Revealed: the banks using 'pseudo' solicitor firms to make debtors pay up
Threatening legal letters from what appear to be solicitor firms are actually coming from a department of Lloyds or NatWest Has your bank sent you a letter from a 'pseudo' solicitors firm?Britain's...
View ArticleSky broadband's error on promotion dates cost me £100
Sky disputed promise to pay portion of contract cancellation fees for switching broadband supplierOn 1 April I saw a Sky newspaper advert for a broadband deal an offer to refund up to £100 of any...
View Article'Wild west' of eco-labels: sustainability claims are confusing consumers
With an ocean of eco-labels for consumers to navigate, it is hard to know what to trust. How are buying choices made?Standing in front of a shelf of egg cartons at a supermarket, the typical consumer...
View ArticleBritish Gas forced to pay out £1m for mis-selling energy deals
Energy giant overstated amount customers could save by switching tariffs. Some customers ended up paying moreBritish Gas has been forced to pay out £1m to customers after mis-selling energy deals to...
View ArticleWe bought a house in Oxford. Just one problem: it's 60 miles from my desk |...
Commuting between Oxford and London can be a drag, but I see Oxfordshire before me and it all feels just about worthwhileIt should be a time for sleep, or at most quiet reflection. But in our house, at...
View ArticleContactless payments: new wristband connects directly to bank account
First wristband to act as contactless payment card that does not require pre-loading will come to Britain if trial in Spain is successShoppers in Spain will soon be paying for goods simply by waving a...
View ArticleChristmas comes early for UK's biggest retailers
It may only be July, but for retailers the festive season is in full swing as they vie for competitive advantage and tweets by launching their product rangesIt may be early July, with London basking in...
View ArticleA colleague has asked if I'd consider a job share
I'd enjoy fewer hours and would probably be OK with less pay, but I'm not sure how it would workEvery week a Guardian Money reader submits a question, and it's up to you to help him or her out a...
View ArticleIn praise of the warm glow | Editorial
Chuggers, please note the secret to charitable giving lies less in the cause, and more in the person askingYou're raising cash for cancer research. Will you get more money if you ask a big group of...
View ArticleNo points for Thomas Cook over Co-op travel booking
I was promised Co-op points when I booked my holiday but they failed to materialiseIn March I rang Thomas Cook to book a holiday (a week in Madeira) using the number on the website. The operator...
View ArticlePolice make five arrests in copycat website crackdown
Authorities act against websites that imitate government servicesPolice have swooped on four addresses around the UK, making a string of arrests in a nationally coordinated probe into so-called...
View ArticleKiWi Power: the tech-savvy energy firm with a way out of Britain's power crisis
Laptop-sized product monitors customer's energy usage and can cut it off in times of high demand and the client gets paid for itA small iron gate squeezed between a newsagent and printing shop off...
View ArticleBank branches out on a limb
Lobby group BBA finds networks are shrinking as customers turn to mobile phones, contactless cards and texts for their bankingThe use of bank branches is falling sharply as customers turn to mobile...
View ArticleLA Fitness swimming pass promise did not hold water
The fitness chain refuses to honour its 10-swims voucher, leaving me £30 out of pocketBefore Christmas I purchased a 10-swims card from LA Fitness, Colchester for £30. I was assured, unreservedly,...
View ArticleMarks & Spencer results: analysts fear retailer's woe run deep
Analysts count mixed blessings for M&S with many willing to take a longer term view but few untroubled by online shopping debacleProblems with Marks & Spencer's new website saw online sales...
View ArticleMany consumers misled by copycat websites, ASA finds
Advertising watchdog promises to crack down on sites that pose as official government portalsConsumers admit they are most misled by the use of official-looking crown logos and the prominence of...
View ArticleWill switching to a water meter save money?
In England and Wales your water company is obliged to install a water meter free of charge if you ask, so is it a win-win situation?How to switch to a water meterWhen the first water bill arrived on...
View ArticleHow to switch to a water meter
Installing a water meter saves money on energy and water bills here's how you can make the switchWill switching to a water meter save money?Switching to a water meter can help you to save money on your...
View ArticleM&S shrugs off website teething troubles and sends Santa its wishlist
The retailer had to improve its online presence, but slowing its web usage from 20% growth to minus 8% shrinkage was an underwhelming resultWe haven't got a website problem, Marks & Spencer bosses...
View ArticleShareholders attack Marks & Spencer as website revamp loses customers
Online sales fall 8% in three months but chief executive Marc Bolland promises return to growth ahead of ChristmasMarc Bolland's ability to turn around Marks & Spencer was called into question on...
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