N Ramsden

After trying five other so-called "Free" PDF editors this was the first to be exactly that. All the others take you through the whole process, right to the point where you can actually use the edited document, and then hit you with a credit card request and other conditions before you can actually use it. As a result I will happily pay pdfgear if I need any of their other services. Oh, and it works really well and did exactly what I needed - just to remove 3 pages from a 60 page document.
Thank you and nice job.

Total disaster. Set up an account. I tried to ask how I could keep my existing number. It said it would all be taken care of at checkout. So I set up direct debit with them and got a PAC code from my existing provider. At checkout absolutely nothing about keeping existing number. Then wasted nearly 2 hours trying to sort it out. Seems impossible to speak with anyone, just useless AI bots who lead you through numerous questions and then, lead you through the same questions again in a never ending doom loop. Enough. Rang my bank and cancelled / blocked he direct debit. Absolutely dire. AVOID

We've been using Tradeprint for nearly 10 years, for brochures, leaflets & cards etc and always had good, prompt service with high quality at a reasonable price.
We're not always the best at getting the artwork right but they have always been helpful in sorting it out and getting the job done. On the occasions that I've had to contact them I always seem to be able to speak to a human (no bloody robots) quickly and helpfully.
Definitely recommend

1 August 2025 update: The spectacular uselessness of this bank continues. Three times over a period of 10 weeks I have been promised a card reader but it has never been received (I'm guessing probably never sent). Yesterday it was the end of the month and I realised it was the last day to pay my self-assessed tax to HMRC to avoid a fine. Tried to pay it online but of course still no card reader. Tried to communicate with the online robot: totally useless. Tried to phone to speak to someone: another speech robot this time and equally useless. Wasted another half an hour for no result. Only option was to pay it from my personal account with First Direct. Phoned them and immediately spoke to a human who was polite, efficient and quick. Security was very quick, just gave name and postcode and their voice recognition system did the rest. Whole transaction done painlessly in a couple of minutes.
For your time and sanity avoid this Natwest excuse for a bank and go elsewhere. It cannot be worse. That's what I'm now going to do. Not looking forward to it as it's bound to be more hassle. But anything must be better than Natwest online business banking.

25 June 2025
I was with HSBC online business bank for many years with reasonable service and security with a card reader gadget which worked well. The reader stopped working and when I asked for a replacement I was told no, they don't do those any more and that I would have to have the app on a smartphone. I don't want the app on a smartphone, not because I'm a Luddite but because 2 quite savvy people I know have recently had their mobiles stolen and their entire bank contents cleared out, with the sort of grief that involves. So I moved to Natwest because they still didn't insist on having the app.
After two months they have proved a total disaster area of poor systems and service. The changeover was a nightmare; so bad that at the end of it I was too worn out with it to even bother complaining. Today I have just tried to pay my corporation tax online. Went through all the usual accounts, security and references, got to the final bit and then computer said no: We need you to go on the app for biometric security check. Or use the card reader gadget. I don't have or want the app. They never sent me the card reader!
I phoned the helpline and a totally useless robot didn't even begin to deal with the problem. Somehow (not sure how) but I finally spoke to a human (very nice, very helpful but trying to operate in a disaster area dressed up as a bank). After explaining my problem I suggested perhaps I could just make the payment over the phone? Yes I could!
However 34 minutes later, yes 34! (according to my mobile - it seemed longer!) this one simple transaction to HMRC was finally achieved (I hope: still waiting on written confirmation from Natwest half an hour later). Totally unbelievable; it seemed to go on forever. I asked to be transferred to complaints and was left on hold for another 5 minutes. Related the above to person who answered and was told I should receive a response "in 5 working days".
Brilliant. I can't wait!

I've got the trainline App and I've got a senior Railcard. But on a recent booking I just could not find a way to use the Railcard for discount. Every time I clicked on Railcard it tried to sell me one. I've got one!
I think I finally figured it but I'm still not convinced I got the correct discount as it was 30% more expensive than when I made the exact same journey just 4 months ago.
Also, last time, my tickets came through by email and on the App. This time no ticket but just a ticket collection code telling me not to forget my Railcard.
Altogether a very frustrating and time-wasting experience. 2 stars is generous!

