As we reflect on a year in which our free consumer rights advice was used more than 2.5 million times and our free tools supported more than 30,000 claims, we’ve rounded up some of the strangest issues we’ve helped consumers to navigate in 2024.
1. Products that look nothing like their description
More of us are buying products online rather than on the high street these days, which means accurate product descriptions are more important than ever.
But shoppers are finding that many products fall short of expectations.
Another ordered what was described as an orange iron pendant light. But the delivered product 'looked like plastic' and was closer to yellow in colour.
2. Tampered-with parcels
Back in 2020, scores of gamers who’d managed to order a PlayStation 5 console were furious to find that their much-anticipated parcels instead contained cat litter and pet food.
Unfortunately, the issue of high-value items being swapped out of parcels has proven to be an ongoing problem.
Which? reached out to Apple on the customer’s behalf and it eventually agreed to reimburse them. DPD, however, claimed its investigation hadn’t uncovered any issues.
If you’ve ordered a phone or high-value item, it’s well worth taking photographs of your parcel before opening it – particularly if there are any signs that it’s been tampered with.
Only after taking photographs should you open the box to see if your ordered item is inside.
If your item isn't in there, your consumer rights are with the retailer rather than the courier. Contact the retailer, sending it photographs of the tampered-with box, and ask for a refund or replacement.
3. Phone accounts taken over by strangers
At the start of this year, we looked into a curious case of a BT customer of 24 years who randomly had her broadband and landline account cancelled by a stranger. This cancellation also triggered a £500 charge in early termination fees.
After speaking with BT and TalkTalk, we found that a new TalkTalk customer had given the wrong address and this had triggered the process of cancelling the BT contract.
But we found that this isn't an uncommon problem and is sometimes a result of 'account slamming', where dodgy sales practices result in your account transferring without your consent.
If you receive a cancellation notice from your provider, contact it as soon as possible. Ask for confirmation in writing that the cancellation has been stopped and that you won’t be charged early termination fees. The telecoms regulator, Ofcom, says cancellation is possible up until 24 hours before the transfer is due to complete (which takes 10 working days).
If your provider fails to stop this, you can still ask it to transfer you back, but this may take some time.
Read more:4. Rogue locksmiths
The locksmith trade isn't regulated, which means anyone could claim to be a locksmith without any skills or training. They can also charge whatever they like.
Which? helped a victim of a rogue locksmith to get her money back after being fleeced on her doorstep.
Roberta arrived home after a hospital appointment and realised she'd lost her keys. She searched Google for a locksmith and, without realising, clicked on one of the sponsored search results at the top of the results page.
When she called, she was quoted £60-£120 and someone arrived 20 minutes later. The locksmith inspected the job and said that it was ‘very complicated’ and would actually cost £500. He also said that if Roberta didn’t want to continue with the job, she’d still have to pay £70 for the call-out.
After some negotiation, the locksmith agreed to a reduced price of £300. The ‘very complicated’ job only took 15 minutes and left a hole in her door that wasn’t fixed.
Avoid dodgy locksmiths by first checking to see if they're approved by the MLA, and consider saving the number of a reliable emergency locksmith on your phone.
5. Terrible takeaways
We often hear from consumers who have missing, inaccurate, cold or just disappointing deliveries when ordering from food delivery apps such as Deliveroo, Just Eat and Uber Eats. Some struggle to get their money back, too.
If you experience something similar, the best place to start is by complaining to both the food delivery app and the restaurant. Explain what's gone wrong, including any photographs that might support your case.
Hopefully, your complaint will be resolved at this stage, but if not, check the T&Cs to see whether the restaurant or the delivery app is likely to be responsible.
Food delivery platforms often state that any issues related to food - such as how it's been prepared or if the wrong food is provided - are the restaurant's responsibility.
But if, for example, your food arrives late or goes to the wrong address, the complaint should be directed towards whoever was responsible for the physical delivery, whether that's the restaurant or the delivery app.
Read more:Get your problem solved
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source https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/the-most-frustrating-consumer-problems-of-2024-ayUk35g9AzXt