Frustrating

Last week I thought my move over to Newark was almost in the bag but was told the last link in the chain was a reference from my current landlord, which also happens to be my local council.

So the estate agent that I am going to be renting from remarked they would inform their references agency people to obtain a reference from my local council. Last friday I got a phone call from HomeLet referencing who said my local council wouldn't give me a reference unless I paid a fee of £27.50. Incensed I charged (well hobbled on my bad hips) to my local council offices and on the way decided not to argue as I really want to move and also wanted a good reference, not that they could give me a bad one as I've always paid my rent but there is always a chance they could have chucked a spanner in the works. So I pays the money and rings HomeLet up to tell them its paid and to contact them again from a reference.

Monday comes and I ring the estate agents to get the final wording, the final piece in the jigsaw so I can go ahead and move, they tell me nothing has come through. So I ring my local council around lunchtime who tell me they sent a fax to HomeLet at 8.53am that morning and even have a fax receipt for it. So I then ring HomeLet and say you should have the fax from my council with my reference, 'what fax? We've had no fax!' HomeLet retort.

So it becomes a game of we've sent it - we've not had it, then in true call centre tradition we get the excuses 'it may not have been processed in the system yet' and 'we'll chase it for you' among many other call centre put off routines.

Tuesday comes and it is the same old story whilst I am still stuck in limbo. I keep my cool and call HomeLet again, state I worked in the call centre industry for 6 years and know the spiel, I just need a damn fax from one person to be sent to another - simple stuff really this day and age, 'can't you ring the council?' the guy asks on the phone. At this point I start to lose it a little bit and ask 'isn't this what you are supposed to be doing on behalf of my estate agent?'.

'ah yes' comes an unsure reply.

Eventually after another phonecall around 4.30pm Tuesday I am assured things have at last happened and my new landlord has received the reference they did indeed get early on Monday morning, so two days of planning wasted and a very frustrated me.

After the call ends I check my email with a cup of tea, and to my total disbelief a chirpy email arrives from HomeLet arrives in the inbox stating 'congratulations on your new home - would you like to take out home insurance with us'.

For the first time ever my pc monitor nearly goes through the window.