Thank you for your email... now please call so you can give the exact same info.
By pumpkinjam
@pumpkinjam (8540)
United Kingdom
July 23, 2008 2:11am CST
I have recently moved house and I'm trying to sort out the change of address stuff with every company I deal with.
Every company so far (apart from the bank) has had a simple change of info thing on the site or via email and the ones who haven't offered to take my details via email and change them for me.
One government agency to whom I sent an email has just replied telling me I have to call them to discuss the email. Well, first of all, if it was so easy to call them, I wouldn't have emailed. Secondly, what was to discuss? I told them our change of address, how difficult is that to deal with? I gave them all the information they needed.
As it happens, I can pop up to my mum's to call them but I was just wondering why they give out a telephone number when you have emailed them. Do they not realise that some people don't have a telephone or that there is a reason for emailing rather than calling?
Have you ever had this happen? I.e. contacted a company via one method and been asked to provide the exact same information via another method without being offered an alternative?
Do you see any point in that?
1 person likes this
3 responses
@p1kef1sh (45681)
•
23 Jul 08
I guess that maybe they have supplementary questions that they want to ask. But it is a funny way of doing it. I think that I would have either e mailed those questions back to you, or written. But it's the Government Pumpkin. Since when were they ever logical? Also, why should you have to pay for the phone call. Ring them and ask them to call you back. They want you, not the other way round!
2 people like this
@pumpkinjam (8540)
• United Kingdom
23 Jul 08
That is true, Sir. As I mentioned above, I have to borrow someone else's telephone anyway. I don't think it's right at all. They didn't bother asking for a contact number for me, I can't think of what more information they would require but, you are right, they could have emailed the questions should they have required anything else.
@nannacroc (4049)
•
23 Jul 08
This is a Government Agency, do not expect sense or ease of access. I have had the same thing happen to me, sort of, the agency would not deal with anything over the internet as they did not have a safe e-mail. They asked me to telephone with the details, giving a premium rate number, when I had told them all the information they asked me to send them a letter. It must make sense to someone but not to me I'm afraid.
1 person likes this
@pumpkinjam (8540)
• United Kingdom
27 Jul 08
That is silly because, as far as I know, telephones have no security at all. You would at least have the protection of your own security on your computer if you could use email.
A different government agency always sends letters once I send an email. I still reply via email and they still send letters - often with a telephone number on. That took a while though because, firstly, they would simply put a telephone number on the email so I explained in as simple terms as possible that we did not have a telephone and, therefore, a number was pointless.
@dorypanda (1601)
•
23 Jul 08
It's called "bureaucracy" my dear pumpkin head. ;)
Yes, I've had the same type of problem, I e-mailed people, think it was a government agency actually, told them I'd moved, they then rang me, using the number I'd e-mailed with them to ask me what my new address was, I believe they then asked me for my home 'phone number, which I found amusing considering they'd rung me on that number! :)
1 person likes this
@pumpkinjam (8540)
• United Kingdom
23 Jul 08
Well, you know what they say... well, what I say at least... to work for most government agencies, you have to have been turned down from McDonald's for misspelling KFC on your application form.
1 person likes this
