Water: consumers deserve more than promises and pretty labels
Thousands of pollution incidents, promises of investment and bottled water sold on an image of purity. What can consumers trust?
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Insights, Updates and
Consumer Rights News
Welcome to the Consumer Protection Bureau's blog. We share insights, investigative reports, and updates on consumer rights, advocacy, and the latest developments in consumer protection.
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12 May 2026
Travellers Charged Up to 10 Times the Official Fee for UK ETA Applications
The Consumer Protection Bureau (CPB) is issuing a warning to travellers following multiple cases involving excessive charges for UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) applications.
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6 April 2026
International Consumers Are Being Let Down by UK Businesses
Over the past years, the Consumer Protection Bureau (CPB) has been contacted by consumers from across the world who entered into agreements with UK-based businesses and paid for goods or services that were never delivered.
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26 March 2026
Why Must Consumers Be Recorded Simply to Ask a Question?
Almost every consumer has heard the familiar automated message when calling a company: "This call may be recorded for training and quality purposes." The message has become routine. Yet very few consumers realise that the recording of their voice has effectively become a compulsory condition for accessing customer service.
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15 March 2026
Products must be safe and fit for purpose.
On 15 March each year, the global consumer movement marks World Consumer Rights Day, coordinated by Consumers International. It is a moment to reflect on the progress made in protecting consumers and to highlight the work still needed to ensure fairness and safety in modern markets
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Health
09 March 2026
When Complaints Wear You Down
At the Consumer Protection Bureau (CPB) in Westminster, we have handled thousands of consumer complaints across many sectors. Different companies. Different products. Different circumstances. Yet one pattern appears again and again.
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Health
05 February 2026
When Medicine Becomes a Market
Over many years, modern healthcare has changed in a way that should concern us all. Increasingly, medication has become the first response, not the last resort often without proper discussion of alternatives or honest conversations about long-term consequences.
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Travel and Transport
23 January 2026
Yellow Box Junctions: When Traffic Control Becomes a Revenue Trap
Yellow box junctions were created to prevent vehicles from blocking key intersections and to keep traffic flowing. But are councils exploiting them as a revenue generation tool at the expense of drivers?
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Consumer Rights
16 January 2026
When "Free" Isn't Really Free: The Hidden Cost of Trial Offers
Free trials have become a standard marketing tool across the digital economy. But behind the slogans, a growing number of consumers find themselves enrolled in paid subscriptions they never knowingly agreed to often only discovering the charges months later.
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Scams and Fraud
25 November 2025
The Dark Side of Digital Gift Card Marketplaces
Digital gift cards have quietly become one of the fastest-growing online purchases in the UK. But beneath the glossy convenience lies an unregulated ecosystem where hundreds of pounds can disappear in seconds, with neither the seller nor the platform accepting responsibility.
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Finance
12 November 2025
Flexible Offices, Inflexible Contracts: The Financial Traps of Regus
CPB has received reports from SMEs describing aggressive and unjustified demands from IW Group Services (UK) Ltd (trading as Regus). Businesses are being hit with unexpected fees, locked into contracts they didn't fully understand, and facing serious financial harm.
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Travel and Transport
30 October 2025
Scrap the Drop-Off Charges: Ending the Hidden Airport Tax on Drivers
British travellers are being unfairly penalised by airport "drop-off charges" a practice that amounts to double taxation on consumers. CPB is calling for an immediate end to these unjust charges, which punish both drivers and passengers simply for reaching the terminal.
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Travel and Transport
08 October 2025
The Heathrow "Drop-Off" Deception
When Heathrow Airport and APCOA Parking rolled out their 6 Drop-Off Zone charge, it was promoted as an eco-friendly measure to ease congestion. In reality, many drivers are finding it's anything but simple and in some cases, they are being charged twice for a single visit.
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Scams and Fraud
September 2025
CPB Warning: Misleading Websites Charging Excessive Fees for UK ETA Applications
A consumer was nearly misled into paying $109 USD for an ETA a document that costs only 16 from the official UK Government website. The site gave the impression of being official, only revealing its inflated fee at the point of payment a mark-up of over 500%.
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Technology
19 August 2025
Cracks in the Apple: iCloud, Repairs, and Consumer Rights
Apple's dominance in the tech market has come under fire again. Consumer group Which? has launched a 3 billion collective action over alleged iCloud overcharging. CPB has now launched its own campaign focusing on Apple's restrictive and overpriced repair policies.
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Travel and Transport
18 August 2025
CPB Calls Out Expedia Failings
A CPB member and his family endured unnecessary stress, contradictory communications, and weeks of frustration after two separate car rental bookings through Expedia in Bergamo, Italy went badly wrong. CPB is demanding answers.
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Consumer Rights
13 August 2025
CPB Seeks Legal Action Over Unfair Review Removals
CPB is pursuing legal action over the removal of legitimate consumer reviews from Trustpilot. When genuine complaints are suppressed, it undermines transparency and consumer trust. CPB is demanding accountability and pushing for reform.
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Finance
July 2025
Landmark Car Finance Ruling: CPB Helps You Claim Without Hefty Lawyers’ Fees
Millions of UK Drivers May Still Be Eligible for Refunds. A recent UK Supreme Court ruling has limited the scope of certain car finance compensation claims but it has not closed the door for millions of drivers who may still be owed money.
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Water and Utilities
24 July 2025
Welcoming the End of Ofwat and the Birth of a Unified Water Regulator
The Government's decision to scrap Ofwat and replace it with a single integrated water regulator is long overdue. For too long, water regulation has suffered from fragmentation and toothless oversight, leaving consumers footing the bill while water companies polluted rivers and raked in profits.
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