The grumpy thread

[fordperv]

DPD is the dogs bollocks on parcels, they've got a system you get an email/text the morning of delivery with a one hour window and its usually spot on, the lads are good as gold too.

Yep and Same as our local my Hermes bloke he is a great guy, ive never once had a damaged parcel, always on time, he even knows the good places to leave the parcels at mine if im out, also after him delivering to me a good few times and mentioning how good he was to mrs fps dad, i found out hes a guy he grew up with and he couldnt speak more highly of him

[twosmoke300]

DPD is the dogs bollocks on parcels, they've got a system you get an email/text the morning of delivery with a one hour window and its usually spot on, the lads are good as gold too.

Agree with that ! I've had the same guy deliver ( Slava - local lad obvs) for about 3 years too . Good as gold

[Lankytim]

There's a car outside my house. Went upstairs to get changed after work and I can hear the sounds of a little mini compressor. Decided to pop out and see if they were OK.

Older couple with a proper sulky looking teenager in the car. OSF tyre on their first gen Ka totally flat and there's a big pool of tyre sealant on the floor. Turns out they've had a blowout coming up the road, someone they know has stopped and used the tin of sealant out of his work van and is trying to pump it up - but it's been going a while and it's still pancaked.

 

Put my hand around the back of the tyre to see if I can feel where it's coming out and the entire fucking tyre is like a pincushion. Wires sticking out the whole circumference. No wonder there's no air in it, there's no rubber to hold it in. Checked the other one and sure as shit, they've got a matching pair. God knows how the NSF is holding air, must be through good will alone.

 

So, they live 7-8 miles away. Up until that point I was up for running them home so they could leave the car outside my house and organise recovery/new tyres in the morning. Don't feel so inclined any more if I'm honest - they were on about getting a taxi, I thought I could save them some cash but am I wrong to think that perhaps it's a lesson learned? This isn't an unfortunate puncture, this is an extended period of neglect.

They also asked their mate who stopped to help - he's got a work van with three seats across and outright told them "no".

 

Plus I've got fish fingers in the oven.

 

 

Sounds like the Romanian family that used to live a few doors down (other nationalities are available) They ran a Pug 605 and a circa 1997 Vectra. Both utterly fucked with 4x bald tyres each (among other major faults). The Vectra eventually developed a puncture and they didn't have the tools to jack it up and remove the whee,l so I lent a hand. I undid the bolts and tried to pull the wheel away and shredded the F00K out of my fingers- plies and steel hanging out of the inside shoulder with the rest of the tyre totally bald. They replaced the wheel with one with 1mm of tread and totally the wrong size. I tried to tell them that the POS was totally illegal but they didn't seem bothered and I decided to mind my own business in future. 

[Snipes]

DPD is the dogs bollocks on parcels, they've got a system you get an email/text the morning of delivery with a one hour window and its usually spot on, the lads are good as gold too.

I had a nightmare with them bouncing my parcel between their depots with zero explanation as to what the fook was going on. Sort of thing usually happens whenever I pay extra for faster delivery.

 

Same with DHL now. Paid extra for overnight delivery. Almost two weeks and two missed redeliveries without explanation and I've got no idea what the hell is going on.

[dollywobbler]

I've had pretty good experiences with DPD, though their vans are all utterly, utterly hanging. I had one turn up with the driver's door mirror torn completely off, and another where I'm amazed the side door hadn't simply fallen off. It was having a good go.

[Pillock]

Both DHL and UKMail have nice websites that show you which drop you are, where the driver is on his list etc.

 

However once the drivers start doing their own thing, no website in the world can help.

[Timewaster]

Its been said that some vauxhalls with rear discs can release the handbrake if the brakes are hot when applied so leave in gear. Im sure the ex wifes vectra had something similar in the owners handbook!

My mate had a Vectra hire car which he feared had been stolen from outside his house.

 

He discovered it at the bottom of the hill looking slightly shorter than he remembered.

 

Incidentally I once sold a handbrake ratchet for a Talbot Horizon. In 1989

[wuvvum]

This thread is confusing as fuck since the bad driving thread got merged with it.

[Guest Hooli]

Royal Mail take longer to get a package from Kent to South Yorkshire than the same thing took to get from Japan to Kent ffs. I need that throttle cable as my bike is off the road, at this rate it'll be snowing before it arrives.

[mercrocker]

This thread is confusing as fuck since the bad driving thread got merged with it.

 

Yeah the grumpy stuff moved into lane 2 to let it in and now its sat there level with the back bumper

[andy18s]

Someone tried to undertake me yesterday, a while after the lanes had started to merge, and 50 yards before some red traffic lights. Then got out and kicked my car.

And ?

[Guest Hooli]

If people have room to undertake you, then you're in the wrong lane.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

/me sits back n waits

[anonymous user]

If people have room to undertake you, then you're in the wrong lane.

 

 

Or a Funeral Directors

[Pillock]

This thread is confusing as fuck since the bad driving thread got merged with it.

I did wonder why, after 6000 pages of grump, someone was saying "please don't close this thread".

 

Now I know!

[cobblers]

VW T25 handbrake ratchets do let go from time to time if you leave them in with the engine running. The engine's vibrations make them fly off with a massive bang and the van rolls off.

 

First time was with a mates van, parked on a fairly sloped driveway - I managed to grab hold of the back bumper and stop it rolling fast enough for him to get in and pull the brake back on, it was about 3 feet away from ending up in the kitchen.

 

Second time was with my own van. Driving halfway up my mums (steep!) road I heard the sliding door rattling, like it does when it's not shut right.

I pulled over, handbrake on and got in the back of the van to sort the door out. Just as I slammed the door hard shut, the handbrake flew off. By the time I was in the front seat with the brake on, the van had gone about 30ft down the hill and was gathering a fair lick of speed!

 

From memory I we just recut the teeth with a file and that was that.

[mercrocker]

VW T25 handbrake ratchets do let go from time to time if you leave them in with the engine running. The engine's vibrations make them fly off with a massive bang and the van rolls off.

 

First time was with a mates van, parked on a fairly sloped driveway - I managed to grab hold of the back bumper and stop it rolling fast enough for him to get in and pull the brake back on, it was about 3 feet away from ending up in the kitchen.

 

Second time was with my own van. Driving halfway up my mums (steep!) road I heard the sliding door rattling, like it does when it's not shut right.

I pulled over, handbrake on and got in the back of the van to sort the door out. Just as I slammed the door hard shut, the handbrake flew off. By the time I was in the front seat with the brake on, the van had gone about 30ft down the hill and was gathering a fair lick of speed!

 

From memory I we just recut the teeth with a file and that was that.

 

Thought it was only mine that did that!    So far - no damage....

[dollywobbler]

VW T25 handbrake ratchets do let go from time to time if you leave them in with the engine running. The engine's vibrations make them fly off with a massive bang and the van rolls off.

 

First time was with a mates van, parked on a fairly sloped driveway - I managed to grab hold of the back bumper and stop it rolling fast enough for him to get in and pull the brake back on, it was about 3 feet away from ending up in the kitchen.

 

Second time was with my own van. Driving halfway up my mums (steep!) road I heard the sliding door rattling, like it does when it's not shut right.

I pulled over, handbrake on and got in the back of the van to sort the door out. Just as I slammed the door hard shut, the handbrake flew off. By the time I was in the front seat with the brake on, the van had gone about 30ft down the hill and was gathering a fair lick of speed!

 

From memory I we just recut the teeth with a file and that was that.

 

Further proof that automatic gearboxes are a good idea...

[sheffcortinacentre]

I thought id started a seperate thread re the 4wd Muppet rather than it being in the grump?

[HH-R]

A couple of times after using the button to put the handbrake on, I've nearly shat myself when it has gone BANG and dropped down a few notches - certainly enough to let it roll away on anything but the flat.

 

It gets pulled up with the button as far as it goes, then yanked another click now.

 

Mind, I leave it in gear anyway. Always have, probably always will.

[mercrocker]

I always leave my old stuff in gear rather than risk the handbrake freezing/seizing/locking up.    Mind you I did forget last winter when I tried to spin it over on the solenoid button - whilst stood under the bonnet.....

[Lacquer Peel]

Royal Mail take longer to get a package from Kent to South Yorkshire than the same thing took to get from Japan to Kent ffs. I need that throttle cable as my bike is off the road, at this rate it'll be snowing before it arrives.

The Royal Mail has declined somewhat since it was privatised, it used to be a service you could rely on.

[Vince70]

I worked for the Royal Mail back in 1986 and then it was a job with a contract working around a 40 odd hour week Monday to Saturday (starts were early as I remember signing in at 5.23 in the morning)

I recently did the same job but now it seems you only get taken on as casual staff on zero hour contracts or agency since its been privatised and was offered around 8 hours a week on a Saturday (obviously to cover the Saturday morning hangover)

 

I really don't know how they expect to get or keep staff and imagine as the older staff with contracts retire the job will just be taken over by agency workers it really is a race to the bottom.

