Who's on your shopping shitlist?

[Epona]

Don't get me started on Silverlink

Have to take the Silverlink train to work every day and the cancellations and delays are abysmal. In the evenings during peak time, the trains are absolutely jammed and half the time I can't even get on the first 2 or 3 trains that show up. If I finish work at 5, I sometimes don't get home until 8pm it's so bad.

And last year we missed a funeral due to 4 hours of delays on a Silverlink service. They also weren't running when we came back - had to pay more to get on a Virgin train, which in comparison was clean and fast, got us straight back no problems.

 

[chio]

My biggest beef with Virgin trains is the way busy trains at commuter times very often have four first-class carriages, empty save a couple of geriatrics reading the Telegraph and three standard-class ones in sardine stylée. It's 5pm and everyone's making short-ish journeys home from work, there's hardly likely to be four carriages worth of demand for first class!

At least my journey's only nine minutes

 

[LilMissHissyFit]

The trainline.com
I booked tickets through them which they sent, I returned them for a refund becuase I couldnt travel. Suddenly my details of that journey have disappeared off the system and Im having to chase them via my credit card which hasnt been refunded
I will always go to a station to buy my tickets from now on
Their customers service is in india, dont speak much english and refuse to put you through to anyone who does speak enough to answer you

 

[wtfftw]

I bank with Abbey and got charged nearly £100 in charges last month, Im not great at remembering to check statements...in the end i could not be arsed pursuing it with them...not cos i have a load of cash just i felt it would be futile and put me in a even more enraged foul mood. I keep meaning to change..bit worried at the mo though..does changing banks affect your credit score . as your always asked...how long with present bank ?

You got your statement then? my blokes didnt turn up so he's had to ask them to send him a new one.


Second vote for the trainline. Bought tickets off them but they failed to tell us our return train would have an extra 45 mins journey time due to 'works' which they knew full well when we booked the tickets.

 

[spanglechick]

loan companies that specialise in preying on the poor git up to their eyeballs in debt by telling them that reorganising their finance at stupid% APR is going to solve or their problems, and hey! Why not get extra and take a holiday while you're at it? Vampires.

 

[geminisnake]

Homecall. The only company to rival BT in the fuckwittery stakes.

Really? Been with them for about 2 yrs with no problem.

nestle, and all the obvious ones, nike, etc
argos, hell on earth

 

[lizzieloo]

loan companies that specialise in preying on the poor git up to their eyeballs in debt by telling them that reorganising their finance at stupid% APR is going to solve or their problems, and hey! Why not get extra and take a holiday while you're at it? Vampires.

Absolute pet hate

I had a rant about that on the adverts thread

 

[wtfftw]

loan companies that specialise in preying on the poor git up to their eyeballs in debt by telling them that reorganising their finance at stupid% APR is going to solve or their problems, and hey! Why not get extra and take a holiday while you're at it? Vampires.

And when you've nearly paid off the loan they send you increasing numbers of letters offering you new loans (late summer holiday? help with christmas? MORE DEBT?).

 

[dylanredefined]

Nestle though its difficult as they own so many brands .
Quite happy with ntl though rather have sky + probly inertia stops me switching .
I like mcdonalds i know its crap and bad for me and they are evil i like the food espically the breakfasts .
Being skint at the moment means i can't shop anyway so even if i boycotted anyone it would hardly matter .

 

[Sigmund Fraud]

The Trek bicycle corporation and all of its sub brands - Lemond, Bontrager, Gary Fisher. Ugly bikes with stars and bars all over the place, hasty welding and ridden by Lance Armstrong...and scores of clones in replica Discovery channel lycra. Original kings of the sweatshop and fond of bullying smaller bikeshops into taking their products and racking off rival firms. I'd rather walk than ride a Trek.

Holiday Autos - will take your cash but not guarantee you a car for 48 hours...while your money sits in their bank. Horrible cunts.

 

[Wolfie]

They (Caterpillar) may make ace shoes but they sell billions of pounds worth of machinery to the Israeli army.

http://www.catdestroyshomes.org/

When I mention this (me boycotting CAT), people generally just say "get a fucking life".

as far as I know the two companies - ie the shoe one and the earth moving machinary one - are un-related, apart from the shoe one paying the other something to use it's name ...

 

[Purdie]

i'm boycotting glucose-fructose syrup products and all the other ones with unnecessary sugar in it. (like added sugar in sardines in tomato sauce ).
Also the products that advertise themselves as no added sugar only to find they are full of artificial sweeteners.
I boycott all the overpriced rip-off shops in town and Debenhams unless i can get it in the blue cross sale
BT broadband because they had me waste two months of my life trying to get a migration code.
Morrisson's cause that place just gives me the creeps ...
Tiscali and AOL, don't like their advertising campaigns.
Don't boycott fast food chains as such since i haven't eaten their 'food' since some made me feel sick about three years ago. And coca-cola i can't drink no more
Also all the companies that contribute to the tonnes of junk mail in advertising i receive every week. Sometimes i return the stuff to sender unopened and sccribbled all over the enveloppe is a note asking them to remove me from their mailing list.
Most charity shops cause the only charity their prices reflect these days is the executives' paypackets. (where i am anyway)

 

[Ms T]

Lidl and co - malnourishing the nation on a budget!

The Brixton one's great. Loads of fruit and veg, and very good for cheese, olive oil, ham, salami and cat food.

 

[Sesquipedalian]

JF Grociers.
Staff very rude.Checkout staff esp rude.
Fuck them.

 

[Roadkill]

2) Jacksons for giving Derby the worst of all worlds....owned by a large supermarket (sainsburys), but dearer than most of the corner shops they are slowly forcing out of business with a near monpoly on the west side of the city. 49p for a pint of milk! Tesco get a lot of stick, but at least they don't charge as much as this

Jackson's were a Hull-based chain, so i've watched the effects of the Shitsbury's takeover with some interest. Basically, Jackson's was a load of overpriced shit before, and it still is. The only difference is in the fancy Sainsbury's branding. I don't go in there now - I just walk a few yards further on and patronise the Co-op instead, which is just as bad but at least it isn't Sainsbury's!


All my others have, I think, already been mentioned, but briefly:

Tsco/ASDA/Sainsbury/Scummerfield - big supermarket chains, too many things wrong with them to list, although they're a necessary evil in this day and age. But I won't go in them unless i absolutely have to, and even then i buy as many loss-leaders as possible.

Lidl - much as above, but with the extra proviso that the new one near me is doing 50% off fruit and veg to try and steal trade from the greengrocers' shops two streets away. Should never have been given planning permission, and should be closed down.

Virgin trains - utter fucking rubbish. Those Virgin Voyagers should be confined to suburban routes, since they'df make decent commuter trains. For long journeys they're hopeless. Not been on the Pendolino, but I'm told it's no better. It's no coincidence that the best train designs operating in this country are old British Rail rolling stock. Next time I have to go to the south-west, I'm seriously tempted to go via London, just to avoid another brush with the Voyagers. Better still, I could buy a car.

Stagecoach buses - There is nothing to redeem this shower of shit. Not only are they run aggressively (and illegally in some instances) by a Christian fundie wanker, but they couldn't run a bath, never mind a bus service. East Yorkshire Motor Services buses are invariably newer, cleaner, more reliable and better driven.

Plus British Gas (rip-off merchants), Npower (incompetence personified) etc etc.

 

[_angel_]

Would you travel by coach or car in order to avoid them?

Actually I have started to get my sister to drive me places (hey I'm half funding her car why not!)

Although their services have improved a lot, as was pointed out those new styleee trains have nowhere near enough luggage racks for long distance journeys.


The last time I went with the kids the train itself was fine.

However my kids are not fine and I'm not sure I can face it again, certainly not alone. (Both are autistic, and v. young)



Re the National Express: Well I couldn't do it with the two of them but I did take my eldest son on them when it was just him and me - but I found that although leaving from Leeds was fine - I explained our needs and that I needed to sit next to him - you'd be bloody amazed that coach passengers and their drivers think it is perfectly acceptable for a small child and their parent to be seated apart!! But the return voyage, despite me requesting two seats together at time of booking never, ever got booked and I got sick and tired of trying to ask people to move so me and James could sit together.

It was just too stressful to have to explain to complete strangers that my son is disabled (even though he looks 'normal' and I need to sit with him.)

They're not really that great for travelling with kids in general anyway I guess (the coach)

 

[aqua]

Virgin Trains

a walk on ticket to lodon from Brum is £100, chiltern railways is £25

and pendolino trains make me travel sick I know someone who works on the design/construction and he says this should be impossible, but I know I get really queasy when I travel on them

 

[_angel_]

Virgin Trains

a walk on ticket to lodon from Brum is £100, chiltern railways is £25

and pendolino trains make me travel sick I know someone who works on the design/construction and he says this should be impossible, but I know I get really queasy when I travel on them

Eh? It was less than that Leeds-Oxford. About 80 something.

 

[aqua]

walk on peak ticket costs £100

 

[Alf Klein]

Virgin Trains

a walk on ticket to lodon from Brum is £100, chiltern railways is £25

They have some truely stupid fares. First class open returns from Manchester to London are about 500 quid

 

[_angel_]

They have some truely stupid fares. First class open returns from Manchester to London are about 500 quid

I'm sorry, I'd want to buy the fekkin train for that price??? Or at least take a couple of carriages home with me.

What do you get for that price???

 

[nino_savatte]

Train boycott now!

 

[babymoongeese]

Nestle, Coca Cola, anything American or GM.

I'm a complete nightmare to shop with as you can imagine!!

Kids hate me as I won't do McDonalds, KFC, Burger King etc.

Keeps you thin though

Every time I use Virgin something genuinely goes badly wrong - I always complain so I'm guaranteed travel vouchers!

 

[babymoongeese]

I'm sorry, I'd want to buy the fekkin train for that price??? Or at least take a couple of carriages home with me.

What do you get for that price???

I paid £200 for 4 tickets (2 x children) from Devon to the Midlands - had to sit in the doorway for the journey up there with the kids.

The train was replaced by a coach on the return journey - even more fun!

Unable to boycott though as they are the only company that does that route - grrrrrrrrrr

 

[Alf Klein]

I'm sorry, I'd want to buy the fekkin train for that price??? Or at least take a couple of carriages home with me.

What do you get for that price???

I think you get to travel on peak time trains, in first class, which I suppose gets you a seat, with no advanced booking.

I have only seen these fares in passing when trying to book cheap tickets.

 

[crustychick]

Am veggie so automatically have nothing to do with chicken torturing companies.

Boycott all Nestle always, more out of habit these days.

Proctor and Gamble - due to vivisection policy. They own loads and loads of brands. Prob should boycott Unilever too but not looked into it enough...

don't buy sportswear-y type stuff but would never buy Nike etc. Brands are not something I like on clothes in any case...

Don't deal with household bills etc so no idea on that front. No probs with trains either.

3 Mobile, or indeed any company that has a call centre in India! they are the most infuriating things..... a good letter is what you need in that case.

Nestle though its difficult as they own so many brands .

NESTLE UK PRODUCT LIST (not guaranteed complete)
NESCAFE
Gold Blend * Blend 37 * Alta Rica * Cap Colombie * Cappuccino * Decaff * Fine Blend
DAIRY PRODUCTS Carnation * Chambourcy * Fussells * Ideal * Milkmaid * Tip-Top * Bonjour * Chamby * Creme Vienna * Darlky * Flanby * Fulcreem Custard * Hippopota * Jacky * Le Grande * Nouvelle * Robot
Also Sealtest and Haagendaas Icecream.
CONFECTIONERY AND SNACKS
Kit Kat * Maverick * Rowntree * Aero * After Eights * Lyons Maid Ice Cream * Nestle Ice Cream * Polo * Smarties * Lion Bar * Baci chocolate * Blue Riband * Breakaway * Cabana * Caramac * Caramel Wafer * Cello * Creamola * Dairy Crunch * Drifter * Eclipse * Good News * Festival * Fizzy Jerkz * Fruit Pastilles * Fox's Glacier Mints * Henri Nestle Collection * Jellytots * Karima * Lion Bar * Matchmakers * Milky Bar * Montego * Munchies * Novo * Quality Street * Rolo * RPC * Savana * Secret * Toffee Crisp * Toffo * Tooty Frooties * Walnut Whip * Weekend * Willy Wonka * Yorkie
SEASONINGS British Shoyu * British vinegars * Cook-in-the Pot * Dufrais * Sarsons vinegar
MINERAL WATER Perrier * Ashbourne * Contrexeville * Buxton * Vittel * Vittelloise
OTHER DRINKS Milo * Build-up * Caro * Elevenses * Flo-Mix * Libby's C Drinks * Mix-O-Choc * Moonshine * Nescore * Nesfit * Nesquick * Slender * Superquick * Um Bongo
PROCESSED MEALS Findus * Buitoni pasta and canned foods * Crosse & Blackwell * Maggi * Alphabetti * Bonne Cuisine * Dish of the Day * Eskimo * Four Seasons * Healthy Balance * Lean Cuisine * Pasta Choice * Rice & Things * Scrunchies * Waistline
SPREADS & PICKLES Branston Pickle * Gales Honey * Holgates Honey * Pan Yan * Sun-Pat * Tartex * Vessen pate
CEREALS Shredded Wheat * Shreddies * Cheerios * Cinnamon Toast Crunch * Cocoa Puffs * Crisp Rice * Energen low cal wheatflakes * Force * Golden Grahams * Honey Nut Cheerios * Luck Charms * Team * Robertson's cornflakes * Sunny Jim * Wheatflakes * Golden Nuggets
COSMETICS L'Oreal * Lancome * Claudel
PET FOODS Spiller's * Friskies * Go-Cat * Go-Dog
CONTACT LENS CARE Alcon *

 

[_angel_]

I paid £200 for 4 tickets (2 x children) from Devon to the Midlands - had to sit in the doorway for the journey up there with the kids.

The train was replaced by a coach on the return journey - even more fun!

Unable to boycott though as they are the only company that does that route - grrrrrrrrrr

Yup. Something similar happened to me also. Really annoyed as I had prebooked seats but the electronic thingie didn't work.

On the way back we only got (well the kids did, the important bit) a seat despite booking because of someone's kindness. Then the train (Packed both ways like sardines) stopped for two whole hours. No announcements and the train 'manager' went into hiding.

If there'd been any kind of accident people would have been buggered (in terms of being unable to move). Having said that, you could say exactly the same about the tube at rush hour.

I am so glad don't have to travel like that every day.