2022 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN MrsSD

Floss

@teachergirl I would call them and request payment by BACS - if they get snippy, send them a copy of probate / will to confirm it is you.  You may need to provide other ID  but it's probably worth it not to have the bank account hassle.

teachergirl

@Floss I am going to phone on Monday.  Thank you for trying to help. Sadly this is an ongoing battle over 4 months in. First off they do not have a dedicated bereavement line. Minimum wait time per phone call is 45 minutes. No one knows what they are doing and everyone says different things. They insisted I get probate.(even though I had a mirror will and no IHT due) Even the finiancial ombudsman said I didn’t need it but pointed out that I didn’t really need a battle with a financial institution on my hands! They have seen my will and my copy of probate, stating I am a sole executor.     (In my worst ever phone call with them they insisted on speaking to my husband😡)
To add insult to injury when the policy was originally taken out it says on death money will be paid to spouse , something they seem to deny now.

I have to be feeling really strong prior to phoning them. ( Have already written to chair of the board) £175 compensation(at least 2 months ago) still no money, and to get the grant of probate costs more than this. Only company I am having a problem with

florianatwobob

@teachergirl this is awful customer service. Speaking as a former call handler and insurance company administrator (in previous lives) the insurance company will have a dedicated admin team dealing with deaths because they are complicated. 

When you’re feeling strong enough and call  (and you might need your kicking boots on too) firmly insist on speaking to the team manager as you wish to raise a formal complaint and stay on the line until you are transferred. Explain that this has previously been to the ombudsman and you will be raising this dreadful level of customer service and mis-handling once again. 

mhagster

teachergirl I had Something similar when my husband died. His main life assurance made out to the estate of the late and the bank refusing to take it. This was in Australia. I remember just walking out the bank as the woman screeched at me you need probate! And my solicitor saying no you don’t! And it turns out we were with the only Australian bank that required probate in that situation. My solicitor cashed the cheque though he did take a cut ( grrr) but it was cheaper than what probate would have cost. 

I can remember getting back To the car and being so distraught and phoned their head office and asked to be out through to the bereavement team and the woman saying ‘ you sound very upset’…no I’m livid that I’ve just been spoken to that way in a bank and then not listening and getting my husband’s name wrong! You can hardly make it up.

Hope you can get it sorted out soon x

teachergirl

@florianatwobob unbelievably I have tried all this too. Again thank you for trying to help. According to one person, there is a bereavement team.they do not speak to people, they are back of house. They cannot talk on the phone, or reply to emails but they can write letters!!! You really couldn't make it up. I have tried asking to speak to a manager too but they refuse to allow this.
I have written to a newspaper and a famous investigative TV programme. 

I had finally thought I was winning. If you look at some online independent reviews there are some truly shocking examples of how they are behaving on there. Some which makes my inconvenience look like a breeze in comparison😢 I actually have my own AVC which as soon as I have finished sorting this, I will take out ,for no other reason than if anything should happen to me I don't want my kids to have to deal with them.

Sorry everyone for hijacking the decluttering thread

Floss

@teachergirl, I would name and shame so we know who to avoid and have you tried Twitter? 

GrannyKate

Just checking in.  RL got seriously horrible today with family crisis.  Feel like crying but that won't help.  One day at a time.

Spent 4 hours of my life on and off and getting cut off by internet/phone provider.  Land line not working at all.  In the end they said they needed to send an engineer and that would be Weds.  Grrr.  Mobile signal rubbish so I need that phone. 

978-979 Two bags of mixed plastic to recycling
980 used stamps taken to animal charity.  Had breakfast bap and tea and a nice walk.
981 Meeting papers too recycling

teachergirl

@Floss ..pretty sure I did name and shame in a different thread 🤣 Sadly rubbish at Twitter
@mhagster sorry you had to go through it too.
@GrannyKate big hug sometimes just an hour at a time xxx

Well on the decluttering front just did some inadvertently. Decided to use up the slightly sweaty veg that had been to Dorset and back in a stir fry. I knew I had 3 packs of noodles in the cupboard. Turns out 2 packets were 3 years out of date and one packet a year out of date!. So I threw away the very old ones and ate the other. It was fine😉

TC77

@teachergirl sorry about all the hassle you're having,  truly appalling. 
Little done here as went paddle boarding and kayaking yesterday so declutteted fear of getting out of my comfort zone for a day and today met up work old friends out of London, so decluttered some stress, emails deleted.  B'day cards handed out. Will add nos later. X

accidentalglixch

Well things are turning around a little.
I have 2 job interviews this week, One on Monday and one on Thursday.
I really really want to get an offer for Thursday’s interview because it suits everything I want and my dad works for the company and he says they are really understanding with health issues (My dad has been there 15+ years and is always off work due to Chronic Migraines, not cause by work he’s just always had them since I was a kid or earlier) 

Remi is being an angel recently and has grown/learned so much since I last posted about him. I am amazed at how quickly he learns things...like less than 5 mins to learn to get/find Spike (Distinguish his Spiky ball which we call 'spike' from his 2 types of balls) . We try and name his stuff so he can get/find independently... 

92 - Lily pond plant

93 - Some other plants

94 - Carboard saying "BLEACH IN LOO - FLUSH BEFORE USE"

95 - Scourer used to clean stones by the pond 

95 - Broken beyond repair shoes

97 - Another leaky pen

98 - One empty detergent tub

99 - **Credit belongs to Husband** got rid of our old Air Con unit, for free on Facebook as it was broken and he didn’t have the know-how to fix

Hoping to get more decluttering done before/whilst builders are installing Central Heating in a week's time 
 (getting the horrid storage heaters ripped out)