Gerry Houghton

You get a date of delivery on the app which, partway through the day decides that you have requested a change of delivery day.

It also states, on the app, that your preferred delivery address is the local post office or shop although you never actually requested that.

Then just when you thought it would be safe to go out because it'll be delivered to the post office or shop it decides it will deliver to your home address instead.

Latest, it completely ignores its own so preferences and delivered to an address on the other side of town. That's it. Item paid for, delivery made so I'm out of pocket and need to chase the supplier, again, who will chase DPD, again.

So I bought what I thought was a reasonable computer with a good spec for speed and reliability.
It arrived pretty promptly and then the problems started. I'm more towards the thick end on the thick to nerdy techie scale but I have a new friend, AI.
It was by spending a full day working through the suggestions of my new friend that we finally managed to install all the Windows 11 updates.

I have to admit that I was on the verge of rejecting the blasted contraption a number of times. Having seen the 'Update Failed' message for the umpteenth time.

So dear reader, where is the root cause of the dilemma, TEKShop, MS Windows 11, the computer hardware or software, me?

Another aggravating thing. I've tried copying files across from my old laptop using a 2T SSD but the USB C connection of the new laptop doesn't like the cable my old laptop happily feeds info through so I wonder if there's a potential problem about to raise its ugly head once the warranty runs out.

Nice friendly experience.
Had four new, expensive, very expensive tyres fitted. I could have got them cheaper elsewhere but decided to go with these guys as they're local.
All good until I got home and had a look on the sidewalls to discover those 'new'tyres had manufacturer dates of 2024 do well over 12 months old.

Polite efficient friendly service at reasonable cost.

5 stars because Talk stands heard and shoulders above the rest. The coverage is excellent but content could be better if Labour politicians had the courage of their convictions and the guts to be interviewed by any of the Talk presenters.

Tried to send some money to a rival bank's savings account that offered a better interest rate. Nanny Nationwide deemed it too risky. I tried a nuber of times and despite the chat option and speaking with their customer services, who assured me all was now ok, they blocked my account.

They insisted I visit branch to discuss my complaint. Was fobbed off with utter garbage, I insisted I still wasn't satisfied with the treatment they'd meted out. They offered me £100 compensation, which I refused but they paid it into my account and washed their hands of the whole episode.

Needless to say, I moved the account and switched to Virgin only to discover that Nationwide had bought Virgin the previous day. Now switched away from Virgin.

I'm reassured to see I'm not the only one to think their service to be not fit for purpose.

'Fly the Flag!' was once the proud motto of this once proud airline. I've flown with Ryanair a few times and thought them to be pretty basic but BA take the biscuit and make Ryanair look professional.

The app isn't worth bothering with. It just doesn't work and if you persist, it's just frustrating. Again, the Ryanair app just works. This isn't a BA vs. Ryanair review. It's that everyone considers Ryanair as cheap and nasty but they're by no means the bottom of the pile. No! BA have that accolade well secured.

Thankfully I'm a shortarse as otherwise I'd have my knees about my ears because the seats are that close. Mercifully the person in front didn't attempt to recline their seat or I'd have been pinned against the rear bulkhead (row 30).

As for Heathrow!!!!! Terminal 2 is bad enough but if your flight is from T3, cancel the booking and walk. Heathrow generally is a breeding ground for every contagion imaginable. The most recent time I contracted an horrendous cough. The time before (one month) I came away with Covid. The whole experience is a nightmare.

Special Assistance was requested for my wife as she has Parkinsons. We would usually gain a slight advantage over able-bodied travellers by skirting some of the queues but T3 was the exception. We request Assistance not to jump queues but to avoid the waiting. The woman designated to transport my wife via. a wheelchair might have asked 'Does she take sugar?' as all the questions regarding my wife were directed to me.

All in all, we've resolved to drive to the continent in future and go via. either ferry or chunnel.

Don't buy from Dyson. Their Customer Service is a total misnomer.
Paid for a refurbished machine which arrived on 19th November 2023. Followed instructions but the battery failed to charge. Contacted Dyson CS chat and was told a replacement would arrive 2 days later. No replacement.

Contacted CS chat and was told that there were no replacements and I would need to wait until 29th November. As this would mean 2 weeks without a vacuum cleaner, we decided to cancel and go elsewhere. Told CS this and they said a return postage label will be sent. After phoning and eventually speaking with someone (that's an achievement in itself), A return label was received on 5th December and the thing was posted back to Dyson.

Proof of delivery the next day, 6th December but their refund policy is '14 working days.' Today, 21st December, 32 days after the defunct vacuum arrived and no refund, I try chat and get the same, meaningless, sycophantic responses that they just want to you hear and go away. Chat tells me it's not quite 14 working days so I need to wait. I then call CS to be told by the operative that she will escalate the claim with her refunds manager. Upon her return to the phone, she tells me it will be 5 working days for a refund. That takes it to January 2nd 2024 and I have absolutely total confidence that January 2nd will come and go with the Dyson coffers still swelled with pending refunds.

My suggestion, buy from a reputable retailer so you don't suffer the trauma that is Dyson CS. Also use a credit card with the Section 75 option.

I realise I never did finish this review so, here goes:

Despite the grovelling apology from Dyson CS, they did nothing. It was merely to counter the story I'd related and to make it sound as though I was a one off, an exception to their rule, I'd slipped through the net.

Nothing of the sort. They had no intention of resolving the problem let alone return the money I'd paid for a duff product and rubbish service. Incompetent doesn't begin to describe and the level of frustration the wreak upon the poor unsuspecting soul who has the temerity to suggest their product is faulty is even more frustrating that watching the dust and dirt pile up while the multi hundreds of pounds of useless garbage sits lifeless in its box awaiting the return label that takes forever to arrive and starts the whole relentless process.

My problem was eventually resolved, not by Dyson but by my bank whose debit card I'd used. They refunded me with no ifs or buts in short order, for which I'm grateful.

On the brighter side, there is a vacuum cleaner company that exists and has a Customer Service Dept that actually is worthy of the title, Customer Service.

It's 4:30 on a Sunday evening in October and I have just finished a chat session on the Vax website. The charger of the Vax vacuum cleaner I bought, on this day 12 months ago, has a fault. If this were Dyson, I'm certain they'd have rejected any claim as being out of warranty but the guy at Vax, just checked with his manager, came back and said 'A new charger will be delivered in the next 5 days.'

Vax has restored my faith in decent Customer Service.

Thank you Vax

Purchased in March '21. Replacement boiler received in April '21 which replaced original, leaking boiler.
November '21 the filter housing top sprang a leak from two of the push fit connectors. A new filter top was sent.
The tap worked ok except that the filtered water flow was abysmally slow. However in October'23 I receive a worrying email that tells me to stop using the thing.

"Unfortunately, one of our suppliers has advised us that a batch of boiling water hoses may develop an issue following prolonged use. We are sorry to inform you that your QETTLE tap is within this batch."
"Only one of your tap's four hoses is potentially affected, and we would like to reassure you there is no risk to your personal safety. However, continued use of your tap's boiling and filtered water may result in a continuous escape of water, should its hose become compromised."
"We appreciate this news will be disappointing, and its implications inconvenient – and for this, we are very sorry.

We have taken into consideration that your tap has been installed and working for over two and a half years, and its warranty has expired. As such, and in recognition of you being a loyal customer, we are making a replacement, next-generation QETTLE Original tap (complete with new, two-year warranty) available to you at the significantly reduced cost of £120, with the option of 0% interest payments."

My Qettle along with its component parts now resides in the local Council Tip.
Buy cheap, Buy twice!

Update. 02/11/2023; 16:38

Quote: "the content you have shared is selective and misrepresentative. You have also chosen to ignore our invitation to engage with us."

As I said to whoever called me, as a consequence of this review: The review I have written is correct and factual.

Where was the invitation to 'engage?'

"We are sorry that your QETTLE tap is part of the affected batch and we understand that you might have some questions."
"If you would like to learn more, you can find our FAQs here: Tap Issue FAQs and you can email us at xxxqettle.com."

Gary Moulson has sorted my motor insurance needs a number of times over the past years.

For performance, modified or whatever, I've found Gary to always be a straight and no-nonsense person to deal with.

Easy enough to buy tickets. Let's hope the journey is as smooth.

Reproductions were excellent.
Of the three ordered, one arrived rolled inside a cardboard tube. The other two were laid flat, between two pieces of card which unfortunately didn't protect the corners from being knocked during transit.

Really pleased with the service and timely delivery.
Puts others to shame.

Thank you

Stelrad has always been a quality product and continues to be so.

Enough said.

Next day delivery and the site has the order as pending so next day has been and gone.
Tried the on-line chat that says someone will respond in a few minutes. 3 hours later and still no response.

Update: Did I mention 'Unresponsive?' I get a reply from my 01/04/22 comment on................31/10/22 only 6 months after. More comatose perhaps.

As title. Placed order, paid, received within a day or two. Hence 5 stars.