“Do you love anyone enough to give them your last rolo?”

That’s the theme here in the office today, as we’ve been discussing what we believe to be one of the greatest advertising slogans of our time. So simple, but so effective.

OK – We admit it – This isn’t a consumer deal as such, but it’s a quiet day in the office, and one of our site visitors pointed us in the direction of something very nostalgic that we’d like to share with you.

It’s a classic TV ad from days gone by, when life was simple. Click on the following, and enjoy:

If you’re feeling in a nostalgic mood, send this clip on to the one you love, and see if it makes them smile!

The advertising slogan is actually a great example of a very simple marketing idea – the concept of “the last rolo” being in some way special was a stroke of genius, and we’re hoping that the creative that came up with the concept retired happy.

The slogan’s now nearly 30 years old, and according to a piece in Campaign Magazine in 2003, the “last rolo” concept was too soppy, and a more edgy campaign was needed, although it’s still a surprisingly well remembered concept, and it’s helped cement the rolo in people’s minds. Do you love anyone enough to give them your last Pringle? Smartie? Just doesn’t work, does it?

Today’s Rolo

Rolos are now produced by the Nestlé Rowntree group, and it’s amazing what you learn by getting diverted and doing online research. Did you know that the humble tube of Rolos was subject of a Watchdog investigation in 1995, when Nestlé Rowntree dropped the tube’s contents from 11 to 10 choccies (cue the “who nabbed the last rolo” jokes)? Or that the bastion of all that’s true, Wikipedia, refers to the Rolo as a “frustum-shaped chocolate” that’s not unlike a shallow inverted bucket? Rolo cupcakes are available in certain supermarkets, and two of the team here have fond memories of the Rolo McFlurry at McDonalds – there’s even talk here of petitioning Maccy D’s to bring back the rolo.

Although the “last rolo” slogan has been dropped, it’s still a generally-accepted measurement of love for one’s partner, and we have discovered that the slogan is alive and well as far as personal gifts go. With Valentine’s Day not far away, it seems that there’s quite a market in “last rolo” merchandise, and if you’re looking for a creative gift for this year, a choccie-themed one mught win you some brownie points.

If you’re romantically-minded, you can pick up a silver, gold, or diamond rolo for the love of your life, or alternatively, a “last rolo” for your partner’s charm bracelet. If you’re taken by the idea of saying it with rolos, instead of a traditional bunch of flowers appeals this year, go to mylastrolo.com , where you can see a range of branded goodies, plus links to the full range of rolo TV ads.

There you go – an interesting diversion for the afternoon – We’re now about to send one of the team here out on the hunt for a few tubes of caramel goodness – in the name of research, you understand!

The Sky+ HD Box

For a very limited time, Sky is offering a £100 Marks and Spencer voucher to new customers signing up to Sky+ or Sky+ HD, as well as for existing customers who decide to upgrade to HD.

If you’re interested in getting Sky for the first time, or upgrading to Sky+ HD, then you have to hurry, as the offer for a £100 Marks and Spencer voucher is set to end on Monday the 14th of November 2011.

Sky’s most recent offer was for a mere £25 of vouchers, so this is a sizable increase.

If you decide to get Sky to take advantage of this offer, the HD option gives you the high-spec Sky+ HD box, pictured to the right, as well as 50 channels of HD telly. The offer also includes:

1. Free Sky+HD box and free standard set-up
2. Broadband everyday lite and inclusive evening and weekend calls
3. Sky wireless N router

At the time of writing, there’s also a decent half-price offer on Sky’s Unlimited broadband service

To take advantage of the offer, or for more details on the latest deals from Sky, go here: Sky TV Voucher Offer

It seems that there is an issue with the product information for the ASUS 1011PX netbook on the Comet website, as well as on the in-store tickets (at least in the two stores we checked).

The Comet website clearly states that the ASUS Eee PC 1011PX netbook has a battery life of “up to 11 hours”. However, according to the manufacturer ASUS, the model that Comet is selling (their stock number 731587) only has a battery life of “up to 4.5 hours”. The model that Comet are selling is the BLK069, which comes with the smaller capacity 3-cell battery.

Despite the fact that Comet’s website says the ASUS 1011PX-BLK069 “gets the job done, all day long”, and that you can use it “for up to 11 hours between charges”, the actual figure of 4.5 hours doesn’t quite measure up to this claim.

Comet Website - 11 hours should be 4.5 hours

Rivals Currys seem to have the correct info on their website, so hopefully Comet will get around to fixing this misleading claim as soon as possible. We’ve told store staff, told Head Office, and reported this via the Comet Twitter and Facebook pages.

