The grumpy thread

[myglaren]

9 hours ago, HillmanImp said:

It's like the Mary Celeste in Halfords these days. Even at peak times there's no more than 2 members of staff in the whole store that I've noticed and several confused customers queuing up at an empty till.

I was down there getting some bits and bobs last year and I went to both tills, upstairs and downstairs and couldn't find anyone to pay, not even outside in the WeFit tent so I just walked out. 

 

Went to a car bits place that I haven't been to in 25 years.  The son of the original owner there now.

The place I used to use closed a while back.

A few minutes chat and oil+all filters, £38 - 5w30 fully synth.

Far better than Halfords, the bloke knows what is what and the prices are very reasonable although I would be happy to pay more to keep small businesses going,

[hennabm]

Halfrauds are absolutely useless and have been for a few years now. They are no longer a car spares place - more bike and bling. The kids they employ don't look old enough to drive a car let alone know the innards of one.

I tend to use GSF locally as the team there have a good knowledge of cars and parts and availability is good.

[Split_Pin]

Both the Halfords near me are dead now and deservedly so. Tried to sell me a £20 Bosch rear wiper for the Clio, in reality I wanted neither this nor the £19 Halfords branded item. 

Cleaning materials are expensive, I almost always get mine from ebay or Amazon now.

[Datsuncog]

In fairness, I was working for Halfords twenty years ago and they were no great shakes even then... it's been a slow decline, partly driven by a revolving door of private-equity owners seeking to maximise profit, and partly because about 90% of motorists don't even seem to realise that a car requires oil, filters, brake pads etc, let alone how to go about checking/changing them.

I'd say the proliferation of new cars on PCP, over-complex designs that discourage DIYers, and the availability of cheap older cars that will run for years with zero maintenance have pretty much killed what was once Halfords' raison d'etre.

Rather short-sightedly though, instead of trying to woo those few weirdos like us that do still get our hands oily, they've nuked their once-comprehensive database and now pre-2000 cars like the Mk1 Laguna don't even appear on their stockfiles. I found myself in the disheartening position a year or so back when it became clear that not only did they not have any HT leads available for my Lag, but the staff member didn't even know what I was talking about.

As previously mentioned, I used to be the Parts Desk Manager in my branch, sourcing gaskets, oil pumps, alternators etc - that role just doesn't exist any more (as they source the few bits they do list from ECP). I used to take a fair bit of pride in successfully matching a paint shade for an Austin 1100, an exchange starter motor for a Triumph Spitfire, or finding a sump washer to fit a giffer-tastic Nissan Cherry - it was the odd stuff that used to make my day. 

Many of their prices now are indeed a total piss-take; I still have a Trade Card but would only use it in extremis. Since their core product line these days appears to be expensive polishes, novelty air fresheners and kids' bikes, I don't think they're weeping sore tears for me, though.

Their Advanced range of tools is pretty good, though. I'll give them that.

[Kiltox]

Halfords Advanced tools are the best thing they sell. If someone like Machine Mart sorts their life out and stops charging overinflated prices for crappy tools, they’ll lose their appeal, though. 

(I like the range of products MM stocks but the pricing is ridiculous for a lot of it - the Clarke range is rammed with the same cheap Chinese shite you can buy unbranded on eBay)

[myglaren]

Just done a service, 250 miles early but even that was half the recommended distance.

Bought a new sump plug from eBay.  There was a Citroen dealer a mile away but it has turned into something else now.

Sump plug too small so re=used the old one, it is OK but a bit chewed up from before I bought it.

Went to reset the service interval counter and it won't do it, just eeps showing 250 miles.

And the oil level indicator on the dash isn't showing either, not that I ever bother checking it, uses no oil but I do check the dipstick every couple of weeks, just in case.

Going for MOT work on Monday.  Warped brake disk if nothing else,  Not getting involved with those front brakes, oh no!

[EssDeeWon]

Keyless entry modernz are getting lifted at an alarming rate around here in Essex, already today I have heard of three last night in Rayleigh within a couple of miles from home.  A Discovery, a sporty fiesta and an aldi A thingy.

