Consumer Fight Back

In this housing special, Linzi Lima and the team investigate the rising cost of housing in Northern Ireland and the impact on you as a consumer. In Belfast, rents are increasing faster than anywhere else in the UK, now averaging more than £1,100 a month. We hear from one woman working extra shifts to keep up with soaring bills. Jonathan Wilgenbus‑Lamb from Housing Rights explains what your rights actually are as a tenant and how you can protect yourself in an increasingly competitive market. In Downpatrick, estate agent Jonathan Quinn shares what he is seeing on the ground and offers practical advice on how to give yourself the best chance of securing a property. And at the former Mackies site in West Belfast, there’s some good news on the horizon for community‑led projects that could deliver much‑needed new homes for thousands. If you have a story or experience you want to share email [email protected]

In a weight-loss injection special, Linzi Lima and the team investigate these so-called wonder drugs and the impact on you as a consumer. Starting with journalist Sarah McGlinchey, who uncovers how she was able to purchase GLP-1 weight-loss injections, by giving inaccurate weight details, with no extra medical safety checks, through legitimate online retailers. We investigate what this missing safety net could mean for people with eating disorders and highlight how weight-loss injections may interfere with the effectiveness of the contraceptive pill and HRT. Journalist Claire Graham delves into the growing black market of unsafe unregulated weight-loss injections. And Esyllt Carr shares how weight-loss jabs are changing the spending habits of customers across the UK. With 1 in 3 Brits using weight-loss jabs admitting to experimenting with hacks such as micro-dosing to save money - Dr Kieran Seyen shares the dangers involved and the precautions that should be taken. And body positivity influencer Mollie Quirk tells us about the importance of embracing the size we are. If you have a story or experience you want to share email [email protected]

This week we are diving into a topic that affects all of us, warranties and guarantees. What do they really mean, how do they protect you, and what should you watch out for? To guide us through, we’re joined by Lisa Webb, Consumer Lawyer with Which?

This week, Linzi talks to Consumer & Motoring Disputes Expert, Scott Dixon about which cover to opt for based on your needs and how honesty is the best policy. If you have a story or experience you want to share email [email protected]

Jim tells Linzi how he uses his engineering and software background to scam the scammers before posting videos to expose their lies. Linizi discovers that Jim only started making videos by accident. Jim offers listeners sage advice on how best to protect themselves so that they can remain safe from scams. If you have a story or experience you want to share email [email protected]

This week, Linzi talks about Universal Credit with Rachael Jeffers who is a Welfare Rights Advisor with over 10 years’ experience and expertise in welfare rights and advocacy. If you have a story or experience you want to share email [email protected]

This week, Linzi talks about home buyers surveys with Sam Dickie, who is a Director of Simon Brien estate agency and also a Spokesperson for the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors in Northern Ireland. If you have a story or experience you want to share email [email protected]

This week, we are talking about selling second hand goods online with Rob Lilley-Jones from Which?If you have a story or experience you want to share email [email protected]

With fewer than 100 days until the self-assessment tax return deadline, Linzi asks who needs to fill in a return and why? If you have a story or experience you want to share email [email protected]

If you have a story or experience you want to share email [email protected]

This week we discuss premium bonds with Iona Bain - BBC Morning Live’s money expert.

Want to know more about pensions but don’t know where to start with the basics? Consumer Fight Back has you covered. Janine Maher from the Money and Pensions Service talks through the State Pension, Defined Benefit (DB) pensions, Defined Contribution (DC) pensions and a Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP) and explains how they can interact with each other. If you have a story or experience you want to share email [email protected]

We explore just how much you’re paying to go to university – and ask, is it worth it?

Holly asks how much are we willing to spend on a children’s birthday party?

Holly finds out how people are coping with rising food bills at a social supermarket.

We take to the streets of Belfast to find out how much people were paid in their first jobs. And we chat to the CEO of Youth Employment UK about what rights young workers have as they start out in their first part-time jobs. Are there enough jobs for young people looking to earn a few quid? What other options are out there?

What does it actually look like to shop with ethics in mind?

If you’ve ever dreamed of ditching the 9-5 daily grind and found yourself counting down the days until retirement...what if that day was in weeks, not years? Holly chats to a couple who are retired and travelling the world..If you have a story or experience you want to share email [email protected]

We're officially in the middle of wedding season and it costs £451 on average to be a guest at the big day. How much do you gift the happy couple? And when is it ok to politely decline the invitation? If you have a story or experience you want to share email [email protected]

Holly jumps aboard a cross-border train to find out why a ticket from Dundalk to Belfast is cheaper than a ticket from Newry to Belfast. If you have a story or experience you want to share email [email protected]

When Kate was asked to provide a video to prove she returned her package to an online shop, something didn’t sound right. Consumer expert Harry Kind sheds some light on online returns that seem impossible. If you have a story or experience you want to share email [email protected]

Motoring journalist Neil Briscoe lifts the bonnet on holiday car hire, after an experience that was very close to home. If you have a story or experience you want to share email [email protected]

Pet owners travelling from Britain to Northern Ireland will need new documents from 4 June 2025; Nina Downing from PDSA explains who needs one, how to get one and how to avoid scammers.If you have a story or experience you want to share email [email protected]

Holly speaks to Ofcom’s James Stinson about the regulator’s latest customer service research results, and we hear from one listener who cancelled their phone line but kept receiving bills.If you have a story or experience you want to share email [email protected]

Holly speaks to consumer expert Rebecca Wilcox about what hacks on major brands mean for shoppers and how people can protect their information. Is it worth having a burner email account for mailing lists and shopping, and what responsibilities do businesses have to tell you if your data has been compromised? If you have a story or experience you want to share email [email protected]

After safely booking your holiday you can start thinking about getting there and enjoying yourself...almost. Have you checked your passport is in date, do you know the Ts&Cs for your car hire package and what do you do if your flight is delayed or cancelled? Holly Hamilton, Sandra Corkin from the Association of British Travel Agents and consumer expert Jane Hawkes share top tips for making your holiday a stress free success.If you have a story or experience you want to share email [email protected]

Consumer finance expert Iona Bain joins Holly Hamilton to explain the three best options for managing your money when you’re on holiday; cash, a travel friendly credit or debit card, or a preloaded money card. If you have a story or experience you want to share email [email protected]

Do you have travel insurance? Holly Hamilton, Sandra Corkin from the Association of British Travel Agents and consumer expert Jane Hawkes discuss whether you need travel insurance for your upcoming trip, when to start your cover and what type of insurance to get. If you have a story or experience you want to share email [email protected]

Sun, sea and scams! Holly Hamilton, Sandra Corkin from the Association of British Travel Agents and consumer expert Jane Hawkes list the essentials you need to know before booking a holiday, from DIY bookings to package holidays, avoiding scams and consumer protection. If you have a story or experience you want to share email [email protected]

If you want to get away but time and budget aren't on your side, why not consider a one-day getaway? Travel blogger Monica Stott takes Holly through the key ingredients for the perfect one-day getaway, from booking flights, packing bags, parking and picking the ideal location.If you have a story or experience you want to share email [email protected]

Following Consumer Fight Back’s less-than-successful shopping spree, Holly hears from one listener who says seeds they’ve bought online haven’t flowered as they expected them to. Producers Daniel & Daniela take a trip to Gardeners’ Corner where David Maxwell shares some tips on knowing your apples from your plums. If you have a story or experience you want to share email [email protected]

Is AI making online shopping even more difficult for you? The team goes on an online shopping spree, Holly unboxes the items and gets a bit of a shock when the products aren’t exactly what were expected. Bellingcat journalist Kolina Koltai explains how to identify and avoid products where AI has been used to enhance or create the images. If you have a story or experience you want to share email [email protected]

Holly speaks to Daisy, who was told boarding a flight that she would have pay an extra luggage fee for her breast milk and breast pump. Daisy knew that she should be allowed to travel with these, but said she was humiliated having to wear extra items of clothing to make space in her backpack for her pump. We ask the airline to clarify their policy and explain why Daisy was treated as she was. If you have a story or experience you want to share email [email protected]

Can a social media DM constitute a contract? What does the law say when small businesses collab with influencers for social media marketing? If you have a story or experience you want to share email [email protected]

After a controversial gig in Belfast, Holly and producer Daniel are joined by music industry expert, Chris Cooke, to find out at what point, if ever, audiences are entitled to a refund. If you have a story or experience you want to share email [email protected]

Holly and the team speak to a colleague who leads them into the world of pet microchip databases, where they find not all databases are equal. She had been contacted by an unauthorised database which she says she has never interacted with, but it somehow had all of her information. Phil McKinnon of the Association of Microchip Database Operators explains that this is something the industry is actively tackling and advises on how to make sure your pet is registered with an authorised database. If you have a story or experience you want to share email [email protected]

Listener Emma shares her experience of fraudsters spending thousands of pounds after they hijacked her identity and her efforts to clear her name. She’d been targeted by a sim-swapping fraud, cases of which Action Fraud says have doubled in each of the last two years. If you have a story or experience you want to share email [email protected]

The team gets an update from a customer sold a dodgy second-hand car who has been trying to get his money back, and asks politicians where they stand on the issue of a mandatory regulator for second-hand car sales.

Listener Jayne and her son Alex got in touch with the team when they bought a car that didn’t survive the journey home. They’d done their best to get their money back, even gone to the small claims court, but the seller refused. Listening to their story, producer Daniel was reminded of a story he’d covered several years ago. It all sounded too familiar. After a quick search, Daniel found the old story and began unravelling a web of faulty gear boxes, inaccurate mileages and broken promises that takes the team to a farm yard in County Tyrone to see a man about a car. After trying to track down the salesman, Holly asks Damien Doherty from Trading Standards whether mandatory regulation is needed for the second-hand car sales industry to protect buyers from rogue traders. If you have a story or experience you want to share email [email protected]

Listener Jayne and her son Alex got in touch with the team when they bought a car that didn’t survive the journey home. They’d done their best to get their money back, even gone to the small claims court, but the seller refused. Listening to their story, producer Daniel was reminded of a story he’d covered several years ago. It all sounded too familiar. After a quick search, Daniel found the old story and began unravelling a web of faulty gear boxes, inaccurate mileages and broken promises that takes the team to a farm yard in County Tyrone to see a man about a car. After trying to track down the salesman, Holly asks Damien Doherty from Trading Standards whether mandatory regulation is needed for the second-hand car sales industry to protect buyers from rogue traders. If you have a story or experience you want to share email [email protected]

Listener Jayne and her son Alex got in touch with the team when they bought a car that didn’t survive the journey home. They’d done their best to get their money back, even gone to the small claims court, but the seller refused. Listening to their story, producer Daniel was reminded of a story he’d covered several years ago. It all sounded too familiar. After a quick search, Daniel found the old story and began unravelling a web of faulty gear boxes, inaccurate mileages and broken promises that takes the team to a farm yard in County Tyrone to see a man about a car. After trying to track down the salesman, Holly asks Damien Doherty from Trading Standards whether mandatory regulation is needed for the second-hand car sales industry to protect buyers from rogue traders. If you have a story or experience you want to share email [email protected]

Listener Jayne and her son Alex got in touch with the team when they bought a car that didn’t survive the journey home. They’d done their best to get their money back, even gone to the small claims court, but the seller refused. Listening to their story, producer Daniel was reminded of a story he’d covered several years ago. It all sounded too familiar. After a quick search, Daniel found the old story and began unravelling a web of faulty gear boxes, inaccurate mileages and broken promises that takes the team to a farm yard in County Tyrone to see a man about a car. After trying to track down the salesman, Holly asks Damien Doherty from Trading Standards whether mandatory regulation is needed for the second-hand car sales industry to protect buyers from rogue traders. If you have a story or experience you want to share email [email protected]

Listener Brendan got in touch after finding out the car he’d bought had been modified – voiding his warranty and insurance. Holly & the team find out what remapping involves and try to help Brendan get his money back. Are you getting value for money from your music streaming platform? Holly and producers Daniel & Daniela discuss their streaming habits and how to work out if you could be saving yourself money.If you have a story or experience you want to share email [email protected]

Janine Maher from the Money and Pension Service urges everyone to check if they can make voluntary National Insurance contributions to plug gaps before the April deadline. If you have a story or experience you want to share email [email protected]

Choosing a new car is always a big decision. There are more options than ever and ways of finding the right car for your needs and budget. Motoring journalist Neil Briscoe explains why now might be the time to catch a bargain on a second hand electric vehicle.Also, the team has an update on the holiday scam story from last time.If you have a story or experience you want to share email [email protected]

Holly Hamilton investigates a holiday scam & the online security questions it raised.

If you have a story or experience you want to share email [email protected]

Small business owner Clem explains how social media scammers are targeting traders, as well as customers, and reveals some of the scams she’s dodged recently. David, Luke & Hilary give us an update on their home insurance issues, while listeners Ann & Frank tell us about their efforts to get compensation for their complaints.If you have a story or experience you want to share email [email protected]

On the week President Trump takes office for his second term, the First Lady, Melania Trump, has launched her own cryptocurrency. Professor Rachel O’Dwyer, expert in digital culture, explains why high profile people are doing this, and what the attractions and risk are for consumers. We keep in touch with David and Hilary, who are waiting for work to begin to repair their family home after a burst pipe forced them to move out.If you have a story or experience you want to share email [email protected]

Listener Pat got in touch to see if the team could help her get a refund from an airline. Pat had done everything she could, but couldn’t get an answer or any progress, she could even get to speak to anyone. Producer Daniela drew the short straw and joined the queue, listening to the dreaded hold music. And, they say the customer is always right, but anyone who works in retail knows that’s not always the case – if you have a customer service nightmare experience you want to share, we want to hear it. Send them in to [email protected]