Episode 1 Rip Off Britain


Episode 1

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We asked you who's left you feeling ripped off when it comes to your

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holidays and you came back with a catalogue of travel disasters.

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A holiday's supposed to be a time of relaxing, not a time of more stress

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and certainly not a time of stress whilst you're away.

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It's just annoying that you think, what next,

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what are they going to put a charge on next?

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So, whether it's a deliberate rip-off,

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a simple mistake, or, indeed, a catch in the small print,

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we'll find out why you are out of pocket and what you can do about it.

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Your stories, your money - this is Rip-Off Britain.

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Hello, and welcome to Rip-Off Britain

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from the sunny island of Tenerife,

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where we're investigating all manner of problems to do

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with holidays and travel.

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And, you know, whilst time away really should be

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about getting a rest, the opposite can happen

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if you find yourself becoming the victim of a crime.

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Now, most places around the world welcome tourists with open arms,

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but I'm afraid there are those to whom they will always be seen as

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rich and easy pickings, and, wherever you are in the world,

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there will be criminals looking for any opportunity they can

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to get their hands on your cash or, indeed, your belongings.

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But today's programme is all about making sure

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that doesn't happen to you.

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And, as we hear about all the horrible things that can happen when

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you let your guard down, we'll have plenty of tips to make sure that

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your time on holiday is much easier

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-and the criminals' lives much harder.

-Good stuff.

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Coming up...

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We're out with the police catching pickpockets in Barcelona to

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see how the city is tackling its reputation for petty crime.

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Somebody came and banged on the table as a distraction and snatched

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a bag and was away!

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And what's the hotel's responsibility if someone's able to

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break into your room?

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As we looked round, it just absolutely dawned on me,

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"Oh, my lord, we've been burgled!" We were just shocked, weren't we?

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When we're on holiday, the fact that we're tourists will very often just

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stick out a mile.

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We've got rucksacks on our back,

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we're looking at maps or guidebooks and, of course,

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we're taking photographs.

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All dead giveaways to pickpockets who are hoping to catch us off-guard

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and make off with whatever they can get their hands on.

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They don't just target tourists, of course,

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but there is no doubt that when we're away from home,

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and perhaps that little bit more relaxed,

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we can be much easier targets for someone who's hoping to snatch

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a quick opportunity and get our cash.

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The good news is that in holiday resorts around the world,

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dedicated teams of undercover police are out in force to protect us,

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so we went out with one of those teams in Barcelona,

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to see just what exactly they are doing to catch the criminals and,

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most importantly, to keep your valuables safe.

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Watch this crowd at traffic lights in Romania.

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The man in the blue cap is a pickpocket.

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You can see that he's unzipping the rucksack of the man in front.

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His accomplice, in the red, keeping watch.

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In a split second, he's got the mobile phone.

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His victim, none the wiser.

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And in this footage, from Kuala Lumpur,

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a tourist is standing at a takeaway counter,

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her bag is next to her and a pair of thieves is ready to pounce.

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The man in the white T-shirt distracts her,

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while the other one dips into her bag and takes her purse.

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The woman didn't see it happen.

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Similar scenes are played out every day in cities across the world,

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but in particular in Barcelona.

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Gaudi's architecture, the Picasso Museum and the famous

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Las Ramblas shopping street have made the Spanish city a favourite

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weekend break destination.

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But it's considered Europe's pickpocketing capital,

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with a reported 300 incidents of thefts every day.

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Trying to catch those criminals is the responsibility of this team,

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Catalonia's urban police unit, highly-trained,

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eagle-eyed, plainclothes cops who walk amongst the crowded streets,

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spotting suspects.

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Every morning, the team are brought together and given

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a list of mugshots, faces of people known to have committed

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pickpocketing crimes and other scams targeting tourists

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abroad, and they're all repeat offenders that police believe

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are still very much active.

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Ana has been with this department 12 years.

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She has a photographic memory and can spot a thief a mile off.

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Years of mingling with tourists and catching criminals means if there's

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a pickpocket in the vicinity, she'll know who it is.

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And, today, she'll be looking in particular for people whose faces

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were on that list who she knows have previously been arrested for

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pickpocketing or other crimes, and are still considered a risk.

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If she spots any of them, she can stop and search them right away.

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And if they have any stolen items on them, she'll be able to arrest them.

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Normally, when you travel to a foreign country, you're a tourist,

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you're not thinking about pickpockets.

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And you're not paying enough attention to your belongings.

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So, they know that, they know that.

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And that's why the tourist people are probably the perfect victims.

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Today, only ten minutes into her shift, Ana receives a call.

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Around here, I don't know where exactly.

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Two suspected pickpockets are close by.

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A quick check on the police database confirms they have previously been

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arrested, so Ana wants to stop and search them to make sure that

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they're not doing the same again.

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The man is standing in black and the one with the ribbon.

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Ana spots the two standing by the Metro.

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And they are pickpockets.

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She follows the two men without, it seems, being seen.

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And they managed to shake her off their trail.

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Probably they went inside the Metro.

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Once the thieves go underground, it's virtually impossible to catch

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them and sure enough, this time, they've gone.

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Ana's certain that the two men will once again be targeting tourists

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and they've managed to slip through her fingers.

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It's frustrating, because you know they are staying and you can do

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nothing, because in one second you have them, and

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in the moment that you hide, you have the risk to lose them, so...

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..it's all so frustrating.

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We will look for them.

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Police in Barcelona admit that this low-level street crime

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is a serious problem.

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That's why Ana's department works in shifts to patrol

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the streets 24 hours a day and why the national government has issued

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warnings to tourists to be careful.

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But places like this, Gaudi's unfinished masterpiece,

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the Sagrada Familia, continue to offer rich pickings for thieves.

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So, spotting them amongst the crowd

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has become part of Ana's daily routine.

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All these people are staring at the Sagrada Familia and we're looking

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for some thief that is only seeing the backpacks, perfect victim.

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Now, you have a person taking pictures, with a bag, the backpack

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in the back out of their control. They can open them up,

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open the zip, and take anything inside.

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They're absolutely perfect victims for our pickpockets,

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so we're looking for anyone that is looking at the same things as me.

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Ana knows every trick in the thieves' book.

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They use big maps to open, to hide their hands with big maps

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to open zips and take from inside.

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OK, there are many pickpockets, you have to take care.

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The backpack in the front.

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-Always.

-OK?

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Good for you.

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SHE SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE

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Luckily, many of the visitors here today already know

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to be on their guard.

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I read the Barcelona handbook and I'm very surprised

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in all of the information they're giving you about Gaudi

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and the wonderful buildings, they said, "Beware of the pickpockets."

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That was really big headlines.

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Well, I was last in Barcelona 15 years ago and I actually had my

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purse stolen, right here.

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Yeah, making the typical tourist mistake of putting my big map away

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into my purse and not paying attention to what was going on.

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We had a handbag on the table and somebody came and banged

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on the table as a distraction and snatched a bag and was away.

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We've left our proper passports in the safe in the hotel,

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so we don't lose those,

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but we have copies of passports in case we need them.

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It ruins a holiday.

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At least, it takes up a half day of your holiday, spending it

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at the police station. So best to avoid it.

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As Ana and her colleagues move on, it's approaching lunchtime,

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a golden opportunity for opportunistic pickpockets.

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It's now 12:30 and we're looking for some thieves going inside

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the restaurants to steal the bags, or telephones, or whatever.

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But, even on a crowded street, it doesn't take long for Ana

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to recognise someone who's on the police force's list as having

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plenty of pickpocketing form.

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That's a good pickpocket.

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According to the police records,

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the man in the blue shirt is a prolific pickpocket,

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known to target tourists in restaurants and Ana has spotted him.

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She doesn't want to let the man out of her sight.

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But she cannot be spotted.

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Ana has the power to stop and search anyone who has previously been

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arrested for similar offences, so she wants to catch the man to

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make sure that he doesn't have any stolen belongings in his bag.

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We will stop him.

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If he does, Ana will arrest him.

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But the man has nothing but his own possessions in his bag and Ana has

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to let him go.

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In the bag, he has not got anything, everything is normal.

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For the moment, we can't do anything with him.

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Though Ana made no arrest, her presence lets any potential

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pickpockets know that she is watching them and it's not long

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before Ana gets another call from her colleague, asking her

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to check out two women who also appear on the police database

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as having pickpocketed in the past.

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OK, the colleagues, they are chasing two more.

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I will call them now, just to know where they are.

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A key part of Ana's job is not simply to make arrests,

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but to make any potential pickpocket's job harder,

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by moving them on before they have time to strike.

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These two girls are well known to police.

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They've been arrested before for pickpocketing and have even been

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given a ban on visiting the Metro.

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So Ana has the power to search their bags and then

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ask them to move on immediately.

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We know them, we know that they are pickpockets.

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Normally, they act inside the Metro.

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They both have been arrested before,

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for pickpocketing and, well, we know them.

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In the girls' bags are all the tools of a professional pickpocket.

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They're carrying one cap, one of these, another one,

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the one that he's carrying right now, just to look different.

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They do the pickpocket, they take the wallet and if they are in white,

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suddenly they are in pink, or in black.

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They open the paper in order to hide hands,

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to open zips and take the wallet from inside the bags.

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But, with no immediate evidence of a crime,

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all Ana can do is advise them to go home.

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They will continue, of course. They will continue now.

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Probably they will change the district

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and they will continue in another suburb.

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They will look for another entry for the Metro and they'll

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continue doing it, but no luck from today.

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They were lucky. Not us.

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They may be lucky now, but we'll see these two again when we come back to

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Barcelona and its potential pickpockets later in the programme.

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Now, in the past in this programme, we've explored how hotels can react

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if you're unlucky enough to have some of your possessions stolen from

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your room when you're on holiday abroad.

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And it turns out that you simply have not got the level of protection

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that, perhaps, you'd hope for.

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Well, it seems that the same is true if the theft was from a hotel

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in the UK, because while you might assume that if your room

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has been broken into and valuables taken,

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that the buck stops with the hotel,

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but I'm afraid it's not that simple.

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Because, while the law does put some liability on the place where you're

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staying, wait until you hear just how limited that liability is.

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Now, think of a weekend in a classy four-star hotel,

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and it's luxuries like these that spring to mind.

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Not a room like a crime scene,

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with rifled-through luggage strewn all over the place.

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It was the last thing this group of friends imagined when they wangled

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an eagerly anticipated weekend away.

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It's really important that we spend time together.

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We always stay overnight so we can do the getting ready together,

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or the pamper and, then, in the evening,

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we have a meal and things like that. We just love it.

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For friends Lynn, Caroline and Jackie, the QHotel's

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Park Royal Hotel in Cheshire was the perfect backdrop for

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their pre-Christmas get-together back in December 2014.

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We were all really excited to be spending some good quality

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girl time, and it was Christmas, and we were going to be exchanging

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gifts, and having a giggle, and hanging out at the spa.

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It was a real fun time for us.

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Following a lovely, busy day catching up,

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chilling out and capped off with dinner, the friends then decided to

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retire to their room for some peace and quiet.

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We thought we'd just go back up to the room and just carry on having

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a little chat up there, where it was more private.

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But, no sooner had they turned the key in the lock of their first-floor

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room, they realised it was not how they left it.

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When we first opened the door,

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it was obvious that something was wrong,

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because the window was open and it was December,

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-so we would not have left it...

-The room was freezing, wasn't it?

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-It was cold.

-And the curtains were blowing.

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It was only when they switched on the light that what had happened

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-became crystal clear.

-My handbag was upside down and I sort of thought,

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I didn't leave that... And then we looked at each other and said,

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"Did anybody leave the window open?"

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And, as we looked round, it just absolutely dawned on me.

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"Oh, my lord, we've been burgled!

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How can we have been burgled? We were shocked, weren't we?

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-It was shock and fear.

-Yeah.

-And then anger.

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And disbelief.

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Unfortunately for the ladies, the room didn't have a safe and,

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while they had tried to store their possessions out of sight,

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the thieves had still made off with thousands of pounds

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worth of jewellery, cash and much more.

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It was really upsetting and the way that they had ransacked the room

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meant that there was very little thought...

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Everything, they'd just thrown everything around.

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And it took us a while to really work out what had been taken,

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which was pretty much everything.

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As their losses sank in, Jackie noticed that her car keys, too,

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-had also been taken.

-When I realised my car keys had gone,

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I just ran downstairs into the car park and I thought,

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"Oh, my lord, my car's gone."

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The ladies immediately called the hotel reception and, in turn,

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they called the police.

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Now, when the police arrived, they confirmed one of the windows

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had been forced open and accessed via the flat roof below.

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I would have expected it to be much more of a secure building.

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Given that there was a flat roof underneath,

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the window locks didn't appear robust in any way, shape or form.

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By the time the police had finished their investigation,

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it was the early hours of the morning,

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so, very keen to get back home, the ladies arranged to come back

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once again in the New Year to discuss with the manager

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exactly what had happened.

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But what the hotel told them wasn't exactly what they'd anticipated.

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The hotel didn't accept responsibility for the loss of any

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of our belongings. I was bewildered.

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We thought because they'd broken in through their window,

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which we thought, well, we're going to be covered by the hotel for

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valuables that went missing out of the room or something,

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-and nothing at all, no. Nothing.

-We were shocked.

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The hotel was unwilling to accept liability for the theft.

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Instead, offering £100 to each of the guests and a free stay at any of

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the group's properties at a future date.

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But for Lynne, Caroline and Jackie, it was a real blow.

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I was just insulted.

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Is that it? Is that the full extent of your responsibility for what

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happened on that evening?

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Yeah. Insulted and angry.

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We assumed that they would have some legal responsibility to look after

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and keep their guests safe.

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But, however disappointed the ladies may have felt,

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the hotel was well within the law in offering them £100.

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And that's because of legislation first introduced 60 years ago.

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The Hotel Proprietors Act 1956 says under certain circumstances,

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hotel owners may be liable to make good any loss or damage to a guest's

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possessions, but only to a maximum of £100.

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Now, when the act came into force,

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£100 would have been worth around £2,000 in today's money.

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And, with the average annual earnings back then

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being around £500, it was a significant amount.

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But although the times and salaries have changed considerably since,

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the fixed liability sum of £100 hasn't, something that

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solicitor Gary Wrightcroft believes really needs to change.

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I think it's really shocking that the law hasn't moved on

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in the last 60 years

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and that the amount of compensation you can claim as a hotel guest

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has remained the same since 1956.

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It remains £50 for one item or £100 for a group of items,

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if you're staying in a hotel outside of London.

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I think that's a really bad deal for consumers, because, clearly,

0:19:490:19:53

nowadays, people are bound to be taking goods that are worth far more

0:19:530:19:57

than those paltry figures.

0:19:570:19:58

So, the Government needs to step up to the plate here and change the law

0:19:580:20:01

and make it better for consumers, and safer for them.

0:20:010:20:04

That will also make it more of an incentive for hotel owners

0:20:040:20:08

to make your goods safe when you stay with them.

0:20:080:20:10

In fact, in London, the law has, to some extent,

0:20:130:20:15

kept pace with inflation.

0:20:150:20:17

There, the limits a hotel is liable to pay out in the case

0:20:180:20:22

of loss or damage to a resident's possessions on its property

0:20:220:20:26

is £1,500.

0:20:260:20:27

That's down to the London Local Authority's Act of 2004,

0:20:280:20:33

introduced at the request of the Metropolitan Police in a bid to

0:20:330:20:37

encourage London hotels, which had a significant problem with thefts,

0:20:370:20:41

to improve their security.

0:20:410:20:43

One of the reasons that the Metropolitan Police wanted

0:20:430:20:45

the figure increased for London back in 2004

0:20:450:20:48

is because there was a spate of thefts from hotels in London.

0:20:480:20:51

So, I think increasing the strict liability limit,

0:20:510:20:54

whereby hotel owners have to pay compensation,

0:20:540:20:56

would make hotel owners raise their game, in terms of making sure that

0:20:560:21:00

when you stay at hotels, your goods are safe.

0:21:000:21:02

But none of that has helped Lynne, Caroline and Jackie.

0:21:050:21:08

As their trip was only a short drive from their homes,

0:21:080:21:11

they hadn't even thought to take out travel insurance.

0:21:110:21:13

And, chances are, if you're planning a short break in the UK,

0:21:150:21:18

you might not think of it either, which could mean,

0:21:180:21:21

depending on the rest of your insurance,

0:21:210:21:23

you might be dangerously unprotected.

0:21:230:21:25

So, while in this case, Caroline and Jackie were able to claim

0:21:260:21:29

for the majority of their missing belongings on their car and

0:21:290:21:32

home insurance, Lynne, I'm afraid, didn't have the same cover

0:21:320:21:36

and as a result, she's been left about £2,000 out of pocket.

0:21:360:21:40

When you go on holiday in this country, you actually don't even

0:21:400:21:43

think about having travel insurance to stay in a local hotel

0:21:430:21:47

in an area that you're familiar with.

0:21:470:21:49

It just did not occur to me to take out holiday insurance.

0:21:490:21:53

When we spoke to QHotels about the theft, it said,

0:21:530:21:56

"It's unpleasant for everyone involved when the crime is committed

0:21:560:21:59

"and it's regrettable that an incident took place,

0:21:590:22:02

"spoiling these ladies' stay."

0:22:020:22:04

But it stressed that, "As soon as the theft was reported

0:22:040:22:07

"to hotel staff, police were called to investigate."

0:22:070:22:10

And it doesn't accept that security measures were inadequate,

0:22:100:22:13

pointing out that reports into the crime concluded,

0:22:130:22:16

"That considerable force was used to gain entry to the room."

0:22:160:22:20

The company went on to say that

0:22:200:22:22

it had exceeded its legal requirement

0:22:220:22:24

in this particular case, having made an additional gesture of

0:22:240:22:28

goodwill, which actually it wasn't obliged to do.

0:22:280:22:31

But it is sorry that the ladies don't feel that the offer of

0:22:310:22:33

compensation was sufficient under the circumstances.

0:22:330:22:38

So, if you want to avoid being seriously out of pocket if things do

0:22:380:22:41

go missing, then there are some very easy ways to protect yourself.

0:22:410:22:44

If you're going to stay at a hotel in the UK, then take precautions.

0:22:460:22:49

Don't take valuable items unless you really have to.

0:22:490:22:52

If you do have to take valuable items,

0:22:520:22:55

then ask the hotel if there is a safe for you to use in the room,

0:22:550:22:58

and, if there is, then use it.

0:22:580:23:01

Even if there is a safe, you may want to ask the hotel to look after

0:23:010:23:04

the items themselves behind reception. And, if they do that,

0:23:040:23:08

they take on responsibility for the items, and, if they are lost,

0:23:080:23:11

then you're entitled to be compensated for those items at full value.

0:23:110:23:15

And whilst this very sound advice is useful for future trips,

0:23:160:23:20

the ladies are still left reeling from their experience.

0:23:200:23:23

You do presume, though, that when you stay in a hotel,

0:23:240:23:27

that they are going to take good care of you and your belongings.

0:23:270:23:29

And when you think how much you've lost, including a car,

0:23:290:23:32

£100 does not go very far whatsoever, does it?

0:23:320:23:35

Still to come on Rip Off Britain,

0:23:440:23:46

we're back in Barcelona, on the trail of more pickpockets.

0:23:460:23:49

They're well-dressed, friendly, nice people.

0:23:490:23:53

But they are pickpockets. It's their profession.

0:23:530:23:57

Our travel expert, Simon Calder, has all the secrets to save you money on

0:24:010:24:05

your travels. He's full of tips on everything from

0:24:050:24:08

how to avoid the crowds,

0:24:080:24:10

to the best way to steer clear of those tourist traps.

0:24:100:24:13

This time, he's in Paris.

0:24:130:24:16

Despite recent tragic events,

0:24:170:24:19

Paris remains our favourite foreign city by a mile and from wherever you

0:24:190:24:24

are in the UK, it's pretty accessible, too.

0:24:240:24:27

You might be thinking, "Oh, I went there five years ago.

0:24:270:24:30

"It won't have changed much."

0:24:300:24:32

Well, you'd be wrong.

0:24:320:24:33

The first time I came to Paris as a backpacker,

0:24:380:24:42

I camped in the Bois du Boulogne,

0:24:420:24:44

the woodland on the edge of the French capital.

0:24:440:24:48

The Bois du Boulogne has been miraculously transformed,

0:24:480:24:52

with the addition of a "vaisseau de verre,"

0:24:520:24:55

a glass ship, housing the Louis Vuitton Foundation.

0:24:550:24:58

The architect, Frank Ghery,

0:25:010:25:02

deployed 3,600 glass panels to form a dozen sails in this

0:25:020:25:07

modern art space, which also offers new views of the city.

0:25:070:25:12

The usual admission fee of 16 euros is a bit steep,

0:25:120:25:15

so come along on Friday nights between 7 and 11

0:25:150:25:18

where you'll find you get two tickets for the price of one.

0:25:180:25:21

There's an art to saving money at museums in Paris.

0:25:230:25:27

The admission for the Rodin is 10 euros, but you can get in

0:25:270:25:31

for just 4, so long as you're a citizen of an EU country,

0:25:310:25:35

including Britain -

0:25:350:25:37

for the time being - and you're under 25.

0:25:370:25:40

If, like me, you narrowly missed that last qualification,

0:25:400:25:45

don't worry, just come along on the first Sunday of the month

0:25:450:25:49

and the same discount applies.

0:25:490:25:51

Paris is the kind of city where getting around can be

0:25:510:25:54

more of a pleasure than a pain,

0:25:540:25:56

largely because there are so many ways you can do it,

0:25:560:25:59

and Simon would always choose one in particular.

0:25:590:26:02

My personal favourite, the bikes.

0:26:030:26:06

The citywide rent-it-here, leave-it-there bike scheme,

0:26:070:26:11

known as Velib, is tremendous value.

0:26:110:26:14

For less than the price of a single metro ticket,

0:26:140:26:17

you get unlimited use of bikes all day long.

0:26:170:26:21

And with over 400 miles of cycle paths in Paris,

0:26:210:26:24

it's the cheapest way of getting around, apart from walking, that is.

0:26:240:26:28

But, if you pull up for a coffee, watch out,

0:26:280:26:31

because it can cost you a packet.

0:26:310:26:34

If you're a regular visitor to Paris,

0:26:340:26:37

you'll be wearily accustomed to the notion that drinking anything...

0:26:370:26:41

Ah, merci beaucoup!

0:26:410:26:43

..on the terrace of a cafe trebles the cost.

0:26:430:26:46

Thankfully, in some places, that tradition is beginning to change.

0:26:460:26:50

Even so, you could still be forking out up to six euros for a coffee

0:26:500:26:55

instead of two if you sit at the bar.

0:26:550:26:57

But old Parisian customs are changing,

0:26:570:27:00

and that is also true when it comes to hotels.

0:27:000:27:03

With nearly 2,000 in the city, competition between them means

0:27:030:27:07

that if you follow Simon's last bit of advice,

0:27:070:27:10

you can save while you sleep.

0:27:100:27:12

A few years ago, I found it tricky to get a decent Paris hotel room

0:27:120:27:16

for under 100 euros a night. But, these days, it seems hoteliers are

0:27:160:27:20

prepared to negotiate, so don't be shy about bargaining.

0:27:200:27:24

You might get the same room on a quiet night for 60 or 70 euros,

0:27:240:27:29

so you can spend the difference on indulgence.

0:27:290:27:31

Earlier in the programme, we went out with a team of Barcelona

0:27:360:27:39

police to capture the culprits that have earned the city the unwelcome

0:27:390:27:42

reputation of being the pickpocketing capital of Europe.

0:27:420:27:45

And, as we join them now, listen out for some tips to make sure that

0:27:450:27:48

wherever you're heading on your next holiday, you won't end up having

0:27:480:27:51

your belongings pinched.

0:27:510:27:53

We're back on police patrol in Barcelona,

0:27:580:28:01

at one of the city's busiest tourist attractions, Casa Batllo.

0:28:010:28:05

Undercover cop Ana works for the local Catalonian urban police team.

0:28:050:28:10

Her job is to catch the criminals who surround tourists like wasps

0:28:100:28:15

and, today, there are rich pickings.

0:28:150:28:17

This lady is carrying her own bag in the back, with two zips.

0:28:190:28:25

It's perfect.

0:28:250:28:26

They're distracted, they are taking pictures, they are having fun.

0:28:260:28:31

And what the perfect professional pickpocket looks for is opening

0:28:310:28:35

the zip and taking anything from inside.

0:28:350:28:37

And, in no time at all, Ana spots two very familiar faces.

0:28:380:28:43

We first saw them earlier in the programme

0:28:430:28:45

in another part of Barcelona.

0:28:450:28:46

Two girls previously arrested for pickpocketing on the city's Metro

0:28:460:28:50

and, as a result, currently banned from travelling on it.

0:28:500:28:54

Ana had advised the girls to go home.

0:28:540:28:56

But they didn't take the hint,

0:28:590:29:00

instead, simply moving to a different part of town.

0:29:000:29:03

And now it seems they're heading underground.

0:29:030:29:06

Remember that they act in the Metro.

0:29:060:29:08

If the girls do head underground and Ana catches them at it,

0:29:080:29:12

she can arrest them.

0:29:120:29:13

But the girls have seen Ana and made a run for it.

0:29:130:29:16

Now, they are nowhere to be seen.

0:29:160:29:18

Bad luck. Bad luck again.

0:29:180:29:20

It's reckoned Barcelona has at least 200 pickpockets operating each day.

0:29:200:29:24

In this city of tourists, there are so many targets

0:29:240:29:28

and so many unattended bags and mobile phones,

0:29:280:29:31

especially in cafes like this one.

0:29:310:29:33

The pickpockets acting in restaurants,

0:29:330:29:36

what they will look is inside these kind of restaurants.

0:29:360:29:41

These two people is writing with a computer, so they won't be able

0:29:410:29:48

to see if anyone take the bag from the side.

0:29:480:29:53

Thieves distracting diners is a common way to steal bags and there's

0:29:540:29:58

another long-practised trick that all tourists should be aware of.

0:29:580:30:01

This first table, the two women have a telephone on the table.

0:30:010:30:06

There's another kind of pickpocket.

0:30:060:30:08

They use paper, they write anything, like,

0:30:080:30:13

"I am poor, I need to eat, give me a coin."

0:30:130:30:17

So, they show the paper written, asking for the coin,

0:30:170:30:22

they put it on the table, on the telephone,

0:30:220:30:25

and when they take it off, the telephone is here.

0:30:250:30:29

But not all tourists are sitting ducks.

0:30:300:30:33

Many holiday-makers, having heard of the dangers, have come

0:30:330:30:36

fully-prepared, or, at least,

0:30:360:30:38

with a heightened sense of personal security.

0:30:380:30:40

I have my money in my pocket, here,

0:30:400:30:42

which is only in a small wallet, but I've wrapped it around paper

0:30:420:30:45

and tickets and all sorts of things.

0:30:450:30:47

My partner made this before we came.

0:30:470:30:51

It was supposed to hold a mobile phone as well,

0:30:510:30:53

but that wasn't a success.

0:30:530:30:55

He designed it, I sewed it.

0:30:550:30:56

Really, the only precaution I take is that I will put my wallet in my

0:31:000:31:02

front pocket. In America, I wear it in the back pocket.

0:31:020:31:06

I've got a bag here with some personal belongings and the like,

0:31:070:31:11

and what I do is, just like my wife, I keep it in front of me,

0:31:110:31:15

and I keep my arm over it, and that seems to do the trick.

0:31:150:31:18

My wife is calling this a man purse.

0:31:180:31:21

I don't agree with that, but it seems to be working.

0:31:210:31:24

Ana is on the move again.

0:31:260:31:28

She's permanently on the lookout for criminals.

0:31:280:31:30

In a city of over five million, with almost 11.5 million tourists

0:31:300:31:34

each year, that's a challenge.

0:31:340:31:36

But Ana never forgets a face and she soon comes across several more that

0:31:360:31:41

she and her colleagues think they recognise from the police database.

0:31:410:31:45

I saw three, but I'm not sure.

0:31:450:31:49

Ana thinks that she recognises one of the men, not as a pickpocket,

0:31:490:31:52

but as someone recently detained for another crime.

0:31:520:31:55

So, once she's confirmed that he is indeed who she thinks he is

0:31:550:31:59

by checking the police's official list,

0:31:590:32:01

she's allowed to stop and search him.

0:32:010:32:03

It seems Ana was right to be concerned.

0:32:120:32:15

This man from Morocco was recently arrested for drugs trafficking, and,

0:32:150:32:19

after checking police records, Ana discovers that his visa has run out.

0:32:190:32:23

He's hanging out with somebody else Ana recognises.

0:32:230:32:26

A man who she hasn't seen for a while

0:32:260:32:28

but who police records confirm used to be a pickpocket.

0:32:280:32:31

So, she's allowed to stop and search him to see whether he has

0:32:310:32:35

any stolen possessions on him.

0:32:350:32:37

He's been arrested before, five times doing pickpockets.

0:32:370:32:41

Two or three years ago. Now he's good, he says.

0:32:410:32:44

The Spanish national police arrive

0:32:460:32:48

to take the other man in for questioning.

0:32:480:32:50

When we saw them, we thought that these faces were familiar to us.

0:32:520:32:58

That's why we're stopping.

0:32:580:33:01

By now, it's mid-afternoon and Ana heads back to the Casa Batllo,

0:33:010:33:05

as this is the time the pickpockets start to get busy.

0:33:050:33:08

In terms of personal safety,

0:33:080:33:10

Barcelona is among the top five safest cities in Europe.

0:33:100:33:13

It's low-level street crime that creates problems for tourists and,

0:33:130:33:18

yet again, in a busy crowd, Ana spots another two people that

0:33:180:33:21

the police force class as repeat offenders.

0:33:210:33:25

Two people, two women, young women, one blonde, one dark.

0:33:250:33:29

With their shirts, blue, red and white, over there.

0:33:290:33:34

Two women.

0:33:340:33:36

Ana says these well-dressed women have been known to steal from

0:33:360:33:40

wealthy tourists, and once she's checked that the girls

0:33:400:33:42

are on the official police list, she's in hot pursuit.

0:33:420:33:45

Normally, they steal inside shops.

0:33:500:33:53

They steal wallets from inside the bags.

0:33:540:33:59

We've got them there.

0:34:010:34:02

Ana wants to stop the pair before they go into any more shops,

0:34:020:34:06

potentially to steal, but, as before, she has to check

0:34:060:34:09

they are definitely on the police's most wanted list

0:34:090:34:11

before she can stop and search them.

0:34:110:34:13

If she then finds stolen goods on them, she can arrest them.

0:34:130:34:17

They're in the city centre trying to steal any wallet from any bank.

0:34:300:34:36

As you can see, they are well-dressed, they are friendly,

0:34:360:34:40

they are nice people, but they are pickpockets.

0:34:400:34:44

It's their profession.

0:34:440:34:46

Like the women that Ana confronted earlier,

0:34:460:34:48

these two are carrying a range of useful disguises,

0:34:480:34:51

the sort typically employed by any pickpocket.

0:34:510:34:54

We're again looking for some...

0:34:540:34:56

..anything that is not theirs, any wallet,

0:34:570:35:00

any document from any victim, but nothing for the moment.

0:35:000:35:06

Nothing. We have the shirt, one jacket to change of colour...

0:35:070:35:12

Nothing here.

0:35:160:35:18

The women have no stolen property in their bags,

0:35:180:35:20

but Ana wants them to know that she and her team

0:35:200:35:23

are keeping tabs on them.

0:35:230:35:25

What they do is go into shops, expensive shops, probably Gucci,

0:35:270:35:32

Emporio or Chanel, they go inside, open bags from victims

0:35:320:35:38

and take the wallet from inside.

0:35:380:35:40

Despite protesting their innocence, the way they answer our producer's

0:35:400:35:44

next question certainly sounds like some sort of confession.

0:35:440:35:48

But, for now, as the women have got nothing on them,

0:35:530:35:55

Ana has to let them go.

0:35:550:35:56

We weren't lucky again.

0:35:560:35:58

Well, she says she was unlucky, but, in fact,

0:35:590:36:01

even in the time we'd been with her, Ana's managed to spot no less than

0:36:010:36:05

seven previously convicted pickpockets

0:36:050:36:07

in Barcelona's busy streets.

0:36:070:36:10

Every day, you're in the middle of the city,

0:36:100:36:13

just having a look and, suddenly, between the crowd,

0:36:130:36:17

you can see two pickpockets working in front of you and the job begins.

0:36:170:36:23

So, every day is similar to this.

0:36:230:36:26

So, while today she's made no arrests, those Ana has stopped

0:36:280:36:31

have been given a clear warning that she's on their tails,

0:36:310:36:34

and by confronting or pursuing them, she hopes she'll at least

0:36:340:36:37

have stopped tourists in the immediate vicinity from having

0:36:370:36:41

their valuables stolen.

0:36:410:36:42

Better yet, you've been able to pick up some tips to make sure that

0:36:420:36:45

whichever city you visit next, no pickpocket will be getting

0:36:450:36:49

their hands on your stuff either.

0:36:490:36:51

Rip-Off Britain's pop-up shop is back in business.

0:36:560:36:59

This time, we took our team of experts to Manchester's bustling

0:37:020:37:05

Trafford Centre to hear more of your problems, face-to-face.

0:37:050:37:10

Now, there is absolutely nothing to stop you going to court.

0:37:100:37:14

Being a victim of a crime is made all the worse if it happens while

0:37:150:37:19

you're on your holidays and a recent survey found no less than

0:37:190:37:22

a third of us have had an item stolen whilst we were away.

0:37:220:37:26

Pamela Handy, for one.

0:37:260:37:28

But, as she discovered, getting your insurance company to pay out

0:37:280:37:32

for your loss isn't always easy,

0:37:320:37:34

so she's come to see Simon Calder for advice.

0:37:340:37:36

-Pamela.

-Yes, hello.

0:37:360:37:38

You were the victim of a theft on holiday.

0:37:380:37:40

-Tell me about it.

-Yes, we were burgled whilst on holiday.

0:37:400:37:44

Presumably some high value items were stolen?

0:37:440:37:47

Yes, they were small laptops that both my sons had, and a phone,

0:37:470:37:51

and my husband's Kindle.

0:37:510:37:53

Enough. Well, as soon as Pamela got home,

0:37:540:37:57

she made a claim on her holiday insurance,

0:37:570:37:59

which she got through her bank account.

0:37:590:38:01

But, although the company agreed to pay out, there was a catch.

0:38:010:38:05

Tell me what happened, Pamela?

0:38:050:38:07

Well, we approached the bank and they said we had to pay four lots of

0:38:070:38:10

excesses, which was quite high, so we said, "Well, why?"

0:38:100:38:14

Because if we were burgled at home, regardless of what they take,

0:38:140:38:18

it's just one excess.

0:38:180:38:20

By the time Pamela had paid four lots of excess,

0:38:200:38:23

it wouldn't leave much to cover the cost of all those electrical items

0:38:230:38:26

that had been stolen.

0:38:260:38:28

And what was the insurance company's response?

0:38:280:38:30

They just said that's the way their policy operated,

0:38:310:38:35

but it was actually with our own bank account.

0:38:350:38:38

When it comes to thefts on travel insurance,

0:38:380:38:41

they are getting tougher and tougher, because they say,

0:38:410:38:45

"Well, we get an awful lot of fraudulent claims

0:38:450:38:47

"and that pushes the price up, and the only way

0:38:470:38:50

"we can afford to cope with that is if we keep the amount we pay out

0:38:500:38:54

"as low as we possibly can."

0:38:540:38:55

The problem, I think, is that when you get travel insurance through

0:38:550:39:00

a financial provider, like a bank,

0:39:000:39:02

had you studied all the terms and conditions on it?

0:39:020:39:05

-No, but, then, who does?

-Right, exactly. Nobody does,

0:39:050:39:09

even though, of course, you're supposed to.

0:39:090:39:11

But you'll find, I imagine, that the home insurance

0:39:110:39:15

and the travel insurance have very different levels of cover.

0:39:150:39:19

Pamela's insurance was part of a so-called packaged bank account,

0:39:190:39:24

where, for a fee, you get a variety of other services.

0:39:240:39:28

But, according to the Financial Ombudsman Service,

0:39:280:39:30

such accounts are the country's second most complained about

0:39:300:39:34

financial product and that's often because the insurance policies

0:39:340:39:38

that come with it didn't quite give the cover you'd expect.

0:39:380:39:42

Now, of course, it's all very easy to say, "Read the small print before

0:39:420:39:45

"you take out insurance," but Simon is very wary of forking out for

0:39:450:39:48

anything that doesn't deliver, and he takes a different tack.

0:39:480:39:52

So, can I just tell you, Pamela, what I do with travel insurance?

0:39:520:39:55

-Yes.

-Well, I don't have any insurance for any valuables whatsoever,

0:39:550:40:00

because I guess I've heard too many cases like yours,

0:40:000:40:03

where something really valuable goes missing and you don't get any joy

0:40:030:40:07

from the travel insurance company,

0:40:070:40:09

so I just get a very basic family policy,

0:40:090:40:12

£60 for the four of us, and that is really just to cover

0:40:120:40:15

emergency medical stuff.

0:40:150:40:18

That really helps to keep the cost of the insurance down.

0:40:180:40:21

It also means you're less inclined to take expensive stuff abroad,

0:40:210:40:25

where it might, very sadly, as you found, go missing.

0:40:250:40:28

Well, in the end, Pamela stuck to her guns and did not pay her insurer

0:40:290:40:33

for all those excess charges, and, to avoid any further hassle,

0:40:330:40:37

she replaced her stolen goods by buying second-hand instead.

0:40:370:40:40

Many of you who came to see us spoke about similar hidden charges,

0:40:410:40:45

whether it's insurance excesses or even charges for air conditioning.

0:40:450:40:50

And when Simon went out and about during our pop-up event,

0:40:500:40:53

he heard of another charge that families really ought not to pay.

0:40:530:40:57

What at the moment annoys you about flying?

0:40:570:40:59

Well, when we went to Tenerife this time, we travelled

0:40:590:41:02

with my two daughters, who are nine and ten,

0:41:020:41:04

and we all got separated on the plane,

0:41:040:41:06

so my nine-year-old had to sit on her own and I was three rows behind,

0:41:060:41:11

my mum was right at the front of the plane,

0:41:110:41:13

and I didn't think that was right.

0:41:130:41:14

Right. I don't know what airline it was,

0:41:140:41:16

but under Civil Aviation Authority rules,

0:41:160:41:20

any child under 12 has to be sat next to a parent.

0:41:200:41:24

That might possibly be in the seat in front, but within easy range.

0:41:240:41:29

If there'd been an emergency, which, of course, is extremely rare,

0:41:290:41:33

your first thought is, "I've got to look after my children."

0:41:330:41:36

If that ever happens to you again, make sure that you say,

0:41:360:41:39

"Sorry, civil aviation rules mean that you have to seat us together."

0:41:390:41:43

Well, we're going away again in six weeks, and, this time, I thought,

0:41:430:41:46

"I'm not risking it." We pre-booked seats.

0:41:460:41:49

Well, maybe that's what they...

0:41:490:41:50

So, in a way, I suppose they've got more money out of us.

0:41:500:41:52

Exactly, I'm lucky enough to have two daughters

0:41:520:41:55

and I wouldn't pay a penny to sit next to them!

0:41:550:41:58

Not that I don't like them, but it's just you don't need to.

0:41:580:42:00

So, I'm sorry that happened to you, but don't let it happen again.

0:42:000:42:03

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

0:42:030:42:05

If you've got a story you'd like us to investigate,

0:42:100:42:13

then get in touch with us via our Facebook page, BBC Rip-Off Britain,

0:42:130:42:18

our website, bbc.co.uk/ripoffbritain,

0:42:180:42:21

or e-mail us at...

0:42:210:42:23

Or, if you want to send us a letter,

0:42:260:42:29

then our new address is...

0:42:290:42:31

Well, the cautionary tales that we've heard today really are

0:42:430:42:46

a reminder that you do need to keep your wits about you at all times,

0:42:460:42:49

even when you're away on holiday.

0:42:490:42:51

You just never know when some sort of opportunist or thief might be

0:42:510:42:55

there to take advantage of you.

0:42:550:42:57

But what I did find really interesting during the programme and

0:42:570:42:59

reassuring, was all the work that Ana and her team in Barcelona are

0:42:590:43:03

doing to get one step ahead of the pickpockets and stop them before

0:43:030:43:06

they steal anything.

0:43:060:43:08

I thought it was fabulous to see how she's always on the lookout and,

0:43:080:43:11

as you can tell, it really is true that she never, ever forgets a face.

0:43:110:43:15

-Julia.

-A talent I only wish I shared and don't get me started on names.

0:43:150:43:21

But that's all we've got time for today.

0:43:210:43:23

We hope your next trip is relaxed and incident-free,

0:43:230:43:26

but if for whatever reason it's not, please do let us know and it might

0:43:260:43:30

be your experience we're sharing on a future programme.

0:43:300:43:33

For now, though, it's hasta la vista from us.

0:43:330:43:36

-Bye.

-Bye.

-Bye-bye.

0:43:360:43:38

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