Quick tips for making an intelligent breakdown cover comparison
There are several tips to know when purchasing breakdown cover. The first easy to follow tip is to always compare breakdown cover prices and features. Very often you are paying for features you do not need. For example why sign up for tow home from a distance protection if your car never travels more than 30 kilometres from home. In contrast, you don’t want to leave off important cover features you may need such as home start service for the frosty days when your battery decides to fail. A simple and quick breakdown cover comparison will help you make sure you are not paying for service you don’t need and be certain that your cover premium includes those features you require.
Another great tip is to not sign up for auto-renewal. Almost every cover company runs special sign up promotions at discounts of at least 25%. You won’t get these if you auto-renew. Make the cover company treat you as well as a new prospect.
A final tip is to always purchase your car or motorbike breakdown cover online. Almost every UK breakdown cover company offers a substantial discount for buyers who sign up online. While some companies such as Green Flag Breakdown do not offer an online discount such as the almost 35% offered by RAC, they make up for this shortfall by having lower prices overall and giving more features for less cost.
The addition of High Definition channels in digital TV broadcasts
Retailers across the UK are now selling the latest improvement in the Set Top box. That is Freeview with HD (High Definition) TV. High Def TV is definitely (pun intended) an improvement when it comes to viewing sports events. At the present time four channels are available in non subscription Freeview HD TV. These are BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and 5. Using Freeview is a great way to decide whether or not HD Digital TV suits you. For some people the difference in clarity means nothing, for others it is essential to their viewing experience. Once you decide if HD TV is to your liking you can opt for more HD channels from popular cable TV providers such as Virgin Media. Virgin Media offers 8 HD channels at no additional cost to its XL customers. SKY satellite TV offers a full 38 high-definition TV channels. Many other TV packages are available with HD TV.
Remember high definition TV will only work on a set that was built with the proper resolution. This means a resolution of at least 720P and preferably 1080P. It is hoped that the number of terrestrial broadcasts of high definition digital TV will expand but with the popularity of quality subscription services like SKY and the expansion of no subscription Freesat, it is more likely all of our broadcasts will be arriving via satellite.
A new type of pay as you go mobile broadband for internet access abroad
Talk about expanding your mobile broadband coverage! Virgin Media has just announced a new “Travel Pass” system that lets their customers purchase mobile broadband connection time while abroad at a flat rate. The pricing available by the hour or by the day eliminates surprise roaming charges one is apt to find on their bill after using their laptop or other mobile internet device while abroad. Now we can use our iPhone or Blackberry Curve without discovering that a simple call for directions cost us several quid. The passes are available in several ranges with a mobile broadband daily rate of 10 Pounds. This is perfect for light use such as checking and sending emails. The packages from Virgin are intended to directly compete with recent announcement from Orange Mobile of a 2MB for 2 pounds roaming abroad deal. Special pricing for users of iPhones allows for 10Mb download for a set price of just 5 pounds.
So which of these offerings is the best? Both of these plans amount to a form of pay as you go mobile broadband for travelers in as much as charges are based solely on time spent. But by opting in for these plans the savings are considerable. Standard mobile broadband roaming charges from Orange cost 3 Pounds per MB.
A valid comparison of both Orange Mobile’s EU mobile broadband plans and those offered by Virgin Media by way of their new Travel Pass programme can easily be found online.
A new topic for broadband reviews emerges with expanding fibre optic networks
Much has been written of slowdowns in broadband service caused by congestion of data streaming in what is referred to as the last mile. The last mile is a generic term used to describe the breakdown of internet connection speed as connections get closer to your doorway. In many instances of broadband comparison United Kingdom consumers paid for promised speeds of “up to” 12 Mb only to find out through a simple speed test that they were clocking in at a meager 128 Kb. For those unaware that would be slightly better than old fashioned dial up speed! With this in mind we are skeptical of the recent surge in FTTC Fibre to the Cabinet (or curb) promises. We must always compare broadband reviews so as to read for ourselves what our neighbours had to say about any given service. Eclipse internet has just announced broadband packages launching in April offering 40 Mb as created by FTTC. But the final link in the delivery of broadband will still be sent by means of copper cable. Logic would have us think that the curb to home link should not provide too much of a slowdown. Bear in mind that Fibre to the curb actually means Fibre optic cable to within 1000 feet of your premises. After that one may still wish to compare broadband so as make sure speed of shared connections between homes and businesses travels the last distance into the premises.
Most of the market for these new Eclipse Internet packages seems to be in the business sector. For business users all of the extra seconds waiting for screens to load can add up to a tremendous cost in productivity.
The advantages of BT’s variable phone line packages
One of the best features of BT is their scalable products. From your home phone line to television channels, BT allows you to choose exactly how much service you wish to purchase. So many people come back to BT for exactly this reason. A case in point is the changeover of what had been BT’s Get Connected plan to its new name of Talk and Surf, along with a new pricing structure.
As one of the United Kingdom’s leading phone line providers BT is rated highly among consumers for their reliable service. But the ability to only pay for what you need is quickly gaining favour with UK consumers.
The new Talk and Surf allows for up to 20MB speed and a 10GB download limit. It does not include line rental and has an introductory price of £7.49 for the first three months increasing to £14.49 thereafter. 10GB per month is fine for the casual web surfer and the plan allows for unlimited free nights and weekend phone calls. But consider that if you like to download movies, a little web surfing and the download of 2 high quality movies will put you over your 10GB limit.
Fortunately, BT offers an unlimited calling and internet download plan that simply puts an end to wondering whether or not you have exceeded your limits. This new plan simply called Talk and Surf Unlimited is positively the way to go for anyone that takes their work home with them or simply spends a great deal of their entertainment time on the web. Needless to say this unlimited calling and internet plan is a must for large families. With an introductory cost of £19.99 a month for three months and £27.99 a month thereafter, exclusive of line rental, this is an overall excellent value.
Points to address when you compare breakdown cover both free and paid
Many new car companies are starting to offer breakdown cover as part of their warranty package. Hyundai has just announced a cooperative effort with RAC on several new models that will give buyers a transferable 5 year prepaid cover package. Mitsubishi already has a three year package offered with its new vehicle sales. Even though we are speaking in terms of brand new cars, a few points should be considered as part of a breakdown cover comparison.
First, when we compare breakdown cover including these free packages, we must remember that many cover policies do not provide for important needed services such as home start or tow home. Make sure that the “free” package has a bit more value than its name would imply. Another thought to take note of is that we are dealing with a new vehicle and the chances of problems are very small. Still there are road hazards to consider and even a new car can run out of petrol. Remember that if free RAC is included in your purchase it should not really be considered a discount or incentive to purchase.
Second, if your current cover from a company such as Green Flag Breakdown or Gem Motoring Assist is based upon you as driver of any vehicle, you will want to keep that cover active regardless of the free cover that came with your new car. Make sure that the free roadside assistance protection that comes with your new car is equal in features to those of your current plan.
Tewkesbury Morrisons Customer Aggrieved by Lack of Response to Complaint of Perceived Misleading Advertising
A Customer of the Morrisons store in Tewkesbury, Worcestershire has reported they feel Morrisons is potentially breaking consumer law by advertising goods in a misleading manner, and is seemingly refusing to respond to his email complaint.
Mr. Hall, a resident of the Tewkesbury area, stated that he visited the store on 5th February and found a food item reduced from £2.99 to £1.50, with an additional Buy One Get One Free offer (the latter offer, being printed on the food items packaging, the former appearing to have been offered in addition, by the supermarket staff).
Mr Hall stated that he tried to purchase said food item (a Pizza) at the advertised rate of £1.50, with a ‘Buy One Get One Free’ offer, making the total cost £1.50 for 2 Pizzas.
The store not only REFUSED to sell the pizzas to Mr. Hall at the advertised price, but also refused to sell him the 2 pizza for the ‘normal’ (pre- store reduction) price of £2.99 for 2 pizzas (originally the pizza were marked as £2.99 each, buy one get one free) – and instead insisted that he pay the ‘reduced’ price of £3.00 for the 2 pizzas. Meaning the ‘reduced’ price was, in fact, £0.01p more than the original price.
Although the amounts involved are somewhat laughable, Mr. Hall felt offended by the supermarkets refusal to listen to his complaint.
Important Fact
A fact that is important in this argument, is that despite the error being pointed out to the staff AND Management of the Tewkesbury Morrisons branch, when Mr. Hall visited the store SEVERAL DAYS later, the same offer was still being advertised (£1.50- each pizza, and Buy One Get One Free).
Is This Legal
Consumer Law – Common Misconception
Although there is a common misconception that a store has to sell you products at the advertised price. In fact, the law states that the pricing of a product is ‘an invitation to treat’ – meaning, it is an ‘invitation’ for a consumer to make the seller an offer to buy the goods.
The consumer makes the offer, based on the price stated for the goods – Then, if the seller realises there has been a mistake made on the pricing, they may refuse to sell goods at the advertised price, and say they will sell the goods to you at the ‘correct’ price. Not only do you NOT have the right to say they must sell you the goods at the stated price, you do not have the RIGHT to be sold the goods at all, should the owner wish to refuse to sell them to you.
However…
So, are Morrisons Breaking Any Laws at All?
There may be another issue here for Morrisons, which is actually covered by criminal legislation, rather than civil…
Control of Misleading Advertisements Regulations, 1988
Although as stated above, a store does not commit an offence by ‘making a mistake’ with their advertising, if a store have specifically advertised goods at one price, but they charge another price for it, then if they continue to do so after you have pointed out the error, they are quite possible committing an offence under the CRIMINAL legislation: Control of Misleading Advertisements Regulations*, 1988, in which case the consumer is usually advised to contact their local trading standards agency.
Mr Hall’s Main Complaint
Mr. Hall’s main issue is that despite emailed Morrisons regarding this matter on the day of the incident (5th February 2010) he has, to this date (22 February 2010) still not received a reply (except for an automated “We received your message” type auto-response).
Perhaps Morrisons feel that the prices involved mean that Mr. Hall does not deserve a response, however he feels differently…
“It was their mistake and, even though we had quite a scene on the day, they are still advertising the goods at the wrong price, and haven’t responded to my email, I feel like Morrisons really care about profits, not customers and communities”.
Morrisons Staff Can Contact Mr. Hall Here: peterhall347@orange.net
* Source:
- http://www.consumerrightsexpert.co.uk/common-consumer-misconceptions.html
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Lean Management Guru – Suaju Ltd – Comment on the Toyota Recall
The principles of Lean Management are not new and in fact have their roots most firmly placed in the history of the Toyota Company of Japan. The use of innovative waste reduction techniques in their factories after the war in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s led to Toyota becoming the father of the modern principles of Lean Production techniques as applied in all areas of endeavour and business across the modern world.
The system of waste reduction always has as its focus the end user, consumer or customer. Anything in the production of the end result that does not enhance or improve the end user’s experience of the product is deemed to be waste. This could be physical resources, time, cleaning or even something as non-physical as management structure or transportation coordination. It all comes under the scrutiny of the concept of lean management.
The situation that Toyota find themselves seems to have come from a parting of the ways regarding their use of these principles in relation to processes based outside the factories in Japan. Some of the functions of their massive production environment have been outsourced and it seems that in some of these areas errors have crept in to the almost infallible Japanese system of checks and cross checks that have allowed a work force of relatively few to produce some of the most reliable cars in the world.
The head of Suaju Ltd, Saleem Ullah, commented today “We, as a company, stand for the principles of Lean Management Strategies. This system of thinking about business processes is so entrenched in the roots of the Toyota Company’s production processes that it has been something of a surprise to hear of the current situation unfolding. We here at Suaju strive for lean principles to be applied in all aspects of our clients businesses. Our lean outsourcing guidelines which we use in most areas of our business including our software outsourcing branch, would have been most useful to Toyota in this situation it would seem. The comments from management that have been in the press lead me to believe that Toyota will use lean techniques to extricate themselves from this situation and probably become stronger and more robust, as a company, because of it.”
The grandson of the founder, Akio Toyoda, said at a press conference recently that he promised to listen to his consumers more and that this was his own ‘kaizen’ or ‘innovation’ presumably along lean principles one would hope.
About Suaju.
Suaju Ltd is an industry leading company based in Bristol.
They offer Lean Consultations, of which the first meeting is free. Renowned for their ability to identify waste and resource miss-use many have been amazed at the savings and results obtained after working with them. They also offer a very efficient Lean based software outsourcing process.Suaju can be contacted at www.Suaju.com.
Great savings to be found by switching to pay as you go mobile broadband
A recent study by Broadband Choices, the United Kingdom’s most popular home and mobile broadband assistance website, reports to consumers that fully half of the United Kingdom’s home and mobile broadband users pay for far more Internet download bandwidth than they are consuming. Apparently, most customers spend less than 2 hours per week on heavy bandwidth consuming functions such as downloading movies and watching video clips.
The majority of UK mobile broadband users rely on the convenience of a 3G connection for personal and business communication. Of customers using an unlimited download package, over 50% download less than 10 GB of information per month. In fact, a huge percentage of UK broadband customers use less than 2 GB of download every 30 days. For most of these customers great savings can be made simply by switching to a pay as you go mobile broadband package.
Unfortunately it appears that broadband companies, being totally aware of this demographic, use a subtle scare tactic of cash penalties for exceeding one’s download limits. This creates a better safe than sorry mindset and a huge portion of United Kingdom mobile broadband customers end up paying for twice the service they require. Customers who compare features such as amount of download and mobile broadband coverage at OFCOM approved Broadband Choices have been found to retain and save in excess of 100 pounds per year simply by choosing the best price and service mobile broadband package for their needs.
A major source of competition for BT Vision channels
In an attempt to more efficiently compete with one of the United Kingdom’s largest cable TV providers BT Vision, Virgin Media has partnered with Universal Pictures for the creation of their on demand movie service named Picture Box. This is a perfect example of the many advantages of digital TV over the now defunct analog system. Virgin Media and the Picture Box system offer customers an on demand library of over 500 currently popular movies. The system also adds to that and inventory of seven new movie titles every Friday. Picture Box is available exclusively through Virgin Media at a cost of just 5 pounds per month.
There is an ongoing comparison of United Kingdom television providers made by popular TV deal analysis website Digital Choices. That comparison which includes companies like Virgin Media that are willing to bundle services such as home phone and broadband with television service reveals that lower end home communications consumers continue to prefer simple pay per programme pricing options, such as those offered by BT Vision channels. For those whose television viewing exceeds an average of 3 hours per 24 hour period multi-channel options such as those presented by SKY and Virgin Media are preferable. To research in that analysis of pricing and service options from all of the United Kingdom’s leading home communications providers is exactly the forte of Digital Choices. As part of the United Kingdom Consumer Choices network this helpful and free analysis is what we have come to expect.