Things that annoy you (80 Viewers)

[stay_up_skyblues]

Insurance companies. LV insurance specifically.

I slipped in the shower in May and put my knee through the bathtub. Checked and it was covered by my buildings insurance so made a claim which was approved.

They sent out a company called Gallagher Bassett who sent a young lad over to fit the replacement bath as repair wasn’t possible. This was a Friday and he left the bath half full of water saying to leave it overnight and drain in the morning.

Saturday morning I go to the bathroom and the bath is empty. Weird I think and go downstairs to make a cuppa, where I find water dripping from the ceiling on the kitchen.

I call LV and they send me £40 compensation and tell me someone more senior and more competent will be out Monday morning to resolve. Monday morning the same kid comes out and refits the bath, does a terrible job with the finish but I think sod it at least it’s fixed.

Until my GF takes a shower and water starts coming out the ceiling again. I call again and again they promise to come out and resolve, new guy from Gallagher Bassett this time seems better, seems to have fixed it and once the ceiling is dry they send out a painter who takes one look and says it needs replastering first.

Plasterer comes out from GB and leaves my kitchen covered in plaster but at least fixes the ceiling. Then painters come over and leave while I’m on a work call. I go in to find that they’ve bodged the job: used the wrong shade of paint, have just roughly painted around bits and not properly covered the water marks in the ceiling. And again flecks of paint all over my kitchen. Sod it I think, as long as the bath is fixed and I wanted to repaint the kitchen anyway.

A week later the leak reappears. I call LV and tell them I’m done, they need to send someone competent out and while they’re at it they can repaint my kitchen properly. Another GB employee comes out, claims it’s the sealant that’s the issue and paints a small patch of wall the correct colour and says he’ll have to wait to do the ceiling as it’s damp.

Another couple of weeks and the leak appears again so I call LV and GB and say frankly I’ve lost all confidence and I want a new contractor and I want everything they’ve done wrong fixed including the newly squeaky floorboards in the bathroom, the now not working extractor fan, the mould problem that’s appeared in my kitchen cupboard, the lot. I’m done.

They agree to send a loss adjuster and a specialist leak company out. I agree. Loss adjuster comes out and is shocked at how bad a job they’ve done and tells me the leak company will be in touch.

Just had a call from the leak company asking for £350 excess. I laugh and say no and call LV who initially claim that’s my excess for water damage. I laugh again and say they’ve caused the water damage and I’m not paying them a penny. Back on hold and they say they’ll “delay” the excess until the leak report but if their company says it’s not their fault I’ll need to pay the £350. I’ve told them my next call will be to the Financial Ombudsman.

Only just caught up on this thread. Did you get this sorted mate? I’m a loss adjuster and may be able to give you some steer if they’re still playing silly buggers.

I don’t work for GB but know of them…

 

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[shmmeee]

Only just caught up on this thread. Did you get this sorted mate? I’m a loss adjuster and may be able to give you some steer if they’re still playing silly buggers.

I don’t work for GB but know of them…

Got a leak specialist coming over today. They’re claiming if they say it’s not their fault (which is totally is) then I’ll need to pay £350. Got a complaint outstanding with them waiting for a reply.

 

[shmmeee]

Cold workplaces.

Sitting at a desk with 2 hoodies, woolie hat, jacket on and still fucking freezing.

Should be at least 16 degrees according to guidance.

 

[chiefdave]

Cold workplaces.

Sitting at a desk with 2 hoodies, woolie hat, jacket on and still fucking freezing.

I work from home which is costing a fucking fortune in heating but the chaps in the office have been told the heating isn't being turned up to normal temp this winter to save money.

 

[stay_up_skyblues]

Got a leak specialist coming over today. They’re claiming if they say it’s not their fault (which is totally is) then I’ll need to pay £350. Got a complaint outstanding with them waiting for a reply.

Ok mate. If you don’t get the outcome you expect give me a shout.

 

[stay_up_skyblues]

I work from home which is costing a fucking fortune in heating but the chaps in the office have been told the heating isn't being turned up to normal temp this winter to save money.

Have you claimed the (minuscule) tax relief toward heating and electric?

 

[Nick]

Should be at least 16 degrees according to guidance.

Was about 10 when I got in... Now 13.

 

[Nick]

I work from home which is costing a fucking fortune in heating but the chaps in the office have been told the heating isn't being turned up to normal temp this winter to save money.

At home it would be OK, I'd just have a massive fleece blanket on and slippers.

 

[fernandopartridge]

Cold workplaces.

Sitting at a desk with 2 hoodies, woolie hat, jacket on and still fucking freezing.

I'm at home and it's cold here too!

Though I bought a base layer from Mountain Warehouse that works pretty well

 

[Nick]

I'm at home and it's cold here too!

Though I bought a base layer from Mountain Warehouse that works pretty well

Ive got some amazing thermals but then I end up too hot

 

[ccfctommy]

People who think that OK Computer or Kid A are better albums than The Bends.

Have a word with yourselves.

They are!

 

[JAM See]

UHCW X-RAY dept.

Why can't they answer the phone?

 

[itsabuzzard]

UHCW X-RAY dept.

Why can't they answer the phone?

Busy posting on the "Eviction Notice" thread.

Sent from my MAR-LX1A using Tapatalk

 

[Nick]

UHCW X-RAY dept.

Why can't they answer the phone?

Probably stood around chatting or on strike or something.

 

[shmmeee]

Have you claimed the (minuscule) tax relief toward heating and electric?

You don’t get that now I thought? Only if you have an office but can’t work from it or something?

 

[stay_up_skyblues]

You don’t get that now I thought? Only if you have an office but can’t work from it or something?

Dunno mate, I’ve never had a notification from HMRC to say they’d stopped it. Still get the mighty £250 odd a year. Provided home is your primary place of work was the old rule. I know they relaxed it for covid but if you do mostly wfh you should qualify.

Edit: I have always been officially a home worker but with the option to go into the office as and when (I don’t).

 

[shmmeee]

Dunno mate, I’ve never had a notification from HMRC to say they’d stopped it. Still get the mighty £250 odd a year. Provided home is your primary place of work was the old rule. I know they relaxed it for covid but if you do mostly wfh you should qualify.

Edit: I have always been officially a home worker but with the option to go into the office as and when (I don’t).

I was looking into it and it looked like I wasn’t eligible (despite working from home as a rule)

 

[stay_up_skyblues]

I was looking into it and it looked like I wasn’t eligible (despite working from home as a rule)

View attachment 27630

Yeah, does look like the criteria has changed slightly then. I’m sure when I applied 7 or 8 years ago it didn’t matter if you chose to work at home or not, just so long as you did primarily.

Sorry you’ll miss out on that very generous relief. I mean £4 a week doesn’t even cover boiling the kettle over 35 hours anymore .

 

[shmmeee]

Yeah, does look like the criteria has changed slightly then. I’m sure when I applied 7 or 8 years ago it didn’t matter if you chose to work at home or not, just so long as you did primarily.

Sorry you’ll miss out on that very generous relief. I mean £4 a week doesn’t even cover boiling the kettle over 35 hours anymore .

I remember being a contractor in the early 2000s and you could claim everything including a quarter of my rent and my phone bill.
[/QUOTE]

 

[Sick Boy]

In some aspects yes if it's a building issue.

If it's the upkeep and the tenants not giving a shit then no.

In a lot of accommodation it’s because it’s not been properly maintained by the landlord. We had a flat that literally had water running down the walls and loads of black mold getting bigger by the day. We had enough and left and apparently they couldn’t get it back on the market and rented out for a year because it was fucked.
The downstairs neighbour told us that apparently the landlord had to redo the kitchen because they discovered the wall was dark black behind the cupboards - fucking grim.

 

[skybluejelly]

In a lot of accommodation it’s because it’s not been properly maintained by the landlord. We had a flat that literally had water running down the walls and loads of black mole getting bigger by the day. We had enough and left and apparently they couldn’t get it back on the market and rented out for a year because it was fucked.
The downstairs neighbour told us that apparently the landlord had to redo the kitchen because they discovered the wall was dark black behind the cupboards - fucking grim.

I am not surprised with a giant black moles they must be bloody massive now

 

[shmmeee]

Ok mate. If you don’t get the outcome you expect give me a shout.

So the leak man came, took the bath panel off and immediately spotted the issue. The waste pipe hadn’t been tightened and there was PTFE tape all over a fresh install, also any water that hits the shower screen just pours down the inside of the bath.

Been told it only “leaks” intermittently because it goes into the wall (which is registering 99% humidity!) and then when that’s saturated it moves to the ceiling where I can see it.

Basically I can’t use the bath until it’s been reinstalled because it’s been installed too low and the whole thing needs ripping out and refitting. So definitely not my fault then.

Any advice on asking for compensation? Been six months now showering as little as possible (thank god for work from home) and using relatives showers. Surely they should give me something?

 

[chiefdave]

So the leak man came, took the bath panel off and immediately spotted the issue. The waste pipe hadn’t been tightened and there was PTFE tape all over a fresh install, also any water that hits the shower screen just pours down the inside of the bath.

Any advice on asking for compensation? Been six months now showering as little as possible (thank god for work from home) and using relatives showers. Surely they should give me something?

I had something similar to that once, had forgotten about it until you mentioned it. Water coming through into the kitchen and despite having all the floors up nobody could work out where it was coming from until one day I had a plumber in to look at something else and he said the waste pipe wasn't fitted properly

Good luck with compensation. In my last place the oven died and it took them six months to replace, basically got told to go away when I asked for compensation as I'd had six months of not being able to cook anything

 

[stay_up_skyblues]

So the leak man came, took the bath panel off and immediately spotted the issue. The waste pipe hadn’t been tightened and there was PTFE tape all over a fresh install, also any water that hits the shower screen just pours down the inside of the bath.

Been told it only “leaks” intermittently because it goes into the wall (which is registering 99% humidity!) and then when that’s saturated it moves to the ceiling where I can see it.

Basically I can’t use the bath until it’s been reinstalled because it’s been installed too low and the whole thing needs ripping out and refitting. So definitely not my fault then.

Any advice on asking for compensation? Been six months now showering as little as possible (thank god for work from home) and using relatives showers. Surely they should give me something?

So you’ve got a solid claim for breach of contract with your insurers. They’re gonna put it right and (presumably) repair any damage at no cost to you.

In terms of pure compensation (I.e. not actual financial loss you can prove) over and above anything they want to give on a discretionary basis, the courts tend to resist unless the upheaval and inconvenience is significant (think living amongst a building site or having to move out temporarily) and even then it’s modest.

It’s a “general damages” claim for stress and inconvenience you wanna put forward. I’d cite the trips to and from friends/family and also plead loss of use of your bathroom. Maybe tell them you want £25 a day loss of use plus £500 general damages and see what they say.

If you only have the one bathroom and cannot use the bath then you should have a solid loss of use argument imo.

You should put this forward as part of your proposed outcome to the formal complaint.

 

[shmmeee]

So you’ve got a solid claim for breach of contract with your insurers. They’re gonna put it right and (presumably) repair any damage at no cost to you.

In terms of pure compensation (I.e. not actual financial loss you can prove) over and above anything they want to give on a discretionary basis, the courts tend to resist unless the upheaval and inconvenience is significant (think living amongst a building site or having to move out temporarily) and even then it’s modest.

It’s a “general damages” claim for stress and inconvenience you wanna put forward. I’d cite the trips to and from friends/family and also plead loss of use of your bathroom. Maybe tell them you want £25 a day loss of use plus £500 general damages and see what they say.

If you only have the one bathroom and cannot use the bath then you should have a solid loss of use argument imo.

You should put this forward as part of your proposed outcome to the formal complaint.

Really useful thanks.

 

[Robinshio]

Note the working from home allowance is not limited to £312 times your tax rate

How much you can claim​

You can either claim tax relief on:

• £6 a week from 6 April 2020 (for previous tax years the rate is £4 a week) - you will not need to keep evidence of your extra costs
• the exact amount of extra costs you’ve incurred above the weekly amount - you’ll need evidence such as receipts, bills or contracts

so if you work from home for say 37.5 hours , that is close to 1/4 of the time

if your annual gas and electric bill is £2500 (current cap) you could then quite rightly claim £600+

 

[shmmeee]

Note the working from home allowance is not limited to £312 times your tax rate

How much you can claim​

You can either claim tax relief on:

• £6 a week from 6 April 2020 (for previous tax years the rate is £4 a week) - you will not need to keep evidence of your extra costs
• the exact amount of extra costs you’ve incurred above the weekly amount - you’ll need evidence such as receipts, bills or contracts

so if you work from home for say 37.5 hours , that is close to 1/4 of the time

if your annual gas and electric bill is £2500 (current cap) you could then quite rightly claim £600+

But only if your company requires you to live away from the office or there is no office. Not like most WFH people who work from home despite there being an office somewhere (in my case London).

 

[Robinshio]

But only if your company requires you to live away from the office or there is no office. Not like most WFH people who work from home despite there being an office somewhere (in my case London).

not if your office is an unreasonable distance away

Who can claim tax relief​

You can claim tax relief if you have to work from home, for example because:

• your job requires you to live far away from your office
• your employer does not have an office

 

[chiefdave]

But only if your company requires you to live away from the office or there is no office. Not like most WFH people who work from home despite there being an office somewhere (in my case London).

that's the thing, what do they class as an office not being available. My company had an office locally and I was in the office 5 days a week. since covid they no longer rent that office and I work from home however they have a head office which is a 6 hour plus round trip so technically you could argue there is an office I can go to

 

[Nick]

Post Offices when you want to post something.

Long queues, people wanting to get money out and generally people who have fuck all else to do all day. There should be an express lane for people actually posting stuff.

 

[shmmeee]

not if your office is an unreasonable distance away

Who can claim tax relief​

You can claim tax relief if you have to work from home, for example because:

• your job requires you to live far away from your office
• your employer does not have an office

Except my job doesn’t require that. I could move to London if I wanted. Believe me I checked. It means things like “go live in the bum fuck nowhere to keep an eye on the company sheep” or something.

 

[shmmeee]

that's the thing, what do they class as an office not being available. My company had an office locally and I was in the office 5 days a week. since covid they no longer rent that office and I work from home however they have a head office which is a 6 hour plus round trip so technically you could argue there is an office I can go to

And they would argue that in my experience. They basically hate WFH people. I suspect the exchequer would be fucked if we could all claim what used to be standard.

 

[Nick]

The big plastic screens in shops. Mainly coop still have them but then they scan stuff and put it down you have to climb through the fucker near enough to get your shopping anyway.

 

[JAM See]

Post Offices when you want to post something.

Long queues, people wanting to get money out and generally people who have fuck all else to do all day. There should be an express lane for people actually posting stuff.

The big plastic screens in shops. Mainly coop still have them but then they scan stuff and put it down you have to climb through the fucker near enough to get your shopping anyway.

Somebody's been to their local CO-OP today to post a parcel; then get four cans of Special Brew, a multipack of Walkers ready salted, a small loaf of Mother's Pride, a tub of margarine and twenty B&H.

 

[fernandopartridge]

that's the thing, what do they class as an office not being available. My company had an office locally and I was in the office 5 days a week. since covid they no longer rent that office and I work from home however they have a head office which is a 6 hour plus round trip so technically you could argue there is an office I can go to

I was able to claim that relief even though we had an office that the employer just wouldn't open.