0:00:02 > 0:00:06We asked you to tell us who's left you feeling ripped-off
0:00:06 > 0:00:09and you contacted us in your thousands by post, email,
0:00:09 > 0:00:11even stopping us on the streets,
0:00:11 > 0:00:15and the message could not be clearer.
0:00:15 > 0:00:18Things weren't right, it was costing me time and money,
0:00:18 > 0:00:20and it was like, "Does anybody listen?"
0:00:20 > 0:00:23Unfortunately, I think these companies are more motivated
0:00:23 > 0:00:26by their share price than 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 be sure that every pound you spend is worth it.
0:00:32 > 0:00:36How do I get my money back? Cos I just think I'm entitled to it.
0:00:36 > 0:00:38So whether it's a deliberate rip-off, a simple mistake,
0:00:38 > 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, you know, go to the top if you have to.
0:00:49 > 0:00:53We do get results, I mean that's the interesting thing.
0:00:53 > 0:00:55Your stories, your money. This is Rip-Off Britain
0:00:58 > 0:01:02Hello and welcome to Rip Off Britain, where today we're asking
0:01:02 > 0:01:06a question that doesn't always produce the answer that it should.
0:01:06 > 0:01:08And that is just how much do the companies to whom
0:01:08 > 0:01:13we hand over our money really have our best interests at heart?
0:01:13 > 0:01:16Because sometimes it seems they just want to get the job done
0:01:16 > 0:01:18and move on to the next.
0:01:18 > 0:01:20Or they may be in such a hurry for the next payment
0:01:20 > 0:01:23they make you feel their priority isn't you or giving you
0:01:23 > 0:01:27the best deal or service, but simply getting hold of your money.
0:01:27 > 0:01:31And that's certainly how it feels to some of the people whose stories we'll hear today.
0:01:31 > 0:01:33They say they're not being listened to -
0:01:33 > 0:01:36particularly, when things have gone wrong, or there's been a mistake.
0:01:36 > 0:01:40So the question is, are they right? Well, we'll soon find out.
0:01:41 > 0:01:47Coming up, how a cupboard's hidden secrets have cost this couple £20,000.
0:01:47 > 0:01:48I walked into the cupboard
0:01:48 > 0:01:50and as I walked over to the chipboard flooring,
0:01:50 > 0:01:54my foot fell straight through the chipboard.
0:01:54 > 0:01:59And a family that spent almost £900 on a unique memorial...
0:01:59 > 0:02:02I had my heart ripped out when Danielle died.
0:02:02 > 0:02:06It's so important for me to get to the bottom of- of all of this.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09If you're lucky enough to have a guarantee
0:02:09 > 0:02:11for work that's been done on your home,
0:02:11 > 0:02:14you'd think it would be obvious what it entitles you to.
0:02:14 > 0:02:16But that's not always the case.
0:02:16 > 0:02:20Sometimes, the guarantee you've pinned your hopes on
0:02:20 > 0:02:23is no longer worth the paper it's written on.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28# I could have danced all night
0:02:28 > 0:02:33# I could have danced all night. #
0:02:33 > 0:02:36When amateur singer Adrienne Guthrie was looking for a new place
0:02:36 > 0:02:41to live last year, Wetherby in Yorkshire seemed the obvious choice.
0:02:43 > 0:02:45The previous winter
0:02:45 > 0:02:48I had been quite isolated following an accident in York.
0:02:48 > 0:02:52And so I looked for a property near friends
0:02:52 > 0:02:55and because most of the activities I'm involved in, ladies' choir
0:02:55 > 0:02:59and one or two other activities, are in Wetherby.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02Adrienne had no trouble finding her ideal home.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05She was sent a stack of paperwork to go with the purchase,
0:03:05 > 0:03:09and amongst it was some very good news...or so she thought.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12I saw that there was a guarantee for the double glazing
0:03:12 > 0:03:15for a ten year period.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18Double glazing had been installed less than two years earlier.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21So with eight years left on the guarantee for all her windows
0:03:21 > 0:03:25and doors, Adrienne was delighted.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28Especially as it soon became clear that her double glazing
0:03:28 > 0:03:30wasn't keeping the house as warm as she'd expected.
0:03:30 > 0:03:34I hadn't been in the house very long when I realised the kitchen was cold
0:03:34 > 0:03:39and as the cold weather came it was like being in an icebox in there.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43Adrienne traced the problem to the kitchen door
0:03:43 > 0:03:45which didn't seem to have been fitted properly.
0:03:45 > 0:03:49But she was reassured by the fact she had that ten year guarantee.
0:03:49 > 0:03:55I wasn't unduly worried, I thought that the double glazing
0:03:55 > 0:03:57would be covered under the guarantee
0:03:57 > 0:03:59and it would just be repaired from that.
0:03:59 > 0:04:03So Adrienne contacted the company who'd issued the guarantee,
0:04:03 > 0:04:05Orion Windows Limited,
0:04:05 > 0:04:08and got a nasty surprise.
0:04:08 > 0:04:10They told her the guarantee was no good to her
0:04:10 > 0:04:13because it was only valid for the customer who'd installed the glazing.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16In other words, the house's previous owner.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18I just couldn't believe it.
0:04:18 > 0:04:20And I spoke to loads of people,
0:04:20 > 0:04:22both people that I meet on a day to day basis
0:04:22 > 0:04:24and people in the building trade,
0:04:24 > 0:04:29and nobody could understand why the guarantee wasn't transferrable
0:04:29 > 0:04:33from one owner to the next and why it didn't stay with the house.
0:04:33 > 0:04:34And to make matters worse,
0:04:34 > 0:04:37just a few weeks after hearing her guarantee wasn't valid,
0:04:37 > 0:04:41there was another problem with Adrienne's double glazing.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43I suddenly heard three loud cracks.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45And when I went into the back bedroom,
0:04:45 > 0:04:48the window had cracked from top to bottom.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51It was very cold outside and I'm assuming it was because of the cold.
0:04:51 > 0:04:55So with two double glazing problems in just two months,
0:04:55 > 0:04:59you can see why Adrienne was annoyed at the prospect of shelling out
0:04:59 > 0:05:02for repairs that - because she had that guarantee -
0:05:02 > 0:05:04she believed should be done for free.
0:05:04 > 0:05:10I don't understand why the guarantee doesn't transfer from owner to owner.
0:05:10 > 0:05:15It's just ridiculous the way it's just null and void.
0:05:15 > 0:05:17If the previous owner still lived here
0:05:17 > 0:05:18they would be able to claim on it.
0:05:18 > 0:05:23In fact, double glazing suppliers aren't under any obligation
0:05:23 > 0:05:25to supply transferable guarantees -
0:05:25 > 0:05:31unless that is, they're members of the industry trade body, the Glass and Glazing Federation.
0:05:31 > 0:05:35In that case, they ARE supposed to honour guarantees
0:05:35 > 0:05:36if the house changes hands.
0:05:36 > 0:05:40And funnily enough, Orion Windows IS a member.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43So we asked them why they've refused to follow
0:05:43 > 0:05:46the Glass and Glazing Federation's guidelines,
0:05:46 > 0:05:51which would mean they'd transfer the guarantee to Adrienne AND carry out the necessary repairs.
0:05:51 > 0:05:55And when we did, there was an about-turn!
0:05:55 > 0:05:58They told us although no problems had previously been identified
0:05:58 > 0:06:00with the glazing, they'll be making an appointment
0:06:00 > 0:06:03with Adrienne to assess what works need doing.
0:06:03 > 0:06:07And crucially, they WILL now be transferring the unexpired portion
0:06:07 > 0:06:10of their guarantee to her.
0:06:10 > 0:06:14We also spoke to the Glass and Glazing Federation,
0:06:14 > 0:06:18who reiterated that it's a mandatory requirement for ALL their members
0:06:18 > 0:06:20to provide transferrable guarantees.
0:06:20 > 0:06:25But it seems Orion Windows Limited may not be the only company
0:06:25 > 0:06:28that hasn't always stuck to the guidelines.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31We contacted the 20 Glass and Glazing Federation members
0:06:31 > 0:06:36closest to where Adrienne lives to see if they offered transferrable guarantees.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39And four of them said they didn't.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42We've passed that information on to the Federation,
0:06:42 > 0:06:46who've said they'll be reminding all their members of their obligations on this.
0:06:46 > 0:06:51Meanwhile, Adrienne's delighted her situation is now resolved.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53It will make things a lot easier for me,
0:06:53 > 0:06:57but I think people should remember that they need to pay attention
0:06:57 > 0:07:00to all the terms and conditions
0:07:00 > 0:07:03and make sure that they understand the legal aspects of these things.
0:07:03 > 0:07:05If you want to check if your windows
0:07:05 > 0:07:07are covered by a transferrable guarantee
0:07:07 > 0:07:10or whether you might end up in the same situation as Adrienne,
0:07:10 > 0:07:14then there are details on what to do on our website:
0:07:21 > 0:07:24Well, I'm sure that, over the last year, most of us would have liked
0:07:24 > 0:07:28to have seen a lot less rain, but if you've got a leaky roof
0:07:28 > 0:07:31then you'll have found it particularly frustrating.
0:07:31 > 0:07:33Peter Dobson certainly has,
0:07:33 > 0:07:36and when you hear what it is that's caused his roof to leak,
0:07:36 > 0:07:40you'll understand just why he's so annoyed.
0:07:42 > 0:07:44When Peter Dobson retired at the end of last year,
0:07:44 > 0:07:49he decided to make some additions to the family home in Northumberland.
0:07:49 > 0:07:54And top of the list was a traditional wood-burning stove.
0:07:54 > 0:07:58It's great when it's on - it's warm, it creates a friendly look,
0:07:58 > 0:08:00Plus, of course, it keeps the bills down.
0:08:00 > 0:08:02It reminds me of my childhood
0:08:02 > 0:08:05when my grandmother had one of these open stove things
0:08:05 > 0:08:08and she used to boil water on it and stuff like that,
0:08:08 > 0:08:11and I often look at it and it kind of pulls you back to that time.
0:08:12 > 0:08:16Peter was thrilled to find what he was looking for
0:08:16 > 0:08:18with a company called Border Stoves.
0:08:18 > 0:08:22They told him that it would cost £795 for the stove,
0:08:22 > 0:08:25which their sister company Border Services
0:08:25 > 0:08:29could fit for a further £1,650.
0:08:30 > 0:08:35I have to confess, when I got that quote I took a step back
0:08:35 > 0:08:39and thought maybe this isn't, you know, a good thing to do
0:08:39 > 0:08:41but we'd kind of built up to it
0:08:41 > 0:08:46and thought "OK, it's a one-off. We'll kind of do it."
0:08:46 > 0:08:49So Border Services came to install the stove,
0:08:49 > 0:08:52and making, it seemed, the necessary adjustments to the roof,
0:08:52 > 0:08:55which involved cutting a hole in it for the flue.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58And at first, Peter was delighted with what he'd bought.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01The stove's functioned very well.
0:09:01 > 0:09:06It's done exactly as supposed to, it looks good, it's very easy to light.
0:09:06 > 0:09:10But then, when there was the next heavy rain,
0:09:10 > 0:09:13Peter got a rather soggy surprise.
0:09:13 > 0:09:17Water was streaming through the ceiling into his house.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19The water coming in became a major issue
0:09:19 > 0:09:22because the plasterboard on the ceiling got really wet.
0:09:22 > 0:09:26It was leaking so far away from the chimney itself,
0:09:26 > 0:09:28the fire wasn't drying it out.
0:09:28 > 0:09:32Peter immediately got back in touch with the company,
0:09:32 > 0:09:34and, after several unreturned calls,
0:09:34 > 0:09:37they finally came back to have a look.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40As Peter suspected, the problem turned out to be related
0:09:40 > 0:09:44to the hole in the roof that they'd made for the flue.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46He said he could temporarily sort it out
0:09:46 > 0:09:51and hopefully, bring the major leaks to a halt and he started to do that.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54After he'd finished the job he then said, "Really, it's temporary."
0:09:54 > 0:09:59He informed me that the stuff used should've been on a slate roof
0:09:59 > 0:10:03and ours is tiled, so it's really the wrong bit of equipment.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08It seems that when Border Services had cut the hole in the roof,
0:10:08 > 0:10:12they hadn't sealed it properly leaving big gaps
0:10:12 > 0:10:14that were letting in the rain water.
0:10:14 > 0:10:19And the repair did indeed prove to be just a temporary fix.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22Because the next time it rained, water came through AGAIN.
0:10:22 > 0:10:26It rained heavily through the night, and when I got up in the morning
0:10:26 > 0:10:30the side of the stove was stained where the water had run down.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33There was water on the laminate floor
0:10:33 > 0:10:36and it was a right big mop-up session first thing in the morning.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39Border Services came back again...and then AGAIN...
0:10:39 > 0:10:41to try and sort things out.
0:10:41 > 0:10:46But each time they came they failed to put the problem right.
0:10:46 > 0:10:50So with water STILL pouring through the ceiling,
0:10:50 > 0:10:53and no permanent solution from the company responsible,
0:10:53 > 0:10:56Peter called in a roofing expert to see what he thought.
