Episode 1 Watchdog Daily

Hello, and welcome to a brand new series - Watchdog Daily. We're with

you live every morning for the next four weeks. We'll be taking on the

companies whose service, value and promises don't measure up. Fighting

your corner and getting you a better deal. This morning Admiral,

Aviva and Halifax. Insure your car with any of them? Better check

before you renew. HSBC, Barclays and Natwest. Giving wrong advice -

are they on the wrong side of the law? And the truth about low-cost

airlines. How Easyjet and Ryanair could cost you more than travelling

with BA. Also on today's programme: A quick question, you have a the

money in the house. On the trail of a scammer, we join the Consumer

cops as they try to un mask a conman, determined to trick a coup

out of thousands of pounds. First, insurance companies.

Peoplups for new customers have gone to an 18 - month low, but for

the new customers it could abdifferent story. Some drivers

have seen payments rocket. As Rani Price reports, this is just

one problem that they could face. Rolling on a policy from one year

to the next is meant to make your life easier. Giving a company your

loyalty should ensure you get the best service and the best price,

but not cording to these drivers. I've been with the Halifax for a

year. The premium was �79. The following year it came up to over

�3,000. If I had let it go through with automatic renewal, I would

have been out of pocket by �340 a month. A five-time increase to what

I was paying previously. .For Daniel Woolley, the increase

was higher. Renewing his car insurance with Aviva would have

caused his premium to soar to a whopping �7,329.

. What shocked me is that the insurance would have gone up on

moopbl basis to over �600 a month - - monthly it would have gone

automatically without me doing anything.

Luckily, he did do something. When he called Aviva to complain, they

reduced it to just �2,099. I could not understand how they

could just drop it by �5,000. If it was so easy to drop it, why not

send me the lower figure in the first place? Mark Croucher had a

similar experience with add add. The premium last year was �709.

This year the renewal quote came in at �1022. That is too much to pay

for car insurance. I started to shop around.

Mark Croucher found he got the cover cheaper, at just �168 for a

whole year's insurance, that name of that company? Admiral, but he

had to sign up as a new customer to qualify.

After being a loyal customer for Admiral for a couple of years, I

expect the policy to be better. If I let the policy renew itself it

would have been I would have been out of pocket. Loyalty does not

mean anything. So is it clear, staying loyal to

the same insurance company year in, year out, does not always pay, but

if you ditch the auto renewal policy and switch provider, check

the small print. Frank Elswood was with Admiral when they offered him

a higher renewal premium. He decided to go elsewhere.

Admiral had taken the money from my bank account and sent an insurance

policy through that meant that I had insured the car twice. Frank

was caught out by a law, that allowed Admiral to continue taking

from his account until he contacted them. Frank was still left with �47

out of pocket. So when his daughter wanted to switch from Admiral he

was determined no to the repeat it We sent an e-mail. We are getting

wise to what they do now. The e- mail stateed that we were not

renewing insurance with Admiral, but despite that, Admiral carried

on with their attempts to take his money.

I have had four letters so far, the last one telling us they were about

to put it with the collection agency it is so frustrating. When

you are getting debt collection letters it is the time, the effort,

the stress that goes with it to sort this out when I don't feel I

have done anything wrong. Renewal premium increases to make

your eyes water. You think that your insurance is

renewed, then it is not. For these drivers car insurance renewals have

been nothing but trouble. So, unhappy customers. So what have

the companies said about it? They have all apologised to the various

customers featured. Admiral say that Mark Croucher's quote was high

then reduced as they assess new and old customers independently, but

they are working on changing the system to stop this happening. They

say they would have refunded the fees associated with Frank

Elswood's policy if they had been provided with details, but they are

waiving the �127.76 on his daughter's policy and say they

would have done so see er, had he sent them more information.

They send renewal quotes in advance so, customers are given the

opportunity to cancel. Aviva blame the processor -- processing error

in Daniel Woolley's payment. They immediately paid it back when he

called them. They say they still give quality car insurance at a

competitive price. Later on I'm speaking with the head

of the Association of British Insurers. They represent the

companies talked about in this field if you wish to comment or

report on any of the day's other stories please get in touch.

