Here are a few tips for you to follow next time you’re renewing your own car insurance.

Don’t automatically renew with the same insurance company. Consumer inertia is something all rip off merchants depend on. Insurers are supposed to provide renewal quotes a certain amount of time before the policy expires so that policyholders can shop around for competitive quotes. Use this time wisely.

Shop around, getting quotes from at least three different companies and brokers. There are no more than 10-15 insurance companies operating in Ireland at any one time – it’s not going to be overly time consuming to get a quote from them all.

Don’t be afraid to use the internet. We’re told that costs are lower from companies operating on the internet – particularly those with only an internet presence. Beware of the small print here more than usual. At least check all the sites before buying in case any of them have any special offers. Check out the offers carefully to make sure you’re getting the insurance you actually need.

Check your annual mileage. Insurers assume you drive a certain number of miles per year. Check what their assumption is, and if it’s less, tell them.

Extra drivers on your policy? If they are not necessary all the time, it can be cheaper to only insure extra drivers when they will actually use the car.

Increasing your excess can reduce your premiums in the UK. Ask your Irish insurance broker or company when requesting a quote if this is possible.

Do you really need fully comprehensive? This is the most expensive type of car insurance available. It is normally recommended that brand new cars be covered by comprehensive insurance – but as always, you should consider your needs fully.

Fitting immobilisers and alarms, and using a garage, can reduce premiums. Those living in larger cities will normally have a loading imposed. Some companies will also impose a loading if the car is not kept in a garage at night.

Do you belong to a professional body? For example are you a member of the Institution of Engineers, the Law Society or Chartered Accountants? It may be worthwhile to call your professional organisation to see if they have arranged any special offers with an insurance provider. This could also be true for any other types of organisations such as Unions or other affinity groups.

Check your policy and make sure you are not paying for features you don’t need. For example, many policies automatically add on and charge extra for overseas cover. Or some policies may provide breakdown cover as part of the policy – is this necessary if you are already a member of the AA?

Premium payments up front, or spread over the year? Paying over the year may incur extra costs of financing so paying up front would save you such extra costs. Or alternatively, many drivers cannot afford to pay the entire premium at once and elect to pay in installments. Sometimes it can be cheaper to borrow the money from a bank or credit union as some companies have been known to charge finance charges of up to 20% on the installments.

Don’t Lie. Telling a couple of little white lies on when looking for a quotation might seem like a good idea at the time and save you a few quid, but if it ever comes to making a claim, such a decision could come back to haunt you and cost you more in the long run.

Penalty Points. Some companies will acually provide a discount if you have 0 or 2 penalty points on your licence. Check this out when getting your quotation – as per the tip above, it’s not something you should hide.

Buy more than one policy. If you find a company that has the car insurance that suits you at a price that you like, ask them about discounts if you were to give them your home, travel or health insurance business also. Don’t buy these other policies on impulse though, just for the discount – make sure those other policies give you the value and coverage you need.

Two Car Family. Slightly similar to the tip above, you may get a discount if your quotation covers both cars in your family, rather than just your own.

Changing your car? If you’re thinking about changing your car, it could be useful to bear in mind the potential insurance costs of any new car you’re going to buy. Generally a smaller engined car, more in the “family” size range, free from any modifications, will cost you less in insurance costs.

Brokers vs Direct – A ValueIreland.com reader sent us this tip where they received a quote from an insurance broker for an insurance policy with a particular insurance company. Our reader rang the company directly and got a quote for the same policy going direct rather than via the broker, and found that they could get the policy at a significant discount than from the broker. Something to check out if you normally use a broker.

PR: wait… I: wait… L: wait… LD: wait… I: wait… wait… C: wait… SD: wait…

More Related ValueIreland.com Posts:

• July 16, 2009 — Tips for Shopping Around
• June 3, 2009 — Multiple Savings On Public Transport
• February 4, 2009 — Drive prices down – Cut car costs by fuelling around

Are we being told anything that we don’t know already? Maybe. But then why are we still complaining about being ripped off when we have a choice of what to pay? Why are businesses getting away still with charging rip off prices?

Here are suggestions about how we can shop even smarter in order to save our hard earned money, and beat the rip off prices.

Ask Around – If you’re thinking about buying something, particularly a large purchase, (e.g. a television, insurance, or a holiday etc.), check first with friends and colleagues and find out where they may have made similar purchase. They may be able to refer you to a retailer with a proven record of providing reasonable prices, as well as acceptable quality and service.

Research Your Purchase – There’s not much you can’t find out on the internet at the moment. So use it to find out about your prospective purchase. There are also many specialty magazines available that provide a similar service. These sources will tell you all about the marketplace for whatever it is you want to buy (e.g. hi-fi equipment, computers, cars or financial services), and will give you an idea about relative prices, options and functionality, and prices.

Shop Smart – Now, armed with the above information, you can start shopping smarter. Go to a store, let the sales person know exactly what you’re looking for, and ask to see/hear what they can do for you. Have some questions prepared if necessary – different features available, prices, comparisons etc. Take notes – the sales assistants name, details of what you’ve been told and anything else necessary to add to the information you already have.

Shopping Alternatives – Apart from researching the product you wish to purchase, you should also research the alternative places you can make your purchase. Don’t limit your search to your local area as there are many more possibilities. These include the internet, catalogues, via telephone, and in other towns and cities. If you know what you’re looking for, you can ring around to check prices and check issues such as collection, or possible delivery charges.

Don’t Get Hooked – Don’t let “sales”, “special offers” or “promotions” cloud your judgment when making purchases. Be careful that you’re not pressurised into making a purchase before a deadline or closing date in order to take advantage of such offers. Ensure that you understand the terms and conditions of such offers, and make yourself happy that there is value on offer. Obviously, if purchasing something on special offer based on your research, do so much the better.

Don’t Be Shy – Particularly for larger purchases, the prices being asked for need not necessarily be the price you eventually pay. Don’t be shy to ask if there is anything the sales person (especially more senior sales people) can do for you on the price. If you’ve done your research and know the market, you can ask from a position of confidence.

Don’t Buy on Impulse - Buy now, regret later? Remember to resist any sale pressure tactics. Don’t let anyone talk you into purchasing something you’re not sure about, you haven’t researched, or something more expensive that you’ve budgeted for. Be polite, take note of their offer, and tell them you need to think about it. If you’re still happy you’re getting a good deal in the morning, go right ahead.

Set Your Budget - As part of your research, you’ll get an idea of the market place, what’s available, and what you’re likely to buy. With this in mind, set your budget of what you’re willing to spend, and then stick to it. Do this before going to the shops – you may be tempted by little extras etc. that you may not really need.

Spending Money – You should probably also decide how you’re going to pay for your purchase – cash, credit card, or credit agreement of some sort. If you’re going to use some type of credit, you should probably research where you’re going to get the best deal there as well.

After Sales Service – One of our users has suggested purchasing anything that you should check and confirm what after sales service is available – what comes free under guarantee, and what must be paid for. Many stores today offer their own coverage. If you’re interested, confirm all relevant details (what’s included, what’s not, and the costs) and decide if it’s really for you. This also goes for insurance packages you may be offered with your purchases.

Ask for a Discount – If you have shopped around for a particular good or service, and you’ve decided you want to purchase or change existing provider, make sure you go back to your original provider, let them know what you’re thinking of doing (i.e. taking your business away from them), and ask them if there’s anything they can offer you in order to stay with them. Any supplier who values your business should at least make an attempt to entice you to stay – most have the flexibility to offer packages to people who are thinking of taking their business elsewhere. As the old saying goes, “If you don’t ask, you don’t get”.

Same Company, Different Outlets - As we learned in our Advance Pitstop investigation, it is possible for different outlets or branches of the same company to charge different prices for exactly the same items. So, if you’ve decided on a particular company, and they have other branches within easy reach of your location, give them a ring, just in case. As we found, you could save yourself another 10% or more.

