Essential Chatter

At Big Fish Games you can either Play Online or Download Games for free, to try before buying.

I have always enjoyed playing games, especially after a hard days work, as I find it really helps to relieve my stress levels. This has meant consistent time spent trawling through the maze of game sites out there, and believe me, there are a ton of games sites to join.

I very quickly found myself frequenting the same game site, Big Fish Games, as they appeared to have all the games I enjoyed playing. I would regularly download the Free Trial Versions of games that caught my eye, and depending on how I got on with the game, I would then go back and purchase the full game.

Games Played Free Online or Downloaded

The latest Big Fish Game I've played online for free and then purchased is TREASURE SEEKERS: ENCHANTED CANVASES, and I must say the graphics on this game are fantastic!! This is a variant on the traditional 'I spy' game, but with more subtle clues requiring you to use your memory more. I love this kind of game as it poses so much more of a challenge to me to play.


DREAM CHRONICLES is another Big Fish Game with excellent graphics, where the lines between reality and fantasy fade away in this fairytale style setting. This one really tested my memory and logic skills. Follow subtle clues to help Faye find her missing husband and escape from the mysterious sleeping spell that has taken over the town of Wish! Stay sharp and focused and you just may unravel this intriguing, dreamy mystery!

Another series of 'I Spy' games that I thoroughly enjoy are MYSTERY CASE FILES: HUNTSVILLE, MYSTERY CASE FILES: PRIME SUSPECTS, MYSTERY CASE FILES: RAVENHEARST, and MYSTERY CASE FILES: MADAME FATE, all which are based on a search basis, where you have a list of items to find within each and every incredibly busy room. I loved playing this game time and time again, with the competitor in me striving to beat my best time each time I restarted a new game!

REAL CRIMES: THE UNICORN KILLER, a game based on a true story, lets you help a rookie FBI Agent Jennifer Lourdes, and veteran detective Alan Michaels catch the infamous Unicorn Killer! Track down the murderer, Ira Einhorn, as you bring him to justice in this exciting Hidden Object game. Travel all around the globe and explore important crime scenes. This game takes you on the long-running chase and extradition of this dangerous criminal! Race against the clock, or relax and take your time in two game modes

There are of course many more games to trial and buy from this site, and not all of them are of the same genre as the ones I have told you about here.

I have actually become a member of Big Fish Games, joining their Game Club, which has afforded me the ability to buy a new game each month for very little. You save big with Big Fish Game Club and get all your games for $6.99 which is 65% off of the retail price! In fact, the game I purchased this month, Treasure Seekers: Enchanted Canvases, was completely free, much to my initial confusion and then absolute delight because of the deal I signed up under with Big Fish Games Club.

Big Fish Games has games for everyone, from kids games to games for parents too. Big Fish Games has made the process of purchasing the games very easy and straightforward, and with their policy of allowing you to try the game online before buying, you just can't go wrong.

Big Fish Games is most definitely a Game Site worthy of note in your bookmarks!

Hopefully this has given you enough of a review of Big Fish Games and a taste of some of the games they have available. Check out Big Fish Games, where you can try out your game before buying!

Big Fish Online & Download Game Links

Big Fish Games Home Page | Online Games | Download Games | Action & Arcade Download Games | Mahjong Download Games | Puzzle Download Games | Card & Board Download Games | Word Download Games

List of Popular Online Game Sites and Gift Shopping Sites

As one that likes to spend my time playing games online and shopping online for gifts, I thought I’d share a quick list of some of the more popular Game Sites and Gift Shopping Sites that I frequent.

POPULAR GAME SITES

• Trivia Quizzes – Free Fun Trivia, Online Quiz Game Site
• Play and Win – Free and Fun Online Games
• Game Village Bingo – Free Online Games for UK
• PKR Casino – Blackjack, Roulette, Slots, Poker and more
• Quick Silver Games – Bingo, Fruit Slot Machines, Casino
• Rummy Royal Games – Play Gin Online, Kalooki, Canasta
• Football Pools – Play Prediction of Games Online
• Games Frenzy – Rent Games Online, Rent Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Wii Games and more

POPULAR GIFT SHOPPING SITES

• Crystal Age – Crystal Gifts, Chakra, Gemstones Shop
• Body Jewellery Shop – Belly Bars, Nose, Lip, Eyebrow Rings
• Chocolates – Buy Luxury Chocolate Gifts with delivery
• My Last Rolo – Rolo Official Site
• Moon Estates – Most original gifts online, Buy Moon or Star
• Engraved Gift Ideas – Personalized Engraved Giftware
• Newspapers Remembered – Old archived authentic papers
• Peony Direct – High Quality Artificial Silk Flowers
• Forbidden Planet - Television, Movie and Comic Merchandise
• Just Miniatures – Wedding, Collectables, Wine bottle, etc
• Flowers Direct – Flower Delivery by Flowers Direct UK
• Treat Her – Jewellery Gifts, Personalized, Wife, Girlfriend
• Treat Him – Fathers Day Gifts, Cool Gadgets for Men
• FireBox – Cool gifts, gadgets and gift ideas
• Needapresent – Gift Ideas for Men, Women & Children
• Iwantoneofthose – Unusual Gifts, Gadgets & Gift Ideas
• A1Gifts – Anniversary, Birthday, Gifts Shopping
• PulpShop – Gifts with personality
• Home and Garden Gifts
• Fresh Weekends – Experience weekend for couples
• Thanks Darling – Special Experience Gift Ideas

Fradulent Charges by MiPay Talkmobile Brookwood Surrey found on my bank statement!! We have just checked our online banking this evening and we've found a mysterious charge that we didn't recognize for £30 against one of our Bank Debit Cards. It appeared to have been charged for a phone top up.

