:00:33. > :00:38.Hello. Welcome to Watchdog Daily. We are with you live for the next
:00:38. > :00:43.45 minutes. This morning - Apple, Argos and M&S, complain to any of
:00:44. > :00:50.them and it could cost you. British Gas and E.ON are ripping out metres,
:00:50. > :00:56.even those which belong to the wrong customers. How dangerous can
:00:56. > :01:00.sunbeds be? The consumer cops check them. First, gas and electricity
:01:00. > :01:07.suppliers under fire for their big profits, inflation-busting price
:01:07. > :01:15.increases and confusing tariffs T big companies make millions. A
:01:15. > :01:22.petty they sometimes provide an appalling service.
:01:22. > :01:31.EDF - the official electricity supplier and energy supplier to
:01:31. > :01:36.more than five million customers. Are they as impressive as their
:01:36. > :01:42.advertising? This woman had paid �81 for her electricity. EDF said
:01:42. > :01:47.they were taking an extra �445 from her account. I thought this was
:01:47. > :01:53.strange. I thought my direct debits were the right amount. They
:01:53. > :01:58.informed me that my direct debits were too high, so they decided to
:01:58. > :02:02.lower it. Instead of owing EDF money, they owed her. Laura wanted
:02:02. > :02:07.to know why. Getting the information was not easy. Phone
:02:07. > :02:10.call after phone call, we worked out the metre was changed in 2010
:02:10. > :02:17.and that information was never updated so, they were billing me
:02:17. > :02:22.from an old metre, which measured my usage to different way. They
:02:22. > :02:27.lowered her direct debit again. Was the mystery solved? No, remember
:02:27. > :02:31.that �445 they took from her account, they still have not
:02:31. > :02:36.refunded her. Despite requests will not tell her when she can expect it
:02:36. > :02:42.back. Mind you, when it comes to keeping customers in the dark, EDF
:02:43. > :02:48.aren't alone. Ping has been with EDF since moving into her flat last
:02:48. > :02:53.January. She pays by a pre-payment metre. It is like a pay-as-you-go
:02:53. > :02:56.mobile phone. While she was away on holiday in
:02:56. > :03:01.May, her credit strangely disappeared.
:03:01. > :03:08.I came back and looked at my metre. Before I went on holiday I had �7
:03:08. > :03:12.in the metre. When I got back, it was into the minus �3, �4. I
:03:12. > :03:17.wondered where, who is using the electricity and what is happening
:03:17. > :03:24.to the money I put on to the metre. Good questions. No-one else shared
:03:24. > :03:30.the flat. She didn't have a house- siter. There'd been no burglars.
:03:30. > :03:34.There were no ghosts either. A former resident had come back to
:03:34. > :03:38.haunt her. When I phoned British Gas they informed me I was paying
:03:38. > :03:48.�8 a week from the previous tenants. It was their debt. Yes, the British
:03:48. > :03:49.
:03:49. > :03:55.Gas records were out of daing. Every time she put -- date. Every
:03:55. > :04:01.she Putin money in, they were taking it out. They offered me �44
:04:01. > :04:06.refund. And you have guessed - they still have not told Pinh when she
:04:06. > :04:13.will get the rest of the money. Omar Donaldson is also with British
:04:13. > :04:18.Gas. He has his own metre and he's had his own mystery.
:04:18. > :04:23.It all started on the night of 25th September.
:04:23. > :04:28.We came home about 6pm. I my wife tried the gas cooker and there was
:04:28. > :04:32.no gas. I turned the central heating on and it didn't come on
:04:32. > :04:35.either. That led me to realise there was no gas coming into the
:04:35. > :04:43.property. There was a good reason for that. When he went to check his
:04:43. > :04:47.metre, it was not there. His British Gas metre had been ripped
:04:47. > :04:52.out. I have been a British Gas customer for a year-and-a-half. My
:04:52. > :04:56.bills have always been paid on time. The account has always been kept in
:04:56. > :05:03.credit. When he called the company to find out what was going on --
:05:03. > :05:09.what was going on, they offered no explanation. He discovered his
:05:09. > :05:14.metre had been replaced with one from E.ON.
:05:14. > :05:19.We obviously found it difficult with no gas, no heating and no hot
:05:19. > :05:25.water. It was so cold that my wife could not stay at the property and
:05:25. > :05:31.she had to stay at her sons because she has illnesses and is affected
:05:31. > :05:39.severely by the cold. E.ON did eventually put the metre back. Did
:05:39. > :05:43.they tell him high they caused the trouble in the first place? They
:05:43. > :05:49.never offered an explanation. Now it has been over a week and I've
:05:49. > :05:58.had no e-mail, no contact - nothing of any kind. I guess it makes me
:05:58. > :06:04.feel quite angry that I've been treated this way and left this way.
