# A week of complaints.



## eggyg (Jan 26, 2022)

I’m a pretty laid back, half glass full sort of person, but these last few days have tried my patience!

Firstly, I opened a tin of a very well known brand of baked beans ( you’ll know the ones I meanz) at the weekend and they were mouldy! It appears on closer inspection the tin was dented and there was a puncture. Yuk! I wasn’t going to fly down the M6 to the store and take them back, so I took photos and put them in the bin, double wrapped, they absolutely stunk! Googled Tesco customer services. Sent a very polite email, attached photos and asked for a refund. The email bounced back saying this email wasn’t active anymore. They shared a link which I clicked on. You have to actually phone them! I haven’t done this, I’m just going to go to the customer service desk in the store next time I’m in shopping. 

Secondly, my book subscription, which usually arrives mid month still wasn’t here by Monday. Popped them an email, if there’s a delay they are usually very good at letting me know, but not this time, still no reply. Luckily they arrived yesterday, but I’m not telling them until they reply to my query. 

Thirdly, I  ordered a box of 10 red dinner candles from a company through Amazon. They arrived yesterday and despite being very well wrapped, four were broken! Grrrr!!! More inconvenience.

And fourthly, we had booked tickets to see a play on Sunday evening at a small local venue. We were really looking forward to it, we haven’t been out for ages. Last night I was checking on my Skiddle app ( that’s who you book tickets through) to check timings as I was wanting to book somewhere for an early dinner before we went. The play has been postponed! No one has saw fit to let us know, I checked the venue’s website to double check it was correct. I had to scroll through other events until I eventually found something. All that was mentioned was the new date, nothing to say that this was previously 30th January until you actually clicked on “ buy tickets” and there in teeny, tiny writing was “ this should have been on 30th January but we couldn’t be ar**ed to let you know” well, maybe not quite that wording! Oh I was livid! I’ve sent the venue a very strongly worded email! Watch this space.  
My glass is very quickly become emptier and emptier, and it’s only Wednesday!


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## Sally71 (Jan 26, 2022)

The theatre one is atrocious, I wonder how many people will actually turn up?!

Some companies don’t have a clue, do they.  Several times I have tried to order things online from a well-known department store which has now closed down, once via Amazon and the rest directly with the company.  Every single time they cancelled the order saying the goods were out of stock.  When I placed the order they were in stock so as soon as my order is accepted they should be allocated to me and not available to anyone else, I worked on computer systems in the 1990s that could do that!  I’d always get a standard response along the lines of “oh we’re really sorry, the stock is really fast moving and sometimes it isn’t there after all, it’s a really rare occurrence”.  Rubbish.  100% failure rate for me, not what I’d call rare, and if your computer system can’t keep up with sales then maybe you should invest in a new one.  And if it’s really true that I’ve been unlucky and you can’t deliver, presumably in most cases the stock will eventually be replenished, well how about getting in touch and let me know a rough estimate of when you might be able to deliver and then I’ll decide whether I can wait or would rather cancel the order!
The Amazon one was still showing stock even after my order had been cancelled so I immediately placed a new order for the same item, gave the company a right rocketing along the lines of the above and said that I shall expect the new order to be delivered within the week.  Don’t know whether someone from Amazon got involved but I did receive the replacement, the only online order I’ve ever had delivered from that company!  So they obviously did have stock then, despite telling me they didn’t


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## Robin (Jan 26, 2022)

Oh dear, I must be using up everyone else's luck. The last few things I've ordered have arrived ahead of schedule (provided they weren’t coming with Royal Mail, who can only manage the odd postal delivery about twice a week). My new passport arrived in 7 working days from them receiving my online application, and was through my door shortly before I got the email saying 'sorry we are experiencing some delivery delays'
I even ordered a pack of LFTs at 5.35pm last week, and got them with the (rare) postal delivery the very next morning!


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## eggyg (Jan 26, 2022)

Sally71 said:


> The theatre one is atrocious, I wonder how many people will actually turn up?!
> 
> Some companies don’t have a clue, do they.  Several times I have tried to order things online from a well-known department store which has now closed down, once via Amazon and the rest directly with the company.  Every single time they cancelled the order saying the goods were out of stock.  When I placed the order they were in stock so as soon as my order is accepted they should be allocated to me and not available to anyone else, I worked on computer systems in the 1990s that could do that!  I’d always get a standard response along the lines of “oh we’re really sorry, the stock is really fast moving and sometimes it isn’t there after all, it’s a really rare occurrence”.  Rubbish.  100% failure rate for me, not what I’d call rare, and if your computer system can’t keep up with sales then maybe you should invest in a new one.  And if it’s really true that I’ve been unlucky and you can’t deliver, presumably in most cases the stock will eventually be replenished, well how about getting in touch and let me know a rough estimate of when you might be able to deliver and then I’ll decide whether I can wait or would rather cancel the order!
> The Amazon one was still showing stock even after my order had been cancelled so I immediately placed a new order for the same item, gave the company a right rocketing along the lines of the above and said that I shall expect the new order to be delivered within the week.  Don’t know whether someone from Amazon got involved but I did receive the replacement, the only online order I’ve ever had delivered from that company!  So they obviously did have stock then, despite telling me they didn’t


That’s happened twice to my eldest daughter in the last week or so. First she ordered some boots, took her money and the said “ sorry they are out of stock”, eventually refunded her. This past weekend saw an absolute bargain of a coat, ordered it paid her money, email yesterday. “ Computer says no!” She’s very annoyed. 
Re the theatre, I said in my email what if we turned up at the door, then opened the Skiddle app! I’ve just trawled their Facebook page incase I missed something. Five days ago a post advertising the play 30th January, then 10 hours ago a post advertising the play for 10th Feb, nothing about a postponement and also the photo of the actor has disappeared, and no mention of his name. He was one of the reasons we booked as we love the BBC2 comedy he stars in. I’m even madder now!


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## eggyg (Jan 26, 2022)

Robin said:


> Oh dear, I must be using up everyone else's luck. The last few things I've ordered have arrived ahead of schedule (provided they weren’t coming with Royal Mail, who can only manage the odd postal delivery about twice a week). My new passport arrived in 7 working days from them receiving my online application, and was through my door shortly before I got the email saying 'sorry we are experiencing some delivery delays'
> I even ordered a pack of LFTs at 5.35pm last week, and got them with the (rare) postal delivery the very next morning!


That’s good news about your passport. Do you think you’ll get to use it this year? We’re still not sure about travelling abroad this year. Might wait until next year, will need new passports, they expire March 23!


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## Robin (Jan 26, 2022)

eggyg said:


> That’s good news about your passport. Do you think you’ll get to use it this year? We’re still not sure about travelling abroad this year. Might wait until next year, will need new passports, they expire March 23!


You never know! We’ve got a river cruise booked for May which has already been postponed twice since May 2020 when we were supposed to be doing it. If it runs, I think we are committed to doing it, but if it weren’t for that, I think I’d be sticking to cottages in the U.K.


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## helli (Jan 26, 2022)

Cynically, I wonder if shops who allow you to order items which are not in stock are doing it to help their cashflow as they get our money for a week before giving it back.


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## Sally71 (Jan 26, 2022)

I don’t see what’s wrong with keeping the order open and delivering it as soon as you can when you receive new stock, if you can’t supply it immediately.  Or is that too much effort for people these days, as it might involve getting in touch with the customer and letting them know of the delay.  I suppose most people wouldn’t want to pay if they had to wait for the delivery, they’d want to pay as close as possible to when the goods were delivered.


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## Bloden (Jan 26, 2022)

I was supposed to be going to see Soul II Soul in 2020 with my bezzie. The show was obviously postponed, and postponed, and postponed again - fair enough, global pandemic, etc. My friend Wassups me last week to say she’s had an email saying the concert’s going ahead - the following day - and there are no refunds if you can’t make it, so tough cheddar, thlzthlzthlzthlz (blowing a raspberry noise). Seriously? £36 each has disappeared into Soul II Soul’s coffers.  They USED to be my fav band!


