Sunday, Mar 18, 2012

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Posted by Michelle ()

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Post belongs to the Insurance Companies,Rants and Raves,Reviews categories

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Well once again, another company dupes you into excellent deals, promises customer service, gets you hooked then kicks you in the teeth.

A couple of years ago I found this South Yorkshire based insurance company who were offering a good deal on insuring my car, offered everything I want – legal protection, equipment cover, breakdown cover, uninsured driver protection etc, etc, and more importantly a very competitive price. I signed up and then renewed a year later as they were still competitive and I had no issues. In October last year I changed my car and notified them.. suddenly I find my insurance premium has rocketed and am left with facing a £75 fee to pay to transfer the insurance – apparently in the small print that they emailed to me!!

In February this year they sent me a renewal quote, which has gone up further, so I shop around and find the same cover with a lower excess from another reputable provider for HALF, yes HALF the price so I immediately sign up and claim my free Meerkat toy.

I then attempt to cancel my renewal with said Yorkshire insurance company by phone no less that half a dozen times. I then receive the paperwork and a credit agreement. I contact the insurance company again and am told to disregard the paperwork and I am assured the policy will lapse and not be renewed. I then receive a £15 admin fee notice and a bill for £50.99 from the finance company for failing to return the credit agreement – back on the phone to said insurance company. I request proof of no-claims and written confirmation that the policy has not been renewed – over a month later still nothing.

1st March: A direct debit is taken out of my bank account by said insurance company, whom assured me the policy was cancelled, of which I asked the bank to cancel. They did without delay.

Yesterday I opened up a letter from a Doncaster company ref the insurance company debt, which has now risen to £90.99 and mention of a County Court Judgement order against me if I do not pay up within seven days. Interestingly enough the number you are asked to call is a recorded message with a prompt to pay by debit or credit card and the address is a PO Box number.

Next stop.. the Financial Ombudsman but advice to anyone reading this…. DO NOT Insure anything with One Call Insurance

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Monday, Mar 5, 2012

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Posted by Michelle ()

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Post belongs to the Daily Blog,Drugs,Epilepsy,Health,Vitamins categories

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Noticeably of late I have often been waking up feeling more tired than when I went to bed, my head full of cotton wool and unable to think or remember things. Friends and colleagues have noticed my change in alertness and weight loss.

I was diagnosed with Epilepsy when I was 14, subjected to the usual “guinea pig treatment” of various drugs until Epilim Chrono was found to control my seizures. This was back in 1992 and I take it regularly ever since with only the occasional “breakthrough” fit.

Recently due to circumstances, my GP put me on Prozac as I was feeling “down” – pretty standard treatment apparently. Since I have been with my partner in 2006, I have also eaten less meat. I am also taking HRT medication as well.

Now given that Sodium Valproate affects the blood cell count and quite a few of the known side effects are now troubling me, but weren’t previously then I can only guess the Prozac must be affecting the Epilim which given both the articles I have linked to, makes sense.

Action plan..
  1. Discuss coming of the Prozac with my GP, despite him wanting me to reduce the Epilim (which I refused!)
  2. Eat more pork and beef and liver (all rich in vitamin B12, folic acid and iron which increase brain function)*
  3. Make a task list and be more focused.
If this works, then great if not, maybe I should consider the option of reducing the Epilim Chrono as I am aware after long term use, it can cause more damage than good.

Anyone have any similar experiences or disagree with me – all comments are moderated by me so feel free to get in touch.
*thanks to my nurse friend for this suggestion, which is confirmed by research.

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Tuesday, Jan 10, 2012

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Posted by Michelle ()

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Post belongs to the Rants and Raves category

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Yesterday, a well discussed article appeared in the Daily Mail about a family that couldn’t afford to live on £95000 per year despite not working and this has really boiled me up. To read the article, click here Right now, I’m currently unable to work due to being genuinely ill (not that I haven’t tried and ended up back in hospital!!), have a mammoth tax bill due and a family to feed and pay the bills and what help do I get.. Zero, nothing. Why because I’m a stupid mug who thinks that working 60 hours a week and donating some income in extortionate taxes to help the benefit scroungers should be the norm. My mum struggles on her pension and needs more help because she ill with a geniune incurable condition which will only get worse – probably meaning I will have to give up work to look after her – no delivered meals for her courtesy of us taxpayers. This country has gone totally mad. As my favourite TV show host says “if you can’t afford them, put something on the end of it” and “get yourself a job you idle waste of space”. The government should bring in a law that couples on benefits only get benefits for the first 2 kids.. if they want anymore they should get a job like us all. Also..send all the illegal immigrants back who steal jobs and make it compulsory to work. Charities are crying out for volunteers..why doesn’t the government pay benefits to those who genuinely volunteer their time to a good cause. Solution!! Zero unemployment, people able to spend their wages in shops=growing economy, less burden on public purse through benefits and healthcare costs.

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Thursday, Oct 20, 2011

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Posted by Michelle ()

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Post belongs to the Daily Blog,Money,Rants and Raves categories

If like me you are wondering where the money will come from to buy all those Christmas goodies, then this time of year must be the most stressful. One minute everyone is telling you to save money. The Government are making cutbacks to public spending and we aren’t really in a very stable economic position. and.. Every time you check your email, read the papers, switch on the TV you are getting bombarded with adverts wanting you to spend money on the latest designer this, that and “Buy Now Pay Next Year” offers. With that in mind, I could easily go out and buy a new sofa, have new windows, kitchen etc. and buy all sorts of electrical goodies and not have to pay for them until next year. BUT.. What happens if I lose my job next year, need the car fixing when the credit card bills come in. The answer is simple…financial meltdown, stress, loss of home etc. etc. I appreciate that companies want to make money by persuading us to buy, but should the responsibility on us to do without things we could easily get or should getting credit be harder or paying for things “on tick”. I believe it should be the latter in conjunction with advertising and peer pressure being reduced. Remember, if a customer can’t pay their bills it is the supplier/retailer who loses out in the long term. As someone who was very spendthrift a few years ago, I am bitterly regretting it now, being scared when the next bill comes in and probably still paying for old credit until 2020 or later.

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Monday, Oct 17, 2011

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Post belongs to the Daily Blog,Health categories

In a word..YES. The day is Saturday, I woke up feeling like I had been downing coffee all day (palpatations, dizziness and light-headedness) and them promptly have a go at everyone in sight, my partner, our dog. Usual coffee, breakfast and make plans for the day I was sat downstairs and had a sudden crushing pain in the centre of my chest. After shooting upstairs to the loo, I was sick then the pain just got worse and worse and worse until I could hardly breathe. I tried to call out for my partner who called an ambulance. Aparently they were there in a few minutes but it felt like ages. The paramedic who attended, she was ever so nice, hooking me up to a monitor, giving me GTN and aspirin and tried to calm me down as I lay writhing in pain clutching my chest. They decided, next stop was A&E and as I relaxed in the ambulance the pain started to ease – apparently due to my being relaxed and the drugs. We got to the hospital and spent ages waiting on a trolley in the corridor as all the drunks were being wheeled in and getting priority treatment, despite abusing the staff. Eventually I was found a cubicle and attended to by a nurse and then a doctor who didn’t have an exact cause for the chest pain, which had now subsided but put it down to stress. Late in the day we then got a taxi home and I rested at home feeling pretty light headed and acknowledged that I HAVE TO CHANGE… less coffee, takeaway food and certainly LESS STRESS. All I can say is thankyou to Emma the paramedic, thankyou to my partner for remaining so calm and thankyou to the staff at the hospital. The NHS isn’t that bad after all!

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Sunday, Jul 24, 2011

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My colleague and I are spending the weekend away working and booked into this hotel. His card details were taken and the booking confirmed, well in advance. We arrived yesterday evening tired after a long drive to what could only be described as a building of shabby appearance only for my colleague to be told “er there is no such booking sir” despite my colleague placing an emailed booking confirmation under his nose. After a lot of grunting, muttering, telephoning the smartly dressed receptionist admitted he had pressed the wrong button on the computer when he originally entered the booking, we got the keys to our rooms……BOX ROOMS. They are basic and lets say no more. Having cast an eye at the menu it was mainly dubious Indian food with select English dishes of…..”Burger and chips”, “Omlette and chips”. On this note we decided to eat out and ended up at a nice Italian restaurant, part of the Prezzo chain – I ate in one on Oxford Street in London in the past so knew the food would be good. I lay awake on a Sunday morning waiting to go for breakfast and have another day here, so will add to my “luxury experience” Needless to say… We WON’T be staying here again in a hurry.

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Friday, Jun 10, 2011

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This is one of my pet hates amongst others…people who get loads of benefits from the DWP not because they need it, but because they can “work the system”. I work long hours to pay my bills and dues to the Government in tax and NI not on a particularly great wage but there is a family around the corner who “earn” more in benefits for sitting on their arses pretending to be ill when there is financial gain but are more active and have more holidays than we ever could. Where is the justice in that? My partner cannot work because she is genuinely ill and what does she get when she applies for a few quid a week – NOTHING, just subject to forms, reduced to tears by Atos staff at medicals and told pretty much to get stuffed. She used to work until becoming to ill to work, would love to work if she was physically able but can’t because she is too ill. We then look into my mum’s situation – chronic illness, so yes in addition to her state pension she does get DLA but when she asks for a mobility car as there is little or no public transport here and more help because she needs to get around, they tell her she will have to put in a new claim but be prepared that you may not get it and will be subject to a medical. For f***s sake, she is chronicaly ill with an illness that will only continue get worse, in her 60′s, give her some dignity. There rant over. Anyone else who thinks this is an issue, please comment below. Maybe you’re one of those “bad back” cases who get a luxury lifestyle from us poor taxpayers?

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Friday, Jun 3, 2011

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After another bank holiday Monday it was back to work Tuesday with the usual 50 mile drive and for once getting back before 9pm. Wednesday came and went. On Thursday I felt really down in the dumps as I sat at work just waiting for the day to end feeling tired and headachy. I missed the company of my close friend and colleague who can always brighten up my day.

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Sunday, Jun 28, 2009

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Last night I was working on my usual delivery job and on the way back this rather large bloke stepped out in front of me. I stopped to avoid hitting him with my car, it was obvious he was drunk. Before I had chance to do anything he opened my passenger door and….got into my car demanding I take him home. Initially he refused to take no for an answer, then asked me why I stopped for him!! At this point all sorts of things were going through my mind as to what would happen next, so decided calmly to reason with him and ask him to get out the car. This took quite a bit of doing as alcohol tends to affect ones reasoning, but perserverance paid off rather than the “male-type” agression I might have used a few years ago. Fortunately, eventually he did, but then I noticed a £20 note had disappeared from my centre console. I just drove back, shaken but unharmed. Myself and a colleague then went out back to where he stopped me and found him still wandering down the road, apparently knocking on doors. By that point he started getting agressive so the police were called and he was taken off to the local police station, no doubt to sober up in the cells. Apparently the police may need to visit me again today, but we will wait and see. I don’t suppose I’ll get my money back as the police couldn’t find any on him. Lesson learned…always LOCK YOUR CAR DOORS AT NIGHT.

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Thursday, Jun 18, 2009

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After many months away from journal and blog land I have decided it is time to capture my life online again. Initially I started this journal in 2006 to capture my life changing events aka “Transition”, but now some 3 years on and 2 years since “that door” was closed the title seemed no longer appropriate. Do I delete or do I update? Hmm tough choice as I hoard everything and we have a loft full of useless rubbish which I think will “one day come in useful”. There’s probably stuff thats not moved or been touched since I moved into our house in 2004, at that point unaware of what changes lie ahead. So, whilst its still in Pink, say “Hello” to my newly titled journal/diary and I shall be keeping it more up to date as I have now discovered the world of Facebook, Hotmail and more….

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