Improve Money Rules In 50 Words. Suggest easy changes for our politicians

rpb

Bring Product Quality Into Line With Consumers' "Reasonable" Expectations

Define reasonable minimum lifetimes for categories of retail products. Realistically, 12-month guarantees are all consumers have for protection against poorly-made/faulty items. Redress should be available from retailers and suppliers when (often expensive) purchases break after only a few years. Example: Washing machine, TV - 5 years minimum lifetime.


- I've had an expensive PVR die after 18 months and an expensive washing machine conk out after two years, and I really don't think it "reasonable" that supplier and manufacturer have no responsibility here for product reliability/quality.

kingfu

Most large companies, particularly utilities, use automated telephone systems which can be a maze to negotiate, especially when you are in a rush and just need to speak to a real person.This is a major cause of frustration as well as a waste of time and money thanks to the premium rate numbers often used. It should be law that if these systems are used, the very first option should be "do you want to speak to an operator

kingfu

Broadband providers and the government cannot agree who should foot the (huge) bill for rolling out fast internet to the smaller (less profitable) communities. I was offered 2Gb broadband for £20, when if I lived 5 miles down the road, the same company would provide 20Gb broadband for free - how can this be fair. The simplest way to remove this postcode lottery and encourage broadband providers to extend faster broadband coverage would be to make them charge per Gb, ie, no free broadband unless it is for everyone, if you are only provided with lower speeds, you pay a lower price, not vice versa!

lizpreston

In my local Sainburys and M&S there are often very persistent utility salespeople. Despite me being on a cheap fixed rate they try to tell me their deal is better (which it isn't). They seem to target elderly people and insist on instant signups to get the deal. Not fair!

windowsxp10

If the U.K. is struggling to meet environmental standards, the government should make it possible for people, both private and public sector, to install solar electricity and heating panels free or at a greatly reduced cost.
It seems to me that at the moment the energy companies are raking it in because they encourage their customers to install these panels with the carrot of paying them for any surplus, but the energy companies are constantly increasing their prices while getting their customers to generate their electricity for them.
When the majority of customers are generating energy will the companies reduce the payments to customers?
Not a bad ruse if you can get away with it eh!

owens1_2

With the technology that we have these days there should be a choice to use BBC and pay your TV license or not, I use BBC for TV very little. I saw on TV that the boss of BBC gets one of the highest wages in the country, no wonder.

Portchester

Require that advertisers who use "up to" (or equivalent) in advertisements (e.g. "up to 8 mbps", "up to 75% off", "up to £200 savings") can demonstrate that at least 10% of the advertised product range actually meets the quoted figure. Empower Trading Standards or Advertising Standards Authority to penalise breaches.

MothballsWallet

Choosing online/emailed statements means online/emailed statements only *

* At present, FSA rules say that if you go overdrawn/incur account fees/interest charges, the account provider must send you a copy of the statement by post: this is pointless as the electronic copy can have exactly the same information. New Zealand can do this in their laws, why can't we?

johnmott

To ensure payments are accurately targeted to uk residents and avoid monies being used for non heating purposes centrally register each persons utility account which should be credited directly by government.
Government should then negotiate a tariff reduction as compensation for the cash flow advantage gained by the utility companies

barneybubbles

It always infuriates me when a murderer , thief or general wrongdoer, quotes the human rights act to protect themselves. my solution would be a change in the law that if anyone infringes anothers human rights, by rape murder theft etc, then they lose all proctection of the act.