STRAIGHT TO THE POINT

DO WE still have laws on legal tender? If so, can’t they be used to prevent the refusal of cash as payment for purchases? P. F., via email. THERE is no UK law that forbids businesses from refusing cash. This kind of legislation does exist in countries including Denmark and China.

There have not been any European Court of Justice rulings made on cash acceptance. The EU Commission takes the view that cash should be accepted for retail transactions and refusal should be possible only for practical reasons — such as the retailer having no change. I BOOKED a holiday to Mexico for myself and my fiancee through Thomas Cook. It was advertised as ‘no deposit, pay nine monthly repayments’.

My fiancee has since been diagnosed with breast cancer, so we had to cancel after making six payments. Yet, despite requiring no deposit, Thomas Cook has deducted £500 from our refund. T. H., via email. THOMAS COOK says its terms and conditions explain that if you cancel the monthly payments after the first instalment, there is a £250 per person cancellation charge for long-haul trips. However, a spokesman says, in light of the circumstances, the fee will now be waived. I MADE my will years ago and want everything to stay the same, including the sale of my property and the proceeds divided equally between my children.

But I have recently moved home — is my will still valid showing my old address? S. L., via email. JIll RUSHTON, a solicitor at law firm Stephensons, says there is no obligation to amend a will when you have a new address. People often move house and there is no need to update it every single time.