Badger Galore
Staying ‘Up Over’ for a while.
Tok and 'Our Telly.'
So......because Samsung's customer service is so bad we have had to go in search of  local TV repairers.Will found one first who charged $80 just to give a quote. What?!We said "Hmmmm, we'll shop around."He got back to us to say it was only $50 for a quote if the TV was 40 inches or more.We said "Hmmmm, we'll still shop around."He got back to us again saying the $50 comes off the final cost if we take up the quote.It didn't leave me feeling very confident or trusting of him.Will found some more numbers online and the first one I rang was 'Tok'.I think he is called Tok...it sounded like Tok......he is Korean I think.Tok did not charge anything for a quote. I took 'Our Telly' to him.I could tell he was a decent guy when the previous customer asked if he had a spare auxiliary cable and he gave him one free of charge.I left 'Our Telly' with him and he rang the next day to say that it needed a new power board which would have to be ordered from overseas.......he said it could take up to a month.....but his total quote was $100 cheaper than we were prepared to pay.After all the hassle of the last few days we have hope again that 'Our Telly' will once more be returned unto us in all its glory.
Lone Pine.
Return to the P.A.
So......today I was back at the Princess Alexandra Hospital for my follow up CT Scan.My appointment was at 9.40 am.I don't know what it was but there was just an atmosphere of inefficiency today and the few staff there were seemed run off their feet.I was taken through to Radiology and led into a curtained cubicle to await the nurse to come and put a cannula in my arm.I had quite a while to wait before I heard the words,"You may feel a bit of a prick."I did.I then had to wait again in another seating area, listening to two elderly women, one who by all accounts was riddled with cancer and the other who had emphysema, discussing their funeral insurance. They tried to bring me in on their convesation with glances in my direction but I just stared at the TV.Thank goodness it was not Daytime TV...it was the Australian version of Question Time and a woman asked the panel what they thought seeing that so much had been made of the obscenely rich Floyd Mayweather after his recent boxing match, attended by the rich and famous, when he has, in the past been found guilty of a number of instances of domestic abuse. Good question!I was just beginning to think I was never going to be called when someone crept up behind me and said "Nicholas Allen?"I was expecting to have to change into a gown as mentioned in my letter but I was directed to lie, dressed as I was, on the scanner bed.I was left lying there quite a long time staring at the ceiling before I heard shuffling and someone appeared at my side."Hi, I'm Nicky, What's your name?""Nick," I said."And where do you live Nick?"I told her."And when is your birthday?""28th April 1962......is when I was born", realising that is what she was really asking."What is your surname?" Asked an Asian nurse who also popped into view."Allen," I said.The Asian nurse pulled over a large mechanical arm from the ceiling."Have you had a CT scan before?" She asked."I have.""Were you injected with the dye before?""I was.""And how did it feel?""Oh, is that the stuff that makes you feel like you are peeing your pants?""That's right," she said.I had to put my arms over my head."So we just fix the tube to the cannula.""Right," I said."Oh, I was talking to Nicky," said the Asian nurse, " she is just learning......Did you notice that I made sure all the air bubbles were out of the tube by holding it upright so that any trapped air floats to the top?""That is very important Nicky," I chipped in, "We don't want air in the tube."Nicky laughed."If you only learn one thing today Nicky, remember no air in the tube..........ever." I reiterated.The Asian nurse said that she would tell me when they were going to inject the dye and they left me.I waited ages....in that bright room with just the hum of the big donut machine. Nothing happened for so long that I began to think the outside world had been annihilated by zombies and I was the only one left....then I slid in the donut."Take a breath and hold it" said the machine in a man's voice......I slid out."And breath normally.""I'm going to inject you now.......let me know if it is excruciating."That last bit wasn't helpful, even 'Elaine' who's dead rough, had butterflies at hearing that.There was no pain, thank goodness, just the warm feeling that I'd wet myself.And that was that.Nicky took me back to the waiting area where I had to wait another 10 minutes to make sure I didn't react to the dye then my cannula was removed and I was free to go.I wondered what happened next.....but by the time I got home Will had had a phone call to say that I had an appointment with Dr Fanning on Monday morning to discuss the results.Phew, they were back to being efficient again.
ON THE WARPATH!!!!
