Category archive for ‘Rant’ at bioneural.net

Archive for the 'Rant' category

TomTom latest map guarantee trap

Published by Bruce on May 23, 2008 in Rant. 40 responses

Just bought a new TomTom with a 30-day latest map guarantee? Don't download any map update as prompted by TomTom HOME on the day you register your device. Why not? Because if TomTom do release a new map in 30 days time, you won't be allowed to download it. You may still be within 30 days, but you will have the map that was current on the day you got your device. If, however, you carefully count to day 30 before downloading any map updates, you will get the latest map as of that time. The ambiguous guarantee is not for the latest map within 30 days—it's for a map within that period.
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Unarranged overdraft bank charges

Published by Bruce on May 8, 2008 in Rant. 2 responses

When you inadvertently write a cheque from the wrong account putting said account into overdraft, you expect to pay for your mistake. But would you expect to pay four different charges, incurring a total liability in fees nearly four times the size of the overdraft—even though it was rectified within 6 working days? If you bank with Halifax, who always give you extra, you can indeed.
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ATMs should be avoided. The Internet too.

Published by Bruce on March 13, 2008 in Rant. 9 responses

Some cretin recently cloned our debit card, in reflection of rising UK and international rates of card fraud despite technological countermeasures like "chip and pin".
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GP College confused over qualifications

Published by Bruce on June 23, 2007 in Rant. 2 responses

The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) remains confused over whether its Membership examination (MRCGP) is a qualification or merely an indication of "club membership". Non-Members are told not to refer to "MRCGP" and "qualification" in the same breath—although it would appear that the College can.

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American Engrish

Published by Bruce on January 22, 2007 in Rant. 6 responses

Do they no longer teach English in American schools? I am aware that "American" English has its nuances, but was not aware that it had diverged so far from international English as to become an entirely separate dialect. To illustrate my point, I'd like to share the text of an e-mail I recently received from a certain company's U.S. Networking Tech Support.
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Xtra requires extra patience

Published by Bruce on December 20, 2006 in Rant. 2 responses

If you're thinking of signing up for broadband from Xtra.co.nz, here's a little rant so that as an informed consumer you can properly consider your alternatives. We have the Go Large plan, which advertises a downstream connection speed "as fast as your phone line allows" and a monthly allowance of "unlimited data". To be frank, this advertising is misleading.

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