News in March 2009
- 31 Mar 2009Fuel duty to rise by more than 2pMillions of drivers will be forced to pay an extra 2.12p for a litre of petrol when a controversial fuel duty increase goes ahead on Wednesday.
- 31 Mar 2009Olympus announces the E-450 digital SLROlympus has announced the E-450, a light and compact entry-level digital SLR
- 31 Mar 2009Passengers want hold bags included in flight priceTaxes should also be included says survey
- 31 Mar 2009Claiming tax for unused flights can be costlyAir Passenger Duty often kept by airlines
- 30 Mar 2009In-store 'Tesco Bank' branches plannedHigh street giant to open in-store banks under Tesco brand
- 30 Mar 2009Two-thirds of Britons not using up Isa allowanceJust over a third of people will use their Isa allowance according to Halifax, see Which? cash Isa Best Buys and don't miss out
- 30 Mar 2009Nationwide takes over Dunfermline BSDunfermline Building Society rescued by fellow mutual, Nationwide
- 30 Mar 2009Corgi replaced by Gas Safe Register scheme
- 30 Mar 2009Scottish Power to pay customers in credit
- 30 Mar 2009Alternative to IVAs and bankruptcy launchedDebt relief orders to help low-income debtors with debts up to £15,000
- 30 Mar 2009Spotify to sell MP3 music through 7digital.comSpotify, an online music-sharing service, has partnered with music website 7digital.com to sell MP3 music downloads.
- 29 Mar 2009March consumer news quizJust how much do you remember about the headlines from the past month? Find out with our monthly quiz.
- 29 Mar 2009Financial cost of kids' activities on the riseCost of sporting and cultural activities for children has risen at the twice the rate of inflation since 1998.
- 28 Mar 2009Insurer Liverpool Victoria bucks the trendLiverpool Victoria produced unexpectedly positive results for 2008, doubling its surplus to nearly £63m. The group now focuses on general insurance and trading has started well in 2009.
- 27 Mar 2009Consumers saving more in 2009NS&I research shows that consumers are ploughing more cash into savings accounts as fears of a long-term slump hit home.
- 27 Mar 2009Suppliers must improve on direct debitsGas and electricity regulator Ofgem has demanded improvements in the way that energy suppliers deal with direct debit payments from customers.
- 27 Mar 2009Car buyers taking risks in bid to beat recessionCar buyers are taking risks in a bid to save cash during the recession, a new survey has revealed.
- 27 Mar 2009Sony Ericsson announces the T707 mobile phoneSony Ericsson has announced the T707 mobile phone for the fashion conscious consumer
- 26 Mar 2009Hope for restaurants as recession continuesElizabeth Carter, consultant editor of The Good Food Guide, published by Which?, tells BBC listeners that opportunities for restaurants and chefs will arise out of the recession.
- 26 Mar 2009A third of young drivers 'given first car'More than a third of young drivers are given their first car as a gift, according to a new survey.
- 26 Mar 2009Laser eye surgery advice misleads consumersSome high street clinics are giving unsatisfactory advice about the risks of laser eye surgery, and pressuring customers into treatment options that cost hundreds of pounds more than the advertised price, reveals an undercover investigation by Which?
- 26 Mar 2009Hot car deals, 26 March 2009Fancy saving thousands on a new car? Then take a look at these superb deals on the Citroen C5 Tourer, Jaguar XK and BMW 5 Series Touring.
- 26 Mar 2009Popular voucher websites don't always compareWhich.co.uk investigation finds discount voucher websites don't always compare
- 26 Mar 2009Audi introduces new entry-level TT RoadsterLooking for the drop-top bargain of the summer? This new Audi TT Roadster could well be the answer.
- 25 Mar 2009Ford to increase prices by up to £1,000Ford is to increase prices across its entire range of cars on 1 April, it was announced on Tuesday.
- 25 Mar 2009Homeowners 'can't afford home repairs'More than one in 10 homeowners who has had a problem with their property during the past three months has had to borrow money to get it repaired, research showed today.
- 25 Mar 2009'Facebook database' proposal fuels privacy rowHome Office proposals requiring social networking sites like Facebook to log details of their users' movements are completely unworkable, a privacy campaigner said today.
- 25 Mar 2009New VW Golf GTI available to orderVolkswagen has announced the pricing for its brand new Golf GTI – the sixth generation version of this iconic performance hatchback.
- 25 Mar 2009Hot car deals, 25 March 2009Don’t fancy paying top whack for the new Golf GTI? Or maybe you want to save thousands on a Ford Galaxy or BMW 1 Series. If so, we can help.
- 25 Mar 2009Energy direct debits are 'free loans' to firmsGas and electricity suppliers are effectively using their customers’ money as ‘interest-free loans’ by taking unnecessarily high direct debit payments each month, new research published today in Which? Money magazine has revealed.
- 25 Mar 2009Twittering 'to be taught in schools'Traditional subjects could be replaced with blogging lessons for primary school kids
- 25 Mar 2009Canon details 15.1Mp EOS 500D digital SLRCanon has announced the EOS 500D digital SLR with HD video recording mode. Scheduled for a UK launch in May with a retail price around £870 (body only)
- 24 Mar 2009Kia extends seven-year warranty to used carsIn an unprecedented move, Kia has announced that from April it will offer up to seven years’ warranty on used cars.
- 24 Mar 2009Flip launches the 'world's smallest HD camcorder'The Flip Mino HD, successor to the popular standard definition pocket camcorder, is available now from Firebox
- 24 Mar 2009Online visits to Spotify music site soarVisits to music streaming website Spotify.com more than doubled in February, according to internet monitoring company Hitwise.
- 24 Mar 2009New label shows you what can be recycledA new universal recycling label that aims to help consumers recycle packaging more easily has been launched by the British Retail Consortium (BRC).
- 23 Mar 2009Post Office strikes driving licence dealA new five-year deal means motorists will be able to renew their photocard driving licences at branches of the Post Office.
- 23 Mar 2009MPs call for end to meaningless green claimsA group of MPs has called for a new system of environmental labelling to prevent companies from making misleading claims about how green their products are.
- 23 Mar 2009Energy customers to get 'fair deal' says OfgemConsumers are set to get a fairer deal from their gas and electricity supplier under proposals unveiled today by the energy watchdog Ofgem.
- 23 Mar 2009Which? Holiday’s 10 favourite UK places to visit Which? Holiday lists ten of their favourite places to visit in the UK
- 23 Mar 2009Sales of video games boosts entertainment sectorGamers buoy entertainment market as album and video sales decline
- 22 Mar 2009'Digital divide' is alive in UKNew report reveals those from deprived areas are less likely to engage with online government
- 21 Mar 2009Vauxhall's Insignia Sports Tourer arrivesVauxhall has announced that its new Insignia 'Sports Tourer' estate will go on sale on 10 April.
- 21 Mar 2009Mobile networks to let rivals' customers call 999The UK's phone watchdog today proposed plans to help consumers access emergency services via their mobile phone even if they cannot get a mobile signal via their own mobile service provider's network.
- 21 Mar 2009Web shoppers 'oblivious to fraud'Twenty per cent of online shoppers aren't aware of the risks of fraud
- 20 Mar 2009More high street pawn shops could be on the wayThe UK's largest pawnbrowker plans to double its outlets to 250
- 20 Mar 2009Peugeot prices new 308 CCPeugeot's all-new coupé-convertible 308 CC goes on sale 1 June, with prices ranging from £19,495 to £23,495.
- 20 Mar 2009Vauxhall announces 'greener' ZafiraVauxhall has announced an ecoFLEX version of its Zafira MPV, reducing CO2 emissions to 139g/km.
- 20 Mar 2009Hot car deals, 20 March 2009We've uncovered some incredible deals this week, including £1,200 off a nippy Ford Ka and big savings on the brand new Golf...
- 20 Mar 20092009 Ideal home show opens today at Earls CourtThe 101st Ideal Home Show opens today in Earls Court, sponsored by EDF Energy
- 20 Mar 2009Bank card fraud hits £610 millionCriminals target credit and debit card users as fraud rockets.
