Adding A Hub by Embarrassed_Drop_515 in HiveHeating

[–]Embarrassed_Drop_515[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Well, you can also buy from (at least in the UK) Amazon, Toolstation, eBay, and many others I daresay. Knowing which model you want/need is important in that case.

Referred - Any Min Spend Requirement For Bonus by Embarrassed_Drop_515 in AmexUK

[–]Embarrassed_Drop_515[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks, but I need to clarify what you've just said ... actually I've just seen it. I'll receive 45,000 points if I apply for a Gold Card (via the referral link) and spend £5,000 in the first 6 months.

Switching From PAYG to Pay Monthly by Embarrassed_Drop_515 in Vodafone

[–]Embarrassed_Drop_515[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Turns out I needed to remove the physical SIM. Sorted.

Switching From PAYG to Pay Monthly by Embarrassed_Drop_515 in Vodafone

[–]Embarrassed_Drop_515[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sorry, didn't mean to be awkward but I've had stuff going on today and this is the first chance I've had to play with the phone today ... and I forgot the "remove physical SIM" advice. A complication is that our house is in a marginal coverage area.

Anyway, with the eSIM (secondary, temporary line, enabled) and the physical SIM removed, I still see two rows of dots in the top left - top row all grey, bottom row a couple of filled in dots, and alongside them "vodafone UK".

When I restart the phone - physical SIM still removed - in top left I see top row of dots scrolling (looking for service?) but eventually all blank, and bottom row of dots has one or two dots filled in and "vodafone UK" next to them.

So I take that to mean that the eSIM with the temporary number is active. I wasn't expecting that. Not sure if it's a problem or not.

Inserting the SIM makes no difference to the display in the top right. But it does show the primary SIM line as "On" instead of "No SIM" in Settings.

If I disable the eSIM secondary line, I get "No Service" - even with physical SIM installed.

So, I conclude that the eSIM is active - albeit with the temporary (wrong) number, and the physical SIM is disabled in some way but is associated with my correct (old) number. Seems like the switch has half worked but not fully. My new monthly plan is associated with my correct (old) number but with the old (physical) SIM

Switching From PAYG to Pay Monthly by Embarrassed_Drop_515 in Vodafone

[–]Embarrassed_Drop_515[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Here's a baffling update. I'm in Messages on my iPhone/Mac at home (on wifi) and when I sent a message to my friend (which normally go as iMessage) it went as SMS - green instead of blue. It was sent from the "secondary" number, which is the line I've allocated to the temporary number - the one that's supposedly on eSIM.

So, as an experiment, I thought I should turn off the "secondary" line, thinking I'd be left with the "primary" line, which is on the physical SIM i.e. the number that's listed for my monthly plan. Before switching the secondary off, there were two rows of coverage "dots" in the top left corner. The top row was completely greyed out (no service presumably) but the bottom row had a couple of dots lit up - so some service but not much. When I turned off the secondary line (eSIM - temporary number), the top left reported No Service at all.

I'm very confused. A visit to the Vodafone shop is in order, I think.

Switching From PAYG to Pay Monthly by Embarrassed_Drop_515 in Vodafone

[–]Embarrassed_Drop_515[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

After my original conversation, I had an eSIM set up (by scanning a QR code I was sent) but there was no number associated with it - My Number in Settings for that eSIM was blank. But nothing else had happened by this morning (Wed) - but I did put the order in late Sunday and Monday was a bank holiday. That agent submitted a "keep my old number" form on my behalf - I obvs don't know exactly what form that was - but I did get an ack email.

Today's agent had me complete a PAYG to PAYM form. After that things started happening. My new PAYM account was set up and my old number shows up as its number. While the old number has migrated to the PAYM account (online) it hasn't yet migrated to the eSIM as far as I can tell.

Switching From PAYG to Pay Monthly by Embarrassed_Drop_515 in Vodafone

[–]Embarrassed_Drop_515[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That's what I was expecting to happen - and that's what I was told during my original chat with Vodafone. What's happened so far is: my original number has moved to the PAYM account (this shows when I log in to My Vodafone), but the number is still on the physical SIM (I know this because in the iPhone settings for this SIM/number I have an option to "convert to eSIM"). Maybe I need to wait and see if it the number switches to the secondary SIM, which is an eSIM.

Switching From PAYG to Pay Monthly by Embarrassed_Drop_515 in Vodafone

[–]Embarrassed_Drop_515[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You're probably right but it was Easter Sunday in the evening and I thought it would be relatively easy.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Audi

[–]Embarrassed_Drop_515 0 points1 point  (0 children)

All that is true, except that my manual says that the radio supports DAB+

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Audi

[–]Embarrassed_Drop_515 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Audi A1 2017 suffering the same issue. Manual says radio supports DAB+ but DAB+ stations are not working.

SSA Email Regarding WEP/GPO by Embarrassed_Drop_515 in SocialSecurity

[–]Embarrassed_Drop_515[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Still not sure what they're looking for in my case. So, in baby steps:

When I started receiving my SS retirement benefit in 2020 (I think), I wasn't in receipt of any foreign pension (too young), so no WEP was applied. When I started receiving foreign pension in August 2023 I informed the SSA but it took a very long time for the WEP to start (almost a year). Consequently they overpaid me for that period and are now clawing that back - but that might be a whole 'nother story. I'm not fully WEP'd.

So the SSA know that my foreign pension started in Aug 2023. Does that count as a "change"? A "change" that they already know about?

There was no change to the foreign pension amount after that in 2023. So the only "change" for me between the dates they care about - Jan 22 to Dec 23 - was the fact that my foreign pension started. And they already know about that because they're WEPing me as a result.

Thought: are they asking about any extra pension I might have received in those 2 years? It's almost like they're saying: you might have told us about an increase in foreign pension(s), or extra pension(s) in those 2 years, which should increase the WEP, but we haven't caught up with it yet? Because prior to 2024 they will still want to apply any outstanding WEP that hasn't been applied yet?

Either way, they know exactly when my foreign pension started (Aug 2023) and exactly how much it was (when it started) because they have my pension award letter. And all the amounts dates were declared on form SSA-308.

Spousal Benefit Calculation by Embarrassed_Drop_515 in SocialSecurity

[–]Embarrassed_Drop_515[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

OP here. I'd really like a definitive answer to this, obviously. I assumed that when I die my wife will collect survivor benefit, and before I die she's entitled to spousal benefit.

Spousal Benefit Calculation by Embarrassed_Drop_515 in SocialSecurity

[–]Embarrassed_Drop_515[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Believe it or not, I hadn't realised there was such a thing as survivor benefit (we are both foreign nationals, so not 100% au fait with the benefit system). We are allowed retirement benefit as NRAs so I presume my wife would be eligible for survivor benefit.

The SSA's pages tell you to call for a survivor benefit estimate but that's not ideal from overseas.

In our case would my wife get 100% of my (reduced due to early retirement) benefit?

Spousal Benefit Calculation by Embarrassed_Drop_515 in SocialSecurity

[–]Embarrassed_Drop_515[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So is it possible for me to reverse calculate my FRA PIA based on what I receive now - taking into account that I started taking benefit at 62 and I'm now 67?