A grump at manufacturers for not making people aware of this major design flaw when they part with £30k / £40k for said modern blob but also at the suggestions from other owners to wrap keys in tinfoil at night to stop the signal LOL!   I do feel for these people though, not nice having your property stolen regardless of what it is.  I wonder if my insurance will go up despite my car falling well outside this keyless fuckety bodgery?

[Wack]

Arse

Got to WEDNESBURY  in the ducato and a flexi pipe burst on the back brakes , managed to get it stopped ok, AA are trying to find a pipe or I'll be coming back on the recovery truck 

[Wack]

Cant fault the AA , arrived in 30 minutes, split flexi pipe, he spent 20 minutes on the phone finding one, an hour going to get it and an hour fitting it 

Polish AA guy with a degree in engineering with 2 kids at private grammar school who's been here since 2005 but will be leaving for Spain once they've done their A levels , as you can tell we had a very interesting chat 

 

[strangeangel]

 

As once again I am forced to say...

 

Fuck you, Northern.

 

[HillmanImp]

19 hours ago, myglaren said:

Went to a car bits place that I haven't been to in 25 years.  The son of the original owner there now.

The place I used to use closed a while back.

A few minutes chat and oil+all filters, £38 - 5w30 fully synth.

Far better than Halfords, the bloke knows what is what and the prices are very reasonable although I would be happy to pay more to keep small businesses going,

The only time I ever go there is between 2pm on Saturday and 4pm on Sunday when all the motor factors are closed. 

I use B&C in Leeds normally if I can plan what I need and pick it up during the week on my way home from work. 

[Aston Martin]

If Halfords dies then that leaves us with ECP...

[omegod]

On 7/17/2019 at 11:11 AM, stephen01 said:

We were due to have our windows and doors fitted this Friday, spent a fair bit of time getting quotes etc, making sure we have a decent spec on them etc, had a call from the window place this morning and they have gone bump, no great shake to me as I've not paid them any money up front but feel for the people and owners of the place. 

I did ask if they'd had the windows etc made as I would have paid for them and got a local fitter to do the fitting for me.. he's 99% sure they have not been made. 

It's worth going round and having a chat with the receivers pronto, they'll class anything made up as scrap , if they have been made you'll get them for peanuts 

[myglaren]

6 hours ago, EssDeeWon said:

Keyless entry modernz are getting lifted at an alarming rate around here in Essex, already today I have heard of three last night in Rayleigh within a couple of miles from home.  A Discovery, a sporty fiesta and an aldi A thingy.

A grump at manufacturers for not making people aware of this major design flaw when they part with £30k / £40k for said modern blob but also at the suggestions from other owners to wrap keys in tinfoil at night to stop the signal LOL!   I do feel for these people though, not nice having your property stolen regardless of what it is.  I wonder if my insurance will go up despite my car falling well outside this keyless fuckety bodgery?

I bought a couple of Faraday pouches for two of my daughters for their keyless entry cars, only a fiver from eBay.

[Kiltox]

48 minutes ago, Aston Martin said:

If Halfords dies then that leaves us with ECP...

Who Halfords buy their parts from anyway, and are more expensive than for everything else?

[strangeangel]

6 hours ago, EssDeeWon said:

Keyless entry modernz...

 

 

My old SIII Land Rover came equipped with keyless entry. No fecker stole that thing though (more's the pity) ?

[Aston Martin]

9 minutes ago, Kiltox said:

Who Halfords buy their parts from anyway, and are more expensive than for everything else?

Really?

[Kiltox]

4 minutes ago, Aston Martin said:

Really?

The Halfords parts service is them ordering parts from your local ECP on your behalf - they stock very little these days. 

[anonymous user]

24 minutes ago, strangeangel said:

 

My old SIII Land Rover came equipped with keyless entry. No fecker stole that thing though (more's the pity) ?

My Lotus 7 didn't have doors (or a roof) nobody stole that either, even though I usually parked it in a bomb-site car park when I worked in Cheltenham. It had also been rewired badly, so most things worked with the ignition off. After a few times where the battery was flat, due to kids playing in it putting the lights and wipers on I started putting it in the work garage during the day while we had the van out. (That was in 1983 though, doubt it would last five minutes now)

[busmansholiday]

3 hours ago, strangeangel said:

 

As once again I am forced to say...

 

Fuck you, Northern.

 

Ha, ha, it's probably because they have scraped those wonderful* P*cers and forgotten to buy some more clapped out ex West Midlands 150's.

 

[strangeangel]

4 minutes ago, busmansholiday said:

Ha, ha, it's probably because they have scraped those wonderful* P*cers and forgotten to buy some more clapped out ex West Midlands 150's.

 

 

Good call, but today's fiasco (I ended up on a fucking bus and got home three hours after starting my journey) was apparently caused by a 'track inspection'.

 

[Lankytim]

I'm actually returning to Halfords to exchange a couple of broken bits from my Advanced socket set, i;m also hoping to buy approx 10 replacement sockets due to me losing them over the years. The plastic case is borked so I might be cheeky and see of that's covered in their warranty. I'll report back on the results, If I can't find a store assistant within 4 hours I'll try again another day. 

[busmansholiday]

50 minutes ago, strangeangel said:

 

Good call, but today's fiasco (I ended up on a fucking bus and got home three hours after starting my journey) was apparently caused by a 'track inspection'.

 

Ah, the pikies been busy again have they !

[myglaren]

Trying to get in to my Flickr! account.  They seem to think I have changed my email address but don't know what it is.

[barefoot]

Similar problem with Imgur here, that's me finished with cloud hosting then.

[Datsuncog]

I've been locked out of my Flickr account for about 8 years now. It keeps saying it doesn't recognise my email address - but it's the same address they use to spam me about their amazing paid hosting services.

Forget it, I have the images burned to a DVD anyway.

[myglaren]

I had to change it a couple of years ago - I had a pro account bundled with my ISP - BT as they use Yahoo for mail services.

They cut ties with BT and I had to apply my other Yahoo email account to it and they dropped the pro service.

I did log in about six weeks ago with no issues.

Wanted the photo's of my GS.  Have them here somewhere but many drives, dongles and DVDs to plough through to locate.

If at first you don't succeed                                                                                                                                      buggerit!

[Tetleysmooth]

Yet another field of vision test for me to do.

Apparently, the last one wasn't carried out to the DVLA's requirements.

FOR FUCK'S SAKE.

[Lankytim]

Popped back into Halfords this morning to exchange a couple of broken items from my socket set and buy some replacements for sockets lost over the years. Got there at 9.15, two members of staff on site, one changing a bulb outside and the other frantically trying to deal with customers inside. 

I managed to get an exchange universal joint thingy (abused to death) and buy 3 replacement sockets but the poor woman was rushed off her feet, didn't know how to use the system and didn't know what a 13mm double ended ratchet ring spanner was known as on the system, so couldn't order a replacement for my broken one and advised me to come back another day when there was more staff on but didn't know when that would be. I gave up on the 6 or so other replacements I needed for lost sockets, as they were all 1/4 inch and again, she couldn't find them on the system, she also didn't know if replacement cases were included in the warranty. All the time the queue of customers was getting longer and longer and I could feel eyes burning into the back of me.

 

I did like the buzz of shiny new tools going into my elderly socket set though.

 

I'll go back another day.

[Saabnut]

A couple of weeks ago on my way back home, I called in to see a very good friend as he had just been released from Hospital. No one was sure what was wrong apart from Noro Virus and Pneumonia which he was in for. He was very much better and his usual cheery self.

Travelling down to France Weds evening I had a call from my other friend there saying he had been taken back into hospital, but nothing to worry about, and as I was planning on spending 6 weeks in France decided to carry on and planned on visiting him on the way home.

Just had a call from my friend saying the other friend passed away at 0800 this morning. He was 65 years old and previously was the fittest man I knew.

FFS