0:00:02 > 0:00:05We asked you to tell us who has left you feeling ripped-off
0:00:05 > 0:00:10and you contacted us in your thousands by post, e-mail,
0:00:10 > 0:00:15even stopping us on the streets, and the message could not be clearer.
0:00:15 > 0:00:16Things weren't right,
0:00:16 > 0:00:19it was costing me time and money, and it was like, does anybody listen?
0:00:19 > 0:00:24But unfortunately, I think these companies are more motivated by their share price,
0:00:24 > 0:00:26than they are by actually looking after their customers.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29You've told us, that with money tighter than ever,
0:00:29 > 0:00:32you need to make sure that every pound you spend is worth it.
0:00:32 > 0:00:34How do I get my money back?
0:00:34 > 0:00:36Cos I just think I'm entitled to it.
0:00:36 > 0:00:39So whether it's a deliberate rip-off, a 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, keep...you know, go to the top if you have to.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52We do get results, I mean that's the interesting thing.
0:00:52 > 0:00:56Your stories, your money - this is Rip-Off Britain.
0:00:58 > 0:01:02Hello and welcome to Rip-Off Britain, the programme that is
0:01:02 > 0:01:06never afraid to take on those companies both big and small
0:01:06 > 0:01:10that you believe have either let you down, or treated you unfairly.
0:01:10 > 0:01:14And, boy, have you given us plenty to get our teeth into today,
0:01:14 > 0:01:15haven't they?
0:01:15 > 0:01:18You sure have. Well, the thing that comes over loud and clear is
0:01:18 > 0:01:21that you feel really ripped off when things don't turn out the way
0:01:21 > 0:01:24you expected. Maybe you didn't realise exactly what you'd signed up to.
0:01:24 > 0:01:28Or perhaps there was a key detail that you simply weren't told.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31But, you know, either way, it can result in a very unwelcome
0:01:31 > 0:01:34surprise later on down the line - which is exactly what
0:01:34 > 0:01:38happened to the people whose stories are coming up today.
0:01:38 > 0:01:43Coming up... The families hit with huge care home fees they didn't expect.
0:01:43 > 0:01:47Just because it's legal, doesn't make it morally or ethically right.
0:01:47 > 0:01:51This is charging the dead, really, for a service they've not had.
0:01:51 > 0:01:55And more of your problems solved on the spot at our pop-up shop.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59When money's tight, it can be bad enough keeping on top
0:01:59 > 0:02:04of your own finances, let alone being dragged into somebody else's.
0:02:04 > 0:02:06So imagine suddenly being told you had to pay off a debt that
0:02:06 > 0:02:08belonged to someone else
0:02:08 > 0:02:11and there was nothing at all you could do about it.
0:02:14 > 0:02:16I was lying in bed, it was the middle of the night
0:02:16 > 0:02:19and I just heard this almighty hammering on the door.
0:02:19 > 0:02:24For Jo Day, that loud knocking one wintry night in December 2011,
0:02:24 > 0:02:27was to prove a very rude awakening indeed.
0:02:27 > 0:02:29I opened the front door,
0:02:29 > 0:02:31and there were two men standing there just saying that
0:02:31 > 0:02:35the car was being seized because there was a loan outstanding on it.
0:02:35 > 0:02:39So, shocked and confused, I gave them the car keys.
0:02:39 > 0:02:43Terrified, Jo had no idea at all what was going on.
0:02:43 > 0:02:45But these men were debt collectors
0:02:45 > 0:02:48chasing a loan she'd never even heard of.
0:02:48 > 0:02:54Living alone with my daughter it was scary to have two huge men
0:02:54 > 0:02:58banging on my door at that time of night demanding my car keys.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04The men left her with a letter explaining there was a loan
0:03:04 > 0:03:07held against her car, and it needed paying.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10Jo was shocked because she'd never taken out such a loan,
0:03:10 > 0:03:14and she'd only got the car - a £500 second-hand Nissan Micra -
0:03:14 > 0:03:16a few months earlier.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19But from that letter she was able to start piecing together what
0:03:19 > 0:03:21had happened,
0:03:21 > 0:03:24and could trace her problems back to something that had
0:03:24 > 0:03:28occurred three months earlier, when she'd tried to tax the car.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31It was then that I realised that I didn't have the
0:03:31 > 0:03:35full V5 document that you need when you're taxing the car.
