Weekend Consumer News Short Stack
Just a few short points for you to get you through the weekend.
- Personal Data Loss set to increase in 2009 – According to this article in yesterdays Irish Times, something called the KPMG’s Data Loss Barometer predicted that the number of incidences of personal data that would be lost by companies and organisations would increase significantly across the world in 2009. Already in Ireland we’ve had the HSE lose patient data from a Letterkenny hospital on the streets of Derry. Don’t forget that ValueIreland.com will keep track of these data loss incidents as we’re told about them (a key thing that – if we’re told about them). Click here to read more.
- Fans of ValueIreland.com - We’re very proud to see the people that are following ValueIreland.com on Twitter – thank you to everyone. We like to see that people are interested in what’s being published here. A couple of other fans of the site we discovered in the last week or so are Morrígan Reborn and Green Manure and Horticulture. Thanks for the links folks.
- Don’t listen to Consumers Association of Ireland Chairman – James Doorley, the Consumers Association of Ireland Chairman this week proposed that we as consumers should start looking at using “lay away” as a way for paying for items instead of using credit cards. In the same way as we believe that you shouldn’t buy vouchers, buying by “lay away” would be something similar. Basically you are drip feeding a shop your money for a period of weeks or months before getting your item once you’ve fully paid up. If the shop were to go out of business when you’ve only half paid for the item, you’re money would more than likely be lost, as you’d be an unsecured creditor and you wouldn’t even have your item. In the same way, you should avoid Christmas Clubs which ValueIreland.com has seen springing up recently. But we’ll come back to this issue in the future.
- Some more good news from ValueIreland.com - Following on from what has already been a great week with our TV3 appearance this week and our nomination for Best Specialist Blog in the Irish Blog Awards, as I write this of a Saturday morning, but not wanting to count my chickens too much, I should have some more interesting news tomorrow morning, Sunday. Watch this space.
Have a great weekend!
2 Comments
Lay-away – what a joke. Give a company an unsecured interest free loan at a time when we know more of them are unfortunately going to be in trouble. Better idea to open a high interest saving account – take your pick of rates and types. Save you money in a government guaranteed where you have complete control and safety and do not limit your choices you will make in six months time.
@Matt – thanks for the comment. You’re exactly right. It’s actually a dangerous suggestion for people to get involved in “lay-away”.
Many people who might be tempted to get involved in “lay away” are the people who probably can’t afford to get stung if their money disappears.