Progressing : 2

Posted: Wed 24 January, 2007 | Author: | Filed under: Customer Services, Domestic, House Purchase | Leave a comment »

So, we’ve now engaged a solicitor, and all that paperwork has gone off, including copies of all our ID. I know they need some kind of proof that we are who we say we are, but still, it seems a bit odd to be able to send copies of ID documents – surely that’s no real proof of existence?

Paperwork has been flying around the place – solicitors guff, estate agents guff, mortgage guff, insurance guff, and payment protection guff.

And we see the architect about our potential plans for the new place on Friday, which should be fun.

Also, supposedly the mortgage company sent out their valuing surveyor yesterday to check the place out, make sure that the building exists and so on. It’ll be interesting getting their report – I’ve paid £560 for a ‘Homebuyer survey’ so it should tell us about anything medium-to-major on the property.

So yes, things are coming through pretty smoothly so far.

Handwritten

Posted: Wed 24 January, 2007 | Author: | Filed under: 1BEM, Customer Services, Cynicism, Thoughts | Leave a comment »

In my opinion, some people just deserve to be ripped off.

Picture the scene – two cashpoint machines (ATMs to the Americans) side by side, in the wall of a bank. On one, a handwritten notice saying “This machine is out of order. Please use the other one.“. And the other machine has a queue of about six people using it, complaining that this one’s a bit dodgy too.

Me? Maybe I’m paranoid. But there’s no fucking way on earth, even if it were the only cashpoint in town, that I would use that machine. And it’s for the following reasons.

  1. It’s outside a bank, thus making people feel psychologically more secure. (“Oh, no-one would mess with this machine, it’s right outside the bank”)
  2. The notice is hand-written, you pillocks. Surely the bank would have either
    1. some pre-prepared properly printed notices
      or
    2. just turned the damn thing off, and let it display the ‘out of order’ notice
  3. The second machine is obviously slow, as there’s a queue
  4. People are audibly complaining that the second machine isn’t giving out money either

To me that’s a whole list of reasons that would generally add up to “this machine has been tampered with, and is currently recording your card details, and repeated attempts to type in your PIN” and as a result I just wouldn’t use it.

And let’s bear in mind, I’m talking about Cambridge. It’s not like there aren’t (quick mental tally) at least six other cash points within three minutes walk.

Like I said, some people just deserve to lose their money.

Smarties

Posted: Wed 24 January, 2007 | Author: | Filed under: Cynicism, Thoughts | Leave a comment »

Many moons ago, I wrote about Nestlé ‘rebranding’ Smarties, changing the classic tube and plastic flip-off cap. Yesterday, for the first time in ages, I had a real craving for Smarties (no idea why, I just go with these things sometimes) And yes, the rebranding’s been done.

And somehow it’s just not the same. The cardboard tab just doesn’t have the same poppability (if there is such a word) as that old plastic cap. Even the colours have changed, and while I don’t have an objection to removing artificial colours- in fact I think it’s a good thing – I would perhaps rethink the brown ones, which now look (to be blunt) exactly like shit.

But when you get inside, well, Smarties® are still Smarties®. So it could be worse.