STRAIGHT TO THE POINT
IN MARCH, I submitted a final meter reading for my late father’s house to Scottish Power. I was told I was owed £48.28. But I have since received more bills and been sent round the houses by customer services. R. S., Stranraer, Dumfries & Galloway. ScoTTISh Power has apologised for the delay in closing the account. You now have a cheque for the final amount and a £20 goodwill gesture. I BOOKED a hotel in Plymouth for seven days by phone through Expedia. But three days before the trip, my husband fell ill and we needed to move the dates.
Expedia said we had booked the rooms at a discounted rate and so weren’t allowed. Now we have lost £437. Can you help? D. R., Hampshire. exPedIA says it is usually up to the hotel as to whether you get a refund. But in this instance, it has factored in the circumstances and agreed to refund you the full cost. I RECEIVED an email saying that my National Savings & Investments account had been compromised. It asked me to verify my identity by clicking on a link. Is this a scam? P. R., via email. YeS. Never click on any link sent in an email that purports to be from your bank. This email came from NI&S, not NS&I. Always check the email address — scam emails will usually differ slightly from the real one.
NS&I’s cyber security team is investigating and has put its call centres on alert. WE SET up a Santander 123 account in April 2015 to get a two-year fixed Isa at 2 pc — an extra £250 a year for 123 customers. But rates have halved to 1 pc for 123 customers and 0.75 pc for others. What should we do in April? D. T., via email. WAIT and see. It’s difficult to say what the state of play will be in six months. And don’t forget the £1,000 tax-free savings allowance (£500 for higher-rate taxpayers) you have outside an Isa when looking for a new deal. I WANT to invest a small amount in gold. I came across a 1 oz bar on Amazon for £9.99. Is this real? R. C., Swindon, Wilts. IT APPeArS to be gold-plated, which means it is cheaper metal covered in a thin layer of gold. You’d be better off going to a reputable gold dealer. royal Mint (0845 608 8444; royal
mint.com) sells lumps of high-quality gold.