News and discussion of consumer affairs
now playing
04/10/2023
Gap Finders: Oliver Montague from Swytch, the electric bike conversion kit
Gap Finders: Oliver Montague from Swytch, the electric bike conversion kit.
Temu Data Sharing, Paying with Cash, HS2 Cancellation
Temu data sharing warning. The rise in cash payments. HS2 cancellation in the north.
Call You & Yours: Private health care
We'd like to know if you've paid for private health care.
Facebook Car Scams; NFT Crash; Pension Withdrawals
Lifting the lid on Facebook Marketplace fake car ads.
Gap Finders: Marjorie Hayward who's combatting loneliness
This week's Gap Finder is Marjorie Hayward the founder of charities that combat loneliness
Supermarket Loyalty Cards, Killer Cows and ADHD Medicine Shortages
Are supermarkets using loyalty card discounts to hide price rises?
Call You & Yours: How are you going to pay your energy bills this winter?
Scam a Scammer; Affordable Art; Scrappage Scheme
The woman who played the scammers at their own game.
Gap Finders - Mariella Satow from Sign Up Captions
Meet the uni student who brought sign language to Disney + and Netflix for the first time.
Scam Season: Heat Pumps and Travel Insurance
In our series on scams this week we examine what's known as The Spell.
Call You and Yours: Have you ever been put under the spell of someone trying to scam you?
Scam Season, Smart Meters and Customer Service
We find out what it takes to break the psychological spell scammers cast on their victims.
Under the Spell
Under the spell of criminals. How a couple lied to banks trying to protect them from fraud
First-time Buyers, Safe Hands Investigation and Garden 'Pub-sheds'
As first-time buyer woes mount up, is home owning just for elites?
Call You and Yours - Christmas Spending
Call You and Yours - covering the cost of Christmas?
Ticket Office U-turns, Estate Agents, and Electric Cars
What does the U-turn on the planned closure of rail ticket offices mean for passengers?
Gap Finders - Layla Sargent from The Seam
Winifred Robinson hears from Layla Sargent, founder of The Seam, an online repair service.
Student landlords; NS& I woes; Holiday trends
The race to find student digs as more landlords sell up because of high mortgage rates.
Call You and Yours: NHS Waiting Lists
How are NHS waiting lists affecting you and your family?
Stolen House, Banking Hubs and Coffee
What's happened to the banking hubs planned to plug the gap left by bank branch closures
Gap Finders: Ed Perry and Rosie Brown from COOK
Today's Gap Finders are Ed Perry and Rosie Brown from COOK.
Shop workers, M&S, Drip pricing
A charity representing shop workers say half of staff feel unsafe. We find out why.
Call You and Yours: Private Parking Firms
On today's phone-in we're asking what's your experience of private parking firms?
Stealing Fuel, Advent Calendars, Black Friday Tactics
Why independent stores are banking on Advent calendars this Christmas.
Gap Finders: Kate Stewart
Today's Gap Finder is Kate Stewart, an entrepreneur from Liverpool.
Full Fibre Broadband, Standing Charges and Stolen Houses
We find out why getting the fastest broadband can be an excruciatingly slow process.
Call You and Yours: Black Friday
Is it worth shopping in the Black Friday Sales?
High Street Struggles, Giving Tuesday and Meat Substitutes
Sales have dived at the world's largest meat-substitute makers, has fake meat had its day?
Gap Finders: Sach Kukadia from luxury jewellery brand 7879
Today's Gap Finders is Sach Kukadia from luxury jewellery brand 7879.
Leasehold Reform, Luxury Brands and Parcel Deliveries
Michael Gove is reforming leasehold. Will it be enough?
Call You and Yours: Housing Market
What's your experience of the property market like right now?
Charity Shop Sales, Using a Lasting Power of Attorney and Christmas Wine
Charity shops say they are losing out to booming online second-hand clothes websites.
Gap Finders: Thomas Gibson from Noted Aromas
Today's Gap Finder is Thomas Gibson the founder of Noted Aromas.
Rent Trap; Fake Banking App Scam; Theatre Behaviour
New fake bank app scam warning.
Call You and Yours: Smart Meters
How are you getting on with your smart meter?
Ofgem, Student Accommodation and Gaming
We meet one of the energy regulator’s bosses, Tim Jarvis.
Gap Finders: Amber Probyn and Hazel McShane from Peequal
Baby Banks; Gazundering; Used Cars
Increasing demand for baby banks.
Call You and Yours: It's an Online World
How are you coping in an increasingly online world?
Private medical cannabis clinics, Pet Christmas presents, Size of cars
The number of people turning to private medical cannabis prescriptions is increasing.
Gap Finders: Zip World co-founder Sean Taylor
BNPL, Police scam puppet, Foraging for Christmas
Debt charities concern over Christmas buy now pay later spending.
Call You and Yours: Christmas decorations
Call You and Yours: How are you getting your home ready for Christmas?
Christmas Coaches, Million Dollar Lover and the Rise of Craft
The coach companies cashing on rail misery this Christmas.
Gap Finders - Matthew Glover from Veganuary
Meet the co-founder of the Veganuary movement.
Pubs for sale; Food supply fears; E-scooter confusion
Big increase in pubs up for sale as more landlords call time
Call You and Yours : Have your spending habits changed?
Call You & Yours: Have your spending habits changed?
Childcare Fees; CES; Kids Skincare
Why some parents eligible for help with childcare are worried they won't get it.
Gap Finders - Steven Smith, founder of Poundland
Today's Gap Finder is Steven Smith, the founder of discount chain Poundland.
Fake Car Hire Companies, M&S and First-time Buyers
Criminals are using fake car hire firms to lumber innocent people with fines.
Call You & Yours: Prescription Medicine Shortage
Call You & Yours: Are you having difficulty getting hold of prescription medicines?
Fake Vets; Loan Charge, Car Finance Mis-selling
Alarm bells over the rapid rise of dog fertility clinics.
Gap Finders - Ramona Hazan from Ramona's
Ramona Hazan, the founder of Ramona's, talks about the gap she found for houmous.
Cost of Care; Holiday Scams; Customer Service from Energy Suppliers
What help is there for social care bills?
Call You and Yours: Paying for Care
Call You & Yours: We want to know, how are you paying for care costs?
Loan Shark Funerals, Criminal Car Crimes and Nectar Card Cloning
Loan shark funerals, criminal car crimes and Nectar card cloning.
Gap Finders: Daniel Attia the founder of Yopa and Creature Comforts
Today's guest is Daniel Attia the founder of Yopa and new vet service Creature Comforts.
Stolen Loyalty Points, EV Charging and Unexpected Deliveries
Points used to mean discounts but for some loyalty scheme members that’s not the case.
Call You and Yours: How are smoking and vaping affecting you, your family and your friends?
How are smoking and vaping affecting you, your family and your friends?
Pharmacy First, Home Batteries and Seaside Downsizers.
Will new rules on prescriptions help halt closures of pharmacies on the high street?
Squats and Shoplifting
Shari Vahl uncovers the role 'squats' play for criminal gangs operating shoplifting rings.
Train Fares; Banking Vans; Crochet and Knitting
There are more options for getting train tickets but choosing can be difficult.
Call You and Yours - EVs
Does EV driving work for you right now?
Mid-contract Price RIses, Northern Ireland Consumers and Michelin Awards
How do telecom companies justify raising prices mid-contract?
Gap Finders - Jonny 'Bongo'
How a game of Bingo changed a night out into a new experience.
Landline overcharging, Water Bills & Gaming
BT is fighting a claim that it overcharged millions of landline customers.
Call You and Yours: Are you getting good value for money from your water company?
Ryanair vs booking sites, Auto renewal insurance and Fitbits
Why have some online travel sites stopped selling Ryanair flights?
Gap Finders - Love Said
Two women share how they've filled a gap in support for victims of romance fraud.
Food Halls; Boilers; Driving Theory Tests
Food halls have been doing well in recent years, but are they starting to struggle?
20/02/2024
Lasting Power of Attorney, Mobile Phone Sales and EV Home Chargers
Why is it sometimes so difficult to use lasting power of attorney at your bank?
Gap Finders - Fix Radio
We hear from the man who founded a radio station specially for tradespeople.
Building Regulations, 60+ House Shares and De-Banking
A new scheme to improve building control is reported to be 'in chaos'. We find out why.
Call You and Yours - New Build Homes
What's your experience of new build homes?
Auto Renew Insurance Response, Fashion Retail and Hotel Boom
Why are hotels booming in the middle of a cost of living crisis?
Gap Finders - Dave Fishwick
We talk to the man who found a gap in the banking industry.
Charity Shops; World Book Day Costumes, Hybrid Cars
How have charity shops changed over the last 25 years. Can you still get quality bargains?
Call You and Yours: What do you spend money on that makes you happy?
What do you spend money on that makes you happy?
Gap Finders - David Lorenz
We talk to the man behind the idea to 'upcycle' cars – and bin lorries.
Companies House Crackdown; Skincare Trends; Garden Offices
Companies House clampdown on fake firms. Scientific skincare. Do garden offices add value?
Call You and Yours: Do you get value for money from your vet?
Call You and Yours: Are you getting value for money from your vet?
Term Time Holidays, Water and Publicity Stunts
Fines for taking family holidays in term time will rise. What impact will this have?
Gap Finders - Ruby Raut from WUKA
We speak to the Ruby Raut who created the UK’s first period pants company.
Dental Tourism, Student Loans and Ticket Touts
More and more people are going abroad for emergency dental treatment. Would you?
Call You and Yours: Childcare
What are childcare services like in your area?
Inflation, Gig Tickets and Newbuild Mortgages
We delve into today's inflation numbers to find out what's fallen, what's risen and why.
Gap Finders - Sarah Dunning
We hear about how one family found a gap in motorway services.
Car club closures, ‘Not my debt!’ and celebrity brands
Insurance prices are pushing community car clubs to the brink.
Call You and Yours: Probate
Call You and Yours - what's your experience of probate?
Olympic Trips, Ultra-Processed Food and New Build Problems
Olympic trips, ultra-processed food and new-build problems.
Gap Finders - Jayne Sibley
We speak to a woman who has set up a new debit card for people with dementia.
The Cost of Living, Weddings and Downsizing
We look at the challenges of downsizing.
Call You & Yours Surge and Dynamic Pricing
Call You & Yours: Does so-called surge pricing, paying more at peak times, work for you?
Plan.com, village shops and solo travel
Plan.com, village shops and solo travel.
Gap Finders - Sasha Haco
We speak to a tech company that uses AI to moderate harmful internet content.
Buy Now Pay Later; White goods repairs; Luxury fashion sites
New data from buy-now-pay-later firm Klarna suggests 95% of purchases were paid on time
Call You and Yours: Can You Afford to Retire?
Can you afford to retire?
Mobile Data Contracts , "Un-banked" Communities and Fridge Magnets
The cold callers that sound like your mobile phone company but aren't!