The Complaints Resolver

July’s Candis Magazine has landed just in time for the weekend 😊

In this month’s consumer column, I explain what to look for before you book a hire car, why I never use third-party booking sites and always pay by credit card, common traps to avoid, insurance pitfalls and the simple checks you should carry out before handing the keys back.

And in this month's Scott Sorts It, I helped a reader secure a refund of more than £12,000 for a faulty car after she was repeatedly fobbed off.

Whether you're hiring a car abroad or dealing with a faulty car, knowing your rights can save you a lot of time, money and stress.

I’m proud to serve as Consumer Editor for Candis and be a voice for their readers, many of whom are elderly and vulnerable, and raise awareness of their consumer rights to help protect them and save money 💪💷

🚗 Hit a pothole and been fobbed off by your local council? That's what happened to one motorist, but she won her claim with my advice - you can read how she did it in The Times and The Sunday Times
https://www.thetimes.com/article/06f1c53c-7d93-4a28-9c63-3d1d7f5c9734?shareToken=ad8aa63d9913feb883d5791c6848290a

www.thetimes.com

Airport drop-off fees are back in the news again (it's that time of year!), with parking "fines" being issued for those who forget to pay at barrierless entries and exits, where signs are often misleading and boldly state you are on private land.

Let's be clear. A Parking Charge Notice is not a fine - it is an invoice issued by a private parking operator for an alleged breach of contract on private land. Council-issued Penalty Charge Notices are different, and relate to public authority enforcement - these are fines.

Airport land is classed as "statutory land" and is subject to bylaws, whereas private land is "relevant land" and covered by the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012.

This means there is no keeper liability, and you are only invited to disclose who the driver is. You are under no moral or legal obligation to say who the driver is, and they cannot assume the keeper was the driver. Appeal as the keeper without identifying the driver to cancel their speculative invoice.

I covered this with Sky News Money Blog earlier this year.
https://news.sky.com/story/the-loophole-that-could-help-you-avoid-parking-fines-13494194

The loophole that could help you avoid parking fines Money blog regular and complaints expert Scott Dixon explains a legal loophole that could help you avoid parking fines at airports.

Has Royal Mail ever lost your post?

A reader contacted the Sky News Money Blog after posting an item worth £1,200 using Royal Mail Special Delivery. Months later, the item was still missing and Royal Mail had effectively gone quiet despite promising updates.

I was asked how I would deal with it and what rights consumers had.

It's a reminder that when things go wrong, perseverance, evidence and knowing your consumer rights can make all the difference.

Have you ever had a parcel, letter or Special Delivery item lost by Royal Mail? If so, what happened and did you eventually get it resolved?
https://news.sky.com/story/money-problem-royal-mail-is-ghosting-me-after-losing-my-1-200-parcel-13549714

Money Problem: 'Royal Mail is ghosting me after losing my £1,200 parcel' Has Royal Mail ever lost your post? One reader made several complaints - then heard nothing more.

It's a Sky News Money Problem Mailbag special this weekend!
This week I helped readers tackle a range of consumer rights and money disputes, including:

👟 How to get your money back when a pair of expensive trainers falls apart after just a few uses
📦 "Royal Mail is ghosting me after losing my £1,200 parcel"
🚐 "I'm being chased about a parking fine for a van I sold years ago"

Consumer disputes can be frustrating, but knowing your rights can make all the difference.

You can read the latest Money Problem Mailbag here.
https://news.sky.com/story/money-latest-news-car-tax-spring-statement-tariffs-cuts-interest-rate-wages-mortgage-growth-gdp-13040934?postid=7945073

Ridiculous parking fine; state pension clarification; Royal Mail pays reader £1,000 | Money blog Today in Money: we look at the problems and disputes you've sent in and see what we can do to fix them. Go through those below - and let us know what you think in the comments.

This week's Sky News Money Blog problem was an interesting case I was asked to look at. Have you bought something that didn't last long and clearly didn't do what it said on the tin? I explain how I would deal with it (and I don't take no for an answer!).
https://news.sky.com/story/money-problem-how-to-get-your-money-back-when-a-pair-of-expensive-trainers-doesnt-last-13548174

Money Problem: How to get your money back when a pair of expensive trainers doesn't last Can we help a reader get money back after their expensive trainers were damaged after three runs?

Still a pinch me moment seeing my own byline in The Sunday Times.

If someone had told me 10 years ago that I’d one day be writing for the Sunday Times Ask The Experts, I honestly wouldn’t have believed them.

A reminder that hard work, consistency and backing yourself can open doors you never imagined possible.

Some wins are sweeter than others. This woman was falsely accused of stealing an iron and offered £200 in vouchers. I stepped in and won her £1,000 cash to settle it. An expensive iron and mistake, especially when I'm involved!

I don't accept low-ball offers and fob offs, and neither should you 💥👊

If you’re in a dispute, organisation wins cases.
Emails. Receipts. Timelines.
The better your evidence, the stronger your position.

CONSUMER TIP OF THE DAY
Set reminders for free trials the moment you sign up to cancel a few days before they expire so they don't auto-renew. Also make sure the tick box to auto-renew is unticked.