Helpdesk

Delay Repay is a national scheme that covers most train operators in England. If your train operator is part of the scheme, you’re legally entitled to compensation of: 50% of your ticket price if you get to your destination between 30 minutes and an hour late a full refund if you arrive more than 1 hour late Some operators will also offer a 25% refund for delays of more than 15minutes. Thameslink - which serves Bedford, Luton and London Bridge campuses - is one of these operators. Top tip: take a photo of your train ticket (front and back) or note down your ticket number as soon as you realise you are being delayed - you will need to quote your ticket number and price in your claim, so you don’t want the ticket barrier to snap it up from you before you have those details. Most companies require you to claim within 28 days. Claims can take a couple of weeks to be processed before any refund comes back to you. If you have a season ticket, check with the ticket...

If you bought an item online, over the phone or by mail order: You automatically get a 14-day ‘cooling-off period’ when you buy something you haven’t seen in person.  The cooling-off period starts the day after you receive your order.  There doesn’t need to be anything wrong with the item for you to get a refund within the cooling-off period.  If you paid for standard delivery when you bought something, the seller has to refund this if you return it.  If you chose a more expensive delivery option, you'll have to pay the difference. You won't get a 'cooling-off period' when you buy: Something that deteriorates quickly - like flowers or food. An item that was personalised or custom-made for you. Anything from a private individual rather than a business A CD, DVD or software, if you break the seal on the wrapping. For further information see the Citizens Advice website eBay Issues Buying and selling using eBay is a great of making and saving m...

You do not have an automatic right to get your money back if you just change your mind about something you’ve bought and there’s nothing wrong with it. It’s the same no matter how expensive the item was.  It’s down to the seller whether they offer you anything.  If you think that there’s a problem with the item, you might have different rights. Check the Returns Policy First check the policy on returns if you’ve changed your mind about something you bought in a shop.  Shops generally have a return policy of 14 days or sometimes even 30 days for items not used even though it is not law for them to do this.  Look on your receipt or online for the shop’s returns policy.  Shops often reduce the amount of time you must return items bought in a sale (you will always be protected if the item is faulty). Take your receipt with you if you can and keep the original packaging. It’s up to shop what they offer you - you’ll need to decide whether to accept it or not. For fur...

If something’s gone wrong with an item you’ve bought, you may be entitled to: A refund, repair, or replacement It doesn't matter whether you bought the item new or second hand you will still have rights. You’ll have legal rights if the item you bought is: Broken or damaged ('not of satisfactory quality') Unusable (‘not fit for purpose’) Not what was advertised or doesn’t match the seller’s description? You won’t have any legal rights if: It was damaged by wear and tear, an accident or misuse. You knew about the fault before you bought the item. You’ve just changed your mind How to Make Sure you get What you're Entitled To The Citizen's Advice Bureau have a handy tool for helping you understand your rights.  Poor Service If you have paid for a service to be carried out, for example, a haircut, and it has not been done to a satisfactory standard you can ask the provider of the service: To do it again For a discount on what was pa...

Living in private rented accommodation can be daunting, especially when you're not used to budgeting and paying bills. Although many housing contracts are inclusive of bills there are still plenty of students that have to deal with managing bills and energy providers. Switch Energy Supplier Switching your supplier can be a great way to save money but most students think they are not allowed to do it. You have the right to switch your supplier if you pay your energy supplier directly for your gas or electricity.  You should check your tenancy agreement to see if the landlord has a ‘preferred supplier’. This won’t stop you from switching supplier, but you should tell your landlord if you do change supplier. You may have to return to the original supplier at the end of your tenancy. For further information see here Did you know That UoB money advice team can help you with the below topics and provide workshops to help you manage your money? Visit the Student...

Informal Complaint If you’re having a problem with your energy supply, try getting in touch with your supplier before you make a formal complaint.  They might be able to resolve the problem informally Tell them what’s happening, and what you want them to do about it They might be able to sort it out then and there You should note down the: Date and time you get in touch. Person you speak to Problem you talk about Making a Formal Complaint 1.  You should gather any supporting evidence. What you’ll need depends on your issue - for example you could: Get together copies of unusual bills. Gather notes from phone calls you’ve had. Look for emails from your supplier about the problem. 2. You’ll also need details of your complaint and your energy account number to hand.  You can find this on a recent bill.  3. When you’re ready, you can complain to your supplier: Over the phone, or in writing by email or post. 4. Look online for your suppliers ‘c...

Both the Citizen's Advice and Ofgem have lots of information about how you can understand your bills. Your energy bill usually reflects the amount of energy you’ve used. It’s normal for your bill to increase if, for example, you start: Putting the heating on more often Using a tumble dryer or electric heater Living with more people If your bill suddenly increases or decreases and you haven’t changed your usage, it’s worth looking into. If you’re charged for less than you’ve used, you’ll get an increased bill to make up for it later. What you can check: 1. Is your bill an estimate? If you haven’t given a meter reading to your supplier recently, they might use your average energy usage over a period to calculate your bill. You don’t need to pay the estimated bill. Contact your supplier to give an up-to-date meter reading and ask them to send you a new bill. 2. Check your meter reading If your bill isn’t an estimate, it should include the meter readi...

If for some reason you are struggling to pay your energy bills: It is best to contact the supplier and discuss a way of paying them.  The supplier is obliged to help you come up with a payment plan. You should make sure you find a method that works for you and for them. Your supplier must take into account: How much you can afford to pay - give them details about your income and outgoings, debts and personal circumstances. How much energy you’ll use in future - they’ll estimate this based on your past usage but give them regular meter readings to make this more accurate. For  further information see Citizen Advice Info or Ofgem Info. Did you know That UoB money advice team can help you with the below topics and provide workshops to help you manage your money? Visit the Student Money website for information on Events held. Topics covered Money management Budgeting and monitoring Money saving tips Spending wisely Income and expenses Budget comparis...

BEFORE YOU MOVE 1. Let your electricity and gas supplier know that you're moving   You should give at least 48 hours’ notice. 2. Read your meters on the day you move out  Give the readings to your supplier - keep a note of the readings and the dates you took them; in case you don't agree with your final bill. 3. Give your supplier a forwarding address  So they can send you the final bill - you’ll have 28 days to pay. If your final bill says you're actually owed money (known as 'being in credit'), you should claim the money back.  Fixed-Term Tariff  You might be charged to break the contract early - this is known as an ‘exit fee’.  You can find this information on your energy bill.  It may be cheaper to try to keep your existing supplier and move your tariff to the new property, but this isn’t always possible - check with your supplier. AFTER YOU MOVE 1. Contact the current supplier  At your new property to tell them you...