0:00:02 > 0:00:04We asked you to tell us who's left you feeling ripped-off
0:00:04 > 0:00:09and you contacted us in your thousands by post, e-mail,
0:00:09 > 0:00:14even stopping us on the streets, and the message couldn't be clearer.
0:00:15 > 0:00:18I think there's a lot of hidden information about your bills
0:00:18 > 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 > 0:00:24You've told us with money tighter than ever
0:00:24 > 0:00:28you need to be sure that every pound you spend is worth it.
0:00:28 > 0:00:30How do I get my money back? I just think I'm entitled to it.
0:00:30 > 0:00:34So, whether it's a deliberate rip-off, a simple mistake,
0:00:34 > 0:00:37or a catch in the small print, we'll find out why it is
0:00:37 > 0:00:40that you're out of pocket and what you can do about it.
0:00:40 > 0:00:44Keep asking the questions, you know, go to the top if you have to.
0:00:44 > 0:00:46We do get results, that's the interesting thing.
0:00:46 > 0:00:48Your stories, your money.
0:00:48 > 0:00:51This is Rip-Off Britain.
0:00:53 > 0:00:55Hello and welcome to Rip-Off Britain,
0:00:55 > 0:00:59where today we have the banks firmly in our sights.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02A topic that this year has filled the headlines
0:01:02 > 0:01:05as much as it has our postbag and our inbox.
0:01:05 > 0:01:10It really isn't so long ago that the banks were among the most respected institutions around.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13But as you know, times have definitely changed.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16Although their reputation's taken quite a battering recently
0:01:16 > 0:01:19it does seem that in some cases they've only got themselves to blame.
0:01:19 > 0:01:24Of course, typically, it isn't one of those big financial scandals
0:01:24 > 0:01:26the banks are embroiled in that you write to us about.
0:01:26 > 0:01:32It's always those small, everyday scandals of their customer service
0:01:32 > 0:01:35and you tell us about that all the time.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38So a bit later in the programme we're going to be asking
0:01:38 > 0:01:41just how it is the banks plan to win back much of that lost trust?
0:01:41 > 0:01:44Also on Rip-Off Britain -
0:01:44 > 0:01:49Why this woman's bank can't tell her what happened to the £25,000 she put there.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52It's not been taken out, it's not been transferred.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55It's not upstairs, it's not under the floorboards,
0:01:55 > 0:01:57I've not spent it on a yacht.
0:01:57 > 0:01:59It's still in the bank somewhere.
0:01:59 > 0:02:04How thousands of family businesses have been pushed to the brink
0:02:04 > 0:02:06because of what their banks talked them into.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09I always had the attitude that if you went to the bank
0:02:09 > 0:02:12you went for help, and you would get the best advice.
0:02:12 > 0:02:15That seems to be something that's gone by-the-by.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20And we hear your gripes about the nation's banks face to face.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24Now, they do say that if you look after the pennies
0:02:24 > 0:02:26then the pounds will look after themselves.
0:02:26 > 0:02:30But I think most of us would like to think the pounds are looked after pretty well too
0:02:30 > 0:02:34and certainly one of the best places that you can do that has always been the bank.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37Well, certainly that's what Linda Bond thought
0:02:37 > 0:02:39when she opened an account to keep her money secure.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42And quite a large sum of money it was too.
0:02:42 > 0:02:47So why is it that now it's no longer there?
0:02:47 > 0:02:48And, just as importantly,
0:02:48 > 0:02:52why can no-one at the bank tell her where it's gone?
0:02:55 > 0:02:58Linda Bond has always believed that, like knitting.
0:02:58 > 0:03:02money is made slowly one stitch at a time.
0:03:02 > 0:03:07Mum and Dad worked all their life and they put money away
0:03:07 > 0:03:11so when they died, obviously, they left it to us to be comfortable.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15Linda wanted to carry on saving that money for when it was needed
0:03:15 > 0:03:19so over three years, from 1996 to 1999,
0:03:19 > 0:03:25she deposited a total of £25,000 into an account with the Abbey National.
0:03:25 > 0:03:26We didn't need to spend the money
0:03:26 > 0:03:29because we was both working at the time
0:03:29 > 0:03:34and we was quite comfortable, so we thought we'd just use the money
0:03:34 > 0:03:39that we got from our work and we'd just put it away for a rainy day.
0:03:39 > 0:03:44Linda's bank book sat in her kitchen drawer for the next 11 years
0:03:44 > 0:03:46until in December 2010,
0:03:46 > 0:03:51the rainy day that she'd been waiting for arrived.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54Linda and her husband decided to move house
0:03:54 > 0:03:57and their thoughts quickly turned to the £25,000 in that account.
0:03:57 > 0:04:01Deciding that the time was right to withdraw her cash,
0:04:01 > 0:04:04Linda went to her local Santander branch in West Thurrock,
0:04:04 > 0:04:09Santander Bank having taken over the Abbey National in 2004.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11I went up to the lady, said,
0:04:11 > 0:04:15right, you know, I need to take some money out.
0:04:15 > 0:04:20When she went on the computer she said the account doesn't exist, it's closed.
0:04:20 > 0:04:25Shocked and baffled, Linda asked to speak to the manager.
0:04:25 > 0:04:27but the news was no better.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30He couldn't tell her what had happened to the money either
0:04:30 > 0:04:32and suggested that she contact head office.
0:04:32 > 0:04:36When she did they confirmed what she'd already been told.
0:04:37 > 0:04:42Santander said that the account, it just doesn't exist,
0:04:42 > 0:04:44they've closed it.
0:04:44 > 0:04:48And I wasn't very happy with that and if I needed to take it further
0:04:48 > 0:04:51that I should get in touch with the Financial Ombudsman
0:04:51 > 0:04:54So that's what she did.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57But with no proof that she hadn't closed the account
0:04:57 > 0:04:59that didn't clear things up either.
0:05:00 > 0:05:04The Financial Ombudsman said that Santander has gone as far
0:05:04 > 0:05:09as they can looking for the account and the Financial Ombudsman
0:05:09 > 0:05:14just took what they said and said that's it, can't go any further.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17I just feel I'm knocking my head against the wall.
0:05:17 > 0:05:21It's one thing to have no record of an account
0:05:21 > 0:05:26but obviously for Linda the main issue is, what's happened to her £25,000?
0:05:26 > 0:05:29She can't understand why no-one,
0:05:29 > 0:05:32especially the place where she left it, can tell her.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36They're saying to me that I closed it down.
0:05:36 > 0:05:41Right, if I closed it down, where is the proof that I did close it down?
0:05:41 > 0:05:45It's not cancelled, it's not been taken out, it's not been transferred,
0:05:45 > 0:05:48it's still in the bank somewhere.
0:05:49 > 0:05:53You'd think that if, at any stage, Linda had closed the account
0:05:53 > 0:05:57and withdrawn so much money, she might have remembered doing it.
0:05:57 > 0:06:02And if she had taken out her £25,000 shouldn't the proof be here
0:06:02 > 0:06:05in her account passbook?
0:06:06 > 0:06:09After all, it says very clearly that no money can be withdrawn
0:06:09 > 0:06:12without the passbook which is in Linda's name only.
0:06:13 > 0:06:19But the only recorded withdrawal was £583 back in 1999.
0:06:20 > 0:06:24After that, the passbook seems to back up what Linda's said
0:06:24 > 0:06:28that there has been no activity on that account since.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31There's certainly nothing to suggest that it was closed.
0:06:34 > 0:06:35So it's stalemate.
0:06:35 > 0:06:39Linda says the bank must still have her money.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42But the bank insists that it doesn't.
0:06:42 > 0:06:44They can't prove to me where it's gone to
0:06:44 > 0:06:48because they don't know where the money's gone themselves.
0:06:48 > 0:06:52They just said that I possibly could have taken it out
0:06:52 > 0:06:56or transferred it, but I can't, cos it's in the book.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59Unfortunately for Linda,
0:06:59 > 0:07:04both Santander and the Financial Ombudsman say a passbook
0:07:04 > 0:07:06does not prove that an account still exists
0:07:06 > 0:07:10and it would have been possible to close the account without it,
0:07:10 > 0:07:12using other suitable ID.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16I've not taken the money out and put it into another account.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19If I did, it would be in another account.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21In black and white it would actually say, right,
0:07:21 > 0:07:25that's been put into that account, that's been put into that account.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28It's not upstairs, it's not under the floorboards,
0:07:28 > 0:07:29I've not spent it on a yacht.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32This isn't the first time that Rip-Off Britain's been asked
0:07:32 > 0:07:35to look into a missing Santander account.
0:07:35 > 0:07:39Last year, we met Margaret and Brian Mitchell
0:07:39 > 0:07:42who were in a very similar position.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45We got a letter back which more or less tells me
0:07:45 > 0:07:47that the money's not ours.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49We don't own it any more, we have nothing to do with it.
0:07:50 > 0:07:5412 months on, Margaret and Brian are no closer to having things resolved
0:07:54 > 0:07:59although Santander say they will look at the case again
0:07:59 > 0:08:04if the couple find any additional information that helps them trace the account.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07So what does the bank have to say about Linda's case
0:08:07 > 0:08:10and what happened to her £25,000?
0:08:12 > 0:08:14Well, Santander have told us that they...
0:08:22 > 0:08:25They reiterate that the ruling was in their favour.
0:08:27 > 0:08:32They suggest that as they can see Linda was sent annual tax statements up to the year 2000,
0:08:32 > 0:08:35the account must have been closed over the next year.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38The reason they can't be more definite about that
0:08:38 > 0:08:41is because they are...
0:08:46 > 0:08:49Like all banks, they only need to keep records
0:08:49 > 0:08:52for six years after they've been closed.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55And although six years of inactivity on an account
0:08:55 > 0:08:58may result in it becoming what's called 'dormant',
0:08:58 > 0:09:03in those circumstances they will still have records.
0:09:03 > 0:09:08So they're confident that that is not what's happened here.
0:09:08 > 0:09:12Which means the mystery remains unsolved.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15Linda is equally confident that the account wasn't closed
0:09:15 > 0:09:19and right now, she really could do with the money.
0:09:19 > 0:09:23We hoped to give our granddaughter some money
0:09:23 > 0:09:28because she's going to college in the next couple of weeks,
0:09:28 > 0:09:30to help her along obviously.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35I don't know now, I don't know whether we can
0:09:35 > 0:09:37if we want to be comfortable and retire,
0:09:37 > 0:09:42whether we can actually do that and it is just not right.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45If you've found yourself in a situation where,
0:09:45 > 0:09:48for whatever reason, you can't retrieve your bank account
0:09:48 > 0:09:49or the money that's in it,
0:09:49 > 0:09:52here's Kevin Mountford from MoneySupermarket
0:09:52 > 0:09:55with some essential information on what you can do.
0:09:56 > 0:10:00Back in 2008, the industry set up a website mylostaccount.org
0:10:00 > 0:10:02and this is the first port of call
0:10:02 > 0:10:04if you want to be married up with your lost account.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07Bear in mind an application through this is free of charge.
0:10:07 > 0:10:11£175 million has actually been given back to the rightful owner
0:10:11 > 0:10:14so it is certainly worth making that effort.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18It's believed there's about 150 million accounts
0:10:18 > 0:10:21in circulation in the UK and about half a million of these
0:10:21 > 0:10:24could be dormant so if you want a chance of matching up these accounts
0:10:24 > 0:10:28it's imperative you provide as much information as possible.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31So if there is a sort code, an account number,
0:10:31 > 0:10:34an account type or even a pass book, if you've got that information
0:10:34 > 0:10:36make sure it's part of the submission.
0:10:39 > 0:10:41One thing to consider with these dormant accounts
0:10:41 > 0:10:45in noting how long that they've been around, there is a chance
0:10:45 > 0:10:47the account could have been opened in a different name,
0:10:47 > 0:10:49particularly if you've been married or divorced.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52They could have been opened by parents or grandparents.
0:10:52 > 0:10:54So consider that when you make an application
0:10:54 > 0:10:57and it might be their names that you need to submit.
0:10:57 > 0:10:59In your efforts to try and chase down a dormant account
0:10:59 > 0:11:03no doubt there will be companies claiming they can do this for you
0:11:03 > 0:11:06but bear in mind there are proven routes to getting matched up to your account
0:11:06 > 0:11:09and they are free of charge, that's the important thing.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12Either go to the website or go to your bank or building society
0:11:12 > 0:11:14but do not pay a fee.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16Now that we've seen the launch of the Big Society
0:11:16 > 0:11:19and the monies from dormant accounts have been put to good use,
0:11:19 > 0:11:23that doesn't mean it's lost forever, you always have the rights to access
0:11:23 > 0:11:27these accounts as long as you can prove you are the rightful owner.
0:11:29 > 0:11:34It's not just the reputation of our banks that's been transformed in recent years.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37The way we bank is now completely different from the days
0:11:37 > 0:11:40when a handshake from your local branch manager
0:11:40 > 0:11:44was all you needed to be sure your finances were being looked after.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47Today, many of us have our only contact with the bank
0:11:47 > 0:11:52through machines, disembodied voices or even our own computer screen.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55While that changed relationship isn't the cause of the bank's problems
0:11:55 > 0:11:59it may explain why there aren't more people rushing to their defence.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07It's been a summer of scandal for British banks.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10Hardly a week went by without them hitting the headlines
0:12:10 > 0:12:12and for all the wrong reasons.
0:12:12 > 0:12:14From allegations of money laundering
0:12:14 > 0:12:17to revelations of a global rate-rigging scandal.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20The Deputy Governor of the Bank of England
0:12:20 > 0:12:23compared parts of the industry to a 'cesspit'.
0:12:23 > 0:12:27So when you add to all of that to the ongoing debate
0:12:27 > 0:12:30over bosses' bonuses, and the continuing concern
0:12:30 > 0:12:33over mis-sold payment protection insurance,
0:12:33 > 0:12:37is it any wonder that these once respected institutions
0:12:37 > 0:12:40seem to have become the villains of the High Street?
0:12:41 > 0:12:44I've got a few bob in the bank but it makes no interest,
0:12:44 > 0:12:48no interest at all, yet they're still paying salaries
0:12:48 > 0:12:51which are outrageous in my view.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54They were too interested in selling rather than sorting the problem.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57I'm of the opinion that they're a load of rogues.
0:12:57 > 0:12:59They give you no confidence whatsoever.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01I've not got the trust I used to have before in them.
0:13:01 > 0:13:05They're not interested in you, they're just interested in their bank
0:13:05 > 0:13:07and you putting in their bank, that's all.
0:13:07 > 0:13:13Perhaps the biggest banking scandal to instantly affect customers came in June.
0:13:13 > 0:13:1617 million people were left without access to their cash
0:13:16 > 0:13:18after a computer glitch left the RBS Group,
0:13:18 > 0:13:22which takes in the Royal Bank of Scotland, NatWest and Ulster Bank,
0:13:22 > 0:13:26unable to send or receive payments between customers' accounts.
0:13:27 > 0:13:32For one long week, businesses right across the country ground to a halt,
0:13:32 > 0:13:37mortgages didn't get paid, and families were forced to borrow cash just to buy food.
0:13:37 > 0:13:39The banks were forced to say sorry.
0:13:41 > 0:13:43The computer meltdown was, of course, a bad period
0:13:43 > 0:13:47and, I did then and I do again, apologise to our customers who were affected.
0:13:47 > 0:13:51The banks moved quickly to try and put things right
0:13:51 > 0:13:53with extended opening hours into the night
0:13:53 > 0:13:56and over the weekend to help clear the backlog.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59But while the problems were sorted relatively quickly
0:13:59 > 0:14:01at the NatWest and the Royal Bank of Scotland,
0:14:01 > 0:14:05at the Ulster Bank things dragged on quite a lot longer.
0:14:05 > 0:14:09And our next story shows the impact that had on ordinary families.
0:14:12 > 0:14:17After months of saving, Eoghan McElhinney and a group of mates
0:14:17 > 0:14:20from County Derry were gearing up for the holiday of a lifetime.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23It was planned for months before, we just couldn't wait.
0:14:23 > 0:14:27We were just so excited, first lads' holiday, no parents, nothing.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30We booked it about three, four months before we went.
0:14:30 > 0:14:32We were saving, talking about it all the time,
0:14:32 > 0:14:34really excited about getting away for a week.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37No problems or nothing just a bit of a craic of a week.
0:14:39 > 0:14:41And across the Irish Sea in Edinburgh,
0:14:41 > 0:14:44although he didn't know it yet, Eoghan's brother, Sean,
0:14:44 > 0:14:47would soon end up having to make a journey of his own.
0:14:47 > 0:14:51Eoghan and his friends had saved for months for their holiday
0:14:51 > 0:14:56and little did I know that their holiday was going to cost me
0:14:56 > 0:14:58hundreds of pounds myself.
0:14:59 > 0:15:03Hundreds of pounds that I would have preferred not to have had to spend.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07On June 19th, the night before the boys were due to travel,
0:15:07 > 0:15:12there was a failed computer software upgrade to the RBS Group's computer systems.
0:15:14 > 0:15:18But with no idea of that yet, next morning, before Eoghan set off,
0:15:18 > 0:15:22his dad Paddy took him to their local branch of the Ulster Bank.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25On the day that they were leaving, I took Eoghan round to the bank
0:15:25 > 0:15:29to put his, to put his holiday money into his account
0:15:29 > 0:15:32so he would have access to it through the hole on the wall.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35And the lady in the bank told me and explained to Eoghan that
0:15:35 > 0:15:38that was the best way to do it, so he wouldn't have to carry cash.
0:15:39 > 0:15:43With Eoghan's money safely in the bank, the boys flew in to Portugal
0:15:43 > 0:15:47in time to see the country crash out of the European Championships.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50Next day their holiday spirits would face a crash as well
0:15:50 > 0:15:55and the first sign of that came in a text Eoghan sent to his brother, Sean.
0:15:56 > 0:16:00The first that I heard that there had been a problem in Portugal
0:16:00 > 0:16:04was on the Thursday which was the day after Eoghan had left.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07He had sent me a text message and said, my bank card isn't working,
0:16:07 > 0:16:11can you contact the Ulster Bank fraud department for me.
0:16:12 > 0:16:16I excused myself from work, and rang the Ulster Bank fraud desk
0:16:16 > 0:16:19who advised me that there was absolutely no problem with his card,
0:16:19 > 0:16:24there was no problem with his account and what he should do
0:16:24 > 0:16:27is try different bank machines in the resort where he was staying.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32But later that day, Sean realised what was really at the root
0:16:32 > 0:16:34of his brother's problems.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37When I got home on Thursday evening, I turned on the TV
0:16:37 > 0:16:41and it was headlines in the news that a number of banks
0:16:41 > 0:16:46had suffered, as it was described at the time, a technical glitch.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49It became apparent very quickly this was more likely to be the reason
0:16:49 > 0:16:52that Eoghan couldn't withdraw money from his account
0:16:52 > 0:16:56and sending him from bank machine to bank machine around the resort
0:16:56 > 0:17:00that he was unfamiliar with was unlikely to end up with him getting any money.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04In the UK, the RBS Group was attempting to reassure
0:17:04 > 0:17:07the millions of other affected customers
0:17:07 > 0:17:10that their money was safe even if they couldn't access it
0:17:10 > 0:17:14and they were extending their banks' opening hours into the night to try to help.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18But that was no use to the boys in Portugal.
0:17:18 > 0:17:22Over the weekend, one by one, they all realized
0:17:22 > 0:17:25they were unable to get hold of their own money.
0:17:25 > 0:17:29So we were aware that they were bad but we weren't aware just how bad they were,
0:17:29 > 0:17:32and Sunday morning I then contacted Eoghan to ask him
0:17:32 > 0:17:36how the holiday was going, how he was getting on, was he enjoying it?
0:17:36 > 0:17:42And the response I got was from a very despondent 18-year-old.
0:17:42 > 0:17:46The fact was that the boys were in Portugal, in their apartment
0:17:46 > 0:17:49with only a loaf of bread, a tin of beans
0:17:49 > 0:17:53and someone had taken the notion to buy a tin of sausages
0:17:53 > 0:17:56because they were particularly cheap.
0:17:56 > 0:18:00That was all the food that they had, they had one bottle of water
0:18:00 > 0:18:04and no more money that they could spend.
0:18:04 > 0:18:06Even before they went on holidays,
0:18:06 > 0:18:09we were worrying, but we were excited for him.
0:18:09 > 0:18:13But, once we found out that they had no money, there was just,
0:18:13 > 0:18:16there was very little sleep, I can assure you,
0:18:16 > 0:18:20there was very little sleep. It was all worry from that moment onwards.
0:18:20 > 0:18:24With no idea how long the situation might continue,
0:18:24 > 0:18:27and with the bank unable to transfer any money at all to the boys abroad
0:18:27 > 0:18:34the families could think of no other option but to pool together their cash and take some drastic action.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37At half four on the Sunday evening we realised
0:18:37 > 0:18:40that I was going to have to fly to Portugal.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43Over the course of the next half an hour I had to find flights.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46I found them, they flew from Derry which was close by.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48Erm, they were expensive
0:18:48 > 0:18:51but to be honest, at this point, that was the least of my worries.
0:18:51 > 0:18:55I had to get in touch with the parents of each one of the other four boys
0:18:55 > 0:18:59to ask them all to get some money to me if they wanted to send it out to the boys.
0:18:59 > 0:19:01Within about two hours,
0:19:01 > 0:19:05I had gone from having my feet up, ready to eat my Sunday dinner
0:19:05 > 0:19:07before flying back to Edinburgh for work on the Monday,
0:19:07 > 0:19:12to packing a bag to fly to Portugal, with all this money.
0:19:12 > 0:19:16It was surreal at that point but it was absolutely manic, it was hectic.
0:19:17 > 0:19:21In Portugal, Sean was given a hero's welcome.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24But such an unexpected expense because of trouble at the bank
0:19:24 > 0:19:26isn't something that he felt he should have had to pay.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29So in the weeks since he got back, he's been left wondering
0:19:29 > 0:19:32whether he'll ever get his money back.
0:19:32 > 0:19:37I stayed out for three days because the flights were cheapest that way
0:19:37 > 0:19:39and it certainly wasn't a holiday,
0:19:39 > 0:19:43it wasn't money that I would otherwise have spent.
0:19:43 > 0:19:48To be very clear, I'm not asking for any sustenance for most of like,
0:19:48 > 0:19:54I'm only looking what I believe is a fair amount which is the flights.
0:19:54 > 0:19:59Meanwhile, while the rest of the RBS Group was getting things back on track
0:19:59 > 0:20:02Ulster Bank announced it would be several further weeks
0:20:02 > 0:20:05before their service would return to normal
0:20:05 > 0:20:08leaving Sean facing his own problems back in Edinburgh.
0:20:08 > 0:20:12I obviously arrived back from Portugal expecting to be able to go to the bank myself
0:20:12 > 0:20:16and I soon found out that certainly wasn't going to be the case.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19Ulster Bank hadn't processed my own salary.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22I had a number of direct debits and standing orders
0:20:22 > 0:20:26that had to be paid for rent, Scottish Power, gas and electricity
0:20:26 > 0:20:30and the one that probably affected me the most
0:20:30 > 0:20:32was my Orange phone bill.
0:20:32 > 0:20:36Because my bill hadn't been paid I was actually then cut off
0:20:36 > 0:20:38for the subsequent week.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41To be honest I was starting to get a little bit worried.
0:20:41 > 0:20:46If I'd run out of money, who's going to fly out with anything for me
0:20:46 > 0:20:50and what was going to happen if my well ran dry?
0:20:51 > 0:20:54Countless other families will have their own stories to tell
0:20:54 > 0:20:58not to mention extra costs as a result of the problems at Ulster Bank.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01But the bank does seem determined to put things right.
0:21:01 > 0:21:05They've just announced details of how they will be refunding customers
0:21:05 > 0:21:07for any money lost,
0:21:07 > 0:21:08telling us that...
0:21:14 > 0:21:17They are already refunding all fee charges and interest incurred
0:21:17 > 0:21:21and expect to have completed that process by the end of October.
0:21:21 > 0:21:25They also say they will be...
0:21:25 > 0:21:28..and they are working with Sean to...
0:21:32 > 0:21:35They also say they did find ways to help people access cash abroad
0:21:35 > 0:21:38for example, by increasing limits on credit cards,
0:21:38 > 0:21:42or using a money transfer service.
0:21:42 > 0:21:45But Eoghan's family say that was not their experience
0:21:45 > 0:21:49and they don't feel they were given help where they needed it.
0:21:51 > 0:21:53Basically, they really let us down so, as soon as,
0:21:53 > 0:21:56as soon as everything's sorted, as soon as our accounts are up to date,
0:21:56 > 0:21:59this is three weeks on and my account still isn't up to date,
0:21:59 > 0:22:03once it's up to date we're definitely going to leave, 100%.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06Things did go wrong and whereas that can happen anywhere,
0:22:06 > 0:22:11I think that the mistakes on Ulster Bank's behalf,
0:22:11 > 0:22:14came with how they dealt with things.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18Still to come on Rip-Off Britain -
0:22:18 > 0:22:22We take the bankers to task. How do they explain themselves?
0:22:22 > 0:22:25When you go to a party and someone says what do you do for a living?
0:22:25 > 0:22:27Would you be embarrassed to admit, I'm a banker?
0:22:27 > 0:22:30Well, I think I think it is very regretful that you would
0:22:30 > 0:22:33probably think twice about admitting that you were a banker.
0:22:43 > 0:22:44Rip-Off Britain is on the road again.
0:22:44 > 0:22:48Yes, thousands of you wrote to us with all your complaints
0:22:48 > 0:22:50and your gripes and we thought the thing to do was to come up
0:22:50 > 0:22:53and see what you had to say face to face.
0:22:53 > 0:22:56What we've done, literally, is to transform a shop overnight
0:22:56 > 0:22:59and we have put inside a whole team of experts,
0:22:59 > 0:23:02so I think the best thing to do is for us to go in,
0:23:02 > 0:23:05and see if we can get some of those problems sorted.
0:23:07 > 0:23:12Personal finance expert Sarah Pennell's next case, Jill,
0:23:12 > 0:23:16thinks that her elderly father is being ripped-off by his bank
0:23:16 > 0:23:19and wants to know if she can intervene on his behalf.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22I mean, he's getting on a bit and he is not very well
0:23:22 > 0:23:25and the last thing he needs is most of his pension going on bank charges
0:23:25 > 0:23:29which is what's happening, so I'm trying to help him.
0:23:29 > 0:23:34OK, so how much in all do you think he's been charged by the bank?
0:23:34 > 0:23:38About £1,300 now over 18 months.
0:23:38 > 0:23:40Having had a look your father's bank statements,
0:23:40 > 0:23:43it definitely looks like the bank could've taken a step back
0:23:43 > 0:23:45and tried to look at the overall situation
0:23:45 > 0:23:48rather than just applying charges month in month out.
0:23:48 > 0:23:52So what I would do is get back in touch with your father's bank
0:23:52 > 0:23:55and tell them that you would like them to consider
0:23:55 > 0:23:58to at least write-off a percentage of the charges they've already made.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01If they don't agree, say that you want a final letter
0:24:01 > 0:24:04and then go to the Financial Ombudsman Service
0:24:04 > 0:24:08which is a free-to-use complaints service and they will look into the complaint for you.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11I would recommend that you ask your father
0:24:11 > 0:24:13if you can be added on as a second name
0:24:13 > 0:24:16- so you become a joint account holder.- Oh, that's a good idea.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19In the longer term, it might be worth your while
0:24:19 > 0:24:22taking out a power of attorney, your father taking out a power of attorney.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25The point of it is if at some point in the future
0:24:25 > 0:24:30he isn't capable of making decisions then you can not only deal with this bank account
0:24:30 > 0:24:34- but other ones as well and any other bills.- That's really good advice. Thank you.
0:24:36 > 0:24:40Consumers have been popping in all weekend to see our experts
0:24:40 > 0:24:41who are only too happy to help.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46Gloria can I have you over here for a minute, we've got an interesting one.
0:24:46 > 0:24:48You sound excited or worried. One or the other.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51'Which? Magazine's money editor, James Daley,
0:24:51 > 0:24:54'has been hearing about Anne and Terry's case.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57'The couple have been accused of being dishonest by their bank
0:24:57 > 0:25:02'after finding themselves the victims of credit card fraud.'
0:25:02 > 0:25:03Three hotel stays in Cheltenham,
0:25:03 > 0:25:07quite a long way from Bishop Auckland where they live.
0:25:07 > 0:25:11You must have been shocked when you saw these rather large items on your credit card?
0:25:11 > 0:25:14Yeah, I just couldn't believe it.
0:25:14 > 0:25:18And they refunded it but then a few weeks later they wrote them a letter
0:25:18 > 0:25:20and said we've had a look at these transactions
0:25:20 > 0:25:23and we actually now think that you did carry them out
0:25:23 > 0:25:27and we're going to take the money off your card again and it's £1,125.
0:25:29 > 0:25:33On what basis did they say that they felt you guys had been in Cheltenham
0:25:33 > 0:25:36and that you had actually had the use of this hotel?
0:25:36 > 0:25:42They think that it hasn't been a fraud, it's been a genuine thing
0:25:42 > 0:25:45that I've actually made the payment with my own card.
0:25:45 > 0:25:50Would Terry and Anne actually have to prove that they were never near Cheltenham?
0:25:50 > 0:25:53No, they don't actually have to prove that.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56It's up to the bank to prove that Anne and Terry did carry out those transactions.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59What the bank has done is they've gone back to the hotel,
0:25:59 > 0:26:03they've got them to send through the details of these transactions
0:26:03 > 0:26:07and they've sent them through the credit card receipts for those payments.
0:26:07 > 0:26:09But if you look at them closely here
0:26:09 > 0:26:11- what it actually says is customer not present.- Oooh.
0:26:11 > 0:26:16And so what that means is that these transactions have taken place
0:26:16 > 0:26:20over the internet but there's absolutely no proof that Anne and Terry made that.
0:26:20 > 0:26:22What kind of redress do they have in this case?
0:26:22 > 0:26:25The best thing you can do is make a complaint to the bank.
0:26:25 > 0:26:29Insist that they refund you first and investigate later.
0:26:29 > 0:26:32But then if they do accuse you of fraud you just need to
0:26:32 > 0:26:35stick with your guns and say no we weren't there, this is a fraud
0:26:35 > 0:26:37and make a formal complaint to them.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40If they still won't refund you at that point,
0:26:40 > 0:26:43then you take that complaint on to the Financial Ombudsman Service.
0:26:43 > 0:26:45It's totally free to take your claim on to them.
0:26:45 > 0:26:49If you know you're in the right, then almost certainly your case will be upheld.
0:26:49 > 0:26:53'But Anne and Terry didn't have to take their complaint that far.
0:26:53 > 0:26:56'Thanks to James's advice, they've since had the money
0:26:56 > 0:27:00'they were wrongly accused of spending refunded by the bank.'
0:27:02 > 0:27:06I hope you know by now just how much we love getting your mail.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09But amongst all the complaints that you've sent us about the banks this year,
0:27:09 > 0:27:12this next one has simply got to be one of the worst.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15Countless businesses have found themselves saddled
0:27:15 > 0:27:17with costs of tens of thousands of pounds
0:27:17 > 0:27:20and in many cases, sadly, face going under
0:27:20 > 0:27:23thanks to something which the bank has talked them into.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26And even when the disastrous consequences became clear
0:27:26 > 0:27:29the solution offered by the bank, unbelievably,
0:27:29 > 0:27:31was to ask for even more cash.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36Like many across the country,
0:27:36 > 0:27:39the high street in the market town of Watton in Norfolk
0:27:39 > 0:27:41has its share of struggling businesses.
0:27:41 > 0:27:43But things are particularly bad for the family
0:27:43 > 0:27:48that runs Adcock's electrical retail business - Adcock and Sons Ltd.
0:27:48 > 0:27:51This is my great-grandfather, Earnest Adcock.
0:27:51 > 0:27:55It's been a thriving business for four generations
0:27:55 > 0:27:56but all that's changed.
0:27:56 > 0:28:00The company at the moment is on its knees because the bank
0:28:00 > 0:28:03that's supported us all these years has thought it wise
0:28:03 > 0:28:07that we have this horrendous product that's brought us to our knees.
0:28:09 > 0:28:12The Adcocks' troubles are down to a financial product
0:28:12 > 0:28:14Paul was sold five years ago by Barclays Capital,
0:28:14 > 0:28:17the investment arm of the family's trusted bank.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22Known as an interest rate swap, it was supposed to help him
0:28:22 > 0:28:27if interest rates changed, a bit like a fixed rate mortgage does.
0:28:27 > 0:28:31It was offered at a time when he'd taken out some extra loans to develop the business.
0:28:31 > 0:28:35Whilst the expansion was underway
0:28:35 > 0:28:38out of the blue almost we had a call from our relationship manager
0:28:38 > 0:28:41that suggested we consider some kind of interest rate protection.
0:28:43 > 0:28:45He declined the offer, but a year later
0:28:45 > 0:28:49Barclay's Capital started to call again and again.
0:28:49 > 0:28:53We were getting sort of phone calls fairly regularly, you know,
0:28:53 > 0:28:57suggesting it would be good for us, it wouldn't cost us anything.
0:28:57 > 0:29:00I sort of succumbed just, really, for not having the guts to say
0:29:00 > 0:29:03sorry, I don't want it, I'm not interested,
0:29:03 > 0:29:05because I didn't want to upset the bank.
0:29:05 > 0:29:08But Paul didn't realize how complicated this product was
0:29:08 > 0:29:12and that in fact it worked rather like a bet.
0:29:12 > 0:29:16He'd signed up to what was effectively a huge gamble
0:29:16 > 0:29:19that interest rates wouldn't fall below a certain point
0:29:19 > 0:29:22and if they did what he'd pay would go up.
0:29:24 > 0:29:28It's a bit like being sold a time bomb because at the time
0:29:28 > 0:29:32and for a year or so afterwards there was no affect
0:29:32 > 0:29:35because interest rates were that bit higher.
0:29:35 > 0:29:40So it wasn't until the end of 2008 when interest rates started to go down,
0:29:40 > 0:29:45suddenly we had this additional interest payment of about £2,000.
0:29:45 > 0:29:48And from then on the super low interest rates
0:29:48 > 0:29:51that the Bank of England engineered to support small businesses
0:29:51 > 0:29:55had the opposite effect for Paul.
0:29:55 > 0:29:59To date he's now paid over £188,000 on this product.
0:29:59 > 0:30:04That's on top of the repayments on his original loan of £970,000.
0:30:04 > 0:30:08The impact has been two members of long-term staff have had to go
0:30:08 > 0:30:12because we simply couldn't afford to keep them on
0:30:12 > 0:30:15which is very difficult in this kind of business.
0:30:16 > 0:30:19It's thought around 20,000 small businesses
0:30:19 > 0:30:22may have fallen foul of these interest rate swap products
0:30:22 > 0:30:25which have been sold by all the big four banks.
0:30:29 > 0:30:31Another one is Darby's Glass and DIY Store
0:30:31 > 0:30:36in Marske-by-the-Sea, Cleveland, run by Stephen Lilley and his daughter, Liz.
0:30:36 > 0:30:38They insist their bank pushed them
0:30:38 > 0:30:41into buying the product that has devastated their business.
0:30:43 > 0:30:48We bought the business in 2006 as a general DIY store
0:30:48 > 0:30:50and it's a family business.
0:30:50 > 0:30:53We sell hardware, we sell timber,
0:30:53 > 0:30:54we sell glass, we sell plants.
0:30:55 > 0:31:00To purchase the shop, they took out loans for £425,000 with HSBC.
0:31:02 > 0:31:05But the bank rang to persuade them into buying a product
0:31:05 > 0:31:07to protect them from interest rate rises
0:31:07 > 0:31:11and said the interest rate swap was the most 'appropriate' for them.
0:31:11 > 0:31:17I said to him, before we accept any of these products you're offering,
0:31:17 > 0:31:20I'd like to see something in writing
0:31:20 > 0:31:23so I could present them to our accountant for further advice.
0:31:24 > 0:31:28But the bank rang again and spoke to Stephen's daughter, Liz,
0:31:28 > 0:31:32and in a brief conversation, she was sold the interest rate swap over the phone.
0:31:32 > 0:31:34The conversation with him on the mobile phone
0:31:34 > 0:31:38to commit the shop to a ten year base rate swap,
0:31:38 > 0:31:40was a three minute conversation.
0:31:40 > 0:31:43The family only began to understand the implications
0:31:43 > 0:31:47of what they'd ended up with once interest rates started to fall
0:31:47 > 0:31:48and the extra charges kicked in.
0:31:49 > 0:31:54As interest rates have come down we're actually paying more money.
0:31:54 > 0:31:57So we started off, interest rates came down a little bit,
0:31:57 > 0:31:58and we pay £200.
0:31:58 > 0:32:03The interest rates have come down more and we pay £800.
0:32:03 > 0:32:07And now the interest rates have really dropped, we're paying £1,200.
0:32:07 > 0:32:11In 2010, the family made a complaint of mis-selling
0:32:11 > 0:32:14to the Financial Ombudsman Service.
0:32:14 > 0:32:16But they found in favour of the bank
0:32:16 > 0:32:20and since then the product has continued to have a disastrous effect.
0:32:20 > 0:32:25To be honest, I'm pretty tired because I have to work all the time.
0:32:25 > 0:32:29At most weeks I work seven days a week and I just feel very bitter.
0:32:30 > 0:32:35We've paid HSBC £50,000 towards this base rate swap so far.
0:32:35 > 0:32:39We've laid-off staff, we've had to put back growth of the business
0:32:39 > 0:32:41and development of new ideas.
0:32:41 > 0:32:46At the beginning of this year, the bank told them there was a way out.
0:32:46 > 0:32:50They could cancel the product by paying an extra fee. So, how much would that cost?
0:32:52 > 0:32:55£49,000 if we want to buy ourselves out of the product.
0:32:56 > 0:33:00Back in Norfolk, Paul's bank, Barclays, also told him
0:33:00 > 0:33:02he could pay a fee to cancel.
0:33:02 > 0:33:07But in his case that would be a hefty £224,000.
0:33:07 > 0:33:09Neither of these families, and plenty of others
0:33:09 > 0:33:13in the same boat can quite believe that their bank could have sold them
0:33:13 > 0:33:15something so that's proved to be so catastrophic.
0:33:15 > 0:33:19I always had the attitude that if you went to the bank
0:33:19 > 0:33:22you went for help and you would get the best advice.
0:33:22 > 0:33:25That's seems to be something that's gone by-the-by.
0:33:25 > 0:33:31In June, after a two month industry-wide review, the Financial Services Authority said it found
0:33:31 > 0:33:36'serious failings' in the way all the major banks had sold these products.
0:33:36 > 0:33:38The regulator said in many cases the banks failed to disclose
0:33:38 > 0:33:42the costs of exit fees, sold swaps that weren't appropriate,
0:33:42 > 0:33:45and didn't always ensure their customers understood the risks involved.
0:33:45 > 0:33:50They also announced they'd reached agreement with Barclays, HSBC,
0:33:50 > 0:33:53Lloyds and RBS over providing redress
0:33:53 > 0:33:56and that such products should no longer be marketed.
0:33:56 > 0:34:00Barclays, which sold the interest rate swap to Paul Adcock
0:34:00 > 0:34:03for his electrical store, told us they're 'finalising the detail'
0:34:03 > 0:34:07of the FSA review, but 'welcome the clarity' it will bring.
0:34:07 > 0:34:08They say...
0:34:11 > 0:34:12They will...
0:34:14 > 0:34:17They say they have an on-going dialogue with Paul
0:34:17 > 0:34:21utilising the expertise of their business support team to work with him.
0:34:21 > 0:34:25Meanwhile, HSBC told us it would be inappropriate to comment
0:34:25 > 0:34:26on Stephen and Liz's case as it's...
0:34:30 > 0:34:34They insist the family's complaint has already been fully investigated
0:34:34 > 0:34:38and rejected but they'll be contacting Stephen with details
0:34:38 > 0:34:41of the FSA's process and hope that will enable them to reach a...
0:34:44 > 0:34:48Both banks maintain that 'when sold properly'
0:34:48 > 0:34:52interest rates swaps remain an appropriate and effective tool for businesses
0:34:52 > 0:34:56wanting to...
0:35:00 > 0:35:04The review by the FSA doesn't mean automatic compensation.
0:35:05 > 0:35:10So Paul Adcock has now started legal proceedings against Barclays Capital.
0:35:10 > 0:35:14And Stephen and Liz have also got solicitors working on their behalf.
0:35:16 > 0:35:18I feel very bitter towards the bank
0:35:18 > 0:35:22because I don't think they're responding responsibly.
0:35:22 > 0:35:29We're just very, very hopeful, again, with the findings of the FSA on our side,
0:35:29 > 0:35:33that the bank will take a responsible attitude
0:35:33 > 0:35:37and resolve that situation because if they don't, there's no question,
0:35:37 > 0:35:41the business won't be here not even years, but in months.
0:35:41 > 0:35:44That's the fear of other family businesses
0:35:44 > 0:35:47who feel they've been let down by their banks the same way.
0:35:47 > 0:35:49If the FSA's review can't help them
0:35:49 > 0:35:52thousands face shutting up shop forever.
0:35:54 > 0:35:57As you've heard, the Financial Services Authority
0:35:57 > 0:36:01has been highly critical of the way many of these interest rate swaps were sold.
0:36:01 > 0:36:03So let's hope that one way or another,
0:36:03 > 0:36:07the businesses we came across, and the others in the same boat
0:36:07 > 0:36:09can get their situations resolved.
0:36:12 > 0:36:15Sometimes, when you feel ripped off,
0:36:15 > 0:36:17it could be you that's made a mistake.
0:36:17 > 0:36:19Perhaps you didn't read the small print
0:36:19 > 0:36:22or realise the consequences of what you signed up to.
0:36:22 > 0:36:26Whoever's at fault, you need to know what to do about it.
0:36:26 > 0:36:30So, we've put together a new booklet full of tips and advice.
0:36:30 > 0:36:35You can download it on our website.
0:36:35 > 0:36:37Or to receive a copy in the post
0:36:37 > 0:36:40send an A5 stamped and self-addressed envelope
0:36:40 > 0:36:43to the address that we'll give you at the end of the programme.
0:36:49 > 0:36:52At Rip-Off Britain we hear all the time the real anger there is
0:36:52 > 0:36:55out there about the nation's banks.
0:36:55 > 0:36:58We wanted to get some answers to the problems you've raised
0:36:58 > 0:37:01from Eric Leenders of the British Bankers' Association
0:37:01 > 0:37:05which represents all the big high street names.
0:37:05 > 0:37:07Mr Leenders, I don't think I have to tell you of all people
0:37:07 > 0:37:11that the reputation of bankers in this country is now in tatters.
0:37:11 > 0:37:13Is there within the industry and bankers
0:37:13 > 0:37:17a feeling at all of embarrassment or shame for that?
0:37:17 > 0:37:19Absolutely, I think so.
0:37:19 > 0:37:22I mean I've been in the industry now for some 30 years
0:37:22 > 0:37:25and I think it's a very, very difficult period indeed.
0:37:25 > 0:37:27I think the question is really how we respond
0:37:27 > 0:37:31and what we can do to perhaps restore some of the trust.
0:37:31 > 0:37:34When you go to a party and someone says what do you do for a living,
0:37:34 > 0:37:36would you be embarrassed to admit I'm a banker.
0:37:36 > 0:37:40Well, I think it's very regretful that actually you would probably
0:37:40 > 0:37:42think twice about admitting that you were a banker,
0:37:42 > 0:37:46but what I'd like to think is that I'm a banker that's trying to make a difference
0:37:46 > 0:37:50and trying to change across the industry and restore that faith and trust.
0:37:50 > 0:37:52Well, let's talk about poor customer service
0:37:52 > 0:37:57that's been associated with the meltdown that happened recently with banks,
0:37:57 > 0:38:00when banks suddenly were unable to process individuals' money.
0:38:00 > 0:38:02The Ulster Bank for instance,
0:38:02 > 0:38:05it's taking them a month to be able to sort out the backlog.
0:38:05 > 0:38:07In other words, your customer is suffering
0:38:07 > 0:38:12because of the inadequacies and the lack of professionalism of the bank.
0:38:12 > 0:38:17I can only I think repeat the apology given by Stephen Hester,
0:38:17 > 0:38:20the group chief executive of the Royal Bank of Scotland Group,
0:38:20 > 0:38:23and I think it's laudable that he's also said that no customer,
0:38:23 > 0:38:26RBS Group, NatWest, Ulster Bank,
0:38:26 > 0:38:30or in fact any other customer of any other bank
0:38:30 > 0:38:33will be out of pocket as a consequence
0:38:33 > 0:38:37of the IT shortcomings at his bank.
0:38:37 > 0:38:40What guarantee is there, it's not going to happen again?
0:38:40 > 0:38:43The Royal Bank of Scotland Group has very generously suggested,
0:38:43 > 0:38:46where there are lessons learned from the issue that they faced,
0:38:46 > 0:38:49they are happy to share that with the industry
0:38:49 > 0:38:52to make sure everyone can benefit from the lessons to be learned.
0:38:52 > 0:38:55The Financial Services Authority, I understand,
0:38:55 > 0:38:59has already been in touch with banks to ask for assurances
0:38:59 > 0:39:03around the robustness of their systems to make sure
0:39:03 > 0:39:07that wherever possible this won't happen again.
0:39:07 > 0:39:10Finally, how can you improve the image of a profession,
0:39:10 > 0:39:13which as far as most people are concerned at the moment,
0:39:13 > 0:39:15was very happy to pay themselves large salaries
0:39:15 > 0:39:20and large bonuses in the good times but then expect the consumer
0:39:20 > 0:39:24and the taxpayer to bail them out when things go wrong?
0:39:24 > 0:39:28The way that we need to address that is to get back to serving customers well.
0:39:28 > 0:39:33I think it's important that when you, as a customer, come to speak to your banker,
0:39:33 > 0:39:35you're confident that what they tell you,
0:39:35 > 0:39:39the advice they give you, the products and services they offer work for you.
0:39:39 > 0:39:42How sad that we're even having to address these questions
0:39:42 > 0:39:45that the banks allowed themselves to get into that position.
0:39:45 > 0:39:49And from 30 years in banking I can only hope that actually,
0:39:49 > 0:39:52in years to come, we get back to our place in society
0:39:52 > 0:39:54where we are respected and trusted,
0:39:54 > 0:39:56and I can assure you there are a lot of people
0:39:56 > 0:40:01at all levels within the banks that are determined to achieve that.
0:40:02 > 0:40:05Here at Rip-Off Britain we're always ready to investigate
0:40:05 > 0:40:07more of your stories.
0:40:07 > 0:40:08Confused over your bills?
0:40:08 > 0:40:13Trying to wade your way through never ending small print?
0:40:13 > 0:40:15You should read it but it's not in plain English.
0:40:15 > 0:40:18It should be simple, you know, ABC, very basic stuff.
0:40:18 > 0:40:21Unsure what to do when you discover you've lost out
0:40:21 > 0:40:24and that great deal has ended up costing you money?
0:40:24 > 0:40:28You get home and you get your bill and it's like £70 when it's meant to be £35
0:40:28 > 0:40:32and basically you get ripped-off, don't you.
0:40:32 > 0:40:35You might have a cautionary tale of your own
0:40:35 > 0:40:39and want to share the mistakes you made with us, so other people don't do the same thing.
0:40:41 > 0:40:45I feel angry, I feel stupid that I'd allowed this to happen to me.
0:40:45 > 0:40:48You can write to us.
0:40:56 > 0:40:58Or you can send us an email.
0:41:04 > 0:41:07Don't forget, the Rip-Off team is ready and waiting
0:41:07 > 0:41:09to investigate your stories.
0:41:11 > 0:41:13Well, the banks' recent troubles
0:41:13 > 0:41:16certainly seem to have been a bit of a wake-up call for them.
0:41:16 > 0:41:19For too long some of them have rather taken for granted
0:41:19 > 0:41:21the fact that most customers, once they've chosen their bank,
0:41:21 > 0:41:24tend to stick with the same one for life.
0:41:24 > 0:41:26And that's usually because the idea of unpicking
0:41:26 > 0:41:30all those direct debits and standing orders makes moving your account
0:41:30 > 0:41:34seem just that bit too difficult but it's quite straightforward.
0:41:34 > 0:41:37So if you're not getting the service you deserve or want
0:41:37 > 0:41:39then simply don't stand for it.
0:41:39 > 0:41:43And why should you? Just switch somewhere else!
0:41:43 > 0:41:47And there's evidence more and more people are starting to do that
0:41:47 > 0:41:53and you can find out how to do it on our website.
0:41:53 > 0:41:55There's lots of useful advice.
0:41:55 > 0:41:57But for now that's all we've got time for today.
0:41:57 > 0:42:01Thanks once again for joining us and we'll see you again very soon.
0:42:01 > 0:42:02- Goodbye.- Bye bye.
0:42:21 > 0:42:25Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd