News in March 2008
- 31 Mar 2008 Drivers won two in three parking appeals New parking regulations come into force today as new figures reveal that over two thirds of parking tickets appealed in 2006 were cancelled.
- 31 Mar 2008 Banks will have to contact struggling customers Banks and building societies will have to do more to help customers who get into financial difficulties under the new Banking Code.
- 31 Mar 2008 Which? tackles football stars over Pepsi Which? is asking some of the world’s top footballers to reconsider their support of a new website from soft drinks giant Pepsi.
- 29 Mar 2008 New help for early retirement workers The government has unveiled plans to help workers who have to retire early due to ill health but who lost their company pensions when their employer went bankrupt.
- 29 Mar 2008 Strasberry signals the start of summer A new berry resembling a cross between a raspberry and a strawberry goes on sale this weekend.
- 28 Mar 2008 Travel chaos overshadows terminal's first day What was supposed to be a triumphant opening for Heathrow's new £4.3 billion Terminal 5 (T5) descended into travel chaos, with cancelled flights and long baggage-collection delays yesterday.
- 28 Mar 2008 Royal Mail needs to make 'sweeping changes' Royal Mail needs to make sweeping changes to meet the needs of its customers and secure a future for itself, says the postal regulator.
- 28 Mar 2008 News quiz March See how closely you've been paying attention to the latest consumer news - hit the start button below to find out...
- 28 Mar 2008 Ship passenger archives go online Number of passengers listed in newly released records
- 28 Mar 2008 New cars and hot deals, 28 March 2008 For your weekly fix of car news and reviews, sign up to our NEW Which? Car email. We'll drop you a line every Friday with what's hot in the world of motoring - and some very tempting deals, too…
- 28 Mar 2008 Move to stop pupils having lunchtime fast-food Schools should consider banning kids from leaving school grounds at lunchtime to stop them filling up on junk food, according to a new report.
- 27 Mar 2008 Toddler cough syrups pulled from shelves Cough and cold remedies for children are being pulled from shelves amid fears that under-twos could get an an accidental overdose.
- 27 Mar 2008 Fingerprint plan for T5 suspended in legal row Airport operator BAA will not be taking fingerprints of passengers using Heathrow's £4.3 billion Terminal 5 (T5) which opens today following doubts over the legality of such a move.
- 27 Mar 2008 New plan allows mobiles on planes Haters of mobile phones could soon be able to add 'I'm on the plane' to 'I'm on the train' as their least-favourite overheard phrase following a new ruling.
- 27 Mar 2008 Tata buys Jaguar and Land Rover Indian conglomerate Tata has bought the car brands Land Rover and Jaguar in a deal worth around £1.15 billion.
- 27 Mar 2008 Roberts says new radio is world first Roberts has launched what it claims is a world first – a DAB, FM and internet radio rolled into one.
- 27 Mar 2008 Cyclist exposes bad driving on YouTube A cyclist who films motorists driving dangerously and posts the videos on the internet has said he was simply trying to get the road safety message across.
- 26 Mar 2008 Honda Civics hit by handbrake problem Thousands of Honda Civics are to have handbrakes replaced after the company discovered a problem that appears similar to the one affecting some Vauxhall cars.
- 26 Mar 2008 Drink advice to pregnant women tightened A health watchdog has strengthened its advice to pregnant women on how much alcohol they should drink.
- 26 Mar 2008 Web ticket touts closed down Four companies which operated as internet ticket touts have been wound up in the High Court following a host of consumer complaints.
- 26 Mar 2008 Mazda 2 is World Car of the Year The Mazda 2 has beaten off competition from the Ford Mondeo and the Mercedes-Benz C-class to be crowned World Car of the Year.
- 26 Mar 2008 Dodgy car sales site shut down A Barnet-based 'vehicle matching' company has been wound up in the High Court after an investigation found it was lying about its services.
- 26 Mar 2008 Tired drivers mis-read a yawn Three-quarters of motorists open a window to keep themselves awake on a long journey, while 4% shake their head vigorously and 3% slap their face, according to new research.
- 26 Mar 2008 Jaguar and Land Rover set to be sold to Tata The sale of two distinguished motoring marques - Land Rover and Jaguar - is expected to be announced today.
- 25 Mar 2008 Comet cuts price of 'greenest' white goods Electrical chain Comet is knocking off the cost of VAT on the most energy-efficient white goods.
- 25 Mar 2008 Cod liver oil can help arthritis pain A scientific study has found evidence that cod liver oil can help rheumatoid arthritis sufferers.
- 22 Mar 2008 Gardeners urged to shun peat products Gardeners have been urged to avoid buying peat products when they head out to garden centres this weekend.
- 21 Mar 2008 BBC wins Formula One TV rights Sports chiefs at the BBC are jubilant after the broadcaster won back the rights to show Formula One motor racing.
- 21 Mar 2008 Scottish and Southern raises fuel bills Scottish & Southern Energy (SSE) is hiking up gas and electricity prices for its 8.5 million customers from the start of next month.
- 21 Mar 2008 Cost of diesel hits record high The cost of diesel at the pumps has risen to a record high, it's been announced.
- 21 Mar 2008 New cars and hot deals, 21 March 2008 For your weekly fix of car news and reviews, sign up to our NEW Which? Car email. We'll drop you a line every Friday with what's hot in the world of motoring - and some very tempting deals, too…
- 20 Mar 2008 Standards at dry cleaners 'alarmingly poor' A Which? undercover probe has found that standards at many dry cleaners are alarmingly poor.
- 20 Mar 2008 M&S pants top our briefs encounter Pants rated: first came M&S, bottom right; then Asda, top right; Tesco, bottom left, and last was Calvin Klein
- 20 Mar 2008 Which?'s longest serving editor dies Tributes are flooding in today for Which?’s longest serving editor, Eirlys Roberts, who has died aged 97.
- 20 Mar 2008 Specialist websites top shopper survey Shopping websitesthat offer a more specialist service have the happiest customers, says a new survey from Which? Online.
- 20 Mar 2008 We expose medical tourism pitfalls People who travel abroad for medical treatment should do their homework beforehand or risk problems later on, Which? warns today.
- 20 Mar 2008 Hips need a shake-up, says Which? A Which? investigation has found few signs that home information packs (Hips) are making it easier and cheaper to sell a property.
- 19 Mar 2008 Electrolux reveals dishwasher safety probe Electrolux has said that there is a very small risk that some of its dishwashers could overheat and catch fire.
- 19 Mar 2008 Magnet toys recalled over safety fears About 280,000 toys sold in the UK have been recalled amid safety fears over detachable magnets.
- 19 Mar 2008 Carbon offsetting schemes 'very confusing' Schemes which help you offset your ‘carbon footprint’ are often inconsistent and confusing for consumers, according to Which? Money.
- 19 Mar 2008 Hammer film released on MySpace next month The executive producer of the first Hammer horror film in more than 30 years has urged fans to move with the times.
- 19 Mar 2008 Millions of customers want ethical finance Millions of Britons are taking ethical and environmental issues into account when choosing a financial services company, research showed today.
- 19 Mar 2008 Wine taster insures nose for £4 million A leading European wine maker and taster has insured his nose for 5 million euros (£3.9 million), the Lloyd's of London insurance market has revealed.
- 18 Mar 2008 Crackdown planned on mobile cashback deals Phone companies are facing fines if they don't clamp down on unacceptable sales practices and dodgy mobile cashback deals.
- 18 Mar 2008 Unwanted text tricked people to respond A crackdown on unsolicited text messages has seen one company pick up a massive £100,000 fine.
- 18 Mar 2008 O2 signs massive music download deal O2 customers are to get access to the UK’s largest full-track mobile music download service.
- 18 Mar 2008 Mussolini's car sold for half a million An Alfa Romeo once owned by fascist dictator Benito Mussolini has sold for a world record price of £550,000.
- 18 Mar 2008 More estate agents in ombudsman scheme The number of estate agents who are members of redress schemes has soared on the back of the introduction of home information packs, a new report shows.
- 17 Mar 2008 Nissan improves Navara safety A Nissan truck has been given an improved safety rating after initial crash tests highlighted serious safety concerns.
- 17 Mar 2008 Web users 'need protection from tracking' The man dubbed the 'Father of the Web' has said consumers need to be protected against systems which can track their activity on the internet, it was reported today.
- 17 Mar 2008 Energy users don't know how much they pay Eight out of ten people have no idea how much they pay for their gas and electricity, a survey showed today.
- 17 Mar 2008 Additives study 'no basis for curbs' EU food watchdogs have decided that a major study linking certain additives to hyperactivity in children is no basis for curbs.
- 15 Mar 2008 Hygiene scores scheme to go nationwide Plans have been announced for a nationwide scheme to help diners check out the cleanliness of their favourite restaurants.
- 15 Mar 2008 Don't get caught by energy postcode lottery Where you live can determine how much you pay for gas and electricity, Switch with Which? warns today.
- 15 Mar 2008 Fresh bid to ban junk food marketing to kids Which? and other consumer groups from across the globe have launched proposals to drastically cut the amount of junk food marketing to children.
- 14 Mar 2008 Passengers warned of teething problems at T5 The Queen will officially open a £4.3 billion new terminal at the UK's biggest airport today, but customers were warned to expect a 'bedding down period' with the new facility.
- 14 Mar 2008 Cost of delays to passengers revealed Rail delays cost train passengers around £1 billion in terms of time lost in 2006/07, a report from a government spending watchdog said today.
- 14 Mar 2008 New cars and hot deals, 14 March 2008 Well priced Galaxy diesel
- 14 Mar 2008 Wedding costs force couples to postpone The spiralling cost of getting married is forcing thousands of couples to postpone their wedding or even abandon it altogether, a survey showed today.
- 13 Mar 2008 Chancellor declares war on gas guzzlers Chancellor Alistair Darling yesterday went to war on owners of gas-guzzling cars by imposing swingeing future taxes on the most-polluting vehicles.
- 13 Mar 2008 Gordon Brown urges EU tax cut on green products Prime Minister Gordon Brown urged EU leaders today to back a British plan to cut VAT on 'green' products - from fridges to floor cleaners.
- 12 Mar 2008 Privacy watchdog probes surfing 'spy' technology Britain’s privacy watchdog is examining new technology that tracks the websites you surf and sells the details to advertisers.
- 12 Mar 2008 Credit and debit card fraud soars Fraud on credit and debit cards soared by 25% last year to reach a record high despite the introduction of chip and Pin, figures showed today.
- 12 Mar 2008 Fairtrade sales soar in the UK The Fairtrade market in the UK is set to more than double over the next four years, analysts have predicted.
- 12 Mar 2008 Moscow 'hottest property' in Europe Moscow and Istanbul are the hottest property markets in Europe as industry branches out of traditional capitals, according to a new survey of 27 cities.
- 12 Mar 2008 Black & Decker car battery advert falls flat A TV ad for a Black & Decker battery booster has been criticised for implying it could start a car with a dead battery.
- 11 Mar 2008 Hotel rooms in UK are most costly in Europe The UK has the most expensive hotels in Europe, according to a price index out today.
- 11 Mar 2008 Anger over airport landing fee hike The UK's biggest airline today reacted with fury to a new price regime that will drive up fares at Britain's two busiest airports.
- 11 Mar 2008 Ocado takes on Tesco with price match promise A price war looks set to break out between the online food delivery service Ocado, and Tesco.
- 11 Mar 2008 BBC revamps mobile site Sports fans will be able to catch up with this summer’s Olympics coverage on their mobile phones, the BBC has revealed.
- 11 Mar 2008 No key needed for new Ford cars Ford has announced that its new Focus and Mondeo cars will be keyless.
- 11 Mar 2008 Scam warning after laptop switched for potatoes A student bought what he thought was a laptop for £600 but it turned out to be a bag of potatoes, police have warned.
- 11 Mar 2008 Air passengers face fare rises Passengers at the UK's two biggest airports could face fare rises after today's announcement of how much airlines can be charged for using Heathrow and Gatwick.
- 11 Mar 2008 Food prices are soaring Hard-pressed households faced more misery last month as food costs soared to record rates in February, new official figures show.
- 10 Mar 2008 Man was bankrupted 'over 88p tax bill' The Inland Revenue accidentally bankrupted a man who owed it only 88p in taxes, a television programme claims tonight.
- 10 Mar 2008 Profit still possible from property You can still make a healthy profit from property despite the current falls in the market, according to a new Which? book.
- 10 Mar 2008 Chancellor 'to crack down' on energy firms Chancellor Alistair Darling is to crack down on energy companies profiting from those in fuel poverty when he delivers his first Budget later this week, it was reported today.
- 08 Mar 2008 Prescription costs up by 25p in England The cost of a prescription in England will rise by 25p to £7.10 from the start of next month.
- 08 Mar 2008 BBC iPlayer goes mobile The BBC has launched a version of its iPlayer catch-up TV service for the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch.
- 08 Mar 2008 Plans for motorway car-sharing lane scrapped Plans for a car-sharing lane on a busy stretch of Britain's longest motorway have been scrapped by the Government.
- 07 Mar 2008 Japanese eaterie wins Good Food Guide award London’s best new restaurant is Japanese ‘temple of cool’ Sake No Hana, says The Good Food Guide London.
- 07 Mar 2008 Share scam victims get £1 million back Consumers who lost more than £1 million in a share scam have got most of their cash back following a transatlantic crackdown on the fraudsters.
- 07 Mar 2008 Blue is 'most popular' choice for car Many motorists can tell what other drivers are like just from the colour of their car, it's been claimed.
- 07 Mar 2008 Gardeners urged not to move frogspawn Wildlife-lovers may not think twice about handing over 'excess' frogspawn from their urban ponds to other gardeners to give frogs a new home.
- 07 Mar 2008 John Lewis staff share record bonus Around 69,000 staff at department store chain John Lewis will share a record bonus pot of £181.1 million after annual profits rose 19%.
- 07 Mar 2008 New cars and hot deals, 7 March 2008 Match this - VW Golf
- 07 Mar 2008 Ikea recalls high chairs Swedish furniture chain Ikea is recalling more than 900 high chairs after the discovery of a safety issue.
- 06 Mar 2008 Pre-pay energy users charged £255 extra Energy firmsare charging pre-pay meter users an average of £255 a year more than online customers, it was revealed today.
- 06 Mar 2008 Buy-to-let mortgages 'drying up' The credit crunch has begun to hit investment landlords as buy-to-let mortgages 'dry up', research showed today.
- 06 Mar 2008 Computer recycling advice is 'rubbish' Some councils are giving out bad advice on computer recycling which could lead to sensitive personal data falling into the hands of identity thieves, says Computing Which? today.
- 06 Mar 2008 Millions of computer users risk data loss Many people are at risk of losing important information because they don't back up their computer regularly, warns Computing Which?.
- 06 Mar 2008 Wildlife crashes injure 500 motorists a year Motorists have been warned to watch out for wildlife after new research showed that an estimated one million animals were killed on Britain's roads every year.
- 06 Mar 2008 Complaints about NHS dentistry 'rising' Complaints about NHS dental treatment are on the rise and there is widespread confusion about access to dentists, a report said today.
- 06 Mar 2008 Call for government helplines to be free Government helplines should be free to call from mobile phones, Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg has said amid evidence making a claim costs some people more than a week's benefit.
- 06 Mar 2008 Anti-depressant drug firm criticised Health regulators have criticised drugs firm Glaxosmithkline (GSK) for withholding information over the risk of suicide relating to one of its anti-depressant drugs.
- 05 Mar 2008 Which? warns drivers over insurance catches Which? Legal Servicelawyers are warning drivers of the pitfalls in ‘comprehensive' car insurance.
- 05 Mar 2008 Banks have refunded £550 million in charges The major high street banks have so far paid out more than £550 million in refunds to customers who complained about unauthorised overdraft charges.
- 05 Mar 2008 Warner unlocks music downloads Apple’s dominance of the music download market is facing a fresh challenge after Warner Music signed a deal to sell its tracks in the UK without copy protection.
- 05 Mar 2008 EasyJet slammed over refund gimmick ad No-frills airline EasyJet has been criticised over a ‘misleading’ newspaper advert which promised holidaymakers ‘double the difference’ back if they found a cheaper fare.
- 05 Mar 2008 Hard shoulder to be used to ease traffic Drivers could be allowed to use the hard shoulder on the busiest stretches of motorway in a bid to tackle congestion, the government has announced.
- 05 Mar 2008 Government laptop losses revealed Laptops a month went missing from government bodies in 2007
- 05 Mar 2008 Litter survey shows fag ends still a problem Figure for streets found littered with cigarette buts
- 04 Mar 2008 Parking at hospitals to be free in Wales Car parking at most Welsh hospitals will be free from next month, it's been announced.
- 04 Mar 2008 First GP surgery opens in a supermarket An NHS GP surgery is running from a supermarket for the first time ever.
- 04 Mar 2008 Morgan unveils hydrogen roadster A British hydrogen fuel cell sports roadster is set to be one of the major draws at the Geneva motor show, which opens to the press today.
- 04 Mar 2008 O2 launches 'simple' back up for phones Mobile company O2 has launched a service to enable its customers to store numbers and pictures in case their phone gets lost or stolen.
- 04 Mar 2008 City watchdog offers mortgage help The City watchdog has launched a £2 million advertising campaign offering help to people worried about their mortgage.
- 03 Mar 2008 Ryanair website still under fire A travel industry body has accused Ryanair of breaking website pricing rules despite repeated warnings.
- 03 Mar 2008 Financial advice set to be free A government review has recommended a free national financial advice service.
- 01 Mar 2008 Plant roots 'have a sense of touch' Plantroots have a sense of touch and are able to ‘feel’ their way past obstacles in the soil, a study has shown.
- 01 Mar 2008 Girls 'outperform boys with computers' Girls are better than boys at using a computer, according to a new survey.
