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've contacted us in your thousands.
0:00:07 > 0:00:10You've told us about the companies you think get it wrong,
0:00:10 > 0:00:13and the customer service that simply is not up to scratch.
0:00:13 > 0:00:16It would seem that once they've got your money, they're not particularly
0:00:16 > 0:00:20interested in coming back to you or to give you satisfactory customer service.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22You've asked us to track down the scammers who stole your money,
0:00:22 > 0:00:26and investigate the extra charges you say are unfair.
0:00:26 > 0:00:27I think prices are going up
0:00:27 > 0:00:31and no-one's actually doing anything to improve that.
0:00:31 > 0:00:34And when you've lost out but nobody else is to blame,
0:00:34 > 0:00:37you've come to us to stop others falling into the same trap.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40You just get to the point it's, "No, leave me alone!"
0:00:40 > 0:00:44So, whether it's a blatant rip-off or a genuine mistake,
0:00:44 > 0:00:46we're here to find out why you're out-of-pocket
0:00:46 > 0:00:48and what you can do about it.
0:00:49 > 0:00:51Your stories, your money.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54This is Rip-Off Britain.
0:00:56 > 0:00:58Hello, and welcome to Rip-Off Britain,
0:00:58 > 0:01:01where today there is certainly going to be agreement amongst all
0:01:01 > 0:01:03the people whose stories we're going to be investigating
0:01:03 > 0:01:05because, well, to start with,
0:01:05 > 0:01:08whatever it was that they spent their money on, one way or another,
0:01:08 > 0:01:10it was simply not up to scratch.
0:01:10 > 0:01:14But on top of that, they've been left bitterly disappointed
0:01:14 > 0:01:16at how their situations have been dealt with.
0:01:16 > 0:01:18Or not dealt with, in some cases,
0:01:18 > 0:01:22because adding to their upset is the way they feel that not all
0:01:22 > 0:01:24their problems have been properly resolved yet,
0:01:24 > 0:01:26and that's why they've turned to us.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29And whilst I'm delighted to say that we've been able to make
0:01:29 > 0:01:31some progress on their behalf,
0:01:31 > 0:01:34it really seems a shame that things have had to get this far,
0:01:34 > 0:01:37because I'm afraid, as is often the case, if they'd been handled better,
0:01:37 > 0:01:41several of those stories could have turned out very differently.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44But as it is, the people concerned feel that they've been lumbered with
0:01:44 > 0:01:47a problem and now it's up to them to sort the whole thing out.
0:01:48 > 0:01:54Coming up: Are our sofas really as fire-resistant as the labels say they are?
0:01:54 > 0:01:56The flames were three foot high.
0:01:57 > 0:01:59It was scary.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02And the surprise relic this new homeowner found
0:02:02 > 0:02:05at the end of the garden, and the hefty bill that she now has to face
0:02:05 > 0:02:08to get it removed.
0:02:08 > 0:02:10The first thing that came to mind, was, like,
0:02:10 > 0:02:13"What am I going to do with that? How am I going to get rid of that?"
0:02:16 > 0:02:19And now to a subject I remember first reporting on
0:02:19 > 0:02:22some 30 or so years ago, and some of the stories were so shocking
0:02:22 > 0:02:24that they've stayed in my mind ever since.
0:02:24 > 0:02:26Back then, in the late '80s, the story was,
0:02:26 > 0:02:29the significant number of people dying
0:02:29 > 0:02:32after their sofas caught alight, causing massive house fires.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35Well, I'm very glad to say that since then,
0:02:35 > 0:02:39all furniture sold in the UK has had to meet stringent fire safety tests,
0:02:39 > 0:02:42which have undoubtedly saved many, many lives.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45But you know, it's now nearly three decades since those regulations
0:02:45 > 0:02:48were introduced and, with new methods of manufacturing,
0:02:48 > 0:02:51not to mention an increase in foreign imports, a whole new
0:02:51 > 0:02:55range of materials has come on the market which, I'm afraid,
0:02:55 > 0:02:58has led some leading experts to cast doubt on whether the measures
0:02:58 > 0:03:01in place to keep us safe are actually still up to scratch.
0:03:04 > 0:03:08These terrible scenes were a defining moment in UK fire safety.
0:03:08 > 0:03:12The 1979 Woolworths fire in Manchester city centre.
0:03:12 > 0:03:14- NEWSREEL:- 'The fire spread through the store so fast
0:03:14 > 0:03:18'that many shoppers and staff were trapped in the upper floors
0:03:18 > 0:03:20'before they realised the building was on fire.'
0:03:21 > 0:03:25Sadly, ten people died when an electrical cable in the store
0:03:25 > 0:03:29ignited furniture made of highly flammable polyurethane foam.
0:03:29 > 0:03:33And soon afterwards, there was a change in the law.
0:03:33 > 0:03:35All fabric furniture sold in the UK
0:03:35 > 0:03:38had to be made using fire-resistant material.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42Well, of course, that means in the event of a fire,
0:03:42 > 0:03:45no sofa sold in recent years should go up in flames.
0:03:46 > 0:03:50And that's certainly what 90-year-old great-grandmother
0:03:50 > 0:03:53Joan Bower from Greater Manchester assumed when four years ago,
0:03:53 > 0:03:55she purchased a two-and-a-half seater
0:03:55 > 0:03:58from a reputable high street retailer.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01But one evening during a power cut, just over two years after
0:04:01 > 0:04:04she'd bought it, she was proved wrong.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07A few minutes after she'd left her sitting room to answer the phone
0:04:07 > 0:04:10in the hallway, she just knew something was wrong.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13I said, "I can smell smoke."
0:04:13 > 0:04:15Put my head round the door,
0:04:15 > 0:04:19and the settee cushion was three foot high in flames.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24A candle had fallen onto Joan's sofa,
0:04:24 > 0:04:28and within minutes, the whole settee was alight.
0:04:28 > 0:04:32And the black smoke was like a great big dragon coming towards me.
0:04:32 > 0:04:34I had to run out quick.
0:04:35 > 0:04:39Although thankfully Joan made it out of the house safe and well,
0:04:39 > 0:04:41she watched the home that she'd lived in for 38 years
0:04:41 > 0:04:43go up in flames.
0:04:43 > 0:04:47The windows were blowing out as we were there.
0:04:47 > 0:04:48It was scary.
0:04:48 > 0:04:50I couldn't do a thing about it.
