News in October 2006
- 31 Oct 2006Customer service woe for British GasBritish Gas has been slated for its poor customer service after it attracted more complaints than all the other domestic energy suppliers put together.
- 31 Oct 2006KFC to ditch harmful trans fatsOne of the world’s biggest fast food chains is to ditch dangerous trans fats from most of the foods it serves at its US restaurants.
- 31 Oct 2006Adult 020 chatline scam tackledA sex chatline scam first exposed by Which? in 2002 has finally been taken to task after years of exploiting a legal loophole.
- 31 Oct 2006Ryanair to cut baggage allowanceNo-frills airline Ryanair is to cut checked-in baggage allowances for passengers from tomorrow.
- 30 Oct 2006Parents still confused by new car seat rulesMany motorists are still confused by the new child car seat laws, a new survey has found.
- 30 Oct 2006Fashion shoppers embrace cheap chicShoppers seeking cheap fashion are flocking in greater numbers to budget clothes stores such as Primark and New Look.
- 30 Oct 2006Flight liquid ban to be relaxedThe ban on carrying liquids on board flights in hand luggage is expected to be relaxed from the start of next week.
- 30 Oct 2006ITV expands digital channelsITVhas launched two new digital channels on the Sky satellite service. ITV2+1 and ITV3+1 offer viewers a second chance to watch the popular daily schedules of ITV2 and ITV3 but are one hour delayed versions of these two existing digital channels.
- 27 Oct 2006Holiday from hell? Here's what to doBuilding chaos, non-stop noise and lost luggage can turn a trip away from it all into a holiday from hell.
- 27 Oct 2006Neighbours battle over parking spacesThe increasing scarcity of parking places in British streets is behind the increase in ‘parking rage’ between neighbours, it’s been claimed.
- 27 Oct 2006Homeowners need push to go greenThe government "needs to do more" to persuade homeowners to go green.
- 26 Oct 2006Homeowners warned over cutting costsHomeowners who rely on friends and relatives to carry out specialist home improvements risk botched jobs, injury and wasted cash.
- 26 Oct 2006Doctors hit out at homeopathy moveScientific organisations and doctors are warning that changes to the regulation of homeopathic medicines could put patients at risk, according to media reports today.
- 26 Oct 2006Credit broker gets £455,000 fineA credit broker has been hit with a fine of almost half a million pounds because it failed to treat thousands of its customers fairly when it sold payment protection insurance (PPI).
- 25 Oct 2006Lloyds TSB ads ruled 'untrue'Lloyds TSBhas been slammed by ad watchdogs for sending householders material that looked as if their neighbours were recommending the bank’s home insurance.
- 25 Oct 2006Government probes Farepak collapseThe government is investigating the collapse of Christmas hamper firm Farepak.
- 25 Oct 2006More digital switchover dates announcedFour million homes in the West Country, Wales and the north-west of England have now been given the start dates for their switchover to digital TV.
- 24 Oct 2006Thomson sorry for 'no loos' cruisePlumbing problems on a luxury cruise ship left some passengers without toilets for three days and created ‘mayhem’ on board, it’s been reported.
- 24 Oct 2006BT launches virtual vaultBThas launched a new service which allows broadband users to store their important files and photographs in an ‘online vault’.
- 24 Oct 2006Warning over teeth whitening kitsSome over-the-counter teeth whitening kits can cause chemical burns and painful mouth ulcers, dentists have warned.
- 23 Oct 2006Millions of Britons haven't made a willAround 65 per cent of Britons are storing up potential problems for their families and loved ones because they haven't made a will, according to a new survey.
- 23 Oct 2006Shoppers choose offers and own brandsShoppers across Britain are saving £336 million a week by choosing special offers and own-brand goods, a new survey reports.
- 23 Oct 2006MOT cost to riseThe costs of taking your driving test and getting your car through an MOT are set to rise, the government has announced.
- 23 Oct 2006Plan unveiled for free cashpointsThree hundred free-to-use cash machines are to be installed in some of Britain’s poorest communities.
- 23 Oct 2006UK losing billions on wasted energyConsumers in the UK are the worst in Europe when it comes to saving energy, a new survey has found.
- 20 Oct 2006Motorists stung by rising car costsMotorists may have benefited from a dip in fuel prices but the average cost of running a car has still risen by £539 in the last year, according to the RAC.
- 20 Oct 2006Stores lose price fixing appealsThree major high street stores face multi-million pound fines after losing their appeals against price fixing charges.
- 20 Oct 2006Sky One snaps up LostSatellite broadcaster Sky has poached the award winning US series Lost from Channel Four after snapping up the exclusive rights for the next two series.
- 19 Oct 2006Patients 'not helped by dental shake-up'Patients are not benefiting from this year’s major shake-up of NHS dentistry, a medical body warned today.
- 19 Oct 2006Virus hits Apple iPodsElectronics giant Apple has warned that a batch of its Video iPods have been infected with a software virus.
- 19 Oct 2006Payment protection slammedThe £5.5 billion payment protection insurance (PPI) market is to face a full investigation after an initial probe found it was failing consumers.
- 19 Oct 2006MySupermarket site aims to cut shopping billsA new website is designed to help online shoppers cut their grocery bills.
- 18 Oct 2006Ryanair rapped by OFTPassengers flying with Ryanair will now get a fairer deal after the government stepped in to take action against the no-frills airline.
- 18 Oct 2006Fruit juice claim 'misleading'The advertising watchdog has branded ads for a fruit drink misleading after they claimed the product provided two portions of fruit out of the recommended 'five a day'.
- 17 Oct 2006Top tips to avoid holiday bluesWhich? Legal Servicelawyers have put together top tips to ensure holidaymakers enjoy a hassle-free half-term break.
- 17 Oct 2006Super-watchdog moves closerThe government has announced plans to amalgamate several consumer protection bodies into a single one-stop shop.
- 17 Oct 2006Food firms cut harmful fatsAround £1.5 billion worth of foods are being reformulated to remove dangerous trans fats, the food industry has confirmed.
- 17 Oct 2006Online guide to scores on the doorsA new service helps you access reports on the cleanliness of restaurants online.
- 16 Oct 2006Hundreds of ops 'cancelled due to admin errors'More than 160,000 NHS operations were cancelled last year because of administrative errors, an MP claimed today.
- 16 Oct 2006Blu-Ray players arrive in the UKTwo separate home cinema formats are set to battle it out to become the dominant successor to DVD.
- 16 Oct 2006Many patients sick of hospital foodMany patients are leaving hospital meals because they look, taste and smell unappetising, according to a report out today.
- 16 Oct 2006Millions at risk of ID fraudMillions of British homes are throwing out confidential information in their rubbish which could allow fraudsters to steal their identity, a new survey has found.
- 13 Oct 2006Which? calls for hospital patients' viewsWhich? wants to hear your views on what really matters to you when you have to spend time in hospital.
- 13 Oct 2006Allotments are back in fashionAllotments are making a comeback and are emerging as a modern way to improve health and well being, says Gardening Which?.
- 13 Oct 2006EU takes UK to court over food hygieneThe European Commission has launched legal action against the UK government over its policing of food safety standards.
- 13 Oct 2006Warning over sabotaged loavesShoppers have been warned to be on their guard after shards of glass and a needle were found in packs of bread.
- 13 Oct 2006Virgin cuts fuel surchargeVirgin Atlantichas announced it's cutting its fuel surcharge from £35 per flight to £30.
- 12 Oct 2006Electricals sales soarA surge in demand for TVs, games consoles and sat nav equipment is set to make electricals the UK’s fastest growing retail sector in 2006.
- 12 Oct 2006Most NHS trusts 'need to improve'A damning report has branded more than half of England's NHS trusts only weak or fair in the services they provide or the way they manage taxpayers' money.
- 12 Oct 2006OFT to cut back on investigationsThe Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is planning to cut the number of cases it investigates.
- 12 Oct 2006NI banking sector not competitiveCustomers of Northern Ireland's ‘big four’ banks are being stung with higher charges than British customers and receiving lower levels of interest on their savings because of a lack of competition in the sector.
- 11 Oct 2006Carphone Warehouse buys AOLCarphone Warehousehas agreed a £370 million deal to buy the UK arm of internet provider AOL from Time Warner.
- 11 Oct 2006Anti-wrinkle cream advert misled shoppersAn advert for a Clinique anti-wrinkle cream made misleading claims about its effect on the skin, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said today.
- 11 Oct 2006Britons have worst diets in EuropeBritish people have the worst diets in Europe according to the head of the nation’s food watchdog.
- 11 Oct 2006TV phone quiz probeAn investigation has been launched into the money-making phone lines used by TV quiz shows.
- 11 Oct 2006Samsung's new 10 megapixel camera phoneKorean electronics giant Samsung has launched the world’s first 10 megapixel (Mp) camera phone.
- 10 Oct 2006United front against junk food advertisingWhich? and 23 other organisations have written to broadcast regulator Ofcom demanding a 9pm watershed on the television advertising of unhealthy food to children.
- 10 Oct 2006Dentists leaving NHSMore than 1,500 dentists in England have quit the NHS following the government’s dentistry shake-up in April.
- 10 Oct 2006Postal watchdog probes collection complaintsThe postal regulator is investigating complaints that the final daily collection from some post boxes in England and Wales is now as early as 9am.
- 09 Oct 2006EU bans UK dairy in hygiene rowA Lancashire dairy has been banned from selling its cheese in Europe after EC officials found evidence of antibiotics, dyes and detergents in its products.
- 09 Oct 2006Junk mail warningMoves to increase the amount of junk mail that can be delivered to your home will damage the environment and cost you more in taxes, it was claimed today.
- 09 Oct 2006BA pair quit amid fuel surcharge probeTwo British Airways managers who've been on leave of absence during a probe into the alleged fixing of long-haul fuel surcharges have both resigned.
- 09 Oct 2006Top-rated Laskarina Holidays to closeGreek islands specialist tour operatorLaskarina Holidays is to wind up its business after more than 30 years of trading.
- 06 Oct 2006Fujitsu recalls laptop batteriesLaptop maker Fujitsu is recalling almost 300,000 Sony laptop batteries because of a risk of fire if there's a short circuit.
- 06 Oct 2006Unsafe child car seatsTrading standards officers in Wales found that two thirds of child car seats were unsafe during spot checks this summer.
- 06 Oct 20060870 website saves call costsThe website, Say no to 0870 has found a way to get around the high charges of national-rate telephone numbers.
- 05 Oct 2006Drug firms' tactics exposedTactics used by drug companies to boost profits over the needs of NHS patients are exposed by a Which? publication today.
- 05 Oct 2006Fiat recalls Grande Punto after Which? callA Fiat car promoted for its safety is being recalled after Which? exposed how drivers could suffer severe knee injuries in a crash.
- 05 Oct 2006Tesco self-scan tills open to card fraudA security loophole at Tesco self-service tills is making it easy for thieves to buy goods with stolen cards, a Which? investigation has revealed.
- 04 Oct 2006Passport prices up againPassport fees rise tomorrow by almost 30 per cent for both adults and children.
- 04 Oct 2006John Lewis launches Greenbee services siteJohn Lewis has launched a new online and telephone sales venture offering insurance, holidays and events tickets.
- 04 Oct 2006Firms accused of upping salt in some foodsSalt levels in some branded foods vary hugely depending on where in the world they are sold, a new campaign group said yesterday.
- 04 Oct 2006Why you'll have to wait for cheaper gasConsumers will have to wait at least six months to see cuts in gas bills even after Britain was flooded with a free fuel supply yesterday.
- 03 Oct 2006Baby milk had iron above limitA brand of organic baby milk has been found to contain levels of iron above the legal limit.
- 03 Oct 2006Good Food Guide names London top for diningLondon outstrips every other UK city for its plethora of fine restaurants, says the new Which? Good Food Guide 2007.
- 02 Oct 2006Fears over flu jab delayFears are growing that some vulnerable patients may have to wait for their annual flu jab after the government said stocks would arrive late.
- 02 Oct 2006Crackdown on Blue Badge fraudstersFraudsters who abuse the disabled parking scheme face a fine of up to £1,000 under new rules unveiled by the government.
- 02 Oct 2006Massive support for junk food ad banEighty per cent of Britons want food companies to stop promoting unhealthy foods to children, a Which? survey has found.
- 02 Oct 2006Tesco sells softwareYou'll now be able to pick up own-brand computer software at Tesco along with your groceries.
