Lidl Mock Sainsbury’s, RSH Introduce fees, Buying Essays Doesn’t work…
RedSpottedHanky introduce booking fee
The train buying service RedSpottedHanky has introduced a £1 fee per transaction for train tickets. It will also now cost £1 for tickets to be sent by post, a service which was previously free.
RedSpottedHanky says that the fees are due to ‘rising costs’ and will not be charging a credit or debit card fee. The £1 fee is per transaction, not per ticket, and tickets will still be free to pick up at the station. Many customers have expressed their frustration as the charges were only announced on the day – and are already now in force.
Our take: Fair warning would have been nice on this subject. Still, RedSpottedHanky may still be cheaper than other websites (see here) as there is no card fee. If you need to buy a train ticket, it’s best to compare a few websites to ensure you get the best price.
Lidl mock 'Sainbury's blunder' in style
Earlier this week we posted a photo that showed a Sainsbury's 'staff' poster that was accidentally posted up in a public area. The poster was encouraging Sainsbury's workers to try and get customers to spend an extra 50p.
Lidl have replied in the best way possible by putting a poster up in their stores suggesting that staff try and save each customer 50p (see pic above). Genius!
Our take: All businesses are out to make a little extra dosh so we don't blame Sainsbury's for having the poster but putting it up in a public area was a bit of c*ck up. We love how Lidl have responded though & can't wait to see if Sainsbobs hit back.
Students buying essays likely to fail
You’ve probably seen the adverts on Facebook – companies promise to write you awesome essays for your GCSE, A Level, even university work. However, an investigation by the exam regulator Ofqual has shockingly found that these essays are likely to be a load of rubbish – they may even make you fail. We know, we know – it’s scandalous!
Companies charge up to £200 for original essays, yet Ofqual has found that many essays were basic with poor grammar. Three companies were commissioned to write two A Level essays each – one paper was given a B grade, the rest received ungraded or poor grades.
Our take: Some students do try and pass off these papers as their own – yet a lot of students commission papers for research or practice. Either way – if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Companies can’t promise you’ll get an A grade for a paper, don’t compromise your education – if you truly need help, go to a tutor or get ideas off a friend. They’re often much cheaper – just buy them a drink.
Unis need less compulsory modules
You go to university to study your chosen subject – and in that subject, there are areas you like and some you cannot stand. It’s likely, then, that the subjects you hate are compulsory modules.
Research by the BBC found that 20,000 students registered complaints to universities last year – most common was the quality of teaching and the course content, where students complained that courses were too narrow. Options give students the ability to study areas that interest them, too many compulsory modules can drive students away or produce bad grades.
Our take: Studying the same thing as everyone else in first year is common, as you get to know people. If the modules are boring, however, disinterested students might not try – or find the modules too difficult. Compulsory modules in the second and third year are something that makes students groan – just let us study areas we are interested in!
Racist Banksy mural removed by council
Clacton-on-sea council in Essex have removed artwork by Banksy after they received a complaint that it was racist. The mural featured a group of pigeons holding anti-immigration banners to an exotic looking bird.
The mural was probably worth a lot of money – but the council have insisted that it had to be removed as it was racist and offensive.
Our take: The mural had a strong social message, like many of Banksy’s other pieces. This seems to be another case of political correctness – removing the artwork means it can no longer upset people on a difficult subject. Although the mural could have been auctioned off instead of just being washed away. Silly Clacton!
Londoners sign away their children for free wifi
Six Londoners agreed to give away their first born child in order to use an internet café’s wifi. Yes, really – it was in the terms and conditions.
F-Secure, a tech security firm, ran the experiment to see if people actually read the terms and conditions. No, no they don’t. The terms stated ‘the recipient agreed to assign their first born child to us for the duration of eternity’ – but don’t worry, the firm have no plans on actually taking away the children.
Our take: You really should read the terms and conditions, especially when buying online so you know your rights regarding a cancelled order or a free trial, etc. The firm used an extreme example but only to show people how important terms and conditions are – so read them!
Racism warning for Tom and Jerry
Subscribers to Amazon’s Prime Instant Video are now being warned that the classic childhood animation Tom and Jerry is racially prejudiced.
Those wanting to watch a bit of cat-and-mouse action are now being told that prejudice was ‘once commonplace in American society’, which most of us know already. Putting a bit of a downer on a childhood classic, Amazon!
Our take: We’ve all watched Tom and Jerry, right? Do you think it is racist? Of course, the cartoon does feature a black maid, which is stereotypical – but people focus on the two main characters and whether Tom will ever catch that mouse. A warning seems a bit far – there are many cartoons and live-action shows that are racist or sexist – they don’t carry warnings. Political correctness gone mad.
Parents suffering to help kids through uni
A recent report has showed that parents in the UK are cutting back on their outgoings so that they can put more towards their children's studies.
The report showed that around 1 in 5 households are struggling and those with more than one child that is attending uni are the worst hit as the government don't take this into account.
Our take: This is always a tricky subject. Some students feel that their parents should help out where as some want to be seen as independant so that they can get more support from grants etc. We've got more on the subject here.
