Future Proofing my life: Deposit saving then MFW journey in under 13 years

Suffolk_lass

savergrant said:

"

02 saga continues -I have now received  no incoming calls or texts for 14 days now! and they keep escalating it and then the next dept says they have to escalate it . PEOPLE DONT MOVE TO 02 WITH AN EXISTING PAC CODE! They cant cope with any issues

Its the pac code issue as all was fine before - the mobile, vodafone number worked fine for last 5 + years."

I scrolled back a few pages but couldn't find anything to clarify what you mean by "an existing pac code". Also do you mean neither your old nor new sim can receive calls or texts on both the number you want to keep or the number o2 issued? When/how did you request the pac?

She got her pac code to move to O2 - the old people confirm sent and received by O2 so it is O2 issue in processing it.

Personally I would write to one of the big broadsheet money pages troubleshooters and ask for their help and couch it in terms of your lost business. If you want to feed back to MSE three things - tweet Martin, tweet the MSE account and start a separate thread on the board that deals with this warning everyone off O2 - they have people reading this. And also email the UK CEO of O2 who is Mark Evans mark.evans@o2.com and keep a record of all the calls, their duration and all for the ombudsman

LadyWithAPlan

@Suffolk_lass indeed - Vodafone gave me the pac code I gave to 02 and hence I got 2 weeks of no sms from anyone and indeed no incoming calls (unless someone called me from 02 and later from 02 customers but not anyone else.)
The issue was less technical and worse that every time I complained (3 hrs a day) noone from 02 took resposnibility for it - they made the right noises but noone escalated it for a week despite saying they would, the technical team from 02 sent one email to vodafone and didnt chase etc etc for 10 days no matter how much I asked managers to help etc.

It was sorted 16 days later - I got a measly £50 goodwill fee but as a freelancer I have no idea what work I did miss out.., and the hours I spent daily +  where people called me for 2 + weeks they got the message ' this number is not recognised'. A complete lack of 02 ability to correct a problem and they do not have the systems to deal with issues.

I literally was escalated and then told I had to wait up to 5 working days for a response (and no chance of fast track ) On day 4 I did get a call from the escalation team who immediatley said they could not help and needed to escalate it again - with another up to 5 working days response  which that they could not fast track either.

DONT MOVE TO 02  wanting to use your old mobile number  with a pac code from your previous provider  - not worth the stress and lack of help.

LadyWithAPlan

I can proudly declare
House deposit savings £109,084.02 6th March 2023
 It is so much money wow - so want to celebrate this in the moment - I have saved this in just over 3 years - it is some kind of miracle
yes I am looking at a £500k flat and next target is £110k is coming closer

SIPP is £37,633.70 as of 01/03/23

Still waiting on loads of invoices getting paid but getting there

It does include Premium bond win of March £50.

Not yet done my march budget etc - I had covid again  last week so finally coming out of that plus waiting on some pay..

I do know me using cash in Feb was not helpful as I had cash in various envelopes and it got muddled up if I took cash out for entertainment and then bought food and vica versa, I lost track of the pots. So this month i will go back to my banking pots and as I spend I will transfer out the relevant pot back into my main account.

I have treated myself to a week of fun - its work related but its a course which I know I will love and get me back on track to my previous pre covid  work. Only £360 as well so.


Plumbing I am loving my classes, we did angle grinding and I loved it - scary but fun Plus bending low grade steel pipes
Carpentry is a bit too fiddly and perfectionist for me, and chiselling is hard work - I will finish the course but not planning to do loads more.

KajiKita

So glad you finally got your mobile sorted, but what a pain! 

Huge CONGRATULATIONS on the deposit number!! 🎉🤩🎊👏👍😊 That is fantastic - you should be so proud of yourself 😊

When is the course?

KK

LeighofMar

Congratulations on your ever growing deposit money. That is quite an accomplishment in 3 years. 

savingholmes

Fantastic progress. Glad some of your invoices are finally getting paid.

Cornish_mum

Congratulations on your growing deposit!
 CM

LadyWithAPlan

@Cornish_mum @savingholmes @LeighofMar @KajiKita thanks It is a huge amount, I remember thinking just at the start of covid how if I wanted to buy I needed to save at least 33k a year and I had no clue how that was possible, the number seemed huge,
Somehow it has been possible - partly being on a monthly budget, choosing to spend less on entertainment etc as I have a huge goal, saving on travel costs. Even the Grocery challenge on here has helped plus my diary does give me focus.

I am however (horror)  thinking about pulling some of my house deposit (argh) to put into my SIPP before Tax year end for the tax reductions, I am massively behind this year and the overpaid invoices  are largely to blame. I will do my accounts in the next week or so and see where I am at,

Now I am eyeing up the big £150k target but I figure I will make it happen somehow.
I really don't think London flat prices are going up much in the next year  and I have a great low rent here so I am in no rush plus I dont want an over £300k mortgage so £200k is the huge goal but we will see...

I posted this on another MSEer thread and have added it here to remind and motivate me to get started on the next push in my life whilst also appreciating my life now. I have a cousin on life support right now, the doctors are not hopeful though I am chanting for him anyway. So I am so thankful for my and my loved ones health, all my limbs, my safety, the roof over my head and food in my fridge. 

 Kobe Bryant in  his retirement speech 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThlxzwOck9Q&ab_channel=CycasmotivationClips

"Those times when you stay up late and you work hard; those times when don’t feel like working — you’re too tired, you don’t want to push yourself — but you do it anyway. That is actually the dream. That’s the dream. It’s not the destination, it’s the journey. And if you guys can understand that, what you’ll see happen is that you won’t accomplish your dreams, your dreams won’t come true, something greater will."

Plumbing class today was fabulous, we are doing the first week of laying copper pipes and a waste pipe then plumbing in a sink.. 
Next week is my fun course.

KajiKita

@LadyWithAPlan, these invoice payments seem to be taking forever …..

Do you still want them as clients? At what point do you take more formal action about it. (I’m getting annoyed on your behalf here! 😉)

KK

savingholmes

I think money into your SIPP is a fab idea. Maximise your tax free cash - sooner it's in there - sooner it can grow.