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.

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.

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.

This unadvertised special offer from Brighton & Hove City Council occurred on… yes you guessed it, April 1st. So how many others received PCNs (Penalty Charge Notices) erroneously? How much has it all cost to sort out? Just to explain,... Continue Reading →

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

When an airline destroys your suitcase on your outbound flight, you’d like to expect that they’d be not only apologetic but also perhaps actively help you find a replacement for the journey home. Alas in Monarch’s case they failed on... Continue Reading →

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

I’m finally turning away from Royal Mail for most of my business carriage. I’ve tried to remain loyal, after all it’s one of those Great British Institutions, isn’t it? But when it’s this painful, you’ve got to wonder… are Royal... Continue Reading →

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

Since we decided to leave Esporta Brighton, we’ve had no end of threatening behaviour from the company and its debt collector ARC Europe. This isn’t anything unusual, they’ve done it to lots of people – just try a Google search.... Continue Reading →

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

Just a quick public information notice: Belkin makes the most unreliable, poorly designed, unmitigated rubbish in the world. It’s true. I have owned several items by Belkin, none of which has ever worked properly, and have always given them the... Continue Reading →

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

Sometimes I get great service from a company and I’ll write about it. When I find serious fault with a company, I tend to report it on here too. If that company demonstrably puts things right, I tend to report... Continue Reading →

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

15th September 2008: It was a Monday evening in Brighton, it was getting late for dinner, and we fancied sushi. Moshi Moshi would have been our usual destination, but being closed on Mondays we remembered YO! Sushi in Jubilee Street... Continue Reading →

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

… or how a friend’s 21st birthday party was ruined by Brewer’s Fayre and Whitbread plc at the Nevill Crest and Gun in Eridge, near Tunbridge Wells, Kent. For those living outside Britain, and perhaps for some of those who... Continue Reading →

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

£6 for a sandwich. No, this isn’t one of those posh sandwiches where you can hardly get your face around the thing which is held together with a cocktail stick with a chef’s hat on, where its gourmet credentials are... Continue Reading →

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