Holding on...

I had expected the letter, and had expected that they would want time to investigate, so for a moment at least, things calmed down.

As time wore on, I started getting more nervous about not having heard from the Card Fraud people. Not even a standard letter saying, "we've received your claim and are dealing with it". Problem was, the branch staff on May 4th had said "pfft!" when I mentioned the 48 hours I'd been told, and said "give it ten days or so, you should hear something by then". It was well over ten days, and I'd been banking on getting the money before I was due to go away at the end of June.

On Friday 1st June, I spent most of the afternoon on hold to the Card Fraud department. Had I known what was to come, I wouldn't have grumbled about the 20 and 30 minutes on hold, and would have clung on for dear life. Monday I was out all day, and Tuesday I found that being on hold was a luxury - now all I was getting was the engaged tone.

Now I was really worried. On Wednesday 6th June, I literally sat with the phone to my ear all day. Dial number - engaged tone - hang up - redial - engaged tone - hang up - redial... ad infinitum. I broke for lunch, but that was it. I estimate that I tried between 50 and 60 times to get through.

Just after 4pm, my heart leapt as I got a dial tone, followed by the usual "we are sorry to keep you waiting, please continue to hold and an advisor will be with you shortly" message. This time I was determined to hold for as long as it took.

Being on hold to Abbey's Card Fraud department is unpleasant. No music is played, and every 20 seconds or so the recorded message is repeated. It wouldn't be so bad - but the recording is so horrible, with loud background static and screeching that make the message itself barely audible.

My arm was aching, my head was aching, I needed to go to the loo - but I continued to hold. Then - shortly after 5pm, I got a ringing tone. It made me jump, I was up and alert, ready to tackle the Card Fraud department. Not so fast, missy.

"We are sorry, this office is now closed. Our opening hours are..."

Bastards.