Just venting

[cosmolinguist]

The oven doesn't work. I don't think it ever has, since we've been here, but it only occurred to me to check after I bought some nice garlic baguettes that I now cannot eat.

And the hot water in the kitchen stopped again. Last time this was just because there was a switch for the water heater that I didn't konw about; I don't know what its problem is this time, but it's annoying in that way that small things are. We're paying too much for this stupid little place to put up with nagging stuff like this, I say.

And I'm beginning to really dislike and dread the estate agent lady; she was telling me how we can't keep paying our rent with checks--"We don't really accept checks"--and I should be sure the direct debit gets osrted out. As if I can do anything abuot an arrangemnt between them, NatWest, and Andrew's bank account. Especially when Andrew, the last time this happened, said the bank told him the problem was on the estate agent's part.

Worse, when I brought her the check last week, I also had to ask to borrow their key for a minute because I'd forgotten mine, being too busy trying to get the proper change, the laundry, the washing powder, and the check for her. "This is the third time, Holly!" she said, and she never calls me by my name. She made me feel like I had to grovel and kiss her feet just to get into my own apartment. It's just down the road; I walked there and back in ten minutes. Besides, she's lying; it's only the second time.

And the first time, I didn't know what to do; I couldn't find them anywhere and was supposed to meet Andrew for a movie. So I stopped on the way there and asked if I could borrow theirs for the evening; I was reluctantly allowed to. He called me when I got on the tram and got angry when he found out where I was, because it'd make me late and ruin his plans. He didn't even give me a chance to explalin that I couldn't find the keys. Then when I did he said "So you left the house without the keys!" without giving me a chance to explain what I did. It turned out the keys were in the pocket of the trousers he'd worn that day. It wasn't a very fun day.

And it's not fair that I have to pay money I don't have to do laundry, the chore I hate most of anything. I don't know why I hate it so much, I just do.

This place is still chaotic, even though having things on the new bookshelf helps a lot. Still, no wonder I wasn't in a hurry to come back last night; it just brings me down and reminds me of all the tidying I should be doing. It never ends, it's so discouraging.

Comments

[j4.livejournal.com]

If they want Direct Debit, then Andrew needs to give the estate agent his bank details (his name, bank's name, account number, sort code). They should have a proper Direct Debit mandate for him to sign, I think.

If they want a standing order, then he has to set that up, and he'll need their name, bank name, account number, sort code.

Hope this helps...

(And even if it is the estate agent's problem / responsibility, it's up to Andrew to convince them of that, since there's clearly nothing you can do to get money out of his bank account either way!)

[stealthmunchkin.livejournal.com]

I did give them that information, and sign their mandate. What they chose to do with that afterwards I don't know - wipe their arses with it, turn it into a paper hat, make amusing anagrams from my middle name and my bank's address - whatever it was, it wasn't actually processing the direct debit.

[cosmolinguist]

(And even if it is the estate agent's problem / responsibility, it's up to Andrew to convince them of that, since there's clearly nothing you can do to get money out of his bank account either way!

Well, yeah. This is what I told her. Repeatedly. I didn't think I'd have to keep saying it, as it should be obvious, but I guess since she doesn't see him--their hours of operation seem smaller than the time between when he leaves in the morning and when he gets home at night--she's just trying to kill the messenger.

[j4.livejournal.com]

their hours of operation seem smaller than the time between when he leaves in the morning and when he gets home at night

Can you give her his phone number? Or get him to phone them? It just doesn't seem fair that you should get all the flak for this when there's absolutely nothing that you can do about it!

[dyddgu.livejournal.com]

I have no advice about anything; but if it were me with the money I'd make damned sure it was a standing order, rather than a DD. With the former, I make the rules, say how much money they get and when, and it goes from my account to them. With the latter, they may take money from mine. It's a very fine distinction, but then I'm not very trustful of people who want my money...

[cosmolinguist]

Okay. Yeah. I may not be using the terms precisely; I'm clueless of all such things here, having never encountered them myself, so I may not be saying it right. Or she may be asking for the evil one. :-)

[dyddgu.livejournal.com]

No, I think you were using the terms correctly. They seem to be bastards, clearly. Grr.

[stealthmunchkin.livejournal.com]

The estate agents we're with 'only' accept direct debits.

[dyddgu.livejournal.com]

Bastards!!! That's really awful, poor you :-(

[cosmolinguist]

Yeah, I don't like them very much. Only, what, three or four months left on the lease? :-)

[offensive-mango.livejournal.com]

Tell her you'll sort out the direct debit once she sorts out the oven and the hot water.

[stealthmunchkin.livejournal.com]

I'm more concerned about the constantly-breaking toilet and the rodent infestation than any of that anyway.

[cosmolinguist]

Is it broken again? (Sorry, I didn't mean to be airing out all our problems on the Internet this afternoon; the filters in my brain seem to be malfunctioning.)

[offensive-mango.livejournal.com]

Mmmm, quite. Add those to the list then.

I'll never forget the worst house I've ever lived in. The bathtub leaked from somewhere--it didn't matter whether you took a bath or a shower, and it was a CARPETED room.

The carpet got to the point where it never dried, and it started growing fungus. Eventually we had to leap from the tub to the other side of the room to avoid stepping in sodden, fungusy carpet.

The letting agent was very blasé about it all, but was quite happy to take full rent off us every month while not sorting anything out. He got a guy to come around with some caulk one day, which obviously didn't help anything. It was absolutely dire.

[elrestodemivida.livejournal.com]

What an arsehole. Have they forgotten who the customer is, here? Tell them they'll get the money when you get the service, and not before. I'm never arsey with people ever, because i am shy and pathetic and timid, but in this case, seriously, i would definitely say, i'm only paying for what i receive. If they halve the rent while only half the things that should work do so, fair enough, but somehow i doubt that would enter their tiny minds.