When you re next signing up for a mobile phone contract, don t get caught out by these five
You would be hard pushed to find someone who doesn't own a mobile phone these days. From grannies to school kids, everyone is talking, texting and, increasingly, Internet surfing on the go. In a competitive market, mobile phone retailers are more desperate than ever to get your custom and there are a wide range of offers and incentives around to tempt you. But when buying your next phone, make sure you don't fall for any of these most common sneaky sales pitches.
1. Promises of unlimited usage
Customers can be left feeling short-changed by 'Unlimited Usage' promises which fail to live up to their name. Most companies operate a Fair Usage Policy which places very definite limits on a caller's usage. These restrictions are often poorly advertised, mentioned only in the smallest of small print. The Advertising Standards Authority has decided that the word 'unlimited' can still be used, provided the same advertisement clearly states that it is subject to a Fair Usage Policy. Lots of companies are still being less than transparent about the existence of Fair Usage, so check your contract carefully.
2. Overseas price traps
If you intend to use your phone abroad, extra charges are inevitable. Calls can cost up to £2 a minute and mobile internet charges can be extortionate. Be aware of these points when purchasing a phone:
3. Mis-selling and 'slamming'
The most severe form of mis-selling is referred to as 'slamming'. This is when your service is transferred to a new telephone company without your knowledge or consent. This is a serious and punishable offence in the telecoms industry, and can be truly sneaky. Sales people may claim to represent a different company, or you might be told you are signing up 'for information only' when you are actually entering into a new contract. There are even reports that customer signatures have been forged on paperwork. The good news is that Ofcom, the telecommunications watchdog, has introduced tough rules that mean that if a provider engages in dishonest, misleading or deceptive conduct they can be fined up to 10% of their turnover.
4. The wrong contract
It's estimated that three quarters of customers are losing around £200 per year from being sold the wrong contract by sales people who aren't taking individual customer requirements into account. People on the wrong tariff might be under-using their allowance, and may have been sold substantially more 'free' call minutes or texts than they need. Others might be regularly exceeding their monthly limit and finding that they have to pay extra for additional texts and phone calls. Some are paying for benefits such as increased text and data allowance which they are not using. You may also be pressurised into signing a lengthy contract, and promises of free handsets see people locking themselves into 24 month contracts. Research actually shows that it is more cost-effective to go for the longer contract terms, but there are negatives: it will be two years before you qualify for an upgrade or can switch provider. A recent EU ruling states that mobile operators must now offer a 12 month contract, a rule that is being enforced by Ofcom.
5. Phone insurance traps
As mobile phones become smarter and handsets become more expensive, sales people may lure you into unnecessary insurance deals. Unless you have a handset that would be expensive to replace, consider whether you need insurance at all. With the amount of excess you might have to pay, it may not be worth it. What's more, these policies are often riddled with catches.
If you decide to go for insurance you are under no obligation to buy it from the provider, no matter how much they try to imply that you are! Check the market yourself using a website like Protectyourbubble.com, or insureyourmobile.co.uk.
It's usually not a good idea to take up a cold-call offer of insurance. These are generated by a third party company who are out for profits alone and have very little incentive to offer good customer service. They may have restrictive terms that do not cover you for accidental loss or damage, and you may have to pay a very high excess if you try to make a claim. Consider including your phone on your home contents insurance. Just be aware of what the policy covers and how much it will add to your premium. It may also be a slow process to get a replacement phone if something goes wrong.
Wedding in Style
Mr. Duncan K. Kamanu escorting her daughter, Miriam Wanjiku Kamanu, during her wedding in Dallas, Texas, on Saturday the 25th June, 2011. More to follow.
Fathers's Day at PCEA UK Outreach
'A recent survey of Christian families shows that one in ten fathers pray with their children, and one in twenty five fathers read the Bible to them. Many of us remember being raised by godly mothers (thank God for them!) while our fathers were either marginally involved, or totally uninvolved with the family's spiritual life. Though Mum is leading the spiritual charge, God still holds Dad accountable to do it (see Ephesians 6:4). Mum may take the kids to church, pray with them and teach them biblical principles, but kids have a core need only a father can meet. So model for them the life-shaping, loving character of their heavenly Father. Adults reared without the influence of a godly father frequently report something missing in themselves, preventing their feeling comfortable and intimate with their heavenly Father. He seems inaccessible, unaffectionate, judgmental, conditionally accepting, grudgingly forgiving, and predominantly punitive. They pray infrequently because prayer feels awkward, like 'bothering God,' who's 'way too busy to listen to my needs.' Feeling this, many kids reject God altogether. On the other hand, adults whose dads were involved in leading the family spiritually, seem relatively free from these problems. Dad, God has appointed you His representative in your kid's lives, and there's no substitute for you. It's time to take the wheel, whatever age your kids are'. The message, based on '.... we love you so much..'1 Thessalonians 2:8, (Word For To Day-UCB), was echoed by the Resident Minister, PCEA Uk Outreach, Rev. Edwin Kibathi during the Father's Day celebrations at the PCEA UK Outreach Stratford Church. He emphesized the need for the absent fathers to go back to their families and take the 'family wheel'.
Father's Day is a celebration honoring fathers and celebrating fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society. It is celebrated on the third Sunday of June in many countries and on other days elsewhere. The PCEA UK Outreach, Stratford Church, in London, celebrated the Father's Day in style. The fathers (Centre), led by their Pastor (third from left), took to the floor and entertained the congregation with a Swahili song - 'Ni Siku Kuu' - 'Oh Happy Day'. Receiving a Father's Day Best Wishes card, onbehalf of the other fathers in the Church, are the Chairman of the Men Fellowship, Mr. Amos Kamau (left, in the picture on the right) and Mr. John Wairia -Uncle (2nd from right) which was presented to them by Roseline Mbaki (2nd from left) and Jane Muiruri (1st from right) on behalf of all the Mothers and children in the Church. They, also, cut a Father's Day cake (picture on the left).
Finance minister Uhuru Kenyatta (standing) delivers the 2011/2012 budget statement in Parliament as MPs listen attentively June 8 2011. FREDRICK ONYANGO
Finance minister Uhuru Kenyatta has delivered a ministerial statement in Parliament outlining the financial proposals and taxation measures for the 2011/2012 financial year. Among the highlights of his statement was the removal of excise duty on kerosene to cushion Kenyans against the high cost of living.
Mr Kenyatta also proposed to reduce import duty on motorcycle ambulances to ensure pregnant rural women deliver in hospitals. He also proposed to abolish the filing of tax returns by salaried employees whose Pay As You Earn (PAYE) has been paid to the exchequer by their employers.
However, beer lovers will have to contend with higher prices for the favourite tipple after Mr Kenyatta proposed higher taxation. Also affected will be smokers.
Below are excerpts of his statement as delivered to a packed National Assembly including President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
17:00 The Finance minister thanks President Kibaki, Prime Minister Raila Odinga, government staff and Treasury technocrats for their role in his delivering the 2011/2012 budget statement.
16:57 Kenyatta: Treasury received over 3,000 submissions from the public through various means including social media such as facebook and twitter.
16:54 Mr Kenyatta proposes to abolish filing of tax returns by employees whose remittances are only PAYE.
16:50 He proposes to increase beer and cigarette taxes.
16:48 Mr Kenyatta proposes to increase withholding tax to certain professions from five to 10 percent.
16:46 He proposes to remove import duty on motorcycle ambulances to reduce incidences of home births especially in rural areas.
16:45 Kenyatta: Allow designated wheat importers to bring the commodity at zero percent instead of 10pc.
16:43 He proposes to remove excise duty on kerosene, retain 20pc excise duty on diesel to cushion Kenyans against high food and fuel prices.
16:37 Kenyatta: Security apparatus such as CCTV cameras, metal detectors are import duty exempt to insulate the country against terrorism.
16:35 Mr Kenyatta proposes to reduce import duty of ingredients to manufacture animal feeds from 10pc to zero.
16:32 Tax measures coming up.
16:30 Mr Kenyatta says he has received Sh41.1bn as commitment from development partners as grant to finance expenditure.
16:26 Sh787bn is total revenue projection for the next financial year, says Mr Kenyatta.
16:24 He says Sh4.2bn will cater for the final phase of IDPs' settlement to enable the genuinely displaced live in a dignified manner.
Samuel Kamau Wanjiru's mother Hannah Wanjiru (left) with a machete in hand on June 4, 2011
and a file picture of the late Beijing Olympic Games marathon champion Samuel Wanjiru (centre) of Kenya displays his gold medal on September 5, 2008. Left: The balcony at his Nyahururu home where he apparently fell. Far right: His wife Terezah Njeri is consoled by a friend outside the town mortuary on May 16, 2011.
Medical experts have zeroed in on two possible scenarios that could have led to the death of Olympics champion Samuel Wanjiru three weeks ago — and they both point to murder. Dr Emily Rogena, one of the three pathologists who conducted a postmortem examination on Wanjiru last Friday, says the athlete was not killed by the 14ft plunge from the balcony but a fatal hit to the back of the head, fracturing the skull extensively.
“Taking into consideration the history and the postmortem finding death is attributed to head injuries, secondary to blunt force trauma to the occiput (back of the head).
“The body demonstrates a dual pattern of injuries with features consistent with conscious landing on fours (the hands and knees) and fatal injury at the back of the head,” says Dr Rogena.
The pathologist, a senior lecturer at the University of Nairobi’s School of Medicine, was acting for Ms Hanna Wanjiru, the athlete’s mother.
On Tuesday, Chief Government pathologist Dr Moses Njue questioned the police theory that Wanjiru plunged to death, saying it was not consistent with preliminary post-mortem examination results.
“He landed on his legs and supported himself with his hands. Where did the injury on the back come from?
“We could turn into fools if we don’t ask ourselves this question,” Dr Njue said shortly after measuring the height of the balcony Wanjiru is said to have plunged from.
This means that the marathon star was either hit at the back of the head before falling to the concrete floor or he was hit while on all fours after jumping from the balcony.
However, this raises the question: Who hit the athlete? And what was the motive and why are the police in a hurry to open an inquest?
Ms Wanjiru’s lawyer, Mr Wilfred Konosi, has written to the director of CID demanding fresh investigations into the death.
“It is quite clear that between Terezah Njeri, the watchman and Jane Nduta, there is so much that is hidden, and very many contradictions and the police are not willing to carry out any investigations at all.
“No investigations have been carried out to show the log of all the telephone calls made and received by the three persons to determine whether there was any conspiracy between them to kill the deceased together with other persons.
“These are some of the leads which our client believes, if followed, will unravel the truth about the death . . .”, Mr Konosi says in his letter to Mr Ndegwa Muhoro, the CID boss.
But the lawyer for Ms Terezah Njeri, Wanjiru’s wife, on Saturday told the Sunday Nation that a joint post-mortem report indicates that the injury to the back of the head was consistent with falling from a height.
“I have confronted (Dr) Njue about Kamau having been killed. That is not what is in the report. Even a pedestrian can explain those injuries.
“We believe that Kamau slipped from the grill to the roof and then to the ground. Any other theory cannot work,” said Mr Wahome.
He said that he was satisfied with the way the police handled the scene of the fall.
Mr Konosi asked why the Nyahururu district hospital mortuary attendants were in a hurry to embalm the body hours after the tragic incident, but Mr Wahome defended the hospital.
“It was an accidental death and the embalming that was done was not unusual. It happens in any mortuary. There was no suspicion about the cause of death and there is no report with the police that Kamau was killed. No one has recorded a statement to that effect,” said Ms Njeri’s lawyer.
Troubled Care Home Firm To Axe 3,000 Jobs
The UK's largest care home operator has revealed plans to axe 3,000 jobs.
It is the latest blow for staff at troubled Southern Cross Healthcare, which lost £311m in the six months to March 31. The business cares for 31,000 residents at more than 750 care homes across the UK and employs 44,000 people. Southern told Sky News the proposals to slash the workforce by nearly 7% were part of a long-term strategy launched 18 months ago, and were not linked to recent financial troubles.
There have been concerns about how company's current woes will affect residents. Sky sources said there were no plans to close care homes because of the job losses. Paul Kenny, general secretary of the GMB trade union, called for the Government to provide financial support.
He said: "This is the start of a disaster for the residents as well as a kick in the teeth for the staff."
A Department of Health statement said: "It is for Southern Cross, its landlords and those with an interest in the business to put in place a plan that stabilises the ownership and operation of the care homes.
"That process is happening and we must let it continue. "This is a commercial sector problem and we look to the commercial sector to solve it." Southern said it was committed to maintaining care for staff and minimising redundancies, and expected the whole process to be completed by October.
The company is underpaying its rent by a third until the end of September in a move to buy time for a long-term solution. As well as rising rent bills, it has also faced a drop in fees as fewer councils placed residents with the company. Councils and the NHS account for 70% of the firm's residents.
'This is the start of a disaster for the residents as well as a kick in the teeth for the staff', said Paul Kenny, GMB union. Video
The New National CrimeAgency special armed officers (left) and the Ceop's former boss resigned over the plans (right).
The NCA, due to come into force from 2013, will be able to directly task and co-ordinate police forces as they tackle organised crime and secure UK borders.
Home Secretary Theresa May said too many of the 6,000 organised crime gangs in the UK were escaping justice and a tough new approach was needed. The launch of the NCA is part of the most radical shake-up of policing in 50 years which will see directly-elected police and crime commissioners replace the existing police authorities from next May. The agency will step in to co-ordinate police work, identify national priorities and ensure those commissioners are "aware of the needs of the nation", she said. "For the first time, there will be one agency with the power, remit and responsibility for ensuring that the right action is taken at the right time by the right people," Mrs May told MPs. "NCA officers will be able to draw on a wide range of powers, including those of a police constable, immigration or customs powers.
"This will mean that NCA officers - unlike anybody else - will be able to deploy powers and techniques that go beyond the powers of a police officer." Earlier, Mrs May told Sky News: "Soca is not going to be disbanded. "It will continue but as part of the new NCA, bringing together law enforcement across a number of types of crime at a national level that will enable us to really focus on organised crime. "The drugs on the streets, these are being brought in by organised crime groups and these are the issues affecting neighbourhoods across the country."
As well as replacing Soca, the NCA also include a border policing command and take in the work of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (Ceop).
Its budget will not exceed that of the agencies it replaces. About £3m of Government funding has been committed "for the national co-ordination of organised crime policing" in 2011/12, including an intelligence centre.
Then Ceop chief executive Jim Gamble resigned last year when it was announced the organisation would become part of the new agency. At the time Mr Gamble said the decision was not in the best interests of children and young people. Critics say the NCA will be too large to be effective but the Home Office insists it will "strengthen the fight against the serious and organised criminality that threatens the safety and security of the UK". Read more
Simon Wigington with his cat -Toby who misses Tiddles
Simon Wiginton, 45, said children had knocked on his door to tell him his cat had been attacked by a pitbull or Staffordshire terrier dog and was hurt on Saturday, May 28.
When he went to see Tiddles he found him dead, covered in blood and with a broken neck.
Mr Wigington, of Dagnam Park Drive, said: “I rushed out but it was too late. He was lying with a broken neck on the pathway with blood on him.
“That dog should have been on a lead,” he said. “If it was this wouldn’t have happened. I am determined to find out who owns it. “I am not going to let this go. I am going to make sure this won’t happen again. My neighbours who have pets are afraid for them. “And children come out to play in this street in the summer time. It could be one of them next time.” He said the attack has distressed and shocked his family who had Tiddles for 16 years. Mr Wigington said: “He wasn’t just a cat; he was part of our family. He was gorgeous. We can’t believe this has happened.”
He said he constantly leaves his door open now so that his other three cats can get inside quickly if they need to. He added: “I want people to be aware that this dog is around. My other cat has been chased by it before. “I don’t want the owner to just walk away from this and nothing to happen. It is just not acceptable.” The dog was either a pitbull or Staffordshire terrier, brown, and wearing a blue studded collar.
Support: Google is just one of the businesses supporting our campaign
Top firms have stumped up £50,000 for the cause, following the lead of the Duchess of Cornwall who donated the first £5,000 yesterday.
Money poured in from Google, Westfield, Thomas Goode and Andreas Panayiotou, the £400 million tycoon who last week told of his "secret shame" that he had never learned to read.
Together with online donations and cheques from readers of more than £5,500, the total raised in two days stands at £60,000.
That will allow us to sponsor 120 new reading volunteers with our partner charity Volunteer Reading Help, and these volunteers will in turn work one-to-one with 360 children in our poorest primary schools to help them fulfil their potential.
Google CEO Matt Brittin, whose firm has donated £25,000, said: "Without reading, a child can never truly explore the magic and intrigue of the world that surrounds us.
"At Google, we're fascinated by that wealth of information and want to make sure that anyone, anywhere, can access it, read it and delight in it.
"We applaud the Evening Standard's campaign to provide one-to-one support to children struggling to read and we hope that it will help give a generation of Londoners a chance to enjoy reading and writing in all its forms."
Westfield managing director Michael Gutman said: "We are pleased to contribute £10,000 towards your campaign. Everyone has the right to read and in London, global city of opportunity, it is shocking to hear the situation is so dire.
"The Westfield way is to support the communities we serve, and we are honoured to pledge our support to this bold and pioneering campaign."
Another out of the traps with a £5,000 cheque was Thomas Goode, the Queen's china and glass supplier. Chairman Rumi Verjee said: "I truly admire the Evening Standard for highlighting the issues of illiteracy in our society after their very successful poverty campaign.
"These are issues that are on our doorstep and often ignored and neglected. Illiteracy causes huge issues of disadvantage in our society."
Mr Panayiotou, who is dyslexic, left school at 15 and still cannot read. The 45-year-old father of five pledged £5,000 to support 10 volunteers.
He said: "If I can help a child avoid the shame I went through, if I can make a small contribution to help a few children feel less embarrassed than I was, then I will have done a good thing. Since you published my story, I have had a phenomenal response from a wide range of people who said my courage has inspired them to follow dreams they'd shelved due to their learning difficulties.
"Your campaign has impassioned me to help those who suffer like I did. I am more than delighted to get behind your campaign."
Sue Porto, CEO of our partner charity VRH, said it has taken 1,172 enquiries from readers for volunteer application packs so far.
"I walked into the VRH office this morning to be greeted by the most amazing atmosphere," she said. "The office was alive with phones ringing and staff talking to potential volunteers. It is truly heart-warming to see how many Londoners have got behind this campaign after just two days.
"People from all walks of life have given their support. There are no words to convey our gratitude. But please keep giving because we want to reach more children - there is work to be done."
Royal Marines on alert to help with evacuation of British citizens in Yemen
The Fort Victoria is part of the navy’s response force task group which has been conducting a series of exercises in the Mediterranean.The helicopter carrier HMS Ocean, which has been used as a launch pad for Apache attack helicopters engaged in operations in Libya, is part of the same group.
The auxiliary landing vessel RFA Cardigan Bay was also heading for Yemen where it will replace another support vessel, RFA Argus, the report added.
The Ministry of Defence said: ‘As part of routine deployment, UK military assets are in the region. Although we are not prepared to comment further on their exact operational tasking.’ Britons in Yemen have been urged by the Foreign Office to leave while commercial flights are still operating. Foreign secretary William Hague warned at the weekend it was ‘extremely unlikely’ Britain would be able to stage an evacuation and remaining nationals should not ‘plan for or expect’ Government assistance. Meanwhile, at least 15 people were killed in fighting yesterday around the southern city of Zinjibar. Clashes in Taiz were reported to have killed four people, including three children, who were said to have been killed by a tank shell. President Ali Abdullah Saleh is in Saudi Arabia recovering from surgery on wounds suffered in an attack on his palace in the capital Sanaa. The US has urged him to stand down as more than 350 have people died in protests against his 33-year rule.
