Comments for Natalian http://natalian.org Mobiles, Debian and the Web Thu, 21 Aug 2008 20:30:36 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 Comment on Nokia E65 from 3 by Natalian » Blog Archive » Cancelling my Three contract http://natalian.org/archives/2007/05/15/nokia-e65-from-3/#comment-34191 Natalian » Blog Archive » Cancelling my Three contract Fri, 08 Aug 2008 13:51:14 +0000 http://natalian.org/archives/2007/05/15/nokia-e65-from-3/#comment-34191 [...] 18 months of my Three contract is almost up. In order to cancel, I must call exactly 1 month before the contract [...] [...] 18 months of my Three contract is almost up. In order to cancel, I must call exactly 1 month before the contract [...]

]]> Comment on British banking - the poor customer service industry by Jake Stride http://natalian.org/archives/2008/08/06/british-banking/#comment-34190 Jake Stride Thu, 07 Aug 2008 07:33:03 +0000 http://natalian.org/?p=885#comment-34190 I have to agree and disagree on some fronts. My personal banking has been with Cahoot and Barclays until recently. Cahoot takes 4 days and it's a pain when I need to transfer money, I think this is because it's one of their terms for online banking. Don't even get me started on Barclays opening me new bank accounts left, right, and centre when I asked them specifically not to. I voted with my feet and moved to HSBC. We use them for the business banking and they are wonderful. I am now transferring to them for personal banking too. I needed to make an international payment for a conference, dropped my manager an email, received a reply within the hour saying it would all be sorted that day and it was. I have to be honest I cannot praise HSBC enough, compared to Barclays they are a shining beacon of banking delight, always in touch and on top of things, and they even took me out for lunch recently, can't say better than that! I have to agree and disagree on some fronts.

My personal banking has been with Cahoot and Barclays until recently. Cahoot takes 4 days and it’s a pain when I need to transfer money, I think this is because it’s one of their terms for online banking. Don’t even get me started on Barclays opening me new bank accounts left, right, and centre when I asked them specifically not to.

I voted with my feet and moved to HSBC.

We use them for the business banking and they are wonderful. I am now transferring to them for personal banking too.

I needed to make an international payment for a conference, dropped my manager an email, received a reply within the hour saying it would all be sorted that day and it was. I have to be honest I cannot praise HSBC enough, compared to Barclays they are a shining beacon of banking delight, always in touch and on top of things, and they even took me out for lunch recently, can’t say better than that!

]]> Comment on British banking - the poor customer service industry by hendry http://natalian.org/archives/2008/08/06/british-banking/#comment-34189 hendry Thu, 07 Aug 2008 07:24:38 +0000 http://natalian.org/?p=885#comment-34189 @Jamie: I'm trying to do two things. Raise awareness that UK banking service industry is in fact, crap. Second, write to the "higher powers". Would you rather me use VISA, paypal and the like because banks are too greedy & stupid? VISA already has too much power. I'm afraid banks have to be dragged kicking and screaming to the competitive world, be regulation. @Adamski: Last time I sent Kruger coins to fund your medical degree through the post they mysteriously vanished. ;) @Joose: Does Finland/Nordea support some really easy to use checkout system like Google? I would move my operations to Finland, but then again I am petrified of the high taxes. Why can't I operate from some little Caribbean Islands like most shipping companies seem to do...? @Jamie: I’m trying to do two things. Raise awareness that UK banking service industry is in fact, crap. Second, write to the “higher powers”. Would you rather me use VISA, paypal and the like because banks are too greedy & stupid? VISA already has too much power. I’m afraid banks have to be dragged kicking and screaming to the competitive world, be regulation.

@Adamski: Last time I sent Kruger coins to fund your medical degree through the post they mysteriously vanished. ;)

@Joose: Does Finland/Nordea support some really easy to use checkout system like Google? I would move my operations to Finland, but then again I am petrified of the high taxes.

Why can’t I operate from some little Caribbean Islands like most shipping companies seem to do…?

]]> Comment on British banking - the poor customer service industry by Joose Vettenranta http://natalian.org/archives/2008/08/06/british-banking/#comment-34188 Joose Vettenranta Thu, 07 Aug 2008 05:58:39 +0000 http://natalian.org/?p=885#comment-34188 Solution: Use some bank in Finland (except Sampopankki), say like Nordea. Bank transfers to some EU country costs as much as transfer inside Finland. Solution: Use some bank in Finland (except Sampopankki), say like Nordea. Bank transfers to some EU country costs as much as transfer inside Finland.

]]> Comment on British banking - the poor customer service industry by Adamski http://natalian.org/archives/2008/08/06/british-banking/#comment-34185 Adamski Thu, 07 Aug 2008 01:00:15 +0000 http://natalian.org/?p=885#comment-34185 Why do you have to use money transfers? I had you down as a brown envelope man dealing only in jewels or gold! Why do you have to use money transfers? I had you down as a brown envelope man dealing only in jewels or gold!

]]> Comment on Barclays PIN sentry by Dave West http://natalian.org/archives/2007/11/08/barclays-pin-sentry/#comment-34184 Dave West Wed, 06 Aug 2008 21:59:28 +0000 http://natalian.org/archives/2007/11/08/barclays-pin-sentry/#comment-34184 I have a joint account with my wife. She can use PIN Sentry as she has the new connect card (bright blue). I have the older (dark blue) card and cannot use PIN sentry. I use online banking with my business both at Lloyds and Natwest and both are easier to use. We have opened a new joint account with Lloyds, with a tracker savings account linked in and we are weaning ourselves off Barclays. It is a cumbersome method of doing random key creation. Some French banks have an on-line version, which saves carrying yet another device, which can be lost or stolen and thereefore cloned or fraudulently used. I have a joint account with my wife. She can use PIN Sentry as she has the new connect card (bright blue). I have the older (dark blue) card and cannot use PIN sentry. I use online banking with my business both at Lloyds and Natwest and both are easier to use. We have opened a new joint account with Lloyds, with a tracker savings account linked in and we are weaning ourselves off Barclays.

It is a cumbersome method of doing random key creation. Some French banks have an on-line version, which saves carrying yet another device, which can be lost or stolen and thereefore cloned or fraudulently used.

]]> Comment on British banking - the poor customer service industry by Jamie Kitson http://natalian.org/archives/2008/08/06/british-banking/#comment-34181 Jamie Kitson Wed, 06 Aug 2008 20:06:23 +0000 http://natalian.org/?p=885#comment-34181 You don't suggest a solution. Regulation? I can't see you as someone to promote regularisation. How about you stop using them, paypal is convenient, instant and relatively cheap for international transfers, though stupidly expensive for national transfers. You don’t suggest a solution. Regulation? I can’t see you as someone to promote regularisation. How about you stop using them, paypal is convenient, instant and relatively cheap for international transfers, though stupidly expensive for national transfers.

]]> Comment on Barclays and EU banking by Natalian » Blog Archive » British banking - the poor customer service industry http://natalian.org/archives/2006/08/26/barclays-and-eu-banking/#comment-34180 Natalian » Blog Archive » British banking - the poor customer service industry Wed, 06 Aug 2008 19:47:22 +0000 http://natalian.org/archives/2006/08/26/barclays-and-eu-banking/#comment-34180 [...] the business I direct I typically have to do business all over the world. To do transfers in the EU or the USA, prepare to wait at least 5 working days, fill in forms physically at your bank and pay [...] [...] the business I direct I typically have to do business all over the world. To do transfers in the EU or the USA, prepare to wait at least 5 working days, fill in forms physically at your bank and pay [...]

]]> Comment on Three’s threat to 3G data by Adamski http://natalian.org/archives/2008/05/20/threes-threat-to-3g-data/#comment-34179 Adamski Tue, 05 Aug 2008 16:58:17 +0000 http://natalian.org/?p=850#comment-34179 Kai, I am just not sure that this is an appropriate construct of a complaint letter. Particularly the WTF to finish. :) Subject: My 3 Bill & Payments enquiry, PartyId 55297261, Msisdn 447882= 177974, From hendry__at__iki.fi """Sorry, there is no data usage for this mobile.""" I just received a surprisingly text message from 3 that I am exceeding my "= fair usage". My data traffic is usually 20 megs... i.e. NO WHERE CLOSE to 1= G. So WTF is going on? Kai, I am just not sure that this is an appropriate construct of a complaint letter.

Particularly the WTF to finish.

:)

Subject: My 3 Bill & Payments enquiry, PartyId 55297261, Msisdn 447882=
177974, From hendry__at__iki.fi

“”“Sorry, there is no data usage for this mobile.”“”

I just received a surprisingly text message from 3 that I am exceeding my “=
fair usage”. My data traffic is usually 20 megs… i.e. NO WHERE CLOSE to 1=
G.

So WTF is going on?

]]> Comment on Discover your daily electricity cost by Adamski http://natalian.org/archives/2008/06/29/daily-electricity-cost/#comment-34178 Adamski Tue, 05 Aug 2008 16:51:07 +0000 http://natalian.org/?p=859#comment-34178 Your electricity company seemed to think that the standard rate units would make up 14.5% of your annual consumption. This gives an annual average unit (1 unit = 1 kilowatt hour) cost of 10.11 pence (based on unit costs from April 1). Your 50W spotlight uses 1.2 kilowatt hours (kWh) in a day. 1.2x10.11 gives a daily running cost of 12.13 pence (apparently cheaper than your tariff now but we will come back to that). Without actual readings to base the bills on by changing to variable direct debits your energy spend will only be as accurate as the estimated readings the bills are based on. The tariff you were on split the electricity you used into standard and discounted units. The first 900 units per annum are charged at the standard rate and all subsequent units are charged at the discounted rate. On each bill these will units will be split pro rata. This can be a good tariff for customers with high energy demands who consume the majority of their electricity during the day. People who use a lot of electricity overnight (ie, heating) would probably be better off with a two rate (day/night) meter where they could exploit the cheaper off-peak units. Judging from your calculation of daily spotlight running costs of 14.54 pence it seems that the fixed unit price you are now on is approximately 12.12p. This is more than the average unit price of your previous tariff of 10.11p/kWh (calculated using your supplier's estimation of your annual consumption as approximately 6200 kWh). What is interesting is that the average unit price of your old tariff is equal to your new unit price when your annual consumption is around 1500 kWh. This means that if your annual consumption is less than 1500 kWh your new tariff saves you money but the more you go over 1500 the more this tariff will cost you. I wait with bated breath for your first actual meter reading ;) Your electricity company seemed to think that the standard rate units would make up 14.5% of your annual consumption. This gives an annual average unit (1 unit = 1 kilowatt hour) cost of 10.11 pence (based on unit costs from April 1). Your 50W spotlight uses 1.2 kilowatt hours (kWh) in a day. 1.2×10.11 gives a daily running cost of 12.13 pence (apparently cheaper than your tariff now but we will come back to that).

Without actual readings to base the bills on by changing to variable direct debits your energy spend will only be as accurate as the estimated readings the bills are based on.

The tariff you were on split the electricity you used into standard and discounted units. The first 900 units per annum are charged at the standard rate and all subsequent units are charged at the discounted rate. On each bill these will units will be split pro rata. This can be a good tariff for customers with high energy demands who consume the majority of their electricity during the day. People who use a lot of electricity overnight (ie, heating) would probably be better off with a two rate (day/night) meter where they could exploit the cheaper off-peak units.

Judging from your calculation of daily spotlight running costs of 14.54 pence it seems that the fixed unit price you are now on is approximately 12.12p. This is more than the average unit price of your previous tariff of 10.11p/kWh (calculated using your supplier’s estimation of your annual consumption as approximately 6200 kWh). What is interesting is that the average unit price of your old tariff is equal to your new unit price when your annual consumption is around 1500 kWh. This means that if your annual consumption is less than 1500 kWh your new tariff saves you money but the more you go over 1500 the more this tariff will cost you.

I wait with bated breath for your first actual meter reading ;)

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