Latest news with #HelenDewdney
STV News
4 days ago
- Business
- STV News
How you can save money by recycling your old clothes and empty bottles
As households face tighter budgets, high street retailers are increasingly getting into secondhand and recycling initiatives. Previously the preserve of online marketplaces and secondhand shopping apps, retailers are now offering financial incentives in exchange for items such as used clothing and empty containers. Consumer expert Helen Dewdney, The Complaining Cow, outlines how consumers can benefit by exchanging unwanted goods for rewards. These programmes usually involve payments or vouchers for packaging materials that can be reused, including items destined for recycling bins, such as empty bottles and containers. Under the Shwopping scheme customers can donate old clothes to Oxfam and receive a £5 voucher to spend on purchases of more than £35 at M&S. Boots runs the Scan2Recycle programme, which accepts products difficult to recycle at home, including composite materials (metal and plastics) and non-recyclable items like toothpaste tubes and lotion pumps. Small cosmetics such as travel-sized products and samples are also accepted. Customers must download the app, wash and scan items to have them validated before dropping them off at participating stores. Recycling five or more eligible items earns £5 in Advantage Card points, redeemable on purchases over £10 within three days. View the full list of all the items that can be brought to their stores. Customers can bring any empty perfume bottle, regardless of where it was bought, to receive 15% off a same-day purchase at The Perfume Shop. The retailer also commits to planting a tree for each bottle donated. Through its Take Back scheme, customers may drop off at least three clothing items in a box at at more than 200 stores nationwide or arrange a courier collection, which River Island will pay for. Participants receive a £5 voucher valid on purchases over £40 for one month. Donations do not need to be River Island products. John Lewis offers two programs: BeautyCycle and FashionCycle. BeautyCycle provides a £5 voucher for spending over £50 when customers return five or more clean, empty beauty product containers from specified B Corp certified brands such as Clarins, Elemis, Aveda and L'Occitane. FashionCycle offers a £5 discount on clothing rentals over £50 in exchange for five clothing items, subject to certain restrictions. Customers can return qualifying Lush packaging to receive 50p per item or 5p per 10ml sample pot. Alternatively, five returned items can be exchanged for a face mask. H&M accepts a carrier bag of unwanted clothing or textiles of any brand or condition in-store and offers a £5 voucher for purchases over £25. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Sky News
07-05-2025
- Sky News
'Taxi crash meant we missed ABBA - what are our rights?'
Every Tuesday we ask an expert to answer your financial problems or consumer disputes. Today, we are tackling this issue sent to us by Debbie from Norwich. My sister and I were due to see ABBA Voyage but missed my train because another car hit our taxi and they couldn't get me to the station in time. I have asked them to compensate me but they won't - what are my rights? The Money team says... Passengers who hire a taxi or pre-book a private hire vehicle (such as an Uber) in the UK have certain rights under consumer law. These include the right to only be charged the fare on the meter, for the driver to go the shortest route possible, and not to have to share a taxi with other people without your permission, among others. But things get trickier with lateness. Consumer expert Helen Dewdney, aka The Complaining Cow, says that, in theory, if a booked taxi arrives late, then that would constitute a breach under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. However, she notes there is a "requirement to be reasonable", and anyone needing to use a taxi as transport should allow enough time when they make the booking for things that could cause an issue, such as bad traffic. "In the unlikely event that you could not book another taxi, you could claim consequential loss and go through the small claims court," she says. "However, in reality, when you go to court, the decision is made on what the average person deems as reasonable," she says. Dewdney adds that if the conditions were outside the taxi driver's control, such as heavy traffic or an accident, "you couldn't possibly blame the taxi firm and so you could not claim". Taxis in England are regulated by local councils outside of London, and by Transport for London in the capital. Anyone wanting to make a complaint is usually urged to get in touch with the taxi provider in the first instance, but complaints can be made directly to the council if unsuccessful. It's unclear, though, if this would result in any refund or compensation - so the overriding message is to allow plenty of time for the taxi to be late or order another if necessary. There is one more potential avenue in this case due to the reason for the lateness - a crash. It could be that you're able to claim compensation via the at-fault driver's insurance company. The Association of British Insurers has more details here.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
How to avoid paying a UK TV licence (and ways to pay less)
The cost of a TV licence has now has now risen to £174.50 in 2025, in line with inflation, following a two-year freeze that had been imposed by the Government. Not paying for a licence when you should have is a crime. Around 500 people a week were prosecuted for failing to pay for their licence in the 12 months to June 2024. Unlike the non-payment of utility bills and parking tickets, which are treated as civil matters, those who refuse to pay the television licence receive a criminal record and the details can show up on an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check – although that is unlikely. Giving up your licence means losing your ability to use BBC iPlayer and watch or record live television. There are also rumours that people who only use streamers, like Netflix, may also have to pay. Here, Telegraph Money reveals how to get the most out of your licence and how to stop paying while still having plenty to watch elsewhere. In this article, we will cover: How to avoid needing to pay the TV licence fee entirely Ways to pay less (if you still need one) How to declare you don't need a licence How to get a refund TV licence FAQs In order to exempt yourself from paying the TV licence fee entirely, there are a few things you need to do: Avoid live TV Don't use BBC iPlayer Licences are not required to watch television on catchup services like ITVX and Channel 4 after it has already been broadcast live. In 2022, data from Ofcom showed that 90pc of 18 to 24-year-olds had all but ceased watching traditional live TV and instead went directly to their favourite shows via streaming services. Following the lead of younger generations and subscribing to Amazon Prime Video, Netflix or Now TV could save households the cost of a licence with plenty left to watch. But paying for a streaming service for one year is unlikely to be much cheaper than a TV licence. Currently, Netflix costs between £5.99 and £18.99 per month, Amazon Prime Video £8.99 and Now TV £9.99 to £13.99. Rhiannon Philps, a personal finance expert at Nerdwallet, said that television deals offered by Sky and Virgin include streaming services at lower prices. 'A lot of TV packages are open to adding on extras,' she said. 'If you're looking to renew it's worth adding a streaming service to a bundle.' Without a licence you will also lose access to all types of live broadcast, including live streams on YouTube from broadcasters based anywhere in the world, as well as live video coverage on the BBC website. Helen Dewdney, a consumer expert, said: 'If you watch any live TV or record it as it is being broadcast you have to pay the fee. 'This includes some streaming services if you are watching something that is being broadcast live on another channel – but it's ok to watch on demand.' She adds: 'For more details on what you can and can't watch without a TV licence, check out the licence fee website which lists all the things you have to still pay for.' TV Licensing may still contact you even if you do not watch live television or use iPlayer. To stop receiving warning letters in the post if you do not require a licence, file a 'No Licence Needed' declaration via the TV Licensing website. Because it is funded by the TV licence fee, you are still required to pay if you watch BBC iPlayer, even if you are not watching live television. While you are permitted to watch other on-demand services provided by ITV and Channel 4, as long as they are not live broadcasts, this does not apply to services provided by iPlayer. However, you are still permitted to watch clips and videos on the BBC website. The BBC stopped offering free TV licences to the over-75s in 2020. For people over 75 who receive pension credit (you must have income of under £227.10 a week and less than £10,000 in savings) the BBC still covers the cost of the licence fee. This means, if your household includes one person who meets both criteria or two people who meet either, you do not have to pay to watch live television and iPlayer. TV Licensing, which operates the licence scheme, also outlines discounts to those living in care homes and sheltered accommodation, who pay £7.50 a year, blind people (£87.25), and those with black and white televisions (£58.50). At the last count, in 2019, there were just 6,500 homes with black and white licences, down from more than 200,000 in 2000. Students may be eligible for a partial refund during the summer if they return home to a licensed address. Complete the online refund form to receive your money back. Second home owners do not necessarily need to purchase an additional TV licence to enjoy television while away from their main home. Second homes and holiday lets can be covered by one licence for watching television and iPlayer on devices that are being powered solely by their internal batteries such as tablets, mobiles and laptops. This does not apply when these devices are plugged into the mains. Students living in halls or private rented accommodation while studying can watch live television and iPlayer on devices that are not powered through the mains provided their 'out-of-term' address, such as their parents' home, is covered by a TV licence. Caravans, boats, mobile homes and vehicles can have mains-powered devices that are covered by the same TV licence as that of a fixed address, provided that television is not watched in both places at the same time. To do this you will need to submit a 'non-simultaneous use' declaration to TV Licensing. Channel Four Wales or S4C, a free public Welsh language broadcaster, does not require a licence to watch on demand. If you don't watch live television or use BBC iPlayer, or if you are over-75 and receive pension credit, then you can declare to TV Licensing that you do not require a licence. In order to do this complete the online declaration form on the TV Licensing website. If you have already paid for a TV licence this year, but want to cancel and watch TV another way, it is possible to request a refund from TV Licencing. You can do this via their online refund form. To qualify you must have at least one month left on your licence before it is due to renew. Mistakenly paying for a TV licence when you do not watch live television or BBC iPlayer, but own a TV set, could also entitle you to a refund from TV Licensing. Yes, you can watch TV catch-up services without a licence, provided it's not BBC iPlayer and you're not watching anything live. Households are warned that they could be breaking the law if they access live broadcasts without a TV licence through services like Sky Go, Channel 4, ITVX, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video and Now TV. You could be prosecuted for watching or recording live TV or iPlayer without a licence. The maximum fine is £1,000 plus any legal costs that you may be ordered to pay. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Sign in to access your portfolio