0:03:35 > 0:03:39That V5C document - more commonly known as the logbook -
0:03:39 > 0:03:44is the certificate issued by the DVLA when a vehicle is registered.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47It contains the car's details, and information about any
0:03:47 > 0:03:51previous people who've had the car - known as its registered keepers.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55I phoned the DVLA. They confirmed that the vehicle wasn't
0:03:55 > 0:03:57registered in my name.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00When Jo's parents had bought the car, which they
0:04:00 > 0:04:02gave to her as a birthday present, they HAD been given -
0:04:02 > 0:04:06as is correct - part of the logbook.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09What the seller should have done next was to send the remaining
0:04:09 > 0:04:14part to the DVLA, notifying them of the new registered keeper, Jo.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18In this case that hadn't happened.
0:04:18 > 0:04:22So, to try to put things right, Jo sent the part of the logbook
0:04:22 > 0:04:26she did have to the DVLA, along with some identification.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30I received a letter back to say that they had received the paperwork
0:04:30 > 0:04:34that I sent and the new logbook would be with me shortly.
0:04:34 > 0:04:38Days later, she received the logbook from the DVLA.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41At last, the car was officially registered in her name.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46But it was because Jo was now traceable as the car's keeper
0:04:46 > 0:04:49that a few weeks later she received that frightening
0:04:49 > 0:04:52visit out of the blue from the debt collectors.
0:04:54 > 0:04:58By them having that information they were actually able to come
0:04:58 > 0:05:03to my home in the middle of the night and take that car away.
0:05:03 > 0:05:07The reason the previous owner hadn't sent their part of the logbook
0:05:07 > 0:05:10to the DVLA was because they didn't have it.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13At some point in the past it had been used to take out a
0:05:13 > 0:05:17so-called logbook loan with that vital certificate handed
0:05:17 > 0:05:19over as security to borrow cash.
0:05:20 > 0:05:24If I'd known that there was money outstanding on the car,
0:05:24 > 0:05:26I would... My dad wouldn't have bought it for me,
0:05:26 > 0:05:28that's as simple as that.
0:05:29 > 0:05:3330,000 logbook loans are recorded in the UK every year,
0:05:33 > 0:05:37and the industry is said to be worth around 40 million pounds.
0:05:38 > 0:05:40And although they'd no idea at the time - when Jo's family had
0:05:40 > 0:05:44bought the car, they'd been landed with the loan attached to it too.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49Having spoken to the logbook loan company, they said there had
0:05:49 > 0:05:55been various owners after the logbook loan had been taken out,
0:05:55 > 0:06:00but they'd been unable to track the car down and actually seize it.
0:06:02 > 0:06:06And Jo was staggered to find that now the car had been seized,
0:06:06 > 0:06:10the only way to get it back was for her to pay off the loan.
0:06:10 > 0:06:16She had no option but to pay £500 to cancel a debt that wasn't even hers.
0:06:16 > 0:06:22£500 to me is my month's rent, a week away with my daughter.
0:06:22 > 0:06:27I'm a single mum, I don't earn a great deal.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29It was just soul destroying.
0:06:29 > 0:06:34The logbook loan company Jo paid the money to is called Mobile Money.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37They say they'd normally expect their recovery agents to
0:06:37 > 0:06:40work in daylight, and accept that the time and nature of this
0:06:40 > 0:06:42visit were...
0:06:42 > 0:06:44They apologise for that,
0:06:44 > 0:06:48and say they stopped working with the recovery company as a result.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50Even so, they say they were acting within the law
0:06:50 > 0:06:53and the relevant code of practice.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56They stress, "Advance notice wouldn't normally be given to recover assets"
0:06:56 > 0:07:01and...
0:07:01 > 0:07:05..to be mindful of the fact that the seller...
