:00:33. > :00:38.We asked you to tell us who has left you feeling ripped off. And
:00:38. > :00:43.you contacted us in your thousands. By post, e-mail, even stopping us
:00:43. > :00:45.on the streets. And the message couldn't be clearer. I think there
:00:45. > :00:50.is a lot of hidden information about your bills that should be
:00:50. > :00:54.made a lot more clear. I don't feel I get treated how I should be.
:00:54. > :00:58.have told us with money tighter than ever, you need to be sure that
:00:58. > :01:01.every pound you spend is worth it. How do I get my money back. I think
:01:02. > :01:06.I'm entitled. Whether it is a deliberate rip-off, a simple
:01:06. > :01:10.mistake, or a catch in the small print, we will find out why it is
:01:10. > :01:15.you are out of pocket, and what you can do about it. Keep asking the
:01:15. > :01:22.questions, go to the top if you have to. We do get results.
:01:22. > :01:25.Your stories, your money. This is Rip Off Britain. Welcome to Rip Off
:01:25. > :01:30.Britain, the programme that gets you answers, when you feel you have
:01:30. > :01:32.lost out or had had a raw deal. the end, when things go wrong, it
:01:32. > :01:35.is how companies put them right that can make all the difference.
:01:35. > :01:39.But they don't always do that the way that you might have hoped.
:01:39. > :01:42.Perhaps they take a bit longer to sort it out than you would have
:01:42. > :01:46.expected. Or maybe they didn't actually explain things as clearly
:01:46. > :01:50.as they could have done in the first place. But you know, either
:01:50. > :01:53.way, good customer service shouldn't end when you have handed
:01:53. > :01:55.over your good money. Or signed on the dotted line. When you have
:01:56. > :01:59.given a company hundreds of pounds worth of business, wouldn't you
:01:59. > :02:02.hope that service was all part of the deal. You would like to think
:02:02. > :02:08.so. But some of the people we will hear from today would say that,
:02:08. > :02:13.most definitely, was not the case. On today's programme, the big-name
:02:13. > :02:19.store, whose service and sofas didn't leave this customer sitting
:02:19. > :02:24.comfortably. I have had frames cracking, springs snapping, all the
:02:24. > :02:29.cushion covers ripping, fraying. And a wedding dress disaster. And a
:02:29. > :02:34.battle with the banks to get the money back. I felt quite scared, I
:02:34. > :02:38.was terrified that nothing was going to be ready, that the dress,
:02:38. > :02:42.we have paid this money, and the dress had disappeared, all of a
:02:42. > :02:47.sudden. And more of your problems solved at
:02:47. > :02:50.our Pop-Up Shop. Now, are you sitting comfortably, if so, lucky
:02:51. > :02:56.you. But spare a thought for the people we are about to meet, they
:02:56. > :03:03.have quite a few problems getting comfy on their sof as if. Despite
:03:03. > :03:10.the -- sofas. Despite the fact that they were bought new from the store.
:03:10. > :03:15.Months after buying them, they can't restiesy. More value at ScS.
:03:15. > :03:22.Their adverts promise, more, more, more, some ScS customers told us
:03:22. > :03:27.they have had more than enough of the store's customer service. Among
:03:27. > :03:31.them is Ross, a fireman and kick boxer, he has had a catalogue of
:03:31. > :03:36.faults with the two sofas he bought from them. I have had frames
:03:36. > :03:43.cracking, springs snapping, cushion covers ripping and fraying.
:03:43. > :03:48.price he paid for sofas, including insurance and finance, �1,726. And
:03:48. > :03:51.in Norfolk, Donna and her husband Paddy, also feel they have had more
:03:52. > :03:55.than they bargained for. We have been married 27 years, we have
:03:55. > :04:00.never had a new suite, we thought, right, if we are going to get one,
:04:00. > :04:05.we will get a really, really good one. That will last forever. That
:04:05. > :04:13.is what we thought. Wrong. price they paid, including
:04:13. > :04:17.insurance, �3,417. Ross, who lives in Sheffield, took
:04:17. > :04:22.delivery of his two sofas in March last year. The first sign of
:04:22. > :04:27.trouble was two months later, when the cushions began to fray.
:04:27. > :04:31.don't really expect that from a new sofa, what you spend over �1,000 on.
:04:31. > :04:35.They have been out, fixed it, stitched it up, and said on the
:04:35. > :04:42.manufacturing report, said it is a clear manufacturing fault. Three
:04:42. > :04:50.months after that, another problem sprang up. Literally. September
:04:50. > :04:55.time, the springs were coming off, I ran ScS, they sent the up
:04:55. > :05:01.holsterer out, same person, he took the back off, he said the spring is
:05:01. > :05:06.out, and said it is a clear manufacturing fault. All you can
:05:06. > :05:10.see is the spring has come off, and the force of it has ripped the
:05:10. > :05:13.underneath of the carriage, it is showing clearly there. ScS fixed
:05:13. > :05:18.the fault, but four months later had to come back for the same
:05:18. > :05:22.reason. By now, like the fabric on his cushions, Ross's patience was
:05:22. > :05:27.wearing thin. And it reached breaking point just one month later,
:05:27. > :05:33.when there was yet another problem. After the springs coming off and
:05:33. > :05:38.the cushion cover, one night we were sat watching tele, and all of
:05:38. > :05:42.a sudden I heard the crack and a shaking in the sofa, I got back up
:05:42. > :05:48.and you could see you can push your hand on it, you were going in a
:05:48. > :05:51.good six inches. Back came the upholsterer to find another report,
:05:51. > :05:55.which, again, blamed a manufacturing report. But the very
:05:55. > :05:59.next month, Ross's other sofa began to creak. He now had big problems
:05:59. > :06:05.with both his sofas, leading to another round of inspections and
:06:05. > :06:10.reports, leaving him frustrated and confused. I got the manufacturing
:06:10. > :06:14.reports back and there was an extra page, and an additional
:06:14. > :06:19.upholsterers page, added by the upholsterer, saying we had been
:06:19. > :06:22.clearly jumping on the sofa, there is excessive weight on the sofa,
:06:22. > :06:25.but underneath said it was clearly a manufacturing fault. I don't know
:06:26. > :06:30.why they are trying to contradict their selves, or trying to put
:06:30. > :06:38.blame on me. But then it seemed his troubles were coming to an end.
:06:38. > :06:44.Ross was told that the sofas would be what is called RTMed, returned
:06:44. > :06:49.to manufacturer. I was told by the sales team that it was definitely
:06:49. > :06:56.getting RTMed, and the aftercare team it would happen. Chuffed to
:06:56. > :07:01.bits, thank God it's ended. I got a phone call on Saturday morning, it
:07:01. > :07:05.said it was not. For Ross, that was below the belt. I had enough, I
:07:05. > :07:10.wrote a final letter saying if you don't reply within 14 days I will
:07:10. > :07:15.take you to court. And, as we will see, putting it like that did seem
:07:15. > :07:20.to get things moving. Meanwhile, in Norfolk, Donna and
:07:20. > :07:25.Paddy had a set of recliners from ScS delivered last June, but they
:07:25. > :07:30.don't sitting pretty either. first sofa we had delivered, the
:07:30. > :07:35.manual recliner was perfect, it was lovely, but on the power recliner,
:07:35. > :07:38.when you relined, there was a great big gap down the middle and you
:07:38. > :07:43.could actually see the floor. We complained, they said that was
:07:43. > :07:49.absolutely fine, we said, no it is not. After a lot of arguments, they
:07:49. > :07:55.did agree to replace both as a set. Which they did. But then the
:07:55. > :08:01.replacement set broke. If they were right, they would be lovely. But
:08:01. > :08:05.well, as you can see. If you try to line the back rests up, there, you
:08:05. > :08:12.have got a huge big gap at the front. And obviously if you rush
:08:12. > :08:17.that back, and try to line them up, then the gap appears at the back.
:08:17. > :08:23.Whichever way you do it, it is wrong. The power recliner has a big
:08:24. > :08:27.gap at the back of the two seats. Which doesn't look nice at all.
:08:27. > :08:30.Donna and Paddy say they have had the same difficulties as Ross,
:08:30. > :08:35.getting their problems resolved. Weeks of phone calls and letters,
:08:35. > :08:41.and repeated visits from the upholsterer. He went in and says
:08:41. > :08:46.there is nothing he can do, pulls it around for half an hour, pushes
:08:46. > :08:49.it all in, and takes pictures and goes off again. I thought we were
:08:49. > :08:53.waiting for a report to come through, or the case has been
:08:53. > :08:58.closed, so we then have to say we are still not happy. They said they
:08:58. > :09:05.would send an upholsterer out then, it goes around and around in
:09:05. > :09:08.circles, nothing get done. ScS said the sofas were working within
:09:08. > :09:11."acceptable tolerances "so they wouldn't repair or replace them.
:09:11. > :09:16.Donna and Paddy say that is completely out of order. They have
:09:16. > :09:20.had our money, they are not interested now. Ross and the
:09:20. > :09:26.Cullens aren't the only people to tell us they have had trouble
:09:26. > :09:30.resolving their problems with ScS, that is right there's
:09:30. > :09:35.# More, more, more We have had 19 year e-mail about
:09:35. > :09:38.the store since January. We contacted ScS, they have apologised
:09:38. > :09:41.for the service Ross and the Cullens have received. Saying they
:09:41. > :09:45.are disappointed they haven't received the level of customer
:09:45. > :09:49.service they would have wished. They have had the sofas inspected
:09:49. > :09:52.again and concluded Donna and Paddy's problems were down to
:09:52. > :09:58.incorrect assembly. They have offered a full refund. Although
:09:58. > :10:01.they say further inspection of Ross's sofas, does suspect product
:10:01. > :10:05.misuse and not a manufacturing report, they have delivered rements
:10:05. > :10:11.for both. They say over the past -- replacements for both. They say
:10:11. > :10:16.over the past two years they have delivered in excess of 250,000
:10:16. > :10:20.customer orders, and air aim is to provide the best customer
:10:20. > :10:24.performance. But after these cases a full review of the aftersales
:10:24. > :10:29.care is under way. They say of the customers who have given them
:10:29. > :10:33.feedback over the last nine months, 88% rated their experience as very
:10:33. > :10:36.good or excellent. But they are working hard on the areas they can
:10:36. > :10:41.improve. Ross is hoping that finally this is
:10:41. > :10:47.the end of his sofa troubles. Because Rip Off Britain are
:10:47. > :10:51.involved, it is sort. Just have to wait for the sofa, hopefully
:10:51. > :10:55.fingers crossed, there will be no issues with the sofa. Otherwise I
:10:55. > :10:58.will be contacting you again for more help and advice.
:10:58. > :11:03.A subject that we have received a lot of complaints about again this
:11:03. > :11:07.year is the cost of flying. Buying a seat with a budget airline can
:11:07. > :11:10.turn out to be a surprisingly expensive business, what with all
:11:10. > :11:14.the extras on top of the basic fare. But if you need to make any sort of
:11:14. > :11:17.change to your tickets, for example, to the name, the cost can be a lot
:11:17. > :11:27.more than you think. It is fair enough that you should pay some
:11:27. > :11:29.
:11:29. > :11:34.kind of fee, but in many cases, the charges seem sky high. As devoted
:11:34. > :11:40.rugby fan, the highlight of the year for Mike and his wife, eed dit,
:11:40. > :11:44.was booking tickets to see Scotland play Wales in the Six Nations match.
:11:44. > :11:47.My family are great rugby fan, my son plays since he was six years
:11:47. > :11:54.old. We were looking forward to this year because we were going to
:11:54. > :11:59.do all three-way watch, including the Scotland Wales match in Cardiff.
:11:59. > :12:06.To get to the game from their home in West Lothian, they managed to
:12:06. > :12:11.book tickets on Flybe. We were delighted to find to book direct
:12:11. > :12:15.flights from Edinburgh to Cardiff from Flybe. But not so excited that
:12:16. > :12:19.it was �560 pounds return. We understood the price would be
:12:19. > :12:23.inflated because it was a sporting event. But we were rather surprised
:12:23. > :12:27.it was as much as that. But Mike he is excitement was short lived, not
:12:27. > :12:31.long after making the booking, he was diagnosed with an illness that
:12:31. > :12:36.ruled out travelling to Cardiff. Despite the disappointment, he was
:12:36. > :12:40.determined that someone else in his rugby-loving family should use the
:12:40. > :12:45.tickets. I understood the tickets were non-refundable, but we did
:12:45. > :12:50.have the option to transfer them to another person. So my son, who
:12:50. > :13:00.loves rugby, I decided to transfer the tickets to him. And offer his
:13:00. > :13:06.friend a chance to go with them. Mike knew there was a �160 charge
:13:07. > :13:11.to change the names. When he called Flybe, he he was told he had to
:13:11. > :13:15.stump up a further �200, to cover the price in the seat price since
:13:15. > :13:19.he made his original booking. Unfortunately by then I was
:13:19. > :13:22.committed, I told my son I was doing it for him and he had made
:13:22. > :13:27.arrangements, I was committed, but very angry that we had been charged
:13:27. > :13:34.that amount of money for a simple name change. So, adding those extra
:13:34. > :13:40.charges to what he had initially paid, Mike's total spend on two,
:13:40. > :13:45.supposedly budget flights, had now rocketed to �975. Stunned by the
:13:45. > :13:49.price increase, he asked Flybe to explain exactly what he was being
:13:49. > :13:52.charged for. I was staggered to find the total final bill for the
:13:52. > :13:58.name change, included an upgrade from economy to economy plus, which
:13:58. > :14:01.was something I never asked for. Although economy plus is useful for
:14:01. > :14:05.some passengers, because it means you can change your flight times at
:14:05. > :14:10.no additional cost, Mike says, in this instance, he had no need for
:14:10. > :14:13.it at all. I never had bought economy class, because we knew
:14:13. > :14:19.exactly when we wanted to fly, and when we didn't want to fly, it was
:14:19. > :14:24.no benefit at all to us. I couldn't understand how I couldn't keep the
:14:24. > :14:30.economy seats and was forced to an upgrade into an allocated economy
:14:30. > :14:34.plus seat. So, were there any other benefits of economy plus that might
:14:34. > :14:39.have been useful on this occasion? Well, the free on-line seat
:14:39. > :14:43.reservations and free baggage allowance sounds good, except a
:14:43. > :14:48.close explanation of Flybe's price breakdown revealed they had already
:14:48. > :14:52.charged him separately for both of these, in fact, twice, on the
:14:52. > :14:55.initial booking, and the later flight with the name changes. So,
:14:55. > :14:59.rugby-mad Mike feels he has been left with a pretty big penalty,
:14:59. > :15:05.just for changing the name on his tickets. The price he has paid
:15:05. > :15:09.works out at �2.29 per mile for his flight. For the same price the
:15:09. > :15:13.family could have travelled from Edinburgh to Cardiff and back again,
:15:13. > :15:18.in a chauffeur-driven, luxury car, with a bottle of bubbly thrown in.
:15:18. > :15:22.I was prepared to pay the �160 for changing the names, as stated on
:15:22. > :15:27.the ticket, but to be forced into an upgrade is totally unacceptable.
:15:27. > :15:31.I think I should be refunded that value. But, that's not going to
:15:31. > :15:35.happen. When we contacted Flybe, they told us that there are non-
:15:35. > :15:38.they are a non-refundable airline, that during the reservation process
:15:38. > :15:41.makes it clear to passengers, before they confirm their booking,
:15:41. > :15:47.that there are certain rules and conditions that afly. They say it
:15:47. > :15:50.is clearly stated that you will pay a charge per person per sector,
:15:50. > :15:53.plus any difference between the original fare, and the cost of the
:15:53. > :15:59.new flight at the time of change. They point out that the lowest
:15:59. > :16:04.fares are available early. But, as time passes, they vary, according
:16:04. > :16:07.to supply and demand. And, as Mike made his change only nine days
:16:07. > :16:14.before departure, the only available openings was an economy
:16:14. > :16:18.plus fare. So they are satisfied the charges here were correct.
:16:18. > :16:22.Of course, Flybe aren't the only airline whose charges for a name
:16:22. > :16:26.Chiang Mai be higher than you would think. The UK's airline trade
:16:26. > :16:35.association, BATA, has three other members who will allow name changes
:16:35. > :16:43.on a domestic flight. And all of these, easyJet, jet 2, and BMI baby,
:16:43. > :16:49.all charge a fee. Although BMI Baby, does it free within the first 24
:16:49. > :16:52.hours. Travel writer, Simon Calder has heard complaints like this
:16:52. > :16:57.before. If you need to change the name on a ticket for a flight, the
:16:57. > :17:02.odds are stacked against you. Very often it is simply uneconomical to
:17:02. > :17:06.do so. You are better off starting again and buying a completely new
:17:06. > :17:12.flight, walking away from the old one. Mike is still unhappy at how
:17:12. > :17:16.much he had to pay for his son to go to the match. On top of all that,
:17:16. > :17:20.the game didn't go well either. With Scotland losing the match, and
:17:20. > :17:30.the sky high prices from Flybe, it was a pretty disastrous weekend all
:17:30. > :17:34.round. The Rip Off Britain team has come
:17:34. > :17:39.to the north-east to open up our very own Pop-Up Shop. It is our
:17:39. > :17:42.opportunity to meet many of you face-to-face, and more importantly,
:17:42. > :17:46.actually solving your consumer problems on the spot. Inside the
:17:46. > :17:50.shop our experts are ready, willing and able to give our consumers with
:17:50. > :17:56.problems all the advice they need. And quite frankly, we can't wait to
:17:56. > :18:00.get started. Teresa's hoping for some much-
:18:00. > :18:04.needed advice about her faulty mobility tricycle, from tradings
:18:04. > :18:10.standards expert with us. You have a lot of paperwork with you, tell
:18:10. > :18:13.us about your problem? I only had it three months and it brokedown,
:18:13. > :18:19.it stopped working and there was no power. It has gone from one thing
:18:19. > :18:22.to another with the company not taking responsibility for it.
:18:22. > :18:26.contract is with the retailer, it is retailer's responsibility to
:18:26. > :18:30.sort the matter out. A lot of retailers will try to pass the
:18:30. > :18:35.responsibility on to the manufacturer or a warranty company,
:18:35. > :18:38.but your contract is with the retailer and the claim is against
:18:38. > :18:43.the retailer. If they refuse to honour your claim, ultimately you
:18:43. > :18:47.have to take them to the small claims cost. Does that cost? It is
:18:47. > :18:50.around about �35. You can get all the forms on-line, and it will be
:18:50. > :18:54.the direct that makes the decision, it will be the court that orders
:18:54. > :18:57.them to pay you the money back. Just because a retailer size you
:18:57. > :19:04.have no -- says you have no rights, doesn't mean you haven't. They
:19:04. > :19:09.don't always know the law. Le Our advice clinic was open for one
:19:09. > :19:16.weekend only, both days we had so many people popping in to see if
:19:16. > :19:20.the experts can help. There are some consumer cases where two minds
:19:20. > :19:25.are better than one. Solicitor Gary has called across money expert
:19:25. > :19:29.James, to get to the bottom of Margaret's finance agreement.
:19:29. > :19:33.seem to have got myself into the contract where the interest rate is
:19:33. > :19:37.so staggering, I was promised 4%, and I have ended up with one that
:19:37. > :19:44.is a lot more than that. I feel as though I have been cheated. What
:19:44. > :19:49.did you sign up to? I signed up to 4% over ten years. It was variable.
:19:49. > :19:53.And that is what I thought I was getting. This consumer credit
:19:53. > :20:00.agreement says the interest rate will be 22.4%. I was a fool, my
:20:00. > :20:03.fault, I shouldn't have signed it? What do you think, James? It is a
:20:03. > :20:07.difficult one, it is obviously quite a way in the past since you
:20:07. > :20:10.were sold this. You still might be able to make a formal complaint to
:20:10. > :20:14.the company, and if you don't get a resolution from them, you could
:20:14. > :20:18.take it on to the Financial Ombudsman Service, the second bit
:20:18. > :20:24.is the issue of evidence. It is always going to help your case if
:20:24. > :20:27.you have documentary evidence to back up what your arguing. I have.
:20:27. > :20:35.Otherwise it is your word against their's, that is always very
:20:35. > :20:39.difficult for an ombudsman or tribal to sort out. -- tribunal to
:20:39. > :20:44.sort out? Thank you for coming. Thank you.
:20:44. > :20:49.Still to come on Rip Off Britain, when you have got a fault that
:20:49. > :20:52.keeps coming back, who should pay to put it right. It is another huge
:20:52. > :20:59.chunk of money, I don't feel I should pay anything, but I don't
:20:59. > :21:03.have a choice. Now, a story of wedding woes. A cautionary tale
:21:03. > :21:06.about how even if you buy something on a credit card, you may not
:21:06. > :21:10.necessarily always get the protection that you are expecting
:21:10. > :21:15.when things starting to wrong. Take the case of Alex Huntley, a young
:21:15. > :21:25.bride, who clearly wanted the perfect dress for her big day. But,
:21:25. > :21:27.
:21:27. > :21:33.apparently, that was when things started to fall apart at the seams.
:21:33. > :21:38.The 29th of April, 2011, a day for huge celebrations across the
:21:38. > :21:42.country. But Kate and Wills weren't the only couple tying the knot that
:21:42. > :21:48.day. In New Yorkshire, another wedding was taking place. And
:21:48. > :21:53.mother of the bride, Judith Silva, was delighted her daughter, Alex,
:21:53. > :21:57.had found her own Prince Charming. I was ecstatic, because finally she
:21:57. > :22:02.had found somebody who was wonderful. I was excited and happy
:22:02. > :22:08.to be getting married. And the dress was the most important thing
:22:08. > :22:13.for me. Alex knew exactly what she wanted the dress to look like. In
:22:13. > :22:17.fact, she had come up with the 1950s-inspired design herself. And
:22:17. > :22:22.she was thrilled when ten month before her big day, she found a
:22:22. > :22:32.wedding shop who agreed to make it for her, at a cost of �9 Hunniford.
:22:32. > :22:43.
:22:43. > :22:47.The shop had told us that they were going to make it For us especially
:22:48. > :22:52.and to our he can specktations. Judith, as mother of the bride,
:22:52. > :22:56.paid for the dress with her credit card. Although they found
:22:56. > :23:00.communication with the shop a bit hit and miss, at the first fitting
:23:00. > :23:03.the dress appeared to take shape. But at the second fitting the shop
:23:03. > :23:08.had changed its mind, and they heard it would shortly be closing
:23:08. > :23:13.down. I felt quite scared, I was terrified that nothing was going to
:23:13. > :23:17.be ready. That the dress we have paid this money, and that the dress
:23:17. > :23:22.had disappeared all of a sudden, because the shop had closed down.
:23:22. > :23:25.But, staff at the bridal shop reassured Alex that she need not
:23:25. > :23:30.worry, whatever happened with the shop, they would make sure that the
:23:30. > :23:36.dress would be ready for had her big day. So, bride-to-be Alex paid
:23:36. > :23:40.the final installment of her �475, on her own credit card. But when
:23:40. > :23:44.the finished dress arrived, it didn't looks a if this fairytale
:23:44. > :23:54.would have a happy ending. When I tried the dress on, about six weeks
:23:54. > :23:58.after the actual wedding date, I felt awful, I felt upset. I was
:23:58. > :24:04.sick to the stomach, I was angry, because they hadn't finished the
:24:04. > :24:10.dress. The two of us were in tears, because we just couldn't believe
:24:11. > :24:16.that having paid the amount of money that we had paid we had this
:24:16. > :24:22.dress delivered, there was so many things that were wrong with it.
:24:22. > :24:27.Nothing like what it is supposed to be. It is not right. That is the
:24:27. > :24:31.excess fabric in from there-to- there. It is more than two inches
:24:31. > :24:35.of excess fabric. The stitches are there, I can see without my glasses
:24:35. > :24:41.they are so visible. They are huge stitches. The hook on this side is
:24:41. > :24:45.above the be a brick, it is almost off, it is atrociously stitched on.
:24:45. > :24:52.There is supposed to be self- covered buttons all the way down
:24:52. > :24:55.the zip at the back. There isn't a button anywhere in sight. Itn't the
:24:55. > :24:58.standard they secretary -- it wasn't the standard they expected,
:24:58. > :25:04.and the wedding dress isn't something to compromise. The shop
:25:04. > :25:07.offered to pay for alterations, but with only six weeks to go before
:25:07. > :25:12.the wedding, Alex was reluctant to take any chances, and she wanted
:25:13. > :25:17.her money back. And her mum found a way she thought that would happen.
:25:17. > :25:21.The financial ombudsman, when we contacted them, advised us to go
:25:21. > :25:28.down the road and to contact the visa companies. They gave us a
:25:28. > :25:34.website to look on for the section 75 Consumer Credit Act. If you buy
:25:35. > :25:38.goods priced between �100-�30,000, under section 75 of the Consumer
:25:38. > :25:42.Credit Act, a credit card company can be held jointly responsible
:25:42. > :25:45.with the sell, if what you have bought is unsatisfactory. So, even
:25:45. > :25:48.if the retailer goes out of business, you can still make a
:25:48. > :25:54.claim to your credit company for a refund. Relieved that it seemed
:25:54. > :25:59.that they could get their �900 back, Alex and Judith both contacted
:25:59. > :26:04.their credit card companies. credit card company, NatWest
:26:04. > :26:09.credited me with the �475 that I paid for the dress. A good result
:26:09. > :26:13.for Alex. But they were still down the �425 that her mother had paid.
:26:13. > :26:18.And Judith's credit card company, MBNA, said it wasn't up to them to
:26:18. > :26:23.pay it. They told her, that as the order had been made in Alex's name,
:26:23. > :26:28.it was therefore Alex's bank, NatWest, that was responsible for
:26:28. > :26:35.refunding the full amount. I was told that they were not going to
:26:35. > :26:40.pay out, that they didn't feel that I had a claim, that I should claim
:26:40. > :26:45.on Alexandra's NatWest card. Judith contacted NatWest, but
:26:45. > :26:50.confusingly, they insisted that MBNA were equally liable, and
:26:50. > :26:56.should pay their side of the bill. Leaving Alex and Judith completely
:26:56. > :27:05.baffled as to who should be refunding the remaining �425.
:27:05. > :27:10.at this moment in time I am still not any wiser as to who is liable.
:27:10. > :27:14.I find it very confusing as we have been through the situation, and one
:27:14. > :27:19.company is batting against the other. Getting nowhere, Alex and
:27:19. > :27:24.Judith came to us. And when we contacted the banks, we were able
:27:25. > :27:30.to get the whole mess resolved. It turns out that it was NatWest who
:27:30. > :27:34.were liable to pay the whole �900, due to the fact that the the order
:27:34. > :27:40.had been placed by their customer, Alex. So they have apologised,
:27:40. > :27:43.refunded the money, and say they hope this resolves any confusion.
:27:43. > :27:47.But perhaps at the root of that confusion, is a little known
:27:47. > :27:52.benefit you get while paying with a credit card. According to the
:27:52. > :27:56.section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act, even if you only pay a small
:27:56. > :27:59.part of the purchase price on your credit card, as little as a pound,
:27:59. > :28:05.if your goods don't arrive or aren't fit for purpose, the credit
:28:05. > :28:10.card company is still liable to refund the full amount. So, your
:28:10. > :28:14.plastic can give you more protection than you might realise.
:28:14. > :28:17.Meanwhile, getting their money back, isn't the only good result for Alex.
:28:17. > :28:22.Though she didn't have the dress that she had planned for her big
:28:22. > :28:29.day, she did find a perfect replacement. I found the fairytale
:28:29. > :28:34.wedding dress within six weeks, and it was hard work, it was very nerve
:28:34. > :28:39.racking, it was stressful, but I was pleased when we finally got
:28:39. > :28:48.something and I could walk down the aisle. To see the smile on
:28:48. > :28:52.Alexandra's face was something else, it was really special. As Alex and
:28:52. > :28:55.Judith have discovered getting your money back is not always as
:28:55. > :28:59.straight forward as you might have hoped, so if you have ever been
:28:59. > :29:06.unhappy with goods and services that were paid for by credit card,
:29:06. > :29:10.and you are hoping to get a refund, well sillia -- Sylvia Rook from
:29:10. > :29:14.Trading Standards has advice on how to make that happen. When you buy
:29:14. > :29:19.goods on certain sorts of credit, such as a credit card, and the
:29:19. > :29:23.price of a single item is between �100 and �30,000, you are covered
:29:23. > :29:27.by section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974. That means that
:29:27. > :29:31.the credit card company is jointly liable with the supplier for any
:29:31. > :29:37.problem you might have with the item. Not all credit agreements are
:29:37. > :29:43.covered. For example, debit cards and pre-payment cards are not
:29:43. > :29:47.covered by section 75. When you buy goods on certain debit cards, the
:29:47. > :29:51.banks may offer something called "charge back", that means you may
:29:51. > :29:56.be able to get a refund on the amount you paid on your debit card.
:29:56. > :30:01.It is not governed by law, it is a voluntary scheme, and you need the
:30:01. > :30:03.details from your bank. For section 75 to apply, there must be a direct
:30:04. > :30:08.link between the credit card company and the supplier of the
:30:08. > :30:11.goods. That means if you buy goods on the Internet, using certain
:30:11. > :30:14.internet payment services you may not be covered. If you have a
:30:14. > :30:19.problem with your credit card company, or other financial
:30:19. > :30:24.institution, and can't reach an agreement, you should contact the
:30:24. > :30:28.Financial Ombudsman Service for advice. We all make mistakes, and
:30:28. > :30:32.big companies are no exception. It is what they do, or don't do, to
:30:32. > :30:35.put those mistakes right, that can leave you feeling ripped off. So
:30:35. > :30:40.you need to know what your rights are, and where to go when you don't
:30:40. > :30:44.think you have been treated fairly. We have put together a new free
:30:44. > :30:54.booklet of practical tips and advice. You can download it from
:30:54. > :30:57.
:30:57. > :31:00.the website. To receive a copy in the post send an a self-address
:31:00. > :31:05.stamped envelope to the address at the end of the programme. Here is
:31:05. > :31:09.someone who feels she is being fobbed off. After buying a car that
:31:09. > :31:13.has repeatedly broken down, each time with exactly the same for the,
:31:13. > :31:16.Debbie bought it as a run around, now as far as she's concerned, it
:31:16. > :31:20.is her getting the run around. Both from the manufacturer and the
:31:20. > :31:24.garage that the car keeps on going back. To the question is, when the
:31:24. > :31:30.same problem is happening time and time again, should it really be
:31:30. > :31:34.Debbie who has to foot the bill. Nearly half of all households in
:31:34. > :31:38.the UK currently own more than one car. And with both parents working
:31:38. > :31:43.and two children to ferry around, Debbie says her family depends on
:31:43. > :31:50.the use of two cars. (brakes screech) Recently they have spent a
:31:50. > :31:54.lot of time managing with just the one. Because the Vauxhall Zaphira
:31:54. > :31:59.that Debbie normally drives has spent a bit of time out of action.
:31:59. > :32:03.Thanks to a problem that started 12009, two years after they bought
:32:03. > :32:08.it -- 2009, two years after they bought it T I was going to collect
:32:08. > :32:14.my daughter, the warning light came on and it broke down, and I phoned
:32:14. > :32:17.the RAC, she was told to return it to the dealership because it was
:32:17. > :32:27.under warranty. The problem with the valve that controls emissions
:32:27. > :32:27.
:32:27. > :32:31.from the engine. As the car was under warantee, it was exchanged by
:32:31. > :32:34.-- repaired by Vauxhall. I was annoyed but it was repaired, so
:32:34. > :32:39.that was the end of the problem. For the next 11-and-a-half months
:32:39. > :32:43.that is how it seemed, Debbie enjoyed care-free motoring
:32:43. > :32:48.until...In 2010 the car broke down again, the warning light came on
:32:48. > :32:53.again, I took it back to the dealership who diagnosed the same
:32:53. > :32:57.fault with the EGR valve. Debbie could no longer rely on the three-
:32:57. > :33:01.year warranty because it had expired, because the second EGR
:33:01. > :33:05.valve failed so quickly, it should have been replaced free of charge.
:33:05. > :33:09.Our Trading Standards expert Sylvia Rook, took time out from the Pop-Up
:33:09. > :33:13.Shop to explain. When any part is fixed on a motor vehicle, it is
:33:13. > :33:16.covered by the supply of goods and services act, it should be of
:33:16. > :33:21.satisfactory quality, and remains so for a reasonable period of time.
:33:21. > :33:25.The fact it may not be covered by the warantee, it is covered by
:33:25. > :33:28.legislation. Unfortunately, in Debbie's case, that is not what
:33:28. > :33:32.happened. When she called the garage, who had done the original
:33:32. > :33:42.repair to ask about the next one, she was surprised to find out she
:33:42. > :33:46.would have to pay �979. If I had paid for the previous service,
:33:46. > :33:49.according to them, I would have been covered by the waranty, but
:33:50. > :33:54.because it was under waranty, I didn't have a waranty on it. I
:33:54. > :33:59.didn't agree with it at all, and I asked Vauxhall, they told me the
:33:59. > :34:04.same information. I had to pay the �975 repair bill to get the car
:34:04. > :34:07.back on the road. Sylvia Rook disagrees it is down to Debbie to
:34:07. > :34:10.pay. If the part failed there is clearly a problem with the part or
:34:10. > :34:14.vehicle, either way it is not her responsibility, the garage should
:34:14. > :34:17.have paid to have that repair done. Although happy to be back on the
:34:17. > :34:23.road again, Debbie was furious about having to fork out so much
:34:23. > :34:27.cash. I thought that the �975 was a lot of money to pay, I was
:34:27. > :34:30.concerned that the same fault had occurred within 12 months. I did
:34:30. > :34:33.think it could be a recurrent problem with the car, and that did
:34:33. > :34:39.concern me some what, I lost a little bit of confidence in the car
:34:39. > :34:42.at this point. You can understand why. Because the next year this new
:34:42. > :34:45.replacement valve failed as well. This time the dealership replaced
:34:45. > :34:50.it free of charge, saying that because she had paid for the last
:34:50. > :34:55.valve, it was covered by a parts waranty. Although relieved not to
:34:55. > :35:02.have to shell out again, Debbie couldn't understand why the same
:35:02. > :35:06.part kept failing. But Scott Illman, from the AA, says problems with it
:35:06. > :35:12.can be surprisingly common, across all brands of car. It circulates
:35:12. > :35:18.the gas from the exhaust into the combugs, that refuses the emotion.
:35:18. > :35:23.He get called out for EGR valves more and more, we have doubled our
:35:23. > :35:29.callouts to EGR faults in the last five years. They are blocking and
:35:29. > :35:32.sooting up inside. Diesel is dirtier than petrol and gets dirty
:35:32. > :35:37.inside. Despite that, Debbie's garage suggested she might be the
:35:37. > :35:47.cause of the problem. They suggested that my driving style was,
:35:47. > :35:47.
:35:47. > :35:52.that I drove too economically for the car, and it was sooting the
:35:52. > :35:57.valve up, and I should take it on the motorway every few weeks,off
:35:57. > :36:02.have the time and who is paying for the fuel. The AA aren't convinced
:36:02. > :36:09.it is Debbie driving. It is not the style of driving, it is where they
:36:09. > :36:15.drive their car. The EGR valve needs a fast flow of air over it,
:36:16. > :36:21.motorway driving, and you won't get that urban. Driving a small EGR --
:36:21. > :36:26.diesel car with an EGR valve will clock up. The car should be fit for
:36:26. > :36:30.purpose, regardless of the journeys you are doing. If it is a car
:36:30. > :36:35.better suited to motorway journeys, that should be advertised at the
:36:35. > :36:39.point of sale. Fast forward to May, you can guess what is coming, for
:36:39. > :36:42.the fourth time Debbie's car broke down in the same way, she had
:36:42. > :36:46.reached the end of the road. I had enough by this point, I took it
:36:46. > :36:50.straight back to the dealership, and I rang Vauxhall and insisted
:36:50. > :36:53.they investigate it further. The car is obviously not fit for
:36:53. > :36:58.purpose. Vauxhall examined the car thoroughly and finally decided that
:36:58. > :37:01.the car needed a new engine. But they have asked Debbie to pay a
:37:01. > :37:08.contribution towards the costs. The dealership of Vauxhall was willing
:37:08. > :37:12.to pay 90%, but have asked Debbie to pay the remaining �391. I have
:37:13. > :37:18.told Vauxhall to go ahead with the replacement engine, and I have said
:37:18. > :37:21.that I will very reluctantly pay the �391. It is another huge chunk
:37:21. > :37:27.of money. I don't feel I should be asked to pay anything really, I
:37:27. > :37:30.don't have a choice. We asked Vauxhall about Debbie's case. They
:37:30. > :37:34.told us the old evidence had no evidence of a manufacturing defect,
:37:34. > :37:38.but outside influences, such as the grade of oil used during servicing,
:37:38. > :37:41.can have a bearing on the reliability of any engine. But
:37:41. > :37:44.there is good news as well. Thoulaul though they feel the
:37:44. > :37:48.contribution -- although they feel the contribution towards the new
:37:48. > :37:54.engine, they feel is fair, they say purely as a gesture of goodwill,
:37:54. > :37:57.they will refund the �979 charge she had to pay for repairs back in
:37:57. > :38:02.2010. We also spoke to the dealership, she has been whack
:38:02. > :38:05.wards and forwards to, who pointed out it wasn't them who sold her the
:38:05. > :38:12.car. They have simply done specific repair work, using the necessary
:38:12. > :38:16.skill and care, and the correct and satisfactory parts. Meanwhile,
:38:16. > :38:21.Debbie, while pleased she will be getting most of her money back,
:38:21. > :38:24.remains very unhappy about the trouble all of this has caused.
:38:24. > :38:29.After all the hassle and constant breakdowns the unreliability of the
:38:29. > :38:32.car and the time it has taken me and the constant phone calls have
:38:32. > :38:37.had, they have been really stressful. I feel I should not be
:38:37. > :38:41.doing this as a customer, where is the element of customer care, then?
:38:41. > :38:45.Often when you have a problem, the key to getting it sorted is knowing
:38:45. > :38:50.your rights. That way you know instabgtly what you are entitled to,
:38:50. > :38:53.and you can -- instantly what you are entitled to, and you can tell
:38:53. > :38:58.when you are being fobbed off. Most of us don't know those rights as
:38:58. > :39:05.well as we should, if we do we are not sure exactly how to use them.
:39:05. > :39:09.That is especially important when the way we spend our money has
:39:09. > :39:14.changed so dramatically. Every year nearly �280 billion spent on the
:39:14. > :39:20.British high street. As a nation, we also spend about �57 billion on-
:39:20. > :39:23.line. That's an average of more than �157 million day, an awful lot
:39:23. > :39:27.of products we are buying without seeing them first. When we don't
:39:27. > :39:32.end up with what we are expecting, many of us are unsure just what to
:39:32. > :39:36.do about it. Do you think as a society we are
:39:36. > :39:39.better informed about our consumer rights and better atam complaining
:39:39. > :39:43.when we think things are not -- better at complaining when we think
:39:43. > :39:50.things are not right? I think a certain section of society, yes,
:39:50. > :39:57.but there are still people who don't know how to or want to.
:39:57. > :40:00.line it is harder to send back. tempted more on-line, it varies
:40:00. > :40:04.from shop-to-shop, the larger stores are good, but the smaller
:40:04. > :40:07.oness more dubious. If you are going on the Internet you think it
:40:07. > :40:10.is cheaper than buying on the store, I don't think I know my rights.
:40:10. > :40:18.if you are buying any sort of product or service, there is one
:40:18. > :40:21.key thing you need to know about. It is called the sale of goods act
:40:21. > :40:31.1979. That gives you the right to a refund or repair, if something you
:40:31. > :40:32.
:40:32. > :40:36.buy is not up to scratch, or breaks down sooner than expected. The
:40:36. > :40:41.problems are with the retailer not the manufacturer, you have fewer
:40:41. > :40:44.rights if it is with a private seller. If a product is faulty, the
:40:44. > :40:50.law says you can reject it in a reasonable matter of time, usually
:40:50. > :40:53.a matter of weeks. Don't worry if a major fault only develops later.
:40:53. > :40:56.Under the Sale of Goods Act, you can make a claim for a serious
:40:56. > :41:01.fault, up to six years later in England, Wales and Northern Ireland,
:41:01. > :41:05.or five years in Scotland. If all else goes wrong, you need to know
:41:05. > :41:09.how to use these rights to fight your corner. We have put together a
:41:09. > :41:14.check list with everything you need to know, and not just on how to
:41:14. > :41:23.complain, but how to do it effectively, you can find it on our
:41:23. > :41:28.website. Here at Rip Off Britain, we are always ready to investigate
:41:28. > :41:32.more of your stories. Confused over your bills? Trying to wade through
:41:32. > :41:39.neverending small print? We should read it, but it is not in plain
:41:39. > :41:43.English, it should be simple, Unsure what to do when you have
:41:43. > :41:48.lost out, and that great deal has ended up costing you money.
:41:48. > :41:53.come home and you get your bill and it is �57 when it is meant to be
:41:53. > :41:56.�30, you get ripped off, don't you. You might have a cautionary tale of
:41:56. > :42:01.your own, and want to share your mistakes with us, so others don't
:42:01. > :42:11.do the same. We paid them good money to act in our best interests.
:42:11. > :42:30.
:42:30. > :42:32.The team is ready and waiting to investigate your stories. As a
:42:33. > :42:36.customer, getting the service you deserve doesn't seem too much to
:42:36. > :42:40.ask, does it? As we have seen, there are some companies who can
:42:40. > :42:44.certainly try a bit harder in that kept
:42:45. > :42:49.Too true, not least because it makes -- in that department. Too
:42:49. > :42:53.true, not least because it makes business sense, if you keep the
:42:53. > :42:57.customer satisfied they will spend more money, leave them frustrated
:42:57. > :43:00.next time they will take their money elsewhere, I know I would.
:43:00. > :43:05.Who can blame them f you experience what you believe is poor customer
:43:05. > :43:09.service, don't be afraid to say so. If that doesn't work, come to us.
:43:09. > :43:13.We will see what we can do to help, we really do get result. That's all