14 September 2016
Terrific storms in the night and hopefully end of canicule: 20 degrees
Dear readers, first of all my hearty apologies for having abandoned you since the 18 of May. It went like this:
1. It was a Thursday and I had passed an enjoyable day at the market, drinking coffee, finding interesting buttons and reassuring people that I had not (yet) retired. My phone rang and it was SFR - did I want the same contract as I have at the moment but at 15 euros a month less? I said I did, agreed to the new contract and went home. The internet went off at 3 pm and with it, the telephone.
2. It was then the normal parcours of events - SFR rent from France Telecom so the SFR technician had to come out and check nothing was wrong in the house - he found nothing so FT then called out engineers. They are always called for a Saturday and come from Bordeaux which is absolutely hours away. They fiddled up the phone post for ten minutes and then got back in the van. I barred the route and they told me they would be back. They weren't and neither was our internet and telephone. Bastards
3. Nine weeks went by and dozens of phone calls to complain - often to people who understood nothing. No notes seemed to be on file. No one could tell me what was happening. Could I cancel the contract for non delivery. Oh no, Madame, you have just contracted for two years. It would cost you 550 euros to cancel. They cannot grasp the fact that my mobile doesnt work when I am at home. They would ring me back and could I stay next to my mobile in the interval. Oh yes, I just love hanging around for someone not to ring me. Which they didn't. Utter bastards.
4. I find out about Brexit and am horrified and have to go to the end of the lane to express my rage and frustration. Go down town that evening and not a single sodding bloody stupid Brit in the bars is talking about it. More about Brexit in another post
4. After seven weeks I get a phone call finally saying that they can't fix it and SFR will cancel the contract. I wait a further week and nothing comes in the post and I ring back again and find that my mobile has been blocked. Go to the neighbours house and rage at them and am told that my 'new' supplier will take over the lines. Insist on seeing evidence that my contract is at an end so they finally send me proof
5. Join France Telecom and discover because my contract has officially been cancelled, my landline no longer functions and I need a new one. I am still giving it out to all my former contacts.
6. The new modem doesnt work so France Telecom come out and find that I have a rusty wire and a dodgy filter and that is all that was the problem..... I hate SFR with a passion.
So we were back online but, in the intervening period, we seemed to have acquired yet another property and this time in the UK. A delightful early 20th century end of terrace in the north west of England. So we went there for a month and avoided getting our head boiled and fitted it out with furniture and effects. It was rather like starting out all again and wonderful not to have to bring all the accumulated effects of our 30 years together to clutter up the lovely polished floors.
And so here we are and it is September and the heat wave has finally broken and clients are back so game on. Normal reloaded.....
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