The Anonymous Widower

A Vending Machine With Healthy Foods

I saw this vending machine at Dalston Junction station today.

A Vending Machine With Healthy Foods

A Vending Machine With Healthy Foods

How refreshing to see foods I can eat on sale on the platform. Note the EatNakd bars. This was just what I needed at Ulm, when I was kept alive by some awful paprika flavoured crisps.

As I haven’t noticed it before, I must assume it has probably just arrived. I couldn’t find the company on the Internet and I’d be interested to know more or hear of other locations.

November 5, 2013 Posted by | Food, Transport/Travel | , | Leave a comment

Tottenham High Road Continues To Rise

After the riots of 2011, this area of Tottenham was in a bad way.

Compare these pictures, with those taken just after the riots, which are shown here.

November 5, 2013 Posted by | World | , , | Leave a comment

A Tidy Site Is A Safer Site

I saw this notice on the fences round a Crossrail site near Liverpool Street station.

A Tidy Site Is A Safer Site

A Tidy Site Is A Safer Site

Agreed.  The most untidy site I have been over was a nuclear power station in the United States.  It was an accident waiting to happen.  But one didn’t, although the station is now closed.

November 5, 2013 Posted by | World | , , | Leave a comment

Islington Gets Another Cafe Without A Gluten-Free Offering

This cafe called Vivo at Islington Green looks very nice, but when I asked if they had anything that was gluten-free, the staff hadn’t a clue.

Islington Gets Another Cafe Without A Gluten-Free Offering

Islington Gets Another Cafe Without A Gluten-Free Offering

They probably thought I was asking for free food.

Just up the road though there is Carluccio’s and when and if it opens, there will be Romeo’s. But one of the troubles is several Euphorium bakeries, which as far as I know don’t do gluten-free food either.  And of course, the company is owned by Tesco, so I would only use it in an emergency.

November 5, 2013 Posted by | Food | , , , | Leave a comment

A Message To All Customers Of Currys/Dixons plc

On the 30th of October, I noticed an entry on my credit card statement labelled PRODUCT SUPPORT AG, with a reference of 0844 800 6080.  I thought at first, it was some sort of charge, I’d encountered on my trips into Europe for something like wi-fi access. But I was still curious, so on searching the Internet, I found this page on a web site called Odd Box. Here’s the first paragraph.

If you have previously purchased a product from PC World or Currys, you may have signed up toPC WORLD/Currys, WHATEVER HAPPENS. The transaction under your credit or debit card as PRODUCT SUPPORT AG. It’s also marketed as Knowhow from Dixons Retail plc, the parent company of PC World, Currys and Dixons. This is an extended warranty offered for TVs, Laptop, PCs, electronics in general or any other item they sale. The warranty usually goes beyond the standard manufacture warranty to fix or replace items that develop a fault.

Now I never purchase extended warranties on anything, as these days electronics goods are either very reliable or die in the first few days.  If it’s the latter, I’m of course protected under my normal retail rights.

I always strongly say I don’t want the extended warranty, so I started to suspect there had been a mistake somewhere.

But on what product and how much had I been charged in error. So to find out these answers, I sent a message to my bank, which is Nationwide.

On my credit card statement, there is an entry that puzzles me. It says Product Support AG and has a reference of 0844 800 6080. On checking the Internet I find it is for something I bought in Dixon/Currys.

I have no idea what it was, as I don’t keep statements. I also always say that I don’t want the insurance or service, so I suspect someone at their end has filled in the computer incorrectly. I never need support for anything in this area, as I once sold a computer company for a nine figure sum, and I was the technical guy behind it. So not only is insurance something I stand myself on anything computing or electrical, but if I don’t know the problem, one of my friends does. So for this reason, I never take the extra insurance. It’s their version of PPI, which I managed to avoid, except in one small case.

So please could you send me details of the transaction, what it was for and how much their practices have cost me? I suspect, it was an error at their end, as I am usually very definite in refusing the support. I shall be posting all of this on my blog and writing to Watchdog and my MP, so your co-operation in this matter is appreciated.

I hoped that this would give an answer to my questions, so I could take the matter further with Dixons.

I didn’t get an answer, I got decisive action.Today, just a couple of working days after my original message to Nationwide, four payments had been refunded to my credit card and it is now obvious from the dates that the product was my Samsung Tab 2.  Something, I no longer use, as everything I did on it, I now do on my Samsung Galaxy Mini phone, which you’ll admit is a little bit smaller to take on my travels.

It’s certainly pats on the back all round for Nationwide.

The money refunded incidentally, pays for a good meal for two. Do I have any takers?  You can have the Samsung Tab 2, if you want it. It’s got a case too!

One point here, is that I would have spotted this mistake earlier, if the information on credit card statements was more detailed.

Does keeping the statement information deliberately vague, mean it is more likely, that customers, will not spot to what they’ve signed up? Next time, I buy something from Currys/PC World, I’ll use several of those credit cards with the Queen’s head on them.

I also notice that with my new television, which was bought from John Lewis, that they threw in an extra warranty for free!

November 5, 2013 Posted by | Computing, Finance | , , | 19 Comments