Dodgy Christmas Theme Park Warning

The crimes of Christmas past, sound like a line from Scrooge but, it is the time of year to be extra vigilant as some crooks try to blag the general public by creating a "Lapland Experience" or "Christmas extravaganza" on the cheap.


Some may remember the appalling The Lapland New Forest debacle widely known as the 'Winter Blunderland' or the less polite 'Crapland' from 2008. Where punters were ripped off to the tune of £25 and trading standards received 1300 complaints at the time. Numerous horror stories abound , like the report of a child being upset to find Santa puffing on a cigarette outside his grotto.
Just watch out for scams and if you can read some reviews or get the opinion of friends or family before you depart with your hard earned cash.

Dont get me wrong, there are good events to be had .Next weekend myself and my family will be going on the excellent North Pole Express on the Tanfield railway which is in the north east of England.This popular train ride to "Lapland" is often sold out months in advance.

Government Car and Van Scrappage Scheme

The car scrappage deal will not be around for ever. I would not hesitate if you have a steady job and feel you have mitigated most of your risk and you qualify go for it. Otherwise I can imagine you will regret not going for it when it is all over.
 

"In order to qualify for the governments’ £2,000 car scrappage saving discount you and the car dealership need to meet the following requirements:

1. The owner of the new car or van must be the same person who owned the scrapped car.
2. Your car must be over ten years old. Any vehicle offered must have been registered before 31st August 1999.
3. First registration date of new car must be Britain 18th May 2009 and there must be no previous owners of any description and should meet British specification only.  This excludes bargain priced cars unused and already pre-registered and unused foreign specification vehicles.
4. Trade-in a ten year old vehicle for a brand new car or van under 3,500 kg.
5. You will need a current MOT certificate.
6. Any car offered must have a valid DVLA registration documents in the name of the owner.
7. The owner must have owned the car for at least 12 months prior to trading-in the vehicle.
8. Car dealerships are required to contribute £1,000 towards the £2,000 discount being offered by the Treasury Department.
9. Participating car dealerships need to sign up to the Government incentive to be able to operate the scheme.
10. Initially it was thought that the vehicle should also be legally taxed and insured. After further clarification by the Telegraph Motoring, the SMMT have decided that neither a tax disc nor car insurance will be required.
11. All cars offered for scrap must be a car or van weighing up to 3,500 kgs.
12. The new car or van can originate from any motor manufacturer anywhere in the world.
13. The brand new vehicle should be fuel efficient and low-polluting."

See the full article at the source.
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Worked in the UK or abroad in the last few years? Get your tax back!

Most people who work abroad, and even in their home country, are due some kind of an income tax refund, but never check to find out. If you are one of those people, keep reading!

Average UK Tax Refunds are £963 Average Irish Tax Refunds are €840 Average Australia Tax Refunds are AU€2,500

How can you find out if you are eligible?

Taxback who are based in Dublin Ireland  are providing free income tax refund estimations for all Jobsite candidates. If you have worked in the UK or abroad, you may be eligible for a substantial refund. Students, part-timers, self-employed and contract workers are even more likely to be owed a larger amount.



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Co-Operative launches 5% fixed savings bond

The Co-operative Financial Services (CFS) has launched a new market-leading savings bond that offers customers a fixed rate of 5% for three years.
The Co-op is probably the most ethical of all the banks definitely worth having  a look at this bond.





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Top ten money saving tips for Car insurance offered

 Top ten tips from prudentminds.com

Recent research by Sainsbury's finance also found that the past 12 months have seen auto insurance companies in the UK hike premiums up by nearly 13 per cent year-on-year.

Drivers now pay an average annual sum of £551.74 to protect their car, a 12.95 per cent increase on 2008's figures of £448.48 and a hefty 23.31 per cent more than the costs of yearly auto insurance premiums in 2007.

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DIY Solar Panels - Save Money & The World

Might seem obvious but solar panels need quite a lot of sun to get a return on your investment.
If you live on the south coast happy days.

www.choice.com.au provide a good guide below

Before buying a solar panel:

• Improving the energy efficiency of your home can save you up to 30% on your bills – turning off appliances, using the dishwasher when full and purchasing energy-efficiency appliances.
• Check if the roof faces the right direction. Only north-facing panels will produce their full capacity.
• Find out what local council approval is needed. Increasingly, local councils also have advisors that can assist you with making the best decisions on solar.
• Determine what energy reduction you would like to achieve. Assess what energy you currently use and the capacity panel you need (and can afford).
• Do the sums to estimate the system’s payback time and the environmental difference it will make.
  
• Identify various providers/installers available. Seek quotes. Make sure the installer is accredited and that the panel meets the international standards. See

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Credit card repayments rocket

Sam Dun writes on the observer website

"Hundreds of thousands of credit card users are set to see the minimum repayment on their plastic rocket to £25, a move that could hurt households struggling to repay their debts." gadzooks what ever next.

Any one who is in serious trouble and struggling to juggle credit card debts while relying on minimum repayments, should consider contacting the CCCS on 0800 138 1111 for free advice or getting in touch with their local Citizens Advice Bureau.

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Christmas cost saving tips my luvlies

Have a look at this excellent video.

"Bargain Hunter's Guide to Christmas, the ultimate guide to saving you money on your Christmas shopping. Introduced by Jasmine Birtles, financial expert and TV's own money magpie, Jasmine will show you how you could save a massive £459 on the average family spend of £665. You cannot afford to miss Jasmine's great tips towards a money-saving festive season."




Nice post by savvyshopping keep it up guys.

Tesco £14 for 36 bottles of Stella Artois

Tesco stores are selling 2 x 18 Bottles of Stella (284ml) for £14 that is £0.39p a bottle.
They are selling like hot cakes

Consumer Credit Counselling Service welcome Governments proposals

The UK's leading debt charity, Consumer Credit Counselling Service (CCCS), welcomed the Government’s proposals to ensure that credit and store card companies give people a fairer deal published today (October 27).

Chairman Malcolm Hurlston said:

"The Government has put its finger on the four main problems that consumers have with credit card debt.

"We believe that the banks should be able to change their practices on each of these but if they can’t, regulation will be necessary.".

The changes proposed by the Government are:

* changing the rules to ensure that the most expensive debts on credit cards are always paid off first;
* increasing minimum repayments;
* limit the opportunities to increase customers' credit limits;
* ban or restrict the repricing of existing credit.

Credit and store cards account for half of the debt of CCCS clients: 50.6 percent in 2008, compared with 41.5 percent for personal loans.

Helpline
CCCS is a registered Charity offering free confidential advice and support to anyone who is worried about debt .

The CCCS helpline is 0800 138 1111 and is open from 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday.

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McCann fraudster Halligen arrested

I am so glad to hear that the big eeijit Kevin Halligen has been arrested in an Oxford hotel. How do these people get away with such things? This loser was probably at the bar "A medium dry martini, Shaken, not stirred." as the cops bagged him.

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