Dear Jac – Page 64
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Dear Jac
It might be you...maybe...perhaps
A few retailers have been in touch to ask how they could improve their chances with Camelot now that it’s been announced that there may be some new terminals on offer come the end of the year. I asked Camelot for some advice and got the usual…
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Dear Jac
Go where the buck stops: the top
Kirit Ved, who runs Ved’s News in Stoke Newington, keeps an eye on his property because, as I reported some time ago, his local council had him in court and made him change his shopfront in keeping with its listed building status even though Kirit…
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Dear Jac
Another load of rubbish
I’ve had another complaint about rubbish collection company PHS Wastetech, which appears to operate much like utilities companies in that it has a rolling contract which runs in 12-month cycles. It renews your contract from the anniversary date whether you agree to it or not
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Dear Jac
A crippling court case
Can anybody out there help in this case? It is shocking and for obvious reasons my caller remains anonymous. A customer came into his store in Manchester a while ago and wanted to sign for purchases of less than a fiver. The retailer explained that…
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Dear Jac
The checks for online betting
John Smith has been pondering the role of the internet in the sale of lottery tickets to the under-aged. He writes from Rockland St Mary PO in Norfolk: “We had a visit from Camelot with one of their underage testers just before the lottery closed at 7.30pm.
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Dear Jac
You must give as good as you get
I’m sure retailers stuck in leasing arrangements with finance companies over failed photocopy firm Lanwall will be pleased to know that I have heard from Pam Hoffman, who campaigned on behalf of retailers for years, winning many judgements against Lanwall.
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Dear Jac
You must shop around when it comes to insurance
Joyce Wade rang from her shop in Ipswich to enquire whether others had complained about huge hikes in their annual insurance premium.
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Dear Jac
Can you raffle off a store?
Khalid Khawaja is fed up with several aspects of retailing and wants out. He doesn’t think he’ll get much for the store so he wondered if he could raffle it off in the same way that some people have raffled their houses.
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Dear Jac
Dear Jac: You have been warned
In fact, I've been warning for the past few months about fraudulent transactions through PayPoint. Get the money first, I said. Get the money first, says PayPoint. Get the money first, says its literature. And every time I report on one of these...
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Dear Jac
The alternative view of pricemarking
Graham Barney is all in favour of PMPs. He writes from Winifred Way Stores at Caister on Sea in Great Yarmouth: “I don’t understand why retailers get upset at pricemark packs.”
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Dear Jac
Play up and play the game
I upset both the music licence companies PPL and PRS for Music in a recent issue.
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Dear Jac
Who prices the pricemarks?
The role of pricemarked packs (PMPs) has been unexplored territory by this column for quite a while. Last time I wrote about them, retailers’ reaction to them was that they objected to being dictated to. And the time before that. And, oh, the time…
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Dear Jac
Dear Jac: What a fine business this is to be in
I got some feedback from my last column on the subject of credit card authorisation through terminals and fraud prevention. It was Ukash/Visa last time through PayPoint. This time it is Elavon credit cards through Payzone.
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Dear Jac
Dear Jac: Strength in numbers for Lanwall retailers
Many readers will recall stories about the joint action being taken by legal firm Shoosmiths on behalf of more than 50 sub-postmasters over their faulty Horizon systems (average so-called debts for each amounting to about £30K).
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Dear Jac
Dear Jac: The l’eau down on a PayPoint wrangle
I've been caught up in what I'm tempted to call a clash of wills. George Sandhu trades as a Costcutter in a rural setting outside Wisbech, Cambridgeshire. He does all of his electricity, gas and phone top-ups via PayPoint and processes Anglian Water...
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Dear Jac
Good luck is rubbing off
Congratulations! You have sold a winning National Lottery ticket! That would be a good letter to receive from Camelot, wouldn’t it?
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Dear Jac
What’s in a name? Quite a lot when it comes to Tesco
Has anybody ever come across a property company called Portenstar? Kirin Patel, whose Londis trades at Chessington, Surrey, says rumours are rife that Portenstar is after change-of-use planning permission for a just-under 3,000sq ft disused…
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Dear Jac
Dear Jac: Tune in and pay the piper
Vivek Bhakta writes from Sharoe Green to ask what the score is with music licences: "I am a Londis retailer in Preston, Lancashire. I wish to play music (only the radio) in my shop. Kindly suggest what licence I need to go for. I believe...
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Dear Jac
Dear Jac: Just pick up the paperwork!
Robert Gordon, financial controller of JG Ross Bakers which runs four convenience stores and 21 bake shops in Aberdeenshire, got in touch to air his frustration with Payzone. The group are with Barclaycard, terminal-wise, but last October...
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Dear Jac
Dear Jac: Know a good photocopier fixer?
Ah Lanwall, as you know, one of my all-time favourite companies. I have a few new stories and I will bring them to you in time (still no real court cases, but a few pending threats). But this one is of a more practical nature.