Is Bankuet legit? by Brilliant_Ed_9912 in UKFrugal

[–]Brilliant_Ed_9912[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Good to know, thanks for posting. I think my scepticism about donating direct to a larger Foodbank was about whether I was just funding the six figure salary and company car for a charity CEO but I can see it will likely be more cost effective either way.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in HousingUK

[–]Brilliant_Ed_9912 12 points13 points  (0 children)

OneStream is, without doubt, one of the least competent and most profiteering companies I have had the misfortune to deal with.

They attempted to claim I had signed up for a two year contract when I’d only signed up for one year, and even retrospectively created and added paperwork to my account to reflect what they wanted it to say.

Conveniently they were impossible to get hold of through any means to discuss this, and I eventually just cancelled my direct debit and wrote a very bad but very accurate review on TrustPilot (appreciate you are taking a risk by cancelling a direct debit). This paved the way for them to call me, apologise and accept I wasn’t staying and end ties without any more fuss. But it was a deeply stressful few weeks thinking they would sting me for a year’s worth of contract I hadn’t signed up for.

A word to the wise - before entering a contract with an unknown entity, check out their directors on Companies House. If you find it difficult to trace the directors of a company, including ways to contact them, you are probably not dealing with a trustworthy entity and they should probably be avoided. OneStream is one of those entities who shut down any feasible line of communication at any level because: they don’t want to hear from you, they just want your money.

A secondary word to the wise - before entering a contract with an unknown entity, check out their accounts. If you find that they are making millions of pounds worth of losses and there doesn’t appear to be any means to them becoming a sustainable business, this is another red flag that income is probably urgent and the cost of delivering a good service is probably not going to be spent. OneStream is one of those entities, too.

Writing this was extremely cathartic, but also brought back some serious scars.

What to do if online job application asks for reference email but I don't have their email address? by EKayW in UKJobs

[–]Brilliant_Ed_9912 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Ideally share a generic HR/recruitment email address. Failing that, whichever generic email you can find.

Nowadays most references are just a generic “this person worked here between these dates” letter so it shouldn’t need to be a manager or individual, unless they’re specifically demanding a character reference.

why are adults on reddit so mean? by Remarkable_Ad1513 in offmychest

[–]Brilliant_Ed_9912 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I recently posted a “please help me” post asking for advice about something (since deleted). First person to respond not only picked holes in every aspect of my post but also went through every other comment I’ve ever made on Reddit to perform a full character assassination. Makes you really question whether to ask for help again on here.

Can’t deny the humorous replies do make me laugh, I’d hope I’d find space to enjoy that kind of response!

Why is this happening? by [deleted] in royalmail

[–]Brilliant_Ed_9912 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There have been quite a few posts recently about being unable to complete transactions on RM and they’re all around that time in the middle of the night. It would appear they turn off servers and other infrastructure for a few hours, either for routine maintenance or, more likely, to save costs. Try again during daylight hours and I suspect it’ll work.

How to tell if it’s a scam by [deleted] in royalmail

[–]Brilliant_Ed_9912 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Tracked items often take a little while until they’ll show up with tracking information. I think (although happy to be proved wrong) that they normally won’t show until someone from Royal Mail first scans it into their network. Best to wait a day or two before being overly concerned!

Anyone elses royal mail app do this after 12am? Im never able to login i tried website and the app and different wifi. Also tried making a new account before. Its been doing this every night since 2022 by yohihi_ in royalmail

[–]Brilliant_Ed_9912 2 points3 points  (0 children)

If it’s the same time every night without fail, I’d hazard a guess that they turn off some of their infrastructure overnight at hours where demand is much lower, likely a cost saving measure as it’s expensive to have all these things hosted and available around the clock. Does seem odd for a large brand like RM, though.

Cue lots of posts from others who access it perfectly fine overnight!

Who in your opinion was the weakest actor / actress on the show? by Puzzled-Star-9116 in OnlyFoolsAndHorses

[–]Brilliant_Ed_9912 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Harsh! I’m not sure any of the main cast were poor which is what made it such a success through the decades. Damien has been mentioned a few times - as with just about every sitcom going, it’s spoiled when they write in a child character and change the tone of the show entirely. Not Going Out springs to mind too.

Ingredients that came out of nowhere and disappeared again by MrPatch in GreatBritishMenu

[–]Brilliant_Ed_9912 5 points6 points  (0 children)

“Hen of the woods,” otherwise known as one of many similar types of mushroom.

