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Consumer News UK Daily Web Articles March 5 2010

Fri, 2010-03-05

1.  Faulty goods are costing every consumer £78 per year.

Faulty goods cost UK consumers an average of £78 a year - or nearly £5,000 in a lifetime - because people are too worried about returning them. A poll for the Department for Business found that nearly half of those asked said they had at least one faulty item at home which they had not taken back. Nerves, embarrassment, or fear of intimidation stopped shoppers' returns. Low-value items tend to be kept, but second-hand cars remained the most complained about item. FULL STORY (bbc.co.uk)

2.  Proposed US agency to protect Consumers takes a bank friendly shape.

The battle over whether to make a new Consumer Financial Protection Agency an independent agency or part of the Federal Reserve was won by the those who wanted it inside the central bank, which is being called a big win for banking lobbyists and a loss for consumers. FULL STORY (npr.org)

3.  PUBLIC TRANSPORT:  Rail safety watchdog raises fears over maintenance plans.

The rail regulator has raised safety concerns about the rail network. The Office of Rail Regulation has also criticised Network Rail's recent performance, saying too many passengers were left in the dark about services during the prolonged cold snap in January, and threatening further disciplinary action over problems with the west coast route. But concerns over a transformation in the maintenance programme due to start next month dominated the ORR's latest Network Rail bulletin. It outlined four issues: that the changes are untested; that the west coast line could be severely affected; that section managers, who monitor sections of track, might be overworked; and that the changes could encourage staff to curtail planning and safety briefings. FULL STORY (guardian.co.uk)

4.  Equality Watchdog spent £1 million making staff redundant and then rehiring them, say MPs.

The Telegraph reports that the Equality and Human Rights Commission spent more than £11 million on paying off former staff when it was set up in 2007. However, staff shortages meant the Commission then had to rehire staff it had just made redundant. The MPs found that in total seven staff, who were paid £629,000 in severance payments, then received another £339,000 when they were rehired as consultants on £822 a day by the Commission. Five of the seven staff were able to collect their pay-offs and then continue to work for the Commission without even a break in their service.   FULL STORY (telegraph.co.uk)

5.  Top Ten fantastic freebies available on the Net.

We’ve always been told there’s no such thing as a free lunch. However, Which? has found you could furnish your home, watch the latest films, have some great nights out and even pick up some extra cash – just by heading online. Which? experts trawled through the plethora of internet offers and bagged everything from free tea, shaving cream samples, personal trainer sessions, cosmetics and much more with the click of a mouse. The article describes their Top Ten fantastic freebies.   FULL STORY (which.co.uk)

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