Well, 2024 has been quite a year!
It’s been quite a journey and I never knew what it would involve when I embarked on this. If someone had said that this would consume your life and explained what was involved, I may have had second thoughts. No regrets though. I have come across some amazing people who have helped me in so many ways.
This is the longest thing I have ever stuck with in my life. What began as a project in October 2015 has turned into a passion in helping consumers assert their consumer rights.
My work on consumer rights is going from strength to strength and I’m considered as a go-to expert now for many journalists, local and national radio stations and the media for a wide range of consumer issues and motoring disputes.
Knowing your consumer rights saves you time, money and stress especially at this time of year.
It’s a minefield and I’ve learnt everything the hard way.
Radio
I’m a big fan of local and community radio, and enjoy working with BBC local and national radio stations across the UK on various consumer and motoring topics to help their listeners.
I now have my own consumer show each Sunday afternoon 4 – 6pm on East Coast FM in Haddington, East Lothian!
Last year was particularly difficult for me personally. I had a stress-related seizure in April 2023 which tipped my life upside down. I was given the all-clear after a few months of extensive tests, although I have had to re-evaluate my work and priorities.
I still managed to win over £111,000 for consumers on complaints in 2023, despite the personal setbacks.
This year I have won over £154,000 for consumers and over £447,000 that I am aware of from those who have bought my consumer book or sought direct advice. Nearly half a million pounds won alone for consumers is quite astonishing, but I won’t be stopping there!
Some of the results I have achieved have been life-changing, with five figure amounts involved on many complaints.
Educating and inspiring consumers to seek redress based on consumer rights is the cornerstone of what I do.
Every week brings new challenges and opportunities, and no two days are really the same. You never stop learning on consumer rights, and I always aim for the highest standards on everything I do.
I’ve answered scores of pleas for help on complaints and motoring disputes. Kitchens, cars, sofas, parking tickets, online courses, holiday cottages, faulty heat pumps, rent deposits, trampoline sessions, vet bills – it’s not all the same!
Unusual Wins
I have had some incredible and unusual consumer wins this year. I love a challenge and beating household firms and names on complaints by using my in-depth knowledge on consumer laws.
Overturning a declined income protection claim based on the definition of an ‘episode’ was unique.
An episode can be interpreted as having different meanings and is ambiguous.
For example, I may watch an episode of Coronation Street. It does not mean that I have watched consecutive episodes. I simply availed myself to that specific episode. It does not follow that I watched consecutive episodes, nor can it be assumed that I did.
The Cambridge Dictionary definition of an episode is “a single event or group of related events.”
S69 (1) Consumer Rights Act 2015 states that if a term in a consumer contract, or a consumer notice, could have different meanings, the meaning that is most favourable to the consumer is to prevail.
It therefore follows that given that the question can be interpreted in different ways and have different meanings, the meaning that is most favourable to the consumer is to prevail.
The decision was overturned and the income protection plan was reinstated.
Vulnerability and Consumer Wins
I am particularly passionate about vulnerability. I despise seeing anyone being taken advantage of when it’s clear they have unique difficulties.
Vulnerability has a broad spectrum. Nobody knows what’s around the corner. We can all find ourselves vulnerable through no fault of our own.
Helping a family with a severely disabled child quickly get a faulty car sorted was a rewarding outcome. The dealership and finance company paid compensation and contributed to a Just Giving page to assist with ongoing hefty bills to assist the family.
I was asked to assist a young woman exit a University course due to mental health issues and anxiety. The University wanted nearly £6,000 in exit fees – I cancelled that.
I also helped a former boss secure a £4,000 refund on overpaid insurance premiums. He lost a close friend by suicide earlier this year and didn’t see the sudden increase in monthly premiums.
A family who had endured years of issues with a faulty heat pump installation contacted me desperate for help after being stonewalled. They won over £12,000 in compensation and a new installation.
This was what she said afterwards.
‘Scott advised me when we were having difficulty getting the housing association we bought our new shared ownership home from to fix the broken heating system they had installed incorrectly.
I was trying to get this sorted for three years without any progress but after quoting the correct consumer law Scott had made me aware of, and taking our case to the housing ombudsman, we not only had the entire system replaced at the housing association’s cost, but we received five-figure compensation from them for everything that had gone wrong, their failures in installation, failures to fix, failures in communication, failures in complaint handling and the immense stress and inconvenience we’d gone through over the years it’s taken to resolve.
We’re so grateful to have read Scott’s book which helped us word our complaint, and also the specific consumer laws and process he told us about pertaining to our case. Thank you!’
Media
Journalists often ask me for quotes and contributions for features and investigations. It’s part and parcel of what I do.
I’m a regular contributor to the Sky News Money Blog, where readers send in their questions. I love the variety of questions I get asked, and I really have to dig deep into consumer laws to help readers get the outcome they want and deserve.
Candis Magazine have appointed me as Consumer Editor as from January 2025, which is another highlight for me. I have a new monthly column fighting for injustices for their readers and focus on specific topics.
Having a new monthly column will enable me to upscale my work on consumer rights to a wider audience. I’m delighted with it!
BBC Radio Scotland invited me to work with Stephen Jardine on their morning show and weekly consumer surgery, which was fantastic!
I also helped a friend of Kaye Adams and her morning show on BBC Radio Scotland with a sophisticated PayPal scam alongside a tech expert for the BBC Scam Aware Week.
The icing on the cake was appearing on BBC Breakfast on 28/12/2024 chatting about the weakened industry Code of Practice and offered advice for motorists focusing on Schedule 4 of the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012.
Private parking tickets are often issued more than 14 calendar days after the parking event, which is a breach of Schedule 4 of the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012. Private parking operators know this and deliberately remove any reference to this legislation, meaning motorists are paying invoices which are not legally valid. I want to see this banned.
I have various templates in my online shop you can download to appeal against an unfair parking ticket to save you up to £100. You can find plenty more advice in my book.
I could never have predicted the outcomes and opportunities that I have had this year. It goes without saying that I appreciate the support and kindness shown to me from so many of my followers. I couldn’t do all of this alone. Nobody said it would be easy, and it’s fair to say that what I do is a rollercoaster with many highs and a few lows.
I have met a few of you and most I haven’t, although I enjoy engaging with you and you showcase the very best of social media.
I remain grateful for the help, kindness and support from so many people. Being able to make a significant difference to society and people’s lives in my own way is something that I am proud of.
I still have a long way to go, and I look forward to 2025 and seeing what comes next with various media opportunities.
