Damn it! Now you've gone and got me started.
The confusion over readback is only the tip of the iceberg!
1) Once upon a time, if I wanted to fly VFR at A015 from TBTL to YCHT, I had to go into the briefing office in TL and submit a flightplan.
Then I had to submit a plan to some faceless place in BN.
But for a while there, I could just start up, ask for a clearance to exit the zone via the Clevedon VFR route at 1500 - and get the clearance straight away (this was what I recall from my time flying in NZ - I could rock up to the edge of the Auckland Control Zone, ask for a clearance and get it pretty much straight away).
Now in TL I get -
"XXX, do you have a flight plan in the system?
Negative!
Standby one while I put your details in the system!"
(Thinks!) "What the f*ck! I didn't think you guys even liked VFR plans being submitted!
When did this change? Nobody told me!
2) My recollection is that you used to be able to fly a VFR leg on an IFR flightplan, and still have the same SAR safety net.
But recently while letting down in VMC on an IFR plan from MC into YRED, I am told "Can't descent you any lower unless you downgrade to VFR".
So I change to VFR, arrive at Redcliffe and go to cancel my Sarwatch, to be told "XXX, I cancelled your Sarwatch at MC when you changed to VFR".
Since when??? Nobody told me about this! I thought I was flying a VFR leg on an IFR flightplan ??????
FTDK