I mentioned I'd tell you about my experience with the Consumer's Association (aka Which?) when I could be bothered. Years ago I wanted to buy a personal stereo. Now I don't buy things without doing some research, and this being pre-internet days I decided that the best place to look was in Which?. So I took out their 3 Month Trial offer. And lo and behold they reviewed Personal Stereos. And on their recommendation I bought an Aiwa (G53 I think). Quality bit of kit and well worth the £45.
As I'd no further need for Which? I wrote them a nice letter telling them to cancel the three month trial (which they'd stated was all I needed to do). Imagine my shock when they sent me another copy. So I posted it back to them, with another letter saying "stop this please". But they weren't going to let a little thing like me cancelling my subscription to stop them, ohhh no. I got another one. So I wrote again, this time telling them that I didn't want their bloody magazine and was cancelling the direct debit.
Imagine my lack of surprise when another issue popped through the letter box. So I posted it back to them again. For about three weeks there was nothing. Then I got a letter from them. This one was threatening me with a debt collection agency as they'd been unable to take the payment from my bank account. So off I went to Belfast City Library to do a little bit of research on how to deal with this. One quick look later and I had what I needed, what steps I had to take to deal with people who don't pay a blind bit of attention to letters and then threaten court action. I copied it out of an edition of Which? pretty much word for word, and posted it off to them. I've never heard from them since.
So you'll understand my scepticism when I see them publish some article condemning others when they were just as guilty. As the old saying goes "People in glass houses shouldn't get dressed at the window..."
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