0:00:02 > 0:00:05'We asked you to tell us who's left you feeling ripped off
0:00:05 > 0:00:09'and you contacted us in your thousands by post, e-mail,
0:00:09 > 0:00:11'even stopping us on the streets.
0:00:11 > 0:00:14'And the message couldn't be clearer.'
0:00:14 > 0:00:17I think there's a lot of hidden information about your bills
0:00:17 > 0:00:20that should be made a lot more clear.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22I don't feel I get treated how I should be.
0:00:22 > 0:00:24'You've told us with money tighter than ever,
0:00:24 > 0:00:28'you need to be sure that every pound you spend is worth it.'
0:00:28 > 0:00:31How do I get my money back? Cos I just think I'm entitled to it.
0:00:31 > 0:00:34'So, whether it's a deliberate rip-off, a simple mistake
0:00:34 > 0:00:36'or a catch in the small print,
0:00:36 > 0:00:40'we'll find out why it is that you're out of pocket and what you can do about it.'
0:00:40 > 0:00:44Keep asking the questions, keep going to the top if you have to.
0:00:44 > 0:00:46We do get results. That's the interesting thing.
0:00:46 > 0:00:51Your stories, your money. This is Rip-Off Britain.
0:00:53 > 0:00:55Hello and welcome to Rip-Off Britain,
0:00:55 > 0:00:59where, as always, we three are on hand to fight your corner
0:00:59 > 0:01:03in those situations that haven't just cost you time and money
0:01:03 > 0:01:07but have also probably caused you an awful lot of grief along the way.
0:01:07 > 0:01:11All the people we'll be hearing from today would say that they've been treated unfairly,
0:01:11 > 0:01:14either because of small print that they don't think was clear
0:01:14 > 0:01:17or plain and simple bad customer service.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20I can tell you, we've got quite a few examples of that coming up.
0:01:20 > 0:01:22I must say, it's been a huge mailbag
0:01:22 > 0:01:24and some of the problems are really quite shocking,
0:01:24 > 0:01:27with huge sums of money that stand to be lost.
0:01:27 > 0:01:31Now, they're all to do with problems around the home, and big problems at that.
0:01:31 > 0:01:35In fact, in one case it could hardly be worse.
0:01:35 > 0:01:39Coming up, a company that promised to bring down your council tax
0:01:39 > 0:01:41but in reality was just after your cash.
0:01:41 > 0:01:46I don't think I'll ever get my money back. I do know it was a con.
0:01:46 > 0:01:48It was in the papers.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51It was a scam and I could say bye-bye to my money.
0:01:51 > 0:01:55And with insurers continuing to count the cost of recent floods,
0:01:55 > 0:01:58could you end up paying the price?
0:01:58 > 0:02:00They're not making the money they think they should be making,
0:02:00 > 0:02:02so they'll continue to search for a reason
0:02:02 > 0:02:07to punish householders for wanting to protect their greatest asset.
0:02:07 > 0:02:12Now, what do you have to do to be classed as occupying your home?
0:02:12 > 0:02:15Does it mean that you stay there overnight?
0:02:15 > 0:02:18Or is it being at the property every day?
0:02:18 > 0:02:20Now, I admit that may seem rather an odd question
0:02:20 > 0:02:25but it is one that really matters when it comes to house insurance.
0:02:25 > 0:02:29As this next couple found out, they face losing everything
0:02:29 > 0:02:34because of that one tiny detail which made all the difference.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42Andrew Hill is a skilled carpenter,
0:02:42 > 0:02:47so when he and girlfriend Chaska decided to buy a house in the town of Glastonbury,
0:02:47 > 0:02:49they wanted one that they could work on themselves,
0:02:49 > 0:02:53and with a bit of financial help from his dad, and a mortgage,
0:02:53 > 0:02:58they found the perfect bungalow priced at £138,000.
0:02:59 > 0:03:04We had gone for a really run-down bungalow that needed a lot of work doing to it
0:03:04 > 0:03:05and a project for me.
0:03:07 > 0:03:12With all the paperwork done and dusted via a consultant at Countrywide estate agents,
0:03:12 > 0:03:14the redevelopment began.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17For 12 months, at evenings and weekends,
0:03:17 > 0:03:19they worked on the project.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21Coming to the end, it was looking amazing.