Now, throughout the series we are following the UK's so-called

Consumer Cops. Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders officers

who operate in all areas of the country frfplt investigating car-

clocking garages, to prosecuting loan sharks. Their work is varied

and immense. This week, Shefalia Oza joins the team with one of the

heaviest work loads. Welcome to the West Midlands it borders

Warwickshire to the east, Worcestershire to the south and

Staffordshire to the north and the west. It is also home to the second

UK city, Birmingham. So no wonder that the so-called Consumer Cops

are busy. All this week I'll be showing you

just how busy. Pull over here now! Following

officers as they crack down on counterfeit crime. We are with them

as they hunt for illicit alcohol. Can we have the truth now? You said

there was no more vodka in here. We also discovered the shocking

truth about the illegal jewellery trade. Seen them confront the

travel agents who they believe are breaking the law.

What about this USB. It is going back! And you can see what the

Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders officers, to do to keep at

the sharp end of things. For a region of 5.5 million people, the

main area of consumer protection, the prevention of so-called

doorstep crime. Sandwell, north-west of Birmingham,

has had its share from dodgy roofers to shady double-glazing

salesmen. Today the team are out with Sandwell's resident PC pl Mr

Drew on a neighbourhood inspection. The reason to do the neighbourhood

patrols is one if is reassurance for the community, that someone is

out there looking out for the rogues, protecting the interests of

the consumers. Two, if we it is better for to us catch them in the

act! This neighbourhood is a known doorstep crime hot spot.

Anyone seen working here can expect I don't know if you are aware that

this is a no-trader zone. So we do regular inspections. So anyone

working on the property we stop and have a word with them. I work for a

company. The officers are satisfied that

this man is legitimate, but it turns out that the client has past

experience of rogue traders. Someone ripped her off �500.

Victims of rogue trade remembers targeted repeatedly. The criminals

have ways of letting each other know which houses are vulnerable to

scams. They would put markers on the house,

such as chalking a symbol by the house that would absign to other

rogues to show it is an easy target. Now it is known that they will sell

on details of the houses to other rogues.

That is called a sucker list. A lot of the time, once they have been

targeted again it may not be by the same person, but a vast array of

different people. Back in the neighbourhood, Mark

catches up with a lady who had dealings with a serious rogue. She

was nearly conned into paying this man, Mr O'Brien, �3,000 for roofing

work. I felt I was foolish. I was annoyed

as I had been taken in like that. I am not usually so gullible, but

just at that time I was vulnerable. I had lost my husband. I didn't

have anyone to do the work. So I didn't know quite where to turn.

Oh, dear. Luckily, Mrs Simpson did not hand

over money, but many did. Including a victim who payed a whops �90,000

for a job worth just �1,9 hundreds. Following a lengthy investigation,

O'Brien and his gang were jailed for a total of 15 years.

I am not usually vindictive, but I was pleased about that. They had

defrauded so many people. Today we have seen no other such

criminals at work in the neighbourhood, but only constant

vigilance will keep it that way. I'm so, in some ways disappointed

we have not caught anyone in the act, but on the other side it is

good. Maybe the rogue trader zones and the routine neighbourhood

inspections are putting them off from coming to Sandwell. We can

only hope. Sadly, the chances of keeping all

rogues off the streets are slim. We discovered this when covering a

neighbourhood team tracking down a conartist, trying to concouple from

�3,500. First more from Rani Price. Lots of you have been in touch

about our story on car insurance and auto renewal quotes. Andrew

told us his monthly premiums went up to �535 a month when his

insurance was renewed. He called the provider, it was reduced to

just �380. Others missed the renewal and were stung with

cancellation charges. You can contact us throughout the programme

about any of the subjects that we are covering. The details of how to

do so are on the screens now. Have you bought a gym membership, a

magazine subscription or loan and given credit card details? The

arrangement may seem convenient, but it can be difficult to get out

By law, should the banks cancel if they request it? Not according to

Telephone banking, online accounts and mobile phone app, s. We can

check balances and make payments 24 hours a day, seven day as week.

Giving us time to plan and control the money in our accounts, but

people are struggling with continuous payment authority. Or

CPA. Mr Finn banks with the Co-op. I was checking the bank account. I

found a couple of transactions that I did not recognise. I rang the

bank to find out who they were and what the transactions were, what

they involved. Then the bank told me that they were continuous

authority transactions from a company that I had subscribed to.

These are deals that you agree to on the phone or online. Sometimes

face-to-face. Basically, you are agreeing to them taking a future

payment from your credit or debit card. It is not to pay for

something now, but to pay for it in the future. Like a magazine

subscription or next year's car insurance or a pay day loan.

are setting up permission to take money from your account

indefinitely. It is crucial to have the power to stop them.

David tried to do that. I had never heard of the companies.

I did not know how to contact them, but the bank said it was up to me

to cancel them. I -- they didn't have the authority to do so.

But EU directives say that the co Co-op and all other banks can halt

the payments. All you have to do is to tell the

bank or card provider to stop.it under the law it must do that the

law is absolutely clear. It has been clear since November, 2009.

David did I manage to track down the company, the CPA was cancelled,

but other views complained that their banks refused to stop the

continuous payments going out. So who is not playing by the rules?

Who is playing by the rules? Over the course of a day, Mystery

Shoppers made three kales to nine UK retail banking providers. The

ske asked was this: I have a continuous payment authority? It is

a regular instalment coming from the card. I was wondering if the

bank could cancel that? The correct answer is "yes", but what advice

were the banks giving? First Lloyds? You cancel it through the

company. Any debit card payments, you have to cancel it with the

company. .No! The bank can and should cancel

it straight away. In fact, on two out of three calls made to Lloyds,

the advice given to the Mystery Shoppers was incorrect. Next up,

Halifax. The same question, three different answers. This adviser got

it right. You can just ring us. Go online if

you use the online banking or do it in the branch.

But as for the other two... block transactions to certain

companies, but there would abreason for that.

Not true! You don't have to give a reason at all.

That's the thing. You can only cancel it via the company.

Wrong again it can be cancelled through the bank. As for NatWest,

Barclays and Santander... Cancel it with the company first of all.

the card details they authorise it as a transactions, we could not

stop.that you have authorised them to take the payments from the

account. I think that you have to ring them to cancel it with them.

Each gave incorrect advice on one out of three owe cations, but the

worst performer on the test was HSBC. All three advisers on all

three calls gave wrong information. What I suggest you do is get in

contact with the company first of all. That is something you have to

speak to the company about. It is a recurring transaction it would be

difficult to cancel it you have to do it with them.

In total we were given wrong advice in 11 out of the 27 calls. One

adviser at RBS could not help. We would not say over the telephone,

but a branch could look at it to see what they can do for you.

Two nat West and Santander had advisers who did not know what a

CPA was... Well, what I have heard, yeah, it is one of those they keep

taking out, you cannot cancel it. would not know how to do that.

Really? Some banks clearly need to acquaint themselves with the rules.

If the bank does not stop the payments coming out it has to

refund you with any future payments and any charges that may be incured

if one sends you overdrawn. The charges must be refunded. The law

is absolutely clear about that. So rather worrying results there.

What did the banks say about it all? Well, RBS, Barclays, nat West,

Halifax all apologised and reminded staff of proper procedure. As have

Santander who have taken action to ensure that they give customers the

right information. HSBC are working to improve the processes. They add

that customers can cancel continuous payments and say they

will refund payments taken after the cancellation date.

The Co-op apologised to Mr Finn for the inconvenience kased and will be

addressing the issues -- caused. And most banks advised customers to

inform the merchant that the payment has been cancelled.

Earlier we saw Sandwell trading -- Society of Motor Manufacturers &

Traders officers in an attempt to catch con membership in the act. We

joined people in Dudley, when they attempted to intervene a couple

trying to give away thousands to a conman.

The investigation teams work is wide and varied.

What are you doing? Dropping off the leaflets.

While on patrol they will talk to anyone that they see canvassing in

the area. We have stopped you because you are

leafletting. They examine the leaflets and the fliers to ensure

that the contact details are genuine.

It has a unit address. Traders don't use this. There is no

postcode on the address either. For the officers here, this work is

routine, but before returning to the office they receive a report of

a rapid response call. There has been a skaul with regards

to a vulnerable -- a call with regards to a vulnerable consumer

with regards to winning a lottery. This is a trademark of a scammer.

The officers have to get all of the details of this.

You received a phone call? Yes, the first man to give me a name was a

Mr James Blake from New York City. From Madison Avenue. I was told I

had won �200,000, on filling in the back of a chocolate wrapper.

I don't remember it. About a year ago. We went to or were contacted

by a Mr James Baker. Who, I am led to believe, was in Heathrow. He was

a customs officer. But, as is the case, there was a

catch to receiving this �200,000. Did you have to send them a cheque?

Yes, I did. I sent a cheque for �900. It was

something to do with transporting a lot of money into the country you

have to pay some sort of legal tax. I didn't catch it or understand it

properly. So, have you sent the cheque off?

Yes. The couple had handed over �900 and

were now asked to pay a further amount in order to get their

winnings. They have asked for �2,600. That is why I was to the

bank to find out how to get it done. For the team this begins to sound

like a serious scam. Dudley's principal Trading Standards officer

arrives to break the news to the couple. Is there a problem?

think you are being robbed, to be blunt. You have not won a prize at

all. Somebody is telling you lies to send the money.

He is coming here to deliver the winnings and then he pace you?

is right. I could have gotten the bank to pay

the money, but I started to get nervous it was �2,600.

You are right to be nervous, I think that they are robbing you.

for get the winnings? Yes, forget the holiday! It would keep going on,

until you had no money left. That is what they do. Roger wanted to

forget it in the start. I thought, I if -- if I have won something, I

want it. I was sceptical. Everything that he has told you

there is false it is fiction.. more I listened to what he said,

the mother I was suspicious. It has upset me to think that I was

foolish enough to fall for it. We are certain that this is a

criminal scam. I think that everyone who has attended the

property has been affected by what they have seen it is a very sad

situation. Older people grew up in times when the scams were not as

prolific as they are now. They are trusting. They take things on face

value. They can be easy targets for criminal scammers. Scammers who

have absolutely no morals. They are the lowest of the low. They will

keep coming and keep coming until they take all of their money.

a sad story. There is more to come. After meeting that couple, the

officers persuaded them to take part in an operation to catch those

responsible. That led to remarkable phone calls, as you will see later

on. Now, though, we are returning to the car insurance. We have seen

how some of the biggest companies are penalising loyal customers for

drivers who let them renew insurance automatically, but then

offering lower rates if they leave and come bass as -- back as new

customers. How do they justify it? So, I am joined by Malcolm Tarling

from the Association of British Insurers. Why is this happening?

The insurers don't do this as a ruse to sneak high premiums in the

back door. They are doing it to ensure that the customers are

insured when the policy comes up for renewal. If they don't, then

you could have me here sitting on the seat trying to justify a

process where they are not insured. True, but Mark Croucher, his

premium went up so much, then he goes back as a new customer, he has

his insurance offered as a -- at a lower rate. It does not make sense?

They do not want to penalise good customers, but they have to attract

new customers. That is what they are there for.

But there is penalising and chen charging old customers a huge

amount more? Absolutely. You have to check that a cheaper premium

reflects the cover. So a cheaper premium could come at a price in

that there is a higher excess. You may find also that the existing

cover provides benefits for legal expenses that a new policy, coming

in at a cheaper price does not do. Some people will think that the

companies are just thinking that perhaps the customers will not

notice? Automatic renewals are made clear on the renewal notice that

the customers receives, two to three weeks before the policy is up

for renewal. Insurers have to make it clear. You have to read that to

notice and check. If it is automatically renewed you have

three weeks to shop around. Make a decision, vote with your feet.

Motorinsurance is competitive. Take advantage of that

Malcolm Tarling, thank you very much.

Lots more of you have been in touch about the story and are unhappy

with the treatment you are receiving at the hands of insurers.

Dawn said: I phoned to cancel my ins. I -- insurance, I made a

complaint. Heather said: It took six phone

calls to cancel my insurance. Now, booking a holiday. Who do you

book with? I would say budget airlines. You expect them to be

lower than the normal airlines budget airline speaks for itself.

Maybe, but does budget mean cheaper? Well, Doctor John Haigh

has been investigating for you. He is our inhouse expert.

Which kind of airline is cheapest for a family of four going on

holiday? Will it be budget like easyJet? Or Ryanair? Or will it be

non-budget like British Airways? Often.the budget airlines do work

out cheaper. Especially if you are travelling alone with no luggage,

but what about a family of four? Obviously with kids it is likely

that each of you will have 20 kilograms of baggage that must be

checked in and you will want to sit together so you have to reserve the

seats it is also nice to have a meal on the flight as well.

Well, miniature sandwiches would be ridiculous! Let's dot maths! We

looked at a return flight from London to Malaga at the end of

November, staying for a week. Paying with a debit card, the fare

for four people including taxes and Simple enough? The budgets were

cheaper, but then add in the Ryanair is edging ahead. What about

And finally, a bite to eat? British Airways supply a free inflight meal.

All much these extra costs mean that the total cost of flying with

Ryanair is a sky-high � 614.72. EasyJet, �554.92. On British

Airways, well, that is a grounded � 540.646789 the budgets are not so

budget friendly now! Of course, it is not going to be cheaper with BA

all of the time. We checked eight return flights from London to

Malaga over an eight-week period. BA was cheaper than easyJet on one

occasion, but they were cheaper than Ryanair on six out of the

eight occasions. It just goes to show it is always worth doing the

maths. Before you go, we have found that

even if you don't book a seat, take any bags or have a meal, easyJet

can be more xexive than BA for the flights.

