Left hand, Right hand. (Santander)

Santander are offering a new current account that pays interest and cashback on certain direct debits (123 account) – so I applied to upgrade my existing current account, only to be told I didn’t qualify:-

Thank you for applying to transfer your account to a 123 Current Account. Unfortunately, your existing account isn’t eligible for a transfer to the 123 Current Account.

Eiligible accounts (their spelling) are: Preferred, Everyday, Preferred In-Credit Rate, Preferred Overdraft Rate Zero, Premium, Reward, Family Reward, Travel Reward, Premier Direct, Premier, Current Account (Alliance & Leicester), Premier 50, Premier 21.

Just how many different kinds of current account can a bank have if mine isn’t one of these?

We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

---

Not satisfied with their answer I asked if I could just open a completely new 123 account alongside my existing account, and got the following reply:-

Thank you for your email. If you already hold a Santander (or former Alliance and Leicester) current account and want to transfer to the 123 Current Account rather than apply for a new account, you can use our easy online transfer service. Not only will you get the same great benefits as new customers you also get to keep your existing account number, PINs and payment instructions. To be eligible for the account you must have at least 2 active direct debits and fund the account with at least £xx per month. From our records your account meets these requirements. I hope you find this information helpful.

Regards, Santander Customer Services

Does the left hand know what the right hand is doing?

Naturally I complained (I'd give Victor Meldrew a run for his money) and they agreed I could convert the existing account. They also paid me £15 as an ex-gratia payment as they had misinformed me. Good Result!

Stuck in a traffic jam

Torbay Council has erected variable message signage, one of which is located on the eastbound carriageway of Hellevoetsluis Way on the approach to the Gallows Gate roundabout and Hamelin Way. This was presumably erected to help the authority discharge its duties under the Traffic Management Act 2004 which introduces Network Management duty on Local Traffic Authorities. I have written to the council as follows:-

Could you please explain to me why today at 11am this sign was not warning me of the considerable amount of queueing traffic on Hamelin Way on the approach to the junction of Riviera Way and the A380 into Kingskerswell. Had I been informed, I could have turned off at Gallows Gate and found an alternative route that avoided this long queue and saved me from wasting petrol and time and from causing pollution while sitting in this queue. This is not the first time this sign has failed to warn of the queueing traffic on Hamelin Way, it just has some totally useless unhelpful message.

I have suggested that they are failing in their duties by not using this sign to warn motorists when the queueing traffic in Hamelin Way stretches back almost to the Moles Lane bridge, as it was this morning.

I have quoted the following sections of the Act to them and am now awaiting their reply:-

Section 16 of the TMA sets out the requirement of the new duty as being:
"It is the duty of a local traffic authority to manage their road network with a view to achieving, so far as it is reasonably practicable having regard to their other obligations, policies and objectives, the following objectives:

1. securing the expeditious movement of traffic on the authority's road network; and

2. facilitating the expeditious movement of traffic on road networks for which another authority is the traffic authority

Two paragraphs of this act are applicable to my complaint

8.3 The Traffic Manager will ensure that in those locations subject to regular traffic congestion, traffic management measures in the form of on carriageway lining, direction and information signing, junction signalisation and regulatory measures are current, clearly defined and fully operational

8.6 It will be the duty of the Traffic Manager to inform road users in advance, through the deployment of, for example, strategically placed Variable Message Signing (VMS) of the potential for increased traffic congestion on key links on the Torbay Route network

I am not amused when the roadside sign tells me either

Not to drink and Drive, or

to Watch out for Bikers in my mirrors?, or

Not to drive when tired, or

Not to use my mobile phone when driving

When all I want is for them to tell me that if I dont turn round I will get stuck in a horrendous traffic queue that I can easily avoid by turning off at the Gallows Gate Roundabout.

The White House

You may have read in an earlier blog about my problems with US immigration, basically keeping us standing in a queue for over 1.5 hours by using only 4 desks out of 20 available. We nearly missed a connecting flight because of these delays. I did not think it was acceptable so I placed a complaint on the White House site. The reply was less tham useful, so I thought I'd share it with you.

December 30, 2011

Dear Friend:

Thank you for taking the time to write. I have heard many personal accounts from individuals and families across our country, and I appreciate your sharing your story with me. Each day, I read letters from Americans so that I stay connected to their real-life and diverse experiences. By working together and involving all Americans in shaping the policies that affect us, we will build a brighter future for ourselves and our Nation.

Thank you again for sharing your story with me. I wish you all the best in the future.

Sincerely,

Barack Obama

Does that answer by complaint about US immigration? I think not.

Specsavers

Having unfortunately broken or lost all my spectacles I had to go to Specsavers to order some new ones. Us oldies are entitled to a free eye test but only once every two years (otherwise when we were bored we'd go into a different opticians every week for a test, just to pass the time.) As you would expect, there are a range of different prices but there are also a range of different offers which is so complex that you need a degree in applied mathematics to work out the best one. In the end I decided to be guided by the assistant, so I hope she's on my side and not Specsavers. I was unaware that the old pair, pictured above, were lost and broken, until a kind gent from Brixham rang my mobile to tell me he'd found them, in the road near the sea front, where I had been taking photographs earlier. He advised they had been run over and were no longer servicable, but at least I got them back to see for myself. I always put my phone number in my Spec. case in the hope that when (not if) I leave them somewhere someone will let me know where they are. I'm still waiting for the call about the ones I lost in Newcastle on Tyne last year.

British Telecom

BT were nearly added to the list of dodgy companies recently, but saved themself at the last minute. I was at my mum’s house when we noticed her telephone was dead.

My mum is 91, is only partially sighted, is a bit unsteady on her feet and normally lives on her own. She has an emergency call device which she wears round her neck that is linked to this phone line, so if she falls she can press the button and get help. She also gets very lonely as she cannot get out much and the phone is her way to call family on a daily basis as she would other wise have no-one to takl to from one day to the next. The phone is her lifeline.

Using my computer I went on line and through the BT web site ( www.bt.com ) was able to carry out a test of her line which confirmed there was a fault near her house. BT reminded me that if the fault was in the house then they would charge for a visit, and asked if I wanted to report the fault on line to their website. I opened the master socket, tested the line from here confirming that the fault was outside the house, so I reported it at 5pm on Sunday night.

BT’s website gave a reference number and stated the fault would be fixed by Thursday. I decided to call them to see if they would increase the priority but left this until Monday morning when I knew staff would answer the phone.

When I called on Monday morning, there was no queue, I got straight through, explained the situation and asked if they could increase the priority of the repair. The call centre person said he would see what he could do.

Later that morning, as I was on my way back home a BT engineer called to say he was on site, and by 1:30 pm on Monday the fault was fixed. Considering the original estimate for the repair was Thursday, I think just after lunch on Monday was a good result – Well done BT.

I was pleased that they were able to help, I would have been very disappointed if they could not, as I worked for BT as a telecomms engineer and later an engineering manager for 31 years, and am now a BT pensioner. Any failings on the part of BT always make me feel bad as I know I did my best to make things go well when I worked for them.