Grumble Thread

[ardcarp]

It has its downside though. In France:

The French national identity card (carte nationale d’identité or CNI) is an official identity document consisting of an electronic ID-1 card bearing a photograph, name and address. While the identity card is non-compulsory, all persons must possess some form of valid government-issued identity documentation

Although (as it says) it is not compulsory, the police (I forget which sort) get very difficult if you don't carry one at all times. (On the beach? In bed?) I'd prefer our more relaxed system. After all one can use a passport or driving licence if you really need to verify your identity. The new VOTING rules are in my opinion a disaster. More Tories are likely to turn up at the polling station with the correct bits of paper than (how shall I put it?) the less organised members of society....of which I confess to be one such.

[Dave2002]

Dave: Where have you been? Doesn't news travel up north of Inverness? Tax stopped being deducted from savings accounts quite a while ago. The onus is now on individuals to gather the P60 tax information from each savings account and report if the total in a tax year exceeds £1000. As you say, though, this has been unlikely in most previous years, and probably for many for tax year 2022–2023, for which those certificates are just being issued, but the threshold may well be reached for many for the current tax year, with increased savings interest rates. I don't know if the banks also report direct to HMRC and if you'd be chased if you didn't submit a self-assessment form or otherwise declare it. Given how snowed under HMRC is I might doubt it, but it's exactly the sort of thing they'd suddenly devote some resources to when they should be chasing much more serious offenders. The Chancellor might just realise how much additional work this extra processing will cause and decide to raise the threshold, but somehow I doubt it!

When I retired I wrote to the tax people telling them about some of my income, pensions etc. I had a reply that they already knew, and I wouldn't have to contact them ever again, unless very substantial changes to my circumstances happened. I have no great desire to resume filling in forms for HMRC, so I will most likely ensure that I forego any interest or other income which could take me over the reporting threshold for my circumstances. At the pitifully low interest rates until recently my savings accounts were probably generating a very small amount of interest year, but recent rates changes have raised the possibility of much more significant income from interest, and it would be possible to invest in such as way that my additional income would go over the limit.

Next year I could bolster up my ISAs further.

[french frank]

won't have me because my form of ID, an out of date driving licence.

It's always puzzled me, more generally, why they insist such ID must be 'up-to-date'. If it has a name and a recognisable photo (which they can see is you), why isn't it valid as ID? It could be forged, but why would anyone forge an out-of-date ID rather than a current one? And as far as a driving licence is concerned, why would you need to prove you have a valid licence to drive?

[Joseph K]

It's always puzzled me, more generally, why they insist such ID must be 'up-to-date'. If it has a name and a recognisable photo (which they can see is you), why isn't it valid as ID? It could be forged, but why would anyone forge an out-of-date ID rather than a current one?

Exactly! Except most people in my experience up until last night acknowledge what you say - I used it to vote, for one recent example. It's just the jobsworth morons at St Christopher's hostel.

[Bryn]

Well, I'm in Hammersmith London, waiting to see Shakti not feeling great. The arseholes at St Christopher's hostel who I already paid, won't have me because my form of ID, an out of date driving licence. Utter swine, this is the first time this has happened.

How can this be? After all, they prominently claim "Risk-Free Booking"! I hope you have demanded both a full refund and compensation for their insulting incompetence.

[Joseph K]

How can this be? After all, they prominently claim "Risk-Free Booking"! I hope you have demanded both a full refund and compensation for their insulting incompetence.

I have been assured that I will get a refund from Booking-dot-com. I will contact them a bit later to find out, but I feel sceptical. Hopefully that feeling will prove unfounded.

[french frank]

I have been assured that I will get a refund from Booking-dot-com. I will contact them a bit later to find out, but I feel sceptical. Hopefully that feeling will prove unfounded.

Cancel all other engagements and arrangements, and concentrate on winning this one! - or is this just my bolshie mentality - no insult intended by slang use of 'bolshie'

[Joseph K]

Cancel all other engagements and arrangements, and concentrate on winning this one! - or is this just my bolshie mentality - no insult intended by slang use of 'bolshie'

No luck. Phoned number, automated response asking to enter booking number which I did, nothing happened then it asked for it again so I put it in again, etc. Nothing happened.

[Serial_Apologist]

It's always puzzled me, more generally, why they insist such ID must be 'up-to-date'. If it has a name and a recognisable photo (which they can see is you), why isn't it valid as ID? It could be forged, but why would anyone forge an out-of-date ID rather than a current one? And as far as a driving licence is concerned, why would you need to prove you have a valid licence to drive?

You might have changed identity in the meantime, though!!!

(I'm not to be taken seriously here, mind!)

[french frank]

Cost of a council garden waste sack has gone up from £1 to £2.50. I think I shall have to use more of the leafy greenery for cooking/salads.

[Pulcinella]

Cost of a council garden waste sack has gone up from £1 to £2.50. I think I shall have to use more of the leafy greenery for cooking/salads.

Buy a compost bin instead!

[french frank]

Buy a compost bin instead!

Very unsuccessful in the past. Also would need to buy a shredder for tree prunings. Also <grumble, grumble, grumble>

[Joseph K]

No luck. Phoned number, automated response asking to enter booking number which I did, nothing happened then it asked for it again so I put it in again, etc. Nothing happened.

Good news - I tried again to get through to them today and actually succeeded, and fairly quickly discovered that I will get a refund.

[Petrushka]

Good news - I tried again to get through to them today and actually succeeded, and fairly quickly discovered that I will get a refund.

Hope you are successful. However, why use booking.com in the first place? I would always book hotels, train tickets, concert tickets etc. direct and cut out the middleman. I see from their website that St Christopher's claim that it's cheaper if you book direct and I'd expect it to be easier to resolve any problems that way too.

[Serial_Apologist]

Good news - I tried again to get through to them today and actually succeeded, and fairly quickly discovered that I will get a refund.