BrainCan - consumer affairs

all we wanted for christmas was … a lidl mince...

They were top in taste tests,advertised on billboards and worthy value. Only problem was they were...

what do you mean we need a new cooker? we only got...

We track down the domestic appliances that maintain served for more than a generation and ask why...

is royal mail entitled to destroy my christmas...

My card and £100 gift was undelivered. But Royal Mail says it can dispose of it whether it remains...

how your life can be turned on its head by credit...

whether one of the giant ratings organisations makes a mistake,the results can be catastrophic in so...

the high street plays on women s insecurities -...

‘Female’ versions of everyday products are more expensive – hardly surprising in a society...

guardian shop s t shirt sizes don t fit with its...

My friend bought me a T-shirt from the Guardian Shop emblazoned with a feminist slogan. How ironic...

top of the flops: the year s worst customer...

From unfinished homes to bank errors,which gaffes bear made your blood boil? Consumer champion Anna...

pickfords removals stalls on delivery date for our...

Removals company stored our belongings in Leeds when they were supposed to be near our unusual house...

eat, drink and save when you take the children out...

Rip-off restaurant prices can produce family dining expensive,but there are ways to maintain the...

how will the plastic bag charge affect me?

The current charges come into force in England on Monday,but what will it mean for shoppers?From...

no hello moto as vodafone handset delivery...

Company’s communication breakdown has left me struggling to claim a refund for six months I...

ikea kitchen guarantee causes steam to come out of...

Ikea refused to change my peeling kitchen doors,arguing the damage was caused by my opening the oven...

picking up charges are a sticking point at...

There was no notice of a £50 charge at the Express setdown areaOn 1 April I went to Stansted...

£10 john lewis refund has become matter of...

I was promised the money under its ‘never deliberately undersold’ pledge,but it never arrivedI...

scandal of the hajj pilgrims who are cheated by...

A journey to Mecca is a devout obligation for Muslims. But on their return to the UK,many have...

talktalk keeps sending us someone else s letters

The company sends letters and parcels for a ‘Miss Gray’ and we are worried this might be a...

meet the man who beat the bookies - and the banks....

Is it possible to accomplish money on sports betting? Yes,says Simon Inglis, who has earned more...

on your bikes … testing the new breed of...

With Ofo and Mobike expanding rapidly across the UK,how conclude they compare with the more...

should we buy a gas barbecue?

Our traditional BBQ takes too long to be alert and my husband believes gas is the way to goEvery...

now its illegal to write down prices in a tesco...

I am nearly arrested for the 'crime' of doing a price check on some bottles of waterI was...

seven reasons to shop locally

As Small Business Saturday seeks to boost local retailers,we glance at the best reasons for doing...

booking a cottage this summer? beware the holiday...

Fake holiday villas and cottages can easily turn a dream into a nightmare,as two groups booking...

hello fresh and gousto - which is better?

Ingredients to cook meals from scratch are offered by Hello Fresh and Gousto. But which menu tickles...

old £1 coins: don t get short changed after...

You will still be able to spend archaic round pounds after the deadline. Here’s where …Are you...

london cheaper than new york or tokyo after pounds...

EIU says Singapore has worlds highest cost of living,as cities from Australia and unusual Zealand...

why would topshop only give me a receipt by email?

They asked for my email address when buying goods. I was gobsmackedIn a Topshop area inside a...

how to collect a refund for something you didnt...

Most retailers have a goodwill returns policy for unwanted gifts,but their terms vary widely – and...

are you sitting on a goldmine of unclaimed loyalty...

Research suggests Brits have built up a staggering £6bn in uncollected shopping rewards –...

the moneyless man who gave up on cash and embraced...

effect Boyle chose to go without money for three years. Now he has begun a community smallholding...

whensa your dolmio day? occasionally, new labels...

Mars Food’s pasta products,tall in sugar and beefy, to carry label advising shoppers that food is...

my fridge is 60 years old - the appliances that...

A 38-year-old microwave and 45-year-old Moulinex mixer are just some of the household treasures we...

eurostar has watered down its compensation offer...

Train staff said we would derive a free return ticket but the website only offered us £29 eachMy...

£4,000 energy bill sent two years after leaving...

I’m being threatened with the bailiffs,court action and damage to my credit ratingI moved out of a...

more uk shoppers come to value the discounters

It’s not just the big supermarkets which are losing out to Lidl or Aldi - traditional brand...

santander is off limits as we have no mobile...

We need a one-time passcode to set up a new payee,and it has to be sent by phoneI enjoy been banking...

how to buy a perfect christmas tree and when to...

Norway spruce or Nordman fir? Premium or third grade? Or what about a marvelous quality fake?...

radiohead fans frustrated by ticketmasters...

rigid 'paperless ticket' policy has left some Radiohead fans unable to earn refunds – or...

stone roses tickets show concert price inflation...

The £55 price tag slapped on tickets to see Ian Brown and co is way too much,but they're not...

is aloe vera company a pyramid scheme?

Q I recently ran into a friend who had set up a market stall selling aloe vera products at £10 each...

pregnant women face battle to cancel trips to zika...

The warnings are clear,but some airlines and agents are getting tough with those wanting to change...

asda wasnt much help after mum discovered a...

When she complained to the store she was just offered a £5 voucherMy mother is 86,partially sighted...

warren evans buyers sleep uneasily as bed firm...

Customers are scrambling to find credit card refunds after the award-winning ethical retailer fell...

the old £10 note: £2bn worth must be spent in a...

You gain until 1 March to secure rid of old tenners before they are no longer legal tender – so...

breaking up is hard to do … but what if it s the...

Members of Match.com have inundated us with tales of cancelled subscriptions that are...

the hidden cost of the boomerang kids, back at...

There are now nearly two million adult children living with their parents in the UK. But what are...

laura ashley is treating us as a soft touch over...

We can’t even touch the fabric without it leaving a markWe ordered two Laura Ashley sofas at a...

i am disabled and housebound - but bt has cut my...

I was thrilled to come by broadband,but I have been without the service for nearly nine weeksI am a...

there s no comfort in this sorry tale of argos...

Every time it delivers the erroneous mattress,which is a worse deal than the one we orderedWe...

dfs delayed delivery so long, our sofa price had...

We paid more than £2000,but then the item was reduced in the saleI saw a case that Consumer...

more than half of britons would choose cremation...

Research also revealed that football grounds,gardens and the sea are among most well-liked locations...

toe slicing chairs: fantastic furniture to recall...

Sydney man loses toe and Gold Coast boy loses share of a toe,prompting retailer to draw recall...

insurers must inform customers of premium rises,...

Financial Conduct Authority says renewal letters must include price hikes,as it tackles overcharging...

the top 12 toys for christmas - and where to find...

Now is the best time to snap up those presents online or in-store,when they’re still in stock and...

how to buy your perfect coffee machine

From pods to pumps to percolators,buying a coffee machine is more complicated than it used to be. We...

printer ink cartridges: why youre paying more but...

Big printer companies are accused of 'squeezing ever-increasing amounts of cash out of the poor...

britons set new gin record after buying more than...

Supermarkets hail gin as the new Christmas spirit,with popularity driven partly by growth of...

debt fears as county court judgments soar by more...

Year-on-year figures for first quarter follow warnings from Bank of England,MPs and charities over...

still got a paper fiver in your wallet? well you...

There is as much as £800m worth still in circulation,but from Friday they will no longer be legal...

majority of goods sold in uk stores on promotion,...

Deals such as multi-buys account for 28.6% of sales in Europe overall,with critics accusing UK...

retrofurnish leaves customers feeling nostalgic...

Designer furniture website doesn’t retort customers’ calls and emails after failing to deliver...

want to work less and have more time? then buy...

The average British person is consuming fewer things. Perhaps we are slowly beginning to realise...

algarve is cheapest for holiday spending

Bulgaria also offers good value for British tourists,while Cape Town is the cheapest long-haul...

now foods the only thing i buy, i am a more...

In my year of no spending,the weekly grocery shop is planned like a military operation and I batch...

10 things you need to know about the price of oil

With oil prices falling to an 11-year low,we sight at whether it’s good news or unfriendly for...

christmas postage dates in the uk - a round up

A list of the final ordering dates for some of the UK’s biggest retailersAs Christmas...

previous talktalk victims still awaiting...

Miles Brignall talks to the people who lost thousands of pounds in an earlier data breach. They are...

expedia listings are not always what they should...

Two readers recount hand luggage and spa charges not being mentioned on Expedia,and their problems...

mps demand whirlpool explain end to dryer...

US company says tumble in demand’ behind decision, but 1 million potentially deadly tumble dryers...

tumble dryer owners to wait months to fix fire...

Customers angry over Whirlpool’s response to fault affecting 5.3m Hotpoint,Indesit and Creda...

uk has worst quality of life in europe

Survey of 10 developed European countries puts UK at bottom of the pile due to tall costs of...

shops to ignore pound coin deadline

Trade organization says shortage of current coins means they will continue to accept existing...

hung out to dry by domestic general s washing...

I’ve been waiting more than a month for D&G to honour its repair warranty,and it’s costing me...

what do the changes to morrisons match more...

We stare at what the new scheme replaces and how it comparesThe supermarket chain Morrisons has...

countax fobbed me off over ride on mower that kept...

I bought a Countax four-wheel-drive that kept breaking down. After the final time,I demanded a...

collection of romany gypsy wagons to be auctioned

One of the largest exhibitions of Romany Gypsy wagons in the country,held at Paultons Park in the...

ba staff humiliated me by refusing to let me fly

As a Syrian national based in Germany I did everything to avoid potential problemsI had to flit from...

holiday firms hurry deals dupe customers, says...

Consumer group says holiday firms may be breaking the law with adverts falsely portraying deals as...

secret to making no smell socks is kids play, says...

Steve Whitley uses the fleece of his young angora goats in hosiery that ‘can be worn for as much...

misleading broadband ads hiding true costs,...

Charity finds more than half of consumers unable to identify cheapest deal when comparing...

bt to refund directory enquiries customers after...

Premium rate number watchdog describes the firm's failings as 'serious',with...

facebook fake review factories uncovered by which?...

Firms paying refunds to buyers who write five-star reviews on Amazon,consumer group saysFake review...

debt fears grow as county court judgments soar by...

Figures highlight growing alarm at Bank of England and among MPs over rapid rises in household...

my brief encounter with marks spencer s returns...

They suggested I took a pair of knickers to a charity shop rather than exchange the itemMy sister...

i m fed up of being asked for feedback - when did...

Out shopping,online or at the theatre, everyone wants a free evaluation. Sorry but life’s too...

spending pennies: uk shoppers buy cheaper toilet...

Consumers try to save money by opting for loo roll from discounters such as Aldi and Lidl,research...

tinsel succumbs to shrinkflation as tesco cuts it...

Tinsel sales are up 90% at John Lewis,but Tesco is shrinking its range while leaving the price the...

eat, swipe and leave - the new smartphone apps for...

A host of new apps let you pay for your meal on your phone and purchase the stress out of splitting...

is it possible to try skiing without spending a...

We’ve heard Bulgaria is good value,but want serve from those who know more than we doEvery week a...

yodel voted worst parcel delivery service for...

Survey of parcel delivery firms gives thumbs up to DPD,Royal Mail and Parcel Force with Yodel and...

how to buy the right christmas tree

Should you buy a Christmas tree this weekend,and how much should it cost? Miles Brignall offers a...

who gets what from illness cover linked to a...

My daughter has been diagnosed with cancer and gets the payout but has a 50-50 share in a houseMy...

membership deals - the gifts that really do keep...

Stuck for an easy-to-send present but don’t want to simply post a voucher or cash? Check out these...

complaints about water in england and wales...

Watchdog reports seventh annual drop in consumer complaints,but says gap between best and worst is...

student changes name by deed poll to avoid £220...

Adam Armstrong says changing his name and getting a unusual passport for £103 was cheaper than...

buying a barbecue: a guide

We grill the experts for their tips to help you shop for a barbecue without getting your fingers...

second law firm considers group action against...

Cardiff-based Hugh James says it is in touch with customers affected by data breach and is...

ireland set to ditch one and two cent coins

The removal of the coins follows a trial in 2013,but the denominations will remain legal tenderSmall...

i used eu delay after my flight was delayed. now...

The website helped me recover compensation from an airline for a delayed flight,but won’t send me...

the daftest in store deals - in pictures

Price drops where the price goes up; two-for-one deals which leave you out of pocket; special offers...

no receipt? no problem, you can still get a refund

Just because retailers are desperate for our custom,does not mean they will play unprejudiced with...

we need zero tolerance of this parking scandal

Confusing letter O with an 0 on a numberplate at a ticket machine should never be penalised I was...

should i let my neighbours use my wifi?

I’m worried I wont be able to watch Netflix at the same time,or they may visit dodgy sitesEvery...

celebrities unwanted christmas presents: dear...

Was yesterday a major disappointment? illustrious faces talk about their worst ever giftsDermot...

should i have laser eye surgery?

How much does laser eye surgery cost – and should I occupy it done at all?Every week a Guardian...

youtoo can earn £100,000 on youtube

Uploading a video clip on to YouTube of your toddler getting up to mischief can win over a cooing...

will i warm to a hi tech thermostat?

It’s remotely controlled and costs around £180 – and my husband’s convinced it is worth...

deed poll websites to avoid

Government confusion is costing people millons of pounds in unnecessary deed poll fees,says Donna...

las iguanas changes controversial tipping policy

Restaurant chain bows to pressure following Observer exposé to remove its ‘administration fee’...

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