sotonjoe

I thought you said you delcared the value of the package as £50 or have I got that wrong?

Can't see what all the fuss is about. We have two quality understudies and it's good for them to get a chance. He'll be missed of course, but let's give some respect and support to the other keepers who now get to prove their worth.

Not technically, although it depends on how you look at it. They bundle a line rental fee, plus calls plus braodband together and charge you one monthly amount. It starts at £15 a month for max 8mb speed and 40gb donload allowance. Essentially, this is exactly what Virgin Media and others do as well, they obviosuly just explain their pricing structure differently. The concept of receiving adsl broadband, which I think is what Tiscali use, without a phoneline , remains impossible.

ahah ... so she is just an internet girlfriend then?

TBH mate, at that price you're literally taking a punt and hoping it pays off. Your best bet is to cast aside any preconceptions about particular marques and models and look for something that has a 'new' mot and 12 months tax etc. That way, you should *touch wood* stand the greatest chance of the thing lasting the 12 months. Service history is your friend as well, since you'll inevitably be dealing with old, high mieage cars and you'll want to make sure they've been looked after. The best bet is to get on autotrader and see what's available for £500 or less in and around Southampton. Finally, because the budget is really tight, I'd say avoid traders altogether and go private. You stand the best chance of getting something worth having. There's no profit left in a £500 transaction for a dealer unless they paid peanuts for the car, and if they paid peanuts for the car you know it's really crap.

if you don't want to have a landline, you have to go mobile or go cable. You said cable isn't an option so that leaves you with mobile or getting a landline. Mobile is pants compared to 'conventional' broadband as well.

I doubt it, although you never know with some of them on here

Of course they'll charge a handling fee if they have to pay it for you, they're not a charity. The only way you can accuse them of being naughty is if they offer you no way of paying in advance. Out of interest, did your girlfriend take it to a Parcel Force depot in New York (if such a thing exists)? If not, and it was at some third party establishment, e.g. an American post office who gave you duff advice about prepaying, your claim lies with them and not Parcel Force. I still think you're getting your knickers in a twist unnecessarily to be honest. Perhaps I'm too laid back about these things, but I've paid equally scandalous 'customs charges' plus handling fees before and just look at it as part of the deal when it comes to having things imported. You'll live and learn and will no better next time if you really don't like it.

Absolutely hilarious. The knee-jerk self-righteous tsunami when people relaised they had been sucked in was the best bit. Can't beat a few bruised egos! You'd think that Wurzel had just throttled an old codger to deaf with his bare hands.

The customs fees don't discriminate between brithday presents or any other sort of package. Me thinks you're just having a general moan because you've been asked to pay and now you're getting all self-righteous about it. Just collect your parcel and pay up. Next time, think twice about sending stuff home when you know you may get collared for customs charges.

Davis needs some 'sticky' hands.

Couldn't you have paid the customs charges up front to avoid getting stung at the end?

And I respect you fully for being able to say that, instead of "**** off you're a ****" etc

I agree it's bad he left the woman and I do feel synpathy for her. However, I think I have a bit of a dysfunctional brain and it's the animal cruelty that often gets me first. Having had loads of pets and seeing the way they keep coming back to you etc, I hate the idea of people bashing them around etc. I guess it's because I think they're more vulnerable than humans. Either way, it may be a bit weird!

horrible doggy attacks guide dog... Bloody thing should be put down.

If they were deemed 'poor', yes.

Yes, of course it offers a useful perspective to any debate. I didn't mean to imply that refering to personal experience is irrelevant to a debate. But a more sophisticated debater would appreciate that it is merely another perspective, not the be all and end all that it often gets treated as in this forum. And that is the crux of the matter, I see too many posts from those with first hand experience of the subject, claiming that an opposition point of view CAN'T be right, since it isn't backed by first hand experience. I get the impression that some posters think they must be right simply because they have first hand experience, and that they will never concede defeat in a debate to somebody without, simply for this fact. It puts a rather futile spin on proceedings as you can see where a discussion is going to go before it even gets there!

It's because I have never fired a rifle in anger Delldays. I will officically retract the statement the first time I see you defending your point of view on the subject without simply claiming 'first hand experience' as evidence beyond any doubt.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/8368240.stm Something for TSW demographic to consider. Essentially, I think they just put most of tsw users in the 'thickie' group.

It is completely pointless debating anything to do with war or the military on TSW. This is for two main reasons... 1) Delldays screams "YOU DON'T KNOW MAN" and claims first hand knowledge of everything to do with war ever in a bid counter anything said by any 'civvie'. 2) Any anti-war or anti-military point is apparently indicative of "disrespecting our boys", which is apparently a sin akin to paedophilia on a grand scale, and we shouldn't be doing it because we should see point 1.

He obviously has some sense, not too much though seeing as he signed up in the first place.

How does TSW manage to read like The Daily Mail one minute and The Morning Star the next?

It's for those who don't feel they have a moral, or any other sort of, obligation to live up to their debts. Scroungers for want of a better term.

touche landrew, touche

Nah, if you read the rules for the muppet show, you'll see it's the place for banter so, ignoring the fact that you apparently can't take a joke, I'd say it's ok. It was hardly name calling was it? Your thinly veiled threat is probably a bit closer to the mark though so feel free to infract yourself if it would make you feel any better.