todays rant is about shopping. I want a new fridge so checked out online waht is waht and how much, chose one i like and then phoned Currys CS to see if they have them in stock at my local store. No they dont. Ok, what do they have in stock there for customers to take away? NOTHING, not a single fridge or freezer, no washing machines or any other white goods. they have zillions of display items but you order them and they deliver to your home when they can. Ok when can fridge model XXXX be delivered? 5 weeks time. Can it be delivered to the store so i can collect as soon as it gets there rather than have to wait in at the time of year i actually do some paid work? no.

tried Argos, they have unexplained price changes, delivery times advertised as same day but cant deliver for 10 days and no humans to tell you what is actually stocked for collection at your local store. Without a payment reference you cant use the automated system and I'm not paying for something they havent got just to find out they havent got it.

It is all down to the fact that people dont go out to buy things any more, they just use the store to browse and then order online. Sorry, that is like saying "you are the 20th person we have told today there is no demand for it", a self fulfilling prophecy.

I will probably try my local tip as they have a shop there selling recycled stuff, at least you know you can take it away if it is on offer.

try AO

you cant collect in person from AO. that is the main problem with all of this online shopping lark, i want to go and buy something at my convenience not prat about at someone else's convenience.

Do you have the means to transport it upright?

yep, just take the lid of the landy.

Anyways modern refridgeration systems dont need to be left sitting for a day before you can use them. It is only a spare for the garage so we can store gallons of cold drinks for when the family come round so it will sit there for probably another fortnight before it gets used assuming i can find someone who actually has them as selling stock. Argos in next town supposedy has some where our local one is a drop off one inside Sainsburys.

Where we used to live there was a local independent retailer in the high street. They were part of a buying group and the prices weren't bad at all. And they would deliver at your convenience. Sometimes it's nice to support local businesses.

HB

Getting the renewal notice for car insurance from Halifax, which has increased by £600 for the year but they can't tell me why. So, shopped around, got a good deal with more protection and costing slightly less than what I was paying the Halifax!

had that last year so shopped around and the best online deal came from my existing insurer. same with buildings and contents. Why do they not look at their databases and see who is likely to switch by looking at quotations offered on a number of previous years. They store the info because they are quite happy to try and sell you bad deals years after you left them last time for doing the same thing.