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## eggyg (Jan 27, 2022)

Ooh that’s annoying @Bloden and very naughty. I, at least, can get a refund for the postponement of the play. Heard back from venue who blamed Skiddle, apparently the lead actor has Covid ( that old chestnut) and they’ve had to push the whole tour back so his replacement can learn the part. Now, I thought you only had to self isolate for five days now, the new date is 11 days away. Hmm.. something fishy going on me thinks. I thought they had understudies already waiting around for this sort of thing?  Anyhoo, the venue contacted Skiddle to let them know on Monday and to contact everyone, Skiddle says they have contacted us but the email remains unread as it must be in the spam folder. It isn’t, nor is it in my inbox, deleted items, trash, junk or bin. I’ve  asked the venue to ask Skiddle to resend it. I’m still waiting and I can’t apply for a refund until I get it!


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## grovesy (Jan 27, 2022)

eggyg said:


> Ooh that’s annoying @Bloden and very naughty. I, at least, can get a refund for the postponement of the play. Heard back from venue who blamed Skiddle, apparently the lead actor has Covid ( that old chestnut) and they’ve had to push the whole tour back so his replacement can learn the part. Now, I thought you only had to self isolate for five days now, the new date is 11 days away. Hmm.. something fishy going on me thinks. I thought they had understudies already waiting around for this sort of thing?  Anyhoo, the venue contacted Skiddle to let them know on Monday and to contact everyone, Skiddle says they have contacted us but the email remains unread as it must be in the spam folder. It isn’t, nor is it in my inbox, deleted items, trash, junk or bin. I’ve  asked the venue to ask Skiddle to resend it. I’m still waiting and I can’t apply for a refund until I get it!


Yeah but if you still test positive you have to do the full 10 days.


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## Leadinglights (Jan 27, 2022)

A few years ago we had booked a venue (Piper's Island in Reading) for a work Xmas party (yes one of those) and there were reports in the paper about them not paying their bills and suppliers boycotting them so we didn't know what to do. They told us if we cancelled we would lose our deposit but if they cancelled we would be entitled to a refund. So we were left in limbo. In the end another venue took over the bookings and it was a fabulous evening.


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## everydayupsanddowns (Jan 28, 2022)

We were supposed to be seeing Les Mis in 2020, which was rescheduled, and then resheduled again. I was all ready to go last summer, until I re-read the reissued tickets and they were for *this* year! Fingers crossed it does go ahead!


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## mikeyB (Feb 18, 2022)

Blimey, Mike, I saw Les Mis in London when it first appeared  in this country. Got cheap Preview tickets, but it was a perfect performance from the original cast, spectacular, and fantastic high tec scene changes. That was when we lived in Kent, which is getting on for forty years ago. Slow on the uptake, Mike?


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## Felinia (Feb 18, 2022)

Well apart from the storms knocking out my power until a short while ago, I have used up everyone else's luck this week.  Finally won something on the lottery, and got 2 power rebates to go with the 2 tax rebates.  So we're going out for a posh nosh, and I've ordered some new swimming costumes, and renewed 2 subscriptions.  This morning in the dark I blessed my brother's camping lights and my gas hob as I cooked breakfast, boiled water and made a hob top casserole.  It's easing up now, but my fence panels are long gone!


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## trophywench (Feb 18, 2022)

Quite a lot of our fence had shuffled off its mortal coil sometime ago - trouble being next to a Public right of way, the public demolish it as the opportunity grabs them ..... of course that part of it after it turns the corner and can therefore be seen, is still completely intact.  Or at least, it was ........


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## nonethewiser (Feb 18, 2022)

Starting to blow here  nothing like down south mind.

Seen video of german ferry earlier where wave crashes against it & breaks glass forcing passengers to retreat, scary stuff, nature is so powerful.


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