0:07:07 > 0:07:09But, since Rip-Off Britain intervened,
0:07:09 > 0:07:13Mobile Money have now sent Jo a cheque for the £500 she had
0:07:13 > 0:07:15to shell out to get her car back.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21It's estimated that as many as a quarter of second-hand cars
0:07:21 > 0:07:24sold may turn out to have some sort of outstanding finance deal
0:07:24 > 0:07:26or debt attached.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29The best way to make sure a possible purchase doesn't is to get
0:07:29 > 0:07:33a finance check done before you buy it. That way, should something like
0:07:33 > 0:07:38a logbook loan be discovered later on, you may have some protection.
0:07:39 > 0:07:44But as Jo hadn't done that, she'd been left with two choices.
0:07:44 > 0:07:48Pay off a complete stranger's loan, or lose her car.
0:07:50 > 0:07:54It just doesn't seem fair or just that I have to do that,
0:07:54 > 0:07:56but I had no choice.
0:07:56 > 0:07:58I needed to get my car back.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05Now here's a holiday nightmare that most of us can identify with,
0:08:05 > 0:08:08you know the story, you book a hotel which looks
0:08:08 > 0:08:11great in the brochure, only to find that when you arrive,
0:08:11 > 0:08:15that your dream accommodation is in fact...a building site.
0:08:15 > 0:08:17Well, for one couple that got in touch with us,
0:08:17 > 0:08:19it was even worse than that.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22MUSIC: "Young At Heart" by The Bluebells
0:08:22 > 0:08:26When Lynn Eaton from Carlisle was thinking to herself,
0:08:26 > 0:08:28how to mark husband Jim's 50th birthday,
0:08:28 > 0:08:32she knew she wanted to do more than simply throw him a party.
0:08:32 > 0:08:35We were just having a cup of coffee and I could see this
0:08:35 > 0:08:38sign in Thomas Cook's window saying something about Vegas,
0:08:38 > 0:08:40and I just said, "Do you fancy Vegas instead of a party?"
0:08:40 > 0:08:43And he said, "Yes."
0:08:43 > 0:08:44After a look through the brochure,
0:08:44 > 0:08:48and a chat with a friendly agent, they booked a week at The Imperial Palace Hotel,
0:08:48 > 0:08:52very handily placed for Vegas's legendary Strip.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57It was small and it was friendly,
0:08:57 > 0:08:59and we thought it is in the middle of everything
0:08:59 > 0:09:01and it's not the most expensive.
0:09:01 > 0:09:04But the couple's luck began to change
0:09:04 > 0:09:06when the day of the trip dawned,
0:09:06 > 0:09:11and they had a chance conversation with another passenger on the plane.
0:09:11 > 0:09:13I told him we were stopping at the Imperial Palace
0:09:13 > 0:09:18and he said to me, "Are you sure, because we've been moved out of there
0:09:18 > 0:09:21"because it is getting major renovation work?"
0:09:21 > 0:09:23Obviously concerned,
0:09:23 > 0:09:27Lynn and Jim sought out a Thomas Cook rep as soon as they landed.
0:09:27 > 0:09:29She explained, "Yes, there is major,
0:09:29 > 0:09:33"major work being done on the hotel."
0:09:33 > 0:09:35I said, "Well can we be moved?"
0:09:35 > 0:09:38And she explained that we were not actually with Thomas Cook,
0:09:38 > 0:09:40and there was nothing she could do.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43Well, this was news to Lynn and Jim.
0:09:43 > 0:09:45They'd certainly been under the impression
0:09:45 > 0:09:47that they were on a Thomas Cook holiday.
0:09:47 > 0:09:51But then the rep explained that in fact their holiday had been booked
0:09:51 > 0:09:55with a separate part of the Thomas Cook Group, called Flexible Trips.
0:09:56 > 0:09:58We were on a Thomas Cook flight.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00As far as we were aware we were with Thomas Cook,
0:10:00 > 0:10:03we had booked in a Thomas Cook shop, but she made us aware that we
0:10:03 > 0:10:07were actually with Flexible Trips, which we had never heard of before.
0:10:07 > 0:10:11So they set off for the hotel and quickly encountered more
0:10:11 > 0:10:15surprise from their taxi driver about where they were headed.
0:10:15 > 0:10:17He said, "Are you sure?" and we said, "Yes."
0:10:17 > 0:10:19He said, "It's getting torn down", and when we got closer to it
0:10:19 > 0:10:21he didn't know how to get into it.
0:10:21 > 0:10:23I was stunned, I was lost for words
0:10:23 > 0:10:26and the taxi driver was saying at this point,
0:10:26 > 0:10:29"I may have to leave you on the strip here cos I can't find a way in."
0:10:29 > 0:10:33And as you can see from what they filmed on their video camera,
0:10:33 > 0:10:37things got only worse when they eventually found their way inside.
0:10:37 > 0:10:39First thing we saw was the scaffolding.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42But behind that were diggers, heavy machinery,
0:10:42 > 0:10:45guys with big drills, jackhammers, noise.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48Everywhere you looked there were construction workers.
0:10:48 > 0:10:52There were bits boarded up, you know, with tape on it,
0:10:52 > 0:10:54and danger areas.
0:10:55 > 0:10:59Whole parts of the casino bit were all cordoned off.
0:10:59 > 0:11:03With the whole trip turning out to be a disaster, Jim managed to
0:11:03 > 0:11:05get through to the Flexible Trips' helpline.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08They explained at that point in time there was nothing they could do for
0:11:08 > 0:11:12us and they would arrange something the following day, which they did.
0:11:13 > 0:11:17But it seemed the two alternatives suggested really
0:11:17 > 0:11:19were in the wrong part of town.
0:11:19 > 0:11:21I want to be central.
0:11:21 > 0:11:23I don't want to be miles away from anywhere.
0:11:23 > 0:11:25I certainly don't want to be in an area where
0:11:25 > 0:11:28somebody was gunned down the night before.
0:11:28 > 0:11:30By now desperate, the couple looked into going home,
0:11:30 > 0:11:32but couldn't get flights.
0:11:32 > 0:11:36They were devastated that the trip had gone so wrong.
0:11:36 > 0:11:37Thomas Cook let us down,
0:11:37 > 0:11:40simple as. I think they should have been a bit more careful about
0:11:40 > 0:11:44their description of the hotel, and the resort, and where we were going.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47When Jim and Lynn returned home in June,
0:11:47 > 0:11:49they got straight onto Thomas Cook.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52But the company's response was not what they expected.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56The final letter we have received up to now is an offer of
0:11:56 > 0:12:00£150 in vouchers to book another holiday through them.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05That wasn't an offer they were prepared to accept.
0:12:05 > 0:12:06So Lynn and Jim wrote to us,
0:12:06 > 0:12:12and once we got involved there was very good news indeed.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15Thomas Cook sent us a statement from Flexible Trips,
0:12:15 > 0:12:19saying they're... ..about the couple's experience
0:12:19 > 0:12:23and they've now offered a full refund of the accommodation costs in cash.
0:12:23 > 0:12:25They're...
0:12:25 > 0:12:28..and in particular, have asked their local ground agent
0:12:28 > 0:12:31why they weren't advised of the building work
0:12:31 > 0:12:33when other tour operators,
0:12:33 > 0:12:36including, of course, the parent company Thomas Cook, were.
0:12:38 > 0:12:42Meanwhile, for Lynn and Jim, an offer to refund the accommodation costs
0:12:42 > 0:12:46doesn't make up for the fact that such a special trip was ruined.
0:12:46 > 0:12:50It marked the birthday for sure. Scarred me for life, I think.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53But no, it is something I will never forget.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00We've opened, here on Rip-Off Britain, a pop-up shop,
0:13:00 > 0:13:02so that we can hear your problems on the spot -
0:13:02 > 0:13:05and offer advice to get them resolved.
0:13:07 > 0:13:09I really don't know what my rights are...
0:13:09 > 0:13:11What can she do about it?
0:13:11 > 0:13:14And, as Sylvia Rook from Trading Standards has been hearing,
0:13:14 > 0:13:17our next case didn't exactly get the best seats in the house.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19I bought some tickets last December
0:13:19 > 0:13:22for Elton John, I was lucky enough to get front row seats.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25When I arrived there I could not see anything at all.
0:13:25 > 0:13:29- How much did you pay for the tickets?- £105 each.- £105!
0:13:29 > 0:13:32- That's a lot of money, isn't it? - For a restricted view?
0:13:32 > 0:13:35- It's obscene.- The restricted view tickets were about £35-40,
0:13:35 > 0:13:41but I chose to get the £105 tickets because I wanted a front row view.
