From ‘barmy’ DIY police schemes to adding value to your homes with just a lick of paint, our experts share advice and deals
Every Saturday, The Consumer Crew are here to solve your problems.
Mel Hunter will take on readers’ consumer issues, Amanda Cable will give you the best advice for buying your dream home, Maddy Tooke rounds up the best coupons to save you money and Judge Rinder will tackle your legal woes.
Judge Rinder, The Sun’s legal expert
I SPENT several years as a prosecuting barrister.
The best part of the job — by far — was working with teams of brilliant police officers.
The cops that I advised were extremely bright (way more canny than the lawyers) and highly motivated.
Police officers go into the job not because the authority gives them some sort of fascistic cheap thrill.
Rather, they enter the profession because they want to serve their communities, because they believe that what they do keeps us all safe, that their work matters.
They don’t want to be heroes, they simply want the resources and support to do their work properly.
The reality is that most police forces simply don’t have adequate man or woman power.
This had led to widespread frustration among the rank and file and to some extraordinary ideas.
West Midlands police, for example, is launching a pilot scheme before the end of the year in which victims will be encouraged to upload smartphone footage of crimes being committed, and any other evidence they can muster, all in a bid to save cash.
Getting members of the public to do police work may seem like a good idea but conscripting people into becoming DIY Sherlocks is extremely dangerous.
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Leaving aside the very serious risk of injury to increasing numbers of have-a-go heroes, there is also a strong chance that the material people collect will be totally useless in court in any event as there are very strict legal rules about how this sort of evidence must be obtained.
The chairman of the Police Federation, Steve White, described the West Midlands scheme as “barmy”. He is right.
The way to solve crime is to increase police numbers and to provide them with the resources they need — not to get untrained civilians to do police work which will solve nothing at all.
Summing up
Q. I have been running a salon for 27 years and last month I went to work as usual only to discover the ceiling had collapsed, rubble was everywhere and all my equipment was waterlogged.
The collapse had been caused by negligent plumbers who were doing repairs to the flat above my shop.
They have accepted responsibility but have done nothing about repairs nor have they offered compensation for the damage and loss of business.
I have been told to claim through my insurance, but my insurance company told me I was not covered for ceiling or flooring issues.
What should I do? Ayse, London
A. The bottom line here is that these plumbers have caused the damage so it is up to them to pay up.
They had no right to insist that you resolve this matter by going through your insurer.
Even if your policy covered you why should you be forced to lose your no claims bonus and increase your premium?
These plumbers ought to have insurance of their own who will have to settle this.
I would advise you to take meticulous photographs of the damage and to keep accurate records of all the business you have lost and obtain several quotes to repair all the damage from reputable traders.
Send a letter and email to the plumbers saying that you expect them to compensate you for the damage.
If they refuse then get some further legal advice and issue proceedings.
If the compensation you are entitled to is less than £10,000 then you could easily deal with the matter yourself in the small claims court.
- Got a question for Judge Rinder? Email [email protected]
Amanda Cable, property expert with the best advice for your home
Look on the bright side
UK homeowners are scared of colour – but research shows we long to be more adventurous.
The biggest nationwide colour survey yet shows our biggest fear when repainting is choosing a colour that is too dark.
But 44 per cent of households want their home to have a more vibrant interior, and a third would prefer more blue.
The poll, commissioned to launch the Homebase Colour Confidence campaign, shows how attitudes to colour vary across the country.
People living in Newcastle are most likely to paint their walls cream (61 per cent) while Londoners use the most yellow and Birmingham homes boast more orange than anywhere else.
Cream is the nation’s top colour choice, followed by white and blue.
Black, orange and purple are the colours people shy away from most.
The biggest influence on people’s choices is homes seen on television.
Estate agent Richard Welpton, director of Quick and Clarke in Yorkshire, said: “Colour is all-important.
A house which is light, bright and decorated with ‘in vogue’ colours will usually be worth significantly more money.
Currently, I find contemporary greys are increasing the value of properties, because they make interiors look fantastic.”
— IF we lack the confidence to choose bright interior colours, it’s a different story when it comes to our front doors.
Truedor, which makes 100,000 composite pre-painted doors each year, reports a surge towards stronger hues such as purple, lemon and orange.
TV presenter and Truedor ambassador George Clarke says: “Your front door is the face of your home.
It’s the first thing people see. So don’t follow the crowd, design your own and go to town.
“With your front door you have more freedom to express yourself.
“Changing the front-door colour is a quick win but a real gamechanger in terms of how people perceive you and your home.”
Here, George reveals his tips for enhancing the home front.
- Be adventurous with your front door’s colour, but choose one which complements the rest of your home.
- Symmetry and simplicity are good. Plants and outdoor lighting look better in pairs.
- De-clutter paths and porches, keep them free from leaves and debris and keep your doormat clean.
- Accessorise your door with good-quality letterboxes, knobs and knockers. Door furniture should also be in keeping with the style and age of your property.
PROPERTY sales have slowed, the Land Registry House Price Index shows.
But eMoov boss Russell Quirk points out prices are still climbing 4.1 per cent a year.
He says: “It’s better for the market to adjust slowly rather than come crashing down to earth as it did a decade ago.
“Owners are still seeing a return on their investment.”
- Got a question for our experts? Email [email protected]
Mel Hunter, readers’ champion on fighting for your rights
Court threat is not E.on
Q. I HAVE been incorrectly billed by E.on energy and told that if I don’t pay the bill of nearly £2,000, my possessions will be seized.
The bill is for a property my ex-husband was renovating. It was never finished.
We got divorced and the building was sold. No electricity was used, my name wasn’t even on the account and I didn’t know anything about the bill until now – but no one is listening to me.
E.on just says it cannot do anything as it has gone too far and I need to seek legal advice. I work full time but can barely make ends meet.
– ERICA SAUNTERS, East Sussex
A. Your story is one of the worst I’ve heard. Bailiffs visited your home to seize your possessions – until they realised you had very few.
They told you that you may go to prison. You also had to take a whole week off work to get legal advice.
You paid £140 to the courts to delay the case and a friend stepped in to pay the E.on bill that had escalated to £2,315.
When I got E.on to look into it, it told me there had been some “confusion” on your account, as it was unaware you had left the property.
I’m pleased they refunded everything you had paid and ensured it didn’t affect your credit rating. I think it got away lightly.
Q. MY wife and I were delayed for 20 hours on a Monarch flight from Cyprus in September 2016, but managed to submit a claim form online with all the supporting evidence requested.
We received a response from Monarch saying compensation would not be paid.
The Civil Aviation Authority told me to contact the National Enforcement Body in Cyprus which found compensation should be made.
I again contacted Monarch but received a further response stating we were still not eligible.
– PAUL HARRISON, West Midlands
A. You’d done everything right but once I’d sent the airline your letter from the authorities in Cyprus, stating in black and white that you were entitled to compensation, Monarch told me that claims for this flight had now been approved.
A few weeks later you and your wife received £336.68 each. Monarch said: “There are many grey areas and decisions can change during the course of a claim, as is the case here.”
Q. MY husband bought tickets to see The Lion King at London’s Lyceum. I went with my mum but another couple was then shown to the same seats.
We were told their booking was valid and ours was not, as the ticket agency we bought them from had gone into liquidation.
– TONI DAVIS, Bromley, Kent
A. You didn’t know if you were in the right and felt that you could have been shown a lot more understanding by the theatre manager.
Ambassador Theatre Group, which owns the Lyceum, said it hadn’t received payment from the agency, so it wasn’t aware your tickets had been issued.
The mix-up wasn’t its fault but it has offered complimentary tickets to another performance, plus a free programme, drinks and a goody bag.
For tips on buying tickets safely, see the Society of Ticket Agents & Retailers (star.org.uk).
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