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Aarrgh, Christmas is nearly here...
We've all last free delivery order dates & your rights if goods don't arrive E-tailers snare late shoppers by hiking delivery costs for Christmas. Beat 'em - we've got the top Last Online Order Dates to get free or cheapest delivery.
| The top 20 retailers' last free or cheap order dates for Xmas | | Retailer | Cheapest delivery | Until | Price after | Final order date | Click & collect orders until? | Link | | Amazon | Free | 19 Dec | £8.99 | 23 Dec | 23 Dec | Amazon* | | Amazon Prime* newbies get free next-day till 23 Dec (cancel after free 30 day trial). | | Apple | £80+ Free | 20 Dec | N/A | 20 Dec | N/A | Apple* | | Argos (big items) | £8.95 | 20 Dec | N/A | 20 Dec | 24 Dec | Argos* | | Argos (small) | £3.95 | 22 Dec | N/A | 22 Dec | 24 Dec | Argos* | | Asda Direct (small) | Free | 19 Dec | £4.50 | 20 Dec | 23 Dec | Asda Direct* | | B&Q | £5 | 23 Dec | N/A | 23 Dec | 23 Dec | B&Q* | | Boots | £2.95 | 21 Dec | N/A | 21 Dec | 23 Dec | Boots* | | Currys | Free | 20 Dec | £5-£22 | 23 Dec | 24 Dec | Currys* | | Debenhams | £3.99 | 18 Dec | £4.99 | 23 Dec | 18 Dec | Debenhams* | | John Lewis | £3 | 21 Dec | £6.95 | 22 Dec | 22 Dec | John Lewis* | | M&S | £3.50 | 19 Dec | £4.95 | 22 Dec | 22 Dec | M&S* | | New Look | £3.95 | 22 Dec | £4.95 | 22 Dec | 18-20 Dec | New Look* | | Next | £3.99 | 22 Dec | N/A | 22 Dec | 23 Dec | Next | | River Island | £3.95 | 19 Dec | N/A | 19 Dec | 19 Dec | River Island | | Tesco Direct | Free | 19 Dec | N/A | 19 Dec | 22 Dec | Tesco Direct* | | The Entertainer | £2.99 | 18 Dec | £4.99 | 23 Dec | 24 Dec | Entertainer* | | Ticketmaster | £2 | 20 Dec | £7.50 | 23 Dec | N/A | Ticketmaster* | | Topshop | £4 | 20 Dec | £6 | 22 Dec | 21 Dec | Topshop | | Toys 'R' Us | £4.95 | 19 Dec | £6.95 | 20 Dec | N/A | Toys R Us* | | Very | £3.95 | 23 Dec | N/A | 23 Dec | Varies | Very |
FULL LIST: See a day-by-day list of the top e-tailers' Last Cheapest Order Dates. Bad weather could mean earlier cut-offs, so order as early as possible. Presents haven't arrived by the big day? YOUR RIGHTS.  By law, delivery only needs to be "within a reasonable time", which could be up to 30 days - no use for Xmas. For you to get a refund if an item doesn't arrive in time, the retailer must have stated goods will arrive by the 25th. If you can't prove this, you've no comeback.
Get a refund on any online order. You've extra rights when you buy via the web. The Distance Selling Regulations mean you can send most things back (not personalised items) within 7 days of receipt for your money back. So if you need something by Xmas, and it doesn't come, that's an option.
Buying in-store? Try saying 'time is of the essence'. If buying furniture or anything else substantial in a shop, get 'em to agree to a delivery deadline marked 'time is of the essence'. Then you'll get a load of extra rights if things go wrong. Full info in Time Is Of The Essence.
Time off work for a no-show delivery? Make 'em pay. You can't claim compensation straight away, but if you must take ANOTHER day (or hours) off for a new delivery slot, that's consequential loss, so you can argue for payback for hours lost. Matty-art got "£150 for multiple cancelled deliveries. It's well worth persisting". FREE template letter and help in Failed Delivery.
PS. I'm off on other projects this week so this email is in the overly-competent hands of the MSE team. Martin |
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| Wed 18 Dec 2013 |
£12 winter sports travel insurance
Skiing, snowboarding or just winter sun - buy cover as soon as you book. Single trip from £12, annual £22
Leave buying insurance on the to-do list and you risk no cover against cancellation - risky in the bad weather season. Full details in Cheap Travel Insurance - here's a taster.... - Do you need winter sports cover? If your policy ain't got it, you won't usually be covered for ski/snowboard accidents, which can cost £1,000s, or lost/stolen gear & cancelled passes (check T&Cs carefully, even if you've cover). Going off-piste or extreme, such as luging or stunt skiing? Try BMC or Snowcard (but they're not cheap).
