ooh, a reply from First Bus Company - 3 months later!

[thomas]

In November last year a driver from the first bus company tried to get in front just before a junction and started pulling left into me. It was shook me up and so that he didn't just run me off the road I kept pounding the bus until he stopped moving towards me. It may seem overkill, but it was a seriously bad time to overtake and I didn't fancy coming off. I decided after that, that I would get my helmet camera. The only video I have that is slightly like it is this overtake by a HGV...there is a thread somewhere on it (I think), but didn't want to bring that one up.

Now, I sent a letter. I sent it to their MD, so obviously the head person and expected the letter to filter through the system to someone low down to get a standard reply. I never heard anything and because I knew I wouldn't actually get a proper response I left it - wasn't worth the hassle. Until the other month when I saw some online complaints thing so I thought I'd resend the letter to see what would happen. 10 minutes ago I had a phone call asking if they could have another 10 days to look into it...apparently the driver is on holiday at the moment. Hmm!

I'm sure I'll get a very standard response, but the lady on the phone seemed pleasant enough. Wonder what their response will be...could be interesting.

 

[Willow]

Totally unrelated but your response made me think of the recent letters I've written and their responses;

Sainsburys - stanley knife blade in box of crackers, opened at school £50 of vouchers received

Wheatabix - rusty nail stuck in outside of box £25 cheque received

Vauxhaull - £700 on parts for car one month out of warranty - nothing, (about to write again as 3 months on another bill of £800!)

I would like to add I do write nice letters when appropriate as well as angry ones!

Perhaps you'll get a free bus pass - but they probably don't take bikes!

 

[thomas]

Totally unrelated but your response made me think of the recent letters I've written and their responses;

Sainsburys - stanley knife blade in box of crackers, opened at school £50 of vouchers received

Wheatabix - rusty nail stuck in outside of box £25 cheque received

Vauxhaull - £700 on parts for car one month out of warranty - nothing, (about to write again as 3 months on another bill of £800!)

I would like to add I do write nice letters when appropriate as well as angry ones!

Perhaps you'll get a free bus pass - but they probably don't take bikes!

Free bus pass would be a nice £142 saving! My Mum is great for getting money from complaints, she found a massive lump of sugar in a big pack of fruit pastels. Wrote worrying what it say. Nestle "sent it to their lab and discovered it was just sugar" lol...got a tenner

I might suggest they extend my bus pass for next year due to their delay . I doubt I'd get it though.

 

[Arch]

My sister got a Kinder egg once, with no toy in, she wrote to them and they sent her a jiffy bag with several toys in it....

 

[Black Sheep]

when i was 10 I got an airfix kit of an aston martin DB5 but the body shell "looked like james bond had rolled it" as i wrote in my letter, got a reply asking for a list of part numbers that had been damaged and they arrived in the post with a voucher for another kit result

 

[Willow]

Vauxhaull have agreed to pay £173 of the cost so add that to my list

 

[thomas]

I swear my thread has been jacked ...

 

[skrx]

When the cover to my Cateye LD150 rear light -- as fitted by the bike shop -- didn't last the 5 minute ride home I wrote to Cateye and they sent a replacement cover, but nothing more.

I think the part must have been defective. The cover falls off if I drop it now, but not if I just go over a bump. Still, it would be good if there was an optional screw for instance to keep it a bit more secure.

(This isn't quite true, initially I returned the light to the LBS. The manager refused to exchange it. I was cross with the shop, so I bought mudguards from Halfords to make up for it.)

 

[BIGSESAL]

One christmas I got a subutteo set. It was meant to contain 3 teams: England, Brazil and Italy. In the box there was one England player missing. So I wrote a letter to Mr Subutteo to explain that Santa's present had a player missing.

Mr Subutteo later sent me a letter of apology. I also got a new england team, a Scotland team and two ticket to see my favourite team (Rangers) in a friendly match. I was well happy and played with that set for years. Obviously Scotland always beat Italy, Brazil and England.

 

[thomas]

Got phoned today - unfortunately it was on silent to didn't hear, will phone her back tomorrow for an update. I reckon it might be a bit of a fob off, but I'll give her a chance to let me know what's happened.

I think I might suggest they do that "give space" campaign...does anyone have a link to the press article on it? Or at least see if they'll give me a free bus pass for next year

 

[thomas]

I'm not quite sure if I've been fobbed off or not. But I've finally had a response which is the main thing.

Apparently the ladies' daughters are keen cyclists which is why she was so interested. The driver apparently can't remember the incident (it was 3 months ago). They're now going to improve their cyclist awareness training and things like that. Also, she said some people from the board now know (I can't remember which ones).

I told her about the give cyclists room campaign. I think she's meeting some cyclists from Ipswich next month who have similar concerns with the buses.

Well, 3 months for that response . If anything else happens it'll all be on film. Whether or not it has been taken seriously the lady was professional about it so I'll give her points for that. When I phoned her back she offered to ring me back (at uni, so only have a mobile - so not have to waste a load of credit is a nice little touch IMO).

 

[swee'pea99]

When I was a kid a rumour went round about a kid who got some duff crisps and sent the packet back and got sent a whole carton. So imagine my excitement when, after 40 years' waiting, I finally opened a pack of Walkers cheese & onion to find them stale! Right! Here goes!

A couple of weeks later I got a letter of apology and two £2-off Walkers crisps vouchers. Vouchers?! Just not the same thing at all. 40 YEARS I'VE BEEN WAITING!