So........the postman came early.......and finally delivered the letter I have been waiting for.....the one from Centrelink saying that my claim for unpaid arrears has been declined....'due to legislation.'It was a great wodge of papers that at first I could not face nor had the time to deal with as I was busy with 4 loads of washing because the Sun has finally returned to shine once more upon us.When I finally read the letter it was very well written and clear and in reading it I began to doubt my chances of recovering the money they owe me.With the letter were copies of the letters they said that I had received and should have replied to within the specified time to make my claim valid.It was reading the first one that made me realise something was not right.The first copied letter, dated 27 May 2014 contained the sentence,"You should receive your pension concession card within 14 days from when you receive your first payment."The letter also contained lots of other useful information but reading it I knew I had never received this letter. For one thing I did not know that I was entitled to a Pensioner's Concession Card until earlier this year.The second letter was my Income and Assets Statement......I had never seen that before and the last one was the letter informing me of my Carer Payment.......I had never seen that before either........and then I realised why.........all these letters had the Frogknot address on.The letter I had received and kept about my Carer Allowance was addressed to Celtis St......but all the others went to Frogknot. There is no post box at Frogknot......so heaven knows where they ended up but they were obviously not returned to the sender......or were they?My appeal was on again!I rang the first number I found at the bottom of the letter....The Commonwealth Ombudsman's Office and spoke to Abbie who was very efficient and obviously had all the qualifications for working in a Commonwealth Ombudsman's Office. She very politely asked me if the letter asked me to ring another number first..........DOH!.......it did. I apologised to the efficient Abbie and rang The Social Security Appeals Tribunal. If she wasn't called Magda, she could have been......she was definitely Eastern European. I gave her my details and she asked me to explain a little about the situation..........well, I was off, like a horse from the starting gate at the Grand National........when I finally finished my rant, 'Magda' said a quiet 'Thank you'  and said I would hear when I was to be called before the tribunal.I hope I have not been too hasty..........I've never been to a tribunal.Next I rang Samsung Australia to see about getting the TV fixed......the email they had sent saying 'sorry your warranty is not valid' also said that they could sort out servicing if we wanted. I wanted to see how much it would cost.I spoke to 'Nick'.......I don't know where Samsung Australia's call centre is but it is not Mumbai......but it is somewhere where they can pay a pittance to its customer support advisers while the share holders sip champagne on their yachts.Nick was very understanding and left me listening to some dreadful 'hold' music for 10 long minutes while he went and tried to see how he could help me by asking his superior. His superior was not as understanding, annoyed, probably, that he had been interrupted whilst eating his Lobster Thermidor and told 'Nick' there was nothing they could do but 'Nick' did give me the number of their nearest service centre........on the Gold Coast!......for me to ring about getting 'Our Telly' repaired.I rang the Service Centre."Your TV is from the UK?" Asked the woman incredulously. "Oh, I don't think we can get the parts.....I'll just check."(Anxious moments pass)."No, sorry we can't get the parts.""Well, isn't that the icing on the cake!" I said.I rang Samsung Australia again."Can I speak to 'Nick'?""Oh......er.......I am not sure who that is......er.......can I take your reference number and some details?"I gave them to him."I am 'Kevin' and I see that from your details I might be able to assist you."Poor Kevin, my ire was up."I have just rung the Service Centre that 'Nick' gave me the number for and they say that they cannot fix my TV because they can't get UK parts, is that right?""Well, we rely on our service centres to say what they can and cannot do?""Well, how am I going to get my TV fixed?""Perhaps you could contact a local repairer?""So, you are saying that a small local repairer will be able to get parts for my UK Samsung TV but a Samsung Australia Service Centre can't?""Er........""I paid nearly £1000 for this TV and it is broken and not even 5 years old and you are saying that because I brought it from the UK I can't get it fixed here in Australia?""Perhaps you could contact Samsung UK and see how they can help?" said 'Kevin'."Oh, do you think they might send someone here to fix it for me?" I said with mock hope in my voice.Silence from 'Kevin.'......"Are you saying that Samsung Australia cannot liaise with Samsung UK to get parts for my TV?" I continued."Samsung UK and Samsung Australia are separate companies under the same name.""And huge companies at that but they still cannot sort out UK parts between themselves yet a small, local TV repairer might! I used to speak highly of Samsung but this whole debacle has definitely coloured my opinion. Look, I'm sorry, I know it is not your fault and it is just unfortunate that you happen to work for a rubbish company but I have to say I am very disappointed with this whole thing. "As I was putting the phone down I heard 'Kevin' saying, as programmed....."Thank you for your call. Have a nice day!"I had to ring Dr Hew's surgery about a prescription they need at our local Pharmacy.It would be the Thai receptionist that answered wouldn't it?"Hello, My name is Nick and I am the Carer for Dulcie Rodgers, she is a patient of Dr Hew's. I was wondering if you could ask Dr Hew to write out a prescription for Protos, P,R,O,T,O,S as the Pharmacy we go to needs it.""Are you a patient?""No, but Dulcie is.""I sorry, but you will need to make an appointment.""Dr Hew knows the situation and if you say Nick rang and needs a prescription for Protos he will understand.""No Dr Hew can't give prescription without appointment."I'd had enough."When is Marie in?""Friday,""And who is in tomorrow?""I am.".......Thwarted!"Can you ask Dr Hew to ring me? I know you can do that because you have done it before. Tell Dr Hew that Nick rang about Dulcie Rodgers and that we need a prescription.""What is the patient name?""Dulcie.""How you spell that?""D,U,L,C,I,E.""And the first name?""That is her first name.""The surname?""Rodgers.""Ok, I give Dr Hew the message."I suspect it has not been a good day for my blood pressure!
Fed up.......but unfortunately not literally!
So.......after having contacted Samsung Australia re 'Our Telly' it would seem that they cannot do anything about the warranty because it is a UK TV and not made in Australia. Samsung warranties are not international apparently. They recommended contacting Samsung UK and getting advice from them.I did.....but it sounded very much like I was put through to Samsung Mumbai.'Keith'.....it can't have been his real name, told me that there was nothing he could do because the TV was no longer in the UK........How irritating to be told by someone who was not actually in the UK himself  that my warranty was not valid because the TV that we bought in the UK is no longer in the UK......and anyway Samsung only give warranties for one year and not five like John Lewis."Oh, so you are saying that at Samsung you kind of expect your TV's to go bust after one year?"Take that 'Keith'!He recommended talking to John Lewis from whom we bought the TV.I did......they were very keen to help and it was all going very well until I mentioned that the TV was now in Australia."Oh, sorry......but if you brought the TV back to the UK........"As if that really was a valid option!We are going to have to fork out for it to be mended.....if we can find a flippin' TV repair man!I tell you it is easier finding a Koala!