Elizabeth Holdsworth

The only good thing I can say about the Libre 2 plus sensor is that I have had no problem with it staying put on my arm, it appears to stick well to my skin.

Now for the bad!!!!!!

The Libre 2 sensor worked well, my mobile phone received signals from 1 room away in my home.

Now I have my first libre 2 plus sensor and I receive signal loss signals when it is close to my mobile. If I don’t place the mobile phone on the pillow/bed next to my right arm (where the sensor is placed), I get signal loss notifications several times during the night. Disturbed sleep can have an adverse when trying to maintain good control of T1 diabetes.

The times the sensor has shut down for a maintenance check has also always taken place at night. This is accompanied once again by the signal loss alarm, you are then notified of the maintenance check and told to wait before scanning again to ensure reconnection. Why do this at night, waking users up, then telling them to stay awake th rescan.

If getting an extra day usage from these sensors, at an increased cost, means all these problems - it is not worth it. The NHS needs to look seriously at the use and cost of these sensors.

Virgin Media please give me a phone number to a human voice so I can contact you.

I transferred my broadband package from Virgin Media to Squirrel on 5th August, the transfer was meant to take place on 2nd August but the package from Squirrel was not received until 12.37pm of the 5th, probably due to the weekend of 2nd and 3rd August intervening.

I set up Squirrel immediately on 5th August, then as I no longer got broadband through Virgin Media, my TV package would be no longer available to me. So I expected some charge to be made for the period between 2nd and 5th August.

My understanding notification of the transfer would be sent to Virgin Media by Squirrel. After all when I transferred to Virgin Media from Sky I experienced none of these problems.

My telephone number took until the 13th August to be transferred to Squirrel, so my telephone only was connected to the Virgin Router until that date. I expected to be charged for that.

So imagine my shock when I got a bill from Virgin Media recently stating, I was still receiving Broadband only from them, resulting in them taking over £80 from me in August and stating the same would be taken in September. I expected a refund for August as I had only been connected to their broadband/tv for 4 days, I definitely didn’t expect what appeared to be an over inflated, completely unnecessary charge for September.

I have tried their billing enquiries phone number 0800 052 9406 but you just get a recorded message saying that they tried to ring me today (which they didn’t on either of my phones) and they would ring me later if they needed to.

Then I tried Virgin customer services on 0345 454 111 which takes you through several instances of choosing button 1, 2, 3 etc and got no connection to a human voice when it came to anything remotely connected to billing.

I don’t know what to do, I have never, ever had this problem transferring from one supplier to another from the days of phones only, to swapping mobile companies, broadband, tv packages etc. I certainly had no problem at all when swapping TO Virgin but leaving - that is a different story.

I hate these companies that use AI and run you around and around in circles trying to contact with a human voice. Perhaps it is my advanced age, but I suspect the use of AI that leads nowhere, is meant to put people off getting an answer, so that you can then be told you never tried to contact them.

14.41pm

Managed to get some information through their messaging service. Virgin Media are blaming Squirrel for not informing them of the transfer of services.

Contacted Squirrel at 13.39-m today.

Message back from Squirrel at 14.33

Hi Elizabeth,



We have tried to contact them again today regarding the switch but it has failed from their end.



You may need to give them a call and notify them that we have sent the request multiple times but to no avail.



Kind regards,
Squirrel support

Over the past many years I have had very few problems with Amazon, (hence giving them 2 stars rather than 1), as my house is easy to find and clearly marked with my house number.

On 9th April I was expecting delivery of a cutlery set that contained very sharp, pointed steak knives. At approx 3.45pm I noted the delivery van was 6 stops away so I got together my ID, sat in my lounge with a clear view out of the front of my house, and waited. There was adequate parking space outside my house. At 4.10pm I received an email saying my cutlery set, along with 1 other item, had been delivered (which it had not).

When I opened my Amazon account it stated the cutlery set had been handed to a resident, at my address, called “Mike”. However there is no-one of that name lives at my residence, I may be in my 70s, but my brain still functions well and I would certainly know if a male called “Mike” inhabited my home with me.

I tried to report immediately that my cutlery set had not been delivered to my home, however getting past an AI robot that led me around in circles was well nigh impossible. It instructed me to check whether the parcel had been delivered else where, so the next day I posted printed letters through the doors of many neighbours. I asked them to respond if they had received the items, and received no replies.

I contacted Amazon again on 11th August and was allowed to bypass the AI and was thankfully permitted to speak to an employee on the phone, and was issued with a refund. However when I asked if the delivery of the knives to an unknown male should be reported to the Police, I was told it was not necessary as they would deal with it. The man I spoke to appeared unconcerned that dangerous knives were in the hands of this unknown male.

1 week later I have reordered the cutlery set and other item and received them safely. But Amazon still have the disappeared cutlery set as delivered to my address and “Mike” as the resident. So obviously no one has been in contact with Amazon to report that they have them. I have not been contacted by Amazon with any updates to their enquiries, so I have decided to report this to the Police tomorrow. With the number of knife attacks occurring nowadays, people delivering them from firms such as Amazon should be diligent in ensuring they are given to the correct recipient at the correct address.

There was good tracking of my parcels journey on the Yodel app until the early morning of 13th March, when tracking demonstrated it had been received at my “local depot”. (No matter how I searched I was unable to find out where this “local depot” was). In Yodel’s own words the parcel was to be delivered BY 14th March. As it was at my “local depot” by early morning of the 13th I assumed it could be delivered that day - so I stayed at home. Nothing arrived on the 13th despite Yodel tracking showing for a 2nd time that my parcel had just been received at my local depot - but at a later time. On 14th March I received 2 further times that the parcel had been received at my “local depot”, so I crossed my fingers hoping that I wouldn’t have to sit in all day again.

Once the parcel was given to a local delivery driver on the 14th, everything improved greatly. I received a 2 hour delivery slot and the parcel was delivered during that time. The doorbell was rung, the driver was courteous and pleasant and the parcel + contents were in excellent condition.

So Yodel needs to improve in the following areas -
a) all day of 13th I was informed delivery would be BY 14th March, leaving me stuck at home waiting all that day. At some point someone must have realised delivery would be ON 14th March so I should have been informed of that ASAP. This demonstrates a lack of customer awareness/needs.
b) I was given 4 different times over 2 days for when my parcel was received at my mystery “local depot” Either the parcel travelled to 4 different “local depots” or there is something wrong with the AI system. Surely it can’t be too difficult to identify where s parcel is, other delivery companies are able to.

Parcel was delivered intact on day expected.

I would give this 4.5 stars as disconnection of my old machine was not possible on day of delivery.

I ordered a freestanding Samsung washing machine to replace an integrated one and was pleased to be given a wide choice of free delivery dates. This involves you being available to receive the item any time during the chosen day. However on the 16th Nov I was allocated a 2 hour slot by the delivery company Arrow XL, enabling me to organise the rest of my day. Delivery went well, the washing machine was unpacked and I was invited to inspect it to ensure it was undamaged.

I paid in advance for my old washing machine to be uninstalled and recycled, however as the old one was integrated the Arrow XL personnel were unable to do this. They explained that this was because there was a risk that the kitchen units may be damaged when removing integrated appliances, and they were not covered for that. This seemed a reasonable explanation to me, plus they rang their office immediately and I was very quickly refunded what I paid for the service. The delivery men were polite and helpful and any misunderstanding re the installation was not of their making.

Afterwards I returned to the Hughes site and could find no reference to Arrow XL being unable to uninstall integrated appliances when ordering a freestanding one as replacement. May I suggest to Hughes this should be clearly highlighted when choosing this option.

I have now had my Samsung washing machine installed by my local plumber and am very happy with it. It is very quiet compared to my old Hotpoint and easy to use.

So 5 stars for the machine, 5 stars for the Arrow XL delivery persons but loss of 0.5 stars for lack of clear information on the Hughes site, when paying for uninstall of my old washing machine.

Bought a large grey and orange rug, which was delivered quickly on 6th October 2023, it was very securely wrapped. Very soft and comfortable and the colours were exactly like the photographs with the description. So I am happy with the colours, quality and cost of the rug.

