Cheese and whine

There's an ad on TV at the moment about insurance companies, and your insurance being OK until you want to make a claim. How bloody true! But it's not just the insurance companies - the whole world conspires against making a claim.

Now whilst I have known this for some time, I have been reminded of it due to our latest burglary. What a load of phaffing/faffing/faphing (how does one spell that word?) around.

I noticed, a day later, that something had actually been stolen - an almost empty mobile phone box. In the box was the headset, an SD tiny memory stick adapter (but not the memory stick) and a CD with software on to load up iTunes to the phone, and the USB cable.

Now, I had upgraded to this bloody phone and received it on the 17th June, we were robbed on the 20/21st June. Meanwhile I had decided this phone was a bag of crap. It wouldn't hold any signal, I couldn't ring or text out and nobody could ring or text in. Whilst this could have saved a lot of money in phone bills, it did kind of negate the reason I have a mobile phone - ie my kids (and a whole host of related and friendly nutters) can contact me at any time.

I noticed the box missing as I went to try to parcel the phone up to return it (within the 14 days of receiving it) and getting a totally different model. No 'original packaging' so nothing to return phone in. No 'CD software' or 'USB cable' so nothing to load iTunes to the phone with. And no pigging headset to listen to the toons that I couldn't even get on the phone. So I couldn't even use the stupid bollocksy bastard thing as a glorified music machine.

I went to the O2 shop out of frustration. I was served by a very lovely sweet girl called Jess (in the O2 shop in Leeds) and she was so helpful. Anyway she said it was duff and to send it back and they would send me back a new handset. So I did. She also gave me a new manual, headset and software CD for free cos she's so very lovely.

Then I spent ages tracking down the final bits of the phone kit so that eventually I would be able to use it properly.

Well I had kept my insuarance company informed. I had told them the bits I need to buy for the phone were about £55 + vat, but with the free bits I got that ended up being reduced to around £40 + vat (cos I had to buy the CD to get the USB cable - or some other skank.)

By now I am around £750 out of pocket and losing the will to live. But I can't put my claim in until I have the invoice for the phone parts.

On Saturday I found these phone parts near the front door (which we don't use very often,) and the postie had obviously never bothered to knock cos there had been someone in for days. I ripped the parcel open for the invoice. There is none. Hello??? Aparently it will follow. But when? Grrrrrrr.

Then today I rang O2 to check that they had received the phone. Yes - ages ago. Had they sent me a new one. No - did I want one? Yes for-fuckety-fucks-sake please!

Did I want another Motorola V3 i? Did I have a choice? Well yes I did, so opted for a boring old Nokia again. Oooooh can't have that cos I've just upgraded to a Motorola V3 i. No, NO, NO. Give me a break.

Anyways, I am now getting a new Nokia 6131 for free (not for £90 like they tried to make me pay) and it should be here tomorrow. I have forked out £40 + vat for some Motorola bits that I can't use and can't claim for.

I'm really, really cheesed off at the moment so am going to have some wine.