Consumer Rights Weekly: Claire's Collapse, Motor Finance Reaches Calmer Waters, More Recalls

Dan Warrener

— 3 min read
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Consumer Rights Weekly: Claire's Collapse, Motor Finance Reaches Calmer Waters, More Recalls

28th April 2026 | Industry Watch

Claire's UK Collapse: What Customers Need to Know

Claire's Accessories closed all 154 of its UK and Ireland standalone stores on 27th April with around 1,300 redundancies. Private equity owner Modella Capital appointed Kroll as administrator. The 356 concessions inside Asda and other partner retailers, and the head office, remain operational, but if you bought from a Claire's shop in the last few weeks, your rights depend on how you paid.

If you have a gift card or recent in-store purchase:

  • Paid with a credit card and the item was over £100? Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 makes your card issuer jointly and severally liable. Open a Section 75 claim with your bank.
  • Paid with a debit card or under £100? Ask your bank for a chargeback under the card scheme rules (Visa or Mastercard). You usually have 120 days from the transaction or the date the goods should have been received.
  • Faulty goods? The Consumer Rights Act 2015 still applies. You can claim against the administrator (Kroll), but realistically you'll be at the back of the queue. Card-scheme routes (Section 75 / chargeback) are faster.
  • Gift cards: If you can use them in a concession (e.g. inside Asda), do that quickly. Otherwise you become an unsecured creditor and may not see your money back.

EvenStance generates the right letter for your situation in minutes, free.

Motor Finance Redress: Industry Confirms No Challenge

The FCA's £9.1 billion motor finance redress scheme cleared its biggest hurdle on 27th April when the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) and Santander confirmed they will not contest the scheme. FLA Chief Executive Shanika Amarasekara said the priority was "a practical solution... that ensures timely compensation for consumers while giving the motor finance industry and the wider market clarity and finality on this issue."

Consumer Voice (represented by Courmacs Legal) is the only remaining challenger at the Upper Tribunal, they argue the scheme under-compensates consumers, not that it should be cancelled. The FCA is expected to make a follow-up statement later this week. Implementation date remains 30th June 2026.

What this means for you: If you took out a car finance agreement between 2007 and 2024 and weren't properly told about commission arrangements, the path forward is now clearer than ever. Don't pay a Claims Management Company, make the complaint yourself, free, via your lender or the Financial Ombudsman Service.

Product Recalls This Week

  • HiPP Organic 7+ Months Vegetable Lasagne: undeclared celery (celeriac) allergen, batch B49311 (best before 31/01/2027). Risk to celery-allergic infants. Stop using; HiPP refunds direct on 0800 298 4477.
  • GoodHome Integrated Fridge-Freezers (B&Q): fire risk from defective auto-defrost mechanism. Stop using, switch off, unplug. Contact B&Q for replacement, refund, or installation.
  • Galt Nature Craft Kit (still active recall from last week): sand contaminated with asbestos. Sold via John Lewis, Hobbycraft, Toy Master, garden centres. Item 1005476. Stop using immediately, double-bag the kit, dispose carefully or return to retailer.

Scam of the Week: TV Licence Phishing

Which? flagged a phishing email impersonating TV Licensing on 27th April. The email claims your TV Licence renewal direct debit was declined and includes a "renewal" link that leads to a credential-harvesting site. The biggest red flag: the email originates from a Japanese (.jp) domain.

What to do:

  • Don't click any links.
  • Forward the email to report@phishing.gov.uk.
  • Verify any genuine licensing issue at tvlicensing.co.uk (type the address yourself, don't follow links).

Three New FCA Fraud Warnings

The FCA flagged three more unauthorised investment firms on 27th April:

  • Velocity Vector EA (velocityvectorea.online)
  • Pinnacle InvestX (www.pinnacleinvestx.com)
  • Amroc Trade (www.amroctradeltd.com)

These firms aren't FCA-authorised, so the Financial Services Compensation Scheme doesn't cover anything you put in. If you've already invested, your only realistic routes are a chargeback (if you paid by card recently) or reporting to Action Fraud.

EvenStance is a tool, not a Claims Management Company. We never take a percentage of what you win. Built by a consumer, for consumers. Start a free case →

This roundup was generated 28th April 2026 by the EvenStance daily intelligence sweep. Sources: FCA, Which?, MoneySavingExpert, BBC News / PA Media. Last verified: 28/04/2026.

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