Unfortunately with the way the rug was rolled up, there are raised ridges in the rug that have still not completely disappeared several weeks later. I have had to purchase rug grippers and place furniture on top to try and and flatten it as it is a trip hazard. This has been mentioned by other buyers on the Dunhelm site, but the problem is obviously unresolved with the manufacturer. Hence only 4 stars.

The tracking system for APC is excellent, notifying me on Monday that my day of delivery would be Tuesday. A set 2 hourly delivery spot was given on the day of delivery and adhered to. The driver was cheerful, friendly and helpful. Recommend.

2 recent parcels delivered over past few weeks have arrived safely and on time. The Yodel app keeps me up to date and is accurate (unlike some other delivery companies). The drivers have always been helpful and cheerful.

Ordered Ariel pods from a small business owner on 15th August, at 7.42pm received email saying they had been dispatched. No tracking number provided. Advice provided with the notification of dispatch said I must message the seller if I wished more information re tracking/delivery.

So I clicked on message seller and was forwarded to message assistant, an AI construct. There was no facility through this totally inadequate system to ask for tracking information. If you couldn’t find the information you wanted is asked if you wanted a refund or to ask another question. So I clicked on “ask another question” which sends you through the exact same process again. With no facility to contact the seller to acquire a tracking number..

The parcel is now running late and I am being told by Amazon to contact Royal Mail, but how can I obtain information about my specific parcel without a tracking number? Oh and according to Amazon the reason the parcel is running late is because of the Royal Mail strike action which ceased over 4 weeks ago!! Also the Royal Mail web site states there are no problems with deliveries.

Amazon need to introduce some similar rules to eBay for sellers who post their products personally.
- There should always be a tracking number provided, even if only the type that provides proof of delivery.
- There should be a way to contact the seller direct when there are problems with tracking/delivery.

Went to the hello klean site and found it difficult to find anything written about accepted methods of payment. Eventually at the very bottom of most page I realised there was a PayPal logo (amongst many others) which is my preferred trusted method of payment. However after I had worked my way through pre-ordering a £133 special bundle, when I got to payment there was no facility to use PayPal, just credit/debit cards. So hello klean just lost my order.

I ordered a Naturana green bra from lingerie outlet price £29.94. What. I was sent, via Royal Mail tracked, was a Naturana 5063 black bra sold by lingerie outlet for £23.40. However I was still charged £29.40p for this cheaper bra.

It took some time to sort this out with lingerie outlet as they required photographic evidence of what I was saying in order for me to gain “permission” to return the bra for a refund. Stupidly I presumed they would have a copy of the detailed order form, included within the package I received, that clearly demonstrates I did not receive the item I ordered.

Apparently to obtain a free return I am not entitled to send this back via Royal Mail, even though lingerie outlet use them for deliveries. I can reach two post offices within easy reach, 1 walking distance away, but that is not permitted. If I want to use the post office I have to pay for tracked delivery myself. Free returns are only permitted via Asda, requiring I make 4 bus journeys to get there and back. That is if buses turn up, as our bus company has lost many bus drivers to better paying jobs.

Come on lingerie outlet, I have come to the conclusion that you are looking to make the return as difficult for me as possible. You made the mistake, but I have to be faced with a difficult journey to be entitled to a free return. Is this any way to treat a customer who entered into a contract with you, in good faith, only to be let down.

Tuesday 7th March

Thank you for returning my money. However I have 1 more point to add.

The incorrect bra that was sent to me was on special offer on the day of dispatch - for £18.72p, therefore I had £11.22p in excess of this cost taken from my account. Had me wondering how many other times has this happened to others without them realising it.

Parcel T00MTA0078077318

I ordered a freestyle libre 2 sensor from an online chemist on 30/11/22 and paid next day delivery as this sensor was urgently needed. I was provided with a Parcel2Go tracking number, (which is not an EVRI tracking number) on 30/11/22. According to Parcel2Go it was picked up by EVRI from a drop off point on 1/12/22, not delivered on 2/12/22 but reached my local depot on 3/12/22. After that it disappeared into the mists of the EVRI local sorting depot with the continual entry “on its way to courier”.

