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This is today’s chat thread.
If you have specific questions about Avios, hotels or credit cards, please ask them in the appropriate forum and not here. This thread is a good place to post interesting deals you have spotted or your general thoughts on travel and all things miles and points. Thank you for contributing.
Good morning from Boston (MA not Lincolnshire), where I stumbled across a nice way of getting USD currency I’ve not seen mentioned before.
I needed a USB-C – USB-C cable as my hire car doesn’t have any USB-A sockets, so picked one up at Walmart for a bargain $3.88.
On presenting my Curve card for payment, I was asked ‘Would you like any cashback?’ Oh yes please, $100 thanks very much. No fees of any type as it all goes through as a regular purchase.
Not sure what other countries and retailers offer cashback on debit cards.
Thanks Andrew.
A lot of european supermarkets do the same.
The US is so random though. Jewel-Osco (supermarket) will not accept Barclaycard or Halifax Clarity, both come up as invalid merchant, so had to resort to cash. Loves travel plaza wont accept either at the pump, but will if you go inside and ask for $20 on pump X.
Have fun in Boston, it’s stormy here in Columbia, SC.
Did the most american thing earlier, left the car pumping gas on automatic whilst I walked across to the amazon locker to pick up my replacement laptop charger (thanks Amazon Prime for a same day delivery). Why can’t other pumps around the world have the little lever that makes filling your tank hands free.
A lot of european supermarkets do the same.
The US is so random though. Jewel-Osco (supermarket) will not accept Barclaycard or Halifax Clarity, both come up as invalid merchant, so had to resort to cash. Loves travel plaza wont accept either at the pump, but will if you go inside and ask for $20 on pump X.
Have fun in Boston, it’s stormy here in Columbia, SC.
Did the most american thing earlier, left the car pumping gas on automatic whilst I walked across to the amazon locker to pick up my replacement laptop charger (thanks Amazon Prime for a same day delivery). Why can’t other pumps around the world have the little lever that makes filling your tank hands free.
Thought about this yesterday when filling up at Sainsbury’s. Not sure what was wrong with the pump but seemed harder than usual…..had to swap hands to fill up £80 worth. It’s very annoying and agree. Should have the pull out lever just to let it fill itself. Would think these pumps etc would be all the same. Generally speaking.
A lot of european supermarkets do the same.
The US is so random though. Jewel-Osco (supermarket) will not accept Barclaycard or Halifax Clarity, both come up as invalid merchant, so had to resort to cash. Loves travel plaza wont accept either at the pump, but will if you go inside and ask for $20 on pump X.
Have fun in Boston, it’s stormy here in Columbia, SC.
Did the most american thing earlier, left the car pumping gas on automatic whilst I walked across to the amazon locker to pick up my replacement laptop charger (thanks Amazon Prime for a same day delivery). Why can’t other pumps around the world have the little lever that makes filling your tank hands free.
Thought about this yesterday when filling up at Sainsbury’s. Not sure what was wrong with the pump but seemed harder than usual…..had to swap hands to fill up £80 worth. It’s very annoying and agree. Should have the pull out lever just to let it fill itself. Would think these pumps etc would be all the same. Generally speaking.
I used to find that when I’d pushed in the pump slightly too far, easing it off slightly would mean the fuel flowed easily.
That was in the old days, now supercharging doesn’t require holding the pump…thank goodness. :;
We don’t do hands free pumping for same reason we don’t have sockets in bathrooms. It’s not considered safe. The idea that you could walk away while furling a car fills me with horror.
Thought about this yesterday when filling up at Sainsbury’s. Not sure what was wrong with the pump but seemed harder than usual…..had to swap hands to fill up £80 worth. It’s very annoying and agree. Should have the pull out lever just to let it fill itself. Would think these pumps etc would be all the same. Generally speaking.
Sainsburys are probably the worst maintained. Press slightly harder, there’s a sound like something snapped and it stops the flow.
A lot of european supermarkets do the same.
The US is so random though. Jewel-Osco (supermarket) will not accept Barclaycard or Halifax Clarity, both come up as invalid merchant, so had to resort to cash. Loves travel plaza wont accept either at the pump, but will if you go inside and ask for $20 on pump X.
Have fun in Boston, it’s stormy here in Columbia, SC.
Did the most american thing earlier, left the car pumping gas on automatic whilst I walked across to the amazon locker to pick up my replacement laptop charger (thanks Amazon Prime for a same day delivery). Why can’t other pumps around the world have the little lever that makes filling your tank hands free.
Other countries do. I was surprised to find out the UK doesn’t when I moved here 20 years ago. But it is for a reason – to stop uncontrolled fuel pouring out anywhere if vandals feel so inclined. I guess there must have been an issue in the 90’s.
Our local Sainsburys have extremely diligent staff making tannoy announcements across the forecourt to shame anyone that looks like they are using a phone. Which many do, as filling tank can take a while, so checking emails is common.
While in the US, amongst the myriad of warnings on the pump is this.
Pay at pump by Apple Pay but use of cellphones is prohibited. Erm…
for same reason we don’t have sockets in bathrooms. It’s not considered safe.
Incorrect! I do smile when this is said, it’s perfectly safe to have socket outlets in a bathroom as long as the BS7671 Requirements for Electrical Installations, are adhered to, my background is electrical engineering.
Queue for the Plaza Premium T5 lounge is longer than the T5 North security and that was with T5 south security temporarily closed. Lounge passes in UK airports are utterly pointless when Wetherspoons is quieter…
A lot of european supermarkets do the same.
The US is so random though. Jewel-Osco (supermarket) will not accept Barclaycard or Halifax Clarity, both come up as invalid merchant, so had to resort to cash. Loves travel plaza wont accept either at the pump, but will if you go inside and ask for $20 on pump X.
Have fun in Boston, it’s stormy here in Columbia, SC.
Did the most american thing earlier, left the car pumping gas on automatic whilst I walked across to the amazon locker to pick up my replacement laptop charger (thanks Amazon Prime for a same day delivery). Why can’t other pumps around the world have the little lever that makes filling your tank hands free.
On my handful of toad trips around Florida, I found none of the fuel stations accepted a non-US card at the pump. However they all accepted them at the counter. I think it also had to do with putting in your zip code at the pump, and there were suggestions on how to fool it, but none of them worked for me
it’s perfectly safe to have socket outlets in a bathroom as long as the BS7671 Requirements for Electrical Installations, are adhered to, my background is electrical engineering.
Not doubting your subject matter expertise, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen a standard plug socket in a bathroom in any home or hotel in the UK. Shaver sockets are another matter of course.
Is it costly? Is that why?
The US is so random though. Jewel-Osco (supermarket) will not accept Barclaycard or Halifax Clarity, both come up as invalid merchant
I’ve always subconsciously assumed that if somewhere accepts Mastercard, they’ll accept all cards with the Mastercard logo. Same with Visa.
It isn’t something I’ve given any thought to of course.
So then should I expect my Halifax Clarity to occasionally be rejected where other Mastercard cards are accepted?
To date, I don’t think I’ve had it rejected other than when they sometimes block the card when I’m abroad (irony).Duplicate
it’s perfectly safe to have socket outlets in a bathroom as long as the BS7671 Requirements for Electrical Installations, are adhered to, my background is electrical engineering.
Not doubting your subject matter expertise, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen a standard plug socket in a bathroom in any home or hotel in the UK. Shaver sockets are another matter of course.
Is it costly? Is that why?
The reason you have not seen any, is the bathroom size needs to comply, you need to have a bathroom big enough, any socket outlet needs to be a minimum of 3 metres Horizontally from the bath edge, and be protected by way of a 30ma RCBO protective device, capable of disconnecting in under 3 milliseconds in the event of an earth fault,
it’s not costly at all, especially if your one that can afford to have a bathroom big enough to comply in your property, another reason you have not seen any, is because in the case of the op people are oblivious that it is indeed possible!
On my handful of toad trips around Florida, I found none of the fuel stations accepted a non-US card at the pump. However they all accepted them at the counter. I think it also had to do with putting in your zip code at the pump, and there were suggestions on how to fool it, but none of them worked for me
That used to be the case but it’s much better now. Rare to find a US pump that won’t work with chip/pin which is why I was surprised that the Love’s ones didn’t work.
Pay at pump by Apple Pay but use of cellphones is prohibited. Erm…
The difference between making a call which uses the radio portion of the phone and the low intensty field that tapping the device used for contactless transactions.
So then should I expect my Halifax Clarity to occasionally be rejected where other Mastercard cards are accepted?
Potentially yes. I didn’t check with the cashier on the Clarity but the Barclaycard came up as invalid merchant. Tried it in two branches to verify.
it’s perfectly safe to have socket outlets in a bathroom as long as the BS7671 Requirements for Electrical Installations, are adhered to, my background is electrical engineering.
Not doubting your subject matter expertise, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen a standard plug socket in a bathroom in any home or hotel in the UK. Shaver sockets are another matter of course.
Is it costly? Is that why?
The reason you have not seen any, is the bathroom size needs to comply, you need to have a bathroom big enough, any socket outlet needs to be a minimum of 3 metres Horizontally from the bath edge, and be protected by way of a 30ma RCBO protective device, capable of disconnecting in under 3 milliseconds in the event of an earth fault,
it’s not costly at all, especially if your one that can afford to have a bathroom big enough to comply in your property, another reason you have not seen any, is because in the case of the op people are oblivious that it is indeed possible!
Interesting. Didn’t know this. However, in what circumstances is it allowed if a bath isn’t present in the bathroom?
3 metres is pretty extreme, especially when you can have power outlets just outside the bathroom door, which might be less than 3 metres from the bath edge.
I work in construction, so do acknowledge the reasons… but, I just find it all madening, especially when building standards minimum size requirements for bathrooms would never allow it to happen. Plug sockets are only allowed for those who can afford big wet/bathrooms!
On my handful of toad trips around Florida, I found none of the fuel stations accepted a non-US card at the pump. However they all accepted them at the counter. I think it also had to do with putting in your zip code at the pump, and there were suggestions on how to fool it, but none of them worked for me
That used to be the case but it’s much better now. Rare to find a US pump that won’t work with chip/pin which is why I was surprised that the Love’s ones didn’t work.
I find they are mostly contactless in FL these days, so not even a PIN needed.
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