0:00:01 > 0:00:05We asked you to tell us who has left you feeling ripped off,
0:00:05 > 0:00:09and you contacted us in your thousands, by post, e-mail,
0:00:09 > 0:00:14even stopping us on the streets. And the message could not be clearer.
0:00:14 > 0:00:18They are in it for what they can get, not to provide a service.
0:00:18 > 0:00:22I didn't sleep! It upset me so much that I didn't sleep.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25You've told us, with money tighter than ever,
0:00:25 > 0:00:29you need to be sure that every pound you spend is worth it.
0:00:29 > 0:00:33How do I get my money back? Because I just think I'm entitled to it.
0:00:33 > 0:00:36So, whether it's a deliberate rip-off,
0:00:36 > 0:00:38a simple mistake or a catch in the small print,
0:00:38 > 0:00:42we'll find out why you are out of pocket and what you can do about it.
0:00:42 > 0:00:46Keep asking the questions, you know, go to the top if you have to.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49We do get results, that's the interesting thing.
0:00:49 > 0:00:53Your stories, your money - this is Rip-Off Britain.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58Hello, and a very warm welcome to Rip-Off Britain,
0:00:58 > 0:01:01the series that battles on your behalf to find out exactly why,
0:01:01 > 0:01:03after handing over your cash,
0:01:03 > 0:01:06you may end up with nothing like you expected.
0:01:06 > 0:01:09Or indeed, as with some of the people we'll be hearing
0:01:09 > 0:01:13from today, you may end up with a big, fat zero, nothing at all.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16That's because when you sign up to a deal that doesn't materialise,
0:01:16 > 0:01:20it's very often because you've been persuaded to do so by either
0:01:20 > 0:01:24very convincing advertisements or smooth-talking salesmen.
0:01:24 > 0:01:25Now, of course,
0:01:25 > 0:01:29companies depend on both of those things to boost their profits.
0:01:29 > 0:01:33But in the situations you've been telling us about, too often,
0:01:33 > 0:01:36those profits can mean your loss.
0:01:36 > 0:01:38It's not always easy to tell
0:01:38 > 0:01:41whether some things are bargains or bogus, which is why,
0:01:41 > 0:01:44among our cases today, are people who have lost hundreds,
0:01:44 > 0:01:48even thousands of pounds, because of promises that haven't come true.
0:01:48 > 0:01:49But the good news is, we've got
0:01:49 > 0:01:54some excellent advice to stop the same thing happening to you.
0:01:54 > 0:01:59Coming up, some of the most memorable scams we've investigated before,
0:01:59 > 0:02:03including one that has cost this family hundreds of pounds.
0:02:03 > 0:02:07I'm not only having to cover the cost for the loan, I'm also having
0:02:07 > 0:02:11to cover the costs that we have lost through applying for this loan.
0:02:11 > 0:02:15The promise of guaranteed cash prizes
0:02:15 > 0:02:18dropping through your letter box, but do they ever pay-out?
0:02:18 > 0:02:25This is a cheque for £20,500. And if it is lies or deceit, it's fraud.
0:02:25 > 0:02:29And our experts pop up in one of Britain's biggest shopping centres,
0:02:29 > 0:02:32to solve more of your problems face-to-face.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35Now, if you are someone who thinks that you are just too savvy
0:02:35 > 0:02:38to be taken in by a scam, don't be so sure.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41Because here is one that is not only fiendishly clever,
0:02:41 > 0:02:43but is very much on the rise.
0:02:43 > 0:02:45So, pay attention to how they do it, because remember,
0:02:45 > 0:02:49the next person they target could very well be you.
0:02:52 > 0:02:56Now, it's important to try and stay ahead of crooks and conmen,
0:02:56 > 0:02:59who employ cunning tactics to come up with ways to
0:02:59 > 0:03:02get their hands on your cash.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05Some scams may start with a simple phone call,
0:03:05 > 0:03:07as cake maker Fiona Keane discovered.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12Phoned on a Sunday night, about 9pm, by someone
0:03:12 > 0:03:14called Alex from the 24-hour fraud team,
0:03:14 > 0:03:17who seemed to know all my details,
0:03:17 > 0:03:19my name, my phone number, my address.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22And he said I had been a victim of a Section 24 fraud,
0:03:22 > 0:03:26my Barclaycard had been cloned and all my cards had been cloned.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29Claiming to be from Barclaycard,
0:03:29 > 0:03:33the man calling himself Alex told Fiona that her details were
0:03:33 > 0:03:36already being used to buy things like petrol
0:03:36 > 0:03:39and mobile phone credit, and to prove that it wasn't her racking up
0:03:39 > 0:03:44the cash, he needed to send a courier round to collect her cards.
0:03:44 > 0:03:48Immediately said, "I'm not handing my cards over to you."
0:03:48 > 0:03:50He said, no, no, it was a new system.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53If they put the card through the machine, it could be proved that
0:03:53 > 0:03:54I hadn't used the cards
0:03:54 > 0:03:57in the places where there had been activity,
0:03:57 > 0:03:59then I would definitely get the money back.
0:03:59 > 0:04:03The caller warned that if Fiona didn't cooperate,
0:04:03 > 0:04:06it was unlikely she would ever get her money back.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09But she refused to hand over her cards,
0:04:09 > 0:04:12and that is when things got really sneaky.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15When I was becoming suspicious, Alex asked me
0:04:15 > 0:04:18to phone the customer care number on the back of my Barclaycard,
0:04:18 > 0:04:21to verify that it was a genuine fraud.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26I put the phone down to Alex and picked up the phone,
0:04:26 > 0:04:29and I didn't listen for a dial tone, and then,
0:04:29 > 0:04:33I phoned the customer care line on the back of my Barclaycard and
0:04:33 > 0:04:36I got through to a person and said, you know, explained what happened.
0:04:36 > 0:04:40He said, "I'm just going to put you through to the fraud team."
0:04:40 > 0:04:42And immediately, I got through to this Alex.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45Although the whole situation felt quite strange,
0:04:45 > 0:04:47I was quite relieved to be put through
0:04:47 > 0:04:51to Barclaycard from the number I had called on the back of the card.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54But Fiona wasn't speaking to Barclaycard at all.
0:04:54 > 0:04:58Now, unbeknown to her, when she hung up the phone to this so-called Alex,
0:04:58 > 0:05:03he hadn't disconnected his end of the call and was still on the line.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06So, Fiona wasn't talking to a genuine fraud department.
0:05:06 > 0:05:10In fact, there is no such thing as Section 24 fraud.
0:05:10 > 0:05:11And whoever he really was,
0:05:11 > 0:05:14Alex certainly didn't work for Barclaycard.
0:05:14 > 0:05:18But his phone trick had won Fiona over
0:05:18 > 0:05:21and he kept her on the line until the courier arrived.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24He asked me to wrap the cards in tissue paper
0:05:24 > 0:05:31and to put it in an envelope and to write NW1 and then a code number.
0:05:31 > 0:05:3430 minutes into the call, a man arrived,
0:05:34 > 0:05:37ready to collect all six of Fiona's bank cards.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40I have to say, it did look a little bit shifty.
0:05:40 > 0:05:45When I was handing over the cards, I was shaking, because I was...
0:05:45 > 0:05:48I was giving away my personal things,
0:05:48 > 0:05:51and it's not something I would normally do.
0:05:51 > 0:05:56The courier left, supposedly taking the cards across London,
0:05:56 > 0:05:59to where they could be checked and a block put on them.
0:05:59 > 0:06:03And Alex said he needed Fiona to stay on the line until they arrived.
0:06:03 > 0:06:05I kept asking, "Can I put the phone down now?"
0:06:05 > 0:06:07He said, "No, no, no." And he said to me,
0:06:07 > 0:06:09"He's just going through security now,"
0:06:09 > 0:06:13to make it sound professional, like it was a police organisation.
0:06:13 > 0:06:18And he eventually got through, and that's when he asked me
0:06:18 > 0:06:21to read out the PIN numbers, so he could block them.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26Now eating out of the fraudsters' hands,
0:06:26 > 0:06:30Fiona proceeded to give them the PIN codes for five of her cards,
0:06:30 > 0:06:32and she was relieved when Alex said
0:06:32 > 0:06:34they could prove that she hadn't used them,
0:06:34 > 0:06:36and she would be getting all her money back
0:06:36 > 0:06:39if she unplugged her phone.
0:06:39 > 0:06:41He said to me,
0:06:41 > 0:06:43"We need your line, in order to wire the money back to you."
0:06:43 > 0:06:47And that he would tell me when to put the line back.
0:06:47 > 0:06:49By this time, it was almost 11pm
0:06:49 > 0:06:53and after being on the phone for two hours to Alex, whom Fiona,
0:06:53 > 0:06:56by the way, still believed was from Barclaycard's fraud team,
0:06:56 > 0:07:00she followed his instructions and disconnected her landline.
0:07:00 > 0:07:04I felt quite suspicious. I had never been asked to undo my phone line
0:07:04 > 0:07:08and I do realise now that it was so people couldn't contact me.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13So, as arranged, the fraudster rang Fiona again the next day,
0:07:13 > 0:07:14on her mobile,
0:07:14 > 0:07:18to update her on the progress supposedly being made with her case.
0:07:18 > 0:07:20He had been keeping in contact with me
0:07:20 > 0:07:23on my mobile phone at various times of day, just to tell me
0:07:23 > 0:07:27how things were going, and he said that they had the CCTV, they had the
0:07:27 > 0:07:30pictures of the people who actually had been defrauding my card.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33He was being very chatty and charming,
0:07:33 > 0:07:35and even though I had doubts at the back of my mind,
0:07:35 > 0:07:39I just kept saying to myself, "Oh, you're being silly," you know,
0:07:39 > 0:07:42"They are sorting it out for you." And he did say to me,
0:07:42 > 0:07:44"You won't need to contact your banks,
0:07:44 > 0:07:46"I'm dealing with that for you as well."
0:07:46 > 0:07:50The reassuring calls to Fiona's mobile continued,
0:07:50 > 0:07:53but when they stopped, she reconnected her landline.
0:07:53 > 0:07:57And that is when she was horrified to realise she'd been scammed.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01I found all the messages on the phone,
0:08:01 > 0:08:05people had been trying to contact me, the banks, M&S, to tell me.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08I actually felt sick.
0:08:08 > 0:08:13To have your cards actually taken from your own home is unbelievable
0:08:13 > 0:08:16and it is really quite shocking, and how smooth that happened.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22Fiona discovered that the fraudsters had quickly made
0:08:22 > 0:08:24full use of her cards.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27I can see that they were spending as soon as Sunday,
0:08:27 > 0:08:29so they got straight on to it.
0:08:29 > 0:08:34And for the next two days, they were spending large amounts.
0:08:34 > 0:08:39£400, £500, then into the thousands.
0:08:39 > 0:08:43The total amount they've spent on this particular card is £7,000,
0:08:43 > 0:08:45in fact, they maxed out my card.
0:08:45 > 0:08:50In total, the fraudsters spent £15,000.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53Luckily, Barclaycard provide customers with a fraud guarantee,
0:08:53 > 0:08:55so they won't lose out.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58And as Fiona could prove that she had been the victim of fraud,
0:08:58 > 0:09:00she got her money back within a week.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05Barclaycard told us that they are aware of this scam,
0:09:05 > 0:09:08but would never, ever call, asking for personal details
0:09:08 > 0:09:11or requiring cards to be returned.
0:09:11 > 0:09:15And anyone who receives a request like that should end the call.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21Meanwhile, although Fiona has her money back,
0:09:21 > 0:09:24she's now on a security register and will have to go through
0:09:24 > 0:09:27enhanced checks when trying to get credit in the future.
0:09:27 > 0:09:29I couldn't believe that had happened to me,
0:09:29 > 0:09:33because I'm not the sort of person who would give my cards away.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36The whole of this experience has really shaken me up,
0:09:36 > 0:09:39but I'm very relieved to have all my money back,
0:09:39 > 0:09:42and it is an extremely sophisticated scam.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48Well, fabulous news, of course, that Fiona has got her money back.
0:09:48 > 0:09:52But someone, somewhere, has still done very well out of that scam.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55So, Neil Aitken from the Payments Council is here,
0:09:55 > 0:09:58with advice on how to make sure, in similar situations,
0:09:58 > 0:10:02that you can protect yourself, and of course, your money.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06You might find that you're cold-called at home by someone posing
0:10:06 > 0:10:09either as someone from your bank or from the police.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12They might have a bit of personal information about you.
0:10:12 > 0:10:14They might know who you bank with,
0:10:14 > 0:10:18but they will reveal themselves to be fraudsters by the extra information
0:10:18 > 0:10:22they ask for that your bank or the police would never request from you.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28The thing to really watch out for is if they try
0:10:28 > 0:10:31and persuade you to enter your PIN.
0:10:31 > 0:10:35Now, that could be reading it out over the phone or that could be
0:10:35 > 0:10:38entering it into the telephone keypad.
0:10:38 > 0:10:42Your PIN is completely personal to you.
0:10:42 > 0:10:44No-one from your bank will ever request it.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50The scam develops and they tell you that they are going to send
0:10:50 > 0:10:53round a courier to pick up your card.
0:10:53 > 0:10:57Again, this should set alarm bells ringing immediately.
0:10:57 > 0:10:59Your bank or the police will never, ever
0:10:59 > 0:11:02send someone round to pick up your card.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05If this does happen, it means you know you're talking to a fraudster.
0:11:08 > 0:11:10They will try and win your trust by saying,
0:11:10 > 0:11:13"Call us back on the number on the back of your card."
0:11:13 > 0:11:17Now, what they will actually do is they will keep the phone line
0:11:17 > 0:11:18open at their end.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21They might even play the noise of a dial tone down the phone to
0:11:21 > 0:11:26persuade you that when you call back, you're speaking to the real deal.
0:11:29 > 0:11:31Take a minute. You don't need to call back immediately.
0:11:31 > 0:11:36If you have a mobile phone, call back on that on the advertised number you
0:11:36 > 0:11:40have and then you can be sure you're getting through to the right people.
0:11:42 > 0:11:44If you think you have been a victim of this fraud,
0:11:44 > 0:11:48contact the police straightaway then speak to your bank immediately.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51Report your card as lost and stolen.
0:11:51 > 0:11:55No-one who is an innocent victim of fraud will ever lose out financially.
0:11:57 > 0:12:01Now, unfortunately, there is always someone out there who is prepared
0:12:01 > 0:12:05to do absolutely anything to part you from your hard-earned cash.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08And they are always on the lookout for new ways in which they can
0:12:08 > 0:12:11do it, so you can bet that
0:12:11 > 0:12:14whenever some bright spark comes up with an idea that is supposed
0:12:14 > 0:12:17to make our lives easier, someone else is immediately
0:12:17 > 0:12:21going to find a way to turn that to their advantage.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24And judging from the e-mails and letters you have sent us this year,
0:12:24 > 0:12:28that is exactly what seems to be happening with Ukash vouchers,
0:12:28 > 0:12:32a very simple but increasingly popular way to make payments.
0:12:32 > 0:12:36But, scamsters are using them to rip you off,
0:12:36 > 0:12:38and here is how they are doing it.
0:12:40 > 0:12:45For Louise Beard and her soldier husband Lee, every penny counts.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48One step, two steps, tickles everywhere!
0:12:48 > 0:12:52Lee is often posted abroad, and while he is away,
0:12:52 > 0:12:55running the family finances falls on Louise's shoulders.
0:12:55 > 0:13:00That meant sorting out the final repayments on their car.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03They bought it on a deal where the biggest monthly payment was
0:13:03 > 0:13:05saved until last.
0:13:05 > 0:13:07One, two, three, up.
0:13:07 > 0:13:11So, a bill for almost £6,000 was looming.
0:13:11 > 0:13:19We bought a car on finance in 2009, and it was due to finish
0:13:19 > 0:13:21while my husband is away in Afghan.
0:13:21 > 0:13:26So I was looking online to see if I could get a loan that way.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29After she entered her details on a website,
0:13:29 > 0:13:33Louise was delighted to get a call offering her a £15,000 loan.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38Hoping that this was the answer to her financial worries,
0:13:38 > 0:13:40she checked out the credentials of the company,
0:13:40 > 0:13:43who called themselves CitiFinancial.
0:13:43 > 0:13:47I checked the Financial Services Authority number
0:13:47 > 0:13:49and the licence number.
0:13:49 > 0:13:53It all looked legit, so I went ahead with the £15,000 loan.
0:13:53 > 0:13:55As well as that research,
0:13:55 > 0:13:59she was sent an official-looking e-mail confirming her application.
0:13:59 > 0:14:03So, Louise was happy that this company was genuine.
0:14:03 > 0:14:07So when this so-called CitiFinancial got back in touch
0:14:07 > 0:14:11asking for a £215 fee to process her application, she wasn't worried.
0:14:13 > 0:14:17I just had to pay a small processing fee by Ukash voucher.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20And they also gave me the address of a local shop to go
0:14:20 > 0:14:24and collect the voucher from, which I was happy to because I did know
0:14:24 > 0:14:27that other companies do ask for a processing fee.
0:14:27 > 0:14:32Ukash vouchers are prepaid shopping vouchers that you can
0:14:32 > 0:14:34purchase at shops across the country.
0:14:34 > 0:14:36You buy a voucher for the amount that you want,
0:14:36 > 0:14:40then you use the unique number printed on it to spend the money.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43It's a quick and easy process, very similar to using cash
0:14:43 > 0:14:46because, once you have handed over the number,
0:14:46 > 0:14:49that's the money spent and there's no way of getting it back.
0:14:49 > 0:14:52I went into the local shop, I purchased a voucher,
0:14:52 > 0:14:55which had the voucher number on the receipt.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58I then came out the shop, phoned up the company,
0:14:58 > 0:15:02gave them the voucher number and the expiry date.
0:15:02 > 0:15:04Little did Louise know
0:15:04 > 0:15:07that the company was not who they said they were.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10But now, they had her hooked... Would you like some fish food?
0:15:10 > 0:15:14..and it was time to reel her in.
0:15:14 > 0:15:18An hour later, they called Louise again, suddenly changing the deal.
0:15:18 > 0:15:22They said my earnings weren't high enough, so I would need to purchase
0:15:22 > 0:15:28another Ukash voucher to prove that I could pay the monthly instalments.
0:15:28 > 0:15:30And I couldn't afford to lose the money that
0:15:30 > 0:15:34I had already put down, so I went and got the next voucher.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37Determined to get the loan sorted,
0:15:37 > 0:15:40Louise dashed to the shop to buy a second voucher, this time
0:15:40 > 0:15:45for £300, enough to cover the extra fee of £299.
0:15:45 > 0:15:49She then called the company, gave them the voucher number,
0:15:49 > 0:15:51but shortly afterwards, they rang her back.
0:15:51 > 0:15:56I was then told they couldn't use the voucher because it had to
0:15:56 > 0:16:01be for £299 only, and I would need to go and purchase one for 299.
