0:00:02 > 0:00:04We asked you who's left you feeling ripped off
0:00:04 > 0:00:06when it comes to your holidays?
0:00:06 > 0:00:09The whole year of our lives waiting for a holiday,
0:00:09 > 0:00:14planning for a holiday that has just gone. It's devastating.
0:00:14 > 0:00:18They said it was over £3,000. I nearly had a heart attack.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21I went, "There's got to be something wrong here."
0:00:21 > 0:00:23Whether it's a deliberate rip-off,
0:00:23 > 0:00:26a simple mistake or a catch in the small print,
0:00:26 > 0:00:30we'll find out why you're out of pocket and what you can do about it.
0:00:31 > 0:00:35Your stories, your money, this is Rip Off Britain.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40Hello and many thanks for joining us on Rip-off Britain,
0:00:40 > 0:00:41the series that fights your corner
0:00:41 > 0:00:45when you feel you've been let down or indeed left out of pocket.
0:00:45 > 0:00:46We've come to Tenerife,
0:00:46 > 0:00:51an island which attracts over 1.5 million British visitors every year.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54All this week, we're investigating some of the stories that
0:00:54 > 0:00:57you've told us about your holidays and travel and it looks, Angela,
0:00:57 > 0:00:59like its all sunshine and swimming all the way.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02Today, we're going to be hearing about situations where you
0:01:02 > 0:01:06reckon you've been treated in a way that either doesn't feel right
0:01:06 > 0:01:10or indeed, may be worse than that, it's just totally unfair.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13The companies that are involved may not necessarily have actually
0:01:13 > 0:01:16broken the rules, but certainly in some cases,
0:01:16 > 0:01:18the customer believes that their concerns have been, well,
0:01:18 > 0:01:22- handled rather shabbily, at the least.- Totally.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25Sometimes, as well as being left deeply upset,
0:01:25 > 0:01:28they've also been left hundreds of pounds worse off.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31Not only are we trying to get to the bottom of what has happened,
0:01:31 > 0:01:34but we'll also have advice to stop the same thing happening to you.
0:01:35 > 0:01:39Coming up, why buying a travel essential could end up with
0:01:39 > 0:01:40you losing out.
0:01:40 > 0:01:44I felt very angry and I felt that I'd been deceived by this company.
0:01:44 > 0:01:46I think that's a complete rip-off.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50And how in Europe you could find yourself hit with a huge bill
0:01:50 > 0:01:54for medical treatment that you thought you were getting for free.
0:01:54 > 0:01:56I thought, well, 2,000 euros
0:01:56 > 0:01:58and we've only been in this hospital three hours.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02While most of us take out travel insurance
0:02:02 > 0:02:03when we're planning a trip abroad,
0:02:03 > 0:02:05when we're staying at home in the UK, well,
0:02:05 > 0:02:09we probably don't bother, but you may want to consider thinking again,
0:02:09 > 0:02:12particularly if you're paying out lots of cash up front.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16As you'll see with our next story, sometimes the worst can happen
0:02:16 > 0:02:19and you'll find out how utterly inflexible a holiday company can be.
0:02:22 > 0:02:24Green-fingered sisters, Phyllis Holiday
0:02:24 > 0:02:28and Margie Williamson, from Cumbria, are garden crazy.
0:02:28 > 0:02:32As well as tending their own plots, they love to visit flower shows,
0:02:32 > 0:02:36gardens and garden centres all over the UK.
0:02:36 > 0:02:38For over 10 years, together with their husbands,
0:02:38 > 0:02:41Eric and Colin, they always make sure that they visit
0:02:41 > 0:02:46one of the biggest flower shows of all at Tatton Park in Cheshire.
0:02:46 > 0:02:50It'll be 12 months gone July we went to Tatton as per usual,
0:02:50 > 0:02:52the four of us.
0:02:52 > 0:02:56Just wandering around, as well as looking at the garden shows,
0:02:56 > 0:02:59there is the displays that are there.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02We also look at the tents, the marquees at what they've got in,
0:03:02 > 0:03:04food tasting.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07Eric was always in the food halls trying every bit of pork pie
0:03:07 > 0:03:11or sausage or a taste of the alcohol. Just sampling them.
0:03:11 > 0:03:15- They were beautiful shows.- Oh, yeah.
0:03:15 > 0:03:19On that visit in 2012, amidst the stalls selling plants and
0:03:19 > 0:03:22everything you could possibly need for the garden, one offered mini
0:03:22 > 0:03:26breaks in the Scottish Highlands and that caught Eric's eye.
0:03:26 > 0:03:27The hotel was the Portsonachan
0:03:27 > 0:03:32on the banks of stunning Loch Awe near the West Coast of Scotland.
0:03:32 > 0:03:36The foursome paid a total of £396 for a three-night
0:03:36 > 0:03:40break at the hotel, so, essentially, £200 per couple.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43It was for an open deal which meant they could choose to go any
0:03:43 > 0:03:45time in the next 18 months.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48No particular dates were booked, they would arrange
0:03:48 > 0:03:52all of that later with the hotel but everything was paid for up front.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56It was a nice atmosphere we were in.
0:03:56 > 0:04:00It was a lovely day and we thought Scotland, we looked at the brochure,
0:04:00 > 0:04:03the picture on the brochure and it looked absolutely gorgeous.
0:04:03 > 0:04:08It just pulled us to it. Yeah, it would be lovely.
0:04:08 > 0:04:10A nice weekend away.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14But before they had a chance to even start thinking about the date
0:04:14 > 0:04:18when they might like to go, the unimaginable happened.
0:04:18 > 0:04:19Phyllis and her husband, Eric,
0:04:19 > 0:04:23received some news from their doctor that would change everything.
0:04:26 > 0:04:28They told us he had cancer.
0:04:28 > 0:04:29They said it was inoperable,
0:04:29 > 0:04:33it was too close to his heart to operate and it was what
0:04:33 > 0:04:39they called small cell, which was one of the most quick spreading.
0:04:39 > 0:04:45To say it took the wind out of our sails is an understatement.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47The whole four of us near enough collapsed.
0:04:47 > 0:04:52We were all very, very emotional. We all cried, Margie, didn't we?
0:04:52 > 0:04:53We did, we did.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56So, facing the prospect of countless visits to the hospital,
0:04:56 > 0:05:00they knew at once that they wouldn't be able to go to Scotland,
0:05:00 > 0:05:04so Phyllis decided to call the hotel and explain the situation.
0:05:04 > 0:05:08We contacted the company straightaway to let them know what was happening.
0:05:08 > 0:05:10Phyllis and Marjorie knew that the deal was
0:05:10 > 0:05:14advertised as non-refundable, but they had hoped that the hotel
0:05:14 > 0:05:16might be willing to make an exception,
0:05:16 > 0:05:20especially as it wasn't as if any particular dates had been yet
0:05:20 > 0:05:23booked up, so there wasn't an actual weekend to cancel.
0:05:23 > 0:05:28When we phoned the hotel and explained what had happened,
0:05:28 > 0:05:33it was a young lad and he... Like an assistant,
0:05:33 > 0:05:36and he said he'd get the manager to ring us back.
0:05:37 > 0:05:41We phoned again and we got hold of the manager and told him
0:05:41 > 0:05:43exactly what happened and he said there was nothing they could do.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46Naturally surprised at this reaction,
0:05:46 > 0:05:49Phyllis asked her brother-in-law, Walter, for some help.
0:05:49 > 0:05:53Walter tried to phone the company.
0:05:53 > 0:05:55They promised that the manager would phone back. He never did.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57He said he'd phone the following day.
0:05:57 > 0:06:02Walter again contacted them and they still didn't phone back.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05So then Walter went to the Citizens Advice Bureau.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08They said that as the hotel was acting within the law,
0:06:08 > 0:06:12there was nothing they could do, but, undeterred,
0:06:12 > 0:06:14Walter refused to give up.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17He called and sent letters to both the hotel
0:06:17 > 0:06:21and their parent company called Lock Awe Highland Holidays Ltd.
0:06:22 > 0:06:29He phoned numerous times, got no response by phone or by letter.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32In despair, they even asked their local MP to have a go,
0:06:32 > 0:06:34but he too hit a brick wall.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37Trying to get hold of anybody was absolutely impossible.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40The amount of letters and phone calls was unbelievable.
0:06:40 > 0:06:42No intervention, it seemed,
0:06:42 > 0:06:45could break the radio silence from the hotel,
0:06:45 > 0:06:49and matters were about to take an even more distressing turn.
0:06:49 > 0:06:53One January morning, while their son David was in the house,
0:06:53 > 0:06:55Marjorie's husband, Colin, was suddenly taken ill.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59He was taking the glass through to the kitchen.
0:06:59 > 0:07:01He came back and said, "I don't feel so well."
0:07:01 > 0:07:03I just sat on the settee.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07Their son David called 999.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10We looked at him and I said, "He's gone."
0:07:11 > 0:07:13I couldn't believe it.
0:07:19 > 0:07:24- You OK?- Yeah, yeah, I just couldn't believe it.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27It's been the most traumatic time.
0:07:27 > 0:07:31Both sisters were absolutely devastated
0:07:31 > 0:07:34and with Eric becoming more unwell by the day, Phyllis was spending
0:07:34 > 0:07:38a lot of time and money on the endless trips to and from hospital.
0:07:38 > 0:07:42The travel was costing money every day.
0:07:42 > 0:07:47It was, I think, 22 miles to Carlisle and 22 miles back.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49It was absolutely wearing on Eric.
0:07:49 > 0:07:55The hotel, as well as ignoring our pleas to refund the money,
0:07:55 > 0:07:56it was just no good.
0:07:56 > 0:08:02They had £200 of our money which could have helped every little bit
0:08:02 > 0:08:05with the travelling and that £200 would have helped.
0:08:05 > 0:08:09I can't understand the mentality of them.
0:08:09 > 0:08:13In February of last year, sadly, Eric died of lung cancer.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16In just a few short months since their sunny day
0:08:16 > 0:08:20out at Tatton Park Flower Show, both sisters had lost their husbands.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23Hoping that in the circumstances they would relent
0:08:23 > 0:08:26and give the grieving sisters their money back, in May,
0:08:26 > 0:08:29their brother-in-law, Walter, sent yet another letter to the
0:08:29 > 0:08:34hotel enclosing copies of Eric and Colin's death certificates.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37Surely, he thought, they would now show some heart,
0:08:37 > 0:08:40but again, he heard nothing.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43The hotel is acting completely within its rights.
0:08:43 > 0:08:45Their terms and conditions do state that the payment is
0:08:45 > 0:08:49non-refundable, but we wanted to know why the hotel hadn't at least
0:08:49 > 0:08:53engaged with Phyllis and Margery to try and find a solution.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56After a number of attempts, we managed to speak to a member
0:08:56 > 0:08:59of the team at the Portsonachan and although we're continuing to talk,
0:08:59 > 0:09:03there has as yet been no change in the hotel's position.
0:09:03 > 0:09:07With the hotel refusing to budge or even communicate, the only
0:09:07 > 0:09:10way the sisters might have been able to get their money back is if
0:09:10 > 0:09:13they had taken out travel insurance but sadly, they hadn't done that.
0:09:13 > 0:09:17If you want the honest truth, it didn't even enter our heads.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19And I didn't think you needed it, insurance
0:09:19 > 0:09:22when you were on holiday in this country.
0:09:22 > 0:09:24And who can blame them?
0:09:24 > 0:09:27While most of us now won't leave the country without holiday cover,
0:09:27 > 0:09:31the amount of people who think about getting it for a British break
0:09:31 > 0:09:34is much, much less, but insurance could definitely be something
0:09:34 > 0:09:39worth considering for a holiday in the UK as much as for one abroad.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42You still might need to cancel at the last minute,
0:09:42 > 0:09:46there might be an illness in the family, you might be unable to go.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48There might be delays which cause you expense,
0:09:48 > 0:09:51your bags might get lost on a domestic flight.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54There are lots of reasons that you might need to claim on a
0:09:54 > 0:09:56travel insurance policy.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59Most people think travel insurance is just for paying for medical
0:09:59 > 0:10:03expenses abroad, but actually, it covers a whole host of things.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06Meanwhile, despite everyone's best efforts, it unfortunately
0:10:06 > 0:10:12looks like Marjorie and Phyllis will not be getting their £396 back.
0:10:12 > 0:10:16Very, very disappointed in the people that run that hotel.
0:10:18 > 0:10:20That's all I can say. I don't...
0:10:22 > 0:10:26I don't really know how they can do things like that.
0:10:27 > 0:10:31I mean, it wasn't just the money,
0:10:31 > 0:10:34it was their attitude that really got me.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42Now there may be some countries where you go on holiday that
0:10:42 > 0:10:45if you fall ill, it's not just a very unpleasant experience,
0:10:45 > 0:10:48it can also end up costing you an awful lot of money.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50Frankly, the last thing you want
0:10:50 > 0:10:53if you've just had your holiday ruined is to find that you're
0:10:53 > 0:10:56also presented with a bill for huge medical expenses.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59If you're travelling in Europe, you should have one of these,
0:10:59 > 0:11:01an EHIC, a European Health Insurance Card,
0:11:01 > 0:11:04because that means that you should be able to get most treatments
0:11:04 > 0:11:07in that country absolutely free and of course if all else fails,
0:11:07 > 0:11:09you can fall back on your travel insurance.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12But there are some countries, and Tenerife is one of them,
0:11:12 > 0:11:15where unless you've done an awful lot of research beforehand,
0:11:15 > 0:11:18you really just might find yourself being treated by a doctor
0:11:18 > 0:11:21whose costs not only can you not avoid,
0:11:21 > 0:11:25but worse than that, you're not going to be able to claim back.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29When the weather turns cold, John Halliday and his wife, Jean,
0:11:29 > 0:11:31fly south for a bit of winter sun,
0:11:31 > 0:11:35enjoying annual trips to the time-share that they own in Tenerife.
0:11:35 > 0:11:40I look forward to every January because we go there
0:11:40 > 0:11:44so when we go back, most of the winter is finished.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47We've missed a lot of the icy weather that we've
0:11:47 > 0:11:52had in the last two or three years and it's great.
0:11:52 > 0:11:54The weather is beautiful.
0:11:54 > 0:11:58But their trip to Tenerife in 2013 did not go so well.
0:11:58 > 0:12:0180-year-old Jean developed a stomach upset and bad indigestion,
0:12:01 > 0:12:04so John asked someone on reception to call a doctor.
0:12:04 > 0:12:09All the time I was there, I kept feeling sick all the time, nonstop.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12I wasn't eating, I wasn't sleeping, and then I said,
0:12:12 > 0:12:14"You know, I think we'd better call the doctor."
0:12:14 > 0:12:17I called reception
0:12:17 > 0:12:22and they sent for a doctor which arrived after five minutes.
0:12:22 > 0:12:26This doctor walked in, didn't ask any questions,
0:12:26 > 0:12:31walked up to my wife, took her blood pressure and said,
0:12:31 > 0:12:34"You could be having a stroke or heart attack."
0:12:34 > 0:12:36And then he stood up said,
0:12:36 > 0:12:40"I'm calling an ambulance and it'll be 110 euros."
0:12:42 > 0:12:44John had thought that the cost of Jean's medical treatment
0:12:44 > 0:12:49would be covered by her EHIC card which he'd safely brought with him.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52The European Health Insurance Card costs nothing for British
0:12:52 > 0:12:55citizens and guarantees you the same state-funded health care
0:12:55 > 0:13:00in other EU countries that locals are entitled to.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02But when he tried to present Jean's card to the ambulance,
0:13:02 > 0:13:04John says it was just waved away.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09I naturally thought being in Spain,
0:13:09 > 0:13:14that when they asked for doctor's money, you just pay it.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18I paid him the 110 euros cash. Everything happened so quick.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20We were there in the ambulance and gone.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25Meanwhile, John's thoughts turned to Jean's health.
0:13:25 > 0:13:27The couple had assumed that she was just suffering a repeat
0:13:27 > 0:13:31of unpleasant but easily sorted symptoms that she'd had previously
0:13:31 > 0:13:36in the UK, so talk of something more serious was very alarming.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39This doctor came in and he didn't tell me anything.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42John had gone down to the office to show the woman the medical card
0:13:42 > 0:13:45and bits and pieces and while he was gone,
0:13:45 > 0:13:48they took me up to the intensive care ward.
0:13:48 > 0:13:52Whilst Jean was being treated, John went to sort out the paperwork.
0:13:52 > 0:13:54Once again, he produced Jean's EHIC card,
0:13:54 > 0:13:57but once again he was in for a shock.
0:13:58 > 0:14:02I went straight in the office and they asked me for the travel
0:14:02 > 0:14:07documents and the insurance and I had everything in an envelope.
0:14:07 > 0:14:11I got the medical card and she waved it away.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14I did this three times and she kept saying, "No,"
0:14:14 > 0:14:16and waved the card away.
0:14:16 > 0:14:20I was just a bit confused about it because I expected them
0:14:20 > 0:14:21to accept it.
0:14:21 > 0:14:25Though worried about what that meant for the cost of treatment,
0:14:25 > 0:14:28John was getting increasingly concerned about Jean's condition.
0:14:28 > 0:14:32I was terrified because they took me up to intensive care
0:14:32 > 0:14:37and told me I was having a heart attack or a stroke, but it was
0:14:37 > 0:14:39so bad in there that it really frightened me.
0:14:39 > 0:14:41I was absolutely terrified and I told him there and then,
0:14:41 > 0:14:43I've got to get out of here.
0:14:43 > 0:14:46Despite the quite proper concerns of the medical staff,
0:14:46 > 0:14:49Jean began to realise that her symptoms were simply nothing
0:14:49 > 0:14:51more than the ones she'd previously had at home.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54But when John and Jean decided they wanted to get
0:14:54 > 0:14:57out of the hospital, they faced a much larger final bill.
0:14:59 > 0:15:03When I told them I was taking my wife out of the hospital,
0:15:03 > 0:15:06this woman from the office come down and said to me,
0:15:06 > 0:15:08"That will be 1,000 euro."
0:15:10 > 0:15:14So, then I had to go into the office and I saw this woman
0:15:14 > 0:15:19and she said, "This is going to be 2,000 euro if you take her out."
0:15:19 > 0:15:20And I said to her,
0:15:20 > 0:15:22"They told me it was 1,000 euro."
0:15:22 > 0:15:26And she said, "That was only the deposit." And I thought,
0:15:26 > 0:15:29"Well, 2,000 euro and we've only been in this hospital three hours."
0:15:29 > 0:15:32Now, Tenerife, of course, is part of Spain, which means that
0:15:32 > 0:15:35the terms of this little card really should be honoured.
0:15:35 > 0:15:39But it's of no use whatsoever to you in a private hospital.
0:15:39 > 0:15:43And that is the crux of John and Jean's problem.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46When they'd asked for help calling a doctor, they'd assumed that a state
0:15:46 > 0:15:51doctor would be called, one who would be covered by the EHIC scheme.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54But when all they'd wanted was to get Jean examined pronto,
0:15:54 > 0:15:58they had not specified that to the receptionist who was helping them.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01So she immediately called the number for what she considered was
0:16:01 > 0:16:04the most appropriate doctor in the area for Jean's symptoms.
0:16:04 > 0:16:06And he turned out to be a private doctor.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09And they'd gone on to a hospital where their EHIC card
0:16:09 > 0:16:10counted for nothing.
0:16:12 > 0:16:17It started to dawn on us that the medical card wasn't accepted
0:16:17 > 0:16:20because our reception had called a private doctor
0:16:20 > 0:16:22and they'd taken us to a private hospital.
0:16:22 > 0:16:27When I telephoned the reception, it didn't even dawn on me
0:16:27 > 0:16:29if it was going to be a private one.
0:16:29 > 0:16:33I just automatically thought it would be a national health
0:16:33 > 0:16:36one that goes with the card that I carry.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39What happened to Jean is a reminder that if you're in Europe and want
0:16:39 > 0:16:41medical help quickly,
0:16:41 > 0:16:44you can't assume that your EHIC card will always cover you.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47The cost of treatment may be the last thing on your mind
0:16:47 > 0:16:49but if you want to avoid a private hospital bill,
0:16:49 > 0:16:51it is a very good idea to ask
0:16:51 > 0:16:54what sort of doctor you're being referred to.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56Language barriers can make that difficult
0:16:56 > 0:16:59but it is the official advice that's on the NHS website.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06Some hospitals and health centres do have both private
0:17:06 > 0:17:08and state-funded care.
0:17:08 > 0:17:10But if it's the private one that's selected for you,
0:17:10 > 0:17:13then you could end up, like John, having to pay for treatment
0:17:13 > 0:17:17that you could have got free from somewhere else.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20And though you can try and claim the costs back on your travel insurance,
0:17:20 > 0:17:24many policies don't cover the costs of private treatment.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27Jean's costs were not covered by her insurance
0:17:27 > 0:17:31and though she did recover from what turned out to be the same
0:17:31 > 0:17:33symptoms of indigestion that she'd had before,
0:17:33 > 0:17:35the whole experience was simply something
0:17:35 > 0:17:38they had not realised could happen.
0:17:38 > 0:17:42They have now identified the doctor that's near their time-share
0:17:42 > 0:17:45from whom they will get free treatment.
0:17:45 > 0:17:49But they may not be rushing back for more winter sun.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52Naturally, now that I realise what can happen to you
0:17:52 > 0:17:56if you don't ask for a national health doctor,
0:17:56 > 0:18:00and they call you a private doctor, you're going to have to pay for one.
0:18:00 > 0:18:02I couldn't go through all that again.
0:18:06 > 0:18:08Still to come on Rip Off Britain -
0:18:08 > 0:18:11a couple desperate to sell their time-share
0:18:11 > 0:18:14and the companies who took advantage of that.
0:18:14 > 0:18:18It was at that point the realisation that I'd been scammed
0:18:18 > 0:18:22sort of hit me and I was pretty angry.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27And now we're off to the city of Rome, that eternal favourite
0:18:27 > 0:18:28for a weekend break.
0:18:28 > 0:18:31But just before you taste a little of la dolce vita,
0:18:31 > 0:18:33Simon Calder, our travel expert,
0:18:33 > 0:18:36has some really good advice on trying to avoid those
0:18:36 > 0:18:39underhand tactics to rid you of your hard-earned cash.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44When in Rome, they say, do as the Romans do.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47And that's pretty good advice if you're going on holiday there,
0:18:47 > 0:18:50because the locals wouldn't stand for inflated prices
0:18:50 > 0:18:54and tricky scams and neither should you.
0:18:54 > 0:18:59The potential problems start at the airport, getting a taxi into town.
0:18:59 > 0:19:03The maximum fare you should pay is 55 euros.
0:19:03 > 0:19:07If the driver doesn't want to do it for that, find another cab.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10And, by the way, that covers four people and their luggage.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15Taxi drivers in any country may sometimes try it on,
0:19:15 > 0:19:19but here you also need to watch out for the ice creams.
0:19:20 > 0:19:24In the summer of 2013, a quartet of British holiday-makers were
0:19:24 > 0:19:29famously charged £54 for four ice creams in Rome.
0:19:29 > 0:19:34Now, the vast majority of Italian cafes, restaurants and gelaterias
0:19:34 > 0:19:37offer good stuff at reasonable prices.
0:19:37 > 0:19:42But if you can't see a printed price list, then ask.
0:19:42 > 0:19:44Honest traders won't mind at all
0:19:44 > 0:19:48and you'll soon find out who the rogue traders are.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50And be on your guard against one of the oldest tricks
0:19:50 > 0:19:54in the travel book, known as the "bird poo scam".
0:19:54 > 0:19:56Here's how it works.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59Somebody applies a dollop of harmless substance -
0:19:59 > 0:20:01possibly mayonnaise - to your jacket.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04Shortly afterwards, their accomplice draws it to your attention
0:20:04 > 0:20:07and offers to help you clean up.
0:20:07 > 0:20:09While your attention is distracted,
0:20:09 > 0:20:12they are helping themselves to your valuables.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15Cleaning up indeed.
0:20:15 > 0:20:18Finally, remember that one of Rome's most famous tourist sites,
0:20:18 > 0:20:22what looks like a bit of local flavour, can come with a cost.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25The Roman centurions outside the Colosseum
0:20:25 > 0:20:29add to the sense of theatre at this ancient arena.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32But they are most definitely in business.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35If you so much as point a camera in their direction,
0:20:35 > 0:20:37they'll expect a fee.
0:20:37 > 0:20:41And if you pose with them, ten euros is the minimum.
0:20:41 > 0:20:43Offer just five and you'll get the thumbs down.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51Now, there are all sorts of things that we think we need to take
0:20:51 > 0:20:53with us when we're getting ready to go on holiday abroad.
0:20:53 > 0:20:55But when it comes down to it,
0:20:55 > 0:20:58there's only one thing that we really cannot do without,
0:20:58 > 0:20:59and that is your passport.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02You could say it's the ultimate holiday essential.
0:21:02 > 0:21:06But lots of you have been in touch feeling very unhappy after going
0:21:06 > 0:21:10online to get hold of a new passport or indeed to renew your old one.
0:21:10 > 0:21:12And you've ended up paying more than you bargained for
0:21:12 > 0:21:14and had very little in return
0:21:14 > 0:21:16because all is not what it seems.
0:21:17 > 0:21:22Ordering a passport online should be relatively straightforward,
0:21:22 > 0:21:26but unfortunately it's all too easy to get caught out.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29That's what happened to Helen Lampard from West Sussex after she
0:21:29 > 0:21:32and her family took a trip to the French Alps
0:21:32 > 0:21:35where their daughter, Emily, would soon be at university.
0:21:35 > 0:21:36Had a lovely time.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39She got to visit the university
0:21:39 > 0:21:43and also saw the accommodation that she's now in.
0:21:43 > 0:21:47But their problems began on the journey home at border patrol.
0:21:47 > 0:21:49Got all the passports together.
0:21:49 > 0:21:51For some reason, decided to look at Emily's
0:21:51 > 0:21:55and realised that it was three months out of date.
0:21:55 > 0:21:58Thankfully, both the French and British border guards
0:21:58 > 0:22:03let the family through but clearly Emily urgently needed a new passport,
0:22:03 > 0:22:06so Helen got straight on the case.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09I went online and put in "passport renewal"
0:22:09 > 0:22:14and a website came up, the British Passport Application Service.
0:22:14 > 0:22:16It looked quite official.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18The website Helen had found,
0:22:18 > 0:22:23britishpassport.org.uk, looked as if it would get Emily's passport sorted.
0:22:23 > 0:22:25As it was Emily's first adult passport,
0:22:25 > 0:22:29Helen had to put her own details on the form, too.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32Then they were asked to pay the £72.50 fee.
0:22:32 > 0:22:34No alarm bells were ringing at this point
0:22:34 > 0:22:38because £72.50 is the cost of a new passport.
0:22:38 > 0:22:42But in order to fast-track it, we were asked to pay another £20
0:22:42 > 0:22:46and for that they said that the application would be
0:22:46 > 0:22:49processed within 48 hours.
0:22:49 > 0:22:51Unfortunately for Helen,
0:22:51 > 0:22:54though she'd assumed she was applying for a passport the official way,
0:22:54 > 0:22:59in fact she was using just one of several websites that have sprung up
0:22:59 > 0:23:01in the hope that unwitting travellers in a hurry will
0:23:01 > 0:23:05click on them rather than the official government web page.
0:23:05 > 0:23:08So, what exactly would she get for her money?
0:23:08 > 0:23:11Having paid the fee of £92.50,
0:23:11 > 0:23:17we realised that Emily hadn't been asked to upload her passport photo,
0:23:17 > 0:23:20and we thought that was a bit strange and that's when
0:23:20 > 0:23:24the alarm bells started ringing. I looked back at the website
0:23:24 > 0:23:28and I started to notice little things like misspellings.
0:23:28 > 0:23:32"Father", for instance, was spelt F-A-R-T-H-E-R.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35And then that made me think that something was wrong.
0:23:35 > 0:23:36So I read a little more closely
0:23:36 > 0:23:41and realised that it was just a passport checking service
0:23:41 > 0:23:45that we'd paid for and not a new passport.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48All these websites do is take the information you give them
0:23:48 > 0:23:51and put it into the official government website on your behalf,
0:23:51 > 0:23:54something you could very easily do yourself.
0:23:54 > 0:23:57The Home Office will still have to send you the official
0:23:57 > 0:24:00application form to sign and, crucially,
0:24:00 > 0:24:04you'll then be asked to pay again for the actual passport fee.
0:24:04 > 0:24:06So by using one of these sites you could find yourself
0:24:06 > 0:24:09having to shell out twice.
0:24:09 > 0:24:13Now, the people behind the websites like the one Helen used aren't doing
0:24:13 > 0:24:15anything illegal and their small print
0:24:15 > 0:24:17does often make everything clear.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20But there's no doubt they're being a little bit crafty,
0:24:20 > 0:24:23not least in the way that the fees they charge are
0:24:23 > 0:24:27so often set at the same level as the real passport fee.
0:24:27 > 0:24:29So, it's easy why so many of you have thought you were
0:24:29 > 0:24:32paying for something that in fact you're not.
0:24:32 > 0:24:37I felt very angry and I felt that I'd been deceived by this company
0:24:37 > 0:24:42simply because the £72.50 charge was exactly the same
0:24:42 > 0:24:45amount as the cost of a new passport.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48Having realised her mistake, Helen was quick to contact
0:24:48 > 0:24:52the people behind the site to ask for her money back.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55They didn't respond to any of my calls.
0:24:55 > 0:24:59Nobody picked up at all. But they did respond to my e-mails.
0:24:59 > 0:25:06But they resisted my claim to have the transaction cancelled.
0:25:06 > 0:25:08They wouldn't refund any money.
0:25:08 > 0:25:12And they said that there was no reason to do so.
0:25:12 > 0:25:14Though she found it hard to swallow,
0:25:14 > 0:25:18by clicking "yes" to the terms and conditions on the website, Helen
0:25:18 > 0:25:22had agreed to pay for the form to be filled in and checked on her behalf.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25So, all she could do was sit and wait for the completed form
0:25:25 > 0:25:27to be sent back to her by the Home Office.
0:25:27 > 0:25:31And it did indeed arrive through her letter box just a few days later.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36I discovered a number of mistakes.
0:25:36 > 0:25:40The type of passport being applied for, they ticked the wrong box.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43And they'd also missed out another section.
0:25:43 > 0:25:47So, a service you pay to check your passport application is right
0:25:47 > 0:25:48had got it wrong.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51And worse than that, the people behind the site had ticked
0:25:51 > 0:25:56the wrong box, asking for a passport extension, not a renewal.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59If Helen didn't correct the form her application would probably be
0:25:59 > 0:26:01rejected by the Home Office.
0:26:01 > 0:26:06What I received was a half filled-in form. And for £92.50,
0:26:06 > 0:26:09I think that's a terrible service, a complete rip-off.
0:26:09 > 0:26:12Helen's experience is far from being a one-off.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15You keep telling us about other sites -
0:26:15 > 0:26:18most of which have very similar names and very similar aims -
0:26:18 > 0:26:22to part you from your cash for a service you don't need.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25It does seem from these unofficial sites that you're not getting
0:26:25 > 0:26:31much for your money or, in some cases, anything at all.
0:26:31 > 0:26:33Church caretakers Janet and Pat Cooper from Northumberland
0:26:33 > 0:26:37were also caught out when they needed to renew their passports
0:26:37 > 0:26:39for a trip to France.
0:26:39 > 0:26:43Pat had searched online by typing in the words "passport renewal"
0:26:43 > 0:26:47and up came a site called uk-passport.net.
0:26:47 > 0:26:52First thing you saw was "UK Passport Application"
0:26:52 > 0:26:59and with a picture of a glossy UK passport, which looked very good.
0:26:59 > 0:27:05It gave the impression that this an official UK Government website.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08But, of course, it was nothing of the kind.
0:27:08 > 0:27:12Pat, too, had signed up to a company charging for a checking service,
0:27:12 > 0:27:15though he had no idea of that at the time.
0:27:15 > 0:27:20It said, "We require your credit card details to pay £40."
0:27:20 > 0:27:25The next evening, I was visiting my daughter and I said,
0:27:25 > 0:27:29"I've got my passports renewed for £40 each."
0:27:29 > 0:27:35And she said, "No, £72.50." I looked again at the website.
0:27:35 > 0:27:37I looked at the terms and conditions.
0:27:37 > 0:27:44And I realised then there was a £40 non-reimbursable fee to cover
0:27:44 > 0:27:47the filling in of this form.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50Feeling he'd been mislead, Pat e-mailed the company,
0:27:50 > 0:27:52asking for his money back.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55But he has yet to receive a reply.
0:27:55 > 0:27:57I feel that I've been mugged.
0:27:58 > 0:28:01My family say I was perhaps a mug
0:28:01 > 0:28:04but I'll leave that to other people to decide that.
0:28:07 > 0:28:11The man behind the site Pat used has told us he believes it's made
0:28:11 > 0:28:15clear that this is not the official passport site, which is just as well,
0:28:15 > 0:28:18as the company's been in trouble for letting people think that before.
0:28:18 > 0:28:22He also insisted that the site's polices are made very clear, although
0:28:22 > 0:28:26he did claim that if Pat gets in touch he would arrange a refund.
0:28:26 > 0:28:29We tried contacting the site that Helen had used too,
0:28:29 > 0:28:32but we've had no reply.
0:28:32 > 0:28:36Each year, the Passport Office issues 5.5 million passports
0:28:36 > 0:28:40and it too is worried many people will unwittingly be handing over
0:28:40 > 0:28:43cash on websites such as these in the belief that they're getting
0:28:43 > 0:28:45a service they're not.
0:28:45 > 0:28:48Indeed, Immigration Minister Mark Harper considers some of these
0:28:48 > 0:28:49companies to be...
0:28:50 > 0:28:51..telling us it's...
0:28:57 > 0:28:58He's taking action...
0:29:02 > 0:29:05..with the official Passport Office.
0:29:05 > 0:29:07The advice on this one is simple.
0:29:07 > 0:29:10To get your passport without paying extra for a service
0:29:10 > 0:29:13you probably don't need, there are two clear choices -
0:29:13 > 0:29:18you can do it online at the official government website, gov.uk,
0:29:18 > 0:29:21or you can pick up one of these, a good old-fashioned form
0:29:21 > 0:29:25at the post office, and simply fill it in by hand.
0:29:25 > 0:29:28And if you do feel you need someone to check you've filled it in
0:29:28 > 0:29:30correctly, the post office can do that, too.
0:29:30 > 0:29:34Their Check and Send service currently costs £8.25 on top
0:29:34 > 0:29:39of the passport fee - a lot less than you'd pay on any of these websites.
0:29:39 > 0:29:42And you can find all this information on our website...
0:29:51 > 0:29:54For one weekend last summer, we transformed this shop in Liverpool
0:29:54 > 0:29:58into a free consumer advice clinic.
0:29:58 > 0:30:01That's a classic case of buck-passing.
0:30:01 > 0:30:06Our experts tackled your problems not just inside but outside, too,
0:30:06 > 0:30:07with workshops full of hints
0:30:07 > 0:30:11and information to make sure you don't end up short-changed.
0:30:11 > 0:30:13Fantastic to see you all here.
0:30:13 > 0:30:17Ladies and gentlemen, don't get ripped off on holiday.
0:30:17 > 0:30:21And giving out travel tips was high on the agenda.
0:30:21 > 0:30:23Find out how much it costs to send a text message.
0:30:23 > 0:30:27Cos text messages aren't free, even when you're abroad.
0:30:27 > 0:30:30Ask your mobile phone operator how much your voicemail's
0:30:30 > 0:30:32going to cost and how to get to it.
0:30:32 > 0:30:36You told us about all kinds of holiday related problems.
0:30:36 > 0:30:39Gave them the holiday voucher and showed them that we actually
0:30:39 > 0:30:43had a reservation and they still flatly, "No, you're not booked in."
0:30:43 > 0:30:46We thought it was going to be a fantastic holiday.
0:30:46 > 0:30:48But from then on it went downhill.
0:30:48 > 0:30:51And one consumer looking to make sure she was covered should
0:30:51 > 0:30:54anything go wrong on her next trip abroad was Becky.
0:30:54 > 0:30:57Hi. I see you reading our Rip Off Britain leaflet.
0:30:57 > 0:31:01She was keen to find out from financial journalist Mike Naylor
0:31:01 > 0:31:05what protection paying with her new credit card would offer her.
0:31:05 > 0:31:08I want to buy a holiday on it, that's one of the reasons I got it.
0:31:08 > 0:31:10Cos I know it gives you more protection
0:31:10 > 0:31:13- but I don't really know what from. - Absolutely.
0:31:13 > 0:31:16Well, it's called Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act,
0:31:16 > 0:31:17and essentially all it does is
0:31:17 > 0:31:20whenever you use your credit card to buy something
0:31:20 > 0:31:24that costs more than £100 and less than £30,000,
0:31:24 > 0:31:27if something goes wrong, so, say, it's not as it was described
0:31:27 > 0:31:29or it's not delivered so the company goes out of business,
0:31:29 > 0:31:32- or you have a problem with it... - Or a problem with the holiday.
0:31:32 > 0:31:35..with the holiday, in this case, you can then go to the credit card
0:31:35 > 0:31:39company and they're legally obliged to help. You've got legal comeback
0:31:39 > 0:31:42to say, "Well, actually, I didn't get the holiday that I paid for
0:31:42 > 0:31:44"and I want you to sort it out."
0:31:44 > 0:31:47- Do you also have a debit card?- Yeah.
0:31:47 > 0:31:49- Is it a Visa Debit card or...? - Visa Debit.
0:31:49 > 0:31:53With Visa Debit Cards you also get protection that's called Chargeback.
0:31:53 > 0:31:56It gives you similar protection to the credit card but it doesn't have
0:31:56 > 0:31:59the same limit, so it doesn't have to be over £100. So, if you've got
0:31:59 > 0:32:02a problem with anything, it's worth going to the bank.
0:32:02 > 0:32:05But really the message seems to be that whatever you're buying,
0:32:05 > 0:32:08you do have a level of protection from either credit or debit.
0:32:08 > 0:32:11Yeah, absolutely, credit and debit cards give you better protection
0:32:11 > 0:32:13than paying by cheque or doing a transfer.
0:32:13 > 0:32:16With all the advice, all you have to do now is enjoy your holiday.
0:32:16 > 0:32:19- Yeah, and remember it. - It's lovely to see. Bye, Becky.
0:32:22 > 0:32:25You can find fact sheets with all the advice from our experts
0:32:25 > 0:32:27in Liverpool on our website...
0:32:34 > 0:32:38I'm sure that most of us have heard horror stories from the '80s
0:32:38 > 0:32:42and '90s of families walking along a beach being accosted
0:32:42 > 0:32:46and then pressurised into buying an expensive time-share
0:32:46 > 0:32:48which they've later come to regret.
0:32:48 > 0:32:51Fortunately, the law has been tightened up
0:32:51 > 0:32:54and while there are still a few problems that occur,
0:32:54 > 0:32:57on the whole the time-share industry really has cleaned up its act.
0:32:57 > 0:33:00But there is one big problem still affecting an awful
0:33:00 > 0:33:04lot of Brits who bought back in the bad old days.
0:33:04 > 0:33:08And that is, how do you sell a time-share that you no longer want?
0:33:10 > 0:33:12Half a million Britons are thought to own a time-share
0:33:12 > 0:33:18property in the sun, the majority being in Spain, Portugal and France.
0:33:18 > 0:33:22Philip and Anne-Marie Burfield signed up for theirs 14 years ago
0:33:22 > 0:33:26after they received a phone call saying that they'd won a holiday
0:33:26 > 0:33:30in Portugal. To get their prize, they needed to attend a meeting.
0:33:32 > 0:33:37We went there and we had what we felt was a very good presentation,
0:33:37 > 0:33:41but it was pretty pushy, pretty hard sell the whole way though.
0:33:41 > 0:33:43Even so, they were enthused by what they saw
0:33:43 > 0:33:47and they signed up for a week a year in the Algarve.
0:33:47 > 0:33:49But on their first trip to their new time-share,
0:33:49 > 0:33:53they didn't feel that it was quite what they'd wanted after all.
0:33:53 > 0:33:57The beaches always seemed to be very crowded.
0:33:57 > 0:34:02The locality was very commercial.
0:34:02 > 0:34:06The apartments were so close together and so small,
0:34:06 > 0:34:07everybody was on top of one another.
0:34:08 > 0:34:11So little, in fact, did their time-share appeal to them,
0:34:11 > 0:34:15that Philip and Anne-Marie have not been back since.
0:34:15 > 0:34:18They'd love to get rid of it. But that has not been easy, not least
0:34:18 > 0:34:20because, as is often the case,
0:34:20 > 0:34:23a clause in their contract means that they are committed
0:34:23 > 0:34:27to paying for the maintenance of the property for ever.
0:34:27 > 0:34:31In theory, that means the contract doesn't even end after their death.
0:34:31 > 0:34:35The perpetuity clause means that...
0:34:35 > 0:34:39I have got to pay maintenance for the rest of my life.
0:34:39 > 0:34:45But the really worrying thing is the fact that...
0:34:45 > 0:34:48it will then pass on to my children to pay that.
0:34:48 > 0:34:55And on my death, that money will come out of the estate year on year.
0:34:55 > 0:34:58In fact, though that is what the contract says,
0:34:58 > 0:35:01such a clause won't always be legally enforceable.
0:35:01 > 0:35:04The company cannot make somebody who has not signed the agreement
0:35:04 > 0:35:06liable to take on the time-share.
0:35:06 > 0:35:08Because they're not a party to the agreement.
0:35:08 > 0:35:11They may threaten that, they may say they can do that,
0:35:11 > 0:35:13but they can't.
0:35:13 > 0:35:16But in any case, all the couple wanted to do was get shot
0:35:16 > 0:35:20of the place in the sun and the contract that came with it.
0:35:20 > 0:35:2512 years ago, barely two years after singing up, they put it up for sale.
0:35:25 > 0:35:27But in the dozen years since,
0:35:27 > 0:35:31they hadn't had anyone show any interest in buying it.
0:35:31 > 0:35:33I feel that having this time-share has been a little
0:35:33 > 0:35:36bit like a millstone on our necks.
0:35:36 > 0:35:41We would virtually give the time-share away to divest ourselves
0:35:41 > 0:35:45of the, you know, responsibilities of it
0:35:45 > 0:35:50and the ever-increasing annual fees for maintenance.
0:35:50 > 0:35:53So, they were delighted when, last March,
0:35:53 > 0:35:56totally out of the blue, Philip received a phone call from someone
0:35:56 > 0:35:58saying that they represented a business called
0:35:58 > 0:36:04The Exchange Company, offering to help him - at last - dispose of it.
0:36:04 > 0:36:08Three days later, we got this wonderful phone call saying
0:36:08 > 0:36:10they'd actually found somebody to purchase our property.
0:36:10 > 0:36:13The Exchange Company offered us about £3,000...
0:36:13 > 0:36:19£3,900 as a one-off payment for the property.
0:36:19 > 0:36:22I felt it was a really excellent offer
0:36:22 > 0:36:24and I wanted to grab it with both hands.
0:36:24 > 0:36:27So, that's exactly what Philip did.
0:36:27 > 0:36:31Although, first, he had to had over his debit card details,
0:36:31 > 0:36:34as The Exchange Company, which is not to be confused with
0:36:34 > 0:36:36companies of a similar name,
0:36:36 > 0:36:41said that they would need a deposit of £1,296
0:36:41 > 0:36:43before they could process the sale.
0:36:43 > 0:36:47This deposit was to be held by a third party
0:36:47 > 0:36:50until the actual transaction had taken place,
0:36:50 > 0:36:55after which that deposit would be refunded to me in full.
0:36:55 > 0:37:00But once he'd handed over money, alarm bells started to ring.
0:37:00 > 0:37:04I paid the deposit to The Exchange Company.
0:37:04 > 0:37:07But the deposit was taken by another company altogether.
0:37:07 > 0:37:10A company called KA Business Services.
0:37:11 > 0:37:13And that's shown on my bank statement.
0:37:13 > 0:37:16But still feeling relieved that at last
0:37:16 > 0:37:20he would be rid of his time-share, Philip continued with the sale.
0:37:20 > 0:37:24I felt all my Christmases had come.
0:37:24 > 0:37:26It was a great relief.
0:37:26 > 0:37:28I was really very happy about it.
0:37:28 > 0:37:32But his elation did not last long.
0:37:32 > 0:37:36When after a few days he tried contacting both of those companies,
0:37:36 > 0:37:39he immediately hit a brick wall.
0:37:39 > 0:37:41The Exchange Company's website was gone
0:37:41 > 0:37:43and their phone number was dead.
0:37:43 > 0:37:47And the second company, KA Business Services, again, not to be confused
0:37:47 > 0:37:52with companies of a similar name, also seemed to be untraceable.
0:37:52 > 0:37:56When I looked at the KA Business Services documentation,
0:37:56 > 0:38:00I noticed immediately there was no address on the communication,
0:38:00 > 0:38:04there was no telephone number, there was no e-mail address.
0:38:04 > 0:38:06And it was at that point the realisation
0:38:06 > 0:38:10that I'd been scammed hit me
0:38:10 > 0:38:13and I was pretty angry.
0:38:13 > 0:38:16This was a disaster for Philip and his wife.
0:38:16 > 0:38:19Not only were they still locked in to that time-share
0:38:19 > 0:38:21that they didn't want,
0:38:21 > 0:38:26but they were also a further £1,295 out of pocket.
0:38:26 > 0:38:32The bank actually tried to get the money back for me
0:38:32 > 0:38:34but were told that as a result of a signature
0:38:34 > 0:38:39I put on the document KA sent me, there was no way they could help me.
0:38:39 > 0:38:45I contacted Action Fraud to let them know what had happened
0:38:45 > 0:38:50and to give other people a chance to investigate this organisation
0:38:50 > 0:38:54which I feel needs shutting down
0:38:54 > 0:38:56as soon as possible.
0:38:56 > 0:38:58Sadly, Philip is far from alone in feeling
0:38:58 > 0:39:01ripped off by The Exchange Company.
0:39:01 > 0:39:04The police in Merseyside, where the firm has an address,
0:39:04 > 0:39:07has received more than 30 complaints about the company,
0:39:07 > 0:39:09although there have been no arrests.
0:39:09 > 0:39:12And who says lightning doesn't strike twice?
0:39:12 > 0:39:16Nursing his losses but still keen to off-load his time-share,
0:39:16 > 0:39:19just months later Philip received another cold call from a company
0:39:19 > 0:39:22promising that they would help.
0:39:22 > 0:39:25This time they said they were from a business called FHC.
0:39:26 > 0:39:30Immediately, alarm bells rang because the actual way
0:39:30 > 0:39:35they approached me and the documentation that they sent me was
0:39:35 > 0:39:39a mirror image of that that had been sent to me by the other company.
0:39:42 > 0:39:44In fact, the phone number they use is only one digit
0:39:44 > 0:39:47difference to the one on The Exchange Company's paperwork.
0:39:47 > 0:39:50So, coincidence?
0:39:50 > 0:39:53We tried every way we could to contact FHC to see
0:39:53 > 0:39:56whether or not they were linked to The Exchange Company,
0:39:56 > 0:39:59but we simply could not get a response.
0:39:59 > 0:40:02As for The Exchange Company themselves, it was a similar story -
0:40:02 > 0:40:05all of our e-mails and letters went unanswered.
0:40:05 > 0:40:08But selling or getting rid of unwanted time-shares
0:40:08 > 0:40:12is one of the most common problems about which you contact us.
0:40:12 > 0:40:13Get your head round the law
0:40:13 > 0:40:17and you can sometimes get out of the most restrictive contracts
0:40:17 > 0:40:20by sending a strongly-worded letter that references
0:40:20 > 0:40:22the Consumer Rights Directive.
0:40:22 > 0:40:25In the meantime, don't be tempted by companies that are offering
0:40:25 > 0:40:28to sell on your behalf, especially if they're asking for any cash.
0:40:28 > 0:40:31Because that's left Philip in an even worse position
0:40:31 > 0:40:33than he was in before.
0:40:33 > 0:40:37He's out of pocket and stuck with his time-share.
0:40:37 > 0:40:41I am very angry about losing my deposit.
0:40:41 > 0:40:44It's money that I really couldn't afford to lose.
0:40:53 > 0:40:56Here at Rip Off Britain, we're always ready to investigate
0:40:56 > 0:41:00more of your stories and not just about holidays.
0:41:00 > 0:41:02Confused over your bills?
0:41:02 > 0:41:05Or just trying to wade though never-ending small print?
0:41:05 > 0:41:07When they sit you down to sign up for things,
0:41:07 > 0:41:10they don't really give you the chance or the time
0:41:10 > 0:41:12to read through all of that small print.
0:41:12 > 0:41:17These people have ripped me off, well and truly.
0:41:18 > 0:41:22You might have a cautionary tale of your own and want to share
0:41:22 > 0:41:25the mistakes you made with us so others don't do the same.
0:41:26 > 0:41:30Whatever's left you feeling ripped off, we want to hear from you.
0:41:30 > 0:41:31You can write to us at...
0:41:38 > 0:41:39Or send us an e-mail to...
0:41:42 > 0:41:46The team here is ready and waiting to look into your stories,
0:41:46 > 0:41:49so please do get in touch.
0:41:49 > 0:41:54Sometimes when you feel that you've been treated unfairly, it just
0:41:54 > 0:41:57might come down to the fact that the level of customer service
0:41:57 > 0:42:00that you received has not been what you expected.
0:42:00 > 0:42:04But other times, well, it could be that there were key details tucked
0:42:04 > 0:42:07away in the small print, those terrible words,
0:42:07 > 0:42:10"the small print", that you just had not quite understood. And that,
0:42:10 > 0:42:14at least, is a situation that you really can try and avoid, isn't it?
0:42:14 > 0:42:17Yes, cos let's face it, we're probably all guilty of not
0:42:17 > 0:42:21taking the trouble to read and understand the terms and conditions.
0:42:21 > 0:42:24But the information is tucked away in there somewhere.
0:42:24 > 0:42:27And you may often stumble across really crucial details
0:42:27 > 0:42:28that you do need to know.
0:42:28 > 0:42:33It is tedious, but you know what? It is worth plying through all of them.
0:42:33 > 0:42:36Because however your holiday may have been sold, there just
0:42:36 > 0:42:39could be something that was not made absolutely clear or perhaps
0:42:39 > 0:42:44you've made an assumption that's turned out to be just totally wrong.
0:42:44 > 0:42:46Either way, the more you are across the detail,
0:42:46 > 0:42:49the less likely it is you're going to end up feeling short-changed.
0:42:49 > 0:42:52I'm afraid that's it for today, but do join us again very soon
0:42:52 > 0:42:55when we'll be investigating even more of your stories.
0:42:55 > 0:42:56Until then, if you are going on holiday,
0:42:56 > 0:42:59- I hope that yours is a really good one.- Bye-bye.