Air Quality 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.

It really annoys me when companies makes unrealistic promises

which, more often than not, they don't stick to.

I hate it when people seem disinterested and they're not there to help.

I'll be taking on your cases and fighting your fight

with the big companies.

People upset me...

Big mistake.

Big, big mistake.

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

It's just a good way to look at it,

if you did think, "I have got the money, but I want to be careful."

That's a really good tip.

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

Get Dom.

Coming up on today's show...

The homeowner made ill by his own flat.

The meter readings should be safely round about 400 in flats.

And mine was at 3,400.

Over six times.

Roving reporter Rani Price

will be out and about, finding out just what you know about consumer rights.

Would you go back to the dealer?

Um, it wouldn't have been my first thought.

And love 'em or loathe 'em,

we give you the lowdown on debt management companies.

And if they say to you, "We do not know how long this process will take"?

Walk away. They're not the company for you.

There's nothing like filling your lungs full of good, clean fresh air,

but in these traffic-filled streets of our towns and cities,

it's actually quite hard to do.

At least once you're inside the comfort of your own home,

you wouldn't have to worry about the quality of the air you're breathing.

Well, that's what you'd hope.

That's exactly what 39-year-old Ian Churchill was hoping for

when he bought a new flat in London's Canary Wharf.

But unfortunately, he's experienced problems with the property

that have impacted on his health.

Ian's story began in 2006.

The reason why I moved into the area

was it's Canary Wharf - it's become like a second little centre.

It's got its own vibrancy about it, it's near the river,

and this flat came up, so I thought it's perfect for me.

The flat that caught his eye was in a top location,

plus, was on the market to buy in partnership with Swan Housing Association -

an affordable way to purchase a property.

But within weeks, he realised that something wasn't right.

I noticed pretty much straight away that I wasn't feeling my best.

I was waking up feeling very unrested, tired,

like there's something wrong here, but I'm not quite sure what it is.

I thought maybe I was overdoing it, so I tried to calm things down a little.

But that didn't work,

and over time, his health continued to get worse.

I'd wake up feeling extremely tired,

unrested.

Dry eyes, not being able to breathe properly.

You know...short breaths, shortness of breath.

You tried to do something and you were really gasping for your breath.

In 2007, Ian was fearful that his symptoms

had something to do with the air he was breathing inside the flat.

He suspected it could have been to do with his boiler.

As a precaution, Ian bought a carbon monoxide alarm,

as well as approaching Swan Housing.

It was only after a couple of months of suffering

that I spoke to Swan.

I said, "There's something wrong with this flat. Can you do something about it?"

But nothing ever came of it.

No-one ever came out to me,

and I still kept on feeling worse and worse and worse.

Over the following three years,

Ian continued to email and contact Swan Housing,

telling them about the air quality in his flat and other issues,

such as condensation and mould.

Ian felt they weren't taking him seriously

and he instigated a complaints procedure.

In November 2010, around three years after moving in,

Swan Housing finally sent a surveyor round.

He came round to measure the air quality.

And he said it was good enough. It was sufficient. If I kept my front door open,

and all my windows, there was adequate ventilation inside my flat.

Whoa! Hold your horses. Say that again.

If I kept my front door open,

and all my windows, there was adequate ventilation inside my flat.

The surveyor felt there were adequate ventilation openings

to comply with the building regulations at the time the property was built.

But one of these openings was the front door.

Following the survey, Swan fitted an air conditioning unit

designed to purify the air

and lower the temperature of the flat.

In the meantime, however, Ian was scouring the internet

to try and get to the bottom of his health complaints.

When I looked at the internet to see what

my symptoms may be caused by,

I noticed that carbon dioxide was coming up.

And when I looked into it, I noticed I had all those symptoms.

First it was carbon monoxide and now it was potentially CO2 as well.

Ian immediately bought a carbon dioxide meter

and started using it.

And I just watched mine go up and up and up,

and I realised that there was no ventilation in my flat at all.

And since 2010,

despite Swan Housing having changed Ian's boiler

and fitting an air conditioning unit,

little has changed the way Ian feels in his flat.

Since then, he has continued complaining,

but in August 2012,

Swan told Ian that they'd rectified the ventilation problem

and that the matter was now closed.

Sounds to me like Ian's pretty concerned about the quality of air in his flat,

so I've come to East London to meet him and find out what's going on.

In fact, his front door's ajar.

Is that because he's waiting for me?

Sadly, I know it isn't.

-Ian.

-Hi, Dom.

-Nice to meet you.

Something I found quite strange... You live in a ground-floor apartment here.

Yet your front door was open.

They said that my front door counted as my ventilation,

so I'm in a situation where I have to have the front door open.

And how does that make you feel, security-wise?

Well, it's not secure at all.

It's a high-crime area.

Unbelievably, Ian has actually fitted a special lock

so that he can leave the front door open,

just to get the fresh air the flat seems to need.

I think I need to start at the beginning.

It's a very nice apartment here, and you purchased it - you don't rent it, do you?

It's a shared ownership property, so I'm a sub-leaseholder.

-The main leaseholder is Swan Housing Association.

-OK.

So they own a percentage of it, you own the rest of it, and you pay some mortgage, some rent.

They're great schemes, when they work fine.

But that does mean if you get a problem,

you can go back to Swan Housing.

Basically, yeah.

This is a problem Ian has lived with since 2006.

And so I want to get to the bottom of exactly what Swan Housing have done over the years

to try and rectify the issues.

What I have noticed, though,

is you've got a unit up there,

which looks like an air conditioning unit.

That was fitted by the housing association,

because the temperatures inside the flat were reaching 30 degrees.

That was their solution to cooling the flat down.

But yet it's not drawing in fresh air

from outside, is it?

No.

Ian and Swan discussed an air conditioning unit

that would bring in outside air.

But Ian was not happy with aspects of their proposal.

So, what about the gas boiler, which Ian suspected

could have been leaking carbon monoxide into his flat

and potentially causing his symptoms?

I came to an agreement with Swan Housing Association that we would both put money together

to change over to an electric combination boiler.

And that meant that there was no gas supply coming into my flat.

And because it wasn't burning any fossil fuels,

there was no risk of me producing my own carbon monoxide.

So, as a result of that, you've now got an electric boiler in here,

-yet you've still got complaints?

-Yeah.

Great, OK - carbon monoxide's gone,

I'm not under heat stress all the time,

but I wasn't feeling as good as I do if I'm somewhere else.

So neither of Swan's remedies improved Ian's health

and now knowing it wasn't carbon monoxide that was potentially causing him grief,

Ian bought the carbon dioxide tester in 2012.

I was shocked.

I was genuinely shocked. When I plugged it in,

I thought there was something wrong with the meter,

because the meter readings should be safely around 400, 500 in flats.

Mine went... I've actually recorded it at 3,400.

-That's how high it was.

-Over six times.

Yeah, ridiculous amounts.

And I noticed when it got anywhere near 1,000,

you just started drifting off and falling asleep.

And my flat was never under 1,000.

CO2 is measured in parts per million

and Ian's readings are alarmingly high.

The situation now is so bad that Ian can only stay in his flat

a couple of days a week.

This self-imposed exile

is clearly out of order.

What do you think is causing the problem that needs to be resolved?

I think it's the windows.

I think the houses are too sealed.

I think that there's not enough air coming in.

All the windows are on one side.

It's just completely sealed,

and I'd like that to be investigated.

Ian's problems have been going on now for in excess of six years,

and it sounds like they're pretty serious,

so I need to be getting on the phone to Swan Housing Association

to find out what on earth is going on.

Before I wade in,

I need to find out just who I'm dealing with.

Swan Housing Association provides affordable and social housing

across East London, Suffolk and Essex,

managing over 10,000 homes.

The website states that Swan has three core values

that means they will be imaginative to make things happen,

be insistent to go the extra mile for residents

and in touch, listening and responding to residents.

I'm sure I'll have plenty of opportunity to put those claims to the test.

Time to give them a call.

Let's get on to Swan.

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

'Once I'm through to the switchboard and explain the reason for my call,

'she suggests that someone in the public relations department is the right person to speak to.'

Is there any chance of either putting me through or I'll call him direct?

'She puts me on hold while she digs out the PR's number.'

I shall give him a call. Bye.

Perseverance pays off. I've now got a direct-dial number.

Don't have to keep going through the switchboard.

Right, let's see what the public relations department's take on the situation is.

Oh, hi, good afternoon. It's Dominic Littlewood from the BBC.

'The PR man doesn't want his voice broadcast,

'but he listens to what I have to say.'

The gentleman hasn't been living in his flat for about five months or so.

It seems he can't really help much at this stage.

However, he does ask me to email him with the details of the case.

Bye-bye.

Not much progress so far,

but I didn't expect it all at this stage.

At least the ball's rolling.

Time will tell if Swan Housing are willing to clear the air

when it comes to Ian's ventilation.

But things definitely hot up when we start testing.

-That's a bit concerning, then, isn't it?

-Yes.

-Everything so high.

-Yes.

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, your consumer law can be very confusing.

You've got your Sale of Goods Act,

distance selling, right to return...and it doesn't stop there.

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

but a lot of hassle as well.

Do you know what this is?

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.

Used cars are the most complained-about consumer problem.

It seems it drives us round the bend.

But what rights do we actually have

when it comes to complaining about a second-hand motor?

-Got a car?

-Yes.

-New car, second-hand car?

-Second-hand car.

Are you a kind of guy that goes to a dealer, or private seller?

-I went to a dealer.

-OK.

You should be good at this, then. I shall ask you some questions.

OK. First, let's see how aware you are of your basic rights.

You saw a car, loved it

and you took it for a test drive,

paid your money over

and off you went, woo-hoo!

Driving around, feeling very proud of yourself with your new car.

Five months done the line...boom!

The engine explodes.

-After five months?

-Yeah.

Hopefully, it's under guarantee.

What do you do next?

I have no idea.

Would you go back to the dealer?

It wouldn't have been my first thought.

You could take it back to the dealer, but he's probably not going to want to know.

Everybody seems to be a bit confused

about this issue.

Time to hear from our expert.

Under the Sale of Goods Act, consumers will be covered

for any faults outside what's considered

"fair wear and tear".

This can mean, in some cases, things like an engine blowing up

way before you'd expect it to.

As it happened at five months,

you could go back to the dealer, because the car has to be roadworthy

-and you'd expect it to last longer than five months.

-Yes.

Right, let's take it up a level.

What about problems that might have been caused by you?

The passenger door gets stuck.

Your husband's there. You're driving around.

You get out to snap the pictures, like, "Get out the car!" and he's like...

SHE MOUTHS

What are you going to do?

If it was all right when I bought it and so on,

I mean, and it became an issue

after a few months, I'd presume I have to fix it myself.

Knowing my husband, he'd probably get it fixed and he wouldn't go back to the garage.

Well, in fact, you're all wrong.

You have more rights than you think.

If the passenger door is stuck,

as much as it is inconvenient,

it also wouldn't pass its MOT.

Which means it's unsafe to drive, and unworthy to be on the road.

So, you could take it back to the dealer

and it's their responsibility to get that fixed.

Time now to reflect on wing mirrors.

So you're going down the road

and your wife says, "That wing mirror's a bit rusty.

"Are you going to get that sorted?"

Who's going to fix that one?

If I felt it was a dealer responsibility - maybe it is -

I would take it back for the wing mirror.

-I'd go to the dealer.

-No!

No!

Well, you're wrong again.

If it doesn't concern roadworthiness,

then it's not the dealer's concern.

And anyway, it's not a brand-new motor, so different rules are going to apply.

It does make a difference whether you bought an old banger for £200

or a very expensive £50,000 car.

You've got to take into account reasonable expectations.

Of course, the £200 car is not going to last as long as the £50,000 car.

How long before your good luck runs out with this dealer?

I imagine you'd be lucky to get one thing fixed on the car.

If it's a second thing, I think he'll say he's busy.

Six months?

No? Yes?

Stick with the first answer!

Within the first six months,

the onus is on the dealer.

Then, if there was a problem, you'd have to prove that it was the car's fault

and not something you had been doing.

You may have up to six years to make a claim against the seller of the car

for supplying you a car that is not of a satisfactory quality.

So, next time you buy a second-hand car,

learn your rights so you stay on the straight and narrow.

I've been answering a cry for help from Ian Churchill,

who is convinced that his flat's potentially poor ventilation

is making him ill.

I'd wake up in the morning

and I couldn't lift my head up from the pillow.

It was just... It was like I'd been drugged all night long.

Swan Housing Association, who co-own his flat,

have tried over the past six years

to help, by installing an air conditioning unit

and changing the boiler.

But Ian's symptoms still persist,

and he only stays in his flat two days a week.

I'm trying to stress to them that this problem

isn't just something I'm making up in my head.

I've started the ball rolling.

I gave Swan Housing a call, but so far, have only been able to speak

with their public relations department,

and the clock is ticking to get this problem solved.

And it turns out Ian is not the only resident suffering health problems here.

-Hello.

-Hi, is that Maria?

-Hi.

-Hi, Maria. It's Dominic from Don't Get Done Get Dom.

-Come in.

Thank you.

Hi, Maria.

Maria also has serious concerns about the air quality in her flat,

where she lives with her two daughters.

-You've had some fears, haven't you?

-When I first moved in, I bought a carbon monoxide detector.

I assumed there was something wrong with the air.

There was obviously something that made me feel quite ill.

And my older daughter - it was just me and her at the time -

she started constantly getting sick as well.

That's when I discovered the mould underneath the mattress.

Like Ian downstairs, Maria embarked on a series of complaints

to Swan Housing, to get them to check out her flat.

I said, "We need some more ventilation here,

"because the air's not escaping."

Cos we were just suffering with dry eyes

and dry nostrils - the nose, the throat,

and, of course, the dizziness.

How do you feel about this apartment right now?

To me, I just feel like it's a prison as well now,

because you've got the kids running around

and some days they feel ill.

One minute they're fine, the next minute they're feeling dizzy

and fatigue...and a bit zombified, you know?

The sad thing is here, in Maria's case,

if there's one place where you and your kids should feel safe and secure,

it's inside your own four walls.

Yet, in her case, it's exactly the opposite.

I need Swan Housing to get their finger out PDQ.

Pretty damn quick.

What we really need is independently verified evidence

that it's the air quality caused by bad ventilation

that could be making residents ill.

I know just the chaps to do the job.

We breathe in and out about 20,000 litres of air a day.

But we spend 90% of our time indoors,

so indoor air quality is of primary importance to health.

We're here to test today for a broad range of air quality factors,

quality of life and health in an indoor environment.

-Good morning, Ian.

-Come on in.

Roger Martin is a certified associate member

of the Institute of Environmental Science,

and he and his team are going to test the indoor gases in Ian and Maria's flats

and in three others in the block.

Roger has brought in his specialised monitoring equipment,

which will take the gas level measurements.

Well, we've got some readings from the particulate side.

You've got a lot of particulate matter in here,

which is actually consistent with an unventilated environment.

-That's a bit concerning, then.

-Yes.

So, having been exposed to this for six years,

what's been happening to me?

Well, you know, you would certainly have experienced

severe adverse health reactions -

tiredness, headaches, nausea.

A six-year-long flu,

probably at the best.

The measurements are already pointing to something wrong here.

This is quite alarming.

Roger and his team are keen to see what else they can find.

Oh, hi.

And they come up with some results...PDQ.

You're pretty much elevated on all counts throughout the range.

Just to give you a general indication,

your total volatile organic compounds

were reading 4,500 parts per billion.

If we were in a healthy property,

we wouldn't expect that to be more than 300.

The only way to keep those down is either to purify them from the air,

actually to filter them out of the air,

or by ventilation.

So there you have it.

As Roger and the team run tests in three neighbouring apartments,

evidence is mounting up.

All we need to do is wait for Roger's thoughts.

This block is possibly one of the worst properties

as far as air quality is concerned.

Ouch!

But when it comes to Maria's flat...

One of the flats has shown carbon monoxide levels

the highest that we've detected in a residential property, which is quite worrying.

As soon as Roger sends over his initial findings to us in an email,

we immediately send it over to the PR contact at Swan Housing.

And a couple of days later,

I'm going to try and get through to Swan Housing Association's top man.

I've done a bit of research,

and I've found out that this gentleman here, John Synnuck,

is the Chief Executive of Swan Housing Association.

Not spoken to him before. He doesn't know I'm about to ring.

Let's see if I can get through to him.

I always like, eventually, to get to the top.

'I get through to the switchboard, and she tells me John is away for this week,

'and suggests that I contact his personal assistant,

'who, unfortunately, is also away this week.'

Does his PA have a direct-dial number I can leave a voicemail on?

'I ask for a direct-dial number,

'but I am refused.

'However, I am allowed to leave a message for John's PA.'

Good morning to you. My name is Dominic Littlewood...

'Leaving a message with a PA is not enough.

'This is a matter of urgency.'

Thanks very much. Look forward to speaking to you.

Right...left a message for the CEO.

Unfortunately, he won't get it until next week.

But let's ring back and see if someone will get a message through to him.

'I decide to leave all the details of our initial findings

'with the switchboard, hoping that she will pass on my message to John.'

Bye-bye.

Right, I've exhausted every avenue to get through to the CEO.

Doesn't mean he's ignoring me - he's not in the office.

But I've got a funny feeling he'll know about that call in five minutes.

Meanwhile, I call the contact in the PR department.

He asks for the final report.

But as we need to do further tests,

the report is not complete yet.

Nevertheless, I decide to read out some of the initial findings

about high CO2 levels, directly linked to poor ventilation in Ian's flat,

and the carbon monoxide readings in Maria's.

This is the facts.

The WHO say it shouldn't be above 8.6.

'I tell him the carbon monoxide readings are higher

'than the World Health Organisation's figures.

'He asks about the regulations in the UK.

'To me, this is side-stepping the issues.'

Let me ask you a question.

Would you be happy you and your kids sleeping in there?

'We then talk technical details,

'and I stress that both of the initial findings from Ian and Maria's flat

'suggest a problem with poor ventilation.'

If you have ventilation, you won't get a build-up of carbon monoxide.

'Winding up the call, I tell him that I'm taking the issue further.'

I'm going to be contacting Environmental Health

to see they're aware of this issue

and see if they can do an investigation as well,

and I think I'm probably going to end up having to speak to all the mortgagees and the lenders

and so we need to try and sort this out ASAP.

Bye-bye.

Now, I've just had a chat with a PR man

for Swan Housing Association.

It didn't go too well,

but the point here is there are residents living in this block of flats

when there's serious problems.

From our tester's preliminary findings,

I know that Ian's flat has shown high readings of carbon dioxide

and in Maria's, carbon monoxide.

But to understand these gases and their effects,

I'm going to meet Dr Derrick Crump

from the Institute of Environment and Health

and expert in all matters concerning the air we breathe in our houses.

What will we find in the house? What sort of toxins are we not aware of?

Well, I think we're all familiar with the idea that

we open the window and we let in fresh air.

That air is coming into the house

in order to dilute

and exchange with the air that is otherwise enclosed in our rooms.

CO - carbon monoxide...

Can you explain to me what it is?

Carbon monoxide is an odourless gas

that's actually produced when anything burns.

CO has a particularly severe problem,

because it is a potential killer.

If we breathe it in,

it just makes us feel sleepy or we might develop a headache.

And as the situation gets more acute, we may never wake up again.

At what point should we be starting to get very concerned

that they're dangerous?

There are guidelines produced by the World Health Organisation

that give us these sort of levels.

We really wouldn't want levels to be, for any time,

really above 100 parts per million.

So that's carbon monoxide dealt with.

But what about carbon dioxide?

Carbon dioxide is a gas that we breathe out.

And we don't consider it as a highly toxic gas as such.

We use it as an indicator

of how our body odours

are contributing to the change in air quality

and whether the ventilation is adequate because of that.

Therefore, carbon dioxide, to be harmful,

should be at a much higher level

than we ever would experience in our homes or our offices and schools.

So then, what's the bigger issue here?

The levels of ventilation in many homes

are decreasing as we make them more airtight.

What we're losing

is the air that comes in

and we need that to remove the humidity that we generate

from our activities

and release when we use all sorts of products -

when we do the cleaning. Any product, in fact.

If you feel you've got problems,

what should you do about that?

Go to your GP, for sure.

Think about "Have I checked my appliances?"

Approach the environmental health officer

at your local council.

I think the important message here is

don't ignore it, because it could cost you your life.

Indeed.

I'm worried now.

Both bad air quality and a lack of ventilation

are potentially very serious problems.

Let me just say here

that Swan Housing are not responsible

for the construction of the building itself.

However, they ARE responsible for the health of their tenants

and for taking their tenants' concerns seriously -

something I don't feel they've done.

I'm even more determined to get things moving.

I haven't had much joy with Swan Housing yet,

but I have different ways to apply pressure.

I'm going to get onto Environmental Health

at Tower Hamlets, the local authority,

and let them know.

If their man doesn't want to play ball,

don't worry. I'm not playing ball.

I'm boxing.

Good afternoon.

'I speak to reception, and he gives me

'the names, emails and direct telephone numbers

'of the Air Quality Officer and the manager, Clive Shipman.'

Bye-bye, then.

Yeah, that's told the council about the dodgy ventilation in those flats.

In fact, let's tell the whole world.

That's going to set the cat amongst the pigeons.

Good afternoon. Can I speak to Clive Shipman, please?

'I explain the situation to Clive and give him the details of the case and our findings.

'What a lovely chap. He got the picture, and he's on the case.'

Clive, been lovely talking to you. Thanks for your help.

I've now spoken to Environmental Health Services at Tower Hamlets,

and all of a sudden, the guy says,

"Dominic, get that information over to me." That's the sort of response I appreciate.

With the environmental officers now on site,

we step up the tests and bring in the big guns.

But will Ian and Maria be able to catch a breath?

It's like having a disability.

I have memories of feeling healthy.

Wouldn't life be easier if we had a little insider knowledge -

if we knew exactly how industries operate?

So, for once, we as consumers could be ahead of the game.

Well, I'm about to meet somebody

who is fed up of keeping quiet

and they're about to let you in on the tricks of the trade.

In cash-strapped times, personal circumstances can change instantly.

Whether you're struggling with bills

or your business is in trouble,

it's easy to rack up debts.

Facing serious money problems can be frightening.

It's important to get the best advice.

Today an industry has grown up around debt management.

But it's a minefield, as some companies seem determined

to exploit vulnerable people.

I've come to meet an expert who works for a family firm established by his father,

who experienced bankruptcy and found he couldn't find decent advice.

To protect him from industry backlash,

we've concealed his identity.

At what point do people really come to seek advice about their debt?

Normally when they're at the end of their tether.

And the people that come to you, what kind of financial state are they in?

Um, it ranges, really, from the single mother

with one or two debts that they may have

to professional working people that have run themselves into

hundreds of thousands of pounds of debt.

We've had clients that have literally had mental breakdowns

over the amount of pressure,

and continuous phone calls, text messages.

I had one client that received I think it was a total of 37 calls in one day.

From one company, I know of one instance where

a prospective client came into the office

and was told she could potentially face prison

for not paying her debts,

which is totally illegal on behalf of the creditor.

There are plenty of reputable debt management companies out there.

But unfortunately, it seems there are some

who will take advantage of those in need.

I know of a debt management company

that was in partnership with a mortgage company.

And it turned out the mortgage company was actually encouraging clients that were in debt

to remortgage,

purely to pay the debt management fee.

Not to pay off the creditors.

Not to pay off the creditors.

In one case in particular,

the prospective client came to see me after being with a rogue debt management company.

Um...was totally mis-advised.

Six months' worth of payments they'd made to the debt management company

hadn't been passed on to the creditors.

Once he realised this,

the ramifications were unbelievable,

to the point where he couldn't take it any more

and he actually committed suicide over it.

So if there are unscrupulous companies out there,

what are the crucial questions you need to ask?

Number one - how much do I have to pay?

How much is going to my creditors

and how long is this whole process going to take?

And if they say to you, "We do not know how long this process is going to take"?

Walk away. They're not the company for you.

One of the attractive ways of paying off debt

is taking out a loan.

But if the bank turns you down,

some companies are willing to step forward with a pay-day loan.

Some of the pay-day loans that are out there

sound very good.

You can turn round, you can borrow £100,

and you pay back on your next pay day.

What they don't show you is the APR,

which is the annual percentage rate,

they're charging.

And some companies out there, I've been led to believe,

are charging anything up to 3,500%.

So how can we avoid dodgy companies

and choose the right one to help with our debt?

You can find out if there's a rogue debt management company

simply by a Google search.

If other people have had bad experiences,

it'll be out there on the internet.

Pick up your phone. Speak to the Office of Fair Trading

from where the company is based

and you can find out then exactly who you're dealing with.

Huge upfront fees is a really, really big warning sign.

So how much should you be paying, then?

The average amount we charge our clients

is around about no more than a maximum of £150.

So if someone asks you to pay upfront, if there's a warning sign, walk away.

Big red cross.

You wouldn't pay a mechanic for work carried out on your car before he started,

so why should you in the debt management industry?

Your monthly payments as well.

How much of the money that you're paying them

is going to your creditors?

Also, do your homework.

Find out, can you speak to any other clients

that have gone through the debt management process?

When facing a cash crisis,

it's vital that you're not taken advantage of.

The right help is out there.

Take the time to arm yourself

with the best possible advice

to ensure you don't get done.

Ian and neighbour Maria

are concerned about poor ventilation in their flats.

It's like having a disability, because we haven't got our full health.

I have memories of feeling healthy.

Swan Housing Association,

who manages their block,

had tried to sort out the problems, but nothing's worked so far.

We've instigated air quality tests,

and discovered excessive build-ups of carbon dioxide

and carbon monoxide.

It's serious.

We need a proactive response from Swan Housing.

I'm going to try and get hold of the CEO yet again.

And yet again, I'm speaking to the switchboard.

Can you put me through to John Synnuck, please?

'She says all my calls should go through the public relations department.

'But when I ask to speak to the CEO,

'I'm passed on to his personal assistant, and she's pleasant enough.'

Thank you. Bye-bye.

Although that lady was polite,

she was very evasive.

I still couldn't get to speak to anybody in any authority.

They wouldn't even give me an email address, even though I requested it.

Why is that company being so difficult?

There are people living there

potentially in a dangerous situation. I'm only trying to help them out.

I'm not asking for their bank account details.

Later that day, Swan Housing emailed to confirm they ARE looking at our initial findings.

And the next day, they send round technicians to run their own tests.

Later on, they also respond to Ian regarding the CO2 readings

he recorded on his own device,

stating that they are being investigated.

The squeaky wheel gets the oil.

Things are finally moving.

Our own investigations continue.

Roger, the independent air quality tester,

installs devices that monitor levels over 48 hours,

with Ian and Maria instructed to keep a diary of their activities.

Over the weekend, I just really need you to do what you would normally do,

but to take a note of all of the activities in this flat.

The results of these tests suggest that some of the gases,

mainly carbon monoxide,

were not coming from within the flats themselves,

but outside.

And the chief suspect was the external boiler ventilation flues

on the side of the flats.

It's frightening to come home.

You can't have your window open,

cos you need the ventilation.

So now I have to have my window closed, just in case it's blowing from the downstairs boiler.

A couple of days later, Roger returns yet again

with a thermal imaging camera

so that he can see what happens

with the fumes that are released from the flues outside the flats.

Using my thermal camera,

I managed to identify that the vent is hot.

Directly below it, we can see a pool of water on the pavement.

The presence of this condensate on the pavement

indicates that they haven't been correctly installed.

The original intention of a boiler vent

is to pump boiler vent gases away from the property.

You know, you can actually film it yourself

from this angle, captured by the light,

without the use of the thermal camera.

You can see quite clearly that those boiler vent gases

are moving up and around

the side of the building.

Roger goes off and compiles all three test results

into one report.

And once we've got it, we'll send it off to Swan Housing.

All we can do now is sit tight and see what happens.

It's a month later,

and Swan Housing have had weeks to digest

the conclusions of our air quality tests.

They too have got on the case, and have been testing all the flats in the block

with their own team of experts.

I haven't heard from them in a while,

and I'm keen to hear what they have to say.

Good afternoon. Dominic Littlewood at the BBC.

'It sounds positive.

'The public relations man states that Swan Housing

'are looking at technical improvements to the flats,

'as highlighted on our report and theirs.

'So I make a suggestion.'

If we can have a copy of it, we can perhaps get our experts to look as well,

and we might be able to bash our heads together and come up with a suitable plan,

that we all agree on, that might be a solution to this problem.

'He says that he'll pass on my message to the relevant people

'and explains that their report is still being edited

'and promises to get it over to us as soon as it's ready.'

Thanks very much. Goodbye.

OK. That was the spokesperson for Swan Housing.

Now, they told us they're looking at the reports

and they're looking at it with a view to whether any changes are needed.

It seems there's been a change in attitude at Swan Housing.

This is admirable, seeing as they didn't build or design the block of flats

that have small window openings and boiler flues right underneath.

But the bottom line is

they ARE responsible for the health of the tenants that live in them.

14 days after my last call,

we receive a statement.

Time now, I think, to tell Ian and Maria.

I hope they will be pleased with what I'm about to let them in on.

How do you think I got on with Swan Housing Association?

I'm excited to find out.

OK, well, I'll let you know very, very soon.

What about you, Maria?

I reckon you must have faced a lot of difficulties.

I experienced what you guys told me you experienced.

Right from the first phone call.

I tried to find out who the CEO was, managed to get a name eventually.

Tried to speak to him, tried leaving a message with his PA, the switchboard...

I hit them with everything I could.

I put complaints into the Health and Safety Executive,

environmental health, the council... You name it.

Now, that eventually started the ball rolling.

And then things started to happen.

Now I've got their attention,

it's time to read the statement concerning bad ventilation in both flats.

It's three pages long, so I'll just read out the relevant points.

About the carbon dioxide, CO2.

They say they "did record a series of events

"where concentrations of CO2 exceeded

"the Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers' guideline of 1,000 parts per million."

Now, that is an admission there is a problem.

"In response, Swan is investigating options

"aimed at increasing the rate of fresh air circulating within the properties.

"For example, through the installation of a forced mechanical ventilation system."

Now, I need to tell you, the reason they say they're investigating and not that they're putting it in,

is because it's a very big job

and they actually would need to apply for planning consent

for that to take place.

So it's not something they can actually commit to yet.

But that is one of the options they're looking at.

So, very, very soon

this ventilation issue you've been complaining about will be in the past. It'll be gone.

Excellent.

You've been waiting seven years, you've been waiting six.

-Right? That's got to be music to your ears.

-Yeah.

-Very pleased.

They go on to say,

"Swan is committed to this process

"and will explore all the reasonable options available to improve air circulation within the building."

-That's got to be quite a relief.

-Yeah!

I'd say!

So far, so good.

Swan are promising to have a really good look

at not just Ian and Maria's flats, but the whole block of 100.

Fantastic news.

But let's now talk about the carbon monoxide issues in Maria's flat

that came back with some of the highest readings.

In your case, because you're two floors up,

you felt that people's boilers, the flues and exhaust from that,

-was coming in through your window.

-Yeah.

Well, this is what Swan have said.

"Swan is 100% satisfied that the gas boilers installed within properties

"are safe and are not the cause of the carbon monoxide spikes within these two properties.

"However, there is a possibility that carbon monoxide produced by boiler plume

"may be re-entering properties via open windows.

"To counter this, Swan plans to adjust the gas flues responsible for ejecting carbon monoxide

"so that these gases eject to a safer distance from the property."

-Good.

-They're saying they agree with you and they're going to move them.

In the very near future, your problems should be history.

Excellent.

That's good news.

Yeah.

Finally, we've all managed to get somewhere with Swan.

We know you'll take care of us!

I certainly will.

-And on that note, I'll love you and leave you.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

It is such a relief to hear

that they're going to solve the problem of the ventilation.

The children's health should improve. My health should improve.

If they then start injecting fresh air from another source,

using this mechanical ventilation, it's going to be brilliant for me.

We spoke to Swan Housing and they said...

They stress they did not recommend Ian keep his front door open, and...

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