Episode 8 Rip Off Britain


Episode 8

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We asked you who's left you feeling ripped off when it comes to your

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holidays and you came back with a catalogue of travel disasters.

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This can't be happening.

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It's a nightmare. Wake me up from it, please.

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It was just a shambles.

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That's the best way to say it. It was just a shambles.

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So, whether it's a deliberate rip-off, a simple mistake,

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or indeed a catch in the small print,

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we'll find out why you are out of pocket and what you can do about it.

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Your stories, your money.

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This is Rip Off Britain.

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Hello and welcome to a wonderfully sunny series of Rip Off Britain,

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coming to you from the island of Tenerife where

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we've come to investigate

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some more of your problems with holidays and travel.

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And every one of those stories we're going to be looking at today

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has exactly the same thing in common.

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Their trips were totally derailed by

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dramatic events that they just had not seen coming.

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In fact, the word dramatic perhaps underplays it

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because it's no exaggeration to say that some of these cases

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really were a matter of life and death, with the people involved

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having to put their fate in somebody else's hands.

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And as if that wasn't bad enough, once the dust had settled,

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trying to get back some of the money for a holiday that was left

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in tatters has proved extremely difficult.

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Well, sometimes, it turns out there's very little you can do to

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protect yourself or your family against unexpected events,

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or to prevent nature taking its course.

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But we on Rip Off Britain firmly believe that forewarned is forearmed,

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so listen up for some tips on how, even if you can't prevent

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such disasters, you can minimise the fallout.

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Coming up, a chateau hit by lightning and a family

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running for their lives. But with more shocks to come,

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could you too face the same terrifying costs if

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catastrophe strikes your holiday?

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We were just completely shocked.

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It seemed ridiculous.

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Something that's completely out of our control.

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There's no way they can get us on this.

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And they can't be blamed for extreme weather,

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but do holiday companies always react in the best way

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when it does happen?

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I was worried for all of us.

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I didn't think any of us would get off that boat walking.

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Now, one of my absolute favourite holiday destinations is France.

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I just seem to love everything about it.

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I like the food, I like the people and of course the differences in

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culture, but one difference that

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I must admit I hadn't really stopped to

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think about is whether insurance will always work

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in the same way over there as it might in the UK.

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So, I was genuinely shocked to hear what the family in our next story went

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through on their most recent trip across the Channel.

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And I imagine that, as it did with me,

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their experience will have you double-checking the fine print of your own

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cover the next time you're getting ready to go away.

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It should have been the most perfect summer holiday.

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A week in a 15th-century chateau in the French countryside with five

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acres of garden and a pool for the children.

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But I'm afraid it ended abruptly with a very scared

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family fleeing into the night...

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We have got to get out of this house now.

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..and watching the property they had rented go up in flames.

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The roof right properly five feet from where we

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were sleeping above our heads, was fully on fire.

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It was properly ablaze.

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OK, cool.

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Danny Webb, his partner and their son Albie from East Sussex love

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combining their annual holiday with a proper catch up

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with close relatives and 2015 was no exception.

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We all go as a family once a year and this year it was France,

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so six adults and six kids.

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We found this amazing chateau.

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Danny paid 2,000 euros to rent the chateau in Realville for seven nights,

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booking directly with the owner.

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The family paid a further £46 for an insurance policy with AXA

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so that they would be protected if anything went wrong.

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Although at first,

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it's very hard to imagine anything could spoil things.

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When we got there, it was amazing.

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The kids immediately ran off,

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they were up, like, the tower and running around.

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And, "This is my bed!" "Bagsy this bed!" That kind of thing.

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It was a pretty picturesque, beautiful place in France.

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It's exactly what you want from a French holiday.

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Four days in and everyone was really enjoying themselves.

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It was a beautiful, clear, sunny day in Toulouse, it was boiling hot.

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The kids were in the pool.

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And things got even better with the stunning spectacle of the annual

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Perseids meteor shower.

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It seemed almost perfect, you know.

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The kids fell asleep, we were just having a nice,

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relaxed evening watching the meteor shower.

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It was the perfect day.

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But that night, after the family had gone to bed,

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a lightning storm broke the beautiful weather.

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And as the storm raged throughout the town,

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with lightning piercing the sky above the chateau,

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Danny was woken by a particularly loud sound overhead.

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There was a huge bang and I was lifted out of the bed by about an inch,

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I'd say, and literally sat bolt upright in bed, "What was that?"

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Danny soon realised that the noise had been

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something much more worrying than simply another thunderclap.

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The roof of the chateau had been struck by lightning

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and worse was still to come.

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My partner said, "There's a bright orange light in the corner,

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"why is that there?"

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And I said, "I've got no idea."

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Because the electric... We knew the electrics had gone because we couldn't

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switch the lights on. They'd gone with the lightning strike.

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And at that point, we realised that the roof was on fire.

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The fire very quickly took hold,

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ripping through the whole of the chateau.

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So, the family had to act fast

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and all 12 of them were able to escape unharmed.

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It was just like, look, this is our chance to get out.

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And we've got to get out now because it's coming down from above.

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Had we slept a bit heavier, had that lightning not woken us up, then,

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you know, anyone of us could have perished, I suppose.

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The fire in the roof raged all night as three fire engines battled to bring

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the blaze under control.

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But it was only when the next day dawned that they could see the extent of

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the devastation. And as well as the damage to the chateau,

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most of the family's possessions, including their clothes,

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all their train tickets and even a passport had been destroyed.

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The whole half of the house where we were living was basically collapsed

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in on itself. It was no longer three floors.

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It was like one and a half floors and you could see the sky through the roof.

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It was this kind of smouldering, smoky, stinky, wet mess.

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It was dawning on you what, what could have happened and

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really what you could have been dealing with considering...

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If we hadn't have gotten out, if we hadn't...

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If that fire... If that fire had started there any other point in the house, a bit lower down, or...

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then there would have definitely been casualties, without a doubt.

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They were very lucky, but in order to return to the UK,

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they needed to drive over two hours to the British Consulate in Bordeaux

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to get a replacement passport.

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And by the time they added to that the cost of replacement clothes, food,

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two nights in a hotel in Bordeaux, the new train tickets for 12 people,

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they were 3,140 euros out of pocket.

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The money had gone. The cash had been burnt.

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Luckily, we had two credit cards that we could use.

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We were kind of OK with that because we said, "Well,

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"we're going to get the money..." You know, by the time we get home,

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the insurance will be fine and we'll get it all back.

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But on top of all the drama of the fire, once they got home,

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the family was about to have two very nasty surprises involving insurance.

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And they're both things that you could very well fall foul of, as well.

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The first only became clear after they'd been in touch with the chateau owner's

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French insurance company called Gan,

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which they hoped would reimburse them for the expenses they'd incurred

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as a result of the fire.

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We knew to keep our receipts,

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make a list of everything and my partner e-mailed all the stuff for the

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claim and said, "This is what we've lost due to this fire.

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"Can you please advise how to proceed from here."

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We kept sending e-mails and it was now getting into like a month,

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you know, two months

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and at this point, credit card bills need to be paid.

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But with no word from the French insurers,

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Danny turned to his own travel insurers to see if that would pay out for

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all those additional expenses.

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And it was at that point he realised that that policy didn't do quite what

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he assumed it would.

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The travel insurance would only cover the actual stuff we had with us,

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like our baggage and that kind of stuff.

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But they wouldn't pay for anything

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incurred subsequently.

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So, like, after the fire, the hotel,

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the... you know, getting to and from the hotel, the meals,

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the extra clothes that we had to buy because we no longer had any clothes.

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All that stuff was not going to be covered.

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That's because Danny's policy didn't include what's usually known as

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disruption cover which protects you from all the extra costs you can face

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if something on your trip goes wrong.

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As a result, the family could only claim back from insurers AXA around

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£1,000.

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Less than one third of what they had spent as a result of the fire.

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Now, many policies do include a disruption clause,

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but if your holiday insurance doesn't have it either,

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you may still be able to get it as an add-on,

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as personal finance expert Sarah Pennells explains.

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Travel disruption cover is a really useful part of travel insurance,

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but it's something that many people don't realise they need.

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What it will pay for is the cost of the extra expenses if you have to

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cancel your holiday or for example if the accommodation that you

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turn up at has a problem. There's a flood or there's a fire.

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Anything like that.

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Now, sometimes it's sold as part of a standard insurance policy,

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normally the more expensive option.

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Or you can buy it as an add-on to your own insurance policy.

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Sometimes you can buy it as a stand-alone.

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It's not too expensive, it'll cost generally between £10 and £20.

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Around that mark.

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Luckily for Danny,

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the family found a solution on their existing home insurance,

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so it really is worth checking what your contents cover actually includes.

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Someone had mentioned your home contents insurance being able to cover

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your content even though they're not in the home.

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So, my partner looked into this and it turned out this was the case.

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We could get money back for our clothes that we'd lost as long as could

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prove that we had them, photographs or receipts.

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Making that claim did mean that the family lost its eight-year no-claims bonus,

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increasing their premiums from £618 to £848.

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But they soon had a much bigger financial headache on their hands and,

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goodness, I warn you, this one is an absolute shocker.

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Four months after their trip,

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the chateau owner's French insurer Gan

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finally contacted Danny and his partner with some alarming news.

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Gan was holding them responsible for the damage to the property.

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That's not as absurd as it sounds because under French law,

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the person staying in the property is responsible for damage caused to it

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and with the insurer disputing that the fire had actually been started by lightning,

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it was now demanding that the couple stump up...

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and wait for this, 500,000 euros.

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We were just completely shocked, you know.

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It was just at... It seemed ridiculous.

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We knew it was a lightning strike.

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Everyone had confirmed that.

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It's force majeure, it's an act of God,

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it's something that's completely out of our control.

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There's no way they can get us on this.

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Danny knew that the fire was caused by lightning,

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but proving it would be another matter.

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Fortunately for him, this time his £46 holiday cover with AXA came to the rescue.

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Now, it might not have included everything he ended up

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needing, but in this case it came up trumps because it did cover public

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liability, which meant it was able to step in and pay for a fire inspector

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to go and inspect the site,

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and investigate the cause of the fire on the family's behalf,

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saving Danny and his family from losing hundreds of thousands of pounds.

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And although their investigation into the fire is still ongoing,

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for Danny knowing that his insurers are fighting the claim and will cover

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any costs is very reassuring.

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The relief that we got from finding out that litigation was covered and it

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meant that we could send someone over there to go and look at the fire,

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the fire site and to confirm that it was a lightning strike,

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that was like a...

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You know, it was just a massive, massive weight off our shoulders.

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But all of this underlines why if you're booking accommodation directly

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with the owner, as Danny did,

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you should make extra sure that your travel insurance is watertight and

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getting adequate personal liability cover is a key part of that.

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In France, if you rent a property and something happens to it,

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you're liable - it's part of the French civil code

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and having looked it up, it is correct.

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Certainly relating to fire.

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If there's fire damage while you're there and you're renting it,

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then you are responsible unless you can show that it was an accident

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or an incident beyond your control.

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If there's a lesson for all this,

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it would be to check the small print of the policy when it comes to

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personal liability cover because what that cover does is pay out

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if there's something that you're deemed to have been responsible for.

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Make sure you've got at least £1 million worth of cover.

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More may be a good idea.

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But for Danny, the experience of the fire and unpicking what his insurance

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did and didn't cover has left him very cautious about booking the same

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kind of holiday again.

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It does leave a kind of a nasty taste in the mouth and I suppose we will

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consider all that before we think of booking to go again.

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It would've been much easier to deal with all that stuff

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had it been the UK.

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For many of us, one of the main reasons for going abroad on holiday is to

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escape the unpredictable British weather and instead spend a bit of time

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in a place that's virtually guaranteed to have sunshine.

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But whilst warmer temperatures are certainly going to happen further south you

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go from the UK, what it is also more likely is that as you get nearer to

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the equator, there's the possibility of encountering severe weather events,

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such as hurricanes.

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Now, of course, bad weather is not always something that you can predict,

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but the holiday-makers that we're about to meet have been left wondering

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whether or not the holiday companies with whom they recently travelled

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could have done a lot more to avoid them heading right into the eye of

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some very severe storms indeed.

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No-one wants weather like this on their holiday.

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And as well as putting a real dampener on your trip,

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getting caught up in a severe storm like these can also be a very

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frightening experience,

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as Soria Hassan from Cardiff found out when she took a Thomson holiday

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to the Pacific coast of Mexico in October 2015.

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Soria and her partner were looking forward to spending some quality time

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together and they wanted somewhere likely to have good weather.

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So, the resort of Puerto Vallarta seemed ideal and sure enough the trip

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got off to a perfect start.

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The day that we arrived, we went to the beach,

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had a walk down and then I turned around and he was on one knee

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and he proposed to me,

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which was the most amazing, like, thing ever.

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The newly engaged couple were on cloud nine.

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The first ten days of our holiday was absolutely fabulous.

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It was boiling hot, the sun was out, there was no clouds, it was amazing.

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But there was trouble on the horizon.

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A holiday maker came to us and said, "Do you know about this hurricane?"

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The hurricane in question, Hurricane Patricia,

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was brewing some 700 miles from the coast where they were staying

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and forecasters were predicting that it would hit Puerto Vallarta

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the next day.

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Potentially a catastrophic storm,

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gusts of wind close to 200mph as it arrives.

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But Soria says she was reassured by the Thomson reps that it was

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business, or holidays, as usual.

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So, the couple, who had booked a special boat tour to a nearby island,

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were happy to take that advice.

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The Mexican Government however was preparing for the worst,

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issuing multiple warnings, closing schools and distributing sandbags.

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And as the two-hour boat trip became increasingly uncomfortable,

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Soria's confidence began to falter.

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The change in the weather, the change in the sea,

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how choppy it was, it was horrific. I was so ill.

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And I've never been like that, even working on cruise ships,

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I've never been ill.

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Back on dry land at the hotel,

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the weather warnings had now been heeded.

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Staff were advising guests to pack up all essential belongings and in the

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early hours of the next morning,

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the army arrived to help evacuate the resort.

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The army came and banged on the door, "Evacuate!

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"Evacuate!" So, basically,

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we just had to leave our rooms with our suitcases, the blankets, and pillows.

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The guests gathered in the hotel lobby as the hurricane grew

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even closer.

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And you can see from this footage just how major it was.

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Next, everyone was loaded onto buses to take them to a safe distance from

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its path.

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We got on this bus, the driver couldn't speak English,

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so we were unaware of where we were going.

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Soria says she was taken ten minutes from the hotel to a small school,

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but as shelter from what was predicted to be potentially catastrophic weather,

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she felt it was far from secure.

0:18:170:18:19

This is just a picture of all the water that was coming in.

0:18:210:18:26

And this, at the time, the hurricane hadn't even hit.

0:18:260:18:29

By now, the storm had been categorised as the most severe level of hurricane at force five.

0:18:310:18:37

So, for around eight hours,

0:18:370:18:39

the couple waited anxiously as it approached.

0:18:390:18:41

I can just remember ringing my mum and ringing my dad

0:18:410:18:46

and just basically like saying bye to them.

0:18:460:18:49

Though Hurricane Patricia proved to be the second-most-powerful hurricane

0:18:510:18:55

on record, miraculously, it changed course before it hit Soria's resort.

0:18:550:19:00

But it had been a terrifying end to the trip.

0:19:010:19:05

And Soria wasn't convinced that the holiday company

0:19:050:19:07

had looked after them as well as it could have done.

0:19:070:19:10

I wasn't complaining about the hurricane

0:19:100:19:12

because that can happen wherever you go,

0:19:120:19:15

it was how it was handled and how we were treated.

0:19:150:19:19

As far as she's concerned,

0:19:190:19:21

in a part of the world where hurricanes aren't uncommon,

0:19:210:19:23

the advice and procedures should be clear from the off.

0:19:230:19:27

So, when she got home,

0:19:270:19:29

she contacted Thomson and what really shocked her was that after

0:19:290:19:33

three attempts to get in touch, she'd heard nothing back.

0:19:330:19:36

I personally feel that they're quick enough to take your money,

0:19:360:19:40

but when something actually happens, they fail to even acknowledge what has

0:19:400:19:44

happened and what they could have done to solve that problem.

0:19:440:19:48

Well, when we put all of that to Thomson,

0:19:500:19:52

the company told us that it sincerely apologises for not answering Soria's

0:19:520:19:56

complaint, which it blames on an administrative error.

0:19:560:19:59

But it said its team in Mexico did everything it could under the

0:19:590:20:03

circumstances, following the emergency procedures led by the local

0:20:030:20:07

authorities to ensure the safety and wellbeing of its customers.

0:20:070:20:11

It reiterated that the situation was of course beyond its control.

0:20:110:20:15

The storm category was downgraded and all customers were kept safe and its

0:20:150:20:19

hotels were unaffected.

0:20:190:20:21

And whatever Soria's concern,

0:20:220:20:24

predicting just how severe a storm is and the appropriate

0:20:240:20:27

course of action to take is tricky, even for the experts,

0:20:270:20:31

as Professor Geraint Vaughan explains.

0:20:310:20:33

Big thunderstorms are still one of the things that cause most problems for forecasters.

0:20:350:20:40

It is a challenge to get it right and particularly to get the

0:20:400:20:44

intensity of a storm right.

0:20:440:20:45

And giving sufficient warning that people can

0:20:450:20:47

get out of the way, which is what we want to be able to do

0:20:470:20:50

is a problem still.

0:20:500:20:51

But whilst it's still not possible to predict the nature and severity

0:20:540:20:58

of storms every time,

0:20:580:20:59

improvements in technology and monitoring systems mean that understanding

0:20:590:21:04

and planning for bad weather isn't as hit and miss as it used to be.

0:21:040:21:07

We use these very sophisticated models and as the resolution of these

0:21:090:21:13

models gets better and better,

0:21:130:21:15

and as we learn to use new techniques of analysing them,

0:21:150:21:20

in some ways, we're making big strides in forecasting.

0:21:200:21:22

As part of that, following a tradition in the US,

0:21:240:21:26

once storms in the UK reach certain speeds,

0:21:260:21:29

they're now given a name to make clear that the severe weather is on its way,

0:21:290:21:34

so that adequate precautions can be taken.

0:21:340:21:36

And it was one of those named storms around British shores that led to

0:21:380:21:42

Sharon Clifford raising a complaint with a cruise company that took her

0:21:420:21:45

around the Mediterranean in March 2016.

0:21:450:21:49

Sharon's been on many cruise trips and for years has been trying to

0:21:490:21:53

convince her sister, Sue, to join her.

0:21:530:21:55

This time, after many years of nagging her,

0:21:550:21:58

she agreed to come with me on this cruise.

0:21:580:22:01

But as the sisters set sail, the weather had taken a turn for the worse.

0:22:010:22:05

Later on, we see Storm Katie arriving.

0:22:050:22:08

Named because we expect to see some fairly significant impacts,

0:22:080:22:11

mainly from the strength of the wind.

0:22:110:22:12

Katie has been moving across our shores.

0:22:120:22:14

There are some severe gales on the way, some heavy rain.

0:22:140:22:17

It's already lashing.

0:22:170:22:18

In fact, the winds the Met Office had christened Storm Katie

0:22:180:22:21

in some areas reached more than 100mph.

0:22:210:22:24

As we departed,

0:22:250:22:26

they were talking about Storm Katie on the television and saying that it

0:22:260:22:31

had hit the Isle of Wight at 110mph

0:22:310:22:33

and took out all the power on the Isle of Wight.

0:22:330:22:37

That made me very nervous.

0:22:370:22:39

And as the cruise liner made its way out to sea,

0:22:390:22:42

Sharon began to feel the effects of the storm first-hand.

0:22:420:22:45

We had gotten about three to five miles offshore...

0:22:450:22:49

..when the winds were getting bad and the ship began to move about.

0:22:500:22:54

And the further out to sea we went...

0:22:550:22:57

..the worse the rocking got.

0:22:580:23:00

It was a terrifying first night for Sharon.

0:23:010:23:04

How bad the weather was,

0:23:040:23:06

I knew in my heart that we couldn't get a helicopter out to pick me up

0:23:060:23:09

and get me off of there.

0:23:090:23:11

But I'd have done anything to have got off that boat.

0:23:110:23:13

I ain't a wealthy person,

0:23:150:23:17

but all I own I would have given up to get off that boat.

0:23:170:23:20

And her sister certainly wasn't enjoying her maiden voyage.

0:23:200:23:24

I don't believe in God. I prayed.

0:23:250:23:27

I laid there in that bed and I prayed.

0:23:270:23:32

I thought if I went to sleep, I won't be waking up.

0:23:320:23:35

Sharon was racked with guilt for persuading Sue to go along.

0:23:370:23:41

I was worried for both of us.

0:23:410:23:43

For all of us.

0:23:450:23:46

I didn't think any of us would get off that boat walking.

0:23:480:23:51

While the weather calmed down for the rest of their cruise,

0:23:530:23:56

the sisters say the events of those first hours them left traumatised.

0:23:560:24:00

And Sharon thinks that given the severity of the storm and the strong warnings being issued,

0:24:010:24:06

the ship shouldn't have set sail in such conditions and it would have been

0:24:060:24:10

better to delay their departure.

0:24:100:24:13

So when they got home, Sharon contacted P&O to say exactly that.

0:24:130:24:17

And when we contacted P&O,

0:24:190:24:21

the company stressed it would never compromise the safety

0:24:210:24:24

of its guests or crew.

0:24:240:24:26

It told us that on occasion it is unfortunately necessary to sail in

0:24:260:24:30

conditions which are less than ideal.

0:24:300:24:33

And if this occurs,

0:24:330:24:34

it does all it can to minimise the impact of the weather.

0:24:340:24:37

It went on to point out that the sea and weather are dynamic forces and

0:24:370:24:43

any decision taken are in compliance company,

0:24:430:24:46

flag and international regulations,

0:24:460:24:49

as well as in the observance of safe and good seamanship.

0:24:490:24:52

Clearly, how to deal with severe weather is a judgment call

0:24:540:24:57

and the companies in both these cases would argue that the right decisions were made.

0:24:570:25:03

What's more, in Sharon's case, though delaying the cruise

0:25:030:25:06

may well have been the preferred option for her,

0:25:060:25:09

for the many other passengers on the ship, it simply wouldn't.

0:25:090:25:13

But for Sharon, future holidays for the time being at least,

0:25:140:25:17

will be on dry land.

0:25:170:25:19

I would certainly not cruise if there was bad weather about.

0:25:200:25:23

That sort of rain and weather...

0:25:230:25:25

..I would not cruise again.

0:25:260:25:27

Still to come on Rip Off Britain,

0:25:340:25:35

a race against time when a baby made an unexpectedly early appearance

0:25:350:25:39

thousands of miles from home.

0:25:390:25:41

It wasn't until we were told by the doctor that they had no facilities

0:25:410:25:46

there for a premature baby that we started to panic, really.

0:25:460:25:51

Our travel expert Simon Calder has all the secrets to save you money on

0:25:550:25:59

your travels. He's full of tips on everything,

0:25:590:26:01

from how to avoid the crowds,

0:26:010:26:03

to the best way to steer clear of those tourist traps.

0:26:030:26:07

This time, cruises.

0:26:070:26:09

They've become one of the fastest-growing holiday options over the past 20 years,

0:26:090:26:13

with almost 1.8 million British holiday-makers

0:26:130:26:16

now reckoned to set sail on a cruise every year.

0:26:160:26:19

You only have to unpack once -

0:26:210:26:24

that's the slogan often used to entice people on board cruise ships.

0:26:240:26:28

Once you've checked into your cabin,

0:26:290:26:31

you'll drift to a succession of lovely islands or coastal ports,

0:26:310:26:35

while enjoying five-star meals.

0:26:350:26:37

But how much will it cost you?

0:26:370:26:40

Well, Simon says working that out isn't always straightforward.

0:26:400:26:44

Let's start with the price.

0:26:440:26:46

Let me tell you the deal on most cruise ships.

0:26:460:26:49

The headline amount that you pay your travel agent or cruise line is only

0:26:490:26:55

part of the revenue you're expected to contribute.

0:26:550:26:58

You'll also be expected to tip, probably in US dollars.

0:27:010:27:06

The equivalent of around £10 per person per day.

0:27:060:27:09

For a couple on a fortnight's cruise, that's nearly £300.

0:27:090:27:14

Onboard sales are crucial for cruise lines.

0:27:180:27:21

While meals are included, drinks generally aren't.

0:27:210:27:24

And on everything from morning coffee to postprandial port,

0:27:240:27:28

you can expect to pay a service charge of up to 18% and shore excursions

0:27:280:27:33

are handsomely profitable.

0:27:330:27:34

Clearly, cruises can be pricey.

0:27:360:27:38

But there are deals to be had.

0:27:380:27:41

When's the best time to book?

0:27:410:27:42

If you're travelling at peak time,

0:27:420:27:45

Christmas and New Year in the Caribbean, August in the Baltic,

0:27:450:27:48

or you want a specific cabin on a particular cruise,

0:27:480:27:52

then book as early as you can.

0:27:520:27:54

However, the cruise industry business model

0:27:550:27:57

requires that practically every cabin has to be filled.

0:27:570:28:01

So, if you're prepared to take a chance at the last minute,

0:28:010:28:04

then you could grab a bargain

0:28:040:28:06

with just a week or so to go before departure.

0:28:060:28:08

One final tip, with unlimited food on board,

0:28:100:28:13

it's easy to put on a pound for every day you spend at sea.

0:28:130:28:17

The best way to tackle mid-ocean spread, forget the lifts,

0:28:170:28:21

stick to the stairs.

0:28:210:28:23

Many of us book our summer holidays up to or even more than a year in advance,

0:28:300:28:35

either to take advantage of a good deal,

0:28:350:28:37

or perhaps to tie in with a special event.

0:28:370:28:40

But a year can be a long time

0:28:400:28:41

during which your personal circumstances can change dramatically.

0:28:410:28:45

They certainly did for the two couples in our next film,

0:28:450:28:48

when they found they were expecting a baby

0:28:480:28:50

months after they'd booked and paid for their trips.

0:28:500:28:53

And as you'll see in both cases,

0:28:530:28:55

that led to some rather unexpected complications.

0:28:550:28:58

Painting the nursery...

0:29:000:29:01

You've missed a bit.

0:29:010:29:03

..choosing names...

0:29:040:29:05

Hazard.

0:29:050:29:07

..and shopping for prams.

0:29:070:29:09

I like the colour of that one. Do you?

0:29:090:29:11

Yeah. I think I do like it.

0:29:110:29:12

All part of the excitement that comes with preparing

0:29:140:29:16

for a new addition to the family.

0:29:160:29:18

I like him. He's really snugly. He's nice.

0:29:180:29:21

And when paramedic Eddie and primary school teacher Lisa

0:29:210:29:24

discovered that they'd got a baby on the way in March 2016,

0:29:240:29:28

the news was all the sweeter for coming out of the blue.

0:29:280:29:31

-He's got long ears.

-He's got nicer ears.

0:29:310:29:33

It's hard to put into words just how exciting something like that is.

0:29:330:29:37

Especially when we've... We wanted for quite a long time, haven't we?

0:29:370:29:40

So, yeah, it came as quite a shock to us.

0:29:400:29:43

But, yeah, tremendously exciting.

0:29:430:29:45

Yeah, it was fantastic.

0:29:450:29:46

But there was a bit of a problem.

0:29:470:29:49

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

0:29:490:29:50

Four months earlier in November 2015,

0:29:520:29:55

Eddie and Lisa had booked a trip of a lifetime to Las Vegas

0:29:550:29:59

and San Francisco.

0:29:590:30:00

It was a complete once-in-a-lifetime...

0:30:000:30:03

-Yeah.

-..holiday and experience that we wouldn't be able to do

0:30:030:30:05

at any other point, really.

0:30:050:30:07

Before we had children, as well.

0:30:070:30:09

Yeah. So, we planned to get remarried there in the white chapel

0:30:090:30:12

and all these crazy things that you do in Vegas.

0:30:120:30:14

The flights, booked with Virgin Atlantic via website Expedia,

0:30:150:30:19

had cost the couple almost £2,400,

0:30:190:30:22

as they were travelling in the school break.

0:30:220:30:25

And however welcome the pregnancy was,

0:30:250:30:27

it did throw something of a spanner into their travel plans.

0:30:270:30:31

We found out I was 14 weeks.

0:30:310:30:33

I remember sitting in the waiting room, didn't we?

0:30:330:30:35

And we were looking at the scan, really excited and ringing everybody,

0:30:350:30:38

as you do, and texting everybody.

0:30:380:30:40

All of a sudden thinking, "Oh, hang on, that will mean that I will be...

0:30:400:30:44

.."32 weeks pregnant on the 3rd of August."

0:30:450:30:48

Four days before we were supposed to fly.

0:30:480:30:50

Come back...

0:30:500:30:53

That meant by the time of their return flight,

0:30:530:30:55

Lisa would be 34 weeks pregnant.

0:30:550:30:58

Try as he might, Eddie couldn't find an insurance policy that would cover

0:30:580:31:01

them past 32 weeks and with the cost of health care so high in the US,

0:31:010:31:06

they knew they couldn't afford to be in California

0:31:060:31:09

if Lisa suddenly went into labour.

0:31:090:31:11

To have a baby delivered normally after 32 weeks in America

0:31:110:31:15

would cost anywhere between 3,000 and 25,000,

0:31:150:31:18

which was just a crazy amount of money

0:31:180:31:21

that we just wouldn't be able to afford.

0:31:210:31:23

We're not in a position to do that.

0:31:230:31:25

So, much to their disappointment,

0:31:250:31:27

the couple felt they had no choice but to cancel their holiday.

0:31:270:31:30

It just seemed madness really that there was no option for us.

0:31:300:31:33

It felt like there was no option other than to not go.

0:31:330:31:37

-Which was a real shame, wasn't it?

-Yeah.

0:31:370:31:39

They contacted both Virgin and Expedia to ask for a refund,

0:31:400:31:45

but the response was a shock.

0:31:450:31:47

When Virgin told us that we couldn't get the money back, we were just stunned, really.

0:31:470:31:50

They basically said because the flights were non-refundable,

0:31:500:31:53

there was nothing they could do. It was in the terms and conditions.

0:31:530:31:56

It seemed completely unreasonable.

0:31:560:31:57

Considering especially the amount of notice that we'd given to them.

0:31:570:32:00

The couple were told that as Expedia's terms and conditions had made clear,

0:32:020:32:06

the flights weren't refundable,

0:32:060:32:08

the only money they'd be able to get back was the taxes they'd paid.

0:32:080:32:12

The flights cost just under £2,400

0:32:120:32:15

and we'd been told that we could get £222 back,

0:32:150:32:18

which just seemed insane.

0:32:180:32:21

-There you go, my love.

-Thank you.

0:32:210:32:23

Eddie tried suggesting that they transfer the flights to Lisa's parents,

0:32:230:32:27

but was told that wasn't possible, either.

0:32:270:32:29

It just seemed completely unreasonable they wouldn't change the names.

0:32:290:32:33

-Yeah.

-We would have happily paid an admin fee.

0:32:330:32:35

Now, on Virgin, unlike some other airlines, with a doctor's note,

0:32:350:32:39

pregnant women can fly right up to 36 weeks.

0:32:390:32:43

But doing so would mean travelling without insurance so close to the due

0:32:430:32:47

date and Lisa and Eddie didn't want take that risk.

0:32:470:32:50

I felt Virgin's kind of response was completely irrational and the fact

0:32:500:32:54

that they said, well, it's not our fault,

0:32:540:32:56

you can still travel, you can still fly.

0:32:560:32:58

Clearly we're not going to be able to fly without travel insurance.

0:32:580:33:02

When we put these points to Virgin and Expedia,

0:33:020:33:05

both companies reiterated that in this instance,

0:33:050:33:08

the fare booked was a non-transferable and non-refundable ticket.

0:33:080:33:12

They added that customers are made aware of any terms and conditions at the

0:33:120:33:16

time of booking, and went on to say

0:33:160:33:18

that if there's a chance changes might be needed,

0:33:180:33:21

a flexible ticket should be booked to avoid any disappointment.

0:33:210:33:25

Expedia also explained that for security reasons,

0:33:250:33:28

the name on a ticket must exactly match the name written in a passport.

0:33:280:33:32

So, in the vast majority of cases,

0:33:320:33:35

even a name amendment will require a new ticket to be issued.

0:33:350:33:39

Well, you can understand why Lisa and Eddie no longer felt they could travel.

0:33:420:33:45

And the experience of Sharon Halls from Ipswich just underlines

0:33:450:33:50

why they were right to be concerned about what might happen.

0:33:500:33:53

Sharon, too, had booked a flight long before becoming pregnant.

0:33:530:33:57

This time to the Dominican Republic and for a very special occasion.

0:33:570:34:01

When I was asked to be maid of honour to my best friend's wedding,

0:34:010:34:04

I was over the moon.

0:34:040:34:06

She'd said she was going to get married abroad,

0:34:060:34:08

which made it all the more exciting.

0:34:080:34:10

13 months after Sharon booked the trip, she found out she was pregnant.

0:34:100:34:14

By the time the wedding came out, she'd be 26 weeks.

0:34:140:34:18

So, determined not to miss out on her friend's big day,

0:34:180:34:21

she checked with her doctor that she would still be safe to travel.

0:34:210:34:25

We knew we were OK to fly.

0:34:250:34:28

I wouldn't have gone if they'd said, "No, you're not fit to fly."

0:34:280:34:32

After being given the medical all clear, Sharon and her partner, Daniel,

0:34:360:34:40

double-checked with their insurer that they'd be covered for any hospital

0:34:400:34:43

bills should she go into labour whilst in the Dominican Republic.

0:34:430:34:47

And after confirming that she would be,

0:34:470:34:49

the couple decided to go ahead with the trip.

0:34:490:34:52

The holiday was great.

0:34:520:34:54

Beautiful beaches, sun all day.

0:34:540:34:58

Just relaxing, really.

0:34:580:34:59

But two days before the couple were due to return to the UK,

0:35:000:35:04

Sharon went into labour.

0:35:040:35:06

We were completely in denial.

0:35:060:35:08

I was like, "She can't give birth now. She can't give birth now.

0:35:080:35:10

"This is too early."

0:35:100:35:12

I didn't want to...

0:35:120:35:14

to give birth there,

0:35:140:35:15

I had a birth plan!

0:35:150:35:16

Of course, all plans went out of the window

0:35:160:35:19

and Sharon was rushed to the nearest hospital.

0:35:190:35:22

But it wasn't equipped to deal with a baby born so early.

0:35:220:35:25

It wasn't until we were told by the doctor that they had no facilities

0:35:250:35:30

there for a premature baby that we started to panic, really.

0:35:300:35:35

The nearest premature baby unit was at a private hospital two hours away.

0:35:350:35:39

But before they could move there,

0:35:390:35:41

the couple were told that they'd have to pay 10,000 for their care,

0:35:410:35:45

so they wanted to be sure their insurer would,

0:35:450:35:47

as it had previously suggested, cover the cost.

0:35:470:35:50

It was a race against time because my baby had to wait for us to come up

0:35:500:35:56

with the funds. We were on the phone backwards and forwards to

0:35:560:35:59

the insurance company to try and sort it.

0:35:590:36:02

And they just kept saying, "In theory, we're going to pay."

0:36:020:36:06

So, in theory, that didn't get us moving.

0:36:060:36:09

And we needed to know

0:36:090:36:12

as soon as possible what was going to happen.

0:36:120:36:14

With Sharon getting ever closer to giving birth,

0:36:140:36:17

the couple felt their best choice

0:36:170:36:20

was to try and get the 10,000 together themselves.

0:36:200:36:23

We pulled as much as we could together,

0:36:230:36:26

several credit cards and the rest of it.

0:36:260:36:29

And off we went. We just needed to get there and it was scary.

0:36:290:36:33

Upsetting.

0:36:330:36:35

With the money cobbled together,

0:36:360:36:38

Sharon and Daniel raced to reach the specialist private hospital and they

0:36:380:36:41

arrived with hardly a minute to spare.

0:36:410:36:43

Their baby, Evie, was born on the 28th September 2015

0:36:450:36:49

just over 12 weeks premature and weighing only 2lb 10oz.

0:36:490:36:54

Compared to all the other babies in the room, she was so tiny.

0:36:540:36:57

I couldn't touch her.

0:36:590:37:00

I couldn't hold her.

0:37:000:37:02

It was a good feeling to see her though.

0:37:020:37:05

But Evie needed round-the-clock care and of course that was going to cost

0:37:070:37:11

an extra 2,500 a day.

0:37:110:37:14

Rather than pay that,

0:37:140:37:16

the insurance company recommended that Evie was moved instead to a local

0:37:160:37:19

public hospital which was free.

0:37:190:37:21

But when the family arrived, their first impressions weren't great.

0:37:210:37:25

The level of...

0:37:250:37:27

..I guess sanitation and the equipment,

0:37:280:37:32

it's not what you would imagine.

0:37:320:37:36

-It was a shock.

-We thought straightaway,

0:37:360:37:38

"What jeopardy have we put Evie in bringing her here?"

0:37:380:37:41

Believing that Evie would be better cared for in the private hospital,

0:37:430:37:46

but worried that their insurers wouldn't be prepared to pay for it,

0:37:460:37:49

the couple turned to the internet to help raise money to pay the bills.

0:37:490:37:53

The fund was initially too obviously pay for Evie's medical care costs,

0:37:540:38:00

to get her back into the private hospital.

0:38:000:38:02

Evie. Good girl.

0:38:020:38:03

Good girl.

0:38:030:38:05

But after meeting the dedicated team of doctors and nurses at the public hospital,

0:38:060:38:10

the couple were reassured that this was the best place for Evie

0:38:100:38:14

to be cared for, after all.

0:38:140:38:16

And there was no need to pay privately.

0:38:160:38:18

And within seven days of Sharon going into early labour,

0:38:190:38:22

their insurers did agree to pay that initial 10,000,

0:38:220:38:26

plus any other expenses relating to Evie's care.

0:38:260:38:29

That financial support turned out to be invaluable.

0:38:310:38:34

Evie's health complications meant it was four months until they made it

0:38:340:38:38

back home.

0:38:380:38:39

It was amazing to just know that we were finally taking her back to see

0:38:410:38:46

people who... Like his mum.

0:38:460:38:48

Yeah, my family, your family.

0:38:490:38:50

-Yeah.

-Friends. The people that were on the wedding with us there,

0:38:500:38:54

-as well.

-Finally meeting little Evie.

0:38:540:38:57

Are you on the slide?

0:38:570:38:58

Now back home in the UK,

0:38:580:39:00

the website set up to raise cash for Evie continued,

0:39:000:39:03

but any money raised was instead sent to help local charities,

0:39:030:39:07

as well as to the public hospital that looked after Evie in the Dominican Republic.

0:39:070:39:11

So far, £75,000 has been donated

0:39:110:39:14

and Evie is now thriving after a difficult start to life.

0:39:140:39:19

Evie's great.

0:39:190:39:20

She's a bubbly little girl.

0:39:200:39:22

Always quite content.

0:39:220:39:24

She was a fighter from the beginning.

0:39:240:39:26

And she'll continue to be a fighter, I'll make sure of that.

0:39:260:39:29

But for women wondering whether to travel while pregnant,

0:39:300:39:33

financial expert Sarah Pennells says it's essential to ask insurers

0:39:330:39:37

the right questions in advance to identify what the level of cover might be.

0:39:370:39:42

One of the big problems I think for anybody who's thinking of buying

0:39:430:39:46

travel insurance when they are likely to be pregnant is that it varies so

0:39:460:39:50

widely between insurers.

0:39:500:39:52

Now, one of the big things that varies as the range of complications

0:39:520:39:55

that they'll cover. Some will pay out for quite a wide range,

0:39:550:39:59

some for much narrower.

0:39:590:40:00

And also, in terms of what they will pay out if your holiday has to be

0:40:000:40:05

cancelled. The kind of level of medical advice that you have to have

0:40:050:40:09

before they'll pay out.

0:40:090:40:10

So, my advice for anybody who thinks that they might be pregnant when

0:40:100:40:14

they're going to go on holiday is to have a really good look at the terms

0:40:140:40:17

and conditions of any insurance policy.

0:40:170:40:20

It's not the most romantic thing to do, by any means,

0:40:200:40:22

but I think you will thank yourself if you need to make a claim afterwards.

0:40:220:40:26

But Eddie and Lisa whose baby boy Ethan is now four months old think that

0:40:270:40:31

airlines and insurers should be more flexible if, as happened to them,

0:40:310:40:36

plans suddenly need to change.

0:40:360:40:38

I'm sure there's lots of other couples that this has happened to

0:40:380:40:41

-the past.

-Yeah.

0:40:410:40:42

I think something needs to change in terms of the rules for the future,

0:40:420:40:45

to make sure other people don't get stuck in this

0:40:450:40:48

-same unfortunate position that we've been put in, really.

-Yeah.

0:40:480:40:51

If you've got a story you'd like us to investigate,

0:40:590:41:02

we now have even more ways to get in touch.

0:41:020:41:04

You can join in the conversation on our Facebook page.

0:41:040:41:08

Just look for BBC Rip Off Britain.

0:41:080:41:10

As well as the most up-to-date news,

0:41:110:41:13

you'll also find exclusive behind-the-scenes clips and pictures

0:41:130:41:16

from the show.

0:41:160:41:18

Or you can log onto our website,

0:41:190:41:21

bbc.co.uk/ripoffbritain,

0:41:210:41:24

where there's plenty of advice and fact sheets full of tips on how to

0:41:240:41:28

avoid getting ripped off.

0:41:280:41:30

If you'd like to send us an e-mail, then our address is...

0:41:300:41:33

Or, if you want to send us a letter, then our new address is...

0:41:370:41:41

Well, I know they say that lightning does not strike in the same place

0:41:520:41:56

twice, but I don't know about you,

0:41:560:41:58

I have to say that after hearing about the awful consequences of that fire

0:41:580:42:02

in the French chateau that we saw earlier,

0:42:020:42:04

I am certainly going to be

0:42:040:42:06

double-checking the details of both my travel and my home insurance

0:42:060:42:10

the next time I go away. How about you, Gloria?

0:42:100:42:12

You won't be on your own because I'll be checking mine as well.

0:42:120:42:15

Because there's such a strong warning.

0:42:150:42:17

And every one of the stories that we've looked at today really does

0:42:170:42:19

underline how important it is to

0:42:190:42:21

make sure that when you're getting travel insurance

0:42:210:42:24

that first of all you're getting the right kind,

0:42:240:42:26

and crucially from the right date.

0:42:260:42:28

And remember the only way that you'll be covered if you do need to cancel

0:42:280:42:32

is if you take it out from the very moment that you book your holiday.

0:42:320:42:35

Well, with that precious nugget of advice,

0:42:350:42:38

I'm afraid we've reached the end of today's programme.

0:42:380:42:40

We'll be back very soon to investigate more of the stories you've asked us

0:42:400:42:44

to look into on your behalf.

0:42:440:42:45

But in the meantime, do keep letting us know your own experiences.

0:42:450:42:49

We look at every single one and its on that basis that we decide what we're

0:42:490:42:52

going to cover in the future, isn't it?

0:42:520:42:54

And I loved today's programme because of the diversity.

0:42:540:42:57

I love when people share their stories and of course it prevents other people being in a trap.

0:42:570:43:00

-Absolutely. It helps everybody.

-It does.

0:43:000:43:03

And it's all down to you.

0:43:030:43:04

Well, that was like all from us.

0:43:040:43:06

From all of the three of us in sunny Tenerife, goodbye.

0:43:060:43:09

-Bye-bye.

-Goodbye.

0:43:090:43:10

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