Products which are a nightmare to buy

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YorkshireMartin

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Some things, like tools and wood, are presumably a joy for all of us here to buy. I've often wondered if people get as frustrated as me when trying to buy certain other items.

Here is my list and reasons why:

Used cars - total and utter minefield, dodgy sales practices, misleading ads, the list goes on.

Beds - The likes of DFS and Harveys change their pricing virtually daily, the sales staff look half dead, follow you around in a creepy fashion and the products are at best, of questionable quality. Products are also impossible to compare against other retailers due to the dodgy custom naming and lack of transparency as to who the manufacturers are.

Mattresses - See above. I last bought a mattress 6 months ago and noticed today whilst looking at John Lewis' web site that virtually ever product we looked at has now ceased to exist, at least in name. Hard to find reviews of products when they cycle so fast....could that, perhaps, be intentional? I wonder.

Utilities - Nope. Just nope. Digging through the old bills to find out how many kwH you used and then trying to work out the standing charge vs all inclusive. What a crock. Let's not even mention mobile phone or TV/internet packages.

Insurance of all types - The comparison sites seemed to have made it easier for many insurance types, until you realise that you pay a fair old premium, pardon the pun, above the policy price for the privilege of using them. The coverage of varies so wildly that it can't usually be compared, requires wading through 100's of pages just to find out what you're actually covered for, which in some cases is very little, if anything.

Other Furniture - It almost invariably arrives damaged and often, despite retailers conveniently blaming the couriers, it's just not been QC checked properly at the retailer or manufacturer. I had an interesting experience with a not entirely inexpensive vanity unit last year, which upon unboxing, promptly scattered itself into component parts all over the kitchen floor. Retailer said that I could send it back, but that I must use not one, but two original boxes which it was shipped in. Thats an inner and an outer box. The outer of which was 5ft high by 3ft wide and thus had been taken away by the courier as a favour. Took two weeks and much explaining about the law to the Leicester based retailer, to solve that little problem. Also had a new sofa that was dispatched, then wasn't, then was lost, then was found, then was lost again and finally turned up 8 weeks late after 4 delivery advisory texts and corresponding days off work.

Since it is the season of good will, I shall forgive all the above retailing half wits for their transgressions.

So, what grinds your gears ladies and gents?

Merry Christmas to one and all.
 
Professional services (no not that sort!!) - solicitors, estate agents, surveyors, planning consultants etc. etc. - herding extremely expensive cats purveying lots of old rope.
 
Estate agents.

I'm sure many are lovely peoole, but those in the West Swansea/Gower area are a bunch of feckless morons.
 
Regarding car insurance, you want to try and get competitive quotes on a car that has been modified for disability, in most cases (the computer says no) so I stick with the company that has got its head around the problem. I know it should not be a problem, but it is.

The disability discrimination act prevents them from loading a policy, but does not stop them making it b****y difficult.
As I said (The Computer Says NO). :evil:

Take care.

Chris.
 
Computer repair/service 'specialist. They all say they are fair and can do it all, but can they. I have found i the past that it is very hard to find someone reasonable, polite and efficient. That is until this week when my computer just stopped dead. I had a really nice guy come to me, found the problem quickly (failed power supply) fitted a new one and cleaned the inside and was very good with th charges. He is in Reddich and can pass a name if needed. I will have him oly if I have more problems.
 
Mark A":2hcxlcmt said:
Estate agents.

I'm sure many are lovely peoole, but those in the West Swansea/Gower area are a bunch of feckless morons.
They are currently on the top on my hit list as we're starting to look at downsizing.

I hate the 'offers over' way they seem to be going.

'What's the asking price?'

'Offers over £200,000'

'Here's £200,000.50p. That's over £200,000'.

'That's not what we mean'

'Then what's the asking price then?'

..... and repeat.
 
I think estate agents are starting to see more pressure from online agencies that can offer a price of £400 or so. Most potential buyers these days are searching on right move and since the online agents put your property onto right move etc, the property gets all the selling exposure it needs. Yes, you do need to do your own valuation and viewings plus you are paying upfront, not on completion, however there is the potential to save quite a lot of money. There are also independent estate agents about which operate without an office with the potential to reduce costs quite a bit.

my nightmare products: supermarkets: buy two for £5.00.......buy one get one free......buy 3 get cheapest one free.......buy 4 for 3.....blah...blah...blah One month we have a cupboard full of loo roll, the next month its washing liquid. I like the fact that Lidl don't seem to do this generally their pricing avoid specials and multi-buy discounts.
 
Long weights.

I have often, especially when a young lad been sent to the stores or even hardware shops to get some long weights. The guys never seem to have them in stock, fair play to them though they have always had a good long look for them.
 
Looking on the bright side, nobody has said Christmas Presents!

(Maybe the ones who would are too busy trudging round the shops looking for last minute inspiration! )
 
Neuisance phone calls at tea time.the phone is listed under the other halfs name Macilwham (MAC-IL-WHAM) I answer the phone and get some numpty that calls me Mr,Mac????im to witch I reply when you can pronounce the name you can call me back.

Peter.
 
I have read all of the previous posts and I agree with many of them. ... BUT ...
You have not even got anywhere near, not within a mile of the hassle you can get when trying to buy a HORSE.
Thankfully we no longer keep any but the troubles we had you would not believe.

For example - bought a mare in Sheffield, sounded just perfect, got it home and the vet said it was lame, ( pasture ornament, incurable). Of course the vendor disagreed - On no it isn't, it was perfect when it left here, no there's no question of returning it. So we kept it and fed it and cleaned out it's stable and exercised it for nearly a year while the court action we had to bring was being sorted.

Example 2, and we went from West Wales to near Bury St. Edmund's to see a horse that was, according to the advert, just perfect for us. It was February and the roads were really bad. We got there, only to find the horse had been on loan for the last 9 months and the owner only had it back the previous day. It was in shocking condition with one loose shoe and one missing shoe. We had it vetted - it failed. So after travelling all that way, and paying for 4 night's B&B while waiting for the vet, the owner said to me he was annoyed at having had a wasted morning.

And so it went on, another occasion - "oh he doesn't like lorries because one went past one day and splashed him in water". Turned out he was scared of everything, lorries, cars, tractors, sheep, spiders, beetles, trees ...you name it.

Unlike other goods, you can't go out and buy a new horse, because that would be a newborn foal. You have to rely on the vendor's description, and if you ever thought used car salesmen were dodgy, you have no idea about horse dealers / vendors. Most of the ones I have met were in a totally different universe. And since we no longer are looking to buy horses, they can damn well stay there.

Someone once told me the way to keep horses and end up with a small fortune - start off with a large fortune. They were right.

Sorry for the long rant.
 
phil.p":18co5euw said:
Sky hooks, post holes and skirting ladders.

Flints Theatrical Chandlers actually list Sky Hooks in their delightful catalogue - this is the description:

Sky Hooks
I can’t see what use these would be
in the theatre but the next time the young apprentice
gets asked to order some sky hooks from Flints their
line manager will get a shock when the invoice arrives.

Rob.

PS They also list long weights, but only available from their trade counter on Saturday mornings.
 

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