Conservatories Don't Get Done Get Dom

I've been fighting your consumer battles for years, now.

But the same old problems just keep flooding in.

And it's all the usual suspects.

Poor customer service, faulty goods and hidden small print.

No wonder some of you are fed up with the way you're being treated.

What I hate about bank customer service is them not answering my question

and it's never their fault.

What really grinds my gears is when I place an order and the company gets it wrong.

I couldn't agree more.

Things need to change, and we're on a mission to get companies to treat us better.

I'll be taking on your cases and fighting your fight with the big companies.

I'm not playing ball. I'm boxing.

And I'll be showing you how to shop smart and stay one step ahead.

So you don't get into debt but you're still completely protected.

Amazing. Love it!

-So remember, don't get done...

-Get Dom!

Coming up on today's show:

the couple whose dream conservatory turned into a damp squib.

-We don't use it. We don't sit out there. We don't eat out there.

-No.

Because of the damp.

Our guide on how to avoid chip and pin fraud.

Listen and learn from one girl's ordeal that stopped her dreams of education in its tracks.

The whole student finances went into the accounts

and I couldn't do nothing about it.

And I was still minus £200.

And roving reporter Rani Price

will be hitting the streets to find out if you know your consumer rights

when it comes to door-step selling.

-How does one know?

-That's what I'm here to tell you!

I'm here to tell you these things so you know!

A conservatory is a great addition to any home

cos it gives you extra space

and will add value to your property.

But they don't come cheap.

Which means if you do end up buying one,

you want to make sure it's built correctly and it's going to last.

And this is exactly what Melvin and Jan Bond were thinking they'd bought

when in 2008, they forked out nearly £16,000 to Anglian Home Improvements

to have the conservatory of their dreams built onto their bungalow in West Sussex.

We went with Anglia cos we had the patio doors by them

and they made a lovely job of it at the time.

And also a kitchen window as well.

-Had no problems with them.

-We had no problems. No problem with that at all.

And that's four and a half years old.

We bought it in 2008. It is a small bungalow

and it gave us one, an outside space, somewhere to sit.

We used it slightly as a utility room.

Sounds idyllic. When the construction was finished, Melvin and Jan were over the moon.

Wow, this is lovely!

That was my feeling. Wow.

And then, three months later,

it all started going downhill.

Instead of being the light, airy, practical addition they thought they were paying for,

the brand-new conservatory started to deteriorate rapidly.

We noticed there was mould growing on the walls.

The whole brickwork, and the floor, the concrete floor,

was actually soaking wet.

We contacted Anglian. They came and had a quick look.

They said it's condensation. You need more ventilation.

I called again and said the mould is getting worse.

Eventually they came out and said it could be the flooring.

We'll have someone come and have a look.

That's when they took the flooring up and said we've got to let it dry for three or four months.

Once the floor was up, the couple were in for a shock.

The concrete base was sodden,

and by the time it had dried out, a year had gone by.

Despite this, Anglian insisted the mould and damp

were caused by condensation arising from the way the Bonds used the conservatory,

namely having their washing machine and tumble drier in there.

Now, to be fair, Anglian did carry out some repairs,

like sealing the lead flashing

and sealing correctly under the French doors,

but nothing they've done has stopped the dampness and mould.

Any one time, just, "It's condensation. It's your problem."

And this is a bitter blow for the couple.

They thought they'd be protected by the 10-year guarantee offered by Anglian.

It covers all parts and labour

and look closely at the t's and c's of the guarantee,

and damage caused by condensation isn't covered.

At their wits' end, the Bonds paid out for an independent surveyor

to get a second opinion.

And he said, "Two people in this house cannot produce

"this amount of water in a conservatory."

We've been arguing with them ever since they said condensation.

We said, "It's not condensation. There's something else wrong with this building."

That's what we've had for the four years.

Ouch!

The dream conservatory has become a bit of a white elephant.

We don't use it.

We don't sit out there. We don't eat out there.

Because of the damp.

We're worried because if that mould out there becomes a fungi,

you could end up with any sort of complaints.

Basically, all it is at the moment is a very, very, very expensive utility room.

I'm up and down the country like a yo-yo,

and today I'm in Crawley.

