The advice thread for random problems #3

[JoeBloggs]

Does anyone have any experience with Transport for London unpaid fares?

I took the Gatwick express from Gatwick yo Victoria and then from Westminster to Bond Street.

I was charged £22 using contactless. However, another charge of £28 appeared on my account on the same day called ‘unpaid fares’. I taped in and out. There shouldn’t be such charge, especially as the £22 fee was deducted on the same day.

How do I get this reversed? £50 seems pretty steep for such itinerary.

You should be able to contest it on the tfl website. It should only charge you max a travel card rate.

 

[littlepup]

Anyone know a good toning cream? I've been doing a lot of toning exercises but I feel a cream might help just tighten the skin up a bit more

There used to be a L’Oréal cellulite one that really worked but they stopped making it because I don’t think they’re allowed to make certain claims. The general consciences seems to be that hydration and massage will help so the product itself is by the by. That’s said I remember using the Nivea Q10 one that seemed pretty good.
Body brushing is supposed to help too and I’ve seen people claim that a body scrub made with a bit of shower gel and fresh coffee grounds is good but I’ve no experience of this myself.

 

[Snippysnips]

I could do with some advice regarding my 9 year old daughter. She keeps crying because she has no friends at school. Her best friend recently ditched her so she's still hurting from that. There are other children who like my daughter and would be friends with her but she is not interested in them.

I think she has low confidence when it comes to friendships.

Are there any clubs some of the kids go too? Sometimes it can be a little easier to make friends outside of a school setting an in a more relaxed fun setting, when my parents moved us school they put us into brownies/scouts an it helped us make some friends that were also in our class at school

Does the school have a councillor? I know it's still a limited service but maybe they could help with some confidence boosting

 

[CallMeHollywood]

Have we got any HR professionals on this thread? I need some advice on when to tell work I’m pregnant.

I’m up for a promotion that’s been promised to me since February but no contracts or paperwork filed with HR yet (they’re so shit and slow). Im at 12 weeks, so I can technically tell them now, but also don’t have to. Should I wait until that promotion has been contractually agreed to tell them? Should I tell them before it’s agreed to force their hand a bit? Im guessing there may be issues with discrimination if they then don’t give it to me. I’m fed up of waiting for an answer to be honest.

 

[CoffeeMamma]

Not really a problem but after some advice if anybody is a coffee aficionado. Btw don't judge! I've realised I spend around £700 a year!! on takeaway coffee. So am looking to buy barista style coffee machine.
Does anybody know of a shop that sells and demonstrates these machines? I'm willing to travel as I realise in the end I'll be quids in
Also is there a coffee specialist, again actual shop, where they can help you find the coffee you like.

Nespresso shops if you’re already spending that amount go for gold

 

[Snippysnips]

Peplum coat maybe?

Thanks, typed it in an getting similar styles, I have never heard of that before

 

[newtoyou]

I need some advice about how to approach a work situation.

So I’m part of a little project of 5 of us. In the past year I’ve done everything for this project and even though it’s not that much work it’s getting on my nerves that they do absolutely nothing! We would never have a meeting if it wasn’t for me, let alone get anything sorted. I could run this thing single handedly.

Ive decided that in our next meeting this week I’m gonna say that I need the work to be equal going forward. I’m not the leader of the group (there isn’t one) so I feel really awkward doing that. I totally acknowledge that I’m one of those proactive people that just gets things done so maybe they think I like doing it all. But at the same time, if you’re in a team, how can you let one person do ALL the work? I would never do that to a colleague.

I do like these people individually and we get on. I just don’t know how to tell them to stop being so lazy? Help?

 

[square_spoon]

For anyone who's experiencing their phone screen going black when in landscape mode, take your polarised sunglasses off!

I had the exact same discovery yesterday afternoon

 

[trudyjudy007]

Hi Everyone
I'm not sure if this is the right thread for this but was just wondering if anyone has a little bit of general advice on handling a child's coat going missing/presumed stolen by the end of the school day.
I've woken up still feeling a bit churned over it (I'm now over thinking) is this something I say no more about it and chalk it down to experience as his teacher is obviously aware so am I now best to just kinda be fine about it say no more or will it come off a certain way if ask for more to maybe be done to track it down.

I think we need more context. Did this happen yesterday at 3pm or last week for example? If yesterday then possibly a parent only noticed it last night or hasn’t noticed at all yet.

Your post makes it seem like this happened a few days ago and you think someone is purposefully keeping it. I’d definitely follow up with teacher once or twice more, ask what the policy is about missing items, let them know you’re presuming the item is ‘stolen’. Do kids have lockers or is it a free for all/coats left in hallways?

 

[FlipFlop0706]

Use a plunger to pull?

Tried it- didn’t work

 

[WeHadFunRight]

Having an ingrown nail removed next week. I’ve been told to wear open toe/loose shoes, but I have really sweaty feet and struggle with flipflops/sandals.
Any suggestions?

Have to be comfy and easy to walk in as will be going to Liverpool a few days after for our anniversary.

Thanks

I would maybe get some foot deodorant spray to help with the sweat? That may help…

 

[CoffeeMamma]

Thanks, honestly am tempted to just get one an hope it's rubbish so he will stop going on about them lol, but I just didn't know if you got them or not

There’s a video on YouTube about how to get them I’ll see if I can find a link for you

 

[Snippysnips]

What I ordered vs what arrived.

To add insult to injury, these were on print to order, I ordered on Sept 10th, it arrived Oct 11th after being told 10 working days. £55.99 with delivery I paid and it looks nothing like what I ordered!

My friend thinks I’m being dramatic and it’s not that bad, but I’m so upset and it’s been posted about a fair bit within the festival community, so I’m not the only one!

Do I have grounds for a refund/compensation here? I’m not going to be able to get the design shown it seems. I feel massively missold

You should have your 14 days to return so I'd refund based on that, if it does state clearly that designs will vary then I don't think you could refund based on that as that's their loophole to send whatever, but you should have your 14 day return still there

 

[TwooTwooTwitTwitTwoo]

Can anyone recommend decent shapewear? Something for tummy and a bit of thigh would be good. Also has to be seamless. TIA

Marks and Spencers have a really good range. Including a high waisted shorts type style (or they did when I last bought some).

 

[Ingognito.Queen]

This is annoying and stupid but does anyone know of a way to block someone on Facebook from seeing your posts but without unfriending them? I have one of MiL’s friends on my Facebook and I very rarely post but whenever I do, she immediately calls Mil and tells her what I’ve posted. Mil then calls my husband and wants to know why we didn’t tell her we did xyz. It’s really fucking annoying. If I unfriend the wretched woman, all hell will break loose so I just want her to stop seeing my posts. I’ve tried searching but can’t find any useful answer.

Why is she so interested in what you do?
Bizarre - is she not embarrassed behaving like this!?!

 

[OnlyHereForTheLolz]

Not really a "problem" but after some ideas. Apart from a meal out, cinema or going for a walk what is there to do for adults? I love all those three I mentioned but looking at doing something a bit different to break it up

 

[maybeso]

Thank you for your replies. He has always been a tad socially awkward and I think islam gives him a sense of belonging and the basic values it teaches make him feel safe. Like many young people, he came across it on social media and started to look deeper into it. It is so important to him now, his days are centred around it. I think it me that's more worried about it as I see his friends dating, going out etc and him having less and less in common with them. Really appreciate the replies, just needed to hear other people's take on it.

 

[Snippysnips]

There might be a better way, but since you already tried the scale bit and if you only need the picture could you do a print screen, crop it, paste it into a different document, maybe a Word doc that is easier to manage, and just print that document?

Thanks I've tried this as a temp solution right now, it managed to print fine on its own in a new document, but in future it will be a bit of a hassle to print the whole thing with missing that page out then printing the image on a new page, am really not sure why it prints perfectly fine on its own but can't print like that when it's part of a set

 

[Carapop]

Apologies for the length.

I live in a flat and have new neighbours who live directly below me. They’re young, I’d guess mid-late twenties at best, and also from another country. I can’t quite place the accent but that’s irrelevant, what’s relevant is that there is likely a language barrier.

Since they moved in less than a week ago they’ve been blaring music throughout the day. So loud that it vibrates my floors and can be heard from every inch of my flat. It’s not constant but it’s a lot. I’m usually home from work around 5pm and it can be on and off until 10/11pm. There has been one or two days where there hasn’t been any music at all.

I want to approach them about it as my last neighbour was the same and it made my life hell until she finally moved out a few months ago. I live alone and look younger than I am so feel quite vulnerable. I also don’t live in a great area, there’s a lot of break in’s both in homes and shops, junkies, drug dealers etc which makes me feel even more vulnerable and a bit of an easy target. I will be selling my flat for obvious reasons but probably not for another year or two due to costs.

I don’t want to be a dick about it but I also don’t want to let them take the piss. I’ve been miserable in my own home since I bought it due to my last neighbour and would like to have some sort of peace for the next couple of years. I don’t expect silence but I do expect a bit of common decency and respect from others in the building.

They don’t seem like very friendly, approachable people and I have a strong feeling they may be drug dealers (spotting them is a talent I have obtained since living here). The constant smell of weed, people coming and going all day and night, flashy car and head to toe designer clothes were the first signs. There was also an instance at the weekend, so a couple of days after they moved in, where someone targeted the flat and attempted to smash the windows in.

Would it be ridiculous if I put a note through their door asking them to keep the music down? I don’t want a face to face interaction due to feeling vulnerable and don’t want them to know it’s me and be the face of the complaint. I’m also a bit worried that it might come across more rude than I intend to be due to the language barrier so thinking it might be better written down.

I’m aware I’m overthinking it but my last 4 years here have been hell on earth due to a multitude of reasons. The council and police have never been interested in helping me and I’m fed up of feeling defeated and depressed in the place I’m supposed to call home.

Oh you poor thing. That sounds like absolute hell. It’s awful when home doesn’t feel like a safe place anymore.

There’s minimum risk in sending an anonymous letter of course, as long as you’re careful not to disclose any identifying details - eg don’t get too specific on your location in relation to their apartment.

I’d certainly give them the opportunity to address it before escalating. But if that fails, do you know the landlord or letting agents and could you contact them directly if so?

What Is Classed as Noisy Neighbours and How to Deal with Them? | Ellis & Co

Learn about how to handle noisy neighbours. Our guide offers practical tips, including mediation options, landlord involvement, and how to file a complaint.

www.ellisandco.co.uk

You may have already seen such info, but it seems to sum up your rights quite well.

 

[LaBlonde]

Thank you!

Yeah, completely unreachable. I have been exchanging with them through their messaging option on their app, but they’re terrible. I can’t find the complaint section either. I was thinking of writing on TrustPilot as they seem to be responsive on there.

trust pilot is a good shout - they look like they reply to all their reviews.

if you have a twitter there’s no harm in publicly shouting them out and making sure to tag them in it. companies tend to freak out when you do that