I don't usually have Android phones, but these are exceptional and affordable. Xiaomi uses top shelf parts and their phones are well made with close attention paid to detail. Right now you can get a Xiaomi flagship phone that will meet or exceed big name flagship phones for HALF the price. You often get a faster processor and larger battery than comparable phones as well. The only issue I have with Xiaomi phones is the camera software. The cameras themselves are top shelf, but the software doesn't produce the best pictures. Switching to other software like Google Camera helps immensely. Batteries usually last two days with moderate use and the displays are excellent at 400+ PPI. Many of their phones have Amoled displays at an LCD price. Poco is also made by Xiaomi. Their OS is a heavily modified Android called Miui. It is fully customisable to the point where you can make your phone display look like a Windows phone or an iPhone, right down to the menus and icons. Miui is also much more secure than Android and always has been. If you want a top shelf phone without paying top shelf prices, get a Xiaomi phone. Just make sure you are buying the Global version and not the Chinese version. You can check this and the authenticity of the phone on mi.com. Just enter the IMEI or serial number on the authentication page.

No customer service. You send a query by email and they send a canned response with a link to something completely unrelated to your query. Useless. They rip you off with currency conversions AND charge you a fee on top of it. While I am currently located in the UK, I added a US dollar credit card, and they took pounds Sterling from it! After all the fees to convert usd to gbp from my bank and back to usd by PayPal to make an eBay purchase from eBay.com, I lost almost 15 dollars! PayPal is also making it increasingly difficult to make claims. They reject claims even though you provide proof of the claim. So why are we bothering to use them anymore? There's no advantage.

I was looking for an inexpensive smartphone to be given as a Christmas gift. I settled on a Xiaomi Redmi Note 7. It's really a great phone for the price. Everywhere I looked it was selling for £160 to £200. kidult-online.com was selling it for £108.80 delivered to my door. Sounded too good to be true, but they accept PayPal and if there were any problems I would be able to get my money back. They claimed 3-5 days delivery from Hong Kong. I got an email that it had been shipped and a Royal Mail tracking number. The number appeared to be no good as Royal Mail said it couldn't find it in the system for the first six days. Come to find out, they ship it from HK to UK by DHL and then RM makes the final delivery.
Day six RM shows the package. And I received it on day 7.
So here's what I got... First, the phone came in shrink wrap. Xiaomi doesn't shrink wrap their phones. The sim removal tool, literature, and warranty paperwork were not in the box. It also shipped with the charger and a UK adapter.
The phone seemed to be okay and works fine. Can't beat the price and shipping time was okay, even though it was a couple days late. I'll chalk that up to the holidays.

EDIT: So after noticing the Chinese text scattered everywhere in the operating system, I looked a little closer and discovered the phone is NOT a global version phone, but a Chinese version, thus the lower price. It only had half the storage as well! They advertised and sold it to me as a Global version (see the receipt attached), but it's the Chinese version. It doesn't support all of the mobile bands for global use, so it doesn't work with all of the mobile carriers where I live. I also went to Xiaomi's website to authenticate the phone by it's serial number and it is, in fact, the Chinese version of the phone... FRAUD! See the attached capture from Xiaomi's website. Time to open a case with PayPal!

As always, you get exactly what you pay for. If it seems too good to be true, then it is too good to be true. You won't get an iPhone 12 Max for 150. Just like eBay, AliExpress has good sellers and bad sellers. Like eBay, there are seller ratings and number of sales each seller has made. It's up to you to decide who you will buy from... just like eBay. I choose the seller with high ratings and lots of sales. They are usually the ones who can be trusted to give you the better items. However, with the current aggressive anti-west climate in China, I haven't been buying anything from AliExpress. Why support those who hate you? Just my opinion. Feel free to do what you like.

Like so many sites that do VPN reviews, the VPN companies are paying ProPrivacy to do good reviews! You can easily tell when a site is being paid by the VPN to give them a favorable review. Click on the button on the review site that takes you to the actual VPN site, then look in the address bar of the window or tab that opens for the VPN site. If there are any numbers or codes after the site address, then the review site is getting paid to recommend them. Those numbers or codes are how the VPN knows who to pay for the referral. The top three VPNs that you will see are Express VPN, Surfshark VPN, and Nord VPN in no particular order. These three pay the highest commissions for referrals. It's not that these VPNs are terrible, but each has problems that ProPrivacy and other "review" sites won't mention.
Because ProPrivacy is taking kickbacks from the different VPNs, I can't trust them to be honest, so I recommend against taking any advice they offer.

I tried PureVPN as my current VPN is up for renewal and I was considering changing my VPN service. I purchased a single month to evaluate the service. I didn't have a problem with speed, but there is a real problem with latency. That is, you click on a link and it literally takes 15 to 20 seconds before it can establish a connection to the page you clicked. I tried several different servers and it was the same. PureVPN blamed it on my computer and offered a load of "fixes" that would sort the problem. Of course none worked. I went back to my previous VPN and all the problems went away.

While they claim they keep no logs, their privacy policy says different...

"Information Included in VPN Connection Logs
We know the day you connected to a specific VPN location and from which Internet Service Provider. This bare minimum set of data is required to help you with technical assistance, solving connecting problems, and overcoming region-specific problems.

We also know the connection length and how many connections you make when you use our VPN service, without connection timestamps, with the sole purpose of categorizing your profile as Power, Core or Casual user. This categorization helps our Product teams improve and cater to the needs of various user groups as per their preferences."

All of this is known as logging. So the zero log policy is a lie, evident by the admission to such in their privacy policy. If you purchase a dedicated IP Address, that address is tied to your account and email address as well.
In essence, everything you do online is traceable back to you. So where's the privacy?
Also beware when you sign up for a single month, they create a ongoing payment with PayPal or your bank. You will be charged monthly, even though you signed up for one month. Luckily, PayPal will send you a notification of this... your credit card company or bank may not.
Personally, I don't trust the company, so I cancelled the service. There was a resistance on their end, even though their website says "no questions asked," but this can be quickly resolved by mentioning opening a case with PayPal.

Unlike many of the other so-called VPN review sites, this one is different. As of this review, the site does not advertise or receive commission from any VPN service. In essence, no conflict of interest like every other VPN review site. The reviews are based on actual purchase and use of the product and other factors that affect online security such as jurisdiction, protocols used, logging, etc. They have done their homework and give you unbiased information so that you can make an educated decision when purchasing VPN services.

I call this a VPN scam sales site because they claim to review and rate different VPN services to help you with online privacy. Fact is, their so-called reviews are nothing more than advertisements for different VPN services. Yes, they get paid every time someone clicks to go and buy a VPN service from their site. A definite conflict of interests. Nord VPN offers a generous commission to sites like these to push their product, and just coincidently, they always seem to be the number one VPN to buy. I don't trust any site that claims to review VPNs and takes kickbacks from companies for getting you to sign up with them. The site is loaded with popups and recommendations to buy Nord VPN and Nord just happens to be the site that pays the most commission at this time.

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 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.
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.

I purchased a gaming laptop from PC Specialist. The laptop is excellent as it is manufactured by a Taiwanese company called TongFang. TongFang have made laptops for well known companies such as MSI. They also sell laptops by Clevo, whom also manufactures laptops for larger companies. I haven't had any problems with my laptop. It has top shelf parts and a mechanical keyboard which is rare in a laptop these days. The only issue I have with the company is support. A BIOS upgrade was recommended to take advantage of new features and stability. BIOS is firmware that is updated through a special software program and the image of the new BIOS you want to install. I asked them if I could get a copy of the latest BIOS for my laptop. They flat out refused. They told me I would need to send them my laptop and they would update the BIOS... for a fee, plus the shipping both ways. I ended up getting the BIOS from the original manufacturer and flashed it myself for free. All they needed to do was send me a copy of the BIOS firmware image. No, they wanted to do it so they could get more money from me. I guess next time I'll buy from CyberPower. Same exact computers, just a different nameplate.

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... Looks like Indeed deleted their reply to my review... They had no valid argument.

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.

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.

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..