Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Tesco 50% wine deal, 0% poor credit, 20% Ted Baker code, £19 Soap & Glory, FIX energy, 40% Debenhams sale, lock in savings?

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Martin Lewis

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Cutting your costs, fighting your corner Martin's Money Tips Wed 13 Nov 2013
Cards Reclaim Shopping Deals Utilities Banking Travel Insurance Mortgages Income

This week

5mths 0% poor credit debt shift
Energy fixing cheaper than switch
Earn up to 6% on your savings
Flight upgrades & companion tix
Tesco Wine 50% off + 1,000pt code
Codes: Ted Baker 20%, Gap 30%, ELC 20%, Ann Summers 25%...
Vote YES for CPP money back
£19 Soap&Glry makeup set & more
Deb'hams FLASH 40% sale + code
Free £10 photo gift credit
80%off kids books, incl Horrid H £1
Free £16 radiator heat reflector pack
Euros, dollars, etc, FLASH sale
Seasalt Cornwall jute bags code
P&O £25 car day rtn + 6 btls wine
Free Green Deal assess + cashback
10 work, life, money need-to-knows
East Coast trains £10 credit
Sales: George, BHS and more
Vouchers Index: Restaurants / Shopping
Best Buys: 0% cards | Car insurance
Best Buys: Gas & Elec | Bank Accs

MARTIN'S QUICK BRIEFING: For more tips, alerts & awful puns, follow Martin on Twitter

The top 10 shopping magic tricks
Slash Christmas shopping receipts sharper than a pair of scissors

Christmas is coming, and our aim is to wave a high-tech wand to ensure you get the very best price on the things you need to buy. First though, do a budget to work out what you want, but also what you can truly afford.

1. New. Xmas Deals Predictor Calendar. I'm very Xcited about this. We've researched and analysed three years of deals & discounts retailers incl Gap, M&S, Selfridges, Asos and Argos have pumped out in the run-up to Xmas.

Their marketing calendars are remarkably consistent, that's why our unique new Christmas Deals Predictor Calendar can forecast what's coming with a relatively high degree of confidence. So once you've done your Christmas list, use the calendar to see if you should wait - then pounce when it's cheapest. Please spread the word.
2. Bag hidden local eBay bargains as gifts. eBay sellers often specify items - from designer sofas to PS3s - as 'collection only', which get fewer bids, so lower prices. You can't search for 'em on eBay, so we built Local eBay Deals Mapper, eBay Deals iPhone App & eBay Deals Android App to locate 'em.
3. xmas gifts Don't give tat - give the gift of sight instead. If you don't know what to buy, are just doing it out of a tick-box obligation, and know the recipient won't really want or need it... STOP.

We're campaigning to Ban Unnecessary Christmas Presents. To help, we've listed the key Charity Gift Catalogues (plus how much goes directly to good causes).

There, you can give in others' names things such as Feed 50 Kids For £5, buy Xmas dinner for someone homeless for £5, the gift of sight where £8 buys an eye operation, and the fab Good Gifts.

Or you could support the DEC Philippines Typhoon Appeal.
4.

Bag 5% off ALL Xmas shopping. Cashback credit cards pay you each time you spend. So do normal spending and set up a direct debit to repay IN FULL each month to avoid interest and you're quids in. Some will be £100s better off by the time the cashback's paid, usually after a year.

Our Cashback Card Eligibility Checker will show your odds of getting accepted for the top cards. Most have no annual fee, including...

Amex Plat Everyday* pays a HUGE 5% (max £100) on ALL spending in the first 3mths then up to 1.25%. So apply now and the big cashback covers Xmas & New Year sale spending (19.9% rep APR if you fail to fully repay).

If your credit score ain't great, Capital One's Classic Extra* pays 0.5% cashback & accepts some with older CCJs/defaults. Luma (not in Eligibility Checker) pays 4% cashback, but just on petrol & supermarket spending only up to a max £9/mth. Fail to fully repay these & they're a horrid 34.9% & 35.9% representative APR. Full help: Top Cashback Cards (APR Examples)

5. Use the MegaShopBot to find cheapest online prices. A shopbot, or shopping robot, is a comparison site that searches a range of online retailers to find the cheapest, including delivery, in seconds.

As different comparison sites are good for different things, we've designed MegaShopBot.com to help you instantly find the right shopbot, whether comparing prices for games, gadgets, books, perfumes or owt else.
6. Trick instantly boosts supermarket shopping budget by 4%. The idea of supermarket savings stamp-based schemes is you save year round. Yet to simplify things, most pay a bonus on how much you have in on a set date.

Asda's 4% bonus is next Mon (18 Nov), so put £144 on its savings card (you can have more than one card) this week, and on Mon you'll have £150 to spend there. Tesco, Wilkinson and Morrisons have similar-ish schemes: Supermarket Savings Stamps Tricks

Plus don't automatically go upbrand this Christmas. Just 'cos it costs more and has better packaging doesn't mean it's better (eg, straight S&V crisps are far tastier in my view). More help in the Downshift Challenge guide.
7. Search web outlets' up to 80% off deals, incl Argos, Asos, M&S. Many big-name retailers flog unsold lines at up to 70-80%+ off via online outlets. Our Outlet Store Discount Finder searches nearly 50 outlets for huge toy, clothing & other discounts.

Current hotties incl £30 women's sequin dresses* (were £260) and £5 women's skirts* (were £45).
8. Don't spend Tesco Clubcard vouchers on Christmas food. Many save up and use them for festive fodder. Yet you can usually do far better...

a) First, Reclaim Lost/Unused Tesco Vouchers going back two years.
b) See Top 10 Tesco Rewards, which can up to quadruple vouchers' value.
c) Tesco's new Christmas Double-Up lets you double value in-store & online for items including toys, gifts, Finest wine & champagne and more.
9.
Build Amazon 75%+ bargain basements. The Amazon Discount Finder uses web wizardry to manipulate Amazon links to build bespoke pages. It's not perfect, but can give interesting results, eg, watches 50%+ off*, Jewellery 80%+ off* and handbags 75%+ off*. Do check elsewhere to see if they're truly cheap though.
10. Free petrol big spenders' extreme couponing. I'm not a fan of gift vouchers as a gift as a) if the firm goes bust, they're worthless, b) some date, c) people lose them. However, a trick makes 'em useful.

If you're planning a big spend at any one of 40+ retailers (incl Currys, PC World, Debenhams), buy a gift card in Morrisons, and you get 1p/off fuel per £10. So £100 gets 10p off, £1,400 a free tank. So buy the card here, then go straight to the shop to spend it yourself (minimising the time to reduce risk). See Petrol Gift Voucher Trick.

Full list of 40 tricks to boost online shopping power in Online Shopping.

Plus watch my full ITV Christmas Planning Tips 1hr Special show from yesterday
.

Blagged for MoneySavers

Did you miss?

Get permanently cheap energy
Our club ensures you're always on the cheapest tariff.
Join free: Cheap Energy Club
Reclaim PPI for FREE
Claims handlers aren't more successful.
Free help & templates: Reclaim PPI

MSE News

Top story Virgin Media customers face 6.7% price hike
EDF to hike gas and electricity prices by 3.9% from January
Blockbuster back into administration: What next for customers and staff?
Barratts Shoes in administration again: Q&A on your rights
Ed Miliband backs MSE's call to ban payday loan ads from kids' TV
Proud to be a MoneySaver? Pass this on
If this email's ever helped you, please forward it to friends and suggest they get it via moneysavingexpert.com/tips
Use the Money Mantras If you're skint If you're not skint
The Ones Not To Miss Wed 13 Nov 2013
Shift to 5mths 0%, even with poor credit
Can be used (carefully) to cut the cost of existing expensive credit cards, payday loans and overdrafts

Normally, 0% deals require a decent credit score. Yet a new card doesn't automatically prevent even those with 1-yr+ CCJs, defaults or bankruptcies getting it. Due to the way it's structured, you can use it for a range of purposes.

  • Capital OneUse 1: To slash existing credit card debt costs. Capital One Classic Complete* (Check eligibility) lets accepted new cardholders balance transfer debts from other cards to it at 0% until April's statement for a 3% fee, so you owe it instead. If you can't clear in time, it's a huge 34.9% rep APR, so shift the debt back then if your current cards are cheaper.

    However, it's worth first seeing if you're eligible for a better deal elsewhere. Up to 30mths 0% (2.9% fee) is possible - use our Balance Transfer Eligibility Checker
    .
  • Use 2: Respite from payday loans / costly overdrafts / other debts. The Classic Complete* (Check eligibility) unusually also gives 0% on new spending till April. We caution AGAINST using it for new borrowing, just to get you get back on your feet, not into a debt spiral.

    In order to reduce a costly overdraft or repay horrid payday loans, just do normal spends on it, leaving unspent income building into your bank account, which you can then use to lower the debt. Do clear by April or you'll need to pay the 34.9% rep APR. See full Classic Complete help.

    Do first check if you're eligible for up to 17mths 0% on spending - use our 0% Purchases Eligibility Checker.
  • Golden rules: 1) Don't use for new spending, unless you've budgeted and can afford to repay. 2) Clear before the 0% ends or so you needn't pay hefty interest. 3) Always pay at least the monthly min, or you lose the 0% deals. 4) For full help, see Credit Cards for Bad Credit (APR Examples)

Tesco Wine 50% off sale + 1,000 pts code (worth up to £40 Rewards) MSE Blagged. First 10,000 using code XXGN4C by Sun 17 Nov at Tesco Wine* get 1,000pts on min £60 spend. Works with its 50% off selected wines sale for new & existing customers. Full info in Wine Deals. Be Drinkaware.

Codes... Ted Baker 20%, Gap 30%, Early Learning 20% off...
Ted Baker 20% off code/in-store | Gap 30% off code/vch in mag | | Ann Summers 25% off code/vch
Burton 25% off code/vch | Early Learning Centre 20% off code | Urban Outfitters 15% off code | Full list: Discount Vouchers

Vote YES to ensure you get mis-sold CPP & card protection money back. Letters coming to 7 million people. It needs enough to vote 'yes' for a one-stop easy payout scheme to be set up. Don't ignore it. See CPP Mis-Selling.

Gift sets: £19 Soap & Glory make-up (norm £40) | £24 Champneys (£50) | £13 Benefit (£28). A range of discounted gift sets in the run up to Christmas, plus Benefit 10% off code. See Beauty Deals

FIXING energy is now cheaper than a normal switch
EDF to hike prices 4% from January. SSE bills rise 8% on Friday. Bizarrely, the best deals ensure no hikes

5 of the big 6 have now announced hikes. And their best new prices are costlier than the cheapest fixes, so the best deals come with no-hike certainty. E.on's yet to announce (it's likely any day) but its best variable's already more expensive.

Cheap fixed vs variable tariffs - which wins?
Fix until Exit fees Cost/yr
Std tariff POST-hike (est) - - £1,550
Longest fix: Npower*
31 Dec 17 None £1,370
Long & cheap fix: EDF*
31 Mar 17 None £1,340
Cheapest variable (post hike) - - £1,300
Cheapest no exit fee fix: Npower* 30 Apr 15 None £1,200
Cheapest fix: E.on 1 year £5/ fuel £1,180
Cheapest variable (pre hike) - - £1,120
(1) Typical quarterly dual fuel billing. Source: Ofgem. All others average monthly direct debit. Varies by region.
  • Save £100s & beat hikes? A fixed tariff locks the rate in. The only variable (subject to hikes) tariff beating fixing is minnow Spark Energy's. It hasn't hiked (yet?), needs paying upfront and feedback ain't great so we're ignoring it.

    Next cheapest is a one-year fix. If that appeals, for a tiny amount more you get a few months more with EDF or Npower, which have no exit penalties. So on the off-chance the PM delivers price cuts, you're free to leave.
  • ALWAYS compare (& get cashback). To check if you can save (you may be on an older, cheaper deal), and who your winner is, our MSE Cheap Energy Club Top Pick Fixes Comparison shows your prices for top picks in the table and gives £30 cashback if it can fix you. More cashback deals and help in Cheap Gas & Elec.
  • I fixed with EDF - will I get it? Its price hike doesn't impact fixed deals. Plus, it's said it has no imminent plans to stop offering its current top fixes. See full Energy Fixing Q&A.
  • Is it worth fixing for longer? As the table shows, even longer fixes will save some people money, and only at a premium to the cheapest variable deals. So for those wanting longer price certainty, or who've never switched before - hence it's best to assume you won't bother again - those with no early exit fees are a decent option.

Debenhams 40% off one-day FLASH sale. Sat-only sale in-store & online - selected depts incl women's hats, men's shirts, pyjamas. Plus there's a wider up to 25% off till Sun, with a code for an extra 10% off. Debenhams

FREE £10 photo gift credit. 2,000 newbies' codes. Use on anything (no min spend) at new photo-printing site Instajunction, though you'll pay £2.95 p&p. Gets 'free' magnets, Polaroid-style cards... Photo Deals

80%+ off kids' & teachers' books: £1 Horrid Henry, Spongebob... Online sale starts 10am Mon, 100+ popular titles from £1-£2 including Horrible Histories, Hello Kitty and more. P&P's £3. Limited stock, go quick. Book 'em

1,000 FREE £16 radiator heat reflector packs. Two-sheet packs for up to four radiators. Stick 'em behind your radiator to save energy & cash. Link goes live Thu 14 Nov at midday - go quick. See Radflek Deals.

Lock in savings for 2 years to boost rates?
It's been predicted UK rates could start to rise at the end of 2015. If so, you may be able to boost dire savings
The story so far... in July, the new Bank of England boss predicted rates wouldn't rise till 2017. Now, the economy's improving, a think tank's just said it'd be the end of 2015. One Bank of England MPC member even says end 2014. If they're right, see our five tips to max your existing savings. All accounts here have full or shared £85k UK savings safety.
  1. savings rates Can you get a a 6% regular saver? If you've got or get a First Direct* bank account (£100 bonus for qualifying newbies), you can get its 1yr 6% Regular Saver and put up to £300/mth in. HSBC & Saffron BS both have 4% similar products for existing custs.
  2. Earn 3% AER easy access on £20k? Bizarrely, the best easy access savings are current accounts. Top pick's Santander's 123* at 3% AER (variable) on all your savings if you've £3,000 to £20,000 in. It has a £2/mth fee, but pays up to 3% cashback on your bills. For less, Nationwide FlexDirect* pays 5% AER (fixed) in year one but only on up to £2,500. Both require you to properly shift to them and pay in set amounts each month. Full help in Top Bank Accounts.
  3. Have you used your cash ISA allowance yet? If not, why not? A cash ISA is just a tax-free savings account. Top pick is the Post Office* at 1.8% AER on £100+, which lets you withdraw money penalty-free twice a year. It has an 18mth bonus, so diarise to ditch and transfer after. More options in Top Cash ISAs.
  4. Lock in higher savings rates? If base rates rise earlier than expected, you don't want to be locked in for years after. Yet you can still beat standard savings locking cash away short-term. Full options: Top Fixed Savings
    1yr fixes: BM Savings 2% AER, Virgin Money 1.91% AER or 1yr Cash ISA: Virgin Money 1.91% AER
    2yr fixes: Close Bros 2.3% AER (min £10k), AA 2.25% AER (min £1) or 2yr Cash ISA: Britannia 2.05% AER
  5. Top 'normal' savings - 1.7% easy access. If all else fails, BM Savings gives 1.7% AER on £1,000+, allowing up to four annual withdrawals. For unlimited withdrawals, the top pick is AA Savings at 1.6% AER. Both include year-long bonuses, so diarise to ditch and switch after. Full info: Top Savings
Consider also: Repay Debts With Savings | Overpay Your Mortgage | 6% Returns With Peer-To-Peer Lending
Click the titles for full info and all our top picks
Balance Transfers Car Insurance Cheap Loans Top Cash ISAs
Longest 0%: Barclaycard*
30mths 0%, 2.9% fee

(18.9% rep APR)

Low fee 0%: Lloyds*
24mths 0%, 1.5% fee

(17.9% rep APR)
Get quotes in this order...

Gocompare*
Google*
Direct Line*
Aviva*
Admiral MultiCar*

Sainsburys* (£5k - £7.5k)
6.3% rep APR



Sainsbury's* (£7.5k - £15k)
4.8% rep APR

Post Office* 1.8% AER
Min £100, incl bonus
Post/branch. Transfers allowed

Virgin Money 1.75% AER
Min £1, no bonus
Online. Transfers allowed

See Card APR Examples & Loan APR Examples

Seasalt Cornwall jute bags 2 for £7 incl del code. Forumites love 'em (it's like hessian). Full info: Seasalt Cornwall

Euros, dollars & other currencies FLASH sale. Thurs 10am - Fri 6pm. ICICI's having a flash sale on all currencies. Don't assume it'll be cheapest - use our TravelMoneyMax.com to compare and bag the best rate.

P&O ferry £25 car day return + 6 bottles wine | Eurotunnel £23. Dover/Folkestone - Calais. See France Trips.

Free Green Deal assessment + 10% of a year's energy bill back MSE Blagged. 500 in S Yorks & E Midlands only. NWS is offering free Green Deal home assessments (often £100+ elsewhere). If you're one of the first 500 to agree a home improvement plan, it'll also give you 10% of your last year's energy bills as cashback. Full Green Deal & offer info.

New. Flight upgrades & 'free' companion tickets
The top bigger spenders' flight reward credit cards slash travel costs, at no additional cost to you. New deals

If you fly each year, consider getting a Top Flight Rewards Card. Do normal spending on it, repay IN FULL each month so there's no interest, and it can be hugely rewarding for bigger spenders, getting £1,000s of flights for just taxes & charges.
  • flight cardTWO free BA Paris returns. Amex Gold* gives accepted customers who spend £2,000 on it within 3mths 20,000 extra points - convertible into enough BA Avios for 2 x Paris (just pay c.£35/person taxes) or 1x Rome, Athens, etc (plus taxes). Key rules: 1) This is a charge card, not a credit card, so you must fully repay (min income £20k). 2) It's fee-free in year one, but £125/year after, so cancel if you don't want to pay after.
  • New. 'Free' biz class upgrades. The new Lloyds Avios* has a £24/yr fee, but earns miles at a good 1.25 per £1. Plus if you spend £7,000/yr, it annually gives a return upgrade on flights fully paid with Avios (earned here or elsewhere). So get a NYC biz return for the 60,000 miles prem economy costs, or prem economy for the 40,000 economy does (excl taxes & charges). Fail to fully repay and it's 17.9% rep APR. You can pay a premium fee for better rewards.
  • Big spenders' DOUBLE tickets. The fee-free BA Amex* gives 9,000 Avios if you spend £1,000 in the first 3mths and 1 per £1 normally (15.9% rep APR if you don't repay). Yet spend £20,000/year and book a flight with miles and you get a matching companion ticket - so what you get, they get (even 1st class), for just taxes and charges. You get the companion ticket at £10k/yr and earn quicker too on BA Premium Amex*, but it has a £150/year fee (plus 19.9% rep APR on spending if not repaid). So only do it if you're sure it adds up.
  • Will you get 'em? Check your acceptance odds with our unique Flight Rewards Cards Eligibility Checker.
  • Airline credit card golden rules. 1) Set up a direct debit to repay IN FULL each month. 2) Never withdraw cash - you pay interest even if fully repaid. 3) Use for all usual spending to max cashback, but it's not an excuse to overspend. 4) Ensure you've cash in the bank to cover the direct debit. 5) Don't assume you'll be able to bag any flight you like - redeeming often requires flexibility. Full help in Top Airline Credit Cards. (APR Examples.)

10 things about work, life & money graduates (everyone?) should know. Read Martin's latest blog.

East Coast trains £10 credit with £2 paper. Grab a Sunday Telegraph and register online. 10k avail. Tunnel vision

Hot sales. George & BHS up to 50% off, Office up to 40% off & more...
Laura Ashley 30% off | Office up to 40% off brands | George at Asda up to 50% off
Phase Eight 20% off | BHS up to 50% off | Wallis up to 30% off | Full list: High Street Sales

MSE job & intern opps. Join our deals researching team, or a 12-week paid editorial internship. See MSE Job Opps.


Click the titles for full info and all our top picks
Gas & Electricity Bank Accounts Home Insurance Landlines
Compare, switch & get cashback

Cheap Energy Club
£30 dual fuel

Energyhelpline*
£15 per switch

MoneySupermarket*
£30 dual fuel

uSwitch*
£40 wine voucher

First Direct*
£100 bonus and top cust service


Santander 123*
Up to 3% cashback on bills

(£2 per month fee)
Get quotes in this order...

Confused.com*
Compare The Market*
Direct Line*
Aviva*

Post Office*
with weekend calls
£10/mth (pay a yr upfront)



BT Line Rental Saver*
£11.75/mth (pay a yr upfront)
Do a Money Makeover Budget Planner MSE car sticker £15 Travel Insurance

Restaurant vouchers

Discount vouchers

Top deals

The Moneysaving community
The MoneySaving Community

CAMPAIGN OF THE WEEK
Share stuff with your street

Streetbank allows you to share skills, borrow bits and bobs, or give away unused goodies to people in your community. Find out what's in your neighbourhood and save money for yourself and your street. Let us know ways you've saved and shared in the MSE forum.

We've a new tweeter - @MSE_ArchnaL (our energy geek). Follow her along with @MoneySavingExp, @MartinSLewis, @MSE_Deals, @MSE_Forum, @MSE_GuyAnker and @MSE_DanPlant.

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA
Should I make homemade presents that won't be appreciated?

This week's MoneySaver who wants advice asks... My husband and I have very little to spend this Christmas. So to cut costs, I'm making presents. But my husband says his younger brothers wouldn't appreciate anything homemade - he's suggested we buy them vouchers. We probably could, using the money saved on other people's presents, but even though I've no idea what to make them, it's not very fair. Should we just buy the vouchers, or insist everyone is treated the same? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should we buy husband's brothers vouchers? | Suggest an MMD | View Past MMDs

THE GREAT HUNT
Christmas jobs - who's recruiting?
Big retailers are looking for Christmas temps. So share your pearls of wisdom on where and how best to apply and which firms are good to work for. Share yours/read others': Christmas jobs Past topics: View all

BOOK GIVEAWAY
Gardening for Profit.
25 blagged for MoneySavers. Want one?

THE GREAT HUNT... REVEALED
Getting a bit on the side... revisited

As well as the more obvious income-boosters, such as selling items on eBay/at car boot sales, MoneySavers invigilate exams, write reviews and deliver takeaways to earn extra cash. Teaching an instrument can be a nice earner too, though if you're as popular as LisaJane, you could find you get more business than you can cope with...
Related: Boost Your Income

CHEAP FLIGHT SALES ALERT
Airline: Aer Lingus Price: From £26.99 Ends: 30 Apr 2014
This week's pick is Aer Lingus's from £26.99 sale. It's for flights to Ireland from 15 UK airports between 1 Dec 2013 and 30 Apr 2014, incl some taxes & charges. We found Newcastle-Dublin flights for £29.99. To find flights quickly, use the FlightChecker on a £30 one-way max search. Extra charges warning: Avoid payment and check-in charges - see the Budget Airline Fee Fighting guide. Related: Cheap Flights, Cheap Hotels, Spending Abroad, Cheap Currency, Travel Insurance

Quick forum tips

Freebies

Martin's blogs

Martin's appearances

14 November
Daybreak, ITV, 7.35am-7.45am.
Deals of the Week.
14 November
Shelagh Fogarty, Radio 5 Live, 12pm-1pm.
Consumer Panel.
Listen to past shows.
15 November
This Morning, ITV, 10.30am-12.30pm.
Money Talks with Martin Lewis.
Michael Barrymore faces Martin in the vault.
PS. Missed The Martin Lewis Money Show Christmas Special? Catch up on ITV Player.  

MSE team corner

Discussion of the week

£200 bike for commute to work

Cycling makes for a cheaper commute but a decent set of wheels is a must. Help forumite underhanded make the right choice in the Bike for commute to work discussion.

Cheap travel money

UK's Best Currency Rates
£100 will buy you:
Best Worst
Euro Flag 118.05 108.07
US Flag $ 158.30 145.07
Turkish Flag TL 317.50 291.80
Rates correct at 4pm Tue
Find all top currency rates
Compare travel cash

This week's poll: Have you put your heating on yet?

Winter's coming and energy companies are hiking their prices. So have you turned your heating on at home yet?

Poll results

Which firms have you haggled best with on the phone?
The AA remains the easiest company to haggle with, with nine out of 10 voters reporting success cutting their costs.

- 90% haggled & won with the AA.
- 82% with Sky & TalkTalk.

2,605 people voted. See the full results.

Question of the week

Q: My iPhone 5 doesn't come close to the suggested battery capabilities, does this breach the "fit for purpose" and "as described" under the Sale of Goods Act? Lance, by email

MSE Helen S's A: The Sale of Goods Act says goods should follow the SAD FART rules - be of Satisfactory quality, As Described, Fit for purpose And last a Reasonable length of Time. If your phone's not meeting one of these standards - for example, the average battery life described by its manufacturer, then it's likely to not be "as described".

Collect some evidence of the problem - check the manufacturer's expected battery life for various functions, and compare this to how long your battery's lasting when you're using those functions. If it consistently falls short, use this to back up your case - though remember if you're downloading apps or gaming all day, you might not expect a lengthy battery life.

If you bought the phone in-store, take it back there, and ask them to investigate it. If you bought online, you need to contact the seller there. If it's within 28 days of purchase, most retailers will give a no-quibble refund/replacement if they agree the phone's faulty. If it's been longer, you still have rights to a repair, replacement or refund (possibly only partial) if the phone's got a fault - follow the steps in our How To Complain guide to reach a satisfactory conclusion.

Please suggest a question of the week (we can't reply to individual emails).

 Debs' free game of the week: Troll Cannon

How Northern are you?

That's it for this week, but before you say "ta-ra, chuck", have a crack at this series of questions, including "wheear 'ast tha bin sin' ah saw thee?", in the North-o-meter quiz to see whereabouts in England you belong.

We hope you save some money,

Martin & the MSE team

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As we believe transparency is important, we're including the following 'un-affiliated' web-addresses for content too:

Unaffiliated web-addresses for links in this email

americanexpress.com, capitalone.co.uk, ebay.co.uk, amazon.co.uk, tesco.com, npower.com, edfenergy.com, firstdirect.com, santander-products.co.uk, nationwide.co.uk, moneysupermarket.com, barclaycard.co.uk, lloydsbank.com, gocompare.com, google.co.uk, directline.com, aviva.co.uk, admiral.com, sainsburysbank.co.uk, postoffice.co.uk, avios.com, energyhelpline.com, uswitch.com, confused.com, comparethemarket.com, bt.com.

Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) Note

Referring people to insurers or insurance intermediaries can in some circumstances constitute an FCA regulated activity. For this reason, pages with links which take you to the sites of insurers or insurance intermediaries are hosted by MoneySavingExpert.com Limited on behalf of MoneySupermarket.com Group PLC. MoneySupermarket.com Financial Group Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN: 303190). The registered office address of both MoneySupermarket.com Group PLC and MoneySupermarket.com Financial Group Limited is MoneySupermarket House, St. David’s Park, Ewloe, Chester, CH5 3UZ.

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