The "Pay ALL your debt off by Xmas 2012" challenge - PART 3!!!

SpagBol

minicooper272 wrote: »

Thanks for sharing this, I've stepped my overdraft down 4 times so far, but I'll fix the rest in one go now to protect the credit rating!

Are you with NW? I didn't have the same problem with the Spanish bank, they just let me reduce it online with no faffing but NW make you apply for a new OD each time!!

minicooper272

kerri_dfw wrote: »

aww minicooper sorry to hear that. Whenever my car has problems I always get my mechanic friend to check the car over first, then I order the parts and get either him or a garage to fix it for me. I don't really know how garages work, but is there any way to get them to tell you what's wrong so you can source the parts yourself in future? I don't know where you live, but if in South Wales, I can give you the number of a good mechanic *hugs for you*

Thanks Kerri - not in South Wales sadly but that's the annoying thing, they quoted me, and I said I would get back to them about it in a bit, so it was presumptuous of them to order the parts, as I never said I wanted the work. I've been here a year, and don't yet have any mechanic friends to call on, but I think I'll start to learn a few things if I can, someone always has something on YTube! My trick is to tell them I'm new, so hope they don't mind if I call someone else for a quote. It's interesting to see how the price can drop (saved me 20% on my last MOT, a corking £80)

Spagbol I have 2 UK banks, one of them is the NW counterpart so probably the same rules. I can't reduce online though, because of the type of accounts they are, so it will save me some extra trips to the bank anyway, and I don't mind an excuse to not get up on a Sat morning.

choclover

minicooper272 wrote: »

Anyway, needed new spark plugs and coil, quoted £140, but that seemed quite a lot, so i called another garage I've used before, who quoted £98.

:eek::eek::eek: Even £98 seems expensive to me!

lemonpopsicle

InsertWittyName wrote: »

Ohh, I had an unsecured £10k loan (over 4 years) with them and paid it back March 2011... wonder if I'm in the running too :T

[EDIT] Better coverage: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-20679511

[EDIT2] Damn, not covered:



From http://www.nram.co.uk/en/customers/cca-loans.aspx

My loan had a 16 digit account number

Bogger so does mine!

kerri_dfw

minicooper272 wrote: »

Thanks Kerri - not in South Wales sadly but that's the annoying thing, they quoted me, and I said I would get back to them about it in a bit, so it was presumptuous of them to order the parts, as I never said I wanted the work. I've been here a year, and don't yet have any mechanic friends to call on, but I think I'll start to learn a few things if I can, someone always has something on YTube! My trick is to tell them I'm new, so hope they don't mind if I call someone else for a quote. It's interesting to see how the price can drop (saved me 20% on my last MOT, a corking £80)

If it's just spark plugs can you not just buy them from autoparts and fit them yourself? It's really easy, I saw my Dad do it once to my old car and it only took him 15 minutes. I always make sure my Dad or OH take my car to a garage as I'm sure they look at me and think £££££££££ keeeerrrching!

I did 2hrs exercise last night, I learnt how to front somersault the correct way (lots of falling onto the coach), apparently last week I wasn't taught the correct way and you have to stand in a particular way so you don't hurt yourself. I told him I came away with bruises last week and he was shocked! The coach last week was rubbish. We were also taught how to do back somersaults, which resulted in me some how flipping and ending up with my crotch in the coaches face and the rest of the girls in fits of laughter!!!! :o:o For £4 for 2hrs it was a great laugh and I shall be back next week, or maybe even on Saturday depending on how I can balance my partying this weekend.

I'm still buying xmas pressies, but just found my tiny nephew a toy in the T0ys R Us half price sale, I won't mention that to his mother so that's him sorted Just got my OHs step-dad to buy for now and my OH is getting clothes in the Jan sale, so all sorted other than a few nibbles and some things for making confectionary for the party we're having next Saturday. Tree arrives today! EXCITED now :T:T:T:T:T

HelenPie

I've a consumer rights dilemma that I'd appreciate any advice on (I know it's technically not the right thread but I like it here!)

Basically, DH and I are not happy about or wedding video. We got married in June and had contracted a videographer. We were under the impression that we would have two cameramen - one with each of us in the morning for getting ready and then so they could capture separate angles/parts of the day. On the day, the guy turned up at OH's parents but no-one came to me. When I called I found out he was on the way to me. I.e one guy doing both. He did bring a lady along, too (girlfriend, I presume, who looked miserable all day) but she stayed in tow all day so no shots of OH before ceremony or getting ready and had missed most of me in the morning, too. Also, in the actual video, only one camera angle is used all day: i.e. clearly no usable footage from her.

Our contract said video may take up to 28 days. We finally got something from him over 3 months after the wedding and we were very unhappy with quality (e.g. included speeches in entirety without even editing out the bit where he moved without stopping filming so had recoded the ceiling!); included a shot of me tripping over my dress (ok, so it happened but what bride wants to be reminded of that!); random ending to the video - just cuts out, mid song, etc. We sent a very long list of things we weren't happy with with a deadline by which to fix it. We received a new DVD on the deadline day, though it was a duplicate of the old one (by now it has been 5 months since the wedding). Apparently everything has been lost in the post twice, too, explaining all the delays. Last night I picked up a new DVD from the post office after missing a delivery (after insisting on recoded mail). It's much improved but still poor quality in terms of editing and variety of shots (considering should have been two cameras).

So, my dilemma is: I really want to have these to give to family for Christmas so am tempted to just accept them in order to get something in time but feel that I may be entitled to some compensation from him for poor quality and slow service. I don't want to be seen as accepting the work and so not being able to claim but if I complain, I'm concerned that I may never get our DVDs! And I don't think he will go down without a fight, plus not sure exactly how much to ask for

The recording of just our ceremony is lovely so in a funny way I just want to accept it and for this all to go away.

Don't know what to do!!! HELP!

psychopathbabble

There are lots of these stories Helen all over the place... might be worth a search on the forum. Sorry I can't be much help.

SpagBol

Not sure HelenPie but did you get anything in writing saying what services they would provide? Are they registered with any professional photographer bodies or unions that require a minimum standard of quality for membership? Could you take it to someone else for professional editing?

As a last resort if they seem amateurish are they even VAT registered? If not you could shop them...won't benefit you but might make you feel better?

kerri_dfw

Helen, I'd take a look around the forum, if you have a contract where they state what services they will provide then if they have not done so they are in breach of that contract. So maybe you could take them to the small claims court for a full refund. If it were me, I'd copy the DVD to my computer, use windows media whatsit to edit out the bit I want, and then return it to them saying it's a shoddy job, because it sounds like it is. That way you're not accepting it and you get the nice bit. Might be a little underhanded but after 5 months I'd be so annoyed with them that I wouldn't care.

I've just spent the remainder of the terramunid pot plus quite a bit more on the xmas shop, oops!!! Naughty me!!! I did buy a whisk, a sugar thermometer and a marble slab though, so not too bad! We're having a party next weekend and I promised I'd use a book I was given for my birthday to make some homemade sweet shop confectionary. A nice way to finish off the year, and if noone turns up we have some lovely things to eat over the xmas period.

jakes-mum

Helen: horrible when they mess up your wedding video/photos. I was extremely unhappy with our wedding photos (lots of pictures of us with random people stood behind us!, only 2 pics of our son etc) our photographer had booked his holiday to come home on our wedding day so had handed it over to someone else and said he would 'get there after the service if he could' (to his credit he DID turn up and start snapping and you can tell which pics were his.

When I got the book to pick my pics I was so upset, but got me gumption on and sent back a list of what pics I wanted and exactly how I wanted them edited. They did come back as I requested and are not half bad, though I will never get a picture of my son and nephew together on my day, or me with my sisters/Dh with his sister which upsets me.

Send him a formal letter with exactly what you are unhappy about and as after 5 months it is obvious you will not receive a video of the quality you were guaranteed you wish to a 50% refund of the cost of the video as that is (in your opinion) how much of the video they have either not recorded due to only sending one professional to the day or is completely unuseable due to the poor editing.