I ordered a replacement flushing valve for our lavatory as the old one failed. It cost less than €10, post-free on Amazon Prime.
An identical product (same well-known marque) retailed in Maison.fr (formerly Point Verte) at €45.89.
A telephone estimate from a local plumber was €200-500 to supply and fit.
It took me 90 minutes to uninstall the faulty valve and install the replacement.
I think Amazon and I were the winners.
A-bloody-gain!!!
My phone died - these things happen though I only have myself to blame as the charge port has been increasingly dodgy for a few months. If I’d thought about it I’d have brought a spare (the advantage of being a tech hoarder - “spare” things abound).
Various options suggested themselves including getting one of the spare phones sent out but I figured I might as well just order a cheapie from Amazon on next day delivery.
Except all the real cheapies from Amazon looked utterly rubbish.
OK, so trawl the reviews - some interesting inexpensive devices (such as the Moto G8 Power) suggested themselves but no stock for delivery within the next few days.
In the end decided on a straight G7 Plus to G8 Plus swap (I hesitate to call it an upgrade),
Amazon suggested stock for delivery today (I was ordering late Weds evening).
Great I thought, just what I need.
Until I actually ordered it - delivery Monday 
Why Amazon, Why???!!!
Oh, needless to say the warranty on the G7 has expired.
OH bought one of these from LeClerc Samsung rather than Motorola and at the price is quite a decent piece of kit… nice clear screen and decent camera etc
A reasonable deal - but more than I wanted to spend.
Of course Amazon now say they are going to deliver today - great, I just have the choice between risking missing the parcel and risking not eating as I need to go shopping.
Amazon UK are generally very good on the delivery side and you can see why they are slowly taking over everything.
Amazon France just … aren’t.
That’s a common problem. Theoretically, the receptacle is supposed to be more hard wearing, so the easily replacable plug fails preferentially, but micro USB receptacles are notably fragile.
To get longer life from your phone or tablet, you need a magnetic charging cable -
The plug stays in all the time and you just disconnect the magnet. Simple!
Neodymium magnets and some gold plated contacts.
Of course if you want magnetic technology this is much more interesting:
It’s a coaxial cable. The plug is connected by a magnet and simply pulls apart. The other end is a normal USB plug that fits any standard charger or computer port.
Not only does this avoid regular plugging and un-plugging, but also prevents damage caused by the cable being tugged accidentally.
Very cheap on eBay, but you can also buy them in shops if you are in a hurry.
The type illustrated is for charging only. There are also 4-pin versions that can be used as data cables.
Warning: Different versions are not always compatible, so if you need additional plugs for other devices, buy them all at the same time from the same supplier. In the worst case scenario, a “wrong” 4-pin plug can wreck an appliance! Charging cable only is the safest bet.
To maintain the tow and stop you from hitting the car in front, the magnets would have to attract and repel at the same time. And turning off your engine would mean no brake servo. A bit worrying if something went wrong and possibly illegal.
I put this in the category of “Fake News” in the absence of independent confirmation from a reputable source! 
I remember seeing it in the papers - definitely BMW sourced (on 1.4.2009 )
To stop hitting the car in front - or at least to maintain constant distance would be easy - some sort of distance sensor and disengage the magnet if you are getting closer and re-engage it as you fell away slightly,
Of course the only magnet you can turn on and off like that is an electromagnet - so you’d have to keep the engine running to provide juice to your “magnetic tow”.
The “advertisement” definitely says “turn off your engine.” and turning off the magnet if you get too close would not be good if the front car was braking.
I think you better think it out again!
Well, you need the engine running so just get the system to apply the brakes,
I mean, if you’ve gone to the trouble of a huge electromagnet, distance sensor and control electronics to make it all work a little active braking should be a doddle.
Consumers interested in the product should e-mail uve.vollenvorit@bmw.co.uk for more information.
Millions of them - just search your favourite purveyor of online tat - for example:
I should have added that suppliers will ask what phone it is for.
Not absolutely sure about this, but I suspect that power is taken from different pins according to make (and possibly model.)
So it is important to get the right one for your phone.
Mine works with my generic Android tablet and old mobile phone, but not on Madame’s Samsung J3.
