Do you not have someone to help you?

Oh, loads of similar things and times over the past couple of years.
Even when you explain that you need help it goes in one ear and out the other.

Me: ‘Can you send it to me please?’
‘Just come and pick it up!’
‘I can’t leave the house’
‘Can someone fetch it for you? A friend or relative?’

Oh, why hadn’t I thought of that
?

And I’m not even old, MrFC is, and I was ill.
It’s apparent that lots of people just can’t empathise, or even imagine the difficulties that anyone can experience throughout the course of their life.

Grammaretto I am finding the same problem with my energy provider regarding the £66 per month credit to my account which should have been credited from 1st October and not been actioned as yet,they want pictures of my meter and meter serial no.They said they will then send me a voucher !!!
Why do they need to send a voucher I am not on a PAYG meter I pay every month on receipt of my bill after sending in the readings its so difficult getting people to understand what is needed I just give up sometimes.I am at a loss as to what to do next.

Fanny ((hugs))

The form also tells me to write the postal address of my Bank or Building society. Since my Bank branch has been gone for 2 years now - how do I know their address?

And without wishing to sound ‘ageist’, so often it is quite obviously ‘young’ call handlers at the other end of the line, who cannot imagine why you can’t just do everything immediately, over your phone or whatever. No concept of how complicated it can all seem in this digital world.

I’m not ancient, but my own DS cannot grasp why I find certain things complicated to do, and also, if I have done them before, or had it explained before, cannot remember how I did it, without having to ask him again!

Grammaretto

Fanny ((hugs))

The form also tells me to write the postal address of my Bank or Building society. Since my Bank branch has been gone for 2 years now - how do I know their address?

If you still get statements, the bank address is printed on it, (well, it is on mine).

It probably won’t be a local one, just a ‘national’ address maybe.

People cannot understand some of us live on our own and friends are in the same position if not worse.

Last week I sent off 18 pages of drivel asking for the higher Attendance Allowance having filled it in for a friend who is registered severely sight impaired, is 92 and amazingly could not fill in the form herself.

One is expected to be a whiz with computers and have at least 6 relatives living with you.

I try to shame the idiots when I am asked to get a relative to help to say that is a tad difficult as they are all dead.

I can usually find somebody to sign forms or witness signatures.

However, I had a real issue when I had a brown mark on my back. I could only just about see it in a mirror and, as far as I could see, it looked suspiciously like a skin cancer. I could only get a telephone appointment with my GP and was told to send in a photo. I found it incredibly difficult to take a photo of the exact spot on my back and it was out of focus. The GP was really grumpy about it and said he couldn't diagnose from the photo and eventually agreed to a face-to-face appointment. I guess if I'd had somebody to help me, a better photo could have been taken.

I’ve experienced this at hospital. I’m hard of hearing and partially sighted and have had consultants tell me that I should bring someone with me who can tell me what’s been said after the appointment rather than expect them to speak just a little more slowly. Wrong on so many levels.

I am so sorry Growstuff but what a ridiculous situation. I am glad you were eventually seen face to face.

I hope the brown spot turned out to be benign.

Calendargirl I have decided to write all these complaints to their email. If that is the only thing they understand, it's probably much quicker than the helpline,

I have this all the time!

The simplest of things is made so much more difficult because I haven't got a fleet of friends just waiting to sort out my admin, and take me to places.

People are aghast when I tell them.

You are so right Charleygirl and it doesn't get easier, although since DH died I am quite proud of the way I have coped considering he was the one who did all the online stuff.

My DS is 50 and he thinks he's too old for all this too!

Grammaretto

I am so sorry Growstuff but what a ridiculous situation. I am glad you were eventually seen face to face.

I hope the brown spot turned out to be benign.

Calendargirl I have decided to write all these complaints to their email. If that is the only thing they understand, it's probably much quicker than the helpline,

Yes, it was benign (thank goodness), but I was told to keep an eye on it . I'm trying to develop a swivel neck!

I was hoping that my venting on here would make me feel better but, hearing these dire stories has actually made me feel worse.

I’m happy to help if I can? I can find away around most bureaucratic procedures online. I understand if you have personal data you may not want to share, but I can pm with guidance if it makes things a bit easier.
Can’t nip up to photo your back though growstuff ?

glammanana I had to take photos of my meters for my energy supplier. They haven't asked since so perhaps others have complained too.

I think we let these companies get away with too much.
I suggest you inform your local councillor and at least they will know what difficulties you and others are in.

We are not alone. (though it feels like we are)

Thanks Jaxjacky for your very kind offer.

Some of these people whose job is communications are so ignorant of the basic of communication which is to be aware of who they are talking to. They ought to be trained in the knowledge that there are forms of life unlike their own.

I've been told that if I read the meter myself I will get a discount. However they have given me a new meter whose numbers are so small I can't read them.

If you take a photo kircubbin you can enlarge it to read the figures, although I agree that’s not the point.

Grammaretto

I was hoping that my venting on here would make me feel better but, hearing these dire stories has actually made me feel worse.

But at least you are not alone in that!

So sorry Grammaretto, it's all part of the widowhood administrative hell. Can you photograph the forms on your phone? I upload to Facebook, making sure the setting is 'me only', and download to my computer from there.

When my husband died he'd paid for all the family phone contracts, and 02 were absolutely dreadful. I was told no-one could speak to me as I wasn't the account holder and I would have to drive to the nearest 02 shop 20 miles away to show the 'death certificate'. As the kids and I relied on our mobile phones I was very scared they'd suddenly be out of action, and after a month felt strong enough to do the drive. I'd been having panic attacks in the car and was so nervous of going.

When I got to the shop a pimply kid sauntered over and I explained, and he said 'we don't need that' and turned away from me to deal with another customer.

I left the shop and rang the 02 bereavement line outside and tore them off a strip, they transferred the account to my name on the spot.

Vodaphone were the only decent company, they waived my husband's last bill.

I m reasonablly computer savvy but after taking my 6 month ‘dragging on’ case with my fuel provider to the Ombudsmab I was asked by them to send evidence of my case
I photographed on my iPad all the conflicting emails I had receive from the fuel providers and went to ping them over only to find their system didn’t support that method
Head in hands
I had to ask my daughter for help and she sorted it for me but I hate with all my being, having to ask someone else to do what I should be able to do myself it shouldn’t have to be this hard

Here's tae us; wha's like us?
Damn few, and they're all dead

I am not ready for this new world we inhabit. Nobody warned me!