Martyn James: Halloween horror stories and how to avoid them

Sadly, the biggest Halloween scares we are likely to encounter in reality exist around the home or online. But you can avoid a pricey fright if you follow my guide.

How restless spirits lead to shopping disasters

As we gear up for the party season, you may find yourself becoming increasingly desperate as you try to find the perfect fancy dress outfit or decorations for an event. But beware the demon drink if you’re shopping online!

At this time of year, my inbox gets flooded with enquiries from people who have ‘embraced the spirits’ and woken up to discover that they’d made some terrible shopping choices online while under the influence.

To my shame, I once received an 8ft inflatable flamingo in the post after an ill-advised late night shopping spree. This is surprisingly common. A very strait-laced friend of mine confessed to purchasing 50 disco balls and 100 packs of ice lolly moulds after another drink-fuelled night down the online shops.

Fear not! If you’ve bought things online then in most cases you have a 14-day period that you can return them and get a full refund, according to the Consumer Contract Regulations. You’ll have to pay for the returns though. And some things aren’t covered, like personalised goods or holidays.

Bumps in the attic

Is there a ghost in your attic bumping around? Is that the clank of chains in the corridor? Are mysterious sounds keeping you awake at night?

I don’t want to be a spoilsport, but all these things and more suggest that there are problems with your property that you need to get checked out. In my column last week, I mentioned how to get your wonky boiler or cracked pipes sorted out. Even if you are stalling putting the heating on, it’s worthwhile cranking up the boiler and slowly but surely increasing the thermostat by a notch a day from a low level (say 14) to the low 20s. This should help you avoid damage to your pipes.

If it’s safe to do so, give your home the once over from the attic to the basement. One of the most common reasons why insurance claims are rejected is ‘wear and tear’. This is where failing to maintain things like loose tiles on the roof or leaning garden fences result in rejected claims. See if you can find what’s causing those spooky noises and make repairs if you can. It’s the season of big insurance claims and you don’t want to get caught out.

Dead rubbish online shops

One of my biggest bugbears is the ‘zombie retailer’. These are the online shops that rip people off, vanish, then reopen looking almost exactly the same. It’s outrageous how some of these retailers never die, eternally reanimating and running off with your cash.

Many of these undead ‘businesses’ lurk in the adverts on your social media feeds. Don’t forget that companies like Facebook and Google are almost impossible to make complaints to, even if you conduct a séance. So be warned. If something looks good online, do some checks before you click and commit.

Always check online reviews first and foremost. Check to see what the returns policy is and if there’s a phone line and an address in the UK. And always pay by debit or credit card, so you can demand a refund if your stuff doesn’t materialise.

Panic at the disco

Horror stories at parties and events are common, from slippages on wet floors to disputes with venues over the buffet. If you’re having a Halloween do, make sure you agree in advance in writing what you want to get for your money. If it’s a bigger do, you may want to consider liability insurance too, just in case a disaster occurs!

Martyn James is a leading consumer rights campaigner, TV and radio broadcaster and journalist. Visit martynjamesexpert.co.uk