GUEST EDITORIAL
I think I'm becoming a grumpy middle-aged man - I see very little value for money with what most businesses charge for their product or service, and I'm feeling ripped off. The service of most businesses here in New Zealand also leaves a lot to be desired, and I
swear I'll never deal with another large corporation again.
If you are, by chance, trying to contact me, don't bother. My mobile has been blocked, so I can't make or receive calls or texts. Why? Because I haven't paid the bill since moving from Cambridge to Wanganui. Even though I was very efficient and gave my provider my new address before moving, they still sent the bill to the old address. I left my forwarding address with the new owners, but the bill was never forwarded. I eventually received an overdue statement, but by then it was too late - incommunicado. I tried to phone my provider's free call number but I can't even do that; it's blocked too. I wondered if I could still make 111 calls ... but thought it wise not to test that.
Banks ... I remember selling one of my investment properties. When it came to settle the sale, my lawyer told me the bank expected me to pay $50,000 more than I was receiving from the sale - even though I was selling it at a profit. I phoned the head of the mortgage department. I tried to make her understand I did not have a spare $50,000 just sitting around to pay them what I didn't need to pay them in the first place. She was over-zealous and sticking by the rules, as the loan was linked across all my lending. In desperation, I emailed the CEO of the bank, who apologised and was intelligent enough to see the problem. I'm pleased to say it was quickly sorted, but only after some anxious times and loss of hair.
Could you go without a phone and internet for seven weeks? I once decided to change telecommunication providers to use a new mobile internet and phone service at half the price of my present provider. After the new company had disconnected my old service, it became obvious the new service didn't work in my location - but no one knew that. I estimated I spent over 100 hours on my mobile (which was with another provider) trying to get the problem fixed. Ninety of those hours were waiting on hold, and they didn't even have the decency to tune in their music properly, so I listened to garbled lyrics. Even when they did answer, it was with an accent almost impossible to understand, and it was frustrating to have to explain my problem over and over again.
The ever-efficient and glorious government departments (yes, I'm getting sarcastic now) ... I can remember having to make an application online. The process seemed more difficult and more impenetrable than getting into the CIA database in the USA! How much easier would it also be if these megalomaniacs let me choose my own password? But no - it has to be to their specifications and a password I will never remember again. I spent the best part of an hour filling in the application, but when I completed one section it sent me back to questions I had already answered. I thought I must have been going insane and doing something wrong. When I gave up and called their free call number, they realised everyone was having this problem and the website application form had been set up wrong.