0:04:52 > 0:04:56Joan's son-in-law Tony was the first family member at the scene.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59Well, when I arrived, the first thing I saw was Joan
0:04:59 > 0:05:00on the front garden,
0:05:00 > 0:05:03and the smoke billowing out of the front door.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07The fire was so extensive,
0:05:07 > 0:05:10that although the fire brigade managed to save the property itself,
0:05:10 > 0:05:12everything inside was completely destroyed.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17You could have cried. Every room, there was nothing left.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19Black, television had gone, everything.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22In such a short time, your life can be turned upside down,
0:05:22 > 0:05:24in less than five minutes.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29The sofa was officially recorded as the cause of the accident
0:05:29 > 0:05:31by the fire officer at the scene.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34That's despite fire regulations stating that
0:05:34 > 0:05:38all upholstered furniture for sale should not be flammable,
0:05:38 > 0:05:41and stringent tests to make sure that the case.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44In fact, any naked flame that furniture's exposed to
0:05:44 > 0:05:47is supposed to go out in less than two minutes,
0:05:47 > 0:05:50so perhaps there's no wonder that Joan's now questioning the point
0:05:50 > 0:05:52of the fire safety label
0:05:52 > 0:05:54that was attached to her sofa in the first place.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59Well, you expect that, it's got a label on, that it won't catch fire,
0:05:59 > 0:06:02but it should really just singe,
0:06:02 > 0:06:05leave a burnt mark on it,
0:06:05 > 0:06:08but it was totally enveloped, that cushion, in flames.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13Now, we'll never know if Joan's sofa would have passed
0:06:13 > 0:06:16flammability safety tests, but I'm afraid we do know
0:06:16 > 0:06:19an awful lot of others on sale wouldn't.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23Really disturbingly, a number of investigations
0:06:23 > 0:06:26by trading standards teams right across England and Wales
0:06:26 > 0:06:29in recent years have turned up furniture
0:06:29 > 0:06:30that failed those vital tests.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35In 2011 officers in the Rhondda Valley
0:06:35 > 0:06:38purchased four items of upholstered furniture
0:06:38 > 0:06:41and found that they all failed the match test -
0:06:41 > 0:06:44that's the check to make sure the furniture doesn't catch fire.
0:06:44 > 0:06:46They went on to seize 16 more.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50Trading standards teams in north and east London discovered
0:06:50 > 0:06:53an 84% flammability failure rate
0:06:53 > 0:06:56from 19 samples they bought around the same time.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00In Northamptonshire 70% of the sofas checked
0:07:00 > 0:07:03failed compliance tests.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07And in 2013, West Yorkshire Trading Standards
0:07:07 > 0:07:11prosecuted one chain for failing flammability tests.
0:07:11 > 0:07:13The firm was fined £17,000.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17By 2014 the Government department responsible
0:07:17 > 0:07:20decided to commission a national report.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23David Ellerington from Newcastle Trading Standards
0:07:23 > 0:07:25was one of the officers involved.
0:07:26 > 0:07:31There was major concern expressed nationally back in 2014
0:07:31 > 0:07:35and, on the basis of that, the responsible government department
0:07:35 > 0:07:38which was at that time Business, Innovation and Skills
0:07:38 > 0:07:41decided they needed to do some work around flammability and testing,
0:07:41 > 0:07:44and we took part in that survey.
0:07:44 > 0:07:46Different teams were given small amounts of money to buy
0:07:46 > 0:07:50upholstered furniture and test it against the flammability regulations
0:07:50 > 0:07:53that had been in force since 1988,
0:07:53 > 0:07:57and in David's patch, the concerns turned out to be well founded.
0:07:58 > 0:08:00In terms of the north-east,
0:08:00 > 0:08:02there was significant issues with children's furniture.
0:08:02 > 0:08:06A significant number of furniture did fail.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09In Newcastle we bought three items of furniture.
0:08:09 > 0:08:11Two of them failed,
0:08:11 > 0:08:14and one of them we did actually prosecute the company involved for
0:08:14 > 0:08:18the failures that essentially they'd actually manufactured themselves.
0:08:18 > 0:08:22Elsewhere, in England and Wales, other teams found similar problems.
0:08:22 > 0:08:26The national results were even more damning.
0:08:26 > 0:08:30Only eight products from 51 sampled actually were compliant.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33That was an 84.3% failure rate across the whole project.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36And that is a terrifying result,
0:08:36 > 0:08:39especially as significant portion of the items concerned
0:08:39 > 0:08:42were sold with that reassuring label attached,
0:08:42 > 0:08:45saying that they were fire-resistant.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48Well, the Trading Standards tests were just a snapshot
0:08:48 > 0:08:50rather than a comprehensive study, but you can understand why
0:08:50 > 0:08:53they've left experts like David very concerned.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56I think this is very worrying, in terms of the failure rates.
0:08:56 > 0:08:58From a Trading Standards perspective,
0:08:58 > 0:09:00we'd probably assumed everything was fine,
0:09:00 > 0:09:03the regulations have done what they were supposed to do.
0:09:03 > 0:09:07I'm not sure at the moment that we can be that confident that that's the case.
0:09:08 > 0:09:12As well as the high street stores that featured in the national tests,
0:09:12 > 0:09:15David's concerned about some of the smaller independent shops,
0:09:15 > 0:09:17and especially the second-hand market,
0:09:17 > 0:09:20so he does spot checks to make sure
0:09:20 > 0:09:22that they are at least complying with the labelling itself
0:09:22 > 0:09:25which, as things stand, is still the only way that
0:09:25 > 0:09:29Trading Standards teams can check if retailers are following the rules.
0:09:29 > 0:09:33But when we joined him, although one shop we visited was spot-on...
0:09:35 > 0:09:37So, that complies, not a problem.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39..another second-hand store, which,
0:09:39 > 0:09:42displaying some of his stock outside, was a different story.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45So, those are probably a bit of a concern.
0:09:45 > 0:09:46I'm not sure about that.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49I just need to have a conversation with the lady about that.
0:09:51 > 0:09:52After a chat with the manager,
0:09:52 > 0:09:56who claims that furniture on show isn't all for sale, David identifies
0:09:56 > 0:09:59some items he specifically wants removing from the shop.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02Those particular pieces don't have any fire safe labels
0:10:02 > 0:10:04attached to the furniture, which by law,
0:10:04 > 0:10:07even if they ARE second-hand, they must have.
0:10:09 > 0:10:11I'm concerned that they could go into someone's home
0:10:11 > 0:10:17and then generate or add to the fire risk in that person's home.
0:10:17 > 0:10:21So it looks like David's going to be keeping an eye on things at this store.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24The owner on this occasion will have a verbal and written warning,
0:10:24 > 0:10:27and obviously their behaviour will be monitored.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30If we go back we might take a different attitude the next time.
0:10:30 > 0:10:34Well, you might wonder how it is that so many years after that
0:10:34 > 0:10:38horrific Manchester fire, that furniture can still be sold
0:10:38 > 0:10:40that doesn't meet the required safety standards, and that's
0:10:40 > 0:10:45a question that's also troubling fire regulations expert Terry Edge.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48After leaving an official review for the Government on this,
0:10:48 > 0:10:52he believes the current rules need a serious overhaul.
0:10:52 > 0:10:56This legislation has remained largely unchanged for nearly 30 years.
0:10:57 > 0:11:02It was introduced to cover the kinds of materials used in British
0:11:02 > 0:11:05furniture at that time, which were mostly natural materials -
0:11:05 > 0:11:08wool, cotton, wood and so on.
0:11:08 > 0:11:13They weren't designed to cater for modern materials like polyesters,
0:11:13 > 0:11:16thermoplastic materials which are highly flammable.
0:11:17 > 0:11:21Terry also has concerns about how the tests are carried out.
