Dear Mr. Matt Page,

RE: LEMMINGS TRIBES (a game) purchased online via http://www.mobilefun.co.uk

On 18 February (just yesterday) at around 10pm I went online to buy a game called Lemmings Tribes (and only that) for my Blackberry. I ended up on your website http://www.mobilefun.co.uk/ as a reputable offeror of this game and many more. A few clicks in searching for the game, I was asked to select the make and model for my handset, which I did, and it got me to model specific page. On this page, just below the page header was a huge big banner promoting certain games and there was this game ‘LEMMINGS TRIBES’. I decided to buy it.

To buy, I was asked to text ‘OK’ to your given number ‘87039’. Doing so resulted in me receiving 4 text messages  that charged me £7.50 instantly, the price of the game. Post purchase, the confirmation page read that a separate text message will follow in half hour with a link to the page to download my purchased game. This text message did not arrive until 1.30am this morning and I went to bed. In the morning I saw the text message and attempted downloading the game. The game will simply not download to my handset as it turns incompatible. It makes sense not to let me download what is not compatible, but then you owe me money back. I wrote to you immediately thereafter and you are defiant not to refund. Your specific reference to your correct billing in line with your terms and conditions is unusual (re your immediate response). 

You owe me the product (which I have not received so far and if I receive it in due course I expect it to be compatible) or the money back with compound interest, should there be delays.

Such terms and conditions that allow your unjust enrichment are unusual and onerous to consumers.

Abdulla Yasir
http://abdullayasir.com/
cc: The Office of Fair Trading

People seem to have a very short memory of arriving into Male’, though it is a very frustrating experience for the many. At the very least we really lack a proper taxi system at Male’ Arrival.

For a very long time arrival into and departure from Male’ the capital from airport island (Hulhule’) has been a lousy encounter for the ordinary people. For the while that Maldivians considered travelling in and out, a luxury, lack of foresight as to how else such should be, is an understandable shortcoming. People say that it took a local comedian called Yoosay, a short film before the ferry operations were reviewed. Agreeable on this?

I recall seeing this film in which tourists in particular were dragged to boats at the harbor from a great distance away and their luggage to another direction by other crews who were equally keen to maximise revenue. Locals too went through similar tests. It was then unimaginable to travel in the absence of a muscled man. The short film was an instant HIT. Many who stood the real test were able to reconcile the truth from the scenes presented in the film. The reaction was an objectivity test for the public authority of how bad things were. Within days, the ferry services between the capital and the airport island were reviewed and re-organised. Some say the public authority’s effort were a mere PUKE of what they saw in the film, in that the taxi system was forgotten by the comedian, and so did the public office. There you go, asking the taxis to form one queue is just not good enough, or is it?

So it has been since THE YOOSAY FERRY REVIEW (date: TBA). Today more Maldivians travel locally and Internationally and these locals and also tourists arriving into Male’ finding a taxi for transport is one that takes anything between 15 to 45 minutes of waiting and waving. It’s a tiny road with two way traffic. A couple of Taxi’s in queue, some passengers loading baggage and settling into cars, others move around with their hands up in the air trying to wave and attract attention, but there simply aren’t taxis. The shy and the weak – mostly ladies and children wait for the longest period. It is unforgettable that a person recently murmured that the taxi system at the arrival jetty in Male’ is a deterrent to visiting the capital.

It is worth wondering if the area surround Nasandhuraa should be made a malingering park as many say or in providing the necessary and essential structures that we lack greatly in the little city.

Re: 'Trailblazer to Grab Headlines', a blog post by the Maldives Minister for Information and Reform, I threaded a comment as follows.

The situation in the Maldives means landlords live double lives… that is, the life of the landlord him/her self and the tenant by way of ‘stretch’ (i.e. begging, borrowing and steeling to serve the landlords ‘PRICE’). The case comes in to prove guilt and failure are not allergic to those who feel damm good about a given situation and those who celebrate others horror. Are you one? Welcome to the world of dead, dying and doomed tenants. My heart goes out to you… The case will end eventually but the problem shouldn’t be left for others to enjoy and indulge the weak? Reform the letting system to a point of no repentance, this is your opportunity my dear.

I read a post on Child Abuse Watch Maldives (CAWM) on young school children performing a dance for the president and at midnight (link) and I threaded a comment as follows.

I am with you one hundred per cent. With or without consent from parents, schools having young children to entertain the president on an ongoing basis is very weird and saddening.

A president must find his own ways of entertaining. May it be through hiring professional performers or by him visiting a performance that is palatable, is definitely a lot better than using young school children and coercing parents to fund dance costumes when parents are poorly paid.  Also Scooping out educational hours for dance practice or causing inconvenience of moving children between school and home in the after-school-hours cannot be compensated or treated any less important.

Using young school children for dances to boost the president’s ego is a pure mockery on parents and the public alike and it must STOP.

Vim Patel
Franchisee
McDonald’s Restaurant Ltd,
10 Stephenson Place
Birmingham B2 4YR

02 December 2007
 
Dear Mr. Vim Patel,

It being weekend today I took my kids to McDonald’s. Along with the food I bought them 2 bee movie toys. On opening the toys, my kids and I sensed strong scent from them that none of us were happy with. In the few minutes that followed, I approached the cashier and was referred to Shani Walker who on the basis that the plastic bags were opened, rejected my request to refund the toys. When soft toys are generally odourless the BEE toys sold at McDonalds were otherwise scented; this is where the fault is; and under the ‘The Sale of Goods Act 1979 (as amended)’ I believe I am entitled to request a full refund of my purchase.

I have with me, the receipt of the transaction and the toys and would like a full refund at the earliest.
 
I look forward to your reply within 14 days and hope this matter can be sorted out quickly.

Yours sincerely,

Abdulla Yasir

We use umbrellas in rain when pavements are crowded with people of different heights but with one thing in common; the umbrella and the constant collision. Despite years of existence and positive use of umbrellas, its sharp multi edges have remained unaltered; as much as it generates fear for the pedestrians, we ourselves exercise karate moves to prevent others' umbrellas from harming us. What prevents manufacturers from improving this design flaw; are pin-head-sharp edges perhaps important and integral part of the umbrellas design that we aren’t aware of?

Wallets have good use; ideally to keep us funded and authenticated. One can grab a wallet for as little as a quid or pocket a designer wallet for as much as a grand. They all provide sufficiently for cash and coins but are they ruling out the plastics of today. Plastic cards authenticate and permission us (e.g. IDs and licenses) and are more relevant and useful for payments today (e.g rail cards, discount cards and credit cards). Yet almost all wallets subject the plastics for quick wearing. Both zips and buttons that are meant for convenience, inconveniences us at the most unexpected times. Carrying the wallet in back pocket, sitting on it with our weight, within no time the buttons and zips dig deep into cards to the extent that it is unusable at the most critical moment. Does this warrant further research or is it common sense for the designers; or are they attempting to change consumer behaviour?

Customer Relations Manager
Virgin Trains
85 Smallbrook Queensway
Birmingham
B5 4HA
Fax: 0121 654 7500

Subject: On-line ticket purchase (transaction reference number: 354733353) that guaranteed next-working day delivery failed to show up and Virgin Trains made us spend 56 pounds for new tickets, lots of time, effort and money on phone calls, and a lot of stress for our train from Guildford to Birmingham New Street.

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to complain about the mishandling of an on-line sale for the Virgin train on Tuesday 31st July 2007 from Guildford to Birmingham New Street. My family and I bought tickets on Saturday 28th of July 2007 at 13:24 from www.buytickets.virgintrains.co.uk/ for Tuesday the 31st of July 2007 17:57 direct train service from Guildford to Birmingham New Street (transaction reference number: 354733353).

Just as the clock ticked 13:05 on Tuesday 31st of July 2007, I called Virgin Customer Services where I answered more than seven security questions and at the first break I expressed my concern over not having the tickets. I was advised to wait until 15:00 for the tickets. At 15:05 I called the customer services, went through the security questions all over again; the agent then communicated with his backoffice and advised me that the tickets were being delivered as a special package and that I should expect them by about 15:30 and that in the worst case, that they would fax the ticket to the Guildford train station. With greater confidence I waited until about 16:05 but when there was no sign of a postman, I called the customer services again. I knew the security questions by heart and I read it to the agent with speed and then enquired on the status of the tickets; the agent then told me that the tickets have been faxed to the Guildford train station instead and that I should turn up at the ticket counter at least 25 minutes prior to the trains' scheduled departure. This was a relief to me because every time I called, it took so much time and effort and costs money too.

Heavy luggage and a 3 year old son slows us down. Thus we left home early to arrived at the train station at 17:00 and hurried to the ticketing counter and provided them with the booking reference number and my PHOTO ID. The counter employee went inside to collect the fax. In less than a minute he returned and informed that he had no information what so ever and that there wasn’t a correspondence from Virgin on the matter. He defended his position and said: “this has nothing to do with us; it is a problem between you and the booking agent”. With my reason to stand at the ticket counter being invalidated, I moved to a side and called the customer service. It was 17:10, the call was on a queue and wasn’t answered until 17:16. I was tired and worried but couldn’t utter a word until I passed the security questions. At the first opportunity I explained in detail the ordeal I have had and my determination not to miss the only available drect train to Birmingham New Street station. I was then advised that my tickets had now been faxed and that he can confirm it. I gave it 5 minutes and at 17:25 I queued for the ticketing counter and ended up at the counter next to the one I reached the first time. Almost as if nothing would have changed from the time his colleague dealt with the issue, he seemed to hate the problem and to see me. Within a few seconds and a glimpse at the back office, some whispers with his collegue, he said that he couldn’t issue tickets unless he had a fax with express consent from Virgin Trains.

With no other options left and just few minutes away from trains scheduled departure, I had to buy fresh tickets for me and my family for 56 pounds (see attached) in order get into the train. This unexpected consequence left me and my family only 4 pounds for food and living until I received funds for the next month, which usually turns up around the 5th.

I would like the following:

1. Refund of 55.85 pounds that I spent on for fresh new tickets
2. Refund of 6 pounds that was charged as Ticket Arrangement Fee for the internet sale.
3. Compensation for the time, effort and money spent, and for the stress that this mishandling caused.

For your reference, provided herewith are copies of fresh tickets I purchased.  I look forward to receiving your reply.

Yours faithfully,

Abdulla Yasir
http://www.abdullayasir.com/

Below was an incident that occurred to a top businessman from the Maldives, on his way to London; and an excerption of his letter of complaint to Emirates Airline. The incident may not have been intentional but things could sometimes get out of hand. Even the best airlines cannot control what a stewardess could do while on duty. People become what they are only as a result of their past, and no matter how good recruitment process may be, it is practically impossible to decode an employee's past sufficiently enough to avoid incidents at this. Another point is that such behaviours and attidutes develop quite gradually and so a good operations management system will be able to spot things before they get really bad.

Although not directly with the airline itself, I have a strong memory of an event I  came across on one of my visits to Dubai, some 5 years ago, that the immigration officer inquired from his work colleague (two dressed as Arabs) for information on the Maldives. The officer then described the Maldives as a country with 2 people, 2 fishes and 1 palm tree. I don’t have a problem with the remark as I could also describe Dubai in a manner I feel good about. Anyway, I do not fly Emirates so often, partly because I don’t like transiting Dubai anymore.The event I encountered, in a way reinforces the belief that people draw satisfaction through humiliating others.

Given the sort of passenger numbers that airlines handle, complaints are inevitable that sometimes things would go terribly wrong. Most airlines aim at maintaining a certain threshold for such complaints and are therefore provisioned for as acceptable level of risk. Not providing means to receive complaints mean that it is creating room for events to continually reoccur. Recurrences as the type would mean that Emirates is allowing its passengers to build negative images that may impact them in great many ways.