0:00:02 > 0:00:05We asked you to tell us who's left you feeling ripped off,
0:00:05 > 0:00:08and you contacted us in your thousands
0:00:08 > 0:00:10by post, e-mail,
0:00:10 > 0:00:12even stopping us on the streets,
0:00:12 > 0:00:14and the message could not be clearer.
0:00:14 > 0:00:18Things weren't right, it was costing me time and money,
0:00:18 > 0:00:20and it was like, "Does anybody listen?"
0:00:20 > 0:00:23I think these companies are more motivated by their share price
0:00:23 > 0:00:26than they are by actually looking after their customers.
0:00:26 > 0:00:28You've told us that with money tighter than ever,
0:00:28 > 0:00:32you need to make sure that every pound you spend is worth it.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35Oh, you are getting my money back, cos I just think I'm entitled to it.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37So whether it's a deliberate rip-off,
0:00:37 > 0:00:39a simple mistake,
0:00:39 > 0:00:41or a catch in the small print,
0:00:41 > 0:00:46we'll find out why you're out of pocket and what you can do about it.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49Keep asking the questions, go to the top if you have to.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52We do get results, that's the interesting thing.
0:00:52 > 0:00:56Your stories, your money, this is Rip-Off Britain.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01Hello and welcome to Rip-Off Britain where as always
0:01:01 > 0:01:05we three are on hand to fight your corner in those situations
0:01:05 > 0:01:08that haven't just cost you time and money,
0:01:08 > 0:01:11but have also probably caused you an awful lot of
0:01:11 > 0:01:12grief along the way.
0:01:12 > 0:01:15All the people we'll be hearing from today would say
0:01:15 > 0:01:16that they've been treated unfairly
0:01:16 > 0:01:19either because of small print that they don't think is clear,
0:01:19 > 0:01:22or plain and simple bad customer service.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25And I can tell you, we've got quite a few examples of that coming up.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28I must say, it's been a huge mailbag and some of the problems are really
0:01:28 > 0:01:32quite shocking, in fact, in one case it could hardly be worse.
0:01:32 > 0:01:36Coming up - some of the most memorable stories
0:01:36 > 0:01:37we've covered in the past.
0:01:37 > 0:01:41The credit mix-up that's left this woman with no identity
0:01:41 > 0:01:44and chased for massive debts that she simply doesn't owe.
0:01:44 > 0:01:47There's times that I haven't slept because it's worrying.
0:01:47 > 0:01:51I just haven't known how to clear my name.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54And the second hand car dealer who proves that the industry
0:01:54 > 0:01:56still has its share of rogues.
0:01:56 > 0:02:00He got the money and the car,
0:02:00 > 0:02:03we felt we're being taken for a fool.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07Of all the holiday experiences you've been telling us
0:02:07 > 0:02:08about for this series,
0:02:08 > 0:02:11this next one has to be one of the worst.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14It started with an ordinary family going in what should have been
0:02:14 > 0:02:16a typical week in the sun,
0:02:16 > 0:02:18but what happened next means that their lives
0:02:18 > 0:02:20will never be the same again.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23And on top of that, they're fighting an ongoing battle to find
0:02:23 > 0:02:26someone to take responsibility.
0:02:30 > 0:02:32Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt,
0:02:32 > 0:02:35a destination that's become increasingly popular in recent years
0:02:35 > 0:02:41thanks to its weather, clear blue waters, and value for money resorts.
0:02:41 > 0:02:45Adele Maguire, her partner Benji and daughters Alicia and Tiana
0:02:45 > 0:02:48had a great holiday three in 2010.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51So when Adele was thinking of how to celebrate her 40th birthday,
0:02:51 > 0:02:54she decided to take the whole family back,
0:02:54 > 0:02:58and they found a great price on the website of hotels4u,
0:02:58 > 0:03:01one of the biggest names in online bookings.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04Going on the internet, booking it with hotels4u,
0:03:04 > 0:03:06it was working out £600 cheaper.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09So that's the route we decided to go down, and do our flights separate
0:03:09 > 0:03:12and our transfers separate than doing a package holiday,
0:03:12 > 0:03:14so we did it online.
0:03:14 > 0:03:18Confident they'd found a bargain, Adele booked, paying over £1,600
0:03:18 > 0:03:23for seven days all inclusive at the Tirana Aqua Park Resort,
0:03:23 > 0:03:25then part of the Sunrise Group.
0:03:25 > 0:03:27The holiday got off to a great start,
0:03:27 > 0:03:31with the girls especially enjoying all that the hotel had to offer.
0:03:31 > 0:03:33They didn't stop the whole time.
0:03:33 > 0:03:37And the slides opened at 11 and I think they closed about five,
0:03:37 > 0:03:40and we didn't see them from that time, just come back for lunch.
0:03:40 > 0:03:44All went perfectly until lunchtime on the final day.
0:03:44 > 0:03:46I was just lying on the lounger reading my book
0:03:46 > 0:03:49and two little lads came running up towards me.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51And said, "Your daughter on the other side of the pool,
0:03:51 > 0:03:54"think she's had an accident." I went, "Oh, my God!"
0:03:56 > 0:03:59Benji rushed over to find Tiana lying on the floor
0:03:59 > 0:04:02with a crowd gathered around her.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05To his horror he discovered that his daughter had had an electric shock
0:04:05 > 0:04:09after trying to get some food from one of the serving dishes
0:04:09 > 0:04:12designed to keep the food warm at the buffet.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15When I touched it I knew I was being electrocuted.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17I felt myself...
0:04:17 > 0:04:22throw back, but my body wasn't in control, so I couldn't stop myself.
0:04:22 > 0:04:24Other hotel guests had watched aghast
0:04:24 > 0:04:27as Tiana had been thrown several feel through the air
0:04:27 > 0:04:30landing heavily and indeed painfully.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33I was crying and screaming cos it was so painful.
0:04:33 > 0:04:35You know the crying when you're... SHE PANTS
0:04:35 > 0:04:37..and you can't breathe properly.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39I don't know, it was pure utter shock as well.
0:04:39 > 0:04:43I kept seeing her eyes looking at me and saying, "Help me, Mummy, help me, Mummy."
0:04:43 > 0:04:45I was holding her hand and well, I was screaming, crying.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47I was trying not to cry
0:04:47 > 0:04:50and get hysterical cos I was making Tiana more upset at the time.
0:04:50 > 0:04:54But once we got up to the room we all calmed down.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56The hotel called a local doctor straightway.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59He was saying, "Oh, she'll be fine in a bit,
0:04:59 > 0:05:01"here's some painkillers for her.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04"Let her have a lie down for half an hour and she should be OK."
0:05:04 > 0:05:07Our flight was booked later on that afternoon
0:05:07 > 0:05:10and with the doctor saying that everything's OK to go,
0:05:10 > 0:05:14you just put your trust in the doctor and we decided to go home.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17So the family made their way back to the UK,
0:05:17 > 0:05:20but Tiana still had a very severe pain in her hip
0:05:20 > 0:05:22and on the flight it became unbearable.
0:05:23 > 0:05:25I was crying, screaming,
0:05:25 > 0:05:27so they knew then that there was something wrong
0:05:27 > 0:05:31and it was really painful, I was limping really badly.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35By the time they landed at Manchester Airport,
0:05:35 > 0:05:37Adele was so worried she called 999
0:05:37 > 0:05:40and Tiana was rushed to hospital in an ambulance.
0:05:40 > 0:05:44Only then did the extent of Tiana's injuries become clear.
0:05:44 > 0:05:48The doctor saw the burns and she was just going to treat me for burns,
0:05:48 > 0:05:51but she said that there was something else wrong, she knew
0:05:51 > 0:05:54that there was something else wrong, so they sent me in for X-rays
0:05:54 > 0:05:57and she couldn't believe that I had a fractured hip.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59In the two and a half years since then,
0:05:59 > 0:06:03Tiana has been receiving specialist care at Alder Hey Hospital
0:06:03 > 0:06:05in Liverpool, but she's been told
0:06:05 > 0:06:08she'll need a hip replacement operation when she's 17,
0:06:08 > 0:06:11and doctors have prepared her for the fact that
0:06:11 > 0:06:14she may have to rely on a wheelchair by the time she's 30.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17They're going to leave me as long as I can
0:06:17 > 0:06:19before they give me a hip replacement,
0:06:19 > 0:06:21but I'm having a lot of pain now,
0:06:21 > 0:06:24so they don't know what they're really going to do.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27Since the holiday, dealing with Tiana's injuries
0:06:27 > 0:06:29has been the focus of the family's attention.
0:06:29 > 0:06:33But they also want somebody to take responsibility for what happened.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38What we want out of this at the end of the day is for somebody to
0:06:38 > 0:06:40just turn around and say, "OK, we're sorry.
0:06:40 > 0:06:42"It was our fault."
0:06:43 > 0:06:46Some kind of compensation for the way Tiana is now at the moment
0:06:46 > 0:06:48and for the way it's affected our family.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50Day to day life has totally changed for us now
0:06:50 > 0:06:53because of what happened.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56But trying to establish how to make any sort of claim
0:06:56 > 0:06:57hasn't been straightforward.
0:06:57 > 0:07:01Not just because the case is such a terrible one-off,
0:07:01 > 0:07:04but also because of the way that the holiday was booked.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07As the family got their flight and hotel separately,
0:07:07 > 0:07:09it's all rather more complicated
0:07:09 > 0:07:11than if they bought a package holiday,
0:07:11 > 0:07:14and could have taken action against the tour operator
0:07:14 > 0:07:16who put together the whole trip.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19But Adele and her family hadn't realised that
0:07:19 > 0:07:23different ways of booking can give different levels of protection.
0:07:23 > 0:07:27Had we known, we'd have booked it through an actual package holiday
0:07:27 > 0:07:32instead of trying to save the £600 doing it all separately at the time.
0:07:32 > 0:07:37As it is, it's hard for the family to know where to turn to
0:07:37 > 0:07:39and what questions to ask.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42Pursuing the hotel's former owner in Egypt would be difficult
0:07:42 > 0:07:44and the costs prohibitive.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47A firm of specialist solicitors hasn't turned up a solution
0:07:47 > 0:07:51and nor so far has their travel insurance.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54It's obviously caused a lot of stress
0:07:54 > 0:07:55on top of looking after Tiana.
0:07:55 > 0:07:59We contacted the hotel where the family stayed.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02It's now under new management and now has a new name.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05The new owners say that they've invested a lot of money
0:08:05 > 0:08:07in upgrading all areas of the property,
0:08:07 > 0:08:10carrying out health and safety checks on a monthly basis
0:08:10 > 0:08:13and complying with all relevant guidelines.
0:08:13 > 0:08:15They stress that the property
0:08:15 > 0:08:18has nothing to do with the hotel's previous incarnation.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21The previous owners in charge at the time this happened
0:08:21 > 0:08:23have not responded to our questions.
0:08:24 > 0:08:29But we also spoke to the company Adele had booked through - hotels4u,
0:08:29 > 0:08:31which is part of Thomas Cook.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34When we first discovered this story in January, they told us
0:08:34 > 0:08:36that they had only recently been made aware of what happened
0:08:36 > 0:08:39and were waiting for more details from the family
0:08:39 > 0:08:42so they could make a full and thorough investigation.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44But they told us that their health
0:08:44 > 0:08:47and safety department works with all their hoteliers
0:08:47 > 0:08:50to ensure they comply with required safety standards
0:08:50 > 0:08:53and that they their investigation so far had found
0:08:53 > 0:08:56that no fault was found with the appliance at the time.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59They told us that since this happened
0:08:59 > 0:09:02they've booked over 10,000 satisfied customers at the same hotel
0:09:02 > 0:09:04without report of any similar incident.
0:09:07 > 0:09:11Although you can't predict what might go wrong on a holiday,
0:09:11 > 0:09:14it really is worth checking exactly what situation
0:09:14 > 0:09:16your travel insurance might cover you for.
0:09:16 > 0:09:18You may find that the terms
0:09:18 > 0:09:20and conditions are more limited than you think,
0:09:20 > 0:09:23and in particular if you're travelling with children.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26It's pretty standard for the amount of personal cover
0:09:26 > 0:09:30to be significantly less for them than it is for adults.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32But as Tiana's family continue to explore
0:09:32 > 0:09:34how to take their case forward,
0:09:34 > 0:09:38they're all having to cope with the effects of what has happened.
0:09:38 > 0:09:40I hate not being able to do sports and dance
0:09:40 > 0:09:44and I hate like, not being able to go out around town with my friends
0:09:44 > 0:09:46unless I'm in the wheelchair.
0:09:46 > 0:09:50I've got to kind of keep my chin up and just...
