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Praise, vent & warnings

Archives for May 2020

Whats is happening to AVRO Energy?
i have called several times over the last few days and whether you are a new or existing customer, the phone line just plays continous music. It is as if they have turned the phones off. i am trying to leave them but they blocked the move. i have tried emailing and phoning but i do not get a response.
Not so Smart meters
post deleted..................
Toys Outlet Store (online)
Has anyone on here had any experience with the above company. My son (who has some learning disabilities) is looking after his grandmother who is self isolating and his only respite has been in building the Lego kits he has there. An advert popped up on my social media last Friday and was embedded on several news items…
Warning Possible FB advert Scam Seen today on FB for Eccostores.com
I saw a Facebook add today looked good and cheap but too good to be true so researched and saw them reported on here a few years ago. So seems they are at it again, Vanda
DO NOT USE - "www.mytechdomestic.com" - FRAUD
The above website appears to offer electronic goods, however if you look closely, the website has a number of pretend links and spelling mistakes. Clearly set up to take advantage of the current situation. Whilst they appear to offer the usual payment options, credit/debit card, PayPal, and bank transfer, if you try to…
Star of "Can't Pay? We'll Take It Away!" Teams Up With Fraudulent Ex-Solicitor
A former Police Officer who is now employed as a High Court Enforcement Officer with DCBL and stars on the Channel 5 TV Programme, "Can't Pay? We'll Take It Away!" became a co-director of JAFLAS (a charity) in March 2020, despite the fact the charity has had no income for four years (according to its accounts)…
Starling Business account - shocking!
STARLING - Shocking!I am a car specialist, (car dealer), working from home - Vat registered, dvla registered, £200k turnover - I applied for a business account through Starling, but they said I needed a private account first - so I opened the private account and then successfully opened a business account. 48hrs later they…
MyHermes ....beware,don't use!
MyHermes lost my parcel.The item was worth about £100 and I had sold it on ebay for £70.I think someone at MyHermes probably stole it,it was collected from the parcel shop and then disappeared somewhere around when it went to the local depot,it didn't appear on the tracking after that.I think what happened is that I made…
Lockdown - venting as I have the time
Whilst in lockdown I’ve been on the forum a lot and see some common themes that annoy so he’s my vent: 1: Credit cards No you not entitled to the best rates, compensation and an apology because you’ve seen your “credit score” and should get special treatment 2: Loans No you weren’t missold, no they shouldn’t have checked…
Merkersia Premium Text Scam
Merkersia are at it again. Scamming consumers. Recently, been victim to this as my O2 bill rocketed to £50 from £20. What they do: * Send you a "PIN" Text, informing you that you've signed up to a premium service and to reply with a PIN number to start the texts. * Without your knowledge or replying, you'll start receiving…
Dunelm
Trust Pilot reviews for Dunelm are averaging 1.9 out of 5. Many like me have spent hundreds on items and they have taken the money yet no sign of goods or dispatch confirmation. I am considering going to my bank to request a charge back as that way I can get my £500 back. Poor form and all attempts to contact them have…
Daughters image being used in promotions without permission
Hi all, First of all sorry if this the wrong part of the board but couldn't see where it would go Okay so here we go.... I found out my daughters (6 years old) image was being used in a promotional campaign for a charity, they had taken the photo while at an event. I contacted them and said that although I was unhappy with…
Airtime Parking should be avoided!
Has anybody used airtime parking before for Heathrow? We found it on Looking4Parking through MSE as they had a promotion. We went on holiday at the beginning of February 2020 (which feels like last year already!) Terrible service, their office looked like it had been rammed by something and boarded up badly. Customer keys…
Forced back to work from furlough
Fed up of hearing about people moaning that they are being forced back to work having been furloughed. 80% was way to generous and people got too comfortable with their government funded holiday.
Argos 'out of stock'
Earlier this week i wanted to order an item (403/9369) which was not available to collect from any argos store or for delivery anywhere in the UK. At the time the item was 'reduced' presumably to match the offer that amazon had on the same item. You can imagine how surprised i was to find that the day the offer ended and…
Hermes warning - They don't always track your parcel
Hi, I wanted to write this thread as a warning to people who are considering using Hermes Parcelshop service to post a personal parcel. My Mum posted my Daughter's birthday presents about a month ago at one of their Parcelshops, it was a bundle of gifts purchased over time, and lots cannot be bought anymore. It reached the…
Scam - Vehicle Information
Beware, you think you are on DVLA but this scam takes an initial 50p from your account, then £5.95 every month. I've been in touch with my bank but very difficult to get through to banks at this time. I've been googling and there are many, many posts about this scam. Angry with myself for falling for it, but easy to do…
Praise to Fred Olsen
Fred Olsen refunded my cancelled cruise to my credit card, and my cruise wasn't due until 6th May.
Bits and Pieces uk, still in tatters
AVOID AT ALL COSTS! Placed an order, nearly a month later nothing received, despite numerous emails requesting an estimate for delivery no response from this company. After further emails to request that the order be cancelled and a refund given, their reply was that the order would be with me soon, it wasn't!!Phoned them…
Praise: bestgymequipment.co.uk
I've just written a thread relating to how 'unhappy' many people are with the current situation around online orders, returns and refunds - and mentioned this company in my thread - so apologies if you've seen it twice - but wanted to give these people a mention based on the difficulties they've had to endure recently. I…

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MSE News

Ofgem proposes new 'no standing charge' Price Cap – but Martin Lewis warns vulnerable customers need to be opted in or it won't work
Ofgem has today launched detailed proposals for a major shake up to its Energy Price Cap that dictates the price over 80% of homes in England, Scotland and Wales pay for their energy bills.
Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland to cut overdraft rates for millions but hike them for others – here's what's happening and full help
If you're a Lloyds, Halifax or Bank of Scotland current account holder, the interest rate you're charged for using your overdraft could change soon as part of a fees shake-up. The Lloyds Banking Group, which owns all three brands, says millions of its customers will pay less after the changes – but a "few" will pay more.
Warm Home Discount expansion confirmed with millions more eligible for the £150 top-up this winter – here's what we know
Around 2.7 million more low-income households, including 900,000 families with children, will become eligible for the £150 Warm Home Discount this winter, as the Government has confirmed it will remove the existing 'hard to heat' eligibility criteria. The extension has only been confirmed for winter 2025/26, with further changes possible for future years.
Martin Lewis: At last a chance to fix Council Tax flaws impacting millions – debt collection, difficulty challenging your band, discounts and more
Major flaws in the Council Tax system in England could finally be fixed in future, as the Government has launched a wide-ranging consultation to review hideous debt collection practices, the difficulty of challenging your band, the overly complex and horribly-named Severe Mental Impairment discount and more. MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis, who has long campaigned on these issues, shares his response and analysis.
Energy complaints to be dealt with more quickly and Energy Ombudsman to get new powers under Government plans
If you have a complaint about your energy firm, it may be resolved more quickly in future, as the Government has announced a raft of proposals to strengthen consumer protections in the energy market. The planned changes include giving the Energy Ombudsman new powers to force firms to comply with its decisions – but it's still very early days. Here's what we know so far.
Warm Home Discount expansion confirmed with millions more eligible for the £150 top-up this winter – here's what we know
Around 2.7 million more households, including 900,000 families with children, will become eligible for the £150 Warm Home Discount this winter, as the Government has confirmed it will remove the existing 'hard to heat' eligibility criteria. The extension has only been confirmed for winter 2025/26, with further changes possible for future years.
Base rate held at 4.25% – here's what it means and when it might be cut next
The Bank of England has held the base rate at 4.25%. Below we explain why, when it might be cut, plus what it means for your mortgage and savings.
Applied for South West Trains 'boundary fares' compensation? Act now to claim it
If you applied for compensation from South West Trains before the deadline in January 2025, you now need to provide your bank details to the claim administrator so it can be paid to you. Here's what you need to know.
Winter Fuel Payments to be reinstated for millions – Martin Lewis explains how it'll work, what it means and if it's an improvement
All State Pensioners in England and Wales will receive a Winter Fuel Payment this winter, though those who earn over £35,000 will see it clawed back through the tax system. It means nine million pensioners will get the £200 or £300 top-up. Here MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis shares his instant response and analysis, and we include answers to your key questions.

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