:00:00. > :00:00.so widely. Thank you for joining us. After a week of battling to solve
:00:00. > :00:13.your consumer problems it is over for the final Rip Off Britain life.
:00:14. > :00:19.It is the last in our special week of life editions of Rip Off Britain.
:00:20. > :00:22.We went to be going quietly! Stand by for another programme packed with
:00:23. > :00:27.advice you don't want to miss on everything from understanding
:00:28. > :00:31.instruction manuals, to knowing which restaurants have basic hygiene
:00:32. > :00:35.standards. Will be on picking what some people are calling the biggest
:00:36. > :00:39.consumer scandal for decades. The question is, if your tumble dryer
:00:40. > :00:45.one of the 5 million at risk of catching fire? We asked
:00:46. > :00:54.We asked you to tell us what has been left you feeling ripped off.
:00:55. > :00:58.You told us about customer service that is not up to scratch. I have
:00:59. > :01:01.complained and complained and nobody has taken any notice. I think it is
:01:02. > :01:05.way for the shops to take more money. You've asked us to track down
:01:06. > :01:09.the scammers who have stolen your money and investigate unfair
:01:10. > :01:12.charges. They are trying to offer you little things extra. And when
:01:13. > :01:14.you've lost out but no one else is to blame, you've come to us to stop
:01:15. > :01:32.others falling into the same trap. I ran up company and they said it
:01:33. > :01:35.wasn't their fault, so whose fault is it? So whether it is a blatant
:01:36. > :01:38.rip-off or a genuine mistake, we are here to find out why you are out of
:01:39. > :01:40.pocket and what you can do about it. Your stories, your money. This is
:01:41. > :01:43.Rip-Off Britain. Hello and welcome to Rip-Off Britain Live. We've
:01:44. > :01:46.enjoyed your company all week long but, sadly, all good things must
:01:47. > :01:50.come to an end and today is the last day of our run of live shows. We've
:01:51. > :01:54.enjoyed enormously but we still got a packed 45 minutes ahead and we're
:01:55. > :01:58.going to be using every moment of that time to solve your consumer
:01:59. > :02:02.problems and also to tackle the issues that really do matter to you
:02:03. > :02:08.most. I'll second that, so do send in your comments. We are live and
:02:09. > :02:12.all your questions go to ripoffbritain@bbc.co.uk or you can
:02:13. > :02:15.look for BBC Rip-Off Britain on Facebook. We'll be getting our teeth
:02:16. > :02:20.into an incredibly important story in just a moment and later on will
:02:21. > :02:25.be asking why so many restaurants don't be basic hygiene standards. --
:02:26. > :02:28.meet. With so many of you moaning about the demise of proper
:02:29. > :02:32.instruction manuals, we've set two groups the challenge of testing out
:02:33. > :02:36.whether the old way of doing it is better than the new. We are going to
:02:37. > :02:40.see if the one who followed the more detailed instructions and not just
:02:41. > :02:46.diagrams gets the job done first. They are hard at it already! I'm so
:02:47. > :02:50.glad I'm not involved at! Plus, my very good friend, celebrating his
:02:51. > :02:54.birthday today, Sir Cliff Richard, will be explaining why he is a
:02:55. > :02:58.super-savvy when it comes to his energy bills. Pop-up shop has been
:02:59. > :03:02.going great guns all week and we've had some fantastic results. Today
:03:03. > :03:07.we've got a consumer clinic chock full of experts, helping and hoping
:03:08. > :03:12.to solve even more albums. But first, a big story we featured last
:03:13. > :03:17.month and it continues to make the headlines - the safety of 5.3
:03:18. > :03:20.million tumble dryers. The manufacturer, Whirlpool, insists
:03:21. > :03:24.that while it sorts out the problem the dryers can still be used. But
:03:25. > :03:25.there is a growing number of people with a good reason to disagree with
:03:26. > :03:36.that. In scenes straight out of a disaster
:03:37. > :03:41.movie, West London was brought to a standstill. It quickly became
:03:42. > :03:46.apparent that this was really a substantial fire on a huge scale.
:03:47. > :03:52.The flames were looking up the side of the building over several floors.
:03:53. > :03:56.On a warm August day, 120 firefighters were quickly scrambled
:03:57. > :03:59.to a block of flats in Shepherd's Bush. Fire was ripping through the
:04:00. > :04:04.middle floors of an 18 story residential tower block. Amongst
:04:05. > :04:09.them was the head of fire investigation Charlie Pugsley. I can
:04:10. > :04:14.still see the smoke coming from several floors on tower block. There
:04:15. > :04:19.was a largely scored and place. We had 20 fire engines, plus specialist
:04:20. > :04:24.units, the Metropolitan Police, the ambulance service. So it really a
:04:25. > :04:29.significant incident. Local MP Andy Slaughter also rushed to the scene.
:04:30. > :04:32.First you have a sense of disbelief because you don't really expect
:04:33. > :04:37.something like this to happen and certainly not in your patch and to
:04:38. > :04:42.people you know. At least 50 people were evacuated from the building. It
:04:43. > :04:47.becomes very apparent that the amount of smoke produced, and with
:04:48. > :04:51.windows open, a few bursts of that smoke, it could be life-threatening.
:04:52. > :04:58.The disruption and the damage on the loss of property was great but the
:04:59. > :05:03.trauma, as well. We had very elderly people, people in their 90s, we had
:05:04. > :05:07.people in wheelchairs, who all had to be evacuated. An absolutely
:05:08. > :05:11.horrific situation to be in. The cause of the fire, as you'll have
:05:12. > :05:14.guessed, was one of the 5 million tumble dryers that the manufacturer
:05:15. > :05:19.Whirlpool last year announced were at risk of catching fire. We had
:05:20. > :05:22.early with misinformation that indicated that the fire was started
:05:23. > :05:28.in the tumble dryer, however we still had to look at it and look at
:05:29. > :05:33.the physical evidence. -- early witness information. The owner of
:05:34. > :05:37.the flat told her MP she knew straightaway it was the dryer to
:05:38. > :05:41.blame. She was obviously very upset but she was very clear about exactly
:05:42. > :05:47.what happened and how the fire started and, of course, it was a
:05:48. > :05:54.cause which is pretty well-known now and I don't think it was a surprise
:05:55. > :05:58.at all to the firemen. After a six-week investigation, London Fire
:05:59. > :06:03.Brigade's forensic team confirmed a fault in the dryer had definitely
:06:04. > :06:07.started the blaze and, of course, it was the first. Across the country,
:06:08. > :06:11.I'm aware of other incidents, so you really are starting to build up the
:06:12. > :06:17.bigger picture that actually it isn't just a one-off incident with
:06:18. > :06:23.misuse or an accident. In fact, over the last 12 years, at least 750
:06:24. > :06:27.house fires have been linked to Whirlpool's tumble dryers, most of
:06:28. > :06:32.them because of a fault in models are sold under its Hotpoint, Creda
:06:33. > :06:39.and Indesit brands and manufactured between 2004 and 2015. A review
:06:40. > :06:44.discovered potential safety issues where XS fluff in the dryers could
:06:45. > :06:46.catch in the heating element. The discovery led Whirlpool to announce
:06:47. > :06:51.what is thought to be the biggest safety alert in British history, but
:06:52. > :06:56.didn't recall the dryers. Instead, it began the process of sending
:06:57. > :07:00.engineers to check and, if necessary, modify the appliances to
:07:01. > :07:02.make sure they were safe. Good afternoon, you're through to
:07:03. > :07:07.Whirlpool, you're speaking to Heather. How can I help? But with
:07:08. > :07:11.millions of dryers to get through, that's been a very slow process.
:07:12. > :07:15.Last month we featured the case of Laura from Bristol, who was told she
:07:16. > :07:21.would have to wait 11 months before anybody could check if her appliance
:07:22. > :07:24.was safe. I was literally horrified. That is such a long time to have to
:07:25. > :07:28.wait. 11 months before someone can even come out and put the machine
:07:29. > :07:33.right! It just was totally unacceptable. In the meantime,
:07:34. > :07:38.Whirlpool insisted that it was safe to continue using a potentially
:07:39. > :07:43.affected dryer, so long as it isn't left unattended and the filter is
:07:44. > :07:47.cleaned after each use. But, unconvinced, Laura stopped using
:07:48. > :07:52.hers altogether. I definitely don't feel safe taking their advice.
:07:53. > :07:56.Certainly the week all this happened, there were two news
:07:57. > :07:59.stories where people had had their machine catch fire but I'm not going
:08:00. > :08:04.to sit there and wait for that to happen just because I put my tumble
:08:05. > :08:08.dryer on. Laura had at least received notification from Whirlpool
:08:09. > :08:13.that her dryer could be a fire risk before there was a problem. However,
:08:14. > :08:17.John Wood, a taxi driver from Hampshire, says he only received
:08:18. > :08:23.that warning when it was too late. He'd registered his dryer when he
:08:24. > :08:27.bought it back in 2010 but it -- he claims he didn't initially receive
:08:28. > :08:31.any safety notice so with no idea that the company was now warning not
:08:32. > :08:34.to use the appliance unattended, he thought nothing of putting it on
:08:35. > :08:41.while he dropped his wife off at work. But when he returned home, he
:08:42. > :08:45.saw smoke coming through the door. I was just in sheer panic. I could
:08:46. > :08:49.hear the dog screaming, howling, a different type of Howell than they
:08:50. > :08:53.normally do. This whole room was covered inspected rock I've headed
:08:54. > :08:58.for the kitchen door, kicked the door open, the dogs have ran past
:08:59. > :09:02.me, bolted outside. I've got to hear and noticed that in the corner it
:09:03. > :09:07.was all blowing. This whole room was full of smoke. It wasn't until later
:09:08. > :09:11.on when the fire brigade had been aborted out they confirmed it was
:09:12. > :09:14.the tumble dryer that has gone up in flames. John's two children were at
:09:15. > :09:19.school when the fire ripped through the kitchen but the family's two
:09:20. > :09:23.lovely dalmatians, Holly and Rosie, where in the house and this shows
:09:24. > :09:26.the two of them afterwards covered in suits. Sappy, I'm afraid it
:09:27. > :09:33.turned out to be the last picture of holly ever taken. She died,
:09:34. > :09:35.presumably of smoke inhalation, later that night. I went to pull
:09:36. > :09:38.Holly out and she just didn't respond. The kids didn't see it
:09:39. > :09:47.because they were at my parents' house at the time. I broke down in
:09:48. > :09:50.tears that night. I have been for the past two nights after that it up
:09:51. > :09:54.the wife was devastated because it was our first family pet that we had
:09:55. > :09:59.together. She was a member of the family and was with us for eight
:10:00. > :10:05.years, nine years. I class her as one of my kids. We can sympathise
:10:06. > :10:08.with that. It was three weeks after the fire that destroyed his kitchen
:10:09. > :10:13.and led to Holly's death that John says he was finally made aware by
:10:14. > :10:16.Hotpoint that his dryer was potentially at risk. And if that
:10:17. > :10:19.wasn't bad enough, his home insurance won't pay out further
:10:20. > :10:23.damage to his house because the policy doesn't cover fires caused by
:10:24. > :10:27.an unattended appliance. So as John waits to see what Whirlpool will do
:10:28. > :10:32.to put things right, he knows what he thinks should happen. I want to
:10:33. > :10:36.see every affected tumble dryer that they have got, or appliance that is
:10:37. > :10:41.affected, be pulled out of everybody's home. Back in Shepherd's
:10:42. > :10:45.Bush, the owner of the dryer that caught fire definitely had received
:10:46. > :10:49.a safety notice from Whirlpool. And according to the Fire Brigade, they
:10:50. > :10:54.had been following the company's advice to the letter but none of
:10:55. > :10:58.that stop it going up in flames. In the case of this fire, we have
:10:59. > :11:02.really good information that the person using the tumble dryer had
:11:03. > :11:06.followed all the manufacturer's recommendations. They were in the
:11:07. > :11:12.property while using it, they regularly cleaned out the fluff and
:11:13. > :11:16.a into -- lint filter and as far as we're concerned, they did everything
:11:17. > :11:20.correct. London Fire Brigade is now calling on Whirlpool to change its
:11:21. > :11:22.advice to owners of affected models because despite what the company
:11:23. > :11:27.says, it doesn't believe that any of these dryers should be used until
:11:28. > :11:31.they've been repaired or replaced. London Fire Brigade believes they
:11:32. > :11:34.should change their advice to their customers, so that they should not
:11:35. > :11:38.use those tumble dryers until they've been fixed by one of their
:11:39. > :11:50.engineering team. We understand we can't stop all fires occurring but
:11:51. > :11:53.for us, it's just getting to the point that if you know that a fire
:11:54. > :11:56.has the potential of starting, to us that should be the point where you
:11:57. > :11:58.say, "Please don't use it". MP and disorder agrees and is amongst those
:11:59. > :12:01.who can't understand why Whirlpool didn't immediately issue a full
:12:02. > :12:06.product recall. What happened to my constituent here, I think, just
:12:07. > :12:12.shows that that advice is not correct. She was told, "You can
:12:13. > :12:16.carry on using it, don't leave your flat, don't leave it on when you go
:12:17. > :12:21.to sleep, but otherwise it is safe to continue using it". It clearly
:12:22. > :12:26.wasn't. I think it's unbelievable that Whirlpool are still saying to
:12:27. > :12:30.people, "You can carry on using it". That is, to my mind, only being done
:12:31. > :12:35.for their commercial convenience and it is just not good enough and this
:12:36. > :12:40.is a matter of public safety and they need to act now and if they
:12:41. > :12:45.won't act, the Government have to tell them to act. With pressure on
:12:46. > :12:50.Whirlpool growing, the consumer minister Margot James has said that
:12:51. > :12:54.she'll be organ -- ordering the company to do more to reassure
:12:55. > :12:57.customers and the wider public. At the same time, she announced the
:12:58. > :13:01.creation of a new working group on product recalls and safety but John
:13:02. > :13:05.Wood hopes for more immediate action. I want every single affected
:13:06. > :13:11.product removed from people's houses before somebody does lose a life.
:13:12. > :13:15.We've lost a life with the dog. To us, it's a child. So every single
:13:16. > :13:22.product needs to be removed. Stop using it, switch them off, unplug
:13:23. > :13:25.them, don't use them again. Such heartbreaking stories behind
:13:26. > :13:28.every one of those cases. Whirlpool has told us that its thoughts are
:13:29. > :13:33.with all of those who were affected by the Shepherd's Bush fire but as
:13:34. > :13:36.the independent forensics investigations into the
:13:37. > :13:40.investigation are still ongoing, it would be inappropriate to comment
:13:41. > :13:45.further. But it also said the same is true with John Wood's case but it
:13:46. > :13:48.was saddened by his loss and has contacted him directly. The company
:13:49. > :13:52.went on to insist that safety is its number one priority and it is
:13:53. > :13:55.committed to ensuring its tumble dryer modification programme is
:13:56. > :13:59.carried out in a safe and timely manner and to speed things up, it
:14:00. > :14:03.has doubled its engineer and call centre teams and introduced more
:14:04. > :14:07.convenient booking systems. But Whirlpool has changed its advice
:14:08. > :14:17.that dryers waiting to be checked can still be
:14:18. > :14:21.used as long as the filter is cleaned after use and they aren't
:14:22. > :14:24.left unattended. A lot of that advice is a bit questionable in my
:14:25. > :14:26.mind but joining me now are Pete from company Margaret and consumer
:14:27. > :14:29.champion Lynn Faulds Wood. I'm trying to relate it to myself. I do
:14:30. > :14:32.not want a machine that is likely to go on fire. I do not want to watch a
:14:33. > :14:36.machine going on fire. The whole thing is ridiculous so why so much
:14:37. > :14:40.conflicting and in my opinion bad advice?
:14:41. > :14:45.That is a good question and I think watching a film and hearing what the
:14:46. > :14:49.London Fire Brigade are saying, the advice is to not use these machines
:14:50. > :14:53.until you have had a repair or a replacement. The problem is
:14:54. > :14:57.consumers are getting conflicting advice, when they are speaking to
:14:58. > :15:02.well pill, and it is worrying. What did you find when you went
:15:03. > :15:07.undercover version Mark we did some research back in May and we spoke to
:15:08. > :15:10.800 people who had been affected. We did 30 undercover calls to the
:15:11. > :15:15.Whirlpool call centre to find out what was going on and we found a lot
:15:16. > :15:22.of problems. Like what? The first thing is they were telling people it
:15:23. > :15:25.would take 8-10 weeks to get a customer identification number and
:15:26. > :15:29.until you have that, you can't start the process of repair and
:15:30. > :15:33.replacement. There was bad advice, call centre staff telling us it was
:15:34. > :15:35.nothing to worry about but here we have Whirlpool telling us you have
:15:36. > :15:40.to sit with your machine the whole time. Some of the people wrote to us
:15:41. > :15:44.were waiting 11 months for somebody to come out. Lynn, yours was an
:15:45. > :15:48.independent report for the Government. I was asked to do it
:15:49. > :15:50.nearly two years ago the first time and here we are and I think the
:15:51. > :15:56.Government are sitting on their hands. Everyone at Whirlpool and
:15:57. > :16:01.their staff should be made to watch your package. That was a brilliant
:16:02. > :16:06.at example of what can happen. First of all, another block of flats could
:16:07. > :16:10.go up on fire. Think of the fear, Whirlpool, that those people felt
:16:11. > :16:14.watching all that smoke go past their windows, there are 18 flaws in
:16:15. > :16:18.that building, and then think of the firemen that are going in there
:16:19. > :16:21.because I know from talking to them, their hearts were pounding because
:16:22. > :16:25.they didn't know what they'd find and the last time they went into a
:16:26. > :16:30.big block of flats with a fire, there were deaths. The whole block
:16:31. > :16:36.could potentially go up in smoke, which would be horrendous. The thing
:16:37. > :16:39.I have found, sorry to interrupt you, this was an independent review
:16:40. > :16:43.for the Government and I've found that the system is broken. The
:16:44. > :16:49.recall system just doesn't work properly. Am I being naive in
:16:50. > :16:53.thinking the cost of employing more engineers, all the effort to try and
:16:54. > :16:58.check them, modify, why don't they just withdraw all of them and
:16:59. > :17:02.replace? It's a good question and I think there is a problem with the
:17:03. > :17:06.recall system. Lynn did her report but not enough has been acted on it.
:17:07. > :17:09.We had a steering group come out of that and the Minister is saying they
:17:10. > :17:13.are setting up yet another working group and we are fed up of reviews
:17:14. > :17:17.and steering groups and working groups. We want action and change so
:17:18. > :17:23.these sorts of situations can't happen and so the system we have is
:17:24. > :17:26.safe. We are talking about deaths in block of flats, we are not saying
:17:27. > :17:30.that has happened but potentially, a block of flats could go up. 5-.3
:17:31. > :17:34.million machines we are talking about, a lot of people don't even
:17:35. > :17:38.know if they could be affected. Because it is an American company,
:17:39. > :17:42.is that why the Government aren't hitting harder? It is a huge
:17:43. > :17:46.company, one of the biggest in the world. It is based in Peterboro now,
:17:47. > :17:51.that is where the head office is and you have trading standards there
:17:52. > :17:55.dealing with an enormous company. I was asked to do this review because
:17:56. > :18:01.the safety laws weren't adequate in this country and the opinion in the
:18:02. > :18:04.House of Lords was driving change and the review was announced to stop
:18:05. > :18:08.those changes in the law and I think we still urgently need changes in
:18:09. > :18:13.the law. In one word, what would you do? I think the Government needs to
:18:14. > :18:19.review this case significantly, look at what went wrong and what actions
:18:20. > :18:24.it is going to take. Not another review? The Government needs to look
:18:25. > :18:27.at this specific case and see what they are going to do. Thank you very
:18:28. > :18:32.much, it throws a lot of light on your investigations.
:18:33. > :18:37.Well, anyone with a Indesit, Hotpoint or Creda tumble dryer
:18:38. > :18:46.Mackie academic manufactured between 2004 and 2015 who hasn't been in
:18:47. > :18:51.touch can call this free helpline. I think we really do advise you do
:18:52. > :18:54.that. Our inbox yesterday was dominated by comments about
:18:55. > :18:56.charities after Lord grade told us his plans to keep them in check but
:18:57. > :19:01.Valerie from Leicestershire told us that whenever she sends a cheque to
:19:02. > :19:04.a charity, she sends a letter warning that future donations will
:19:05. > :19:09.depend on them not bothering her again. She says it seems to be
:19:10. > :19:13.working. Simple but effective. And Brian goes one further by
:19:14. > :19:17.discouraging any unwanted callers at his door, putting up a sign saying
:19:18. > :19:21.he charges 10p a minute to listen to any sort of pitch or message and by
:19:22. > :19:28.knocking on the door or ringing a bell, you signal your agreement --
:19:29. > :19:31.?10 a minute. And some of you remain fascinated by what we have been
:19:32. > :19:35.wearing this week. Eileen Palmer says she loved your necklaces and
:19:36. > :19:40.your choice of clothes and you have tassles today. Today I am
:19:41. > :19:45.channelling Patsy on her way out for the evening, as opposed to when she
:19:46. > :19:50.is on her way in. If you have enjoyed these programmes, and we
:19:51. > :19:57.certainly have, you can boat for Rip Off Britain at the national TV
:19:58. > :20:01.awards -- you can vote. Back to business and while some of our
:20:02. > :20:04.stories get a big response for you, others get picked up by the news. It
:20:05. > :20:11.has happened twice this week, with the comments on pensions and worries
:20:12. > :20:16.about banks. But one of our recent investigations made headlines around
:20:17. > :20:21.the world. Just last Monday, we highlighted a
:20:22. > :20:26.new scam affecting residents of Chorlton in Greater Manchester. Alan
:20:27. > :20:29.Dunn and Harold Summers had both been baffled to suddenly find a post
:20:30. > :20:34.box mysteriously attached to the front of their houses. As I went out
:20:35. > :20:39.the door, I noticed that stuck to the wall was this metal post box
:20:40. > :20:46.that I have never seen before. So my first instinct was that perhaps it
:20:47. > :20:50.had been put there by mistake. In fact, it was far more sinister than
:20:51. > :20:54.that. When Alan prised away his box, he could see inside was the mail
:20:55. > :21:00.that would normally come through his post box and among the letters was
:21:01. > :21:04.something very odd indeed. It was a letter from the TSB saying I had
:21:05. > :21:09.opened a new account with them and I had negotiated an overdraft of
:21:10. > :21:13.?1000. It was clear that the scammers have stolen his identity
:21:14. > :21:16.and opened a bank account in his name and next, they put up that post
:21:17. > :21:21.box so they could get their hands on the new card and pin number that the
:21:22. > :21:25.bank sent through. They obviously knew the delivery times for the
:21:26. > :21:30.postman on that day, they were following him around, almost,
:21:31. > :21:34.retrieving the mail. Alan called the police and was able to stop the
:21:35. > :21:39.account, but down the road, the same thing happened to Harold. I am
:21:40. > :21:45.mystified that anyone would think they could attach a post box to
:21:46. > :21:51.someone's house and get away with it without anyone noticing. Now, at the
:21:52. > :21:56.time, Harold had assumed that he had thwarted the scam, but he was wrong.
:21:57. > :22:01.He has since told us that, like Alan, fraudsters had opened up an
:22:02. > :22:05.account in his name. They had been given a ?1000 overdraft, which they
:22:06. > :22:08.had promptly spent. Luckily, the bank accepted that there had been a
:22:09. > :22:13.fraud and agreed that Harold would not be held responsible. But if a
:22:14. > :22:17.strange new post box appears outside your house, watch out. Someone could
:22:18. > :22:25.be playing fast and loose with your details to. -- also.
