Consumer

Waitrose refused my review for a Christmas desert which LOOKED really good but which contained palm oil. Greenpeace have stated that there is no such thing as "sustainable" and/or "responsibly sourced" palm oil and it's having a devastating impact on wildlife in all the countries where it's grown, causing extinctions of many species.
Recently scientists have discovered that it also accelerates certain cancers causing them to metastise:-
"Researchers at IRB Barcelona publish in the journal Nature the mechanism by which dietary palmitic acid (and not oleic or linoleic acid) favours tumour expansion. Tumour cells temporarily exposed to a diet rich in palmitic acid develop a more aggressive profile that endures as a form of cellular “memory”.
This more aggressive profile drives the activation Schwann cells associated with the tumor and the secretion of an extracellular tissue which, when blocked, impedes the metastatic capacity of the tumour."
So I think it's only fair that people should have this information so they can thoroughly check ALL ingredients lists.

Their refunds are supposed to take "up to" three weeks but five weeks on I'm STILL waiting and have been told to call them back if it still hasn't turned up in another fortnight........

Just SO pleased to have found a COMFORTABLE great looking bra at long last.

Horrible - it just keeps getting worse and suspends me for nothing. Last time it was for a comment on the diet of the South American Maned Wolf! Lately it seems to censor anything in support of Palestine, and that should be of concern to everyone.

ONCE AGAIN YouGov have penalised me for being old and not leaving my home. This morning they stopped my survey half way through and implied I was not answering honestly. It concerned computer games and I stated that I had heard of NONE of them. They then supplied me with another survey but (again) I receive ZERO points for getting half way through the earlier survey!! They really need to clean up their act. Why can't they understand that people who are housebound don't see bill-boards/advertising on buses etc etc. If you are of a certain age and live in the heart of the countryside AVOID YouGov if you don't want to work for no reward. This is what they told me 15 minutes into this morning's survey:- "Unfortunately, you failed one of our quality control questions. Data is at the heart of everything we do, so please help us by ensuring you read all questions and options carefully before answering them.
On this occasion we are unable to allow you to progress on this survey, however you will now be taken to a different survey. In line with our terms and conditions, your account will be on hold if you continue to fail our quality control measures.”

Unfortunately YouGov don't read complaints properly, consequently they have replied about MY account and ignored my complaint about the EXACT SAME THING happening to my partner who never got paid for his approx 4000 points when they wrongly suspended his account!
Earlier this morning I'd said: "So posting on Trustpilot gets results when all else fails. YouGov have said: "We're sorry. Your account has been credited with 900 in recognition of this. We’ve reactivated your account, and you should start receiving surveys again within a day or so."
As this seems to be the only way to get their attention (it's impossible to speak with a human being) why not do the right thing and pay my partner for the substantial number of points he had accumulated before you suspended HIS account too?! How many of us oldies have been cheated out of our hard earned money, simply because YouGov cannot believe we haven't heard of celebrities/influencers/sports personalities/on-line games etc etc We believe YouGov to be ageist and would like this case to be hi-lighted. It would appear that they decide to suspend accounts that are close to requiring them to pay out! Surveys are supposed to paint an accurate picture of public opinion but not all opinions are equal and clearly some of us are losing out and being cheated out of our hard earned money. It is clear that YouGov wants a certain age category but surely that then makes their survey 'findings' unreliable?"

Levi was extremely helpful and we would definitely recommend One Call.

Our dogs really love Noochy Poochy. I've tried them with several bowls of different dog food (AND beef and turkey) but they show little interest in any other food I offer and they eat Noochy Poochy with great gusto which (as a vegan myself) is very pleasing.

I object to the AHDB using a very young child in their advertisements promoting meat and dairy which are carcinogenics:- "The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) Working Group consisted of 22 experts from 10 countries. The IARC Working Group considered more than 800 different studies on cancer in humans (some studies provided data on both types of meat; in total more than 700 epidemiological studies provided data on red meat and more than 400 epidemiological studies provided data on processed meat). The risk increases with the amount of meat consumed, but the data available for evaluation did not permit a conclusion about whether a safe level exists. What types of cancers are linked or associated with eating red meat? The strongest, but still limited, evidence for an association with eating red meat is for colorectal cancer. There is also evidence of links with pancreatic cancer and prostate cancer.Red meat was classified as Group 2A, probably carcinogenic to humans. What does this mean exactly? In the case of red meat, the classification is based on limited evidence from epidemiological studies showing positive associations between eating red meat and developing colorectal cancer as well as strong mechanistic evidence." Dairy fares no better: "Bone Health: According to an analysis published in the British Medical Journal, most studies fail to show any link between dairy intake and broken bones, or fractures. In one study, researchers tracked the diets, exercise, and stress fracture rates of adolescent girls and concluded that dairy products and calcium do not prevent stress fractures. Another study of more than 96,000 people found that the more milk men consumed as teenagers, the more bone fractures they experienced as adults. Cancer: Research has linked the high fat content and hormones in milk, cheese, and other dairy products to breast cancer. One study of nearly 10,000 women found that those who consume low-fat diets have a 23 percent lower risk for breast cancer recurrence. They also have a 17 percent lower risk of dying from the disease. A 2017 study funded by the National Cancer Institute that compared the diets of women diagnosed with breast cancer to those without breast cancer found that those who consumed the most American, cheddar, and cream cheeses had a 53% higher risk for breast cancer. The Life After Cancer Epidemiology study found that, among women previously diagnosed with breast cancer, those consuming one or more servings of high-fat dairy products (e.g., cheese, ice cream, whole milk) daily had a 49% higher breast cancer mortality, compared with those consuming less than one-half serving daily. Research funded by the National Cancer Institute, the National Institutes of Health, and the World Cancer Research Fund, found that women who consumed 1/4 to 1/3 cup of cow’s milk per day had a 30% increased chance for breast cancer. One cup per day increased the risk by 50%, and 2-3 cups were associated with an 80% increased chance of breast cancer. Regular consumption of dairy products has also been linked to prostate cancer." I believe that the AHDB will already be fully aware of these health implications but I object to them using a young child to make their products appear 'wholesome' when they are clearly on a par with tobacco.

Sent them this - never heard back:-
"I object to the AHDB using a very young child in their advertisements promoting meat and dairy which are carcinogenics:- "The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) Working Group consisted of 22 experts from 10 countries. The IARC Working Group considered more than 800 different studies on cancer in humans (some studies provided data on both types of meat; in total more than 700 epidemiological studies provided data on red meat and more than 400 epidemiological studies provided data on processed meat). The risk increases with the amount of meat consumed, but the data available for evaluation did not permit a conclusion about whether a safe level exists. What types of cancers are linked or associated with eating red meat? The strongest, but still limited, evidence for an association with eating red meat is for colorectal cancer. There is also evidence of links with pancreatic cancer and prostate cancer.Red meat was classified as Group 2A, probably carcinogenic to humans. What does this mean exactly? In the case of red meat, the classification is based on limited evidence from epidemiological studies showing positive associations between eating red meat and developing colorectal cancer as well as strong mechanistic evidence." Dairy fares no better: "Bone Health: According to an analysis published in the British Medical Journal, most studies fail to show any link between dairy intake and broken bones, or fractures. In one study, researchers tracked the diets, exercise, and stress fracture rates of adolescent girls and concluded that dairy products and calcium do not prevent stress fractures. Another study of more than 96,000 people found that the more milk men consumed as teenagers, the more bone fractures they experienced as adults. Cancer: Research has linked the high fat content and hormones in milk, cheese, and other dairy products to breast cancer. One study of nearly 10,000 women found that those who consume low-fat diets have a 23 percent lower risk for breast cancer recurrence. They also have a 17 percent lower risk of dying from the disease. A 2017 study funded by the National Cancer Institute that compared the diets of women diagnosed with breast cancer to those without breast cancer found that those who consumed the most American, cheddar, and cream cheeses had a 53% higher risk for breast cancer. The Life After Cancer Epidemiology study found that, among women previously diagnosed with breast cancer, those consuming one or more servings of high-fat dairy products (e.g., cheese, ice cream, whole milk) daily had a 49% higher breast cancer mortality, compared with those consuming less than one-half serving daily. Research funded by the National Cancer Institute, the National Institutes of Health, and the World Cancer Research Fund, found that women who consumed 1/4 to 1/3 cup of cow’s milk per day had a 30% increased chance for breast cancer. One cup per day increased the risk by 50%, and 2-3 cups were associated with an 80% increased chance of breast cancer. Regular consumption of dairy products has also been linked to prostate cancer." I believe that the AHDB will already be fully aware of these health implications but I object to them using a young child to make their products appear 'wholesome' when they are clearly on a par with tobacco. At the very least a warning should appear on screen and only adult actors depicted. At best, you would ban the ad in the same way that tobacco adverting is no longer allowed to be screened."

I truly don't know if these people are evil (in the pay of this government) or incredibly ignorant. They preferred to deal with my complaint by telephone but I suffer with tinnitus and could only hear half of what was said. I told them the case officer that I couldn't hear her but she persisted with calls rather than emails. I had spent months drawing up a historical list of DEFRA failings over my case which dated back to 1991 when I had uncovered a massive DEFRA error in which they basically facilitated fraud to the tune of millions of pounds. DEFRA had said it wasn't their concern and I should try Trading Standards instead (which I also did) but that was proven to be wrong advice in 2018, it WAS Defra's responsibility after all, and thousands of people were defrauded between 2001 and 2018. DEFRA, AND the PHSO said the case was "out of time" but the clause that should have prevented the DEFRA mistake was only uncovered in 2018 and they had told me it wasn't their concern so I'd been trying to interest Trading Standards instead. They had EVERYTHING THEY NEEDED in writing, with names, dates and emails obtained under the Freedom of Information act. We had made it so simple for them including showing exactly WHY the case was not "out of time".
Judging from the sheer number of bad reviews, these people are just some sort of veneer of respectability for this corrupt government so that it 'appears' to be investigating.

Disgusted to read of the shoddy treatment of workers who are forced to isolate.