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[Terbs]

After all your interesting replies to my Wasp thread, swmbo sent me to the loft on Sunday to get down the Christmas decorations. After I had pulled out some boxes.....struth, there was this wasp nest about the size of a football. !!!
I went to the Council website and they use a contractor for their pest control.....linked to it, and very professional. Left my details, etc.
Got phone call yesterday morning, some young lady, either with a stinking cold or something stuck up both barrels couldn't barely understand a word she was saying (at thirty words a second) Got the gist that as we had not seen a wasp for two weeks the nest was 'dead' and I could take it down. Sod off !!! I ain't going near it. Last time I got stung, I had an allergic reaction
So, she says a bod will come out Wednesday....cost will be £45.92....would we like to pay cash, debit, or credit card. Cash says I. No problem, sir, I will ask you to read the terms and conditions linked in the confirmation e-mail I will send you.
Gets e-mail....outlines details....payments....'Please note, credit card payments will have a £2.50 surcharge. Cash payments will incur a surcharge of £5......WHAT.
Is this not a total rip off   And I bet to cap it all, they will send someone out the size of Father Christmas, who won't get through my loft hole, and still charge me !!!!

[ozzycat]

i thought the law had changed and they cant charge a surcarge any more

[Terbs]

i thought the law had changed and they cant charge a surcarge any more

Well the DVLA still charge a surcharge when taxing a car....and I have paid other bills and been surcharged....or do you mean cash payments

[Lazydocker]

Still legal to charge a surcharge but must be clear what it is and also not a money making scheme, just to cover costs. I charge a £3 surcharge on Credit Card transactions which normally covers the CC fees but nothing for debit cards or cash. Had to start doing something when my bills were getting up to £70 odd per month!!!

[Keith ABS]

  I thought the credit card companys were being brought in to touch over the charge as it only cost 30p instead of the £2-£3 that they charge?
keith B

[Sir Tigger KC]

I'd leave it for that sort of money. As said it'll be a dead nest especially in this weather and apparently they don't return to an old nest. 

[cleggy]

AGREED.
There was a massive one in our loft, something like 3' x 2' X 2' a few years ago, one winter a chap came to install the fibreglass insulation  and just knocked it down. It ws really intricate like really thin paper and no WASPS

[Mr Skrunts]

Just put a big plastic sack arround it and tie it at the top, then whack it with a baseball bat to knowk it off, if you are concerned just wear clothing to cover all your skin, a pair of gloves and a baloclava (or a pair of you wifes tights if not - please take a picture and post it if you use this option)  other option is send for Dazz in his gimp mask and other atre that he posted of himself.  (In this case then please post a video as opti needs cheering up for christmas (He's haveing to spend money again))

[Lazydocker]

  I thought the credit card companys were being brought in to touch over the charge as it only cost 30p instead of the £2-£3 that they charge?
keith B

Credit Card charges are a percentage. They are also higher for Business/Corporate cards. I can assure you that on my normal transaction values (£125-180) the £3 I charge doesn'e always cover it. If a corporate card taken over the phone it can be as much as £5 per transaction

Debit Card charges are pennies, although I can still build up £5-6 in them

Bearing in mind I'm a small business and only do about 60 card transactions per month my average bill is about £50

As for Cheques/Cash... They're a PITA IMHO... They have to be banked, for which the banks will charge a transaction fee So I don't accept cheques (plus there's always the risk of them bouncing, even though it is now illegal to write a rubber cheque) and tend to use the cash for purchases wherever possible.

Funnily enough, last month I had a run of customers paying in cash yet this month, having done more jobs, there has been much less cash in use

[dbug]

  I thought the credit card companys were being brought in to touch over the charge as it only cost 30p instead of the £2-£3 that they charge?
keith B

Credit Card charges are a percentage. They are also higher for Business/Corporate cards. I can assure you that on my normal transaction values (£125-180) the £3 I charge doesn'e always cover it. If a corporate card taken over the phone it can be as much as £5 per transaction

Debit Card charges are pennies, although I can still build up £5-6 in them

Bearing in mind I'm a small business and only do about 60 card transactions per month my average bill is about £50

As for Cheques/Cash... They're a PITA IMHO... They have to be banked, for which the banks will charge a transaction fee So I don't accept cheques (plus there's always the risk of them bouncing, even though it is now illegal to write a rubber cheque) and tend to use the cash for purchases wherever possible.

Funnily enough, last month I had a run of customers paying in cash yet this month, having done more jobs, there has been much less cash in use

And if you've got a Merchant Account, you have to wait for your money from credit/debit card payments (I remember 20 -30 days) which if you're a small business can play havoc with cash flow, dependant on the ratio of cash taken/card payments.  I used to pay 1.25% on credit card transactions, 10p on debit.  My approx ratio was 70% card, 25% cash.

[Terbs]

Getting back to wasps.....the pest control man came this morning.

I appreciate your comments for me to have a go myself, but the nest was in a place, which at my age and physical condition, I would not have got to.
The chap who came was a small build, and even he had a job to get through the metal frame roof supports.
He sprayed it first, then spent a while getting it free. He seemed to think it was a recently active nest, due to its difficulty to remove. I asked if they would return to it, he said I doubt it, however, they may have done a fresh extension to it.
 Anyhow....its now gone, and he never charged the surcharge.

I asked if he did all pests, he said yes.....but he would not take swmbo

[STMO123]

Wasps build extensions? Did you get a phone number before they vacated?

[Lizzie_Zoom]

Wasps build extensions? Did you get a phone number before they vacated?

........and always get more than one quote! Also see other examples of their work

[cleggy]

Getting back to wasps.....the pest control man came this morning.

I appreciate your comments for me to have a go myself, but the nest was in a place, which at my age and physical condition, I would not have got to.
The chap who came was a small build, and even he had a job to get through the metal frame roof supports.
He sprayed it first, then spent a while getting it free. He seemed to think it was a recently active nest, due to its difficulty to remove. I asked if they would return to it, he said I doubt it, however, they may have done a fresh extension to it.
 Anyhow....its now gone, and he never charged the surcharge.

I asked if he did all pests, he said yes.....but he would not take swmbo

The solution to mums respite care

[Terbs]

Dave.....you got me thinking

And we can do that Lizzie....evidently there are two old nests he could not get at between roof lining and tiles