Why I hate the modern world

[annedonnelly]

I applied for a tax refund online covering the last four years. Got my cheque for fifty odd quid. Job done.
Today I received an official looking letter with "important tax documents" stamped on the envelope. The letter was designed to mimic an official HMRC document. It was actually from a company offering to process the refund I had already sorted out. Buried in the small print was the fact that they would take 26% fee off any successful claim. This document was designed to look official and deceive people into losing over a quarter of their entitlement. That is our society now.
Semi-legitimate charlatans masquerading as service providers. Microscopic print hiding theft. That is naked capitalism. Indefensible. Dishonest. Yet legitimate.

Sign up with the mailing preference service to stop unsolicited post. It seems to work. I signed up years ago and the only stuff I get apart from legitimate mail is from organisations I have bought from in the past. And they can be stopped on request too.

The more people who sign up not to receive these things then it becomes less worthwhile for the senders.

 

[midliferider]

What OP described is not modern world.
I love the modern world.
Where do I start,
OK, cycling...
Imagine the variety of cycles available to conquer all different terrains.
My ability to tour around the world.
On this Friday evening, I will catch a cheap flight to Poland, cycle, walk, enjoy classical theatre, good food and fly back straight to work.
To talk to fellow cc here about my adventures while cycling.
That is modern world.

 

[robjh]

Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers were in love with the modern world

 

[Spinney]

Labelling regulations try to stop consumers thinking they are getting something they are not, but it only works if you know the 'code'.
e.g. 'fruit juice' is 100% fruit juice*
a 'fruit drink' is diluted fruit juice - you are paying for water - but unless you know what the 'drink' on the label means, the labelling regulation is useless

*OK, long life fruit juice is diluted concentrate, but you should be getting the same amount of 'fruit' as if it had been fresh

Like herbal remedy adverts (the main ones I read are on the backs of the doors in the loos in motorway service stations), usually advertising things that 'can' 'help to relieve' symptoms of the menopause.
Indeed, such woolly wording indicates no controlled trials have shown that the remedy does help, but most people would take the wording at face value...

...and breathe.

 

[mjr]

Sign up with the mailing preference service to stop unsolicited post. It seems to work. I signed up years ago and the only stuff I get apart from legitimate mail is from organisations I have bought from in the past. And they can be stopped on request too.

The more people who sign up not to receive these things then it becomes less worthwhile for the senders.

Awwww bless, it's so cute when someone thinks con artists obey advertising and cold calling rules

 

[Levo-Lon]

Trust no one

 

[classic33]

[QUOTE 4982329, member: 9609"]The OP is bang on - I got stuffed senseless a few weeks back, I was after a tap for my water butt that offered good flow rates, I bought a one described as "FULL FLOW 3/4 inch lever valve" when it arrived 18mm pipe 10mm ball valve - what a con, its a play on words init, I guess the water flows fully through it. £6.99 straight down the drain.

Anyhows, a good mate who's a gas fitter seen my distress and he as sorted me out with a "FULL BORE" gas lever valve FOC 18mm pipe 18mm ball valve. increased water flow from 18 sec a gallon to a more respectable 7 sec a gallon.[/QUOTE]
That decreased the flow!

 

[Deleted member 26715]

More interesting is how they know?
Sounds more like fishing to me

So would I, it might be fishing, but how did they know to fish in this very specific pond, I wonder if they have somebody on the inside. I only suggest this as I had hearing aids a couple of years ago, within days of having them fitted I started receiving phone calls about how my hearing had been damaged by an industrial injury & did I want to make a claim against an old company.

'Legit companies' do similar all the time and numerous other tricks. I call it legalized theft.

Car insurance!

 

[Milkfloat]

[QUOTE 4982329, member: 9609"]The OP is bang on - I got stuffed senseless a few weeks back, I was after a tap for my water butt that offered good flow rates, I bought a one described as "FULL FLOW 3/4 inch lever valve" when it arrived 18mm pipe 10mm ball valve - what a con, its a play on words init, I guess the water flows fully through it. £6.99 straight down the drain.
[/QUOTE]

Send it back at their cost - simple.

 

[jefmcg]

So, when was the golden age, without murder, robbery and fraud?

 

[snorri]

[QUOTE 4982329, member: 9609"]The OP is bang on - I got stuffed senseless a few weeks back, I was after a tap for my water butt that offered good flow rates, I bought a one described as "FULL FLOW 3/4 inch lever valve" when it arrived 18mm pipe 10mm ball valve - what a con, its a play on words init, I guess the water flows fully through it. £6.99 straight down the drain. [/QUOTE]
Nowadays, if the item supplied did not fit the description of the item being sold, we have legal redress, something we did not have in the "good old days".

Edit. Beaten again, this time by Milkfloat

 

[Milkfloat]

Spend an hour with this:

 

[ColinJ]

So, when was the golden age, without murder, robbery and fraud?

It was when we didn't have the Internet, radio or TV and most of us couldn't read, so we never got to find out about half the nasty crap going on in the world!

Somebody was murdered in Halifax recently, about 12 miles from here. The only reason that I found out about it was that I was on the Halifax Courier website looking for details of the new Lidl Superstore being built in Todmorden!

 

[Electric_Andy]

I don't disagree with the "service" offered, but more the way in which your details were obtained. For example, when I worked abroad I used a taxback service to get £400 odd back, as I was paying tax in New Zealand which I was eligible to get back. They took a cut, but I was happy with that as I approached them for their help. OP, yours is a good example of what I don't agree with. This whole thing around "we've found out that you are owed X and Y, complete this stuff so that we can make money out of something you have already sorted out" is a step too far IMHO.

 

[byegad]

I blame humans

Agreed but imaginary friends feature high in many of the world's troubles, so if there was one, or many I'd blame god(s).