:22:26. > :22:32.And who could forget a story that we first covered in our food series in
:22:33. > :22:36.February? We looked into the food hygiene rating scheme, which awards
:22:37. > :22:40.marks out of five to all places serving food after an official
:22:41. > :22:45.inspection. As part of our report, we did our own inspection of
:22:46. > :22:49.branches are five very well-known names that had previously scored a
:22:50. > :22:52.big fat zero in the scheme, meaning they needed urgent improvement. And
:22:53. > :23:01.we sent the results to be examined in a lab. We tested table tops,
:23:02. > :23:06.trays, self-service areas and freehand plates in the bathroom. We
:23:07. > :23:10.also ask each place we visited to supply us with a cup of ice or water
:23:11. > :23:15.and one result stood out. While the rest of this particular lot of rest
:23:16. > :23:20.rooms came out clean, the ice we got from this ranch of KFC in Birmingham
:23:21. > :23:27.contain high levels of faecal coliforms, a kind of bacteria which,
:23:28. > :23:31.I'm afraid, are found in faeces. The presence of faecal chloroform is
:23:32. > :23:37.suggests there is faecal contamination and it increases the
:23:38. > :23:42.risk of getting sick from consuming this. KFC immediately launched an
:23:43. > :23:46.urgent investigation and staff retraining exercises, but the story
:23:47. > :23:51.made headlines around the world. In Australia, Indonesia and, of course,
:23:52. > :23:55.the UK. Well, since then, details of the restaurant's earlier problems
:23:56. > :23:59.have made news again. In late July, the reason the branch had been given
:24:00. > :24:06.its zero rating became clear when KFC pleaded guilty to three charges
:24:07. > :24:11.under food hygiene legislation, as well as dirt, grime and Greece in
:24:12. > :24:16.the kitchen, there had been a mouse infestation, with droppings found in
:24:17. > :24:22.the drinking straws and sore spots. KFC was fined ?30,000 but is keen to
:24:23. > :24:25.emphasise it is all behind it out. It has several times been
:24:26. > :24:31.re-inspected and been given the top rating of five out of five, a fact
:24:32. > :24:36.the restaurant has been keen to big up on this sign outside.
:24:37. > :24:39.Joining me is Michael Harding from the Food Standards Agency and I am
:24:40. > :24:42.glad to say that since we made that film, I have been delighted to see
:24:43. > :24:47.the number of restaurants and food outlets that are displaying that
:24:48. > :24:51.green sign, especially when it is a four or five rating, but there are a
:24:52. > :24:53.surprising number that get zero, one or two. Potentially, what sort of
:24:54. > :25:00.risk are those restaurants posing to public health? A low rating would be
:25:01. > :25:03.given for a variety of reasons, it might include staff training, issues
:25:04. > :25:09.with cleanliness of the premises, pest infestation, a whole host of
:25:10. > :25:11.things can contribute, but ultimately it means there is an
:25:12. > :25:16.increased risk of illness and premises with a lower rating. What I
:25:17. > :25:19.find extraordinary is it is not mandatory that all restaurants that
:25:20. > :25:25.have to be tested do not have to do then put that is little sign in the
:25:26. > :25:28.window. If you see a fora five, you know it is safe to eat, if you are
:25:29. > :25:34.not seeing it, we don't know if it is unsafe or they can't be bothered
:25:35. > :25:37.to put the sign up. In Wales, since 2012, it has been mandatory. In
:25:38. > :25:44.Northern Ireland, from last week. In England and Scotland it is not, why
:25:45. > :25:47.not? It would require a the law and we at the Food Standards Agency
:25:48. > :25:50.absolutely favour the mandatory display of hygiene rating, so we are
:25:51. > :25:53.putting their case together based on the evidence from Wales, which is
:25:54. > :25:57.really strong and shows it pushes up standards of hygiene, and we have
:25:58. > :26:02.been presenting this to ministers and it will be for them to consider.
:26:03. > :26:04.It will need to go through a legislative process, so we are
:26:05. > :26:10.behind it, pushing for it, but it won't be overnight. In the meantime,
:26:11. > :26:12.how can we be sure if we are going into a restaurant that doesn't have
:26:13. > :26:18.one of those green stickers that it will be safe to eat there. What can
:26:19. > :26:21.we do? You can always ask, but I would recommend going online,
:26:22. > :26:26.looking on the Food Standards Agency website. We make all of the data
:26:27. > :26:30.available for reuse and there are a whole host of smartphone apps
:26:31. > :26:34.available, so you go on to the App Store, download the app and check it
:26:35. > :26:38.before you go into the business. And recommendation from other people is
:26:39. > :26:43.always good. Thank you very much indeed, Michael. Let's hope we see
:26:44. > :26:47.more of those green stickers with four and five. Now, the pop-up shop
:26:48. > :26:50.is bursting with expertise, so let's get straight to it and sold more of
:26:51. > :26:55.your problems. We have had an absolutely fantastic
:26:56. > :26:59.week in the drop up consumer clinic. Lots of people have come to see us
:27:00. > :27:02.and we have managed to save people thousands of pounds, both on and off
:27:03. > :27:07.the camera. One of the people involved is our personal finance
:27:08. > :27:12.expert Sarah Pennells and with her is Colin, who we will talk to in a
:27:13. > :27:17.minute. Where have you come from? Wapping. Not too far, then. Sarah,
:27:18. > :27:23.tell us about various cases you have been doing. I know energy bills have
:27:24. > :27:26.featured highly. Yes, we started the week trying to help Nolde retired
:27:27. > :27:31.firefighter and Colin came to the pop-up shop on Monday and I have
:27:32. > :27:34.been trying to help him. He moved into his flat a couple of years ago
:27:35. > :27:38.and tried to pay by direct debit and it didn't happen. He didn't get his
:27:39. > :27:42.first accurate bill until a year after he moved in. I have seen the
:27:43. > :27:48.paperwork, he has at all kinds of Bill saying he owes them hundreds,
:27:49. > :27:52.they owe him hundreds and finally we have some sort of resolution where
:27:53. > :27:56.his energy supplier, first Utility, has said account issues meant Colin
:27:57. > :28:00.didn't receive his bill until a year after living in the property and
:28:01. > :28:04.there were delays with subsequent bills which is not up to their usual
:28:05. > :28:07.standards, so they will offer him a gesture of goodwill to apologise and
:28:08. > :28:13.also offering an affordable repayment plan so he can repay the
:28:14. > :28:16.money they say he now definitely does owe. So presumably it makes a
:28:17. > :28:23.lot of difference that you can spread the load? It is great, but
:28:24. > :28:29.there has been a lack of communication from their side which
:28:30. > :28:33.has been upsetting. Any other successes to report? We were
:28:34. > :28:37.contacted by Kevin, a pensioner in Hartlepool, who found that Vodafone
:28:38. > :28:40.were taking payments of ?18 a month out of his bank account for 18
:28:41. > :28:46.months even though he no longer had a phone with them. He contacted
:28:47. > :28:50.Vodafone and told them it was their mistake and get the money back in
:28:51. > :28:54.his account in 24 hours. That didn't happen so he got in touch and the
:28:55. > :28:57.good news is that Vodafone said they are sorry, it was down to human
:28:58. > :29:00.error, they refunded the money and made a gesture of goodwill in
:29:01. > :29:06.recognition of their mistake. It is funny when we get in touch, the
:29:07. > :29:10.story seems to come right. Rip Off Britain strikes again! Over here, I
:29:11. > :29:13.have my favourite technology expert, David McLelland, with the dimple in
:29:14. > :29:23.his chin. What have you been up to? After Wednesday's show, I spoke to
:29:24. > :29:27.Jennifer who had been saving up her Clubcard vouchers from Tesco to pay
:29:28. > :29:32.for a senior rail card when she went to pay for it she found that instead
:29:33. > :29:36.of ?40 at her account, she had 50 p. Criminals had gained access to her
:29:37. > :29:39.account and been buying iTunes gift cards and presumably selling them on
:29:40. > :29:43.so it is not the first time we have come across reports of Tesco
:29:44. > :29:55.Clubcard users being targeted by criminals. We spoke to Tesco and
:29:56. > :29:58.they say they have not been hacked so what we think is happening is
:29:59. > :30:00.that criminals are using the usernames and passwords from other
:30:01. > :30:03.high-profile hacks and trying lots of different sites to see if they
:30:04. > :30:05.work. Lots of people use the same usernames and passwords, which they
:30:06. > :30:09.shouldn't do. And they paid her back? Yes, they gave her her money
:30:10. > :30:16.back. That's what we like to hear. Thanks very much for that. Fabulous
:30:17. > :30:20.advice. That's it from out here. Back to the nice warm studio.
:30:21. > :30:24.Who would have thought our loyalty cards would be targeted? Great to
:30:25. > :30:29.see more fantastic result at our pop-up shop, as we have had all
:30:30. > :30:31.week. Following yesterday's marmite story, apparently to date experts
:30:32. > :30:35.are predicting dozens of familiar brands that are likely to go up in
:30:36. > :30:38.price because of the rise in the cost of imports, all because of the
:30:39. > :30:42.fact that the pound is dropping against the dollar. I'm going to get
:30:43. > :30:46.you to help me hope this. This is an important story that we've covered a
:30:47. > :30:50.number of times before. It is about hospital car parking charges and it
:30:51. > :30:55.turns out that a third of all hospitals are increasing their
:30:56. > :31:00.charges up to ?4 an hour. But the bit that I don't like is this lovely
:31:01. > :31:03.lady down here, who has to have cancer treatment and she says she
:31:04. > :31:14.spent ?400 of the last six months. Gosh! A cautionary, awful doorstep
:31:15. > :31:17.selling scam. Dementia Gran in ?6,000 doors can't. Horrendous and a
:31:18. > :31:22.reminder that we have to look out for the more vulnerable. All this
:31:23. > :31:26.week, you've been telling us about those not so little things that
:31:27. > :31:29.drive you absolutely crazy. Today some of you are none too happy about
:31:30. > :31:34.the lack of instructions in modern life.
:31:35. > :31:38.Yorkshire farmer Dick Linley knows that if the worst happens and
:31:39. > :31:44.something goes wrong with his tractor, he's got a manual which is
:31:45. > :31:48.bound to have the answer. Everything's in it. Checking the
:31:49. > :31:51.oil, the water, the tyre pressures. It is absolutely explicit and
:31:52. > :32:00.simple. I find it terrifically helpful. There are no acronyms used,
:32:01. > :32:05.no abbreviations, no technological stuff. It is straightforward, "This
:32:06. > :32:11.is how you do that, this is how you do the other," and I think that's
:32:12. > :32:15.incredible. Dick has always valued these clear instructions but he's
:32:16. > :32:20.noticed that over the years the information manufacturers supply has
:32:21. > :32:23.become more sketchy and, indeed, with the latest technology, like his
:32:24. > :32:28.new mobile phone, you are often left to fend for yourself. There is no
:32:29. > :32:33.instruction manual with this one. All I've got with it are the details
:32:34. > :32:39.of the contract with the service provider. And a nice box. I don't
:32:40. > :32:43.know how you turn the thing on. I've tried clicking it and bending it!
:32:44. > :32:49.There are all sorts of knobs on here but I don't know what to do to turn
:32:50. > :32:53.it on. I don't know. Oh, dear. It's also difficult that Dick has ended
:32:54. > :32:57.up putting his new phone back in the box and is using an old one. And
:32:58. > :33:02.he's not alone in being irritated by the way instructions have become
:33:03. > :33:06.noticeably less helpful. Instruction manuals nowadays are not as
:33:07. > :33:12.comprehensive as the ones that were out in the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s. That
:33:13. > :33:17.is the 1950s, not the 1850s. If it is an electronic one, it has a lot
:33:18. > :33:20.of jargon that you don't understand and very small text. Instruction
:33:21. > :33:27.manuals are very hard to comprehend, especially for older people who
:33:28. > :33:30.don't have access to the internet. Don't tell me about flatpack
:33:31. > :33:34.furniture! It's ridiculous, the instruction manual that comes with.
:33:35. > :33:38.Tell me anybody who can put one together right. I had to pay ?40 to
:33:39. > :33:42.have somebody come and build a cabinet for me in the bedroom
:33:43. > :33:46.because I just couldn't understand a word of it. Engineering lecturer
:33:47. > :33:51.Mark has charted the rise and fall of the instruction manual. At the
:33:52. > :33:55.turn of the 20th century, manuals become more and more important.
:33:56. > :33:59.Industrialisation has created objects people want to own in their
:34:00. > :34:04.own house like washing machines and fridges, then the radio comes along,
:34:05. > :34:07.the camera, the car, and each of those objects comes with a manual,
:34:08. > :34:12.each one needs a piece of literature to describe it, to introduce it from
:34:13. > :34:15.their creators to the home. The early instruction manuals are really
:34:16. > :34:19.charming booklets because the inventors and makers are so proud of
:34:20. > :34:22.what they have sold to you. They want you to the cut it and love it
:34:23. > :34:25.and there was a lot of how it works but also how to look after it
:34:26. > :34:30.because you are in the era when people don't think they are going to
:34:31. > :34:36.throw things away. But 30 years ago there was a new kid on the block and
:34:37. > :34:42.things began to change. Welcome to the first IKEA store in England.
:34:43. > :34:47.According to Mark, the way IKEA presented their instructions became
:34:48. > :34:50.a bit of a game changer. The big challenge for the flatpack
:34:51. > :34:53.manufacturers is that they want to sell it to 100 different countries
:34:54. > :34:58.with 100 different languages and make one manual for all of them and
:34:59. > :35:02.all of the economy and the way the business model works is to cut the
:35:03. > :35:06.costs, so they can't make and translated into all these languages
:35:07. > :35:09.so they start making it in pictorial form, so it is picture by picture
:35:10. > :35:15.that everyone supposedly can understand. So no pictures or even
:35:16. > :35:20.no instructions have become the norm. But where to turn to when you
:35:21. > :35:24.get stuck? In Dick's case, he asks one of his three sons for help,
:35:25. > :35:29.though he has to overcome using long distance means to do so. What's the
:35:30. > :35:33.problem? The problem is, it says on the top of this thing that this
:35:34. > :35:42.particular video conferencing service is now unavailable. So I
:35:43. > :35:49.don't know what to do. OK. I don't know what I'm doing. Have you got a
:35:50. > :35:54.big hammer down there? Steady on, Dick! But when there isn't someone
:35:55. > :35:58.around to call, help is just a click away because the chances are that
:35:59. > :36:02.with others likely to be equally baffled, you will find the solution
:36:03. > :36:05.online. If you are struggling, what I recommend you do is go to a
:36:06. > :36:09.computer and type into a search engine the thing that you are
:36:10. > :36:12.struggling with, your mobile phone, TV, toaster, and you will find a
:36:13. > :36:16.whole series of people who have the same problem and you will also see a
:36:17. > :36:21.whole series of answers and you can now tap into the community who can
:36:22. > :36:24.help you, a global community, and they are so generous. And then if
:36:25. > :36:27.you click video, you will find people have made step-by-step videos
:36:28. > :36:32.of how to solve your problem, which I find really helpful. And if you
:36:33. > :36:38.are not online, you may find groups in your neighbourhood that can give
:36:39. > :36:42.advice, too. If you can't get online to help, I recommend having a look
:36:43. > :36:45.in your local community for a community workshop, because that is
:36:46. > :36:49.where people are starting to get interested now, again, in the made
:36:50. > :36:54.object and understanding how things are made. But even without a proper
:36:55. > :36:59.manual, one way or another most of us do actually get there in the end.
:37:00. > :37:03.Put it into your little black book of how to turn the computer on. I
:37:04. > :37:11.have done that and I know how to turn it on now! That's smashing,
:37:12. > :37:15.Matthew. Thanks ever so much. Well, to test out the clarity of
:37:16. > :37:19.your typical book of instructions, we came out on air and challenged
:37:20. > :37:23.two groups to assemble a Playhouse from scratch. One of them using the
:37:24. > :37:27.instructions that came with a box and the other using a rather
:37:28. > :37:31.beautifully descriptive set of instructions that were designed by
:37:32. > :37:35.the DIY expert Jo Behari. What did you do to your set of instructions
:37:36. > :37:39.to make them clearer than the ones in the box? These are the original
:37:40. > :37:43.instructions, black-and-white, and the pictures aren't very clear.
:37:44. > :37:47.There are some intricate details on here that you can't see very
:37:48. > :37:53.clearly, so to make it easier I colour-coded them... To match with
:37:54. > :37:57.the colours of the bits. Exactly. And I wrote out a description for
:37:58. > :38:01.each item, which bit goes where, which bit clicks with which bit. So
:38:02. > :38:04.if you don't like the pictures, you can always use the written
:38:05. > :38:08.instructions. An awful lot of people want to know why when these days
:38:09. > :38:12.everything from mobile phones to prepack furniture is coming with
:38:13. > :38:16.these rather minimal instructions, when actually we all need to know
:38:17. > :38:29.how you do it, how you make it work. Why are they
:38:30. > :38:33.doing that? I think it is costing. A lot of these products are designed
:38:34. > :38:35.to be sold worldwide and you can't write detailed instructions in 300
:38:36. > :38:38.different languages so I think manufacturers are keeping costs down
:38:39. > :38:40.by using the picture forms. But that sets consumers up for failure
:38:41. > :38:42.because they can't understand what bits go where or if something goes
:38:43. > :38:45.wrong, you have to fix it. Our two teams did pretty well because they
:38:46. > :38:48.have completed the houses. You were the winners, using Jo's beautifully
:38:49. > :38:53.coloured instructions. You 80 minutes and eight seconds. Did you
:38:54. > :38:56.find it easier with the colour coding? Yes, because you could work
:38:57. > :39:00.out immediately which bit was which, you didn't need to hold it up to see
:39:01. > :39:04.which bit was which. But I do have to say that the other team, using
:39:05. > :39:08.the black-and-white instructions, you were only ten seconds over. How
:39:09. > :39:12.difficult or easy was it always you watching them? We pretty quickly
:39:13. > :39:16.ignore the instructions and did it by logic and intuition. There were
:39:17. > :39:20.bits with holes that needed to slot into something else and it was
:39:21. > :39:25.helpful not to use the instructions but just to do it between us. Logic
:39:26. > :39:29.and intuition! I have to say, you've both got a couple of bits left over.
:39:30. > :39:32.Is that right? Should they have that? I think those are the
:39:33. > :39:36.decorative items but it is not clear in the instructions that they are
:39:37. > :39:40.optional extras. We have already got people e-mailing us saying how angry
:39:41. > :39:43.they get when they don't get proper instructions, so this is clearly
:39:44. > :39:49.something that really does annoy an awful lot of you. Brands, Jo I'd be
:39:50. > :39:51.absolutely no use whatsoever no matter what instructions you gave
:39:52. > :39:55.us! All this week, we've been asking
:39:56. > :39:58.famous faces to share consumer tips and today is the turn of someone
:39:59. > :40:03.I've known for 45 years, Sir Cliff Richard. As you know, this is all
:40:04. > :40:07.about consumer affairs, whether it is holidays, food, day-to-day
:40:08. > :40:12.living. How astute are you as a consumer? I don't think I'm astute
:40:13. > :40:17.at all, actually. I've been told off many times because I sign a check,
:40:18. > :40:21.sign a bill and then someone will say, how much was it? And I don't
:40:22. > :40:27.even look! I have now started to look and see what the prices are
:40:28. > :40:30.charged and look at the credit receipt and say, it is the same. But
:40:31. > :40:36.I don't like asking the price of things. But you have many houses
:40:37. > :40:41.throughout the world. Are you even conscious of your utility bills,
:40:42. > :40:44.your gas, electric, water bills? I'm very aware of electricity. My dad
:40:45. > :40:50.was always switching off lights and even when I go to someone else's
:40:51. > :40:54.house, if I go there, the toilet light is on and I switch it off. If
:40:55. > :41:00.I see a light that is not being used I switch it off. I can't help it. It
:41:01. > :41:04.is one of those natural things. In American hotels, feeble leave it to
:41:05. > :41:09.be on all the time. I have to switch it off. Are you good at complaining?
:41:10. > :41:12.No, the only time I was ever tough with someone was when I moved into
:41:13. > :41:15.Barbados and they promised me a garden and I got there and there was
:41:16. > :41:21.an eight foot patch of grass and nothing else. I thought it was
:41:22. > :41:26.outrageous. That's the only time I've been that of. I tend to play
:41:27. > :41:30.good cop. Do you like a bit of a bargain? Of course. I get seen in
:41:31. > :41:36.stores in New York looking at shirts and suddenly someone at the other
:41:37. > :41:42.side has gone, "Cliff, what are you doing here?" I say, "What are you
:41:43. > :41:46.doing here was" he says, "I'm here for a bargain," and I say, me too.
:41:47. > :41:51.Of course I can afford to buy things but I still don't want to seem
:41:52. > :41:55.cheap, even though deep down I am. I'm going to give away a secret
:41:56. > :41:58.because you receive things that you really like and then you would send
:41:59. > :42:04.me in to do the deal. You've got the gift of the gab. So you've got
:42:05. > :42:10.deals! I would get my cheque-book out and you would come and say,
:42:11. > :42:17."This is not the best deal!" It is true! Partners in crime. Happy
:42:18. > :42:21.birthday to him, too. A pair of artful dodgers! Just time to but
:42:22. > :42:24.some of your questions to our personal finance expert Sarah
:42:25. > :42:29.Pennells and technology was David McClelland. The first one is for
:42:30. > :42:33.you, Sarah, and it follows up on our Whirlpool story, for which we fired
:42:34. > :42:39.dozens of e-mails. Debra asks, where would she stand with their insurance
:42:40. > :42:42.if she used a faulty tumble dryer and it caused a fire? It is a really
:42:43. > :42:45.good question. I spoke to the association from British insurers
:42:46. > :42:49.which represents most of the big insurers. I spoke to them a while
:42:50. > :42:53.ago and again this morning and their line is that as long as you use the
:42:54. > :42:57.tumble dry within the manufacturer's instructions, taking the fluff out
:42:58. > :43:00.every time and not ignoring it, being in the same room, you should
:43:01. > :43:03.be OK. Having said that, I have spoken to people who have said they
:43:04. > :43:06.have done exactly that and their claim has been turned down by their
:43:07. > :43:11.insurer so it seems the message is not getting through to all companies
:43:12. > :43:15.the way it should. I have one for David from Chelsea. She says she got
:43:16. > :43:23.a text message to say she is due a tax rebate and to follow a link to
:43:24. > :43:25.continue. How can she tell if it is a scam? Watch this programme! It is
:43:26. > :43:27.interesting that the HMRC are increasingly using text messages as
:43:28. > :43:32.a means to communicate with customers. In this case, do not
:43:33. > :43:35.follow that link. They will never send tax rebate information but go
:43:36. > :43:39.to the HMRC website and they will tell you what genuine forms of
:43:40. > :43:44.communication looked like. I have to squeeze this in for Sarah. A man
:43:45. > :43:48.says he tried to buy an electrical item at ?45 and that the till it was
:43:49. > :43:51.60 but the manager refused to honour the price. Was he right or wrong?
:43:52. > :43:54.The manager was in his rights. You feel that the price is the price you
:43:55. > :43:59.should legally be able to buy but the rules don't actually say that.
:44:00. > :44:02.It is a bit more tricky. That leaves us out of time at the end of what
:44:03. > :44:07.has been a wonderful week for us. We've had an absolute blast doing
:44:08. > :44:10.these live programmes. And may I say, I think all the experts have
:44:11. > :44:14.done a brilliant job. Been fantastic, so well done. I'm
:44:15. > :44:19.delighted to say we will be back doing even more next year! Thanks to
:44:20. > :44:22.everyone who has contacted us this week. We're sorry we couldn't
:44:23. > :44:25.include all of your comments and questions but they really will help
:44:26. > :44:29.us decide what we are going to investigate in future programmes.
:44:30. > :44:32.We've got food and holiday series coming up and we would like to
:44:33. > :44:36.remind you that there is more Rip-Off Britain at the same time
:44:37. > :44:40.next week, so tune in. In the meantime, thanks for your company
:44:41. > :44:45.all this week and from us, bye-bye. Bye.