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MoneySavingExpert.com
Terms and Conditions
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1. An introduction
1.1. These are the Terms and Conditions of Use ("Terms") for MoneySavingExpert.com. When we say "Site" we mean the MoneySavingExpert.com website, as well as any related apps, the tools on our website which can help you save money, our social media content and our Forum. Our Site is owned and operated by MoneySavingExpert.com Limited ("we", "us" or "our"). We're part of Moneysupermarket Group, but we're run independently, meaning we'll always write about what we think are the best MoneySaving products and services out there based on our own editorial judgement. You can find out more about this in the Editorial Code.
1.2. These Terms tell you:
- How our Site works;
- What you can do with the 'content' – the stuff that is available on our Site;
- What we can do with things you post; and
- Your rights and responsibilities
We've tried to keep these Terms as short as we can and simple to understand. Please do read them and look out for changes as the latest version always applies. By continuing to use our Site, you'll be considered to have accepted these Terms. If you don't follow these Terms we may stop you using the Site.
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2. What we do
Our Site is provided to you free of charge for your own personal and non-commercial use only. It's all about sharing MoneySaving information including regularly updated guides, tools and services, together with our views on how to save money. After lots of our articles you'll see a comments section where you can discuss the articles with other MoneySavingExpert.com users – plus our Forum is full of people sharing tips, hints and information on how to save money.
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3. What we don't do
The information on our Site shouldn't be taken as any advice, representation, or arrangement by us – you're responsible for making (or refraining from making) any specific investment or other decisions. If we mention companies on our Site, we usually do so because of their attractive offers. We don't usually vet them on customer service or whether they may go bust. Because the impact of our Site information can vary based on your particular circumstances, you should always carry out your own research into the product or service that's of interest to you. You're responsible for the decisions you make and we're not liable for anything that happens as a result of you relying on the Site.
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4. Privacy Policy
Please do read our Privacy Policy to see how we collect, use and protect your personal information.
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5. External links
5.1. This part of the Terms talks about how we use information provided by other websites or link through to them. We're not responsible for their content or liable for anything that happens if you choose to use them. If you do buy products or services from another website, please first read its terms and conditions and privacy policy carefully. Remember: you'll be bound by those terms and conditions and any personal information you give them will be used in line with their privacy policies, not ours.
5.2. Some of our Site links are 'affiliate' links, which take you directly or indirectly to a product provider and which may result in us receiving money if you click through to its site or buy a product or service from it. However, as our How this site is financed guide makes clear, our decision to include a link is never influenced by any money we could get.
Links from your website
5.3. If you link to our Site you'll need to follow these Terms and any relevant laws. You're also not allowed to pretend to be us, or suggest you're endorsed by us, or connected to us, or link to us from content that could be offensive.
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6. Our content
6.1. All the content on our Site is owned by us or used with the permission of the people who own it – our licensers – and is protected by English and international copyright laws.
6.1.1. Video clips of The Martin Lewis Money Show and Good Morning Britain are used with the permission of ITV Studios Limited. You're not allowed to download, republish, retransmit, reproduce or otherwise use these video clips in any way, or use the ITV name, image or logos.
6.2. The trade marks 'MoneySavingExpert', 'Money Saving Expert', 'MSE', 'MoneySavingExpert.com', 'MoneySavingExpert.com Cheap Energy Club' and 'MoneySavingExpert.com Credit Club', among others, are owned by us or Moneysupermarket Group. The trade mark 'Martin Lewis' together with Martin Lewis's image are owned by Martin personally. All other brand names and trade marks that appear on this Site are trade marks or trade names belonging to other businesses. You're not allowed to use these brands or marks and doing so may infringe the owners' rights.
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7. User content
7.1. By 'user content' we mean anything posted by users on our Site, for example comments on articles or Forum posts. You should only post content you've created independently. You'll still be the copyright owner under UK copyright laws of that content, but by posting it on our Site you agree and give us a licence to use/redistribute/make available and/or sell it whenever and however we want to without needing your permission, or needing to pay you. We may also automatically track certain links in your Forum posts, through Skimlinks or our own technology. See our Skimlinks & affiliated links guide for more information on this.
7.2. We, or third parties we give permission to, can edit, change your content to meet our Site technical requirements, refuse to publish, or remove your content at any time. We're not responsible for the deletion or failure to store either your or other users' content.
7.3. If you're under 16 you confirm you've the permission of your parent or guardian to submit content to us.
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8. Forum/social media
8.1. We encourage debate and the sharing of MoneySaving information. However, we do require that your use of our Site is lawful and where you use our Forum – which is open to all – you follow the Forum rules, which form part of these Terms.
8.2. If you want to post on our Forum we'll ask you for your email address and you'll need to create a username and password. This means we'll only hold very limited personal information about you that isn't already viewable on our open Forum. If you would like to make a data request, please see section 13 of our Privacy Policy.
8.3. We're not liable for any user content, which is the opinion of the person posting only and in no way reflects our opinions or attitudes.
8.4. You guarantee that the content you post on the Forum or our social media doesn't:
8.4.1. Breach these Terms;
8.4.2. Contain unlawful, libelous, misleading, discriminatory or fraudulent content;
8.4.3. Harm or offend other people in containing extremist views, appearing to incite or promote terrorist activities, or in being obscene, threatening, harassing, abusive, hateful, or embarrassing;
8.4.4. Contain personal information or infringe any intellectual property right or privacy right of anyone else.
8.5. We may remove posts or restrict your ability to post if you go against the guarantees you give at section 8.4 above.
8.6. You can report any post that you feel does not follow these Terms. For Forum posts, see our Forum rules for further information on our reporting processes.
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9. MSE Tools
We operate, or have operated on our behalf, a number of MoneySaving tools, including, but not limited to: Cheap Energy Club, Credit Club, Broadband Unbundled, MSE Multi-Compare: Car Insurance, the MoneySavingExpert App, and eligibility tools ("MSE Tools"). Some of the MSE Tools use technology provided by Moneysupermarket Group companies and your data will be shared with them accordingly, as detailed in our Privacy Policy. If you're submitting another person's information when you use the MSE Tools, you must get their permission first. In submitting their information, you're confirming to us that you've got their permission to do this and that they understand how we'll use their information.
9.1. Cheap Energy Club
9.1.1. Our Cheap Energy Club service offers three different ways to compare energy products and to switch suppliers: DIY comparison, Pick Me A Tariff and Pick Me A Tariff Every Year. The energy products are only available in England, Scotland and Wales. The service is also not available for split-rate time-of-use tariffs such as Economy 10, Economy 9 and Economy 20:20 and we may remove you from Cheap Energy Club if we're not able to provide you the service. You must be aged 18 or older to switch energy suppliers under this Cheap Energy Club service.
9.1.2. The energy comparison services are only as accurate as the personal information you give us.
9.1.3. Because we show the whole of the market, your energy comparison results may include energy tariffs we're not able to switch you to. If you choose an energy tariff we can't switch you to, we'll give you the option to go to the energy supplier's site direct. Here, it's your responsibility to update your account details to record the energy tariff you switch to. Where you choose an energy tariff that we can switch you to and we get paid, we'll give you roughly half of that money as cashback. By clicking on 'Switch & get cashback' your switch application will begin and we'll update your account with the new energy tariff details once your switch application has been accepted.
9.1.4. Cheap Energy Club doesn't yet factor early exit fees into any of its price comparisons. It's your responsibility to factor in early exit fees before switching to ensure that any energy supplier switches do include a price saving.
9.1.5. If you've any issues regarding switching using the Cheap Energy Club service you'll first need to contact your current energy supplier. If it's unable to help, we'll do our best to help at energyclub@moneysavingexpert.com.
DIY comparison service
9.1.6. Our DIY comparison service allows you to compare whole-of-the-market energy tariffs based on price savings (or other filters you choose to apply when viewing the results).
Pick Me A Tariff service
9.1.7. Our Pick Me A Tariff service allows you to select what is important to you when deciding whether to switch energy suppliers. The service works by collecting your tariff preferences and calculating a match rate of each tariff to those preferences. Tariffs are then ranked in order of match rate. You can choose your tariff preferences yourself, or use Martin's preferences based on his opinion of what he considers to be important when deciding whether or not to switch energy suppliers, which is reviewed by Martin periodically.
9.1.8. We'll let you know if there's a tariff with a higher or equal percentage match to your current tariff, or where there may be an annual price saving. The amount of saving will depend on how many points you've allocated to the price preference category.
9.1.9. If you switch energy suppliers using the DIY comparison service or the Pick Me A Tariff service you'll have the option to choose to save your switch application information in your Cheap Energy Club account. Your application information will be saved for the purposes of (i) performing regular background comparisons enabling us to let you know when it's time to switch, and (ii) making your next switch application faster and easier. Where you've provided consent for us to contact you we'll let you know about energy saving news and deals and alerts and monitoring updates about your tariff.
Pick Me A Tariff Every Year
9.1.10. Like the Pick Me A Tariff service described at sections 9.1.7 to 9.1.9 above, the Pick Me A Tariff Every Year service works by collecting your tariff preferences and calculating a match rate of each tariff to those preferences.
9.1.11. We'll show you energy tariffs that most closely match your preferences. If you choose an energy tariff we can't switch you to, we'll give you the option to go to the energy supplier's site direct, but we won't be able to switch you.
9.1.12. If you choose an energy tariff we're able to switch you to, we'll then ask you a few more questions so that we can switch you in future without having to ask you more questions. It means the answers to these questions, including marketing preferences, will apply for all Pick Me A Tariff Every Year energy suppliers. We'll also ask you for your mobile number. If you give us your mobile number, we'll use it to send you Pick Me A Tariff Every Year service notifications.
9.1.13. As part of the Pick Me A Tariff Every Year service we'll save your switch application information for the purposes of (i) performing background comparisons to enable us to pick you a tariff in future and (ii) making your next switch application faster and easier.
9.1.14. We'll only ever switch you if you confirm that you'd like us to do this. If you don't do anything, you'll either stay on the same energy tariff or, if this is a fixed-end tariff, you'll be moved to your current energy supplier's standard tariff when the fixed-end tariff expires. Either way, this may mean that you're no longer on the tariff that most closely matches your preferences.
9.1.15. While our Pick Me A Tariff Every Year service aims to switch you only when your fixed tariff ends or on the one-year anniversary of your deal, we may contact you to suggest that you switch before then, if, in our opinion, there has been an energy market event that is likely to affect energy users.
9.2. Credit Club
9.2.1. Our Credit Club service has been created to help demystify your credit situation and show you the actions to take to improve it. We've built it in partnership with Experian Ltd ("Experian"), a UK credit reference agency. Credit Club allows you to check your credit score and boost your chances of getting credit.
9.2.2. By submitting your information, you're agreeing to:
- Experian using it;
- Us using it to confirm you're who you say you're as part of our identity authentication process;
- Us regularly contacting you about information based on your credit rating for the purpose of helping you save money; and
- Us sending you emails at your request to help with logging in to Credit Club (for example, to reset your password)
9.2.3. Your affordability and eligibility results will be partly based on this personal information and partly based on your Experian Credit Report.
9.2.4. If, when you've registered to use Credit Club you've given us permission, we'll also contact you to let you know about consumer news, other MSE Tools, other MoneySaving tips, products and exclusives which we think you may be interested in.
9.2.5. In using Credit Club you're responsible for:
9.2.6. Checking that all information you provide on the Site is correct, complete and not misleading and that you disclose all relevant facts;
9.2.7. Ensuring that any username, password and/or other identification information you create is kept confidential and isn't shared with anyone. If you do share them, you're liable for anything that happens as a result of their use; and
9.2.8. Choosing a strong password to access your personal information on Credit Club. Your password can only be reset to the email address registered in our system.
9.3. Eligibility tools
9.3.1. Our eligibility tools match your data to the criteria companies are looking for to see your chances of successfully obtaining a particular product such as a credit card or loan.
9.3.2. HD Decisions – an Experian business ("HD"), Capital One Bank (Europe) plc (Capital One), Shawbrook Bank Limited (Shawbrook), Admiral Financial Services Limited (Admiral), Hastings Financial Services Limited (Hastings), Mitsubishi HC Capital UK PLC Trading as Novuna Consumer Finance (Novuna), Lendable Operations Limited (Lendable), Oakbrook Finance Limited (Oakbrook) and Zopa Bank Limited (Zopa) (together, "Panel Members") and other credit card and loan providers partner with the following UK credit reference agencies: TransUnion International UK Limited ("TransUnion"), Equifax Limited ("Equifax") and Experian from time to time, to allow our eligibility tools to work. If you use our eligibility tools, a credit report will be generated by carrying out a 'soft' credit check. The 'soft' credit checks will be used by HD and other Panel Members, to match against those providers' own lending criteria. This information will be used to let you know your percentage chances of successfully obtaining a credit card or loan. Your credit report will not be provided to you directly and we'll not receive it either, unless you use Credit Club (see section 9.2 above). For further information about how your personal details will be used, please read the rest of these Terms, our Privacy Policy, HD's, and the terms and conditions and/or privacy policies of our Panel Members.
9.4. MSE Multi-Compare: Car Insurance
9.4.1. Our MoneySavingExpert Multi-Compare: Car Insurance tool allows you to run quotes for your car insurance and compare these against different price comparison websites as well as insurers that don't feature on comparison websites, to find your best deal. This service is provided entirely by MoneySupermarket. When you use the MoneySavingExpert Multi-Compare: Car Insurance tool you'll be asked for your email address. If you already use MoneySupermarket and use the same email address in the MoneySavingExpert Multi-Compare: Car Insurance tool that you use for MoneySupermarket, it'll use the information it already has to help fill in the answers to certain questions for you. You can find out more about how MoneySupermarket provides this insurance comparison service in its terms and conditions and how it uses your personal information in its privacy policy. If you would like us to send you an email reminder when it's time to switch you can ask that MoneySupermarket shares your name, email address and renewal date with us.
9.5. The MoneySavingExpert App
9.5.1. Our App allows you to access the content of the MoneySavingExpert website. We also use the ChatGPT API to help you find content from our Site. The ChatGPT API should be used for personal, non-commercial MoneySaving purposes only. In the event it's misused, or used maliciously or recklessly by you to provide outputs that are intended to be restricted, we may seek compensation from you (see section 11 below). Please also bear in mind that the ChatGPT API is a developing technology and so may not always be error-free. You should not rely on ChatGPT to make decisions or include any personal information when you use it. We're not liable for anything that happens as a result of your use of it. If you have created an account and agreed to use TrueLayer's services (see 9.5.2 below), you can also access tools such as Regular Payment Finder (to allow you to see regular payments and subscriptions and save money by understanding more about them) and Saved Content ("MSE App Enhanced Tools").
9.5.2. We have partnered with open banking company Truelayer Limited (www.truelayer.com) ("TrueLayer") to provide some of the MSE App Enhanced Tools. TrueLayer works as a messenger between the App and your bank, using bank-grade encryption, enabling us 'read-only' access to information about your bank account and your transaction spending. To use these features you'll need to connect your bank account within your App account by agreeing to TrueLayer's terms of service. You'll then be redirected to your bank by TrueLayer to authenticate yourself. Its terms of service and privacy policy set out the terms on which you agree to TrueLayer accessing information on your bank accounts for the purposes of sharing that information with us.
After 90 days, you'll need to agree again to TrueLayer's terms of service to keep accessing and using certain MSE App Enhanced Tools. You can withdraw (or fail to renew) your consent at any time, but you'll no longer be able to access certain MSE App Enhanced Tools if you do.
TrueLayer is subject to UK data protection laws and is required to treat your data in accordance with those laws, as well as its terms of service and privacy policy.
Moneysavingexpert.com is acting as an agent of TrueLayer, which is providing the regulated Account Information Service, and which is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority as an Authorised Information Service Provider (reference number: 901096).
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10-13. What's outside our control, final bits & changes to these terms
10.1. Keeping our Site up and running relies on other technical providers, as well as making sure other people don't try to do bad stuff to our Site. This isn't always within our control and means that while we'll do our best, we can't promise that you'll always have access to our Site, or its content will be delivered uninterrupted and without mistakes, or that the Site will not have viruses or other harmful properties. We're not liable for anything that happens following your use of our Site and it's your responsibility to put in place your own security measures to make sure any content you get through our Site can't harm your own computer systems.
11. Compensating us. You agree to compensate us as a result of:
- Any content that you post on our Site, or via any other communications systems;
- Any actions you take that disrupt access to and/or the functioning of our Site; or
- Any breach by you of your obligations under these Terms
12. Final bits
12.1. If any parts of these Terms are found to be invalid, void or unenforceable it will be considered to be separate from the rest of these Terms, which will still apply.
12.2. Our failure or delay to act or enforce any part of these Terms shouldn't be seen by you as us waiving any rights.
12.3. The Terms are a contract between you and us about your use of our Site. No one can enforce any parts of these Terms for you.
12.4. English law governs these Terms and only the English courts can resolve any dispute between us.
13. Changes. These Terms were published on 16 June 2023 and immediately replace the Terms previously published on 27 April 2023.
Any questions? If you've any questions about our Site or these Terms, please contact us on furtherhelp@moneysavingexpert.com or by post at MoneySavingExpert.com, 1 Dean Street, London, W1D 3RB.
Posted: 16 June 2023
Spotted out of date info/broken links? Email: brokenlink@moneysavingexpert.com
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