Urgent cheap British Gas fix, Buy cheap stolen goods!, £150,000 back after DD challenge, 2yrs' interest-free borrowing, cheap iPhone

Plus... urgent EV tax trick, £160 Vax £90, slash mobile to £2/mth, free £175s end, Amazon spring deals

                                                           

25 March 2025 | View in browser

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THE TOP TIPS IN THIS EMAIL Perversely, while the Price Cap's rising, energy fixes are getting cheaper! - New. 13% cheaper British Gas deal - Specialist tariffs worth considering - 'I'm already on fix, should I switch?' New. 2 YEARS' interest-free borrowing 'I got £150k after Direct Debit challenge' Pssst! Wanna buy cheap stolen goods? Urgent. Got an electric car? Tax-free trick Martin: 'Billed for energy used 12mths+ ago? DON'T pay!' £160 Vax cordless vac £90 via code Martin: 'Slash mobile bill to £2/mth?' Amazon's spring sale - any good? Ending. iPhone 16e '£28/mth' & more ISA pod: All you've ever wanted to know 50% off toy sales Ending. 2x free £175 bank switch deals New. Get £30 cashback on £5+ spend Mother's Day deals, eg, £13.50 Baileys This week's best buys: 5.32% savings, 32mth 0% debt shift, £22/mth Virgin fibre Money Moral Dilemma: Should mum help pay for our extra childcare spend while she's on holiday? BEST BUYS & TOOLS MSE Cheap Mobile Finder Credit Club including free credit report 0% balance transfers Compare broadband deals MSE Compare+ Car Insurance Best bank accounts Top savings accounts Credit cards for bad credit Credit Card Eligibility Calculator Loans Eligibility Calculator Mortgage comparison Compare travel money Cheap Energy Club Best Sim-only deals

Six days until energy prices rise 6.4% Perversely, while the Price Cap is rising, fixes are getting cheaper... Ends 5pm Fri. New 13% cheaper British Gas deal for switchers & EXISTING customers Next Tuesday, 1 April, sadly the Energy Price Cap will be hiked an average 6.4% (so for each £100 paid now, it'll typically cost £106.40). This is the third consecutive hike, making the Cap now 18% higher than last summer. Most people on it should consider locking in a cheap fix, including an urgent British Gas one, to avoid the hike. I've tips for those already fixed too. 1. Are you on the Price Cap? Unsure? You likely are. Two in three homes in Eng, Scot or Wales (see N. Ireland help) are on capped tariffs. Unless you've consciously moved to a fix or special tariff, you almost certainly are. The Cap applies to all firms' standard, default tariffs - the one you're on if you've never switched, or not switched since your last fix or special deal ended. Here are the most common ones: On one of these tariffs? If so, you're on the Price Cap British Gas Standard Variable | EDF Standard (Variable) | E.on Next Next Flex | Octopus Flexible Octopus | Ovo Simpler Energy | Scottish Power Standard The Cap doesn't limit the total you pay. It sets a maximum daily charge and cost per unit of energy used, and it's this unit rate where the coming rise is focused (in fact, some standing charges are dropping). This means higher users face an even bigger rise. Use our How much more will I pay in April? calc or view the April Price Cap actual rates. And while it's called a Cap, in reality almost all firms take it to the max. 2. Perversely, while the Price Cap's rising, the rate you can grab a fix at is FALLING - take advantage. The Energy Price Cap is based on a time-lag - the new Apr to Jun rate is based on wholesale prices from last Nov to Feb. Since then, wholesale rates have dropped, so the cheapest fixes have got cheaper too (it also means predictions for future Price Caps have fallen, as I'll explain below). Of course, fixed prices could drop even further. We just don't know, but each day you wait and sit on the Price Cap is a day you pay more than needed. 3. Save 13%+ compared to April's Price Cap with the cheapest fixes. A fixed tariff is where you lock in a rate for a set time (you still pay more if you use more, though), giving you the peace of mind of price certainty, and currently instant savings too, as the cheapest fixes are lower than the current Cap and far lower than where it'll be on 1 April. We've been highlighting them for a while, but still many tell us they're nervous, as often the top player is a name they don't know. So we wanted to try and help with that... New. MSE exclusive British Gas 16mth fix Average 13% cheaper than April Cap. Available for switchers AND existing Brit Gas customers (plus MSE enhanced service) Ends 5pm Fri. We've blagged a British Gas fix via our Cheap Energy Club comparison. On average, there's only one smaller firm that's cheaper (Outfox the Market - it will be shown in the comparison), but this is BG's most competitive deal for a while (it's available direct too, but without our extra cashback). Of course, how it stacks up always depends on region and usage, which is why we do it via a full comparison. But in general, for those who want a big name - and, crucially, existing British Gas customers too - it looks strong. Here's the key info... It's 7.1% cheaper than the current Price Cap, and 12.7% cheaper than April's. That April Cap lasts until June, so the saving's locked in until then, and as I explain below, it's also substantially cheaper than the current predictions for the Cap after that. The tariff's full name is the British Gas Fixed Tariff v49. The saving includes a special boosted MSE £35 dual-fuel cashback (£17.50 for gas or elec-only switches) just for this tariff for new or existing BG customers only via our Cheap Energy Club (all links go there). It's worth noting for those on a Price Capped tariff that the saving shown is compared to today's lower Price Cap, yet from next week, you'll save far more than that. It locks in the rate for 16mths. So the rate's fixed till July 2026. It doesn't require you to have a smart meter (though it's no problem if you do). It's for gas, electricity or dual-fuel (ie, have both) customers. You can pay by monthly Direct Debit, cash or cheque, but NOT by prepayment meters. It has £50 per fuel early exit penalties, but it won't charge them if you move to another BG fix (a key benefit). With huge global uncertainty, especially over Ukraine - which could have a considerable impact on energy prices - there is a small chance market prices could drop substantially during the fix period (equally, they could rise). If they fall, it's likely fixed prices will drop, so while the tariff normally has early exit penalties, you have the option to move to another BG fix without a penalty if they get cheaper (but you'd pay exit fees to move to its non-fixed tariffs). MSE enhanced service. British Gas has agreed to 'MSE enhanced service', ie, if there's an issue, go to it first, but if it doesn't sort it, come to us and we can and will escalate it and try to help. The other cheapest fixes are out there. They'll all be shown when you do a Cheap Energy Club comparison. Outfox's 1yr fix is cheapest at an avg 8.1% under the current Cap (13.6% cheaper than April's). After that, the next cheapest firm is British Gas with this deal (when you factor in the MSE cashback), then after that, it's So Energy. Again, it depends on region and usage. Cheapest 'no early exit fees' and 'smart prepay fix'. EDF's Simply Fixed Direct Jun26 v9* is 3.3% cheaper than the current Cap (9.1% cheaper than April's) with two features worth noting. First, it's the cheapest fix that lets those on smart prepayment meters get it too (sadly, no one allows those on old school prepay meters to fix cheaply). Plus go direct (our link above does), rather than via a comparison site, and there are no early exit fees. So it has the flexibility that you can leave penalty-free whenever you want. Q. What is 'MSE cashback'? Some providers pay energy comparison sites to facilitate the switch (you still get the same price as going direct). Unlike other sites, we don't default to hiding tariffs that don't pay. Instead, we show them all, but when we get paid to switch you, we give you a chunk of this money as cashback, so those that pay us are relatively cheaper for you, so it's likely more people switch to them. Win-win. Q. Is getting a longer fix than these worth it? Well, it gives you price certainty for longer, and means you needn't switch as frequently. Yet the market's so volatile that no price predictions go much further than a year ahead, so I'm blind as to whether it's a good deal. Longer than a couple of years and they tend to cost more and have bigger early exit penalties. So they're only for those who really value certainty. 4. The Price Cap is expected to drop in July. The Price Cap is based mainly on average wholesale costs - those that energy retailers pay - over a three-month assessment period. We're already a third of the way through the assessment period for the July 2025 Cap. The current predictions are that it will then drop back to roughly today's price. After that it gets into crystal-ball gazing, but it's thought that it'll stay roughly similar or a little higher for the rest of 2025. So fixing now, at around 13% below the April Cap, currently looks as if it'll save you a decent chunk of money across the year. Now let's look at what'd happen if those predictions are wrong, especially further out (which is very possible)... - If energy prices rise more than predicted. This is always possible, but it just means savings from fixing now would be even bigger. So it's no worry if you lock in a fix. - If energy prices fell more than predicted. This is possible, especially if there's both a peace settlement in Ukraine and Russian gas starts flowing to Europe again - that could see substantial price drops (that's lots of ifs). Yet to make fixing not worthwhile compared to sticking on the Price Cap, you'd need rapid and substantial drops for the rest of the year (to overcome the savings made from April to July). Even so, for those who are worried about this, that's why I put a no early exit penalty fix in as an option above. Even without that, you're always free to leave a fix. You may just need to pay the exit fee. These have decreased in recent times to usually between £25 to £50 per fuel for a 1yr fix, so just a few percent of a typical annual bill (though a bigger relative hit for lower users). If prices really dropped a lot though, it'd be a smart move and you'd have saved in the meantime. 5. The specialist tariffs worth considering too... While fixing is simplest, there are other deals worth considering for some. Though a few are tough to display via the traditional comparison site model (we're trying to work through how to do it in the future, as this becomes more common), so let me walk you through the main ones... Lower user? Get £50 off standing-charge tariffs. The EDF Simply Tracker tariff* tracks the Price Cap for around a year, but with £50/yr lower standing charges (£25/fuel). So for those who have very low usage (under roughly £80/mth), where the standing charges make up a larger portion of the bill, this can beat fixing. It doesn't require a smart meter, unless you're on prepay, and the early exit penalties are £25 per fuel. Octopus rapid change time-of-use tariffs. These are best for sophisticated users with smart meters, who get how energy markets work. With the Octopus Tracker tariff, rates change daily based on wholesale costs. It's been 30% cheaper than the Price Cap on average over the last year, but recently it's had periods of being costlier (when wholesale rates were higher). The elec-only Octopus Agile tariff's rates change half-hourly, based on wholesale prices, so much so it can be free or even pay you to use energy in the middle of the night, but very costly at peak times. It's good for those who can nimbly shift their usage to take advantage of super-cheap times, or who have battery storage. The Octopus tariffs are only available for existing customers, though to get 'em, you could first try switching to the Octopus Price Cap tariff then, once in, switch to one of these. Got an EV? Consider a dedicated tariff. Several suppliers offer specific tariffs which let you get cheaper electricity overnight for charging your electric vehicle (EV). Full details on what's available are in our EV tariffs guide, but in brief, there are two types: a) 'Add-on' tariffs, where you can only charge your car on the cheaper rate. Ovo and Scottish Power offer these, so you can add EV charging to whichever of their tariffs you're currently on, and you'll get a cheap rate to charge your EV at any time. All other electrical use in your home will be charged at your existing tariff rates. So if you can get a decent fixed tariff from these firms (and Ovo has some), the fact you can charge your EV even cheaper is a boon. b) Two-rate tariffs giving you cheaper elec overnight. Most EV tariffs offer five to seven off-peak hours a day (typically from midnight to 5am) and charge around 7p to 10p per kilowatt hour of elec use. Then the rest of the time you pay the Price Cap unit rates. The benefit here is if you've other appliances that you can use overnight, they'll cost less too. 6. 'I'm already on a fix, should I be changing before the rise?' The increase in the Price Cap has no impact on fixed prices. People get very confused about this, so I'm going to make it simple. - The exception is if your fix is ending imminently. While it doesn't impact your fix, you'll be automatically moved on to the Price Cap when it ends, so if that's about to happen, consider yourself to be on a Price Cap now, in terms of the decisions you make. - Everyone else - compare your fix to the deals available now. Cheap Energy Club will show you this. If your current fix is cheaper, bonza - stay on it as long as you can! If you can undercut it elsewhere, then do factor in any early exit penalties, to see if it's still cheaper when you include paying those, and remember... - You can't be charged early exit penalties in the last 49 days of your fix. So if you're within that and it's worth switching, you're fine. - The Price Cap rising DOESN'T mean fixes will get more costly. The Energy Price Cap is time-lagged, it moves based on what was happening around two to five months ago. Yet in simple terms, fixes move based on predictions of future rates (the wholesale rate that energy firms can buy ahead at). The rate you can get a cheap fix at is dropping right now, but I can't tell you what'll happen to fix prices in the future. That depends on how the markets will move (and if I knew that...). 7. Pay by monthly Direct Debit? On the Price Cap? It's Meter Reading Week. I'm hoping that after reading this you won't stay on the Price Cap, it's really a pants cap and there are so many better options. Yet if you are, try to give an up-to-date meter reading within a few days either side of the rate change, to reduce the risk of your supplier estimating you've used more at the new higher rate than you have (if you've a WORKING smart meter, you needn't do this). See our firm-by-firm list of when to do a reading. It's also a key moment to use our 'Is your Direct Debit right?' calc. If it's out of kilter, ask 'em why and read how to challenge unfair Direct Debits. 8. On a non-smart prepay electricity meter? Top up to the max now. On non-smart prepay elec meters, you usually pay the rate from your last top-up. So if you're on the Price Cap, top up whatever you can before the hike, and in most cases you'll keep paying the lower rate until you top up again (so delay that until you need to). All other prepayment meters just charge you the rate on the day you use energy, so this doesn't work for them. For more, see prepay top-up trick info. 9. Can you cut bills by cutting your use? Obviously, cutting use cuts bills, so we've some detailed guides that can help: 70+ ways to save energy includes a mix of hardcore savings and some thrifty crowd-sourced tips. From cutting your boiler flowrate to tactical curtains and more. Energy mythbusting covers less clear-cut issues, including the thorny question of 'better to keep the heating on low all day or just when needed?' Heat the human, not the home is for those who are really struggling (though thankfully the improving weather helps). 10. What to do if you're struggling to pay? It's always worth talking to your energy firm. Be polite and straight with it, and make sure you explain if you're vulnerable and ask to be put on the 'Priority Services Register'. There can be hardship & debt grants from energy suppliers. For far more guidance, see our full What to do if you're struggling to pay energy bills guide. 11. There's no Price Cap in Northern Ireland. You're on a different energy system with different firms to the above. It's worth taking five minutes to go through the Consumer Council for Northern Ireland's energy comparison, or our Cheap Northern Ireland electricity guide.

 

 

DON'T believe the fake 'Martin Lewis' or 'MSE' ads Lots of scam ads litter social media and even newspaper websites - some of these lie that we or Martin promote Bitcoin, binary trading etc. See Fake ads warning.

 

 

 

If you NEED to borrow, you can't do it cheaper than this... New. TWO YEARS' interest-free borrowing - the longest 0% on purchases deal we've seen since early 2023  Often we tell you about the best deals for shifting existing debt. But this is about the new longest 0% purchase card, so when you use it to spend, those purchases are interest-free. This new M&S card gives accepted new cardholders two years at 0%, so as long as you clear it by March 2027, the borrowing won't cost a penny. Crucially, unlike other long cards, everyone accepted gets the full two years. There's no cheaper way to borrow over the medium term. Yet borrowing is dangerous. Only do this if you NEED to, for a one-off, planned, affordable, budgeted-for purchase (eg, replacing a faulty fridge), not just to willy-nilly fill gaps in your income. If in doubt... don't! Quick tips now... Find which card you're most likely to be accepted for via our eligibility calc. It shows your odds for each top card (and some cards for poorer credit) BEFORE you apply, minimising applications & protecting your credit score. If a card is an 'up to', check its 'backup' rate. With up-to cards, some accepted customers get a backup rate, which isn't as good as the headline rate. We tell you about it in our eligibility calc, so you can factor it in. Usually rejected when you apply? Our eligibility calc also includes 0% cards for poor credit scorers, while MSE's free Credit Club (available via the MSE App on Apple | Android) can analyse the problem. Want to shift existing debt to 0% too? Many top purchases cards are also 0% all-rounder deals, with 0% on balance transfers (debt shifting) too. While they're short of the longest standalone 0% balance transfer deals, which are up to 32mths 0%, there's an advantage of just one application, so protecting your ability to access credit. TOP-PICK 0% PURCHASES NEW CARDHOLDER DEALS (All links go via our eligibility calc) New. M&S Bank - 24mths' 0% spending - Up to 12mths' 0% balance transfers (3.49% transfer fee) 24.9% rep APR interest after Longest 0% on spending AND only top card with a definite (non 'up to') 0%. This card is a clear winner for most who need a 0% spending deal. It also offers 0% on debt shifted too, but that's not particularly competitive compared to the longest 0% balance transfers or the other cards below. Yet purely as a tool for one-off, planned, needed borrowing, it's a winner. Barclaycard - Up to 23mths' 0% spending  - Up to 20mths' 0% balance transfers (2.95% transfer fee) 24.9% rep APR interest after Top 'all-rounder' 0% on spending & balance transfers, but it's an 'up to'. This is the market's second longest 0% purchases deal at 23mths, but it's an 'up to', meaning some accepted customers only get 11mths 0%. It also has a decent length for shifting debt to it at 20mths 0% - though as with most balance transfers, there's a fee, here it's 2.95% - and again, it's an up to, so some get just 10mths. So if you're not pre-approved by our eligibility calc (pre-approval means you'll get the headline rate), the card below may be better as its backup rates are better. Lloyds - Up to 21mths' 0% spending  - Up to 19mths' 0% balance transfers (2.99% or 3.49% transfer fee) 24.9% rep APR interest after Another 'up to' 0% all-rounder, but better 'backup' rates & you know in advance. While its headline rates are shorter than Barclaycard's, the backup rates (the ones some accepted customers get) are better. Unlike with Barclaycard, here our eligibility calc will show what 0% lengths you'll get before you apply. The best is 21mths spending & 19mths transfers (2.99% fee), while some get 19mths & 17mths and others 14mths & 12mths (3.49% transfer fee for both). So if you want an all-rounder card and aren't pre-approved for Barclaycard, this is a safer bet. ALWAYS follow the golden rules... a) Never miss the min monthly repayment, or you could lose the 0% deal and it'll cost far more. b) Clear the card or balance-transfer before the 0% ends, or the rate rockets to the higher APR. c) Don't withdraw cash. It usually isn't at the cheap rate and withdrawals hit your ability to access credit. d) You must usually balance-transfer within 60 or 90 days to get the 0%.

 

Pssst! Wanna buy stolen goods on the cheap? Well nearly, but it's a great headline, you must admit. Police forces sell lost property or seized goods in a host of places, oft at bargain prices, especially for bikes. See police auctions. Quick. Drive an electric vehicle? Act by Monday to get another year tax-free. Watch Martin's 40-sec EV trick explainer. Related: 17 urgent do-NOWs before April's price hikes & deadlines hit. Martin: 'Been billed for energy used over a year ago? You DON'T need to pay for it!' Martin gave powerful evidence to the Energy Committee of MPs about firms breaking 'back-billing rules.' These should stop them sending unexpected bills for energy used over a year ago which they haven't correctly billed for before (unless you unreasonably obstructed them). Watch his evidence, and know your rights in energy back-billing video & news. Vax cordless vacuum code gets it for £90 (normally £160). MSE Blagged. 6,000 available. Vax Martin: 'Can you slash your mobile bill to £2/mth? Millions pay four times too much.' Watch Martin's 3 quick steps to cut costs video and use our Cheap Mobile Finder. Ends Thu. Cheapest unlimited Sim '£9/mth'. Newbies to iD Mobile (uses Three's network) pay £15/mth and can CLAIM (don't forget) a £70 Amazon/Currys voucher within four months. That's £9.17/mth when factored in over the 12mth contract. Amazon's spring sale now on - we sort the deals from the duds. Plus there's 30% off Amazon Resale (formerly Warehouse). See our full 'Spring Sale Days' analysis. Last chance. Cheapest ever iPhone 16e & Samsung Galaxy S25 both '£28/mth'. Plus Google Pixel 8 '£18/mth'. See iPhone 16e or Samsung Galaxy S25 or Google Pixel 8 (all 128GB) deals for full info. Both the S25 and Pixel are cheaper than buying the handset alone, even with two-year data contracts. The iPhone is slightly more, but still far cheaper than buying a handset and Sim deal separately. More handset choice: Cheap Mobile Finder New podcast. Everything you've ever wanted to know about ISAs but were afraid to ask! Use your ISA allowance by 5 April or lose it. Plus how cash & shares ISAs work, best buys, max interest, and the hidden starting savings rate. All in the new The Martin Lewis Podcast. Listen via BBC Sounds | Apple | Spotify or wherever you get your Martin fix.

 

 

BLAGGED FOR MSE - £160 Vax cordless vacuum for £90 via code 6,000 available - Topcashback newbies £30 back on £5 spend 10,000 available	DID YOU MISS? - Cash ISAs - have you used your 2024/25 allowance? - Coupons: £1 off Dr Pepper 2L, £1.40 off curry kits & more - FREE '£40' if you invest £1 - Martin: 'Five ways to secure your mobile banking' - Tesco Clubcard holder? FREE 3mths' Disney+ for some

 

 

Martin: 'Time to do spring-cleaning that pays... take my Direct Debit challenge. You never know what you'll find...' 'I checked mine, and found I was due a £150,000 payout!' Beware passive transactions, where money is paid automatically, oozing out of our bank accounts without our conscious action. While they're often a valuable tool to avoid the nightmare of missing paying crucial bills, millions don't check them often enough and are likely wasting £100s on products and services they no longer want or use. Conversely, they may not be using some that could be very valuable. Check all THREE types of regular payments DIRECT DEBITS You give a firm your BANK ACCOUNT details and permission to take a variable amount of money from it each time. You've strong protections if things go wrong. See full Direct Debit rights. Typically: Energy, broadband, mobile & water bills, plus credit card bills, mortgages & more. STANDING ORDERS You instruct your BANK / BUILDING SOCIETY to pay a fixed amount to a person / business at a regular interval (see standing order help). Typically: Paying rent, moving money to savings, paying family members. RECURRING PAYMENTS aka a 'continuous payment authority' (oft hidden) These are less well-known. It's when you give a firm the long number on your CREDIT / DEBIT CARD, so it can take variable payments when it wants. Here, you've far weaker rights than with Direct Debits. See Recurring payments help. Typically: Gym memberships, payday loan repayments, streaming services, magazine subscriptions, 'adult' entertainment & buy now, pay later. Before I get to step-by-step help, here's a remarkable email from Danny who got in touch with us last year, that shows why a little time on this is important: "I just wanted to share my good fortune thanks to Martin. His advice was to check your Direct Debits to make sure you need what you're paying for. I reviewed a Scottish Widows critical illness policy & found it covered me for a heart attack I'd had 10yrs earlier. I phoned up and they were surprised how long it'd taken me to claim - I received a payment of £150k, including backdated interest. I can't put into words how grateful I am for Martin's prompt." Wow! Step 1: Check what you're paying for. Both standing orders & Direct Debits (DDs) should be listed in your online banking, or just ask your bank. Unsure what a payment's for? Put the exact phrase in speech marks in a search engine... It's trickier with recurring payments, as they're usually listed like any other payment, so are effectively hidden. Some banks - including Monzo, Revolut, Halifax, Lloyds and HSBC - have a section in their app/site called 'subscriptions' or 'scheduled payments' which lists them, though even then, don't assume it'll catch them all. The best way is to scour through payments to spot repeats. To help, here are some common firms that often use recurring payments: AA | Amazon Prime | Apple TV+ | Audible | AutoAid | David Lloyd | Disney+ | Dropbox | Giffgaff | HelloFresh | iD Mobile | Klarna | Microsoft Office | Mubi | Netflix | Now | PureGym | RAC | Spotify | Virgin Active Step 2: Ask yourself: 'Is it time to ditch this?' Obviously if you're paying for something pointless, ditch it, though always check you're out of contract. If not, speak to the firm to check it won't cost you to cancel. - Still need & use it? Do check if you can get the same service & pay less. Use our Cheap Broadband Finder, Cheap Mobile Finder, Cheap Energy Club and 0% credit card eligibility to see if you can cut costs. To do a full check on what you may be able to cut back on, use the money makeover guide. - Not essential? Convert the cost to an annual amount (eg, £10/mth = £120/yr). Then ask yourself: "Can I afford it? Will I use it? Is it worth it?" If you answer no at any point, get rid if you can. You can easily cancel DDs & standing orders via your bank or building society. With recurring payments, it's often easier to cancel via the firm, though if it's a struggle, you've a legal right to stop them via the bank - see STOP recurring payments. Step 3: 'I've been paying for something pointless - can I get the money back?' Here I mean 'insurance for a fridge I got rid of a decade ago' or 'paying for a mobile Sim I stopped using' type things. For many, frankly you'd be lucky to get owt back, so prevention's key. Yet you can politely ask, and sometimes will get. As Joshua emailed last month: "My partner recently moved in and I helped her review her bills and subscriptions. I noted an odd £19/mth recurring payment since 2020, which she didn't know what it was for. My partner's dyslexic and didn't realise she'd signed up to a cashback site subscription from a pop-up. I read your article on their ban (see Complete Savings ads banned) and politely contacted the customer service team. I explained the circumstances, and they agreed to refund all payments back to 2020 - over £850 refunded. Thanks." The exception is regulated financial products (such as insurance), where there's an argument firms have a responsibility to offer regular suitability checks. If a firm hasn't, it has a 'Consumer Duty' to refund. If this is the case with something you've been paying for, ask for a refund. If the firm disagrees, consider making a formal complaint to the Financial Ombudsman.

 

Up to 50% off toy sales. At Tesco and The Entertainer. Toy sale Two of three free £175 cash bank switch deals to end this week. Top for service & all-round (ONGOING): First Direct's FREE £175* has a 92% 'great' service rating, 7% linked saver & £250 0% overdraft for many. Top building society (ENDS MON): Nationwide's FREE £175 with its 6.5% linked saver & £5/mth possible debit card cashback for a year. Top for rewards (ENDS TUE): Lloyds' FREE £175 with its 6.25% linked saver and choice of perk (eg, 12mths' Disney+ with ads). Full switch eligibility for all in Best bank accounts. New. Get an extra £30 cashback when spending £5+ online. MSE Blagged. Topcashback newbies can grab a no-brainer £30 bonus by signing up via our link and spending at least a fiver. Topcashback boost Last-min Mother's Day deals: £1 flowers, £13.50 Baileys 1L & FREE gift cheques. It's this Sun, but you don't have to spend a lot (or at all) to treat mum.

 

 

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AT A GLANCE BEST BUYS 0% balance transfers Longest 0%: Tesco (check eligibility) 32mths 0%, 3.19% fee, 24.9% rep APR interest No-fee 0%: Barclaycard (check eligibility) up to 14mths 0%, 24.9% rep APR interest Best bank accounts Free £175 + TOP service: First Direct 1st Account Ends Mon. Free £175 + 5% interest: Nationwide FlexDirect Broadband top picks Fast fibre (100Mb+): Virgin '£21.91/mth' Superfast fibre (500Mb+): Sky '£28.46/mth' On Universal Credit or similar? Check all discounted social tariffs Cheap insurance Car: Use our Compare+ Car Insurance tool Home: Try our new Compare+ Home Insurance tool Cheap loans £5,000 to £7,499: People's Choice (check eligibility), 7% rep APR interest (6.5% rep APR interest on £7,000 to £7,499) £7,500 to £25,000: People's Choice (check eligibility), 5.8% rep APR interest Top savings accounts Top easy-access cash ISA: Moneybox, 5.32%, min £500 Top easy-access savings: Chip 4.76%, min £1 Top one-year fix: Birmingham Bank 4.67%, min £5,000 Top energy deals Use our whole-of-market Cheap Energy Club Cheap Sims 10GB to 30GB data: Lebara, '£2.30/mth' for 10GB 31GB+ data: iD Mobile, '£2.59/mth' for 50GB

 

 

MSE NEWS - Top story: Santander to close 95 branches in 2025/26 - full list plus alternatives - Bank of England holds base rate at 4.5% - what you need to know & when it might be cut - Heathrow Airport closure - your flight rights explained

 

 

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA Should my mum help with our childcare costs while she's on holiday? My mum picks my son up from school three days a week, as his dad and I work full-time. On the other two days, we pay for him to go to an after-school club. My mum has just booked a two-week holiday in June, which means we'll have to pay for an extra six days at the after-school club while she's away. Should we ask her for a contribution towards the cost? Or should we just be grateful that she picks him up at all, and not say anything? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should my mum help with childcare costs? | Suggest a Money Moral Dilemma (MMD) | View past MMDs

 

 

MSE TEAM BLOG - MSE Forum highlights: Headphones, hybrid bikes & holidays

 

 

MARTIN'S APPEARANCES (TUE 25 MAR ONWARDS) Thu 27 Mar - Ask Martin Lewis, BBC Radio 5 Live, noon Tue 1 Apr - Good Morning Britain, co-presenting, ITV1, 6am Tue 1 Apr - This Morning, phone-in, ITV1, 10.20am

 

 

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