Mutter Bundle #10: Usyk vs Fury. Stirling vs My Anxiety. Spanish Authorities vs Common Sense.

23 Nov 2024 16:19

Looks like in Spain airlines were hit with fines and banned from continuing certain practices, like charging extra for cabin bags or charging for reserving a seat near your mate. Ok, there are still two months for them to kick up a fuss and appeal, but some are already hailing this as a consumer win.

What I can’t wrap my head around is how on earth this is being celebrated as a victory for consumers. Do people genuinely think "Brilliant, no more extra fees for my €10–15 flight! It will stay €10–15, and the large cabin bag and possibly other extras will now be included!"? Here's a spoiler: if airlines do lose the appeal, those cheeky sub-€20 tickets will be gone quicker than you can say terms and conditions apply. For those like me who enjoy the odd cheap-as-chips couple-of-days getaway to a random place, this might prove a massive step backward. The bottom-tier prices will end up with the fees baked in, as simple as that.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for consumer rights, but this just seems completely nuts to me.

Sources:

https://inews.co.uk/news/business/budget-airlines-banned-charging-hand-luggage-3395515

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8jy2dpv722o

24 Nov 2024 20:34

Having tested both Slice Mobile and spusu, I’d honestly say neither would convince me to replace my main SIM. However, if your main network is Vodafone, O2, or Three (or their MVNOs) and you’re looking to add a splash of EE into the mix, both spusu and Slice are perfectly adequate. Between the two, spusu would be my choice.

As things stand at the moment, spusu offers cheaper plans and more features, like call forwarding and WiFi Calling. I particularly appreciate being able to manage call forwarding via their app or web account, as well as the option to have voicemails delivered to your email as attached audio files. Oh, and you can upload your voicemail greeting as a file which, as gimmicky as it might seem, is still a nice touch.

To me, Slice app looks nicer, more fresh and modern. Slice also seems focused on fostering a strong user community, which might be important to some. Their plans do promise to become cheaper through the cashback they offer on your spending, which increases with each year you stay with them (up to 20%), though this obviously requires a longer commitment.

Both networks have customer service folks who genuinely seem eager to help, but spusu nudges ahead with the option to chat on WhatsApp, which might be more convenient for some.

25 Nov 2024 06:03

Stirling, Scotland.

02 Dec 2024 03:48

As far as promo trailers go, this is pure brilliance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqJDNXcqcbs

03 Dec 2024 21:08

Imagine the situation when you're abroad, and your mobile gets lost or nicked.

Losing your precious gadget is bad enough, but it gets worse when you're locked out of your various online accounts because their 2FA (two-factor authentication) security layer usually relies on your phone number, and that number’s tied to the SIM or eSIM that has now gone AWOL with your handset.

You might think to yourself, "Ok, no worries, I'll block the stolen SIM, then buy an eSIM-supporting handset, phone my mobile provider again and, after a bit of security verification, get myself a shiny new eSIM with my phone number."

And here's what I find to be the weird bit. From what I gather (happy to be proved wrong), none of the UK’s big 4 networks (EE, Vodafone, O2, and Three) will sort you out with a new SIM/eSIM unless you physically return to the UK and visit one of their stores, or they send a new SIM to your UK address. That just makes a bad situation worse when you’re already in a pickle after losing your phone.

Interestingly enough, some MVNOs, like giffgaff or SLICE, seem to be a bit more chill and flexible, as long as you are able to log into their respective accounts as well as (in giffgaff's case) your email inbox, where you will receive a security code.

Less secure? Ehhh… I don't know about that. I think it's a fairly solid compromise between convenience and security, provided you’ve got a decent strategy for keeping your accounts and email safe. And it’s definitely a sanity preserver when things have already gone pear-shaped.

Or am I missing something about the "big 4"? Maybe there’s an easier way to replace an eSIM without needing the old one or having to wait until you return to the UK?