The other night I had the evening planned. ASDA was delivering the larger-than-normal food shop that I had ordered online. The plan was to chillax – wait for the food order, have tea, a bath, do some reading and then an early night. I had previously used Tesco, who had been reliable and friendly. But I thought I’d give ASDA a try.

After two hours of ringing up ASDA’s 0845 helpline to find out where my food was and if/when it would be delivered – still no sign. Eventually I got a call at ten forty to say they had tried to deliver but I wasn’t in. It was quickly established that they had gone to the completely wrong building. In the end, I ended up going to the store (at about ten fifty) to pick up my own food. I made clear that they were not to charge me for delivery as I had picked it up. I explained the inconvenience that it had caused and that I would not be using the service again in future. What was the response? A £10 gift card.

So if your ever having your shopping delivered Don’t bother with ASDA, instead use Tesco.

Rant finished,

Antony

I am sooo excited about Yule (see Pagan Festivals) this year. I will get to celebrate it with Simon and Chrys, my good friends like last year (see Yule & A Lifetime Gift). I also celebrate Christmas (because the family and majority of my friends do, plus I like love gifts).

In addition to this it’s my first in the new apartment (see The Move), so I’m going to get the biggest, campest christmas tree I can afford! But I thought I’d better let Father Christmas what I want like you used to as a child, addressing the letter to the North Pole. So here goes:

Dear Father Christmas,

This year I’ve been a good boy. I have tried hard at work and tried to help those who need it. Plus I have tried to be more adult-like and responsible by buying apartment (I know you have a super computer system that can find me, so I don’t need to give you my address, mum told me). I am concerned that this place (as far as I’m aware) doesn’t have a chimney. So I have let security know and they said they will let you in.

So now on to the important issue of what I would like this year. Here’s my list (I’ve split it in to Books and DVD’s to make it easier for the elfs to find):

Books
Jo Brand, Look Back in Hunger
John Barrowman, Anything Goes: The Autobiography
Justin Lee Colins, Good Times! (with free T-shirt)
Ant & Dec, Ooh! What a Lovely Pair: Our Story
Cecelia Ahern, The Gift
Cecelia Ahern, The Book of Tomorrow
Sophie Kinsella, Twenties Girl
Various Authors, Pagan Visions for a Sustainable Future
Edian McCoy, Astral Projection for Beginners
Various Authors, Spellcaster: Seven Ways to Effective Magic
Cassandra Eason, Magic Spells for a Happy Life (Essential Series)
Cassandra Eason, Cassandra Eason’s Modern Book of Dream Interpretation

DVD’s
Bill Bailey – Tinselworm [DVD] [2008]
Jo Brand – Barely Live [2003] [DVD]
The Vicar of Dibley – The Ultimate Collection [DVD]
Confessions of a Shopaholic [DVD] [2009]
The Next Best Thing [DVD] [2000]
Charlie & The Chocolate Factory (2 Disc Deluxe Edition) [DVD] [2005]
An Evening With John Barrowman [DVD] [2009]
Robbie Williams – Live At The Albert [DVD] [2001]
Kylie Live ‘X’ 2008 [DVD]
Celine Dion – Live In Las Vegas – A New Day [DVD] [2007]
Torchwood: Complete BBC Series 1 Box Set [2006] [DVD]
Torchwood: Complete BBC Series 2 Box Set (2008) [DVD] [2007]
The Colour Of Magic (2-disc edition) [DVD] [2008]

That’s my list. Oh just to add one more thing, right at the top of my list please A joyfilled, happy christmas for all of my family and friends. Hope that’s not too much of a tall order for the 1st November?

My love to the elfs and raindeers and of course Mrs Christmas, hope they are all keeping well,

Antony x x x

Post pictures of the tree when I’ve bought it, decorated and put it up.

Loving the anticipation of Christmas,

Antony

Simon and I had time this weekend to nip to Dwell to buy The Cabinet.

We got in to the store, none in stock. So I said to the sales assisant that I would have to buy online. I ordered online and while in the hair dressers got a text saying I needed to call them about my order. I called and my card had been rejected because it has a different address than the delivery address.

My options where:
1. Send my bank statement with new address on to the company
2. Go and pay in store

They said for fraud reasons they couldn’t deliver to an address that wasn’t registered with the card unless I did it in person. It seems mad to me! When do people tend to buy new furniture? When they move house. I haven’t had chance to change my address yet, but it is my mums address so I still get my statements.

So I ended up going all the way back to the store (40 mins drive). I asked to speak to the manager. It seems he spoke to me about the cabinet in the morning (the person I thought was the sales assistant). Why didn’t he offer me the option to order in store, in the morning? I bloodly would have taken it. It would have been less hastle – than going home to order online. He gives me a half hearted apology that’s boarderline rude. He suggests that it’s my fault at once for coming in to store to try and avoid delivery charges (which where £40!).

This is how they could of handled it better:
1. The manager should have offered me the option to order in store in the morning (so I didn’t end up coming back!)
2. Online it should have stated in the ordering process that the delivery address had to match the card address
3. The manager should have offered some sort of discount to compensate the fact that I had to drive back to the store in the afternoon (which would have been unnecessary if he had followed point 1).

I am a loyal customer to a company that provides good customer service. But I am sorry Dwell, you have messed up. I shall not be coming back to your store. And I shall be writing a letter to this effect. So if you take my advice, don’t shop at dwell.

Rant Completed,

Antony

Today Simon and I went to Manchester Minerals and I bought this lovely quartz cluster:

(The picture really doesn’t do it justice. I did try many times to get a good picture, but the camrea on the BlackBerry Storm isn’t the best.)

It is beautiful and has loads of points. Ideal for using it to protect my new apartment. As well it has a hole on the inside that I can put other crystals in to charge.

After Manchester Minerals we went to the Trafford Centre and had a coffee and a to-die-for muffin. We then headed to dwell…(see my next ranty post for that story).

Thanks to Simon. I had a much-needed-after-recent-events lovely day.

Hugs,

Antony

Have you ever had an image of a piece of furniture or other item in your mind before you’ve even seen it?

This was the case with a beautiful cabinet, I had never seen it. But I could describe it, frosted-glass silding doors with metal feet an inside wooden shelf sideboard. It needed to be the right height to fit under my in my living room window. And the reason for the sliding doors is so that I don’t have to move my couch up making the living room look squashed (see The Move).

I randomly typed in to google: frosted glass sideboard.

And I found it! See http://dwell.co.uk/106431. The problem? The price. Well over-priced. I have searched high and low to find this cheaper but I’m struggling.

So if you see my beautiful, cabinet some where, please let me know.

It is weird how I had the cabinet in my head clearly with out ever seeing it.

Write soon,

Antony