Coronavirus

[C8RKH]

I have been very fair in my discussions about Insurance companies as you know @Colin P praising the good service when I got it. But if you honestly believe that all Insurance companies do the right thing all the time, by their customers, then you are, my friend, deluded. Some of them are bordering on criminal in how they treat people though I will accept these are the minority, not the majority.  They are no better, no worse, than banks or other such institutions where the power of the accountant/actuary is king and everything else is just a number to be manipulated. 

Tell, me how proud are the insurance company when they send you a renewal quote for 150% of the price they will give a new customer, thanking you at the same time for being a loyal and valued customer for 10 years? It's a bit like a woman walking up to you all smiles and then just kneeing you in the balls "because she can".

However, as documented on here, MoreThan insured my home and when the whole upstairs (contents as well) was ruined by water damage they were brilliant. Their renewal quote the next year, and every year since has been competitive (not the cheapest but not taking the piss) and so they have my repeated custom and at least 6 other customers thanks to my recommendation. So, sometimes they can get it right. But just remember, even the defence lawyer knows that not every defendant is innocent, despite what they say hahaha...

[Colin P]

1) I didn't say all I was talking about my company, but as with all industries there are good and bad. 

2) Not defending this, but new customer discounts are not unique to insurance or financial services either. Worth a read of the ABI release on this. Interesting how the proposed ban on this could drive up the cost for those people who routinely shop around. Again different companies are better or worse at this. I personally have a particular issue with exactly this on Broadband/TV/Breakdown cover/Utilities to name but a few. That said, when I am looking for a new Car/Telly, or just about anything I do usually check to see prices and there is plenty of variation in what is on offer, then you produce a quote from someone else and they price match or you negotiate a discount on list. The difference is? Again not defending it, I dislike it as much as the next person but perspective. Exactly the same goes on across many industries, but insurance gets picked out as an easy target. Tell me that you have never reduced a quotation for your services and I will concede this point to you. (Actually I'll call you a bloody liar, but hey ho )

[andydclements]

A few years back our company tried removing introductory rates that were not available to existing customers, the idea being that you price the whole "book" evenly and not discount those new customers. That had the potential to lead to a market change, either competitors follow suit or in the extreme possibly regulatory change. Years have passed, and we do offer introductory rates although they are now generally available to existing customers (i.e. existing customer can ask for them and get them) but not simply given out (we don't contact all customers and say "Hi, have 6 months cheaper because we do a cheap 6 months for new customers").

As @Colin P has said, removal of introductory deals it is not the best deal for those who shop around, it is however a better deal for the small segment who may find a discounted price but be reluctant to change institution. I believe that's  a tiny proportion of the market so probably better for customers as a whole if we do have introductory discounts.

 

I wonder how many firms tender for a contract and in that first period cut the deal to the bone thinking that once they have a foot in the door, the customer may be less inclined to swap provider for a small price difference. Is that really any different?

[C8RKH]

10 minutes ago, andydclements said:

for a small price difference. Is that really any different?

£350 versus £226 is not a small price difference (that was my experience last month), however, I get your point.

[LotusLeftLotusRight]

Royal Mail just announced 12% price increase on 1st Class stamps. Blaming Covid of course, despite a boom in parcel income. They’ve been putting up prices above inflation for years now. They’re also considering canning Saturday deliveries. Where does all the money go? What other options does the regular member of the public have for posting letters?

[thebartman]

I thought Royal Mail and ParcelForce were different entities? (i.e. run as separate companies within the "Group") ?

In any event, only one delivery per day, supposedly b4 12:00pm, never got to my place b4 14:30. 1st class used to be next day every day- now is "1-3 days, but may be longer" if lucky ...   what b0£%cks service level agreement is that ?

Not even a "petrol-cap-for-a-skoda".  ( fair swap, for those who may remember 😉 )

[pete]

Had no mail for 10 days. 35 positive tests in the local sorting office

[Kimbers]

I think a lot of price increases will be blamed on COVID and whilst some costs have increased due to restrictions and time frames, these will return to normal (hopefully) with the introduction of Vaccines. I suspect prices won't then be dropped and may even increase further as taxes are raised. Get used to paying more I think is what I am trying to say!

[Bibs]

18 hours ago, LotusLeftLotusRight said:

Royal Mail just announced 12% price increase on 1st Class stamps.

That's on top of March's increase, it's gone from 70p to 85p for a first class this year, a 21% increase.

 

[Chillidoggy]

19 hours ago, LotusLeftLotusRight said:

Royal Mail just announced 12% price increase on 1st Class stamps. Blaming Covid of course, despite a boom in parcel income. They’ve been putting up prices above inflation for years now. They’re also considering canning Saturday deliveries. Where does all the money go?

Staff pensions deficit, perhaps?

[eeyoreish]

Annoying, but still cheaper than taking it yourself...

[pete]

Rudy giuliani tested positive

[geartox]

did mainstream medias in UK explain the differences between the different types of vaccines ? specifically the one from pfizer and biontech which seems to be approved by the government ? 

[LotusLeftLotusRight]

Yes, there’s a summary here for example.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-55145696

[exeterjeep]

I am always amused when watching a sherlock holmes episode, when they refer to the afternoon and evenings postal deliveries,

i am sure sometimes these days they miss out a delivery day when they feel like it. 

[Colin P]

Not here. WFH for the whole of this year I see postie every day as he walks past my study window. 

[oneshot]

Our post arrives by van - we are in the middle of the country so too far for the postie to walk. He does his round in a van.

[DDubya]

10 hours ago, oneshot said:

Our post arrives by van - we are in the middle of the country so too far for the postie to walk. He does his round in a van.

Is his name Pat by chance? And does he have a cat that is black and white? 

[thebartman]

Yesterday, I received (via Royal Mail) a small item in the post. 

It was a pre-printed label that said "24 Hour".

I ordered this 17 days ago, and was posted 12 days ago - according to the shipping "app".

I wonder who was actually responsible for a 24 Hr service, but failed to execute on a timely basis ?

Thoughts and usual banter-style replies on a postcard to someone else ....   😉

 

Perhaps this (and previous Governments) have dragged us into the

"Ohhh!, Aren't we lucky to have a daily delivery"

What a crock ...  !!!!

[Barrykearley]

I bet them used panties have matured nicely in the post 👍

[eeyoreish]

This Covid stuff seems to have become the perfect excuse for crap service all round. Most of the big corporations i’ve needed to contact recently are now insisting on email not phone contact, unless you want to wait half your life on hold. Then all you get is standard ‘we’ve got your message and we’ll respond when we’re good and ready’ sent from an email address that it’s made clear isn’t monitored so there’s no way to chase up.

Last week I spent 45 minutes waiting to speak to the Halifax about a problem transaction. Lucky I wasn’t standing at the tills in Tesco...

[Colin P]

This is something I’ve noticed as well.  

I really don’t get it. My company has been WFH since Feb, including call centres. The service levels have actually improved and were pretty much unaffected within a week or so. 
 

That said, our IT is notoriously outdated so there really is no excuse. It is either deliberate, or they don’t want to supply the equipment to their staff. 

[Barrykearley]

We’ve sold a property recently - just trying to get the arseholes at shell energy to close the account is becoming really really tedious.

[eeyoreish]

Aside from the Halifax I’m currently dealing with SSE, West Sussex County Council and an insurance company, none of which want telephone contact at the moment ‘due to high demand’ (why??) but are almost impossible to reach by email. 

[100th_Idiot]

Sky were perfect today. Box suddenly started freezing so called dreading a  lengthy queue wait. Picked up in 30 seconds. Talked to the nice chap and we tried a couple of things at which point the box froze. He said I could try to reset the hard drive but if that failed I would need to call again so to avoid that he'll just send a new box. Will be with me tomorrow.

Couldn't have been better or more civilized.