Shopping

The cost of standard first-class stamps will rise by an inflation-busting 22% from Monday 7 October, Royal Mail has confirmed – but if you buy some now, you'll still be able to use them after prices go up.

Cosmetics retailer The Body Shop has fallen into administration, resulting in almost half of its 198 stores shutting their doors for good and hundreds of staff facing redundancy. Below we round up all you need to know.

If you've got a Tesco Clubcard, check if you have any vouchers close to expiring, as £14 million-worth are due to run out by the end of today (Saturday 31 August). Don't want to spend your vouchers yet? We've got a trick to extend their validity.

Fashion retailer Ted Baker will close all remaining stores this week, after falling into administration in March this year. Below we round up what you need to know – including how to try to get your money back if you've been left out of pocket.

Online marketplace eBay will stop accepting American Express ('Amex') cards as a direct payment method from today (Saturday 17 August). You'll still be able to use your Amex on eBay by going through PayPal – but be wary of doing this with large purchases, as you may lose valuable Section 75 protection.

Carpet and flooring retailer Carpetright has closed over 200 stores after falling into administration. Many orders now won't be processed, while gift cards and warranties have been rendered virtually worthless. Below we round up what you need to know – including how to try and get your money back if you've been left out of pocket.

Can online retailers refuse returns, particularly if they decide you've made too many in the past? MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis answers this question, and talks you through your rights, in a recent episode of the BBC's The Martin Lewis Podcast. 

If you're a Wowcher customer, you could get a £4.99 refund over the next few weeks – but you'll need to act to get the cash. The online retailer is paying out a total of £4 million to 870,000 customers after signing them up to its 'VIP' subscription using a pre-ticked box on its website.

If you have a Tesco Clubcard, you may be able to earn up to £50 in bonus points over the next few weeks as the supermarket has launched a new round of its limited 'Clubcard Challenges' promotion.

If you have a Nectar card, you may be able to earn a few quid's worth of extra points over the next few weeks, as Sainsbury's has brought back its 'shop for points' promotion for some members. Unlike most other offers of this type, where you need to buy specific items, all you need to do here is spend £1 or more at a time in a few separate transactions. So it's a no-brainer if you were planning to do that anyway.