Energy firms among worst billers March 3, 2014 One fifth of households have been billed wrongly by energy suppliers, according to new research today commissioned by comparison service uSwitch. The energy industry is among the worst billers for the eighth year running, only surpassed by HMRC, according to customers surveyed by market research firm YouGov. The average amount owed following a billing error [...]
New retail app to tag shoppers March 3, 2014 Powa Technologies is today launching a smartphone app that allows customers to buy items after taking a picture of an advert or tuning in to a snatch of music. The British firm’s PowaTag app will also enable retailers to beam special offers or other messages to shoppers’ phones when they walk near a Bluetooth beacon. [...]
Bank of Ireland stocks plunge on poor lending March 3, 2014 INVESTORS fled the Bank of Ireland yesterday as it reported an unexpectedly large fall in lending volumes over the course of 2013. The bailed-out bank lost €525m (£432m) in 2013, an improvement on the €2.2bn it lost in 2012. And it recorded an operating profit of €1.1bn, when excluding impairment charges, up from €224m in [...]
ISS stays strong in face of unrest after pricing forthcoming float March 3, 2014 DANISH services firm ISS yesterday ruled out delaying its impending float due to unrest in Ukraine. The business yesterday said it will float at between 140 and 175 krone a share (£16 to £19.30), which would value the company at about £3.5bn. The float will take place on the Nasdaq OMX Copenhagen later this month [...]
Ackermann steps down from Shell’s board March 3, 2014 FTSE 100 oil major Royal Dutch Shell yesterday said that Josef Ackermann, a non-executive director, would step down from the board at its annual meeting on 20 May. This is the latest departure for the former Deutsche Bank boss, who quit as chairman of insurer Zurich after its finance chief committed suicide, leaving a note [...]
Bank complaints dive as scandals come to an end March 3, 2014 COMPLAINTS about PPI mis-selling have begun to fall, at long last reducing the number of cases sent to the Financial Ombudsman Service, the agency said today. A total of 248,801 cases were referred to the FOS in the second half of 2013, down 24 per cent on the first half. PPI complaints made up around three-quarters [...]
International manhunt for UK boiler room fraud suspects March 3, 2014 CITY police are hunting four men across Europe over suspected involvement in boiler room frauds, Crimestoppers said yesterday. The four are thought to have targeted British retail investors. It comes after 110 suspects were arrested in raids across the UK, Spain, Serbia and the US. The City of London Police and the National Crime Agency are looking [...]
More warnings on Libor probe March 3, 2014 TWO MORE bankers were given warning notices by the City watchdog yesterday, setting out the case against those suspected of involvement in alleged attempts to fix Libor. One of the unnamed traders “dishonestly attempted to interfere” with rate submissions, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said. The other “took into account requests made by traders to benefit their [...]
Premier close to securing £350m rights issue plan March 3, 2014 PREMIER FOODS is set to announce a radical financial restructuring as soon as this week as part of chief executive Gavin Darby’s rescue plan to turn the debt-laden group back into a “normal company” again. The company behind Mr Kipling cakes and Bisto gravy is expected to launch a £300m-£350m rights issue and is also [...]
Johnston Press looks for £75m from investors to tackle debts March 3, 2014 JOHNSTON Press is planning a rights issue of at least £75m in a bid to shore up its finances. The company, which has around 200 titles in the UK and Ireland including The Scotsman and Yorkshire Post, has struggled to cope with debts of over £300m built up by acquisitions. Cost-cutting and redundancies have brought [...]