News in July 2008
- 31 Jul 2008 British Gas announces huge price hikes Millions of households are facing more fuel bill misery after British Gas hiked up gas prices by 35%.
- 31 Jul 2008 Wedding gift firm Wrapit seeks rescue deal Hundreds of couples are still waiting to know the fate of their wedding gifts as present list service Wrapit continues to try and secure a rescue deal.
- 31 Jul 2008 Honda prepares to launch new Jazz Honda is to launch an all-new Jazz which will go on sale this autumn.
- 31 Jul 2008 Norwich Union policyholders get payout offer Payments averaging £1,000 are to be offered to a million policyholders in two of Norwich Union Life's with-profit funds, insurer Aviva has announced.
- 31 Jul 2008 Liverpool Victoria Banking fined over PPI Liverpool Victoria Banking Services has been fined £840,000 over ‘serious failings’ in the way it sold payment protection insurance (PPI).
- 31 Jul 2008 Tips to be kept from wages pot Customer tips in bars and restaurants will no longer be counted towards the pay of staff to bring them up to the minimum wage, the government announced today.
- 31 Jul 2008 Ofcom fines BBC for phone-in fakes The BBC has been fined £400,000 by media regulator Ofcom for faking winners and misleading audiences in viewer and listener competitions.
- 30 Jul 2008 Councils to get more parking fine powers The government wants to make it easier for councils to fine drivers who block dropped kerbs or double park.
- 30 Jul 2008 Hyundai unveils revised Tucson line-up Hyundai has revised its Tucson SUV line-up, including the addition of a new two-wheel-drive version.
- 30 Jul 2008 We send 1.4 billion texts a week Britons are now sending 1.4 billion text messages every week, according to latest figures.
- 30 Jul 2008 Hips scheme to be expanded The government has announced plans to increase the amount of information available for potential buyers in its controversial home information packs.
- 29 Jul 2008 Drivers admit car servicing confusion Nearly one in 10 drivers don't carry out any basic maintenance and safety checks between car services, a new survey has found.
- 29 Jul 2008 MPs warn of more fuel price rises Householders have been warned to brace themselves for significant rises in electricity and gas bills which will have serious consequences for millions of consumers.
- 29 Jul 2008 Google facing a new rival called Cuil A new search engine has been launched which aims to rival the global dominance of Google.
- 29 Jul 2008 Lemon melon goes on sale today A new variety of melon that tastes like a lemon is to go on sale in the UK.
- 28 Jul 2008 Magicbox launches handheld Touch DAB Magicbox has abandoned the traditional retro design common to many DAB digital radios with its latest hand held digital radio.
- 26 Jul 2008 Sky to launch music download service Sky has unveiled a subscription-based music download service to rival Apple’s iTunes online store.
- 26 Jul 2008 EDF hikes up fuel bills Energy company EDF has announced it is hiking up its electricity prices by 17% and its gas prices by 22%.
- 25 Jul 2008 ISPs in download piracy clampdown Six of the UK’s large internet service providers (ISPs) have reached a deal with the music industry to clamp down on illegal downloads.
- 25 Jul 2008 Sony launches digital book reader Sony is the latest company to announce the launch of a digital book reader.
- 25 Jul 2008 New cars and hot deals, 25 July 2008
- 25 Jul 2008 Spending in shops has plunged as crunch hits The biggest fall in retail sales on record has reversed a shock rise in May and suggested a consumer spending slowdown was gathering pace.
- 25 Jul 2008 Post offices in shops and pubs 'may shut' Post offices in pubs and shops may be at risk because of inadequate funding, a committee of MPs said today.
- 25 Jul 2008 Phishing scams are soaring Email scams in which fraudsters try to trick people into revealing their bank account details have soared by 180% in the past year, new figures show.
- 24 Jul 2008 Mobility aids reps caught using hard sell Some mobility aids companies are targeting vulnerable customers with high-pressure sales tactics, an undercover Which? investigation has found.
- 24 Jul 2008 AA tops Which? breakdown services league The AA is top of the Which? annual breakdown services customer satisfaction league, published today.
- 24 Jul 2008 One in two say bottled water tastes same as tap Bottled water may be losing its sparkle after a Which? survey found many people think it tastes just the same as tap water.
- 24 Jul 2008 Many drivers unaware of emission levels Nearly three quarters of British motorists have no idea how much carbon dioxide their car emits, according to a new survey
- 23 Jul 2008 Mortgage advisers flunk Which? Money test More than 90% of mortgage advisers investigated in a Which? Money probe were caught giving poor quality advice.
- 23 Jul 2008 Smaller banks best for interest and service Smaller banks are continuing to shame the ‘big four’ high street banks with better interest rates and superior customer service, Which? Money reveals today.
- 23 Jul 2008 Government warns of drinks crackdown The government has promised tougher action against the alcohol industry unless it steps up efforts to encourage sensible drinking.
- 23 Jul 2008 Supermarkets cut price of petrol and diesel Supermarkets have launched a petrol price war, with three of Britain's biggest chains cutting the cost of unleaded and diesel by up to 5p a litre.
- 23 Jul 2008 Air passenger watchdog sees complaints fall For the first time in six years the annual number of complaints made to an air passenger watchdog has fallen, it was revealed today.
- 23 Jul 2008 Move to end 'green' tariff confusion Power suppliers will soon have to do more to explain why their ‘green’ energy tariffs are environmentally friendly.
- 23 Jul 2008 Dangerous mains chargers 'flooding into UK' Thousands of dangerous mobile phone and games console chargers are flooding into the UK from China, trading standards officers (TSOs) have warned.
- 23 Jul 2008 Lotus unveils the Evora Amid much pomp and for a huge media crowd, UK luxury car company Lotus has unveiled its first all-new model since the mid-1990s.
- 22 Jul 2008 British Motor Show gets set to open More than £37m worth of cars will be on display at the British International Motor Show when it opens at London’s Excel tomorrow.
- 22 Jul 2008 Which? climbs superbrands list Which? is the most reputable British magazine according to a survey of the nation’s top brands.
- 22 Jul 2008 FSA extends overdraft fee complaints waiver An official waiver allowing banks to put off dealing with customers trying to reclaim unauthorised overdraft charges has been extended for another six months.
- 22 Jul 2008 Government set to tackle happy hour and glass size Happy hours in pubs and clubs could be banned in an attempt to promote responsible drinking, a government spokesperson has said.
- 22 Jul 2008 Claiming after a car crash will be faster New measures to speed up the road accident personal injury claims process have been announced by the government.
- 22 Jul 2008 Theft of fuel from cars 'has doubled' The number of incidents of theft of fuel from vehicles has doubled since the beginning of the year, it's been revealed.
- 19 Jul 2008 New warning over soaring gas prices Gas prices are set to soar and then remain high for the foreseeable future, a report has revealed.
- 18 Jul 2008 BMW restyles the 3 Series BMW has unveiled a new look - both inside and out - for its core model, the 3 Series.
- 18 Jul 2008 Which? advice saves family £10,000 Families fearing the effects of the credit crunch can save thousands of pounds by simply reviewing the products and providers they use, Which? says today.
- 18 Jul 2008 Digital book reader 'fits library in your pocket' A new electronic book reader is claimed to have a memory big enough for you to store an entire library in it.
- 18 Jul 2008 Mobile users to get spam protection Tougher rules to protect consumers from unsolicited mobile phone services and intrusive text messages could be in place by the winter under new proposals.
- 18 Jul 2008 Mortgage broker banned over false applications A mortgage broker has been banned for submitting false mortgage applications without the knowledge of the individuals involved, the City watchdog has announced.
- 18 Jul 2008 Ryanair announces cut in flight numbers Budget airline Ryanair has announced substantial cutbacks in its number of flights from a leading holiday airport next winter.
- 18 Jul 2008 Poll predicts cuts in pension schemes Four out of 10 defined benefit pension schemes will have closed to existing members within the next 10 years, a new survey says.
- 18 Jul 2008 Bloggers rush for .me domain name Online bloggerscan now personalise their own web pages after the .me internet domain address was launched yesterday afternoon.
- 18 Jul 2008 New cars and hot deals, 18 July 2008 £3.5k off Lotus Elise R
- 17 Jul 2008 Nice to launch the Ze-O electric MPV The Nice Car Company is set to unveil an all-electric MPV at next week’s British International Motor Show.
- 17 Jul 2008 Which? Holiday gives tips for a better trip Good timing and preparation can help you to avoid a nightmare at the airport this summer, Which? Holiday says today.
- 17 Jul 2008 PM confirms petrol tax hike is off Gordon Brown has confirmed this autumn's planned 2p rise in fuel duty has been scrapped.
- 17 Jul 2008 Ombudsman raps government over Equitable Life The government should apologise to Equitable Life policyholders and compensate them for any money they lost as a result of its regulatory failure, the Parliamentary Ombudsman said today.
- 16 Jul 2008 OFT raps banks for complex current accounts Many customers don't know how much they're paying in bank charges for their current account, the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) said today.
- 16 Jul 2008 EU announces crackdown on text roaming costs The European Commission has announced a crackdown on the cost of mobile phone text messages following the failure of companies to take voluntary action.
- 16 Jul 2008 BT to roll out super-fast broadband BT has announced a £1.5bn scheme to roll out super-fast broadband to as many as 10 million homes by 2012.
- 16 Jul 2008 New exotic fruit set for UK shops An exotic African fruit with up to six times the vitamin C of an orange has been cleared to be sold in Britain.
- 16 Jul 2008 Kids still targeted by junk food marketing Food companies are using social networking sites and text messaging competitions to market unhealthy food to children, Which? reveals today.
- 16 Jul 2008 Anti-speed camera council leader had driving ban The leader of a council which is considering scrapping speed cameras was once banned from driving for speeding, it's been revealed.
- 15 Jul 2008 Ford unveils new Fiesta Visitors to next week’s British International Motor Show in London will be able to catch a glimpse of the all new Ford Fiesta.
- 15 Jul 2008 Former building societies to merge Former building societies Abbey and Alliance & Leicester are to be merged under a £1.26 billion deal.
- 15 Jul 2008 Staple food prices up by a fifth Consumers are paying 21% more for staple food items like milk, bread and eggs than they were 12 months ago, new figures show.
- 15 Jul 2008 Online file sharers face legal action Britons who illegally share games and films over the internet are facing legal action from computer game manufacturers seeking to protect their copyright.
- 14 Jul 2008 UKTV announces channel shake-up Chat show couple Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan are switching to a new channel from digital television network UKTV this autumn.
- 14 Jul 2008 BT offers to speed up your broadband BT has launched a new service which promises to speed up your broadband or give your money back.
- 12 Jul 2008 Report calls for junk mail clampdown A wide-ranging clampdown on the sources of junk mail, cold-calling and spam email has been proposed by an official report.
- 12 Jul 2008 Insurers reach flood cover deal The insurance industry and the government have reached an agreement to ensure householders are able to obtain protection against flooding.
- 12 Jul 2008 Computer problems hit iPhone launch Computer glitches overshadowed yesterday’s high profile launch of Apple's new iPhone.
- 11 Jul 2008 New iPhone goes on sale on Friday The latest version of Apple's popular iPhone will go on sale at about 8am on Friday.
- 11 Jul 2008 Doctors join Which? to protect laser patients Doctors and patient groups have joined Which? in opposing government plans that could see many more cosmetic patients suffer botched treatments.
- 11 Jul 2008 Celery and sat navs stolen from cars Celery, curtains and cat flaps are some of the more unusual items stolen by car thieves in the last 12 months, a new study has reported.
- 11 Jul 2008 New cars and hot deals, 11 July 2008 Our roundup of the latest cars, deals and motoring movers and shakers
- 11 Jul 2008 Breakthrough for hydrogen-powered cars The idea of running cars on hydrogen is moving closer to reality following a major breakthrough by a British firm
- 11 Jul 2008 Petrol could hit £1.50 by end of year Road users could be paying nearly £1.50p a litre for petrol by the end of the year, a motoring group has warned.
- 10 Jul 2008 Millions facing higher car tax More than 9 million drivers will be up to £245 worse off when new road tax price hikes come into force, the government has admitted.
- 10 Jul 2008 Waitrose set to open convenience stores Waitrose is expected to take on convenience stores such as Sainsbury’s Local and M&S Simply Food by launching a rival version.
- 10 Jul 2008 Drivers predict gridlock within 20 years More than half of drivers think Britain's roads will be gridlocked in the next 20 years, a survey from the RAC has found.
- 10 Jul 2008 Mobile phone owners 'shun recycling' Thousands of old mobile phones are left unused at home rather than being sent for recycling, according to a new survey.
- 10 Jul 2008 UK drivers targeted abroad Two thirds of British drivers abroad are likely to get into difficulties this summer, according to the Foreign Office (FCO).
- 09 Jul 2008 PC World launches Atom netbook PC World has launched the first small computer in the UK to feature Intel’s new Atom processor.
- 09 Jul 2008 Google facing privacy flak over Street View Plans by Google to add photographs of British streets to its online maps could be referred to the UK’s privacy watchdog.
- 09 Jul 2008 Citroën unveils new C3 Picasso Citroën has revealed its latest mini MPV – the C3 Picasso – which will launch in the UK in the middle of 2009.
- 09 Jul 2008 Passengers losing faith in trains Passenger satisfaction levels have fallen in the last year for the majority of train companies, a watchdog has announced.
- 08 Jul 2008 PM urges families to stop wasting food The government has called on consumers to cut down on the billions of pounds worth of food wasted each year.
- 08 Jul 2008 Google forced to reveal YouTube records A US judge has ordered online video-sharing site YouTube to disclose who watches the website's video clips and when.
- 08 Jul 2008 Banks' profits '£2.5bn a year' from overdraft fees The UK's major banks make £2.5bn a year in profit through unauthorised overdraft charges, the competition watchdog is expected to reveal this month.
- 08 Jul 2008 Mayor scraps £25 Congestion charge Plans to increase the London congestion charge to £25 for higher-emission cars have been scrapped following a legal challenge by Porsche.
- 07 Jul 2008 Tourist charged £31,500 for TV download An IT worker received a whopping £31,500 bill after downloading his favourite TV show while abroad.
- 07 Jul 2008 Court rules Pringles are not crisps A Pringle is undoubtedly crisp - but it is not a potato crisp.
- 07 Jul 2008 Ford unveils new Focus RS Ford has released pictures of its high-performance Focus RS ahead of its official British Motor Show debut later this month.
- 07 Jul 2008 Renault announces new 'hot hatch' Renault has unveiled details and pricing for its latest 'hot hatch' – the Twingo Renaultsport 133.
- 04 Jul 2008 Polaroid launches instant prints from a phone The Polaroid instant photo has been relaunched for the digital age with a miniature printer designed to unlock images from mobile phones.
- 04 Jul 2008 New cars and hot deals, 4 July 2008 All the latest bargains from our deal-hunters. Summer is here and the manufacturers are trying to tempt you away from your last-minute holiday hunting.
- 04 Jul 2008 Firefox 3 sets world download record The latest version of the popular Firefox browser now holds the world record for the largest number of software downloads in 24 hours.
- 04 Jul 2008 We reveal online DNA tests are waste of money Expensive online DNA testing services are a waste of money that won't unlock the secrets of your past, Which? Computing can reveal.
- 04 Jul 2008 Insurers catch record number of car cheats New figures show that the number of fraudulent motor insurance claims uncovered has soared by 70% over the past three years.
- 04 Jul 2008 RAC makes tax plea for drivers Treasury plans to raise around £2bn in road taxes before 2011 will cost motorists four times more than would be saved by the dropping of the proposed October 2p fuel duty increase, the RAC Foundation said today.
- 03 Jul 2008 New sat nav will see jams ahead A new hi-tech sat-nav device is being developed which can tell when there is a traffic jam ahead, scientists revealed today.
- 03 Jul 2008 Seat Ibiza SportCoupé set for UK launch Seat is set to unveil a host of new models at this month’s British International Motor Show, including the much-anticipated Ibiza SportCoupé.
- 03 Jul 2008 Severn Trent Water fined for bad service and lies Water regulator Ofwat has confirmed it is fining Severn Trent Water a total of £35.8m for deliberately providing false information and poor customer service.
- 03 Jul 2008 Hyundai-Kia outsells Honda and Nissan Korean company Hyundai-Kia has become the world’s fifth biggest carmaker following huge growth over the past decade, new figures show.
- 03 Jul 2008 Which? announces new chairman Which? has announced that Mike Clasper is to be chairman of the organisation's commercial arm.
- 03 Jul 2008 Record numbers listen to radio online The number of people in the UK listening to digital radio via the internet has soared.
- 03 Jul 2008 Discount food stores enjoy sales boom Discount food retailers are enjoying a boom as consumers reject premium brands to cope with the credit crunch, analysts say.
- 02 Jul 2008 Rubik's Cube tipped as Christmas best seller The Rubik's Cube is set to top the Christmas best-sellers list once again, more than 25 years after its launch, a retailer has predicted.
- 02 Jul 2008 Solar-powered digital radio launched Digital radio company Roberts says its new solar-powered digital radio is a world first.
- 02 Jul 2008 Plans to protect savings leave gaps, says Which? New government proposals to protect savers when a bank goes under don't go far enough, Which? has warned.
