Shelf supports

[dave2010]

Not in a good mood today! First had a complete waste of time with British Gas trying to rearrange a service appointment. The lead time is over 8 weeks I think - but I've already been through that once. This firm really needs a kick up the bum. I shall write to the MD.

Next, trying to find replacement shelf supports for some IKEA furniture - BILLY I think. We have loads of the old design with the metal pins - those are really easy, and no problem. Then IKEA in its "infinite wisdom" decided to change the shelf design, so instead of flat shelves with a small indent which the metal pin goes under, there's a circular hole and a plastic peg fits in that.

Can I find a replacement for that? Maybe - but all web searches so far failed. Totally useless. It's anoying as we have a couple of these units, and with some shelves of the newer variety, and I'd like to put the shelves back in. I suspect that the matching pin thingies got lost in a recent move.

Maybe I'll just have to wait until I spot some shelves of the older variety just before they get thrown into the dump!

This country is really going to the dogs!

I am turning into Victor Meldrew!

[nonuffin]

Turning?

[dave2010]

Turning?

Maybe - or maybe I am already. Doesn't alter the issues though that this country which is supposedly high up in the league tables of income, standards of living etc., still has a lot of c**p. I've no idea how people who live in countries lower down in the tables survive. I have lived in other countries, but not the very poor ones.

They probably survive because they don't have gas central heating, nor enough stuff to warrant having shelves and storage units to store them in/on.

[Barry]

I can only speak of Africa, where in general people don't have much in the way of ornaments, knick-knacks, books, CDs, records etc. If they do store and display anything, it will probably be their china and glassware.

Ikea are no different to any other manufacturer; always looking for ways to cut costs. Witness their occasional tables - now they are hollow-filled with wood shavings and cardboard!

And somewhat related when it comes to quality of manufacture, if you think that a lot of Chinese manufactured good on sale in this country are poor, then I can tell you that we get the best: the stuff they send to Africa is much worse, as they know they can get away with it.

[montesquieu]

Yes I got bumped three times for a routine service by BG, allegedly because their person got routed to restore service to someone 'vulnerable'. In January you can kind of accept that but not in September/October when the thermometer barely dips below 10c and then only at dead of night. My view is that BG's management couldn't organise a raffle. However I'm not sure there's any serious alternative.

[dave2010]

Re BG again - I did manage to get some information, despite the generally unhelpful phone call. This was by asking specific questions - which could have been answered easily on a web site, but I expect BG doesn't wish the answers to be generally known.

Highest priority - though not dealt with by BG - emergencies, leaks etc. These are dealt with by the grid operators apparently. Not even dealt with by BG - and presumably a statutory obligation.

Then there are repairs and breakdowns. We have a pump which seems to be getting noisier. I can get an appointment in just over a week - which doesn't suit me, but generally speaking would be acceptable. I'd say typically 1-2 weeks for breakdowns, possibly depending on type of malfunction.

Lastly comes annual servicing, which I note I have paid for. Lead time now is going on into December! The excuse is that there are lots of issues in the winter. Wow! What geniuses these people are!

I asked for a refund of my service contract. Can't do that. Different department. Won't get a refund anyway. Can I complain? Yes, a verbal complaint is allowed. Hard to restrain one's enthusiasm for invectives at this point, but instead one rolls out the "I realise it's not your fault that your company has such poor management", etc. After a few similar remarks one gets a "I can't comment on that" from the other end.

Some one I know usually uses that as a cue to say "Oh, I take that as a 'yes' then" - but I restrained on this occasion.

What about complaining higher up. "No - you can't" (Who says!!!!). "If you complain you won't get a reply for 8 weeks."

I should say that the reason for trying to do this was i realised that for various reasons I would not be able to sort out the already much delayed service appointment, so I was trying to help them by not wasting their technician's time if he turns up to find I'm not in. I suspect that may still happen. If they'd managed a much shorter lead time when I first enquired it could all have been sorted by now, and I would have been able to make it happen.

What a b***dy mess.

[Edward]

I gave up on having an annual service contract with BG (or any of the other merchants) some years ago. Instead I have our system serviced once a year by a local gas registered plumber and if the need arose for an emergency call out our local guy (or two backups he has) would come round. They can get parts just as fast as BG. Saved me hundreds as well as saved having to deal with rude BG staff.

[Edward]

Highest priority - though not dealt with by BG - emergencies, leaks etc. These are dealt with by the grid operators apparently. Not even dealt with by BG - and presumably a statutory obligation.

Yes these guys simply turn up and switch you off. They don't fix things unless the leak is not on your property. And even then the switch off can be some days as it will usually be a different crew to fix things.

A friend was switched off once as he 'thought' he smelt gas. The National Grid crew just switched him off anyway and told him to get a plumber to look at it. Turned out there was no leak, my friend was probably just drunk or something.

[Gaz]

When we were lucky enough to live in the civilised world and had mains gas we had a boiler service and breakdown contract with Homeserve and honestly couldn't fault them, they turned up when they said would and did what they said would whether service or breakdown

[Barry]

I get my boiler serviced by the company that installed it. I have been with them for forty years and they have never let me down.