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This is a question Cheap Tat

OneEyedMonster remindes us about the crap you can buy in pound shops: "Batteries that lasted about an hour and then died. A screwdriver with a loose handle so I couldn't turn the damn screw, and a tape measure which wasn't at all accurate."

Similarly, my neighbour bought a lawnmower from Argos that was so cheap the wheels didn't go round, it sort of skidded over the grass whilst gently back-combing it.

What's the cheapest, most useless crap you've bought?

(, Fri 4 Jan 2008, 7:26)
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hmm
I buy EVERYTHING in Poundland. Therefore, I've got loads of crap stories about it's crapness.

I bought the Hyundai batteries once. They leaked inside my £20 generic japanese mp3 player and it broke :(. Not to worry though, I got another one for free! After that I only commandeered batteries from my school. They used them once in productions and then had to throw them away because they didn't want them to fail at a "crucial" moment. Free batteries!

I'm surprised that OneEyedMonster could even buy a screwdriver to be honest. They got into trouble with Trading Standards or something because they were selling lighters and stuff to under 18s. Even though I'm sure we could legally buy them anyway. The point was, from then on you weren't allowed to buy anything "dangerous" without id. So, of course, we weren't allowed to buy:

• Allen keys
• Screwdrivers
• Silly string
• Airhorns
• Lighters
• A pair of pliers
• Windscreen wash
• A laser level thingy ("you could go out and blind someone with that!")
• And a load more.

In fact, that's a lie. They let me buy the windscreen wash after I pointed out that if I wanted to kill myself, I wouldn't drink Poundland windscreen wash to do it. Although she did say "the receipt's got my name on so I'll rip it up and you can buy it". How incredibly deviously illegal of them. They seem to have given up on enforcing this now though.

Vaguely on topic, who else is annoyed that none of their staff seem to be able to be polite to customers/speak english? There's some woman at my local Poundland called "Gifti" that wouldn't let us buy a basket of airhorns. Couldn't imagine why. I wouldn't really mind usually, but she was really rude about it and then called over the supervisor (who was incredibly obese) to shout at me and my delinquent friends. So of course we got the number of the Croydon branch, got Gifti on the phone (told the person it was a family emergency cos she wouldn't get her otherwise) and taught her how to call the customers "sir". Then we got the supervisor (couldn't remember her name so identified her as the "fat one") and said the same thing but with more shouting. Ahh fun times.

That said, I'm amazed by the cheapness of their CDs (although the DVDs are useless and degrade after a few months) and their card readers and usb hubs are excellent quality. So feel free to call them on 0800 731 5622 and express your satisfaction.

That is all. (apologies for length, it were only a pound)
(, Fri 4 Jan 2008, 18:51, 11 replies)
Poundland
I too know how rude the keepers of the cheap goodies can be. They also aren't the brightest bunch. Here's a great example.

I hand over some party poppers to pay for them.
Poundland Lady: What age are you?
Me: 17. What age do you have to be to buy them?
PL: I dunno.

I had to run out of the shop in order not to laugh in her face.
(, Fri 4 Jan 2008, 18:55, closed)
Haha..
I KNEW it was in Croydon as soon as I read the name 'Gifti'! Oh Croydon Poundland, how I love thee..
(, Fri 4 Jan 2008, 19:31, closed)
Haha
I knew as soon as you mentioned the lack of politeness/lack of Englsih that it was going to be Croydon Poundland. Poundland just before Chrimbo was truly a sight to behold - the entire population of Croydon was in there.
(, Fri 4 Jan 2008, 20:04, closed)
@hutchland...
...so was I, buying cheap popcorn!

(it was v nice :D)

Tescos don't let me buy party poppers either, so it's not all bad.
(, Fri 4 Jan 2008, 22:24, closed)
Rude staff?
I must admit that while the staff arn't exactly always happy, none of them have actually been rude to me. There was a very nice polish lady who didn't question our buying of 500 scooby doo icepops ....yeah, they don't make good homebrew.
(, Fri 4 Jan 2008, 23:14, closed)
We're not all cunts
Honest, we can be nice when we want to be.

You should go to the ones in Wolverhampton, as we're a few miles from the main warehouse, we get the best stock.

And i work there. So you can invent some crazy b3tard-only banter and test every poundland till-monkey until you find me.
(, Fri 4 Jan 2008, 23:30, closed)
@ ichbinbored
She let me buy the party poppers, she just didn't seem to know if she should be.
(, Sat 5 Jan 2008, 0:07, closed)
18
You do have to be 18 to buy lighters apparently.
(, Sat 5 Jan 2008, 1:35, closed)
@ lei
maybe they thought as they contain butane they come under the solvents act or something. I've bought them and been ID'd (the shame...), so they knew i was under 18.
(, Sat 5 Jan 2008, 22:15, closed)
You have to be 18 to buy lighters..
Because they're classed as a "Tobacco-related product", and since the legal age to buy tobacco and related products hs been raised to 18..

Well, you do the maths.
(, Sun 6 Jan 2008, 12:01, closed)
although
When I tried buying them, the legal age was 16. And they still said I had to be 18. Ahh well, ebay bulk packs are cheaper in the long run plus you don't get ID'd :D
(, Sun 6 Jan 2008, 21:02, closed)

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