Which?

Recent Which? research found that insurers were found by the Financial Ombudsman Service to have piled misery onto claimants by causing them distress and inconvenience in nearly two thirds of upheld final complaint decisions. Writing today in the Insurance Post, Rocio Concha Galguera argues that insurers need to up their game - and the Financial Conduct Authority must get tough with firms found to fall below the required standards. https://lnkd.in/e8WB38u5

Say hello to Dan Glover, who joined Which? at the beginning of 2024 as External Affairs Officer. Most recently he’s worked in recruitment, recruiting for accountancy and finance staff, prior to that he spent four years working in the petrochemical grade fasteners industry, building relationships with key customers and achieving sales targets. His role at Which? involves interacting with a variety of key stakeholders across multiple cross-organisational priorities providing hands-on experience with the current issues we're facing. He enjoys helping Which? make an impact, especially when working on current consumer campaign areas e.g. our Stamp Out Scams campaign including calls on the new government to appoint a Fraud Minister. He says ‘I’m excited to start my external relations career here at Which?; there are plenty of areas to get involved in, many experiences and learnings to be had so I believe that this will be the start of something very fruitful for my career, all the while helping consumers lives change for the better.’ #Culture #Values

In the lead-up to the general election, we unveiled our comprehensive consumer agenda, urging the incoming government to appoint a fraud minister, update product safety laws, overhaul Trading Standards, strengthen the powers of the Civil Aviation Authority and deliver pensions dashboards. This agenda gained significant attention, with coverage in the i, Express and Times Radio. Rocio Concha Galguera further highlighted these issues in two opinion pieces for PoliticsHome, addressing necessary pension reforms and the urgent need for government action on fraud. To underscore the importance of coordinated government efforts against scams, we shared our findings on major airlines being impersonated by scammers on X (formerly Twitter). This story was widely covered by the BBC online, Telegraph, Star, Metro, Sun and more. Lisa Webb was interviewed about the issue on BBC Breakfast, BBC News at One and BBC Business World. Later in the month, Lisa Webb appeared on BBC Rip Off Britain to discuss unsafe products uncovered on Temu and TikTok, emphasising the need for the next government to impose greater legal responsibility on these marketplaces. Just in time for summer, we released our research revealing that three major sunscreen brands failed our safety tests. This story quickly became one of our year's biggest successes, achieving almost 250 pieces of media coverage. It was the most-read article on the BBC website that day and was prominently featured in the Telegraph, Times, Sky News, Sun, Metro, Express, Mirror, and Daily Mail. Grace Forell appeared on This Morning, and our spokespeople were also interviewed on BBC News at One, BBC Newsbeat, Channel 5 News, Sky News Radio, and in bulletins on LBC News.

Earlier today, Harry Kind, Senior Video Presenter/Producer, took part in a panel discussion with Money Saving Expert on BBC Radio 4’s You and Yours on critical consumer issues for the new government to tackle including energy bills and fraud. On the topic of energy, Harry was asked about Ofgem proposing to lift the ban on cheap deals for new customers from October 1st.  'This isn't just something that Which? is calling for and other consumer groups, but a lot of energy companies are saying that we don't want a situation where there are energy companies out there offering incredibly cheap deals only to new customers, only for a short period of time, meaning that everyone else's bills are higher to compensate. This means that people who are loyal are being punished and it means that as we had in the past, you have companies that are playing a really risky game and end up going bust and we end up picking up the bills for it.' To listen to the segment in full visit https://lnkd.in/eWUmcwxg #ConsumerRights

In April 2022, the energy regulator Ofgem brought in a ban on suppliers offering bargain deals to new customers at the expense of existing ones. The regulator has hinted it's minded to remove this ban, with a decision expected this month. Writing in the The i Paper, Rocio Concha Galguera, Which? Director of Policy and Advocacy, argues that to remove the ban would be a mistake. Existing customers' loyalty shouldn't be taken advantage of. 

Our monthly analysis comparing the prices of popular groceries at eight major supermarkets, now includes loyalty scheme prices. Ele Clark, Which? Retail Editor, said: 'As member-only pricing continues to grow, Which? believes the sector needs to be properly scrutinised and held to account so that all shoppers - including society’s most vulnerable - can benefit, and no one is misled into believing they’re getting a better deal than they really are. With food prices continuing to squeeze household budgets, it comes as no surprise that many people are choosing to shop with the discounters. Our analysis shows that Aldi and Lidl are still cheaper than the traditional supermarkets, even when you include loyalty pricing.' #CostOfLiving #ConsumerRights

Vodafone's scrapping of unpredictable inflation-linked mid-contract pricing proves that big providers can make these changes, so there's no reason Ofcom should give in to industry pressure to delay its ban on inflation-linked increases. For more on our campaign: https://lnkd.in/exWPZ9et #TheRightToConnect #Telecommunications

Lisa Webb, senior lawyer and consumer expert, was on BBC Breakfast today discussing your consumer rights if find yourself at a concert with a restricted view, despite not being made aware of this. Here's her advice: 'The Consumer Rights Act says that you should have any service given to you with reasonable care and skill. If you cannot see the stage and were not told this, you can argue that the Act has been breached. I would go straight to the venue staff and ask them to move your seat, you can even quote the Consumer Rights Act at them. Sometimes they do have alternative seating available, if they don’t I would say you should take lots of pictures and make sure you have all the evidence you need to prove you could not see the stage. The next day, contact the ticket seller and let them know you need, at the very least, a partial refund as you did not get what you paid for.' #ConsumerRights #LiveMusic

Still thinking about the brilliant morning I spent at Global Insight Conferences - Internal Comms Conference last Thursday, exploring the latest trends and innovations in #IC. So many fantastic insights shared by IC leaders. It was my absolute pleasure to kick off the conference discussing how you can supercharge employee engagement with people-centric Comms alongside the wonderful Sally Quigg Chart.PR and Joshua Reynolds, expertly chaired by Nicola Pearson. The icing on the cake had to be bumping into IC guru Sara Kent and getting to reminisce about the old days at DLR/ KeolisAmey Docklands. #internalcomms #paneldiscussion #employeeengagement

Which? and a coalition of consumer groups and energy firms are urging Ofgem to ensure loyal customers are able to access the same energy deals as new customers. The Ban on Aquisition only Tariffs (BAT) was introduced by Ofgem in April 2022. It has played a vital role in delivering fairer outcomes for customers by ensuring loyal customers are able to get the best deals. It also ensures that millions of customers in debt, who may not be able to switch to a new firm for months or even years, are able to access a better deal with their current supplier. Removing the (BAT), as proposed from this October, risks exacerbating the loyalty penalty and unsustainable business practices. #ConsumerRights With Citizens Advice, End Fuel Poverty Coalition, Fair By Design, E.ON Octopus Energy, Rebel Energy UK and So Energy