Sunday 3 March 2013

Blogging Whilst Living Afloat

It may appear that I have not been around for a while, but I promise you I have been lurking about, reading your blogs. Getting the Internet on the boat should be easy in this day and age. I have to use 3G as I do not have access to any kind of wifi. Tollesbury is too remote for BT Openzone (way too advanced, we don't even have gas!). My deal gives me 2GB per month which, considering I don't watch much television, is very little. Any extra I use costs me a fortune, hence you may hear from me at the beginning of the month and then I go silent for a while. I can read your blogs at work but blogger doesn't like my comments, often condemning them to your spam box, and the MoD computer system won't let me post on my blog. So I decided to get some extra usage. I rang Orange first as my provider and asked if I could get some extra GBs, no they replied not possible on your plan. So I went away and found a SIM card only deal with 5GB for £15 with T Mobile (who are in cohorts with Orange somehow). I rang Orange again and asked if I could use this with my ipad, "no" again was the answer. I explained my problem again and said that although I had been with Orange for 15 years, I would be leaving them as soon as my contract expired (end of the year). "Hold on" said the young man, "I will see what I can do". A couple of minutes later he came back giving me the 5GB at no extra cost, because I am such a valued customer! So, thank you Orange I do appreciate my extra usage but why did I have to threaten to leave? The good news (or bad news depending how you look at it) is that you will hear from me a bit more often from the end of this month (when the extra GBs kick in). In the meantime here is an entirely gratuitous photo of me and my oh so handsome boys (a bit of motherly bias creeping in there for which I make no apology!)


15 comments:

  1. Well done Fran you have proved once again that it plays to complain and if only more people stood up for themselves the world would be a better place!

    You clean up well don't you :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you Mel. I also must admit I don't scrub up that far very often!

    ReplyDelete
  3. It's so frustrating when simple things create such difficulties to sort out. I'm so glad you succeeded and we will hear more from you after next month! It's a lovely photo of you and your boys.
    Sarah x

    ReplyDelete
  4. Sarah - you are right, frustrating really is the word. I hope you have got the sunshine that we have today :) x

    ReplyDelete
  5. Well done on the extra GB's and that's a really lovely picture :) Looking forward to more posts :) x

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thank you Urban Lake, how are you? How's the move going/gone? X

    ReplyDelete
  7. Ah thank you for remembering Fran :) We have moved now and we're getting settled in. I'll do a new blog post in the week hopefully, we finally have broadband again after a week!

    ReplyDelete
  8. ....and so are they all.
    Bloody leaches !

    ReplyDelete
  9. What a lovely photo of you all, and such handsome young men. It's so annoying when you have to threaten in order to get what you want, there's just no such thing as customer service or looking after existing customers any more.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hi Fran, sorry to hear about all of your internet problems and it is a shame that you have to threaten to leave in order to get better service. I love the photo . . . you have a good looking bunch of boys there . . . a pretty Mom, too :)

    Have a wonderful day.
    Your blogging sister, Connie :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Isn't that the way? Threaten to leave and you get better service. Glad you were able to work it out. I love hearing from you and reading your posts. - Margy

    ReplyDelete
  12. Great photos. You should be proud.
    Blessings
    Diane

    ReplyDelete
  13. Ib - I'm glad it's not just the Uk x
    Connie - thank you :) xxxx
    Margy - looks like its the same the world over xxx
    Diane - thank you, I am rather proud of them all xxx

    ReplyDelete
  14. Well done on standing your ground. Can't believe what it took to make Orange see sense.

    I'm delighted you are going to be around more.

    Sft x

    ReplyDelete
  15. Sft - it's ridiculous that you have to do that though. I also hope to be able to comment a lot more on all my favourite blogs (and of course that includes you!) x

    ReplyDelete