0:13:41 > 0:13:43What chance does Charlotte have of getting money back?
0:13:43 > 0:13:45I think you've got a very good chance
0:13:45 > 0:13:48and it should be the promoter that will solve the problem.
0:13:48 > 0:13:50If the promoter doesn't then you should talk to the
0:13:50 > 0:13:51online ticket agency as well.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54If nobody is offering you any financial recompense then
0:13:54 > 0:13:56you may have to consider going through the courts.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59So, Charlotte, has it put you off Elton John for life?
0:13:59 > 0:14:02It's a shame because I have been to see him before and he was fantastic.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04Well, we followed up Charlotte's case.
0:14:04 > 0:14:07The promoter says that her seats weren't sold any differently
0:14:07 > 0:14:10to how they normally would be at this venue.
0:14:10 > 0:14:12But they're very sorry that she was disappointed.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15So, as a goodwill gesture they've offered her free tickets for
0:14:15 > 0:14:18an upcoming show by a different performer.
0:14:22 > 0:14:26If you're having to face the very difficult subject of moving
0:14:26 > 0:14:27a relative into a care home,
0:14:27 > 0:14:30it can be a very stressful time.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33And amongst all the things that you're going to have to consider,
0:14:33 > 0:14:36getting your head around the paperwork
0:14:36 > 0:14:38may not seem to be a top priority.
0:14:38 > 0:14:42And, indeed, it could be that the terms and conditions aren't
0:14:42 > 0:14:44especially clear.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47Many care homes have a clause in their contract which,
0:14:47 > 0:14:50if you're not expecting it, can come as a particularly
0:14:50 > 0:14:53unwelcome surprise later on.
0:14:54 > 0:14:58When Isobel Wilkerson's family made the difficult decision to put
0:14:58 > 0:15:02her 93-year-old grandmother Olive into a care home,
0:15:02 > 0:15:05they were determined to find the perfect place.
0:15:05 > 0:15:09We looked at lots of homes around Cambridge and some of them
0:15:09 > 0:15:11I wouldn't put my dog in.
0:15:11 > 0:15:15But we found a local one, which was lovely.
0:15:15 > 0:15:17Olive, who suffered from dementia,
0:15:17 > 0:15:21received exceptional treatment at the home they chose.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24The cost was £650 a week, which included accommodation,
0:15:24 > 0:15:28food and drink, and round-the-clock care.
0:15:28 > 0:15:32It was a massive relief that we'd got her somewhere safe where
0:15:32 > 0:15:36she was being looked after really, really well...and she loved it.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39Olive spent a happy two and a half years there,
0:15:39 > 0:15:44but in March 2011, she passed away.
0:15:44 > 0:15:49She just went to her bed and became very, very poorly.
0:15:49 > 0:15:55And she basically just slipped away, and the staff were brilliant.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59Isobel cleared Olive's room the very next day.
0:15:59 > 0:16:03So she was shocked when she received a bill for her
0:16:03 > 0:16:09care for the two weeks after Olive had died...at a cost of £1,365.
0:16:09 > 0:16:13I was livid. I spoke to the solicitor about it,
0:16:13 > 0:16:16and she said it was quite common that these are...
0:16:16 > 0:16:19These clauses are put into contracts
0:16:19 > 0:16:21and some homes can charge up to four weeks.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24So it was classed as legal.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28And, unfortunately for Isobel, it did say in the terms
0:16:28 > 0:16:32and conditions that the contract would only be terminated
0:16:32 > 0:16:37two weeks after a death, or when the room was cleared, if that was later.
0:16:37 > 0:16:42I was informed that it was a period to allow the family time
0:16:42 > 0:16:48to clear the room and for them to make it suitable
0:16:48 > 0:16:50for somebody else to then move into.
0:16:50 > 0:16:54But Isobel thinks the £1,300 bill is unfair,
0:16:54 > 0:16:57because it covered not just the cost of accommodation,
0:16:57 > 0:17:01but also all of her grandmother's care, food, drink, lighting,
0:17:01 > 0:17:04heating - even laundry done on the premises.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07Services that, of course, in the two weeks after her death...
0:17:07 > 0:17:08she hadn't used.
0:17:08 > 0:17:12I couldn't understand how it could be legal that you could
0:17:12 > 0:17:16charge for a service that you weren't actually giving.
0:17:16 > 0:17:21I could have understood if they'd charged us a percentage of the fee
0:17:21 > 0:17:26to allow us time to clear the room etc, but not for the whole lot.
0:17:26 > 0:17:31What frustrated Isobel even more was that she normally paid the fees
0:17:31 > 0:17:35from Olive's pension, which had stopped the moment she died.
0:17:35 > 0:17:41So she has no more income, but is still expected to pay bills.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45In fact, it's not at all unusual for care homes to have that
0:17:45 > 0:17:47sort of charge.
0:17:47 > 0:17:51When Helen English and Rob Sewell's 93-year-old father Jack died,
0:17:51 > 0:17:55the home he'd lived in deducted nearly £2,000,
0:17:55 > 0:17:59the equivalent of three week's care, from their initial deposit.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02The home claimed that this was part of the contract, and indeed,
0:18:02 > 0:18:06there it was. They require one month's notice of a termination.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09They require one month's notice of a termination.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12We felt that that money, or at least most of it, should have been
0:18:12 > 0:18:17given back to us because Dad was in no position to give a month's notice
0:18:17 > 0:18:21of termination, because he didn't know when he was going to die.
0:18:22 > 0:18:25Rob and Helen had read the terms and conditions,
0:18:25 > 0:18:27but now feel that they weren't clear,
0:18:27 > 0:18:30because they hadn't realised the clause about
0:18:30 > 0:18:33termination of residency also applied to death.
0:18:33 > 0:18:38They certainly don't specifically mention what happens in the...
0:18:38 > 0:18:40in the event of... of the resident dying.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45When the Office of Fair Trading looked into care home contracts,
0:18:45 > 0:18:49they were concerned about the "lack of clarity" with these fees,
0:18:49 > 0:18:53which, they say, are often "not drafted in plain intelligible language."
0:18:53 > 0:18:57And though they concluded that a charge for up to four weeks may
0:18:57 > 0:19:01be fair if the room was unoccupied for all that time - they said
0:19:01 > 0:19:06that any fees after a resident's death should be made "clear and prominent"
0:19:06 > 0:19:10in the contract, so that consumers are fully aware of them.
0:19:12 > 0:19:14We asked both of the care homes involved
0:19:14 > 0:19:19whether they think the charges were fair - and made sufficiently clear.
0:19:19 > 0:19:22Only the one Olive lived in replied, saying that the
0:19:22 > 0:19:25costs of their care are...
0:19:25 > 0:19:27..with this fee...
0:19:28 > 0:19:30..and...
0:19:34 > 0:19:36They say it's...
0:19:36 > 0:19:39that Isobel doesn't feel that this was clearly explained.
0:19:42 > 0:19:44But Isobel remains angry
0:19:44 > 0:19:47and upset about the charges that she's had to pay.
0:19:47 > 0:19:48There isn't a choice.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51Even if you challenge it beforehand, you've got to do the best for the
0:19:51 > 0:19:54person and it's a big decision moving a loved one into a care home.
0:19:59 > 0:20:01When you feel you've had a raw deal
0:20:01 > 0:20:04it can be hard to know what to do or where to turn.
0:20:04 > 0:20:05So, to help you,
0:20:05 > 0:20:09we've put together a booklet full of practical tips and advice.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12You can download the free guide on our website...
0:20:15 > 0:20:17Or, to receive a copy in the post,
0:20:17 > 0:20:20send an A5 stamped and self-addressed envelope
0:20:20 > 0:20:24to the address that we'll give you at the end of the programme.
0:20:27 > 0:20:31If you're a sport or a music fan desperate to see your heroes,
0:20:31 > 0:20:35then a company that promises it can get you those hard to find or
0:20:35 > 0:20:38even sold out seats can seem just the ticket.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41But those companies can often deliver an unexpected result,
0:20:41 > 0:20:44as one of them did for our next viewer.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47He was determined to get to Barcelona for a football game -
0:20:47 > 0:20:50but the company he used kept moving the goalposts.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57Aside from his day job, there's only one thing that really
0:20:57 > 0:20:59takes up the time of Bes Sezer.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02And that's his beloved Arsenal.
0:21:02 > 0:21:03Arsenal.
0:21:05 > 0:21:09Arsenal's in my blood, I was raised an Arsenal fan by my father
0:21:09 > 0:21:13and my uncle, it's just a love of mine.
0:21:13 > 0:21:17So in February 2011, when Arsenal beat Barcelona in the first
0:21:17 > 0:21:20leg of their Champions League tie, there was no doubt about what
0:21:20 > 0:21:22Bes would need to do next.
0:21:22 > 0:21:27The very next day, I was straight online looking to buy some
0:21:27 > 0:21:30tickets to go out there and watch the game.
0:21:30 > 0:21:34This website came up, onlineticketexpress.com.
0:21:34 > 0:21:39In hindsight, I didn't put any research into this company whatsoever.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41The match tickets weren't cheap.
0:21:41 > 0:21:43But as it was such a crucial game,
0:21:43 > 0:21:46Bes wasn't put off and he ordered two -
0:21:46 > 0:21:48one for himself, and one for his brother Oz -
0:21:48 > 0:21:52at a total cost of £524.
0:21:52 > 0:21:58The very next thing that was asked was that I returned an e-mail
0:21:58 > 0:22:02signed back to them via fax to confirm that I was definitely
0:22:02 > 0:22:06making a purchase of these tickets. I did that immediately.
0:22:06 > 0:22:11I'd never made a purchase online for a sporting event before,
0:22:11 > 0:22:15so nothing triggered my mind that there was anything abnormal about that.
0:22:16 > 0:22:21Tickets apparently sorted, Bes set about organising what should
0:22:21 > 0:22:23have been the perfect holiday.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26Sun, sea and Arsenal.
0:22:26 > 0:22:30Then, the company sent him an unexpected request.
0:22:30 > 0:22:34I received an e-mail requesting that I make scanned copies
0:22:34 > 0:22:39of my passport and the card that I'd used to make the purchase.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42I called them and spoke to a lady who said to me
0:22:42 > 0:22:45that this is completely normal.
0:22:45 > 0:22:47I said, "OK, I'm going to need to question that, really."
0:22:47 > 0:22:54I contacted Barclays and I was told under no uncertainty,
0:22:54 > 0:22:59do you ever send scanned copies of your passport, to anyone.
0:23:00 > 0:23:02So Bes said no
0:23:02 > 0:23:04and Online Ticket Express told him
0:23:04 > 0:23:08that without the documents the purchase couldn't be completed.
0:23:08 > 0:23:10Despite that, four days later
0:23:10 > 0:23:14they took over £600 from his account.
0:23:14 > 0:23:16Bes asked them to refund it -
0:23:16 > 0:23:19and though they agreed on the phone that they'd do just that,
0:23:19 > 0:23:24they then stopped acknowledging any further calls or e-mails.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27At that point I realised that I was just being taken for a fool
0:23:27 > 0:23:29and I got very worried and thought, well,
0:23:29 > 0:23:32am I going to be losing this money now?
0:23:32 > 0:23:33But with his flights
0:23:33 > 0:23:36and hotel already booked, a few days later Bes flew to Barcelona
0:23:36 > 0:23:41resigned to watching the game from outside the stadium.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44Enough for Gunners. C'mon!
0:23:44 > 0:23:47The atmosphere was brilliant, the buzz was amazing,
0:23:47 > 0:23:50but it absolutely killed me that I was not going to the game.
0:23:50 > 0:23:53Bes couldn't resist buying a ticket outside the game.
0:23:53 > 0:23:55I managed to purchase a ticket,
0:23:55 > 0:23:58which I had to pay a lot of money for, but I was all... I was out
0:23:58 > 0:24:04there already in Barcelona so, you know, I had to see that match.
0:24:04 > 0:24:08But it really was a game of two halves because
0:24:08 > 0:24:11when he got home, Bes found an e-mail waiting for him.
0:24:11 > 0:24:16Headed "Last Call", it had been sent by onlineticketexpress.com
0:24:16 > 0:24:19just a few hours before the game, instructing him to pick up
0:24:19 > 0:24:24his tickets from an unspecified area "near the box office".
0:24:24 > 0:24:26Bes was baffled.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29As far as he'd been concerned the purchase hadn't gone ahead -
0:24:29 > 0:24:31and he'd still been waiting for a refund.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35But he was worried to see that the e-mail also stated that
0:24:35 > 0:24:38regardless of whether these tickets were collected,
0:24:38 > 0:24:41they would be considered delivered - with a refund not an option.
0:24:42 > 0:24:46I immediately contacted Barclays and informed them of this,
0:24:46 > 0:24:50at the same time I contacted Barcelona FC and asked them
0:24:50 > 0:24:53if they knew about this company.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55Barcelona FC immediately told me, you know,
0:24:55 > 0:24:58this company, we've heard their name before.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01We always have people coming and asking where is there a pick-up
0:25:01 > 0:25:05point for this company, no such pick-up point exists.
0:25:05 > 0:25:09Upon hearing this, Barclays returned the ticket purchase price to
0:25:09 > 0:25:11Bes' account in full.
0:25:11 > 0:25:15However, the ticket site played the game too well,
0:25:15 > 0:25:19and as the final whistle blew, they had one last shot.
0:25:19 > 0:25:21I realised that this amount of money had gone back
0:25:21 > 0:25:24out of my account again. I then contacted Barclays
0:25:24 > 0:25:28and asked them what was going on here, and Barclays told me
0:25:28 > 0:25:32that the amount had been disputed, counteracted by the company.
0:25:34 > 0:25:38Onlineticketexpress.com argued that as Bes had signed the terms
0:25:38 > 0:25:42and conditions, he had agreed to the company's trading methods.
0:25:42 > 0:25:46And, regardless of the fact that the purchase hadn't been completed,
0:25:46 > 0:25:49and that his tickets had never materialised,
0:25:49 > 0:25:50the bank agreed with them,
0:25:50 > 0:25:53and Bes lost his money.
0:25:53 > 0:25:57Barclays said that there is nothing they could do, that the
0:25:57 > 0:25:59terms and conditions had been signed,
0:25:59 > 0:26:04and that the charge-back scheme had been challenged.
0:26:04 > 0:26:07We contacted onlineticketexpress.com
0:26:07 > 0:26:09who are based in Andorra.
0:26:09 > 0:26:10They didn't reply.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14We also got in touch with Barclays,
0:26:14 > 0:26:17who said they did approach Bes to see if he wished to continue
0:26:17 > 0:26:21with the dispute, but due to his delay in replying, they are...
0:26:26 > 0:26:30I didn't do enough research and it's really cost me now
0:26:30 > 0:26:34because I'm out of pocket by £600 because I never got what I paid for.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44Here at Rip-Off Britain we're always ready to investigate
0:26:44 > 0:26:45more of your stories.
0:26:46 > 0:26:50We're particularly keen to hear from you if you've had a problem
0:26:50 > 0:26:53when travelling abroad or on holiday.
0:26:53 > 0:26:54You can write to us at...
0:27:03 > 0:27:07Or you can send us an e-mail to...
0:27:11 > 0:27:14Well, it isn't always easy to plan for the unexpected.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17But as we've seen too often, some people have learned the hard
0:27:17 > 0:27:21way that a little more checking upfront could have spared them
0:27:21 > 0:27:23a lot of hassle, and even grief, later on.
0:27:23 > 0:27:27And that is so sad, because you really cannot assume that even if
0:27:27 > 0:27:32something looks or seems OK, that that's how it's going to pan out.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35And when it comes to signing paperwork, do make sure that you are
0:27:35 > 0:27:40absolutely clear about what you're signing up for before it's too late.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43And I would say that is all very solid advice.
0:27:43 > 0:27:45But that's where we have to leave it for today, naturally.
0:27:45 > 0:27:47I hope you'll join us again very soon
0:27:47 > 0:27:50when we'll be investigating more of your stories,
0:27:50 > 0:27:53and trying to get to the bottom of why you feel ripped off.
0:27:53 > 0:27:56But until then, thanks for your company and from us, bye-bye.
0:27:56 > 0:27:57ALL: Goodbye
0:27:58 > 0:28:01Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd