It is like a war

Pobby

RibenaBerry wrote:

Pobby - slightly o/t, but have you looked at whether the Commercial Agents Regulations help at all? I now that they have provisions that give compensation on termination of sales agent agreements, might work with taking away a client...

Thanks.In fact what my principal is doing is illegal.The problem that I have is getting it through to them without them terminating my position.The real pain of it is this year I have turned down to very well paid employed positions out of loyalty to my principal.

To add to this,because of their ineptitude they have already alienated a number of customers that I set up for them by bad service and rudeness from staff.So much so that where I have been doing my best for my customers the stress resulted in a nervous breakdown this year.



I will get legal advice next week through the British Agents Register but I feel in a no win state.I have no worries regarding sueing them but I will need to find another appointment.Tbh my principal is a greedy,selfish person and treats many of his staff in a high handed fashion.However I have been with him nearly 7 years and have built the area up by around 300% so both parties have done OK from my efforts.Will keep you posted.

NekoZombie

Hi all

just want to point out to those who keep mentioning the average wage that its all relative! I earn 22k a year in London - trust me when I say its nothing! I used to earn 16k in Sheffield and was actually a good deal better off. Despite that, in both areas I couldn't afford to buy a house. London will always be beyond my reach - I think my first step on the property ladder will be london wage, property in sheffield!

I personally feel really peeved off by rising costs of education. It used to be that you'd turn up at your employers, and they'd pay to to train you up in your chosen field. These days the cost has shifted to the individual - and if you engage in postgrad study then the cost can really rocket. Supposedly, you need a good education to get a good job. Well, I'm a graduate but I'm doing the job of an A level school leaver, and trust me, not by choice. Why is the government trying to get everyone to have an expensive higher education when there just aren't the jobs to support this policy?

ZTD

NekoZombie wrote: »

Why is the government trying to get everyone to have an expensive higher education when there just aren't the jobs to support this policy?

Because you aren't counted as unemployed.

lessonlearned

Great thread Pobby, and very thought provoking.

I agree that although "hard-times" may be a thing of the past, ie the way my father was brought up during the 30's depression etc, as a fellow "Baby-Boomer" I can't help but think that it was easier for our generation to buy property and get started etc, and that we had it relatively easy. I think that, by comparison, our children's generation are in for a rough ride: ie student debt, ludicrous property prices, taxed to the hilt etc. OK not as bad as their grandparents brought up in the depression etc perhaps, but the next generations' financial futures do appear to look rather grim.

However, I find that lately I'm becoming increasingly disenchanted with our materialistic throw-away society. There is so much waste and conspicuous consumption around - I'm afraid I find it actually rather distasteful. I'm sick of the whole nauseating culture of buy, buy, buy, shop till you drop, this week's must have whatever, the "to die for" lifestyle and on it goes.

I'm sorry if that makes me sound "holier than thou" but does anyone really need a designer handbag costing hundreds of pounds or a flash car costing £50K, thirty pairs of shoes and enough cosmetics & toiletries to start a chemists shop.

As for worthless, foul-mouthed, talentless "Celebs" - don't get me started!!

I love this country but I look around and despair - we're governed by a bunch of greedy, incompetent morons who are incapable of telling the truth, who have bled this country dry and who are selling our freedoms and birthright by casually dismantling our legal system.

We have a government which lies to us and cheats us on a daily basis; who dragged us into an unjust and unjustified war and then, to add insult to injury, can't even look after our own soldiers properly.

Meanwhile, our education system is now little more than a sick joke; the NHS system, once a shining beacon, is now on its knees; a pension system which was once the envy of the world now lies in ruins; our elderly are either treated shamefully or are blithely ignored; yobs terrorise ordinary decent law abiding folk; the list is endless ....

For many, the only way to put a roof over their heads & food on the table is by "living on plastic". How on earth did it happen? Aren't we supposed to be the fourth or fifth (can't quite remember which) richest economy in the world?

As I said I love my country, our fine history, culture and traditions; the people, our humour and tolerance; but it is all being eroded away. I can't help but feel that the country I love probably now exists only in my head and my heart.

Like you Pobby I will probably end up moving to Spain, which I also love but in a different way. We have a small place there and yes, it's wonderful but it will never be "home" in the way that the UK is.

I was born here, educated here and brought up my family here, my roots are here, but increasingly I feel like the proverbial "stranger in a strange land" and it's not because I'm decrepit, senile and prefer to live in the past. I'm still young (OK in my head):rotfl: energetic, healthy and generally very optimistic and pro-active.

I'm still the same "hands-on, can-do, go getter" I was brought up to be. Like most baby boomers I enjoyed a good start in life, with good healthcare and a decent education. I've always worked hard and played hard and I still believe in living each day to the full (after all we never really know if we have a tomorrow) and I believe that we make our own luck. I love that old saying "the only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary" .

And yet .... I agree with you Pobby .... somehow, something feels very wrong -the future looks neither bright nor orange. In fact, when you do take time to stop and think about some of the issues raised on this thread the UK's future looks rather less rosy than it should whilst it's financial future certainly appears less than robust.

Oh dear, what a rant, and I don't have the excuse of having had a few beers. I think I need a lie down and a stiff G&T now.;)

Good luck to all.

mrsmortenharket

I am 33 (well 33 tomorrow, lol!) & I hate the consumer society.

Everything has to be new & shiny. Magazines have pics of how to update your decor in your home very season. I am not getting diff ornaments/curtains etc etc depending on the season.

People are encouraged to spend beyond their means. Many people do not understand what credit cards are for.

I work in the collections dep't of a major credit card comany & everyday I call people up in arrears with payments & the stories can be so sad. I feel for these people. They can in debt say with a Mint card with us & then list others that we don't own. A lot of people find themselves struggling cos of changes in circumstances such as a marriage breakdown or job loss. But I still wonder what they have spent all this credit on.

The banks could be to blamed somewhat, don't get me wrong, I am no supporter of banks. They just pay me a wage

But people need to face responsibilities. They do not need to apply for the cards or accept any offers. They do not need to spend the entire credit limit. They are not just £200 in debt if they are £200 over the agreed limit on a 10 grand card. They are 10,200 in debt. People don't see credit cards as proper debt iyswim.

Also the media is to blame. Who are these idiots from big brother or other reality shows who are now 'celebrities'.

Young kids now want to be 'famous'. not a popstar or something, just 'famous.

I worry for my kids (ages 5 & 7) I wonder how the future will pan out for them.

I believe the bottom has to fall out of the houseing market soon. Prices are ridiculous. We bought just before house prices rose dramatically in 2000. 7 years later our house has more than doubled in value. Personally I would not pay what the asking price would be for my house. If we wanted to sell we could not realistically afford anywhere bigger/better.

Oh & my big bugbear is the selling off of council houses....

Have to put my kids to bed. I could rant on all day!!!

Lisa x

slowlyfading

This thread is brilliant, but the contents scare me a little. I am 20 years old, and will be in big debt after finishing my degree next year. I dont understand how I'll EVER be able to afford to get a mortgage. I understand that I wont be able to get a new car or anything like that though. Two of my friends have brand new cars - I dont want to know how they managed to get that. All my friends have credit cards with big limits, and I dont know what will happen in the future.

ZTD

Things happen in cycles. Don't extrapolate out into the future. Think of it more as a tide: It comes in - it goes out.

Of course the last time credit was this easy was the 1920's. They weren't called the roaring 20's for nothing. I don't need to explain the significance of that...

ZTD

mrsmortenharket wrote: »

But people need to face responsibilities. They do not need to apply for the cards or accept any offers. They do not need to spend the entire credit limit. They are not just £200 in debt if they are £200 over the agreed limit on a 10 grand card. They are 10,200 in debt. People don't see credit cards as proper debt iyswim.

They don't "need" to, until they *need* to. You are wishing for people to do the "right" thing without a punishment mechanism in place.

It's not going to happen.

People *will* do the right thing when the punishment mechanism is in place.

Pobby

Amazed to see the old post back here!Well things seem to be on the move.Many are worried about the almost inevitable rise in interest rates next month.Talk about more to follow in the year.Don`t class myself as an economist but just knew this would happen.

Back even a few years ago I berated people boasting at how much equity they had.Said to them,it doesn`t really matter unless you want to use it as security to borrow money.Watch my lips I said---it`s called equity release NOT free money!Right now I know 2 people who are worried at how much interest charges have gone up{er right?!!????}.One has put his house on the market and the other is considering.Mind you.I think they were members of the ``property always goes up`` which of course it does,but not in a linear fashion,it peaks and troughs,it will go up in time but at how much cost to you in repayments.

Right now there are ,for one reason or another,a lot of people that will be exposed in the forth coming change.Sadly it has happened before and will happen again.

ZTD

Pobby wrote: »

Mind you.I think they were members of the ``property always goes up`` which of course it does,but not in a linear fashion,it peaks and troughs,it will go up in time but at how much cost to you in repayments.

Don't bet on it. Is 300 years long term enough?