-- expensive. Take this flight from London to

Amsterdam. Paying with a debit card, the flight with BA is � 384.

But with easy -- easyJet � 460.92. So easyJet was �apmore. Before you

have even started. Not how I define the word budget.

So, what has been the response from budget airlines? Ryanair were keen

to point out that their fares were the cheapest. EasyJet say that the

Amsterdam example was not representative. That the average

fare was �50 and 99.99% are cheaper than �200. They say that they offer

fantastic value and this month are introducing allocated seating on

all flights. So families sit together most of the time. BA say

that they strive to provide the best value for money for the

customers. For more information on the story or brush up on your maths,

find out more on the website: Now, back to the unfolding

financial scam in the West Midlands. Earlier we heard how a couple have

received a call, saying that they won over �200,000, but had to pay a

�900 fee for the winnings to be imported from abroad. After that,

they were told they had to pay a further �2,600 in taxes before

collecting the money. Shefalia Oza takes up the story now.

Well, after that second demand for payment, the couple became

suspicious and called in the Trading Standards Officers to

investigate. They confirmed it was a scam, but they managed to

persuade the coup toll play along in order to find out more about the

thieves' identities. Here is what happened next.

It is 9.toam at Sandwell Trading Standards. PC Drew sets off to the

couple's home. Theres with a phone call at 10.00am.

We are seeing if a cheque is to be delivered. To see if it happens. We

are then in a position to react to So, we are here on time? Yes.

It looks or sounds too good to be true, then it is.

So, the wait begins. Then 45 minutes later. The voice of a

fraudster... Hello! This is Mr Baker calling on

contacting you on behalf of the customs in London. Obviously today

is the day of your delivery for the I shall be here.

The first call is over. It is time for a debrief.

He does believe that I have the cheque here for �2,600. That is

what he is interested in. He wants the money. He wants to get his

hands on that. You have to say that when you give

the curer your money, that you get your cheque. He will probably say

that they need the cheque to clear before they can release the cheque

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 52 seconds

It turns out that PC Drew was right. The conman is saying before the

couple receive the so-called winnings, they have to send off the

cheque for �2,600, but there are no winnings.

Hello? Another call. This time the mysterious James Baker employs a

classic fraudster's tactic. He has good reason for wanting his

would-be victim to keep quiet. Telling anyone he is handing over

cash, could alert them to the scam. Thank you very much.

Goodbye. If you had won money there would be

no reason to pay up-front at all. They are asking for this money now

in an envelope in cash. If it were a genuine company, there would be

none of this. We want to call a halt to this now it will not go

further in relation to you. It is wrong for him to pester you in the

way that they are. The officers have heard enough to

be convinced that this is part of a large-scale fraud. They are now to

lies with the police in the area, to -- liaise with the police in the

area to work out who the criminals are and where they are op.rating

from. Meanwhile, it is time for this victim to say enough is enough.

Do not ring me again. Is there a chance of getting my �900, please?

The fraudster appears taken aback by the victim's response, but he

quickly composes himself and has a last attempt at persuading him to

part with another �2,of00. I'm going to ring off. I do not

want you to ring me again, please. Thank you very much.

He said he feels sorry for me! is finished now, as far as I'm

concerned. So, the matter for this couple is finally put to bed.

They've been conned out of �900, but it could have been so much more.

It is a shame that people feel that they can prey on people in their

pngs abl age and fleece them from money -- pension abl age. Fleece

them of this money. There are lines of inquiry to follow up.

Well, Chris King from the Dudley Trading Standards joins me now. We

saw you protecting that couple. Have you any updates on this

scammer? We have been unable to find the scammer in this case. The

police have followed a trail of several victims across the country.

As we fear at thetime, the scammer has given false details. He is not

resident in the UK. It make it is difficult for us to follow the

trail further. We have to stress that the names

given out in the call, that they were fake. That the man had no

connection to the HMRC or the American Government, but we could

hear how convincing the scam was. How easy is it for people to be

taken in by this? It is very easy. The people are plausible. Very good

at what they do. They are looking for older people, vulnerable people

to target in their scams. How much can people lose? I came

across someone who lost �9,000, but we have already heard of people

losing over half a million pounds to the scammers.

My goodness. Thank you very much.

An awful story there, Shefalia Oza. Thank you very much to everyone who

has been in touch with us today. That is all that we have time for

this morning. The deliveries that don't arrive

and the ones that do but like this. We investigate Yodel. Plus, foreign

currency. Does getting the best exchange deal depend on your post

code? And on patrol with the Consumer Cops as they bring down a