Comet’s Netbook Returns Policy

In an update to this story, we’ve found an interesting issue with Comet’s Returns Policy, worth highlighting if you do decide to buy an ASUS from Comet.

One of our team purchased the ASUS 1011PX, only to find when he unpacked it, that the netbook would not charge, and could not be powered from the mains adapter. Without being able to power or charge the netbook, it was pretty useless.

We took the netbook back to Comet, only to discover that it’s not possible to return a faulty ASUS for a replacement on a Saturday. In-store staff checked the one-day old netbook over, and agreed that there was an apparent fault. They were unwilling to swap the machine for one that worked, until they’d got a call reference code from the ASUS call centre… who are closed at weekends.

The store manager we spoke to, told us, that under the Sale Of Goods Act, they had a right to refuse an exchange until appropriate checks and tests had been made, and referred to an SLA (Service Level Agreement). We asked for a copy of this, but Comet would not provide us with a copy.

We called the ASUS call centre ourselves on the following Monday. In a call lasting less than 3 minutes, they suggested that we “turn the unit to the reseller”.

After playing Comet’s staff a recording of our call with ASUS, they agreed to a replacement, which took store staff nearly 30 minutes to process, due to a “problem with MSKU” (whatever that is…)

Common Sense

It seems that Comet’s frustrating returns process is there to protect Comet against a customer bringing back a product that has been “accidentally damaged”, or tampered with in some way however we understand that local managers have the authority to make a “common sense” decision at their discretion.

In our case, the netbook was clearly faulty, and we find it disappointing that in-store staff at out local Comet don’t feel suitably empowered to replace clearly faulty goods , instead of hiding behind procedures and service agreements.

Comet Says…

We’ve asked Comet Customer Services for their comments on our experience. They replied as follows:

“… the Service Level agreement for your product is to call Asus in order to receive a call reference number which then would allow a refund or an exchange to be processed. Unfortunately, if we were to do this without obtaining a reference number/reporting the fault our company would not be provided the credit value of the faulty laptop by the manufacturer.”

This is all well and good, however, it’s not clear why Comet couldn’t simply replace the clearly faulty product (bought just hours previously), then get whatever codes were needed from ASUS  at its leisure, without further inconveniencing the customer. Refusing an exchange and sending a customer home with a broken product, for them to return later with a tape recording of a support phone call, is just plain daft!

Affected?

Anyone had a similarly frustrating experience with Comet’s in-store returns policy? Add a comment below…

Step One – Complain to Customer Services

When I discovered that a Royal Mail redirection service had stopped working, I phoned Customer Services. The team that answer the phone seem very helpful, but don’t seem to be the people who solve the problems. My complaint was logged into a system called CLEO.  Complaints logged in this way then get followed up with a letter. Mine was largely cut-and-paste affair that failed to address the problem.

After a few calls, I realised that phoning doesn’t work. Calls seem to result in a one-line entry into CLEO, and it’s someone else who follows up, often missing the point.

The trick is to write to them at: Customer Services, PO Box 740, Plymouth PL9 7YB (Or Customer Services, FREEPOST, Plymouth PL9 7YB)

This will get you a more detailed reply than a phone call.In my case, I ended up with a “we’re taking no further action”, go-away letter.

Step 2: Customer Services Manager

If you’re not happy with what the Customer Service Advisor has to say, write again, this time addressing your letter to a manager (address as above)

In my case, this got Royal Mail to reconsider my complaint, and offer a Gesture of Goodwill payment, which didn’t cover costs, so was refused.

Once you’ve done this and got nowhere, you can proceed to the next step:

Step 3: The Postal Review Panel

This apparently is a ring-fenced part of Royal Mail who’ll look at escalated complaints in an “unpredudiced and impartial” way. You can complain online: Postal Review Panel, or by writing to FREEPOST, Postal Review Panel (there’s no postcode)

I tried this online, and got an acknowledgement that I’d get a response within 30 days. After 30 days, I’d heard nothing, and chased them. Apparently the person was on holiday and no-one else could help. I gave up on Step 3, and went on the next one…

Step 4: The Regulator

Royal Mail’s regulator Postcomm uses an Ombudsman-like service operated by IDRS Ltd. This is called the Postal Redress Service (or POSTRS for short). You can only go to them if you get a ‘deadlock’ letter from Royal Mail, or if Royal Mail fails to follow its complaints process (e.g. they fail to reply because they’re on holiday)

You can raise a Case with POSTRS online here: POSTRS complaints. In my case, I had to fax over copies of all correspondence for them to review.

This at least gets Royal Mail’s attention. It prompted the Postal Review Panel to reply, although their letter said nothing that I hadn’t already heard from Customer Services, so seemed to be a waste of time.

Their response to POSTRS was better. A formal six-page “Defence from Royal Mail”, with lots of  information. The root of their defence relates to Section 90 of the Postal Services Act. This is unofficially known the “Royal Mail immunity clause”. You have no “claim in tort” against Royal Mail for compensation regarding loss or damages if Royal Mail mess up.

POSTRS send out a copy of Royal Mail’s response, and you have the option to respond to their defense. Next, POSTRS send a letter telling you who the Adjucator is. It then took around a month for the “Decision” to come through.For me, this was a sturdy 12 page document  that a) confirmed everything I’d told them, b) confirmed everything that Royal Mail had told them, c) commented on each issue (“I note that xxx said”, “I acknowledge receipt of”). The POSTRS  findings agreed that Royal Mail had messed up, but that the “immunity clause” applied, and a refund was outside of the scope of POSTRS. They did agree that Royal Mail had “failed to address the Customer’s complain appropriately on a number of occasions”, and mandate that Royal Mail apologise in writing, and pay compensation over its handling of the complaint (in my case £20 for the stress and inconvenience)

Step 5: Take Royal Mail to Court

This may seem drastic, but if you have a strong case, and you’ve tried POSTRS, then take Royal Mail to court. You can file papers against Royal Mail through the Governement’s online court service at  Money Claim Online. Costs depend on how much you’re suing Royal Mail for, but for less than £300, it’s £25 (at the time of writing).Issuing a claim only takes a few minutes, and initially, you don’t need to submit all of your paperwork, just an overview of the “Particulars of the Claim”, plus the amount you’re claiming. Note that you can also claim interest (8%, under Section 69 of the County Courts Act 1984)

The address to serve papers to is: Legal Team, Royal Mail Group Ltd, 100 Victoria Embankment, London EC4Y 0HQ

Once you’ve done this, Royal Mail gets a copy and has 28 days to file their defence (or pay up).

I’d love to tell you what happens next, but shortly after papers were served to Royal Mail, a lawyer from Royal Mail Legal Services wrote to me. Apparently they had a robust defence to my claim, again citing immunity under Section 90 of the Postal Services Act 2000:

“no proceedings shall lie against a universal service provider in respect of loss or damage suffered by any person in connection with the provision of the universal postal service…”.

Nonetheless, to have the time and expense of going to court, they offered to settle out of court. After some negotiation (by email to save on postage), we agreed an amount, I got a cheque, and cancelled the Small Claims claim.

The Result

For me, POSTRS and HM Courts and Tribunals Service were the two bodies that got Royal Mail to listen and respond sensibly, but it makes some effort to get to that stage. Royal Mail seems to make it difficult to complain, presumably hoping that people give up in frustration.

I can only imagine how much time and money it has cost Royal Mail to handle my complaint. The out-of-court settlement, plus compensation far exceeded the original refund I was asking for, and my complaint had bounced around Customer Services, Head Office and the lawyers for six months, which can’t have been cheap. I find it hard to believe that it’s in Royal Mail’s financial interests to expend so much money defending such a small refund. I can only assume it’s a numbers game – if I’d given up earlier, they’d have had to give me nothing, and I’m guessing several thousand people give up along the way. By making the process so complex, do they save more in refunds than they lose in costs and time? Who knows.

Hopefully my story had helped anyone with a genuine complaint. Before I go, some final snippets for those looking to complain:

Don’t: Write to the Chief Executive

In our How To Complain guide, we suggest writing to the boss, as this can work wonders. In some cases, writing to the Chief Executive’s office sets someone senior to look at a complaint, and take it seriously. I wrote to Moya Greene’s office, and the letter was forwarded to the Postal Review Panel, the people who failed to respond in Step 3. The CEO, didn’t want to know, so don’t waste a stamp.

Don’t: Try to send anything by Recorded Delivery

The Postal Review Panel’s FREEPOST address doesn’t have a postcode. Post Offices can’t send Recorded to Special Delivery letters without a postcode. After some digging, we’ve found this address, with a postcode: Royal Mail Postal Review Panel, PO Box 644 , Dearne House, BARNSLEY S73 3BJ

Do: Consider the Data Protection Act

If you’re getting nowhere between Step 2 and Step 3, consider doing what I did. As there was some dispute over a fact in my case, I made a request under the Data Protection Act to get a copy of what Royal Mail held on file about my complaint. It’s free to ask, and you can submit a request in writing or by email. See Royal Mail Freedom of Information:  In my case, this yielded 4 pages of notes from Royal Mail’s Customer Services system, which included notes such as “the error was ours” and “consider goodwill payment”, The reports gave a good insight as to the way things work, and what happens behind the scenes of a complaint.  It would be unfair to suggest that everyone does this, but if your case is likely to go to court, using the Data Protection Act or Freedom of Information Act to get the evidence you need may be worth considering.

The motto of the story?

The Royal Mail complaints procedure seems designed to make getting a complaint heard both painful and time-consuming, presumably to put you off. Perseverance seems to be the key, as does reading up on the  Royal Mail immunity clause, which they’ll claim prevents you from suing if they’re negligent.

In the first three months of this year 120,884 people complained. We wish each and every one of you well in your mission, and we hope you have the stomach to go the distance. If you get poor service, complain. If you’re fobbed off, persevere. With luck (and time), you can win. And maybe if more people go through the process, Royal Mail will see sense and try to handle future complaints a little better. It’s got to be cheaper for them in the end!

Any stories? Please comment below.

A limited edition exclusive collectible Wills and Kate Mobile Phone, for just a quid.

The phone is in red, white and blue, with the wedding date on the back of the phone. The phone has a screensaver of the royal couple, and the pre-loaded ringtone is “God Save The Queen”. You can’t get more regal than that!

Now ok, this may be a fairly tacky phone, but you just know it’s going to be a collector’s item at some point in the future, and given that you can pick up this fully functional Alcatel mobile for £1 at Carphone Warehouse, it’s got to be worth a punt.

The phone has a torch and an FM radio (which even the iPhone doesn’t have)… and it comes in a presentation Royal Wedding box.

Available on the Virgin and Orange networks for a very limited time, you can order online at Carphone Warehouse if you’re quick. Delivery is free.

You can use your day off on the 28th of April to try to sell it on eBay!

If that gets you nowhere, the Royal Mail complaints process states that you next go to the Royal Mail’s Postal Review Panel, who claim to be “an independent review panel that will take a fresh look at your complaint” and respond within 30 days.

One of our team has had cause to complain to the panel, and 33 days after that complaint, is still waiting to hear back.

We’d be really interested to hear from anyone who’s taken their complaint to the Postal Review Panel, or on to the next step, the Independent Postal Redress scheme.

Did the process work for you? Any experiences, good or bad? Please add your comments below…

The 3DS has full 3D support, and you don’t need to wear glasses. The 3D effect, adjusted by the 3D slider on the right of the screen, is truly exceptional. Here at ConsumerDeals, we’ve no idea how it works, but boy is it impressive.

If you’re looking to get your hands on a Nintendo 3DS, then the cheapest way is to order online, of course. The retail price is £219, but it’s at Amazon today for £187, saving £32 on the high street price. Nintendo 3DS at Amazon.co.uk

One of our team took a trip down the local high street to see who was offering a decent deal.

First port of call was high street chain GAME, who’ve been pushing the 3DS very heavily. Despite the console being priced at £197 on the GAME website , our local store refused to sell for anything less than £219. No deals, no flexibility. Amazing that their high street store is £22 more expensive than their online store, but hey-ho.

Other stores in the High Street also wouldn’t budge from £219 – including our HMV, Argos and Currys. There is a way to get one instore at the lower price though – On launch day, Comet are selling online at £197, and if you do a click-and-collect, you can pick up the Nintendo 3DS from your local Comet for £197 – £22 cheaper than anyone else on the high street that we could find. See: Nintendo 3DS at Comet.co.uk

Kudos goes to GameStation, who also have a high street presence. At our local GameStation, they couldn’t discount the console from £219, but on presentation of the Comet offer, they were prepared to do a deal on games and accessories purchases, to get the final bill to be a match with Comet. So GameStation got our business. We got a further £6 saving by taking out their loyalty card and taking advantage of 1000 free points.

Although it’s still cheaper to shop online, a saving of £22 – £28 by doing some homework and shopping around, means some bargains are still available in the offline world. Just a shame GAME lack the flexibility of their competitors (and their own site!)

By the way… we have a 3DS. Got any questions about the console? Add a comment, and we’ll be happy to help!

The latest handheld console from Nintendo lets you play games in 3D without the need for silly glasses, and also comes with motion sensors, a 3D camera and improved wi-fi.

if you’re toying with the idea of getting one, you can save £30 off the price of £229 by pre-ordering from Tesco.

 The impressive pre-order price of £197 (which includes free delivery plus Tesco Clubcard points) is only valid until the 3rd of March 2011, so games need to hurry.

Link: Preorder the Nintendo 3DS at Tesco Direct

Update: Now £196.99 on pre-order from Amazon: 3DS on Amazon.co.uk

If you or  your company uses a PO Box service for mail collection or delivery, and you’ve experienced any problems, such as mail being returned as “gone away”, post sent to the wrong address, or the P.O box being ceased by Royal Mail in error, we’d love to hear from you.

Please add a comment in the box below.

This free application allows customers to view account balances, see the most recent transactions, transfer funds to other accounts, and pay bills. The app’s easy-to-use, and it’s free.

First Direct’s CEO had this to say about the launch of this new app:

“This is about our customers, we want them to be proud to say ‘I bank with first direct’. 21 years ago, first direct changed the face of banking when it became the first UK financial institution to allow customers to do their banking whenever they wanted via phone. We were amongst the leaders in taking this experience online and today we continue to innovate. This time it’s about making the banking experience simpler and quicker, allowing our iPhone enabled customers to access key features of our internet banking; whenever they want and wherever they want.”

Boss Matt Colebrook continued: “The iPhone App is as a huge step forward, but it’s just the beginning of our ambitions for mobile banking. Our plans for 2011 are to make our ‘on the go’ mobile service available on other smartphone devices.”

If you’ve got an iPhone or an iPad, and you’re a First Direct customer, get the application for free here: First Direct iPhone App

We’re happy to be able to offer you a few moneysaving vouchers too. These are valid until 24th December 2010 for use at maplin.co.uk:

• £1 off any purchase over £10: secret1
• £3 off on purchase over £30: secret3
• £5 off any purchase over £65: secret5
• £10 off any purchase over £130: secret10
• £15 off any purchase over £200: secret15
• £25 off any purchase over £300: secret25

Also, while stocks last, use code PSGIFT when spending over £40 for a free weather station

Adaptive Affinity runs, or has run, membership schemes including VistaPrint Rewards, HighStreetMax, Club Prem, HighCreditScore and Rewards Now, and customers are encouraged to sign up to these schemes after completing transactions at online retailers which have included VistaPrint, Millet Sports and lastminute.com

Our original message refers to unexpected debits applied to our team member’s credit card after purchase of some business cards from VistaPrint, and discusses problems he experienced getting the debits stopped and obtaining a refund. The complaint from Adaptive Affinity Limited relates to a claim made that a request for a refund was followed by further debits. The complaint asserts that the statement is “simply untrue”, “no proof is offered” and is “false and/or inaccurate”.

In response, ConsumerDeals has provided evidence to back up the claims made by our contributor. This includes a letter from VistaPrint Rewards / Adaptive Affinity promising cancellation, four credit card statements showing debits after the promised cancellation, and a transcript of a phone call where a rather embarrassed-sounding representative admits the failure to cancel the VistaPrint Rewards membership and provide a refund, and apologises.

Montage of debits from VistaPrint Rewards

In accordance with Adaptive Affinity’s claim that no proof has been offered, we’re happy to provide extracts of credit card statements and correspondence. This is available now for all to see here: Adaptive Affinity Complaint Evidence. At this time, Adaptive Affinity has not provided us with any evidence that contradicts this material.

As of the 9th September 2010, we understand that our contributor has apparently still not received a full refund despite one being promised over three years ago.

Consumer comments

In addition to the complaint about our contributor’s post, the complaint also cites a number of the over 190 comments from UK consumers as being false, inaccurate and/or offensive.

In reviewing this complaint, we have found hundreds of messages from consumers in the UK who have also experienced debits on their credit card and gone through the process of cancelling and requesting refunds. Sites covering reported issues with Adaptive Affinity schemes include: The Mirror , The Guardian, Martin Lewis’ MoneySavingExpert, Hubbers and Legal Beagles. Adaptive Affinity was also featured in a leading BBC consumer programme, and the seven minute feature (with comments from the Trading Standards Institute) is available here: BBC You and Yours – Online Terms and Conditions

A representative from Adaptive Affinity has commented on our original message and the 190 subsequent comments. As Adaptive Affinity’s removal request also appears to include their own message, and in the interest of balance, we will quote an extract from their post here: “Adaptive Affinity Ltd and partners in no way operate in illegal, immoral or dishonest business practices” and “we are always committed to offering a clear and honest service.”

Last year, the Office of Fair Trading investigated Adaptive Affinity Limited for alleged breaches of the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008. After the OFT raised concerns that consumers could be misled, Adaptive Affinity agreed to make a number of changes. You can find a full summary here: Office of Fair Trading Adaptive Affinity Press Release

Complaint Status

ConsumerDeals has provided its Internet hosting provider with a full written response, and provided copies of credit card statement extracts, a transcript and a copy of a letter confirming account cancellation. Original documentation has been authenticated by a third party.

Following discussions with our hosting provider, we have now masked extracts from a small number of statements made by our visitors. All changes have been clearly marked by our team. In the event that any site visitor feels that the changes made by us have been done so without cause, we would ask you to contact us. We may ask you to provide supporting documentation in respect any dispute you have with Adaptive Affinity and their partners, plus your permission to make that documentation public.

We are hopeful that, by providing the requested proof within 24 hours of the complaint, clarifying the details of our contributor’s experiences with VistaPrint Rewards, providing a full written response, making changes to highlighted user comments and allowing Adaptive Affinity to address their customers in the discussion, we have demonstrated our willingness to address the complaint in a timely matter.

Update 10 Sep 2010: We’d like to thank those of you who have send us messages of support – that’s much appreciated! Also, thanks to Carl for letting us know that we’re not alone – US site One Man’s Blog has also received a similar complaint from Adaptive Affinity this week (see: VistaPrint.com Is Threatening to Sue Me Over a Blog Comment. Really???). Also to Martin for drawing our attention to the way ‘The London Plan’ has responded to their complaint (see: Angry Me)

HoMedics Swedish Massager

Fancy a Swedish massage while you work? This could be the closest thing to it, without leaving your office chair.

We’ve just completed our review of the HoMedics Swedish Style Massager – Strap this to your chair, plug it in, and experience one of the six rolling or Swedish massage settings.

Fits most office chairs and has four independent rollers, optional heated massage , width adjusters and a spot massager.

Find out more in our review of the HoMedics QRM-409H Swedish Style Massager.

After pressure by the regulators OfCom, Sky has had to give their rivals access to Sky Sports 1 and Sky Sports 2 at a reasonable price, and BT Vision has been quick to jump at the chance to undercut Sky. Here’s a summary:

• Sky Sports from £6.99 a month
• Free ESPN Sport with any Value Pack
• Access to catch-up TV from BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Five
• On-demand TV shows, sporting action and movies (far more than with Sky Anytime)

As well as over 50 channels of live TV, BT Vision makes use of a BT Broadband connection to let you watch on-demand TV shows, films, kids shows and sporting action on your TV using your home Internet.

The only down side, is that BT’s not able to offer Sky Sports in HD. If you want Sky Sports and ESPN in HD, Sky’s still the one.

Find out more about BT Vision’s cheaper Sky Sports service at btvision.bt.com

For the last few weeks, we’ve been testing out Fitbug, the rather novel little fitness programme. Carry the bug in your pocket, connect it to your PC or Mac, and have your results analysed. Also, put in your targets and food intake for advice, information and progress towards your goals. You also get Nectar points for carrying your bug.

Want to know more? Check out our new Fitbug Review

The Joggler is a touch-screen device that does a whole lot for the money – A digital picture frame, mp3 player, video player, Internet radio, travel and weather service, news and sports headline display, YouTube player, Google Maps device, online calendar and SMS text terminal.

All that for £49.99

We suggest you hurry, as this ends on 31st May 2010. More at  shop.o2.co.uk/joggler.

10% off ink and toner at Staples

Get yourself a free SIM cards from T-Mobile, top it up with just £10 a month and you can send unlimited text messages.

Even if you don’t have a burning need to get a SIM or do lots of texting today, get up to two free SIM cards by entering your name and address at http://www.t-mobile.co.uk/shop/free-pay-as-you-go-sim-cards/.

Last year, o2 were pushing their “Joggler” device – intended as a way to keep the family in touch. At the time, the price was just under £150, but now, you can get one for £50.

What does the Joggler do? It’s a stylish-looking touch-screen device that does a whole lot for the money – A digital picture frame, mp3 player, video player, Internet radio, travel and weather service, news and sports headline display, games, online calendar and SMS text terminal.

All that for £49.99

We’re not sure when o2 will pull this offer, so we suggest you hurry. Get one from shop.o2.co.uk/joggler.