Geoff Burnes

It seems that ALL AEG's built-in microwave ovens exhibit the same fault - they FAIL TO DELIVER THE RATED POWER TO THE TURNTABLE. I tried 3 BRAND-NEW appliances, from the 6000 and 8000 ranges, and they ALL had exactly the same fault.

There's a simple test for this; a poppadum placed on the centre of the turntable will still have a RAW area some 4 cm across in the middle after a minute on full power. My £85 5-year-old Sharp stand-alone device would have burned the poppadum in that time. Neither an earlier Panasonic model nor my current Bosch machine exhibit this fault. A water-heating test - albeit very rough & ready, appeared to show around just 500W of power delivered to a vessel about 3 inches deep when on full - 900W - power.

I repeatedly demonstrated this fault to AEG's staff and I retain photographic proof, but I felt that it was dismissed as a "user issue". The point is, a busy care worker reheating a frozen chicken meal for a dementia patient, or a mum trying to heat baby food, don't usually have time to check everything has been properly cooked; they rely on the appliance instructions and trust that it is working correctly, especially if it's new. If it is not, then the consequences could be catastrophic.

I've suggested AEG investigate & correct this fault as a matter of urgency, and then recall the faulty devices or instigate a refit. This will be very expensive but, I suspect, not as expensive as the lawsuits that will land on their desks if someone dies of salmonella, e-coli or listeria as a result of an AEG microwave oven not working as specified.

One positive outcome of the experience was that, once it was clear that the fault was real, I was able to try a different model (which had the same fault) and then get a full refund. However, on the first occasion, AEG sent an 'engineer' from Pacifica who clearly had no idea how microwave ovens worked - 'Don't they cook from the outside in?' - and on each occasion (4 in total) I had to stay at home all day because AEG refused to give a time-slot, not even AM or PM.

Richard did a really good job. The car looks good as new, and he worked tidily and left no mess. I'd definitely use him again and recommend him to others.

This was tricky. Microsoft had crippled my previously satisfactory copy of Office 2021 with inadequately-tested updates. Microsoft support is legendary - as in, it's a legend like King Arthur or the Loch Ness Monster and has no basis in reality - so I thought replacing my 2021 copy with Office 2024 for £25 would be a good solution.

I uninstalled Office 2021, installed the downloaded product and launched Word and Outlook - both of which looked identical to my 2021 products - and neither requested a licence key, as the instructions said Word should. So I uninstalled again, and checked that all the old Office files had been removed - they had. I re-installed 2024, then launched Word, as instructed. Again, it looked like the 2021 version. When I went to check the version and details, I found that the File tab did indeed have a request to enter a licence key, carefully hidden! I entered the key - and it announced itself as 2024 LTSC. "GREAT!" I thought.

Then I looked for Outlook on the Start menu, eventually finding it as 'Outlook Classic'. ('Outlook' gives you the cut-down version that's a replacement for the MS Mail client.) It wanted the licence key, but then insisted that I'd tried to instal it too many times - but I'd only just FOUND the beast! I then had to go through the tedious rigmarole of the 'telephone registration', typing TEN 7-DIGIT NUMBERS into boxes on screen then having to enter EIGHT 6-digit numbers into boxes on my phone screen.

BUT IT WORKED! I'm now the proud owner of a copy of Office 2024 - which looks & feels just like the 2021 version. It remains to be seen whether it's any more stable.

We ordered a Beko freezer as part of a fitted kitchen in December. Days after it was installed, in late January, we discovered that everything in the top half of the freezer had thawed (including meat and ready meals) while the bottom half stayed frozen.

It was a nightmare trying to contact Beko - 4 different phone numbers that are rarely answered, and online chat where, if you ask to 'talk to an agent', you are left hanging for 45 minutes.

We finally got through (27/1/25), reported the fault - they refused to compensate us for the food that had spoiled - and an engineer came out to check it (31/1/25). He identified the fault but didn't have the necessary part. On the 1st & 8th Feb we got messages saying that the part was out of stock & to 'bear with them'. I eventually got through to Beko again (same issues as before) to be told that they wouldn't REPLACE our BRAND NEW, FAULTY freezer because we'd ordered it more than 30 days earlier, & we had to wait for them to get around to repairing it. I explained that, as part of a FITTED KITCHEN, the appliances are installed LAST, so we wouldn't have known their freezer was faulty until then. But they were adamant.

I contacted Wren, from whom we bought the kitchen, and without any discussion they immediately offered to replace the freezer. I tried to tell Beko we no longer needed the repair, but every message they send is a 'no reply'. When we were on holiday, ON 11TH MARCH, I received a WhatsApp from my neighbour to saty a Beko engineer had turned up at my house, with no warning. Unbelievable.

If I could give ZERO out of 5 I would. Hotpoint/Beko 'service' is an oxymoron, and the people who 'manage' it seem to be genuine morons. It seems that they've cut the staffing back to less than a bare minimum, and all common sense has gone out of their processes. Our previous, stand-alone Beko freezer is still working (in our garage) trouble-free after 9 years. Either Beko's build quality has plumetted since then or we were just lucky 9 years ago.

AVOID!!!

We bought a Beko freezer as part of a kitchen refit. The day after it was fitted, I loaded it with frozen food. The next day, I found that the food in the top half was at room temperature and had thawed. (The remainder was still frozen). I phoned at 5:45pm. 57 minutes later I was still waiting for someone to answer but, despite repeatedly being told that someone would be with me shortly, I checked online and found that their call centre closed at 6pm and I was waiting in vain!

I called next day and got an engineer to come out, 2 days later, & he discovered the fault, which he couldn't fix as he didn't have the necessary part. I asked for a replacement freezer, but he said Beko would repair it. Then I got a text to say that they were waiting for the relevant part - and nothing since.

I tried to call to tell them to replace the freezer, but every route I tried through their automated system ended in 'Sorry, we're unable to answer your call right now. Please try later or go online'. Selecting the option to say 'did you receive the appliance in the last 30 days' is the surest way to end the call, I found.

I went onto the online system; it hung.
The online chat icon didn't work.

Hotpoint 'customer service' is an oxymoron. Had I realised that Beko was part of the Hotpoint Group, I may well have not chosen this brand, but our previous Beko freezer, maybe 7 years old, has given sterling service. It still is because, fortunately, we didn't get rid of it when the new one arrived so we were able to rescue some of our food. (BTW, despite the freezer having been DELIVERED FAULTY, Beko say they won't reimburse us for the ruined food. But given everything else I've experienced from them, why should that surprise me?)

UPDATE: The Hotpoint 'Service Team' responded to my original post, giving me a WhatsApp number and a link to their Online Chat. I tried BOTH. Each time, a bot answers and, when I ask to be transferred to talk to a human being, I get a message to the effect of 'I will put you through now' and then, as the Americans say, 'crickets'. I can only assume that NO HUMAN BEINGS work for Hotpoint, except those receiving executive salaries and bonuses.

FURTHER UPDATE: After finding YET ANOTHER number for Hotpoint 'service' (the 4th I've seen so far), I finally managed to speak (briefly) with an agent who promised to put me through to someone who could help. I'm still waiting.

Meanwhile, the Hotpoint Complaints page (you'll have tog oogle it, as they don't allow links here) is festooned with people saying, like me, that it's impossible to get anyone to speak with you or to even book a follow-up visit when the first one fails to resolve the question. Beko used to be a decent company - it seems it no longer is, and I'm astonished that Hotpoint is getting a 4.5 on this site.

Our great value 32-night 2022 cruise from Hong Kong via Taiwan around Japan was cancelled, and cruise.co.uk strongly suggested that we leave our deposit with them, as they would find us an equivalent cruise as soon as one was available. Instead, they ultimately (without consultation) put us on a much shorter cruise around JUST southern Japan, with a land-based element, including walking tours of Kyoto and Tokyo, at a much higher price.

When we finally arrived (our flight was delayed by bad weather in Dubai), our walking tours of Kyoto and Tokyo were poor - the guide was charming but useless - and our transfer from Kyoto to Tokyo was abysmal. Although the cruise itself was OK, cruise.co.uk even screwed up our airport transfer at the end of the cruise to the airport.

I've written to them multiple times, including to their CEO. Their first reply failed to even mention most of the points I'd raised. The second time they mentioned most of them, but their response could be best summed up as an admission that things went wrong but with no acceptance that any of it was their fault and no offer of compensation. Since I wrote to their CEO, nearly a month ago, there has been no response whatsoever.

I know that at least one other couple wrote letters of complaint, and everyone we met was very disappointed in the attitude of cruise.co.uk, but they clearly don't seem to care.

AVOID.

ADDITION: The response by cruise.co.uk below OMITS the fact that they ADVISED us to keep the deposit with them. It OMITS the fact that they changed our cruise WITHOUT NOTICE. It OMITS the fact that their local guide in Japan was pretty useless, that the hotel they put us in in Tokyo was completely unfit for purpose, that the transfer from Kyoto to Tokyo was appalling, and that they made a complete mess of the final transfer to Narita airport. And it FALSELY claims that they've offered an appropriate 'goodwill' gesture. Cruise.co.uk has REPEATEDLY failed to address any of our concerns, and an email to the CEO went unanswered.

I wouldn't trust them ever again.

I wanted to switch an elderly relative from an expensive deal with TalkTalk for services she wasn't using to something that was more appropriate to her needs. TalkTalk were a pain to deal with - rigid processes, no understanding of the practicalities involved with an elderly person with no mobility.

Pop telecom offered a much cheaper deal with a package that fitted her needs. What's more, their service was far, far better that TalkTalk's. Kieran in sales, and particularly Paul in customer service, were excellent. They did everything they said they would, and Paul was particularly attentive, calling several times to ensure that everything went smoothly.

It was truly refreshing to find an organisation that actually DOES customer service, rather than simply paying lip-service to it, and I cannot commend Paul highly enough.

My sister-in-law (who lives 300 miles from us) has a (passbook) savings account with Virgin. She's 89, has been housebound since 2020 and now needs access to this account to pay her increased care bills.

Two years ago, my wife (her sister), was added to what then became a joint account so we could access the funds if needed for this purpose, but which we haven't had to touch until now. As Virgin have now closed all their branches south of Northampton (70 miles away), we decided to transfer the money to somewhere we could manage it on my sister-in-law's behalf. We sent in the relevant forms - and waited, in vain, for Virgin to respond.

Virgin Money seem to go out of their way to be obstructive. When we chased, their call-centre agent, who appeared to know nothing and have no authority, couldn't explain why my wife, as an account holder, couldn't close the account & transfer the money. He claimed that they wanted to see the original of our Power of Attorney, which we'd taken to their Reading branch 2 years ago and had supposedly been copied and put on file. And despite being a joint account holder, my wife has received no correspondence related to any activity - except a letter telling her that she'd been made a joint account holder on an unspecified account. You can almost taste the amateurism.

I dealt with Virgin Mobile a couple of years ago, and Virgin Money seem to be just as clueless as their sister businesses.

The car hire company was very good, the staff were helpful and friendly and the car was in very good condition and had useful extras.

But driving in Sicily is not for the feint hearted, driving times are long - around 2 hours to get from Giardini Naxos to anywhere of interest - driving conditions range from good to terrible, and navigating the tiny streets and finding parking are a real trial. Public transport seems surprisingly good, so consider this before embarking on car hire.

I mis-ordered a lower dosage than I intended, and when the goods arrived, I phoned to ask if I could swap them. They explained that this wasn't possible as drugs can't be taken back, but they gave me credit on my account - for something that had been my mistake. Excellent service!

I booked this through Boots, which I'd always thought a respected and trustworthy UK brand. I was forced to pay for the tests up front before I could book a place and date, but I proceeded as I trusted Boots. THEN I found that the nearest branch offering the service is not any of the 3 near me but in Winchester, 20 miles away. THEN I discovered that neither this branch, nor ANY in the wider area, even travelling 70 miles round trip, has ANY availability AT ALL on the dates I need. I got an email confirming my purchase, but there's no way to cancel it. It cost me £60 and I can find no way to get a refund.

I then went onto the Lloyds site and booked tests for myself and my wife on the correct day, at a convenient time in a chemist's about 5 miles away. I will pay WHEN I TAKE THE TEST.

BOOTS - WHAT ARE YOU DOING, SULLYING YOUR BRAND BY ASSOCIATING YOURSELVES WITH THIS BUNCH OF COWBOYS?

