View Full Version : Gripe of the day - What is yours?
HMRC yet again.
For the last 4 years I've been receiving a small RAF pension but starting in Sept of 2018 I received my US Social Security (pension), there have been 8 payments. If you sum up the two amounts it is less than the UK tax threshold for the tax year 2018/9 but will exceed it for 2019/20.
When you check on the HMRC self assessment site it says if you have foreign income of more than £300 you have to file a Self Assessment tax form. Also on the site it says not all foreign income is treated the same; pensions for example are treated differently but then it doesn't explain why or how they are treated differently.
I phone HMRC (average wait time 4 mins between 8:30 and 9:30 am it says), 22 minutes later I speak to a lady who reads the information that I'd already read, says I have to file because my foreign income is over £300 but can't explain how and why pensions are treated differently. Another 22 mins of my life wasted, although she did register me for Self Assessment without me asking (is that a good thing?).
I had previously written to HMRC about this and it took 8 weeks for them to reply suggesting I phone them.
maviczap
24-05-19, 05:12 PM
After 25 years I'm not worthy of being rewarded for my efforts
Sir Trev
24-05-19, 06:50 PM
After 25 years I'm not worthy of being rewarded for my efforts
You're going to have to expand on that. Some of us had to fire a (rubbish) contractor today, even though I'm also a contractor, so I'm several drinks in already...
garynortheast
24-05-19, 10:03 PM
That is not a promising looking statement Mav. What's happened?
BanannaMan
24-05-19, 11:24 PM
After 25 years I'm not worthy of being rewarded for my efforts
That doesn't sound good.
Thoughts and prayers your way.
After 25 years I'm not worthy of being rewarded for my efforts
Ahh, semantics.
I read the quote as having two possible meanings:
1) I haven't been recognised for the skilled work that I do.
2) I'm an imposter and a fraud but no one has spotted it yet.
The latter is a recognised symptom that many people experience - the fact that they think they are not qualified for the job they are doing. I often felt like that when I was working and the more compliments I received the worse it got.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impostor_syndrome
If you mean the former, I'm sorry. The problem for us Brits is that we don't like to proclaim how good we are (even when it's genuine) because we know we will get torn down by our peers. We hope that our good work will be recognised only to find out someone else has taken the credit.
Hope it works out for you.
SV650rules
25-05-19, 12:43 PM
Ahh, semantics.
I read the quote as having two possible meanings:
1) I haven't been recognised for the skilled work that I do.
2) I'm an imposter and a fraud but no one has spotted it yet.
The latter is a recognised symptom that many people experience - the fact that they think they are not qualified for the job they are doing. I often felt like that when I was working and the more compliments I received the worse it got.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impostor_syndrome
If you mean the former, I'm sorry. The problem for us Brits is that we don't like to proclaim how good we are (even when it's genuine) because we know we will get torn down by our peers. We hope that our good work will be recognised only to find out someone else has taken the credit.
Hope it works out for you.
I rather think it was #1 that mavi meant !
Makes me think of the great reference you can give people, ' I suggest that you do not waste any time in giving this person a job' - take it any way you want
Luckypants
28-05-19, 09:27 AM
After 25 years I'm not worthy of being rewarded for my effortsThis is definitely a 'You OK hun?' post :D
Want to expand on why you're not deemed not worthy?
I hope its a case of the fact they forgot the rolex and its in the post
Car drivers who pay the extra for the 'blind spot assist' in the car, and yet have no idea what it does. I can see its on, the car can see its on but the moron behind the wheel is oblivious to the large red/orange light well within their peripheral vision.
Car drivers who pay the extra for the 'blind spot assist' in the car, and yet have no idea what it does. I can see its on, the car can see its on but the moron behind the wheel is oblivious to the large red/orange light well within their peripheral vision.
It's a target scanner. It lights up when you're in their crosshairs.
timwilky
29-05-19, 01:40 PM
I am expecting a voucher. It is being sent to me by UPS
Delivery - -
-
Current Event In Transit 05/29/2019 10:21 A.M. Herne-Boernig, Germany
Arrival Scan
05/29/2019 12:40 A.M. Stanford Le Hope, United Kingdom Departure Scan
05/28/2019 7:42 P.M. Stanford Le Hope, United Kingdom Arrival Scan
05/28/2019 4:33 P.M. Tamworth, United Kingdom Departure Scan
05/28/2019 4:16 P.M. Tamworth, United Kingdom Arrival Scan
05/28/2019 12:30 A.M. Dublin, Ireland Departure Scan
Past Event Shipped 05/27/2019 5:28 P.M. Dublin, Ireland
Origin Scan
Past Event Label Created 05/27/2019 2:18 P.M. Ireland
Order Processed: Ready for UPS
It has moved to two locations in the UK and now they have sent it to Germany!!
It has moved to two locations in the UK and now they have sent it to Germany!!
that's because they're looking for Notinyorkshire.
punyXpress
29-05-19, 06:30 PM
And : Order Processed: Ready for DOWNS ?
Sir Trev
29-05-19, 08:16 PM
Washed the windows at Trev Towers and of course within 24 hours I have the dirty outline of two wood pigeons on them. Stupid creatures. Can't they see something the size of a house and avoid it?!
Washed the windows at Trev Towers and of course within 24 hours I have the dirty outline of two wood pigeons on them. Stupid creatures. Can't they see something the size of a house and avoid it?!Do you have net curtains? They always seem to hit Windows without them.
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DarrenSV650S
29-05-19, 08:44 PM
I haven't washed my windows since I moved in 3 years ago. Still seem to be functioning fine :p
punyXpress
30-05-19, 10:30 AM
Do you have net curtains? They always seem to hit Windows without them.
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Or is it clear from 'target' window to other side of house?
SV650rules
30-05-19, 07:42 PM
Pigeons main aim in life is to get inside our buildings and cr4p all over the place. I used to work in a production company making car parts and doors were open for forklift truck access, we used to have regular pigeon culls because they roosted in the roof and cr4pped over all the robots and tooling - nothing more than flying rats.....
HMRC - where do I start
Joe P: CAn I enquire where my refund has gone?
Them: Its been paid to your bank account
Joe P: Err no it hasnt appeared
Them: Oh yes it has theres a reference and everything
Jop P: Still nope cant see it
Them: Have you checked ?
Joe P: Still no. Can you tell me which account you have registered?
Them: Err no cant do that. Have you checked your account?
Joe P: Hmm maybe if you tell me which account you have I can check? I cant see the bank details on the online portal. How can I change them?
Them: You have to fill in a form. I can direct you.
Joe P: Could you send the details via email as I haven a pen handy
Them: No cant send emails. You can find the 434 form online
Joe P: Ok
Them: Just google VAT form 434
Joe p: Cheers . Can I change the address on file?
Them Yes you can but you need to fill a form
Joe P: Whats plastic and goes click?
Them: Huh?
** the last part was artisic license but you get my frustration after waiting for 20mins on hold
HMRC - where do I start
I feel your pain. Why they don't accept emails yet will accept snail mail (and then apologise for the delay) is a mystery unless it's for security.
I tried to give them money for missed NI contributions, it took 3 phone calls to discover I needed a specific form because I'd been out the country. It took them 12 weeks to respond and ask for more information. This particular department couldn't be contacted by any other method other than the form (NI 38 ). Their reply letter asked for more information and chastised me for not leaving a phone number which was actually on the cover letter I sent. It was going to take another 12 weeks for a new reply so I gave up.
They need more staff...oh, wait...the austerity fetish.
Top dressing (road resurfacing) has just started here. 20 mph speed limits, dust clouds and the sounds of ping, ping, ping as the chips fly everywhere.
Summer's here.
Adam Ef
31-05-19, 12:20 PM
HMRC - where do I start
Joe P: CAn I enquire where my refund has gone?
Them: Its been paid to your bank account
Joe P: Err no it hasnt appeared
Them: Oh yes it has theres a reference and everything
I've had the same with eBay and Paypal this morning. Both swear that I have the money back from a wrongly sold part I ordered over a month ago.
Both gave me reference numbers to prove it. But it definately hasn't appeared. They now say it's down to my bank to trace it. All this because someone listed a part for and SV650 that was for a SV1000. They've now edited the listing too to say SV1000, so it looks like I bought it listed as SV1000 in my history. Although my purchase email at the time says 650, so they accepted my refund eventually. Only it hasn't appeared, despite it being refunded on May 14th. Going round in circles and wasting lots of time on the phone talking to automated lines giving every option under the sun for half an hour each time before they allow you an option to actually talk to somone. AAAaaarrrggh!!!!
Adam Ef
31-05-19, 12:22 PM
Top dressing (road resurfacing) has just started here. 20 mph speed limits, dust clouds and the sounds of ping, ping, ping as the chips fly everywhere.
Summer's here.
We still have the gravel piled in the middle of all junctions round here from the last two years of loose dressings. No doubt they'll add to it again this year.
I hate gravel. I came off on Saturday because of gravel at a junction. Fortunately, it was at less than walking pace but it still hurts when a 200kg bike lands on your leg.
maviczap
31-05-19, 08:44 PM
HMRC - where do I start
Joe P: CAn I enquire where my refund has gone?
Them: Its been paid to your bank account
Joe P: Err no it hasnt appeared
Them: Oh yes it has theres a reference and everything
Jop P: Still nope cant see it
Them: Have you checked ?
Joe P: Still no. Can you tell me which account you have registered?
Them: Err no cant do that. Have you checked your account?
Joe P: Hmm maybe if you tell me which account you have I can check? I cant see the bank details on the online portal. How can I change them?
Them: You have to fill in a form. I can direct you.
Joe P: Could you send the details via email as I haven a pen handy
Them: No cant send emails. You can find the 434 form online
Joe P: Ok
Them: Just google VAT form 434
Joe p: Cheers . Can I change the address on file?
Them Yes you can but you need to fill a form
Joe P: Whats plastic and goes click?
Them: Huh?
** the last part was artisic license but you get my frustration after waiting for 20mins on hold
You have my sympathy, but this is the reality of centralising government departments core businesses, from local offices. You now have to deal with low paid call centre staff who are just reading from a script or following a procedure set out by people who don't have your kind of problems.
Pre centralisation you could have gone to a local office, and spoken to a human being face to face.
You have my sympathy, but this is the reality of centralising government departments core businesses, from local offices. You now have to deal with low paid call centre staff who are just reading from a script or following a procedure set out by people who don't have your kind of problems.
Ah yes. The good old “Centre of Excellence” :(
Digging out broken fence posts. One down two to go.
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garynortheast
03-06-19, 05:18 PM
You have my sympathy on that one John. Been there!
Littlepeahead
03-06-19, 09:08 PM
Spent an hour washing all the bird poop off my car on Saturday.
Went for a walk at a country park yesterday and every bird within a ten mile radius must have decided to neck a gallon of prune and mushy pea juice then empty their bowels over my previously clean car.
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Off to the tyre shop today. Got a puncture on day one of my bike trip. I can't find the cause or the hole so couldn't plug it. Finilec solved the problem.
Now home and conducted a thorough look with wheel off, still no clue. Valve maybe?
Anyhow I'm a cat's whisker off the wear indicator so replacement makes more sense.
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SV650rules
04-06-19, 09:47 AM
Went for a walk at a country park yesterday and every bird within a ten mile radius must have decided to neck a gallon of prune and mushy pea juice then empty their bowels over my previously clean car.
Just wait until the blackberries and elderberries are ripe :)
Chris_SVS
04-06-19, 09:52 AM
Back to the gym today after a month away due to minor resolved niggle. GOTD is how incapable of movement I'll be tomorrow :hackedoff:
SV650rules
04-06-19, 05:36 PM
Grounded with Gout for last 3 days - still not out of it, seems all the things you like are bad for you. Bacon, Beer ( in fact any alcohol), Ham, Beef, lamb ( any red meat really) most shellfish and all the tasty fish ( Mackerel, sardines, salmon ) and anything with sugar, including most fruit.... even some vegetables have 'purines' ( the bad things ) in them.
Oh well, drink another litre of water and tuck into boiled chicken again :(
HMRC. I thought the IRS in the US was bad but HMRC seem worse.
I asked HMRC a question whether I needed to sign up for tax self assessment. The lady I spoke to didn't know the answer, read off to me what was on the website which I'd already read and, without me asking, signed me up for self assessment.
I get a UTR (unique tax payer ref) in the mail, 2 days later I get a letter reminding me to complete my self assessment (for 2018/19) and I should do it on line. I already have a Gov gateway number and password so I log in and select self assessment. Have I enrolled for SA? (it asked), I try "yes" but it requires me to log in with my self assessment password. (I don't have one), so I say "no" and it tells me it will mail a code for me in 10 days. What was wrong with the Gov gateway code? Why can I enter my details on line but can't get a code sent electronically, especially since they just sent a code to my phone to allow me into the Gov gateway?
This is like the movie "Brazil".
Seeker..
do you have a UK national insurance number?
if the answer is yes then you are entitled to state pension if you live in this country at retirement age.
are you self employed?
if the answer is no then why are you signing up for self assessment?
i dont know if you still can but at one time you could walk into your local tax office and get an interview.
Seeker..
do you have a UK national insurance number?
if the answer is yes then you are entitled to state pension if you live in this country at retirement age.
are you self employed?
if the answer is no then why are you signing up for self assessment?
i dont know if you still can but at one time you could walk into your local tax office and get an interview.
You have to sign up for self assessment if you receive more than £300 of foreign income and my pension comes from the US and is just sitting below the tax threshold (it only started late last year). There are, according to the gov website, different rules for foreign income versus foreign pensions. The website doesn't explain the difference and the lady I spoke to in HMRC didn't know either but she signed me up for SA. Apparently, signing up and enrolling are not the same thing which is why I was thwarted yesterday when attempting to reach the SA forms.
The US pension can be claimed, at a reduced rate, from the age of 62 which is what I did. I do have a NI number and I am entitled to a partial UK pension from the age of 66 (I don't have full NI contributions and attempting to pay catch up contributions was another HMRC can of worms which I eventually abandoned after 6 months of trying, this was explained in my HMRC gripe last year!). I am sure that HMRC employees are not incompetent but the difficulty of speaking to someone quickly (I think that waiting in excess of 22 minutes is too long), the fact that they don't have an email connection (viruses perhaps?) makes dealing with them frustrating. In the case of catch up contributions, I wasn't allowed to speak to anyone in that department (since I'd been out of the country, if I'd missed them when I was in the UK it would have been different). After months, they sent a letter asking for more info and informing me that if I'd supplied a phone number they could have called me (my phone number was on a cover letter).
There is, apparently, a tax office in Grimsby but when you look it up it says:
"Please do not write to or visit this office". They do have a phone number maybe I'll give them a call, although (in theory) the code allowing me to access the SA forms should be now snail-mailing its way towards me. I did notice that the reviews for the Gy tax office were from 2 years ago. (edit: it closed 2 years ago)
the other thing you can do is make an appointment for the citizens advice (https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/) and they will tell you exactly what you need to do and how to do it.
Littlepeahead
06-06-19, 09:53 PM
I feel morbidly obese. See smile of the day thread for explanation.
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maviczap
07-06-19, 10:41 AM
Flickr
They were messing about with it the other week. Today I've gone to my camera roll, only to find its now the same as my photo stream!
What used to be a great photo hosting site is a pile of poo
Flickr
They were messing about with it the other week. Today I've gone to my camera roll, only to find its now the same as my photo stream!
What used to be a great photo hosting site is a pile of pooYes I've noticed that too. Annoying.
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maviczap
07-06-19, 07:54 PM
Yes I've noticed that too. Annoying.
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Seems they've temporarily retired it for a while, but with no date for it to return?
What's puzzling me, is where my uploaded photos go, because the one I uploaded today didn't appear in my photostream.
BanannaMan
08-06-19, 11:43 AM
Flickr
They were messing about with it the other week. Today I've gone to my camera roll, only to find its now the same as my photo stream!
What used to be a great photo hosting site is a pile of poo
Flickr....
Just wish I could get photos from my phone to here without having to use a laptop. :rolleyes:
Flickr....
Just wish I could get photos from my phone to here without having to use a laptop. :rolleyes:I tend to use the laptop for uploads but you can do it from the Flickr app too.
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Adam Ef
10-06-19, 08:59 PM
Started off the day today witnessing two people, both with large knives, trying to stab each other on my cycle in to work in Bristol. There was a small child in a pushchair in the middle of it all with the mum, who I assumed was partner of one of them. The guy who I assume was the dad then got knocked to the floor and was jumped on, kicked in the head ribs and back repeatedly. The two guys then got up, hugged and cried then proceeded to beat the crap out of each other again. A knife was thrown into the grass and then the mum walked over, picked it up and threw it on top of the pushchair and left very quickly with the guy who had taken the main beating.
I really didn't know what to do. I just kept me distance and made sure the main attacker with a knife in his hand knew there was a witness. The other guy thanked me for hanging around when I cycle past him again down the road. In all truth it wasn't a concious decision though. He also said he didn't want any Police involved.
Felt sick at work for a long time afterwards.
I can't imagine what sort of world that small child is living in. Very sad.
Luckypants
11-06-19, 06:52 AM
Whether the guy wants the Police involved or not, you should report this, if only for the sake of the child. Police will inform Social Services.
You say you can only imagine what world the small child lives in, this is an opportunity to maybe change that for the better.
shiftin_gear98
11-06-19, 08:14 AM
Turned key this morning, all normal. Press starter button - Nothing.
I guess it didn't like the soaking it got yesterday. Looks like I'll be swearing at some wiring tonight.
Whilst contemplating buying a Street Triple.
And I had to come to work in the cage. Grrrr.
Adam Ef
11-06-19, 07:03 PM
Whether the guy wants the Police involved or not, you should report this, if only for the sake of the child. Police will inform Social Services.
You say you can only imagine what world the small child lives in, this is an opportunity to maybe change that for the better.
I thought about that, but I'm not sure how the Police could ever find out who it was? They all left pretty quickly when it was over. I have no idea who they are. I'm sure I could spend a few hours with the Police giving a statement but doubt anything would come of it. Without any lead of who they were I doubt they'd want to even start the paperwork.
SV650rules
11-06-19, 08:18 PM
I thought about that, but I'm not sure how the Police could ever find out who it was? They all left pretty quickly when it was over. I have no idea who they are. I'm sure I could spend a few hours with the Police giving a statement but doubt anything would come of it. Without any lead of who they were I doubt they'd want to even start the paperwork.
They are bound to have been recorded on CCTV, there are so many cameras around in urban areas.
Adam Ef
11-06-19, 08:22 PM
They are bound to have been recorded on CCTV, there are so many cameras around in urban areas.
There's nothing on the cycle track. It's an old Railway line. Notorious for problems as it's quite secluded and gangs prey on lone commuters etc there.
garynortheast
12-06-19, 11:35 AM
Just hit state pension age today but no pension apparently until next March. B@5tards.
Just hit state pension age today but no pension apparently until next March. B@5tards.Any reason why? Happy birthday anyway.
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garynortheast
12-06-19, 12:12 PM
Any reason why? Happy birthday anyway.
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No, the gov.uk pensions website just says that's when it starts. I'm going to phone them now.
garynortheast
12-06-19, 12:35 PM
Feck me, they're a cheerful mine of information aren't they? "Nobody gets their pension on their 65th birthday any more". No explanation as to why. Sigh....
They must have changed the rules fairly recently. I retired 5 years ago and worked 6 months after I was 65. When I claimed, my first payment included all the months from my 65th birthday.
timwilky
12-06-19, 12:58 PM
Rain dripping in my bedroom.
Roof is only 5 years old.
Lifted tiles in the area to discover the fool who fitted the new roof put his foot through the membrane!
4ft of new membrane fitted. so hopefully fixed.
looks like source is the flashing on the velux. But that is a job for a dry day.
Feck me, they're a cheerful mine of information aren't they? "Nobody gets their pension on their 65th birthday any more". No explanation as to why. Sigh....Are you sure you're due to get it at 65? I was born in 1957 and was told a couple of years ago that I won't get state pension until I'm 66.
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timwilky
12-06-19, 02:30 PM
Although it a a few years off. I get mine at 66 and 3 months. But my work pensions kick in at 65.
garynortheast
12-06-19, 05:27 PM
Are you sure you're due to get it at 65? I was born in 1957 and was told a couple of years ago that I won't get state pension until I'm 66.
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Yep, my "state pension age" is apparently 65yrs 8mths and 23 days. I did the full check on the gov.uk/pensions site. Logged in with my id, put my NI number in, and it gave me due date, weekly amount, and a full NI contributions history from when I first started payments. :(
Yep, my "state pension age" is apparently 65yrs 8mths and 23 days. I did the full check on the gov.uk/pensions site. Logged in with my id, put my NI number in, and it gave me due date, weekly amount, and a full NI contributions history from when I first started payments. :(They go down to months and days! That's pathetic.
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garynortheast
12-06-19, 05:38 PM
They go down to months and days! That's pathetic.
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I'm sure if I dug deep enough I'd be down to hours and minutes!:(
HMRC (part 3). The website says any foreign income over £300 requires a Self Assessment to be filed. I called HMRC and said income was from US social security, lady didn't know if that foreign income included social security or whether it was exempt. I told her that I would be under the tax threshold but she enrolled me for SA anyway (unasked).
I get a letter with a UTR (unique taxpayer ref) followed by a hostile reminder 2 days later to fill out my SA.
I attempt to fill out SA but having a dot gov Gateway password and having being enrolled in SA isn't sufficient you have to request a 12 digit activation code.
I get the code and fill out the SA which asks many questions that left me baffled (google helped). Vague threats from the website didn't help. The last thing the SA website does is calculate how much tax you owe and the answer was £0 because I was under the tax threshold.
I would have thought that the lady I spoke to at HMRC should have known that.
What a waste of time.
SV650rules
13-06-19, 06:21 PM
The stupidity of the employees is in inverse proportion to the amount of computers an establishment has.. but then again that is why the computers are there to de-skill the jobs, and sometimes the computers don't help.
My wife was practice manager for a medical practice in Australia and someone sold the bosses a singing dancing computer system. Problem was when you were on the phone flicking back and forth between screens took time, ( and when computers crashed it was hopeless), and patients would dither around between dates, in the end they went back to a calendar an appointment book and a pencil with an eraser on the end. When and if the patient turned up for appointment the staff would then use the computer system to log details for record keeping and other purposes.
