C&M Don't Get Done Get Dom

I've been battling for consumer rights for years

but it seems some companies are still not getting the message.

Customers who are technically paying your wages

and keeping your company afloat.

Day in, day out - thousands of you are being taken for a ride

and it's always the same old things.

Shoddy products, the small print and bad customer service.

Customer service is really important and actually, if a company's good, I'll go back.

Too right. But some firms are driving you barmy,

causing you sleepless nights and making you feel like you're the one to blame.

Don't despair, because I'll take them on

to make sure you don't get done.

And coming up on today's show -

when the thrill of moving into a spanking new home

turns into a damp squib.

Look at that, I can see all down there.

When we had snow on the ground,

we had puddles that would pretty much take up the whole of the window sill.

An industry insider gives us the low-down on the roofing business.

In the end, we had to take the whole roof off and start again

because of bad workmanship.

My team hits the streets to see if we can help you get a grip

on your consumer rights.

Oh no, I'm doing really badly.

If you've got a problem with your mobile phone, where would you go?

A mobile phone shop.

If you've got a problem with your car, you go to a garage!

But if you've bought a new house and you've got a problem,

who would you turn to then?

And that's the position fraud analyst Russ Shepherd found himself in

after he took the plunge in 2009

and bought his very own brand-new flat in Essex.

It was a bit scary but very exciting at the same time.

I was looking forward to having my own space.

I'm a keen cricketer and the cricket pitch

was literally on the doorstep and it was just ideal for me.

Once the ball got rolling, I just really couldn't wait to move in.

For the first month after he'd moved in,

his new-build flat was everything he'd hoped for

but as the winter took hold,

he came across something that looked more than just a teething problem.

At first, it was just a small amount of condensation

just around the windows, but more than just a misting.

There were beads of water and as that winter got colder,

puddles were forming on the windowsills.

Russ raised the issue with the housebuilding company,

Country and Metropolitan, known as C&M Homes,

that had built his block of 10 flats.

They said the property would need to dry out.

It was explained to us that in the building process,

a lot of moisture goes in with the cement,

in with paint and plaster.

If there's any wood involved, that takes time to dry out.

That all sounded perfectly reasonable to Russ,

and at first he wasn't too worried.

After all, C&M Homes were guaranteed to sort out any defects

during the first two years of his occupation.

Surely, this condensation problem would be sorted out long before that.

Over the summer months,

Russ was able to enjoy his flat without fear of condensation.

But when winter came around again

and the warm air inside the flat hit the cold window,

puddles of water appeared on the windowsills

and to make matters worse...

By this point, there was noticeable mould around the window surrounds

and even damage to the plasterboard.

For those of you who have never suffered from severe condensation,

let me tell you, it's no joke.

Far from being just an unsightly mess,

excessive dampness and mould can be a serious threat to your health

and lead to all sorts of breathing and allergy problems.

It needs to get sorted and Russ was determined to do just that

and get some action on this problem from C&M Homes.

They advised they were going to get an expert to come in and take a look

at why we were getting this and what we could do to resolve it.

The expert went into a number of flats in the block

to take temperature and humidity readings

because several of Russ's neighbours had exactly the same problem.

His report came back and said that the building was damp

and this was why we were experiencing high levels of condensation.

He recommended that we were all supplied with dehumidifiers

and to run them - it would have been December 2010,

that we run them for up to eight hours a day

until the following May - until May 2011.

But Russ had been running his own dehumidifier

without seeing any great improvement in the condensation

and he wasn't prepared to go the extra expense

of running one of their machines up to eight hours a day without a guaranteed result.

Russ and his fellow residents were losing patience.

We all felt that perhaps at this point,

the dehumidifier wasn't the way forward.

We felt it was a way of alleviating the symptoms

rather than looking at the cause,

which by this point we firmly believed was with the windows.

In December 2011, when the condensation inevitably overflowed

covering Russ's windowsills, he contacted C&M Homes again.

I was met with quite a curt response that they'd looked into it,

their expert had given his opinion and they accused me

of not following the expert's instructions.

They weren't prepared to do any more with the matter.

I felt at that point I had exhausted every avenue I had

and was just being met with a stonewall.

Well, stonewall or not, I think it's time I went to meet Russ

to see for myself just what's got him so steamed up.

Southend on Sea. My old stomping ground, grew up round here.

Right, this is the place.

-Hello.

-Is that Russ?

-Yeah, hi.

-Hi, Russ, it's Dominic.

-Hi, Dom, come up.

-Thanks, mate.

-Hello, Russ.

-Hi, Dom, nice to meet you.

Nice to meet you too.

Right, condensation? How bad a problem is it?

-It's big.

-Want to show me?

-Yeah, come in.

-This is the worst affected room.

-OK.

As you can see today, there's condensation on the window.

Crikey, that's a lot of water, isn't it? Is it there every single day?

Not every single day.

As soon as it gets cool outside, we get the water on the windows.

Looking around here, I can see traces where you've had and still do have mould.

-Very cold, isn't it?

-Very cold.

That's on the inside, of course. It shouldn't be that cold.

No, and that's something I've been pushing,

-saying we shouldn't get this level of coldness inside.

-No.

Too right, Russ, because double glazing should be warmer on the inside than the outside

to stop that cosy moist air inside your home

turning into condensation when it comes into contact with your window.

It's basic common sense, Russ.

This is probably the worst window in the flat.

There's a lot more moisture on that one.

Look at that, I can see all down there.

Is it like that every single morning?

When it's cold, yes. This isn't particularly bad.

When we had snow on the ground, we had puddles

that would pretty much take up the whole of the window sill.

-Is that what these rags are here for?

-That's what the rags are for.

-So how often are you mopping it then?

-You're probably talking two or three times a day.

-I know you're getting married soon because you said that in your email.

-Yes.

How's the missus with all your moaning and groaning?

-Why don't you come and ask her yourself?

-Is she there?

-She's here.

-OK.

I'm very glad to have the chance to meet Russ's fiancee, Rachel,

who moved into the flat in June 2011.

I want to get her take on the situation.

-Hi, Rachel. Good to meet you. Are you all right?

-Yes, good.

-Crikey, talk about a damp problem, eh?

-I know, it's horrible, isn't it?

-I hear you're getting married soon.

-Yes, three weeks.

-Crikey, very soon.

-Excited?

-Yes, very.

What's he like in the morning when there's condensation?

Very grumpy.

-Don't want to mess with him.

-Really, that bad?

Got three weeks to have second thoughts,

-you know that?

-Don't give her any ideas.

I'm only joking, Russ, honestly.

I'm not trying to put a dampener on your wedding here.

Joking aside, it must be bothering you as well, isn't it?

It's just not very nice to have, to look at and know that it's there.

It's disgusting, really.

Now, the housebuilder C&M Homes told Russ

that a new build can take time to dry out from the moisture

that's part of the building process.

Although I'd have to agree with that,

the building was completed in 2008 so come on, guys.

Four years down the line and the windowsill's

still swimming in water?

I'll be honest, it sounds a little bit like someone

was trying to fob you off a bit.

That's what we felt like. That's when I took matters into my own hands.

I bought a small infra-red thermometer

to measure the window temperatures.

They felt really cold to the touch

and I was measuring the temperature of the windows,

making a note of the inside temperature and humidity.

I did it over the course of two weeks and supplied those figures

to C&M Homes and their expert.

Russ's figures showed that the temperature on the inside of the windows

was virtually the same as it was on the outside

so it seemed the double glazing was not doing its job.

What did they say?

They said they would look at them but I never got any feedback.

Russ felt frustrated that C&M gave his research the cold shoulder.

I was presenting evidence which I believed was valid

and at least worth looking into.

I firmly believed the cause of the problem

was the window frames getting cold.

But C&M weren't budging from their original take.

It was again blamed on the dampness in the building

that needed to be released.

Are you aware of anybody else here who's got the issue?

Yeah, there are a number of our neighbours who have the same problem.

One of those neighbours is Hannah Green

who lives one floor up from Russ

and was pregnant when she and her partner moved in.

The bacteria and mould growing on the mastic

was becoming just horrible.

Horrible to look at

and bearing in mind I was due to have a baby in the December,

it was becoming quite a worrying thought because we didn't want

spores in the air to bring our newborn baby home to.

