Shane Lowry’s Open victory at Royal Portrush realises childhood dreams
Ireland’s Shane Lowry says he grew up “holing putts to win The Open” after winning his first major at Royal Portrush. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/golf/49066625
Which Whirlpool tumble dryers were recalled, are they safe to use and is your machine on the affected list?
WHIRLPOOL has finally launched a recall scheme for up to 80,000 fire-risk tumble dryers after the government made an “unprecedented” move to force it into action.
It comes after more than 5million dryers required modifying in the wake of hundreds of fires. Here’s the latest.
What is the problem with the tumble dryers?
The fault is apparently caused by excess fluff coming into contact with the heating element.
In November 2015, Whirlpool launched what it called a “modification” scheme to fix at-risk machines.
So far, it has modified 1.7million machines out of the 5.3million units manufactured between April 2004 and September 2015.
Is your dryer on the faulty list?
HERE'S how to know if your dryer is on the faulty list:
Whirlpool, which owns the Hotpoint brands, says it has identified a potential concern with two types of tumble dryers manufactured between April 2004 and September 2015.
The affected brands are:
- Hotpoint
- Indesit
- Creda
- Swan
- Proline
Non-affected machines will have a green sticker on the inside of the dryer door or reverse of the machine.
If your machine doesn’t have a green sticker, you need to check if it’s faulty. You can do this by locating the serial code and model number (found on the back of the dryer or on the back of the dryer door) and entering it onto the online checkers at safety.hotpoint.eu or safety.indesit.eu or safety-swan.eu.
But it says of these, 3.8million were still in use as of November 2015 with the remaining machines either having been disposed of by customers or are so old that they’re no longer in use.
Whirlpool believes 500,000 machines still need to be modified, although it admits that the figure could be as high as 800,000.
Which dryers are at risk?
The potentially faulty machines come under the brand names of Creda, Hotpoint, Indesit, Proline and Swan.
They consist of vented and condenser tumble dryers made between April 2004 and September 2015.
It has released a full list on the Whirlpool website of the affected models.
Consumer group Which? has analysed the list and reckons there are a whopping 627 models in total – just over 300 of which it believes have been sold in the UK.
Neither Whirlpool or the government would tell The Sun how many affected models there are in total or how many were in the UK.
You can find the model number of your machine on the tag located either on the back of the dryer door or in the recess of the dryer door.
But you also need the serial number to check if your machine is affected – not just the model number. This should be on the same tag.
You can then use Whirlpool’s online tool to check if your machine is affected. See the box above for more information.
What should I do if I think my tumble dryer is a fire risk?
If you do find that your machine is a risk, you should contact the company on 0800 151 0905 for the UK or 1800 804320 for Ireland.
You should also unplug the machine immediately until it’s fixed or replaced.
Following government intervention, Whirlpool has now agreed to finally recall the up to 800,000 faulty tumble dryers that could catch fire, some four years after safety concerns were first raised.
As part of the recall, which starts on July 11, customers with these unmodified machines will be given four different options as follows:
- Free modification: A Whirlpool engineer will visit your home to carry out a free-of-charge safety upgrade. The appointment takes about an hour and you can schedule the engineer visit for a date and time that is convenient to you, including evenings and weekends.
- Free replacement: You can choose between a new vented or condenser dryer, provided free-of-charge.
- “Heavily discounted upgrade”: You can return your affected dryer and upgrade to a “superior model” for what Whirlpool says will be a “fraction of the retail price”. For example, it will cost £59 for a vented model or £99 for a condenser dryer. There are more than 10 models to choose from, which normally cost up to £349.
- Refund: You can return your affected dryer and receive a refund up to £150, although how much you’ll get depends on the age of the appliance.
With all of these options, where necessary, Whirlpool says it will arrange free-of-charge collection and disposal of your old dryer.
If your dryer has already been replaced or modified by Whirlpool you don’t need to do anything.
Is the modification safe?
In May 2019, the government’s Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) concluded that the modification is “effective” and that customers who have had their tumble dryers modified can continue to use them safely.
This is despite the Whirlpool previously admitting that these machines are also a fire-risk.
Earlier this year, consumer group Which? revealed that it had spoken to 30 people who say their “fixed” tumble dryers have caught fire, produced smoke or the smell of burning.
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What has Whirlpool said about the issue?
Jeff Noel, vice president of Whirlpool, said: “People’s safety is our top priority, which is why we are expanding this important campaign.
“We are committed to doing the right thing for our consumers and will continue to take every action possible to resolve this issue.
“The crucial message is please contact us immediately if you still own one of these tumble dryers and haven’t already had it modified or replaced by us.”
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online Money team? Email us at money@the-sun.co.uk
https://www.thesun.co.uk/money/1291703/whirlpool-indesit-tumble-dryer-recall-safe-machine/
Rory McIlroy misses Open cut at Royal Portrush despite thrilling round
Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy says missing the cut at his home Open hurt, but the “love” of the crowd spurred him on to a remarkable round of 65. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/golf/49053684
Pension scams cost Brits £4billion a year and are expected to be ‘the next big financial scandal’
PENSION scams cost Brits £4 billion a year and are anticipated to be the next big financial scandal, it was reported last night.
A TV celebrity is among thousands of Brits who transferred cash out of defined-benefit pension schemes into inappropriate or high-risk ventures.
The well-known broadcaster, who cannot be named for legal reasons, invested more than £1million into an offshore pension scheme which is now feared to have collapsed.
It comes after reforms by George Osborne allowed savers access to a quarter of their pots tax-free from the age of 55.
In one case a former army veteran handed over £34,000 to invest in truffle-free farms that were never cultivated.
Another saw an airline pilot lose £380,000 in a scam now pursued by HMRC.
Baroness Altmann, a former pensions minister, told The Times: “Pension scams have the potential to be the next big financial scandal.
“Regulators have failed to respond with adequate urgency and are leaving consumers at the mercy of fraudsters. The fallout risks putting younger people off pensions altogether.”
It is thought a third of all pension transfers exhibit “red flags”, up from one in 19 three years ago.
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The value of pension transfers increased from £5.4 billion in 2014 to £33 billion last year.
Michael Cotter, a solicitor representing wronged investors in multiple pension scams, said: “Criminal sanctions against those who defraud individuals are plainly and wholly under-used.
“Proper justice is being denied to victims.”
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https://www.thesun.co.uk/money/9545784/pension-scams-cost-4bn/
British tourists face travel money ‘shock’ on summer holidays as sterling slides to two-year low amid Brexit uncertainty
BRIT tourists could face a money “shock” on their summer hols as sterling slid to a two-year low amid uncertainty over Brexit, experts have warned.
Holidaymakers buying euros at the airport can expect to receive just 98 cents to the pound – down from the summer of 2015 when they could expect €1.32.
Sterling plunged in 2016 after the UK voted to leave the EU and has been volatile since.
Tourist rates are based on trading levels in international markets – which move up and down based in part on traders gambling on the shape of a future deal with the EU.
This week the pound slipped to its lowest value against the dollar for 27 months, and against the euro it is the lowest it’s been this year.
James Hickman from travel money firm FairFX claimed the rate will not get better until Brexit is resolved.
He said: “It will be a big shock for tourists to Europe if they are expecting to get good value this year.
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“All pointers are that we’re in for a rocky road.
“If people are waiting to buy at a better rate I don’t think that’s going to happen.”
He added that sterling could even hit parity against the dollar in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
Tory leadership contenders Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt have both said they are prepared to leave without a withdrawal agreement but they fully expect to have a deal in place.
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https://www.thesun.co.uk/money/9530331/pound-euro-holiday-exchange-rate-brexit/
Chris Froome awarded 2011 Vuelta a Espana as Juan Jose Cobo stripped of title
Chris Froome is named winner of the 2011 Vuelta a Espana after Juan Jose Cobo is stripped of the title over doping irregularities. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/49026538
Laurent Koscielny ‘very hurt’ by Arsenal row – Olivier Giroud
Chelsea’s Olivier Giroud says his friend and former Arsenal team-mate Laurent Koscielny is “very hurt” by his transfer conflict with the Gunners. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/48989305
Facebook cracks down on scams ads after a Martin Lewis lawsuit
FACEBOOK will now investigate and block scam adverts following legal action taken by money guru Martin Lewis.
The consumer expert was suing Facebook for defamation after reports that some users lost thousands of pounds to fraudsters by falling for fake ads that used his photograph.
The MoneySavingExpert dropped the lawsuit back in January after it agreed to create a scam reporting tool.
From today, users will be able to report an advert by clicking the three dots in the top right hand corner of a post.
The case will then be investigated by a team of specialists that will take down violating posts.
Scam ads often use photos of celebrities as fake endorsements to dupe people into buying false products and services, like Bitcoin and diet pills.
How to protect yourself against online scams
ONLINE scams are a danger to both your personal details and your cash. Here are some tips you need to be aware of, according to Action Fraud.
Protect yourself – Always be suspicious. Don’t assume anyone who has sent you an email or text message or has left a voice is who they say they are.
If the message asks you to make a payment, log-in to an online account or offers you a deal, be extremely cautious.
Banks will never email you for passwords or any other sensitive information by asking you to click on a link or visit a website.
Spot the signs – Always check spellings and grammar of an email or website. If it’s poorly designed and contains lots of errors, the website probably isn’t legit. Genuine businesses won’t use web-based email addresses such as Gmail or Yahoo.
Make sure the sites are verified – Facebook, Twitter and other social media can also be used to direct you to a spoof website.
Official accounts are “verified” and come with checkmark icon next to their name – so make sure you check.
Citizens Advice anti-scam project, Scams Action, will give one-to-one support to those who are worried they have been victims of fraud.
Martin said: “Today should be the start of real improvement. The aim is to tap the power of what I’m dubbing ‘social policing’ to fight these scams.
“Millions of people know a scam when they see it, and millions of others don’t.
“So now, I’d ask all who recognise them to use the new Facebook reporting tool, to help protect those who don’t – which includes many who are vulnerable.
“Facebook’s new dedicated team will then hopefully respond quickly to ditch the scammers.”
'I was scammed by Facebook fake ad'
ONE Sun Online reader last year told how he feared he had been scammed for £100 by a promoted Facebook advert.
Roy Thomas, 60, said he paid for an ebike after spotting an advert from a company called Dic Space.
He paid £98.99 in a “sale” but it still hadn’t arrived after more than 30 days – and hadn’t been able to get hold of the company.
He told The Sun Online: “It had looked like a bona fide company, and it looked very professional.
“It all looked good but after seven days it still hadn’t arrived.
“In effect, they don’t give you any actual details of the company that is going to be delivering the item, or anything to go off with that, so you can’t contact anyone.
“I’ve tried contacting the company but never received one bit of contact from them again.
“I had sent them an email saying I could pick it up, but it fell on deaf ears.”
As part of the settlement, Facebook also agreed to donate £3million to Citizens Advice for an anti-scam project.
Citizens Advice said its Scams Action team is expected to help at least 20,000 people in the first year and will also work at identifying and raising awareness of online scams.
“We know online scams affect thousands of people every year,” said Gillian Guy, chief executive of Citizens Advice.
“We’re pleased the agreement between Martin Lewis and Facebook meant we could set up this dedicated service to give more help to people who have fallen victim to online scams.”
Steve Hatch, vice president for Northern Europe at Facebook, said scam ads are “an industry-wide problem” caused by criminals and have “no place on Facebook”.
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“Through our work with Martin Lewis, we’re taking a market-leading position and our new reporting tool and dedicated team are important steps to stop the misuse of our platform,” he explained.
“Prevention is also key. Our £3 million donation to Citizens Advice will not only help those who have been impacted by scammers, but raise awareness of how to avoid scams too.
“At a global level, we’ve tripled the size of our safety and security team to 30,000 people and continue to invest heavily in removing bad content from our platform.”
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online Money team? Email us at money@the-sun.co.uk
https://www.thesun.co.uk/money/9515318/facebook-cracks-down-scams-ads-martin-lewis-lawsuit/
Cowboy firms face major government crackdown to stop customers being ripped off
COWBOY home-improvement firms who rip-off customers with false promises of cutting energy bills are to face a massive crackdown by the government.
Thousands of families have been trapped repaying loans for “green” upgrades that fail to reduce the cost of heating their property.
More than a million families take advantage of eco-energy schemes every year in hope of cutting their energy bills[/caption]
More than a million families take advantage of eco-energy schemes every year – forking out up to £20,000 for “green” improvements such as insulation and new energy-efficient boilers.
But rip-off merchants are making a killing by preying on low-income households and vulnerable with false promises to cut their bills.
Under action to be unveiled this week, the work will only be carried out by trusted tradesmen under a new quality scheme with its own “TrustMark”.
Energy Minister Chris Skidmore said: “Driving up the energy efficiency of Britain’s homes is key to reducing emissions from households, saving people money on their bills as we legislate to become a net zero emissions economy and end our contribution to global warming entirely.
“This new scheme will guarantee low-income households the peace of mind that workmen installing energy efficiency measures in their homes are trusted tradesmen.”
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About 15 per cent of households take an energy efficiency measure each year, with over a million installing additional or replacement loft insulation and a million upgrading to double glazed windows.
A new “Each Home Counts” quality mark will help reassure households having work done that the companies have met the appropriate standards for installing insulation and new heating systems.
The British energy efficiency industry is worth £20.3billion, employing nearly 150,000 and selling exports worth over £1billion a year.
Energy Minister Chris Skidmore said the action ‘will guarantee low-income households peace of mind’[/caption]
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https://www.thesun.co.uk/money/9502610/cowboy-firms-government-crackdown-customers/
England v New Zealand: Where Cricket World Cup final will be won and lost
Devastating batsmen, blistering pace bowlers and supreme fielding – BBC Sport assesses the fine margins which could decide the World Cup final. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/48975319