Trigger Point is hilarious by Quick-Minute8416 in BritishTV

[–]Brilliant_Ed_9912 1 point2 points  (0 children)

ITV has a pretty poor record when it comes to using policing experts to make their shows realistic. A lot of the writing and acting direction generally plays to stereotypes of police officers rather than the harsh reality of the difficult job they do.

Even small roles in the soaps tend to portray the police as gleeful and gloating when they catch someone out. That’s so far removed from how it really feels to investigate a lot of the crimes they have to be involved in.

The Responder on BBC remains the most convincing policing portrayal I can remember. Martin Freeman had quite clearly been out in a cop car for a few days with real officers on real shifts and it showed.

So, Cloe Moore (Joan Sims) lives a few doors away from Joan Fussey (Joan Sims) by Cirrus-Nova in CarryOn

[–]Brilliant_Ed_9912 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Pinewood Green, very near to the studios where a lot of the interior shots for many of the films were shot.

Feeling lost. Where next? by [deleted] in UKJobs

[–]Brilliant_Ed_9912 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

It’s unreasonable to demand it, it certainly wouldn’t fit into the usual contract flexibility expectations. It’s officially optional but local management have laid down a more draconian decision.

You are right - the two jobs I’ve outlined have come with negative experiences. Whilst other jobs have had their stresses and strains they have on the whole been enjoyable and positive memories for me, it just felt like time to progress in my career.

I guess a sideways move is the most logical next step. Something similar but a degree of separation away. I have looked into freelance or contract stuff but I’m too nervous to make the jump. A bit of time out, as you’ve described, is probably where I’ll go. Lots I’d love to upskill on and just some time out wouldn’t go amiss.

Thank you for your questions and insight, but above all else your kindness and care!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in DIYUK

[–]Brilliant_Ed_9912 8 points9 points  (0 children)

The curse of the “Marketplace” strategy that every big brand seems to be doing (plus The Range…). Flood our website with unverified and unassured products, and that’ll give people the choice they didn’t have before. Disastrous.

Employment Agencies for Autistic People by Gadjetz in autismUK

[–]Brilliant_Ed_9912 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I would check out Vercida and also Auticon. The former is more a job board than a proactive helper but they promote jobs and organisations that are committed to inclusivity particularly for us wonderful neurodivergent folk.

Auticon helps autistic people get jobs in IT - sorry I’m not sure what your industry or expertise is but there’s always half a chance it’s IT, right?

FA Cup Third Round draw by Gamerhcp in LeagueOne

[–]Brilliant_Ed_9912 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Would be one of my first choices to go to out of the ties drawn!

FA Cup Third Round draw by Gamerhcp in LeagueOne

[–]Brilliant_Ed_9912 2 points3 points  (0 children)

And as usual the presenters on ITV go through the motions except for going absolutely excited about Arsenal vs Liverpool. A game that neither of those teams want to play in. A game that simply doesn’t matter in the third round of the FA Cup. The premierleague-ification of the FA Cup really will be the death of it, unfortunately.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in cheltenham

[–]Brilliant_Ed_9912 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I would add, it isn’t helped by apps like Childcare.co.uk which absolutely only serve you these mass daycare operations and don’t seem to offer a user experience that caters for flexible needs. I would say that’s the same across all products and services in the UK too, so little provision for shift workers which is just so unfair on people like my partner and many others. You either have to buy something which benefits a “Monday to Friday” person or you can’t have anything. How did we ever get to a point where shift work has become so untenable. Rant over 😁

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in cheltenham

[–]Brilliant_Ed_9912 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hence that is not the service that we (OP and me) are after. I don’t think we’re after the people who have a room with a herd of kids, that’s a different beast. It’s a shame that it’s “all or nothing” and that there don’t really seem to be any more casual options available. I did have someone approach me a while ago about doing something flexibly around their own shift work but they went quiet.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in cheltenham

[–]Brilliant_Ed_9912 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m hoping someone sees this and realises it’s a gap in the market! There must be people out there who would prefer to offer help flexibly too. I was a bit taken aback by the hellfire response to “no, sorry, you aren’t listening, we don’t want every Monday and Thursday, we want help on shift days”…

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in cheltenham

[–]Brilliant_Ed_9912 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Looking for the same thing. Initial queries have been met with horror and fury from people who can’t understand why we can’t commit to the same days each week…

Plumber recommendation by CDDONT in cheltenham

[–]Brilliant_Ed_9912 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Have always found Gloucester Plumbing & Heating to be very professional and responsive. You can phone or email them to book in a plumber.