Knowyour

rights!

60% of students don’tunderstand theirconsumer rights

60% of students don’t understandtheir consumer rightsOur report into student life reveals that 60% of students living away from

home are unsure of, or don’t know anything about, their consumer rights.

This is surprising given that 1.5 million students (88%) have experienced

problems with things like accommodation, utility providers and

retailers. Flying the nest to head off to university has its obvious

attractions (not least being Freshers’ Week) but it can also be a

daunting time. For many of you it will be the first time you have

to pay rent or utility bills.

If things go wrong it’s not only frustrating, but it can leave you

out of pocket. According to our research:

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of students experienceproblems with

accommodation

Don’t be embarrassed

Being a student doesn’t mean you have to put up with poor quality

accommodation, slow broadband speeds or shoddy customer service.

All consumers have a right to complain and a right to independent redress

if the company you complain to doesn’t help.

This guide will help you to avoid some of the common pitfalls when you move

into your new student home and gives advice on what to do if things don’t go to

plan. Make sure you know your rights. And if you have a complaint that can’t be

fixed, contact Ombudsman Services.

Visit: www.consumer-ombudsman.org Call: 0333 300 1620

57%

Sharing the (down)loadSo you’ve decided to get broadband in your student digs. There

are lots of packages you could choose - some are linked with TV

packages; some offer unlimited data downloads; some offer free

landline calls. Before you sign up to anything, check the length

of the contract and whether the service is transferable if you

decide to move property next year. Be aware of any limit to the

amount of data you can download - even some ‘unlimited’

packages have restrictions.

Being mobileYour mobile phone might work brilliantly at your family home but

is the signal just as strong near your university? This is something

to think about if you decide to take out a new mobile contract.

You should also consider how much data you use and opt for an

appropriate contract to avoid unexpectedly high bills. Try and

make use of free Wi-Fi whilst you're on campus to reduce mobile

data usage.

Shopping around for energyAs with many contracts and services, it’s now easier for people

to ‘shop around’ for the best energy deal. Even if you are renting

you could still switch supplier to save money on your bills.

You should check your tenancy agreement and let your landlord

and/or letting agent know before you switch. They should let you

know if there are any tie-ins with specific suppliers and give you

details of applicable tariffs and charging details that come with

those suppliers.

Find out more: www.goenergyshopping.co.uk

Flying the nestIf you’re renting a property this year, as a group or individually,

here are some things you should consider:

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Changes in the LawIn July 2015 new legislation came into force requiring all businesses

in the UK to offer their customers access to independent redress for

any unresolved complaints. If they aren’t signed up to an alternative

dispute resolution (ADR) scheme, like Ombudsman Services, they must

explain this to their customers.

It’s not compulsory for all companies to belong to an ADR scheme but

it shows that the company values customer service. Tread carefully if

you decide to buy a product or service from a company that doesn’t

have an independent way of resolving your complaints.

Ombudsman Services

If you’re getting nowhere with your complaint we might

be able to help. We offer a FREE and IMPARTIAL service

to help consumers to resolve their complaints.

We have years of experience handling complaints about energy

companies, communications providers and

property firms. In August 2015 we launched

a new online service –

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to resolve complaints in sectors where

there is no existing redress provision.

This includes retail, travel and traders.

Before we can help, you must first complain to the

company and give them a chance to sort out your problem.

The company usually has up to eight weeks to resolve your

complaint, unless it confirms in writing that it can no longer help;

this is called a deadlock letter.

If your complaint remains unresolved, visit

. Here you can log the details of

your complaint, explain what you would like to fix it and upload any

evidence you may have. We will try to resolve your complaint as

quickly as possible, often in a matter of days.

If the company is at fault, we’ll aim to return you to the position you

would have been in had the problem not occurred. Sometimes we’ll

require the company to give you a financial award for any stress and

inconvenience caused. If you accept our resolution, it becomes

legally binding on the company.

If, for some reason, we cannot accept your complaint at this time,

we will give you advice on what to do next.

You can find out more about Ombudsman Services via Twitter

(follow @OmbudServices) or via our website

www.ombudsman-services.org.

Advice

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rights!

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