Roof Insulation Issues Don't Get Done Get Dom

'I've battled for consumer rights for years, but some companies are still not getting the message.'

It seems to be the biggest companies not looking after their customers.

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

and it's always the same things: Shoddy products,

bad customer service and the dreaded small print.

Customer service level is the most important thing to some people.

Some firms are driving you barmy, causing you sleepless nights

and can make you feel like you're the ones to blame.

But, don't despair,

because I'll take them on, to make sure you don't get done.

Coming up on today's show:

When is an expert not an expert?

When the job you paid them thousands of pounds to do ends in tears.

The money they've taken off me is more than I earn in a year now.

How one couple's new business nightmare became a franchise cautionary tale.

We could possibly lose all our investment, and our house.

And my team hits the streets

to find out if we can help you get to grips with your consumer rights.

-Go on, enlighten us!

-HE LAUGHS

We've all got them, but of course we only ever think about them when they go wrong.

Few of us have ever spent much time inspecting our roofs.

But, after all, why should we, when we can pick experts to do it for us?

But if they're the only ones up the ladder,

how do we know they're doing the job we're paying them to do?

How's it looking up there?

It looks fine to me. That'll keep the rain out!

Meet Anne Norfolk,

a full-time carer of her disabled 85-year-old mum, Doreen.

And her priority is to keep a cosy roof over both their heads.

Since giving up her job as a nurse to look after her mum,

money is tight, and Anne is constantly trying to find ways to keep a lid on expenses.

In 2009, one expense that just wouldn't wait was repairing the roof.

The roof was looking pretty abysmal. The house is 50 years old.

It hadn't had any roof repairs.

There were a fair few cracked tiles,

and it was looking pretty poor.

So, it was looking at an alternative to having a full roof replacement done.

The alternative Anne chose was to have the roof cleaned, repaired and weather sealed.

After contacting six companies, she discovered the work was going to cost around £4,000.

For Anne, one firm stood out.

Protect-a-Roof was the one that seemed to be the most reliable,

had the most back-up on their website.

And seemed to have quite a few satisfied customers.

So that was when I made the initial contact with them.

The MD of the company, Julian Tuck,

had been happy to come and take a look at Anne's roof to see what needed to be done.

After he had completed the survey, he said that it wouldn't be a problem,

that they would get everything sorted out, and the roof would be sound.

Protect-a-Roof sent two people to carry out the roof cleaning and repairs,

and Anne was more than happy with the result.

In fact, they had done such a good job on the outside of Anne's roof that, when they suggested

they could arrange for the inside of the roof

to be spray foam insulated, to make the house even more energy-efficient,

it seemed like an irresistible offer.

But then, Anne made a crucial mistake.

I didn't research it at the time,

because they'd done such a good job on the outside of the roof.

Foolishly, I then thought that they must know what they're talking about for the inside of the roof.

One of the roofers put forward his mate, Jay, suggesting he was an expert foam sprayer.

The thing that swung it, I guess, was the fact I was led to believe

that Jay goes around the world doing foam insulations.

So, he's very good at what he does.

So, it was with confidence that Anne agreed to spend another £4,000 on insulation,

so that her 85-year-old mum could keep her heating on through the winter

without having to worry about the heating bills.

But Anne's confidence soon began to evaporate,

when the team started to install the insulation in her roof.

They seemed to have more tea breaks than they did actually doing any work.

The excuse that I was given was, the hoses were blocked,

the equipment wasn't working properly.

But they did seem to be jolly and upbeat about it.

At the time, I didn't know that this wasn't the way that things were supposed to go.

But she was about to find out,

because it turns out that Jay was not the expert foam insulation sprayer that Anne thought he was.

And, instead of a smooth, even covering with no gaps, like this,

she was left with an uneven surface,

full of gaps, that was not going to insulate her loft, as promised.

Crikey. Talk about a botched job.

But, 18 months later, Anne's battle for justice for herself and her disabled mum has taken its toll.

I'd done this for Mum, to protect her. And this had all backfired.

And they knew that I lived with my elderly, disabled mum.

It's bad enough that they have hurt me,

but effectively, they've hurt her.

So, I started off being really, really angry.

I'm annoyed at myself for being so stupid for trusting them.

But they're just not prepared to take the responsibility for the fact that

they're taking money for jobs that are absolutely...

