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consumer crew

From buying your dream house to fixing the boiler, our experts have all the advice you need

The dream team of Judge Rinder, Mel Hunter and Amanda Cable tell you how to spend your money and, more importantly, how to save it

Every Saturday, The Consumer Crew are here to solve your problems.

Mel Hunter will take on readers’ consumer issues, Amanda Cable will give you the best advice for buying your dream home and Judge Rinder will tackle your legal woes. 


Judge Rinder - The Sun's legal expert

 

IF you despise Valentine’s Day, you can breathe easy knowing that the next one is 361 days away.

In the olden days one would wait expectantly for the postman to bring a card containing expressions of love and devotion.

 Judge Rinder will tackle your legal woes
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Judge Rinder will tackle your legal woesCredit: ITV

If none arrived, no one had to know.

These days we are required to endure a bombardment of floral arrangement-filled Facebook posts involving people we barely know and certainly don’t care about.

Whatever the medium, Valentine’s Day is for confirming a commitment to a relationship, whether it is of three months’ or 30 years’ standing.

But commitments come in many shapes and sizes, and whether or not those relationships come to an end, those commitments can endure.

It’s not uncommon in the modern world to purchase an Xbox, laptop, car or light aircraft on a credit agreement for a loved one, particularly if their credit rating has suffered a blow in the past.

 Valentine’s Day is for confirming a commitment to a relationship, whether it is of three months’ or 30 years’ standing
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Valentine’s Day is for confirming a commitment to a relationship, whether it is of three months’ or 30 years’ standingCredit: Getty Images

While taking on credit debt for your partner during the halcyon days may seem problem-free at the outset, experience tells us that it can prove problematic further down the line.

If the relationship breaks down and your ex refuses to honour the payments (at least until custody of Fluffy the rottweiler is settled), you may need to evidence the agreement at court.

A written contract would be best, but evidence of the agreement via text messages or emails would probably be enough.

It is important to remember that credit debt in your name is your debt, regardless of whether your partner has promised to reimburse you for the direct debit.

 It’s not uncommon in the modern world to purchase an Xbox, laptop, car or light aircraft on a credit agreement for a loved one
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It’s not uncommon in the modern world to purchase an Xbox, laptop, car or light aircraft on a credit agreement for a loved oneCredit: Getty Images

Even if the payments are honoured, you could face difficulties getting credit for yourself in the future while the payments are ongoing.

If you find yourself needing a loan to cover a holiday or an extension on your house, the bank will examine your current outgoings and they will not take into account the fact that you are being reimbursed.

In my opinion, romantic gestures are best kept to a one-off outlay that can be properly re-assessed before the next organised romantic occasion.

Summing up

Q: TWO years ago my son took his daughter hostage with two knives in her bedroom.

I was in the doorway of the bedroom trying to talk my son down for two hours. Armed officers arrived and came up the stairs behind me.

One of the officers tried to taser my son but missed and shot me in the temple. In the police report the officer who fired the taser says he knew that he had missed my son and had shot me by mistake, but still let the taser discharge for a further two seconds.

I had to be taken to hospital to get the barb removed from my temple.

Can I claim against the police?

Roger, Nottingham

A: As unpleasant an experience as I am sure it was, two seconds is unlikely to be an unreasonable time to withdraw a taser that is discharged by accident.

If you are able to persuade a judge the officer was negligent, your claim is likely to be worth less than £1,000 for the pain and suffering you experienced.

If that is right, your claim would stay in the small claims court. The advantage of this is that the process is relatively simple and you cannot have the officer’s costs awarded against you if you lose.

Conversely, you have to pay your own costs of bringing the claim. It would be advisable to get a solicitor to help you bring the claim, so you would be fortunate to break even, even if you won.

A strong sense of justice is commendable but I cannot, in your circumstances, recommend this course of action to you.

Mr Rinder regrets he cannot answer questions personally. Answers intended as general guidance, they do not constitute legal advice and are not a substitute for obtaining independent legal advice


Got a question for Judge Rinder? Email [email protected]


Mel Hunter – Readers’ champion on fighting for your rights

 Mel Hunter will take on readers’ consumer issues
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Mel Hunter will take on readers’ consumer issues

Left in cold by boiler insurer

 

Q: I WAS called by 24/7 Home Rescue and offered central heating and plumbing help. After I gave them the make, model and age of my boiler, I signed up for their £20-a-month service.

A month later the boiler was leaking. I called 24/7 who sent an engineer. He said the hot water pump was leaking and turned the water to the pump off until he was authorised to do the repair.

The next day the firm told me the boiler was not economical to repair. They gave me the option of getting the boiler manufacturer to do it for £240.

We couldn’t afford that, and my disabled wife and I have been stuck with no hot water since. 

24/7 should have told me the boiler may be uneconomical to repair before taking my custom.

William Clayton, Bradford

A: I agree. I am angry 24/7 accepted your cash for emergency cover but couldn’t provide the repair needed. If there were concerns about the boiler, you should have been told from the start.

By the time you got in touch with me, you and your wife, both pensioners, had no hot water for over a month. I only wish you’d written sooner.

After I got in touch, 24/7 agreed to cover the cost of the manufacturer repair and fix the boiler.

The company told me it “went beyond what it was contractually obliged to do” because of your vulnerabilities and insists it “did not walk away from its moral obligations”.


Q: I AM being fobbed off by British Airways. My suitcase arrived in the UK two days after me with damage to its shell and contents, including four shirts soiled with what looked like blood and damage to my wife’s hair straighteners.

BA advised I claim on my travel insurance. I refused, knowing it is BA which is responsible. It then asked me for more photos and receipts for the damaged goods, which I sent. The claim was lodged a month ago. Can you help?

Ian Robinson, Prudhoe, Northumberland

A: Damaged luggage is an airline’s responsibility – up to a certain cost – although many of the airlines can be slow to respond, leaving a lot of people to turn to their insurance company.

With me on their case, BA immediately got in touch with you and offered to replace your suitcase. It also refunded the value of the new shirts and half the price of the straighteners.


 Make sure you keep warm with Mel's tips on beating the Big Six
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Make sure you keep warm with Mel's tips on beating the Big SixCredit: Alamy

WITH price rises on the way from at least three of the Big Six energy firms, stay warm with my tips.

COSY: Make your home as energy efficient as possible, taking clothes off radiators and sealing draughty gaps. See .

 

TOASTY: Turn your thermostat down. Go one degree lower and you can save around £45 on heating bills.

 

BALMY: Get to grips with your energy bills. Understanding what you’re paying for can help you see where you can make savings.

 

WARM: Most suppliers offer a range of tariffs, along with discounts for managing your account online or choosing a “dual fuel” deal, so get all the advantages you can.

 

HOT: Go with a crowd-pleasing firm. Smaller company Ovo topped the recent Energy Satisfaction survey from Which? E.on was highest of the Big Six.


Do you have a consumer issue? E-mail [email protected]


Amanda Cable - Property expert with the best advice for your home

 Amanda Cable will give you the best advice for buying your dream home
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Amanda Cable will give you the best advice for buying your dream homeCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd

FOND childhood memories affect the way you choose your new home, research by Tepilo has revealed.

The online estate agency found that 69 per cent of Brits love their childhood home, and 57 per cent say they would bring their own family up in a property just like it.

People most liked the location of their childhood home (27 per cent), their bedroom (17 per cent) and having a large outside space to play in (14 per cent).

Meanwhile, one third of adults already live in a home that is similar to the one they grew up in. The main differences between them are layout (40 per cent) and décor (35 per cent).

However, just over half have uprooted and moved to a new location.

Sarah Beeny, who runs the agency, says: “House prices have risen dramatically over the last 30 years, meaning many people just can’t afford to live in a home like the one they grew up in, even if they’d like to.”


 Make the kids' journey to dinner more fun with an inbuilt slide
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Make the kids' journey to dinner more fun with an inbuilt slide

IF you have trouble getting the kids to come downstairs for dinner, here is the perfect home for you – with a massive twirling SLIDE leading from a first-floor bedroom straight down to the ground-floor kitchen.

For this nine-bedroom family home in Alyth, Scotland, you should expect to pay around £725,000. For more information, see or .


PROPERTIES sell 38 days faster with online agencies, according to a new Which? Investigation.

While 19 per cent of properties listed by traditional high street agents had their initial listing prices reduced by five per cent or more, only 13 per cent of homes sold by online agencies were similarly discounted.

The best-performing online agency was Purplebricks, which sold quicker and with less discounting than both online and high-street rivals.

CEO Michael Bruce says: “When valuing a property, customers should always be given information such as the value of similar properties sold in their area.”


WANT a real building challenge? Build It Live opens at EventCity, Manchester, today.

The two-day exhib-ition will feature experts and architects to help you get your own self-build project off the ground.

From finding land to homebuilding, they’ll provide top tips. Tickets cost £12. See .


 Carpetright is bringing the Seventies revival straight into your home for an instantly contemporary look
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Carpetright is bringing the Seventies revival straight into your home for an instantly contemporary look

FANCY some mustard on your carpet? A new retro range from Carpetright is bringing the Seventies revival straight into your home for an instantly contemporary look.

Assistant buyer Jemma Dayman says: “No colour better defines this decade better than mustard, and it works surprisingly well in flooring. Pair mustard with muted greys and browns for a modern Seventies twist.”

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