Pet Peeves: Aka Things That Make You Go "Gah!"

[Boston]

Saying this to all the tabloids:  STOP CALLING BINDI IRWIN'S KID : GRACE WARRIOR.  It is ridiculous and Just STOP

[CrazyInAlabama]

I hate that so many items aren't restocked, at my beauty salon, or at Ulta.      I wanted a certain conditioner, and a certain shampoo, and they're only guaranteed to be genuine from the salon, or Ulta, or other authorized sellers.   

So, my salon didn't have what I wanted, so I went the bizarre (Ulta is literally across the highway from where the salon in) route, because of mandatory right turns, median strips, and other issues, and Ulta only had one small size.   So, I ordered online from Ulta.   

Unfortunately, even Ulta is backed up, so I get an email saying it will be a few extra days.    I understand why, but I really want my stuff.    At least I'll get it this way.    

[RealHousewife]

Bath & Body works price increases. 

Even though I enjoy it, their body wash isn't worth the price. Their pricing isn't bad when you stock up on stuff, but I have lots of perfume and use unscented lotions on my body. I don't need six body washes either. In the past sometimes I would stock up on body washes/scrubs and get some lotion anyway, but today I passed because I would have spent around $40 in the store when all I needed was a body wash and maybe a scrub.

Edited December 5, 2021 by RealHousewife

[shapeshifter]

Yesterday while helping my daughter address thank you notes for baby shower gifts, I learned from her side of a phone conversation that a family member who we thought was vaccinated is not, and now his vaccinated wife has a “mild” case of Covid. Apparently he “does not believe in it” (getting vaccinated). My daughter believed he was vaccinated when he attended a mostly outdoor party at her house this past summer. Apparently he “already had” Covid.
My main peeve/outrage is on behalf of his young stepson (an orphan adopted by his stepmother, who is my son-in-law’s stepsister).  
He is a sweet boy in spite of a fraught early childhood, and he is my favorite person in my son-in-law’s large and very diverse extended family, and he does not deserve to get Covid because his stepfather “does not believe in” the Covid vaccines.

My daughter’s diplomatic reply to the news was that the unvaccinated extended family member “is a nice guy, but he’s an idiot.”

Edited December 5, 2021 by shapeshifter

[TattleTeeny]

On 11/29/2021 at 5:50 PM, SuprSuprElevated said:

Probably the single reason that we haven't completely cut the cable TV cord, is that my husband, being a prolific TV watcher, simply cannot watch one program at a time.  The flipping back and forth between channels, coupled with the menu porn (studying for the next hour's flipping exercizes) will be vewy vewy difficult to break.  High anxiety indeed.

The need to flip around is why I don’t quit and use just streaming too. Plus, my cable does some shady thing where if you cut any of the 3 services (phone, internet, cable) in the package, the price for the remaining ones goes up. Jerks.

[SuprSuprElevated]

27 minutes ago, TattleTeeny said:

The need to flip around is why I don’t quit and use just streaming too. Plus, my cable does some shady thing where if you cut any of the 3 services (phone, internet, cable) in the package, the price for the remaining ones goes up. Jerks.

They are jerks.  We only have cable TV and internet, and it would take a forensic accountant to find what I'm paying for cable now, vs when I tell them to shove their tv service.  Evil geniuses.

[TattleTeeny]

To be honest, trying to sort it out and determine the most economical way is exhausting to me. I’ve given that up and taken on an attitude of “if I can afford it without pain and anguish, who cares (for now)?” And there was no way in early 2020 that I was gonna sacrifice my in-home entertainment options!

[SuprSuprElevated]

5 minutes ago, TattleTeeny said:

To be honest, trying to sort it out and determine the most economical way is exhausting to me. I’ve given that up and taken on an attitude of “if I can afford it without pain and anguish, who cares (for now)?” And there was no way in early 2020 that I was gonna sacrifice my in-home entertainment options!

I'm with you; exhausting.  We have Netflix at $16 something/mo., Azn Prime at who-knows-what-cuz-hell-no-that-chit-isn't-free, just signed up for basic Hulu at $.99/mo for a year.  I've signed up and dropped countless others after the free intro period.  We really don't watch Netflix very much at all, but Ozark is coming, and hubs would have a conniption if we cancelled before that final season...

Soon will need a spread sheet and a 2nd job.

Edited December 5, 2021 by SuprSuprElevated

[bilgistic]

This is a peeve that makes me want to burn down the internet.

I just bought a Hydro Flask for my niece for Christmas. Why she needs a $37 (on sale from $50!) tumbler when a much cheaper one will work just as well is beyond me, but I remember being 14 and obsessed with brand names, so whatever. During checkout, I unchecked in at least two places "subscribe me to annoying emails that I'll get three times a day" (I'm paraphrasing). I hate getting garbage emails and the likelihood of me buying another Hydro Flask is pretty much zero.

As soon as my order confirmation email came through, another email followed that "welcomed" me as a new customer and showed me their other product areas. I SPECIFICALLY DIDN'T WANT ANY PROMOTIONAL EMAILS. There was an "unsubscribe" link at the bottom of the email. I clicked on it, and the webpage it took me to said, "This email address isn't subscribed to any mail lists."

Edited December 5, 2021 by bilgistic

[theredhead77]

3 hours ago, TattleTeeny said:

To be honest, trying to sort it out and determine the most economical way is exhausting to me. I’ve given that up and taken on an attitude of “if I can afford it without pain and anguish, who cares (for now)?” And there was no way in early 2020 that I was gonna sacrifice my in-home entertainment options!

 

3 hours ago, SuprSuprElevated said:

I'm with you; exhausting.  We have Netflix at $16 something/mo., Azn Prime at who-knows-what-cuz-hell-no-that-chit-isn't-free, just signed up for basic Hulu at $.99/mo for a year.  I've signed up and dropped countless others after the free intro period.  We really don't watch Netflix very much at all, but Ozark is coming, and hubs would have a conniption if we cancelled before that final season...

Soon will need a spread sheet and a 2nd job.

By the time I'm done paying for all the services I'd need to make up for cutting cable I'm paying more than I would for just cable. And I'm really lazy when it comes to channel surfing. 

I pay for Disney + and share that log-in with my "brother", who in turn shares his Hulu log-in with me, though I grabbed the .99cents for a month deal and told him to kill his Hulu for the next year, no sense in paying $6.99 or whatever he is, when I have it for $12 for the year.

YouTube TV is $50, and when paired with what I would pay for internet (about $60) that's what my cable & internet is.

[Jane Tuesday]

@bilgistic, that's so obnoxious!

Hit reply, replace the subject with "unsubscribe", and send it back to them. 9/10 that will take you off the list.

Then hit them up on social media via direct message and complain. If you don't hear back in a couple of days, complain publicly and tag them. While this isn't technically illegal in the U.S. (assuming you reside in the U.S.), it is absolutely illegal in Canada, Europe, and most other places, and it is considered a horrible practice by the industry in general. (In fact, most email service providers require their customers to certify that they are NOT doing this kind of thing, because it hurts the sender reputation of ALL of their customers.)

Edited December 5, 2021 by Jane Tuesday

[bilgistic]

Thanks, @Jane Tuesday! I run into it ALL THE TIME. I rarely subscribe to emails unless I purchase often from a company and want sale reminders. So if I get an email from a company I know is legit but from whom I don't patronize, the unsubscribe link to the web page saying, "you aren't subscribed to any mail lists" makes me homicidal. So why did you email me, then, assholes?!?

I realize I shouldn't get my blood boiling about stupid, insignificant shit like this. I'm not quite yet outside screaming at the trees for making too much noise dropping their acorns, but give it time.

[Bastet]

I have Dish for TV, the middle programming package.  I'm too lazy to sit down and analyze it, but I think there's too much on there I wouldn't get by amassing a collection of streaming services, so I keep it.  Plus, I get that on all my TVs; none of them are Smart TVs, so if I only had streaming, I'd have to either buy additional Fire or Roku devices for the other TVs, or take the one I have plugged into my bedroom TV from room to room with me whenever I wanted to watch elsewhere.  No thanks.

I only hooked the Fire stick up because of the pandemic last year; my cat was ill that summer and work was really slow (with the courts closed, cases stalled), so we spent a lot more time lying in bed together.  I remembered my parents had given me their ancient Fire stick, so I figured I'd finally hook that up.  I have access to Netflix and Discovery+ via their account and to Prime via a friend's, and then I downloaded some of the apps for free services (Pluto, YouTube, Tubi, Peacock, etc.).  And, yeah, I watch it, but if I had to pay for any of it (e.g. if my parents or friend canceled their accounts), I wouldn't.

In fact, when the old Fire stick up and died last month, I only replaced it because I got one free (via someone on Freecycle).  I wouldn't have even paid to get a new one of those; I'd have gone back to watching my Netflix shows when I kitty sit at my parents' house, and just done without the others.  What I watch on streaming is a nice little bonus, but I mostly watch it in the wee overnight hours when I'm trying to get back to sleep (I don't sleep through the night); very, very little of it is must-see TV for me.  If it hadn't fallen into my lap, I'd still be just as happy watching DVDs in the middle of the night (since there isn't much on TV then).

[TattleTeeny]

6 hours ago, SuprSuprElevated said:

I'm with you; exhausting.  We have Netflix at $16 something/mo., Azn Prime at who-knows-what-cuz-hell-no-that-chit-isn't-free, just signed up for basic Hulu at $.99/mo for a year.  I've signed up and dropped countless others after the free intro period.  We really don't watch Netflix very much at all, but Ozark is coming, and hubs would have a conniption if we cancelled before that final season...

Soon will need a spread sheet and a 2nd job.

There’s some app/service that I heard about on a podcast that helps you keep track of what you’re spending on subscription services. I was actually thinking about trying it, not so much to know the dollar amounts but to see if I have any I forgot about and no longer want.

[SoMuchTV]

Peeved with myself that anything I may have posted anywhere in the universe may have come across as snarky when it sincerely wasn’t intended that way. I’ll have to do a better job of examining my filters. 

[SuprSuprElevated]

7 minutes ago, TattleTeeny said:

There’s some app/service that I heard about on a podcast that helps you keep track of what you’re spending on subscription services. I was actually thinking about trying it, not so much to know the dollar amounts but to see if I have any I forgot about and no longer want.

Report back please, if you find it.

[theatremouse]

I can buy baby bottles that come with nipples and collars. I can buy baby bottles designed for storage with a solid lid. I can buy nipples that do not have collars. But I cannot buy just the collars. 

I don't need more bottles! I don't want to buy more bottles! It is apparently impossible to alter my current bottle to collar ratio without buying more bottles.

[shapeshifter]

8 minutes ago, theatremouse said:

I can buy baby bottles that come with nipples and collars. I can buy baby bottles designed for storage with a solid lid. I can buy nipples that do not have collars. But I cannot buy just the collars. 

I don't need more bottles! I don't want to buy more bottles! It is apparently impossible to alter my current bottle to collar ratio without buying more bottles.

This product packaging of baby bottles, nipples, and collars ("oh my!") sounds like it was inspired by the equally deviously designed marketing packaging of 6 hot dogs per package with 8 hot dog buns per package. Or was it the other way around? I haven't bought hot dogs since my youngest (now in her 30s) daughter was 12 and refused to eat anything else for dinner.

[Mondrianyone]

I just Googled, and unless you're talking about something other than what I'm picturing, you can buy them separately. (Scroll down for different brands, other than Medela.)

Edited December 5, 2021 by Mondrianyone
you, not yo

[theatremouse]

The other brands, as far as I've been able to tell, aren't standard neck. They're all specific to the exact specialty bottle they're designed for - which aren't the ones I have. And the internet tells me the Medela are knock-offs that don't fit correctly. There are disposables that would work and come with both nipple and collar - but those are out of stock or super backordered everywhere I've looked - or replacement collars are available and buying just two of those costs more than a 4 pack of bottles that includes them. Have I spent the past week googling the crap out of this? Yes, yes I have.

[Mondrianyone]

Clearly not helpful. Sorry.

[MargeGunderson]

16 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

This product packaging of baby bottles, nipples, and collars ("oh my!") sounds like it was inspired by the equally deviously designed marketing packaging of 6 hot dogs per package with 8 hot dog buns per package. Or was it the other way around? I haven't bought hot dogs since my youngest (now in her 30s) daughter was 12 and refused to eat anything else for dinner.

Last summer I discovered that my local deli sold hot dogs individually. No more abandoned buns in my freezer!

[JTMacc99]

The spirit of this topic is for everybody to feel free to express things that peeve them.

It is okay to say you feel differently about a topic, but if the discussion becomes a series of posts discussing why somebody's peeve isn't logical or valid, we will remove it.

[theredhead77]

2 hours ago, TattleTeeny said:

There’s some app/service that I heard about on a podcast that helps you keep track of what you’re spending on subscription services. I was actually thinking about trying it, not so much to know the dollar amounts but to see if I have any I forgot about and no longer want.

I did a quick Google and it came up with TrueBill as the primary result for what you are describing. It is also a paid service. Here is a review from Clark.com about it.

Here are a few more from The Motley Fool. Hopefully one of these is what you were thinking of.

My budgeting software (YouNeedABudget - a paid service) has been a godsend for that.You will see there is no link here, I get nothing for referring people, I have no affiliation other than being a customer, I just love it so much I try to tell people about it. It literally changed my financial life and helped "budgeting" click for me.. Students get a free year.
 

Edited December 6, 2021 by theredhead77

[bilgistic]

2 hours ago, TattleTeeny said:

There’s some app/service that I heard about on a podcast that helps you keep track of what you’re spending on subscription services. I was actually thinking about trying it, not so much to know the dollar amounts but to see if I have any I forgot about and no longer want.

Trim and Bill Shark (BillShark? Billshark?) are two I know about. I've used Trim to save me money twice on my internet bill. They've negotiated on my behalf and when getting me a lower price, I then pay them a third of the amount I saved. Part of me feels lazy for using it, but the other part is OK with it because of how frustrated to the point of tears I get while trying to negotiate down those bills.

ETA: I use Mint.com for budgeting. It's free. I've used it for years. It's owned by Intuit, which owns TurboTax.

Edited December 6, 2021 by bilgistic

[TattleTeeny]

It wasn’t one of those, but similar! Why can I not recall what the hell it was?!

[theredhead77]

11 hours ago, TattleTeeny said:

It wasn’t one of those, but similar! Why can I not recall what the hell it was?!

Do you remember which podcast you were listening to? They may be a sponsor.

[TattleTeeny]

It's called True Bill! I was actually just about to come back and post that when I saw your post!

[Caoimhe]

I ditched Netflix because we weren’t really watching it.  And they gave loads of money to two former royals I dislike intensely.  We currently have Amazon Prime and BritBox that we watch often, Disney+ for me because I love the old cartoons and MCU stuff, and a free AppleTV+ sub for the moment that I won’t pay for.  If I had unlimited money I’d have AcornTV as well but can’t justify that at the moment.  We use YouTube to watch (current) UK Antiques Roadshow and Have I Got News For You but the ads haven’t been so bothersome that it’s worth paying to remove them.  And that’s on top of an expensive cable tv bill because one MUST have the golf channel that only comes with the sports package!

[Suzn]

I cut the cord with cable and then satellite TV a couple of years ago and have no regrets.  I was tired of paying for many, many channels I would never watch and absolutely lousy customer service.  I have Hulu for live TV, Netflix, Amazon Prime, BritBox and Acorn and the total I pay is less than what I paid for cable or satellite.  One of my hesitations was about spending time browsing and looking for something to watch but I just occasionally spend time browsing for new additions and add everything of interest to my watch list and it's easy to find when I want it.

It's is not a huge savings, but I'm paying for things I've chosen instead of dozens of shopping and sports channels.  Through the pandemic and working at home, I've not run out of things to watch and with BritBox and Acorn, I get all the British TV I want.

[SusanM]

I really admire those of you who've cut the cable habit.  It's something my husband and I talk about (usually as we're clicking channels and finding nothing to watch other than yet another rerun of Big Bang Theory on multiple channels) but somehow we just can't seem to let it go completely.  Not sure what it will take for us to finally let it go but I do think it's going to happen soon.

[RealHousewife]

People laughing hard at everything. It can really ruin a podcast. I'm a silly lady and am easily amused too, but if the sky is blue makes you react like ahahahhahahahahahhahahahhaha, please calm down. 

[TattleTeeny]

Arrrrgggghhhhhhhh, come on now! This came today and despite being inside a box surrounded by bubble wrap within another box stuffed with brown paper…

[theredhead77]

OMG, what was that supposed to be??

[MargeGunderson]

2 minutes ago, theredhead77 said:

OMG, what was that supposed to be??

That looks like it was a set of Le Creuset stoneware bakers. My condolences.

[kristen111]

On 12/5/2021 at 11:29 AM, SuprSuprElevated said:

I'm with you; exhausting.  We have Netflix at $16 something/mo., Azn Prime at who-knows-what-cuz-hell-no-that-chit-isn't-free, just signed up for basic Hulu at $.99/mo for a year.  I've signed up and dropped countless others after the free intro period.  We really don't watch Netflix very much at all, but Ozark is coming, and hubs would have a conniption if we cancelled before that final season...

Soon will need a spread sheet and a 2nd job.

I just dumped Netflix for the hundredth time.  I’ve seen everything I wanted to see, especially the Crown.  Now, they are putting on sappy movies with unknowns who can’t act, like Hallmark.  I only like cable for Turner Classics, the Movie Channel and Bravo for the Housewives.  I’m not watching any news anymore, as it makes me sick.  They are all making loads of bucks for talking shit.  All this extra we have to pay, like Peacock, etc.  just hikes up the bill.  They have some nerve.

 

[kristen111]

On 11/29/2021 at 5:50 PM, SuprSuprElevated said:

Probably the single reason that we haven't completely cut the cable TV cord, is that my husband, being a prolific TV watcher, simply cannot watch one program at a time.  The flipping back and forth between channels, coupled with the menu porn (studying for the next hour's flipping exercizes) will be vewy vewy difficult to break.  High anxiety indeed.

They are all the same.  Mine watches every sport in the bedroom, and I watch my shows in the living room.  About 8 pm, we switch rooms.  He watches until 2 am.  He’s in his glory by himself.

[TattleTeeny]

1 hour ago, MargeGunderson said:

That looks like it was a set of Le Creuset stoneware bakers. My condolences.

Yup! Ugh, well, I guess it’s early enough to get another set by Xmas. But what in the holy hell happened here?!

[SuprSuprElevated]

41 minutes ago, TattleTeeny said:

Yup! Ugh, well, I guess it’s early enough to get another set by Xmas. But what in the holy hell happened here?!

_7-crazy-reasons-packages-get-destroyed

[TattleTeeny]

Oh my goodness, even as annoyed as I am, I laughed at that article. And yes, this box had a “fragile” sticker on it.

[kristen111]

57 minutes ago, SuprSuprElevated said:

_7-crazy-reasons-packages-get-destroyed

I ordered an expensive perfume at Ulta for my Grandaughter.  Hope it comes intact.  It’s coming from out west.  Yikes.

[TattleTeeny]

I just realized that the smaller dish is completely intact — I didn’t even look earlier because I didn’t want to disengage the whole mess from the plastic. So, if they don’t make me return it, then free tiny Le Creuset for me!

[HissyFit]

1 hour ago, SuprSuprElevated said:

_7-crazy-reasons-packages-get-destroyed

Oh, me, oh, my! I wish I had seen this before I mailed two gifts yesterday! Then again, I'd probably still be at home swaddling them in bubble wrap.

[Bastet]

2 hours ago, SuprSuprElevated said:

_7-crazy-reasons-packages-get-destroyed

The first one is stupid: "#1 – Because An Old Box Was Used" goes on to talk about the problems with using an old box without removing/completely covering over the old shipping label, and ends with a snotty "The moral of the story? Don’t use an old box to ship your stuff. If you really want to save the environment, plant a tree for every package you send."

No, dipshits, the moral of the story is your reason should be "Because a Previous Shipping Label Was Left on the Package".

[TattleTeeny]

I feel like I should add that I rarely have an issue to this extent — like, this shit today was DEMOLISHED! But I have gotten stuff in boxes that made me expect the contents to be equally a mess, but wasn’t. 

[shapeshifter]

6 minutes ago, TattleTeeny said:

I feel like I should add that I rarely have an issue to this extent — like, this shit today was DEMOLISHED! But I have gotten stuff in boxes that made me expect the contents to be equally a mess, but wasn’t. 

Without seeing the packing materials, I'm betting there was insufficient padding between the pieces and/or between the items and the wall of the box, which is a failure on the part of the shipper, and you should be refunded/compensated.

The packing material can be bubble wrap, wadded or shredded paper, foam peanuts, or anything that provides a thick enough barrier to cushion the breakables from an outside blow or being dropped on a hard surface, or bumping into each other.

[TattleTeeny]

Definitely a lack between the pieces. How the small one survived, I have no clue. 

[TattleTeeny]

@MargeGunderson, it just occurred to me just now…in addition to so easily identifying that my busted-up delivery was Le Creuset, was it you who also helped me identify a bowl I got for $3 at Goodwill not too long ago? If so, you have a good eye for these things!

[MargeGunderson]

8 hours ago, TattleTeeny said:

@MargeGunderson, it just occurred to me just now…in addition to so easily identifying that my busted-up delivery was Le Creuset, was it you who also helped me identify a bowl I got for $3 at Goodwill not too long ago? If so, you have a good eye for these things!

It was 🙂!  I love Le Creuset, so I can usually spot them. Luckily I have a Le Creuset outlet nearby. 

[KittyMom4]

11 hours ago, Bastet said:

The first one is stupid: "#1 – Because An Old Box Was Used" goes on to talk about the problems with using an old box without removing/completely covering over the old shipping label, and ends with a snotty "The moral of the story? Don’t use an old box to ship your stuff. If you really want to save the environment, plant a tree for every package you send."

No, dipshits, the moral of the story is your reason should be "Because a Previous Shipping Label Was Left on the Package".

I reuse boxes all the time, only the ones in great shape, and if I can't get the dingitydangity label off I completely black it out with a sharpie. 

Other than shipping it in an envelope or the traffic accident, all of those excuses are lame. Putting a fragile sticker on it makes it a target? That's not anything I can fix as the shipper. The delivery person is having a lousy day? Again, that's not anything I can control. 

I just received a package from Amazon, I'd ordered 4 sets of 50ct. lights. The picture shows each one in a box like you would find at Home Depot or Lowe's. The 4 sets of lights were all unboxed, thinly bubble wrapped and shoved into a plastic mailing envelope with no padding. I didn't even bother checking to see if they worked, I repacked in the same envelope and returned them. Trying to save money on packaging ends up costing everyone more.