0:03:21 > 0:03:25Every room, we were happy with. It was basically ready to move in.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29But on the night of April 9th, 2011,
0:03:29 > 0:03:33just two weeks before they were due to move in,
0:03:33 > 0:03:35disaster struck.
0:03:35 > 0:03:37A neighbour's home caught fire
0:03:37 > 0:03:41and the fire quickly spread to Andrew and Chaska's house.
0:03:41 > 0:03:45Within 20 minutes, half an hour, it was ripping through our roof.
0:03:45 > 0:03:49And I just couldn't believe what I was seeing.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52I felt sick, gutted, shocked.
0:03:52 > 0:03:56This big room here and that bit over there is the extension Andrew built
0:03:56 > 0:04:01and this bit here which is now the kitchen was the second bedroom.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04As all of their hard work burnt to the ground in front of them,
0:04:04 > 0:04:08their only comfort was that, along with their mortgage,
0:04:08 > 0:04:12they'd taken out home protection and buildings insurance.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15Everyone kept reassuring us, saying, "Don't worry, you're insured.
0:04:15 > 0:04:19"It'll be OK. It's just going to be tough for a few months."
0:04:19 > 0:04:21That was an understatement.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23They put in a claim on their policy,
0:04:23 > 0:04:26which, though organised by Countrywide,
0:04:26 > 0:04:28was underwritten by AXA,
0:04:28 > 0:04:31one of the biggest names in the insurance business.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34But their claim was rejected
0:04:34 > 0:04:39on the grounds that the house was not permanently lived in during renovation.
0:04:39 > 0:04:41They said, "If we'd known what your plans were,
0:04:41 > 0:04:43"we would never have insured you,"
0:04:43 > 0:04:46and basically our insurance was void
0:04:46 > 0:04:49because they said the property was unoccupied.
0:04:51 > 0:04:53But it's the ambiguity over what the word occupied means
0:04:53 > 0:04:56that's at the root of Andrew's problems now.
0:04:56 > 0:05:00There is, in fact, no standard industry definition
0:05:00 > 0:05:01and as far as Andrew was concerned,
0:05:01 > 0:05:05because he WAS at the house every day and the occasional night,
0:05:05 > 0:05:08he WAS occupying it.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11I'd never left the property for more than 30 days,
0:05:11 > 0:05:13even two days,
0:05:13 > 0:05:16because I just wanted to keep on battling through
0:05:16 > 0:05:18to get it finished, to move in.
0:05:18 > 0:05:22Andrew insists that when he bought the insurance at Countrywide
0:05:22 > 0:05:26who'd also arranged his mortgage for him, he'd explained in detail
0:05:26 > 0:05:29exactly what he'd be doing at the house and how often he be there,
0:05:29 > 0:05:34and his dad, who was also at the meeting with the broker, agrees.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37There's absolutely no doubt in my mind
0:05:37 > 0:05:41that the mortgage consultant knew exactly what our plans were.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44We told her that we were not going to be living in there,
0:05:44 > 0:05:46that we were going to be doing modernisation works
0:05:46 > 0:05:50and when all the works were completed, Andrew would be moving in.
0:05:50 > 0:05:55So how did Andrew end up with a policy that did not give him the cover that he needed?
0:05:55 > 0:05:58A question that, when they rejected his claim,
0:05:58 > 0:06:01insurers AXA said they couldn't answer.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05When speaking to AXA, they'd come back to us and said
0:06:05 > 0:06:11our argument was with the broker, so we went back to the broker and...
0:06:12 > 0:06:15..they basically said that we never told her.
0:06:15 > 0:06:19Unfortunately, we are told regardless of whatever we said,
0:06:19 > 0:06:24there is nothing there to prove what went on at that meeting
0:06:24 > 0:06:27in that office that night.
0:06:27 > 0:06:32And we are trying to...fight a battle...
0:06:32 > 0:06:35and we can't prove what was said.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39There should have been an easy way to clear all of that up.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42The Financial Services Authority has guidelines
0:06:42 > 0:06:46requiring anyone selling insurance to keep careful notes of their meetings
0:06:46 > 0:06:49so that if later there is a dispute over what was said,
0:06:49 > 0:06:52those notes can settle it.
0:06:52 > 0:06:56But Countrywide weren't able to produce any such records.
0:06:56 > 0:07:00As a result, when Andrew first took his case to the Financial Ombudsman Service,
0:07:00 > 0:07:05he was told that there was no evidence to suggest that the policy had been mis-sold,
0:07:05 > 0:07:10leaving the couple faced with losing the entire value of their home.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12The fire actually started in our next-door neighbour's house,
0:07:12 > 0:07:17but as you can see, their house has been rebuilt because their insurance has paid out.
0:07:17 > 0:07:21Whereas our house is still left like this. Our insurance won't pay.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27On their behalf, we spoke to insurers AXA,
0:07:27 > 0:07:33who reiterated that the claim was rejected because the house was not permanently occupied,
0:07:33 > 0:07:37a fact that THEY'D only known about after the fire.
0:07:37 > 0:07:39If they'd known that at the time of purchase,
0:07:39 > 0:07:42they would not have provided cover.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45And they bounced it all back towards Countrywide,
0:07:45 > 0:07:47saying it was their responsibility:
0:07:52 > 0:07:55But when we asked Countrywide for an explanation,
0:07:55 > 0:07:57they just said that while they're:
0:08:05 > 0:08:09And they didn't explain why they'd been unable to produce any notes
0:08:09 > 0:08:11from the original meeting with Andrew,
0:08:11 > 0:08:13as the guidelines said they should.
0:08:14 > 0:08:19At the moment, we're stuck between the broker and the insurer,
0:08:19 > 0:08:23and I've still got to pay for the mortgage, my loans
0:08:23 > 0:08:25for this pile of rubbish.
0:08:29 > 0:08:31But we kept pushing
0:08:31 > 0:08:34and are delighted to say that this story does have a happy ending.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37After looking at the case again,
0:08:37 > 0:08:41the Financial Ombudsman Service upheld Andrew's complaint against Countrywide,
0:08:41 > 0:08:45concluding that the policy was mis-sold
0:08:45 > 0:08:47on the basis of all the evidence.
0:08:47 > 0:08:52And then insurers AXA unexpectedly rang Andrew at work
0:08:52 > 0:08:54with a change of heart.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57Then she said, "AXA are going to pay for the full rebuild of your house,"
0:08:57 > 0:09:00and it was just... It was like a winning lottery ticket
0:09:00 > 0:09:03and I was just running round, shouting, ringing all my friends up,
0:09:03 > 0:09:06saying, "Guess what? They're going to pay!"
0:09:06 > 0:09:08After reviewing the case in more detail,
0:09:08 > 0:09:10AXA said they understand that
0:09:10 > 0:09:14Andrew answered all of the application questions honestly
0:09:14 > 0:09:18and should not be disadvantaged as a result of a mis-communication
0:09:18 > 0:09:20between them and Countrywide.
0:09:20 > 0:09:25They've now paid the claim in full and also given compensation.
0:09:25 > 0:09:30It's finally...coming to an end. We can actually start to...
0:09:30 > 0:09:32Get on with our lives.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35Cos our lives have been on hold for the past 18 months,
0:09:35 > 0:09:37- so finally we can look to the future.- Yeah.
0:09:40 > 0:09:44Something we need to be increasingly on our guard against
0:09:44 > 0:09:47is certain companies promising that in return for a fee of course,
0:09:47 > 0:09:51they can win back money for us which we've paid out in the past.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54So if you've ever wondered if you pay too much council tax,
0:09:54 > 0:09:57you're exactly the sort of person they're after.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00It was October 2010 when right out of the blue,
0:10:00 > 0:10:05Jackie Roast got an intriguing phone-call with a very attractive offer.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08It was from a company called Council Tax Review
0:10:08 > 0:10:12who suggested that her house might have been put into the wrong council tax band.
0:10:12 > 0:10:16As a result, over the 13 years since she'd moved in,
0:10:16 > 0:10:18she may have been paying too much tax
0:10:18 > 0:10:22and that was money that the company suggested they could get back for her.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25I didn't really understand council tax banding
0:10:25 > 0:10:29but I thought it might be worthwhile so we'd listened to him.
0:10:29 > 0:10:33Jackie arranged a visit from someone at the company to explain more
0:10:33 > 0:10:38and when he came round, he made it sound like she had absolutely nothing to lose.
0:10:38 > 0:10:40He convinced me
0:10:40 > 0:10:44he would need £185 for the paperwork
0:10:44 > 0:10:47and then should they be unsuccessful,
0:10:47 > 0:10:49that will be refundable.
0:10:49 > 0:10:51It seemed perfect.
0:10:51 > 0:10:56If the company was successful, Jackie would pay less tax and get money back
0:10:56 > 0:10:59and if they weren't, they'd refund her her fee,
0:10:59 > 0:11:01so she signed a cheque for £185
0:11:01 > 0:11:05and left it to Council Tax Review to pursue her case.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08The man had told Jackie that this wasn't a job
0:11:08 > 0:11:10she could easily do for herself
0:11:10 > 0:11:14but a couple of weeks after signing up she realised that that wasn't true
0:11:14 > 0:11:16and you shouldn't need to pay anybody else to do it.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20After my sister told me that she had been down to the council
0:11:20 > 0:11:25and got her money back of £3,000 without any assistance from anyone,
0:11:25 > 0:11:30I decided to ring the Council Tax Review people I'd been involved with
0:11:30 > 0:11:32and ask for my money back.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35But Jackie's attempts at getting back what she'd paid out
0:11:35 > 0:11:38to Council Tax Review didn't get her very far,
0:11:38 > 0:11:41despite their promise that the fee would be refundable.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44It was one excuse after another.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46They were constantly fobbing me off.
0:11:46 > 0:11:50It's now two years since Jackie signed up with Council Tax Review.
0:11:50 > 0:11:54She's seen neither a refund nor any evidence that the company
0:11:54 > 0:11:57had bothered doing the work they promised in the first place.
0:11:57 > 0:12:01I've retired this year, my husband's due for retirement
0:12:01 > 0:12:04and I was hoping that we would have
0:12:04 > 0:12:07a smaller banding to pay
0:12:07 > 0:12:10and that we would have that little bit of money back in the bank.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13I feel angry. I feel stupid
0:12:13 > 0:12:16that I'd allowed this to happen to me.
0:12:16 > 0:12:21But Jackie is by no means the only person taken in by Council Tax Review.
0:12:21 > 0:12:27West Yorkshire Trading Standards received over 800 complaints about the company,
0:12:27 > 0:12:32all from people who'd been told that they, too, could be in line for thousands of pounds in rebates
0:12:32 > 0:12:35in return for that refundable upfront fee.
0:12:35 > 0:12:37They signed up, they paid the money,
0:12:37 > 0:12:40and they were finding that things weren't happening
0:12:40 > 0:12:42at the sort of pace that they perhaps expected.
0:12:42 > 0:12:46The man behind Council Tax Review, Jack Darrell Henry,
0:12:46 > 0:12:51was found guilty of a series of offences involving unfair commercial practices.
0:12:51 > 0:12:55The judge said that Henry had engaged in sharp and shoddy practices
0:12:55 > 0:12:57which were a whisker away from fraud.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00But while this company has been put out of business,
0:13:00 > 0:13:02there are deep concerns others with similar tactics
0:13:02 > 0:13:04may spring up in its place.
0:13:04 > 0:13:08We've seen several examples of companies like this
0:13:08 > 0:13:13where effectively they are offering a service which can actually be performed by yourself.
0:13:13 > 0:13:18You've got to learn that don't sign anything if you don't want to,
0:13:18 > 0:13:21take the information away by all means but have a think about it first.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25The easiest way to find out if you're in the wrong council tax band
0:13:25 > 0:13:28is to contact your local Valuation Office yourself.
0:13:28 > 0:13:32It won't cost anything more than the price of the call
0:13:32 > 0:13:34and it's absolutely free if you do it online,
0:13:34 > 0:13:38something Jackie wishes she'd known when she first got that call.
0:13:38 > 0:13:42I don't think I'll ever get my money back. It was in the papers.
0:13:42 > 0:13:45It was a scam and I could say bye-bye to my money.
0:13:49 > 0:13:54The Rip-Off Britain team has opened up a one-stop consumer advice shop.
0:13:54 > 0:13:58It's the perfect opportunity to meet many of you face-to-face,
0:13:58 > 0:14:03and, more importantly, for our team of experts to help tackle your consumer problems.
0:14:05 > 0:14:07Gloria, isn't it great to be back in the pop-up shop
0:14:07 > 0:14:10and find so many people wanting to talk to our experts?
0:14:10 > 0:14:12I know. The success of it, I think, has been fantastic.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15And one man who's come for advice
0:14:15 > 0:14:18is former squash champion Aftab Jerwain.
0:14:18 > 0:14:24He's hoping his diary of evidence will help our telecommunications expert David McLelland
0:14:24 > 0:14:27get to the bottom of a dispute he's having with his phone company.
0:14:27 > 0:14:31He paid 12 months line rental up front
0:14:31 > 0:14:32but two months later moved house.
0:14:32 > 0:14:36And despite using the same provider in his new home,
0:14:36 > 0:14:39he was told the old contract was non-refundable
0:14:39 > 0:14:42and he'd have to pay again for another.
0:14:42 > 0:14:46I started getting the letters from their solicitors of the company.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49- Threatening letters trying to scare you into submission...- Yes.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51That's a common tactic, unfortunately.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54First, let me congratulate you.
0:14:54 > 0:14:57You've made such a good diary and that is textbook stuff
0:14:57 > 0:14:59and that will really help you later on.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02According to the letter of the terms and conditions
0:15:02 > 0:15:05that contract was terminated.
0:15:05 > 0:15:09However, if it wasn't made absolutely clear to you that that would be the case,
0:15:09 > 0:15:10you have a strong case.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13In your official letter of complaint, you set out very clearly
0:15:13 > 0:15:19how you want this to be resolved and if that fails, the next step after that is the ombudsman.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22With this brilliant diary of information you've got here,
0:15:22 > 0:15:25I'm pretty sure your case will be very clear indeed.
0:15:28 > 0:15:32Some parts of Britain have been hit by disastrous floods in recent years
0:15:32 > 0:15:35and, although they might not like it,
0:15:35 > 0:15:39you can understand why those people who live in the worst affected areas
0:15:39 > 0:15:43may now have to pay increased insurance premiums as a result.
0:15:43 > 0:15:48But what if you live in an area that has never seen a proper flood in living memory
0:15:48 > 0:15:51and your premiums suddenly start to soar
0:15:51 > 0:15:55because, apparently, you have got an increased risk of flooding?
0:15:55 > 0:15:58Well, that's exactly what happened to Nancy Herely.
0:15:58 > 0:16:02She could just not understand what was going on and she asked us to investigate
0:16:02 > 0:16:05and, you know, it's a good job that she did
0:16:05 > 0:16:08because this time it seems that her insurance company
0:16:08 > 0:16:12really did not know what they were talking about.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15We're getting used to seeing images of homes underwater,
0:16:15 > 0:16:19devastating floods hit parts of Britain several times last year,
0:16:19 > 0:16:23most recently around Christmas, but even after the heaviest downpours,
0:16:23 > 0:16:28the part of Lincolnshire where Nancy Herely and her husband, Phil, have lived for the last decade
0:16:28 > 0:16:30remained unscathed.
0:16:30 > 0:16:34In fact, it is 50 years since the area saw a flood.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37It's an absolutely stunning part of the country.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40We found a house that we absolutely love
0:16:40 > 0:16:42and we found a beautiful way of life here.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45When the couple moved into their farmhouse,
0:16:45 > 0:16:49they arranged their home and contents insurance through Cornhill Direct.
0:16:49 > 0:16:54The cover protected them for home and contents, fire and flooding.
0:16:54 > 0:16:58Our first insurance policy was for £177.50.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01Gradually, over the years, it crept up.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04I believe in 2009, it was slightly over £300.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07Over the next seven years up to 2009,
0:17:07 > 0:17:11the premiums had gone up by a fairly modest £129.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14And in 2007, the policy was very useful
0:17:14 > 0:17:17when Nancy needed to make a claim for some storm damage.
0:17:17 > 0:17:21They told us simply to get it repaired and paid everything very promptly.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24We were very pleased with the treatment we had.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27Or, at least, they were until 2010
0:17:27 > 0:17:33when the cost of their annual insurance suddenly went up from £300 to £490.
0:17:33 > 0:17:38Cornhill put it down to the fact that they had reclassified the area where Nancy's house sits
0:17:38 > 0:17:40as a flood risk area.
0:17:40 > 0:17:45We had never had any indication this area had suddenly become
0:17:45 > 0:17:49an area of concern for the insurers with regard to the floods.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52Nancy reluctantly paid the increased premium,
0:17:52 > 0:17:55but the next year brought an even bigger shock.
0:17:55 > 0:18:03In 2011, we received a premium request for £737.26.
0:18:03 > 0:18:08We were absolutely astonished because this was a massive increase.
0:18:08 > 0:18:13In two years, Nancy's policy had gone up by 141 percent
0:18:13 > 0:18:17because of a risk that Nancy believed would never happen.
0:18:17 > 0:18:18So, together with her neighbours,
0:18:18 > 0:18:23some of whom were experiencing similar problems with their insurance companies,
0:18:23 > 0:18:25she hatched a plan to fight back.
0:18:25 > 0:18:29Through their local MP, they arranged a meeting with a man from the Environment Agency.
0:18:29 > 0:18:33He said they too had recently reclassified the area's risk of flood
0:18:33 > 0:18:37but, unlike the insurers, they had downgraded it.
0:18:37 > 0:18:42He talked about the fact that it has not flooded in this area since 1957
0:18:42 > 0:18:48and that the area is now being changed from a significant risk of flooding
0:18:48 > 0:18:50to a moderate risk of flooding.
0:18:50 > 0:18:56Insurance companies do not have to use the Environment Agency's analysis when setting premiums,
0:18:56 > 0:19:00but Nancy couldn't understand why Cornhill Direct was saying the likelihood of flooding
0:19:00 > 0:19:05was increasing at a time when the Environment Agency was saying the exact opposite.
0:19:05 > 0:19:09They simply did not want to know that we had a government agency
0:19:09 > 0:19:14that could verify that this area was in no great danger of flooding.
0:19:14 > 0:19:16Nancy took her business elsewhere,
0:19:16 > 0:19:21organising her home insurance with a local broker for just £264.
0:19:21 > 0:19:27But she still feels aggrieved that Cornhill Direct wouldn't listen to what she was saying.
0:19:27 > 0:19:34They were unwilling to look beyond what their computer screens gave them as a definition
0:19:34 > 0:19:38of the area and what their underwriters would permit.
0:19:38 > 0:19:43When we contacted Cornhill Direct, the story took an unexpected turn.
0:19:43 > 0:19:48The company agreed that Nancy's postcode was not in an area at high risk of flooding
0:19:48 > 0:19:50and they told us that when they said it was,
0:19:50 > 0:19:54what they actually meant was that it was suddenly at a greater risk of subsidence
0:19:54 > 0:19:57because of shrinkable clay soil in the area.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00When we broke the news to Nancy, she was flabbergasted.
0:20:03 > 0:20:05Subsidence!
0:20:05 > 0:20:09I was told twice it was flooding.
0:20:09 > 0:20:13No-one ever mentioned subsidence, no-one ever mentioned clay.
0:20:13 > 0:20:15Absolutely astonishing!
0:20:15 > 0:20:18I am... I am truly amazed.
0:20:18 > 0:20:20I am... I am furious actually.
0:20:20 > 0:20:26And the neighbours were even more amused to hear one of the company's other explanations.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29In an e-mail to us, they said they'd been influenced by - wait for it -
0:20:29 > 0:20:33some of the local street names on Google Maps.
0:20:33 > 0:20:35"The River Witham passes her property..."
0:20:35 > 0:20:36GASPS
0:20:36 > 0:20:41"..and the neighbouring road have such names as
0:20:41 > 0:20:43"40 Foot Bank, Ferry Lane
0:20:43 > 0:20:47"and Fifteen Foot Drain.
0:20:47 > 0:20:52"I think it is forgiveable for making the assumption that our stance
0:20:52 > 0:20:54"was due to flood rather than any other peril."
0:20:54 > 0:20:57Cornhill Direct told us they'd adjusted the premiums
0:20:57 > 0:21:02after working with an external provider of geographical hazard data
0:21:02 > 0:21:06so they could improve the sophistication and accuracy of their pricing
0:21:06 > 0:21:11and, putting aside the inaccuracy of confusing flooding with subsidence
0:21:11 > 0:21:14they are satisfied that from a technical underwriting respective,
0:21:14 > 0:21:17the policy has performed exactly as intended.
0:21:17 > 0:21:21They say their premiums reflect what they believe to be the risks presented to them
0:21:21 > 0:21:25and they don't increase them by any more than they have to.
0:21:25 > 0:21:30But Nancy is not persuaded that the new justification for the price hike holds any more water
0:21:30 > 0:21:35than the old one, especially considering that she has been able to find the same type of cover
0:21:35 > 0:21:37for the coming year for just £202.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40They're not making the money that they think they should be making.
0:21:40 > 0:21:44Therefore, they'll continue searching for a reason to punish householders
0:21:44 > 0:21:46for protecting their greatest asset.
0:21:46 > 0:21:51So, yes, I will tackle them on this and, yes,
0:21:51 > 0:21:54I will continue to fight and I will be as loud as possible.
0:21:54 > 0:21:58I'm not going away. They may think they've won, but I'm not going away.
0:22:02 > 0:22:04Sometimes when you feel ripped off,
0:22:04 > 0:22:07it could be you that's made a mistake.
0:22:07 > 0:22:12Perhaps you didn't read the small print or realise the consequences of what you signed up to.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15Whoever is at fault, when things go wrong,
0:22:15 > 0:22:18you need to know what to do about it.
0:22:18 > 0:22:21So, we've put together a booklet of tips and advice.
0:22:21 > 0:22:25You can find a link to the free guide on our website:
0:22:28 > 0:22:30Or, to receive a copy in the post,
0:22:30 > 0:22:32send a stamped self-addressed A5 envelope
0:22:32 > 0:22:36to the address which we will give you at the end of the programme.
0:22:39 > 0:22:44If you're lucky enough to have a guarantee for work that's been done on your home,
0:22:44 > 0:22:47you'd think it would be obvious what it entitles you to.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49But that's not always the case.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52Sometimes it turns out that the guarantee you've pinned your hopes on
0:22:52 > 0:22:55is no longer worth the paper it's written on.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58# I could have danced all night
0:22:58 > 0:23:01# I could have dance all night... #
0:23:01 > 0:23:06When amateur singer Adrienne Guthrie was looking for a new place to live,
0:23:06 > 0:23:09Wetherby in Yorkshire seemed the obvious choice.
0:23:09 > 0:23:14I looked for a property near friends and, because most of the activities I am involved in,
0:23:14 > 0:23:18the ladies' choir and one or two other activities are in Wetherby.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21Adrienne had no trouble finding her ideal home.
0:23:21 > 0:23:25She was sent a stack of paperwork to go with the purchase
0:23:25 > 0:23:27and amongst it was some very good news.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29Or so she thought.
0:23:29 > 0:23:32I saw that there was a guarantee for the double glazing
0:23:32 > 0:23:34for a ten-year period.
0:23:34 > 0:23:38Double glazing had been installed less than two years earlier.
0:23:38 > 0:23:44But Adrienne soon noticed her double glazing wasn't keeping the house is warm as she'd expected.
0:23:44 > 0:23:48I hadn't been in the house very long when I realised that the kitchen was very cold
0:23:48 > 0:23:53and as the cold weather came, it was just like being in an ice box.
0:23:54 > 0:23:56Adrienne traced the problem to the kitchen door,
0:23:56 > 0:23:59which didn't seem to have been fitted properly.
0:23:59 > 0:24:01I wasn't unduly worried.
0:24:01 > 0:24:05I thought that the double glazing would be covered under the guarantee
0:24:05 > 0:24:09and it would just be a repair.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12So Adrienne contacted the company who'd issued the guarantee,
0:24:12 > 0:24:14Orion Windows Limited.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17But they told her the guarantee was no good to her
0:24:17 > 0:24:21because it was only valid for the customer who'd installed the glazing.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24In other words, the house's previous owner.
0:24:24 > 0:24:26I just couldn't believe it
0:24:26 > 0:24:31and nobody could understand why the guarantee wasn't transferable
0:24:31 > 0:24:35from one owner to the next and why it didn't stay with the house.
0:24:35 > 0:24:37To make matters worse, a few weeks later,
0:24:37 > 0:24:41there was another problem with Adrienne's double glazing.
0:24:41 > 0:24:45I suddenly heard three loud cracks and when I went into the back bedroom,
0:24:45 > 0:24:48the window had cracked from top to bottom.
0:24:48 > 0:24:52It was very cold outside and I'm assuming it was because of the cold.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55So, with two double glazing problems in just two months,
0:24:55 > 0:24:59you can see why Adrienne was annoyed at the prospect of shelling out for repairs that,
0:24:59 > 0:25:03because she had that guarantee, she believed should be done for free.
0:25:03 > 0:25:08I don't understand why the guarantee doesn't transfer from owner to owner.
0:25:08 > 0:25:14It's just ridiculous the way it is just null and void.
0:25:15 > 0:25:21In fact, double glazing suppliers aren't under any obligation to supply transferable guarantees
0:25:21 > 0:25:27unless they are members of the industry trade body, the Glass and Glazing Federation.
0:25:27 > 0:25:32In that case, they are supposed to honour guarantees if the house changes hands.
0:25:32 > 0:25:37And, funnily enough, Orion Windows Ltd is a member.
0:25:37 > 0:25:38When we contacted them,
0:25:38 > 0:25:41they blamed an oversight and were quick to put things right.
0:25:43 > 0:25:47They made what they call very minor adjustments to sort out Adrienne's glazing
0:25:47 > 0:25:52and immediately transferred the unexpired portion of their guarantee to her.
0:25:52 > 0:25:56They assured us that all other guarantees would now be transferable.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00We also spoke to the Glass and Glazing Federation
0:26:00 > 0:26:07who reiterated that it's a mandatory requirement for all their members to provide transferable guarantees.
0:26:07 > 0:26:11But when we contacted the 20 Glass and Glazing Federation members
0:26:11 > 0:26:16closest to where Adrienne lives to see if they offer transferable guarantees,
0:26:16 > 0:26:17four of them said they didn't.
0:26:17 > 0:26:20We've passed that information on to the Federation
0:26:20 > 0:26:25who said they will be reminding all their members of their obligations on this.
0:26:26 > 0:26:31Here at Rip-Off Britain, we're always ready to investigate more of your stories.
0:26:31 > 0:26:32Confused over your bills?
0:26:32 > 0:26:35Trying to wade through never-ending small print?
0:26:35 > 0:26:39We should read it, but it's not in plain English. It should be simple.
0:26:39 > 0:26:41You might have a cautionary tale of your own
0:26:41 > 0:26:45and want to share the mistakes you've made with us so that others don't do the same.
0:26:45 > 0:26:50We paid them good money to act in our best interests. They didn't.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54You can write to us at:
0:27:03 > 0:27:05Or send us an e-mail:
0:27:08 > 0:27:13The Rip-Off team is ready and waiting to investigate your stories.
0:27:16 > 0:27:21I think we'd all agree that it's really never good to find that you've been ripped off,
0:27:21 > 0:27:25but somehow it's particularly bad when it affects your own home.
0:27:25 > 0:27:31But, as ever, one way or another, it is quite often paperwork that's at the root of the problem.
0:27:31 > 0:27:36Whether it's been a promise that hasn't been kept or a clause that you didn't quite understand -
0:27:36 > 0:27:38and we get a lot of that, don't we?
0:27:38 > 0:27:42Yes, as we've seen from our stories today, you can't always be confident
0:27:42 > 0:27:45that you'll get what you thought you'd signed up to.
0:27:45 > 0:27:49But doing research and ploughing through all those boring old terms and conditions
0:27:49 > 0:27:52is still the best way to protect yourself and your property.
0:27:52 > 0:27:57Because your home, as you know, is the most important asset that you will probably ever have
0:27:57 > 0:28:00so battling through that small print really is worthwhile,
0:28:00 > 0:28:03even if they don't always make it that easy for you.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06That's where we've got to leave it for today.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09We hope you'll join us again for more of your stories.
0:28:09 > 0:28:12- Until next time, from all of us, bye-bye.- Bye.- Goodbye.
0:28:26 > 0:28:31Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd