The Complaints Bureau (RTE)

callaway92

Watched last week's episode last night (the 1st episode).

Really disappointing show. 23 mins (excl. ads) is just not enough for this type of show. There actually wasn't any advice for the viewer here how to go about things if any of these issues actually happen you.

A) Aer Lingus refund, we skipped from the man explaining his issue to Conor Pope, to next being told he has been given a refund now after Conor emailed them. No insight into the email, no advice into what to do etc.

B) The holiday couple that were scammed. Again, nothing here into what the advisor said or checked with PTSB. It just skipped to 'oh yay we got money back'

C) The dating profile guy...so what now if he does contact them and says 'actually I only owe you the €40 rather than the €300 that you're saying' and they still refute and push for the big money

It was way way too fast moving. Probably won't bother with it again.

LambshankRedemption

So there was no caller saying they've been paying 160 a year going back years and they just found out it was used to line the pockets of a smooth speaking geek who now presents on Virgin Media Radio UK?

AMKC

Ye it's not great at all and I just can't stand your man presenting it. He is a posh oh I am great all about me type probably never had to worry about money in his life type. Never thought I would ever say this but I think he is even more annoying than the other RTE one that presents the 6-1 news these days. Thankfully I have forgotten his name and but can't stand him either.

squonk

Haven’t seen it but RTE seem great at doing virtuous looking shows that actually have no value whatsoever. I’ve watched Maggie Molloys Cheap Irish Hones show which is good to point out value in housing but would it kill them to contact the participants before it airs to find out if they actually bought any of the houses or are still looking around or what?? Kirsty & Phil do follow up shows. I think Escape To The Country does mention the outcome.

thomas 123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121897438#Comment_121897438

When you compare the likes of grand designs to room to improve its really stark. Lack of detail = lack of interest for me.

sprucemoose

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121897454#Comment_121897454

room to improve is much better than grand designs though

thomas 123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121897493#Comment_121897493

Okay, if you like watching the same format over and over again. The lack of detail is telling though. Grand designs manages to tell you more on much more complex builds. Episode last night told us prices for nearly everything,materials used etc , it’s just better for people interested in construction and design.

sprucemoose

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121898150#Comment_121898150

'it’s just better for people interested in construction and design'

im an architect......

i would very much disagree, GD always seemed more like a drama/soap with some building added in whereas RTI was building with some (generally fake and added admittedly) drama. Dermot Bannon is also much more knowledgeable than Kevin McCloud since hes an actual architect rather than a lighting designer (much as KMcC knows alot too)

Having said that, i havent watched either in a few years so maybe the 'quality' of both shows has changed alot but thats how i found it when i would watch both (obviously individual episodes varied). And having known/worked with clients that had been on both shows along with some designers on Grand Designs, the consensus was that GD was alot more 'staged'

callaway92

How the Jaysis did a thread about The Complaints Bureau become a comparison between Grand Designs and Room To Improve

Atlantic Dawn

This really is poor, one of the cases today was a customer waiting nearly 2 years for a refund from Ticketmaster, turns out instead of giving them his BIC/IBAN from his bank account for refund he gave them the details from his Mastercard.

Not sure what I was expecting from this show, I suppose an hours worth in the style of Cook Report (Light) was an expectation with people getting properly swindled out of thousands, perhaps cornering a dodgy rip-off merchant at his home address for answers etc etc.

Ralph_GM

WTF is this show? It's even worse than I ever thought it could be!

It's like the whole thing is centred around yer man awarding a weekly winner. Charlies Angels kinda thing.

And yer man, Amy Molloy, a so called journalist (of funny First Dates Ireland rejection fame) pronounces one as 'wan'

daarmcd

I watched it and it could have covered at least 8 or 9 complaint issues instead of 3. It needs to cut out the duplication and just stick to the facts. Ticketmaster are a sh1t monopoly but the refund was not their fault.

A waste of airtime!

Bredabe

I like this kind of show and like the rest, I find it too short and light on detail.

That intro tho, I get what they are trying to say with it but OTT imo, I felt so sorry for that couple who had been ripped off by their builder (also liked the crossover with room to improve), I thought Eoin's offer to help them budget for the extra work needed added a unique touch to this episode.

Speaking of Eoin, I hear him speak of how hard his childhood was bc of his father's health/early death*, but that doesn't explain what looks like a cut-price hair piece passing for the front section of his hair! Silly I know but it makes my teeth itch to see it.

* Covering my bases there as I can't remember the details of how he lost his dad except it had a devastating impact on his family of origin.

Bellbottoms

I cannot stand Connor Pope.

He tends to vacialte between the whole savings thing and consumer protection.

With most of his savings advice being rubbish or outdated. "Clear your cache and cookies, before booking a flight". Not a thing anymore Connor. Or "Buy your Easter Eggs on Easter Monday, the chocolate tastes the same". Connor, just in time shipping means that you are no lucky if you can find Easter Eggs for sale on the day before Easter.

He has a consumer rights thing ever week in the Irish Times. He tends to pick poor examples to champion. With many of the cases he chases down being the fault of the usually self entitled consumer not reading the T and Cs.

This week it was a Revolut user, who was using the rounding up (rounding up to the next whole euro) option to make donations to the Irish Red Cross (IRC). When they realised they had donated over Eur 400 in the last year. The wrote to Pope looking for Revolut to " refund me all the charges at their expense – not the IRC".

Its money for old rope, some might say he is stealing a living.

GAAcailin

rubbish show, Conor Dope is useless. Rinse and repeat with him.

Stupid music in the background too.

Have no respect for Conor, he made a mess of telling people that they could save a fortune on their mortgage by paying their mortgage fortnightly
- he ended up with egg on his face;

This weeks one was stupid, of course a ladies haircut is more expensive. The barber can lash through multiple men in the time it takes to do mine!