This is the entry we found:

After doing a quick online search, we came across a thread on Money Saving Expert Forum where many others out there are reporting this happening to them over the past 3 weeks. We are not alone!!!

As a user 'Underground' put it on the Money Saving Expert Forum:

'Talkmobile is a 'cheaper calls' company run by Carphone Warehouse. It's primarily a PAYG service and Mi-Pay manage the payment systems.

If you or your family don't have a Talkmobile SIM then your card has definitely been used fraudulently.'

According to one of the blurbs on MiPay, they:

'facilitate the direct transfer of funds between mobile phones onto overseas banks'

So from what we can gather, it would seem that someone is charging people's bank accounts for a mobile phone charge and then having the funds transferred to overseas banks.

We contacted the telephone banking part of our bank this evening and it turned out to definitely be only one of our two debits cards, which has now been canceled, with a new one being issued in 3 to 4 days. We will still need to follow up on this in the morning with the bank themselves, before we can find out what will happen, but for the now, we've stopped any further fraudulent charges being taken out of our account.

Just this past February, on the same debit card, our on line bank statement also showed a £30 payment to O2 that was NOT authorized, which is still under investigation. At the beginning of each month we had been in the habit of putting £20 phone credit on both of our girl's accounts, one being with T-Mobile, and the other with O2. The payment had always been made over the phone, giving the debit card number out to the operator on the phone, but who knows if this is how they got our details. The theory does seem to hold some water though as from what others have been saying on the forum thread, many paid for mobile phone top ups with that debit card that had the fraudulent charge applied to it.

We are extremely careful about using our debit cards, or any credit cards for that matter, so it came as a complete shock to us that this had taken place. These fraudulent charges seem to be widespread so be sure to check your online bank accounts for a withdrawal of £30 to MIPAY TALKMOBILE T BROOKWOOD SUR, a subsidiary of Carphone Warehouse.

For those of you that don't have on line banking, we strongly suggest you check with your banks to see if such a payment has left your accounts.

According to another poster on the moneysavingexpert.com forum:

'The banks/ building societies also have concerns over Carphone Warehouse, ( the linked company ). I had a valid transaction to them blocked by my card provider, Nationwide, they told me it was because of the high amount of fraudulent activity that is linked with CPW.'

So apparently the word is getting out there in the business community about this particular scam that is going on, but the word needs to continue to get out there. And it's important to understand that often times low fraudulent charges will be taken out of your account so that it goes by unnoticed. It is vital that you check each charge that is coming out of your bank accounts in order to catch any fraudulent charges that might be hitting your account. If you find that this is happening, notify your bank immediately, ask for the refund and cancel the card and have a new one issued. They'll likely pass you on to their fraud department so that they can follow up on the case and check it out before issuing a refund.

You can get a more comprehensive known list of Fraudulent Charges at digitalagefraud.com.

Here is another story on someone's experience with small fraudulent charges being taken out of their bank accounts: http://www.stopbuyingcrap.com/personal-finance/goodie-my-first-fraudulent-charge/

Fraudulent Charges MiPay Talkmobile Update

I just spoke with Michele, a representative from MiPay, just a few moments ago and have received more information to share. According to Michele, MiPay is fully aware of this situation and is investigating it vigorously. They are also aware of the number of people that have been posting their case both here at Essential Chatter and over on the forum for Money Saving Expert. At this point they have not yet responded publicly because of the ongoing investigation but plan to do so very soon. According to Michele at MiPay, she is due to hear from managers sometime today on whether or not they will be putting out a public notice on these fraudulent charges that a large number of people have been getting hit with over the past few weeks.

I have already received my replacement debit card from RBS and have destroyed my old card that the fraudulent charge was posted against. I have also received the paperwork from RBS' Fraud Dept which officially starts up the investigation on this fraudulent charge. I was informed that it would now take about 7 to 10 working days till I hear back anything.

It must be said that MiPay is just as much a victim in this as the rest of us. They are a company that processes payments for mobile phone topups, if my memory serves me correctly from what Michele stated, and they are not personally the ones taking this money from people's accounts. Michele was very helpful and gracious over the phone, and I appreciated that more than anything.

If anyone has any more information they can provide, please leave a comment.

I have just purchased the Aloe Bits n' Peaches off of the foreverliving website today, Wednesday April 8th, '09. I am now anxiously awaiting it's delivery as I can't wait to try this out! I had originally tried the standard non-flavored Aloe Vera Gel over a year ago and found it very difficult to get by the taste. After finding out on The Aloe Vera Miracle blog that they have added 2 flavors, I had to give it another try.

I myself have suffered greatly from Irritable Bowel Syndrome IBS since 1991, surviving one day at a time with it. I have tried many things through the years and have never found anything that worked, so I am hoping for great things with this Aloe Vera Gel peach flavored drink!

I have used Aloe Vera off of the Aloe Vera plant before, squeezing the juices out of the leaf and onto my sunburn, and it works wonders! I have always sworn by Aloe Vera for use on the skin for cuts and burns, so the discovery of this peach flavored Aloe Vera Gel drink is very encouraging.

To find out more about Aloe Vera visit The Aloe Vera Miracle blog.

I'll keep you up to date as I begin to use the product and let you know how I get on with it as time goes by.

Till the next time,

Carl