The building societies and banks in the UK are letting customers down more, and more each year. They really are not able to dish out trust worthy advice on how to invest your hard earned cash. The result was part of an alarming survey conducted by Which? In fact it left reporters questioning if it [...]
April 20th, 2010 | Clare | 1 comment | ContinuedFeatured
Top Restaurants for Treating Mum
If you want to make a memorable impression on someone special then try one of these top restaurants as recommended in the Good Food Guide.
The UK has many fantastic restaurants, and the Good Food Guide has chosen ten of the finest for Mother’s Day meals.
Cellar, in Anstruther, Scotland is truly a delight for those who [...]
March 7th, 2010 | Tony | 0 comments | Continued
Car Hire Consumer Warning
Recent research has revealed that some clauses in car hire contracts could prove to be unfair to consumers. Websites of some car hire companies provide inadequate information about the conditions of their contracts.
In the contracts of Europcar, Hertz and Enterprise there is a condition that could be potentially unfair to customers in the event [...]
Top Complaints 2009
For the fourth consecutive year, Consumer Direct reports that second-hand cars purchased from an independent dealer brought the most complaints. The service also responded to more than 1.5 million emails and telephone calls in 2009 (down four percent from 2008) and reported about 850,000complaints lodged against traders, representing a three percent decrease. Altogether, Consumer Direct [...]
February 7th, 2010 | Clare | 1 comment | Continued
Unwanted and Damaged Christmas Presents
It’s always nice to hear those five little words after giving your loved ones their presents this Christmas… Did you keep the receipt? As thousands of us flock back to the shops with unwanted, inappropriate or faulty gifts, What Consumer gives you the lowdown on your consumer rights.
Do shops have to give me my money [...]
Best Budget Bubbly
Consumer champion Which? says that sharing a little Christmas cheer does not need to cost a bundle, with high-quality supermarket brand champagnes available at a reasonable price. In fact, it is possible to throw a Christmas party with plenty of bubbly for considerably less than some people may think.
Which? recently enlisted a panel of experts [...]
Comparison Sites Failing Consumers
A recent study conducted by Which? Money revealed that comparison sites are not necessarily the best place to shop for financial products.
For the first time ever, Which? Money conducted a consumer satisfction survey on comparison sites that showed that on average, the customer rating for these sites was far beneath that of any other financial [...]
Parents Are Brainwashed And You’re Powerless
Criminals maintain lists of suckers who fall for mail scams and sell them on to other criminals for them to exploit too. Your elderly friends and family could be on these lists and you may not even know it.
These criminals generally operate from outside the UK and can be based anywhere in the [...]
Faulty Playstation 3 Rights
We have received many complaints regarding the so-called YLOD (Yellow Light of Death Fault) that is affecting a number of Sony Playstation 3 (PS3) owners and have created this guide to help them get their consoles fixed for free.
In the UK consumers have statutory rights that give them six years from the date of purchase [...]
Consumer Rights Mostly Ignored
One in three shoppers feel their consumer rights have been ignored when trying to return goods or get a refund.
In a survey* for the ‘Know Your Consumer Rights’ campaign nearly 40 per cent of men and just over 30 per cent of women said that they felt retailers had attempted to dismiss their claims when [...]
Home Information Packs Estate Agent Rip Off
According to recent research conducted by Which? Money, Home Information Packs (HIPS) provided by estate agents can cost significantly more than the ones that can be obtained directly from HIP providers – some of them can cost a staggering 50% more.
Home Information Packs are required for any homes that are put up for sale in Wales and England, [...]
Drivers Caught Out By Wheelclampers
In a recent study of the UK private car parking industry Which?, the consumer rights group, found that the many parking penalty signs are hidden, have contact numbers that don’t work, and the penalties for parking can range from £100 to a staggering £360.
The British Parking Association confessed to Which? investigators that the high charges [...]
New rules force UK companies to reduce mobile roaming charges
In July 2008, What Consumer reported on European moves to force UK phone companies to lower the cost of texting and downloading data abroad. At that time consumers were paying up to 40p per text and £7.50 per megabyte for things like checking emails and accessing the internet. Although several companies did cut their prices [...]
July 5th, 2009 | Tony | 1 comment | Continued
Faulty Laptop Your Rights
Your statutory rights give you six years from the date of purchase to make a claim (five years Scotland) and are in addition to any warranty that came with the laptop. The Sale of Goods Act 1979 is fundamental and says that goods including laptops must be:
Of Satisfactory Quality
This includes fitness for purpose, life [...]
Builders Green Advice Not Trusted
A new poll conducted by the Energy Saving Trust has found that 84 per cent of tradespeople want to give householders advice they can trust. But only one in six has confidence in tradespeople’s green guidance.
Just one in six British householders would trust a tradesperson’s green guidance but eight in 10 tradespeople would like to [...]
