business and finance

ASK TONY: I paid upfront for line rental - yet Plusnet's pocketed more

In August 2018, I paid line rental a year in advance to Plusnet. It left me to pay £12 per month. In September, it took £56 from my account, which it blamed on a software glitch.




business and finance

My landlord fixed my shower himself and has now removed it completely. Is this allowed?

My shower broke and my landlord decided to fix it himself rather than pay the plumber to do it. He has now completely removed the shower from the wall. Is he legally allowed to do this?




business and finance

I was charged for food I didn't order on Uber Eats 

My friend and I decided to order a takeaway from Uber Eats. We started selecting items but changed our minds so left the app. However, I have been charged and Uber refuse to refund me. Why?




business and finance

TONY HETHERINGTON: Help! Revolut robots have £10,000 of my money!

I have an account with Revolut which lets me operate in both euros and sterling. On October 4, Revolut 'temporarily disabled' my account for unspecified 'security reasons'.




business and finance

RUTH SUNDERLAND: The North needs a Boris boost. Otherwise, his new voters won't forgive him

A wave of people in the old Labour heartlands of the North have taken a huge psychological and emotional step by voting Tory for the first time in their lives. They have not done it lightly.




business and finance

ASK TONY: Premium Bond palaver that left me £500 out of pocket

On September 5, I tried to buy Premium Bonds for my new granddaughter. I went online, filled out the forms and paid by debit card. I was then asked to upload documents relating to the child's birth.




business and finance

How can I make sure my work pension is ethical and investing for good?

I have just started a new job and joined the company pension plan. I'd like to take a more active role but I don't know how to find out what I can and can't do and where I should go from there.




business and finance

HETHERINGTON: £2,999 to recoup loss on timeshare? Dream on…

I belonged to the Eze Group timeshare scheme before the owners were jailed. I have now been told Spanish courts have seized €1.3million (£1.1million) from Eze, to be repaid to members.




business and finance

Why was my £900 Help to Buy Isa bonus rejected?

In September my wife and I bought our first home together, neither of us having owned a property before. We both had a Help to Buy Isa with Barclays and each had the same value, £4,000.




business and finance

Your rights when it comes to returning Christmas presents: Consumer Fightback

Have you bought someone a Christmas present they didn't like, received one you've already got, or bought something in the sales and realised it's not quite right?




business and finance

ALEX BRUMMER: The Magnificent SEVEN - why Britain can be the envy of the world in the 2020s

The truth is that, in or out of the European Union, the citizens of the United Kingdom often under-estimate all the terrific things we have going for us.




business and finance

Woodford scandal shows why incoming bank governor needs to reshape the FCA

As a multiple victim of the implosion of the Woodford investment funds, facing heavy losses, I can't but think that the response of Bailey and the FCA to early warnings was dilatory and timid.




business and finance

VICTORIA BISCHOFF has one plea for 2020: Bring back customer service

In just the past ten days I've battled with my home insurer after the price of my policy was hiked by 30 per cent for no reason, chased my old energy supplier for a £174 refund.




business and finance

ASK TONY: My mobile caught fire in the car - but Samsung blames me!

My Samsung phone was only a year old when it spontaneously caught fire in the footwell of my car. I put it there after receiving a phone call, but as I drove off I noticed a strange smell.




business and finance

JEFF PRESTRIDGE: A solid year for equity investment (if you ignore Woodford) 

It was a pretty good 2019 for most equity investors, unless you were unlucky enough to be caught up in the Woodford quagmire.




business and finance

TONY HETHERINGTON: My 90-year-old father's £600 fine after tax error 

My dad will be 90 next month and has severe health issues. Revenue & Customs wrote saying he no longer needs to submit a tax return.




business and finance

TONY HETHERINGTON: A 12 per cent IOU return? We could both get rich... 

I am sending you an investment email I received from Rothco Wills and Estate Planning, offering a minimum of 12 per cent guaranteed return plus bonuses. Who are these people?




business and finance

HAMISH McCRAE: Look out for 2020's five big trends

So what's in store for 2020? It always takes a while for seismic political shifts to feed through into our daily lives, and so it is with the scale of the Tory victory last month.




business and finance

RUTH SUTHERLAND: Tough time ahead at the tills

This year is shaping up to be a white-knuckle ride for the supermarkets. Tesco, Sainsbury's and Morrisons will reveal this week how their trading went over Christmas. It's not likely to be happy reading.




business and finance

How to make the gym work out for you AND your wallet 

The start of the year often brings with it a raft of new gym membership sign-ups as we try to shift those extra pounds gained over the festive period.




business and finance

ASK TONY: Scrapped New York trip to care for son but refused refund

My partner and I booked a short break in New York to celebrate my 50th birthday. At the beginning of August, my son was diagnosed with stage 4 Hodgkin lymphoma blood cancer.




business and finance

Sainsbury's turns away a guide dog: Your Equality Act rights

Sainsbury's customer, Rachael Stevens, and her guide dog Pippa, were not allowed into the store, despite clear markings on the dog's livery.




business and finance

How did a fraudster take out a Three mobile contract in my name 

I received a letter from a credit recovery company at the end of November demanding £290, which has now risen to £360.




business and finance

My flat is a fire risk so I can't staircase my shared ownership mortgage

I am a shared ownership resident in a London block of flats who recently tried to staircase my mortgage. However, the lender was worried my balcony might be flammable. Now I can't remortgage.




business and finance

Why did Shelter back a squatter in my dad's house? TONY HETHERINGTON investigates

My father bought a house in Stockport, Greater Manchester, in 1971. Several years ago, a tenant tried to seize ownership by claiming squatter's rights.




business and finance

I want to remove my smart meter but have been told I will be charged £150. Why is this?

I moved into a property in October and found it had a first generation smart meter installed. When I asked about having it removed, I was told it would cost £150. Can I not have it removed for free?




business and finance

ASK TONY: We caught car theft on CCTV but insurer still wouldn't pay out

Our leased Range Rover Velar was stolen in October. The police never recovered it because the thieves ripped out its tracker, which was later found thrown in a ditch.




business and finance

TONY HETHERINGTON: I smell a rat in this tale of a criminal tenant

I rented out my late mother's house. I chose Howards Estate Agents to find a suitable tenant in full time employment, but it later became apparent they were not and defaulted on the rent.




business and finance

I work more hours than I invoice for as a freelancer. Should I charge the same when I work less?

I work 10 days a month on a freelance basis so I invoice the agency at the end of the month. I'm taking a two week holiday in February. Should I reduce my invoice or just bill as normal?




business and finance

ASK TONY: We cancelled our Greek villa but insurer refused to pay the bill

My husband and I booked and paid for a villa for a week in Corfu, and invited our four daughters and families to join us at our expense. The villa cost £2,391. We paid £96 for insurance with Get Going.




business and finance

RUTH SUTHERLAND: Klarna's tempting trap

If you are older than about 30, you have probably never heard of Klarna. But for millennials, it is one of those firms, such as Google and Hoover, that is so widely used it has become a verb.




business and finance

Does the time you land or get off the plane count for EU flight compensation?

We were put over the three hour delay time which entitles us to compensation after we landed at Amsterdam, are we still due a payout or is it based on when the plane touches down?




business and finance

ASK TONY: Santander and PayPal refused to refund stolen £450

Someone has fraudulently opened an account with PayPal using my name. PayPal withdrew £450 from my Santander account. It refunded this, but took it back the following week.




business and finance

BT has left me without internet and I need it for my heart monitor

My mother moved from one flat to another in mid-December. Her broadband stopped working after the move and BT have not fixed it even though she needs it as her heart monitor requires wi-fi.




business and finance

Do you need a transit visa for a connecting flight if you don't leave airport?

One couple turned up at Heathrow Airport for their flight to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania via Toronto - but were refused boarding for not having a transit visa for Canada.




business and finance

TONY HETHERINGTON: Since your last intervention, Revolut has taken £2,500 from my wife!

I had hoped that after your probe into Revolut, we could move on. But it has messaged my wife, saying that her account has been closed and funds returned 'to source'. Well, I was that source. Where's the cash?




business and finance

Love Holidays told me I had to pay an extra £1,000 for my hotel

I booked a hotel only reservation through Love Holidays two weeks ago and agreed a price of £1,080 but they have now said it is actually £2,080 and I have to pay. What can I do?




business and finance

ASK TONY: Water torture of our £1,300 bowls club bill

I am the treasurer of a 300-year-old bowling club. In October, I received a water bill for £1,335.29 (£1,220.72 actual plus £114.57 estimated). Bills had previously been about £30 per quarter.




business and finance

How quickly do I need to inform mobile provider if my phone is stolen?

I recently had my phone stolen and within five minutes of losing it, over £200 was spent on Google Play. Neither EE or Google have said they can help me. How can I get my money back?




business and finance

Screwfix fixed a shower the right way: Consumer Fightback

Abigail bought a shower from Screwfix for £119.99 and when Triton refused to repair it, the retailer stepped in and treated the customer right. Here's how to get the same result




business and finance

TONY HETHERINGTON: It's your call... but I'd take offer to scrap £1,238 Vodafone debt

My son has experienced no end of problems since upgrading his contract. His phone has been cut off, debt collectors have demanded money, and now he's being threatened by bailiffs.




business and finance

How to appeal an unfair private parking ticket

Parking tickets are the bane of every driver's life. Many of us who drive have fallen victim to them at some time or other - and often they are fair. But at times they are downright wrong.




business and finance

Hermes lost my JD Sports trainers delivery - what can I do?

I ordered a pair of £170 trainers from JD Sports to be delivered by Hermes. I hadn't received them so I contacted Hermes which said they had lost the shoes but I still haven't got them. What can I do?




business and finance

ASK TONY: STILL waiting for £800 refund after Corsica crash in 2017

My son rented a vehicle in Corsica in July 2017 and was involved in a minor accident which was not his fault. Enterprise Corsica, the car hire firm, has not repaid his €950 excess.




business and finance

Spotify hacking: How has someone taken over my music?

I was listening to music on my Spotify account when I found it had been taken over by someone else and I couldn't listen to my own music. How was someone able to get access to my account?




business and finance

ASK TONY: Scammers stole £3k but Tesco said I was too late to complain

I was contacted regarding potential fraudulent activity on my Tesco Mastercard in early October 2019. In total, £3,700.20 of illicit transactions were refunded.




business and finance

My fridge-freezer broke over 5 months ago and my insurer still hasn't paid out. What can I do?  

I made a claim with Legal and General five months ago after my fridge-freezer broke but it still hasn't paid out for the problem or made any repairs. What can I do to get this sorted?




business and finance

TONY HETHERINGTON: We're watching you 

Two South London men awaiting trial on fraud charges have been ordered to hand over £8.6 million.




business and finance

TONY HETHERINGTON: £47k bill for new build with no planning permission

In January 2018, my son Michael paid a deposit on an off-plan new build apartment in Smithfield Square, Birmingham. Last year, we discovered that there was still no planning permission.




business and finance

ASK TONY: TalkTalk won't let me cancel my care home dad's phone bill

My father, 92, was admitted to a dementia care home last September. I have Lasting Power of Attorney. I rang TalkTalk to cancel his account but they refused because I wasn't the account holder.