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Falkirk Council told me I must pay £14k for work on my £60k flat

Falkirk Council has decided to upgrade my block, there are four flats in the block and as I am the home owner it has been assessed that my share will be £14,000.




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ASK TONY: Why does John Lewis keep sending me faulty iPads?

I bought an iPad from John Lewis in 2017. I started having problems, so they suggested I send it back. Unfortunately the company keeps sending reconditioned replacements.




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TONY HETHERINGTON: Your piano is now fixed - no strings attached

I used Anyvan Limited to move a piano from my house to my daughter's property, but it was damaged in transit. But Anyvan now says it only acts as an agent and accepts no liability.




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ASK TONY: HMRC wants me to pay £300 in tax for someone else's savings

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) claims that I have received untaxed interest of £2,640 from Secure Trust Bank and owe £300 income tax.




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My wealthy mother is remarrying. Should she get a prenup?

My wealthy mother is engaged to remarry and my siblings and I are worried that if it doesn't work out a large part of our inheritance might be at risk.




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Ten times you might be wrong about your consumer rights

Our Consumer Fightback columnist is here to help you get a fair deal, but sometimes we get it wrong on what we think we are entitled to. Here are some common examples of misconceptions.




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How the Consumer Rights Act protects you

When you're making a complaint to a company, knowing your consumer law is important. This is what you need to know about what covers you now.




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Can online firms really find out your new card details before you?

I recently obtained a new Visa debit card from Lloyds and went to update all my subscription services with the new details. When I went onto Now TV, I saw it already had them.




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TONY HETHERINGTON: Sitting targets...how Orchid Mobility treats the elderly

My elderly relatives are still owed £2,000 for a cancelled order. The company promised every week for three months that a cheque would be sent, but still haven't paid up. Can you help?




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ASK TONY: Why won't my 'new for old' policy pay out for my brand-new Jag?

I bought a new Jaguar for £60,000 in 2017. In May this year I was involved in an accident. The garage gave an initial estimate for repairs of £25,563, but said there were likely to be further costs.




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I'm no drug baron...I run a hair salon! TONY HETHERINGTON investigates

I had a letter from HSBC saying it had decided to close my beauty salon's business account. I rang the bank and was asked to complete a lengthy online form, which I did as best I could.




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ASK TONY: Late husband's £110,000 Isa left me facing unfair tax bill 

My husband died in September 2016, after putting his affairs in order. In February 2017, Interactive Investor was instructed to transfer my late husband's shares Isa to mine.




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My vet pulled my dog's claw out during grooming and then charged me for surgery - what can I do?

I took my dog Oliver George to the vet to have his nails clipped - but during treatment, his dewclaw was pulled leaving him needing surgery.




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ASK TONY: Why won't Tesco Bank do more to help a deaf person?

My Tesco credit card has been blocked since January. I am a deaf lip-reader so cannot contact the bank by phone. I wrote asking if we could communicate by different means but was refused.




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Can my mother continue to pay my children's school fees now I have power of attorney?

I have taken over the management of my mother's finances under a power of attorney which she granted.  She used to pay my children's school fees. Can I continue to make these payments?




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What are your consumer rights on Black Friday?

Black Friday might be over-hyped, but there are still some great deals to be had. So if you are tempted, what should you look out for and what are your rights?




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TONY HETHERINGTON: Watchdog is dead loss for victims of funeral scam

I took out two Equitable Lifecare Limited funeral plans. The sales agent assured us repeatedly that we could cancel the plans at any time. I've tried to cancel them both but have had no reply.




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Should I cancel my high-interest credit cards I no longer use?

Whether you've got a bad credit history or no credit history to speak of at all, you might find you are forced into applying for credit cards with higher interest rates.




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ASK TONY: Foster child stole our credit cards now we're paying the price

My wife and I have been foster carers for more than 11 years. In 2017 we fostered a teenage girl for three months. In July I discovered she had stolen two credit cards - Barclaycard and Creation.




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Can I cancel my Sky direct debit as the bills are in my ex's name?

My ex moved out nine years ago but Sky refused to change the name of our TV and broadband account even though it changed the payment details. I am now moving. What can I do?




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Should I put my parent's address on a credit card application when I'm a student?

I've lived at multiple addresses over the past few years, but consider my parents' home my 'permanent address', even though I'm at university for six months of the year now. What should I enter?




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HETHERINGTON: Land Equity offers a 15% return in a year - beware

Land Equity Limited is offering 15 per cent interest on a one-year investment in a Birmingham property development, can you investigate please?




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ALEX BRUMMER: Labour's recipe for fiscal mayhem shows they have not learned the lessons of the 1970s

Labour promises, such as free broadband and a pensions bailout for women born in the Fifties would eviscerate public finances, destroy our credit rating and lead to a run on the pound.




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Why does having data turned on rinse the credit on my PAYG phone?

I bought a PAYG smartphone last week and have barely used it but I noticed that the credit has gone down. I read online it could be due to having my data switched on. Why is this?




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ASK TONY: I paid upfront for line rental - yet Plusnet's pocketed more

In August 2018, I paid line rental a year in advance to Plusnet. It left me to pay £12 per month. In September, it took £56 from my account, which it blamed on a software glitch.




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My landlord fixed my shower himself and has now removed it completely. Is this allowed?

My shower broke and my landlord decided to fix it himself rather than pay the plumber to do it. He has now completely removed the shower from the wall. Is he legally allowed to do this?




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TONY HETHERINGTON: Help! Revolut robots have £10,000 of my money!

I have an account with Revolut which lets me operate in both euros and sterling. On October 4, Revolut 'temporarily disabled' my account for unspecified 'security reasons'.




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ASK TONY: Premium Bond palaver that left me £500 out of pocket

On September 5, I tried to buy Premium Bonds for my new granddaughter. I went online, filled out the forms and paid by debit card. I was then asked to upload documents relating to the child's birth.




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How can I make sure my work pension is ethical and investing for good?

I have just started a new job and joined the company pension plan. I'd like to take a more active role but I don't know how to find out what I can and can't do and where I should go from there.




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Why was my £900 Help to Buy Isa bonus rejected?

In September my wife and I bought our first home together, neither of us having owned a property before. We both had a Help to Buy Isa with Barclays and each had the same value, £4,000.




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Your rights when it comes to returning Christmas presents: Consumer Fightback

Have you bought someone a Christmas present they didn't like, received one you've already got, or bought something in the sales and realised it's not quite right?




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ALEX BRUMMER: The Magnificent SEVEN - why Britain can be the envy of the world in the 2020s

The truth is that, in or out of the European Union, the citizens of the United Kingdom often under-estimate all the terrific things we have going for us.




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Woodford scandal shows why incoming bank governor needs to reshape the FCA

As a multiple victim of the implosion of the Woodford investment funds, facing heavy losses, I can't but think that the response of Bailey and the FCA to early warnings was dilatory and timid.




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ASK TONY: My mobile caught fire in the car - but Samsung blames me!

My Samsung phone was only a year old when it spontaneously caught fire in the footwell of my car. I put it there after receiving a phone call, but as I drove off I noticed a strange smell.




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JEFF PRESTRIDGE: A solid year for equity investment (if you ignore Woodford) 

It was a pretty good 2019 for most equity investors, unless you were unlucky enough to be caught up in the Woodford quagmire.




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TONY HETHERINGTON: My 90-year-old father's £600 fine after tax error 

My dad will be 90 next month and has severe health issues. Revenue & Customs wrote saying he no longer needs to submit a tax return.




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TONY HETHERINGTON: A 12 per cent IOU return? We could both get rich... 

I am sending you an investment email I received from Rothco Wills and Estate Planning, offering a minimum of 12 per cent guaranteed return plus bonuses. Who are these people?




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How to make the gym work out for you AND your wallet 

The start of the year often brings with it a raft of new gym membership sign-ups as we try to shift those extra pounds gained over the festive period.




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ASK TONY: Scrapped New York trip to care for son but refused refund

My partner and I booked a short break in New York to celebrate my 50th birthday. At the beginning of August, my son was diagnosed with stage 4 Hodgkin lymphoma blood cancer.




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Sainsbury's turns away a guide dog: Your Equality Act rights

Sainsbury's customer, Rachael Stevens, and her guide dog Pippa, were not allowed into the store, despite clear markings on the dog's livery.




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How did a fraudster take out a Three mobile contract in my name 

I received a letter from a credit recovery company at the end of November demanding £290, which has now risen to £360.




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My flat is a fire risk so I can't staircase my shared ownership mortgage

I am a shared ownership resident in a London block of flats who recently tried to staircase my mortgage. However, the lender was worried my balcony might be flammable. Now I can't remortgage.




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Why did Shelter back a squatter in my dad's house? TONY HETHERINGTON investigates

My father bought a house in Stockport, Greater Manchester, in 1971. Several years ago, a tenant tried to seize ownership by claiming squatter's rights.




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I want to remove my smart meter but have been told I will be charged £150. Why is this?

I moved into a property in October and found it had a first generation smart meter installed. When I asked about having it removed, I was told it would cost £150. Can I not have it removed for free?




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ASK TONY: We caught car theft on CCTV but insurer still wouldn't pay out

Our leased Range Rover Velar was stolen in October. The police never recovered it because the thieves ripped out its tracker, which was later found thrown in a ditch.




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TONY HETHERINGTON: I smell a rat in this tale of a criminal tenant

I rented out my late mother's house. I chose Howards Estate Agents to find a suitable tenant in full time employment, but it later became apparent they were not and defaulted on the rent.




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ASK TONY: We cancelled our Greek villa but insurer refused to pay the bill

My husband and I booked and paid for a villa for a week in Corfu, and invited our four daughters and families to join us at our expense. The villa cost £2,391. We paid £96 for insurance with Get Going.




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Does the time you land or get off the plane count for EU flight compensation?

We were put over the three hour delay time which entitles us to compensation after we landed at Amsterdam, are we still due a payout or is it based on when the plane touches down?




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ASK TONY: Santander and PayPal refused to refund stolen £450

Someone has fraudulently opened an account with PayPal using my name. PayPal withdrew £450 from my Santander account. It refunded this, but took it back the following week.




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BT has left me without internet and I need it for my heart monitor

My mother moved from one flat to another in mid-December. Her broadband stopped working after the move and BT have not fixed it even though she needs it as her heart monitor requires wi-fi.