Victory for consumers as cap on energy tariffs to become law READ MORE HERE: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/victory-for-consumers-as-cap-on-energy-tariffs-to-become-law

New plans for military flexible working become law READ MORE HERE: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-plans-for-military-flexible-working-become-law

Hello Can anyone please advise me on the following? I have a laptop and my warranty is up in June 2017. I have hardware issue and two of the keys have worked loose and come away and i cannot put them back into place. Do i send it back to the company i bought it from or do i send it back to the makers of the laptop? Thanks

Choosing the best mortgage deal will become easier as major lenders have agreed to start describing mortgage fees in the same way by the end of this year. Which? and the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) have worked together to create a tariff of mortgage charges that will make it simpler for customers to understand fees and compare deals from different mortgage lenders. Lenders representing 85% of the mortgage market have agreed to use the fee names and descriptions laid out in the tariff on their websites by the end of this year. Previous research by Which? in 2014 found that mortgage holders were being faced with over 40 different fees and charges from lenders, from set-up costs to arrears fees. http://www.which.co.uk/news/2015/11/mortgage-comparison-set-to-become-easier-423956/

In brief - We went to a local independent flooring company, wishing to purchase a wood floor. The owner talked us through the various products, came to our house to look at the area it was for, measured up, checked the subfloor etc. He then recommended a product for us, ordered it and arranged for "his team" to come out and fit. He arranged the day and time they were to come out and told us that we should pay them cash on the day. In the meantime, he took moisture readings, spoke to the manufacturer and also the manufacturer of the underfloor heating we'd had put down, to check what underlay might be needed. The floor was fitted by "his team" - his brother and another man. It subsequently failed 4 times in the course of a year. The first 2 attempts to remedy the problems were made by the fitters. After it went wrong the 3rd time, it came to light that the fitters and the company owner had parted company, so the company owner/supplier came out and attempted to repair it. The same thing happened again, and he came out again. At this point, the supplier offered us a replacement stair carpet for our trouble. We said that this was not necessary, but if the floor failed again, we would be seeking a refund. When it failed again, we requested our money back. The supplier agreed, minus fitting costs. When we argued, he withdrew his offer and offered us a replacement floor instead. We expressed our concern that we had no confidence he had the neccesary skills and knowledge to fit a floor, given our experience thus far. We then took advice from the CAB and wrote a letter before action, inviting the supplier to comment on what he believed to be the issue with the floor, and offering to go to mediation. He responded, trying to lay the blame on us with various spurious claims, including that the contracting of the fitters had nothing to do with him - since the receipt he issued clearly stated "supply only." We then wrote again, offering to have an expert inspection and report done on the floor, and asking that both parties share the cost in order to confirm what had caused the problems with the floor. He refused, saying the cost was too great in relation to the value of the floor. We once again gave him the opportunity to refund us, while warning him that he may be asked to pay the cost of the report, should we take our case to the small claims court and win. In order to ascertain whether we had a case, we had the expert inspection done. It found that the fitting was to blame for the issues, including inadequate moisture and humidity readings taken by the supplier. The expert contacted the supplier to find out exactly what prep he had carried out and the supplier told him. The report also queried the suitability of the product for the conditions of our property. Once again, we wrote to the supplier with details of the report's findings and requested a refund of both the flooring, fitting and cost of the report or we would have no choice but to take our case to the small claims. The supplier has not responded. We feel we have a strong case. However, our concern is that it may be thrown out on the basis that the receipt we were issued was for supply only. In the letters from the supplier, he does state that he tried to repair the floor on 2 occasions, hut says it was purely a good will gesture. However, he also states that he did the pre-fitting site visits and prep. So, what is our legal position regarding his responsibility for the fitting of the floor?

Hello, in the last few days have I discovered that Vanquis Credit Card company are [problem]mers. I already have credit cards with Barclays and Capital One, and manage them perfectly well, am not in debt to them. I apologise, here, for the length of this post. In June this year, I received (junk mail....) an envelope from Vanquis, offering me a credit card with them. Because I was in need of a bit more cash at the time, I stupidly filled in the online application form, and then received a phone-call from them. They approved me for one of their cards. I did NOT then know that this company, Vanquis, are for people with bad or no credit history...to my shame, I simply assumed they were a mainstream, legitimate credit card company. After the card was received by me, a couple of weeks later, I used it to purchase a few items. Taking it up to within £3 of the (£250) credit limit. When I went through the application process over the phone, in June, with one of their staff, I arranged (or THOUGHT I did...see later) a Direct Debit with them, for the minimum payment. I told them that I'm on a (Civil Service) pension, and that it gets paid into my bank account on (the specific date of the month it's paid in). I thus said to them, "The DDebit will, therefore, be taken from my account several days later, right?". (ie, in line with all my other monthly payments). The Vanquis staff member said "Yes, of course All my relevant bank details were given to him, over the phone, in June this year, in order to [or so I thought...] set up the DDebit. Then, to my horror, on 18th July (just 6 days ago), I received a text from Vanquis claiming that my account was £33 overdrawn. Of course I phoned them immediately. I'd ASSUMED that the DDebit which had (ostensibly) been set up in June, had been taken from my account a couple of days earlier. Ie, I assumed my account was okay. (Not then knowing that they are a [problem]ming company - as I do know, now...). Prior to phoning them on 18th July, I went online to look at my account. And found, to my horror, that a couple of days earlier (ie, the date on which the DDebit SHOULD have been paid from my bank account, to Vanquis), Vanquis had slapped onto my account with them a £12 "Late payment charge" (???). A (FAKE charge, by them) charge which tipped my account over the credit limit. And that they therefore then slapped on a £12 "Overlimit charge". When I eventually spoke to Vanquis on 18th July, I said "WHY did you not take the Direct Debit which had been arranged in June?". The staff member said to me "We DID try to take it from your bank, but it was rejected". (NB., this, I learnt, was a deliberate lie on the part of Vanquis...). I told him that I had more than enough money in my ordinary bank account to cover the DDebit - that it should have been taken just a couple of days after my pension had been paid in. The Vanquis chap continued to claim that my bank had rejected the DDebit. I continued to say to him "That is nonsense, I STILL have more than enough in my bank account to cover that DDebit". The chap then had the audacity to say to me "Pay us £31 on your next pension payday and we'll clear the overlimit charges, and start again from scratch...". I checked with my own bank this morning, and not only did they confirm that Vanquis had NOT tried to put through a DDebit to them, but that NO Direct Debit has been registered with my bank, by Vanquis; even though in June I arranged such a DDebit over the phone - even telling them that (of course) they would need to take the DDebit each month on a date a few days AFTER my monthly pension is credited to my account. Having, in the last couple of days, read online re. the horrific [problem] that is being perpetrated by Vanquis - FAKE charges being slapped onto people's accounts (my own example, above, being one such), willy-nilly, and the extortionate interest charged, I'm very panicky indeed about what they might do to me, finance-wise, re. my account with them. I realise it was very careless of me not to have realised that they, Vanquis, are not a mainstream credit card company. It is an immensely stressful time for me, currently, due to other personal matters, so the very LAST thing I needed, right now, was to discover myself in the nightmare situation with Vanquis that I now see I AM in - thus adding to my stressed state. I've been reading some of the many horrific stories of people's experiences with Vanquis, online, and really do not know what I should do, in the first instance, to try to limit their horrific assault on my finances, with the FAKE charges they've slapped on my account with them. And re. the fact they deliberately did not, in actual fact, set up a DDebit for me, even though in June it had, I thought, all been arranged over the phone. Ie, they deliberately did not set up a DDebit with my bank, to them, precisely in order then to PRETEND they'd tried to put through the DDebit just a few days ago, to then PRETEND it had been rejected by my bank, in order to then slap FAKE charges on my account. (I've read, online, that other people have found this - that Vanquis have claimed that their bank had rejected the set-up DDebit, and then the victim discovers (as did I, earlier today) that they'd not set up a DDebit, precisely in order to slap the fake charges on... I would very much appreciate any advice as to what I should do, in this situation. Thanking you in hopeful anticipation.

I'm not that far from the lower limit of savings of £6k. I currently receive MRC / LRM DLA, HB, council tax support and ESA. (support group plus SDP) My question is, when does my money from benefits start to count as savings please?

Another from Scoop where a bailiff/EA has been threatened, this time with a gun: .http://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/man-released-bail-after-bailiffs-7929055 It seems that more people are unhappy with the Enforcement industry, and is this a growing trend Thoughts?

Hi, I am helping a friend sort out a problem he has with his council. He left his wife and started a new relationship a few years ago. This didn't work out and moved back in a separate room. For the last 6 years he has hardly been able to work but has not claimed any benefits etc. The council have looked over their housing benefit claim and are saying that he can't be a lodger as the he had been in a previous relationship with his ex-wife. They had put that he was living there and ticked that they wasn't related. I have looked at the tenants handbook and on the net and cannot see that there is any guide lines for what is and what isn't a lodger. Any advice would be appreciated. JJ

hi guys i am an ex gambling addict my payday loans etc have finally caught up to me I have never done anything to hurt my mom but she doesnt want the stress of having me around and having people knocking the door for money etc. which is fair enough if you ask me Soon i will be leaving the house with literally zilch, well, infact minus £15,000. I will contact shelter and see if i can find somewhere to live - but i was wondering if because i am an ex gambling addict ( very recently ) would i be classified as "intentionally homeless" I am a well educated young man but i have nowhere left to turn

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-19429936 Personally I fully support this move. I've read too many horror stories of people returning from holiday or hospital to find their homes taken over by squatters and facing lengthy (and costly) legal battles to get their homes back, then when they finally get back in the place is trashed. Of course whilst it's technically illegal if they force/break their way into the house, squatters can easily just change the locks and then claim "Door was unlocked" or "Window was open" and it's very difficult to prove one way or another. So, any other thoughts/opinions on this?

Budget airlines, phone companies and gyms could be forced to make the small print of contracts clearer under proposals to reform the law. Loopholes used by companies to bury extra charges and payments could be closed under plans unveiled today by the Law Commission, the independent legal review body. If successful, the proposals would mean consumers would be able to challenge companies over extra fees and clauses if they were not displayed prominently and transparently. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2178533/Why-small-print-soon-little-clearer-everyone.html