Having a major bad day, feel like jacking it all in.
I am having a bad day today, I feel really down. I was fine until last night when my Mum called, she has been doing the international caller thing with BT where you pay £5pm and get free calls for upto an hour anywhere in the world.
Last week she rang in a state as her bill was really high, after researching on the internet we discovered that the 'free' calls were only valid for 600 minutes per month, and she had gone well over that. I told her to ring BT as when they recommended this package to her, they never said there was a minute limit.
We assumed after a month her minutes would start again, but she called BT yesterday to check and they told her that when you go over 600 minutes in a month they cancel the deal and it can't be reactivated for 12 months!! They will also not put her on any other discounted package for that time.
She was so upset and angry, as had she been told about the minute thing she would not have gone over it, and then to be told it would not be reinstated!! However, BT have decided to reimberse all the international calls she was charged for which is something I suppose...but she would rather they reset it up!
Then I get an email from her this morning, as she went over my nan's last night and called BT from there to see how many minutes nan had left...for them to tell her she did not have international caller!! My Mum set it up for her so she should have it, Nan had to upgrade from light user to caller package 2 to be able to get international thingy, and they did the package 2 but not the other...
Anyhow, I have been in tears this morning, it seems someone up there does not want me to have an easy time over here talking to my family...mums wireless router is broken too and has to go back!
I feel so isolated now, I was talking to mum every few days and the kids were too. I feel like a massive ogre taking them away from thier loving family...what right do I have to do that? My poor mother was so upset, she was so close to my kids, I am so horrible to do this to them all. My son still wakes at night sobbing he wants to go home to nanny's house (we lived with her for 3 months before we came here)
My daughter misses her grandparents but does not want to go back...ever so she tells me, she loves it here, and has a glow about her I never saw before, she says England is boring! Hubby and I love it here, 'cept missing family.
I just feel so guilty, is this normal? I am thinking of looking into Skype and getting it for mum too, but she is SO not up there with technical things!
Hubby was really great this morning and has said if I need to go back for a holiday then we can find the money - we originally planned to go back in Jan for a few weeks, but now we are earning in $ can't afford it. My Nan was really upset when we told her as she is too old/sick to fly here, and we won't see her now until my sisters wedding in 2010 (2 years away!)
To top it all off, mum was supposed to be coming out in Sept, but went to book her flights yesterday and they have gone up in price by £150! She will still come, but how rubbish is it all happening in one day?
Is it right to rip your family apart, I seem to be getting it from both sides (mum & son) at the moment!
Sorry to depress, but I sure as hell feel alot better now!
__________________ Visa granted 2/11, got here 1/2/08 GOING HOME 30/6 Dave (electrician) Lisa, Holly 5, Samuel 3
My mum is technologically illiterate at 84 but she gives it a go - your mum could probably cope with Skype or even messenger if she could get set up with a nice little computer. There are courses in UK for seniors to learn how to get into computers and they really do begin at the "this is the on switch" stage.
Is there an international card equivalent in UK? - like the ones we get here, where you pay upfront for a number of minutes and then your cost in UK is the local call cost.
It sucks being apart from close family and that is all there is to it. In some ways it was a lot easier in the old days (when I first came here) phone calls were L1 a minute and the only way to correspond was by airmail. In lots of ways that helped sort of deconstruct the bond and let people get over the fact that they were half way round the world. Now the constant contact means people dont really come to terms with the severing of bonds (not sure that I have expressed that very well but in lots of ways it is a bit like picking a scab) and you get the continual "retraumatization" of the distance on almost a daily basis. It really is very difficult.
Just a wee quick suggestion, why doesn't your mum get a Skype phone - you can get a basic cheap one from Argos for less than £20 (or was it £10, anyway not very much). It's a free download for the software and once you've bought a phone too, it's free for both of you 24/7 via the internet.
If your nan doesn't have a computer, I saw '3' phones were offering a Skype mobile for £10 per month payg (think it was about £50 to buy the phone) or free phone on a £10 per mth contract - then she doesn't even need a computer. Skype is free and the £10 is uk calls/text (usual use it or lose it deal).
Try and get skype and web cam sorted for when your mum visits then she can learn how to do it,that should help.
I'm with tesco at the mo and im sure they have an international call plan. Might be worth asking, plus she knows what to look out for in the contract now!!
I think i might have to rethink staying with muy mum for a long period before leaving, as i think all my kids will be the same as your little one.
Try and keep your chin up..
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I wanna get outta this place, if its the last thing i ever do!!:wubclub:
My mother in law uses a 1p per minute number...you just type the number followed by your home number and thats it...charged to your bill as normal so no need to buy cards ect. She is elderly and have no problems with it...unlike skype which takes about 40 mins to set up then you only see her left eye
I will get the number for you when she gets up and post it on this site.
We all have crap days like this & it aint much fun is it.
Get yourself signed up to Skype - its only takes a few minutes and is so easy. For the time being if your mum hasnt got skype you can add her home land line number as a skype out contact and call her land line from your computer - its really is very very cheap and you can get credit a number of ways including paypal. Once your mum has skype and she is a skype in contact its totaly free for as long as you want. We have used skype out to call banks and other places back in the uk and hardly cost anything it really is cheap - also you can text to a mobile anywhere in the world too along with video link. Keep ya chin up & your'll be speaking to your mum real soon have a gd day gizmo x
__________________ ** Here There,Where Ever Be Happy**
Thanks guys, good to know theres so many of you about, we do have msn and webcams sorted, but the kids are too little to use it properly and like to talk.
Will deffo look into the skype phone thing in more detail later, thanks for that.
__________________ Visa granted 2/11, got here 1/2/08 GOING HOME 30/6 Dave (electrician) Lisa, Holly 5, Samuel 3
My mother in law uses a 1p per minute number...you just type the number followed by your home number and thats it...charged to your bill as normal so no need to buy cards ect. She is elderly and have no problems with it...unlike skype which takes about 40 mins to set up then you only see her left eye
To the Browning family just wanted to send a hug
the telephone number that joetrac mentioned for 1p min from uk is 08448614445 then you follow instructions and dial australia number you need. This is what I used before coming to australia Hope it helps
Thanks, have just emailed that to mum, so she can give it a try, do you know if there are any T & C's on that, or what company it's with so I can look it up?
__________________ Visa granted 2/11, got here 1/2/08 GOING HOME 30/6 Dave (electrician) Lisa, Holly 5, Samuel 3
Hi
Are you aware that you can buy a phonecard at any newsagents over here which will allow you to phone anywhere in the world for between 1cent and 5cents a minute. Typically a UK call costs 2cents a minute. You just dial a local number, enter a PIN when prompted and then the UK number you wish to phone. You use your normal house phone and nothing appears on your bill.
We often ring our family back in the UK when they ring us as it's much cheaper.
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