http://www.thecompareshop.com/ The latest news, deals and discount codes from thecompareshop.com customerservice@quantumweb.co.uk Sun, 1 Aug 2010 19:25:30 GMT Sun, 1 Jan 2012 15:39:04 GMT http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 120 http://www.thecompareshop.com/images/top_header.jpg http://www.thecompareshop.com/ 74 400 The Compare Shop logo http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Playboy_Hot_Car_List_246.html The world's most famous men's magazine has announced its annual hot car list. The magazine which is famous for girls, lifestyle and a ageing founder and CEO still has a huge global readership and is not shy in airing its views. So which vehicles are viewed as hot by this lifestyle magazine?First on the list was the Jaguar XKR-s which is one of the top vehicles on the Jaguar stock list. At £89,000 it is the price of a medium small house so performing well in this type of list should be expected. However sometimes with a huge price comes vulgarity. However the XKR-s looks and feels amazing. This result will be a huge boost to the manufacturer that has also seen its new Land Rover models increase sales month by month.The remainder of the list shows some of the most wanted vehicles on the global market. This list includes the following models.The Lamborghini Aventador which at a cost of around £210,00 will be out of reach of the majority of motorists. The vehicle was released in February 2011 and replaced the previous Murcielago model. Since it was released Lamborghini has announced that sales had been well ahead of expectations and there is no a 12 month waiting list.Interestingly the Fiat 500 has featured on the list. At around £9000 for an entry level model this is also one of the cheapest super minis on the market. This is probably why you will see this model on the majority of motorways and high streets. Despite its quirky looks and Fiat badge it has been extremely well received.The Range Rover Evoque was one vehicle that we expected (and hoped) would be on the list. This is the new Range Rover model that has been designed to replace some of the older more established models such as the sport. There was much interest placed around the release of these models as they have been designed in a different manner to the historic brand. The new models have been well received and we have reported that sales figures are increasing month on month.The Lexus CT 200H is a new Hybrid vehicle from the luxury car maker. With current deals with a list price of around £24,000 this is a very accessible vehicle. What is great about this vehicle it is a fully hybrid vehicle which obviously has great green credentials. With the price not being too outlandish it is expected that this vehicle will do very well on the sales front.Possibly my personal favourite on the list is the new BMW 1M which is an amazing vehicle. The standard 1 series coupe's look and perform amazingly and the company was forced to produce an M series model as the standard versions did so well. As with most BMW vehicles the precision performance is a joy to behold and with the M boost this really is an awesome vehicle. The OTR price of £40,000 is a bit steep but they are extremely fun to drive.Other vehicles on the list are Bentley Continental GTC, Ford Mustang Boss 302, Audi A7, Mercedes-Benz CLs63 AMG, and Hyundai Veloster. So the total list is an awesome set of vehicles and if you tried to purchase the job lot you would see a huge hole in your cash.If you are interested in purchasing any of the vehicles above make sure you complete a full set of research on all the facts. Make sure you Compare Car Insurance prices as part of this research as the cost of your premium will be one of the single biggest running costs you have to afford. If you are currently not driving also make sure you research the current fuel prices so you can work out the average fuel costs for the vehicle you want. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Playboy_Hot_Car_List_246.html Sun, 1 Jan 2012 15:39:04 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Jaguar_Land_Rover_Engine_Plant_245.html Jaguar Land Rover has continued its expansion plans after local councillors in Staffordshire approved the details of a new plant. The plant is expected to cost around £355m which is a great bit of news for the local region. The plant is expected to be built on the site which is near Wolverhampton and has already been established as an Enterprise zone.A new plant does not just create jobs directly in the plant. When a new production line is formed it creates work for all companies in the plants supply chain. Therefore the 750 direct jobs is expected to double when all of the surrounding work is set out. Having a new 1500 jobs in the region is excellent news for the start of 2012.The requirement for the plant has come from the increased sales of the Jaguar Land Rover models. The currently supplier of engines (Ford) are not able to meet the rising demand and having their own UK plant will give the manufacturer a lot more flexibility than they currently have. It also cements the plans for Jaguar Land Rover in the UK and shows their commitment to the country and its customers.The new site will involve a new road system which will allow for better access at the plant. The parties have committed £20 million of new money for the project which shows the commitment of the local government to expanding business and jobs in the region.The inclusion of the plant is the latest in the number of large names to sign up to the site. Previous investors have included Eurofin and Moog who are major players in the aerospace market. The new site near Wolverhampton is a focus of the local council to become a market leader in advanced manufacturing. It is also worth noting that the Regional Development Agency has been instrumental in the development and growth of the project.It is not clear what the plant capacity will be however as the investment is sizeable it is thought that the company are viewing this site as major part of their expansion plans. Here at the team we think that this is a great bit of news for the UK and motor economy. Once we have more information we will bring this to you.If you are looking at buying a new vehicle especially a top of the range Land Rover it is wise to Compare Car Insurance prices to see how much a top quality policy will cost. See how much you can save when you review over one hundred prices online. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Jaguar_Land_Rover_Engine_Plant_245.html Sun, 1 Jan 2012 14:11:42 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Samsung_LE32C450_Review_244.html The Samsung LE32C450 provides one of the biggest bargains in 32 inch LCD TVs on today's market. We have reviewed this top product as we have seen a huge rise in the number of search queries over the past three months of 2011. This shows us that the price of this model has now hit a mark which interests a huge amount of people. So with the price being excellent does the product stand up to scrutiny.Samsung LE32C450 Product TestFirtsly the model looks amazing with the stand the model has a height of 560mm and depth of 274mm. The width is 784 mm which doesn't change with or without the stand. Without the stand the dimensions reduce to a height of 514mm and a depth of 76mm. This makes the model an average size for a 32 inch . One thing that is worth noting is that the depth is slightly larger than the newer models. This is especially prevalent in the Samsung range. The look however is excellent and still looks ten times better than many other branded models so installing this model in your home will enhance any room.At 32 inches the model will be functional in many types of room. The model will look excellent in a room up to a medium size any larger and the set will start to look quite small. You will also be able to use this model in a bedroom, if the room is quite small the Samsung LE32C450 might slightly overpower the room however if you are a technology fan you will love having a model of this quality in your bedroom.The picture quality is not the best on the market which is highlighted by the screen resolution which is 1366 x 768. However for the price you would not expect to have a full HD ready 1080 resolution screen. You will also be glad to know that whilst the screen is not fully HD ready the picture quality is very good. You will not be disappointed if you are looking to use the Samsung LE32C450 for normal television use or even using the top games consoles. The picture quality is enhanced by Samsungs wide colour enhancer which adds a sharpness and depth to colours which makes then extremely life like.What we find great with the Samsung LCD TV range is that all come packed with a number of connections. the Samsung LE32C450 is no different in this regard. The model has the following back end connections.3 HDMI inputs which is excellent for Sky+ and games consolesOne DVI audio inputOne PC InputOne USB inputOne Scart cable inputAnd the usual power and headphone sockets.The audio performance on this model is also extremely good. The model uses the Dolby digital plus system which will produce excellent performance for everyday use. As in most of our product reviews we always state that if you want to screen videos or games to a larger audience than a typical family you should always look at an external speaker unit.Performance with games consoles and PC input is very good considering the Samsung LE32C450 is not fully HD ready. There is only a very small time lag between inputs from the games system and reaction on the screen. The picture quality is also excellent no matter which game you are playing. With such a small time lag you will not notice any drop in picture quality.Specification Review and ConclusionSo to conclude this is an excellent LCD TV for the price. At the time of publication the RRP for this model was £350 and the model was available at the compare shop for £294. Therefore if you are looking for a small price and a large amount of quality then you should have an in depth look at this model. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Samsung_LE32C450_Review_244.html Sat, 31 Dec 2011 15:30:13 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Sony_KDL26EX320_Review_243.html This is our expert review of the Sony KDL26EX320 internet enabled LCD TV. This Christmas this has been one of our most searched television products. Therefore we have pulled it to pieces to give you the insight in to how this top product performs against its very competitive peers. The 26 inch size of the screen puts this unit in the same field as bedroom and small living room televisions. at 26 inches it will be too big for most kitchens and on the small side if you have a medium to large living room.Firstly at the time of writing this review the retail price on this unit was a huge £385 mainly as it is pretty new to the market and it is packed full of gadgets. However searching for the Sony KDL26EX320 on the compare shop showed you could actually purchase the product for £299 which is a huge saving of £86. So as the prices become reduced is the product worth having.Sony KDL26EX320 SpecificationsFirstly the design is excellent the dimensions are as follows, the height is 42.1cm with the stand and 40.6 cm with the stand. This shows that the stand on this model is actually very small in comparison with the rest of the unit. This makes it excellent for a small room as the small stand does not increase the size making the unit look bulky. The width is 63.1cm and the depth is 18.2cm with stand and 4.2cm without the stand. This again shows that the actual depth of the screen is tiny making this a really swish looking LCD TV. if you are looking to impress friends and family this model really will hit the spot. The screen is so thin as the KDL26EX320 uses the newest side edge LED technology reducing the need for a bulky back end. This means that the LED light is delivered from the side of the screen and not the back.The picture quality is excellent for a small sized television. Whilst the unit is not fully HD ready the resolution is 1366 x 768 which on a screen that is 25 inches across delivers great colours and images. The aspect ratio is 16:9, it is 50 Hz (producing 50 frames per second) and the dynamic contrast ratio is high which is more than enough for a second bedroom unit. What is impressive with this unit is that is uses the new X reality processing engine which basically enhances pictures and colours making them as life like as possible. When you are watching a programme on the Sony KDL26EX320 you will notice that the engine really does deliver on its promises. Another great addition to this unit is the scene select enhancer, this gizmo basically reads the individual scene you are watching and optimises the picture and sound to the scene. Therefore you always get the most out of each and every picture.Like we said above this LCD TV has been built with the future in mind and because of this the model is fully Wi-Fi enabled. This means it will work like your laptop when it connects to the internet. This allows you to stream entertainment from a home network or you can connect to numerous applications (such as facebook and Skype) directly from applications on the television. This makes it great for a child's bedroom or the master bedroom if you are looking for more than a standard television.Something that we always rate an LCD TV on is the number of connections it has. This reduces the need to swap and alter cables after the initial install. In some ways it's the reduced stress factor post first instal. The Sony KDL26EX320 will not let you down, it has 2 HDMI inputs which also caters for a HDMI PC connection, one SCART input, one Ethernet input, one video connection, one PCMCIA input, and a number of audio outputs to allow for third party output devices. Therefore if you are looking to utilise games consoles and speaker systems this model is already kitted out waiting for your gadgets.We tried the unit with two games consoles and the results were excellent. it made my personal home second television look amateur. The picture and sound results were excellent and the fact that after I had connected the units up I didn't need to mess with the connections to switch between the two consoles.Telvision Energy RatingAs with our last review we have started looking at the energy efficiency of a unit to compare this to the initial cost. This model actually performs excellently despite having a full menu of gadgets. The official energy rating is B which  means that this model sits at the top of its class when it comes to green credentials.So all in all if you are looking for a medium sized LCD TV then the Sony KDL26EX320 should definitely be right up there on your shopping list. And with the prices dropping quite quickly why not see what the current deals are by clicking on any of the links above. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Sony_KDL26EX320_Review_243.html Tue, 27 Dec 2011 17:28:22 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Sharp_LC32SH130K_Review_242.html Welcome to the December review of one of the top LCD TV's that we have seen being searched for this Christmas. Now over the festive period from the end of November to the beginning of January we normally see an upsurge in people searching for top televisions as they are looking to buy them as a present. This year we have seen a huge number of people looking for the Sharp LC32SH130K actually on Christmas day searches for this model actually represented 65% of all individual LCD TV searches. This shows that there is a huge demand out there for this model so we thought we would find out why.Sharp LC32SH130K LCD TV specificationsFirstly it's worth noting that this model is not the best looking on the market, if you stand it next to one of the Samsung range it will look a little bit like the ugly sister. However this does not mean that you will be put off by the looks of the actual unit. To be honest we only say it looks a bit ugly because some of the Samsung and Toshiba models that are out at the current time would not look out of place in a technological art gallery. The size of the unit (including the stand) is as follows the width is 776mm the height is 567mm and the depth is 212mm, without the stand the depth is 94mm and the height reduces to 524mm. So the screen itself is 94mm which is not big (but not the smallest on the market. One saving grace for the depth is that with a 32 inch flat screen the majority of the depth is masked as the screen is quite large. It would look a bit strange had the screen been 19 inches.The picture quality is excellent for a budget range LCD TV the screen resolution is 1366 x 768 so whilst not fully HD ready the quality is excellent. The screen is backlit which is why the back end of the screen is a bit bulky however the results it delivers are very good for a television in this price range. The picture is supported by Sharps RGB teconology which gives the overall picture a boost.The sound quality is actually very good and comes supported by a digital amplifier. If you are using this product in a normal living room you will have no trouble delivering a quality sound for the programmes you watch. If you are looking to screen a film or sporting event for a group of friends we would always recommend having a look at the external add on that you can purchase which will project the sounds further than the standard two speaker LCD TV unit.Connector wise the back of the Sharp LC32SH130K has the following inputs- Two HDMI V1.3 connections- One SCART input- One AV In and Component in connection- One Headphone socket- One Coaxial Input- One VGA connection- One USB ConnectionWhen we tested the unit there were enough input options to be able to hook the unit up to pretty much any third party media input you wish. The USB port works exceptionally well for streaming videos and programmes from a PC or laptop computer. There are also enough connection points to have all your games consoles connected.When testing with games consoles we found that there were absolutely no issues at all with the performance. You will be able to enjoy the best of your games on the large 32 inch screen. You get very little degrading of the picture when using fast and detailed games which really allows you to enjoy all the features the games deliver.Finally and a new bit that we don't normally comment on is the energy quality of the LCD TV units that we test. The Sharp LC32SH130K comes it at a very respectable C rating which means that you won't be running up a huge bill whilst enjoying the television. LC32SH130K Current UK PriceOverall this is an excellent unit that you can get a great deal on. At the time of writing this review the RRP on the unit was £275 and the cheapest price at the compare shop was £219 which came with free delivery. So if you are looking for quality on a budget this could be the television for you. Check the current prices by clicking on one of the highlighted links above. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Sharp_LC32SH130K_Review_242.html Mon, 26 Dec 2011 11:47:58 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/December_Top_Instant_Win_Competitions_241.html Decembers list of top competitionsIt has been two months since The Compare Shop launched its new Instant Win Competition application. The number of people that have visited the website to see the fantastic new application has been amazing. So we thought that we would let our readers know what the top competitions have been in the month of December.Here is our top list of products see if you like any of the products and enter the competitions yourself and see if you can win. We have also included a link to the category so if you don't like the product that has made the top list you can search through related products to see if there is an alternative that you may want.Instant Win an APPLE IPAD 2                          Notebooks  Instant Win an iPhone 4s                               Mobile Phones  Instant Win a Nintendo Wii                           Games Consoles  Instant Win a Blackberry Torch                     Mobile Phones  Instant Win a Tom Tom Go 1005                  SatNavOur competition application is very easy to use it has a basic few steps which you complete then you can find out if you have won the product that you want. So here are the basic steps you complete1) Find a product. This is probably the hardest part of the whole process as there are over seven million products for you to choose from. You can find a product by searching through our navigation tree down the left hand side of the website or you can use our search bar function at the top of every page.2) Sign up to our competition service. This is extremely simple as all you need to do is fill out your delivery details and give us a username (your email address) and password.3) Select three numbers. We give you a choice of numbers to choose from you select three and see if it matches the winning combination.4) Click enter at the bottom of the competition screen and see the winning numbers. If you have correctly matched the numbers you have won. We then purchase the product on your behalf and send it to you in the post. It is very quick and simple the final part is to take delivery of your new product. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/December_Top_Instant_Win_Competitions_241.html Sat, 24 Dec 2011 14:49:43 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Range_Rover_Evoque_Sale_240.html Evoque Sales Reach 40,000Over the previous weeks and months we have reported on the supreme performance of one of the UK's top motoring brands. The Range Rover or Land Rover brand has performed extremely well in the face of the world's worst ever recession and the new models are following suit and blowing away the previous sales figures. The newest reports show that the sales of the new Evoque have hit a massive 40,000 units in a mere four months.The company has reported that the majority of the sales have been to new Range Rover clients. Meaning the people who are currently buying the new Range Rover Evoque has historically never bought a Range Rover before. This is excellent news for the manufacturer as it shows that the new look and feel of the Evoque has widened their market and introduced new customers. With the entry price of the basic Evoque being £27,995 it is a huge success to bring new to brand clients on board. Purchasing a vehicle of this price and stature is not a disposable purchase and winning over new clients from other vehicle manufacturers in this difficult market shows the Evoque could be something special.It is also worth noting at this point that since its release the Evoque has also been gobbling up awards like JK Rowling after an Oscar's appearance. Currently it holds around 53 awards including many magazines awarding it the best SUV which for a new model is extremely impressive. And it's clear that the public are listening as the sales figures are nothing short of fantastic.This is excellent news for the UK economy as well. The vehicle is currently manufactured at the huge plant in Halewood and if it continues to sell at this awesome rate and deliver more and more awards it's clear that it will be rolling of the production line for years to come. It is also very clear that if a model is so successful you normally find that there will be 2nd and 3rd generations of the model that will following in the future to keep hold of the new customers.Here at The Compare Shop we love the new Evoque its look and feel oozes luxury and motoring pleasure. The price whilst higher than your average run around is not huge when you look at the vehicle that you are actually buying. If you are considering buying the new Evoque make sure you Compare Car Insurance prices before you venture out to test and purchase. This way you will know exactly what your monthly costs will be to run the vehicle. There's nothing left to say other than well doe to the team over at Range Rover keep up the good work. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Range_Rover_Evoque_Sale_240.html Sat, 24 Dec 2011 11:45:15 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/West_Midlands_Travel_Card_239.html Competition Commission Reviews Public TransportIn recent months the competition commission has been looking into the competitive nature of the bus industry. With central Government pressure increasing on local councils to try and move commuters from their vehicles to the public transport system the commission has been looking how to improve the service for passengers. Many people who commute or use public transport regularly could probably list issues until the cows come home however the commission was looking at quick fixes to improve the service. Essentially there was an acceptance that they would not be able to spend millions of pounds increasing bus and train numbers so that all passengers can get a seat.Interestingly one of the main issues that have arisen is the difficulty between transferring from one form of public transport to another. Currently if you were to use a bus then a train you would have to buy a bus ticket and then a separate train ticket. The bus system does not allow the use of debit and credit cards whilst the train system does. So the passenger would always need to have loose cash on them which is seen as inconvenient. You also need to take into account that on a route where different bus company's services one route you can often not use one season ticket on another company's service. So the idea that has been put forward in the West Midlands is to introduce an Oyster style card that would work on all forms of public transport and across service providers.West Midlands travel Card ProposedThe system would work in exactly the same way as the Oyster system where a card is first purchased then charged up with cash. The cash then reduces as services are used until the balance is zero when it would be recharged. There are huge benefits of this system which has worked extremely well in the London region.What is interesting is that the local councils have already taken this feedback on board and are working hard to make the system happen. At the time of writing this article the West Midlands transport authority were planning to test the proposed equipment in January 2012 with a view to having the service fully operational within a twelve month period. It is thought the roll out process would first include the bus and metro network as the services are owned and operated by the transport authority making it easier to install. The final stage would be to add the train network to the system to allow a full cross collaboration for the service.Here at The Compare Shop we think that the speed in which the transport authority has taken on board the feedback is excellent. The way that the issues were highlighted and the authority jumped to action has to be an example for all other authorities to take note of. It is clear that there are problems on the public transport networks and to gain passenger confidence speed of fixing issues and improving service is essential. If you are currently not using the public transport networks make sure you are saving as much money as you can and Compare Car Insurance prices and see how much you can reduce your premium by. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/West_Midlands_Travel_Card_239.html Sat, 24 Dec 2011 11:11:46 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/New_Cash_For_Infrastructure_238.html The Prime Minister David Cameron was in the North West yesterday with big news and big business on his mind. Over the past months the Government has been walking a tightrope between spending cuts and economic growth with increasing pressure from third parties. The pressure mounted this week as growth targets have again been revised and the opposition have called for an easing on austerity measures. This pressure has also come on the eve of one of the largest strikes in recent times with employees of the state increasingly unhappy at proposed cuts to their pension schemes.So whilst in the North West Mr Cameron took the opportunity to announce that the Government would be supporting the region by boosting spending on infrastructure. The aim behind the plan is to boost the efficiency in the region which will hopefully lead to growth in business. The main focus of the spending will be around major rail and road networks to reduce travel times for commuters and road users.The railway plan is based around electrifying the network between the major cities of Manchester and Leeds. The improvements to the network are expected to cut journey times across the country from Liverpool to Newcastle by as much as 45 minutes. It is hoped that by reducing the amount of time it takes to travel across this line will open up the region to new investment. The rail plan will also include reintroducing the old link between the two major train stations in the city (Manchester Victoria and Manchester Piccadilly) which will ease any journey where a connection between the two stations has to be made.The plans for the road in the region will include the construction of a new dual carriageway by the Manchester airport site. This dual carriageway will link the M56 at Manchester Airport to the current A6 which is situated to the south of Stockport. The current journey between the two locations either has to pass down the A6 onto the Manchester ring road (M60) then onto the M56. This creates a significant amount of traffic onto the Manchester ring road so easing this congestion by removing the traffic on its way to the airport or to Cheshire will allow the ring road traffic to flow much freely.Both sets of investment is great news for the region which has seem a number of calls from commuters and businesses for an improvement in the infrastructure in previous years. Previous plans have included introducing a congestion charge for areas within the ring road which was subsequently voted against by residents and businesses within the region. Work is expected to start on these projects in 2012.With the region improving its transport links we hope that this will allow traffic to flow much more freely in this area. This should allow a reduction in fuel usage as driving will be more efficient. If you are keen to reduce your driving costs make sure you look at the cost of your Car Insurance. This is one of the largest costs involved in motoring and one of the costs that can vary the most. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/New_Cash_For_Infrastructure_238.html Tue, 29 Nov 2011 21:16:15 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Free_Competitions_237.html Welcome to our newest blog in November. As you may know today is Mad Monday which to be honest is a bit of a rip off from Amazons Black Friday. However we thought it would be fitting to tell you a bit more about our amazing new Free Competition application that allows you to win any product from the compare shop's catalogue.Firstly let me tell you a bit about the compare shop product catalogue. At last count is held over 7 million products and is updated numerous times each day. That means that no matter what you are looking for as long as it is a retail product we should have it. We source our product listing from the best UK retailers which no only allows you to compare prices it also means you will always find a product that is in stock. Many price comparison websites work on a lag system which essentially means that for their products and prices to be updated the whole catalogue needs to be refreshed with a mechanical download. If you have a catalgoue of 7 million plus products this will take some time so you will find that many other services update their catalogues once or twice a week. We do not do this, our catelogue is live and is updated by our merchants. Therefore as they get a product it is available for comparison by you, it also means that as soon as a price is dropped you will see this throughout the compare shop.Now to the fun stuff, the Competition engine. It works by attaching itself to the products that you want to compare. So the only bit of work you have to do to enter is find the products that you want. You will see as you browse around the website that each product has a massive gold star by it. You will see this star either in the search results you generate or on the individual product landing pages. To be honest if you can't find it I would suggest you get your eyes tested. To enter the Competition engine all you have to do is click on this star and follow the instructions. It is also worth noting that the catalogue here at the compare shop contains all of the most up to date products on the retail market. Therefore as we said above if it's in the catalogue you can win it. You will in no way be restricted in the products that you can try and win. It does not matter if they have been on the market for one day or one year. If it is listed when you search you will be able to win the product. The application has been built to be like no other Competition website in the UK. On other website you are told what you can win which is normally a product that has been provided by a sponsor etc etc. This is very restrictive and does not allow you to win what you want, the only restriction that you have on this website is that you can only win products. Therefore you will not find holidays or trips as unfortunately at this point the compare shop does not supply holidays. If this changes in the future do not worry we will be shouting it from the roof tops.All of our Competitions are free you will never be asked for payment of any sort. You will not have to pay a release fee, or even postage and packaging. If you win a product with us we simply buy the product on your behalf and allow the retailer to deliver it to you. The only restriction in this process could occur if the retailer sells out before the order is placed. Do not fear if this does occur we will find the product somewhere else and we will confirm that it has been purchased for you as soon as we can. So the only thing left to do is get entering and winning. Use our search function at the top of the page for instant search result or if you are unsure of the products that you may want to win use our product category tree on the left hand side of the page to find the best product for you. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Free_Competitions_237.html Mon, 28 Nov 2011 17:44:25 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Sony_KDL24EX320_Review_236.html Welcome to the newest edition of the compare shop review centre. This week we are looking at the 24 inch Sony KDL24EX320 internet ready LCD TV. We are really excited about looking at this LCD TV as it shows a real improvement in the technology for second room televisions. Most models of small TV do not say they are typically aimed at second rooms or kitchen however with this model Sony are very blunt about the fact that the model has been designed with the use of a second room in mind.So firstly this unit is 24 inches in size which makes it perfect for a medium sized second room. It has a really swish look to it with a black frame top and a brushed grey effect to the bottom. There is no stand as you would normally get on an LCD TV it has a two pronged metal stand which will easily fit on any set of draws. It is very slim for such a small screen and will enhance the look of any small bedroom.The picture is powered by Sony's LED lighting which provides the smoothest and very efficient picture. It uses Sony's efficient Edge LED TV technology which really does produce some excellent picture results. The difference between normal LED backlighting and the edge technology is that the LED lighting is set around the side of the screen instead of at the back. This allows the model to be much thinner than a normal LCD TV. As the screen is smaller than the average 32 inch LCD TV the sharpness is really amazing. It shows some really beautiful true life colours which enhances the experience whilst watching even basic Freeview channels. The resolution is 1920 x 1080 which makes the Sony KDL24EX320 full HD ready. So if you are looking to use this model with HD ready products such as some games consoles the results that you will see are amazing.If you are looking to enhance the viewing experience as much as possible you can delve into the deep internal controls of this unit. If you spend some time altering the picture setting you can really produce the same quality pictures as you would see on much larger and expensive models. One of the top new features is that the model is fully wifi ready. This means that you can fully access the internet via the screen. This allows you the option to use application such as Skype much more efficiently. If you want to use Skype you will no longer have to boot up your computer to use it. Therefore you can take advantage of Skype's cheap calling rates and the excellent functionality of the instant messenger. You don't have to add any extras to use Skype as the screen has a voice controlled camera and top class microphone. It also adds a further dimension to your normal internet usage. You can stream YouTube videos, music videos and films straight from the internet direct to your television without the usage of a laptop or desktop computer. If you are a fan of the social networks using this model can really add to your enjoyment of keeping up to date with what's going on.For such a small set the connections are pretty good as well. There are 2 HDMI connectors so you can connect your Sky + box or games consoles. As you would expect after the above features the unit has a full PC input so you can use the Sony KDL24EX320 as a PC monitor. There are all of the usual speaker and headphone outputs so you will not be short of connectors.Sony has also implemented its green room technology onto this small unit. This means they have added the in room environment sensors. These clever sensors test the room environment and will turn the television off if there is an extended period of inactivity. Don't worry about this turning your screen of whilst you are watching the sensors are highly sensitive and are programmed to act if the room is left empty. This is an excellent feature if you are going to install this unit into a child's room as you will not have to worry about them leaving the room and running up a huge electricity bill. The unit is also rated at a B standard for energy efficiency so it is packed full of green credentials. Overall this really is a cutting edge 24 inch LCD TV. At the time of writing the RRP was £350 and you could obtain this model for £279.99 at the compare shop. If you are considering buying a versatile small LCD TV then we think that you should seriously consider the KDL24EX320. Make sure you Compare LCD TV prices before buy and see what the current prices are. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Sony_KDL24EX320_Review_236.html Mon, 28 Nov 2011 14:44:59 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Samsung_LE32D400_Review_235.html Welcome to the compare shop review of the Samsung LE32D400 LCD TV. The 32 inch LCD TV market is packed full of a huge amount of choice of great models. As Christmas 2011 is fast approaching the manufacturers and retailers are pushing deals onto their websites trying to tempt you into trying to part with your money. The current recommended retail price of this model is £300 so it sits well just under the mid range price for a 32 inch model.The Samsung LCD TV models are normally the sleekest looking models on the market. This model is not the best looking in the Samsung catalogue however it is still better looking than the majority of other models on the market. Its look is more understated than some of the other Samsung designs. The outer casing is completely black plastic with a shiny black thin stand, it is also not the thinnest model however it will not cause you to think that it bulky.The Samsung LE32D400 comes with a built in Freeview tuner as you would expect that provides over 60 free digital channels. The Freeview service delivers all of the original channel set with some additional classic channels such as Dave, E4, and ITV 2 which gives you plenty more viewing options than the old five channel set.The 32 inch LCD TV is suitable most midsized rooms as its diagonal size is enough to allow side viewing from a fair distance. You could use the Samsung LE32D400 in a larger than normal room however you may find that if your sofa is on the other side of the room the picture will be lost against the large backdrop of the wall. You could also use this screen in a larger bedroom however if you try and fit this model into a smaller room you may feel swamped by the picture.The standard measurements for the model are as follows Height 56.6cm Width 78.4cm Weight 10.1kgThe picture is not fully HD ready however as the size of the screen is not 50 inches most of the imperfections are very hard to notice. With a resolution of 1366 x 768 you will find that the picture is greatly enhanced when playing any HD video through the screen. You won't experience the full benefit of HD however unless you are a complete television enthusiast we challenge you to tell the exact difference (unless you are watching a set that is significantly more expensive). The picture therefore will not cause any general user any issues and the quality is actually very good when using the Freeview tuner.The screen has a 50 Hz clear motion rate which is sufficient to provide smooth picture transfer. The model also uses Samsung's wide colour enhancer plus to deliver smoother and sharper pictures and colours. The technology inside this model is by no means the most cutting edge on the market but for the price it delivers some excellent results.The Samsung LE32D400 has 2 HDMI inputs for all of the HD ready additions you may want to use. It also has one SCART cable that adds additional options for connecting DVD players. A great addition to this model is that it has a USB connection to allow you to add third party media such a pictures.The sound capabilities are excellent for a midsized budget television. Unless you are using the unit in a large room or trying to screen movies for a large number of people you will not find any problems with this model. We like the automatic volume level feature which stops any large jumps in volume between channels. If you are looking to produce premium sound or louder volume it is always worth looking at additional plug in sound devices to add to the experience.If you are looking for a 32 inch television for an excellent price you can't go wrong with the Samsung LE32D400. For the price it comes packed with features and produces some excellent results. At the time of writing you could buy this model for £249 at the compare shop which is over £50 under the RRP. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Samsung_LE32D400_Review_235.html Sat, 26 Nov 2011 12:00:25 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Apple_Vs_Samsung_234.html In recent times we have seen some really exciting movements in technology. The introduction of the tablet computer has been one of the biggest advancements. Initially it was not known how the devices would be received however in the past twelve months the site of someone with a tablet computer has become common place. The battle to become the leading manufacturer of tablet computers has been less than pretty. It seems to have sparked a legal war between some of the world's biggest technology companies which to be honest seems a bit childish. It was reported a number of weeks ago that Apple and Samsung had been battling it out over alleged patent breaches. The number of claims is dramatic and covers many of the current top devices.Recently Apple had claimed that the Samsung 10.1 tablet was a copy of its iPad 2 tablet. The battle raged across four countries and resulted in Samsung being banned from selling the 10.1 tablet in Australia until the argument could be settled. Obviously Samsung was not going to take this lying down and took the original decision to an appeal court. The court sat on Friday and the appeal judge questioned the fairness of the original ruling.The judge felt that the ruling seemed fairer to the team from Apple over the team from Samsung. To be completely honest when you look at the original ruling you can see where the appeal court judge is coming from. The initial ruling allowed Apple to continue selling its tablet computer whilst Samsung was not allowed to sell their 10.1 tablet. The initial ruling did not confirm a infringement it basically said that a full trial would need to be concluded before a firm judgement could be passed. Therefore until this trial has been completed Samsung's tablet is a sitting duck. The appeal judge Lindsay Foster questioned the fairness as the original decision did not take into account the actual effect on Samsung. The company has spent significant amounts of money bringing the tablet to Australia and then they had been shut out of the market. Samsung's lawyer confirmed that the effects of the ruling would actually have "dire consequences" for the company. It is thought that without a reversal in this ban the company will ditch its plans to release the device into the country which subsequently will effect the competitiveness of the Australian market which will be to the detriment of the consumer.Justice John Dowsett from the Australian court said the initial ruling would be put to a review panel that would try and deliver a ruling early next week. Samsung have obviously asked for the injunction to be lifted so that they can take advantage of the remainder of the Christmas period. Justice Dowsett also questioned why Apple had failed to keep detailed accounts showing the affect of the launch of the Samsung 10.1 tablet on the sale of the iPad 2. He questioned why apple would not do this to allow them to submit a damages claim if they were subsequently successful in their patent battle.What is clear is that this battle is set to role on until both parties have seen the inside of a court room. Next week's initial ruling will be a step forward in indicating the way that sales will go over the Christmas period. If you are looking to buy a tablet computer make sure you check the current Apple iPad 2 tablet on the compare shop. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Apple_Vs_Samsung_234.html Sat, 26 Nov 2011 10:48:05 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Toyota_Creates_1500_New_Jobs_233.html Yesterday the motoring giant Toyota announced that it was going to create 1500 new jobs in the UK. The announcement got the highest praise as Prime Minister David Cameron welcomed the plans as excellent news for the UK vehicle market. The jobs will be created off the back of a new £100 million investment from the manufacturer.Toyota was formed in 1933 as a subsidiary to the Toyoda family business. The main business actually manufactured looms for the textile industry. The vehicle arm was released from the parent company in 1937 and its name was changed to Toyota as the name was considered luckier than the Toyoda name. Since that date the manufacturer has grown to become one of the largest names in the automotive industry world. The investment will be focused on the current plant which is based in Derbyshire. The funds will make the plant the European hub for the production of the new Auris model. The Toyota Auris was introduced to the UK market in 2007 after it replaced the Toyota Corolla hatchback model.The Auris is a hatchback that places itself between the current supermini and normal sized family vehicles. As the Auris fits between the two generic sized models it has become very popular with people who find the supermini to small and the family sized vehicle far too large. It has essentially created a niche for itself which has proved very successful.The vehicle comes in the normal 3 and 5 door hatchback models. On the road prices start from £13,500 for the entry model (the Edition) and rises to £15,200 for the SR version. The model has three engine sizes which are the following- 1.3 litre petrol engine 1.6 litre petrol engine 1.4 litre diesel engineThe current manufacturing plant produces 550 vehicles a day and a total of 137,000 vehicles a year. It is not currently known what the new production capacity will be however we expect it to rise to take on further capacity for the demand of the Auris.The move by Toyota to increase production in the UK shows a strategic change in its current production model. The company experienced significant production disruption in 2011 after Japan suffered from two natural disasters in early 2011. Historically the company had the majority of its production in the Japanese region which has now provide itself to be fraught with risk. By moving some of the manufacturing away from this region should see a reduction in the risk of further production disruptions in the future.David Cameron said the strategic move by Toyota showed a huge vote of confidence for the UK automotive industry. He also said that the move had been made due to the skilled and experienced workforce that was available in the UK. What is clear is that this is great news for local Derbyshire plant and surrounding workforce. It is thought that 500 jobs will be created in the next twelve months and the total amount being created within two years.If you are interested buying a Toyota Auris make sure you Compare Car Industry quotes before you commit to buy. By checking the current prices you will be able to make sure you can afford the running costs of the vehicle. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Toyota_Creates_1500_New_Jobs_233.html Fri, 25 Nov 2011 21:53:25 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Electric_Car_Firm_Takes_Over_In_Manchester_232.html Now before we get carried away the firm has not taken over the local council or set an elaborate plan to overthrow the Government. The Manchester Electric Car company has taken over a historical site in Oldham and they will be promoting the use of electric vehicles in the city. The site that will be used is in Hollinwood, now for those of you that don't know this is just outside of central Manchester. The site that will be used is the old Roxy Cinema that was demolished in the town in 2007 after it was closed to the public in 2005 when the owner retired. In the near future a council committee will make a decision on whether to sell the old site to the electric car company. The new company will be privately owned and will have the aim of setting up more charging points across the city. They will also target raising awareness of the benefits of using electricity to power a vehicle instead of using petrol or diesel.The plan will be to push Manchester into the forefront of the electronic revolution. The firm will also set up five promotion points across the city which will be used to promote the benefits of electricity. These units will sell and lease electric vehicles and will act as a hub for the promotion of the scheme.It is thought that the firm will be match funded with the owners providing a share of the equity and the remainder being provided by the Office for Low Emissions. The firm is currently owned in part by Ron Straton (an owner of a Luxury vehicle dealership) and Manchester Lawyer Roger Lane-Smith. The share ownership will also include the Government equity partner however it is not known what the share of equity will be.The site in Hollinwood is in an ideal place for promotion in the city. It sits by a motorway (M60) and a busy A road through the city making access to drives very easy. Once the details of the deal have been released we will update this story. It will be very interesting to see what the effect of this promotion will be and how it will be received by the people of Manchester. As Manchester is one of the most regenerated cities in the country and has a fast growing population if the Government can make an inroad into the usage of electric vehicles here then it could see the scheme being rolled out across the country.If you are looking at changing your vehicle make sure you keep an electric version in mind. When you are looking around for a vehicle make sure you Compare Car Insurance prices as you are looking. You need to know the potential policy cost as it will add to your annual running costs. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Electric_Car_Firm_Takes_Over_In_Manchester_232.html Thu, 24 Nov 2011 17:09:55 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Sharp_LC22DV200E_Review_231.html The Compare Shop review centre looks at the Sharp LC22DV200E LCD TV with built in DVD player. As it is the build up to Christmas 2011 many people look at small television DVD combinations as a present for family. Lots of children ask for this type of item for Christmas so they can watch their DVD's in their own room. So here's our review to help you decide if this TV DVD combo is for you.Firstly the screen is 22 inches in size which makes it ideal for a small bedroom or kitchen. It is best suited to a small bedroom as the DVD will make it to clunky for a kitchen however if you do spend time in the kitchen and would watch a DVD it is much better than trying to buy two separate units. The unit is not fully HD ready which is quite disappointing. As the screen is smaller in size the reduction in picture quality is not as obvious. Also if you are using the Sharp LC22DV200E as a child's television the picture resolution will not be the main selling point. If however you are using this in a master bedroom the picture will be good enough for regular use. The actual resolution is 1366 x 768 pixels which is not far off Full HD. The contrast ratio is 50000:1 and the aspect ratio is 16:9.As this model is set up for a smaller room it is not packed full of connections. It has one HDMI port, 1 RGB port, 1 SCART port, a USB port and an S Video in. This should be enough for any bedroom unless your child has more than one high end games unit. As there is a DVD player built into the unit this frees up one port so we don't think you will find the lack of connections a problem. The USB cable allows plenty of flexibility so you can use the screen for many different things.As with most LCD TV DVD combo's the unit is not extremely thin. As the unit has to house both the electronics for the television and the DVD player it is very hard to make the unit any thinner than it actually is. The whole unit is 67mm deep, with full dimensions of 536.5 x 201 x 396 mm. Whilst the screen is quite thick it is still very portable and usable the whole unit weighs 5100g. Again as with the picture quality the size of this model will not be the most important aspect.As with nearly all new televisions the Sharp LC22DV200E comes fitted with a freeview tuner. This gives you access to plenty of channels to keep everyone entertained. If you are using this in the bedroom having the extra channels really allows you to enjoy the unit much more. As Freeview is digital the picture quality is better than normal non digital television stations.The on screen options are very functional. It is well worth spending some time trying to get used to the controls. As with most LCD TV's you will need to spend time getting the picture set to your specification. What is good is that with the depth of features on this model you will be able to tweak the picture to get it perfect.At the time of writing the RRP on this model was £250 and the price available on the compare shop was £224. Make sure you check the up to date prices before you decide to buy and see what offers are available. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Sharp_LC22DV200E_Review_231.html Thu, 24 Nov 2011 16:22:16 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Samsung_LE32D580_Product_Test_230.html The Samsung LE32D580 under reviewWelcome to the newest edition of the compare shop's review centre. Today we will be looking at the Samsung LE32D580an amazing 32 inch LCD from the television giant. The 32 inch LCD TV is the most popular size on the market so as you would expect the shops are packed with choice. So how does this model do against the stiff competition.Firstly we must pay homage to Samsung the master of the LCD TV market. The range of current models on the market is second to none and they have been so successful they have become many people's television of choice. The LE32D580 fits well in to the current offering from Samsung. The looks of the model are outstanding and it will raise the look of any room the outline of the screen is black with the clear edge adding a futuristic twist to the look. The stand is also clear and the base is thin but strong, having the tin base really adds focus to the screen which adds to the viewing experience. We feel it will look best is a medium sized room with a sleek design. It would go well in a bedroom but it would look to big in a small room so you would need to have a large sized bedroom to optimise the look of the room.The LE32D580 product featuresThe Samsung LE32D580 comes with all of the basics you would expect from a top model such as this. It has freeview as standard and performs extremely well when using the internal freeview tuner. It has all of the normal connections with 4 HDMI connections for all of your high definition connections. Having so many HDMI connections will allow you to connect all of your games consoles and Sky/Virgin service without having to think of going to the back of the unit. It has one SCART cable for those inserts that have not migrated to HDMI yet. The screen can also be used as a PC monitor however I have not yet met anyone who needs a 32 inch LCD TV for their home computer. However if you are thinking of having this in your office the PC input may be good for presentations.The unit comes full HD ready and it delivers an amazing standard of picture. We tested the unit with the basic services all the way up to full HD programmes using a Sky+ HD box. At each level the picture was fantastic and at the top level of HD the screen was crystal clear. Apart from having the full HD ready resolution the Samsung LE32D580 uses the Hyperreal engine function which adds an extra sharpness to the picture. The model also has the clear motion rate function which reduces any blur or distortion of the picture. These errors normally occur when the picture is moving and changing very quickly however these errors are almost fully removed using this technology.The screen also uses Samsungs colour enhancer which sharpens and brightens the colours that are produced. When you view an older style screen against the colour enhancer you really notice how clear, sharp and colourful the individual items actually become after the enhancement.Another clever feature on this model is the All Share functionality. This allows you to connect the LCD TV to to all of the services in your home and share data. Therefore you can view your pictures and videos from your computer through the big powerful screen.If you are looking for a quality 32 inch LCD TV you will have to take the Samsung LE32D580 very seriously. At the time of writing the RRP was around £400.00 the price available at the compare shop was £329.00. Make sure you check the current available prices and see how much you can save. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Samsung_LE32D580_Product_Test_230.html Tue, 22 Nov 2011 20:01:33 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Motorbike_Test_Set_To_Change_229.html We have previously brought you news of how to take and pass your motorbike test. We have learned that the process of taking the test is set to change. In 2013 it is proposed that the current format of testing will change to bring the format up to date for the current demands of road users. The bad news for riders is that the price is set to rise making the cost of getting on the road higher.Currently the process includes an off the road test and an on the road test very similar to the Car test. The new test will merge the two parts into one larger test. Essentially both the on the road and off road parts will be taken at the same time. We think that by merging the two aspects the test will subsequently become harder as riders will not be able to focus on one particular aspect at one time. Every rider that takes the test will have to be fully up to date on both sides of riding before they attempt the test.It is not currently clear how riders who have already taken the theory part of the test will be treated. It is thought that if you have not completed both parts of the test prior to the change over date you will have to take the new format. This will add further cost to those riders who may not have gotten round to completing the on road part of the test. The Government department responsible for the format of the test has confirmed that if any changes to the test are set to come into force there will be a large amount of notice given to riders. Hopefully this will allow riders enough time to make sure they will either be able to complete the older style of the test or wait until the new format comes into form.Whilst this may seem inconvenient it is quite common for riders to take the theory part of the test quite a while before they even contemplate taking the ridden part of the test. Therefore if you where to merge the two sections together it will take longer to get the stage where you are ready to complete both phases.An initial problem we can foresee is that riders may put off learning the theory of the test until the last minute. This will give a longer period when they are learning without knowing or understanding many parts of the road laws. Currently many riders complete the theory test quite quickly therefore it is assumed that they know the theory part of riding and using the road to a high standard. If then people start to take much longer to learn this stage of the test as they will wait until they are on the verge of completing the on road part of the test they will have less road knowledge whilst they are learning.With the cost of the motorcycle test set to rise you need to be more conscious of the other expenses that are associated with riding. One of the main ways of reducing your costs is to get Cheap Bike Insurance. By reducing your premium cost you can cut your monthly expenditure by a huge amount. Over a twelve month period this could more than cover the increased cost of the test. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Motorbike_Test_Set_To_Change_229.html Sun, 20 Nov 2011 20:48:48 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Audi_A1_Sportback_228.html As the world has become more environmentally conscious and the cost of petrol has continued to rise we have seen a new range of small vehicles hit the UK market. The first vehicles to hit the market have been a huge hit with models like Fiats 500 popping up on most streets. So to stay up to date with the current trend some of the larger vehicle manufacturers that would have historically stuck to the larger engine vehicles have tried their hand at the smaller vehicle. Today we are looking at the new version of the Audi A1 the Sportback. The company released its first visuals of the model this week and first impressions are excellent. Firstly from the pictures you can see that this version is a five door that delivers more cabin space for users. This will make the vehicle more functional for potential buyers. Strangely the vehicles wheel base is the same length as the three door model, to allow for the back doors the vehicle has been made wider and taller. Essentially the Audi A1 Sportback sits within the super mini class of vehicles. However by adding the extra space and doors to the model it is thought that the appeal of the super mini class can be broadened. The vehicle is 25 kg heavier due to the additional kit needed to allow the doors to function however this shouldn't compromise the performance at all.The one area that I personally do not like this model is the colour. It comes in an Orange colour with a choice of roof styling's which to be honest looks a bit rubbish. There have been many other manufacturers that have decided to differentiate a particular model (or version of a model) by making it a really bright or outlandish colour. However I personally think this is very short sighted. A brand such as Audi is known and respected for its classically design and extremely efficient vehicles. For me they should not need gimmicks to show a new model off to the public. Where the Audi A1 does continue in the form of the Audi brand is that it carries the amazing Audi engines. The new Sportback will be available with engines from 1.6 litres up to a really high spec 2.0 litre engine which in a small vehicle like this will fly. With performance stats like those available on the Sportback the model will be pitting itself right in the space of the BMW Mini. It will be very interesting to see how the public takes to the Audi A1 Spotback as the Mini has such a huge following.The model will hit UK showrooms in February and we expect it to be a hugely demanded model. The price will be around £14,000 which will not be a stretch for many families. So if you fancy a bit of Audi class on your driveway head over to your local dealer and make sure you are in line for a test drive as soon as they hit the street. What is also great about these smaller vehicles when you Compare Car Insurance prices they generally have lower premiums than the old classic sized vehicles. So it might be worth looking at for economical values as well. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Audi_A1_Sportback_228.html Sat, 19 Nov 2011 21:34:50 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Samsung_LE32D580_Review_227.html Welcome to this instalment of the compare shop LCD TV review centre. This time we will be focusing on the Samsung LE32D580 and seeing how it stands against the stiff competition in the UK LCD TV market. The 32 inch television is one that is designed for a main room in the home. You can look at one for e a bedroom but I would suggest only looking at a screen this size if the bedroom is of a considerable size.The look of this unit is like most other Samsung models "amazing" it is sleek and classy and will raise the standard of any room that it is put in. When you look at the unit face on it looks really good, the screen is flash and the picture quality through the screen is excellent. From the side the unit looks less beautiful, it is not the thinnest model on the market but is by no means chunky.The Samsung LE32D580 is also packed full of technology. The resolution is 1920X1080 which makes it full HD ready, it contains Samsungs Hyper Real visual engine which sharpens the picture. If you are a gamer it has four HDMI sockets, 2 USB connectors, A SCART input, Ethernet connection so you will never be short of connectors to add devices to the main unit. It also has the Samsung All Share technology allowing the wireless connection of all computers and gaming machines where acceptable.The picture quality is excellent as the Hyper Real engine adds that little bit extra to already high quality images. The company has developed an internal algorithm which takes the original pictures and colours and tweaks them slightly to add sharpness and clarity. This algorithm really comes into its own when it is tweaking colours the Wide Colour Enhancer really makes images very life like.The control pannel is very easy to use and comes packed with all of the features you would expect from a top Samsung LCD TV. There is a new Eco Sensor which detects if the unit has been left on and there is no one in the room watching. The unit actually monitors the rooms environment to do this and will shut itself down to save power when it detects there is no one watching.The sound quality is excellent for a standard sized room. If you are thinking of using this model in a large room we would always advise looking at the external speaker units that you can buy for large room. We tested the set using Blu Ray and DVD players and the performance was excellent with both. The single TV remote can also be channelled to control your media player as well to make operation much easier.When using with game systems the Samsung LE32D580 really kicks into high gear. When you use it with HD games the whole experience is enhanced and delivers excellent results. You will really see a big difference when using your Xbox or Playstation with this unit over older or lesser quality models.Overall we think this is an excellent unit for any home. At the time of writing the RRP was £400 with our available price at £329 so there are some great reductions to be found. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Samsung_LE32D580_Review_227.html Sat, 19 Nov 2011 14:56:29 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Retail_Industry_Update_226.html Welcome to this month's retail market update. As you know here at the compare shop we like to write articles about many different subjects. We love writing product review, advice on how to save money on the web and we like to keep you up to date with market information. So please find the October Retail market update.For the first time in a few months we can bring some positive news, the office for national statistics (ONS) has confirmed that retail sales in volume grew by 0.9% in the month of October when compared to the same period last year. This is excellent news for the high street and the UK economy as a whole. This increase in volume has delivered actual pound for pound growth of 5.4% which is a huge jump from the 2010 position.The upward pressure on this figure was driven by non-store retailing such as websites and mail order that saw growth of 11.7%. Whilst this might not be as good for high street stores many of these sales will have been fulfilled by high street retailers. Whilst the numbers are not as headline grabbing as the 11.7% above actual physical store growth saw food retailers grow by 0.3% and non food retailers increased by 0.1%. Behind these figures non specialised department stores saw growth of 2.3% whilst stores selling household products grew 0.3%.Less positive news came from the retailers selling textiles and clothing. This section of the market saw sales reduce by 1%. It is worth noting however that subsequent to this most clothing retailers have entered mid season sales which should put a boost into November's numbers.What is interesting about the above numbers is that the ONS believes that over the October period actual footfall on the high street has fallen. This indicates that the average transaction size has increased. This shows that potentially Christmas shopping has begun slightly earlier this year with people trying to get the bulk of their shopping out of the way before the major November and December rush starts. It also indicates that stores have been able to up sell or cross-sell other products to shoppers that enter their stores. This is an indication that stores are getting their product mix right and that customers are actually finding more products that they want.The ONS confirmed that the headline CPI inflation number had actually relaxed to 5.0% from 5.2% which is great news for the economy and consumers. The main driver behind the 5.0% inflation rate has been the upward pressure on the input prices to clothing. Textile prices have risen at a heavy rate in 2011 which has led to a rise in the cost of clothing. This increase in cost has clearly put shoppers off buying with the clothing sector seeing a drop in sales in October. The major negative note from the above numbers is that the cost of electricity and gas has continued to rise. This is a major contributor to all prices in the market as every business will pay heat and lighting costs. Petrol prices are also under pressure with a planned duty rise on the horizon which is being debated by Government as we speak. So as we start to roll into the Christmas period there are some good numbers coming out from the statistics offices. What is clear is that there will be bargains to be had as we go through this period. Making sure that you spend some time and use Comparison Websites and ensure you always save money on your purchases. Look out for next month's market news which will indicate how Christmas spending has begun. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Retail_Industry_Update_226.html Sat, 19 Nov 2011 10:29:37 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Call_Of_Duty_MW3_Records_225.html When it comes to computer games releases the recent release of Call of Duty MW3 has to be rated as the mother of all releases. In 2011 the games releases have become as high profile as A list Hollywood movies. There are parties, events and celebrity packed functions so how has the mammoth game actually fared now that the parties are over and the celebrities are tucked away.This week Activision has released some headline numbers which indicate that the release of this top game have dwarfed other previous high profile releases. The previous top game released was actually Call of Duty Black Ops which grossed $650 million in its first five days on sale. What is also interesting is that the next game down on this list is also a Call of Duty title which is the original Modern Warfare game which grossed $550 million.So how did the new title do, well it has left the other games in its wake. In the first five days it grossed worldwide sales of $775 million and the total sales to date have grossed $6 billion. If you can get your head around those numbers then it's also worth noting that the game has also topped an Xbox Live chart for most users online in one day. The total number of users that Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 had online in one day was 3.3 million. To put this number in context this is the same as having just under half of the population of greater London playing the game in the same day (all using the same system).The next record that the game has taken is that it is the first entertainment title to set consecutive record breaking five day sales results in three consecutive years. This amazing feat shows that not only is the game extremely successful it also has longevity which in entertainment terms is where the big money is made. What we think is more impressive is that each title has left gamers wanting more of the game each year.The game has generated a massive demand because you can play over the internet in multiplayer modes. Xbox live has reported that by the end of the first day of sale they had collected statistics that showed that games had racked up 7 million multiplayer hours over the network. This truly is an amazing statistic, and for gamers themselves it shows an amazing level of global logistical organisation. Getting fellow gamers online at the same time to play together it not easy in today's fast paced world. What is also interesting is that this usage is up almost 20% on last year's figure which shows that users are increasingly turning to online multiplayer channels.It is also worth keeping in mind that with huge sales and massive interest the game has added a huge spark to global economies. What is also clear is that by achieving records like those mentioned above it shows that by creating a top quality product that brings pleasure to millions generates big business. Well done Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer games for this top title. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Call_Of_Duty_MW3_Records_225.html Fri, 18 Nov 2011 20:43:19 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Panasonic_TXL19D28B_224.html It has been a few weeks since we wrote a product review so when we decided to get back on the review trail we picked a great little product to kick off the new compare shop review season. The Panasonic TXL19D28B is an excellent small sized LCD TV that aims to bring a different quality of viewing pleasure to the small screen market. At 19 inch's this model is one of the smallest performance models on the market so how does actually perform.Firstly I want to tackle the issue of price, this model currently retails at around £340.00. At the time of writing this review the compare shop had the product listed at £239.00 which is the cheapest price on the web. So when we look at the price and compare the quality we will always review the model against the £239 price tag.The Panasonic TXL19D28B is not a main room television (unless you live in a extremely small flat or bedsit). The product is aimed at the second room, bedroom and potentially the kitchen market. When the model is operated within one of its target rooms you will experience its quality in full flow.The model like many Panasonic models is not the best looking of units on the market. The colour is actually a shade of purple, if you don't look very closely you won't actually notice the tint but I can promise you the base colour is not black. Despite the shade of purple the LCD TV will go well in most rooms and will not look out of place unless you have a very striking room.The back of the unit has most of the major connectors. What is unusual is that it doesn't have a USB connection. We expect that this is because Panasonic don't feel that this model will be used with a USB connection. It does however have all the other major connection such as two SCART sockets for those who use gaming machines, and two HDMI connections for high definition usage. Whilst there is no USB connection what is also unusual is that if you look closely at the top of the screen there is an iPod docking connection. This is because this LCD TV can be used as a full iPod dock. It is worth noting that it does not accept connections from the iPod shuffle.The picture quality is fantastic and as this is a 19 inch LCD TV the picture looks extremely vivid. Surprisingly the model has a Vivid Colour processor which enhances the colours of pictures on the screen. What is disappointing about this model and the price that the set is retailed at is that it is not fully HD ready. We don't see why this is the case with most models on the market now delivering the full HD ready service. Despite this the picture is really good and the fact that the screen is smaller actually compensates for the reduction in clarity.The on screen options are wide and you will see most that are listed on all of the Panasonic models. There are some missing that you normally get on the larger models but for a small LCD TV we found the functions are as in depth as you will need.So to give an overall verdict on this product I would have to say that despite it being around the top end of the price range for 19 inch LCD TV's it does just about enough to justify the price tag. Where we think it sets itself ahead of many other similar models is that it has the multifunctions of the television and the iPod docking station. Most people who will use this will do so in their bedroom or small room so they will not be inspecting every inch of the picture quality. However they will notice the functions, it's also worth noting that by having a docking station built into the television will save you the money of buying a separate unit. If you are looking to buy a new LCD TV make sure you Compare LCD TV prices that are currently available. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Panasonic_TXL19D28B_224.html Thu, 17 Nov 2011 20:27:50 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Jaguar_Landrover_Results_223.html Jaguar Land Rover has announced that its financial performance for the trading period ending their second quarter of 2011 has delivered increased results. The luxury vehicle maker has reported that sales were up 30% off the back of its strengthening global presence. The volume of vehicle sales was up a further 14% at 130,000 sales. The strengthened presence in China and Russia were the main driver behind the sales growth.Total sales were up a massive 30% which is a huge jump from the previous trading period and shows a real jump in market strength. It also shows a massive boost in the brand as it grows around the world. This is further excellent news for the company after we announced a few days ago that the company was boosting staff numbers in the UK.The company saw growth in its March 2011 results with vehicle sales volumes reaching 481,000 across its retail and wholesale division. This resulted in a £3 billion jump in sales to a total of £9.8 billion. The sales in the first half of the year have been boosted by further expansion in the company's product range including a new Evoque model.The March 2011 numbers showed the company held just of £1 billion of cash and had £1.4 billion of debt. The net debt position of the company was £377 million which is an excellent net position. The company saw a boost in EBITDA amount which increased its coverage over the company's interest and debt repayments. This is great news for investors and customers alike as the company continues to deliver growth for investors and new fantastic vehicle models for customers.Over the previous ten years the company has created an iconic 4X4 brand of vehicles. The Range Rover vogue, Sport and Evoque models are highly sort after fashion items. These are fashion items that carry a hefty price tag, however customers are more than happy to part with their cash to own and driver one of these vehicles.The company is also carving out the same branding effect for the age old Jaguar range. Gone are the old established looking vehicles and they have been replaced by sleek looking classy models that appeal to the old Jaguar followers and a new age of driver that want to own the class and craftsmanship of a Jaguar.So for the second time this week we say well done to the Jaguar Land Rover family and hope that they continue to deliver top class vehicles and top class results. If you are looking at buying a Jaguar or one of the Range Rover models make sure you Compare Car Insurance quotes before you buy a vehicle. Making sure you know the exact cost of the policy you require will enable you to know that you will not be overstretching yourself financially if you are going to buy one of these top of the range vehicles. As the Jaguar and Land Rover models are at the top end of the vehicle range the premium price will also be in the higher classes. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Jaguar_Landrover_Results_223.html Tue, 15 Nov 2011 20:51:32 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Land_Rover_Increases_Workforce_222.html Jaguar Land Rover is one of the UK's best known and loved vehicle manufacturers. Not only does it produce some of the best and most beautiful vehicles in the woold it also employs thousands of British workers. It will be great news to the UK workforce that the company is set to announce it will be expanding its workforce by approximately 1000 employees at its plant in Solihull.The company is owned by the Indian company Tata Motors and many people will know the Tata family name from many of its other enterprises around the world. The company however has not always been owned by the current Indian parent. Over the years it has seen many owners from the now defunct Rover, Leyland motor company, British Aerospace and even BMW. It has however flourished under the stewardship of the Indian owners.The proposed increase in jobs follows the company's interest in producing new models and designing upgraded versions of its already popular catalogue. This is the second bit of excellent news we have brought you over the past few days following the award of ISO 50001 to Bentley on Friday. This again shows that the UK's automotive manufacturing industry is growing and showing that there can be good news for businesses that work hard and do the right things at the right time.What is interesting about this news is that if the full 1000 increase in headcount is achieved the company will essentially be growing its workforce by well over 20-25% at the Solihull plant. This is excellent news for the local population which has seen tough times in recent years. What is also evident is that the ultimate parent company values the role Jaguar Land Rover plays in the company's future.So why is the Jaguar Land Rover brand doing so well. In recent years you will have noticed the entire fleet of Jaguar vehicles having a complete re-shape. The new vehicles look more like top of the range Aston Martin's rather than the stately homes they used to look like. Along with this the Land Rover catalogue has become somewhat of a fashion brand along with its well know industrial and farming heritage. You are just a likely to see a footballer or actor driving a Land Rover as a farmer pulling a horsebox.With the increase in brand desirability a huge increase in demand has followed. New models of the Range Rover and Jaguar ranges are highly sought after by anyone who can afford one. Particular models such as the Range Rover Vogue and Sport have been hugely successful and will continue to deliver demand as long as the company keeps them looking and feeling luxurious.The plant in Solihull has seen a year on year rise in production as it continues to focus on the Land Rover and Range Rover models. So all we can say is well done to the company and keep it up. Manufacturing is where economic recovery will come from and with highly desirable and exportable brands such as Jaguar and Land Rover being produced at higher volumes will only boost the UK recovery.If you are in the market for a performance vehicle such as a Range Rover or Jaguar make sure you save as much money as you can by buying Cheap Car Insurance. Make sure you have a full market comparison so you ensure that the policy you buy is not only the best price but also that it fits your needs 100%. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Land_Rover_Increases_Workforce_222.html Sun, 13 Nov 2011 17:52:36 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Bentley_Achieves_ISO_50001_221.html An automotive plant based in Crewe owned by Bentley Motors Limited the prestige vehicle maker has achieved a new level of environmental standard. By achieving the ISO 50001 the UK manufacturing plant based in Crewe is the first automotive plant in the UK to achieve this standard. This is great news for the industry and the vehicle maker that was founded in 1919.The plant in Crewe is the first in the UK and one of the first in the world to achieve the standard which has been available for only a few months. This award further establishes the UK automotive industry as one of the best in the world. The ISO 50001 standard is awarded after a stringent audit by an external party. This award also shows that the UK automotive industry is committed to long term improvements in environmental efficiency.To achieve the ISO standard a company must show that it is focusing on and achieving environmental impact reductions in many areas. These include the level of energy efficiency, the amount of energy actually used and the amount of reduction in energy consumption achieved. With reductions in environmental effects being high on many companies strategies achieving this award at such an early stage is a huge positive for Bentley.The company achieved the award so quickly as it has focused on energy consumption for some time. Bentley has made some great strides in energy efficiency over the past ten years which shows by focussing on this issue can achieve some great savings. Specifically the company focused on improving heating and lighting systems.By targeting on these systems specifically the company was able to develop a much better boiler system to heat the plant. They also upgraded the compressed air system that serviced the plant that delivered significant efficiencies. Over the past ten years the company has vastly increased vehicle production at the Crewe based plant and over this period the plant has not seen a significant increase in impact on the environment.Where many other companies will also sit up and take notice is that there is a significant cost saving involved in energy efficiency. Whilst in many cases there is an upfront cost that the company will have to fund the long term benefits can outweigh this cost. The cost savings are also delivered along with many public relations benefits that follow by achieving such an award.What we found impressive was that the company had made it possible to recycle 77% of energy used at the plant. We were also impressed that the company had set itself a steep recycling target of 80%. Whilst it has not been able to hit this target to date recycling 77% is a huge achievement.It is also worth noting that the plant in Crewe is a very important part of the UK economy. It employs 4000 people and is one of the major employers in Crewe. It also produces a world leading range of motor vehicles. The brand is synonymous with luxury and quality which is the envy of many manufacturers.The Crewe plant was bought by Bentley from Volkswagen in 1998 and since this date date Bentley has continued to invest in the plant and its infrastructure. Winning awards such as the ISO 50001 is a testament to this commitment and is well deserved.Whilst most people cannot afford a Bentley for their day to day vehicle by making sure you buy Cheap Car Insurance you can start yourself on the way to affording one. The average starting price of £130,000 makes the Bentley one of the highest priced vehicles on the market. We are sure that you get an impressive vehicle for your money and one that comes with a huge set of green credentials. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Bentley_Achieves_ISO_50001_221.html Fri, 11 Nov 2011 21:09:10 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Women_Drivers_Hurt_More_In_Accidents_220.html A shocking title and a shocking new bit of research. A team of researchers at one of America's top universities has claimed that female drivers are more likely to be badly hurt in a vehicle crash than male drivers. Now before there are any jokes made about driving quality the research claims that this is the case in similar accidents and when both types of driver are wearing a seat belt.The findings are very interesting and are based on a study of forty five thousand crash incidents that happened in over an eleven year period in the USA. Whilst there were some factors that provided some differences (such as men had more accidents in commercial vehicles whereas women had more accidents in passenger vehicles) these were accounted for to provide the headline figure that women are 47 per cent more likely to suffer severe injuries.As there are no discrepancies within the results its worth looking at how this can be the case. The report outlines that obviously there are vast physiological differences between males and females. Males on average are taller, heavier and physically stronger than females. In particular the report highlighted that the key areas were neck strength and seating posture within the vehicle.Firstly let's look at neck strength as an underlying factor. On average a male neck is wider and deeper than females. In basic terms it has a broader base from which to operate on. The average male neck size is approximately 15 1/2 inches whilst this is approximately 13 1/2 inches for a female.This is not to say that by simply increasing neck size by adding body mass would reduce the risk of injury. The strength of the neck is what is key to this statistic, a healthy male neck of 15.5 inches will contain more raw muscle mass than an average healthy female with a neck size of 13.5 inches. It is unfortunately as simple as that.Seating posture within a vehicle is actually a very difficult point to combat. The vehicle seat is designed for an average sized male, unfortunately as males are the larger of the species the seating size and posture settings are built around those measurements. This is very easy to see as everyone will have sat in a vehicle where they felt much comfier than other vehicles. This will simply be because your shape and size fits that vehicle much better. Unfortunately whilst in many vehicles you can now fit the back and side supports to your body the headrest is much harder to position if you head does not appear above the back of the seat.So for females there may be a few extra steps to take to reduce the risk of severe injury in an accident. These are as follows-1) Make sure you exercise regularly with a focus on the neck and core strength regions. There are some simple exercises that can be done at home to strengthen the neck and back.2) Investigate the seating position of your vehicle3) invest in an adjustable posture specific seat insert and have this set to your specific needs.As it's clear that females are in a higher risk category we always state that you should check that your Car Insurance policy is comprehensive and up to date. Make sure you Compare Car Insurance policies before you buy to check that you have the best policy for your needs. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Women_Drivers_Hurt_More_In_Accidents_220.html Wed, 9 Nov 2011 20:38:39 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Marco_Simoncelli_Tribute_Lap_219.html Whilst the Moto GP racing calendar moved on to Valencia the riders in the championship lined up to pay tribute to their fallen comrade. Before the grand prix got underway the championships riders performed a lap of honour for Marco Simoncelli.Simoncelli died at the age of 24 on 23rd October 2011 whilst on the second lap of the Malaysian Grand Prix. He lost control of his motorbike and shot across the track losing his helmet and hitting two fellow racers. Following his death Simoncelli's body was taken to his homeland where mourners were allowed to pay tribute to the superstar at an open coffin memorial. He was subsequently buried on October 27th.The tribute lap in Valencia was lead by his friend Kevin Schwantz who rode Simoncelli's world famous Honda. The lap was an amazing sight and ended by a full two minute firecracker salute in front of a packed grid.The death of Marco Simoncelli has truly rocked the world of motorsport. He was a fans favourite who always thrilled and excited viewers. He died doing something that he loved and his amazing racing spirit will live on in the archives of motor racing history.We have always tried to stress the importance of being safe whilst out riding. It is vastly important to always take as much care as possible whilst out on the track or road. Making sure you are not in any danger of being hurt or causing others to get hurt. We recommend having your motorbike service regularly and that you always check your Bike Insurance policy is up to date and comprehensive. Always take note of weather and road conditions altering your riding style to suit the conditions. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Marco_Simoncelli_Tribute_Lap_219.html Tue, 8 Nov 2011 20:59:06 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Harley_Davidson_Recalls_250000_Bikes_218.html It has come to our attention that Harley Davidson the world famous motorbike manufacturer has recalled some 250,000 bikes. This drastic action has been forced on the company as they found that many bikes have a faulty brake light switch. The recall is being organised with the assistance of the National Highway Safety Administration. The recall will consist of certain model numbers built between 2009 and 2012.The affected models are as following FLHTK 2010-2012FLHTP 2009-2012FLHX 2009-2012FLHXSE 2010FLHXSE2 2011FLHXSE3 2012FLHXXX 2011FLHT 2009-2010FLHTC 2009-2012FLHTCU 2009-2012FLHTCUSE4 2009FLHTCUSE5 2010FLHTCUSE6 2011FLHTCUSE7 2012FLHTCUTG 2009-2012FLHP 2009-2012FLHPE 2009-2011FLHR 2009-2012FLHRC 2009-2012FLTR 2009FLTRSE3 2009FLTRU 2010-2012FLTRUSE 2011FLTRX 2010-2012FLTRXSE 2012The above model numbers relate to the Harley Davidson models Touring, CVO Touring, and Trike series. Initial reports state that the problem with the brake like is caused by the exhaust system generating excess heat which potentially causes the brake light connection to fail when the brake system is used. As the exhaust system is overheating the company has also issued a warning that the issue may also cause brake fluid to leak from the motorcycle. If the fluid is released then the performance of the rear braking system may be compromised causing a reduction in brake performance. This is a massive blow to the world famous manufacturer which was formed in Milwaukee in Wisconsin. It is the first major issue for a motorcycle brand since the recent issues seen by the Toyota car manufacturer. As the company has a huge brand following it is not yet known if this large scale recall of products will harm the manufacturer in the long term.The team will keep an eye out for any further news from Harley Davidson regarding this issue and we will bring it to you as soon as we hear it. Stories like this and the one relating to Toyota make it clear that you need your Bike Insurance up to date and as comprehensive as you can get it. Hopefully you will not need it but if you do it pays to check you have all the correct level of cover in place. Make Sure you Compare Bike Insurance quotes so you have the best policy for your needs. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Harley_Davidson_Recalls_250000_Bikes_218.html Mon, 7 Nov 2011 16:37:43 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Sony_KDL32CX520_Review_217.html Welcome to the compare shop's latest blog. In this edition we will be reviewing the Sony KDL32CX520 which is a top 32 inch TV. We are focussing our attention on this model as over the past few weeks we have seen some great prices available on our comparison engine. So as the price seems to be getting more attractive we thought we should take the time to cast our eye over the model and see what it's made of and see if it's worth the money.Like most of the Sony LCD TV range the looks are not the main feature of the unit. This is the case with this model, whilst it is not an ugly looking TV it does not match the style of any of the Samsung LCD TV range. However this should not put you off purchasing this model, the technology within the plastic is fantastic.This television is full 1080p HD ready which is what you can expect as standard from any Sony LCD TV model. The picture quality that is generated is fantastic and you will not see any distortion or pixilation when using this unit. The Sony KDL32CX520 also stands up well against other players when you switch to watching a full HD movie or TV channel.It has all of the usual connectors so you can have all of your gadgets connected to the unit at one time. A great addition to this model is that it is full Wi-Fi enabled so you don't have to take up all of the connections on the back of the screen. Using the Wi-Fi system as much as possible also means you don't have to have as many wires around the screen making your room look messy.As an addition to the full 1080p HD technology Sony have developed a new dimension called the X-Reality picture sensor. This new bit of kit works with low grade pictures and video which you would normally find on the internet. As this LCD TV is internet enabled you can watch You Tube videos and stream other videos through the screen. If you are doing this the X-Reality engine will pick up the low grade picture and start to enhance the picture to upgrade the viewers' experience. To do this it makes subtle changes to the texture, contrast and outline of the pictures which make them look enhanced.A nice little extra to the Sony KDL32CX520 that gives it some top green credentials is that the unit monitors the surrounding atmosphere and movements. When the unit is left on (not in standby) and the atmosphere stagnates and there is no movement in the room the television will turn itself off. Before doing this however it does analyse the atmospheric data to make sure you'r not watching a film and have just gone quiet.Something that I personally like is that the model is Skype enabled. If you don't know what Skype is it's basically an online instant messaging and telephone service. So if like me you use Skype daily to keep in touch with friends and relatives you can add this to your television. Staying on these lines you can also use some of the social networking features from Facebook and Twitter on this television. You can't as yet use the whole function catalogue however there are preset widgets which you can enjoy.So to round things off it's clear that the Sony KDL32CX520 is a great television. Whilst it does not look as good as some of its competitors it certainly does the business from a technology perspective. With prices now coming in at around £320 we are happy to say that this is a must see television if you're in the market for a top 32 inch TV. See the latest available prices here Sony KDL32CX520 Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Sony_KDL32CX520_Review_217.html Mon, 7 Nov 2011 15:14:02 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Win_an_Apple_iPad_2_Instantly_216.html You Can Now Win Any Product Listed on The Compare Shop. Simply search using the above search bar, find a product you want and try and win it. Below we have listed an iPad 2 that you can win right now.The iPad has taken the world by storm and we are delighted to be able to offer you the opportunity to have one of the world's best devices for absolutely nothing. So to win one of these fantastic products click the big star below and within the next 5 minutes you can have one of these items on its way to your home. If you want to see how the Instant Win Competition system works see here>          To help you see how great and functional this product is please see the function list below.Firstly the iPad 2 is much thinner than the original model which makes it feel and look much better. The original model was amazing however when you put it next to the new model it looks slightly clunky and large. The unit is powered by a dual core A5 processor. The new processor allows the applications available for the iPad to work quicker and makes it easier to use more than one application at the same time. This also allows the applications to load and work much faster which makes using the iPad a much more pleasurable experience. One of the most impressive functions of the iPad is how it works and loads instantly. You simply open your protective screen or touch the power button at the back of the unit and you are instantly able to use the applications. So if you're on the go it makes it really quick and simple to work with the iPad 2. The battery is much more powerful than the original model with a huge 10 hour life. Whilst this does reduce when you are using the unit to its full potential it still manages to last a whole day. As you most probably will not be using the unit all day you will not find it runs out of power like the iPhone. Another great addition to this model is the two way camera option. You have a small camera on the screen of the iPad 2 for using with Skype and face time plus there's one on the back of the unit to take photographs or switch view whilst calling. It's really simple to use this function and the quality is amazing. you can also record video which you can easily upload to the web if you choose. Please also see the current prices available for the iPad 2 on the compare shop. Follow this link to find out what amazing deals you can find. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Win_an_Apple_iPad_2_Instantly_216.html Sun, 6 Nov 2011 11:29:10 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Bridgestone_Against_MOT_Changes_215.html The UK Government has spent the past few months trying to find ways to boost the economy. Over the past few weeks it has emerged that one of the plans is to extend the MOT testing period from one year to two year intervals. This would cut the cost of motoring for UK drivers as the cost of the test and any works required would be put back by a further year.There has been many debates over the past few weeks in regards to this proposed change with many discussing safety issues as a top priority. Many experts and organisations have come out stating that extending the MOT period to two years would run a huge risk to motorists. Whilst they may have more money in their pockets in the short term there may be more accidents caused by poorly conditioned vehicles.The latest to add their weight to the argument is the tyre powerhouse Bridgestone. They have confirmed that they believe that vehicle safety would be significantly compromised by extending the period. This will come as a massive blow to the UK Government as Bridgestone is a world leading tyre maker and authority on tyre safety.The reason for Bridgestone's comments is linked to the quality of tyres specifically. Their representative believes that most people do not check their tyre degradation regularly and the MOT testing period had proved as a way to make sure this was efficiently checked. As the tyre is being looked at by someone with a high degree of vehicle knowledge it is not just basic degradation that is highlighted. Bridgestone also think that other tyre failures are picked up at the MOT station that would not normally be noted with a quick check.The increase in the MOT testing interval would add a further years mileage to the normal testing period. With many users driving way over ten thousand miles a year a worn tyre could be run for twenty thousand miles before a problem is picked up. This could severely reduce the handling of the vehicle which could increase the likelihood of an accident.The tyre industry has made previous calls for an improvement in the way testing takes place. Currently a tyre has to have at least 1.6mm of tyre tread depth on the day of the test. If a vehicle only marginally passes this test the MOT station only has to warn the driver of the potential issue. The driver then has a further 12 months before they get tested again. Under the new rules if this were the case this would extend by a further twelve months so at the next testing juncture the tyre would be way less than the 1.6mm depth.Another worry would be that if there is an increase in the number of illegal tyres on the road there could be an increase in drivers in a spot of trouble. Bridgestone state that it has proven that the average motorist will only buy new tyres when they have to, and this will normally be around the MOT testing date. If there is an increase in the number of unsafe tyres vehicles would find it more difficult to cope with the increasingly erratic British weather.So with Bridgestone adding its name to the list of protestors (including the NTDA and Tyresafe organisations) David Cameron and his administration are coming under big pressure to reassess their potential change.If you think the extra £100 in your pocket would be a great help to you make sure you Compare Car Insurance prices each year to see how much you can save on your basic policy. Many people can save way over the £100 that this new motion could save you. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Bridgestone_Against_MOT_Changes_215.html Sun, 30 Oct 2011 17:09:26 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/September_Automotive_Figures_214.html In our recent article we outlined how important the automotive industry is for the UK's economic recovery. We outlined the current year to date output and the plans for the coming years. So we thought we would follow this up by bringing you some more specific numbers for the month of September to show the current up to date performance.So what do the September numbers look like. Well we're happy to announce that the manufacturing output rose by an amazing 7.5% which is a huge jump in production. This monthly growth has enabled the manufacturing output to hit a 4.8% growth figure over the first nine months of 2011. These figures will have the big guns in Whitehall cracking a smile as there is very little good news around at the minute.As we reported earlier the UK produced double the income from engine production in 2010 than vehicle manufacturing. So it is also great news that engine production has followed the overall manufacturing numbers in September and has grown by 6.6%. Over the first nine months engine production has increased by 6.0%.Growth figures in September have come off the back of renewed investment from the major automotive players in the UK market. This has been boosted as production has been hit in other strong manufacturing countries such as Japan where natural disasters have seen breakages in production. It is also thought that since the natural disasters have left some automotive producers in difficulty other players have started to focus their production efforts in less volatile markets in the world. As the UK is highly skilled and has the infrastructure to provide flexibility to production lines it has seen a huge flight to safety in 2011.It is estimated that the new fully committed investment from automotive brands will add up to £3.5 billion to the UK manufacturing output over the coming years. Having such a big jump in investment will allow the UK to become more of a force in automotive manufacturing. It will allow the UK to restore some of the business it had lost over the past 20 years and more importantly put some of those skilled workers back on the production line.To add further weight to the UK offering the automotive social calendar is jam packed for the remainder of 2011. And whilst many events are around information updates and technological advances there is a strong undertone of generating business for the UK market.Whilst the headline numbers in the UK manufacturing market are looking good we all need to focus on our own budgets to keep our own finances in order. Make sure you buy Cheap Car Insurance to keep your monthly budget under control. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/September_Automotive_Figures_214.html Sun, 30 Oct 2011 15:26:20 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/UK_Automotive_Economic_Data_213.html Economic conditions across the world are still in a very fragile state. In the past 7 days the European leaders have finally been able to put a solid plan around the Euro zone recovery. As there is such a fragile state we thought we would give you some headline numbers for the UK automotive industry to show you how much it contributes and what its current state is.One of the most surprising headline numbers is that the automotive industry only represents around 3% of the UK's total GDP. This is an amazingly small number when you think of the average spend on automotive products. Interestingly the automotive manufacturing industry accounts for roughly two thirds of the UK's manufacturing income. These two numbers indicate the reduced level of manufacturing that occurs within the UK borders. The total automotive income in the UK accounts for about £50 billion in turnover year on year. Across the country the industry employees around 700,000 people. So whilst the value added income is low in percentage terms to toal GDP it is clear that it is very important in terms of employment. What is more interesting is that the automotive industry accounts for 10% of the UK's total export income. So with the Governments economic focus on growing exports the automotive industry could see more pressure to win more contracts and produce more income.Automotive Manufacturing-The UK is world renowned for manufacturing and production excellence. If a company requires a quality high specified product the UK is always on the list of countries to talk too. Where the country falls down is the level of the labour cost which makes it difficult for volume and value vehicle producers to consider the UK for major projects. Despite this the UK still houses seven plants for volume vehicle producers, on top of this there are six commercial vehicle manufacturers. Each year there are around one million vehicles produced and two million engines produced each year. The UK has 11 specialist bus manufacturers and 10 niche vehicle producers. Where the UK does stand head and shoulders above the rest of the world is in formula 1. Despite many of the teams being foreign eight of the teams are housed within a small radius in the UK.Supply Chain-Behind the headline names in the automotive industry sits a large number of supply chain companies that are in place to serve the end manufacturer. These companies provide individual components and services that all fit into the production process. Interestingly the UK is actually set up to be able to supply around 80% of all the components required to build a vehicle. Behind the top seven volume manufacturers there are around 2,400 second stream businesses that supply the end manufacturer.Forecasts-As there is a focus on UK increasing exports there is a large push from Government to source products from the UK and export the final product to other nations. It is estimated that around £50 million will be invested by the UK central Government over the next 3 years to help manufacturers gear up for a boost in production. The Government and industry leaders are expected to lobby large vehicle companyies to try and secure new large contracts.It is thought that there will be approximately 1.9 million new vehicle registrations in 2011 which is down on a like for like figure from 2010. This figure is expected to grow in 2012 as the economy begins to recover and grow in confidence. Recent News-In the last few months Nissan has announced a new 25 year manufacturing programme at its Sunderland plant. this was great news for the North East as the security of the Sunderland plant had been in question for some time. Jaguar Landrover announced it was going to invest nearly £400 million at its Midlands plant to improve its environmental impact. Jensen announced it would be producing its new vehicle at their plant in Coventry.With the excellent news coming out of the automotive industry it is very important that you maintain the amount of money you spend on your vehicle. Making sure you Compare Car Insurance year on year is more important than ever. By reducing the amount you spend gives you more disposable money to keep your finances strong. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/UK_Automotive_Economic_Data_213.html Sun, 30 Oct 2011 11:08:58 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Samsung_Chat_ON_212.html As the world looks at the mobile phone market as the big players hustle for top spot Samsung Monile Phone has announced a new tool that should put a big chink in the competitions armour. Samsung has announced its new Chat ON tool which will be their version of mobile instant messenger.The popularity of the mobile instant messenger bizarrely came to light at the height of the UK summer riots. It became clear that many people were communicating under the radar using blackberry's instant messenger. After the tension had died down the people interviewed about the riots made it clear they chose the blackberry model as the instant messenger service was excellent. And due to the way blackberry's technology works messenger allows them to communicate with contacts undetected.Apart from Blackberry Apple has also developed its own instant messenger called iChat which has been live on the Apple Handsets for some time. The major restriction with the Blackberry and Apple version of messenger is that they only work with compatible handsets. So you can only use Blackberry messenger and iChat on the phones of the same brand.Samsung has decided to change the mould by allowing their instant messenger to be downloadable on any compatible mobile phone. So you will not have to own a Samsung Mobile Phone to be able to use the new Chat ON application. The application will be downloadable from the android App store and you will be able to chat across brand straight away.Recent research has shown that Samsung has taken the top spot in the mobile phone market. Adding this extremely popular service to their repertoire will add an extra string to an already impressive bow. It will be interesting to see how other mobile brand users react to the new Chat On service. It might be that people end up using more than one instant messaging service to keep in touch with all of their friends. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Samsung_Chat_ON_212.html Sat, 29 Oct 2011 16:36:05 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Tablet_Computers_for_Business_211.html This invention of the tablet computer was mainly aimed at the consumer market. It was thought that consumers have a demand for quick fully functional internet access that cannot be delivered by a mobile phone or notebook. The extra functions that applications can bring to a tablet were another hook aimed at popular consumer interests.As the main tablet computers like the Apple iPad and the Samsung Galaxy became increasingly popular application makers started to design programmes for the business user. It was quickly identified that many tablet computers were being sold as a convenience item for business people who would use them on the train or between meetings. So the implementation of tablets into the office and business environment has started to grow.The latest statistics show that one in five businesses actively use tablet computers in their day to day operations. This is quite staggering as it shows that the items are being taken seriously by some major organisations and they clearly believe they can add value to the business environment. However and what we find more interesting is that of the number of tablets used in the workplace over 70% of them are owned personally by the employees.So why is this the case, are UK businesses pushing staff into buying tablets and taking all the benefit. Interestingly this does not seem to be the case, what actually seems to be happening is that UK employers are setting up purchasing agreements with their staff which allows the member of staff to own the tablet with the firm getting its use. So how are they doing this?Well to be completely honest it seems to be happening in many different ways. The most popular seem to be the following-1) Through an interest free employee loan. This scheme works like the older schemes such as bike to work. The company buys the unit for the employee and the employee pays it back through monthly payments through your pay packet. There are many benefits to the employee of doing this. Firstly as the company will buy a large quantity of the item the purchase price will be much lower than on the high street, this saving is passed to the employee. The employee gets to buy the item right away without having to worry about saving up first. Finally as the payment is taking direct from the employees salary there is not chance that the employee will miss any payments.2) Through a shared payment scheme. With this method the employee will pay for the item in cash on the first day of ownership. However the employer will also pay a percentage of the purchase price. So unlike the first option the amount that the employee will pay is much less however they do have to have the cash to buy the item straight away.The similarity between the two methods is that the employee has to be able to use the tablet computer as part of their daily work. So what are the benefits to the company of using an iPad or Galaxy in their work place.1) The "cool factor" which might sound simple however it does seem to have a positive effect on business. It is thought that using the new technology gives clients and consumers the impression that the business is up to date and not stuck in the past. 2) The increased reliance on the internet. Having the internet to hand and more important portable allows the service and quality of the website to be brought onto a shop floor or office building. Large static computers or laptops are seen as less attractive especially in a retail space so showing the online service on an attractive tablet increases the user experience.3) Employee Engagement. Let's be honest most people would love an apple iPad if they could get their hands on one. Most people would be happy to pay the money if they had it. So if the employer is saying that they identify this and are happy to help their employee's purchase these items is seen as a positive step in employer employee relations.So with tablet computers becoming more prevalent in UK business we can see that they will go from strength to strength. We also expect the quality and functionality of available applications will continue to get much better. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Tablet_Computers_for_Business_211.html Sat, 29 Oct 2011 14:00:17 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Instant_Win_210.html As you will be well aware the compare shop is a budding price comparison website. We have spent over 12 months refining our service to make the experience our user's have when they visit us is second to none. So it is great to announce that we have added a new function to our service which will blow your mind.Normally when you access a price comparison website you have a number of options that allow you to find the products you want and find the cheapest prices on the market. Now at the compare shop you can shop for the cheapest prices and before you choose to buy something you can now try and win them first.Now entering a competition might not blow your mind like we initially promised the twist comes in the level of service we provide with our competitions. As we know you will be looking for cheap products that you want to buy we know you don't want to wait till a closing date that is three months down the line. So we are going to let you play an Instant Win game in order to find out if you can have the product you want for free before you purchase at the cheapest price.So how does this work. It's actually very simple you search, compare and win. Read our dedicated Instant Win page to see the competition in action and the screens you will see when you try and win. In short you search for a product, compare the prices we have on offer and the click our instant win star to enter the competition. You simply tell us your delivery details and pick three numbers, if these match our randomly generated numbers you win the product.Within 24 hours we buy this product on your behalf and allow the retailer to send the product directly to you. So essentially we will purchase your shopping for you! So what can you actually win? Here is the second twist, you can win any product on the website. It doesn't matter if you want a pen for £1 or an iPhone 4s all you have to do is select a product and try your luck.So when your searching round the website for the products you want simply look for the gold star (below) click it and see how you get on.            Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Instant_Win_210.html Tue, 25 Oct 2011 19:46:59 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Used_Car_Buyers_Guide_209.html When you look to buy a used car you can find yourself in a very difficult position. Not because you can't afford the vehicle or because you don’t know what you want, it’s because you might not know what lies beneath what’s in front of you. Now this article is not going to tell you how to pull a vehicle apart and put it back together it is an article that will give you some quick signals to look for to give you the indication that something might not be quite right.What you also need to take into account that when we say things might not be quite right this does not mean you are about to buy a lemon or a cut and shut disaster. Sometimes just having a few details that are not 100% accurate will mean that you are paying more than what the vehicle is worth.So here are our quick pointers that any potential buyer can use to spot that things are not 100% as they may seem (and you won’t need your overalls to put them to use). When you are looking for a particular vehicle always check out the manufacturer’s official used vehicle retailer. Whilst the prices from these places might be slightly higher than the independent garage down the road you will find that the manufacturer will ensure that a certain level of testing is completed before the vehicle is listed for sale. You will also find that you will receive some level of manufacturer’s warranty that can provide piece of mind for any nervous buyer. You also have a greater chance that the larger retailer will still be on the high street two or three years down the line if you have a problem. The independent retailer can easily shut up shop or move. Check the vehicles mileage against the number of years the vehicle has been on the road. Today most vehicles will easily complete well over a hundred thousand miles however if you feel the mileage may be excessive for a vehicle that is only 2-3 years old then you should ask how the vehicle has been driven and what it was used for. More importantly the mileage will have a big input on the sale price. The higher the mileage and the younger the age will reduce the price quite significantly. Set out what options you wish to have on a vehicle. If you find a vehicle that says it has many extras on it and when you turn up it has a few less extras than you thought don't accept any explanation from the sales staff. The item has been listed incorrectly to make it seem much more desirable. If you are still interested in the vehicle as the missing extras were not essential to you make sure the price is adjusted to take into account for the drop in specification. Check the number of registered owners the vehicle has had. Like with mileage it is commonly accepted that the higher the number of owners the lower the price should be. This theory is quite simple if you have a vehicle with one owner it is easy to track how the vehicle has been run. This can be checked by the mileage and regular service intervals. If this number increases it is harder to tell how the vehicle has been driven and cared for. You also have a higher risk that one of the number of drivers has been a poor driver or been a bad keeper. it is also worth checking how the vehicle is advertised as above if the vehicle states one owner and you find out it has had three then you need to ask the question why this is the case. Make sure you can actually drive the model you are actually being sold. Now this may seem like a silly statement however it is regular that people turn up to view a vehicle to find out it has been sold. They are then offered a similar vehicle which may be slightly bigger or have a bigger engine. You need to be aware that a vehicle with a 1.8 litre engine will be much different than a vehicle with a 1.2 litre engine. So if you are looking for a particular type or style make sure you stick to your criteria not the salespersons. If you do attend a garage and the vehicle advertised has been sold make sure you take some level of caution especially if the advert was published the previous day. You will often find dealers list vehicles they previously had at a low price to generate interest. Check the guide line price for the vehicle you are going to look at. This is for many reasons firstly to make sure the vehicle is listed at an appropriate price. Secondly and you might find this quite interesting if you try and negotiate and the price is quite easily dropped by a significant amount. If this does happen you might want to wonder why this is the case. Dealers will always try and sell their vehicles for as much of a mark up as possible if you find the price way below the list price you can guarantee that the vehicle was purchased for much less than you initially thought. Make sure that the price on the vehicle is the same as the advertised price. It is also quite common to turn up and the vehicle may be on the forecourt at a higher price. You can easily be given the excuse that the advert was wrong or the demand for the vehicles has increased which is reflected in the current price. As an extension to the above mileage point check the condition of the vehicle to the advertised age and mileage. For example if a vehicle is listed with 5,000 miles on the clock and the tread on the tyres is worn either vehicle has been driven poorly or the mileage may be higher than that shown on the dashboard. Ask to see the vehicles service history records. Check this against the advertisement online or in the window. If the advert states full service history and you subsequently find this is not the case the vehicle price may be being inflated. If you do pick anything like this up make sure you ask questions about all point of the vehicle. Trying to find out if the vehicle has been in an accident can be very difficult if someone want to try and pull the wool over your eyes. A few simple checks can normally throw up some evidence of an accident. Check the spacing between the bonnet and the doors if there are areas that are not similar the vehicle body shape has been changed in some way. This does not always mean an accident but it gives you questions to ask of the seller. Separately check the colour of each body panel and make sure they match perfectly. If any subsequent paint has been added to the vehicle there will be a slight difference in colour. If a warranty is offered always ask to have this explained to you in detail. Ask specifically to have explained what is and is not covered. This will normally show up a poor warranty and a decent one. Firstly if the adviser doesn't understand the warranty or cannot explain it this speaks volumes about who is trying to sell you a vehicle. Secondly you will easily see how many things are covered or not covered. Make sure you independently check a vehicles fuel consumption and energy rating. This will determine the amount of road tax you will pay. If the amounts are understated you will quickly find that the number you are being told are not quite right.A good piece of advice if you are not 100% comfortable grilling a salesman is to look at employing someone to do the vehicle check for you. Many of the top garages will offer this service and you can find independent specialists who will do this for you and produce you a comprehensive vehicle report.Make sure you Compare Car Insurance prices before you go and view a vehicle. Do not accept the policy group a salesman tells you on the forecourt. You need to know what this additional cost will be as it will significantly add to your vehicle running cost. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Used_Car_Buyers_Guide_209.html Mon, 24 Oct 2011 20:42:45 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Marco_Simoncelli_Dies_208.html Today the world of MotoGP has been rocked with the news that the up and coming superstar Marco Simoncelli died at the age of 24. The rider was competing at the 2011 MotoGP in Sepang Malaysia when disaster struck. The race was in its infancy and on turn 11 on only the second lap Simoncelli's bike shot across the track out of control. As the bike hit the turn Simoncelli lost control and on the bikes way across the track it ran into the oncoming path of fellow racers Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards.In the middle of the accident Marco Simoncelli lost his helmet and was hit by both oncoming riders. The marshals reacted immediately and the race became under red flag conditions. As in any other red flag situation race co-ordinators looked to move the race forward quickly and get the riders back under race conditions. However when the extent of Simoncelli's injuries became clear the race was cancelled.The race medical director confirmed that Simoncelli had died and that he had suffered severe injuries to his head, chest and neck. It was also confirmed that within the same incident the American rider Edwards had dislocated his shoulder.Whilst all motorsports are extremely dangerous death within the sport is not a regular occurrence. However it is only a short time since it was reported that Dan Wheldon had lost his life in a terrible accident in the Los Vegas Indycar event. It is worth noting that there has not been a death in MotoGP since 2003.Whilst it would be easy to try and jump all over the sport and start questioning the safety of these events we are sure that internal investigations will be concluded that will satisfy any questions people may have. We are more interested in the man that was Marco Simoncelli and would like to pay tribute to him and the passion he showed to his sport.Simoncelli initially become known to the world in 1996 as he rose in stature in the Italian Minimoto Championship. Before moving on from the Minimoto he took two consecutive titles which allowed him to move to the more taxing 125cc bikes. After a couple of years within the 125cc class Simoncelli moved to the world championship in 2003 where he instantly made a name for himself.It took until 2008 for Simoncelli to register his first race win in the 250cc class which saw him have a solid season. In 2009 Simoncelli confirmed he was moving to the world of MotoGP where he continued to build on an already accomplished career.In the current 2011 season many tipped Simoncelli to be one of the riders to watch and he did not disappoint. He finished a solid fifth in the first race, in Estoril he managed to start the race from second which was seen as a huge achievement. He fought a fierce battle in France before colliding with fellow rider Pedrosa whilst they were tussling for second position. In his final race (in which he lost his life) he was racing in fourth position when he lost control of his bike.On such a sad day we would like to focus the attention to the joy that the young Italian Marco Simoncelli brought to all lovers of bike racing.This story was brought to you from the team that allows you to Compare Bike Insurance quotes online. The loss of a fantastic racer brings a focus on safety and the need to have appropriate cover for yourself. Please stay safe whilst riding. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Marco_Simoncelli_Dies_208.html Sun, 23 Oct 2011 19:47:17 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Van_Insurance_207.html Van Insurance is a big expense in any workman's monthly budget so getting the right policy at the right price is of huge importance. But do you know what you are actually buying and what you actually need. We know how busy the average workman is so we are going to try and take some of the pain out of the buying process by explaining some of the basic parts of a policy.Firstly what is Van Insurance? The simple answer is it is a policy or agreement you put in place with a third party who agree to restore you to your previous financial position (before the accident or event occurred) if you have an accident in your commercial vehicle. For this agreement to be complete you agree to pay a fee and the provider agrees to provide certain benefits for the agreed fee.So types of policy can you buy for your commercial vehicle?Well interestingly the types of policy are exactly the same as with your personal vehicle. They types of cover that you can buy are Third Party only, Third Party Fire and Theft and Fully Comprehensive Cover. So what do you get with each type of cover.Third Party Only-This is the most basic type of Van Insurance policy that you can get by law. In turn this will be the cheapest type of policy that you can buy. Whilst saving the most amount of money that you possibly can is very important you need to be aware of what you actually get with a policy and with third party cover what you don't get. What you get is a policy that covers third party claims only. Essentially you are not personally covered if your vehicle is stolen or you personally have an accident.Third Party Fire and Theft-This again is a basic type of policy which comes with a reduced level of premium however as with third party only cover you still need to understand what's covered and what's not. So with this type of cover your van will be covered if it is stolen or it is damaged or destroyed by fire. As with basic third party cover all other people will be covered if you damage their property of they are injured in an accident with you. Also you will not be covered for injury or death.Fully Comprehensive Cover-If you are looking for a full level of cover with your van insurance then buying a fully comprehensive level of cover is what you need. You cannot get a better level of cover than what you will get from a comprehensive policy. Your commercial vehicle will be covered for any type of damage, fire, or theft. Any third party will be fully covered if they have an accident with you and you will also be covered if you need expenses to cover your injury. You can also receive many further benefits with a fully comprehensive policy such as windscreen cover which if you are going on building sites might be something well worth having. This policy type however will carry the highest premium.As many workmen's business is based around the mobility they obtain from their commercial vehicle protecting this asset can protect your income. If your vehicle is key to your business continuing it is also worth looking at what other benefits you get with your standard policy or what you can add as an extra. In particular you might want to look out for the following.24 Hour a day accident support lines- If you use your vehicle at varying times as many workmen do you want to know that there will be help at hand 24 hours a day. Having a commercial policy with 24/7 support is very important if you are this type of workman.Legal Protection- Legal cover comes into play if you actually have an accident and need to attend court to defend a claim. it also can help if you are not at fault and you try and claim uninsured losses such as lost income.Replacement Van Hire Support- Some policies will cover you for a replacement hire vehicle if your commercial vehicle needs to be fixed or replaced. This gives you piece of mind if you would need your vehicle back on the road the next day. You will not see a break in your work whilst you wait for the replacement to arrive.We always recommend that you compare the latest prices before you buy or lease a commercial vehicle to make sure what the outgoing cost will be to your business. You will be able to check if any or all of the above are included (or able to be added) to your premium if you use one of the top comparison websites. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Van_Insurance_207.html Sat, 22 Oct 2011 16:48:43 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Car_Insurance_206.html Car insurance is a very important part of most people's lives. Not because you talk about every day or that it is on your most wanted items to purchase. It's very important as it affects you financially every year and if the worst thing happens and you have a serious accident it could help shape the rest of your life. So for those people who are new to the term or maybe you are just looking to find out a little bit more about the concept we have put together an article to help you out. So firstly what is Car Insurance? Well simply it covers you (depending on the type of cover you purchase) if a number of adverse events occur. These events are varied but include things such as fire, theft, and accidents. The term Car Insurance is known under many different terminologies such as auto insurance, Vehicle insurance, motor insurance.If you own a car then it is a legal requirement to have at least third party insurance cover. If you do not purchase at least the minimum policy level you are liable for prosecution which could include removal of your licence, a court appearance, fine and even a jail term. So understanding and making the right purchase is a very important process.This was passed to Uk law in around the 1930's and has been stringently upheld since this date. So the first thing to understand is the different levels of cover that will keep you within the law. The basic policy types are Third Party, Third Party Fire and Theft, and Fully Comprehensive Car Insurance. you can purchase these policies in a number of different ways. These can be annually (either up front or in monthly instalments), short term cover (for a period of less than one year), or even pay as you drive so you only pay for cover when you need it. (for clarification on "pay as you drive " cover if you own a vehicle and it is on the road (not classified off the road by the DVLA)  you must hold full insurance. If you are unclear if this would apply to you please contact the policy provider you are considering using for further information).Normally the choice of which cover you purchase will be based on the level of driving you do and the cost of the policy. For instance a new driver might not drive as often as a more mature driver who has children. Also the cost of a policy for a new driver will be much more expensive than the cost of a policy for a driver with a number of years no claims bonus. What we recommend is looking at the type of driver you are your annual budget and then research what you can get to best match the two. We have looked at Car Insurance policies for a number of years and we are very comfortable that all drivers will be able to find a policy provider that matches their requirements. It is well worth doing your research and try to set yourself realistic expectations. I remember reading an email from one of our customers a few days ago asking if we knew anywhere he would be able to get cheap cover for his new BMW 3 series as he was only 17 and just passed his test. Unfortunately this is a complete impossibility as they were ticking all of the risk boxes that policy providers have on their list. So being realistic is key to the whole purchasing process. If you want more details on the levels of cover you can purchase read our previous blog articles as we detail all the different types of cover in much further detail. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Car_Insurance_206.html Sat, 22 Oct 2011 12:20:34 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Company_Car_Tax_details_205.html It's not our favourite topic to discuss but if you don't understand the tax implications of your company vehicle you could get hit with a large bill you're not expecting. So please find below details of the current Company Car Tax Details and some other websites that can help you.It's probably best to start with a basic definition of what a company vehicle is and when a tax charge becomes available. If you are an employee or steward (director) of a company, you earn over £8.5k per year, and a vehicle is provided to you or a member of your direct family by the company, and the vehicle is available for personal use you are eligible for a tax charge. You must also take into account that a further benefit in king tax charge is payable if the company also provides a fuel subsidy or fully pays for fuel. Please note a charge is not payable if you have access to a pool vehicle that is only available on the job.The amount of tax that you will pay depends on your current rate of earnings. A basic rule of thumb is that you will pay the same amount as your income tax rate. This will mean either 20%, 40% or if you are lucky enough to earn over £150k you will pay 50%.What is sure is that if you are about to receive a company vehicle your monthly tax charge will increase. So you need to look at ways in which you can set off this increase payment. One way to do this is to Compare Car Insurance quotes on your new vehicle and reduce your annual premium cost to set off against the increased tax charge.To find out the taxable amount of the vehicle you need to ask the P11d value when you buy or are given a company vehicle. The P11d value is worked out depending on the on the road price of the vehicle and the level of emissions that the vehicle produces. Obviously the lower the price and the emissions the lower the P11d value and the lower the annual tax charge. If you are earning a significant amount of money and like the big thirsty vehicles you need to be aware that there is no upper limit of tax charge you can now be billed.So now you know what is and is not chargeable its worth looking at some basic tips on how to limit your liability. Look for an electric car. Electric based vehicles are actually tax exempt for a short period. This is because they basically have no emissions. Whereas there should normally be a nominal charge due to the value of the vehicle the revenue has allowed a 'grace' period to encourage business owners to purchase the more environmentally friendly vehicles.Whilst it might come as a bit of a shock its worth noting that diesel vehicles are actually lower emission rated than petrol vehicles. There is a cost ratio to be worked out here as diesel engine vehicles are slightly dearer than petrol vehicles. So whilst the C02 emissions drop the P11d value actually increases. The difference should still make the rateable value less however you need to work this out against the increased value of the vehicle. By asking your commercial vehicle dealer they will be able to quickly point you in the right direction.You also need to be aware that vans are treated differently than cars. Again you have to hit all of the criteria, in particular the van must be available for personal use. The tax liability is however charged at a single rate of around £3k. This will mean a flat annual charge to the user dependant on the tax rate they pay on their salary.So why do you have to pay a tax charge if you use a vehicle, surely you already pay tax through your salary. Well this is true however if you are in a position where you get additional extras through work you will need to understand the term benefit in kind. This is essentially a term used for a tangible benefit paid by the employer which is taken as a payment "in kind". In simpler terms if the employer paid you additional money to buy the items yourself you would be paying a higher rate of tax.Sometimes a company will offer an employee the choice have taking a company vehicle (or job car) or take a flat monthly payment and buy their own vehicle. When this is the case you need to work out the taxable monthly payment on the increased salary payment or the charge taken on the vehicles rateable value. You also need to assess the value of either owning the vehicle yourself or having the vehicle on the balance sheet of the company. Once you are happy with the pro's and con's you can then make your choice. Check the emissions table set by the HMRC by following this link http://carfueldata.direct.gov.uk/search-new-or-used-cars.aspx Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Company_Car_Tax_details_205.html Mon, 17 Oct 2011 19:40:00 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Tivo_or_Sky_HD_204.html If you have read of the earlier blog's from the compare shop you will know how much we love television and all of the amazing technology that is now in service to astound and amaze us all. We have spent a lot of time to Compare Lcd TV models but we have neglected to look at the technology that produces all the entertainment, until now. So today we will be focusing on the subscription services of Virgin Media and Sky, more specifically we will be looking at the Tivo Box from Virgin and the Sky + HD box from Sky.The LooksBoth boxes have a similar architecture in that they are based on the typical set top box design. The Tivo is black and comes in a sort of sandwich design with a wider top and bottom panel with a slimmer middle panel which houses the activity lights. The top panel contains the manual activation buttons at the front where you can turn the unit on and change channels. The Sky+ HD box is black and silver with the main body of the box in black and the side and front panel in silver. The front of the unit houses the information lights and the top has a circular set of activation buttons.        We give the Tivo box a 7/10 and the Sky + HD Box an 8/10FunctionsThere are two main options for both boxes the choice comes between memory sizes. The Tivo box comes with a 500 GB and 1 TB option and the Sky + HD box has a 250GB and 1TB option. Obviously the lower end Tivo box provides much more storage than the Sky box but unless you are recording huge amounts of data or you don't refresh the box once you have watched something box boxes should be sufficient for everyday use.With the Tivo you can record three channels at the same time and watch one programme you have already recorded which allows a massive amount of flexibility. The Sky + HD box allows 2 channel simultaneous recording which is still impressive. When thinking about your requirements in this department you need to think about how many times the situation arises when conflict over channel selection comes around. Obviously if you have children this situation will arise more often than a household without children.The Tivo box has a really good programme selection function which the Sky + HD box does not. This function allows you to search the programme database by title, actor or even director. We found this a really useful tool, currently there are hundreds of channels available on both boxes and sometimes its hard to find something to watch. So when you can't initially find something you can have a quick search for something that may take your fancy.Both boxes allow you to pause, rewind and reply live television. Initially we thought this was a great tool you will find that you only use the pause and replay function when the phone rings or someone comes to the front door. Both boxes also allow integration with you mobile phone so you can remotely set the box to record (just incase you forget!).The Tivo box allows you to download apps as you can with an iPhone or Samsung Galaxy mobile phone. You can download You Tube, Twitter and services like BBC iPlayer. Whilst this is a nice little addition most people won't download the social networking applications as you will use your home computer for this purpose.All in all both boxes really do give a great set of functions. We therefore rate the Tivo box 8/10 and the Sky Plus box 7/10. When choosing the service you want you also have to take into account service coverage. With Sky this won't be an issue as the signal is received via a dish on the side of the house. With Virgin however the national coverage is much less than Sky so making a quick call to the virgin sales team is well worth it. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Tivo_or_Sky_HD_204.html Sun, 16 Oct 2011 13:01:46 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Switch_Home_Insurance_203.html (function() { var po = document.createElement('script'); po.type = 'text/javascript'; po.async = true; po.src = 'https://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(po, s); })();(function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) {return;} js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); As we reported earlier this week many insurance prices are rising across the board. It seems that we are being hit with price rises in all areas of our fixed monthly and quarterly bills with reports today stating that the energy companies are making more money per customer than they ever have before. With these price rises hitting our pockets are we actually willing to do something about it.What is clear is that no one is happy with the current rising prices but not many people actually do something about it. It’s worth asking yourself what would actually make you move your home insurance or energy provider. Statistics show that not many people would actually move even if they were saving £25 annually. Now for a product like gas or electricity I might actually agree with most people as the process of switching is a little harder. This is mainly due to the way you are billed, as you are billed quarterly which possibly includes an average billing you always have to go through the process of up to date reading which can be quite time consuming.When you think about the more basic products such as home insurance and car insurance then there really is no reasonable excuse for not moving. Every £25 saving you achieve is £25 in your pocket to spend on you and your family. The process of switching is also very simple, whilst I admit it is not as simple as just accepting a renewal quote. So what is involved in the switching process?Firstly you must select who you are going to buy your policy off. You also need to think how you are going to choose who you buy off. There are many ways to do this you can phone round the major players in the market and find out how much they will charge you. You could also use the internet to Compare Home Insurance prices.Once you have found the provider that you want to select you need to accept their offer. The process of doing this is exactly the same whether you use the internet or the telephone. You will tell the company that you want to purchase their policy and they will send you the insurance premium documents. Your job is to check that all the details which you have told the company is correct, once this has been checked you simply sign the documents to confirm the details are correct and sign the direct debit agreement if you have chosen to pay that way.When deciding how you want to pay for your policy there are a number of things you need to take into account. Firstly if you pay up front you should not be charged the insurance premium tax, when you obtain a quote you will normally be given two prices one with the tax and one without. Secondly if you decide to pay monthly you will need a bank account from which the funds can be taken. Before you sign up to direct debit make sure you have an account that allows this type of payment.If you already have a policy provider who has issued you with a renewal premium you will normally need to inform them that you have decided not to take up their offer. To do this you can simply call their customer services team or sometimes you just have to ignore their renewal notice (i.e. don’t sign it and send it back). It is better to be safe (so you don’t receive a bill and pick up the phone and inform them of your decision.Once the documents have been signed and sent back you will normally receive a welcome letter or pack to inform you the policy is in place. You need to make sure you keep all of the documents you receive from the policy provider in a safe place so you have the documents to hand if you need to contact the provider.As you can see the actual process is in no way difficult so why would you not take any saving you can get? The worrying thing is that people may not even check how much they can save because they think they will not be able to beat their renewal quote. If you take yourself out of the market then you are putting yourself at a massive disadvantage and in times when your monthly budget is being squeezed you need to find every saving possible. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Switch_Home_Insurance_203.html Sat, 15 Oct 2011 12:40:33 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/iPhone_4S_Review_202.html (function() { var po = document.createElement('script'); po.type = 'text/javascript'; po.async = true; po.src = 'https://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(po, s); })(); (function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) {return;} js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); Today saw a very important event in the world of the mobile phone and one of its most famous supporters Apple. For the mobile phone market it saw the launch of one of the most talked about models since the hand-held device hit the streets many years ago. For Apple it see's the last release of a device that was designed under the stewardship of the late Steve Jobs.The iPhone has been a revolution in the mobile phone market since it was first revealed to the world in January 2007. Since then it has evolved in numerous forms and has become one of the biggest selling phones and most talked about inventions ever seen. So what did the release date go like-Well over the last 24 hours all across the UK people have flocked to their local Mobile Phone store to queue for the iPhone 4s. Driving through two cities this morning every Apple store and O2 store I passed had a queue from the till out the door and down the road. From the shop door the queue was at least 15-20 people deep at every store. At the main Apple store in Manchester it looked like they had employed 10 security guards to manage the flow of customers.So with all of the interest and all of the demand what is the product actually like? is it worth all of the fuss?Its fair to say that previous iPhones that have been released have been seen as replication of earlier models with very little improvements or innovations. So will the new iPhone 4s add to the previous products or will it be another replication?Firstly when you look at the new 4s you can clearly see the design has changed from the old model. Since it first hit the shelves the design of this phone has not changed a great deal, the look was sleek with a black (or white) plastic exterior. The shape of the phone was well an oblong with rounded edges with a curved back to fit with the contours of the hand. The new device has a thinner and more robust look. The exterior edging is now stainless steel (including the buttons) and the visual panel and rear panel is toughened glass. This gives the unit a much sturdier feel which when your spending a decent amount of money per month you really want. When you compare the feel to the old model you do feel that the design has improved. What is strange is that whilst the 4s is no heavier then the 3GS it actually feels like it is heavier. The only thing we can put this down to is that the actual handset is small which gives the feel that it's slightly heavier. This however is not an issue. In fact the change in style might actually be a clever strategic shift by the company, the new design could potentially open up the Apple model to those who have historically not liked the touch or design of the iPhone.So down to the phone itself. Well the basis behind the iPhone has not changed its a Mobile Phone where you can download applications from the itunes store. These apps can be free or paid and you can use them on the face of the model. The visual clarity of the screen has vastly improved. The images on the screen are much sharper than on any of the old models which make using the apps much more enjoyable. Another addition is the HD video recorder which if you use your mobile to record your life then this will be a really good extra for you. What is possibly the most important change however is the fact that the company has finally managed to elongate the life of the battery. This will hopefully not leave users without the ability to make calls without charging the phone every couple of hours! Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/iPhone_4S_Review_202.html Fri, 14 Oct 2011 21:27:03 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/12_Car_Insurance_Rise_201.html The UK driver already feels like one of the worst treated motorists in Europe. Today's announcement that insurance premiums have risen by a further 12% will make us drivers feel much worse. We have already reported that premium prices have risen year on year since the early 2000's and the price rises show no sign of slowing down.The 12% headline figure is an average of all the price rises across the board. Many drivers have seen an eye watering rise of around 27-29%. What is fascinating is that young drivers were hit the least in the current round of increases. The average increase for young drivers was for around 8% which took the average price to near a whooping £3,000.With the current consumer price index inflation at 4.5% the current 12% average rise in premium sits way ahead of the average UK's price rises. So why are prices rising at such an accelerated rate. Well there are many cost inputs into an average policy but here's what the industry experts say are the main factors-1) Fraudulent applications and claim. This is where people provide false information in order to obtain a policy which cannot be proven on investigation. These people then make claims which cost the insurance company. On the flip side companies face the ongoing problem of fraudulent claims from people who fake or have not actually had an accident. It is believed that fraudulent claims are still on the rise despite the current level of publicity and investigation that this problem is currently getting.2) Uninsured drivers are still a huge problem on the UK roads. With the number of accidents (and claims) that are caused by uninsured drivers still on the rise the cost of this problem will not go away. As this is such a problem insurance providers have had to provide additional cover to entice anxious drivers into buying their policies. However they have to carry the cost of claims for their customers and the cost is not cheap.3) The cost of no win no fee lawyers. With the growth in the no win no fee claims and the increase in knowledge of how to increase claim values insurers have really felt the cost. Many people have taken advantage of this type of service and many have not been happy with the results they gained. However the profession drained huge sums of money from the insurers and the only way they have of covering these costs is by increasing premiums.Industry officials are obviously aware of this current issue. What is clear is that the insurance providers are not currently coining in huge profits. Essentially this is a lose-lose situation as motorists have to have policies and insurers have to try and cover their costs. What is also clear is that the later of these two points is becoming harder and harder so we can foresee many further price rises on the horizon.With prices on the rise it is more important than ever to Compare Car Insurance quotes. This is currently the only way for you to be able to see what prices you can get in the market. You can also see which policies provide the best value for what you actually need. See if you can beat the 12% rise figure. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/12_Car_Insurance_Rise_201.html Thu, 13 Oct 2011 20:42:57 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Blackberry_Neckwork_Fails_200.html If you have a Blackberry you might have noticed a serious failure in your service today. This is because the major mobile phone producer's network failed across parts of Africa, The Middle East and Europe. Initial reports state the failure is due to server issues at one of their UK centres.It has been reported that not all services have failed so you should be able to use your device to make basic operations such as phone calls. However other functions such as the internet browser, email (send and receive) and the ever popular messenger service may suffer failure. Early reports have shown the fault may have origanated at a major Blackberry data centre in Slough.At just before 3pm on Monday the company issued a tweet to followers saying that there was a problem with their functions. The tweet was extremely basic and simply said "some users in EMEA are experiencing issues". Which if you are a Blackberry user is not very helpful. It is thought that this tweet was a kneejerk reaction to the phrase Blackberry trending on the social networking website. The company followed this initial tweet with a more comprehensive statement saying that the company was working to resolve an issue noted in the affected areas.This is bad news for the once top mobile phone handset manufacturer. Going back 2-3 years the Blackberry was one of the most popular Mobile Phones in the UK with handset flying off the shelves as people were amazed by the email and web browsing functions. However since more and more mobile phone manufacturers have upped their game the Blackberry has fallen way behind in the race to become the top mobile.As other phones such as the HTC, Apple iPhone and other manufacturers have come to the forefront the Blackberry has seen its popularity pushed to the business market. This market has remained with the Blackberry as it is extremely reliable and functional in the areas that companies want their communication devices to work. They have fallen behind in the mass market as the handset does not provide the range of applications that the other models provide. This has however carved it out a niche in the business community. Company's don't want their employees using applications all day when they are supposed to be working.The loss of key services today will not endear Blackberry to its large corporate clients. Many have come out today and admitted that they had been victim of the fault which had left their employees without communication tools.It is thought that the Blackberry network runs on two separate networks. One is set for the business usage and a second is for the consumer side of the business. This split is what has given the company a secure business network however it is thought that it may be the business network that has been hit worst. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Blackberry_Neckwork_Fails_200.html Mon, 10 Oct 2011 22:16:12 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Mazda_3_Takuya_Review_199.html With problems with the supply chain of many vehicle manufacturers over the past couple of months there has been a worry that the price and supply of vehicles may suffer. With the world's economies in serious trouble having this problem in a major market across the world is not great news. So we started having a look across the forecourts to see what the showrooms were doing and if prices were adversely moving against consumers.When we were driving around our local area recently our attention was brought to the Mazda 3 Takuya. To be completely honest we were not that aware of the model until we noticed that they were popping up all over the place. So we decided to look at why this was the case and they were becoming one of the most common vehicles on our roads.Mazda is a well know manufacturer of vehicles originated in Japan and came to the forefront with its hugely successful MX5 model. The MX5 is a small sports car which is more affordable than many other two seater vehicles on the market. The Mazda 3 however is a midsized vehicle available in saloon and hatchback versions. The Takuya is a higher spec model than which comes with many little additions to it.So firstly why have we seen an uplift in the number on the road. We discussed this matter with their local sales manager and he told us the company had previously had the vehicle launched at around £18,000 on the road. If you took the vehicle on their standard PCP deal you would be paying around £300 per month with about a £2,000 to £3,000 deposit. This did not make a major stir across the country and when you compared the model to others you could pick up a basic BMW for the same price. This saw a stagant demand so the company decided to do something about it.The main company did a deal with the dealers where they would reduce the price for a reduced comission payment to stimulate demand. What they came up with was dropping the price of the vehicle to approximately £14,000 OTR which was a huge £4,000 reduction. At this point the discussion with the sales manager changed and you could tell that the feeling across the dealers was that this was a really competitive price for the specification of vehicle you were buying. He confirmed its now cheaper than the more standard model the Ts2 which had been the previous popular model.He then added something extra to the conversation he said the company had identified that customers were now very conscious of the cost of finance. They had looked critically at the pricing and found that it was not the best offering on the market. So they changed provider knocking a couple of percentage points of the rate. He concluded by saying they had now been left with a much reduced fully loaded vehicle with one of the cheapest finance rates on the market. He also confirmed they were selling very quickly.So what is the actual car like? To look at the Mazda 3 Takuya really is a great looking vehicle, when you look around the roads loads of vehicles look very similar the Mazda however has gone in a separate direction. The car has sleek lines and a bulky front end that provides a sporty looking vehicle. The boot is slightly convex providing a huge amount of boot space for storage. You have a choice of tyre size but the standard set is 16 or 17 inches which provides a large wheel for a midsized vehicle. It does however compliment the design and makes the car look meaner than the standard Ts or Ts2. Internally the vehicle has cloth seats which are extremely comfy. They are much comfier than those in the Renault or Fords of the same size. You also get numerous air bags as standard including front and passenger, curtain, and side airbags.The car is fully digital with full electric windows throughout the cabin. What is excellent is that all windows are controllable from the driver side door. The car has full air-conditioning which has a dual zone control feature. When we test drove the vehicle we tried this feature to see if it could provide a true dual zone climate. It really delivered and you can control the temperature by 0.5 degree shifts. The seats are fully heated with a 6 point heating control. At the base level you can feel the warmth slightly through a good pair of jeans and a cost up at the top end you really do get a huge amount of heat through the seat material. The heating controls are separate for both front seats which again allow you to create a dual environment.The in car entertainment is also well equipped with a six cd changer which is built into the dashboard. To activate this feature you simply feed cds into the dash and control them from the on dashboard buttons. There is all the usual radio features with FM and MW functions and there is an MP3 jack in the driver storage compartment. The front windscreen wipers are automatic or can be overridden to a manual setting. The sensors are very active and you can regularly find yourself with a non smooth wiping pattern if the weather is quickly changeable. The lights are also automatic which again is a very useful function. The engine is a very capable 1.6 litre and can complete 0-60 mph in around 12 seconds. The engine power is the only area that we were slightly disappointed, if you compare to the BMW 1 series which is a 2 litre it really doesn't compare for punch. It is however adequate for your everyday needs. The green energy rating comes it at an F rating with an average MPG of 44 mpg. An interesting little gadget that is provided on the dash is a nifty MPG monitor this gadget moves up and down depending on your speed and how you drive. When I drove the vehicle I found myself checking the monitor all the time and learning how to drive the car as economically as possible. So you will probably find you end up getting a decent amount of MPG than your old vehicle. The insurance group is 12 but remember to Compare Car Insurance prices before you buy the vehicle. We did a quick search and found you could get cover for around £250-£300 but some companies were offering quotes at around £400. So all in all you can get a lot of car for your money. We could not find a vehicle on the market with as much technology on it for the on the road price of the Mazda 3. With all the reductions and drop in finance cost you should be looking to pay around £230 per month with a smallish deposit of £1500-£2000. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Mazda_3_Takuya_Review_199.html Sun, 9 Oct 2011 16:03:11 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/80_MPH_Speed_Limit_198.html As the economy continues to bobble along the floor the Government has now turned to innovative ways to try and boost the economy. Over the past few days the government has tabled an idea that would see the motorway speed limit increased from the 70 mph that it currently is up to a huge 80 mph.The second part to this initiative is to also try and improve road safety by increasing the number of 20 mph speed limit areas in built up suburbs. Whilst the complete plan is not yet known many believe that the full details will be released at the Conservative party conference which is set to start next week.Many will be thinking "what happens if the speed limit goes up and so do the number of accidents, will this mean that my car insurance premium will rise". We do not yet have any comments from the main insurers stating what the effect of any speed limit rise would be. So our suggestion is to Compare Car Insurance and make sure you are always paying the cheapest price.So you might be thinking how will the increased speed limit increase the chances of a resurgence in the economy. Well this could become a very complicated economical answer but the basics behind the matter are thing will move faster! deliveries will be able to be made quicker, people will be able to become more mobile as commuting will not be so much of a hassle. And the list of benefits goes on.What is also very interesting to note is that it seems that this policy has a double edge to it that pleases both parties in Government. Firstly the conservatives want the motorway limit increased. This appeals to their core support and should inject some positives into the economy and the Liberal Democrats want the inner city limits reducing for road safety purposes. So for them its a win win situation.It is also thought that any new proposal would be put to the public. We currently dont know how this would be done but if the support of the nation is put behind the project it could see a joint innovative step towards pushing the UK economy forward. We think that the markets are looking for a go getting country that is pushing the boundaries to force growth so this can only be a good sign for all of us. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/80_MPH_Speed_Limit_198.html Fri, 30 Sep 2011 18:52:56 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Protecting_Your_Washer_Dryer_192.html Now I thought that I was quite good with technology. I write internet articles, I have an iPad and an iPod plus I can complete about 20 levels of angry birds in an hour. So when I found myself in a bit of a situation the other day with one of the least technical products I own I felt a bit stupid when the engineer who was fixing my situation gave me some simple advice that I had never thought of. So I thought I would pass this on as it covers all of your gadgets and appliances.So firstly what happened?Well a week ago I thought I was doing a good deed by putting the washing machine on (without being prompted!). I filled the machine with clothes, then the liquid and even fabric softener.  I click the start button heard the door lock and went to watch TV.Buy a cheap Washing Machine from one of the top web retailer sin the UK. Or if you need it buy a Washer Dryer from a list of hundreds of top models.I came back two hours later opened up the machine to find that nothing had washed. This time I sat by the machine and waited for it to get going. This however did not happen. The machine clicked then about 30 seconds after clicked as if the washing cycle had ended.At this point I got that sinking feeling that you get when a big appliance may have broken. I proceeded to do the male thing of trying to fix the machine myself. To be honest this ended up with me looking at the instruction book (for 30 seconds) then going on the trouble shooting guide online. When I admitted I had no clue what I was doing I arranged for an engineer to come to the house.Within five minutes of the engineer showing up he knew what the problem was. My washing machine has a dryer function included in the machine and it was the dryer that had failed. When I told the engineer that I had actually never used the dryer I was told that was my problem. I found this quite bizarre yet quite simple and to be honest a bit of a school boy error.After having a discussion with the engineer it became clear that the general feeling within the industry was that the products are made to be used in full, not part. So as I was using my washing machine to full capacity as the dryer was not being used this had fallen weak and the circuit board had gotten wet and failed.So I got to thinking when your buying a product normally you look at the top deals. These can involve the 50% deals and so on. Many a time you will buy something that is introduced by a sales person as the shop tries to push the product out of the door. If you think back you will remember someone saying well why not get this one, its got 50% off and it has x, y and z function on it. The normal reaction is great, but is it the best for you.Here are my new buying tips for home appliances. 1.       Set your budget.2.       Research the market.3.       Make a list of the function you need and will use.4.       Use a comparison website to find the cheapest deal. If you go into a shop don’t be pushed into buying something you don’t need. It can cost you much more in the long run. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Protecting_Your_Washer_Dryer_192.html Mon, 13 Jun 2011 20:37:10 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Log_Book_Loans_190.html If you have had your eyes open in the last twelve months whilst you have gone about your business you will have noticed the emergence of a new retail outlet namely the auto lending “shop”. They seem to be popping up in small towns and villages across the country and offer short term loans against the value of your vehicle via depositing a log book.So with the emergence of these places and as it seems to be a booming industry we thought that we would have a little look at the practices and see if they are a good idea or not. So before looking at the actual transaction firstly I thought I should deal with the reason why there seems to be an upsurge in these types of lenders. So for the first time in our history I am going to do something magical and take you back in time.So its two years ago and you are on your lunch break at work. You turn on the television in your office and you see the fantastic adverts for a company called Ocean Finance. If you remember there were a few adverts such as one with a man on a big posh yacht and another with a husband and wife discussing how much they wanted to borrow (and seemed happy it was £25,000). Whilst they were a bit cheesey and polished they probably did reach a number of people who had numerous forms of finance and didnt really control the payments well. Anyway bringing you into the present day you will notice that these types of adverts are no longer pride of place in the daytime. This is due to one main reason, the housing market took a huge dive and left companies like Ocean Finance et al with big problems on their lending books. Now don’t get me wrong this is not me trying to have a pop at these companies they were providing financial solutions to people who had poor credit but held an asset. The basis of this finance was that Ocean Finance and others would provide finance secured against your home. Their business model was based around the value of the asset and back in 2006/7 the value of these assets were rising consistently. Therefore if you defaulted on your loan and there was a forced sale of the asset the lender would normally have the full amount of their borrowing repaid. Essentially the log book loan type of offering is very similar to the old style home owner loan. In essence the point of these facilities are to release capital held in assets that you have previously purchased. So they are filling the void left by the home owner loan as there is now no equity growth in property and these types of borrowing are seen as less atractive.However there is a downside to these types of lending facility. The downside comes from the essence of secured lending. When you look at an item of security you can easily rate them by a number of factors. 1)      Are they easy to sell2)      Are they easy to value3)      Are they easy to take possession of4)      Are they moveable or static As you can see with a residential home the answer to all of the above questions are positive. They are easy to value, they were easy to sell (or they held their value over a period of time), they are easy to take possession of and they are very static. Answering the same questions for a vehicle they are easy to value, they are quite easy to sell, they are very hard to take possession of and the are very moveable. And it is the final two answers that bring a huge downside for the customer.As the asset is easily moved and therefore hard to take possession of the lender will allocate a much higher cost to the finance provided and you will probably be offered a very low loan to vehicle value rate. Just by looking at a few websites you will pay around 800% per year for a log book loan. Typically a homeowner loan from a high street bank will only be slightly more than your mortgage rate (so around 8-9%).So what is our verdict on this type of funding? It’s quite simple if you don’t have to don’t do it. If you require money for a genuine reason go to your high street bank, go to the bank who you personally bank with. Even if you think they will say no go and ask their advice and have a full discussion with them. If you’re not comfortable about this go to your local citizen’s advice bureau as they will be able to point you in the right direction and they may be able to point you to another form of finance. And with this opinion we are in no way saying that these companies are poor or bad for consumers. Our opinion is based solely around the interest charge and the additional cost this adds to the repayment. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Log_Book_Loans_190.html Sun, 12 Jun 2011 16:40:00 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Making_a_Home_Insurance_Claim_185.html Whenever you’re in the inconvenient position that you have to make a Home Insurance claim its always good to be prepared so that the process runs smoothly. This article will not tell you how to make a claim but will give you some useful tips which will help your claim and make sure you get the amounts you are allowed. We cant unfortunately tell you exactly how to make a claim as each policy providers procedures will be different. We do point you towards your policy documents and the companies website where you will no doubt find a telephone number to call.As you are clearly a shrewed shopper doing research on the whole claims process before an event has happened why not save some money next time your at your renewal period Compare Home Insurance quotes and see how much you can reduce your premium on a like for like policy. The process like making a claim is very easy and only takes a few minutes to complete.So if you are making a claim after a theft or if you’re making a claim after an accident you will need to follow some basic rules.  Be honest Stick to the facts Be clear and concise Have as much detail to hand as possibleSo now that the basics are out of the way here’s some hints and tips to help you claim run smoothly.Before you even face a claim situation there are some basic things you can do to improve your claim process. Firstly list all of the items you have in your house and list the price of them. This will give you an easy reference point so that you do not have to rack your brains to remember all of your items.Secondly keep the receipts so that you can prove their purchase cost and that you actually had them. Home Insurance companies are not in the business of picking tiny holes in your claim but they will question the items you owned so having as much proof of purchase as possible is a great bit of evidence.Taking the above point one step further you can use the new technology to keep your records. Making a video diary of your products especially the big most expensive items would be a great idea. Not only does this confirm their existence you can also easily see the condition that the item is in. Therefore you are more likely to get back the full value of the products than getting back a reduced value.Keep this list up to date when you buy new products. Therefore you will only ever have one bit of hard work. After you have made the initial video you will only but updating little by little so the work you are doing in the long term will be much reduced. var infolink_pid = 239885; var infolink_wsid = 0; Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Making_a_Home_Insurance_Claim_185.html Sat, 7 May 2011 14:28:11 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Protect_Yourself_From_Burglary_184.html A few weeks ago we wrote an article about how to protect yourself from theft from your motor vehicle. So we sat round and decided that we should do a similar type of article for properties. So firstly here is some background.Many thefts are opportunistic where there is some trigger for the potential thief to think “this is easy”. This in no way means that anyone asks for a theft to happen however in today’s society these things do happen, quite a lot. So the best thing you can do is try and reduce those triggers and make people think your fort nocks and not an easy touch.As your thinking of protecting yourself from burglary you need to make sure you protect yourself from the rise in insurance premium prices. The best way to do this is to Compare Home Insurance quotes and see how much you can cut out of the cost of your premium.So here we goWindowsAlways try and keep low level windows closed. When the window is closed make sure it is secured by a lock. If you do need to open low level windows (especially with summer coming up) only o[en windows in rooms where you will be in. Leaving windows open gives a thief an easy access point to your property especially if you have big sweeping window frames. By leaving windows open you can also make yourself susceptible to someone reaching into your property and taking window ornaments etc.DoorsDoors are clearly the main access point to any property, normally houses will have on main front door and one rear door. Making sure that these doors are secure is key to keeping your property secure. Make sure that outside doors are kept locked at all times if you have a porch make sure that both inside and outside doors are closed and locked at all times.Many people are tempted to leave doors open whilst their children are outside playing. This whilst convenient is a very bad idea. If your children are outside make sure you lock the door behind them. Its very quick and simple for them to knock on the door when they want to come back in. Also its a great way to get some peace and quiet!AlarmsThis section is quite simple if you have one use it. If you don’t use your alarm not only are you daft you are most probably invalidating your policy. Whilst the statistics show that people do not respond to alarms as much as they should they still deter thieves from entering a property. What is more important is that if they do enter your property when an alarm sounds they are much more likely to run away than if one doesn’t go off.Make sure you are fully up to date with how your alarm system works. If you can set separate zones then I would highly recommend working out how to do it. This way you can then set the alarm when you are asleep. You then have the freedom of upper floors whilst the lower floors are protected.PossessionsOpportunistic thieves are not interested in entering the property for any period of time. They are more interested in a very quick entry and a quick getaway. This reduces their chances of getting caught. One of the main triggers for an opportunistic thief is seeing valuable items within reach. So the opportunistic thief works on two cues, easy access and easy to steal items.So we have discussed securing your property so the next thing to do is secure your possessions. The first thing to do is make sure you don’t leave items lying about. Especially in view of windows or by open doors. Typical incidents happen where windows and doors are left open with items such as phones, laptops and hand held games are left out in full view. It is then very easy to access the property grab the item and leave very quickly. The thief can also conceal the items from public view whilst they get away.Keeping valuable items in locked cupboards or cabinets is very important. The most important thing to remember is to put them away when you’re finished with them. Teaching your children to do this is extremely important and getting them into the habit as early as possible is key.At NightObviously the night time is a key time for thieves. It’s much easier for them to move around the local area without being seen. Also most low level rooms are empty in a property so they are easier to view and attack if they so wish.So what do you do at night time to protect yourself. Firstly have a night time routine, sad you may think but trust me it works. Make sure you check all access points to the property making sure they are locked. Make sure all items are kept out of sight even if it means doing a bit of tidying up when your tired. Then move floor by floor until you are happy that they are clear, also make sure all keys are not in locks. Finally put your alarm on the lower floors and go to bed.Spare KeysEveryone has heard of the term “the spare keys are under the mat” in real life doing this is a huge “No No”. Whilst it is very obvious that doing this increases your risk of burglary still many people still leave keys in open spaces. So don’t use mats, floor pots, and lights to hide spare keys. If you are worried about leaving a key with someone leave it with only a trusted neighbour or local family friend.Make sure you have adequate cover at a great price Compare Home Insurance quotes and see the level of cover you can get. Today's policies are extremely flexible and you can cater the policy to your exact needs. Have a look through the policies on offer and see which is right for you.Final ThoughtsKeeping your property safe is not the easiest thing to do. Something always comes up that will try and take your attention away from your properties safety. We however know that by following some simple routines you will reduce your chance of being the victim of theft dramatically. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Protect_Yourself_From_Burglary_184.html Fri, 15 Apr 2011 11:33:44 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Spies_Lies_and_Renault_183.html Over the past three and a half months we have seen some very interesting stories from the motor industry. From new environmentally friendly vehicles to natural disasters causing drops in production. So we are beginning to think that 2011 should be renamed the year of scandal.So when we heard about dodgy goings on at Renault we began to salivate with curiosity to see what we would find. So hearing that there are tails of industrial espionage, spy rackets and government investigations we thought it might be a late April fool. Many would be forgiven for thinking that it was the beginning of a bestselling thriller.What is even better is that it’s actually true. So here’s the scoop, Renault top executives have been fighting with stories of corruption. These claims were strangely not being made by a happy go lucky journalist or a disgruntled ex employee. The claims came right from the top.The chief operating officer has resigned after external pressure became too great for him to survive. The saga began by official’s right at the top of the company accusing three employees of leaking top secret design specifications. When these claims were fully investigated it actually became clear that the claims were actually part of a larger internal attempt at fraud.The COO Patrick Pelata is rumored to have offered his resignation at an earlier board meeting. It is believed that this attempted resignation was declined by the CEO Carlos Ghosn. The external pressure was being exerted from the French Government who actually hold around 15% of the total share capital of the motoring giant.The investigation was completed by the French authorities who were investigating the claims against the three employees. Whilst the investigation was being completed the French Government were lobbying for changes right at the top of the company and they finally got their way once the truth was uncovered.The resignation of the COO is massive loss to the company, the COO post is a very high ranking position especially in a global company like Renault. It is currently unclear who is being lined up to take over the post however it is thought that Paleta will still be offered a post within Renault.The data that was believed to have been leaked was part of the design specification for the electric technology to be used by Renault. Clearly this type of technology is really hot news at the minute as the top vehicle manufacturers fight to release the best and most efficient vehicles.Finally the top members of the board have agreed to hand back their bonuses from 2010 and will not take a further bonus in 2011 as a way of saying sorry to the Renault family. We think the whole affair is completely bizarre and something that a film will be based on in ten years time! Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Spies_Lies_and_Renault_183.html Wed, 13 Apr 2011 19:41:06 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Car_Tax_Advice_182.html Weather you have a car, bike or van you will all be aware of the term road tax now before you fall on the floor in pain read on this article may help you. As with everything in the world there is a tax liability for owning a vehicle. Each year you own a vehicle you have to pay road tax which contributes towards the government purse to maintain the roads etc. Many people are dissatisfied with the need to pay road tax due to the high amount of duty paid on things like fuel but the contribution made by the levy does go towards the up keep of the countries infrastructure.With the cost of tax and duty rising all the time Compare Car Insurance Quotes and net off the rise that you are seeing in every other area of your daily budget. Just like tax the insurance is another area of cost that you have to have by law.So what is road tax revenue spent on, this is a very good question and whilst it probably shouldn't be it’s a very hard question to answer. The theory is that the funds generated from the road tax levy should be directly reinvested into the road system. This should keep the road system in a tip top shape for the vehicles that run on them. However as the funds are sent to the same place as corporation and income tax this is not always the case.Many government projects do include the condition or placement of roads so sometimes the funds are utilised for these projects. These can include road relocation, new roads or widening of existing roads. All of these projects are hugely expensive so the funds received do not always go as far as we think.How Much does it cost Car Registered Before 1st March 2001 Engine Size CC 12 months Rate 6 months rate Under 1549 £130.00 £71.50 Over 1549 £215.00 £118.25 Registered After 1st March 2001 Band CO2 Emissions (g/km) 12 month rate 6 month rate A 0-100 £0 NA B 101-110 £20 NA C 111-120 £30 NA D 121-130 £95 £52.25 E 131-140 £115 £63.25 F 141-150 £130 £71.50 G 151-165 £165 £90.75 H 166-175 £190 £104.50 I 176-185 £210 £115.50 J 186-200 £245 £134.75 K 201-225 £260 £143 L 226-255 £445 £244.75 M Above 255 £460 £253 New Cars Registered after 1st April 2010 Band CO2 Emissions (g/km) 12 month rate 6 month rate A 0-100 £0 NA B 101-110 £0 NA C 111-120 £0 NA D 121-130 £0 NA E 131-140 £115 £63.25 F 141-150 £130 £71.50 G 151-165 £165 £90.75 H 166-175 £265 NA I 176-185 £315 NA J 186-200 £445 NA K 201-225 £580 NA L 226-255 £790 NA M above 255 £1000 NA  How Long Does the Tax period LastYou can tax your vehicle for a set six or twelve month period, which one you choose is completely up to you. To apply or renew your road tax you need to prove that the vehicle has valid insurance and that the vehicle has an up to date MOT or service. You can buy your road tax in two main ways firstly at the post office using the relevant forms that they can provide, or the more popular way which is by using the DVLA website here https://www.taxdisc.direct.gov.uk/EvlPortalApp/app/home/intro?skin=directgov it is worth noting you can also buy your road tax over the phone on the following number 03001234321.You can now use the DVLA internet service as all vehicle details are now stored on the central database. Therefore when you enter the online system by inputting some basic details you can find you vehicle and get your tax online. By using the online service you will receive your new tax disc in the post within a few days of completing the forms. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Car_Tax_Advice_182.html Wed, 13 Apr 2011 09:24:56 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Policy_Wording_V-Z_181.html VVan InsuranceAny type of insurance policy that covers the risk of operating a commercial vehicle. If you utilise this vehicle for more specific commercial use you may need to look for specific or bespoke insurance.WWrite OffThe term write off is used to define a situation where the cost to repair a vehicle is deemed too high. Typically insurance companies will have their own definition of what a write off situation is. It will usually be defined by the value of a repair against the value of a vehicle. Write off can be anywhere from 70% of the total value of the vehicle. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Policy_Wording_V-Z_181.html Tue, 12 Apr 2011 09:26:45 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Policy_wording_R-U_180.html RRateThe term rate will be utilised in many different forms these will include The premium of the policy Any tax that has to be paid Any interest that has to be paidRegistered KeeperThe registered keeper is the person who owns the vehicle. They are the person who is registered at the DVLA.Renewable TermThe renewable term clause states a period at which the policy provider can continue its cover without proving that insurance interest remains. This clause is included as insurance companies have a duty of care to make sure that you have adequate cover. This will typically come into to force at the end of a policy if the insured person does not reply to the renewal notice. The cover will typically continue until it is cancelled.Renewal Notification LetterAs each policy come to the end of the term every customer will receive a renewal notification letter. Typically this letter will include all of the previous year’s details updated by 1 calendar year. It will also update the premium that will be payable if the policy is allowed to continue. Typically the insured will not need to contact the insurer if they wish the policy to continue. Contact will only need to be made if the policy is to be cancelled. SSettlementThe term settlement is defined any amount paid out by an insurance company under the policy provided. Short term coverThis term is defined as any period of cover provided that is less than a typical insurance period. In basic terms the typical term is one year. Short term cover can be taken from a period of days to a period of months. Sum Insured (or Assured) The sum insured is a key piece of information on any policy. You will need to check that this is correct before any premium is accepted. The sum assured is normally stated as the value of a property or the agreed amount of the life insuranceTTermThe definition of term is the agreed length of any insurance policy,Third PartyThe term third party relates to any person or company who is not any party to the agreement. UUnder InsuredThe term under insured is very important in any insurance policy. It is typically seen in home insurance policies where the value of the property is given by the insured to the insurer. Under Insurance occurs in many different ways. In many cases the applicant does not realise the value of the asset they wish to insure, or the applicant is reducing the value of the asset to secure cheaper insurance. If under insurance occurs the insurer will only pay on the true value of the asset. If you have taken out a reduced level of cover this true value will be discounted by the amount you are under insured. UnderwriterAn underwriter is a person who looks at individual proposals and accepts or declines the proposal. The underwriter can also decide to alter the premium that is required in return for accepting the policy. They will use the insurance companies in depth statistics to determine if they are willing to accept the risk proposed.Un-insurableA proposal is determined uninsurable where there is a very high probability that the event will occur or the event is inevitable. Utmost Good FaithThe term utmost good faith is probably the most important term in insurance. It is the basis on which all insurance agreements are made. This term basically has an implied meaning that both parties are giving all information in the best of faith. It means that neither party is keeping information or exaggerating information to mislead the other party. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Policy_wording_R-U_180.html Tue, 12 Apr 2011 09:13:26 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Policy_Wording_N-Q_179.html NNo Claims Discount (NCD)NCD is the term given the number of consecutive years that a driver does not make a claim on the vehicle insurance policy. The term NCD is linked to a reduction in premium that you will have to pay the policy provider. Many companies will offer up to 75% discount off the annual premium depending on the number of years NCD you hold.OOptions (or extras)At many points on the website we have discussed the additional extras that you can add to your basic insurance policy. These things can be chargeable or included in the cost of your premium. Options include family legal cover, breakdown cover.PPeriod of Insurance CoverThis section will be noted on all policies that are issued, if it is not clearly stated you need to contact the provider immediately. The period of cover is the total term that you will be protected by the policy. You will need to note start and end dates to make sure there is no period when you are not protected.PolicyThe term policy is widely seen in all agreement documents. The term policy is used in reference to the agreement made between the parties noted on the document. Policy HolderThe policy holder is defined as the person to which the policy agreement is issued to. This can be either the life insured or the person who benefits from the policy (ie the life of another).PremiumPremium is the term used to notify the customer how much the policy will cost them. The premium will state how the fee is to be paid and when it will be collected. This can be annually or monthly. Professional Indemnity InsuranceProfessional cover protects a business from errors or negligence in their business. Typically professional indemnity is taken where the business provides a level of advice or expertise. A typical claim may arise by advice being given and a different result occurring from the one advised.Property DamageThe term property damage refers to a loss event that occurs on a home insurance policy. It will typically refer to damage to the structure of the building covered by the policy.Proposal FormsAnother term utilised for the application form. It is termed a proposal as the agreement of insurance is not guaranteed. The form is issued to the insurer and they will check the details and either accept, decline or load the premium.ProposerThe person who fills out the proposal form and asks the insurance company for a type of cover.Public LiabilityThe term public liability is a key term in insurance policy documentation. It will typically be applied to any policy that involves property. The basis of this type of cover allows protection from any claim by a public person whilst on the property. An example would include a friend entering your house and the ceiling falling in on them, you would have protection against any claim made against you. The amount of cover would be specified on the policy documentation.QQuoteA quote is the initial stage of the buying process. After you have completed and submitted the proposal form you will be issued a quote. This is normally subject to reasonable change. However in policies such as car or house insurance the quote will typically be fixed. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Policy_Wording_N-Q_179.html Tue, 12 Apr 2011 08:17:56 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Policy_Wording_J-M_178.html LLegal Expense CoverThis term can also be seen as family legal cover allows the policy holder to make a claim if they require legal advice or representation. This can be in terms of the policy or many other areas of law. Typically you will be referred to the insurers legal partner where you can find what types of advice you can obtain.LiabilityThe term liability refers to who carries the financial burden due to an event occurring. Life ExpectancyLife expectancy is the actuarial term used to described the average term of life at a specific poin tin time. The average life expectancy is update year on year as more information and statistics are released.Lloyds of LondonThis term describes a independent group of insurers that can underwrite very specialised types of risk. The market can operate in syndicates or individually. Loss AdjusterA loss adjuster is someone who will get involved when a loss event has occurred. This person will be appointed by the insurance company to check that all the details of a claim are valid. They will test amounts and version of events and will produce a report for the company.Loss AssessorUnlike loss adjusters the assessor negotiates a claim for the policy holder.MMarket ValueThe term market value is the term given to the variable price of an asset. It is a fair price that would be paid by someone on the open market for the asset. These are typically seen in home insurance policies.Material FactsMaterial facts are extremely important in any type of policy. The facts are what is given by the policy holder to the insurance provider. This information is given under a trusting relationship, this has to be the case as it is impossible for the insurer to test all parts of information prior to setting up a policy. All material facts must be given truthfully and you will be asked to state that all the details you have given are true.Mechanical BreakdownKnown under many different names essentially covers any mechanical failure of an asset or product. Typically you can get gadget cover or parts and labour cover.Mortgage ProtectionThese is a typical term for any insurance product taken to cover a mortgage amount or payments. This is typically delivered in two forms.1)      As a life policy for those on the mortgage agreement. If any of the people on the mortgage agreement die the mortgage will be paid off in full2)      As a form of income protection, this will cover all or part of the mortgage monthly payment if any of the parties are unable to work due to accident or sickness.Motor InsuranceAlso known as car insurance covers the owners of the vehicle for any type of loss related tot he vehicle named on the policy. There are many types of cover from fully comprehensive to third party only.MutualIn the insurance market when you use the term mutual you refer to a company that is owned by its policyholders. This unlike any PLC which is owned by shareholders. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Policy_Wording_J-M_178.html Mon, 11 Apr 2011 10:21:44 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Policy_Wording_G-I_177.html G General InsuranceInsurance products are split into two classifications Life Cover and Non Life cover. General insurance is normally classified as non life cover with a short term cover. The term of non life agreements are usually 12 months at which point they are renewed, cancelled or moved.Group Policy SchemesA group policy scheme is on that is set up to cover a group of people. These arrangements are normally set up by employers to cover employees in a certain class. These will normally be drivers with company vehicles.IIndemnityThe term indemnity means that one person or company agrees to completely cover the risk of another. This arrangement agrees to put the person or company back to exactly the same position financially before the event happened. The term indemnity can be utilised in many forms and is included in numerous forms of contract.Independent Financial AdvisorAnd Independent Financial Advisor (IFA) is an individual who is franchised to advise other parties on regulated financial products. They are classified as independent as they can advise and sell products from various providers. The products that they can offer are provided through what is called a white list which is devised by financial companies. Individual PolicyAn individual policy is one that involves the risk or life of one individual. This can be set up and involve a third party but only one person will be covered by the policy.Insurance InterestThe term insurance interest is at the very heart of the insurance arrangement. In basic terms it means that you can only set up an insurance arrangement for individuals or companies that you are financially involved with. Simply you cannot take insurance for someone who you don’t know, or know but have no financial relation with. So you can insure the life of your husband or wife but not their siblings etc.Insurance CoverThis is a term of indemnity set up to cover the named person on the policy. It is set up to cover specific risks that are defined in the policy. If a risk event occurs the named person in the policy is returned to a position where they were before the event.Insurance Company/ProviderAn insurance company is one that takes on the risk of the people named in their policies. In return for taking on the risk of its customers they charge an annual fee in the form of a premium. They are regulated by the body set up in their jurisdiction to monitor the application of policies.Insurance CompanyA company that takes on risks under the policies it sells in return for the payment of premiums. Companies may be "mutual" (owned by the policyholders) or "proprietary" (owned by the shareholders).Insurance TaxYou will notice when you are quoted for any non life insurance such as Car, Van, Home or Bike insurance that you are charged a premium tax. It is a tax similar to VAT that cover administration of policies.IntermediaryAs stated in an earlier section an intermediary is a person normally a third party to any arrangement that will bring two parties together to form an insurance policy. These people are the sales agents and IFAs. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Policy_Wording_G-I_177.html Mon, 11 Apr 2011 09:03:56 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Policy_wording_explained_D-F_176.html DDefaultDefault is an event occurs when a policy premium has not been made. Normally in these circumstances the insurance company will contact the insured and allow them the opportunity to either make up the payment or allow the policy to lapse.EEndorsementsAn endorsement is something that is noted on the drivers license. An endorsement is typically where a fixed penalty notice has been given such as three or six points and a fixed fine. The endorsement section also covers more serious offences such as drink driving.ExcessAs stated above there are two types of excess voluntary and mandatory. Voluntary excess is an amount the policy holder agrees that they will self cover before the mandatory excess starts. A mandatory excess is an amount that the policy provider demands that the insured person pays before the policy payment is made.ExclusionAn exclusion added to a policy normally clearly states what will definitely not be covered by a policy. This can include specific events or types of claim.ExposureWhen the term exposure is stated in a policy document it refers to the amount of risk in monetary value that is taken. In home insurance this can be the amount of building cover to be provided (which is normally the rebuild cost), in car insurance this can be the value of the vehicle.FFinancial Advisor/intermediaryFinancial advisors are those people who are licensed to sell insurance policies in a particular territory. To become franchised to sell regulated products the advisor must pass a number of exams and be regularly re assessed to make sure their skills are of the correct standard. There are two types of advisor; firstly a multi tied advisor is one who can sell products from a limited number of providers. Secondly there are independent or whole of market advisors who can sell and advise on a range of products from many providers.FSAFSA stands for the Financial Services Authority. At the time of writing the FSA is the regulatory body that governs all regulated and financial products. Since the financial crash in 2008 there have been proposals to disband the FSA and rework the regulatory bodies in the financial services sector.  Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Policy_wording_explained_D-F_176.html Sun, 10 Apr 2011 15:41:13 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Policy_wording_explained_175.html Policy wording AAct of GodThis is a term which means any event or accident that occurs without any human involvement. These events are normally defined as earthquakes, floods, lightening. These items are defined for the sake of clarity, they cover the fact that you cannot make reasonable steps to prevent a flood.ActuaryActuaries have numerous roles within financial services however in terms of policy wording they are the professionals that use statistics to work out the risk of claims being made. They use in-depth mathematical formula to work out probability and value of potential claims.AddendumAn addendum is any lawful change that is made to a legally binding contract. With a policy contract there are normally some administrative costs that must be paid by the covered individual.Advanced PaymentWith any policy there are always two options available to pay the premium due. The first is advanced payment, this is where the full premium is paid before the policy commences. As you are paying the full amount due upfront you will not incur any premium interest and will be offered discounts for paying in one go.AdviceAdvice is not normally something that is offered when purchasing any type of vehicle cover. However if you do ask for advice you will be spoken to by someone who is authorised to give advice on a regulated product.Agent/BrokerThis is a person or business who acts on behalf of a number of policy providers. They are essentially the companies route to market. They can offer products from their panel of providers and will search their portfolio for the best policy and price for their clients.Agreed ValueThe term agreed value comes into play where an policy provider agrees the value of any item to covered by the policy. In basic policies this is not normally required as the value is taken when a loss event occurs. However where the asset to be covered is unique or highly valuable this is normally a pre requisite.All RisksThis term again is not normally seen in basic policy wording. It refers to the policy provided covering any risk. When this term is used the policy will normally include a detailed exclusion section covering any event not to be covered by the All Risk clause.Annual PremiumThis term covers the total cost of the policy that is due to be paid by the party who benefits from the cover. This has to be stated clearly and in a detailed manner.All DriversMany policies offer an all driver addition. This can come under various names but in short it allows any qualified driver to use the vehicle as long as they have the permission of the owner. Normally you will have some restrictions on this and these normally come with ages, years of licence held but they are normally negotiable.Authorised Dealer/GarageThis clause will normally cover what happens after an accident or loss event. The policy provider will want to make sure that the garage or dealer completing the work is reputable. This reduces the risk of under the table deals to inflate repair costs. It also gives the driver comfort that any repair work is completed to a high standard.AssuranceThis is simply another name for the cover that you are taking out.BBenefitThe term benefit in any policy wording covers the amount to be paid to the individual. You will see terms like “the benefit paid too”. BettermentThe above term means the sum of money that the covered person must pay towards a claim. This amount will have to be paid as the item will be in a better state or condition than it would have been before the event. This has to be paid as the whole purpose of a policy is to return you to where you were exactly before the event. Therefore you should gain no additional benefit from making a claim. Breakdown CoverAn addition to your basic policy that covers many events in a breakdown. For more details see our article on breakdown cover.BrokerPlease see Agent aboveBuildings CoverThis cover is the pure asset cover, you may be more familiar with the term bricks and mortar cover.CCarportA carport is defined as an outside area that is covered by a roof. There are no static walls or door, ie it is not a garage. This is defined to show that is less secure than any static building such as a garage. It is also included so that it cannot be classed as a garage.Certificate Of InsuranceThis is the definition of the important document. The policy wording will cover what is covered in this document and what it can be utilised for. The certificate is proof of policy not the actual policy itself. This section of the wording will normally state that it has no cash value and may not be assigned in any form.ClaimThis is the event that happens after a loss event has occurredClaims ProcessThis is the official process that must be taken by both parties to make sure that the claim is fair and valid. In the policy wording it will state exactly what should happen at each stage. It will also show how to make a claim and what to do in the event of a claim. Classic CarThis is a very important part of any premium. It is the definition of what is classified as a classic car. Usually insurers will have a specialised type of cover for classic cars so they define what they class as classic. This is normally cars built pre 1980 or 1970, it will depend on the insurer.Collision Damage WaiverThis term is not normally given in basic car insurance policies. We have included it as it is normally seen when you hire a vehicle. It allows you to insure your excess so that you do not have to pay the excess if an accident occurs.CommissionYou will see a commission section in any policy you purchase through a third party. This section will tell you exactly how much the third party is being paid for selling the policy. This section was included for transparency for the consumer.ConditionsThis will be in all insurance policies this section covers the conditions under which both parties conduct their relationship.Consumer Credit ActThe consumer credit act also referenced as CCA is set up to cover all customers who have any product covered by the legislation. This covers anyone who takes out an individual borrowing product or arrangement under £25,000.ContractAll policies will cover of this area of the agreement. All insurance arrangements form part of a legally binding contract and therefore are covered by contract law. The policy will normally state which area of legislation covers the policy this will be the law of England.Contents CoverAn addition to the clause noted before under buildings cover. The contents cover insurers items within the property, you will normally take your buildings and contents cover together on one policy from one provider. You can add little extras to contents cover and increase and decrease variables such as content value.Cooling Off PeriodThis section will be covered in all types of policy. As part of the consumer credit act and the insurer’s code of practice you will always be given a cooling off period. These periods will normally be from 14 to 30 days, it’s well worth knowing what this period is just in case you decide to change your mind and take another policy. Cover NoteA cover note is an interim document which is issued by an insurer to prove cover before the full policy documentation and certificate can be produced. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Policy_wording_explained_175.html Sun, 10 Apr 2011 11:23:57 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Breakdown_Cover_Details_172.html Breakdown Cover is a phrase that is thrashed around a lot in the vehicle world and is a hugely important tool to any driver. However not many people know that much about it or what if any cover they have in place. Now we all know that having an accident or breaking down is one of the worst things to happen in a busy day. Breakdown Cover is the saving grace that comes in whenever one of these events occurs.It is sort of a protection policy in that if something happens the team is only a phone call away no matter where you are in the UK. You also know that no matter where you are there is someone to help you not to far away as all of these companies have a national coverage.A really great way of getting Breakdown Cover is through your Car Insurance. Many companies offer this as standard when you buy a fully comprehensive level of cover and others will offer it as an additional option.  Breakdown cover like Car Insurance is something that comes in varying forms. You can get covered completely or reduce the cost by taking off some of the extras. Here are the normal options available.Basic PackageRoadside AssistanceThis is very typical and most drivers will have seen the breakdown vans on the road heading to an accident or recover. This part of the cover will include someone coming out to your vehicle no matter where it is in the country and trying to fix it at the roadside. If this is not possible you will be towed to a local garage (local to where you breakdown).Accident HelpSimilar to roadside assistance this will cover you in any accident. The breakdown company will attend the accident site and if possible try and get your vehicle moving. If this is not possible again you will be towed to a local garage.Both of these options are normally covered as standard and can cost as little as £25 per year. They provide basic piece of mind that if something happens on the road you have some backup. The following covers the additional parts you can take.At Home CoverThis extends you roadside cover to your home. This essentially means that you are covered if your vehicle does not start on the drive way. The provider will attend your home and try and get the vehicle moving, if this is not possible you will be taken to a local garage.  This extra can cost as little as an extra £40 per year.National RecoveryThis is a very good addition to a standard level of cover. When you breakdown under the basic policy you are taken to a local garage to where you broke down. This is excellent but if you are 100 miles from home then you still have to think about getting home and what you do to get back and get your vehicle. Taking out national recovery allows your broken down vehicle to be taken to a garage near your home or anywhere else in the UK. This cover costs around an extra £25 and is well worth it.Parts and Garage CoverThis is an addition where you cover the basic cost of storing your vehicle in a garage when it is fixed and the cost of the parts to fix the vehicle. Its really simple and will tell you how much you can claim in any one garage visit and any year. This can cost around £50 extra.Travel and Alternative Vehicle CoverThis is possibly the newest addition to breakdown cover. You can add the piece of mind that you can have a courtesy vehicle whilst yours is fixed or an overnight hotel stay whilst your vehicle is repaired. There will normally be some small restrictions on the number of days you can have the courtesy vehicle and hotel stay but it is very straight forward. This is an excellent addition if you rely on your vehicle for work.  This can cost around £60-70 to add to your premium.So its quite clear to see that you can get a really full range of cover for a small annual cost. The best thing to do is check what sort of cover you always have and then match the cover to your individual needs.var dc_AdLinkColor = 'blue' ; var dc_PublisherID = 176785 ; Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Breakdown_Cover_Details_172.html Fri, 8 Apr 2011 16:51:36 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/BMW_X5_Theft_171.html The BMW X5 is an amazing vehicle since being introduced to the global market it has become one of the most desirable motor vehicles on the market. If you have ever seen one you will agree that it is one of the best looking vehicles in the SUV class, it combines the engineering excellence of any BMW model and combines it with the beauty of a larger sleek look. Whilst the X5 has become extremely popular with the UK driver it has also become very attractive to thieves which to be honest is no surprise. So we have decided to look at why it’s not just footballers and WAGs that are attracted to this top class motor.Its worth noting that if you experience theft of your car then you will definately see an increase in your insurance premium. Make sure you Compare Car Insurance prices to make sure you minimise any increase you may see in this price. It has come to our attention that the BMW X5 was the most stolen vehicle in 2010 which to be honest shocked all the team. Many people will look at this stat and think “I’m not surprised” however when you think that the BMW X5 is not the most common vehicle on the street the statistic becomes much more alarming. When you combine this statistic with the knowledge that with this being a top model in the BMW range it does come with all of the newest in anti theft devices.The statistics show that thieves are targeting the higher value motors instead of the middle of the road vehicles like they used to. Its also easy to see that as times are getting tougher theives are more willing to take risks trying to steal vehicles that are harder to take. The top of the thieves shopping list looks like the following-  1)      BMW X52)      Range Rover3)      BMW M34)      Audi A45)      Audi TTSo the top of the shopping list looks more like a car of the year list which if you have spent the big money you would expect to spend on one of these cars might worry you somewhat. So why is this now the case. Historically vehicles were stolen for many different reasons; these include selling them on for a quick profit, breaking them down for parts which can them be sold to garages, and joyriding for the sheer thrill. You would expect thieves to focus on less high profile motors that would not draw so much attention to them.In 2010 and 2011 the world is a much different place to where it was ten years ago. The lower end of the vehicle range has become very accessible so potentially the theft market has reduced dramatically. Why would you need to purchase a cheap knock off when you can have a legitimate motor for a very similar cost? And with this in mind the stats to start to make a lot of sense.Interestingly the top of the list did only account for 6% of the total number of vehicles recovered after being stolen which again will alarm many top of the range vehicle owners. So it seems that whilst the main focus is on the top of the market there is still a lot of other theft going on. The top “affordable vehicle” in the list was the Volkswagen Golf coming in at number nine.So what can you do to reduce your risk of theft. There are no guarantees but you can take some very easy steps which will put thieves off targeting your vehicle. These include- Use a garage whilst at home Install an alarm Use a steering lock Whilst out park in a busy well lit area Use a trackerSo the bad news for the top of the market is that they may start to see an uplift in their Car Insurance premium. So if you drive a vehicle in this part of the market then you need to mitigate your risk by securing your vehicle as much as possible. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/BMW_X5_Theft_171.html Thu, 7 Apr 2011 10:56:16 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/How_to_Get_your_Motorbike_Licence_170.html This is a very good and very interesting question. Gaining a Motorbike or Moped licence is not the same as getting a normal Car driving licence. The normal car licence is sort of a right of passage that is set up normally as part of your seventeenth birthday. You receive a number of lessons for your present and hopefully be able to pass the test at the end.Training MethodsWith a Motorbike Licence the names are very different but essentially the process is the same. Every rider has to complete the compulsory basic training (CBT) before they can actually move from the training circuit to the road.Compare Bike Insurance online with us today.Now there are some exemptions for completing the CBT however we would strongly recommend that every person who want to ride a bike should complete the CBT. This is purely because the more training you do in a safe and controlled nature the more initial confidence the rider will have on the road.So if you hold a full valid UK driving licence and you obtained this licence before 1st February 2001 you do not have to complete the CBT. If you hold a full UK driving licence but it was obtained on or after the 1st Feb 2001 you must complete the CBT. There are no further exemptions from this.Provisional LicenceAs with the car driving licence all learners must apply for a provisional motorcycle licence. This must be done before any riding can take place. The normal steps would be to obtain the licence and then complete the CBT.You can apply on line at the DVLA website to obtain your provisional motorcycle licence. You are not comfortable doing this you can also apply by post or in person from the post office. If you enter the post office there are normally application forms in the lobby, if they are not present please ask an advisor for the D1 form.To complete the provisional licence you need to send a passport sized photograph and a fee of £50 is chargeable.Taking The CBT Course Once you have obtained your provisional licence you will need to select an appropriate CBT training provider. To find the full list of training providers please follow this link to find all of the approved CBT training providers http://www.dft.gov.uk/dsa/atozatbinfo.asp. The cost of a course is normally around £130 to £150 per person.If you are unsure if you want to purchase a bike yet and would likt to complete the CBT without having to make the purchase you will find some providers who can lend mopeds, bikes and all safety equipment. These may incur a higher cost so make sure to ask the provider when you contact them.The CBT is split into a number of parts, these include Introduction to riding On site practical training session On site practical bike riding session On road practical training session On road practical bike riding sessionAs with the normal car driving instruction you must be able to evidence that you can complete all the relevant skills required in one area before you can move forward to the next area.After The CBT Once you have completed and passed the CBT you are provided with a certificate to prove you have passed the CBT. This shows that you can ride at the required level to continue on the road training. Once you have this certificate you are able to ride your bike on the road using L Plates for a further two years. Within this two years you are supposed to follow up the CBT and complete the full motorcycle theory and practical examination.If you fail to pass the full test within the two year period you automatically have to complete the CBT again. We recommend moving straight from the CBT to the theory and practical test. We don’t mean enter straight away to take it, just follow on your learning with the aim of taking the test as soon as possible.If you don’t have this goal to aim for a two years is a long time many people find it easy not to follow on and take the test. Having riden for two whole years having to start again with the CBT is not great. You also have to take into account that you will have to pay the CBT fees again. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/How_to_Get_your_Motorbike_Licence_170.html Mon, 4 Apr 2011 15:06:17 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Purchase_Or_Lease_the_Business_Question_165.html Over the past few weeks we have written a lot about tax (due to the budget), increasing fuel prices (due to the budget), and some other stuff. So I thought that today I would write something completely fresh and not high in the news.Over the past 10 years I have spent so much time with companies from across the world and no matter where they are or what they do they all face similar questions. The most common questions you find in companies are as follows-Do I expand, or do I maintain?How do I finance this, do I need a loan or can a afford it out of cash?I’m struggling to get paid how do I speed this up?And one of the more common questions that I came across was when a company either decided to get a fleet of vehicles or renew their fleet of vehicles. They would ask do I buy or do I lease, and a more complex question was do I sell and lease back. Now before we get into the subject I want to say I am no accountant but I have many years experience in this field. So on to the first question.Buy or LeaseThis is a very good and quite complex question asked by every business owner. First when you purchase a vehicle through your business the value of the vehicles go onto your balance sheet. Now for any ratings agency or banker this always looks good, as there is tangible value on your balance sheet. If you decide to purchase you then have the question how do I finance these, many vehicle supplier will offer finance on any time of asset purchase however the rates of interest can be quite high so if you decide to look at this make sure you shop around to check your options.Now having an asset on your balance sheet does have varying consequences. Firstly once the asset is on the balance sheet its within the business, therefore the asset must live under company rules. This means that they are depreciated through the profit and loss, and to remove them there must be a suitable disposal charged to the accounts. Now charging depreciation is great as its a non cash reduction in profit values reducing your tax liability (and everybody like reducing tax).As the asset is on the balance sheet you have to remember that it is the property of the business. Without beating around the bush this basically means if you lose the business you lose the asset. This is the same with any asset purchase, if your company owns the building it trades from if the business subsequently fails the building will be sold and funds utilised to pay off any creditors.Leasing is an off balance sheet way to use an asset. At no point does the company own the vehicle, it is owned by the lease company and the business using the asset rents the asset for a fee. This fee comes straight off the bottom line of the business as a charge against profit. Unlike when an asset is owned normally you will pay a small monthly fee that covers breakdown or any sort of technical damage, so you get piece of mind that your fleet will be on the road as much as possible.When a leasing arrangement is in place there is a limited time of that lease, at the end of that period the vehicle can be given back or sometimes the lease can be continued or the lease continued for a lower rate/price. There is a real positive from this as essentially when you replace your fleet you don’t have to arrange a sale or accept a poor trade in against your asset. You can also easily increase or reduce your fleet at the end of the period.Each individual company will have their own desires. Many will want to amass assets held on their balance sheet and others will like a flexibility of a lease. Many companies have a mixture of the two, for solid contracts a vehicle is purchased to service that contract. Where a contract is new or short period a lease is ideal for this situation.Sale and Lease BackIn a time where credit is difficult to achieve sometimes you have to be creative with your available assets to generate working capital. Asking for finance with no collateral is a difficult situation if you are looking for any amount above around £2-£3k. As not all businesses or owners have the availability of a property you may want to look at your fleet for a means of security.If you have any more than 3 vehicles in your fleet you can normally find an asset finance company who will provide a sale or lease back facility. Essentially on commencement of the facility a lump sum is paid into the business on the transfer of ownership of the vehicles. This is also a great way to remove the asset from the balance sheet and generate some needed cash.Another great thing about this arrangement is that it is normally very quick. It easy to value as there is book and list price comparison and the rates are normally much keener than normal unsecured finance. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Purchase_Or_Lease_the_Business_Question_165.html Thu, 31 Mar 2011 08:13:49 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/LCD_TV/Panasonic_TXL32S20B_134.html Welcome to the product review for the Panasonic TX-L32S20B in the following article we will look at all aspects of this impressive LCD TV and give you our verdict to save you time. Firstly this model is not the newest on the market, its worth noting that as it has started to see a good reduction in its list price. Initially it started off at £650 and at the time of writing this article it had dipped to £590 which is quite a significant drop. This model sits right in the middle of the range from this giant and is set up like typical models from this manufacturer. Firstly the basics, the model is a 32 inch set and is fitted with 1080p. It was launched just prior to the world cup to temp viewers with a good picture and functionality. Like its main competitor Sony the design is less than flattering. Unlike Samsung and LG this manufacturer like Sony focuses more on the internal design and leaves the outer look. This has left this model looking quite basic and a bit plastic. This model isn’t really eye catching for the price it demands however the internal equipment does make up for it. There are two HDMI ports on the back of the unit and one on the side which is pretty basic for this size of TV, however three sockets is well enough for the majority of households. Along with the two SCART sockets there is a VGA and video port to add further devices. There is the more common USB socket which allows for the majority of external drives and cameras to be added. The Panasonic TX-L32S20B does have an Ethernet point however the set doesn’t support the Viera Cast Internet service, or network streaming. This whilst disappointing from the technical point of view won’t make a massive difference to many people.   Obviously the Freeview HD tuner won’t come as a surprise to anyone and as it is HD you can pick up the ever expanding range of HD channels that are being released. Another great addition is the Guide Plus which is like the Sky TV channel guide. Many Freeview boxes don’t support this and it is a real great little extra. Now where this product does really stand out is in the quality that it provides to its viewers. The colour production is excellent and easily stands head and shoulders above the majority of its competition. As essentially this TV is set up for HD obviously it performs best whilst in HD mode. However even when using the basic picture it does perform superbly well and it is way sharper than a lot of models on the market. Sound wise this set is excellent, if you didn’t know it was a 32 inch LCD TV you could easily think the sound production was coming from a much larger size. Again sound production won’t make a huge difference to you unless you buy a really low end model, for the majority of viewers this set will exceed what you need it for. So to sum up this is a great LCD TV if you are in the market for a 32 inch set. Whilst it is not the most handsome model on the market you know that when you buy the Panasonic TX-L32S20B you are getting real quality. The picture is excellent and the sound is not a disappointment either. So add this model to your shortlist and see how much you can save on a model. LCD TV http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/LCD_TV/Panasonic_TXL32S20B_134.html Mon, 14 Mar 2011 10:20:31 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Apple_Ipad_Numbers_129.html Reports are surfacing that the demand for tablet platforms such as the Apple Ipad and Motorola Xoom has stagnated. The reports published by the FT reported that shares in Arm Holdings (the maker of tablet components) had dipped due to the drop in demand. The cause of this dip is quite ironic as analysis shows that the dip in demand is potentially being caused by lack of competition in the market place.Expectations in the market place were very high after the launch of the Apple Ipad with predictions stating that many other manufacturers would follow suit and launch their own tablet. However this has not been the case and therefore the demand for components has not materialised.  This drop in expected demand has forced the dip in Arm Holdings shares by 9%.The market share held by the tablet form is still extremely small however as there was a lot of market buzz around the format share prices and forecasts seem to have been handsomely over estimated. The launch of the Apple Ipad hailed a new age in portable computing and media however the price tag has put off the product to the mass market.However sales are strong and a few other manufacturers have tested the market. The market is bracing itself to hear the final results of demand and orders placed for components as there is real hope for this emerging niche. The Apple Ipad is now available in many forms such as differing memory size and with of without 3G. The Ipad is still seen as a luxury and many people are purchasing the much cheaper Amazon Kindle which is available at around £110-£150. Whilst the kindle is no match for the Apple Ipad in its design or features it is a very practical solution for many people, and the price tag is very powerful and is attractive to a much wider market. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Apple_Ipad_Numbers_129.html Fri, 11 Mar 2011 17:36:07 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Home_Insurance_Claims_113.html The Home Insurance market has become a very tough place for customers trying to make claims. As regulation is tightened and the costs faced by insurers increase they are trying to hold onto the their cash with a renewed vigour. There are however some basic things you can do to increase your chances of a successful claim.Insurers are now handling their claims to the letter of the terms and conditions that we all don't take the time to read and understand. Our first tip is to spend some time reading all of the terms and conditions and make sure you know exactly what you can claim for, what the claims process is and how you go about staying way within the insurers rules.Essentially when you are reading through the policy documents and terms and conditions you will find many generic points that you will of seen or heard of before. This doesn’t give you free licence to stop reading, try and find areas that you have not seen or did not know. These terms will be the ones that will increase your chance of a successful claim. You do not have to be a legal or insurance whizz to understand the terms and conditions. You should be able to understand them without the need of any assistance, however if there is any area where you are unclear phone the customer service line of your insurer and ask them what the specific item means.Some of the main items that we picked out of the typical policy are what you must do whilst the house is unoccupied or specifics of alarm or lock requirements. This is a key part of the policy as these things are always a black and white situation, you either have them or not. If the answer is not you run the risk of a failed claim. Reading this area of your terms and conditions is very important as it will be in every policy and will directly apply to all policy holders.One of the key things that I have learned having previously worked in the financial services is that keeping all receipts for your purchases is key to any claim. Leaving the value of claims to the insurer again puts you at risk of a reasonable loss on items. Also and this is a bit OTT but if you have pictures to prove you owned items such as jeweller this is always a massive help.You must always keep copies of your insurance details including schedule, policy documents and terms and conditions. Insurers will regularly change their terms and conditions and policy schedules so having the exact copy of your policy is key.If you do have the unfortunate event of making a claim it is well worth contacting your own loss adjuster. Again this might seem OTT but it will prepare you for a visit from a insurers loss adjuster and will prepare you for maximising your claim.We hope that this article helps you out, if you have any further tips or experiences please let us know so we can update our advice. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Home_Insurance_Claims_113.html Thu, 24 Feb 2011 10:02:31 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Mercedes_C-Class_Coupe_106.html Mercedes Benz has revealed the new coupe version of their super successful C-Class. The C-Class now has a two door version which allows Mercedes into the same market as the Audi A5 and BMW 3 series. This market is hugely popular and since Mercedes has not had a competitor in this range since they removed the CLK from the market.If you are looking to purchase the new C-Class or any other new vehicle Compare Car Insurance prices to see how much you will be charged. As there are more variantions in vehicles its worth checking the policy price as part of your purchasing process. This way you will know exactly how much you will be charged once you have purchased the vehicle.The C-Class Coupe is an interesting mix of the established saloon models and the sporty Mercedes cars. This mix gives the C-Class Coupe an elegance that you expect from a Mercedes saloon with the bite of the SLK.The specification of the UK Coupe will include the AMG Sport pack which we think is absolutely awesome. This comes with lowered suspension, a fantastic looking body kit and huge 18 inch alloys.The C-Class Coupe comes in five engine styles these include 3 petrol and 2 diesel, the diesel models are both 2.2 liters with 161 bhp. The three petrol options contain four cylinders up to a V6 350 model. The number of models and engines specs is great and gives those who are looking for something more to their taste a few options to choose from.The inside of the car is very special; the control panel includes the new Mercedes Command entertainment system. This comes with wireless internet connection with the option download routes from Google maps. You can also browse the internal whilst the car is static. This is an excellent option for the business community where you need to do a bit of research pre/post meeting and your Blackberry or iPhone is too small or slow for your requirements.Another new option in the entertainment system allows you to play music via Bluetooth, you can also read text messages through the dashboard. The car includes attention assisted package which reviews the driver to see if they are tired and also give greater assistance whilst parking.The ticket price is around £30,000 for the base model and will hit the UK forecourts in June, the first model will be unveiled in March. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Mercedes_C-Class_Coupe_106.html Tue, 15 Feb 2011 09:50:18 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Mortgage_Statistics_104.html New figures released from the department for communities and local government released on 18th January 2011 make extremely interesting reading. Since the global financial crisis hit a few years back more and more people sit eagerly each month awaiting new house price and sales information to gauge where their own personal situation is.House prices, sales, new approved mortgages are all a hot topic with everyone in the UK, a few years back people know that each month house prices were rising and their investment was making money. Each month thousands of new mortgages were being approved and selling your home was not a massive problem.Now however everyone has become a mini economist looking at house statistics and gauge the impact of the new figures on them. So to the latest figures, they relate to mortgage completions in the month of November 2010 so quite new.The key findings from this report show the following, house prices increased 4% on average over the year to November and reduced by 0.1% in the November period. This is great news for home owners especially those in areas where the prices have been significantly hit. A 4% rise goes some way to recovering losses seen in previous periods, it also shows that demand for properties is still strong.Average house prices were £208.6k which shows a 4.7% real rise in average price. Again this is good news for home owners but for first time buyers this news does not sound to promising. However with this increase in prices normally follows an increase in mortgage approvals so hopefully first time buyers are finding it easier to gain a mortgage offer.In relation to first time buyers as expected from the paragraph above first time buyers were paying on average 2.4% higher prices for home than 12 months ago, this however whilst not great news shows that the first time buyer properties are not growing in price as much as the national average which will provide much comfort to first time buyers.The major information was that on overage new homes (new builds) were 8.9% higher in price than from 12 months ago. This shows that the period of heavy discounting on new homes might have come to an end, again this is mixed news for buyers. Whilst it seems you will obviously pay more this is a good indication that sales must be strong which means that mortgages are being approved.This report is a good bit of news for the UK market, small growth figures are a good indication of recovery, as we have stated above the small rise in prices also comes with an indication of higher numbers of mortgage approvals and sales. Whilst low prices is great for buyers if you can’t sell your home then this really doesn’t affect you. You must also remember that everything is relative, if prices are dropping so is the value of your home that you are looking to sell. Also if mortgage approvals are dropping there is a smaller pool of buyers to buy your home. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Mortgage_Statistics_104.html Mon, 14 Feb 2011 09:34:23 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Jenny_Tinmouth_99.html Jenny Tinmouth will team up with Hudson Kennaugh and will make World Superbike history as the first female ever to tackle the leading domestic motorsport series. This massive leap for the sport will pit Jenny against the very best superbike riders in the world. Jenny joins the Hay-on-Wye based Splitlath team, who have just completed a deal with Aprilia the Italy based company to provide the engines and technical assistance to this forward thinking Superbike team with their Aprilia RSV4 machines. Compare Motorbike Insurance at the compare shop. Jenny, who comes from the North West town of Ellesmere Port finished third in the 2010 British Supersport Cup, will take the massive leap to the UK’s top motorcycle series. She has admitted that this leap will fulfill her long time dream to drive a Superbike. Whilst this article will make most readers feel that Jenny is a real pioneer you must keep in mind that Jenny is no stranger to making history. In 2010 she made history numerous times as she reported he best season to date since starting in national competition in 2003. Her other accolades include being the first female to win a British Supersport Cup race, set a fastest lap by any female on the world renowned Isle of Man TT event. She also won the final round in the British Hottrax Endurance race last November. Hopefully by now you are realizing that this special lady from the North West has been pushing the boundaries since her national debut in 2003. We also hope that you will all join us in congratulating Jenny on her achievements and wish her well for the coming season.In a recent interview she stated  “I’m over the moon, I still can’t believe it,” she said. “My ambition has always been to race in British Superbikes and I’ve been trying to get on one for some time.”“I was so keen to get on a Superbike that I was looking at options of running myself in the Evo class, so to get a ride with a team like Splitlath is fantastic.”Splitlath team Owner John Dimbylow is excited by his new team line up and believes he has a very strong team coming into the new championship season. He is excited by the prospect of seeing Jenny in the championship and has confirmed that his new rider is a “proven race winner”. He has confirmed the selection gives her teammate Hudson the perfect race partner.The team is currently training in Spain and they look to producing a strong result in 2011. The season starts at Brands Hatch on the 22-25th April.Compare Motorbike Insurance with the compare shop today. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Jenny_Tinmouth_99.html Thu, 10 Feb 2011 08:56:59 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Cheap_Bike_Insurance_97.html Cheap Bike InsuranceInsure My Bike CheaplyAre you looking for cheap bike insurance? As comparing insurance prices is one of the key parts of the compare shop we strive to be able to produce the very best product that makes it very easy for our customers to buy Cheap bike Insurance from all of the best market leading bike policy providers from the very competitive insurance market. We searched around the internet and decided to team up with Cheap Bike Insurance provider Go Compare to make sure our customers have the very best options available for their cover.From our extensive experience (well understanding how stuff works!!) of trying to by insurance and having the piece of mind that you are purchasing your policy and getting a good deal we know how frustrating and time consuming it can be not only by trying to find the right insurance policy for you (that covers all the things that you want and need) and especially finding the right policy for the right price especially a price that makes you feel that you are getting exceptional value. The key for the compare shop to making this a pleasurable process for our customers is to provide you  as much in depth information as quick as possible.  When we looked at the market for this type of cover we not only wanted to provide our clients with Cheap Bike Insurance we also wanted to try and reduce the stress levels through this process. We identified the two main ways of doing this, firstly was to provide as much in depth information as quickly as possible, and secondly was to provide the cheapest prices on the market. By delivering on both of these promises we are sure that you will start to enjoy this annual process and use it as more of a challenge than a chore. We know how good the feeling is when you manage to knock off £100 from your premium. Were sure that if you get that feeling we have done our job properly and provided you with Cheap Bike Insurance. This essentially is our aim and what will make you come back to us time after time. Knowing that our clients are coming to the compare shop and saving money is fantastic so let us know how you get on.So saving money on your bike policy couldn’t be easier or quicker!  Also remember that the insurance comparison process with the compare shop is not a high pressure situation, all of your quotes are saved on the system so you can go away and have a really good think about your policy before your buy. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Cheap_Bike_Insurance_97.html Sun, 30 Jan 2011 11:46:26 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Cheap_Car_Insurance_96.html As insurance comparison is one of the key functions of our website we were very keen to be able to produce a product that allowed our customers to buy Cheap Car Insurance from some of the very best policy providers in the market. We therefore teamed up with our Cheap Car Insurance provider Go Compare to make sure our customers have the very best options available. Go Compare has set itself out infront of many other comparison services due to its very recognisable marketing campaign (see below).From our own personal experience of trying to by insurance and trying to make sure that you are getting a good deal we know how frustrating and time consuming it can. Trying trying to find the right insurance policy for you and especially finding the right policy for the right price is very hard. The key to making this a pleasurable process rather than a stressful one is by obtaining as much information in as quicker time as possible. Having as many prices and details in front of you enables you to make an informed decision.Our research and from our personal knowledge getting Cheap Car Insurance is key not only to your stress levels but to the family budget as a whole. We all know what it feels like when you get that renewal letter in the post and despite being an amazing customer and paying on time every month and not making a claim the price of your policy still goes up.We also know however the feeling you get the first time youTry a comparison website and find that the company you have your renewal quote from is listed in your search results and its cheaper tha your renewal quote? (Go figure). The best feeling especially from being a provider of Cheap Car Insurance quotes is the feeling knowing that people are coming to the website and saving money, sometimes upwards of a fe hundred pounds.So saving money on your policy couldn’t be easier!  All you have to do is spend five minutes (yes just five minutes) of your day input your details once and we give you as many quotes as possible, you cater your results by the type of cover you require (ie Fully Comprehensive, Third Party Fire & Theft and Third Party Only), all you then have to do is choose the best policy for you. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Cheap_Car_Insurance_96.html Sun, 30 Jan 2011 11:29:42 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Samsung_LCD_TV_93.html The 3D TV market is set for a huge upsurge in 2011, this surge in sales will be brought about as the LCD TV supergiant Samsung is set to slash the cost of entry units by up to 65% (yes 65%!). This is set to make the good looking samsung models accessible to many more people expanding the brands reach.As we stated in an early article many of the big 3D LCD TV players had already put a huge amount of capital investment into their 3D range and 3D technology and that it would only be a matter of time before the cost began to tumble. It seems as though this time might have come with such a major player leading the way.This is a typical stage in a product market lifecycle, as the cost begins to fall the manufacturers like Samsung will hope this becomes their next mass market product. Lets face it thats where the big money is, high volume=lower costs=more profit (or thats how its supposed to work). So by making this bold move it seems as though Samsung are looking to push the market forward in an attempt to increase sales and marginsSaying that despite the high investment in the new technology it has been reported that less than a million top of the range 3D sets have actually sold in the US which will be a big hit to the manufacturers. When a new technology hits the shelves manufacturers sit and hope that the products will be well received and they will shift into homes very quickly.I feel the key to this (the above) statistic is the words “top of the range” this always equates to high price low volume. However they are predicting more uptake in 2011 with an estimate that nearly 6 million units will sell as the technology hits lower end units and becomes more easily available.2010 saw a large uptake in low end, low cost 3D units, and we’re not to surprised. The world is still hurting since the financial crisis hit the world and the 3D sets are now on the market with amazing functions for a really good cost. There is also a renewed demand as people are staying at home much more and not spending their money on nights out. This has pushed a demand for higher quality units for the home.The main way that Samsung will hit the lower end market is by offering 3D in a passive function by offering non active glasses (that currently retail at near £100). This makes a lot of sense, however I will reserve judgement until I’ve seen a passive set in motion.Lets hope 2011 sees an upsurge for the manufacturers as that is always a good sign that the economies are moving and things are getting better. If the products do start to move there will also be a new incentive for the firms to push the bounderies of the technology which again will lead to better products. And lets be honest we all love it when one of the big manufacturers releases a new bit of technology. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Samsung_LCD_TV_93.html Fri, 28 Jan 2011 16:36:04 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Bike_Insurance_92.html No matter what you you ride be it moped, scooter, super bike, racing bike we can be pretty sure that you will be keen to save as much money as possible on your Bike Insurance. We know that when you buy a bike you always have to look at the additional cost that comes with the cover you need. We also know how it feels when you find a vehicle that you want, that you can afford then you have to downgrade because the premium costs far too much.Most of us (and it seems like this is a UK trait) will be well aware of that feeling when you have bought something that you think is a good deal then you see it much cheaper normally in the next place you look. I know by now you are already remembering something that you bought that you felt was a good deal and then instantly felt completely ripped off when you saw it a half the cost. Im also pretty sure that most people have had that feeling when they have purchased their Bike Insurance. The problem with a product like a policy is that there is no tangible value, there are no parts that have a base cost, its purely risk and reward. Therefore the cost will move depending on the providers view of the risks they will be taking and the reqard they want for that risk.A few years back making sure you can find a great price was much easier by the Bike Insurance price comparison website. Before the internet came into play to check the current prices for your Bike Insurance you would have to spend the day picking up the phone and answering the same 50 questions to each advisor you spoke to. Since the price comparison website has been in play especially in the case of Bike Insurance it is much easier to shop round for your cover and have the peice of mind that you are not losing out.People who use the Bike Insurance comparison websites are very shrewd, typically they know they dont want to pay over the odds for their policy and they know they want to check out whats happening in the market. And to be honest these people are always rewarded for their attitude.We have all had those times where its easier to just let your current provider roll over the policy you already in place and lets face it its something off your desk. Were all guilty of doing this at some point and its no crime (well not a legal crime, it is however a massive crime against your wallet!). And if you have done this you need to be aware that for that year you took the rolled over policy you lost out. To give you an example of how this takes effect I personally did an experiment with my policy, I allowed my provider to quote for a renewal which came in above my previous rate. I asked them why this was and they told me the costs had gone up accross the board etc etc. I then checked the prices via the internet. to my astonishment the same company quoted me 30% less than my renewal quote. Technically when you use the comparison websites you fill out one form and get quotes from hundreds of insurers from the answers you give in that one form.  In return for filling out the form you are neatly provided with a set of quotes in front of you for you to choose from. What is also great is that the results are reported in a way that you can look at the key parts of the policy side by side. This makes making an informed choice much easier, So choose your Bike Insurance wisely and make sure you get that happy feeling that you have just save yourself a fortune. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Bike_Insurance_92.html Tue, 25 Jan 2011 16:41:10 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Compare_Motorbike_Insurance_91.html Research shows that about just over two thirds of all bike owners use comparison websites to buy their policy. As with most items you purchase price will be a massive part in the decision of who to buy from. This is no different than when you Compare Motorbike Insurance. The above statistic is quite a worrying one when you think about how many bikers could be losing out by paying too much for their policy.There are two basic principles behind using a comparison website to Compare Motorbike Insurance one is to take out the long winded research process involved in either calling each individual companies website or calling each call centre. And the second is to allow the website to work with the brokers and policy providers to price their policies at the optimum level for the consumer. When you Compare Motorbike Insurance you essentially view what can be hundreds of prices in one place. You also view these prices by only filling out one set of questions to get to the results. When you strip back through the glitz of the websites they actually provide a massive benefit to riders. The website lays bare the competition as there is nowhere to hide when your prices are sat right next to the competition. As you can also view every policy document and additional extras in one place it's very simple to see which policy provides the best value for you.At The Compare Shop our search engine compares prices from over 30 insurance companies which gives you a very broad base in which to base your buying decision. Buy viewing such a wide variety of prices you really can gain a wide picture of who can offer you the best price and the best value. Having 30 companies providing us with prices we cover one of the largest selections of providers in the market.So when you Compare Motorbike Insurance the website essentially takes out all the leg work that you would have had to do. Normally within five minutes you can have hundreds of prices at your finger tips for you to compare and buy!! The entire search results are stripped right back to the bare essentials of the policy, you can see the price, the monthly premium, and the additional extras provided. We even highlight the extras you can choose to add on with their price.If you have not tried using one of the comparison engines it is well worth giving it a try. Many people can save over £100 pounds on their annual premium and when you think of what you could buy with the additional £100 it really is a large amount. It is also very important to repeat this process every year so that you are always getting the very best price for your needs. Each year we note the number of insurance providers changes dramatically, you will start to notice new names in the field that you may never of heard of. Most of these companies have been around for many years and have been providing other riders cheap premiums. So why miss out? Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Compare_Motorbike_Insurance_91.html Tue, 18 Jan 2011 17:58:58 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/HDTV_89.html Compare HDTVHigh-definition television (HDTV) is basically a television that plays visual items at a much higher resolution than older style televisions. I am staying away from saying traditional TVs etc as I’m sure that HDTV will be superseded at some time in the future. The new technology produces many more pixels per frame and is nearly 5 times more clear because of this increased pixel count. if your not aware of the term pixels a pixel is essentially a dot when these dots are put together they form a picture. If you think back to the first computer pictures they were quite squire. This is because there was a very small number of pixels in the picture therefore the more pixels in the same space the more detail the picture will have. The new technology really is a digital revolution which has and will continue to improve the viewing experience. To follow on from my above comments the term high definition has been around for many years, this was in the context of previous increases in visual quality. Hence my comments above as Im sure there will be a new HDTV in a few years!! The research into this new visual technology goes back many years and whilst this is the history section were going to discount the early years as were actually most interested in the recent history. In the early 2000’s there was a mass adoption of widescreen HDTV transmission (known as NTSC, and PAL-M). This has pushed forward the use of HDTV. Many people will have seen the digital switchover literature and adverts. HDTV systems are identified by 2 main parameters- Frame Size (ie 1920:1080) or 1080p Frame Rate  ie the number of video frames/fields per second. Therefore the Frame Size shown as 1920:1080 means the picture will be 1920 pixels wide and 1080 pixels high. This also means that the frame rate say 25 frames per second would show the pixel configuration as stated above 25 times per second. This improved picture performance allows the production pictures that are way more lifelike as they are much more detailed. So when you are looking around at the selection of televisions on the market have a look for the resolutions mentioned above. You will be able to see which models produce the clearer more enhanced pictures. You also need to decide if the picture clarity is important to your needs as to be honest even the basic picture quality is still excellent. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/HDTV_89.html Tue, 18 Jan 2011 14:35:48 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Compare_Car_Insurance_86.html Compare Car Insurance OnlineOnline Car InsuranceCheap Price Car InsuranceOk so using comparison websites to save money on your car insurance policy is not a new thing, It is however becoming more of a need as the recession effects roll on deep into the back end of 2011. With VAT increasing a few days ago and fuel duty increasing you need to look every way you can to reduce your motoring costs.When you Compare Car Insurance it can save you a lot of time, many comparison websites will allow you to get hundreds of quotes within 4-5 minutes. So if you don’t compare car insurance online using a comparison service you will either be left phoning round as many companies as you can think of or just accepting your renewal quote. When you think about the process you would historically have gone through you can easily see how much time you can save online.Accepting your renewal quote is normally the worst thing that you can do. I have never experienced a situation where your renewal quote will reduce your premium more than another company will offer you for being a new customer. Think logically new customer is new turnover and new profit to the competitor. As the market is becoming more and more competitive companies will fight tooth and nail to get you through the door. So use the power that you have and leverage this power to get a great deal.Using one of the main websites will normally show you the majority of the UK market all in one place. So it's quite clear that when you compare car insurance using an online service you can gain a lot of information very quickly. Having this information gives you a very clear picture of what you will have to pay in the current market. Another tool you are given when using an online portal is that you can move the variables of the policy around and see if you can tweak your quote to get more value. The main things you can move are the voluntary excess and the type of cover you purchase and by changes these you will be able to manipulate the premium significantly.  To make sure you are hitting whole of market its always worth using more than one comparison service.When you compare car insurance online it also takes away any pressure you may feel from a sales person. You don’t get the direct question of “is that ok” or “shall I put this in place for you today”. So your free to compare car insurance read policy booklets see what additional stuff you get and potentially walk away and come back tomorrow!! Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Compare_Car_Insurance_86.html Fri, 7 Jan 2011 16:39:17 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Compare_Prices_85.html Over the past 6 months we have been taking a close look at the worlds economy and trying to find ways to help our visitors save some much needed money. What we have noticed and what the worlds media has noticed is that the cost of goods is increasing month on month. In economic terms price rises are driven in two main way either demand push or cost push.Demand push is where the demand for products completely outstrips the supply therefore people are more willing to pay a premium for the product. Cost push on the other hand is weher the input costs of a product rise (and this can be for many reasons) which in turn pushes up the end price of the end product.What we have seen is that in 2010 and 2011 is that both of these factors seem to be taking effect. When you Compare Prices from 18 months ago to todays prices there are some quite significant rises which can be seen. And when you look at why this has happened its not surprising that the end price has risen a significant percentage. When you first look at the number of natural disasters that have taken place in the past few years you start to notice the number of production stoppages that have taken place. Most recently we have seen flooding in the USA and earthquakes in Japan. When you think that these nations are massive producers and comcumers of the worlds products you start to see the signs of strain on the worlds economy.We have also discussed on numerous occasions that oil prices continue to rise across the world. As oil is one of the main input costs into any product then seeing a 20-30% annual rise in the cost will more than likely add 20-30% onto this aspect of the products pricing. It is also worth noting that there is no sign in the cost of oil reducing, we have seen dips in the wholesale price but this has never translated into the cost on the forecourts.When you think about the UK on its own we currently import many of the products we need as the prices are cheaper than to buy from UK based producers. This however may not be the case going forward as ships and planes use a huge amount of fuel which has seen the costs of shifting products rise year on year.So after writing an article that sounds quite depressing you might be asking what you can do to minimise the costs of products that you want and need to buy. Well after doing the research for this article it became clear that the only way to do this without becoming a fully qualified economist it to simply do what we did in researching this article. Spend time and Compare Prices for the products you want. when you see a good value price for what you want make the purchase. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Compare_Prices_85.html Wed, 29 Dec 2010 17:43:04 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Compare_LCD_TV_84.html In todays ever competitive market no matter what you are looking to buy from LCD TVs, food, Mobile Phones etc possibly the main factor you will look at is price. Whilst branding and quality is still extremely important price is the most persuasive factor to most people. So how do you achieve your goal of finding the very best price for what you want to buy. Well to be honest there are many ways to research prices befre the internet people spent a lot of time on the highstreet going from shop to shop checking who was offering what. Now that we are in the age of the internet why waste all of this time. You can now find all the products you want from many different retailers all in one place.One of the most desirable products that people like to search for is when they look to Compare LCD TV prices. As products in this range are standard its very simple to search for the make and model you want to purchase and find out what prices different retailers are selling the product for. When you find the price that is right for your budget you can buy it.When we completed research on this area of search we found it amazing how much you can save on the same product. Something else we found was that many retailers will off additional extras with a product for the same price. This can be things such as stands, speakers and blu ray players which when you look at the individual price makes the package a great deal. So when shopping for an LCD TV it pays to Compare LCD TV prices as you will be able to view the best package for your needs. As you will find when you compare LCD TVs many retailers will offer single units or bundles with offers. You can then work out what the best deal is for you. You will also be able to see what the retailer will throw into the deal to win your extremely valuable business.It is also worth taking into account that this allows you to save loads of time and be sure you are getting the best deal from the highstreet and web retailers. Our research showed how surprising it was how much you can save on the same product from different retailers. It really does pay dividends to spend a little bit of time online as it will save you a fortune.The aim of doing this is to basically give you the consumer the power to be able to sit at home away from any sales advisor look at all the information on the products on the market and make an informed decision. You can then choose which product, which shop, and most importantly which price you want to pay. Also think that when you are sat at home searching there will be no pushy sales staff in the way trying to force you into making a quick and poor decision.The aim when your shopping has to be to maximise the amount of money you save and the level of service you get. Use all of the information that you can find online to make sure that you know what you are buying. The complexities that go into each product is amazing, and to make sure that you get the right product for your needs means understanding what each of these features is and does. We hope this article has helped you in your quest to save money and find the right product for you. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Compare_LCD_TV_84.html Wed, 29 Dec 2010 17:10:48 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Car_Insurance_Comparison_82.html Why Compare, Simple Save Time and Money!Car insurance price comparison websites have been used for many years now it actually feels like they have been round since the inception of the internet. The basic idea was borne as all good inventions as the previous methods of comparing Car insurance prices was with a phone, pen, paper and a lot of time and patients. So with the ability to enter your data into one form and have hundreds of prices within minutes the demand increased rapidly.Initially not many Car Insurance providers were used in the comparison process as they did not sign up to the comparison sites. This was because they didn’t feel this was a valid route to market. They did not think that people would want to use this type of website, they also did not want to pay the websites for their service. As time went on the demand increased dramatically and the Car Insurance providers had to take the websites seriously. Today Price Comparison websites provide one of the main routes to the Car Insurance market. Some providers still try and stay away from this route to sale but it is a very bold route to take.It's very hard to comprehend what the impact has been on the UK consumer but many providers boast that they can save customers hundreds of pounds each year. I think its very simple to say that whilst not all insurance providers love the comparison websites they have opened up the market for everyone. Thinking from the oposite side these websites have reduced one of the main barriers to entry for new insurance providers. Historically many companies would have been put off entering the market as they would need a huge amount of money to market their product and service the customers. As the sales and marketing process is taken on by the website and its partners the smaller companies can compete side by side with the big boys.For the consumer this is excellent, when you look at prices side by side you are now getting prices from the largest and smallest providers from every corner of the UK market. The large companies have huge overheads that build into the price of their premiums. The smaller companies however do not necessarily have this burden therefore allowing them to reduce their prices. As the comparison website should not discriminate between providers essentially the best deal should win, and should be listed at the top of the search results. It is a unique and fascinating service and watching the companies move up and down the result spages in the index is compelling veiwing. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Car_Insurance_Comparison_82.html Sun, 19 Dec 2010 17:06:09 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/LCD_TV/LCD_TV_Buying_Tips_81.html Further buying guide for LCD TVsScreen Size-When looking at screen size its always worth looking at the size of the room you are looking to place the LCD TV. The larger the room the larger the LCD TV, There are some statistics regarding room size and screen size, the general rule is that LCD TV screens up to 22" are best suited to rooms where the seating is between 1.5-2.4m away from the screen. Screens up to 32" should sit in rooms where the screen is under 3m from the seating, 42" screens cover rooms less than 3.6m and larger screens for rooms above this size.50Hz or 100Hz ??Hz covers screen clarity and LCD TV picture motion screen. So if you only watch slower moving programmes you will be fine with a 50Hz screen however if you watch action films, sports and similar programmes 100Hz is the screen for you.FreeviewQuite an old phenomenon now however this is the easiest way to enjoy digital TV (as its free! and usually comes built into your LCD TV). You can receive up to 50 channels most of which are watchable!!!HDMI ConnectionsFor most people this is the technological bit, the HDMI cables allows you to link your LCD TV to other bits of equipment. The HDMI connections allows HD picture quality to be transferred without loss of quality.Full HD or HD ready?HD ready has a minimum screen resolution of 720 lines that can deliver High Def content. High Definition pictures have a higher number of colours allowing picture quality to be much more realistic. With this higher number of colours the picture looks sharper, brighter and more detailed. Full HD has the 1080p resolution which has the ultimate amount of colours and lines. LCD TV http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/LCD_TV/LCD_TV_Buying_Tips_81.html Fri, 10 Dec 2010 22:07:25 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Television_Glossary_of_Terms_80.html Television Glossary TerminologyTV Definitions100 Hz the number of Hz shows the number of times a picture field is shown per second (ie 50Hz= 50times per second.. 100Hz uses digital processing to double the frequency therefore the picture field is shown 100 times per second. This doubling in frequency reduces the visual flickering on screen so you get a smoother motion, minimised blurring and vastly improved background clarity. 1080i this is a TV format found in High Definition TVs. The 1080 refers to the number of vertical pixels and the i stands for interlaced (an improved picture quality). This is the standard resolution needed to enjoy high definition programming. 1080p this is a TV format found in High Definition TVs. The 1080 refers to the number of vertical pixels and the p stands for progressive scan (not interlaced but frames are drawn in sequence). This is the highest of high definition signals and uses progressive scanning. 720pA TV format found in HD TVs. The 720 refers to the number of vertical pixels and the p stands for progressive video. The 720 refers to a lower number of pixels than the 1080 versions. Aspect ratio this is the ratio between a pictures width and height, in televisions there are 2 aspect ratios. A TVs 4:3 ratio is the square-ish, standard shape and the 16:9 is the wide-screen format which is seen predominately in new HD TVs. Auto tuningA time old television function, this will automatically tune in the channels that an aerial can receive. AV socket using this socket allows your tv to transmit pictures and sound using audio-visual connections. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Television_Glossary_of_Terms_80.html Tue, 7 Dec 2010 22:14:34 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Digital_Camera_Purchasing_Tips_79.html Digital Camera TerminologyCamera BasicsHello again everyone as we are now well in the run up to the Christmas and the January sales we thought it would be a good time to give you some basic pointers, or a quick reference guide to some of the general terminology for Digital Cameras. So to stop you being blinded by science by the basics!! Here are our main pointers of things to look at. Megapixels- The number of megapixels on your digital camera directly determins the print quality of the photograph your camera will produce. Now when you look at the number of megapixels you also need to think what size of photograph you would want to take. The basic rule of thumb with megapixels is the bigger the photo the more megapixels you will require (simple!!). To take your normal album sized photographs (6”X4”) a basic 8 megapixel Digital Camera will suffice. If you are looking for a larger than normal print steer towards a 10 megapixel Digital Camera. Screen- Now most Digital Cameras have a screen on the back (its a bit of given these days) however, again you need to think about where you will be taking your photos and match the screen size and quality to your needs. A basic rule is the larger and brighter the screen the easier it will be to take a better quality photo. Battery- A lot of the Digital Cameras now come with a longer life lithium-ion battery (which is great). The beauty of this type of battery is that they are normally rechargeable so as long as you keep your eye on the meter you should be able to charge the battery before you use it. It is worth looking at the battery time and check if this is on standby, with the screen on etc etc. Zoom- Were not going to dwell too much on zoom as it seems like this has been around for ages, just check the length of zoom matches with your requirements (these no point having a telescope on the end of your Digital Camera if you dont need it!) Media Card- This is something very important to check, most Digital Cameras will not come with a media card, so you will need to buy one. If you do you need to check how many pictures the card will hold and make sure the memory is enough for your needs. This is an area where you need to buy exactly what you need if you dont buy enough space you will be left buying numerous media cards which will in the end cost you more. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Digital_Camera_Purchasing_Tips_79.html Tue, 7 Dec 2010 21:54:20 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Toshiba_32AV713B_Review_78.html 32AV713B RegzaUK Toshiba Regza LCD TVThe Toshiba 32AV713B is a really elegant 32 inch model. Most people looking for an LCD TV of this size in this price range will want as much performance for as little money as possible. In a way this is the ultimate goal for most people looking in this range so the Toshiba 32AV713B is a 'must see' when looking at your options.The amazing thing about this television is that when you look at the price it competes with the lower end of the market models such as Goodmans and Bush, however it delivers the quality that you would expect from this leading brand name. The picture quality is excellent for such a tiny price tag which really does push this set to the top of the pack in this budget range.So we have established the price is great and the picture is great but does it do the business overall!!The LCD TV looks great, when you get up close you do notice that it is a bit plastic compared to the top end models however for most users this will not be an issue. The Toshiba range is not the best looking ranges on the market, it really does fall short in this category but the quality provided in the picture will make up for any less sleek looks.The Picture quality is great for this price range and you wont find any problems using the Toshiba 32AV713B whilst watching DVD's, Freeview, or even gaming. The technology behind the picture provides some great results in all uses. The rear of the LCD TV shows why the set is so competitively priced, where these days you find an abundence of connections and options the Toshiba 32AV713B has a limited number of connections. with only 2 HDMI sockets and one USB you wont have the options of a top end LCD TV however it will be more than sufficient for most users. The USB port is useful as you can showcase pictures and MP3 music files on set.Theres no ethernet point however there are no addition extras that need the ethernet point so whilst you might read this point and go "oh" just remember 12 motnhs ago ethernet points werent even around!!So overall for the price this LCD TV makes it an extremely competitive unit that most people will find high on their purchase list. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Toshiba_32AV713B_Review_78.html Tue, 7 Dec 2010 14:50:31 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Apple_Macbook_Air_70.html Apple is one of the world biggest and best known brands tey are renowed for innovation and producing products that are aesthetically beautiful and functional. Some of their products really revolutionised the world with the iPhone and iPod leading the way in their top product list. Many of todays most avid users will not have been around when Apple began but for years the company was know for desktop and Laptop computers.After Apple announced that they were bringing out the Macbbok Air that was going to be only 13 inches in size we thought they had hit the jackpot. The 13 inch Laptop was a real awsome bit of kit that performed as good as it looked. So when we heard they were about to launch a Laptop called the Macbook Air 11 inch version we thought it was a joke.Now weve seen it we can promise you its no joke, its anything but a joke. In fact when we describe the 13 inch version as awesome this must be described as Uber Awsome. At this point I want to apologise because I am going to describe the Macbook Air as a Laptop and thats purely because I dont think calling it a netbook gives it enough credit. Ok so weve hit you with the 11 inches but I also want to introduce another number 0.3cm, thats the size of the Macbook air at its smallest point, yes 0.3cm which to be honest is  AMAZING. So at this size you would expect the Macbook Air to be missing bits (like possibly the screen!). But thats not the case, theres no optical drive, it has two USB ports and the screen is an amazing 11.6inches. The screen is LED backlit and playing HD pictures produces some really tremendous results. The battery is claimed to last for approx 5 hours with moderate usage (including having the wifi on). You can purchase the Macbook Air in two flash configurations of 128GB and 64GB which to be honest wont fulfil the normal persons requirement for a main laptop so it might limit the usage to travel Laptop. But when you look at it its quite clear that this is where the Macbook Air is focused. Its not meant to be sat in an office as a main computing item, its meant for the modern businessman who is constantly moving from place to place. Despite constantly moving they need all the power and control over their data which this product provides. It also looks amazing so it delivers a bit of status which lets face it if your buying something this expensive you want a bit of posh.The picture quality as we said above is excellent for such a small unit, the Macbook Air comes with the Nvida 320M graphics card which really comes up with the goods. The Laptop operating system is powered by an Intel Core 2 Duo Processor with 2GB of RAM which for mobile use is pretty fantastic. The Macbook Air Laptop really is a sight to behold, the price might be too much for some to spend on a potential portable Laptop but if you can afford its well worth it. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Apple_Macbook_Air_70.html Sat, 27 Nov 2010 14:35:31 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/CAR_INSURANCE_savings_tips_63.html We have spent the last few weeks doing some research across the majority of the main comparison websites to find the most efficient ways to save money on your Car Insurance policy. So by spending a few minutes reading the following document you could potentially save quite a bit on your premium.1) Fit an approved alarm and/or tracker.Now this is one of those questions I have never answered yes to on an application form so I tried it out to see how much difference it made to the end quotation. With a singular addition (ie one specialised alarm or tracker) the quote only changed slightly however when working this one item together with a number of other additional extras it knocked approx 5% off the quote. So If you are going to keep the vehicle for some time spending some money in this area could be a good investment. Basically it's a cost to savings ratio, check the cost of the upgraded alarm or tracker against the saving in the premium. If you are going to keep the vehicle for five years then as long as the premium reduction is above the cost of the equipment after five years you have saved money!Below are the list of approved alarms and Trackers from the top insurersThatcham 1 (basic immobiliser)Thatcham 2 (immobiliser and alarm joint)TrackersAsset PhantomNav TrackRAC RDM Thales Tracker (guard and Echo)2) Alter Your Voluntary Excess (and try a few different levels of excess to see the difference)Firstly I want to add a note of caution, most companies have a voluntary excess which adds on top of your voluntary excess. When working out what you can afford take this into account!!This made a difference on all quotes; on average a doubling of the voluntary excess reduced the end quotation by a minimum of approximately £50.3) Make Sure You input the right annual Mileage coverThis is always a question that I make up and normally over estimate (or fit to what I have on my car agreement) but you should try and have this as close as possible. I tried altering the amount of annual mileage around and compared my my actual mileage, what my vehicles finance agreement was and what I would actually have put in without doing this research.I was surprised that when adding an extra 4000 miles this added £43 to the annual Car Insurance premium. Another note of caution don’t under estimate your annual mileage as your insurance could not cover (or incur charges) but don’t go way over the top.4) Only take the optional Extras you actually needEach site has a really in-depth description of what these optional extras are so I am not going to do into this in great detail, however the usual optional extras are-No Claims CoverLegal AssistanceCourtesy CarThe key to adding value to your Car Insurance premium is to alter your cover to your individual needs and dont fall into the trap of buying items on a whim or want. Now for me the following is the age old question that has been around about quote forms since time began. Does it make a difference where your vehicle is kept overnight, the options are normally-On the roadDrivewayGarageCCTV covered area EtcThe answer to the above question is that it does make a big difference to the end price. When you look at the variation in prices that the above variables provide the amount of variation depends on your postcode. The riskier the postcode the bigger the difference provided. So it's quite clear the safer you store your car the better your premium will be. It is potentially worth looking at the cost of a private garage if you park on the road, simply work out the saving in your premium and compare that to the cost of the private garage!Unfortunately its clear that the majority of the policy cost is built into statistics, demographics, geographic crime rates and sometimes the willingness of a company to cover you. It does however show that by being smart you can control an element of your premium cost. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/CAR_INSURANCE_savings_tips_63.html Sat, 9 Oct 2010 17:29:52 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Toshiba_55SV685DB_review_61.html The Toshiba 55SV685DB under review. The Compare Shop writers looks at this huge 55 inch Toshiba visual machine!!Well its easy to see that this model is in the high end of the range, why? Price, size, technology, brand etc. But with a high price comes big expectations so does it hold its own in an LCD TV market that’s bursting with excellent models and innovative advances. Not only is it bursting with top models with value and new technological advances.When your shopping around, reading reviews and looking at the latest models make sure you Compare LCD TV prices as the market moves its prices all the time. When looking at a high end model such as the Toshiba 55SV685DB you can fish out a bargain and get all of that quality technology at a great price.Technical Specifications-Flat Panel which is LED backlit (LED Technology has the ability to be switched on and off depending on need) -Screen Size: 55 massive inches!-Screen Format Ratio: 16:9-HD ready - Full HD-Number of Scart Interfaces: 2-4 HDMI Sockets-DVB-T: DVB-T (MPEG4)-Home Networking enabled (by Ethernet, plug to router)-White Diming technology (with screen optimiser)-Active Vision M200 picture processing-200Hz frame rate with stabilizer-Resolution+ (increases standard freeview quality)-SD Slots-Contrast ratio 2000000:1-Auto set upAfter watching this set for a while you do start to notice the real quality of the picture especially in HD via Blu Ray or HD channels. Just look at the contrast ratio, and then look again this is why the picture is so amazing. The colours and lines are extremely well defind and you wont be dissapointed when the figures and scense move quickly. The system behind the screen handles quick changing scenes impressively.My view is if you could have a television just to watch HD football and Video this would be the set to have. If I could vent one small criticism I would note one of the common issues that I find with many units. The ability to control all of the above functions and options from the standard remote control including scrolling sections and going back a step is quite hard. This does get quite annoying after a bit, however if you use a third party remote such as Sky/Virgin this wont be too much of a problem. I t is however a bit dissapointing due to the cost of the model.So overall whilst this product does have some basic issues it more than makes up for it with the performance of the technology.  To be honest its no less than you would expect in this end of the range but this model does not disappoint. So if your looking for a large high performing model then you cannot go wrong with this. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Toshiba_55SV685DB_review_61.html Sat, 9 Oct 2010 10:38:18 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Samsung_UE55C9000_Review_57.html A review of the Samsung UE55C9000. The compare shop looks at the master that is the Samsungs 55 inch peice of techonological excellence. With a price tag of around £4-£6000 this would be a major purchase for any level of consumer. So does the model justify the price?Firstly I would like to say how excited I am to be writing about this Samsung product; just thinking about it makes me get that warm and fuzzy feeling. Secondly let’s make it clear the Samsung UE55C9000 is the market leading offering from one of the heavyweights in the LCD TV market. Coupling this with the price tag it means this unit should be something special and I think it really is.When you first see this model you really notice how compact and well designed it actually is. Whilst its hard to make a television look different you really get the feeling that this is special before you have even turnned it on. For those of you that are interested in home deign I cant see this model in every home, as its looks are slick and quite high tech it might look out of place in a room with a log fire. Any rooms that have furniture with clean lines and light colouring will really compliment the look this model provides.From reviewing many LCD TV models we have noticed that models with an LED backlighting always produces great quality the UE55C9000 couples this technology with the full HD 3D extra to take the viewing experience to a completely different level. Annoyingly the 3D glasses that are required to utilise the full functions of this unit are available separately and their not cheap but I’m guessing if your in the market for the Samsung UE55C9000 the quality you want outweighs your worry of the cost.      As the price on these models is so high we recommend you Compare LCD TV prices to make sure that you are not paying too much. When we reviewed this product we did look at the prices that were on offer and did notice a large difference in the prices on offer. So spending a few minutes checking the prices could save you over a thousand pounds.Sometimes when a new technology hits the market it comes out and whilst it works perfectly it looks a bit lumpy and awkward, the UE55C9000 LCD TV is not that introduction, the look is stunning and at 1cm deep its quite amazing. The quality and smoothness of the functions that is produced from within this waffer thin case really adds to the experience you get when you use this model. The quality that has gone into the technology really has paid dividends and really gives you a great feeling when using it.A great addition to this unit is that there is a Freeview HD receiver built in (where I don’t know but there’s one in there). Also to save space the sound production and inputs are built into the stand and not the back of the unit as with older LCD TVs.My favourite bit is the touch screen, QWERTY keyboard, full colour remote control (I Know sounds great). It is very swish and surprisingly easy to use despite being completely different to previous designs. Its also worht noting that all of the menu screens are as sharp and fast as you would expect. Theres all the options you will need to adjust the picture to get it to the perfect look for you.As you would expect the LCD TV is full 1080p ready and uses a HyperReal engine to deliver sharper images. The frame rate is 200Hz, and it is set up to be able to wirelessly data transfer from your PC or Home Computer.  You can also connect direct to the internet to use Internet@TV using a wireless LAN.In Summary this is an amazing product and if you have the money you have to buy one, check out the current prices that are available to see if you can squeeze one into your budget. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Samsung_UE55C9000_Review_57.html Sun, 3 Oct 2010 16:54:36 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Goodmans_LD1547D_Review_56.html The compare shop team has a good look at the Goodmans LD1547D LCD TV. With a price range of around £100-£200 this should be a basic yet practical model. So as we have already elluded to this isn’t going to be anyone’s main television in their house, the LD1547D is a utility TV that would be utilised in a bedroom, kitchen or home office.The LCD TV screen is 15.6 inches which makes it a really nice size for a second bedroom and for its size it delivers a decent quality that you would expect from Goodmans. As with other non major brands you don’t expect the all singing and dancing technology but what you get from the LD1547D is value for money.The technical’s are as followScreen Format: 16:9Partially HD ReadyHDMI InterfaceNumber of SCART leads 1DVB-T: DVB-T (MPEG2)Brightness: 250Its also worth noting that this LCD TV can double up as a computer monitor so if your looking for some savings this could be a good one. Use this screen with your base unit and switch between programmes and computer. What we have also seen it ustilised for is a monitor for a portable laptop. Simply add the television to your output socket of your laptop to provide a larger more ergonomically correct work station.One thing that I don’t like about this LCD TV is the look, sometimes when brands produce lower end products that are classed as value, they seem to think that its not required to use their design flair. Dont get me wrong its no worse than any other model in this range its just dissapointing that more time could not have been spent in this area. As I have said above this LCD TV does exactly what you would want from a 15 inch television but it might actually put me off purchasing because of the look. The picture quality is not too bad, the lines are not as clear as you would expect from a dearer model but if your looking for somthing you might flick on once a day for half an hour it wont be to bad. The colours are quite impressive and you can tinker with the settings to make them closer to your personal preference. If your thinking of using this for more uses such as for DVDs or even Blu Ray movies you might want to expand your budget and go for a better model.If you are however looking for a utility television this could be the one for you. What you can argue with is the value for money. We expect the price of this unit and similar units to continue to fall as the top end technology continues to improve. Make sure you do all the due dilligence before you buy and Compare LCD TV prices and make sure your paying the lowest price on the market. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Goodmans_LD1547D_Review_56.html Sun, 3 Oct 2010 16:26:43 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/CAR_INSURANCE-_The_Basics_54.html There are many different types of policy that you can take. The price you pay and level of protection you receive differs with each type. Read the following article below to see which level of cover you need.Firstly its very easy to think that everyone fits into the same little boxes that car insurance gives you, but if you look closely you can bespoke your policy to suit your needs. And this is the most important thing you need to keep in mind your car insurance should fit your needs and how you utilize your vehicle.There are three main basic types of cover and these are Third Party, Third Party Fire and Theft and Comprehensive Cover.Third party Cover ONLYAs the name sounds and as we are putting it first third party car insurance is the lowest level of cover you can possibly have. It is essentially a public Liability cover which means you are covered for any damage you cause to a third part or the third parties insurance.Third Party cover does not in any way cover you or your property for any damage or injury. This is a large gap in the security sense.Third party, fire and theft CoverOk this type of policy cover does really what it says on the tin it covers what we describe above plus it adds an extra two parts of cover which replace or repair your vehicle if it is stolen or destroyed by fire.This type of cover is normally very popular with initial drivers at is covers the bare minimum ie other people and their property plus their property if stolen or burnt. It needs to be noted that this still does not cover yourself or your vehicle in an accident.Fully Comprehensive CoverComprehensive cover is the top level of cover you can take in the Car Insurance world, in basic terms it covers the same as third party, fire and theft plus it adds in cover to your own car and person in an accident.As Comprehensive Cover does cover so much more than the other levels of cover you sometimes get added perks (like the Autoglass advert!!) so its well worth getting a quote to see if this type of cover is in your budget. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/CAR_INSURANCE-_The_Basics_54.html Sun, 3 Oct 2010 14:33:08 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Un_Insured_drivers_Research_50.html New research has shown statistics that there are an increasing number of uninsured drivers on UK roads. Consumer watchdog Which? Reports a massive percentage of cars are not covered by a standard policy which is an extremely worrying fact for UK motorists.I recently came across a few articles about the number of un-insured drivers in the UK mainly due to the increase in recessionary pressures and the increase (or worry of increase) in the number of redundancies. So when I saw that Which? Had confirmed that reports from the Car Insurance Bureau (MIB) claimed that approximately 1.5 million cars on the British roads had no level of car cover at all I thought it was well worth sharing this with the compare shop readers.Car Insurance for most of us is one of the most annoying but important of the monthly outgoings that gets directly taken from our bank accounts. Yet it seems that for a significant proportion of the nation they feel this is not necessary putting us all at risk. Whilst the over all percentage of the nation without cover has fallen from 5% to 4 % this is still an extremely worrying figure considering how large the UK population is for the size of Land mass. Also when you think that the population is ageing there will be more people on the roads than ever before. So as a percentage the number is lower but in real terms this number of uninsured drivers is probably higher.There are many sides to the Car Insurance coin, firstly you pay your premium on time (sometimes paying an interest cost on that premium for paying monthly) which reduces your expendable cash, secondly there are those that don’t pay and if they hit you the situation becomes very complicated, finally as the insurance companies have to cover the cost of the claims caused by uninsured drivers, the MIB predicts this adds £30 to every persons Car Insurance premium.The government has made some significant steps to tackle this in recent months by the improvement of the database of information held by the police. The police now hold details of nearly all the vehicles on the road this data is fed into a number plate recognition system that reads number plates as police vehicles pass them. If a vehicle is identified as having either no road tax or Car Insurance the police are notified immediately and the driver should be stopped so the details can be confirmed.This is a huge step in the right direction, proactively tackling motorists that feel this is acceptable is a better deterrent than a weak punishment. Also knowing that your vehicle could be scanned at any point by a marked or unmarked police vehicle is a massive deterrent. What we would like to see is this technology being added to normal traffic cameras so that many more vehicles are scanned so the offenders can be stopped and dealt with. If this number can be dramatically reduced we could see a drop in our premium. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Un_Insured_drivers_Research_50.html Sat, 2 Oct 2010 19:26:22 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Samsung_UE26C4000_LCD_TV_49.html The compare shop discusses the excellent 26" LCD TV from Samsung.If you have read any of the other reviews we have wrote about Samsung LCD TVs (or products in general) we always comment how stunningly designed and attractive they are. Well the Samsung UE26C4000 is no different. For such a small unit the Samsung style is not lost and it is a very attractive small unit. We have previously looked at a similar sized Goodmans model and whilst the Goodmans unit was functional it looked light years behind the UE26C4000.This model is one of the smaller on the market at 26 inches so its design is geared more for a small flat or bedroom but when it comes to performance it has it down to a tee. I have found that most of the small sized screens offer so much but rarely deliver anything decent and this set really stands up to the test. Its design and technology really leaves it standing out ahead of its peers.The LCD TV integrates a plethora of functions and widgets to provide a great image no matter what your watching. The picture quality is backed by Samsungs LED technology which produces a much sharper picture with deeper colours. Here's some of the standard technical information.Screen Format: 16:9Type of Monitor: LCD TV- HD ready (LED Backlit) HDMI Interface Number of Scart Interfaces: 1 - DVB-T: DVB-T (MPEG4) - DVB-C: DVB-C (MPEG4). Dolby Digital Plus Sound.If you are watching this in a main room you might find it a little bit difficult to watch for lon periods as its size will start to make watching small details within the picture difficult. However if you are using this model in a smaller room such as a bedroom, office or the kitchen you will be very impressed at the picture and sound quality. When you hook the television up to a DVD player or Blu Ray player it starts to show you how good the LED backlighting is. The difference in picture that this technology generates is awesome. So if you like to get in bed and put a film on this could be a perfect LCD TV for you.As there is so much technology packed into such a small unit you will pay slightly more than the other models on the market. However if your looking for a quality model to deliver some great results in your bedroom then spending between £250-£350 shouldn't put you off this little beauty.It is also worth noting that the Samsung UE26C4000 LCD TV has 2 HDMI Jacks so you can connect up games consoles, Blu-ray or movie and photo share. As there are two main sockets you don't have to spend a lot of time fiddling around the back of the set when you want to use it for a different purpose. This is especially good if the television will sit in a child's room, you don't want them messing about with the connections and as most children have both an Xbox and Playstation anything less than two sockets will cause this issue.All in all this is an extremely practical LCD TV which provides extreme quality, good little add-ons which I think would be a joy in the bedroom or office!! Before you plump and buy this product make sure you take some time and search for the best possible price as we noticed a huge variance in price on the market so don’t lose out on a good deal. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Samsung_UE26C4000_LCD_TV_49.html Sat, 2 Oct 2010 18:58:10 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Samsung_UE37C6620_48.html A review of the Samsung UE37C6620 the 37 Inch super slim television. For around £700-£800 you can enjoy this amazing slim model but how does it compete in the crowded market in and around that price bracket.Lets face it, cut to the chase and call a spade a spade the Samsung UE37C6620 LCD TV is a well, quite sexy and all in all fantastic. It has all the look of a really top end model but it has the price tag of the middle market television. When you walk into a electrics shop this set will stand out and make you wander over to have a look. It really is that visually striking and that's not just the design of the unit, the picture quality is pretty hot to.This television is completely loaded with today’s latest tech which really does put this in a high class of unit despite its low price tag. Basically in laymen’s terms (which is for me more than you) the Samsung UE37C6620 is a 37 Inch LCD TV, 1080p high definition with the ultra slim design (and when I say slim I mean Madonna slim!).Today’s tech which is installed in this LCD TV allows viewers to really enjoy the best of colour, picture and motion that would make your granny feint. Now it's not as smooth and amazing as the larger more expensive UE55C9000 but when you think it's less than a third of the price it really shows amazing value.One of the main worries when purchasing a new LCD TV is that you always think as soon as you turn it on there's going to be a newer version in the shop. Well with the Samsung UE37C6620 LCD TV one of the things that impressed me the most is that the set is fully functional to view in HD (BBC HD etc) without having to purchase an external box that means more wires and mess!The picture quality is amazing as with many of the new Samsung models the backlighting is provided by LED technology which is much more efficient than the previously installed fluorescent technology. This technology enables the television to produce much sharper and deeper images. It really does set itself apart from models that use the less efficient technology. When you test the picture performance with a Blu Ray movie or live sport it really does stand up to the challenge. It doesn't produce any slight shadowing or degrading of the picture which increasing the viewing pleasure.There's loads of external ports which allow you to quickly insert USB devices or digital cameras so you can listen to your music or view pictures on the super sharp television. I have also noticed that the Samsung UE37C6620 LCD TV is built with economical savings which will allow you to recoup some of the cost of the unit by saving on the electricity bill which makes the price more attractive.So to conclude whilst this is not the top of the range model on the market you will not be dissapointed with its performance. You get an amazing looking unit and you won't feel a massive hole in your pocket like you would if you purchased a much more pricey model. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Samsung_UE37C6620_48.html Sat, 2 Oct 2010 17:04:00 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/SAMSUNG_LE40C750__LCD_TV_45.html The Compare Shop writers review Samsung's amazing 40 inch model which you will see on sale in all major high street and internet retailers.The Samsung LE40C750 a real player in the 40 inch market and is sure to make your friends jealous when they come round to your house. Sometimes when you have a 40inch LCD TV there is a pay off in design and look of the model. With this model this really is not the case and when you find a television that looks and performs this good it's also great that you get some great features such as very good image quality, including 3D rendering.The LE40C750 uses 200Hz technology to power a 40-inch full-HD panel screen which produces sharp and amazingly clear pictures. The colours are deep and image lines are sharp. When using normal Freeview, SKY, Virgin and any HD channels there was little distortion which is great for this type of television. Sometimes when you experience a screen of this size if the technology does not meassure up then you can clearly see the pictures degrade especially in fast moving action scenes.The screen ratios of 16:9, contrast ratio of 220:1 are excellent for the current price range of the model which should be in the region of £750.00. The set has ful HDMI interface and room for 2 scart interfaces which should be enough for any normal home that wishes to hook up at least one games console.Where we found this LCD TV worked best whilst watching either a Blu Ray or DVD, the screen is an excellent size to enjoy any type of film and the features provide excellent picture quality. The technology rises to the challenge of action films with lots of moving items and bright pictures.This Samsung LE40C750 television has a top quality and powerful sound system. The Base and high end sounds really work together excellently and match well across differing sound levels. You will not find the balance between the sound levels which really increases the enjoyment level which can be reduced by a poor sound quality. For general use including the use of video game systems you wont have any problems with this LCD TV, you might want to think about adding an external system if you want to have the sound at a high level.So we like to end with a short summary at the compare shop and we say this is an excellent LCD TV for home use even homes with a demanding family, the price also sets the Samsung LE40C750 at the forefront of any list to choose from. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/SAMSUNG_LE40C750__LCD_TV_45.html Fri, 1 Oct 2010 17:33:15 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Headphones_35.html One of the most popular yet least talked about items that we use everyday. So with the emergence of a huge fashion trend we thought we would have a look at one of the most import items in your everyday routine.Personal Headphones are essentially a smaller version of the speakers that you have on any home system. They are structurally different as instead of being in place to project sound outwards they are designed to keep the sound towards the individual users. If you look at your speaker system in your home you will notice the cones in the speakers are large and wide range this promotes the sound vibration moving outwards in large waves. Headphones on the other hand are much smaller and are set to restrict the vibration waves to a much closer target.Headphones have moved on through the years, many people will remember the ear muff types that has a foam edging on that were neither effective nor comfortable. Today’s models are extremely fashionable items and as the use of portable players such as the iPod has increased they are seen out and about everyday. In fact as so many people use the new MP3 devices everyday having a quality set is key to your everyday enjoyment of music.Headphones in todays market are seen in two main designs-1) In Ear2) Full Set Dependant on personal style will normally depend on which type of unit you use. The newer designs such as skullcandy are used a a major fashion item with some being very large, colorful and personal. The more refined user can have the small in ear headphones that are barley visable allwoing the user to listen their music without making a statement.For DJs headphones are a very important piece of equipment and due to the high volumes in live venues the quality must be of the very highest, users picking the Sony, Senheiser and Pioneer professional models (costing upwards of £100)Something I have noticed more recently is the Headphone is a key bit of kit to the sports star, pre game they are used to drown out the pressurized atmosphere allowing them to get in the zone!! This is a practice used by many people when they are trying to study, putting on low level music can drown out background noise and focus the mind on study.What is also clear is there is a huge range on the market to choose from. Gone are the days where the only choice is black. Looking through the catalogue of models takes ages as there are so many different colours and designs to look through.  Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Headphones_35.html Wed, 29 Sep 2010 18:34:48 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/DIGITAL_CAMERAS_34.html DIGITAL CAMERAS have revolutionised the way we capture memories. Its not very often that there is a true technological revolution but its clear that the introduction of the digital camera has completely revolutionised the way we take personal pictures. Thinking back a number of years you had two main options when taking pictures, these were buy a single use camera or spend a bit more and buy a full camera with some film. You would take your photo’s winding on the film  every time you had clicked and then when you were finished you would drop your films in at the local developer and collect your photos a few days later.Collecting your photographs was like playing a game of Russian roulette. You would always know that some of your pictures would not come out properly, they would either be completely black or all the people would have red eys that were darker than the devils. Out of a single film you would normally find two or three pictures that would not come out properly what was worse however was that you would not always know that another three would not even develop.When you think about it now the actual process of taking and developing pictures was quite poor. Yet the technology was around for tens of years. So when technology was advancing the photographic industry made huge steps forward in the technology and processes used to take treasured pictures.After many years of research an development along came the digital camera, and they really did kick the old click and wind models into touch. All of a sudden your old large model you had been taken over by a swish little machine and a memory card! The basic digital camera still operates on a point and shoot basis however as soon as you press the button you can instantly see your picture and review the end product. If it doesn’t come out you simply take again. Once you have decided that the pictures are of sufficient quality you have a number of options with what you do with them. Historically you would get them developed and put them in an album which you would show to your family and friends. Now however you can develop them, this can be done via a shop, an instant development point, or from a home printer. You can also upload them direct to your computer and not print them at all. Of course by uploading them to your computer you have the option of sharing them digitally. You can send them via email, social networking website or by setting up your own secure website.I had a good look at my old photo albums compared with my more recent pictures and I must say the picture content quality is much better purely down the screening process that has been made available. This has led to a much more impressive outcome for the real amateur.Another benefit of the new technology is that you store your pictures on a small hard drive. You can take many more pictures than you could previously on the old camera film. Many storage models allow you to take hundreds of photos and store them all in one place. Which when you think about the fact that you could only take about 30 pictures per film is amazing.Another factor to add to the Digital Camera technology is that it is basically the lifeblood of social media outlets. The very name Facebook is bourne from a book of faces (pictures) of the people using the website. And with the recent changes in facebook the sharing of media is going to be a more integral part of social media going forward. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/DIGITAL_CAMERAS_34.html Wed, 29 Sep 2010 18:30:11 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Motorbike_Insurance_Safety_is_the_magic_word_27.html MotorBike insurance (as with any vehicle cover) provides coverage for traffic accidents, which includes as basic treatments for injuries, vehicle damage and third party accident cover. Many policies now also cover legal issues. A standard MotorBike Insurance plan covers both collisions and liabilities. However it is well worth looking at the add ons that can be taken to increase the extent of your coverage (for both piece of mind and ease) . Whilst increase in cover will increase the cost some additions are well worth an extra twenty pounds. In calculating premiums when the actuaries produce their statistic some machines are regarded by companies as more road hazards, which as you would expect show increased accidents/increased claims= higher premiums. As the MotorBike Insurance world is so stringent many companies restrict custom bikes from standard Motorbike insurance policies and to be honest I don’t blame them! These policies are more bespoke arrangement between policy provider and rider. Usually a policy is provided on what is called a pooled risk so you fit into a pool with similar riders as yourself. The risk is taken over the whole pool not just the individual. As customer machines are very small in number the policy needs to be more bespoke. Motorbike insurance is very different when compared to looking for Home or Car. Many premium providers treat different vehicles at different risk so using a comparison service is a must when shopping around. Whilst all the above seems a bit doom and gloom I am very much of the opinion (as with Cars) that if your into them they are there to be enjoyed. If your sensible and respect the vehicle your using you shouldn’t go far wrong. So search for the right Motorbike Insurance (maybe have a little moan about it) but then get on your ride and enjoy it (BEING SAFE) Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Motorbike_Insurance_Safety_is_the_magic_word_27.html Sun, 26 Sep 2010 16:45:02 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Van_Insurance/Van_Insurance_buying_tips_26.html Save on Van InsuranceSelect the right commercial vehicle can be a very important commercial decision for most small companies buying a vehicle will be their major assets purchase.So to help wit this problem thecompareshop.com has searched and compiled a number of tips to help you in the right direction.OK my personal tip and one that I feel is the most important is find a van that fits in with your business needs. Why buy an Fiesta van (because its cheap and pretty) when a single load would fill three of them!Van Insurance is available from the compare shop where you can see prices from over 50 top providers in less than five minutes.Therefore the second tip is to make sure that you have a big enough load area (the weight capacity, wheel arches, and is there lashing rings to secure your loadSecurity what is the locking/security system in the vehicle?  This needs to fit in with your operation type, the more access to theft you are exposed to the higher the security equipment.Check the Van Insurance premium as part of your buying process, a cheap vehicle could cost the same as a dear one if the Van Insurance premium is loaded.The load height of the back of the vehicle is an important feature, especially if you are loading heavy objects into the back of the van. Also take into account load area, if you are loading via specialist lifting equipment this needs to be compatible.Passenger capacity can be key to certain trades, its pointless having a cab that holds two people when you run three man jobs. If you are running specialist jobs you might need to look to a combi etc.Once you have selected your asset search for the perfect Van Insurance with the compare shop now Van Insurance http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Van_Insurance/Van_Insurance_buying_tips_26.html Sat, 25 Sep 2010 20:32:03 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Van_Insurance_Essentials_24.html Many people sit around discussing how to get a cheap Van Insurance deal, however many of the main variables taken into account in coming to the cost of a premium you cant actually control. These things include Age, Gender, Type of vehicle so there's very little you can do to alter these etc etcTherefore, when searching for your Van Insurance you shouldn’t lose sleep over the items that cannot be controlled, Therefore your goal is to locate the cheapest quote that firstly is in your price range and covers you to an acceptable level (by making simple choices that are under your control). This may sound quite simplistic however many people don't think before they actually choose a vehicle or choose a policy.Some of the harder things to control are the age of the van and where you live (which are made easier if your moving house and buying a new vehicle). If you operate hauling goods, equipment, or tools from one location to another, the price will usually increase due to the contents held.A great way to limit increased Van Insurance premiums is to fit the vehicle with an approved alarm. By utilizing an approved alarm you will be giving your policy provider comfort in reducing the value of any claim. It is very easy to find out which alarms are provider approved, simply run a quick quote through and you will see a huge list of them. You can also ask in store as many will promote that they are policy friendly.You can also make sure the vehicle is kept in a very secure location again this gives the policy provider comfort you are protecting the vehicle when its unattended. Whilst you dont have direct control over this if your house does not have a garage, it might be worth finding out how much it will save you on your policy. If its quite a large amount you could rent some garage space.We hope this article helps you reduce your premium in the future. Let us know how you get on or if you find further ways to control the cost of your policy. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Van_Insurance_Essentials_24.html Sat, 25 Sep 2010 19:30:49 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/HOME_INSURANCE_23.html Purchasing Home Insurance can be a confusing process and knowing what you want and need can be difficult so we have been looking at what extras you can add to your basic policy to enhance the cover and value you recieve so please find below some of the main things we’d seen that you might be intersted in.Why add Emergency cover to your policy?Basic Home Insurance policies look after the fabric of your building (the underlying bricks and Mortar) and your possessions (the contents of the building), emergency cover differs from the basic policy as its aim is to take the hassle and uncertainty out of something going wrong that is unexpected. For example one of these events is the failure of the hot water system which could mean no baths or showers (which may also lead to angry wife syndrome!) or a failure in the pipes of the house leasing to an internal flood.When you look at the possibbility of one of these events happening and the cost of fixing the issues this extra service sounds excellent. Now we are aware that you can take individual cover with your energy supply however with your Home Insurance you can cover a whole host of events in one single addition to your policy. What we have also found is that energy suppliers are not really set up to be a disaster recovery company, essentially they supply energy. Home insurance companies are set up for this type of issue and we are very much a fan of using a company that provides a services as its main goal. For example dont by a TV from a garden tool maker!So what sort of emergencies are covered?1) Failure of the gas, water or electricity within the property2) Sudden and unexpected roofing problems such as leaks or tiles blown off during a storm or bad weather3) Blockages in toilet waste pipes4) Plumbing problems related to leaking pipes, blocked drains, water tanks or leaking radiators5) Failure of the central heating system or boiler (provided boiler has been properly maintained and is under a set number of years old, plus there will be a boiler max age restriction (ie has to be no older than 10 years at the start of cover)6) Failure of the hot water system7) Loss of all keys needed to get into your home8) Broken or damaged windows and doors that are a security riskPlease note the events noted above are a generalisation after looking at lots of Home Insurance policies. To be sure of the individual events that are actually covered you will need to investigate the individual policy you are looking to purchase as some details may differ (not be covered, or may cover more). By reading the basic policy document you will normally find a list of examples or specifically defined events that your policy will cover. This sets out exactly what you can claim for so its very easy to understand.When you get a policy quote some will have this extra included within the inital quote, its normally easy to see these extras as the website will highlight for you. Some will quote without the extra items with the initial quote but will give you the option to add for an addition price. So have a good look at what is covered within the initial price and then you can make an informed choice on the value of this extra can add. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/HOME_INSURANCE_23.html Sat, 25 Sep 2010 17:18:30 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Home_Insurance_market_info_22.html Home Insurance market information- HSBC Bank Plc has been reported as the largest direct mortgage lender in the UK. It is reported that HSBC sells more mortgages directly to customers than any other UK mortgage lender. This is a massive accolade to be awarded at a time when consumers are looking for lenders to back the UK market.New information from the National Council of Mortgage Lenders shows that HSBC issued 10 per cent of all new mortgages in 2009. More interestingly theses mortgages were not sold using intermediaries or brokers. The statistic reports direct sales only, these will have been completed either face to face with a customer or via the telephone.This statistic shows that whilst 60% of mortgages are sold through brokers HSBC holds more face to face sales than any other lender. The performance has been put down to HSBC having the financial strength to lend. This strength has become apparent since their competition faltered since the financial crash. Currently HSBCs existing loans equal less than 85p for every £1 held in saving deposits and with a customer acceptance rate of eight out of ten applications they report acceptance figures that are higher than the industry average. It is clear that people are voting with their feet.Being one of the strongest players in the market seems to have given customers the confidence to enter branches or make contact via the telephone and take advice from the lender. We also feel that the company has also devised some very attractive mortgage products which will entice many customers away from the competition. They have also added some additional incetives when customers buy their Home Insurance product along with their mortgage.HSBC representatives commented: “Shopping around is essential when looking for a new mortgage and that means doing more than simply seeing a mortgage broker".In 2009, HSBC mortgages appeared in 1412 best buy tables, more than any other lender; first direct were second with 1347. The most competitive lender which sells through brokers managed just 700 appearances in best buy tables. It is worth noting that the majority of the company's top of the range deals came in the low risk market. These mortgages are generally within the 20% to 60% loan to value ratio end of the market where the company really has exercised its financial might.With figures like these it shows that the doom and gloom around the housing market might not be all its cracked up to be. However it might be bad reading for the other high street lenders. With HBOS (Halifax) really hitting the buffers after its merger with Lloyds TSB it has left a large whole in the UK mortgage market. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Home_Insurance_market_info_22.html Sat, 25 Sep 2010 16:44:01 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Government_cuts_may_hit_Home_Insurance_21.html Well you might have thought that one of the last things that would be hit by the reduction in government spending would be your Home Insurance premium. However this could be one of the things that is hit the most, this is because the government is due to cut spending on flood defences. Whilst this does not directly affect your premium it wont be long until the actuaries work out that lower defences equals higher risk.As there has been a large amount of recent floods policy providers were already worried about how they were going to handle premiums going forward. Many analysts believe that companies were hoping that the plight of local communities would push the Government to increase flood defences that would allow Home Insurance providers to keep premiums at historic levels.The AA who provide a huge amount of policies to many customers each year has warned that any spending cuts could leave thousands of home without cover as they cannot afford their premiums. This is a huge risk for people, as they put their property on the line as they struggle to be able to afford the cost. Home Insurance premiums have already risen by an average of 13% over the last twelve months as the cost of repairing flood damaged homes is covered by premium payers. As the country experiences more frequent freak weather resulting in extreme events such as flooding premiums could continue to rise even further.As premiums are set to rise it is extremely important that you shop round for your Home Insurance making sure you get the best deal possible. The compare shop has teamed up with go compare to provide our users the best choice of Home Insurance on the market. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Government_cuts_may_hit_Home_Insurance_21.html Sun, 19 Sep 2010 18:53:18 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/CAR_INSURANCE/Car_Insurance_dodgers_20.html Police become more savvy with policy dodgers (AT LAST)This is great news for British general public, one of the main worries as a motorist is being hit by a driver who has no Car Insurance. Finally police technology is hitting a level where they can instantly check if a car is taxed and has a valid policy. Police have developed softwarethat allows in vehicle computers to automatically read licence plates and obtain data and the driver. Essentially the software behind the system has been devised by the police and policy providers. Finally they have decided to work together and most importantly they  have decided to talk to each other and share data.As drivers who take to the road with no valid policy put other road users at great risk this move has to be applauded by all of us who have suffered with higher than needed Car Insurance premiums due to the cost of covering non insured drivers. This is a hugely positive move that we should all see in our pockets.Stories from across the country are noting how the local forces are picking up many drivers daily who have no cover and they are being given fixed penalty notices and taken off the road. Hopefully if this practice continues this will have a massive knock on effect and we will all see a reduction in Car Insurance premiums. Not only should the cost of your policy drop but having more confidence whilst on the road is priceless.If the police continue to use this technology then drivers all across the country will be able to take to the road with a new found confidence that they aren’t going to have their day spoilt by some idiot who cant be bothered to buy Car Insurance. We are hoping that this will be a quick process as the technology is automatic. Every vehicle that passes the police on the road can be checked and these drivers can be removed from the road.The compare shop salutes the police and the chaps who have developed the software and systems that have made this enhancement possible. Hopefully this will be a steady increase in regulation on the road and policy dodgers will be quickly removed from our roads. CAR INSURANCE http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/CAR_INSURANCE/Car_Insurance_dodgers_20.html Sun, 19 Sep 2010 18:38:08 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/CAR_Insurance_Myths_18.html Well as Car Insurance is one of your biggest monthly outgoings, I thought I would do some research into what people think about car insurance and find out some of the myths (and truths) that are associated with the industry. As the industry is quite complicated and involves terms and conditions there are a huge amount of myths that are constantly spoken about that could cost you a fortune.The Colour Of Your CarI think this is a really old myth as I remember being told this when I was at school, most people think that your Car Insurance will be higher if you have a popular colour such as red or silver as this makes them more attractive to thieves. Well to clarify this from our research this is totally not true.I think if you take a common sense approach the majority of policy claims will be due to accidents and driver error, the number that are for theft will be petty theft and probably more opportunistic. Finally if someone is stealing a car to order they will probably be vehicles that are in the high end of the vehicle class and the thieves involved in this type of crime will have the means to change the colour of any motor!/p>It is very true that different colours of vehicle are more attractive but this is mainly in the legitimate purchasing of a vehicle. You can see the obvious popular colours just by walking down the street. Recently you might have noticed a large influx of white vehicles on the street which can be seen right across europe. So to put your mind at ease the cost of your premium wont change on colour!The Loyalty of your Provider.Now this statement is a very widely believed myth which is reinforced each year by many people who pick up their renewal notice and accept the 10-15% increase in premium after being told you’ve been given a loyalty bonus. In fact this myth can't be further from the truth and I speak from many years of experience, last year I had my renewal quote which went up by 30% as I am a bargain hunter I went online and spent some time enabling me to Compare Car Insurance prices that were currently available across the market. Low and behold I found the same insurer offering me cover for 10% less than my previous years quote. So the renewal quote was 40% higher than I could have online.Reading between the lines the company that I had my policy with was essentially trying it on, seeing if I would just allow the policy to roll over without doing any research. Now from a business perspective its actually quite a clever process and I dont hold it against them they are there to make money and provide value for the risks they take. Unfortunately my goal was to reduce or at least hold my premium the same as the year before.So the moral of the story is shop around for your Car Insurance, each year different insurers will have more appetite to take on clients in different age groups, areas, car models so there’s a good chance you will get a quote that is below your previous years premium. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/CAR_Insurance_Myths_18.html Sun, 19 Sep 2010 18:36:07 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Philips_Cinema_Display_LCD_TV_15.html Philips has announced that it has developed a new 56 inch LCD TV that produces real cinema quality images. They say and to be honest we believe them that the new LCD TV really does produce this level of quality (not just says it does) like some have in the past. Delivering a picture of this quality on such a large screen is a huge achievement.The new LCD TV uses the new Philips Glowing Ambilight Technology (sounds amazing!!) which allows the unit to project scenes as you would see at the flicks!! There is no aspect change or silly stretching or squishing that you usually get which is a major step forward from today’s offerings. Producing a picture this big that is meant to fit in a screen this big an excellent innovation and should produce a large picture quality that were not used to. Currently with any large screen you always loose a slight bit of quality as the pictures are not meant to be this big. It's essentially the same as expanding a jpeg picture, it looks great small but as a large image it degrades.The unit comes equipped with the usual functions that you get on todays top models such as high resolution picture, Full HD and numerous plugs and shiny buttons. The functions on this model really does put it up there with the top models on the market. It also makes it one of the most flexible models you can find. You can set it up to view pictures and stream from your home network.I must admit my head was turned when I recently sat through a full demo of one of Panasonics 3D units and I am really intrigued to see what the final results of this project are. If they can produce this type of quality on a pretty large television then a big shake up in premium range LCD TVs could be on the way.In the normal range you have so much supply and extras that the choice is fantastic, the pressures of the abundant supply pushes prices very favorable to the consumer. At the top end you have huge LCD TV units and now they have a 3d and Cinema Vision offering. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/Philips_Cinema_Display_LCD_TV_15.html Mon, 2 Aug 2010 21:13:54 GMT http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/LCD_TV_13.html Liquid Crystal DisplayLiquid Crystal Display TV's (or LCD TV) use LCD TV technology to produce pictures onto a screen for users to view. Using this technology the LCD TV model has been able to become much thinner and lighter than the old box style television. As LCD TV's have become much more common and popular the price of manufacturing has vastly reduced. The reduction in cost has allowed this type of television to become the biggest selling product of its type on the market.The LCD TV technology has allowed screens to produce much better picture quality and due to the reduction in weight this has allowed the models to be packed full of more gadgets (including built in free view). The introduction of these additional features to visual entertainmnet has allowed user to create a more bespoke visualizing experienceFree View has revolutionised terrestrial channels as it has provided so much more viewing choice, as the technology around is also greatly improved the increased quality provided through free view can be enjoyed to a much higher level. As the picture quality is enhanced this has allowed the sale of larger screens to improve, where as historically when the screen got larger you would see the faults in picture quality much more. In fact this is now a complete opposite, people look towards the huge sets and work their way down (and not normally due to price) its now normally due to the size of room your in. Blog http://www.thecompareshop.com/news/Blog/LCD_TV_13.html Sun, 1 Aug 2010 19:25:30 GMT