Life is riddled with a procession of minor impediments

[Fungus]

I hear you SuperSurfer (and HdE)...
Been contracting for 12 years and the job situation has gone from precarious to simply wait-for-the-bad-news in the last few weeks. You hope for the best.

Taking up the old art a bit more seriously has crossed my mind recently too. Not as a career (obviously), just diverting during the inevitable job hunt.

All the best anyway. Hope the job situation sorts itself out.

[Banners]

After waiting for over a week for an appointment, the car went into a ~shudder~ main dealer on Thursday with a power steering problem - a potentially major impediment.

Got a call that day to say they needed more time to look at it so would keep it in until today when it would be their top priority, and their top man for this kind of thing would be back off holiday. This meant being without the family car for the Bank Holiday weekend - another minor impediment in itself.

I hadn't received a call about the car by 5:30pm today so went in to the garage to see what was happening. I was told that the problem is to do with the entire steering rack and they need more time to look into it further.

Given they have now looked at the car twice - which presumably means taking it in and out of the service area - it is quite a coincidence that the car is parked in the exact same place that I left it on Thursday.

[Banners]

Being self-employed, and with my wife on Maternity Leave, we are struggling to get a mortgage as my Accounts for the last year are less than stellar, and despite paying myself a humble but decent enough income, and having some good work lined up over the next few months. HSBC, Santander and Nationwide aren't interested and the IFA I spoke to wants a ludicrous fee for a shit rate, and we would have to pay that fee even if we don't end up getting a house.

Explained the situation to Tesco Bank who said no problem, they would consider my taxable income rather than my company Accounts. So, they arranged a telephone interview today which meant inconveniencing the Grandparents, getting lots of things ready and losing a few hours of work.

All went well, and it was very convivial - although I felt a little bit patronised when I had to answer questions about different kinds of mortgage and other basic financial concepts. Lasted about two hours (with a break) and after the guy had done the maths - hurrah! at last! - everything was agreed and we could get a 'decision in principle' for the house of our dreams where we can bring up our son.

Right, the chap said, all you need to do is send in your Accounts.

But, I said, the whole point of us talking to you was that on the initial contact you said you didn't need my Accounts, and could base an offer on my actual income which I have diligently proven to you, with evidence direct from HMRC.

Oh no, that's not right - you shouldn't have been told that. There is no way we would consider a mortgage without looking at your Accounts.

I don't object to them taking that stance - that's their perogative as a lender - but what a fucking waste of time.

A bad day.

[I, Cosh]

Oh no, that's not right - you shouldn't have been told that. There is no way we would consider a mortgage without looking at your Accounts.

I don't object to them taking that stance - that's their perogative as a lender - but what a fucking waste of time.

It's worse than that. Whoever you spoke to first will be on commission for number of leads passed through so they've just lied to you for the sake of a couple of quid. Pretty shit.

My minor impediment is that the key to my bike lock snapped off in the lock last night so I had to walk home from town in the rain, get the tram in this morning and I'll have to faff around at lunchtime trying to find pliers and a keycutter (or boltcutters I suppose) and crap.

[Banners]

Cheers, Cosh.

Had a gate key snap in the lock a while ago. Boltcutters didn't work so I had to borrow an angle-grinder. This was a bit of a pain, but I felt like a real man when I got to use it and sent sparks flying everywhere. Good luck.

[Proudhuff]

look online you could probably open it with a bic pen.

[I, Cosh]

look online you could probably open it with a bic pen.

That's only for D locks, sadly.

[Tiplodocus]

Cheers, Cosh.

Had a gate key snap in the lock a while ago. Boltcutters didn't work so I had to borrow an angle-grinder. This was a bit of a pain, but I felt like a real man when I got to use it and sent sparks flying everywhere. Good luck.

I had to do that to our back door hinges when I snapped a key in the lock. It looked awesome!

[Banners]

Given they have now looked at the car twice - which presumably means taking it in and out of the service area - it is quite a coincidence that the car is parked in the exact same place that I left it on Thursday.

Car still parked in the same place today, despite being told they have been working on it.

[Rog69]

Given they have now looked at the car twice - which presumably means taking it in and out of the service area - it is quite a coincidence that the car is parked in the exact same place that I left it on Thursday.

Car still parked in the same place today, despite being told they have been working on it.

I had a similar situation when my car was in the garage for a month after an accident earlier this year, they claimed it was in the workshop when I phoned for a progress report and then got very embarrassed when I told them that the tracker showed it was still at the back of their compound and hadn't moved for three days  .

[Banners]

I had a similar situation when my car was in the garage for a month after an accident earlier this year, they claimed it was in the workshop when I phoned for a progress report and then got very embarrassed when I told them that the tracker showed it was still at the back of their compound and hadn't moved for three days  .

That sucks - although I'm glad you can smile about it now.

The thing is, I'm so beholden to them. I want to stand up for myself over what I consider to be shoddy and dishonest service, but I am scared of asking why the car doesn't appear to have moved - which is basically accusing them of lying to me - thereforfe causing conflict, and then giving them reason to take umbrage, which will then result in a rushed, botched and/or unfairly-priced job.

[Theblazeuk]

Pop over to 'get something out of the car', leave something on the driver's seat/steering wheel/bit of tape on the door?

[Banners]

Thought of that - but such an approach is hardly going to endear myself to them.

[TordelBack]

I've really got to get into one of these professions where I can treat my clients like that and still expect to have a business in the morning.  I feel your pain, Banners.

[Theblazeuk]

Well, maybe not the tape, but leaving something on the seat/wheel is hardly incriminating. Or taping on the inside of the door would be completely unnoticed I imagine. Or putting something behind/in front of the wheels would be best.

For your own satisfaction if nothing else...and for when they finally get around to it, and you can point out that you know that you've been lied to persistently and demand an explanation for why.

After all at this point there's the slim possibility that it has been moved, looked at, and moved back to where it was.