German cars are amongst the least reliable, and Japanese cars amongst the most dependable, according to an industry survey. German manufacturers took four of the bottom six places in a reliability table based on the experiences of 50,000 UK car owners. By contrast, Japanese manufacturers took four of the top six places. The findings fly in the face of Germany's traditional reputation for engineering excellence. That reputation was used by Audi in its advertising catch-line "Vorsprung durch Technik" - or "progress by technology". Luxury car-maker Bentley, owned by Volkswagen, was judged the least reliable of 37 brands, in the research by What Car? and Warranty Direct. Mercedes, Audi and Porsche were also in the bottom six. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-32332210 I've been saying this for years. All buyers of German cars are being conned, they are crap.

Hi all, Legal n00b here, and wouldn't want to give too much info for fear of spying eyes!! I currently have a MCOL case where I am the claimant, that has recently been transferred to the local courts to sort out. Mediation was tried, but the courts could either not get in contact with the defendant to sort out dates, or she, (or her solicitor) could not supply the courts with suitable dates. The case has now been transferred to the local courts, which happens to be 200 miles away from where both I and the defendant live. It has been transferred to the court that is local to the defendant's solicitor. The defendant/defendant's solicitor have not been entirely reliable or quick in their responses to both myself and the courts, sending the DQ back only after she received a stroppy reminder from the court. I was never copied in on her Directions Questionnaire, so have only just found out that location is where it is when the Courts told me it had been transferred. I also have no idea if the defendant will even turn up, does she have to or can she get her solicitor to act for her? My main question is if I win the case, can I claim for expenses for overnight stay/fuel or train ticket prices for myself and my 2 witnesses to journey up? I understand that a court will always be assigned to the defendant's local, if she wins, might I have to cover the cost that it takes her to get up there too? Perhaps we could all lift share Thanks for any help, I'm sure other questions will crop up as the case goes on. Cheers

Hi Please be gentle as im new here but ive been browsing and im hopeing to get some advice - god knows i need it. Today I received a letter from Cabot regarding a really old Barclays overdraft - the last communication i had from Barclays was a termination notice in march 2008 and then the account had been back and forth to wescot and now cabot. They are asking me to pay £1600 immediately - they will need to join a very long queue We have long debts going back 3-6 years due to my hubby being out of work for a while, im disabled and having chemo although i do work if im able, and we seem to be getting a lot of letters regarding 'old' debts just recently. Last march we had a bill for £12k tax credit overpayment which we are paying back @ £25 per month but i dont know where to start with these, i have a couple of catalogue debts (reliable collections) who are not very helpful when we asked if we could make token payment of £1 until we get back on our feet and they are hounding me night and day, as well as Studio who agreed an affordable amount but then added charges on and wont stop phoning me. Its all getting too much and sometimes i just think it would be easier if i wasn't here. And now this - can anyone advise if there is anything i can do? Can i send a CCA request ... or not as its a bank account/overdraft? I dont know what to do. Hope someone can help. Thank you DD

*** NEWS RELEASE ** NEW RESEARCH REVEALS LACK OF AWARENESS OF SUPPORT FOR FUEL COSTS AMONGST THOSE ON LOW INCOMES A new survey commissioned by Turn2us, part of national charity Elizabeth Finn Care, has found that people on low incomes are unaware of the potential support available to help with their fuel bills. This is despite the fact that nearly two-thirds (64%) of those surveyed are uncertain if they can meet these costs this winter without experiencing financial hardship. Over a third (37%) of people living in low income households* have never checked their eligibility for welfare benefits and tax credits, and over two-fifths (45%) are currently not claiming benefits that they may be entitled to. Claiming benefits entitlements can not only boost income to help pay fuel bills but can also act as a trigger for eligibility from various fuel poverty programmes. The research also found that over two-thirds (70%) are unaware that energy suppliers have to offer cheaper ‘social tariffs’ to their most vulnerable customers and over two-fifths (43%) are not aware of the government’s Warm Front scheme which provides funding for insulation and heating improvements – despite the fact that they are on a low income and could be eligible for assistance from these schemes. Furthermore, over one in three (36%) have never or can not remember when they last checked they were on the cheapest energy tariff available to them. These results are particularly worrying in light of the findings that the costs of last winter’s fuel bills caused over two-fifths (44%) to feel stressed, nearly one in seven (14%) to suffer illness or physical pain as a result of cold conditions and over one in eight (13%) to fall behind on their bill payments. Shockingly, over half (55%) said that if they were struggling to meet their fuel costs, they would resort to switching off their heating altogether or only heating one room at a time and two-fifths (41%) would cut back on other essentials including food, yet only 6% would consider approaching a charity to see if they were eligible for a grant. The official definition of fuel poverty is where a household has to spend more than 10% of its income on fuel to maintain an adequate level of warmth. There are currently an estimated 4.75 million households in fuel poverty in the UK, around three-quarters of which are on a low income**. Turn2us is running its second annual Acting on Fuel Poverty campaign throughout the winter to highlight the support available to those struggling with their fuel costs, and has launched a dedicated campaign microsite at www.fuelpovertymap.org.uk. The microsite directs users to sources of help including the Turn2us Benefits Calculator to work out which welfare benefits and tax credits they might be entitled to, the Turn2us Grants Search database which provides access to over 3,000 charitable funds, information pages on increasing energy efficiency and energy efficiency grants, and a link to the Which? Switch energy tariff comparison tool for users to check they are on the best tariff available to them. The microsite also includes an interactive fuel poverty map for users to find out, according to the official definition, if they are in fuel poverty and compare different areas across the UK. Alison Taylor, Director of Turn2us said: “Our latest research findings show that there is a need for individuals and families to have access to clear information and independent guidance to help them find support with rising energy costs. Our fuel poverty microsite brings together a number of tools which are free to use – all in one place, which can help households identify whether they can maximise their income and reduce their energy costs ahead of the arrival of their winter bills.” Helen*** worked as a nurse for many years before she had to leave work due to ill health, and on a limited income, she found herself struggling with her household bills. Her house was damp and living in a rural village, Helen would travel to the nearest town library once a week to keep warm for a few hours. It was here that searching on the internet, she came across Turn2us. Helen identified through Turn2us that she was eligible for a charitable grant which paid for the damp in her home to be fixed and gave her some extra money to put towards her bills. Helen said: “The money I received has been a lifesaver and has had a huge impact on my quality of life. I now live in a warm home and the extra money for bills has really taken some of the pressure off.” Turn2us is working in partnership with a number of charities and organisations across the UK for the Acting on Fuel Poverty campaign, who will help to increase awareness of the help available for those in fuel poverty and how they can access it. For more information about the campaign, please visit www.fuelpovertymap.org.ukand www.turn2us.org.uk.