Big UK retailers accused of dubious discounts on #loyalty card offers

Boots, Superdrug and the big supermarket chains have been accused of “murky and confusing” practices on loyalty card offers that may not be as good as they appear.

Boots was responsible for one of the most egregious examples of what the consumer group Which? called “dubious discounts” highlighted by its investigation into the pricing history of almost 12,000 products on a “snapshot day” in May.

Boots offered an Oral-B iO7 electric toothbrush to loyalty card holders for £150, marking this as a discount to the £400 price for non-members.

However, the product was only priced at £400 for 13 days before the offer appeared – before that it was £150 for everyone.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/article/2024/aug/22/big-uk-retailers-accused-of-dubious-discounts-on-loyalty-card-offers-boots-superdrug-tesco-which

#LoyaltyCards #consumers #discounts #greed #CapitalismFails #retail #fraud #misinformation #disinformation

Dear Ofwat: don't let #Thames dodge its fines, take back its licence instead

Do you think privatised utilities should be allowed to regulate themselves?

#Ofwat does! It is consulting on plans to accept Thames Water’s proposals for a “turnaround plan” instead of fining them £250 MILLION for breaking the terms of their licence.

When #privatised services fail to meet their contracts, they should lose them. They fire their employees for less.

https://weownit.org.uk/act-now/dont-let-thames-dodge-fines-take-its-licence-instead

#corruption #water #sewage #CapitalismFails #PeopleNotProfits #ThamesWater

Dear Ofwat: don't let Thames dodge its fines, take back its licence instead

UK children shorter, fatter and sicker amid poor diet and poverty, report finds

Children across the UK are getting shorter, fatter and sicker amid an #epidemic of poor diets, food insecurity and poverty, according to a report warning that millions are facing a “timebomb” of avoidable health conditions.

The average height of five-year-olds is falling, obesity levels have increased by almost a third and the number of young people being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes has risen by more than a fifth, the report by the Food Foundation said.

Aggressive marketing of cheap ultra-processed food, diets lacking essential nutrition and high levels of poverty and deprivation are driving the “significant decline” in children’s health, researchers found.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/jun/19/uk-children-shorter-fatter-and-sicker-amid-poor-diet-and-poverty-report-finds

#ToryScum #ToryCorruption #CapitalismFails #poverty #food #FoodInsecurity #children #UK #UnitedKingdom #nutrition

Scrapping furniture safety regulations will cost dozens of lives a year, warns fire union

Under the current rules – introduced as the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 – manufacturers must submit furniture to independent testing on flammability. The regulations are estimated to have saved between 50 and 70 lives per year.

But now the Westminster government has proposed scrapping these rules in favour of a voluntary regime. Consultation on the plans closed earlier this year and ministers are now considering proposals.

The union warned that the government was using the pretext of dealing with lithium batteries and other hazards to launch a dangerous programme of deregulation.

https://www.fbu.org.uk/news/2023/12/22/scrapping-furniture-safety-regulations-will-cost-dozens-lives-year-warns-fire-union

#corruption #ToryCorruption #Capitalism #CapitalismFails #FBU #furniture #safety #FireRegulations #deaths #ToryGreed #flammability #FireSafety #deregulation #DemocracyLost #Dystopia #DystopianUK #UK #UnitedKingdom #ToryScum

Scrapping furniture safety regulations will cost dozens of lives a year, warns fire union

Tesla owners fuming as they are hit with £17,000 bill to fix car after 'driving in rain'

"After complaints from me, we received a call at 5.30pm on the Wednesday saying the battery was damaged due to water ingress and it was unfortunately not covered by the battery’s 8-year warranty and so the repair would be around £17,500. Did I wish to proceed?? I was flabbergasted and couldn’t really find my words."

John said he pressed representatives of #Tesla on whether he or Rob were at fault for the damage, to which he claims he was told that it was a weather issue. He added: "They said that the battery is effectively submerged in water. How can that be our fault?

"After finally getting to speak to a manager, he told me it had water in it due to the fact the weather in Scotland has been so bad. That was the issue. They said it’s not necessarily my fault but it’s not Tesla’s to pay under warranty. He reminded me there was a yellow weather warning in some parts of Scotland.

"I pushed him on this and said I've never heard or something like this happening. He said it can happen with Range Rovers and Mercs but I'm just not buying it. To date, it's been a disaster of a service and the stress and worry of this is excruciating.

"I said to the manager, ‘so, my understanding is, Teslas are unfit for purpose in Scotland?.” I’ve been driving for 30 years and this is my most premium car to date and this is what it does when Edinburgh’s roads get puddles or a little wet!"

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/tesla-owners-fuming-as-they-are-hit-with-17-000-bill-to-fix-car-after-driving-in-rain/ar-AA1ilqae

#EV #cars #autos #Scotland #battery #Electric #ElectricCars #Scotland #rain #weather #Capitalism #CapitalismFails #scam #Consumer #complaints #BoycottTesla

Allies in discord: Roots of recent quarrel between Poland and Ukraine

When Russia launched a full-scale invasion, Poland took the initiative to provide weapons to Ukraine and called on others to do the same.

Poland's people and government hosted millions of Ukrainian refugees. At times, the relationship looked nigh-unbreakable, but a scandal over grain amplified by aggressive rhetoric exposed the rift between both countries.

A dozen experts and stakeholders from Poland and Ukraine interviewed by the Kyiv Independent believe Poland will continue to support Ukraine against Russia.

https://kyivindependent.com/allies-in-discord-the-roots-of-recent-quarrel-between-poland-and-ukraine/

#RussiaUkraineWar #Poland #Ukraine #grain #ProfitMotive #capitalism #CapitalismFails #food #allies #CapitalistTerrorism

Allies in discord: Roots of recent quarrel between Poland and Ukraine

Over the past year, allied nations Poland and Ukraine went from displays of enthusiastic support and gratitude to trading veiled accusations in the UN General Assembly. When Russia launched a full-scale invasion, Poland took the initiative to...

Clumps of 5,000-mile seaweed blob bring flesh-eating bacteria to Florida

But now giant clumps of the 13m-ton morass labeled the Great Atlantic sargassum belt are washing up on Florida’s beaches, scientists are warning of a real-life threat from the piles of decomposing algae, namely high levels of the flesh-eating Vibrio bacteria lurking in the vegetation.

Even more worrying, the researchers say, is the role of ocean pollution in the proliferation of the bacteria, which can cause disease and death if a person gets infected.

Samples tested from the Caribbean and #Sargasso Sea within the Atlantic were abundant with plastic debris, which interacted with the algae and bacteria to create a “perfect pathogen storm [with] implications for both marine life and public health”.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jun/03/sargassum-seaweed-algae-florida-bacteria-vibrio

#CapitalismFails #PeopleNotProfits #CorporateTerrorism #bacteria #pathogen #plastics #pollution #oceans #algae #Caribbean #Florida #environment #Vibrio #flesh #FleshEating #Flesh-Eating #PublicHealth #health #beaches #toxic

House in a skip: even tiny homes can’t address the privilege and insecurity of the housing market

Marshall has explained that converting a skip was the only way he could afford to live in London. Skip House reportedly cost £4,000 to build, and he pays £50 per month to an arts charity in rental fees for the land.

He has a portaloo onsite, but no running water, so showers at the gym or at work. This is not many people’s idea of luxury, but it is a creative solution.

Many see the idea of a tiny house as a counter-cultural statement against consumerism and the housing market – and the culture of overwork required to finance these two things. Tiny houses can act as a beacon highlighting a simpler, more sustainable way of life.

Marshall’s ability to find and come to an agreement with the arts charity that owns the land he is renting is made possible, in part, by what sociologists term his “social and cultural capital”, as a white, educated, man.

The tiny house movement embodies a complex mixture of counter-cultural ideals, economic pragmatism and the entrenched sheltering of privilege. They are not a fix-all, but neither should they be dismissed out of hand.

https://theconversation.com/house-in-a-skip-even-tiny-homes-cant-address-the-privilege-and-insecurity-of-the-housing-market-203274?utm_medium=email

#TinyHomes #housing #social #culture #consumerism #CapitalismFails #CounterCultural #coop

House in a skip: even tiny homes can’t address the privilege and insecurity of the housing market

The tiny house movement embodies a complex mixture of counter-cultural ideals, financial pragmatism and socio-economic privilege.

UK firm has exported $1.2 billion of electronics to Russia despite sanctions

British firm Mykines Corporation reportedly exported $1.2 billion worth of technical equipment, including high-end microchips, telecom equipment, and servers, to Russia since the beginning of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine

https://kyivindependent.com/financial-times-uk-firm-exported-1-2-billion-of-electronics-to-russia-since-feb-24/

#RussiaInvadedUkraine #sanctions #UK #ToryGreedCostsLives #exports #sanctions #Russia #CapitalismFails #Mykines #corruption #Corporate #criminals

Financial Times: UK firm has exported $1.2 billion of electronics to Russia despite sanctions

British firm Mykines Corporation reportedly exported $1.2 billion worth of technical equipment, including high-end microchips, telecom equipment, and servers, to Russia since the beginning of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, potentially...

Our NHS and Tory Lies

Reality: Tories want to make huge profits from human illness and injury. Causing ...

• Poverty
• Sucking cash from ill individuals to fill Tory corporate pockets
• Reducing UK life expectancy -- Reducing the 'expense' of payout our pensions
• Increase human suffering

#NHS #SaveOurNHS #ToryFascistDictatorship #CapitalismFails #DemocracyNotAutocracy #Healthcare #ToryLies #ToryCronyism #ToryCorruption #CorporateTerrorism #ElectiveDictatorship #UK #UnitedKingdom

Children rushed to hospital with scurvy as parents can't afford fruit and vegetables

United Kingdom now a third world country

Young children are being taken to hospital suffering with scurvy because their parents can't afford to feed them fruit and vegetables, nurses are warning.

Last year, a was reported.

There was tripling of hospital admissions for malnutrition since 2010, which was branded "a shameful indictment on a decade of the Tories" by Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth.

The worrying increases coincide with soaring numbers of people relying on food banks as the cost of living crisis deepens.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/kids-rushed-hospital-scurvy-parents-27922386

#UnitedKingdom #ToriesDestroyingOutCountry #ToryProfiteers #ToryCORRUPTION #PeopleNotProfits #CapitalismFails #TrickleDownEconomics #scurvy #children #hospitalisation #poverty #PovertyUK #ToryFascistDictatorship #medical #HealthCare #PublicHealth #ToryTerrorism #ToryCostOfGreedCrisis

Return of scurvy under Tory rule as cases of Victorian illness double in decade

Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth said the huge rise in cases of Victorian illness scurvy, along with the tripling of hospital admissions for malnutrition since 2010, was 'a shameful indictment on a decade of the Tories'

#FoodBanks #UnitedKingdom #poverty #hunger #CapitalismFails #food #AusterityIsClassWar

Foodbanks in the United Kingdom

#Poverty #hunger #PovertyUK #ToryCriminals #PeopleNotProfits #CapitalismFails #NeverTrustATory #ToriesOutNow #ToryCorruption #CorporateTerrorism #humour

Carbon Capture & Storage

This one's for all the calculator lovers

Here's our latest Honest Government Ad - part of our Climate Shitfuckery series in which we’re picking off each one of our government’s (and many governments’) strategies to avoid taking serious action on the climate crisis.

The Australien Government has made an ad about Carbon Capture and Storage, and it’s surprisingly honest and informative.

https://yewtu.be/watch?v=MSZgoFyuHC8

#ClimateEmergency #ClimateChange #CO2 #HonestGovernmentAd #GlobalWarming #CapitalismFails #Oil #FossilFuels #Corruption #pollution #Green

Honest Government Ad | Carbon Capture & Storage

The Australien Government has made an ad about Carbon Capture and Storage, and it’s surprisingly honest and informative. 👉 Ways you can support us to keep making videos: 🔹 Become a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/TheJuiceMedia 🔹 Tip us on...

Make Fire and Rehire Illegal

Companies are deliberately firing people to rehire them on worse contracts. Clarks are trying to use this legal loophole right now.

For some reason it's legal in this country, but it's leaving thousands of us in the lurch. Companies shouldn't be able to force staff into choosing between worse contracts and being fired. It's illegal in Spain and Ireland. [2] It should be illegal here too.

https://the.organise.network/campaigns/teamup-make-fire-and-rehire-illegal?utm_source=diaspora

#CorporateTerrorism #EmploymentRights #WageSlaves #CapitalismFails #ToryProfiteers #ToryCorruption #jobs #workplace #HumanRights

Petition: Make fire and rehire illegal

Please add your name to the petition demanding an end to "fire and rehire". It's a loophole that lets companies fire staff and rehire them on a way worse contract. Please add your name:

Failures of Privatisation - Documented

Privatisation fails, again and again. Here's how private companies have caused problems for our public services, while making a profit.

It doesn't have to be this way - we could bring our services into public ownership.

https://weownit.org.uk/privatisation-fails

By sector:

• Broadband
• Buses
• Care Work
• Council Services
• Energy
• Our NHS
• Prisons
• Probation
• Railways
• Schools
• Social Security
• Water

#ToryProfiteers #ToryCronyism #ToryCorruption #PrivatisationFails #CapitalismFails #CorporateTerrorism #SaveOurNHS #NHS #ourNHS #BorisTheLiar #BorisTheButcher #greed #profits #PeopleNotProfits #WeOwnIt #ProfitMotive #corruption

Failures of privatisation

Privatisation has led to countless failures and scandals in our public services. Private companies profit, we pay the price.