0:00:02 > 0:00:04We asked you who has left you feeling ripped off
0:00:04 > 0:00:06when it comes to your holidays.
0:00:06 > 0:00:10And you came back with a catalogue of travel disasters.
0:00:10 > 0:00:13We said, "No, we're going to stick with this
0:00:13 > 0:00:17"and we're going to try and get something done about it."
0:00:17 > 0:00:18When you are on holidays,
0:00:18 > 0:00:21you don't want to fight with people, you just want to enjoy.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24So whether it's a deliberate rip-off, a simple mistake,
0:00:24 > 0:00:26or a catch in the small print...
0:00:26 > 0:00:31We'll find out why you're out of pocket and what you can do about it.
0:00:31 > 0:00:33Your stories, your money.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35This is Rip-Off Britain.
0:00:38 > 0:00:40Hello and thank you so much for joining us
0:00:40 > 0:00:43for a taste of winter sun here on Rip-Off Britain.
0:00:43 > 0:00:46Now this time we're in the Canary Islands, investigating more
0:00:46 > 0:00:49of the holiday stories that you've been kind enough to send us
0:00:49 > 0:00:51and to look into on your behalf.
0:00:51 > 0:00:55And why sometimes in this series, the reason why a trip has gone wrong
0:00:55 > 0:00:59is all down to a straightforward, honest mistake.
0:00:59 > 0:01:01I'm afraid that's not the case with the stories
0:01:01 > 0:01:03you're about to hear today.
0:01:03 > 0:01:04Far from it.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07There's no mistake, honest or otherwise, in these situations.
0:01:07 > 0:01:09In fact, let's not beat around the bush.
0:01:09 > 0:01:13Most of the cases can best be described as out and out scams.
0:01:13 > 0:01:14Indeed they are.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17And whether or not they're designed to catch you out
0:01:17 > 0:01:19while you're booking your holiday or when you're actually there,
0:01:19 > 0:01:21some of these scams are ones that
0:01:21 > 0:01:24could very easily be targeted at you.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27So we're going to have plenty of advice to make sure that
0:01:27 > 0:01:31you know exactly what to do to avoid being tricked out of your cash.
0:01:32 > 0:01:33Coming up...
0:01:33 > 0:01:35a long-awaited family holiday
0:01:35 > 0:01:37grounded by a flight that never took off.
0:01:37 > 0:01:40But had it ever really existed in the first place?
0:01:40 > 0:01:43I couldn't actually believe it cos we packed everything,
0:01:43 > 0:01:46we planned everything and then it's just got cancelled.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49And booking a holiday home online.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52Could the one you've picked be a scam?
0:01:52 > 0:01:54It was horrible, it was absolutely horrible.
0:01:54 > 0:01:58I realised that we'd been scammed out of £4,000.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05Now, as we know from so many of the stories that we've covered
0:02:05 > 0:02:08in the past, scammers can strike absolutely everywhere.
0:02:08 > 0:02:10But it's when we're on holiday that perhaps
0:02:10 > 0:02:12we're a fraudster's favourite target.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16Let's face it, we're relaxed, may not fully understand the language
0:02:16 > 0:02:18and you're probably not really wise to the tricks
0:02:18 > 0:02:21that they've been pulling all summer long...
0:02:21 > 0:02:24and why the sisters in our next film didn't actually consider
0:02:24 > 0:02:25themselves an easy target.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28They weren't banking on a group of people working together
0:02:28 > 0:02:30to con them out of their cash.
0:02:30 > 0:02:32And worse still, it wasn't until they got home
0:02:32 > 0:02:36that they discovered the scam had an even nastier sting in the tail.
0:02:39 > 0:02:41Sisters Alma Elliot and Theresa Snelling
0:02:41 > 0:02:43have always been very close.
0:02:43 > 0:02:46And after Alma's husband died in 2013,
0:02:46 > 0:02:49they decided to take a holiday together to get away
0:02:49 > 0:02:52from the stresses of all the arrangements.
0:02:52 > 0:02:57I was really exhausted, having to sell, you know, like,
0:02:57 > 0:03:00the home we'd had for 20... over 25 years.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02It was quite an emotional time.
0:03:02 > 0:03:07We were working very hard sorting out her house
0:03:07 > 0:03:11and so we just needed a break.
0:03:11 > 0:03:15They booked a ten-day holiday in Tenerife and when they arrived,
0:03:15 > 0:03:19straight away set about seeing what the local town had to offer.
0:03:19 > 0:03:23They were looking at sunhats at a beach-side shop called Goodwill
0:03:23 > 0:03:25when they were approached by two men,
0:03:25 > 0:03:27who told them they had something inside the shop
0:03:27 > 0:03:29that the sisters might be interested in.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31So, intrigued, the ladies went in
0:03:31 > 0:03:34and were greeted by a further four men.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37All the people in the shop were very, very friendly
0:03:37 > 0:03:40and really made us feel quite comfortable.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44The ladies were led to the back of the store
0:03:44 > 0:03:48and one of the men attempted to talk Alma into buying a camcorder
0:03:48 > 0:03:51made by a manufacturer called Pentasonic.
0:03:51 > 0:03:55He started to give the pair a demonstration of how it worked.
0:03:55 > 0:03:59The man was showing us just what it could do
0:03:59 > 0:04:01and it seemed quite fascinating
0:04:01 > 0:04:04and I thought I'd like one.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08In fact, Alma and Theresa were so convinced by the sales patter
0:04:08 > 0:04:10that they decided to buy one each.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14Theresa paid 273 euros, that's just over £200,
0:04:14 > 0:04:17and she paid for that on her credit card,
0:04:17 > 0:04:19while Alma put the same amount on her debit card.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22But instead of being able to take their camcorders
0:04:22 > 0:04:25with them there and then, the shop manager told them to collect them
0:04:25 > 0:04:28on the last day of their holiday, after he had translated
0:04:28 > 0:04:32the cameras' internal menus from Spanish to English.
0:04:32 > 0:04:36Reluctantly, the sisters agreed, but they left feeling very uneasy.
0:04:36 > 0:04:42We realised that we had paid for something that we hadn't got
0:04:42 > 0:04:45and if we were going to go back on the last day,
0:04:45 > 0:04:48they could come up with, "Oh, there's been a problem."
0:04:48 > 0:04:53So we thought we would go back early and surprise them.
0:04:55 > 0:04:59And when they did, as well as picking up their camcorders,
0:04:59 > 0:05:03the shop manager also tried to give them a mini-tablet each.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06We said no, we didn't want them
0:05:06 > 0:05:09and we weren't interested in them,
0:05:09 > 0:05:12but they said they were for free.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15But he persisted, claiming that the mini-tablets were part
0:05:15 > 0:05:17of a special promotion by Pentasonic.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20The only snag was that the tablets would also need to be
0:05:20 > 0:05:23translated into English and to get their gift,
0:05:23 > 0:05:26the sisters would have to come back to the shop yet again.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28Well, Alma and Teresa agreed,
0:05:28 > 0:05:31but, still feeling unsure about the camcorders they'd bought,
0:05:31 > 0:05:34they popped into another shop nearby,
0:05:34 > 0:05:37looking for reassurance about their purchases.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40And for whatever reason, the manager at that shop told them that,
0:05:40 > 0:05:43yes, they had got an amazing deal.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46We felt a lot happier after being in there,
0:05:46 > 0:05:49because this was a photographic shop
0:05:49 > 0:05:52and we felt that we weren't being...
0:05:55 > 0:05:56..conned.
0:05:56 > 0:06:00So, reassured, the next day, Alma and Theresa went back
0:06:00 > 0:06:04to the original shop, Goodwill, to collect their free tablets.
0:06:04 > 0:06:05But before they could leave,
0:06:05 > 0:06:09the manager persuaded the sisters to buy a couple of cases for them.
0:06:09 > 0:06:13When I put my card in, I was checking the amount
0:06:13 > 0:06:17and I was surprised because it was 88 euros
0:06:17 > 0:06:21and I thought it was going to be a bit less than that.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24This time, they both paid by using their debit cards.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26But when Teresa asked for her receipt,
0:06:26 > 0:06:29the shop manager insisted that he'd already given it to her.
0:06:31 > 0:06:35Well, I was annoyed so I thought, "Well, I'll just make a note,
0:06:35 > 0:06:39"88 euros, I'll see what comes onto my card."
0:06:41 > 0:06:46They returned home to Somerset confident that, for 361 Euros,
0:06:46 > 0:06:49each of them had got a great deal on a brand-new camcorder,
0:06:49 > 0:06:51tablet and case.
0:06:51 > 0:06:55But Alma's daughter, Beth, helps her mother to manage her finances
0:06:55 > 0:06:58and regularly checks her Lloyds Bank statements.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00And when she next logged on to her mum's accounts,
0:07:00 > 0:07:03she was appalled at what she found.
0:07:04 > 0:07:06I went onto my mum's bank account
0:07:06 > 0:07:10and I noticed that she was quite severely overdrawn.
0:07:10 > 0:07:14I could see that the debits were from abroad.
0:07:14 > 0:07:19Over £2,750 had been taken out of her account by the shop,
0:07:19 > 0:07:21Goodwill.
0:07:21 > 0:07:26I knew instantly that this wasn't correct.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28Theresa also banks with Lloyds
0:07:28 > 0:07:30and when she then contacted the bank,
0:07:30 > 0:07:32she was shocked to discover that the shop had taken
0:07:32 > 0:07:37a total of £5,000 from her bank account and her credit card.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42Suddenly...
0:07:42 > 0:07:44my world turned upside down.
0:07:44 > 0:07:49Because to us, it was as clear as day that we had been scammed.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52Beth immediately looked into how the sisters might be able
0:07:52 > 0:07:55to get their money back and discovered that,
0:07:55 > 0:07:58because they'd paid with their credit and debit cards,
0:07:58 > 0:08:00they might be able to claim a refund
0:08:00 > 0:08:03using the little-known chargeback scheme,
0:08:03 > 0:08:07which can help if there's been fraudulent activity on your account,
0:08:07 > 0:08:10or indeed, you haven't got what you paid for.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13I told them to go into the bank the next day
0:08:13 > 0:08:17and ask them to initiate the chargeback process.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20And a few days later, when Beth checked Alma's account again,
0:08:20 > 0:08:23she was relieved by what she saw.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26I noticed that she had been re-credited with all the money
0:08:26 > 0:08:29that had been taken and I was thrilled.
0:08:29 > 0:08:33And I rang her immediately to tell her and then the next call I made
0:08:33 > 0:08:36was to my aunt because I naturally presumed that the same
0:08:36 > 0:08:38would happen to her.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40However, this wasn't the case.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43Although Theresa was refunded for the fraudulent activity
0:08:43 > 0:08:47by her credit card company, when she contacted the bank again
0:08:47 > 0:08:49to check that she, too, would get back the money
0:08:49 > 0:08:53taken from her bank account, she was given very different news.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57I just cannot understand how the same bank,
0:08:57 > 0:09:01who we've both been with for over 50 years,
0:09:01 > 0:09:04could treat two sisters so differently.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07We weren't told anything, they never gave us a reason.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09It was just decided.
0:09:10 > 0:09:14And Beth is far from impressed with the products the ladies bought.
0:09:14 > 0:09:16As soon as I opened it up,
0:09:16 > 0:09:19I was a little anxious about it and nervous about it.
0:09:19 > 0:09:23We took some footage with it, we tried to connect it to our laptop,
0:09:23 > 0:09:26but we couldn't do that, it didn't work.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29The first thing I did was research it on the internet
0:09:29 > 0:09:34and sure enough, all my searches came back with warnings
0:09:34 > 0:09:40about Pentasonic and this not being the camera you believe it to be
0:09:40 > 0:09:42when you buy it.
0:09:42 > 0:09:46We contacted the Goodwill shop in Tenerife for an explanation.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48As yet, they haven't replied.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51As for the camera manufacturer, Pentasonic...
0:09:51 > 0:09:54well, we haven't been able to track them down.
0:09:54 > 0:09:56In fact, we couldn't find any evidence
0:09:56 > 0:09:58that such a company even exists.
0:10:00 > 0:10:04But we also contacted Lloyds Bank to see why one of the sisters
0:10:04 > 0:10:07had received a refund, while the other didn't.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09And this time, we got a very positive response.
0:10:09 > 0:10:13The bank told us it's "sorry for the experience"
0:10:13 > 0:10:14that Alma and Theresa had
0:10:14 > 0:10:18and it understands the distress that this type of situation can cause.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21It stressed it takes all cases of fraud,
0:10:21 > 0:10:26"Very seriously and always looks into them on an individual basis."
0:10:26 > 0:10:29As a result, Lloyds has, "Now reimbursed both customers
0:10:29 > 0:10:32"for the money that was debited from their accounts,"
0:10:32 > 0:10:36and has also given Theresa an additional £250
0:10:36 > 0:10:38for the delay in their decision.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42Jane Negus from the UK European Consumer Centre
0:10:42 > 0:10:45has some pointers on how to protect your money
0:10:45 > 0:10:46when you're shopping abroad.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49When you buy electrical goods abroad,
0:10:49 > 0:10:52the first thing we would say is that if something is very cheap or,
0:10:52 > 0:10:54you know, somebody is trying to convince you
0:10:54 > 0:10:56it's a really good deal,
0:10:56 > 0:10:59make sure that is actually the deal that they're saying.
0:10:59 > 0:11:03Go off and do a bit of research first before you actually purchase.
0:11:03 > 0:11:08Use a credit card if it's over £100, it will give you added protection.
0:11:08 > 0:11:12If your bank refuse your claim, you can take it further,
0:11:12 > 0:11:14whether it's a debit or a credit card,
0:11:14 > 0:11:17and take it to the financial ombudsman.
0:11:17 > 0:11:21And while Alma and Theresa are very relieved to have their money back,
0:11:21 > 0:11:24the entire experience has left a lasting impact.
0:11:24 > 0:11:28I suppose my whole view of the world is different now.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31I don't feel it's such a safe place any more.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40Now, we hear a lot from people whose holidays didn't go to plan.
0:11:40 > 0:11:42But whatever went wrong,
0:11:42 > 0:11:45they did, in most cases, at least get to their destination,
0:11:45 > 0:11:48which is more than can be said for the family we're about to meet.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51Because, despite promises and assurances even just hours
0:11:51 > 0:11:53before they were due to take off,
0:11:53 > 0:11:56they still don't know to this day for certain whether the holiday
0:11:56 > 0:12:00they booked and paid thousands for had ever really existed.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06Amanda Chin and husband Kok Wah have been running a takeaway
0:12:06 > 0:12:09in Shrewsbury for the last 14 years.
0:12:09 > 0:12:11Hello, Bamboo City.
0:12:11 > 0:12:13Yes, for delivery or pick up?
0:12:13 > 0:12:16It's taken many hours of hard work to build up the business,
0:12:16 > 0:12:20and although it's now thriving, Amanda and her family have only ever
0:12:20 > 0:12:23taken seven days off in all the time they've worked there.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26Since then, the family has hardly been going out anywhere.
0:12:26 > 0:12:30Just working seven days a week, same every day.
0:12:30 > 0:12:35So in July 2014, Amanda decided it was time for the whole family,
0:12:35 > 0:12:38including her grandma, who lives in Malaysia,
0:12:38 > 0:12:40to take a holiday together.
0:12:40 > 0:12:41We hardly see them.
0:12:41 > 0:12:45Probably Christmas time or Chinese New Year time.
0:12:45 > 0:12:49This was the first time since they all came to England
0:12:49 > 0:12:52about 20 years ago.
0:12:52 > 0:12:54And the perfect opportunity seemed to present itself
0:12:54 > 0:12:57when one of their regular customers, James Brown,
0:12:57 > 0:13:00offered Amanda what appeared to be a great deal.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03Mr Brown said he was setting up a new company called
0:13:03 > 0:13:05Wales European Aviation,
0:13:05 > 0:13:07with its own airline, flyWEA.
0:13:09 > 0:13:13He explained the company offered private charter flights and trips
0:13:13 > 0:13:17and he could put together a package for Amanda and her family.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20He said, "As you're a good friend, we'll do you a good deal
0:13:20 > 0:13:23"with all the packages and I'll sort everything out for you."
0:13:23 > 0:13:26James Brown said he could take Amanda and 18 of her relatives
0:13:26 > 0:13:31to Disneyland Paris for £170 per person.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34That would cover two nights accommodation and entry tickets
0:13:34 > 0:13:36to the park and return flights.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39What's more, they would be able to take the flight
0:13:39 > 0:13:41from Welshpool Airport, which was just 20 miles away
0:13:41 > 0:13:43from Amanda's home.
0:13:43 > 0:13:47Children have been asking me almost every year that they want to go
0:13:47 > 0:13:49to Disneyland because their friends are going there,
0:13:49 > 0:13:53their friends have been there and they haven't been there.
0:13:53 > 0:13:57So it was their very first holiday where they wanted always.
0:13:57 > 0:14:01James Brown told Amanda that, in order to get the trip booked,
0:14:01 > 0:14:05he would need all the money, a total of £3,230,
0:14:05 > 0:14:07in cash up front.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10I think I had asked him if I could transfer it to him,
0:14:10 > 0:14:13but he said, "I'll be around, you can pay me cash when it's ready."
0:14:13 > 0:14:15And he said, "OK, once you've got it,
0:14:15 > 0:14:17"and then I'll come down and pick it up."
0:14:17 > 0:14:19And then he just came down straight away.
0:14:19 > 0:14:23So, with the holiday paid for, all that was left for Amanda to do
0:14:23 > 0:14:26was to organise the arrival of her grandma travelling over
0:14:26 > 0:14:30from Malaysia and try and contain the excitement of the children.
0:14:30 > 0:14:32Once we'd paid and everybody was just...
0:14:32 > 0:14:34Actually, the kids started packing,
0:14:34 > 0:14:37they were that excited and getting ready and things
0:14:37 > 0:14:39and all their lists of what to bring.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42We don't usually go on holiday very often
0:14:42 > 0:14:45and this was, like, one in years.
0:14:45 > 0:14:49We were going to Disneyland because it would be a good experience
0:14:49 > 0:14:52because I've never been there before.
0:14:52 > 0:14:57I was looking forward to all the rides and all the characters.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00And on the 11th August, their wait was finally over.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03The morning of the holiday had arrived.
0:15:03 > 0:15:05My girls, they hardly sleep that night
0:15:05 > 0:15:07because they were that excited.
0:15:07 > 0:15:09It was to be an early flight,
0:15:09 > 0:15:13so Amanda made sure she was up and about to get everyone ready
0:15:13 > 0:15:15and check any final details.
0:15:15 > 0:15:17I came in and checked my e-mail.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20Just said, "Urgent message, the holiday had to be cancelled today,"
0:15:20 > 0:15:22cos the plane was still in Spain.
0:15:22 > 0:15:28"It's got a fault so they need to check it out before coming back."
0:15:28 > 0:15:31The e-mail said that the holiday would simply be delayed by a day.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34Amanda tried calling James Brown, but couldn't get through.
0:15:34 > 0:15:36She e-mailed to find out more,
0:15:36 > 0:15:39but then had to break the news to the rest of the family
0:15:39 > 0:15:42that they wouldn't be taking off that day as planned.
0:15:42 > 0:15:46I thought it wasn't true, like, I thought it was just a joke.
0:15:46 > 0:15:48I thought that my mum was joking.
0:15:48 > 0:15:50I couldn't actually believe it cos we packed everything,
0:15:50 > 0:15:53we planned everything and then it's just got cancelled.
0:15:53 > 0:15:55For the rest of the day,
0:15:55 > 0:15:58everyone waited whilst Amanda tried to get answers.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01There were plenty of e-mails, with lots of updates and excuses,
0:16:01 > 0:16:02but still no plane.
0:16:02 > 0:16:05Finally, at 1am the next morning,
0:16:05 > 0:16:08he said the flight would not be going ahead at all
0:16:08 > 0:16:11and said they could either change the date or get a refund.
0:16:11 > 0:16:15All the children, just sitting there, in tears and crying
0:16:15 > 0:16:17and somewhere in their room.
0:16:17 > 0:16:18Everybody's just upset.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21This feels like they were all trusting me at first about all this
0:16:21 > 0:16:24and then suddenly, all this...
0:16:24 > 0:16:26Behind, they may be thinking I'm part of this,
0:16:26 > 0:16:29I'm trying to rip them off and take their money.
0:16:30 > 0:16:32But, no, it's hard to explain.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35It's nothing to do with me, it's this guy.
0:16:35 > 0:16:39As the family began to come to terms with their disappointment,
0:16:39 > 0:16:42Amanda set about trying to their money back.
0:16:42 > 0:16:46I asked him to transfer to my bank and then I gave him my bank details
0:16:46 > 0:16:50and he said he couldn't make it to the bank.
0:16:50 > 0:16:51And then I said,
0:16:51 > 0:16:55"You can pop it down to me or I can come to pick it up
0:16:55 > 0:16:58"from you, if it's not convenient for you."
0:16:58 > 0:17:01But when, over a week later, there had been no sign of James Brown,
0:17:01 > 0:17:05or indeed her refund, Amanda and her family became increasingly angry.
0:17:05 > 0:17:12Over the next month, Amanda tried repeatedly to get their £3,230 back,
0:17:12 > 0:17:13but with no success.
0:17:13 > 0:17:17All she got was excuse after excuse.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20Then he said he had to go in hospital,
0:17:20 > 0:17:24so it took him a few days and then I got back to him.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26He came back and said...
0:17:28 > 0:17:31..er, he'd been having too much problems with families and companies
0:17:31 > 0:17:35and that his company has got some financial trouble
0:17:35 > 0:17:40and then he said he needed to borrow money from his friend to pay me off.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43Two months after she was due to fly,
0:17:43 > 0:17:47Amanda was told by James Brown that his company was being "wound down"
0:17:47 > 0:17:50and that he was going to borrow money from a friend to pay her back.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53But all the excuses were beginning to wear very thin.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56It was almost every day that people, all the friends and family,
0:17:56 > 0:17:58ringing to ask me, "How's it going?
0:17:58 > 0:18:01"How's the payment? When will we receive it?"
0:18:01 > 0:18:05I said, "I've never upset so many people in one go, all 19 of you."
0:18:05 > 0:18:09And that's when Amanda got in touch with us.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12We decided to check out James Brown's credentials,
0:18:12 > 0:18:14to see what chance there had ever been
0:18:14 > 0:18:17that he could fly the family to Disneyland Paris.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20In order to fly a plane commercially,
0:18:20 > 0:18:23James Brown would need an Air Operator Certificate,
0:18:23 > 0:18:25registered with the Civil Aviation Authority.
0:18:25 > 0:18:28But when we contacted them, they told us that,
0:18:28 > 0:18:31although flyWEA had been in touch,
0:18:31 > 0:18:34they weren't processing an application for the company
0:18:34 > 0:18:37or any other operator working for them.
0:18:37 > 0:18:40As a result, it would have been illegal for him to take Amanda
0:18:40 > 0:18:42and her family on this trip.
0:18:42 > 0:18:46What's more, the CAA added that for James Brown to provide the flight
0:18:46 > 0:18:49and accommodation package he had promised,
0:18:49 > 0:18:53he would also need an ATOL licence, which flyWEA did not have.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57We also contacted Welshpool Airport,
0:18:57 > 0:18:59where the flight had supposedly been due to take off.
0:18:59 > 0:19:03It said they had never heard of flyWEA or James Brown.
0:19:03 > 0:19:07And they pointed out their runway is too short to accommodate
0:19:07 > 0:19:10the type of plane that James Brown claimed would be flying.
0:19:10 > 0:19:14Clearly, James Brown has a lot of explaining to do.
0:19:14 > 0:19:15But despite us contacting him,
0:19:15 > 0:19:18he hasn't responded to any of our questions.
0:19:19 > 0:19:26And Amanda and her family are still out of pocket to the tune of £3,288.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28Next time, I'll make sure.
0:19:28 > 0:19:30You know, probably go to a proper agent
0:19:30 > 0:19:33and make sure it's actually confirmed before telling them
0:19:33 > 0:19:35and making them too excited.
0:19:35 > 0:19:40But it will be a while for the next family holiday to happen again.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48Still to come on Rip-Off Britain,
0:19:48 > 0:19:51the families who all had the same disastrous experience
0:19:51 > 0:19:53with the caravan holidays they'd booked.
0:19:53 > 0:19:55Not only did they end up with no holiday,
0:19:55 > 0:19:58it turns out there was no caravan either.
0:19:58 > 0:20:02I felt absolutely deflated. I felt sick to my stomach.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05I felt cheated, I felt angry.
0:20:05 > 0:20:07All...bag of emotions.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14Last summer, we took the whole team out on the road,
0:20:14 > 0:20:17once again opening up our annual consumer advice clinic,
0:20:17 > 0:20:20this time in the West Midlands.
0:20:20 > 0:20:24You told us about all kinds of holiday-related problems,
0:20:24 > 0:20:27some of them rather nasty, like the Mediterranean cruise
0:20:27 > 0:20:31that Annalise and Amanda came to tell Simon Calder about.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34Sometimes, when you come out to have your breakfast
0:20:34 > 0:20:37and you went to toilet, there was all sewage up there.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40As soon as we got back, we told them everything
0:20:40 > 0:20:44and they just sent a letter saying everything had been sorted now.
0:20:44 > 0:20:45You got nothing, that's it.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48I've got the letters at home and they've never really apologised.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51So no compensation, nothing beyond saying,
0:20:51 > 0:20:53"Well, things are fixed now"?
0:20:53 > 0:20:56Two weeks on that cruise, it had been a holiday from hell.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58The conditions on board the ship,
0:20:58 > 0:21:01if it's just unpleasant rather than dangerous...
0:21:01 > 0:21:05Well, that's awful, but there's no way I can see that you can sue
0:21:05 > 0:21:08a company for having a smelly ship.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11But our pop-up shop isn't just about problems.
0:21:11 > 0:21:15It's about giving advice to stop them happening in the first place.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18And travel journalist Alison Rice had plenty of useful tips
0:21:18 > 0:21:21at one of the workshops that we ran over the weekend,
0:21:21 > 0:21:24especially on how to avoid being left out of pocket
0:21:24 > 0:21:27if you're using your credit card abroad.
0:21:27 > 0:21:32My top tip, of course, is if you're using credit or debit cards...
0:21:32 > 0:21:36What they often do in the Eurozone is ask if you want to pay
0:21:36 > 0:21:39in sterling or the local currency.
0:21:39 > 0:21:43And when you use a debit or credit card, if they give the option,
0:21:43 > 0:21:46always say you want to pay in the local currency,
0:21:46 > 0:21:50because actually, the card companies do their own conversion rates
0:21:50 > 0:21:52and guess who is not the winner.
0:21:52 > 0:21:54And the other thing I think you should do
0:21:54 > 0:21:56if you're thinking of using your credit card which...
0:21:56 > 0:21:59Never, ever, unless you're in a dire emergency,
0:21:59 > 0:22:02use your credit card for getting cash out of the hole in the wall.
0:22:02 > 0:22:04That is a very expensive thing.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07Even if you pay your credit card bill every month, they bill you on
0:22:07 > 0:22:11interest from the day you take the cash till the end of the month.
0:22:11 > 0:22:13All good advice.
0:22:13 > 0:22:16And here's another nugget you won't have heard before.
0:22:16 > 0:22:20Teacher Maria Crawford despairs at the cost of going away
0:22:20 > 0:22:21in the summer holidays.
0:22:21 > 0:22:23But Simon's got a money-saving suggestion
0:22:23 > 0:22:25that just could work for you, too.
0:22:25 > 0:22:29The solution I would strongly suggest and I've tired this myself,
0:22:29 > 0:22:33is if you're going to have a holiday in August in Europe
0:22:33 > 0:22:35and you want a beach and you want sunshine,
0:22:35 > 0:22:40then it has to be the Costa del Poland, the Polish Riviera.
0:22:40 > 0:22:45It's fantastic. You could fly to anywhere, from Szczecin in the west
0:22:45 > 0:22:49all the way to Gdansk in the East and you're going to find
0:22:49 > 0:22:52you've effectively got a 300 mile long beach.
0:22:52 > 0:22:56It's really friendly, it's very easy to find good places to stay
0:22:56 > 0:22:58and fantastically good value.
0:22:58 > 0:23:00- You'll be laughing, I promise. - Thank you.
0:23:05 > 0:23:10Until recently, Jane Ryan, Dagmar Gove and Becky Watts
0:23:10 > 0:23:12didn't have much in common,
0:23:12 > 0:23:15besides their shared love of caravan holidays.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18But now, they've been brought together by one of the most
0:23:18 > 0:23:21shocking stories we've come across.
0:23:21 > 0:23:25All three of them and many others, too, had their holidays ruined
0:23:25 > 0:23:28for the very same reason and by the very same person.
0:23:29 > 0:23:33Mum of four Becky wanted to take her entire family on holiday to Devon
0:23:33 > 0:23:35but, in peak summer season,
0:23:35 > 0:23:39was finding it hard to find anything within her budget.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42There's not many deals out at that time of year,
0:23:42 > 0:23:44purely because obviously it's a prime time.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47But we pushed the boat out. It had been a tough year for the children
0:23:47 > 0:23:51and we really wanted, you know, them to have a good surprise
0:23:51 > 0:23:53and something to really look forward to.
0:23:53 > 0:23:57So when she spotted an ad on Facebook, offering a week
0:23:57 > 0:24:00in a privately owned caravan that was both within budget
0:24:00 > 0:24:04and in a site with beautiful coastal setting called Devon Cliffs,
0:24:04 > 0:24:05she couldn't believe her luck.
0:24:05 > 0:24:09I thought, "Wow." Right at the end of the six weeks holiday
0:24:09 > 0:24:10and it was a cancellation offer.
0:24:10 > 0:24:13And we thought, "Right, we'll go for it."
0:24:13 > 0:24:17The advertisement was on a Facebook Buy and Sell Site
0:24:17 > 0:24:21which, as we've reported before, are a little like classified ads.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24A woman called Emma Fewings was listed as the caravan's owner,
0:24:24 > 0:24:27so Becky messaged her to find out more.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31I didn't obviously speak to her over the phone,
0:24:31 > 0:24:32it was just done through message,
0:24:32 > 0:24:36but really just a really friendly kind of person.
0:24:36 > 0:24:40Delighted to have found an affordable holiday,
0:24:40 > 0:24:44Becky paid the entire £600 cost by bank transfer straight
0:24:44 > 0:24:49into Emma's account and waited for the kids' summer holidays to start.
0:24:49 > 0:24:54Meanwhile, in Newton Abbot, Dagmar Gove was also looking forward
0:24:54 > 0:24:57to her holiday in another of Emma Fewings' caravans
0:24:57 > 0:25:00at Perran Sands in Cornwall.
0:25:00 > 0:25:01I contacted her to say,
0:25:01 > 0:25:04"It's a nice idea, I would like to have the caravan."
0:25:04 > 0:25:07And she said, "Yeah, but you have to pay straight away."
0:25:07 > 0:25:10Dagmar had booked almost nine months earlier,
0:25:10 > 0:25:12paying £450 for a week's stay,
0:25:12 > 0:25:15right in the middle of the school summer holidays.
0:25:15 > 0:25:19Like Becky, she had seen the caravan on a Facebook Buy and Sell site,
0:25:19 > 0:25:23which had boosted her confidence in the deal even more.
0:25:23 > 0:25:27There are several sites from people in our area
0:25:27 > 0:25:31and it's very common you buy and sell everything, so I thought,
0:25:31 > 0:25:34"It can't be a con because this lady is just living around the corner."
0:25:34 > 0:25:37But a month before Dagmar's holiday,
0:25:37 > 0:25:41other families who'd booked the same caravan at Perran Sands
0:25:41 > 0:25:44were seeing their holiday plans unravel.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47Jane Ryan paid £550 for a week in the caravan
0:25:47 > 0:25:50with her husband and two daughters.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53But as the holiday approached, they still had not received
0:25:53 > 0:25:56the caravan keys as they had been promised.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59It stated on the e-mail that the keys would be delivered
0:25:59 > 0:26:02to my home address and I messaged her to say that
0:26:02 > 0:26:06I'd not received any package at all.
0:26:08 > 0:26:12I then had a message back to tell me there'd been a problem.
0:26:12 > 0:26:16The people that were in the caravan a week prior to mine
0:26:16 > 0:26:20had wrecked the caravan and they had taken the keys.
0:26:20 > 0:26:25She said, don't worry, she was 100% certain she could find us
0:26:25 > 0:26:27another caravan for our holiday.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30Suspecting that something was amiss,
0:26:30 > 0:26:32Jane called the company who own the caravan park
0:26:32 > 0:26:36just to double check that Emma Fewings' story stacked up.
0:26:36 > 0:26:41I explained what had happened and I was then told this name
0:26:41 > 0:26:44had been flagged to them the previous week
0:26:44 > 0:26:47and he was sorry to tell me that he didn't feel that
0:26:47 > 0:26:50there was going to be a holiday.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53The rep couldn't give further details, but it turned out
0:26:53 > 0:26:57that Emma Fewings had sold her caravan six months earlier.
0:26:57 > 0:26:59This was the very first time the penny dropped
0:26:59 > 0:27:02that I knew then that I'd been scammed.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04So I composed myself and I rang her.
0:27:04 > 0:27:09She was very apologetic and said that she was, you know,
0:27:09 > 0:27:12more than sure that she would get me a holiday,
0:27:12 > 0:27:15again telling us to pack the car, again telling us to come down.
0:27:15 > 0:27:18Emma Fewings said she'd check with friends on the same site
0:27:18 > 0:27:21whether their caravans were available,
0:27:21 > 0:27:24but Jane's husband, Adrian, was having none of it.
0:27:24 > 0:27:28My husband said to her there was no way that he wanted to pack up
0:27:28 > 0:27:32and come down, not knowing that there'd be a holiday for us.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36She then said did we want our money back
0:27:36 > 0:27:41and my husband said it was probably the best thing to do.
0:27:41 > 0:27:44The following day, Jane's money was refunded in full.
0:27:44 > 0:27:48I said to her, "If there are other families that you've got waiting
0:27:48 > 0:27:51"for this holiday, you need to contact them today.
0:27:51 > 0:27:53"Please don't let them go through what I've gone through
0:27:53 > 0:27:55"these last couple of days."
0:27:55 > 0:27:57Jane wasn't to know others were about to have
0:27:57 > 0:27:59the same thing happen to them.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02Back in Newton Abbot, Dagmar, too, was concerned
0:28:02 > 0:28:04when she didn't receive the keys either.
0:28:05 > 0:28:09It wasn't in the post and I was getting a little bit worried
0:28:09 > 0:28:12and that was when it sort of dawned on me that something could be wrong.
0:28:12 > 0:28:13I said, "Not a problem,
0:28:13 > 0:28:16"I have the whole order confirmation with all the details."
0:28:16 > 0:28:19So I phoned the mobile number, but nobody answered.
0:28:19 > 0:28:21Unable to contact Emma Fewings,
0:28:21 > 0:28:24Dagmar posted a message on the Facebook Buy and Sell group,
0:28:24 > 0:28:28asking if anyone could shed any light on the situation.
0:28:28 > 0:28:31She was astounded to suddenly hear from lots of other
0:28:31 > 0:28:34disgruntled holiday-makers who had also booked a stay
0:28:34 > 0:28:37in an Emma Fewings' caravan, but never had it.
0:28:39 > 0:28:43In a weird way, I felt relieved that I'm not the only idiot,
0:28:43 > 0:28:46because I really felt like an idiot.
0:28:46 > 0:28:48And in the other way...
0:28:48 > 0:28:53er, I thought, "Yeah, we have to do something if we are more than one."
0:28:53 > 0:28:57One of the people who saw all the posts about Dagmar's message
0:28:57 > 0:28:59was Becky Watts in Taunton.
0:28:59 > 0:29:03And she immediately began to panic about her own family's holiday.
0:29:03 > 0:29:07I felt absolutely deflated, I felt sick to my stomach.
0:29:07 > 0:29:12I felt cheated, I felt angry, all...bag of emotions.
0:29:12 > 0:29:15When I booked the holiday, I was at ease the whole time.
0:29:15 > 0:29:18She was so reassuring, very prompt at getting back to you
0:29:18 > 0:29:21if you had a question, very friendly.
0:29:21 > 0:29:24Didn't, you know, in one million years think
0:29:24 > 0:29:29that this wasn't going to be, you know, how it ended, whatsoever.
0:29:29 > 0:29:31Lovely, thank you.
0:29:31 > 0:29:32Thank you.
0:29:33 > 0:29:37'Jane, Dagmar and Becky met through a Facebook page
0:29:37 > 0:29:41'that Jane set up for others who'd been let down in the same way.
0:29:41 > 0:29:45'So far, they believe at least 15 people have been affected.'
0:29:45 > 0:29:49It's not just devastating knowing the fact that there's no holiday,
0:29:49 > 0:29:51but it's upsetting for all the families involved,
0:29:51 > 0:29:53for your children especially.
0:29:53 > 0:29:57We're all in the same boat and we're all extremely angry.
0:29:59 > 0:30:03They've all reported their cases to the police and to Action Fraud,
0:30:03 > 0:30:09who told us it had 150 reports linked to the same caravan owner.
0:30:09 > 0:30:10We've also discovered that although
0:30:10 > 0:30:14Emma Fewings DID in the past own a caravan at Perran Sands,
0:30:14 > 0:30:17she has NEVER owned one at Devon Cliffs,
0:30:17 > 0:30:20where Becky was due to take her family on holiday.
0:30:21 > 0:30:24We contacted Emma Fewings for an explanation
0:30:24 > 0:30:28but so far, she hasn't responded to any of our questions.
0:30:28 > 0:30:31We also contacted Facebook,
0:30:31 > 0:30:35who told us that while they couldn't comment on individual cases,
0:30:35 > 0:30:38pages where people buy or sell goods are
0:30:38 > 0:30:40"helpful for local communities",
0:30:40 > 0:30:44so they "wouldn't want to discourage this".
0:30:44 > 0:30:47However, they stressed how important it is to be vigilant
0:30:47 > 0:30:50when buying from someone who isn't an approved retailer,
0:30:50 > 0:30:51and pointed out that they
0:30:51 > 0:30:55"work with the police to help people on Facebook stay safe".
0:30:55 > 0:30:59And Becky, Dagmar and Jane all agree
0:30:59 > 0:31:04they won't be booking their holiday through an ad this way again.
0:31:04 > 0:31:07Next time, I would be a little bit more careful.
0:31:07 > 0:31:09I would try to meet this person, you know, in person.
0:31:09 > 0:31:12I would look up a little bit more information.
0:31:12 > 0:31:13Not just like I did before.
0:31:13 > 0:31:16I would certainly never book like that again.
0:31:16 > 0:31:18I would always go through a proper company.
0:31:24 > 0:31:28For many people, the best holidays are about getting away from it all
0:31:28 > 0:31:31and that can also mean getting away from the bustle of a busy hotel
0:31:31 > 0:31:35and instead choosing to stay somewhere that feels more like home.
0:31:35 > 0:31:37But booking a villa or an apartment
0:31:37 > 0:31:40isn't always as straightforward as it might appear.
0:31:40 > 0:31:43Dozens of websites have sprung up hosting adverts
0:31:43 > 0:31:45from thousands of individual owners.
0:31:45 > 0:31:47But while it might look and feel as if you're booking
0:31:47 > 0:31:50through a travel agency - one that's vetted every property
0:31:50 > 0:31:53and will protect you if something goes wrong -
0:31:53 > 0:31:55that's not necessarily the case
0:31:55 > 0:31:57and it may be too late when you discover that.
0:32:00 > 0:32:03Now Christmas is behind us and we're stuck in our homes
0:32:03 > 0:32:04looking at weather like this...
0:32:04 > 0:32:08it's the time of year when many of us start planning our next trip
0:32:08 > 0:32:10to the sunshine.
0:32:10 > 0:32:13People like Jilly Roberts, a school teacher from Leeds.
0:32:13 > 0:32:16Well, every year we try and go abroad, don't we?
0:32:16 > 0:32:19- Yeah.- We like to go... Where do we like to go?- Spain.
0:32:19 > 0:32:22We do like to go to Spain, don't we?
0:32:23 > 0:32:26The family has previously booked their Spanish accommodation
0:32:26 > 0:32:28through a website called Owners Direct
0:32:28 > 0:32:31where homeowners from around the world advertise their properties
0:32:31 > 0:32:33for holiday-makers to rent.
0:32:33 > 0:32:36And so far they've been delighted with the places they've stayed.
0:32:36 > 0:32:39Really nice apartments, very, you know, sort of high spec,
0:32:39 > 0:32:42air conditioned and right on the pool side,
0:32:42 > 0:32:46so that's sort of the standard that we've looked forward to.
0:32:46 > 0:32:49Expecting to match their previous experiences,
0:32:49 > 0:32:51Jilly went back to the Owners Direct site
0:32:51 > 0:32:56and quickly found what she thought was the perfect place in Andalucia.
0:32:56 > 0:32:59It had everything she and the friends they'd be going with
0:32:59 > 0:33:01could possibly want.
0:33:01 > 0:33:04It was just perfect. It was six bedrooms,
0:33:04 > 0:33:07which we needed for the three families, air conditioning.
0:33:07 > 0:33:12It was nicely appointed, it looked very modern on the photographs,
0:33:12 > 0:33:15so it was just, it was ideal really.
0:33:15 > 0:33:19The villa was listed as belonging to a Mr Michael Fitzgerald.
0:33:19 > 0:33:23So Jilly got in touch with him via the website's messaging system.
0:33:23 > 0:33:25He e-mailed back and gave us all the details,
0:33:25 > 0:33:27said it was great for those dates.
0:33:27 > 0:33:29He'd need a deposit, which is standard.
0:33:29 > 0:33:33Michael Fitzgerald said that for 12 people for ten nights
0:33:33 > 0:33:36the cost would be £4,000.
0:33:36 > 0:33:37And to secure the booking,
0:33:37 > 0:33:43he asked Jilly to send him £1,750 via bank transfer.
0:33:43 > 0:33:46In previous years, that's how we've paid for apartments,
0:33:46 > 0:33:50through direct bank transfers to Spanish banks, so, you know,
0:33:50 > 0:33:53we had that sort of element of prior knowledge
0:33:53 > 0:33:55that gave us a bit more security there.
0:33:55 > 0:33:58So we transferred the money across.
0:33:58 > 0:34:02Safe in the knowledge that their villa had been reserved,
0:34:02 > 0:34:04Jilly started planning the trip
0:34:04 > 0:34:09and a few weeks later, she paid the outstanding balance of £2,250.
0:34:10 > 0:34:13But six weeks before they were due to depart,
0:34:13 > 0:34:17Jilly received a worrying e-mail from Owners Direct.
0:34:17 > 0:34:19The e-mail said we have reason to believe that
0:34:19 > 0:34:23this villa is not legitimate, and my heart just sank,
0:34:23 > 0:34:25it's what you're worried about.
0:34:25 > 0:34:28In the back of your mind, there's always that niggling sort of doubt,
0:34:28 > 0:34:31because it does happen, you hear about it happening.
0:34:31 > 0:34:34Jilly immediately tried to get in touch with Michael Fitzgerald
0:34:34 > 0:34:36on the number Owners Direct had given her.
0:34:36 > 0:34:38No reply at all.
0:34:38 > 0:34:41In fact it was a Spanish message
0:34:41 > 0:34:43saying this number has been discontinued,
0:34:43 > 0:34:46so there was a bit of a panic there.
0:34:46 > 0:34:49So Jilly turned to Owners Direct to see if they could help.
0:34:49 > 0:34:52I said, you know, "Is it possible it's a mistake?"
0:34:52 > 0:34:53They said, "No, it's not a mistake
0:34:53 > 0:34:56"but we can't tell you because of data protection."
0:34:56 > 0:34:58So the initial thought was, "Right, we can't go on holiday
0:34:58 > 0:35:02"and I've got to tell all my friends that this isn't happening."
0:35:02 > 0:35:05So it was horrible, it was absolutely horrible.
0:35:05 > 0:35:10I realised that we'd been scammed out of £4,000.
0:35:12 > 0:35:16Jilly had to break the bad news to her family and friends.
0:35:16 > 0:35:18I knew that when I told the children
0:35:18 > 0:35:21that we potentially wouldn't go on holiday
0:35:21 > 0:35:24that they would be absolutely heartbroken and there were tears,
0:35:24 > 0:35:27it was horrible. They were so upset.
0:35:27 > 0:35:30I felt terribly guilty, I felt it was my fault.
0:35:30 > 0:35:33With Michael Fitzgerald now off the radar,
0:35:33 > 0:35:37Jilly hoped Owners Direct might come to the rescue.
0:35:37 > 0:35:40But the company told her the maximum compensation it could offer
0:35:40 > 0:35:44would be £700 which still left Jilly and her friends
0:35:44 > 0:35:47£3,300 out of pocket.
0:35:47 > 0:35:51I was cross when they said £700 was the most we were going to get back
0:35:51 > 0:35:53because as far as I was concerned,
0:35:53 > 0:35:56yes, they'd just advertised the villa
0:35:56 > 0:35:58but, you know, you do have a responsibility.
0:35:58 > 0:36:01I think they need to be a lot more vigilant,
0:36:01 > 0:36:04they need to be able to see the deeds of the property,
0:36:04 > 0:36:06they need to have all that evidence on file
0:36:06 > 0:36:08before they can actually advertise.
0:36:08 > 0:36:12When we contacted Owners Direct, the company reiterated that
0:36:12 > 0:36:14Jilly had received the maximum available
0:36:14 > 0:36:17from the free guarantee they provide
0:36:17 > 0:36:20but pointed out that additional insurance IS available.
0:36:20 > 0:36:23They're sorry she experienced online fraud,
0:36:23 > 0:36:27saying that "one hard-earned holiday ruined is one too many"
0:36:27 > 0:36:30and stressed they're doing all they can to tackle this
0:36:30 > 0:36:33with "a Trust and Security team in place to identify
0:36:33 > 0:36:37"and remove any fraudulent listings".
0:36:37 > 0:36:38As a result, they say,
0:36:38 > 0:36:43"Less than 0.1%" of customers fall victim to frauds like this one.
0:36:43 > 0:36:47"But as a further security measure, they've recently introduced a
0:36:47 > 0:36:49"secure online payment system
0:36:49 > 0:36:52"offering up to £10,000 protection to combat
0:36:52 > 0:36:56"the activities of increasingly sophisticated cyber criminals".
0:36:58 > 0:37:01But Jilly and her family are not the only ones
0:37:01 > 0:37:03to have been taken in in this way.
0:37:03 > 0:37:05Scams like this are global,
0:37:05 > 0:37:07affecting not just Brits going abroad,
0:37:07 > 0:37:11but people from other countries coming here.
0:37:11 > 0:37:14Sally Nordfelt and her nephew Ben live in Australia.
0:37:14 > 0:37:15Over the internet,
0:37:15 > 0:37:19they told us how last year Sally had booked accommodation in London
0:37:19 > 0:37:21on a website called FlipKey.
0:37:21 > 0:37:24It was advertised as a four-bedroom apartment
0:37:24 > 0:37:30near the Natural History Museum and we thought this is amazing.
0:37:30 > 0:37:36The owner asked for a £925 deposit - half the total cost.
0:37:36 > 0:37:39He provided me with an e-mail with all of his banking details
0:37:39 > 0:37:45so I did like a bank transfer to their account.
0:37:45 > 0:37:48But after that, Sally heard nothing more from him.
0:37:48 > 0:37:52I was stressing and so while we were travelling to the UK,
0:37:52 > 0:37:55I had my daughter trying to e-mail him all the time,
0:37:55 > 0:37:58two days before we were going to arrive in London
0:37:58 > 0:38:02and I had called him about three times on his mobile
0:38:02 > 0:38:03and I finally got an answer
0:38:03 > 0:38:09and his response was that they had renovators in.
0:38:09 > 0:38:12Claiming asbestos may have been found in the property,
0:38:12 > 0:38:14the owner cancelled the booking.
0:38:14 > 0:38:17Sally wasn't thrilled at having to find new accommodation
0:38:17 > 0:38:20at the last minute, but she only started doubting the truth of what
0:38:20 > 0:38:22she'd been told when she had problems
0:38:22 > 0:38:24trying to get back her deposit.
0:38:24 > 0:38:28I got in touch with FlipKey as soon as he cancelled it
0:38:28 > 0:38:31and I gave them a copy of his e-mail and they just said,
0:38:31 > 0:38:36"Oh, we just suggest that you liaise with the owner and sort it out
0:38:36 > 0:38:40"and get your refund from him." And that was it.
0:38:40 > 0:38:44And over a year later, Sally is still waiting for the property owner
0:38:44 > 0:38:47to send any of her deposit back.
0:38:48 > 0:38:50FlipKey, part of TripAdvisor,
0:38:50 > 0:38:54told us that while they're sorry to hear about Sally's experience,
0:38:54 > 0:38:56they always advise site users to pay
0:38:56 > 0:38:58using the company's payment platform,
0:38:58 > 0:39:00NOT directly to the owner.
0:39:00 > 0:39:03If she had, she'd have qualified for the site's
0:39:03 > 0:39:05"Peace Of Mind Guarantee".
0:39:05 > 0:39:08They added that after advising her to liaise with the owner
0:39:08 > 0:39:11about a refund, they heard nothing more
0:39:11 > 0:39:15and if they'd known he hadn't paid up, they'd have tried contacting him
0:39:15 > 0:39:18and, if necessary, removed the property from their site.
0:39:21 > 0:39:25Tony Neate is an expert on online security.
0:39:25 > 0:39:29He says if you're hunting for a holiday home online, it's up to YOU,
0:39:29 > 0:39:33not the website you're using, to make sure you don't get scammed.
0:39:34 > 0:39:37It's your responsibility to make sure that property exists
0:39:37 > 0:39:39and that you're paying the right person.
0:39:39 > 0:39:41So you can research the individual
0:39:41 > 0:39:45and you can research the property that you're looking to rent.
0:39:45 > 0:39:48There are lots of websites that give reviews,
0:39:48 > 0:39:51see the time span that those reviews are over
0:39:51 > 0:39:54because what we find is that these criminal enterprises
0:39:54 > 0:39:56pick a particular property,
0:39:56 > 0:39:58but they will only stick with them for six or seven months,
0:39:58 > 0:40:01because, of course, once people start going there,
0:40:01 > 0:40:04they start telling other people that they're fraudulent.
0:40:04 > 0:40:08But Jilly, who's lost over £3,000 AND her holiday,
0:40:08 > 0:40:12thinks the websites that unwittingly advertise fraudulent properties
0:40:12 > 0:40:14should be doing more to help.
0:40:14 > 0:40:18I do think that they have a responsibility to ensure
0:40:18 > 0:40:21that the people that booked through them are looked after.
0:40:21 > 0:40:23And they just need to maybe make sure that
0:40:23 > 0:40:27they are more vigilant in policing their website.
0:40:35 > 0:40:37If you've got a story you'd like us to investigate,
0:40:37 > 0:40:40then get in touch with us via our Facebook page
0:40:40 > 0:40:42BBC Rip Off Britain,
0:40:42 > 0:40:46our website, bbc.co.uk/ripoffbritain
0:40:46 > 0:40:47or e-mail us at:
0:40:51 > 0:40:53Or if you want to send us a letter,
0:40:53 > 0:40:54then our new address is:
0:41:07 > 0:41:10You know, not all of the scams we've heard about today are ones
0:41:10 > 0:41:13you could necessarily have spotted in advance,
0:41:13 > 0:41:15but quite a few of them are avoidable
0:41:15 > 0:41:17if you know exactly what to look out for.
0:41:17 > 0:41:19And quite often, it comes down to advice that actually
0:41:19 > 0:41:22we've given out on this programme plenty of times before,
0:41:22 > 0:41:25not least to be wary of companies that say that you can only pay them
0:41:25 > 0:41:27by bank transfer.
0:41:27 > 0:41:30With trusted traders, that can sometimes be OK.
0:41:30 > 0:41:33But in the cases you typically tell us about,
0:41:33 > 0:41:35not only have you ended up losing your cash,
0:41:35 > 0:41:38but you also don't have any of the recourse you'd have got
0:41:38 > 0:41:40if you'd paid by credit card.
0:41:40 > 0:41:42So when it comes to a sizable purchase like a holiday
0:41:42 > 0:41:46or a flight ticket, it's always safest to pay by card.
0:41:46 > 0:41:48That's especially true if you're dealing with a company
0:41:48 > 0:41:50that you've never heard of before.
0:41:50 > 0:41:52I'm afraid that's where we have to leave you for today.
0:41:52 > 0:41:55But please do keep telling us about anyone at all that's left you
0:41:55 > 0:41:58feeling ripped off, on any subject, not just on holidays.
0:41:58 > 0:42:01And it could be your experience that we'll be looking into
0:42:01 > 0:42:03on a future programme.
0:42:03 > 0:42:05But in the meantime, thanks so much for joining us all here today
0:42:05 > 0:42:09- and we hope to see you again soon. Until then, bye-bye.- Bye.- Bye.