in "industry") care about the office types loosing their jobs now?

Just one of my personal hobby-horses (used to work for Rists in Newcastle
making harness and stuff for Rover, RR-Bentley, Ferguson, Toyota,
Honda and a few others - about 1500 jobs gone....)

Oh, and just to be really controversial, I won't give money to the
Red Cross or RNLI - if they want to buy Japaneese motors (thier
choice of course) they can rattle their tins in Japan - after all,
the Japs are the ones with jobs now due to their purchasing choice...

Richard


--
Temp. Sig.

In message <[email protected]>
Tim Hobbs <[email protected]> wrote:

>Just a note on the bank charges Steve - don't pay them...
>
>I had a similar problem recently when I went overdrawn by (IIRC)
>£208.xx for 24 hours. As I have an overdraft facility of £200 anyway
>I got a bit ****ed at being charged £30 for an unauthorised overdraft
>AND £28 for an unpaid Direct Debit.
>

I do my banking via the internet again with no office or counter to
visit.

When the CIS refused to refund me I phoned my bank (cahoot) to see if
THEY would as it wasn't my fault the amount came out on the wrong date,
The bank said as they were instructed to take the ammount out on the
27th in their eyes all was correct so refused to refund the 25 quid.

What compounded the problem for me anyway is coming off incapacity
benefit in May last year and getting a job because I was sick and
tired of being classed the same as someone on the dole not interested in
working.

However the job is very poorly paid and backed up by Tax credits from an
other English rip-off constitution called the Inland Revenue.
Twelve months later and offering no suitable explanation the IR decided
to reduce my monthly tax credits by 240 quid expecting me to survive on
peanuts. There explanation was you can earn up to ten thousand pounds
before it affects your income, I said how am I going to earn that amount
working full time with no prospect of overtime and my medical condition
still exists, they just kept repeating you can earn up to 10k.

Then my car insurance came due for renewal and it's gone downhill
ever since.

It is so easy to get ripped off these days especially by large
establishments its almost a matter of course.

So far I've been ripped off by BTinternet, Inland Revenue, CIS, Cahoot and
all within six months.


Steve.


--
Vehicle Painting Pointers: http://www.stephen.hull.btinternet.co.uk
Coach painting tips and techniques + Land Rover colour codes
Using a British RISC Operating System 100% immune to any Windows virus.
"Whatever is rightly done, however humble, is noble". Henry Royce

so beamendsltd was, like...
>
> Personally, though I don't like the idea of overseas call-centres (I
> hate call centres period), I'm quite glad they are being out-sourced -
> I didn't, and still don't, hear the office whalla's supporting
> our manufacturing industry, so why should we (those who used to
> work in "industry") care about the office types loosing their jobs
> now?

Well, because some of them have Land Rovers and buy bits from you, Richard.
Some of them even post to this group! Guess where I work.

The people who work in call centres are British workers just like you.
Office, manufacturing, makes no odds. Seems a shame that people like that
are losing their jobs just so that customers get a worse service from
someone who doesn't speak the langauge or understand British culture.

Bad call centres are bad. Good call centres are good. As with most things.

--
Rich
==============================
Disco 300 Tdi auto
S2a 88" SW
Tiggrr (V8 trialler)

Surely you mean the "Non-Cooperative Insurance Society" which took only 14
years, of wrangling through lawyers, to eventually pay out on a claim on my
property.

Alistair.

"Stephen Hull" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Apologise for being off topic but I felt the need to vent my spiel!
>
> <start rant>
>
> Since the Cooperative Insurance or CIS closed down its offices and
> stopped using insurance representatives to call at your home in order
> to collect insurance premiums an alternative method of payment was
> required to pay for (in my case) my car insurance.
> Easily enough done you would think by setting up a Direct Debit with my
> bank to pay CIS monthly instalment for my car insurance.
> However this now has to be done by telephone or via the internet since
> there is no office or representatives available anymore.
>
> I decided to setup a Direct Debit to come out of my bank on the 3rd of
> every month with CIS and October being the first payment, This was
> emphasised during my telephone call to the call centre which I think is
> in India.
>
> My insurance was due for renewal on the 27th September but because I do
> not get paid until the 30th of each month is was agreed that the direct
> debit would start on the third. However in spite of three phone calls to
> the call centre explaining my situation the setup was as follows;
>
> 1 27th September 2005
> 11 3rd October 2005
>
> The first date as I was led to understand was the start date of the
> insurance and the following date the first actual direct debit payment.
>
> So why on the 27th September did CIS try to take the first instalment
> out of my bank when there was insufficient funds which resulted in a
> direct debit charge from my bank of 25 pounds?
>
> When I called CIS to find out why they had tried to take out the first
> payment on the 27th instead of the 3rd they said that it is what I
> agreed on because I had signed the insurance document. After explaining
> to them that the very first payment should have come out on the 3rd not
> the 27th as was my instruction I asked them to refund me the 25 pound
> charge because it was NOT my fault the first payment came out on the
> 27th, reiterating why would I do so when I get paid on the 30th of each
> month not the 27th but CIS refused to refund my bank charge.
>
> I therefore threatened to cancel my insurance with them and slate them on
> the Internet if they refused to refund my 25 pounds bank charge.
> They refused so I immediately cancelled my insurance the direct debits
> and took my business elsewhere. The CIS were not interested in losing a
> long term customer who had never made a claim in the ten years of being
> with them.
>
> Obviously I was not happy with the way CIS had conducted themselves
> towards me, a so called valued customer.
>
> Perhaps the Indians at the call center could not understand my English
> and interpreted the wrong information regarding the date, I don't know,
> but what I do know is the CIS have treated a long term customer badly
> and their customer relations is not very good to say the least.
>
> Seeing as I had to find an alternative method of paying because they
> closed their offices and no longer had representatives available and it
> is they who made a complete hash of setting up my direct debit
> payments, the CIS can now consider themselves to be well and truly
> SLATED! on the internet.
>
> If you want to be treated as a nonentity then go ahead and sign up with
> the CIS or Cooperative insurance company for your car insurance.
> However if you want to be treated as a wanted valued customer then my
> advise is take your custom somewhere else.
>
> Now I am with the Norwich Union who use English call centres and I have
> fully comprehensive car insurance as opposed to just Third Party Fire
> and Theft offered from CIS and as an extra bonus 30 quid cheaper than
> what CIS offered.
>
> Just thought this might serve as a warning to would be insurance
> customers looking for car insurance to be more aware than me with
> regards to signing insurance documents.
>
> </end of rant>
>
>
> Steve.
>
>
>
> --
> Vehicle Painting Pointers: http://www.stephen.hull.btinternet.co.uk
> Coach painting tips and techniques + Land Rover colour codes
> Using a British RISC Operating System 100% immune to any Windows virus.
> "Whatever is rightly done, however humble, is noble". Henry Royce

In message <[email protected]>, MVP
<mr.nice@*nospam*softhome.net> writes
>On Sun, 2 Oct 2005 11:49:24 +0000 (UTC), "Badger"
><[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>
>>"hugh" <hugh@[127.0.0.1]> wrote in message
>>news:[email protected]...
>>> In message <[email protected]>, Badger
>>> <[email protected]> writes
>>>>
>>>> "Stephen Hull" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>>>> news:[email protected]...
>>>>
>>>>> Now I am with the Norwich Union who use English call centres and I have
>>>>> fully comprehensive car insurance as opposed to just Third Party Fire
>>>>> and Theft offered from CIS and as an extra bonus 30 quid cheaper than
>>>>> what CIS offered
>>>>
>>>>But were Norwich Union not one of the first to opt for indian cal
>>>>centres???
>>>>I'm sure there was a big fuss about it in all the major rags at the time,
>>>>and any time I call them it certainly isn't an "indigenous Britain" that
>>>>answers me, usually someone with only the absolute barest minimum of a
>>>>remote semi-understanding of the English language, that has never heard of
>>>>Morayshire and has no idea what a landrover is!
>>>>Badger.
>>>>
>>>>
>>> Even worse, some of them use Scottish call centres. Totally
>>> unintelligible.
>>
>>Ahmnoreallyawratsharewhitye'reblitherin'oanabootthereweeman...... bytheway!
>>Badger. ;-)
>
>You want fries with that... ken?
>
>
>--
>Mark.
Deep fried mars bar no doubt - and NO vegetables.
--
hugh
Reply to address is valid at the time of posting

In message <kc_%[email protected]>, Derek
<[email protected]> writes
>
>"Mother" <"@ {mother} @"@101fc.net> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>> On Sun, 02 Oct 2005 18:00:36 +0100, Stephen Hull <[email protected]>
>> wrote:
>>
>> >We keep getting people cold calling in person selling plastic facia
>> >panels or whatever for the house and they never take NO for an answer
>> >you do indeed end up telling them to **** off!
>>
>> s'funny really, but we get very few cold callers here...
>>
>> I had some LibDem canvassers cleaning the street earlier this year
>> after dropping some leaflets, the JWs won't even enter the road, and
>> as for the untrustworthy parasites who want me to change the billing
>> for my gas, leccie, water, [add - nausia]... I have a certain special
>> strategy...
>>
>> Neighbours love it to ickly bits
>>
>> Mind, did come unstuck once with a pre-emptive strike of "so you think
>> it's alright to ring my doorbell and generally waste me time do you?".
>> T'was a local plain clothes plod asking about an abandoned motor at
>> the other end of the road which had been used in a robbery...
>> (They make them so young these days...)
>>
>>
>remember when the weaselly lib dems promised to ban 4x4s ? one of the
>beggers asked me if I would support them - at the time I was lying
>underneath a Trooper so I got up and explained it to him.
>Derek
>
>
And being a politician he wouldn't understand why you needed to be under
a Trooper to lie.
--
hugh
Reply to address is valid at the time of posting

"hugh" <hugh@[127.0.0.1]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

> Deep fried mars bar no doubt - and NO vegetables.

Ahem. Elgin, about 8 miles away from me, is actually the home of the
deep-fried mars bar. It originated in the little chip shop next door to the
Bonnie Earl pub. (a real spit-and-sawdust joint if ever there was one!) The
story goes that 2 drunken RAF types staggered in one night and somehow the
conversation turned towards what can and can't be deep fried, one of the
lads says "I bet you can't deep fry a chocolate bar", to which the owner
said "bet I can!" the rest is, as they say, history.
Thankfully they've stopped it now and won't do it any more, but it was an
interesting novelty while it lasted. Never tasted it myself, don't thin it'd
have been all that nice to be honest.
As for vegetables hugh, can you deep fry them as well??
Badger.

"MVP" <mr.nice@*nospam*softhome.net> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Tue, 4 Oct 2005 18:41:54 +0000 (UTC), "Badger"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>
>>"hugh" <hugh@[127.0.0.1]> wrote in message
>>news:[email protected]...
>>
>>> Deep fried mars bar no doubt - and NO vegetables.
>>
>>Ahem. Elgin, about 8 miles away from me, is actually the home of the
>>deep-fried mars bar. It originated in the little chip shop next door to
>>the
>>Bonnie Earl pub. (a real spit-and-sawdust joint if ever there was one!)
>>The
>>story goes that 2 drunken RAF types staggered in one night and somehow the
>>conversation turned towards what can and can't be deep fried, one of the
>>lads says "I bet you can't deep fry a chocolate bar", to which the owner
>>said "bet I can!" the rest is, as they say, history.
>>Thankfully they've stopped it now and won't do it any more, but it was an
>>interesting novelty while it lasted. Never tasted it myself, don't thin
>>it'd
>>have been all that nice to be honest.
>>As for vegetables hugh, can you deep fry them as well??
>>Badger.
>>
>
> Potato is a vegetable ;o)

Yebbut it normally comes fried, and I was referring to the funny green and
red things. ;-)
Badger

>>>As for vegetables hugh, can you deep fry them as well??
>>>Badger.
>>>
>>
>> Potato is a vegetable ;o)
>
>Yebbut it normally comes fried, and I was referring to the funny green and
>red things. ;-)
>Badger
>

Yep - have you not had the beetroot, parsnip, turnip and other exotic
crisps? They are really nice funnily enough, especially the beetroot
ones.

I've also had crumbed and fried courgette, which is less satisfactory.


--

Tim Hobbs

'58 Series 2 88" aka "Stig"
'03 Volvo V70