0:00:02 > 0:00:06'We asked you to tell us who's left you feeling ripped off.'
0:00:06 > 0:00:09I think this is very, very, very wrong for what they have done.
0:00:09 > 0:00:13The bank piles charges upon charges upon charges.
0:00:13 > 0:00:18Legally, it was right. Morally, that's where the question of doubt comes in my view.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21'And you contacted us in your thousands
0:00:21 > 0:00:28'by post, email, even stopping us in the streets. And the message couldn't be clearer.'
0:00:28 > 0:00:32- You don't get a straight answer, they try and fob you off. - I'm not happy at all.
0:00:32 > 0:00:38- There's always that small print with the clause that you didn't realise. - We're being ripped off big time.
0:00:38 > 0:00:40'Whether it's a deliberate rip-off,
0:00:40 > 0:00:43'a simple mistake or a catch in the small print,
0:00:43 > 0:00:48'we'll find out why you're out of pocket and, indeed, what you can do about it.'
0:00:48 > 0:00:51Keep asking the questions, go to the top if you have to.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54We do get results. That's the interesting thing.
0:00:54 > 0:00:58'Your stories, your money. This is Rip-Off Britain.'
0:01:00 > 0:01:04Hello and welcome to Rip-Off Britain, where we are waging a war
0:01:04 > 0:01:09against unfair charges, poor service and straight forward rip-offs.
0:01:09 > 0:01:13If you've paid for something and not got what you expected, we're here to help.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16It's often hard to know where to turn for advice, so we're here
0:01:16 > 0:01:20to fight your corner and make sure you get the answers you deserve.
0:01:20 > 0:01:24And if we can help more of you avoid being ripped off in the first place, so much the better.
0:01:24 > 0:01:29Today, we'll be investigating situations where, as far as you're concerned,
0:01:29 > 0:01:35the companies you have done business with have not lived up to their part of the bargain. And quite simply,
0:01:35 > 0:01:36we'll be asking them, "Why?"
0:01:36 > 0:01:41Also coming up: Having to pay over the odds, with not much you can do about it.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44This woman had hundreds of pounds taken out of her
0:01:44 > 0:01:47bank account and there was nothing she could do to stop it.
0:01:47 > 0:01:51I might have been stupid for not reading it, or I've read it
0:01:51 > 0:01:55and not took it in. I could kick myself, I really could.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58Plus, motorway service stations.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01Why are some prices double what you pay on the high street?
0:02:01 > 0:02:02ALL: How much?
0:02:02 > 0:02:07And invaluable advice from the experts at our one-stop consumer advice shop.
0:02:07 > 0:02:11Of course we're used to hearing complaints about tradesmen,
0:02:11 > 0:02:14and we all know that sometimes their charges can seem over the top.
0:02:14 > 0:02:18But imagine calling out an emergency plumber
0:02:18 > 0:02:23whose rate turned out to be an extraordinary £2,800 per hour.
0:02:23 > 0:02:28That happened to Harold Stern. And just wait till you hear the final bill.
0:02:30 > 0:02:32Harold Stern is a pensioner from Ealing in London,
0:02:32 > 0:02:37and there are few things he loves to do more than to relax listening to classical music.
0:02:40 > 0:02:44But recently, his enjoyment has been interrupted by stress
0:02:44 > 0:02:48that all stemmed from an overflowing drain in his back garden.
0:02:48 > 0:02:52When he first spotted the problem, he thought he'd found the right people for the job.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55They said they could get a guy out
0:02:55 > 0:02:56to fix my blocked drain.
0:02:56 > 0:03:04And that there would be a call-out fee of £59 for half an hour.
0:03:04 > 0:03:08Harold, who is disabled and lives in a specially adapted house,
0:03:08 > 0:03:11called an emergency plumbing company called Property Care Solutions,
0:03:11 > 0:03:14based in Hatfield in Hertfordshire,
0:03:14 > 0:03:17and not to be confused with other companies of a similar name.
0:03:17 > 0:03:22He'd been delighted when they sent round one of their engineers straight away.
0:03:22 > 0:03:26He quickly deduced that it was under the man hole
0:03:26 > 0:03:30in my back garden, lifted the cover and revealed this horrible sludge.
0:03:30 > 0:03:37And he proceeded to pump water in there and stir it up, with a view to clearing it.
0:03:37 > 0:03:42He was stirring up the sludge with his probe, I guess for about four or five hours,
0:03:42 > 0:03:45and he wasn't clearing the blockage.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48After a few hours of unsuccessfully pumping water into the drain,
0:03:48 > 0:03:53the engineer told Harold that he needed to bring in more powerful equipment,
0:03:53 > 0:03:56but at a much higher cost.
0:03:56 > 0:04:00He produced the invoice with the extra charges on it.
0:04:00 > 0:04:04It wasn't an extra charge, it was a total charge.
0:04:04 > 0:04:08And this was of the order of £14,000.
0:04:08 > 0:04:09Yes, you heard right.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12£14,000.
0:04:12 > 0:04:16In fact, £14,400, to be precise.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19Just to unblock a drain.
0:04:19 > 0:04:20I was shocked.
0:04:20 > 0:04:25I was shocked with the price, but I felt I had no alternative.
0:04:27 > 0:04:33The plumber from Property Care Solutions convinced Harold that if he didn't use this new equipment,
0:04:33 > 0:04:38he would be forced out of his home as the drains would need excavating.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41The thought of having to leave horrifies me, because
0:04:41 > 0:04:44my home is adapted to my needs.
0:04:44 > 0:04:49So Harold reluctantly agreed to hand over the money.
0:04:49 > 0:04:53After I agreed to pay, and signed on the dotted line, so to speak,
0:04:53 > 0:04:57he brought out from his truck some apparatus or other
0:04:57 > 0:05:03which he alleged was more powerful than what he had been using to date.
0:05:03 > 0:05:09Within a relatively short time, I can't say exactly how long, but within a relatively short time,
0:05:09 > 0:05:13the level of the sludge started to drop.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16Upon which I nearly cheered.
0:05:16 > 0:05:21The equipment may have shifted the sludge, but for five hours work,
0:05:21 > 0:05:27the bill came to a staggering £2,280 an hour.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30So, was Harold the victim of a rip-off trader?
0:05:30 > 0:05:34We asked Dave Taylor, from another local plumbing company,
0:05:34 > 0:05:37to look at Harold's drains and give his assessment of the job.
0:05:37 > 0:05:42I probably carry everything that's on the market, with regards to cameras, coring machines,
0:05:42 > 0:05:47draining machines, high pressure jetting machine, rods, down to a plunger, you know.
0:05:47 > 0:05:54Nothing extra special that I wouldn't expect a drainage firm to carry.
0:05:54 > 0:05:59Charge £150 an hour. I turn up to do a job and it should be on the van.
0:06:00 > 0:06:02Charging 14 grand just for checking?
0:06:04 > 0:06:06It's atrocious, isn't it?
0:06:06 > 0:06:12You bet, it certainly seems that way. We asked Property Care Solutions for an explanation.
0:06:13 > 0:06:17Well, they stand by their charge, which they accept seems high,
0:06:17 > 0:06:19but they say it reflects the fact
0:06:19 > 0:06:21that they work in an emergency market.
0:06:21 > 0:06:25They insisted Harold agreed to the price without any pressure or duress
0:06:25 > 0:06:27and it was a fact, not a tactic,
0:06:27 > 0:06:30that if the drain wasn't fixed, he might have to move out.
0:06:30 > 0:06:35They are furious at any suggestion that this was a rip-off, saying
0:06:35 > 0:06:39they are upfront about their prices and that every job is different.
