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Latest news from Compensation Pack, keeping you informed about your right to claim compensation.

Tuesday 14th June 2011 Sony Playstation Data Loss Launches Sony to Top 10 in The Largest Data Breaches of All Time

If you're anything of a gamer, or just read the news once in a while, we're sure that you would agree that it has been difficult to avoid hearing about the problems that Sony have been having in terms of data loss.

For those that need a re-cap, Sony lost the details of over 77 million accounts from the PlayStation Network, along with almost 25 million user accounts from Sony Entertainment Online, and that is just the start of their data loss problems.

That being said, we came across an interesting article online recently, titled the Largest Data Breaches of All Time. Interestingly Sony now occupies the 4th and 10th spots on the countdown of the greatest cases of data loss.

Sitting a number 10 in the chart, is the data breach of 2nd of May 2011, which saw the Sony Corporation hacked for 24 million data records, and at number 4 is the hack of the 26th April 2011 aimed at users of the Sony Playstation Network.

There are plenty of other notable names on the list, including:

Bank of New York, which lost 12 million records in September 2008
T-mobile, which lost 17 million records in October 2008
HM Revenue and Customs who let 25 million records

Sitting at the very top of the list is Heartland Payment Systems who, in January 2009, were hacked and lost 130 million records, leaving the subjects of those records vulnerable to fraud and identity theft.

Many of the victims of these cases of data loss have been entitled to compensation. If you have been involved in any of the data loss cases listed in the largest data breaches of all time, you could be entitled to compensation too.

Posted on June 14th 2011 on 03:35pm
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Labels: data loss, sony playstation network

Tuesday 31st May 2011 Sony Playstation Network Hack was Only the Beginning of the Data Loss Scandal.

Sony have yet more bad news to deliver on the data loss front, as they reveal that more than 8,500 Sony user accounts have now been hacked in countries including Greece.

Sony recently had to shut down the entire Sony Playstation Network and Qriocity services due to a massive case of failing to protect the data protection rights of it's users. It is now apparent that there has also been a breach in the Greek Sony Music Entertainment website, adding to the number of Sony services which have to now suffer downtime as a consequence.

Sony have been scrambling to make a come back from the previous hack and data loss problems on the Sony Playstation Network, in which data was lost from more than 100 million user accounts. Amongst the data that was lost were names, passwords, and addresses, all of which can easily be used in cases of stolen identity and financial fraud.

On top of this, Sony have also been unable to confirm that the credit card data of those 100 million plus users was untouched.

The Japan-based company have reported that they're likely to see around a $3.2 billion net loss for this fiscal year, which includes the insurance and damages that they will have to pay out to Playstation users who feel that Sony is in breach of their data protection rights.

If you are a Playstation user, and feel that you have a case in regards to data loss, due to the Playstation Network hack, download our data loss pack to find out more information, and whether you are able to go about claiming compensation.

Posted on May 31st 2011 on 04:02pm
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Labels: data loss, sony playstation network

Wednesday 17th November 2010 Mobile Phone Contract Disputes

The mis-selling of mobile contracts has been a serious problem in the UK. It has led to many mobile phone disputes, and many consumers being put out of pocket due to a contract they didn't intend to sign up for.

Complaints to Ofcom, the UK telecommunications regulator, concerning the mis-selling of mobile communication services, rose from 50 per month in 2004 to 200 per month in 2006. While tackling mis-selling is a priority for Ofcom, it still occurs.

Dishonest Sales Staff Hungry for Bonuses

It's unfortunate that some telesales staff and mobile phone retailers are providing customers with false and misleading information to earn bonuses and hit sales targets. This leads to situations where customers who think they have agreed to a 12 month contract have actually signed up for 18 months, or where customers who think they only bought a phone have actually bought a phone and a contract.

Even if you've not had to deal with dishonest sales staff, there have been instances where mobile phone companies have changed a customer's billing tariff mid-contract without letting them know. Then suddenly they would get stung by £200 per month bills.

In an ideal world, you would be able to complain to your mobile phone company or retailer, and they would sort out the problem. Sometimes this happens, but other times your complaint can be met with rude behaviour -- in some instances people have been told they are a liar and that they should live with their contract.

Your Rights concerning a Phone Contract Problem

Since September 2009, mobile providers are legally obligated to protect consumers in the following ways:

They must provide customers with all the information they need.

They must make sure a customer is able to enter a contract.

They must make sure that all retailers selling their services offer fair terms and conditions for any cashback scheme.

They must carry out many other checks on all retailers that sell their services.

Solve Your Dispute As Painlessly As Possible

Solving a mobile phone contract problem doesn't necessarily have to involve lawyers and court rooms, regardless of whether you went to a mobile phone retailer or contacted a mobile provider directly.

As one example, you can solve a dispute through a Alternative Dispute Resolution (or ADR) scheme. Every mobile phone service provider must be signed up to one of the two ADR schemes available. Their services are free for consumers who haven't been able to resolve their dispute with their mobile phone provider. They can make your provider apologize and explain its actions, and force them to pay up to £5000 in compensation.

If you've been unable to settle the problem and don't know where to turn, our Mobile Contract Dispute package goes into detail how you can resolve a dispute, even if you're stuck with a stubborn mobile phone retailer or service provider.

Posted on November 17th 2010 on 02:14pm
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Labels: mobile phone dispute

Wednesday 10th November 2010 Lost Your Tenancy Deposit? It Can Be Saved!

It's unfortunate that many landlords and letting agencies aren't as honest as they should be. Your tenancy deposit can be seen as a way to make a quick bit of cash, even if it is taken illegally.

Thankfully, new laws came into effect on April 6 2007, as part of the Housing Act of 2004, allowing tenants to more easily protect their deposit. Knowing how to deal with a troublesome landlord, in some cases, can now mean you get more than just your deposit back! These laws also means there are clear steps you can take to protect yourself, in the eventuality that your landlord or letting agency should ever turn sour.

The Villainous Landlord Toolkit

There are several ways a landlord or letting agency can cheat you out of your deposit:

Withholding Your Deposit -- They can claim that you've damaged the property or its furnishings when you haven't. Legally, a tenant doesn't have to pay for damages that have occurred over time through normal use (or "fair wear and tear"). Alternatively, they could simply deny they've taken a deposit at all.

Disappear from the Radar -- You might call, only to have them hang up on you over and over, or not be able to get in touch with them at all!

Letting Agency Goes Under -- In rare instances, your letting agency may go out of business, potentially putting your deposit in jeopardy.

Tenancy Deposit Protection Schemes to the Rescue!

You don't need to worry if you are suffering from any of the above problems. If your tenancy is an assured shorthold tenancy (if you're unsure, then it probably is) then it is likely that you can recoup your deposit.

Tenancy deposit protection (or TDP) schemes, as their name suggests, ensure that your deposit is protected. Landlords and letting agencies have a legal obligation to protect your deposit by using one of the three TDP schemes available.

They were created to protect tenants. In the past, resolving deposit disputes could be a big headache, which resulted in many landlords getting away with stealing deposits. TDP schemes put a framework in place that allows tenants to recover their deposit more easily.

You Can Recover Your Deposit

Within 14 days of your tenancy commencing, your landlord or letting agency must send you details of the TDP scheme they are using. If they don't, you can take them to court and get three times your deposit back. That might make you glad they didn't use a TDP scheme!

If your landlord or letting agency has used such a scheme, but is still tried to fiddle you out of your deposit, then the dispute can be dealt with by using the alternative dispute resolution process that is provided for free through any TDP scheme. This means that the courts don't have to be involved.

Whatever your situations, getting the right advice and taking the right action can help you to solve a current dispute or protect yourself should a dispute ever arise.

Posted on November 10th 2010 on 02:49pm
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Labels: tenancy deposit dispute

Thursday 07th October 2010 Law Firm in Trouble Under Data Protection Act

It has been reported in the press over recent weeks that law firm ACS Law is under investigation by the Information Commissioners Office after they lost the personal data of thousands of private individuals. The details, which included names, addresses and credit card details were hacked and then leaked online, leaving questions about the firms data security measures.

The Information Commissioner will be responsible for investigating the circumstances surrounding the leaked data; circumstances which include claims of illegal file sharing and media downloads on the part of those whose details have been leaked, and determine what action is necessary. Steps taken against the law firm will be qualified under the provisions of the Data Protection Act.

A spokewswoman for the Information Commissioners Office said:

“ the ICO takes all breaches of the Data Protection Act seriously. Any organisation processing personal data must ensure that it is kept safe and secure. This is an important principle of the Act. “

The story is a prime example of why data protection is such a big issue and why it is important that organisations and companies have data protection measures in place, and take them seriously. As a result of the loss of data by ACS Law, there is now the fear that those people whose data was lost could be targeted by criminals who have downloaded the data. The victims of the data loss could see their credit cards being used fraudulently or even being targeted personally by people who have taken note of who they are and where they live.

The Data Protection Act was put in place for a reason and the Information Commissioners Office is at the ready to police and punish anyone who fails to abide by the legislation.

Posted on October 07th 2010 on 09:52am
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Labels: data loss

Monday 09th August 2010 Compensation Claims for Holiday Issues

A holiday should be a time of relaxation, joy and adventure, but the statistics show that this is not always the case. Planned holidays are regularly ruined by a number of possible factors – and often, such factors are outside the control of the holidaymakers.

There are many common holiday issues which affect people every year, and most of these can be claimed for. Many of these pertain to flights: delayed flights, over-booked flights and cancelled flights. You might even be refused boarding, and on a flight you might suffer lost, damaged or delayed luggage. Sometimes, holiday destinations are advertised falsely or misleadingly. You can claim compensation for all of these.

In 2009, 26% of flights did not operate on time. This staggering figure is mild in comparison with the 35% in 2008 and 34% in 2007. On average, in 2009, about 4% of flights were delayed by more than one hour. The figures differ from airline to airline. British Airways had a relatively good year with 3.6% but they are usually around the 6% mark. Ryanair saw only 2.9% of their flights delayed by over an hour, and Lufthansa 3.2%. Among the worst was Virgin Atlantic, at a high 8.2%.

Sometimes, travellers aren’t aware of their rights. Airlines are obliged to provide details of EU compensation opportunities to any who suffer a delay or cancellation, but they don’t always do so. As an example, if a flight is cancelled which leads to a delay of over two hours, passengers can be entitled to a compensation of £180 or more. This figure increases considerably with size of delay and length of flight. According to new EU law, if a flight is delayed, and not even cancelled, by three hours or more, passengers are entitled to up to €600 in compensation.

The Association of British Travel Agents represents about ninety percent of British package holiday providers, and it receives around 20,000 complaints each year. It is estimated that 3 percent of holidaymakers are unsatisfied with their holiday in some way. Over half of the time, the dissatisfaction is rooted in the accommodation, which might be different to what was advertised.

The current economic climate means tour operators and airlines are acting with increasing tightness. More concerned with seeing out the recession than maintaining customers every year, these companies are seeking to avoid paying out any money as long as they can get away with it. Thus, the need for making compensation claims about holiday issues is more necessary than ever. You could be entitled to a considerable sum of money if you have suffered holiday issues and wish to claim for it.

Posted on August 09th 2010 on 03:40pm
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Labels: delayed flights, holiday claims, lost luggage

Thursday 08th July 2010 How Lost Luggage Affects People Each Year

Every year, thousands of people around the world lose their luggage while flying. It is a major and continual source of huge frustration and disruption for many airline passengers. The statistics are really quite damning. It is estimated that as many as 25 million items of luggage disappear throughout the world’s airports each year. This equates to approximately 1 in 100 passengers losing something.

When you consider the effect lost luggage can have on passengers, it is even more worrying. Holidaymakers and business travellers alike can be hugely impacted by lost luggage. The loss of one luggage bag can mean the loss of hundreds or thousands of pounds worth of items. Holidaymakers might be forced to go on holiday without clothes or basic supplies, and business travellers might lose items which are fundamental to their business activity.

Of the 25 million estimated lost items each year, just over 50% disappear between transfers, about 15% are not loaded onto flights and about the same percentage go astray during early bag switching, due to either poor ticketing or failed security. A further 7% are lost during loading or offloading. The remaining 12% are accounted for by failure of customers to comply with baggage space or weight restrictions, and also mishandling at the arrival station and tagging errors.

It is crucial these days for flying passengers to have the right travel insurance to cover them in case of a lost luggage claim. Most people assume that they won’t be affected, and they might be right in thinking so as 99% of travellers do get their baggage at the other end. However, any person could be that 1 in every 100. The figure is not as low as it sounds, when you consider that a single flight can contain around 300 people – that is, 3 people per flight affected by lost luggage.

Of the European airlines, British Airways usually comes last each year for baggage handling success. About 28 pieces of checked baggage are delayed or lost per 1,000 BA passengers. The figure for Swiss Airlines is 10 per 1,000 and the figure for Lufthansa, famed for its German efficiency, is still 16 per 1,000. Air France tends to lose about the same, with the average figure being around 16.

Where do the lost items go? A lot of the time, no-one is quite sure. Perhaps they might end up in the Unclaimed Baggage Centre in Alabama, a somewhat bizarre American tourist attraction. 800,000 people visit it each year and about 6,000 items are added daily. It is the most famous of many auction houses throughout the world that resell lost or unclaimed items of luggage. British Airways auctions off more than 500 lost laptops each year!

Posted on July 08th 2010 on 04:56pm
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Labels: lost luggage

Tuesday 08th June 2010 More Lost Luggage Claims for BA

British Airway's reputation has again been hit over the issue of lost luggage. It was said in The Independent that a survey carried out by an insurance company put the statistics at 1 in every 3.8 BA passengers having suffered from lost, delayed or damaged luggage in the last 5 years.

Virgin Atlantic were put at second in the survey, with 1 in 8.3 passengers having luggage problems.

With lost luggage being such a widespread issue amongst the airlines, it's advisable to know your rights before you fly so that you can know what action to take if you end up being one of the unlucky passengers that fall victim to airline incompetence.

Posted on June 08th 2010 on 02:25pm
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Labels: ba, lost luggage

Monday 23rd November 2009 Tenancy Disputes - Getting Your Deposit Back

In 2007 the Government made it illegal for landlords to hold onto tenancy deposits for more than 14 days without having submitted them to a protected insurance scheme. The UK has 3 tenancy schemes that landlords are required to hand over deposits to for the duration of a tenants stay.

The tenancy deposit schemes were created in order to protect both tenant and landlord in the event of a dispute, regarding the return of a tenancy deposit, at the end of a lease. These schemes act as a dispute resolution service in the instance of a dispute between the tenant and the landlord, that cannot be resolved between the parties involved.

As a tenant in a qualifying rented property in the UK, you should aim to ensure that your deposit has rightfully been submitted to one of the 3 insurance schemes. You can request confirmation of this in writing from the landlord with details of which scheme it is now held with.

If the landlord will not give confirmation or has not submitted the deposit to one of the schemes, you are entitled to take legal action. To find out more about the tenancy insurance schemes and how they help you to get your deposit back at the end of your tenancy, have a look at our tenancy deposit dispute pack.

Posted on November 23rd 2009 on 09:43am
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Labels: tenancy deposit dispute

Wednesday 18th November 2009 Data Loss - T-Mobile Sells On Customer Data

It has been widely reported that T-Mobile UK is the latest company to join the ranks of data loss offenders. Tens of thousands of personal records for T-Mobile customers were sold on to rival mobile phone salesmen from inside the organisation, leaving customers vulnerable and open to harassment from mobile contract salesmen.

Amongst the data reported to have been sold on by T-Mobile workers are the names, numbers and contract expiry dates of tens of thousands of their customers, with the recipients of that information said to be salesmen who are increasingly turning to underhand and illegal tactics to capture customer data from their rivals.

Data loss is proving to be an increasing problem, with personal information swapping hands like a commodity on the black market for what is though to be millions of pounds. Stricter regulations and security protocols have been called for by the Information Commissioner, who is responsible for upholding the Data Protection Act.

Given the increasing severity of such data loss cases and the flippant manner in which such loses seem to be admitted, the Government has been asked to raise fines and add jail time to the list of punishments available for a company that is guilty of breaching the Data Protection Act.

If you have been a victim of such data loss, or think that your data may have been sold on, Compensation Pack offers information about what your rights are and how you can claim compensation.

Posted on November 18th 2009 on 12:09pm
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Labels: data loss, t-mobile