Car Insurance Don't Get Done Get Dom

I'm Dominic Littlewood and I'm here to champion your consumer rights.

I'm going to go in with a phone call now and ask them for more.

Any problem, no matter how big or small,

I'll help you get the service you deserve.

I'm getting the impression you don't want to answer any of the questions now, is that correct?

Whether it involves getting your money back...

We pay our money to them and they are the people who should come and help us.

..or taking on your contract conundrums...

I couldn't find help from anywhere.

It was such a large company, I had nobody to fight my corner.

..I'm on the case.

On today's programme, one man's fight with an insurance

company moves up a gear in a bid to get his car fixed once and for all.

When I realised that it had so many problems with the car,

I was really angry.

Engagement rings - the first step towards the big day.

They're not only expensive but they have sentimental value,

so what happens when the ring holds a hidden secret?

He says, "That's 18-carat white gold," and at that point I says,

"Well, we've got a problem because I purchased a platinum ring."

And we aim to arm you with the know-how to take on the big boys.

They can push me through different processes and get me confused

so they don't have to deal with the issue themselves.

I'm taking on your consumer problems to make sure you don't get done.

Being involved in an accident is bad enough,

especially if it's not your fault.

But you're insured, so you should be able to get your car repaired

and delivered back in its pre-accident condition, right?

Well, not always, it seems.

So what do you do if your repair isn't up to scratch

and the value of your car has plummeted?

Meet Des Denniston from Cheshire,

whose car was involved in an accident in 2013.

There's a gap there. These lamps don't fit quite right.

There is wires that have just been pushed up there -

they're hanging down.

The condition now isn't as good as it was before the accident

because the repairs haven't been done good enough.

Des has owned his beloved Beemer for nearly four years.

I bought it off a family friend.

As soon as I seen the car and he said he was selling it, I thought,

"Yeah, would really like this car."

You know, so I got the money together and bought it

and I've been pleased with it ever since.

But in May last year, disaster struck.

I looked in me mirror after I'd stopped

and realised the car behind me was still travelling at quite a speed.

And he just ploughed into the back of me.

Des's first worry wasn't his car.

You're quite shocked when someone runs into the back of you like that.

Erm, the main thing is, I thought, you know, am I badly injured or anything?

But... I was a bit sore when I got out of the car.

But it was when Des went to inspect the damage that he got a real shock.

It looked like I'd reversed into a lamp post

because of the way it had crumpled.

It had a big, like, V shape in the back.

The bumper was all smashed, there was interior trim smashed,

the lights were all smashed.

I couldn't shut the boot.

He quickly got on the phone to his insurance company.

They initiated a claim

and said that I'd be contacted the following day, so I was

reassured that my insurance company were, you know, could take care of things.

But a few days later,

he received a phone call from another insurance company, Admiral.

Admiral were the young lad's insurance company

and they told me that I had no need to go through my insurance company

and that I could go through them, I wouldn't have to pay me excess,

they would deal with it, provide a courtesy car and everything.

Everything would run smoothly.

Des was weary,

so rang his own insurance company to check this was indeed true.

They reassured me that it would just be like dealing with them,

so there were no disadvantages.

So they shut their claim down

and then I went back to Admiral

and agreed that they could repair the car at one of the approved

repairers and they'd provide me with a hire car.

Des felt confident with Admiral at the helm.

The next day, I got details of that service in writing

and the next day they dropped a courtesy car off, which I was pleased with.

There wasn't... You know, I didn't have to go and pick the car up.

So certainly at that point, I was very pleased with the service.

It all seemed straightforward with the repair of his car

and it was ready four weeks later.

I turned up at the garage - the car was sitting outside.

From a distance it looked fine.

However, on closer inspection, Des noticed some faults.

The first thing that raised alarms was that the mat in the boot

wouldn't go down and there was some issue underneath.

The repair to the floor is quite poor and actually isn't level.

The battery cover on the right, that still had a piece broken.

You can see there where they've pumped some sort of sealer on it,

glue,

to try and fix it. That should have been replaced.

Then I noticed that there was gaps around

that weren't there before.

These lamps...

don't fit quite right - that one's a bit loose.

Dangling wires, oversprayed paint... The list went on and on.

When I realised that it had so many problems with the car, I was...

I was really angry.

I felt that a reputable repairer could repair a car to this standard,

I just felt was appalling.

Des had no hesitations about getting in touch with Admiral

but, not being a mechanic, he also decided to get a second opinion.

Quite wise.

The next day, I took the car to BMW

and they pointed out other things again that I'd not spotted.

So I got back in touch with Admiral, explained this,

and after numerous phone calls on that day,

they did agree to independently assess the car themselves.

And two weeks later, an assessor from Admiral came to check the car.

I got their report back...

..which ultimately I wasn't happy with

because it didn't take into account all the points that I'd raised.

One of the things that really did annoy me

is on one part of the car there's excess sealer.

And they said it was commercially acceptable.

I pointed out, "Well, it's not acceptable to me."

And in the end, this is my car which had no prior damage.

The report done by Admiral's independent assessor said

the repairs had been carried out to a good standard

and there were just some cosmetic works that needed to be done,

which should come to about £250, but Des wasn't happy

and went straight to the top to complain.

The reason I wrote to the chief executive is because I was

so frustrated and annoyed with the way that the staff within Admiral

had dealt with me, and the outcome that they'd proposed

I just felt was totally unfair.

Four weeks later, he got a reply.

They'd come back to me and said that their offer was not going to be changed.

In fairness to Admiral, what they did say is

if I got an independent report myself, if I arranged for that to be done,

they would look at that and make a decision.

And Des did exactly that.

BMW recommended a company called Hoopers.

The report that I had done, erm...

..said that the car needed to be totally stripped down,

first of all, to repair all the issues that had been noticed.

This report basically states that the back panel should

come off because the problem's to do with things not fitting right -

there probably a deeper issue.

The two reports couldn't have been more different.

One was put on ramps, you know,

they discussed the repair with the actual repairers,

where the initial report was just done on my driveway.

Ultimately they've said that the rectification work was £1,800.

He sent his report straight off to Admiral.

They said it was over-exaggerated

and there was work identified that didn't need doing.

Admiral gave me a revised offer of £500

when they received the report that I'd got done, which I was appalled at.

Totally appalled at.

Cos in the end, it wasn't my word against Admiral's,

I had an independent report, and for me to move forward with Admiral,

the starting point needs to be the repair costs.

It's now a stalemate between Admiral and Des.

Since I've had the offer from Admiral,

I have been on the phone to them,

I have wrote a follow-up response

but ultimately, they will not...

They've not budged from the £500 repair costs on the car.

Des is desperate for my help, as he feels he's been treated unfairly.

I want Dom to get for me

the cost of the repairs - which is in the region of £1,800 as per

the independent report - and then my out-of-pocket costs.

I've had days off work, I've spent a lot of time on the phone,

writing e-mails, writing very detailed letters to Admiral.

And none of this was my fault

and that's what I feel really aggrieved about.

It looks like we're at a bit of a standstill with Des,

so I want to jump-start things.

What I've done is sent Admiral an e-mail and said, "Right,

"I'm in the driving seat now."

From what I read, Admiral is a branch of the Admiral group, along

with its sister companies, Elephant, Diamond and Bell Insurance.

In 2011, the company made around £2 billion.

Wowsers!

Their headquarters are in Cardiff and it was recently voted the best

car insurance provider by the Personal Finance Awards.

Impressive indeed. However, maybe not for Des.

Right, I'm going to put the pedal to the metal

and get Des's case done and dusted.

He wants his car back to pre-accident condition.

With some help from the experts, of course.

If this was my vehicle, I wouldn't be happy with the finish.

Struggling to get your head around the ins and outs consumer law?

Well, forget it.

Cos I know just the man in the know.

Which comes in very handy indeed, because I get a daily deluge of

e-mails with complaints and concerns over the goods you're buying.

Sale of goods legislation provides that goods should be

fit for their normal purpose.

Whenever you buy a product, you are protected by certain laws.

Whether the goods are damaged or don't work,

you just need to know how to complain.

To be honest,

when I do get a product that's not working or efficient,

I find it hard to take on a big company because

they feel that they can push me through different processes and

get me confused so they don't have to deal with the issue themselves.

Well, fret no more, because here's everything you need to know

if what you buy doesn't live up to your expectations.

If a product's not fit for the purpose,

if it's not doing what you think it should be doing,

you have exactly the same rights as if the goods are faulty.

You're entitled to a refund or address of some kind, providing

you make your complaint known to the seller at a reasonable time.

OK, that sounds simple enough

but how can you prove it's not fit for purpose?

If you believe that goods are not fit for their purpose,

obviously you've got to demonstrate it in some way,

you've got to show that they're not fit for their purpose to the seller.

OK, but is there a time limit to anyone's complaints?

Consumers should make their complaint as soon

as reasonably possible.

As soon as they're aware that there is a problem with the goods,

whether they're faulty, not fit for purpose, not as described,

they should make the complaint as soon as possible.

Strictly speaking,

in law there is a time limit that's six years from the date of purchase,

but for the vast majority of transactions, that would not apply.

Well, I've had a few complaints from people that feel the goods

they've bought are not fit for purpose.

I've got an e-mail from a couple who bought a kitchen,

yet just two years later they noticed the end panels on the cupboards

had started to split alongside the floor.

The company inspected it and claimed the damage was not

a problem with the panels but caused by washing the floor.

So what does our expert say about that?

I would think that a reasonable business would expect that

those units are going to be exposed to quite a lot of moisture

and cleaning, so that does not seem to be a reasonable explanation.

Maybe those kitchen cupboards are not fit for purpose.

But what about this lady who bought a juicer online?

Very healthy.

But a year and 365 juices later, it broke.

Three replacement parts on, and it's still breaking.

Under those circumstances,

it would seem, on the facts, that the goods are not

fit for their purpose,

and after a couple of opportunities to put them at a right, I think

the consumer should say, "Enough is enough, I want a refund."

The company has told her the product IS fit for purpose,

it's the way she's using it.

But this begs the question -

who is the onus on to prove the product is not fit for purpose?

When consumers are in a dispute with companies,

the onus is on them to prove what they're saying.

It may be something as simple as proving that they purchased

the goods from that particular retailer.

Some retailers say that you need to produce a receipt. In fact,

you need proof of purchase.

If you are required to show that goods are faulty

or not fit for the purpose, then the consumer has to show it.

Right, let's say we've done that.

We think we're in the right, but the company disagrees. What next?

My advice would be to try and get some independent expert advice,

someone who has knowledge of this particular product.

The consumer is obviously going to have one view,

the trader's going to have another.

You need someone who's properly independent from both parties.

And finally, one last tip.

As soon as a problem arises,

start keeping notes of contacts with the trader.

If it's a persistent problem with electrical goods, for example, make

a note of what happens and when it happens and what's the extent of it.

So, remember, whatever you buy, it should do what it's expected to do.

Admiral has hit stormy waters as I've had an e-mail from a guy

complaining that after his car was involved in an accident, through

no fault of his own, the repairs carried out by the insurance company

have left his car in a worse state than before the incident occurred.

I want Admiral to acknowledge that they haven't dealt with me

correctly. I want them to pay me what they owe me.

I sent Admiral an e-mail on behalf of Des and they've just replied -

they've upped their offer.

They are now prepared to pay him £981.83,

but the question is, is Des happy?

All I want is my car repaired to the way it should have been

and a fair amount for the distress

and inconvenience, and my out-of-pocket costs I've suffered,

as a result of this accident that wasn't my fault.

And the answer is...

Des is not happy and rejects their offer.

But is he being unreasonable and just too fussy?

Well, hopefully we'll find out as Des is off to chat to

an expert on car damage and repairs.

-Hi, Pete, you OK?

-All right, mate.

-So you're going to have a look at my car, then?

-Yes.

Des is after the mechanic's opinion on the quality of repairs

already carried out and also what repairs still need to be done

to get his car back to pre-accident condition.

That's a bit concerning - that's just hanging down.

The actual cabling... If you come here, I'll show you something.

Your rear heat shield is actually off.

That's the thing that sits above the silencer. That'll give you...

-You'll get a vibration.

-Yes. I do.

-Yeah, yeah. That makes a noise as I go round the corner.

-It will do.

So...to me, I think there's a bracket missing there.

Should there be... That's first of all.

Cos that's not right. In here as well..

He said the bumper is not bolted on right.

-I've got a report...

-See those little clips there?

See where this trim comes to?

There's little clips - maybe they are missing.

This is what I am worried about as well - the things I can't see.

If you follow the line of the archway as it comes around,

it is just a fraction forward of the original wing.

Normally, you would anticipate that to follow along

the same line but it's about five or six millimetres forwards.

Peter's seen enough.

Generally, what we are looking at

is just a very poor finish on the final end of the job.

There does appear to be some slight alignment problem,

on the archway, you can notice it on the side

and obviously when the boot lid comes down.

So, I just question as to whether it's in the correct

position on the panel.

Erm, difficult to say without it being pulled apart and inspected again.

If this was my vehicle, I wouldn't be happy with the finish, no.

I think it's been a bit shabby at the end.

And I'd be wanting to get it sorted out, basically.

Bingo!

That is exactly what Des is trying to do.

The trip there to see Peter has been really useful.

He has pointed out a few things

I wasn't aware of, but it reaffirms what I believed -

that the repair wasn't done to a good enough standard.

And whilst there is no major safety concerns,

which I am pleased about,

erm,

the issues I've got with the car

have still, you know, I feel, certainly devalued it.

According to another independent expert,

it looks like Des is justified in his complaint.

That's got my motor running to drive forward and get some

answers from Admiral.

And they're on the phone now...

Hi, Justin.

'Justin Beddows is Head of Content and Consumer PR

'and doesn't want his voice broadcast.

'He begins by saying he appreciates this case has been

'going on for some time and the company wants to get it sorted.

'The sticking point, though, is the sum of money for the rectification

'work, as there is a difference of opinion between Admiral's

'report and Des's report from Hoopers, about how much it will cost.'

Yeah, about £400-odd difference, isn't it?

He explains that the last offer they put to Des does now include

the cost for more repairs.

But as far as I can see, Admiral is still not willing to

pay for all the work as quoted by Hoopers' independent report.

It's confusing.

The garage he originally went to...

They quoted £1,315.

Now Hoopers quoted £1,784.

I know you know the figures, but looking at it, it seems to me that

Hoopers are saying he needs extra work.

I... I have a small list here of what it is -

it's reworking the boot floor, repainting the boot floor,

electronic track and wheel adjustments

and adjustments of the rear and front axle.

Now, those items are missing from Williams' report

hence the £400 difference.

Mr Denniston obviously wants the work done to a 100% standard -

as he would accept it.

Justin asks the crucial question -

what does Des want to put things right?

He basically wants the work Hoopers have quoted to be done.

So whether you agree to give him

cash for it or pay Hoopers directly is between you guys.

I am not particularly worried

but he wants his car back to pre-accident condition.

And obviously out-of-pocket expenses.

These are what he's saying will make him happy.

Hoopers to do the work and

that amount of money and this compensation

for his loss of earnings.

'He clarifies the details with me and says

'he will liaise with his claims department to see what they can do.

'But I haven't finished yet!'

Something I am interested in myself once I looked at this case,

you used two words - "commercially acceptable".

And to me that means the whole issue is slightly grey

because the way I look at it, mine is fairly black and white -

if a car is damaged, especially by a third party, then whoever

the owner is, they would expect that car back in pre-damaged condition.

Not in pre-damaged condition, but we are allowing for a little bit of

commercially acceptable extra damage, wear and tear, whatever.

'Justin tells me when it comes to the term "commercially acceptable"

'he would have to check again with his claims department.'

It's an area which I would just like a bit more clarification.

It's handy, as you say yourself,

you're not 100% certain about how that works.

'He assures me he will get back in touch as soon as he has more details.'

Thanks, Justin... Bye-bye.

At least I've got the ball rolling

and I look forward to Admiral getting back to me.

Say you and I suffer a similar situation - what is the best

path to take to get it fixed.

I'm off to meet a financial journalist who understands

motor insurance more than most...

I think car insurance is a little bit more complex

than normal insurance like buildings and house.

It just drives me bonkers. Am I right?

I think so. Car insurance is one of the most complained-about things

at the Financial Ombudsman.

And also, you've got the added problem

of you don't know what's going on underneath the bonnet,

unless you're a mechanic.

The gentleman I'm trying to help out, called Des,

had an accident in his car. It wasn't his fault.

And he's ended up dealing with the third-party insurer.

He's unhappy with the work that's been done as a result of that.

Where does he stand?

Well, this is a bit of a tricky situation because if it's your own

insurer and you're not happy with them, you can go and complain

to the Financial Ombudsman. But if it's not your insurer

you're dealing with, it's the other party's insurer,

-then you can't complain to the Ombudsman.

-That's worrying.

It is. But what you need to be doing, therefore, is going through

your insurer and then your insurer making the claim off their insurer.

OK. So I think the important point from that is never deal directly

with a third-party insurance company,

until you've spoken to your own one?

Always start off with your own insurer, because then you can make

the complaint with the company that you're a customer with.

And if you're not happy with what they've done,

you can go to the Ombudsman, because you're their customer.

In Des's case, after the car was repaired, it turned out that

it needed about £1,700-odd worth of further repairs

to rectify some of what had been done already.

I mean, as far as I'm concerned, that sounds terrible!

What people need to remember is that their car should be put back

in the condition it was in before the accident happened.

-And that's what they need to push for.

-If somebody thinks something's

wrong, what do you think they should do about it?

If you think there is a problem with the work that a repairer

has done on your car, and it's not been done to your satisfaction,

take it to a garage, take it back to that repairer first of all,

and tell them what you think is wrong and get them to have a look at it.

And if you're not happy with their answer,

or you think they're not being fair with you,

take it to another independent garage,

get them to have a look at it, get them to give you a report

and then challenge it.

And that's exactly what Des has done.

Something which has crept up in this story is the term

"commercially acceptable".

Personally, I've not heard of it before as far as insurance claims

are concerned. What do you think of that?

"Commercially acceptable" sounds like insurance company jargon to me.

It sounds like the kind of thing that someone would use to baffle their customers.

Ultimately, if you're making a claim, the insurance company should be

putting your car back in the condition it was in

before the accident occurred.

And if someone says "commercially acceptable" to you,

you should say, "Well, what do you mean by that? I want you to explain

"what that means in normal person's language."

So, as far as anyone's concerned, they should be getting their car

back in pre-accident condition? Black and white, isn't it?

In pre-accident condition. But don't expect a car back that's better

than the one that you crashed!

Yeah, I think that's fair to say.

It seems Simon knows what he's talking about.

And as far as I can tell, it seems that Des

has done and is doing everything right.

Simon has given me some good ammunition now to go back

to Admiral Car Insurance and say to them, Des wants his car put back

in a better condition than it is now!

And I don't think they can argue the point.

So, if he does get his car fixed back to its pre-accident condition,

one of Des's concerns is, will the accident have had any direct impact

on the resale value of his car?

Shane Teskey from Hire Purchase Investigations, or HPI for short,

has got the answers.

If your car has been in an accident it is important to know it is not the end of the world

and it doesn't have to have a depressing effect on the value of the car.

The key is to show any prospective buyer the nature of the damage,

that you had it repaired with a valuable repairer

who did it to a high quality, and you won't have any trouble.

However, the accident could have an effect on the price

of the vehicle unless you can reassure the buyer.

Communicating to the buyer the quality of the repair

is something that you need to focus hard on as the repair is being carried out,

so we would always suggest taking some pictures

before the repair is carried out and afterwards.

Keep the receipts from the shop of the work that was carried out,

so you can demonstrate exactly what was done and there's no hidden history as such.

If you have an HPI check,

any repair worth worrying about should show up.

Given the average age of the vehicles on the road in the UK today,

it is very likely there has been a repair at some point carried out.

The HPI check specifically will record the more serious repairs

that have been carried out.

Generally, where an insurance company has

decided in the past that the vehicle is beyond economic repair

and to use the phrase "write-off", that's what they will extend to it.

And there are different categories detailing the severity of the accident.

Category A and B vehicles which you will find on the check

are essentially cars that should never be returned to the road,

that are dangerous

and, in the opinion of the inspecting engineer, are not repairable.

So if you ever come across a category A or B car, that is

a significant red flag and what we would call a "walk-away defect".

Don't be tempted by a cheaper price. It is a dangerous car to buy.

Category C and D would be less amounts of damage carried out

on the car but the insurance company has decided it is just

not economically viable for us to repair this car.

The cost of the repair would be in excess of its pre-accident value.

And they will elect to pay out a salvage value against the car

rather than repair it themselves.

However, these cars do end up going

back on the road in the majority of cases

so it is crucial that the person considering buying it is able

to verify that the repair was carried out to the correct standard.

That is the most important thing you can bear in mind

if you're considering buying a car that is a category C or D write-off.

It is not a walk-away defect

but is a very significant flag to find an the check.

Good advice.

And as Des's car was not a write-off or listed in any category,

once the repairs are up to scratch he shouldn't have too much

to worry about if he is going to sell his vehicle.

When you save up hard to buy something, you expect it

to be perfect, whether it be a car, a fridge, or even a bit of bling.

You expect to get exactly what you paid for.

Sometimes, however, though, all that glitters is not necessarily,

well, in this case, platinum - as one couple found out.

I've been contacted by Iain McIlroy who, back in 2010,

popped the question to his then girlfriend Vicky whilst on holiday.

He literally grabbed the microphone off the rep and decided to

propose to me in front of the entire room.

I said, "Yes." Everyone applauded.

We got home round the end of September

and we decided we would go ring shopping after that.

The couple decided to buy from high-street jeweller Ernest Jones

and it didn't take Vicky long to decide.

We'd actually gone in and specifically

asked for a platinum ring because every girl loves platinum,

don't they, rather than white gold?

And the ring was platinum solitaire just with a single stone.

Really simple but it was something that suited me,

and less is more to me.

Platinum is one of the most expensive metals you can buy

and Vicky's ring cost a healthy £1,499

and the couple also opted for the £100 extended warranty

Ernest Jones were offering.

The ring was an expensive item

and Iain paid in instalments using his Army salary.

I felt really happy when I finally got the ring

after waiting, sort of, six months for it to actually happen.

And, yeah, I was really happy about it.

Iain and Vicky were soon married,

and Vicky now had what she thought were two platinum rings -

her engagement, plus her wedding ring.

The couple went on to have their son Ajay,

and Vicky is pregnant with their second child.

But three years into their married life, something came along

to take the shine off the happy memories

attached to her engagement ring.

Probably about six months ago,

we started to notice that Vick's colour

next to her platinum wedding ring was starting to...

They were different colours.

It was only slight at first - thought we must get it cleaned.

We started enquiring about how much it would be.

So, next time they passed an Ernest Jones shop,

they popped in to get it checked out.

They asked us what the metal was and we said it was platinum.

He says, "That's 18-carat white gold."

At that point, I says, "We've got a problem,

"because I purchased a platinum engagement ring

"three years ago for my wife."

When I found out, I was quite gutted

and I actually was, sort of, in a bit of disbelief as well.

Shocked and upset, the couple raced home to check their receipt.

It stated merely that they had paid £1,499 for a diamond ring.

There was no mention of what type of metal it was made of.

So, could they have spotted it earlier?

Enter jeweller Spencer Cable.

Platinum will melt at a much higher grade than white gold.

The other way to tell is a density test.

If you put white gold in one hand and platinum in the other,

I believe it's about 40% heavier,

so you will feel the platinum against the white gold.

So, if you had two identical rings in your hand,

held them together like that,

one hand would feel heavier than the other.

There is no such thing as white gold.

You mine yellow gold from the ground,

you add white alloys to it to give it the whiter colour.

When doing that, you still get a yellow tinge to it.

To enhance that, what you would do

is you'd plate it with rhodium plating -

gives it the whiter colour.

Over a period of time, the white plating wears away.

It tends to be underneath the ring at the beginning,

at the bottom there.

Eventually, when you do that, you can have it re-plated,

so it all comes off and then you put it back on again, the rhodium -

brings it back to the white colour again.

Obviously, white gold and re-plating

wasn't something Vicky had bought into,

AND they'd paid the one-and-a-half-grand price tag for a platinum ring.

Iain went back to Ernest Jones.

The next day, we took it down, got it appraised by their area manager,

and he said at the time, "Yes, that is our ring,

"that is a ring that we would sell,"

because it had markings on it, etc,

and he phoned customer services while I was there and said,

"Right, that is our ring, he's got all the right documentation.

"Something's happened at the Reading store,

"so we need to, sort of, move on from this.

"I'm confirming that we've given him the wrong ring."

Ernest Jones acknowledged their mistake

and offered to replace the ring.

He went straight on to trying to swap the rings over for us,

and I, sort of, said at the time, "You should slow down a bit there,

"because bear in mind I've got three years worth of memories

"attached to this ring and you're asking me to give it back."

The fact that it's the ring that's in all our wedding photos,

it's been in the photos ever since we got engaged,

and it was pretty gutting, actually,

to have to take that ring off and give it back to the jeweller's.

Vicky and Iain were in a difficult position.

On one hand, they wanted the platinum ring they paid for.

But on the other,

they had a sentimental attachment to the ring Iain had proposed with.

I was desperate for Vick to keep that ring, the one I put on her finger.

It reminded me of a good time for the pair of us.

Reluctantly, they gave the ring back,

but Iain didn't want to let it rest there.

He felt he and his wife should be compensated for what had happened,

and made his feelings clear.

Conversations continued. I'd have to call them all the time.

When they said they'd call me, they wouldn't, etc.

That went on for a while.

Eventually, his persistence paid off and Ernest Jones

agreed to compensate the couple for their stress and inconvenience.

In the end, they got their platinum engagement ring

and £400 compensation.

Result!

Really good to get the ring that I actually

picked out in the first place, and the fact that it is all over

and it has been resolved at the end of the day.

Vick's got a fantastic ring that she wanted, etc.

We got some money that we will put to good use

for Mia, who's on the way in January,

so, all in all, you can't snigger at £400,

£400 is £400 in anyone's life, so...

You know... Let's hope she doesn't spend the money before then!

£400 for a double buggy!

Yeah. £400 for a double buggy!

See, the money gets spent before it hits my wallet!

I love it when people take on their own battles and come up trumps.

Pat yourselves on the back.

We contacted Ernest Jones and they said...

So, what do you need to know when buying jewellery?

Could you tell if you were getting the real deal or not?

One of the methods the experts use is the acid test.

Nathan Milo works at London Gold Exchange.

One of the things we always have to do is test the metal.

So we'll do a little test for you now.

What I'm going to do is file a little bit...into the gold,

make a little surface area.

We use nitric acid.

What I'm going to do is just a little,

just a little bit here. But what you are looking for

is it's going to slowly turn yellow,

as it's doing now.

It goes from a clear acid to yellow where it's reacting with the metal.

And it's going to get more brighter, more vivid,

and that tells us that it's 18 carat or possibly higher.

When buying jewellery,

my advice would be always, always look for the hallmark.

If you can't see it - it's very small -

but you can always ask the jeweller for an eyepiece or a loop.

By law, all jewellery sold in this country has to be hallmarked,

so always check for the hallmark.

375 is for 9, 585's 14, 18 carat would be 750

and 22 carat would be 916.

Silver's 925 and platinum's 950.

And that's the basic advice I can give for buying jewellery.

Good advice.

I'll remember that, should I ever pop the question!

-Do you like it?

-I love it.

-Happy?

-Very happy.

-Give us a kiss.

I've been trying to help Des Denniston get his BMW fixed

and back to the condition it was

before he was involved in an accident

and insurance company Admiral organised the repairs.

I felt I had done everything I could to prove to them

that there was more damage than they were stating

and, quite frankly, I wasn't going to put up with it.

When people make complaints, things should be put right.

Could it be good news for Des

as Admiral is prepared to make him another offer?

They have sent us an e-mail outlining the figures,

but before we go to give Des the news,

I just want to clarify the amounts.

I am due to meet Des Denniston soon.

I need to know exactly what he is or isn't getting from Admiral

cos there's been so many different offers

that he's turned down and they've made... It's all rather confusing.

So let's give Justin a ring at Admiral...

and see if he can clarify it.

'And it goes straight to voice mail - not a great start!

'However, the message gives me the number of the main switchboard.'

Hi there. Can I speak to someone in the communications team, please?

'The receptionist puts me through.'

I'll tell you what it is. I need to clarify

how much money is being paid out to a Mr Des Denniston.

He's well aware of the gentleman,

but I'm slightly confused with the amounts because I know

some cheques have been issued and returned and some haven't.

Would anyone else be able to tell me, or is it only Justin?

'The man I'm speaking to doesn't want his voice broadcast.

'He's a colleague of Justin's

'and says that the matter needs to be dealt with by Justin himself.'

The only thing is, I am really up against it at the moment

cos I've come to Warrington to meet Des Denniston

and tell him the amounts.

And it's got a little bit confusing with what is actually being offered.

'He assures me he will try and get a message to him straightaway.

'He takes my mobile number and I await the call.

'Let's hope it's sooner rather than later, though!'

Bye-bye.

Isn't it typical? The day

you really need to speak to someone urgently, they're in meetings!

Justin came through for us

and confirmed all the amounts, so we now have a definite offer.

Well, I've come to Warrington to meet Des

and it's started to rain, as you can tell by my coat.

I tell you what, I don't need to look at any house numbers

cos I recognise that car!

'Des has stood his ground in this battle with Admiral.

'I admire him for that,

'so I wonder what he'll make of this offer.'

-Hiya.

-You OK?

-Des, nice to meet you, mate.

-Nice to meet you. Looks like you brought the rain with you!

Oh, mate, it's raining cats and dogs!

As we stand here today,

what is it that you really think Admiral should be offering you?

Admiral should be offering me an amount to get my car fixed

at a chosen garage, ideally, probably, BMW, but the amount...

I think they should respect the report that Hoopers have done,

which is independent, then pay me an amount

for the distress and inconvenience and the out-of-pocket costs

-that I've incurred as a result of this non-fault accident.

-OK.

At the moment, Admiral have discussed with us, on your behalf,

the amount that they're prepared to give in the way of compensation.

The total amount they are actually going to issue you for compensation...

Now, this is to cover your phone calls, out-of-pocket expenses,

compensation, everything really, other than the car at the moment,

OK, 246.

-Right.

-Now, at one point, they offered that to you directly

and you turned it down, didn't you?

Yes, they have offered me amounts before, but it wasn't enough,

so I have turned it down, yeah.

But at that point, they weren't agreeing to sort your car out.

That's right, yes.

Personally, now, I think, as far as the compensation claim goes,

I don't think you'll get any more.

I think, no matter how hard you fight that

and even if you went to the FOS, I doubt you'd get any more than that.

But the really good news is, they're now also going to issue

-a cheque for £1,784.39.

-Right.

The full amount to get the car sorted out

at whatever garage you choose.

No doubt they'll pay the garage direct if you'd rather do that.

I think you've had a bit of a result.

Definitely. That was the point that I couldn't move on from, so, yes.

-Yeah, I'm happy with that.

-You've got what you're entitled,

which is all you wanted right from the start -

the full money to get the car up to its proper condition

that it was in before the accident.

You've got some money for the out-of-pocket expenses.

-Can this one be put to bed?

-It can, definitely.

-Are you a happy chappy?

-I am a happy chappy, yes!

I'm a happy chappy! I had a horrible feeling you'd say, "No, Dom, I want a few more quid!"

You're happy, smiling, laughing, giggling, so we can put it to bed.

I'll tell them, "Great, send Des a cheque ASAP

-"before he changes his mind." Is that fair enough?

-Yes.

-Des, good to meet you.

-Good to meet you, Dom. Thank you.

Right, do you want to show me out?

-You have finished with me now, haven't you?

-Yes.

Yeah, you've done everything that I wanted you to do, so off you go.

Admiral had this to say.

When asked about their offer of compensation,

they responded by explaining this is to...

It's nice now to know that I can really put this to bed,

that the whole sorry saga is finished with and that, you know,

I don't have to deal with Admiral any more and I can get my car

repaired, so it's really good that I can just move on with things.

Now, if I had to hazard a guess, I think

Admiral were slightly of the opinion that maybe Des was being

a bit too fussy, but at the end of the day,

all Des wanted was the money to put his car right

and his out-of-pocket expenses

and his little bit of compensation for his inconvenience.

He wanted that put back how it was - pre-accident condition.

And do you know what? I agree with him!

I'm really pleased that I've got Dom involved and I would like to say

thanks to Dom for all his help and his assistance on the matter

and keeping in touch with me throughout the whole period

that he's been involved, so thank you, Dom.