The UK's competition regulator has launched an investigation into Ticketmaster after the site used so-called "dynamic pricing" to sell tickets for the much anticipated Oasis reunion tour.The Competition and Markets Authority is looking into whether the company used "unfair commercial practices" which may have broken the law.The watchdog is also investigating whether the pressure to buy tickets quickly may have influenced consumers' purchasing decisions and you can have your say. While there is no law against "dynamic pricing" in the UK or Jersey, the CMA says the practice may breach competition laws under certain circumstances.Anyone who has bought Oasis tickets is invited to provide evidence as part of the CMA's review. You can take part by visiting the CMA website.Sarah Cardell, Chief Executive of the CMA, said: "It’s important that fans are treated fairly when they buy tickets, which is why we’ve launched this investigation. "It’s clear that many people felt they had a bad experience and were surprised by the price of their tickets at check-out. We want to hear from fans who went through the process and may have encountered issues so that we can investigate whether existing consumer protection law has been breached."The Jersey Consumer Council, encourages Islanders who bought Oasis tickets to give evidence to the CMA's investigation to make your voice heard and to help make changes in the future. 

We’re often asked how best to complain about a service. Sometimes it’s not easy to know the right way to go about it, to get the best results. Here's what we suggest: Find out if the company have a complaints procedure Go through the process according to the procedure – you will need to submit an explanation of what went wrong. You can do this using our letter below. Find out how long they take to process complaints and wait for the allocated time to get a response If you do not get a response, find out if they are regulated by an ombudsman or other regulatory authority Send the letter below to that ombudsman explaining that you have not had a response   Here is our suggested letter of complaint: Name of the contact person Name of company Address Postcode Your name Your Address Postcode                                                                                                            Your telephone number                                                                                                            Your email address   Date   Formal complaint about [name of company] Dear Mr/Mrs/Ms [name of the contact] I am writing to make a formal complaint against XXXXX. [add in who you are complaining about a person or the company] My complaint is that [describe any issues or mistakes that occurred. Be as clear and concise as possible. Keeping it brief and to the point can be helpful]. Use bullets to keep it to the point     This situation has caused me [explain how this issue has affected you, your family, or others] Use bullets to keep it to the point     This could be resolved if you could [tell them how they can put this right - Apologise? Return documents they’ve been holding on to? Do more work? Compensate you? – what do you from them?] Use bullets to keep it to the point     As this is a formal letter of complaint it is my understanding that you are required to respond to me. Please can I ask that you do this by XXX [seven to ten days is a good length of time]. I can be contacted on the telephone number and email address at head of the letter should you need any further information. I look forward to hearing from you in the very near future. Yours sincerely [sign your name] XXXXX [type your name here}   Other help Trading Standards can also help you. Free help from the Consumer Advice Service (gov.je) They will talk through your consumer problem and advise you on your consumer rights and how best to resolve your dispute.   Remember that service providers love to get positive feedback too. So, if you have experienced something really good, let them know.

Some retailers are preferring to give an email receipt rather than a paper receipt, and most other retailers now ask if you need the receipt before automatically giving it to you. Automatic paper receipts as we knew them are becoming a thing of the past. It is a more environmentally friendly way of working, but do you say no to a receipt when you really mean yes? Remember if you need to return anything your receipt is still usually required. We’ve been contacted by some consumers who are concerned about requesting a paper receipt and about giving their email address over the counter for the email receipt. Others have said their supermarket self-service machine repeatedly will not print a receipt when they want one and they feel silly waiting for someone to come and help. The Jersey Consumer Council would like to empower Jersey consumers to ask for a paper receipt should they want one. Do not be put off by an assistant who is reluctant to provide one. If you feel uncomfortable about giving your personal email address to an assistant, well you don’t need to do it. Most retailers have the policy that they will provide a paper receipt if asked.  The Jersey Consumer Council have contacted the retailers New Look and Dunelm who now prefer to issue email receipts. Both shops have confirmed that they will happily give a paper receipt if the customer asks for one.   We’d like to hear about your experiences. How do you feel about asking for a paper receipt? Have you had a problem getting one? Email us at contact@consumercouncil.je 

Before you travel it’s important to check the validity of your passport. Holiday makers whose passports fail to meet the EU's requirements are being refused boarding. So, we advise you to always check if your passport needs renewal at the time of booking your trip, not just before heading to the airport. It’s your responsibility to make sure your passport is valid. You can’t claim compensation if you are turned away at the airport.   What are the requirements? Brexit brought about some changes for Jersey travellers. Our requirements for entering the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, or Liechtenstein (known as the Schengen Area) have altered since January 2021. You can also only stay for a maximum of 90 days within a six-month period in Schengen countries. Prior to Brexit, you could have stayed as long as you liked. Holders of British and Jersey passports are now classified as third-country nationals under the Schengen Border Code. Our passports must now meet the following criteria: Be issued within the last 10 years of the date of arrival in a EU/Schengen country. Have at least 3 months of validity remaining on the date of departure from the last EU/Schengen country visited. Or at least 6 months of validity if you are staying in the Schengen Area for up to 90 days - it is possible that the actual requirement checked will be at least 6 months of validity remaining from the date of arrival. It’s important to check because before 2018 passports were issued for longer than ten years – the UK Passport Office would add any validity leftover on to your current passport if you renewed early. EU countries not in the Schengen Area include: Romania Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Travel to Ireland is subject to separate Common Travel Area arrangements. British citizens don’t technically need a passport to visit Ireland – only a valid ID. However, some airlines, including Ryanair, insist you have a valid passport so it's best to carry one.   Current passport processing time Standard Service - approximately 30 working days (6 weeks). Express Service - approximately 10 working days (2 weeks).    Advice from the Jersey Passport Office Always apply for a new passport at least 10 weeks before you intend to travel.  Do not book any travel until you have your new passport.  

Are you aware of the coming changes to driving licence requirements in Jersey? From 5 October, the requirements and standards for driving licences will change. The changes will be: two licence groups medical requirements and submition of medical certificates depending on the licence group and catagory the licence validity period depending on the licence group your parish will be be able to ask you to take a practical driving assessment and put conditions on your driving licence These changes will bring the Jersey standards and requirements for driving licences similar to the UK and the EU. Most standard drivers will fall into Group 1 and for this group there is little change; a medical certificate will only be required if a relevant condition is declared to your Parish. Vision standards have been enhanced for both Group 1 and 2 categories to include peripheral vision and an updated acuity test. Diabetes, epilepsy, and seizure standards have also been updated which will now allow more people to hold a Group 2 category licence. Those who passed their driving test in or before 1997 may have categories C1 or D1 on their licences which, following the change, will mean that they are holders of a Group 2 licence. If they do not need their Group 2 categories, they can relinquish them, and have five years in which to have them reinstated, if desired. Group 2 licences will be required to have two more medicals in their lifetime. Currently Group 2 licence holders have medicals at 45, 55 and 65 years of age, following the changes they will also need a medical at 50 and 60. If a driver has any concerns with health issues which may affect their driving, then they should consult their GP. To find out more about the changes and what they will mean for you, visit the DVS information page on Gov.je:  Medical standards for driving licences (gov.je)

Do you, or someone you know, currently have a provisional Jersey driving license? We’ve recently been contacted by a local consumer asking us to investigate why they are only valid for six months. They thought this seemed like too short window in which to take a test before you have renew it – particularly given that a large proportion of those taking tests are teenagers who are still in education and doing exams, so fitting driving lessons in and getting a test done within just six months could prove difficult. We carried out a comparison with other jurisdictions and found the following: Jurisdiction     Fee        Valid for IOM                    £14       1 year – can have 2 licenses then discretionary Guernsey           £45       10 years – two years to take your test Jersey                £30        6 months – renewal discretionary UK                     £34       10 years - two years to take your test As the provisional license system is a parish issue, we asked Mike Jackson, the Chairman of Comité des Connétables – who set the guidelines for provisional driving licenses – why Jersey has such a short window. Here’s what he said: “Thank you for your enquiry asking why the Jersey provisional licence is only valid for six months as other jurisdictions, for example Guernsey, the Isle of Man and the United Kingdom, granted a provisional licence for a longer period. We note the short length has been queried as your received comment that many learner drivers are teenagers still in education and fitting lessons and a test around examinations is “sometimes difficult”. Article 11 of the Road Traffic (Jersey) Law 1956 permits a provisional licence to be granted “to learn to drive a motor vehicle with a view to passing a test”. The tests assess a person’s competence to drive and are important for the road safety of all road users, both vehicular and pedestrian. A provisional licence may be renewed though Article 11 provides that it may be refused if it appears to the parochial authority that the applicant does not intend to submit to the test within a reasonable time. The tests comprised - Compulsory Basic Training (CBT) for motorbikes and mopeds (valid indefinitely) Theory test including hazard perception – category specific (pass certificate valid indefinitely but invalid if the holder was disqualified from holding or obtaining a licence to drive) Practical driving test – category specific (pass certificate enabled the holder for a period of 5 years from the date of issue to obtain a licence) The Comité understands that there is adequate availability for booking and sitting a test and that the Driver and Vehicle Standards Department now has three dedicated officers to assess practical driving. The current timescales and fees for test bookings are: 3 to 4 weeks for CBT (fee of £153); 3 weeks for a theory test (fee £39.50) and 4 to 6 weeks for a practical test (fee £58.50). As there appears to be adequate availability to enable a provisional licence holder to take a relevant test (or, indeed, all tests for the category) within the validity period of the provisional licence, the Comité considers the six-month validity period is appropriate. A person should apply for a provisional licence at a time when they are able to learn to drive and study for the tests rather than as soon as they reach the age to drive.”   Our advice We advise learner drivers and parents of children coming up to 17 years of age, to think carefully before rushing to apply for a provisional license as soon as their 17th birthday arrives. If your child has a birthday early on in the school year, perhaps wait until nearer the school holidays to give them the best chance to fit in their driving lessons alongside school and studies, and not have to apply for a license renewal. Shop around for your driving lessons and insurance. With driving lessons averaging at around £42 to £45 per lesson, and insurance costs continuing to rise, it’s good to give this some thought before committing to it all too early.