Know your rights! 60% of students don t understand their consumer rights

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1 Know your rights! 60% of students don t understand their consumer rights

2 60% of students don t understand their consumer rights Our report into student life reveals that 60% of students living away from home are unsure of, or don t know anything about, their consumer rights. This is surprising given that 1.5 million students (88%) have experienced problems with things like accommodation, utility providers and retailers. Flying the nest to head off to university has its obvious attractions (not least being Freshers Week) but it can also be a daunting time. For many of you it will be the first time you have to pay rent or utility bills. If things go wrong it s not only frustrating, but it can leave you out of pocket. According to our research: 57% of students experience problems with accommodation Don t be embarrassed Being a student doesn t mean you have to put up with poor quality accommodation, slow broadband speeds or shoddy customer service. All consumers have a right to complain and a right to independent redress if the company you complain to doesn t help. This guide will help you to avoid some of the common pitfalls when you move into your new student home and gives advice on what to do if things don t go to plan. Make sure you know your rights. And if you have a complaint that can t be fixed, contact Ombudsman Services. Visit: Call:

3 Sharing the (down)load So you ve decided to get broadband in your student digs. There are lots of packages you could choose - some are linked with TV packages; some offer unlimited data downloads; some offer free landline calls. Before you sign up to anything, check the length of the contract and whether the service is transferable if you decide to move property next year. Be aware of any limit to the amount of data you can download - even some unlimited packages have restrictions. Being mobile Your mobile phone might work brilliantly at your family home but is the signal just as strong near your university? This is something to think about if you decide to take out a new mobile contract. You should also consider how much data you use and opt for an appropriate contract to avoid unexpectedly high bills. Try and make use of free Wi-Fi whilst you're on campus to reduce mobile data usage. Shopping around for energy As with many contracts and services, it s now easier for people to shop around for the best energy deal. Even if you are renting you could still switch supplier to save money on your bills. You should check your tenancy agreement and let your landlord and/or letting agent know before you switch. They should let you know if there are any tie-ins with specific suppliers and give you details of applicable tariffs and charging details that come with those suppliers. Find out more:

4 Flying the nest If you re renting a property this year, as a group or individually, here are some things you should consider:

5 If something goes wrong Changes in the Law In July 2015 new legislation came into force requiring all businesses in the UK to offer their customers access to independent redress for any unresolved complaints. If they aren t signed up to an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) scheme, like Ombudsman Services, they must explain this to their customers. It s not compulsory for all companies to belong to an ADR scheme but it shows that the company values customer service. Tread carefully if you decide to buy a product or service from a company that doesn t have an independent way of resolving your complaints.

6 Ombudsman Services Advice If you re getting nowhere with your complaint we might be able to help. We offer a FREE and IMPARTIAL service to help consumers to resolve their complaints. We have years of experience handling complaints about energy companies, communications providers and property firms. In August 2015 we launched a new online service to resolve complaints in sectors where there is no existing redress provision. This includes retail, travel and traders. Know your rights! Before we can help, you must first complain to the company and give them a chance to sort out your problem. The company usually has up to eight weeks to resolve your complaint, unless it confirms in writing that it can no longer help; this is called a deadlock letter. If your complaint remains unresolved, visit. Here you can log the details of your complaint, explain what you would like to fix it and upload any evidence you may have. We will try to resolve your complaint as quickly as possible, often in a matter of days. If the company is at fault, we ll aim to return you to the position you would have been in had the problem not occurred. Sometimes we ll require the company to give you a financial award for any stress and inconvenience caused. If you accept our resolution, it becomes legally binding on the company. If, for some reason, we cannot accept your complaint at this time, we will give you advice on what to do next. You can find out more about Ombudsman Services via Twitter or via our website

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