- Annual or single trip? Go away more than once a year and an annual policy could be cheapest, starting at £13 or £22 incl winter sports. If this is your only break, single-trip starts at £7, £12 incl winter sports - use MoneySupermarket* to find your best. If travelling in the EU, always carry an EHIC for emergencies.
- £22/year winter sports cover. If you've time to compare, MoneySup* sometimes has these cheaper.
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| M&S up to 50% off Xmas gifts, cards, wrap & decorations. Plus up to 30% off clothing & beauty. M&S Deals 40% off Brantano code (incl Nike, Adidas, Clarks). Works on full price and sale items. Brantano Deals Last chance. Cheapest EVER loan - 4.5% APR. If borrowing £9,000 to £15,000, Santander* offers 4.5% rep APR till 11.59pm tonight (Wed). Always budget & check you can afford to repay. Full info: Cheap Loans £106 12-bottle Virgin Wines case £40. Go quick for Xmas. Plus £40 off £60 Naked Wines. Both newbies only. Wine Deals. Be Drinkaware. £169 Kindle Fire HDX (was £199). Till 2 Jan. We've not seen this new model cheaper, go quick if you want. Kindle |
Speak to friends and family worldwide for free this Christmas
Chat for nowt via the web | Or our unique CallChecker finds cheapest phone calls for EVERY country Call a mobile in Australia on BT in the day and it's £36/hour, Virgin's £49/hr. If reading this you're almost certainly online, so use web tools to smash these costs, or even get calls free. Even offline, you can use your phone to call for 0.5p/min.  Calling someone online? Do it free. If you're both online - whether on a mobile, computer or tablet - and have the same app such as Skype, Vtok, Viber or FaceTime (for Apple devices) you can call (sometimes by video) free. Use wi-fi though, as using mobile internet data can cost. FULL top apps help: Free Web Calls- Calling someone offline? Instantly find cheapest USA, Oz, India, etc prices. Our free International CallChecker finds the cheapest way to make a traditional phone call to each country from landlines or mobiles. Once found, dial the prefix, then the normal number, and it's billed to your home phone. They're no-frills, so don't expect quality service, just low prices.
Don't believe the Skype hype - it's not always the cheapest for paid-for calls. If you call the US, the cheapest providers charge just 0.5p/min (45p/hour incl connection charge) whereas Skype costs 1.7p/min. back to top ↑ |
| £5 off £40 at Aldi (incl turkeys). Vch in paper today (Wed) - turkeys cost £38ish so add trimmings, get £5 off. Aldi 'JAN' SALES NOW: Asos & Kurt Geiger up to 50% off & more...
Wallis up to 50% off | Kurt Geiger up to 50% off | Asos up to 50% off | Argos up to 50% off toys
Ikea sale starts Thu | Gap up to 50% off | Habitat up to 50% off Full list: High Street Sales £10 champers. Now at Lidl, Aldi and Asda - we've updated our Champagne Deals. Please be Drinkaware. £10 cashback in-store at H Samuel, Jack Wills, TM Lewin - no min spend. Via app. Quidco |
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| Play Seek Santa (and his reindeers) - 9x£100 prizes, 1x£200. At 11am Thu, nine reindeers and one Santa will be hidden around the site. First to find each bags a prize. Play Seek Santa (you need to join the forum first, it's free). Codes... Body Shop 50% off, Evans 25% off, Miss Selfridge 20% off & more...
Body Shop 50% off code & vch | Bonmarché £5 off £30 code | Ann Summers 20% off code
The Works 20% off code | Evans 25% off code | Miss Selfridge 20% off code | Full list: Discount vouchers £15 hyacinths gift bag for £5.65 delivered. 7,000 available. Order by Thurs for Christmas. Thompson & Morgan New. Stream millions of FREE music tracks on mobile/tablet. Spotify free (with ads) now available on mobiles - previously only the £10/mth Premium version was. Spotify |
10 last-minute Christmas money & time savers
Only a week to go, but don't panic - there's still time to have a good time at a good price It's the final countdown (der-der-der-derrr). Yet don't let go of the MoneySaving - here's a sackful of last minute tips:  1. Slash perfume costs. Compare now, don't wait for Xmas Eve. Top deals in Cheap Perfume.
2. Don't give tat. See our Charity Gifts list, incl the Gift of Sight, where £8 buys an eye op.
3. Beware gift cards. If the retailer goes bust, you'll likely lose cash. See Gift Card Warning.
4. Delay Xmas. If you're buying a big-ticket item (LCD TV, Xbox), use our Xmas IOU Certificate Generator to tell your family you're waiting for the sales.
5. 30 sub-£5 gifts for grown-ups. Lots of fab ideas in Festive Fivers, including 12 Dates of Xmas.
6. Give time, not money. Use our Free Xmas Cheques to promise your partner an, ahem, massage or babysit for a pal.
7. Downshift your turkey. 'Finest' isn't always best at the supermarket. For Martin's TV show, he held a blind Xmas taste-test. They preferred cheaper brands or couldn't tell the difference 62% of the time. Try the Downshift Challenge.
8. Don't spend Tesco vouchers on food. See Boost Tesco Vouchers to get up to 4x value on rewards, or double-up at Tesco.
9. 15 festive £5 ideas for kids. Young kids care how fun it is, not how much it costs. Our 15 Festive Fivers for Kids can help.
10. Free personalised Santa video. Enter a few details & Santa gives bespoke words of wisdom. See Free Santa Vid.
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Show Best Buys
£20 Debenhams, M&S, Toys 'R' Us gift cards for £13.50. Newbies only via cashback site. Forum Hottie. Moleskine journals £3.10 (usually £21.50). Fab pet or fashion-themed stocking fillers. Moleskine UK hotel sales: YHA hostels up to 40% off code | £25 Travelodge (early heads-up). Plus £50 a night three/four-star Bespoke Hotels (usually £90-£200, min 2 nights). Full rundown: Hotel Sales 60-piece Ferrero Rocher pyramid £12.50 (usually £25). It's back. In-store and online. Oooh, ambassador... |
Free £100 with no.1 bank account - be ready for 2014
You can kiss goodbye to your pants account and have a shiny new one in seven working days. Sort it now A new era for bank switching, launched in September, means all your direct debits & standing orders move within seven working days, while payments made to your old account will auto-forward, meaning less hassle. Here are the top deals.  £100 bribe to switch to top bank account. Some banks currently bribe you to join them. A few top deals below, full options in Bank Accounts. All do a credit check.
Free £100, top customer service & 6% linked savings. First Direct's* smashed every service poll we've done, 93% rate it 'great'. New switchers get £100, a £250 0% overdraft and a linked 6% regular saver account. Minimum pay-in £1,000/mth.
Cashback on bills and 3% savings. Santander 123* pays a huge 3% AER variable on £3,000 to £20,000, plus up to 3% cashback on phone, energy, council tax and its mortgages, dwarfing its £2/mth fee. Min pay-in £500/mth.
0% overdraft for a YEAR: Nationwide* FlexDirect gives 0% for 12mths. See that as respite to sort your finances and clear it, or there's a 50p/day overdraft fee after. No minimum pay-in for overdraft.- Is the 7-day switch really no hassle? Overall, feedback's been good. Forum user sar050680 was happy: "Switched from Lloyds to First Direct. Was a little worried payments would be missed but all my expectations have been met."
However, it's not all been plain sailing. Some told us direct debits haven't gone through and problems have been reported on switching joint accounts. Full help: 7-Day Switching Q&A back to top ↑ |
| Overpaying your mortgage in Dec could save £100s. Can work if interest calculated annually. See Dec overpay. FREE £10 A Place in the Sun London tickets. Olympia, 28-30 Mar. A Place in the Sun Deals Got a Tastecard? You CAN use it at La Tasca, Strada & GBK in Dec. Rare 2for1/50% off over Xmas. Full list
Show Best Buys |
| Show Vouchers and Top Deals |
Restaurant vouchers | Discount vouchers & sales | Top deals |
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 CAMPAIGN OF THE WEEK
Do energy companies deal well with dementia?
If you're affected by dementia, or care for someone who is, take this quick survey from the Alzheimer's Society to share your stories - whether about poor customer service, unhelpful staff or complicated bills - and help it create change. Then please share your dealing with dementia dilemmas on our forum. BOOK GIVEAWAY
The Little Book of Jokes for Kids of All Ages. 25 blagged for MoneySavers. Find out if you got one. MONEY MORAL DILEMMA
Should my replacement on theatre trip contribute to ticket cost?
This week's MoneySaver who wants advice asks... I was unwell, so unable to make a theatre visit. I asked the friend who organised it if she knew someone who wanted my ticket. She found a replacement, but neither she nor her friend offered money towards the ticket that I paid for. Should I broach it with them or assume I won't see any of the money? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should my replacement contribute to ticket cost? | Suggest an MMD | View Past MMDs MSE Charity community grant applications. The next funding round for charities and groups involved with financial and consumer education projects opens on Wed 1 Jan. Only the first 40 applications that meet the criteria are considered, so prepare your case now. This time, there are some restrictions on who can apply, so check first. Full info at The MSE Charity. Related: MSE's Charity Fund, How This Site's Financed THE GREAT HUNT
Which companies class adults as younger than 18?
We've noticed hotels, restaurants and airlines do this a lot to charge more. We want to tap MoneySavers' collective knowledge to find out which firms class 16-year-olds, 14-year-olds or younger children as grown-ups. Share yours/read others': Where are under-18s classed as adults? Past topics: View all 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 Jan and 30 Apr 2014, incl some taxes & charges. We found Gatwick-Dublin flights for £29.99. To find flights quickly, use 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 THE GREAT HUNT... REVEALED
Cheap Christmas wrapping ideas
There were loads of great, cheap wrapping tips in last week's Great Hunt thread, including using old newspapers to wrap, saving cellophane and tissue paper from flower bouquets to reuse at Christmas, and putting larger presents in pudding bin bags from Poundland. back to top ↑ |
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Martin's blogs | Martin's appearances - No appearances this week.
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MSE team corner - Team appearances:
- No team appearances this week.
| Discussion of the week How to get through Christmas Christmas can be stressful - especially when worrying how much to give your kids. Our forumites are helping Counting_Pennies work through these issues - share your experiences on the How to get through Christmas discussion. | Cheap travel money |
This week's poll: Would you cancel Christmas? It's nearly here. For some it conjures a picture of smiling children, fun, family and festive frivolity; for others it's stress, pressure, debts and chores.
So if we had a big CANCEL CHRISTMAS button that'd make it all disappear (and just add the days to your holiday entitlement), would you press it?
| Poll resultsHow much will this year's Christmas cost you?
Nearly a quarter of families with kids will spend over £1,000 this Christmas - but 38% of single voters will spend less than £200.
- 24% of families will spend £1,000+.
- 54% of couples will spend £400+.
- 8% of single voters will spend £50 or less.
12,997 voted. See the full results. |
Question of the week Q: I'm self-employed, can I get a mortgage? Roger, by email MSE Lesley's A: Yes, but you'll have to prove your income. The days of being able to 'self-certify' - where you stated what your income was without proof - are gone. Normally lenders want to see two or three years of accounts and/or tax returns - so if you've just set up your own business, it'll be a major struggle. If so, or you've complex income arrangements, your best option is to speak to an experienced broker. They should know which lenders to approach and the amount you'll likely be able to borrow, if at all. See our Mortgage Brokers guide. Please suggest a question of the week (we can't reply to individual emails). |
 Debs' free game of the week: Home Sheep Home |
Go on, elf yourself That's it for this week, but just in case you’ve missed out on any Christmas parties this year, then now’s the chance to join in the fun with your favourite folk. Take photos from your computer or Facebook - and Elf Yourself. We hope you save some money, Martin & the MSE team |
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What you need to know This info does not constitute financial advice, always do your own research on top to ensure it's right for your specific circumstances - and remember we focus on rates not service. We don't as a general policy investigate the solvency of companies mentioned, how likely they are to go bust, but there is a risk any company can struggle and it's rarely made public until it's too late (see the section 75 guide for protection tips). We often link to other websites, but we can't be responsible for their content. Always remember anyone can post on the MSE forums, so it can be very different from our opinion. Please read the Full Terms & Conditions, Privacy Policy, how this site is financed and Editorial Code. Martin Lewis is a registered trade mark belonging to Martin S Lewis. More about MoneySaving Expert and Martin Lewis What is MoneySavingExpert.com?
Founded in February 2003, it's now the UK's biggest consumer help website with over 6 million people getting this email and nearly 10m using the site. In September 2012 it became part of the MoneySupermarket Group PLC. Its focus is simple: how to save cash and fight for financial justice on anything and everything. The site has over 30 full time staff about half of whom are editorial researching, analysing and writing to continually find ways to save money. More info: See About MSE Who is Martin Lewis? Martin set up and runs MSE, he's an ultra-focused money saving journalist and consumer campaigner. He has regular slots on Daybreak, Lorraine, Radio 2 Vine, BBC1 Watchdog, Radio 5 Consumer panel and presents ITV Tonight. He is a columnist for amongst others the Sunday Post as well as an author. More info: See Martin Lewis' biog What do the links with a * mean? Any links with a * by them are affiliated, which means get a product via this link and a contribution may be made to MoneySavingExpert.com, which helps it stay free to use. You shouldn't notice any difference; the links don't impact the product at all and the editorial line (the things we write) isn't changed due to it. If it isn't possible to get an affiliate link for the best product, it's still included in the same way. More info: See how this site is financed. 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 amazon.co.uk, apple.com, argos.co.uk, asda.com, diy.com, boots.com, currys.co.uk, debenhams.com, johnlewis.com, marksandspencer.com, newlook.com, tesco.com, thetoyshop.com, ticketmaster.co.uk, toysrus.co.uk, moneysupermarket.com, coverwise.co.uk, holidaysafe.co.uk, protectyourbubble.com, direct-travel.co.uk, santander-products.co.uk, barclaycard.co.uk, lloydsbank.com, gocompare.com, google.co.uk, directline.com, aviva.co.uk, admiral.com, firstdirect.com, nationwide.co.uk, energyhelpline.com, uswitch.com, confused.com, comparethemarket.com, postoffice.co.uk, bt.com.
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