Hubby watched the cashier at Tescos put all of the frozen foodstuffs - individually, into those tiny little carrier bags that they have on a roll by the fresh fruit and veg shelves.... He hadn't asked her to - she then tried to charge him 5p for each one !!. He gave her a choice, remove all of the products from the bags - or remove the 25p charge from the bill.

Major high street stores have been accused of ripping off shoppers by charging up to 10p for paper carrier bags – despite them being exempt from the new laws brought in last month. Outraged shoppers have hit out at Debenhams and House of Fraser claiming they are 'cashing in' by charging for paper bags when other high street shops offer them for free. House of Fraser has said the charge for paper bags had been introduced for 'ethical and moral' reasons, and that all proceeds would be donated to charity. However, shoppers have taken to Twitter to express their anger at the charge. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3316789/Debenhams-House-Fraser-charge-PAPER-BAGS-Tesco-started-giving-away-free.html#ixzz3rO4sQfEX

Are these clowns for real? Does anyone know who these people work for?

The 5p charge on plastic bags to be introduced in October faces accusations that it will confuse customers - and doubtless lead to arguments at the checkout. The charge is being introduced as part of a government policy to reduce waste by cutting bag use by up to 80 per cent in supermarkets and by half on the high street, with the aim of reducing litter and protecting wildlife. The new rules are likely to baffle shoppers and cashiers alike, as till operators will be the ones to decide whether the charge must be paid. But before they charge you, they have to ensure the bag ‘qualifies’ as a bag. The government has issued guidelines defining what a plastic carrier bag is: it must be made of plastic, be unused, have handles and be 70 microns thick or less. Cashiers must then check if the items in your shopping qualify for a free plastic bag. Guidelines issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) note that you can receive a free plastic bag if your shopping includes items from a long list of exemptions, including: uncooked fish, meat and poultry products, unwrapped blades and “live aquatic creatures in water”. Also included are flowers, bulbs, potatoes and prescription drugs. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/rules-on-5p-plastic-bags-likely-to-lead-to-arguments-at-the-check-out-10478570.html You won't get charged for plastic bags that are: for uncooked fish and fish products for uncooked meat, poultry and their products for unwrapped food for animal or human consumption - for example, chips, or food sold in containers not secure enough to prevent leakage during normal handling for unwrapped loose seeds, flowers, bulbs, corns, rhizomes (roots, stems and shoots, such as ginger) or goods contaminated by soil (such as potatoes or plants) for unwrapped blades, including axes, knives, and knife and razor blades for prescription medicine for live aquatic creatures in water woven plastic bags for goods in transport, such as at an airport or on a train, plane or ship considered as sealed packaging for mail order and click-and-collect orders (regardless of handles) returnable multiple reuse bags (bags for life) used to give away free promotional material used for a service but there’s no sale of goods, such as dry cleaning or shoe repairs A bag can contain multiple items from this list and not incur a charge. However, if the bag contains other items then you must charge. For example, you wouldn’t charge for a bag containing an unwrapped blade and unwrapped loose seeds, but adding a box of cornflakes means you’d have to charge. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/carrier-bag-charges-retailers-responsibilities

Has anyone noticed if you use the self service tills in M&S you are expected to pay for them but if you use a manned till you dont? Is this really fair?

My wife & I recently flew with Ryanair to Faro in Portugal. We were asked at the gate to let them put both our cabin bags in the hold as the flight was full and there was no room for them in the cabin, we were instucted that we need to remove any items that we may need for the fight before we boarded. They put yellow bands around them and when we boarded the aircraft the flight attendant took them off us to put in the hold. When we sat down I said to my wife that I better turn my mobile phone off and she said that her's was still in one of the outside zipper pockets of her bag, and still turned on, I immediately informed the steward who said that as it was already in the hold it was OK. When we landed we went through passport control and to the baggage belt which stated that the bags would be on the belt by 13.05, it was now 12.55, so just a 10 minute wait, not so, they eventually arrived at around 13.20 and our bags were one of the first ones off. My wife immediately checked for her phone which was missing!! I then turned my phone on and called her number which rang with a foreign ringing tone (1 continuous ring about 2 seconds apart) so we knew it was in Faro Airport. We immediately reported the loss to the baggage handlers "Lost & Found" desk who called the dispatch to recheck the hold, but we knew the phone had been taken from her bag as the zipper was fastened back up, it had not just fallen out. I called her provider who put a block on both the phone and sim card straight away and reported the matter to the airport police, we have got both peices of the paperwork from the police and lost and found, and have done a lost baggage claim to Ryanair, but they are not interested. Its not worth claiming from our insurance as the excess is more than the phone is worth, but we do feel that Ryanair should pay up as it was them who asked us to put the bags in the hold, they keep saying that it is our responsibility to make sure there are no valuables in "checked in" bags, but these were "Cabin Bags" and if we were to have removed all valuables from them they would have been empty. The last letter to them explained everything as I have explained it here and I sent them copies of the paperwork from the police etc, but they keep saying they sympathise but cannot help any further. Can I take this further or am I wasting my time? Cheers PS. My wife didn't like the phone anyway and is happy now that she has gone back to using her old one, but it is the principle of the matter, and the inconvenience and Ryanair's attitude that annoys us.

i have a bill of sale for a car with CLS, i lost my job 4 months ago and was struggling but kept up with the payments, i took it out over 3 years and ive only 12 months left to run .i got a letter saying id missed a payment so posted a cheque on sat 21st by regesterd post. on xmas eve i received another threatening phone call from them saying they had not recieved it, as i explained i had the receipt that it had been posted and would be tracking it, but all i got was, this little jumped up JOBS WORTH saying were repossessing the car. After my wife heard all this sadly late on xmas eve she took her own life, i have a severly disabled 8 year old son and 15 year old daughter. so forgive me if I am a little grumpy but i hope that jobs worth has had the same xmas as me. also when they reposses the car i want him to do it and we will see if he can back his mouth up. This will go to court and when it does my mother in laws solicitor will make em look the idiots they really are. NOW PLEASE ANYBODY THINKING OF DEALING WITH THESE. DONT

I just ordered some spacebags vacuum storage and I doubt I'll need any help as I phoned and cancelled the order. I just wanted to warn others. I'm in the Highlands of Scotland and these things are advertised at £29.95 + postage and packing of (I think) £6.95. (both of those could be .99 not .95.) So I ordered, my order wnt through (It's one of those websites that tries to add stuff to your order before completion) and I was shocked to see the total was £42 something. At first I thought I'd accidentally added something to my order then I saw that the postage was £12.+ So I phoned customer servicefor an explanation. I kind of knew what they'd say. I've not had the problem myself but there is a school of thought that can't access google maps and thinks that the Highlands are some kind of remote island. What bugged me was that there was no warning before I completed the order. It only told me the total afterwards. So the friendly chap asked whether I'd like to cancel. I did. He said they use interlink as a courier, and they charge the extra. I suggested that to avoid cancelled orders they might like to add a warning of higher charges. It may not be a lot but it added to my order. So, no vacuum packaging for me. The pile of quilts and clothes will just have to moulder away. I'm annoyed though and wanted to warn others. You can call and cancel the order.

Seems stores are now going to be charging us for plastic carrier bags. Whilst I have no problem paying for these, I object strongly when these bags are plastered with the logos of the stores. IMHO, they should be paying ME to do their advertising. Anyway.. having a fair old stock of plastic bags anyway, I have knitted/crocheted my own bags out of these. They are far stronger and none of the logos show There are plenty of knitting patterns available if you google them, but these two links have proved to be useful. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-450744/Knit-shopping-bag.html http://plasticisrubbish.wordpress.com/2008/09/11/knitting-with-plastic-bags/ And I have attached a pdf for a crocheted bag. [ATTACH=CONFIG]46859[/ATTACH]

Hi all, I get on average one of these through my door a week. How much stuff do they think I have to give away?? I'm in North Yorkshire. Whats it like in your part of the universe?