Your rants here.

Widgey

Insurance companies. Trying to change address on my car and the lovely people want to charge an extra £300 for 8 weeks worth of insurance. Worse still that if you do the quote yourself it works out cheaper!

Worth giving the thing up!

Ben6899

Widgey wrote:

Insurance companies. Trying to change address on my car and the lovely people want to charge an extra £300 for 8 weeks worth of insurance. Worse still that if you do the quote yourself it works out cheaper!

Worth giving the thing up!

One of the best things about moving to London. I love my cars (I'm a petrol head, but don't hold it against me), but 'giving them up' and not having to deal with legalised shysters is a massive bonus.

bails87

Widgey:
I had a painful phone call with my (ex!)insurance company once.

I was sent a renewal quote which was significantly higher than what I expected, depsite being promised a 35% discount when I got my first years NCD.

Phoned them up, told them.

Call centre: "Well some other risk factors might have changed, so you can't compare last years quote to this years quote"
Me: "fair enough, how much would a quote be with zero NCD, for this year?"
CC:"£800"
Me: "Right, and you're quoting me £780 with one years NCD"
CC: "Yes"
Me: "Well that's not 35% off is it?"
CC: "Yes it is, because you get a 35% discount for one years NCD"
Me: "But if it was 35% then the quote would be about £500"
CC: "No, because you get a 35% discount for one years NCD. There might be other risk factors that have made the price go up"
Me: "But the quote, with the same risk factors but zero NCD is £800, so the quote with one year NCD should be 35% less than that?"
CC: "yes"
Me: "So £500"
CC: "No, because you get a 35% discount for one year NCD, and it's £780"

Repeat for 10 minutes until:
Me:"....."
CC: "So would you like me to complete the renewal for you sir?"

rubertoe

Every year I get a renewal quote on my home insurance and ever year I go through the same thing of getting a cheaper quote by starting a new policy (i dont drive - so this is the closest I get) with the same company.

WTF is that about?

Wunnunda

Yes...'new customer' discounts instead of 'loyal customer' discounts...love it
Renewing broadband is the same. :?

Wheelspinner

rubertoe wrote:

Every year I get a renewal quote on my home insurance and ever year I go through the same thing of getting a cheaper quote by starting a new policy (i dont drive - so this is the closest I get) with the same company.

WTF is that about?

NFI, but I've been told to do precisely that - by their own Customer Service person I spoke to. They'd clearly given up attempting to justify it to callers with the company spin.

adm1

Wheelspinner wrote:

rubertoe wrote:

Every year I get a renewal quote on my home insurance and ever year I go through the same thing of getting a cheaper quote by starting a new policy (i dont drive - so this is the closest I get) with the same company.

WTF is that about?

NFI, but I've been told to do precisely that - by their own Customer Service person I spoke to. They'd clearly given up attempting to justify it to callers with the company spin.

No need to stay with the same company. I get the same issue with renewal quotes every year - normally up on last year by 35% or so.... ten minutes with a price comparison website or two and I end up getting the same or better cover with another company for less money than the year before. It's worth the effort - although I always have the same worthless call with their customer service to give them the chance to price match.

Daz555

Tax man is doing my nut in. Summary of last 6 months:

1. Letter form taxman saying I owe them £3k due to error in the numbers my company sent to them.
2. I write back and call asking for the evidence and the dates of the errors so I can check with my payroll dept.
3. No response.
4. Letter from taxman advising that I have failed to contact them. Further demands.
5. I write back and call asking for the evidence and the dates of the errors so I can check with my payroll dept.
6. Letter from taxman advising that I have failed to contact them. Further demands and advice that I will be fined.
7 I write back and call asking for the evidence and the dates of the errors so I can check with my payroll dept.
8. Got a letter today adivising that as I have failed to respond to all previous demands for the money I'm am being placed on self assessment and must pay the full amount within 3 months.

AAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Utter utter farking spanners the lot of em.

rick_chasey

Daz - irritating question - did you ever pick up the phone to them?

Ben6899

Rick Chasey wrote:

Daz - irritating question - did you ever pick up the phone to them?

+1 sorry Daz. Miss6899 was self-assessing until a few months back and there was confusion over the numbers in closing everything out. She called the Inland Revenue and now it's all sorted.

Who knows where your letter/email ended up? Call them today.

rick_chasey

Just re-read that.

Can I officially apologise for an awful recruitment-ism.

"Did you ever call them?"

twist83

Getting the Santa Cruz ready for a jaunt in Wales for a week next month. Rear wheel off and cassette off spend a sunny afternoon cleaning the cassette, strip down the Hope Pro 2 hub. Put it all back together, go to put in the lock ring for the cassette. Very carefully as normal. Starts to tighten and then goes stiff. uhh ohh I know it is in straight though. Back it out carefully but it has can openered a 2mm strip of the freehub thread :evil:

£58 for a new Freehub body BUGGER! Wanted to ride this weekend as well. It also needs new bearings on the VPP pivot link and a new headset. Then telling the missus I need about £200 of work/repairs which is nearly as much as the cottage is costing us for the week.....

davis

Rick Chasey wrote:

Just re-read that.

Can I officially apologise for an awful recruitment-ism.

"Did you ever call them?"

Thank you. :-)

dhope

twist83 wrote:

Getting the Santa Cruz ready for a jaunt in Wales for a week next month. Rear wheel off and cassette off spend a sunny afternoon cleaning the cassette, strip down the Hope Pro 2 hub. Put it all back together, go to put in the lock ring for the cassette. Very carefully as normal. Starts to tighten and then goes stiff. uhh ohh I know it is in straight though. Back it out carefully but it has can openered a 2mm strip of the freehub thread :evil:

£58 for a new Freehub body BUGGER! Wanted to ride this weekend as well. It also needs new bearings on the VPP pivot link and a new headset. Then telling the missus I need about £200 of work/repairs which is nearly as much as the cottage is costing us for the week.....

Edinburgh Bike sale tomorrow
From
http://ancillary.edinburghbicycle.com/c ... sories.pdf

HOPE FREEHUB BODY ALUMINIUM FOR PRO3, 75% off... £13.74

Long_Time_Lurker

I've just been doored!
The bike survived, but my shin didn't. The blood has made my trousers stick to my leg.
(On the plus side, the new girl in the office noticed the blood stains when I limped in and has been giving me quite a lot of attention.)

cookdn

Long Time Lurker wrote:

I've just been doored!
The bike survived, but my shin didn't. The blood has made my trousers stick to my leg.
(On the plus side, the new girl in the office noticed the blood stains when I limped in and has been giving me quite a lot of attention.)

suzyb

Had a cyclist pull out in front of me this morning onto an NSL road without looking.

He's just lucky there was nothing coming the other way as had I not been able to use that lane to pass him I'm not sure I would have been able to slow down enough to avoid hitting the back of him.

mudcow007

coming along here last night as i go past the side road a leaner car stops i look at him, our eyes meet he then decides to drive out at me :shock: i swerve an he/ instructor slams on

quite frightening really at 27mph

kiwimatt

Dark glasses.

Drivers. I know you are very pleased with your fake D&G shades you got for £6 on your holiday in Portugal but 7am on a watery grey drizzly Scots morning is not the time to be wearing them. This will help you to see me better and not pull out in front of folk.

Fellow cyclists. I know, I know, I want it to be summer too and it was BBQ weather on Saturday but it really is time now to dig out the other lenses that came with your specs and pop them in. Wet diesel patches are much easier to spot.

optimisticbiker

kiwimatt wrote:

Dark glasses.

Drivers. I know you are very pleased with your fake D&G shades you got for £6 on your holiday in Portugal but 7am on a watery grey drizzly Scots morning is not the time to be wearing them. This will help you to see me better and not pull out in front of folk.

Fellow cyclists. I know, I know, I want it to be summer too and it was BBQ weather on Saturday but it really is time now to dig out the other lenses that came with your specs and pop them in. Wet diesel patches are much easier to spot.

Quite. Orange lenses for me today, helps with the hazy light....

Mr Sworld

Still dark lenses today in sunny Brighton! :-)

king_jeffers

OptimisticBiker wrote:

kiwimatt wrote:

Dark glasses.

Drivers. I know you are very pleased with your fake D&G shades you got for £6 on your holiday in Portugal but 7am on a watery grey drizzly Scots morning is not the time to be wearing them. This will help you to see me better and not pull out in front of folk.

Fellow cyclists. I know, I know, I want it to be summer too and it was BBQ weather on Saturday but it really is time now to dig out the other lenses that came with your specs and pop them in. Wet diesel patches are much easier to spot.

Quite. Orange lenses for me today, helps with the hazy light....

+1 love the orange lenses... Only problem is when don't spot the yellow barrier down across your work car park

Applespider

The HGV driver at Vauxhall Bridge this morning who nearly took out 4 cyclists...

Going northbound over the bridge, there are several cyclists in the bus lane. We are passing an HGV who is stationery in traffic as we get to the midpoint of the bridge; it's a long bridge so there's still the better part of 100m to the lights. We all pass him as the lights at the bottom of the bridge go green so we are now ahead of him. As the traffic moves off, he accelerates off and overtakes us. And as he's overtaking, he puts on his indicator and starts to pull over so that he can left turn. Fortunately, since we were shoulder checking before we filtered over , we all realised he hadn't seen us and were able to brake so that we ended up behind him rather than under him. One idiot nearly didn't but thankfully a Dutch guy got his attention and he braked too. I'm pretty sure the driver will still be completely oblivious to the fact that he nearly took us out.

I've had three close shaves with HGVs - none of which involved me being stupid by going up the side of them or waiting alongside at a junction. They have all been when they have chosen to change lane without 'noticing' a cyclist who is travelling in that lane already as they overtake. Grrrrrrr!

CiB

On a lighter note...

Did my occasional run up from Pa's ranch in Leicestershire to the out-laws near Rochdale again this week. Nice run, 108 miles give or take, this is probably the 3rd or 4th time I've done it; each time before, I've fancied finishing with the big climb up Blackstone Edge to the pub on top and each time I've opted out, going for the easy finish & the welcome cup of tea & a hot bath instead.

This week, though, success. 109 miles on the clock, the legs felt good, a well-earned pint awaited me at the top of the final 2.5 mile climb. And what happens? I roll up, chuffed to f that I've done it this time, and the damn pub is shut. It's only half past four & t'grim north isn't open yet. Bah etc. Seriously miffed. That pint was mine.

rick_chasey

Youngish, cheapskate, angry man who works in recruitment versus irritating estate agent.

The battle of the brokers.

---

By law, our landlord needs to arrange for our boiler to be checked every year or 18 months or whatever. We and they pay the estate agent to handle all of that.

Surprisingly, our estate agent started the process by contacing my girlfriend - despite the fact I've always been the one to deal with them. An interesting tactic. She is not versed in the ways of making people think they have an option when really you're giving them none. A tactic that has now cost me dear.

We/my gf agreed to let them use their keys to our flat to sort it. Turns out they also need to see the gas meter, which is behind a locked gate which is part of the entrance to the basement flat below (owned by same landlord).

We find this out when their slightly mentally challenged gasman calls up gf whilst in our flat to say he can't get access to the gas meter since he didn't have a key to the gate. What he quite hoped the outcome of the phone call would be I'm not sure.

Gf then gets a phonecall where (and she's not good at explaining what actually happened on this phone call) she ends up agreeing to drop off OUR copy of the gate key at the estate agent before 6pm. This is unfortunate since neither of us can be at home at 6pm, nevermind their office. Another gf call and she's given the option to take a half day holiday to do it...!

At this point, I takes over. As you can tell, we're already on the backfoot here. With my best powers I politely inform the estate agent that dropping the keys off is not going to be possible till the weekend - and given my landlord owns and rents out the flat below too, that they probably have a key that would open the gate - only labelled as a key to the basement flat rather than my flat's "gas key".

This doesn't seem to register. Apparently it's their policy to give the tenants the flat key. Not quite sure why they'd copy all the keys bar that one.

I pushed my point again, and they've finally snapped. Got an arsey e-mail saying they don't market the flat (they do) and now I have to deal with the gas people directly.

:roll:

Idiotic.

I wouldn't mind if I didn't pay them an inordinate amount of money every year to change the date and rent number on our contract. I'd even mind less if they hadn't suggested our rent rise by £3,500, despite never contacting our landlord ( i contacted her directly and got it down to an increase of £500).

---

tl;dr - I didn't win, and the problem has yet to be solved.

I HATE this kind of bull. It's their problem not mine, and I'm paying for this sh!t.

Why is it that housing stuff is always so f*cking trivial and petty?

suzyb

The image Rick posted is so apt in aiding with my rant.


This was me earlier. Now I have a thumping headache because of it

Paul E

Dear Addison Lee driver, when pulling away across the junction heading east with tower bridge on our left, it helps not to out accelerate and then as you get just past me realise you need to turn left, brake indicate and try and drive through me in the bus lane, you might wonder why I sat up as your window drew back level with me and I lifted my right arm off the bars to say where are you trying to go as I'm here, a nice beep and some grunting followed as he had to brake more to turn behind me, I might have given him the one finger wave after he grunted the insults.

So many more idiots driving like maniacs tonight including the moron in a transit with his fogs on who over took and pulled in too quickly not once but three times,

msmancunia

Rick Chasey wrote:

Youngish, cheapskate, angry man who works in recruitment versus irritating estate agent.

The battle of the brokers.

---

By law, our landlord needs to arrange for our boiler to be checked every year or 18 months or whatever. We and they pay the estate agent to handle all of that.

Surprisingly, our estate agent started the process by contacing my girlfriend - despite the fact I've always been the one to deal with them. An interesting tactic. She is not versed in the ways of making people think they have an option when really you're giving them none. A tactic that has now cost me dear.

We/my gf agreed to let them use their keys to our flat to sort it. Turns out they also need to see the gas meter, which is behind a locked gate which is part of the entrance to the basement flat below (owned by same landlord).

We find this out when their slightly mentally challenged gasman calls up gf whilst in our flat to say he can't get access to the gas meter since he didn't have a key to the gate. What he quite hoped the outcome of the phone call would be I'm not sure.

Gf then gets a phonecall where (and she's not good at explaining what actually happened on this phone call) she ends up agreeing to drop off OUR copy of the gate key at the estate agent before 6pm. This is unfortunate since neither of us can be at home at 6pm, nevermind their office. Another gf call and she's given the option to take a half day holiday to do it...!

At this point, I takes over. As you can tell, we're already on the backfoot here. With my best powers I politely inform the estate agent that dropping the keys off is not going to be possible till the weekend - and given my landlord owns and rents out the flat below too, that they probably have a key that would open the gate - only labelled as a key to the basement flat rather than my flat's "gas key".

This doesn't seem to register. Apparently it's their policy to give the tenants the flat key. Not quite sure why they'd copy all the keys bar that one.

I pushed my point again, and they've finally snapped. Got an arsey e-mail saying they don't market the flat (they do) and now I have to deal with the gas people directly.

:roll:

Idiotic.

I wouldn't mind if I didn't pay them an inordinate amount of money every year to change the date and rent number on our contract. I'd even mind less if they hadn't suggested our rent rise by £3,500, despite never contacting our landlord ( i contacted her directly and got it down to an increase of £500).

---

tl;dr - I didn't win, and the problem has yet to be solved.

I HATE this kind of bull. It's their problem not mine, and I'm paying for this sh!t.

Why is it that housing stuff is always so f*cking trivial and petty?

Don't talk to me about boilers. The pump on my five year old GCH went last night leaving me with no hot water and kept tripping out the fuse box. Just cost me £225 to have a new one fitted because according to the lovely engineer, the original fitter didn't vent the pump when he installed the system, and it's taken a good five years off.

redvee

Bank holiday weather, that is all.

graham.

redvee wrote:

Bank holiday weather, that is all.