0:11:21 > 0:11:23He says that's usually before
0:11:23 > 0:11:27fabrics are attached to the sofa itself, although after that point,
0:11:27 > 0:11:30its ability to catch fire is greatly increased.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33Manufacturers like to add
0:11:33 > 0:11:36a fibre-wrap layer between the cover fabric
0:11:36 > 0:11:39and the filling material, filling foam,
0:11:39 > 0:11:41for comfort and ease of construction.
0:11:41 > 0:11:46Now, the problem with that is, it adds air, oxygen,
0:11:46 > 0:11:50to any flame that lights on the fabric.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53More worrying still, Terry says that there's something else
0:11:53 > 0:11:56we often purchase when buying a sofa
0:11:56 > 0:11:58that might also increase its fire risk.
0:11:58 > 0:12:00The retailer will often ask you,
0:12:00 > 0:12:03do you want it treated with anti-stain repellent,
0:12:03 > 0:12:06which you will pay extra for, of course.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09And that repellent is very persistent,
0:12:09 > 0:12:12because it has to soak into the fibre,
0:12:12 > 0:12:14and it has to last a number of years.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17The only problem is, it contains a lot of silicon
0:12:17 > 0:12:18which is highly flammable.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23Frustrated that an updated test hasn't been introduced,
0:12:23 > 0:12:26Terry left his civil service post in 2016,
0:12:26 > 0:12:30and although the government has been looking at updating the regulations,
0:12:30 > 0:12:33Terry believes that can't happen soon enough.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37If the match test is failing, as we now know it is,
0:12:37 > 0:12:41that means cover fabrics on sofas in UK homes
0:12:41 > 0:12:43are ignitable when they shouldn't be.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46Now, that almost certainly leads to additional deaths,
0:12:46 > 0:12:50additional house fires, because our products, our sofas,
0:12:50 > 0:12:53our mattresses are more flammable than we were led to believe.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57Well, the British Furniture Confederation,
0:12:57 > 0:13:00which represents retailers and manufacturers in the UK,
0:13:00 > 0:13:04told us that while the current regulations had been...
0:13:04 > 0:13:07in reducing the number of deaths and injuries in house fires,
0:13:07 > 0:13:10owing to the changes in materials and processes since they were
0:13:10 > 0:13:14brought in, it too would like to see the rules fully revised.
0:13:15 > 0:13:19And while it's delighted to see that there is progress on that,
0:13:19 > 0:13:22it says recent proposed revisions don't fully address
0:13:22 > 0:13:24many of the important issues.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28So, it remains fully committed to helping update them
0:13:28 > 0:13:30in a way that's meaningful, enforceable, future-proof
0:13:30 > 0:13:35and continues to protect consumers and the emergency services.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42Back in Greater Manchester Joan has now returned to her home,
0:13:42 > 0:13:45thanks to the marvellous generosity of family, friends
0:13:45 > 0:13:49and, indeed, members of the local community who all clubbed together
0:13:49 > 0:13:51to help renovate her house.
0:13:52 > 0:13:56Well, it left me feeling devastated, but the only thing that
0:13:56 > 0:13:59we're so grateful for all the help, I can't...
0:13:59 > 0:14:03You know, people came from all over the place to help.
0:14:03 > 0:14:05It was marvellous.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08It WAS marvellous, and I'm sure Joan would agree
0:14:08 > 0:14:11that the best advice is to keep naked flames away from any fabric
0:14:11 > 0:14:15in your home and, in fact, she now stays clear from them altogether.
0:14:15 > 0:14:17I don't have candles any more.
0:14:17 > 0:14:19Only battery things.
0:14:19 > 0:14:23I don't think the fire labels are fit for purpose.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26It makes you more careful when you've had a shock like I've had.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37Now, I was born at the tail end of World War II,
0:14:37 > 0:14:41so the chilling sound of sirens signalling that an air raid
0:14:41 > 0:14:45was about to take place is something that I obviously don't remember,
0:14:45 > 0:14:49but for those who do, it still sends shivers down the spine.
0:14:49 > 0:14:53And, whilst thankfully it's something long consigned to the history books,
0:14:53 > 0:14:56many of the shelters that were built to keep people safe
0:14:56 > 0:14:58during those bombing raids still remain.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01There may even be one near where you live.
0:15:01 > 0:15:05But you probably never expect to suddenly discover that there's one
0:15:05 > 0:15:08hidden in the garden of the home that you've just moved into.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11The chance discovery that you are now the proud owner
0:15:11 > 0:15:15of one of these relics may not come as a welcome surprise.
0:15:15 > 0:15:17Well, it certainly didn't for the people in our next film,
0:15:17 > 0:15:21who now find themselves facing a hefty bill to remove it.
0:15:21 > 0:15:25And they're wondering why, when they bought the house,
0:15:25 > 0:15:29no-one had given them any indication that it was there.
0:15:32 > 0:15:36When bombs rained down on Britain during World War II,
0:15:36 > 0:15:39building an air raid shelter at the end of your garden could prove to be
0:15:39 > 0:15:42genuinely life-saving do-it-yourself.
0:15:43 > 0:15:45Over three million shelters were built,
0:15:45 > 0:15:48and they were often damp, dirty and uncomfortable,
0:15:48 > 0:15:52but none of that mattered if they were keeping you safe from harm.
0:15:56 > 0:16:01World War II ended 72 years ago, but many shelters survived,
0:16:01 > 0:16:05with some of them hidden at the back of overgrown gardens,
0:16:05 > 0:16:08as Karen Samuel from Fareham seemed to have found out
0:16:08 > 0:16:11when she moved into this Victorian house last year.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14When she'd first viewed the property she'd spotted that
0:16:14 > 0:16:17the end of the garden had been fenced off and, at the time,
0:16:17 > 0:16:19the whole area was heavily overgrown.
0:16:19 > 0:16:23Her plan had always been to open up the full length of the garden,
0:16:23 > 0:16:27to make the best use of the space so, with her dad, John,
0:16:27 > 0:16:30one of the first jobs was to clear those overgrown bushes
0:16:30 > 0:16:32that had been fenced off at the end.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36Dad and I decided, right, we'll start cutting back
0:16:36 > 0:16:40all the foliage and take the fence down and open up the boundary.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45But when John actually set about removing the fence,
0:16:45 > 0:16:49there was more behind it than just some overgrown bushes.
0:16:49 > 0:16:51This was the panel that was concealing everything,
0:16:51 > 0:16:55and we moved that away, pulled it away, to reveal another door.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58What John appeared to have uncovered was an enormous,
0:16:58 > 0:17:00if now rather dilapidated, air raid shelter.
0:17:02 > 0:17:03It came as a bit of a shock.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06I mean, you were just expecting to see an overgrown garden,
0:17:06 > 0:17:09and suddenly you've found this massive structure,
0:17:09 > 0:17:12at least seven metres long and the width of the garden.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16Karen says, after chatting to neighbours
0:17:16 > 0:17:19and John doing some local history research, they discovered it was
0:17:19 > 0:17:23the remains of a World War II air raid shelter that was never removed,
0:17:23 > 0:17:26and takes up a significant portion of Karen's garden.
0:17:28 > 0:17:30The first thing that came to mind was, like,
0:17:30 > 0:17:33"What am I going to do with that? How am I going to get rid of that?"
0:17:33 > 0:17:35It's not something I want in my back garden. I had hoped
0:17:35 > 0:17:39to open up the garden and, you know, use it as a nice space.
0:17:40 > 0:17:44Karen's been told that to get rid of the structure will cost her
0:17:44 > 0:17:48in excess of £10,000 - money she can't afford, and that,
0:17:48 > 0:17:52up to now, she hadn't the slightest inkling might be needed.
0:17:52 > 0:17:54If I'd known about the air raid shelter...
0:17:55 > 0:17:57..probably I wouldn't have bought the house.
0:17:57 > 0:17:59I mean, I appreciate that people will probably think,
0:17:59 > 0:18:02"Well, why didn't you take it upon yourself, to have a look
0:18:02 > 0:18:05"beyond the fence," but, you know, I couldn't at that point.
0:18:05 > 0:18:07This was a flowerbed, you know,
0:18:07 > 0:18:10without climbing on the flowerbed and trying to get over there or...
0:18:10 > 0:18:15I wasn't physically tall enough to actually see over the fence.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18What frustrated Karen more than anything is that
0:18:18 > 0:18:21before she bought the house, no-one had ever mentioned an
0:18:21 > 0:18:25air raid shelter in the garden, or any other structure for that matter,
0:18:25 > 0:18:28even though it soon became clear that the previous owner
0:18:28 > 0:18:30HAD known all about it
0:18:30 > 0:18:33and, indeed, had previously tried to sell the land on to the woman
0:18:33 > 0:18:35who is now Karen's neighbour.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38The guy that had the house before you, the landlord,
0:18:38 > 0:18:41he actually asked if we wanted to buy it,
0:18:41 > 0:18:43and we could have had it off him for £5,000.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46Why did he think that, you know, you would want to buy it,
0:18:46 > 0:18:47what was he selling to you?
0:18:47 > 0:18:51The air raid shelter and the land that it was on, I take it, was it?
0:18:51 > 0:18:53What I gather is, yeah, we would buy both
0:18:53 > 0:18:56and that we would then knock the shelter down
0:18:56 > 0:18:58- to use the land how we wanted it. - Right.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01So, to me, he wanted the money more than,
0:19:01 > 0:19:02and just to get rid of the problem.
0:19:02 > 0:19:04Rather than have this to deal with himself,
0:19:04 > 0:19:06he thought, "I'll get somebody else."
0:19:06 > 0:19:10He thought that that problem was worth at least £5,000.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12Exactly, yeah.
0:19:12 > 0:19:16- It'll probably cost you more than that.- I think so, yeah.- Definitely.
0:19:16 > 0:19:21Karen suspects that the house owner wanted to keep the shelter secret
0:19:21 > 0:19:24in case it put buyers off purchasing the property.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27And certainly, on the documents he filled in as part of
0:19:27 > 0:19:29the selling process, he failed to mention when prompted
0:19:29 > 0:19:32that there were any outbuildings at all.
0:19:34 > 0:19:36There is nowhere on here where he has said that
0:19:36 > 0:19:38there is an outbuilding at the property.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42And plenty of opportunity where he could have,
0:19:42 > 0:19:44but he's specifically ticked "none".
0:19:45 > 0:19:48But it's not simply the previous owner Karen feels let down by.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50Before she bought the house
0:19:50 > 0:19:54she paid almost £500 for a survey for peace of mind,
0:19:54 > 0:19:57that if there were any unexpected problems with the property,
0:19:57 > 0:19:58it would flag them up.
0:20:00 > 0:20:04I was advised to go for the home-buyer's report because it was
0:20:04 > 0:20:08sort of, it looked into potential problems with the property.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13Not as in-depth as...
0:20:13 > 0:20:17a full structural, but home-buyers report would highlight
0:20:17 > 0:20:21enough problems for me to be able to look into anything further
0:20:21 > 0:20:23if they felt it was necessary.
0:20:24 > 0:20:28But the home-buyer's report made no mention of the shelter either.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31In fact, in a box that refers to outbuildings,
0:20:31 > 0:20:33it said there weren't any.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36How can a surveyor not have picked that up? You know, I was furious.
0:20:36 > 0:20:40That's what you pay them for. You know, they're the qualified,
0:20:40 > 0:20:43the professionals that are supposed to identify these things.
0:20:44 > 0:20:46Well, you can understand why she might think that
0:20:46 > 0:20:50but, on closer inspection, the home-buyer's report also includes
0:20:50 > 0:20:54the letters "NI", which stands for "not inspected",
0:20:54 > 0:20:58which essentially means that the surveyor didn't actually look,
0:20:58 > 0:21:01and under the terms of a home-buyer's report,
0:21:01 > 0:21:03nor are they under any obligation to do so.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07But Karen didn't feel that was good enough,
0:21:07 > 0:21:09so she complained to the surveyors,
0:21:09 > 0:21:12asking them to compensate her for what she saw as an oversight.
0:21:14 > 0:21:18The surveyors responded by explaining that their inspector
0:21:18 > 0:21:21had considered the fence in front of the shelter to be the boundary
0:21:21 > 0:21:24of the property, and therefore hadn't investigated further.
0:21:24 > 0:21:27And the company went on to say that, in any event,
0:21:27 > 0:21:30as the area was so overgrown at the time,
0:21:30 > 0:21:32it wouldn't have been obvious to any surveyor
0:21:32 > 0:21:34that there were outbuildings present.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37But Karen didn't find that a satisfactory response.
0:21:37 > 0:21:41I'm surprised he wasn't thinking to himself,
0:21:41 > 0:21:44"Well, you know, why do those neighbour's gardens go all the way
0:21:44 > 0:21:48"down but not this one?" Just to have that question in his mind.
0:21:48 > 0:21:52"Why is there a fence going across the middle of the boundary?"
0:21:52 > 0:21:56Surely in a surveyor's head, he would be inquisitive,
0:21:56 > 0:22:00he would be questioning why that is the case,
0:22:00 > 0:22:02and what is beyond the fence.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07Karen put this and her other points to the property ombudsman,
0:22:07 > 0:22:10who found in favour of the surveyors,
0:22:10 > 0:22:14agreeing that a home-buyer's report is a visual inspection only.
0:22:14 > 0:22:18However, the ombudsman did think the surveyors should have spotted...
0:22:23 > 0:22:25..and awarded Karen £100.
0:22:26 > 0:22:31Only problem was, this was a fraction of the £10,000 she was seeking.
0:22:32 > 0:22:36Well, property expert Henry Pryor has great sympathy for Karen
0:22:36 > 0:22:39and the situation she's found herself in but,
0:22:39 > 0:22:43like the ombudsman, he doesn't think the surveyors should be blamed.
0:22:43 > 0:22:46Well, I'm afraid that I think the surveyor did all that you could
0:22:46 > 0:22:49reasonably expect the surveyor to do but, unfortunately,
0:22:49 > 0:22:52it's a property that is slightly out of the ordinary,
0:22:52 > 0:22:56because of the land at the rear being very overgrown,
0:22:56 > 0:22:59and it's not something that you can reasonably expect a surveyor
0:22:59 > 0:23:02to pull out a machete and go hacking around
0:23:02 > 0:23:04in order to explore everything that might be there.
0:23:06 > 0:23:08Several times over the years here on Rip-Off Britain,
0:23:08 > 0:23:11we've looked into similar cases, where new homeowners
0:23:11 > 0:23:15have been frustrated that surveyors failed to flag up everything
0:23:15 > 0:23:20from signs of dry rot to evidence the basement was prone to flooding -
0:23:20 > 0:23:23problems that only became apparent after they'd moved in.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27Then all of a sudden, the basement's full of water,
0:23:27 > 0:23:28and we just started to panic
0:23:28 > 0:23:31as to how on earth we were going to be able to fix this.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36And while you can understand the horror at discovering
0:23:36 > 0:23:39such unexpected flaws too late, it's important to understand
0:23:39 > 0:23:42the limitations of even the most expensive home survey,
0:23:42 > 0:23:44and what they do and don't cover.
0:23:44 > 0:23:48Even so, it doesn't mean all parties involved in a purchase like Karen's
0:23:48 > 0:23:52are off the hook, and that's partly because there are still some
0:23:52 > 0:23:55unanswered questions when it comes to the building itself.
0:23:55 > 0:24:00Karen can't tell just how far the structure extends underground,
0:24:00 > 0:24:04and is concerned it could be much bigger than it first appears,
0:24:04 > 0:24:07and when we spoke to a specialist archaeologist about the structure,
0:24:07 > 0:24:11he couldn't say for sure if it WAS an air raid shelter,
0:24:11 > 0:24:15suggesting it could have had some other civil or military purpose.
0:24:18 > 0:24:20But no matter what the building's true history,
0:24:20 > 0:24:22Henry Pryor believes in such cases,
0:24:22 > 0:24:26both the seller and the agent need to be clear about what's for sale.
0:24:28 > 0:24:30I have a huge amount of sympathy for Karen and her predicament,
0:24:30 > 0:24:33and I would certainly suggest that she should be perhaps thinking about
0:24:33 > 0:24:37talking to the selling agent and to the seller, who, it would appear
0:24:37 > 0:24:39on the face of it hasn't disclosed the existence
0:24:39 > 0:24:42of the air raid shelter. It's something that one would expect
0:24:42 > 0:24:45that the seller should make the purchaser aware of.
0:24:45 > 0:24:50Well, when we contacted the estate agency who made the sale it said,
0:24:50 > 0:24:53in a situation like this it would always rely on the vendor
0:24:53 > 0:24:56to explain what was in an overgrown garden,
0:24:56 > 0:24:59as otherwise, with it being overgrown,
0:24:59 > 0:25:02there would be no reason to think there was anything there.
0:25:02 > 0:25:06The agent reiterated that the existence of the shelter should have
0:25:06 > 0:25:10been disclosed on the information form that the seller completed,
0:25:10 > 0:25:13but though we've been in touch with the seller to ask why it wasn't,
0:25:13 > 0:25:15as yet, we've had no response.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20As well as underlining how crucial it is that everything
0:25:20 > 0:25:23in one of those property information forms is true,
0:25:23 > 0:25:26all of this rather leaves poor Karen stuck with
0:25:26 > 0:25:29having to sort the situation out, which hardly seems fair.
0:25:29 > 0:25:32It's possible she could have a legal case
0:25:32 > 0:25:35against the various parties involved, but for now,
0:25:35 > 0:25:38with no-one else taking responsibility, she's unwilling
0:25:38 > 0:25:43to pay the huge cost of dismantling the structure herself,
0:25:43 > 0:25:47but she worries that keeping it will affect the value of her property in the future.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50When I see the shelter, I just think, "Where do I start with it?"
0:25:50 > 0:25:53It's going to be a massive job, I don't want it in my garden,
0:25:53 > 0:25:56I want to get rid of it. If I want to sell the house again,
0:25:56 > 0:26:00I don't want to have this to try and sell the house with,
0:26:00 > 0:26:03you know, which is probably why they all tried to hide it,
0:26:03 > 0:26:07because it would probably make the house unsalable,
0:26:07 > 0:26:10or I probably certainly wouldn't get the same money back for it
0:26:10 > 0:26:12that I paid for it.
0:26:20 > 0:26:23Still to come here on Rip-Off Britain.
0:26:23 > 0:26:25The big-name hotel chain with stunning buildings,
0:26:25 > 0:26:29but is the customer service quite so impressive?
0:26:29 > 0:26:31I felt absolutely gutted.
0:26:31 > 0:26:33I was just being brushed under the carpet, basically,
0:26:33 > 0:26:35they were not interested.
0:26:43 > 0:26:45Welcome to Rip-Off Britain's pop-up shop.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48This year we've come back to Manchester to one of the biggest
0:26:48 > 0:26:51and busiest shopping centres in the whole of the UK.
0:26:51 > 0:26:53Our top team of experts is here,
0:26:53 > 0:26:56ready to tackle all your consumer problems.
0:26:56 > 0:27:01And, you know what, we're ready, we're willing and we're very able,
0:27:01 > 0:27:04so let's declare our pop-up shop well and truly open.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07CHEERING
0:27:11 > 0:27:14Among the first people in to see us were Katie Wilson
0:27:14 > 0:27:16and her boyfriend, George Ricks.
0:27:16 > 0:27:18'At first we thought we were dealing with a simple matter
0:27:18 > 0:27:22'about a refund for services owed but, as is often the case
0:27:22 > 0:27:25'at our pop-up shop, there was more to the story they told
0:27:25 > 0:27:28'financial crime lawyer Arun Chauhan than met the eye.'
0:27:28 > 0:27:32So, Arun, I've brought Katie and George to see you because they've
0:27:32 > 0:27:36got a problem about a sum of money that they think they're owed
0:27:36 > 0:27:38that the having difficulty getting back.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41So, perhaps, Katie, you'd like to take up the story.
0:27:41 > 0:27:46Basically, late 2015, myself and George joined a budget gym,
0:27:46 > 0:27:48and we decided to get a personal trainer -
0:27:48 > 0:27:52the kind who are just in the gym with the gym T-shirts on,
0:27:52 > 0:27:54so you just kind of approach somebody randomly.
0:27:54 > 0:27:59I sort of paid for a block of ten sessions, £200.
0:27:59 > 0:28:03Katie paid the trainer directly and, as she was happy with
0:28:03 > 0:28:06the first sessions, and to keep herself motivated,
0:28:06 > 0:28:10she purchased another 20 in advance, paying out a further £400,
0:28:10 > 0:28:12but then out of the blue,
0:28:12 > 0:28:15the trainer sent Katie a disturbing message.
