Jump to content

Recommended Posts

Jeremy Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> These companies rarely buy the property

> themselves, they're essentially an agency/broker

> for cash investors.

>

> Without doubt unscrupulous. But I find it hard to

> muster sympathy for people daft enough to fall for

> it.


People sometimes need to move house quickly (ill-health, new job). They fall for a sales patter, and, to be fair to those people, the companies involved are quite devious and persuasive - claiming to be endorsed by celebrities, charities and that they're regulated by the Property Ombudsman (who have no legal powers).


As you say, completely unscrupulous. But, unfortunately, perfectly legal. What is needed - and should have happened years ago - was for them to be regulated somehow.

Surely it is only a small number of highly vulnerable individuals who don't have the ability to figure out for themselves what their house is really worth (or have people who can help them with this). Of course I have sympathy for these people. But if it's simply a question of falling for sales patter (or worse still, celebrity endorsements) then I have very little...

Agree, but where do you draw the line?


Thetrainline.com (more expensive than booking via train companies, yet ASA turn a blind eye to their fraudulent claims)


Mobile phone companies (who effectively charge an extortionate rate of interest if you get a smartphone directly from them as part of a package)


Insurance companies racking up renewal rates and associated charges for loyal customers (nearly always cheaper to renew as a new customer)


The list goes on

Lowlander Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------


> Thetrainline.com (more expensive than booking via train companies, yet ASA turn a blind eye to their

> fraudulent claims)


Really? Apart from adding the ?1 fee, I've not seen any difference between TTL and train companies prices. Have I missed something?

Ex-council houses sold off at massive discount to people who then struggle to keep up repayments. Sell it on to one of these sharks, again for less then market value and suddenly it's part of someone's property portfolio. They rent it back to someone who would previously been renting from the council at full market rates and taxpayer picks up the housing benefit bill. Everybody gets shafted, except the 'buy to letter', who get's a lovely big subsidy from the state and claims it's free market capitalism in practice.
Greed is good and profit before people and all that. The government today sold it's 40% stake in Eurostar (a profittable business btw) to the French and Canadians. And we wonder why we have poor tax receipts and our economy is nose diving? Why don't we have the power to stop a government, that never had a public mandate to govern, from selling of what little is left to foreign shareholders?

Loz Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Lowlander Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

>

> > Thetrainline.com (more expensive than booking

> via train companies, yet ASA turn a blind eye to

> their

> > fraudulent claims)

>

> Really? Apart from adding the ?1 fee, I've not

> seen any difference between TTL and train

> companies prices. Have I missed something?


Trainline charge credit card fees, postage fees and booking fees.


Booking direct avoids those (and you can buy tickets for any train company from any train company).


East Coast used to offer 10% discount but now give Nectar points instead.


Southern offer a no quibble refund on unused tickets (others charge at least ?10).


Telegraph found that booking direct saves around ?10 on average http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/markets/11333215/Can-Trainline-be-more-than-a-railway-middleman.html

Lowlander Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Loz Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Lowlander Wrote:

> >

> --------------------------------------------------

>

> > -----

> >

> > > Thetrainline.com (more expensive than booking

> > via train companies, yet ASA turn a blind eye

> to

> > their

> > > fraudulent claims)

> >

> > Really? Apart from adding the ?1 fee, I've not

> > seen any difference between TTL and train

> > companies prices. Have I missed something?

>

> Trainline charge credit card fees, postage fees

> and booking fees.

>

> Booking direct avoids those (and you can buy

> tickets for any train company from any train

> company).

>

> East Coast used to offer 10% discount but now give

> Nectar points instead.

>

> Southern offer a no quibble refund on unused

> tickets (others charge at least ?10).

>

> Telegraph found that booking direct saves around

> ?10 on average

> http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/markets/1133321

> 5/Can-Trainline-be-more-than-a-railway-middleman.h

> tml



I've never paid more than a pound extra. I collect my tickets from a machine at the station, which is the easiest method anyway.


I'd be astonished if most train companies didn't charge to send tickets home.

rahrahrah Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Ex-council houses sold off at massive discount to

> people who then struggle to keep up repayments.

> Sell it on to one of these sharks, again for less

> then market value and suddenly it's part of

> someone's property portfolio. They rent it back to

> someone who would previously been renting from the

> council at full market rates and taxpayer picks up

> the housing benefit bill. Everybody gets shafted,

> except the 'buy to letter', who get's a lovely big

> subsidy from the state and claims it's free market

> capitalism in practice.


Im not seeing any surplus value from that construct bro'

titch juicy Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Lowlander Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Loz Wrote:

> >

> --------------------------------------------------

>

> > -----

> > > Lowlander Wrote:

> > >

> >

> --------------------------------------------------

>

> >

> > > -----

> > >

> > > > Thetrainline.com (more expensive than

> booking

> > > via train companies, yet ASA turn a blind eye

> > to

> > > their

> > > > fraudulent claims)

> > >

> > > Really? Apart from adding the ?1 fee, I've

> not

> > > seen any difference between TTL and train

> > > companies prices. Have I missed something?

> >

> > Trainline charge credit card fees, postage fees

> > and booking fees.

> >

> > Booking direct avoids those (and you can buy

> > tickets for any train company from any train

> > company).

> >

> > East Coast used to offer 10% discount but now

> give

> > Nectar points instead.

> >

> > Southern offer a no quibble refund on unused

> > tickets (others charge at least ?10).

> >

> > Telegraph found that booking direct saves

> around

> > ?10 on average

> >

> http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/markets/1133321

>

> >

> 5/Can-Trainline-be-more-than-a-railway-middleman.h

>

> > tml

>

>

> I've never paid more than a pound extra. I collect

> my tickets from a machine at the station, which is

> the easiest method anyway.

>

> I'd be astonished if most train companies didn't

> charge to send tickets home.



None of the train companies charges a booking fee.


None of them charge for using a credit card.


Some offer a discount for booking direct (can be as much as 10%).


Some will give you a total refund on unused tickets (trainline charge ?10)


Most will post out free of charge


This means that without exception you are better off booking through any of the Train companies than the trainline (see the article).

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Latest Discussions

    • Niko 07818 607 583 has been doing jobs for us for several years, he is reliable, always there for us, highly recommended! 
    • I am keeping my fingers crossed the next few days are not so loud. I honestly think it is the private, back garden displays that are most problematic as, in general, there is no way of knowing when and where they might happen. For those letting off a few bangers in the garden I get it is tempting to think what's the harm in a few minutes of 'fun', but it is the absolute randomness of sudden bangs that can do irreparable damage to people and animals. With organised events that are well advertised there is some forewarning at least, and the hope is that organisers of such events can be persuaded to adopt and make a virtue of using only low noise displays in future.
    • There was an excellent discussion on Newscast last night between the BBC Political Editor, the director of the IFS and the director of More In Common - all highly intelligent people with no party political agenda and far more across their briefs than any minister I've seen in years. The consensus was that Labour are so unpopular and untrusted by the electorate already, as are the Conservatives, that breaking the manifesto pledge on income tax wouldn't drive their approval ratings any lower, so they should, and I quote, 'Roll The Dice', hope for the best and see where we are in a couple of years time. As a strategy, i don't know whether I find that quite worrying or just an honest appraisal of what most governments actually do in practice.
    • They are a third of the way through their term Earl. It's no good blaming other people anymore. They only have three years left to fix what is now their own mess. And its not just lies in the manifesto. There were lies at the last budget too, when they said that was it, they weren't coming back for more tax and more borrowing. They'd already blamed the increase in NIC taxes on what they claimed was a thorough investigation. They either knew everything then or they lied about that too .   They need to stop lying and start behaving. If they don't the next government won't be theirs, it will be led by Nigel Farage.  They have to turn it round rapidly. Blaming other people, telling lies and breaking promises isn't going to cut it any more.
Home
Events
Sign In

Sign In



Or sign in with one of these services

Search
×
    Search In
×
×
  • Create New...