Daily life over the garden fence chat.

[Margaret]

A place to share how your day has been. Senior moments or shopping trips, bargains, and so forth.



Today, the rubbish lorry swallowed my wheelie bin! Yes, the whole lot just disappeard into the machinery and couldn't be retrieved. The refuse operator apologized and gave me a number to ring so I can have a replacement.

[rebbonk]

I wonder how long that replacement will take Margaret?

When we had our garden waste bins delivered, they missed us out. We called twice explaining that we hadn't had one delivered... Nothing happened.

Then we found out that one our neighbours had 3! The house numbers in our block run out of sequence and the brains from the council obviously couldn't read the numbers on the doors!

My son had his normal wheelie bin stolen. 12 months later it had still not been replaced. He'd actually moved before a replacement arrived.

Councils... Pah!

[Margaret]

Don't worry, I have ways of making them deliver!
They said it should be delivered within ten working days.

[Margaret]

For about 7/8 months after I moved into my present address, I get letters coming for the previous occupier, debt collectors, I got tired of sending the letters back to say that this person is no longer at this address, so I stopped returning them. A few weeks later, a knock on the door asking for this person, I won't give the name, but it sounds like a bogus name I will never forget, I will just say it sounded very Indian. Anyway I had a visit from the debt collector, I answered the door and he asks me If I was this ********* , I was so flippin annoyed and had enough harassment, my feisty Scottish temperament kicked in, I said to him, do I look like *********, like I am so obviously British, how dare he cause me such harassment and invade my privacy by asking me for ID and and a Council Tax form to prove that I am not the person they were looking for. By now my blood was at boiling point, and I told him to go and do his own damn research and check with the Council records, (I am keeping it polite here because I did use some unlady like words). I said, to him, if you ever come to my door again to make sure he brings a policeman with him, Or I shall be the one calling the police! By this time was making his way back to his car and I followed him still giving him hell, he shut his car door , then shut his window on me when I was still in full flow, then I called him an ignorant B*****d.
He said he had been in the job for 25 years and never heard anything like it!
Never saw him again.


I don't mind people making enquiries, but this guy had an obnoxious manner. Perhaps they are trained to put the frightners on people, but his tacticts did work with me.
It's not good for my health getting wound up, but I laugh about it now .

[rebbonk]

I once had a letter from a debt collecting agency, and I must say it was very intimidating. I will add that I did not owe anyone money and the company that had sold the debt on were a bunch of shysters and fly by nights who couldn't run a bath, never mind a company. (They are long since out of business).

My brother was a solicitor and I asked him to put pen to paper as I thought it would be better on a solicitor's letterhead. He wrote two sentences and I never heard from them again.

Never got an apology from either party either!

[Margaret]

I once had a letter from a debt collecting agency, and I must say it was very intimidating. I will add that I did not owe anyone money and the company that had sold the debt on were a bunch of shysters and fly by nights who couldn't run a bath, never mind a company. (They are long since out of business).

My brother was a solicitor and I asked him to put pen to paper as I thought it would be better on a solicitor's letterhead. He wrote two sentences and I never heard from them again.

Never got an apology from either party either!

Nice one Rebbonk. It's like tele marketing pests, we start off being polite but they don't get the message unless you hit them with a 2x4, metaphorically speaking of course. .

[Finebyme]

What method to dry cleaners actually use to 'dry' clean ?

I got a pair of curtains dry cleaned and it was ridiculously expensive, I also think they faded slightly.
I reckon I can clean them myself one at a time in the washing machine.

[rebbonk]

To be honest, the cost of dry cleaning makes me take a gamble with my own washing machine. I've not got it wrong yet. However, my mother ruined many of her fathers' ties by ignoring the advice to dry clean.

[Finebyme]

I think if I put the curtains on gentle wash cycle , like the wool wash, they should be ok. I shall try that next time. I can put one in at a time. It won't matter much if they shrink just a couple of inches, There is plenty of material of fullness and length.

[cathidaw]

I believe manufacturers safeguard themselves by the label. If your curtains have faded , go back to the cleaners and discuss it.The spirit based stuff is rather harsh and I'm surprised they still use it i these hi-tech days. Ties are quite different.I made one for an exam once at college-horrid thing-so many bits and so many bias pieces. Never meant to be washed. Mine was never used.
Ever tried ironing one? A very scientific process- so Dont!

[rebbonk]

I had a mate once work for a very well known high street dry cleaners. Apparently, they 'lost' a few stripes on a light coloured jacket during their cleaning process. He swears to this day, that when the customer complained, a manager drew the stripes back on with a ballpoint pen!

[margaret]

Can anyone recommend a decent low cost Energy supplier , please ?

[cathidaw]

I have been with BULB for about 6 months.They were much cheaper than any one then.
Look on Martin Lewis site for up todate energy suppliers..
Good luck.

[rebbonk]

I'm electric only, refuse to use direct debits and want quarterly bills. I can't beat the Co-op, despite trying very hard.

Try looking on u-switch

I can't remember who it is, but there is one site that you sign up with and they are continually shifting you between suppliers to keep you on the best tariff.

One thing to be aware of though, is that in the event of a problem many of these companies will only deal with the named account holder. My brother (lives with mum) has had problems in the past in sorting niggles out. Mum is 90 and often not capable of using the phone herself for various reasons.

[margaret]

I'm electric only, refuse to use direct debits and want quarterly bills. I can't beat the Co-op, despite trying very hard.

Try looking on u-switch

I can't remember who it is, but there is one site that you sign up with and they are continually shifting you between suppliers to keep you on the best tariff.

One thing to be aware of though, is that in the event of a problem many of these companies will only deal with the named account holder. My brother (lives with mum) has had problems in the past in sorting niggles out. Mum is 90 and often not capable of using the phone herself for various reasons.

Thanks Cathi and Reebonk[


I was looking at the Co-op , and their tariff is certainly lower that what I am paying at present under Scottish Power.
But I was reading that the Co-op will be putting their prices up.

I shall look into both, choices.


.

[rebbonk]

Can anyone recommend a decent low cost Energy supplier , please ?

This is what I couldn't remember the other day Margaret. I know nothing about them so before signing up do some research. Look After My Bills