On 6th December I was contacted by the Chemist who asked if I had received the parcel, to which I replied no. I also said I no longer needed it as I had to go elsewhere for this needed equipment, so he contacted Parcel2Go. This is the advice he received.

(I have contacted Parcel2Go and they asked me to tell you not to accept the delivery and they will mark it as such and return it to us. This will save you having to repost it out to us. Unfortunately, the return takes around 14 days and I will not be able to process your refund until then. Please confirm if this is acceptable.)

Delivery of the parcel was attempted on Monday 12th December at 2.25pm, 10 days beyond a reasonable time for next day delivery. Following the advice I was given I refused delivery on the grounds the parcel was 10 days late and the contents of no use to me.

I emailed the Chemist and told him I had refused delivery.

Last night, Friday 16th December, my neighbour came to give me a parcel he had found on my doorstep the previous evening. The parcel clearly had written on it “refused”. By using the EVRI tracking number on the parcel, I identified it as the parcel I had refused on 10th December. I had been in all day Thursday 15th as it was so cold and I was feeling unwell. Nobody knocked at the door or rang the front door bell. They left the parcel in full view of anyone walking past as we are not permitted fences.

I don’t understand how EVRI can legitimately expect to deliver next day deliveries over 10 days late and not accept responsibility for their return, when the expensive item is no longer of use to the recipient. Their blatant disregard for refusal of delivery when they have not completed their part of a contract, is astounding.

I bought a lovely chair second hand for £20, much better quality than most mass produced rubbish sold today. It was clean and in excellent condition except for the cushion that was lumpy and uncomfortable to sit on.

After trawling the internet for a few days I came across eFoam which on the whole received excellent reviews. So I ordered a new bespoke bullnose cushion in the reflex superior foam for the chair, with a stockinette covering. The easy to follow measuring instructions given on the site made this easy to do. The total cost, postage was free, was £32.98p.

I ordered the cushion on 19th July and received it today the 22nd. Following a short fight with the cushion (which I won) I managed to fold it in half so that it glided easily inside the cover. The stockinette cover made this process considerably easier than with the old uncovered foam. The chair is now firmly supportive, ensuring stability and comfort to my back and hips. All for £53.98p thanks to eFoam, you couldn’t buy a quality new chair for that.

I am very happy with all aspects of my purchase and plan use eFoam again in the future.

Ordered a heavy item through a private seller on Amazon. The item was picked up by FedEx in Bury Saint Edmunds on 1st March and delivered to me at 10am on 2nd March. Delivery was from the Kidderminster depot, the young man who delivered was polite, pleasant and wearing a mask. This was my first experience of a delivery via FedEx and I has absolutely no problems whatsoever with the quality of the service provided.

I always know there will be no problems with a delivery when DPD has the responsibility. The 1 hour slot is always adhered to and there is email notification when I am the next person to receive my parcel.

Delivery today was by Rakhuir who followed Covid precautions carefully. Despite what I am sure is a busy schedule, he waited inside his van until I unlocked my door and picked up the parcel, then he wished me a good day and left. Attention to detail and a pleasant attitude, what more can you ask.

Utilising the DPD app on my iPad I was able to follow the journey of my parcel from collection to delivery. On the evening prior to delivery I was given a 1 hour delivery slot and this was adhered to. The app keeps you up to date on the day of delivery and everything went smoothly. Chris, who delivered my parcel, was cheerful, courteous and helpful.

Through internet shopping I have had parcels delivered by DPD, via their Stoke depot, on several occasions. I am always grateful when I see it is DPD rather than some of their less reliable competitors! They’ve always met their commitment to a delivery slot and I have never experienced a problem with them.

Ordered 40 Yankee candle melts on 14th October and arrived 2pm on the 15th (first class delivery). Securely packaged with no damage to any of the items. Very happy with the service received.

18 Feb 2019

Contract number 1271229

I wrote a review of Safestyle UK on 20th June 2018 when I gave 4 stars as I was quite happy with the salesperson and fitters. But since then things have gone from bad to worse.