 

It was also good back in the day as the company would have canteens in the larger offices so before your second delivery you could get a breakfast before sorting your round and you could have a lovely fry up for a couple of quid now it's no breaks and if your lucky you might have A vending machine in the place with a couple of out of date mars bars.

 

And even worse you get a horrible modern lease van rather than a smokey Sherpa with sliding doors or a Mk3 Escort but I found my Triumph 2000 was just as good for doing the rounds in.

[Guest Hooli]

Royal Mail take longer to get a package from Kent to South Yorkshire than the same thing took to get from Japan to Kent ffs. I need that throttle cable as my bike is off the road, at this rate it'll be snowing before it arrives.

 

Turns out it's not Royal Mail's fault.

 

The company I placed the order with have merged my new account and my old account & sent it to my old address...

[CreepingJesus]

Royal Mail take longer to get a package from Kent to South Yorkshire than the same thing took to get from Japan to Kent ffs. I need that throttle cable as my bike is off the road, at this rate it'll be snowing before it arrives.

Their record for me stood at 25 days from Raleigh NC, to Fife. The (much maligned) USPS got the package from N Carolina to Washington (iirc), onto a plane, and on to Heathrow in 18h. I could've walked from here to W London and back in the remaining 22.5 days...cheers RM.

[andy18s]

There is a cracking internal delivery service called Econt here in sunny BG

They only deliver between their own branches but every decent sized village has a shop

I've just had this plasma cutter and pillar drill delivered from the other side of the country,overnight,for £7

You get a text message to say when your stuff has left,another to tell you it's arrived for you to pick up

And it's cash on delivery.You get the chance to inspect the item before paying, and if it's not as described you send it back

Completely reliable so far too

[Louise2cv]

This bathroom sh*t is still dragging on. We made the mistake of asking the Federation of Master Builders for help. Useless. 

 

We would have gone to court sooner but we can't get anyone to actually send a written quote for putting it right and now even the surveyor is late delivering his report. 

 

Stressed out with it now, its almost a year of water pouring out the side of the bath every time we shower. Mouldy walls and broken fittings. FMB say they can't do owt because that is all "a matter of opinion" and their member say everything is fine. How can photos and videos of water pissing out everywhere and mould patches be a matter of opinion?

 

 

[dollywobbler]

This bathroom sh*t is still dragging on. We made the mistake of asking the Federation of Master Builders for help. Useless. 

 

We would have gone to court sooner but we can't get anyone to actually send a written quote for putting it right and now even the surveyor is late delivering his report. 

 

Stressed out with it now, its almost a year of water pouring out the side of the bath every time we shower. Mouldy walls and broken fittings. FMB say they can't do owt because that is all "a matter of opinion" and their member say everything is fine. How can photos and videos of water pissing out everywhere and mould patches be a matter of opinion?

 

 

 

Downsides of Wales for sure. We've been trying to get a leaky chimney sorted out here for, ooh, about four years now. Got a quote to fix it back in May. Chap finally turned up today. At least he seems good. The mess he's taken down (badly folded and cut leadwork!) is shameful. They've actually been welding lead together to form a proper skirt at the base of the chimney. Glad I got to see it before they fitted it. It was lovely. But finding decent tradesmen is a nightmare, which is probably why our house is so hanging.

[Mr A Lawrence]

Other peoples bodges

 

Changing the flexi pipe on the missus Mgf and there's a strap that goes round the back box that supports the cat/flexi joint, they cost around a tenner or cheaper on fleabay and they rot for fun so being nice and cheap and easy to replace.

 

Some tightwad has took the time to make a patch and neatly weld it onto the broken strap then welded it to the box thus trapping the flexi pipe to the cat!!

 

What should've taken about an hour tops took 2 hours and still isn't finished!!

 

Wankers.

[richardthestag]

Yet to venture on the motorways since getting my license, think I shall wait a bit longer

 

I took #1 son Matt Thestag out on the M4 - M25 and coached him all the way. Not in a backseat driving sort of way but more ..

 

"see that cnut in lane3? they are probably about to sweep across 3 lanes"

"that trucker with funny looking number plates that you are about to overtake? he is LHD and cannot see you"

 

etc etc

[xtriple]

I was once given an old Volvo 340 because the parking pawl had let go and it had ended up doing quite a bit of damage to some other cars/fences/houses. I went and fetched it but only because it was still MOT'd and taxed and it had the number plate DHM 6 (or something like that) which was worth rather a lot. Sold the plate and actually fixed the Ovlov as it was not that badly damaged especially considering how much damage it had done and the parking pawl on that was more like a 50 pence piece than anything else. I think I fixed it with the aid of thick rubber bands...

 

What can I tell you, I was skint and needs must