Archive: MoneySavingExpert's Money Tips Email

Christmas Consumer Rights & Myths. Don't automatically assume you've a right to a refund. MYTH 1. If it doesn’t fit, you can take it back. If there’s no fault, e.g. if you buy the wrong size or change your mind, you've NO legal right to return goods. Yet many shops' policies do allow it, though then it sets the rules, so if it says "only a credit note", that's it. RIGHT 1. You must be a SAD FART! If goods don't follow what I remember as the SAD FART rules, i.e. be of Satisfactory quality, As Described, Fit for purpose And last a Reasonable length of Time, then they're faulty, take 'em back. MYTH 2. You need a receipt to return faulty goods. With faulty goods you just need to prove purchase. Receipts are the easiest way, yet any other legitimate proof is acceptable. RIGHT 2. Buy online & you CAN return without faults. Unlike instore, the Distance Selling Regulations mean you've a right to a no-fault return for online orders (and telephone, catalogue etc.) within seven days of receipt. MYTH 3. You’ve no rights on eBay. If the person’s a ‘trader’ who makes some or all their living buying or selling, or it’s a ‘buy it now’ sale, you’ve the usual SAD FART rights. Yet if it’s a private seller, then it’s just “let the buyer beware”. RIGHT 3. Your rights are with the retailer. If goods are faulty legally your agreement is with the retailer NOT the manufacturer. If the shop says you must go to the manufacturer, it's wrong. RIGHT 4. Get money back on late Christmas deliveries. If you or the retailer specified the goods were for delivery before Xmas, and you don't get them in time, it's a breach of contract and you've a right to compensation. Thus write "must be delivered before Christmas" on order documents before signing.

Week of Tue 02 - Mon 08 Dec '08 1. Premium Bonds Calc. (New) 2. Top Savings Accounts (1) 3. Freebies, Freebies, Freebies (2) 4. Best Cash ISAs (4) 5. Fixed Rate Savings (New) 6. Cheap Train Tickets (3) 7. Reclaim Bank Charges (New) 8. Best Balance Transfers (New) 9. Safe Savings (New) 10. Cheap Online Shopping (New) The top five's now a top ten. Savings guides' dominance is unsurprising after yet another mammoth rate cut last week. It also saw this week’s chart topper, Premium Bonds, at their lowest payout since they began. Yet old favourites Bank Charges Reclaiming and Balance Transfers are still going strong. Excludes daily deals notes

The Ones Not To Miss MSE

Fight Energy Direct Debit Overcharging: Get your money back & payments lowered
Many gas & electricity customers' monthly direct debit payments are unfairly being pumped much higher than the amount used; and suppliers WON’T lower them. How it happens. It may be a letter saying "we're doubling your payment"; or because you've changed supplier, or just you're always in credit. Whichever, it's earning interest on cash you've been unfairly deprived of. Fight Back: Demand any overpayments back and push hard to get fair monthly repayments using my step-by-step New Guide & Free Templates: Overcharged Direct Debits Related Guides: Cheap Gas & Elec, Direct Debit Budgeting

£35 e/w Summer '09 European Flights. Early budget airline sales from lots of UK airports. See the New Guide: Summer 09 Flights Related Guide: Cheap Flights

Act Now! Halve the cost of Perfume/Aftershave. Last Xmas order dates a week away
If you're planning to buy fragrant products for Christmas, order now and you can get 'em for a fraction of the cost. Specialist online stores can be half the high st. price, but final Xmas order dates are only a week away, so time is of the essence. Sample Price Difference: e.g. Teen favourite Britney Spears' Curious (100ml), Boots' price is £38, but using a perfume comparison site you can find it for £14 including delivery. Full details of how to find the cheapest, or cut even more off with unboxed fragrances, in the Updated Guide: Cheap Perfume Related Guide: Cheapest Online Shopping

New 2for1s at GBK & Pizza Express. Last Chance Free burger at Walkabout. These and more click 'n print vouchers, plus a two meals for £5 pub deal, all in the Daily Deals List: Restaurant Vouchers

Base Rate cut again. Fix your savings at up to 5.75% before they drop. Updated Guide
UK interest rates have plummeted to a historically low 2%, a nightmare for savers. Once these cuts are factored in, the top instant access accounts are likely to be 3.5% to 4%. And some predict UK rates will drop further. Fixed Rate Savings: Here you get a guaranteed rate for a set term (e.g. 5.75% for a year) but during that time you're not allowed access to your cash. There are still a number of fixes above 5%, but these are dropping like flies. Full details and all the latest top rates (updated thrice a day) are in the Updated Guide: Top Fixed Savings Related Guides: Top Savings, Safe Savings

Sales: New Debenhams (20%), Tesco Direct Toys (60%), Ikea & More. These and more in the Daily Deals List: Sales Diary

STOP YOUR FRIENDS WASTING CASH! PLS SUGGEST THEY GET THIS EMAIL

New Shopping Vouchers: 25% off Oasis, 20% off Muji & Hamleys online. Plus a free Xmas decoration when you buy the Telegraph. See the daily updated Deals List: Shopping Vouchers

Sneak Preview! MEGA Shopbot bargain finder. One click searches top comparisons
Whether it's books, CDs, DVDs, electronics or owt else, this week I'm unleashing a prototype of the ultimate shopbot (shopping robot) comparison tool. Its range is still limited as there's more to come, yet even so it should still help with cutting the cost of Christmas shopping. What does it do? Shopbots search a range of retailers to find the cheapest price, yet they all cover different stores. With one click the Mega Shopbot searches all the main ones to give a much bigger comparison range. Free Tool (Beta): Mega Shopbot Related Guides: Cheap Online Shopping, Cashback Sites, Consumer Rights

100,000 £5 cross-UK east coast train tickets, ends Monday. For travel between National Express East Coast main stations inc. Leeds, Edinburgh & Glasgow. See the Deals List: Cheap UK Travel

Warning. Tracker mortgage rates might not drop. Fight restrictive 'collars'
Tracker mortgages are supposed to follow the base rate as it drops. Yet some have 'collars', or minimum rates, meaning they won’t fall below a certain level. Halifax has just abolished their collars, and Nationwide suspended its but many others remain. Fight Collars: The regulator, the FSA says collars may be invalid if they “aren’t in the Key Facts Document (KFD) when you got the mortgage”. So check it. If it's not there try informing the bank you won’t accept the collar. For more info and which lenders it impacts see the Forum Note: Cuff a collar Related Guides: Remortgage Guide, Top Mortgage Advice

Haggle for cheap Car & Home Insurance: December’s a flat month for for insurers, so it's a good time to try haggling. See the Cheap Car Insurance & Home Insurance guides

Festive Fivers Contest Winner. The best sub-£5 adults & kids gift ideas.
Lots of fantastic entries for adults and kids in this year's Festive Fivers contest to find the best sub-£5 pound made or bought gifts, including "Make a Monster Spray", "Vinyl Record Bowls" and "Sand-Art Brownies" And the winner is... the "Kids Home Baking Set" by MoneySaver Lovely Lainie. Thanks to all who entered. All the instructions, ideas, winners and runners up from this and previous years are in the New Guide: Festive Fiver Gifts Related Guides: Christmas MoneySaving, Xmas Savings Stamps

eBay Xmas present buying… sneakily win auctions by sniping. Free 'sniping' tools let you automatically swoop on eBay auctions at the last second. More in the Full Guide: eBay Buying Tricks Related Article: eBay Selling Secrets

Get 20% off House of Fraser, up to 15% off TopShop & more. Play & pay store cards
Store cards tempt unwary shoppers with big 'first spend' discounts, then hit them with hideous interest rates. Instead Play & Pay: Sign up instore, spend on the card for the discount, repay in full at month end, so there's no interest, then cancel. Discounts: House of Fraser 20%, Debenhams 10%, Topshop/Man 10 or 15%, Burtons 10% etc. Team up for more: One friend applies, all spend on that card, and pay them. The next time another friend applies, then you all get the discount then too. Full details & credit score impact in the Updated Guide: Store Cards Related Guides: Cashback Credit Cards, Credit Card Freebies, Credit Card Shuffle

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The Big & Easy Ways to Save Checklist

Assess Your finances: Free Budget Planner to see if you spend more than you earn Give Yourself a Money Makeover: Special guide to overhauling your finances Shift Existing Debts: Virgin* 16 mths 0%, 2.98% fee or read Balance Transfers New Borrowing: Best Card For Spending or Cheapest Loans Mortgage Makeover: Read the free Remortgage Guide Motor Insurance: Read the Car, Van or Motorbike articles Reclaim £1,000s: on Mortgage Fees, Council Tax, Endowments, Bank Charges, PPI Home Phone & Broadband: Tiscali* or better still read the Home Phones article Cashback Credit Card: Amex Plat* or read Best Cashback Cards Get Quick Cash for Old Mobiles: Envirofone*, Mopay*. Recycle Mobiles article Teen Cash Guide: Free 40 page PDF guide to teach your kids about money Switch Gas & Elec and Get up to £30 Cashback! Energyhelpline* or Gas & Elec Article Cut Car & Home Insurance! Car Insurance/ Home Insurance Cost Cutting MoneySaving Books: The Money Diet, Thrifty Ways, Three Lessons Free MoneySavingExpert Car Sticker MoneySavingExpert.com/carsticker

More MoneySaving MSE

Icesave Compensation Update. Three weeks left to claim, act now
After Icelandic bank Icesave went belly-up, the Financial Services Compensation Scheme organised paying back everyone's cash. Yet over 24,000 people haven't got it. How do I claim? The FSCS sent out two emails to each person, with the second one telling you how to claim. If you got this, and haven't claimed yet, do it right now, or getting your cash could become more hassle. Didn't get the email? First check your junk mail folder, then urgently call the FSCS on 0845 605 8050. The same goes for if you've tried to claim but the system didn't work. All the details are in the Full Guide: Safe Savings

Did you open a Tesco savings account in Nov? The deadline to deposit savings and get the clubcard points has been extended to 31 Dec due to high demand for the account. Full Guide: Tesco Loophole

New Board: House Prices, the Economy & the Recesssion
This week's board of the week is a new one. The House prices, the Economy, & Recession board is an expansion of the old House Price sub-board. The aim is a one-stop talking shop for all MoneySaving issues relating to the wider economic downturn. Discussions Include: Landlords should be more realistic, What will happen to city centre apartments?, Recession, what recession? Related Guide: Free House Price Valuations

Warning! AOL removing web-based photo/data storage on Dec 31. Got data stored at Xdrive, AOL Photo, or Bluestring? Move it or lose it! Full Details: AOL service shutdown

Great 'Simple Pleasures' Hunt. Free & low cost things to enjoy
In this time of cutting back, what ideas do you have that others may share, for simple things that feel luxurious but cost little or nothing? For starters, there's reading books, hot baths, or a winter stroll. What else would you suggest people can do to while away the leisure hours? Add your ideas/read other people's: Great 'Simple Pleasures' Hunt Past Great Hunts: Crucial Phone Numbers, Cheap Dates, Working For Yourself

Quick Forum Tips Warning! Bargains listed here tend to sell out quickly Daily Bargains Update Tips, Tricks & Treats

Top Deal: £3 Chart Album Downloads, DRM-free from Amazon. Amazin' Complete 24: Twenty Four box set £65. Seasons 1-6. Jack in a box Lynx and Dove gift sets for £2 at Morrisons. Can you find one? Armani ‘Code’, £20 for Men and Women in-store at ASDA. Smells good! 200 free Nectar points (worth £1). Just fill in two online surveys. Make a beeline Decent luggage 80% off. Suitcases down to £25, from £130. Are you tripping? Debt Free Wannabe chat of the week: What's your debt-free motivation? Old Style (Thrift) Board thread of the week: Can you work full-time and be old-style too? Nominate Post of the Year for 2008

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA. Should the twins get the same value presents?
Ten year old twins Monica and Gabriella have just decided what they want for Christmas. Monica’s cheekily asking for a £100 Nintendo DS and game, while Gabriella just wants a £40 pair of roller skates she picked out in the sports shop. Should their mum simply buy them both what they want, or is it only fair to top up Gabriella’s gift so it's equal value? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should the twins get the same value presents? Previous MMDs: Insult them by paying or let them struggle?, Should Lucky Luke give back his hardship grant?

Great 'Taking a Lodger for Beginners' Hunt Result
Last week I asked MoneySavers for their top tips on finding the perfect lodger, dealing with deposits and being a good landlord. in the Great 'Taking a Lodger for Beginners' Hunt. There were some great suggestions including Get the forms, Work out the price and The full lowdown

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Andrea's Freebies Freebies, Freebies, Freebies

RAC Pocket Torch, Festive Microsoft Office Templates, Showersmart Energy Saving Gadget Neuro Linguistic Programming 'Nodcast' Mp3s

Odds and Ends MSE

MoneySavingExpert on the box/wireless
If you like to watch as well as read about MoneySaving, I'll be appearing on the following programmes over the next week or so.

• LK Today, ITV1, Thursday 11 December, between 8:30 & 9:30am. Slash the cost of Perfume, get a Free Letter From Santa and if you can't get credit, know which are the cheapest Prepaid Cards.
• Jeremy Vine, Radio 2, Friday 12 December, 1pm. The MoneySaving topic's yet to be decided.
• GMTV & LK Today, ITV1, Tuesday 16 December, between 7:30 & 9:30am. The topic for these shows is news reactive, so you'll have to wait and see!
• Past appearances: Listen/watch back, plus keep updated on future appearances.

This week's Martin's Blog: "£300 US Biz Class Return on British Airways"
"Giving autographs on five pound notes". Read m'blogs (or RSS users access)

Which would you cut first... Christmas or Summer Holiday? This week's poll. Vote and Christmas vs. Summer discussion.

Mortgage Brokers; which system did you use? Last Week’s Vote. Of those of you with a mortgage, almost a quarter (23%) got it via a fees-free broker, with just 9% opting for a paid-for broker. 18% went via an Independent Financial Advisor, and surprisingly, 15% went direct to their bank/building society; not a route I'd pick (see the Mortgage Brokers guide for why). See Mortgage Brokers poll results.

Archna's Free Game of the Week! Don't go loopy untangling the loops! Entangled

Krypton Factor is Back: Next year my favourite TV programme from my teen years is back, and they’ve a new website with the games on. Play Krypton Factor

I hope you save some money,

Martin

Explanation of * Links

How this site is financed. Any links with a * by them are affiliated. That means go via this link and a contribution may be made to MoneySavingExpert.com, which helps it stay ad-free and free to use. You shouldn't notice any difference, the links don't impact the product at all and the editorial line (the things I write) is NEVER impacted by it. If it isn't possible to get an affiliate link for the best product, it's still included in exactly the same way. As I believe transparency is important, I'm including the following 'un-affiliated' web-addresses for the same things: uk.virginmoney.com, tiscali.co.uk, americanexpress.co.uk, envirofone.com, mopay.co.uk, energyhelpline.com. Read more about this in how this site is financed.

MoneySavingExpert.com is the free to use Consumer Revenge website focused on how to save you cash. It’s owned, and run by ultra-specialised journalist and bestselling author Martin Lewis. On TV amongst other things Martin is GMTV’s Money SavingExpert, presents money programmes for ITV1 Tonight. On Radio Martin has regular slots on Radio 2 Vine and Radio 1 Whiley. He’s also a columnist for the News of The World, Moneywise and the Sunday Post. Find out more: About the site and its funding.

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