HSBC online business banking: It seems to work OK as long as you need absolutely no need to communicate with a human being at any time for any reason. Then it's absolutely, totally, completely useless.
I tried to transfer £5000 to an ISA at another bank. It all seemed to work OK and the transaction was "confirmed". The next day though the statement showed the amount was transferred out to the correct bank and ISA as requested. And then, for no apparent reason, transferred right back into my HSBC account.
I tried the "online chat" but this, it appears is run by an AI (Artificial Idiot? Artificial Ignorance?) and was absolutely useless as it is only programmed for a handful of scenarios, but not mine.
So I try to phone. After entering numerous numbers via the handset, all of which on past experience they ask you again if you ever get to speak to someone I then get continuous dreary music followed by the usual message that "your call is important to us" "all agents are busy" "we're experiencing higher call volumes than usual" etc etc.
I've now been holding for 31 minutes, during which I've had time to write this review and hear the same message probably in excess of 50 times. The initial recorded message, 33 minutes ago now, said they would keep my place in the queue and would call me back, but at no time did it say how this could happen, so it never did.
I would move to another bank now but it's so much hassle to set up a business account these days that I guess I just have to put up with this excuse for a service. Totally shameful.
Here's an interesting clip from a quick internet search: Despite the overall bonus cuts for staff, HSBC Chief Executive Noel Quinn saw his pay package jump 14% to 5.6 million pounds ($6.7 million), from 4.9 million pounds the prior year. Once long-term incentive awards are included, Quinn's total pay could reach 10.5 million pounds, the bank said.
Well done Mr Quinn!
Now at 33 minutes and 49 seconds I give up and will hang up. I've just worked out that Mr Quinn would have earned around £1200 in that time!!

Simple answer to simple question? Not from this bunch of incompetents. I have a fixed ISA. What's the penalty to move it to a better rate ISA (with Virgin!)? Then I can decide if it's worth moving. Virtually impossible to find out. You'd think that information would be right there online on the account details, but no.
Over 2 hours wasted and none the wiser. Total frustration at every attempt. And guess what? They're experiencing a high volume of calls so can't be bothered to answer. A truly awful company.
UPDATED REVIEW:
Just had a reply from Virgin saying sorry they're so useless and giving me a link that will sort everything out. And please update my review.
Well it didn't! All it did was put me back into the same nightmare repeat insanity loop. They should offer their services to the Russians as a form of torture. I've now signed into my account about six times today and am back right where I started.
Just tried again, signed in and tried to follow what should be a simple application. Last straw is I've just hit a page that says "Sorry the page you're looking for isn't available right now". They really do take incompetence to staggeringly high levels.
Shame of it is, it looks like a good deal - if only I could find a way to apply for it!!

HSBC internet banking service is spectacularly useless. I have been trying for HOURS to trace a repayment from an insurance company that never arrived in my account. The insurance company have sent me precise details of the payment made but I simply can't get through to HSBC to trace where it has gone. I eventually managed to talk to someone but was moved to other departments many times and had to go through the whole story again and again, each time having to listen to the same long recorded message of how I might be able to do it online. Eventually I was timed out with absolutely no help at all. Total frustration!
The payment amount did turn up in the account but doesn't alter the fact that getting response was totally dire!

I tried to return an Amazon wrongly delivered item. I printed the return Evri label and waited for pick up. After 6 days I entered the tracking number which showed that they had tried to collect the package 4 days earlier but it had already been collected. Totally untrue as it was sitting by the door in my shop which was definitely open at the time / day they said they called. I'm looking at it now!!
Absolutely impossible to convince the various automated answering message systems they have that it had NOT been collected. Just went round in circles for hours. Very very frustrating experience. Amazon said it could be taken to my local post office. They would not accept it so I had to do a 10 mile round trip to their nearest pick up point.
They are totally totally USELESS

Just sent the following unsolicited email to AMC:

Just a quick note to say many thanks for a very high quality job of preparing the campervan for collection yesterday.

Really can't fault the level you've gone to in bringing the van up to the highest standard it could be for one of that age. I notice there are certain works that have been done over and above what we had agreed but at no extra cost. No doubt you felt they were required but still very impressive to find a company that takes that much trouble to get it right.

Good on you and thanks again
Nevil Ramsden

How do Fidelity get ANY positive reviews? They make it next to impossible to contact them!
They give an 0800 number but after 11 minutes of listening to an irritating repetitive piano noise and numerous messages telling me how someone would answer my call "as soon as possible" I gave up.
For all they know I had millions to invest. Now they never will know!

What a clunky, out of date system. Like something produced 15 or 20 years ago. Lots of little things that need improvement and updating to bring it anywhere near up to date.
Help is no help at all. Customer service pretty hopeless. We have to ask our accountant how to do things and he's no expert. Shame, as it appears we're pretty much doing the accountant's job for them now!
Among many other things you can't format a quote, doesn't even allow bold type or italics! Can't shortcut Ctrl S to save. Can only put a customer's address in after quote has been sent. Non-user-friendly set up and finding your way around any sort of editing to templates and standard entries. I could go on, and on, and on.............