If I got paid by the mile, I'd be a very rich man.

But I'm here to meet Mel and Jan.

-Hiya, Jan. Hi, Mel. How you doing? All right?

-Come on in.

Jan and Melvin are in stalemate with Anglian.

It seems from the start, they suspected the mould was because of bad workmanship,

rather than themselves.

We contacted them about the mould that was growing, and the dampness,

and they came and had a look and thought it was just condensation.

This carried on and we kept saying we're sure there's a problem underneath.

One guy came in and said, "There's something wrong with the membrane."

We let it all dry out for several months

and then he come and chipped some of the plaster off and they tanked it.

You shouldn't need to be tanked in here. That means there's a damp problem

and they're trying to keep it out.

'Tanking is what you can do to try and keep the damp out.

'It can be a thick tarry paint you apply to the walls

or an impermeable plastic membrane that stops moisture coming in.

You then plaster over the top, and in an ideal world,

no more damp.

Unfortunately, Anglian's remedy didn't work.

They'd suggested buying a humidifier to cope with the condensation

and I said that's collecting a pint an hour.

-It's dripping...

-A pint an hour?!

-Yes!

-A pint an hour!

I can't even drink that much in a pub!

They may be laughing now, but the hangover from what the couple think is Anglian's bad workmanship

has gone on and on.

They came back. They found it had not been sealed on the top there.

They hadn't finished the lead flashing off.

-OK. Obviously there's a lot of things not right with the conservatory.

-Yeah.

-They say it's up to standard.

-Up to standard.

They've put everything right and it's all down to condensation.

They sent me an email which was their last letter.

"Sorry, we can't do any more. It's up to standard.

"It's what you're using the conservatory for."

'Over the past four years,

'the couple have chased Anglian to sort out the damp problems once and for all.

'But Anglian maintains the condensation and mould

'is not down to them.

'This has left Jan and Melvin stressed out, to say the least.'

-It's made us ill.

-Sleepless nights.

-Yes.

It's the anxiety of not knowing which way they're going to go.

We've been blamed so many times.

It's an anxious moment every time they come and visit. "Is it our fault?

"Have we missed something? Or is it their fault?" We know deep down it's their fault."

'But Anglian say the fault is the Bonds'.

'They cite, amongst other things,

'the use of the washing machine and tumble dryer in the conservatory

'as a contributing factor towards the condensation

'that in turn causes the dreaded mould.'

-What do you believe it is?

-I know what it is.

-We had a surveyor in. When our surveyor came...

-Our surveyor came.

-We didn't sleep very well the night before.

-We were a wreck.

-We were thinking, "What if he finds nothing?"

-"What do we do?"

-"He'll make us look idiots."

And then he did three different readings.

And each one, he's come out and said, "This shouldn't be like this.

"He said you shouldn't have any damp readings like this in a brick wall with central heating in here."

And you also sent the survey into Anglian?

I sent a copy by email to Anglian.

We sent it to everybody that we contacted in Anglian,

-to every one of them...

-Nothing's happened?

-They've not rung us or sent an email. Nothing.

-They've not responded to us at all.

-Have you got any photos of the damp at its worst?

I've got loads.

Not only photographs but telephone calls, letters...

You've been keeping a very good record of everything there.

-It made it look worse.

-I saw something there. What was that?

This is the mould, yeah? This looks bad.

Yes. These are recent pictures.

There's water dripping all the way off this.

But what we don't want is it to get back in the corner

to what it was in the first place.

This is what's happening again.

You can see down here where all the wet is.

That's the concrete again.

'Understandably, Anglian's dealings on this issue have left Melvin and Jan suitably unimpressed.'

What do you want at the end of this?

To be able to use the conservatory.

That's what we had it built for.

So we can actually come and sit out here.

In a nutshell, you want what you paid for.

Yeah. I want what we paid for.

I'm going to take all this with me. You take care. And you, Mel.

Why do people buy conservatories?

It's because one, they need an extra room,

and two, they want a room they can use as a transition between being in the house and in the garden.

Now, in Mel and Jan's case, they've got the opposite.

They've got a room that's so damp, they can't use it.

I'm going to see if I can put an end to that.

But before I ever dive in at the deep end,

I like to find out who I'm up against.

Anglian Home Improvements has been selling windows since 1966.

When it comes to conservatories,

they claim they use the most up-to-date construction techniques

to ensure you'll have a low maintenance extension

that you and your family will enjoy all year round.

Clearly the Bonds haven't been able to enjoy their conservatory

for four years.

Time to see what the company have to say for themselves.

Anglian Windows. Let's see how they deal with Mr and Mrs Bond's problem.

Reception answers and I ask to be put through

to the department that's been dealing with the Bonds' complaints.

People who've written to us have had dealings with you

to you probably give me a bit of insight into what's going on.

'I explain the reason for my call and get passed on to the right department.'

If I can tell you about what I'm doing, and put you in the picture.

'Again I explain why I'm calling.

'The lady that I'm talking to asks that we don't use her voice for broadcast. Fair enough.'

Jan and Melvin Bond.

They had a conservatory built in 2008, September.

'I talk to her about Anglian's treatment of the Bonds.'

Sort of said as it's basically condensation, that's not covered.

'I tell her how the Bonds have attempted to sort the problem out

'and their independent surveyor's report with the details.

'She asks for a copy of the report and I ask for their policy on condensation

'and the damage it can cause.'

Bye-bye.

Now, it's always advisable to start any call very politely

and it all depends how the people are with you at the other end.

But no point in going in guns blazing.

So I phoned them up, said we've got a problem. Can you sort it out. These are the details.

Can you send me copies of your t's and c's and your condensation report.

What happens after then really now all depends on Anglian.

So, it could go either way.

Fingers crossed time.

'It seems I managed some movement from Anglian.

'But is it enough for Mel and Jan?'

I think Anglian are still going to try and find some problem

in the building to say, "It's not our fault."

I'm Rani Price, and there's nothing I like better

than helping you, the buying public,

through the minefield of regulations

to make sure you stay savvy shoppers.

'Now, consumer law can be very confusing.

'But knowing just a few of these laws can save you not only money

'but a lot of hassle as well.'

Do you know what this is?

Two for a tenner?

'Today, I'm 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.'

Do you know what, there are salesmen who like to do things the old-fashioned way,

by knocking on your door to sell their wares.

But there are different rights than if you buy from a shop.

So you'd better know your stuff.

Excuse me, madam, would you like to chat to us? One minute, two minutes?

Do you want to come back down? She's going to come down and talk to us.

Here she comes, here she comes, here she comes.

-So, doorstep selling.

-Doorstep selling.

-Know what it is?

-Not very much.

-Ever had anybody come knocking?

-Very rarely.

-Last evening.

-Right.

-Doorstep selling.

-OK. What was that?

-A young man who said, "For charity, I'm selling things."

Didn't show me the things.

I said, "Thank you very much, but I'm cooking dinner."

First, I want to know if these guys know their rights

when it comes to being sold products or services at their front door.

Let's say, for example, someone wants to offer you cover.

You need home insurance.

You call a company, a good company,

-the kind of company your father would approve of.

-Right.

They come to the house. They chat for hours and you decide to sign.

Two days later, your dad phones you and goes, "That's not right.

-"You should phone and cancel them."

-Right.

Can you cancel the policy?

-It depends, doesn't it?

-On what?

I don't know.

-I have no idea.

-You've signed a contract with them.

-Hmm.

-You didn't feel forced into it.

I'd try to get them on the phone.

'Seems like these guys are a little confused.

'Cue expert Rob Vale from Trading Standards.'

Doorstep selling regulations give you a right to a refund

provided you cancel within seven days.

This is known as a cooling off period.

When you enter into a doorstep contract,

you must be given written details of your right to cancel

and that will tell you how to cancel, normally in writing

and within seven days.

'All good advice, but what if we're talking about a product

'that someone is potentially already making for you?'

You've signed up to get your windows done, but only afterwards you realise

maybe you could get a better deal

or you could go with a different company that would be in keeping with a conservation area.

But you've already signed up. Can you still cancel it?

-I've got an answer to that.

-Go on.

"Sorry, this is a conservation area. We're not allowed double glazing."

If they say to you, "We've started making them.

"Soon as we left your house we were there in the factory."

I suppose I would pay for them.

If you haven't been given a written notice of your cancellation rights

that tells you you've got the seven-day cooling off period,

not only is this against the law,

it also negates the contract.

So if they have started work, you're not obliged to pay anything

because they failed to follow the rules as far as giving you that information.

'So, just remember that seven-day cooling off period

'and the paperwork you should expect.

'But what about subscriptions and signing on the dotted line

'for a year's worth of bedtime reading?'

-Do you have any hobbies?

-Riding. I'm off riding now.

Very nice. "Well, we have this great offer, a riding magazine

"£30 to you, for the year. Interested?" "Yes, I am", you say.

Sign up. And then actually think, "You know what? I don't want that.

-"It's not really for me." Can you cancel it?

-Yes, I would think I probably could cancel it.

I don't know because I wouldn't put myself in that position.

Everything should be possible to cancel.

Doorstep selling regulations only cover contracts for £35 and over.

-What's the difference?

-Because it's under £35.

How... How does one know?

That's the thing. That's what I'm here to tell you!

I'm here to tell you these things so you know.

-So anything under £35...

-You don't get your cooling-off period.

-But over, you do.

-You do, yes.

More people should know that.

So next time you buy something from a doorstep sale,

don't get yourself all hot and bothered.

Remember your cooling off period.

Well, unless it's under £35, that is.

I'm helping Melvin and Jan who've had a raft-load of problems with their near-16-grand conservatory

built by Anglian Home Improvements.

So this conservatory is not fulfilling any of your needs at all?

We just use it to do the washing now. We don't sit out there at all.

Seriously?

'Their conservatory is awash with damp and has mould sprouting all over the place.

'Over a four-year period,

'Anglian's repairs haven't stopped the rot

'and the couple's dream conservatory is a nightmare.'

You wake up with a start and you can feel all the tension and stress

and it goes into your stomach and I end up shaking, laying in bed shaking.

'The Bonds believed they'd be covered for the problems their conservatory is suffering from

'by Anglian's ten-year guarantee.

'Only they've been told that covers all parts and labour,

'not damage caused by environmental factors.

'Factors like condensation.

'Condensation Anglian say the Bonds are causing by having their washing machine and tumble drier

'in the same room.

'I've already touched base with Anglian just to let them know I'm on the case.'

If I can take an email address, I can get a lot of paperwork over to you as well.

'Quite promisingly, I received an email containing the terms and conditions of their guarantee

'and stating that the case is now with a marketing director

'and that he'll be in touch.

'The good news is, he's asking for a copy of the Bonds' independent report.

'It's a good start. Before I send it over, I cast my eyes over its finer details.

'In it, the Bonds' independent surveyor backs up everything they believe

'that fundamentally the problems are not to do with their use of the conservatory

'but how it's been built.'

'Namely, a massive potential problem with its damp proof course.

'His finishing advice is that the whole thing needs to be taken down and done again. Ouch!

No wonder Anglian aren't that keen to discuss it with the Bonds.

'They are sticking to the argument that Jan shouldn't be using her tumble drier in there.'

That's got me thinking.

Are there things that you should and shouldn't do in a conservatory?

Now, keep it clean, please!

Let's see what the experts say.

And I know exactly the man to tell us.

My name is Richard Christie.

I'm the chief executive of the Double Glazing and Conservatory Ombudsman Scheme,

a consumer protection organisation.

We aim to fully protect any consumers who buy products from our members.

We do hold a register of our accredited installation companies.

Consequently, consumers can come to our website

where they can look to find a member

and we will put them in touch with installation companies

that they can request calls from.

Anglian aren't part of this ombudsman scheme,

but as a market leader, they are part of the Glass and Glazing Federation

who operate their own processes to protect consumers.

Trust me, it's always best to look for a company that is accredited.

The standards of entry that members of the scheme have to meet

are very high.

They must agree to abide by the scheme rules and the ombudsman's ruling

should there be a dispute.

It's always good to have an outside party involved.

But what is Richard's take on what should or shouldn't be done in a conservatory?

I've seen many cases where the consumer is complaining about condensation

within their conservatory.

When we've investigated the matter,

there may have been a bed and someone's been sleeping in the conservatory.

That puts a lot of moisture into the atmosphere.

Conservatories are not considered habitable rooms.

You definitely shouldn't be looking to use them as kitchens, bedrooms or bathrooms.

You definitely should not be sleeping in conservatories.

You should not be having gas stoves or tumble driers,

anything that puts moisture into the atmosphere

is definitely something you shouldn't be doing.

This is exactly what Anglian cited as a cause for condensation in the Bonds' conservatory -

both the washing machine and tumble drier being used in there.

But their independent report suggests

that's the least of the problems

and that it has fundamental issues with the construction

and damp proof course.

But is theirs a common problem?

When dealing with complaints where consumers feel they may have condensation

or feel they may have damp,

it's quite important to establish which one it is.

Condensation is moisture appearing on a surface

whereas damp is moisture that is actually within that substraint itself.

Condensation can happen within conservatories.

However, in my experience, the majority of cases

are not to do with the conservatory itself.

They are to do with the way the conservatory is being used.

Maybe Anglian have got a point after all.

This doesn't bode well for Melvin and Jan.

It means it's more important than ever to get Anglian to look at that independent report

that cites the damp proof course as a potential problem.

And it seems they may have.

I'm told they've organised a surveyor to visit the Bonds,

which is fantastic news.

But at this moment, the marketing director still maintains

the conservatory's construction is fine.

The family's use of it is not.

They do say they want to sort this out,

but I'm sure everything now hangs on this next report.

One very anxious week later and the day of inspection has dawned.

Melvin and Jan are on a knife's edge.

Last night, we were pacing around. Neither of us could concentrate on anything.

Couldn't concentrate on TV. Went to bed. Took ages to get to sleep.

Then I woke up at three o'clock.

Went to sleep, woke up at five o'clock.

Eventually I got up, made myself a cup of tea

and didn't go back to sleep again.

We weren't allowed to film Anglian's surveyor at work

but he did thorough tests.

He said, "I'm going to go around with my monitors

"and check the condensation level, the water ingress measurements,

"and I'll do one side, then another and take some other readings."

Jan was on hand to highlight the main problem areas to him

and what their own surveyor had discovered.

I only hope this surveyor sings from the same hymn sheet as the first.

But after four years of arguments and stress,

Jan is sadly less than hopeful for the outcome.

Anglian have now got to see what they're going to do about it.

I do feel very sick now inside

because of what's happened, all the anxiety

that's built up over the last four years.

I feel relieved but I feel quite apprehensive and still feel sick about it all.

Who knows, at the end of the day, where this is going to end.

'Everything could now hinge on this report.

'So, a few days later,

'I put in a call to the marketing director handling our case.'

Credit where credit is due.

I contacted Anglian Windows last week.

And told them about the problem.

And since now and then,

they've sent round an expert to have a look at this conservatory.

So I'm about to ring and find out what's happened.

I've got a funny feeling this guy might have found the root of the problem.

Not a voice mail.

Please don't go to voice mail.

Voice mail!

Dominic Littlewood. Unfortunately I've missed you. It's gone to voice mail.

If you get a moment, could you give us a call back?

Voice mails. I hate them, but to be honest,

I spoke to that guy before and he's pretty good.

So I reckon he'll call me back quite soon.

Not even a coffee shop round here.

So my caffeine needs will have to wait

because I've got more pressing matters to deal with.

Like just what guarantees and warranties are really worth.

The Bond family thought their warranty would protect them,

but it seems it's not as simple as that.

So the question is, what should we expect from our warranties

and can the law protect us if our warranties don't?

The man to tell us that is Steve Playle from Trading Standards.

Warranties and guarantees are things that traders give you

to give you reassurance that if things go wrong,

there'll be somebody there to pick up the pieces.

Sometimes, guarantees and warranties are worth their weight in gold,

sometimes they're worth absolutely nothing.

Consumers need to be very wary about guarantees without understanding the terms and conditions.

But what about your basic consumer rights?

How do warranties and guarantees fit in there?

Warranties and guarantees are rights over and above

your normal statutory rights under the Sale of Goods Act.

Sale of Goods Act lays out your basic rights,

that warranties and guarantees are the Rolls-Royce treatment to give you extra protection.

OK, so consumers still have their basic rights

under the Sale of Goods Act. And here's where things get interesting.

The Act states that goods must be "fit for purpose" and of "satisfactory quality".

And I know the Bonds would argue their conservatory is neither.

So, can Anglian keep referring back to the t's and c's of their guarantee?

Standing firm that damage caused by condensation isn't covered?

The terms of the Sale of Goods Act are king. Retailers can't override those rules.

They can give you additional benefits, fine,

but they can't chop and change some of the Sale of Goods Act rights

for rights contained within a warranty.

Sale of Goods Act first, warranty second.

You may have cases where the warranty or guarantee doesn't cover your particular situation.

But you still have your Sale of Goods Act rights.

It all comes down to what's reasonable under the circumstances.

So that's where you need to think about getting an expert opinion

and an expert report to try and back up your claim

that the goods weren't fit for their purpose.

OK. The Bonds did this. But who should you choose

and who's going to be left out of pocket?

Surveyors don't come cheap.

If you do need to get a report carried out on the product

to prove your case,

it's best to find someone who's an expert in that field

and that will involve money.

So you'll have to pay for that.

If you've let the trader know you intend to go to the Small Claims Court

and you intend to get a report carried out,

you may be able to get the costs of that report back

should you win your case.

Fair enough, Steve.

But with Anglian saying the conservatory is up to standard,

are they by-passing both the Sale of Goods Act

and the independent report that states the conservatory is not fit for purpose?

And if so, what do consumers have to do in similar situations

to the Bonds, apart from get me in, that is!

If you get to a stalemate situation where you've done everything reasonable,

the trader's refused to reject the goods and you've got an expert backing you up,

the ultimate step to take is the Small Claims Court.

Go there, fill out the claim forms,

and the let the court hearing proceed and you'll get a hearing date in due course

and the registrar will decide the case.

Thanks, Steve. Good advice.

Hopefully, it won't have to come to that in the Bonds' case.

Fundamentally, they and their surveyor think the conservatory isn't fit for purpose.

But will Anglian come round to their way of thinking?

It's not condensation. It's a problem with the actual building itself.

We get thousands of emails asking for our help.

Unfortunately, we can't answer each one.

But what we can do is warn you about some of the common consumer pitfalls

so you don't get done.

Today, we're talking about chip and pin fraud.

This is when your credit or debit card is stolen or cloned

in order to steal money from your account.

Meet Benedicte Albert, who came to London from Norway

to study music and drama.

May 2011, she was the victim of a debit card crime

that she has suffered from ever since.

I was in a nightclub in Tottenham Court Road having a great time.

By the end of the night, I realised my card was gone.

My ID was still there, my passport,

and my Oyster card was still there.

It must have happened so quickly because all they got out was the purse.

And she acted swiftly in response.

My phone was dead so I borrowed my friend's phone

and we quickly found the number on the internet

and called up the bank and asked to cancel it.

Even though I had only 8p so I didn't think it was that important.

But I thought I'd have to cancel it to get a new one at least.

Did Benedicte do the right thing?

The UK cards association are an organisation

who help develop industry standards to tackle card fraud.

If you think there's any chance your card has been lost or stolen,

the best thing to do is pick up the phone and give your bank a call.

Typically, they'll then cancel the card

to make sure there's no prospect of any fraud on it.

So it seems she did everything she should have.

I felt relieved. My mum has always told me, if your card ever gets stolen

you have to cancel it straight away.

So at least I'd done that.

But as Benedicte's mum remembers well,

things didn't quite pan out as smoothly as she hoped.

I had access to Benedicte's bank account, online banking,

because it was me that actually opened it.

At the time.

But I didn't have any PIN for the card.

I had a look into her online banking

and saw suddenly something was happening there.

When I looked at my account, there was these cheques that I definitely hadn't put in

and also money had been withdrawn from foreign exchange places

and ATMs.

Benedicte's account details on her card had been used to deposit cheques

which later bounced.

And it seemed her PIN had also been obtained because money was withdrawn from cashpoints.

And the card had been used in shops.

After a theft, and even if you haven't been the victim of a crime,

constantly keeping a watchful eye on your account is key.

If you see anything on your statements or your online banking details,

that indicates there's been a transaction that you don't recognise,

then give the bank a call immediately.

So, as suggested by her mother, Benedicte called the bank again.

But strangely, they didn't have a record of her first card cancellation.

So she had to cancel again -

in their eyes, after the strange transactions took place.

The bank then starts to investigate how the fraud might have happened.

They said when the money had been taken out, these people had used the passport

which I was just confused about

because I hadn't lost my passport.

My passport was still in my bag at the end of the night.

So I thought that was funny when the bank told me that.

And that they must have known my PIN number

but I hadn't told anyone my PIN number before.

The night Benedicte's card was stolen,

she only had eight pence in her bank account

and no agreed overdraft facility.

But despite this, £1,903 was withdrawn against bogus cheques that later bounced,

meaning her account was now in the red.

To top it off, Benedicte was waiting on a large student loan payment

of £1,600 to come in.

And when it did, it just went towards paying off the unagreed overdraft.

The whole student finances went into the account

and I couldn't do nothing about it.

And I was still minus £200.

When Benedicte didn't get that student finance,

loan and grant for that term,

it was devastating for us.

It's also ended up that she couldn't take a year more of the education.

The current outcome of the situation

is basically the bank telling me I'm in the wrong. I'm a criminal.

And they still want me to pay back this money.

The bank are claiming Benedicte must have made her PIN available to the fraudster

and at the moment won't pay out.

So how could she have better protected herself from all this turmoil?

We generally find that when cards are compromised,

the way the fraudsters sometimes sadly get the PINs as well,

is through surfing the shoulder of a customer at the ATM.

It's so important to cover up the key pad when typing your PIN in.

The really key thing when it comes to protecting your PIN

is never to reveal it to anyone,

whether that's somebody that you know, or even the police or your bank.

Because they'll never contact you to ask for your PIN.

It'll always be a fraudster claiming to be somebody they're not.

Statistics, however, may be on Benedicte's side.

In 98% of cases, we know that there's a full refund given.

So it's a very overwhelming majority where in the first instance,

consumers get that money back.

In the very small minority of cases where that doesn't happen,

there's an independent route of appeal through the financial ombudsman

where the case can be re-opened and the bank's decision overturned if appropriate.

Benedicte has indeed sent her case to the ombudsman

and is waiting for a final decision.

But it seems her case is unusual.

Hopefully, things will work out for her soon.

But if you follow my steps in protecting yourself from chip and pin fraud,

hopefully, you won't get done.

'I'm on the case of Melvin and Jan Bond's mouldy conservatory,

built for just shy of 16 grand by Anglian Home Improvements.

They've had a four-year battle with the company

to get them to recognise the damp problems in the new extension

are not down to how they use the room

but how the room was built.

There is a problem, and it's none of our doing.

But after four years, you just feel like you're going to fall apart.

'So far, the Bonds have had an independent report

'stating the issues could lie with the damp proof course

'and not the fact they've used a tumble drier in the room.

'But thankfully, Anglian have responded by sending out their own surveyor.'

Where we go from now, I don't know.

We'll just wait and see.

'Well, somebody has got back to me from the company, asking me to call them.

'This time, it's their Head of Marketing and Communications.'

Right.

I'm hoping...

..this will be the start of the end of the problem.

Soon find out.

Melanie, good afternoon.

'Melanie confirms they have the latest surveyor's report

'and the issues he raises are pretty similar to the first independent one

'commissioned by the Bonds.'

Yes, he went round and had a look, didn't he? Yes.

'Anglian's surveyor recommends that the company examine the walls,

'create overall better ventilation,

'highlights that some vents weren't working correctly

'and that the damp proof course has potentially been laid incorrectly.'

What exactly are you going to do?

'In my layman's interpretation,

'that could explain the damp and mould problems pretty well.

'It's great news that they are finally admitting there's a problem here.'

I need to ask you a question here, Melanie.

Why's it taken four and a half years to get to this stage?

'Melanie tells me it's a great pity it's taken this long to sort out the Bonds' issue.

'It should have been dealt with better locally

'and should have come up the chain of command sooner.

'Better yet, I'm told they've launched an internal investigation

'because of the time this has dragged on

'and the fact the problems with the conservatory are more than they've been admitting for over four years.

'What a positive result!'

I'm glad to hear you're going to conduct an internal investigation.

If this puts an end to it, brilliant. Lovely talking to you, Melanie. Bye.

I felt that call

possibly - not possibly, definitely - couldn't have gone better.

'Because finally, the truth is out.

'The condensation and damp problem

'is bigger than just Jan using a tumble drier in her conservatory.

'The terms and conditions of the guarantee are now irrelevant.

'As we heard earlier from Trading Standards,

'the Sale of Goods Act trumps Anglian's t's and c's

'because finally they are acknowledging

'the conservatory wasn't built correctly in the first place.

'Time to break some news.'

Hi, Jan. How you doing, lovey? All right, Mel?

Hope the kettle's on, cos I've got some news for you.

-Good!

-Oh, come in.

-Come on in.

-Thanks very much.

No chance of a muffin, I suppose, is there?

-Jan and Mel, good to see you again.

-Nice to see you.

How do you think I got on?

-Don't know. Don't know. We've got nowhere in four years.

-Yeah.

All we got was blamed and blamed and blamed.

Let me tell you how I got on, then.

I started to work my way up the top of the ladder

and speak to some very important people.

Now it's been brought to the attention of the important people, who should have taken care of you,

things have started to happen.

-They employed an independent expert.

-Yes.

-That's right.

-What was your opinion of him?

-We were very apprehensive.

But when he started finding the faults, I don't know, it just lifted our spirits.

-It gave you hope. I've read his survey back to front.

-Yes.

As have Anglian. His report basically says it's not your lifestyle.

-There was problems at the start, with installation.

-Yep.

Of course, subsequently, you've suffered as a result of that.

Anglian have given me a statement. Let me read that out to you.

It says here, "We wholeheartedly apologise to Mr and Mrs Bond..."

-Good start.

-Yeah.

"..as they have clearly not experienced Anglian's high standard of service

"with the installation of their conservatory." Bingo. We all agree with that.

'But most crucially for Jan and Melvin, Anglian also say...'

On top of that, I've asked them to pay for an independent surveyor

to keep an eye on the work, monitor it, and report afterwards to you and to them.

So you should not have any more problems.

-Right.

-Good.

They're in the past, almost. How do you feel?

Phew!

A lot happier than I was earlier on.

-Look at how far we've leaped forward.

-Oh, yes!

-Yeah, yeah.

Have confidence. There's nowhere else for them to go now.

They've got to do the job properly.

I said to them, "What about the four years' inconvenience they've had?"

They'd like to send you away on a week's holiday, full-board,

so you can enjoy a week in Cornwall, with the dog,

hand the keys over, come back, end of.

And do you know what? You're starting to smile!

You're starting to smile!

Or they did give you an alternative.

If you don't want that, they'll send you to London for a weekend,

fully paid for, go to a theatre show or see a sporting event.

They'll pay for it. It's their way of saying sorry.

-Right.

-Right.

-I can see little tears in both your eyes!

-I don't get emotional very easily, I can tell you.

Are you going for the week in Cornwall or the weekend in London?

-Cornwall, me.

-Yeah.

-Where are you going?

-Well, I'll have a weekend in London and you...

-I'll let you work that out yourselves!

-You've been together long enough.

-Yeah.

-Right. See me out.

I think I've done everything I needed to.

Come on, then!

I can't lift you up!

Don't lift me up. You'll strain your back! Right.

Since filming, the couple have swapped their holiday

for a brand-new front door and three windows from Anglian!

Of course, all free of charge. Anglian added...

Four years coming, it'll be nice just to relax

and not have to worry about the mould and cleaning all the mould off the windows.

The grandchildren can come in here and play.

There's plenty of room, while the adults are having their cup of tea.

I think it's going to be a whole new world for us.

Isn't it nice when a big company like Anglian

put their hands up and say, "Do you know what?

"We got this one wrong. We'll take it on the chin and put things right.

"And to make up for all the inconvenience they've had in there,

"we're going to send this couple away for a nice week's holiday at our expense."

Good on you, Anglian.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd