My new best friend is a CHATBOT. He/ she/ it doesn’t have a name, just a number – 0800 123456 ( name changed to protect the innocent). He/she/it works for NS&I. Who used to be called “ EARNIE”.
EARNIE only gave out good news — when you won a premium bond😀
That’s how I got to meet 0800 123456.
The story started when I received two letters in the post today, both from National Savings. The first one told me I had won £50 on the premium bonds and then even better, the second one announced I had won another £100😊😊
What’s not to like about that?
Well it wasn’t in the usual NS&I green envelope with a cheque inside. Instead it told me to send them my bank details. I was immediately suspicious — was it a scam? You can’t be too careful these days and that took away some of my jubilation about winning £150☹️
So I telephoned the NS&I advice line on 0800 173173. Only to be told the number was “no longer available “.
£150 is not to be sniffed at, so I persisted and found another number — 080 123456 — that’s my new best friend 😀. He/she/it is NS&I’s new improved automatic advice line. He/she/it answers questions in a monotone voice and not necessarily the question you asked, but the question you should have asked. Difficult questions like “ is this a scam ?”, don’t get answered at all.
So here I am, none the wiser and none the richer☹️
Maybe it has something to do with NS&I wanting all premium bond holders to move to internet banking, rather than having to post you cheques.
GrumbleSmiles 
wonderful. I go back to my seagoing days when all communications was done by wire, and flags by somethig called morse code. no’web’ communications1 no scambled words to missunderstand, just another body/person attemptingto get hold of one.
BY THE WAY the ERNIE winnings of yours in todays language 10 OR £30 not sure about that amount the £100 appears more viable intodays language? Postie delivering Mail today is like winning the lottery, the mail now may be junk? But most of this publicity mail and ‘junk’ goes via the web??? and on top of that all our/my commerece appears to be drifting towards contactlass banking, and web communications!!!! Keeping intouch with a little bit of ‘cash’ or money appears to be going out of the window!! impossible????
Where is our FUTURE In trade and connection with real people? Have the rouges and vagabons taken over?? I still believe in looking someone in the eye and shaking their hand to seal a deal.
in the early days of ‘ERNIE’, he had his freinds ‘VERNONS’ and ‘LITTLEWOODS’ one was a 1d a line the other a penny a team chosen? BUT there again it was football, ones towns team, with local national plyers not internationals.
THE world of today and its webs have gone mad, and speak in foreign languages so that we do not understand the truths without an interpreter, like todays ‘PARLIAMENT’
NOW I hear you say what are you on about, who did one vote for; confusion or helpful clear and preise thinking??? It is a Bugger to grow old, lack of hearing lack of sight, but there again a lover of the truth and reason.
xx to you all, good morning as the sunrise greets me today. Oh to be a romantic!!!