0:10:56 > 0:10:58He just said...
0:10:58 > 0:11:00It's just one of the worst jobs he'd ever seen.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03I then got up on the wall to have a look
0:11:03 > 0:11:07and he pointed out really why it was leaking.
0:11:07 > 0:11:12There was a gap between the tiles that you could fit your hand into.
0:11:12 > 0:11:16You can see from Peter's photos just how big that gap was.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19And though it has now been rectified,
0:11:19 > 0:11:24when we sent local surveyor Steve Vogel to examine Peter's roof,
0:11:24 > 0:11:29it was clear that the hole wasn't the only problem.
0:11:29 > 0:11:33I can also see what appears to be silicone sealants underneath
0:11:33 > 0:11:36the tile, and that has possibly been applied to keep a loose tile
0:11:36 > 0:11:39in place and that's just completely inappropriate.
0:11:39 > 0:11:45It shouldn't be necessary when the tiles are correctly fitted
0:11:45 > 0:11:47and there certainly shouldn't be gaps between the tiles.
0:11:49 > 0:11:55When Steve then had a look inside the house there was more bad news.
0:11:55 > 0:11:59He noticed that the stove was too close to the skirting board,
0:11:59 > 0:12:01which made Peter nervous.
0:12:01 > 0:12:02Is that dangerous, then?
0:12:02 > 0:12:06Potentially, yes, because these stoves do get very hot
0:12:06 > 0:12:11and with it being that close, there is the risk of that
0:12:11 > 0:12:14actually burning at some stage.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17- Which is why combustible materials all have a minimum- distance
0:12:17 > 0:12:22that they should be kept away from the stove itself.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25So it's just getting more expensive all the time, isn't it?
0:12:25 > 0:12:27- Unfortunately, yes.- OK.
0:12:28 > 0:12:33On top of the £2,500 that he's already paid for the stove,
0:12:33 > 0:12:38Peter is now looking at having to stump up an additional £600
0:12:38 > 0:12:41for repairing the roof and shifting the stove.
0:12:41 > 0:12:45So he's written to the company asking them to pay.
0:12:45 > 0:12:49But they refused to accept that it could be their fault.
0:12:49 > 0:12:55I felt I'd proved it categorically having sent them photographs.
0:12:55 > 0:12:59They were self-evident, you could see clearly
0:12:59 > 0:13:01that there were holes in the roof.
0:13:01 > 0:13:06You could see daylight from the whole of the living room as you looked up towards the roof.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11Peter says the company even suggested the leak
0:13:11 > 0:13:13could have been there already,
0:13:13 > 0:13:16and was therefore nothing to do with them.
0:13:16 > 0:13:18And when his next letter to them brought no joy,
0:13:18 > 0:13:21that's when he wrote to us.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24The two companies who sold and installed the stove
0:13:24 > 0:13:27are run by the same man.
0:13:27 > 0:13:28When we contacted him,
0:13:28 > 0:13:32he disputed some of the details that Peter had told us.
0:13:32 > 0:13:36He said he hadn't replied to the initial calls
0:13:36 > 0:13:39because he was on holiday, and disagrees that he used
0:13:39 > 0:13:44the wrong materials, or installed the stove too close to the skirting.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47He says poor weather hampered the work he did,
0:13:47 > 0:13:49both when the stove was installed,
0:13:49 > 0:13:53and on the first occasion that he attempted to put things right.
0:13:53 > 0:13:57And he stresses he HAS offered to resolve the situation,
0:13:57 > 0:14:00and recommended a firm of builders to do the job.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03But Peter has now lost so much confidence in the company
0:14:03 > 0:14:07that he'd rather get the job sorted using builders of his own choice.
0:14:07 > 0:14:12All he wants from Border Stoves is his money back.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15Meanwhile, there's been an awful lot of rain this year,
0:14:15 > 0:14:17and an awful lot of it has come through Peter's roof.
0:14:17 > 0:14:21So he just wants things sorted.
0:14:21 > 0:14:23If Border Stoves came back
0:14:23 > 0:14:28and refunded what I'd actually spent on having them install it,
0:14:28 > 0:14:32I would then take the view that the matter's closed.
0:14:33 > 0:14:36It would be the end of four...
0:14:36 > 0:14:41well, nearly five months now of complete aggravation.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49Now there's always plenty to worry about if you're buying a new home,
0:14:49 > 0:14:52which is why you hope that the survey
0:14:52 > 0:14:55will flag up any serious problems before it's too late.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58In Scotland, survey information is provided
0:14:58 > 0:15:00to ALL prospective buyers from the off.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03But unfortunately - that DOESN'T necessarily mean
0:15:03 > 0:15:05you're safe from nasty surprises later on,
0:15:05 > 0:15:08as this next couple found out.
0:15:12 > 0:15:16The Island of Lewis, largest of the Western Isles of Scotland
0:15:16 > 0:15:20and home to Norrie and Marina MacDonald,
0:15:20 > 0:15:24who last year moved from a small flat to this much bigger house.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28It just ticked all the boxes for us.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31The location was perfect, the size was perfect,
0:15:31 > 0:15:36- and also it was affordable to us which was very important.- Yeah.
0:15:36 > 0:15:40When Norrie and Marina first came to view the property,
0:15:40 > 0:15:41like all Scottish homebuyers,
0:15:41 > 0:15:44they were given what's called a homebuyer's report,
0:15:44 > 0:15:46prepared for them by the seller.
0:15:46 > 0:15:50Introduced in 2008, it's a bit like the Home Information Packs
0:15:50 > 0:15:53that were briefly available in the rest of the UK.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56And one of the key parts of it is a survey of the house's condition,
0:15:56 > 0:15:59highlighting repairs that may be required.
0:15:59 > 0:16:01The house was empty for over a year.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04Now, we came out and we viewed the house with my parents
0:16:04 > 0:16:06and my mother, especially my mother.
0:16:06 > 0:16:11She noticed...a particularly strong smell of dampness
0:16:11 > 0:16:14coming from just the ground floor area of the house.
0:16:14 > 0:16:18I thought, "Right, the home report will tell us if there's anything wrong.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21"If there's something wrong, we pull out."
0:16:21 > 0:16:22What they didn't yet realise
0:16:22 > 0:16:24was that the survey in their homebuyer's report
0:16:24 > 0:16:27was what's known as a single survey,
0:16:27 > 0:16:30which means it isn't a full structural survey
0:16:30 > 0:16:33and won't necessarily pick up every problem with the house.
0:16:33 > 0:16:35But with no idea of that at the time,
0:16:35 > 0:16:38when Norrie and Marina got the report,
0:16:38 > 0:16:41everything they read made them feel completely reassured.
0:16:41 > 0:16:45The home report stated that everything was a Category One,
0:16:45 > 0:16:48which meant that there was no immediate attention required for anything.
0:16:48 > 0:16:52We paid particular attention to the dampness section,
0:16:52 > 0:16:54which talks about dry rot, wet rot,
0:16:54 > 0:16:59and there was nothing other than annual routine maintenance.
0:16:59 > 0:17:01As all seemed well,
0:17:01 > 0:17:03Norrie and Marina went ahead and bought the house.
0:17:03 > 0:17:05But just a few days after moving in,
0:17:05 > 0:17:09they realised something wasn't right in a cupboard downstairs.
0:17:09 > 0:17:11I walked into the cupboard
0:17:11 > 0:17:17and I noticed particularly bad discolouring to plasterboard.
0:17:17 > 0:17:18So on walking over to the back wall,
0:17:18 > 0:17:21I touched the plasterboard and it kind of felt damp.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24I then noticed about a two-foot square of dampness
0:17:24 > 0:17:26on the chipboard flooring.
0:17:26 > 0:17:28As I walked over to the chipboard flooring,
0:17:28 > 0:17:32my foot fell straight through the chipboard.
0:17:32 > 0:17:35Norrie shouted, "I think you'd better come and see this,
0:17:35 > 0:17:36"I've found a problem."
0:17:36 > 0:17:40But at that time we didn't think it was anything serious.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42But they were wrong.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45When the MacDonalds called in a surveyor to take a look,
0:17:45 > 0:17:47he found that because the back of the house
0:17:47 > 0:17:49is built almost into the hillside,
0:17:49 > 0:17:52water was seeping through the earth
0:17:52 > 0:17:56and hitting the back wall, making the flooring space completely damp.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59And since the house is of timber frame construction,
0:17:59 > 0:18:03the wall plate and all the uprights were rotten beyond repair.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07When we found out how serious the problem was,
0:18:07 > 0:18:09- I think we both absolutely felt gutted...- Gutted.
0:18:09 > 0:18:10- ..Absolutely gutted.- Yeah.
0:18:10 > 0:18:14We didn't know what to do, we just... This was...
0:18:14 > 0:18:17We had put all our money into this property.
0:18:17 > 0:18:19It was just, it was devastating.
0:18:19 > 0:18:21The damp was such a major problem,
0:18:21 > 0:18:25the MacDonalds couldn't see how the homebuyer's report
0:18:25 > 0:18:26had failed to spot it.
0:18:26 > 0:18:30We thought that was something that quite clearly should have been picked up on.
0:18:30 > 0:18:32We just relied on that report so much.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35We trusted it, we believed in it.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38We bought the house on the strength of that home report.
0:18:38 > 0:18:43So Norrie and Marina wrote to the surveyors who'd looked at the house.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46And while waiting for a response, they called in another company
0:18:46 > 0:18:49to work out how much it would cost to put things right.
0:18:49 > 0:18:53We had a local surveyor come round to evaluate the cost
0:18:53 > 0:18:57and he put the figure at about £20,000.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00Now, at first we didn't know... How can we possibly afford this?
0:19:00 > 0:19:04- We didn't even believe him... - No, no.- We thought this is... No!
0:19:04 > 0:19:06Look at how rotten it was there.
0:19:08 > 0:19:13But so bad was the water damage, the couple felt they had no choice
0:19:13 > 0:19:14but to start the repairs.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17They added the £20,000 onto their mortgage,
0:19:17 > 0:19:18and got the builders in.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21It wasn't an easy job.
0:19:21 > 0:19:25The work that went on was fairly, fairly extensive.
0:19:25 > 0:19:29Due to the access of the house, there's no access up either side.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32So we had to hire in the local crane company
0:19:32 > 0:19:36to crane two diggers over the top of the house.
0:19:36 > 0:19:38We also had to have all the materials -
0:19:38 > 0:19:40all the chip, all the drainage materials -
0:19:40 > 0:19:42all craned over the house, which was...
0:19:42 > 0:19:45It was just, it was hard work.
0:19:45 > 0:19:49In the midst of all that, the original surveyors came back with their response.
0:19:49 > 0:19:53They explained they WEREN'T liable for missing the damp,
0:19:53 > 0:19:55because when doing this type of survey,
0:19:55 > 0:19:57they're not allowed to move things.
0:19:57 > 0:19:59When they'd checked the cupboard
0:19:59 > 0:20:01where Norrie later fell through the floor,
0:20:01 > 0:20:03they'd found a hoover and a box inside.
0:20:03 > 0:20:07So, as a result, with these in the way, it wasn't checked.
0:20:07 > 0:20:09I think it's just ridiculous
0:20:09 > 0:20:12that because there's a box and a hoover,
0:20:12 > 0:20:14that a cupboard cannot be checked.
0:20:14 > 0:20:16It's just, it's ridiculous.
0:20:16 > 0:20:18Especially I'd say, especially a cupboard
0:20:18 > 0:20:22- which would show the most vulnerable part of the house...- Exactly.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25..Which is, I would say, three metres under the ground.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28But that IS a limitation of this type of survey,
0:20:28 > 0:20:30which is why when the couple complained
0:20:30 > 0:20:33to the Ombudsman Services for Property -
0:20:33 > 0:20:36whose job it is to try to resolve this sort of dispute -
0:20:36 > 0:20:38they didn't get the result they wanted to hear.
0:20:42 > 0:20:46The ombudsman's report ruled in favour of the surveyor,
0:20:46 > 0:20:52basically because they said that they followed the guidelines.
0:20:52 > 0:20:56We spoke to the surveyor who'd done the MacDonalds' report...
0:20:57 > 0:21:01..And though sympathetic that the family has...
0:21:01 > 0:21:05They've reiterated that a single survey report like this
0:21:05 > 0:21:07will only include defects which are..
0:21:09 > 0:21:12They say their report DID make that clear,
0:21:12 > 0:21:14and that the problems later identified were...
0:21:18 > 0:21:21We also contacted the Ombudsman Services for Property.
0:21:21 > 0:21:25Though sorry the McDonalds had had such a bad experience moving home,
0:21:25 > 0:21:27they confirmed that the survey HAD met
0:21:27 > 0:21:30the terms of the necessary code of conduct, which...
0:21:37 > 0:21:40They say when you're getting a survey, it's important to...
0:21:41 > 0:21:44..If the report indicates that access to an area
0:21:44 > 0:21:46has not been possible.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49If you proceed to buy a house on this basis, you're...
0:21:50 > 0:21:53Their advice is to buy a survey type which will provide you with...
0:21:56 > 0:21:58..But also ensure that you...
0:22:01 > 0:22:05But the MacDonalds are angry that the document they put their faith in
0:22:05 > 0:22:07DIDN'T highlight such a major problem.
0:22:07 > 0:22:11All we wanted was the house that was reported in the home report.
0:22:11 > 0:22:12nothing more, nothing less.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15- And we trusted that. - We trusted it, yeah.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24Most companies you tell us about haven't set out to rip you off.
0:22:24 > 0:22:27So when you feel that that's what's happened,
0:22:27 > 0:22:29it may be that their terms and conditions
0:22:29 > 0:22:31just weren't clear enough.
0:22:31 > 0:22:33Or when there's been a genuine mistake
0:22:33 > 0:22:35that they've been slow to put things right.
0:22:35 > 0:22:39Whatever the circumstances, you need to know what to do and where to turn.
0:22:39 > 0:22:43So we've put together a free booklet of practical tips and advice.
0:22:43 > 0:22:45You can download it from our website...
0:22:49 > 0:22:51Or to receive a copy in the post,
0:22:51 > 0:22:53send an A5 stamped and self-addressed envelope
0:22:53 > 0:22:57to the address that we'll give you at the end of the programme.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03Still to come...
0:23:03 > 0:23:06Massive repair costs, you've no choice about paying.
0:23:07 > 0:23:09I'm just flabbergasted,
0:23:09 > 0:23:13I wonder what planet people are living on
0:23:13 > 0:23:14to think that someone
0:23:14 > 0:23:17living somewhere as poor and deprived as this is
0:23:17 > 0:23:20would have any kind of money like that.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26Now overnight, we turned this empty store
0:23:26 > 0:23:28into a free consumer advice clinic.
0:23:31 > 0:23:34Our team of experts were on hand to answer your questions
0:23:34 > 0:23:37and advise how best to take your complaints further.
0:23:39 > 0:23:41So you need to get hold of those credit files
0:23:41 > 0:23:45and check that everything on there are agreements that you recognise.
0:23:45 > 0:23:47Kerry, good advice, I think,
0:23:47 > 0:23:50and the way forward seems to be through the council.
0:23:50 > 0:23:53To pay that for a five-day trip to Scotland
0:23:53 > 0:23:57when frankly, you don't need insurance, is a rip off!
0:23:57 > 0:24:01Kelly is hoping that Trading Standards expert Sylvia Rook
0:24:01 > 0:24:05can help get her faulty car back on the road.
0:24:05 > 0:24:07Six months after having the car, the turbo went.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10I contacted the warranty company
0:24:10 > 0:24:13who decided that I wasn't covered another warranty,
0:24:13 > 0:24:17so I contacted the garage where I got the car from who said it wasn't their problem.
0:24:17 > 0:24:21So at the moment, I've had to declare the car off the road.
0:24:21 > 0:24:23I'm still paying the finance company monthly for the car.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26I can't drive it, it's not roadworthy.
0:24:26 > 0:24:28I can't sell the car, I just can't do nothing with it.
0:24:28 > 0:24:32Sylvia, is this a common story that we've heard from Kelly,
0:24:32 > 0:24:35about the pitfalls of buying a second-hand car in this case
0:24:35 > 0:24:38and finding that everyone's passing the buck when something goes wrong?
0:24:38 > 0:24:41It's always a problem with anything that's second hand,
0:24:41 > 0:24:43cos people think that cos it's second hand
0:24:43 > 0:24:44you don't have the same rights.
0:24:44 > 0:24:45But the Sale of Goods Act applies
0:24:45 > 0:24:48no matter whether goods are new or second hand,
0:24:48 > 0:24:50and you need to write to the garage saying that the goods
0:24:50 > 0:24:53were not of satisfactory quality at the time you bought them from them,
0:24:53 > 0:24:56and you copy that letter to the credit company
0:24:56 > 0:25:00and say that under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act
0:25:00 > 0:25:01they also have liability.
0:25:01 > 0:25:03If neither party wants to accept liability,
0:25:03 > 0:25:05then you are going to have to go through the courts
0:25:05 > 0:25:09and you'll have to sue them to get your money back.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12All weekend, the Rip Off Britain team were offering people
0:25:12 > 0:25:14some much needed and welcome advice.
0:25:14 > 0:25:19I got some brilliant advice and I've now got an avenue to chase up.
0:25:19 > 0:25:21I was pleased with the advice I was given
0:25:21 > 0:25:25and I'm going to follow what Sylvia's recommended I should do
0:25:25 > 0:25:28and watch this space.
0:25:28 > 0:25:30Janice and Pat have come to share their gripe
0:25:30 > 0:25:32about the legal profession
0:25:32 > 0:25:34with solicitor Gary Rycroft.
0:25:36 > 0:25:38Where do I start, Angela?
0:25:38 > 0:25:41Rock on, honey, you're the solicitor. Come on.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46They're convinced they paid well over the odds in solicitors' fees
0:25:46 > 0:25:49during their recent divorces.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52Was there quite a bit of money at stake with these divorces?
0:25:52 > 0:25:54Mine went on for four years.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57£61,000 bill.
0:25:57 > 0:25:58£61,000?
0:25:58 > 0:26:01£61,500.
0:26:01 > 0:26:03In terms of solicitors' fees,
0:26:03 > 0:26:05the problem with divorces
0:26:05 > 0:26:07is that they can go on and on and on.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10For lots of legal services you can agree a fixed fee at the outset.
0:26:10 > 0:26:12With something like a divorce,
0:26:12 > 0:26:16it lasts as long as you two carry on arguing about the assets.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19At the outset, you ought to have been told what you were in for,
0:26:19 > 0:26:23in terms of the hourly rate that you were going to be paying.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26You should also have been told that from time to time
0:26:26 > 0:26:28you could ask them what was on the tab,
0:26:28 > 0:26:31and you ought to have had interim bills
0:26:31 > 0:26:34and an interim statement of what you owed.
0:26:34 > 0:26:35Too late to go back and say,
0:26:35 > 0:26:38"We are unhappy, is there anything we can do about the bills?"
0:26:38 > 0:26:42If you aren't satisfied with the service you've received from your solicitor,
0:26:42 > 0:26:45you should always go through the internal complaints procedure first,
0:26:45 > 0:26:48but if that doesn't work out you can go to the ombudsman.
0:26:48 > 0:26:52Well, we needed you! Where the hell were you?
0:26:52 > 0:26:56Thanks for listening to me and better luck next time.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59Hey, Gary, they'll be no next time, let me tell you!
0:27:04 > 0:27:07Now when a company makes a mistake and lets you down,
0:27:07 > 0:27:10I think most of us are prepared to give them the benefit of the doubt
0:27:10 > 0:27:13and maybe give them a second chance to sort it all out.
0:27:13 > 0:27:15Well, that's what Barbara Watson did.
0:27:15 > 0:27:16She spent hundreds of pounds
0:27:16 > 0:27:20on something that had a particular significance for her and her family.
0:27:20 > 0:27:22But now, more than a year on,
0:27:22 > 0:27:27all she's had for her money is nothing but delays and excuses.
0:27:27 > 0:27:29Is that Grandad's house?
0:27:29 > 0:27:31Yeah, there's one cow.
0:27:31 > 0:27:33Barbara and Pete Watson live in Cheshire
0:27:33 > 0:27:36with their sons Jamie and Bobby.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39Their daughter Danielle sadly died five years ago.
0:27:41 > 0:27:46Danielle was due to be 13 years old...
0:27:46 > 0:27:49and died the day before her birthday.
0:27:49 > 0:27:53I'd gone in the bedroom to wake her up
0:27:53 > 0:27:56and found her dead in bed.
0:27:58 > 0:28:01Danielle's post-mortem showed
0:28:01 > 0:28:04that she died from dead-in-bed syndrome...
0:28:04 > 0:28:08with Type 1 diabetes as a contributor.
0:28:09 > 0:28:14Danielle was absolutely gorgeous, stunning, lovely heart...
0:28:15 > 0:28:18Oh, so tall compared to me.
0:28:20 > 0:28:23She was everything, everything to me and my husband.
0:28:24 > 0:28:26She's left a big hole.
0:28:28 > 0:28:33The family wanted to find a special way to mark Danielle's memory.
0:28:34 > 0:28:37Danielle absolutely loved bouncy castles.
0:28:37 > 0:28:40Anywhere we went, if there was a castle, she was straight on it.
0:28:40 > 0:28:44We decided a bouncy castle would be a brilliant idea
0:28:44 > 0:28:48for the children to enjoy themselves, and it would always be there,
0:28:48 > 0:28:50it would be in our garden,
0:28:50 > 0:28:52it would have Danielle's name across the top.
0:28:52 > 0:28:54The other two childrens' names down the columns.
0:28:55 > 0:28:58Barbara went online and found a company called
0:28:58 > 0:29:03James's Bouncy Castles UK, advertised on eBay.
0:29:03 > 0:29:05The website looked good,
0:29:05 > 0:29:07the feedback on eBay was brilliant.
0:29:07 > 0:29:09They totally understood why I was doing it.
0:29:09 > 0:29:13They said that they would make a really good job of the artwork,
0:29:13 > 0:29:15considering my circumstances.
0:29:15 > 0:29:18The company told her that as it was a bespoke item,
0:29:18 > 0:29:21she'd have to buy it direct from them rather than through eBay
0:29:21 > 0:29:26and the total cost would be £885 including delivery.
0:29:26 > 0:29:31When I actually placed the order with James's Bouncy Castles,
0:29:31 > 0:29:36they asked me for at least 50% deposit, if not, full payment.
0:29:36 > 0:29:40I decided to give them £500,
0:29:40 > 0:29:43so that then I had something else to pay when it was ready.
0:29:43 > 0:29:49I pay everybody by bank transfer and so it just seemed easy for me to do.
0:29:49 > 0:29:52Barbara was promised the castle would be ready within 12 weeks.
0:29:52 > 0:29:57So when that time was up, she emailed to see if it was finished.
0:29:57 > 0:30:00They emailed me, saying that it was actually ready
0:30:00 > 0:30:02by the end of the week.
0:30:02 > 0:30:04If I could transfer the balance
0:30:04 > 0:30:09of £385 into their bank account, then it would be on its way.
0:30:09 > 0:30:11And that's what I did.
0:30:11 > 0:30:16But one month later, the bouncy castle still hadn't turned up.
0:30:16 > 0:30:18So Barbara contacted the company again.
0:30:18 > 0:30:22Once more, they promised she would receive it that week.
0:30:22 > 0:30:26But once more, failed to deliver.
0:30:26 > 0:30:29I got an email from James's Bouncy Castles,
0:30:29 > 0:30:33telling me that they'd had some problems inside and outside of work
0:30:33 > 0:30:36and that was what was causing the delay.
0:30:36 > 0:30:40There was no reason for me to not believe what they were telling me.
0:30:40 > 0:30:44Again, they told me I would have my castle in about a week's time.
0:30:44 > 0:30:46But that didn't happen.
0:30:46 > 0:30:48And it was four months
0:30:48 > 0:30:52before Barbara was able to chase them up again.
0:30:52 > 0:30:55Unfortunately, my dad died,
0:30:55 > 0:30:59so I was busy sorting out my dad's funeral and things like that.
0:30:59 > 0:31:02I then contacted them again
0:31:02 > 0:31:06and this time, I wanted to know the truth.
0:31:06 > 0:31:09I wanted to know if the business was suffering financially
0:31:09 > 0:31:12and if so, I just wanted them to be honest with me.
0:31:12 > 0:31:16The company assured Barbara it would only be another week or so
0:31:16 > 0:31:18until she received the castle.
0:31:18 > 0:31:22So when that proved to be yet another empty promise,
0:31:22 > 0:31:24Barbara gave them a call.
0:31:24 > 0:31:27I was actually told that the castle was ready
0:31:27 > 0:31:30and that they were arranging to have it sent to me the following week.
0:31:30 > 0:31:34Barbara took time off work on the day she was told
0:31:34 > 0:31:37the castle would finally be delivered.
0:31:37 > 0:31:41It never came and then I received an email later in the day,
0:31:41 > 0:31:44telling me that the person that was making the castle
0:31:44 > 0:31:46had actually been rushed into hospital.
0:31:46 > 0:31:49At that point, I was really beginning to doubt
0:31:49 > 0:31:51everything that they told me.
0:31:51 > 0:31:53I felt a fool. I didn't think that anyone
0:31:53 > 0:31:55could've done this to anybody.
0:31:55 > 0:31:58Desperately hoping her suspicions were wrong,
0:31:58 > 0:32:01Barbara tried one last tact.
0:32:01 > 0:32:05I discussed things with my husband. I said, "If this castle is ready,
0:32:05 > 0:32:09"what's to stop us going to pick it up ourselves?" He agreed.
0:32:09 > 0:32:14I emailed them again and I said, you know, distance wasn't an object,
0:32:14 > 0:32:17I could get a truck and I could come down and pick it up.
0:32:17 > 0:32:20And after I informed them that I wanted to pick it up,
0:32:20 > 0:32:22I heard nothing more.
0:32:25 > 0:32:28Well, it's now over a year since she placed her order.
0:32:28 > 0:32:32Yet despite having paid in full and repeatedly being told
0:32:32 > 0:32:34that it's about to be delivered,
0:32:34 > 0:32:37she still has nothing to show for her money.
0:32:37 > 0:32:41So we contacted James's Bouncy Castles UK to find out why.
0:32:42 > 0:32:45They told us that the company has had to cease trading
0:32:45 > 0:32:48because of financial difficulties.
0:32:48 > 0:32:51They claim they were scammed out of money by a customer in Uganda
0:32:51 > 0:32:55and they're still struggling with the effects of that.
0:32:55 > 0:32:58They insist that there was no intention to rip customers off,
0:32:58 > 0:33:02but accept that they should have been more truthful with Barbara,
0:33:02 > 0:33:05rather than, as they did, telling her everything was OK.
0:33:05 > 0:33:10They apologise for the upset caused, but insist the castle is finished
0:33:10 > 0:33:14and have sent this photo to prove it.
0:33:16 > 0:33:18But Barbara remains unimpressed.
0:33:18 > 0:33:20And putting aside whether the final result
0:33:20 > 0:33:25is really worth the £885 she paid,
0:33:25 > 0:33:28why did it take so long and why did it take us getting involved
0:33:28 > 0:33:31for the company to provide a straight-forward answer?
0:33:31 > 0:33:36It's the way that she's been treated that frustrates Barbara the most
0:33:36 > 0:33:40and now she'd much rather that the company simply donate the money
0:33:40 > 0:33:41to a diabetes charity.
0:33:41 > 0:33:45The castle was a memorial for my daughter, Danielle.
0:33:45 > 0:33:48It was for the children to play on
0:33:48 > 0:33:51and remember her and have fun.
0:33:51 > 0:33:54I had my heart ripped out when Danielle died...
0:33:58 > 0:34:02..and it's so important for me to get to the bottom of all of this.
0:34:08 > 0:34:11After everything that Barbara and her family have been through,
0:34:11 > 0:34:13I'm sure you'll agree, this was the last thing they needed.
0:34:13 > 0:34:16There are of course ways to protect yourself from losing money
0:34:16 > 0:34:18when you're making a purchase
0:34:18 > 0:34:21and here's some advice on exactly how to do just that.
0:34:21 > 0:34:25The best way to pay for anything online or not is by credit card.
0:34:25 > 0:34:28If it's more than £100 up to £30,000,
0:34:28 > 0:34:32though that won't affect most of us, you are protected
0:34:32 > 0:34:34not only by your rights against the retailer,
0:34:34 > 0:34:36but if you can't enforce those rights,
0:34:36 > 0:34:41then the credit card provider has an equal liability to you.
0:34:41 > 0:34:44Even under £100, you get very similar protection
0:34:44 > 0:34:46from what is called chargeback.
0:34:47 > 0:34:49It's not got the force of law,
0:34:49 > 0:34:53but you will normally get your money back even under £100
0:34:53 > 0:34:56and that also applies to debit card payments.
0:34:56 > 0:34:59So if you want to be protected, pay by plastic.
0:35:02 > 0:35:04If you buy something online, or indeed by mail order
0:35:04 > 0:35:07or over the telephone, you are protected
0:35:07 > 0:35:10by what are called the Distance Selling Regulations.
0:35:10 > 0:35:13They say that even after you have made the order
0:35:13 > 0:35:17and up to seven days after you have received the goods,
0:35:17 > 0:35:19you can just change your mind.
0:35:19 > 0:35:21You can send them back and you have to be refunded.
0:35:26 > 0:35:30If the goods simply don't arrive within a reasonable period,
0:35:30 > 0:35:32then the seller has to refund you.
0:35:32 > 0:35:35It's no good them trying to blame the post office
0:35:35 > 0:35:36or the delivery company.
0:35:36 > 0:35:39It's the seller's responsibility to refund you
0:35:39 > 0:35:41the whole cost of those goods.
0:35:45 > 0:35:48Now, when you're getting someone to come and do work on your home,
0:35:48 > 0:35:51we all know the best advice. It's to get a few quotes
0:35:51 > 0:35:54so you can decide which one is the best value for money.
0:35:54 > 0:35:57But what if it's someone else, for example the council,
0:35:57 > 0:35:59who's decided that the work needs to be done
0:35:59 > 0:36:01but it's you who's got to foot the bill?
0:36:01 > 0:36:05Will they also have gone for the best value quote?
0:36:08 > 0:36:11A home that you own. That was the promise
0:36:11 > 0:36:13of the Conservative government back in 1980,
0:36:13 > 0:36:17when Margaret Thatcher introduced the Right to Buy scheme.
0:36:17 > 0:36:19It is my great pleasure to hand that over to you
0:36:19 > 0:36:21as a little token of the occasion.
0:36:21 > 0:36:25It meant council tenants who'd always rented
0:36:25 > 0:36:28were finally given the chance to own their flat or house.
0:36:28 > 0:36:30Since the scheme was introduced,
0:36:30 > 0:36:34almost two million homes have been sold.
0:36:34 > 0:36:37Karen Greenhalgh's flat in Sheffield is one of them.
0:36:37 > 0:36:38She bought it three years ago
0:36:38 > 0:36:42and set about making it a home she could be proud of.
0:36:42 > 0:36:44It was a dream come true
0:36:44 > 0:36:47when I was able to buy my house.
0:36:47 > 0:36:50I know it's only a council maisonette,
0:36:50 > 0:36:52but for me it was everything.
0:36:52 > 0:36:55You know, it's the place I've called home
0:36:55 > 0:36:57and tried to make homely.
0:36:57 > 0:37:00As is normal in this kind of situation,
0:37:00 > 0:37:04although Karen has bought her flat, Sheffield City Council
0:37:04 > 0:37:06can still dictate if any work is needed
0:37:06 > 0:37:09on the exterior of the building.
0:37:09 > 0:37:14And in 2010, plans were approved for the local council to add cladding
0:37:14 > 0:37:16to the outside of her block.
0:37:16 > 0:37:18Not simply to improve the aesthetics,
0:37:18 > 0:37:21but to make it more energy efficient
0:37:21 > 0:37:26and extend the sustainability of the buildings for the next 25 years.
0:37:26 > 0:37:28I partly understand why the council has done this.
0:37:28 > 0:37:31Our people on our estate
0:37:31 > 0:37:34do need something that's warmer
0:37:34 > 0:37:37and more insulated.
0:37:37 > 0:37:40But improvements like that just simply don't come cheap.
0:37:40 > 0:37:44And now that she owned her flat, Karen would have to pay her share.
0:37:44 > 0:37:47But she was horrified to hear how much that would be.
0:37:47 > 0:37:50Because when the council wrote to her after getting a quote,
0:37:50 > 0:37:53they said that her portion of the bill would be £10,000.
0:37:55 > 0:37:58I had been expecting a bill,
0:37:58 > 0:38:04but actually seeing that amount in writing
0:38:04 > 0:38:07suddenly made it all seem more real.
0:38:07 > 0:38:10I'd been trying to push it to the back of my mind
0:38:10 > 0:38:12and I was thinking "Oh no!" You know?
0:38:12 > 0:38:15"Surely, this won't be true, surely, it won't be true"
0:38:15 > 0:38:19And although Karen's lease does make clear she should pay
0:38:19 > 0:38:22a reasonable part of the costs of improvements,
0:38:22 > 0:38:25she'd never, ever expected it would be this high.
0:38:25 > 0:38:28I'm just flabbergasted.
0:38:28 > 0:38:31I wonder what planet people are living on
0:38:31 > 0:38:34to think that someone living somewhere
0:38:34 > 0:38:36as poor and deprived as this
0:38:36 > 0:38:39would have any kind of money like that.
0:38:40 > 0:38:43The Council does offer a range of loans to pay for the cladding,
0:38:43 > 0:38:48but they all have interest rates of nearly 6% APR.
0:38:48 > 0:38:50And one of the things that frustrates Karen
0:38:50 > 0:38:53is that however she pays, she's had no choice about what work is done,
0:38:53 > 0:38:57when it will happen or even who does it.
0:38:57 > 0:39:01It's the way we've been trammelled and told, "You will have it.
0:39:01 > 0:39:04"Oh, you've signed a lease. There's nothing you can do."
0:39:07 > 0:39:09It's almost standard for homeowners
0:39:09 > 0:39:11who've bought under the Right to Buy scheme
0:39:11 > 0:39:15to be billed for major works or improvements carried out.
0:39:15 > 0:39:19But do councils always get the most cost-effective quote for the job?
0:39:19 > 0:39:21In this case, there are local firms who claim
0:39:21 > 0:39:26they could do the cladding on Karen's block much more cheaply.
0:39:26 > 0:39:29But when we spoke to Sheffield Homes, the organisation
0:39:29 > 0:39:32that manages council housing on behalf of the council,
0:39:32 > 0:39:36they said, "These works, as well as being essential,
0:39:36 > 0:39:38"provide value for money."
0:39:38 > 0:39:41They recognise that the cost of necessary works can be high,
0:39:41 > 0:39:44but say that the bills leaseholders face are low
0:39:44 > 0:39:49when compared nationally with other councils conducting similar works.
0:39:49 > 0:39:52Sheffield Homes told us the original quote -
0:39:52 > 0:39:55the result of a competitive, Europe-wide tender -
0:39:55 > 0:39:57was a good deal higher than the current estimate,
0:39:57 > 0:40:00and the savings from bringing it down have been passed on
0:40:00 > 0:40:04to leaseholders, whom they stress have been closely consulted
0:40:04 > 0:40:07and involved at every stage of the process.
0:40:07 > 0:40:10They point out that where the work has been completed,
0:40:10 > 0:40:14residents are already seeing lower fuel and service charges
0:40:14 > 0:40:17and are likely to benefit from increased property values.
0:40:17 > 0:40:19But they've developed a range of options
0:40:19 > 0:40:22for those vulnerable leaseholders who are likely to have difficulty
0:40:22 > 0:40:24in paying their share of the costs.
0:40:26 > 0:40:29But this is a situation echoed on estates
0:40:29 > 0:40:32right across the country, where right to buy leaseholders
0:40:32 > 0:40:35faced with big bills for major works want reassurance
0:40:35 > 0:40:40the costs are fair and the council has got them the best deal.
0:40:40 > 0:40:43It's ruined and spoiled so much.
0:40:43 > 0:40:48it's just a financial disaster.
0:40:48 > 0:40:50I'm looking at losing my home because I can't afford
0:40:50 > 0:40:54a £10,000 bill on top of my mortgage.
0:40:54 > 0:40:58I just... I can't.
0:41:01 > 0:41:04Here at Rip Off Britain, we're always ready to investigate
0:41:04 > 0:41:09more of your stories. Confused over your bills?
0:41:09 > 0:41:12Trying to wade your way through never ending small print?
0:41:12 > 0:41:14You should read it, but it's not in plain English.
0:41:14 > 0:41:17It should be simple, you know? ABC, very basic stuff.
0:41:17 > 0:41:20Unsure what to do when you discover you've lost out,
0:41:20 > 0:41:24and that great deal has ended up costing you money?
0:41:24 > 0:41:27You get home and you get your bill and it's like £70
0:41:27 > 0:41:28when it's meant to be £35,
0:41:28 > 0:41:32and basically you get ripped off, don't you?
0:41:32 > 0:41:34You might have a cautionary tale of your own
0:41:34 > 0:41:36and want to share the mistakes you made with us,
0:41:36 > 0:41:39so that other people don't do the same thing.
0:41:39 > 0:41:44We paid them good money to act in our best interest. They didn't.
0:41:44 > 0:41:47You can write to us at...
0:41:57 > 0:42:00Or you can send us an email.
0:42:03 > 0:42:06Don't forget, the Rip Off team is ready and waiting
0:42:06 > 0:42:09to investigate your stories.
0:42:10 > 0:42:12Well, that's where we have to leave it for today.
0:42:12 > 0:42:15But don't forget, we're always here to try and move things on
0:42:15 > 0:42:18if you feel that you're not getting anywhere with a complaint.
0:42:18 > 0:42:20So do keep your stories coming in,
0:42:20 > 0:42:23and we'll do our very best to look into as many of them as we can.
0:42:23 > 0:42:26Cos when you've got a problem, it's not always easy knowing
0:42:26 > 0:42:29what to do next or where to turn for help,
0:42:29 > 0:42:31so you'll also find plenty of information on our website.
0:42:31 > 0:42:33The address, as I'm sure you'll know by now, is...
0:42:37 > 0:42:39And we'll see you again next time,
0:42:39 > 0:42:42when we'll have even more advice on how to prevent even more of you
0:42:42 > 0:42:44from feeling ripped off.
0:42:44 > 0:42:46Until then, many thanks for every one of the emails
0:42:46 > 0:42:49and the letters that you send us. And from all of the team, goodbye.
0:42:49 > 0:42:50- Bye-bye.- Bye.
0:43:06 > 0:43:09Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd