Don't shop at Noel Leemings

Below is the text of my complaint email I sent off yesterday to Noel Leemings Head Office, and which I cc'd to Erin Brockovich. (she is currently front NL's campaign telling everyone how they are 'the real deal' and act with such wonderful 'corporate responsibility')

Full credit to Brockovich also - she actually replied - and not just a generic reply - she said she would take it up with NL. Noel Leemings have not replied.

To whom it may concern at the Noel Leemings Group NZ Ltd,

I wish to register a complaint regarding the after-sales service provided by Noel Leemings.

Around two years ago I bought a Sony Vaio lap-top computer from Noel Leemings in Wellington - and till a couple of months back - it worked fine.

However, it recently lost power and stopped working. So I took it in to your 'Technology' branch in Wellington for repair. It was outside its warranty period, so I expected a cost would be involved.

After a month or so, it was returned to me 'fixed' and I paid out around NZ$300. But, a month and a half later the same thing happened again - so I took it in, again. I was told that "If it was the same problem, it would be fixed under a three-month service warranty". I said 'great', to which your staff member replied "hehe but they normally find something else wrong and charge you for that, hehe." Naturally, to which, I raised my eyebrows. He then said - Oh only joking I'm sure they're really honest - in a slightly sarcastic tone. I dismissed this assuming he was joking.

Turns out he wasn't. I received a call yesterday telling me that it would cost an additional NZ$400 to have it repaired - as it was, you guessed it - "a different issue". I said well I'm not throwing 'good money after bad' I would sooner buy a new one. And now - just to get the thing back I have to pay what is essentially a NZ$95 ransom/service fee!

My complaint - is that I paid NZ$300 for a repair - that did not work. Now Noel Leemings want another NZ$400 to fix what is essentially the same problem - or NZ$95 just to get my unfixed computer back. Either way I am going to be at least $395 (or at worst NZ$700!) out of pocket with a computer that does not work!

For a company that has just launched a series of TV adverts endorsing their 'good corporate practices' and "doing the right thing" by customers - personally, I think this is shameful customer service.

Over the years I have spent literally thousands of dollars at Noel Leemings and Bond & Bond stores on TVs, stereos, white ware - fridges, washing machines etc, 2 computers and all sorts of other stuff. And yet when I actually tried to get some sort of reasonable standard of after sales service - I basically got shafted.

By contrast, a friend of mine had trouble with his Apple iBook - not only did the Apple outlet, Magnum-Mac, actually fix the problem, they also lent him a laptop for two weeks while his machine was being repaired. That is 'the real deal' - that is what I consider good customer service.

I intend to raise this with your store manager at Noel Leemings Technology - fully realising that it is likely to be a futile act (much like this email). But I want it known that I do not take being ripped off lightly - especially by a company that preaches that it does the right thing by customers, and is 'the real deal'.

Regards

Im waiting for them to call to say its ready for me to pick up (and pay their ransom). It will be all on like donkey kong that day.

From the Campaign Trail

As we count down to a possible change of government across the tasman, I thought I would share this gem from the campaign trail.

Australian Labor leader, Kevin Rudd, has been busy appearing on Rove and student radio etc - to appear to be down with kids. But unfortunately it turns out that Rudd is still just a 50 year old conservative Christian at heart - and like Rowan Atkinson in Four Weddings and Funeral can't bring himself to say 'condom'.

Asked on youth radio network 'Triple J' whether he supported condom use as a safe sex message for young people he broke out an absolute corker example of bureaucratise.

"In terms of effective aids prevention mechanisms, contraception along the lines you described are appropriate," said Rudd before doing a silly giggle.

Good grief. Wouldnt "Yeah absolutely" have been a better answer?

Still, it should be all on for young and old this weekend. Labor are well ahead, but my only fear is that they will over-capitalise in their safe seats, and not pick up enough votes in the marginals. I guess we will see on Saturday night (well the early hours of Sunday morning).

It's a Sony

Just a couple of weeks away from Beckham touching down in Wellington now, and the Phoenix have announced their new main sponsor - Sony.

Sony are relative newcomers to sponsorship in New Zealand - we're more accustomed to Banks, Beers, Phones and Fridges. Also means that everyone will have to go and buy the playing strip again!! lol

In other news Stuff had a dumb article on one of their 'blogs' on how we are witnessing the "death of the suit". Rubbish. Im all for suits and ties and I would go as far as to say we should ban casual Fridays. Hardly anyone does business casual - we just do casual. It can't be good for productivity.

Maybe as a compromise we could "Phoenix Fridays" and all wear our Sony Phoenix strips??

Couple of things

Well the Melbourne Cup was a bit of a dud from my amateur punters point of view - all the horses I was backing finished mid-field - bugger. I did go through a run of picking the winner four years in a row - 2002, Media Puzzle and then 2003, 04, and 05, Makybe Diva. I did pull out the big guns for our Melbourne Cup event though - making a huge comeback was my old Ozwald Boateng tie for one last dash!

Also big ups to One Moment Caller - with One Moment Caller junior set to join the team next year!

And to finish, I have an oddspot. Prince, (who has been mentioned on my blog before) is actually crazier than we all first thought. The Seventh Day Adventist (I love saying that) has apparently threatened the people who run fan websites - dedicated to him! - with legal action, unless they remove images they have of him on their sites. You would have thought his bizarro actions in the last few years would have put them off already - but this may be the last straw?? I guess this is what it sounds like when doves cry?

Festivas for the rest of us

The Documentary Film Festival has just got under way. The standout in the line up has to be Spike Lee's four hour epic When the Levees Broke. The film was originally shown on HBO in the states in four parts. Lee goes around interviewing residents of New Orleans post-Katrina. By all accounts it is an incredibly moving picture.

Also, the International Festival of the Arts has launched their programme. The free projection show (Body Moves) on the city-side of Te Papa looks great, and I hope it works as well as the Waitangi Park outdoor exhibition at the last festival.

Composer Philip Glass', new work, Book of Longing, based on the 'poetry and images' of Leonard Cohen looks great. Giselle, the dance work by the 'Fabulous Beast Dance Company' of Ireland looks so crazy that it must be fun to watch!

Of course Blackbird will attract a lot of attention as a result of being directed by Cate Blanchett, but the blurb does make it look interesting. Might be hard to get tickets though given Blanchett's involvement (and the fact that its name is similar to my blog!)

If the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain are half as good as Wellington's International Ukulele Orchestra - then this show is an absolute must-see. Apparently they play songs by Tchaikovsky, Nirvana, Kate Bush, The Sex Pistols, Otis Redding and many others - sounds like a great night. Also good to see that they are taking performances out to the provinces, with shows in Masterton and Pram.

Finishing it off, the excellent David (possibly the funniest man in NZ) Fane probably makes going to the Bro'Town live stage show worthwhile.

Check it out - its festivals like these that make Wellington great.

Meh

Meh - is my reaction to this week's Cabinet reshuffle. One of the commentators (Espiner?) were close to the mark when they said the reshuffle was like painting the walls and cupboards and replacing the taps without doing anything else to the kitchen - fundamentally its still the same beast.

For all his previous great work, Finance Minister Cullen now appears arrogant and seems to have come down with what Jane Clifton called i-know-best-itis. I think at the very least he should have been shifted to a shared Treasurer/Minister of Finance role with the popular and very electable Phil Goff.

In saying that, I didn't really expect that to happen anyway. I only hope Labour hasn't missed yet another opportunity this year. Rightly or wrongly, people in New Zealand and Australia have been attracted to their respective fresh and enthusiastic opposition leaders. I think the reshuffle was a chance to neutralise that in the NZ case by promoting someone like Goff to the pivotal Finance role.

Anyway, you will remember that earlier in the year I gave my suggestion for a reshuffle - now I was almost entirely wrong - but I was saying what I wanted rather than what I thought would happen. Regardless, of the five people I suggested be promoted to the Ministry (Jones, Street, Chadwick, Chauvel and Hughes), only Chauvel missed out. I guess four out of five ain't bad. Although I'm still not sure why Chauvel didn't get in - at least to a role outside the Cabinet? He is clearly as capable as Hughes or Chadwick.

Its good to see new blood all the same though. I was also happy with how Law and Order has been shut down - King/Goff vs Power will be a much better contest than Burton/O'Connor vs Power ever was. Cunliffe has performed well in Immigration and Comms and IT, and although he will be outside his comfort-zone, I think the Health portfolio could make him. I worry about Carter in Education - he was controversial in the junior Housing and Conservation portfolios - I hope he gets it together now. King running Electoral Finance (EFB) could be something to watch too. She failed to get any sort of cross-party consensus on the ANZTPA (Therapeutics) - which is what is needed now on the EFB. I really hope she can turn that Bill into something that at least upholds Labour's values.

So on the whole, there are some great bits, and well, some 'other' bits - hence my reaction: meh.

Radiohead - In Rainbows

Last couple of days Ive been listening to Radiohead's seventh album - In Rainbows. Its a little hard to review as I have no idea what the track names are and the computer shat itself, so my burnt copy doesnt have the last two tracks.

Before youre outraged at me owning a burnt copy - this is of course the album that they released via their website for "however much you want to pay". In my case that meant nothing.... shut it, Ive spent more than enough over the years on EPs, Singles etc by Radiohead to make up for it - and frankly giving, like a buck, would be insulting. Thats my line and im sticking to it.

Anyway the album follows on nicely from Hail to the Thief. I always thought that Hail was the album that should have come out after OK Computer, before Kid A. I think that may have provided a nice link for those who felt Kid A and Amnesiac (which of course features my favourite Radiohead track - Pyramid Song) were a bridge too far.

In Rainbows, while still pushing the boundaries, is again along the lines of Hail to the Thief. Tracks 2, 5 and 6 are all outstanding and Im really loving Track 4 - toe tapping goodness! Despite missing the last couple of tracks, I think this is a fantastic album.

Like Hail to the Thief, this could bring a lot of the OK Computer crowd back to, arguably, the most important band in the last 15 years.

Download a copy here (feel free to make a donation in lieu of my download).

You can read about all the background etc etc and even see a track listing here

iWant an iPad

I spotted this in the latest Urbis - Auckland architect Andre Hodgskin has developed the iPad - a flat-pack kitset bach.

They retail from NZD125 000 and are delivered to your section ready to be assembled.

You can get them in one or two bedroom or one bedroom plus guesthouse (lay out pictured).

They are made to be a bach or second home - but I wouldnt mind one as my main home! I just love the simplicity of them and their temporary nature (you can pack them up and put them on another section.... in saying 'you can' I really mean you can get people to do it!).

They remind me of that rather odd looking townhouse development down Boulcott St - the one built on stilts above a carpark. Now that is actually the site for the 20-plus-storey Willis Tower, and while the developer gets the dosh together he had those townhouses put above the carpark to optimise the space in the interim. The townhouses will be moved to a permanent home later and sold off to make way for the development.

Anyway, I need to go and find a section (and a couple of hundred grand) for an iPad.

More information on the iPad here

Greatest all time soundtrack

Vanity Fair has come up with a list of the top 50 movie soundtracks, not sure I entirely agree with them - but its not bad in any case

Vanity Fair's Top 10

1. Purple Rain (Prince's film - VF called the soundtrack - a combination of "funk, R&B, pop, metal, and even psychedelia into a sound that defined the '80s", but described the film itself as "perhaps the most badly-acted ever".)
2. A Hard Day's Night (The Beatles... in case you didn't know)
3. The Harder They Come (1972 film - never heard of it - starred Jimmy Cliff... apparently)
4. Pulp Fiction
5. The Graduate
6. Trainspotting
7. Saturday Night Fever
8. Superfly
9. American Graffiti and
10. The Big Chill

My top 5 (granted I haven't put too much thought into it)

1. Magnolia (The movie was BOLLOCKS (don't lie, you know it really is) but the soundtrack is fantastic - well the Aimee Mann tracks - which is most of them)
2. Pulp Fiction
3. Trainspotting
4. Almost Famous
5. High Fidelity
Highly commended would be the Velvet Goldmine, Standing in the Shadows of Mowtown, I am Sam and probably even Eagle vs Shark (but that's just because its in my car stereo at the moment).

I didn't count the numerous Beatles 'soundtracks' as the 'movies' they were linked to were actually more extended music videos. Also I didn't count films like the Johnny Cash biopic - Walk the Line nor Edith Piaf's La Vie En Rose (which is worth seeing - the lead should win best actress) as I think they were more 'best of' collections.

Making a tough task harder

Like most other Wellington sports teams the Phoenix seem to be going out of their way to frustrate their addicted fans!

Going into injury time at the end of the fixture with the table-topping Central Coast Mariners at 1-1, and after having the better of the second half, it looked like the Nix would leave the capital with 1 point. But no, some how our defenders gifted the Mariners striker an absolute lolly - which he duly guided into the goal for a 2-1 Mariners win. (video of the goals below)

This leaves the Nix in an uncomfortable position - seventh. Since our 4-1 win over Perth three weeks ago, we have lost three on the trot. We now have three away games. Which is why it was vital to get at least a point out of the Mariners clash.

Phoenix will need to pick up points in all three games now to avoid falling off the pace.

Granted, this is nothing like the Knights and the Nix are still in the running. But the honeymoon is well and truly over and its time to start putting things together out on the pitch.

On a high note - what about marquee signing, Ahmed Elrich's, strike from 30 metres out to equalise!?!?!



Next up are Adelaide, Perth (the new Knights), and Queensland.

The Hillary and Kevin show

Given Howard has called the Australian Federal election for 24 November, and the US primaries are beginning to heat up, I thought it was worth floating the question that would ALP and Democrat governments at a federal level be good for NZ?

I'm not so sure, in fact I would actually lead towards 'not really'.

Howard and Clark, despite being from opposite ends of the spectrum, have actually worked really well together. In fact the last eight years are referred to as a "golden-period" in the relationship. Howard, despite his conservative flaws, has actually been very good towards NZ, primarily because he gets on with Clark.

But, just because ALP leader, Kevin Rudd, comes from the same political family as Clark, doesn't mean they will get on. Take Whitlam/Kirk or Lange/Hawke as examples - all 'labour' prime ministers, but they did not get along. Or on the other side, Muldoon/Fraser didn't really get on either, and even when we have had a left/right mix in the past - Keating/Bolger, it hasn't worked. But Clark/Howard has, because they have both had the relationship as a top foreign policy priority.

So far Rudd has mostly seemed interested in China, which is fine, and it is clearly a strength of his (he's fluent in mandarin), but I would love to see some sort of nod towards his neighbours.

On the US I have similar sentiments. Don't get me wrong, the Republicans have to go - but don't forget that the Democrats were more than willing to give us the cold-shoulder for the best part of the 1990s.

Now I'm not saying I would vote for Howard or the Republicans, but we do have to recognise that for our own nationalistic interests, a Rudd Government is not necessarily a great thing. I think New Zealand is going to have to work very hard in the next few years to ensure we aren't shut out again.

Standards and censorship

I read a great interview with Chief Censor, Bill Hastings, in the Weekend Herald's 'Canvas' magazine pull out yesterday. Now im not much of a fan of censorship, but reading some of the things he has had to sit through - Im glad the role exists.

What made me laugh though, was good old David (i cant help but complain about film festivals) Lane and the Society for the Protection of Community Standards. His quotes were hillarious -

The society's executive director, David Lane, believes all hard-core pornography should be banned under the act's provision against "degrading, dehumanising, or demeaning" content.

"Let's take the example of oral sex, where males penetrate a woman right to the depths of her throat.... where the woman chokes with the guy's private part right [there]," says Lane. "Is that degrading or demeaning? We're not talking about a nice gentle caress, we're talking about a woman, so orally penetrated that she has gagged."

"There are other videos which Hastings regularly passes which involves multiple sexual penetration. There might be two men going at it flat-out anally with a woman, and one from the 'front-entry' and another from the 'oral entry' and away you go."

My only question is - what the fuck is David Lane watching to have that level of detail?? And if he is really so offended by it - dont go into the little room at the video store and hire it in the first place!!!

They hardly stock this content under comedy or drama! (maybe 'action' i guess?)

Who would have thought?

My initial reaction to the news that the Police had raided alleged terrorist training camps in the Bay of Plenty and other related properties throughout the country - was that, surely they are over reacting here.

But, when you read about their haul of firearms, you can't help but think - fucking hell! I mean napalm FFS!

The 'pacifists' from Abel Smith St in Wellington were hillarious - they were apparently "mystified" as to why the Police would raid their house..... the "large semi-automatic weapons, molotov cocktails, shotguns and rifles" that were confiscated might be a clue. Id love to hear their definition of pacifism.

The Police seem to be suggesting that this was Maori seperatist groups working with envionmental and other likeminded activists. This could do untold damage to the credibility of legitimate community and political lobby groups.

Crazy stuff.

Wii + Lightsabers = EEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

On Nov 6 the dream comes true!

The new Star Wars game on the Wii will feature Wiimote-Lightsaber dueling.

How cool is that??????????

This is gonna kick sooooooooooo much arse its not funny!

Once again the Wii proves that it is TFU! (The Fuckest Uppest)

Also in other news, Apple is opening a three level Apple Store in Australia - I only hope this means the iPhone will actually get released here.

Bend it like... Felipe!

I just bought tickets for the Phoenix vs LA Galaxy clash at the 'Ring of Fire' in December. Stoked.

Great marketing again by the Phoenix - great idea to include the A-League game against Adelaide in the Galaxy ticket (buy one get one free type deal).

Wellington has been a stunning football success with, on average, ten times more people at Phoenix home games, than there were for the Auckland Knights.

The atmosphere is completely different to Rugby, with no stupid pumping music - the crowd makes the noise. In many ways it reminds of the good old days (pre-Police-pressence) at a One Day Cricket International at the Basin Reserve.

My favourite chant has to be the "what the fucking, what the fucking, what the fucking hell was that? What the fucking hell was that?" In response to Perth's pathetic attempts on Goal. Although the "We're not Auckland, we're not Auckland, we're not Auckland any more! We're not Auckland any more!" is also quality.

Now I wonder - has Angus got tickets? Maybe he doesnt need them as he's seen Beckham play before? He is supposedly Beckham's biggest fan, and owns all sorts of homoerotic biographies and posters... Oh no, thats right he isnt in NZ so misses out... ohhhh... nevermind

What happened? Why? How?

This morning I don't know what to say. I feel exactly like one does when someone they know dies. There is nothing to be done, you really just have to get on. There's not a lot of point discussing the whys, the hows, the who can we blame theories, none of it will change anything and its not like you will suddenly discover some magical switch that could help.

Now I'm sure some of you are thinking - get over it, its only rugby, (or worse) its only a game. If you are thinking that, then you will never understand.

My favourite book is Nick Hornby's Fever Pitch, while many think it is about football, to me it isnt. Its about being a fan. Hornby describes what it means to devote your entire being to the performance of 'your' team. The euphoria of the highs and yes the utter despair of the lows.

Needless to say - yesterday was the latter. It was like a car crash. One minute you're on a high, everything is going along fine, then all of a sudden - bam. When you set off, you know it would be disastrous if you cross the centre line - the risk levels are high. No matter how well you prepare, one lapse in concentration and whack youre gone. You can't undo it, you can't go back. There is no point thinking, if only I did this... or if I did that. That's what the latest world cup loss feels like. We knew - all to well - that it could happen, but its gutting all the same and thats it... the end. You're left shocked, dazed and not sure what to do next.

The worst bit though, is knowing full well, that in four years, you will again give everything to that team again. You will again think - this year is different, this is our year... even though the shadow of previous failures remain.

So that's it. I'm not interested in the media telling me what was wrong with the campaign, why Henry should be sacked etc, why 'they knew all along' that we would lose and so on. There's no point its done. See you in four years.

Question

Why would you release your foreign policy discussion document on the same day that the Prime Minister (your opponent!) is speaking at the Oxford Union, visiting a war hero's grave, and meeting the Prime Minister of Britain????

Good on ya! Why not draw attention to your comparative inexperience?

Im not sure you could find a much worse day to release it? On a day like this - Clark couldnt look more prime ministerial and on top of foreign policy if she tried - so what the hell were National thinking??

Good grief.

Campaign tips from Timaru

There is a lot of talk about people standing in different electorates in 2008. As a guide to all these aspirants the current local body elections have provided a wonderful example of what to do on the campaign trail.

This from the Timaru Herald...

Council candidate charged after urinating in gutter
The Timaru Herald | Tuesday, 2 October 2007

A Timaru district council candidate has been charged with offensive behaviour, following an incident in Dunedin last week.

The Timaru Herald was able to confirm yesterday that Karen Collings, who is standing for the Timaru ward on the council, was charged with offensive behaviour after allegedly being seen urinating in the gutter outside a Dunedin hotel.

I don't know about you, but I can't wait for more campaigning lessons from Timaru!

Computer recycling day tomorrow

Just a reminder that tomorrow is Wellington Computer Recycling day at Westpac Stadium.

If you have any old computers or mobile phones that youre looking dump - take them along to the Ring of Fire and get rid of them!

Murder House

I went to the dentist for my annual check up yesterday. Passed with flying colours naturally... the dentist noted that I have "very, very good teeth" hell yeah!

So while on this high I caved in to the pressure to go to the "Dental Hygenist" as well. What a rock solid waste of time (and money!) that was.

If you are unfamiliar with the role of the Dental Hygenist, they basically do the work that dentists once did with the orbital sander/polisher hoobly device etc etc. But clearly they are also in the pocket of Colgate and other such multinationals! Throughout the whole experience she tried pushing their products on me - you should try COLGATE mouthwash (apparently Listerine isnt as good as "COLGATE brand"), and COLGATE electric toothbrushes and COLGATE floss.

She didnt seem to get my joke when I asked if she was getting kick-backs from Colgate - so maybe this means she is??

What really made me laugh though, is that she did nothing other than what dentists used to do to your teeth before they created this position. Which made me think, did the Dental Hygenist role come about during the Nat Govts 1990s work-for-the-dole scheme? Was this just a 'make-work' exercise?

Whatever the background is to this role - I should write MUG on my forehead. Afterall it was me who shelled out $65 to be told after a barely five minute consultation that my teeth were "very, very good" and then paid out another $150 to the Hygenist for her Colgate sales pitch.

So a word of advice - Next time your dentist suggests a visit to the Dental Hygentist, say thanks, but no thanks and just pick up the Colgate brochure instead.