The grumpy thread

[Tamworthbay]

I tried using jewson near me, both were shut on a Saturday

Homebase seems to be the waitrose of DIY shops with their pricing and haven't got fuck all in stock

There are two B&Qs in ipswich and they are closing the better/bigger/more accessible store over the one that you queue to get into and has a tight approach for anything bigger than a van.

Tradepoint is a pisstake as everything is the same price but the advertised price is not including vat,so it's about the same price as the stock in the aisles.

meont get me started on trade point, how the hell does it stay open? I think I might have saved 50p once.

[Richard]

I had it in my head that Wickes and Focus were the same company and it seems that I was partly right, they were for a while.

[cobblers]

meont get me started on trade point, how the hell does it stay open? I think I might have saved 50p once.

 

Fuck me, they had me once with that tradepoint thing back when I was self employed.

I was in there with my mate picking up some bits cos we were fitting a kitchen for him. We'd got most of the stuff already but had maybe £180 of bits and bobs in a trolley that we needed quick to get the job finished (extractor, ducting, few pipe fittings we'd forgotten, couple of tins of paint, lengths of timber and some screws etc etc).

Anyway we were both dressed in "contractor" type gear so got collared by this woman about signing up for a trade card cos we'd save a load of money.

We were in a rush (hence being at B&Q rather than driving to Toolstation or Screwfix) so we made our excuses, but she persisted and she showed us all these lower prices in the book so we gave it a go. It took her about 45 minutes to get these trade cards sorted out for us. It had become almost farcical as she scurried about trying to find forms and get them setup on the system and then the computer crashed etc etc.

 

Anyway we finally get our cards and walk to the checkout, she runs it all through and on £180 worth of gear we'd saved less than a quid.

 

By this point we were both beyond fuckin fed up so we just looked at each other, left all the stuff piled up on the till, handed the cards back to her and walked out.

 

Then we went to toolstation and caned their free chicken soup.

[Cavcraft]

My view of B&Q is they that they copied what petrol station companies did a few years back with that 'Price Watch' thing: basically undercut the local (mostly smaller) opposition to the point that they closed down, then just hike the prices back up again.

I occasionally visit our local one and their prices are a right rip off. There is a Wicks next door but they're even worse.

[cros]

I was doing a job for my step-son who lives half a mile from the Wickes in Maidstone. I was short of 6 8x4 sheets of foil backed to finish and asked if they could deliver but was told no chance for the next day and no certainty for the day after.

They purported to have 43 sheets in stock so due to being in the Sunbeam I reluctantly booked a man and his van for 9 the next morning. At 8.30 they couldn't find a single sheet in the entire store- computer says they're in stock but can't find them. They must have been damaged! I tried to point out the implausibility of there not being one usuable sheet left but when it finally dawned on me that I'm talking to the hard-of-thinking I persuaded the van man to take me to Jewsons for their slightly more expensive but in-stock alternative. I'll certainly be using Wicked again.

[anonymous user]

I have recently discovered the easiest way to avoid DIY outlets altogether is to get someone else in to do the work.

[dave21478]

I have recently discovered the easiest way to avoid DIY outlets altogether is to get someone else in to do the work.

 

 

The problem there is that I am the poor cunt that people get in to do a job and I have to deal with these shops on a daily basis. I could write a hefty book about the hassles I have had in Le B et Q here, which is the same company as the clowns in UK.

 

There are some days when ramming the LandRover through the doors and killing myself with a circular saw on the customer service desk seems like a reasonable course of action.

[HH-R]

Homebase take the piss with their prices too, the prices of small plumbing bits is astronomical. Depending on what I need I sometimes pay the prices because they're a couple of miles away and Screwfix is a 30 mile round trip so the saving on fuel balances it out a bit.

[Bobthebeard]

Security lights.

When working as an electrician people would ask " while you are here could you replace our security light"

Often on a Saturday or Sunday so used B£Q.

Over half of them either didn't work or failed after two days ish. Customer not happy and guess who had to go back, remove faulty light, go back to the store, complain, get another, fit it etc all at my expense.

[michael1703]

Example: tumble dryer vent kit

 

Screwfix http://www.screwfix.com/p/manrose-tumble-dryer-kit-100mm/11703?cm_sp=Search-_-SearchRec-_-Area1&_requestid=106123#_=p

 

BandQ http://www.diy.com/departments/manrose-grey-tumble-dryer-kit-h140mm/34933_BQ.prd

 

Homebase http://www.homebase.co.uk/en/homebaseuk/tumble-dryer-vent-kit-266068

[tapir]

Example: tumble dryer vent kit

 

Screwfix http://www.screwfix.com/p/manrose-tumble-dryer-kit-100mm/11703?cm_sp=Search-_-SearchRec-_-Area1&_requestid=106123#_=p

 

BandQ http://www.diy.com/departments/manrose-grey-tumble-dryer-kit-h140mm/34933_BQ.prd

 

Homebase http://www.homebase.co.uk/en/homebaseuk/tumble-dryer-vent-kit-266068

Same thing with b&q and Screwfix - exactly the same items much more expensive @b &q

 

Travis Perkins, jewsons, are ok if you get a trade card non credit account (just ask) and you get like 30% off which sounds like a lot but in reality just brings to a reasonable level.

 

Screwfix is owned by kingfisher group who also own b&q

Wickes (or is it TP) owns toolstation

[cros]

Costa flavour french letters, the bean logo appearing in the foam when you take a hearty slash, I'm fed up with these fuckers popping up everywhere you look.

[Rocket88]

Homebase are supposedly in the financial shit without recourse to a paddle.........................

[myglaren]

Homebase are supposedly in the financial shit without recourse to a paddle.........................

Daughter tells me they are being bought by an American company and Argos too probably.

She bought a fridge-freezer from Homebase last week and Argos delivered it.

 

I bought some odds and ends there a few weeks back - they are close to me and I prefer them to B&Q - just as close but not the same direction.

Among the things I wanted were a pair of toilet pan fixing screws.  There was only a kit.  Chucked it in the basket and when I got home looked at the receipt as it was more than expected - nearly £10! (for the screws, plugs and a drill).

[chaseracer]

Daughter tells me they are being bought by an American company...

 

Australian, apparently: Bunnings.

 

Soon, it won't matter where you are in the world - there will be limited availability of the same shit.  Acksherley, I think we might be most of the way there already.

[vulgalour]

Fucked off with both my old cars today.  Princess flat out refuses to run now no matter what is done, by the book or otherwise - and yes I've checked all the usuals - so I can't drive it into the workshop to weld it and I haven't the strength back in my back yet to push it safely either.  Renault has turned out to need the more expensive set of piston rings, which I haven't the money for, and which means more expense on getting the engine sorted.

 

I'm trying to focus on the positive but right now I don't think I'd be that worried if both of them died in a fire.

[Bobthebeard]

Fucked off with both my old cars today.  Princess flat out refuses to run now no matter what is done, by the book or otherwise - and yes I've checked all the usuals - so I can't drive it into the workshop to weld it and I haven't the strength back in my back yet to push it safely either.  Renault has turned out to need the more expensive set of piston rings, which I haven't the money for, and which means more expense on getting the engine sorted.

 

I'm trying to focus on the positive but right now I don't think I'd be that worried if both of them died in a fire.

Walk/hobble away.

Ignore until the sun is shining and try again?

[chaseracer]

I did that with the Dyane.

 

In 2009...

 

[vulgalour]

I've been fighting the Princess' initial MoT failure problems and my own shit luck for two years.  It's wearing a bit thin now.

[cobblers]

I'm an absolute fanny and want to buy a new car, like a brand new one. After looking at a load of 2nd hand ones I realised that it's probably a false economy and as much as it goes against everything I stand for, A new motor on PCP so I can basically have my daily car that works, is all under warranty that I don't have to worry about it at all, or ever have to work on it myself. I can focus my tinkering mojo and money on something interesting then, like perhaps getting my camper back out of the garage.

 

Anyway I went to Fiat and looked round a 500 Abarth, on paper it seemed a good deal - I was happy with it all (£135 a month for a brand new fancy car). It drove NOTHING LIKE our lasses 500 pop, rode quite nice and had just enough go to keep me entertained.

 

I'm not a complete mug so I'm hardly about to just go out to "look at some cars" and sign for a £15k motor without at least going home and checking the whole deal over, but fuck me it was hard work to get back out of that showroom. Salesman seemed to be a genuinely decent bloke but he just started to get more and more desperate to the point where he actually asked me "how long did it take me to put your socks on this morning?"

What a flipping bizarre question. At this point I was getting a bit fed up of his slavor so I did one.

 

I still think I'll get one though.

[Bobthebeard]

I've been fighting the Princess' initial MoT failure problems and my own shit luck for two years. It's wearing a bit thin now.

Another day will be your friend... Today not so much.

[Parky]

I'm an absolute fanny and want to buy a new car, like a brand new one. After looking at a load of 2nd hand ones I realised that it's probably a false economy and as much as it goes against everything I stand for, A new motor on PCP so I can basically have my daily car that works, is all under warranty that I don't have to worry about it at all, or ever have to work on it myself. I can focus my tinkering mojo and money on something interesting then, like perhaps getting my camper back out of the garage.

 

Anyway I went to Fiat and looked round a 500 Abarth, on paper it seemed a good deal - I was happy with it all (£135 a month for a brand new fancy car). It drove NOTHING LIKE our lasses 500 pop, rode quite nice and had just enough go to keep me entertained.

 

I'm not a complete mug so I'm hardly about to just go out to "look at some cars" and sign for a £15k motor without at least going home and checking the whole deal over, but fuck me it was hard work to get back out of that showroom. Salesman seemed to be a genuinely decent bloke but he just started to get more and more desperate to the point where he actually asked me "how long did it take me to put your socks on this morning?"

What a flipping bizarre question. At this point I was getting a bit fed up of his slavor so I did one.

 

I still think I'll get one though.

Mrs P's 500 Twinair lease ends soon so we were at Fiat last week to look at replacements. The salesman tried to convince me our car was worth less than a standard Pop because "nobody wants a Twinair engine"

 

Really? Nobody wants the more economical, faster, cheaper to insure and tax free version when there is a slower, less efficient model available?

 

Did a reasonable deal in the end on a 500x which will become the family car so my 66000 mile Seat Leon might be surplus to requirements. Think I might divide the room by getting a Bini (runs and hides)

[dave21478]

Security lights.

When working as an electrician people would ask " while you are here could you replace our security light"

Often on a Saturday or Sunday so used B£Q.

Over half of them either didn't work or failed after two days ish. Customer not happy and guess who had to go back, remove faulty light, go back to the store, complain, get another, fit it etc all at my expense.

 

 

Hnnnnng,

*left eye starts twitching*

Fucking halogen security lights....whats that all about? I bought the cheapest ones I could find for my own house because I am a dumb tight-arse and they have been perfect for four years and counting, not even a blown bulb. At various clients houses I have fitted everything from the cheapest to the most expensive I could find and few have lasted more than six months and as you say, many are dead out of the box or shit themselves in the first week.

[Landy Mann]

Never ever try and jumpstart, charge or even touch a Renualt Modus!

 

It's a family members that I refuse to do any work whatsever on, but today the battery was flat (Because Renault). So time to open the bonnet, not that hard.

Bonnet opened.

Ahh where's the battery, the book talks about causually removing the circiled cover which is a virtually impossible task, fortunantly you can just get to the +12V stud on the alternator (below the arrow out of shot), good job I've got small hands.

Charger conneted and chargeing!

 

I feel sorry for any breakdown company or garage who have to touch these...

 

 

 

[purplebargeken]

I feel sorry for any breakdown company or garage who have to touch torch these...

[sporty-shite]

he actually asked me "how long did it take me to put your socks on this morning?"

 

What? Was he on drugs or something?

[Bren]

My M-I-L has been admitted to hospital.

 

She was diagnosed with cancer at the end of December, she normally stays with us at Christmas but due to her deteriorating health she never went back home.

 

She eats very little and sleeps most of the time, today she has struggled for breath so I called an ambulance - to be fair they came very quickly.

 

Watching someone you love fade away is utterly pitiful - If I am ever in this situation I will be going to dignitas.

 

On another note, I managed a first - in all my years on tinterweb, I have gotten into an argument - on the SD1 forum.

 

It reminds me of why I am no longer a member of a car club.

[cobblers]

What? Was he on drugs or something?

Yeah, I wasn't sure if it was a slip of the tongue or if he was being obtuse or what really.

[dugong]

I'd type 'twat' but there really isn't enough e-fanny in the world to convey how much of a galloping quim he sounded like.

[FakeConcern]

Some of you may have seen my post last Friday showing my C4 VTS with a huge dent in the side after a Polo slid into it on ice in the work car park. Today I got the news from the (other party's) insurance company that it's beyond economical repair & will be written off. They've offered me £1000 and I have to pay £137 if I want to keep it, leaving me just £863 to get it fixed. I'd already had a quote of between £1000 & £1500 to fix it locally.

I told them it's worth more than £1000 and they told me I'm welcome to do some research. The trouble is it has 178000 miles on the clock, but just had another cambelt & water pump all new suspension and is generally in good order.It also has a panoramic sunroof & full leather. There are none on sale at the moment with those options and none with such high mileage. As I can't find any similar cars for sale, how do I argue up the price?

 

Pic for those who didn't see it before!