0:00:02 > 0:00:05We asked you who's left you feeling ripped off when it comes to your
0:00:05 > 0:00:10holidays, and you came back with a catalogue of travel disasters.
0:00:10 > 0:00:12When we got to the hotel, it wasn't to the standard...
0:00:12 > 0:00:15We felt totally ripped off, and we paid to move somewhere else.
0:00:15 > 0:00:17It happens all the time,
0:00:17 > 0:00:21that somebody else has paid less for the holiday that I paid more for.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24So, whether it's a deliberate rip-off,
0:00:24 > 0:00:26a simple mistake or a catch in the small print,
0:00:26 > 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 > 0:00:34Your stories, your money.
0:00:34 > 0:00:36This is Rip-Off Britain.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40Hello, and welcome to Rip-Off Britain,
0:00:40 > 0:00:44where this time we're bringing a taste of summer into your homes.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47For this series, we've come to the island of Tenerife in the Canaries.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50We're here to investigate some of the stories you've sent us
0:00:50 > 0:00:54about holidays that you've told us have gone horribly wrong.
0:00:54 > 0:00:56Disastrously so, in some cases.
0:00:56 > 0:01:01And the people that we're going to be hearing from would all say that when things DID start to go wrong,
0:01:01 > 0:01:04they were very much left to themselves to sort it out.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07Which, when you're thousands of miles from home, let's face it,
0:01:07 > 0:01:09is by no means an easy thing.
0:01:09 > 0:01:11Not a good position to be in.
0:01:11 > 0:01:13And what makes these particular stories worse
0:01:13 > 0:01:15is that none of the situations
0:01:15 > 0:01:18we'll be hearing about should ever have happened in the first place.
0:01:18 > 0:01:22As you'll see, it really is staggering how some of them are actually handled.
0:01:22 > 0:01:24And it's left several of the people involved,
0:01:24 > 0:01:27not just seriously annoyed, but seriously out of pocket as well.
0:01:29 > 0:01:33Coming up: Of all the jaw-dropping stories you've sent us
0:01:33 > 0:01:36about holiday villas, this tops the lot.
0:01:36 > 0:01:38Just wait till you hear what happened
0:01:38 > 0:01:40to these sisters and their husbands.
0:01:40 > 0:01:45Sheila was in tears. I was only just holding myself together.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49And, five years after investing their savings
0:01:49 > 0:01:50in holiday homes in the sun,
0:01:50 > 0:01:54why are these viewers' dream properties still not built?
0:01:54 > 0:01:56We haven't been able to retire,
0:01:56 > 0:02:00because we've lost our only capital.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03I would love to take my grandchild,
0:02:03 > 0:02:05but we can't do anything.
0:02:08 > 0:02:12Now, you often tell us about your disastrous experiences
0:02:12 > 0:02:13of booking a villa abroad.
0:02:13 > 0:02:17But it's rare to hear of such a catalogue of disasters
0:02:17 > 0:02:19that befell two sisters who actually contacted us
0:02:19 > 0:02:21while they were still away.
0:02:21 > 0:02:23Through no fault of their own,
0:02:23 > 0:02:26they and their husbands found themselves booked into villas
0:02:26 > 0:02:28they should never have been sent to.
0:02:32 > 0:02:36It was almost like, this is just my worst nightmare.
0:02:37 > 0:02:41We just couldn't get in, and our hearts just sunk.
0:02:44 > 0:02:46It was a world away from the relaxing break
0:02:46 > 0:02:50that sisters Sheila Thorpe and Mo Hutson had been hoping for.
0:02:51 > 0:02:53Two years previously, they'd had
0:02:53 > 0:02:57such a great trip to Orlando, Florida with their husbands
0:02:57 > 0:03:01that, when they started planning a holiday for August 2016,
0:03:01 > 0:03:03they went straight back to the company they'd used
0:03:03 > 0:03:09the previous time - a UK-based company called 3501 Travel Ltd.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11And they asked to book into the exact same villa
0:03:11 > 0:03:13in Haines City, Florida.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18When the agent told us that the villa was available,
0:03:18 > 0:03:20- we were chuffed to bits, weren't we? - Oh, ecstatic.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23We were really excited, because, you know,
0:03:23 > 0:03:26we had happy memories associated with the villa.
0:03:28 > 0:03:33Sheila and Moe paid almost £3,200 for a three-week stay in the villa,
0:03:33 > 0:03:35including car hire.
0:03:35 > 0:03:37They paid by bank transfer,
0:03:37 > 0:03:40and were told by 3501 Travel Ltd
0:03:40 > 0:03:43that a confirmation of their booking would be sent to them
0:03:43 > 0:03:45four weeks before their departure.
0:03:45 > 0:03:49In fact, it didn't arrive until a week before they were due to travel.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51That was a bit unsettling,
0:03:51 > 0:03:54but all concerns were forgotten once their flight landed
0:03:54 > 0:03:56and they were on their way to the villa
0:03:56 > 0:03:58they'd been so looking forward to revisiting.
0:03:59 > 0:04:03When we were arriving at the property,
0:04:03 > 0:04:06I mean, we know the area very, very well
0:04:06 > 0:04:10and driving in we knew exactly the way to go,
0:04:10 > 0:04:12and we're going, "Oh, there it is..."
0:04:14 > 0:04:18From the outside, the villa looked just as they remembered.
0:04:18 > 0:04:23But, when Sheila tried to get INSIDE the property, using the access code
0:04:23 > 0:04:26that 3501 Travel Ltd had sent them,
0:04:26 > 0:04:27she found the number wouldn't work.
0:04:29 > 0:04:31I don't think anyone believed me at first.
0:04:31 > 0:04:33- No.- I was trying the lock box, and I thought, "Have I got it right,
0:04:33 > 0:04:35"have I got the number right? Yes, I've got it right."
0:04:35 > 0:04:38Tried it again, tried it again...
0:04:38 > 0:04:39and then everyone came and tried it.
0:04:39 > 0:04:43And we just couldn't get in, and our hearts just sunk.
0:04:43 > 0:04:47Instead of the welcoming holiday home they were expecting,
0:04:47 > 0:04:49the whole place was deserted,
0:04:49 > 0:04:52with no hint that any visitors were expected.
0:04:52 > 0:04:54The pool was covered.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56The gate was locked.
0:04:56 > 0:04:58The chairs were all over the place.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01- Yeah.- You know, there was no preparation.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05Thinking there might have been a mix-up in their travel dates,
0:05:05 > 0:05:07Mo called the caretaker of the property,
0:05:07 > 0:05:10whose number was still in her phone from their previous visit.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13He gave the couples some shocking news.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16I explained the situation, and he said,
0:05:16 > 0:05:18"You won't get in the villa,
0:05:18 > 0:05:20"because it's been foreclosed."
0:05:20 > 0:05:23Sheila was in tears.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26I was only just holding myself together.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30When they officially got internet access,
0:05:30 > 0:05:33they discovered an e-mail from 3501 Travel Ltd,
0:05:33 > 0:05:36confirming that the villa they'd booked and paid for
0:05:36 > 0:05:38had been repossessed by the bank.
0:05:38 > 0:05:42But, because one of the company's directors had been unwell,
0:05:42 > 0:05:45that message had only been passed on to Sheila and Mo
0:05:45 > 0:05:47after they'd already left the UK.
0:05:47 > 0:05:523501 Travel Ltd WAS able to offer the sisters an alternative villa
0:05:52 > 0:05:56nearby, although it wasn't clear for how long.
0:05:56 > 0:06:01- We felt helpless, and that we had no control over the situation.- Mm.
0:06:01 > 0:06:05And you're in a different country, different laws...
0:06:06 > 0:06:10Sheila tried calling 3501 Travel Ltd,
0:06:10 > 0:06:13to establish how long they were going to be staying
0:06:13 > 0:06:14in the new villa,
0:06:14 > 0:06:16or whether they should be prepared to move again.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19But she was told they could only communicate by e-mail,
0:06:19 > 0:06:21and in the end,
0:06:21 > 0:06:23it wasn't from the company they'd booked with
0:06:23 > 0:06:26that Sheila and Mo eventually got the answer.
0:06:26 > 0:06:28It was via a shocking phone call
0:06:28 > 0:06:31that came through on the property's line.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35He said, "I'm the owner of the property at Rebecca Drive,"
0:06:35 > 0:06:37and Mo said, "Thank you so much
0:06:37 > 0:06:41"for allowing us to stay in your property."
0:06:41 > 0:06:44And he said, "Well, I'm afraid I didn't know
0:06:44 > 0:06:47"that you were even in my property.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51The owner said he'd only discovered
0:06:51 > 0:06:54there were people staying in his property through neighbours.
0:06:54 > 0:06:58He went on to say the villa had been up for rent on 3501 Travel Ltd
0:06:58 > 0:07:01entirely without his knowledge or permission,
0:07:01 > 0:07:02and Mo and Sheila weren't
0:07:02 > 0:07:05the first people that the company had sent there.
0:07:05 > 0:07:06If the floor could have opened up
0:07:06 > 0:07:08I would have been quite happy at that point,
0:07:08 > 0:07:11because I just did not know what to say to the man.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15To their intense relief, the owner of the villa told Sheila and Mo
0:07:15 > 0:07:18they could stay there until the end of the month,
0:07:18 > 0:07:20at which point it was let to someone else.
0:07:20 > 0:07:22But that still left them short of somewhere to stay
0:07:22 > 0:07:26for the final week of their trip.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29The man was so kind, and said, "Look, don't worry,"
0:07:29 > 0:07:32but we just didn't feel comfortable any more.
0:07:32 > 0:07:34We just felt that we were trespassing.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39Just six days before they were due to leave the temporary villa,
0:07:39 > 0:07:433501 Travel Ltd contacted Sheila to say it HAD finally found
0:07:43 > 0:07:47somewhere for them to stay for their last week.
0:07:47 > 0:07:51Hugely relieved, Mo and Sheila agreed to go and check it out.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54But their hopes were soon dashed.
0:07:54 > 0:07:58The villa was in no way prepared for rental.
0:07:58 > 0:08:02The pool was green, the lanai was broken.
0:08:02 > 0:08:04The house was dirty, it was ill-prepared.
0:08:04 > 0:08:08Mm. the blinds were all hanging down in the windows...
0:08:08 > 0:08:10I mean, it was awful.
0:08:11 > 0:08:16With their trust in 3501 Travel Ltd completely shattered,
0:08:16 > 0:08:17Sheila and Mo decided
0:08:17 > 0:08:20they'd have to find and pay for another villa themselves.
0:08:21 > 0:08:25Well, it was just over £2,000 in all, wasn't it?
0:08:25 > 0:08:28It was, yeah. It's a considerable amount of money.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30- That we work hard for.- Mm.
0:08:32 > 0:08:33Now back in the UK,
0:08:33 > 0:08:36Mo and Sheila have taken 3501 Travel Ltd and its owner
0:08:36 > 0:08:38to the small claims court
0:08:38 > 0:08:40to get back what they'd paid
0:08:40 > 0:08:42for a villa they never got to stay in,
0:08:42 > 0:08:44and to be compensated
0:08:44 > 0:08:47for the time and money they'd spent on sorting everything out.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50But in the meantime, they've been shocked to discover
0:08:50 > 0:08:54that the original villa - the one that was foreclosed -
0:08:54 > 0:08:56was still being advertised for let
0:08:56 > 0:08:58on a website called The Villa Rental Company,
0:08:58 > 0:09:02a related company of 3501 Travel Ltd.
0:09:03 > 0:09:04Oh, there it is!
0:09:05 > 0:09:08Just look what it says, Mo.
0:09:08 > 0:09:12"This grand villa is located on Kokomo Loop, on Southern Dunes,
0:09:12 > 0:09:14"and is a marvellous example
0:09:14 > 0:09:18"of how important the choice of where you stay
0:09:18 > 0:09:20"can make or break your vacation."
0:09:20 > 0:09:22Why is it still here? That's outrageous.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27Well, we contacted 3501 Travel Ltd
0:09:27 > 0:09:30to ask them how this succession of disastrous bookings
0:09:30 > 0:09:33could possibly have come about.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36But, just like the sisters, we've heard nothing back.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39However, there ARE ways to protect yourself
0:09:39 > 0:09:41when choosing a villa abroad.
0:09:41 > 0:09:43Booking your villa as part of a package,
0:09:43 > 0:09:46through a well-known reputable British company,
0:09:46 > 0:09:48and paying by credit card,
0:09:48 > 0:09:50can offer security if things go wrong,
0:09:50 > 0:09:54as aviation expert Julian Bray explains.
0:09:54 > 0:09:56The key thing is, they must be registered in the UK
0:09:56 > 0:10:02in order to take advantage of the ATOL regulations,
0:10:02 > 0:10:05and I should say, that's the air tour operators' licences.
0:10:05 > 0:10:07Basically they're selling you a package,
0:10:07 > 0:10:09which means there has to be something like
0:10:09 > 0:10:11a villa and a flight involved.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14Now, if that happens, and something goes wrong,
0:10:14 > 0:10:17at least the Civil Aviation Authority is mandated
0:10:17 > 0:10:19to bring you back to the UK.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21And also, of course,
0:10:21 > 0:10:24you can then use the Consumer Credit Act to try and get back
0:10:24 > 0:10:28some of your money through the credit card company.
0:10:29 > 0:10:31But Sheila and Mo, who DIDN'T book that way,
0:10:31 > 0:10:34have been left counting the cost of a holiday
0:10:34 > 0:10:36that turned into a disaster.
0:10:36 > 0:10:38What strikes us, I think, to this very day,
0:10:38 > 0:10:41is that we've never had an apology.
0:10:41 > 0:10:45We've never had this agent saying "I'm really sorry for this."
0:10:53 > 0:10:57Now, for some people, the annual fortnight away simply isn't enough,
0:10:57 > 0:10:59and the prospect of year-round sunshine
0:10:59 > 0:11:01and perhaps even a whole lifestyle abroad
0:11:01 > 0:11:04can make investing in property overseas
0:11:04 > 0:11:06a very attractive proposition.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09But whilst homes in Spain and France have tempted Brits for decades,
0:11:09 > 0:11:13more recently it's been locations much, much further afield
0:11:13 > 0:11:15that some of you have signed up to.
0:11:15 > 0:11:17And although being hundreds of miles away from home
0:11:17 > 0:11:19can all seem part of the appeal,
0:11:19 > 0:11:23if the promises you've invested tens of thousands of pounds in
0:11:23 > 0:11:24DON'T materialise,
0:11:24 > 0:11:26then getting things resolved so far away from home,
0:11:26 > 0:11:31or indeed getting your money back, can prove almost impossible.
0:11:37 > 0:11:42Crystal clear waters, glorious sandy beaches, year-round sun.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45All the reasons why, until its recent sharp downturn,
0:11:45 > 0:11:49the Egyptian Red Sea coast was a firm favourite with holiday-makers
0:11:49 > 0:11:52seeking a luxurious but affordable destination.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56And busy pub managers Stephen and Jane Burr
0:11:56 > 0:12:00were set on buying their own slice of Egyptian paradise.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03The culture, the history is amazing,
0:12:03 > 0:12:05the Red Sea, it's absolutely beautiful.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08The people are so friendly.
0:12:08 > 0:12:09They can't do enough for you.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13The couple went online to search for properties in Egypt,
0:12:13 > 0:12:18and came across a new glossy complex on Egypt's Red Sea coast,
0:12:18 > 0:12:20called Oasis Marina.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23So curious to find out more, they flew out to take a look,
0:12:23 > 0:12:25and the agent showed them around.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28They took us to Oasis Marina, which was a brand-new development.
0:12:28 > 0:12:32They only had I think 12 apartments built so far.
0:12:32 > 0:12:34It was going to be a hotel complex
0:12:34 > 0:12:37with restaurants, bars, spa facilities, things like that.
0:12:37 > 0:12:39So it all looked so enticing and...
0:12:39 > 0:12:42- A dream.- Yeah.- Living a dream. - A dream home, basically, yeah.
0:12:43 > 0:12:47So the couple took the plunge, and bought an off-plan two-bed apartment
0:12:47 > 0:12:49for £68,000.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53It's like... Can't believe this, our dream home.
0:12:53 > 0:12:55Something we can all share as a family,
0:12:55 > 0:12:57any friends that want to come over, it'd be great.
0:12:57 > 0:12:59Any time, it's there, it's ours.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04Back home in Bristol, they had to remortgage their home to pay for the
0:13:04 > 0:13:09Egyptian apartment. And it was quite an outlay, but it felt all worth it.
0:13:10 > 0:13:12Until a year later,
0:13:12 > 0:13:15when it became clear that the dream home hadn't materialised,
0:13:15 > 0:13:18and indeed was still only partially built.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20We went back to visit the apartments,
0:13:20 > 0:13:23and they were still in the same condition as when we first saw them.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25We thought, "'Ey up, what's going on?
0:13:25 > 0:13:28"Nothing's moving, there's something wrong."
0:13:29 > 0:13:31Well, that was in 2011.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33And since then, Stephen and Jane
0:13:33 > 0:13:35have been given a whole string of excuses
0:13:35 > 0:13:37from the company behind the resort,
0:13:37 > 0:13:39the Iraida Estate Agency.
0:13:39 > 0:13:41Most recently, they even blamed the delay
0:13:41 > 0:13:44on the country's political unrest.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47They blamed the revolution for the first year after it was supposed to be done,
0:13:47 > 0:13:51and then they said because of the celebrations of the revolution the year later,
0:13:51 > 0:13:54supplies was not coming down because people was partying
0:13:54 > 0:13:58and celebrating what had happened in Egypt.
0:13:58 > 0:14:00I need a gammon, darling, and a mixed grill.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05There are plenty of other people who sunk huge chunks of money
0:14:05 > 0:14:07into the Oasis Marina development
0:14:07 > 0:14:10without getting what they expected in return.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13- Pleased to meet you. - Pleased to meet you...
0:14:13 > 0:14:16Well, they'd rather have met each other as neighbours
0:14:16 > 0:14:19enjoying the Egyptian sunshine, but instead,
0:14:19 > 0:14:23they're meeting for the first time at Stephen and Jane's Bristol pub.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26These property developers really want bringing to book.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29- Well, someone should... - Someone's got to do something.
0:14:29 > 0:14:30We are just ignored.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33At the end of the day, all we want is our money back now, isn't it?
0:14:33 > 0:14:35Yeah, we want our money back.
0:14:37 > 0:14:38Barbara Woodhead and her husband Barry
0:14:38 > 0:14:41had been after a place they could use themselves,
0:14:41 > 0:14:44but also rent out to gain extra income in their retirement.
0:14:46 > 0:14:48We were told that
0:14:48 > 0:14:52the up-and-coming place to buy a property was in the Red Sea.
0:14:52 > 0:14:56And then we saw the advert in a Sunday paper,
0:14:56 > 0:14:59so we contacted the agent.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04After a visit to the site, they used all their capital,
0:15:04 > 0:15:08including money from two pensions and the remainder of an inheritance,
0:15:08 > 0:15:13to pay for the apartment in full, totalling over £32,000.
0:15:13 > 0:15:17But seven years on, the apartment remains unbuilt,
0:15:17 > 0:15:20leaving the couple in a perilous financial position.
0:15:20 > 0:15:22We haven't been able to retire.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25Barry's still working part-time,
0:15:25 > 0:15:31and I do a summer job because we've lost our only capital.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34And it's affected our whole retirement,
0:15:34 > 0:15:38and consequently our whole lives.
0:15:38 > 0:15:43Although they were introduced to the complex by different agents,
0:15:43 > 0:15:46all these investors put the blame for the state of their properties
0:15:46 > 0:15:48squarely on the company responsible
0:15:48 > 0:15:51for developing and selling the apartments,
0:15:51 > 0:15:53a business called Iraida Estate Agency.
0:15:53 > 0:15:57And when we looked, we found that its website and other ones linked to it
0:15:57 > 0:16:00were still advertising property for sale.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03Now, the man behind the agency is Ehab Shahwan.
0:16:03 > 0:16:07He describes himself as "Honorary Tourism Ambassador for Egypt."
0:16:07 > 0:16:10But according to the investors WE spoke to, that title -
0:16:10 > 0:16:14indeed if it's correct - is hardly well deserved.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17And what rubs salt into the investors' wounds even further
0:16:17 > 0:16:19is that here he is in New York
0:16:19 > 0:16:23apparently receiving an award for quality in construction.
0:16:23 > 0:16:25We did deliver hundreds of apartments
0:16:25 > 0:16:29during the last five years with very good quality.
0:16:29 > 0:16:31And more worryingly still,
0:16:31 > 0:16:34when we spoke to a lawyer based in Egypt representing some of those
0:16:34 > 0:16:36fighting for their money back,
0:16:36 > 0:16:38he told us that this was one of a whole string
0:16:38 > 0:16:39of similar cases in Hurghada,
0:16:39 > 0:16:42each involving hundreds of investors from all over the world.
0:16:42 > 0:16:46And whilst those cases are unconnected with Shahwan
0:16:46 > 0:16:48or indeed the Iraida Group of Companies,
0:16:48 > 0:16:51they have created a backlog in the courts.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56He told us that this, and the fact that the wheels of justice in Egypt
0:16:56 > 0:16:58turn VERY slowly,
0:16:58 > 0:17:02means that it could be years before these cases come to court.
0:17:04 > 0:17:09So, we've called in overseas property lawyer Stefano Lucatello,
0:17:09 > 0:17:12who's meeting the group to advise them on what to do next.
0:17:12 > 0:17:13Thanks for coming, Stefano.
0:17:13 > 0:17:15Stephen and the others had all assumed
0:17:15 > 0:17:17that because they'd used an agent
0:17:17 > 0:17:19to broker their property deals,
0:17:19 > 0:17:22that they would be protected if something went wrong.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24I thought I was clever because I went through an agent.
0:17:24 > 0:17:28So I presumed they would have done all the homework for me.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32But Stefano says that simply is not enough
0:17:32 > 0:17:33to keep your money safe.
0:17:33 > 0:17:35The first thing you need to do when you go to an agent
0:17:35 > 0:17:37is to check up whether that agent is registered
0:17:37 > 0:17:41with something called the Association of International Property Professionals.
0:17:41 > 0:17:47The AIPP gives you the first step of credibility to an agent.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50They have to go through a series of hoops to convince the panel
0:17:50 > 0:17:53that they have indemnity insurance, that they've got a clean
0:17:53 > 0:17:56track record, and that's what you want to be checking up -
0:17:56 > 0:17:58check your regulatory body first of all.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02But with that advice just too late for these investors,
0:18:02 > 0:18:04they have a far more pressing question
0:18:04 > 0:18:06they'd like Stefano to answer.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09So do you think there's any chance of any of us getting our money back?
0:18:09 > 0:18:12You won't get everything back that you've invested,
0:18:12 > 0:18:14but in grouping together
0:18:14 > 0:18:16it gives you power, and it gives you security.
0:18:16 > 0:18:18I just want my money back!
0:18:18 > 0:18:19Yeah.
0:18:21 > 0:18:22Well, we tried contacting
0:18:22 > 0:18:25the companies behind the Oasis Marina development,
0:18:25 > 0:18:29the Iraida Estate Agency and Iraida Construction,
0:18:29 > 0:18:32to discover just what had happened to the money
0:18:32 > 0:18:34our investors had sunk into the project.
0:18:34 > 0:18:36But I'm afraid we just didn't get a response.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39For those affected, however,
0:18:39 > 0:18:41the gathering together at Stephen's pub
0:18:41 > 0:18:45has strengthened their resolve to find a collective solution.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48I think it's lifted the morale...
0:18:49 > 0:18:55- Yes.- And Stefano here with his ideas and suggestions
0:18:55 > 0:18:59has boosted the morale even higher.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02We're going to keep on fighting until we get something.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05You know. And don't forget I've got many years left inside me so...
0:19:05 > 0:19:0820, 30 years, I'll still fight for my place.
0:19:15 > 0:19:19Now, I'm sure that most of us will have allowed ourselves
0:19:19 > 0:19:20just a moment of anxiety
0:19:20 > 0:19:23when we hand over our luggage at the airport.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25Will our cases get damaged?
0:19:25 > 0:19:27Might they even go missing?
0:19:27 > 0:19:29After all, we've all heard the horror stories.
0:19:29 > 0:19:33But it's bad enough if it's your CASE that goes missing
0:19:33 > 0:19:36or is damaged and suffers during transport -
0:19:36 > 0:19:38quite another if it is the very thing
0:19:38 > 0:19:42that you rely on to get around. Your wheelchair, for example.
0:19:42 > 0:19:46And that is exactly what happened to the people in our next film.
0:19:46 > 0:19:50And, as you'll see, while there ARE rules in place
0:19:50 > 0:19:53to make sure that airlines sort this sort of problem out,
0:19:53 > 0:19:58I'm afraid that things aren't always as easy to resolve as they should be.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04Sometimes, a holiday is more than just a break in the sun -
0:20:04 > 0:20:08it's a special journey that you've always hoped to make.
0:20:08 > 0:20:10And for Alexis Macleod from Glasgow,
0:20:10 > 0:20:13there was one place that she'd been desperate to visit -
0:20:13 > 0:20:18Elvis Presley's former home Graceland, in Memphis, Tennessee.
0:20:18 > 0:20:20My '68 special dress...
0:20:20 > 0:20:22I'm a number one fan,
0:20:22 > 0:20:25and he is and always will be the king of rock and roll.
0:20:25 > 0:20:26From my childhood
0:20:26 > 0:20:30I've always liked Elvis, and it's been my dream to visit Graceland.
0:20:32 > 0:20:33Well, in January 2015,
0:20:33 > 0:20:37Alexis finally had the chance to make that longed-for pilgrimage.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39It was the first time
0:20:39 > 0:20:41that I knew I could go
0:20:41 > 0:20:43for a long time, do a big trip,
0:20:43 > 0:20:44and it was his 80th birthday,
0:20:44 > 0:20:47which is something that can never be celebrated again.
0:20:47 > 0:20:49The holiday of a lifetime.
0:20:51 > 0:20:54It's not easy for Alexis to fly.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57She has post-polio syndrome - delayed symptoms
0:20:57 > 0:21:01resulting from an attack of polio that she had as a child.
0:21:01 > 0:21:02Because of muscle weakness,
0:21:02 > 0:21:05she has used a wheelchair since she was a teenager,
0:21:05 > 0:21:08but her disability has never put her off travelling.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11I've been to Paris, Belgium, Portugal,
0:21:11 > 0:21:17and it gave me the confidence to do this trip to Graceland for Elvis,
0:21:17 > 0:21:18to celebrate his birthday.
0:21:20 > 0:21:26Alexis paid £3,500 for the two-week trip and, as on previous holidays,
0:21:26 > 0:21:28had made all the necessary arrangements to make sure
0:21:28 > 0:21:30that her airline, British Airways,
0:21:30 > 0:21:34was aware that she was a wheelchair user.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37So, when the departure date arrived, she boarded the flight from Glasgow
0:21:37 > 0:21:40trusting that her chair would be put in the hold
0:21:40 > 0:21:44and seamlessly transferred to her connecting flight to the US.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47Alexis had also arranged assistance at Heathrow,
0:21:47 > 0:21:49so that she'd be met with another chair
0:21:49 > 0:21:52to help her get across the airport.
0:21:52 > 0:21:54She had 90 minutes to reach the departure gate -
0:21:54 > 0:21:56which, with the help,
0:21:56 > 0:21:58should have been enough.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00But, thanks to fog,
0:22:00 > 0:22:03her flight was over an hour late landing at Heathrow.
0:22:03 > 0:22:07I was worried. "Am I going to miss my flight? What about my friends,
0:22:07 > 0:22:09"how do I tell them where I am...?"
0:22:09 > 0:22:14Erm... The anxiety, the frustration, the anger.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17The fact that it was a holiday of a lifetime
0:22:17 > 0:22:21that was going to be ruined if I didn't get to my flight.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26It eventually became clear that with the late flight,
0:22:26 > 0:22:29the person the airport support company had assigned to meet her
0:22:29 > 0:22:30had clocked off for the day.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33But time was tight, so Alexis decided that
0:22:33 > 0:22:35rather than wait for further support to arrive,
0:22:35 > 0:22:38she'd try to get across the airport on her own.
0:22:38 > 0:22:40But, by the time she got to the gate, the flight had gone.
0:22:40 > 0:22:44The next flight to Memphis wasn't for another 24 hours
0:22:44 > 0:22:46so Alexis had to stay in a nearby hotel,
0:22:46 > 0:22:48all the time knowing that the delay
0:22:48 > 0:22:50was eating into her precious holiday time.
0:22:50 > 0:22:56And when she did finally get to her destination, worse was to come.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59Her luggage AND her wheelchair were missing.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02An absolute nightmare.
0:23:02 > 0:23:04They've already mucked up the start of my holiday -
0:23:04 > 0:23:06how am I going to get about?
0:23:08 > 0:23:10Alexis checked into the Heartbreak Hotel
0:23:10 > 0:23:12feeling as blue as the man himself.
0:23:12 > 0:23:15She had a jam-packed schedule planned
0:23:15 > 0:23:18with, first up, a tour of Elvis's Memphis.
0:23:18 > 0:23:20But without her lightweight wheelchair,
0:23:20 > 0:23:22and struggling with a much heavier one
0:23:22 > 0:23:25that the tour operator had provided as a temporary replacement,
0:23:25 > 0:23:28such excursions were not easy.
0:23:28 > 0:23:29I had to decide for myself
0:23:29 > 0:23:31which parts I could do and which I couldn't
0:23:31 > 0:23:33because I didn't have my wheelchair,
0:23:33 > 0:23:35and there was too much walking involved.
0:23:37 > 0:23:39Three days into her holiday,
0:23:39 > 0:23:42Alexis WAS finally reunited with her wheelchair.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45But even that wasn't the end of her troubles.
0:23:45 > 0:23:49I was over the moon. Until I saw it - because it was broken.
0:23:49 > 0:23:51Erm... And my heart
0:23:51 > 0:23:53just dropped to my feet.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56I was like, "This cannot happen.
0:23:56 > 0:23:58"This is just too much.
0:23:59 > 0:24:01"What am I going to do?"
0:24:03 > 0:24:06The bracket that holds the armrest in place was damaged,
0:24:06 > 0:24:08leaving it dragging onto one of the wheels.
0:24:08 > 0:24:12For Alexis, that made the chair all but useless.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15I was in so much pain and so much discomfort,
0:24:15 > 0:24:17and I was so restricted...
0:24:17 > 0:24:20And I'd missed so much of the holiday,
0:24:20 > 0:24:21I was just...
0:24:21 > 0:24:24utterly, utterly despondent.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29Though Alexis was determined to make the best of it,
0:24:29 > 0:24:31much of the rest of the holiday was spent
0:24:31 > 0:24:34trying but failing to get her wheelchair fixed.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38Two weeks later, when she arrived back in Glasgow,
0:24:38 > 0:24:40British Airways did arrange a full repair
0:24:40 > 0:24:43but by then, it was too late.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46I'm just gutted. Totally gutted
0:24:46 > 0:24:48that my memories are of the disaster
0:24:48 > 0:24:51and not the pleasures of the holiday.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54We put Alexis' case to British Airways.
0:24:54 > 0:24:56The airline told us
0:24:56 > 0:24:58it's "very sorry that Alexis's wheelchair was damaged",
0:24:58 > 0:25:01and while its ground handling teams
0:25:01 > 0:25:02"worked extremely hard to ensure
0:25:02 > 0:25:05"every customer's bag made their flight",
0:25:05 > 0:25:08"on this occasion, the knock-on disruption caused by the fog
0:25:08 > 0:25:10"meant that didn't happen."
0:25:10 > 0:25:13It reiterated that it did pay to repair the chair,
0:25:13 > 0:25:17reimbursed Alexis's expenses, and offered a gesture of goodwill.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22We also spoke to Omniserv, the company responsible
0:25:22 > 0:25:24for providing assistance between flights.
0:25:24 > 0:25:29It, too, said it was "very sorry" that Alexis felt let down,
0:25:29 > 0:25:33explaining that although a standby team WAS activated to assist her,
0:25:33 > 0:25:37there simply wasn't enough time for her to make her flight.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40It went on to say it did everything in its power to help,
0:25:40 > 0:25:44and is committed to providing "legendary service" -
0:25:44 > 0:25:45adding that it helps
0:25:45 > 0:25:49over a million passengers with reduced mobility every year.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53But Alexis says next time SHE travels,
0:25:53 > 0:25:56she doesn't want to let her wheelchair out of her sight.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59The next time that I go anywhere,
0:25:59 > 0:26:01I will keep my wheelchair to the door of the aeroplane.
0:26:01 > 0:26:07This has made me more aware of the problems that can occur.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10It won't stop me travelling, but
0:26:10 > 0:26:14I'll have to think about it much more carefully,
0:26:14 > 0:26:16and plan more
0:26:16 > 0:26:18than I've ever had to plan before.
0:26:25 > 0:26:27If you have a story you'd like us to investigate,
0:26:27 > 0:26:30then we now have even more ways to get in touch.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33You can join in the conversation on our Facebook page -
0:26:33 > 0:26:35just look for BBC Rip-Off Britain.
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0:26:39 > 0:26:41behind-the-scenes clips and pictures from the show.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46Or you can log onto our website,
0:26:46 > 0:26:48bbc.co.uk/ripoffbritain,
0:26:48 > 0:26:51where there's plenty of advice and fact sheets
0:26:51 > 0:26:55full of tips on how you can avoid getting ripped off.
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0:27:18 > 0:27:21Well, I'm afraid that's just about all we have time for today,
0:27:21 > 0:27:24but some of the really shocking experiences we've just heard
0:27:24 > 0:27:26simply underline how vital it is
0:27:26 > 0:27:29that the companies we rely on to look after us when we're away
0:27:29 > 0:27:30do step up to the mark
0:27:30 > 0:27:33and put things right when we need their help.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36After all - THEY'RE supposed to be the experts, not us.
0:27:36 > 0:27:38Which of course makes it all the more absurd
0:27:38 > 0:27:41to hear of that company that was sending people to villas
0:27:41 > 0:27:43that they had no right to be in.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46But indeed, some of the stories that we hear on this programme
0:27:46 > 0:27:48genuinely do leave me, and all of us,
0:27:48 > 0:27:50I think, absolutely astonished.
0:27:50 > 0:27:51But there is no doubt that,
0:27:51 > 0:27:53when the company with whom you book
0:27:53 > 0:27:55doesn't quite live up to its promises,
0:27:55 > 0:27:58it really can completely derail the rest of your trip.
0:27:58 > 0:28:01Well, clearly, some of the businesses that do so well
0:28:01 > 0:28:03at winning our custom in the first place
0:28:03 > 0:28:05need to really try that bit harder in their service
0:28:05 > 0:28:08AFTER we've handed over the cash.
0:28:08 > 0:28:10But that's the point, I'm afraid, we have to leave it for today.
0:28:10 > 0:28:14We're going to be back to investigate more of your holiday horror stories very soon.
0:28:14 > 0:28:16So, until then, from all of us in the sunshine, bye-bye.
0:28:16 > 0:28:17- Goodbye.- Goodbye.