How did it all start for you ?

NoviceAngel

I thought I would throw another topic in here, I was bored this afternoon so I started to wonder how we the regular posters, came here, obviously seeking advice about flight delays? Well not quite I was talking about cash back websites elsewhere on the board, but for others their very first of thousands of posts started right here, didn't it Vauban, JP and Tyzap and 13 thanks for their very first post!!!

As the title says, for me I came here looking for help, received it and the rest is history, but for me personally it's long gone past the thought of receiving a few hundred quid, if I'm successful in my claim.

For me it's not about the money anymore, and it can't be for others that have long had their cases heard in Court, it's the intransigence of the airlines and the constant ups and downs that keeps us here, trying to help others.

So how did it all start, I'll kick this off ! I could actually answer my own questions that I asked now, although looking back only Mark2Spark thanked my post together with northwest

I would have thanked my post, at least it was on the right thread and it shows I'd put some effort in

It's a shame I wasn't there to tell Vauban to write his own guide and come back later

So are you brave enough to put a link to your very first flight delay post?

Cheers,

NoviceAngel



PS while researching, what ever happened to the 50ft Christmas tree in your garden?


PPS, If you ever get a few minutes, have a historical look through some of the early threads, it's definitely worth doing

NoviceAngel

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/62681338#Comment_62681338

My first Virgin post :blushing:

tracylou

Hi Novice Angel,

I'm not a regular poster here but I am a regular reader, and I'd just like to say I really missed you when you were gone, as did lots of other people, who even dedicated a special thread to your good self. I'm so glad you're back, your posts bring a smile to my face every day and I hope you're fully recovered now.

Cheers.

NoviceAngel

Hi tracylou,

Thank you for your very kind words, and thanks for being brave enough to post! :smileyhea

I often find this forum a bit stuffy, and I try and inject a bit of life into it, flight delay compensation is a serious issue, but it doesn't harm to smile whilst trying to claim it...

Cheers,

NoviceAngel


PS You just know I'm going to look through your previous posts now

Tyzap

Okay, I'll kick off, although I'm sure most of you know already know most of my story so I won't bore you with that bit.

When my granddaughter, wife and myself got caught up in a 27 delay at Malaga airport in October2011 courtesy of Jet2, we were thrown into the flight delay nightmare.

We knew nothing about flight delay regulations but one of the other passengers told us that we were entitled to something!

The atrocious way that we were treated by Jet2 left us very annoyed so we looked into the EC261/2004 regulations when we finally got home.

Following our request for compensation we entered into a prolonged game of letter ping pong. Big mistake, never go down this line. During which I got the distinct impression that we were corresponding with a bunch of young, silly school girls. The poor grammar and atrocious spelling didn't annoy me as much as the stalling tactics, outright lies and insisting on 28 days before any reply.

What Jet2 were trying to do was wear me down to the point that I would give up my claim, as they do with everyone. However, the result was the opposite, each delayed letter, each lie, and all their dirty tactics just served to make me more angry and more determined to see it through.

I decided to take them to the small claims court and so I began to read up on how to go about it. I somehow missed the bit about MCOL only being for one claimant and proceeded to put all our small groups details on the form. Big mistake again again.

The case went to court and two names were removed from the claim by the judge who went on to erroneously dismiss my case.

I was 99.9% sure he had made a mistake in law, but there was now a mountain to climb just to get back on track. I had already run into severe difficulties with the court service and had to raise an official complaint. I ended up playing letter ping pong with them too, but that's another story. I should have won my case by default but the system went wrong and then bent over backwards for the defendant, well thats my view of it. It later seems others have come across very similar problems.

My wife read the MSE website and had seen an article that mentioned Bott and Co in Wilmslow, very close to where I live.

At this point I had still not come across this Flight Delay Forum and was floundering a little but still very determined to overcome this latest obstacle.

I spoke to Botts and went to see them the same day.

I met Coby Benson who, as it turns out, had just been through the same court as me in Stockport and against the same airline too.

My story struck a note with him and the rest is history.

It was during a chat with Kevin Clarke, also at Botts, that he told me about the interest in my case on the MSE delay forum. It was at this point that I became involved as a regular reader and now as a regular contributor, and thats how it all began!

NoviceAngel

Very interesting to read more about how you ended up here, I guess I had always assumed that you started here, read the MSE guide and issued the NBA, had no idea that you actually posted on here for the very first time AFTER your County Court case.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/63683954#Comment_63683954

It must have seemed strange finding a dedicated thread with your name in it?!?

You're part of the furniture now though m8.

I also have to mention Botts, because they stood to lose their reputation and not to mention thousands of pounds if the outcome of your case had been different. Now I hope that they are reaping the rewards but from what I read on here the other day, they are very modest earnings from each individual claimant, but hopefully with the many thousands of cases that they are representing, they'll do very well out of it now and they deserve it, IMHO.

I think the longest serving member is 111KAB, even responding to PtLV on his very first post!

NoviceAngel

For anybody that doesn't know how to look at historic posts....

1 Click forum search, then you will see advanced search, click on it.

2 Enter the User Name in the search by user name field

3 Change the sort by results by to In Ascending Oder

4 Change the Show Results as Posts

5 Click search now

There my guide on how to become a board stalker:A:eek:

Skid_Marks

NoviceAngel wrote: »

I often find this forum a bit stuffy, and I try and inject a bit of life into it

If you want to spice it up a bit we could start an Agony Aunt thread for forumites with personal problems....would you be prepared to front it NA?

Alternatively we could have a Grumpy Yorkshireman thread where JP et al could vent their spleens when Noobs start a new thread etc.

NoviceAngel

Skid_Marks wrote: »

If you want to spice it up a bit we could start an Agony Aunt thread for forumites with personal problems....would you be prepared to front it NA?

Alternatively we could have a Grumpy Yorkshireman thread where JP et al could vent their spleens when Noobs start a new thread etc.

I'd love to, but I think we might be going just a little 'off topic' for a flight delay forum...

Ohh I tell you, every time I start a new thread, I get afraid, very afraid

Now what was your first post? I'm going first post hunting brb.........

EDIT - No bit of a mystery, didn't realise you only joined in Apr 14, nearly your birthday, One year old _party_:grouphug::bdaycake:
So come on Skid Marks, how did you became locked up in here?

Skid_Marks

My first post was congratulating Vauban for giving Monarch a good whipping....having said that I now think he needs to be called before the stewards for a caution (excessive use of the whip almost bringing monarch down), leaving Dr Watson the winner on Ryanair!

Dr_Watson

Back in March 2013.
After a 3hr 20min delay and being rerouted from one airport to the other in October 2012.
I'd done a lot of legwork myself including positive responses from AESA to back my claim.
What I needed was the knowledge to take RA to court as they quite clearly were not going to pay.
So I found here and the process called European Small Claims Procedure (ESCP).
A godsend for cross border claims like mine.

But the process had its ups and downs which I tried to document to help others, leading eventually to a step by step guide (Ryanair post 569).
I knew and still know Ryanair were tracking the forum and my posts, and knew they were going to make me go all the way to the point of enlisting the Dublin County Sheriffs to enforce my court order for me.
Which is the reason why I'm still here....
If they had paid when I asked nicely I'd be somewhere else.

Bless this forum, and users past and present, many of whom I consider my friends even though we've never met apart from comments on here and the occasional PM.
When the airlines start doing the right thing we'll all go away.....but until then...
Good luck and keep going.;)