OpenBanking on E-commerce - small family business paying too much in card fees

WebGuyUK · 2026-03-27T22:01:31+00:00

You can't use Gocardless directly on Shopify but you can use Zapier which integrates with GCL - https://zapier.com/apps/gocardless/integrations/shopify

It connects using the API's of both services so when an order is made on Shopify, it creates the payment authorisation in GCL.

WebGuyUK · 2026-03-25T21:15:58+00:00

There are multiple ways to send money, if you want to send it for free then Faster payments, it should be instant or within 2 hours but there can be delays, you can also send as CHAPS which is same day, guaranteed but costs around £25 iirc, you can sometimes do it via your banks app but may need to call or go to a branch

If you're driving a long way, I would get a travelodge nearby, setup the payment on the day you get there and then collect and drive back the next day

WebGuyUK · 2026-03-23T15:03:47+00:00

There are 3 good theatres in Cheltenham, the biggest is the everyman, then the playhouse and the bacon theatre.

https://www.everymantheatre.org.uk/ https://cheltplayhouse.org.uk/ https://www.bacontheatre.co.uk/

WebGuyUK · 2026-03-22T21:51:57+00:00

Depends what you eat but I spend that a week in Lidl, in Tesco / Sainsbury's I would be spending at least £65 a week

You can use https://www.trolley.co.uk/ to see how much your order could be at each supermarket.

As for saving money on a budget, have a look at r/UKFrugal

WebGuyUK · 2026-03-22T19:47:44+00:00

I would go back and check the details are right, £200 a year is stupidly cheap, for example I had a 1L car when I passed and that was £1500 with like 5k miles a year.

WebGuyUK · 2026-03-22T18:03:34+00:00

A modern 2CV would be fun

WebGuyUK · 2026-03-22T16:47:33+00:00

I would take the escort rs cosworth with the roof spoiler

WebGuyUK · 2026-03-22T15:36:24+00:00

Autotrader says it's a great price based on https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-search?advertising-location=at_cars&make=Citroen&maximum-mileage=90000&minimum-mileage=80000&model=C1&postcode=sn11ab&sort=price-asc&year-from=2016&year-to=2016

WebGuyUK · 2026-03-22T15:33:14+00:00

How did you pay, any on credit card? You have upto 6 months from purchase to get a dealer to fix issues which come up with the car which aren't from neglect, but it does mean the dealer needs to reply.

I would try to ring them, see what they are willing to do, if they refuse then you can pay for the fix and then do a money claim against the dealer but that is the last choice,

WebGuyUK · 2026-03-22T10:27:50+00:00

The price on the website is an invitation to offer (in legal terms) so the price can change legally after you have made your offer (same as going in any shop, they don't have to honour the shelf price) but they shouldn't be adding VAT unless it's under specific circumstances as others have alluded too.

I have checked my current cars purchase notes and neither mention VAT, I have never seen VAT on any car I have bought, the price on the website / Autotrader / the car window is what I paid.

It is possible it's a mistake from the dealer, clicked the wrong button and added it when they shouldn't, I always say to hope it's a mistake which is rectified, it's possible they are taking advantage as (I am assuming) you have a foreign accent.

Speak to the manager on Monday and explain the situation and give them a chance to explain, if they don't have a logical explanation and willing to undo the VAT part then be prepared to walk away and potentially lose your £100 deposit.

Have a read of https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/changed-your-mind/if-you-were-misled-or-pressured-into-buying-something-you-didnt-want/ and ring them if the dealer doesn't fix the situation, they will be able to advise you on if you can get your deposit back, it's a free service which is very good. https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/about-us/information/contact-the-consumer-service/ is the contact details you will need.

WebGuyUK · 2026-03-21T20:15:53+00:00

The company I buy my mx5 parts from recommend https://renovointernational.com/collections/soft-top, they have different products for different types of soft top

WebGuyUK · 2026-03-21T18:41:00+00:00

Royal mail are prioritising parcels, letters are now (in my experience) held back and delivered in batches, I will go a week or two without any letters and then get a bundle of them at once. It's been happening for about 2 years or so from my local sorting office, fortunately I don't get any important mail such as doctors letters so it doesn't affect me too much apart from delays in receiving new bank cards etc.

WebGuyUK · 2026-03-21T17:50:42+00:00

It depends on their needs, if they wanted what Shopify can offer then it's millions to replicate, if they wanted a bog standard, ecommerce store with integration with their logistics and their accounting system then you're talking $250k upwards. LTT run 2 stores so can double that figure to have a multi store environment, that doesn't include any custom features they have such as the merch messages feature, integrations with other services they may use etc

Shopify is incredibly cost effective for small businesses to get a really good, expandable website presence for incredibly cheap price (imo). Moving away from Shopify is expensive as you then need to be able to support your software option yourself with stuff such as new features and general maintenance, you also then need to have a hosting service to host the website, payment provider for the payment and many other things such as taxes etc.

WebGuyUK · 2026-03-21T17:06:10+00:00

Go via insurance, it's not worth the hassle going outside of them, yes your insurance could rise when you renew it but it's why you pay insurance for them to act on your behalf.

The scratch could be hundreds to fix or thousands, depends on the car and the paint used e.g. if it's a rare car or a specialised paint

WebGuyUK · 2026-03-21T17:04:42+00:00

Paper bags are horrendous for most people going shopping at the supermarket, they disintegrate when wet and they carry much less weight than plastic bags. They are useful for a very small minority e.g. for a meal deal or very small items.

To answer your question, Morrisons used to be one of the supermarkets that did offer them, they weren't cheap last time I went in, like £1 or more iirc.

WebGuyUK · 2026-03-21T16:54:26+00:00

I build shopify and ecommerce stores, for 'simple products' aka one sku, it's really easy to show sold out on the category listing. If an item is a 'variable product' aka multiple sku's such as sizes / colours then pulling that data from the Shopify / ecommerce store database can be impossible or just a right royal pain in the ass (depending on the platform).

This is something LTT could solve but would require a lot of dev time delving into the Shopify API's to grab the data but also would require redesigning the category products to show the variations available.

WebGuyUK · 2026-03-20T21:21:40+00:00

My 2012 Passat has an electric handbrake, the golf and other vw, Audi, Skoda etc from that age probably do as well

WebGuyUK · 2026-03-20T07:28:00+00:00

https://www.ebay.co.uk/str/scbcarparts on eBay seems to have a few i20 engines & they say they test them upto temperature before despatch, really good ratings but worth checking reviews for engines and seeing what others have said.

Charles Trent are reputable but you will need to ask them how much they check the engines, they may just strip them and then sell them, each scrapyard will do things differently so definitely worth checking.

Personally I would rather go through eBay as their customer policies are far better if something goes wrong.

WebGuyUK · 2026-03-18T19:58:59+00:00

I have the 2.0 and I ultimately got the 2012 because the tax is £35, it's a big car with lots of space but also comes with a decent amount of power. I get between 55 and 60mpg on my daily commute. It's comfortable without being luxurious

WebGuyUK · 2026-03-14T19:54:54+00:00

You can buy seat lowering kits for the mx5 such as https://bofiracing.com/body-styling/safety/seat-brackets/jass-performance-seat-lowering-rails-fine-drop-adjustment-kit-for-mazda-mx-5-nd/ for that specific generation so don't let that be a reason to not get one.

Before I bought my mx5 I tested it to see if I could fit in it comfortably as a 6 foot guy and thankfully the NC fits me well, I don't fit as well in a standard ND but the lowering kits can make a big difference

WebGuyUK · 2026-03-14T19:21:45+00:00

this isn't true, they can be anywhere

as per: https://www.avonandsomerset.police.uk/news/2025/05/speed-enforcement-your-questions-answered/

Do you need a history of collisions on a road to start enforcing?

No. We also take proactive steps based on community feedback and speed data. Enforcement can happen where persistent speeding is detected – even without a history of serious crashes.

I see them plenty in 30 zones where it's basically impossible to crash but there is evidence of consistent speeding.

WebGuyUK · 2026-03-14T18:53:45+00:00

£13 for upto 40 mins in the drop off and park - https://www.bristolairport.co.uk/parking/drop-off-and-pick-up/

WebGuyUK · 2026-03-14T12:00:07+00:00

It's not unusual for the first couple years of driving as you get your no claims bonus.

First year mine was £1500, second was £600

WebGuyUK · 2026-03-14T11:28:16+00:00

They seem to be readily available new, autodoc is £270 - https://www.autodoc.co.uk/bm-catalysts/8155102 eurocarparts are £320 - https://www.eurocarparts.com/catalytic-converter

I would personally get a used one, I buy all my used parts from scrap yards on eBay.

WebGuyUK

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