The problems of being an expat...

[daveon]

My mother called me this morning.  Fairly remarkable actually, mum's in her 80s and is never quite sure which number to use.  Anyway, she had a letter from a debt collection agency about my 'debt' - this was news to me.  Apart from the mortgage I don't actually have any debt in the UK.  She passed me the details and I called them.

Apparently, back in 2009, Orange didn't close my phone account cleanly and continued to register it as open and billing and now the debt, 80 quid, has caught up with me.  This falls into the space of one of those things that is a nightmare.  Do I just pay it to make it go away, or do I dispute it and deal with the problems that not living in the UK generates - we've already had that as the debt agency can't call a US number, nor write to a US address.  In fact, the conversation was fairly comical:

"You did have an Orange account opened in 2005?"
"Yes, but I moved to the US in 2007."
"But this XXX is your address?"
"Until I moved to the US in 2007."
"Umm...  but you were using the phone?"
"No, I was living in America, where I live now."

Bit daft really, and it really does feel like a thing I'll end up paying because it will be just too damn painful to fight it anymore.  But I have disputed the charge.

Comments

[filkerdave.livejournal.com]

I've also noticed that while US customer service isn't very good, the UK seems to have elevated customer disservice to an art form.

[daveon.livejournal.com]

The UK most certainly has its moments :)

I'd say both countries have weird strengths and weaknesses. In the UK they're more likely to be out and out rude to you, whereas in the US they'll pretend to be nice while treating you badly.

There are times when I miss people actually being rude :)