Rant thread

[ckn]

4 minutes ago, Mumby Magic said:

1. Contactless payment? The need is? Thieves can have £30 of goods asap? Then the point of a pin number is?
2. Cashback from major Supermarkets is just £50.

I don’t have a contactless bank card, I specifically asked for one without. Instead I have the details on ApplePay meaning it at least has the security of needing a fingerprint to pay while still having the convenience of contactless. 

[Futtocks]

You could always get a RFID-blocking wallet - essentially, it puts a Faraday cage around your cards.

[ckn]

We're getting our food delivered at lunchtime.  We play the major supermarkets off against each other and usually get lots of vouchers saying "come back, here's a nice voucher for you".  This time it was Waitrose with £40 off a £200 shop.

The receipt with substitutions came this morning and our bill was over £40 more than expected.  After investigating, they've given us some really stupid things as substitutions with some really stupid prices.  Here's one

£15.99 for TWO small trout fillets!  We were buying their normal trout fillets on multibuy at £4 a pack.

Then there's other things.  Fish from the fish counter on a Friday with Waitrose is usually on significant offer.  We put in a mackerel at 99p (79p on Friday offer) and they've charged £4 for it.

A few words will be had with them over this one.

[longboard]

3 hours ago, ckn said:

We're getting our food delivered at lunchtime.  We play the major supermarkets off against each other and usually get lots of vouchers saying "come back, here's a nice voucher for you".  This time it was Waitrose with £40 off a £200 shop.

The receipt with substitutions came this morning and our bill was over £40 more than expected.  After investigating, they've given us some really stupid things as substitutions with some really stupid prices.  Here's one

£15.99 for TWO small trout fillets!  We were buying their normal trout fillets on multibuy at £4 a pack.

Then there's other things.  Fish from the fish counter on a Friday with Waitrose is usually on significant offer.  We put in a mackerel at 99p (79p on Friday offer) and they've charged £4 for it.

A few words will be had with them over this one.

I bet the housekeeper was fuming.

[ckn]

3 hours ago, longboard said:

I bet the housekeeper was fuming.

On that subject... reverse snobbery about Waitrose.

You can often get way cheaper prices than Tesco and Sainsburys in there and often near Asda prices.  Then they're good at sending out vouchers, like ours essentially giving another 20% off.  The meats in Waitrose are outstanding, way better than the other major supermarkets and you can get 3 for £10 on them; as an example the rump steaks in that offer they do would cost you £5-£7 each in the other major supermarkets.

I know more than a few people who wouldn't go into Waitrose because they see it as a snobbish place but then that's them being just daft.  As long as you avoid most of the Duchy stuff then you can get a very good quality shop at decent prices.

[Futtocks]

2 minutes ago, ckn said:

On that subject... reverse snobbery about Waitrose.

You can often get way cheaper prices than Tesco and Sainsburys in there and often near Asda prices.  Then they're good at sending out vouchers, like ours essentially giving another 20% off.  The meats in Waitrose are outstanding, way better than the other major supermarkets and you can get 3 for £10 on them; as an example the rump steaks in that offer they do would cost you £5-£7 each in the other major supermarkets.

I know more than a few people who wouldn't go into Waitrose because they see it as a snobbish place but then that's them being just daft.  As long as you avoid most of the Duchy stuff then you can get a very good quality shop at decent prices.

Some may sneer at Waitrose and the people who shop there, but they are part of the John Lewis Partnership, whose worker empowerment is streets ahead of more class warrior-approved high street alternatives.

Yes, they have some expensive luxury items, but if you shop intelligently there, you'll get excellent quality at competitive prices.

[longboard]

55 minutes ago, ckn said:

On that subject... reverse snobbery about Waitrose.

You can often get way cheaper prices than Tesco and Sainsburys in there and often near Asda prices.  Then they're good at sending out vouchers, like ours essentially giving another 20% off.  The meats in Waitrose are outstanding, way better than the other major supermarkets and you can get 3 for £10 on them; as an example the rump steaks in that offer they do would cost you £5-£7 each in the other major supermarkets.

I know more than a few people who wouldn't go into Waitrose because they see it as a snobbish place but then that's them being just daft.  As long as you avoid most of the Duchy stuff then you can get a very good quality shop at decent prices.

I am not familiar with Waitrose, as they haven't reached the Calder Valley yet. What's worse is that Fortnum and Mason have stopped delivering in this neck of the woods.

[Maximus Decimus]

New Mersey Gateway bridge opened last night and although it's free for Halton residents like myself it does seem criminal that many people in the local region have been left with a £700 a year bill for something they had no say over.

I completely understand the 'toll bridge or no bridge' philosophy but that's not going to help people who've just been given an extra bill they can't get around.

On the plus side, I'm impressed that not only was it on time but it was £250m under budget. I'm not sure how common this is but big national projects always seem to come in way over budget.

[Dave T]

On 11/10/2017 at 6:53 PM, Mumby Magic said:

1. Contactless payment? The need is? Thieves can have £30 of goods asap? Then the point of a pin number is?
2. Cashback from major Supermarkets is just £50.

 

On 11/10/2017 at 6:59 PM, ckn said:

I don’t have a contactless bank card, I specifically asked for one without. Instead I have the details on ApplePay meaning it at least has the security of needing a fingerprint to pay while still having the convenience of contactless. 

Contactless is ace, and I say that as somebody who didnt get the point initially. In a bar it is so much quicker when buying drinks and transport can be so much better with it.

Ive never met anyone who has been the victim of fraud with it, and working for a bank it doesnt appear to be an issue for customers.

[Dave T]

1 hour ago, Maximus Decimus said:

New Mersey Gateway bridge opened last night and although it's free for Halton residents like myself it does seem criminal that many people in the local region have been left with a £700 a year bill for something they had no say over.

I completely understand the 'toll bridge or no bridge' philosophy but that's not going to help people who've just been given an extra bill they can't get around.

On the plus side, I'm impressed that not only was it on time but it was £250m under budget. I'm not sure how common this is but big national projects always seem to come in way over budget.

How is it working MD? Why are people getting a bill for 700 quid?

[gingerjon]

2 hours ago, Maximus Decimus said:

New Mersey Gateway bridge opened last night and although it's free for Halton residents like myself it does seem criminal that many people in the local region have been left with a £700 a year bill for something they had no say over.

When no one's prepared to raise taxes somebody has to pay.

[Tongs ya bas]

12 hours ago, ckn said:

On that subject... reverse snobbery about Waitrose.

You can often get way cheaper prices than Tesco and Sainsburys in there and often near Asda prices.  Then they're good at sending out vouchers, like ours essentially giving another 20% off.  The meats in Waitrose are outstanding, way better than the other major supermarkets and you can get 3 for £10 on them; as an example the rump steaks in that offer they do would cost you £5-£7 each in the other major supermarkets.

I know more than a few people who wouldn't go into Waitrose because they see it as a snobbish place but then that's them being just daft.  As long as you avoid most of the Duchy stuff then you can get a very good quality shop at decent prices.

waitrose is a great place to shop. their chunky fish fingers are to die for. i love the cafe and you get a free newspaper if you spend over a fiver.our waitress and aldi are a couple of hundred yards from each other. you can't go wrong.

[Tongs ya bas]

11 hours ago, longboard said:

I am not familiar with Waitrose, as they haven't reached the Calder Valley yet. What's worse is that Fortnum and Mason have stopped delivering in this neck of the woods.

we've got two one in otley, one in meanwoodd. we live half way between them. 

[Maximus Decimus]

2 hours ago, Dave T said:

How is it working MD? Why are people getting a bill for 700 quid?

It's tolled at 2 quid a journey but they'll be tolling both bridges eventually. You can get it down to £3.60 a day if you buy a set number of passes.

Free for Halton but that's it. So if you come from Speke or Cronton and cross the bridge every day for your work it's gonna cost you about £700 a year.

I particularly feel for the scousers who use the bridge for work as they've probably had the worst of the roadworks for the last 4 years too.

[Maximus Decimus]

1 hour ago, gingerjon said:

When no one's prepared to raise taxes somebody has to pay.

I'm not disputing this. I'm just not sure this will be much consolation to the people who've just been hit with an £18 a week bill for something they had no say over.

[Dave T]

22 minutes ago, Maximus Decimus said:

It's tolled at 2 quid a journey but they'll be tolling both bridges eventually. You can get it down to £3.60 a day if you buy a set number of passes.

Free for Halton but that's it. So if you come from Speke or Cronton and cross the bridge every day for your work it's gonna cost you about £700 a year.

I particularly feel for the scousers who use the bridge for work as they've probably had the worst of the roadworks for the last 4 years too.

Is the old crossing still available though? Seen quite a few fb friends ranting vut not followed it much

[Maximus Decimus]

9 minutes ago, Dave T said:

Is the old crossing still available though? Seen quite a few fb friends ranting vut not followed it much

They're shutting it for a year to make improvements (changing it to 1 lane each way) but then it'll be toll as well.

[gingerjon]

21 hours ago, Maximus Decimus said:

I'm not disputing this. I'm just not sure this will be much consolation to the people who've just been hit with an £18 a week bill for something they had no say over.

I pay all my taxes like a good person and still need to pay more whenever I get on a train.  I have no control over who runs the train, how much the tickets are, or even when the trains actually run.  Yet, I don't expect the train to be free.

[Robin Evans]

Got a cold.... and I'm morngy.

[Maximus Decimus]

1 hour ago, gingerjon said:

I pay all my taxes like a good person and still need to pay more whenever I get on a train.  I have no control over who runs the train, how much the tickets are, or even when the trains actually run.  Yet, I don't expect the train to be free.

Driving isn't free.

[gingerjon]

18 minutes ago, Maximus Decimus said:

Driving isn't free.

No, but the charges don't come close to paying for the roads.

[ckn]

1 minute ago, gingerjon said:

No, but the charges don't come close to paying for the roads.

It's cowardice by the government over having conversations on taxes that makes locals pay for infrastructure costs that should really be spread nationwide.  But only certain infrastructure costs.  Crossrail was funded by the state as a national cost yet this bridge is now a local cost.

[gingerjon]

Just now, ckn said:

It's cowardice by the government over having conversations on taxes that makes locals pay for infrastructure costs that should really be spread nationwide.  But only certain infrastructure costs.  Crossrail was funded by the state as a national cost yet this bridge is now a local cost.

Crossrail is a London/the rest issue.

I agree with you about the consistency.  For example, no one would expect a new dual carriageway to be tolled, but if it goes over some water then it's put in there.

Our whole approach to infrastructure is embarrassingly poor.

[Farmduck]

Australia Post and the syphilitic goat it rode in on! About 2 weeks ago rabbits broke my fibre cable so I had no Webz. I had an old mobile dongle so I thought I'd charge it up and use it until my fibre got fixed. But Telstra apparently took that mobile number out behind the shed and shot it. No worries, I've got a mobile phone and I can't work out how to use the WWW on it but I can take the SIM card out and place it in the mobile dongle. My phone requires a knife or a very thin chisel to get the back off and, in the process of getting the SIM out, I must have done something to the phone. The SIM was useless because the cost of data on it was roughly 1 kidney or liver per GB so no sooner had I got onto any site than the credit ran out.

 

No worries, I'll put it back in phone and try to put some credit on it by phone - which has never worked for me on that phone because it never accepts by card details. I always recharge the credit online (using the exact same card details that never work over the phone.) In getting the back off the phone I must have damaged something because now the phone won't unlock - I've never locked or unlocked a mobile phone in my life so it wasn't supposed to do that. I still haven't got it unlocked. It says "Pull ring to unlock" but the ring doesn't move and there is no Plan B. During this general ###### around, I broke my SIM card, so unlocking the phone became irrelevant.

 

Anyway this means that I can't answer calls either. If I want anything delivered I need to stand out the front for hours because when the deliverers inevitably fail to find the address they can't ring me. After it took two attempts to get my groceries, the driver told me that my street doesn't show up on SatNav. It does show up on Google Maps though. Today I spent 5 hours out the front of the house waiting for my new phone to be delivered. I used AUS Post's tracking page and it assured me the package was due for delivery today. Then suddenly it tells me it's at a local Post Office waiting for me to go and get it. "Driver unable to deliver" which I assume means "driver too ###### thick or lazy to use Google Maps to find street when it didn't show up on SatNav."

 

And what's the ###### point of Sat Nav if it doesn't update new streets. My street has been on Google Maps for more than 6 months. How can an outfit like SatNav only update Sydney every 6 months or longer?

[JonM]

On 10/14/2017 at 10:49 AM, Maximus Decimus said:

It's tolled at 2 quid a journey but they'll be tolling both bridges eventually.

It's a work of art that bridge - pictures I've seen looks fantastic.

My dad has been driving up from Shropshire to Runcorn & Widnes to go to the barbers & dentists for the last 30 years. The fact that you have to faff about with a website to cross the river means that he will probably never visit either place ever again.