School mornings tend to always be a bit of a rush and getting breakfast ready on top of everything else can be a challenge – this is where overnight Weetabix comes in! We’ve all enjoyed a bowl or two of overnight oats at this stage since they boomed in popularity a few years back, but […]
The post Move over overnight oats: Overnight Weetabix is the school morning time saver we never knew we needed appeared first on RollerCoaster.
THE advertising watchdog has ruled against six major broadband companies after they failed to meet advertising standards.
BT, EE, Plusnet, TalkTalk, O2 and Virgin have all been told to take down certain ads on their web pages by The Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) after it said they did not make potential price increases clear.
The watchdog ruled that the firms had not been clear about how much customers’ bills would go up due to mid-contract price hikes.
Mid-contract price hikes are increases to your bill during your contract term.
Broadband and mobile phone firms typically increase bills every March/April in line with Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation, plus an extra fixed amount – often 3% – to account for other rising costs.
But the ASA said telecoms firms had made information about these rises too difficult for customers to find and that the adverts “must not appear again”.
For example, it said in some cases the firms had placed this information separately to the headline prices quoted on the advert, and in a less prominent position.
The watchdog said it had received multiple complaints from customers who felt they had been misled, and stated that the companies had “fallen foul of guidance” .
For example, it said an advert on the BT website featured the headline: “Get Ultrafast Full Fibre 100 for only £29.99 a month.”
But in much smaller text, the ad said: “Prices rise each year on 31 March by £3 – 24 month [sic] contract.”
And the ASA said the relevant information about price rises in EE’s ad “would likely have been overlooked because of its placement at the bottom of the page.”
The providers have been reminded that in future such price increases must be displayed prominently rather than in small print.
These rulings came as a reminder of CAP’s most updated guidance which was released December 2023.
The guidance said that “certain material information must be provided to consumers, in a specified format, before they can agree to enter into a contract for phone or broadband services.”
A Virgin Media O2 spokesperson told The Sun: “After working closely with the ASA to update our website and provide prominent advice about any price changes, we are surprised and disappointed by their ruling.
“Consumers visiting our website are greeted with a prominent message at the top of the page explaining in large bold font how and when price rises take effect, and this explanation is also always visible when consumers scroll, ensuring they are not misled.
“While we’re confident in the steps we’ve taken to repeatedly provide consumers with clear and easy-to-understand information about any price rises, we’ll carefully review their judgement and implement any necessary changes.”
The Sun also offered the other broadband providers the opportunity to reply and have not heard back – we will update readers if this changes.
HERE'S how to save money on your broadband and TV bills:
Audit your subscriptions
If you’ve got multiple subscriptions to various on-demand services, such as Amazon Prime, Netflix, and Sky consider whether you need them all.
Could you even just get by with Freeview, which couldn’t cost you anything extra each month for TV.
Also make sure you’re not paying for Netflix twice via Sky and directly.
Haggle for a discount
If you want to stay with your provider, check prices elsewhere to set a benchmark and then call its customer services and threaten to leave unless it price matches or lowers your bill.
Switch and save
If you don’t want to stay with your current provider check if you can cancel your contract penalty free and switch to a cheaper provider.
A comparison site, such as BroadbandChoices or Uswitch, will help you find the best deal for free.
This is not the only time providers have been warned about transparency with customers lately.
Last week, it also emerged that the regulator Ofcom had set new rules for network providers, so they must now warn customers when they might be hit with data roaming costs.
Data roaming is when you connect to another country’s network while travelling, costing as much as £6 per MB of data used.
The regulator ruled that providers must tell customers when these fees were happening to prevent them being unexpectedly charged.
Uswitch’s mobiles expert Ernest Doku pointed out that “while this is good news there is still inconsistency between providers – meaning a lack of clarity for consumers, who were hit with £539 million in unexpected roaming charges in 2023.”
To check your network or broadband rate visit your online account or phone your provider.
We recommend you always read the small print when buying into new contracts or making any changes to your location.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.
Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories
SONIC the Hedgehog is one of the most recognisable video game series in history, with the blue blur having enjoyed pop culture status for close to three decades.
Two new games in the Sonic the Hedgehog series are set to be released in 2024, and they’re both very different kinds of games.
The first one, Sonic X Shadow Generations, is set to be released on PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and PC later this month, on October 25, 2024.
The game is a remaster of Sonic Generations, one of the best games in the series, with an additional expansion focused on Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic’s rival.
The other Sonic game set to launch this year is a little bit different, as it’s a mobile-first multiplayer party game that’s a little bit like Fall Guys.
Sonic Rumble is a 32-player battle royale party game coming to iOS, Android, and PC in Winter 2024, though an exact release date has not been announced yet.
Many players were concerned, though, that the free-to-play nature of the game would mean that it has gacha or pay-to-win mechanics.
Thankfully, the game’s director Makoto Tase has confirmed to Automaton that the game won’t feature either gacha mechanics and it won’t be pay-to-win.
Tase said: “We’re aiming for a casual system that allows you to just buy what you want quickly for a small, fixed amount, rather than a gacha system that gives you a certain probability of obtaining items.”
The reasoning behind this is that Tase believes that gacha mechanics – like loot boxes where players pay for random rewards – aren’t popular outside of Japan, and that it’s not appropriate for games targeted at all ages.
Many popular mobile games, like Genshin Impact, rely on gacha mechanics for monetisation, and are very lucrative because of it.
Tase also said that players won’t be able to spend money to get an advantage in Sonic Rumble, saying that all players should be able to enjoy the game on equal footing.
Sonic fans recently spotted what they believe is a secret character coming to Sonic X Shadow Generations, with many speculating that there could be a new version of Shadow in the game.
For more on upcoming games, check out our list of all the big games coming out in October 2024.
Get the lowdown on more of the latest Nintendo Switch releases from our expert reviewers.
For Xbox Series X and PS5 reviews, check out our full game reviews section.
MANCHESTER UNITED presented clips from Sky Sports pundits in their successful appeal against a Bruno Fernandes sending-off.
The commission ruled referee Chris Kavanagh made an “obvious” error in giving the skipper a straight red card for a foul on Spurs’ James Maddison.
Fernandes‘ three-game ban was overturned following the commission’s ruling, meaning he lined up in Sunday’s 0-0 draw at Aston Villa.
The Mail say the Red Devils put forward two videos to support their case against the midfielder’s dismissal at Old Trafford on September 29.
One was from Sky’s “Ref Watch” show, where one-time Premier League whistler Dermot Gallagher discussed the incident with former Lionesses’ winger Sue Smith and ex-England striker Dean Ashton.
Gallagher suggested Kavanagh saw an “optical illusion” of the exchange between Fernandes and Maddison because of his viewing angle.
The 67-year-old also described the Portuguese star’s contact on the England playmaker as a “glancing blow”.
Gallagher concluded that a yellow card would have been fairer.
United’s second video clip showed the two players tangling in real time, as well as via a slow-motion replay.
However, the Mail say the independent commission chose NOT to consider opinions from “Ref Watch” when coming to a 2:1 split decision in favour of Fernandes.
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The majority verdict was he “didn’t lead or make contact with studs” and “there was obviously no malice, brutality or excessive force”.
United had appealed immediately after Fernandes was dismissed 42 minutes into a calamitous 3-0 loss against Spurs, with the Red Devils trailing 1-0.
The 30-year-old was furious with his first-ever straight red, claiming: “Even James Maddison when he gets up he said it’s not a red card.
“If this is a red card we have to look at many other incidents.
“I don’t understand why VAR doesn’t call him [referee] to the screen.”
Fernandes was promptly dismissed again in United’s next match, four days, picking up two bookings for a high boot in a 3-3 draw at Porto.
The ex-Sporting Lisbon ace will be out suspended for the Red Devils’ next Europa League clash, at ex-manager Jose Mourinho‘s Fenerbahce on October 24.
A CHRISTMAS market in the UK has been named one of the best in Europe.
Taking 8th place is none other than the UK’s Birmingham Frankfurt Christmas Market.
Set against Victoria Square and the new Street shopping district, the market is the largest authentic German Christmas market outside of Austria and Germany.
It’s organised by Birmingham’s sister city of Frankfurt with over 100 stalls selling traditional toys, ornaments, arts and crafts.
There’s also a wide selection of traditional German food and drink on offer, including bratwurst, pretzels, schnitzels, roasted almonds, glühwein, weissbeer, and hot chocolate.
And a free live music programme with performances from German and Birmingham musicians takes place.
Rides and attractions include a Big Wheel, a Carousel, Danters AIR (a swing, spin and loop ride), and an ice rink.
But perhaps the most famous attraction of them all is a singing moose called Chris Moose.
The Christmas moose, a faux deer head, become quite the sensation over the years by belting out Christmas classics during the festivities.
He even has his own X profile, where he keeps followers entertained with hilarious pun-based jokes.
Some of his best posts include: “I had a great joke about German Christmas cake but someone’s stollen it.”
And: “What are the best Christmas jumpers made from? Fleece Navidad!”
People who have visited the market over the years have taken to Tripadvisor to share their thoughts.
One person wrote: “Had a wonderful time on our overnight visit to Birmingham Market.
“Lots of traditional German food and drink to try, with plenty of festive entertainment around. Queue’s were not too long either.”
Another said: “Look forward to this every year, gluwein music and fun.
Travel reporter Hope Brotherton has been going to the market for nearly two decades – and can confirm it’s one of the best in the country.
As a young girl, my siblings and I enjoyed riding on the twinkling merry-go-round, sliding down the colorful helter skelter, and begging our parents for sweets at our favourite market stall.
The grub was another tantalising draw, with typical German dishes like pretzels, schnitzels, bratwursts, and roasted almonds, all vying for our pocket money.
And, as a student in the city, my friends and I often indulged in a weissbier (wheat beer), or two, at one of the traditional German beer halls.
A quick flash through the last 20 years of my jaunts to the Christmas market proves one thing: it has a little something for everyone, including a singing moose.
“Also plenty of others bars around once you’ve had your German wurst and a pint or two.”
The city’s Christmas market was given a place in the top 10 by European Best Destinations.
The list comprises of 20 markets, which were ranked based on more than 590,000 votes of worldwide travellers.
Advent Feast at the Basilica in Budapest, Hungary was awarded the top spot, for its beautiful location, unique festive atmosphere, gastronomic adventures, and heart-warming musical and charity programmes.
Two more Christmas markets in Europe also made the list – London’s Hyde Park Winter Wonderland and Manchester’s Christmas market.
Birmingham Frankfurt Christmas Market will return to the city centre from Friday, November 1 and run until December 24.
In the mean time, here is Butlin’s ‘ultimate Christmas holiday weekend’ launching this year.
And here are some affordable December city breaks you can still book.
SNOOKER fans rejoice as the Wuhan Open 2024 is now UNDERWAY – with some huge names in action in China.
This morning’s action saw world champion Kyren Wilson crash out after a narrow 5-4 defeat to Guodong Xiao.
Elsewhere, John Higgins overcame British rival Zak Surety while Judd Trump sent Anthony McGill packing.
Fan favourite Ronnie O’Sullivan withdrew from the event last week due to medical reasons.
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Follow ALL the action from the Wuhan Open with our live blog below…