0:00:02 > 0:00:06We asked you to tell us who has left you feeling ripped off
0:00:06 > 0:00:09and you contacted us in your thousands
0:00:09 > 0:00:13by post, email, even stopping us on the street,
0:00:13 > 0:00:16and the message could not be clearer.
0:00:16 > 0:00:20It feels to me that I'm fighting a battle that I can't win.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22Costs you a fortune and when you actually get through,
0:00:22 > 0:00:24you get fobbed off.
0:00:24 > 0:00:26You told us that, with money tighter than ever,
0:00:26 > 0:00:29you need to be sure every pound you spend is worth it.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32We ploughed thousands into it and we had nowhere to turn.
0:00:32 > 0:00:34Whether it's a deliberate rip-off,
0:00:34 > 0:00:36a simple mistake or a catch in the small print,
0:00:36 > 0:00:41we'll find out why you're out of pocket and what you can do about it.
0:00:41 > 0:00:43Your stories, your money.
0:00:43 > 0:00:44This is Rip Off Britain.
0:00:48 > 0:00:50Hello and welcome to Rip Off Britain,
0:00:50 > 0:00:53the series that tries to ensure that whenever you spend your money,
0:00:53 > 0:00:56whether it's pounds or pennies,
0:00:56 > 0:00:58you really are getting exactly what you paid for,
0:00:58 > 0:01:00but that's not always the case.
0:01:00 > 0:01:02Sadly not, and today we'll be hearing
0:01:02 > 0:01:05about situations where things have gone wrong
0:01:05 > 0:01:08and the repercussions of that have rumbled on for months,
0:01:08 > 0:01:09and even years.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12So that, instead of being resolved quickly,
0:01:12 > 0:01:15the initial problem has created all sorts of extra difficulties
0:01:15 > 0:01:16and, of course, stress.
0:01:16 > 0:01:18Not to mention extra costs.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21There are huge sums of money at stake in these stories,
0:01:21 > 0:01:24and what makes that worse is the fact most of them
0:01:24 > 0:01:28appear to have begun with some sort of mistake or oversight.
0:01:28 > 0:01:30But, as we're going to see, that does not always mean that
0:01:30 > 0:01:34putting things right is straightforward.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37Coming up on today's show, why this woman says
0:01:37 > 0:01:39an error by one of Britain's best-known banks
0:01:39 > 0:01:41cost her over £7,000.
0:01:41 > 0:01:46I'm just disillusioned in the way that they treat people,
0:01:46 > 0:01:51and the way that they accuse you and don't listen.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54The solicitor's mistake that's left this family fighting
0:01:54 > 0:01:57a £150,000 debt they should never have had to pay.
0:01:57 > 0:02:02The more this case goes on, we realise that we are on our own
0:02:02 > 0:02:05and nobody else is actually helping us.
0:02:05 > 0:02:09And more invaluable advice from the experts at our pop-up shop.
0:02:09 > 0:02:11Go straight back to the energy company
0:02:11 > 0:02:14and say that you want this overpayment back,
0:02:14 > 0:02:15cos it's your money.
0:02:15 > 0:02:17Ask for everything up front, in writing,
0:02:17 > 0:02:19before you part with any money.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23Now, when you're deciding whether or not to buy a house,
0:02:23 > 0:02:26the thing that very often clinches it for you is the survey.
0:02:26 > 0:02:30Finding out that there's expensive work that needs doing can be
0:02:30 > 0:02:31what puts you right off.
0:02:31 > 0:02:35But, equally, being reassured that there's nothing major
0:02:35 > 0:02:38that's wrong with the building can be what spurs you on
0:02:38 > 0:02:40to go ahead with the purchase.
0:02:40 > 0:02:44So, what happens if later it turns out that there was something
0:02:44 > 0:02:47wrong and that the survey missed it?
0:02:47 > 0:02:50Well, in our next case, exactly that situation has
0:02:50 > 0:02:54resulted in a whopping repair bill for tens of thousands of pounds.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57So, who should be the one to pay it?
0:02:59 > 0:03:04Sarah Day is turning her passion for dressmaking into a career
0:03:04 > 0:03:06and it's a job that requires real attention to detail.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10I'm just trying to start it up as a business now.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13I've done a couple of wedding fairs and it's going really well.
0:03:13 > 0:03:17Back in 2009, Sarah began looking for a property that she could
0:03:17 > 0:03:19not only live in but from where eventually
0:03:19 > 0:03:23she could also run her budding dressmaking business.
0:03:23 > 0:03:24And with the help of mum Catherine,
0:03:24 > 0:03:28she soon found what she thought was the perfect first home in Essex -
0:03:28 > 0:03:33a reasonably priced Victorian terrace in need of some work.
0:03:33 > 0:03:38At the time we were looking, it was shortly after the financial crash.
0:03:38 > 0:03:40The whole housing market was just in sort of frozen
0:03:40 > 0:03:43and there was nothing moving.
0:03:43 > 0:03:45And this place had...
0:03:45 > 0:03:52sadly been repossessed, and it just had a lot of potential.
0:03:52 > 0:03:57Sarah offered £85,000 for the house, which was immediately accepted.
0:03:57 > 0:03:58She arranged a mortgage,
0:03:58 > 0:04:01and set about getting a survey and valuation.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04When we were sorting out the mortgage,
0:04:04 > 0:04:06obviously we had to get a survey done.
0:04:06 > 0:04:10The mortgage company recommended e.surv.
0:04:10 > 0:04:12e.surv are, in their own words,
0:04:12 > 0:04:16"The country's largest provider of residential valuation services
0:04:16 > 0:04:20"and do more valuations for lenders than any other surveyor in the UK."
0:04:20 > 0:04:22Because the property was quite run down,
0:04:22 > 0:04:25the fact that such an experienced company was going to be
0:04:25 > 0:04:28carrying out the survey reassured Sarah and her mum.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31We knew there were problems with the house.
0:04:31 > 0:04:32Because it's a repossession,
0:04:32 > 0:04:35you never get very good information about it.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38So, the only...
0:04:38 > 0:04:40The only information you get, really,
0:04:40 > 0:04:43is what you get from the survey.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46Indeed, when the report came back, it highlighted that there
0:04:46 > 0:04:49were areas of work that would require attention.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52And we went through the survey very carefully
0:04:52 > 0:04:55and they had picked up a number of things.
0:04:55 > 0:04:57Woodworm and damp...
0:04:57 > 0:05:00Damp in the cellar and the gutters...
0:05:00 > 0:05:02The house was in a bit of a mess and...
0:05:04 > 0:05:08We'd put some money aside to do it, hadn't we?
0:05:08 > 0:05:11- And factored that in. - We looked at what needed doing
0:05:11 > 0:05:13and tallied up how much it was going to cost,
0:05:13 > 0:05:15and it was all perfectly doable.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18So, although considerable work was required,
0:05:18 > 0:05:20there was nothing to alarm Sarah or her mum,
0:05:20 > 0:05:23and they felt prepared to take it all on,
0:05:23 > 0:05:25so the sale went ahead.
0:05:25 > 0:05:26It was quite exciting.
0:05:26 > 0:05:30I was kind of thinking where I was going to put things.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33I had my eye on the cellar as my work room and...
0:05:33 > 0:05:35it was really good fun.
0:05:35 > 0:05:39After moving in, Sarah and her mum set about tackling the work
0:05:39 > 0:05:41that e.surv had highlighted as urgent.
0:05:41 > 0:05:45We worked through everything. We sorted out the heating system,
0:05:45 > 0:05:48we sorted out the bathrooms, we sorted out the gutters -
0:05:48 > 0:05:50all of that.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52Once all the main remedial work was completed,
0:05:52 > 0:05:55Sarah and her mum decided that they'd look at adding a fourth
0:05:55 > 0:05:58bedroom by building an extension in the roof space above the kitchen.
0:05:58 > 0:06:00It would allow Sarah to move in a lodger
0:06:00 > 0:06:02and make some money from the rental income.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05Until now, there hadn't been any reason for them
0:06:05 > 0:06:07to think that there was a problem with the roof because the
0:06:07 > 0:06:11survey certainly hadn't said that it needed urgent attention.
0:06:11 > 0:06:15Indeed, it had said there was no evidence of significant distortion.
0:06:15 > 0:06:21The e.surv survey said of the roof that it was in an average condition,
0:06:21 > 0:06:22so on that basis,
0:06:22 > 0:06:26we took it to mean there was nothing majorly wrong with it.
0:06:26 > 0:06:28So, thinking it was going to be a straightforward job,
0:06:28 > 0:06:30Sarah asked a builder for a quote,
0:06:30 > 0:06:34but his reaction was not what they were expecting.
0:06:34 > 0:06:38He stuck his head up in the roof and just said, "This is a major job.
0:06:38 > 0:06:40"You need a structural engineer."
0:06:40 > 0:06:43And he looked quite horrified, actually,
0:06:43 > 0:06:48that people were living in the house with it in that state.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50He really thought, if he went up there,
0:06:50 > 0:06:52there was a chance the whole lot could come down.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55And it seemed that the builder's fears were well-founded.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59The roof was sagging so badly that two dormer windows
0:06:59 > 0:07:01built into the roof had little support,
0:07:01 > 0:07:05and were on the brink of collapsing into the top floor of the house.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08Wooden beams that were vital in supporting the roof
0:07:08 > 0:07:10were barely attached to each other
0:07:10 > 0:07:12and, in some cases, not attached at all.
0:07:12 > 0:07:14And most concerning, the property's water tank,
0:07:14 > 0:07:16weighing well over half a ton,
0:07:16 > 0:07:20was balanced on just a few narrow beams, looking very unstable.
0:07:20 > 0:07:24The water tank was a big part of the problem.
0:07:24 > 0:07:26I mean, it was a massive thing.
0:07:26 > 0:07:31And if it had give way, which it could've done,
0:07:31 > 0:07:34there was a bed directly underneath it,
0:07:34 > 0:07:36which one of the lodgers was using,
0:07:36 > 0:07:39and then underneath that - the floor below - was my room.
0:07:39 > 0:07:43And it's quite likely it would've taken out both of those.
0:07:43 > 0:07:45Sarah and her mum got in a structural engineer,
0:07:45 > 0:07:47who confirmed the builder's opinion.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50In fact, he was so concerned, he refused to enter the loft,
0:07:50 > 0:07:53as he feared it would collapse under his weight.
0:07:53 > 0:07:57He was fairly horrified, actually, the look on his face.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00It was just horrendous, the state the roof was in.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05There doesn't seem to have been a lot holding it up...
0:08:05 > 0:08:09besides woodworm holding hands, as far as I can see, in places.
0:08:11 > 0:08:13It was just horrific.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16Sarah and Catherine couldn't understand how such significant
0:08:16 > 0:08:21problems were missed by the surveyor when he'd looked at the roof space.
0:08:21 > 0:08:25You've put your trust in the surveyors to tell you
0:08:25 > 0:08:29if there are any major problems, and they really let us down.
0:08:29 > 0:08:31They completely missed it.
0:08:31 > 0:08:33It's quite an old building, it's sort of 1880s,
0:08:33 > 0:08:37and old buildings can be wonky, but I didn't think anything of it
0:08:37 > 0:08:39because the survey said it was all right.
0:08:39 > 0:08:43If the builder could spot that it was in that state just by looking
0:08:43 > 0:08:47through the loft hatch, then how did they not notice?
0:08:47 > 0:08:49How did the surveyor not notice?
0:08:49 > 0:08:53The shock of finding the roof was in such a state was nothing
0:08:53 > 0:08:55compared to the cost it would take to put it right.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58The whole roof structure has had to be replaced,
0:08:58 > 0:09:00costing around £25,000.
0:09:00 > 0:09:04Add to that professional fees, removal, storage and redecoration,
0:09:04 > 0:09:08and the total cost for fixing this was over £32,000.
0:09:09 > 0:09:14If we'd had the right advice in the survey right at the outset,
0:09:14 > 0:09:17I don't think we would've bought the house.
0:09:17 > 0:09:21We might have tried to reduce our offer by about as much as
0:09:21 > 0:09:24we believed the works were going to cost.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27I'm not sure that we would have got a mortgage.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30In recognition that Catherine felt she hadn't had the best
0:09:30 > 0:09:32service from e.surv,
0:09:32 > 0:09:34the company offered a good will payment in full
0:09:34 > 0:09:38and final settlement, and without admission of any liability.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41But Catherine and Sarah still think that this is much less than
0:09:41 > 0:09:44they had to spend to fix the roof and make the house safe again.
0:09:45 > 0:09:49Once we'd let them know that we had a major problem,
0:09:49 > 0:09:53they came back with an offer but we just couldn't understand where
0:09:53 > 0:09:55they'd got this figure from.
0:09:55 > 0:09:57And there's absolutely no relationship to the amount
0:09:57 > 0:09:59that we've had to spend to put right the problems
0:09:59 > 0:10:02that they failed to identify.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04Sarah and Catherine feel they have no choice
0:10:04 > 0:10:06but to take legal action against the company,
0:10:06 > 0:10:09and it's left them questioning why house-buyers can be left
0:10:09 > 0:10:14so exposed to risks and such potential financial loss.
0:10:14 > 0:10:18It's a real David and Goliath situation.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21We're just ordinary people with finite resources,
0:10:21 > 0:10:24very limited resources,
0:10:24 > 0:10:27and they're a huge company with massive resources.
0:10:27 > 0:10:32We appointed them to give us professional advice and they failed.
0:10:32 > 0:10:34When we contact e.surv, they said that,
0:10:34 > 0:10:37as the matter is the subject of legal proceedings,
0:10:37 > 0:10:40they're unable to comment on specific aspects of the case.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43But they told us that, as the UK's largest surveying practice,
0:10:43 > 0:10:46they pride themselves on offering the very highest
0:10:46 > 0:10:47standard of service,
0:10:47 > 0:10:50and that their workforce of more than 380 fully qualified
0:10:50 > 0:10:54and experienced surveyors is subject to ongoing checks
0:10:54 > 0:10:56as part of their quality control.
0:10:56 > 0:10:58Where concerns are raised, they say they do all they can
0:10:58 > 0:11:01to resolve things to the customer's satisfaction,
0:11:01 > 0:11:04and they are satisfied that their procedures were
0:11:04 > 0:11:05followed in this case.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08Meanwhile, for Sarah, what was supposed to be an exciting first
0:11:08 > 0:11:11step on the property ladder has instead become a huge
0:11:11 > 0:11:13burden on both her and her mum.
0:11:13 > 0:11:17It's just cleaned out the savings of the whole family, really.
0:11:17 > 0:11:24I expect that...it will have effects on me and Mum for years, really.
0:11:24 > 0:11:28The amount of money that we had to spend out on fixing something that we
0:11:28 > 0:11:31should've been forewarned about.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34And if you have any concerns following a survey that
0:11:34 > 0:11:35you've had done on your property
0:11:35 > 0:11:38and you can't resolve it with the company who carried it out,
0:11:38 > 0:11:41then you should contact the Ombudsman Service for property.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44They will investigate your complaint free of charge
0:11:44 > 0:11:47and decide what action, if any, can be taken to resolve matters.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55We've been on the road again.
0:11:55 > 0:11:59This year, opening up our pop-up shop in Liverpool,
0:11:59 > 0:12:03with a whole team of experts on-hand to offer face-to-face advice
0:12:03 > 0:12:06to as many of you as we could.
0:12:06 > 0:12:08Go straight back to the energy company
0:12:08 > 0:12:10and say that you want this overpayment back,
0:12:10 > 0:12:12because it's your money.
0:12:12 > 0:12:14And we had more people calling in for information
0:12:14 > 0:12:16and advice than ever before.
0:12:16 > 0:12:20Set out what your evidence is, mention the industry benchmark...
0:12:20 > 0:12:22Ask for everything in writing, up front,
0:12:22 > 0:12:24before you part with any money.
0:12:26 > 0:12:30Our pop-up shop gives us the opportunity of hearing first-hand
0:12:30 > 0:12:34about situations where you feel you've been ripped off.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37And, here in Liverpool, you've been telling us just that.
0:12:41 > 0:12:43One man who came to see us was Terrence.
0:12:43 > 0:12:47He was hoping that communications expert David McClelland could
0:12:47 > 0:12:50help him with a problem that he's had trying to end the phone
0:12:50 > 0:12:53and broadband contract on a house that he no longer lives in.
0:12:53 > 0:12:58I informed them that I'd be moving on the 28th of August.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01The last bill I got, I got the bill on the September,
0:13:01 > 0:13:04which covered the August.
0:13:04 > 0:13:06Paid that. It was done by Direct Debit.
0:13:06 > 0:13:07Once I paid that, I said,
0:13:07 > 0:13:11"You can cancel that bill because there is no contract."
0:13:11 > 0:13:13So, verbally, on the telephone with them,
0:13:13 > 0:13:16you said, "I'd like to terminate my contract, please."
0:13:16 > 0:13:20I'm not renewing the contract cos I'll be moving very shortly.
0:13:20 > 0:13:22But the company didn't cancel the contract
0:13:22 > 0:13:25and carried on sending bills to Terrence's old address,
0:13:25 > 0:13:27which quickly stacked up.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30It's gone on now into several hundreds of pounds...
0:13:31 > 0:13:34..and they've now put bailiffs onto me.
0:13:34 > 0:13:38I've now received a letter with a reduction in the thing.
0:13:38 > 0:13:41- How much?- £242 off.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44It sounds as though, by the fact they've written to you
0:13:44 > 0:13:46and made you an offer of a reduced bill to your new address,
0:13:46 > 0:13:48that they've acknowledged you've moved house,
0:13:48 > 0:13:51and they've acknowledged that maybe everything hasn't gone
0:13:51 > 0:13:52quite as it should've done.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55So, they're making you a gesture of good will to a certain extent.
0:13:55 > 0:13:57I wouldn't accept that.
0:13:57 > 0:14:01What I would be doing is I would lodge a formal complaint.
0:14:01 > 0:14:05All telecoms communication providers do have to have an official
0:14:05 > 0:14:07complaints procedure.
0:14:07 > 0:14:09If they don't respond to that to your satisfaction,
0:14:09 > 0:14:12then there are other places that you can go to.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15Now, there are two alternate dispute resolution services
0:14:15 > 0:14:17for the telecoms communications industry.
0:14:17 > 0:14:18One is called CSAS,
0:14:18 > 0:14:20The other's called Ombudsman Services.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23The guys at Ombudsman Services and CSAS make it very,
0:14:23 > 0:14:25very easy to complain.
0:14:25 > 0:14:27So, there's no - in theory -
0:14:27 > 0:14:29complicated form-filling to go through.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32They just want to make sure that you're happy with the service
0:14:32 > 0:14:34you receive from them.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37The official procedures there will mean that it does get looked at
0:14:37 > 0:14:38properly, and, if you're not happy,
0:14:38 > 0:14:42then there are regulated bodies who will make sure that that
0:14:42 > 0:14:44- complaint is dealt with satisfactorily.- Fine.
0:14:47 > 0:14:49This year, we weren't just inside our shop.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51We were outside on the streets as well,
0:14:51 > 0:14:56with workshops packed with practical advice to stop you being caught out.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59Morning, all. I'm going to talk to you guys all today a little
0:14:59 > 0:15:01bit about broadband and how you can save money by switching.
0:15:01 > 0:15:05When you see an item in a shop, they are not offering to sell it to you,
0:15:05 > 0:15:09they are actually inviting you to make an offer to buy.
0:15:09 > 0:15:11Our experts went right into the heart of the city
0:15:11 > 0:15:13to give you top consumer tips.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15Whenever you use your credit card to buy something
0:15:15 > 0:15:19that costs more than £100 and less than £30,000,
0:15:19 > 0:15:23if something goes wrong, you can then go to the credit card company
0:15:23 > 0:15:25and they are legally obliged to help.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31Do you know? I do not think that anybody in Liverpool has
0:15:31 > 0:15:33an inhibition in their body. They're wonderful.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36And you go out, you give them an opportunity to meet the experts,
0:15:36 > 0:15:38but to participate and join in.
0:15:38 > 0:15:40It has been a real road show in that respect.
0:15:40 > 0:15:42Well, I think the shops haven't sold a thing
0:15:42 > 0:15:44and they've all been coming to us today,
0:15:44 > 0:15:47so whether they'll like Rip Off Britain again next year is another thing.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50But that's the other lovely thing that the crowd say.
0:15:50 > 0:15:52They go, "We watch Rip Off Britain, we learn by it."
0:15:52 > 0:15:54I hope that they've learned in the streets today.
0:15:57 > 0:15:59Still to come here on Rip Off Britain,
0:15:59 > 0:16:01a year since we first met her,
0:16:01 > 0:16:05what's happened to the woman who was left with a house impossible to sell?
0:16:05 > 0:16:08I definitely feel we're paying the price for somebody else's mistake.
0:16:08 > 0:16:09I'm very angry.
0:16:10 > 0:16:12Very angry and very hurt.
0:16:15 > 0:16:17Now, normally, when a company makes a mistake,
0:16:17 > 0:16:20you'd hope it would be relatively simple to put it right
0:16:20 > 0:16:24and certainly it shouldn't be you that ends up losing out.
0:16:24 > 0:16:26But we've been contacted by a family who,
0:16:26 > 0:16:28through absolutely no fault of their own,
0:16:28 > 0:16:32have ended up in the most dire straits imaginable.
0:16:32 > 0:16:34And, after six long years of fighting,
0:16:34 > 0:16:36now face losing everything,
0:16:36 > 0:16:40all because of disastrous blunders by not a bunch of amateurs,
0:16:40 > 0:16:42but highly skilled professionals
0:16:42 > 0:16:44who really should've known what they were doing.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49Annie and Michael Fan had a tougher start to life than most.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52As child refugees, they fled from Vietnam during the war
0:16:52 > 0:16:55and came to the UK to make a fresh start.
0:16:55 > 0:16:56But after the difficulties they faced,
0:16:56 > 0:16:59the couple have strived to give their own children better
0:16:59 > 0:17:01opportunities than they had.
0:17:01 > 0:17:06We've encouraged our children to work hard, save money.
0:17:06 > 0:17:10To commit into professional...be honest.
0:17:10 > 0:17:15Be more flexible, open-minded, in order to succeed in life.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18In 2007, they were looking to buy an investment property,
0:17:18 > 0:17:20something that would hopefully give them
0:17:20 > 0:17:22and their children a secure future.
0:17:22 > 0:17:26We want to give them a good head-start throughout their life -
0:17:26 > 0:17:28that was our intention.
0:17:28 > 0:17:33They found what seemed the perfect property on sale for £180,000
0:17:33 > 0:17:36in an area that they knew and liked.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38It was the ground-floor shop and basement of a four-storey
0:17:38 > 0:17:42end-of-terrace building where they hoped to start their own business.
0:17:43 > 0:17:47But in October, 2007, just as they were exchanging contracts,
0:17:47 > 0:17:51Michael and Annie were told by their solicitors that the property
0:17:51 > 0:17:55had two hefty outstanding debts incurred by the previous owner.
0:17:55 > 0:18:00We were shocked because, like, any transaction...
0:18:00 > 0:18:03we expect everything go smoothly.
0:18:03 > 0:18:06But the paperwork sent by the seller's lawyers,
0:18:06 > 0:18:08a company called FC Solicitors,
0:18:08 > 0:18:11reassured the couple that they had nothing to worry about.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14The debt wouldn't be passed onto them. Instead, it would be paid
0:18:14 > 0:18:17off with the money from the sale of the property.
0:18:17 > 0:18:23When this one came to light, we had fights in the English legal system.
0:18:23 > 0:18:25Everything would go away.
0:18:25 > 0:18:27But that isn't how things turned out.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30To raise as much money as possible to pay off their debts,
0:18:30 > 0:18:33the sellers had split the building into two
0:18:33 > 0:18:35and were selling both parts separately,
0:18:35 > 0:18:39which, provided all the paperwork was in order and sorted in one go,
0:18:39 > 0:18:41should have been straightforward.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44We thought it's normal procedure, the charge would have been clear.
0:18:44 > 0:18:49We would have registered our property via Land Registry
0:18:49 > 0:18:52and we did not worry too much about it.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55The sale of both halves of the building went ahead
0:18:55 > 0:18:58and completed as planned, or so it seemed.
0:18:58 > 0:19:02But, in fact, the whole process had been spectacularly botched
0:19:02 > 0:19:04by the seller's solicitors.
0:19:04 > 0:19:05The first clue to all that
0:19:05 > 0:19:08was when they were told that only one of the two debts
0:19:08 > 0:19:11on the property has been paid off with the money from the sale.
0:19:11 > 0:19:15As for the other, well, in a catastrophic miscalculation,
0:19:15 > 0:19:18FC Solicitors had only managed to pay off part of it.
0:19:18 > 0:19:22Almost £67,000 of it remained unpaid.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25And because this debt was secured on the property
0:19:25 > 0:19:27that Michael and Annie now owned,
0:19:27 > 0:19:30it was money they would now be chased for.
0:19:30 > 0:19:36It's extremely hard to visualise how we maintain our family,
0:19:36 > 0:19:39our career, our business...
0:19:40 > 0:19:43It's absolutely a nightmare.
0:19:43 > 0:19:45We literally go through hell.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48And we had to be strong for each other
0:19:48 > 0:19:52to master this problem all together.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55There are also other errors made by the solicitors,
0:19:55 > 0:19:58but the most disastrous consequence was that the family were
0:19:58 > 0:20:01being asked to pay a debt that they never took out,
0:20:01 > 0:20:04and now it threatens everything that they've worked for.
0:20:04 > 0:20:09When this happened, we thought that we are both innocent.
0:20:09 > 0:20:13The law somehow will protect it in some way or other.
0:20:13 > 0:20:15Michael and Annie took their complaint to the
0:20:15 > 0:20:17Solicitors Regulation Authority,
0:20:17 > 0:20:20who, after investigating what had happened,
0:20:20 > 0:20:23struck off the solicitor responsible for the mistakes.
0:20:23 > 0:20:25They also ruled that the outstanding debt should be
0:20:25 > 0:20:28paid off by FC Solicitors,
0:20:28 > 0:20:30but the company didn't do it and they ceased trading.
0:20:30 > 0:20:32But that hasn't helped Michael and Annie.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35They're still being chased for the outstanding debt,
0:20:35 > 0:20:41which, with interest added, has now risen to just over £150,000.
0:20:41 > 0:20:42The company tried to make a claim
0:20:42 > 0:20:44on the solicitor's professional insurance,
0:20:44 > 0:20:47but the company's insurers said they wouldn't pay out.
0:20:47 > 0:20:51They've also tried getting compensation from the regulator
0:20:51 > 0:20:53but, so far, that has got them nowhere.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56Michael and Annie are now in danger of losing everything.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00Basically, we have to pay for it.
0:21:01 > 0:21:06And, obviously, we have to raise the money somehow to pay for it.
0:21:06 > 0:21:10And if you don't have that money,
0:21:10 > 0:21:12you could become bankrupt.
0:21:12 > 0:21:17And if you're working all your life to build up this far,
0:21:17 > 0:21:19and you've got four children
0:21:19 > 0:21:23and you want to set a good example to your next generation,
0:21:23 > 0:21:25how do you feel about it?
0:21:25 > 0:21:28You are innocent party...
0:21:28 > 0:21:32and you are let down by the legal system.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35The couple have now been battling to resolve this for six years,
0:21:35 > 0:21:37but the situation has only gotten worse.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40They've had to fight a repossession order placed on the property
0:21:40 > 0:21:43in an attempt to force them into paying the debt that should
0:21:43 > 0:21:44never have been theirs.
0:21:44 > 0:21:46And, with their funds long gone,
0:21:46 > 0:21:49they have no choice but to represent themselves in court.
0:21:49 > 0:21:51The more this case goes on,
0:21:51 > 0:21:56we realise we are really on our own and nobody is actually helping us.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59And we keep having to pay all these bills.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02It's really, really frustrating.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05Michael and Annie feel they've been let down at every stage,
0:22:05 > 0:22:08first by the solicitors who got them into this mess,
0:22:08 > 0:22:11but also by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, who, as yet,
0:22:11 > 0:22:13haven't got them out of it.
0:22:13 > 0:22:16We wrote to two former partners of FC Solicitors,
0:22:16 > 0:22:19the company who had got the family into this situation
0:22:19 > 0:22:22in the first place. They haven't replied.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25We also contacted the Solicitors Regulation Authority
0:22:25 > 0:22:27and asked them why, as yet,
0:22:27 > 0:22:30they haven't given the Fans any compensation.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33They told us that a full review was under way and, in fact,
0:22:33 > 0:22:35just as we were finishing this programme,
0:22:35 > 0:22:38Michael got in touch with some fantastic news.
0:22:38 > 0:22:42After fighting this debt for six long years,
0:22:42 > 0:22:45the Solicitors Regulation Authority has now agreed in principle
0:22:45 > 0:22:46to compensate him,
0:22:46 > 0:22:49which has come as a huge relief to Michael and his family,
0:22:49 > 0:22:53who can now finally stop worrying and start planning for their future.
0:22:58 > 0:23:02As we've been hearing, what may seem a small mistake to a solicitor
0:23:02 > 0:23:04can have far-reaching implications for you.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07So, what's the best way to go about finding a good solicitor
0:23:07 > 0:23:08in the first place?
0:23:10 > 0:23:12At our pop-up shop,
0:23:12 > 0:23:16solicitor Gary Rycroft was on hand with some key advice.
0:23:16 > 0:23:21Try and choose a solicitor who has some kind of quality mark.
0:23:21 > 0:23:25The Law Society has a quality scheme called Lexcel,
0:23:25 > 0:23:30so law firms that have the Lexcel badge have passed certain standard.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33Solicitors are regulated and insured,
0:23:33 > 0:23:35so it's not rude or cheeky to ask
0:23:35 > 0:23:38for a policy of their professional indemnity insurance.
0:23:38 > 0:23:42It's always a good idea to find out how much your solicitor is going
0:23:42 > 0:23:44to charge before you employ their services.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48Before you engage the services of a solicitor,
0:23:48 > 0:23:50always ask for a quote.
0:23:50 > 0:23:54Always remember that the cheapest quote may not necessarily
0:23:54 > 0:23:56result in the best service.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59Once you've decided to engage the services of a solicitor,
0:23:59 > 0:24:04ask for written confirmation of the cost and all terms and conditions.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07Despite doing all of this, things may still go wrong.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10Solicitors are only human, after all,
0:24:10 > 0:24:13so it's important you know where to go if they do.
0:24:14 > 0:24:16When you engage the services of a solicitor,
0:24:16 > 0:24:20they should always tell you about their internal complaints procedure
0:24:20 > 0:24:22in their initial terms and conditions.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25So, never be afraid to make a complaint
0:24:25 > 0:24:27according to that procedure.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30And if you're still not satisfied after following the company's
0:24:30 > 0:24:32response to your complaint,
0:24:32 > 0:24:34you can take things to the next level.
0:24:34 > 0:24:38Ultimately, you can make a written formal complaint
0:24:38 > 0:24:40to the Legal Ombudsman.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43But they're charged with dealing with consumer complains about
0:24:43 > 0:24:46all sides of the legal profession...
0:24:46 > 0:24:49anyone who has offered legal services to a consumer.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56Most companies you tell us about haven't set out to rip you off,
0:24:56 > 0:24:58so when you feel that's what's happened,
0:24:58 > 0:25:01it may be their terms and conditions just weren't clear enough
0:25:01 > 0:25:05or there's been a genuine mistake they've been slow to put right.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08Whatever the explanation, when things go wrong,
0:25:08 > 0:25:10you need to know what to do and where to turn.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13So, we've put together a guide of tips and advice.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16You can find a link to the free guide on our website.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22Or, for a hard copy, send a stamped A5 envelope
0:25:22 > 0:25:25to the address that we'll give you at the end of the programme.
0:25:27 > 0:25:29Something a lot you point out to us is that,
0:25:29 > 0:25:31when you feel you've had a raw deal,
0:25:31 > 0:25:33it's not always just about the money.
0:25:33 > 0:25:35It's the sense of injustice
0:25:35 > 0:25:38and unfairness that can leave a nasty taste in the mouth.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41That's very much the case with this next story
0:25:41 > 0:25:44and indeed why we felt we just had to investigate further.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52Five years on from the peak of the financial crisis,
0:25:52 > 0:25:56our relationship with our banks has changed for ever.
0:25:56 > 0:25:58Official reports and enquiries suggest the banking system
0:25:58 > 0:26:01remains unfixed and it's clear that the trust
0:26:01 > 0:26:05they could once take for granted is no longer guaranteed.
0:26:05 > 0:26:07Do I trust my bank?
0:26:07 > 0:26:09Erm...
0:26:09 > 0:26:11not wholeheartedly. No, I don't think I do.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14They're a necessary evil, I think.
0:26:14 > 0:26:18Don't really give the service the banks ought to, or used to.
0:26:18 > 0:26:23Viv Woods has lost confidence in her bank Santander, and she blames them
0:26:23 > 0:26:25for the fact she's out of pocket by thousands of pounds.
0:26:25 > 0:26:28Her problems began after she changed
0:26:28 > 0:26:30her mortgage product in October, 2010.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33My mortgage that I have with Santander was coming
0:26:33 > 0:26:36to its end of its two-year term.
0:26:36 > 0:26:41Santander contacted me by letter to say that
0:26:41 > 0:26:43if I took out a new product with them,
0:26:43 > 0:26:47my mortgage monthly payments would halve.
0:26:47 > 0:26:52Santander were suggesting that Viv pick a new fixed or discounted-rate
0:26:52 > 0:26:55product to be sure she was getting the mortgage best suited
0:26:55 > 0:26:58to her needs - a deal that seemed too good to pass up.
0:26:58 > 0:27:00But, with her home up for sale,
0:27:00 > 0:27:03she wanted to be confident she could take her new mortgage with her,
0:27:03 > 0:27:05with no penalties attached,
0:27:05 > 0:27:07and her bank seemed happy to reassure her on that.
0:27:09 > 0:27:11They said, "That's not a problem.
0:27:11 > 0:27:15"All that happens is your mortgage moves with you. It's portable.
0:27:15 > 0:27:17"You'll take it from this house
0:27:17 > 0:27:19"and you'll move it to wherever you move to."
0:27:19 > 0:27:23Six months later, having found a buyer for her house
0:27:23 > 0:27:26and a new dream home with plenty of outside space for her horses,
0:27:26 > 0:27:28she contacted Santander to tell them
0:27:28 > 0:27:32she was ready to move her portable mortgage to the new property.
0:27:32 > 0:27:33But there was a problem.
0:27:33 > 0:27:37Santander told her she couldn't take the mortgage with her after all,
0:27:37 > 0:27:41which would leave Viv unable to buy the home she'd set her heart on.
0:27:41 > 0:27:44I was totally shocked when they said,
0:27:44 > 0:27:46"You can't transfer your mortgage.
0:27:46 > 0:27:51"There's no prospect that this mortgage will be transferred."
0:27:51 > 0:27:52So, I kept ringing them.
0:27:52 > 0:27:57I went through a complaints procedure and then, finally,
0:27:57 > 0:27:59one lady said to me,
0:27:59 > 0:28:05"I suggest you obtain a credit report and you'll find you've not
0:28:05 > 0:28:07"paid your mortgage for November."
0:28:07 > 0:28:11Viv was baffled. She knew she'd paid the amount she needed to,
0:28:11 > 0:28:14but when the credit report arrived, it showed that,
0:28:14 > 0:28:17when a few months earlier she'd changed over to the new mortgage
0:28:17 > 0:28:19that Santander had offered her,
0:28:19 > 0:28:21she'd made two payments in one month and,
0:28:21 > 0:28:25unfortunately, the bank's systems hadn't registered that one of these
0:28:25 > 0:28:27was intended to cover the next month.
0:28:27 > 0:28:30As a result, what seems as though it should've been an easily sorted
0:28:30 > 0:28:33case of "computer says no" was jeopardising
0:28:33 > 0:28:35the whole of her house purchase.
0:28:35 > 0:28:40They couldn't set up a Direct Debit in time for the new mortgage,
0:28:40 > 0:28:44so I'd sent a cheque and that cleared on the 28th of October,
0:28:44 > 0:28:48which was for the November payment. I kept explaining that.
0:28:48 > 0:28:51I even got my bank statements and said,
0:28:51 > 0:28:53"I note the dates that it's cleared."
0:28:53 > 0:28:55They wouldn't accept it.
0:28:55 > 0:28:57It meant that we couldn't complete on this property
0:28:57 > 0:29:00and I was frightened that we were going to lose it.
0:29:00 > 0:29:02HORSE NEIGHS
0:29:02 > 0:29:04It was really stressful.
0:29:04 > 0:29:07I was tearful and constantly contacted Santander
0:29:07 > 0:29:10to try to tell them to rectify their error...
0:29:10 > 0:29:12and they wouldn't do it.
0:29:13 > 0:29:15All this was a real shock to Viv.
0:29:15 > 0:29:18She couldn't understand why she was suddenly being told
0:29:18 > 0:29:20she couldn't transport her mortgage,
0:29:20 > 0:29:24especially so soon after the bank had encouraged her to take it out.
0:29:24 > 0:29:27If I'm such a bad customer with such a bad credit history
0:29:27 > 0:29:31that I'm not worthy of having a mortgage with
0:29:31 > 0:29:34or porting a mortgage, why sell me a new product?
0:29:34 > 0:29:38The bit I don't understand is, they contacted me
0:29:38 > 0:29:41and asked me to keep my mortgage with them.
0:29:41 > 0:29:43And if I was such a risk,
0:29:43 > 0:29:48they wouldn't have offered a new product on the old property.
0:29:49 > 0:29:53Apart from one missed payment in 2010 when her mother had died,
0:29:53 > 0:29:55which the bank was fully aware of,
0:29:55 > 0:29:57Viv had always kept on top of her payments.
0:29:57 > 0:30:01But, then, just as it looked like she was going to lose her dream home,
0:30:01 > 0:30:04Santander got in touch with some good news.
0:30:04 > 0:30:07I received a phone call from the Executive Complaints Director,
0:30:07 > 0:30:12which sounds pretty official to me, to say, "We've got it wrong."
0:30:12 > 0:30:17He explained that because the computer system at Santander
0:30:17 > 0:30:20hadn't recognised a payment on the 1st of November,
0:30:20 > 0:30:24they had made a mistake, and he apologised profusely.
0:30:24 > 0:30:30I was so excited, I cried and I cracked open a bottle of champagne,
0:30:30 > 0:30:34because it just meant that everything was sorted
0:30:34 > 0:30:35and it was all over.
0:30:36 > 0:30:38Santander wrote to Viv,
0:30:38 > 0:30:41saying they would amend her credit file to take off the missed
0:30:41 > 0:30:46payment and advised her to reapply to successfully port her mortgage.
0:30:46 > 0:30:50Viv was reassured the purchase of her new home could go ahead.
0:30:50 > 0:30:53But she was in for another shock. When, as suggested,
0:30:53 > 0:30:56her financial advisor contacted Santander to reapply,
0:30:56 > 0:31:00they informed him they still weren't prepared to lend on the new property
0:31:00 > 0:31:02and Viv still didn't meet the criteria
0:31:02 > 0:31:04for the mortgage to be transferred.
0:31:04 > 0:31:07With a two-week deadline looming before the completion
0:31:07 > 0:31:10on selling HER home, Viv felt she had little choice
0:31:10 > 0:31:14but to go ahead with the sale and move into rented accommodation.
0:31:14 > 0:31:17The people had to complete on my property in May,
0:31:17 > 0:31:19they had a deadline. I didn't want to let them down.
0:31:19 > 0:31:23I wanted to move from my house, cos I didn't have enough land,
0:31:23 > 0:31:27but I had no property to move to.
0:31:27 > 0:31:34I had to rent an acre field with two stables for six horses and my goat,
0:31:34 > 0:31:38and we had to rent an alternative house.
0:31:38 > 0:31:40We had to move into rented accommodation.
0:31:40 > 0:31:43With the sale of her home completed,
0:31:43 > 0:31:46and desperate not to lose the one she wanted to buy,
0:31:46 > 0:31:48on the advice of her financial advisor,
0:31:48 > 0:31:50Viv approached another mortgage lender.
0:31:50 > 0:31:54They wasn't bothered about any problems.
0:31:54 > 0:31:57They knew the urgency...
0:31:57 > 0:32:04They instructed a surveyor the day after and, by one o'clock,
0:32:04 > 0:32:07the mortgage offers had been faxed through to both
0:32:07 > 0:32:10my financial advisor and my solicitors.
0:32:10 > 0:32:14Viv finally moved into her home in July, 2011,
0:32:14 > 0:32:19but there was one final and very costly twist still to come.
0:32:19 > 0:32:23My solicitor contacted me as completion was going through
0:32:23 > 0:32:26on the 7th of July on my dream home, to say,
0:32:26 > 0:32:28"I'm really sorry, Viv,
0:32:28 > 0:32:32"but because you haven't ported your mortgage with Santander,
0:32:32 > 0:32:35"and because you've gone to a new supplier for your mortgage,
0:32:35 > 0:32:40"they're charging you £5,700 in an early redemption fee."
0:32:40 > 0:32:44That, to me, was just wholly unacceptable.
0:32:44 > 0:32:48Determined that she shouldn't have to pay for a situation
0:32:48 > 0:32:51she's adamant was because of an error by the bank,
0:32:51 > 0:32:54Viv is now pursuing Santander through the courts to claim the money back.
0:32:55 > 0:32:58When a bank like this make a decision that
0:32:58 > 0:33:00"we're not transferring your mortgage,"
0:33:00 > 0:33:02they don't know what you're going through.
0:33:02 > 0:33:06I'm just disillusioned in the way that they treat people
0:33:06 > 0:33:11and the way that they accuse you and don't listen.
0:33:12 > 0:33:16When we contacted Santander, they told us they've reviewed the details
0:33:16 > 0:33:20of Viv's case but maintain that she did not meet the eligibility
0:33:20 > 0:33:24criteria for porting her mortgage because of her payments and arrears.
0:33:24 > 0:33:25And they say
0:33:25 > 0:33:28as she chose to move her mortgage before the end of the term,
0:33:28 > 0:33:30in line with their terms and conditions,
0:33:30 > 0:33:33an early repayment charge was applicable.
0:33:36 > 0:33:40Even so, just as we were finishing this programme, there was good news.
0:33:40 > 0:33:45As a good will gesture, and without accepting any liability,
0:33:45 > 0:33:46or that they were wrong,
0:33:46 > 0:33:49the bank has now offered to give Viv the money back,
0:33:49 > 0:33:53but she's still unhappy about everything that has happened.
0:33:53 > 0:33:57Nobody understands the effect that it has on somebody's life.
0:33:57 > 0:33:59They must say sorry to me -
0:33:59 > 0:34:02I'm absolutely adamant about that -
0:34:02 > 0:34:05and then I'd like my money back, please.
0:34:05 > 0:34:08I'd like my £5,700 back.
0:34:08 > 0:34:13Nobody understands the effect it has on somebody's life
0:34:13 > 0:34:15and the effect it has upon you.
0:34:21 > 0:34:24Now, one of the most memorable stories in our series last year
0:34:24 > 0:34:27was to do with the devastating implications of a mistake
0:34:27 > 0:34:30that had left one woman unable to sell their family home.
0:34:30 > 0:34:34And it was all because an extraordinary but really crucial
0:34:34 > 0:34:35detail had been missed.
0:34:35 > 0:34:38Well, there have been some big developments in that situation
0:34:38 > 0:34:39since then, although, sadly,
0:34:39 > 0:34:42it doesn't mean that things are actually resolved.
0:34:44 > 0:34:49It was 2007 when Chris from Sussex first put her house on the market.
0:34:49 > 0:34:52But for the next five years, she found it impossible to sell.
0:34:52 > 0:34:54She had plenty of viewings and even offers,
0:34:54 > 0:34:58but all fell through for the same astonishing reason.
0:34:58 > 0:35:01Chris first got in touch with Rip Off Britain last year,
0:35:01 > 0:35:04after yet another potential buyer had pulled out.
0:35:04 > 0:35:06I was gutted.
0:35:06 > 0:35:09I just can't find the words to express how I feel.
0:35:09 > 0:35:13I felt as if I had been dealt a great big, hefty blow.
0:35:13 > 0:35:16Each time the sale had collapsed, it was because of an extraordinary
0:35:16 > 0:35:19complication with the title deeds of Chris' property,
0:35:19 > 0:35:21one likely to put off any buyer,
0:35:21 > 0:35:25but it had only become clear when Chris put the house up for sale.
0:35:25 > 0:35:29She discovered then that the deeds contained a clause forbidding
0:35:29 > 0:35:32them to sell the house without their next door neighbour's permission.
0:35:32 > 0:35:36What's more, any structural changes to the home would need to be
0:35:36 > 0:35:37run past the neighbour as well.
0:35:37 > 0:35:40So, technically, even if they wanted to knock a wall down
0:35:40 > 0:35:43inside the house, they would have to pop next door
0:35:43 > 0:35:44to check if that was all right.
0:35:44 > 0:35:49This is why the people pulled out of buying the property,
0:35:49 > 0:35:53because they weren't prepared to take the house on
0:35:53 > 0:35:57with those restrictions on, which is fair enough.
0:35:57 > 0:36:01We wouldn't have taken it on if we'd have been told about it.
0:36:01 > 0:36:03And that is the root of the problem.
0:36:03 > 0:36:05When she'd bought the house back in 2000,
0:36:05 > 0:36:08Chris said she wasn't told about the restrictions.
0:36:08 > 0:36:11It later emerged that Chris' house had been built on land
0:36:11 > 0:36:14which originally belonged to next door.
0:36:14 > 0:36:16Now, when the land was eventually divided up,
0:36:16 > 0:36:19the deeds weren't adjusted accordingly.
0:36:19 > 0:36:22But Chris couldn't understand how the property was sold to her
0:36:22 > 0:36:24with the restrictions in place,
0:36:24 > 0:36:27so she asked the solicitors that handled the original sale,
0:36:27 > 0:36:30a Maidstone-based company called Gullands, for an explanation.
0:36:30 > 0:36:33And they accepted that they could have done more to put right
0:36:33 > 0:36:36the deeds at the time she bought it.
0:36:36 > 0:36:40They've admitted, technically, the wording was wrong.
0:36:40 > 0:36:42They admitted they're wrong.
0:36:42 > 0:36:45He's admitted they could have been corrected.
0:36:45 > 0:36:49Gullands were confident that the problem could easily be resolved.
0:36:49 > 0:36:52But, in fact, getting the restrictions on her home lifted
0:36:52 > 0:36:55has proved more difficult than anyone anticipated.
0:36:55 > 0:36:57And for the next five years,
0:36:57 > 0:37:00Chris' house proved virtually unsellable.
0:37:00 > 0:37:02Over that period, she faced every potential buyer,
0:37:02 > 0:37:05knowing that as soon as they found out about the restrictions
0:37:05 > 0:37:07on the property, they, too, would be put off.
0:37:07 > 0:37:11She feels her solicitors Gullands have totally let her down.
0:37:11 > 0:37:13They're the legal profession.
0:37:13 > 0:37:17It's their job to know what all this is about,
0:37:17 > 0:37:19what conveyancing is about,
0:37:19 > 0:37:22what those words on those papers mean.
0:37:22 > 0:37:27We paid them good money to read that and to act in our best interests.
0:37:27 > 0:37:32Gullands did offer to pay a total of £435 compensation,
0:37:32 > 0:37:34some of which was to cover the inconvenience caused
0:37:34 > 0:37:38and handle any future sale of her property for no fee.
0:37:38 > 0:37:41But Chris doesn't consider that covers what she has lost.
0:37:41 > 0:37:44She feels that, with the extra legal costs she's paid out,
0:37:44 > 0:37:46as well as the financial implications
0:37:46 > 0:37:49of staying in the old house longer than she'd hoped,
0:37:49 > 0:37:51the knock-on effects of all of this have been catastrophic.
0:37:52 > 0:37:56I definitely feel we're paying the price for somebody else's mistake.
0:37:56 > 0:37:58In November last year,
0:37:58 > 0:38:01Chris did finally manage to sell her house and move to this bungalow.
0:38:01 > 0:38:05To do so, she employed another firm of solicitors, who,
0:38:05 > 0:38:08funded by the legal protection on her home insurance,
0:38:08 > 0:38:11eventually paid the neighbours £10,000 in order
0:38:11 > 0:38:13for the restrictions to be lifted.
0:38:13 > 0:38:18And she ended up accepting an offer £110,000 lower than the offer
0:38:18 > 0:38:20she'd had before the problem came to light.
0:38:20 > 0:38:23All of which means she's been left with a large mortgage on her
0:38:23 > 0:38:26new home and, instead of enjoying their retirement,
0:38:26 > 0:38:28her husband has to continue to work.
0:38:28 > 0:38:33Having a mortgage just horrifies me and upsets me,
0:38:33 > 0:38:35because we shouldn't be having it.
0:38:35 > 0:38:39My husband should be retired and enjoying this.
0:38:39 > 0:38:43He's left the house this morning at six o'clock...
0:38:43 > 0:38:46this morning to get a train to work.
0:38:46 > 0:38:48He won't be home until six o'clock tonight.
0:38:48 > 0:38:50He's 64.
0:38:50 > 0:38:54He's worked nearly 50 years and he's now still talking that
0:38:54 > 0:39:00he's got to work over retirement age because of this mortgage.
0:39:00 > 0:39:02Although Chris is now settled in her new home,
0:39:02 > 0:39:05she can't believe that the restrictions were ever
0:39:05 > 0:39:06there in the first place.
0:39:06 > 0:39:11When we purchased the property, they never pointed out to us
0:39:11 > 0:39:14the effects of the covenants on the property,
0:39:14 > 0:39:19so I blame them for putting us in the situation we're in.
0:39:20 > 0:39:23We asked solicitors Gullands about Chris' case.
0:39:23 > 0:39:25They've told us they're always disappointed
0:39:25 > 0:39:27when a client is less than satisfied
0:39:27 > 0:39:29but maintain that, in their opinion,
0:39:29 > 0:39:31the covenants were not of themselves onerous
0:39:31 > 0:39:35and say they were brought to Chris' attention when she bought the house,
0:39:35 > 0:39:37something she emphatically disputes.
0:39:37 > 0:39:41They say this case involved a simple error at the Land Registry
0:39:41 > 0:39:44and they do not accept that this issue should have caused
0:39:44 > 0:39:48any real problems when Chris wanted to sell her house.
0:39:48 > 0:39:51And although they accept they could have taken the opportunity
0:39:51 > 0:39:53to correct things at the time,
0:39:53 > 0:39:55they're satisfied that they've dealt with the case fairly,
0:39:55 > 0:39:59that they've taken every opportunity to engage with Chris,
0:39:59 > 0:40:02and that their original offer of compensation was appropriate.
0:40:02 > 0:40:05They also point out that, although they're not privy
0:40:05 > 0:40:08to any further legal advice Chris may have received,
0:40:08 > 0:40:11no legal proceedings have been served.
0:40:11 > 0:40:13But while her former solicitors remain confident that
0:40:13 > 0:40:16all this should not have created an ongoing issue,
0:40:16 > 0:40:18Chris is adamant that it has and is clear that,
0:40:18 > 0:40:22however the problem could best have been resolved, for her,
0:40:22 > 0:40:24it's caused an extraordinary amount of stress.
0:40:24 > 0:40:25I'm very angry.
0:40:27 > 0:40:29Very angry and very hurt.
0:40:36 > 0:40:37Here at Rip Off Britain,
0:40:37 > 0:40:40we're always ready to investigate more of your stories.
0:40:41 > 0:40:43Confused over your bills?
0:40:44 > 0:40:49My first ever bill, I'd only been in the house for four months,
0:40:49 > 0:40:53and it was for £2,000, erm...£2,700.
0:40:53 > 0:40:56Unsure what to do when you discover that you've lost out
0:40:56 > 0:40:59and that "great deal" has ended up costing you money?
0:40:59 > 0:41:03We don't have that amount of money, so...
0:41:05 > 0:41:08..I can't see an end to this situation at all.
0:41:08 > 0:41:10You might have a cautionary tale of your own
0:41:10 > 0:41:13and want to share the mistakes that you made with us,
0:41:13 > 0:41:15so that others don't do the same.
0:41:15 > 0:41:19And had no idea that this company with this wonderful website
0:41:19 > 0:41:21was going to be so poor.
0:41:21 > 0:41:23You can write to us at...
0:41:33 > 0:41:34Or send us an email to...
0:41:38 > 0:41:43The Rip Off team is ready and waiting to investigate your stories.
0:41:44 > 0:41:47Well, we all make mistakes but it's how we put them right
0:41:47 > 0:41:49that can make all the difference.
0:41:49 > 0:41:52And if there has been some kind of error and it isn't easily fixed -
0:41:52 > 0:41:55well, as we've been hearing, it can make the situation so much worse.
0:41:55 > 0:41:59It really can and, quite honestly, I'm always astonished to hear
0:41:59 > 0:42:01how, in some of the most extreme situations you tell us about,
0:42:01 > 0:42:04you can feel as if you're pretty much on your own,
0:42:04 > 0:42:07trying to fight your corner with far less help or protection than
0:42:07 > 0:42:08you might have expected.
0:42:08 > 0:42:10But, of course, that's where we come in.
0:42:10 > 0:42:12So, do keep telling us about situations
0:42:12 > 0:42:15where someone else's blunder has left you out of pocket
0:42:15 > 0:42:19and, hopefully, we can either point you in the right direction of where to turn to,
0:42:19 > 0:42:21or stop the same thing happening to someone else.
0:42:21 > 0:42:24Well, we're going to see you again very soon to investigate
0:42:24 > 0:42:26even more of your stories but, until then,
0:42:26 > 0:42:29- from the Rip Off team, bye-bye.- Bye.- Bye.
0:42:29 > 0:42:32Subtitles By Red Bee Media Ltd