The advice thread for random problems #4

[Pesky Tarian]

thank you all, it is pebbledash walls and north facing
l was reading up on it last night and the two options were to remove the pebbledash but that can damage the walls or get the professionals in to spray paint the whole thing

My mum's property gets similar on the bottom few feet of her north facing wall and to be honest I just treat it with bleach spray but on a larger scale you're probably looking at a professional job .

 

[Moth]

Please don’t apologise! I really appreciate being given facts as it’s so complicated. They have given me nothing at all. At the time it needed to be done by I was in the office weekly complaining about my neighbour (who was arrested for hate crime against me on disability grounds) so not like they didn’t have the chance to sort it.

This is so complex.

I will mention it tomorrow.

THANK YOU!!

ETA no electrical check been done since 2004 (not a typo!) and they faked the EPC check.

Reading the changes to the law in Wales is interesting. In general it is much more favourable to renters than in England (although that isn't saying much'. I really like the law that says that a renter may not have to pay rent for any day when the property is unfit for human habitation. I wish they would introduce that in England.

There were no regulations in Wales about electrical safety checks before 2022 but since December 2022 your landlord should have had an EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) and provided you with a copy. These must be renewed every 5 years. However I don't think the lack of an EICR test affects the validity of a 'no fault eviction' notice.

 

[Lollylaylow]

It's cheating but invest in some poach pods - game changer. I'm crap at poaching eggs normally!.

I like mine done in an egg poacher with butter. too much fuss in water for me. I'm lazy

 

[Meg78]

Is there a thread for insta fashion influencers? So many are coming up as suggested for me as I’ve been shopping for a new handbag but oh my god are they cringey, I’ve tried searching specific usernames with no joy so really hoping there’s a general thread somewhere!

 

[Snippysnips]

It was worldwide apparently. All back to normal now thank god!

Thanks, am sitting at work thinking ah crap what the hell do I do as the boss isn't in I emailed her thinking maybe someone had hacked it, I ain't doing nothing tonight with it but will catch up tomorrow

 

[trudyjudy007]

A local online small business mistakenly had a package delivered to my house, it seems to be packing envelopes or labels or some sort of stationery. It’s a medium sized box so it would fit quite a lot, I reached out 8 days ago and again yesterday to their customer service email offering to forward it to them or they could come collect it, no response? I don’t have Facebook or Instagram.

It’s in the way (in my hallway) but I’d rather not see the money go to waste for a local business. I can’t decide if they’re ignoring my emails or somehow just missed it? I know small businesses have loads to do but surely someone’s looked at the emails in the past week? would you email a 3rd time or just chuck it

 

[Snippysnips]

One of those awkward moments just came up.

I was picking my daughter (5) up from school and she came running to me with her friend in tow and said “Mummy Mummy can Toby come for a sleepover at the weekend?” The kids mum overheard and this mum adores palming her kids off and declared it was a great idea. I just said “Maybe, we might have plans.”

Problem is, I don’t like this kid. Whenever we have him over he’s rude to me, he laughs when I ask him not to do something, he doesn’t listen, he’s hit my daughter before, then if you have to actually tell him off he screams and cries and stamps his feet. In his parents eyes he can do no wrong.

I’ve tried to distance myself from his parents a bit but my daughter and him are still best friends. The mum is already texting me about this potential sleepover that I’m apparently hosting and I just… don’t want to. I don’t want to be rude and I don’t want to start a rift but I don’t want this kid in my house. I can put it off this weekend but I can’t put it off forever. How do I get out of this? The people pleaser in me is struggling.

My mum used to be in the exact position you are in now with my brother consistently asking for his friend to be over an she would always be put right on the spot with it that she would end up agreeing to it even when she didn't want too an it ended up causing rifts in the house (I don't know if you have other kids) because it meant plans were put off an it would anger me which would mean id take it out on her, so it's best maybe to talk with your daughter that she needs to ask privately if she can have friends sleep over BEFORE she asks the friend, I know 5 is young but it's better to teach it now

As for the weekend, I'd say that family are having something on to the parent so you can't manage it, an take your daughter out for the day, an for future you could just say that you kid maybe has a activity at the weekends now or family are starting to get together more, so you won't be able to have them, I guess the problem would be your kid would tell her friend what she done so is there maybe a way you can get her out the house at weekends? Even if it's to other family, kids don't share 100% of the details, so if she's always out she will just say where she was

 

[Mamacita]

I don't think there's any premium inns close enough to where I want, Edinburgh isn't really unfamiliar to me as it's only a 40min drive but I've never stayed at any hotels an have never paid attention to where they all are either lol, I do know how to get about the place but just not at Hogmanay as I don't know what will be closed off as up by the castle is ticketed so I know that will all be shut for wandering, hoping the royal mile will be open to some extent though

It's princes at that gets closed off for the street party so I'm assuming the other side of the castle will be open as normal? Grassmarket definitely is.

Can't help with hotels as I live in Edinburgh, only stayed in a hotel once on north bridge, there's a Hilton and Radisson blu there, then there are couple Hiltons near grassmarket/Lothian road. These areas are definitely your best bet if you want to stay close to the castle

 

[littlepup]

House will be 14 in may so not overly old but probably out of warranty, guessing it's just wear an tear an because of the weight on it, it has it's door then the kitchen unit door on top so it all matches in to the kitchen so both doors are really bulky an heavy

Seal all still looks normal, the door does look like it's slipped down a touch so I don't know if that's what's causing it either

Have a look on you tube and see if you can see how to detach the cupboard door and tighten that.
You can buy replacement integrated units quite easy at curry’s and the rest. If they’re 14 years old it’d probably a better bet than paying to fix the machine if it’s more than the door dropping.

 

[WeHadFunRight]

Oh bless her and bless you for worrying so much. I know it's really scary to hear little ones talking like this but rest assured it's a perfectly normal part of development and it's little kiddies realising that they are not immortal and that people do leave this earth. It's all part of the processing of where do we go, how do we die, and also not having a great understanding of the passage of time (i.e unit you're an older person most 'likely' to die). Just out of interest, is she an only child? She sounds very much like me when I was younger, coming to the realisation that I might die one day, or my parents might, and then catastrophically thinking of all the scenarios. She sounds like a very clever little thing so I'd always make sure you are honest with her and answer any questions calmly and truthfully which it sounds like you are doing

Thank you, that’s so reassuring, she asked me to find photos of heaven and she said that might make her feel better, so when we were looking I said to her, the thing is, no one who has drawn these pictures has actually been to heaven so they’re just guessing really, and she started to talk about what she thought it was like. She was almost an only child, she has a baby sister who is 1 but we sort of brought her up like an only child up til I got pregnant as that’s what she was meant to be

 

[stargirl23]

Total long shot, but did anyone catch all the recommended book titles from Spotify for International Women’s Day?

I wanted to have a look at the last one on the carousel, but forgot to screenshot

Their insta has audio book recommendations from someone called Olivia is that what you mean? It’s on their grid if you want to look at it

 

[Kim Mild]

For a uti, are we expected to visit the pharmacy and buy treatment rather than get a appointment at our surgery? The Internet suggests that's the done thing these days.

 

[Snippysnips]

What a pain having to go through DR to see a nurse!! That’s really bad, I don’t blame you not telling them!! Fingers crossed you get seen soon and get better!

I know, it's just a small one an they have such a backwards way of doing everything, the Dr has to sign off with anything you need like a nurse or prescriptions, you also aren't allowed to see different doctors if you are returning about something either as it needs to be the same one, I try an see my own Dr that I've had since I was a kid but sometimes appointment times can be a few days which is annoying as if its any Dr then you can get same day or next day appointments

 

[watermelon sugar]

Pull the plug out again, leave for 60 seconds and then open and close the door six times in rapid succession. This performs a factory reset. Now try it, and if this hasn't fixed it alas its time for a new one! Good luck!

Thank you, I tried it but didn’t work gutted

 

[TheGlossy]

@TheGlossy I would phone customer services and ask for the charge to be refunded as they haven't even despatched it.

Did you pay by credit card? You may have some come back through them if they haven't supplied what you paid for ie quick despatch.

I rang them today and they said they couldn’t handle my call because they’re undergoing maintenance (whatever this means).

The package is still nowhere to be seen.

 

[GalaxyGirl70]

I had cholecystitis and honestly thought I was dying. Needed 6 days on IV antibiotics and have never had a repeat of it - didn't even have gallstones so was incredibly random. Buscopan really helps with the pain - and co-codamol on top.

 

[Moth]

Well I still appreciate your advice. So I think thanks are needed especially on a site like tattle where we are all supposed to be mean trolling types!

With the housing I understand. I’ve been given advice on what to do if they turn up, housing have now accepted the landlord hasn't been upfront with them and so I’m letting them deal with that.

My ESA is support group and long term - 10+ years ( because of the nature of my illness) I’d been told I’d not need to claim UC, it now appears my ex advocate got it changed so I could get cost of living payments which I wasn’t eligible for for other reasons. The PIP issue was caused by a non qualified social worker sending emails during lockdown claiming I was better and they had proof that I no longer had needs and could work. They’ve since been suspended from work (as they lied about qualifications and their job - they weren’t a senior clinical social worker at all), at a risk of defending the DWP this email was sent to the whole of the local hospital as well as many others so I can see why they made such a decision. I have contacted CAB, their wait time is very long due to various issues taking place in the county, I am on the list.

The ESA wasn’t stopped because it cannot be without a benefit medical being done, apparently it can be with PIP

Wow that's a story! To be honest some of those issues are bit out of my league and if you came to me at CAB I'd be looking to pass you on to our benefits caseworker. I'm sorry that you're having to wait to speak to CAB. Obviously I don't know about their issues but we've never been busier at our branch. On somedays by the time we've dealt with all the requests for foodbank referrals, energy vouchers and appointments for new PIP applications there's hardly any time left for anything else.

 

[Snippysnips]

Aww thanks, just remembered that her school does have a counsellor so I might ask them too. Thanks so much!

Good luck, I hope she manages to overcome it

 

[peekachu]

Sounds like the cards been used previously then rather than a wrong receipt because even if she gave you a wrong receipt then the gift card should still have the money on it but if it’s not working then it must’ve been spent

I don’t think it could’ve been used before, I only scratched off the silver PIN code today. I did a bit of googling and I think the gift card hasn’t been activated properly, apparently it happens quite a lot!

Can you not ask your boyfriend about it?

I explained it to him and he said he can ask his sister, but there’s probably not much she can do if she gave the receipt to another person (as they might’ve already used it and thrown it away). I don’t want to make a big fuss about it though

I’ll just wait and see what Tesco says, maybe they can find the transaction on their system or something. Fingers crossed!

 

[avabella]

Does anyone own a Lumi spa, that isn't affliated with them, or is a salesperson selling them? Looking for genuine recommendations

I’ve used a knock off version and it dries your skin out so badly 🥹