0:09:50 > 0:09:52accept the fact that I'm never going to be normal.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55I'm just going to be like this for the rest of my life.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04Now, changing the subject, here's a question for you -
0:10:04 > 0:10:06what's in a name?
0:10:06 > 0:10:07Well, quite a lot
0:10:07 > 0:10:10if you end up in the same horrendous position as our next viewer.
0:10:10 > 0:10:13Many of the things that most of us just take for granted,
0:10:13 > 0:10:18even something as simple as buying a telephone, she just can't do,
0:10:18 > 0:10:21all because her name has been muddled up with somebody else's.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27Susan M Brown couldn't get a mortgage.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30Her store card applications were turned down.
0:10:30 > 0:10:34And even getting a mobile phone contract was impossible.
0:10:34 > 0:10:36I'm quite an independent person,
0:10:36 > 0:10:39so not being able to get a mobile phone and not being able to -
0:10:39 > 0:10:43even if I wanted to get a credit card, I couldn't.
0:10:45 > 0:10:49The car, we've had to do that in my husband's name.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52It's everyday little things that people take for granted.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56Susan had lost her identity.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00And it's all because of her name.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03It is very frustrating, it makes me really angry at times as well.
0:11:03 > 0:11:05And I have got upset at times.
0:11:05 > 0:11:09There's times that I haven't slept because it is worrying.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12I just haven't known how to clear my name.
0:11:13 > 0:11:18Susan's troubles began eight years ago when her name changed.
0:11:18 > 0:11:22I got remarried. Before that I had been Susan Margaret Eamus.
0:11:22 > 0:11:26And I married in May 2005 and became Susan Margaret Brown.
0:11:28 > 0:11:34In January 2007, I had a letter from Dorothy Perkins saying
0:11:34 > 0:11:36I owed nearly £500.
0:11:37 > 0:11:41As she'd never even had a Dorothy Perkins store card,
0:11:41 > 0:11:44this really baffled Susan, and of course she just threw the bill away.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47She assumed it was simply a one-off mistake.
0:11:47 > 0:11:53Then about a month later I had a letter from a debt collection agency
0:11:53 > 0:11:57saying that I owed nearly £1,500,
0:11:57 > 0:12:01which as you can imagine was quite a shock and a lot more money.
0:12:02 > 0:12:06So I rang them and they said, "Sorry, we've been given the wrong details.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09"It was Experian that gave us your details,
0:12:09 > 0:12:10"you need to contact them
0:12:10 > 0:12:13"and let them know that they've made a mistake,"
0:12:13 > 0:12:15which is what I did.
0:12:15 > 0:12:20It appears that THIS Susan M Brown's credit file had been muddled
0:12:20 > 0:12:23with another Susan M Brown's file.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26Experian, which is Britain's biggest credit reference company,
0:12:26 > 0:12:29worked alongside Susan to clear her file
0:12:29 > 0:12:32and advised her to contact the other credit reference companies.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35And while at first this did seem to help,
0:12:35 > 0:12:37the problem I'm afraid soon returned.
0:12:37 > 0:12:39At the beginning people said,
0:12:39 > 0:12:43"OK, yes, sorry, we've got the wrong person.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46"We'll take your address off our file."
0:12:46 > 0:12:48But then it continued.
0:12:48 > 0:12:52However hard she tried, she just couldn't convince everyone
0:12:52 > 0:12:56that she was a different Susan M Brown to the one they thought.
0:12:56 > 0:13:00The problem that I faced is that the lady that owes the money,
0:13:00 > 0:13:02we share the same date of birth.
0:13:05 > 0:13:09We found 484 Susan M Browns on the electoral roll.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11But the two that had been mixed up
0:13:11 > 0:13:14just happened to share the same birthday.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19Determined to clear her name,
0:13:19 > 0:13:23our Susan M Brown went to great lengths to prove who she was.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27There was a consumer advice guy that I went to
0:13:27 > 0:13:32and he advised that I changed my name by deed poll to Griffith Brown
0:13:32 > 0:13:36which is what I did, but that hasn't made any difference.
0:13:36 > 0:13:37The letters are still coming through
0:13:37 > 0:13:42and people have said that's an alias that I use
0:13:42 > 0:13:45and I'm trying to hide behind another name.
0:13:46 > 0:13:51I went to Citizens Advice, they just gave me a printout of things to do.
0:13:51 > 0:13:55But on there it said that I could give a notice of correction
0:13:55 > 0:13:58to Experian and Equifax, which is what I did -
0:13:58 > 0:14:02I typed a letter and just said you've got your facts wrong.
0:14:02 > 0:14:06I've sent them photocopies of my birth certificate,
0:14:06 > 0:14:08my marriage certificate,
0:14:08 > 0:14:11all the documents I've got proving who I am,
0:14:11 > 0:14:16and I've sent that to numerous debt collection agencies.
0:14:16 > 0:14:20And the whole sorry saga was even affecting her marriage.
0:14:20 > 0:14:24David was even doubting me and thinking that
0:14:24 > 0:14:27I did owe this amount of money, and that I hadn't been honest to him
0:14:27 > 0:14:30about how much debt and everything I was in.
0:14:30 > 0:14:34Yeah, that was tough, that's a real tough thing to face.
0:14:34 > 0:14:38And the demand letters just kept on coming.
0:14:38 > 0:14:42I was threatened with either arrest or bailiffs
0:14:42 > 0:14:44and then you start to think,
0:14:44 > 0:14:47"Well, actually, this is not going to go away."
0:14:47 > 0:14:51There was a time when I had a solicitor wrote to me
0:14:51 > 0:14:55and said they were going to attach litigation to me and to my property.
0:14:55 > 0:14:59I've had letters saying they're going to bankrupt me.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02It's been quite a horrible journey really.
0:15:02 > 0:15:07So five years down the line, still battling to prove who she is,
0:15:07 > 0:15:09Susan contacted Rip-Off Britain for help.
0:15:09 > 0:15:14On her behalf we again got in touch with Experian to find out why
0:15:14 > 0:15:16this problem just won't go away.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19Hi. Hello.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22Certainly, as far as your Experian report's concerned,
0:15:22 > 0:15:24there's no longer any confusion.
0:15:24 > 0:15:26There's no data on there about the other person.
0:15:26 > 0:15:28But of course some of the organisations
0:15:28 > 0:15:30that are still looking for their customer
0:15:30 > 0:15:32might still have your details
0:15:32 > 0:15:35and as a result might still be getting in touch
0:15:35 > 0:15:38or even passing those details onto other organisations
0:15:38 > 0:15:39that they're working with.
0:15:39 > 0:15:42But James says that there is an organisation
0:15:42 > 0:15:43that might be able to help -
0:15:43 > 0:15:47the Credit Services Association or CSA.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50They will look into any malpractice that's alleged against their members
0:15:50 > 0:15:52and they'll take that very seriously.
0:15:52 > 0:15:56If you're still being contacted and the organisations aren't listening
0:15:56 > 0:15:59to your very clear information that they've got the wrong person,
0:15:59 > 0:16:03then certainly I'm sure the trade body would be very interested
0:16:03 > 0:16:04to have a look at that for you.
0:16:07 > 0:16:11I now know that there is somewhere else I can go.
0:16:11 > 0:16:15Hopefully if I report all the issues that I've had to them...
0:16:15 > 0:16:18that will be an end of this situation.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22The Credit Services Association told us
0:16:22 > 0:16:25they're working to resolve Susan's case.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28And their members are sorry for any distress caused.
0:16:28 > 0:16:32They say that cases like this are uncommon but by no means unique,
0:16:32 > 0:16:35and they're trying to find a permanent solution to this issue.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41It's robbed me of my identity.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44I'm seen as somebody who's a bad debt
0:16:44 > 0:16:46and somebody not to trust.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49And that's hard, that's tough to live with that.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54And since we first featured Susan's story,
0:16:54 > 0:16:57the good news is that her credit record is being restored
0:16:57 > 0:16:58to a clean bill of health
0:16:58 > 0:17:01and those letters chasing her of debts that didn't belong to her
0:17:01 > 0:17:03have stopped at long last.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10Next - a couple who made a purchase that they really thought
0:17:10 > 0:17:12was going to improve their lives,
0:17:12 > 0:17:14they bought a car.
0:17:14 > 0:17:16But in fact it did nothing of the sort
0:17:16 > 0:17:19because although they couldn't wait to hit the road,
0:17:19 > 0:17:23once they did, they soon came to a grinding halt.
0:17:26 > 0:17:31Every day last year an average of 18,500 second-hand cars were sold
0:17:31 > 0:17:35in England, Scotland and Wales.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38And it's not long since Dr Nabil Kabbas
0:17:38 > 0:17:40and his wife Hyatt bought one of them.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45No more public transport for them, you might think.
0:17:45 > 0:17:47So why then are they waiting for a bus?
0:17:50 > 0:17:52It all started back in September 2009.
0:17:52 > 0:17:56The couple both suffer from ill health and needed a car.
0:17:56 > 0:18:00Their friends and family lent them the money to buy one.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04I couldn't believe how lucky I am to have such a nice family
0:18:04 > 0:18:08and friends, that they collected money for us to buy the car.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11I'm really thankful for ever for them.
0:18:12 > 0:18:16With the cash sorted, all they needed now was the perfect vehicle.
0:18:16 > 0:18:21They looked on the car trade website Auto Trader, and there it was,
0:18:21 > 0:18:23a seven-seater Mercedes,
0:18:23 > 0:18:26ideal for the couple and their four children.
0:18:26 > 0:18:28They immediately phoned the dealer,
0:18:28 > 0:18:32John Staniland of The Old Stable Car Sales in Worksop,
0:18:32 > 0:18:36not to be confused with any other businesses with similar names.
0:18:36 > 0:18:40And very quickly all the arrangements were made.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43The arrangement was that he will deliver the car
0:18:43 > 0:18:48because we couldn't go there, it's too many miles for us to travel.
0:18:48 > 0:18:52The deal was Dr Kabbas would pay John Staniland
0:18:52 > 0:18:56a £2,000 deposit with a debit card over the phone.
0:18:56 > 0:19:02Then the remaining £4,300 would be due in cash on delivery of the car.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05We felt so excited because we thought, "Well...
0:19:05 > 0:19:07"it's too good to be true, now we have a car!
0:19:07 > 0:19:10"We can be independent, our problems will be solved."
0:19:10 > 0:19:14The dealer delivered the car to their home as promised, and although
0:19:14 > 0:19:18the couple wanted to take it out for a test drive straightaway,
0:19:18 > 0:19:21they were told that wouldn't be possible
0:19:21 > 0:19:23as they didn't yet have insurance.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25And as the car came with a three-month warranty,
0:19:25 > 0:19:27they weren't too worried,
0:19:27 > 0:19:30so Dr Kabbas handed over the remaining money,
0:19:30 > 0:19:35all £4,300 of it in cash.
0:19:35 > 0:19:40We were so sure that's the car we wanted and we were just quite happy.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44The following day, with the car now taxed and insured,
0:19:44 > 0:19:46the family took to the open road.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50But after just minutes,
0:19:50 > 0:19:52the car broke down as it approached a busy roundabout.
0:19:54 > 0:19:58It was jerking and the children were screaming.
0:19:58 > 0:20:03The cars were going to hit us, it was a very bad experience.
0:20:03 > 0:20:06I was really shocked.
0:20:06 > 0:20:09I didn't know what to do.
0:20:09 > 0:20:11I just wanted to cry.
0:20:11 > 0:20:15Horrified, they took the car to a local Mercedes garage
0:20:15 > 0:20:19where they were told the last thing they wanted to hear.
0:20:19 > 0:20:23Both the engine and the gearbox were faulty
0:20:23 > 0:20:27and it would cost around £3,000 to fix them.
0:20:29 > 0:20:31I couldn't believe it.
0:20:31 > 0:20:33I was just in tears.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36How can I afford this amount of money?
0:20:36 > 0:20:40And remember, they'd only bought the car the day before.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43Still, at least it had come with a three-month warranty.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46They phoned the dealer, John Staniland,
0:20:46 > 0:20:49asking for the car to be fixed or their money back.
0:20:49 > 0:20:53Every time he made excuses, he didn't pick up the phone.
0:20:53 > 0:20:57He's just busy, he's on the road driving...
0:20:58 > 0:21:02The couple contacted Trading Standards, who advised them
0:21:02 > 0:21:05to write to John Staniland requesting their money back because
0:21:05 > 0:21:07the car was faulty.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10They were also advised to employ an independent vehicle inspector
0:21:10 > 0:21:14to establish exactly what was wrong with the car.
0:21:14 > 0:21:18On road testing the vehicle initially it was fine, but within minutes
0:21:18 > 0:21:21when the engine started to warm,
0:21:21 > 0:21:26it suffered from catastrophic power loss and it was unsafe to use on the road.
0:21:26 > 0:21:28Now, you might think that a dealer would want to put right a dangerous
0:21:28 > 0:21:34car, but even with Trading Standards on his case it took John Staniland
0:21:34 > 0:21:38over a year to even agree to fix it.
0:21:38 > 0:21:40And when he did finally come and collect the car,
0:21:40 > 0:21:46in April 2011, that was the last they saw of it.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49The thing is he's got the money and the car
0:21:49 > 0:21:55and we felt we were being taken for a fool.
0:21:55 > 0:22:00In desperation, nearly two years after they'd parted with their cash,
0:22:00 > 0:22:04Dr Kabbas decided that the only option was to take
0:22:04 > 0:22:06John Staniland to court.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09They hoped they'd find out what had happened to their car
0:22:09 > 0:22:11and their money.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14Unfortunately, he didn't show up.
0:22:14 > 0:22:19But it did seem as if their luck was beginning to change.
0:22:19 > 0:22:26The judgment was in our favour to Mr Staniland to give us our money back.
0:22:26 > 0:22:31We thought justice had been done but, sadly enough, it wasn't.
0:22:31 > 0:22:33Despite being ordered by the court,
0:22:33 > 0:22:38John Staniland did not return any of the money.
0:22:38 > 0:22:42Refusing to give up, Dr Kabbas paid a bailiffs' company to enforce
0:22:42 > 0:22:44the court order.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47But even they returned defeated.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50They said they went to his place a few times
0:22:50 > 0:22:51but they can't speak to him
0:22:51 > 0:22:55because he had a very tall fence - six foot.
0:22:55 > 0:22:57They sent him e-mails, tried to telephone him
0:22:57 > 0:22:59and things, all in vain.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02They could not locate Mr John Staniland.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05And in March of last year there was a further twist.
0:23:05 > 0:23:08The couple received a letter from the DVLA saying that someone
0:23:08 > 0:23:10was trying to register the car,
0:23:10 > 0:23:13leading them to believe that John Staniland was
0:23:13 > 0:23:15selling on the car that they owned.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20What a surprise, he's trying to sell the car.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23He's got the money, the car and he's trying to resell it again.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27We asked John Staniland to explain himself.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30This a message for John Staniland...
0:23:30 > 0:23:33But he hasn't bothered to answer any of our questions,
0:23:33 > 0:23:35and we know he got at least one of our letters because we
0:23:35 > 0:23:38delivered it to his premises ourselves.
0:23:38 > 0:23:40And when we did,
0:23:40 > 0:23:42we could see exactly what the bailiffs were up against.
0:23:42 > 0:23:44DOG BARKS LOUDLY
0:23:46 > 0:23:50So, Dr Kabbas and his family have been left high and dry.
0:23:50 > 0:23:54And with the police unable to help because it's a civil matter,
0:23:54 > 0:23:59the family are still without their car or their £6,300.
0:24:02 > 0:24:06I was a little bit disappointed because we lost the money
0:24:06 > 0:24:09we got from family and friends, we let them down.
0:24:09 > 0:24:13The way I feel at the minute - I'm disgusted with the whole ordeal.
0:24:15 > 0:24:17It's now a year since we first featured this story
0:24:17 > 0:24:21but, astonishing as it sounds, it does seem as if there is nothing
0:24:21 > 0:24:27more they can do, and sadly the money Dr Kabbas lost to John Staniland
0:24:27 > 0:24:28looks lost for good.
0:24:31 > 0:24:36Still to come - the knock on the door in the middle of the night for
0:24:36 > 0:24:38money you don't even owe.
0:24:38 > 0:24:42I just feel a victim of somebody else's failings, basically.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50Welcome to our Rip-Off Britain pop-up shop here at
0:24:50 > 0:24:54the Metro Centre in Gateshead. We have a wonderful team of experts
0:24:54 > 0:24:57waiting to give advice to all our consumers with any problem
0:24:57 > 0:24:58whatsoever.
0:24:58 > 0:25:00So, I think we should get the doors open
0:25:00 > 0:25:02and get this show on the road, girls.
0:25:04 > 0:25:09And, as the shutters went up the consumer complaints soon came flooding in.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12So, how much did you lose? Just under £1,400.
0:25:12 > 0:25:16If neither party wants to accept liability then, I'm afraid,
0:25:16 > 0:25:18you are going to have to go to court.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22After enjoying a great holiday in Greece, Philip
0:25:22 > 0:25:26and his family decided to try and book the same trip again -
0:25:26 > 0:25:29this time, directly with the hotel itself in the hope of getting
0:25:29 > 0:25:31a better deal.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34The hotel manager e-mailed us and said, "Yes, that's great.
0:25:34 > 0:25:38"If you go online, book with us, pay a deposit of 15% -
0:25:38 > 0:25:39"I guarantee the best rate."
0:25:39 > 0:25:42So, that's what we decided to do.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45So, we went, Googled the hotel name, went through to the website -
0:25:45 > 0:25:47very convincing website,
0:25:47 > 0:25:50looks exactly what we expected it to look like.
0:25:50 > 0:25:51Paid a 15% deposit.
0:25:51 > 0:25:54A few days later the hotel manager e-mailed me to say,
0:25:54 > 0:25:57"I still haven't seen your deposit, did you definitely book?"
0:25:57 > 0:25:59So, I sent him an e-mail copy of my receipt.
0:25:59 > 0:26:01And he said - "That's not our website."
0:26:01 > 0:26:04It actually turned out to be a third-party agent, so
0:26:04 > 0:26:06I contacted them to find out if I could have a refund.
0:26:06 > 0:26:11The hotel manager said, "You need to cancel that and book through a different website address."
0:26:11 > 0:26:13But they've said it's a non-refundable deposit.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16So, how much are you talking about at this stage? It's 900 Euros.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19900 Euros!
0:26:19 > 0:26:20Nearly £800!
0:26:20 > 0:26:23This is a very straightforward rip-off which involves
0:26:23 > 0:26:28a hotel website that is effectively passing itself off as the real
0:26:28 > 0:26:33hotel website, when in fact it's just a booking agency that
0:26:33 > 0:26:37is going to cream off 15% - in your case nearly £800.
0:26:37 > 0:26:42I'm really sorry but, buyer beware, especially when you're online.
0:26:45 > 0:26:49But there was more encouraging news for Dave, who'd popped in for
0:26:49 > 0:26:54some advice on his ongoing dispute about his badly-fitted new kitchen.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57Basically, we decided to go ahead purchasing a kitchen after having
0:26:57 > 0:26:58a cold caller.
0:26:58 > 0:27:02Basically, we were told it was a 14-day cooling-off period.
0:27:02 > 0:27:05We decided after eight days it wasn't for us.
0:27:05 > 0:27:07Someone from the company came round and said
0:27:07 > 0:27:10categorically in the small print that it was seven days' cooling off.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13Since then you decided to go ahead and have the kitchen installed?
0:27:13 > 0:27:16Yes, we have, because we were pushed into it.
0:27:16 > 0:27:21My wife asked the question, "What would happen if we didn't go ahead?"
0:27:21 > 0:27:23He said, "You don't have a leg to stand on because of the
0:27:23 > 0:27:25"cooling-off period."
0:27:25 > 0:27:27Tell me what the worst problems have been.
0:27:27 > 0:27:31Incorrectly-fitted washing machine, electric cooker.
0:27:31 > 0:27:35The dishwasher has been refitted four times.
0:27:35 > 0:27:37If you didn't receive the documentation, giving you your
0:27:37 > 0:27:40cancellation rights... Yes.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43..until the day you tried to cancel the order,
0:27:43 > 0:27:45that's actually when your seven days starts,
0:27:45 > 0:27:48not from when you signed up. I know you have been in touch with
0:27:48 > 0:27:50Trading Standards but I suggest you go back and say,
0:27:50 > 0:27:52"Give me a template of a letter I should write to them"
0:27:52 > 0:27:55to make sure you spell out very clearly what you
0:27:55 > 0:27:56will and won't pay for. Yeah.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03When money's tight it can be bad enough keeping on top of your
0:28:03 > 0:28:07own finances, let alone being dragged into somebody else's.
0:28:07 > 0:28:10So, imagine suddenly being told you had to pay off a debt that
0:28:10 > 0:28:12belonged to someone else
0:28:12 > 0:28:14and there was nothing at all you could do about it.
0:28:14 > 0:28:17That's what happened to the person we are about to meet, and thanks
0:28:17 > 0:28:20to a particular type of loan, it could happen to you, too.
0:28:25 > 0:28:27I was lying in bed, it was the middle of the night.
0:28:27 > 0:28:30I was fast asleep and I just heard this almighty hammering on
0:28:30 > 0:28:31the door.
0:28:32 > 0:28:37For Jo Day, that loud knocking one wintry night was to prove a very
0:28:37 > 0:28:40rude awakening indeed.
0:28:40 > 0:28:43I just quickly put some clothes on, came down the stairs...
0:28:43 > 0:28:46and opened the front door and there were two men
0:28:46 > 0:28:50standing there saying the car was being seized because there was
0:28:50 > 0:28:52a loan outstanding on it.
0:28:52 > 0:28:56So, shocked and confused, I just gave them the car keys.
0:28:56 > 0:29:01Terrified, Jo had no idea at all what was going on, but these men
0:29:01 > 0:29:05were debt collectors chasing a loan she'd never even heard of.
0:29:05 > 0:29:10Living alone with my daughter it was a scary episode to go through, to
0:29:10 > 0:29:15have two huge men banging on my door at that time of night
0:29:15 > 0:29:16demanding my car keys.
0:29:18 > 0:29:21The men left her with a letter explaining there was a loan
0:29:21 > 0:29:24held against her car and it needed paying.
0:29:24 > 0:29:28Jo was shocked because she'd never taken out such a loan,
0:29:28 > 0:29:31and she'd only got the car - a second-hand Nissan Micra -
0:29:31 > 0:29:33a few months earlier.
0:29:33 > 0:29:36But from that letter she was able to start piecing together
0:29:36 > 0:29:37what had happened.
0:29:41 > 0:29:47The car had been a birthday present from her parents in July 2011.
0:29:47 > 0:29:50Mum and Dad saw the car advertised on the side of the road.
0:29:50 > 0:29:53It was being advertised for £500.
0:29:53 > 0:29:56Like me, my dad doesn't know anything about cars so he got his friend
0:29:56 > 0:30:00who's a mechanic to come along, check the vehicle,
0:30:00 > 0:30:03have a look under the bonnet, check the tyres and the bodywork.
0:30:03 > 0:30:05His friend said it was perfect.
0:30:05 > 0:30:09In fact, there was a problem. But it wasn't mechanical.
0:30:09 > 0:30:13And Jo only found out about it when she came to re-tax the car
0:30:13 > 0:30:16three months before the bailiffs came knocking.
0:30:16 > 0:30:19When the tax was due to be renewed, it was then that I realised
0:30:19 > 0:30:22that I didn't have the full V5 document that you need
0:30:22 > 0:30:24when you're taxing the car.
0:30:24 > 0:30:28That V5C document, more commonly known as the logbook,
0:30:28 > 0:30:33is the certificate issued by the DVLA when a vehicle is registered.
0:30:33 > 0:30:37It contains the car's details and information about any previous
0:30:37 > 0:30:40people who've had the car, known as its registered keepers.
0:30:41 > 0:30:45I phoned the DVLA to see if the car had been registered in my name,
0:30:45 > 0:30:49just to see if the logbook had got lost in the post et cetera.
0:30:49 > 0:30:52They confirmed that the vehicle wasn't registered in my name.
0:30:52 > 0:30:56When Jo's parents had bought the car they had been given, as is correct,
0:30:56 > 0:30:58part of the logbook.
0:30:58 > 0:31:01What the seller should have done next was to send the remaining part
0:31:01 > 0:31:05to the DVLA, notifying them of the new registered keeper, Jo.
0:31:06 > 0:31:09In this case, that hadn't happened,
0:31:09 > 0:31:13so to try to put things right Jo sent the part of the logbook
0:31:13 > 0:31:17she DID have to the DVLA along with some identification.
0:31:18 > 0:31:22I received a letter back from them a week or so later to say
0:31:22 > 0:31:24that they had received the paperwork I'd sent in
0:31:24 > 0:31:26and my new logbook would be with me shortly.
0:31:29 > 0:31:33Days later she received the logbook from the DVLA. At last, the car was
0:31:33 > 0:31:35officially registered in her name.
0:31:37 > 0:31:41But it was because Jo was now traceable as the car's keeper
0:31:41 > 0:31:46that a few weeks later she received that frightening visit from the debt collectors.
0:31:47 > 0:31:51By them having that information they were actually able to come
0:31:51 > 0:31:53to my home...
0:31:53 > 0:31:55in the middle of the night and take that car away.
0:31:57 > 0:32:00Jo realised that the reason the previous owner hadn't sent their
0:32:00 > 0:32:04part of the logbook to the DVLA was because they didn't have it.
0:32:04 > 0:32:07At some point in the past it had been used to take out a so-called
0:32:07 > 0:32:12"logbook loan", with that vital certificate handed over as security
0:32:12 > 0:32:13to borrow cash.
0:32:14 > 0:32:17If I'd have known there was money outstanding on the car
0:32:17 > 0:32:20I wouldn't... My dad wouldn't have bought it for me,
0:32:20 > 0:32:21that's as simple as that.
0:32:22 > 0:32:2730,000 logbook loans are recorded in the UK every year,
0:32:27 > 0:32:30and the industry is said to be worth around £40 million.
0:32:31 > 0:32:35It may seem an easy way to get money, but the repayment rates can be
0:32:35 > 0:32:37eye-wateringly high.
0:32:37 > 0:32:40And although they had no idea at the time,
0:32:40 > 0:32:43when Jo's family had bought the car they'd been landed with the loan
0:32:43 > 0:32:45attached to it too.
0:32:45 > 0:32:48Having spoken to the logbook loan company
0:32:48 > 0:32:54they said there had been various owners after the logbook loan
0:32:54 > 0:32:57had been taken out but they had been unable to track the car down
0:32:57 > 0:32:59and actually seize it.
0:33:02 > 0:33:06I had no knowledge whatsoever that there was any finance outstanding
0:33:06 > 0:33:10on the car. I hadn't received any letters, no phone calls,
0:33:10 > 0:33:16nothing to point out that this loan was outstanding on the car.
0:33:16 > 0:33:20I just feel a victim of somebody else's failings, basically.
0:33:20 > 0:33:24They took that loan out, they didn't honour their agreement
0:33:24 > 0:33:27and now...I've been punished for it. It's just not fair.
0:33:29 > 0:33:33Jo was staggered to find that the only way to get her seized car back
0:33:33 > 0:33:36was for her to pay off the £500 loan.
0:33:38 > 0:33:44My sister transferred £500 to my bank account, I then paid
0:33:44 > 0:33:47the logbook loan company over the phone using my debit card.
0:33:47 > 0:33:49It was then they told me where my car was
0:33:49 > 0:33:51and where I could pick it up from.
0:33:53 > 0:33:57So, after buying the car for £500, Jo was forced to pay another
0:33:57 > 0:34:02£500 to collect a debt that wasn't even hers.
0:34:02 > 0:34:10£500 to me is my month's rent, er, a week away with my daughter...
0:34:10 > 0:34:14um, you know, it was quite a sizeable chunk.
0:34:14 > 0:34:18I'm a single mum. I don't earn a great deal.
0:34:18 > 0:34:21It was just soul-destroying. I just felt cheated.
0:34:23 > 0:34:27The logbook loan company Jo paid the money to is called Mobile Money.
0:34:29 > 0:34:33They say they'd normally expect their recovery agents to work
0:34:33 > 0:34:35in daylight, and accept that the time and nature
0:34:35 > 0:34:38of this visit were not the most appropriate.
0:34:38 > 0:34:41They apologise for that and say they stopped working with the
0:34:41 > 0:34:45recovery company as a result. Even so, they say they were acting within
0:34:45 > 0:34:48the law, and the relevant code of practice.
0:34:48 > 0:34:52They stress advanced notice wouldn't normally be given to recover assets,
0:34:52 > 0:34:55and urge purchasers of second-hand vehicles
0:34:55 > 0:34:57to be mindful of the fact
0:34:57 > 0:34:58that the seller...
0:35:02 > 0:35:06But since Rip-Off Britain intervened, Mobile Money have now sent Jo
0:35:06 > 0:35:10a cheque for the £500 she had to shell out to get her car back.
0:35:12 > 0:35:17Nevertheless, it's an experience Jo won't forget in a hurry.
0:35:17 > 0:35:20I was furious I was having to pay somebody else's debt.
0:35:20 > 0:35:24It just doesn't seem fair or just that I had to do that.
0:35:24 > 0:35:27Erm, but I had no choice, I needed to get my car back.
0:35:27 > 0:35:29Basically, I was backed into a corner and I'd got no choice,
0:35:29 > 0:35:31I had to pay that money.
0:35:35 > 0:35:38In a typical year almost nine million parking tickets
0:35:38 > 0:35:40are going to be issued in the UK.
0:35:40 > 0:35:43And, while it's always frustrating to get one, it's even worse
0:35:43 > 0:35:47when you had no idea that you were parked illegally in the first place.
0:35:47 > 0:35:50Which is exactly what happened to our next viewer,
0:35:50 > 0:35:58along with thousands of other drivers who all fell foul of parking restrictions in the exact same spot.
0:35:58 > 0:36:03Coincidence? Or a sign that something is not quite right?
0:36:08 > 0:36:11Passing your driving test is a rite of passage.
0:36:11 > 0:36:16It should mean new horizons, independence and freedom.
0:36:16 > 0:36:18So, when 19-year-old Jamie Porter got his licence
0:36:18 > 0:36:21he couldn't wait to make the most of it.
0:36:21 > 0:36:24I love having my car and it helps me get around.
0:36:24 > 0:36:28I'd say I'm a safe driver as well, but having a car makes my life
0:36:28 > 0:36:30so much easier for going places
0:36:30 > 0:36:33and getting to work on time in the morning and going home.
0:36:35 > 0:36:39Jamie may be new to the road, but already he's received something
0:36:39 > 0:36:45that all drivers dread - a letter saying he'd fallen foul of the law,
0:36:45 > 0:36:48and he didn't even know he'd done it.
0:36:48 > 0:36:52I came downstairs and found a letter from London Borough of Hounslow
0:36:52 > 0:36:55addressed to me and I opened it up and they told me that I had...
0:36:56 > 0:37:00..received a fine for parking in this bus stand
0:37:00 > 0:37:03and I was just gutted about it, really.
0:37:03 > 0:37:06It came as such a shock to me.
0:37:06 > 0:37:11The fine was for £110. And Jamie had got it after dropping off
0:37:11 > 0:37:15a friend at Feltham Bus Station one evening in April 2011.
0:37:15 > 0:37:19He'd pulled into what he'd thought was a lay-by
0:37:19 > 0:37:22but it turned out to be a bus stand.
0:37:22 > 0:37:25At the time I was just dropping my mate off at the station,
0:37:25 > 0:37:29he needed a lift and I didn't know the area at all.
0:37:29 > 0:37:33So, erm, I just assumed that I could just drop my passenger off there
0:37:33 > 0:37:35and drive away, not thinking twice about it.
0:37:37 > 0:37:41So, why did Jamie think it was OK to pull in where he did?
0:37:41 > 0:37:43Well, he said he'd clocked a sign saying that
0:37:43 > 0:37:47restrictions on stopping there ended at seven in the evening,
0:37:47 > 0:37:52and he'd stopped at 7:21 so assumed he'd be fine.
0:37:52 > 0:37:55Unhappy about the fine, he went back to double-check the signs
0:37:55 > 0:37:57with his dad Jim.
0:37:57 > 0:38:01And Jim thinks it's easy to see why any driver here
0:38:01 > 0:38:03might be caught out.
0:38:03 > 0:38:05There's a sign up there at the end of it
0:38:05 > 0:38:10and it says you can't stop from 7am to 7pm, yet there's another
0:38:10 > 0:38:14sign over there that says you can't stop at any time.
0:38:14 > 0:38:18There's warning signs that are supposed to advise you that
0:38:18 > 0:38:21you can't stop or that you will be filmed,
0:38:21 > 0:38:25but as you can see over there, the sign is hidden behind a sign.
0:38:25 > 0:38:29There's a sign behind me that's facing this way. So when you are
0:38:29 > 0:38:33approaching from the other direction there's no way you can tell
0:38:33 > 0:38:36which signs are what or what means anything.
0:38:37 > 0:38:40So Jim and Jamie appealed against the fine,
0:38:40 > 0:38:43arguing that the signage was unclear.
0:38:43 > 0:38:46They quickly received a response from Hounslow Council,
0:38:46 > 0:38:50who sent in footage from their CCTV cameras showing Jamie
0:38:50 > 0:38:52in the no-stopping area.
0:38:52 > 0:38:56The CCTV video showed me stopping for 19 seconds
0:38:56 > 0:39:00and, erm, I drove off and I thought nothing of it at the time.
0:39:01 > 0:39:04Jamie doesn't dispute that he was there - the question is,
0:39:04 > 0:39:07whether he should have been fined?
0:39:07 > 0:39:11Hounslow Council was adamant he'd stopped illegally.
0:39:11 > 0:39:16They rejected his appeal and that £110 fine remained.
0:39:16 > 0:39:20As far as I'm concerned, Jamie wasn't at fault.
0:39:20 > 0:39:25There's so many signs here that make it so obscure
0:39:25 > 0:39:29that people can't really tell whether they can stop here or not.
0:39:29 > 0:39:32And Jamie isn't the only driver to have been caught on camera
0:39:32 > 0:39:35stopping in exactly the same place.
0:39:35 > 0:39:39One of them even put in a Freedom of Information request to find out how many fines
0:39:39 > 0:39:40had been issued at the same spot,
0:39:40 > 0:39:46and discovered that in less than two years the council has made
0:39:46 > 0:39:51£409,688 from fines at this spot alone.
0:39:51 > 0:39:54But Hounslow Council doesn't see it that way.
0:39:56 > 0:39:58They told us it's...
0:40:03 > 0:40:06..and that, additionally, separate signs warn drivers
0:40:06 > 0:40:09that CCTV cameras are in operation.
0:40:09 > 0:40:11They're confident that all the bus stands are...
0:40:16 > 0:40:17..and say that, to avoid a fine
0:40:17 > 0:40:20all that drivers need to do is drop off in the car park
0:40:20 > 0:40:22directly opposite.
0:40:22 > 0:40:26They've explained that the income raised is spent on improving
0:40:26 > 0:40:28transport opportunities for the borough's elderly
0:40:28 > 0:40:30and disabled residents.
0:40:32 > 0:40:33At the time of Jamie's...
0:40:35 > 0:40:39..they've said no stopping was allowed at any time,
0:40:39 > 0:40:42but...
0:40:44 > 0:40:49So, now, outside the hours that the coach service runs...
0:40:56 > 0:41:00Which is all fair enough, but if the signs really are as clear as
0:41:00 > 0:41:05the council maintains, is it really just a coincidence that Jamie
0:41:05 > 0:41:09and more than 8,000 other people who have been fined
0:41:09 > 0:41:12are convinced that they're not?
0:41:12 > 0:41:16And while Jamie still feels that he's been treated unfairly,
0:41:16 > 0:41:19he's determined not to let the same thing happen again.
0:41:20 > 0:41:25No, I'll make sure that I am more aware, and definitely keep
0:41:25 > 0:41:28an eye out for all kind of signs, whether they're hidden or
0:41:28 > 0:41:32they're open, and be more careful where
0:41:32 > 0:41:34I drop my passengers next time.
0:41:34 > 0:41:37I don't think I'll be going near the bus station any time soon.
0:41:41 > 0:41:46Here at Rip-Off Britain we're always ready to investigate more of your stories.
0:41:46 > 0:41:48You can write to us at...
0:41:57 > 0:42:00Or send us an e-mail to...
0:42:04 > 0:42:07Well, I guess we all know that sometimes things
0:42:07 > 0:42:12do happen and it's nobody's fault, but as we've been seeing today there are plenty of situations
0:42:12 > 0:42:16where, in truth, more could so easily have been done to make sure
0:42:16 > 0:42:19that you really did have the full picture before you ever
0:42:19 > 0:42:20handed over your cash.
0:42:20 > 0:42:23Yes, because if something's been sold a certain way it's not
0:42:23 > 0:42:26unreasonable to expect that that's what you're going to get.
0:42:26 > 0:42:29So, if it's not the case or for some reason things turn out to be
0:42:29 > 0:42:32less straightforward than you expected, it really should have
0:42:32 > 0:42:34been flagged up in advance.
0:42:34 > 0:42:35Totally. And not left for you to find out
0:42:35 > 0:42:38when it's just too late. But do keep your examples of this
0:42:38 > 0:42:41kind of thing coming in to Rip-Off Britain, and who knows,
0:42:41 > 0:42:45it could be your story we're trying to get to the bottom of on a future programme.
0:42:45 > 0:42:48But until then, thanks very much for being with us and from all of us, bye-bye.
0:42:48 > 0:42:49Goodbye. Bye.
0:42:54 > 0:42:57Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd