I have the breaking strain of a soggy Kitkat.

Black Friday weekend, week, fortnight, month has been bombarding me with offers for new shiny phones - including ones with really big bright screens.

Oh, alright then.

A Samsung S25 Ultra was offered to me at less than 1,000 Euro. Then, the cost of going from 256GB to 512Gb was 32 Euro. It would be churlish not to, really.

So, hopefully, later this week, a new monster will be making its way to me, and I will engrossed be in the fun and games of migrating data and e-sims.

Naturally, whatever I saved was then spent on accessories. [sigh...]

Still, I’ll be able to actually see things on my screen, and reading a newspaper article won’t total my battery.

While picking up bits and pieces in the sales, I chose some new sunglasses for Padel. A couple of weeks ago, I pulled my glasses out of the case and put them on. The nose bridge fell off - a thing that I find happens with Oakley glasses. I removed the glasses to reattach it - to discover that the lens (which is one piece) was split right down the middle. The thing came apart in my hand.

In July, I bought two new pairs of glasses from Oakley. One for general wear, and one for Padel. My old pairs of glasses (also by Oakley) were ready for replacement after seven years good service.

I wrote to the company, asking whether my Padel glasses were supposed to split in two after just four months use. After some consideration of the requested photos, they decided that the equipment was not covered by warranty, but they would allow me a 30% discount on a replacement pair of glasses.

Gee, thanks.

So, as I promised them I would - let me tell you. Oakley don’t stand behind their product. If it breaks, you’re on your own.

I admit to being a bit mystified by Oakley’s response. Sure - they can’t know whether I had done something stupid to damage the glasses (I hadn’t) but by refusing a replacement, they must have known that they would lose me as a customer. Guy in his fifties, buys expensive models and always buys at least two pairs? I think I’d have taken the hit; (certainly we always did at Nero’s although that was on a different scale, I guess).

Check out Naked Optics for superb glasses from Austria at a great price.

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