0:06:39 > 0:06:43The company also say that they have now ceased trading.
0:06:44 > 0:06:49Here's the good news. Since we got in touch, they have now agreed with Harold
0:06:49 > 0:06:52a revised and very different price for the work - £849.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55They still maintain that the work was worth much more,
0:06:55 > 0:06:59but just want to see the matter concluded.
0:06:59 > 0:07:05I am 83 years old, and I would like to have a nice, peaceful, quiet and enjoyable retirement.
0:07:05 > 0:07:12Certainly I don't want to waste time, as I'm having to waste time, fighting a plumber.
0:07:14 > 0:07:19If you've ever visited a motorway service station which, let's face it, most of us have,
0:07:19 > 0:07:26then the chances are that you've come away feeling that you've paid a high price for stopping off for a snack.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28In fact, a recent survey in What Car? magazine
0:07:28 > 0:07:32found that two thirds of the people asked felt ripped off when they'd been to one
0:07:32 > 0:07:37and a further 25% thought that prices were way too high.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40So, highway robbery or just market forces?
0:07:40 > 0:07:45We sent a coach-load of hungry football fans to find out.
0:07:48 > 0:07:53'Britain's motorways apparently used to be THE in place to hang out.
0:07:53 > 0:07:57'Rocks stars, celebrities and the elite headed to these stops
0:07:57 > 0:08:00'for the thrill of the open road and a hint of glamour.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04'Nowadays you don't need to be a star to eat at a service station,
0:08:04 > 0:08:07'but it does help if you can earn their money.
0:08:10 > 0:08:16'Today we're joining Michael Clark and 50 other dedicated Macclesfield Town supporters
0:08:16 > 0:08:19'as they travel to an away match in Torquay.'
0:08:19 > 0:08:24250 miles or seven hours away.
0:08:24 > 0:08:26THEY SING
0:08:27 > 0:08:29They'll need a couple of stops,
0:08:29 > 0:08:36so who better to put service station prices to the test on our Rip-Off Pit Stop?
0:08:38 > 0:08:44Our squad have agreed to stop off at the services en route and buy a range of standard items.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54'We'll check these prices against what you'd be charged
0:08:54 > 0:08:58'in a typical high street branch of the same store, just to see how they compare.
0:08:58 > 0:09:00'Michael is collecting the evidence.'
0:09:02 > 0:09:04- First up, Dave.- What did you buy?
0:09:04 > 0:09:07I got some Wine Gums and I wasn't very happy with the price.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10- What was the price?- £2.69.
0:09:10 > 0:09:14So, £2.69 for Wine Gums in WH Smith's.
0:09:14 > 0:09:18Yet the same item in the high street branch was just £2.42.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21'That's a difference of 11%.'
0:09:21 > 0:09:24Well, my beloved, what did you buy?'
0:09:24 > 0:09:27I had to buy this water because I forgot to bring mine.
0:09:27 > 0:09:32- An absolute rip-off. - How much did you pay for it?- £2.09.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35'£2.09. But we found the same bottle
0:09:35 > 0:09:40'in WH Smith's on the high street for exactly £1!
0:09:40 > 0:09:43'A difference of 109%.
0:09:43 > 0:09:45ALL: How much?!
0:09:45 > 0:09:51We've just had two teas and that was £4.48. For two teas.
0:09:51 > 0:09:56'You can buy a big box of PG Tips for £2.25.
0:09:56 > 0:09:58270 tea bags.
0:09:58 > 0:10:02- So how do they get the price for them? It's disgusting, isn't it? - Yeah.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07And it's not just food and drink that are top of the table.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10The What Car? survey found that, on average,
0:10:10 > 0:10:14'petrol was 7.4% higher on the motorway.
0:10:17 > 0:10:21'On to the next services where our test continues.'
0:10:21 > 0:10:23John, what did you buy today?
0:10:23 > 0:10:27Well, Michael, I bought one of these energy drinks for £2.29,
0:10:27 > 0:10:31which I think, for one drink, is absolutely scandalous.
0:10:31 > 0:10:35£2.29 for an energy drink from Waitrose
0:10:35 > 0:10:38which on the high street we found at £1.45.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41That's a difference of 58%.
0:10:41 > 0:10:43ALL: What a rip-off!
0:10:43 > 0:10:47We spoke to Welcome Break and Moto,
0:10:47 > 0:10:50the owners of the two services that we stopped at,
0:10:50 > 0:10:53and asked them why prices in their shops were so high.
0:10:53 > 0:10:57They said they operate under restrictions that don't apply on the high street.
0:10:57 > 0:10:59For example, they need to be open 24 hours
0:10:59 > 0:11:04and to offer free facilities, such as toilets, parking and play areas.
0:11:04 > 0:11:08In fact, Welcome Break said that two thirds of their visitors
0:11:08 > 0:11:10don't spend any money at all.
0:11:10 > 0:11:15Both said prices compare favourably with other travel venues, such as airports,
0:11:15 > 0:11:19that they have regular deals and special offers
0:11:19 > 0:11:24and that there can be ways of getting things like tea and water more cheaply than in the shops,
0:11:24 > 0:11:27for example, through vending machines.
0:11:27 > 0:11:31They also point out that it's the fuel companies
0:11:31 > 0:11:34who set the petrol prices and not them.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37We also spoke to the individual stores themselves.
0:11:37 > 0:11:43Waitrose and WH Smith all said their motorway branches were franchises
0:11:43 > 0:11:49so prices were set either by the franchise owners or the service station operators.
0:11:50 > 0:11:54It's the end of a long journey for our weary travellers,
0:11:54 > 0:11:56the seaside town of Torquay.
0:11:56 > 0:12:00Right, let's have your empties, then. Come on. Chop-chop!
0:12:01 > 0:12:06So what does Michael Clark think of the prices that they've paid along the way?
0:12:06 > 0:12:11The only thing I find good about service stations, to be honest, are the toilets. They're second to none.
0:12:11 > 0:12:15They're very, very good. But apart from that, unless I was absolutely starving,
0:12:15 > 0:12:19I would not use them because the prices are absolutely horrendous.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25Thousands of you contact us at Rip Off Britain,
0:12:25 > 0:12:28so to tackle more of your problems and do it face to face,
0:12:28 > 0:12:34in September we opened up a pop-up shop in Manchester, with a team of experts on hand to offer advice.
0:12:36 > 0:12:40We've teamed up with BBC Learning to open our own pop-up shop here in Manchester,
0:12:40 > 0:12:42and it's going incredibly well.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45We've had lots of response. Let's catch up with it.
0:12:50 > 0:12:56Carolyn Dee dropped by, unhappy she has to pay for the privilege of paying her phone and broadband bill.
0:12:56 > 0:13:02They'd introduced a £5 non-direct debit charge.
0:13:02 > 0:13:09So in other words, if you wanted to write a cheque to pay your bill, it cost you £5 to pay that way.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12Unless you pay by direct debit,
0:13:12 > 0:13:15you have to pay the £5 handling charge, which I think is wrong.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18They have now introduced
0:13:18 > 0:13:22a paper billing charge of £1.50.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25What do you make of this case, Mike?
0:13:25 > 0:13:28Unfortunately, it's not unique in the market nowadays.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31Providers in all sorts of industries consider cheques to be an expensive
0:13:31 > 0:13:33way to take the money from you.
0:13:33 > 0:13:38Within broadband, there are only one or two providers who will allow you to pay by cheque for free.
0:13:38 > 0:13:42There are two or three providers that will not allow you to take a cheque at all.
0:13:42 > 0:13:47The savings to be made for consumers are by bundling both your broadband and your home phone together.
0:13:47 > 0:13:51That is a way of bringing back the cost. If you do need to go down the route where you may have to pay
0:13:51 > 0:13:53a slight premium to pay via cheque.
0:13:53 > 0:13:57You've made that saving by having your broadband and home phone together.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59In conclusion to your case,
0:13:59 > 0:14:00I guess that's a balancing act.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03You're getting a better rate with one company
0:14:03 > 0:14:06and they are charging a small amount for paying.
0:14:06 > 0:14:09Whereas if you eliminate the charge per month,
0:14:09 > 0:14:13then, as Mike says, possibly you'll be paying much more for your service.
0:14:13 > 0:14:18We're a little bit confused. You access your computer regularly.
0:14:18 > 0:14:22Why are you so resistant to paying your bills online?
0:14:22 > 0:14:24Because of the security.
0:14:24 > 0:14:28I've never paid anything online or bought anything online,
0:14:28 > 0:14:30I don't like my bank details being online,
0:14:30 > 0:14:34because you never know, these days, what might happen.
0:14:34 > 0:14:38A lot of the providers in the market are security conscious, so if you are going to leave
0:14:38 > 0:14:43your details on the account, you should feel secure that nothing is going to happen to them
0:14:43 > 0:14:45and you'll be able to make payments without any issues.
0:14:47 > 0:14:52You can find tips on paying and shopping safety on our website:
0:14:59 > 0:15:04Now, more on an extraordinary problem that we first featured in our last series,
0:15:04 > 0:15:08but one that is still leaving many of you thoroughly frustrated.
0:15:08 > 0:15:10It is to do with recurring payments
0:15:10 > 0:15:15which are regular payments taken from your bank account, like a direct debit,
0:15:15 > 0:15:18but with one crucial difference.
0:15:18 > 0:15:22If you try and stop them, you may find that you can't.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25# Young at heart... #
0:15:25 > 0:15:29Ann Bainbridge has always cared about her appearance.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32I like my make-up on and I like to be dressed nice.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35I don't spend an awful lot.
0:15:35 > 0:15:41If I see something and think, "That's a nice colour," and it's not too expensive, I'll buy it.
0:15:41 > 0:15:45Ann and husband Eric, who live near Hartlepool,
0:15:45 > 0:15:48are regular internet users
0:15:48 > 0:15:52and it was while she was online that Ann was tempted by an advert
0:15:52 > 0:15:59that unexpectedly popped up on her screen, inviting her to test some collagen anti-ageing cream.
0:15:59 > 0:16:05I always assume, when you get a trial or tester or whatever in the stores,
0:16:05 > 0:16:09you get a little piece or a sachet or whatever.
0:16:09 > 0:16:14I thought, "Well, for £3, it's worth giving it a go."
0:16:14 > 0:16:19Ann paid online with her debit card and when the product arrived several weeks later,
0:16:19 > 0:16:23she was surprised at how big it was.
0:16:23 > 0:16:27I thought, "That's a nice sample," and thought no more about it
0:16:27 > 0:16:29until three weeks or so later,
0:16:29 > 0:16:32this other one came.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35I thought they must have made a mistake.
0:16:35 > 0:16:41For Eric, alarm bells had already begun to ring.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44But as Ann had purchased the cream through a pop-up advert,
0:16:44 > 0:16:50there was no paperwork or confirmation email for them to check what she'd signed up to.
0:16:50 > 0:16:54It looks bad. And I said to her, "There'll be more to come."
0:16:54 > 0:16:58Sure enough, it kept coming and coming.
0:16:58 > 0:17:00# Keep young and beautiful... #
0:17:00 > 0:17:05It wasn't until Eric began checking their bank statements
0:17:05 > 0:17:09that the couple realised the tubes weren't samples.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12They had been charged for each one at £96 a pop.
0:17:12 > 0:17:16They had known nothing about it, but up to that point,
0:17:16 > 0:17:22almost £500 had already been taken out of their account to pay for the face cream.
0:17:22 > 0:17:28Horrified, they contacted their bank to try to stop the payments
0:17:28 > 0:17:31and that was when they got an even bigger shock.
0:17:31 > 0:17:33The bank couldn't help.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36They said they couldn't stop the payments.
0:17:36 > 0:17:40It was an ongoing contract or whatever they call it,
0:17:40 > 0:17:41which we'd never heard of.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44I said, "It's my money. You're sat there.
0:17:44 > 0:17:48"I'm telling you to stop paying it." "We can't do that."
0:17:48 > 0:17:53The Bainbridges were told that because Ann had unknowingly signed up
0:17:53 > 0:17:57to what's called "a continuous payment authority",
0:17:57 > 0:18:00only the supplier of the products that was based in America
0:18:00 > 0:18:03had the power to stop the money being taken.
0:18:03 > 0:18:08The couple tried emailing the company, but got no response.
0:18:08 > 0:18:14And having reached a brick wall with their bank, they went online to do some research
0:18:14 > 0:18:18where they quickly found dozens of similar complaints.
0:18:18 > 0:18:23I mean, did you see that one here? "I too have fallen foul of this scam."
0:18:23 > 0:18:27Ann wishes there was some sort of record of what she had signed up to,
0:18:27 > 0:18:33but suspects that that pop-up ad may have been deliberately unclear.
0:18:33 > 0:18:37I don't know if there was small print there. Maybe there was.
0:18:37 > 0:18:43I might have been stupid for not reading it or I've read it and not taken it in.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46I could kick myself. I really could.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48I feel silly.
0:18:48 > 0:18:55With the beauty company still slapping on the payments every month and cream arriving in the post,
0:18:55 > 0:18:59in desperation, the Bainbridges contacted Trading Standards.
0:18:59 > 0:19:04It wasn't the first time they'd come across this extraordinary problem.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07Continuous payment authorities became popular
0:19:07 > 0:19:09for internet services, insurance.
0:19:09 > 0:19:15A lot of people give their card details and it will be a rolling contract each year.
0:19:15 > 0:19:20When you're dealing with a legitimate company who accept your cancellation, there's no problem.
0:19:20 > 0:19:24When the company is based outside the UK, it is more difficult to cancel,
0:19:24 > 0:19:30or if it's a rogue trader, once they've got your card details, you're open to fraud.
0:19:30 > 0:19:35Eventually, Trading Standards got a result.
0:19:35 > 0:19:40They were able to get a response from the company who agreed to stop sending more orders.
0:19:40 > 0:19:46They also promised to reimburse the Bainbridges for three out of the eight payments that were taken.
0:19:46 > 0:19:47After months of worry,
0:19:47 > 0:19:51Ann has now finally had another five payments refunded from her bank,
0:19:51 > 0:19:55because she paid by debit card.
0:19:55 > 0:19:59But that still leaves her nearly £100 out of pocket.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02Surely, the financial people know that this goes on.
0:20:02 > 0:20:06I mustn't be the only one that's complained about it.
0:20:06 > 0:20:10Ann still desperately hopes that she will get the rest of her money back.
0:20:10 > 0:20:14We contacted the company to ask when that might happen,
0:20:14 > 0:20:16but as yet, we've had no reply.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21I only hope anybody watching this programme,
0:20:21 > 0:20:24that they don't have the hassle that we've had.
0:20:24 > 0:20:28All we've thought about is how can we stop it?
0:20:33 > 0:20:36'Big companies don't always make things easy to understand.
0:20:36 > 0:20:42'And it can be confusing when you haven't ended up with what you'd expected.'
0:20:42 > 0:20:46So if you feel bogged down we've put together a booklet of tips and advice.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50You can find a link to the free guide on our website:
0:20:53 > 0:20:57Or to receive a copy in the post, send an A5 self-addressed envelope
0:20:57 > 0:21:01to the address we'll give you at the end of the programme.
0:21:05 > 0:21:09Now on to a subject which, judging from your emails,
0:21:09 > 0:21:14is one of the single most infuriating things about buying a flight,
0:21:14 > 0:21:18and that is the extra charges you often need to pay just for the privilege
0:21:18 > 0:21:22of being able to use your own debit or credit card to purchase a ticket.
0:21:22 > 0:21:26Surcharges like this have come under severe criticism
0:21:26 > 0:21:30from consumer groups, and most recently from the Office of Fair Trading,
0:21:30 > 0:21:33who have now started a formal investigation into whether or not
0:21:33 > 0:21:38companies are actually hiding these extra costs from customers when they are booking online.
0:21:38 > 0:21:44And they are costs that can very quickly add up, especially if you are travelling in a group,
0:21:44 > 0:21:47and with one airline in particular.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50The angel of the Lord brought tidings to Mary.
0:21:50 > 0:21:55Meet some of the members of the Society of Mary in Ipswich.
0:21:55 > 0:22:01Rosemary, Bridget, Celia and David.
0:22:01 > 0:22:05They are an Anglo-Catholic group who travel as a pilgrimage every year
0:22:05 > 0:22:07to the festival of our Lady of Grace in Italy.
0:22:10 > 0:22:16It is a big procession which takes the statue of our Lady down from the Basilica in which
0:22:16 > 0:22:21it is normally kept, down to the town church. There she remains for a week.
0:22:21 > 0:22:26It is very important to us, because the statue that they do take in procession
0:22:26 > 0:22:30originally came from Ipswich, to the best of our knowledge and belief.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33So we have that very strong link.
0:22:33 > 0:22:39Celia books all the flights with Ryanair, the only airline that flies where and when they want.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42But she is always looking to keep costs down.
0:22:42 > 0:22:48People can't afford to go on these trips, especially in the present economic climate.
0:22:48 > 0:22:50A lot of people who come are priests,
0:22:50 > 0:22:52and they are not high earners!
0:22:52 > 0:22:57And also the children with their families, they're not well off or anything like that.
0:22:57 > 0:23:03So we want to keep the costs right down, so that they, so that people feel that they can come.
0:23:06 > 0:23:10Ryanair, like many other airlines, charge an administration fee
0:23:10 > 0:23:13when you book using a debit or credit card.
0:23:13 > 0:23:18That's a cost that is added just for the privilege of paying by card.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21Celia's not happy about it.
0:23:21 > 0:23:26We're getting nothing extra for it, it's just making some extra money for them.
0:23:27 > 0:23:31I know they've got to make a profit, they are a business,
0:23:31 > 0:23:36but I think they're passing it on for a service that isn't a service.
0:23:36 > 0:23:43Ryanair charge these fees per person, per flight. They are currently £6 each way.
0:23:43 > 0:23:49So for a family of four going on a return trip, that's an extra £48.
0:23:49 > 0:23:55When Celia last flew Ryanair, the charge was £5 each way,
0:23:55 > 0:23:59which for a group the size of hers, really does add up.
0:23:59 > 0:24:05The actual booking fee for paying for the tickets online would have cost us £10 per person,
0:24:05 > 0:24:10so we had 62 people, including the children, £620.
0:24:10 > 0:24:18Remember, that's not the cost of the flights, it's purely and simply the booking fee.
0:24:18 > 0:24:23It affects the very people like us who are trying to keep the costs down.
0:24:23 > 0:24:27- You've worked incredibly hard to get all the other costs down.- Exactly.
0:24:27 > 0:24:34I did actually ask Ryanair if they did a group rate, some airlines do, and they said no.
0:24:34 > 0:24:40But the size of the group should be irrelevant, because for every debit card transaction,
0:24:40 > 0:24:47the airline is only charged about 20p by the bank, however many people might be included in the booking.
0:24:47 > 0:24:54So, if customers have to pay £6 for each leg of a flight, that's quite a mark up.
0:24:54 > 0:25:00Following widespread criticism of such charges, not least from the Office of Fair Trading,
0:25:00 > 0:25:06at Christmas, the government announced it hopes to ban any excessive credit or debit card fees
0:25:06 > 0:25:08by the end of this year.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10And not just in the travel industry.
0:25:10 > 0:25:15Ryanair say this won't apply to them. They insist their charge
0:25:15 > 0:25:18isn't a debit or credit card fee, and that instead
0:25:18 > 0:25:23it's an admin fee, used to cover their own costs.
0:25:23 > 0:25:27So what's the difference? A spokesman for the European Parliament,
0:25:27 > 0:25:32also pushing for an end to charges they consider penalise customers, says, none at all!
0:25:32 > 0:25:37For me, admin charge, surcharge, add-on charge,
0:25:37 > 0:25:40the common denominator is the word "charge."
0:25:40 > 0:25:43I just think it is a money-making tool
0:25:43 > 0:25:46for airlines at the expense of the passengers.
0:25:46 > 0:25:50But Ryanair are sticking to their guns.
0:25:50 > 0:25:56They've told us their "admin charge" is avoidable by any passenger
0:25:56 > 0:26:00who pays using the airline's Cash Passport card,
0:26:00 > 0:26:04a pre-paid MasterCard that you can get direct from them.
0:26:04 > 0:26:05For now, at least,
0:26:05 > 0:26:10that's the only way to pay avoiding the airline's extra charge.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13But, in typically robust style,
0:26:13 > 0:26:18Ryanair say they "continue to lower the cost of air travel",
0:26:18 > 0:26:22and that "this story does not stand up to factual scrutiny."
0:26:25 > 0:26:30But, after the amount of extra money THEY had to pay out,
0:26:30 > 0:26:31our pilgrims wouldn't agree.
0:26:31 > 0:26:36For the one group, they've made sort of an extra £620
0:26:36 > 0:26:40for doing absolutely nothing except booking a ticket
0:26:40 > 0:26:43with them, and giving them the custom.
0:26:45 > 0:26:49- Are you baffled by your bills? - I thought, "This cannot be true.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52"It's totally unacceptable." I was so angry!
0:26:52 > 0:26:56Trying to wade through never-ending small print that leaves you
0:26:56 > 0:26:58totally confused?
0:26:58 > 0:27:00I might have been stupid for not reading it.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03Or I've read it, and not took it in.
0:27:03 > 0:27:05I could kick myself. I really could.
0:27:05 > 0:27:07Well, you can always write to us...
0:27:14 > 0:27:16Or indeed you can send an e-mail.
0:27:21 > 0:27:26Remember that the Rip-Off team is always looking for the stories that matter to you.
0:27:27 > 0:27:30Well, I'm afraid that's all we've got time for in this edition,
0:27:30 > 0:27:32but I do hope that after joining us,
0:27:32 > 0:27:35you are going to be just a little bit wiser about the things
0:27:35 > 0:27:38that you can do to avoid being taken advantage of
0:27:38 > 0:27:40and losing out as a result.
0:27:40 > 0:27:44Whether it's pounds or pennies, there's nothing worse than knowing you've had a raw deal.
0:27:44 > 0:27:48So keep the stories coming and we'll do our best to see if we can put things right.
0:27:48 > 0:27:52If you feel you've been had, left short-changed or are out of pocket,
0:27:52 > 0:27:55then I hope you'll get in touch.
0:27:55 > 0:27:57And we'll see you again very soon to tackle
0:27:57 > 0:27:59more of your rip-offs, so until then,
0:27:59 > 0:28:03- thank you for your company, and from us, bye-bye.- Bye.- Bye.
0:28:22 > 0:28:24Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:28:24 > 0:28:26E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk