(no subject)

Got my Sera back (and bid farewell to the XR4i - I still want one, but when I have a garage to keep it in). New suspension... oh wow. The car drives SO differently. The new engine mount also makes a different.

When the front is done, this is going to be the best Sera I have ever driven. Once I have geared myself up for not being miserable in the cold, I will put the boot trim back in.

The MOT is the new computerised type. This means I can apparently tax my car online and the Police can tell my car is MOTd via the in-car computers they have. Bah. The back of it goes on at length about how this is NOT the legal proof of an MOT, the legal proof is in the computer.

Saywhat?

Now, this new certificate looks dead easy to forge.

Are you, the used-car buyer, going to have access to the computer with the records on? Hell no. Maybe on newer cars, but on old bangers?

You can call a National Rate 0870 number to check validity. Who is going to do that?

It has a peel off sticker to put in the car. Perhaps these will change colour for year or something useful like that, though presently they are blue. It has printed on it details of the car, and is like a service reminder sticker.

Advisory notes are also included on the computer and a sheet with the certificate. The MOT notes that an advisory note has been issued. In my case, I was usefully forewarned about perishing front driveshaft boots (not split, but showing signs of aging and cracking - they reckon I've got time to save up and have them replaced when the front suspension is done), a corroded front brake disc (which I was aware of) and a cracked tail-light (which I was aware of, and had requested a new price for - £80 inc. VAT. I'll keep looking for a used one for a little longer I reckon).

Ian did the car equivalent of "Have you changed your hair" with the Sera, and decided that the foglights make rather a big difference to how tidy it looks. I pointed out they're hiding some of the scruffiest repairs to the bumper ;)

Should I?

Hello Richard,
I am contacting you regarding the two CX lights I won. From my experience with similar items, the cost of shipping as a combined shipping, is more than it should have been. Could you please check it out having in mind that I do not want a fast shipping service, as well as that Cyprus is a EU member.Please do find out and let me know if the new cost.
Regards , Theo.

Dear Theo,

Thankyou for drawing my error with the shipping to my attention. You're quite right; £20 was not the correct amount.

In fact, to ship the two items combined will cost £29, as they weigh 2.3Kg.

To ship them individually will cost £7.?? plus £3.30 for signed for (I will not send anything overseas without the ability to check that it has been delivered).

Plus packaging (bubblewrap isn't free and I may have t buy boxes) for two lights, and my fuel for two trips to the post office (one to double check the pricing, see - and the post office is 2.5 miles away, my car does 30mpg, so 10 miles is roughly £2).

So, shipping for the two items is in fact £24 if you want them sent separately, or £29 if you want them sent combined. I will issue a new invoice accordingly.

Thankyou. Had you not drawn this to my attention, I would have been losing money as I would simply have posted the items anyway.

Best Wishes,
Richard

OMG WTF!?!

A few more of my items ended, including the CX headlights which have been in the cellar.

One sold to Japan for £32 (they've been warned about shipping). This I expected, they had emailed me beforehand.

The other has sold for £112. I'm baffled. The auction clearly states that the lens is detaching from the plastic and needs to be reglued...

Aha...

Mistake when bidding. Panicked email from bidder saying they'd entered the wrong amount and asking if I'd offer it to the next highest.

More surprising - pleading email from Japanese bidder asking if the high bidder will yield and let me sell to him! I hope he doesn't think something funny is going on.

I have emailed the Japanese bidder saying their bid should not have been so high, and though the high bidder has offered to honour the transaction, I didn't expect the lights to fetch so much - and that they can have both lights for £100 plus shipping. Still a very good amount for me, it means that if my other items sell I can pay a couple of things and still have enough PayPal left to get the TX416 parts I need to fix my synth!

(no subject)

Okay. Funny.

Apple announces the first Intel Macs - the MacBook Prowossname Thingamajigger SuperFriendlyLaptop, and the iMac... and what does their stock close at?

$80.86.

Heh.

(That is INSANE. They had a stock split not that long ago, at that level).

(no subject)

Poor undertheigloo.

They have the coveted iTunes single of the week in the UK, and I can't download it. Which I assume means no-one else can. Which means all that exposure they get as Single of the Week is lost, each day passing with more people forgetting to download and listen to it.

I used the NeXT for a bit today. I am getting better with it, and as a result, it doesn't seem so clumsy.

Mostly I've been all hyper at having my Sera back. Damn! It was so cold, and I was so busy, I forgot to put the new Thermostat in! I did get some post done, however, so I felt productive. Apparently CoPilot Live 6 is on the way to me, a little late for the review.