Personal Announcement I am honoured to announce that, on the recommendation of the Lord Chancellor, His Majesty the King has awarded me Honorary King's Counsel (KC). This unique award recognises those who have had a significant impact on the law of England and Wales.

£1,000 FINE FOR PLAYING LOUD MUSIC ON TRAINS! The government has launched a crackdown on passengers blasting music and videos without headphones. Refuse to stop when instructed and you could face prosecution. My view? Long overdue! Do you agree?

ON TONIGHTS LBC CONSUMER HOUR 🚗 Owed money over your old car finance deal? Millions of drivers are due compensation, but payouts have stalled. I’ll explain where things stand. ❓Your legal questions answered: ☎️0345 60 60 973📲84850 X: @LBC

🚨 @ofgem HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN WHO YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO PROTECT? Ofgem is considering reintroducing its Market Stabilisation Charge, which could force energy suppliers to compensate rivals when customers switch to cheaper deals. Think about that! For years, consumers have been encouraged to SHOP AROUND and SWITCH to save money. Now the regulator is considering a mechanism that could make those cheaper deals harder to offer. I understand the need for a stable energy market. Nobody wants suppliers collapsing. But OFGEM’S JOB IS TO PROTECT CONSUMERS, NOT SHIELD ENERGY GIANTS FROM COMPETITION. Households are already struggling with energy bills. The last thing they need is a system that potentially discourages suppliers from competing for their business. MY VIEW: CONSUMERS SHOULD NEVER BE PENALISED FOR SHOPPING AROUND. Do you agree, or is Ofgem right to prioritise market stability?

HOW IS THIS STILL HAPPENING? Which? found 171 potentially dangerous baby swimming floats advertised on online marketplaces. Some resembled products linked to serious safety warnings and even a child’s death. My view: marketplaces must take responsibility for products sold through their platforms. Agree?

This is becoming an increasing problem for car owners: 👇 Car sat-nav won't work unless I pay a monthly fee: DEAN DUNHAM KC replies thisismoney.co.uk/money/cars… via @ThisIsMoney

She used an online platform to find a roofer and lost £3,500. Why aren’t these websites doing more to protect us? deandunham.co.uk/she-used-an…

ROOFING SCAM WARNING: Citizens Advice says 1 in 4 roofing complaints it received were suspected scams. Fraudsters invent urgent repairs, then demand thousands. Never agree to doorstep work under pressure. Have you or a relative been targeted? #ScamAware

TONIGHT ON THE LBC CONSUMER HOUR 💸 SUBSCRIPTION PRICES GOING UP? You could have more rights than you think. From streaming services to gym memberships, I’ll explain when you can cancel, what happens when prices rise, and how to escape subscriptions you no longer want. ⚖️ Plus, I’ll be answering YOUR legal questions, from consumer disputes to neighbours from hell! 📻 LIVE FROM 9PM ON @LBC 📞 Call 0345 60 60 973 📱 Text 84850 #ConsumerRights #ConsumerLaw #LBC

The BBC is ending You and Yours after more than 50 years, although it says a replacement consumer programme is planned this is a real shame. Consumer journalism matters: it challenges poor service, exposes scams and gives people a voice. We need MORE consumer-rights coverage, not less

Had a call saying “Add me on WhatsApp”? You’re not alone. The ICO received 3,684 complaints about automated calls in September. Some may lead to fake job scams. Don’t add the number. Block and report it. Have you had one of these calls?

REMEMBER WHEN WE WERE TOLD MORE ENERGY SUPPLIERS WOULD MEAN BETTER DEALS? E.ON has now completed its takeover of OVO. The combined businesses serve around 9.6 MILLION UK customers. My concern? LESS COMPETITION COULD MEAN LESS CHOICE. Are we heading back to the bad old days of energy suppliers?

SHOULD SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANIES HAVE TO PROVE A NEW FEATURE IS SAFE BEFORE LAUNCHING IT? Ofcom is investigating whether Instagram properly assessed the risks of its disappearing-content feature. Here’s my view: CHILDREN’S SAFETY SHOULDN’T BE SOMETHING TECH COMPANIES THINK ABOUT AFTER LAUNCH. Agree?

IF AI GIVES YOU BAD FINANCIAL ADVICE WHO IS RESPONSIBLE? HSBC is reportedly planning major reductions in its UK wealth-management workforce as banks increasingly use AI. AI could undoubtedly make financial services quicker and cheaper. But there’s a question regulators and consumers need answered BEFORE, not after, something goes wrong. If an AI system recommends that you: 💷 Move your pension 📈 Buy an investment 🏦 Change financial product 💳 Make a financial decision and that recommendation turns out to have been unsuitable: WHO CARRIES THE LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY? The bank? The AI provider? The consumer because they pressed “accept”? Technology can change how advice is delivered. It shouldn’t create a responsibility gap when that advice causes financial loss. This is going to become a very important consumer-rights issue.

TALKTALK CUSTOMER? THREE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW THIS MORNING TalkTalk has gone into administration and BT has stepped in with a rescue deal. That sounds alarming. But if you’re a customer: 1️⃣ YOUR BROADBAND IS NOT BEING SWITCHED OFF TODAY Services are continuing. 2️⃣ DON’T CANCEL YOUR DIRECT DEBIT Continue paying for the service you’re receiving unless you’re formally told otherwise. 3️⃣ BE VERY CAREFUL OF SCAM CALLS This is exactly the sort of major company announcement scammers exploit. If somebody calls saying: “We’re from BT, your TalkTalk account needs transferring today” and asks for bank/card details: STOP. Contact TalkTalk/BT independently using an official number or website. Administration doesn’t automatically cancel your contract and nobody should pressure you into making an immediate payment to “save” your broadband. Please share with anyone who uses TalkTalk.

YOU MAY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE INSURANCE INFORMATION, BUT DID YOU ACTUALLY UNDERSTAND IT? New research into the online buying journeys of 25 major motor insurers has uncovered some worrying gaps. Consumers can be left unclear about: ❌ What their excess would actually mean when making a claim ❌ How much they’d get back if they cancelled ❌ Whether they’re paying twice for cover they already have ❌ The true additional cost of paying monthly ❌ The implications of auto-renewal And here’s the line that really matters: “ACCESS AND UNDERSTANDING ARE NOT THE SAME THING.” That’s absolutely right. Consumer Duty isn’t satisfied simply because important information is buried somewhere in the buying journey. The objective must surely be that consumers UNDERSTAND what they’re buying and the financial consequences of their choices. Because with insurance, there’s a fundamental problem: You often don’t discover whether you bought the right policy until you make a claim. AND BY THEN IT’S TOO LATE. My advice: before buying insurance, don’t simply ask “How much is it?” Ask: “What isn’t covered, what will I have to pay if I claim, and could I afford that excess?” The cheapest insurance isn’t good value if it doesn’t provide the cover you thought you were buying.

BUYING A USED ELECTRIC CAR? THERE ARE QUESTIONS YOU MUST ASK. When buying a used petrol or diesel car, we’re used to checking the mileage, service history, MOT history and outstanding finance. But with more electric cars entering the second-hand market, there’s a whole new set of questions you need to ask, particularly about the battery. Tonight on the LBC Consumer Hour, I’ll give you the 5 key questions you should ask before buying a used EV, including one that could potentially save you thousands of pounds. I’ll also be answering your legal questions. 📻 Live from 9pm on @LBC 📞 0345 60 60 973 | 📲 Text 84850