Hi everyone, I'm hoping all you knowledgable folk on here can offer your assistance . I started a part time job last year. During the interview, I explained that I was looking for part time hours to enable me to pursue a hobby, which I also get paid for, not much but I do it because I love it. I don't claim any credits or anything like that, money isn't everything to me. They were receptive to this and liked hearing about it. They also explained to me that sometimes they may ask that I do some overtime during heavy workload periods, not often, just an hour or so here and there, which I was fine with. I was also told that it is optional, so if I am busy with my hobby then it's not a problem as long as it doesn't interfere with my normal working hours, which it doesn't. But the overtime is constant, not occasional. If they ask me if I can come in an hour early or stay for an extra hour, I will if I don't have plans. Even then, if my own workload takes me over my finish time, I will stay until I've finished to make sure it's done so it doesn't delay other departments. For example, last week they asked if I could come in an hour early, which I did, and I also stayed an hour later without being asked due to my own work, as mentioned above. I should also say that all overtime is paid. However, it seems that the optional aspect may not be entirely true. For example, I was told that I have to stay for an hour longer due to the workload. It was inconvenient and I missed out on earning a few pennies from my hobby that evening due to it, but it didn't matter to them. I have also overheard little comments and tuts from other team members when I'm leaving for the day and they're staying behind, but they haven't been asked to, they're doing it off of their own backs. I don't see how them staying behind is my problem if my workload has been finished and theirs has not. So really, I'm not happy that this overtime doesn't appear to be optional in most circumstances, despite what I was told in the interview and what it says in my contract, and I'm not happy with the other team member's attitude towards me. I realise that I probably can't do much about the latter, it's the most two-faced place I've worked to be honest. Where do I stand? As the overtime is optional then I have every right to turn it down if I'm unable to do it, right? It's really getting me down, I can't make plans anymore and the attitude stinks. Thoughts? Thanks in advance.

I would like to gather here some successfull actions people took to curb the increasingly offensive attitude I am seeing myself and heard others having to endure when they take prepaid post to the PO to be dispatched. More and more I have the feeling that it will come a day when they will say 'I won't accept your package' and I wouldn't know what to do then, on the spot. Take a look here. This fellow made a second attempt to hand in a parcel and twice he was refused service. Only this time he was wired and the whole incident ended up on the web here. Actually this case raises more acute questions about discrimination, the irrelevance of the law and the role of the police. As I think nobody would like this to happen to them, please do write what would you realistically do in a similar situation or even better what you have already done.

I emailed in December 2014 in order to raise concerns with customer service that the bed was faulty. Initially the response was that the bed had been “misused” and therefore was not eligible for repair or replacement. This decision was made without any investigation by the manufacturer or MonsterBeds.co.uk, other than the brief description of the fault I outlined in my original email. This immediately concerned me as it seemed dismissive of the problem. Further to this I was asked to have somebody check on the item in order to ascertain which parts were damaged, which I then forwarded to them by email on 15th January 2015. This stated that I needed 9,10,11,12&13 because the connectors from 10 had faulty welds, which snapped and were now stuck inside 12 & 13. The fact that one faulty weld had given way had caused 9 to bend when the bed was lifted, putting strain on the other 2 faulty welds, which are either in the process of breaking apart or already broken. On 19th January I was informed that the replacement cost for these items would be £60. I was also informed that your customer service assistant had contacted Trading Standards with regards the issue. I was then given false information by this person on what Trading Standards had said. I was then further informed on 20th January that the guarantee for the bed was with the manufacturer and not MonsterBeds.co.uk, I was further told that as MonsterBeds.co.uk is a “drop ship” company, responsible only for forwarding stock. This, I think, was in order to absolve their company of any responsibility for the issue, or for the cost of replacing the faulty parts. I have since contacted Trading Standards again, and have discussed a way to move forward with this complaint. I have been informed that my guarantee, and subsequently my rights to repair or replacement, lie with the retailer – MonsterBeds.co.uk, the company that sold me the product – not the manufacturer, and so I must make any claim against them. Furthermore, under the Sale of Goods Act 1979, the retailer must either repair or replace faulty goods 'within a reasonable time but without causing significant inconvenience'. Given that I raised this complaint in December 2014, and it is now nearing February 2015, I have spent almost 2 months sleeping on a mattress on my bedroom floor. I have explained previously that I am 6 months pregnant, and physically disabled. Having to sleep on the floor has caused me an increase in pain and discomfort, for which my GP has expressed severe concern. I’m sure you will agree that this constitutes significant inconvenience. So far they have ignored the complaint, then picked it up due to me posting on a review website (which they have since reported for being from a non-customer!?), ignored phone calls, ignored emails, and left my pregnant disabled sister sleeping on a mattress like some sort of crack den dweller! What can I do!?

I would like to make my thoughts known on Expert Logistics who have within the past 30 minutes delivered a washing machine bought from Tesco. My son bought us a washing machine as our old one packed up. I disconnected it and pulled it out into the kitchen. When the delivery man came into the kitchen, there wouldn't be enough room for the new machine as well as the old machine so I asked, "could you move this one to there?" pointing to a spot outside the backdoor and 4 feet from where the machine stood, he immediately jumped in 'No, we don't do that' , I said it's only four feet, are you saying you won't move my old machine four feet for me", and he again said "NO". So there I am, an old man with a walking stick and he a young strapping bloke who refused to move my old machine. His mate on the van did do it but I think he was a bit reluctant to do it as he moved it and then disappeared. I'm not wasn't asking for a replumb of my house and installation of the new machine, all I wanted was my old machine move 4 feet. What is wrong with people today, no courtesy and no hint of customer service. I bet he wouldn't have refused a tip, but because of attitude they got nothing, not even the offer of a cuppa. Sod them, I'm fed up with the crap customer service in this country, all they want is to screw you for as much as possible and to do sod all in return.