Happy thread

[Alcazar]

Today I went into Basel for the first time since the end of last November - the border has been closed for casual visits and only opened again last week. I made a beeline for my grappa shop (stocks ran out on Sunday), then met my friend David for a chat over a beer. We've been constructing the Wright Brothers Flyer for the past ten years - meeting once a week and concentrating more on the chat and beer than actually sticking something together. The day was crowned by the announcement that the Swiss restaurants will allow people inside again from next week, which means I'll be able to play bridge again on Thursday evening.

Time to switch off the computer and celebrate properly!

Cheers,
Peter

[dannyboy]

We have been to Enniskillen! Why does that comment deserve to be in the 'Happy' thread? Because it is the first time in nearly a year.  . It was nice visiting the places we have missed - Asda, The Works, M & S, Poundland - talk about little things pleasing little minds.  . Oh there was the model shop as well.

Plus, I have received an email from Rails saying that they now have the Kato GWR 800 special set in stock - would I like to pay the balance due after taking my credit into account? Would I? Telephone call already made. 

[railsquid]

Happy to report the Japanese tax agency has successfully transferred a sum of money away from one of my bank accounts at the first attempt.

Why happy? Because in sunny Japanland, being an outsidecountryperson with a name in funny script, worse still a middle name! as is unknown in large parts of the world causes no end of bureaucratic mayhem. Add into the mix the fact that names are the other way round in this part of the world, and the whole thorny issue of transcription, and we have a recipe for confusion. Which is how I ended up with that particular bank account in the first place, as my main bank account is "Firstname Lastname", but due to a large chicken incident a financial institution who needed to pay out money from an insurance policy had me down as "Lastname Firstnamemiddlename" and my main bank rejected that as utterly ridiculous, we don't know this person, and after much back and forth it turned out to be easier to open an account with that institution as "Lastname Firstname Middlename", and it occurred to me that as the tax agency knows me as "Lastname Firstname Middlename " (except on correspondence, where due to space constraints I am addressed as "Mr Lastname Firstname Middl") I could avoid the annual rigmarole of paying tax in cash, as there is no way in hell they'd be able to take payment from my main account, and hey presto it worked.

Great country for N gauge though...

[Papyrus]

...large chicken incident...

 

[dannyboy]

He means a 'male chicken' incident. 

[Railwaygun]

He means a 'male chicken' incident. 

'male chicken' vertically inclined!

[stevewalker]

I'm feeling happy tonight. A few weeks ago, for one of my other hobbies, I made an adapter flange, with integrated pick-up and return pipes, for fitting a new and reliable fuel level sender to my kit-car. I cleaned out the tank, changed the piping and pumping arrangement, added a new filter before the pump and cleaned the gunk out of the carb (the car had not been used for a few years). On starting up, I could not get it to idle properly and spent ages trying to sort it. Tonight I stripped and cleaned part of the carb again - no improvement. Finally I re-cleaned one of the idle jets, and suddenly, it idled beautifully - and the larger acceleration pump jets have also removed the hesitation on hard acceleration from idle. Success at last!

Now all I need to do is move the 2 tonnes of concrete panels blocking the way out and I can take it for an MOT 

[Newportnobby]

Saved £130 on my buildings/contents insurance yesterday by not renewing with Saga.
Called them this morning to get the auto renewal stopped and the guy asked why I wasn't renewing. I told him I'd got cover much cheaper elsewhere and the smarmy git asked "Do they do 3 year fixed pricing, then?" I replied "No, but on the basis you've been overcharging me for the last 3 years I'll take a risk. I mean, that's a class 28 each year"
Not sure he understood the last bit but think he got the message

[dannyboy]

I know it is easy to auto renew insurance, but having queried both house and car insurance renewal quotes for the last few years, I can honestly say that every year, with the exception of one renewal, I have got the price reduced from the initial quote, either with the original company or a new company. On the one occasion I could not get the price reduced, I got some additional benefit. For the time it takes, it is well worth shopping around. Well done Mick. 

[Trainfish]

My joint car insurance was quoted at about £80 (I think) more than last year. After speaking to them it came down by about £100 compared to last year so I'm paying £180 less than their original renewal quote. Go figure 

[The Q]

The really happy thing is as of 1st Jan 2022 bumping up insurance for loyal customers will become illegal.

[The Q]

opps

[Malc]

They'll think of a way round it. Admin charges or the like.

[thebrighton]

Although this is the happy thread I've had a number of falling outs with insurers over renewal premiums. You find a cheaper quote elsewhere and call your insurer to cancel who immediately say they will match or beat the quote you have.
Hold on, so you are telling me that the renewal premium you gave me was actually not your bottom line but you decided to try it on and bump it up hoping I'd just renew and if I didn't it would give you room to pretend you were offering me a great deal to retain my business by price matching whereas you were actually ripping me off.
I explain that to them and cancel. Bloody crooks.

[Newportnobby]

It's the 2nd time I've managed to stuff Saga, as I saved £200 on my car insurance by not renewing with them. They present themselves as the saviours of over 55s but they do that at a price that can be bettered by looking around.
I used auto renewal just in case I ended up in hospital at renewal time but won't be bothering with that again
It's my policy (soz) to never give a company a second chance. If they can't give me their best quote first time round then I assume they're just trying to rip me off. To suddenly them find a 'loyalty bonus' or other excuse is just so blatantly backtracking they can stick it.