0:00:02 > 0:00:04We asked you who's left you feeling ripped off
0:00:04 > 0:00:05when it comes to your holidays,
0:00:05 > 0:00:09and you came back with a catalogue of travel disasters.
0:00:09 > 0:00:13It was a nightmare. That particular day was a nightmare.
0:00:13 > 0:00:16First impressions when we walked in was what have we booked?
0:00:16 > 0:00:20What have we paid for? It was disgusting.
0:00:20 > 0:00:24So whether it's a deliberate rip-off, a simple mistake or indeed
0:00:24 > 0:00:28a catch in the small print, we'll find out why you are out of pocket
0:00:28 > 0:00:30and what you can do about it.
0:00:30 > 0:00:32Your stories. Your money.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35This is Rip Off Britain.
0:00:36 > 0:00:40Hello, and welcome to a sunny edition of Rip Off Britain.
0:00:40 > 0:00:42We've come to the island of Lanzarote
0:00:42 > 0:00:45and we're here to investigate even more of the problems with holidays
0:00:45 > 0:00:48and travel about which you've been telling us.
0:00:48 > 0:00:51And all of the people whose stories we're going to be featuring today
0:00:51 > 0:00:53have the very same thing in common -
0:00:53 > 0:00:57every of them has been tricked out of their money, handing it over
0:00:57 > 0:01:00for something that, in most cases, just didn't exist.
0:01:00 > 0:01:04However, it's fair to say that only became clear far too late,
0:01:04 > 0:01:07by which point they were left not only without the holiday
0:01:07 > 0:01:10they'd been planning but seriously out of pocket as well.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13And what's more, the stress of trying to resolve some of these
0:01:13 > 0:01:16situations has been pretty horrendous not least because,
0:01:16 > 0:01:20as you'll see, several of them were a lot more complicated
0:01:20 > 0:01:22and indeed expensive than your average trip away.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25And, of course, what makes it particularly interesting
0:01:25 > 0:01:29is that a good few of these scams unfolded in situations likely to be
0:01:29 > 0:01:33very similar to how you may book your next holiday.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36So, if you're starting to dream of that sunshine break -
0:01:36 > 0:01:38and let's face it, who isn't at this time of year? -
0:01:38 > 0:01:40then we've got plenty of advice
0:01:40 > 0:01:44to help stop you ending up out of pocket.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48Coming up, a Mexican villa that didn't even exist -
0:01:48 > 0:01:51so why was it advertised on one of the best-known websites
0:01:51 > 0:01:53in the accommodation-booking business?
0:01:53 > 0:01:57We were angry, frustrated, you know, we looked for reassurance
0:01:57 > 0:02:00and they gave it to us, telling us it will all be OK and it wasn't.
0:02:00 > 0:02:02It was horrific.
0:02:02 > 0:02:06And the company accused of tricking people into signing up for a holiday
0:02:06 > 0:02:08deal unlikely to turn out how it was promised.
0:02:08 > 0:02:13I just feel total scammed by them and I think what we feel is
0:02:13 > 0:02:18something we would have used, we really can't use at all.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23Now, while many holidays booked in the UK are still organised
0:02:23 > 0:02:26through big tour operators, there are plenty of trips abroad
0:02:26 > 0:02:29that you're more likely to need to sort out yourself.
0:02:29 > 0:02:33Take, for example, a hen party, which, because of such a big group
0:02:33 > 0:02:36travelling together, can't always be organised as a package deal.
0:02:36 > 0:02:40Instead, chances are that everyone might be staying, for example,
0:02:40 > 0:02:43in a large villa, so whoever has the joy of arranging it all
0:02:43 > 0:02:46will need to either liaise directly with the owner
0:02:46 > 0:02:49or use one of the booking sites that advertise villas to rent
0:02:49 > 0:02:52right across the world. But we've heard from dozens of hen party
0:02:52 > 0:02:55revellers who, despite doing both those things,
0:02:55 > 0:02:58still came a very costly cropper indeed.
0:02:58 > 0:03:00They used one of the best known booking sites to book their
0:03:00 > 0:03:03accommodation and they spoke to the owner,
0:03:03 > 0:03:07so how did they end up handing over thousands of pounds for villas
0:03:07 > 0:03:09they never even got to stay in?
0:03:11 > 0:03:12- ALL:- Cheers!
0:03:12 > 0:03:15With so many hen parties now taking place in the sun...
0:03:15 > 0:03:17Oh, you look lovely, Nicky.
0:03:17 > 0:03:19..organising everything is a much bigger challenge
0:03:19 > 0:03:22than simply arranging a night out for a few friends.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25CHEERING
0:03:25 > 0:03:28So when Mel Allen was asked to be maid of honour by her best friend,
0:03:28 > 0:03:32Nicky Kerr, she knew that sorting out the hen party was going to be
0:03:32 > 0:03:33a big part of her role.
0:03:33 > 0:03:35We sat down one evening and said,
0:03:35 > 0:03:38"It'd be great if we went somewhere really special,"
0:03:38 > 0:03:41being a bit more mature ladies and we'd have a bit of fun
0:03:41 > 0:03:44and so we decided we'd like to go to Marbella in Spain.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47And the first priority was finding a villa big enough
0:03:47 > 0:03:50to fit all 21 of them.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53Mel searched online and soon found plenty of options
0:03:53 > 0:03:57on the villa-booking website OwnersDirect.
0:03:57 > 0:04:02We were so excited and choosing one with a big pool, three hot tubs
0:04:02 > 0:04:04and it seemed to be everything that we really wanted
0:04:04 > 0:04:05for our weekend away.
0:04:05 > 0:04:10OwnersDirect host ads for thousands of private villas all over the world.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14When you find one you like the look of, you contact the owner directly
0:04:14 > 0:04:16to find out more, and then you make your booking.
0:04:16 > 0:04:20So when Mel came across a villa that ticked all their boxes,
0:04:20 > 0:04:22she did just that.
0:04:22 > 0:04:27I made contact with the owners, which were called Rainbow Villas,
0:04:27 > 0:04:31and looked just what we were looking for and the lady was so friendly
0:04:31 > 0:04:34and it seemed like it was going to be the perfect weekend
0:04:34 > 0:04:36that we were looking for.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39The owner of Marbella-based company Rainbow Villas - not to be confused
0:04:39 > 0:04:43with companies with similar names - used the name Michelle
0:04:43 > 0:04:46and told Mel that included in the price was a drinks reception
0:04:46 > 0:04:49on arrival and a fully-stocked drinks bar for them to use
0:04:49 > 0:04:51during their stay.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54The whole package sounded amazing, so we all got together and said,
0:04:54 > 0:04:58"Yes, let's book this and pay the 25% deposit."
0:04:58 > 0:05:02A long weekend in the villa would cost the hens around £4,000
0:05:02 > 0:05:04which they could pay in instalments.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07But they were also told they'd need to pay by bank transfer -
0:05:07 > 0:05:10something that made Mel a little bit nervous.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12I asked if I could use a credit card
0:05:12 > 0:05:14but was told there wasn't that facility.
0:05:14 > 0:05:18So I went back onto the OwnersDirect website and it said
0:05:18 > 0:05:23clearly on there, "It is secure to use by bank transfer
0:05:23 > 0:05:26"but we advise you make contact with the villa owner,"
0:05:26 > 0:05:30which I had already done but I did just give OwnersDirect a little ring
0:05:30 > 0:05:33to just check that out and was told, yes,
0:05:33 > 0:05:36if I've made contact with them it was fine to go ahead and do that.
0:05:36 > 0:05:38So, reassured that it would be OK,
0:05:38 > 0:05:43Mel collected the money from all 20 other hens and paid Rainbow Villas
0:05:43 > 0:05:46in three instalments, the last one being just eight weeks
0:05:46 > 0:05:50before they were due to fly to Spain, in June 2015.
0:05:50 > 0:05:54It was very exciting, it was going to be a fabulous weekend,
0:05:54 > 0:05:56and one that Nicky would remember.
0:05:58 > 0:06:02Meanwhile, in Sheffield, Olivia Parsisson and her hens
0:06:02 > 0:06:04were looking forward to their long weekend in Marbella,
0:06:04 > 0:06:07in another of Rainbow Villas' properties.
0:06:10 > 0:06:14We'd booked what was supposed to be a millionaire's mansion
0:06:14 > 0:06:16for the three nights,
0:06:16 > 0:06:18paid £5,750 for it.
0:06:18 > 0:06:23It had a hot tub, Jacuzzi, saunas, bang in the middle of Marbella.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26It were going to be me last holiday, me last real girls' holiday.
0:06:26 > 0:06:31Just as Mel had, Olivia contacted Rainbow Villas directly.
0:06:31 > 0:06:35She too got on really well with the owner and she also agreed to pay
0:06:35 > 0:06:41the cost - £5,750 - in four instalments, by bank transfer.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43Everything seemed legitimate.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45There was nothing to make me think otherwise.
0:06:45 > 0:06:47She'd let us have the villa for a little bit longer
0:06:47 > 0:06:50due to flight times when we were leaving.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53Just thought she was lovely, really.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55But just three weeks before their departure dates,
0:06:55 > 0:06:59Mel and Olivia both received an e-mail from Rainbow Villas.
0:06:59 > 0:07:03It was just saying, "Do not travel. We have ceased trading.
0:07:03 > 0:07:05"Find alternative accommodation."
0:07:05 > 0:07:07So you can imagine I was absolutely devastated.
0:07:07 > 0:07:12Just said, "Don't travel to Marbella as there will be nowhere to stay."
0:07:12 > 0:07:14I just burst into tears.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17Mel and Olivia both e-mailed back
0:07:17 > 0:07:19asking whether they would be refunded.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21But Rainbow Villas didn't reply.
0:07:21 > 0:07:26With only a week and a half to go, Mel turned to OwnersDirect for help.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29I asked them if they could help us find somewhere else
0:07:29 > 0:07:32cos my immediate reaction was, "What am I going to do?
0:07:32 > 0:07:35"I'm going to ruin my friend's hen weekend which..."
0:07:35 > 0:07:39And nowhere for these ladies to go that had all got the flights booked.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42But they said they couldn't help us with that, either.
0:07:42 > 0:07:46After getting a similar response, Olivia looked online to see
0:07:46 > 0:07:49if there was anyone else in the same situation.
0:07:49 > 0:07:53And she very quickly stumbled across a Facebook group
0:07:53 > 0:07:55full of stories that sounded just like hers.
0:07:57 > 0:08:01Worse still, there were other parties that had booked into the same villa
0:08:01 > 0:08:03on exactly the same dates.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07I couldn't believe it. The weekend that me and my hens were booked
0:08:07 > 0:08:10there was another hen party and another stag do.
0:08:10 > 0:08:11So that were just one weekend,
0:08:11 > 0:08:15so in one weekend that would have been...close to £20,000.
0:08:15 > 0:08:17Mel and Olivia both realised that,
0:08:17 > 0:08:20in all probability, they'd been scammed.
0:08:20 > 0:08:24And with their travel insurance policies either not covering fraud
0:08:24 > 0:08:26or situations where companies cease trading,
0:08:26 > 0:08:29they had little chance of getting their money back.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32Both now faced having to tell their friends what had happened.
0:08:32 > 0:08:36I rang Nicky and said, "I've got some devastating news for you,
0:08:36 > 0:08:40"but this villa we've been looking forward to for weeks and weeks
0:08:40 > 0:08:44"and planning sitting by that pool and in the hot tubs and whatever...
0:08:44 > 0:08:45"it doesn't exist."
0:08:45 > 0:08:50Both groups did ultimately have their big parties in Marbella,
0:08:50 > 0:08:53booking and shelling out for completely different accommodation.
0:08:53 > 0:08:57But between them they lost almost £10,000 to Rainbow Villas.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00And we've spoken to four other groups of hens who were duped
0:09:00 > 0:09:05in exactly the same way - and who also paid out thousands.
0:09:05 > 0:09:09Although investigations are ongoing, police in the UK and in Spain
0:09:09 > 0:09:13believe Michelle at Rainbow Villas was taking identical bookings
0:09:13 > 0:09:16for up to eight villas in and around Marbella.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19Unfortunately, all the parties we've spoken to who lost money
0:09:19 > 0:09:22to Rainbow Villas paid via bank transfer and as a result,
0:09:22 > 0:09:25I'm afraid they stand very little chance of ever seeing
0:09:25 > 0:09:27all of their money again.
0:09:27 > 0:09:32In 2015, we featured the case of a family who were scammed the same way
0:09:32 > 0:09:35after paying by bank transfer for a villa
0:09:35 > 0:09:38they'd found on the OwnersDirect site.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41At the time, the company told us it had introduced
0:09:41 > 0:09:44a new online payments system which would refund up to £10,000
0:09:44 > 0:09:46lost in fraudulent bookings.
0:09:46 > 0:09:50But that doesn't apply to all villas and only applies if owners
0:09:50 > 0:09:54have paid extra to offer it, which a scammer is unlikely to do.
0:09:54 > 0:09:58So we asked OwnersDirect whether, to protect customers, it would consider
0:09:58 > 0:10:01making that scheme mandatory for all its advertisers.
0:10:01 > 0:10:06And OwnersDirect responded with some very good news indeed,
0:10:06 > 0:10:09telling us that by the end of 2016, all its bookings
0:10:09 > 0:10:13will be made through a secure, online system on its website.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16Which means the future customers will automatically
0:10:16 > 0:10:18have their bookings protected.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21Sadly, that doesn't help Mel and Olivia, although OwnersDirect
0:10:21 > 0:10:25did tell us that under the site's Free Basic Rental Guarantee
0:10:25 > 0:10:30each group may be able to get up to £700 back to split between them.
0:10:30 > 0:10:34The company went on to stress that customers who don't book online
0:10:34 > 0:10:36should pay by credit card where possible,
0:10:36 > 0:10:41also suggesting insurance is available for added protection.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44But it apologised to anyone who had booked with Rainbow Villas
0:10:44 > 0:10:46through the OwnersDirect site,
0:10:46 > 0:10:49saying that this was "an extremely rare situation,
0:10:49 > 0:10:52"where a previously legitimate owner acted dishonestly."
0:10:52 > 0:10:55The company said that, following its own investigation,
0:10:55 > 0:10:58it had removed these listings, and offered some financial help
0:10:58 > 0:11:02to holiday-makers who did not have travel insurance.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04We also contacted Michelle at Rainbow Villas
0:11:04 > 0:11:07but as yet we haven't had a response.
0:11:07 > 0:11:11And while our hens did still enjoy the replacement trips they were able
0:11:11 > 0:11:16to book, the gloss was very much taken off by what had happened.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20It's not just about money.
0:11:20 > 0:11:24It's the cost of emotional and stress that it causes to everybody,
0:11:24 > 0:11:27and there isn't a price on that, actually.
0:11:31 > 0:11:35Now, while you might be just a bit sceptical about any offer you get
0:11:35 > 0:11:39on the telephone from a company that you've really never heard of,
0:11:39 > 0:11:42the chances are that you're going to be much more likely to consider it
0:11:42 > 0:11:46if it comes from a name you know or trust.
0:11:46 > 0:11:50So, when several Rip off Britain viewers were contacted by what
0:11:50 > 0:11:54appeared to be a business with which they were already familiar,
0:11:54 > 0:11:57they just didn't think twice about signing up to what sounded like
0:11:57 > 0:11:59a fantastic deal.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02Unfortunately, however, things were not what they'd seemed.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05And not only did it turn out that they'd given their money
0:12:05 > 0:12:09to a company about which they knew absolutely nothing,
0:12:09 > 0:12:12but they weren't going to get what they'd been promised, either.
0:12:18 > 0:12:22For Vanessa and Maurice Roeves, summer means two things -
0:12:22 > 0:12:25a holiday in the sun and, as they're doing now,
0:12:25 > 0:12:29taking in the Festival in their home city of Edinburgh.
0:12:29 > 0:12:33APPLAUSE
0:12:33 > 0:12:35How did he do that?
0:12:35 > 0:12:38But when Vanessa received an unexpected call
0:12:38 > 0:12:41from someone claiming to be from a time-share company,
0:12:41 > 0:12:46it seemed the caller had some tricks of their own up their sleeve.
0:12:47 > 0:12:50Vanessa distinctly remembers the caller saying she was calling
0:12:50 > 0:12:52on behalf of Diamond Resorts -
0:12:52 > 0:12:57a well-known holiday club the couple had been members of since 2001.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00We trust them, the quality of the holidays,
0:13:00 > 0:13:03we've never had to complain about a holiday.
0:13:03 > 0:13:08Vanessa listened to the details of an offer that sounded very appealing -
0:13:08 > 0:13:12three weeks accommodation in any of the company's worldwide resorts,
0:13:12 > 0:13:15for just £395 for the pair of them.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19We were looking at going to the Far East
0:13:19 > 0:13:22and we had a conversation about whether that might be a good way
0:13:22 > 0:13:27of going to Vietnam, Cambodia - the places we wanted to visit.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30Already tempted, when the rep called back later that day,
0:13:30 > 0:13:34adding an extra week's accommodation to the offer for no extra cost,
0:13:34 > 0:13:37the couple eagerly snapped it up.
0:13:37 > 0:13:39It didn't come across as unusual.
0:13:39 > 0:13:44So I agreed and I paid by credit card.
0:13:44 > 0:13:48It seemed the offer didn't have to be used straight away.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51In the meantime, the couple had already booked a break
0:13:51 > 0:13:54at a Diamond Resorts holiday club in Tenerife.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57And it was only when they were out there, talking to the manager,
0:13:57 > 0:14:01that Vanessa and Maurice started to have doubts about the amazing deal
0:14:01 > 0:14:03to which they'd signed up.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06He expressed surprise and said,
0:14:06 > 0:14:09"Oh, well, normally we're told what offers are out there,
0:14:09 > 0:14:11"don't recall that one."
0:14:11 > 0:14:13And that's the first time I got a warning bell.
0:14:13 > 0:14:17After the couple arrived home, they received their paperwork.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20And though the deal did apparently exist,
0:14:20 > 0:14:23none of the documents mentioned Diamond Resorts at all.
0:14:23 > 0:14:28In fact, the holiday was actually with Resort Management Direct -
0:14:28 > 0:14:31a company Vanessa insists she'd never heard of.
0:14:31 > 0:14:35So she immediately rang them to find out what was going on.
0:14:36 > 0:14:41I got somebody who told me that absolutely no way had the words
0:14:41 > 0:14:44"Diamond Resorts" ever been used,
0:14:44 > 0:14:46that I must have misheard.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49Vanessa is adamant that the original caller had told her
0:14:49 > 0:14:51she was from Diamond Resorts.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54But not only did Resort Management Direct deny this,
0:14:54 > 0:14:57it also now told Vanessa that it didn't even have any resorts
0:14:57 > 0:15:00in the places to which the couple had hoped to travel.
0:15:00 > 0:15:06I by then had checked on their web page and there was no USA resorts,
0:15:06 > 0:15:10Canadian, nothing in Cambodia, nothing, in fact, in all of...
0:15:10 > 0:15:13- Not in Vietnam.- No. Nowhere that we had wanted to go.
0:15:13 > 0:15:17Worse still, it now transpired that the offer that Vanessa claims
0:15:17 > 0:15:23she'd been told had no deadline, did, in fact, have an expiry date.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26Whereas I'd been told it was no time limit
0:15:26 > 0:15:28suddenly it was a three-year time limit.
0:15:28 > 0:15:32The couple immediately asked Resort Management Direct for a refund
0:15:32 > 0:15:34of the £395 they'd paid.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37But the company refused,
0:15:37 > 0:15:40saying they still had plenty of time to book four weeks
0:15:40 > 0:15:43in any of its resorts.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46However, all of those resorts are in places Vanessa and Maurice say
0:15:46 > 0:15:49they'd never have wanted to visit.
0:15:49 > 0:15:54I just feel total scammed by them and I think what we feel is
0:15:54 > 0:15:58something we would have used, we really can't use at all.
0:15:58 > 0:16:02We've spoken to others who say either they or someone in their family
0:16:02 > 0:16:06has also felt unhappy after being talked into signing up a deal
0:16:06 > 0:16:08with Resort Management Direct.
0:16:09 > 0:16:1485-year old Eileen Nuttall from Leicestershire paid more than £600
0:16:14 > 0:16:17for five weeks of accommodation in the UK and Europe
0:16:17 > 0:16:20after the company cold called her.
0:16:20 > 0:16:23But as Eileen isn't fit to travel, her daughter is very suspicious
0:16:23 > 0:16:26as to how exactly her mother was persuaded to sign up.
0:16:29 > 0:16:33101-year-old Pat Slade from Chessington paid £199 over the phone
0:16:33 > 0:16:36to a caller from Resort Management Direct.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39Pat says they claim to be from the time-share company
0:16:39 > 0:16:41that she'd been a customer of for 25 years.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46And Carol and Adrian Wilson from Harrogate
0:16:46 > 0:16:50say when they were cold called it was again the mention of Diamond Resorts
0:16:50 > 0:16:53that made the deal sound more plausible.
0:16:53 > 0:16:59I received a call out of the blue from a person who was offering us
0:16:59 > 0:17:04two weeks at a choice of venues in the UK and in Europe
0:17:04 > 0:17:08for up to six people for the sum of £200.
0:17:08 > 0:17:12Adrian was suspicious that it was too good to be true.
0:17:12 > 0:17:16But a month later there was another call, with the same offer.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19This time the name Resort Management Direct was mentioned
0:17:19 > 0:17:22but the caller said the couple was eligible for the deal
0:17:22 > 0:17:26because they'd been customers of Diamond Resorts in the past.
0:17:26 > 0:17:28Believing that it was a genuine offer,
0:17:28 > 0:17:30we thought it was quite good value.
0:17:30 > 0:17:35Oh, great, cup of tea. Just what we need.
0:17:35 > 0:17:36Thanks.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38After paying £199 over the phone
0:17:38 > 0:17:41the Wilsons received a list of hotels
0:17:41 > 0:17:43and plumped for one in Stratford.
0:17:43 > 0:17:47But during the booking process, Adrian was asked some unexpected
0:17:47 > 0:17:52and rather sensitive questions that he simply was not happy answering.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55It was necessary to put in quite a lot of personal information,
0:17:55 > 0:18:00such as present income and age and I left those off.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03But Resort Management Direct said that if Carol and Adrian
0:18:03 > 0:18:06didn't provide them with all the information they wanted
0:18:06 > 0:18:10they wouldn't be eligible for the offer for which they'd already paid.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13I put in my age and date of birth and so forth
0:18:13 > 0:18:17but as far as income's concerned I gave an adjusted figure.
0:18:17 > 0:18:21Next, Resort Management Direct told Adrian that before they made his
0:18:21 > 0:18:24reservation, the couple would need to confirm that they were willing to
0:18:24 > 0:18:28attend a sales presentation whilst they were staying at the hotel.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30Reluctantly, we agreed to do that.
0:18:30 > 0:18:35And so we thought that we would now finally be able to get this booking.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38Unfortunately not.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41Because after all that, Resort Management Direct told Carol
0:18:41 > 0:18:44and Adrian that, in any case,
0:18:44 > 0:18:47they were too old to be eligible for the offer.
0:18:47 > 0:18:51I was over 60 and Carol was over 60, yeah.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54So we couldn't be accepted because of that.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57No-one had ever mentioned age in the telephone call originally
0:18:57 > 0:19:00and we were told that there were no strings attached.
0:19:00 > 0:19:04Adrian asked for a refund but, insisting the restrictions
0:19:04 > 0:19:09had always been made clear, Resort Management Direct refused.
0:19:09 > 0:19:13- We really felt we'd been taken for a ride.- It was mis-sold, really,
0:19:13 > 0:19:14from the beginning.
0:19:14 > 0:19:18But what about others who've paid out for this particular deal?
0:19:18 > 0:19:20How likely is it they'll be able to
0:19:20 > 0:19:23stay in the hotels they believe they've booked?
0:19:23 > 0:19:26Well, when we checked the website of Resort Management Direct,
0:19:26 > 0:19:31we saw that they offered accommodation in 62 different hotels
0:19:31 > 0:19:35in the UK, Europe and a few other rather more far-flung destinations.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38We contacted more than 60 of these hotels
0:19:38 > 0:19:42and of the ones that responded, not one of them said they had ever
0:19:42 > 0:19:45taken a booking from Resort Management Direct.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48In fact, the vast majority of them said they'd never even
0:19:48 > 0:19:52heard of the company. Several of the hotels have since said that they are
0:19:52 > 0:19:56going to be taking action to ensure that their hotels are removed
0:19:56 > 0:20:00from the Resort Management Direct website.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03A number of time-share consumer groups have warned customers
0:20:03 > 0:20:07not to get involved with the company, after receiving complaints.
0:20:07 > 0:20:11Among those is Diamond Resorts which told us it is in no way
0:20:11 > 0:20:14affiliated with Resort Management Direct,
0:20:14 > 0:20:17and has never passed on its customers' data to the company.
0:20:17 > 0:20:21International Property Lawyer Stefano Lucatello is all too familiar
0:20:21 > 0:20:23with the way these companies work.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26They have hundreds of telesales people with information,
0:20:26 > 0:20:29they're all on targets and they're there to capture people
0:20:29 > 0:20:32and prey on people who are not aware of what's going on.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35They'll receive a telephone call, and the next thing they know is
0:20:35 > 0:20:36they've parted with their money
0:20:36 > 0:20:40and they'll never receive their contracted product.
0:20:40 > 0:20:44However, when we contacted Resort Management Direct,
0:20:44 > 0:20:48the company told us that it has had more than 45,000 clients
0:20:48 > 0:20:51and that disgruntled customers like the ones we've heard of
0:20:51 > 0:20:54are "most definitely the exception rather than the rule."
0:20:54 > 0:20:58It went on to claim that its customer satisfaction levels are higher
0:20:58 > 0:21:01than those of some of the major holiday companies.
0:21:01 > 0:21:05But when we asked about all those hotels on its website
0:21:05 > 0:21:09which, when we checked, had told us they had no relationship whatsoever
0:21:09 > 0:21:13with Resort Management Direct, it didn't respond.
0:21:13 > 0:21:17Luckily, both the Roeves and the Wilsons were able to get the money
0:21:17 > 0:21:20they'd paid out back from their credit card companies.
0:21:20 > 0:21:24But they've got advice for anyone else who receives a similar offer
0:21:24 > 0:21:25out of the blue.
0:21:25 > 0:21:27If anybody gets a call like this,
0:21:27 > 0:21:29don't touch it with a bargepole, I would say.
0:21:29 > 0:21:33Don't enter into any agreement with anyone
0:21:33 > 0:21:35who is offering you something cheap.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45Still to come on Rip Off Britain, another holiday that didn't exist
0:21:45 > 0:21:49and the family conned out of their cash after booking to stay there.
0:21:49 > 0:21:52The girls came home from school, bags were packed.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55Very excited little girls. And I just said
0:21:55 > 0:21:59some bad people had took Mummy's money and there was no caravan
0:21:59 > 0:22:01and we wasn't going away.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07There definitely can still be benefits to booking through
0:22:07 > 0:22:11a high street travel agent but over 70% of us are now said to
0:22:11 > 0:22:13arrange our holidays online.
0:22:13 > 0:22:16Many of us do it through sites that have become familiar names,
0:22:16 > 0:22:19such as the accommodation website Booking.com.
0:22:19 > 0:22:23It boasts of more than 6.3 million rooms
0:22:23 > 0:22:25booked through the site every week.
0:22:25 > 0:22:29But it seems even Booking.com isn't immune from the scammers.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32Because what happened to the group in our next story is something
0:22:32 > 0:22:35you might imagine occurring after using some dodgy site
0:22:35 > 0:22:36no-one's ever heard of,
0:22:36 > 0:22:39rather than one of the biggest names in the business.
0:22:43 > 0:22:47The ruins at Tulum are one of Mexico's best preserved
0:22:47 > 0:22:51and most visited ancient sites, the walled city all the more
0:22:51 > 0:22:55evocative thanks to its beautiful coastal setting.
0:22:55 > 0:22:57So when newlyweds Karina and Alex
0:22:57 > 0:23:01were invited by some of their closest friends to spend New Year
0:23:01 > 0:23:06with them there, it sounded the perfect way to bring in 2015.
0:23:06 > 0:23:10So what attracted us to Tulum was just being very close to the beach,
0:23:10 > 0:23:14being in a tranquil, peaceful environment away from everything,
0:23:14 > 0:23:18just stroll down the beach, be around all your friends,
0:23:18 > 0:23:20looks really, really special.
0:23:21 > 0:23:24Finding a place to stay that was suitable for the whole party -
0:23:24 > 0:23:28nine people, including two children - was key.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31So the friends turned to online accommodation provider
0:23:31 > 0:23:34Booking.com. And it seemed they were in luck.
0:23:36 > 0:23:37Wow, look at that view.
0:23:37 > 0:23:42This villa just popped up we thought this is absolutely amazing, you know,
0:23:42 > 0:23:46beautiful pool, right by the beach, it was amazing.
0:23:46 > 0:23:50The luxurious villa boasted impressive sea views,
0:23:50 > 0:23:53a terrace for relaxing and, most importantly,
0:23:53 > 0:23:576 en-suite bedrooms sleeping up to 18 people.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01And as you can see from these stunning photos, there would be
0:24:01 > 0:24:06plenty of room for the whole group to celebrate the New Year in style.
0:24:06 > 0:24:08The pictures of it looked idyllic. There was a swimming pool,
0:24:08 > 0:24:11you had your own private beach, there were kayaks.
0:24:11 > 0:24:15It had everything you'd ever need on a beach holiday.
0:24:15 > 0:24:17Now we're going to try out Mexico.
0:24:19 > 0:24:23So the friends agreed to go ahead and pay 8,100
0:24:23 > 0:24:27to secure the villa through the Booking.com website.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30Once we had booked it they had asked for our credit card details
0:24:30 > 0:24:33and we put those in online and we got a confirmation back
0:24:33 > 0:24:35saying, "Yep, all great".
0:24:37 > 0:24:40But shortly after the group had received their confirmation e-mail
0:24:40 > 0:24:41from Booking.com,
0:24:41 > 0:24:44they got an e-mail from what appeared to be the villa's owner,
0:24:44 > 0:24:48saying he needed payment by PayPal instead of by credit card.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51We actually checked, we called up Booking.com
0:24:51 > 0:24:54and said is this normal and they said to us at that time,
0:24:54 > 0:24:56"It's all fine. We just take your card details,
0:24:56 > 0:24:58"we don't take the money off it
0:24:58 > 0:25:01"and, yes, this is how it's done, you can pay them via PayPal."
0:25:01 > 0:25:02Come on.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05Reassured by Booking.com,
0:25:05 > 0:25:07the group made the payment via the PayPal website.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10You always have your doubts when you're doing these sort of things
0:25:10 > 0:25:13but we are doing it through Booking.com and they are telling us
0:25:13 > 0:25:15it's all safe.
0:25:15 > 0:25:19But the villa's apparent owner then contacted them again.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22This time, he said the PayPal transaction hadn't gone through
0:25:22 > 0:25:26so the money would now have to be paid by bank transfer.
0:25:26 > 0:25:28Nervous about doing that,
0:25:28 > 0:25:31the group called Booking.com for a second time to double check
0:25:31 > 0:25:36that it was OK to send money directly to the owner of the villa.
0:25:36 > 0:25:38They said, "You're completely fine on that level
0:25:38 > 0:25:41"and if the worst did happen, we will find something better
0:25:41 > 0:25:43"or equal to within the same area,
0:25:43 > 0:25:46"so just relax, guys, there's no stress. This is going to be fine."
0:25:48 > 0:25:51With Booking.com's reassurances ringing in their ears,
0:25:51 > 0:25:54Karina and Alex transferred the money
0:25:54 > 0:25:56and began to look forward to their trip.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59And the day of departure soon came round.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02So off we go, excited we're going on holiday, you know,
0:26:02 > 0:26:04we're going to Mexico, and we get on that plane.
0:26:04 > 0:26:09But when Alex and Karina landed in Mexico, they were greeted by
0:26:09 > 0:26:12a text message from their friends who'd already arrived,
0:26:12 > 0:26:16telling them to head not to the villa they'd booked but to a hotel
0:26:16 > 0:26:19some 40km away from where they were supposed to be staying.
0:26:19 > 0:26:23And there was a very worrying reason why.
0:26:23 > 0:26:27They revealed that they had been driving round for several hours
0:26:27 > 0:26:30looking for this villa. They were asking locals,
0:26:30 > 0:26:32they were so concerned they couldn't find it.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35They went to the exact coordinates on Google Maps
0:26:35 > 0:26:36and there was nothing there.
0:26:36 > 0:26:38Sit.
0:26:38 > 0:26:39When they couldn't find the villa,
0:26:39 > 0:26:42Karina's friends had called the offices of Booking.com
0:26:42 > 0:26:46back in the UK who'd confirmed their worst fears.
0:26:46 > 0:26:47Fetch it!
0:26:47 > 0:26:51Booking.com said, "You guys, we're actually, you know...
0:26:51 > 0:26:53"Hate to say this, but this villa does not exist.
0:26:53 > 0:26:55"We can't get hold of the owner."
0:26:55 > 0:26:58Clearly whoever it was the group had been dealing with,
0:26:58 > 0:27:01it wasn't the genuine owner of the house they'd seen.
0:27:01 > 0:27:05Instead, they'd transferred their money to a scammer who'd set up
0:27:05 > 0:27:09a fake listing using photos of a real villa somewhere else.
0:27:09 > 0:27:14Karina and Alex were at a complete loss as to how a respectable,
0:27:14 > 0:27:18big-name website such as Booking.com could have not only let a fraudster
0:27:18 > 0:27:22advertise a fake villa in the first place but, worse still,
0:27:22 > 0:27:26reassure them every time there'd been a warning sign along the way.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29At that point when they told us that we had been right all along
0:27:29 > 0:27:33we were distraught, we were angry, frustrated,
0:27:33 > 0:27:35you know, how could they put us in this position?
0:27:35 > 0:27:39These alarm bells were going off and we looked for reassurance
0:27:39 > 0:27:42and they gave it to us, telling us, "It will all be OK," and it wasn't.
0:27:42 > 0:27:43It was horrific.
0:27:43 > 0:27:48Booking.com did find the group alternative accommodation.
0:27:48 > 0:27:51But, being the busiest time of year, there'd been little choice
0:27:51 > 0:27:56for a party so big and they'd ended up being split between two hotels.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59The one Karina and Alex ended up in made for a very different break
0:27:59 > 0:28:02than the quiet and secluded one they thought they'd booked.
0:28:02 > 0:28:04- This hotel was... - Huge...
0:28:04 > 0:28:07..the biggest resort I've ever seen in my life.
0:28:07 > 0:28:09It had shopping centres, bowling alleys...
0:28:09 > 0:28:11- Cinemas.- ..cinemas.- Everything.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14Compared to what we thought we were getting it was the polar opposite.
0:28:14 > 0:28:17But even with this new booking there was a hitch.
0:28:17 > 0:28:21The manager of the hotel told them that because Booking.com hadn't yet
0:28:21 > 0:28:23paid for the group to stay there
0:28:23 > 0:28:28they would have to either pay for it themselves or leave.
0:28:28 > 0:28:34We're now being asked to fork out...something, 18,500.
0:28:34 > 0:28:36But we had to do it in order to not be stranded
0:28:36 > 0:28:39and out on the street again. So we did. We paid it.
0:28:39 > 0:28:43Two days before the end of their week long break,
0:28:43 > 0:28:46Booking.com was able to find the group somewhere more suitable
0:28:46 > 0:28:50to stay in Tulum - the town they'd originally booked to stay in.
0:28:50 > 0:28:53But by this point, as far as Karina and Alex were concerned,
0:28:53 > 0:28:56the whole holiday had been ruined.
0:28:56 > 0:28:58By now we were shattered
0:28:58 > 0:29:01and, you know, as a group, there was a lot of stress between us.
0:29:01 > 0:29:04As soon as the friends got back to the UK,
0:29:04 > 0:29:07they got in touch with Booking.com.
0:29:07 > 0:29:10And whilst the company refunded the 18,500 that the group had paid
0:29:10 > 0:29:14on their credit cards for the alternative accommodation,
0:29:14 > 0:29:16it wasn't prepared to offer any compensation
0:29:16 > 0:29:19for the loss of the villa they'd booked.
0:29:19 > 0:29:23Booking.com is among the best known of the accommodation websites
0:29:23 > 0:29:26that have become the standard way millions of us
0:29:26 > 0:29:29arrange our accommodation around the world.
0:29:29 > 0:29:33Founded in his Amsterdam attic by computer scientist
0:29:33 > 0:29:36Geert Jan Bruinsma in 1996,
0:29:36 > 0:29:39it now employs 10,000 people across the world
0:29:39 > 0:29:44and claims to be "Planet Earth's #1 Accommodation site."
0:29:44 > 0:29:47'Booking.com. Booking.yeah.'
0:29:47 > 0:29:49When we asked the company what went wrong this time,
0:29:49 > 0:29:53it apologised for the disruption and inconvenience caused,
0:29:53 > 0:29:54telling us that the group were
0:29:54 > 0:29:57"victims of a highly sophisticated fraud",
0:29:57 > 0:30:00the likes of which have affected only a very small number
0:30:00 > 0:30:04of the hundreds of millions of bookings taken on the site.
0:30:04 > 0:30:09Booking.com reiterated that despite there being "extremely limited"
0:30:09 > 0:30:13alternative accommodation available in such a peak travel period,
0:30:13 > 0:30:15it had "immediately relocated"
0:30:15 > 0:30:19the group to an all-inclusive five-star resort.
0:30:19 > 0:30:22And the company told us that, as a result of this incident,
0:30:22 > 0:30:26it has and will continue to improve its fraud detection measures,
0:30:26 > 0:30:30to "identify and remove" the very small number of fraudulent listings
0:30:30 > 0:30:32"at the earliest opportunity."
0:30:32 > 0:30:35But if like Karina and Alex you're wondering
0:30:35 > 0:30:39how one of the biggest names in the business came to be offering
0:30:39 > 0:30:42a fraudulent listing, well, perhaps the explanation
0:30:42 > 0:30:45lies in the small print of the Booking.com site,
0:30:45 > 0:30:49where it's made clear that the information shown is based on
0:30:49 > 0:30:52the details sent by the accommodation provider
0:30:52 > 0:30:55and the company itself can't be held responsible
0:30:55 > 0:30:57if any of that turns out to be untrue.
0:30:57 > 0:31:01In other words, if you assume that because it's a big name site
0:31:01 > 0:31:04everything's been checked or vetted - think again.
0:31:04 > 0:31:07So is there any way of knowing if the accommodation you see
0:31:07 > 0:31:10on such third party booking sites is the real deal?
0:31:10 > 0:31:13Our technology expert, David McClelland,
0:31:13 > 0:31:16says there are ways you can check.
0:31:16 > 0:31:18Consider doing a reverse image look up.
0:31:18 > 0:31:22And that's where you, in some browsers, you can click on the image,
0:31:22 > 0:31:25and you can do a search for this image.
0:31:25 > 0:31:27Tap on that and it will show you where else on the internet
0:31:27 > 0:31:29that image appears.
0:31:29 > 0:31:33Now, if the villa you're looking at happens to be in - I don't know -
0:31:33 > 0:31:38in the south of Italy, yet you see identical images also appearing
0:31:38 > 0:31:43for villas in Florida, in France, in Florence, then perhaps
0:31:43 > 0:31:47that's a reason to be concerned that that villa is not what it seems.
0:31:47 > 0:31:52We tried that out with the pictures that had been used on Booking.com.
0:31:52 > 0:31:55When we did we came across the genuine listing
0:31:55 > 0:31:58from where it seems those photos were pinched.
0:31:58 > 0:32:01Something else you can do is take a look at Google Maps
0:32:01 > 0:32:03or Google Street View, in particular,
0:32:03 > 0:32:07and if the images you see on Google Street View match up in no way,
0:32:07 > 0:32:11shape or form with the property that you believe that you're going
0:32:11 > 0:32:15to be renting out, then maybe one or two alarm bells should ring.
0:32:15 > 0:32:19Sound advice, but too late for Karina and Alex,
0:32:19 > 0:32:22who remain astounded that using a big name site they thought
0:32:22 > 0:32:25they could trust ended up giving them
0:32:25 > 0:32:27the worst holiday they've ever had.
0:32:27 > 0:32:30For me, the most frustrating thing about this whole thing was
0:32:30 > 0:32:33how Booking.com dealt with the issues. It felt like they didn't know
0:32:33 > 0:32:36what they were doing or how they were going to solve this problem quickly,
0:32:36 > 0:32:38so it just left us just very, very distraught.
0:32:47 > 0:32:51Our travel expert, Simon Calder, is sharing his top tips
0:32:51 > 0:32:54on favourite destinations across the globe.
0:32:56 > 0:32:58This time it's London.
0:33:00 > 0:33:03It's Simon's home city and as popular as ever with the tourists.
0:33:03 > 0:33:08But watch out, not everyone is as trustworthy as he is.
0:33:09 > 0:33:13So you're walking along and you see some people apparently winning
0:33:13 > 0:33:15quite a lot of money for doing nothing more difficult
0:33:15 > 0:33:18than pointing out which of these cups
0:33:18 > 0:33:20has the ball underneath it.
0:33:20 > 0:33:23Be warned - all of those people are in on the scam.
0:33:23 > 0:33:26Someone will say, "Why don't you have a go?"
0:33:26 > 0:33:28So you put down your money, thinking you're going to double it
0:33:28 > 0:33:31in a second - in fact, you're going to lose the lot...
0:33:31 > 0:33:33and to make your day complete
0:33:33 > 0:33:38you might even be having your pocket picked at the same time.
0:33:38 > 0:33:41London's skyline has had plenty of dramatic new additions
0:33:41 > 0:33:43in recent years,
0:33:43 > 0:33:47and there's one new spot Simon recommends to get the best view.
0:33:47 > 0:33:51Just book in advance and you can visit the Sky Garden at the top
0:33:51 > 0:33:53of the "Walkie-Talkie" skyscraper,
0:33:53 > 0:33:58and discover the most surprising view in London, completely free.
0:33:58 > 0:34:0120 Fenchurch Street, as it's officially known,
0:34:01 > 0:34:06has a public access scheme that enables you to explore life
0:34:06 > 0:34:09hundreds of feet above the city streets.
0:34:09 > 0:34:11For my money - not that you need any -
0:34:11 > 0:34:16it's an even better view than the £25-a-pop Shard,
0:34:16 > 0:34:20because you feel that you're really at the heart of the capital.
0:34:23 > 0:34:27And here's our Londoner's inside tip for the best way to see
0:34:27 > 0:34:29the sights for a fraction of the price.
0:34:30 > 0:34:35You could spend £30 on a round-London sightseeing bus
0:34:35 > 0:34:41or do the economy version for just £1.50 aboard the number 11.
0:34:41 > 0:34:43It takes in many of the capital's great landmarks -
0:34:43 > 0:34:45the Bank of England,
0:34:45 > 0:34:49St Paul's Cathedral, Fleet Street, Covent Garden, Trafalgar Square,
0:34:49 > 0:34:53Westminster Abbey and the King's Road through Chelsea.
0:35:00 > 0:35:04Now, a particularly memorable story from our Holiday series last year
0:35:04 > 0:35:07involved a number of people who'd all booked a stay in the same
0:35:07 > 0:35:12seaside caravan only to discover that the caravan didn't actually exist,
0:35:12 > 0:35:15leaving them not only without a holiday but also without the money
0:35:15 > 0:35:17to pay for another one.
0:35:17 > 0:35:19Well, there has been an update on that particular tale.
0:35:19 > 0:35:21But meanwhile, I'm sorry to say,
0:35:21 > 0:35:25a very similar situation appears to have happened with another
0:35:25 > 0:35:28caravanning holiday and another family,
0:35:28 > 0:35:31and a family that, quite frankly, desperately needed a break
0:35:31 > 0:35:33rather more than most.
0:35:35 > 0:35:38You ready for a sandwich?
0:35:38 > 0:35:41Emily Cressey has defied the odds.
0:35:41 > 0:35:47When she was born prematurely at 24 weeks she weighed just 1lb 3oz,
0:35:47 > 0:35:50so fragile that her parents, Alan and Claire, couldn't hold her.
0:35:52 > 0:35:56We was told to expect that she wasn't going to live, basically.
0:35:56 > 0:35:59She was in hospital an hour away from home
0:35:59 > 0:36:01in Edinburgh Royal Infirmary in Intensive Care.
0:36:01 > 0:36:05It was very, very stressful, difficult time
0:36:05 > 0:36:08and the situation remained like that for about four months.
0:36:08 > 0:36:11But now Emily is thriving.
0:36:11 > 0:36:15And in August last year, when she was 15 months old,
0:36:15 > 0:36:17Claire decided the whole family -
0:36:17 > 0:36:20and especially Emily's three older sisters -
0:36:20 > 0:36:23were ready for a much-needed break.
0:36:23 > 0:36:26We wanted something for the girls, to pay them back to say, you know,
0:36:26 > 0:36:29"You deserved this, you've been through so much."
0:36:29 > 0:36:34So we saved hard... and for quite a long time.
0:36:36 > 0:36:39Claire's search started on social media
0:36:39 > 0:36:42where she sent out a message asking if anyone could offer
0:36:42 > 0:36:47a week's holiday in a caravan by the seaside for the six of them.
0:36:47 > 0:36:50We decided we'd look for the Skegness area, you know,
0:36:50 > 0:36:54with four girls, so different age ranges, so we needed something
0:36:54 > 0:36:56to accommodate everybody
0:36:56 > 0:36:58and that just seemed an ideal area at the time.
0:37:00 > 0:37:03Claire quickly got a response from someone offering a week long stay
0:37:03 > 0:37:08in their caravan at the Coral Beach Caravan Park in Skegness.
0:37:09 > 0:37:11It's quite close to all the amenities
0:37:11 > 0:37:14and it was just perfect for our family.
0:37:14 > 0:37:18Over the next few days, Claire contacted the apparent owner
0:37:18 > 0:37:21a number of times to make sure the caravan and the site
0:37:21 > 0:37:23had everything the family would need.
0:37:23 > 0:37:26It had the full three bedrooms, so that everybody had a room
0:37:26 > 0:37:31of their own and they accepted pets, so that was important to us, too,
0:37:31 > 0:37:33so we could take our family dog.
0:37:33 > 0:37:38Not wanting to miss out, Claire transferred the full £350
0:37:38 > 0:37:41directly into the seller's bank account
0:37:41 > 0:37:45and sent a message via Facebook to confirm she'd paid.
0:37:47 > 0:37:49I inboxed her on Facebook to say,
0:37:49 > 0:37:52"Can you just check your bank? We've put the money in.
0:37:52 > 0:37:55"Can you just confirm that it's been put into the right account,
0:37:55 > 0:37:57"I haven't got any digits wrong?"
0:37:57 > 0:38:00And I was waiting for the holiday confirmation.
0:38:00 > 0:38:05But then the owner of the caravan went suspiciously quiet.
0:38:05 > 0:38:08My message, it had come up as seen and there was no reply.
0:38:08 > 0:38:13Claire immediately knew something wasn't right.
0:38:13 > 0:38:17I'd had such a good communication, double checking things,
0:38:17 > 0:38:22making sure that it was OK for the babies and...
0:38:22 > 0:38:26there was just no reply. I just knew straight away.
0:38:26 > 0:38:31Fearing the worst, Claire contacted the caravan park to see if it had
0:38:31 > 0:38:34any record of her booking or had a caravan owner
0:38:34 > 0:38:37with the name of the person with whom she'd been dealing.
0:38:37 > 0:38:40I then did what I should have done in the first place,
0:38:40 > 0:38:44I rang Coral Beach and tried to verify the details
0:38:44 > 0:38:49and...the name I gave to the receptionist,
0:38:49 > 0:38:53she confirmed there was no owner on their caravan park of that name.
0:38:53 > 0:38:55There was nothing I could do.
0:38:55 > 0:38:57Wait for Mum.
0:38:57 > 0:39:03Claire had lost both the week away and the £350 she'd paid for it.
0:39:03 > 0:39:06But perhaps the worst part was yet to come.
0:39:06 > 0:39:09The girls came home from school.
0:39:09 > 0:39:13This was two days before we was due to set off on holiday.
0:39:13 > 0:39:15Bags were packed, by the door.
0:39:15 > 0:39:18Very excited little girls.
0:39:18 > 0:39:22And I just said some bad people had took Mummy's money
0:39:22 > 0:39:25and there was no caravan and we wasn't going away.
0:39:25 > 0:39:30These sort of scams are, unfortunately, not uncommon.
0:39:30 > 0:39:34Jane Ryan, Dagmar Gove and Becky Watts had between them
0:39:34 > 0:39:37lost over £1,000 to a woman called Emma Fewings
0:39:37 > 0:39:39who was falsely advertising holidays
0:39:39 > 0:39:43in what turned out to be non-existent caravans.
0:39:43 > 0:39:47Mum-of-four Becky was horrified when she realised the truth.
0:39:47 > 0:39:51I felt absolutely deflated, I felt sick to my stomach,
0:39:51 > 0:39:56I felt cheated, I felt angry, all bag of emotions.
0:39:56 > 0:39:58Lovely, thank you.
0:39:58 > 0:40:03Action Fraud told us it had received no less than 150 reports
0:40:03 > 0:40:06linked to the same supposed caravan owner.
0:40:06 > 0:40:09It's not just devastating knowing the fact that there's no holiday
0:40:09 > 0:40:12but it's upsetting for all the families involved,
0:40:12 > 0:40:14for the children especially.
0:40:14 > 0:40:18We're all in the same boat, we're all extremely angry.
0:40:18 > 0:40:23We put all these points to Emma Fewings. She didn't respond.
0:40:23 > 0:40:28But since we filmed, she pleaded guilty to 12 different charges of fraud
0:40:28 > 0:40:31and was sentenced at Plymouth Magistrates Court
0:40:31 > 0:40:33to a 12-month community order
0:40:33 > 0:40:36and ordered to pay £3,860 in compensation.
0:40:36 > 0:40:38And back in the Scottish Borders,
0:40:38 > 0:40:41Claire is hoping for a similar resolution.
0:40:41 > 0:40:45The police have investigated, and though arrests have been made,
0:40:45 > 0:40:47the case is still ongoing.
0:40:47 > 0:40:50We tried contacting the person Claire had been dealing with...
0:40:51 > 0:40:54..but so far haven't received a response.
0:40:54 > 0:40:57And Facebook, where Claire had come across the scammer originally,
0:40:57 > 0:40:59told us that it is working with her
0:40:59 > 0:41:01to try and get to the bottom of the matter.
0:41:03 > 0:41:06But we're delighted to say that for Claire and her family
0:41:06 > 0:41:08there was a happy ending.
0:41:08 > 0:41:12After their story was featured in the local paper, an anonymous donor
0:41:12 > 0:41:14gave the family £350
0:41:14 > 0:41:18which they used to buy a genuine holiday.
0:41:18 > 0:41:22They just gave the money, they had no reason to, just sheer kindness,
0:41:22 > 0:41:26which made a big difference to the way we felt about the situation,
0:41:26 > 0:41:29and that taught the girls that there are good people out there.
0:41:37 > 0:41:40If you have a story you'd like us to investigate then you can always
0:41:40 > 0:41:43get in touch with us via our Facebook page,
0:41:43 > 0:41:45BBC Rip Off Britain,
0:41:45 > 0:41:49our website, bbc.co.uk/ripoffbritain
0:41:49 > 0:41:52or you can e-mail us:
0:41:54 > 0:41:59Or if you would prefer to send us a letter, then our address is:
0:42:10 > 0:42:13Well, as we've seen from today's stories, the sad reality is that
0:42:13 > 0:42:18wherever you book your holiday and however trusted the names are
0:42:18 > 0:42:23that are help you do that, scammers always find a way to take advantage,
0:42:23 > 0:42:27particularly if they're dead-set on deliberately ripping you off.
0:42:27 > 0:42:31The way they usually do that is somehow hijacking the payments
0:42:31 > 0:42:35process and in particular coming up with some sort of reason
0:42:35 > 0:42:39why you need to transfer your money directly into their account.
0:42:39 > 0:42:41So, if there's just one piece of advice you take away
0:42:41 > 0:42:46from today's programme, please make it to always be cautious of anyone
0:42:46 > 0:42:48wanting you to pay in that fashion.
0:42:48 > 0:42:51Because if things do go wrong you won't have the protection
0:42:51 > 0:42:54that you'd get by, for example, using a credit card.
0:42:54 > 0:42:57And on that cautionary note I'm afraid we have to leave it
0:42:57 > 0:43:00for today. We'll be back investigating more of your stories
0:43:00 > 0:43:04very soon, but until then, if you are planning a holiday we obviously
0:43:04 > 0:43:06hope that everything goes completely smoothly,
0:43:06 > 0:43:10but if it doesn't that you'll write and let us know about it.
0:43:10 > 0:43:11Thanks for joining us today.
0:43:11 > 0:43:13- From all of us, goodbye. - Bye-bye.- Bye-bye.