BLEEP!

Well, it certainly seems like Anne has got a problem that she has been unable to resolve herself.

So, I've come to Leeds, to see if I can sort it out.

How long ago did Protect-a-Roof clean that roof?

-Two years ago now.

-It's held up well, hasn't it?

-It has.

Why was it so long ago that it was done, and you've only recently realised there was a problem?

Because I only had the solar panels put on about six months ago.

And it was during the survey for the solar panels

that the surveyor that went up into the loft said it was the worst,

absolutely abysmal insulation that he'd ever seen.

-Oh.

-Asked if the company that I'd had it done was a registered company,

and I should get in touch with them and get them to come and sort it out.

-Right. They are very, very strong descriptive words for a bad job.

-Absolutely.

How come they did the job, and if it's that bad, you didn't know about it? Did you not go up there?

I only had a brief look at it. They knew that I didn't like heights.

I didn't know much about foam insulation beforehand.

So, it did look like it was OK. But, to be honest, I didn't know what I was looking for.

Now that you've been told the job is horrendous, obviously you contacted them. What did they say?

I had been told by Julian Tuck, the MD of the company,

-he runs the actual firm that does the cleaning...

-Right.

..he isn't involved with the foam insulation. It's a third party that does it.

As far as you're concerned, was he involved with that foam insulation, or just the roof?

The foam insulation was actually agreed through Protect-a-Roof,

that's the only piece of paper that I've got. I haven't got a contract with anybody else.

-OK. That makes him liable.

-I didn't have any details for anybody else.

-Right.

But, all I was getting back as excuse-wise, was, it was a subcontractor,

so it's their problem, they need to come back and sort it out.

Do you know what, Anne? My alarm bells are really starting to ring now, because

the owner of that company is responsible for sorting this out. Not telling you,

"I'm going to speak to him, get him to speak to so and so."

That's rubbish. You get passed from pillar to post.

The second I heard that, I thought, this is not going to be that easy to sort.

-Let's go inside and have a look, shall we?

-Yes, no problem.

In fairness, Protect-a-Roof did a great job in repairing and cleaning Anne's roof.

When it came to the insulation, it seems the work was a bit of a botched job.

Regardless who did it, the paperwork still says Protect-a-Roof, so they are entirely responsible.

-Well, even from here, I can see it's a right pig's ear.

-It's a mess.

-Cor, not half.

OK, let me have a closer look at this.

Anne, I'm looking at patches here where there isn't any foam at all,

-it's just the felt on the roof.

-Yep.

With gaps like these, this type of insulation is never going to do its job properly,

which apparently, when correctly applied, and at least an inch thick,

can dramatically reduce your heat loss.

It's a complete and utter hash, the whole thing.

It looks like someone's come up here,

and just thrown it against everything.

I can even see daylight outside.

-Oh, fantastic(!)

-Bear in mind, this is meant to be insulation.

What's the point if I can actually see daylight?

It's no wonder Anne's hit the roof, because her insulation looks like this...

when it should look like this.

God. I tell you what, whoever's done this is certainly not qualified to do it.

-I think I could have done a better job myself.

-Yeah.

You couldn't have done a worse one, I can tell you that much. I've seen enough.

I tell you what, Anne, I've seen some botched jobs in my time, but that's way up there with them.

What have you done yourself to get this sorted out?

Written to the company seven times.

Made loads of phone calls.

Been in touch with Consumer Direct. They referred it to Trading Standards.

Been to Citizens Advice Bureau.

Was going to go to court to try and get it sorted out.

But I can't afford to go to court.

Financially as well as emotionally, Anne feels she has nothing left to give.

The money that they've taken off me is more than I earn in a year now.

So, it's a lot.

All my savings have gone now.

I tell you what. This kind of case makes me livid.

But it does make me even more determined to put a smile back on Anne's face,

and to help her get a resolution.

I need contacts, I need paperwork. I need everything you've got.

-Mm-hm.

-Particularly as far as Protect-a-Roof are concerned,

because I need to speak to their boss.

What I'm quite interested in here is the fact he didn't actually get involved with anything internally.

-He did the outside job and you were happy with that.

-Yes.

So I want to have a chat with him to hear what he's got to say about the people who did that.

-That's going to be my next port of call.

-OK.

How many other quotes did you get for this?

-I tell you what, let me answer that question for you. You didn't get any, did you?

-No.

I knew the answer. It was obvious.

Because these guys had done the outside and talked you into it.

I've got to be honest, nearly four grand for that.

It's a bungalow. Sounds like a lot of money to me.

It's not my area of expertise.

So I want you to find out how much that would cost from other companies.

-OK.

-Good companies. Ask to see accreditation,

make sure they can do the job and they are accredited to do so. Do that for me.

-I'll contact Protect-a-Roof and I'll put the thumbscrews on and see if I can get this sorted out for you.

-OK.

You tried hard enough, you're not getting there.

-Let's see how I get on. I can't say fairer than that, can I?

-No, not at all.

-I'll see you soon.

-Thank you.

-Bye, Anne.

-Bye.

I think it's time I started making some phone calls.

I am still gobsmacked at the photos

of what poor old Mrs Norfolk got, compared to what she should have got.

I've just double-checked and that is still on the website for Protect-a-Roof.

That's what people should be getting. That's what she got.

Miles apart.

Let's see what the owner, Julian, has got to say about it.

'I doubt there'll be a customer services department here. I think it will probably be a direct line.'

-"Hello?"

-Oh, hi, is that Julian?

-"It is, yeah."

-Hi Julian.

What it is, a lady's come to us with a problem that she's been trying to resolve with your company.

Now, I'll give you all the details in a minute.

I'll give you some contact details and send you some e-mails as well.

-"Anne Norfolk."

-You know.

As you said, you guessed it was Anne Norfolk.

I wonder if you can tell me what's happening with that situation?

'He then confirms what Anne told me,

'that it was someone called Jason who did the foam insulation, and he admits...'

-"Obviously, things have gone a bit pear shaped."

-Yep.

"He hasn't done what he said on the tin, quite simply."

'He could say that again. But I want to pin him down about something that I'm still finding quite baffling.'

-Were you aware that he was using your paperwork?

-"Yes."

Why would someone want to borrow your paperwork, I can't work that one out?

"Yeah, in hindsight, I wish I'd never done it."

-Right. Because you know that makes you responsible now for this problem, don't you?

-"Absolutely."

'Well, that's encouraging, at least he's admitting responsibility.'

'He then goes on to give me a bit of background on this guy, Jason, who carried out the foam spraying.'

"This guy travels all over the world, including Dubai, Americas, the States, Canada,

"showing people how to spray. Not foam, I have since found out."

-What, what does he show people how to spray?

-"Specialised coatings."

Right. He must have been jetlagged on this day, cos...

-have you seen the pictures? I'm sure you have.

-"Yeah, yeah."

-What do you think of those?

-"Awful."

'Well, there's no argument there. And, you know what? I reckon we're up and running.'

-Bye-bye.

-"Bye-bye."

Right, first impressions, very good.

The guy straightaway said to me, yeah, I know who the problem's with.

But, immediately, blamed one of his, well, I'd have to say subcontractor.

But he said, the guy who did the spraying borrowed his paperwork. It all smelt fishy.

But, you know what? I'm not going to go there yet.

I said, I'll send you an e-mail,

and speak to you later in the week and find out what we can do to resolve it.

This could be nice and easy and straightforward.

Please! I want an easy one! Or it could get nasty.

Who knows? We'll soon find out though.

When I finally track down the culprit for Anne's botched job,

will his reaction tell me exactly how seriously he's taking the blame?

-How come you both ended up doing Anne's job?

-MAN ON PHONE LAUGHS

"I've ended up trying to help someone out, that's all I've ended up doing."

Consumer law can be very confusing.

You've got your Sale of Goods Act, distance selling, right to return. I could go on.

But 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 bought an armchair two years ago, and the leather has started to discolour.

"You are well out of your 12 month warranty, which came with the sofa,

"and the retailer says he has no responsibility.

"Can they do this?" I personally say, yes.

You've gone past your 12 months warranty,

so you can't take it back, you can't do anything about it.

I'm sure they can.

Ouch! All three wrong, I'm afraid.

That's a better warranty than the United States, I'd have to say, on this particular case.

Well, that's put the "Great" back in Britain.

Although this is not a warranty matter, it's a legal matter.

Warranties are extra to your legal rights,

which are protected by the Sale of Goods Act.

If the goods are faulty due to an inherent fault,

it's the trader's responsibility to rectify the situation.

Next, from leather, to loans.

"You buy a car on a credit agreement start paying back the loan every month.

"One month you miss a payment, and the company demands

"you pay the whole amount for the loan, there and then, as your contract says you must.

"Can they enforce this?" If you've broken the contract,

I'd have thought they were within their rights.

I think they can, because that's a contract that you've broken.

-Yeah.

-If it's in the contract, yeah.

All wrong, yet again.

-I thought when you'd written something, signed your name on the dotted line, that was it.

-Yeah.

Well, not always, old chap.

Because, if this is an unfair term in a contract, you could challenge this in court.

It's usually best to seek legal advice

before breaking the contract terms, if you think they're unfair.

Or, checking the terms and questioning them before the cooling off period is up.

And, finally, from contract failed, to damp mail.

"You post some books recorded delivery to a friend in Scotland.

"However, there are terrible storms across the UK,

"When they arrive, your friends say the books are soaking. Can you claim compensation?"

Yes, indeed.

I would have thought yes, on the grounds that they were not packaged sufficiently well enough.

I don't think you can.

Correct! But only one out of three right on that one.

Really?

SHE GIGGLES

Don't be so surprised. No.

Even if you have proof of postage, the Royal Mail does not pay compensation

for items damaged due to circumstances beyond its control.

These include severe weather conditions, acts of terrorism and vandalism.

OK, you lot, that wasn't a good day.

You need to brush up on your consumer rights.

Trust me, knowing them will stop you getting done.

I'm looking into the case of Anne Norfolk,

a full-time carer of her disabled mum, who paid nearly £4,000 in 2010

to have the inside of her roof insulated with foam,

in order to cut down on her heating bills.

She agreed a contract with Protect-a-Roof,

a company that had already done a good job cleaning and repairing the outside of her roof.

But they handed the work over to a third party,

and he completely let her down.

And so, instead of a smooth, evenly sealed loft like this,

Anne was left with a botched job that was this.

It was the surveyor that pointed out the severity of the foam insulation.

And he says that the foam insulation that I've got is the worst one he has ever seen,

and I really should do something about it.

And that's exactly what Anne's been trying to do.

But nearly nine months later, she's still being passed from pillar to post,

with a shoddy, unqualified foam disaster in her loft, and no refund insight.

Tell you what, this case is starting to make my blood boil.

But, before I get properly stuck in,

it always pays to find out just what you're dealing with.

Protect-a-Roof is a small business founded in 1993,

and run by the managing director, Julian Tuck.

He has 19 years of experience in roof cleaning and protecting,

and also offers roof restoration.

The company offers a fully qualified workforce.

Although not, it seems, when it comes to insulating the inside of Anne's roof.

Now, Julian at Protect-a-Roof keeps blaming this other person that he used.

I know, technically, it means Julian, at Protect-a-Roof, is the person responsible,

but if he keeps blaming this other person, it's going to do no harm at all me giving him a ring,

and seeing what he's got to say about it all.

'Right. Apparently, Jason, who did the work, is notoriously difficult to get hold of. Hm. Let's find out.'

-"Hello?"

-Oh hi, is that Jason?

-"Speaking."

Jason, good afternoon, it's Dominic Littlewood, calling from the BBC.

'It looks like it's my lucky day.'

Jason, you probably know why I'm calling.

-I spoke to Julian at Protect-a-Roof.

-"Right."

-OK.

Basically, Julian keeps saying that this problem with this roof on Anne Norfolk's house

is as a result of work you've done. I wanted a quick chat with you about that.

"Yeah, can I call you back shortly, I'm just in the middle of something at the moment.

"Can you give me a ring at 3:30, if that's all right?"

-3:30, on this number?

-"Yes please."

-I'll call you back on this one.

-Thanks, Jason.

-"See you, bye."

-Bye-bye.

First call I've had with Jason.

I've got to give him the benefit of the doubt.

He said, "I'm busy at the moment." He might be.

But he said, call back at 3:30.

Let's just see whether he answers his phone or not.

I hope he does.

Anne might have trusted the wrong man to insulate her home,

but when installed correctly, just how effective is foam spray installation?

Time to find out from someone in the know.

Oliver Novakovic is a director at the Buildings Research Establishment

which looks at all the issues around buildings' heat loss and tries to improve on them.

Foam spray insulation,

as always, if installed in the right manner,

can save on your heating bills.

I mean, with all these insulations,

there are always benefits certain ones have, compared to others.

With the foam spray, the benefit is that it has a good thermal value.

But, more importantly, what it does is, when you spread this foam,

as it expands, it goes into all the nooks and crannies.

The question is, is spray foam insulation always a good option?

In some instances, due to the type of construction,

because the building has to breathe in a certain way,

a foam spray may not be the best solution.

And there'll be other technologies that are better solutions.

And the key, for the industry and the government, and us, everybody,

is to ensure that the right product gets put in the right place.

Makes sense to me. And as we know,

we've all got to do our bit to save our poor old planet.

40-45% of the energy that we use comes out of buildings.

Because we live, we work, we play, we do everything in our buildings.

And they have a massive impact on the environment.

With this target of reducing the amount of energy we use by 80% by the year 2050,

buildings play an important role in that.

And that's why, over the coming years, you will see more and more drives towards

trying to reduce the amount of energy that is used in homes.

So, the bottom line is,

getting the right insulation is not only good for your wallet, but also for the environment.

But, when Anne decided to go ahead and get the foam insulation done,

she made a fundamental mistake - she didn't shop around for a quote.

And I think nearly £4,000 was a lot of money to charge Anne for the job.

Bearing in mind the mess in her loft has got to be rectified by somebody,

I've asked her to get busy and find out what an accredited company would charge to remedy her situation.

The first quote that I've got, that's to actually take all the foam out and respray it again,

that would be £5 short of £6,000.

The other one, which is to actually just rectify by respraying the foam,

that's £5 short of £1,900.

That's all very helpful.

But what did they think of the cost of nearly four grand for the original job?

Based on what I've been told by all the companies that have been to see me, regarding rectifying this mess,

I was overcharged by at least 50% for the original work.

None of them have said it would cost me much more than £2,000 to have the work done.

Not only was Anne left with a botched job, she was overcharged too.

Tell you what, this case is doing my head in, and I've got a team of people to help me.

Poor old Anne has been struggling with this nightmare for nearly a year.

No wonder she's at the end of her tether.

But where can you go to get the help you need, when a job you've paid for is not the job you get?

Steve Playle from the Trading Standards Institute

is just the man to tell us where we stand when a job goes pear shaped.

If a bad job has been done,

the most important thing you are covered by

is the Supply of Goods and Services Act,

which basically says, a trader coming into your home

must carry out any service, or do any work, using reasonable care and skill.

It's a catch-all phrase.

If things are missing, things are hanging off the wall, haven't been done properly,

then the duty in law is for them to come back and try and put that right.

But as we now, in Anne's case, she has tried everything,

including quoting her rights, and it has got her nowhere.

If a trader won't sort it out, then the next stage is to try and get

some further advice, and Trading Standards are there to help you.

You can contact Trading Standards using the new Citizens Advice

consumer service. It's a national service.

They'll give you some first step advice, give you

tips on writing letters and spell out exactly what you need to do

to try and seek some redress.

Well, it seems to me that Anne has made all the right moves,

but is still stuck with a botched job that has cost her dearly.

If the traders lie to you, you've been deceived on the doorstep,

then there are criminal offences that may have been committed

and those are the stages where Trading Standards can get involved

and we can bring some pressure to bear on the trader to try

and sort out your particular problem.

Talking of sorting out problems, I think it is time I got back

on the phone to Jason, who is one of the guys responsible for the mess

in Anne's loft and was too busy to speak to me earlier.

He might have been running away from Protect-A-Roof and Anne,

but there is no running away from me.

Can you tell me about Anne's job?

Apparently you did the work round there, according to Julian.

'Yeah...not really.

'I got involved in helping someone

'out doing work there, yeah.'

And that someone was just a Protect-A-Roof employee,

who recommended Jason as the man for the job.

Why is Julian pointing the finger at you, saying you did the whole work?

'Um...I got involved in doing the work, but to be honest, it was...

'it was nothing at all.

'I suppose it is partly me,

'and since I've contacted with Julian, offering

'my part of the money, which he gave me, to give back,

'which was £1,000.'

'Sounds like a result, but I'll believe it when I see it.'

Now, Jason is obviously not the globetrotting expert

foam sprayer that Anne was led to believe, so what exactly does he do?

Right, so not spray.

'So, if he doesn't spray, why on earth was he doing Anne's job?'

'That's all I ended up doing.'

Yeah, but she has been left with a total mess here.

'I understand.'

As you just said there, you don't do this sort of spray, so why on earth

have you gone in there and done that to her?

'I needed the work. I was asked to spray, and to be honest,

'it didn't seem much of a job in the first place. I was asked

'to go and help someone out, which I've done.'

'I don't really care if he was helping someone out or not.

'He took the money and did a dodgy job.

'And what he has been saying contradicts what Anne'

and Protect-A-Roof have been told -

that he was competent to do the work.

-'Bye.'

-Bye-bye.

HE SIGHS

Now.

I've got Julian blaming Jason.

I don't really give a monkey's, I just want Anne's money back.

I said, "Get her money back and I'll be off your back."

Now, what I found very interesting there is he did

the spraying along with this other guy and he said to me,

"Neither of us do that job for a living."

Why the hell are you going into Anne's attic and ruining it?

We now know that Jason was not an expert in spray foam insulation,

but the good news is that there is a self regulating body

for the spray foam industry that ensures all registered companies

stick to a strict code of professional practice,

the British Urethane Foam Contractors Association,

or BUFCA for short.

BUFCA members have to go through rigorous training,

inspection and annual audits in order to be a qualified

registered spray foam contractor.

And it will come as no surprise when I tell you that

when we asked BUFCA about Jason, they had never heard of him.

And he is most definitely not on their books.

Anne's efforts at going green could be a good investment

and save her money, so much so that the government is encouraging

it by introducing the Green Deal,

which will help to fund energy-saving

insulation in people's homes.

The Trading Standards Institute

is working with the government on this new incentive

and we've asked them to give us the lowdown.

The Green Deal kicks off in autumn of 2012.

It is quite a complicated system that has been put in place,

but put very simply, it means consumers can have energy

efficiency measures installed in their homes at no upfront cost.

It'll be a fantastic option for consumers to heat

their homes far more efficiently and the Department of Environment

and Climate Change are putting a lot of money into making it work.

Sounds a bit complex, but a good idea if it works.

If you save ten pounds a month through having some loft

insulation installed, you'll still pay the full gas

and electricity bill each month to your provider,

but ten pounds of that will go back to the Green Deal provider

to pay for the installation of the measures.

I have to say it sounds quite tempting,

but how easy will it be for cowboy traders to get in on the act?

The home maintenance industry has got a bad name,

but the Green Deal is looking to try and tackle the issues by making

sure that only accredited firms can come into your house

and install measures.

There are a whole raft of regulations and standards that have to be

complied with and there are mechanisms that are in place to

make sure the traders that come out will do a good job for a fair price.

I am very glad to hear it, Steve.

So, can we expect spray foam insulation to be approved

as part of these energy saving measures?

It is not clear yet

whether foam spray technology is going to be included

as one of the authorised measures under the Green Deal.

I suspect it probably won't be. But if it does sneak in under the radar,

then they'll still be covered by the same strict accreditation

rules that apply to all the other measures that'll be installed

so consumers can have confidence that it's going to be OK.

Well, that sounds good, but before a job even gets started,

you sometimes need a little nudge in the right direction.

Any consumer that is having some work carried out on the property

should always get several quotations.

Don't accept the first quote you get because you may find, pleasantly,

that you can actually save quite a lot of money by shopping around.

Traders that offer you deals that are only available for one night

only, offer you massive discounts,

you need to be very wary of those sort of traders.

Take your own time, don't feel pressurized.

If you follow those simple rules,

you'll get a decent trader to do a good job at a good price.

Just what I'm always tell you, don't take the first quote

and always go to an industry regulated company or it could

end in tears, just like poor trusting Anne's.

Right, time to call Protect-A-Roof and see how they are getting on.

We'll get some money sorted out for Anne.

Now, I have spoken to just about everybody involved in this.

and I've been getting this feeling that I've been getting

fobbed off a little bit.

I don't like that.

'And it is not helped when I am forced to leave a message.'

Julian, it is Dominic Littlewood calling from the BBC.

If you can give us a call back, I am hoping for some news from you,

and I'm hoping it's good news.

So I'm looking forward to speaking to you, Julian.

Give us a call back. Thanks. Bye.

But will the news I am waiting for be what Anne wants to hear?

-Anne, how do you think I got on?

-With difficulty, I would've thought.

You're dead right.

So many of you get in touch, give me the lowdown on your consumer

nightmares that my little team of helpers here are worked to the bone.

Mind you, so they should be.

My inbox is overflowing and the phone hardly ever stops ringing.

But sadly, I can't meet every one of you face-to-face.

So follow my guide and hopefully you won't get done.

Right, crack on, guys. Come on!

Today, we are talking about the pitfalls of buying

a franchise business. This, in a nutshell,

is setting up your own business under an existing brand,

so, in theory, giving you instant customer recognition.

Meet Adam and Lisa.

They discovered that the sweet appeal of having your own business

can very quickly turn sour.

Lisa and I, we stand not only to lose the shop,

but we could possibly lose all our investment and our house.

With almost 900 franchises to choose from in the UK, Adam

and Lisa had their research cut out, but finally settled

on a small, high street franchise and took the plunge.

It's a big thing that you're going into, not just mentally,

but obviously financially as well,

cos we're putting a lot of money into it.

And I've never sort of done retail before

so there was sort of, like, a little bit of the unknown.

With an estimated industry turnover of £12.4 billion in 2011,

franchises are big business.

As far as banks are concerned, often a more sound investment for them

than if you were starting your business from scratch.

So why did it all go horribly wrong for Adam and Lisa?

It certainly couldn't have started better.

We were provided with loads of information on trading stores,

which helped us actually decide that, yes, this franchise was great for us.

Adam and Lisa secured a loan from the bank of £45,000

and put in 16 grand of their own savings.

So far, they had done everything right.

And, if you're planning on buying a franchise,

follow these simple rules.

Research a wide range of companies and choose a business that suits

your interests. Check out other franchises within the company

to get a realistic idea of how the business works.

And, most importantly, use your own legal advisor to inspect

the franchise agreement.

Based on the sales figures the company had provided,

they felt confident of success. But within six weeks of opening,

it became clear they were never going to reach their sales target,

and the terms of their contract started to bite.

The franchise agreement states that we had to purchase our stock

from the franchisor and we also had to pay a royalty fee each month.

Obviously, with the sales figures not reaching

the sales figures we were told, it was difficult to make any money.

Adam and Lisa had made the fundamental mistake of taking

the sales figures given to them by the company at face value.

But the franchise company wants your money,

so the figures to provide you with

are always going to be persuasive.

Check them all out for yourself and get independent advice.

Avoid contract issues by making sure you have agreed all

the documentation before parting with any money.

When Lisa and I realised that our store was in trouble,

we then decided to contact other franchisees in the chain.

Every single franchisee is in a similar situation,

with some of them already facing bankruptcy

and already with stores that have been forced to close.

Adam and Lisa realised too late that the franchise company will

always show you the shining examples of their business model, but it is

vital that you contact as many of the company's franchise businesses

yourself to find out if all that glitters really is gold.

All profit forecasts are only estimates and,

however established the brand is, large sales are not guaranteed.

If you find yourself in trouble,

it may be too late to ask for flexibility on the terms

of your contract, so negotiate that before you sign.

We can't afford to pay the rent to the landlord.

We have a huge loan outstanding with the bank

and we're in a situation now where we could possibly lose everything.

Adam and Lisa feel their business never stood a chance,

as they were misled by the franchise company's business plan

and a personal guarantee in their contract means that they

could now lose their home to pay for any outstanding debts.

If you decide a franchise is right for you,

you will need to make a reasonably sized investment,

ranging from approximately £5,000 to £200,000.

But you may be restricted when it comes to some decisions,

including choice of suppliers and employment policy.

And if you want to sell the business on, check again,

because with a franchise, you may not be entitled to resell.

For Adam and Lisa, their taste of business in the complex world

of franchises has been bittersweet, but their fight goes on.

I will not let them stop me, definitely not.

I'm going to stay focused and we are going to win this.

Adam and Lisa found out

the hard way how tough a franchise business can be.

If you're thinking of going down the franchise route to get

your business started, follow my advice and you won't get done.

Full-time carer Anne Norfolk is fighting for a refund after

spending nearly £4,000 with roofing company Protect-a-Roof.

They gave the job of spray foam insulating her loft

to an unaccredited operator,

who left the inside of her roof looking like this,

when it should have looked like this.

This situation has made me angrier than I am normally.

Normally, I am quite laid-back.

I'm quite prepared to accept people for what they are.

But I don't trust people very much now.

I have been chasing the MD

of the company, who is ultimately responsible,

and the main guy who did the work, to get them to cough up.

'While they've been busy blaming each other

'and trying to send me round in circles, I have dug my heels in.

'Anne has waited nearly nine months to get her money back and,

'as far as I'm concerned, that is nine months too long.'

Do you know what?

Trying to sort out this problem for Anne, and it's not her fault,

I'm bouncing from pillar to post and everyone is saying,

"I'll do my little bit if he does his little bit."

Do you know what? I don't really give a monkey's,

I just want to get Anne her money back.

Come on, Julian, make this a better day for me, please.

'Right, here goes.'

-'Hello.'

-Oh, hi. Is that Julian?

-'Yeah.'

-Hi, Julian,

it's Dominic from the BBC.

-How are you doing?

-'How are you doing?'

Not bad, thanks, Julian. I wondered if you could give us

an update on where we are at the moment.

'I have to say, I've already got back 1,600.'

Right. And that is ready and available for Anne, is it?

That's all cleared funds, isn't it?

'It's probably still... Well, it is still clearing.

'But by the end of the week, that would have cleared anyway.

'I've got a cheque I'm picking up tomorrow for around about £900.

'Er... I'm also completing a job on Friday,

'about £1,000 due on that.'

So what have we got there? We've got £1,900 and £1,600. 3,500.

So, we're 99% there, aren't we?

'At last, we seem to be getting somewhere.

'But too soon to pop those corks just yet.'

Within the next week or so,

hopefully, we'll put this all to bed.

Anne will be happy and I'll be off your backs,

which I think we'll all be happy, Julian, won't we?

'Anne knows me and knows why I'm speaking to you.

'Just say to her, there is no personal animosity between me and her.

'She has done what she had to do.

-'I fully respect her.'

-Yeah, totally. Thanks, Julian.

-'All right, cheers.'

-Cheers. Take care. Bye-bye.

-'Bye. Bye.'

I like him.

I've got to say, he does sound like he is the victim, but you know?

It doesn't mean nothing to me.

My job is to get Anne her money back, she deserves it.

Right, back in Leeds.

Now, don't be fooled by the sunshine, trust me,

it's absolutely freezing.

But I've got some news for Anne that is going to put a smile on her face.

-Anne, how do you think I got on?

-With difficulty, I would've thought.

You're dead right. I'll tell you the reason why.

I got exactly the same as what you did -

people passing blame from pillar to post.

I phoned up Julian, the owner of the company, he blamed Jason.

I phoned up Jason, he blamed Julian.

I spoke to Jason, I spoke to Julian, I did it time and time again.

In the end, I was very polite with them,

I said, "Guys, I don't really care who is responsible here,

"I just want to get Anne her money back." That's the secret, I think.

Persistence, tenacity. Keep at them.

-I got you a full refund.

-Oh, bless you!

-You weren't expecting it, were you?

-No.

-How do you feel?

-Relieved.

-How relieved?

-Very.

-You're going to cry, aren't you?

-Yeah. Thank you.

-You all right?

-Yeah.

I thought you weren't going to let go there.

What are you going to do with the money now?

Put it in a bank account and wait and decide what I'm going to do with it.

Yeah. Good idea.

And what are you going to do next time you want a job doing?

-Research it a damn sight better than I did that time.

-Yep.

-Do your homework.

-Yep.

-Lesson learned?

-Yep, definitely.

You got away lightly this time, haven't you?

-Anne, it's been lovely helping you out.

-Thank you.

-Look after yourself, take care. Cheers, lovely.

-Bye.

-Bye-bye.

I'd just like to say, thank you very much, Dom,

I really couldn't have done it without you.

And thank you. A great big thank you.

Well, I'm about to leave Leeds. I am certainly leaving

Anne a much happier person than she was when I first arrived.

On to my next job now. I wonder where that is.

Now, since my first visit, there is even more good news.

One of the companies registered with the Spray Foam Contractors Association, BUFCA,

has generously rectified

and re-sprayed the inside of Anne's roof for half their normal rate.

So now Anne and her mum have finally got the cosy home they deserve.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd