1) usual inundation of spam emails, including those from China claiming that someone is trying to register the vintagefishingtackle as a domain name there and would I like to pay them not to?
2) 2 rods gone AWOL in the post, Post Office being typically difficult about compensation: they'll only pay what I paid for the rod (not its resale value) and I have to prove to their satisfaction what I paid for it. Since I paid in cash to an old angler selling on his gear not easy.... Upshot is that I won't even get the measly £45 minimum compensation for a rod worth £120 at least.
![td :Thumbsdown::](./images/smilies/icon_thumbdown.gif)
3) Packing up next rod, bought in good faith as part of a large lot, only to find that its broken in the handle (we always check over items one final time prior to despatch) - I hate that tell-tale creak! Thankfully a good chap (and member of this forum) may be able to help out with a replacement butt section that I donated to him after another postal incident (maybe Royal Mail have something against Super Wizards?) but the customer has to be both refunded and disappointed in the short term at least.
4) (and the reason I post in this section of the forum!) About a month ago I bought at a well known specialist auction a Silex No.2 - only to find that the internals had been messed about with horribly (no mention in the catalogue - but I should have checked more closely, too busy chatting as per). The ratchet had been totally removed and some sort of silent brake put in place using replacement parts and a plastic bit to replace the ratchet wheel. Value of said reel plummets! Not to fear I sourced some spare parts (a dead donor reel) via the great Bay - not cheap at £50 + P&P but at least, I thought, I'll be able to restore the reel and make most of my outlay back. Donor reel arrives - and its the wrong blinking size! Again - trying to do too many things at once I misread the info on the listing. :brickwall:
Anyone want a Silex 2 converted to no check with some very well made parts? :beg: .... thought not.....
Final Score: Rest of the World 4 VFC 0
Moan over ... as you were!
Jim