News in January 2008
- 31 Jan 2008 Energy firms criticised over complaints Energy companies must be made to take customer complaints more seriously, says a consumer watchdog.
- 31 Jan 2008 Hundreds die each year as they won't buckle-up Hundreds of people are being killed in road crashes every year because they're not wearing a seat belt.
- 31 Jan 2008 Currys axes patio heaters Electrical chain Currys has announced it’s to stop selling patio heaters.
- 31 Jan 2008 Banks raking in £111 a second in charges Unfair overdraft fees are continuing to swell bank coffers by £111 every second – while a High Court test case questions the charges.
- 31 Jan 2008 Site launched to help you find lost savings The banking industry has launched a new website to help reunite people with savings languishing in forgotten accounts.
- 31 Jan 2008 EU backs GDA food label scheme Which? has slammed the European Commission over plans to back a food labelling scheme that we've proven is flawed.
- 30 Jan 2008 Renault offers longer warranty on Espace Renault has announced it is extending the length of warranty on its latest Espace MPV and new Laguna.
- 30 Jan 2008 British Gas rapped over 'misleading' green claims A British Gas television ad has been pulled for containing misleading green energy claims.
- 30 Jan 2008 Tesco to stop taking cheques Tesco will no longer accept cheques at its tills from next month.
- 30 Jan 2008 Apple overhauls iPhone tariffs Call and text tariffs for the Apple iPhone are being overhauled less than three months after its UK launch.
- 30 Jan 2008 More eBay sellers must offer PayPal Internet auction site eBay is forcing more of its users to offer PayPal as a payment method when they sell goods online.
- 30 Jan 2008 Teenager finds blade in Warehouse bag A mother spoke of her shock after her teenage daughter found a blade inside a new bag.
- 30 Jan 2008 Skype comes to the PSP Sony has released a new upgrade which will allow PSP users to make phone calls using the internet.
- 29 Jan 2008 Amazon MP3 store to hit UK Online store Amazon has confirmed it will roll-out its MP3 music store across the globe this year.
- 29 Jan 2008 New jab could help fight hospital bug British scientists are developing a new jab which could help in the fight against the hospital bug Clostridium difficile.
- 29 Jan 2008 Woolworths ditches HD-DVDs from stores Woolworths has thrown its weight behind Blu-Ray high-definition DVDs by ditching the rival HD-DVD format from its stores.
- 29 Jan 2008 Which? lawyers give tips on your rights at work Which? lawyers have been receiving a record number of phone calls from people who need employment advice.
- 28 Jan 2008 Campaign highlights salt in sweet foods Many foods eaten by UK children contain a large amount of salt, new research has shown.
- 28 Jan 2008 GE enters UK digital camera market Global giant General Electric (GE) has announced it's entering the UK digital camera market with the launch of seven new models.
- 28 Jan 2008 Speed bumps 'bad for the environment' New research from the AA claims introducing speed humps on some roads can actually damage the environment.
- 28 Jan 2008 Virgin announces broadband speed boost Virgin Media says it will be able to provide 'superfast' broadband to millions of UK homes by the end of this year.
- 28 Jan 2008 Passengers use fake tickets in cattle mask protest Hundreds of commuters wore cattle masks as they boarded their trains in an angry protest against unreliable services and rising fares.
- 26 Jan 2008 Warmer weather keeps birds in the UK Hundreds of thousands of people will be in their gardens this weekend to take part in the world’s biggest bird survey.
- 26 Jan 2008 Charity cleared over fundraising complaint Cancer Research UK has been cleared of bombarding a householder with more than a dozen unwanted mailings over a two year period.
- 26 Jan 2008 Europe to tighten toy regulations Dangerous chemical substances will be banned from use in toys sold across Europe under new plans.
- 26 Jan 2008 News quiz January Hit the start button below to find out how much you know about the consumer stories hitting the headlines...
- 25 Jan 2008 Digital radio sales soaring Radio fans are still clamouring to pick up a new DAB digital set, according to the latest sales figures.
- 25 Jan 2008 Disabled parking cheats targeted The government has announced a crackdown on the fraudulent use of Blue Badges under the disabled parking scheme.
- 25 Jan 2008 Baby scans 'failing to check for defects' Four in ten NHS trusts fail to do all the required checks for abnormalities in unborn babies, says a report out today.
- 25 Jan 2008 New cars and hot deals, 25th January 2008 M3 will have folding hardtop roof for first time
- 24 Jan 2008 Waitrose is top of the shops, Which? survey finds Waitrose is the UK's favourite shop according to Which?’s biggest ever retailers survey.
- 24 Jan 2008 Some patients still strugging to see GP One in five patients is still finding it difficult to get a convenient appointment to see their GP, a new Which? survey can reveal.
- 24 Jan 2008 Government obesity plan falls short An official review of new food and drink advertising rules will be pulled forward as part of the drive to cut obesity.
- 24 Jan 2008 Independents beat Starbucks for value Independent coffee shops are often better value than big chains such as Starbucks, Which? reveals today.
- 24 Jan 2008 Four in ten adults have high blood pressure About 40% of UK adults were found to have high blood pressure during a nationwide test of almost a quarter of a million people.
- 23 Jan 2008 Train firm doubles compensation A train company which has been under fire over its services has announced it was doubling the amount of compensation it will give to passengers affected by delays and disruption.
- 23 Jan 2008 Currys and Dixons ditch analogue TVs Currys, Dixons and PC World are to stop selling analogue televisions in the run-up to digital switchover in the UK, the chains have announced.
- 23 Jan 2008 Buying insurance online can slash bills Shopping around for home, car and travel insurance online could cut your annual bill by more than a quarter, Which? Money reveals today.
- 23 Jan 2008 BBC3 to relaunch The BBC has announced the relaunch of embattled digital channel BBC3.
- 23 Jan 2008 Bad landlords face new crackdown Unscrupulous landlords are facing a new crackdown after the government announced a major independent review of the rental market in England.
- 23 Jan 2008 Finance victims get compensation green light Consumers can claim compensation of up to £48,000 if they have lost money as a result of dealings with any one of 34 financial services firms.
- 22 Jan 2008 Foreign Office relaxes Kenya travel advice Tourists booked to visit Kenya have been advised to contact their tour companies to see whether their holidays will still go ahead.
- 22 Jan 2008 Consumers warned over new 'vishing' scam Fraudsters are resorting to a new scam to get people to hand over their personal information.
- 22 Jan 2008 John Lewis to get more fashion savvy John Lewis is stepping up its clothes collection in a bid to attract younger, more fashion-savvy shoppers.
- 22 Jan 2008 Gadgets 'driving up energy use' The growth of high-tech entertainment devices in the UK living rooms is driving up the amount of energy used in the nation’s homes, according to a new report.
- 22 Jan 2008 Councils relying more on extra charges Councils are increasingly reliant on income from charging for services such as parking, school meals and swimming pools, the local government watchdog said today.
- 22 Jan 2008 Facebook being probed over privacy The UK’s privacy watchdog is investigating how social networking site Facebook deals with users’ personal data.
- 22 Jan 2008 Asda fined £200,000 over car park death Asda has been fined more than £200,000 after admitting health and safety breaches that led to the death of a father-of-three.
- 22 Jan 2008 Seawater spray 'may help common colds' A saline nasal wash solution made from processed seawater may help children suffering with the common cold, according to a report published today.
- 21 Jan 2008 BT strikes Disney deal Viewers who have signed up to BT’s TV over broadband service will be able to catch up with their favourite US shows after it agreed a deal with Disney-ABC International Television.
- 21 Jan 2008 Thousands wasted on useless insurance People could be wasting thousand of pounds on useless and expensive insurance, according to the new Which? Money Saving Handbook.
- 21 Jan 2008 Junk food companies 'target kids online' Most parents are unaware their children are being stalked online by junk food manufacturers, according to a new report.
- 21 Jan 2008 Lib Dems slam 'rip-off' rail fares Britain’s rail fares are the most expensive in Europe according to new research by the Liberal Democrats.
- 21 Jan 2008 Coffee 'increases risk of miscarriage' Even small amounts of caffeine should be avoided during pregnancy, experts in the US have warned.
- 18 Jan 2008 Consumers want simpler gadgets Many people would rather ditch bells and whistles for a simple gadget they know how to use, a new poll by Which? has found.
- 18 Jan 2008 New cars and hot deals, 18 January 2008 New cars and hot deals: 18th January 2008. North American Motor Show news, BMW special editions, Fiat 500 and Lexus updates.
- 18 Jan 2008 Scallop sales soar for Ramsay show The Gordon Ramsay effect has already hit stores ahead of his live televised 'cookalong' a retailer has said.
- 18 Jan 2008 'Stomach bug' holidaymakers sue A tour operator is being sued by 23 angry holidaymakers who allegedly suffered from a stomach bug while at a resort in Tunisia, solicitors representing them have said.
- 18 Jan 2008 Banks defend overdraft charges in court High street banks argued in court yesterday that consumer contract rules on fairness don't apply to their charges for unauthorised overdrafts.
- 18 Jan 2008 Dyson launches smaller vacuum cleaners Dyson has unveiled two new vacuum cleaners which cater for the trend towards smaller sized homes.
- 18 Jan 2008 Doctors fear dangerous toy is still for sale A toxic toy recalled last November is still on sale in the UK, according to a report in the British Medical Journal.
- 18 Jan 2008 British Gas confirms 15% price hike British Gas owner Centrica today announced double-digit price rises for millions of its customers.
- 17 Jan 2008 NHS trust fined over elderly patient fall An English NHS trust has been fined £20,000 after an elderly patient fell out of an open window at a Swindon hospital.
- 17 Jan 2008 Bank fined more than £1 million for PPI failings HFC Bank has been fined more than £1 million for failings in the way it sold payment protection insurance (PPI).
- 17 Jan 2008 Carphone Warehouse 'broke data laws' Carphone Warehouse and TalkTalk broke data protection laws by publishing customers' confidential details online, the privacy watchdog has said.
- 17 Jan 2008 Crackdown on ID fraud launched A scheme to crack down on criminals committing identity fraud by stealing dead people's details has been launched.
- 17 Jan 2008 Kenya holiday flight ban extended UK major tour operators have extended the ban on holidays to Kenya to include all charter flights up to and including next Monday.
- 17 Jan 2008 Swoop on illegal online medicine sales A Yorkshire man who used eBay to peddle medicines over the internet has been fined £97,000.
- 17 Jan 2008 Vauxhall announces handbrake action Vauxhall has announced it is to modify the handbrakes on a quarter of a million cars – six months after Which? revealed it had a problem with runaway vehicles.
- 16 Jan 2008 Cyber-criminals target MySpace MySpace users have been warned to be on their guard against cyber-criminals who used the social networking site to try to spread a malicious ‘Trojan Horse’ program.
- 16 Jan 2008 EDF announces energy price hikes Energy firm EDF has become the second supplier this year to announce inflation-busting gas and electricity price rises.
- 16 Jan 2008 Energy deals for poor 'more costly than others' Energy deals offered to help the poorest customers are in some cases more expensive than other deals, a new report has found.
- 16 Jan 2008 Apple launches world's thinnest laptop Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveils the MacBook Air
- 16 Jan 2008 Apple unveils new film rental service Entertainment giant Apple has launched afilm rental service which will allow people to download movies to an iPod or computer.
- 16 Jan 2008 Millions 'haven't seen dentist for two years' Millions of adults have not seen an NHS dentist for almost two years because they cannot find a practice that will accept them, according to research.
- 15 Jan 2008 Banks in court for overdraft charge test case The long awaited High Court test case into unauthorised bank overdraft charges is set to start tomorrow.
- 15 Jan 2008 BBC sorry for 'unfair' competition The BBC has been rapped by Ofcom over a Comic Relief competition in which children who applied to meet pop band McFly had no chance of winning.
- 15 Jan 2008 Road infrastructure 'not fit for purpose' Britain's transport infrastructure is ‘not fit for purpose’, with the cost of congestion likely to soon exceed the current figure of £20 billion a year, a report from a centre-right think tank said today.
- 15 Jan 2008 Laptop problems blamed on festive binges Home computers and laptops seem to be suffering the after-effects of festive excess, experts said today.
- 15 Jan 2008 Travellers name their top hotels A British establishment has made it into the top ten of the world's best luxury hotels, it was revealed today.
- 15 Jan 2008 Online food stores under fire for plastic bags Some online retailers still use too many plastic carrier bags to deliver goods ordered over the internet, a new report suggests.
- 14 Jan 2008 Interviewees urged to brush up on their rights Interviewees are confused about what potential employers can and can't ask them and need to brush up on their rights, according to a new Which? essential guide.
- 14 Jan 2008 Bright future predicted for online TV Online TV services which allow viewers to catch up with their favourite shows are set to experience a surge in popularity in 2008, industry analysts say.
- 14 Jan 2008 New drive to highlight traffic light labels The government is stepping up its bid to get shoppers to look for and use front of pack nutritional traffic light labels.
- 14 Jan 2008 Sony launches 'lifestyle' TVs Sony has launched a range of TVs aimed at people who want a second television for their home.
- 14 Jan 2008 UK product recalls hit new high The number of dangerous products recalled in the UK has hit a new high, according the latest figures.
- 12 Jan 2008 Tata unveils world's cheapest car India's Tata Motors has unveiled the world's cheapest car.
- 12 Jan 2008 Health conscious cooks boost sales of pulses Dried beans are enjoying a popularity boost as more shoppers choose to cook from scratch, according to a retailer.
- 11 Jan 2008 Two in five drivers 'suffered vandalism' More than two in five motorists have fallen victim to car vandalism, a survey out today showed.
- 11 Jan 2008 Peat-free compost still lagging behind Compost producers need to produce better peat-free products, according to new research by Gardening Which?.
- 11 Jan 2008 UK householders 'cleaning less often' Consumers are adopting a low-maintenance approach to cleaning by tackling domestic chores less often, a report out today said.
- 11 Jan 2008 Marmite with champagne sold as lover's gift Marmite with a hint of champagne is hitting stores as a romantic gift.
- 11 Jan 2008 Phone downloads from your radio A new service now allows radio listeners to download their favourite songs directly to their mobile phone.
- 11 Jan 2008 Policyholders settle with Equitable Life More than 400 policyholders who had pensions with Equitable Life have reached a settlement with the mutual following a long-running mis-selling claim.
- 11 Jan 2008 Asda to fine abuse of disabled parking spaces Asda will fine drivers £60 for parking in its disabled or parent and child spaces when they should not, it has announced.
- 11 Jan 2008 Barclays chairman loses £10,000 in ID scam Barclays Chairman Marcus Agius
- 11 Jan 2008 Stomach ailment link to sweetener People who eat large quantities of a type of sweetener could be putting themselves at risk of an upset stomach, experts said today.
- 10 Jan 2008 Independent tour operators top survey Big holiday companies are lagging behind independent tour operators when it comes to customer satisfaction,Holiday Which? reveals today.
- 10 Jan 2008 Panasonic unveils world's largest TV Panasonic has unveiled the world’s largestTV – a 150-inch, plasma high-definition (HD) model.
- 10 Jan 2008 MPs reject call for ban on web ticket touts Calls for a ban on internet ticket touts were rejected today by MPs, who said artists and promoters should instead be given a share of the profits.
- 10 Jan 2008 Village receives landmark water rebate Householders in a Staffordshire village wrongly charged for surface water drainage for many years are to receive more than £400,000 from Severn Trent Water.
- 10 Jan 2008 Ban on holiday flights to Kenya extended The ban on UK holiday company charter flights to strife-torn Kenya has been extended up to and including Friday of this week.
- 10 Jan 2008 Warning issued about bogus web pharmacies Millions of people could be risking their health by buying dodgy prescription-only medicines from rogue websites.
- 10 Jan 2008 Sainsbury's fined £15,000 for out-of-date food A Sainsbury's store manager offered a customer £20 to 'pay for medication' when she complained that turkey sold past its use-by date had made her feel sick, a court heard yesterday.
- 09 Jan 2008 Apple to slash UK iTunes prices Apple is to slash the price of its iTunes music downloads in the UK after Which? complained it was ripping off British consumers.
- 09 Jan 2008 Littlewoods ad broke rules, says ASA A leaflet sent to 75,000 Littlewoods group customers broke advertising rules by encouraging young women to spend excessively on credit, a watchdog said today.
- 09 Jan 2008 Law may change to allow copying from CD Proposed changes to copyright laws will allow owners to move their music legally from CDs to MP3 players.
- 09 Jan 2008 JJB to pay fans over football shirt rip-off Sports chain JJB Sports has agreed to pay consumers who were unlawfully overcharged for football shirts.
- 08 Jan 2008 BT seals Xbox 360 deal BT and Microsoft have announced a deal to make TV shows available through the software giant’sXbox 360.
- 08 Jan 2008 Six week wait for a passport The government says travellers may face a six-week wait to get a new passport under anti-fraud measures introduced last year.
- 08 Jan 2008 Warner Bros exclusively backs Blu-Ray Entertainment giant Warner Bros has announced it is to stop selling high definition (HD) DVD movies and will concentrate solely on the rival Blu-Ray disc.
- 08 Jan 2008 New limit on cold remedy drugs announced Some over-the-counter cold remedies will be limited to one pack per customer from April because of fears they can be used to make a class A drug.
- 08 Jan 2008 Airports 'coping' with baggage changes Airports and the government say passengers have coped well with new baggage rules despite fears that changes would lead to confusion.
- 08 Jan 2008 Motorists to get 'excellent' deals, say firms UK motorists are set to benefit from a thriving new car market, the industry claims.
- 08 Jan 2008 New mobile silenced by wave of hand Sony Ericsson has unveiled a mobile phone which you can silence with a wave of your hand.
- 08 Jan 2008 Ryanair worst for extra fees, says Holiday Which? Travellers flying with no-frills airlines are still paying more than the advertised price of the ticket, Holiday Which? reports today.
- 07 Jan 2008 More energy price hikes expected soon Chancellor Alistair Darling has called for a meeting with energy regulator Ofgem following concerns over rising fuel prices.
- 07 Jan 2008 Stomach bug sufferers urged to stay home People struck down with the winter vomiting bug sweeping across the UK have been urged to stay at home until the symptoms have disappeared.
- 05 Jan 2008 Airline to stick with one bag luggage rule A leading no-frills airline is to continue with the 'one piece of hand luggage' rule for passengers even though restrictions are being eased at some UK airports next week.
- 05 Jan 2008 One in ten workers admit falling asleep at wheel As many as 10% of people who use their vehicles for work have admitted falling asleep at the wheel in the past 12 months, according to a new survey.
- 05 Jan 2008 Npower announces prices hikes in energy bills One of Britain's biggest power companies has announced price hikes of 17.2% for gas and 12.7% for electricity in a move set to hit more than four million households.
- 05 Jan 2008 Gadgets take the green route Consumer electronics firms are getting ready to unveil the latest gadgets in their bid to go green.
- 04 Jan 2008 Test your knowledge of what's in the news Can you remember which consumer news stories have been hitting the headlines, and why?
- 04 Jan 2008 New cars and hot deals, 4th January 2008 Refreshed SLK
- 04 Jan 2008 Bebo is best, says Computing Which? Social networking site Bebo has beaten rivals Facebook and MySpace in an independent analysis by Computing Which?.
- 04 Jan 2008 Holidays to Kenya suspended British tour operators have suspended holidays to Kenya up to and including tomorrow after the Foreign Office (FO) advised against all but essential travel to the strife-torn East African country.
- 04 Jan 2008 Indigestion drugs 'overprescribed' The NHS is wasting at least £100 million a year on drugs for indigestion, doctors said today.
- 03 Jan 2008 NHS Alliance concerned over hospital discharges Many hospital patients are being put at risk because staff are discharging them without giving vital information to their GP, a health workers campaign group says.
- 03 Jan 2008 Petrol prices have hit a 'record high' Petrol prices have reached a record high, the AA says.
- 03 Jan 2008 Child left behind at hotel Lucky charms, mayoral chains and even children are among items left behind in hotels, it was revealed today.
- 03 Jan 2008 Tour firms meet to decide on Kenya holidays Thousands of people could miss out on dream sand-and-safari holidays because of the worsening situation in Kenya, holiday companies said today.
- 02 Jan 2008 Rail closure prompts Network Rail probe Rail travellers will be hit today by the continuing closure of part of one of Britain's busiest lines.
- 02 Jan 2008 Rail passengers plan ticket 'strike' A rail users' group is planning a ticket boycott in protest at fare increases of more than twice the rate of inflation on many lines from today.
- 02 Jan 2008 Scotland caps hospital parking charges Scotland has become the first part of the UK to cap charges at hospital car parks.
