Soap & Glory, Travelex 2hr sale, find 80% off M&S/ Ted Baker/ Amazon, PERFECT time to switch, Toys R Us sale?, reclaim PPI, H&M 62.5% off

Paying less is half the game. Keep the upper hand if things go wrong - full masterclass in our Consumer Rights guide. Here are the Christmas trimmings...

1.	You have NO legal right to change your mind. Buy in-store and later find the colour or size is wrong? Legally you've no right to a refund or exchange. Some firms' returns policies do allow it, but always check - and know if it says "we only give credit notes", that's actually generous.

2.	If they're faulty, return quickly and you DO have refund rights. The game changes if goods are faulty. Then stores' policies are irrelevant and your 'statutory rights' come into play. Take goods back quickly enough and you've a right to a full refund. Some shops will try to fob you off, eg, "go to the manufacturer". If so, they're wrong. See What Shops Get Wrong.

3.	Know your Sad Fart rules - FREE wallet guide. What counts as faulty is defined by the Sale of Goods Act 1979. For real impact, quote it when taking things back. For ease, I call them the SAD FART rules. Goods must be of: Satisfactory quality, As Described, Fit for purpose And last a Reasonable length of Time. If not, they're faulty. Don't worry about memorising it, arm yourself by printing our Free Christmas Consumer Rights Wallet Guide. Then if a shop tries to fob you off when buying or returning an item, whip it out and read 'em your rights.

4.	Buy online and you DO have a right to change your mind. The Distance Selling Regulations mean if you order online or by phone, you have 7 days to return goods, even if not faulty - unlike in-store purchases. This is why many are now becoming roboshoppers. Yet some items are excluded... > Personalised goods (eg, photo mugs) can't be returned unless faulty > Fresh food and flowers can't be returned unless faulty > Travel, accommodation, timed leisure tickets can't be returned > Games, videos, software you've unsealed can't be returned unless faulty

5.	Ask for delivery charges back when returning online goods. Return goods bought online within 7 days (see above) and you're legally entitled to a refund, including the cost of the delivery to you (not of sending it back). Yet many firms only give this if you ask - so ask.

6.	Extra protection AND 5% off every time you pay. Buy anything costing £100+ and pay even 1p by credit card (not debit) and Section 75 laws mean the card firm's jointly liable if things go wrong. So if goods are faulty, or the firm goes bust, it needs to cough up as if it were the shop. Of course, this is only worth doing if you REPAY IN FULL each month, preferably by direct debit so there's no interest, in which case... Get 5% cashback too: Both Capital One* & Amex* have no-annual fee cards paying 5% cash in the first 3mths, then up to 1.25% afterwards. Full info in Top Cashback Cards (don't fully repay, & they're up to 19.9% rep APR).

7.	Write 'it's a gift' on prezzie receipts. Legally, only the person who bought the item has a right to return faulty goods. Yet it's possible to transfer these rights with a gift receipt. If one isn't on offer, get the assistant to write that it's a gift, and who it's for, on your receipt and theirs. Related: 50 Festive Fivers - cheap make or buy gifts under £5

8.	Normal service NOT resumed during sales. The fact it's in the sales doesn't change your rights with faulty goods. Yet beware: many shops that normally allow no-fault returns suspend this during sales. With second-hand goods bought from stores/traders (not private individuals), you still have the same rights. But what counts as 'satisfactory quality' varies between a 10p t-shirt and a £2,000 handbag. See Second-Hand Rights. Related: Local eBay Deals Finder \| 40 eBay Buying Tricks

9.	Warning. Beware gift vouchers. If you buy one and the retailer goes bust before it's been used, you've little chance of your money back. Be wary and minimise the time before redemption. See the full Gift Voucher Warning.

10.	Make 'time of the essence' for Xmas delivery. By law, delivery only needs to be 'within a reasonable time'. So if ordering, get the retailer to agree time is of the essence. If it doesn't arrive in time, you can cancel with a full refund (of course, with online orders, you can always send back in 7 days). 75% Cheaper Parcel Delivery \| Delivery No-Show Rights

Blagged for MoneySavers

FREE £5 Photobox credit
7,500 available
Virgin Wine 50% off 15 btls
Ends: Thu 20 Dec 2012
33% off photo wrapping paper
Ends: Thu 20 Dec 2012

Did you miss?

Reclaim PPI for FREE

Claims handlers aren't more successful.
Free help & templates: Reclaim PPI

MSE News

Top Story: O2 raises prices

Asda pushes costly credit card cash

Benefits to rise by less than inflation

Is banking better Down Under?

New peer-to-peer lending watchdog

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The Ones Not To Miss

Wed 12 Dec 2012

The PERFECT time to switch - lock in & save £200!
Eon's hiking prices by 9%. It's the last big 6 energy firm to do it, so there's now a level playing field to compare

Eon, the firm that's been touting "no price hikes" (then whispering "in 2012") will hike prices for all customers, bar those on fixes, by an average 8.7% on 18 Jan '13. This hike's now in comparisons, so if you haven't switched, compare NOW.

	Avg/yr	Exit fees
Standard tariff (i)	£1,400	N/A
EDF Blue	£1,180	None
Cheapest variable	£1,060	£30/fuel
For medium user, dual fuel, qtly bill. (i) Big 6 avg. Source: Energyhelpline

Save £300/yr in 5 mins. If you're one of millions on a standard tariff, with typical use you pay £1,400/yr. Yet for the SAME gas, SAME elec, SAME safety, you could pay under £1,100. Your cheapest switch depends on usage & region. Plug your info into a comparison site, plus we've blagged you cashback/freebies after c.3mths via these links...

Top comparison site: Energyhelpline* £15 cashback/switch.
Dual fuel: MoneySup* £30 cashback or uSwitch* six bottles of wine.
Prepaid energy: See Switch Prepaid Energy guide.

It's worth noting while the big 6 providers have hiked prices, when you compare, smaller providers may come top, as some haven't hiked yet. It's tough to predict whether they will, but it's possible.
Lock in cheaply - NO HIKES FOR TWO WINTERS. Look out for our top pick, EDF Blue June 2014*, in comparison results. While not the very cheapest it's a fixed tariff ensuring no price hikes until June 2014, without locking you in as it has no early exit fees. It'll typically save those on standard tariffs £200/yr and remember, the rate's fixed.

Soap & Glory bundle £27 (RRP £70 separately). Super-hot every Xmas. 9 products, incl lip plumper. Boots Deals

4 millionth PPI template letter downloaded - reclaim for FREE. For over 5 years, we've campaigned to get people their cash back without paying a penny. Now we've hit another milestone. Free help and templates: Reclaim PPI

Halve perfume or aftershave costs - codes and discounts
It's said more perfume's bought on 24 Dec than in Aug. If that's you, buy now & save with 20 Perfume Tips, incl...
15% Fragrance Shop code | 10% Halfpriceperfumes code | Designer smell-a-likes (dirt cheap) | Compare perfume costs

H&M 25% extra code off up to 50% sale | Urban Outfitters 50% extra off up to 70%. See Sales Codes.

Find up to 80% off at M&S, Ted Baker, Argos, etc... New Tool
The new Online Outlet Stores Discount Finder searches 30+ outlets for huge discounts on clothes, furniture & toys

Many drive miles to outlet villages to snap up end-of-line bargains. Yet now, lots of high street and high-end stores have online outlet stores, either via eBay or special websites. You loved our page listing these, so now we've built you a tool...

New tool finds big discounts at 30+ outlets. Tell the new Outlet Store Discount Finder what you want, the price and discount, and it'll find it for you. You can also drill down to specific stores, too, including Net-A-Porter's Outnet, Ebuyer, Argos, and many more. This is a brand new tool, so please feed back/suggest improvements.
It's not just high brand clothes - furniture and toy bargains too. We've found an Episode Silk dress for £24 (was £160), men's Superdry boots for £35 (were £100) and an Argos football games table for £40 (was £100).

Last chance. Free £50 high street vch with TalkTalk TV + year's free Lovefilm. Ends today (Wed). Sign up via this TalkTalk TV, phone & b'band* link to get a £50 Love2Shop (Argos, Boots, etc) voucher plus a year's Lovefilm (RRP £58) - activate that ASAP. It's £15.50/mth plus line rental. Full cost-cutting info: TalkTalk £50 Voucher Tips

New Look 25% voucher, Body Shop 40%, Tie Rack 50% and more...
New Look 25% off vch | Body Shop 40% off + free del code | Debenhams extra 10% off sale code | Tie Rack 50% off
Office 25% off ladies' shoes code & in-store | French Connection up to 50% off sale Full list: Discount Vouchers

Up to 60% off Lion King, War Horse & 45 other Ldn shows. For Jan-Feb. Good seats sell fast. Theatre Deals

EXTRA 50% off code on up to 75% off jewellery sale. Ends Thurs. Includes £2.50 Lily Allen earrings (RRP £20), £5.50 Fossil necklaces (£31.50) and £20 Swarovski gold plated rings (£79). See John Greed Deals.

Urgent Travelex 2hr FLASH currency sales
Boost airport rates on euros, dollars & others | Or use special credit cards for PERMANENT unbeatable rates

If you're lucky enough to be heading on a winter getaway, be it sun or ski, ensure you get the max buck for your bang...

Travelex 2-hr flash sales, incl airport pick-up. The boon of this rate boost is you can pre-order and pick-up at the airport as well as get delivery, as buy-at-airport rates are usually dire. Similar past sales' rates have been strong, but just in case, use our travel money comparison, which will update during the sale so you can compare.

SALE TIMES: All bar € (incl US $): Thurs 11am-1pm, €uro: Fri 11am-1pm.
Special card for PERMANENTLY unbeatable rates. Most credit & debit cards add a hidden 3% load, so spending £100 worth of euros costs £103. Yet a few specialist cards are load-free worldwide with near perfect rates, smashing bureaux de change: Halifax Clarity*, Post Office*, Saga* (50s+) & for its current account customers ONLY, Nationwide*.

So holster one to use abroad, but ensure you ALWAYS repay in full each month or the gain's lost, as you'll pay 11.9%-16.9% rep APRs. Full info, incl poorer credit scorers' options, in Top Overseas Cards (APR Examples).

Last order dates - for free Xmas delivery. If you're shopping online, order now or pay more for pre-Christmas delivery. The last free or cheapest order dates include... Mon 17 Dec: Tesco Direct* and House of Fraser*. Tue 18 Dec: Amazon*, Asos and Matalan*. Full list of 120 retailers: Last Order Dates

FREE Kew Gardens entry (usually £16). For Sat 22 Dec to Fri 4 Jan. Book from Monday. See Kew Gardens Deals.

Toys R Us FLASH sale rumour. Not 100%, but a short-lived sale starts today (Wed). Latest updates: Toys R Us Deals

Click the titles for full info and all our top picks

Longest 0%: Barclaycard*
24 mths 0%, 3.2% fee
(17.9% rep APR)

Low fee 0%: NatWest*
13 months 0%, 1% fee
(17.9% rep APR)

Get quotes in this order...

MoneySup*
Confused*
Direct Line*
Aviva*
Admiral MultiCar*

Clydesdale Bank* (£5k - £7.5k)
7% rep APR

Derbyshire BS* (£7.5k - £15k)
5.4% rep APR

Coventry BS 3.1% AER
Min £1. 60 days' notice.
Online. No transfers

M&S 2.75% AER
Min £100. Clean rate.
Post/phone. Transfers allowed

See Card APR Examples & Loan APR Examples

Photobox 'freebies' with free £5 credit (£1.50 p&p). MSE Blagged. 7,500 £5 no min spend codes available. Great for Xmas; personalised photo stickers, magnets, notebooks & cards, but £1.50-£3 p&p. See Photo Deals.

Is it worth adding the (student) kids to the car insurance for the hols? Don't add them for a year if they only drive for weeks. Get a temporary add-on, or special temp insurance. Full help: Car Insurance | Young Drivers' Ins

Wrapping paper with your face on 33% off code. MSE Blagged. 1 for £2, 3 for £5. Photo Deals

Amazon's hidden 80%+ off pages
It's the last week you can get FREE DELIVERY in time for Xmas on Amazon, so we've built some special pages

To get free 'super saver delivery' at the giant e-tailer, you need to order by Tue 18 Dec - this is our last email before then. A reminder Amazon's UK tax avoidance has been much highlighted - make your own decision on shopping there.

Build hidden Amazon discount pages. Use the Amazon Discount Finder, select a category and the discount you want, eg, 60%, and it reconfigures Amazon's URL to build a page showing discounted items (usually based on the RRP, though in a few cases, eg, DVDs, CDs & video games, these don't exist, so results are more vague).
Christmas bargain basements. We've built special festive pages, pre-tested for max no of results. They're auto-generated, so double check prices and if it's a good deal.

More web shopping wizardry. The MegaShopBot finds the best shopping comparison site for each search, and our eBay Local Deals Mapper finds pick-up only bargains (which tend to be cheaper) near you.

Overpaying your mortgage in Dec can save £100s... for annually-calculated interest. See Dec payments.

Virgin Wine 50% off link. Newbies only. On specific cases, eg, 15 bottles incl cava £65 delivered. See Wine Deals.

Want a money makeover on TV from Martin? He's doing an ITV1 Tonight makeover. Find out more.

Gas & Electricity	Bank Accounts	Home Insurance	Landlines
Click the titles for full info and all our top picks
Compare, switch & get cashback Energyhelpline* £15 per switch MoneySupermarket* £30 dual fuel uSwitch* 6 bottles of wine	First Direct* £100 bonus and top cust service Santander 123* Up to 3% cashback on bills (£2 per month fee)	Get quotes in this order... MoneySup* Confused* Direct Line* Aviva*	Primus Line Rental Saver* £7.99/mth BT Line Rental Saver* £10.75/mth (pay a yr upfront)
Do a Money Makeover	Free Budget Planner	Free MSE car sticker	£16 Travel Insurance

Restaurant vouchers

Pizza Hut Delivery 2for1
Toby Carvery 'free' ice cream
Chiquito £10 off 2 mains
Cafe Rouge 20% off total bill
Yates's 50% off food (Thursdays)

Discount vouchers

Debenhams extra 10% off
H&M extra 25% off sale
B&Q 25% off Christmas items
Build-a-Bear £3 off £15
Past Times 20% off

Top deals

Greater Anglia £5 single advance tix
Clarks up to 50% off
Tesco Clothing up to 50% off
Free card via FB
Lastminute £25 spa days

The Moneysaving community

Got a real-life money moral dilemma? Each week we feature a user's moral cash-related quandary (see previous weeks' dilemmas). If one's occupying your mind, please email MMD@moneysavingexpert.com.

BOOK GIVEAWAY | F in Exams. 25 blagged for MoneySavers. Want one?

Did you win Martin's X Factor prediction champagne contest? Martin did pretty well himself, but was pipped to the post by MoneySaver Sam Thacker. Congratulations, Sam. See all the predictions.

THE GREAT HUNT | Dads, what would you like for Xmas?
Dads are notoriously difficult to buy for (ask Mrs MSE and 6-week-old MSE Junior). So, dads, here's your chance to get something other than socks & fancy jam. Share yours/read others': Xmas gifts for Dad | View past hunts

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA | Who should pay the parking fine?
This week's MoneySaver who wants advice asks...
I am 25 and live with my mum. She recently had builders in who helped themselves to all her biscuits and milk. While driving to work between jobs, she asked me to stop off at the shop as she didn't want to leave the builders alone. It was a major inconvenience, as I didn't have much time, but as she's my mum, I drove off to get them. I've stopped off there many times without trouble, but I've now been fined up to £110 (halved if I pay within 21 days) for parking in a loading bay. I wouldn't have needed to stop off at all if I wasn't doing a favour for my mum. She's financially comfortable, but I'm working three jobs just to keep my finances in check. Should I ask her to pay for it?
Enter the Money Moral Maze: Who should pay the fine? | Suggest an MMD | View Past MMDs

CHEAP FLIGHT SALES ALERT | Airline: Jet2 Price: From £27 each way Ends: Ongoing
Our pick this week is Jet2. The prices are ongoing and include some taxes & charges. It's for flights to four skiing destinations this winter - Chambery, Geneva, Grenoble and Salzburg. We found flights from Manchester to Grenoble for £33.49. To find flights quickly, use the FlightChecker on a £50 one-way max search. Extra charges warning: Avoid payment and check-in charges - see the Budget Airline Fee Fighting guide. Related: Cheap Flights, Cheap Hotels, Spending Abroad, Cheap Currency, Travel Insurance

THE GREAT HUNT... REVEALED | What big brand alternatives make do-able gifts?
Smell-alikes made up the majority of responses, including M&S' Isis perfume instead of Issey Miyake's L Eau D Issy and Lidl's Suddenly Madame Glamour as a cheap alternative to Chanel's Coco Mademoiselle.

Quick forum tips

Top Deal: £10 Martine Wester lucky dip bags (contents worth £50). Goody
£2 for 4 x 185g tins of Princes tuna chunks (£4-7 elsewhere). Offer ends today
£10 Jelly Belly iPhone case gift sets (were £29.95) at John Lewis. Scentsational
£6 for 2 jute shopper bags (were £4 each) at Seasalt Cornwall. Cute jute
Debt Free Wannabe chat of the week: Shedding lbs and £s in 2013
Competitions thread of the week: A Georg Jensen ring worth £4,500
Old Style (Thrift) Board thread of the week: Putting on a "spread" on a budget

Andrea's freebies

Martin's blogs

Martin's appearances

Thursday 13 December
Shelagh Fogarty, Radio 5, 12-1pm.
Consumer Panel.
Listen to past shows.

Tuesday 18 December
Daybreak, ITV1, between 7am & 8.30am. Subject tbc.

PS. Missed The Martin Lewis Money Show? Watch past episodes.

Other MSE team appearances

Thursday 13 December
Dan Plant - Noreen Khan, BBC Asian Network, 3.30pm, subject tbc.

Cheap travel money

UK's Best Currency Rates
£100 will buy you:
		Best	Worst
	€	123.50	112.75
	$	160.01	146.04
	TL	279.50	257.21
Rates correct at 4.30pm Tue
Find all top currency rates Compare travel cash

This week's poll: How much will this year's Christmas cost you?

How much do you plan to spend on presents, food, and transport to see friends and family?

I don't celebrate	£401-600
Under £50	£601-800
£51-200	£801-1,000
£201-400	£1,000+

Poll results

Should the UK be a part of the European Union?

- 63% said the UK shouldn't be part of the EU at all.
- 74% said the UK should renegotiate, so it's less integrated within the EU.

17,489 voted. See Full Results.

Question of the week

Q: Can you only have one regular savings account running each year, or can you open as many as you can afford? Margaret, by email.

MSE Sally's A: Regular savings accounts often pay huge interest, up to 8% (see regular savers best buys) on limited amounts of cash, provided you contribute each month.

You can have as many regular savings accounts running as you like. There are no regulations like there are with ISAs. Yet many providers only let you have one of their products running at any one time.

However, that doesn't stop you opening accounts with different providers.

Please suggest a question of the week (we can't reply to individual emails).

Board of the week

The eBay, Auctions, Car Boot & Jumble Sales Board

Share advice and tips on buying and selling secondhand items. Discussions include Abusive negative feedback on eBay- what can I do?, Non paying bidder and 5% off 1st class stamps at Superdrug.

Archna's free game of the week: CP6

Love is all around (we know, we've cameras snooping on it)

That's it for this week. Yet before we go, the world of security camera snooping is normally about catching bad guys - but take a look at these honest pickpockets, acts of kindness and stolen kisses (ahh). Security camera slushy secrets.

We hope you save some money,

Martin & the MSE team

Important. Please read how MoneySavingExpert.com works

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What you need to know

This info does not constitute financial advice, always do your own research on top to ensure it's right for your specific circumstances - and remember we focus on rates not service.
We don't as a general policy investigate the solvency of companies mentioned, how likely they are to go bust, but there is a risk any company can struggle and it's rarely made public until it's too late (see the section 75 guide for protection tips).
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Please read the Full Terms & Conditions, Privacy Policy, how this site is financed and Editorial Code. Martin Lewis is a registered trade mark belonging to Martin S Lewis. MSE, Money Saving Expert, MoneySavingExpert and Moneysavingexpert.com are registered trade marks belonging to MoneySavingExpert.com Limited.

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What is MoneySavingExpert.com?

Founded in February 2003, it's now the UK's biggest consumer help website with over 6 million people getting this email and nearly 10m using the site. In September 2012 it became part of the MoneySupermarket Group PLC. Its focus is simple: how to save cash and fight for financial justice on anything and everything. The site has over 30 full time staff about half of whom are editorial researching, analysing and writing to continually find ways to save money. More info: See About MSE

Who is Martin Lewis?

Martin set up and runs MSE, he's an ultra-focused money saving journalist and consumer campaigner. He has regular slots on Daybreak, Lorraine, Radio 2 Vine, BBC1 Watchdog, Radio 5 Consumer panel and presents ITV Tonight. He is a columnist for amongst others the Sunday Post as well as an author. More info: See Martin Lewis' biog

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