Latest news with #ComplaintsResolver
Daily Record
2 days ago
- Business
- Daily Record
Scotland's airports cashing in this summer with 'outrageous' drop-off charges
Experts said pick-up and drop-off fees at terminals, branded the 'kiss and fly tax', are a 'cash grab' and a relatively recent phenomenon. Scotland's biggest airports are cashing in this summer by charging holidaymakers 'outrageous' drop-off parking charges despite already raking in millions of pounds. Experts have said pick-up and drop-off fees at terminals, branded the 'kiss and fly tax', are a relatively recent phenomenon and are 'an easy cash grab' for airports. Both Edinburgh and Glasgow airports have already raised drop-off charges this year. Now motorists who use a short-stay zone to drop off or collect loved ones at Edinburgh face having to fork out £6 for just ten minutes while those stopping at Glasgow have 15 minutes. The price hikes come despite the latest available accounts for Glasgow Airport, which is owned by AGS, showing it made a profit after tax of more than £4.6m. Meanwhile Edinburgh, which is jointly owned by VINCI Airports and Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) raked in more than £88.2m. Edinburgh-based consumer and motoring disputes expert Scott Dixon said the fees had become a 'lucrative cash cow for airports '. He said: 'Forcing motorists to pay up to £6 to pick up or drop off family and friends is outrageous, especially as the fees seem to rise yearly with no genuine justification. 'It hits families the hardest, particularly in peak summer holiday season, where using public transport isn't a viable option. 'The fees are generally added to taxi fares, so there's no easy way to avoid it.' Dixon, who runs the Complaints Resolver website, added: 'Airports claim it's about managing congestion and investing in sustainable transport options, but in reality, it's an easy cash grab that punishes drivers for doing what they did for free until a few years ago.' Airports began phasing in the charges after the Glasgow Airport terrorist attack in 2007 forced a rethink of drop-off arrangements. At Edinburgh, Scotland's largest airport, a £1 drop-off fee was introduced in 2010. But in January the charge had soared to £6 for the first ten minutes and £1-per-minute after that. In Glasgow, it's £6 for the first 15 minutes and £1-a-minute after. It marks the third year running the airport has raised the cost. The cost to park at the airport's short-stay fee is £8 for 20 minutes, which is 50 pence higher than London Heathrow. Aberdeen Airport, also run by AGS, has so far kept drop-off fees at £5.50 for the first 15 minutes after raising it in 2024. However, in April it hiked rates in its short-stay car parks to £7 for the first 20 minutes. The RAC's Rod Dennis said: 'A further hike in the cost of drop-off parking at Scottish airports will be frustrating to anyone giving a lift to family and friends.' Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen airports said they offered free pick-up and drop-off areas further away from their main terminals. Edinburgh Airport is also linked to the capital's tramline. A spokesman said: 'We do increase costs when required to allow us to remain competitive… and encourage people to make more sustainable choices, with 42 per cent of our passengers now using public transport.' Glasgow Airport said: 'All of the income generated by the charge is reinvested into the airport.' Aberdeen International Airport said the increase in its short-stay charge followed a review of parking facilities, adding: 'There are no changes to our free drop-off facility… in our long-stay car park.'
Sky News
17-06-2025
- Business
- Sky News
Money Problem: 'My bathroom fitter disappeared after I paid him £10,000. What can I do?'
Reader Muly got in touch with our Money team after being ghosted by his bathroom fitter... I paid a bathroom fitter £10,000 for a new bathroom and he has left the job halfway through, took all the products and closed his social media and phone line down. What can I do? We are really sorry to hear your story, Muly. Sadly, you're not alone in messaging in with experiences like this. While most tradespeople are trustworthy and reliable, a minority give the rest a bad name. We asked consumer rights expert Scott Dixon, AKA the Complaints Resolver, to look at your case. He said... A lot of this hinges on how you paid. If you paid cash, you could unfortunately be without recourse unless you got a receipt. If you did, I suggest you report this case to the police and Action Fraud and get a crime reference number. Cheques are treated like cash once the funds have cleared, but a bank may be able to trace the account that received the funds if you report it as fraud and a scam. Having a police reference number will also help here. Most people will make payments this large via bank transfer, so your main recourse is contacting your bank and telling them you've been scammed. There are two types of payment scams - one where you have fraudulently paid money direct to a scammer and one where your account has been hacked. The Contingent Reimbursement Model code is a voluntary code banks have signed up to where you have fraudulently paid money direct to a scammer. It sets out a number of circumstances in which firms are required to reimburse customers who have been the victims of certain types of scam. You need to push hard on this and say you were scammed, as claims often fail on the first attempt with staff not fully understanding how it works. It can and should be resolved within days, but some banks are much better than others. If your bank refuses to reimburse you for your losses, ask them for a deadlock letter. This is their final response, so you can refer it to the Financial Ombudsman Service for review. Banks don't like complaints being referred to the Financial Ombudsman as it costs them money and they risk negative publicity. Trade associations This seems unlikely in your case, but check to see if the builder is a member of a trade association such as the Federation of Master Builders. The FMB conducts a vetting and independent inspection process for prospective members to ensure they meet the high standards expected of a Master Builder company. If they are a member of a trade association or a trader recommendation site like Checkatrade, you can contact them and ask if they can help you resolve your dispute. Small claims court If all else fails and you cannot secure a refund of your deposit and agree for the work to be completed, you could take your case to the small claims court if it was England, or follow Simple Procedure in Scotland. If you paid via cheque or bank transfer, this will help you track down the rogue builder. You can also find out if they are registered as a Limited Company on Companies House. I would also report this trader to Trading Standards and leave reviews online. General advice with tradespeople The most important thing whenever you get a quote from a tradesperson is to ask for it in writing - and insist on a full written contract (not just a quote) before work begins. Always get any promises or verbal confirmations put in writing. Don't feel guilty by insisting on it. It protects both parties and eliminates any confusion over what was discussed and promised. This creates a paper trail of evidence if you need to escalate a complaint. If they don't confirm what was verbally agreed, write or text them afterwards so you have that written confirmation. If the quote was made verbally, and you have no written contract, you could try and rely on any text messages or emails as part of your evidence if you need to escalate your complaint. A trader will often ask for a deposit to buy materials and agree staged payments in a contract to provide you with peace of mind if any issues arise before making a final payment. Many builders and tradespeople have multiple jobs ongoing and work around the weather. Sourcing materials can also be problematic, so ensure the contract covers this and any delays completing the work and disputes that may arise on quality of work. Seek a deadline for completion in writing.
Scottish Sun
25-04-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Amazon customers' fury over big order change that will ‘ruin surprises' and expose ‘spicy and impulse' shopping habits
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) AMAZON customers have spotted a big change being made to online orders - and they're not happy. If you share your account with other people such as your partner or children, there is currently an option to archive your order history. 2 The change has angered customers, who say scrapping the feature is a "travesty" Credit: Alamy 2 This is the message that Amazon customers are now receiving when they archive orders The feature means you can 'hide' purchases you don't want others on the account to see. Amazon users say they use this option so that any gift purchases can remain a surprise, or to avoid alerting family members to any "spicy" or impulse purchases. But customers have now spotted the feature is being discontinued next week. If you try to archive an order in your order history now, you will see a message saying: "Starting 30 April 2025, you will no longer be able to archive orders. "You can use Amazon Family to link accounts if multiple family members would like to maintain separate order histories." Social media users on Reddit were outraged by the change, with one saying: "I use this feature all the time to buy my wife various gifts throughout the year (birthday, christmas, valentines, etc) this has been super useful to not ruin surprises." Another person replied: "I do too but for my mother since we share the same account. "There's no way she would have let me buy a iPad pro for her this past Christmas if I didn't hide it." Others had different, perhaps less wholesome, reasons for wanting to keep the feature. "I bought a "spicy" toy from Amazon over a decade ago and archived it because my kids use my account. This is a travesty." one user wrote. Amazon Ends 'Try Before You Buy' for Prime Members Another said: "No more hiding my impulse purchases." The Sun has contacted Amazon for comment. Amazon has previously promoted the feature on its X account to customers wanting to hide their purchase history. One social media user had written: "I was about to buy this leather paddle on Amazon until I remember my mom used my account." The online shopping giant then replied: "We understand your concern. You can archive orders that you're no longer interested in referencing, or to stop the order from showing in the default order history view… Hope this helps." It gave a similar response to a customer who had said: "@AmazonHelp can't believe I have to say this, but not being able to turn off "where's my stuff" is a big deal for Christmas. Already ruined a surprise, will need to buy elsewhere. 'Tis the season." What do the experts say? Scott Dixon, a consumer champion who runs The Complaints Resolver, said scrapping the feature is a "step backwards for consumer privacy and choice". "Whether it's buying sensitive items or buying surprise gifts, this feature served a clear purpose. Quietly removing it without warning or explanation is unacceptable, and Amazon ought to listen to its customers and reinstate this feature immediately," he said. Other experts believe the change could lead to families having to get individual Amazon Prime subscriptions - meaning they're paying more. Michelle Nguyen, product owner and marketing manager at UpPromote, said: "Many households get the most out of Amazon by letting family members share a single Prime membership (£95 per year). "Because of concerns about privacy, these households may have to pay more if more than one person wants Prime benefits. "Amazon does have Amazon Household, which lets two adults share some Prime benefits, but older children or extended family members who used to be able to access the shared account might not be able to do so now. "For consumers, this change basically makes privacy more expensive, forcing them to pick between convenience, saving money, and keeping their personal purchase privacy." Simon Wharton, founder of ecommerce agency PushON, said the decision was likely aimed at encouraging more individual Prime accounts. However he warned it could lead to some shoppers turning away from Amazon. "It's a reminder that convenience isn't just about fast delivery, it's also about thoughtful digital experiences," he said. "If Amazon doesn't provide a new solution, customers may begin looking elsewhere for that balance." HOW MUCH DOES AMAZON PRIME COST? Here's what you need to know about Amazon Prime pricing in the UK... A standard Amazon Prime membership costs £8.99 a month – that's £107.88 over the course of a year. If you pay annually, you'll be billed £95 instead. For TV fans who just want Amazon Prime Video without a full Prime membership, it'll cost you £5.99 a month, working out at £71.88 for the year. Students can get discounted Amazon Prime, with the monthly cost reduced to £4.49 (or £53.88 over the course of a year). And for students who pay annually, the one-off yearly fee is £47.49. Picture Credit: Amazon Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@ Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories
