Other What's ruining your life right now?

I, meanwhile, am still dealing with a dodgy eBay seller...

So I got a call from an eBay customer service rep on Saturday who confirmed that the seller had provided the returns label, and that in these cases it's the seller's responsibility to provide return postage costs. Good, 'cos this means I won't be out of pocket for someone else's inadequate packing and someone else's inadequate shipping insurance. Frankly I don't believe for one second that this laptop was sent in a working condition, but let's just be charitable and assume that it was. The CSR I spoke to on Saturday confirmed that if there was no resolution by COB yesterday then I could ask eBay to step in from today. So I messaged the seller on Saturday to advise that his postage was wrong.

Colour me completely unsurprised when yesterday passes without a word from this guy. So I escalated the case with eBay today. The CSR I spoke to today has now manually emailed the seller advising that he now has to send a postage label that will cover the actual weight (I've already previously sent this guy a photo of the parcel on a set of scales), and opened a formal dispute. He now has until Sunday to resolve the issue before eBay review the case again on Monday.

I can already predict what'll happen. The seller won't resolve the situation and eBay will step in and refund me. Meanwhile here's me down ~£270 for nearly two weeks with nothing to show for it but a parcel wrapped up and ready to be sent back.

Look, I know there are a lot of dodgy buyers and scammers out there on eBay, and I know that as a private non-business seller it is extremely risky. I sold a laptop via eBay myself recently and I've currently got a freakin' heavy Z600 workstation listed. But I have absolutely zero sympathy for someone whose idea of 'adequate packing' for a laptop computer is a couple of layers of bubble wrap and a big jiffy bag.

 

hopefully you get a full refund and get to keep it. New screen and charger your good to go right?

 

If you can get your hands on spare parts for a reasonable price... It's easily £110-£150 for a replacement screen assembly (i.e. complete top shell). Replacing just the damaged LCD is much cheaper but it is not an easy process.

 

DIY perks mate. Build it into a monitor or something

 

I love that channel.

 

Jeez.. I buy bubble wrap 600metres a go now... granted at one point I recycled material but it’s as much of an insurance policy for me as anyone.

 

I feel like I'm trapped at work. I took a shitty job to pay the bills this time last year with the intent on dumping it after 6 months, the money was crap but it was easy and with the way the hours fell i was home for 15:30 and had the night to work/study.

Since this covid horseshit its gone absolutely horrible. i wasnt planning on climbing in the position but ive moved backwards and i'm treated like dirt by people who have gone full retard over it, my job spec has changed horribly and I've not had a ****ing day off in over 6 months; they've cancelled my requests for annual leave twice now and i'm so so ****ing tired. i get back from work and i just pass out from exhaustion. I want to jump jobs so bad but with everything going on i'm being pressured by people to stick at it because its "secure"

I'm seriously considering paying for a professional CV writer to help me jump but i don't know where to go or what to do.

**** man I just want to cry. :/

 

The only advice I can give people in your situation: get out of there, now. Honestly, your mental health is worth more than whatever debt you may run into if you quit now.

Chin up, chest out, letter of resignation on the table.

 

There's nothing stopping you looking for new roles whilst still working there to begin with, so you don't have to worry about burning through your savings yet whilst you can see what the chances are of finding something else.

I would 100% recommend you start applying, wouldn't recommend you quit yet since whilst it's bad, potentially being out of work for months probably won't make you feel any better.

Edit:
On a related note, been looking and applying for jobs for a while now, and since starting to apply to ones in NL got nothing but ignores/rejections out of the gate, whilst I'm grateful I still have my current job, getting concerned I won't be able to keep it due to Brexit/even if I can the pay won't be enough to make up the high cost of living over there.

 

I simply cannot and will never understand that way of thinking. If/when a job clearly ****s you up big time and you feel your mental health deteriorating because of it, get out. There's no "stick to it and apply for jobs" option if you suffer, IMHO. It's like staying in an abusive relationship because you can always walk away when the time is right and you have somebody to welcome you in their arms. You are suffering now, change things now.

 

I mean it depends on the situation to me, jobs are rarely done purely for fun and because they fund your life, and so depending on your savings etc quitting without already having another one lined up could lead to having to move etc which to me would be a far bigger hit to my mental health but it's a personal thing

 

Other short term option ... Go to GP , explain your situation and get signed off for a few weeks and some tablets to help.

 

Call from work

Manager: Why are you not logged in today?

Me: VPN is down as you told the team on whatsapp

Manager: Yes but you need to be logged in so we know your available

Me: How the VPN is down for the bulk of the estate

Manager: I emailed you the work around you should have used that

Me: My email wont connect if I'm not on the VPN

Manager: Log on to the email through the work phone

Work phone...

 

I understand the concern, but loathing every day (or at least the work portion of it) will have long-lasting negative effects on one's mental health. Which, as we all know, has implications on the physical side of things as well. There's no perfect solution that just works for everyone, I totally agree. And maybe my opinion comes across as arrogant or aloof or even unrealistic because of the financial situations other people are in, but ... well, it's an opinion.

 

I mean, on paper, I agree with you - But I don't in practice. My experience of state aid for unemployment in the UK was an absolute nightmare.

I was told that, because I had "savings" (That, I explained, I couldn't access as it was in a trust until I was a certain age - An age that I was not) and might work one day a month and earn sixty quid for it, that I was on my own and there was nothing they could do.

Walking out of a job, for whatever reason, is likely to result in some very big bills, potential homelessness, and so on in the UK. Which sucks butt, especially for this situation, but it is what it is.

I'm given to understand it operates differently here in sunny Germany, though.

 

Go anywhere you possibly can, now is not the time for grand career plans. Reign in any spending, reduce outgoings to the bare essentials just apply for something to keep food on the table and a roof over your head. Supermarkets, Postal working, Courier Driving....

Miserable work life + No rest = Gunsmith in physical & mental tail spin. If depression doesn't get you then the breakdown/heart attack will.

In 6 months time you can revisit career aspirations when you're able to gather your thoughts and not in such miserable circumstances.

 

thankfully due to some smart (albiet unfun) decisions I made in my 20's i am completely debt free and have outgoings optimised to the point where 85% of my monthly take is mine to do with as I please. touchwood I've got a case of the upset stomach and the work policy is 48h off so im going to use the time to look around and get a professional CV written and do some job hunting.

might even do some more artwork to chillout with as i had some nice ideas on the drive home this morning.

cheers to all for the advice given so far

 

I'd say that it's definitely worth getting the wheels in motion for a new job even if you're not necessarily planning on moving immediately. Gives you time to polish up the CV, start sending out feelers to your network and generally getting a feel for the current state of the job market in your sector. Knowledge is power, and all that, so knowing what roles are out there, where they are and how much they're paying will help you when it comes to making your eventual move.

Also, it's good to have a bit of time to work on things like your CV, general interview technique and so on now, rather than needing to rush through it when that dream job suddenly pops up.

 

Maybe I'm spoiled because of me living in Germany, yes. But I stand by what I said, even though I understand not everybody will or even can agree.