The world of customer service seems to be obsessed with “sorry”. It’s a word uttered so often and so ubiquitously, it’s become meaningless. If every “sorry” was accompanied by an act of contrition, for example £1, I’d have made at... Continue Reading →

Originally published on A Brighton Boy Blogs - Consumer issues, recipes and apolitical thoughts from a Brighton native.

My online banking access keeps getting blocked by Santander for no explicable reason. This is the disingenuous message from the Santander online banking website… “For security reasons”… so did I get my credentials wrong? No. Did I do something bad?... Continue Reading →

Originally published on A Brighton Boy Blogs - Consumer issues, recipes and apolitical thoughts from a Brighton native.

I used British Gas HomeCare to cover my central heating boiler at home and at my one rental property. I bought the cover for convenience at a time when there wasn’t so much competition in the market. I saw the... Continue Reading →

Originally published on A Brighton Boy Blogs - Consumer issues, recipes and apolitical thoughts from a Brighton native.

My business partner and I both joined the EV revolution and bought fully electric vehicles. He’d been there for a couple of years already, having migrated gradually from diesel to hybrid to electric. We selected ChargedEV as our charger installer.... Continue Reading →

Originally published on A Brighton Boy Blogs - Consumer issues, recipes and apolitical thoughts from a Brighton native.

Having accepted a month’s free PetPlan cover for our two new kittens, I received a call on my mobile number one Saturday morning from an Indian lady calling from the PetPlan Sales call centre. She told me the name of one... Continue Reading →

Originally published on A Brighton Boy Blogs - Consumer issues, recipes and apolitical thoughts from a Brighton native.

Amazon attempts censorship to suppress public reporting of counterfeit goods.

Originally published on A Brighton Boy Blogs - Consumer issues, recipes and apolitical thoughts from a Brighton native.

I bought a Biolite camp stove just over a year ago for my camping trips, but it’s had a lot more use than I ever envisaged. Buying the grill attachment made it even more useful. I’ve had to learn various... Continue Reading →

Originally published on A Brighton Boy Blogs - Consumer issues, recipes and apolitical thoughts from a Brighton native.

We all know how awful interest rates are for savers. And we all need a current account. So how about a current account that yields a market-topping 3% interest on all credit balances? If like me you’re a net saver,... Continue Reading →

Originally published on A Brighton Boy Blogs - Consumer issues, recipes and apolitical thoughts from a Brighton native.

Switching banks is something people just don't do very often in the UK. So if you're teetering on the brink, perhaps my experiences will convince you it's a job worth doing.

Originally published on A Brighton Boy Blogs - Consumer issues, recipes and apolitical thoughts from a Brighton native.

How I tried Windows 8, and why I hated it.

Originally published on A Brighton Boy Blogs - Consumer issues, recipes and apolitical thoughts from a Brighton native.

When my company first started to trade with EU countries outside the UK, we started to receive EC sales list forms from Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs. Stupidly, we didn’t really register that we had to do anything apart from... Continue Reading →

Originally published on A Brighton Boy Blogs - Consumer issues, recipes and apolitical thoughts from a Brighton native.

What happened when I went looking for military records and found a likely looking lead...

Originally published on A Brighton Boy Blogs - Consumer issues, recipes and apolitical thoughts from a Brighton native.

A scoop... I discovered a major NatWest systems failure hours before it was reported in the media! :)

Originally published on A Brighton Boy Blogs - Consumer issues, recipes and apolitical thoughts from a Brighton native.

As an Amazon Prime member I reckon 30% of my orders are delivered late thanks to one thing – HDNL/Yodel. Goods are despatched on time, yet somehow once they get into the hands of HDNL it all goes wrong. Even... Continue Reading →

Originally published on A Brighton Boy Blogs - Consumer issues, recipes and apolitical thoughts from a Brighton native.

For anyone fighting an unfair, unjustified or illegal PCN from Brighton & Hove City Council’s illustrious parking department, you may be interested to know that my appeal with the Parking Tribunal (now properly named the Traffic Penalty Tribunal) won by... Continue Reading →

Originally published on A Brighton Boy Blogs - Consumer issues, recipes and apolitical thoughts from a Brighton native.

Got a "fine" from a private parking company? Being intimidated and threatened by solicitors and debt collectors? Don't pay it. This is why.

Originally published on A Brighton Boy Blogs - Consumer issues, recipes and apolitical thoughts from a Brighton native.

Today is Sunday. The parking restrictions on my road are clearly displayed as Mon-Fri noon-1pm. There are very faded, patchy single & double yellow lines which haven’t been repainted for years, and a few months ago there were Council notices... Continue Reading →

Originally published on A Brighton Boy Blogs - Consumer issues, recipes and apolitical thoughts from a Brighton native.

After I reported my parking ticket woes in my post entitled Brighton & Hove Parking – A Criminal Racket in Disguise, I appealed the PCN and got a rejection notice from the Council. No surprise there – after all they... Continue Reading →

Originally published on A Brighton Boy Blogs - Consumer issues, recipes and apolitical thoughts from a Brighton native.

An old ex-veggie discovers an old favourite Brighton restaurant legend greatly diminished, disappointing and even rude.

Originally published on A Brighton Boy Blogs - Consumer issues, recipes and apolitical thoughts from a Brighton native.

Every new technology attracts scammers and fraudsters – it’s been happening since the dawn of time. The internet is no different of course. Not a week (or indeed a day, usually) goes by without someone calling me claining they’re in... Continue Reading →

Originally published on A Brighton Boy Blogs - Consumer issues, recipes and apolitical thoughts from a Brighton native.