State Pensions.. whats all this talk of such things... there wont be any in 10 years.
Central heating boiler stopped working yesterday so I called in a heating engineer who has condemned it and shut off the gas supply. Due to corrosion, it has been leaking Co1 into the house, specifically into the roof space above my bedroom.
I'm looking at £2000 - £3000 for a new system including labour.
maviczap
14-06-19, 03:13 PM
Central heating boiler stopped working yesterday so I called in a heating engineer who has condemned it and shut off the gas supply. Due to corrosion, it has been leaking Co1 into the house, specifically into the roof space above my bedroom.
I'm looking at £2000 - £3000 for a new system including labour.
£3000 is cheaper than not having hot running water, or worse being dead because of CO1 poisoning :confused:
SV650rules
14-06-19, 03:40 PM
Central heating boiler stopped working yesterday so I called in a heating engineer who has condemned it and shut off the gas supply. Due to corrosion, it has been leaking Co1 into the house, specifically into the roof space above my bedroom.
I'm looking at £2000 - £3000 for a new system including labour.
Is it a system boiler or Combi ?
You can get a new top of the range Worcester Bosh or Vaillant boiler retail for Just over a grand ( and fitters get trade rates or at least 40% discount ) and they normally fit pretty much straight in where the old one was ( new ones probably smaller package ) - heating engineers really take the p155 with prices, works out at about £200 and hour +.
If you go on heating engineer forums they are a real bolshie lot, apparently people who are not members of their club should be hung drawn and quartered for even fitting a new room thermostat or replacing a blown fuse in supply to boiler, and they always insist a power flush is needed even if the water in your system has had regular doses of Fernox, then when the powerflush damages your system they charge you to fix it.
daktulos
14-06-19, 04:59 PM
I had to replace mine recently - it was a Combi which makes things simpler, but I ended up getting it through https://www.boxt.co.uk as it was an emergency. Delivered next morning direct from Worcester Bosch along with an engineer to install it. They give you a guaranteed price (I think) through the website.
The engineer wasn't the best, and I'm sure I would have had a better experience from a good local installer, but for speed and for a fixed cost, it worked for me. They'll also put it on the never-never for you.
We will be going for a Viessman boiler, not combi which is considered to be slightly better than a Worcester for around the same price (should be around £1000). To which must be added 2 days labour for fitting and a power flush of 15 radiators. The system probably needs a flush as it is 16 years since it was installed. No point in connecting a brand new boiler to a system that has never been flushed.
yokohama
14-06-19, 06:41 PM
Can recommend Veissman. We had one installed 10 years ago and it's not missed a beat yet
Sir Trev
15-06-19, 03:26 PM
If you go on heating engineer forums they are a real bolshie lot, apparently people who are not members of their club should be hung drawn and quartered for even fitting a new room thermostat or replacing a blown fuse in supply to boiler, and they always insist a power flush is needed even if the water in your system has had regular doses of Fernox, then when the powerflush damages your system they charge you to fix it.
Sat outside the courtyard cafe of the V&A today and the yobbish looking hulk sat behind me with a frightened waif of a wife/girlfriend was on his phone effing and blinding about how he was going to reuse most of the parts from the failed boiler he was begrudgingly fitting that afternoon for "some old bloke" who was going to be paying top whack as it was the weekend and for all of the parts even if they were salvaged.... Not a great advertisement for the profession.
Adam Ef
15-06-19, 07:03 PM
Being messed around selling my SV... I hate selling bikes / cars. Now being sent adverts for other bikes by the guy who said he wanted it. Trying to knock me down on price by showing me bikes selling for more than mine, but they're covered in stickers and have a couple of bling cosmetic mods, but zero servicing or actual performance upgrades like decent suspension etc.. but he can't understand that.
Plus it's making me look like I'm a pain to the seller of the bike I'm buying who's having to wait around for me.
Tell the guy to go do one.
Adam Ef
15-06-19, 07:39 PM
I would if that wouldn't be totally let down the guy that I'm buying the new bike from, who has now been waiting a week for me.
I'm not knocking him down or sending him pics of bikes with cracked fairings telling them they're better than his. I'm just being a decent honest buyer... but looking like an idiot every time he messages me to see when I can buy it.
My buyer is now saying he likes all the stickers on the other bike he's looking at . The advert for it even says the stickers are there to cover up cosmetic damage!!
Chris_SVS
15-06-19, 07:44 PM
Some people just stupid beyond help..
DarrenSV650S
15-06-19, 08:03 PM
Tell him you've got someone else interested in it
Adam Ef
15-06-19, 10:37 PM
I have! A really good trade in offer.. against the same bike that I want. But the private seller one I'd prefer just because of the slightly different accessories it already has on it. The dealer one is good too though. there's not much in it. Definitely not enough to warrant hours of messages and messing around. I was about to call it all off. But appears he's coming over tomorrow. Should be fun!?
Adam Ef
15-06-19, 10:46 PM
Some people just stupid beyond help..
So true in this case.
I'm having to spell out to him how much more important the upgraded springs, emultors and oil are in the forks on mine, compared to the small numberplate he likes on the other bike. Why he wants braided lines and fresh oil in recently totally overhauled calipers with new sintered pads fitted instead of the cool looking tank pads on the other one. etc etc...
Obviously it's the universe telling you that you need two bikes. Flippancy aside, I hope it works out.
A friend is suffering from dizziness and has been temporarily forbidden to drive, he's 87 and rides an outfit - a Kawasaki ZRX plus chair. The problem is that he gets bored at home and so far he's bought a Vincent Comet (he's already in the Vincent Owners Club but sold his Black Lightning/Shadow hybrid early this year), a Honda CB200 which he can't ride and he's now looking at a Suzuki GS1100G (shaft drive) with the idea of adding a sidecar to it.
He says he needs to get back riding before he runs out of money.
Chris_SVS
16-06-19, 12:27 PM
My Youview box ****ting the bed just as Jorge Lorenzo wiped out half the GP field
Adam Ef
16-06-19, 04:00 PM
So true in this case.
I'm having to spell out to him how much more important the upgraded springs, emultors and oil are in the forks on mine, compared to the small numberplate he likes on the other bike. Why he wants braided lines and fresh oil in recently totally overhauled calipers with new sintered pads fitted instead of the cool looking tank pads on the other one. etc etc...
All went well in the end. The guy was just a bit young and clueless, but brought a knowledeable friend along. Bit of a language barrier but we got there. They tried to knock me down again... I just said no as I won't be able to get another bike, so I'd be stupid to. They'd travelled and hour and half to view it, so if they refused to pay they would have lost out.
It's gone. Felt very sad to hear if roar away. I couldn't bring myself to watch it. It's been a great bike. I think I'll have another again some time. Probably a naked version as a fixer upper project in the future.
garynortheast
17-06-19, 03:58 PM
Rain, rain, go away,
Come again another day....
...but not the 28/29/30 June!
Chris_SVS
17-06-19, 05:00 PM
Rain, rain, go away,
Come again another day....
...but not the 28/29/30 June!
:notworthy::notworthy:
timwilky
18-06-19, 04:33 PM
:notworthy::notworthy:
Glasto?
Just helped the daughter put up the tent to check it has survived its last outing. It has.
Chris_SVS
18-06-19, 05:45 PM
Glasto?
Just helped the daughter put up the tent to check it has survived its last outing. It has.
Better than Glasto, the Border Patrol Weekender :p Although mine starts on 27th and finished 2nd :D
Adam Ef
19-06-19, 10:43 AM
The inevitable insurance changeover costs! To swap from my SV to the Tracer = £81 for the 70 days remaining on the policy. If I cancel I get £24 back, but pay £50 cancellation fee... and then have to go buy another policy, losing the best part of a years no claims in the process.
I was tempted to let it run and just start a new policy, but would prefer not to afford the whole price of a new policy so I actually have some money left in the bank for fuel, especially for the BWP away.
Oh well, I saw it coming. Would have been slightly less painful if I hadn't just been honest and recently declared my higher than expected mileage on the SV for the cost of an admin fee + more, which is now gone, so no way they could check it.
garynortheast
19-06-19, 10:59 AM
I know how it feels I think. Outrageous insurance company admin charges on top of juggling a finite money supply. :-(
BoltonSte
19-06-19, 11:14 AM
Loosing my US10 last night on the way home, with my observer stuff and pair of Kenwood intercoms inside.
Back again (went back last night) to take another look after work. McD's were very helpful though in checking their CCTV and confirmed it didn't come off in their car park...only 25 miles of road to check.
I was tempted to let it run and just start a new policy
I get the temptation to do that, especially when it costs to cancel or kills off a years no claims, but you did the right thing by cancelling.
If the new owner doesn’t arrange cover, your insurer could be forced to pay a claim as the closest insurer. Your insurer could then potentially seek to recover their costs from you personally.
