15 May 2012 20:26:

 I completely disagree. It is not inevitable that a discussion of this nature ends up in the county or any other courts. It is sad that there are always apologists around for companies like Ryanair whch have no regard whatsoever for customers. I would remind the previous correspondent of the saying which begins "Rules are made for the guidance of wise men" and wise men remember who is king!

Ryanair are extremely successful despite their appalling attitude to customers, compolete flouting of international agreements and laws, misleading statements and arrogance. They are often the only available carrier and certainly most often the most competitive carrier. The last point, however is no excuse for their attitude. Price has never been a determining factor in quality iof service. It is entirely possible to be courteous, considerate and compasionate regardless of your pricing policy.

It is also possible to be avaialbale to your customer. Only the mean spirited coward hides behind subordinates.

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15 May 2012 18:31:

 Ryanair will no doubt reap the whirlwind in due course. In the same way as the earlier corresponent I use them when they offer the best combination of price and convenience but where there is a choise they never win. Ryanair do not offer customer service. they offer a product which will make them a profit andFirstly they do not offer service they offer a profit is their only concern.

I had cause to book a flight with Ryanair for the end of this month (yes, the flight date has not yet even been reached). Sadly, a close relative died, forcing us to make the journey just over three weeks early, overland. I am now in the ludicrous situation that I would need to travel nearly two thousand miles in order to use the flight. With little hope in my heart I checked the Ryanair site to discover their policy on bereavement. they set it out in detail with clear time limits. If you decide you do not wish to fly and your flight is within fourteen days of the death of the family member then a fax number is available to send a claim and a copy of the death certificate.

These circumstances do not come near covering my case so being a reasonable sort of chap I thought to call them and discuss the options. That's OK when you have a landline or even a mobile available (provided you don't mind paying the premium rates) but if your system does not cope with non-geographic numbers too bad. Being a persistant sort of chap I discovered the number of their head office at Dublin airport (+353 1 812 1212). They could only give me a premum rate number I could not use 

A polite request to speak to someone in head office who may be able to help was denied. A further polite request to speak to the Managing Director's secretary which was also denied. A final offer to speak to anyone before I called my lawyerwas met with a suggestion that I should proceed with legal action.

As it happens I am currently within a mile of the Ryanair head office. I am now considering a personal vist!

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07 Apr 2012 15:34:

 I am no banker, indeed there are fewer and fewer of those around as call centres and machines replace people. Recently I asked my son, a banker, whether he'd study for banking qualifications; his response was "Why? I don't need banking qualifications to be a banker".

It is long past time we stopped listening to bankers, economists (my daughter's one of those and recently discovered the awful truth that our problem is we produce nothing - her dad had pointed that out years ago but as an economist she knew better), bureaocrats and politicians and started listening to common sense. That starts with people starting to think for themselves rather thian regurgitatng the garbage fed to us by the media. If it sound s as if it makes sense it probably doies, if it sounds like nonsense it probably is.

Our current problems are nothing to do with the means of exchange. they are to do with massive over-control of everything. If my business can afford to pay €3 per hour and I can find someone to work for that rate why should a faceless bureaucrat with no understanding of or interest in my business tell me I am wrong. If I wish to employ an African to work in my garden at 200% of his wage in his home country (€2 per day) why should a non-producing clerk I pay for with my taxes, or worse still a politician tell me I can't because the African isn't allowed to work here (until things are going well and rich Germans need someone to build their new houses).

Youth unemployment is not new, neither is the concept of family support. Everyone has choice. If a job is not available try creating one for yourself. I have watched a bachelor in this area, recently unemployed, bring the family farm back into production. Fields are being ploughed which have been fallow for years, potatoes are growing where before a few wizened almonds grew. Just a pity I won't be here to see the result. I'm off to Africa where dictatorship is open and honest!

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07 Apr 2012 14:25:

If, like me you travel in many countries the idea of one bank note being more valuable than another fades into insignificance if the chap you are buying dinner from wants CEFA when you have Euro in your pocket.  Is it too late to return to the ancient concept of money as a means of exchange?

Notional relative values (exchange rates) of different means of exchange (currencies) are more to do with speculation than trade and further damage to the wealth of individuals is caused by the enormous premium we pay to support trading in currencies. the trader produces nothing, adds no value, provides no service, simply takes a margin based on forecasting skill (called gambling in other areas of life).

The solution to this problem is to have a single currency across the whole world; then currency would be what it should be, a means of exchange. The mechanism already exists to produce the currency - The World Bank but then that would mean reforming the world bank to make it what it was originally concieved as - the lender of last resort.

The idea that the solution to our current problem lies in the reinvention of currencies based on national borders is peddled by politicians on the basis that national control of the means of exchange will make the citizens of the nation richer - or put another way the greedy for power leading the greedy for wealth.

Our current problem was caused by people buying things which they could not afford. If a company incurs debts greater than its assets it is legally required to cease trading, why not apply that to individuals? It would cause some pain but only to those who brought the pain on themselves. Using the family home to fund non-essential spending has always been a recipe for disaster A great deal of property in Spain was purchased with money  borrowed in that way and can surely only be described as non-essential spending

The risk has always existed that the lender may recall a loan. It is the fault of the borrower for not assessing the risk properly if the result of their borrowing leads to the loss of assets. One heard no complaints from those who sold properties at the height of the property boom which had been bought some years before for peanuts. What right have those who guessed badly to complain now? One might even suggest that using the money so borrowed was another example of greed so maybe the speculator deserves th fate of the gambler!.

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06 Apr 2012 15:19:

Seems to me forums like this need people like me otherwise where would people like you find the opportunity to vent their spleen? Grow up and as the other chap said get out more. He 's convinced me, I have now unsubscribed from this thread as I lknow what to do and have a life!

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