James H.

First and foremost, if you value privacy and need security, PIA may not be your best choice. PIA is based in the USA and at any time, the government can invoke the patriot act and monitor what you do. And, yes the NSA has ways of tracking you and what you do. Not directly, but indirectly. Once upon a time, PIA did keep logs for "product improvement," but has since stopped... or so they say.

Personally, I like PIA for the service. The connections are fast, the customer service is average, the security is somewhat questionable, and the pricing is more than reasonable. I always worry about companies that offer rock bottom prices to attract business. A company's reputation should be the main factor in attracting business. For the average person that just likes to keep their lives a bit more private, PIA fits the bill for the most part.
Two minor annoyances... Until recently, the iPhone app was useless. It would always error out and say the internet was unreachable. I'm told this changed, but I wouldn't know at this point. Second... there are far too many sites that block PIA's IP addresses. You'll know because you'll get a 5004 or "403 Forbidden" error on your screen stating that the site has blocked your IP address. Also, Netflix, Amazon prime video, iPlayer are all blocked. I have not found a location that would allow you to access these sites and watch videos.

Over priced and somewhat buggy. On my PC it seems to work fine with a few exceptions. First, the kill switch feature only works when the VPN inadvertently loses the connection from the server. Unlike other VPNs that disable the internet anytime the VPN is not connected. I think this is a security issue. Second, on the interface, it shows the previous two server locations you have used. Clicking on either one is supposed to switch you to the server you clicked. It doesn't. The VPN just disconnects and doesn't reconnect to the changed server. You have to click connect again. Third, the speed test "feature" simply doesn't work. Every time I have tried to use it to find the fastest server, the same thing happens. The test starts, measures three or four sites, then locks up. The app needs to be killed in the task manager and restarted in order to regain control. It was reported SIX updates back, but they have yet to address it, Speeds are okay. Connection stability is average. They claim to unlock Netflix if you're trying to watch the USA version from another country. Nope. All are blocked.

Now the real annoyance... My MacBook Pro. OpenVPN won't even connect. The app says it can't find an internet connection, but other apps can, When you set the protocol to automatic, there are constant disconnects. So bad that I've ditched using ExpressVPN on my Mac and I'm using a different provider. Zero problems since I switched. Yes, I have reported these problems to the support department. They claim to be working on a solution, but haven't contacted me in 3 months. They need to just rewrite the app for the Mac. Big Sur brought even more changes and the current app has even more issues with Big Sur.

Their new lightway protocol isn't very efficient for throughput. I get better speeds with OpenVPN UDP. The lightway protocol connects very fast, but is unable to maintain a stable connection so there are constant interruptions. Also Lightway is closed source. Meaning security firms can't audit the code to determine it's safety and encryption efficiency. For now, you might not want to trust this new protocol.
Conclusion... If you have a Mac, look elsewhere. The headaches aren't worth the premium price. If you have a PC, it works okay, but like the Mac, you would think these issues would be addressed immediately for a product that has such a premium price tag.

Honey is supposed to find coupons and discounts for products online, mainly Amazon. On Amazon.com, it suggests different sellers with lower prices for the same item sold by Amazon. It also tracks price history and graphs the price changes. None of this works on Amazon.co.uk. Simply put, if you live in the UK, don't waste your time. They offer Honey "gold" on eBay purchases. Collect 1400 honey gold and get a £10 gift card. Only it takes up to 90 days to get the gold credited to your account... if at all. Again, if you live in the UK, don't waste your time. It's basically useless.

I order groceries for delivery from Morrisons probably every six weeks or so. The problem is getting a delivery slot. They really need to hire more drivers and personnel for deliveries. During this time with lockdowns and restrictions, Morrisons needs to step up and do their part. Every other local company has done so. Morrisons just doesn't seem to care about customers. One of the stupidest things I have found on the website is when there are no delivery slots left. They ask you to try a different address. Whose address? I want MY groceries delivered to ME! Not some stranger!
Food quality is good but the selection is terrible for the most part. They are constantly having shortages, their substitutions make absolutely no sense most of the time, and the substitutions are always more expensive than the item you ordered. Worst of all, substitutions are required. You can't turn them off like other places. If you ordered crisps, would you expect them to be substituted with crackers?
Customer service is pretty much non existent as well. A minimum of 45 minutes on hold... IF you can even get through. Emails take at least a week, if they answer at all.
I used to stop at Morrisons in morning for a bacon BAP. I stopped for two reasons... first, they went from three slices of bacon down to one. Second, they were never ready when they opened in the morning. I walked back to the counter one morning and asked if any were ready. The rude gob $#*!e behind the counter snapped at me and said "when you see them in the warmer, then they are ready." That was the last time I ever stopped there in the morning. I made a complaint, but they basically ignored me.
In short, if you want good service and a good choice of products... then shop elsewhere. If you like rude employees, poor customer service, and a poorly stocked store, then this is the place for you.

This site is one pathetic excuse for a job search site, simply because they couldn't care less about finding you a job. This is a paid recruiting site that ignores your needs in favour of what the paying companies seek. Companies pay Indeed to find employees. Since you don't pay them to find you a job, they don't need to worry about what you want. The search engine has little to do with searching available jobs. It just feeds you job postings that will make them money. For example, I did a search for "parts advisor." Meaning auto parts person. There was ONE job listed for parts advisor. The rest were completely UNRELATED to my search. Everything from nurses, to engineers, to teachers, to cleaning personnel. How are any of these jobs even remotely related to my search term? They aren't. When you look at the employers, they are well known companies (not necessarily good ones) that have loads of money to spend on recruitment. Try to use industry standard search modifiers and the search engine simply ignores them. Also the search engine cannot seem to differentiate between "parts" and "part time"... I suppose this is intentional as well. So if you're looking for a job, you may want to look elsewhere for results. Indeed surely isn't giving any good ones.

EDIT: In response to Indeed... Why should I have to jump through your hoops just to get the correct results for what I search? There are already industry standard search terms and modifiers that almost everyone knows and the fact that you refuse to use them is simply supporting my original review. Also, there is no denial in the response that Indeed is paid to fill positions and couldn't care less about what job searchers are seeking. No excuse. If Indeed were, in fact, trying to help people find a job, then they wouldn't present so many obstacles. By the way, I attached another screenshot using quotes around the words I wanted to appear in my search results, just as you instructed... again, not a single job that contained my search terms, thus proving my point AGAIN! My original review stands as written...

Halfords isn't all bad, and I am sure not all of them are dodgy, however the ones I have visited seem to be. I was looking for a set of front wiper blades for my car. They told me £35 for the set and £8 to fit them. This was the price for the Halfords brand, Now I went to their competitor and purchased a set of Bosch Aero 2 blades for £22.50 and they fitted them for free. Most other things can be had elsewhere for a cheaper price. Beware of them saying you need repairs. Get a second opinion. Many times the repair isn't needed and they always overprice the work and parts. I don't bother with them anymore. Also, A friend brought a car in to have two tyres fitted and then have an MOT. Why would Halfords do the MOT first, knowing it was there for two tyres, put the tyres down as an advisory, then fit the tyres? So now, he has advisories for the tyres on his MOT. The tyres should have been fitted first, then the MOT done so there would be no advisories. Dodgy!

The food... Mc Donald's used to have really tasty food, but they've gone down hill over the years. Burgers are smaller and the quality of the beef is poor. The burgers are dry, overcooked and thin. This isn't just a particular McDonald's. This is everywhere. About the only thing that is still edible is the sausage, egg and cheese bagel. It's hasn't changed much, other than using what tastes like powdered eggs now.
Cleanliness? Or the lack thereof... Imagine this... You go to McDonalds in the southwest of the UK just before the lockdown. Not one employee is wearing a mask or gloves. Whilst standing in line, I witnessed an employee scratch her face, then reach in and grab a hamburger bun with that same bare hand. This wouldn't be acceptable during normal times, but even less so during Covid times! When I asked about why there were no gloves or facemasks, I was told it was OK because employees are required to ash their hands every 20 minutes... Really? But they can touch their face and nose then handle someone's food? That was the last time I visited McDonald's... and it will remain the last time until better cleanliness standards are enforced.

Edit: McDonald's has discontinued the sausage egg and cheese bagel in the UK. Now there is absolutely no reason for me to visit McDonald's. The sausage egg and cheese bagel was the ONLY reason I went to McDonald's
Edit: So now when you order something to eat in, you are given your order in a takeaway bag. No napkins, no tray, nothing else. They throw your bits into a bag and leave it on the counter for you to collect. Also, they have this terrible problem with overcooking everything. Sausage patty is BLACK and crunchy. The muffin is also dark and overcooked. The egg is crispy on the bottom and is rubbery. When I complained, I was told it's supposed to be like that? Go to Tim Horton's and look at their sandwiches. McDonald's could learn loads about how to cook things.

I've been ordering from Tesco for a few years now. I'm satisfied for the most part. Drivers are great, customer service is friendly and responsive. Selection is good and shortages are seldom. Now the bad... Drivers will appear on your doorstep early... very early without so much as a text or call. I had a delivery arrive 1 1/2 hours early with no warning. They have mobile phones, why not use them? Second is short dates... the people who go and collect the food for delivery need to pay more attention to the expiry dates on the food. I placed a £60 order and half of the items that were delivered were due to expire within 2 days! This order was supposed to last at least a week! I ordered Cravendale milk, which is a long lasting filtered milk that usually expires 3 weeks from the delivery date, arrive with less than a week before the expiry date! I can't stress the short date problem enough. They don't provide a contact email address, but their phone service is very good. I have never waited more than 4 minutes to speak with someone and the problem gets sorted in even less time. Compare that to Sainsburys, where I waited on hold for 46 minutes, only to have a rude person suggest I was lying about damaged groceries. I never received the refund either! Tesco did the refund in less than an hour. I received an email saying my refund had been processed, then immediately after, my bank app notified me of the deposit to my account. After shopping many places online, Tesco seems to be a bit better than the rest.

Edit 27/4 So Tesco has decided for us that we don't need carrier bags for our delivery orders. How Orwellian of them. Making 20 trips from the front door to the kitchen isn't feasible for me as I have a heart condition. I don't need a nanny telling me I don't deserve bags to carry my groceries. They claim it is to reduce plastic waste... a political statement at best. Instead of inconveniencing customers, why not eliminate all the useless plastic packaging they use in their stores? Putting a fresh head of lettuce in plastic bag or a cucumber in plastic wrap wastes more plastic than a few carrier bags. Making these political statements is how you lose customers. There are plenty of other grocery stores that offer carrier bags for delivery and I'll be using them from now on.

If you live in the UK, don't waste your time. It doesn't work. None of the features work properly and it displays prices in USD, even though my location is set to UK. It doesn't track anything nor does it make any suggestions. Completely useless.

Asda usually has good prices and good brands. I haven't experienced any terrible shortages. Grocery delivery is another story. First and foremost, your order is delivered with NO BAGS! Who wants to make 20 trips from the front door to the kitchen? Not me. Also, they don't want to talk to you if you have a problem. Getting to speak to a real person on the phone is next to impossible and there is no link for an email address. This tells me they couldn't care less if your order even arrived of if you have a problem with the order. These two things are enough for me to order elsewhere. There are other places that treat customers better and actually provide good service. Again, Asda does provide a good selection and I've only been short dated on one item that was delivered. They offer good value for the money, but they fall very short on customer service. Want my business Asda? EARN IT! Low prices aren't a substitute for acceptable customer service.

Ok, so I ordered an item online using Ebuyer's eBay site, as the item was £20 cheaper through eBay. It seems they don't read messages very often. When I had placed the order, my work address comes up as default and the order was placed for that address. My work is shut down until December and there is no one on site to receive the parcel. A few minutes later I realised what I had done and immediately messaged Ebuyer to cancel the order so I could place the order again with my home address. I even called them and gave them the eBay order number and explained the situation. Needless to say, the shipping department obviously doesn't read their messages and two hours later the order was marked as shipped on my eBay account. In actuality, it's sitting somewhere in their shipping department awaiting pickup because the tracking number has not registered with the carrier yet. Had they just read the email or even listened to the person I spoke to on the phone, this could have been sorted in a few minutes. Now, the parcel will probably be delivered somewhere else and lost as these dodgy delivery companies refuse to return undeliverable parcels to the shipper. I see another PayPal battle ensuing... keep watching as I'll probably add more to this one..

I used Swappa a great deal when I was working in the USA. Swappa is for buying mobile phones, tablets, laptops and other electronics. The site is absolutely brilliant. It's somewhat similar to how eBay "buy it now" feature works, but without the headaches and problems of eBay. Scamming just doesn't happen on Swappa. If it does, the deal quickly stopped and money is refunded. I have purchased dozens of items from Swappa. Never had a problem. Never had a scam. If you're selling something, the fees are extremely reasonable. The Buyer pays the Swappa fee and the seller pays a tiny commission to Swappa for the sale.

Okay so I will admit Apple makes a decent product for the most part. The biggest problems are support and software. Software... With each new release of iOS or MacOS, the software becomes more restrictive and controlling. Things you could do in the previous version are restricted in newer versions. For example, once upon a time, you could add extensions to Safari for a better online experience. Apple then took that away, allowing only those extensions they think you should have. How Orwellian of them, There are other examples that involve audio units (small audio extensions such as an equaliser). Apple took away the ability to use third party AU's, which are typically better than Apple's (market monopoly). (EDIT: Apple has since restored the ability to use third party AU's. I imagine extreme pressure from musicians and artists forced them to give in.) Then they came up with GateKeeper that keeps you from installing apps unless they are approved by Apple. Kind of like iPhone, where you can't install anything that's not on the app store. Big brother is controlling YOUR computer. I eventually dumped MacOS and installed Linux. Basically the same OS, just different interface. I can still run everything I need, just no longer held prisoner by Apple.
Hardware... so here's a two TRILLION dollar company that won't take responsibility for their own mistakes. Over the years the MacBook, for example, has been plagued with different problems from faulty keyboards, to improperly installed graphics chips, to displays that delaminate and fall apart, to substandard components on the logic board that prematurely fail. In EVERY CASE, Apple was forced to fix the problems by class action lawsuits. They knew the problems existed for years, but absolutely refused to do anything until the courts forced them. Also, they would completely LIE to the customer and try to blame in on something the customer did... This happened recently with the upgrade to the new Big Sur Macos. Big Sur would reflash the system BIOS chip with new firmware during installation. On 2013 and 2014 MacBook Pro 13 inch laptops, the BIOS was being corrupted causing the laptop to stop powering on. I was at the Apple store when I heard one of the "Genius Bar" attendants tell a customer that it has never happened before. I walked over and told the customer to Google it, because it's all over the internet. The Big Sur update was corrupting one of the chips on the logic board. With tens of thousands of the 13" MacBook Pro's having this problem, Apple still claims it's not their problem.
Don't get me wrong, I like my macbook and my iphone. I'm just moving away from them because of Apple's Draconian attitude toward what I am "allowed" to do with my devices and the fact that they refuse to take responsibility for their own mistakes, poor designs in some cases, and inferior components (the ones on the logic boards that constantly fail).
Customer service? What customer service? I returned a £2500 MacBook Pro after only having it for less than a six months. It stopped powering on. They said It had liquid damage because the moisture indicators on the logic board had started to turn slightly pink (they turn red when exposed to moisture). The laptop had never been near water, nor had it ever left my home. These indicators are so sensitive, the high humidity in the UK will cause them to start to turn pink. He told me he couldn't do anything because the moisture indicators show moisture exposure... then he offered to sell me a new laptop. Come to find out later, this model was plagued with a component failure on the logic board that cause the no power issue and apple eventually replaced the logic board under "extended warranty."

I use eBay quite often for the most part. I switched to them after experiencing Amazon's dodgy search engine and business practises. You really need to beware of what is offered. READ IT CAREFULLY! There are plenty of dodgy sellers that will say one thing in the title, but something totally different in the advert. For example I was looking at a MacBook pro computer from 2014. The title said it was brand new. The description said it was refurbished with "brand new refurbished parts." A clear conflict in terminology to confuse potential buyers. As a rule, just steer clear of anything that is refurbished, unless it in a sealed box from the manufacturer that says it's refurbished.
The real problem with adverts like these is eBay refuses to do anything about them. You report the advert, but it's never removed or changed. This particular advert is still there, unchanged after reporting it weeks ago! Next is the search engine. When I search for something, I am usually very specific about what I want. I include an exact description, model numbers, etc. Do I get what I want? Yes and no, but more often than Amazon. EBay has also adopted the practise of loading your search results with useless rubbish that isn't related to your search. They seem to think it will entice you to buy what ever rubbish they feed you. No... i just close the page and purchase nothing! And finally the area in which you search. Call me stupid, but I thought when you select "UK Only" it means you will only see results from the UK. Nope... You'll get loads of results from the USA and Australia... but not the EU... wonder why. I won't purchase, say a MacBook Pro, from the USA or Australia. You get screwed with Paypal's exchange rate, you get screwed on the shipping and you get screwed on the import tax. Need I say more?
A final note... if you have a problem with a seller, DO NOT CONTACT EBAY! Open a dispute with PayPal instead. Unlike eBay, PayPal is a financial institution and are governed by the same authority governing banks. They are required, by law, to investigate the dispute, just as your bank would investigate. I would say around 90% of the time you'll get a refund from PayPal. If your parcel doesn't arrive, PayPal will require the SELLER to provide tracking information and proof of delivery. EBay requires YOU to prove that you didn't get the parcel... and just how are you supposed to do that?

EDIT: More eBay stupidity... Their search engine is as useless as Amazon! I did a search for a particular SSD that would replace the overpriced SSD in my MacBook Pro. I specifically searched for a 2TB (Terabyte) Sabrent SSD. Notice in the picture, the very first item is a ONE TB SSD! Did I search for a one tb ssd? No, I did not. I searched for a 2 TB SSD.

I will relate my personal experience with SurfShark about two years ago. I purchased a membership because of the great reviews and good pricing. However all was not as secure as one would assume. SurfShark uses a kill switch feature, which means anytime the VPN is not connected, ALL internet traffic is blocked. For example if you are browsing a site using the VPN and the VPN connection suddenly drops, the software will completely block all access to the internet so long as the kill switch feature is on. Here's what I discovered... With the kill switch turned on and the VPN disconnected, it appeared the internet was blocked. I accidentally launched TOR browser, which is a secure browser that accesses the internet using relay points, and it connected as if there was no kill switch at all. I could browse and download software as if SurfShark wasn't installed. But my other browsers were blocked. My question is... If TOR could bypass SurfShark's security with such ease, then how many other apps could do the same without me ever knowing? BIG SECURITY RISK. When I reported it to SurfShark, they basically called me a liar and said what I had described was impossible. However when I demanded my money back, they refunded it within an hour! They knew there was an issue, but refused to admit it. So I don't trust them and won't use their service. A final note... quite often their app would say you are connected to one location, but Ipleak, net or ip8.com would show differently. For example, I would tell the app to connect to Netherlands. It would connect and report that it was connected to the Netherlands. However, launch Chrome and go to ipleak.net or ip8.com and it would tell me I'm connected to London, UK by the IP address. Would you trust them after all this?

Most of the problems are in the site itself. Features do not work and there are errors all the time. For example excluding women from certain countries doesn't work. They can still see and contact you. Under your picture is your status. It can say "online", "busy", "working", etc. Depends on what you choose as your status. However, when you choose "Busy" for example, you can still receive chat requests. You are supposed to be able to choose "invisible" and you won't show up as being online... nope... It just changes your status to "invisible." You are still visible, but your status says "invisible." There are quite a few scammers and "ladyboys"... aka pre-op trans genders. Some are almost impossible to tell apart from real women. However, I will say once you have reported one as a man trying to appear to be a female, the profile is quickly removed and the user banned. Cherry Blossoms is cheap compared to other sites, but you get what you get what you pay for... poor functionality and frustration. If you can put up with the crappy website, most of the women are legit. Just beware. If you want to try it, be sure to use PayPal for payment. It's easier to de-authorize payment on PayPal's site when you close your account. I've heard people who use credit cards are being billed for months after they have closed their account.
EDIT: I've been asked if this is a legit company. Yes. They are based in Hawaii USA and they have a business phone number that is available to members (even non paying members). Call them during regular business hours in Hawaii and they will answer.

I ordered delivery from Sainsburys online. Never again. For the premium prices you pay, one would assume you get premium service. Not true. It started when the delivery arrived. The groceries were obviously packed by an idiot. My bread was in the bottom of a bag with loads of tins thrown in on top. Needless to say my bread was smashed. Someone's beer bottles had broken, soaking everything in beer. My groceries were carelessly thrown around, evident by containers that were damaged and opened. With the virus around, I won't eat anything opened. When I called sainsburys to get a refund for the damaged items, I waited on the phone for FORTY SIX MINUTES before I was able to speak to someone, only for them to tell me that I should have refused the delivery. The person on the phone also suggested that I wasn't being truthful about the six items that were damaged and unacceptable. I was completely gob smacked by the treatment. After arguing for several minutes, the person finally said she would have someone call for my bank details to process the refund. I never received a call and never got my £12 refund. In complete contrast, Tesco is less expensive, and if I have a problem, I call and it's sorted in less than ten minutes. I'm not endorsing Tesco in this review. I'm just showing how other, less expensive stores, treat their customers.

I was looking for a business class flight from IAD to LHR and prices were very high. I found average prices between $8000 and $******* for a one way flight! I went to the flight guru and they found me a business class flight with SAS for $1147. The same seat was advertised for $10,395 including tax on the SAS website. SAS doesn't have the greatest business class as they need to update the cabin, but it was a good flight none the less.

Amazon in the United Kingdom is very different from Amazon in the USA. The latter is governed by consumer protection laws, whereas the former is not. For example, I ordered a package of surgical masks for £21. After the order was placed, Amazon changed the seller of my order to a different seller that was selling an inferior version of the mask for less than half the price. My price didn't change, I was still charged £21 even though Amazon substituted an inferior product and they were getting it for a lower cost. When I confronted customer service, they told me I was getting what I asked for at the price I agreed to pay. They wouldn't accept the fact that the product wasn't the same. They told me if I didn't like it, then send it back. I did. I tried to buy masks again, figuring it was an isolated incident. It wasn't. The exact same thing happened. So I sent those back as well. I finally ordered from eBay. I got exactly what I asked for and wasn't scammed so they could keep more of my money.
The search engine... or lack of... Amazon's search engine is basically useless. Amazon isn't interested in helping you find what you want. They are only interested in trying to sell you as much useless rubbish as possible. The industry standard search operators do not work. For example, adding quotes before and after a search term is supposed to show you only the results that contain that particular term... nope doesn't work. Adding a hyphen before a keyword means exclude any results that contain that particular keyword... once again, nope doesn't work. For example, I search for "iPhone 11." I get a few iPhones and thousands of cases. So I add -case to the search, to exclude phone cases from the results. Now I get ZERO phones and all cases. Second... I searched for an iPhone 12 case. Now, if someone is searching for a case that fits a particular phone, it means they own that particular phone. So why is Amazon showing me a few cases for the iPhone 12 and hundreds of cases for iPhones I don't own? Like the iPhone X, the iPhone 11, the iPhone 8... none of these cases fit the 12, so why the EFF are you showing them to me?. A complete and total waste of my time. This is why I do not even bother searching for anything on Amazon and just shop elsewhere. Saves time and total frustration, which is much more important to me than saving a few pennies on a purchase.

If you think Trustpilot reviews are reliable, then think again. Trustpilot is a paid service that improves a company's rating and consumer perception. I have written many reviews with documentation to prove my claims and had them challenged and deleted, even when indisputable proof was supplied. The reason I am sure they are a scam is I was actually solicited on the phone to pay them to get a better rating, after I claimed my business on their site.