FEELING the pinch? Boost your finances by claiming back thousands of pounds in refunds.
From insurance to energy bills, we explain how to claw back the cash.
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Which? Money editor Jenny Ross told The Sun on Sunday: “There are many reasons why consumers might claim a refund, whether for a delayed train, faulty product or cancelled flight.
“And if the company in question ignores you, contact your bank or credit card to try to get your money back.”
Follow our top tips here.
Insurance
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SELLING your car? Moving home? Pooch passed away?
Many insurance companies will refund any months you may have left on annual insurance policies, including for vehicle, home and pet cover.
You cannot later back-date a claim, though.
Information from Citizens Advice says: “Most insurers will give pro-rata refunds. But you may face administration fees.”
Public transport
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IF your train is delayed by 30 minutes or Tube by 15 minutes you qualify for a refund.
You must apply within 28 days.
Delayed train passengers miss out on £35million of unclaimed refunds per year, according to trainline.com.
Around 7million travellers claim refunds each year.
On the Tube, around a million passengers make a claim in a typical year.
Energy
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IF you left your energy supplier with your account in credit, you are due cash back.
There is no time limit to claim – just call the company.
Ofgem says: “It doesn’t matter how long ago the account closed. The supplier must refund you.”
Almost £100million is still unclaimed, according to Ofgem data found by moneysavingexpert.com.
And you could be owed hundreds of pounds.
National Insurance
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WITH National Insurance payments about to go up, take this as a timely reminder to check if you are due a refund.
Workers overpaid £340million in the 2020-21 year, according to HMRC.
Anyone who has ever been self-employed, had more than one employer at the same time, or has worked while a pensioner should check for refunds at www.gov.uk/claim-national-insurance-refund.
Income Tax
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NEW employees, people with two jobs or those who stop working before the end of the tax year can overpay income tax due to having the wrong tax code.
Check your code at www.gov.uk/check-income-tax-current-year.
Many should also be claiming annual refunds of up to £125 for working from home, and £252 for marriage relief.
See HMRC. You have up to four years to request a tax refund.
Goods and services
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YOU have 30 days to claim a refund for purchases of unsatisfactory quality, and up to a year to claim for a repair or refund.
Mention the Consumer Rights Act 2015 if you run into a problem with a seller.
Around £60billion of purchases – ten per cent of the total – are returned and refunded each year, receipt analyst Yocuda says.
Guarantees frequently run into years.
Contact the manufacturer for claims via this route.
If they won’t pay, follow these steps
Complain
BE precise about how you want the matter resolved.
Keep a log of who you speak to and when.
If you are not making progress, speak to a manager.
Using resolver.co.uk is an easy alternative to complaining directly yourself.
It is free and keeps a record of all your communications with an organisation in one place.
Go to the CEO
HEAD to the top of the tree.
Grab the chief executive’s email address from ceoemail.com.
Bosses usually have staff available to resolve higher-level complaints.
Be polite.
Include a customer services complaint reference number.
Keep the email short and specify what you want.
Get a card refund
IF you paid a fee by card, your card issuer could refund you for a firm’s poor quality or non-existent goods or services.
Credit card users can claim refunds under Section 75 rules, normally up to six years after.
And most debit and credit card customers can use chargeback – where the transaction is reversed by the card provider – up to 120 days after purchase.
Contact your card issuer.
Take it to court
CUSTOMERS can go to the small claims court to get a refund for dodgy goods or services.
You can claim up to £10,000.
You normally need to claim within six years.
Submit your case at www.gov.uk/make-court-claim-for-money.
Budget ten per cent of your claim for fees.
