:00:31. > :00:35.Hello and welcome to Watchdog Daily. We are with you live for the next
:00:35. > :00:40.45 minutes. This morning, hospital parking - charges of up to �35 a
:00:40. > :00:44.day for patients and visitors. Where does all the money go?
:00:44. > :00:48.NatWest and RBS - why going over your limit with them could cost you
:00:48. > :00:52.more than a payday loan. And misleading ads. Why this Amazon
:00:52. > :00:58.claim has been banned. Also in today's programme, our consumer
:00:58. > :01:04.cops are on the hunt for inaccurate petrol pumps and airport scales.
:01:04. > :01:09.on there, 29.3, way outside the tolerance... How often do the
:01:09. > :01:13.machines get it wrong? First, hospital parking - if you
:01:13. > :01:17.are a patient or a visitor, how much do you have to pay? Well,
:01:17. > :01:22.we've been investigating and have discovered it can cost you up to
:01:22. > :01:26.�35 a day to leave your car. In fact, hospital Trusts are raking in
:01:26. > :01:31.more than �100 million a year with parking charges. Where's that money
:01:31. > :01:39.going? Believe it or not, some of it is ending up with private
:01:39. > :01:44.parking companies. A recent survey by Macmillan Cancer Support reveals
:01:44. > :01:50.that 45% of people are stressed or worried about the costs of hospital
:01:50. > :01:52.pashing in parts of the UK at least. In Scotland it's free -- parking.
:01:52. > :01:56.In Wales there are only two hospital boards that still charge
:01:56. > :01:59.and in Northern Ireland the most you would pay for a 24-hour stay is
:01:59. > :02:03.�11. But in England, it's a very different story.
:02:03. > :02:06.Some of the charges at the moment are far beyond what anyone should
:02:06. > :02:11.reasonably be asked to pay in a service that should be free at the
:02:11. > :02:14.point of use and we are really concerned that's having a financial
:02:14. > :02:19.impact on the patients and relatives having to visit loved
:02:19. > :02:24.ones day after day and who've been charged an incbl amount to do so.
:02:24. > :02:29.So just how much can it cost? -- incredible amount. We contacted 190
:02:29. > :02:34.Hospital Trusts and health boards across the UK. Of the 152 who
:02:34. > :02:39.responded, 129 charge for parking. The highest hourly charge was
:02:39. > :02:45.Chelsea and Westminster hospital at �3.50 for the first hour. The
:02:45. > :02:49.lowest was in Totnes Hospital in Devon where it's 40p for the first
:02:49. > :02:54.hour. If you have to stay overnight and park for 24 hours, you could
:02:54. > :03:01.pay as little as �1.50 in Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool.
:03:01. > :03:06.Whereas in London, you could pay a staggering �33 at Kings College or
:03:06. > :03:10.�35 at Chelsea and Westminster. But, as patients are spending money,
:03:10. > :03:14.hospitals are saving money by treating an increasing number of
:03:14. > :03:17.people as out-patients. Over a six week course of
:03:17. > :03:23.radiotherapy, tpwhecked saving up to �6,000 if the patients don't
:03:23. > :03:26.stay at the hospital overnight -- they could be saving. We don't
:03:26. > :03:29.think people going for life-saving treatment should have to pay for
:03:29. > :03:33.parking in a hospital and cancer patients are often going daily so
:03:33. > :03:39.if you are paying for car parking every time you go to a hospital,
:03:39. > :03:46.you are racking up substantial charges. Carol is one such patient
:03:46. > :03:50.who requires regular streement treatment. I've been disabled since
:03:51. > :03:54.I was eight months old. I can't just leap on a bus like a lot of
:03:54. > :03:56.people can so I do have to take the car. Sometimes you have to be there
:03:56. > :04:02.a long time, depending on the treatment you are having and
:04:02. > :04:07.pashing fees can mount up. There's that side of things, as well as the
:04:07. > :04:10.anxiety of the actual viz to it the hospital. At a time when people are
:04:10. > :04:14.feeling the pinch anyway, this additional financial burden makes
:04:14. > :04:17.it that bit harder. What really concerns us is the postcode lottery
:04:17. > :04:20.that exists in parking. If you live particularly in a Metropolitan area
:04:20. > :04:24.like London, Manchester or Liverpool, you are likely to pay
:04:24. > :04:30.more than you would in other areas. We'd like to see the Government
:04:30. > :04:34.step in and define what a reasonable charge is for parking so
:04:34. > :04:37.patients in certain areas aren't paying extortionate fees. But so
:04:37. > :04:42.far, the Government's done relatively little to help patients
:04:42. > :04:45.in England. And in many areas, fees are going
:04:45. > :04:50.up. According to the results of our Freedom of Information request, in
:04:50. > :04:55.the last two years, over 50 hospital Trusts have increased
:04:55. > :05:01.their parking charges. What we know and what patients tell us is that
:05:01. > :05:04.some hospitals haven't followed the guidance and are still charging
:05:04. > :05:08.cancer patients. We'd like hospitals to actually take this
:05:08. > :05:12.seriously and comply with the guidance and we'd like the
:05:12. > :05:17.Government to look at how we can encourage compliance with the
:05:17. > :05:21.guidance. Carol agrees. Her hospital, west
:05:21. > :05:26.Middlesex, used to offer free parking to the disabled. This
:05:26. > :05:31.stopped several years ago and she's been paying ever since. I was
:05:31. > :05:36.absolutely livid that they could do this to us. People in Wales have
:05:36. > :05:39.been told they are not allowed to charge for parking at hospitals and
:05:39. > :05:44.Scotland aren't allowed to park and here they have the choice and what
:05:44. > :05:47.do they do, put it on where it wasn't before - terrible. Some
:05:47. > :05:52.hospitals offer concessions to people with long-term conditions,
:05:52. > :05:56.but recent research shows that almost 60% of patients are still
:05:56. > :05:59.paying the full price. Hospitals do not have a duty to tell you about
:05:59. > :06:02.the concessions available to you. We have people all the time that
:06:02. > :06:07.tell us if they'd known they could have had free parking or reduced
:06:07. > :06:10.parking over time, they would have taken that option up. They need to
:06:10. > :06:14.know if free or reduced parking is available so they can properly
:06:14. > :06:18.assess the best options. Hospitals are generating millions
:06:18. > :06:23.of pounds in parking fees from members of the public. But where is
:06:23. > :06:26.all this money going? Well, off the Hospital Trusts and health boards
:06:26. > :06:30.that responded to our Freedom of Information request, more than a
:06:30. > :06:34.third used private companies to run their car parks. Many refused to
:06:34. > :06:38.tell us exactly how much of the money generated went to these
:06:38. > :06:42.companies, but five of the hospital Trusts and health boards did and
:06:42. > :06:47.revealed that rather than put the money back into patient care, all
:06:47. > :06:51.fees for parking in five of their car parks simply goes to the
:06:51. > :06:55.private parking company. The car park at west Middlesex is
:06:55. > :06:58.also run by a private firm. National Health Service, to have a
:06:58. > :07:02.car park that's run by a private company, it's making profits o us
:07:02. > :07:05.of people that have to go to hospital for whatever reason, not
:07:05. > :07:08.just because you are disabled but if you are sick or visiting people
:07:08. > :07:13.that are sick. I think that's so wrong that they should make money
:07:13. > :07:16.out of the fact that people are suffering.
:07:16. > :07:20.Carol's hospital, the west Middlesex told us its fees do offer
:07:20. > :07:25.value and the money is used to maintain and improve its car parks.
:07:25. > :07:30.They say concessianary parking and other good transport links are also
:07:30. > :07:35.available. The Department of Health says patients have a fundamental
:07:35. > :07:41.right to fair and appropriate car parking concessions and it expects
:07:41. > :07:46.Hospital Trusts to provide them and set fair prices. What have the
:07:46. > :07:52.hospitals said, Rani? The Chelsea and Westminster Hospital says it's
:07:52. > :07:55.frozen charge force the past five years. Money raised support for
:07:55. > :07:58.patient care. Concessions are available, as they are at Kings
:07:58. > :08:02.College which has one of the highest overnight fees. It says
:08:02. > :08:07.charges have not increased for ten years and they use the money to
:08:07. > :08:11.maintain and improve facilities. As for the other hospitals, Liverpool
:08:11. > :08:16.Heart & Chest do not manage the parking contract. Birmingham
:08:16. > :08:20.women's say their car park is shared with other Trusts and say
:08:20. > :08:30.charges is in line with other hospitals. Full statements
:08:30. > :08:39.
:08:39. > :08:43.available on the website. You can Next, if you're buying a pint at
:08:43. > :08:48.your local, filling your car with petrol or weighing your baggage at
:08:48. > :08:52.the airport, you will want to be sure that the pumps, dispensers and
:08:52. > :08:58.scales are pinpoint accurate. We can't check the equipment ourselves
:08:58. > :09:06.but thankfully the consumer cops can do it for us. Here is Chris
:09:06. > :09:10.Jackson. Welcome to the north-east. From airport check-in desks to
:09:10. > :09:14.garage forecasts and shops selling fireworks, there is every gadget
:09:14. > :09:20.needed here to ensure consumers get what they pay for. That's just as
:09:20. > :09:24.well, as there are a lot of places to check.
:09:24. > :09:29.In Newcastle, officers Alan and technician Steve are responding to
:09:29. > :09:31.a call about a diesel pump in the west of the city.
:09:31. > :09:41.We've received a complaint about this specific pump that we are
:09:41. > :09:42.
:09:42. > :09:46.going to have a look at today. With the cars, the way they are these
:09:46. > :09:50.days with computers, you get an indication from the read-out of the
:09:50. > :09:54.car as to what you get, so he's disagreed with that and formed the
:09:54. > :09:57.impression that he's received short measure. With rising fuel prices,
:09:57. > :10:03.the last thing drivers want is to be short changed, so the officers
:10:03. > :10:09.need o be sure this pump's dispensing the amount it says it is
:10:09. > :10:13.-- need to be sure. Afternoon, from Trading Standards, weights and
:10:13. > :10:17.measures. We have had another complaint about the diesel pump at
:10:17. > :10:22.the end. Alan and Steve have brought with them add state-of-the-
:10:22. > :10:28.art gadget known as pump watch. This has been carefully
:10:28. > :10:32.collaborated to accurately measure 20, 10 and five letter volumes.
:10:32. > :10:39.This will tell us whether it's in the tolerances levels under the
:10:39. > :10:46.weights and measures act. If it's correct, the pump should measure
:10:46. > :10:49.between 0.5% below or above the levels stated. If it's wrong, the
:10:49. > :10:56.owners will have to get it fixed. Steve is dispensing the fuel into
:10:56. > :11:04.the measure. He's done the first 20 now, a fast delfrifplt we pull this
:11:04. > :11:10.lever down and the fuel will fall into the graduated tube -- delivery.
:11:10. > :11:13.That's a strike measure of exactly 20 litres. It's well within the
:11:13. > :11:17.tolerances that are allowed under the regulations. So far so good.
:11:17. > :11:20.But Alan and Steve won't be satisfied until the pump's been
:11:20. > :11:24.checked and rechecked five times in total.
:11:24. > :11:28.The indications are well within the tolerances that are allowed. After
:11:28. > :11:32.pouring all the diesel back into the tank, Alan gives the concerned
:11:32. > :11:40.attendant the good news. It's measuring how it should. Thank
:11:40. > :11:45.you very much for your help. Cheers. Now my task is to go back and
:11:45. > :11:49.telephone the complainant and say, from our findings, there's no
:11:49. > :11:55.problem with the pump. The garage forecourt is just one of
:11:55. > :11:59.the places on the weights and measures' team checklist. Nairpt is
:11:59. > :12:04.another. Here, they perform checks to make sure the 12,000 passengers
:12:04. > :12:10.flying out every day are not being overcharged for their baggage --
:12:10. > :12:15.Newcastle airport. Alan's drafted in a bigger crew and even more
:12:15. > :12:18.extensive range of collaborated weights and measures. The team work
:12:18. > :12:22.closely with the city Council Trading Standards airport. Our aim
:12:22. > :12:26.is to make the customer's experience as smooth as possible
:12:26. > :12:29.and make sure that the weighing machines on the check-in work is a
:12:29. > :12:35.critical part of that. With the help of airport maintenance, Alan
:12:35. > :12:38.and his team begin the test. They place 30 kilogram weights on to
:12:38. > :12:43.each conveyor belt. We are looking for the indication to be exactly
:12:43. > :12:48.the same as the weight wes know are on the platform. It takes at least
:12:48. > :12:53.ten minutes to fully check each machine and after the first hour,
:12:53. > :13:02.the team have found nothing to concern them. Then they arrive at
:13:02. > :13:06.desk 34. We are 30 now, but 29.3. It's 0.7 of a kilogram, which is
:13:06. > :13:10.way outside the tolerance. For the time being, this check-in desk is
:13:10. > :13:14.declared out of yuets. important thing for the people
:13:14. > :13:20.waiting is that the baggage will be weighed accurately -- declared out
:13:20. > :13:26.of use. We don't want to cause any unnecessary delays but it has to be
:13:26. > :13:29.tested and it will take as hong as it takes. The pressure is on for
:13:30. > :13:35.airport maintenance to fix the machine while Alan is present -- as
:13:35. > :13:40.long as it takes. We'll give it another test. If it's incorrect
:13:40. > :13:45.again, we'll take it out of service. While the engineer attempts to find
:13:45. > :13:50.the source of the problem, the team crack on with testing the remaining
:13:50. > :13:58.45 desks. It takes a further hour, but the maintenance workers are
:13:58. > :14:01.confident they finally got to the bottom of the issue, a mystery pen.
:14:01. > :14:04.This is the pen we found. The weighing platform was on a rail and
:14:04. > :14:09.the rail running that way was resting on this pen. That's been
:14:09. > :14:12.cleared and the machine's been tested again. It looks fine, so we
:14:12. > :14:16.can fairly safely assume that that's been the problem and that's
:14:16. > :14:21.been cleared now. Over the course of the day, Alan and his team
:14:21. > :14:24.discover two more faulty desks. These problems were actually caused
:14:24. > :14:29.by the desks being positioned too close to one another, so easily
:14:29. > :14:33.fixed by separating them. By the end of the day, all 49 desks
:14:33. > :14:37.were back in service and, most importantly, working properly.
:14:37. > :14:41.Thanks, Chris. We should stress that the scales there were the
:14:41. > :14:46.responsibility of the airport, not any individual airline. Lots of you
:14:46. > :14:50.getting in touch about hospital parking. Sonia from the Midlands
:14:50. > :14:54.says my husband spent nearly ten weeks in hospital, he was seriously
:14:54. > :14:59.ill and spent all my time with him. Parking at the hospital cost �2.60
:14:59. > :15:04.per hour and I spent �180 over his stay. I realise hospitals need
:15:04. > :15:07.money but this is scandalous. Thanks, Rani. Next, have you ever
:15:07. > :15:11.gone overdrawn with your bank? If so, you will know that the charges
:15:11. > :15:14.can be crippling. In fact, we've discovered that going over your
:15:14. > :15:18.agreed limit with some high street lenders could prove even more
:15:18. > :15:22.expensive than taking out a payday loan. So which of the banks
:15:22. > :15:32.penalise the customers most when it comes to overdrafts? Our mystery
:15:32. > :15:40.
:15:40. > :15:43.Seen an ad for a bank account lately? Chances are it included
:15:43. > :15:47.fancy extras like free mobile phone insurance and car breakdown cover.
:15:47. > :15:51.All very well, but the so-called packaged accounts also come with
:15:51. > :15:55.hefty annual fees that can sometimes outweigh the benefits.
:15:55. > :16:02.That's why savvy customers opt for free accounts instead, trouble is,
:16:02. > :16:07.these can end up costing you too. Ask Steven MacDonald. He uses Bank
:16:07. > :16:11.of Scotland and has an agreed overdraft of �100. I bank with the
:16:11. > :16:16.Bank of Scotland and have an arranged overdraft of �100. Money
:16:16. > :16:22.gets tight at the end of the month so it helps if you have the
:16:22. > :16:29.overdraft. I was cles to the start of the month and hadn't noticed I
:16:29. > :16:33.went overdrawn -- close to. Stephen fell into the trap of the
:16:33. > :16:43.unauthorised overdraft, when you go over the amount agreed by your bank,
:16:43. > :16:45.
:16:45. > :16:52.when they can charge you. He went overdrawn by �.72. Stephen's charge,
:16:52. > :16:56.�110. Each day they charged me twice as much as I was overdrawn by.
:16:56. > :16:59.I was gutted because it was only four months before Christmas and
:16:59. > :17:03.can take a normal person a long time to get back on their feet
:17:03. > :17:08.after that. Millions of other customers are also feeling the
:17:08. > :17:13.pinch, including those who stay within their agreed limits. Some
:17:13. > :17:16.banks are charging the highest rates on authorised overdrafts
:17:16. > :17:21.since rates began. Depending on which one you are with, how much
:17:21. > :17:26.could you end up paying? Our team checked the rays for eight
:17:26. > :17:31.of the main high street banks. If we made one single transaction that
:17:31. > :17:36.took us �100 into an agreed overdraft, what would it cost us
:17:36. > :17:43.over 31 days? RBS, the first �100 you have got is interest free.
:17:43. > :17:46.There is a monthly fee of �6 plus interest on top of that. NHBC is
:17:47. > :17:50.interest only. As the Annes weren't exactly straightforward, our
:17:50. > :17:52.mystery shoppers called for some help.
:17:52. > :17:56.Enter personal finance guru Sarah Pennells.
:17:56. > :17:59.The best value planned overdrafts are NatWest and RBS. They are part
:17:59. > :18:03.of the same banking group and there, if you have asked the permission
:18:03. > :18:07.beforehand and you go overdrawn by up to �100, you will pay nothing at
:18:07. > :18:10.the end of the month. That's really good. The next best value accounts
:18:10. > :18:15.are those that only charge you interest if you have a planned
:18:15. > :18:21.overdraft. With HSBC, you would pay as little
:18:21. > :18:25.as �1.5 interest for that 13070 for 31 days, and with Barclays, just
:18:26. > :18:29.�1.51, but where it could work out the most expensive is with the
:18:29. > :18:32.banks that charge a daily fee, that's because it's not about how
:18:32. > :18:37.much you go overdrawn by but for how long. Some banks cap the number
:18:37. > :18:41.of days they'll charge the fee but others don't. Halifax will charge
:18:41. > :18:47.you �1 for every day you are overdrawn, so you could pay �31.
:18:47. > :18:49.Yes, in our test, it's Halifax that's the most expensive for
:18:49. > :18:55.authorised overdrafts. What about the fees for exceeding
:18:55. > :18:58.your agreed overdraft? Our team found these charges to be sometimes
:18:58. > :19:06.complicated, often confusing and usually more expensive. The
:19:06. > :19:10.question this time - how much would it cost to go into an unauthorised
:19:10. > :19:17.overdraft for 31 days? If you are overdrawn by more than �6, you will
:19:17. > :19:22.pay �6 a day. Halifax do things differently don't they? A daily fee
:19:22. > :19:27.of �5. Santander? They charge �5 per day for unplanned overdrafts.
:19:27. > :19:32.We found the bank charging the lowest fee for going �100 overdrawn
:19:32. > :19:38.without permission is HSBC. As well as levying interest, it charges a
:19:38. > :19:43.�25 arrangement fee, bringing the total bill to around �26.55. But it
:19:43. > :19:49.will waive that if you stay out of the red for six months, meaning you
:19:49. > :19:56.could end up paying just �1.55. In contrast, the most expensive banks
:19:56. > :20:01.were NatWest and RBS, both charging us a whopping �186 for exceeding
:20:01. > :20:04.our limit by just �100. These charges vary widely but what
:20:04. > :20:08.they have in common is that they are all quite high. I think people
:20:08. > :20:13.should really think carefully before they go overdrawn without
:20:13. > :20:17.asking their banks' permission. could think very carefully because
:20:17. > :20:23.the penalties from some banks are so high, they can work out more
:20:23. > :20:28.than the interest rates charged on a payday loan. But how much more?
:20:28. > :20:31.On average, if you borrow �100 from a payday lender, you will pay
:20:31. > :20:35.between �20 and �37 in interest at the end of that month. It varies
:20:35. > :20:39.according to the lender and also according to how good or bad a risk
:20:39. > :20:43.you are. That is, of course, a lot cheaper than you could pay if you
:20:43. > :20:47.go overdrawn without asking permission from your bank first.
:20:47. > :20:52.You could pay five or six times that in bank fees and charges which
:20:52. > :20:56.will come as a big surprise. 40 banks subscribed to a lending
:20:56. > :21:00.code under which they'll let customers know if they can opt out
:21:00. > :21:04.of unauthorised overdrafts, warn them in advance if they are about
:21:04. > :21:08.to two over their agreed limits and if they do go over and are in
:21:08. > :21:12.danger of getting into financial problems, help them find a solution.
:21:12. > :21:15.So although I think the banks in some cases have made real
:21:15. > :21:19.improvements, I would say that consumers have to look carefully at
:21:19. > :21:23.how much they could end up paying if they go overdrawn without asking
:21:23. > :21:26.first and I would say try and avoid it if you can, talk to your bank,
:21:26. > :21:31.and if they won't give you the overdraft, maybe it's a sign that
:21:31. > :21:34.you are spending too much and you need debt advice, rather than go
:21:34. > :21:38.overdrawn without asking. Well, all the banks we looked at
:21:38. > :21:42.told us that they are committed to offering clear and simple charging
:21:42. > :21:46.structures and a wide range of information and help for customers
:21:46. > :21:49.who go overdrawn. This includes alerts if they are about to go
:21:49. > :21:54.overdrawn and assistance if they are facing difficulty. They also
:21:54. > :21:59.encourage customers to talk to them about their financial needs, they
:21:59. > :22:03.say. Bank of Scotland says it's sorry that Stephen feels he was
:22:03. > :22:06.unfairly charged. Along with Lloyds TSB, it says overdrafts aren't
:22:06. > :22:10.guaranteed and are based on people's personal circumstances.
:22:10. > :22:13.Not all customers have access to an unplanned overdraft and they say
:22:13. > :22:17.they wouldn't extend them to those who're unlikely to make repayments.
:22:17. > :22:22.What about the rest to have banks that we looked at, Rani? Halifax
:22:22. > :22:26.says our example isn't typical and that comparing its �1 daily plan
:22:26. > :22:29.with other bank charges isn't a like for like comparison. It says
:22:30. > :22:33.it offers options to prevent customers going overdrawn and when
:22:33. > :22:37.they do, it's usually for a few days. If that goes on for longer
:22:37. > :22:42.than a week, it will contact them about other repayment options and
:22:42. > :22:48.may suspend the daily fee, depending on the resolution.
:22:48. > :22:52.Barclays says it gives customers choices on how to structure their
:22:52. > :22:57.borrowing and offers an emergency banking service which they can opt
:22:57. > :23:03.in or out of. HSBC always aims to be fair and will often waive fees
:23:03. > :23:13.for customers making small or infrequent informal overdraft quls.
:23:13. > :23:14.
:23:14. > :23:20.That goes for Santander. Where fees are incurred, they won't be applied
:23:20. > :23:24.until 22 days after notification. Finally, RBS and NatWest both say
:23:24. > :23:26.they've worked with the office or Fair Tradeing to publish various
:23:26. > :23:32.charging scenarios which allow customers to compare their charges
:23:32. > :23:35.against their competitors. As we saw in the film, many of the banks
:23:35. > :23:39.charge for an unauthorised overdraft can be higher than those
:23:39. > :23:44.of a payday lender, but we should say that payday loans are not for
:23:44. > :23:50.everyone and the high interest rates can mean charges increase
:23:50. > :23:54.substantially if loans are extended. Back to our consumer cops in the
:23:54. > :23:58.north-east. In the run-up to New Year, one of their biggest concerns
:23:58. > :24:02.are the sales of fireworks. There are strict rules surrounding the
:24:02. > :24:07.storing of them and shops need a licence to sell them. If they get
:24:07. > :24:12.into the wrong hands, the results can be lethal. Here is Chris again.
:24:12. > :24:15.For the last 16 years, Steve has been Middlesbrough's main man for
:24:15. > :24:20.checking that licensed firework retailers are complying with the
:24:20. > :24:24.rules. It's late October and in the run-up to Bonfire Night, he's
:24:24. > :24:29.carrying out a series of inspections of local shops, making
:24:29. > :24:33.sure the fireworks they are selling don't pose a risk to public safety.
:24:33. > :24:37.Hello. Trading Standards, Mr Desai, a routine inspection... Steve
:24:37. > :24:40.already knows many of the long-term licence holders in the area, but no
:24:40. > :24:45.matter how long they've been selling, he needs to be satisfied
:24:45. > :24:51.they are doing things by the book. Thank you very much... No live
:24:51. > :25:01.fireworks in the window? If you hold this one, you will see it's a
:25:01. > :25:01.
:25:01. > :25:05.doubley. -- dummy. They're all dummies as well. Empty boxes.
:25:05. > :25:10.are quite large fireworks and if they weren't dummies, the amount of
:25:10. > :25:16.weight in there would be enormous. High, yes. That's ideal, yes.
:25:16. > :25:22.The weight of firework shops can sell is restricted and the restrict
:25:22. > :25:26.UK -- there are strict UK regulations regarding storage.
:25:26. > :25:32.open the cabinets and make sure there's no electricity in them.
:25:32. > :25:35.Behind the counter, I can see that there's nothing else stored here,
:25:35. > :25:39.there's no combustible or flammable material, the area's kept nice and
:25:39. > :25:45.clean and there's no heaters or anything like this, anything which
:25:45. > :25:48.could add to a risk to the stock in these cabinets.
:25:48. > :25:51.It's only when you come behind here and look in the cabinets that you
:25:51. > :25:58.can really see that sort of thing. One of the most important areas of
:25:58. > :26:02.enforcement is the selling of fireworks to those who're under age.
:26:02. > :26:09.I think 21, a 25 policy is well worth considering. If they don't
:26:09. > :26:14.look 25, get the staff to ask for I diand if they can't produce it, no
:26:14. > :26:20.sale -- ID and they can't produce it. Perhaps a staff refusal log
:26:20. > :26:25.book as well. 99% of refusals stop at the door because a lot of kids
:26:25. > :26:30.want to see and they stand there when their parents come in. My
:26:30. > :26:36.policy is simple, if they don't look old enough, don't come in the
:26:36. > :26:42.shop. This shop has strict rules of selling to minors, but not everyone
:26:42. > :26:46.is as responsible. It's been a tough challenge over the years to
:26:46. > :26:49.clamp down on things? There were fireworks going off all over the
:26:49. > :26:53.place in Middlesbrough. We all got our heads together and thought,
:26:53. > :26:57.where can they possibly be coming from, and the conclusion we draw
:26:57. > :27:00.was that people were selling them from home. In 2002, the team set up
:27:00. > :27:05.a hotline number for the public to call if they had any information
:27:05. > :27:10.about illegal sales. People were brilliant. They clearly
:27:10. > :27:14.didn't want to live next door to an explosives store so they rang up
:27:14. > :27:17.and said who they were selling to, when and gave us comprehensive
:27:17. > :27:21.details. Within weeks of the hotline being set up, they were
:27:21. > :27:24.alerted to a man selling fireworks to children from his house.
:27:24. > :27:28.started on the surveillance and quite honestly, nothing was
:27:28. > :27:32.happening at all. We were on the point of calling it off when all of
:27:32. > :27:37.a sudden, the lights went on in the living room, the curtains were
:27:37. > :27:43.thrown back, the patio doors were opened and really, in no time at
:27:43. > :27:48.all, the back garden was just full of youths in tracksuits and
:27:48. > :27:55.baseball caps offering money and running off with fireworks in all
:27:55. > :27:58.directions. It was clearly a very, very thriving business. They were
:27:58. > :28:02.actually discharging the fireworks immediately outside the gentleman's
:28:02. > :28:06.garden. Ironically, he was annoyed about that and came out and chased
:28:06. > :28:10.them for that, but he was quite clearly happy to gain the profit
:28:10. > :28:14.from selling the fireworks in the first place. That trader was
:28:14. > :28:19.charged with the illegal supply of fireworks to under 18s. He received
:28:19. > :28:23.a community punishment order for 100 hours.
:28:23. > :28:29.But back on the street, Steve is keen to keep getting the message
:28:29. > :28:35.out there. If I can just ask you, Mr Desai, if
:28:35. > :28:38.you are kind enough to display our Sticker... Since the fireworks
:28:38. > :28:42.hotline was established, the streets of Middlesbrough have
:28:42. > :28:48.become that bit quieter. The racket you hear today is being made by
:28:48. > :28:56.Steve's colleagues as they test the explosives for safety.
:28:56. > :29:01.Can I ask you a question about this one? I'll bring you the results of
:29:01. > :29:06.those tests a little later. Before that, misleading adverts. How about
:29:06. > :29:10.this one from Amazon which has just been banned today. The online
:29:10. > :29:14.retailer claimed that customers signing up to their Amazon prime
:29:14. > :29:18.membership scheme could get free one-day delivery on all eligible
:29:18. > :29:22.orders. It may be free delivery, but you have to pay �49 a year to
:29:23. > :29:26.join which makes the word "Free" slightly confusing. Amazon argued
:29:26. > :29:30.if they hadn't said delivery was free, customers may have been
:29:30. > :29:33.equally confused about possible delivery charges. However, the
:29:33. > :29:37.Advertising Standards Authority disagreed with them and said it was
:29:37. > :29:43.misleading in this context because you have to pay �49 to get it.
:29:43. > :29:47.Well, Amazon's since told us they are confident their prime customers
:29:47. > :29:51.understand the �49 annual subscription fee includes unlimited
:29:51. > :29:54.one-day deliveries at no additional charge. They aim to describe
:29:54. > :29:58.services clearly and accurately and will update the website in line
:29:58. > :30:03.with the judgment. Talking about being clear and
:30:03. > :30:06.accurate in adverts, how often are you caught out by the catches and
:30:06. > :30:16.disclaimers? You might not always spot them, but James Daley, our
:30:16. > :30:22.
:30:22. > :30:26.Add vertds these days. Is it me or are they always full of little
:30:26. > :30:29.catches -- adverts. It sometimes seems like they are only put there
:30:29. > :30:32.so companies can offer one thing, only for you to find out the
:30:32. > :30:36.offer's not quite as good as you initially thought. And why is there
:30:36. > :30:39.so much tiny print compared to the bigger message they are trying to
:30:39. > :30:44.get out? They might like putting their catchs in the small print,
:30:45. > :30:48.but I'm going to make them nice and big. First up, we hear the word
:30:48. > :30:55.unlimit add loot, especially in related to Broadband and mobile
:30:55. > :31:01.phone ads. We don't see the words "Fair use", meaning that you might
:31:01. > :31:06.not have unlimited access to Tess messages and data downloads. If you
:31:06. > :31:10.send 5,000 texts a month, you may find that breaches the fair usage
:31:10. > :31:14.policy, so if you are particularly heavy using data or send a lot of
:31:14. > :31:19.texts, you may want to check your provider's fair uses policy before
:31:19. > :31:26.you sign up to them. Thex in up, the tiny words like "Up
:31:26. > :31:31.to" and "From" that you can so easily miss, like up to 75% off
:31:31. > :31:36.where the 75% is huge and the up to is smaller. Shops only need put up
:31:36. > :31:39.one item of stock at a discount of 75% to be able to use that
:31:40. > :31:44.advertising. Nothing more frustrating than excitedly going to
:31:45. > :31:49.an up to 75% off sale only to find that most things are discounted at
:31:49. > :31:55.a far smaller rate. What about this, the words from in tiny letters and
:31:55. > :32:00.�30 in huge letters? You know, so for example, a hotel room from �30,
:32:00. > :32:04.but in reality, it's very hard to book that anywhere close to a price
:32:04. > :32:08.of �30, because in most cases, that offer's only available at the
:32:08. > :32:11.weekends or it's only available for a limited period. Or there are
:32:11. > :32:15.extra credit card charges to pay. Technically, there might not be
:32:15. > :32:19.anything wrong with presenting an offer in this way, but it's so
:32:19. > :32:22.frustrating if it givious the idea that the offer's much better than
:32:22. > :32:28.it really is. As ever, keep reading the small print.
:32:28. > :32:32.You may also spot one of those. The asterisk. It will usually lead you
:32:32. > :32:36.to a load of terms and conditions at the foot of the advert and
:32:36. > :32:40.typically in tiny print. Even if there is not an asterisk, there are
:32:41. > :32:45.often disclaimers at the food of the advert like the shampoo adverts
:32:45. > :32:50.where it says the model is wearing hair extensions or the worryingly
:32:50. > :32:56.small sample sizes on surveys. So what can you do if you think you
:32:56. > :32:58.have been misled or duped dian advert? You could submit a
:32:58. > :33:01.complaint to the Advertising Standards Authority. They've got
:33:01. > :33:05.the power to investigate adverts and even get companies to take them
:33:05. > :33:08.down. If you can, send a copy of the advert or think about taking a
:33:08. > :33:12.photo. If it's not serious, you could
:33:12. > :33:17.complain directly to the advertiser. Or think about spreading news of
:33:17. > :33:23.your complaint on social media. That'll warn others about it and
:33:23. > :33:27.could get the company's attention. James Daley. He's Which?'s money
:33:27. > :33:29.expert. If you want more tips on what to look out for in the small
:33:29. > :33:33.print, it's on the website at watchdog@bbc.co.uk.
:33:33. > :33:36.Now, we are heading back to Teesside where Trading Standards
:33:36. > :33:40.officers are policing the sales and storage of fire works, but they
:33:40. > :33:46.also carry out tests on the explosives to make sure they're
:33:46. > :33:50.safe to use, as Chris Jackson reports.
:33:50. > :33:53.The checks take place here at a testing facility in the centre of
:33:53. > :33:57.Middlesbrough. Lab manager Paul Lucas has just received a
:33:58. > :34:03.consignment of fireworks bought from major high street retailers.
:34:03. > :34:07.We will be checking to see if they comply with the British standard.
:34:07. > :34:12.These are labelled as display fireworks, but they are on sale to
:34:13. > :34:17.the general public. Testing fireworks - it's not like watching
:34:17. > :34:21.them - we have so many things to observe and we are dog it in
:34:21. > :34:27.daylight so we don't get the full effect of the firework.
:34:27. > :34:31.But we are timing the fuses, we are timing the time between the fuse
:34:31. > :34:37.going out and the start of the firework and then we are timing how
:34:37. > :34:42.long the fireworks are running. And we are also observing the things
:34:42. > :34:47.that are ejected to make sure that nothing falls outside the circle.
:34:47. > :34:50.So chances of enjoying the firework, remote. These fireworks must be
:34:50. > :34:55.placed 25 metres away from anyone watching them.
:34:55. > :34:58.In the test area, the outer yellow circle marks the danger zone. If
:34:58. > :35:02.any debris weighing more than one gram drops outside the area, the
:35:02. > :35:08.firework will fail the test. If any blazing debris drops between the
:35:08. > :35:11.height of the poles, the firework will also fail. The other thing of
:35:11. > :35:16.course is whether the firework is stable. If it says to bury the
:35:16. > :35:20.firework, we must bury it to the depth indicated. One thing to note
:35:20. > :35:26.- a fail on any of today's tests doesn't necessarily mean they are
:35:26. > :35:30.dangerous. But it does mean they will be subject to closer scrutiny.
:35:30. > :35:38.Nigel is the lab technician at the sharpnd today lighting the fuses
:35:38. > :35:41.and handling the fireworks. Right away, he spots a problem. The team
:35:41. > :35:44.must follow instructions to the letter when setting up the
:35:44. > :35:54.fireworks. Eventually, they pile up enough
:35:54. > :36:04.
:36:04. > :36:14.It's an impressive sight. But, there's a problem with this one.
:36:14. > :36:24.
:36:24. > :36:28.The time it takes the fuse to burn In regard to that, I hope I'm a
:36:28. > :36:33.good trained athlete and I can get away quick, because anyone who
:36:33. > :36:39.can't is in trouble. 1Tnt28 seconds is lower than five seconds required
:36:39. > :36:49.by the regulations, a clear fail. -- 1.28. The team carry on testing
:36:49. > :36:56.all 14 packs of fireworks. That's been ejected by the firework. But,
:36:56. > :37:03.it is still a good way inside the 25 metre danger zone.
:37:03. > :37:10.So, that's a pass. Look at the box and it's passed. Very good. Worked
:37:10. > :37:16.very well. But with the next test, the explosion drops outside the
:37:16. > :37:23.danger zone. This piece of debris has fallen
:37:23. > :37:27.outside the required perimeter, so that'll probably be looked at. And
:37:27. > :37:31.a further problem is spotted. Can I ask you a question about this one?
:37:31. > :37:35.Doesn't appear as though it's gone off completely. Two tests failed on
:37:35. > :37:39.this one firework. It's over the weight limit of one gram allowed
:37:39. > :37:45.for debris falling outside the danger zone and more worryingly, it
:37:45. > :37:49.didn't go off completely. Something like this, if only half the
:37:49. > :37:57.fireworks function, it give mess cause for concern. We have been
:37:57. > :38:02.lucky here in the fact that the firework's actually ceased function.
:38:02. > :38:07.But just imagine the scenario where there's a bit of glowing debris
:38:07. > :38:12.somewhere in there, the person goes back to it thinking the thing's
:38:12. > :38:17.finished completely and up it goes again.
:38:17. > :38:20.The next firework tested also fails. It showers the area outside the
:38:20. > :38:30.danger zone with much heavier debris.
:38:30. > :38:37.
:38:37. > :38:42.There's another one there. Just These are all pieces which have
:38:42. > :38:45.come down out of the safety circle. My colleagues are picking some more
:38:45. > :38:54.up over the other side and we'll hand these to the lab manager so he
:38:54. > :39:00.can weigh them all. This peace of debris weighs 22.1
:39:00. > :39:07.grammes, much heavier than the one gram allowed. All these pieces of
:39:07. > :39:16.debris have come down outside the danger zone. So people could be
:39:16. > :39:21.watching the firework and be hit by one of these as they are stood
:39:21. > :39:27.quietly be. -- quietly by. The team discovered that four out of 14
:39:27. > :39:33.packs of fireworks fail on one or more tests. The illusion missile
:39:33. > :39:38.and three of the pax failed the fuse burn timing tests. Jet fire
:39:38. > :39:45.ejected debris out of the safety zone and Wonderland failed on both
:39:45. > :39:49.counts. The failure referred to, it will be handed over to the Trading
:39:49. > :39:54.Standards to implement. We have a few more tests to do on the spent
:39:54. > :39:57.fireworks before we are finished, but all in all, it's been a good
:39:57. > :40:01.day. John who you saw in that film joins
:40:01. > :40:06.me now. Obviously a busy time for you, but we saw some fireworks fail
:40:06. > :40:12.in your tests. What's happened since? I think a lot of people
:40:12. > :40:16.might expect they've been taken off the shelves. The problems we found
:40:16. > :40:21.when we did the tests were classed as defects under the standard, they
:40:21. > :40:24.weren't critical failures, if they were critical, if for example the
:40:24. > :40:28.fireworks blew up as soon as an ignition source had been put to
:40:28. > :40:31.them, or they'd all fallen over and showered the sparks in different
:40:31. > :40:37.directions, in those cases, one failure would have been enough and
:40:37. > :40:41.we'd have been into a full-scale investigation. But what we had here
:40:41. > :40:44.were defects. The way in which that's dealt with is on a
:40:44. > :40:50.statisticical basis. So we had to first of all very, very quickly
:40:50. > :40:57.obviously get back in touch with the home authority Trading Standard
:40:57. > :40:59.service for the place where they're imported and ask them if they could
:40:59. > :41:04.show that there were sufficient tests to show statistically that
:41:04. > :41:08.they were safe. I'm pleased to say that those test reports were
:41:08. > :41:12.provided, showing they'd done thousands, well hundreds of tests
:41:12. > :41:15.on thousands of fireworks and we were happy that the products were
:41:15. > :41:18.safe. We are coming up to Christmas and
:41:18. > :41:23.New Year, so people will be thinking about fireworks again, so
:41:23. > :41:27.what should we do to keep ourselves safe? First of all, you should be
:41:27. > :41:30.going to somewhere that's registered, a proper shop which is
:41:30. > :41:33.licensed to store and sell fireworks because then you know
:41:33. > :41:36.that the fireworks have come through this rigorous control
:41:36. > :41:39.procedure and you will know they are tested fireworks. The second
:41:39. > :41:43.thing I would say which I can't stress strongly enough, is that
:41:43. > :41:46.there are some very big fireworks which are legal to be sold to
:41:46. > :41:50.people these days - make sure that the fireworks you buy are suitable
:41:50. > :41:57.for the private space that you've got. If your back yard or garden
:41:57. > :42:00.isn't big enough to take a firework, stand back 25 metres from it, for
:42:00. > :42:03.goodness sake don't buy it, because once it's lit, you can't do
:42:03. > :42:06.anything about it. Thank you. Lots of people in touch
:42:06. > :42:10.with us this morning. Rani? Loads of messages about hospital
:42:10. > :42:13.car parking charges, lots describing it as a tax on the sick.
:42:13. > :42:17.Carol from West Sussex is particularly angry that at some
:42:17. > :42:22.hospitals the money raised is going into the pockets of private parking
:42:22. > :42:25.companies, not patients' care. Also I need to point out, although
:42:25. > :42:30.hospital car park charges have been scrapped in Scotland, they are
:42:30. > :42:33.still in force at the Ed during and Glasgow Royal Infirmarys and the
:42:33. > :42:37.Ninewells Hospitals in Dundee. Thank you very much for your e-
:42:37. > :42:41.mails, texts and tweets, we'll read them out again tomorrow. Keep them
:42:41. > :42:45.coming in. That is all we have time for this morning. On tomorrow's
:42:45. > :42:50.programme, rail delays - you can claim compensation from the train
:42:50. > :42:54.companies, but are they all playing by the rules? Thomson, a letter of