Grumble Thread

[Dave2002]

It's an ill wind, Anton... all I can say is I've banked with Lloyds for 53 years and never had any trouble. I did get the 'Spanish Inquisition' from two very nice 12-year old Latvian girls, despite my having has mu account at that branch since their mothers were children, when I wanted to move some money to my solicitor to buy a house. But I couldn't complain as they were working very hard to protect my money!

I am curious to know why 12 year old Latvian girls were employed as Inquisitors in a branch of Lloyds.

[eighthobstruction]

I am curious to know why 12 year old Latvian girls were employed as Inquisitors in a branch of Lloyds.

Ah HAaaa nobody expects the Latvian Inquisition....

[johncorrigan]

Went into a post office in Dundee today to buy some second classers. The post office guy asked me if I would like to purchase some first class stamps ahead of next month's price rise. 'How much this time?' I asked.
'Up 30p'.
'So up to £1.65?' I checked.
'Yes, and the cost of sending abroad is also rising 30p.. from £2.50 to £2.80.'
It's a bloody outrage. I'm not great at sums but I make that a rise of 18% for a first classer, and it's not that long since it went up to £1.35.
I was in Germany last week and could send a postcard home for 1 Euro, about the price of a second class stamp here. I send a lot of cards and letters, now almost exclusively second class. Grumble! Grumble! Grumble!
No doubt there will be more increases on the Horizon some time soon.

[Dave2002]

Went into a post office in Dundee today to buy some second classers. The post office guy asked me if I would like to purchase some first class stamps ahead of next month's price rise. 'How much this time?' I asked.
'Up 30p'.
'So up to £1.65?' I checked.
'Yes, and the cost of sending abroad is also rising 30p.. from £2.50 to £2.80.'
It's a bloody outrage. I'm not great at sums but I make that a rise of 18% for a first classer, and it's not that long since it went up to £1.35.
I was in Germany last week and could send a postcard home for 1 Euro, about the price of a second class stamp here. I send a lot of cards and letters, now almost exclusively second class. Grumble! Grumble! Grumble!
No doubt there will be more increases on the Horizon some time soon.

Last year I wanted some 2nd Class Christmas stamps, and it took me several visits to different post offices to get any. In the end I felt I also needed some first class ones, so went to yet another post office. The price was exorbitant - but I bought a few anyway. I asked why there was such a big difference.

"Ah - the second class ones are price controlled by the regulators, but the first class ones .... the PO can charge what it wants".

Not sure if that is the case, but it certainly used to be the case that the first class ones were not orders of magnitude [slight hyperbole] more expensive than second class ones, but it seems that those days have been and gone.

[LMcD]

Last year I wanted some 2nd Class Christmas stamps, and it took me several visits to different post offices to get any. In the end I felt I also needed some first class ones, so went to yet another post office. The price was exorbitant - but I bought a few anyway. I asked why there was such a big difference.

"Ah - the second class ones are price controlled by the regulators, but the first class ones .... the PO can charge what it wants".

Not sure if that is the case, but it certainly used to be the case that the first class ones were not orders of magnitude [slight hyperbole] more expensive than second class ones, but it seems that those days have been and gone.

I suspect that more people will simply decide to call people, send them a email or use social media rather than send cards. If the cost of stamps continues to increase at the present rate it might be worth considering skywriting your Season's Greetings.

[smittims]

My apologies to Latvia, Dave. It was simply my self-deprecatory way of indicating how they appeared to a 72-year-old Englishman who's never been further east than Arnhem.

[antongould]

Now I know you haven’t had a “you couldn’t make it up” story for ages ……. with Lloyds Bank Lady Gould and I both take out 2 12 month monthly savers each year because of the very good interest rates. At the end of the year we move the money and interest out leaving accounts with nil balances. Now we both have lots of these clogging up our internet banking and when I tried to close them online I get a message saying you must come into the branch to close them …. !!!! So today I went on the messaging app and eventually found out that because we once had a security box this puts a marker against all our accounts which means they can only be closed if we go to the branch. I asked what about the cost and inconvenience of this and to cut an already long story short they have just paid me £40 to go to the branch 😧

Well the pain is not over - having trousered the 40 notes I set off to Wor Branch where after the necessary wait in a queue I saw a nice you lady who tried to cheer me up by telling me yes this happened quite a bit and it was mildly frustrating, but face to face was the only way it could be done. She took my debit card, asked for my pin and when that worked said she would swiftly remove the dreaded marker - and finally said "that's all done you will be able to close them now" BUT even though I had Lady Gould's debit card she couldn't close hers it would have to be face to face!!! So I went home and tried to close them and you can probably guess what didn't happen ...... !!!!
So I thought I will give it a couple of days for the system to update - but still this morning no joy. So back on the Chat Line to Mr. AI first and then an operator who was as mystified as me - he could see the marker and I would have to go back to the Branch ..... so I rang Customer Services who said she would reraise my complaint and send an email to the branch but, if I wished, I could ring them and provided a number .......... It rang out for a while and then cut me off ..... like Emma Clarke I want to scream ........

[Old Grumpy]

like Emma Clarke I want to scream

Not surprised, Anton! Let's join in:




That better?

[antongould]

Not surprised, Anton! Let's join in:




That better?

much better thanks OG

[Dave2002]

So I thought I will give it a couple of days for the system to update - but still this morning no joy. So back on the Chat Line to Mr. AI first and then an operator who was as mystified as me - he could see the marker and I would have to go back to the Branch ..... so I rang Customer Services who said she would reraise my complaint and send an email to the branch but, if I wished, I could ring them and provided a number .......... It rang out for a while and then cut me off ..... like Emma Clarke I want to scream ........

Can you run this as a business, and get more batches of £40s - for you and Lady Gould?

[Dave2002]

I'm not so bothered about hummus - but the lids on pots issue is non trivial. Yoghurt pots which don't have a plastic lid are a real pain, as they may have to be covered in cling film to keep in the fridge. Also, if they spill - which can happen even if they are covered with cling flim - the clean up operation adds to the trauma.

Perhaps not an issue for small pots, but large pots - definitely a pain.

https://www.theguardian.com/food/2024/sep/25/open-sesame-sainsburys-and-tescos-drop-lids-from-pots-of-hummus

[Old Grumpy]

I have found the plastic lids from certain brands of instant coffee sold in a tin will fit nicely over a part-used tin of soup, fruit etc...

...use half, cover the tin with the lid and put it in the fridge. Bob's yer uncle!

[Serial_Apologist]

I have found the plastic lids from certain brands of instant coffee sold in a tin will fit nicely over a part-used tin of soup, fruit etc...

...use half, cover the tin with the lid and put it in the fridge. Bob's yer uncle!

Me, I'd NEVER buy instant coffee in TINS! Has to be jars.

Alta REEEEECA !!!!! (In best "I want to be in America" style )

[Pulcinella]

I have found the plastic lids from certain brands of instant coffee sold in a tin will fit nicely over a part-used tin of soup, fruit etc...

...use half, cover the tin with the lid and put it in the fridge. Bob's yer uncle!

You certainly used to be able to get plastic lids to cover cans of pet food that had been partially used.

[Old Grumpy]

Me, I'd NEVER buy instant coffee in TINS! Has to be jars.

Alta REEEEECA !!!!! (In best "I want to be in America" style )

Yes, I have Alta Rica in a jar too...

occasionally, in emergencies, I resort to the one in a tin (who's name I can't remember ).

In general ground coffee (what we used to call "proper coffee") is the best, of course!