:06:04. > :06:08.Meanwhile, it seems British Gas are not adverse to a bit of metre
:06:08. > :06:14.removal themselves. My flatmate and I came home from work. We opened
:06:14. > :06:19.the door and in front of the door was a note. The note immediately
:06:19. > :06:23.meant someone else had been in our flat. Everything else in the flat
:06:23. > :06:28.seemed normal, just this piece of paper in front of us indicated that
:06:28. > :06:33.someone had been in our home. was that from? British Gas, who had
:06:33. > :06:41.broken in, turned off the gas, removed the metre from outside and
:06:41. > :06:45.replaced it with a pre-paid one. They are entitled to get a warrant
:06:45. > :06:49.to enter a property if the customer has not paid the bill and if the
:06:49. > :06:52.householder refuses them access. But in this case, there was one
:06:52. > :06:58.small problem. When we started to read the note it was addressed to
:06:58. > :07:02.flat B and we are in A. In other words, while we were at work
:07:02. > :07:06.someone broke into our house and installed a metre that was not
:07:06. > :07:09.meant for us. I felt really shocked they could do that. How is a
:07:09. > :07:14.company allowed to break into my house? I don't understand that.
:07:14. > :07:18.Well, the answer is that British Gas weren't allowed to do it.
:07:18. > :07:23.Because of an error on their systems they broke into the wrong
:07:23. > :07:29.flat. They did promise to put the metre back, but said it would take
:07:29. > :07:32.two months. Not good enough for Gavin. The following day, I took to
:07:32. > :07:36.social media and we tried everything to alert British Gas to
:07:36. > :07:40.what happened. Within 24 hours they sent around an engineer to fix the
:07:40. > :07:43.metre back to the way it was. No- one has apologised and no-one seems
:07:44. > :07:48.to have acknowledged what has happened to us. Well, later in the
:07:48. > :07:51.programme I will speak to Energy UK, which represents the big power
:07:52. > :07:56.suppliers about their customer service as well as recent gas and
:07:56. > :07:59.electricity price rises. First of all, what do the companies say?
:07:59. > :08:04.Well, British Gas say they take their responsibilities to their
:08:04. > :08:07.customers seriously and work hard to rectify mistakes. They have
:08:07. > :08:12.apologised to Gavin Thompson for entering his property as well as
:08:13. > :08:19.ripping out his metre. It said this had the same serial number as one
:08:19. > :08:24.in an adjoining property. They have offered �150 compensation, which he
:08:24. > :08:29.accepted. As for the debt wrongly applied to Pinh Dong, the company
:08:29. > :08:32.said it was �6 a week. They removed this when she made contact and
:08:32. > :08:37.reimbursed the full amount she overpaid. The company said it was
:08:37. > :08:41.E.ON who wrongly removed the metre from Omar Donaldson's home because
:08:41. > :08:46.they mistakenly believed they were his supplier. E.ON said it is truly
:08:46. > :08:48.sorry and once their reps failed to check the serial number beforehand.
:08:48. > :08:56.The matter is under investigation and appropriate training will be
:08:56. > :09:01.given to make sure there is no repeat. EDF say a new metre was
:09:01. > :09:06.involved -- installed at Laura's property in 2010. They were not
:09:06. > :09:11.notified. They have apologised. They have since agreed to send her
:09:11. > :09:16.a manual bill with charges listed. They have aufrd her �100 to refund
:09:16. > :09:20.part of -- offer her a �100 to refund part of her credit. If you
:09:20. > :09:30.would like to comment on that or any of the stories, here is how you
:09:30. > :09:32.
:09:32. > :09:35.Start your message with the letters "WD." If you want to join in on
:09:35. > :09:42.Twitter the address is on the screen. Throughout this series we
:09:42. > :09:47.are with the consumer cops, Trading Standards investigating everything
:09:47. > :09:51.from rogue traders to garages selling faulty cars. Today, we are
:09:51. > :09:57.in a different part of the UK, following a very different type of
:09:57. > :10:01.crackdown. Here's Chris Jackson. Welcome to north-east England. It
:10:01. > :10:07.may be a typical November day here, of course there is no shortage of
:10:07. > :10:13.places where you can recreate that bronzed summer look. This region is
:10:13. > :10:19.known as one of Britain's tanning hot spots. We use sunbeds at our
:10:19. > :10:24.own risk and some of you may be aware there are hazards associated
:10:24. > :10:29.with artificial tanning. You might be surprised at the extent of the
:10:29. > :10:35.dangers. Trading Standards are only too aware, which is why they are
:10:35. > :10:41.putting salons in their patch to the test. Tyneside - home to the
:10:41. > :10:47.Angel of the North. Gate's head Millennium Bridge, fantastic
:10:47. > :10:52.football support. It makes you feel healthier. You look better. What is
:10:52. > :10:58.great about a nice tan, it feels amazing. I am more confident.
:10:58. > :11:02.Making your legs look thinner. the price of an artificial tan
:11:02. > :11:08.worth paying? Sunbeds can be dangerous. You have mediate risks
:11:08. > :11:14.such as sunburn and then long-term risks which can aassociated with
:11:14. > :11:19.the radiation levels - skin cancer. Although it is perfectly acceptable
:11:19. > :11:25.for tanning salons to supply sunbeds there are rules to limit
:11:25. > :11:32.the amount of harmful radiation they omit. Spot checks reveal many
:11:32. > :11:39.sol loan owners ignore them. salon owners ignore them. We have
:11:39. > :11:45.gone around 25 premises and assessed 61 different sunbeds. Ohen
:11:45. > :11:51.the basis of -- on the basis, 84% failed the tests on the radiation.
:11:51. > :11:55.It is a major concern to us. European standards mean UK sunbeds
:11:55. > :11:59.should omit no more radiation than you would be exposed to on a
:11:59. > :12:04.summer's day in the Mediterranean. That level is high enough, but what
:12:04. > :12:07.about this? A number of machines are five times over the limit in
:12:07. > :12:10.terms of the acceptable radiation levels, which is a major concern
:12:10. > :12:17.for us and it is something we take very seriously. There is good
:12:17. > :12:22.reason to take it seriously, as jus teen Shields knows. From 15 she was
:12:22. > :12:26.using sunbeds, on average, five times a week. At the time, it was a
:12:26. > :12:35.quick fix. There was nothing else really on the market that would
:12:36. > :12:44.give me a quick-fix tan. After 20 years of such use, Justine was
:12:44. > :12:49.diagnosed with malignant melmom ma. Because of the way it had grown, I
:12:49. > :12:55.couldn't wash myself. I couldn't be myself. I couldn't drink, couldn't
:12:55. > :13:04.walk. I couldn't do anything.
:13:04. > :13:08.Form natly Justi -- fortunately Justine is now in remission.
:13:08. > :13:14.three years of my life and three years is a long time, I was
:13:14. > :13:22.consumed by cancer. It's not simply worth it for a
:13:22. > :13:32.suntan. Back in Newcastle, Paul is getting
:13:32. > :13:32.
:13:32. > :13:39.ready to inspect his 26th tanning salon. A lot of radiation,
:13:39. > :13:42.requiring a lot of protection. I am covered, partly because of my
:13:42. > :13:48.skin type and because of health and safety, I am not allowed to get a
:13:48. > :13:53.tan at work. At this one, all seems well. Well are looking that the
:13:53. > :13:57.sunbeds don't exceed 0.3. It is within the limits. At no point did
:13:57. > :14:01.I get any readings that were in excess. In terms of radiation, we
:14:01. > :14:05.think this sunbed is perfectly safe. It is what we want to see. Things
:14:05. > :14:11.go down hill. It is clear that not all the beds comply with the
:14:11. > :14:18.regulations. What we are looking for is 0.3. As you can see there it
:14:18. > :14:25.is between 0.63 and 0.64, which is twice the limit. So you are getting
:14:25. > :14:29.twice the level of radiation. We would advise the business to get
:14:29. > :14:33.the tubes changed as soon as possible. Anybody using this is not
:14:33. > :14:37.using a safe product. This is a dangerous sunbed.
:14:37. > :14:43.The inspection is over. Paul seeks out the owner, who does not want to
:14:43. > :14:53.be filmed. He is unhappy at Paul's findings, saying he has not been
:14:53. > :14:55.
:14:55. > :15:00.made away of the latest changes in It takes some time, but the owner
:15:00. > :15:04.finally does take on board Paul's warnings. He agrees to change the
:15:04. > :15:14.bulbs, which will reduce the current levels of radiation by at
:15:14. > :15:17.
:15:17. > :15:22.I've told him it is not acceptable to have sunbeds above and beyond
:15:22. > :15:28.that safe limit. It needs to be addressed sooner rather than later.
:15:28. > :15:31.Unfortunately, excuses are not good enough. I believe that he is making
:15:31. > :15:35.steps, but maybe not as fast as we would like.
:15:35. > :15:40.More on that later. Before that, if you have ever tried to complain
:15:40. > :15:46.about a product or service, you know how trouble some and time
:15:46. > :15:50.consuming it may be. If you are plaining about the likes of Apple,
:15:50. > :15:57.Argos and Marks & Spencer it could be costly. Just like everything
:15:57. > :16:06.else, complaining can have its price, but just how expensive? The
:16:06. > :16:10.Mystery Shoppers have been finding out.
:16:10. > :16:13.Online shopping, cheap, quick and simp. Until something goes wrong.
:16:14. > :16:19.Then you can either e-mail the company and wait for a replay, or
:16:19. > :16:24.for a quicker response, you can give them a call. Or maybe not.
:16:24. > :16:34.You see, lots of retailers still use the so-called service numbers.
:16:34. > :16:37.
:16:37. > :16:42.Starting with 0844 and 0865. The charges vary, but could be up
:16:43. > :16:48.to �76 pence a minute on a mobile phone. It does not sound a lot,
:16:48. > :16:53.until you factor in the time you are on hold. This viewer wanted to
:16:53. > :16:59.swap a new item for a different version.
:16:59. > :17:05.I tried to contact Homebase. I got an automated response saying that
:17:05. > :17:10.they would get back to me in 48 hours, to call their 0845 number
:17:10. > :17:18.for a quicker response. I asked my mum to make a phone call. She spoke
:17:18. > :17:23.to one person, then was put on hold. After 18 or 18 -- 17 or 18 minutes
:17:23. > :17:30.on hold she gave up. So, how much did Janet have it pay
:17:30. > :17:35.to get the problem sorted? The 25- minute phone call cost me �8 .4 3.
:17:35. > :17:39.That was ridiculous. I wanted to communicate via e-mail.
:17:39. > :17:43.In the end, Janet communicated for free. She went back to the store
:17:43. > :17:52.and got a refund. There are other numbers that
:17:52. > :18:02.companies use to be wary of. Those starting with 0871 and 08706789
:18:02. > :18:04.
:18:04. > :18:10.And the premium rate lines that cost up to �2.55, and �1.55.
:18:10. > :18:14.Some companies use this. As does the budget airline, Vueling.
:18:14. > :18:20.Sue tried to make a call unexpectedly.
:18:20. > :18:26.I made eight phone calls. The first one was 34 minute, stuck in a queue.
:18:26. > :18:33.Then I got cut off. When I came back from my holiday I got all my
:18:33. > :18:38.phone bills and worked out it cost me �105. So it was almost more than
:18:38. > :18:44.the flight! Companies don't have to use such numbers. They could use
:18:44. > :18:49.those beginning with 0800, or 03 numbers included in the minutes if
:18:49. > :18:59.you have a pay monthly mobile phone. So, Hamas of them are choosing to
:18:59. > :18:59.
:18:59. > :19:03.stick with the more expensive ones? Our team checked 20 of the biggest
:19:04. > :19:10.online retailers to discover what they charged. The cheapest were
:19:10. > :19:16.these five. They have 0800 numbers and Expedia has an 083 number. As
:19:16. > :19:24.for the rest, five companies started to use numbers starting
:19:24. > :19:28.with 083 or 0844. Another five, including Marks & Spencer, Argos,
:19:28. > :19:35.used 0845. As this is more expensive, on average, it was these
:19:35. > :19:40.companies that we put to the test. First up, how much do the service
:19:40. > :19:50.lines cost before you even get to speak to an advisor? Remember the
:19:50. > :19:55.quicker that they answer, the less it will be. They are off! So, at
:19:55. > :20:01.the end of, that the company with the fastest time is... Marks &
:20:01. > :20:09.Spencer. Answering in just... 6 46 seconds.
:20:09. > :20:16.Next it is play.com. Followed by John Lewis. Then Argos,
:20:16. > :20:22.and then last a Apple. It took them 3.16.
:20:22. > :20:27.Each company was called ten times. Marks & Spencer were the fastest.
:20:27. > :20:33.The average wait was 1 minute and 9 seconds.
:20:33. > :20:38.Second was play.com with an average wait of 1.19 seconds. The cost was
:20:38. > :20:44.three pence from a landline and up to 54 pence from mobile phones.
:20:44. > :20:49.Then again a call to them did last this long... 5 minutes and 57
:20:49. > :20:54.seconds. That could have cost up to �2 .4 3,
:20:54. > :20:59.from a mobile phone. Next was John Lewis, followed by Argos, but the
:20:59. > :21:09.company with the longest average wait was ap.yell. The time? 3
:21:09. > :21:14.minutes and 7 seconds. The cost up to three pence on a
:21:14. > :21:18.landline and as much as �1.78. On that mobile phone, but what
:21:18. > :21:22.about when you are calling to buy a product? Well, Marks & Spencer and
:21:22. > :21:28.Apple have separate phone lines for the sales queries. We made ten
:21:28. > :21:31.calls to each of them. We wanted to find out if they could answer the
:21:31. > :21:36.calls quicker. Firstly, Marks & Spencer. On
:21:36. > :21:40.average, they did answer the sales line 36 seconds faster than
:21:40. > :21:45.answering their customer service line. So, using a mobile phone it
:21:45. > :21:51.cost us up to 25 pence less to buy something than to complain.
:21:51. > :21:55.As for Apple, on average we got through to the sales line 2 minutes
:21:55. > :22:02.and 3 seconds faster than when calling to register a complaint. If
:22:02. > :22:06.you think that is bad, the sales line is a cheaper, 0800 number.
:22:06. > :22:11.The conclusion, then: If you are using a mobile phone, calling Apple
:22:11. > :22:18.to complain can cost up to �1.05 more than when calling to buy
:22:18. > :22:21.something. Remember, that is before you even speak to anyone.
:22:21. > :22:27.Well, most of the companies featured say that there are various
:22:27. > :22:31.ways to contact them for free. That charges for the 0845 numbers are
:22:31. > :22:35.set by the network providers. Homebase says that as Janet used a
:22:35. > :22:39.mobile phone, the call cost was far higher than it would have been from
:22:39. > :22:45.a landline. They will look into that further.
:22:45. > :22:51.So, the sons from the others, what are they saying? Well, play.com say
:22:51. > :22:55.it is answers 80% of calls in 62 seconds, but is reviewing the
:22:55. > :22:59.service. Argos says that the callers are met with a voice
:22:59. > :23:04.recording that supplies important information and options. When
:23:04. > :23:08.finished the vast majority of calls are answered in 15 seconds. John
:23:08. > :23:13.Lewis says that the voice recording aims to direct callers to the
:23:13. > :23:17.correct place. Then after that the average time is answered in 20
:23:17. > :23:23.seconds. It says that the service centre is centralised as an
:23:23. > :23:27.operation, and the 0845 line is cheaper for customers using a
:23:27. > :23:31.landline that accounts for 80% of calls.
:23:31. > :23:34.What about the companies with separate lines for complaints and
:23:34. > :23:38.sales? Marks & Spencer say that they were able to get through to
:23:38. > :23:45.sales faster as the initial opening recorded message is shorter. That
:23:45. > :23:49.the call times quoted for complaints included a 42-second
:23:49. > :23:56.opening message. It gives customers options designed to save time.
:23:56. > :23:59.After this is over, the answer time on average is 30 seconds. 90% of
:24:00. > :24:03.calls are answered in a minute. However, Marks & Spencer is cutting
:24:03. > :24:08.the length of the opening message by ten seconds so that the
:24:08. > :24:14.customers get through quicker. Apple saying it offers customers a
:24:14. > :24:18.range of ways to make contact. Including a free phone number, 0800,
:24:18. > :24:23.shown on the Apple store website. Full responses from all of the
:24:23. > :24:27.companies are on our website. Rani, thank you very much. Now to
:24:27. > :24:34.Newcastle where the Consumer Cops are testing ut the city's tanning
:24:34. > :24:40.saloons. They have found out that some are exposing customers to
:24:40. > :24:45.dangerous radiation. Any owner who anything anothers the laws covering
:24:45. > :24:49.this, are breaking the law. Here is Chris Jackson again.
:24:49. > :24:56.Failure to comply with the rules can lead to a tanning saloon having
:24:56. > :25:03.beds shut down. Those in charge can be fined up to �20,000 and or face
:25:03. > :25:07.12 months in prison. Most heed the warnings, but then there are the
:25:07. > :25:11.repeat forpbts... I'm on my way to visit a premises, one of the first
:25:12. > :25:16.that I checked when doing the survey. We got very, very high
:25:16. > :25:20.readings, some of the highest out of all of the checks we have done
:25:20. > :25:25.for radiation levels. They were told at the time they would have a
:25:25. > :25:29.period to get things sorted. That reasonable period has now
:25:29. > :25:35.lasted eight weeks, but in all that time, have those in charge replaced
:25:35. > :25:42.the dangerous bulbs? Hello again. Have you managed to get them
:25:42. > :25:47.sorted? It seems that the bulbs omiting the
:25:47. > :25:57.radiation are still used, even though the safer ones are in stock.
:25:57. > :25:58.
:25:58. > :26:04.You have the tubes? They are here? The other tubes have not been put
:26:04. > :26:11.in yet. So some are fitted? they are on top of the thing.
:26:11. > :26:16.for two months, the customers here have been subjected to potentially
:26:16. > :26:20.harmful radiation levels. I will issue you a suspension
:26:20. > :26:24.notice. You cannot put them in service or offer them for use. I
:26:24. > :26:29.will rely on you not letting members of the public use them.
:26:29. > :26:34.They are unsafe. It is an offence that they are unsafe. Which is why
:26:34. > :26:41.I am doing this if you extra veen this suspension, this is also an
:26:41. > :26:46.offence. So it is pretty much in your hands to get them done ASAP.
:26:46. > :26:51.Can I still use them until Saturday morning? No. No. No. We could have
:26:51. > :26:55.done this weeks ago. Value was not happy at first. --
:26:55. > :27:00.Val was not happy at first. She said that the partner had bought
:27:01. > :27:05.new tubes, but they were not fitted. We have not installed them yet as
:27:05. > :27:12.we have not gotten round to doing it. The shop is busy.
:27:12. > :27:18.You have to give us time to renew the tubes, by law? I could have
:27:18. > :27:21.shut you down there and then. As Paul gets on with issuing the
:27:21. > :27:26.notice s, the manager's partner calls.
:27:26. > :27:30.Here, can you speak to him. He has the tubes.
:27:30. > :27:34.Hello? The man asks Paul to reconsider the decision. He
:27:34. > :27:39.promises to replace the sunbed tubes and is concerned if the
:27:39. > :27:45.saloon is issued with a notice, that they will miss out on business.
:27:45. > :27:48.Our concern is the public safety. Just because... If your concern is
:27:48. > :27:53.public safety, you should have the tubes fitted and not bother about
:27:53. > :27:57.what the competitors are doing. Paul proceeds with the suspension
:27:57. > :28:03.and it prompts the management with action.
:28:03. > :28:07.You have only one safe sunbed. will tell them now on national TV
:28:07. > :28:13.that the tubes are getting at teatime so the shop is running as
:28:13. > :28:17.normal tomorrow morning. Right? Under the rules, the saloon staff
:28:17. > :28:23.do not have to give health and safety advice regarding the use of
:28:23. > :28:28.sunbeds. Perhaps it is just as well. Do you use sunbeds? Yes.
:28:28. > :28:35.I don't believe that sunbeds cause the cancer. It is a mix between the
:28:35. > :28:39.sun and sunbeds. This inspection is over. Paul will
:28:39. > :28:44.return in eight weeks to return -- ensure that the sal soon has
:28:44. > :28:49.complied. By then the dangerous sunbeds should be out of action, at
:28:49. > :28:55.least for the customers. I am constantly using them, though.
:28:55. > :29:03.I wouldn't if I were you? Why? are unsafe. But I'm not the public.
:29:03. > :29:06.If it is unsafe for the public it is unsafe for you as a person.
:29:06. > :29:13.Are you not even thinking about yourself?
:29:13. > :29:18.Not at all? Right, see you later! It is to do
:29:19. > :29:24.with immediate dangers like sunburn and the long-term risks associated
:29:24. > :29:30.with cancer. It is their own actual well being.
:29:30. > :29:34.The owners of the saloon should acknowledge the fact that the
:29:34. > :29:39.customers they are putting at risk by offering dangerous sunbeds.
:29:39. > :29:43.Incredible. We have more of his report later on. First it is back
:29:43. > :29:48.to the energy companies and complaints about billing McStakes,
:29:48. > :29:53.ripping out metres when they should not have and poor customer service.
:29:53. > :29:59.With me now is Christine McGourty from energy UK, representing the
:29:59. > :30:04.big companies. The standard provided by some companies is
:30:04. > :30:08.unacceptable? That did sound like a frustrating bunch of problems with
:30:08. > :30:12.the metres and the bills and confusion with flats. There are
:30:12. > :30:16.about 50 militant metres across the country. That means about00 million
:30:16. > :30:21.bills going out a year. For the most part, things go smoothly, but
:30:21. > :30:24.the important thing to know is that there is a robust complaints
:30:24. > :30:28.process. So if you find yourself in a situation where something goes
:30:28. > :30:33.wrong, on the back of the bill is a number to call. Citizens Advice
:30:33. > :30:38.Bureau are there to help. Also you can go to the energy ombudsman.
:30:38. > :30:43.They can demand an apology and issue fines of up to �5,000.
:30:43. > :30:47.But some things go wrong, and there is help out there.
:30:47. > :30:51.A lot of people are complain being the energy prices. Is there nothing
:30:51. > :30:55.more that the energy companies can do to help the consumers to bring
:30:55. > :31:00.down the price of bills? There has been talk about the long-term
:31:00. > :31:04.producers on the -- pressures on the prices. There is a lot of
:31:04. > :31:07.things going the bill that is not just the gas and the electricity
:31:07. > :31:12.that you use. Is there not more that the
:31:12. > :31:16.companies can do? The companies have set up a helpline.
:31:16. > :31:19.But they make such huge profits a year.
:31:19. > :31:24.If the international prices and the pressure moves up, we have to do
:31:24. > :31:30.something. In fact we have the lowest gas prices in Europe and one
:31:30. > :31:34.of the lowest electricity prices. Energy efficiency is the key. The
:31:34. > :31:38.helpline is there. We are keen to help the most vulnerable. There are
:31:38. > :31:42.250 million is what the companies are spending this year �1 billion
:31:42. > :31:46.over four years to help the vulnerable people. We want them to
:31:46. > :31:51.call the helpline it find out what they are eligible for.
:31:51. > :31:54.We will see the bills increasing year after year, until about 2020.
:31:54. > :31:58.Is there not more that the companies can do with the huge
:31:58. > :32:02.profits that they make to bring the bills down? There has been a lot
:32:02. > :32:08.going on this year. They have brought down the numbers of tariffs.
:32:08. > :32:11.Some reducing them from dozens to three or four. They have
:32:11. > :32:15.restructured them. The companies are doing tariff checks to help you
:32:15. > :32:19.are on the right deal. If you have not switched you may be able to
:32:19. > :32:22.save a lot of money. Find out if you are eligible for special help.
:32:22. > :32:32.Shop around if you have not shopped before.
:32:32. > :32:34.
:32:34. > :32:40.Christine McGourty, thank you very It is not all bad news though, if
:32:40. > :32:45.your energy companies messes you around, you have rights and are
:32:45. > :32:55.entitled to compensation. How much money and rights?
:32:55. > :32:58.
:32:58. > :33:03.Did you know that there are over 20 different energy companies oh in
:33:03. > :33:09.the marketplace? If -- in the marketplace. If one of them puts a
:33:09. > :33:15.foot wrong, then they have to give you compensation. Really? I did not
:33:15. > :33:19.know that. That's brilliant! wasn't aware of that. Suppliers - I
:33:19. > :33:24.mean it is different from what I been told.
:33:24. > :33:29.So, first up, missed appointments. If your energy company needs to
:33:29. > :33:36.visit your home and they miss their time slot, then you are entitled to
:33:36. > :33:41.compensation. �20 for gas. �22 for electricity for the inconvenience.
:33:41. > :33:46.Now, it is your right, under the guaranteed standards of the energy
:33:46. > :33:52.industry. If they forget to give it to you, just ask for it. Next up -
:33:52. > :33:58.power cuts. Yes - thank you. You get a bit more
:33:58. > :34:03.compensation for power cuts. �54 for the first 18 hours and �27 for
:34:03. > :34:08.every additional 12. You can get �54 for four power cuts of three
:34:08. > :34:11.hours or longer in a year. You must complain within one month of the
:34:11. > :34:15.outage. You don't complain to your supplier - the person you get your
:34:16. > :34:19.bills from - but from the distributor. The information about
:34:19. > :34:22.your distributor should appear at the bottom of your bill. If your
:34:22. > :34:27.supplier switches you without consent, which is called "slamming"
:34:28. > :34:32.in the trade, then you could claim as much as �250. Here are a few
:34:32. > :34:36.other things your supplier should do as well. If your supplier has
:34:36. > :34:40.underestimated your bill, they are not allowed to back-date charges to
:34:40. > :34:45.more than one year. Your supplier should give at least 30 days notice
:34:45. > :34:49.of any increase in prices and switching suppliers should take no
:34:49. > :34:54.more than three weeks to switch and two weeks to cool off. Remember -
:34:54. > :34:58.if you owe money to the supplier, the repayments must be affordable.
:34:58. > :35:01.Oh, and another thing before you go, there's a few things you might be
:35:01. > :35:06.able to get for free - yeah, I thought you would want to hear
:35:06. > :35:10.about that. If you are elderly, disabled or chronicly ill, you are
:35:10. > :35:16.entitled to have a free quarterly metre read from your supplier. If
:35:16. > :35:23.you are on means-tested benefit you could get a free gas safety check.
:35:23. > :35:27.If you are on a low income you could get free installation. Talk
:35:27. > :35:33.it through with your supplier. Professor Margaret Griffiths there.
:35:33. > :35:38.For more on how to save on your Energy Bills, go to our website:
:35:38. > :35:42.Now, we have already seen how some tanning salons are putting adult
:35:42. > :35:48.customers in danger by flouting the rules which limit the amount of
:35:48. > :35:53.radiation from their sunbeds, more worrying are the salons which allow
:35:53. > :36:00.children to use sunbeds. They are acting illegally. How many are
:36:00. > :36:07.willing to take the risk? Let's re- join Chris. It is 8.30am in
:36:07. > :36:13.Newcastle. A 14-year-old volunteer is arriving at Trading Standards HQ.
:36:13. > :36:17.Today, we are putting on an operation across the city to make
:36:17. > :36:21.sure access is limited to those over 18. She will be sent
:36:21. > :36:27.undercover into ten salons to find out if they are prepared to let her
:36:27. > :36:31.on to the sunbeds. If they say no, or ask you for ID, come straight
:36:31. > :36:36.out of the shop and that is dealt with. If you get served, make
:36:36. > :36:46.excuses and leave. This will show Trading Standards who is breaking
:36:46. > :36:46.
:36:46. > :36:50.the law and who is not. People under 18 should not be going on
:36:50. > :36:54.sunbeds: The sunbed regulation act only came into force in England
:36:54. > :36:59.last year. It is the first time David and his team has carried out
:36:59. > :37:03.this type of investigation. It is Trading Standards officer, Paul,
:37:03. > :37:08.who has been put in charge. Hopefully all the businesses will
:37:08. > :37:12.be doing the right checks and make sure nobody under age gets on. We
:37:12. > :37:17.have had reports certain businesses have been letting on underage
:37:17. > :37:21.people. The majority of businesses will have done previous inspections,
:37:21. > :37:26.have been aware of the regulations and know if you are under 18 you
:37:26. > :37:30.are not allowed on sunbeds so, there is no excuse for not knowing
:37:30. > :37:36.really. By 1115am, the team have arrived at the first salon on the
:37:36. > :37:46.outskirts of town. The undercover teenager approaches the lady on
:37:46. > :37:46.
:37:46. > :38:49.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 63 seconds
:38:49. > :38:54.This isn't good! This isn't good at As this is the first time Paul has
:38:54. > :39:04.visited the salon it is a written warning today. Any repeats and the
:39:04. > :39:24.
:39:24. > :39:28.Not a great start. It is only ten minutes into the operation and Paul
:39:28. > :39:38.has already found one salon prepared to break the law. Will he
:39:38. > :39:48.
:39:48. > :39:58.They are going to let her in straight away. We'll go and have a
:39:58. > :40:02.
:40:02. > :40:12.Straight away she said, "Oh, I was about to ask hereditary age." I am
:40:12. > :40:13.
:40:13. > :40:18.not sure whether she would have Paul issues his second written
:40:18. > :40:22.warning of the day. You You said you were about to ask her age. It's
:40:22. > :40:32.not much of a defence saying "I was about to ask her for her ID." That
:40:32. > :40:34.
:40:34. > :40:41.By the end oh of the day, the team has vis -- by the end of the day,
:40:41. > :40:46.the team has visited 10 of the city salons. Six did stick to the rules.
:40:46. > :40:51.She said she needs ID. Four out of the ten tested broke the law and
:40:51. > :40:56.allowed the undercover volunteer on to their beds. You were going to
:40:56. > :41:03.allow her on the sunbed. We sent an underage volunteer to use a sunbed.
:41:03. > :41:07.She is 14. Not the best - we have done ten
:41:07. > :41:12.premises and we have 40% that have failed the checks. We're not really
:41:12. > :41:18.looking for excuses. We will re- check premises we have visited
:41:18. > :41:22.today. Certainly the ones who have not complied they are in line with
:41:22. > :41:26.the legislation. Well Paul, who you saw in that film joins me now. Paul,
:41:26. > :41:31.those shops that would allow underage girls in to have a tan,
:41:31. > :41:35.what is the latest? Well, we got back to the office and looked at
:41:35. > :41:39.the details of all the premises. We sent four more written warnings to
:41:39. > :41:45.those who were prepared to let the volunteer use the sunbeds. The girl
:41:45. > :41:48.was 14, but the limit is 18 and over. They are stern warnings.
:41:48. > :41:55.Being the first offence we are aware of, all the other premises
:41:55. > :42:00.and the others around the city have had letters letting them know of
:42:00. > :42:05.the poor figures we have received. What about those salons where you
:42:06. > :42:09.were testing the tubes? Well, the salons that were tested for UV
:42:09. > :42:14.radiation, we have been around and checked them again and the majority
:42:14. > :42:21.have complied and have tubes that fit with the regulations. Those
:42:21. > :42:30.that haven't have had problems getting new tubes. They have
:42:30. > :42:34.reduced the maximum time for people as a an alternative. Val now has
:42:34. > :42:37.safe sunbeds. These rules brought in are new, aren't they? Why were
:42:37. > :42:42.they brought in? How are they working? The regulations were
:42:42. > :42:48.brought in because there was a study in 2009 undertaken by Cancer
:42:48. > :42:52.Research UK, which found 10% of 11hf17 year olds did gain access to
:42:52. > :42:55.sunbed shops and self-regulation was not working, so an act of
:42:55. > :42:59.Parliament was necessary to bring control over to local authorities
:42:59. > :43:03.and allow us to enforce the rules. Thank you. Thank you. Thanks to
:43:03. > :43:07.everyone who has been in touch with us this morning. Lots of you cross
:43:07. > :43:12.about billing mistakes and how much it costs to call some companies to
:43:12. > :43:16.complain. That is all we have time for today. On tomorrow's programme:
:43:16. > :43:20.Protect your bubble, voddafon, Foneguard insurance. Think your
:43:20. > :43:23.mobile's protected. Check your policy. Tesco, ASDA, Sainsbury's,
:43:23. > :43:27.confusing shoppers with their weights and prices. Just how do you
:43:27. > :43:30.compare lose goods with packaged ones? And the Inside Story of the