I’ve never heard of it actually being done in your circumstances but the possibility is there.
yokohama
19-06-19, 06:05 PM
Hastings were (unexpectedly I must admit) great with me when I switched from my SV to the XSR. They compared costs of cancelling the policy and starting a new one against amending my existing policy. First option worked out cheaper so they cancelled the policy, credited the outstanding to the new policy and waived any fees as I was renewing with them. All i lost was 3 months no claims
I get the temptation to do that, especially when it costs to cancel or kills off a years no claims, but you did the right thing by cancelling.
If the new owner doesn’t arrange cover, your insurer could be forced to pay a claim as the closest insurer. Your insurer could then potentially seek to recover their costs from you personally.
I’ve never heard of it actually being done in your circumstances but the possibility is there.
It has happened before;
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/scots-biker-insurance-hell-after-4141840
Adam Ef
19-06-19, 06:26 PM
Hastings were (unexpectedly I must admit) great with me when I switched from my SV to the XSR. They compared costs of cancelling the policy and starting a new one against amending my existing policy. First option worked out cheaper so they cancelled the policy, credited the outstanding to the new policy and waived any fees as I was renewing with them. All i lost was 3 months no claims
I was hoping of an offer of something like that from Bennetts. But they didn't seem to want to help. All done by the computer.
Adam Ef
19-06-19, 06:29 PM
It has happened before;
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/scots-biker-insurance-hell-after-4141840
That's horrific. The whole situation and the circumstances that led to it too.
That's horrific. The whole situation and the circumstances that led to it too.
It would have been a worry but I suspect it was probably OK in the end. It was a genuine case by the sounds of it (although that article is full of errors). I can’t see an insurer pursuing it even if they couldn’t get themselves off the hook.
Not cancelling can be a pain to a claims handler. I had to handle claims where I needed to chase a third party for costs only to find two valid policies. Hours on the phone listening to the Four Seasons.
maviczap
21-06-19, 02:52 PM
Sometimes I wish I wasn't so dedicated to my work, let the others do their fair share for a change
Sir Trev
21-06-19, 06:21 PM
Sometimes I wish I wasn't so dedicated to my work, let the others do their fair share for a change
Know the feeling Mav. There are several other contractors at my current client and most of them do the bare minimum and expect to be guided all the time. Not what contractors are meant to do! When one left last week and I inherited parts of his job the first thing I did was scrap all his files and semi-automate it all, sending a note to the client asking if the enclosed simplified report layout with straight forward/obvious labelling and improved commentary would be acceptable to them a day earlier at month end. The happy answer was not surprising. He should ave done that six months ago instead of blindly following the half finished rubbish he was given on day 1 and bleating about it every month...
timwilky
24-06-19, 07:41 AM
:notworthy::notworthy:
Hastings were (unexpectedly I must admit) great with me when I switched from my SV to the XSR. They compared costs of cancelling the policy and starting a new one against amending my existing policy. First option worked out cheaper so they cancelled the policy, credited the outstanding to the new policy and waived any fees as I was renewing with them. All i lost was 3 months no claims
A cautionary tale re Hastings. They were only £2 more expensive than my best quote, so I did not cancel the auto renew as not worth the effort of setting up a new policy.
Step forward 3 months and I get a letter from the DVLA telling me it is an offence to have an uninsured vehicle. What ... it auto renewed. Off for an online check with the AskMID and I show up uninsured. So start going through my email and cannot find the renewal confirmation so phone Hastings.
Strange Mr Wilkinson, we confirm that you did not cancel, but for some reason we did not renew the policy, would you like to do it now? BTW it is £15 cheaper than we quoted. Of course do it.
I then asked what would have happened if I had had a claim, "We would have honored it as it was our fault", like hell I thought. Like they would have told the coppers should I have flagged an ANPR. Of course it is the policy holder responsibility to check. But when you know it should automatically happen, you get complacent. I now check all renews.
BanannaMan
25-06-19, 01:37 AM
Got an abscessed tooth.
Been a bit sore today but didn't think much of it, just looked in the mirror and the whole side of my face is swollen.
I look deformed. LOL
Guess I'll be trying to get in to see the dentist in the morning.
Not my favorite thing. :(
garynortheast
25-06-19, 07:03 AM
Got an abscessed tooth.
Been a bit sore today but didn't think much of it, just looked in the mirror and the whole side of my face is swollen.
I look deformed. LOL
Guess I'll be trying to get in to see the dentist in the morning.
Not my favorite thing. :(
That sounds nasty Bill. Hope the dentist sorts it quickly for you. Course of antibiotics coming up I guess.
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