Escaping...

..with an "easy read:..a book I chose just for that purpose - escapism.  A nice gentle story about a person who loves books and where problems arise but are magically dealt with and all ends well...at least by the looks of it!  I have not got to the end yet...

I have just finished two exhausting days of battling bureaucracies...well not always battling..as some were easier than others. Those that were just a renewal of government documents were the easiest and a couple of them could be done online. But others? Especially the ones that involved phone calls? Geez. 

Picture this...a hospital bill for almost $6000 arrives? And must be  paid immediately. Say what? For a semi private room? For last September? I Have insurance for that! Called my insurance company. No, they had not received an invoice. Would I just call the hospital back and ask them to re-send the bill? The hospital responded with - we already sent it on November 22..would you call your insurance back and tell them? Insurance company said no they had not received the bill.  I insisted and waited and insisted and waited some more - when ..oh I see we do have it.It arrived Feb. 4!  Like what? It took two and a half months to go from here to Toronto? a 30 minute drive along the 401? I know our postal service is not all that great, but really? Whatever...I did not have to pay the bill. Whew! The whole morning was gone though. 

Afternoon. The cameras for the Home Security system I was encouraged to sign up for even though I was not all that interested but for which the promo price was "just too good to miss" said the clerk who was working through the process of switching me over to my new phone. 

I knew I should not have given in, but here they were..two doorbell cameras which I had ordered and one outside camera that I had not! On top of that, the two doorbell cameras were too large for my doorbells and so were useless to me. No problem..just cancel the service. 

OK, how hard could that be? Alas, the phone shop who sold me my new phone and the Home Security service which is part of the Mobility company, couldn't do that for me. That is another company under the umbrella of the phone company and alas, ne'er do the two communicate! The only way I can cancel is personally by me, by phone with them, not with the Mobility company who will be billing me for this service?  

Well, just try that..phoning a company that doesn't answer the phone.  Well, a machine does, but just puts you on hold for at least an hour. An hour is my limit so I never got through.

I got tired of trying and the next day (which is today) in desperation, I made a personal visit to the store that sold me the service. They tried to get through on their company phone line but were also kept on hold too ! So after an hour of the clerk being on hold, I gave up and left. I went home to try again..

Imagine that.. A phone company that does not answer its phone. This time I persevered..an hour on hold, then a person finally answered and asked me why I was calling..explanation #1..and then put me on hold to transfer me to another person who also asked me why I was calling...explanation #2.. and who then put me on hold to transfer me to another person who actually worked for the PHONE company itself, not the Home Security company under its umbrella...and THAT person actually knew how to cancel my service! Geez! All I have to do now is navigate the morass of sending back the cameras!

I will worry about that tomorrow..Best now to grab that "easy read" and sit by the fire with a glass of wine!