0:28:16 > 0:28:20He texted, saying, "Oh, hi, Katie, I just wanted to let you know that
0:28:20 > 0:28:24"actually, I've been let go from the gym due to health and safety issues
0:28:24 > 0:28:28"and I'll be in touch." So then we approached the gym,
0:28:28 > 0:28:32and the gym said, because of their budget gym model,
0:28:32 > 0:28:35means that they can't give us any money back
0:28:35 > 0:28:38because he was self-employed whilst working in their gym,
0:28:38 > 0:28:40so basically the manager said,
0:28:40 > 0:28:43"Well, we can give you a few complimentary sessions,"
0:28:43 > 0:28:46and they offered me three, and they offered George one.
0:28:46 > 0:28:48Katie wasn't satisfied with that,
0:28:48 > 0:28:50as she'd paid for a further 17 sessions,
0:28:50 > 0:28:53and then the gym explained why the trainer had been let go.
0:28:54 > 0:28:58They found out that he was wanted for GBH in Australia,
0:28:58 > 0:29:01so obviously, we felt really let down by the gym.
0:29:01 > 0:29:03They were like, "Oh, yes, and we have 17 other people
0:29:03 > 0:29:07- "that he's stolen money from, basically."- Horrible, isn't it?- Yes.
0:29:07 > 0:29:10Katie could only contact the trainer by text,
0:29:10 > 0:29:12which made it tricky to track him down.
0:29:13 > 0:29:15Basically, we'd sent him a text saying,
0:29:15 > 0:29:17when will you be looking at giving us the money?
0:29:17 > 0:29:20And he sort of texted back saying, "Still working on it, still saving."
0:29:20 > 0:29:23And then the next thing we know, he's in Thailand with his girlfriend
0:29:23 > 0:29:26and he's posting all these pictures on social media,
0:29:26 > 0:29:29so we knew that he had the money, basically took our money and ran.
0:29:29 > 0:29:31Well, clearly, the trainer has a case to answer,
0:29:31 > 0:29:34and even though the gym has since offered the couple further
0:29:34 > 0:29:39free sessions, Arun is in no doubt they still have to do more.
0:29:39 > 0:29:41There is an issue there with the budget gym,
0:29:41 > 0:29:43because they didn't set out how this worked
0:29:43 > 0:29:46and equally, they didn't really tell you about the type of conduct
0:29:46 > 0:29:48which would be acceptable by a personal trainer or not,
0:29:48 > 0:29:51and they have an obligation, I would say, to vet these
0:29:51 > 0:29:55personal trainers, and that includes criminal record checks, to be safe.
0:29:55 > 0:29:58So the gym itself is at the heart of this whole issue,
0:29:58 > 0:30:00how should they be approaching the gym?
0:30:00 > 0:30:02Yeah, I think they are responsible for your safety in the gym,
0:30:02 > 0:30:04and that doesn't include just the equipment,
0:30:04 > 0:30:07it's about who they put in front of you, so I think you should
0:30:07 > 0:30:09probably be writing to the gym and saying, hold on,
0:30:09 > 0:30:12you've got a responsibility to us to do background checks on these
0:30:12 > 0:30:15individuals because their failings directly contributed to your loss.
0:30:15 > 0:30:17- OK.- Let's hope it bears some results.- Yeah, thank you.
0:30:17 > 0:30:21Our team of experts was also out and about in the shopping centre
0:30:21 > 0:30:23offering tips and advice
0:30:23 > 0:30:26and, in an age when so many people are signed up to social media,
0:30:26 > 0:30:30solicitor Gary Rycroft was keen to know if the people he was meeting
0:30:30 > 0:30:34fully understood the terms and conditions they've agreed to.
0:30:34 > 0:30:37When you signed up, did you read the terms and conditions
0:30:37 > 0:30:38or did you just tick the box?
0:30:38 > 0:30:41- I just ticked the box.- Why didn't you read the terms and conditions?
0:30:41 > 0:30:43It's too long.
0:30:43 > 0:30:46Did you read the terms and conditions when you signed up
0:30:46 > 0:30:49- to social media?- No. - Why not?- Too long.
0:30:49 > 0:30:52- So you've no idea what you've signed up to?- No.
0:30:52 > 0:30:53Well, Gary here is solicitor,
0:30:53 > 0:30:56he's going to tell you what you've signed up for.
0:30:56 > 0:30:59Well, if you did read them, if you understood them, then
0:30:59 > 0:31:02you would know that you're actually waiving your right to privacy.
0:31:02 > 0:31:05Those photographs that you post, those messages that you post,
0:31:05 > 0:31:09they can be shared with other people without the social media company
0:31:09 > 0:31:11even telling you that they're doing that.
0:31:11 > 0:31:14- How does that make you feel? - Insecure, yeah.
0:31:14 > 0:31:17Shocked about that, actually, to be honest.
0:31:17 > 0:31:20Would you still sign up knowing that you've waived your right to privacy?
0:31:20 > 0:31:22I never knew that they could share the messages.
0:31:22 > 0:31:24If I knew that, I wouldn't have signed up in the first place.
0:31:24 > 0:31:27- Will you tell your mates now to be a bit more careful? - Yeah, yeah, I will, totally.
0:31:27 > 0:31:30- Share that bit of information with them, anyway.- Right. - On social media!
0:31:30 > 0:31:34- Can make that public. - Thank you very much.- Thank you.
0:31:38 > 0:31:41Well, now to a company whose business is booming.
0:31:41 > 0:31:45Britannia Hotels, the name behind some of the most popular budget hotels in the UK,
0:31:45 > 0:31:49as well as the famous Pontins holiday parks.
0:31:49 > 0:31:51But I'm afraid for such a well-established company,
0:31:51 > 0:31:55it doesn't have the best reputation for customer service.
0:31:55 > 0:31:58In fact, quite a number of unhappy customers,
0:31:58 > 0:32:01plus the consumer organisation Which?, say its customer service
0:32:01 > 0:32:05does stand out, but for entirely the wrong reasons.
0:32:05 > 0:32:08That's especially disappointing for a business that managed to post
0:32:08 > 0:32:13a £33.3 million profit in 2016.
0:32:13 > 0:32:16Well, all this has prompted us to take a closer look,
0:32:16 > 0:32:19not just at what might have gone wrong in this case,
0:32:19 > 0:32:21but also at customer service in general,
0:32:21 > 0:32:24so that if you ever have to make a complaint to a big name,
0:32:24 > 0:32:27you'll know how to boost your chances of getting it resolved.
0:32:38 > 0:32:42"Competitive pricing offering real value for money."
0:32:42 > 0:32:45Over its 40-year history, the Britannia Hotels group
0:32:45 > 0:32:48has established an impressive portfolio of properties,
0:32:48 > 0:32:54with its 54 hotels offering 9,000 bedrooms across the UK,
0:32:54 > 0:32:58but we've been hearing from guests who say their experience
0:32:58 > 0:33:01certainly didn't match up to the grandeur of the surroundings.
0:33:03 > 0:33:06Margaret and Roger Bolton from Salford got in touch with us
0:33:06 > 0:33:09after their trip to the Britannia Hotel in Edinburgh.
0:33:09 > 0:33:13They'd booked a room to celebrate their silver wedding anniversary,
0:33:13 > 0:33:16and even ordered flowers and champagne for when they arrived.
0:33:16 > 0:33:20I was really excited, I thought this was going to be something special,
0:33:20 > 0:33:22it's going to be a lovely room.
0:33:23 > 0:33:28They'd splashed out £470 for three nights in the Excelsior suite -
0:33:28 > 0:33:32it was a special occasion, after all - but when they checked in,
0:33:32 > 0:33:35they felt things were rather different from what they'd expected.
0:33:35 > 0:33:38Straightaway, I noticed the carpet hadn't been hoovered.
0:33:38 > 0:33:41The room didn't look clean, the windows were filthy.
0:33:41 > 0:33:45I walked into the en-suite toilet and there was mould all over the sink,
0:33:45 > 0:33:48the toilet seat hadn't been cleaned.
0:33:48 > 0:33:50It was just horrible.
0:33:51 > 0:33:52Come on.
0:33:52 > 0:33:55But what really took Margaret and Roger aback was the reaction
0:33:55 > 0:33:58when they took their complaints to the reception desk.
0:33:58 > 0:34:02When we complained at reception, we just got met with blank faces.
0:34:03 > 0:34:05There was no response.
0:34:05 > 0:34:07The only response we got was, we don't give refunds.
0:34:09 > 0:34:11The couple WERE offered alternative rooms,
0:34:11 > 0:34:13which they felt were worse than the first one,
0:34:13 > 0:34:16and after some further negotiation,
0:34:16 > 0:34:19reception staff also offered a 10% refund,
0:34:19 > 0:34:22but Margaret felt her special trip had been ruined,
0:34:22 > 0:34:25so when she returned home, she made a formal complaint.
0:34:26 > 0:34:30I sent an e-mail to Britannia customer services,
0:34:30 > 0:34:35I also sent an e-mail to the manager of the Britannia Hotel in Edinburgh,
0:34:35 > 0:34:38and I didn't get any response.
0:34:39 > 0:34:44I've tried phoning the hotel manager in Edinburgh,
0:34:44 > 0:34:46and he was never there.
0:34:46 > 0:34:49He did not respond to me at all.
0:34:50 > 0:34:53Four months later, by which time Margaret had given up hope
0:34:53 > 0:34:55of ever hearing back from Britannia,
0:34:55 > 0:34:59a manager did call, promising to try and secure a full refund,
0:34:59 > 0:35:01but that didn't materialise,
0:35:01 > 0:35:04so Margaret tried chasing, but heard nothing further.
0:35:04 > 0:35:08And all that was, wait for it, two-and-a-half years ago.
0:35:08 > 0:35:11Now, by anyone's standard, that's a long time to wait
0:35:11 > 0:35:14for a final response to a complaint.
0:35:16 > 0:35:18I felt absolutely gutted.
0:35:18 > 0:35:21I was just being brushed under the carpet, basically.
0:35:21 > 0:35:23They were not interested.
0:35:23 > 0:35:26Margaret and Roger aren't the only people who've written to us
0:35:26 > 0:35:29expressing unhappiness with the customer service
0:35:29 > 0:35:31they've had from Britannia Hotels.
0:35:31 > 0:35:35Jerry Blanchard from Oxford stayed at the group's famous Adelphi Hotel
0:35:35 > 0:35:37in Liverpool in September 2016.
0:35:37 > 0:35:41It's described on the company's website as luxurious,
0:35:41 > 0:35:43but Jeremy begs to disagree.
0:35:43 > 0:35:46We got to our room, very, very tired.
0:35:46 > 0:35:48Unclean, seriously worn carpets.
0:35:48 > 0:35:51Sitting on the bed, one of the legs was broken,
0:35:51 > 0:35:56at which point we decided to go and rejoin the queue in reception
0:35:56 > 0:35:59and to ask for another room.
0:35:59 > 0:36:04And he was offered one but, again, he wasn't impressed.
0:36:04 > 0:36:08The bath was full of what can only be described as human hair.
0:36:08 > 0:36:13A room that's been cleaned should not have that level of filth remaining.
0:36:14 > 0:36:18Jeremy claims the reception desk was busy with other dissatisfied guests,
0:36:18 > 0:36:22so he decided to wait until he returned home to make his complaint.
0:36:22 > 0:36:25The next morning, we just couldn't get away quickly enough.
0:36:25 > 0:36:29We didn't want to spend a minute longer in that hotel then we had to.
0:36:29 > 0:36:33It became very apparent that service was just
0:36:33 > 0:36:37so far-away from being a priority.
0:36:37 > 0:36:39We just decided to cut and run.
0:36:41 > 0:36:43Jeremy had booked his room through an independent website
0:36:43 > 0:36:46so sent in his complaint off to them,
0:36:46 > 0:36:50and although that company responded swiftly and sympathetically,
0:36:50 > 0:36:54the communication dried up once it got in touch with Britannia on his behalf.
0:36:54 > 0:36:57Jeremy says he was eventually told by the website that Britannia
0:36:57 > 0:37:01had said unless he'd complained at the time, in person, there was
0:37:01 > 0:37:05nothing that could be done, and that's left him very annoyed.
0:37:07 > 0:37:09I wouldn't stay in one of their hotels ever again,
0:37:09 > 0:37:12knowing how they deal with customers' complaints,
0:37:12 > 0:37:14albeit after the event.
0:37:14 > 0:37:18If I pay £175, I expect a level of service
0:37:18 > 0:37:20which was way, way off the mark.
0:37:21 > 0:37:24Now, of course, when it comes to complaints, what one person
0:37:24 > 0:37:28considers a huge problem may simply be a little niggle to someone else,
0:37:28 > 0:37:32but either way, what we all expect is an answer,
0:37:32 > 0:37:35and to have our concerns taken seriously,
0:37:35 > 0:37:37and according to the people we've heard from,
0:37:37 > 0:37:40that's not always the case when it comes to Britannia.
0:37:40 > 0:37:43In fact, we've received more complaints in our inbox
0:37:43 > 0:37:47about this company than for any other UK hotel chain,
0:37:47 > 0:37:50and the common theme is the response, or rather the lack of it,
0:37:50 > 0:37:53there's been from the company.
0:37:53 > 0:37:57What's more, it isn't just Rip-Off Britain viewers voicing such concerns,
0:37:57 > 0:38:01the review website TripAdvisor has a complaints thread
0:38:01 > 0:38:03going back over ten years.
0:38:03 > 0:38:05Of course, the chain has many happy customers as well,
0:38:05 > 0:38:09there are hundreds of reviews rating some of the hotels as excellent
0:38:09 > 0:38:14on TripAdvisor too, but in a report by the consumer body Which?
0:38:14 > 0:38:18that rated 33 of the UK's hotel chains for customer satisfaction,
0:38:18 > 0:38:23Britannia Hotels came bottom, and not for the first time,
0:38:23 > 0:38:25which doesn't impress Helen Dewdney,
0:38:25 > 0:38:29who's been advising consumers about how to complain for over 30 years.
0:38:31 > 0:38:34In the most recent Which? survey on hotels,
0:38:34 > 0:38:38the Britannia chain came bottom for the fourth year running.
0:38:38 > 0:38:40So what does that tell us about customer service?
0:38:40 > 0:38:43Well, it tells us that they care very little for it.
0:38:43 > 0:38:46They're clearly not listening to feedback, it's coming from the top,
0:38:46 > 0:38:49and nothing's going to really change until people start
0:38:49 > 0:38:51voting with their feet or start asserting their legal rights
0:38:51 > 0:38:53and complain effectively.
0:38:55 > 0:38:58But when we contacted Britannia Hotels, about the complaints we'd received,
0:38:58 > 0:39:02the company stressed customers are its number-one concern,
0:39:02 > 0:39:05saying it takes every complaint seriously
0:39:05 > 0:39:08and as a matter of high priority. What's more,
0:39:08 > 0:39:11it said, it would contact the people in both the cases we spoke to
0:39:11 > 0:39:14and resolve their complaints, and it's done just that,
0:39:14 > 0:39:19giving both Margaret and Roger and Jeremy full refunds on their stays.
0:39:23 > 0:39:25While that's great news,
0:39:25 > 0:39:27all of them would rather things had been resolved sooner
0:39:27 > 0:39:29without needing to contact us.
0:39:29 > 0:39:32But Helen believes that many of us find complaining
0:39:32 > 0:39:35and complaining with confidence really difficult to do.
0:39:35 > 0:39:38She reckons that explains why we don't always get the results
0:39:38 > 0:39:43we want, and why companies are able to prosper even if they don't
0:39:43 > 0:39:45have the best reputation for customer service.
0:39:45 > 0:39:48Helen herself is evangelical about complaining,
0:39:48 > 0:39:52and wants us all to get better at it, so she's taken to the streets
0:39:52 > 0:39:56of Sevenoaks in Kent to find out what action the people there
0:39:56 > 0:39:59would take if they'd had a disappointing hotel stay.
0:40:01 > 0:40:03So, have you ever had to complain about a hotel?
0:40:03 > 0:40:04I probably should have.
0:40:04 > 0:40:07The TV wasn't working, and I really should have complained at the time,
0:40:07 > 0:40:10but I didn't, stiff upper lip sort of thing.
0:40:10 > 0:40:12Why did you not complain?
0:40:12 > 0:40:14I just felt guilty about complaining.
0:40:14 > 0:40:16- You felt guilty?- Yes, it's strange.
0:40:16 > 0:40:19What do you think it is about the British that makes us
0:40:19 > 0:40:22- not want to complain?- As a nation, we're probably quite unassuming.
0:40:22 > 0:40:24We're reluctant to make a fuss,
0:40:24 > 0:40:28but my wife is definitely the complainer, she is far stronger
0:40:28 > 0:40:30than I am and she wears the trousers.
0:40:30 > 0:40:33When I was in Scotland, and I arrived with my mum and my sister,
0:40:33 > 0:40:35and the sheets were questionable.
0:40:35 > 0:40:38- You know when you sort of touch them and they're a bit damp?- Not nice.
0:40:38 > 0:40:40- Yeah, exactly. - Did you complain when you got home?
0:40:40 > 0:40:43Well, to be honest with you, I just stayed well clear,
0:40:43 > 0:40:45we put that experience to the side and carried on with our lives.
0:40:45 > 0:40:47No, no, don't be put off.
0:40:47 > 0:40:49The British are so put off and they're fobbed off.
0:40:49 > 0:40:51so don't do it next time, get them.
0:40:51 > 0:40:54So, if you ever find yourself staying at a hotel that doesn't
0:40:54 > 0:40:57live up to expectations, what can you do to improve
0:40:57 > 0:40:59your chances of getting a complaint resolved?
0:40:59 > 0:41:02Well, Helen has two key pieces of advice.
0:41:02 > 0:41:05The first is, start complaining straightaway.
0:41:05 > 0:41:07Hello, reception?
0:41:07 > 0:41:09If you're not happy with your hotel,
0:41:09 > 0:41:13or your accommodation provider, complain at the time, if you can,
0:41:13 > 0:41:16because that's the best way to try and give them an opportunity
0:41:16 > 0:41:18to put things right.
0:41:18 > 0:41:20If you're not able to, or you're rushing for a train,
0:41:20 > 0:41:24when you get home, complain to head office, and you need to say
0:41:24 > 0:41:27that they're in breach of the Consumer Rights Act 2015,
0:41:27 > 0:41:31by not providing services with reasonable skill and care -
0:41:31 > 0:41:33that way, you're going to get listened to far more
0:41:33 > 0:41:36than if you don't mention the law.
0:41:36 > 0:41:38If you don't complain at the time,
0:41:38 > 0:41:41the hotel might reasonably say things couldn't have been that bad.
0:41:41 > 0:41:44As for Helen's second tip?
0:41:44 > 0:41:47Keep evidence of everything, so you want to be filming your room,
0:41:47 > 0:41:50taking photos, so you've got all the evidence
0:41:50 > 0:41:53should you need to take the matter further.
0:41:53 > 0:41:54That way, Helen says,
0:41:54 > 0:41:57your chances of getting results are greatly improved.
0:41:58 > 0:42:01We need to get more effective in our complaining
0:42:01 > 0:42:03so that we don't get fobbed off.
0:42:08 > 0:42:11If you've got a story and you'd like us to investigate it,
0:42:11 > 0:42:14then get in touch with us via our Facebook page,
0:42:14 > 0:42:17BBC Rip-Off Britain, our website...
0:42:21 > 0:42:23..or you can e-mail us...
0:42:26 > 0:42:29If you want to send us a letter, our address is...
0:42:37 > 0:42:41The Rip-Off team is ready and waiting to investigate your stories.
0:42:43 > 0:42:46Well, I'll bet there can't be too many of us who wouldn't shudder
0:42:46 > 0:42:49whenever we see a story like the one about the fire
0:42:49 > 0:42:52that caused such damage to Joan's home.
0:42:52 > 0:42:54It's absolutely terrifying to think that a sofa
0:42:54 > 0:42:56could cause such devastation.
0:42:56 > 0:42:59And while it's certainly a relief that no-one was injured,
0:42:59 > 0:43:02I'm sure none of us wants to go through anything like that.
0:43:02 > 0:43:06But a big thank you to everyone who shared their stories with us today.
0:43:06 > 0:43:09It's by hearing about your experiences that the rest of us know
0:43:09 > 0:43:11what we need to watch out for.
0:43:11 > 0:43:13Which, of course, is a very useful reminder that
0:43:13 > 0:43:16we really are truly grateful for every single letter
0:43:16 > 0:43:18and e-mail that you send us,
0:43:18 > 0:43:20even if we're not able to include them on the programme.
0:43:20 > 0:43:23The team genuinely reads every single one,
0:43:23 > 0:43:24so do keep them coming in.
0:43:24 > 0:43:27And we have lots of programmes coming up over the next few months,
0:43:27 > 0:43:31and whilst, of course, we can't promise to solve every problem
0:43:31 > 0:43:33you tell us about, we'll certainly give it try.
0:43:33 > 0:43:36And at that point, that's where we have to leave it for today,
0:43:36 > 0:43:38but we'll see you again very soon.
0:43:38 > 0:43:41- But from the Rip-Off Britain team, bye-bye.- Goodbye.- Goodbye.