This is Money's campaigns section

By SIMON LAMBERT
Updated: 07:05 EST, 18 September 2007

This is Money's aim is to protect our readers. We want to make sure you always get the best deals and help you avoid rip-offs. That's why we campaign on so many issues.

Our biggest campaigns have been the call for fair play on bank charges and to highlight the hardsell by banks and building societies on loan and credit card insurance. We also carry the campaigns of our sister titles, Money Mail and Financial Mail, on the site and lend support with extra stories and guides. All is explained below.

Stamp out the protection racket:

We led the way in the fight against the mis-selling of loans insurance, or payment protection insurance (PPI).

We ran a survey and had responses from more than 1,100 readers. We discovered that around half of people who have been sold PPI probably didn't need it. Consumers overwhelmingly supported our calls for greater scrutiny of this troublesome industry.

We also exposed the inner workings of NatWest and Royal Bank of Scotland by revealing the huge commissions paid to branch staff who sell PPI in conjunction with loans. And we commissioned research that found loans insurance, which is notoriously difficult to claim on, is worth around £5bn.

We're pleased that the OFT has decided to refer the industry to the Competition Commission, but we'll continue to keep a close eye on the industry to ensure our readers are well-informed about their rights when it comes to protecting themselves against debt.

Save our Post Offices:

Financial Mail and This is Money believe a strong, vibrant post office network is essential and that none of the current 14,300 outlets should be forced to shut. But as few as 4,000 post offices are likely to survive the decade, thanks to Government meddling and a lack of investment.

Financial Mail reporters have been travelling across Britain meeting the people whose local post offices are at risk, and finding out why they're such a vital part of our community. Our campaign has more than 10,000 signatures, which we've presented to Downing Street.

Fair play on bank charges

In October 2005, Money Mail launched its campaign for Fair Charges, highlighting rip-off overdraft fees. This is Money gave online weight to the campaign and in spring 2006, after Money Mail was the first to report on legal websites helping customers reclaim fees, we set up 10 steps to reclaim bank fees. Money Mail's Fair Charges campaign also won Campaign of the Year at the Bradford & Bingley Media Awards this year.

TV quiz swindle

TV quizzes are a scam. Financial Mail Editor Lisa Buckingham says: 'Some lucky devil watching in the wee small hours and able to answer 'What is the capital of England?' might be first to hit the phone. The other 200,000 who dial up will get a recorded message and find that's 75p down the drain. The temptation is to dial again and again - at 75p a throw.'

And while companies are meant to limit the number of these phone calls that can be made each day (ITV sets the limit at a staggering 150), we rang more than 200 times from one phone before the cut-off came. The shows are now the subject of a hard hitting inquiry expected to pull them from our screens.

We'll continue to fight back against rip-off products and ensure your rights as a consumer are protected.

Simon Lambert
Campaigns Editor, This is Money