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 > 0:00:09and you came back with a catalogue of travel disasters.
0:00:09 > 0:00:13It was absolutely gutting, you know, we just...
0:00:13 > 0:00:15We thought, "That's it, we've lost our money."
0:00:15 > 0:00:18Never in my life have I experienced anything like that.
0:00:19 > 0:00:21It... I wouldn't wish it on anybody.
0:00:22 > 0:00:24So, whether it's a deliberate rip-off,
0:00:24 > 0:00:27a simple mistake or a catch in the small print,
0:00:27 > 0:00:29we'll find out why you're out of pocket,
0:00:29 > 0:00:31and what you can do about it.
0:00:31 > 0:00:35Your stories, your money, this is Rip-Off Britain.
0:00:38 > 0:00:41Hello, and welcome to Rip-Off Britain, where all this week,
0:00:41 > 0:00:44we're bringing a bit of much needed holiday feeling into your homes,
0:00:44 > 0:00:47and that's because we've come to the island of Lanzarote
0:00:47 > 0:00:49for our special series of programmes
0:00:49 > 0:00:51investigating all the things you've told us
0:00:51 > 0:00:54have gone wrong with your travel and holidays.
0:00:54 > 0:00:56Well, I'm sure that many of us would probably say that
0:00:56 > 0:00:59the whole process of planning a trip in the first place
0:00:59 > 0:01:01is actually part of the fun,
0:01:01 > 0:01:04and even when that's just a means to an end, it really is fantastic
0:01:04 > 0:01:07when all the preparations are made and you can start really
0:01:07 > 0:01:10looking forward to everything that you've booked and paid for.
0:01:10 > 0:01:14Provided, that is, that all of your carefully laid plans don't
0:01:14 > 0:01:17suddenly start unravelling before you've even ended up going.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19Bit of a warning there, Angela,
0:01:19 > 0:01:22but I'm afraid our stories today are all situations where, through
0:01:22 > 0:01:25no fault of your own, vital details of your holiday have ended up
0:01:25 > 0:01:28being changed, swapped around or simply just muddled up,
0:01:28 > 0:01:32sometimes right at the last minute, which is utterly infuriating,
0:01:32 > 0:01:35and then you might spend precious days of your trip trying to
0:01:35 > 0:01:37catch up or simply put things right, but certainly
0:01:37 > 0:01:41you'll end up wondering how on earth it is that such fundamental changes
0:01:41 > 0:01:43were ever allowed to happen in the first place.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48Coming up - why getting your money back after a big change
0:01:48 > 0:01:51to your cruise itinerary probably won't be plain sailing.
0:01:52 > 0:01:56You're put in a position where they're not giving you what you've paid for,
0:01:56 > 0:01:59but they aren't giving you time to do anything about it.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02And what should happen when you've booked and paid for your flight,
0:02:02 > 0:02:06but the airline says there isn't a seat for you on the plane?
0:02:06 > 0:02:09It doesn't happen in any other form of business,
0:02:09 > 0:02:12and I don't understand how they think that this is reasonable.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18Now, you wouldn't believe how often we at Rip-Off Britain
0:02:18 > 0:02:20hear from people telling us
0:02:20 > 0:02:22they're desperate to get rid of their time-share.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25Whether it's because of rising maintenance fees,
0:02:25 > 0:02:27or a change of circumstance or ill health,
0:02:27 > 0:02:30they can't make use of them any more.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33But this next story is almost the complete opposite,
0:02:33 > 0:02:35because the time-share owner we're about to meet
0:02:35 > 0:02:38loves the place his family has been going to for decades.
0:02:38 > 0:02:43In fact, he'd like nothing more than to keep going back year after year.
0:02:43 > 0:02:46So, why does it appear that's not going to happen?
0:02:49 > 0:02:54The '80s, a decade of shoulder pads, big hair, ginormous phones,
0:02:54 > 0:02:58and one business in particular was booming - time-share.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01Holiday accommodation shared by multiple owners
0:03:01 > 0:03:03guaranteeing you a couple of weeks in the sun
0:03:03 > 0:03:06at a fixed price in a place you know,
0:03:06 > 0:03:08but just as the fashions have faded,
0:03:08 > 0:03:11so too has the popularity of time-shares.
0:03:11 > 0:03:15Ownership has declined, and many people are now desperately trying
0:03:15 > 0:03:19to get rid of theirs, but that can't be said for Gary Pennington.
0:03:19 > 0:03:23His time-share at the Palm Beach Club in Tenerife has been
0:03:23 > 0:03:27in the family since the '80s, and holds many happy memories for Gary,
0:03:27 > 0:03:30who has owned it personally since 1999.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34I've owned the time-share at Palm Beach Club since my mum died
0:03:34 > 0:03:37and she left it to me in her will.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40The reason we go back there every year is we've made some nice
0:03:40 > 0:03:43friends that stay at Palm Beach the same weeks.
0:03:43 > 0:03:45It's just a nice place to go at that time of year.
0:03:47 > 0:03:49The Palm Beach Club resort in Tenerife is
0:03:49 > 0:03:52something of a landmark in Playa de las Americas.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57On its website, it boasts of a prime beach location
0:03:57 > 0:04:01and facilities that entice guests back year after year,
0:04:01 > 0:04:03including Gary, who's been returning
0:04:03 > 0:04:06for his two weeks there every November.
0:04:07 > 0:04:12So, the apartment is 507, which is on the front of the building.
0:04:12 > 0:04:17It looks out on the beach in front of it out at the Atlantic Ocean.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20It's just a perfect position for me.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23Like many time-shares, this complex is run by a committee,
0:04:23 > 0:04:25which in the case of the Palm Beach Club
0:04:25 > 0:04:27consists of time-share owners
0:04:27 > 0:04:32and a company called Silverpoint, a big name in the industry.
0:04:32 > 0:04:36It's this group of people that decides how to best manage the club,
0:04:36 > 0:04:39from setting the maintenance fees to the servicing of the apartments,
0:04:39 > 0:04:43and Gary's relationship with the committee has been a good one.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47I've always thought the maintenance fees for my studio have
0:04:47 > 0:04:49always been good value for money.
0:04:50 > 0:04:53But in 2014, the committee voted in favour of a decision
0:04:53 > 0:04:55that changed all that.
0:04:55 > 0:04:59As a result of falling revenues, instead of members like Gary
0:04:59 > 0:05:02having fixed weeks and apartments as they'd always done,
0:05:02 > 0:05:05their time-share would instead be transferred
0:05:05 > 0:05:08to what's called a floating system, with no guarantees
0:05:08 > 0:05:12of which apartment they could stay in or when.
0:05:12 > 0:05:14The changes within the club mean
0:05:14 > 0:05:17that my apartment is no longer my apartment.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20My fixed weeks are no longer my fixed weeks.
0:05:20 > 0:05:26I'm expected to enquire, "Can I have such and such an apartment?
0:05:26 > 0:05:29"Can I have such and such a week?"
0:05:29 > 0:05:32On top of that, Silverpoint told Gary that his apartment would
0:05:32 > 0:05:35no longer be part of the time-share scheme.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38Instead, it would be transferred to a holiday company
0:05:38 > 0:05:40to be rented out however they chose.
0:05:40 > 0:05:44As a result, Gary wouldn't be able to stay in the apartment
0:05:44 > 0:05:47ever again under the time-share scheme.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49I couldn't believe it when I was told
0:05:49 > 0:05:51I couldn't use my own apartment.
0:05:51 > 0:05:55It's like someone stealing something from you. That's how I feel.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58And I've had no control over that theft.
0:05:58 > 0:06:02Silverpoint argued that however unhappy Gary might be,
0:06:02 > 0:06:04the changes had been voted through by the committee.
0:06:04 > 0:06:08The company did offer Gary an alternative for his next trip,
0:06:08 > 0:06:11an ocean view apartment on the ninth floor,
0:06:11 > 0:06:14for the same two weeks that he'd always had in November.
0:06:14 > 0:06:18But Gary was reluctant to agree without having seen it.
0:06:18 > 0:06:22And by the time he was able to do that, 13 weeks later,
0:06:22 > 0:06:24it was no longer available.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27So instead Silverpoint offered Gary another apartment,
0:06:27 > 0:06:31on another floor, but this time without a sea view.
0:06:31 > 0:06:35It's much smaller, the outlook isn't the same,
0:06:35 > 0:06:37it wasn't acceptable to me.
0:06:37 > 0:06:41Gary still couldn't understand how Silverpoint could change
0:06:41 > 0:06:46the terms of his time-share so significantly without his agreement.
0:06:46 > 0:06:50Particularly as the paperwork he owns seemed clear to him
0:06:50 > 0:06:53that he was entitled to occupy his apartment for his chosen weeks
0:06:53 > 0:06:56until the year 2036.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59I said, "How can I now no longer own that apartment
0:06:59 > 0:07:02"when I have a deed that says I do for those two weeks?"
0:07:04 > 0:07:07Palm Beach committee's response to my e-mails were
0:07:07 > 0:07:10that's what's going to happen,
0:07:10 > 0:07:12there's nothing that you can do about it.
0:07:12 > 0:07:14Your apartment has gone.
0:07:14 > 0:07:18But Gary had already booked his next trip to Tenerife for November 2014.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21And, seemingly powerless to overturn the committee's decision,
0:07:21 > 0:07:24it seemed this would be the last time
0:07:24 > 0:07:26he'd be staying in his beloved apartment.
0:07:26 > 0:07:31It was a very stressful time, the emotion of not knowing
0:07:31 > 0:07:33whether I was going to be back in my own apartment again,
0:07:33 > 0:07:38the sentimental value of my mum having spent many holidays there.
0:07:38 > 0:07:42Two months later, Gary, as usual, received an annual
0:07:42 > 0:07:44invoice for maintenance fees at the Palm Beach Club.
0:07:44 > 0:07:46But this bill was different.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50Instead of it having my apartment number
0:07:50 > 0:07:53and my weeks number on it, it just said "studio".
0:07:53 > 0:07:57It had no apartment number, it had no weeks on that invoice.
0:07:57 > 0:08:02My feeling was that if I accepted and paid what I considered to be
0:08:02 > 0:08:05an invalid invoice, then the committee would think,
0:08:05 > 0:08:08"Well, yeah, we've managed to get that apartment from them.
0:08:08 > 0:08:12"He's paid the invoice, therefore he accepts the invoice we've said."
0:08:12 > 0:08:16So can the time-share company just change owners' contracts
0:08:16 > 0:08:20part way through? Well, according to the terms and conditions
0:08:20 > 0:08:24that Gary would have had to agree to when he inherited his time-share,
0:08:24 > 0:08:28the Palm Beach Club is entitled to amend part or all
0:08:28 > 0:08:31of the committee's constitution at any time, as long as
0:08:31 > 0:08:33any changes are voted upon and agreed by
0:08:33 > 0:08:37a majority of the committee, which, in this case, they were.
0:08:37 > 0:08:41But international property lawyer Stefano Lucatello believes
0:08:41 > 0:08:44that Gary could challenge the time-share company's decision
0:08:44 > 0:08:47if he can prove that he and the other shareholders
0:08:47 > 0:08:50have been treated unfairly by the committee.
0:08:50 > 0:08:54He has legitimately paid for something, signed up for something,
0:08:54 > 0:08:55used it as he should be using it
0:08:55 > 0:08:58and then these rights are being taken away from him.
0:08:58 > 0:09:03But it seems Gary's situation isn't an isolated one.
0:09:03 > 0:09:05We've heard from other unhappy time-share owners,
0:09:05 > 0:09:09not just at the Palm Beach Club, who've found themselves in similar
0:09:09 > 0:09:13situations with their previously fixed apartments and dates turned
0:09:13 > 0:09:17into either floating weeks or points by the companies they're members of.
0:09:18 > 0:09:22Meanwhile, Gary and several hundred other Palm Beach Club time-share
0:09:22 > 0:09:26owners have formed a pressure group to challenge the decisions made.
0:09:26 > 0:09:30And one of them has gone to court to seek arbitration, hoping to prove
0:09:30 > 0:09:34that the changes to the Palm Beach Club's constitution were unlawful.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37Arbitration is now under way.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39But as this will be the first case of its kind,
0:09:39 > 0:09:42whether it will help Gary get his original apartment back
0:09:42 > 0:09:44remains to be seen.
0:09:47 > 0:09:49When we contacted Silverpoint,
0:09:49 > 0:09:52in a joint response with the company that manages the resort,
0:09:52 > 0:09:54as well as the Palm Beach Club Committee,
0:09:54 > 0:09:56which voted through the decision,
0:09:56 > 0:10:00it told us that while the previous status quo had been enjoyed by
0:10:00 > 0:10:04all parties, in common with other time-share resorts,
0:10:04 > 0:10:06difficult economic circumstances
0:10:06 > 0:10:09had led to difficult decisions having to be made.
0:10:09 > 0:10:13And without these, the Club would most likely have had to be wound up.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16The companies said they've satisfactorily resolved
0:10:16 > 0:10:19matters with other members who'd initially been unhappy
0:10:19 > 0:10:22and that discussions will continue with Gary to find alternative
0:10:22 > 0:10:24accommodation that suits him.
0:10:24 > 0:10:28If that isn't possible, resolution services will be offered.
0:10:28 > 0:10:32But they completely rejected any suggestion that there's been
0:10:32 > 0:10:34a breach of contract, pointing out that
0:10:34 > 0:10:38when Gary purchased his membership of the Palm Beach Club,
0:10:38 > 0:10:42this was always subject to the provisions of the constitution.
0:10:42 > 0:10:44And as changes to that constitution were made
0:10:44 > 0:10:48in a properly conducted process, including an AGM,
0:10:48 > 0:10:50they are binding.
0:10:51 > 0:10:53But Gary, who considered his time-share
0:10:53 > 0:10:57a part of his family's history, remains unconvinced.
0:10:57 > 0:10:59It's like someone saying,
0:10:59 > 0:11:03"Well, I know you own that house but you can't live there any more."
0:11:03 > 0:11:07That is as it felt to me.
0:11:11 > 0:11:15I think all of us agree that sometimes things have to change
0:11:15 > 0:11:19and the holiday that you'd planned for, for whatever reason,
0:11:19 > 0:11:20is no longer feasible.
0:11:20 > 0:11:24But what happens if the change to your plans is a detail
0:11:24 > 0:11:28that was fundamental to you choosing that holiday in the first place?
0:11:28 > 0:11:33Do you just have to grin and bear it or can you actually cancel?
0:11:33 > 0:11:37Well, the couple that we're about to meet feel that the last-minute
0:11:37 > 0:11:41change to the itinerary of the cruise that they had booked
0:11:41 > 0:11:44meant that they ended up with a holiday that they did not want.
0:11:44 > 0:11:48And, as you'll hear, the cruise company didn't agree.
0:11:50 > 0:11:55Ever since the first holiday ocean liners set sail back in 1844,
0:11:55 > 0:11:57cruises have been the perfect way
0:11:57 > 0:12:00to visit several destinations in one trip.
0:12:00 > 0:12:04Often mixing the bright lights of the big city with relaxation
0:12:04 > 0:12:07time on the beach, it's no wonder that every year upwards
0:12:07 > 0:12:11of 1.5 million of us choose life on the ocean waves for our holiday.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15Come on, then, shall we go for a walk?
0:12:15 > 0:12:18And it was the specific mix of destinations that attracted
0:12:18 > 0:12:21Sidney and Janet Foster from Edwinstowe
0:12:21 > 0:12:25to the 16-day trip they booked with Celebrity Cruises.
0:12:25 > 0:12:27Janet saw this cruise advertised in the paper
0:12:27 > 0:12:31and she said, "This is just the perfect cruise."
0:12:31 > 0:12:34We hadn't been to New York
0:12:34 > 0:12:36and I wanted to go to Bermuda as well
0:12:36 > 0:12:39and I just thought, "Well, that's lovely",
0:12:39 > 0:12:42and we more or less booked it straight away.
0:12:43 > 0:12:47The Broadway And Beaches cruise would set sail from Southampton
0:12:47 > 0:12:48and head to New York,
0:12:48 > 0:12:50where it would stop off for two nights
0:12:50 > 0:12:52before heading to the Caribbean island of Bermuda.
0:12:54 > 0:12:58And in November 2014, the couple excitedly arrived in Southampton
0:12:58 > 0:13:00to board the ship.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02But just as they were checking in,
0:13:02 > 0:13:06they were given a letter saying their itinerary had changed.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09We were handed a sheet of paper saying,
0:13:09 > 0:13:12"We have to announce that we have made an important change to the
0:13:12 > 0:13:15"itinerary of your cruise
0:13:15 > 0:13:19"and Bermuda is now not on the cruise."
0:13:19 > 0:13:22The letter explained that due to adverse weather conditions -
0:13:22 > 0:13:24in other words, a storm -
0:13:24 > 0:13:27the ship's course had to be modified.
0:13:27 > 0:13:32Instead of Bermuda, which is a two-day, one-night stay,
0:13:32 > 0:13:36we are doing a seven-hour stop in Madeira
0:13:36 > 0:13:38on the way across to New York.
0:13:39 > 0:13:43Sidney and Janet weren't happy with the very different destination
0:13:43 > 0:13:44that had been substituted
0:13:44 > 0:13:48for the two days they'd been looking forward to on a Bermuda beach.
0:13:48 > 0:13:52So Sidney asked Celebrity Cruises if they could cancel the trip
0:13:52 > 0:13:53and get their money back.
0:13:53 > 0:13:57But Sidney says the company refused.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00So, in fear of losing the £3,500 they'd paid,
0:14:00 > 0:14:04the couple felt they had no choice but to accept the alternative
0:14:04 > 0:14:07itinerary on offer and go on the cruise.
0:14:08 > 0:14:10To drop that on you right at the last minute
0:14:10 > 0:14:14is a bit sort of sharp practice.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17They put you in a position where they're not giving you what you've
0:14:17 > 0:14:20paid for but they aren't giving you time to do anything about it.
0:14:20 > 0:14:24Despite the rocky start, the couple did enjoy their trip.
0:14:24 > 0:14:26But on their return,
0:14:26 > 0:14:30not going to the destination they'd wanted still rankled.
0:14:30 > 0:14:34So Sidney wrote to Celebrity Cruises to explain his frustration.
0:14:36 > 0:14:40I thought somebody somewhere must have known this change
0:14:40 > 0:14:45was going to occur before we actually arrived at Southampton.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48But Celebrity Cruises said the couple wasn't entitled
0:14:48 > 0:14:52to any compensation because, as far as it was concerned,
0:14:52 > 0:14:57the altered itinerary wasn't classed as a major change.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00If they were taking away one of the two major selling points
0:15:00 > 0:15:03of the cruise, then surely that should have been
0:15:03 > 0:15:05classed as a major change
0:15:05 > 0:15:07and not a minor change.
0:15:07 > 0:15:11Celebrity Cruises does state in its terms and conditions that it
0:15:11 > 0:15:16has the right to omit or substitute any port on its itinerary.
0:15:16 > 0:15:18And indeed that this could happen at any
0:15:18 > 0:15:24stage before or during the cruise thanks to a variety of reasons.
0:15:24 > 0:15:26Many other cruise operators will say something similar.
0:15:26 > 0:15:30But, like the Fosters, Janet Mitchell hadn't realised
0:15:30 > 0:15:32the full significance of that
0:15:32 > 0:15:38when she booked her two-week cruise to the Caribbean in November 2014.
0:15:38 > 0:15:42Janet, her partner Gerald and some of their friends chose the trip
0:15:42 > 0:15:45with Thomson because there was one place in particular
0:15:45 > 0:15:47that they'd always wanted to visit.
0:15:47 > 0:15:51I noticed that this particular one
0:15:51 > 0:15:54had the island Antigua on it,
0:15:54 > 0:15:57and when we went on a cruise in 2011,
0:15:57 > 0:16:01that were the one island that I would've liked to have gone to.
0:16:01 > 0:16:05When the holiday came around, the group flew to Barbados,
0:16:05 > 0:16:10where their cruise, island-hopping around the Caribbean, would begin.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13We sailed on the Sunday from Barbados,
0:16:13 > 0:16:16called at various islands,
0:16:16 > 0:16:20and then on the Thursday we docked in St Kitts.
0:16:20 > 0:16:21And the next day,
0:16:21 > 0:16:25we should have been going to Antigua.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28But once back on the liner, ready to head to Antigua,
0:16:28 > 0:16:31the holiday-makers were informed a problem with the engine meant
0:16:31 > 0:16:34they might not be going anywhere for a while.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37They told us they would do an announcement at ten o'clock,
0:16:37 > 0:16:41an announcement came saying that the ship still wasn't fit to sail.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44The problem with the engine meant
0:16:44 > 0:16:47they'd be staying in St Kitts until it was fixed.
0:16:49 > 0:16:53And it was the next afternoon before the ship was finally ready to sail.
0:16:53 > 0:16:59But not to Antigua, the place where they'd been so keen to go.
0:16:59 > 0:17:03Instead it went straight onto the next destination, Dominica.
0:17:03 > 0:17:08It did put a dampener on it because of course we'd missed out Antigua,
0:17:08 > 0:17:12but then we thought, "OK, it's just one of those things,
0:17:12 > 0:17:17"I suppose, not happy with it but not a lot we can do about it."
0:17:17 > 0:17:22Though they were frustrated, after that, as they headed on to Barbados,
0:17:22 > 0:17:24it did seem as if the cruise was getting back on schedule,
0:17:24 > 0:17:30albeit sailing slower and with that vital stop missed out.
0:17:30 > 0:17:34We thought we were back on track with the second week of the cruise
0:17:34 > 0:17:38but then they announced, after the ship had sailed,
0:17:38 > 0:17:40that we wouldn't be going into the next island either.
0:17:40 > 0:17:46Again the boat was changing course, this time missing out Grenada
0:17:46 > 0:17:49and heading straight for Bonaire.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52Janet's 11-stop cruise had been cut back to nine.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55We couldn't understand it were happening again
0:17:55 > 0:17:59because we thought once you were back in Barbados
0:17:59 > 0:18:01and back on track time-wise,
0:18:01 > 0:18:07there were no reason why it should happen.
0:18:07 > 0:18:11Janet knew there could be alterations to the itinerary
0:18:11 > 0:18:15but she hadn't anticipated that might mean that islands
0:18:15 > 0:18:17would be missed out altogether.
0:18:17 > 0:18:21I do understand that changes can be made
0:18:21 > 0:18:24but I expect changes to be made for the better.
0:18:24 > 0:18:29I could see that my friends were a little bit upset about it all.
0:18:29 > 0:18:30It made me feel bad
0:18:30 > 0:18:33because I'm responsible for booking the trip.
0:18:33 > 0:18:37On her return, Janet complained to Thomson,
0:18:37 > 0:18:40but, as with our previous case,
0:18:40 > 0:18:43was told she wasn't entitled to any refund.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46So is she right in thinking that that is unreasonable?
0:18:46 > 0:18:48Travel expert Simon Calder says,
0:18:48 > 0:18:51in fact, where cruises are concerned,
0:18:51 > 0:18:53it can be par for the course.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56Imagine if an ordinary holiday company changed your destination
0:18:56 > 0:18:59and said, "Right, we're going to send you to somewhere else",
0:18:59 > 0:19:02you'd be furious and you'd want some compensation.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05Well, I'm afraid in the special case of cruises,
0:19:05 > 0:19:07it doesn't quite work like that.
0:19:07 > 0:19:11Anything from political turmoil, to bad weather,
0:19:11 > 0:19:13to overcrowded harbours,
0:19:13 > 0:19:16can mean you don't end up where you hoped you would.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19I've been messed around royally on a number of cruises.
0:19:19 > 0:19:22I booked one specifically because I wanted to go
0:19:22 > 0:19:26to the Scilly Isles and I ended up feeling pretty silly in Falmouth,
0:19:26 > 0:19:28where I'd been the year before.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31But when we contacted Thomson Cruises
0:19:31 > 0:19:32about Janet's cruise,
0:19:32 > 0:19:34there was good news.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37While reiterating that the two missed ports were down to
0:19:37 > 0:19:41technical issues and stressing that instances such as this
0:19:41 > 0:19:45are very rare, the company said it was sorry to hear of her experience
0:19:45 > 0:19:49and will now be refunding her a total of £1,000,
0:19:49 > 0:19:52equivalent to £200 per person.
0:19:53 > 0:19:57We also got in touch with Celebrity Cruises about Sidney and Janet's
0:19:57 > 0:19:59case and it told us that during the cruise,
0:19:59 > 0:20:01heavy weather and high seas
0:20:01 > 0:20:05made it necessary for the ship to reduce its overall speed
0:20:05 > 0:20:10to ensure the continued safety and comfort of both guests and crew.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13As a result, it was necessary to change the itinerary,
0:20:13 > 0:20:17and, while it sincerely regrets having to take this action,
0:20:17 > 0:20:18the company pointed out that
0:20:18 > 0:20:21while there are many things it can control,
0:20:21 > 0:20:23unfortunately Mother Nature is not one of them.
0:20:23 > 0:20:29Even so, it has contacted Sidney and Janet to discuss their concerns.
0:20:29 > 0:20:33But Sidney wants others to realise that steering a course
0:20:33 > 0:20:35through your rights and entitlements
0:20:35 > 0:20:38if the details of a cruise holiday change
0:20:38 > 0:20:41may not be quite as straightforward as you think.
0:20:41 > 0:20:46If we'd known beforehand that the cruise wasn't going to Bermuda,
0:20:46 > 0:20:48we wouldn't have booked the cruise.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51To me and Janet, the money we spent on that cruise,
0:20:51 > 0:20:54which was upwards of £3,000,
0:20:54 > 0:20:55we didn't get value for money.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04Still to come on Rip-Off Britain...
0:21:04 > 0:21:05They paid their money in advance
0:21:05 > 0:21:09so why when both these men went to pick up their holiday hire cars
0:21:09 > 0:21:11were they told they couldn't have them?
0:21:11 > 0:21:14I was absolutely stunned and devastated.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17There was no solution offered
0:21:17 > 0:21:18and no suggestion.
0:21:22 > 0:21:24When you've very carefully selected a particular flight
0:21:24 > 0:21:27and booked and paid for your seat, well, it's not unreasonable
0:21:27 > 0:21:30to think that you'll be on the plane that you expected to be.
0:21:30 > 0:21:32But that's not, I'm afraid, always the case.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35It may turn out that your flight is overbooked
0:21:35 > 0:21:37and instead of taking off at the time you'd arranged,
0:21:37 > 0:21:41you may end up being bumped onto another flight altogether.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44But if that does happen, while airlines have to offer you
0:21:44 > 0:21:47an alternative way of getting to your destination,
0:21:47 > 0:21:48it doesn't necessarily mean
0:21:48 > 0:21:51that it's going to be directly comparable,
0:21:51 > 0:21:54or that the process will be as straightforward as you'd hoped.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59Hopping on and off a plane to the Costa del Sol has become
0:21:59 > 0:22:02second nature to Jill Upton.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06Jill and her husband Mark have a property out there,
0:22:06 > 0:22:09and together they've clocked up thousands and thousands of miles
0:22:09 > 0:22:11visiting it as often as they can.
0:22:13 > 0:22:16We always book our flights online - one, for the convenience...
0:22:16 > 0:22:20Obviously we can compare all the different airlines
0:22:20 > 0:22:24and it's usually the easiest way to do it.
0:22:25 > 0:22:30In May 2015 the couple were due to fly out to Spain again
0:22:30 > 0:22:32for an important meeting with their Spanish solicitor
0:22:32 > 0:22:35and, just as they'd done countless times before,
0:22:35 > 0:22:39they expected to be able to check in for their easyJet flight online.
0:22:40 > 0:22:42But this time there was a problem.
0:22:42 > 0:22:48A message came that said there was a seat, 5C, for Mark, my husband,
0:22:48 > 0:22:49but nothing on mine,
0:22:49 > 0:22:52and then the same message appeared again -
0:22:52 > 0:22:56"it's not available, try again later or check in at the airport."
0:22:56 > 0:22:59The couple decided to follow the on-screen advice
0:22:59 > 0:23:02and check in the old-fashioned way, at the airport.
0:23:02 > 0:23:06We decided we'd wait and get to the airport in plenty of time,
0:23:06 > 0:23:09hoping there wouldn't be a problem.
0:23:09 > 0:23:11So, next morning, Jill and Mark arrived at Liverpool Airport,
0:23:11 > 0:23:15more than two hours before their plane was due to take off.
0:23:15 > 0:23:17I decided to go over to customer service.
0:23:17 > 0:23:21That's when the staff informed me that the flight had been overbooked
0:23:21 > 0:23:24and that there was a seat for my husband but there wasn't one for me.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27The couple were dismayed and really frustrated.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30After all, they'd deliberately booked and paid for seats
0:23:30 > 0:23:32on that particular flight,
0:23:32 > 0:23:35but they were now being told that only Mark could fly,
0:23:35 > 0:23:38meaning that Jill might miss that legal meeting in Spain.
0:23:40 > 0:23:41I was really upset.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44It was really important that we were both on that flight that day.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47Um, so I did start to worry at that point.
0:23:47 > 0:23:51Jill and Mark were told that if one of the passengers
0:23:51 > 0:23:53on the overbooked flight didn't turn up,
0:23:53 > 0:23:56Jill could have their seat.
0:23:56 > 0:24:00There were four people who didn't arrive straight away
0:24:00 > 0:24:03so they put a call out, and then, one by one,
0:24:03 > 0:24:07the four people turned up, so the flight was booked,
0:24:07 > 0:24:08it was full.
0:24:08 > 0:24:12With only one seat on the plane, the couple had to make a quick decision,
0:24:12 > 0:24:16either to stay in Liverpool together or Mark would fly to Spain alone.
0:24:18 > 0:24:22There was then a mad panic to try and force my husband
0:24:22 > 0:24:26into making a decision whether he was to get on that flight, or not.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29I was obviously getting upset at that point so he just made
0:24:29 > 0:24:32the decision that he wasn't getting on without me.
0:24:34 > 0:24:36But determined to get out to Spain that day,
0:24:36 > 0:24:39Mark got on his phone immediately and started to look
0:24:39 > 0:24:41for alternative flights.
0:24:41 > 0:24:43When he found one with a different airline,
0:24:43 > 0:24:46flying from not-too-far-away Manchester,
0:24:46 > 0:24:48he asked easyJet to get them both on it.
0:24:49 > 0:24:51We thought, "At least, then...
0:24:51 > 0:24:53"That's great, we're there the same day."
0:24:53 > 0:24:58So we then went back to the customer service and explained this
0:24:58 > 0:25:03to the staff there who told us that wasn't an alternative
0:25:03 > 0:25:05because the flights were £400 each
0:25:05 > 0:25:07and we weren't prepared to pay that.
0:25:07 > 0:25:11easyJet told them that if Mark had got on the original flight,
0:25:11 > 0:25:13they might have paid for Jill
0:25:13 > 0:25:15to take the alternative one from Manchester.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18But, as he hadn't, this was no longer an option.
0:25:18 > 0:25:22To make matters worse, because Mark had refused to fly to
0:25:22 > 0:25:26Spain on his own, he wouldn't be entitled to any compensation.
0:25:27 > 0:25:31Instead, easyJet had another option for the couple.
0:25:31 > 0:25:36We were told that the only alternative flight was
0:25:36 > 0:25:39out of Southend the following day
0:25:39 > 0:25:44and that they would then put us in a taxi there and then,
0:25:44 > 0:25:45put us up in a hotel overnight,
0:25:45 > 0:25:48and then we would fly from Southend the next day.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52With easyJet saying this was the only option,
0:25:52 > 0:25:54Jill and Mark felt they that had no choice
0:25:54 > 0:25:57but to make the four-hour journey from Liverpool to Essex.
0:25:57 > 0:26:01It's a fair distance down to Southend,
0:26:01 > 0:26:05and it's frustrating knowing how many airports that are closer,
0:26:05 > 0:26:09that we virtually had to pass to get to Southend.
0:26:09 > 0:26:11It was exhausting.
0:26:13 > 0:26:17They eventually arrived in Spain 28 hours after the flight
0:26:17 > 0:26:19they'd originally booked and paid for.
0:26:20 > 0:26:24We were only going over for six days initially,
0:26:24 > 0:26:27so, in effect, we lost two days of a six-day break.
0:26:27 > 0:26:31On their return, the couple complained to easyJet once more.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34Jill was offered 400 euros compensation,
0:26:34 > 0:26:37but as Mark hadn't taken that original flight,
0:26:37 > 0:26:40the company again said that he wasn't entitled to anything.
0:26:42 > 0:26:44Now, of course, experiences like these aren't confined
0:26:44 > 0:26:47to just this couple or indeed to any one airline.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52Former British tennis number one Annabel Croft made headlines
0:26:52 > 0:26:55when her family's flight to Portugal was overbooked
0:26:55 > 0:26:57and her daughter had to take a different flight
0:26:57 > 0:27:00late the following night.
0:27:00 > 0:27:02And a quick look online throws up tales
0:27:02 > 0:27:05from other disgruntled passengers who've booked with companies
0:27:05 > 0:27:07right across the industry,
0:27:07 > 0:27:10only to find at check-in that the flight has been overbooked.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15Known as "bumping", airlines often overbook flights to protect
0:27:15 > 0:27:19their revenue if passengers, for example, don't turn up.
0:27:19 > 0:27:22Usually they'll ask for volunteers, but if they don't get them,
0:27:22 > 0:27:24they'll choose people to take another flight.
0:27:24 > 0:27:28Simon Calder explains what actually SHOULD happen next.
0:27:28 > 0:27:32If you are denied boarding a flight, they've got to find you a seat
0:27:32 > 0:27:34on an alternative flight as soon as possible,
0:27:34 > 0:27:38even if that means paying hundreds of pounds to another airline
0:27:38 > 0:27:40to get you onboard.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43What's trickier is if you're travelling with someone else.
0:27:43 > 0:27:48In theory, the airline can say, "No, sorry, Mrs,
0:27:48 > 0:27:50"the fact that we've off-loaded your husband
0:27:50 > 0:27:54"doesn't mean we have to pay YOU any compensation."
0:27:54 > 0:27:57Even so, when we told Simon about Jill's case,
0:27:57 > 0:28:01he wasn't sure that on this occasion easyJet got it quite right.
0:28:03 > 0:28:05easyJet are not convincing me
0:28:05 > 0:28:09that they made every effort to find volunteers not to fly,
0:28:09 > 0:28:13and, frankly, it's a pretty poor show from an airline
0:28:13 > 0:28:18which in the last financial year was earning £19 a second.
0:28:18 > 0:28:21But when we got in touch with easyJet,
0:28:21 > 0:28:24it said its normal overbooking processes WERE followed,
0:28:24 > 0:28:27with appeals at the bag drop and the gate for volunteers
0:28:27 > 0:28:30who would be willing to off-load in return for compensation
0:28:30 > 0:28:34and indeed alternative travel arrangements.
0:28:34 > 0:28:37The airline apologised for any inconvenience but said that,
0:28:37 > 0:28:40with an overbooking rate of around 1%,
0:28:40 > 0:28:43but around 5% of passengers on average failing to show up
0:28:43 > 0:28:47for a flight, it's "extremely rare for easyJet to deny boarding"
0:28:47 > 0:28:49because of overbooking.
0:28:49 > 0:28:52And the company reiterated that Jill WAS compensated.
0:28:54 > 0:28:58But for Jill and Mark, this isn't simply about the money.
0:28:58 > 0:29:02It's the inconvenience, it's the stress,
0:29:02 > 0:29:04it's upsetting.
0:29:04 > 0:29:08You wouldn't dream of arriving at a theatre or a football stadium
0:29:08 > 0:29:12and they'd sold your ticket just in case you didn't show up.
0:29:12 > 0:29:15It doesn't happen in any other form of business
0:29:15 > 0:29:18and I don't understand why they think that this is reasonable.
0:29:27 > 0:29:29Our travel expert Simon Calder
0:29:29 > 0:29:33is sharing his top tips on favourite destinations across the globe.
0:29:35 > 0:29:37This time - Tenerife.
0:29:37 > 0:29:41The cheapest way to get around this perennially popular Canary Island
0:29:41 > 0:29:43is on public transport
0:29:43 > 0:29:47and Simon knows how you can make it an even better deal.
0:29:47 > 0:29:48Bono!
0:29:48 > 0:29:52No, not the well-known Irish rock superstar,
0:29:52 > 0:29:55but this very useful ticket.
0:29:55 > 0:29:59It gets you a 1/3 discount on cash fares on all the buses
0:29:59 > 0:30:01and trams in Tenerife.
0:30:02 > 0:30:07What you do is you buy one for between 15 and 25 euros.
0:30:07 > 0:30:10Every time you get on the bus or the tram,
0:30:10 > 0:30:14you put it in the machine, and it will deduct the appropriate fare.
0:30:14 > 0:30:17What I particularly like about it is the way that you can use it
0:30:17 > 0:30:21multiple times which means that the whole family can travel together.
0:30:21 > 0:30:26And, look, it will even tell you how much you've got left on the ride,
0:30:26 > 0:30:29which means, of course, you can plan future journeys.
0:30:31 > 0:30:34But watch out when you are out and about in the busier resorts,
0:30:34 > 0:30:37especially if you're spotted taking photographs.
0:30:37 > 0:30:39Can I take a look at your camera, please?
0:30:39 > 0:30:43Beware of shopkeepers who seem as keen as mustard
0:30:43 > 0:30:46to give you advice on camera equipment.
0:30:46 > 0:30:50Once they've hooked you in, then you'll be pressured into buying
0:30:50 > 0:30:54all kinds of expensive upgrades and unnecessary extras.
0:30:54 > 0:30:58Even the savviest of tourists have lost thousands of euros.
0:30:58 > 0:31:00So just keep on walking.
0:31:02 > 0:31:07Or instead of shopping, why not join in a taste of the local culture?
0:31:07 > 0:31:12There's a packed calendar of festivities year-round in Tenerife
0:31:12 > 0:31:14and these centuries-old celebrations
0:31:14 > 0:31:18take place in towns and villages right across the island.
0:31:18 > 0:31:21With live music, traditional costumes
0:31:21 > 0:31:26and often samples of things to eat and drink for free,
0:31:26 > 0:31:28well, it would be rude not to, wouldn't it?
0:31:28 > 0:31:30Salud!
0:31:34 > 0:31:37Now, when it comes to booking something online,
0:31:37 > 0:31:40I'm sure very few of us can put our hand on our heart
0:31:40 > 0:31:44and say we really have ALWAYS read all those terms and conditions
0:31:44 > 0:31:47that we so cheerfully click to say we accept.
0:31:47 > 0:31:50But while this next report is a real reminder of what can happen
0:31:50 > 0:31:54if you aren't aware of a vital detail in all that small print,
0:31:54 > 0:31:56there's a lot more to the cases we're about to hear
0:31:56 > 0:31:58than simply that.
0:31:58 > 0:32:00And you can understand why the people we've filmed with
0:32:00 > 0:32:03have been left feeling pretty cheesed off.
0:32:03 > 0:32:05Because although it's easy to say they should have taken more care
0:32:05 > 0:32:07about what they were signing up to,
0:32:07 > 0:32:11in each case there was a fundamental reason why the bookings they made
0:32:11 > 0:32:14should never have been accepted in the first place.
0:32:16 > 0:32:19Two men separated by 62 years
0:32:19 > 0:32:23and almost 200 miles with one thing in common.
0:32:23 > 0:32:27They've both been refused a hire car because of their age.
0:32:30 > 0:32:33Nathan Little from Poole is 18 years old
0:32:33 > 0:32:36and, having passed his driving test the previous December,
0:32:36 > 0:32:40as summer 2015 approached, he and his friends, Harry and Charlie,
0:32:40 > 0:32:43began planning a road trip around France.
0:32:44 > 0:32:47We were planning on getting a car in France
0:32:47 > 0:32:48and driving around Normandy, really,
0:32:48 > 0:32:51and taking a road trip down to Paris for the weekend.
0:32:51 > 0:32:53It was just supposed to be like something we will remember
0:32:53 > 0:32:55when we're older.
0:32:55 > 0:32:58Nathan decided to see if he could hire a car in France,
0:32:58 > 0:33:01even though he'd only passed his test a few months earlier.
0:33:01 > 0:33:04I wasn't really sure I'd be able to get a hire car
0:33:04 > 0:33:06because of my age and how recently I'd passed my test,
0:33:06 > 0:33:10but I was surprised to see Auto Europe offering me a hire car
0:33:10 > 0:33:12with Europcar.
0:33:12 > 0:33:15All it stated was that the minimum driver's age was 18,
0:33:15 > 0:33:17so I thought, "Great!"
0:33:17 > 0:33:20Auto Europe is a website that brings together prices
0:33:20 > 0:33:23and offers from lots of different hire car companies.
0:33:23 > 0:33:26Nathan saw that he'd need to pay a "young driver surcharge"
0:33:26 > 0:33:31that everyone between the ages of 18 to 24 had to pay,
0:33:31 > 0:33:33but there certainly didn't seem to be anything stopping him
0:33:33 > 0:33:36from going ahead with a booking.
0:33:36 > 0:33:38The driver's surcharge is just additional insurance
0:33:38 > 0:33:40for younger drivers.
0:33:40 > 0:33:43You pay it before you pick up the car at the Europcar office.
0:33:43 > 0:33:46The surcharge of 36 euros a day
0:33:46 > 0:33:50would more than double the £141 booking cost
0:33:50 > 0:33:53but, to get on the road, the lads were happy to pay the extra.
0:33:54 > 0:33:56Six weeks later,
0:33:56 > 0:34:00they found themselves in the Europcar office in Cherbourg.
0:34:00 > 0:34:03But when Nathan handed over his booking form and his ID,
0:34:03 > 0:34:06he was met with a reaction he didn't expect.
0:34:06 > 0:34:09The lady basically told me that we couldn't have the car
0:34:09 > 0:34:11because I didn't have enough experience on my licence.
0:34:11 > 0:34:15And she just sent us out the door with no car.
0:34:16 > 0:34:20Nathan was told that anyone hiring a car with Europcar
0:34:20 > 0:34:23must have held their licence for a minimum of 12 months
0:34:23 > 0:34:25and he'd had his for seven.
0:34:25 > 0:34:29But that being the case, Nathan couldn't understand how it was
0:34:29 > 0:34:32that his online booking had been accepted in the first place.
0:34:32 > 0:34:36After all, he had entered the date of birth,
0:34:36 > 0:34:38and agreed to that young person's surcharge.
0:34:38 > 0:34:42Nowhere in that booking process has anything about experience
0:34:42 > 0:34:43been highlighted to me.
0:34:43 > 0:34:46It's not said that this might be an issue.
0:34:46 > 0:34:51Nathan does however admit he didn't read the terms and conditions.
0:34:51 > 0:34:54The terms and conditions aren't even on the booking page,
0:34:54 > 0:34:58you have to go to a separate link to read the terms and conditions.
0:34:58 > 0:35:02I just skipped through and clicked the box like most people do.
0:35:02 > 0:35:05If he had read the small print, Nathan would have discovered that
0:35:05 > 0:35:09Europcar's rule on needing 12 months' driving experience
0:35:09 > 0:35:13was in fact trumped by the terms of his booking with Auto Europe,
0:35:13 > 0:35:16which stated that he must have held his licence for three years
0:35:16 > 0:35:18to pick up the car.
0:35:18 > 0:35:22And yet the site still allows anyone as young as 18 to go through
0:35:22 > 0:35:25the whole booking process, pay that young driver surcharge,
0:35:25 > 0:35:28and believe they've hired a car.
0:35:28 > 0:35:31The first thing you do on the Auto Europe website
0:35:31 > 0:35:34is enter your age and I entered 18 and they had offered me car hire
0:35:34 > 0:35:37which to me signalled that I'd be OK.
0:35:37 > 0:35:41In hindsight, I would've read the terms and conditions more carefully,
0:35:41 > 0:35:44but it's just habit to click accept the terms and conditions.
0:35:45 > 0:35:48And because it allowed him to complete his booking,
0:35:48 > 0:35:51Nathan believes Auto Europe shares the responsibility
0:35:51 > 0:35:53for what happened.
0:35:53 > 0:35:54They knew I was 18.
0:35:54 > 0:35:58I think that should've flagged up on their system that there's
0:35:58 > 0:36:01a high chance I wouldn't have had the licence for three years,
0:36:01 > 0:36:04because, as a UK driving licence holder,
0:36:04 > 0:36:08it's impossible to have held your licence for three years at that age.
0:36:08 > 0:36:13Worse still, the fact that Auto Europe's rule WAS in the Ts and Cs
0:36:13 > 0:36:17meant that Nathan wasn't entitled to a refund on the £141 cost
0:36:17 > 0:36:22of the booking and the friends were forced to turn to public transport.
0:36:22 > 0:36:24We spent a lot more money than we'd thought
0:36:24 > 0:36:27because we had to book the train to Paris,
0:36:27 > 0:36:33which was quite expensive, and we had to pay additional hotels
0:36:33 > 0:36:36because we hadn't planned to be in Cherbourg for the night.
0:36:36 > 0:36:39So is Auto Europe alone in allowing someone
0:36:39 > 0:36:42under the minimum age to book a car?
0:36:42 > 0:36:45Well, we compared Auto Europe's website booking process
0:36:45 > 0:36:49with those of four other well-known car hire brokers.
0:36:49 > 0:36:52Not one of the ones we tested allows you to proceed with a booking
0:36:52 > 0:36:56if you enter an age below their minimum age requirement.
0:36:56 > 0:37:00We also looked at the sites of the top five car hire companies.
0:37:00 > 0:37:04Hertz, Enterprise and Budget all make their age restrictions clear
0:37:04 > 0:37:07during the booking process, although Budget does allow you
0:37:07 > 0:37:11to proceed even if you don't meet the age requirements.
0:37:11 > 0:37:14But you could still get into a muddle on some other sites.
0:37:14 > 0:37:16On the Avis site, for example,
0:37:16 > 0:37:19there seemed to be conflicting information on what age
0:37:19 > 0:37:21you need to be to hire a car.
0:37:21 > 0:37:25And Europcar will let you book a car on your 18th birthday,
0:37:25 > 0:37:27meaning you'd need to have passed your driving test
0:37:27 > 0:37:30the very day you turned 17
0:37:30 > 0:37:34in order to get the full year of experience the company requires.
0:37:34 > 0:37:38But we also discovered that it's not just people new behind the wheel
0:37:38 > 0:37:43who can fall foul of age restrictions when hiring a car.
0:37:43 > 0:37:4580-year-old Malcolm Lethbridge
0:37:45 > 0:37:49has clocked up well over half a century of driving.
0:37:49 > 0:37:52I was 22 years old when I passed my test
0:37:52 > 0:37:56and I still drive regularly every day.
0:37:56 > 0:37:59Malcolm and his wife Sandra have been travelling to the Greek island
0:37:59 > 0:38:03of Kefalonia for the last ten years, and for the last five of those,
0:38:03 > 0:38:06Malcolm has hired a car with Europcar.
0:38:06 > 0:38:12This year, the couple paid £410.87 for two weeks' car hire,
0:38:12 > 0:38:13but while he was booking,
0:38:13 > 0:38:16Malcolm noticed something he'd not seen before.
0:38:16 > 0:38:21At 80, he was too old to hire a car in Greece with Europcar
0:38:21 > 0:38:24and, in fact, he had been for the past five years.
0:38:24 > 0:38:27But because the site let him book this year's trip
0:38:27 > 0:38:29and there'd been no issues on his previous ones
0:38:29 > 0:38:31he didn't question it.
0:38:31 > 0:38:34I know people that will say, "Idiot, you're over 75,
0:38:34 > 0:38:36"you shouldn't have rented it,"
0:38:36 > 0:38:40but having rented it for the last five years,
0:38:40 > 0:38:42one would assume on that basis
0:38:42 > 0:38:49that it is just small print that is put there but is ignored.
0:38:49 > 0:38:52Well, it has certainly been for the last five years.
0:38:52 > 0:38:55But this time, when Malcolm and Sandra went to collect their car
0:38:55 > 0:38:59after landing in Kefalonia, they were told they couldn't have it.
0:39:00 > 0:39:02I said, "Why?"
0:39:02 > 0:39:04He said, "You're too old."
0:39:04 > 0:39:08And I said, "Well, you've accepted my money
0:39:08 > 0:39:09"and you've accepted my booking -
0:39:09 > 0:39:14"how can you say that I can't have the car because I'm too old?
0:39:14 > 0:39:17"It's been bought and paid for."
0:39:17 > 0:39:19He said, "No, you can't have it."
0:39:19 > 0:39:23After making little progress, Malcolm asked for a refund,
0:39:23 > 0:39:26hoping he could book with another hire company.
0:39:26 > 0:39:29He was told that simply wasn't possible.
0:39:29 > 0:39:32There was no solution offered,
0:39:32 > 0:39:35no suggestion whatever,
0:39:35 > 0:39:38and I was absolutely stunned and devastated.
0:39:38 > 0:39:42The couple took a taxi to their hotel, and, a few days later,
0:39:42 > 0:39:46they were able to hire a car with a local firm in Sandra's name.
0:39:46 > 0:39:51But they were still determined to get their £410 back from Europcar.
0:39:51 > 0:39:53And when they returned home,
0:39:53 > 0:39:57Europcar DID give Malcolm a refund as a gesture of goodwill.
0:39:57 > 0:39:59When we contacted Europcar,
0:39:59 > 0:40:02it stressed that customers are required to read
0:40:02 > 0:40:05and accept the terms and conditions during the booking process
0:40:05 > 0:40:09and that these "clearly state the upper age limit" for Greece.
0:40:09 > 0:40:14The company also told us that Europcar Greece had advised Malcolm
0:40:14 > 0:40:16the previous year that he would not be able to book
0:40:16 > 0:40:19with the company again due to his age,
0:40:19 > 0:40:22something Malcolm emphatically denies.
0:40:22 > 0:40:24And when we asked Europcar about Nathan's booking,
0:40:24 > 0:40:27it couldn't comment as having booked through the website
0:40:27 > 0:40:29of a different company, Auto Europe,
0:40:29 > 0:40:33he was bound by that company's terms and conditions.
0:40:33 > 0:40:36So we got in touch with Auto Europe, who explained that the reason
0:40:36 > 0:40:40its site allows drivers to book cars in France from the age of 18,
0:40:40 > 0:40:44despite its own three-year minimum licence rule,
0:40:44 > 0:40:47is because in France it's possible to have a driver's licence
0:40:47 > 0:40:49at the age of 15.
0:40:49 > 0:40:53It said the booking agent's decision not to allow Nathan to pick up
0:40:53 > 0:40:56the car "probably seemed reasonable at the time",
0:40:56 > 0:40:58given the company's Ts and Cs.
0:40:58 > 0:41:01But it agreed it "should not have allowed the booking"
0:41:01 > 0:41:04to be processed from the UK in the first place
0:41:04 > 0:41:06and said it will now change its terms and conditions
0:41:06 > 0:41:09relating to UK bookings for rental in France,
0:41:09 > 0:41:13raising the minimum pick-up age to 20.
0:41:13 > 0:41:17Even better, because of Nathan's "poor experience", Auto Europe says
0:41:17 > 0:41:21it will be refunding the money he's paid in full.
0:41:23 > 0:41:25That's a good result.
0:41:25 > 0:41:29But whether you're 18 like Nathan or 80 like Malcolm,
0:41:29 > 0:41:33both men's stories show how vital it can be to thoroughly read
0:41:33 > 0:41:37those terms and conditions before clicking to say you accept them.
0:41:37 > 0:41:39I've definitely learnt to read the terms and conditions
0:41:39 > 0:41:43on everything you buy. I do it on pretty much everything now.
0:41:48 > 0:41:51If you've got a story that you'd like us to investigate,
0:41:51 > 0:41:56you can get in touch with us via our Facebook page - BBC Rip-Off Britain.
0:41:56 > 0:42:01Our website is bbc.co.uk/ripoffbritain
0:42:01 > 0:42:06Or you can e-mail us at...
0:42:06 > 0:42:10Or if you'd rather send us a letter, then our address is...
0:42:23 > 0:42:26Well, I know I'd be absolutely hopping mad
0:42:26 > 0:42:29if someone told me at the last minute my holiday had been changed.
0:42:29 > 0:42:32And it's no wonder really that the people we've heard from today
0:42:32 > 0:42:35feel it's unfair that what they thought they'd booked and paid for
0:42:35 > 0:42:38- wasn't what they got.- I think we'd all agree with that, Julia.
0:42:38 > 0:42:42And, you know, when it seems the goalposts have been moved
0:42:42 > 0:42:44and there's absolutely nothing you can do about it,
0:42:44 > 0:42:46that is so frustrating.
0:42:46 > 0:42:48Especially if at the time you're already abroad
0:42:48 > 0:42:51and perhaps having to struggle with a language barrier.
0:42:51 > 0:42:53That really makes things twice as hard to sort out.
0:42:53 > 0:42:56So I'm absolutely delighted that at least in some of those cases
0:42:56 > 0:42:58we have been able to get things resolved, Gloria.
0:42:58 > 0:43:00After all, that's what we're here for.
0:43:00 > 0:43:03And, of course, we also want to give advice and information
0:43:03 > 0:43:04so that you'll know what to do
0:43:04 > 0:43:06if the same type of thing happens to you.
0:43:06 > 0:43:09I'm afraid that's where we have to leave it for this programme
0:43:09 > 0:43:12but I do hope that if you're planning a trip anywhere soon,
0:43:12 > 0:43:14that we've been able to give you some tips to keep in mind
0:43:14 > 0:43:18so that your holiday turns out exactly the way you'd planned it.
0:43:18 > 0:43:21- So from all of us here in Lanzarote, bye-bye.- Bye-bye.- Bye.