0:00:02 > 0:00:05For years now, I've been on a crusade to combat your consumer woes.
0:00:05 > 0:00:08But there are still companies out there who aren't taking the hint.
0:00:08 > 0:00:11Big companies only care about money.
0:00:11 > 0:00:17On a daily basis, thousands of you are being taken for a ride, and it's always the same old stuff -
0:00:17 > 0:00:21bad customer service, poor products, dodgy workmanship
0:00:21 > 0:00:23and those dreaded terms and conditions.
0:00:23 > 0:00:26Big companies don't show the respect to the consumers.
0:00:26 > 0:00:33These dismal dealings can drive you to despair, leaving you feeling abused and confused.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35But fear not...
0:00:35 > 0:00:38because I'll take them on to make sure you don't get done.
0:00:58 > 0:01:00Coming up on today's show...
0:01:00 > 0:01:04A pensioner that was cold-called by an insurance reclaim company,
0:01:04 > 0:01:07leaving her out of pocket and out of patience...
0:01:07 > 0:01:09This is legal and binding, legal and binding.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12I thought you had to sign a contract with people
0:01:12 > 0:01:15before it was legal and binding.
0:01:15 > 0:01:19..a painting-and-decorating whistle-blower exposes the darker shade of the industry...
0:01:19 > 0:01:24The rogues are literally just trying to earn a fast buck, get on to the next job
0:01:24 > 0:01:26and that's all they're interested in.
0:01:26 > 0:01:31..and we see if you've got the inside track when it comes to your consumer rights.
0:01:31 > 0:01:33I will use that one in the future.
0:01:38 > 0:01:43You'd have had to be living on another planet to have not heard about payment protection insurance,
0:01:43 > 0:01:47but let me explain what it is and how it works with the aid of my friend here, Zoe.
0:01:47 > 0:01:49Give everyone a wave, Zoe.
0:01:49 > 0:01:54Now, let's assume Zoe took out a large loan to buy a car. You like your car, don't you, Zoe?
0:01:54 > 0:01:56REVVING
0:01:56 > 0:02:01Zoe was quite happy making repayments on that car while she was working.
0:02:01 > 0:02:06But then, one day, fate struck and Zoe fell off her skateboard and had a little bit of a fall.
0:02:06 > 0:02:08Didn't you, Zoe?
0:02:08 > 0:02:11Wow, you really bashed yourself up.
0:02:11 > 0:02:15Doesn't matter, though, because Zoe was sold payment protection insurance,
0:02:15 > 0:02:20which means, while she's getting better, the insurance company will make the repayments on her loan.
0:02:20 > 0:02:26Sadly, though, some people were sold payment protection insurances that they didn't need.
0:02:26 > 0:02:28Naughty.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31But the banks have realised the error of their ways
0:02:31 > 0:02:35and are starting to refund people money on mis-sold payment protection insurance policies.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38And here is where our story starts.
0:02:39 > 0:02:45It's estimated that 2.5 million of us have been mis-sold payment protection insurance, or PPI,
0:02:45 > 0:02:51and that the banks have set aside £4.5 billion waiting to be reclaimed.
0:02:51 > 0:02:55Trouble is, though, when you've got £4.5 billion dangling there as a proverbial carrot,
0:02:55 > 0:02:59of course someone somewhere is going to try to take advantage of that fact.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05And one person who has experienced this is Anne Baduna from North London.
0:03:05 > 0:03:10Until six months ago, Anne was happily living off her modest pension.
0:03:10 > 0:03:15That was until she received a call from a PPI reclaim company.
0:03:15 > 0:03:21I was sitting at home and the phone rang and it's these people from Redress Claims.
0:03:21 > 0:03:27They were insisting that I had so much money to come back from PPIs,
0:03:27 > 0:03:33which I did tell them, I had never had PPIs in my life.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36Many people were sold payment protection insurance without realising it,
0:03:36 > 0:03:40and some were told that they had to take it out in order to secure a loan.
0:03:40 > 0:03:44Some were sold insurance that wasn't valid for their individual circumstances.
0:03:44 > 0:03:51But following a court ruling in 2011, the financial institutions were told to pay this back.
0:03:51 > 0:03:56Redress Claims are one of the many companies that offer to request this money back on customers' behalf,
0:03:56 > 0:04:00and Anne says they told her she could be owed some money.
0:04:00 > 0:04:06But they did keep insisting that they could get me between £3,000 and £9,000.
0:04:06 > 0:04:11Anne says Redress Claims wouldn't take no for an answer and continued calling her,
0:04:11 > 0:04:16asking her to let them take on her case on a no-win, no-fee basis.
0:04:16 > 0:04:21They rang five or six times in a week.
0:04:21 > 0:04:26The people that I spoke to on the phone were very convincing.
0:04:26 > 0:04:33They said that they had 26 lawyers working for them to get this money for me from PPIs,
0:04:33 > 0:04:37Which then you start to think, well, maybe I did have PPIs.
0:04:37 > 0:04:42If this company's got 26 lawyers working for them,
0:04:42 > 0:04:45they must be very confident that they can get this money for you.
0:04:47 > 0:04:53Anne eventually agreed, and Redress Claims told her that, to investigate her case,
0:04:53 > 0:04:57they needed her credit card details, which Anne gave them.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00But instead of receiving a protection windfall of up to £9,000,
0:05:00 > 0:05:02Anne received a nasty shock in the post.
0:05:06 > 0:05:10Well, when I opened the credit card bill, I thought, I can't believe this -
0:05:10 > 0:05:13£2,170 for this company...
0:05:16 > 0:05:18..that was not supposed to cost me
0:05:18 > 0:05:22one penny for investigations has charged me all this money.
0:05:22 > 0:05:26When Anne contacted Redress Claims and asked for her money back,
0:05:26 > 0:05:29she was told she'd entered into a legally binding contract,
0:05:29 > 0:05:36and because the 14-day cooling-off period had passed, she would forfeit 60% of the £2,170 to cancel.
0:05:36 > 0:05:40I had sleepless nights, worrying about this money.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43How was I going to pay this money to my credit card?
0:05:45 > 0:05:49I'm an old age pensioner. I get basic pension,
0:05:49 > 0:05:53and this shouldn't have to happen to anyone,
0:05:53 > 0:05:58all right? This upsets me because it's injustice.
0:06:01 > 0:06:06All the Redress Claims investigations had managed to recover for their £2,000 fee
0:06:06 > 0:06:09is a refund for a £15.50 bank charge.
0:06:09 > 0:06:15And Redress Claims are sticking by their terms and conditions and refused to give her money back.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20So I'm heading up to North London to see if I can get to the bottom of it.
0:06:20 > 0:06:22BUZZER RINGS
0:06:23 > 0:06:25- Oh, hiya. - Dom, hello.
0:06:25 > 0:06:30'Once inside, I get straight down to business.'
0:06:30 > 0:06:32Tell me about the day these phone calls started.
