Category Archives: Consumer affairs

Germans thirsty for alcohol-free beer as brewers boost taste

Posted on by

Rise in bars stocking 0% beers to meet demand of drinkers who wish to ditch the hangover

During last year’s sweltering summer in Europe, workers of the Störtebeker beer brewery stood at the doors of the bottle depot eagerly awaiting the empty returns so they could be washed and refilled as quickly as possible. A bottle shortage swept the country due to the rate at which beer was being consumed to quench the overheated nation’s thirst.

But it wasn’t the demand for their classic range of beers that surprised the brewery bosses most, rather the rate at which its alcohol-free varieties were being drunk.

Continue reading...

Whirlpool ordered by UK to recall 500,000 tumble dryers

Posted on by

‘Unprecedented’ government move comes four years after firm issued safety warning

The government is to order an “unprecedented” recall of up to 500,000 Whirlpool tumble dryers – four years after fire safety concerns were first raised.

The move is a dramatic escalation in a long-running controversy involving the company’s “fire-risk” tumble dryers, and its handling of an issue that may have left dangerous machines in UK homes.

Continue reading...

Britons face five-hour airport queues in Spain with no-deal Brexit

Posted on by

Alicante airport is likely to be worst affected, says consumer group Which?

British tourists to Spain could face airport queues of five hours or more after a no-deal Brexit, according to analysis by Which?, and the consumer group suggests travellers should take food, water and even nappies to survive prolonged delays.

Alicante airport, which serves Benidorm and other Costa Blanca resorts, is likely to be the worst-affected airport, and Which? said visitors to Tenerife, Lanzarote and Málaga were also facing “life in the slow lane”.

Continue reading...

Fresh concerns over Whirlpool’s ‘fire-risk’ tumble dryer repairs

Posted on by

Which? calls for clarity after 30 consumers report ‘fixed’ dryers catching fire, producing smoke or burning smell

A consumer group is calling for the urgent publication of a report into Whirlpool’s fire-risk tumble dryers, amid fresh concerns about the manufacturer’s repair programme and its handling of an issue that may have left up to 500,000 potentially dangerous machines in UK homes.

Which? revealed it had been contacted by more than 30 consumers whose supposedly “fixed” tumble dryers had caught fire, produced smoke or the smell of burning. In some cases this appeared to be as a result of fluff catching on the heating element – the issue the modification was designed to fix, the consumer group said.

Continue reading...

UK trains ‘are packed to near double capacity’

Posted on by

Some major routes to be 208% over capacity by 2022, shows data compiled by Labour

Overcrowding on trains is at the highest level for years, according to official data compiled by Labour showing some major routes are to be 208% of capacity by 2022.

A study of government figures found the most overcrowded services were on average 187% of capacity in 2017, an increase of 25% since 2011.

Continue reading...