Call First. Don’t just walk in off the street - If you’ve shopped around, and have found a supplier who provides the service you want, and the price you want, ring them again, confirm their price, get the persons name, give them your own name, and tell them you’ll be in to see them at some particular time. In this way, you’ll be more likely to get the price you’re quoted.

More Related ValueIreland.com Posts:

• July 17, 2009 — Top Tips for Cheaper Car Insurance
• February 1, 2009 — Top Tips when thinking about a new credit card
• November 25, 2008 — Shopping Around for Petrol

Someone you can trust - You should always go with a reputable and established company. There’s no point in taking risks. Check if they have industry accreditation. If necessary, ask around amongst colleagues and friends to see if they’ve heard of a particular company. And remember, no matter how good a website is, the company should have a call centre, sales staff, and a proper postal address for their office – if none of these exist, be careful.

Contact Information – Following from the point above, make sure you have all contact information necessary for your insurance company if you have any problems abroad. Ensure you have numbers that can be dialled from your destination as some free-phone numbers may not work outside of Ireland.

Policy Details - Ensure that you’re familiar with the details of the policy you’re thinking of buying – does it include cover for cancellations, delays, lost luggage? What cover does it provide with regards to medical coverage? Is this sufficient considering your destination? Will you be paid up-front or will you be reimbursed later after you yourself have incurred the expense? Are you comfortable with the cover you’ve just purchased?

Don’t Lie – By truthful and up-front with whatever it is you’re planning to do when you’re on your holiday – if you’re thinking of maybe doing any ‘extreme sports’ highlighted by travel insurance companies (skiing, parachuting etc.) but may or may not, mention is so that you’re covered should you decided to do so, just in case. Be honest also when it comes to pre-existing medical insurance.

Multiple policies with same company – Some companies provide discounts if you hold more than one insurance policy with them. So if you already have car, home or life insurance with a single company, ask for a quote for your travel insurance if they provide such cover, and ask if they can offer you any discount seeing as you’re providing them with all of your insurance business.

Less than obvious Insurers – When shopping around, you should keep an eye out for companies you may not expect providing Travel Insurance – for example, the AA, or the VHI. You may also find that when purchasing your holiday tickets online, that the company selling you the travel may offer Travel Insurance as well.

Internet Travel Insurance Suppliers – Now, more than ever, the choice of Travel Insurance suppliers on the internet is vast. Googling on “travel insurance”, restricting your search to Ireland only provides at least 5 internet-only travel insurance providers.

Special Offers – Always keep an eye out for special offers that may be offered at various times by different insurance companies. For example, look out for money back guarantees such as “If you find a cheaper deal elsewhere, we’ll refund the difference”. This can assure you that you’re not being stung. Another promotion may be something like “one month’s insurance free if you pay monthly by direct debit”. These can give good value.

Single or Multi Trip Insurance - Always consider your actual needs when buying travel insurance. You may be tempted by what seems like good value on Multi Trip travel insurance policies, but you should consider whether or not you’ll actually need this.

Sharp Sales Practices – A newly observed sales tactic by a small number of travel agents is to tell customers they will not make a holiday booking unless they have proof of insurance. This is not the case, as you can purchase any holiday package, and travel anywhere you like without purchasing insurance. If you do so, it a risk of your own making, but perfectly legal to do so.

Have your policy to hand - When ringing around looking for quotes and you are renewing your policy, have your existing policy with you so you can answer the relevant questions, and ask important questions of your own. If you’re sure your existing policy meets your requirements, use this as the basis for requesting a quotation from a potential new insurer.

Check the small print - Remember, sometimes just because an insurance company has sold you a policy this does not mean you’re eligible to claim on it. If you have any concerns, get them to confirm to you that you are covered in particular situations – in writing if possible.

Timeliness - Arrange for your travel insurance at least a month before leaving if possible. Confirm before you actually leave that your cover is in place, and that your premium payment has actually been received.

Documentation – Ensure that you bring your all relevant travel insurance documentation with you on your holiday. Keep it with your other important documentation such as your passport and travel tickets – items you’re going to make sure you look after.

Excess - Firstly, make sure you are aware if there is any excess on the policy you’re thinking of buying – ensure that you’re happy with this amount. To reduce the price of the premium, you could volunteer to pay more of an excess towards the cost of each claim. Only do this if you can afford to do so however.

Do you actually need travel insurance – As with all insurance, it’s your choice to purchase or not. In some cases, such as travelling within the European Economic Area (including EC countries, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway), you are entitled to reciprocal state-provided health services by taking with you a form called E111, available from all Post Offices. You must get the form completed before you leave. This may be sufficient for your needs. Click here for more information.

Brokers vs Direct – A ValueIreland.com reader sent us this tip where they received a quote from an insurance broker for an insurance policy with a particular insurance company. Our reader rang the company directly and got a quote for the same policy going direct rather than via the broker, and found that they could get the policy at a significant discount than from the broker. Something to check out if you normally use a broker.

More Related ValueIreland.com Posts:

• June 18, 2009 — Travel Insurance – shop around for the best value
• March 12, 2009 — Cutting Insurance costs in a rising market
• October 31, 2008 — Insurance You Don’t Need?

According to Conor Pope, the NCA have contacted Tesco, Spar, Dunnes Stores, Superquinn, Supervalu, Aldi and Lidl with a view to getting access to their prices on a more realtime basis rather than the current 6 monthly grocery price survey. The article mentions that Tesco are apparently in favour of such an independent grocery price comparison site.

I referred last week to the issues in Australia with their plans for a grocery price comparison site. At the moment, it seems that a “social media” campaign is being started to get consumers to submit prices of grocery items in order to build up an independent database of prices.

Such a campaign is, unfortunately (in my opinion), doomed to failure as the quality of the data is dependent on consumers submitting the pricing information – we can see this difficulty with the petrol price comparison sites in Ireland (despite the excellent work of Pumps.ie). Sometimes, there’ll be good information, but at other times, information will be incomplete, out of date, or not available in a particular area. This will only be compounded hundreds if not thousands of times across the many many grocery items available across all the Irish grocery retailers.

The government sponsored Australian price comparison site was pulled, allegedly, because of a reluctance on the part of the Australian grocers to make their pricing inforamtion available for comparison purposes.

It’ll be interesting to see how successful the National Consumer Agency are in getting pricing information from all of the Irish grocery chains.

However, this plan from the NCA is the only way to go when it comes to a grocery price comparison site. From a technical perspective, a grocery price comparison site is quite simple to set up and maintain – provided it gets a consistent and accurate daily feed of prices from the respective grocery chains.

And it’s not like they don’t have the necessary information easily to hand – a simple extract of their grocery products stocked and the price charged could in theory be achieved in minutes every morning.

There are a couple of potential sticking points though. One mentioned in the article is how to compare across “own brand” items – a growing part of all grocery retailers stock portfolio these days.

Other potential issues would be:

• How would one determine what stores should be taking part in the website comparison – do you include only multiples and thereby give them de-facto free advertising at the expense of independent grocery stores?
• How do you manage price differences across the country – we’re told Dublin is 4.4% more expensive than Dublin. Do you therefore need a set of “Dublin prices” and a “country price” as well – doubling up on the data requirements for the project?
• What about Northern Ireland stores? These grocery chains have growing chunk of the Irish grocery market, so to get a valid comparison, they would also need to be included.
• What value would there be in the price comparison site if, for example, Dunnes Stores decided not to allow their pricing data be used? The exclusion of such a big player in the market would negate the value of the project as a whole.
• The ComReg CallCosts.ie website is referred to in the article as an example of a similar popular service. While CallCosts.ie provides a certain amount of useful information, it is open to manipulation by the telecoms companies who always want their offerings showing at the top of any listing. This will need to be avoided for any grocery comparison site.
• Also, with regards to CallCosts.ie, it hasn’t developed with the market which has moved on since it was originally set up – it doesn’t provide a mobile broadband comparison yet. Any grocery price comparison site will need to be developed in such a way that it can quickly adapt to grocery market changes.

For what has to be the first time ever, I’m positive about something being done by the National Consumer Agency. If this is properly investigated, analysed and planned, a grocery price comparison website could be an excellent addition for Irish consumers.

And just think – once all the information is stored centrally, who know’s where this could end? Online shopping lists? I-Phone or mobile phone applications? Links with cooking and recipe websites to automatically create your shopping list?

Think Amazon.com, but for grocery shopping.

More Related ValueIreland.com Posts:

• February 20, 2009 — Silly Surveys Skirt Real Issues
• February 12, 2009 — Latest National Consumer Agency Grocery Survey – the real story
• August 23, 2008 — ALDI and LIDL stand out in new value survey

You would like to think that businesses would take this for granted, but obviously it’s not something that Smyths Toys really care about.

I went to return a faulty product (the explosive experiments) at Smyths store and asked for a refund. My complaint was the the ‘explosives’ did not explode. They said they had to test the product and that they would call me the next day.

They indeed called me the next morning and told me that they had tested everything and everything was working fine. I asked for the manager, and told her that this is your word agaist mine, and I want you to test the product in front of me.

She agreed. I went there for a second time. I asked for the manager the staff told me she had left and refused to do the tests. They also admitted eventually that the had not tested everything as they had  claimed, but only one experiment (the only one in the box that actually does not explode).

I called their customer service and they told me to go again at the store and this time they would test it. They have been lying to me insisting they had tested it when they hadn’t, I have already been twice to the srore and I think it is disrespectful to ask me to go again because their staff failed to do their job properly. The issue at this stage is more the way I have been treated rather than the faulty product.

What are my rights as a consumer  to be treated with respect?

I reckon that for this reader, their next step would be to take a claim against Smyths Toys in the Small Claims Court in an attempt to get their money back. Bringing such a claim would hopefully at least get their attention.

More Related ValueIreland.com Posts:

• May 29, 2009 — New toy from Smyths Toys broke on day 1 – what’s my rights?
• March 2, 2009 — Komplett.ie – being forced to learn about customer service?
• February 6, 2009 — Good news for consumers, via European Consumer Centre

Sunday June 14th, 2009

Diarmuid MacShane

Question:

My local petrol station is well known in the area for increasing their prices at certain times during the day when they know they’re going to be busy. Then, in the early morning and late evenings, they’ll drop their prices again.

The difference sometimes can be between 2c and 5c per litre – which can add up if you’re filling up the car.

Can they do that? I heard that petrol stations can only change their prices at midnight.

Answer:

I can find no reason to stop this petrol station from doing this at all unfortunately, and I don’t see anything that says they can only change prices at midnight – most petrol stations wouldn’t have anyone working then anyway, so it’d be impossible.

I suppose the good thing is that the locals have noticed and know the best times to buy their petrol.

Given that there are no price controls on the price of petrol in Ireland, then as long as the petrol station meets the price display requirements by having the signs show the same price as is on the pumps, then there’s nothing to stop garages doing this.

More Related ValueIreland.com Posts:

• July 9, 2009 — Can petrol stations change their prices throughout the day?
• June 17, 2009 — Mean garage wouldn’t even pay for petrol for replacement car

Sunday June 14th, 2009

Diarmuid MacShane

How to really save money on the “Sales”

Though it seems like every shop has a sale nearly all the time, we’re coming soon to the time of year when we normally see the “summer sales”.  While we hard pressed consumers are still holding on tight to our cash, the retailers are going to go all out in the next couple of weeks to get us to at least part with some of it.

But remember – times are tough for the retailers as well so they’re not just having the sales for our benefit. They’re going all out to get rid of as much old stock as they can, and to make as much money as possible, so we customers will have to keep our eyes peeled for the best offers, and to make sure we avoid the duds and ripoffs.

For most shops, the sales are still officially a couple of weeks away, so here are a few things you can do before then to make sure that you really bag a bargain.

Don’t believe everything you see

For a sale to be within the law here in Ireland, a product must have been on sale at the higher price for a “reasonable” amount of time before it’s reduced. If sales are starting in a couple of weeks, then they should still be at the higher price today.

To make sure you’re getting a bargain in the sales, if you’re thinking about buying something but you’re waiting for the sale, check the price now because in the sale, you should then see the price reduction.

And if you don’t report the shop to the National Consumer Agency.

It’s worth remembering that just because a shop has SALE stickers all over the place, don’t always assume that everything is cheaper than it was before.

A neat trick by shops is to try to make us think that everything is cheaper but then to only have old stock, or less popular stuff, on sale. What some shops are really hoping for is that we get carried away and end up buying normal price products (or even items that are made more expensive) during the sale.

So, the key to getting the best out a sale is to only buy things that you need and that you know the price of, and to only buy them if the prices have actually come down.

How much to spend

I’ve written here before about the dangers of using your credit cards, or dipping into your overdraft, and during a sale definitely isn’t the time to do that.

You’re not really getting a bargain if you end up paying for everything in the sales on your credit card.

By the time you’ve paid off your debts and interest, your purchases could very well have cost you more than before the sales.

Check for alternatives

IF you see something on sale in one shop, it’s quite possible that its on sale somewhere else down the street. Make the effort to check out the alternatives – you can check out a few shops, or even just make a few calls.

It’s always worth making sure during the sale season that the price you’re thinking of paying is actually the cheapest available.

And don’t forget the internet. In many cases, the bargains are so good on internet sites that they’ll still be cheaper than in sales in the local shops. Do a quick check – and don’t forget the extra postage costs – just to make sure.

Ask for more

Don’t forget that the recession has put Irish shoppers in a stronger position now with retailers than any time in the last ten years. Retailers are crying out for us to buy their goods and services, and if they know we’re very close to make a purchase many will cut an extra 10% to 20% off sale items just to clinch the deal.

This is more likely to happen for higher value purchases such as electrical items or furniture, or if you’re purchasing a large number of items in the same store.

So when you’re at the till, it costs you nothing to ask if there’s anything better that they can do. If you’ve done your research and you know that the same items are the same price down the street, you’re in an even better bargaining position if they think you can just walk away without buying anything.

Remember your rights

Just because something is cheaper in a sale doesn’t mean that you have any less rights as consumers. Unless you’re told clearly otherwise, if you buy something in a sale, but you find it’s broken, you’re still entitled to your full rights – a repair, a refund or a replacement.

Many readers of ValueIreland.com have told me stories of shops trying to fob off customers who bought sale items with bogus stories that because something was in a sale that there’s no refunds allowed.

Not true. And remember, you don’t have to accept a credit note either.

More Related ValueIreland.com Posts:

• July 6, 2009 — McDonalds and Burger King – show me the special offers
• July 2, 2009 — Coffee Shops – where’s the money being made
• June 11, 2009 — Le Tire Bouchon – offers for eating out in Wexford

• ValueIreland.com milestone – It passed unnoticed earlier this week, but I went past the 1000 posts on ValueIreland.com. The milestone post was McDonalds and Burger King – show me the special offers.

• Irish Independent rip-off story – The Irish Independent went big on Rip Off Ireland yesterday, Friday. Their front page story was It’s a rip-off as many prices keep on soaring. The main gist of the story was that despite the CSO reporting a fall in prices of 5.4% in the country as a whole in the past 12 months, the cost of government provided services continues to rise. Hardly rocket science really though when we’re getting hosed at every turn by our esteemed leaders trying to shore up the massive hole in their finances brought about by massive waste and money mismanagement during the good times.

• News Of the World – As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, I finished up writing my weekly piece for the Irish News of the World after 6 months. It was interesting to see that my replacement is Dermott Jewell, chief executive of the Consumers Association of Ireland – Ireland’s newest “Money Saving Expert”.

• New Irish Bargain Websites – I’ve highlighted before the growth in Irish “bargain” websites recently. It’s amazing the numbers that have been springing up in the past 12 months. While no one can argue with the benefits of getting a few quid off here and there, I do think that the Irish consumer should be aware of how these work – and how limited the information they provide may actually be. Many of these websites are set up with the sole aim of making money (and nothing wrong with that either), but that then means that when it comes to highlighting where bargains might be available, only those companies that pay for links will be featured rather than all companies that provide bargains. Check out my recent post here to learn more.

• Protecting the consumers – The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) announced during the week that it had issues 6 enforcement orders on Irish food businesses during the month of June.  What is great about what the FSAI do is the fact that they publicly name the businesses that these orders are made against – the consumer is informed and they can then make the decision in future as to whether they can go back to these premises, or avoid them in future. It’s unfortunate that the Financial Services Ombudsman, Joe Meade, doesn’t do likewise when he finds against financial institutions for shafting Irish consumers. It’d be nice to have financial institutions named and shamed in the same way as food outlets in order to give consumers more information to allow them make better purchasing and investment decisions.

More Related ValueIreland.com Posts:

• June 27, 2009 — Consumer News Weekend Short Stack
• March 12, 2009 — Cutting Insurance costs in a rising market
• February 3, 2009 — Does CAI mean “can’t agree internally” or “confused and incoherent”?

Do i fix my mortgage for 5 years?
What are the best options in your opinion.  Any help would be appreciated.
Thank you for your help.  Regards, Terry

Hello,
How much will my mortgage go up if interest rates increase?  What Gotchas should I be aware of?
A little advice would go a long way right now.
Thanks.  Gratefully, Paul

Should i fix mortgage for 5 or 10 yesrs?
I was hoping maybe you could give me a few hints as to what I should be looking for and what to avoid.  Please help.  I am very grateful for your help.
yours truly, Lacey

The e-mails look straightforward enough, but where you see different names signing off, they were actually all from the same e-mail address. Not obvious the first time, but after the second one, it started to look dodgy.

For the record though, I’m not qualified to provide any financial advice. If anyone is thinking of fixing your mortgage, you should seek out professional financial advice to work out what the best option is for you.

More Related ValueIreland.com Posts:

• May 11, 2009 — Should I fix my mortgage rate now?
• May 6, 2009 — Mortgage interest relief removed after 7 years
• April 30, 2009 — My bank is ripping me off with my mortgage rate

Ok – the following experiences, all happening directly after each other, are why I started boycotting taxis:

Taxi number one – told me that because of decentralization there were loopers driving taxis. Also said it was the easiest thing in the world to make up a fake number and then buy the light for the top and a “fare” machine and that thousands of taxi drivers were doing this and would probably rape you if you got in with them.

Taxi number two: After reassuring me that he was Ok because he was independently wealthy, spent 25 uninterrupted minutes (and believe me there was no opportunity to interrupt) exploring the Governments Economic policy and how that has contributed to the down fall of the country, including a revision of basic economics, because you need to understand that first. His language could be described as colourful.

Taxi number three. Smelled horrible, mumbled in a really peculiar way that I could only hear half the time but explained how he left on early retirement from Eircom and was finding it harder and harder to make a living and he was on less then minimum wage. He then proceeded to drive the wrong way up the road!

Taxi number four. After spotting 2 girls in mini skirts started laughing and wondering why they would bother claiming they were raped when they were dressed like that. This was the last straw.

More Related ValueIreland.com Posts:

• April 18, 2009 — Consumer News Weekend Short Stack
• April 3, 2009 — Do you boycott shops and businesses?
• February 2, 2009 — Help out by taking part in a taxi survey