This £12 Amazon Find Gave Me A Third More Usable Oven Space

Posted on 10/12/2024 by Boris Clair

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As Christmas draws near, I’ve been feeling the panic pretty much anyone who’s hosted a big dinner has experienced ― how am I meant to cook everything I need to when I’ve only got one oven?

Don’t get me wrong, I love my slow cooker (where I’m planning to make some spiced apple red cabbage on the day), and I’m not completely against steamed veggies.

But with Yorkies, stuffing, pigs in blankets, roast parsnips, spuds, and some kind of fowl in the mix, I genuinely started to lose sleep over how it was all going to come together.

That was, of course, before I spotted this £12 universal oven rack from Amazon, which instantly made all my fears look ridiculous.

It’s got adjustable arms that you can tighten or loosen with the bolts attached to both sides of the rack.

You don’t need any tools to tighten or loosen it ― a simple twist with your thumb and forefinger is more than enough.

It extends from 36cm to 59cm, making it perfect for most ovens (it only took about a minute to make it fit mine).

After I’d fitted it into my oven, my first step was to try a dry run of the Crimbo dinner (basically, I did a roast).

I’ll be honest; I was worried there wouldn’t be enough height in my oven to properly accommodate everything I wanted to include, but by placing the top and bottom racks at the highest and lowest ridges respectively, I got away with a lot more than I thought I would.

So it’s pretty safe to say I’m sold on the addition ― you can nab your own here, if you like.

Amazon Warns Receiving This Type Of Parcel Can Be A Scam

Posted on 29/11/2024 by Boris Clair

I was scrolling through Reddit last night when I noticed an odd-looking picture shared to r/Scams.

Site user u/Various_Ad9010 asked whether the sudden deluge of packages on their doorstep (which they hadn’t ordered) was some type of scam, and wanted to know what to do next.

Some site users suggested this was indeed a scam called “brushing.”

So, I thought I’d check whether or not this was a real thing ― and as it happens, Amazon have a whole page dedicated to the deceit.

What is “brushing”?

Amazon’s site explains that “When a customer receives a package they didn’t order, it may be a scam called ‘brushing.’”

It happens when scammers send parcels to addresses that didn’t order them. They can pick an address from pretty much anywhere.

Staffordshire police write that after a fraudster has gotten a person’s name and address, they create a fake Amazon account to which they then sell their own products.

They pay for the products, sometimes using stolen cards, the police add.

To make the scam look legit, the goods are really shipped to the unsuspecting person’s home.

“After the packages have been delivered, the scammer then writes positive reviews on their own seller accounts, using the recipient’s name,” the Staffordshire police add.

“This helps to boost their ratings and increase their visibility on the platform, in the hope of bringing about genuine sales.”

This is against company policy, as Amazon prohibits third parties from sending unsolicited packages to peoples’ homes.

What should I do if I suspect brushing?

Both the Staffordshire police and Amazon say you should report brushing scams immediately.

If you’ve asked friends and family whether they’ve sent you a gift and you’re sure nobody sent you anything unexpectedly, there are steps you can take on-site and with the UK legal system.

Amazon has a Report Unwanted Package form that you can fill in if you suspect brushing. You can also call customer service ― don’t try to return the packages.

They add investigators will need the following information:

Number of unwanted packages received.
A tracking number from at least one of the packages (found on the shipping label)
Photo of at least one shipping label (optional)
Any additional information to assist the investigation.

Meanwhile, Staffordshire police says that on top of reporting it to the e-commerce site, you can also reach out to your local police station or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Jeff Bezos Had The Audacity To Give A Speech On The Climate Crisis And No One Can Believe It

Posted on 02/11/2021 by Boris Clair

Chris Jackson via Getty Images

Bezos speaking at COP26 in Glasgow

The richest person in the world, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, took to the stage to push for action on climate change on Tuesday – and people could not believe their eyes.

Bezos spoke at the UN’s climate summit COP26 about how his own adventures to space just earlier this year – enabled via his private company Blue Origin – made him realise how fragile the Earth and its atmosphere is.

“Looking back at Earth from up there, [in space] the atmosphere seemed so thin. The world so finite and so fragile,” the billionaire said.

“Now, in this critical year, in what we all know is the decision decade, we must all stand together to protect our world.”

He also announced a £2 billion pledge to restore nature as part of a £10 billion Bezos Earth fund.

But the irony of his declaration was not lost on viewers, who berated him for failing to implement green policies in his own companies.

The i’s Paul Waugh pointed out that just Bezos’ journey into space would have used up fossil fuels, culminating a significant portion of CO2 emissions.

And here he is. @JeffBezos tells #COP26 that ‘when I was in space’ earlier this year he realised just how thin the globe’s atmosphere was.
Think he forgot to mention just how many fossil fuels he spent getting into space. pic.twitter.com/PdGeXmW5FC

— Paul Waugh (@paulwaugh) November 2, 2021

The Guardian’s political correspondent Peter Walker noted that the billionaire was “explaining the obvious” after his “massively polluting ego trip into space” which lasted approximately 10 minutes.

Bezos says how his space flight gave him a new awareness of the fragility of the earth. It does perhaps underline the occasional absurdity of events like Cop – a multi-billionaire explaining the obvious thanks to a massively polluting ego trip into space.

— Peter Walker (@peterwalker99) November 2, 2021

Walker also pointed out the irony that Bezos even had a platform at the event, noting: “He’s not the saviour, he’s the problem.”

The Financial Times’ Tim Stanley dubbed the Amazon founder’s speech as “COP26′s Marie Antoinette moment” for its insensitivity.

The compère is gushing to Bezos after he speaks, thanking him for his “incredible work”. It’s all a bit jarring. This is someone who has become absurdly rich through hyper-speed consumerism and explicitly avoiding social responsibilities. He’s not the saviour, he’s the problem.

— Peter Walker (@peterwalker99) November 2, 2021

“Nature gives us life. It is beautiful but it is also fragile. I was reminded of this in July when I went into space.” Jeff Bezos.
That’s Cop26’s Marie Antoinette moment.

— Tim Stanley (@timothy_stanley) November 2, 2021

Columnist Nick Timothy pointed out that Bezos still had significant work to do when it comes to making his own businesses more sustainable as well.

Pay your taxes, treat your workers better, reflect on your behaviour, and reduce your own carbon footprint.

Until then, do shut up. https://t.co/CuEopMBtJ5

— Nick Timothy (@NJ_Timothy) November 2, 2021

And the furious tweets from everyone who caught his speech just kept on coming.

Billionaire Jeff Bezos Takes Stage At COP26 To Pledge $2 Billion Towards Nature Conservation…there is so much to say on this…. https://t.co/kvRxM63lBB

— Dr Ruth McKie (she/her) (@ruthmckie1) November 2, 2021

A flight from London to Rome produces more than the average Sonalian does in a year.

If everbody did as Jeff Bezos did, and travelled in rocket to space or just fly to Glasgow to tell us this, then woe betide our CO2 emissions.https://t.co/0FBGKLbG9Z

— Hok Stephen (@HokYSChiu) November 2, 2021

Billionaire Jeff Bezos Takes Stage At COP26 To Pledge $2 Billion Towards Nature Conservation…there is so much to say on this…. https://t.co/kvRxM63lBB

— Dr Ruth McKie (she/her) (@ruthmckie1) November 2, 2021

Tax ‘Avoiding’ Firms Like Amazon Should Not Benefit From Post-Covid Subsidy, MPs Say

Posted on 18/04/2021 by Boris Clair

Amazon and other multinational companies that shift profits to “avoid tax” in the UK should not benefit from Rishi Sunak’s post-Covid super deduction, MPs have said.

Senior Labour MP Dame Margaret Hodge is leading cross-party moves to ensure multinationals that shift profits to lower tax countries do not benefit from the taxpayer subsidy, designed to boost investment as the UK recovers from the coronavirus pandemic.

The super deduction announced by the chancellor in March’s Budget would allow companies to reduce their tax bills by up to 25p for every £1 they invest in plant and machinery, according to the Treasury.

Sunak hopes the 130% super deduction will boost business investment by £20bn a year and contribute to the UK’s economic recovery.

But analysis by campaigners TaxWatch suggests the likes of Amazon could use the super deduction to “entirely wipe out” their UK tax bill, which is already low as the company’s European operations are based in Luxembourg.

Hodge has teamed up with senior Tory MP Andrew Mitchell to propose a cross-party amendment to the finance bill, which will put the super deduction in law.

She told HuffPost UK her super deduction amendment would ensure “our taxpayers’ money is not used to subsidise companies that deliberately avoid paying UK corporation tax”.

The former minister said: “We just think it is wrong that companies should be eligible for the super deduction scheme if they deliberately create financial structures which have no other purpose than to avoid tax, and if they deliberately export their profits.

“The way in which you can show that is by getting them to report their earnings country-by-country so you can see where the economic activity took place, and therefore where the profits were made, and therefore where they should be taxed.”

ADRIAN DENNIS via Getty Images

A ‘picker’ worker collects items from storage shelves as she collates a customer order inside an Amazon.co.uk fulfillment centre in Hemel Hempstead, north of London, in 2015

She added: “What really riles taxpayers – obviously it riles people that they don’t pay their tax – but what is absolutely unacceptable is that we should then subsidise them further with taxpayers’ money,” she said.

“It is just the pits, and most people think that, and the government should wake up and listen to them.”

The amendment would force large multinationals that want to access super deductions to make public their country-by-country reporting on global activities, profits and taxes.

The government in 2016 accepted a cross-party amendment to force those companies to produce country-by-country reports, but the government at the moment only requires them to be submitted to HM Revenue and Customs, rather than be made public.

Separately, Hodge and Mitchell also want to make it easier to prosecute so-called “enablers” who design tax avoidance schemes.

Hodge argued that while individuals benefiting from such schemes are punished if they are found to be illegal, those that design them often get away “scot-free”.

She said: “If we start holding those enablers to account then you would much more quickly get rid of these egregious tax avoidance schemes which are constantly marketed.”

Mitchell told HuffPost UK: “We should really be moving towards a position where those who devise and set up these schemes are treated as guilty as those who use them.”

Amazon said it created 10,000 new jobs across the UK last year and has invested more than £23bn in the UK since 2010.

It paid £293m in direct taxes last year, as its sales surged 26% to £13.7bn.

Emmanuel Macron Threatens To Block EU Trade Deal With Brazil Over Amazon Fires

Posted on 24/08/2019 by Boris Clair

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Amazon Prime Day 2019: Best Deals On TVs, Vacuum Cleaners And More

Posted on 15/07/2019 by Boris Clair