On Tue, 11 Dec 2012 12:23:21 +0000, Fredxx wrote:

As for the inabilty to leave a negative, can you leave the same
words but flagged "positive"? 100% positive over a several months
to a year I'd find suspicious, raise it with your local Trading
Standards?

Is it actually possible to do this these days? I thought one had
first to talk to Consumer Direct, and only if they think you have a
case do they refer it to your local TS?

Well I've talked direct with Trading Standards in the past but it was a
few years ago. I wouldn't be surprised if another layer of officialdom
has been placed in the path to provide employment for more civil
servants. Having said that it might not be a bad idea to filter out the
"complaints" from the terminally stupid, "I bought a china plate an
dropped it on a concrete floor, it broke but the supplier is refusing to
replace it".

My local council had abdicated responsibility to the Citizens Advice
Bureau. It may be run by seemingly good people but they have no powers
of investigation.

There is a clue in the name "Advice"... I don't think the CAB have ever
had any investigative powers. They are there to give advice to the public
on what course(s) of action are available and how to go about those
actions rather than actually do it. It is up to the person actually
pursue things.

--
Cheers
Dave.

On Wed, 12 Dec 2012 09:07:17 +0000 (GMT), "Dave Liquorice"
wrote:

There is a clue in the name "Advice"... I don't think the CAB have ever
had any investigative powers. They are there to give advice to the public
on what course(s) of action are available and how to go about those
actions rather than actually do it. It is up to the person actually
pursue things.

The CAB offices actually do things, too. Phoning up relevant
departments and quoting the official regs to them has an electrifying
effect. Those people live and die by regulations, so when somebody at
the CAB who knows them inside out plays them at their own game, it can
get results.

On Wed, 12 Dec 2012 20:44:26 +0000, Grimly Curmudgeon
wrote:

On Wed, 12 Dec 2012 09:07:17 +0000 (GMT), "Dave Liquorice"
wrote:

There is a clue in the name "Advice"... I don't think the CAB have ever
had any investigative powers. They are there to give advice to the public
on what course(s) of action are available and how to go about those
actions rather than actually do it. It is up to the person actually
pursue things.

The CAB offices actually do things, too. Phoning up relevant
departments and quoting the official regs to them has an electrifying
effect. Those people live and die by regulations, so when somebody at
the CAB who knows them inside out plays them at their own game, it can
get results.

I guess it depends on your CAB office. I found ours to be useless
and, I hear, it's being closed due to the cutbacks.

TS don't deal direct with consumers here anymore[1], but it depends
where you live. It's Consumer Direct[2] or nothing now.

[1] Which is a real shame because it usually took one call from TS to
sort out a problem and now it needs endless letters and court action
to achieve the same.
[2] Typically "dumbed down" advice.
--
(\__/) M.
(='.'=) If a man stands in a forest and no woman is around
(")_(") is he still wrong?

On Thu, 13 Dec 2012 10:53:24 +0000, Mark
wrote:

I guess it depends on your CAB office. I found ours to be useless
and, I hear, it's being closed due to the cutbacks.

Oh yes, it varied a lot. I was lucky enough to meet a few CAB folk who
were like terriers. Otoh, some offices tended to be staffed by people
who were terribly well-meaning but ineffective.