0:00:02 > 0:00:04We asked you to tell us what's left you feeling totally ripped off
0:00:04 > 0:00:07and you've 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 > 0:00:15If I walk in somewhere and they treat you badly,
0:00:15 > 0:00:18then I walk and I will never go in again.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21You've asked us to track down the scammers who stole your money
0:00:21 > 0:00:24and investigate the extra charges you'd say are unfair.
0:00:24 > 0:00:26You've paid for a service
0:00:26 > 0:00:29and you expect it to be the service that you've paid for.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32And when you've lost out but no-one else is to blame,
0:00:32 > 0:00:35you've come to us to stop others falling into the same trap.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38As a customer, you've got to be more savvy, in terms of what you're
0:00:38 > 0:00:41buying and make sure that it's something that you want or need
0:00:41 > 0:00:44and not something that they're trying to trick you into getting.
0:00:44 > 0:00:48So whether it's a blatant rip-off or a genuine mistake, we're here
0:00:48 > 0:00:54to find out why you're out of pocket and what you can do about it.
0:00:54 > 0:00:56Your stories, your money.
0:00:56 > 0:00:58This is Rip-Off Britain.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03Hello, and welcome to Rip-Off Britain, where, as ever,
0:01:03 > 0:01:05we're armed with the very best advice to make sure
0:01:05 > 0:01:08that you don't end up losing your hard-earned cash,
0:01:08 > 0:01:10and particularly not to any of the fraudsters
0:01:10 > 0:01:12coming up in the programme
0:01:12 > 0:01:14with ever more audacious ways to trick you out of your money.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17Today we're going to be exposing some of the very latest scams
0:01:17 > 0:01:19you've told us about.
0:01:19 > 0:01:22All the ones we're going to be looking at are very different,
0:01:22 > 0:01:24but they do have one thing in common -
0:01:24 > 0:01:27a really plausible story to draw you in.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30Which is why the people who've contacted us
0:01:30 > 0:01:32have ended up being taken in,
0:01:32 > 0:01:35but what's truly frightening about some of their stories
0:01:35 > 0:01:37is that the situations in which they find themselves could
0:01:37 > 0:01:40very easily happen to you as well, so today we've got
0:01:40 > 0:01:45everything you need to know to avoid being caught out in the same way.
0:01:45 > 0:01:47Coming up - the elaborate con
0:01:47 > 0:01:50that saw this woman tricked into thinking she was working
0:01:50 > 0:01:54for the police to catch the very fraudsters who were after her cash.
0:01:54 > 0:01:58I mean, as silly as it sounds, I'm quite into the undercover,
0:01:58 > 0:02:00which sounds ridiculous, but
0:02:00 > 0:02:03I was being reeled in.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06And after paying to put their precious belongings into storage,
0:02:06 > 0:02:09why this couple never saw them again.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12They left us very, very angry
0:02:12 > 0:02:15and saddened that there are people out there
0:02:15 > 0:02:18that actually do these types of things.
0:02:21 > 0:02:25Well, I guess that these days, most of us know to be very suspicious
0:02:25 > 0:02:28if we get a phone call out of the blue from somebody
0:02:28 > 0:02:31who wants to discuss our finances,
0:02:31 > 0:02:34which is why the people who are behind such calls have,
0:02:34 > 0:02:37unfortunately, become especially ingenious
0:02:37 > 0:02:40at making their lies appear totally believable.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45Over the last couple of years, we've reported several times
0:02:45 > 0:02:48on scams that relied on fraudsters keeping open the phone line
0:02:48 > 0:02:50when you thought you'd hung up.
0:02:50 > 0:02:52But now there's a new twist -
0:02:52 > 0:02:55one that's leaving a lot of people out of pocket.
0:02:55 > 0:02:59I never cease to be amazed at the really convincing stories
0:02:59 > 0:03:01that criminals come up with
0:03:01 > 0:03:05to ensure that they can part us from our hard-earned cash.
0:03:05 > 0:03:09And the one that targeted the woman I'm about to meet,
0:03:09 > 0:03:11has to be one of the most extraordinary scams
0:03:11 > 0:03:14we've ever heard about on Rip Off Britain.
0:03:14 > 0:03:16- Valerie?- Hello!- Hi, I'm Angela.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19- Good to see you.- Come in.- Thank you.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22'Valerie's long been aware of the ways in which fraudster can target
0:03:22 > 0:03:24'us in our own homes.'
0:03:24 > 0:03:28What a lovely, spacious kitchen you've got here.
0:03:28 > 0:03:32'So she was immediately on her guard when in June 2015
0:03:32 > 0:03:34'she received, out of the blue,
0:03:34 > 0:03:38'exactly the sort of phone call she knew should make her suspicious.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41'The man on the end of the line claimed to be a police officer.'
0:03:41 > 0:03:45This guy is saying that he's a serious fraud officer
0:03:45 > 0:03:47and they were working with the bank
0:03:47 > 0:03:50and £1,200 had been taken out.
0:03:50 > 0:03:52So I said, "No, that's absolutely not me."
0:03:52 > 0:03:55And he said, "Well, you will need to phone your bank
0:03:55 > 0:03:58"and get your card stopped,"
0:03:58 > 0:04:02so I immediately thought, "I've heard about this on your programme
0:04:02 > 0:04:04"and that they stay connected.
0:04:04 > 0:04:09- So, you immediately thought this might be a scam?- Yes, yes, I did.
0:04:09 > 0:04:13Valerie had seen our previous reports on so-called vishing cases,
0:04:13 > 0:04:16where scammers cold-calling homes
0:04:16 > 0:04:18make themselves appear genuine by suggesting
0:04:18 > 0:04:21that you call them back on a trusted number.
0:04:21 > 0:04:25But all too often when you thought they'd disconnected the call
0:04:25 > 0:04:28they'd stayed on the line. So you'd still be speaking to them
0:04:28 > 0:04:31while believing you were actually checking out their story with, say,
0:04:31 > 0:04:33your own bank.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36Knowing this, Valerie did not immediately call her bank,
0:04:36 > 0:04:40but the so-called police officer was one step ahead and rang HER back.
0:04:40 > 0:04:42He said, "Have you phoned your bank yet?"
0:04:42 > 0:04:44So I said, "No, I haven't,"
0:04:44 > 0:04:46and I said, "By the way, I need
0:04:46 > 0:04:48"your police ID number and your name."
0:04:48 > 0:04:50He gave me that.
0:04:50 > 0:04:53Valerie knew she should check these details with the police,
0:04:53 > 0:04:56but, flustered by the con artist,
0:04:56 > 0:04:59this time she didn't hang up for long enough for to clear the line.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02She went straight back to the scammers, who of course
0:05:02 > 0:05:05assured her that she had been talking to a bona fide officer.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08Valerie then called the bank. Again, the fraudsters stayed on the line.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11And you were convinced at that point you were talking to Barclays?
0:05:11 > 0:05:13Yes. Yes, I was.
0:05:13 > 0:05:17The bogus bank official advised her to help the police
0:05:17 > 0:05:20and no sooner did that call end, then the bogus police officer
0:05:20 > 0:05:21rang her again.
0:05:21 > 0:05:23He's not giving me a second, and
0:05:23 > 0:05:26then he's asking about my other accounts.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29I said, "Well, I have an ISA account."
0:05:29 > 0:05:33He said, "Well, can you transfer that into your current account?"
0:05:33 > 0:05:36"But why would I want to do that?" He says, "Well, we do need you
0:05:36 > 0:05:39"to use your money today but it will be totally safe."
0:05:39 > 0:05:43And that's when things got really audacious.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46Because rather than simply try to talk her into handing over her cash,
0:05:46 > 0:05:50over the next five hours and throughout dozens of phone calls,
0:05:50 > 0:05:52the scammers persuaded Valerie
0:05:52 > 0:05:55that she was taking part in an undercover police operation
0:05:55 > 0:05:57to trap a gang of crooks.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59He's on the phone again immediately.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02He's then telling me that this gang are working in London
0:06:02 > 0:06:07and that almost £500,000 had been scammed.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11Realising that he'd hooked her,
0:06:11 > 0:06:14the scammer moved on to the next phase of his plan.
0:06:14 > 0:06:18At that point he said, "We need you to make a purchase in London."
0:06:18 > 0:06:20But you need a second to process
0:06:20 > 0:06:23that thought and he wasn't giving me that.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25- So he was railroading you with information...- Yes.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28- ..with questions...- Yes, yes. - ..all of the time,
0:06:28 > 0:06:31- not giving you time to stop and think.- Not giving me a minute.
0:06:31 > 0:06:35Valerie was being asked to transfer £33,000 of her savings
0:06:35 > 0:06:37into her current account.
0:06:37 > 0:06:39She was told that the money would help at the crucial moment
0:06:39 > 0:06:42when the criminal gang would be caught in the act,
0:06:42 > 0:06:44but because it was such a large sum of money,
0:06:44 > 0:06:48Valerie had to go physically to her bank to transfer it in person.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51The crook even had the gall to caution her to be careful
0:06:51 > 0:06:53because somebody in her own bank
0:06:53 > 0:06:55could be working with the criminal gang.
0:06:55 > 0:07:00He said, "Don't forget, somebody in the bank is in cahoots with this,
0:07:00 > 0:07:04"and I want you to observe the bankers there."
0:07:04 > 0:07:07After transferring £33,000 into her current account,
0:07:07 > 0:07:11Valerie was instructed to catch a taxi to Selfridges' flagship
0:07:11 > 0:07:14store, where the final act of the drama was to play out.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17Were you sort of quite excited at this point?
0:07:17 > 0:07:19Well, I'm thinking we're going to get them.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22I mean, as silly as it sounds, I'm quite into the undercover,
0:07:22 > 0:07:25because he used that term so many times -
0:07:25 > 0:07:27"Now, don't forget you're working undercover."
0:07:27 > 0:07:29Which sounds ridiculous, but...
0:07:29 > 0:07:31I was being reeled in.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34As she headed into London, Valerie was told that the gang
0:07:34 > 0:07:39was about to try to use her card details to purchase a Rolex watch.
0:07:39 > 0:07:43So she needed to be at the famous department store at the same time,
0:07:43 > 0:07:46to prove to the sales staff that whoever was supposedly using
0:07:46 > 0:07:50her card details was doing so fraudulently.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52He kept ringing and ringing and ringing.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55"Well, where are you now? How long now?"
0:07:55 > 0:07:57After nearly two hours of frantic phone calls,
0:07:57 > 0:08:00the taxi eventually dropped her outside Selfridges.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04You're at the Rolex watch counter. What happened?
0:08:04 > 0:08:07At this stage, I was feeling very vulnerable, very frightened,
0:08:07 > 0:08:10because I'm in the store, I'm in London,
0:08:10 > 0:08:12my family don't know where I am.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15The only person that I'm in contact with is this guy
0:08:15 > 0:08:18that I totally believe is a police officer.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21- And he's still on the phone? - He's still on the phone.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24He directs me. He says, "Now I want you to go to the watch department."
0:08:24 > 0:08:27And I said, "I'm starting to feel really wobbly and faint."
0:08:27 > 0:08:31And he said, "Go, go, go! They've just taken another £30,000
0:08:31 > 0:08:33"out of somebody's account. We've got to get them,
0:08:33 > 0:08:36"we're going to get them today. Go!"
0:08:36 > 0:08:39The scammer remained on the phone the whole time.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41The assistant asked me, "Can I help you?"
0:08:41 > 0:08:44And I said, "I'm looking to buy a Rolex."
0:08:44 > 0:08:47And she said, "Do you know what one?" So I said, "No, I'm not sure,
0:08:47 > 0:08:49"but he's able to hear me",
0:08:49 > 0:08:53and I said, "Just a minute, then. I'll ask him cos it's for a friend."
0:08:53 > 0:08:56And then he gives me a number of a Rolex
0:08:56 > 0:08:58and I relay it to the assistant.
0:08:58 > 0:09:00And she said, "Oh, yes, it's this one here."
0:09:00 > 0:09:04And he's now saying in my phone, "You're doing really, really well,
0:09:04 > 0:09:08"Valerie. It's all going to be over soon. Purchase - make the purchase."
0:09:08 > 0:09:10And you were buying a watch that was valued at...?
0:09:10 > 0:09:13£13,000.
0:09:13 > 0:09:15That's a bit scary in itself, isn't it?
0:09:15 > 0:09:19Well, it is! It's probably my only opportunity that I'll go and buy
0:09:19 > 0:09:20a Rolex for £13,000!
0:09:22 > 0:09:25But luckily for Valerie, the Selfridges staff could sense
0:09:25 > 0:09:27that she was on edge.
0:09:27 > 0:09:32And what's more, they'd been warned about these kinds of scams.
0:09:32 > 0:09:34What made them think that there was something not quite right?
0:09:34 > 0:09:38I didn't know what I was buying! And also I'm on the phone to somebody.
0:09:38 > 0:09:43I'm asking them which one is it that they want, which is ridiculous.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46Fortunately, the vigilance of the store staff paid off,
0:09:46 > 0:09:49and they intervened to stop the purchase
0:09:49 > 0:09:51before the scam could escalate any further.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54As for Valerie, she was understandably confused
0:09:54 > 0:09:56and unsure who she could trust.
0:09:56 > 0:10:00Then I'm aware of two guys coming into the store,
0:10:00 > 0:10:02and one of them leans over and...
0:10:03 > 0:10:06..he said something about fraud.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08So I thought, "Ah, they're looking after me."
0:10:08 > 0:10:12And he said, "You're involved in a scam."
0:10:12 > 0:10:14- What's going through your head now? - I don't know.
0:10:14 > 0:10:18I'm sat there now and I don't know who's the baddie, who's the goodie,
0:10:18 > 0:10:21and at that point, then, I did break down for a minute.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27Eventually, genuine police officers turned up
0:10:27 > 0:10:29and took a very distressed Valerie home.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32They were also looking into similar cases,
0:10:32 > 0:10:36all of which produce the same perplexing question.
0:10:36 > 0:10:41Why would crooks want someone like Valerie to buy and expensive item
0:10:41 > 0:10:44like a Rolex watch in the first place?
0:10:47 > 0:10:50DCI Anthony Archibald was the real police officer
0:10:50 > 0:10:52who took charge of the investigation,
0:10:52 > 0:10:55dubbed Operation Eddystone.
0:10:55 > 0:10:57What was the point of this scam?
0:10:57 > 0:11:00The ultimate goal for the criminal is that the high-value watch
0:11:00 > 0:11:02would then get sent out of the country and sell it
0:11:02 > 0:11:05for a considerable amount of money. So there is a huge profit
0:11:05 > 0:11:08for what was just a couple of hours' work for a criminal.
0:11:08 > 0:11:10If Valerie's purchase had gone ahead,
0:11:10 > 0:11:13the man on the phone would most likely have given her instructions
0:11:13 > 0:11:17on what to do with the watch next, which inevitably would have meant
0:11:17 > 0:11:21her handing it over to the gang, supposedly as police evidence,
0:11:21 > 0:11:22and losing all her money.
0:11:22 > 0:11:26As it was, she had a lucky escape, but others aren't so fortunate.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29You must have seen many instances where people have become the victims
0:11:29 > 0:11:33of scams. What sort of effect does it have on them, do you think?
0:11:33 > 0:11:36Absolutely devastating for some people. I mean, there's the loss
0:11:36 > 0:11:38of considerable amounts of money,
0:11:38 > 0:11:42and in some cases I've known, it's people's life savings.
0:11:42 > 0:11:46And I can fully understand how Valerie or other victims
0:11:46 > 0:11:48are taken in by this.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51Well, we're delighted to say that there's very good news
0:11:51 > 0:11:55which it's hoped will put a stop to this particular scam altogether.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58The phone companies have made changes to make it impossible
0:11:58 > 0:12:01for anyone to stay on the line for more than two seconds
0:12:01 > 0:12:03after a call ends.
0:12:03 > 0:12:05But you do still need to be on your guard.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08The fraudsters will always come up with new ways
0:12:08 > 0:12:09to con us out of our cash.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12Has it done a lot of permanent damage and hurt to you,
0:12:12 > 0:12:15do you think?
0:12:15 > 0:12:17There's a lot of anger in me still.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20I was lucky. All he took from me was a day of my time.
0:12:20 > 0:12:24But other people, they're taking their life savings,
0:12:24 > 0:12:26they're taking their life away.
0:12:26 > 0:12:28And I'm very angry about that.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31And that's why I'm prepared to speak up about it.
0:12:33 > 0:12:37Let's be honest, who hasn't watched the Antiques Roadshow
0:12:37 > 0:12:40and fantasised about making a mint on some of the stuff that you've got
0:12:40 > 0:12:43stored away up in the attic or around your home?
0:12:43 > 0:12:45Well, I warn you, our next story is a cautionary reminder
0:12:45 > 0:12:47that if you're parting with precious goods,
0:12:47 > 0:12:51things don't always work out the way you'd expect.
0:12:51 > 0:12:55In May 2014, when Sue Larkin was getting ready to move
0:12:55 > 0:12:57from Aberdeen to Darlington,
0:12:57 > 0:13:00she hoped a clear-out would help her to make not just space
0:13:00 > 0:13:02but some cash as well.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05So when she saw an advert for a local antiques event,
0:13:05 > 0:13:06she went along.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09But things turned out very differently
0:13:09 > 0:13:10than she ever could have expected.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13We asked antiques expert Adam Partridge to see
0:13:13 > 0:13:16if he could help get to the bottom of what's gone on.
0:13:16 > 0:13:20I had some items of silver which my mother had left me,
0:13:20 > 0:13:26- which I wanted to eventually sell because I was downsizing.- Yep.
0:13:26 > 0:13:30And there was a company of valuers coming to a hotel in Aberdeen
0:13:30 > 0:13:34- to do valuations.- I see, so was it a free valuation day?
0:13:34 > 0:13:36It was a free valuation day.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39So you thought, "I've seen these on the telly, I'll go along..."
0:13:39 > 0:13:41- Yeah, exactly. - "..and see what happens."- Yes.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44It seemed like the perfect opportunity for Sue to see
0:13:44 > 0:13:46what her items might be worth.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49And when Sue arrived at the show, a man called Michael Bilkus
0:13:49 > 0:13:52gave her some exciting news.