0:06:32 > 0:06:38Well, they kept ringing me up and saying that I had so much money to come back.
0:06:38 > 0:06:46Between £3,000 and £9,000 was due to me. And I kept insisting that I didn't have any money to come at all.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49So you knew you'd never had payment protection insurance on anything?
0:06:49 > 0:06:51No, nothing whatsoever.
0:06:52 > 0:06:56'Anne tells me she and her husband had paid off their mortgage by 1995'
0:06:56 > 0:07:03and had only taken out two small loans in the last 20 years and had two credit cards they rarely used.
0:07:03 > 0:07:08Now, you got five or six phone calls. Obviously they're trying to get some sort of money from you.
0:07:08 > 0:07:10Tell me what happened there.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13So then they wanted my credit card numbers.
0:07:13 > 0:07:19- And then on the thing I had security number... - Yeah, on the back.
0:07:19 > 0:07:23..which was absolutely ridiculous, and I gave them my security number.
0:07:23 > 0:07:25OK, I can tell you're not a fool, Anne, you're a very shrewd lady.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28So why did you actually do that? Because you know now it's daft.
0:07:28 > 0:07:29I don't know!
0:07:29 > 0:07:32Well, you tell me, because there's a reason there somewhere.
0:07:32 > 0:07:39I don't know. I think it was I had a house full of people having dinner and one thing or another
0:07:39 > 0:07:41and I've given them my numbers.
0:07:41 > 0:07:47But then after I'd done this I thought, what an idiot, why would you do this?
0:07:47 > 0:07:54These people can do anything. That night I couldn't sleep, thinking about this stupid thing I'd done.
0:07:54 > 0:08:00And I rang my bank to tell them that these people had all the details on my credit card.
0:08:00 > 0:08:01Good for you.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04So the man on the other end said to me,
0:08:04 > 0:08:10"Your cards have been compromised," and I said, "Yes, they have. Just stop them, stop them all."
0:08:10 > 0:08:11And I cut them all up.
0:08:11 > 0:08:17But because Anne had given Redress Claims her card details before she cancelled it,
0:08:17 > 0:08:19they were still able to take the payment.
0:08:20 > 0:08:24Did, at any point, they tell you they were going to take any money, full stop?
0:08:24 > 0:08:29Nothing whatsoever, because this man that I spoke to, he kept saying to me,
0:08:29 > 0:08:35"This will cost you not one penny from your pocket, Mrs Baduna, not one penny."
0:08:35 > 0:08:40No, it didn't cost me one penny. It cost me £2,170.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43But when Anne contacted Redress Claims after they'd taken their fee
0:08:43 > 0:08:46to tell them she didn't want them to investigate her case,
0:08:46 > 0:08:50they told her that she had missed the 14-day cooling-off period
0:08:50 > 0:08:55that began when she entered into a verbal contract with them during a previous phone call.
0:08:55 > 0:08:59This is legal and binding, legal and binding.
0:08:59 > 0:09:03I thought you had to sign a contract with people before it was legal and binding.
0:09:03 > 0:09:10Unfortunately for Anne, it's common misconception that verbal agreements are less legal than paper ones.
0:09:10 > 0:09:11They are not.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14But Anne swears blindly that Redress Claims did not tell her
0:09:14 > 0:09:18they were going to take the fee of £2,170,
0:09:18 > 0:09:22but that they said they would investigate her case on a no-win, no-fee basis.
0:09:22 > 0:09:27Although Redress Claims have managed to get Anne a bank charge refund of £15.50,
0:09:27 > 0:09:29it doesn't even begin to outweigh
0:09:29 > 0:09:32the burden of her unwanted credit card debt.
0:09:32 > 0:09:36You must've addressed this company, phoned up, said, "Give me my money back."
0:09:36 > 0:09:41I did, I did. I rang them up and I said I did not want this PPI investigation thing
0:09:41 > 0:09:43or whatever it was.
0:09:43 > 0:09:51The woman on the telephone said that I could not cancel this off because the cooling-off period
0:09:51 > 0:09:54was two weeks and had passed that.
0:09:54 > 0:09:58- Wow.- That's gone.- Yeah.
0:09:58 > 0:10:02And I thought, well, they've got 26 lawyers working for them.
0:10:02 > 0:10:07I'm just an old age pensioner, dear, what chance do you stand? Tell me.
0:10:09 > 0:10:13The more I hear, the more I think establishing exactly what was or wasn't discussed
0:10:13 > 0:10:18in the phone calls between Anne and Redress Claims is key to establishing if I have a case here.
0:10:18 > 0:10:24But for now I want to find out what Anne has done about the £2,170 credit card bill.
0:10:24 > 0:10:28- We're talking about six months ago now.- That's right. Exactly.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31What's happened now with this money? You're paying it off each month?
0:10:31 > 0:10:34Well, I've paid it and I've got an overdraft at the bank
0:10:34 > 0:10:40because I thought an overdraft in the bank is cheaper than having...
0:10:40 > 0:10:44- Interest on your credit card. - Yes, that's right. That was my way of reasoning.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47How has this whole experience made you feel?
0:10:47 > 0:10:51Very insecure, Dom. I'm frightened to say yes to anything at all.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54How much worry has it caused you?
0:10:54 > 0:11:01Well, it's caused me a few sleepless nights, especially at first when they took my money.
0:11:01 > 0:11:03Terrible.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06'To help me make head or tail of this mess, I'm going to get Anne
0:11:06 > 0:11:09'to bring her clerical skills out of retirement.'
0:11:09 > 0:11:12- Have you got the paperwork with your credit card number?- I have, yes.
0:11:12 > 0:11:14Let's have a look at what we've got here.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16'In order to get to the bottom of this one,
0:11:16 > 0:11:21'I'm going to launch a two-pronged attack. Not only am I going to track down Redress Claims
0:11:21 > 0:11:27'and see what they've got to say for themselves, I'm going to also contact Anne's credit card provider.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30'Now, Anne's convinced the payment was made without her authority,
0:11:30 > 0:11:35'and if I can prove that is the case, under section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act,
0:11:35 > 0:11:38'Anne's card provider, NatWest, should reimburse her that payment
0:11:38 > 0:11:43'and with poor Anne out of pocket to a tune of over two ground,
0:11:43 > 0:11:45'I'm going to waste no time giving the bank a call.'
0:11:45 > 0:11:48They took out £2,170.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51What I'd like to do is immediately with you raise a dispute
0:11:51 > 0:11:53and start the process of trying to reclaim that money.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56Basically, Anne, I'm going to get you your money back.
0:11:56 > 0:12:00- And I'm certain of it. Don't go booking your next holiday yet. - Oh, no, I won't.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03'With the ball rolling with Anne's credit card company,
0:12:03 > 0:12:06'it's time for me to hit the road.'
0:12:09 > 0:12:11Anne's the first to admit that she's been a bit daft
0:12:11 > 0:12:14giving her credit card details out to a cold caller,
0:12:14 > 0:12:17but Redress Claims sound like they haven't been too honourable in what they've done.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20So, I'm going to get on the phone to them and see what I can sort out.
0:12:20 > 0:12:22Let me tell you something.
0:12:22 > 0:12:23If anybody cold-called me out of the blue
0:12:23 > 0:12:28and ask for credit card details, I'd tell them to do one.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31'But when I finally catch up with Redress Claims...'
0:12:31 > 0:12:33- 'VOICEMAIL MESSAGE' - What a surprise(!)
0:12:33 > 0:12:36I just wondered if you would have the decency to call us back, please.
0:12:36 > 0:12:38Bye-bye.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46For years now, I've been banging on to you consumers
0:12:46 > 0:12:48about how it pays to know your rights,
0:12:48 > 0:12:51but I never said it'd be easy. There's the Sales of Goods Act,
0:12:51 > 0:12:55right to return, contract of sale... I could go on.
0:12:55 > 0:12:59But a little knowledge will do both you and your wallet a huge favour.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02So, the Don't Get Done team have been out and about
0:13:02 > 0:13:06armed with questions to put to you, the buying public,
0:13:06 > 0:13:09to see how well you know your rights concerning tricky transactions.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17Today we hit the street on a mission to share my wealth of knowledge
0:13:17 > 0:13:19and make you a bit more savvy.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21First question for you busy buyers -
0:13:24 > 0:13:26"You buy a digital camera from a large chain store.
0:13:26 > 0:13:28"After four months, it develops a faulty screen.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31"You return it to the store and ask for a refund,
0:13:31 > 0:13:34"but the sales assistant says you will need to pay
0:13:34 > 0:13:36"for an independent report to prove you didn't break it.
0:13:36 > 0:13:38"Are they right?"
0:13:38 > 0:13:40Yeah, the answer's yeah.
0:13:40 > 0:13:41Yeah, I think they're right.
0:13:41 > 0:13:45No, because it's in the 12 month guarantee.
0:13:45 > 0:13:47Only one out of three.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49Under the Sales of Goods Act, if an item develops a fault
0:13:49 > 0:13:52in the first six months, that is not down to wear and tear,
0:13:52 > 0:13:54the retailer must issue a refund.
0:13:54 > 0:13:58And it states it is the retailer's responsibility
0:13:58 > 0:14:01to prove that the item wasn't faulty and the first place.
0:14:01 > 0:14:03But after six months, it's down to the consumer
0:14:03 > 0:14:05to prove they didn't cause the fault.
0:14:06 > 0:14:07Next up -
0:14:09 > 0:14:12"You buy tickets to a comedy gig from an online retailer.
0:14:12 > 0:14:16"At the last minute, a work commitment means you can't make it
0:14:16 > 0:14:20"and you try to cancel the tickets three days beforehand.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23"Can you return the tickets and get a refund?"
0:14:23 > 0:14:26I guess you can get the refund. Or 50%.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29I think the answer is probably no.
0:14:29 > 0:14:31Probably not, I'm going to say.
0:14:31 > 0:14:33Only two out of three.
0:14:33 > 0:14:35If you change your mind about attending the event,
0:14:35 > 0:14:38you're not entitled to a refund.
0:14:38 > 0:14:42Once you pay for the ticket you no longer have any cancellation rights.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45However, if the performance is cancelled,
0:14:45 > 0:14:47then you are eligible for a refund.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50- Good to know.- Really good one.
0:14:50 > 0:14:51Last up -
0:14:53 > 0:14:55"Your neighbour has a row of trees
0:14:55 > 0:14:57"that blocks the light to your garden.
0:14:57 > 0:14:59"You have asked them to get the trees trimmed
0:14:59 > 0:15:01"but they won't listen.
0:15:01 > 0:15:02"Is there anything else you can do?"
0:15:02 > 0:15:05No, I would've thought. If it's on their side.
0:15:05 > 0:15:09Erm... Yeah, I think you can go to the council.
0:15:09 > 0:15:14You can legally complain about that, can't you?
0:15:14 > 0:15:15Two out of three.
0:15:15 > 0:15:17With disputes of this nature,
0:15:17 > 0:15:20you are well within your rights to go to the council and complain.
0:15:20 > 0:15:24However, they are entitled to charge you for their services.
0:15:24 > 0:15:26But the council isn't obliged to help you
0:15:26 > 0:15:29if they think you haven't done enough to settle the dispute.
0:15:29 > 0:15:31Right!
0:15:31 > 0:15:33I am in no doubt there is room for improvement,
0:15:33 > 0:15:36but I'm encouraged that some of you appear to have
0:15:36 > 0:15:39learnt about what I have been ranting on about for years.
0:15:39 > 0:15:42Take it from me, a little bit of know-how can go a long way
0:15:42 > 0:15:44to stopping you getting done.
0:15:48 > 0:15:52Today I'm looking into a case on behalf of pensioner Anne,
0:15:52 > 0:15:57who is unhappy with her dealings with Redress Claims.
0:15:57 > 0:16:01When I hung up the phone, this young man got quite angry
0:16:01 > 0:16:06and rang me back immediately and asked me why I had hung up the phone.
0:16:06 > 0:16:08Quite intimidating.
0:16:08 > 0:16:10Anne says that, not only did Redress Claims tell her
0:16:10 > 0:16:14that she could be owed up to £9,000 in PPI refunds,
0:16:14 > 0:16:18but they said the service they were providing was no-win, no-fee.
0:16:18 > 0:16:22However, the company have taken £2,170 from her credit card
0:16:22 > 0:16:26to investigate her potential mis-sold PPIs,
0:16:26 > 0:16:31and all she's received so far is a bank charge refund of £15.50.
0:16:31 > 0:16:39Devastated. Devastated. How can I afford to lose £2,170?
0:16:39 > 0:16:42Before I hit the phone,
0:16:42 > 0:16:46I want to know a little more about the company.
0:16:46 > 0:16:50Bradford-based Redress Claims was started in 2008
0:16:50 > 0:16:54by a Naman Hussain, a former IT and marketing consultant.
0:16:54 > 0:16:58Because the banks have been ruled to pay back mis-sold PPIs,
0:16:58 > 0:17:01they are one of the many companies cashing in
0:17:01 > 0:17:03on an opportunity in the market.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06I'm sure Anne is not the only person to have been
0:17:06 > 0:17:07contacted by one of these firms,
0:17:07 > 0:17:10so I've hit the streets to do a bit of research of my own.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13Have you heard of what's called PPI?
0:17:13 > 0:17:14No, I haven't.
0:17:14 > 0:17:16No.
0:17:16 > 0:17:18I don't technically understand it.
0:17:18 > 0:17:22Not a huge amount, just what you hear on the television, on the news.
0:17:22 > 0:17:27It seems not many of you are aware of payment protection insurance.
0:17:27 > 0:17:30No wonder companies can step in and offer their services.
0:17:30 > 0:17:34Have you ever received a text, you don't know who it's from, saying,
0:17:34 > 0:17:36"Have you been mis-sold payment protection insurance?"
0:17:36 > 0:17:38Yes! Several times.
0:17:38 > 0:17:43I get in the past month about five texts, yeah.
0:17:43 > 0:17:47Yes, I have, but I've always thought it was junk so I just ignored it.
0:17:47 > 0:17:53I received some SMS messages but I haven't contacted anyone.
0:17:53 > 0:17:54If you had had it,
0:17:54 > 0:17:57would you have known the correct way about reclaiming it?
0:17:57 > 0:18:00A lot of people phone and ask you.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03No, I would not have a clue, to be perfectly honest.
0:18:03 > 0:18:06How would you go about reclaiming it?
0:18:06 > 0:18:07I find the cheapest option,
0:18:07 > 0:18:11like no-win, no-fee and stuff, for example.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14How would you go round reclaiming it?
0:18:14 > 0:18:17I've got no idea.
0:18:17 > 0:18:21Obviously, with plenty of confusion out that there, and with the banks
0:18:21 > 0:18:25paying back millions in mis-sold PPIs, the middlemen have stepped in.
0:18:25 > 0:18:28I think it's high time I spoke to Redress Claims,
0:18:28 > 0:18:31and the first thing I want to find out is exactly what was said
0:18:31 > 0:18:33during Anne's sales call.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36Tell you something, right from the heart.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39I am not a great fan of these companies who cold-call people
0:18:39 > 0:18:44and send texts offering to claim back monies they spent on PPI.
0:18:44 > 0:18:48Let's just see how they respond to my questions.
0:18:48 > 0:18:52'Something tells me I could be in for a bit of a wait.'
0:18:52 > 0:18:54'Thank you for calling the PPI advice line.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57'Please note, all calls are recorded
0:18:57 > 0:18:59'for training and monitoring purposes.'
0:18:59 > 0:19:02That's handy, cos I'm going to be asking
0:19:02 > 0:19:04for a copy of poor old Anne's call.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06And for me, this is the key
0:19:06 > 0:19:09if I'm going to establish precisely what the terms
0:19:09 > 0:19:12of her verbal contract were. And whilst on hold,
0:19:12 > 0:19:14a quick scan of the web throws up a number of other people
0:19:14 > 0:19:17complaining about Redress Claims.
0:19:17 > 0:19:19Just looking online here,
0:19:19 > 0:19:23there is untold complaints in here, untold.
0:19:23 > 0:19:27Seven minutes later. I'm finally through to the call centre.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30Hi, there. Sorry, did you say who I was speaking to? I didn't hear that.
0:19:30 > 0:19:31'It's Andrew.'
0:19:31 > 0:19:33'Oh, what a surprise,
0:19:33 > 0:19:36'the person I need to speak to is in a meeting.'
0:19:36 > 0:19:40What I need is a few details so I can get an e-mail over to you guys.
0:19:40 > 0:19:42When you say he's not available,
0:19:42 > 0:19:44what's the name of the person whose not available?
0:19:44 > 0:19:48- 'Mr Hussain.'- Mr Hussain? - 'Yes, it is, yeah.'
0:19:48 > 0:19:50Whilst I've got Redress Claims on the phone,
0:19:50 > 0:19:54I'm going to pry a little deeper into how this company operates.
0:19:54 > 0:19:55Could you just tell me,
0:19:55 > 0:20:00when you record calls, how long do you keep those recordings for?
0:20:00 > 0:20:01'Erm...'
0:20:01 > 0:20:04Presumably, if somebody raises a dispute with you,
0:20:04 > 0:20:08- I would imagine you probably archive that call just in case...- 'We do.'
0:20:08 > 0:20:10Thank you, Andrew.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13- 'OK then. Thanks for your time.' - Thanks. Bye-bye.
0:20:13 > 0:20:17Now, he gave me permission to use the phone call, which is very good,
0:20:17 > 0:20:20but I covered a couple of points there which are really crucial.
0:20:20 > 0:20:22"Do you record all of the calls?" "Yes." That box ticked.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25"If somebody raises a dispute, you keeper's calls indefinitely."
0:20:25 > 0:20:29"Yes, of course we do." Lovely. Absolutely lovely.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32Which means I can request that phone conversation
0:20:32 > 0:20:34between those two parties and them.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39And it seems Anne's not the only person to contact me
0:20:39 > 0:20:41with a complaint about Redress Claims.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44I've landed myself another case, William Dwyer from Dundee.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47Like Anne, William got cold-called.
0:20:47 > 0:20:49and claims he was told his credit card debts
0:20:49 > 0:20:53could be cleared by money he was owed for mis-sold PPIs,
0:20:53 > 0:20:57and that this wouldn't - yep, you've guessed it - cost him a penny.
0:20:57 > 0:21:01Like Anne, poor old William has found himself out of pocket
0:21:01 > 0:21:05and claims the company have ignored his requests to get the money back.
0:21:05 > 0:21:09So, William had a fee of £980 taken from his credit card,
0:21:09 > 0:21:14whilst Anne was charged a fee of £2,170.
0:21:14 > 0:21:16William had been mis-sold PPI
0:21:16 > 0:21:18but Anne hadn't.
0:21:18 > 0:21:22Both were told they'd lose 60% of the upfront fee if they cancelled.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25Redress Claims have managed to get William
0:21:25 > 0:21:28PPI refunds totalling £333.35
0:21:28 > 0:21:33and Anne has received a bank charge refund of £15.50
0:21:33 > 0:21:37but Redress have kept their entire upfront fees.
0:21:37 > 0:21:39So Anne is out of pocket
0:21:39 > 0:21:42to the tune of £2,154.50
0:21:42 > 0:21:47and William's wallet is £646.65 lighter.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50Now, I'm no mathematician, but it doesn't take a genius to work out
0:21:50 > 0:21:53those figures only stack in favour of Redress Claims
0:21:53 > 0:21:56'and have done more than leaving Anne out of pocket.'
0:21:56 > 0:21:58It does affect you.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01Most certainly does, psychologically,
0:22:01 > 0:22:03as well as financially.
0:22:03 > 0:22:07Now, according to their terms and conditions, they only take their cut
0:22:07 > 0:22:10which is 25% plus VAT
0:22:10 > 0:22:13on any successful PPI refunds.
0:22:13 > 0:22:16No win, no fee.
0:22:16 > 0:22:17But - and it's a very big but -
0:22:17 > 0:22:20their terms and conditions also state they will charge
0:22:20 > 0:22:23an upfront fee for any case that they examine.
0:22:23 > 0:22:27So, they're charging a fee, why on earth did they tell William and Anne
0:22:27 > 0:22:29it won't cost them a penny?
0:22:29 > 0:22:32At risk of sounding like a stuck record, I'm convinced
0:22:32 > 0:22:33getting my hands on the sales calls
0:22:33 > 0:22:36is key to getting Anne and William's money back
0:22:36 > 0:22:39as they will prove whether or not Redress Claims told them
0:22:39 > 0:22:42they would take any upfront fees for their services.
0:22:42 > 0:22:46I'm now going to send Redress Claims an e-mail requesting those calls.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49There is obviously a lot of confusion out there about PPI,
0:22:49 > 0:22:53and with banks paying back millions for mis-selling the product,
0:22:53 > 0:22:54the middlemen have stepped in
0:22:54 > 0:22:57to cash in on what looks like a lucrative market.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00Claims management companies will take a claim on your behalf
0:23:00 > 0:23:03to a bank or financial company about mis-sold PPI.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06They will expect you to provide details of your policy
0:23:06 > 0:23:08and personal circumstances
0:23:08 > 0:23:10but they take a fee for making this complaint.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13What does it mean if somebody receives a call
0:23:13 > 0:23:15from a PPI reclaim company?
0:23:16 > 0:23:19A lot of claims management companies will cold-call you.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22They'll send you texts, phone you at home, on your mobile,
0:23:22 > 0:23:26sometimes promising that you can reclaim thousands of pounds.
0:23:26 > 0:23:29But actually, this is just blanket phone calls and blanket e-mails
0:23:29 > 0:23:32and we think you should probably ignore them.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35Is using one of these companies the only way
0:23:35 > 0:23:36of reclaiming mis-sold PPIs?
0:23:36 > 0:23:40It's absolutely possible to make claims against financial companies
0:23:40 > 0:23:42by yourself. The system is set up to do that.
0:23:42 > 0:23:46Millions of people have already made very successful complaints
0:23:46 > 0:23:49about mis-sold PPI, with billions of pounds paid out.
0:23:49 > 0:23:54The banks are expecting people to complain, as they know they have mis-sold these products
0:23:54 > 0:23:57so our advice is, go online, get the free top tips and template letters,
0:23:57 > 0:23:59make the complaint yourself.
0:23:59 > 0:24:03And in this way, you can avoid having to pay the 30% or more
0:24:03 > 0:24:06that some claims managements charge for taking the complaint for you.
0:24:06 > 0:24:11Crikey. So you don't even need to use a claims management company.
0:24:11 > 0:24:15In fact, it could be considerably cheaper if you did it yourself.
0:24:15 > 0:24:17Now, I think it's time to get back on the phone
0:24:17 > 0:24:21to Redress Claims, and this time I'm going straight to the boss.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25I'm going to ring this guy's mobile number.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28Let's just see what does happen.
0:24:28 > 0:24:30'But if he's got wind that I'm on his case,
0:24:30 > 0:24:33'I wonder whether he'll even pick up the phone at all.'
0:24:33 > 0:24:37Naman, it's Dominic Littlewood from the BBC. Good afternoon.
0:24:37 > 0:24:38'So far, so good.'
0:24:38 > 0:24:41I'm ringing about some complaints we've received
0:24:41 > 0:24:45from some people about some problems with Redress Claims.
0:24:45 > 0:24:46'I spoke too soon.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49'He says he's off to a meeting and asks me to call back.'
0:24:49 > 0:24:51Yeah, how long are you going to be, Naman?
0:24:51 > 0:24:54'He says about 45 minutes.'
0:24:54 > 0:24:56Could you give me your direct-dial number, please?
0:24:56 > 0:24:57'Apparently not.'
0:24:57 > 0:24:59Bye-bye, then.
0:25:00 > 0:25:03I found that very strange. Here's the MD of the company
0:25:03 > 0:25:06who says, "I'm busy." Fair enough. That I didn't find strange,
0:25:06 > 0:25:10but I asked for a direct number. He says, "I've a problem with the line."
0:25:10 > 0:25:14"What's your secretary's?" "It's the same line." "Can you give me any landline?"
0:25:14 > 0:25:17"No, no, we're having problems with them. I'll call you back."
0:25:17 > 0:25:19Here's your chance, Naman.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22It's 3:40. You said 45 minutes. Call me back
0:25:22 > 0:25:25cos if I have to, I'll come round and knock on your door.
0:25:25 > 0:25:29I'm quickly sensing I could be in for one hell of a fight here
0:25:29 > 0:25:32trying to get a copy of these sales-calls recordings
0:25:32 > 0:25:35despite Redress themselves already telling me they keep them.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38I've already e-mailed them requesting copies
0:25:38 > 0:25:41and if I get them, I'm confident this will put the case to bed.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44But I've heard nothing back. I'm convinced, if all else fails
0:25:44 > 0:25:48that because Anne claims her money was taken from her credit card
0:25:48 > 0:25:50without her authorisation,
0:25:50 > 0:25:54she could be in for a shout trying to claim the money back
0:25:54 > 0:25:56under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act.
0:25:56 > 0:26:01This legislation protects all payments between £100 and £30,000
0:26:01 > 0:26:03made on your plastic.
0:26:03 > 0:26:07I've already got the ball rolling with this by contacting Anne's bank
0:26:07 > 0:26:09but to be honest, I see this as a last resort
0:26:09 > 0:26:11because if I get a copy of those calls
0:26:11 > 0:26:15and it proves Redress Claims took that money from Anne
0:26:15 > 0:26:18without the correct permissions, I want them to pay it back.
0:26:18 > 0:26:22So what rules are in place to govern the way these companies operate?
0:26:22 > 0:26:25And who's responsible for ensuring they play by the rules?
0:26:25 > 0:26:28The answer is the Ministry Of Justice.
0:26:28 > 0:26:30We're concerned that consumers
0:26:30 > 0:26:34dealing with claims management companies aren't ripped off again.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37They've already suffered through being mis-sold a product,
0:26:37 > 0:26:39and we don't want them to be out of pocket again
0:26:39 > 0:26:41through using the wrong company,
0:26:41 > 0:26:44paying too much for a service which otherwise they could do on their own.
0:26:46 > 0:26:47That's good to know.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50So, what rules do claims management companies have to abide by?
0:26:50 > 0:26:53All our rules we place on companies are very important
0:26:53 > 0:26:56but the key rule is around treating customers fairly,
0:26:56 > 0:26:59to give them a fair deal, not to mislead them in any way
0:26:59 > 0:27:03and to ensure they're always acting in the client's best interest.
0:27:03 > 0:27:09And what about companies taking fees upfront before providing a service?
0:27:09 > 0:27:11We'd be concerned about companies taking upfront fees,
0:27:11 > 0:27:16particularly because it exposes consumers to parting with their money
0:27:16 > 0:27:18before any service has been provided.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21We require companies to provide very detailed information
0:27:21 > 0:27:24about the services they provide to the customer
0:27:24 > 0:27:26before the customer agrees to pay any fee.
0:27:26 > 0:27:28It's important customers understand
0:27:28 > 0:27:31exactly how long it will take, how much it will cost,
0:27:31 > 0:27:34and what sort of compensation they might get at the end of the process
0:27:34 > 0:27:37so they can make an informed choice about whether to go forward.
0:27:37 > 0:27:39The Ministry of Justice stipulate
0:27:39 > 0:27:42that verbal agreements over the phone must be followed up
0:27:42 > 0:27:45with a contract outlining the terms and conditions,
0:27:45 > 0:27:49including the cooling-off period, BEFORE any fees are taken.
0:27:49 > 0:27:51Both Anne and William say, not only were they misinformed
0:27:51 > 0:27:54during the sales calls about what they were entering into,
0:27:54 > 0:27:57there was no mention of a cooling-off period
0:27:57 > 0:28:00and that the claims pack paperwork didn't arrive
0:28:00 > 0:28:04until AFTER the fees were taken and the cooling-off period had passed.
0:28:04 > 0:28:06Are the MoJ aware of Redress Claims?
0:28:06 > 0:28:10We received some complaints about the activities of Redress Claims
0:28:10 > 0:28:13several months ago, and after analysing those complaints
0:28:13 > 0:28:16and investigating the circumstances around them,
0:28:16 > 0:28:19we decided we need to put restrictions on their activities,
0:28:19 > 0:28:21so firstly we require them
0:28:21 > 0:28:25to issue receipts to consumers when they take any fee from their account,
0:28:25 > 0:28:28and secondly, we require them to hold call recordings
0:28:28 > 0:28:30for a period of three months,
0:28:30 > 0:28:33so that we can investigate any allegations made by consumers
0:28:33 > 0:28:36later on, that the process hasn't gone as they expected it.
0:28:36 > 0:28:39Crikey. So Redress Claims have already had
0:28:39 > 0:28:42conditions placed on them by the MoJ,
0:28:42 > 0:28:45stating they must issue receipts when they take fees over the phone
0:28:45 > 0:28:49and must keep recordings of all calls for three months.
0:28:49 > 0:28:52But these restrictions didn't come into effect
0:28:52 > 0:28:55until two months after Anne and William had been cold-called
0:28:55 > 0:28:58and speaking of phones, it's time I got back on one to you-know-who,
0:28:58 > 0:29:02armed with yet more queries about where Redress Claims
0:29:02 > 0:29:05may not have abided by the rules in Anne and William's cases.
0:29:05 > 0:29:08Now, it seems rather convenient
0:29:08 > 0:29:10Redress Claims had no problem picking up the phone
0:29:10 > 0:29:13when they chased poor Anne and William's credit card details
0:29:13 > 0:29:17but now I'm asking questions, they're proving slightly elusive.
0:29:17 > 0:29:20I've already called the boss and he promised to call me back,
0:29:20 > 0:29:22but that was nearly an hour ago.
0:29:22 > 0:29:25He obviously doesn't know I don't like being kept waiting.
0:29:26 > 0:29:29Let see if he answers the phone this time.
0:29:29 > 0:29:32'This is the Vodafone voicemail service for...'
0:29:32 > 0:29:33What a surprise.
0:29:33 > 0:29:36'Please leave your message after the tone.'
0:29:36 > 0:29:37BEEP
0:29:37 > 0:29:42I wondered if you'd have the decency to call us back, please. Look forward to hearing from you. Bye.
0:29:42 > 0:29:44Call me back, Naman. Because I'm not going away.
0:29:44 > 0:29:47But when I finally get through to Redress Claims,
0:29:47 > 0:29:50I'm far from impressed by what they've got to say.
0:29:50 > 0:29:55If you can't provide those, you're not in a position to argue and you need to give them their money back.
0:29:58 > 0:30:00Wouldn't we all like to know
0:30:00 > 0:30:04what goes on inside the mind of dodgy traders?
0:30:04 > 0:30:07You know, get a little insight into how they all work.
0:30:07 > 0:30:10Well, step forward, today's whistle-blower.
0:30:10 > 0:30:13Watch this, because it's going to be very interesting.
0:30:19 > 0:30:23For many, when it comes to redecorating our homes,
0:30:23 > 0:30:26it pays to pick up the phone and call in the professionals.
0:30:26 > 0:30:29After all, the last thing you want to live with is a hacked-up hallway,
0:30:29 > 0:30:31poor paint jobs or wonky wallpaper.
0:30:34 > 0:30:38And although many decorators do exactly what they say on the tin,
0:30:38 > 0:30:40the pitfalls can be poor preparation, flaky finishes
0:30:40 > 0:30:43and cowboy tradesmen that are only interested
0:30:43 > 0:30:46in getting their mitts on your pot of cash.
0:30:49 > 0:30:53Today, we have an expert who's determined to lift the lid
0:30:53 > 0:30:57on the dodgy decorators that give the industry a bad name.
0:30:57 > 0:31:00And with the picture he paints of more tarnish than varnish,
0:31:00 > 0:31:04you'll soon understand why we've taken measures to disguise him.
0:31:08 > 0:31:12It's very, very, very frustrating
0:31:12 > 0:31:14for, you know, professional decorators
0:31:14 > 0:31:17that have got good standards and want happy customers,
0:31:17 > 0:31:19you know, these fraudsters,
0:31:19 > 0:31:22these daubsters, chancers, etc,
0:31:22 > 0:31:25they are literally in it just for a quick buck.
0:31:25 > 0:31:29So, what tell-tale signs help distinguish a good decorator
0:31:29 > 0:31:31from a dreadful one?
0:31:35 > 0:31:38A good decorator will give you quality,
0:31:38 > 0:31:41they'll give you a job that will last.
0:31:41 > 0:31:43A job done well will last a long time.
0:31:43 > 0:31:46A job done badly isn't going to last any time at all.
0:31:46 > 0:31:51The rogues and the chancers and the bad tradesmen
0:31:51 > 0:31:55are literally just trying to earn a fast buck, earn a quick living,
0:31:55 > 0:31:57get on to the next job.
0:31:57 > 0:32:02If an average room would cost £250-£400 depending on the size,
0:32:02 > 0:32:09these guys will come in and say that they'll do a room for £200 or £150.
0:32:09 > 0:32:11The paint alone in a room,
0:32:11 > 0:32:16an average-sized room, good quality paint could come to £100
0:32:16 > 0:32:20so in reality, they're only going to earn themselves £100.
0:32:20 > 0:32:23They'll just used the cheapest of cheap paint,
0:32:23 > 0:32:27paint that's, you know, bought from a boot sale, etc,
0:32:27 > 0:32:30so they won't use the best-quality paint.
0:32:30 > 0:32:34What tales of woe does our decorator whistle-blower have for us?
0:32:37 > 0:32:40I was called on a job to rectify,
0:32:40 > 0:32:44the client was complaining of all the filler falling out.
0:32:44 > 0:32:46On close inspection, it turned out
0:32:46 > 0:32:50that the bodger had used mud.
0:32:50 > 0:32:54An absolute nightmare. Every part of that filler had to be dug out
0:32:54 > 0:32:56and the correct products used
0:32:56 > 0:32:58to give a lasting job,
0:32:58 > 0:33:04which ultimately will cost more than doing the job right first time.
0:33:04 > 0:33:10I've seen fibrous cornice work, which is really a specialist job to fit,
0:33:10 > 0:33:13nailed up with six-inch nails, split and broken.
0:33:13 > 0:33:17I've seen wallpaper that should be hung professionally,
0:33:17 > 0:33:20expensive wallpaper, with all the joints overlapped,
0:33:20 > 0:33:22all the adhesive seeping out,
0:33:22 > 0:33:25paste all on the skirtings and on the ceilings
0:33:25 > 0:33:27so when the client turns on their table lamps,
0:33:27 > 0:33:30they have a shiny ceiling wherever the paper's gone up.
0:33:30 > 0:33:35What more subtle ways would a rogue operator try to deceive a client?
0:33:36 > 0:33:44A bad company could camouflage their work practices in many, many ways.
0:33:44 > 0:33:48They could, for example, if they're using gloss,
0:33:48 > 0:33:52they could put lots of white spirit in this gloss
0:33:52 > 0:33:54so they can apply it at speed.
0:33:54 > 0:33:56The downfall to that, obviously, would be,
0:33:56 > 0:34:00the gloss will go completely flat in a very, very short time,
0:34:00 > 0:34:02because it's thinned out,
0:34:02 > 0:34:05it won't have the tough protection that gloss should have.
0:34:05 > 0:34:07A bodger would say that
0:34:07 > 0:34:11they're going to strip the wallpaper that's already on the walls,
0:34:11 > 0:34:14they'll fill, they'll sand, they'll seal the walls,
0:34:14 > 0:34:18they'll cross line, and they're going to hang this expensive wallpaper.
0:34:18 > 0:34:22In reality, what they will do, if you're at work or on holiday,
0:34:22 > 0:34:23is they won't do none of that.
0:34:23 > 0:34:26They will literally just hang the wallpaper
0:34:26 > 0:34:28straight on top of your existing wallpaper.
0:34:28 > 0:34:31So our decorator has dished the dirt on the disasters.
0:34:31 > 0:34:35Now, how do you stop yourself from getting done?
0:34:35 > 0:34:37Here are my insider's tips.
0:34:41 > 0:34:43Firstly, go to those in the know.
0:34:44 > 0:34:48Definitely get in touch with a trade association.
0:34:48 > 0:34:52They have a code of practice,
0:34:52 > 0:34:55they have rules that we have to adhere to
0:34:55 > 0:34:59and, you know, you've actually got a third port of call.
0:34:59 > 0:35:03If you're not happy, at least you've got somebody you can refer to.
0:35:05 > 0:35:08Always get three estimates.
0:35:08 > 0:35:12By default, I would recommend that clients usually try and think,
0:35:12 > 0:35:14the middle one could be a good one.
0:35:16 > 0:35:19You really need to feel happy with your tradesman.
0:35:19 > 0:35:22You'll get an instant like or dislike
0:35:22 > 0:35:24to the tradesman coming into your home.
0:35:24 > 0:35:28And lastly, be wary of cash-hungry cowboys.
0:35:28 > 0:35:32Always steer clear of a trader
0:35:32 > 0:35:37that insists on cash upfront, or cash payments.
0:35:37 > 0:35:41A bona fide tradesman shouldn't need to be worrying about cash.
0:35:41 > 0:35:45All these sort of things should give you an indication
0:35:45 > 0:35:48that the guy should be bona fide.
0:35:52 > 0:35:54I've taken on a case of two pensioners,
0:35:54 > 0:35:56Anne Baduna and William Dwyer,
0:35:56 > 0:35:57who have been left out of pocket
0:35:57 > 0:36:01after being cold-called by PPI reclaim company Redress Claims.
0:36:01 > 0:36:04Well, they kept ringing me up and ringing me up,
0:36:04 > 0:36:07convincing me that I had this money to come
0:36:07 > 0:36:10and it wasn't going to cost me one penny from my pocket.
0:36:10 > 0:36:15Redress Claims have taken fees of £2,170 from Anne
0:36:15 > 0:36:17to investigate mis-sold PPIs
0:36:17 > 0:36:20that she swears she told them she never took out,
0:36:20 > 0:36:24and all she's received in return is a bank charge refund of £15.50.
0:36:25 > 0:36:28And William was charged fees of £980
0:36:28 > 0:36:30for his PPI investigation,
0:36:30 > 0:36:33and although he did have money for PPI to claim back,
0:36:33 > 0:36:35the costs outweighed the settlement
0:36:35 > 0:36:40so he's found himself with almost £650 less than when he started.
0:36:40 > 0:36:43Anne and William allege Redress Claims not only failed
0:36:43 > 0:36:47to fully inform them about the agreement they were entering into,
0:36:47 > 0:36:50but also failed to send them this information in writing
0:36:50 > 0:36:52before taking the fees, which if true,
0:36:52 > 0:36:56breaks guidelines outlined why the Ministry of Justice.
0:36:56 > 0:36:59I found out that following a series of complaints,
0:36:59 > 0:37:02the MoJ had recently enforced conditions on Redress Claims
0:37:02 > 0:37:05to issue receipts when taking fees over the phone
0:37:05 > 0:37:10and to keep all telephone call recordings for three months.
0:37:10 > 0:37:13For me, getting hold of Anne and William's sales calls
0:37:13 > 0:37:17is key to finding if Redress Claims did everything by the book.
0:37:17 > 0:37:21But despite asking for copies, they've been ignoring my requests.
0:37:21 > 0:37:24But just when I'm hoping for a breakthrough,
0:37:24 > 0:37:27I receive a bit of a bombshell.
0:37:27 > 0:37:30I've had an e-mail from Redress Claims,
0:37:30 > 0:37:34saying they tried to take the money from Anne's account on two occasions
0:37:34 > 0:37:36and on both of them, it was declined.
0:37:36 > 0:37:38Just in case I didn't believe them,
0:37:38 > 0:37:41they've been kind enough to send me a screen grab. How nice.
0:37:41 > 0:37:43There it is. "Declined."
0:37:44 > 0:37:47But Anne's got a statement from her bank
0:37:47 > 0:37:50showing that the money was paid out
0:37:50 > 0:37:52and into Redress Claims' account.
0:37:52 > 0:37:55It even says the account number. So on one hand,
0:37:55 > 0:37:58we've a letter from NatWest saying the money has been paid to Redress.
0:37:58 > 0:38:01On the other, you got Redress Claims saying, "We haven't got it."
0:38:01 > 0:38:05Someone needs to give their accounts department a kick up the backside.
0:38:05 > 0:38:08I've got a funny feeling I know who it is.
0:38:09 > 0:38:12The person who sent the e-mail, the company's legal adviser,
0:38:12 > 0:38:14has given me his number.
0:38:14 > 0:38:19It's time I had an overdue chat with Redress Claims.
0:38:19 > 0:38:21It's Dominic Littlewood from the BBC.
0:38:21 > 0:38:24You're denying payment's been received by Anne Baduna to you?
0:38:24 > 0:38:26'I can't believe what I'm hearing.
0:38:26 > 0:38:29'Redress Claims are sticking to their guns.'
0:38:29 > 0:38:32She's supplied you with proof that she has paid it, so don't...
0:38:32 > 0:38:34I don't want to hear, "That's not proof enough,
0:38:34 > 0:38:36"it could be in any account."
0:38:36 > 0:38:39'Redress asked me for another copy of Anne's credit card statement,
0:38:39 > 0:38:41'which should clear that up.
0:38:41 > 0:38:44'But there is another issue I need to discuss.'
0:38:44 > 0:38:48Both of these people saying they were assured no money would be taken
0:38:48 > 0:38:51so if you've got phone conversations and you can prove that,
0:38:51 > 0:38:52great, I'm off your back.
0:38:52 > 0:38:56'Redress saying that if they didn't want them to take the upfront fees,
0:38:56 > 0:38:59'then why did they give their credit card details?'
0:38:59 > 0:39:02If I started phoning up your granny, 76-year-old granny,
0:39:02 > 0:39:05on five occasions, and she put the phone down on at least two of them
0:39:05 > 0:39:09telling me to go away, I'm sure with the right amount of sales practice,
0:39:09 > 0:39:12I could get your 76-year-old granny, who's getting fed up of my voice
0:39:12 > 0:39:14to give me her credit card details.
0:39:14 > 0:39:17And if that's what happened, you as a company should be ashamed
0:39:17 > 0:39:19and that's why a phone conversation
0:39:19 > 0:39:22and hearing the transcript of that, or hearing that conversation,
0:39:22 > 0:39:24would put the whole situation to bed.
0:39:24 > 0:39:26We'll know exactly what happened.
0:39:26 > 0:39:29'Now they're saying the calls might have been deleted
0:39:29 > 0:39:31'when they changed their phone system.'
0:39:31 > 0:39:33Right, now my blood's boiling!
0:39:35 > 0:39:39'Well, by the sound of that call, I'm back to square one'
0:39:39 > 0:39:42'and something tells me, once this company dig their heels in,
0:39:42 > 0:39:43'they dig their heels in.'
0:39:43 > 0:39:45Guess what?
0:39:45 > 0:39:47We've had an e-mail back, saying
0:39:47 > 0:39:51they are not prepared to accept a scanned copy of Anne's authorisation
0:39:51 > 0:39:53for us to request this information.
0:39:53 > 0:39:55Not a problem. I will send the originals.
0:39:55 > 0:39:57They've also said they're going to charge us for it.
0:39:57 > 0:40:00Not a problem, Redress Claims. We will pay it.
0:40:00 > 0:40:04But to top it off, they said the whole thing might take 40 days.
0:40:04 > 0:40:07So what? I'll wait if I have to.
0:40:07 > 0:40:09But lo and behold, a few days later
0:40:09 > 0:40:12I get another e-mail from Redress Claims.
0:40:12 > 0:40:14They refuse to comment further on the matter
0:40:14 > 0:40:18and just told me that they'd contacted Anne and William directly.
0:40:18 > 0:40:20In a letter to Anne, they say...
0:40:30 > 0:40:32'Surely, this can mean only one thing.
0:40:32 > 0:40:35'I think it's time for me to head back to North London.'
0:40:39 > 0:40:43- Hello, my lovely.- Oh, hello, Dom. How wonderful to see you.
0:40:43 > 0:40:45- I like that sort of greeting. Hello, Anne.- Come in.
0:40:45 > 0:40:48No, you come out here! It's a lovely day. How are you, lovely?
0:40:48 > 0:40:50- I'm all right, dear.- Are you?- I am.
0:40:50 > 0:40:53I feel like we're about to waltz or something.
0:40:53 > 0:40:55I wish I could dance!
0:40:55 > 0:40:59Yeah? So do I. Did you see me on Strictly? Forget it!
0:40:59 > 0:41:01Let's have a seat, Anne.
0:41:01 > 0:41:03Come on over here, my lovely.
0:41:03 > 0:41:07There we are. Thank you.
0:41:07 > 0:41:09How's it been since I last saw you?
0:41:09 > 0:41:11- All right.- Yeah?- Yes.
0:41:11 > 0:41:13Cor, it's like a date, this, Anne.
0:41:13 > 0:41:15It's all right, dear. I'm used to cuddling the boys.
0:41:15 > 0:41:17Are you? Right.
0:41:17 > 0:41:20- Redress.- Oh, my God.
0:41:20 > 0:41:24I made you a promise, didn't I? When we first met. What was that promise?
0:41:24 > 0:41:26You promised that you would get my money back.
0:41:26 > 0:41:28Yeah. And what's happened since?
0:41:28 > 0:41:31- Well, you got my money back.- Yeah.
0:41:31 > 0:41:33Unbelievable. I mean, this to us
0:41:33 > 0:41:35- is a massive amount of money.- Yeah.
0:41:35 > 0:41:40And thanks to you, we've survived and we got justice.
0:41:40 > 0:41:42You was prepared to write this money off.
0:41:42 > 0:41:45You were so fed up with the company, you'd given up on chasing it.
0:41:45 > 0:41:46I did. Yes, I did.
0:41:46 > 0:41:50That worries me. How many other people out there like you
0:41:50 > 0:41:53- might have just given up on it? - That's right.
0:41:53 > 0:41:55- Now, I need to tell you about my fee.- Yes.
0:41:55 > 0:41:57It's a cup of tea and a bacon sandwich.
0:41:57 > 0:41:58SHE LAUGHS
0:41:58 > 0:42:01You can have half a dozen bacon rolls, dear,
0:42:01 > 0:42:04- as well as a cup of tea. - Just one, Anne! Just one.
0:42:04 > 0:42:07Cup of tea and a bacon sarnie with a bit of red sauce. Shall we go in?
0:42:07 > 0:42:08Yes, let's go.
0:42:08 > 0:42:11'After a very stressful six months,
0:42:11 > 0:42:15'Redress Claims have sent Anne a cheque for £2,170,
0:42:15 > 0:42:19'refunding her upfront fees, which makes me very happy.
0:42:19 > 0:42:21'But Anne wasn't the only case I investigated.
0:42:21 > 0:42:23'Remember William Dwyer from Dundee,
0:42:23 > 0:42:26'who found himself almost £650 short
0:42:26 > 0:42:30'after Redress Claims investigated his mis-sold PPIs?
0:42:30 > 0:42:33'As a gesture of goodwill, they've agreed to return
0:42:33 > 0:42:36'the upfront fees for William's unsuccessful PPI refunds
0:42:36 > 0:42:40'so he's received a cheque for £390.'
0:42:40 > 0:42:42At the end of the day, they've now done the right thing
0:42:42 > 0:42:45and refunded the money, but let this be a warning to us all.
0:43:06 > 0:43:09Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd