Money

It’s been a long, three-year battle, but there is finally good news for consumers regarding credit cards, as States Members have unanimously supported a proposal to allow credit reference agencies the access to the personal data that they need. Since first publicly raising the issue in early 2020, and then directly engaging with the Government of Jersey in early 2023, the Jersey Consumer Council has been fielding calls and responding to emails from hundreds of Islanders, who’ve experienced being turned down for credit cards, additional family cards or store cards, or who’ve had their accounts closed based purely on their JE postcode. And, last year, hundreds of Islanders responded to our credit card survey, the anonymous data from which we shared with the Government during meetings this year. The Government has taken on board our concerns, and the concerns of Island consumers, and has this year been working on a solution to allow credit reference agencies the access to the personal data that they need to process credit card applications. We’re delighted that the States Assembly has now today (Tuesday, 3 October) supported a legislative tweak that will allow credit-checking agencies to access Jersey’s official Register of Names and Addresses. In the UK, the electoral register is a key source of information for these agencies, however Jersey law previously prevented them from accessing our local register, and they are unable to use any other sources of public information. This change will make it easier for these companies to access information in Jersey, which we hope will see an end to the credit card issues that Islanders have been experiencing in recent years. Speaking in the States Assembly, the Social Security Minister, Deputy Elaine Millar, said that the solution proposed through this proposition would 'enable the Government to deliver to credit reference agencies, in a secure manner, information similar to that contained within an electroral role'.  Deputy Millar added: "I'd like to recognise the work done by the Jersey Consumer Council in identifying the scale of this particular issue, and it's campaigning work, with both the banks and the Government, to try and find the reasons for, and the solution to, this problem." Our Chairman, Carl Walker, said: “I’m delighted to see three years of hard work by the Jersey Consumer Council culminate in unanimous approval by the States Assembly for this law change, which will make credit card applications much simpler for Jersey residents. “This is a great example of collaborative working between the Jersey Consumer Council and the Government of Jersey. “The Council appreciates that data privacy and security are of utmost importance and concern to Islanders, especially as online fraud continues to bombard consumers on an almost daily basis. In this regard, the Consumer Council backed this move on the understanding that the Government will implement robust measures to safeguard Islanders’ personal information and ensure compliance with relevant data protection laws. “And while we are extremely mindful of the risks involved in using credit cards in terms of falling into debt, we are supportive of this move as credit cards not only offer vital consumer protection under the Consumer Credit Act 1974, but also give Islanders an important fraud safety net when shopping online, and when ‘tapping’ or using wireless forms of payment. “Furthermore, having access to a more comprehensive credit history, financial institutions can make better informed decisions about credit card applications. This fosters responsible lending practices and reduces the risk of individuals obtaining credit they cannot manage."

Islanders have contacted us to tell us they've been experiencing issues when ordering from Amazon. It seems some people are finding that items are suddenly unable to be delivered to Jersey, including items that they have set up as repeat orders through ‘Subscribe and Save’. We've found that this issue can sometimes be fixed by changing the country of their saved address to United Kingdom, for some people. So, if you’re experiencing this problem, we would recommend trying this to see if it resolves the issue. We've been in touch with Amazon to see if they can shed any light on this issue and are awaiting a response. Have you experienced any issues with ordering products from Amazon? We'd like to hear from you.

The Government of Jersey is proposing to change the law on lending money. To do this they are seeking your views. A member of the Jersey Consumer Council attended a working group to have input on this consultation and we’ll continue to give the consumer voice going forward. The proposed new law is intended to protect small businesses and consumers who borrow money, and it will do this by establishing regulatory standards which people who lend money will be required to follow. You can read more about this and have your say here. This is not to be confused with the credit reference agency consultation (to help with credit cards), you can have your say on that one here

Good news for the Island’s motorists. Fuel prices are finally going down in most of our forecourts. Check out the latest prices by visiting our website http://pricecomparison.je. Or search ‘Jersey Price Comparison’ in your App Store to download our app.

The Government has made the following announcement today, proposing to change the way data is accessed by credit reference agencies to help Islanders obtain loans, credit cards, and other sources of credit. By early 2024, the Government is aiming to provide credit reference agencies with access to data from the People Directory, a central repository that holds address and contact details of the general public. The People Directory is currently used across Government of Jersey departments to deliver a consistent and collective service to individuals, companies, and organisations. This will help credit reference agencies provide affordability checks and CDD (KYC) checks in accordance with money laundering obligations. Providing access to data through the People Directory is necessary due to the automated use of data sources used by banks and credit providers to manage their onboarding processes.Jersey has different sources of data and this has created complications and increased costs for those companies offering the same services to the Jersey market, including an absence of information available to credit reference agencies. Deputy Elaine Millar, Assistant Chief Minister with delegated responsibility for Financial Services, said: “Over the past five years, there has been a withdrawal of credit card providers from Jersey. This proposal is a great step forward and should allow more banks and other financial servicesproviders to offer credit to individuals and businesses in Jersey. "We are asking Islanders to provide Government with their feedback on this proposal and, if enacted, we hope this should remove some of the known hurdles to banks and card service providers offering products such as credit cards. We hope that banks, loan companies and credit card providers will recognise this and provide a full range of services for Islanders.” Islanders are asked to give their views on credit reference agencies accessing data in this way as part of a Government of Jersey consultation. Details of the consultation, and a link to the survey, are available here: Credit reference agency access to information

Most airlines let you check in a fully collapsible pushchair for free, but some different restrictions apply regarding the size and weight of the pushchair and where it needs to be stored on the plane. To avoid being hit by extra charges when you check in make sure you’re aware of the restrictions. If you're flying with Jet2, for example, you’ll need to make sure that it weighs no more than 10kg. But with British Airways, the dimensions of your pushchair must not exceed 117 x 38 x 38cm. In Which magazine last month, they published a handy chart that gives details of the requirements for each airline. Airline Hold or cabin Weight or size restriction Air Canada Hold Must not exceed 25.5 x 92cm when folded. Larger strollers are subject to space limitations on the day, so are not guaranteed. Aer Lingus Hold  None. Air Malta  Hold  None. American Airlines Hold Stollers over 9kg must be handed in at the check-in desk. All other stollers can be checked in at the gate before boarding. British Airways  Hold Must not exceed 117 x 38 x 38cm. Cathay Pacific  Both No restrictions for the hold. Storing in the cabin is permitted if there is space on the day - must not exceed 7kg and 36 x 23 x 56cm Delta Hold None. EasyJet  Hold  None. Emirates Both For the cabin: ask at the check-in whether there's space on-board. No weight or size restrictions  Etihad Airways  Hold None. Eurowings  Both No restrictions for the hold. For the cabin: it must be a 'pocket buggy' - see airline's size restrictions for carry-on baggage. Jet2 Hold Must not exceed 10kg KLM Both For the cabin: must not exceed 15 x 30 x 100cm Lurthansa Both No restrictions for the hold. For storing in the cabin, it must be a 'pocket buggy' - see airline's size restrictions for carry-on baggage.  Malaysia Airlines  Hold  Max weight: 10kg Norwegian  Hold  None. Qatar Airways  Hold  None. Ryanair  Hold  None. SAS Hold Max weight: 23kg. Singapore Airlines Both Sum of length, width and height of stroller should not exceed 115cm for cabin. Max weight: 7kg Swiss Both No restrictions for the hold. For storing in the cabin, it must be a 'pocket buggy' - see airline's size restrictions for carry-on baggage.  TAP Air Portugal  Hold  None. TUI Hold  None. United Airlines  Both No restrictions for the hold. For the cabin: must not exceed 9 x 14 x 22in Virgin Atlantic Both No restrictions for the hold. For in the cabin, the following foldable buggies are permitted: GB Pocket, Britax Holiday, Silver Cross Jet, Babyzen YoYo. Vueling Both For the cabin: must not exceed 55 x 40 x 20cm. Max weight 10kg. Wizz Air Hold  None. For other handy travel tips check out our latest newsletter.