Watchdog spring 2014 webversion

Watchdog Magazine | Spring Edition

In This Edition Of

Features 2 | Scratchers Tattoo Amateurs 12 | The ugly cost of the beautiful game 20 | Renters take care, landlords beware 30 | neither a lender 38 | which online retailer 48 | fake begging on the increase 56 | physical medicine: the benefits 64 | roof coating door to door scam 74 | the battle of the banks 86 | Debt: the neverending story 98 | Food or Foe 110 | Criminal holidays for kids

Welcome to Watchdog Magazine, a publication dedicated to spreading awareness about scams being perpetrated across the UK. Watchdog Magazine is here to combat fraud by exposing the tricks used by fraudsters and con-artists to dupe their victims.

We report on any and all types of fraud so that our readership has every bit of knowledge necessary to avoid being scammed by the unscrupulous thieves that are out there.

Armed with a little information, you can spot a fraud a mile off and not only save yourself, but those around you by reporting the fraud to the relevant authorities and stopping the people you know from throwing away their hard earned cash.

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Scratchers The Tattoo Amateurs

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Over the last few years there has been an exponential increase in “Scratchers”, the term given to unprofessional tattoo artists who do not trade from licensed premises.

These rogues are often self taught, operating without the benefit of professional tuition.

Traditionally, the knowledge and skills involved in tattooing are passed from one generation to the next through apprenticeships. A student would work and train under the supervision of a professional artist who would in return receive free labour from his or her student(s).

Tattoos are now prolific amongst many popular singers, footballers and film stars and the media has served to enhance the demand for body art. However, due to the finite amount of professional, time-served tattoo artists in existence, alongside the fact that getting “inked” has become extremely popular of late, these apprenticeships are not easy to come by.

Many budding enthusiasts, excited by the prospect of becoming “qualified” artists have hit a brick wall trying to source an apprenticeship. This, in part, is where the temptation to go it alone stems from. Unfortunately, this unsupervised “scratching” can lead to the most devastating consequences.

A tattoo is basically a puncture wound made in your skin, which is then filled with ink. A needle is inserted into the dermis (which is the second, deeper layer of skin) and the area it reaches is injected with the ink.

One of the main reasons that “scratching” can be so harmful is down to not implementing thorough and exhaustive cleansing procedures between clients. When a tattoo is performed and the dermis is injected with ink or pigment, it involves the exposure of bodily fluids, including blood. If a client has an infection, like AIDS or Hepatitis, and the equipment is not sterilised properly after use these serious infections can be passed on to the next person.

Further to the hygiene issue is the technique used to apply the tattoo to a client.

Inexperienced tattoo “artists” may go to deep and cause bleeding, intense pain and scarring or, alternatively, they might not go deep enough which can result in “ragged” lines in the resultant tattoo.

Another risk associated with scratching is the use of sub-standard equipment which can easily be sourced online at a much cheaper rate than industry standard hardware.

Essentially, it all comes down to the level of knowledge about what you are doing and this can really only be gained by one of two methods; trial and error (the scratchers choice) or through professional tuition by a well known and time served artist.

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Since scratching has become prolific we have put together a few bullet points you may want to read if you or any of your friends and/or family are considering purchasing a tattoo: 1) First and foremost, statistics show that a 1/3 of people actually regret getting a tattoo later in life so do take the time to have a good think about whether you are doing the right thing. Asking friends and family for their opinions is always helpful.

2) Consult your GP to check that you are up to date with your Tetanus/Hepatitis jabs and ask whether your doctor has any special concerns about you getting a tattoo in light of specific medical conditions you may have or if you are pregnant.

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3) Make sure you use a high street standards are being maintained practice with a license, NEVER go and monitored. to an artist based at home.

6) Check to ensure that the artist 4) Seek the advice of previous is using disposable equipment clients of a particular tattoo artist where possible (needles, gloves, and don’t be afraid to verify his or masks etc) and that everything her reputation and check online else is properly sterilised using reviews. Remember, the pictures an autoclave. The artist should that are displayed in a shop may be able to talk you through not have actually been produced sterilisation procedure and show by the artist you choose to use you what equipment will be used. so it is always a good idea to find people the artist has already done 7) Finally, after your tattoo is finished, make sure you follow work for. the guidelines for aftercare which 5) Always ask to see certificates should be provided by the artist. if they are not clearly displayed Tattoos can become very sore and on the wall, hygiene is of utmost even infected if not looked after importance so using an artist properly until fully healed. with a valid license is imperative.

Both the operator (artist) and the premises must have a valid, up- 8) Visit your doctor immediately to-date license which ensures if there is any increased pain, that basic health and safety bleeding or any signs of infection.

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Watchdog Magazine | Spring Edition If you’re a football fan and you don’t want to be paying through the nose to enjoy all the important matches of the year you better do your homework; with the ever inflated costs of attending a live game and the plethora of TV packages on offer it’s a time consuming task trying to figure out your best course of action.

To be a football fan in the era before the birth of the Premier League was a much less costly affair. Matches were shown for free on terrestrial channels, aside from the outlay of your TV license, with highlights shown on programmes such as ‘Match of The Day’.

Following your favourite team is now a completely different ball game, excuse the pun! In a climate where Wayne Rooney has just been signed up for a five and half year deal earning three hundred thousand pounds a week, is it any wonder we’re all paying a ridiculous amount to watch these athletes run round the pitch? As the majority of fans don’t get paid such exaggerated wages, us mere mortals need to do some serious research in order to find the best deals available.

It is no longer the case that going to watch a football match at your local ground is accessible to all. The cheapest season ticket at a Premier League club, on average, has risen by 4%. For the privilege of watching every home game during the 2013/2014 season, you will pay between £299 and £985. With prices varying to such a large degree between clubs

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and seven of them increasing their prices this year, you might want to base your decision on who to support by who charges the least!

Arsenal were the most expensive team to support with their cheapest season ticket coming in at a whopping £985, closely followed by Tottenham and Liverpool with prices set at over £700.

Manchester City were the team that offered the best value for money for their fans. They sold the cheapest season tickets in the Premier League, at under £300. Given their recent successes, it is amazing and heartening to note that their price of £299 was indeed less than three Conference Premier sides!

Liverpool were the only club to have decreased the price of both the cheapest season ticket available and also their best value match day ticket. However, at £38, their lowest priced match day ticket is the most expensive in the Premier League.

The spending, of course, doesn’t stop once you have purchased your ticket. There are refreshments to consider. Crystal Palace serves the most expensive pie in all of the top four English leagues, setting you back a costly £4 and if you wish to whet your whistle at Old Trafford you will be paying £2.50, the dearest cuppa in the country!

With all this said, last season the Premier League still achieved record highs of adult season tickets

Watchdog Magazine | Spring Edition

The Ugly Cost

Of the Beautiful Game

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Watchdog Magazine | Spring Edition sold (476,776) and attendances grew in general by 4%. It seems that although a day out watching a football match is far from being a cheap past-time, nothing will diminish our enthusiasm for it.

The extortionate cost to attend matches is noteworthy but it is well known that the majority of football fans do not make a decision to follow their team based on the price of a season ticket or the cost of a hot dog at their team’s home ground.

So what’s the alternative and how can football fans make some kind of a saving without jumping ship? The only place you can really choose what you spend to follow your favourite team is when you’re at home watching them on the TV. With Sky Sports and newcomers BT Sport vying to show the most prestigious games, how does this filter down to the viewer? We have compiled a list of key facts below which should help you to make the right decision when it comes to a viewing package to suit your budget

1) Sky Sports are showing 116 matches this season and BT Sport 38 so it is worth taking a look to see which provider has the most matches for your team by checking their respective websites. Sky Sports obviously wins for quantity here though.

2) If you’re a new television customer a Sky TV package will set you back around £75* a month to watch all televised games. As a BT TV customer you will be paying around £58*, assuming you include a basic TV package, broadband and land line service as part of your deal so BT is clearly the favourite for economy.

3) If you’re not a new customer and already subscribed to BT, Sky, Talk-Talk or Virgin, the cost of adding Sky Sports to your package ranges from between £20-£30 per month. If you want to add BT Sport the cost varies from being free of charge if you’re an existing BT customer or up to £15 if you’re not. It’s well worth trying to negotiate with your provider as it is possible to secure discounted deals, especially if other services are transferred such as broadband. Again, BT wins on cost here.

5) If want a package that only includes BT Sport? You’ll pay between £34.45* (BT) and £56.40* (Sky).

6) For the ability to view all Premier League matches shown on television a digital package including both Sky Sports and BT Sport will set you back between £55.45* (BT) and £79.74* (Virgin Media).

7) Whilst BT shows Sky Sports 1 and Sky Sports 2, it is unable to show them in HD. If you are used to the clarity that HD provides, particularly when watching a football match, this may be something to consider 8) BT markets BT Sport as being ‘free’ for BT customers. However when you factor in that you need the BT broadband service (from £12.50 per month) and BT line rental (around 15.99 per month) the deal ceases to be quite as attractive. There are savings to be made however, such as line rental reduced to £11.75 per month if you pay £141 in a lump sum up front.

9) BT’s line rental and broadband services tend to be more costly than its competitors so you could argue that the ‘free’ BT Sport channel is subsidised by this.

10) If you don’t already have one you will need a BT compatible box.

11) On the upside you can watch BT Sport via an app on your smart phone/laptop or tablet. Very handy if you’re out and about and don’t want to miss that vital goal.

12) BT Sport is free on Virgin Media 13) You can’t get BT Sport on Talk-Talk, however you can get Sky Sports 1, 2, 3 & 4, Sky Sports F1 and Sky Sports News unlike BT which only shows Sky Sports 1 and 2.

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By the time you’ve read those pointers, not only will you have developed a headache but you will probably have realised how confusing the choices available actually are. It’s not just about the cost involved, but also the matches that you will be able to view on each package.

The multitude of deals on offer and the subtle differences between each package ensure that choosing the right option for you is very complicated and often involves looking at your viewing habits and lifestyle as a whole.

Watchdog Magazine recommends that you spend some time and conduct your own research to figure out which deal suits you best and remember to consider the area you live in too as not all services are available everywhere.

What about viewing matches on line?

Aside from authorised apps such as BT Sport, there are many streaming sites that have not paid for the

rights to show matches. The Premier League has recently taken action against one of these sites and some UK broadband providers are also putting blocking measures in place.

Watchdog Magazine would not recommend using an unauthorised site as picture quality can often be poor due to repeated buffering and these sites are more likely to contain viruses and pop ups which you don’t want appearing on your PC or laptop.

If all else fails and you have been priced out of going to the match and subscribing to satellite sports channels or you simply cannot be fussed to try and determine which package is best for you, there is always Freeview. The following list details the competitions that you will be able to enjoy • All England internationals including Friendlies and competitive qualifiers • World Cup Finals 2014 • UEFA Champions League matches • UEFA Europa League matches • FA Cup matches

• FA Community Shield • FA Youth Cup semi-final and final • Women’s European Championships • Women’s FA Cup Final • Women’s Super League Alternatively you can find a pub showing the match that you are keen to see using www.matchpint.co.uk. Although, if your team win though and you factor in the cost of your drinks, it may have been cheaper to have purchased the satellite sports subscription!

Useful sites: www.bbc.co.uk/sport www.moneysavingexpert http://www.uswitch.com/tv/packages/ http://www.cable.co.uk/guides/bt-broadband-vssky-broadband/ *Prices as accurate as possible at time of going to press but are for reference purposes only. Please check with your individual provider.

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Renters Take Care, Landlords Beware!

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We have compiled the following article to highlight the pitfalls and legalities associated with letting or leasing a property in the UK. Whether you’re a landlord or a potential tenant, be sure to take heed of the information detailed below.

As a tenant, when renting from a private landlord or a high street letting agency, it is important to be aware of your rights and responsibilities as a tenant, to know what constitutes correct practice and possess the ability to spot the tricks and cons employed by unscrupulous landlords or letting agents.

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Your rights

• know who your landlord is

Your responsibilities

As a tenant you have the right to -

• live in the property undisturbed

• live in a property that is safe and in a good state of repair

• see an Energy Performance Certificate for the property

You must give your landlord access to the property to inspect it or carry out repairs. Your landlord has to give you notice of at least 24 hours and visit at a reasonable time of day, unless it is an emergency and they need immediate access.

• have your deposit returned when the tenancy ends – and in some cases have it protected

• be protected from unfair eviction and unfair rent

• challenge excessively high charges

You must also • have a written agreement if you have a fixed-term tenancy of more than 3 years

• take good care of the property – e.g. by turning off the water at the mains if you’re away in cold weather • pay the agreed rent, even if repairs are needed or you’re in dispute with landlord • pay other charges as agreed with the landlord – these may include Council Tax or utility bills • repair or pay for any damage caused by you, your family or friends • only sub-let a property if the tenancy agreement or your landlord, allows it If you don’t fulfil your responsibilities, your landlord has the right to take legal action to evict you.

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Tenancy Agreement It is preferable that you have one of these. This is a contract between you and your landlord. It provides you both with rights. For example, your right to occupy the accommodation and your landlord’s right to receive rent for letting it. This document should be fair and comply with the law.

It should include the following • your name, your landlord’s name and the address of the property • the date the tenancy began • details of whether other people are allowed the use of the property, and if so, which rooms • the duration of the tenancy, that is, whether it runs out on a certain date • the amount of rent payable, how often and when it should be paid and how often and when it can be increased. The agreement could also state what the payment includes, for example, council tax or fuel • whether your landlord will provide any services, for example, maintenance of common parts and whether there are service charges for this

• the length of notice which you and your landlord need to give if the tenancy is to be ended. Note that there are statutory rules about how much notice should be given and these will depend on the type of tenancy and why it is due to end.

• Have a ‘rental checklist’ e.g. check plumbing, switches, locks, look for signs of damp, is there a good mobile phone signal? Noise from neighbours or road?

Scams

It may include - details of your landlord’s obligation to repair the property, although it is rare for agreements to go in to details. Your landlord’s obligations to repair depend on the type of tenancy.

Tips when using a letting agency • Check they are members of a professional body such as Residential Letting Agents, National Approved Letting Scheme, UK Association of Letting Agents or National Association of Estate Agents • Check for letting agency fees. They vary and can increase the cost of renting. Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) gave letting agents and private landlords until 1st November 2013 to make sure any fees they charge on top of rent or deposit are clearly displayed in adverts.

• When viewing a property, note down flaws and use to negotiate rent.

• Advance payment scams. Rental homes are advertised in the classified section of newspapers or on property websites. A fake landlord promises to send keys when security deposit has been received. The landlord disappears along with your cash.

• Fake background check. Prospective tenants hand over their details in good faith, this information is then used by the scammer to take out credit in the tenant’s name. Another vehicle for identity theft.

• Alarm bells should ring loudly if you are asked to pay rent or deposit by instant money transfer services e.g. Western Union. It is highly suspicious if somebody asks for this means of payment. Bank transfers are traceable.

• Keep your wits about you in relation to additional/ hidden fees. moneysavingexpert.com have had reports of an additional £250 being paid on top of a £900 deposit as the tenant had a dog and £60 being charged for the photocopying of a contract!

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It’s not just tenants who should watch out for scams in the letting world. Landlords can also be exposed to dirty tricks that could seriously affect the health of their investment.

- “Professional bad tenants”, who know the law as well as a solicitor, prey on unsuspecting landlords to feed their habit of moving from one property to the next without paying rent.

- Criminal gangs often target rental properties to perform illegal activity, such as creating cannabis factories. Tenants who offer six month’s rent up front in cash but insist you need not regularly inspect the property as a result should raise alarm bells.

- Tenants looking to sub-let your property and cream a profit on the difference between the rent paid to the landlord (if they pay!) and the rent coming in from the sub-tenants. As well as losing control of the property this can also breach the terms of your mortgage and insurance.

To protect your income it is crucial that thorough referencing is undertaken on each tenant, including: • Copies of I.D • Credit check • Employer reference • Previous landlord reference • 3 months bank statements • Most recent payslip Rent guarantee insurance could be considered, which will pay your rent if your tenant doesn’t.

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Should you trust a letting agent?

Using a reputable letting agent should help weed out some of the culprits who mainly target the ‘DIY landlord’ through the small ads, hoping they may be less vigilant. But what about the letting agents themselves? There are some sharp practices to watch out for to prevent you being stung by a poorly performing or downright sneaky letting agent: 1.) Watch out for hidden fees. Many agents may quote a standard rate for their services but forget to tell you about the ‘extras’.‘Set-up fees’ at each change of tenant, ‘tenancy renewal fees’ and various ‘admin fees’ can all be hidden away in their terms and conditions small print. Be sure to carefully read the contract before you sign and raise any terms you are unhappy with.

2.) Watch out for ‘mark-ups’. It is illegal for a letting agent to make a ‘secret profit’ but this does not stop many from openly adding an ‘admin fee’ or inflating a trades person’s invoice when maintenance is performed on your property. You may wish to occasionally check the going rate for any work undertaken or ask for the original invoices to be supplied when a maintenance charge is made.

3.) You don’t HAVE to renew a tenancy agreement.

One specific trick an agent may use is to tell you it is mandatory to renew the tenancy agreement as it expires. In fact, at the end of a fixed term the contract automatically becomes a statutory periodic tenancy (a rolling contract), which actually gives you greater powers to remove a bad tenant more quickly. Agents have even been known to tell the landlord “the tenant insists you renew” whilst telling the tenant “the landlord insists you renew”.

Watchdog Magazine | Spring Edition Result? They charge a ‘renewal fee’!

4.) Ask what fees they will charge tenants. As well as charging the landlord, a letting agency will most likely charge your tenants various fees before and during the tenancy. Whilst this may be standard practice (although it is now illegal in Scotland) these fees can vary wildly between agents. If they are particularly excessive it may even put people off renting your property.

5.) Ensure you know who they are letting into your property. Thorough tenant referencing should always be undertaken and made available to the landlord upon request. Some agents will claim they cannot provide this to you due to the “Data Protection Act”. This is simply untrue: you are allowed ALL of the information your agent receives on your behalf. Sadly, it is not unknown for an agent to perform inadequate referencing or even to pocket any ‘referencing fees’ and not actually undertake the referencing at all!

6.) Ensure the inventory is thorough. A wellprepared inventory, preferably with photographs, should always be created, agreed and signed with the tenants as they move in to your property.

Some letting agents are known to overcharge for inventories that contain the bare minimum of information, which will not give you the level of protection you require. You should check the quality of an agency’s inventory before you sign up with them.

7.) Check the deposit is protected. Security deposits must be registered with one of the approved government schemes or you may be forced to pay the tenant’s compensation of three times the deposit amount. As the landlord is ultimately responsible for this, get proof that the agent has done this on your behalf.

8.) Check your money is safe. Any money held by a letting agent should be in a client bank account, which is ring-fenced from their own business account. Agents have been known to amass large amounts of other people’s money before closing down and disappearing. This leaves the landlord liable to reimburse their tenant’s security deposit from their own pocket.

Don’t be afraid to ask for the following before you sign up with a letting agent: • A copy of the contract (read it!)

• A list of ALL their fees • How much they charge tenants • What tenant referencing they perform and if they provide copies • An example inventory • Which deposit protection scheme do they use and where is it held • Testimonials from landlords and tenants

Sources and case studies: www.adviceguide.org.uk www.gov.uk/privaterenting www.moneysavingexpert.com/mortgages/rent-a-property www.findersandsellers.com/wordpress/property-scams www.landlordaction.co.uk/site.php/blog/dangerous_types_of_tenant_professional_bad_tenants nlauk.wordpress.com/2014/01/20/arrears-save-your-tears/ www.propertyreporter.co.uk/view.asp?ID=12441 www.landlordlawblog.co.uk/2010/04/15/are-landlords-entitled-to-see-tenants-references-obtained-by-their-agents/ www.propertyinvestmentproject.co.uk/blog/this-is-how-i-helped-my-friend-stop-paying-a-tenancy-renewal-fee/

9.) Always consider the long term. An agent may appear fantastic initially (when they want you to sign on the dotted line) however their enthusiasm can wane when it comes to the nitty gritty of managing a property. Some agents are slow to respond to maintenance issues, which not only upsets your tenants but also jeopardises the health of your property. You should seek recommendations and reviews, from both landlords and tenants, of an agent’s on-going service. Be sure to ask your own tenants how they have been looked after by your agent!

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Watchdog Magazine | Spring Edition The litany of economic disasters over the last ten years has seen the UK’s average household debt almost double to approximately £54,000.

This shocking figure is testament to the current financial climate and the stress and anxiety felt by the ever increasing amount of people in the UK struggling with their own personal financial crises.

Further UK statistics include • outstanding personal debt stands at 1.435 trillion at the end of December 2013 • outstanding secured (mortgage) lending stands at £1.277 trillion at the end of December 2013 • outstanding unsecured (consumer credit) stands at £158.1 billion at the end of December 2013 • total credit card debt in December 2013 was £56.9 billion • 285 people are declared insolvent or bankrupt every day (based on Q3 2013 trends). This is equivalent to one person every 5 minutes 3 seconds • 79 properties are repossessed every day (based on Q3 2013 trends) • 1,227 people a day reported that they had become redundant between September and November 2013 Source: themoneycharity.org.uk Pay Day Moans Thousands of people in the UK are falling foul of the ridiculous interest rates charged by pay day loans companies every week.

The current financial climate has put a good percentage of UK residents in a financial hole which, in some cases, is impossible to find a way out of.

When you’re in the mire, there is a plethora of pay day loan companies out there waiting to provide assistance. However, they are giving with one hand, whilst the other is firmly stuck in your back pocket!

There is no regulation or limit to the interest rates that can be charged by this industry sector.

Wonga.com, as an example of one of the fastest growing and largest finance companies in the UK, is currently offering loans at 4,214 % APR. It is morally reprehensible that these firms are exploiting the poor to make huge profits. Here at Watchdog Magazine, we feel these firms should be stopped, or at least heavily regulated.

To get one of these loans, you can end up paying in excess of £25 per £100 borrowed, per month.

The lending organisations do face the prospect of loaning to higher risk individuals. They reject fewer applicants and are therefore more likely to find a greater percentage of defaulters.

The majority of these companies offer an APR well in excess of 1000% and if the “short term” loan isn’t paid off within a month or two, the seemingly ridiculous APR could indeed become a harsh reality.

Derbyshire detectives are urging the public to remain vigilant to payday loans as offenders take on a false company identity.

The National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) have released a report stating how fraudsters are targeting potential victims claiming to be from a genuine loan company.

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Neither A Lender......

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The offender will offer the victim a high interest loan and mirror the demands from loan brokers for an advance fee, adding to the legitimacy of the scam. The victim is advised that once they have sent the payment through, they will then receive their loans.

Once they make the payment they do not see any of the cash promised by the fraudster.

Detective Julie Wheeldon from the East Midlands Fraud and Financial Investigation Unit said ‘More and more people are turning to pay day loans, so

it may be tempting to go for a deal offered by a fraudster. Repeated calls to the victims from the fraudulent loan company could see some cases making more than one payment and the victim then becomes more desperate for cash than when they first started. There are simple steps we can all take to stay safe online and prevent ourselves from becoming a victim of this type of fraud. Ensure the legitimacy of the company by contacting Trading Standards for advice and checking reviews that the organisation has had during an online search.’ Source: www.derbyshirepolice.uk Watchdog Magazine | 19

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Watchdog Magazine | Spring Edition “Neither a lender, nor a borrower be” (Shakespeare) could not be more apt a quote herewith.

In March 2013, the OFT published an update on the industry giving the top lenders 60 days to do something about the issues within this financial sector or face losing their Consumer Credit Licenses which allow them to loan monies to UK consumers.

Among the main points raised were the cavalier and extremely aggressive approach to debt collection, a distinct failure to determine whether the borrower could actually afford to repay the loans and “a lack of sufficient forbearance for those who cannot afford the repayments.”

We advise that our readers avoid these companies “like the plague” and find other ways to relieve the burden of debt they may be suffering. That, some may say, is easier said than done when these extortion artists advertise the quick fix of a short term loan everywhere possible, even employing brokers to sell loans on their behalf (which, incidentally can add further costs in the form of an unnecessary “application fee”). Certain firms have even been known to advertise on Facebook. com and other websites without clearly displaying the APR they offer, in direct contravention of The Advertising Standards Agency guidelines.

What many see as the solution to their lack of funds will only compound any debts they have. If you think you are in trouble now, these loans will only serve to increase the amount of money you may owe.

Debt Relief Thief Further bad news is that alongside the numerous charitable debt consolidation and management services available, there are many unscrupulous companies waiting in the wings, ready to steal money from the people who need it the most.

DON’T GET CAUGHT OUT Don’t fall for the sales patter of those commercial debt help agencies who purport to be charitable or “government backed”. There is currently a serious demand for support and advice throughout the UK and there is help out there if you are suffering with crippling debts or financial issues.

Watchdog Magazine recommends that you seek advice from one of the following organisations if you are in need-

www.nationaldebtline.co.uk www.payplan.com www.debtadvicefoundation.org www.stepchange.org www.debtadvicefoundation.org www.bdl.org.uk www.taxaid.org.uk/ www.citizensadvice.org.uk/ www.capuk.org/ www.themoneycharity.org.uk www.payplan.com If you have been the victim of a scam, we would like to hear about your experience. Contact us on newsdesk@watchdogmagazine.com

One of the latest “Debt Management” scams to look out for involves companies that offer to clear your debts for a fee, normally around 10% of the outstanding debt. According to reports, these fraudsters will offer to “absorb” the debt you owe and sell it on to a third party who can write off the entire amount leaving you with no debt or interest to pay off. In reality, your 10% “transfer fee” is retained by the debt management company and you are left with both your original debt and the interest you sought to avoid. When things appear too good to be true they usually are?

Other such debt management firms offer implausible services such as the use of a legal loophole which can wipe any debts or loans which came into existence prior to April 2007. These loopholes, we might add, have not passed the scrutiny of any courts and are merely a figment of the imagination of some rather astute con artists.

Unfortunately, many of us who have felt the immense pressure of monetary debt are only too eager to believe that there is an easy way out. The most vulnerable are easy pickings for call centre and internet based debt help scammers to prey upon.

There are also many legal debt management firms in the UK but they too can take an exorbitant profit for their services; the fees for managing a debt are typically around 20%. Sadly, this will add a substantial amount of time to the repayment period and only serves to increase the original debt significantly, whilst making it less likely to be sustainable. This type of debt management company often falsely claim to be government backed or charitable to win your approval and will invariably “front load” the repayments scheme they create to ensure they get their 20% fee before you pay the majority of the loan off.

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Watchdog Magazine | Spring Edition We live in an age when most households are trying to make their income go as far as possible and working extremely hard to earn it. Anything that can save the consumer valuable time and money is always going to be extremely popular.

A record number of items were bought online during December 2013 but this method is not always stress free and/or the most economical.

Even the huge market player M & S ran in to issues when it’s state of the art £150m website was launched in February 2014. Shoppers experienced frustration and fury when the online shopping portal crashed. M & S insist that the ‘glitch was sorted promptly’ but what chance does the consumer have of an efficient transaction if even the ‘big boys’ can’t get it right?

“We’re seeing a polarisation in the market from those retailers that have invested heavily in online and multichannel from those that have arrived later in the game,” says Richard Lim, head of business information at the British Retail Consortium (BRC), which represents 80% of retailers.

As an online shopper myself. I decided to look at three retailers and examine how each handle an area that, as a consumer, is extremely important to me; delivery and returns.

Figures for the clothing industry show that 3 in every 10 items “sold” online actually result in being sent back as returns as customers trial different colours and sizes in the comfort of their own home.

Very.co.uk is a website that I already use frequently.

The reason why? They have designed an easy customer experience for me. Let me expand: Very. co.uk offer standard delivery at a cost of £3.95 (Sunday-Friday) and a nominated day delivery is £4.95 (and includes Saturday).

However the jewel in the crown is their free next day delivery to any Collect+ store. In addition, I can return unsuitable goods free of charge via the same method. Admittedly, I am fortunate in that there is a Collect+ store about 2 minutes from my home address at the local village shop. However, with more than 200 stores nationwide, you have a good chance of there being situated at a convenient location to either your home or work. Check out www.collectplus.co.uk and do a handy postcode search.

For me, this has meant an end to waiting in for parcels, missing deliveries and having to trek to the Post Office sorting depot and, of course, using my investigative skills tracking down those items that seem to disappear altogether!

The icing on the cake though is the fact that you can purchase an item, find it unsuitable and you are charged neither for the delivery to you, nor the return to the retailer.

Very.co.uk also operate a more than civilised 28 day return period.

Topshop.com operate slightly differently. Free delivery to your address is offered for orders over £50. However, for orders under that minimum figure, standard delivery will set you back £4, nominated day is £6 (Monday-Friday) and should you require your goods on a Saturday, a hefty £7.50 will be incurred.

They also offer the option of free standard delivery to a store of your choice for collection, or £3 for an express service.

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Which Online Retailer?

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Cottontraders.com proved to be my least favourite retailer in terms customer online experience. I found it a trickier website to navigate and delivery and returns information was difficult to find.

The cynic in me often wonders whether this is a deliberate ploy?

those who visit physical stores, can in turn lead to more problems for the retailers to cater for.

consumers – from toiletries to household items to pet supplies and even a fashion line.

“The challenge is: ‘how do I deal with the monster I created?’” says Chris Donnelly, global managing director of Accenture’s retail business.

Returns are charged for. Whether you use a ParcelShop drop off point or the courier service it will cost you £2.95. To pay for both delivery and return if you do not keep the goods seems a little unfair or, at the very least, not competitive.

Hardeep Singh Garewal, from IT providers, ITC Infotech, highlights one area for improvement: “Large swathes of retailers’ [online] customers are unknown to them, in some cases, up to 85%.”

I was keen to see what their delivery and returns policy would be - A charge of £3.50 for orders under £15.00 and free delivery for those over this threshold. Pretty impressive I thought. The returns policy was that any order could be cancelled within 7 days. If the customer was unhappy with goods, an email address was provided to enable an authorisation for return.

So why is there such a difference in how online retailers operate and how much it costs us?

Although this is a key profit sector Rebecca Marston, a business reporter at BBC News, puts it very succinctly when she says ‘as internet shopping grows so will the challenges’.

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He says many retailers simply do not know why their customers chose certain products, but they need to know this because “retaining and selling to existing customers is far easier than attracting new ones”.

So how do online retailers at the other end of the spectrum cope?

Hereforapound.com recently launched in February.

Offering a wide variety of low cost products to

Donna and Mark Baker (founders of hereforapound. com) aim to have 250,000 online shoppers registered to buy at their website within the next three months and for their business to be turning over £4 million within a year. Perhaps with the favourable customer terms described above, they might just achieve it and in process maybe show some of the larger retailers just how the online experience should be executed!

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The retailers not only have to look at value for money in comparison with other internet shops, they must also ensure that their online portals are compatible with the technology being used to access them, especially considering that consumers are becoming more dependent on the use of portable devices such as Smartphones.

New figures were released in February 2014 relating to online shopping habits.

Business adviser PwC.co.uk undertook a study which concluded that fewer shoppers are using their PC to buy online. Instead they’re turning to smartphones and tablets.

More than 15,000 online shoppers were questioned in 15 countries over the course of August and September 2013, of which more than 1,000 respondents were from the UK.

• The use of PCs in ecommerce was down by 7% in August and September 2013, compared to the same research carried out in 2012.

• Stores also saw their share of trade fall, with shopping down by 5%. Instead, the use of mobile to shop online was up by 46%, and the use of tablets by 56%.

PwC stated that this reflects a change in online behaviour. “Consumers are choosing the shopping method that suits them best,” said Matthew Tod, UK retail and digital partner at PwC. “Whilst store decline has been visible for a number of years, it now seems to be the turn of the PC to suffer as consumer shopping behaviour continues to evolve.”

• More than a third of UK internet shoppers (37%) now buy online every week, and 64% say better deals are the big attraction.

Tod said: “Consumers are becoming ever more

complicated and retailers now have to figure out how to provide what they want in a profitable way.

There’s an increasing requirement for retailers to transform their business, not just simply adding more channels.

• 57% of UK online shoppers buy with five or fewer online retailers. Asked why they shopped at their top three retailers, 85% cited trust, and 79% price.

• A third of UK respondents had shopped cross-border, buying from European retailers.

When asked why, 83% of those that did said it was because the product was not available in the UK. “Retailers need to be more aware of online competition from outside the UK,” said Tod. “Consumers will go outside their comfort zone to get the product they want rather than wait for a UK Watchdog Magazine | 25

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Watchdog Magazine | Spring Edition retailer to stock the item.�

So maybe UK retailers whilst already dealing with the set of challenges that the online world presents will also have to up their game to deal with the competition of websites based abroad?

Watchdog Magazine advises that shopping online can be cheaper and less time-consuming that visiting the high street as a rule, but you must always ensure you are using a secure payment portal (https://) and that the software on the device you are using is up-to-date and anti-virus protected.

It is highly likely that some sites will be confusing and hard to use as retailers strive to create more accessible websites and payment portals as the technology grows.

The best advice we can give on making a choice about which online retailer to use, aside from observing all standard internet security measures, is as follows: 1) Use a site you feel comfortable navigating using your chosen device 2) Ensure the small print on delivery and returns details is easily found and acceptable to you.

3) Make sure the price of the goods and shipping costs are competitive in comparison with other sites and/or shopping on the high street 4) Scour the internet for reviews or complaints on your chosen retailer (but be aware that many of them pay a lot for SEO to mask or push down negative search results) before committing to make a purchase.

Sources: www.bbc.co.uk/news/business www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/Exeter-couple-launch-UK-s-online-pound-shop/story-20550385-detail/story.html www.internetretailing.net

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Watchdog Magazine | Spring Edition Are You Owed Money have secured their reputation as the UK’s leading debt recovery specialists.

By successfully recovering millions of pounds worth of debt every year for any type of business ranging from small, family owned, to large, multinational, their claim as debt collection experts is firmly established.

The Are You Owed Money Group aim to recover your full debt as quickly, positively and efficiently as possible, and with over 30 years of experience within the debt collection industry, can confidently promise to deliver and ‘get the job done’.

An effective flow of communication is ensured between administration, soliciting and debt collecting as all necessary services are provided in house. The Are You Owed Money Group proudly boast a 92% average success rate within 1 month, and 82% after only 2 weeks.

The following guide describes the steps required in order to have your debt successfully collected, which the Are You Owed Money Group offers in full: Debt Recovery Service As the UK’s leading specialist in debt recovery, the Are You Owed Money Group have a skilled and experienced team who treat clients’ overdue accounts as if they were their own, and who leave no stone unturned to ensure the successful recovery of a debt.

Having invested heavily in state of the art technology, we are able to offer a comprehensive collection process which starts as soon as we have all the information relating to the debts you are owed. With a customer services department and an in house legal team on the end of the phone, we are able to fulfil our mission statement of recovering your debt as positively and efficiently as possible and to safeguard you against the actions of a debtor unwilling to pay.

We offer debt recovery services to suit your every need – from initial investigations, such as tracing and credit reporting, to a full litigation service. You can see our full range of services by clicking on ‘What We Do’ on our website at www.areyouowedmoney.co.uk We offer specialist services to: • Banks • Financial Companies • Solicitors • Insurance Companies • Telecom Companies • Landlords • Private Schools Funeral Directors Key features of our commercial debt collection service are:- Dedicated Account Manager for each client: Clients have a dedicated account manager so that they know who is dealing with their debts at all times. Each manager is highly trained and experienced in this field. To achieve the best chance of recovery, each debt must be treated individually and the most appropriate and effective collection techniques are employed in accordance with the age, type and criteria of debt.

- Proactive debt collection: Our team of highly skilled collectors use all methods of negotiation at their disposal to ensure maximum returns for their clients. Excuses are overcome and disputes resolved.

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Our highly qualified and experienced team of solicitors work in-house and directly for Are You Owed Money.

Our professionals work in conjunction with you on all legal matters that may arise during the debt recovery process. They will be happy to assist you with specific advice, law queries or simply to begin work on any imminent legal procedure.

One of our trained solicitors will decide on the first course of action towards recovering any monies owed to you.

We believe by keeping matters in house, we can offer you a better service and achieve greater results. Our legal team won’t ever out source case files to a third party, as in our experience this can cause delays in recovering the debt.

As every debt situation is different, our legal team have the experience to deal with a wide range of situations and scenarios, from the basic to the most complicated.

As the law is constantly changing, our legal team of professional, astute solicitors ensure they are fluent with all legal standings and law procedures.

Therefore, our success rate is phenomenal, with numerous cases settled. We are confident you will find the whole procedure to be a smooth and efficient process.

Our expert legal services can advise you on the following: • County Court actions Enforcement proceedings - If a debtor is unwilling or unable to pay, there are many techniques to help ensure that you will regain what is rightfully yours, this is known as ‘enforcement’ and is granted going through the court system – something our team of solicitors are highly efficient with. The most common type

Are You Owed Money?

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of enforcement is the instruction of High Court enforcement officers whereby bailiffs are instructed to enter into the Debtors property in order to levy goods for sale in satisfaction of the amount due to you.

• Statutory Demands and insolvency actions • Recovery of high value assets trapped in commercial premises, e.g. cash machines, plant, IT equipment, vehicles and card reader We understand at Are You Owed Money the law process can seem very daunting, money debts and court procedures can appear to be highly complicated. However, our team of solicitors have experience in all of these procedures. With their vast understanding of the legal system they will translate the ‘legal jargon’ to you in a clear manner and explain exactly how the situation stands.

Recovering your debt is a daily common practice for our legal team and our professionals can provide everything necessary to assist you.

Our in-house team will advise you every step of the way through the legal process and take the stress away from you, whilst at the same time keeping you fully up to date with developments. We also 30 | Watchdog Magazine

provide you with login details to our 24 hour online Client Portal that enables you to view your debtor’s progress.

forwarding addresses, co-habitants, radius searching and much more, enables us, with ease, to successfully locate a ‘missing’ person.

Please take a look at our reviews and see what our clients have to say about us.

You will be surprised how we can successfully track down the person you are looking for by utilising the smallest piece of information. Any detail will help hugely, even if it doesn’t immediately seem that way. For instance, an old or current mobile phone number can be traced to a person’s current location, using our state of the art software. Or, if a debtor has started renting anywhere else in the country or purchased any type of property, we will be able to find them by accessing new rental or purchased property records, giving us a clear view to their whereabouts.

No problem is too big for our in-house legal team of solicitors who await your call.

Tracing People Some debtors will do everything in their power to avoid payment and will go to any lengths to remain elusive. Millions of pounds worth of debt is written off every year because of debtors relocating and leaving no forwarding address, effectively appearing ‘untraceable’.

At Are You Owed Money, we have invested in stateof-the-art tracing technology that enables us to search for, investigate and contact debtors quickly, making tracing people a breeze.

Combining multiple data-sets to give the most comprehensive current and historic view of UK individuals including their name, address, telephone number, date of birth, email address, as well as Land Registry entries, linked addresses,

As experts on tracing people, we understand that when you are owed money, time is of the essence, which is why it is so crucial that we are able to connect to people and businesses faster. The information that we obtain makes a huge difference to you.

We incorporate individual and director searches to help you find all the information needed to trace a client or company – if there are details available, we will find them!

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keep control over your debt.

Our service can be employed even on the most minimal amount of information and is comprehensive enough to proficiently and resourcefully track down the most guileful of individuals.

Our state of the art technology and software enables the following: • The location of a greater number of people at a more efficient rate than comparable systems • Access to the most current and accurate identity information; identifying an individual in one easy search • Time efficiency – avoid laborious hours of manual searching and cross-referencing of multiple databases Our technology for tracing people intellectually integrates multiple sources of data and information to provide a unique view of the debtors location. This system is ideal where there is limited or incomplete information regarding the debtor and reduces your potential losses too. In such uncertain economic times, this is something that most businesses wish to keep to an absolute minimum.

We offer these bespoke services so that you can

We don’t just locate the debtor for you, once our tracing process in successful, we then employ a constant review/monitoring service, whereby you would be the first to know if they attempt to register at an alternative property or make any drastic adjustments to their location or lifestyle.

Businesses and individuals alike simply cannot afford to write off debts and allow debtors not to pay what is due. Work with us to identify such individuals and gain back what is rightfully yours.

Are You Owed Money work to a ‘No Collection No Commission’ basis and we now supply our services to more than 2000 clients nationwide.

Having gained an exemplary reputation for our proficiency in recovering debt, we have developed a team of forward thinking debt recovery specialists comprising of highly trained collectors, qualified solicitors and experienced account handlers – all here to gain the best results for you. By listening to and focusing on our client’s needs, we have established that the main areas in a business that become infected by bad debt are: • Cash flow negativity

• Impact on own ability to pay debts • Wasted time and costs • Loss of reputation and brand By acknowledging this we have developed an approach which will recover your debts as efficiently as possible and will help alleviate the effects of the above.

We provide an expert service that will suit you and your business needs and is offered at a highly competitive rate. Not only do you gain a free consultation with one of our very experienced consultants, once you employ our services we offer you the unique opportunity to track the progress of your debts with our online 24 hour client login area.

We know that it can sometimes be a difficult decision to out source credit control procedures, which is why we offer a free no obligation consultation with one of our representatives who will take the time to answer any questions you may have.

Are You Owed Money - The UK’s leading debt recovery specialists.

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Physical Medicine: The Benefits In this day and age the majority of us suffer with some sort of ache or pain, which can often reoccur or progress and hinder simple activities in our lives. Complete Health and Chiropractic endeavour to teach, help and aid you with your health problems.

Our skeleton is a wonderfully constructed organ of the body, which has a particular shape in order to perform its important function. Posture can be paramount to health in many ways. Physical medicine is a very apt name for gentle manual work done on the mechanics of the body especially when helping to relieve peoples pains and problems.

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Your ‘body mechanics’ involves many relationships between all of your body parts: from your organs to your spine, from your brain to your immune system. It all comes down to mechanics. (To learn more about body mechanics and how ABC TM works please do not hesitate to contact us for our biomechanics newsletter) Our skeleton, organs and cells can be affected and influenced from external stressors in our environment. These stressors include trauma, occupations, disease and fatigue which, can lower the efficiency of the body mechanics and may cause all sorts of problems. The upkeep of health and life depends on the function of the body maintaining a fine balance between all its parts, especially its skeleton and organs.

When this balance is disturbed through our environment our posture begins to weaken and change shape allowing many aches and pains and other health issues to start to take over. Orthopaedic surgeons like Chiropractors know the importance of body mechanics in the prevention but also in the cure of many health issues including back pain, headaches, neck pain, sciatica and much more.

Here at Complete Health and Chiropractic we use a gentle physical medicine called Advanced Biostructural Correction to immediately begin to improve your body posture to help allow all your mechanics to work in harmony again and your body’s ‘internal machine’ can begin to work well again.

We are often asked who can undergo Chiropractic care. The answer is everyone, from the very young to the very old and everyone in between. Its is a very safe and gentle therapy for all ages of spines.

Pregnancy is a wonderful time of life but the body undergoes many structural changes. Advanced Biostructural Correction Chiropractic is safe during pregnancy and has many advantages associated with it. Chiropractic care can also provide a more comfortable pregnancy and delivery for both mother and baby relieving those aches and pains.

Complete Health and Chiropractic are here to help and answer any questions you may have. Please do not hesitate to contact us.

Hamilton 01698285600 East Kilbride 01355266911 www.completehealthandchiropractic.co.uk

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Roof Coating Door-to-Door Scam Going For A Decade!

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Usually the most expensive purchase you’ve ever made and your most prized possession:- your house and home. Being such a cherished asset, of course you want to protect it in any way you can and it is this very need to safeguard your property that creates an opening and a little leverage for the door to door roof coating scammers.

Most people are aware of the vast expense they would have to go to in replacing a roof which has entered a state of serious disrepair; so, faced with the lesser of two costs, many are duped by door to door conmen into paying for a roof coating service designed to ensure your roof does not need to be completely replaced for many years to come.

It’s very easy for these rogues to convince unsuspecting homeowners that roof coatings protect the integrity of your roof tiles and shield your house from possible leaks and damp without having to go the huge expense of replacing your entire roof.

The main problem here is that the roof coating service is merely cosmetic and has no protective value whatsoever for your roof. In fact, in some cases, it can be counterproductive.

There are various different approaches to the roof coating scam and some companies merely offer to

remove the moss or lichen from your roof. The basic tenet of the sales pitch is the same, to worry you into feeling you need to do something about your roof.

Some companies have claimed that moss or lichen can cause structural damage to a property and are sometimes audacious enough to suggest that the application of their specialised roof coating is the equivalent to heavy duty loft insulation, thereby reducing your energy bills.

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Watchdog Magazine | Spring Edition a problem and should only be removed from blocked drains and gutters or when the moss disturbs the normal flow of water down your roof. Furthermore, the NFRC found that many unscrupulous “roof cleaning” companies use techniques which can actually damage your property. “Power” or “Jet” washing your roof will indeed reduce the life expectancy of your tiles and may cause the ingress of water into your roof space alongside blasting away bedded mortar and, in some cases, lead flashing. There is also the excess wear and tear caused by unnecessary traffic and feet on your roof, including cracked and broken tiles.

Tile manufacturers even warn against this practice and any warranty you get with your tiles may be considered void after your roof has been pressure washed and then followed up with a nonaccredited “paint”.

The best way to treat your roof for excess moss, if you consider it to be a problem, is the use of a 9” trowel to scrape it off gently. You can then treat your roof with some fungicide or moss killer in order to remove and lichen and prevent any further organic growth coming back.

In April 2013 a director and a salesman for Newlook Roof Coating Ltd we both sentenced to 12 months imprisonment for trading offences.

Typically, as with this type of company, elderly and vulnerable people were targeted with door to door sales patter which left their victims worried the moss on their roofs would cause serious long-term damage and then went on to charge extortionate amounts of money for the “work” which was eventually carried out. It was noted in court that the need for remedial work was misrepresented and that the service carried out by the company was of no actual value: - Mr Redrave QC, sentencing, stated “Your motive behind the offences was to extract as much money as possible from the public..”. The total cost to the public was estimated at around £2.4m.

Watchdog Magazine Scam Alert Service recommends that if you are worried about your roof-moss and you can’t do the job yourself, then you should take the following steps: 1) Use a reputable website to find a recommended trader in the area such as: www.ratedpeople.com 2) Research the trader online and check the reviews by other customers 3) Ensure that the roof moss is scraped off first, before the application of any chemicals, so that the moss doesn’t come off and clog up the drains and guttering.

4) Don’t apply any coatings aside from the fungicide after the moss has been cleaned off manually.

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The Battle Of The Banks Choosing the best current bank account for your needs can be a minefield. There are so many variables. Interest rates, introductory offers, reward schemes, charges, overdraft options, flexibility, monthly fees, fees when withdrawing monies abroad etc...

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Money Supermarket lists the best current accounts at the moment as being 1) Nationwide (Flex Direct) 5% 2) Clydesdale Bank (Current Account Direct) 4% 3) Santander (123 Current Account) 3% 4) The Coventry (Coventry First) 1.10% 5) Halifax (Reward Current Account) 0% (cash-back scheme) 6) Halifax (Ultimate Reward Current Account) (incentives offered) 44 | Watchdog Magazine

Watchdog Magazine | Spring Edition However, this is only using the criteria of interest rate (AER). The interest rate is also dependent on amount of money deposited. See moneysupermarket.com for specific details.

It goes without saying that if you’re looking for your cash to earn money, you’re probably not going to place it in a current account.

So what other benefits can a current account offer?

Nationwide -Flex Direct • No monthly fee • 67% rated as ‘great • Best interest rate for balances up to £2500 • Linked products • Online fraud service • Good option for those with balances at end of the month • Access to preferential rates and offers • Minimum monthly funding of £1000 Clydesdale Bank- Current Account Direct • No monthly fee • 64% rated as ‘great’ • Best interest rate available on balances up to £3000 • In credit interest can be used for end of month balances or savings • Minimum monthly funding of £1000 • 9.9% overdraft rate.

Great option for occasional overdraft users.

Santander-123 Current Account • • • • • • • •

Monthly fee £2 73% rated as ‘great’ Best interest rate for balances of £3000-£20,000 Online fraud service Cashback Cashback on household bills 1% cashback on Santander mortgage payments Minimum funding of £500

The Coventry-Coventry First • • • •

No monthly fee No customer rating available £250 interest free overdraft 0.85% bonus for first year

Halifax-Reward Current Account • No monthly fee • 55% rated as ‘great’ • £160 Cashback- £100 paid when new and existing customers switch an active bank account to Halifax from elsewhere.

12 x£5 paid monthly if you deposit £750, pay out two direct debits and stay in credit.

• To qualify use Current Account Switch Service and close account. Halifax are covered by Current Account Switch Guarantee.

• If you use e.g. a planned overdraft of £1200, Halifax will charge you £1 per day.

Halifax-Ultimate Reward Current Account • £15 monthly fee, reduced to £10 if you pay in £750 per month, pay out two direct debits and stay in credit • 38% rated as ‘great’ • Mobile phone and worldwide travel insurance provided by selected third parties • Car breakdown cover provided by selected third party • If you use e.g. a planned overdraft of £1200, Halifax will charge you £1 per day.

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Watchdog Magazine | Spring Edition This is only the tip of the iceberg, we found over twenty different current accounts when performing a simple internet search. www.moneysavingexpert. com and www.moneysupermarket.com are useful tools when you are wishing to compare and contrast benefits.

It really does pay though to keep abreast of new products coming on to the market too.

TSB announced in March 2014 that from the end of the month they too would be offering a current account with an AER of 5%. The bank are hoping to entice customers by offering joint-highest rate on balances of up to £2,000 in an increasingly competitive market.

Following in the footsteps of Nationwide, the TSB Plus account will be open to anyone able to deposit a minimum of £500 a month, and to receive their bank statements electronically.

TSB, which has been operating independently for six months since the Lloyds de-merger, said new customers do not have to use the new account as their main current account as it wanted “to encourage them to try out the brand”.

Up to two of TSB Plus accounts can be held per person, with each one earning 5% interest on £2,000, which will make it the highest interest rate for a current account on the market.

The product will be open to both new and existing TSB customers and will be available online and over the phone from 30 March, and in branch in person the following day.

TSB are not alone. The battle lines are drawn in the fight to attract customers in the current account market.

Marks & Spencer is offering a £100 gift card for customers who transfer using a switching service.

M & S may soon not only be the place where you shop for delicious treats and quality clothing but also may be giving the banking big boys a run for their money.

The retail market leader will soon launch its first “mass market” current account with no monthly fee and industry experts have been extremely complimentary about the new product.

The new current account, which is free when in credit and available from this summer, boasts a number of potentially attractive features, including favourable overdraft terms, a rewards scheme, no minimum monthly funding requirement, and lowerthan-average charges for using overseas cash machines.

In addition, something that will prove most attractive to shoppers is the presence of a £100 M&S gift card for customers who move from other accounts using the switching service.

Andrew Hagger from MoneyComms website said ‘I’m struggling to find anything about it to dislike’.

He added that he thought that Marks and Spencer could pose ‘a real threat’ to high street banks.

High praise indeed. Let’s hope this will benefit the customer with banks having to provide a better and more competitive service in order to win our business.

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And where M & S lead, others are following. New switching rules launched last Autumn are seeing new challengers emerging, hoping to cause a stir in the market.

• Tesco Bank plans to launch a current account in the first half of 2014.

• Virgin Money are launching a current account too this year, though its initial offering will be basic and won’t feature an overdraft facility The launch date for M & S hasn’t been announced yet; the bank is only saying it will be available from this summer, starting with existing customers before rolling out on a wider basis.

Online and telephone banking will be available and there will be 29 in-store M&S Bank branches from Aberdeen to Exeter.

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Features of the new current account include • an automatic £500 overdraft, the first £100 of which will be interest-free • for overdrafts above £100, the interest rate will be 15.9% EAR • as with the premium accounts, the new offering will have no overdraft fees, and customers will receive free text alerts as they approach their overdraft limit • no transaction fee for overseas ATM cash withdrawals made with the M&S debit card, although a foreign exchange charge of 2.75% will apply • if you’re a regular M&S shopper, the fact you can earn loyalty points on your debit card spending may appeal. You will get one point for every £1 spent in M&S (both in-store and online), and for every 100 points earned, customers will receive £1 in M&S vouchers, which will be sent out four times a year.

• there is no interest paid on credit balances, so if this is a deal breaker for you, you will need to look elsewhere.

David Black at the Consumer Intelligence website says that, overall, the new account is ‘a good deal for those who regularly shop at M&S and it’s competitive overdraft rate coupled with no insistence upon any minimum monthly funding requirement will also broaden its appeal’.

With 46 million current account holders in the UK, which bank will prove to be the most attractive to us?

The answer will most likely lie in our requirements.

There will always be similarities between accounts, most current accounts impose both a cash withdrawal charge and a foreign exchange charge on overseas ATM cash withdrawals, for example.

Maybe other incentives will draw us in? Gift cards for the shoppers, break-down cover for the drivers etc etc...

As the consumer becomes more discerning the banks must be become more adept at providing value and reacting to our needs.

After all, we work hard for our money. www.moneysupermarket.com www.theguardian.com/money

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The Neverending Story If you ever wanted to see the impact that debt and debt recovery is having on UK businesses a simple internet search demonstrates the issue perfectly. Pages and pages of companies are listed, all promising to advise and help recover your debt. Are all of these companies legitimate and working to good practice guidelines?

As ever, here at Watchdog Magazine we recommend that if should you find yourself in the position of needing to employ one of these companies, you do your homework! Research their credentials extensively.

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The obvious first choice is those companies that will work on a no win, no fee type basis e.g “Are You Owed Money Group” http://www. areyouowedmoney.co.uk/, so the risk of being stung by an unscrupulous agency is reduced.

Business time is precious though, so it makes sense to choose a debt collecting agency with a proven record, who will obtain the right result for you.

Although things are improving in some areas, the following statistics relating to UK commercial sector make for interesting reading • There were 3,875 compulsory liquidations and creditors’ voluntary liquidations in total in England and Wales in the third quarter of 2013 (on a seasonally adjusted basis). This was a decrease of 2.6% on the previous quarter, and 2% less than the same quarter a year ago.

• This was made up of 964 compulsory liquidations (up 0.5% on the previous quarter but down 10.6% on the corresponding quarter of the previous year), and 2,911 creditors’ voluntary liquidations (which were down 3.5% on the previous quarter but up 1.2% on the corresponding quarter of the previous year).

• Additionally, there were 949 other corporate insolvencies in the third quarter of 2013 (not seasonally adjusted) comprising 253 receiverships, 544 administrations and 152 company voluntary arrangements (CVAs). In total these represented a decrease of 3.8% on the same period a year ago. *www.insolvencydirect.bis.gov.uk/ otherinformation/statistics/201311/index.htm How many of these companies that were made insolvent or liquidated were caused by businesses being unable to sustain themselves due to unpaid debts?

The UK’s high streets now have at least one shortterm loan shop for every seven banks and building societies, according to research prepared for The Guardian newspaper. This gives a good visual example of how debt is becoming more and more prevalent in our local neighbourhoods. Online and high street lenders lent £2 billion during 2012.

In contrast, Barclays have recently stated that they are considering closing 400 branches nationwide.

Personal debt recently reached 1.4 trillion in the UK. It seems for individuals and businesses alike, debt is a problem that isn’t going away any time soon. Even the government aren’t immune from this problem, they recently sold £900 million in student loans to a debt collection company!

So what of the personal effect of debt?

The least well off are bearing the brunt during a time where average household debt has risen to £54k. A report by the Centre for Social Justice entitled “Maxed Out” concluded that almost half of household with the lowest incomes spent more than a quarter on debt repayments in 2011. More than 5,000 people are being made homeless every year as a result of mortgage or rent debts.

Christian Guy, director of the think-tank said: “Problem debt can have a corrosive impact on people and families. Our report shows how it can wreak havoc on mental health, relationships and wellbeing. Across the UK people are up until the early hours worrying about their finances and bills.”

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Watchdog Magazine | Spring Edition The report found that: • Personal debt in the UK, including mortgage lending, stands at £1.4 tn – an average of £54,000 per household compared with £29,000 a decade ago.

• Consumer debt had trebled since 1993 and now stands at £158 bn; • More than 8m households have no savings, including half of low-income households; • Outstanding debt on credit cards has almost trebled since 1998 to reach £55.6 bn; • There were 300,000 arrears on mortgage in 2012 – with 34,000 homes repossessed.

This is a reduction of 30% from the peak of the recession but a 60% overall increase since 2006.

This report was written by the former Labour work and pensions minister Chris Pond and he had this to say:”With falling real incomes and increasing costs of basic essentials, many – especially the most vulnerable – are sliding further into problem debt. The costs to those affected in stress and mental disorders, relationship breakdown and hardship is immense. But so too is the cost to the nation, measured in lost employment and productivity and in an increased burden on public services.”

Further findings of the report support the fact that the decision of mainstream banks to refuse to lend to the poorest sector of society has led to a dramatic increase in the demand for short-term credit – from payday lenders, pawnbrokers and doorstop lenders – which is now worth £4.8bn a year.

Over 1.4 million people have no access to a bank account and “are effectively excluded from the entire financial sector”.

Payday lenders have increased their business from £900m in 2008-09 to more than £2bn – accounting for around 8m loans – in 2011-12. The number of people resorting to loan sharks has increased to 310,000 people.

The report goes on to say: “For the most financially excluded, there is often no option but to turn to illegal moneylenders. It is estimated that over 310,000 people borrow money from these criminals each year.

Illegal moneylenders extort money from their victims, often arbitrarily raising interest rates, demanding payments or charging penalties. Their use of violence and intimidation terrorises people and communities, enforcing a ‘veil of silence’ that allows them to escape detection. This is an inexcusable crime in modern Britain.

Many of the side effects of problem debt can also work to drive people further into debt, creating a vicious cycle. While it is often hard to prove causation, there is a clear relationship between the following and problem debt: unemployment, family breakdown, addiction, and poor mental health. Similarly, many of these factors are interrelated, meaning problem debt can have diverse causes, requiring multidimensional support in order to fully resolve the underlying problems.”

If you find yourself to be in the position of being in debt, whether as an individual or via a business situation, it is good to be aware of what a debt collection agency can and cannot do.

• Under the Administration of Justice Act, debt collectors cannot harass you into paying your debts. (This means they’re not allowed to continually phone you, repeatedly visit you at home or hassle you in public) • They’re meant to keep their attempts to contact you within reasonable hours too – so they don’t have the green light to visit or call you at any time of the day or night.

(What’s more, if you ask to be contacted by email or post only then they must respect this request and can’t get in touch through any other means.)

• So to stop unwanted phone calls or visits you should inform debt collectors that you only want to be contacted in writing (specifying whether by email or post).

• Make sure you ask for written acknowledgement of your request and keep a record of all your correspondence with them just in case.

• Debt collection agencies cannot discuss your situation with a family member, friend or neighbour without your permission as this is in breach of data protection laws.

• Debt collectors or creditors are not allowed to disclose your financial situation to anyone else, unless you give express permission for them to do so.

• Speaking to your employer about your borrowing without your permission is against data protection laws.

• Unless your debt is a business loan, the company or collection agency cannot call or visit your place of work to collect payment unless you’ve given them permission.

• If you have already been contacted at work you should tell the company not to call or visit you there again – if they do they will be in violation of the fair debt collection rules set out by the OFT.

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On the other side of the coin, should you find yourself in the position of being owed money and in need of employing a debt collection agency, what is their role and what can you expect them to do?

A debt collection agency will attempt to collect payments from debtors on behalf of creditors.

This could either be because the creditor is unable to make contact with the debtor, cannot get the debtor’s co-operation to pay or to continue making payments or, because the creditor uses the agency to simply outsource some of the debt collection activity.

Typically the agency will charge a fee or commission for amounts recovered; non-recovered debts will be returned to the creditor as uncollectable. Noncollected debts may subsequently be passed by the creditor to other agencies. This is referred to 56 | Watchdog Magazine

as secondary or tertiary placement. Again, a fee or commission will be charged; non-collected debts will again be returned to the creditor.

Contact with debtors is typically, initially by letter, followed by telephone calls, other letters, email or text messages, the sequence being determined by the chasing process and response or nonresponse from the debtor. The object is to ensure that the debtor either pays the outstanding balance immediately, or begins/continues repayments of the outstanding balance in staged payments.

The agency may sue debtors on behalf of clients or carry out doorstep collection or enquiry work for clients.

Collection agencies may become clients themselves in that they may instruct another agency for

example in doorstep collection or location of absconded debtors.

The business handled by debt collection agencies will normally fall into two categories: consumer and commercial. Consumer clients will, for example, be in the banking and financial sector, utilities and local government. Business clients can involve all types of commercial enterprises. Agencies may also receive collection instructions from debt purchase companies.

In addition to debt collection, agencies may offer the following services (although the list is not exhaustive): • status enquires and company searches • repossession and card recovery • bailiff and process servings

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• call centre support • tracing • consultancy and advice.

Sometimes a portion of this work may be outsourced by the agency.

If you find yourself to be in financial difficulties we recommend you seek help from a non profit organisation such as www.nationaldebtline.org.

Sources: www.theguardian.com/money www.money.co.uk www.nationaldebtline.org www.hmrc.gov.uk

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Food Or Foe New developments in technology and science that are supposed to improve the world in which we live often raise moral and ethical questions for us to consider.

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The Institute for Science and Ethics based at the University of Oxford comment

was unveiled, swiftly followed in 1997 by the Vacanti mouse with an ear-like cartilage structure cultured on it’s back.

‘Science in the 21st Century may radically and profoundly change human life. Without practical ethics our knowledge of what we can do will radically outstrip our understanding of what we should do’.

Then, fast forward to 2009 and it has become feasible to select a child’s sex. Will the day when ordering a ‘designer baby’ becomes the norm arrive sooner than we think?

In the exciting field of research are we really at risk of becoming so consumed with what is possible that we lose sight of what is palatable?

GM crops have already begun to enter the global food chain and biotechnology is used to make new products and in particular new types of crop plant.

Genetic modification (GM) was something I learned about during my GCSE biology lessons. Eighteen years ago it was theoretical and we discussed the moral objections to this Frankenstein-type practice.

Only a year later, in 1996, Dolly the cloned sheep

The presence of GM crops has increased steadily since the first commercial plantings in North America in the late 1990s. By 2012 over 17 million farmers in 28 countries were growing GM crops on 170 million hectares, which is more than 12% of the

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world’s arable land.

According to the UK government website no GM crops are currently being grown commercially in the UK but there are imported GM commodities, especially soya, that are being used mainly for animal feed and to a lesser extent in some food products.

The UK government have this to say in relation to their stance on genetically modified produce – ‘The protection of human health and environment are our overriding priorities.

the

We’ll only agree to the planting of GM crops, the release of other types of GM organism, or the marketing of GM food or feed products, if a robust

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risk assessment indicates that it is safe for people and the environment. GM product applications should be assessed for safety on a case-by-case basis, taking full account of the scientific evidence.

We’ll ensure consumers are able to exercise choice through clear GM labelling rules and the provision of suitable information, and will listen to public views about the development and use of the technology.

We recognise that GM technology could deliver benefits providing it is used safely and responsibly, in particular as one of a range of tools to address the longer term challenges of global food security, climate change, and the need for more sustainable agricultural production. Developing countries should have fair access to such technology and make their own informed decisions regarding its use.

We support farmers having access to developments in new technology and being able to choose whether or not to adopt them. If and when GM crops are grown in England commercially, we will implement pragmatic and proportionate measures to segregate these from conventional and organic crops, so that choice can be exercised and economic interests appropriately protected.

To encourage innovation, fair market access for safe products and economic growth, the government believes that regulation of this technology must be proportionate.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) leads on the environmental safety of GMOs and wider issues surrounding the use of

GM crop technology.

The Food Standards Agency leads on the safety of GM food and feed and on applications to market GM food and feed products.’ So it sounds as though here in the UK we have it all under control then?

Not so; a recent article indicating that scientists advising the government had links to the GM food sector has provoked cause for concern.

A government advisory body presented an independent report in early March 2014. However, the article finds that all five members of the advisory panel that wrote the report have a vested interest in the promotion of GM crops.

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These scientists were chosen by the Council for Science and Technology, the body that advises the Prime Minister on science policy issues.

The study, which was allegedly authored by ‘independent’ scientists, calls for GM crops to be fast-tracked in to Britain’s farms and kitchens.

The Daily Mail further states that critics of GM described the ‘independent’ report as ‘biased and downright dangerous’. Critics also accused the biotech giants and the Government of mounting a crude propaganda campaign to overturn public opposition.

The advisory scientists are Professor Sir University)

David

Baulcombe

(Cambridge

• Consultant for GM firm Syngenta, the fees he receives for this go to his department in to a research fund. Syngenta produces a genetically modified maize or corn, called GA21, which could go into UK farms as early as next spring, making it Britain’s first commercially grown GM crop.

• previous head of the Sainsbury Laboratory, which is part of the John Innes Centre (JIC) in Norwich.

The Sainsbury Laboratory is at the heart of Britain’s GM research. It has received millions of pounds in donations from Lord Sainsbury, a former Labour science minister and champion of GM. • Regius Professor of Botany at Cambridge University.

Professor Jonathan Jones (Sainsbury Laboratory) • Sainsbury’s lab is at the centre of Britain’s GM research. It is part-funded by former Labour science minister, Lord Sainsbury, who is one of the country’s biggest supporters of the technology.

• wears a T-shirt in his Twitter page image with the slogan: ‘GM food? Am I bovvered? I am not bovvered.’

• he is group director at the Sainsbury Laboratory, and is also the founder and adviser to biotech company Mendel Biotechnology, which counts Monsanto – a GM giant – as a major client. Mendel has been granted more than 20 biotechnology and GM patents.

• Mendel’s 2009 annual report noted two collaborative partnerships: one with Monsanto and the other with Bayer CropScience.

• Professor Jones co-founded the UK’s ‘first GM crop company’, Norfolk Plant Sciences, to find ways of commercialising Sainsbury Laboratory’s GM research into a new type of tomato.

Professor Jim Dunwell (University of Reading).

• Founder member of CropGen which describes its mission as ‘to make the case for GM crops and foods by helping to achieve a greater measure of realism and better balance in the UK’s public discussions on agriculture and food’.

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• he states that he has not been in contact with CropGen since 2002.

• remains an advocate for GM, recently writing an article in which he accused the EU of slowing down the commercial exploitation of GM crops as a result of ‘unnecessarily tight’ regulation.

Professor John Pickett (Rothamsted Research Station) • the organisation at which he works lists biotech firms Aventis, DuPont, Novartis and Syngenta as ‘partners’.

• Rothamsted, in Hertfordshire, is hosting a trial to grow GM wheat, which contains genes from the mint plant and gives off a scent that deters pests.

• he suggested the technology could commercialised to generate money for developers.

be its

• in 1998, he was heavily involved in rubbishing research published by Professor Arpad Pusztai, of Aberdeen’s Rowett Research Institute, which appeared to show that feeding GM potatoes to rats had negative effects on the animals’ stomach lining and immune system.

Professor Pere Puigdomenech (Institute of Molecular Biology at Barcelona CSIC and visiting research fellow at Cambridge) • has worked closely with Sir David and has links with The Sainsbury Laboratory, the John Innes Centre, and Rothamsted Research Station.

• Spain is the only country in Europe in which substantial areas are planted with GM maize.

• co-chairman of the seventh International Plant Molecular Biotechnology Congress, sponsored by Monsanto, Bayer and DuPont.

The study made claims that GM crops could greatly benefit the poor in developing countries, preventing starvation and creating new resistant plants and crops but how credible are their claims, considering their respective backgrounds?

They suggest that EU regulations should be reviewed and that the UK should be able to proceed in planting these crops thus separating itself from the rest of Europe.

Concerns about the impact on the countryside, insects and wildlife which can be associated with GM practices seem to have been glossed over.

For example, the UK has witnessed the birth of ‘superweeds’ that are choking fields and are resistant to certain chemical sprays.

There also seems to be a lack of research into the health risks associated with eating GM products.

Claire Robinson from GM Watch had this to say:- ‘By no stretch of the imagination can these people be described as independent scientists. Their views should be treated with the same scepticism we would apply to any sales pitch.’

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Further to this, the timing of the report’s release is very interesting. The director of GM Freeze, Liz O’Neill, said: ‘A group of scientists with financial interests in the success of GM wrote a letter to the Prime Minister in November but waited four months to tell the press about it – just in time for EU discussions about regulation. Something certainly smells a bit fishy.’

The administrations in Scotland and Wales have previously made it clear they want nothing to do with GM crops.

Dr Brian John, of the group “GM Free Wales”, said: ‘This extraordinary report, published very conveniently to coincide with Owen Paterson’s attempts within the EU to dismantle GM regulations and to repatriate powers to the UK is in turns naive, biased, disingenuous, cynical and downright dangerous. We find it incredible that five senior scientists can have been so dismissive of the work of scores of independent scientists who have discovered that GM organisms are directly 64 | Watchdog Magazine

and indirectly harmful to mammals and to the environment. In the world of science there should be respect for those whose findings are inconvenient.’

Prof Puigdomenech was co-chairman of the seventh International Plant Molecular Biotechnology Congress, sponsored by Monsanto, Bayer and DuPont. He could not be contacted for a comment.

The scientists were also given the right to reply Sir David stated, ‘I am independent in that I am not paid a salary by any corporate organisation.

I do receive funding for research in my lab from Syngenta and consult for them – although I do not receive the fee as it goes to a departmental fund.’

Prof Jones said that while some might question his independence, he was simply ‘very well informed about GM science and technology’ Prof Dunwell said he was a founder of CropGen but no longer had any ties to the GM lobby group. He added: ‘I am an independent scientist.’

Prof Pickett said: ‘I greatly value links with industry, particularly at the technology transfer level, and these are completely transparent interactions.’

The Science Media Centre, which released the report, insisted the authors were independent: ‘They are not employed by government or industry and each works for different publicly funded universities and research institutes. For better or worse, it’s not unusual any more for universities and institutions to get bits and pieces of funding from government, charities and industry – indeed many can only access public money on condition that they raise a proportion of their funds from commercial or private sources. This does not automatically undermine their independence.’

However, Soil Association chief executive Helen Browning said: ‘It’s really just not good enough for a group of scientists who have a strong interest, it seems, through their funding sources, in persuading

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a reluctant public to accept the growing of GM crops in the UK, to be the ones who attempt to write the rule book on how that should happen.’

Following the report, The Guardian newspaper led with the headline -’There’s no choice: we must grow GM crops now’. The article described how almost a billion people face starvation and how that problem will worsen unless we use the most effective technologies. They also saw the scientist’s links to the agricultural industry as being ‘modest and uncompromising’.

It seems clear, therefore, that one thing is certain.

This issue is very divisive. Let us hope that whatever direction the UK decides to take, we make the right decision. There may well be no going back.

Sources: www.bep.ox.ac.uk www.gov.uk/government/policies www.dailymail.co.uk www.theguardian.com Watchdog Magazine | 65

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Criminal Holidays for Kids When I was 5 years old my parents took me on holiday to the small Greek island of Kalymnos during school term time. I can still vividly remember the blue scrapbooks that my sister and I filled during our time there. From drinks coasters taken on the flight, postcards of where we stayed and even seaweed, it all got pasted in to our visual journals. I mention this, only because this was the only requirement stipulated by our head teacher in order to allow our parents to take us out of primary school for two weeks

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Over the years, further holidays during term time followed. My sister and I left school with high grade results, so it is fair to say that our exploits abroad did not hamper our education!

You can only do this if:

prosecuted.

• you make an application to the head teacher in advance (as a parent the child normally lives with)

How different times are now. Parents are faced with the threat of fines and prosecution if they take their children out of school without permission or extortionate prices if they choose to travel during the holidays.

• there are exceptional circumstances It’s up to the head teacher how many days your child can be away from school if leave is granted.

You can be fined for taking your child on holiday during term time without the school’s permission.

If you do decide to take your child out of school, what legal steps can the local council and the school take?

If you get prosecuted, you could get a fine of up to £2,500, a community order or a jail sentence of up to 3 months. The court also gives you a Parenting Order.

In January of this year a Facebook post went viral when Paul Cookson expressed his fury at how a half term holiday at Center-Parcs cost £300 more than if he had booked for the previous week. He highlighted this to his 250 friends but soon after shared over 143,000 times, perhaps mainly by fellow outraged parents?

This issue may soon be debated in Parliament after more than a 100,000 people signed an online petition calling for the Government to curb prices.

So where do the Government actually stand on this issue? They give the following advice Holidays in term time You have to get permission from the head teacher if you want to take your child out of school during term time.

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The government say this Local councils and schools can use various legal powers if your child is missing school without a good reason: • • • • •

Parenting Order Education Supervision Order School Attendance Order penalty notice prosecution

You can be given one or more of these orders but the council doesn’t have to do this before prosecuting you.

Penalty notices are issued instead of prosecution.

The penalty is £60, rising to £120 if it isn’t paid within 28 days. If you don’t pay the fine, you’ll be

This is serious and scary stuff! Surely it is the parents’ right to decide what is best for their child?

Seemingly not! One wonders whether a points system would not be fairer whereby a child receives credits in accordance with attendance, effort and attainment. If the required level is reached the child earns the right to have a family holiday during term time, should the parents desire.

Until then people like Stewart and Natasha Sutherland are going to fall victim to the system.

Stewart said ‘people who make these laws don’t live in the real world’.

He was speaking after having been fined £630 and ordered to pay £300 in court costs after taking his three children on holiday to Rhodes in September 2013. They returned home from their first family holiday in 5 years to find they had been fined £360.

This was soon doubled to £720 because they did not pay up quickly enough.

The case went to a magistrate’s court where the Sutherlands were forced to enter a guilty plea. Their fine was amended to £630 with £300 costs and a £63 victim surcharge.

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Mr Sutherland said ‘We had no choice but to plead guilty otherwise my wife and I could have been behind bars, surely that would make our children’s education suffer more than a much-needed holiday?

I can’t see the justice in it at all. I work in a sensitive job where staffing levels have to be maintained.

There’s been a recruitment and overtime ban and it’s been impossible to arrange summer leave that fits in with the rest of the family. I know how important education is – but there’s a bigger picture. Family time is important, too and the children’s behaviour and schooling has improved massively since our holiday.’

The family’s argument that the holiday was booked before the new school attendance law came into place was rejected.

The parents had been refused permission by the school to have the absence authorised but decided to go on their holiday anyway.

In the Sutherlands case, after 28 days, if the fine remains unpaid the local authority is required to begin legal proceedings in a magistrate’s court.

The couple were prosecuted under Section 444 of the 1996 Education Act, subsections one and eight.

The two parts refer to a parent’s failure to secure regular attendance at school of registered pupil.

the school regularly, his parent is guilty of an offence.

If the parent knows that his child is failing to attend regularly at the school and fails without reasonable justification to cause him to do so, he is guilty of an offence.

If a person is presumed guilty of any of the above offences they are liable on summary conviction to punishments ranging from a fine to a three-month prison sentence.

These guidelines apply to all state-funded schools.

A Department for Education spokesman said: ‘Poor attendance at school can have a hugely damaging effect and children who attend regularly are nearly four times more likely to achieve five or more good GCSEs than those who are regularly absent.

‘That is why we have given schools more power to tackle poor attendance and allowed them to intervene much earlier. We have increased the amount parents can be fined for unauthorised absences and cut the amount of time they have to pay.

Parents should never simply discount a possible penalty notice from the cost of a cheaper holiday because this is a criminal offence.’

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