The HfP chat thread – Monday 17th May

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• trader363 says:

  17 May17 May 14:51

  Tried topping up the bright card (4 x £249) at Co-Op and didn’t realise there’s a 500/day limit (was only aware of the £249 per transaction limit and the monthly limit).

  My account is under review and I can’t login. Have emailed them my ID etc.

  Can anyone offer insight into what could be coming next? There’s £349 on the card (£100 from a prior topup and £249 from 1 of the 4 that worked).

  Thanks

  • David says:

    17 May17 May 15:08

    Bright card; sorry, genuinely foxed by this one?

    • Bobri says:

      17 May17 May 15:16

      Hot coral card

  • Genghis says:

    17 May17 May 15:10

    Plead ignorance. They only know you have paid cash.

    • trader363 says:

      17 May17 May 15:57

      Thanks Genghis 🙂

  • mark2 says:

    17 May17 May 15:12

    I’m foxed too, but usually Coop till it does not accept over the limit.

  • Triath5 says:

    17 May17 May 16:15

    For a moment I was confused thinking you were referring to another card you could top up at Paypoint but has since implemented horrible fees for topping up.

    I didn’t know the bright card allowed this for a flat fee…how much have you been putting through this in general? With the other card I’d routinely hit the £249 x 2 on a daily basis to the tune of £5k a month which I think was its limit….

    • Triath5 says:

      17 May17 May 16:21

      Just saw there’s a limit of £1k of top ups over 6 months! That kind of kills the appeal.

      • Bobri says:

        17 May17 May 17:20

        For the monthly plan fees they want and the limits they have don’t quite see the economics of this, unless trader 363 has a good caeshback on his co-op spend

    • Secret Squirrel says:

      17 May17 May 21:36

      It’s 1K per every 6 x months with £1 fee per transaction.

  • Secret Squirrel says:

    17 May17 May 21:35

    I thought the limit on that card was £300 per transaction, that’s what I was told by Co-op employee doing mine recently.

• Travel Strong says:

  17 May17 May 14:53

  Datapoint: Hilton Garden Inn have new complimentary chocolates, and they are delicious. Will be forgoing housekeeping but requesting daily chocolate replenishment.

  • John says:

    17 May17 May 19:00

    Which HGI

    • Travel Strong says:

      17 May17 May 21:25

      Sunny Sunderland – so I assume it will be common across UK HGI’s at least.

• Super Secret Stuff says:

  17 May17 May 14:55

  Need to be in or near Brighton this weekend, Holiday Inn and travel lodge is looking dead expensive.

  Thinking of staying at the Holiday Inn Gatwick. Any other ideas for cheap stays, preferably IHG

  • Anna says:

    17 May17 May 14:59

    CP Gatwick was very reasonable when I booked for late July, both cash and points rates. Unfortunately our flights have now been moved to LHR!

    • Super Secret Stuff says:

      17 May17 May 15:09

      Thanks, I spotted that bus I think it’s a long drive from Gatwick? Hoping to ditch the car and do it all on trains and buses now the pubs are open!

  • ChrisC says:

    17 May17 May 15:39

    I know not IHG but there is an IBIS in front of the station and a Jury’s Inn behind (and one on the seafront) plus a Premier Inn on North Street.

    Not checked prices though.

    Bring a brolly it’s going to be wet here.

• Anna says:

  17 May17 May 14:58

  London dwellers – congestion charge query. Planning to leave the car in the NCP car park near the Kimpton Fitzroy for 3 days while we’re in the city (part of a longer trip so need to drive). Do you have to pay the cc every day or just each time to you actually drive into the zone (so once or 3 times during our stay)?
  Thanks from the provinces!

  • Rhys says:

    17 May17 May 14:58

    99% sure it’s just when you’re actually driving on public roads

    • Anna says:

      17 May17 May 15:01

      Nice one, thanks Rhys. It must be over 20 years since I drove into London, lots of changes!

      • Anna says:

        17 May17 May 15:05

        In fact, I’ve just checked it was 2003! I remember David Blaine waved at us from that glass box he locked himself inside for a few weeks near Tower Bridge 🤣

    • WaynedP says:

      17 May17 May 15:54

      Yes, surprisingly difficult to verify officially, although I guess the clue should be in the title in that if you’re parked within the CZone, but not actually driving on a particular day, then you’re not contributing to traffic congestion so shouldn’t have to pay.

      But as you sensibly point out, Anna, lots has changed, not least a now bankrupt TFL for which I suspect we’ll be paying for many years to come. Common sense application of the regulations and lenient past practice may be in short supply for a while.

      https://www.toptiplondon.com/practical-tips/london-congestion-charge, see second question down. Not an official TFL source, but corroborates Rhys & TGLoyalty, and seems to have been updated with latest CZone changes so is presumably credible.

  • TGLoyalty says:

    17 May17 May 15:09

    Just the days you’re driving in the zone.

    Don’t forget it’s 7 days a week 7am-10pm now (except Xmas day)

    • Anna says:

      17 May17 May 15:55

      We’re going to park it up the afternoon we arrive then leave it till we check out after 3 nights, so would that count as 1 or 2 days driving in the zone?

      • WaynedP says:

        17 May17 May 15:59

        @Anna According to the source I posted above, you will obviously pay for day 1 as arriving within the 7am to 10pm period. You will also pay on the day you exit the car park if you do so between 7am to 10pm, otherwise not.

        • Anna says:

          17 May17 May 16:23

          Thanks WayedP – I think I must have been posting at the same time as you and missed it at first!

      • TGLoyalty says:

        17 May17 May 17:00

        2 days.

      • WaynedP says:

        17 May17 May 19:19

        Thoroughly uncivil and shameful to brag about.

      • Gruntfuttock says:

        17 May17 May 22:28

        Disgraceful

  • Sam says:

    17 May17 May 16:11

    Don’t forget about the ultra low emission charge like I did if relevant for your car

    Came into down one eve, prepaid the congestion charge, for stung for the ulv charge. Rather expensive night out!!

    • Youllnever says:

      17 May17 May 16:56

      ULEZ boundary is also expanding on 25 October, 2021.

  • Tariq says:

    17 May17 May 17:43

    Shame the Euston station car park is no more due to HS2 construction. Used to be reasonably priced (for London) and just outside the CC zone. Not too far to walk to the Fitzroy.

    • Magic Mike says:

      17 May17 May 20:53

      Check out justpark, you might find a recognised car park at knockdown rates.

• Andrew says:

  17 May17 May 15:01

  So do we think Shop Small is targeted this time with it not being loaded to all cards today.

  • TGLoyalty says:

    17 May17 May 15:09

    No it’s open to all. It’s probably just a glitch. If it doesn’t appear In the next couple weeks CS will add.

• Mike says:

  17 May17 May 15:04

  From the revised legislation, it seems to be explicit that from today if you’re in E&W for two days (0 plus 2) you do not need the testing kit.

  • TGLoyalty says:

    17 May17 May 15:11

    Does that mean if you’re in E&W for less than 8 days after arriving from an amber country you can just buy a day 2 test?

    • Mike says:

      17 May17 May 16:44

      If the tests are sold unbundled, I don’t see why not. The Regulation speaks specifically for those in the UK for 0+2 need no arrivals testing at all.

      • TGLoyalty says:

        17 May17 May 17:05

        They are as you can buy a day 2 test for green or day 2+8 for amber … no difference between the day 2 test in either.

• Sandra says:

  17 May17 May 15:53

  Any of the City experts on here have a view on the Seatfrog investment launch on Friday, is it worth a smallish punt? Email today says they expect to be oversubscribed virtually as soon as it opens but that is probably just their own hype! My hope with a modest investment would be a guaranteed upgrade most of the time as I generally travel off peak but obviously it needs to be a reasonable investment prospect too.

  • Yorkie Aid says:

    17 May17 May 17:29

    I couldn’t see any mention of upgrades being guaranteed to investors. Just be aware that your money could be tied up for years unless the shares can be traded somewhere.

    • Sandra says:

      17 May17 May 19:06

      @ Yorkie Aid, Yes realise any money is in there long term unless they get bought out/go to market but can’t really find much info at all, have to wait until Fri I guess for more detail.

  • MKB says:

    17 May17 May 20:10

    Having used Seatfrog a few times on Virgin then Avanti pre-pandemic, I would not invest. You get a feel for the competence of those behind this from using it. The user interface (on a mobile) is not great and a little buggy. How successful the product is depends on whether seat providers make decent upgrades available. Many trains I wanted had no upgrades available (even on services that were largely empty in First Class), and, even when they did, the upgrade cost was comparable to what I could have bought it for originally.

    I don’t see this taking off and being scalable. If Avanti, as an example, discover that Seatfrog provides a lucrative means of upselling to travellers without compromising those who would have paid a higher fare anyway, there is nothing stopping them bringing it in house and selling it through their own systems or on board.

• bizboy says:

  17 May17 May 15:59

  Does anyone have experience of converting avios to nectar?
  I am aware you now have to phone up to do it – any idea how long wait times are to get through? I expect BA probably have 1 person in the whole company doing it to deliberately stop them haemorrhaging money to nectar.

  TIA for any info or tips regarding this.

  • Andrew says:

    17 May17 May 16:59

    I’ve done it a few times, they answer the phone within seconds – only available office hours M-F though. Conversion takes 4-5 working days but they tell you it can take 10. Phone the dedicated number as shown in the nectar app, not the main BA call centre.

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