0:13:52 > 0:13:56He looked at them and then said that he would be happy to put them
0:13:56 > 0:14:00into auction for me and I thought this was all my problems solved.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04Michael told Sue he'd be able to put
0:14:04 > 0:14:07her silver into an auction that he was going to
0:14:07 > 0:14:08in just a few weeks' time.
0:14:08 > 0:14:10How many items were there?
0:14:10 > 0:14:13I'd say in total about 20, 22 bits and pieces.
0:14:13 > 0:14:17- So quite a lot of silver, tea sets and things like that?- Yes.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21The reserve price on the handwritten receipt
0:14:21 > 0:14:24Sue was given for the whole lot was £730.
0:14:24 > 0:14:26So he simply said, "I'll take these
0:14:26 > 0:14:29"off your hands and we'll auction them"?
0:14:29 > 0:14:32- That's correct, yeah.- No detail of where?- No.- When?- No.
0:14:32 > 0:14:36- Gosh, this is really worrying stuff, actually.- Yes.
0:14:36 > 0:14:38And this is not the way that people should be doing this
0:14:38 > 0:14:40in this business.
0:14:40 > 0:14:44So Sue returned home without her family silver
0:14:44 > 0:14:47but with the promise from Michael Bilkus that he would be in touch
0:14:47 > 0:14:49to give her more details about the auction.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51But when he did contact her again,
0:14:51 > 0:14:54it was with some unexpected news.
0:14:54 > 0:14:57About a month afterwards, he telephoned me
0:14:57 > 0:15:00to say that he decided he wasn't going to put them into auction,
0:15:00 > 0:15:03that he thought he would clean the items of silver
0:15:03 > 0:15:05and put them into his shop.
0:15:05 > 0:15:07And did this make you feel uneasy that he was changing his tune?
0:15:07 > 0:15:11I just thought that he was doing it to benefit me,
0:15:11 > 0:15:14that we were probably going to get a better deal.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17She was then told that her items would be going into auction
0:15:17 > 0:15:21after all, but as months passed since she'd handed over the family
0:15:21 > 0:15:25silver - with no sign of any money by the way - Sue had had enough.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28I sent him an e-mail to say that the next day I was going to go
0:15:28 > 0:15:33- to the police...- Yep.- ..and I actually did contact Action Fraud
0:15:33 > 0:15:36and reported it to them.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39I also sent letters to the company, recorded delivery,
0:15:39 > 0:15:42saying that they were in breach of contract.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46Michael Bilkus had told Sue that he was unable to sell her goods
0:15:46 > 0:15:49because the value of silver had depreciated.
0:15:49 > 0:15:53And then he said he no longer even had access to her items,
0:15:53 > 0:15:55claiming they were at the home of his former partner
0:15:55 > 0:15:58who had now changed the locks!
0:15:58 > 0:16:00- Well and truly the alarm bells were sounding now.- Yes.
0:16:00 > 0:16:04I sent him an e-mail saying that it was now 12 months
0:16:04 > 0:16:08and don't think he got away with it cos watch this space.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11And that's when we got involved.
0:16:11 > 0:16:15Rip Off Britain broadcast Sue's story back in October 2015.
0:16:15 > 0:16:18Now, at the time, Michael Bilkus told us he's a professional
0:16:18 > 0:16:20and honourable person
0:16:20 > 0:16:22and he'd personally make sure
0:16:22 > 0:16:25that Sue suffered no loss if he couldn't get the silver back.
0:16:25 > 0:16:27But nothing happened for several more months.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30So in May of this year, we went back to him again,
0:16:30 > 0:16:33and while he maintained that none of this was in fact down to him,
0:16:33 > 0:16:36blaming instead former colleagues who'd been involved with the event
0:16:36 > 0:16:40that Sue had attended, he told us that despite not being in possession
0:16:40 > 0:16:43of these goods, he would now pay her the money
0:16:43 > 0:16:45that he'd originally said she'd received.
0:16:45 > 0:16:46And he has.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49Minus however, an 18% commission.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52So it's at last a resolution for Sue,
0:16:52 > 0:16:55who's so relieved that all of this is now at an end.
0:16:55 > 0:16:57But Adam has advice for anyone else
0:16:57 > 0:16:59thinking of selling the family silver.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02There are a few common sense pointers, really.
0:17:02 > 0:17:06Beware of travelling itinerant valuers
0:17:06 > 0:17:08and companies that you haven't really heard of.
0:17:08 > 0:17:10If in any doubt, don't leave your stuff with them, even if
0:17:10 > 0:17:13they're offering you a receipt. Get a couple of opinions or go
0:17:13 > 0:17:17and see a reputable auction house or a member of a trade association
0:17:17 > 0:17:19where a receipt actually means something.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22As for Sue, she hopes her story will prevent others
0:17:22 > 0:17:24going through anything similar.
0:17:24 > 0:17:28I'd want to make doubly sure that this cannot happen to somebody else.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31It was a bad experience - frustrating, stressful.
0:17:38 > 0:17:42Once again, we're ready to open up our Rip Off Britain pop-up shop.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45Now, this time, we've come to one of the busy shopping
0:17:45 > 0:17:48centres right in the heart of Nottingham.
0:17:48 > 0:17:52For two days, we've brought our team of experts out on the road
0:17:52 > 0:17:54so that we can give advice face-to-face.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56We've got a terrific team here
0:17:56 > 0:17:59that are ready to give you the tools and all the information
0:17:59 > 0:18:00you need to ensure that the next
0:18:00 > 0:18:02time you hand over your hard-earned cash,
0:18:02 > 0:18:04you won't be ripped off.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09Faye Lord and her dad, Mick, came to see finance expert
0:18:09 > 0:18:13Sarah Pennells after being caught out by a scammer advertising on eBay.
0:18:13 > 0:18:17They'd bought a voucher for a big-name holiday company
0:18:17 > 0:18:20but had become suspicious after seeing another very similar
0:18:20 > 0:18:22listing from the same seller.
0:18:22 > 0:18:25Do you mind if I ask how much did you bid for this card,
0:18:25 > 0:18:26this holiday voucher?
0:18:26 > 0:18:29- It was £1,850.- Wow.
0:18:29 > 0:18:33- So obviously, it is a massive amount of money to us.- Of course.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36We decided something wasn't quite right and we thought,
0:18:36 > 0:18:39"This is a lot of money. The best thing to do would be to cancel this
0:18:39 > 0:18:42"transaction and ask for a refund."
0:18:42 > 0:18:46The seller agreed to a full refund, but the money never arrived.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49So Fay turned to eBay, who gave the seller
0:18:49 > 0:18:52a deadline to either pay up or send proof that the voucher
0:18:52 > 0:18:57had been delivered. And a day before that time was up, the seller
0:18:57 > 0:19:00sent an e-mail claiming the voucher had been sent, providing a
0:19:00 > 0:19:03tracking number, which they said proved it.
0:19:03 > 0:19:07A day later, we saw this tracking number had been signed for
0:19:07 > 0:19:11- when we checked it online.- So, in other words...- We'd not received
0:19:11 > 0:19:14anything at all. No card through the door for missed delivery
0:19:14 > 0:19:18- or anything.- And no way of tracing whoever it might have been
0:19:18 > 0:19:20- who'd had the item?- No.
0:19:20 > 0:19:22'And so the plot thickened when
0:19:22 > 0:19:25'they called at their local sorting office to find out what had gone on.'
0:19:25 > 0:19:28We said, look, allegedly this item has been sent to us
0:19:28 > 0:19:31but we have not received anything. How can this happen?
0:19:31 > 0:19:33And we provided them with the tracking number.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36They said, "This rings a bell with us, actually. We know about this."
0:19:36 > 0:19:40A gentleman had come in and said, "I've got a special delivery item.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43"I'm not expecting anything. This is all very strange."
0:19:43 > 0:19:46But he handed over the card nevertheless and all there was
0:19:46 > 0:19:50inside it was a piece of paper that said, "Your gift card is enclosed."
0:19:50 > 0:19:52But there was nothing else inside it.
0:19:52 > 0:19:54'It seems, rather than sending
0:19:54 > 0:19:57'the voucher, the seller had simply sent an empty envelope
0:19:57 > 0:20:01'by recorded delivery to a random address in Nottingham and they'd
0:20:01 > 0:20:05'done so deliberately, knowing that they could then demonstrate proof
0:20:05 > 0:20:09'of posting and delivery. As a result, eBay told Faye they could not
0:20:09 > 0:20:13'refund her the money, leaving her nearly £2,000 out of pocket.'
0:20:13 > 0:20:16The auction site just keeps saying, "The seller has provided
0:20:16 > 0:20:19"evidence that the item has been delivered to you,"
0:20:19 > 0:20:21which is just not true.
0:20:21 > 0:20:25I mean, really, it's down to the online site to reimburse you
0:20:25 > 0:20:27because you have undoubtedly been the victim
0:20:27 > 0:20:31of fraud, and they have a procedure which says very clearly the
0:20:31 > 0:20:33terms and conditions that you have to meet in order to be
0:20:33 > 0:20:36covered by it, which you meet. The company is quite adamant
0:20:36 > 0:20:38you haven't got a case. I disagree.
0:20:38 > 0:20:42And I think this might be one that we need to get involved in.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45- Mention the name Rip Off Britain. - Mention the name. Give them a
0:20:45 > 0:20:49bit of a shake and just see whether it changes their mind.
0:20:49 > 0:20:53Immediately after filming, Sarah contacted eBay herself and the
0:20:53 > 0:20:56company conducted an investigation.
0:20:56 > 0:21:00They concluded that Faye had been the victim of a sophisticated fraudster
0:21:00 > 0:21:03and have now refunded her the full amount.
0:21:03 > 0:21:05So satisfaction at last.
0:21:08 > 0:21:12Moving house and all your possessions can be a stressful
0:21:12 > 0:21:13experience at the best of times,
0:21:13 > 0:21:17which is why so many of us hire someone to help when we do it.
0:21:17 > 0:21:19But more than a few of the people who hired a
0:21:19 > 0:21:23man called Stephen Charlesworth to look after their belongings
0:21:23 > 0:21:27now bitterly regret ever doing so,
0:21:27 > 0:21:30because they haven't seen the things they trusted him with since.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35Back in 2014, Barbara and Peter Barnes were moving back to
0:21:35 > 0:21:39Sale in south Manchester. With Peter paralysed from the waist down,
0:21:39 > 0:21:43Barbara wanted to move closer to her family.
0:21:43 > 0:21:48Every day is a challenge. You just can't get up and walk and do things.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51It's very, very hard because Peter can't do lots of the things
0:21:51 > 0:21:55that he could do before, which is frustrating for him
0:21:55 > 0:21:57and also puts pressure on me.
0:21:57 > 0:22:01It was Stephen Charlesworth they paid to take their valuables away
0:22:01 > 0:22:04and keep them safe in storage while they waited for their new home
0:22:04 > 0:22:09to be completed, but that was the last they saw of their belongings.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12We couldn't get hold of him. I tried loads and loads of times
0:22:12 > 0:22:15and there was no answer.
0:22:15 > 0:22:17They tried to contact Stephen Charlesworth
0:22:17 > 0:22:21numerous times by phone and by text. He simply didn't reply
0:22:21 > 0:22:24and when they went to the police, they were told it was a civil
0:22:24 > 0:22:27matter so nothing could be done.
0:22:27 > 0:22:31In money terms, it's probably worth about £2,000.
0:22:31 > 0:22:36But what matters to us is the sentimental value of all the
0:22:36 > 0:22:38things that we've lost.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41The couple even tried visiting the supposed
0:22:41 > 0:22:43storage facility where their belongings were meant to have
0:22:43 > 0:22:46been kept. But it immediately became clear they'd been
0:22:46 > 0:22:50spun a line. The address they had been given wasn't a storage
0:22:50 > 0:22:54facility at all. It was a local community centre. But to this day,
0:22:54 > 0:22:58it remains unclear where Barbara and Peter's belongings did end up.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01Stephen Charlesworth told us he'd had so many clients,
0:23:01 > 0:23:03he couldn't remember.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06I'm just absolutely disgusted that there's somebody out there
0:23:06 > 0:23:10that could come round, seeing us in our situation, knowing what
0:23:10 > 0:23:14we've already gone through, and you know, why he's done it to us.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17I just can't understand.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20Sadly, since we filmed with the couple, Peter has died,
0:23:20 > 0:23:23making it all the more important for Barbara that some of the more
0:23:23 > 0:23:28sentimental items can be returned, including irreplaceable
0:23:28 > 0:23:30artwork by her husband.
0:23:30 > 0:23:34When we dug a bit deeper into the man they hired, we discovered that
0:23:34 > 0:23:38Stephen Charlesworth is linked to no less than six different
0:23:38 > 0:23:42removal companies, several of which have caused similar problems
0:23:42 > 0:23:45for other clients. At the time we spoke to Stephen Charlesworth,
0:23:45 > 0:23:48he insisted that such cases represent
0:23:48 > 0:23:50a very small proportion of his customers.
0:23:50 > 0:23:53But since we broadcast our original story,
0:23:53 > 0:23:56more angry customers have come forward.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59Among them, Jonathan Vanplew from Welshpool in Wales.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02In 2015, he hired Stephen Charlesworth to transport
0:24:02 > 0:24:06a rally car that he'd bought in Spain back to his home in Wales.
0:24:06 > 0:24:09He explained that he was delivering cars all across Europe
0:24:09 > 0:24:12and he was doing this all the time.
0:24:12 > 0:24:14And it would just be a matter of course to get my
0:24:14 > 0:24:16car back to me within a week or so.
0:24:16 > 0:24:21After paying around £5,650 for the rally car, Jonathan then paid
0:24:21 > 0:24:25Stephen Charlesworth £700 to deliver it.
0:24:25 > 0:24:29The car should have been here by the middle of April, and when it didn't
0:24:29 > 0:24:33arrive, I started sending him a few e-mails to ask him when it would be
0:24:33 > 0:24:38here. And in reply, I would get that there were van problems and then
0:24:38 > 0:24:42there would be another van problem, or there would be an issue
0:24:42 > 0:24:44somewhere else with the driver.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46After six weeks of excuses and
0:24:46 > 0:24:50no car, Jonathan contacted the police. Like Barbara and Peter,
0:24:50 > 0:24:53Jonathan was initially told by his local police that they
0:24:53 > 0:24:57couldn't do anything because it was a civil matter. But eventually,
0:24:57 > 0:25:00an officer did agree to look into the case for him.
0:25:00 > 0:25:03When the police got involved, they did actually have a telephone
0:25:03 > 0:25:05interview with Stephen Charlesworth.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08At this point, he turned round and told them the car had
0:25:08 > 0:25:13actually been stolen from a compound in southern France.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16So Jonathan again contacted Stephen Charlesworth, asking for his
0:25:16 > 0:25:20insurance details so that he could put in a claim for his car.
0:25:20 > 0:25:24Every time I actually asked him by e-mail, the reply came back
0:25:24 > 0:25:27just with a different statement, never actually replying to
0:25:27 > 0:25:30the direct question. I'm just gobsmacked to be honest.
0:25:30 > 0:25:34I don't believe that people should be trading like this. I've always
0:25:34 > 0:25:37run my own business on trust and I still believe that you should
0:25:37 > 0:25:41trust people. But I am starting to trust people less and less.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44Well, I'm afraid Jonathan is still waiting to find out what happened
0:25:44 > 0:25:47to his car and we have spoken to others
0:25:47 > 0:25:50who have also lost valued possessions.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53So perhaps reminding Stephen Charlesworth of the distress
0:25:53 > 0:25:57all of this has caused the Barnes family may just jog his memory
0:25:57 > 0:26:00as to what he did do with theirs.
0:26:02 > 0:26:04It's stuff we can't replace.
0:26:04 > 0:26:07I mean, apart from the fact we've lost quite a bit of money,
0:26:07 > 0:26:11it left us very, very angry and saddened
0:26:11 > 0:26:14that there are people out there
0:26:14 > 0:26:19that actually do these types of things and we want him to sort of...
0:26:19 > 0:26:22Well, understand how we feel.
0:26:23 > 0:26:27Now, I've spoken to Stephen Charlesworth and unfortunately,
0:26:27 > 0:26:30it appears that Barbara is still no closer to getting her
0:26:30 > 0:26:33possessions back, including those personal photographs and
0:26:33 > 0:26:36dozens of paintings by her late husband, which of course have
0:26:36 > 0:26:40enormous sentimental value to her and her family.
0:26:40 > 0:26:43And what's worse, when speaking to me, he completely dismissed the
0:26:43 > 0:26:48importance of these items, describing them as tat.
0:26:48 > 0:26:51Now, whilst you might think that this should be a matter for the
0:26:51 > 0:26:55police, Greater Manchester Police tell us that there are no
0:26:55 > 0:26:59active investigations against Stephen Charlesworth at this time.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07If you've got a story you'd like us to investigate, then
0:27:07 > 0:27:13get in touch with us via our Facebook page - BBC Rip Off Britain,
0:27:13 > 0:27:17our website - bbc.co.uk/ripoffbritain,
0:27:17 > 0:27:18or e-mail -
0:27:23 > 0:27:26Or if you want to send us a letter, then our address is -
0:27:38 > 0:27:41Time and time again, we hear from people who say that they
0:27:41 > 0:27:45would never fall for scams like the really nasty ones we've been
0:27:45 > 0:27:48hearing about today, but I'm afraid the reality is that whether
0:27:48 > 0:27:52the yarn that you're spun involves a potential job offer, fake
0:27:52 > 0:27:55e-mails or even the claim that you're going to be working
0:27:55 > 0:27:59undercover for the police, there is a scam out there to catch everyone.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02And you know, it doesn't really matter whether you lose
0:28:02 > 0:28:05a small amount or an absolute fortune, the effects of the
0:28:05 > 0:28:08worst scams can leave you picking up the pieces for months or even
0:28:08 > 0:28:12years afterwards, which is why we are so grateful that all the people
0:28:12 > 0:28:15we've met today have been prepared to share their stories with us.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18But at this point in the programme, it's where we have to leave it,
0:28:18 > 0:28:20I'm afraid, but do please tell us
0:28:20 > 0:28:22about any new scams that you've come across,
0:28:22 > 0:28:25but in the meantime, thank you very much for joining us on
0:28:25 > 0:28:29- the programme and until next time, from all of us, bye-bye.- Bye.- Bye.