Since we spend so much of our time condemning ripoff companies like Sky and National Rail on this website I just wanted to give a note of applause to American Power Conversion and their UK operation.

I recently purchased one of their BE325-UK UPS units from Staples for only £10 (normal price £40+) that appeared to have been in stock for some time and on using it find that the standby time on battery is only 7 minutes rather than the 20 minute claimed by APC for a 60 watt load.

I therefore visited APC's website and was delighted to find that the Contact Us section at www.apc.com/support/contact/ lists 0800 numbers for all forms of sales and customer support and that I was then answered immediately on this 0800 number.  And to make matters even better they have agreed to send me a free battery if I scan and upload my receipt from Staples via their website online form.

Why is it that the scammer American owned companies can stay in business in the UK when some American companies like MBNA and APC still determinedly do the right thing by customers by only using 0800 numbers for contact.  And why is that due to the numbskulls at Ofcom allowing mobile phone companies to charge ripoff rates for calling 0800 numbers even having all Freephone numbers doesn't entirely work out in the UK as a strategy and a company ideally also needs to have a geographic number too.??????????????

Of course I note on their website that American Power Conversion has just been acquired by the European based (surely once German but now listed on the Paris Stock Exchange) Schenider Electric and so I wonder how much longer we will continue to enjoy all 0800 numbers from this company?