0:00:02 > 0:00:04We asked you to tell us what's left you feeling ripped off
0:00:04 > 0:00:07and you contacted us in your thousands.
0:00:07 > 0:00:10You've told us about the companies that you think get it wrong
0:00:10 > 0:00:13and the customer service that simply is not up to scratch.
0:00:13 > 0:00:17It's my money and it's not right for anyone to rip you off.
0:00:17 > 0:00:21I don't understand how they get hold of my information.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24You've asked us to track down the scammers who stole your money
0:00:24 > 0:00:27and investigate the extra charges you'd say are unfair.
0:00:27 > 0:00:31You don't get compensated, it takes a long time to get things done
0:00:31 > 0:00:32and nobody cares.
0:00:32 > 0:00:36In the end, I told him no because I knew it was a scam.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40And when you've lost out but no-one else is to blame,
0:00:40 > 0:00:44you've come to us to stop others falling into the same trap.
0:00:44 > 0:00:48So, whether it's a blatant rip off or a genuine mistake,
0:00:48 > 0:00:51we're here to find out why you're out of pocket
0:00:51 > 0:00:54and what you can do about it.
0:00:54 > 0:00:57Your stories, your money,
0:00:57 > 0:01:00this is Rip Off Britain.
0:01:00 > 0:01:02Hello, and welcome to Rip Off Britain,
0:01:02 > 0:01:05the programme that's here to investigate what's gone wrong
0:01:05 > 0:01:07if you have been left out of pocket
0:01:07 > 0:01:09by the companies with whom you've been dealing.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12Which I have to say has happened in spades with those people
0:01:12 > 0:01:15whose stories we're going to be looking into today.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18Some of them, one way or another, are down thousands of pounds,
0:01:18 > 0:01:21and all due to the actions not of themselves, but of other people.
0:01:21 > 0:01:23Which, of course, absolutely should not be the case
0:01:23 > 0:01:26when you've handed over your cash in all good faith.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29So, as we try to get to the bottom of what's gone on,
0:01:29 > 0:01:32we'll be hoping to establish which of these situations were just
0:01:32 > 0:01:35an unfortunate mistake and which of them were deliberate.
0:01:35 > 0:01:37Because, as you're about to see,
0:01:37 > 0:01:40it's pretty clear we've got examples of both.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45Coming up, thousands of pounds in unpaid rent
0:01:45 > 0:01:48and the extraordinary reason why the letting agent
0:01:48 > 0:01:51really should have known what was going on.
0:01:51 > 0:01:52Well, I was destroyed
0:01:52 > 0:01:55because I realised that he was deliberating deceiving me.
0:01:55 > 0:01:57And car clocking.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00Why when fraudsters target newer cars,
0:02:00 > 0:02:02it's easier for them to get away with it.
0:02:02 > 0:02:04Oh, I was absolutely distraught
0:02:04 > 0:02:07and I was absolutely shocked to hear that.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10I just felt ripped off and totally scammed.
0:02:13 > 0:02:15Now, here's a really shocking story
0:02:15 > 0:02:18that's cost the woman at the heart of it
0:02:18 > 0:02:21not just thousands of pounds, but ultimately her home.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24And none of it, by the way, through any fault of her own.
0:02:24 > 0:02:26She had a house that she needed to rent out
0:02:26 > 0:02:27while she was working abroad.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30And, like many property owners, she was worried about what sort
0:02:30 > 0:02:33of tenant they might end up with, so she decided to appoint
0:02:33 > 0:02:37a letting agent to sort everything out on her behalf.
0:02:37 > 0:02:39But I'm afraid things went terribly wrong in a way
0:02:39 > 0:02:41that she never could have expected.
0:02:41 > 0:02:46And believe me, this story has a twist that you won't see coming.
0:02:46 > 0:02:50The woman I'm about to meet lives in this rented flat in Chelmsford.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53And the reason she can't live in the house she bought in Epping
0:02:53 > 0:02:56is every bit as extraordinary as the situations
0:02:56 > 0:02:58she's faced in her career.
0:02:58 > 0:03:00- Imelda.- Hi!- How are you? Very nice to see you.
0:03:00 > 0:03:04Imelda Salajan is a campaigner, aid worker and journalist,
0:03:04 > 0:03:07and in the past she's done work for the BBC.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10But whether she's been in former conflict zones like Bosnia
0:03:10 > 0:03:13or training reporters in places such as Hungary and Romania,
0:03:13 > 0:03:15she's spent most of her working life overseas,
0:03:15 > 0:03:18whilst still retaining a home back in the UK.
0:03:18 > 0:03:22So how important was it for you to know that you had a base in England?
0:03:22 > 0:03:25I bought my home because I wanted to have a family,
0:03:25 > 0:03:29and that was my whole passion, was to make sure that when
0:03:29 > 0:03:33I did want to come back home with the family,
0:03:33 > 0:03:36that I had a home, but I, of course, had to rent it out
0:03:36 > 0:03:38because I had a big mortgage
0:03:38 > 0:03:41and that mortgage had to be paid through the rental.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44For years, the house Imelda owned in Epping was rented out
0:03:44 > 0:03:46by a reliable letting agent.
0:03:46 > 0:03:50But in October 2010, she decided to switch to a different one -
0:03:50 > 0:03:52Essex Lettings,
0:03:52 > 0:03:55not to be confused with other companies of a similar name.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58Its website advertised a unique and tailored service,
0:03:58 > 0:04:01led by company director Stuart Clark.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04And I had him for a year and he was fine
0:04:04 > 0:04:08and during that year, everything went smoothly.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11I got proper papers with, you know, the tenancy agreement
0:04:11 > 0:04:16all written up, the money went into my account every month.
0:04:16 > 0:04:21So he was an agent, and, as any letting agent should perform...
0:04:21 > 0:04:24So you're abroad and, as far as you're concerned at this stage,
0:04:24 > 0:04:27- everything's tickety-boo? - Absolutely.
0:04:27 > 0:04:32In January 2012, Stuart Clark found a new tenant for the house.
0:04:32 > 0:04:34Imelda was in Indonesia at the time,
0:04:34 > 0:04:37so she was very happy to let him do all the usual checks.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40After all, that's what she was paying for.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43So, with everything in order, the new tenant moved in later that month.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46But her rent payments seemed very unpredictable,
0:04:46 > 0:04:49and by early June, when she should have paid five months' rent,
0:04:49 > 0:04:51she actually had only paid two.
0:04:51 > 0:04:55So Imelda asked Stuart Clark what was going on.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58He said, "Oh, don't worry, she's had a bit of a problem at the office
0:04:58 > 0:05:00"but we've had a meeting with her
0:05:00 > 0:05:03"and she's going to definitely pay you.
0:05:03 > 0:05:05"In fact, she's just given me a cheque,
0:05:05 > 0:05:07"so I'll put that into your account now.
0:05:07 > 0:05:12"And she will put extra in for the next few months."
0:05:12 > 0:05:13And so I was confident.
0:05:15 > 0:05:17As promised, that payment did clear,
0:05:17 > 0:05:20and another came a month later, but the tenant didn't pay anything
0:05:20 > 0:05:23towards the three months she'd missed.
