0:00:02 > 0:00:06We asked you to tell us, "Who's left you feeling ripped off?"
0:00:06 > 0:00:09and you contacted us in your thousands by post,
0:00:09 > 0:00:12email, even stopping us on the street,
0:00:12 > 0:00:15and the message could not be clearer.
0:00:15 > 0:00:19It feels to me that I'm fighting a battle that I can't win.
0:00:19 > 0:00:23It costs a fortune, and when you actually get through you get fobbed off.
0:00:23 > 0:00:29With money tighter than ever, you 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 > 0:00:35So whether it's a deliberate rip-off, a simple mistake
0:00:35 > 0:00:37or a catch in the small print,
0:00:37 > 0:00:39we'll find out why you're out of pocket
0:00:39 > 0:00:41and what you can do about it.
0:00:41 > 0:00:46Your stories, your money... This is Rip-Off Britain.
0:00:47 > 0:00:49Hello and welcome to Rip-Off Britain,
0:00:49 > 0:00:53the programme that when you feel you've had a raw deal, is here to find out why,
0:00:53 > 0:00:57so that with a bit of luck, we can stop the same thing happening to anyone else.
0:00:57 > 0:01:01It's not always easy to predict how exactly things will turn out
0:01:01 > 0:01:05and in most of the situations that you asked us to investigate,
0:01:05 > 0:01:07at the time you signed up or handed over your money,
0:01:07 > 0:01:12there was no reason to suspect that you would not get exactly what you paid for.
0:01:12 > 0:01:14That's definitely the case with our stories today.
0:01:14 > 0:01:16All of the people who've contacted us
0:01:16 > 0:01:21did so because their hard-earned cash just did not produce what they were expecting,
0:01:21 > 0:01:24and in some cases, it's got them absolutely nothing at all.
0:01:24 > 0:01:29We've been trying to get the answers to exactly what's been going on.
0:01:29 > 0:01:30Coming up on today's programme,
0:01:30 > 0:01:33the couple who packed everything they own into a shipping container,
0:01:33 > 0:01:36only for it to vanish into thin air.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39We don't even know where it is. I mean, it's big, it's 20-feet-long,
0:01:39 > 0:01:42it's bright green, it weighs five tonnes!
0:01:42 > 0:01:45How could you mislay something like that?
0:01:45 > 0:01:49A business opportunity supposed to earn you thousands from your own home,
0:01:49 > 0:01:52so why have some of you ended up with nothing?
0:01:52 > 0:01:55I went into it hook, line and sinker
0:01:55 > 0:01:58and, yes, I feel like I was done over.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01Plus, more unmissable advice from our annual pop-up shop,
0:02:01 > 0:02:03this time in Liverpool.
0:02:06 > 0:02:11It's bad enough when any treasured possession is misplaced,
0:02:11 > 0:02:13but it's hard to imagine just how it must feel
0:02:13 > 0:02:15to have all of your worldly goods
0:02:15 > 0:02:19seemingly disappear in one fell swoop.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22Sadly, that's the situation that one couple find themselves in
0:02:22 > 0:02:27after paying a shipping company to transport everything that they own back to the UK.
0:02:27 > 0:02:32They watched as their things, safely stored in a 20-foot-long shipping container,
0:02:32 > 0:02:35were loaded up and sent on their way.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37But that was the last they saw of them.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40With no clue as to where they've ended up,
0:02:40 > 0:02:43they've asked us to try and track them down.
0:02:47 > 0:02:49It's the stuff of nightmares -
0:02:49 > 0:02:51nearly everything you've ever owned,
0:02:51 > 0:02:55including the entire contents of your house, gone.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58There's our wedding photos, two three-piece suites,
0:02:58 > 0:03:02a large pine Welsh dresser, a pine cupboard,
0:03:02 > 0:03:05a pine shelving unit, a very large old pine tack cupboard,
0:03:05 > 0:03:09a Stoves gas cooker, a microwave, dishwasher, fridge...
0:03:09 > 0:03:13In December 2003, Mike and his wife Brenda
0:03:13 > 0:03:17packed all their worldly goods into a 20-foot shipping container.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20So, why have they no idea where it ended up?
0:03:20 > 0:03:22How do you lose something like this?
0:03:22 > 0:03:25It's 20-feet-long and weighs over five tonnes.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29If things had gone to plan,
0:03:29 > 0:03:33Mike and Brenda would now be living in Spain, near the Costa del Sol.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36It's ten years since they decided to move out there,
0:03:36 > 0:03:41with hopes of finding a plot of land on which they could build their dream home.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43We decided to embark on a new life.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46We chose a country that would offer the lifestyle we were looking for
0:03:46 > 0:03:49and also the climate, which is very important.
0:03:49 > 0:03:53We chose Spain. We moved there pretty much lock, stock and barrel
0:03:53 > 0:03:57and decided we'd take a bit of time to settle down and get used to that lifestyle
0:03:57 > 0:04:01and then we'd look for some land to build a house.
0:04:01 > 0:04:03Whilst they looked for somewhere to build their home
0:04:03 > 0:04:07the couple were renting a fully-furnished villa,
0:04:07 > 0:04:12so most of their belongings stayed locked up in their shipping container.
0:04:12 > 0:04:17Everything we treasured would be in that container, including a kitchen sink.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20It wasn't ideal being separated from all their worldly goods,
0:04:20 > 0:04:22but at least they knew where they were
0:04:22 > 0:04:25and they didn't think they'd be waiting long to build their new home.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28By this time, we'd acquired the land we loved.
0:04:28 > 0:04:33Now it was a case of waiting for the permissions to come through so we could build the house,
0:04:33 > 0:04:37and all of our possessions could come out of the container and into the house.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41But that's when their new life started to go wrong.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43Things started off really well,
0:04:43 > 0:04:48but it seemed then the authorities started to throw one problem after another at us
0:04:48 > 0:04:52and it became increasingly difficult. It just became intolerable.
0:04:52 > 0:04:54Throughout it all, their shipping container -
0:04:54 > 0:04:58with their belongings inside - was sitting in a storage facility
0:04:58 > 0:05:01and the couple made regular visits to check on it.
0:05:01 > 0:05:03But by late 2011,
0:05:03 > 0:05:07as it became clear that their plans to build a home were getting nowhere,
0:05:07 > 0:05:10the couple decided to bring their Spanish adventure to an end.
0:05:10 > 0:05:15We'd become disenchanted with the whole idea of attempting to build this house.
0:05:15 > 0:05:19The culminating factor on that was that Brenda became ill
0:05:19 > 0:05:23and so we decided to come home, come back to the UK.
0:05:23 > 0:05:27I think the stress of where we were, not being able to build our property
0:05:27 > 0:05:30and everything was falling around about us,
0:05:30 > 0:05:32we just decided we needed to come home,
0:05:32 > 0:05:36we needed to spend time with the family, find a home,
0:05:36 > 0:05:40put our nice personal items in there and live our lives.
0:05:40 > 0:05:45So that meant finding a way to get the shipping container with all their possessions
0:05:45 > 0:05:47back to the UK.
0:05:47 > 0:05:51We did a lot of research and found a UK-based company called ASTE Shipping
0:05:51 > 0:05:53who agreed to bring it back for us.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56The initial price agreed was £1,480,
0:05:56 > 0:05:59but after a few days that price actually doubled.
0:05:59 > 0:06:04Mike understood from ASTE Shipping that the reason for the price hike
0:06:04 > 0:06:08was that a specialist vehicle would be required for transporting their container.
0:06:08 > 0:06:12The plan was that it was to be collected from Torrox,
0:06:12 > 0:06:15delivered to Valencia and driven all the way to Lincolnshire.
0:06:15 > 0:06:20I was asked to pay for the collection and delivery of the container in advance,
0:06:20 > 0:06:21some £3,000.
0:06:21 > 0:06:25It did strike me as slightly odd when I received instruction from ASTE Shipping
0:06:25 > 0:06:29to pay this money into Deutsche Bank in the Czech Republic.
0:06:29 > 0:06:33But looking forward to finally being able to unpack their belongings,
0:06:33 > 0:06:35Mike transferred the money.
0:06:35 > 0:06:39A couple of days later, he watched as the shipping container was loaded onto a lorry
0:06:39 > 0:06:42and driven off into the Spanish sunset.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45It was being taken to Valencia. From then, I'm not sure of the route
0:06:45 > 0:06:49but it was due to arrive at our house nine days later.
0:06:49 > 0:06:54Little did Mike and Brenda know that this would be the last they saw of their shipping container.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57The first hint of trouble ahead was when, a few days later,
0:06:57 > 0:07:01the boss of ASTE Shipping Group said that he was having problems tracing payment,
0:07:01 > 0:07:03although Mike's bank had very quickly provided proof
0:07:03 > 0:07:07that it had gone through exactly as instructed.
0:07:07 > 0:07:12But then the Spanish company transporting their belongings
0:07:12 > 0:07:16started to query their payment from ASTE Shipping.
0:07:16 > 0:07:21Amidst the confusion, the progress of the container somehow became unclear.
0:07:21 > 0:07:23We didn't know for sure where the container was.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26Things were beginning to unravel.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28And they only got worse.
0:07:28 > 0:07:32Although ASTE Shipping Group insisted that they would sort everything out, they didn't,
0:07:32 > 0:07:37and as the days became weeks, the company's vagueness turned into a worrying silence.
0:07:37 > 0:07:39Mike and Brenda were without their possessions
0:07:39 > 0:07:42and had no idea of where the container might be.
0:07:42 > 0:07:46We don't even know where it is. I mean, it's big, it's 20-feet-long,
0:07:46 > 0:07:49it's bright green, it weighs five tonnes.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51How could you mislay something like that?
0:07:51 > 0:07:55They turned to a solicitor for help, but couldn't afford the legal bills.
0:07:55 > 0:08:00So now, almost 18 months since they last waved the container off in Torrox,
0:08:00 > 0:08:02it is still missing
0:08:02 > 0:08:06and the couple feel that the boss of ASTE Shipping, Andrew Smart,
0:08:06 > 0:08:08has simply left them to it.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11Mr Smart can't or won't tell us where the container is,
0:08:11 > 0:08:13if he knows where it is himself.
0:08:13 > 0:08:17All our worldly possessions, our life, is in that container
0:08:17 > 0:08:19and we'd like our life back.
0:08:19 > 0:08:23Mike and Brenda are now living in a rented house in Lincolnshire,
0:08:23 > 0:08:26which they've had to fill with other people's possessions.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29I feel very upset by the whole thing.
0:08:29 > 0:08:31I don't have my own home
0:08:31 > 0:08:34and I don't have my own furniture and my own belongings.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37Things that I've saved, collected and treasured
0:08:37 > 0:08:41are all gone in a container that I don't know where it is
0:08:41 > 0:08:43or if I'm ever going to get it back.
0:08:43 > 0:08:48So, can we help locate the mystery vanishing container?
0:08:48 > 0:08:53We know that Mike last saw it on January 27th, 2012.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56I was there. I saw it being loaded onto the lorry and driven away.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59I have a receipt from the driver of that lorry to prove it.
0:08:59 > 0:09:04And we know that it was bound for the shipping port of Valencia.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07So after a bit of digging, our researcher calls Mike and Brenda
0:09:07 > 0:09:10with some good... and bad news.
0:09:10 > 0:09:14"Hi, Mike. I'm just calling because we've located the container."
0:09:14 > 0:09:18- Right. - It's actually still in Valencia.
0:09:18 > 0:09:22- "It went from Malaga to Valencia..." - Right.- "..and it stayed there."
0:09:22 > 0:09:25So, we now know definitely where it is, then?
0:09:25 > 0:09:27"We definitely know where it is."
0:09:27 > 0:09:30We have asked them to tell us
0:09:30 > 0:09:33roughly how much it will cost to get it back.
0:09:33 > 0:09:38- OK.- We think it's going to be in the region of 10,000 euros
0:09:38 > 0:09:41to get this container back to the UK.
0:09:41 > 0:09:4410,000 euros?
0:09:44 > 0:09:47Oh, no!
0:09:47 > 0:09:50Although Mike had paid ASTE Shipping Group up front,
0:09:50 > 0:09:52a haulage company they booked to do the job
0:09:52 > 0:09:54insists that none of that money was passed onto them.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57They've been keeping the container in storage,
0:09:57 > 0:10:00all the time racking up extra costs.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03We haven't got 10,000 euros to spend on that,
0:10:03 > 0:10:06so I don't know what the next step is.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08We've lost the money and the container,
0:10:08 > 0:10:13because I know that Spanish company will not release that container till they've got the money.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15I know they won't release it.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18We don't have that amount of money,
0:10:18 > 0:10:20- so... - SHE SIGHS
0:10:20 > 0:10:23..I can't see an end to this situation at all.
0:10:23 > 0:10:29Mike and Brenda don't see why they should have to spend any more money getting the container home
0:10:29 > 0:10:32when they'd already paid someone to do exactly that.
0:10:32 > 0:10:34The situation's diabolical.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37We trusted a company, a British company,
0:10:37 > 0:10:39we paid them in advance to collect this container,
0:10:39 > 0:10:44it's not a difficult job and he's made a complete mess of it.
0:10:44 > 0:10:48We tried to track down Andrew Smart, the MD of ASTE Shipping Group,
0:10:48 > 0:10:53but despite sending letters to six different postal addresses,
0:10:53 > 0:10:56five company email addresses and ringing their offices,
0:10:56 > 0:10:58we haven't had any reply.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01As for the Spanish company that has the container,
0:11:01 > 0:11:04though they won't release it without being paid,
0:11:04 > 0:11:06they are currently negotiating with Mike and Brenda
0:11:06 > 0:11:09to try and find a price that they're all happy with,
0:11:09 > 0:11:14which means that the couple hope that they can find a way to be reunited with the possessions
0:11:14 > 0:11:19that they paid ASTE Shipping Group to bring home all that time ago.
0:11:19 > 0:11:21My whole world is in that container,
0:11:21 > 0:11:24pictures of my children when they were growing up,
0:11:24 > 0:11:27items that my grandparents have given to me,
0:11:27 > 0:11:31lots of treasures, lots of memories,
0:11:31 > 0:11:34all these things that are just lost to me now.
0:11:37 > 0:11:41Many times in the past, we've highlighted companies that make a charge
0:11:41 > 0:11:45for something that, in fact, you can quite easily arrange for absolutely nothing.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48Whether they're offering to get you back mis-sold PPI,
0:11:48 > 0:11:50re-band your council tax
0:11:50 > 0:11:53or supply you with a European Health Insurance Card,
0:11:53 > 0:11:57the chances are you could easily sort the whole thing out yourself
0:11:57 > 0:11:59without having to hand over a single penny.
0:11:59 > 0:12:03Here's another one to add to your list - booking a driving test.
0:12:03 > 0:12:08You've been telling us about a company that sounds like it's offering a great deal,
0:12:08 > 0:12:09but once you've paid your fee
0:12:09 > 0:12:13you may find you get absolutely nothing back in return.
0:12:16 > 0:12:21Being able to drive means more to 18-year-old Arjun
0:12:21 > 0:12:23than most boys his age.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26It's not just about gaining independence for himself.
0:12:26 > 0:12:30It would mean he could give crucial extra support to the rest of the family
0:12:30 > 0:12:32at a time when they need it most.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35My wife had a stroke.
0:12:35 > 0:12:37She's lost vision in one eye
0:12:37 > 0:12:40and she's unable to walk, so she's in a wheelchair.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42He does a lot around the house.
0:12:42 > 0:12:46He looks after the two wee ones. He's a second father, in a way.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49It'll help my younger siblings to get out a lot more
0:12:49 > 0:12:53so we can do more activities together and have a lot more freedom,
0:12:53 > 0:12:56rather than staying in the house all the time.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59Of course, learning to drive isn't cheap.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02The average driving lesson costs £24 per hour,
0:13:02 > 0:13:07and with official figures suggesting the average learner needs at least 47 lessons,
0:13:07 > 0:13:09the total cost can soon add up.
0:13:09 > 0:13:14But Arjun knew that it would be worth it, so he worked very hard to save up.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18I've been doing a paper round for two years previously.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20That requires me to get up
0:13:20 > 0:13:23at six o'clock in the morning before school.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25That was the only income I had.
0:13:25 > 0:13:27But all the saving paid off.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30Arjun finally had enough money to start his lessons
0:13:30 > 0:13:34and it wasn't long before he was ready to take his test.
0:13:34 > 0:13:39I was learning for about 20 lessons before I had to put in for my test.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42That felt really good. I was excited about that.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44I just wanted to get it over and done with.
0:13:44 > 0:13:48Arjun looked on the internet to find out how to book his test.
0:13:48 > 0:13:54The site he came across first was called Book-Your-Driving-Test-Online.co.uk.
0:13:54 > 0:13:58The people behind it were advertising a deal that Arjun just couldn't refuse.
0:13:58 > 0:14:00For a total of £88,
0:14:00 > 0:14:02they promised to not only book him his test,
0:14:02 > 0:14:07but they'd cover the cost of free additional resits if he failed first time.
0:14:07 > 0:14:12As each new resit with the Driving Standards Agency cost £62,
0:14:12 > 0:14:16Arjun thought this would be a really good way of saving money.
0:14:16 > 0:14:20That's what really was appealing because I wanted a backup.
0:14:20 > 0:14:22I was confident in passing,
0:14:22 > 0:14:26but I was always like, "I need a backup."
0:14:26 > 0:14:28The site also looked very official,
0:14:28 > 0:14:33even including a link to the proper Driving Standards Agency website,
0:14:33 > 0:14:38even though it does state that they're neither associated or affiliated with them.
0:14:38 > 0:14:43I paid online through my debit card and I put in my details
0:14:43 > 0:14:49and they said that they would send a confirmation booking email.
0:14:49 > 0:14:53But after a few days, when no confirmation of his driving test arrived,
0:14:53 > 0:14:57Arjun began to get concerned and started emailing the company,
0:14:57 > 0:14:59asking when his test would be booked.
0:14:59 > 0:15:04With no response, Arjun then tried to phone the company to see what was going on.
0:15:04 > 0:15:09A week passed, passed the deadline for what they said,
0:15:09 > 0:15:13and still I had no reply back from them.
0:15:13 > 0:15:18I called them and all I heard was them saying, "Hello? Hello, hello?"
0:15:18 > 0:15:20and then they hung up.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23I thought, "This isn't right. This shouldn't be happening."
0:15:23 > 0:15:25If it was legitimate,
0:15:25 > 0:15:28they would've called me back or something.
0:15:29 > 0:15:33At a loss as to what to do next, Arjun contacted us
0:15:33 > 0:15:35to see if we could find out
0:15:35 > 0:15:38what had happened to his test and his money.
0:15:38 > 0:15:42It was clear from our emails that Arjun isn't our only viewer
0:15:42 > 0:15:46who's handed over cash on this website but had nothing in return.
0:15:46 > 0:15:51We decided to see what would happen if we booked our own test on the same site.
0:15:52 > 0:15:54Here's Holly.
0:15:54 > 0:15:58She's a researcher on the programme and a learner driver.
0:15:58 > 0:16:00At the time of our experiment,
0:16:00 > 0:16:03Book-Your-Driving-Test-Online.co.uk.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06was still offering the same great deal as Arjun saw -
0:16:06 > 0:16:09not just a driving test but free resits
0:16:09 > 0:16:12and now at an even cheaper price of £78.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15Holly enters in her payment details, as requested,
0:16:15 > 0:16:20and soon receives an email confirmation. Job done.
0:16:20 > 0:16:23All we have to do now is wait.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26And wait... And wait...
0:16:26 > 0:16:29Six days later and no email.
0:16:29 > 0:16:31Holly calls them,
0:16:31 > 0:16:34but we keep getting put through to an answering machine that says...
0:16:39 > 0:16:42To try and get an explanation for all of this,
0:16:42 > 0:16:47we wrote to Book-Your-Driving-Test-Online.co.uk. by post and email
0:16:47 > 0:16:49but they didn't reply,
0:16:49 > 0:16:53so it's not clear why they've taken money for tests it seems were never booked.
0:16:53 > 0:16:58There are plenty of other sites that promise to help you book your driving test,
0:16:58 > 0:17:00not all of them, of course, are bogus,
0:17:00 > 0:17:03but the advice from the Driving Standards Agency
0:17:03 > 0:17:06is that the safest way to book a driving test,
0:17:06 > 0:17:08without paying any extra costs to do it,
0:17:08 > 0:17:13is through the official Government website, GOV.UK.
0:17:14 > 0:17:18And it's through that official site that Arjun has had to rebook his test.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21The good news is, he passed first time.
0:17:21 > 0:17:23And luckily for him, he was also able to get back
0:17:23 > 0:17:28the £88 he paid to Book-Your-Driving-Test-Online.co.uk
0:17:28 > 0:17:31through his bank, using the charge-back system.
0:17:31 > 0:17:33He doesn't understand how a company
0:17:33 > 0:17:36can get away with taking money for a service they haven't delivered.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39It's left me feeling disbelief
0:17:39 > 0:17:42at how easy these companies can take your money
0:17:42 > 0:17:45and it's not really... it doesn't mean anything to them
0:17:45 > 0:17:49and they don't understand what it means to you.
0:17:54 > 0:17:59For one weekend this summer, we opened up our one-stop consumer advice shop again.
0:17:59 > 0:18:01Liverpool was the venue
0:18:01 > 0:18:05and we were inundated with people who came to talk to our experts,
0:18:05 > 0:18:08or simply to get their biggest bugbears off their chests.
0:18:08 > 0:18:12I think the customer service in mobile phone companies is pretty shoddy.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15In the streets outside,
0:18:15 > 0:18:20we ran free workshops for passing shoppers right in the heart of the city.
0:18:20 > 0:18:24For one of those, financial expert James Daley took to the stage with Angela
0:18:24 > 0:18:28to find out how many of you were saving for the future.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30First to join in was Jamie,
0:18:30 > 0:18:33soon to be married and on his stag weekend.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36- Have you planned financially for your future?- Not really, no.
0:18:36 > 0:18:40- Have you got any kind of pension at all?- No.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43Why not?! You're taking on the responsibility of a wife!
0:18:43 > 0:18:45I work as a contractor, so...
0:18:45 > 0:18:49- What's that got to do with it? - I don't have a pension!
0:18:49 > 0:18:53When do you want to retire? What would be a good age - 65?
0:18:53 > 0:18:55- 60. - 60! You want to retire at 60. OK.
0:18:55 > 0:18:59How much money would you like to live on every year?
0:18:59 > 0:19:01- 30 grand a year, maybe. - 30 grand a year.
0:19:01 > 0:19:06You'll need to start putting £200 a month aside at least,
0:19:06 > 0:19:10probably more like three or 400 if you want to get close to that target.
0:19:10 > 0:19:14- 60 is not realistic. - You look quite pale!
0:19:15 > 0:19:17So, what about the rest of the stag party,
0:19:17 > 0:19:19were they planning for their future?
0:19:19 > 0:19:21- You've got a pension?- I do.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24Five percent from the company and five percent from me.
0:19:24 > 0:19:28- And was that your idea or theirs? - It's their fantastic idea!
0:19:28 > 0:19:33- You wouldn't have thought to do it? - I'm financially savvy now.- You are! - You wouldn't know it, but I am!
0:19:33 > 0:19:37But the groom's dad had his own plans for the future.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39- Are you putting anything in?- No. - Not a bob.
0:19:39 > 0:19:43How much do you reckon you're going to get when you retire?
0:19:43 > 0:19:46I won't get enough, anyway!
0:19:46 > 0:19:49- That's my son.- That's your son. - He might keep me.
0:19:49 > 0:19:55James was keen to stress it's particularly important not to ignore a company pension.
0:19:55 > 0:19:57Have you got a £10 note in your pocket?
0:19:57 > 0:20:01If you give me that tenner, I'll give you this £20 note.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04Would you do that? Get your tenner out.
0:20:04 > 0:20:06James, you're giving away money?
0:20:06 > 0:20:09I'll give him this 20 if he gives me his tenner,
0:20:09 > 0:20:12as long as you put into your pension because that's what work offer you.
0:20:12 > 0:20:16You put in 10 and they put in 20 and then you've got more money in there.
0:20:16 > 0:20:18It's free money, you just don't get it now.
0:20:18 > 0:20:20You get it when you retire.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23Back inside the shop, you kept us very busy
0:20:23 > 0:20:26trying to resolve your consumer troubles.
0:20:26 > 0:20:28Cathy and Thomas called in,
0:20:28 > 0:20:31hoping we could help with a problem they'd had on their last holiday.
0:20:31 > 0:20:36They told travel journalist Simon Calder that their cruise around the Hawaiian islands
0:20:36 > 0:20:40had been sold as a spectacular trip, with exceptional service.
0:20:40 > 0:20:45What did you lay out? Let's just get the groundwork of how much you paid.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48- £2,500 each. £5,000 in total.- Right.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51For the most part, the trip was fantastic,
0:20:51 > 0:20:55but then at the end, the couple say things went disastrously wrong.
0:20:55 > 0:21:00Two days before the cruise ended, they started to renovate the ship.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03They had workmen on board, they had drilling,
0:21:03 > 0:21:09they put boards down for the cranes to lift all the machinery.
0:21:09 > 0:21:11So, it's not really the noise,
0:21:11 > 0:21:17- it's the fact that there were areas of the ship you couldn't use? - The facilities weren't there.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20What a nightmare! It only affected the last two days of your cruise,
0:21:20 > 0:21:25so I would say if they offered you, between you, £400,
0:21:25 > 0:21:27that would be about right.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30- Tell me how much they offered you. - £200.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33Unhappy with this offer, Cathy sent the money back
0:21:34 > 0:21:37with a letter, asking how she could take the complaint further.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40She was dismayed when the travel company said
0:21:40 > 0:21:43she would have to contact the holiday organisation ABTA,
0:21:43 > 0:21:45who charge to look at such complaints.
0:21:45 > 0:21:50They wanted us to pay out more money, £108, to go to arbitration.
0:21:50 > 0:21:55They're absolutely right, ABTA, the arbitration service, cost £108.
0:21:55 > 0:21:58However, there is an alternative, which is a bit cheaper.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00If you go to Money Claims Online,
0:22:00 > 0:22:04it'll cost you £35, I believe, to make that claim.
0:22:04 > 0:22:09But make it clear that you are reasonable people, you just want to get something back.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12By the way, only settle for real money.
0:22:12 > 0:22:14Don't settle for vouchers.
0:22:14 > 0:22:16Before Cathy and Thomas left,
0:22:16 > 0:22:20Simon had one last piece of advice for anybody in a similar position.
0:22:20 > 0:22:23Don't get mad, get even! OK?
0:22:23 > 0:22:26Don't say, "This is the worst service I've ever received,
0:22:26 > 0:22:30"the worst holiday we've been on, and we're never, ever going to travel with you again"
0:22:30 > 0:22:32give them a chance to make amends,
0:22:32 > 0:22:36to give you some proper money back for your disappointment
0:22:36 > 0:22:39and then decide where to spend it.
0:22:40 > 0:22:42Cathy and Thomas took Simon's advice
0:22:42 > 0:22:48and we're pleased to tell you that the holiday company did then pay up £500 in total,
0:22:48 > 0:22:52so Cathy and Thomas are really pleased they came to see us.
0:22:55 > 0:23:00Still to come on Rip-Off Britain, the company that's taken hundreds of pounds
0:23:00 > 0:23:03for a once-in-a-lifetime experience they haven't delivered.
0:23:03 > 0:23:05I feel really disappointed
0:23:05 > 0:23:09that the whole experience just never happened.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12Britain's been labelled a nation of shopkeepers,
0:23:12 > 0:23:15but these days, in the age of the internet,
0:23:15 > 0:23:18you don't even need physical premises to run a shop.
0:23:18 > 0:23:20You can do it all from the comfort of your own home.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23It's the opportunities offered by that
0:23:23 > 0:23:26that led to dozens of you signing up with a company
0:23:26 > 0:23:28that seemed to offer the perfect package -
0:23:28 > 0:23:34be your own boss, work from home and earn decent money into the bargain.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37The only thing not to like, according to some of you,
0:23:37 > 0:23:40is how things actually turned out.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47These people thought they'd found a way to run a flexible
0:23:47 > 0:23:51but, more importantly, profitable business from their own home.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54After all, that's what they were promised.
0:23:54 > 0:23:57Each of them bought a unique online shop
0:23:57 > 0:24:00from a company called "YourOwnStore".
0:24:00 > 0:24:03They say they were told they could earn thousands of pounds a year,
0:24:03 > 0:24:06but that's not how things have worked out.
0:24:06 > 0:24:11I've had it two years and I was told I would earn in excess of £25,000.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14All I have earned is £44.96.
0:24:14 > 0:24:18I was told I would earn £57,670.
0:24:18 > 0:24:20I haven't made a penny yet.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23Everyone who's contacted us about YourOwnStore
0:24:23 > 0:24:26says the return they expected simply hasn't materialised.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29You can see why they found the idea so appealing.
0:24:29 > 0:24:34These online stores have none of the hassles of a shop built with bricks and mortar.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37They don't need storage space or even physical stock.
0:24:37 > 0:24:41Instead, the way they work is by listing goods on sale
0:24:41 > 0:24:46at lots of other online shops on their own websites, called affiliates.
0:24:46 > 0:24:48So if a shopper likes the look of something on your site,
0:24:48 > 0:24:52with one click, they'll be directed to the actual retailer
0:24:52 > 0:24:55and in return, you get paid commission.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58It's called affiliate marketing
0:24:58 > 0:25:03and the man behind YourOwnStore makes big promises about how effective it is.
0:25:03 > 0:25:05Hello, I'm Jason West
0:25:05 > 0:25:07and I'm the managing director of YourOwnStore.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10We've made our websites very, very focused.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13All of them are ready to make money.
0:25:14 > 0:25:19Stephen West bought a virtual shop from YourOwnStore in April last year.
0:25:19 > 0:25:21The store, which cost £5,400,
0:25:21 > 0:25:25was aimed at people looking to rent a holiday home in Devon.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28They could search available properties on his site
0:25:28 > 0:25:31and he'd make a commission every time one was booked.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34The package looks so clean and sharp and professional.
0:25:34 > 0:25:38A lot of work had gone into it, or appeared to have gone into it,
0:25:38 > 0:25:40and, yes, I plunged into it.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43YourOwnStore made grand predictions
0:25:43 > 0:25:46of how many customers could visit the site
0:25:46 > 0:25:49and how much commission Stephen could earn as a result.
0:25:49 > 0:25:54They were claiming it was likely you could make £47,000 a year.
0:25:54 > 0:25:58I wasn't naive to think I would make £47,000 a year in the first year,
0:25:58 > 0:26:02but I thought - I paid £5,400 for my site -
0:26:02 > 0:26:05that I would at least be able
0:26:05 > 0:26:08to recover that outlay in, say, the first 12 months
0:26:08 > 0:26:12and then after that, to be able to make a reasonable income.
0:26:12 > 0:26:14But Stephen very quickly realised
0:26:14 > 0:26:17that the site was making almost nothing at all.
0:26:17 > 0:26:21As he tried to find out why, he claims he was surprised to discover
0:26:21 > 0:26:24many of the cottages he was advertising weren't even available.
0:26:24 > 0:26:30Some of the products that had been put onto my website by YourOwnStore
0:26:30 > 0:26:33had already been booked for the forthcoming year and beyond,
0:26:33 > 0:26:38so there was absolutely no way I was going to sell anything or make any commission
0:26:38 > 0:26:40because there was no product to sell.
0:26:40 > 0:26:45There was another problem, too. The success of a website like this
0:26:45 > 0:26:49can depend on how easy it is to find on internet search engines.
0:26:49 > 0:26:54Stephen realised that when people were looking online for holiday cottages to rent,
0:26:54 > 0:26:57his site wasn't showing anywhere near the top of the results
0:26:57 > 0:27:00so he'd be unlikely to make any money.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03YourOwnStore's sales pitch
0:27:03 > 0:27:06makes a big deal of the support they offer to their customers,
0:27:06 > 0:27:10but for Stephen, that didn't make any difference.
0:27:10 > 0:27:12I was constantly on the phone to them,
0:27:12 > 0:27:16but it still didn't bring any traffic to my website,
0:27:16 > 0:27:19it still didn't bring any sales to my website or commission.
0:27:19 > 0:27:22It didn't matter what I did, it made no difference.
0:27:22 > 0:27:28After a year, Stephen has made a grand total of £81.53,
0:27:28 > 0:27:31a long way from the £47,000 a year
0:27:31 > 0:27:34he says YourOwnStore had encouraged him to expect.
0:27:34 > 0:27:40I wouldn't like to see anybody else go down the same route that I went through
0:27:40 > 0:27:42and lose a lot of money as a result of it,
0:27:42 > 0:27:47and waste an awful lot of valuable time on something that doesn't work.
0:27:47 > 0:27:52But, unfortunately, that's exactly what has happened to plenty more of you.
0:27:53 > 0:27:59Ying To from Ipswich hoped to give up the Chinese takeaway he's run for five years
0:27:59 > 0:28:01and make money from behind a virtual counter.
0:28:01 > 0:28:07So in 2011, he invested nearly £5,000 in a YourOwnStore website,
0:28:07 > 0:28:09selling weight-loss products.
0:28:09 > 0:28:14Ying says he was told he could potentially make up to ten times that amount in a year.
0:28:14 > 0:28:16I thought, hopefully, if it worked,
0:28:16 > 0:28:19I could spend more time with my family
0:28:19 > 0:28:22and have maybe a few more holidays.
0:28:22 > 0:28:25But Ying claims he found himself
0:28:25 > 0:28:28having to dedicate up to eight hours a day to his website,
0:28:28 > 0:28:30again, with very little reward.
0:28:30 > 0:28:36And, like Stephen, he was surprised his site wasn't ranking higher on internet search engines,
0:28:36 > 0:28:39with the result that customers were almost non-existent.
0:28:39 > 0:28:42He, too, looked for help and went back to YourOwnStore,
0:28:42 > 0:28:46even paying them an extra £1,341
0:28:46 > 0:28:51for a service supposed to optimise his place in the listings.
0:28:51 > 0:28:54They said it would take six months to get high rankings.
0:28:54 > 0:28:58But after six months, erm, nothing's changed.
0:28:58 > 0:29:01It was the same as the start.
0:29:01 > 0:29:04In total, Rip-Off Britain has heard from 15 people
0:29:04 > 0:29:06who bought sites from YourOwnStore,
0:29:06 > 0:29:10all of whom feel they were mis-sold them by the company.
0:29:10 > 0:29:13So, were they ever likely to make the money they were told?
0:29:13 > 0:29:16This expert thinks not.
0:29:16 > 0:29:19YourOwnStore seems to be selling you the opportunity to make an income
0:29:19 > 0:29:23with very little time and very little technical knowledge.
0:29:23 > 0:29:27But the reality is, when you're competing against much larger companies,
0:29:27 > 0:29:30I don't see how it's possible to walk away from this nowadays
0:29:30 > 0:29:32with anything more than pocket money.
0:29:34 > 0:29:39Many of these unhappy customers have decided to come together to take on YourOwnStore.
0:29:39 > 0:29:42Their battle is headed by Lionel Jouet,
0:29:42 > 0:29:46who invested £4,900 in a photography accessory website
0:29:46 > 0:29:52that YourOwnStore told him could earn more than £57,000.
0:29:52 > 0:29:55I did work for six months on a full-time basis,
0:29:55 > 0:30:00trying to create contents and get traffic into my website.
0:30:00 > 0:30:04The company had numerous training videos,
0:30:04 > 0:30:06which I followed all of them
0:30:06 > 0:30:10and implemented what they said.
0:30:10 > 0:30:13In the first six months, I've made zero commission.
0:30:13 > 0:30:18None of the group has earned more than £100 in commission over a one-year period.
0:30:18 > 0:30:21The group attempted to take legal action,
0:30:21 > 0:30:24but the company denied any liability and was defending the claim.
0:30:24 > 0:30:28Ultimately, it was struck out because the case wasn't properly prepared
0:30:28 > 0:30:31and Lionel was ordered to pay YourOwnStore's costs.
0:30:31 > 0:30:35He is, however, still determined to go it alone through the courts.
0:30:35 > 0:30:39The people that made those acquisitions
0:30:39 > 0:30:43potentially put all their savings and their life into this investment
0:30:43 > 0:30:48and, in a sense, they lost pretty much everything.
0:30:48 > 0:30:51I am 100 percent motivated
0:30:51 > 0:30:53to fight for justice.
0:30:53 > 0:30:55But YourOwnStore boss Jason West
0:30:55 > 0:31:00rejects what these unhappy customers say. He told us...
0:31:08 > 0:31:10..some of which are out of their control
0:31:10 > 0:31:13and reliant on third-party companies.
0:31:13 > 0:31:15The earnings predicted...
0:31:24 > 0:31:26He stressed these complainants...
0:31:32 > 0:31:37..and he disputes what Lionel says about the effort put into his site, claiming he is...
0:31:38 > 0:31:41..and that he has shaped other complainants...
0:31:43 > 0:31:46..resulting in many of them giving up their businesses...
0:31:50 > 0:31:54He also claims Lionel was offered, but turned down, a full refund,
0:31:54 > 0:31:59although Lionel insists he was offered only the chance to resell the company,
0:31:59 > 0:32:03which he didn't want to do as the business wasn't a success.
0:32:04 > 0:32:07But he and the other people we've spoken to
0:32:07 > 0:32:11now bitterly regret ever buying one of the company's sites.
0:32:11 > 0:32:13I feel that I'm a victim.
0:32:13 > 0:32:19I feel that this company lied to people.
0:32:19 > 0:32:23I'm so angry because it's really affected my life.
0:32:23 > 0:32:26I went into it hook, line and sinker
0:32:26 > 0:32:30and, yes, I-I feel like I was done over.
0:32:34 > 0:32:37We've put together a free booklet of tips and advice
0:32:37 > 0:32:39to help safeguard your hard-earned cash.
0:32:39 > 0:32:41You can download it from our website...
0:32:44 > 0:32:49For a hard copy, just send a stamped, self-addressed A5 envelope
0:32:49 > 0:32:51to the address that we'll give you at the end.
0:32:51 > 0:32:53You'll also find on our website
0:32:53 > 0:32:56lots more information on the topics that we're tackling,
0:32:56 > 0:32:59with plenty of tips on how to save money
0:32:59 > 0:33:02and avoid being caught out.
0:33:02 > 0:33:06I'm sure you know the feeling - you want to buy somebody a present but you can't think what.
0:33:06 > 0:33:09Well, an increasingly popular choice of gift in recent times
0:33:09 > 0:33:13has been not a physical present, but an experience day,
0:33:13 > 0:33:17giving you that once-in-a-lifetime chance to try something you've always dreamt of doing,
0:33:17 > 0:33:22such as going up in a hot-air balloon or driving a racing car round a track.
0:33:22 > 0:33:26After buying one particular day out, quite a few of you have written to us to say
0:33:26 > 0:33:29that the only experience you've ended up with
0:33:29 > 0:33:32is the feeling of being totally let down.
0:33:34 > 0:33:38The thrill of racing on a track is something that most of us only get
0:33:38 > 0:33:42from watching the action on TV or from the crowd.
0:33:42 > 0:33:46Many companies now offer the chance to experience it for yourself,
0:33:46 > 0:33:49marketing an adrenaline-fuelled day out that's now a popular gift,
0:33:49 > 0:33:52and one that gives people like Darren Carter
0:33:52 > 0:33:54the chance to fulfil a boyhood dream.
0:33:54 > 0:33:58Ever since I was a child, I was into my cars.
0:33:58 > 0:34:02It's something I've always loved. I've loved speed most of my life
0:34:02 > 0:34:06and I used to watch Formula 1 and Rallycross on TV.
0:34:06 > 0:34:09I'd heard about a track-day experience,
0:34:09 > 0:34:14but never got round to buying it myself, so it's something I've always wanted to do.
0:34:14 > 0:34:17Darren was delighted when, in 2010,
0:34:17 > 0:34:20his wife Emma bought him a driving experience
0:34:20 > 0:34:25from a company called Livit Experiences, or Livit X for short.
0:34:26 > 0:34:29I was out Christmas shopping
0:34:29 > 0:34:34and I saw this big Lamborghini, and they were selling this driving experience
0:34:34 > 0:34:36so I went and had a chat with them.
0:34:36 > 0:34:41They were really nice to speak to and seemed very informative about the whole day.
0:34:41 > 0:34:45For just £80, Darren would have the chance of a lifetime
0:34:45 > 0:34:47to get behind the wheel of a supercar
0:34:47 > 0:34:50and drive it round a track in the Midlands.
0:34:50 > 0:34:54Emma was given a voucher for the experience, valid for the next 12 months.
0:34:54 > 0:34:56Almost as soon as she handed it over,
0:34:56 > 0:35:00an excited Darren set about booking a date for the following June
0:35:00 > 0:35:05and he wanted to make sure that son Jack had a day to remember, as well.
0:35:06 > 0:35:10I gave them a call and asked them if they could accommodate Jack,
0:35:10 > 0:35:13possibly send him around in a Ferrari, as well,
0:35:13 > 0:35:17as an extra present for his birthday,
0:35:17 > 0:35:19so they agreed to do that.
0:35:19 > 0:35:24Jack was really, really excited about this experience, too.
0:35:24 > 0:35:27It was going to be a birthday treat for him.
0:35:27 > 0:35:29We were going to buy the videos and, you know,
0:35:29 > 0:35:33make a real day out for him, as well.
0:35:33 > 0:35:36Promising "driving days tailored just for you",
0:35:36 > 0:35:38Livit Experiences' website also declares...
0:35:45 > 0:35:49They say, "You only live once so live the dream."
0:35:49 > 0:35:55Sadly, a dream is all that Darren's and Jack's driving experience has turned out to be,
0:35:55 > 0:35:59because Livit X sent the family an email with some bad news.
0:35:59 > 0:36:04We received an email saying that that date would have to be cancelled
0:36:04 > 0:36:07due to problems with the track.
0:36:07 > 0:36:11Parts of the track were breaking up so it wasn't safe,
0:36:11 > 0:36:16so they asked us to book again and give them another date.
0:36:16 > 0:36:19We decided to book late August,
0:36:19 > 0:36:21hoping that we'd still get the weather.
0:36:21 > 0:36:25We were disappointed that Jack's birthday wasn't going to be incorporated into the day,
0:36:25 > 0:36:28but we'd still take him along.
0:36:29 > 0:36:32But luck wasn't on Darren's side.
0:36:32 > 0:36:34Livit Experience soon contacted the family again
0:36:34 > 0:36:37to say that they would have to cancel the second booking.
0:36:37 > 0:36:41The family rebooked a third date for late September, 2011.
0:36:41 > 0:36:45Ten days before that was supposed to happen - you've guessed it -
0:36:45 > 0:36:48the company cancelled again.
0:36:48 > 0:36:52Livit X now said it was because they were building a brand-new experience centre,
0:36:52 > 0:36:56but Darren wasn't convinced.
0:36:56 > 0:37:01After that, we started to doubt whether this was going to happen at all.
0:37:01 > 0:37:05We then decided to ask for a refund
0:37:05 > 0:37:08because they didn't deliver on what they promised.
0:37:08 > 0:37:14That was refused, due to the fact that they said the offer was still there for another date.
0:37:14 > 0:37:18I did then ask for another date, which they weren't forthcoming with another one.
0:37:18 > 0:37:23Darren persisted, calling repeatedly to either book another date or get a refund,
0:37:23 > 0:37:25but he got neither.
0:37:25 > 0:37:28A quick look online reveals plenty of other people
0:37:28 > 0:37:31apparently in exactly the same position.
0:37:31 > 0:37:34All of them had booked a driving package with Livit Experiences,
0:37:34 > 0:37:40but despite handing over the money seem no closer to actually getting behind the wheel.
0:37:40 > 0:37:45It's now nearly three years since Emma paid for her husband's once-in-a-lifetime experience,
0:37:45 > 0:37:47but despite repeated attempts to arrange the date,
0:37:47 > 0:37:52they still haven't had their day out or indeed their money back.
0:37:52 > 0:37:55Eventually, Livit Experiences stopped answering the phone
0:37:55 > 0:37:59and all the couple got was a recorded message.
0:37:59 > 0:38:02We got that message, too, after calling to see what would happen
0:38:02 > 0:38:06if we tried to book a driving session with Livit Experiences.
0:38:06 > 0:38:13"Welcome to Livit Experiences. Livit Experiences are now closed.
0:38:13 > 0:38:16"Please contact us via our website."
0:38:17 > 0:38:21As instructed, we went to the company's very professional-looking website,
0:38:21 > 0:38:24which was still offering their experience days.
0:38:24 > 0:38:28However, a week later when we tried to book one, the website was down.
0:38:28 > 0:38:31Still posing as a customer, we emailed the company instead.
0:38:31 > 0:38:36We then got an automatic reply saying the offices were now closed.
0:38:36 > 0:38:41An hour later, they emailed to say they're not holding events this year.
0:38:41 > 0:38:45So next we came clean, told them we were from Rip-Off Britain
0:38:45 > 0:38:48and asked how they explained the fact that after waiting years,
0:38:48 > 0:38:51Darren and Emma still haven't had the experience they paid for.
0:38:53 > 0:38:58Livit Experiences told us that at the time Emma bought the voucher, they were...
0:39:04 > 0:39:09When that didn't go to plan, they extended customers' vouchers into 2012,
0:39:09 > 0:39:13planning events at a venue which they used successfully before, with...
0:39:15 > 0:39:18They say they did hold very successful events in spring
0:39:18 > 0:39:21but had to cancel the rest, first due to heavy rainfall,
0:39:21 > 0:39:24that meant speeds would have to be limited and...
0:39:27 > 0:39:28..and then because of...
0:39:31 > 0:39:34They tell us they refunded a number of customers
0:39:34 > 0:39:38and stopped functioning as a company as soon as they had cleared the backlog.
0:39:38 > 0:39:41Although the website was only taken down later,
0:39:41 > 0:39:43they stress the payment system had been disabled.
0:39:43 > 0:39:46As for why Emma and Darren didn't get a refund,
0:39:46 > 0:39:50the company say the couple appear to have slipped through the system
0:39:50 > 0:39:52as they can't find their email records,
0:39:52 > 0:39:55but they promise that they will refund the money.
0:39:55 > 0:39:57However, the couple still feel short-changed
0:39:57 > 0:40:00after buying a voucher that's proved as good as useless.
0:40:00 > 0:40:04As far as they're concerned, they've been strung along with promises
0:40:04 > 0:40:06that came to absolutely nothing.
0:40:06 > 0:40:11I feel really disappointed that the whole experience just never happened.
0:40:11 > 0:40:15You know, I feel upset for Darren and my children
0:40:15 > 0:40:19because it was going to be a full day out for them, as well.
0:40:19 > 0:40:21We were all really excited.
0:40:21 > 0:40:25Emma feels like she's let me down and it wasn't her fault at all.
0:40:25 > 0:40:30So it's just been, overall, a real bad experience with them.
0:40:38 > 0:40:42Here at Rip-Off Britain, we are always keen to hear more of your stories.
0:40:42 > 0:40:48We're particularly interested in ones to do with food for a new series next year.
0:40:48 > 0:40:52Confused by all the different labels on the supermarket shelves?
0:40:52 > 0:40:55Worried that products described as healthy
0:40:55 > 0:40:57may be nothing of the kind?
0:40:57 > 0:41:00Whatever's worrying you about the things we put on our plates,
0:41:00 > 0:41:02you can write to us at...
0:41:12 > 0:41:14Or send us an email to...
0:41:17 > 0:41:22The Rip-Off Team is ready and waiting to investigate your stories.
0:41:24 > 0:41:27There you have it. As you've seen in some of our stories today,
0:41:27 > 0:41:30when you don't get what you expected for your money,
0:41:30 > 0:41:34one explanation can simply be that a company has run into trouble
0:41:34 > 0:41:36or even gone out of business.
0:41:36 > 0:41:41Without that crystal ball, that's not something you can necessarily see coming,
0:41:41 > 0:41:44- but there are things you can still do to protect yourself. - There certainly are!
0:41:44 > 0:41:47As we've said before, the very best advice
0:41:47 > 0:41:50is to use a credit card when paying for goods or services,
0:41:50 > 0:41:53particularly if you're spending a lot of money.
0:41:53 > 0:41:56That way, if the very worst happens and you end up with nothing,
0:41:56 > 0:41:59at least you should be able to get your money back.
0:41:59 > 0:42:02With that word of advice, we've run out of time for today.
0:42:02 > 0:42:06We'll be back, looking into more of your stories so do keep them coming.
0:42:06 > 0:42:10Who knows, it may be yours that we investigate next time.
0:42:10 > 0:42:11Until then, from all of us on the team,
0:42:11 > 0:42:15- thanks for watching and bye-bye. - Bye.- Bye.
0:42:15 > 0:42:18Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd