Businesses beware!
Businesses beware! There is an email circulating, purporting to be from the Treasury, claiming that you are not eligible for the small business grant. The email requests that you refund the money that has been paid to you. The email is fake! Do not respond. Do not provide any company or financial details. Do not pay any money to the bank details provided. If you receive and such email, forward it to report@phishing.gov.uk and then delete it.
Shops opening
As homeware and hardware shops are permitted to be open, DIY shops can remain open. These businesses should adopt social distancing requirements. However, it must be remembered that anyone travelling to a DIY store needs to have a reasonable excuse to have left, or be outside their home. The regulations state that a person has a ‘reasonable excuse’ where they are travelling to obtain basic necessities which include supplies for the essential upkeep, maintenance and functioning of the household (or the household of a vulnerable person). Travel for supplies is therefore likely to include the need to obtain parts to fix a plumbing or roof problem but NOT to collect paint and brushes for interior decorating. If you want to report a retail business that is failing to follow national guidance you can call Suffolk Trading Standards on 01473 264859 (option 3) or email us on tradingstandards@suffolk.gov.uk.
Garden centres
As the types of businesses that can remain open include food, pet food and hardware retailers, it may be that some garden centres are permitted to remain open where these goods are sold alongside more traditional garden centre products. These businesses should also adopt social distancing requirements. All customers must have a reasonable excuse to travel to the garden centre. Customers who have made the journey to purchase food or pet food and also, incidentally, buy a plant will be more likely to be deemed as having a ‘reasonable excuse’. Those who have made the journey solely to buy plants will not. Garden centres that are solely plant nurseries are not permitted to open as their retail business type is not listed as being allowed to remain open. They can however operate a delivery service. Stay at home to protect our NHS and save lives. If you want to report a retail business that is failing to follow national guidance you can call Suffolk Trading Standards on 01473 264859 (option 3) or email us on tradingstandards@suffolk.gov.uk.
Home working scams
With many people experiencing job losses or reduced income, people are looking for remote working jobs to bring in extra money. As such, we want to highlight the common scams that job seekers may experience to ensure you don't get caught out. Scammers may reach out offering a job that promises a large amount of income for a small amount of work. If you respond, they may request you to provide them with a small amount of money for training or special equipment. Or they may request your bank account information so they can directly deposit your funds. In reality, there is no job, or the work provided has many hurdles to jump, that means you won't get made. The work itself could involve filling envelopes, assembling products or selling goods or services through your own website. In some cases, fraudsters may tell you there are faults with what you’ve done to avoid paying you. In other cases, the products you’ve bought or made are worthless. Many of these business opportunities only allow you to earn money if you introduce more people to it. These are known as pyramid schemes. In other cases they will just take the money or the information you give them and use it to steal whatever money you have left. That's not to say there aren't legitimate work-from-home opportunities out there. You just have to do your research to make sure you're dealing with a real company. Do some research on the company and don't be afraid to contact it and ask questions before accepting a position, especially if it's asking for sensitive information. If you get a bad feeling, explore some other options instead. If you spot a scam, or have signed up to what you think is a job scam, call us via Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 1133.
Are you due a refund for a cancelled holiday or event?
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) have launched an investigation into businesses failing to respect cancellation rights during the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. 4 out of 5 complaints being received into the CMA Taskforce relate to cancellations and refunds. So far these include concerns about businesses refusing refunds or firms pressuring people to accept vouchers for holiday accommodation, which can only be used during a more expensive period. Most businesses are acting reasonably in what are unprecedented circumstances, and the current crisis is placing everyone under pressure, but consumer rights cannot be ignored. You should expect a full refund to be issued where:
- a business has cancelled a contract without providing any of the promised goods or services
- no service is provided by a business, for example because this is prevented by the restrictions that apply during the current lockdown
- a consumer cancels or is prevented from receiving the service, for example due to the restrictions that apply during the current lockdown.
Businesses should not be profiting by ‘double recovering’ their money from the Government and customers.
The CMA has identified 3 sectors of particular concern:
- weddings and private events
- holiday accommodation
- nurseries and childcare providers
If you have been affected by unfair cancellation terms in wake of Covid-19, you can report them to the CMA using the online form: https://www.coronavirus-business-complaint.service.gov.uk/
Flytipping
Help prevent flytipping, keep all paperwork for transactions if you're paying to have waste taken away and ask questions. Check their name and licence number on the EA website, and make sure their licence is an Upper Tier! https://environment.data.gov.uk/public-register/view/search-waste-carriers-brokers Find out more from Suffolk Recycling here: https://www.suffolkrecycling.org.uk/fly-tipping
Washing machines
Whirlpool have recalled a further 21 washing machines due to a fire risk. If you have previously checked your model against the list published, please check again! A total of 66 models are now affected by the recall, which includes Hotpoint and Indesit washing machines bought since October 2014. You can check your washing machine on the dedicated website for the recall here: https://washingmachinerecall.whirlpool.co.uk/ If you have a washing machine listed, please unplug the machine and stop using it until it has been checked by a Whirlpool engineer. If necessary, you should only use cold water cycles of 20 degrees celsius or lower. This is because the issue is associated with the washing machine's heating element being activated during washing cycles above 20 degrees.
If you need advice, or want to report a scam or rogue trader, call us via 0808 223 1133.