All Dear Jac articles – Page 54
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Dear Jac
Dear Jac: A waste of time and money? No comment
You wouldn't really switch your rubbish collection unless it was going to save you money, would you? Stupid question. Vipul Pabari, who trades as Connaught Rd PO in Leicestershire, says that the price quoted to him by the PHS Wastetech...
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Dear Jac
Dear Jac: Best…worst…what to do about the date?
Back quickly to best-before dates (Sept 17 issue). Manjit Sokhal is trying to do the decent thing. "We do sometimes eat out-of-date stuff but there's only so much you can store." She considered giving it away, but of course, "Customers would quickly...
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Dear Jac
Dear Jac: Penalty shoot-outs
Every month I hear from retailers realising belatedly what they signed up for. Shaid Hussain emailed me to say that he has been overcharged by his photocopy supplier for the past seven years. When he contacted the company to complain he...
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Dear Jac
Dear Jac: A wee problem turns nasty
We've had rude customers (conducting the entire transaction while still yakking into their mobiles), threatening customers and hold-your-nose smelly customers all making appearances in this column. Now, for the first time, I bring you...
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Dear Jac
Dear Jac: Paying for mistakes shouldn’t be this costly
"We made a mistake," says Tasnim Aslam, who runs The Right Place in South Shields. She is halfway through a seven-year contract with Bank Machine, which installed and supplies an ATM. She gets 15p on all transactions, rising to 25p on transactions...
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Dear Jac
Dear Jac: In competition with its own network?
I've had an email, from a sub-postmistress of long standing, accusing the Post Office/Royal Mail of being the main competition out there. She writes: "An office can expand its work via many of the Post Office-driven items. However, each and every...
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Dear Jac
Dear Jac: Beware the roll over
Alan Taylor, director at energy broker Utilities Savings Corporation, was very disappointed by this column two issues back which featured Zac Hussain's complaint that his energy bill went up instead of down after using its NFRN-recommended services....
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Dear Jac
Who has the winning ticket?
The date on this issue's front cover is a fingers-crossed day for Camelot. The National Lottery Commission's closing date for interested parties to make their final representations about its provisional decision to withhold consent for Camelot...
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Dear Jac
Dear Jac: Are you on their list?
Dear old Britain is getting on, and so are many of its buildings. And English Heritage likes to do that preserving thing by listing buildings. But if you haven't worked out whether your bricks and mortar are worth preserving, it could cost you.
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Dear Jac
Dear Jac: When paying online isn’t an option
Are you doing your VAT online? Alvin Wilkinson isn't. A bit of a reactionary is Alvin. No computer, no epos, no mobile phone. But his store, Countdown in Hornsea, Yorkshire, does very nicely thank you and he pays his considerable VAT on time. Or...
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Dear Jac
Dear Jac: An update on Chip & PIN charges
On the subject of PayPoint, I have been asked to point out that there is a crucial piece of information missing from the story in the last issue about George Mahay and his out-of-date flyer (Get it in writing but it may not help, C-Store, September...
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Dear Jac
Dear Jac: What really is the ‘worst after’ date?
Rajan Jhanjee rang from his Paradise Stores CTN in Brentwood, Essex, with that hairy old question about 'best before' dates. We know that retailers can sell items past that date, but what constitutes a reasonable amount of time; ie what is the...
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Dear Jac
Dear Jac: What to do when a tricky landlord holds out on the lease
Howard Coffey, asks how do you get the council to sell you the freehold after it says it won't dispose of commercial leases but is busily transferring them to other companies?
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Dear Jac
Dear Jac: A tender message which is pretty tough
Zac Hussain got signed up to Utilities Savings Corporation (an energy broker) on the NFRN's say-so.
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Dear Jac
Dear Jac: A few tips to keep you on the straight and narrow
Hitendra Patel, who trades in Harold Hill in Essex, has passed on numerous nods, tips and winks on the several occasions he has rung me
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Dear Jac
High (cost of) finance
There's no such thing as a free lunch, or free banking, apparently. A year ago Karim Mawji, who runs Young's Newsagents in Pinner in Middlesex, recommended Nationwide Building Society's Business Investor account which, although restrictive, did...
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Dear Jac
Dear Jac: Subpostmasters are ‘working in a climate of fear’
Like many of you who are subpostmasters, I also believe the Horizon system is faulty owing to the sheer weight of evidence.
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Dear Jac
Dear Jac: Are you planning to diversify?
Like many of you, Asif Malik, who runs a Nisa Supermarket in Cardiff, is exploring diversification.
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Dear Jac
Dear Jac: Cheers to enterprise
Not long ago I saved a couple £1,000. Before you all ring up, let me stress that this isn't something I can do often.
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Dear Jac
Dear Jac: Is this leasing or fleecing?
Asokar Ramalingham took out a loan to refurbish his Best One store at Gravesend, Kent, but now he's been sent a further bill for £1,207.50