Twisted Kites

The last few days I have been trying to buy a little camera from the internet. Not a big challenge is it.

My first order was declined. How annoying, surely I can’t be overdrawn! Checked the online banking, plenty of funds as I’d thought. Went back onto the website and re-entered card details (in case I’d mis-typed a digit or something), re-submit order.

Again declined. Fair enough, must be a site problem so tried a different one. Got an email from that site saying they’re ‘having dificulties’ processing payment.

Looks like a bank fault then, oh dear… double checked the statement, funds still there. Oh no I thought, it’s call centre time. Not the best way to spend my lunch break sat on the back of a sweltering coach near Piccadilly in Manchester (engines have to be off so so does the cold air!) calling the Lloyds TSB call centre (sounds Welsh, a bit easier to communicate than the Mumbai ones, isn’t it boyo) for 20 odd minutes. Guess it could have been worse.

Turns out they did a security check and put a fraud block, which has now apparently been lifted (hopefully). No idea why as there was no fraud taking place, I keep my details secure all the time. And it’s not like I’m a stranger to either internet shopping or simply paying by card in shops (I’m like royalty, never carry much money).

That itself is not a problem, should be glad they worry about me (or worrying about their money lol). But could they not have called me to check, or even sent me a letter (as it’s been like it a few days so plenty of time even for Royal Mail to bring one), so I could have my account ‘fixed’ as soon as possible? Would be easier than waiting for me to figure out what’s up, chase them up (and pay the call costs of course!) and finally sort it.

I’ll give it another shot later, hopefully the payment will go through. Good job I haven’t been shopping yet, having  a card declined in public for no reason will be a little embarrassing I should think.

Remember your bank seems to keep tracks on when/where and on what you spend. If you get any unusual activity (whether actual fraud or random blockages like me) phone the bank ASAP. They might not phone you. Of course I don’t need to tell you to always keep your details safe and all that…do I?

Take care folks.

Sometime around new year I switched to 3 mobile network (with a beautiful LG Viewty KU990 phone). Recently checked the details about using it abroad on Three’s website, as long as I can connect to Three’s network in Ireland my calls, texts and data will be exactly the same as in this country, i.e. same prices, all comes from my monthly allowance, no charge to receive etc.

Pretty great deal methinks, not just Ireland but any country where Three have a network (roaming onto other networks is dearer obviously).

The only thing with Three is you have to speak to their call centre to activate international usage. I hate call centres to start with. Press 1 if you are a person, 2 if you are a yogurt. If you are calling about a wierd looking shape on your toast press 5. To talk to a womble press 6. For everything else press 27464829 and a half.

Three are one of those companies that use Indian call centres. After receiving cold calls from Indian call centres in the past I know it can be hard work, mainly trying to understand them. I’ve no real problem with companies using foreign centres (apart from losing UK jobs), as long as the operative and customer can deal with each other easily and pleasantly.

So called them up the other night (figured night here is early afternoon over in Asia so they’d probably be in) to activate the international roaming. The girl understood me easy enough but I struggled to figure out what she was going on about. After a few minutes (and having to ask her to repeat sentences a couple of times) I got the gist that the people that needed to do it were’nt there. I think.

Called them up again this afternoon to try again. The girl that answered tonight was easy to understand and communicate with which was great. So told her what I wanted, she confirmed my details, then had to put me through to another department. Then a man answered, told him what I wanted (due to to his general ‘how can I help you’ rather that ‘you would like to enable international roaming’ type thingy), he confirmed the same details (in case after passing the first security I suddenly turned out to not be me by the time the second person came on!) and he sorted it out. Very easy to communicate with again. Although he did feel the need to advertise their website (for the roaming info) by spelling it out as if I didn’t know the site, but then again he doesn’t know that I’m not a technophobic (is that a word?) slow idiot.

So that’s now been enabled, and not as difficult as I thought it’d be. Plus, it was almost instant getting through to them (after going through the button routine first) with no queue whatsoever.