writer's moll

About nine months ago I rang the mobile phone company O2.

Me: Can you tell me why I haven’t received a bill for the last two months, even though my bank statement shows that you’re taking money out by direct debit?

O2: Can I take your details……… oh, the address doesn’t tie up, it’s the wrong address.

Me: Well, apart from the last 2 months, I’ve been receiving bills for 2 years and as I don’t have the facility to change my details on your database, I think it’s likely that something’s gone wrong at your end.

O2: I’m sorry I’m not authorised to discuss this account with you as it’s a different address.

Eh! Is it me?

In desperation, I took my sanity in my hands a couple of months ago and tried again. I asked if there wasn’t someone ringing in, a little puzzled at regularly receiving my bills, but they couldn’t tell me, presumably because if they discovered that the name and phone number didn’t tie up, they’d have to tell the caller they weren’t authorised to discuss the account.

It took a while to find someone to agree that this wasn’t the most sensible way forward, but finally the address was changed and I was promised that I would now get my monthly bills. But what she wouldn’t agree to do was send me copies of the missing bills, because O2 didn’t provide that service. I asked if she’d describe sending me something she should already have sent me as an extra service, but she could only repeat the rule that they didn’t do that. I wasn’t capable of haggling any more so came off the phone relieved that at least I would now get my bills.

I received a bill yesterday - and I'm not making this up - it had the wrong name on it.