And with a newborn baby, surely there's enough to mop up

without worrying about your windowsills.

As poor old Russ knows only too well,

the soggy mess never seems to go away.

You're having to mop up puddles of condensation.

It's not something you think you should be doing with any property,

let alone a brand new property,

and it's over two years since I moved in,

but I still consider it a new property.

Russ and Rachel's flat is only one in a block of 10

so it's time to go outside and get a grasp

of just how big this problem could be.

Right, let's get in the bike shed here, keep dry, shall we?

Right, that's your block.

Have you got a rough idea how many there are?

I think there are about 60 windows in total.

Right, how many of your neighbours might have the same problem?

I would say at least four or five.

I tell you what I'd like you to do, Russ.

I think this is going to be very helpful.

In your block,

I'd like you to try and speak to as many of your neighbours as you can.

OK.

If they have got the same issue, can you try and get photographs -

damp, condensation, mould.

If they've got videos, anything else like that.

The more you can give me,

the more ammunition I've got to fight your case on your behalf.

I'm going to get on to C&M Homes and say, right,

this has been going on for over two years now.

Let's pull your socks up and get this sorted out once and for all.

-The problem does exist, get it sorted out.

-OK.

-I shall be in contact when I've got some news for you.

-OK, thank you.

-All right, mate. You take care. Cheers, Russ.

-Cheers.

I tell you what, there are properties being built

as far as the eye can see on this development.

Just imagine the headache for C&M Homes

if this condensation issue crops up in every one of those buildings.

Strewth, you wouldn't want to pick up that bill, would you?

C&M Homes. They're a big company

because I've already pulled up their website but let's see how they react

to this problem that I'm going to present them with.

'Just getting through to the right person in a big company

'can often drive you mad before you even start.

'Let's begin with customer services.' Good afternoon to you.

My name's Dominic Littlewood, I'm calling from the BBC.

I want to speak to somebody about a problem.

I asked to speak to the person that Russ has been dealing with

but I'm told he's out on site most of the time

and not immediately contactable.

So, back to customer services then.

Would you be in a position to be able to tell me

details about the ongoing problems with these houses?

'The answer to that is no.

'However, they assured me that if I email the details,

'they will get back to me.

'Hmm, let's see if we can push this up the ladder a bit.'

While we're here on the phone,

we always like to send details to the managing director or the CEO. Who would I address that to?

'And three minutes later, it seems the boss's name and contact details

'are nowhere to be found

'and neither can they find anyone else for me to talk to.'

Just before you ring off, can you just tell me who the MD is or the CEO?

'It seems my question is impossible to answer

'but apparently they're going to ring me back in two minutes.

'OK, then.'

Bye-bye. That person doesn't want their voice being used but when I said,

"Who is the managing director, the CEO?" on two or three occasions,

every single time she said, "I'm really busy, ring you back in two minutes."

Did not want to answer the question.

All my alarm bells right now are ringing.

I've got a funny feeling this is going to be a tough case to crack.

As I dive deeper for some answers,

will I ever get a line through to C&M Homes?

DIAL TONE

She's rung off.

Consumer law can be very confusing.

You've got your Sales of Goods Act, Distance Selling,

right to return - I could go on.

Knowing just a few of these laws can save you not only money but a lot of hassle as well.

My research team have been out on the streets armed with questions

to put to you, the buying public,

to find out if you know your consumer rights

from your consumer wrongs.

Today, we've hit the high street in our quest for spreading knowledge.

The first question for you lot -

You have several large bags of tree cuttings and soil from your garden

which you pay a local builder to remove.

You see them later emptied out on a patch of wasteland. Who is at fault?

I think I'm at fault.

Probably the builder would be at fault there, I think. Is that OK?

-I think it's the builder at fault.

-Me too, the builder.

Two out of three of you are wrong.

Why are you at fault?

Well, it's not just you at fault. It's the builder as well.

If the local council traces the rubbish to you

and proves that you did not check the builder was licensed to dispose of waste,

you could be fined up to £5,000 even if they can't locate the builder.

Ouch.

I think I've been in trouble for it before.

Next, from dodgy fellas to typing errors -

You see one night at a five-star hotel advertised for £200

but underneath it offers two nights for £100.

You call up to book the £100 deal but the company tell you

that it was an error and refuse to give it to you at this price.

Can they do this?

-You should know that.

-No, I think that's misrepresentation.

They can't refuse to give it to you at this price.

I would say not because it's against consumer rights.

I think they can't do this because they've advertised it as such.

All three of you are wrong.

Oh no, I'm doing really badly.

And you're not alone there, madam.

If an advertised price is unintentionally incorrect,

you do not have the right to get it at this price.

However, if the seller is deliberately giving misleading prices, they can be prosecuted.

Finally, from hotel type to price hike -

You're out for a meal at a restaurant with friends.

They order a bottle of wine and you ask for a jug of table water as well.

The waiter says you'll be charged £1

as the restaurant needs to cover their overheads, even for tap water.

Can they do this?

I think yes, absolutely they can do this.

They are entitled to do this, it's their restaurant,

they can charge what they want for what they sell.

We reckon yes.

I think they're in their rights.

Come on, chaps. All three wrong again.

Really?

I am not joking because no, it's not even legal.

New Home Office regulations mean from February 2011,

all premises serving alcohol must offer free tap water.

If they don't, it could invalidate their licence to serve alcohol.

OK, so it's in place now? Good to know, good to know.

It's my pleasure. OK, You lot. That wasn't so good.

You need to brush up on your consumer rights

because trust me, knowing them will stop you getting done.

I've been wading my way through a serious case of condensation.

Anti-fraud analyst Russ Shepherd has been living with puddles of water

and growing mould since moving into his brand-new flat in Essex in 2009.

His housebuilder, C&M Homes, insists that the problem is down

to the drying-out process that every new building goes through once completed.

But nearly three years later, puddles are still forming

and it's not just tears of frustration that Russ is having to mop up.

I really didn't think I'd have to spend two weeks

taking quite detailed information of dampness and humidity and temperatures.

It's something I never ever thought I'd have to do for a new-build property.

Russ is about to marry his fiancee, Rachel, and the last thing they need

is to launch into married life with the thought of having to include

a mop and bucket as an extra constant companion in their marriage.

Make no mistakes.

Living with severe condensation can be hazardous to your health

and it has to be sorted out.

Whatever C&M Homes may think, there is clearly more investigating

to be done to get to the bottom of this problem.

Before I go diving in,

it always pays to find out exactly who you are up against.

Country and Metropolitan, or C&M Homes,

is owned by the Gladedale Group

which is based in Scotland and states that it has been

a major force in the UK new homes sector for many years.

C&M Homes operates in the south-east of England and is one of four

residential building companies in the Gladedale Group.

In March 2012, all five Gladedale Group brands including C&M Homes

were awarded a five-star rating by the Home builders Federation

for customer satisfaction and recommendation.

It's even more of a pity then that it seems Russ

just can't get no satisfaction, no matter how hard he tries.

Time to tackle C&M Homes again.

'My first call to customer service got cut short when I requested

'the name and contact details of the boss,

'and since then, not a dicky bird.'

Hi, it's Dominic Littlewood from the BBC again.

'Before I get a chance to put my request in again,

'it seems they need five minutes to get hold of information.'

I'm not going to be able to wait five minutes.

Can you gave me the details of who I need to address it to, the MD?

'I offer to hold the line while she finds out the information

'and then she says she's on another call.'

No problem, I'll hold. Thank you.

DIAL TONE

She's rung off.

'Oops. She must have accidentally cut me off.

'Not to worry, I'll try again. Here goes.'

I think you disconnected me, it's Dominic from the BBC.

'Before I can say another word, she explains

'she's going to put me on hold because she has to take other calls.'

No problem, I'm holding.

This is going to be one of those.

'Of course, we could have been disconnected accidentally

'but whatever happened, I feel messed about and that really annoys me.'

So, while I track down another route

to speak to the person with some answers at C&M Homes,

I think it's time to check out just what Russ has come up with

in his efforts to find out if any of his fellow residents

are suffering from the same soggy state as he and Rachel are.

Hiya.

Are you having problems with your windows, with the condensation and mould like I am?

Yeah, as you know.

First on his list is Al Lloyd, who moved in soon after Russ in 2009.

-As you can see, just from today.

-And that's actually wet as well.

That's actually wet. I haven't done any cooking today yet.

-Right, OK.

-When I do, trickle vents are open, extractor fan is on.

And you ran the dehumidifier as we were instructed.

There's been no cooking today. White top yesterday.

I mean, that mould, that is actual spots of mould

within feet of where you are washing your plates up and cooking food.

Cleaned on a regular basis.

You can't even keep up with it all, to be honest.

It's not just the condensation growing mould that's bugging Al, though.

I'm also worried that nothing seems to be getting done about it.

We're on a constant, same every year,

the same conversation with the same people.

You just feel like you're hitting your head against a wall, really.

Well, if it's any comfort, Al, you're not alone

because as we've already heard,

another of Russ's neighbours, Hannah, is in exactly the same boat.

-Come in, please.

-Hi. Whereabouts is it worst?

If we go through, I'll show you.

Hannah has lived with this problem for nearly two years.

I can touch my windows and you can feel a draught.

It's almost like when you open a freezer and you feel that cold air. That's exactly what it's like.

It's certainly not what you'd expect from a window in a new build.

-These ones on this side of the house tend to be the worst.

-OK.

Lots of condensation gathers on the windows and mould in the corners,

all on the mastic and the wood.

-Have you spoken to C&M about this?

-I have, yeah.

They have actually come back a couple of times and repainted

all the paintwork and taken all the mastic off and reapplied it.

OK. Do you still get condensation? Do you still get the puddles?

Every winter. It comes back again and again.

Clearly, the problem runs a lot deeper than a quick fix and a coat of fresh paint.

-Say bye-bye.

-Bye-bye.

-Good boy. Bye-bye. Thanks, Russ.

It looks like Russ has got just the information he needs.

Based on conversations I've had with my other neighbours,

they're having very similar, if not exactly the same problems as us,

so it would appear the whole block, potentially, is affected.

Good stuff, Russ. And from the evidence that's fast piling up,

it's beginning to sound more and more

as though somehow the problem is to do with the windows,

particularly as the damp is not a problem elsewhere in the flats.

We've shown some photographs of the offending windows

to our window expert, Giles Willson, at the Glass And Glazing Federation,

to see if he can shed any light on the situation.

And the first thing to find out is whether or not, in his opinion,

these windows are up to the job.

The specifications for the windows

in this example would give good thermal performance.

So far, so good.

The windows should be keeping the cold air outside where it belongs,

but as we've heard, that just doesn't seem to be happening,

so there must be another reason why there's so much water

on the windowsills.

Either the heating, ventilation or a problem with the window,

that it hasn't been installed correctly or constructed correctly.

Without inspecting the site, it's hard to make further comment,

but I would say it warrants further investigation.

Bingo. You can say that again.

The residents are saying it must be the windows because

they've looked at the ventilation and heating issues without success.

And here's our expert saying it could well be down

to the windows and how they were installed.

Now, why didn't C&M Homes think of that?

You know, even I get problems dealing with companies.

When I first started to try and talk to C&M Homes,

I went on to this lady who was very unhelpful, I felt.

I went above her and found their parent company.

Since I ruffled their feathers, I've now been given

a name and a number to call.

First time, let's see how I get on with this person.

'I'm hoping to speak to someone called Jasmine, part of a PR company

'that works for the Gladedale Group,

'the parent company of C&M Homes

'and she's fully aware of the residents' condensation issues.'

'Good afternoon.'

Good afternoon, is Jasmine Headley there, please?

-'Speaking.'

-Hello, Jasmine.

'I cut straight to the chase.'

Put it bluntly - there's a few ways you can play it. You, as C&M Homes,

can address the situation, find out what you believe the problem is

and try and rectify it.

'We have sort of done that,

'which is what I'm going to send over to you -

'a detailed sheet of what's happened,

'because we have instructed somebody to do an independent report

'and he has actually advised it's a drying-out issue.

'And that's why there's condensation.'

OK. So the report's been done, has it?

'There was a report done, yeah, in November 2010 or 11,

'let me just double check on the date.'

'No surprise there, then.

'Russ moved in in 2009, so even after nearly three years,

'C&M are still saying the flats have got to dry out.

'Jasmine goes on to say that the flats were provided with

'dehumidifiers and following that,

'four of the residents were still unhappy.'

Right, can I put to you as a question please, Jasmine,

did any of the residents said they were happy?

-'Yeah, I can find out.'

-OK.

Because four of them have expressed unhappiness, it doesn't mean automatically six are happy.

-'No.'

-We just need to know what the situation is.

So, that remaining 60% of them, that's a question I'd like to put to you.

Have they told you they're happy and content and the problem's gone away?

'Jasmine assures me that she'll find out and send me their expert's report.

'Good. I finally feel like I'm getting somewhere.'

All of a sudden I'm speaking to someone who's listened.

But there's ways you can put things.

When she says, "We addressed this. There was ten people complaining

"and only four of them expressed they're unhappy after."

I said, "Hang on, what about the 60%?

"Did they actually say they were happy?" She said, "Mm, don't know."

You see, awkward questions. That's what you need to ask. Put people on the spot.

And I've certainly put her on the spot.

Russ and the other residents we've spoken to

in his block of flats, agreed they bought a new build home,

partly because they wouldn't have to worry

about issues you have to deal with in older properties, such as maintenance

and inefficient insulation, which can cause condensation.

But just what are the rewards we should expect

when buying a newly built home?

We asked a spokesman from the Building Research Establishment,

which looks at the issues around buildings and how to improve them, to fill us in.

The advantages to buying a new home are that the regulations

have changed over the years and so now, when you're building a home,

you're building it to a much higher regulation.

The impact on the homeowner is that that house will be of a higher energy efficiency.

So they should see a lot less fuel bills.

Obviously, a new home will have new technologies in

that have been developed to take account of the way we live now.

So those are the key things, if you like,

with a new home that you should expect.

Good stuff. Just what we'd have thought.

And bearing in mind C&M's insistence that these homes are still drying out,

I'm keen to hear what he's got to say about this process generally.

The period of time for a building to dry out will differ relevant to what it's built out of.

It'll also differ relevant to what time of the year you build it in.

But I think it would be fair to say that anywhere between six to 18 months

is the sort of time your home will dry out naturally

and that's expected.

Presumably, what isn't expected is that after nearly three years,

like Russ and his neighbours, your double glazing is dripping,

you've got growing mould and pools of water on your window sills.

If you see a lot of moisture occurring,

that means that something isn't working the way it should.

The reason for that is that, in most instances,

either that the home's not breathing.

A good example of that would be, you're boiling a stew

and you see condensation occurring on the window.

That means, basically, that the ventilation isn't working

and it's not getting that hot, moist air out of the house.

But if you see that in other parts of the home,

that may mean that you haven't opened your trickle vents,

which all homes have, or it may mean that there is something wrong

with the home in the way that it's been constructed.

Well, what do you know? So just like our glass and glazing expert suggested,

Oliver here is also saying there's a possibility that there could be a fundamental reason

for all this condensation to do with the construction.

Crikey!

Two experts both saying there could be more to these condensation issues

than just a natural drying-out process is good enough for me.

Time to delve deeper.

Since I spoke to Jasmine at C&M's PR company, true to her word,

she's e-mailed me a copy of the original 2010 surveyors' report.

And just as Russ told me, the report concludes

that the property's natural drying- out process

is to blame for the residents' soaked window sills.

Frankly, that conclusion is no longer good enough to stick

and after some further polite e-mail persistence, C&M Homes are prepared

to think again and have finally agreed to investigate further.

They've sent their original independent surveyor to have another look

and they've allowed independent surveyors, Trevor Hoe and John Gillies, sent by me,

to go and see if they can also get to the root of the problem.

C&M's surveyor prefers to carry out his investigations off camera.

Fair enough. So that just leaves our guys.

OK, Trevor. What do we have here?

-We've got mould in the corner, John.

-Oh, yes.

An indication that we have a condensation problem.

There's not a great deal of condensation today because it's so warm.

It doesn't take long for Trevor to identify the source of the problem.

The window frame is too far forward

in relationship to the damp proof course.

Well, with this in mind,

John opens up the window in question to confirm Trevor's diagnosis.

We think there is condensation of a sufficient amount...

..to make my hand extremely damp.

There's a lot of moisture there, that's hidden inside the cavities.

That's all due to condensation

and the incorrect positioning of the insulation,

keeping the warm air and the cold air properly separated.

So in a nutshell, what are the major faults with these new windows?

The first is that the insulation is wrongly installed

and has been put in the wrong location.

The second is that the window frame itself has been incorrectly fixed.

The architects have designed it correctly,

the installers have installed it incorrectly.

And there you have it, folks.

Finally, according to our surveyors, the extreme condensation on the windows examined

is nothing to do with the drying-out process.

It's all about the windows being incorrectly installed in the first place. Result!

The question is, will our surveyors' findings be enough to satisfy the bosses at C&M Homes,

or will they insist that it's all just hot air?

I think it's fair to say you're probably putting your hands up and saying something needs to be done.

I wouldn't like to comment on that.

Let's be honest.

As consumers, one of the things we hate the most is having the wool

pulled over our eyes and getting done out of our hard-earned cash.

One of the best ways of trying to stop that happening

is by getting some inside information from somebody

who's prepared to spill the beans on the tricks of their trade.

Today, we're dealing with the world of roofing.

Something which from time to time we all need replacing on our homes.

But there are price rip-offs, pressure tactics

and cowboy roofers out there and they're all after one thing.

Your hard-earned cash.

My insider has been in the roofing game for over 10 years

and his family business has been going for 35 years.

But he's not happy with the industry's bad name.

We've protected his identity and when you hear what he's got to say,

you'll understand why.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of rogue roofers scamming a lot of people.

The problem is, it puts us good roofers to shame.

We've had customers that have had bad work done previous and we've had to put the work right.

It's atrocious what they've done.

So how can you tell a good roofer from a bad one?

A bad roofer wouldn't be able to give you references or show you old work.

They wouldn't have the proper certificates for the work.

They probably wouldn't even put scaffolding up.

Sounds dangerous. So, what tales of woe from above has our insider got for us?

I went to a property once, this young couple had just got married

and had saved a lot of money over the year.

The roof that had been put on the house wasn't straight,

the ridges were all over the place and it was just a terrible job.

In the end, we had to take the whole roof off and restart again because of the bad workmanship.

The overall cost on that job would have been in the figures of £10,500,

when really, it should have been £3,500.

There's not only shoddy work, but dangerous working practices.

Surely, the roofer must be insured for this.

It's important for people to have public liability.

It could be anything from a tile falling off the scaffolding

and damaging a car to the worst scenario of burning down a property

or causing an injury to a pedestrian.

If somebody doesn't have public liability,

they could be gambling with their property

and end up with a bill of thousands of pounds.

So how do you stop a new roof from getting on top of you?

Well, here's my insider's advice.

Shop around.

I'd get a few quotations. It doesn't cost you a cent.

You can meet the company in person,

the people who will be working on your roof,

and it'll get you the best price.

Don't pay upfront.

It just shows they have no money in the bank.

So if something was to go wrong, how would they fix it?

What's their track record?

Get a reference. If they haven't got references,

it shows they've got faulty work in the past.

And finally, do they belong to any professional bodies?

Make sure they're in the Trade Association.

Just make sure they've got the right qualifications,

they can do the job properly and they're up to standard.

And there you go. If you want to get to the top of the ladder when it comes to roofing,

listen to my insider and hopefully, it'll stop you getting done.

The residents of a new build block of flats in Essex

have all been suffering a severe case of condensation.

For over two years, pools of water and mould

have been growing around their brand new windows,

which was particularly worrying for one resident.

Our baby was due in December 2010 and when mould grows, it releases spores into the air

and we didn't want to bring our newborn baby home

to somewhere that could potentially be severely dangerous for him.

As a new mother, Hannah's naturally concerned

about any potential health risks to her son.

But I'm glad to say, he's growing into a healthy, happy little boy.

However, it's well documented that when you breathe in spores that are released by mould,

these can cause respiratory problems, including asthma and infections.

Having carried out their own investigations, the house builders,

Country and Metropolitan, known as C&M Homes, have been insisting

that it's all part of the natural drying-out process of a new property.

But their argument is beginning to sound as wet

as some of their window sills.

I've been pushing C&M to dig deeper to see if the problem's anything to do with the windows themselves.

Finally, they sent their independent surveyor to investigate further

and we sent our surveyors to see if they could get to the bottom of the problem.

Our surveyors concluded that it's the installation of the windows that's at fault.

But frustratingly, since their guy went away to write his report,

we've not heard a word and I'm now chomping at the bit to find out

whether in fact he does agree with our surveyors and if so,

what C&M is prepared to do about it.

Time to get back on the phone to Jasmine at the PR company

to see if I can get any news out of her.

I know your surveyor went down the other day.

Yes, he did. We're just awaiting the report back from him.

We're hoping to get it this week.

I know he's just clarifying a few issues.

So as soon as we get that back, then we'll come back to you

and let you know the next step.

The impression I got from the guy we had go along with him

is that they did find faults there.

I know your report's not in yet

but I think it's fair to say you're probably putting your hands up

and saying something needs to be done. Would I be right in saying that?

I wouldn't like to comment on that.

Until I've seen this report, until we've got that back, I don't think we can really say.

'I must be losing my touch because no matter how politely persistent I am, she remains tight-lipped.'

-Thank you, Jasmine.

-All right, thanks.

-Bye then.

-Bye.

She didn't want to commit to anything until the report from their surveyor's back in,

which could be another three or four days.

I did push her for an answer, but in fairness,

I'm not really in a position to do that yet because she hasn't got the report.

But she did say she'd give me a copy of it. Let's wait and see.

I'm feeling really positive about this one.

Mind you, I've done that before and it hasn't paid dividends.

I'm back in Essex now and I'm expecting a little bit of a welcoming party

because Russ and Rachel have been rounding up the neighbours and I've got some news for them.

C&M did get back to me on their handling of the residents' complaints,

stating a meeting had been held where they felt all questions had been answered

and as six out of the 10 flats did not contact them again,

the company took this to mean that the issue had been resolved.

Well, for the residents I'm about to meet, the problem had not been resolved

and now C&M Homes have got back to me with their final response.

Following the surveyors' report,

I just hope the residents like what I have to tell them.

It's good to see everybody's made it today,

including Al's girlfriend, Gemma.

Hello Gemma, Al, Rachel, Russ. Good to see you all.

Thanks for joining me.

You're aware that we got another surveyor to come and look at it

because we obviously heard what C&M Homes said about everything

and we were getting the same sort of answers. It's drying out.

And he disagreed. He believes there is a problem here. You know it.

We just had to prove it to them.

He's given us a detailed report.

A copy of that report has also gone back to C&M Homes as well.

So as far as we're concerned now, everyone except you guys is aware of his discoveries.

I can eliminate that straight away

by giving you all copies of the report.

There's one there for you. There's one for you guys.

We don't expect you to read those reports now but I can summarise everything for you.

In fact I can do better than that, because C&M Homes have given us a statement.

I'm going to ask you to read that out.

This is about the findings and what they're going to do about it.

"Following the report findings from the surveyors...

Basically, your problems are over.

They've accepted that there are issues there.

I'll tell you what they found when the surveyor came down.

Basically, the windows are sitting too far forward and it's causing a problem.

They need to come back by 30 millimetres, basically three centimetres.

In your case, they already know the issues in there.

They're going to take those windows out

and they're going to make good and put everything back to normal.

-End of problem.

-Brilliant.

And in every other flat now, if you've got an issue,

you call them, they'll be aware of it and the same thing will happen.

-How do you feel about that?

-I'm so pleased. Thank you so much.

-It's an end to all of our problems. Thank you.

-Good. And you, Al?

-Nice one, Dom! You've done it again, mate.

-Definitely. Rachel?

Very pleased. Thank you.

-I'm so glad they're going to sort it out once and for all.

-Big fella?

-Thanks, Dom.

-Oh, I get a hug.

-I ain't going to get the grumps any more!

-No more grumps!

-No more grumps.

That was one of those problems

that should never ever have dragged on for as long as it did.

But I've got to say, I think C&M learned their lesson

and they came good in the end.

ALL: Cheers, Dom!

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd