Consumer Fight Back

We take to the streets of Belfast to find out how much people were paid in their first jobs. And we chat to the CEO of Youth Employment UK about what rights young workers have as they start out in their first part-time jobs. Are there enough jobs for young people looking to earn a few quid? What other options are out there?

What does it actually look like to shop with ethics in mind?

If you’ve ever dreamed of ditching the 9-5 daily grind and found yourself counting down the days until retirement...what if that day was in weeks, not years? Holly chats to a couple who are retired and travelling the world.. If you have a story or experience you want to share email cfb@bbc.co.uk

We're officially in the middle of wedding season and it costs £451 on average to be a guest at the big day. How much do you gift the happy couple? And when is it ok to politely decline the invitation? If you have a story or experience you want to share email cfb@bbc.co.uk

Holly jumps aboard a cross-border train to find out why a ticket from Dundalk to Belfast is cheaper than a ticket from Newry to Belfast. If you have a story or experience you want to share email cfb@bbc.co.uk

When Kate was asked to provide a video to prove she returned her package to an online shop, something didn’t sound right. Consumer expert Harry Kind sheds some light on online returns that seem impossible. If you have a story or experience you want to share email cfb@bbc.co.uk

Motoring journalist Neil Briscoe lifts the bonnet on holiday car hire, after an experience that was very close to home. If you have a story or experience you want to share email cfb@bbc.co.uk

Pet owners travelling from Britain to Northern Ireland will need new documents from 4 June 2025; Nina Downing from PDSA explains who needs one, how to get one and how to avoid scammers. If you have a story or experience you want to share email cfb@bbc.co.uk

Holly speaks to Ofcom’s James Stinson about the regulator’s latest customer service research results, and we hear from one listener who cancelled their phone line but kept receiving bills. If you have a story or experience you want to share email cfb@bbc.co.uk

Holly speaks to consumer expert Rebecca Wilcox about what hacks on major brands mean for shoppers and how people can protect their information. Is it worth having a burner email account for mailing lists and shopping, and what responsibilities do businesses have to tell you if your data has been compromised? If you have a story or experience you want to share email cfb@bbc.co.uk

After safely booking your holiday you can start thinking about getting there and enjoying yourself...almost. Have you checked your passport is in date, do you know the Ts&Cs for your car hire package and what do you do if your flight is delayed or cancelled? Holly Hamilton, Sandra Corkin from the Association of British Travel Agents and consumer expert Jane Hawkes share top tips for making you...

Consumer finance expert Iona Bain joins Holly Hamilton to explain the three best options for managing your money when you’re on holiday; cash, a travel friendly credit or debit card, or a preloaded money card. If you have a story or experience you want to share email cfb@bbc.co.uk

Do you have travel insurance? Holly Hamilton, Sandra Corkin from the Association of British Travel Agents and consumer expert Jane Hawkes discuss whether you need travel insurance for your upcoming trip, when to start your cover and what type of insurance to get. If you have a story or experience you want to share email cfb@bbc.co.uk

Sun, sea and scams! Holly Hamilton, Sandra Corkin from the Association of British Travel Agents and consumer expert Jane Hawkes list the essentials you need to know before booking a holiday, from DIY bookings to package holidays, avoiding scams and consumer protection. If you have a story or experience you want to share email cfb@bbc.co.uk

If you want to get away but time and budget aren't on your side, why not consider a one-day getaway? Travel blogger Monica Stott takes Holly through the key ingredients for the perfect one-day getaway, from booking flights, packing bags, parking and picking the ideal location. If you have a story or experience you want to share email cfb@bbc.co.uk

Following Consumer Fight Back’s less-than-successful shopping spree, Holly hears from one listener who says seeds they’ve bought online haven’t flowered as they expected them to. Producers Daniel & Daniela take a trip to Gardeners’ Corner where David Maxwell shares some tips on knowing your apples from your plums. If you have a story or experience you want to share email cfb@bbc.co.uk

Is AI making online shopping even more difficult for you? The team goes on an online shopping spree, Holly unboxes the items and gets a bit of a shock when the products aren’t exactly what were expected. Bellingcat journalist Kolina Koltai explains how to identify and avoid products where AI has been used to enhance or create the images. If you have a story or experience you want to share email cf...

Holly speaks to Daisy, who was told boarding a flight that she would have pay an extra luggage fee for her breast milk and breast pump. Daisy knew that she should be allowed to travel with these, but said she was humiliated having to wear extra items of clothing to make space in her backpack for her pump. We ask the airline to clarify their policy and explain why Daisy was treated as she was. If y...

Can a social media DM constitute a contract? What does the law say when small businesses collab with influencers for social media marketing? If you have a story or experience you want to share email cfb@bbc.co.uk

After a controversial gig in Belfast, Holly and producer Daniel are joined by music industry expert, Chris Cooke, to find out at what point, if ever, audiences are entitled to a refund. If you have a story or experience you want to share email cfb@bbc.co.uk

Holly and the team speak to a colleague who leads them into the world of pet microchip databases, where they find not all databases are equal. She had been contacted by an unauthorised database which she says she has never interacted with, but it somehow had all of her information. Phil McKinnon of the Association of Microchip Database Operators explains that this is something the industry is acti...

Listener Emma shares her experience of fraudsters spending thousands of pounds after they hijacked her identity and her efforts to clear her name. She’d been targeted by a sim-swapping fraud, cases of which Action Fraud says have doubled in each of the last two years. If you have a story or experience you want to share email cfb@bbc.co.uk

The team gets an update from a customer sold a dodgy second-hand car who has been trying to get his money back, and asks politicians where they stand on the issue of a mandatory regulator for second-hand car sales.

Listener Jayne and her son Alex got in touch with the team when they bought a car that didn’t survive the journey home. They’d done their best to get their money back, even gone to the small claims court, but the seller refused. Listening to their story, producer Daniel was reminded of a story he’d covered several years ago. It all sounded too familiar. After a quick search, Daniel found the old s...

Listener Jayne and her son Alex got in touch with the team when they bought a car that didn’t survive the journey home. They’d done their best to get their money back, even gone to the small claims court, but the seller refused. Listening to their story, producer Daniel was reminded of a story he’d covered several years ago. It all sounded too familiar. After a quick search, Daniel found the old s...