RANT TIME!

[PartyJas]

Need an outlet... if you are reading this... sorry.


I am getting sick and tired of being treated like dirt by companies who want my business!

Sony:

My Xperia Z2 experienced a common rear glass failure where they crack/shatter when not being held, just from overheating basically.
Sony have had my phone now since the 1st of May. They have a guaranteed 7-10day turn around once received.

Well after 10days I chased them (I do this a lot)

They want £290 to do a full rebuild. I tell them to stuff that!
Basically since then all I have done is constantly chase after being told "someone in management will contact you within 48hours via email or telephone". 

Eventually I went mental. I contacted them again and after some digging it turns out its more damaged than when I sent it. totally smashed rear and cracked screen now. They said it must have been in the post that it got further damaged. Well funnily enough I no longer have the post office receipt to claim as it was 2 months ago and Sony said they had got it
Essentially they are sending the phone back now more damaged after having it for over 2 months. Oh and it should have arrived on the 1st of July...guess what, still no phone. 
No apologies for not getting back to me or for the terrible service. Nope. They just said I was lucky as if I had contacted them within another 7 days the phone would have been destroyed! I WAS WAITING FOR THEM TO CONTACT ME!!!!!

Similar issue with plusnet, I have .1mb upload and .35download.... but thats fine apparently. Keep having to chase. (most of the time I get cut off in online chats, after waiting 30min in the queue, because the connection drops)

Had a ebay seller trying to convince me that 57mm was 2.5inches... I gave up in the end

Having Carpartsforless send me the wrong bits and then want me to scan the invoice (photo not acceptable) and send it them before they do anything... yet I don't have a scanner. 

Then other companies like ASH last week, spending a lot of money and paying for next day delivery to get it 3 days later.

AMAZONs "prime" next day GUARANTEED delivery which arrives 2 or 3 days later. They kindly extend my prime membership a month for it but thats not the point really... if its guaranteed, it should happen, no!?





Is anyone else having these issues with big corps?!

When your phone arrives, open the package before signing, while the driver is there and then act surprised when you see it is damaged. Then proceed to claim from the courier company.

[Pebbles167]

Can you put this in laymans terms for me to understand please?

Out of interest, what do you do for a living? I see above you claim your job is twice as hard as driving a train, yet you receive half the pay. 

I just feel it necessary to defend something for which I spent considerable time training.

[Matt-Rallye]

Can you put this in laymans terms for me to understand please?

Out of interest, what do you do for a living? I see above you claim your job is twice as hard as driving a train, yet you receive half the pay. 

I just feel it necessary to defend something for which I spent considerable time training.

No problem

I run the AutoBreakers section of a massive recycling facility. Also responsible for buying / managing stock & making sure all end of life vehicles are depolluted properly. Bear in mind its a 40 Acre site, not a small operation by any means.

Also have to do A LOT of health and safety as we are a full recycling facility dealing with any and every kind of material from household waste & wood right through too precious metals. Every department has different risks and different risk assessments (asbestos on the household waste side of site is a common example as opposed to scrap fuel containers going on fire when being crushed by the shear on the metal processing side)

Im also being trained to operate the weighbridge, deal with payments / customer accounts and be responsible for A lot of money / stock etc but thats because i like to be able to turn my hand to pretty much every job here if im required Also got in house tickets for most of the machinery etc so im just as handy too them in my office, their office or down the yard unloading lorries, depolluting cars or performing risk assesments.

My pay isnt particularly relative to my job, more relative to the hours i do and the area i live. Which is where i form my opinion about driving a train for a living.

[Pebbles167]

Well it sounds like a pretty good job, but I'm sure if I was to call you a "scrapper" and claim that basically all you do is plod about on a junkyard all day and that you get paid too much I'm sure you'd get pretty irate. On the surface, that's what your job looks like.

But as you've gone into detail I can see that your job is far more, and I can see where you earn the money. Try doing this to a train driving job and you'll see that there is much more beneath the surface than just pushing a lever. 

[Matt-Rallye]

Well it sounds like a pretty good job, but I'm sure if I was to call you a "scrapper" and claim that basically all you do is plod about on a junkyard all day and that you get paid too much I'm sure you'd get pretty irate. On the surface, that's what your job looks like.

But as you've gone into detail I can see that your job is far more, and I can see where you earn the money. Try doing this to a train driving job and you'll see that there is much more beneath the surface than just pushing a lever. 

I wouldnt take offence bud (unless piggy said it)

My basic job is pretty much as you describe! but that would be less money than im on now, The only reason my job is the way it is, is because i make it my business to be so involved in the goings on of the yard as i genuinely really enjoy my job, i simply would not do it if i didnt

You obviously enjoy your job or you would probably be agreeing with half the comments on here, as i said before its upto other people what they do.

My comment was based on if i was asked to do that job would i value it at 50k a year? compared to what i do now for 15k it just seems abit far fetched that its actually worth that much more if that makes sense outside of my brain?

[Pebbles167]

I get it mate. I wasn't always on the railway  

To be fair I'm really a mechanic with a train licence. It pisses me off seeing these go on strike. I have to work longer hours, day and night, maintain parts of the railway infrastructure, repair my own train when it goes wrong and still drive the damn thing. We still get paid less than passenger drivers and I've never known any company operating yellow rail plant to go on strike.

Hmm.. I've kind of lost sight of the whole debate... I think my point was that jobs are always more than they appear, and that the pay is what it is. 

I was a barman one, f*ck that was hard work! 

[Matt-Rallye]

Ozonehostile & razorback rob have the best jobs ever and they cant deny it!!

[Toms306]

Don't they drive unreliable, unair-conditioned lorries to houses with bitey dogs for a well known supermarket? Doesn't sound like my idea of fun...

[Dum-Dum]

Oh and while some of you are still feeling sorry for the tube drivers just remember that this 2% pay rise is on top of their annual pay increment (for those not already at the top of the scale) and their inflation/index linked pay rise.

As for the "if it's so easy why don't you become a tube driver?" bollocks it is a hugely over subscribed job and they only recruit internally from people who already work for LU and even becoming station staff for them is a serious job, they get thousands upon thousands of applications. Sadly, because of the money and apparent ease of it, it's a job which attracts people who are just in it for the money.

As for the danger and responsibility mainline train drivers have far more responsibility however even the worst train crash (since the demise of British Rail) was Ladbrooke Grove where 2 trains collided due to driver error IIRC there were less people dead there than the 7/7 bombings

I know you say about people stepping off the platforms in front of them and I can promise you it does f*cking tear you apart watching someone die in front of you but any of the emergency services will see worse on a far more regular basis.

[Kezzieboy]

Just out of curiosity, dum, do you have and references or evidence to back up your arguments? You sound knowledgeable on the subject, but I haven't seen anything that agrees with your knowledge.

I find the general distaste for industrial action in this thread more than a little disturbing, to be honest.

[cpikey316_]

Kezzie, you should try being a teacher on strike, I get all this too.....

[Kezzieboy]

I don't envy you mate, people are so ignorant when it comes to striking.

[lolsteve]

Have to remember that unions are also a business. If they don't seem to be "acting for the members" then people will stop signing up and the unions looses money.
If I was asked to join up to one I'd ask "why?" the response probably being something like "we'll get you more money"

Back in the day they had their place but nowadays with so many laws and companies having Hr departments it seems a bit more redundant.

Or at least thats my understanding of it anyway

[Matt-Rallye]

Sorry i cannot understand striking.. its my understanding that if you become unhappy in your job then you should just man the f*ck up and go get another one. Simples.

[THE_Liam]

I can fully understand strike action if you have a genuine grievance, such as poor or dangerous working conditions, unfair pay, pay cuts, that kind of thing but greed is not a genuine reason.

[Matt-Rallye]

I can fully understand strike action if you have a genuine grievance, such as poor or dangerous working conditions, unfair pay, pay cuts, that kind of thing but greed is not a genuine reason.

If my job became unsuitably dangerous i would merely think 'f*ck working like this. tala' sort another job out and take great pleasure in handing my notice in.

there just isnt a good enough reason to strike ever and its a pretty cuntish thing to do in my opinion.

[lolsteve]

I can fully understand strike action if you have a genuine grievance, such as poor or dangerous working conditions, unfair pay, pay cuts, that kind of thing but greed is not a genuine reason.

dangerous working conditions should be covered by the h&s at work act of 1974 and various other bits. Most employers should be smart enough to realise that they should be providing all they can to ensure a safe work environment as by not doing so can land them up sh** creek 

[Toms306]

I don't envy you mate, people are so ignorant when it comes to striking.

But your point seems to be that everyone should get paid more. Where is that extra money supposed to come from!?

Plus if there's a genuine reason for believing more money is required (pay not increasing with inflation for example) why can't that be dealt with sensibly through talks/meetings rather than inconveniencing other people for a day or two and bullying your way to getting what you want?

[1616six]

I don't envy you mate, people are so ignorant when it comes to striking.

But your point seems to be that everyone should get paid more.  Where is that extra money supposed to come from!?

Plus if there's a genuine reason for believing more money is required (pay not increasing with inflation for example) why can't that be dealt with sensibly through talks/meetings rather than inconveniencing other people for a day or two and bullying your way to getting what you want?

I also thought that Tom, Kezzieboy was oozing Tory for a moment there!

Kezzie I'm very interested to know why you find it disturbing?

What do you do for a living out of interest? 

[Piggy]

Surely tube drivers have less risk than train drivers??

I think thats quite a different role tbh. I wasnt digging at train driving.


But as Matt said, if they don't like it, don't want to do and don't want the responsibility then... don't do it!?


The job is their choice... IE to work alone, to be away from family, to be self disciplined.

It's not that I don't appreciate the work they do, tbh, I appreciate everyone's job... shelf stacker to heart surgeon... we all benefit from someone's job at some point in our lives.
But is there a need to strike because you want more money?
If most of us did that... we would get fired!

Ive been working at the place I do nearly 3 years now... no payrises at all. I'm not bothered though. I deal with it. If I didn't like it, I would need to leave!

[1616six]

I'm not bothered though. I deal with it. If I didn't like it, I would need to leave!

I agree, completely.

So why are we so ignorant to striking/industrial action Kezzie, please do explain. I'm intrigued. You seem to be an encyclopedia of life.

[Dum-Dum]

Just out of curiosity, dum, do you have and references or evidence to back up your arguments? You sound knowledgeable on the subject, but I haven't seen anything that agrees with your knowledge.

I find the general distaste for industrial action in this thread more than a little disturbing, to be honest.

As below then;

remember that this 2% pay rise is on top of their annual pay increment (for those not already at the top of the scale) and their inflation/index linked pay rise. It was in one of the papers


As for the "if it's so easy why don't you become a tube driver?" bollocks it is a hugely over subscribed job and they only recruit internally from people who already work for LU and even becoming station staff for them is a serious job, they get thousands upon thousands of applications. Sadly, because of the money and apparent ease of it, it's a job which attracts people who are just in it for the money. Have applied for this myself and know a couple of tube drivers


As for the danger and responsibility mainline train drivers have far more responsibility however even the worst train crash (since the demise of British Rail) was Ladbrooke Grove where 2 trains collided due to driver error IIRC there were less people dead there than the 7/7 bombings. 31 people died in the ladbrook grove disaster and 56 in the london terror attacks, this is common knowledge also that was a proper train crash with trains that take ages to stop, a tube train can just about stop in the length of a standard platform

I know you say about people stepping off the platforms in front of them and I can promise you it does f*cking tear you apart watching someone die in front of you but any of the emergency services will see worse on a far more regular basis. Personal experience and friends in 4 out of the 5 emergency services

That good enough for "references or evidence" or would you like me to reference everything I have ever posted, do you think I'm a liar?

[Piggy]

just having a "chat" with amazon...

Once again their "guaranteed next day delivery" with prime membership has not delivered next day!

They always apologise and each time they have extended my membership for free by 30days.

BUT while I am appreciative of the guesture... its happened 5 times now in 10 months.

So... its NOT guaranteed is it!? 

[RetroPug]

Just out of curiosity, dum, do you have and references or evidence to back up your arguments? You sound knowledgeable on the subject, but I haven't seen anything that agrees with your knowledge.

I find the general distaste for industrial action in this thread more than a little disturbing, to be honest.

There's industrial action and then there's walking out of work because of new shift patterns when you have a set, low number of hours, earn a starting rate of £26.53 an hour, are getting a small pay rise and are getting a cash bonus for the transitional period. What more can they actually get for simply having to adapt to the company's new services they provide? 

If the company you work for is totally restructuring the service it offers customers and your hours are not increasing plus you'll be better off, but the downside is you'll have to adapt to your new working pattern then that seems pretty fair. What more can an employer reasonably be expected to do when they've got to modernise and update their services? The tube is already very expensive. 

If your new company undergoes major restructuring, and has offered you several incentives to stay under the new system, you either need to be flexible and willing to adapt (and still, in this case, have a great job with short hours and very high pay) or go and find employment elsewhere. Ruining lots of other people's jobs because you hate change is not really fair.

[Poodle]

The root of this problem is staring us all in the face tbf: human life is massively over-valued.

[chylledapps]

Just out of curiosity, dum, do you have and references or evidence to back up your arguments? You sound knowledgeable on the subject, but I haven't seen anything that agrees with your knowledge.

I find the general distaste for industrial action in this thread more than a little disturbing, to be honest.

There's industrial action and then there's walking out of work because of new shift patterns when you have a set, low number of hours, earn a starting rate of £26.53 an hour, are getting a small pay rise and are getting a cash bonus for the transitional period. What more can they actually get for simply having to adapt to the company's new services they provide? 

If the company you work for is totally restructuring the service it offers customers and your hours are not increasing plus you'll be better off, but the downside is you'll have to adapt to your new working pattern then that seems pretty fair. What more can an employer reasonably be expected to do when they've got to modernise and update their services? The tube is already very expensive. 

If your new company undergoes major restructuring, and has offered you several incentives to stay under the new system, you either need to be flexible and willing to adapt (and still, in this case, have a great job with short hours and very high pay) or go and find employment elsewhere. Ruining lots of other people's jobs because you hate change is not really fair.

As Retropug states

[Kezzieboy]

They aren't doing it for more money, they're doing it because the terms of their contracts have changed without consultation. It was voted for by something like 90% of members of the union.

They don't just strike straight off the bat Tom, generally there are rounds of negotiation first. In this case tfl table some stuff and then almost immediately withdrew it, so they didn't have many other options.

The right to withhold work is one which we all have, it shows to those who are making a living out of our work that we are a valuable resource when negotiations fail to do so. That also answers the money question, these companies are generally making enormous profits, and the management are often taking home tens or even hundreds of times what the employees are earning.

I am working for MG on a work placement as an engine calibration engineer at the moment, having worked for them in a CFD role with them for 6 months before that. After this I will be going back to uni to do a masters (which I would never have considered under the new fees...) and then will get a graduate automotive engineering job.

Also dum dum I appreciate that, I was hoping it might be an article or something I could have a read of, though? I'm genuinely always open to having my mind changed if information contrary to that which I have seen is brought to my attention.

[Dum-Dum]

They aren't doing it for more money, they're doing it because the terms of their contracts have changed without consultation. It was voted for by something like 90% of members of the union.

Also dum dum I appreciate that, I was hoping it might be an article or something I could have a read of, though? I'm genuinely always open to having my mind changed if information contrary to that which I have seen is brought to my attention.

"Aren't doing it for the money" LOL I know they are saying they are striking because it's unfair on them that in a city that never sleeps that they have to work night shifts like so many people in London and might have to do as many as seven of them in a year but they are claiming that this unfairness can be fixed by them being paid more money and not just those who will work the nights being paid more money but all ofthem being paid more money as it would be unfair if just those who did the nights got the extra money.

I'm sorry I gain my knowledge from various sources and not just from one article in a lefty liberal newspaper. I'm sure google would help you out.

[Niall]

Sorry but they are doing it for the money.
To a degree, I will support unions. Not so much these days because I see their place in society less and less now days but the RMT are the most poisonous out there. I'm not saying what they do is an easy job but it doesn't justify yet more pay rises. Like most people in here, I'm of the opinion of they don't like it, leave. There's plenty of people out there who will happily fill their shoes.
And FYI Kezzie, technically the tube network is non profit. Everything is ploughed back into redevelopment.

[bigcheez2k3]

I think it's more than 7 nights in one year, I read somewhere it's up to 14 weeks a year.