Dear Mr. Cadbury,
I’m writing regarding the updated flavours in your Roses line, which are disappointing.A friend told me about a year ago that you had changed them, and that they were not very good, so I subsequently did not buy them again. However, they were on special this week, and I had forgotten about my friend’s warning, so bought a box.
The new flavours are indeed disappointing, and I am horrified to note that some of my old favourites are gone:
Continue reading Cadbury Roses Sadness
Category Archives: Letters
Plastic
As Van Badham wrote this week, the people who have gone plastic free have all had some breaking point. After months of trying to be mindful of our plastic use, but accepting that for some things, it was inescapable, I was finally pushed to the edge by an article which reported that micro-plastic had been found in ice in the Arctic. THE ARCTIC. That, and finally internalising that recycling isn’t really a thing – it is just a distraction from solving the real problem of masses and masses of plastic that doesn’t need to be made.
So, now our household doesn’t get to eat strawberries, or blueberries, because of the little plastic punnets that they come in.[Update: now growing our own plants] Polyester is out, natural fibres, bamboo in particular is in. Milk in plastic bottles is out, waxed cardboard is in. The roll of Glad wrap that we have in the drawer is the last one I’ll ever buy, ditto for the garbage bin liners. Pasta in a plastic package is out, cardboard boxes are in.
Lush have a good range of solid shampoos (this one is particularly good – makes my hair fresh, and scalp non-itchy), and I’ll try their face-wash this week.
I’m struggling with inescapables: toothpaste, medicine, bread and cheese packaging.
I know on some level that our small family isn’t going to make a huge amount of difference in the scheme of things. There is already too much plastic. Some companies are trying to do the right thing, by offering corn-based plastics, but, it seems like there are a lot of problems with that too.
Anyway, we will continue to minimise our plastic waste, and, in doing so, we get to create a whole new category of complaint letters – emails to companies to complain about their plastic use.
Here is our first, probably of many, to Carman’s. Well, many emails in general, not specifically to Carman’s.
Buying shoes online – don’t do it to yourself
I have been banned from buying shoes online by the resident Frenchman. Why? Because I have had to return 5 pairs over the years, because they NEVER EVER FIT. And then I end up paying extra for postage and more recently, experience anxiety because I worry that they won’t fit.
Continue reading Buying shoes online – don’t do it to yourself
Book Depository: too much security, not enough communication
Christmas time. I decided to order books as presents from the Book Depository, and have them delivered to my son and his family in Australia. It has always worked in the past, with any other provider. Probably even with the Book Depository, but not this time.
When the parcel was not showing up much after the stated delivery date, I started enquiring, but nothing helpful was forthcoming. “[D]ue to security reasons [they] are unable to disclose”, the order was cancelled. No notice was ever sent that this had happened, and particularly not why.
Continue reading Book Depository: too much security, not enough communication
Europcar Car Rental Cork Airport: Disappointment, Promises, and More Disappointment
On a trip to Ireland in October, we had to rent a car to see ourselves around. We booked the car online from a website called “Irish car rentals”, but it turns out to be a front for europcar.ie.
We had been warned about hidden charges for additional collision insurances (Collision Damage Waiver, CDW), and that one way to avoid those charges was to pay with a credit card offering some sort of coverage.
So we had this covered, but the pain did not stop here.
Continue reading Europcar Car Rental Cork Airport: Disappointment, Promises, and More Disappointment
Stinky Storage Cube: Kmart
Hi,
A couple of days ago, I bought a 3-pack of small, dark blue, collapsible storage cubes from the kid’s section at Ashfield Kmart. Since opening them, a god-awful smell has been emanating from them – stinking up the areas of the house where they are. Continue reading Stinky Storage Cube: Kmart
More Australia Post goodness
I logged into Auspost and saw that the ‘Customer Enquiry’ I had lodged on Monday had been marked ‘resolved’ by someone on their end. So I disputed that it had been resolved and was given the opportunity to ‘update’ them. The space was limited so I had to heavily edit my rant. I’ve pasted it below. I tried to be polite, and I think I mostly succeeded. I just hope they don’t start shitting in our letterbox.
Some back story: I signed up for the parcel lockers in November this year. I verified my identification and soon after received a ‘MyPost’ card in the mail. The most recent parcel I picked up from the parcel lockers was on Thursday 15th December. End back story.
In relation to this parcel that was taken to Campsie PO instead of the parcel locker – I authorised an agent to go to Campsie PO and collect the package which he did so yesterday. When the parcel was finally located, my agent was lectured at by an Auspost staff member who said that it was my fault I didn’t receive the parcel earlier because I didn’t have any contact details on my Auspost account. This parcel, according to the tracking, has been sitting at Campsie PO since Tuesday 13th December. Two full days before I last collected a parcel FROM THE PARCEL LOCKERS. I’m not sure how my contact details were missing on the 13th of December and then suddenly reappeared on the 15th of December, just in time for me to be notified about my most recent parcel locker pick up. So strange!
Bonds Wondersuits: Cotton/Polyester
Item: Bonds “Zippy” Wondersuits
Purpose: All-in-one pyjamas
Computer says no at Westpac
Dear Westpac Person,I am writing as I have been unable to resolve a matter with you over the phone.
To outline the problem for you, I have one recurring payment set up for my rent to be taken out fortnightly. I have had issues cancelling payments and setting new ones for some time – for example, when our rent increased in April, I set a new amount to $R2 to be taken out. For some reason, this payment did not stick and it reverted back to $R1 for a couple of weeks until I noticed it.I cancelled this payment, and set a new recurring payment. This seemed to work , and $R1 was taken out successfully last fortnight. This fortnight however, the $R1 recurring payment had resurrected itself, and both amounts were charged off my account.This has resulted in my account to be overdrawn by $XXX, and though it is a small amount ($YYY) that I would have had left for the fortnight, it pays for basic needs like fuel, food and so on.
Powershop
Our energy woes continue. We have moved our electricity away from Energy Australia (still need to get gas from them though) to Powershop. New Zealand owned, big on renewables and have an interesting business model in that the customer can sort buy excess power cheaply, to be used at later times.
To get access to these specials however, one has to be on Facebook, or get their phone app which wants access to your contacts, camera and a whole lot of other stuff which doesn’t seem relevant.