We got a vehicle that was clean, to the required spec and delivered as quickly and efficiently as the staff could achieve, under the circumstances

While the product is exactly what we ordered, this took around 10 days to arrive. We ordered the product because my wife had a sore throat & coughing, & needed Vocalzones to help with this. By the time AYP delivered, the problem was mostly gone.

Very good, straightforward & the results were back in about 18 hours. Only problem was signposting of the facility from the A33. We had to drive around a bit to find it.

Not great. We now have a water taste issue, which is either a problem with the supply that the filter is not removing or a problem with the filter itself. Unimpressed. Fitting instructions were provided, but nothing about the longevity of the filter (on enquiry, 6 months). Basically, "could do better" - actually, quite a lot better.

I've bought several wireless devices from Gear4Music. All of them have been disappointing, with poor reception, distorted sound and unexpected drop-outs. The in-ear monitor I bought most recently, and have only just had the opportunity to use (no gigs since last August, when I bought it) is perhaps the worst. The sound in one ear is distorted, and the sound in the other ear non-existent. I would advise potential buyers to steer clear of ANY SubZero kit, as the name tells you all you need to know about the quality.

I used to think - and tell everyone who was interested - that DPD was the best courier company in the country. They would give you plenty of warning of a 1-hour delivery slot, and would always reliably deliver within that slot - usually right in the middle.

However, recently their standards have slipped significantly. At least the last 2 deliveries I've had from them have had no prior notice at all. Yesterday morning, the doorbell rang - twice - at 7:45am. Unannounced, 2 large, heavy packages (of wild bird food, so of relatively low financial value and very hard to steal) were on my doorstep, as was the DPD delivery man. At that hour he could have just dropped a card through the letterbox & taken a photo, and DPD would then have emailed me to tell me it had been delivered. But no, I was dragged out of bed. On the previous occasion, a message was sent at around 6:40am that my delivery would be at 8am. I of course didn't see the warning before the package had arrived, and i was in the shower when the delivery man came.

Sorry, but I'm retired and this is the week before Christmas. Unannounced early deliveries like these are not acceptable. If you're going to deliver this early, at least let people know the night before. DPD never used to be like this.

Also, for months, the DPD app kept sending me alerts to say that my alternative drop-off address (a local Halfords) was no longer available, and that I should choose another. Except that a) I'd never selected the Halfords - or anywhere else - in the first place and b) the app gave me no means of selecting an alternative. I eventually had to turn off alerts for the app, which of course meant that I had one less means of knowing when they were due to deliver.

Come on DPD - you can do better. Much better.

Two lots of 12.5 kg bags delivered, promptly. Haven't opened them yet, but I'm sure the birds won't complain. Good price - better than Wilko!

We bought a high-end bedframe, Tempur mattress & pillows from Dreams, having researched extensively online & visited other stores. The range available, their sleep-assessment machine that helps you narrow down the enormous choice, the ability to try all the products in-store, the returns policy, the knowledge & friendliness of the staff and the sensible prices all convinced us that Dreams offered the best option.

The iPhone arrived today, 14 days after ordering. (No delivery information pre-order except 'FREE Tracked and Secure Delivery · Free'. You only find out AFTER you get the confirmation email that they delay it by '7-10 days', though from the reviews her, it seems most people find it takes longer. I emailed to ask what was going on & got pretty useless answers ('we'll deliver asap' - meaning when?). The one time I tried to call, it took them no less than 63 minutes to answer the phone, as I moved from 15th in the queue to the top. I was then told in no uncertain terms that I'd got it wrong; they count days from the day they deign to PROCESS your order, not from the day you order, and of course they don't work weekends, so 7-10 means WORKING days - or two weeks of frustration for you & me. Subsequent conversations (when they've finally called me) have got me nowhere; anyone you speak to won't give their surname and won't let you speak to anyone else in the business.
The phone has now arrived & seems to be OK. I just hope that the person I've bought it for doesn't have to claim on the warranty - God knows what will happen then.
BTW, take a look at their 5* reviews. Most are very short and talk about 'great service' and 'very quick', whilst all of the 1* reviews echo my experience of slow, surly service and long, long delays. My guess is that if a company was to get their own people to write reviews for them, they would of course be given verified purchase numbers. Just saying.
Oh, after I posted this the 1st time, QMF replied (below) to say that they would be in touch. Unsurprisingly, they haven't been.