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 wrong for what they have done.
0:00:09 > 0:00:13The bank passed charges upon charges upon charges.
0:00:13 > 0:00:18Legally, it was right. Morally? That's where the doubt comes, in my view.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21'You contacted us in your thousands,
0:00:21 > 0:00:26'by post, e-mail, even stopping us in the street.
0:00:26 > 0:00:28'The message could not be clearer.'
0:00:28 > 0:00:32- They just try and fob you off. - I'm not happy with them at all.
0:00:32 > 0:00:36It's that small print that's got the clause in that you didn't realise.
0:00:36 > 0:00:38We're being ripped off.
0:00:38 > 0:00:43'Whether it's a deliberate rip-off, 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 what you can do.'
0:00:48 > 0:00:51Keep asking the questions. Go to the top.
0:00:51 > 0:00:53We do get results.
0:00:54 > 0:00:58'Your stories, your money. This is Rip-Off Britain.'
0:01:00 > 0:01:02Hello and welcome to Rip-Off Britain,
0:01:02 > 0:01:06where amongst the topics we'll be tackling today is something that thousands of you
0:01:06 > 0:01:10have told us is right up there with your biggest bugbears.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13- It's known as small print.- Oh, yes.
0:01:13 > 0:01:18When you feel ripped off, all too often it's actually the devil in the detail that's caught you out.
0:01:18 > 0:01:23In fact, the Office of Fair Trading has said that the overwhelming majority of their workload
0:01:23 > 0:01:27- is dealing with people's confusion over...- Small print!
0:01:27 > 0:01:32Well, in fact, we're probably all guilty sometimes of not reading through those terms and conditions,
0:01:32 > 0:01:36so today we'll hear about what can happen if you don't know exactly what you're getting into
0:01:36 > 0:01:38when you sign on the dotted line.
0:01:38 > 0:01:42Coming up, why, when this woman lost £16,000 to fraudsters,
0:01:42 > 0:01:44her bank just didn't believe her.
0:01:44 > 0:01:48It's a nightmare that you can't wake up from. What else can you do?
0:01:48 > 0:01:52How can you prove you're innocent?
0:01:52 > 0:01:56The pricing antics of one of Britain's best-loved comics.
0:01:56 > 0:01:58£2.50! Crumbs!
0:02:01 > 0:02:03And for one weekend only,
0:02:03 > 0:02:06we opened a consumer advice clinic to solve problems
0:02:06 > 0:02:09and give help to as many of you as we possibly could.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13Whenever we use a credit or a debit card,
0:02:13 > 0:02:17we're always asked to keep the PIN number somewhere safe,
0:02:17 > 0:02:21where no-one can get hold of it and use it without you knowing.
0:02:21 > 0:02:27We're told you have to have a number that no-one else knows, and not to keep it anywhere near the card.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31It's all common sense, really, because by doing that
0:02:31 > 0:02:36you significantly reduce the chance of a card being used fraudulently.
0:02:36 > 0:02:41In 2010, there were over 100,000 cases of card fraud identified in the UK,
0:02:41 > 0:02:47with the losses on those cards coming to a whopping £365 million.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50'When the chip and PIN system was introduced in 2003,
0:02:50 > 0:02:56'it was the biggest change in the way we pay since decimalisation.
0:02:56 > 0:03:01'Ever since, it's been heralded by the banking industry as infallible.
0:03:01 > 0:03:06'But Professor Anderson disagrees.'
0:03:06 > 0:03:10We've found a significant number of vulnerabilities in chip and PIN,
0:03:10 > 0:03:14which have led to a lot of fraud.
0:03:14 > 0:03:19What's more, in many cases, this fraud is blamed on the card holders.
0:03:19 > 0:03:23'Chip and PIN cuts down on fraud in two ways.
0:03:23 > 0:03:27'Firstly, there's a microchip on your debit or credit card
0:03:27 > 0:03:31'which stores personal data securely so it's difficult to counterfeit.
0:03:31 > 0:03:35'The second is the PIN - much harder to copy than a signature.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38'Since the scheme started,
0:03:38 > 0:03:42'card fraud has dropped by 69%.
0:03:42 > 0:03:46'Dr Stephen Murdoch, who works with Professor Anderson, also believes
0:03:46 > 0:03:51'that it's not as secure as the banks would have us believe.'
0:03:51 > 0:03:56The biggest source of card fraud in the UK is from "card not present" transactions.
0:03:56 > 0:04:01That's things like telephone, mainly online transactions.
0:04:01 > 0:04:05In most cases, customers do get their money back from this.
0:04:05 > 0:04:10The biggest threat to customers, when they don't get their money back,
0:04:10 > 0:04:12is fraudulent ATM withdrawals.
0:04:12 > 0:04:16Your card might have been taken out of your wallet and used.
0:04:17 > 0:04:19We asked ourselves,
0:04:19 > 0:04:23how is it possible for a stolen chip and PIN card to be used
0:04:23 > 0:04:26by someone who doesn't know the PIN?
0:04:26 > 0:04:30We found that if you put a suitable piece of wicked electronics
0:04:30 > 0:04:33between the card and the terminal, you can tell the card
0:04:33 > 0:04:36that a signature is authorising a transaction,
0:04:36 > 0:04:38and tell the terminal
0:04:38 > 0:04:43that the card accepted the PIN that was put in at the terminal.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45And everything works.
0:04:45 > 0:04:50'In other words, these Cambridge boffins have found a high-tech way
0:04:50 > 0:04:53'to crack chip and PIN.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55'Dr Murdoch's about to prove it.
0:04:55 > 0:04:59'He's doing an experiment as if the card he's using has been lost or stolen.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03'But with the help of this special gadget, he's hoping
0:05:03 > 0:05:07'to trick the sort of terminal used in most shops and restaurants
0:05:07 > 0:05:10'into thinking that the correct PIN is being used.'
0:05:10 > 0:05:14First, we'll put the card into this device.
0:05:14 > 0:05:19This can be made smaller and quite easily hidden up someone's sleeve.
0:05:19 > 0:05:25Then we put the card into the terminal, just as normal.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28Type in the PIN.
0:05:31 > 0:05:36I typed in 1111, which is not the right PIN for the card. Press enter.
0:05:38 > 0:05:43- The transaction goes through. - The transaction HAS gone through.
0:05:45 > 0:05:49'Worryingly, it worked.'
0:05:49 > 0:05:53We told the industry about this vulnerability in October 2009.
0:05:53 > 0:05:57'In the middle of 2010, one of the banks did some work to fix it
0:05:57 > 0:06:01'with one of their suppliers, but by December,
0:06:01 > 0:06:04'the fix had been taken out and the fraud worked.'
0:06:04 > 0:06:10We suspect that they found that the fix was causing too many false alarms
0:06:10 > 0:06:15so it would be better to take the risk, rather than upsetting a lot of customers.
0:06:15 > 0:06:19That's fair enough, provided they're prepared to give their customers
0:06:19 > 0:06:23the benefit of the doubt when they complain about fraud.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25'The UK Cards Association is...
0:06:28 > 0:06:31'They say, though technically possible...
0:06:35 > 0:06:38'And once you've reported your card stolen,
0:06:38 > 0:06:42'it would be blocked and the device could no longer work.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49'They insist that any innocent victim of card fraud
0:06:49 > 0:06:51'won't suffer any financial loss.
0:06:51 > 0:06:57'But as you'll see later, it isn't always that simple.'
0:06:58 > 0:07:02Now for something generations of us have grown up loving and trusting -
0:07:02 > 0:07:04the good old Beano!
0:07:04 > 0:07:09The nation's favourite comic has been making children laugh for over 70 years.
0:07:09 > 0:07:13But it's the antics off the page which prompted this letter from Christine Knox,
0:07:13 > 0:07:15who regularly buys a copy for her grandson.
0:07:15 > 0:07:19She wanted us to come up with an answer to this question -
0:07:19 > 0:07:23"Why does The Beano feel the need to rip off young children and grandparents?"
0:07:23 > 0:07:27The Beano? Ripping people off? Now, that would not be funny.
0:07:27 > 0:07:31So we couldn't resist taking up the challenge on Christine's behalf.
0:07:31 > 0:07:35Though, as you'll see, we needed a dictionary to do it.
0:07:37 > 0:07:41For children, The Beano is as much a part of growing up
0:07:41 > 0:07:44as riding a bike and washing behind your ears.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47Since the first issue was sold in 1938,
0:07:47 > 0:07:49the capers of characters like Dennis the Menace,
0:07:49 > 0:07:54and the Bash Street Kids have made the comic a national institution.
0:07:54 > 0:07:5712-year-old James Knox is a big fan.
0:07:57 > 0:08:02Dennis and Gnasher... and probably Billy Whizz.
0:08:02 > 0:08:04They're the main two characters that I quite enjoy.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07They cause mischief in Beanotown,
0:08:07 > 0:08:11like slingshotting people with tomatoes.
0:08:11 > 0:08:15The whole of Beanotown's really, really scared of them.
0:08:15 > 0:08:19You're all right while you're not catching cabbages and stuff, James.
0:08:19 > 0:08:25James's grandma Christine also has a really soft spot for The Beano.
0:08:25 > 0:08:31It encourages them to read, because the stories are all short
0:08:31 > 0:08:35and you can read through them pretty quickly.
0:08:35 > 0:08:39Of course, it gives them hints and tips on how to be rascals as well!
0:08:39 > 0:08:44Christine wrote to Rip-Off Britain, as she thinks that The Beano,
0:08:44 > 0:08:47just like Dennis and Gnasher, is up to mischief.
0:08:47 > 0:08:52Picture the scene. Christine goes to her local shop to buy The Beano,
0:08:52 > 0:08:54as she does every week.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56I hope they've got this week's Beano.
0:08:56 > 0:08:58AH! There it is!
0:08:58 > 0:09:00She goes to pay the usual price.
0:09:00 > 0:09:02There you go, £1.50.
0:09:02 > 0:09:06Only to find it's a pound more expensive than last week.
0:09:06 > 0:09:08No, it's £2.50.
0:09:08 > 0:09:12£2.50! Crumbs!
0:09:12 > 0:09:14I'm not paying that!
0:09:14 > 0:09:17Christine noticed that every time there's a "gift" with The Beano,
0:09:17 > 0:09:21the price goes up from £1.50 to £2.50,
0:09:21 > 0:09:24and she's pretty miffed about it all.
0:09:24 > 0:09:26I just think it's a rip-off.
0:09:26 > 0:09:31I don't think if something is advertised as a gift
0:09:31 > 0:09:33you should pay for that privilege.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36So, to me, a gift is a gift,
0:09:36 > 0:09:39and shouldn't have a cost to it.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42And clearly, The Beano do charge an extra pound.
0:09:42 > 0:09:46The Beano don't actually advertise these gifts as free,
0:09:46 > 0:09:51instead using words like "amazing" or simply, "gifts".
0:09:51 > 0:09:55But Christine, along with Roger, thinks that's dodging the issue.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58If you're going to give a gift, give a gift.
0:09:58 > 0:10:03Don't try charging your poor customers extra for that privilege.
0:10:03 > 0:10:05The Oxford English Dictionary agrees.
0:10:05 > 0:10:09It describes a gift as "a thing given willingly to someone
0:10:09 > 0:10:11"without payment".
0:10:12 > 0:10:15So, if a gift is something you don't charge for,
0:10:15 > 0:10:18how can The Beano put the price up every time one is included?
0:10:18 > 0:10:21Christine wrote to the comic twice to ask,
0:10:21 > 0:10:24and when they didn't respond, she wrote to us.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27We asked The Beano the same question.
0:10:27 > 0:10:31They said the cost of producing comics over the last year has...
0:10:31 > 0:10:34while at the same time...
0:10:34 > 0:10:38To help them attract new readers and...
0:10:38 > 0:10:41They adopted a...
0:10:41 > 0:10:44..which depends on the overall package presented.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47They're stress they're...
0:10:47 > 0:10:52..pointing out that there's a cost to them and the readers
0:10:52 > 0:10:54as these issues cost more to produce.
0:10:54 > 0:10:59And they say research and sales have shown most readers like the gifts.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02James, five more minutes, then I want you in.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04- Yeah.- OK.
0:11:04 > 0:11:08But Christine thinks The Beano should forget about gifts
0:11:08 > 0:11:11and concentrate on what it's been doing so well for over 70 years -
0:11:11 > 0:11:14making a magazine which children love.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17I will buy it at its normal retail price,
0:11:17 > 0:11:20purely and simply because,
0:11:20 > 0:11:24it is, at that price, fairly good value for money.
0:11:24 > 0:11:29And it does keep him occupied in the back of the car, in his bedroom...
0:11:29 > 0:11:35I will not buy it at the inflated price with "amazing gifts" at £2.50.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38So, at least James will get his favourite comic some of the time,
0:11:38 > 0:11:43which is lucky for him but maybe not so much for the rest of the family.
0:11:43 > 0:11:45Remember, five minutes.
0:11:45 > 0:11:50Beano is a very good way
0:11:50 > 0:11:52of thinking of stuff to menace about.
0:11:52 > 0:11:57If gives you ideas of what you can do to your parents when they're asleep,
0:11:57 > 0:12:00like draw moustaches on them with marker.
0:12:00 > 0:12:06- Have you ever done that? - No, but I'm going to try it.
0:12:10 > 0:12:12At a time when money is tighter than ever,
0:12:12 > 0:12:15you need to know your cash is working hard for you,
0:12:15 > 0:12:17avoiding rip-offs along the way.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20So, we've put together a booklet of advice
0:12:20 > 0:12:23to help safeguard your hard-earned money.
0:12:23 > 0:12:27You can find the link to the free guide on our website.
0:12:31 > 0:12:35If you want a copy in the post, send an A5 self-addressed envelope
0:12:35 > 0:12:39to the address we'll give you at the end of the programme.
0:12:42 > 0:12:46Earlier, we showed how easy it can be to crack the chip and PIN system
0:12:46 > 0:12:51that we all rely on to keep our credit and debit details secure.
0:12:51 > 0:12:55With banks reluctant to accept that the system might have flaws,
0:12:55 > 0:13:02where does that leave you if you think that somebody has been using your card to withdraw your cash?
0:13:02 > 0:13:05'Four little numbers to keep your card details safe.
0:13:05 > 0:13:06No PIN, no purchase.
0:13:06 > 0:13:11'The system has significantly reduced credit card and bank fraud.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14'Banks repeatedly insist it's fool-proof.
0:13:14 > 0:13:19'One person who definitely wouldn't agree is Eve Russell.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22'She's had a lengthy dispute with Barclaycard which started in August 2010,
0:13:22 > 0:13:28'when she queried a new credit card number on literature they sent to her.'
0:13:28 > 0:13:32I phoned Barclaycard up and I was told it was my new card.
0:13:32 > 0:13:37I said, "What new card? I don't know anything about a new card."
0:13:37 > 0:13:39They said the card that I ordered.
0:13:39 > 0:13:44I'd phoned up and ordered a new card. I said, "No, I didn't."
0:13:44 > 0:13:47The story Barclaycard was told was that I,
0:13:47 > 0:13:51or someone pretending to be me, was in a bar in London,
0:13:51 > 0:13:55had too much to drink and lost their card so they needed a new one.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58This is according to Barclaycard, obviously.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01And I said it wasn't me.
0:14:01 > 0:14:06'Eve was adamant it wasn't her who'd ordered it, but in any case,
0:14:06 > 0:14:09'a new card was out there somewhere in her name.
0:14:09 > 0:14:11'Although it had a different number,
0:14:11 > 0:14:17'Barclaycard said the PIN was identical. Eve was baffled.'
0:14:17 > 0:14:22I thought it was a mistake. Maybe the wrong card number, the wrong Evelyn Russell.
0:14:22 > 0:14:27I couldn't believe what they were telling me. I have my card!
0:14:27 > 0:14:31I did not order a new card. I did not receive a card.
0:14:31 > 0:14:36I did not spend anything on a card, other than the card that I have in my possession.
0:14:36 > 0:14:42'Whoever rang gave one wrong answer to Barclaycard's security questions,
0:14:42 > 0:14:44'Eve's age on her next birthday.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47'For some reason, that wasn't picked up,
0:14:47 > 0:14:50'allowing them to order a new card.
0:14:50 > 0:14:56'Eve thinks the bank should have also picked up on another big clue that something was amiss.'
0:14:56 > 0:15:02In one month, whoever got my card spent £15,000.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05My normal spending pattern is roughly £50, £60 a month
0:15:05 > 0:15:08on my mobile phone bill, that's all.
0:15:08 > 0:15:10Not £15,000!
0:15:10 > 0:15:13And I only have a £10,000 limit.
0:15:13 > 0:15:17Barclaycard state they will monitor irregular spending.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19This is worse than irregular spending.
0:15:19 > 0:15:24This is somebody going for a jolly for £15,000 on a £10,000 limit!
0:15:24 > 0:15:28Totally different from however I've used my card.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31I've been a Barclaycard customer for over 20 years.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34Barclaycard should have flagged this.
0:15:34 > 0:15:36'As Eve continued to protest,
0:15:36 > 0:15:40'Barclaycard produced a somewhat grainy photograph
0:15:40 > 0:15:43'of the door the courier had delivered the new card to.
0:15:43 > 0:15:45'But it wasn't Eve's front door.
0:15:45 > 0:15:50'Although Barclaycard said the card went to a neighbouring address,
0:15:50 > 0:15:53'her nearest neighbour said they didn't receive it.
0:15:53 > 0:15:55'But that wasn't the worst of it.
0:15:55 > 0:16:00'Despite watertight alibis to prove she wasn't present when the card was used,
0:16:00 > 0:16:05'Barclaycard said she must have been because the correct PIN was used.
0:16:05 > 0:16:10'So they insisted that Eve pay back all the money that had been spent,
0:16:10 > 0:16:12'well over £15,000.'
0:16:12 > 0:16:15It's a nightmare that you can't wake up from.
0:16:15 > 0:16:17What else can you do?
0:16:17 > 0:16:21How can you prove you're innocent when you're told,
0:16:21 > 0:16:27even if your card had got delivered to Scotland, and the PIN was used, you would still be liable?
0:16:27 > 0:16:29'Eve's case is surprising
0:16:29 > 0:16:33'because in cases where banks refuse to refund disputed payments,
0:16:33 > 0:16:39'they are supposed to provide evidence that the customer's to blame
0:16:39 > 0:16:44'either through fraud or negligence, for example, letting someone know your PIN.'
0:16:44 > 0:16:48The law has given people additional rights to say that,
0:16:48 > 0:16:53even where a PIN was used, that is not proof that the customer
0:16:53 > 0:16:55authorised the payment.
0:16:55 > 0:17:00The bank have got to come up with very good reasons and some evidence,
0:17:00 > 0:17:03to prove that you were either negligent or fraudulent
0:17:03 > 0:17:06in the way in which you'd used your card.
0:17:06 > 0:17:10They can't simply say, "We're not going to repay you."
0:17:10 > 0:17:13If you feel that your bank has acted unfairly,
0:17:13 > 0:17:18you ought to go to the Financial Ombudsman Service and let them sort it out.
0:17:18 > 0:17:22'Eve did just that and, in October 2011,
0:17:22 > 0:17:26'more than a year after the trouble began, the Ombudsman recommended
0:17:26 > 0:17:30'that Barclaycard wipe off all the disputed debt,
0:17:30 > 0:17:33'remove adverse information from her credit file
0:17:33 > 0:17:37'and provide her with compensation, which they've done,
0:17:37 > 0:17:40'as well as offering to "contribute to her costs".
0:17:40 > 0:17:45'Barclaycard told us they're sorry for their...
0:17:54 > 0:17:59'..They claim that Eve gave them contradictory information about the records she'd kept of her PIN,
0:17:59 > 0:18:03'but now accept that she was...
0:18:07 > 0:18:10'While her battle may be over, Eve is furious
0:18:10 > 0:18:12'about what she had to go through.'
0:18:12 > 0:18:17I feel terrible about the whole situation, emotionally drained.
0:18:17 > 0:18:22It's been an absolute nightmare of a year. Very, very bad.
0:18:22 > 0:18:26It's left me absolutely dreadful.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34We're here at the Trafford Centre in Manchester where,
0:18:34 > 0:18:40for one weekend, we've opened Rip-Off Britain's first pop-up shop.
0:18:40 > 0:18:42We've a great selection of experts here
0:18:42 > 0:18:44to point people in the right direction.
0:18:44 > 0:18:48Mobile and broadband specialist Mike Wilson is expecting a busy desk
0:18:48 > 0:18:52and there's one rip-off he sees quite regularly.
0:18:52 > 0:18:56Typically, it's customers who've been put on to packages
0:18:56 > 0:18:58that probably aren't really suitable for them.
0:18:58 > 0:19:02Often they pay over the odds, both for broadband and for mobiles.
0:19:03 > 0:19:07It's not long before Mike starts meeting his first customers.
0:19:09 > 0:19:11Larry, you're talking to Mike here,
0:19:11 > 0:19:13who's our broadband and telephone expert.
0:19:13 > 0:19:14- What's your problem?- The problem is,
0:19:14 > 0:19:18I received a letter through the post
0:19:18 > 0:19:22offering me a service with television, broadband and telephone
0:19:22 > 0:19:26at a much cheaper rate than I was getting from another company.
0:19:26 > 0:19:31- How much was that going to cost? - £30 a month, according to the blurb I got through the post.
0:19:31 > 0:19:33How much did it end up costing you?
0:19:33 > 0:19:37I began to notice that the bills were saying £57 a month
0:19:37 > 0:19:40before I started paying for anything else.
0:19:40 > 0:19:42What was going on here, Mike?
0:19:42 > 0:19:45What it looks like, is that when Larry signed up for the products,
0:19:45 > 0:19:48they put him on a really expensive package,
0:19:48 > 0:19:49one of the top packages you can get,
0:19:49 > 0:19:53probably more suited to a family of five than Larry and his son.
0:19:53 > 0:19:55- Larry, you're 82 now?- I wish!
0:19:55 > 0:20:02- Add another four and count. - You're 86?- I am, plus.- Right.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04So clearly he didn't need the package
0:20:04 > 0:20:06that was suitable for a family of five.
0:20:06 > 0:20:08I think we'd all hope that the provider would recognise
0:20:08 > 0:20:11if you're on the wrong tariff and get in touch with you.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14But have a look at the bill at the end of the month and say,
0:20:14 > 0:20:16realistically, what am I using?
0:20:16 > 0:20:19A lot of people sign up for TV packages, all singing,
0:20:19 > 0:20:22all dancing, all 900 channels when they don't need half of them.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25Check if you're getting charged over your standard package
0:20:25 > 0:20:28and make sure you ask them for an itemised bill
0:20:28 > 0:20:31and where these costs are coming from.
0:20:31 > 0:20:35- Mike, is there anything else we can do for Larry?- Absolutely.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38I'll look at the itemised bills for the telephone package
0:20:38 > 0:20:40and make sure you're on the best deal for you.
0:20:40 > 0:20:44- A result.- Very much, yes. - Nice to meet you, Larry.
0:20:44 > 0:20:49- It's been very nice. - Arrivederci!- Arrivederci.
0:20:52 > 0:20:54If you feel you've been short-changed
0:20:54 > 0:20:57by a company you've put your faith in, then do let us know.
0:20:57 > 0:21:01We'll have all the contact details later in the programme.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04Next, a viewer who got in touch after an experience
0:21:04 > 0:21:07that left them feeling bitterly let down.
0:21:08 > 0:21:14Geoff and Jackie Churches' plans for their retirement were abruptly halted
0:21:14 > 0:21:18when Jackie went for a routine medical visit.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21I went to my GP's surgery for a normal diabetic check-up.
0:21:21 > 0:21:28During the course of my check-up I asked the nurse whether she could have a look at my right breast,
0:21:28 > 0:21:32as it was very uncomfortable. She called in my GP, he had a look,
0:21:32 > 0:21:35and he found an extremely large lump.
0:21:35 > 0:21:43The lump was diagnosed as cancer and further tests revealed that it was already at an advanced stage.
0:21:43 > 0:21:47I'm quite a private person. I burst into tears,
0:21:47 > 0:21:51and was carted off somewhere to have a good cry,
0:21:51 > 0:21:53and, "That's it, girl! Get it out your system!"
0:21:53 > 0:21:58And we actually went out for a meal that lunchtime,
0:21:58 > 0:22:05because my daughter said, "I don't want to remember this day as the day I was told my mother had cancer."
0:22:05 > 0:22:10The cancer was so advanced that the family was told to prepare for the fact that Jackie was dying.
0:22:10 > 0:22:14Any treatment she would receive would only be palliative.
0:22:14 > 0:22:18Being told you're terminally ill
0:22:18 > 0:22:25is...I think...the most frightening thing anyone has ever said to me.
0:22:25 > 0:22:27Your mind goes blank to start off with,
0:22:27 > 0:22:35and you think, "One in three people have been told they've got cancer, you're now becoming a statistic...
0:22:35 > 0:22:39"What the hell am I going to do about it?" You know, there's things we've got to do.
0:22:39 > 0:22:41"How can I live without her?
0:22:41 > 0:22:44"How am I going to finance myself, etc...?"
0:22:44 > 0:22:48But most of all, "I'm going to live without her, I'm going to be on my own."
0:22:48 > 0:22:55When the doctor told me I was terminally ill, it literally was, "I'm going to die..."
0:22:55 > 0:22:58You know, do I arrange a funeral, do I...?
0:22:58 > 0:23:01There's just so much that went through your mind,
0:23:01 > 0:23:06but each time interspersing all of that is, "I'm going to die."
0:23:06 > 0:23:10And that's about all I can say is, yeah, you do feel very self-centred,
0:23:10 > 0:23:16you want to be private, you want to sneak off somewhere...
0:23:17 > 0:23:19Can we stop now?
0:23:22 > 0:23:24After the terrible news had sunk in,
0:23:24 > 0:23:30the family turned their attention to planning how to make the most of the time they had left together.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33And you put L above it.
0:23:33 > 0:23:40My youngest son, Stephen, who's very practical, asked whether we had any insurance cover.
0:23:40 > 0:23:44And we dug out the old policy, had a look at it,
0:23:44 > 0:23:46and, yes, we were covered for terminal illness.
0:23:46 > 0:23:52In that sense, we were quite relieved that we could sort some of their debts out and bills,
0:23:52 > 0:23:56and there'd be money left over for them to do those little small things they always wanted to do.
0:23:57 > 0:24:02But their hopes of a little financial help to ease the situation were soon dashed.
0:24:02 > 0:24:08The insurance policy had very specific terms and conditions
0:24:08 > 0:24:10relating to terminal illness.
0:24:10 > 0:24:17For Scottish Widows to deem that I am actually terminally ill,
0:24:17 > 0:24:23they have to write to your oncologist and get proof of your illness.
0:24:23 > 0:24:28This is the letter that my oncologist wrote back to Scottish Widows.
0:24:28 > 0:24:30I'll read you the relevant paragraph.
0:24:30 > 0:24:35"The critical point from your letter of 25th November 2010
0:24:35 > 0:24:40"was whether I could confirm life expectancy of no greater than 12 months.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43"Although some patients can survive long-term,
0:24:43 > 0:24:51"there is a greater than 50% risk of death in the 12 months from the time of diagnosis of metastatic disease."
0:24:52 > 0:24:56To me, that paragraph is straightforward.
0:24:56 > 0:25:00To Scottish Widows, it wasn't enough.
0:25:00 > 0:25:08The sticking point was that Jackie's consultant would not say 100% that she would die within one year,
0:25:08 > 0:25:15and as their insurance policy defined terminal illness as "death within a 12-month period",
0:25:15 > 0:25:18Scottish Widows refused to pay out.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21Jackie and Geoff were left devastated.
0:25:21 > 0:25:26I mean, she is terminal, I'm going to lose her eventually,
0:25:26 > 0:25:32but they seem to be giving us both a hard time for existing.
0:25:32 > 0:25:39I've lost count of the number of times that I've apologised directly speaking to Scottish Widows advisors
0:25:39 > 0:25:46for living. It's the biggest mistake of my life is to actually have ended up living,
0:25:46 > 0:25:49as opposed to dying to their timetable.
0:25:49 > 0:25:55Jackie has already lived longer than the 12-month definition of terminal,
0:25:55 > 0:26:01but because that figure is pretty much industry standard, used by all the big insurance companies,
0:26:01 > 0:26:05when she appealed to the Financial Ombudsman service, she lost.
0:26:07 > 0:26:12Scottish Widows told us that while Jackie is suffering a serious illness,
0:26:12 > 0:26:17a specialist medical assessment said that her life expectancy can be...
0:26:19 > 0:26:24They say they go beyond the industry's best-practice guidelines when assessing claims,
0:26:24 > 0:26:29and use an independent panel to take a second look at any that aren't clear cut.
0:26:29 > 0:26:33And they've advised Jackie that "only in the unfortunate event"
0:26:33 > 0:26:37that her condition deteriorates to the point where her life expectancy is...
0:26:37 > 0:26:42..will they be in a position to pay out.
0:26:42 > 0:26:47But whatever the rules, Jackie feels that terminal illness should not have a timetable,
0:26:47 > 0:26:51and she's been left feeling very bitter.
0:26:51 > 0:26:56I will fight them to the end, to the end, for my money that I've paid in.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01Are you baffled by your bills?
0:27:01 > 0:27:05I thought, "This can't be true. It's totally unacceptable."
0:27:05 > 0:27:07I was so angry.
0:27:07 > 0:27:09Tying to wade through never-ending small print
0:27:09 > 0:27:12that leaves you totally confused?
0:27:12 > 0:27:14I might have been stupid for not reading it,
0:27:14 > 0:27:17or I've read it and not took it in.
0:27:17 > 0:27:19I could kick myself, I really could.
0:27:19 > 0:27:23You can write to us...
0:27:29 > 0:27:31..or send us an e-mail.
0:27:34 > 0:27:39The Rip-Off team is always looking for the stories that matter to you.
0:27:41 > 0:27:45It seems that when faced with unacceptable goods or service,
0:27:45 > 0:27:49we Brits simply grin and bear it.
0:27:49 > 0:27:51- Perhaps it's down to our stiff upper lip!- You're right!
0:27:51 > 0:27:55Here at Rip-Off Britain, we believe, in these tough economic times,
0:27:55 > 0:28:00- you really should stand up for your rights.- That's always our message.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03Bear in mind that it's far more expensive
0:28:03 > 0:28:05for companies to find new customers
0:28:05 > 0:28:08than it is to satisfy a disgruntled one.
0:28:08 > 0:28:10So, there's usually everything to play for.
0:28:10 > 0:28:14And remember, if you genuinely feel you've been ripped off or let down,
0:28:14 > 0:28:17you need to complain. Again, that's one of our messages.
0:28:17 > 0:28:20As consumers, we have very clear rights.
0:28:20 > 0:28:23That's where we have to leave it for today,
0:28:23 > 0:28:26but obviously, we hope you'll join us next time,
0:28:26 > 0:28:29for some more of the rip-offs that are driving you crazy.
0:28:29 > 0:28:32- Until then, bye-bye.- Bye-bye.- Bye.
0:28:38 > 0:28:43Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd