arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.....................................<<bangs head, very hard, against a brick wall>>..............................

[HarryAndRon]

why why why why why why why, do they send any important calls to a call centre in india, with people who cannot understand you, nor you they, as the accents are very strong on my part as well as theirs.

and why, when I need to change a policy from my maiden name to married name, do they then tell me that I cannot as I have left it too long to inform them (15yrs, but I have finally been tracked down by them as I moved and did not know I had this poilicy and so could not inform them), and then they say that I could inform them and send them a letter with my signature on it, but I tell them my signature will have changed (not least as I have no clue what my signature was like anymore) and so they say I am not able to do anything

but they have over £400 in a policy for me, set up by my uncle (who has since died) before I got married, and since then I know nothing.....

this makes no sense, but to make sense (eventually) I needed the rant.

sorry, and thankyou for reading

Don't bother with phoning.

Put everything in writing.

Now that call centres are the order of the day, letters tend to be the most efficient means of communication when dealing with big companies.

I completely understand your frustration!

I phoned my bank to change my standing order and got through to someone where English wasn't their first language.

The phone call took longer, COSTS more and due to communication barriers they made a huge mistake!!

soooooo frustrating

I completely understand your frustration!

I phoned my bank to change my standing order and got through to someone where English wasn't their first language.

The phone call took longer, COSTS more and due to communication barriers they made a huge mistake!!

soooooo frustrating

I completely understand your frustration!

I phoned my bank to change my standing order and got through to someone where English wasn't their first language.

The phone call took longer, COSTS more and due to communication barriers they made a huge mistake!!

soooooo frustrating

amazinwoman, you really understand my frustration

littlebella, letters, now why did I not think of that. I mean, technology moves on with such frightening speed, we go back in time......

but yes, a letter to someone would help as that way I do not end up so frustrated I hang up on the poor man instead of swear at him, as it is not really his fault, he is doing a job and reading off a screen (which he then had to spend time spelling the words as he did not know how to say them)

Wouldnt be abby national would it lol??? Email is always good

no, tis norwich union

When you write enclosed a copy of your marriage certficate. Can't believe they would let you change your name on the policy without it.

thats a problem tho.

I sent off my marraige certificate to somewhere after we married, and it got lost in the post.

we got a copy.

I said this to the man....

he said they do not accept copies, only originals. I asked to speak to someone in england who may know the system over here, and therefore know that copies are ok......the admin team are also placed in india.

And surely you can't have "left it too long" as you may only just have changed your surname. I married ages ago but didn't change my surname until I had kids. I just wrote to everyone with a copy of the marriage certificate (usually has to be one of those certified copies - like an original - not just a photocopy)

well, this policy was set up in 1992.

I married in 1993, and since the policy was set up, I have moved three times....this policy went to my original address and has no found me.

my uncle set it up, I vaguely remember it, for an 18th birthday gift IIRC (slightly belated, but kind of nice still)......and then I promptly forgot about it what with getting married, moving, having DD1 etc.

it is now worth over £400, and would probably have started with £25....., so not a bad return I guess, but unless I can prove it is me with the signatures and the original (not even certified copy, the one and only original) marriage certificate, I cannot have my money.

I think he just does not understand me, and nor me him, so maybe the real deal is different, but how can I know if all people I can speak to are speaking to me in (for them) a foreign(sp?....brain melted today) language

you could try phoning again and ask to go to a superviser. or better still ask them to call you back

certified copys are fine for everything else inc passports
the guy clearly doesn't understand

I am going to try monday..........office closes at 5pm, and there is no-one in over the weekend (well, according to the man I spoke to at least, not sure I heard him right tho, so maybe tomorrow)

Could you go into a branch and ask them for help?

they have branches???

really

wow, never knew that.

Oh sorry maybe I have made a mistake then. I thought that they did but I could well be wrong....

I am not saying they don't....I never really notice shops until they matter to me, which this has not until now......so they could indeed have branches.

I thought you knew

I think when you said copy he is thinking photocopy but you mean certified copy. I think send in a certified copy and you will be fine. Alternatively get them to send you the chq and go to your branch and pay it in with the marriage certificate etc etc they should accept it (but I would check first!)

Hi - A certified copy should be ok (and I believe that if you insistant you can be transferred to an English call centre - they do still exist!).

If your still having trouble with them though - I saw on the Consumer Action Group forum www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/norwich-union-questions-issues/ - a dedicated customer relations manager named Becca Sibley who can help - email address [email protected]

ooh liney, thankyou for your reply and the link.

I will try and ring once more (once I think that the english will be working), and then go there if no joy.

Hopefully you'll get it sorted quickly - they will usually want to give you the money but have to comply with security as this is an area they have to take seriously. And yes the English staff should be back to work on Monday morning

Answering earlier post - I don't believe there are NU branches though anymore (not for direct customers). Just the ofices for staff - some of which are in city centres.

if you ever get someone with an accent you cannot understand, just explain that politely and ask to be transfered to someone else. i did all the time in England. some of those English accents are even hard to understand over the phone. i think sometimes it is that the person has repeated what they ask/say over the phone so much, that it is almost automaton, they don't understand that they are incomprehensible. i've also used the 'i don't have much money on my phone so i need to make this quick' in which always the individual has stated they can ring me right back. it insures they give the best service. maybe not though with a call centre in India or the likes, but try, you never know.

Hmmm, I seem to remember that some places needed the original certificate too, so he may be right on that. However, I can't believe that you can't get to the money.

You could always open a bank account in your maiden name providing your birth certificate and marriage certificate as proof of identity and then cash the money that way.

Best of luck