0:16:01 > 0:16:06But I could still use the £300 one to pay my bills, my gas, my electric.
0:16:06 > 0:16:10So, I thought, well, that's OK, because I needed to pay them.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13So, Louise went out and bought a third voucher
0:16:13 > 0:16:16for the exact amount of £299.
0:16:16 > 0:16:20By now, she had handed over more than £800.
0:16:20 > 0:16:22And alarm bells started ringing
0:16:22 > 0:16:29when someone from the company rang her back yet again asking for MORE.
0:16:29 > 0:16:33He said to me that the money was all ready to go into my account
0:16:33 > 0:16:36but I would need to pay a soft electronic transfer,
0:16:36 > 0:16:40which I would get back soon as I had done it.
0:16:40 > 0:16:42But I would need to pay another lot of money.
0:16:42 > 0:16:46I then realised something wasn't right and I told him, I said
0:16:46 > 0:16:50to him, "Let's just forget about the application and refund my money."
0:16:50 > 0:16:54He then told me he couldn't do that and hung up the phone.
0:16:54 > 0:17:00I was gutted, I didn't know how to tell my husband. It was awful.
0:17:00 > 0:17:02I was devastated with it.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05And that devastation only got worse,
0:17:05 > 0:17:08because although the company had led Louise to believe that they would
0:17:08 > 0:17:13not be cashing in the second voucher for £300, they already had.
0:17:13 > 0:17:19They ended up cashing every voucher, which worked out about £815 in total.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22I don't even earn that in a month.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25When she told me, obviously, I was really gutted.
0:17:25 > 0:17:29I thought, like, it's quite a lot of money to lose in one go.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31You can only check everything that you know about and, obviously,
0:17:31 > 0:17:34these guys are working around that and doing a really good
0:17:34 > 0:17:37job at what they do, which is to con money out of normal people.
0:17:37 > 0:17:39Desperate to get their money back,
0:17:39 > 0:17:43Louise has tried calling the company on the number they gave her.
0:17:43 > 0:17:44There's no reply.
0:17:46 > 0:17:48It's just ringing like it always does.
0:17:50 > 0:17:54There is a genuine company with a similar name to the one the scamsters used.
0:17:54 > 0:18:00It is based in the city of London and called CitiFinancial Europe plc, part of Citigroup.
0:18:00 > 0:18:04But they no longer offer loans to new customers and now have a
0:18:04 > 0:18:08warning on their website about companies using names or reference
0:18:08 > 0:18:12numbers that are similar to theirs to scam you out of money.
0:18:12 > 0:18:17They advise anyone offered a loan in this way to contact the police.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22And whoever the scamsters really were,
0:18:22 > 0:18:25they were able to exploit the simplicity of Ukash vouchers
0:18:25 > 0:18:32to trick Louise out of over £800, money she could not afford to lose.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34I'm angry with it,
0:18:34 > 0:18:38because I was hoping to have it a bit easier when he is in Afghan.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41But it hasn't. It has put a lot more pressure on me
0:18:41 > 0:18:45because I'm not only having to cover costs for the loan, but I'm having
0:18:45 > 0:18:49to cover the costs that we have lost through applying for this loan.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52Well, later in the programme, we're going to be hearing more about
0:18:52 > 0:18:57situations where Ukash payments have been targeted by scamsters.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00And we're also going to be talking to the company behind the scheme
0:19:00 > 0:19:03to see what they have done to make it safe.
0:19:03 > 0:19:05Still to come on Rip-Off Britain,
0:19:05 > 0:19:08the mailshots that promise a life-changing sum of money.
0:19:08 > 0:19:10So what's the catch,
0:19:10 > 0:19:13and how likely is it that your money will ever arrive?
0:19:14 > 0:19:17My advice to anybody that gets this is, don't even look at it.
0:19:17 > 0:19:19Just stick it in the bin.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27Rip-Off Britain has come to the Northeast of England.
0:19:27 > 0:19:32Overnight, we've created a shop where anyone can pop in to receive
0:19:32 > 0:19:34instant advice from our team of consumer experts.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40The marvellous thing about you being quite early in the day, John,
0:19:40 > 0:19:42is the fact I can take you straight to the expert.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45Come on. Let's go for it! I know.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48First up to see our travel expert, Simon Calder, is John.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51He feels badly let down by his travel insurance company
0:19:51 > 0:19:55after his partner had an accident on holiday in Scotland.
0:19:55 > 0:20:00We got to Bute, went out walking, she fell and broke her wrist.
0:20:00 > 0:20:05It involved us in taxis, trips to the mainland for X-rays.
0:20:05 > 0:20:09In total, the costs came to about £135.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12So, we put the insurance claim in,
0:20:12 > 0:20:16we got a letter back to say that this insurance policy does not
0:20:16 > 0:20:21cover us for the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man.
0:20:21 > 0:20:23Here we are, here we are.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26In the section the Emergency, Medical and Treatment Expenses,
0:20:26 > 0:20:30it very specifically says this section does not apply to
0:20:30 > 0:20:33trips within the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man if you live there.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36What should they have done?
0:20:36 > 0:20:40The advice is, unless there is a very particular reason that
0:20:40 > 0:20:45you would want to get insurance for a UK trip, don't bother.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48Will you take this issue up on behalf of John? I most certainly am.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51I want to find out, first of all, how they can possibly be
0:20:51 > 0:20:56selling insurance at that price - £55 for five days in Scotland.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59I don't know if we have, legally, a leg to stand on,
0:20:59 > 0:21:02but morally, I'm afraid this is an almighty rip-off.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05Are you a happy man, John? Very much so.
0:21:05 > 0:21:07Brilliant. Thank you very much indeed.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10Our pop-up shop has certainly drawn the crowds, and our experts
0:21:10 > 0:21:13are being kept busy with an extraordinary range of problems.
0:21:13 > 0:21:18Good heavens above! Sarah, what is the legal position here?
0:21:18 > 0:21:20If nobody is offering you any financial recompense,
0:21:20 > 0:21:22then you may have to consider going through the courts.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25Michael has been left with an expensive repair bill
0:21:25 > 0:21:28after his car was damaged by a pothole,
0:21:28 > 0:21:31and wants some advice on what to do next with his claim
0:21:31 > 0:21:35after his local authority's insurer refused to pay out.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38They wouldn't accept a claim for damage
0:21:38 > 0:21:42against a third party's insurer.
0:21:42 > 0:21:44I didn't know where to turn next.
0:21:44 > 0:21:48The difficulty here is you're not a client of the local
0:21:48 > 0:21:51authority's insurer, so you don't have that same protection that you
0:21:51 > 0:21:55do, you know, if it was your own insurance policy.
0:21:55 > 0:21:58So, there are a couple of other options open to you.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01One of them, you probably considered, which is
0:22:01 > 0:22:04to make a claim on your own car insurance policy.
0:22:04 > 0:22:08But, of course, you've then got your own excess to pay,
0:22:08 > 0:22:10that damages your own claims record.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13The only other option open to you now is to
0:22:13 > 0:22:16think about complaining to the Local Government Ombudsman.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19At least you will get an independent set of eyes looking over your case.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22Well, I have records from the insurance company which
0:22:22 > 0:22:28show that the last time the road was surveyed was in February.
0:22:28 > 0:22:34And no survey exists for March. The accident was in April.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37Well, that sounds like that could be a key piece of evidence
0:22:37 > 0:22:40and, you know, that evidence is all stuff that should be
0:22:40 > 0:22:43put in your claim to the Local Government Ombudsman.
0:22:43 > 0:22:45Best of luck with it, let's hope you get that insurer to pay out.
0:22:45 > 0:22:49I will certainly do that, and thanks very much for your advice.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54Now, if you're really being honest, which one of us hasn't at some
0:22:54 > 0:22:59stage dreamt of what we would do if we won that small fortune in cash.
0:22:59 > 0:23:01So imagine how you would feel if you suddenly received
0:23:01 > 0:23:05a letter in the post saying that you had won thousands of pounds.
0:23:05 > 0:23:07Not that you stood a chance of winning it,
0:23:07 > 0:23:10but that already the money was definitely yours.
0:23:10 > 0:23:12Now, you would probably think it was all too good to be true,
0:23:12 > 0:23:16but then again, when it is all there written in black and white, you
0:23:16 > 0:23:20might also hope for the best and wait for your windfall to arrive.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23Well, Alan Downing received a letter just like that.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26So, was Lady Luck truly on his side, and if not,
0:23:26 > 0:23:27what was really going on?
0:23:31 > 0:23:36On average, every household receives 377 pieces of junk mail
0:23:36 > 0:23:39through its letter box each year, and it can be very hard to
0:23:39 > 0:23:43decide what is junk and what is a genuine offer or promise.
0:23:45 > 0:23:47A dilemma faced by Alan Downing,
0:23:47 > 0:23:53when he started getting letters saying he had won huge cash prizes.
0:23:53 > 0:23:55"With the confirmation of the amount,
0:23:55 > 0:24:00"we hereby confirm that the amount of this cheque is £15,500."
0:24:00 > 0:24:04We go 15,500...15,500...
0:24:04 > 0:24:1015,500...
0:24:10 > 0:24:13and 20,500.
0:24:13 > 0:24:15If all this did come to me,
0:24:15 > 0:24:17I would be one of the richest men in Manchester.
0:24:19 > 0:24:23The letters came from a mail order company called Star Shopping,
0:24:23 > 0:24:25which has a PO address in Dublin.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28They also sent Alan a catalogue of products.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31I'm reading it, the products in it didn't really interest me
0:24:31 > 0:24:36in the first place, but then I started thinking,
0:24:36 > 0:24:39"They've told me I've won 20,500 here."
0:24:41 > 0:24:43More than that, they guaranteed it.
0:24:43 > 0:24:45So, with such a clear promise,
0:24:45 > 0:24:48well, 72-year-old Alan just couldn't resist replying.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51When I saw the documents, I thought,
0:24:51 > 0:24:54"Well, we can all do with £20,500 for doing nothing."
0:24:54 > 0:24:57I was quite wary that it was going to be a scam,
0:24:57 > 0:25:00but I thought, I'll continue it, cos it will only cost me a stamp.
0:25:00 > 0:25:04And, well, somebody might be silly enough at the other end to
0:25:04 > 0:25:06actually make a cheque out for me.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12Star Shopping quickly wrote back, not with a cheque,
0:25:12 > 0:25:14but with an assurance that if he ordered something
0:25:14 > 0:25:17from the catalogue, the money would be sent right away.
0:25:17 > 0:25:21The catalogue said I didn't have to buy anything,
0:25:21 > 0:25:24but if I did, it would speed it up.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27So, Alan placed an order.
0:25:27 > 0:25:28I got the goods.
0:25:28 > 0:25:34I got this plastic squeegee thing on a piece of plastic, but no cheque.
0:25:34 > 0:25:36And, funnily enough, there still hasn't been.
0:25:36 > 0:25:40Although, over the next six months, Alan received
0:25:40 > 0:25:44a further 25 letters insisting that the money was still waiting for him
0:25:44 > 0:25:46at Star Shopping's headquarters,
0:25:46 > 0:25:50and all he had to do to get it was order more.
0:25:50 > 0:25:5220,500, this one!
0:25:52 > 0:25:56"Mr Downing, this is the best day of your life."
0:25:56 > 0:25:59I thought that was my wedding day.
0:26:00 > 0:26:04"You are the one and only lucky winning beneficiary of the big
0:26:04 > 0:26:08"bank cheque for 20,500."
0:26:08 > 0:26:09They don't give up with this.
0:26:11 > 0:26:15I'm afraid Alan has given up on ever receiving his prize.
0:26:15 > 0:26:19Still, at least he didn't waste too much money.
0:26:19 > 0:26:21Unlike John Cooper from Bournemouth.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24He received the same letters from Star Shopping
0:26:24 > 0:26:28and indeed from other mail-order companies, some of which appear to be connected.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31He was also told that as soon as he ordered from the catalogues,
0:26:31 > 0:26:34his five-figure prize would be on its way.
0:26:34 > 0:26:39I've probably placed about 16 to 18 orders with Star,
0:26:39 > 0:26:43and with the other mail-order firms, probably about another ten.
0:26:43 > 0:26:45Generally speaking,
0:26:45 > 0:26:50I suppose the orders would come to about £15 to £20 each time.
0:26:51 > 0:26:56Mainly small, domestic items, bottles of fluid for cleaning
0:26:56 > 0:26:59plastic, windows and chairs,
0:26:59 > 0:27:03some crystals for putting down drains to unblock them.
0:27:03 > 0:27:05Nothing very exciting.
0:27:06 > 0:27:10When John contacted Star Shopping to see where his winner's cheque
0:27:10 > 0:27:13was, three of the company directors assured him
0:27:13 > 0:27:15in writing that it would he sent to him shortly.
0:27:15 > 0:27:19All three of them had signed a document confirming that
0:27:19 > 0:27:21I had won that money.
0:27:21 > 0:27:24So I was just waiting for the cheque to come through the post,
0:27:24 > 0:27:26but, of course, I'm still waiting.
0:27:26 > 0:27:30Now, believing that his winnings were on their way,
0:27:30 > 0:27:34John spent £350 on Star Shopping products alone.
0:27:34 > 0:27:38He also spent almost £200 on goods from the other catalogues
0:27:38 > 0:27:43because they, too, promised that he had won big cash prizes.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46There's probably about 300 different pamphlets,
0:27:46 > 0:27:50envelopes and letters, all of which are clearly pointing
0:27:50 > 0:27:55out that a massive prize has been won by myself.
0:27:55 > 0:27:59This is a cheque for £20,500.
0:27:59 > 0:28:05"It is not a discount voucher but a real first-prize bank cheque."
0:28:05 > 0:28:07That is just one indication.
0:28:07 > 0:28:10I was the only person getting the prize.
0:28:10 > 0:28:13I mean, I wouldn't have expected that to be true,
0:28:13 > 0:28:16but when somebody makes a statement like that in business,
0:28:16 > 0:28:22under contract, and firms make that contract, they must stand by it.
0:28:22 > 0:28:25If it is lies or deceit, it's fraud.
0:28:28 > 0:28:31Now, you may also have received catalogues like these.
0:28:31 > 0:28:34Many of them have addresses in either the Netherlands or Belgium,
0:28:34 > 0:28:36and several of them
0:28:36 > 0:28:40have links to a Belgian mail order company, D Duchesne SA,
0:28:40 > 0:28:42a business that the Office of Fair Trading
0:28:42 > 0:28:44has taken action against in the past,
0:28:44 > 0:28:48all as part of an ongoing battle about these kinds of prize draws.
0:28:48 > 0:28:51But I'm afraid that hasn't stopped the same sort
0:28:51 > 0:28:56of misleading letters being sent to countless households across the UK.
0:28:56 > 0:28:59We contacted all the companies who had written to John to ask
0:28:59 > 0:29:03why neither he nor anyone else we have heard from has ever
0:29:03 > 0:29:06received the prize they were supposedly guaranteed.
0:29:06 > 0:29:07Not one of them replied.
0:29:11 > 0:29:14John still can't believe that they're able to make such
0:29:14 > 0:29:17big claims without delivering on their promises.
0:29:17 > 0:29:22Perhaps a person listening to this might say "He was naive,
0:29:22 > 0:29:27"I would never fall for that." Well, my view is that firms
0:29:27 > 0:29:31should not be able to make these sort of offers.
0:29:31 > 0:29:33They should be heavily penalised.
0:29:33 > 0:29:37They made these false promises and kept on repeating the promises
0:29:37 > 0:29:40when they were complete lies.
0:29:40 > 0:29:43And Alan has some words of wisdom for anyone who receives
0:29:43 > 0:29:47a letter like this, suggesting they have won a cash prize.
0:29:47 > 0:29:50My advice to anyone who gets these is don't even look at.
0:29:50 > 0:29:53Just stick it in the bin. Or return to sender.
0:29:53 > 0:29:55Cos you're not going to get it.
0:29:56 > 0:30:00If you have ever been tempted by a deal or a promise that is not what
0:30:00 > 0:30:06it seems, or is just too good to be true, here's how to resist it.
0:30:06 > 0:30:08The first thing is that if someone calls your house to try to
0:30:08 > 0:30:11sell you something, don't feel under pressure.
0:30:11 > 0:30:14It is quite likely that the sales man or woman will be under
0:30:14 > 0:30:17pressure themselves because they will have sales targets to meet.
0:30:17 > 0:30:20That is their problem and not yours.
0:30:20 > 0:30:24Take your time and only buy something if you want to buy it
0:30:24 > 0:30:26and you want to buy it there and then.
0:30:26 > 0:30:27If not, just say no.
0:30:29 > 0:30:31If you buy something at home or at your office, basically,
0:30:31 > 0:30:34away from the normal place where the company does its business
0:30:34 > 0:30:36you have some fairly good rights.
0:30:36 > 0:30:39You have the right to cancel within seven days
0:30:39 > 0:30:42and that seven days starts from when you were given the information
0:30:42 > 0:30:46about your cancellation rights which may not be when you actually sign up.
0:30:47 > 0:30:50If you're getting plagued by lots of doorstep sellers you might
0:30:50 > 0:30:53want to consider setting up a no-cold-calling zone.
0:30:53 > 0:30:56It is something that your local trading standards
0:30:56 > 0:30:58and the police can organise for you.
0:30:58 > 0:31:01It is not an automatic right, normally there has to be a certain
0:31:01 > 0:31:05amount of either old or vulnerable people living in your area.
0:31:05 > 0:31:08If you are fed up with junk mail coming shooting through your
0:31:08 > 0:31:12letter box, I suggest that you sign up with a Mailing Preference Scheme.
0:31:12 > 0:31:15That means that companies that you do not have any business with
0:31:15 > 0:31:17will not be able to send you junk mail.
0:31:17 > 0:31:20You will still get some marketing information from companies
0:31:20 > 0:31:23like your bank or your energy supplier.
0:31:23 > 0:31:26Signing up for the Mailing Preference Scheme won't necessarily mean
0:31:26 > 0:31:28that you stop getting those dodgy letters saying that you
0:31:28 > 0:31:31have won a lottery that you have never entered or that you have
0:31:31 > 0:31:35won a prize competition. Generally, these offers are dodgy.
0:31:35 > 0:31:39Don't even open the envelope. Shred it or get rid of it.
0:31:39 > 0:31:41If you reply to one of these companies,
0:31:41 > 0:31:45you could find your name is put on what is called a "suckers list."
0:31:45 > 0:31:47That means that your details will be traded
0:31:47 > 0:31:48with other would-be fraudsters.
0:31:51 > 0:31:55Earlier in the programme we heard how an increasingly popular
0:31:55 > 0:32:00form of payment can be exploited by companies determined to rip you off.
0:32:00 > 0:32:03Ukash vouchers as they are called are a perfectly legitimate
0:32:03 > 0:32:06and apparently easy way of paying for things.
0:32:06 > 0:32:09In some parts of the country, Trading Standards officers
0:32:09 > 0:32:13are warning of scams, which mean you could end up out of pocket.
0:32:13 > 0:32:18So, could it be that Ukash vouchers are just too simple to use?
0:32:22 > 0:32:25Karen McCracken from Nottinghamshire was thrilled
0:32:25 > 0:32:28when she received a call from a withheld number claiming
0:32:28 > 0:32:30she had won some money.
0:32:30 > 0:32:33'They phoned up at 10.30 in the morning, saying that'
0:32:33 > 0:32:38I had won this £10,000, and it was from Royal Mail.
0:32:38 > 0:32:41'It was quite exciting, to be fair, I must admit.'
0:32:41 > 0:32:45But to claim it, they asked her for a £50 admin fee, which she
0:32:45 > 0:32:47would have to pay using a Ukash voucher.
0:32:47 > 0:32:50Well, I said that I would have to speak to my husband about it,
0:32:50 > 0:32:52and they turned around and said,
0:32:52 > 0:32:54"You don't need your husband's permission for this.
0:32:54 > 0:32:56I says, "Well, I think I do,
0:32:56 > 0:32:59"cos I haven't got that kind of money to give you anyway."
0:32:59 > 0:33:04And he says, "Oh," he says, "I'll phone you back on Monday."
0:33:04 > 0:33:07He did call back on Monday morning,
0:33:07 > 0:33:10still falsely claiming to be from Royal Mail,
0:33:10 > 0:33:14but when Karen declined the offer, he became aggressive, insisting
0:33:14 > 0:33:19they must have that admin fee whether she wanted her prize or not.
0:33:19 > 0:33:22'They just kept saying that I would need a solicitor, and he went,'
0:33:22 > 0:33:24"I'm going to send the police round to your door
0:33:24 > 0:33:28"to get this money, because you're breaking the law not giving me it."
0:33:28 > 0:33:30'And it got me really scared, to be honest.'
0:33:30 > 0:33:35Then, when I come off the phone, I cried.
0:33:35 > 0:33:38Karen didn't fall for what the man was saying but only
0:33:38 > 0:33:43because the previous year, she had been targeted in a similar way.
0:33:43 > 0:33:47She had again been told that to claim a £10,000 cash prize,
0:33:47 > 0:33:52she would have to pay an admin fee, and that time, she had done it.
0:33:52 > 0:33:55They told me I needed a Ukash voucher and they then told me
0:33:55 > 0:33:59where the shop was, what street it was on and stuff like...
0:33:59 > 0:34:02And I had never heard of them before.
0:34:02 > 0:34:04The woman on the phone said that she would call back
0:34:04 > 0:34:06once Karen had bought the Ukash voucher,
0:34:06 > 0:34:08to get the unique code number printed on it.
0:34:08 > 0:34:11So, I went and got the £50 voucher,
0:34:11 > 0:34:15and then they said that that would be it, I would get the cheque.
0:34:15 > 0:34:21Karen had just unwittingly handed over £50 she would never see again.
0:34:21 > 0:34:22The woman who called her
0:34:22 > 0:34:26was using the simplicity of Ukash vouchers to scam her.
0:34:26 > 0:34:32Karen only realised that when her winnings failed to arrive.
0:34:32 > 0:34:35'The cheque never come after Christmas, cos we thought,'
0:34:35 > 0:34:37"Oh, Christmas time, it'll be lovely.
0:34:37 > 0:34:41"We'll get the kids something nice." But it never come.
0:34:41 > 0:34:44Ukash is a convenient way of paying online at websites
0:34:44 > 0:34:47if you don't have a bank account or debit or credit cards,
0:34:47 > 0:34:50but once you have handed over the serial number,
0:34:50 > 0:34:53the payment is completely untraceable.
0:34:53 > 0:34:57It is as if you had used cash, and, unlike using a credit or debit card,
0:34:57 > 0:35:00you have absolutely no protection...
0:35:00 > 0:35:03as Karen learned the hard way.
0:35:04 > 0:35:06Then I went, "Oh, we've lost 50 quid."
0:35:06 > 0:35:10And it was my last 50 quid out of my bank, to be fair.
0:35:10 > 0:35:12Cos we didn't get paid till the week after.
0:35:16 > 0:35:19After the second incident, she reported the calls to the police
0:35:19 > 0:35:22and to Nottinghamshire Trading Standards,
0:35:22 > 0:35:24who issued a warning about the scam.
0:35:24 > 0:35:29These particular kind of cold calls are particularly difficult
0:35:29 > 0:35:31because of the aggression that is used.
0:35:31 > 0:35:34'They are possibly targeting people who haven't got the facility
0:35:34 > 0:35:36'to use credit cards and debit cards so readily.'
0:35:36 > 0:35:39Ukash vouchers are a brilliant idea.
0:35:39 > 0:35:42They work in a lot of circumstances, but you do need to remember that
0:35:42 > 0:35:46when you give that number over, it is effectively handing the cash over.
0:35:46 > 0:35:49Across the UK, whether it is on the phone or online,
0:35:49 > 0:35:53Ukash vouchers are being exploited by crooks in all sorts of ways.
0:35:53 > 0:35:56In London, conmen have claimed to be police,
0:35:56 > 0:36:00needing a fee paid with Ukash to remove illegal content from PCs.
0:36:00 > 0:36:02In Dunbartonshire, targets have been told
0:36:02 > 0:36:06they are entitled to money from unclaimed insurance policies.
0:36:06 > 0:36:10And in Gloucestershire, a scam was more elaborate still.
0:36:10 > 0:36:15A woman reported handing £600 worth of Ukash vouchers to a man
0:36:15 > 0:36:17who had first rung to say she was entitled
0:36:17 > 0:36:22to £4,000 worth of mis-sold PPI, then turned up at her house
0:36:22 > 0:36:26with very convincing forms for her to sign.
0:36:27 > 0:36:31So, it looks as if the only way to avoid being stung like Karen is to
0:36:31 > 0:36:32make sure you only give
0:36:32 > 0:36:36a Ukash code to someone you're sure is legitimate.
0:36:36 > 0:36:42Otherwise, whatever yarn you're being spun, chances are it's a con.
0:36:42 > 0:36:44I think they're actually picking on people that need the money
0:36:44 > 0:36:48and they're vulnerable anyway, so they're going to take the money.
0:36:48 > 0:36:50Very nasty people.
0:36:54 > 0:36:57So, are Ukash doing enough to keep consumers safe?
0:36:57 > 0:37:00'Let's see what the company's chief executive David Hunter has to say
0:37:00 > 0:37:04'about the way that the system is being abused.'
0:37:04 > 0:37:07David I have to confess that I had never heard of Ukash,
0:37:07 > 0:37:12so shall we start by you explaining exactly what Ukash is.
0:37:12 > 0:37:16Ukash is designed to be a safe and simple way for people to spend
0:37:16 > 0:37:20cash on the internet via our voucher system.
0:37:20 > 0:37:23People can go to the corner shop or anywhere they might get
0:37:23 > 0:37:25a mobile top up, present your cash
0:37:25 > 0:37:27and ask for a Ukash voucher in return.
0:37:29 > 0:37:32With a unique 19-digit code on it which represents that value.
0:37:32 > 0:37:36It is a bit like an electronic banknote.
0:37:36 > 0:37:39You're swapping a physical banknote for an electronic banknote.
0:37:39 > 0:37:42So, if you take the case like the one that we're dealing with here,
0:37:42 > 0:37:44what went wrong with that because I am sure
0:37:44 > 0:37:46you are going to tell me that your system is
0:37:46 > 0:37:50meant to be watertight with this code number and so on.
0:37:50 > 0:37:53Well, of course, in fact we know of not one single breach of,
0:37:53 > 0:37:58or somebody guessing a number and spending it as their own
0:37:58 > 0:38:02because there are so many billions of permutations. Each number is unique.
0:38:02 > 0:38:09What happened in this case was that she was contacted by a cold caller
0:38:09 > 0:38:14who was literally trying to scam or extract money from her and
0:38:14 > 0:38:20other people and they asked her to go to a local shop to get Ukash for
0:38:20 > 0:38:25them and she was asked to tell them the unique number over the telephone.
0:38:25 > 0:38:28Which, I must say,
0:38:28 > 0:38:32is just the same as giving real cash away at your front door.
0:38:32 > 0:38:36You use the word "scam" and obviously this is one case,
0:38:36 > 0:38:38but I presume there are others.
0:38:38 > 0:38:41What other means do you know of where people are getting round your
0:38:41 > 0:38:46system or rather using Ukash as a way of getting money out of people?
0:38:46 > 0:38:49Scams exist and always have done and always will do.
0:38:49 > 0:38:54Often they will move to other means of executing their scam.
0:38:54 > 0:38:58I think what has happened here is that as Ukash has become
0:38:58 > 0:39:02more popular and available and convenient for people to buy.
0:39:02 > 0:39:06These criminals are exploiting the fact that people can be
0:39:06 > 0:39:10convinced to use the product in a way it's not designed to be used,
0:39:10 > 0:39:15against our strict terms of use, against the alerts we have
0:39:15 > 0:39:19put on the vouchers saying, "Please do not give details away to anybody.
0:39:19 > 0:39:24"Only use at participating Ukash websites." This has been exploited.
0:39:24 > 0:39:27So, David, what it is the key advice you would give people to make sure
0:39:27 > 0:39:31they don't get taken for a ride and don't have their money taken?
0:39:31 > 0:39:34I think it is really important that people recognise this is like cash.
0:39:34 > 0:39:38That number, that is the security of their value.
0:39:38 > 0:39:41Please don't give that to anybody, over the phone or by e-mail,
0:39:41 > 0:39:43unless you want them to have the value.
0:39:43 > 0:39:47It is the same as you giving them a bank note of that value.
0:39:47 > 0:39:50Please only use our participating websites, you can
0:39:50 > 0:39:54see a full list of those websites on the Ukash.com
0:39:54 > 0:39:57and please only take the warnings that you see on the voucher.
0:39:57 > 0:40:00Treat like cash. Don't give it to anybody else.
0:40:00 > 0:40:04If you do feel that you might have been compromised or if you have given
0:40:04 > 0:40:08the voucher to somebody, contact us immediately because if you contact us
0:40:08 > 0:40:12immediately and the voucher is not spent, we can block it for you.
0:40:12 > 0:40:14David, thank you. Thank you.
0:40:17 > 0:40:19Here at Rip-off Britain we are always ready to investigate
0:40:19 > 0:40:23more of your stories. Confused over your bills?
0:40:23 > 0:40:26Trying to wade through never-ending small print?
0:40:26 > 0:40:28People should read it but it is not in plain English,
0:40:28 > 0:40:32it should be simple, you know, ABC, basic stuff.
0:40:32 > 0:40:35Unsure what to do when you discover you have lost out
0:40:35 > 0:40:38and that great deal has ended up costing you money?
0:40:38 > 0:40:40You go home and get your bill and it is like £70
0:40:40 > 0:40:42when it is meant to be £35.
0:40:43 > 0:40:46And you basically get ripped off, don't you?
0:40:47 > 0:40:50You might have a cautionary tale of your own and want to share
0:40:50 > 0:40:54the mistakes you have made with us so that others do not do the same.
0:40:54 > 0:40:58We paid them good money to act in our best interest. They did not.
0:41:00 > 0:41:04You can write to us at:
0:41:11 > 0:41:14Or send us an e-mail:
0:41:17 > 0:41:22The rip-off team is ready and waiting to investigate your stories.
0:41:25 > 0:41:28Well, fortunately, most businesses, thank goodness,
0:41:28 > 0:41:31don't actually set out to deliberately fleece you
0:41:31 > 0:41:35but there will always be a minority determined to do exactly that.
0:41:35 > 0:41:38So, while it seems unfortunately unlikely that everyone that we
0:41:38 > 0:41:41have met today is ever going to get their money back,
0:41:41 > 0:41:45we do hope that at least by sharing their stories with you we have given
0:41:45 > 0:41:48you an idea of some of the things that you need to watch out for.
0:41:48 > 0:41:52In particular, be extra careful before agreeing to any promise
0:41:52 > 0:41:53that comes right out of the blue.
0:41:53 > 0:41:56Whether it is in the post online or on the phone.
0:41:56 > 0:42:00Don't be rushed or pressurised into making a decision straightaway.
0:42:00 > 0:42:04Do take the time to do some research just in case someone is trying
0:42:04 > 0:42:06to rip you off.
0:42:06 > 0:42:08Well, with that excellent advice that is all
0:42:08 > 0:42:10we have got time for today.
0:42:10 > 0:42:13Thank you for joining us and please do keep sending us your stories.
0:42:13 > 0:42:15We will be back to investigate more of them soon
0:42:15 > 0:42:18but in the meantime, from all of us here, bye-bye.
0:42:27 > 0:42:31Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd