I’ve rounded up all of the reader stories and questions I typically receive every January to produce my top consumer tips for January 2019. These are the ‘dos’ and ‘don’ts’ for the New Year: Return unwanted Christmas gifts If you’ve received a Christmas gift that you don’t want and want to return it to the… Read More Happy New Year – my consumer tips for January
HMV, the popular music and video retailer has gone into administration for the second time in six years. This means that HMV is now been run by administrators, with a view to either selling the brand or closing it down for good. In the current retail climate on the high street, many believe we will… Read More HMV goes into Administration
Many of you will have bagged a bargain during the Black Friday deals this week and or perhaps you are waiting to see what deals are available online tomorrow, during Cyber Monday. Either way, here’s five things you need to know: If your purchase turns out to be faulty – act quickly as the Consumer… Read More Problems with Black Friday/Cyber Monday
I can’t believe I’m saying this but it’s that time of year when most people start planning their Christmas shopping. Over the next few weeks I will be providing lots of advice and tips in relation to Christmas shopping and your rights. Here’s the first few things you need to be aware of: Christmas Turkey… Read More November Christmas Shopping Tips
I’m starting to hear stories about rogue door step sellers claiming to be selling on behalf of High Street brands as part of Black Friday. Black Friday is on 23 November as is basically a ‘sale’ event. Many retailers promote deals running up to Black Friday and fraudsters are now taking advantage of this and… Read More Scam of the Week
I’m always being asked what your rights are when you lose your debit or credit card or they are stolen. Here’s the key points you need to know: Debit cards If you report any unauthorised transactions straight away, your debit card provider should refund you immediately. However there are some exceptions to this rule: i) if… Read More Know your rights: Lost/stolen credit and debit cards
Complaints about the purchase of used vehicles tops the complaints list every year and is also the most common issue that readers contact me about. Here’s a round-up of what you’ve been asking me and what your rights are: Your basic rights When you buy a used vehicle it must i) be of satisfactory quality… Read More Buying a used vehicle – your basic rights
In October 2015 the new Consumer Rights Act 2015 came into force. This new act consolidated many previous consumer laws, such as the Sale of Goods Act, into one law and provided greater protections for the consumer. From a huge amount of feedback, I’ve received it would appear that three years later many traders are… Read More Traders are still flouting the Consumer Rights Act 2015
Fireworks are now widely available for sale meaning that many people buy them and put on their own private displays at home. As with everything we do, there are potential problems that you could run into with this and laws that you need to know about. Here’s the key points: When you can set fireworks… Read More Fireworks and the law
Following an ITV programme exposing the issues with ‘pre-planned’ funeral plans, I’ve received a flurry of emails and messages from readers on the subject. What is a pre-planned funeral? Pre-paid funeral plans are financial plans that you pay into (often monthly) where you are essentially saving up to pay for your funeral. The main selling… Read More Pre-planned funeral plans