- 19 Mar 2009British Motor Show cancelledNext year’s British International Motor Show has been cancelled because of the global financial crisis, it was announced on Thursday.
- 19 Mar 2009Borrowing rockets to £9bnUK plunges further into the red as borrowing soars to £9bn
- 19 Mar 2009BAA ordered to sell certain airportsAirports operator BAA is told to sell Stansted and either Edinburgh or Glasgow airports by the Competition Commission.
- 19 Mar 2009Now's the time to switchFollowing Npower’s decision to cut prices earlier this week, switching site Which? Switch has advised gas and electricity customers that now is a good time to check that they’re still getting the best deal on their energy.
- 19 Mar 2009Record rise in unemployment Unemployment has swept past the two million mark for the first time in over a decade, with further rises in the number of jobless expected.
- 19 Mar 2009Drivers 'distracted' by roadside landmarksAs many as 12% of drivers have had an accident or near miss after being distracted by a roadside landmark, according to a new survey by insurance firm esure.
- 19 Mar 2009Petrol prices set to rise again in AprilPetrol prices will rise again when a planned government 2p increase in fuel duty takes effect on 1 April.
- 19 Mar 2009Google launches Street View 3D maps in the UK Google has launched a UK version of its Street View map service, which allows users to explore UK cities online using 360-degree photos taken at street level.
- 19 Mar 2009Great tasting Espresso from LavazzaThe Lavazza A Modo Mio produces the best espresso we've tasted from a coffee machine of this class
- 19 Mar 2009Sony ebook Reader gets 500,000 free titlesSony announced yesterday that it is linking up with Google to make 500,000 books available free to read on Sony's hand-held Reader.
- 19 Mar 2009Clamp down on dodgy phone salesNew phone selling rules will help protect consumers against phone slamming and other misleading sales and marketing practices in the home phones and mobile phone markets.
- 18 Mar 2009Win a sat nav and free fuel for a yearThe 2009 Which? Car survey is a great opportunity for you to tell us about your car – whether you drive a cheap family run-around or a costly luxury motor.
- 18 Mar 2009Credit card cheques to be bannedGordon Brown tells Which? about plans to tackle debt through changes to credit card rules.
- 18 Mar 2009PM takes action on credit card limitsGordon Brown tells Which?: Automatic credit limit increases to be stamped out
- 18 Mar 2009NS&I axes a Premium Bond jackpot NS&I axes one of the two £1 million monthly Premium Bonds jackpots, resulting in more smaller prizes.
- 18 Mar 2009Hot car deals, 18 March 2009This week we’ve dug out some cracking discounts on the Ford Focus and VW Golf - and had a look at AutoeBid’s updated ‘reverse auction’ site.
- 18 Mar 2009Equality law 'could double car insurance premiums'Car insurance premiums could double for some drivers if a new law to prevent age discrimination is passed, insurers have warned.
- 18 Mar 2009M&S flowers are best of the bunch, says Which?Marks and Spencer has topped a Which? test of Mother's Day spring flowers and flower delivery companies.
- 18 Mar 2009Apple announces iPhone and iPod Touch updateApple has shown off the latest iPhone software, featuring over 100 new features and scheduled to be launched this summer
- 17 Mar 2009Average cost of renting falls by more than 2%The cost of renting a property has fallen during the first three months of 2009 as ‘accidental landlords’ flood the market, research showed today.
- 17 Mar 2009Facebook now available on your desktopUsers will no longer need to log in to Facebook to post status updates, as the world's most popular social networking site now has its first desktop application, from Seesmic, the company behind Twitter client Twhirl.
- 17 Mar 2009Npower falls into lineNpower has become the last of the big six gas and electricity suppliers to reduce its prices.
- 17 Mar 2009Number of bags lost by airlines soarsAirlines failing to fairly compensate passengers for lost luggage
- 16 Mar 2009Indebted Britons pay £9bn in credit card interestThe average Briton has credit card debts of over £3,000 with credit card companies now starting to lower spending limits
- 16 Mar 2009Car auctions report record-breaking salesA record number of used cars were sold at auction in the first few months of 2009, figures from the Society of Motor Auctions (SMA) show.
- 15 Mar 2009Volvo announces special edition C70Volvo has announced a special edition Ice White C70, just in time for spring.
- 15 Mar 2009Chevrolet announces Cruze prices - and they're lowChevrolet has announced the pricing and specification details for its all-new compact four-door, the Cruze.
- 15 Mar 2009Economic worries look set to continueA member of the Monetary Policy Committee has speculated that the current recession will be worst than the previous one at the start of the 1990s.
- 15 Mar 2009New Student loan interest rate cut Students and recent graduates will further benefit from falling interest rates as the charge on student loans is cut from 2.5% to 1.5% on 6 March. The 2008-9 rate was originally set at 3.8% in September 2008.
- 14 Mar 2009Smart unveils special edition 'limited three'Smart has announced a new special edition version of its ForTwo city car.
- 14 Mar 20092009 Toshiba ranges: Camileo, Journe Air and RegzaToshiba has unveiled a wide range of new products including the Camileo S10 camcorder, Journe Air Wi-Fi digital photo frames, and Regza SV TV.
- 14 Mar 2009Apple to announce new iPhone operating systemApple has confirmed it will reveal a new iPhone operating system on 17 March 2009. Few details are known at the moment but the company is to hold an invitation-only press event at its Californian headquarters.
- 13 Mar 2009Upgraded Jeep Patriot now under £15,000Jeep has announced an improved interior for its Patriot compact 4x4.
- 13 Mar 2009Best Buy Humax Freeview+ PVR upgraded to 500GBHumax has announced a new 500GB version of its Freeview+ PVR, the 9300T, which was awarded a Which? Best Buy.
- 13 Mar 2009Hot car deals, 13 March 2009You may have to be quick to snap them up, but we’ve unearthed some very special discounts on Citroen, Mercedes and VW this week.
- 13 Mar 2009Lexus IS 250C: fastest roof in the worldLexus has revealed the full details of its forthcoming IS 250C coupé convertible. And as you would expect from Lexus the attention to detail is extensive.
- 13 Mar 2009Financial watchdog gets toughFinancial watchdog warns the City that it will not tolerate further transgressions and should be 'frightened'.
- 12 Mar 2009Britons paying unnecessary taxSavers may pay too much tax in 2009 by not taking advantage of tax rules
- 12 Mar 2009New mortgage loans fewest since records beganThe fewest number of new mortgages since reords began in 2002 were issued in January according the Council of Mortgage Lenders
- 12 Mar 2009Kids sap average of £11,776 from parents' savings Some parents are getting further into debt to bail out their children
- 12 Mar 2009Land Rover offered £27m to build 'green' carLand Rover has been offered up to £27m of government money to develop an efficient new diesel hybrid vehicle.
- 12 Mar 2009Fairy launches non bio laundry gelFairy has launched a non bio laundry gel in a squeezable bottle
- 12 Mar 2009Expats feeling the squeeze overseasCosts of living are rising but expatriate Brits feel they're better off abroad
- 11 Mar 2009YouTube music videos 'blocked by Google'Google has started blocking access to all music videos on YouTube in the UK. The move came off the back of ongoing negotiations over Google’s licence to show music videos on YouTube.
- 11 Mar 2009John Lewis Partnership sees profits plunge The John Lewis Partnership today revealed a sharp plunge in profits after a ‘tough year’.
- 11 Mar 2009Crunch time for healthy eatingA new Which? survey has revealed that the credit crunch may be curbing peoples efforts to eat healthily.
- 11 Mar 2009New cars getting greener, CO2 figures showThe CO2 output of new cars fell by a record margin in 2008, official figures show.
- 11 Mar 2009Woolworths shop reopens as WellworthsA former Woolworths store will reopen under the name Wellworths today.
- 11 Mar 2009Ryanair to abolish check-in at airportsPassengers flying with Ryanair will no longer be able to check in at the airport.
- 11 Mar 2009Nokia reveals new Comes With Music mobile phonesNokia has announced three new mobile phones: the Nokia 5730 XpressMusic, the Nokia 5330 XpressMusic and the Nokia 5030
- 11 Mar 2009Apple launches new 4GB iPod Shuffle 3GThe Apple iPod Shuffle 3G is almost half the size of the previous model and is able to talk to you
- 10 Mar 2009Pets may suffer as recession bites deeper Pets could suffer as their owners economise by cutting back pet insurance
- 10 Mar 2009Supermarket chain starts selling carsDiscount retailer Lidl has started selling cars through its German website.
- 10 Mar 2009Waitrose launches cheaper own label product rangeSupermarket chain Waitrose has launched a cheaper range of own brand products this week.
- 10 Mar 2009Online social networking more popular than emailFacebook, MySpace and other internet based social networking sites and online blogs are more popular than personal email, according to recent research.
- 10 Mar 2009OFT cracks down on misleading debt advice websitesDebt charity look-alike sites ordered to close. Sites that resemble Citizens Advice, CCCS and National Debtline websites are shut down by Office of Fair Trading.
- 10 Mar 2009Hyundai Mobile UK to launch MB-910 phone watchHyundai Mobile UK has announced that the MB-910 wristwatch-style mobile phone will be launched in the UK this summer
- 09 Mar 2009Hot car deals, 9 March 2009We've scoured the UK's forecourts for Britain's best new and used car deals. Check out the Which? team's best car bargains of the moment.
- 09 Mar 2009Parents saving money by trading online Two internet trading communities, schoolstrader.com and primaryschoolstrader.com, have seen an 80% increase in traffic in the last three months, suggesting that more and more parents are using online trading sites to save money.
- 09 Mar 2009Speed limits could be cut on rural roadsThe Government is considering cutting speed limits on most rural single-carriageway roads from 60mph to 50mph, it has been revealed.
- 09 Mar 2009Virgin to branch out into high street banks?Sir Richard Branson suggests he may branch out into banking
- 09 Mar 2009High street shop sales crash in FebruaryFears for high street shops are set to continue after figures released today show sales for February crashing by more than 8%.
- 09 Mar 2009Tiscali sale to BSkyB collapsesShares in broadband provider Tiscali have been suspended after a sale of its UK business to BSkyB collapsed.
- 07 Mar 2009Win a sat nav and free fuel for a year (or £2,000)The 2009 Which? Car survey is a great opportunity for you to tell us about your car – whether you drive a cheap family run-around or a costly luxury motor.
- 06 Mar 2009O2 unveils Joggler digital home organiser O2 has launched the O2 Joggler - a digital home organiser device it claims will 'transform the way families manage their busy lives.'
- 06 Mar 2009Samsung shows off the NX series of Hybrid camerasSamsung has introduced the NX digital camera series - the first Hybrid digital camera
- 05 Mar 2009Hot car deals, 5 March 2009Fancy saving £5,000 or so on your next car? You can with one of these great deals we've spotted on the Ford Galaxy, Jaguar XF or Jeep Patriot.
- 05 Mar 2009Department stores kick off high street sales warDebenhams, John Lewis and House of Fraser have all announced sale events this week in a bid to outdo each other on price.
- 05 Mar 2009Geneva Motor Show latest: new VW Polo debutsThe Geneva Motor Show opens its doors to the public today, and the star of the VW stand is undoubtedly the new Polo.
- 05 Mar 2009Geneva Motor Show: Skoda YetiSkoda unleashed its latest offering, the Yeti, on an icy outcrop at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show.
- 05 Mar 2009Geneva Motor Show: Ford iosis Max conceptFord unveiled a stunning concept car at the Geneva Motor Show, which is being described as a vision for the next generation of compact multi-activity vehicles.
- 05 Mar 2009Bank of England cuts interest ratesBank of England cuts interest rates to 0.5%
- 05 Mar 2009House prices resume downward trendHouse prices fall but affordability improves according to Halifax
- 05 Mar 2009Technical support lines exposed as costlyWhich? Computing exposes the premium rate phone lines that just keep you hanging on
- 04 Mar 2009Currys and PC World owner to open megastoresThe owner of Currys and PC world, DSG International. today unveiled plans for up to 50 megastores across the UK. See how Currys and PC World do in the Which? high street survey.
- 04 Mar 2009Panasonic Lumix GH1 camera to have 1080p videoPanasonic has unveiled the Lumix DMC-GH1 - the world's first micro four-thirds digital camera which can record high definition (HD) video.
- 04 Mar 2009Green Lane crowned Britain's greenest streetGreen Lane in Cookridge, north west Leeds, has been crowned one of Britain’s most environmentally friendly roads.
- 04 Mar 2009Flickr lets all users upload video clipsPhoto sharing website Flickr has announced that all users can now upload video clips to its site, after the service was previously only available to paying 'Pro' users.
- 04 Mar 2009Asda has biggest growth of all supermarketsAsda has ousted its rivals to post the highest year-on-year growth rate of the ‘big four’ supermarkets, according to new market research.
- 04 Mar 2009Worried savers flock to NS&I NS&I has reported a big increase in deposits following 'turbulence in the financial markets'. The last 3 months of 2008 saw £9.55bn flow in, compared with £5.67bn in the previous quarter- an increase of over 65%. The 3rd quarter 2007 figure was £3.8b
- 03 Mar 2009Repossessions soar at Northern RockNationalised lender repossessed over 1,000 more homes in 2008 but now pledges a 6 month "breathing space" for those facing losing their homes.
- 03 Mar 2009Twitter enters top 100 UK websitesMicro-blogging social networking website Twitter has entered the top 100 most visited sites for the first time, according to internet monitoring company Hitwise UK.
- 03 Mar 2009Facebook suffers spate of online security attacksFacebook, the online social networking site, has been the victim of five separate security problems over the last week, including a virus and four malicious applications, according to a BBC news channel article.
- 03 Mar 2009Toyota ups prices of popular carsToyota, the world’s biggest carmaker, has quietly increased the prices of some of its most popular models, Which? Car can reveal.
- 03 Mar 2009Geneva Motor Show gets underwayCarmakers have been making their final preparations for the 2009 Geneva Motor Show, which opens to the press on Tuesday. Here's what we're expecting to see.
- 03 Mar 2009Sony announces the Cyber-shot DSC-HX1Sony has announced the Cyber-shot HX1, a high-speed camera with a 20x optical zoom and HD video mode
- 03 Mar 2009Co-op completes Somerfield takeoverThe Co-op has completed its takeover of grocery chain Somerfield, making it the UK’s fifth largest food chain.
- 03 Mar 2009Siemens to sell vacuum cleanersSiemens has re-entered the vacuum cleaner market with the launch of two new Z6 models
- 02 Mar 2009Hot car deals, 2 March 2009Just in time for summer: Which uncovers great cheap car bargains on the Mazda MX-5, Volkswagen Eos - and even the BMW X5. If you want cheap cars, you've come to the right place.
- 02 Mar 2009Loyalty scheme bid to save local shopsTraders and shoppers in a market town have united to launch a loyalty scheme to save customers cash and stop high street shops from closing during the economic downturn.
- 02 Mar 2009Hands-free mobiles 'just as dangerous' for driversHands-free kits are just as dangerous for drivers as handheld mobile phones, accident experts have claimed.
- 02 Mar 2009Voting open for Good Food Guide restaurant award Voting opens for people to make their favourite local eaterie The Good Food Guide Restaurant of the Year
- 02 Mar 2009Debt crisis deepening warns Citizens AdviceCAB reveals average debt client owes nearly £17,000 with little or no hope of being able to repay
- 02 Mar 2009Philips unveils its 2009 LCD TV rangePhilips has unveiled its 2009 line up of LCD TVs, featuring models with internet connectivity and power saving technology
- 02 Mar 2009Nationwide & Thomas Cook credit cards to chargeNew charges for using your Thomas Cook and Nationwide credit cards abroad on holiday
- 01 Mar 2009Building societies unhappy at £1.1bn levyThe FSCS’s recently published Plan and Budget for 2009/10 makes uncomfortable reading for Britain’s banks and building societies
- 01 Mar 2009Olympus micro four-thirds cameraOlympus has released imagesof the concept micro four-thirds digital camera, which is currently scheduled to be launched later this year