0:05:23 > 0:05:27Still in Indonesia, Imelda asked Essex Lettings to investigate,
0:05:27 > 0:05:30and again she was reassured that everything would be fine.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32But just a few weeks later,
0:05:32 > 0:05:35a neighbour passed on some unexpected news.
0:05:35 > 0:05:40It seemed Imelda's letting agent had a connection to the new tenant
0:05:40 > 0:05:43and somehow he had neglected to mention that.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46And he knew her rather well.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48In fact, she was his wife.
0:05:48 > 0:05:50And then the bombshell dropped.
0:05:50 > 0:05:54Well, yes, to discover that this was actually his wife that was
0:05:54 > 0:05:58living in there, that it was his children and his pets.
0:05:58 > 0:06:03He was always around with his family in my home.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06- How did you react?- Well, I was destroyed because I realised
0:06:06 > 0:06:10that he was deliberately deceiving me and that he wasn't paying me.
0:06:10 > 0:06:15Imelda was 7,000 miles away and unsure what to do next.
0:06:15 > 0:06:19She decided not to reveal what she knew about who was living
0:06:19 > 0:06:22in the house until she could get definite proof.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25Instead, she repeatedly e-mailed and called Essex Lettings
0:06:25 > 0:06:28about the unpaid rent.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31I felt very vulnerable, very weak,
0:06:31 > 0:06:33I didn't think I had a very strong chance
0:06:33 > 0:06:36of being able to get my rent back.
0:06:36 > 0:06:42By September 2012, when Imelda came back to the UK to see her family,
0:06:42 > 0:06:45she'd still only received rent for four out of the nine months
0:06:45 > 0:06:48that Stuart Clark's wife had been living in her house.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51So she told the letting agent that she wanted to visit.
0:06:51 > 0:06:55He put her off, saying the tenant just wouldn't be around.
0:06:55 > 0:06:57But she was determined not to let it drop,
0:06:57 > 0:07:00and so Imelda decided to visit the agency's office.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03I went with my sister who's actually a lawyer
0:07:03 > 0:07:07and we sat in his office, we didn't tell him that we knew it was him,
0:07:07 > 0:07:10because I realised that I hadn't got any paperwork.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13He hadn't given me any tenancy agreements,
0:07:13 > 0:07:14he hadn't given me all the things
0:07:14 > 0:07:17that he was supposed to have given me.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20In that meeting, Stuart Clark reassured Imelda that the tenant
0:07:20 > 0:07:23was trying to pay her rent, and that leaving him to chase
0:07:23 > 0:07:26the payments would be much easier than taking action herself.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31He kept saying to me, "Well, you know, in this country
0:07:31 > 0:07:35"if you take something to the civil courts it takes months,
0:07:35 > 0:07:38"and, you know, even if we went now, it would take months."
0:07:38 > 0:07:42So, he was still trying to show that she would be a good tenant
0:07:42 > 0:07:46and that I would be wasting my money trying to get it into court.
0:07:46 > 0:07:47Following the meeting,
0:07:47 > 0:07:51Imelda e-mailed Stuart Clark asking him AGAIN to chase the tenant
0:07:51 > 0:07:52for the unpaid rent.
0:07:52 > 0:07:56She also complained about the way Essex Lettings had managed her house
0:07:56 > 0:07:58and told him if she didn't get answers
0:07:58 > 0:08:01she would take legal action against the company.
0:08:01 > 0:08:02But she didn't get those answers,
0:08:02 > 0:08:05although by now she had been given the paperwork
0:08:05 > 0:08:08that she should have seen right at the start of the tenancy.
0:08:08 > 0:08:10A month later, her tenant moved out,
0:08:10 > 0:08:13at which point Imelda discovered final demands
0:08:13 > 0:08:16and debt collection letters for unpaid utility bills
0:08:16 > 0:08:18and council tax in the tenant's name.
0:08:20 > 0:08:24And there were even two letters addressed to Stuart Clark himself.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27Now, work demands meant Imelda had to fly back to Indonesia,
0:08:27 > 0:08:31but decided that next time she was in the UK,
0:08:31 > 0:08:35she would reveal what she'd discovered to Stuart Clark.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38So, when you finally confronted him, did he deny it?
0:08:38 > 0:08:42No, he just said he wasn't prepared to discuss anything with me,
0:08:42 > 0:08:45that he had lawyers and he would be speaking to them
0:08:45 > 0:08:48and that he had nothing to say on the issue.
0:08:48 > 0:08:49So he wouldn't discuss it at all?
0:08:49 > 0:08:53Not at all, not at all, he wouldn't, and I tried to say to him,
0:08:53 > 0:08:57"Well, what about thinking about paying me for those months?
0:08:57 > 0:09:01"Surely this is a very important time for you to resolve this problem
0:09:01 > 0:09:03"and not let it go to court."
0:09:03 > 0:09:05And he said, "I'm going to talk to my lawyer
0:09:05 > 0:09:07"and I'm not going to discuss anything with you."
0:09:07 > 0:09:09Imelda did plan to start legal action,
0:09:09 > 0:09:12but all her plans had to be put on hold,
0:09:12 > 0:09:14when, after a routine examination,
0:09:14 > 0:09:17she was diagnosed with advanced cancer.
0:09:17 > 0:09:21So she moved back to the UK for good, had two major operations
0:09:21 > 0:09:25and she's still being treated with chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
0:09:25 > 0:09:27On top of everything else,
0:09:27 > 0:09:32having lost what she believes is more than £5,000 in unpaid rent,
0:09:32 > 0:09:35Imelda couldn't keep up the mortgage payments on the house
0:09:35 > 0:09:38and eventually had to make the difficult decision to sell it.
0:09:38 > 0:09:40That was going to be my home,
0:09:40 > 0:09:43that was always somewhere that I would come back to,
0:09:43 > 0:09:46and this was me coming back from Indonesia,
0:09:46 > 0:09:48that was my plan, to move there.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51With Essex Lettings no longer trading,
0:09:51 > 0:09:54it seems that there's little Imelda can do to try and get her money back
0:09:54 > 0:09:57beyond attempting court action.
0:09:59 > 0:10:03When we contacted Stuart Clark, he told us that although he regrets
0:10:03 > 0:10:06NOT telling Imelda of his relationship to her tenant,
0:10:06 > 0:10:09there are "no rules or laws" requiring him to do so.
0:10:10 > 0:10:14And in any case it "played no part in the unintentional events
0:10:14 > 0:10:15"that occurred."
0:10:15 > 0:10:19Events which could and do happen "with any tenant."
0:10:19 > 0:10:22He said that he and his wife were separated at the time
0:10:22 > 0:10:26and when she took out the tenancy, she "passed referencing checks"
0:10:26 > 0:10:28and all procedures were followed
0:10:28 > 0:10:32"in exactly the same way as for any other customer."
0:10:32 > 0:10:34His wife then fell into arrears,
0:10:34 > 0:10:37but he disputes the amount of rent that Imelda says she's owed.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40And he maintains that he used the
0:10:40 > 0:10:42"best, fastest and most cost effective way"
0:10:42 > 0:10:45of resolving the problem for Imelda
0:10:45 > 0:10:48in moving his wife out of the property.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50He also stressed that the tenancy agreement was between
0:10:50 > 0:10:53Imelda - the landlord - and his wife - the tenant.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56Essex Lettings was simply the agent, and, as such,
0:10:56 > 0:11:01he has no liability for the terms of the agreement not being fulfilled.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05And although he says he did help cover some of the rent payments
0:11:05 > 0:11:06from his own pocket
0:11:06 > 0:11:09and later sorted out the outstanding bills,
0:11:09 > 0:11:13he points out that "legal redress" is still an option for Imelda
0:11:13 > 0:11:15to try and reclaim the money.
0:11:15 > 0:11:17Imelda had chosen the agency
0:11:17 > 0:11:20because it had a presence on her local high street,
0:11:20 > 0:11:24but now she wants to make sure anyone considering letting out a property
0:11:24 > 0:11:28thinks very carefully about who they choose to help them do it.
0:11:28 > 0:11:29I'm very upset.
0:11:29 > 0:11:35This programme is a chance to do something positive
0:11:35 > 0:11:37with what is a very negative thing for me.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40What's happened to me has been horrible
0:11:40 > 0:11:42and I don't want it to happen to anybody else.
0:11:49 > 0:11:53Now, some transactions are always going to feel a little bit risky,
0:11:53 > 0:11:56especially if you're buying something from a person or business
0:11:56 > 0:11:58you don't know and you're doing it online.
0:11:58 > 0:12:00Worse still if you're buying second-hand
0:12:00 > 0:12:03and you haven't been able to check out the goods in person
0:12:03 > 0:12:04before you hand over your money.
0:12:04 > 0:12:08So when the seller suggests that there's a way to protect your cash
0:12:08 > 0:12:12until you're sure you're happy, it sounds like a no-brainer.
0:12:12 > 0:12:14But, sadly, it's often a scam,
0:12:14 > 0:12:17and one that could leave you thousands of pounds out of pocket.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24Don and Lyn Dodson swapped their native South Africa
0:12:24 > 0:12:26for Hampshire in 2000.
0:12:26 > 0:12:28They run a factory that makes South African meat products
0:12:28 > 0:12:31like biltong dried meat.
0:12:31 > 0:12:336.1 kilo.
0:12:33 > 0:12:34And with business going well,
0:12:34 > 0:12:38they decided it was about time they got round to replacing the old car
0:12:38 > 0:12:40they'd bought just after moving to the UK.
0:12:41 > 0:12:42We were getting to an age
0:12:42 > 0:12:45where we felt we could spoil ourselves a little
0:12:45 > 0:12:47and get something a little bigger.
0:12:47 > 0:12:51Because we love travelling around the UK, we thought that would be nice.
0:12:51 > 0:12:53The couple looked at a few local dealerships,
0:12:53 > 0:12:56but couldn't find what they wanted within their budget,
0:12:56 > 0:12:59so Lyn turned to classified website Gumtree,
0:12:59 > 0:13:03where she spotted an ad for just what they were after.
0:13:03 > 0:13:07The price was what we were looking at
0:13:07 > 0:13:12and it seemed to be a good model and had low mileage, et cetera.
0:13:12 > 0:13:17We got a response via Gumtree's e-mail system from the seller,
0:13:17 > 0:13:21who then said that the car was available.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24He, however, was in Germany on business.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27The seller told Don that even though he wasn't in the country,
0:13:27 > 0:13:30he wanted to make sure the couple were happy with the car
0:13:30 > 0:13:31before they paid him for it,
0:13:31 > 0:13:34and he suggested a way for that to happen,
0:13:34 > 0:13:36thanks to a safe buying scheme he said was offered
0:13:36 > 0:13:41not by Gumtree itself, but by the company that owns it, eBay.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44Because we would be transferring the money into an eBay account,
0:13:44 > 0:13:48we could feel secure in the knowledge that the money would be held by eBay
0:13:48 > 0:13:51until such times as the transaction had been completed.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54eBay do offer a service called Money Back Guarantee,
0:13:54 > 0:13:57formerly called eBay Buyer Protection,
0:13:57 > 0:14:00but it doesn't work in the way that Don and Lyn were told it did.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06It protects most transactions on eBay itself from fraud,
0:14:06 > 0:14:09but it doesn't apply to sites other than eBay.
0:14:09 > 0:14:13Even if it did, it doesn't cover quite a number of purchases,
0:14:13 > 0:14:15including car sales.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18Unfortunately, Don and Lyn didn't see any need
0:14:18 > 0:14:20to check what they'd been told.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23Reassured that their purchase would be protected,
0:14:23 > 0:14:26they confirmed to the seller that they wanted to go ahead.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29He said, I will be contacted by eBay,
0:14:29 > 0:14:34they will send you an invoice under their buyer protection programme,
0:14:34 > 0:14:37and once you follow the directions on that invoice,
0:14:37 > 0:14:41the money will be paid into the eBay bank account
0:14:41 > 0:14:44and would be held until such time as the transaction was complete
0:14:44 > 0:14:46and the vehicle was received by you.
0:14:46 > 0:14:50Don did receive what he presumed were official e-mails from eBay,
0:14:50 > 0:14:52just as the seller had said would happen.
0:14:52 > 0:14:54So, feeling confident everything was fine,
0:14:54 > 0:14:56the couple transferred the cash to what they believed
0:14:56 > 0:14:59was a secure holding account.
0:14:59 > 0:15:00But Don started to get worried
0:15:00 > 0:15:04when it became hard to pin down a delivery date.
0:15:04 > 0:15:06He said that he was busy and he was on business
0:15:06 > 0:15:08and then after a very short period of time,
0:15:08 > 0:15:10he just didn't communicate, didn't respond any more,
0:15:10 > 0:15:15so that's when obviously it was quite clear that the car wasn't coming.
0:15:16 > 0:15:20Though obviously dismayed, Don and Lyn didn't immediately panic.
0:15:20 > 0:15:22After all, as far as they were aware,
0:15:22 > 0:15:24their money was safe in that protected account.
0:15:24 > 0:15:26But when they went back to their bank to arrange
0:15:26 > 0:15:28for it to be transferred back to them,
0:15:28 > 0:15:32they discovered to their horror that no such account existed.
0:15:32 > 0:15:34They said that there wasn't much they could do,
0:15:34 > 0:15:38because they had just done what I had asked them to do,
0:15:38 > 0:15:42which was to transfer the money to a bank account.
0:15:42 > 0:15:44Don and Lyn had fallen for a scam.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47They'd simply paid their money into a regular bank account,
0:15:47 > 0:15:48not a protected one at all,
0:15:48 > 0:15:51and there was no way they could get it back.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56It's the most awful feeling, the pit in your stomach,
0:15:56 > 0:15:58that you've lost, actually.
0:15:58 > 0:16:02We knew we'd lost £4,800 then and there,
0:16:02 > 0:16:07and as much as we were hoping that we would be able to get it back,
0:16:07 > 0:16:13I think we both knew that our chances now were nil.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16You basically have to look in the mirror and say,
0:16:16 > 0:16:18"I've been stupid, I've been duped,"
0:16:18 > 0:16:22- and it's not easy to live with initially.- No, not at all.
0:16:23 > 0:16:25Over the past year,
0:16:25 > 0:16:27we've received more than a dozen e-mails and letters
0:16:27 > 0:16:30from people who've not only fallen for the same thing,
0:16:30 > 0:16:32but, like Don and Lyndsey,
0:16:32 > 0:16:34they'd been taken in on Gumtree,
0:16:34 > 0:16:37a website that's effectively an online version
0:16:37 > 0:16:39of the classified ads in your local paper
0:16:39 > 0:16:43and, as such, won't be able to help you if something goes wrong.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46Technology expert David McClelland says
0:16:46 > 0:16:48when you're shopping on a classified site,
0:16:48 > 0:16:51you need to be especially cautious.
0:16:51 > 0:16:55Classified services are merely there to put the buyer and the seller
0:16:55 > 0:16:56in touch with one another.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58There's no guarantee,
0:16:58 > 0:17:00there's no facilitation of the financial transaction
0:17:00 > 0:17:01that goes along with that,
0:17:01 > 0:17:03so, really, you're on your own at that point.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06So, if any seller you've found on Gumtree suggests a purchase
0:17:06 > 0:17:10comes with buyer protection, you can usually assume they're lying.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13As soon as you start to scratch below the surface,
0:17:13 > 0:17:16you find that in fact it is a bogus money transfer,
0:17:16 > 0:17:19and your funds will not be safe after all
0:17:19 > 0:17:23and it's incredibly difficult to try and recover those funds.
0:17:23 > 0:17:25Gumtree is no stranger to fraud.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27In fact, the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau
0:17:27 > 0:17:32estimates that 249 cyber-crime reports every week
0:17:32 > 0:17:33are linked to the site.
0:17:33 > 0:17:37Despite that, the company told us it doesn't intend to introduce
0:17:37 > 0:17:40a buyer protection scheme like its parent, eBay.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45Gumtree aren't planning on introducing buyer protection.
0:17:45 > 0:17:47That's because we're a classified site,
0:17:47 > 0:17:49and it doesn't fit with our business model.
0:17:49 > 0:17:51We don't provide the protections that eBay do,
0:17:51 > 0:17:54because they're not appropriate when you are meeting face to face
0:17:54 > 0:17:56and inspecting the item yourself.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58eBay is a very successful business in its own right
0:17:58 > 0:18:02and if people want the service that eBay provide,
0:18:02 > 0:18:04we recommend that they use eBay.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07Gumtree says the best protection when using the site
0:18:07 > 0:18:12is to meet sellers face to face, so you'll know what you're getting.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15We always recommend that people meet face to face
0:18:15 > 0:18:18to complete their transactions. That way, you can inspect the item.
0:18:18 > 0:18:22We don't recommend that people send money for items
0:18:22 > 0:18:25that they haven't seen to sellers that they haven't met.
0:18:25 > 0:18:28When Don and Lyn realised what had happened,
0:18:28 > 0:18:31they asked Gumtree for help, reported the scam to the police,
0:18:31 > 0:18:35and asked both their bank and the bank the money had been paid into
0:18:35 > 0:18:38whether there was anything at all they could do to get it back.
0:18:38 > 0:18:40Unfortunately, there wasn't.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44It was a very significant amount of money to us, and still is.
0:18:44 > 0:18:48I felt really ill, to the point of wanting to be sick,
0:18:48 > 0:18:50because it's just the most awful feeling.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53In hindsight, I would never do it again,
0:18:53 > 0:18:56but, in hindsight, all the warning signs were there.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59But these fraudsters are very clever.
0:19:05 > 0:19:07Still to come on Rip Off Britain -
0:19:07 > 0:19:10how hundreds of people who signed up to learn new skills
0:19:10 > 0:19:13have ended up without what was paid for.
0:19:13 > 0:19:15The whole thing was a complete sham.
0:19:15 > 0:19:20They're taking money and they're not providing the correct training
0:19:20 > 0:19:22and there was no comeback.
0:19:29 > 0:19:31For one weekend only,
0:19:31 > 0:19:34we opened up the doors of our Rip Off Britain pop up shop
0:19:34 > 0:19:35in the West Midlands.
0:19:35 > 0:19:37- Hi, I'm Julia.- Nice to meet you.
0:19:37 > 0:19:41Outside the shop, we had a packed schedule of workshops
0:19:41 > 0:19:42full of tips and advice
0:19:42 > 0:19:45on an extraordinary range of consumer subjects,
0:19:45 > 0:19:49and holiday journalist Alison Rice had some shocking facts
0:19:49 > 0:19:51on the medical costs you could end up having to pay
0:19:51 > 0:19:53if you have an accident abroad
0:19:53 > 0:19:55and don't have the right travel insurance.
0:19:55 > 0:20:00To go home from Australia on a stretcher with a medical escort
0:20:00 > 0:20:05- costs between £15,000 and £20,000.- Oh, is that all(?)
0:20:05 > 0:20:10A sprained ankle in Greece could possibly cost you £500.
0:20:10 > 0:20:12Double check and double check that you've got the right policy
0:20:12 > 0:20:16for your holiday and that you're well and truly covered.
0:20:16 > 0:20:18We also set up our gripe corner,
0:20:18 > 0:20:20where you came to have a good old-fashioned rant
0:20:20 > 0:20:23about the things that get your goat.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27At the moment, I think food prices in Britain
0:20:27 > 0:20:31are way too high and I think we're all being ripped off.
0:20:31 > 0:20:35I pay so much for my phone bill. I just think it's an absolute rip off.
0:20:35 > 0:20:39I find travel insurance a massive rip off.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41I get really annoyed.
0:20:41 > 0:20:45My husband and I are over 65
0:20:45 > 0:20:50and, because of that, we have to pay triple what most people have to pay.
0:20:51 > 0:20:56After being a customer with the same energy company for over 50 years,
0:20:56 > 0:20:58Janet Worton was shocked when she began receiving bills
0:20:58 > 0:21:00from an another energy company,
0:21:00 > 0:21:03saying she owed them nearly £2,000!
0:21:03 > 0:21:05Financial expert Sarah Pennells was ready
0:21:05 > 0:21:08with some urgently needed advice.
0:21:08 > 0:21:12Since 2011, we've had bills from this energy company,
0:21:12 > 0:21:15which we don't belong to.
0:21:15 > 0:21:19We have had the same energy company for 57 years
0:21:19 > 0:21:23since we've been in the house and the last few years
0:21:23 > 0:21:26we've been bothered by this company sending bills and, at the moment,
0:21:26 > 0:21:31we are up to £1,700 in debt for what? We have had nothing from them.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34We've been to the police about being threatened with the bailiffs.
0:21:34 > 0:21:36That didn't cure it.
0:21:36 > 0:21:38We've had this company read the meter twice
0:21:38 > 0:21:40and every time they read it -
0:21:40 > 0:21:44"Oh, it's a different number on your meter to the one on my energy bill,"
0:21:44 > 0:21:46- so what can I do?- I have to say,
0:21:46 > 0:21:49it is not the first time I have heard a story like this,
0:21:49 > 0:21:52and I think this is something that the energy companies
0:21:52 > 0:21:54really need to get a seriously grip on,
0:21:54 > 0:21:55cos what seems to have happened
0:21:55 > 0:21:58is they've got a record of your meter number,
0:21:58 > 0:22:02which isn't the correct one, so they are sending bills to your address,
0:22:02 > 0:22:04but it's not actually for any energy you have been using.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07What I suggest is a couple of things.
0:22:07 > 0:22:09Firstly, I suggest that you contact the energy ombudsman,
0:22:09 > 0:22:11a free-to-use complaints scheme,
0:22:11 > 0:22:14because if they think the company hasn't behaved as they should,
0:22:14 > 0:22:16they may be able to get you compensation.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18I also suggest you ring the company yourself,
0:22:18 > 0:22:21and basically say, I'm not going to get off the phone
0:22:21 > 0:22:24until you speak to somebody in the chief executive's office or
0:22:24 > 0:22:27in their complaints resolution team.
0:22:27 > 0:22:29And make a note of the calls you've already made,
0:22:29 > 0:22:32and tell them exactly what you've done - that may work.
0:22:32 > 0:22:34You won't speak to the chief executive,
0:22:34 > 0:22:36but they quite often have a team that deals with complaints
0:22:36 > 0:22:38where they've not been sorted out earlier.
0:22:38 > 0:22:40And those are my two suggestions,
0:22:40 > 0:22:43but I have to confess, I'm rather horrified.
0:22:43 > 0:22:44I'm really annoyed.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47You give me the details of the ombudsman,
0:22:47 > 0:22:48I'll get on to it right away.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51If you're happy, I don't mind taking your details and
0:22:51 > 0:22:54ringing them direct myself and just seeing if I can shake
0:22:54 > 0:22:56them up a bit and make them do something,
0:22:56 > 0:23:00because for you to try and take them on for three years,
0:23:00 > 0:23:01I just think it's a bit shocking.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04So hopefully you'll get some resolution and get it sorted out.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06Hopefully. Keep everything crossed.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12For the millions of people who buy a second-hand car every year,
0:23:12 > 0:23:15one of the biggest fears has always been that it might
0:23:15 > 0:23:17have been clocked - in other words,
0:23:17 > 0:23:20that someone has fiddled with the mileage to make it look
0:23:20 > 0:23:23as if it hasn't travelled quite so far as it really has.
0:23:23 > 0:23:25Now these days there's a simple,
0:23:25 > 0:23:28free online check that should mean it's possible to find out
0:23:28 > 0:23:31whether or not the mileage being claimed for a vehicle is correct.
0:23:31 > 0:23:35But unfortunately, it seems there is a very big loophole with that,
0:23:35 > 0:23:39and it's one which fraudsters have been very quick to exploit.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45It's a trick that's been around for decades.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48But when the old analogue gauge in cars, the odometer,
0:23:48 > 0:23:51gave way to more hi tech digital counters,
0:23:51 > 0:23:52and even on-board computers,
0:23:52 > 0:23:56adjusting the mileage to make a vehicle more attractive
0:23:56 > 0:23:59to buyers looked like it would become a thing of the past.
0:23:59 > 0:24:03But, as Sohail Ashraf from Dagenham discovered, it hasn't.
0:24:03 > 0:24:07Sohail was after an economical car for his commute to work.
0:24:07 > 0:24:11And after searching online, he seemed to have found a real bargain.
0:24:11 > 0:24:15It was a hybrid car priced at £7,500,
0:24:15 > 0:24:17but what really sold it to him was the vehicle's age.
0:24:19 > 0:24:21If a car is less than three years old, basically you've got
0:24:21 > 0:24:23peace of mind - at least
0:24:23 > 0:24:26the parts would still be covered under the manufacturer's warranty,
0:24:26 > 0:24:30so if anything goes wrong at least you can go back to the manufacturer.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33Sohail contacted the seller to arrange a viewing.
0:24:33 > 0:24:36And upon seeing the car, although it was clear it needed a wash,
0:24:36 > 0:24:40he couldn't spot anything he needed to worry about.
0:24:40 > 0:24:42Apart from being dirty,
0:24:42 > 0:24:45the car looked completely all right from outside and inside.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48I examined the engine as well - it started fine.
0:24:48 > 0:24:50Sohail bought the car on the spot.
0:24:50 > 0:24:52But it was only when he got it home
0:24:52 > 0:24:56and gave it a much-needed wash that he realised that the mud
0:24:56 > 0:24:59had been hiding something - a chipped windscreen.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02Believing his new car was still under warranty,
0:25:02 > 0:25:06Sohail contacted the manufacturer to see if they would replace the glass.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09The response he got wasn't what he was expecting for a car that
0:25:09 > 0:25:11was still less than three years old.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18I had a call from the manufacturer telling me that the car
0:25:18 > 0:25:21cannot be repaired under the warranty.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24First of all, he confirmed from me, "What's the mileage?"
0:25:24 > 0:25:26I said, "54,000 miles."
0:25:26 > 0:25:29He said, "No, we have got a different mileage on our system."
0:25:29 > 0:25:31Sohail was stunned.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34The manufacturer's records showed the car had
0:25:34 > 0:25:38done 126,000 miles at its last service.
0:25:38 > 0:25:42That was at least 72,000 miles more than it said on the clock.
0:25:42 > 0:25:46And the car's total mileage was so high that the warranty was now void.
0:25:48 > 0:25:49Oh, I was absolutely distraught
0:25:49 > 0:25:51and I was absolutely shocked to hear that.
0:25:51 > 0:25:55And I said, "Oh, probably I have lost my money."
0:25:55 > 0:26:00Sohail started to delve deeper into the detail of his car's past life.
0:26:00 > 0:26:02The logbook said that the vehicle had previously been
0:26:02 > 0:26:06owned by a company, so he wrote to them to ask for help.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09But when they replied, the bad news just got worse.
0:26:10 > 0:26:16I had a reply from them stating that in March 2013 they sold
0:26:16 > 0:26:21the car to a salvage agent, at 173,000 miles.
0:26:21 > 0:26:25And we have contacted the salvage agent which has come back to us
0:26:25 > 0:26:30stating that they had just done some repair work to the car after that,
0:26:30 > 0:26:32and sold it to a private seller.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35It wasn't clear whether the salvage agent or the seller that
0:26:35 > 0:26:39Sohail ultimately bought the car from had reset the mileage.
0:26:39 > 0:26:44But, either way, it meant that the car Sohail had paid £7,400 for
0:26:44 > 0:26:49had done an incredible 100,000 miles more than what showed on the clock,
0:26:49 > 0:26:52and as a result was worth a lot less -
0:26:52 > 0:26:56somewhere between just £3,000 and £5,000.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59So, at this stage I tried to contact the seller.
0:26:59 > 0:27:03I tried to phone him up, he won't pick up my phone calls.
0:27:03 > 0:27:05I tried to text him and he won't reply to my text.
0:27:05 > 0:27:09The second-hand car business is worth £38 billion a year,
0:27:09 > 0:27:13and a good chunk of that is made by unscrupulous sellers fiddling
0:27:13 > 0:27:16the mileage figures so they can get the highest price they can.
0:27:16 > 0:27:20One in 20 cars in the UK has done more miles than it actually
0:27:20 > 0:27:22says on the clock.
0:27:22 > 0:27:24But now that most cars have hi tech electronics,
0:27:24 > 0:27:26how is it possible for that to be done?
0:27:28 > 0:27:31Manufacturers introduced electronics in a big way in cars
0:27:31 > 0:27:35and the electronic mileage is displayed on the speedometer.
0:27:35 > 0:27:37And that, you would think, is more difficult to alter,
0:27:37 > 0:27:41but in practice all you have to do is access the car's computers.
0:27:41 > 0:27:45That gives villains access - they can alter the mileage with
0:27:45 > 0:27:50a bit of kit which is frankly widely available for £150/£200.
0:27:50 > 0:27:55It's not illegal to alter the mileage on the car, and people
0:27:55 > 0:27:59take advantage of this by selling them as mileage correction tools.
0:27:59 > 0:28:01Because the excuse here is,
0:28:01 > 0:28:03"Oh, well, sometimes speedometers go wrong,
0:28:03 > 0:28:05"you might have to replace the dashboard,
0:28:05 > 0:28:08"and therefore you need to reset the mileage to what it should be."
0:28:08 > 0:28:09Frankly, this is nonsense.
0:28:09 > 0:28:14Very occasionally that will be justified, but nowhere
0:28:14 > 0:28:18near the numbers that these adverts would lead you to suggest.
0:28:18 > 0:28:22Although it's not illegal to alter the mileage of a car,
0:28:22 > 0:28:24it is against the law to sell one
0:28:24 > 0:28:28with a mileage you know to be incorrect.
0:28:28 > 0:28:30But if you suspect a car's mileage is wrong,
0:28:30 > 0:28:33there is one potential free check that you can do.
0:28:33 > 0:28:37It's on the Government's Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency website,
0:28:37 > 0:28:40and that could catch out the clockers.
0:28:40 > 0:28:43If the car is over three years old, try looking for details
0:28:43 > 0:28:45of the vehicle's last MOT.
0:28:45 > 0:28:49If the recorded mileage is higher than the one shown on the clock,
0:28:49 > 0:28:51alarm bells should start ringing.
0:28:52 > 0:28:56Go to that website, put in the number off the MOT certificate,
0:28:56 > 0:29:01or the VIN number of the car, and check the MOT history.
0:29:01 > 0:29:04No reasonable seller will deny you access to those documents,
0:29:04 > 0:29:06so if they do, be suspicious.
0:29:06 > 0:29:08But, unfortunately, for hundreds of thousands
0:29:08 > 0:29:11of second-hand car buyers who want a vehicle
0:29:11 > 0:29:15which is less than three years old, that won't be the solution.
0:29:16 > 0:29:20A vehicle below that age, like Sohail's, doesn't need to
0:29:20 > 0:29:25have had an MOT, which means its mileage can't be so easily checked.
0:29:25 > 0:29:28And that makes them especially attractive to fraudsters.
0:29:30 > 0:29:33Clockers tend to target cars before they've had their first MOT,
0:29:33 > 0:29:36so they're just under three years old. Typically,
0:29:36 > 0:29:39a large company will turn over its fleet of cars
0:29:39 > 0:29:40once every three years,
0:29:40 > 0:29:43the villains will buy those from an auction or somewhere,
0:29:43 > 0:29:47clock the car, take several tens of thousands of miles off it,
0:29:47 > 0:29:49put several thousand onto the value
0:29:49 > 0:29:52and sell it on to the unsuspecting customer.
0:29:52 > 0:29:56It's estimated that clocked vehicles add £580 million
0:29:56 > 0:29:58a year to the cost of second-hand cars -
0:29:58 > 0:30:01not just because you might have paid over the odds
0:30:01 > 0:30:02for a car that's not worth it,
0:30:02 > 0:30:05but also thanks to the extra repairs you'll face
0:30:05 > 0:30:09as a result of the wear and tear of those additional miles.
0:30:09 > 0:30:13And Sohail has already been hit by plenty of those extra costs.
0:30:14 > 0:30:19I just felt absolutely ripped off and totally scammed.
0:30:19 > 0:30:24There are other ways to try and suss out if a car has been clocked,
0:30:24 > 0:30:25whatever its age.
0:30:25 > 0:30:28Several websites offer a vehicle data check service.
0:30:28 > 0:30:33For a fee, these sites will run a check on the documented history
0:30:33 > 0:30:35of a car to find out if it's ever been clocked,
0:30:35 > 0:30:38as well as if it's been stolen, written-off
0:30:38 > 0:30:41or has outstanding finance on it.
0:30:41 > 0:30:45Also, an extra-careful look around the vehicle to see if its
0:30:45 > 0:30:50condition matches its stated age and mileage is always worthwhile.
0:30:52 > 0:30:54If it's supposed to have done 30,000 miles
0:30:54 > 0:30:57but the bonnet is covered in stone chips,
0:30:57 > 0:30:59that's a sign that it's probably done a higher mileage.
0:30:59 > 0:31:01And also, be suspicious of something
0:31:01 > 0:31:04where it's a brand-new gleaming bonnet, you know,
0:31:04 > 0:31:07that might have been repainted to cover lots of stone chips.
0:31:07 > 0:31:10If the driver's seat seems very tired and saggy,
0:31:10 > 0:31:13it's a good sign that it's done a high mileage.
0:31:13 > 0:31:14Have a look at the pedal rubbers -
0:31:14 > 0:31:18again, do they look unduly worn for the mileage that's been stated?
0:31:18 > 0:31:22Or be suspicious if they look absolutely brand-spanking new
0:31:22 > 0:31:23because they can be replaced.
0:31:23 > 0:31:26Just make sure you take some pretty obvious
0:31:26 > 0:31:30and straightforward steps without having to be an expert about cars,
0:31:30 > 0:31:32and do that before you part with any money.
0:31:32 > 0:31:35But that's advice which has come too late for Sohail,
0:31:35 > 0:31:39whose attempts to buy a car which is economical was anything but.
0:31:41 > 0:31:43I had no idea at all whatsoever
0:31:43 > 0:31:47before this that car clocking can be done.
0:31:47 > 0:31:49The whole idea was to save the money,
0:31:49 > 0:31:51and this is the opposite case.
0:31:57 > 0:32:00If you'd like more advice about any of the situations
0:32:00 > 0:32:01we investigate on the programme,
0:32:01 > 0:32:04then log on to our website...
0:32:06 > 0:32:09..which has a huge range of practical information on everything,
0:32:09 > 0:32:13from cold calling and how to check a company's credentials,
0:32:13 > 0:32:16to warnings on the latest scams to watch out for.
0:32:16 > 0:32:18You'll also find hints and tips from the experts
0:32:18 > 0:32:20and workshops at our pop-up shop,
0:32:20 > 0:32:23some of which could really save you money.
0:32:26 > 0:32:31Next, a murky tale of dashed ambitions, claims of malpractice,
0:32:31 > 0:32:35and hundreds of people all let down by the same company.
0:32:35 > 0:32:38In each case, big sums of money were paid in order for them
0:32:38 > 0:32:41to get a qualification that, in some cases,
0:32:41 > 0:32:43they urgently needed to continue in their job.
0:32:43 > 0:32:46They'd signed up with a business that promised
0:32:46 > 0:32:48the highest industry standards,
0:32:48 > 0:32:50but it's clear that is not what they got.
0:32:54 > 0:32:57Cottingham, in the East Riding of Yorkshire,
0:32:57 > 0:33:01is home to Daniel Taylor, who is a mature student at Hull University.
0:33:01 > 0:33:04He is juggling a degree in geography with his daytime
0:33:04 > 0:33:06work in information technology.
0:33:08 > 0:33:12Today I'm off to see a customer who has got a problem with a computer.
0:33:12 > 0:33:16There is not much that Daniel doesn't know about computers.
0:33:16 > 0:33:18- Hello, how are you?- Hi. - How you doing?
0:33:18 > 0:33:23But to improve his business prospects, he decided to study for
0:33:23 > 0:33:27a National Vocational Qualification, more commonly known as an NVQ.
0:33:28 > 0:33:30I suspect it is the RAM.
0:33:30 > 0:33:34Finding a course, though, was no easy task.
0:33:34 > 0:33:36The further education sector is big business,
0:33:36 > 0:33:41with around 3,400 companies offering courses across England alone.
0:33:41 > 0:33:46It is loading fine, I have fixed the sound problem as well.
0:33:46 > 0:33:49After searching online, Daniel found exactly the course
0:33:49 > 0:33:53he was looking for, an NVQ Assessor Certificate for IT and customer
0:33:53 > 0:33:57services, and it was with this company based in Warwickshire.
0:33:57 > 0:34:00It is called Bright International Training Ltd,
0:34:00 > 0:34:02but trades as Bright Assessing,
0:34:02 > 0:34:06not to be confused with other companies with similar names.
0:34:06 > 0:34:09At the time, the company billed themselves as, "The UK's
0:34:09 > 0:34:11"leading training provider."
0:34:11 > 0:34:16Their website boasted a remarkable list of credentials and endorsements.
0:34:17 > 0:34:21There's lots of professional people standing around, doctors
0:34:21 > 0:34:24and nurses, builders, that kind of thing.
0:34:24 > 0:34:29'I'm a good chef. But when I got laid off, it knocked my confidence.
0:34:29 > 0:34:32'And then a friend told me about Bright Assessing.'
0:34:32 > 0:34:35They've got business awards, local and national.
0:34:35 > 0:34:41- It all looks very professional.- So, in February 2013, Daniel signed up.
0:34:43 > 0:34:45And he quickly set to work completing the study modules
0:34:45 > 0:34:48and sending in assignments to be marked.
0:34:50 > 0:34:53The course cost him over £1,100,
0:34:53 > 0:34:58but as an investment in his future he thought it was definitely worth it.
0:34:58 > 0:35:01There were some companies offering to do it cheaper,
0:35:01 > 0:35:04but I thought with Bright's quick turnaround
0:35:04 > 0:35:06and all their great endorsements that they would be
0:35:06 > 0:35:09an excellent training provider for what I needed.
0:35:09 > 0:35:12Over the next few months, Daniel worked day
0:35:12 > 0:35:15and night to fit his coursework around his day job in IT.
0:35:17 > 0:35:20But he started to get worried that Bright Assessing might not
0:35:20 > 0:35:23be the professional organisation he believed it to be.
0:35:23 > 0:35:27There were several lost e-mails, there was a little bit of lost work,
0:35:27 > 0:35:31and the notes that were part of the evidence for my portfolio
0:35:31 > 0:35:35were just generic standard notes that they looked like they had
0:35:35 > 0:35:38sent out 1,000 times and just changed the names.
0:35:38 > 0:35:40So I did begin to wonder at this point that maybe there may be
0:35:40 > 0:35:42something wrong.
0:35:42 > 0:35:46Daniel continued with his course, but when all his work went missing,
0:35:46 > 0:35:49his concerns became much more serious.
0:35:49 > 0:35:53His qualification never arrived, and after months of waiting...
0:35:53 > 0:35:56'We are sorry, the user you're calling is currently unavailable.
0:35:56 > 0:35:58'Please call again later.'
0:35:58 > 0:36:02..I'm afraid he still couldn't get through to anyone at the company.
0:36:04 > 0:36:06At this point, I had already completed,
0:36:06 > 0:36:09but by the time we got to February this year, I had still not got
0:36:09 > 0:36:13a certificate or any acknowledgement even that I had finished the course.
0:36:13 > 0:36:18Daniel's NVQ certificate was to be awarded by a government accredited
0:36:18 > 0:36:23body called the Northern Council for Further Education, or NCFE.
0:36:23 > 0:36:27And as Daniel was experiencing his problems, NCFE was also hearing
0:36:27 > 0:36:30from others that all was not as it should be with Bright Assessing.
0:36:32 > 0:36:35We first became concerned about Bright Assessing
0:36:35 > 0:36:38when we were contacted by a number of learners.
0:36:38 > 0:36:41The learners were telling us there were issues with the teaching
0:36:41 > 0:36:43and the service they were receiving,
0:36:43 > 0:36:47so we took that and we launched an investigation into Bright.
0:36:47 > 0:36:49The focus of the investigation
0:36:49 > 0:36:52wasn't into courses like Daniel's, which he had paid for himself.
0:36:52 > 0:36:55Instead, it concentrated on the Bright Assessing training
0:36:55 > 0:36:59funded by the government's Back To Work scheme, which helps people
0:36:59 > 0:37:02get qualifications to boost their chance of getting a job.
0:37:02 > 0:37:04Over the last two years,
0:37:04 > 0:37:08Bright Assessing has been awarded contracts for over £2 million worth
0:37:08 > 0:37:11of taxpayers' money to be used to
0:37:11 > 0:37:13train unemployed job-seekers in this way.
0:37:13 > 0:37:17But the NCFE's investigation raised serious concerns that things
0:37:17 > 0:37:19were not going well.
0:37:21 > 0:37:24What we found when we conducted the investigation was that the
0:37:24 > 0:37:27teaching quality wasn't of the standard required,
0:37:27 > 0:37:29Bright had not registered many learners with us,
0:37:29 > 0:37:33so NCFE wouldn't be aware those learners were on the programme.
0:37:33 > 0:37:37We found that assessors' signatures had been falsified,
0:37:37 > 0:37:40and ultimately that certificates were being wrongly,
0:37:40 > 0:37:43but knowingly wrongly, issued.
0:37:45 > 0:37:47Faced with so much evidence of apparent malpractice,
0:37:47 > 0:37:52NCFE, along with other similar bodies elsewhere in the country,
0:37:52 > 0:37:55totally withdrew their accreditation of Bright Assessing.
0:37:56 > 0:37:58This is the worst case of malpractice that we have
0:37:58 > 0:38:02come across in seven years that I have been at NCFE.
0:38:02 > 0:38:05We fully suspended Bright and stopped working with them.
0:38:05 > 0:38:09But unfortunately, all this had serious repercussions for many of
0:38:09 > 0:38:14the students who had already gained qualifications with Bright Assessing.
0:38:14 > 0:38:18We, throughout our investigation, have revoked 225 certificates,
0:38:18 > 0:38:21and as far as I'm concerned that is 225 too many.
0:38:21 > 0:38:24That has left a lot of people in a really terrible position
0:38:24 > 0:38:26and we are very saddened and disappointed.
0:38:26 > 0:38:29If they come forward to NCFE and contact us,
0:38:29 > 0:38:32we will try and find the right place for them to go and try
0:38:32 > 0:38:35and get reassessed and ultimately get their qualification.
0:38:35 > 0:38:40In total, over 1,400 students have lost out with Bright Assessing,
0:38:40 > 0:38:43and, like Daniel, they have been left in limbo.
0:38:45 > 0:38:48I have completed an accredited course at an approved centre
0:38:48 > 0:38:52in a regulated industry, and I have been left with no money,
0:38:52 > 0:38:54no qualification.
0:38:54 > 0:38:57Daniel is now trying to go through the Small Claims Court to get
0:38:57 > 0:39:01back the £1,100 he paid out to Bright Assessing.
0:39:01 > 0:39:05But even if he succeeds, he has lost the best part of a year
0:39:05 > 0:39:07studying with nothing to show for it at the end.
0:39:09 > 0:39:11This kind of thing could happen again tomorrow.
0:39:11 > 0:39:14There are just no safeguards in place to ensure that people's
0:39:14 > 0:39:15money is protected.
0:39:17 > 0:39:19When we contacted Bright Assessing,
0:39:19 > 0:39:21they rejected the criticisms made against them
0:39:21 > 0:39:24and blamed the entire situation on what they call
0:39:24 > 0:39:28"inconsistent and inadequate external moderation by the NCFE".
0:39:28 > 0:39:33They point out that, prior to the damning investigation, they had
0:39:33 > 0:39:39been rated "good" or "excellent" by the NCFE on 20 previous occasions,
0:39:39 > 0:39:42some of which were "just four months previously
0:39:42 > 0:39:43"and for the same learners."
0:39:45 > 0:39:49On hearing the NCFE's findings, they commissioned their own
0:39:49 > 0:39:53independent audit, and found that there was "no endemic situation".
0:39:53 > 0:39:56"The allegations of forgery were false,"
0:39:56 > 0:39:58and while "the quality of the Back To Work course was
0:39:58 > 0:40:01"not as good as it could be," that was because
0:40:01 > 0:40:05"NCFE had not properly supported Bright as a centre".
0:40:06 > 0:40:09As to why some learners hadn't been registered, they insisted
0:40:09 > 0:40:11there was "no rule or requirement"
0:40:11 > 0:40:14for that to happen until students have completed their course,
0:40:14 > 0:40:17and that this had never been questioned before.
0:40:17 > 0:40:21They then went on to blame NCFE for causing a backlog in registering
0:40:21 > 0:40:25and certificating learners, and for withdrawing certificates
0:40:25 > 0:40:28that they are adamant were issued correctly, although they did accept
0:40:28 > 0:40:31that some had been done wrongly thanks to "a simple admin error".
0:40:31 > 0:40:33And they accused Daniel
0:40:33 > 0:40:37and others of waging a campaign against the company on social media.
0:40:39 > 0:40:41Whatever has gone on, it is
0:40:41 > 0:40:45clear an awful lot of people have seriously lost out because of it.
0:40:45 > 0:40:47But as far as the NCFE is concerned,
0:40:47 > 0:40:51if you have been thinking of starting a distance learning course to
0:40:51 > 0:40:54improve your job prospects, none of this should put you off.
0:40:54 > 0:40:57People thinking about distance learning can be assured
0:40:57 > 0:40:59that the system works as a whole
0:40:59 > 0:41:02and that awarding organisations like ours are around to help
0:41:02 > 0:41:04and support in terms of pointing them
0:41:04 > 0:41:08in the direction of organisations that will deliver training for them.
0:41:08 > 0:41:12It is a rarity to have cases of this magnitude of malpractice.
0:41:13 > 0:41:16Even so, Daniel remains bitterly disappointed, and just can't
0:41:16 > 0:41:21understand how a situation like this was able to happen.
0:41:21 > 0:41:23The whole thing is a complete sham.
0:41:23 > 0:41:28They are taking money and they are not providing the correct training,
0:41:28 > 0:41:30and there was no comeback.
0:41:37 > 0:41:40Here at Rip-Off Britain we are always ready to investigate
0:41:40 > 0:41:42more of your stories.
0:41:42 > 0:41:45Confused over your bills or feel you are paying over the odds?
0:41:45 > 0:41:48They don't tell you when they put the tariff up or change it.
0:41:48 > 0:41:50They just do it.
0:41:50 > 0:41:52Unsure what to do when you discover you have lost out
0:41:52 > 0:41:56and that great deal has ended up costing you money?
0:41:56 > 0:41:59It has always annoyed us and it looks like it is going to get worse.
0:41:59 > 0:42:02You might have a cautionary tale of your own and want to share
0:42:02 > 0:42:05the mistakes you have made with us so that others don't do the same.
0:42:05 > 0:42:09- I am more wise now, but I was taken in.- Yes.
0:42:09 > 0:42:11You can write to us at...
0:42:17 > 0:42:19Or send us an e-mail to...
0:42:24 > 0:42:29The Rip-Off team is ready and waiting to investigate your stories.
0:42:35 > 0:42:37Although the fallout from the stories
0:42:37 > 0:42:39we have heard today has been far reaching
0:42:39 > 0:42:41and in some cases disastrous, the good news is
0:42:41 > 0:42:45that there are still very few companies that deliberately
0:42:45 > 0:42:49set out to make a hash of things or to mislead their customers.
0:42:49 > 0:42:52Which is just as well, because if they are determined to do that,
0:42:52 > 0:42:54it can be almost impossible to spot
0:42:54 > 0:42:56their intentions before they rip you off.
0:42:56 > 0:42:59So, in the end, if that happens, it really can feel like the odds
0:42:59 > 0:43:03are stacked against you as you try to sort the whole thing out.
0:43:03 > 0:43:06But while you're not always able to put things right after
0:43:06 > 0:43:09the event, we do hope that we have given you some pointers on how
0:43:09 > 0:43:12to avoid getting caught out like this in the first place.
0:43:12 > 0:43:15I'm afraid that is where we have to leave you today.
0:43:15 > 0:43:17We will be back with more of your stories very soon
0:43:17 > 0:43:19but until then, from all of us and the team, bye-bye.
0:43:19 > 0:43:20- Goodbye.- Goodbye.