News in May 2007
- 31 May 2007Pregnant women warned over iron supplementsPregnant women were warned today not to take iron supplements unless they are anaemic.
- 31 May 2007Apple launches copyright free music serviceApple has launched its iTunes Plus service which makes selected tracks compatible with virtually any MP3 player.
- 31 May 2007New pill to help smokers quit gets draft approvalA prescription-only pill to help people quit smoking has received draft approval for use on the NHS.
- 31 May 2007Goods and services to get carbon ratingA carbon footprint calculator is being developed to measure the greenhouse gas emissions of all goods and services.
- 31 May 2007SSE plans 'green' incentive schemePower giant Scottish and Southern Energy today said it was planning a new incentive scheme that could help ‘green’ customers save about £100 a year on their bills.
- 31 May 2007Sanyo unveils waterproof camcorderElectronics giant Sanyo has unveiled a waterproof camcorder that lets you film or take pictures up to five feet under water.
- 30 May 2007Crackdown on dodgy sales techniquesBogus closing down sales and prize draw scams will be made illegal under new laws.
- 30 May 2007Worcestershire sauce is Britain's top food exportWorcestershire sauce is the British food with the biggest impact on worldwide cuisine, a survey out today says.
- 30 May 2007Microsoft unveils coffee table computerMicrosoft has unveiled a coffee-table shaped computer that responds to touch and to special bar codes attached to everyday objects.
- 30 May 2007Dyson rapped over vacuum cleaner advertA Dyson commercial was criticised today for claiming its vacuum cleaners do not rely on filters and therefore do not get clogged or lose suction.
- 30 May 2007Asda to launch 'cheapest' school uniformA school uniform priced at less than £10 including shoes will hit stores next week.
- 29 May 2007Government health warning for alcoholic drinksAlcoholic drinks will get new warning labels under a government scheme to be implemented by the end of 2008.
- 29 May 2007Crackdown to target young drink driversA summer crackdown on drink driving will target the young, the Department of Transport confirmed today.
- 29 May 2007Rules for BBC phone-in contests to be tightenedA BBC review of the premium rate phone-in scandal published today reveals serious errors of judgement by two programmes.
- 28 May 2007Tenth anniversary of internet bankingOnline banking in the UK is now ten years old - and more than a third of us regularly log on to handle our finances.
- 26 May 2007Workers would choose pension over higher payUp to two-thirds of employees would take a lower paid job if it meant getting a decent workplace pension, new figures show.
- 26 May 2007Home on the road for mobile travellersMotorhomes are ideal for people who enjoy touring holidays, says Holiday Which? today at the start of National Camping and Caravanning Week.
- 25 May 2007Trials for digital speed camera with no flashTrials have begun of a new type of speed camera that does not flash and requires no film, it was revealed today.
- 25 May 2007One in five home owners make a conversionOne in five home owners have converted lofts or other areas into living space, partly to increase the value of their house, according to new research today.
- 25 May 2007Commission to probe Sky's ITV stakeBSkyB's acquisition of a 17.9 per cent stake in ITV was referred to the Competition Commission for detailed investigation today.
- 25 May 2007Fizzy soft drink latest to drop additivesArtificial colours and flavours will be dropped from Tango soft drinks, according to its manufacturer.
- 25 May 2007Pension scheme will be in 'members' interests'Consumer interest will be at the heart of a trust-based retirement saving scheme for employees, Work and Pensions Secretary John Hutton said.
- 25 May 2007Growing demand for organic beauty productsBritons' growing taste for organic is extending to beauty products, research out today says.
- 24 May 2007Average time spent watching TV is on the riseTelevision viewers watch an average 3.8 hours per day, a report out today says.
- 24 May 2007Cap on retirement savings would put people offPutting a contribution cap on Personal Accounts would discourage people from saving for retirement, Which? reveals today.
- 24 May 2007'Real time' displays for household metersHousehold meters will have 'real time' displays to show how much electricity has been used, according to the government's Energy White Paper.
- 24 May 2007Vote secures cheaper calls while travelling abroadThe cost of making mobile phone calls when travelling abroad is set to fall after Euro-MPs overwhelmingly voted to slash charges.
- 24 May 2007Million return from holidays to home 'disasters'Britons on dream holidays can return to nightmare homes, it was revealed today.
- 24 May 2007Young Britons hoard old mobile phonesYoung Brits are so in love with their mobile phones they find it hard to hand over old handsets to recyclers, according to research out today.
- 23 May 2007Home packs delayed until AugustWhich? today warned a two month delay in the introduction of Home Information Packs (HIPs) is not enough and the government may have to go back to the drawing board.
- 23 May 2007Supermarket to axe music singlesA supermarket chain is dropping music singles in the wake of the success of digital downloads, it announced today.
- 23 May 2007'Low emission' 4x4 ad misleading, says watchdogAn advert for a 4x4 car broke advertising rules by claiming the vehicle had 'low emissions', the industry watchdog said today.
- 23 May 2007Motorists still using mobiles while drivingFour in ten mobile phone users are breaking the law by using their phone while driving, according to a survey by which.co.uk.*
- 22 May 2007Micro TV for telly addicts on the moveElectronics engineers in Japan have developed a new micro TV which allows viewers to watch their favourite programmes wherever they are.
- 22 May 2007Store ditches scheme to tackle excess packagingA supermarket chain is dropping a scheme which encouraged shoppers to leave excess packaging at stores.
- 22 May 2007M&S to charge food shoppers for carrier bagsMarks & Spencer stepped up its drive for ethical trading today with a trial scheme which will see customers charged for carrier bags.
- 22 May 2007Space garden wins flower show's gold medalAn astronaut's trip to Mars is the theme of the Chelsea Flower Show's best show garden, judges said today.
- 22 May 2007Cancer patients get 'raw deal on travel insurance'Recovered cancer sufferers are being refused travel insurance or quoted massive premiums, according to new research.
- 21 May 2007TV ad campaign targets car emissionsA series of television advertisements to help motorists reduce their impact on the environment are to be screened from tonight.
- 21 May 2007Apples and fish 'protect unborn child'Apples and fish sound an unlikely food combination but new evidence suggests they can protect unborn children against allergic diseases.
- 21 May 2007Surge in online advertising spendingOnline advertising spending has soared to more than £2 billion, official figures out today show.
- 19 May 2007Take the graft out of gardeningGardening should be fun so choose the right equipment to make everyday tasks easier, Gardening Which? says today.
- 19 May 2007Majority back moves to stop drivers smokingAlmost two-thirds of British people believe there should be a ban on smoking while driving a car, a survey has revealed.
- 18 May 2007Avoid firms offering to reclaim your bank fees‘No win, no fee’ firms have been criticised for cold calling people and offering to reclaim bank fees.
- 18 May 2007Online spending hits £100 billionTotal online spending by British shoppers has now hit £100 billion, new research shows.
- 18 May 2007BA prepared for multi-million pound finesBritish Airways was braced today for multi-million pound fines and legal action after admitting it broke competition rules.
- 18 May 2007High street prices 'rising faster'High street prices have risen at their fastest annual rate for more than eight years, official figures revealed today.
- 17 May 2007Amazon to launch music download serviceAmazon.com is launching a new music download service to rival market leader Apple, it has announced.
- 17 May 2007Government confirms post office closuresThe government today signalled that the closure of 2,500 post offices will go ahead, and was immediately condemned for dealing a ‘devastating blow’ to the lives of millions of pensioners.
- 17 May 2007BT claims broadband top spotBT said today it had leapfrogged Virgin Media to regain its position as the UK's leading broadband provider.
- 17 May 2007Experts back folic acid in breadFolic acid should be routinely added to flour used in bread as a way of cutting birth defects, food experts agreed today.
- 17 May 2007Water bill complaints soarComplaints about water companies to the official customer watchdog are at their highest level since 1994.
- 16 May 2007Points may not mean penalties for driversAn insurance company is no longer automatically penalising motorists with points on their licence due to the rise in the number of speed camera convictions, it was revealed today.
- 16 May 2007Drivers warned over tyre pressuresDrivers are putting lives at risk by not checking tyre pressures frequently enough, according to a survey.
- 16 May 2007Fairer bank charges for Northern Ireland consumersNorthern Ireland consumers are set to get fairer bank charges after a Competition Commission (CC) investigation prompted by Which?.
- 16 May 2007Bank defeats charges claim in county courtLloyds TSB has become the first bank to defeat a court challenge by a current account customer over unauthorised overdraft penalty fees.
- 16 May 2007Two year wait for NHS hearing aidsSome people are waiting more than two years for new hearing aids on the NHS in England, an MPs' report has said.
- 16 May 2007'Fish and tips' offer for hotel guestsA hotel chain is providing a 'fish and tips' service to help relax guests in Birmingham and Leeds.
- 15 May 2007Personal chip and pin machines for shoppersOnline shoppers could soon be required to use 'chip and pin' machines in their own homes in a bid to tackle internet fraud.
- 15 May 2007Few people ask GPs for cosmetic surgery adviceOnly around one in eight people consult their GP before deciding to have cosmetic surgery or treatments, new Which? research reveals today.
- 15 May 2007Elderly bus pass scheme to go nationwideFree off-peak bus travel for the elderly and disabled in England has moved a step forward.
- 15 May 2007Clarity demanded on concert tickets feesAn MP has demanded greater transparency in the fees charged for concert tickets by agents and entertainment venues.
- 15 May 2007Judge warns banks over penalty charges actionBanks have been warned by a High Court judge to stop putting unnecessary pressure on customers seeking to reclaim ‘unfair’ penalty charges.
- 15 May 2007Asda drops artificial additives from own brandsA supermarket chain is removing all artificial colours and flavours from its own-label food and drinks.
- 15 May 2007Lower fuel prices keep lid on cost of livingThe cost of living in the UK has dropped sharply thanks to lower energy bills, official figures revealed today.
- 14 May 2007Britons unaware of malaria riskNearly two in three Britons are unaware of the symptoms of malaria, according to a new survey.
- 14 May 2007Price cuts pay dividends for British GasBritish Gas has signed up more than 900,000 new customers after cutting fuel bills earlier this year.
- 14 May 2007Supermarket launches 'green' milk bottlePlastic milk bottles could soon disappear from supermarket shelves after the launch of a new recyclable alternative made from cardboard.
- 12 May 2007Doctors warn about anti-ageing treatment riskPlastic surgeons have issued a warning over unregulated 'medi-spas' that offer anti-ageing treatments.
- 12 May 2007Low fare Toronto flights from HeathrowA new long-haul, low-fare air service starts at Britain's biggest airport today.
- 11 May 2007Aspirin offers bowel cancer hopeAn aspirin a day can keep bowel cancer away, a new study has shown.
- 11 May 2007Road casualty toll 'a disgrace'A safety group described road casualty figures as 'a disgrace' today even though the number of deaths fell last year.
- 11 May 2007Estate agents 'more unpopular than ever'The number of complaints against estate agents is soaring, according to new figures.
- 10 May 2007Ryanair to quote inclusive prices onlineWhich? has welcomed news that air fares on the Ryanair website will now include all the taxes.
- 10 May 2007MPs accuse water watchdog of weaknessWater industry watchdog Ofwat has been ‘weak’ in defending consumers and should take tougher action against failing suppliers, an influential MPs' committee said today.
- 10 May 2007Tenants in dark over digital TV switchoverHalf of all tenants in rented accommodation do not understand how to switch to digital TV, according to new research.
- 10 May 2007Patients squandering prescribed medicinesForty per cent of patients are squandering prescribed medicines, a survey of doctors said today.
- 10 May 2007Water company says 'sorry' for billing shamblesA water company today placed full-page adverts in newspapers apologising to customers experiencing difficulties in contacting it by telephone.
- 10 May 2007BT launches digital TV driveTelecoms giant BT will launch a publicity drive highlighting its move into digital television.
- 09 May 2007City watchdog criticised over Serps probeWhich? has slammed the City regulator for ‘missing a golden opportunity’ to help thousands of people who lost money by opting out of Serps and the Second State Pension (S2P).
- 09 May 2007Avon rapped over misleading advertAvon was rapped today over a ‘misleading’ advert which claimed foot patches removed toxins while the user was asleep.
- 09 May 2007Finance firms warned they could face actionFinancial firms which fail to improve the way they treat customers could face tough action, the City regulator warned today.
- 09 May 2007Insurers 'lose millions a day to cheats'Dishonest customers scam insurers out of more than £4 million every day, according to research out today.
- 09 May 2007Supermarkets pay out £9m over faulty fuelSupermarkets have paid more than £9 million compensation to motorists in wake of a petrol contamination incident.
- 09 May 2007Increase in vehicle recovery charge proposedThe cost of recovering a car from a police impound yard should rise by more than 40 per cent to £150, the government has said.
- 09 May 2007Postcode lottery for stroke patientsHundreds of stroke sufferers may be dying needlessly because of a postcode lottery for specialist care, new figures revealed today.
- 09 May 2007Virgin Media counts the cost of Sky disputeVirgin Media today revealed the cost of its spat with rival BSkyB as it reported a loss of 46,900 customers in the first three months of the year.
- 08 May 2007Google voted UK's favourite brandGoogle is the UK's favourite brand while Pot Noodle is the least liked, according to a new poll out today.
- 08 May 2007Call for stability control in all new carsA campaign to convert motorists to a safety feature which could cut car accidents in Europe by one fifth is being launched today.
- 08 May 2007Train company slated over rail fares hikeA rail passenger watchdog has called on a train company to explain why it’s increasing some off-peak fares by as much as 20 per cent later this month.
- 08 May 2007Scottish legal services in the dockWhich? has launched a super-complaint about the regulation of legal services in Scotland which states the current system is failing consumers.
- 08 May 2007Holiday Which? picks the best trekking polesResearchers simulated walking a total of 149,189 miles - almost six times the circumference of the earth - across every type of terrain.
- 08 May 2007New website helps motorists check car safetyEuro NCAP, the crash-test organisation co-founded by Which?, has unveiled a new website which will make it easier for motorists to check-up on the safety of new cars.
- 07 May 2007Marmite sausages tipped for successMarmite and Bovril fans can choose between new sausages made with the two rival savoury flavours.
- 07 May 2007Parents more aware of child car seat rulesConfusion over new child car seats laws looks to have eased if a survey of Which? members is anything to go by.
- 07 May 2007Call for free household energy auditsEach UK household should be visited and given free expert advice on how to cut their energy use, new research says.
- 06 May 2007Consumers face confusion over Vista pricingUK customers face disparity and confusion over the pricing of Microsoft Windows Vista, Computing Which? has discovered.
- 06 May 2007Keep composting simple for the best resultsThe simplest methods of composting provide the best results, Gardening Which? reveals today at the start of Composting Awareness Week.
- 04 May 2007Queues as Boots cream back on shelvesShoppers looking for a miracle cure for wrinkles packed a Boots store in London's Oxford Street as new stocks of a wildly popular anti-ageing cream went on sale.
- 04 May 2007Theme parks offer a great but costly day outTheme parks offer a great day out but be prepared to dig deep to pay for it, says Holiday Which? today.
- 04 May 2007Gardeners see signs of climate changeOver a quarter of the UK's gardeners believe they can see signs of climate change in their flower beds and lawns, according to a survey out today.
- 04 May 2007Doctors call for probe into painkiller addictionDoctors have called for large-scale research into the extent of the nation's addiction to over-the-counter drugs such as painkillers Solpadeine and Nurofen Plus.
- 04 May 2007Flight pricing 'confusing passengers'Passengers are in danger of becoming confused about how much they will pay when they book a flight online, a consumer watchdog said today.
- 04 May 2007'Wild' fish found to be farmedSamples of fish sold as ‘wild’ in UK stores including Harrods and Sainsbury's had been farmed, tests revealed.
- 03 May 2007Supermarket giant to consider dropping cheques
- 03 May 2007Too much alcohol can 'shrink your brain'Excessive drinking can shrink the brain, a new study has shown.
- 03 May 2007Once a year treatment 'slashes fracture risk'A once-yearly treatment for the fragile bone disease osteoporosis has been found to significantly reduce the risk of life-threatening fractures.
- 03 May 2007Which? launches food shopping cardWhich? has produced its own food shopping card to help consumers make sense of labels and understand what’s in their food.
- 03 May 2007Prevention best for pest controlWhich? has found the cost of dealing with pest infestations varies considerably across the UK - but taking preventive steps is cheap, easy and better for people’s homes and health.
- 03 May 2007Beware of insurance small printComplicated policy definitions and exclusions in the small print mean some insurance isn't always as reliable as people think, which.co.uk warns today.
- 03 May 2007Baggage fees put travellers offMost passengers would opt for an airline that doesn’t charge for luggage put in the hold, a Which? survey has found.
- 02 May 2007'Miracle' anti-ageing cream sparks consumer frenzyAfter queues for designer bags and scrums for clothes, a new consumer frenzy was being predicted today - this time for an anti-ageing cream.
- 02 May 2007Watch out for unwanted loan insuranceCustomers arranging a personal loan over the telephone or internet should watch out they’re not tricked into buying expensive payment protection insurance (PPI) at the same time, warns Which? Money.
- 02 May 2007New rules for phone-in quiz showsControversial television phone quizzes will now be subject to tough new rules imposed by a watchdog.
- 02 May 2007Burger advert breached advertising rulesA commercial which prompted scores of complaints from viewers who found it sexist broke advertising rules by being shown during a children's film, the industry watchdog said today.
- 01 May 2007Orange offers overdraft on mobile billsMobile phone giant Orange is launching a new overdraft facility for pay as you go customers.
- 01 May 2007Last big power firm cuts pricesScottish Power caught up with rival energy suppliers after unveiling price cuts.
- 01 May 2007Apple admits laptop battery problemComputer giant Apple has admitted there may be ‘performance issues’ with some batteries used in its MacBook and MacBook Pro notebooks
- 01 May 2007NHS Direct complaints up by 50 per centComplaints about the helpline NHS Direct have risen by nearly 50 per cent since the end of last year, its figures show.
- 01 May 2007BT develops motion-sensitive laptopBT is using Nintendo Wii style technology to develop a device for laptops that removes the need for a keyboard or a mouse.
- 01 May 2007Garden fencing firms in mini-crisisDIY firms were today struggling to keep up with demand for garden fencing after a series of problems plunged the market into a mini-crisis.
- 01 May 2007ITV offers catch-up service on internetA £20 million upgrade of the ITV website was unveiled today - offering all of its channels streamed live over the internet, a 'catch-up service' and the chance to watch archive footage of favourite programmes.
