0:00:02 > 0:00:06We 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 > 0:00:14Legally, it was right.
0:00:14 > 0:00:18Morally? That's where the question of doubt comes, in my view.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21And you contacted us in your thousands,
0:00:21 > 0:00:26by post, e-mail, even stopping us in the streets!
0:00:26 > 0:00:28And the message could not be clearer.
0:00:28 > 0:00:31You don't always get a straight answer. They fob you off.
0:00:31 > 0:00:32I'm not happy at all.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35It's always that very small print that's got the clause in
0:00:35 > 0:00:36that you didn't realise.
0:00:36 > 0:00:38We're being ripped off big-time.
0:00:38 > 0:00:40Whether it is a deliberate rip-off,
0:00:40 > 0:00:43a simple mistake, or a catch in the small print,
0:00:43 > 0:00:48we'll find out why you're out of pocket and 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.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58Your stories, your money. This is Rip-Off Britain.
0:01:00 > 0:01:02Hello, and welcome to Rip-Off Britain,
0:01:02 > 0:01:04the programme that investigates
0:01:04 > 0:01:07your consumer complaints and battles on your behalf
0:01:07 > 0:01:10to get the answers that you've been fighting for.
0:01:10 > 0:01:11Throughout the series,
0:01:11 > 0:01:14we're shining a light on the companies you've told us about
0:01:14 > 0:01:16that have left you feeling short-changed -
0:01:16 > 0:01:18both big and small organisations.
0:01:18 > 0:01:19And today, well,
0:01:19 > 0:01:22some of the companies that you've contacted us about
0:01:22 > 0:01:23are very big indeed.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26Today we're tackling problems to do with your phone
0:01:26 > 0:01:28or your internet connection.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31Services provided by some of the country's best-known names.
0:01:31 > 0:01:35But are you always getting what you expect for your money?
0:01:35 > 0:01:36Coming up...
0:01:36 > 0:01:39Left behind by the broadband revolution -
0:01:39 > 0:01:42the village that took matters into their own hands
0:01:42 > 0:01:44to get themselves online.
0:01:44 > 0:01:49And the couple paying a high price for a low-speed service.
0:01:49 > 0:01:54It takes so long to download them that it's virtually useless.
0:01:54 > 0:01:56See? Go slow!
0:01:56 > 0:02:00And why this man now wonders if, after spending £6,000
0:02:00 > 0:02:05on high street hearing aids, he could have got something similar for free.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08Now, here's one person who watches Rip-Off Britain regularly
0:02:08 > 0:02:13who is absolutely livid about what they've had to go through,
0:02:13 > 0:02:16and it's not difficult to see why.
0:02:18 > 0:02:23The mobile phone - over 30 million are sold in the UK every year.
0:02:23 > 0:02:25The question is, how did we cope without them?
0:02:25 > 0:02:27But what happens if you lose yours?
0:02:27 > 0:02:29Well, the latest Home Office figures show that,
0:02:29 > 0:02:34in a 12-month period, 850,000 people have had their mobile phone stolen,
0:02:34 > 0:02:39leaving them not only incommunicado but also out of pocket.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43Sam Arnold is a student and he relies heavily on his phone.
0:02:43 > 0:02:46But the 21-year-old doesn't make any calls -
0:02:46 > 0:02:50he only uses it for text messages, because he's severely deaf.
0:02:50 > 0:02:54I constantly use mobile phones, every day,
0:02:54 > 0:02:56and I constantly have them with me all the time,
0:02:56 > 0:02:59because it's very important for me to contact people
0:02:59 > 0:03:01and I can't live without my phone.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04But while studying for his final exams at university,
0:03:04 > 0:03:07Sam lost his telephone after a night out with pals.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10The next day, I just noticed
0:03:10 > 0:03:12that I haven't got my phone with me.
0:03:12 > 0:03:16So I contact my mates to say, "Have I left my phone in your house?"
0:03:16 > 0:03:20But the house was a bit messy, so they said they'll find it.
0:03:20 > 0:03:24When the phone wasn't found, his dad, Paul,
0:03:24 > 0:03:26called the mobile provider -
0:03:26 > 0:03:29in this case, Orange - to cancel the contract.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32I asked in that normal, casual way, "Has the phone been used?"
0:03:32 > 0:03:34They say, "Yes, the phone has been used."
0:03:34 > 0:03:36They start to reel off the countries -
0:03:36 > 0:03:39Somalia, UAE,
0:03:39 > 0:03:42Nigeria, Netherlands...
0:03:42 > 0:03:44I'm sitting there, thinking, "My gosh.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47"This bill is getting bigger every time they say another name."
0:03:47 > 0:03:49So I said, "What's the total bill?"
0:03:49 > 0:03:53They said, "Well, right now, it's up to about £1,450."
0:03:53 > 0:03:57So, of course, I just felt that real knot in my stomach.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59No wonder, because Sam and his dad
0:03:59 > 0:04:02were told it was them that had to foot the bill.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04And that's not unusual.
0:04:04 > 0:04:06If your mobile is lost or stolen,
0:04:06 > 0:04:08it's generally YOU who will be liable
0:04:08 > 0:04:11for the cost of calls made on it up to when you reported the loss.
0:04:11 > 0:04:17Even though, in this case, clearly Sam had not made them.
0:04:17 > 0:04:21When Orange told us to pay £1,452,
0:04:21 > 0:04:23I was a bit, like, in shock,
0:04:23 > 0:04:27because I never make phone calls because I'm deaf.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29He never makes a phone call.
0:04:29 > 0:04:30He just used it for text.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32So surely when a phone moves
0:04:32 > 0:04:34from being text-only to being mainly phone calls,
0:04:34 > 0:04:37surely something should be triggered there?
0:04:37 > 0:04:40So you went to Brussels, Belarus, Greece...
0:04:40 > 0:04:44Paul wonders why the phone company didn't spot the unusual calls
0:04:44 > 0:04:46straight away and let them know about the situation.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49I was actually quite disgusted,
0:04:49 > 0:04:53because how could a bill that is normally about £30, £35,
0:04:53 > 0:04:57jump to £1,500 and there's no communication back?
0:04:57 > 0:04:59They're a communications company!
0:04:59 > 0:05:02Why are they not talking to me?
0:05:02 > 0:05:05You'd think they'd do something. Particularly if it goes from
0:05:05 > 0:05:08just texting to voicing, then wouldn't you do something about that?
0:05:08 > 0:05:13Orange told us that when unusual usage is flagged up by the system,
0:05:13 > 0:05:15they take appropriate action as and when required.
0:05:15 > 0:05:19But they stress that it's the customer's responsibility
0:05:19 > 0:05:21to tell them as soon as the phone goes missing,
0:05:21 > 0:05:24as only then can they stop calls being charged to an account.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26In this case,
0:05:26 > 0:05:29they say it was two days before they were notified of the phone's loss.
0:05:29 > 0:05:33They recommend their customers use the security PIN on their phones
0:05:33 > 0:05:35to prevent unauthorised loss.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38And they say that situations like this
0:05:38 > 0:05:42could be avoided by requesting a bar on international calls.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46Even so, the company did eventually agree
0:05:46 > 0:05:52to cancel the outstanding bill of £1,452.94.
0:05:52 > 0:05:54But Sam and Paul still feel that the calls
0:05:54 > 0:05:57should never have been allowed to get so high.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59It was stressful,
0:05:59 > 0:06:01money was hard to come by.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03To then suddenly have to find £1,500 out of nowhere
0:06:03 > 0:06:06to pay this bill was horrible.
0:06:07 > 0:06:12And I just felt that it just didn't seem right that this should happen.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19Now, for many of us, whether it's at work or at home,
0:06:19 > 0:06:23the internet has become an essential part of everyday life.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26In fact, 19 million households are now online.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29But exactly how fast your internet connection will be
0:06:29 > 0:06:31still, I'm afraid, very much depends
0:06:31 > 0:06:33on which part of the country you live in.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35Now, in rural areas especially,
0:06:35 > 0:06:39trying to get online can be frustratingly slow.
0:06:39 > 0:06:43Martin and Diane Verlaine are amongst the people angry about that.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46They don't like the fact that they're paying the same
0:06:46 > 0:06:48as people who enjoy faster speeds.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51And they also reckon that their slow Internet connection
0:06:51 > 0:06:53is actually damaging their business.
0:06:53 > 0:06:59It's three years since Martin and Diane Verlaine swapped this...
0:06:59 > 0:07:01for this.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04We're both workaholics and we were like ships that pass in the night.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07I was an IT project manager
0:07:07 > 0:07:09and quite often I would do a 48-hour stint.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12I said to Martin that we need to find something else,
0:07:12 > 0:07:15because otherwise we'll cark at our desks
0:07:15 > 0:07:18and the taxman will get all our money.
0:07:18 > 0:07:20We didn't want that,
0:07:20 > 0:07:24so we started looking around for something else we could do.
0:07:24 > 0:07:28And here is that "something" - a holiday cottage business
0:07:28 > 0:07:31tucked away in a beautiful corner of Devon.
0:07:31 > 0:07:36But there's a downside to living in such a remote area -
0:07:36 > 0:07:39the speed of their broadband internet connection,
0:07:39 > 0:07:42which is very slow indeed.
0:07:42 > 0:07:46They've got downloadable lessons now which they haven't had before.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48- That's good.- Yeah, it's good,
0:07:48 > 0:07:51but it takes so long to download them
0:07:51 > 0:07:53and for them to play,
0:07:53 > 0:07:57that it's... It's virtually useless.
0:07:57 > 0:07:58Here we go, look.
0:07:58 > 0:08:00See? Go slow.
0:08:01 > 0:08:08The most that we've ever got is one meg. 1.1, I think.
0:08:08 > 0:08:101.2 at an absolute push,
0:08:10 > 0:08:12but that's when I'm using it at 6.30 in the morning
0:08:12 > 0:08:15and there's no other interference on the line, nobody else using it.
0:08:15 > 0:08:20Martin and Diane don't just need a faster connection for fun,
0:08:20 > 0:08:23they need it for their holiday cottage business,
0:08:23 > 0:08:26so that they can take bookings online.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29We'd like to be able to run the business ourselves,
0:08:29 > 0:08:33but we can't, because we have to rely on the booking agent
0:08:33 > 0:08:36to get the customers in.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39If I can have my own website and I can take my own bookings,
0:08:39 > 0:08:42I need to be able to take payments via the internet.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45I can't do any of that with this kind of broadband speed.
0:08:45 > 0:08:50The problem is that broadband is still a postcode lottery.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52If you live in a big city,
0:08:52 > 0:08:55chances are that you'll have a fast connection.
0:08:55 > 0:08:59In rural areas, where the infrastructure hasn't been upgraded,
0:08:59 > 0:09:02it's likely to be much slower.
0:09:02 > 0:09:06And though Martin and Diane's guests come to get away from it all,
0:09:06 > 0:09:10like the rest of us, they've learned to expect fast internet access wherever they are.
0:09:11 > 0:09:15They may be getting five- or six-meg broadband where they are
0:09:15 > 0:09:19and expecting, you know, to be able to have a very similar response
0:09:19 > 0:09:21when they come away.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24Unfortunately, you have to tell them, "It's very disappointing.
0:09:24 > 0:09:26"I'm sorry, this is all we can get."
0:09:26 > 0:09:28When they signed up,
0:09:28 > 0:09:33it was a package advertising speeds of up to 20Mb.
0:09:33 > 0:09:38Although now, the maximum BT can claim is up to 16,
0:09:38 > 0:09:41because just this month, there's been a major change in the way
0:09:41 > 0:09:45that broadband speeds are allowed to be advertised.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48Internet service providers, including BT,
0:09:48 > 0:09:53can only promote speeds which 10% of their customers can receive.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56Of course, Martin and Diane's speeds couldn't be further away
0:09:56 > 0:10:00from the maximum that most people can hope for.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03They knew they'd never get the fastest connection living here,
0:10:03 > 0:10:08but hadn't imagined it would be as slow and unpredictable as it is.
0:10:08 > 0:10:12Or that it would have such an impact.
0:10:12 > 0:10:14I don't think we thought,
0:10:14 > 0:10:17having lived in London and in major towns,
0:10:17 > 0:10:20that to have such a slow broadband connection
0:10:20 > 0:10:23was something that we needed to take into consideration.
0:10:23 > 0:10:26I don't think we believed that it was a situation
0:10:26 > 0:10:28that there wasn't a solution to.
0:10:28 > 0:10:32And what's especially galling for the couple is that
0:10:32 > 0:10:35they still have to pay £19/month to BT,
0:10:35 > 0:10:37even though they're not getting anything like
0:10:37 > 0:10:40the same broadband speed as most other customers
0:10:40 > 0:10:42who are paying the same rate.
0:10:42 > 0:10:46The couple say the reason BT have given them for the slow connection
0:10:46 > 0:10:49is that they're a long way from the exchange
0:10:49 > 0:10:53and the system uses the original copper wiring.
0:10:53 > 0:10:57And it's not like they can switch to another provider.
0:10:57 > 0:11:01Because we have copper wire and there is no fibre optics,
0:11:01 > 0:11:04some companies won't entertain us at all,
0:11:04 > 0:11:06other companies will offer us a service,
0:11:06 > 0:11:10but with no better speed, but costing us much more money -
0:11:10 > 0:11:12almost triple what we're paying now.
0:11:12 > 0:11:14And I can't afford that.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17Michael Phillips is the broadband expert
0:11:17 > 0:11:20for the price comparison site Consumer Choices.
0:11:21 > 0:11:23Broadband is now one of life's essentials.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26It's like the fourth utility.
0:11:26 > 0:11:30So not having a useful broadband connection
0:11:30 > 0:11:33can be a massive inconvenience on people's lives.
0:11:33 > 0:11:38But that is magnified by an enormous extent for businesses.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41It's almost impossible to operate
0:11:41 > 0:11:44if you don't have a fast broadband connection.
0:11:44 > 0:11:45Martin and Diane would agree,
0:11:45 > 0:11:48and are in no doubt about what they'd like to see.
0:11:48 > 0:11:50If you're providing a service that's vastly inferior
0:11:50 > 0:11:53than someone in the middle of London can get
0:11:53 > 0:11:56you have to charge less. And until Ofcom, or someone,
0:11:56 > 0:11:59has the power to force British Telecom to do that,
0:11:59 > 0:12:04there will be no movement from where we are.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07BT told Rip-Off Britain that their policy has always been
0:12:07 > 0:12:09to give customers an...
0:12:11 > 0:12:13..before they sign up.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16And they say that their pricing is based on...
0:12:18 > 0:12:22..including usage limits and security features.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25They've confirmed that Martin and Diane receive the...
0:12:30 > 0:12:33There may yet be some hope.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36The Government has invested £530 million
0:12:36 > 0:12:40to try and help roll out faster broadband to rural area by 2015.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42Martin and Diane's area is set for improvements next summer.
0:12:42 > 0:12:43Martin and Diane hope that,
0:12:43 > 0:12:47if there are improvements in their area, they don't come
0:12:47 > 0:12:50too late for them to realise their dreams
0:12:50 > 0:12:53and make a success of their business.
0:12:53 > 0:12:55I'm incredibly frustrated by it.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57I can't grow my business
0:12:57 > 0:13:01because I can't offer the services to my customers and my guests
0:13:01 > 0:13:06that they feel - and I feel - they should have.
0:13:06 > 0:13:08I just can't grow my business.
0:13:15 > 0:13:19'For one weekend only, we opened up a consumer advice clinic
0:13:19 > 0:13:21'in a pop-up shop in Manchester.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25'We had a team of experts on hand to solve your problems face-to-face.'
0:13:25 > 0:13:27We've got a couple of people from Trading Standards
0:13:27 > 0:13:30and we've got some other people in there, as well.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33I hope there's somebody in there to point you in the right direction.
0:13:33 > 0:13:34Thank you very much.
0:13:36 > 0:13:40But perhaps the busiest part of the shop was our special gripe box -
0:13:40 > 0:13:44a place to come in and tell us what you really think.
0:13:44 > 0:13:46- Been ripped-off. - I want some help.
0:13:46 > 0:13:48- I think it's disgusting. - They've never got back to me.
0:13:48 > 0:13:49The price has gone up.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52It does look a bit like a TARDIS.
0:13:52 > 0:13:54It has been so popular today, I can't tell you.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57It's been rather difficult to get people out.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00So they love the idea they're in a box, contained.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03They can really get everything off their chest.
0:14:03 > 0:14:05What I don't like is when you ring up a customer services
0:14:05 > 0:14:08and you have to get through to different people every time you ring,
0:14:08 > 0:14:11and none of them has the right information on the screen.
0:14:11 > 0:14:15One of the things my wife and I find extremely frustrating at home
0:14:15 > 0:14:19is the number of unwanted telephone calls we get these days.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22Why aren't 0845 numbers straightforward, simple
0:14:22 > 0:14:24and who you're going to ring?
0:14:24 > 0:14:28Whenever I want to phone up the bank or, increasingly,
0:14:28 > 0:14:33other organisations, I'm being charged 40p, 50p per minute,
0:14:33 > 0:14:35which I think is unfair
0:14:35 > 0:14:40and it seems to be that there aren't any options now to phone a landline.
0:14:40 > 0:14:44So, paying for local calls at national rate seems to be
0:14:44 > 0:14:47a real bugbear. And Paul asked for some advice
0:14:47 > 0:14:51on his gripe from Trading Standards officer Sylvia Rook.
0:14:51 > 0:14:53How can I help you?
0:14:53 > 0:14:58My particular gripe is with supposedly free telephone numbers -
0:14:58 > 0:14:590800 numbers.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02I've just had my mobile phone bill, which normally is £12 a month,
0:15:02 > 0:15:06which is now £50 and I just think it's a bit unfair, really.
0:15:06 > 0:15:08Not just for students, but for everybody.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11Companies do it because it's a standard charge,
0:15:11 > 0:15:13no matter where you phone from.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15That's the reason they give you the number.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18They can say that everybody pays the same amount of money.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21If you phone 0800 from a landline, it will always be a free call.
0:15:21 > 0:15:26But if you phone it from a mobile, they do charge you.
0:15:26 > 0:15:30There's a website called SayNoTo0870.com.
0:15:30 > 0:15:31I've got it open here.
0:15:31 > 0:15:35What it allows you to do is put in any of these numbers that start
0:15:35 > 0:15:37with 08 and, if there is one,
0:15:37 > 0:15:40it will provide you with the alternative landline number.
0:15:40 > 0:15:42I've got the Student Loan Company.
0:15:42 > 0:15:44I can see it's an 0870 number,
0:15:44 > 0:15:46so I can understand why it's caused you quite a bit of due stress.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49What it's done is come up with a landline number here.
0:15:49 > 0:15:53This is a good opportunity. It won't cover everything,
0:15:53 > 0:15:56but at least it should cut down on your telephone costs.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58I wish you luck with the rest of your degree.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01- Thank you very much.- OK. Good to meet you.- Bye-bye.- Thank you.
0:16:01 > 0:16:03And we'll be opening up our pop-up shop again
0:16:03 > 0:16:05one weekend during this coming June.
0:16:05 > 0:16:09For the latest information, keep checking our website.
0:16:16 > 0:16:20Next: No-one wants to hand over hard-earned cash
0:16:20 > 0:16:23for something they might be able to get for free.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26But, according to an investigation by Which? Magazine
0:16:26 > 0:16:28and the charity Action On Hearing Loss,
0:16:28 > 0:16:30that's exactly what can happen
0:16:30 > 0:16:34with the sale of hearing aids on the high street.
0:16:34 > 0:16:36And there's one Rip-Off Britain viewer who now wonders
0:16:36 > 0:16:39if he spent a lot more than he needed to.
0:16:41 > 0:16:45Norman Squire's hearing had served him pretty well until 2010,
0:16:45 > 0:16:51when, aged 92, he noticed that he was starting to struggle a little.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54I keep asking people to repeat things.
0:16:54 > 0:16:58Somebody's got something to tell you and there's a punchline
0:16:58 > 0:17:01and you miss that, so you say, "Beg your pardon?"
0:17:01 > 0:17:05So they keep telling me I need a hearing aid.
0:17:05 > 0:17:10Norman's friend, Chris, was surprised his hearing was failing.
0:17:11 > 0:17:15I've never had trouble having a conversation with him.
0:17:15 > 0:17:17I think I've got the advantage
0:17:17 > 0:17:21of having worked with the deaf, that I'm used to speaking clearly,
0:17:21 > 0:17:24which is a benefit to Norman.
0:17:24 > 0:17:29Though his problems seemed slight, Norman was pleased when one day a leaflet came through his door
0:17:29 > 0:17:33from a chain of shops selling hearing aids, called Hidden Hearing.
0:17:33 > 0:17:39They had a local branch, so he popped along to see what they would advise.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42They offered me a hearing aid to try and put in me ear
0:17:42 > 0:17:45and it was like a big marble.
0:17:45 > 0:17:47So he said, "All right, try this one."
0:17:47 > 0:17:50And he fits this one in.
0:17:50 > 0:17:54And there was nothing else, nothing else was forthcoming.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57So I don't know if they make anything else.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00Norman agreed to buy two hearing aids there and then -
0:18:00 > 0:18:02one for each ear -
0:18:02 > 0:18:06but was surprised to find how much they cost.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11I did have a friend who said they'd paid 2,000.
0:18:11 > 0:18:15So I thought, at tops, it would be 2,000.
0:18:16 > 0:18:18Instead of which it was nearly six.
0:18:20 > 0:18:25Norman didn't have £6,000, but he was able to spread the cost
0:18:25 > 0:18:28with a finance agreement that the shop arranged for him.
0:18:29 > 0:18:33The name Hidden Hearing does suggest the shop specialises
0:18:33 > 0:18:35in discreet devices.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39Norman says he wasn't particularly concerned with how his looked,
0:18:39 > 0:18:42so long as they worked.
0:18:42 > 0:18:46But the small size of the aids immediately became an issue for him.
0:18:46 > 0:18:47Well the main problem
0:18:47 > 0:18:51is it's a fiddly little thing to mess about with.
0:18:51 > 0:18:56- I can get them in. - It takes a long time, doesn't it?
0:18:56 > 0:19:02I think the aid and its fittings are too small for Norman,
0:19:02 > 0:19:06because his hands are big and he has arthritis.
0:19:06 > 0:19:09After months of practice, Norman began to find it easier
0:19:09 > 0:19:12to put in the hearing aids,
0:19:12 > 0:19:16but as far as he was concerned, there was another problem.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19Well, on two or three occasions that little piece on the end,
0:19:19 > 0:19:22that goes right down into your ear...
0:19:23 > 0:19:27..it just didn't come out with the rest of it when you took them off.
0:19:28 > 0:19:32It was starting to look like Norman had spent £6,000 on hearing aids
0:19:32 > 0:19:34that were not necessarily the most
0:19:34 > 0:19:39suitable for him and it's money he may not even have had to spend,
0:19:39 > 0:19:44because the NHS can give similar aids for free.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47Norman hadn't known that
0:19:47 > 0:19:50and Hidden Hearing certainly didn't tell him.
0:19:50 > 0:19:51So would he have been eligible?
0:19:51 > 0:19:55We have arranged for audiologist Crystal Rolfe to check.
0:19:56 > 0:20:00OK, Norman, I'm going to start off by having a look in your ears, OK?
0:20:01 > 0:20:03One of the most important things to check
0:20:03 > 0:20:06is whether that person will be able to fit it into their ear,
0:20:06 > 0:20:08what their dexterity of their hands is like,
0:20:08 > 0:20:11because hearing aids can be difficult to get in.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14What I'm just going to do is just press the button for me
0:20:14 > 0:20:15every time you hear a sound.
0:20:15 > 0:20:19Norman would certainly be eligible for an NHS hearing aid.
0:20:19 > 0:20:21Based on the tests we did
0:20:21 > 0:20:24and talking to him about his dexterity in his fingers,
0:20:24 > 0:20:28I'd recommend the normal-sized hearing aids behind his ear,
0:20:28 > 0:20:30maybe not one of the very small ones,
0:20:30 > 0:20:32just to make it easier for him to hold.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35And you can get a couple of different designs I've got here,
0:20:35 > 0:20:38on the NHS that would be suitable for you.
0:20:38 > 0:20:42Whenever Norman has called into the shop and mentioned his concerns,
0:20:42 > 0:20:47the staff have offered to fit his hearing aids for him.
0:20:47 > 0:20:49But if he had to do that every time he has trouble,
0:20:49 > 0:20:53it would mean a special trip into town.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56We contacted Hidden Hearing on Norman's behalf.
0:20:56 > 0:21:00They insist his assessment met all required standards
0:21:00 > 0:21:02and good practice
0:21:02 > 0:21:06and the hearing aids he bought were believed appropriate.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09They say it would have been up to Norman's doctor
0:21:09 > 0:21:12to explain he was eligible for an NHS one.
0:21:12 > 0:21:14But in any case, the particular model he got
0:21:14 > 0:21:17would not have been available that way
0:21:17 > 0:21:20and they claim they don't have any record of any complaint.
0:21:20 > 0:21:25Although Norman insists he has raised it with staff at the shop.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30In 2010, Which? carried out an investigation
0:21:30 > 0:21:33into a variety of shops selling hearing aids.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36A third of the total number of stores they visited
0:21:36 > 0:21:39were considered to have poor clinical assessments.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42And one of the other high street chains
0:21:42 > 0:21:43even risked breaking the law,
0:21:43 > 0:21:46by giving misleading information about the NHS
0:21:46 > 0:21:51in order to promote their own products.
0:21:51 > 0:21:54Meanwhile Hidden Hearing say they're happy to discuss
0:21:54 > 0:21:57changing Norman's hearing aids for a different model,
0:21:57 > 0:22:01which could stop him worrying his expensive purchase
0:22:01 > 0:22:05will end up in the back of a drawer gathering dust.
0:22:05 > 0:22:09You lose confidence in them and don't bother to put them on,
0:22:09 > 0:22:12which is a blatant waste of money, isn't it?
0:22:16 > 0:22:18Today, we've been hearing from people
0:22:18 > 0:22:20who feel they've been slightly left behind
0:22:20 > 0:22:23by the phone and broadband companies,
0:22:23 > 0:22:25not able to communicate as fast as they'd like to.
0:22:25 > 0:22:27And that's how things used to be
0:22:27 > 0:22:30for the residents of the small fishing village of Robin Hood's Bay
0:22:30 > 0:22:32on the Yorkshire coast.
0:22:32 > 0:22:33But not any more.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36They got so fed up of being told they couldn't get broadband,
0:22:36 > 0:22:39they decided to do something about it.
0:22:39 > 0:22:43This is Robin Hood's Bay on the North Yorkshire coast.
0:22:43 > 0:22:46For years, this seaside village
0:22:46 > 0:22:51simply had no access to a broadband internet connection -
0:22:51 > 0:22:54until the residents took matters into their own hands.
0:22:54 > 0:22:58A local businessman, Cliff Southcombe, kicked things off
0:22:58 > 0:23:01after realising his old-school dial-up connection
0:23:01 > 0:23:04just wasn't coping with his business needs.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06People were using the internet more,
0:23:06 > 0:23:10businesses were using e-mail, Skype, those sort of things.
0:23:10 > 0:23:12So if things didn't change quickly,
0:23:12 > 0:23:14we would be in trouble.
0:23:14 > 0:23:18Worried that without broadband, his business could suffer,
0:23:18 > 0:23:22Cliff began looking for a solution.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25I spotted that there was a government-run scheme
0:23:25 > 0:23:29to try and encourage broadband in the region
0:23:29 > 0:23:33and a number of businesses were being offered free broadband
0:23:33 > 0:23:35through a satellite dish for a year.
0:23:35 > 0:23:38I applied and was fortunate enough
0:23:38 > 0:23:40to be one of the ones lucky enough to get it.
0:23:40 > 0:23:42And he loved having it.
0:23:42 > 0:23:44But, as the end of that free year approached,
0:23:44 > 0:23:48Cliff was left with two big problems.
0:23:48 > 0:23:50One was that, at the end of the year,
0:23:50 > 0:23:53I - or our business - was going to have to pay for that.
0:23:53 > 0:23:58And even at a cut rate, it was about £260 a month
0:23:58 > 0:24:00for the broadband.
0:24:00 > 0:24:02And secondly, it wasn't a good position
0:24:02 > 0:24:05to be the only one in the village with broadband.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08That was something that didn't seem fair.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11Cliff got together with some of the other locals
0:24:11 > 0:24:14and together they came up with the answer.
0:24:14 > 0:24:19They formed a cooperative company and used the technical know-how of a couple of residents
0:24:19 > 0:24:21to build their own broadband network
0:24:21 > 0:24:24using a system of boxes and aerials
0:24:24 > 0:24:25that could bounce the signal
0:24:25 > 0:24:28from one central point to everyone in the village.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31Their ramshackle system worked a treat.
0:24:31 > 0:24:35When, a few years later, BT installed an advanced telephone line,
0:24:35 > 0:24:37they were able to use that
0:24:37 > 0:24:40to iron out the final few problems.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43Another plus point was that, having Wi-Fi round the village,
0:24:43 > 0:24:46we have a lot of visitors coming to Robin Hood's Bay,
0:24:46 > 0:24:48so they could pick up broadband as well.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51And it provides a nice income for the cooperative as well
0:24:51 > 0:24:54to help us keep the prices down for those people who live here.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57In fact, the cooperative charges users
0:24:57 > 0:24:59just £5 a month for the service
0:24:59 > 0:25:02and it seems to be going from strength to strength.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05Other broadband services have since become available in the area,
0:25:05 > 0:25:09but many prefer to stick with the home-grown provider.
0:25:09 > 0:25:11It's cheap, reliable,
0:25:11 > 0:25:13always looking to extend and improve.
0:25:13 > 0:25:15The next thing we're looking at
0:25:15 > 0:25:18is the link to the fibre-optic cable in Whitby.
0:25:18 > 0:25:23We need to do that via a relay over the hill at High Normanby.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26And any customer service issues
0:25:26 > 0:25:28can easily be dealt with over a pint at the pub.
0:25:28 > 0:25:33Internet just didn't exist before we all got together.
0:25:33 > 0:25:37Downloading a web page and you could go and have a cup of coffee
0:25:37 > 0:25:38and read the newspaper.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41Uploading web pages was a terrible business.
0:25:41 > 0:25:45You hardly ever did it because it took so long.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48What the locals have achieved here
0:25:48 > 0:25:51is something they think could easily be copied elsewhere.
0:25:51 > 0:25:54With a bit of determination and know-how,
0:25:54 > 0:25:58they've shown that, even if you have to do it yourself,
0:25:58 > 0:26:02it is possible to get online, even in the unlikeliest of places.
0:26:07 > 0:26:09Here at Rip Off Britain,
0:26:09 > 0:26:12we're always ready to investigate more of your stories.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15Confused over your bills?
0:26:15 > 0:26:18Trying to wade through endless small print
0:26:18 > 0:26:19that leaves you none the wiser?
0:26:19 > 0:26:21I might have been stupid for not reading it,
0:26:21 > 0:26:24or I've read it and not took it in.
0:26:24 > 0:26:26I could kick myself. I really could.
0:26:26 > 0:26:30Unsure what to do when you discover you've lost out,
0:26:30 > 0:26:34and that great deal has ended up costing you money?
0:26:34 > 0:26:36I thought, "This cannot be true."
0:26:36 > 0:26:40It's totally unacceptable. I was so angry.
0:26:40 > 0:26:42Don't forget you can write to us at -
0:26:52 > 0:26:54Or send us an e-mail to -
0:26:58 > 0:27:01The Rip-Off Britain team is ready and waiting
0:27:01 > 0:27:03to investigate your stories.
0:27:05 > 0:27:07And that is it for today.
0:27:07 > 0:27:08But we can all learn something
0:27:08 > 0:27:11from the locals we saw earlier in Robin Hood's Bay.
0:27:11 > 0:27:13Didn't they do very well?
0:27:13 > 0:27:14If you are unhappy with service,
0:27:14 > 0:27:17not just from your broadband supplier,
0:27:17 > 0:27:19but anyone you do business with,
0:27:19 > 0:27:21then for goodness' sake, do something about it.
0:27:21 > 0:27:24At the very least, speak up and complain, is what we always say.
0:27:24 > 0:27:26Absolutely. Make your voices heard.
0:27:26 > 0:27:28Meanwhile, we are rather hoping
0:27:28 > 0:27:31that the government's plans to upgrade most of us
0:27:31 > 0:27:33to the fastest broadband system in Europe,
0:27:33 > 0:27:35is going to signal an end to the sort of problems
0:27:35 > 0:27:37that you've been telling us about today.
0:27:37 > 0:27:40But do let us know how things pan out in your area.
0:27:40 > 0:27:44And also, if it looks like the communications revolution
0:27:44 > 0:27:45is leaving you behind.
0:27:45 > 0:27:47In the meantime, do join us again
0:27:47 > 0:27:49when we will be investigating more of your stories
0:27:49 > 0:27:54and showing you how to avoid being ripped off. Till next time, goodbye.
0:27:54 > 0:27:56- Bye-bye.- From all of us, bye-bye.
0:28:14 > 0:28:17Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd