News in July 2006
- 31 Jul 2006Argos card's extortionate chargesA £300 iPod could cost you £405 with an Argos Easy Shop store card, this month's Which? warns.
- 31 Jul 2006Woolworths now sells carsHigh-street stalwart Woolworths has started selling cars at discounted prices.
- 31 Jul 2006New egg shows when it's cookedTwo new inventions could spell the end of the humble egg-timer but may be the perfect solution for the generation that doesn't know how to boil an egg.
- 29 Jul 2006Thames Water tops pollution listThames Water’swoes have continued after it emerged that the water giant clocked up the biggest fines for pollution in England and Wales last year.
- 28 Jul 2006Home makeover pitfall warningWatch out for home improvement deals where you have to pay everything upfront.
- 28 Jul 2006Stolen phone crackdownBritain’s mobile phone networks are joining forces to combat the growing problem of mobile phone theft.
- 28 Jul 2006New herbal medicine adviceThe medicines watchdog has stepped up its fight against herbal remedies which make bogus claims about their health benefits.
- 27 Jul 2006British Gas raises prices againBritish Gascustomers face more misery after the energy giant confirmed it will be hiking up energy prices by as much as 12.4 per cent.
- 27 Jul 2006BBC launches podcast trialNews addicts can now download news programmes from the BBC to mobile phones and video iPods.
- 27 Jul 2006BT's 'groundbreaking' DVD dealFilm buffs will soon be able to download Hollywood blockbusters from the internet on the day of their DVD release.
- 26 Jul 2006Blair threatens junk food ad banTony Blair has warned the food industry to take action over junk food adverts or face a government crackdown.
- 26 Jul 2006Recycling scheme set for 2007A recycling network will be set up across the UK to deal with the country's unwanted electrical and electronic goods.
- 26 Jul 2006Rare clematis flowers in heatwaveThe scorching hot weather is thought to be behind the first flowering in more than 25 years of a plant most botanists didn't even know was in the UK.
- 25 Jul 2006Private hospitals not giving NHS value for moneyThe government's drive to send NHS patients for treatment in private hospitals has failed to cut waiting times or save money, an influential group of MPs said today.
- 25 Jul 2006New rules to protect motorists' privacyNew measures have been announced to stop motorists' personal details being passed to ‘parking enforcement cheats' such as rogue wheel clampers.
- 25 Jul 2006Passport prices rise againThe cost of a British passport is to rise for the second time in ten months to pay for new anti-fraud measures, says the Home Office.
- 25 Jul 2006Microsoft set for Zune landingMicrosoftis mounting a challenge to Apple’s domination of the MP3 market by developing a portable music player.
- 25 Jul 2006Carphone Warehouse tweaks net dealCarphone Warehousehas changed its 'free broadband' offer after criticism from the advertising watchdog last week.
- 24 Jul 2006Cadbury linked to salmonella outbreakHealth officials say that contaminated Cadbury's chocolate bars were the most likely cause of a salmonella outbreak in England and Wales.
- 24 Jul 2006MP3 radio gadgets to be legalisedTransmitters which enable iPods and other MP3 players to be played over car stereos and home entertainment systems look set to become legal in the UK.
- 24 Jul 2006GP clinics set for Boots storesHigh-street chemist Boots is planning to put GP surgeries and hospital consultants in its stores across the UK, according to reports.
- 24 Jul 2006Britons hooked on mobile phonesMobile phones are changing the way we interact with each other and are becoming an increasingly important part of our lives, according to a new study.
- 24 Jul 2006EDF Energy hikes up pricesPower giant EDF Energy has announced it’s hiking up its fuel prices by up to 19 per cent.
- 23 Jul 2006Film4 prepares for free launchChannel 4’smovie channel Film4 will re-launch on Sunday evening as a free service for digital television viewers.
- 21 Jul 2006Airline complaints soarComplaints from air travellers almost trebled last year according to figures from the official passenger watchdog.
- 21 Jul 2006NHS failing allergy sufferersHealth chiefs have admitted that many allergy sufferers feel let down by the NHS and some wait up to nine months to see specialists.
- 21 Jul 2006Hair dye chemicals banned over cancer riskThe European Commission is to ban 22 chemicals found in permanent hairs dyes because of cancer fears.
- 20 Jul 2006Thames Water facing Ofwat fineThe UK's biggest water supplier Thames Water is facing more criticism after it failed to meet customer service standards.
- 20 Jul 2006Carphone Warehouse rapped over advertCarphone Warehouse has been told to stop running adverts claiming the broadband element of its TalkTalk service is ‘free forever’.
- 19 Jul 2006Which? gets estate agent contracts changedTwenty five estate agents have had to remove or change unfair terms on their contracts after Which? reported them to the government.
- 18 Jul 2006Air fares to be clearerAirlines will no longer be able to separate out taxes and charges on air fares to hide the true cost of a flight, under new EU proposals.
- 18 Jul 2006Some cereals more than half sugarSome breakfast cereals contain the same levels of sugar or salt as a chocolate bar or a packet of crisps, Which? reveals today.
- 18 Jul 2006Which? slams government over HIPs backtrackWhich? has slammed the government for its ‘half-baked’ decision to delay a vital part of forthcoming Home Information Packs (HIPs).
- 18 Jul 2006Sky joins broadband battleSatellite broadcaster Sky is the latest company to enter the increasingly competitive broadband market.
- 18 Jul 2006NHS charges a 'complete mess', say MPsThe system of NHS charges has been branded a ‘complete mess’ by a committee of MPs.
- 17 Jul 2006Bargain holiday bonanzaTravel companies have started knocking hundreds of pounds off their holidays after being left with a glut of unsold packages.
- 17 Jul 2006Parents' web ignorance puts kids at riskParents lack the technical skills to protect their children from internet risks such as online porn and violence, says children’s charity NCH.
- 14 Jul 2006Patient privacy under threat from NHS databaseDoctors say there will be a serious threat to patient confidentiality if everyone’s medical records are stored on one main database.
- 14 Jul 2006Blueberries-easy to grow, delicious to tasteBlueberries are a great summer fruit packed with vitamins and antioxidants and are definitely worth growing, says Gardening Which?
- 13 Jul 2006Digital switch fearsMore needs to be done to ensure viewers are not left behind by the switchover to digital television.
- 13 Jul 2006Water firm complaints riseHouseholder complaints about water companies are up 10 per cent on the same period last year, according to new figures out today.
- 13 Jul 2006Phoning over the net can save a fortuneIn its latest issue the magazine examines how customers can use their PC as a telephone with the services Voip (Voice over internet protocol) provides.
- 12 Jul 2006Parking system overhaulCouncils will only be able to use wheel clamping to tackle the 'most persistent' parking offenders under new guidelines revealed today.
- 12 Jul 2006Ski yoghurt advert misleadingNestlehas been criticised by the advertising watchdog after a Ski yoghurt advert misleadingly implied the product contained no additives.
- 12 Jul 2006Plans to slash mobile roaming chargesThe European Commission has unveiled plans to cut the cost of using mobile phones abroad by up to 70 per cent.
- 11 Jul 2006MPs demand action over stroke deathsNot enough priority is given to stroke victims resulting in hundreds of people dying unnecessarily in England each year and many more left with serious disabilities, MPs have said.
- 11 Jul 2006Asda moves into property marketSupermarket chain Asda has branched out into the property market with a home selling service.
- 11 Jul 2006Microsoft ends Windows 98 supportComputer software giants Microsoft has urged customers to upgrade from Windows 98 as it pulled support for the software.
- 10 Jul 2006Tesco labels confuse shoppersTesco’s decision to use its own 'healthy' food labelling system has confused shoppers, Which? research has found.
- 07 Jul 2006Organic sales boomSales of organic produce have seen a 30 per cent increase in the past year, with two out of three UK consumers making sure at least some of their food is now organic.
- 07 Jul 2006Whooping cough endemic among schoolchildrenWhooping cough is 'endemic' among UK schoolchildren even though most have been immunised, health experts revealed today.
- 07 Jul 2006Australia flight dealIt should soon become much easier and cheaper to fly between the UK and Australia after the two countries struck a new airline deal.
- 07 Jul 2006Dell makes contracts fairer to consumersComputer giant Dell has agreed to change its terms and conditions to make to it clearer what consumers are buying.
- 06 Jul 2006Travel agent insurance warningHoliday insurance sold by travel agents is often expensive and sold without the right questions being asked, Which? warns today.
- 06 Jul 2006Superminis no match for thievesSome superminis are no match for thieves and can be broken into in just three seconds, Which? reveals today.
- 06 Jul 2006Database for stolen goodsShoppers can now use a hi-tech database to check whether a product they are buying is stolen.
- 05 Jul 2006Householders flee energy risesHundreds of thousands of householders have responded to hikes in energy bills by switching suppliers to save money.
- 05 Jul 2006Cadbury criticised over salmonella scareCadbury failed to adequately assess the risk of salmonella in its chocolate, the government's food experts have said.
- 04 Jul 2006Thames Water escapes fineThe UK's biggest water supplier Thames Water has escaped a fine for failing to meet its leakage target.
- 04 Jul 2006More action needed on ID fraudThe government has been urged to do more to tackle the growing threat of identity fraud which has already hit more than one in four Britons.
- 03 Jul 2006Bank faces inquiry over debtor's suicideOne of Britain's biggest banks is facing a probe after it emerged a customer killed himself after running up credit card debts of GBP 130,000.
- 03 Jul 2006New ombudsman for energy disputesGas and electricity customers who dispute their energy bills will now be able to take their complaints to a new ombudsman service.
- 03 Jul 2006'Dry' garden unveiled at showA ‘dry’ garden has been unveiled at a leading flower show to illustrate how gardeners can help save water.
- 01 Jul 2006Don't get burnt by misleading sun screensSome sun screens don't offer the protection they claim and could put your health at risk, Which? warns today.