Unfortunately they fit the front door with the letterbox in the incorrect position, not as shown on the surveyors report. In the week following the fitting, I discussed this with a lady who rang to see if I wanted to be put into a draw. She told me she would forward my concerns re this and the scaffolding to the correct department. I also discussed both these things with Ashley the salesman. He told me he would deal with my problems the next day. I heard nothing!

I then emailed customer services re this on 30th June 2018, asking for the door to be replaced. I told them I did not want to be a whinging customer, so I was prepared to be patient in waiting for the replacement door. No response received over the next 6 months.

I emailed them again on 10th December 2018 as I believed I had been patient for long enough.
Again no response.

I emailed again on 8th February 2018, no response but I received a phone call asking me to consider buying more from the company. Now I was angry, why would I want to buy more from them when they refuse to respond to my emails. The salesman put me through to customer services.

Apparently, according to customer services, someone had altered the surveyors report that they had at the office. It appears my word is doubted that my copy is different, so I have to provide evidence by forwarding a copy of my report. I also have to provide evidence that I have emailed them 3 times. Once I have provided this evidence they will discuss whether or not I have a right to have my door replaced.

I have asked for an email stating what they want me to send and what the outcome might be. I have also asked for the address where I should send the evidence. As they appear to be unable to find any emails from me, then I insist on the right to post it recorded delivery. I am still awaiting an email from them with this information.

Based on my post fitting treatment by this company, I would never purchase any further windows/ doors from them again!!



7 windows and 1 front door fitted 20th June 2018.

When it came to the sales person, the windows/door and the fitters I would give 5 stars. However the communication (or indeed lack of) since then has led to the deduction of 1 star.

These are the positive points:-

1. The salesperson Ashley, was respectful, polite and very helpful. I had visits from 3 companies and felt pushed to buy with the other two, often with a cost that I felt was beyond my capabilities. Ashley demonstrated the ability to listen to what I required and helped me meet my budget needs.

2. The fitters Matty and Marcus gave excellent service. They arrived around 10am (they were not local) and worked solidly until after 6pm. They did not take a break during that time. Also, I am glad to say, there were no loud radios belting out music nor was there any shouting or swearing as I have experienced with other workmen. Both were polite and respectful. They made an excellent job of fitting the 7 windows and front door, also repairing any plaster work and tidying up after themselves. Once they had completed the work they ensured I knew how to operate any locks and that I was satisfied with their work.

I have waited 2 weeks to fill in this review, so I had experience of using the windows/door before completing it, I have found nothing wrong in respect of how they function. The front door does not have the letterbox where indicated on the surveyors report. I have emailed the company about this and hope it will be resolved within the next few weeks.

Now the negative bits!

1. 1 week after completion of the work I received a phone call to ascertain if I was happy with the work. After I said I was, the man started trying to persuade me to have the 3 back windows and door done. This was not something I could afford at present, but he told me he could organise a quote that would stand for a year. The salesman came and it became apparent that I would need to sign a contract for buy now, pay in a years time. I was told I should then be able to get a credit card with 0% interest to pay for them. No-one can guarantee such credit cards would be available in a years time, so I signed nothing as I do not take risks with my finances. I was again phoned the day after, when the man tried to get me to agree to sign by lowering the price. I told him I was beginning to feel harassed to buy, his reply was “I have a job to do”. I had to repeat I did not want to buy and he put the phone down on me. How rude and disrespectful after I had purchased £7,500 of goods from them already.

2. Scaffolding was required for the front of the house and was put up on 19th June. The contract said it should be removed within 96 hours of the job being completed. Despite me informing both the salesperson and emailing the company on 30th June, the scaffolding remains in place this evening of 4th July 2018. This means I cannot have my front bedroom windows open during these hot nights as someone could gain access by the scaffolding. The supports for the scaffolding lie on boards on top of my front lawn. This means the grass underneath is now dead, it also means I am unable to mow around that area. I have heard nothing from the scaffolders or from Safestyle.

So, I can recommend the salesperson and fitters who I believe all came from the Stoke area. However when it comes to ensuring good communication after the work was fulfilled I feel Safestyle demonstrate a need for improvement.