Published: 11 May 2012
Consumer Focus, the UK postal watchdog, is calling for improvements to the new Post Office Local (PO Local) model, if it is to work better for consumers. The call comes as a new report from the watchdog – ‘Open all hours’ – shows that while the new model has potential benefits, there are unresolved problems [...]
Published: 11 May 2012
Consumer Focus, the UK postal watchdog, is calling for improvements to the new Post Office Local (PO Local) model, if it is to work better for consumers. The call comes as a new report from the watchdog – ‘Open all hours’ – shows that while the new model has potential benefits, there are unresolved problems [...]
Published: 30 April 2012
A new report ‘A front office for government services’ by Consumer Focus Post, the postal consumer champion in Northern Ireland (NI), says post offices could and should be providing more key government services. This would have dual benefits of improving access to services for consumers and increasing the sustainability of the post office network that [...]
Published: 27 March 2012
Responding to the news of stamp prices announced today, Kellin McCloskey, Head of Postal Policy at Consumer Focus Post said: ‘This is not great news for consumers. I doubt anyone is going to think about the challenges facing Royal Mail when they are paying 60p for a first class stamp. Unfortunately, the economics of Royal [...]
Published: 15 March 2012
A new report published today by Consumer Focus Post – called ‘Letter Lockout’1 – explores the nature and extent of mail delivery problems experienced by consumers living in flats across Northern Ireland. While most residents of flats express high levels of satisfaction with their postal service provided by Royal Mail, the new findings also reveal [...]
Published: 9 March 2012
Responding to Post Office Limited’s plans for a network transformation programme which will turn 6,000 branches across the UK, including Northern Ireland, into Post Office ‘Locals’ and ‘Mains’1, Kellin McCloskey, Head of Postal Policy, Consumer Focus Post said: ‘The Post Office network needs to be put on a firm footing for the future, so it [...]
Published: 1 March 2012
Commenting on the system problems experienced in Post Offices today, Kellin McCloskey, Head of Postal Policy at Consumer Focus Post, said: ‘We are concerned that this is the fourth major service interruption in the Post Office’s electronic systems in nine months. We will be meeting with Post Office Limited to understand how the problem will [...]
Published: 6 February 2012
A new report published today by Consumer Focus Post – called ‘Consumer Friendly Post Offices?’1 – examines how well the Post Office network is meeting the needs of Northern Ireland consumers. The new findings show that post offices are well-used and valued, with four in 10 consumers visiting the post office once a week, increasing [...]
Published: 24 January 2012
Responding to the news that Royal Mail and Post Office Limited (POL) have agreed a commercial arrangement that will provide a significant amount of security for the network over the next ten years, Kellin McCloskey, Head of Postal Policy at Consumer Focus Post said: ‘We welcome this announcement by Edward Davey – a ten year [...]
Published: 5 December 2011
Consumer Focus Post is calling for people to think about posting cards and presents and ordering online Christmas shopping earlier this year. Many people may be risking Christmas disappointment by posting their Christmas mail and doing their online Christmas shopping at the last minute. Kellin McCloskey, Head of Postal Policy at Consumer Focus Post said: [...]
Published: 24 October 2011
Responding to Simon Hamilton MLA’s call today for drivers in Northern Ireland to be allowed to renew their car tax online, Kellin McCloskey, Head of Postal Policy at Consumer Focus Post, ‘Consumers in Northern Ireland need a range of options for renewing their car tax, or indeed accessing any government service. Access both online and [...]
Published: 20 October 2011
Responding to Ofcom proposals on regulation of the postal service, Kellin McCloskey, Head of Postal Policy, Consumer Focus Post, said: ‘The proposals made by Ofcom today suggest major change for the future of Northern Ireland’s postal service. We must ensure the right balance between putting Royal Mail on a stable footing and ensuring value and [...]
Published: 15 September 2011
New research released today by Consumer Focus1 shows that people are unconvinced and unimpressed by Royal Mail proposals to leave post with a neighbour if they are not home. With the high level of consumer concern – and one in five people unhappy for any of their neighbours to receive any of their post – [...]
Published: 27 May 2011
In response to Royal Mail’s performance statistics published today, Chris Thirkettle, Head of Postal Policy Consumer Focus Post, said: ‘We cannot judge whether Royal Mail has failed to meet its service targets from this data. Royal Mail uses figures it has adjusted to take account of disruption from snow and volcanic ash. These adjustments have [...]
Published: 4 March 2011
The Department for Work and Pensions has today announced1 it will award the contract for paying out benefits cheques to Paypoint instead of Post Office Limited. The contract is worth in the region of almost £0.83million2 a year to the Post Office in Northern Ireland and 19,8553 vulnerable people collect their benefits in this way. [...]
Published: 24 November 2010
Consumers in the UK could potentially save a whopping £67.5million this Christmas if they send all their greetings cards by second class post instead of first class, says Consumer Focus Post. According to Royal Mail, 750 million festive greetings will be posted between friends and family this year. With first class stamps costing 41p and [...]
Published: 23 May 2012
Energy Secretary Edward Davey has today published practical advice for energy consumers looking to get a better deal on their gas and electricity deals through ‘collective switching’, and guidance for organisations wanting to launch their own collective energy purchasing schemes. Businesses, consumer groups, local government groups, housing organisations, charities and energy regulator Ofgem also attended [...]
Published: 22 May 2012
Commenting on the Office of Fair Trading’s action against Wonga regarding its debt collection practices, Sarah Brooks, Director of Financial Services at Consumer Focus said: ‘Payday loan company marketing is very good at presenting the products as being easy, simple and transparent. This action by the OFT shows that beneath all the gloss, when things [...]
Published: 22 May 2012
Adam Scorer, Director of Policy and External Affairs at Consumer Focus, said: ‘Customers will clearly have had very high expectations of any firm that dubbed itself the “fifth emergency service” and Homeserve must live up to its promises. ‘It is very welcome that the FSA is investigating the accusations Homeserve faces of misselling. Homeserve has [...]
Published: 22 May 2012
Sarah Brooks, Director of Financial Services at Consumer Focus said: ‘A record increase in complaints to the Ombudsman and the high number of upholds show consumers clearly need improvements in how they are being treated by banks and insurers. Outside of PPI it is disappointing that the number of banking complaints only fell by one per [...]
Published: 22 May 2012
Commenting ahead of the publication of the draft Energy Bill today, Audrey Gallacher, Director of Energy at Consumer Focus, said: ‘The Government has a difficult and complicated challenge ahead of it in getting the Energy Bill right. It must walk a fine line between balancing the need to make our energy supply more secure and [...]
Published: 10 May 2012
Consumer watchdog sets out moves needed to make post office changes work better for customers Consumer Focus Scotland is calling for improvements to the new Post Office Local (PO Local) model, if it is to work better for consumers. The call comes as a new report from the watchdog – ‘Open all hours’ – shows [...]
Published: 11 April 2012
Responding to moves announced by the Deputy Prime Minister today (Weds 11 April) to help customers to get the best deal from their energy supplier, Trisha McAuley, Deputy Director of energy watchdog Consumer Focus Scotland, said: ‘There are some good ideas here. For example transferring customers to the best deal when their contract comes to [...]
Published: 10 April 2012
Scotland’s consumer watchdog says Community Benefit Funds from renewables can help tackle fuel poverty and improve energy efficiency Hundreds of thousands of pounds paid by renewable energy developers to local communities could be invested in improving energy efficiency and helping take thousands more Scottish homes out of fuel poverty. In a report published today, Reaping [...]
Published: 27 March 2012
Responding to the news of stamp prices announced today, Trisha McAuley, Deputy Director at Consumer Focus Scotland, said: ‘This is not great news for consumers in Scotland. I doubt anyone is going to think about the challenges facing Royal Mail when they are paying 60p for a first class stamp. Unfortunately, the economics of Royal [...]
Published: 15 March 2012
Rural residents ready for ‘switch’ to renewables 21st century heating in rural homes [Includes West Highland Housing Association Case Study] People living in rural Scotland are being encouraged to install renewable heating devices in their homes if they are not connected to the gas grid. Research by Scotland’s consumer watchdog, Consumer Focus Scotland, is to [...]
Published: 21 May 2012
Our recent research shows there is a need for change within the private rented sector, and it is pleasing to see that this need has been identified by the Welsh Government in their housing White Paper.
Published: 26 April 2012
Consumer Focus Wales is calling on park homes site owners and their representatives to work with them to help improve living conditions for residents. The consumer champion has spoken to every local authority and more than 250 park home owners across Wales. Now they are asking for site owners and [1]industry bodies to participate in [...]
Published: 11 April 2012
New proposals for changes to the consumer landscape were announced today by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. The Citizens Advice service will take on responsibility from Consumer Focus for representing consumers’ interests in unregulated sectors across Wales and England. This will leave a new, technical Regulated Industries Unit working with the energy and [...]
Published: 27 March 2012
‘There have been great strides in food safety, with the Welsh Government promising to make it law for the mandatory display of food hygiene ratings on food business premises. But we are disappointed that a year on from our last report, the Food Standards Agency food law enforcement review, commissioned by the Welsh Government, has yet to be published. It is 12 months overdue – this simply isn’t good enough for consumers in Wales.
Published: 27 March 2012
‘This is not great news for consumers... Unfortunately, the economics of Royal Mail meant that something had to give to maintain the Universal Service Obligation (USO).'
CF Labs, Consumer Focus’s online innovation department, has developed the StayPrivate website to help consumers stay in control of junk mail and cold calling. Registration is free and quick.
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