Episode 17 Rip Off Britain

We asked you to tell us who's left you feeling ripped off.

I think this is very, very, very wrong for what they have done.

The bank piles charges upon charges upon charges.

Legally, it was right.

Morally? That's where the question and doubt comes, in my view.

And you contacted us in your thousands, by post, e-mail -

even stopping us in the streets. And the message could not be clearer.

-You don't always get a straight answer - they try and fob you off.

-I'm not happy at all.

There's always very small print that's got the clause in that you didn't realise.

We're being ripped off, big time.

Whether it's a deliberate rip-off,

a simple mistake or a catch in the small print,

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

Keep asking the questions, keep going to the top if you have to.

We DO get results. That's the interesting thing.

Your stories, your money. This is...

Hello and welcome to Rip-Off Britain,

the show that investigates your consumer complaints

to get you the answers that you've been fighting for.

Throughout the series,

we're determined to take on companies that have left you feeling short-changed -

no matter how big or, indeed, small.

And today, we're tackling something we know from our postbag really drives you crazy.

The companies cashing in by towing your car away and then

demanding quite extraordinary sums of money from you to get it back.

But it's not just greedy clamping firms that can make you feel

that your car is being held to ransom.

You wait until you hear who else can make you pay a hefty price to get your own vehicle back -

and just how much money THEY can earn from it.

Also coming up on today's programme...

We set up our very own pop-up shop, where you came and told us

your consumer concerns.

You've been pouring your heart out in our specially constructed gripe box.

Petrol prices are extortionate.

It's disgusting how much they've gone up and I think it's a rip-off.

More reasons why being on the road can be a costly business.

To get suddenly hit with another £600 or so is rather too much.

Now, if your car is stolen,

your first port of call is usually the local police.

You hope, obviously, they're going to track down your vehicle and return it all in one piece.

What you might not expect is for them to charge you for the privilege.

But in fact, that's exactly what most forces do now,

as standard practice.

And some of you are totally furious about it.

Howard Gordon is just one of the people to get in touch,

saying that he feels he's been ripped off twice -

once when his car was stolen, and then when the police contacted him to tell him

that they'd found his car, but it would cost him £150 to get it back.

Howard Gordon has been a professional wedding photographer for 15 years,

and works from his home in Salford in Greater Manchester.

Earlier this year, he was booked to photograph a local wedding.

Everything was fine until the wedding had finished,

I went to find my keys for my car and couldn't find the keys.

Went outside, couldn't find the car.

It had been stolen, so Howard rang the police.

They talked him through what would happen next.

It was at half past 12 at night. I gave them all the information

and they read what I presumed was a prepared statement.

And it included the phrases,

"If and when we find it, we'd like forensics to have a look at it.

"Would that be OK? We'll appreciate it.

"Manchester Police will appreciate your help. Would that be all right?" I said, "Yes, of course."

"We'll pick up the car and we'll take it to a recovery centre.

"There'll be a charge for that. Will that be OK?" I said, "Yes, of course."

I wanted to do what was the right thing,

which was help the police if they can catch criminals. That's fine.

A couple of days later,

Greater Manchester Police contacted Howard with good news -

they'd found his car.

It had now been taken to a vehicle recovery centre

and he could come and collect it from there.

When I gave the keys to the young lady behind the desk, she said,

"You know there's a charge for the recovery?"

I said, "Yes, I do believe there is - how much is it?" She said, "£150."

150 - I couldn't believe it was that kind of figure.

And she said, "Clearly, if you don't pay, then you don't get the car.

"It's as simple as that. And if you leave the car in, you're going to get charged extra, as well."

Howard was horrified at the idea of having to pay so much to get back his own car.

But fees like this are now standard practice with many police forces across the country.

So it seemed he had no choice but to pay up.

I was really upset about having to pay. I was the victim. My car was taken.

But I still had to pay £150, and it just didn't seem right at all.

I wasn't happy with the situation.

PHONE RINGS

Howard was so angry he contacted his local newspaper.

After they ran the story,

the police got back in touch to say they'd reconsidered.

They said to me, "We're going to be able to refund it,"

which was very good to hear.

"The reason is, when you first rang up and reported the car stolen

"you were given the option of picking the car up yourself,

"and when we told you the car had been recovered we didn't give you that option."

So Howard was off the hook.

But thousands more drivers aren't so lucky.

When they're hit with the storage and recovery charge to get back their stolen vehicles,

they just have to pay up.

Most of the money goes to the vehicle recovery companies,

although the police do keep a chunk.

What is typical is up to £25 per car.

Greater Manchester Police say that its fees and the amounts charged

are legislated by the Home Office.

The force's current policy is, when a vehicle is recovered,

the owner is informed and removal is arranged.

They say these costs can often be covered by the owners' insurance.

But Howard still thinks that drivers are being fleeced.

I think it's unreasonable, particularly when

your car is stolen and you're the one that's inconvenienced

and you're the one that has to pay for any damage that might have been done to the car.

And then the police say, "Oh, you know it's going to cost you £150."

Its most unreasonable and I really think that they should stop it.

Now, later in the programme, we meet someone else who, like Howard,

thinks this charge is absolutely unfair,

and we hear what happened when he decided to make a stand.

But first, at a time when we're all feeling the pinch,

the unexpected expense of your car breaking down can be a cost you can ill afford.

A car warranty offers reassurance that if your motor does fail,

the cost of some of the repairs will be covered.

But I'm afraid that's not what happened to Grace Evans.

She thought she was being really savvy

when she bought a brand-new Peugeot and it had a three-year warranty.

So when, after just four months, the clutch failed,

she certainly didn't expect to have to pay for it herself - or be told, all her fault.

There are around 31 million cars on the roads in this country

and over two million people bought new cars last year.

Grace Evans was one of those. She's a model road user.

She's been driving for 40 years, has no points on her licence, no convictions.

And she wouldn't give up her car for anything.

I need the car for independence now and to get some shopping in,

because I can't carry anything.

Like many of us, Grace is always looking for ways to save money.

So when she saw a Peugeot advert that said, "Just add fuel,"

it immediately caught her eye.

Getting a new car can be a puzzle.

That's why Peugeot have introduced a revolutionary new package that includes...

The ad promised that for one regular monthly payment,

you'd get a new car, insurance, warranties, servicing and tax,

leaving you to "just add fuel".

I thought it sounded great,

because it was three years of insurance, tax, servicing, etc.

I would have to pay about 185 or thereabouts every month,

and I wouldn't have to worry about nearly 1,000 I pay for insurance.

So, Grace signed the paperwork, paid the deposit and the deal was done.

Well, not quite. This is Rip-Off Britain, after all.

I got home and the phone rang and it was this salesman saying,

"Sorry, you're too old for OUR insurance,

"so could you contact your insurance company

"and ask them to e-mail a certificate through,

"so that we could take it to the post office and tax the car?"

So, despite signing on the dotted line and paying a £500 deposit,

less than 24 hours later, Grace found out she wasn't eligible

for the free-insurance part of the deal because of her age -

a sprightly 83.

I was annoyed because I think,

I can drive - I've been driving for many years

up and down the motorway - and why shouldn't I be insured by them?

The salesman who signed me up - he didn't say I was too old.

He just phoned me after I got home.

So for Grace, the offer had become, "Just add fuel AND insurance."

Nevertheless, she decided to carry on with the deal

because it was a new car with a full three-year warranty.

But little did she know how soon she might need it,

because after just three and a half months - and 886 miles - the clutch went.

I was very surprised it happened,

because it was a brand-new car and I didn't see that the clutch should go in such a short time,

because I've had old cars that the clutch hasn't gone for many, many years.

So, the car was taken to the Peugeot garage, where the bad news continued.

I thought it was covered under warranty,

because, as far as I knew, on the "just put fuel" deal,

that everything was covered for three years.

Then they told me that, "Oh, no, it's not under warranty.

"You've ridden the clutch, so you've got to pay for it."

The damage to the clutch was blamed on Grace's driving -

and under the warranty terms and conditions,

driver negligence is not covered.

She was left to pay the £664.76 repair cost herself.

When I got the bill, I wasn't happy, obviously,

because it's an awful lot of money for the clutch,

but I just needed the car and I had to pay it.

I believe that this burnt-out clutch was manufacturer error

because one shouldn't burn out a clutch so quickly.

In all her years behind the wheel, Grace has never had a problem with a clutch -

let alone a brand-new one.

She couldn't accept that this was her fault, so she wrote to us

and we came up with a plan.

To see if her driving really could be to blame,

we've called in Colin Ogden, an independent driving instructor.

-Hi, Grace. Pleased to meet you. I'm Colin.

-And you, Colin.

He's agreed to go for a spin with Grace in her car,

to see how her technique measures up.

OK, Grace, we'll go to the end of the road and then turn right.

And then we'll turn left again when we get to the end of the road.

So, how did Grace get on? In Colin's opinion,

could her driving have caused the damage to the clutch on her car?

886 miles seems, er, a very small number,

considering that my car's done over 20,000 miles

and I get learner drivers in that drive like that every day -

maybe need to change gear a little bit early -

so I wouldn't have said that her driving actually contributed to the clutch going.

Grace's own regular garage also says her driving has never previously caused a problem.

But as far as Peugeot's concerned, she's to blame,

meaning her three-year warranty's been no good whatsoever

and for her, the deal she signed up to has now become,

"Just add fuel, insurance and repair costs."

Right, thank you very much, Grace. It's been a pleasure.

Thank you very much, Colin.

Being a pensioner, I have to budget my bills every month -

or every week - and to get suddenly hit with another £600 or so

is rather too much.

Happily, after Rip-Off Britain contacted Peugeot, there was a change of heart.

They've told us they deeply regret the inconvenience Grace suffered.

They accept that her car's clutch should not have failed at such a low mileage,

and have offered her a full reimbursement of the cost of repair.

They also say that Grace should not have been told she was not eligible for insurance cover

after she had already signed up for the deal,

and have offered her a goodwill gesture towards these costs.

I think you'll agree, a great result in the end,

but, you know, Grace had to learn the hard way

that you simply cannot rely on guarantees 100%.

So, with over 2 million of us all set to buy a new car this year,

how many more of the warranties that come with them

may not give as much protection as you might expect?

Martyn Hocking is the editor of Which? magazine

and he has some great top tips on how to make sure

that your warranties go far enough.

If you have bought a new car and it comes with a warranty,

or you've paid extra for warranty,

here are some of the things you need to look out for.

The key one is that dreaded phrase where she garage says,

"You've invalidated your warranty."

Very often what they're saying is,

"You had the cheek to take the car to your local favourite garage

"to get it serviced,"

rather than coming back to them to get the work done.

As long as the garage you've used has carried out the work to a good standard

and can provide paperwork to show that,

as long as it's VAT registered it's going to be absolutely fine,

no way is your warranty invalidated.

Sometimes you get into a dispute with the garage,

you want something, they want something else.

As a goodwill gesture they will offer to do some of the work,

or maybe give you some money back.

Now, we all like goodwill gestures, so, "Yes, please, I'll accept that,"

but make it clear to them that you're doing so on the basis

that you reserve your right to take legal action at a later date

if you're still not happy with the outcome.

Wear and tear is another classic area for disputes.

You feel you've only driven the car for a few months,

for a few thousand miles, the garage is already saying to you,

"Sorry, that part is worn out, it's not covered by the warranty,

"YOU'LL have to pay for it to be replaced."

What you may need to do in that incidence

is get yourself an independent expert to verify that

and to argue your case.

Earlier on we exposed the true cost of getting your car back from the police after it's been stolen.

Howard Gordon was among thousands of you who stumped up £150 for the privilege.

The Home Office says it is up to individual forces whether to impose the charge,

but what happens if you simply refuse to stump up?

Chris Bridges loves motorbikes.

When he's not working as an electrician and part-time bike instructor in Crewe,

he loves nothing better than going for a spin on the open road.

I can get out on my own and forget about, you know,

any kind of troubles you may be having.

It's just you and the motorcycle, you find a nice A road, you know,

sweeping bends, you can take them at a nice leisurely pace,

it's just a nice way to spend an afternoon

and I come home a totally different person than when I came out.

Unfortunately, Chris has no chance of climbing into his leathers at the moment.

Although he owns two bikes,

this sports model is untaxed and out of action

and his everyday economical bike was stolen from his garden in broad daylight.

You tend to feel really disappointed, really, that...

this is the way that, sort of, life is.

If it's not bolted down to the floor

someone will come into your property and take it.

Chris called the police who came and took some details.

They do ask you the question,

"If the vehicle is found, are you willing to recover it yourself?"

And with it only being a motorcycle,

I've got plenty of access to vans, etc,

so I said, "Yeah, that's no problem."

So, I heard nothing at all for, probably, about two or three weeks

then a police officer came to my house one morning

and said, "Great news, Chris, we found your bike!" I thought, brilliant!

But Chris's relief turned to shock when he was told that

because his bike had been taken away for forensic tests

it was now at a vehicle recovery yard and, just like Howard,

who we met earlier, he would have to pay £150 to get it back.

It was a little bit of an outrage, I thought,

"I'm already a victim of crime, I've had my motorcycle stolen,"

and then the police turn round and say, we've got your bike,

you can have it back, but it's going to cost £150.

Is my property, give it back!

When Chris filled out the police forms,

he ticked box to say that if his stolen property was recovered

he would be happy to come and pick it up himself,

so he thinks he should have been allowed to collect his bike

when the police had finished with it without being charged.

They're quite happy to ring me up and say, "We found your vehicle, do you want it?"

"Yes, I do. I can actually be there in 10 minutes,

"I can pick it up myself," that wouldn't have been a problem,

but now, they took it away and now I'm stuck with the bill.

And as if that wasn't enough, the recovery yard wrote to Chris

saying, unless he collected the bike within seven days,

the police were entitled to scrap or sell it

and every day in the yard would cost him another £10.

Chris says it's money he just doesn't have.

I'm, sort of, nine months in from being self employed.

Every single penny we've got is tied into the business.

We really are at the stage where we do struggle some months

to get every bill paid,

particularly if I have a quiet month, it is a little bit tough.

Right at this moment there isn't £150 in my bank account

that I can spare to just get my own property back, it's not happening.

And even if he did have the cash,

for Chris it's now a matter of principle.

Somebody came into my back garden, stole my property.

Yes, the police did the job fantastic, they found a vehicle,

they had it recovered, that's great,

but I don't see why should have to pay for that privilege.

The notice that I've had is either pay the bill

or we will either sell the vehicle or scrap it, which is unacceptable.

I feel pretty letdown that I know my bike is only three miles away from where we're sitting now,

in a locked up unit, and I'm not allowed to touch it.

Chris is one of thousands of motorists every year

who get hit with storage and recovery charges

when their cars or bikes are recovered.

Usually it's because they've had to be moved

to stop them causing an obstruction

or, as in this case, because forensic tests are needed.

The police don't have to charge for recovery,

but there aren't many forces that don't

and though drivers can claim the money back on their insurance, many don't bother,

because they'd still have to pay the excess and it could affect any no claims bonus.

Campaigner Brian Mooney is outraged that motorists who are the victims of crime have to pay at all.

I think the storage of cars should ideally be funded from central funds

cos like other policing it is a paid for service,

paid for by the taxpayer.

The government does have a system of victims surcharges

where victims of other crimes get compensation,

so why give the motorists an unfair deal?

Although most of the charge goes to the vehicle recovery firms,

we were curious as to how much of it the police can keep for themselves.

A Freedom of information request at Chris' local force, Cheshire Police,

found that last year they took in over £200,000 from these fees,

around £20 per vehicle.

Not a bad little earner, you might think,

although they say it's just covers their costs.

Cheshire Constabulary say...

But in Chris' case this wasn't possible because...

They also told us that...

And they say that...

The vehicle recovery company, Egertons,

say they've followed legislation and guidelines at all times.

They gave Chris a deadline to pay £220 to retrieve his bike.

If he failed to do so it would be scrapped,

incurring a disposal fee of £50.

Chris decided to pay the 50 quid and won't be seeing his bike again.

It's my vehicle in my name, so what gives them the right

to sell the vehicle or scrap it, just because I won't pay the £150?

Chris is now saving up to tax his second bike.

Until then...he's off the road.

Still to come on Rip-Off Britain,

we asked you to tell us what's left you feeling ripped off

and we've been inundated with your stories.

The tops complaint for many of you is car clamping, still an issue

and one that costs motorists a staggering £55 million a year.

I told the guy that was my car,

he said, "Right, I want £465 off you."

I said, no, and to me, I think it's just legalised robbery.

And in a Rip-off first, we set up a one-stop advice shop,

with a team of top experts on hand to give you advice face-to-face.

Today we're investigating some of the unwelcome extra costs of being on the road.

If there's one thing guaranteed to strike fear and loathing

into the heart of the driver,

it's coming back to your car to find a ticket on your windscreen.

It's bad enough when it's a traffic warden who put it there,

but what about when it's a private parking company

that patrols the land where you parked?

You've told us that sometimes,

when you think you've been penalised unfairly,

it's impossible to reason with them,

even in circumstances that can only be described as desperate.

Rhea Jackson works at a livery yard in Devon.

She was expecting her first child and everything seemed plain sailing.

I live in Devon, close to Exeter city centre,

right out in the countryside.

I tend to go travelling into town about once a week to do my shopping.

But in March, one of her regular trips to the shops in Exeter

-cost her rather more than usual.

-On this particular morning

I drove into a little shopping centre in Exeter,

parked my car up, I needed the toilet,

which, conveniently, is just across the road.

So, I went to the toilet.

But a few minutes later, ready to hit the shops,

Rhea was incensed to find a parking ticket on her car

in a car park that she thought she was perfectly entitled to park in.

I couldn't really see what it was about,

so I rang my mum to get her to ring the number on the ticket

to find out why I had got the ticket so quickly.

I rang the company up

and I had this chap on the other end of the phone who was SO rude

and just told me that she'd left the car park and it was end of story.

Left the car park? Let's have a closer look at the rules.

The car park is only to be used by shoppers at the retail centre.

Rhea obeyed that rule, she was there to shop and she did.

We've seen the receipts that prove it, so, a tick for her.

Don't park for any longer than an hour and 45 minutes,

another tick the Rhea.

Don't park and leave the premises,

oh, dear, even though she came straight back,

it looks as if needing to pop to the loo meant Rhea broke the rules.

So, I went and read the signs and it did actually say on the signs,

but the print was actually quite small

and when you're parking your car up and are desperate for the toilet

the last thing you're going to do is to read a sign.

Rhea and her mother Karen wrote to the company that runs the car park,

UKCPS Ltd, hoping that a full explanation of events

would get the ticket cancelled.

My mum immediately photocopied the receipt that we had,

I also photocopied my maternity certificate

to prove that I was pregnant

and we sent that off with the parking ticket.

We fully expected the whole thing to be dropped

because, obviously, being pregnant, you're allowed to do various things,

you know, like going to the toilet.

But no such luck,

their appeal was turned down

and because Rhea hadn't settled within seven days,

what could have been a £60 ticket became a £100 penalty.

Karen appealed a second time

and after hearing nothing she wrote to Rip-Off Britain

and that's where it gets confusing

because when we contacted the parking company

they claimed that they had accepted the second appeal

and cancelled the ticket,

but Rhea and Karen say that's news to them.

Edmund King from the AA says that parking rules on private land

can be fraught with problems.

The real problem with parking on private land

is that there is no regulation

and there is absolutely no independent appeals process.

So, basically, you're relying on the goodwill, or not,

of the parking operator or the landowner.

So, what we'd like to see is regulation and that, if you do get a ticket,

there should be an independent appeals process

so that you get a fair hearing.

Although the company in Rhea's case did finally let her off,

they still insist they were in the right,

pointing out that they follow the British Parking Association code of practice

and that's their signage has been upheld in court.

They've told us the charge was reasonable,

not just because their signs warn drivers not to leave the site,

but because there was no need for a Rhea to visit public loos at all

as the shopping centre has its own

and they've sent us a list of exactly where they are.

Perhaps that's information they might consider adding

to their signs in future. It would make them even longer,

but at least it would stop anyone caught short, like Rhea,

from being penalised.

After all, spending a penny shouldn't end up costing a fortune!

Well, our postbag is full of horror stories about parking

and the high price you can be forced to pay for a simple mistake.

Here's Susan Marks from Citizens Advice

with some guidance on what to do

if you're hit with a parking charge that seems unfair.

If you come back to your car in the car park

and you find there's a ticket on your car,

then have a look at any notices that are around,

see if you agree that you have done anything wrong.

If you are in any way disputing it,

take a picture of it or make a note of whatever that situation was.

If there's someone on the spot, then do speak to them.

If it is a parking penalty notice,

which is one that can only be given to you

if you are on a public highway, then it is issued by a local council

and the rules are governed by legislation.

You will have to pay that if you're wrong,

but there is an appeals process if you disagree.

If the piece of paper that you've got is from a private parking company,

if you want to dispute it that is very difficult

because, at the moment, there's no alternative dispute system.

The ban on clamping and towing is coming in

and it will make a real difference to people parking on private land,

like a shopping centre.

You won't be held to ransom if you've just made a genuine mistake.

At a time when money is tighter than ever,

you need to know that your cash is working hard for you,

avoiding rip-offs and shark practice along the way.

So, we've put it together a booklet of tips and advice

to help safeguard your hard-earned money.

You can find a link to the free guide on our website...

Or, if you want to receive a copy in the post,

send an A5 self-addressed envelope

to the address we'll give you right at the end of the programme.

Here at our pop-up shop in Manchester we've had a fantastic response

to the weekend of free consumer advice on offer.

-Gloria, thousands of shoppers here in the Trafford Centre.

-I know.

And have you been amazed at how many of them have come to us with consumer complaints?

Well, to be honest with you, I didn't really know what to expect

because we've been talking for weeks about this Rip-Off Britain pop-up shop.

So, to come to the centre and find our very own shop set up,

you know, it was really great and then it was a true revelation

that, on the first morning of our two-day stint,

we had this enormous queue from about eight in the morning.

It was wonderful, but it just goes to show, I'm not puffing ourselves up at all, I'm not,

but what I do think it shows is that people don't know where to go.

One person who didn't know where to turn to next was Jane.

She bought a second-hand car

from what she thought was a reputable dealership.

I loved it and then a few weeks later I had nothing but problems with the engine, oil consumption

and in fact this, these things that I'd never actually got told at the point-of-sale

and its, yeah, it's cost me nearly £1,100 to get it actually fixed from another garage.

The good news is, because you bought the car second-hand from a dealer

rather than from a private seller,

-you actually have the same rights as if you bought a new car.

-Right.

Now, that means that the car has to be of satisfactory quality,

it must be as it was described and it should also be roadworthy.

The bad news is that because it's second-hand,

sometimes it can be harder to demonstrate that the fault was there when you bought it.

-OK.

-What works in your favour is the fact that the car went so wrong

after such a short length of time, so after a couple of weeks.

So, what I would suggest is that you get back in touch with the dealer,

I would suggest you do this by letter or e-mail rather than by telephone,

and you make a very clear list of exactly what you want.

I think in terms of getting compensation for the money you spent

you are a very firm ground.

If you don't get anywhere then, contact your local Trading Standards

and get them to take the case on for you

because they'll have a record of other complaints and that will also strengthen your case.

Right, OK, thank you so much.

That was really helpful, actually,

I'm really pleased I came along and got some good advice from Sarah,

-so, watch this space!

-SHE LAUGHS

On-the-road costs have featured heavily in our gripe box.

Even fashion designer Jeff Banks has got a problem.

The things that drives me absolutely mad are car repairs.

If you have the slightest scratch or you get a little dent on your car,

it can happen any time these days because the roads are so congested,

they just rip you off.

Petrol prices are extortionate,

it's disgusting how much they have gone up and I think it's a rip-off.

Right, my grievance is, when it came to buying car insurance,

I can't afford to pay upfront, it was about £800,

so I've got to pay it monthly

and it turns out I had to pay just over £1,000 cos of the APR on it.

Even if you weren't able to join us in our advice centre in Manchester

you do have an opportunity to access further information on our website.

You know, we really did get some great advice from the experts at our pop-up shop

and, I have to say, it was terrific to be able to meet so many of you whilst we were there,

but now let's get back to the perils of parking your car

and one of your biggest bugbears, clamping.

55,000 people are clamped in the UK every year

by an industry that is said to be worth £1 billion

and it's now more than a year since the government said they would be clamping down on the clampers,

but there's still no definite date as to when that's going to happen.

So, in the meantime,

an awful lot of you are still going to be experiencing what

has been described as, "highway robbery,"

just for parking in the wrong place.

Audrey Ambrose is a retired shopkeeper from Henley

and she was enjoying a day at the theatre over Christmas

when one bit of careless parking turned into a car-less evening.

We tried all the car parks, couldn't get in any of the car parks

and so we went down to Riverview car park, which also was full,

but then we saw this parking space.

I did see a sign, "Lyndean House, private parking,"

but as it was holiday time, it was the day before New Year's Eve,

there were no cars there at all and so I parked my car there.

Unfortunately for Audrey, the clampers were not on holiday.

When we got back to the car, it was dark and my car had gone.

There was no car there at all.

I immediately phoned the police because my car had been stolen,

there was nothing to say anyone had taken my car.

The next day Audrey returned to the car park

to check that she hadn't just mistaken where she parked her car.

It was only then that I saw the sign saying that there were several charges for parking there

and also there was a telephone number.

I phoned the number and they said they had my car.

I was very relieved when I heard that they had my car.

Audrey's car had been brought here, to the clampers compound.

I told the guy that that was my car.

He said, "Right, I want £465 off you."

I said, "No," so at this point I was so cross I'm afraid I swore at him

and he said that because I'd sworn at him he was going to keep the car

at least three days longer and it would cost me £40 a day.

At this point, I had no alternative but to apologise.

I do know I parked in the wrong place

and I should pay something, but not £465.

That is utterly ridiculous

and, to me, I think it's just legalised robbery.

And while it might sound outrageous,

the fee she was charged is typical,

with the average clamp release fee at £112

and tow away fees usually double that,

motorists are routinely being charged up to £500 by private companies.

Edmund King of the AA says that, although there is a licensing system for the clampers,

there is no regulation at all of their charges.

The clampers try and get as much money as possible

out of the motorists.

Some clampers, we know that after they've clamped someone

they automatically say, "Oh, we've called the tow truck,

"that'll be another £100, another £200."

Other clampers will make up charges,

"You swore at me, that's another £50." So, this is the problem -

once they've got a licence, they can still charge what they want,

they can still fleece the motorists and this is going on all over.

There needs to be some sort of control with these people,

they can charge anything they like,

they're just cashing in on other people's misery.

Audrey's plea may soon be answered.

There is a law currently going through Parliament

which will outlaw clamping on private land.

It's hoped that it will come into effect in 2012.

It would actually become a criminal offence for a parking company,

for a clamper, to clamp someone on private land.

So, we think that that is a step in the right direction,

the problem is that the clampers know that their days are numbered

so they are cashing in before that legislation becomes law

and that is our concern, that more and more people on a daily basis

are being clamped and ripped off.

We asked the company that clamped Audrey to explain their charges,

but they haven't given us a response.

So, in the meantime,

it looks like we all need to keep an eye out for THOSE clampers.

Well, as you can probably tell,

one subject that is guaranteed to get our viewers' blood boiling

is anything at all to do with parking, clamping and towing.

Expressions like, "extortion and theft", "legalised mugging,"

"out-of-control," and, "trigger-happy,"

have all been used to describe certain aspects of the industry,

so let's see what Patrick Troy of the British Parking Association

has got to say in defence of them.

Mr Troy, in Scotland, clamping on private land has been outlawed.

The government there described it as, "extortion and theft,"

and motoring organisations in England said certain sections of the industry

are, "out-of-control," and are involved in, "legalised mugging".

How comfortable are you being involved with an industry

that produces that kind of reaction?

Well, the nature of clamping and removal is such

that it attracts a range of rogues into the parking sector

and what I would say is that our members

are very much not involved in that kind of activity

and that's because we have in place a code of practice,

which our members must sign up to

and they must comply with a variety of different requirements in the code,

around signage, around the level of charge that they can make.

So that's all in our code and what we do is

it's an enforceable code and that's really important

because we make sure that our members do comply with it

and, if they don't comply with it,

then we can take action to either ensure that they do

or if, ultimately, they don't,

then we will expel them from our association.

But that means then that they just go on acting as private companies

without any kind of authorisation at all to ensure that they, if you like, behave themselves.

-So they're outside of the law?

-That's certainly true in terms...

That's not protecting the public at all!

Well, it is, because what the government's put in place in relation to the issue of tickets,

is they've made the British Parking Association an accredited trade association

and what that means is that only members of our association

can access keeper details at DVLA.

So, there is a bit of a control there if they are issuing tickets,

but I completely agree with you

that if they are clamping or towing away there is no control

and this is what we have been saying to the government for a long time,

you need to regulate this sector,

to stop clampers from operating outside of an accredited trade association.

The last government did listen to that

and did put on a statute legislation

which would have required the clamping company to be licensed

and that licence would have required the clamping operator to comply with the code of practice.

What's happened is we've had a change of government

and the current government is not in favour of that solution

and prefers, instead, to ban clamping

and that is what they are in the process of doing now.

Where are we with that at the moment?

Well, at the moment, the bill which bans clamping

is going through Parliament.

We suspect that it will be law this time next year,

-but there is more to be done and we want to work with the government to achieve that.

-Mr Troy, thank you.

Thank you very much.

Here at Rip-Off Britain, we're always ready to investigate more of your stories.

Confused over your bills?

Trying to wade through never-ending small print that leaves you totally confused?

I might been stupid for not reading it,

or I've read it and not took it in.

I could kick myself, I really could.

Unsure what to do when you discover you've lost out

and that great deal has ended up costing you money.

I thought, "This cannot be true, it is totally unacceptable,"

I was so angry.

You might have a cautionary tale of your own

and will be happy to share the mistakes that you've made with us

so that others don't do the same.

No-one knows about this, so this is very, very strange to me

and I really would like to get this much clearer.

You can write to us at...

Or send us an e-mail to...

The Rip-Off team is ready and waiting to investigate your stories.

So, that's where we have to leave it,

but it's clear from the stories we've heard today

that, when parking your car, it always pays to double and triple check any signs whatsoever,

to avoid ending up with a huge penalty or, even worse, getting clamped.

Too true, because even if you think you've parked somewhere legal,

getting it wrong really can cost you dear, so watch out for those signs.

The print may be small, but the consequence can be huge.

That old small print trick again, isn't it? So, do join us again,

when we're going to looking into even more of your stories

and showing you how to avoid being ripped off.

-So, until next time, bye-bye.

-Bye.

-Thanks for your company, bye-bye.

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