Volkswagen Don't Get Done Get Dom

For years now I have been on a crusade to combat your consumer woes.

But there are companies out there who just aren't taking the hint.

Big companies only care about money.

On a daily basis thousands of you are being taken for a ride.

And it's always the same old stuff.

Bad customer-service, poor products, dodgy workmanship,

and dreaded terms and conditions.

Companies do not show respect to the consumers.

These dismal dealings can drive you to despair

and leave you feeling abused and confused.

But fear not,

because I will take them on to make sure you do not get done.

Coming up on today's show... a fleet of faulty cars

and a manufacturer refusing to cough up.

It was put up and shut up, that's how I felt.

An interior designer whistle blower who's come out of the closet

to advise you how to spot an industry faker.

If you do not check if the person is on the register, then buyer beware.

And we hit the streets

to help you get to grips with your consumer rights.

It must be breaching some law.

Anyone that drives a car

will have had problems at some point in their life.

After all, they're big powerful machines with plenty of moving parts

and they wear out - it's inevitable.

But if the part that's broken could cost more than £1,000 to fix,

all of a sudden your headache's going to become a nightmare.

Let's assume, hypothetically, I paid my money and I am back on the road.

But the mechanic told me

this part routinely goes wrong on similar cars.

I am starting to wonder, why hasn't the manufacturer sorted it out

and why am I paying for it instead?

Somebody else asking that very question

is Bradford-based mother of one, Sarah Sykes.

Three years ago Sarah's work demands drove her to seek out a new car.

She purchased a 2006 1.6 litre VW Golf

from a local independent car dealer for just under £8,500.

I absolutely loved it.

It was a really nice car, sturdy to drive, I felt very safe in it.

Sarah was not the only person in the area enjoying the delights

Volkswagen had on offer.

In the neighbouring town of Blackburn,

NHS care worker, Tina Park, also purchased a 2006 VW Golf.

She went directly to a Volkswagen main dealer

and snapped up a brand new 1.9 litre diesel model for £15,500.

I was happy and confident that I had bought a car

I could rely on, that would get me to work.

So we have got two VW Golfs bought from two different garages

in two different towns, being driven by two different women.

But there is one thing they have in common.

I'd gone out for the day to the local gym.

When I came back to get in my vehicle I noticed that the ESP light was on.

Tina was not the only one seeing flashing lights on her dashboard.

It is a bright orange light and a picture of a car skidding.

The flashing light indicated that the electronic stability programme,

or ESP, the safety system that helps prevent skidding, had a fault.

I kept pressing it thinking that it would go off.

But it didn't, it just stayed on.

You think, "Should I be driving this

"when there is a car skidding on my dashboard?

"Is it safe to drive?"

I'd owned the car for just over four years.

That is when the problem came to light. I was very disappointed.

I hate it when anything goes wrong with cars

because I don't know what the problem is.

I was panicky, thinking,

"Should I be driving with the light on?"

Both Tina and Sarah took their cars

to their local VW dealerships

who diagnosed the same fault.

But they were both told that because the cars were out of warranty

they'd have to foot the repair bills.

Their love affairs with VW were well and truly over.

Poor Tina punted out nearly £850 to get her car fixed

and Sarah put her foot down and refused to pay.

It makes me worry every time I drive it.

It makes me really upset and angry.

It's not money I can afford to pull out.

Their battle against VW has run out of gas

so they have asked me to take up the reins.

It's time I headed to Huddersfield.

I tell you what, in weather like this,

it is not the time of year

you want to be having a problem with your car.

I'm about to meet two ladies who have got just that.

And look at that, she hasn't even got a knocker.

Tina and Sarah had never met me before

so I thought it would be a good idea

to bring the two disgruntled drivers together

for a chinwag at Sarah's house.

-Hiya! You Sarah? Awful weather, isn't it?

-Yes.

-How are you doing?

Tell me about your problem, let's start with you, Sarah.

I noticed the ESP light came on

randomly one morning when I turned the car on.

From that moment on I have just been really scared to drive it.

I am a bit more wary when I am braking,

especially in weather like this

when it's snowy and slippy on the roads.

It affects your confidence in the vehicle? Is that the same with you?

Yes. You don't feel safe driving the car in icy conditions.

You want to feel safe, don't you?

It is a really bright and in-your-face light.

You can't...

The thing is, that stability setting is there for safety reasons.

It's like having an airbag. You want it there.

And when it doesn't work it means that something's not quite right.

I'm sure many of you are wondering what this ESP is

and what it means when it is not working.

So fasten your seatbelt for a crash course from an expert mechanic.

ESP is primarily a safety feature fitted to cars

where the conditions that the car is being driven in -

such as rain, ice or snow -

limit the adhesion of the tyres to the road

and can correct adverse conditions in which you are driving.

It is a safety system to help prevent skidding. Got it.

What would cause the ESP warning light to come on?

The only way ESP can fail is electronically.

If one of the censors cannot give information

to the electronic control unit

then naturally the ESP will not work properly.

It is caused by electronic malfunction.

And if the ESP isn't working, what does that mean to the driver?

ESP is fitted for a reason.

If it fails to operate then the car is not functioning as it should.

If one is used to having that as a safety feature,

not having it is a negative situation.

So ESP is a very good safety feature to have when it is working

and if it is fitted to your car it should be working.

I am interested in why both Tina and Sarah

are experiencing the same problem.

If you've got the same fault that could be a coincidence.

-But it is not, is it?

-No.

-How do you know?

After looking online,

finding so many people with the same problem,

there is actually a forum set up specifically for ESP warning lights.

Most recently, a Facebook group was set up.

So there are a lot of people, we're not just talking about a couple?

-No.

-Any idea how many? A rough guess?

On the Facebook site there is about 178.

-All United Kingdom?

-Yes.

-They're adding new ones each day.

Cos you get updates on your phone,

and it's like, another person has joined, or posted on the forum,

so they're all saying exactly the same thing.

-These lights are coming on?

-Yes.

This is shocking.

The ladies tell me that most people online experienced the ESP

around the same time - just outside of the three-year warranty.

So I find it difficult to believe

VW aren't already aware of the malfunction.

If you ask me, in these situations,

car manufacturers should diagnose

and fix the problem for free, no questions asked.

It seems VW do things differently.

I decided to take the car to VW because I felt

it was their responsibility to fix the faulty parts.

But the first thing they wanted was money.

-How much did they charge you for a diagnostic test?

-£49.

There is something I want to query myself,

why charge you £49 for a diagnostic test if it is a problem

they are aware of and there are lots of complaints about it?

They've got to determine it's definitely that fault

with the diagnostic machine.

And even if you take it to an independent garage

they will not accept what they're saying.

-So they've got your business.

-I don't like the sound of that.

As you say, they know what the problem is,

hundreds of people are complaining about it,

but £50 for a diagnostic check - they should reimburse that.

Did you have to have this diagnostic test done?

Yes, at an independent VW garage

where I took my car for servicing and MOTs.

When I rang the main dealer they said,

we can't go with what they are saying,

you need to put it on our machine, that will be £100.

So they want £100 off you

-and yours is a VW main agent and...

-Yeah. £49.

-Crikey.

The inconsistency here is eye-watering.

I'm quickly learning that this is the tip of the iceberg.

Sarah tells me her VW dealership in Bradford said

she would have to pay £610.68 for a patch up repair.

But 20 miles away in Huddersfield, this was not offered to Tina.

Sarah was given a second option to pay £1000 plus labour

to get the faulty part replaced,

but Tina was quoted £1,200 for the same job.

And because her car hadn't been serviced by a VW main dealer,

Sarah did not qualify for a goodwill discount.

But Tina, who also had a non-VW service history,

was offered a 30% discount.

Same car, same problem, completely different prices.

It sounds to me like there's not only no consistency

with the repair options offered,

but no consistency in the reasoning behind it.

This does not sound like the sort of service

you would expect from VW.

They're well known. They have been around donkey's years.

A brand that you trust.

And especially with the advert on the television where it says,

"It is like a Golf, but it is not a Golf" -

they are projecting themselves as having a premium brand,

quite exclusive, you are buying a high-quality product.

Exactly. This is at the core of my gripe with VW.

Tina and Sarah bought these expensive cars

partly because of features like this ESP.

So when it breaks, no wonder they want to get it fixed

at the manufacturer's expense.

Who wouldn't? But it has left Tina nearly £850 out of pocket...

It was put up and shut up, that's how I felt.

..and poor Sarah with no confidence in her car.

Every time I turn the ignition on it makes me feel a bit sick.

Let me ask you a question -

what do you both expect and want from VW about this problem?

Let's start with you, Sarah.

I expect them to admit that there's an actual fault

and that it is widespread.

And I want them to fix it. I want them to replace the part.

Not necessarily repair it, just replace it.

That would give me total peace of mind.

-At zero cost, or are you prepared to pay towards it?

-Zero cost, ideally.

And you, Tina, slightly different because you have already

had the part repaired.

-What do you expect from VW?

-To acknowledge there is a problem,

recall the vehicles that need recalling for it,

and for myself, to reimburse what I've pulled out to pay for repairs.

I'm confident that the ESP fault is huge.

But going up against Volkswagen,

well, the words David and Goliath spring to mind.

But what I love about having two damsels in distress

is that I can spread the workload.

You ladies can do me a favour, if you do not mind.

I know you're online.

Can you do some research and see if you can get some indication

as to how many people have the same problem.

Get me the diagnostic code. Anything at all that might help.

As you've had your problem fixed,

would you mind going to a reputable garage,

not necessarily a VW main agent,

and ask an expert, somebody about exactly what this item is,

what it means if it is on,

is it an MOT failure, have they come across it with anyone else?

So, in a nutshell, I want you to get online, you to get on the road

and we'll try and get a result between us.

And, fingers crossed, because it could be a bit sticky.

Can I take your paper work? I will return it.

That is all I need at this stage.

See you soon. Do you want to see me out?

-Of course I will.

-Lovely.

Those ladies bought those cars

because it was the name of a brand they trusted.

Yet one is so worried she does not use the car anymore.

Absolutely ridiculous.

I'll be interested to see what VW have to say about this

because, by the sounds of it, it's an inherent and common fault.

And it seems VW might not be too surprised

to be hearing from me.

I asked them a few crucial questions there,

and said, "Is it a manufacturing fault?

"Because if it is I will come at you all guns blazing

"and ask you to repair this at no cost to the customer."

I know better than anyone

that the laws involved with buying goods and services

are a bit of a minefield.

I have been swotting up on this stuff for years

and my mind still boggles.

But a little knowledge will do you and your wallet a huge favour.

So the team have been out armed with questions

to put to you, the buying public,

to see if you know your consumer rights from your consumer wrongs.

We hit the high street today on a mission to give you shrewd shoppers a bit of savvy.

First up for you busy buyers...

"You buy a sofa which is described as 150cm wide in the store catalogue.

"When it is delivered, you can't get it into your living room as the door is too narrow.

"You measure it and the sofa is 155cm wide.

"The store refuse to take the sofa back,

"claiming you should have measured it before purchase,

"and the catalogue is only a rough guide.

"Can they do this?"

I don't think they can do that.

It's false advertising, isn't it? If you say something's something it has to be so.

-I don't think they can do it.

-No.

It must be breaching some sort of law.

Spot on. Three out of three.

Under the Sales of Goods Act, all products must be as described.

If the retailer's catalogue stated it was smaller than it was,

they are in the wrong.

You should contact the retailer and demand a refund.

-Yeah, we got it right!

-Yay, got it right, next one!

Oi-oi, steady on there! Next up...

"You book tickets to a pop concert but the main act cancels on the night

"and is replaced by a cover band. Can you get a refund on your ticket?"

I'd have said yes.

You are entitled to a refund.

-They should.

-They should.

No.

Correct, but only one out of four.

If a replacement performer steps in, you are not entitled to a refund.

Concert organisers have the right to change performers from those advertised.

And if you can't make it to an event or change your mind,

you've got no right to your money back.

Oh, that's interesting.

It certainly is. Now, let's see how you fair on the last one...

"You go on holiday to the US and take your smartphone with you.

"You leave it switched on as you're expecting an important call

"but never actually use the phone while in America.

"However, when you get home, your phone company sends you a bill for £500.

"Is this possible and do you have to pay?"

That's probably right.

You did something to get some kind of £500...

If they charged you for having your phone switched on...

I'm going to say yes.

-Well, you're using their network...

-Come on, my coffee's going cold!

-Yes.

-And your final answer is?

They are allowed to bill you.

We got there in the end.

Many smartphones run automatic software updates

which can incur local data charges.

In countries outside the EU, these can be up to £9 per megabyte.

To avoid these charges,

disable your phone's data roaming function before you leave the UK.

That's rubbish.

I agree, and that's why it pays to know your rights.

Well, there's still scope for improvement,

but I'm pleased to see that some of you appear to have lent an ear

to my years of ranting about your rights.

Trust me, a little inside knowledge will go a long way to stopping you getting done.

I'm assisting two ladies experiencing problems

with the anti-skid system, or ESP, on their VW Golfs.

So I was panicky all the way driving to work, thinking,

"Should I be driving with the light on?"

Not knowing if the car was safe to drive or not safe,

so I could have been putting myself at risk.

Tina and Sarah told me the internet is crawling

with disgruntled VW owners experiencing the ESP fault.

And I've been checking my inbox and lo and behold,

I received yet more e-mails from customers requesting my help on this very issue.

So, I'm adding them to my list with Tina and Sarah.

Normally, when I'm ringing someone up, I've had a complaint and I've got to try and sort it out.

In this case, I've had loads of complaints

all about a very similar problem with VWs. Not good enough.

I would like to speak to somebody about an ESP light that's coming on with VWs.

Wow! It seems just a mention of the ESP issue

puts the cat amongst the pigeons.

Before I know it, I'm passed through to Paul in the press office.

There seems to be a common denominator here with the problems

that people are experiencing, and it's an ESP light that's coming on.

Is this problem something you're aware of?

If it's the one I'm thinking of,

the actual fault is in fact a faulty pressure sensor switch.

Is it a manufacturing fault,

cos it sounds like it's something which, you know, is happening a lot?

Well, I believe it's a defect in the pressure sensor

from one source of supply.

Hold your horses! The flashing light is caused by a faulty switch?

And VW are well aware of the problem?

Basically, if it's a manufacturing fault, it should be covered and the cost should be covered.

If you can allow me to come back to you on the exact details.

Now, whether VW want to consider this a manufacturing fault or not,

the bottom line is the switch is failing and therefore,

in my eyes, isn't fit for purpose.

And because of that, I believe it's covered under the good old Sale of Goods Act.

This legislation means car-owning consumers are protected

if the vehicle is not fit for purpose.

Thank you, Paul. Bye-bye.

Bye.

I tell you what, nice guy, seems to know what he's talking about

but I asked him a few crucial questions there, said, "Is it a manufacturing fault?"

and he said, "Yes, I believe so, but I'll just double-check."

And I thought, "You better do that, because if it is,

"I'm going to come at you all guns blazing

"and ask you to repair these at no cost to the customer." End of.

Whilst I wait for Paul to dig out more details about the fault,

I'm going to do a bit of research of my own.

The Golf has been VW's most popular family car

since rolling off the production line in 1974.

And 38 years later, over 26 million of them have been sold worldwide.

It seems the problems Tina and Sarah are experiencing with their ESP

isn't just unique to Golfs.

Meet Philip Hewington from Reading.

He bought a VW Touran in 2007 and, you've guessed it,

just outside the warranty, the ESP warning light reared its ugly head.

So, the light just appeared on the dashboard,

but it was sort of a concern in that, you know, it is part of the car that has failed.

So I then sort of took about looking on the internet and doing research

to find out what the issue was, what the likely fixes might be.

VW refused to fix it for free.

Instead, they told Philip it would cost him £185,

which then rose to £485.

It almost seemed quite dishonest.

If it had been £485 upfront, I think I'd have sort of stomached that.

But being £185 to £485, it was a massive increase

in the sort of estimated price versus the actual quoted price.

Philip was not a happy chappie, so he wrote to the Volkswagen UK CEO

and pulled him exactly what he thought of the situation.

He said, based upon that, there was no more that they could do.

You know, it was kind of effectively case closed.

Philip took it to an independent garage who charged him £485.10

for the repair kit option. Crikey!

So that's three cases I've taken on.

Better start getting my head down and try and get these issues solved.

Because of the amount of people who are complaining about the same

ESP light on their cars,

I'm pretty convinced it's a manufacturers inherent fault.

In other words, it was there when it left the factory.

Now, if that is the case,

VW are obliged to repair or replace the item that is faulty.

And they've already told me that a batch of these switches

fitted on these cars were not fit for purpose.

That's why I'm going to keep quoting the Sales of Goods Act

until VW sit up and listen.

But when I head back to the office,

I'm greeted by an unexpected response.

Now, Paul from VW has got back to me with an e-mail, which I like.

But I'm going through it and there's one bit here, he says,

"We have been replacing this switch free of charge on vehicles back to model 2005."

It goes on to say they've been doing this even if the vehicle

has no service history.

So, I go back through Tina, Sarah and Philip's case notes,

and discover all three cars fit this description.

So why have they all been refused?

There's no hiding, Paul.

Morning, is Paul Buckett there, please?

Actually, there is, because he's out the country.

But, his colleague Kate is holding the fort.

What it is, Kate, Paul's sent me back an e-mail very kindly

and one of the things he's mentioned in this e-mail, just to quote,

he says, "We have been replacing this switch free of charge on vehicles back to model year 2005."

Which is great if that's the case, but I've got at least, well,

a handful of people here who have all been to VW main agents

and for various different reasons, have had to pay to have this switch replaced.

So what I need to address here, Kate, is these people's money.

I'd like it back.

Not only do I have it in black-and-white from VW

that they should be rectifying this fault free of charge,

I've got legislation which should drive it home.

Because there is another iron to put in the fire here, Kate.

You've got your warranty, your VW warranty,

which is not your statutory rights.

You've got your gestures of goodwill, which, obviously,

a big company like VW would want to do that, keep their customers happy.

Then you've also got statutory rights in the Sale of Goods Act.

This is the crux of my argument with VW.

They've admitted the warning light fault is caused by a defective part,

so in my book, warranty and service history are irrelevant.

Now, what that means in a nutshell is it doesn't matter how nice

you want to be about it, legally, you've got to put it right.

We'd like you to refund the money,

and, not only that,

we'd like some sort of promise from you

that maybe the VW garages need to be brought up to speed

with the Sale of Goods Act and say,

"Look, if it's a manufacturing defect fault,

"you've got to put it right".

-'All right, thank you.'

-Bye-bye, then.

I hit her there, right between the eyes.

I want their money back. Don't tell me about your warranty.

Don't tell me about gestures of goodwill. It's the law.

Sale of Goods Act. Warranties aren't. Give the money back.

Whilst Kate, at VW, digs out some answers for me,

I've asked Sarah and Tina to do a bit of digging of their own.

Now, I'm convinced this problem is huge,

and affecting more people than the cases cluttering up my inbox.

So, Sarah's been scouring the web, in search of more people

who have fallen foul of VW's faulty ESP.

It's quite surprising, really, how common the ESP fault is.

Just by typing into a search engine,

and the problem with the car is coming up with loads of results

for different online forums.

'Remember, VW initially told me

'they were fixing the fault switch for free for all VWs made from 2005.

'Irrelevant of age and service history.'

It seems that some people

are getting the part fixed free of charge.

Some people are having to pay a proportion of the cost.

Some people are getting no help whatsoever.

If VW are fixing this problem for free,

why is the internet full of people

who have been told by main dealers that they're not?

The only people who do seem to get a result are those who

claim through the small claims court.

Now, that's interesting, and I'll bet my last penny they cited

the trusty Sale of Goods Act.

And, while Sarah's been clicking away in the comfort of her own home,

I've asked Tina to take a trip to the local independent garage.

Have you had a lot of these vehicles in?

We've had a few in lately, yeah. Tourans, mostly.

VW Tourans? That's interesting,

as that's the model of car Philip's had his issue with.

How much do you charge to fix something like this?

The pump itself isn't actually that cheap.

They're between 600 and 800 quid to do,

then you've got labour, on top of that,

-so it's taking about 1,200, 1,300 quid.

-1,200 quid, yeah?

So it is exceptionally dear, yeah?

Have you heard of any other customers

getting their money back for these issues from Volkswagen?

I personally haven't heard of anyone getting their money back, at all.

Should be a warranty job, really, shouldn't it?

And is it an MOT failure?

At the moment, no. But they are thinking about bringing it on,

so it will be soon.

Not only is this problem happening

to VW customers all over the country,

soon you may have to fork out for the repair to avoid failing the MOT.

And Sarah has found evidence of disgruntled owners

who have had to go to court to get their money back from VW.

That information's got to put me into pole position.

Since I last spoke to Kate at VW, I've received an interesting e-mail,

saying that they've judged the contribution towards repairs

on factors like age, and mileage of the vehicle.

And she's reviewed the cases I've sent to her, and states that,

"Contributions were made in line with the agreed criteria".

Hold on.

I've received an e-mail from Paul at VW, that said,

"We've been replacing this switch free of charge

"on vehicles back to 2005". So, come on, VW. Which is it?

Now, this is one of the issues I have with Volkswagen.

There doesn't seem to be any consistency in how they're dealing

with this problem.

'And this has got me thinking.

'VW aren't the only car manufacturer out there.

'There are literally hundreds

'of different makes and models of cars,

'all made up of components which have the potential to go wrong.

'And what happens when a fault emerges,

'that could exist on thousands, or even millions of cars?

'The answer is a vehicle recall.'

The biggest recall a manufacturer's ever had to make

was in 1996 in the United States,

when eight million Fords were called back

because of a problem with the ignition.

So, car manufacturers can do it.

Which leaves me with a couple of questions.

Should VW be recalling all of their models

with the ESP problem?

What warrants a recall?

And, also, who is keeping an eye on the manufacturers,

to make sure those cars are actually safe?

'That would be VOSA,

'the agency responsible for seeing car recalls in the UK.'

VOSA launches recall

where a defect arises in either the design

or manufacturing of a vehicle.

This is defect which is sudden,

and would result in serious injury, or death.

That's the type of defect, such as the brake failure,

or something really safety-critical, like the steering.

'But who asks for a recall?'

Usually, manufacturers identify a defect, and come to us,

to help them launch a recall.

Sometimes, members of the public will notify us of defects,

and we will investigate the defect.

But VOSA does have the powers

to force manufacturers to do a recall.

'Why didn't the faulty ESP switch fitted to certain VW models

'qualify for a recall?'

Generally where the ESP warning light comes on,

the vehicle can be driven safely to a garage,

to have the defect checked out.

The ESP that's fitted to the majority of vehicles

is something which can be switched on and off,

optionally, by the driver.

So we don't view that as a serious or imminent defect

that warrants a recall.

'So, recalls happen with serious safety issues,

'where there is a serious threat to life and limb.

'And that isn't the case with the VW ESP fault.

'Well, that answers Tina's questions

'about why VW haven't recalled the cars.

'Talking about VW, time I got back on their case.'

I sent an e-mail to VW five days ago,

with some pretty hard questions on it.

I want the answers, but I haven't had them yet.

So now I'm going to ring them,

and find out what those answers are.

-'Hi, Dominic. It's Kate.'

-Hello, Kate. Thanks for taking my call.

The e-mail that I sent five days ago,

I've obviously got some quite important questions there.

'I disputed the fact that Tina, Sarah and Philip don't qualify

'to get their cars repaired for free.

'Kate says they're still investigating.'

I think these are points covered in the Sale of Goods Act.

I know that in one of the e-mails you sent back to me,

you mentioned the Sale of Goods Act in a way where you think

you've responded to these in line with that.

I'd like to actually dispute that. I don't think you have.

'They've admitted a censor switch is faulty.

'So, unless they've got a misprinted version of the Sale of Goods Act,

'it's case closed.'

Is there somebody there, whether it's you or whoever,

who could give me VW's opinion of what the Sale of Goods Act is.

'Kate now says they need to seek advice from their legal team.'

Cheerio. Bye-bye.

Ooh, that was an upper cut from me!

And a right hook, as well.

I basically said to her, "Look,

"I think this is coming under Sale of Goods Act".

That is the statutory law. That's people's right.

I feel quite strong about that.

But, just as I think I'm on the home strait,

VW put another spoke in the wheel.

Right, so, for people like that, there's no guarantee at the moment

that they're going to be covered.

People say knowledge is power.

When it comes to fighting for your consumer rights,

the more you have, the better equipped you'll be.

Well, I've found some industry insiders

prepared to spill the beans on the dirty tricks of their trade.

So, listen up.

Their advice could save you an awful lot of grief.

'Today, we're taking a peak into the fabulous world

'of interior design.

'When it comes to giving your house a make over,

'many seek the advice of a professional designer,

'to get that sleek, stylish, show home look.

'And, whilst many designers come up with the goods,

'there are dodgy designs, plagiarised plans,

'and smooth operators that are more 'rogue' than 'in vogue'.

'We've got on board an interior designer insider,

'with over 30 years' experience.

'She's agreed to lift the veil on industry chancers

'that, for years, have been swept under the carpet.

'So, we've hidden her identity,

'and with the picture she paints, you'll soon understand why.'

I find it very annoying that bad designers operate,

because it gives the profession a bad name.

I don't think that it's in anyone's interests

for a designer to go along

and takes somebody's money,

and just damage their home.

'In the colourful world of interiors,

'how do you tell a decent designer from a disastrous one?'

Professional interior designers call the ladies, and gentlemen,

that are unqualified,

"cushion flappers", or "dolly decorators"

A professional designer

should provide a brief solution,

and a methodology of how you get to that solution.

And a truly-qualified interior designer

will not be a person to spend your money.

They'll be a person who helps to save you money.

They might come into your home and say,

"You don't need to remove that piece of furniture".

So, it's reconfiguring space, and finding solutions.

The general type of rogue interior designer

is somebody who doesn't complete a problem.

Somebody who just walks away from it,

and leaves all of the other professions

that have been included in the project to resolve themselves.

'What horror stories does our designer insider have for us?'

The worst example is a £10,000 fee,

paid to a designer

to reconfigure and design the interior of a house.

Staircase didn't conform to building regulations.

The kitchen had sockets

and taps placed so close to each other,

they didn't allow the distance that building regulations require.

And the home owner's left with a house that they couldn't sell,

because it didn't have the certificates,

and a complete disaster.

'And if the work does pass building regs,

'what typical designer bodges

'have clients been forced to live with?'

Could be something very simple, like hinging a door on the wrong side,

so that you walk onto a staircase,

or that lights are installed in the wrong locations.

The light switches are on the wrong spot.

You have to walk in a room and put up your hands all over the walls

before you find the light switch, rather than the right heights.

What I would call very basic, simple things,

and the home owner ends up having paid for that service,

and doesn't end up with a better interior.

'We've heard the horror.

'Now, how do you stop yourself falling victim

'to a dubious designer?

'Here's my insider's tips.

'Before talking to designers, do your sums.'

I think the first thing the consumer should define

is what their budget is.

And how much money they will not exceed.

'Set yourself goals.'

Find a brief, and actually lay out what you want.

Not necessarily what you want the designer to do,

but what you want to have achieved when they've left.

'Before agreeing to take on a designer, do your homework.'

Definitely take recommendations,

so that you can actually see, from your friends and from other works,

who's been working in your area.

You should look at what different organisations they belong to,

that actually register and regulate them.

Then look into who regulates that organisation.

The ones to look for are the not-for-profit, or Government-backed.

'Be proactive, and go compare.'

I would always recommend that you ask for a project rate,

an hourly rate, and a day rate.

You would know, by measuring at least three designers,

exactly where you think is giving you the correct service,

for the correct sum.

'Over the past few weeks, I've been battling with Volkswagen,

'on behalf of three very unhappy customers.

'They thought their hard-earned cash had paid for solid, reliable cars,

'with state-of-the-art safety features from a company

'with exemplary customer service.'

We trusted the brand. They were reliable,

and they're meant to be good customer care.

'But when a warning sign on their dashboards

'lights up like a Christmas tree, they were told by VW

'that, because their cars were just outside the warranty,

'they'd have to pay up for the repairs.'

I'd actually quite like to have a new part in the car,

to make me feel 100% sure that it's roadworthy, really.

'VW have taken me on quite a journey.

'First, saying they would fix all cars newer than 2005 for free,

'then did a U-turn,

'and said it depended on the age and mileage of the vehicle.

'But, despite admitting that the ESP problem

'is caused by a faulty switch,

'VW don't think it's covered by the Sale of Goods Act.

'But I wholeheartedly disagree,

'so I've asked them for an explanation.

'But they've been skirting around the issue.'

I tell you what.

An e-mail literally just arrived, from one of the bosses.

'Now, they still haven't given me their interpretation

'of the Sale Of Goods Act,

'but they have outlined their final response.

'But first, I want to confirm

'their revised UK policy on the fault.'

Could you just give me a breakdown of exactly what you've decided now?

'We're going to treat customers on a case-by-case basis.

'We can't know everything about the history of every vehicle,

'straightaway.'

Right. So, for people like that, there's no guarantee

at the moment they will be covered.

But you'll also look at them, and bear these facts in mind?

'That's right, yes.

'We're a bit reticent to set a precedent

'which could have repercussions

'with other cases.'

'Mm. This isn't looking good.

'I still believe they're legally obliged to deal with this

'under the Sale of Goods Act.

'But let's see what Paul has to say

'about Tina, Sarah, and Philip's case.'

Some of these having been going on now for, give or take,

18 months.

What about something as a token from VW to these customers?

I look forward to hearing from you.

-'OK, Dominic. Thank you very much.'

-Thanks, Paul.

-'Bye-bye.'

'So, the finishing line is in sight.

'But will it be champagne on the podium?

'First up, time to pay a visit to the two VW drivers in Yorkshire.'

Hello again, ladies.

Right. Got some news for you, from VW.

What are you expecting?

Bad news.

OK. What about you, Tina?

-Declining helping us.

-OK.

You're going to get a full refund.

You're going to get all your work done, at no cost to you whatsoever.

BOTH: Fantastic!

-Brilliant!

-You're a star.

You weren't expecting that, was you?

No!

'So, that's an £813 refund for Tina,

'and VW are paying to fix Sarah's car.

'Now, remember Philip, from Reading,

'the other VW owner I've been battling for?

'He couldn't make it here today,

'so I'm going to give him a call.'

Philip, it's Dominic, from Don't Get Done, Get Dom.

Hello, Dom.

Hi, there. You're out of pocket now, of course,

to the tune of £485, aren't you?

Yeah, that's correct.

Well, VW now are going to reimburse that to you.

They are going to send you a cheque for that money.

-That's a really good outcome. Thanks very much.

-Bye-bye.

'Philip's getting a full refund. That's three happy customers.

'VW told me that...'

'But that they...'

Now, as I always do, I say,

"How about some compensation

for these people and all their inconvenience?"

This is what VW have come back with, and it's a first for me.

"In addition, I would like to offer, on behalf of Volkswagen UK,

"the opportunity for your customers to meet

"our Head of Customer Service and Aftersales,

"Stephen Butt,

"to provide them with a chance to discuss

"their experiences with their cars.

"It could take the form of a lunch, or dinner."

What do you think of that suggestion?

-I think it's great.

-I'm happy to meet with them.

But, I said, "What about everybody else?"

He said they will look at each case individually,

on its merits, but sympathetically.

So, I've got a feeling we have turned a very big corner here.

You've got your money coming back. You will get your car sorted out.

Hopefully, no-one else will end up with this experience.

-So how's that, then?

-Great!

-Fantastic!

-Good news?

-BOTH: Yes!

I feel so excited, really happy.

Thanks to Dom for getting such a good result.

Now I'll be able to drive my car and not worry about it, so I'm excited.

Having nearly £500 back is an added bonus.

Feels great to have a car that's back, and the situation addressed.

I'm absolutely ecstatic.

We've finally won and done justice for the people.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd