[Sundae]

Talking bout talking down bills (sorry for the hijack, Ali.)
My Mum had a call from AA car insurance because they tried to take money for the monthly car insurance payment and the bank declined it.

Mum sent a letter to the bank, the AA, the DVLA (driving licence people) and the garage all on the same day - the day after Dad's diagnosis of epilepsy, when he was told in no uncertain terms that he would not be able to drive.

Somehow, the letter didn't reach the AA. At least not before the bank.

So Mum was on the phone to them for the best part of 40 minutes.
She was told my Dad had a contract with them and he had breached the contract.
I could hear her getting more and more stressed and therefore more aggressive and less helpful, but it obviosuly wasn't a very sensitive approach to the problem from the get-go.

They're one of these companies with offices in different parts of the country. Like when Grandad went into care and TalkTalk refused to accept he was cancelling his contract. The man had about 3 months to live at that point, but he was supposed to call and cancel it himself. In the end a real rottweiler of a nurse at his care home took it on - how she could have been more forceful than Mum I don't know, but it was finally sorted. No refund of the payments made after the first letter requesting cancellation though.

Anyway. Mum was so upset about this AA business that in the end she made a Barclaycard payment. £172 or thereabouts, to cover the rest of the contract. RIDICULOUS sez I. No way. What if he was blind instead of having epilepsy? Or had had his legs blown off? It's wrong, wrong, wrong.

So I drafted a letter for her.
Posted this morning.
I gave them ten days to respond, as they gave Mum ten days to respond to their request for payment.
I'm happy to take this to Citizens Advice, to Age Concern, to the local papers and anyone who will listen.

Mum and Dad want to go to Cardiff to see the John Wilson Orchestra. They did before. Megabus tickets are under £5 return. E-tap hotel is £18 per room per night. Who knows how long they'll be able to do this sort of thing?

I'll fight and scratch and bite to get this money back for them.