:00:26. > :00:31.Hello, and welcome to Watchdog Daily. We're with you live for the
:00:31. > :00:35.next 45 minutes. This morning: Orange and T-Mobile.
:00:35. > :00:40.They've become EE and launched a superfast 4G mobile service. Big
:00:40. > :00:44.claims. Big list of complaints. Travellers beware. Why mini-sized
:00:44. > :00:50.brands can work out far more expensive than the standard ones.
:00:50. > :00:58.And going to see him? Him? Or them? We name the agencies that make sure
:00:58. > :01:03.you'll pay more than just the cost of the ticket.
:01:03. > :01:08.We start with EE. A company you might not have heard of until this
:01:08. > :01:13.as ad came along. I'm Kevin Bacon, centre of the universe, connected
:01:13. > :01:21.to everything, here it comes. I was in Animal House. Animals live in a
:01:21. > :01:26.jungle. If you live in a jungle you are on I'm A Celebrity... The ad is
:01:26. > :01:32.everywhere. It's helped EE persuade many of its customers to sign up
:01:32. > :01:37.for its 4G service. Sadly, those who've contacted US wish they
:01:37. > :01:43.hadn't. It is the fastest way to connect to the internet on the move.
:01:43. > :01:47.EE say they are proud to be pioneering it in the UK. Proud is
:01:47. > :01:51.the word. They can't stop talking about it. I realised I was
:01:51. > :01:58.connected to everyone in the world and I mean everyone. Take this
:01:58. > :02:03.lovely boy here. He and Kevin Bacon are connected. This Hollywood A-
:02:03. > :02:07.lister is impressed but what about its customers? I wanted to get
:02:07. > :02:12.connected to the 4G network. I wanted to watch live TV on my phone
:02:12. > :02:17.on my commute to work. They said it would be easy. The switching from
:02:17. > :02:24.Orange was easy enough. As for the getting connected part? I got the
:02:24. > :02:30.new EE sim and from then onwards I had numerous problems. I could not
:02:30. > :02:33.receive any text messages or phone calls from anyone. It took four
:02:33. > :02:38.days to get through customer services and get them to rectify
:02:38. > :02:42.the problem. When I spoke to the customer services, there was a lot
:02:42. > :02:48.of confusion about what customers they were supposed to be looking
:02:48. > :02:52.after. When they first heard about my problem, they said it was T-
:02:52. > :02:56.Mobile customers transferring to EE. I have never been a T-Mobile
:02:56. > :03:01.customer. I have never had anything to do with them. On November 6th,
:03:01. > :03:05.less than a week after launching the new service, EE faced mounting
:03:05. > :03:10.complaints about lack of signal and confusing customer service systems.
:03:10. > :03:15.It put these down to teething problems. I couldn't get a 4G
:03:15. > :03:18.signal. I could not receive calls or text messages for five days. I
:03:18. > :03:24.was disappointed with the customer services. Many customer services
:03:24. > :03:30.reps I spoke to about the problem said I would get a call back within
:03:30. > :03:35.24 hours. I could not receive calls or texts. When customer service
:03:35. > :03:39.teams have got back in touch, other customers have found their response
:03:39. > :03:45.wanting. Paul Crowley switched two handsets from Orange to EE on 12th
:03:45. > :03:52.November. One worked, the other didn't. It had this error message
:03:52. > :03:58.on it. It was essentially a useless brick! EE simply had to unlock the
:03:58. > :04:03.phone so it could be used with a new SIM card. It took seven days
:04:03. > :04:09.and 17 attempts from Paul for it to happen. I took out the two
:04:09. > :04:16.contracts for my wife and I to keep in contact with each other. Both of
:04:16. > :04:20.those were on �56 a month. To have one of those out of action renders
:04:20. > :04:25.the other one useless. The way I managed to get the problem resolved
:04:25. > :04:33.was by resorting to e-mailing the CEO of the company. The problem was
:04:33. > :04:39.rectified within a few hours. Malcolm is streaming his favourite
:04:39. > :04:44.TV show. He is connected. If some customers didn't get the painless
:04:44. > :04:50.transfer to EE they were expecting, others didn't receive the 4G
:04:50. > :04:54.benefits they were looking forward to. I love watching films. I love
:04:54. > :04:59.catching up with the TV programmes and the thought of doing it on the
:04:59. > :05:04.go was brilliant. I put the SIM card in when it came and I went
:05:04. > :05:09.from having average internet speeds to being a total standstill.
:05:09. > :05:16.Couldn't make phone calls. Couldn't send texts. Couldn't do anything on
:05:16. > :05:21.my phone I had previously done. Doesn't EE stand for Everything
:05:21. > :05:27.Everywhere? I signed up what was going to be the best service out
:05:27. > :05:32.there. I just went from being excited and wanting this service to
:05:32. > :05:38.having nothing. And having to use my Mum's phone to do the simple
:05:38. > :05:42.things I needed to do on a daily basis. I was without service for 24
:05:42. > :05:46.or 25 days. I wanted the service and I didn't care what they were
:05:46. > :05:52.going to throw at me to make me feel happier. I would only be happy
:05:52. > :05:58.if I had service. EE say that by the end of 2014, they will be able
:05:58. > :06:02.to reach 98% of the population. But before rolling out 4G nationwide,
:06:02. > :06:06.perhaps they should focus on the customers they have already. With
:06:07. > :06:12.over 700 new stores to start your connections rolling, the
:06:12. > :06:15.possibilities are endless. This, Britain, is how bacon rolls!
:06:15. > :06:18.EE has since told us its 4G launch has been a success. There have been
:06:18. > :06:21.isolated teething problems, mainly around its systems and training
:06:21. > :06:24.processes. But it says only a small number of customers have been
:06:24. > :06:27.affected, and a dedicated team's been working around the clock to
:06:27. > :06:32.identify and resolve issues, and to put in place continual updates to
:06:32. > :06:36.its systems. Which is all fine, but what about the customers in our
:06:36. > :06:40.film? Rani. Well, Sophie, it's apologised to
:06:40. > :06:42.them all. It blames network upgrading work for the coverage
:06:42. > :06:49.disruption that Greg Holliman experienced. But this has now been
:06:49. > :06:51.fixed. It says that as Paul Crowley bought his phone from a third party
:06:51. > :06:54.supplier, it had to be unlocked manually. It's sorry for the
:06:54. > :06:57.confusion, and has provided unlocking instructions, as well as
:06:57. > :07:01.a refund for a full month's line rental. As for Samuel Jacobs, who
:07:01. > :07:04.lost all his mobile phone services, it says there was a technical issue
:07:04. > :07:07.with his account, which has now been resolved. Meanwhile, if you'd
:07:07. > :07:10.like to comment on that, or any of today's other stories, here's a
:07:10. > :07:15.reminder of how to do so. For emails, the address is
:07:15. > :07:19.watchdog@bbc.co.uk. For texts, it's 88822 and start your message with
:07:19. > :07:23.the letters "WD". And if you want to join the discussion on Twitter,
:07:23. > :07:26.our address and hashtag are on your screens.
:07:26. > :07:29.Time for today's first visit to the Consumer Cops in the North West of
:07:29. > :07:32.England. Two weeks ago we saw their colleagues in Cardiff planting
:07:32. > :07:36.cameras in well-known fly-tipper hotspots to catch dumpers red-
:07:37. > :07:39.handed. But, of course, they can't put cameras everywhere. Which is
:07:39. > :07:46.why, in some areas, officers have to rely on traditional detective
:07:46. > :07:50.work to track down those responsible. Here's Louise Hulland.
:07:50. > :07:55.It is one of the most prolific and expensive crimes local authorities
:07:55. > :08:00.have to deal with. Fly tipped rubbish not only blights landscapes,
:08:00. > :08:10.it also costs council taxpayers millions. It is an endless tax for
:08:10. > :08:10.
:08:10. > :08:15.officers in this city. Liverpool. Home to the Albert Dock, the Royal
:08:15. > :08:22.Liver Buildings and shopping complexes. Perhaps the most iconic
:08:22. > :08:28.building is this - Anfield. Home of Liverpool Football Club. On match
:08:28. > :08:33.days, the streets around here are heaving with fans. But when the
:08:33. > :08:38.final whistle blows and the crowds disappear, much of the area is a
:08:38. > :08:45.wasteland. Hundreds of homes are empty, abandoned properties. Many
:08:45. > :08:52.of them earmarked for demolition. have lived in this area for 30
:08:52. > :08:59.years. Over the last 15 years, people have moved on. Basically, we
:08:59. > :09:06.are one of only two families left in this street. And where you find
:09:06. > :09:11.empty and derelict properties, you also find fly-tippers. Over the
:09:11. > :09:15.last 15 years, a lot of the properties have been emptied and
:09:15. > :09:20.left unsecured. There's been fires, fly-tipping. Just at the back of my
:09:20. > :09:25.house, there is a nine-foot fence, almost like a compound, and I was
:09:25. > :09:30.totally amazed to see somebody had managed to get the three-piece
:09:30. > :09:34.suite over the top of the fence and fly tipped it there. It is not
:09:34. > :09:41.pleasant to have somebody else's old furniture dumped within sight
:09:41. > :09:46.of your bedrooms, or when you open your back door. Liverpool Trading
:09:46. > :09:56.Standards receive 26,000 reports of fly-tipping a year. The man in
:09:56. > :10:00.charge of dealing with them is John M cHail. A complaint came in
:10:00. > :10:04.through our standard complaints system. Normally local residents or
:10:04. > :10:10.councils will inform us of incidents of fly-tipping and we
:10:10. > :10:14.have a policy of responding within three or four hours at least to do
:10:14. > :10:19.the initial investigation, to identify who is doing the illegal
:10:19. > :10:28.fly-tipping and take action to deal with it. The area we are going is
:10:28. > :10:35.an area of terraced houses with back alleys. It is very difficult
:10:36. > :10:45.to control it. It's people's homes. We don't want those areas to be
:10:46. > :10:46.
:10:46. > :10:54.full of illegal fly-tipping. John arrives at the site meeting up with
:10:54. > :11:04.Will Gibbs. Is that the alleyway? Have you got a key? I have. Let's
:11:04. > :11:13.
:11:13. > :11:20.Is this it? Yes. There's a lot of builder's rubble. Any indication it
:11:20. > :11:28.is from a builder? The intelligence I have got was that someone's had a
:11:28. > :11:35.refit of a house or a business. will let you get on with it. Not a
:11:35. > :11:40.nice job. The complainant suspects the rubbish has come from a local
:11:40. > :11:44.business but that is not enough to go on. The officers need evidence.
:11:44. > :11:47.Things I would be looking for are names and addresses. So if I find
:11:47. > :11:56.someone's name and address in there, they tend to be the offenders and
:11:56. > :12:06.we visit that address and ask for that person. You will need more
:12:06. > :12:08.
:12:08. > :12:18.bags! The reason why we use plastic clear bags is so we don't have to
:12:18. > :12:21.dip our hands into the bottom of the bin. I don't get too involved
:12:21. > :12:25.in going through bin bags fortunately. The officers do.
:12:25. > :12:32.Thankfully, it is not a regular occurrence. But we do have a
:12:32. > :12:39.problem and it needs to be tackled. While John may not like to get his
:12:39. > :12:46.hands dirty, he can't reSis a look into a box stuffed full of leaflets
:12:46. > :12:50.that could provide a crucial clue to the fly-tipper's identity.
:12:50. > :12:54.Louise Hulland reporting. And we'll see what the officers discovered
:12:54. > :12:57.inside that box - and where the evidence led them - later in the
:12:57. > :12:59.programme. Right now it's time for an update on your emails texts and
:12:59. > :13:02.tweets. Rani. We're still getting responses to
:13:02. > :13:06.yesterday's story about foreign bodies in food. Dave Clarke from
:13:06. > :13:09.Kent has sent us this. A photo of the spider found in the salad
:13:09. > :13:12.bought from his local supermarket, snapped just after his daughter had
:13:12. > :13:15.eaten a mouthful! Dave wrote to the store, who said they would
:13:15. > :13:21.investigate. They also agreed to send him �30 worth of vouchers as
:13:21. > :13:24.compensation. Simon Oldham sent us this picture of a packet of boiled
:13:24. > :13:29.sweets he bought in Weymouth. Luckily, before he opened the bag,
:13:29. > :13:33.he spotted the cigarette butt inside. Remember, there is a guide
:13:33. > :13:35.on what to do if you find something nasty and unwanted in your pre-
:13:35. > :13:38.packed meal or snack. It's presented by our legal expert,
:13:38. > :13:46.Professor Margaret Griffiths, and you can find it on our website.
:13:46. > :13:50.That's bbc.co.uk/watchdog. Sophie. Now, bought a ticket for a concert
:13:50. > :13:53.recently? If you got them through an online ticketing agency, you'll
:13:54. > :13:56.know all about the hefty booking fees. But recently we've heard
:13:56. > :13:59.about the eye-watering cost of their other services. Like printing
:13:59. > :14:03.and delivery. It's no wonder complaints are increasing - because
:14:03. > :14:13.the agencies can effectively charge what they like. As our Mystery
:14:13. > :14:21.
:14:21. > :14:26.Booking fee, processing fee, service charge. The online agencies
:14:26. > :14:32.have different ways to describe the charge for selling you a ticket.
:14:32. > :14:39.Customers like Mark can think of a few descriptions, too! I went to
:14:39. > :14:46.see the Olly Murs concert. I bought the tickets from the Viagogo
:14:46. > :14:53.website. At the time, there wasn't no other seats that were decent. It
:14:53. > :14:59.was �184 the total cost. Then admin and handling charge on top was �45.
:14:59. > :15:05.It seemed a ridiculous amount to charge to literally post three
:15:05. > :15:15.tickets in one envelope to one address. A booking fee might be
:15:15. > :15:18.
:15:18. > :15:23.unavoidable but what about some of the others. On top of the service
:15:23. > :15:29.charge, the selling agency had another fee up their sleeve. When I
:15:29. > :15:33.went to the delivery page, there was only one option. It was called
:15:33. > :15:38.Ticket Fast. It involved me printing the tickets at home. I
:15:38. > :15:43.thought it was a cheek. I am using my ink and paper and I didn't
:15:43. > :15:47.understand why I would be paying to do that. Well, we are also at a bit
:15:47. > :15:54.of a loss, so it is time to find out how much the other big agencies
:15:54. > :16:03.are charging in added fees and how they justify them. Over two days,
:16:03. > :16:13.our team phoned six different agencies. Three of the leading
:16:13. > :16:16.
:16:16. > :16:23.primary agents selling tickets directly from the music venues. The
:16:23. > :16:29.concerts we enquired about - Olly Murs, Maroon 5, Madness and Ronan
:16:29. > :16:38.Keating. Booking fees. The cheapest booking fee we could find on those
:16:38. > :16:42.tickets was �3.50, that is what Ticketmaster and Ticketline quoted
:16:42. > :16:47.for a seat to see Madness. You are paying for a couple of things.
:16:47. > :16:51.There is the face value of the ticket. Face value goes to the
:16:51. > :16:56.promotor. The booking fee goes to the ticketing agency. This involves
:16:56. > :17:00.money that pays for access control, which is your access to the venue,
:17:00. > :17:05.the technology that is involved in getting you into the venue. Ticket
:17:05. > :17:12.agencies make a profit from this. When we checked the secondary
:17:12. > :17:16.ticketing sites, we came across a big difference. Stubhub charged no
:17:16. > :17:22.booking fees, but one of their competitors turned out to be the
:17:22. > :17:29.most expensive of all. I found on Viagogo, for a ticket to see Maroon
:17:29. > :17:35.5, the booking fee is �17.39 on top of the ticket. Shart intake of
:17:35. > :17:38.breath? Wait till you see what we found next. Tickets for the same
:17:38. > :17:44.concert being sold by the same company coming with different
:17:44. > :17:50.service charges. We looked at buying a �35 ticket to see Madness.
:17:50. > :17:55.Ticketmaster charged a service charge of �3.50. If we wanted a �45
:17:56. > :18:01.ticket instead, Ticketmaster demanded �4.50. Why? There were two
:18:01. > :18:05.different booking fees. The higher- priced tickets were �4.50. I
:18:05. > :18:09.wondered what the difference was? The service charge is usually a
:18:09. > :18:14.perseven stadge of the ticket cost. So there is a mer expensive ticket,
:18:14. > :18:18.it is a case of a service charge will be higher. Are you getting any
:18:18. > :18:22.more for your money? No, it is a percentage of the ticket value. As
:18:22. > :18:26.you can imagine, the higher price ticket, even with the same
:18:26. > :18:31.percentage would be a higher amount because it is a higher cost, it is
:18:31. > :18:39.the more expensive ticket. A one- off? Sadly not. As well as this
:18:39. > :18:44.company, Viagogo, Ticketline and See Tickets also told us they
:18:44. > :18:48.charge a percentage of the ticket cost. You are not getting your
:18:48. > :18:54.ticket delivered in a gold envelope, it is being processed in the same
:18:54. > :18:59.way. So fans will find that unfair. So after booking fees, what would
:18:59. > :19:04.the primary agents charge for delivering our tickets? On the
:19:04. > :19:14.tickets we checked, Ticketmaster wanted to charge a minimum of �2.25
:19:14. > :19:16.
:19:16. > :19:26.for standard delivery or as much as �5.50 for secure delivery. And
:19:26. > :19:29.
:19:29. > :19:38.Ticketline�2.20 or �5.25 for secure delivery. So what about the
:19:38. > :19:43.secondary ticketing sites? Stubhub quoted us �5. Viagogo and Get Me In
:19:43. > :19:52.offer one delivery option. They were the most expensive. Viagogo
:19:52. > :19:56.will charge �9.95. Get Me In charge �10.97. That is the delivery
:19:56. > :20:00.charges if you opt to have the tickets sent to you. Remember
:20:00. > :20:05.Ticketmaster can hit you with a charge even when they don't deliver.
:20:05. > :20:09.We found them offering a Ronan Keating ticket for �41.25 including
:20:09. > :20:15.service charge. If we wanted to print it ourselves at home, that
:20:15. > :20:23.would be an extra �2.75. How would they explain that one? I know there
:20:23. > :20:28.is a �2.75 charge on that. Why is that? The �2.75 is a handling fee
:20:28. > :20:31.for ticket fast processing. It would be for us to put the ticket
:20:31. > :20:34.into the consumer's online account and the rest of the handling fee
:20:34. > :20:42.would be to ensure the machines are working at the venue because there
:20:42. > :20:45.is going to be a hand-held barcode scanner. What if you do it the old-
:20:45. > :20:52.fashioned way and go and collect your tickets at the venue? Well,
:20:52. > :20:58.bad news if you bought them through Stubhub. They do charge you �2 for
:20:58. > :21:02.the privilege of doing your own leg work. Thanks for that(!)
:21:02. > :21:05.In a moment I'll be talking to the boss of Viagogo - one of the
:21:05. > :21:10.companies named in that report - and finding out how he justifies
:21:10. > :21:13.those added charges. Before that, how do the others respond?
:21:13. > :21:15.Well, the Society of Ticket Agents and Retailers told us the booking
:21:15. > :21:17.fee includes a number of elements including the actual cost of
:21:17. > :21:21.processing the transaction, staffing costs, technology and
:21:21. > :21:23.overheads. Delivery fees vary according to the method by which
:21:23. > :21:31.they're dispatched and it's reasonable for companies to charge
:21:31. > :21:35.for this service. See Tickets says a booking fee based on a percentage
:21:35. > :21:38.of the face value is fairer than a flat fee because it doesn't
:21:38. > :21:40.penalise those buying cheaper tickets. It applied a �6 delivery
:21:40. > :21:43.charge in our survey because the venue involved doesn't issue
:21:43. > :21:45.duplicate tickets. It therefore used Royal Mail Special Delivery so
:21:45. > :21:49.it could track the tickets, and customers could claim compensation
:21:49. > :21:57.if they were lost. Ticketmaster says it provides a wide range of
:21:57. > :21:59.services for its clients. And that fees are often its only source of
:21:59. > :22:02.revenue in return. It says tickets printed at home
:22:02. > :22:06.must be scanned and validated at the venues by access control
:22:06. > :22:08.technology, installed at the company's own expense. The printing
:22:08. > :22:11.charge - applied to concert-goers like Carmelina Critcher -
:22:11. > :22:16.contributes to the cost of this service. The company, and the wider
:22:16. > :22:19.industry, is looking at ways to reduce it. As for the secondary
:22:19. > :22:22.ticketing sites, Getmein says its delivery charge covers the cost of
:22:22. > :22:26.a premium and fully trackable service to ensure customers receive
:22:26. > :22:34.their tickets securely in time for their event. And Stubhub says it's
:22:34. > :22:37.committed to transparent pricing. It says when customers collect
:22:37. > :22:41.tickets it's from a different location, close to the venue. The
:22:41. > :22:44.�2 charge helps to cover the cost of staffing outside normal hours.
:22:44. > :22:47.We should add that the charges we found were for those specific
:22:47. > :22:51.concerts and venues - other charges may apply for different events and
:22:51. > :22:58.locations. With me now is Ed Parkinson from Viagogo. Good
:22:58. > :23:03.morning. Let's talk about Mark Parker. �184.09 for his tickets. On
:23:03. > :23:07.top of that �45 for those extra fees. He didn't understand why he
:23:07. > :23:11.was paying so much? You need to really understand how the Viagogo
:23:11. > :23:16.site works. We are a ticket marketplace so people can sell as
:23:16. > :23:20.well as pie tickets. So our job is to get the tickets -- as buy
:23:20. > :23:30.tickets. So our job is to get the tickets from the seller as well as
:23:30. > :23:31.
:23:31. > :23:36.the buyer. We use a secure courier service. This is a courier comes
:23:36. > :23:39.and picks the tickets up from the seller and delivers to the buyer.
:23:39. > :23:44.We operate the platform and we provide seven-day customer service
:23:44. > :23:47.12 hours a day. If anyone has a problem, they can call us. We have
:23:47. > :23:52.an event hotline on the day so they can get through if there is any
:23:52. > :23:57.issue. All of that process is different to printing three tickets.
:23:57. > :24:01.It doesn't explain why it gets so much more expensive. If I get a �50
:24:01. > :24:06.ticket, if I buy �100, you will charge me �15. They are tickets,
:24:06. > :24:10.they are the same things. I may be getting a better seat? It works
:24:10. > :24:14.both ways. If you are buying a cheaper ticket, the charges are
:24:14. > :24:19.much lower. It is important to remember half the tickets sell
:24:19. > :24:23.around or below face value. Many of the tickets, we work with half the
:24:23. > :24:28.UK Premier League in football. Many tickets resell at lower prices.
:24:28. > :24:31.There are lower fees if prices are cheaper. If someone is paying for a
:24:31. > :24:35.more expensive ticket, it is a marketplace so that is a scarcer
:24:35. > :24:39.ticket so the work we have to do to make sure you get that ticket and
:24:39. > :24:43.to find a replacement if there is a problem is harder. So it does cost
:24:43. > :24:47.us a bit more than it would do if it was a cheap ticket readily
:24:47. > :24:50.available. What about another issue that confuses viewers? You are
:24:50. > :24:54.dealing with tickets that people can't use or don't want, a
:24:54. > :24:57.marketplace as you say. Things like Robbie Williams, we found tickets
:24:57. > :25:06.available the day before they went on general sale, you had them on
:25:06. > :25:11.your site �80 to �1,000? We open our marketplace as soon as tickets
:25:11. > :25:14.have been made available through any kind of sale. So we don't put
:25:14. > :25:16.tickets available until they have been made available to the public.
:25:16. > :25:19.Our guaranteed service is something that people will need from the
:25:19. > :25:22.moment that tickets become available up until the event date.
:25:22. > :25:25.That is why we choose to open our marketplace at that point. As soon
:25:25. > :25:29.as tickets have gone on sale, particularly for very popular
:25:29. > :25:33.events, people looking for tickets will, if they can't find them at
:25:33. > :25:37.the box office, look online and turn elsewhere. That is when they
:25:37. > :25:43.can be scammed. So that is why our service is important through that
:25:43. > :25:45.sale period. Thank you very much. Back to Liverpool now - one of the
:25:45. > :25:48.country's fly-tipping hotspots. We're out with the city's Trading
:25:48. > :25:51.Standards teams as they try to track down the people who've dumped
:25:51. > :26:00.a consignment of commercial waste. Clues are often difficult to find.
:26:00. > :26:04.But maybe not this time. Here's Louise Hulland again.
:26:04. > :26:10.John has identified a box full of leaflets among this illegally
:26:10. > :26:14.dumped rubbish in Anfield. Leaflets that might identify the fly-tipper.
:26:14. > :26:20.You see them? They are from a small independent retailer. I was about
:26:20. > :26:25.to say through the number of boxes that I can see, as John has said,
:26:25. > :26:35.it looks like it's come from... small independent retailer, maybe a
:26:35. > :26:35.
:26:35. > :26:45.local store in the area. That box not got an address on? That would
:26:45. > :26:49.
:26:49. > :26:53.have been handy. Do you think this If it's got that logo on, it is a
:26:53. > :26:57.good indication it is their shop. Yeah. What I will have to do is go
:26:57. > :27:05.and speak to the owner of the shop and find out if this rubbish is his
:27:05. > :27:09.or hers. If it turns out to be, it will be issued a �80 fine and told
:27:09. > :27:19.to clean it up at the same time. All we have to do is get someone
:27:19. > :27:20.
:27:20. > :27:25.else to come and clean it. We will speak to the shop owner now.
:27:25. > :27:32.street nuisance officer prepares to confront the store's boss. John
:27:32. > :27:38.checks another nearby fly-tipping hotspot. Some local traders,
:27:38. > :27:42.builders, contractors, seem to be using the area to dump builder's
:27:42. > :27:48.rubbish which is causing a problem because the local children in the
:27:48. > :27:53.area recently have decided to set fire to a lot of it and whilst -
:27:53. > :27:59.and that resulting fire spreads into a number of properties. Whilst
:27:59. > :28:09.the derelict properties, so nobody was in direct danger, obviously
:28:09. > :28:21.
:28:21. > :28:27.it's not going to help the area and This is typical of void property
:28:27. > :28:30.fly-tipping. A lot of the material here will probably be household
:28:30. > :28:33.material. It's combustible. Local children will come into the area.
:28:33. > :28:39.They will set fire to this. As you can see, they have already set fire
:28:39. > :28:44.to it. It is a major issue. It is a problem. We do really need to
:28:44. > :28:53.tackle it. We have to conduct more intensive covert operations,
:28:53. > :28:59.investigations to track these people down. Recently, the council
:28:59. > :29:07.introduced a new scheme to help combat illegal dumping. It has been
:29:07. > :29:13.a massive success in Liverpool. Unfortunately, as you see, it was
:29:13. > :29:20.wedged open. Every one has a sign. It is important. If you don't keep
:29:20. > :29:23.it closed, that is when the fly- tippers will take advantage. With
:29:23. > :29:29.John's inspection complete, he heads back to see if Will's been
:29:29. > :29:35.able to get hold of the store owner. I have spoken to the owner who has
:29:36. > :29:43.informed me has put the rubbish out. I have issued him a fine and read
:29:43. > :29:48.him a caution. So the case is wrapped up within a couple of hours.
:29:48. > :29:51.With a spot fine of only �80, not far off what you will pay for a
:29:51. > :29:56.parking violation, it's little wonder that some people aren't
:29:56. > :30:02.deterred from dumping their waste illegally. As you can see, if you
:30:02. > :30:06.look down there, the council do work hard to keep these clean. Our
:30:06. > :30:10.environmental cleansing services work hard and the residents work
:30:10. > :30:14.hard to keep them clean. Then you have somebody coming along and
:30:14. > :30:18.dumping this. It is totally defeating the object and it is
:30:18. > :30:20.unfair on the residents. Of course, as well as its densely-
:30:20. > :30:23.populated cities, the North West of England contains some spectacular
:30:23. > :30:29.countryside. But fly-tippers are no respecters of beautiful scenery -
:30:29. > :30:32.as we'll see later. Now, going away for Christmas? If
:30:32. > :30:35.so, you'll probably be packing a bag and filling it with some of
:30:35. > :30:37.these - travel-sized food, drink and toiletries. You can find mini
:30:37. > :30:41.versions of well-known brands at supermarkets, airports, rail
:30:41. > :30:43.stations and high street chain stores. But we've discovered some
:30:43. > :30:49.incredible price differentials between these and the standard size
:30:49. > :30:53.packs. Like this Dove anti-perspirant. Buy
:30:53. > :30:57.the big version and it could cost you �1.50. Buy the much smaller
:30:57. > :31:03.version from the same store and it's �1.12. That means, by weight,
:31:03. > :31:06.you're paying 220% more for the smaller one.
:31:06. > :31:09.It's an even worse story with this Johnson's bath foam. A big and
:31:09. > :31:14.small version on sale at the same store. But, by weight, the little
:31:14. > :31:18.one works out to be 329% more expensive.
:31:18. > :31:23.As for the food and drink, a Coca Cola two litre bottle's on sale for
:31:23. > :31:28.�1.98. While the smaller 150ml can is selling for 40p. So, by weight,
:31:28. > :31:33.the mini version is 170% more expensive.
:31:34. > :31:39.But the very worst of the bunch - Kellogg's Cornflakes. Standard box,
:31:39. > :31:43.on sale at �2.69. Very small box, available at the same store for 89p.
:31:43. > :31:50.Might be cheaper by pack, but, gram for gram, this little one works out
:31:50. > :31:55.at an incredible 725% more expensive. So how do the companies
:31:55. > :31:58.explain it? Firstly, they all say retailers are
:31:58. > :32:01.free at all times to set their own prices. Dove says the travel-sized
:32:01. > :32:07.products were developed in response to customer demand for a product
:32:07. > :32:10.that is convenient for travel. They say it does in fact have an RRP of
:32:10. > :32:15.�1.00 for the small version and �2.49 for the larger product,
:32:16. > :32:18.although charges from retailers may vary. Coca Cola say the two
:32:18. > :32:22.products listed are very different packs designed for different
:32:22. > :32:26.purposes. And Johnson and Johnson told us they offer consumers a wide
:32:26. > :32:28.variety of choice at different recommended price points. Along
:32:28. > :32:32.with Kellogg's, they say the travel-size products provide
:32:32. > :32:35.customers with convenience. Both add that the cost of this size is
:32:36. > :32:43.due to the higher packaging and production costs.
:32:43. > :32:45.Next, the big banks. They're all after your money. And to tempt you
:32:45. > :32:48.into banking with them, most advertise current accounts that
:32:48. > :32:50.come with perks, like free mobile phone insurance and car breakdown
:32:50. > :32:53.cover. Beware though, because many so-called packaged accounts also
:32:53. > :33:03.have hefty annual fees. And, for some customers, the costs could
:33:03. > :33:09.
:33:09. > :33:18.outweigh the benefits. It's not hard to see why the banks
:33:18. > :33:23.like these packaged accounts. Are they any good for their customers?
:33:23. > :33:28.Welcome to my clinic. Now, one of the most popular extras with
:33:28. > :33:32.packaged accounts is travel insurance. Before we head off on
:33:32. > :33:36.holiday, we need to check the policy covers you. If you are over
:33:36. > :33:39.65, you might not be covered. The level of cover might not be enough
:33:39. > :33:45.either. If you are travelling outside Europe, the policy might
:33:45. > :33:50.not cover you at all. Next, mobile phone insurance. Key points to
:33:50. > :33:54.consider: You need to check your phone is covered by the policy.
:33:54. > :33:59.Secondly, pay attention to the excess. Many mobile phone
:33:59. > :34:02.insurances come with packaged accounts and they make you pay the
:34:02. > :34:07.first �100. Finally, ask yourself whether or not you need mobile
:34:07. > :34:12.phone insurance at all. It might be covered on your home insurance.
:34:12. > :34:18.What about breakdown cover? Well, some policies that come with
:34:18. > :34:23.packaged bank accounts don't offer Home Start. The policy also might
:34:23. > :34:27.not cover you if you need to be towed back home because your car
:34:27. > :34:35.can't be repaired. If you are travelling in Europe, most of them
:34:35. > :34:40.won't cover you for that either. What about the car protection
:34:40. > :34:45.policies? Under the payment services regulations, banks must
:34:45. > :34:53.refund you if you have been the victim of fraud as long as you
:34:53. > :34:57.weren't negligent. So the question you need to ask is this: Are you
:34:57. > :35:01.going to use most of the benefits in your packaged accounts? Are the
:35:02. > :35:08.products right for you? It may be that even if the products are right
:35:08. > :35:11.for you, you might be able to get them cheaper elsewhere. There's a
:35:11. > :35:18.good chance that by building your own packaged account you might get
:35:18. > :35:20.a better deal and you can save yourself the monthly fee.
:35:20. > :35:22.James Daley - Which's money expert there.
:35:22. > :35:27.Remember all insurance and breakdown policies come with
:35:27. > :35:30.exclusions, so it's always worth reading the small print. And for
:35:30. > :35:33.more information on choosing the best type of account for you and
:35:33. > :35:38.how to change your bank account, see our website. The address
:35:38. > :35:41.bbc.co.uk/watchdog. Meanwhile, we have a had a response
:35:41. > :35:43.to that report from the British Banking Association, which
:35:43. > :35:46.represents the main high street lenders. It says packaged accounts
:35:46. > :35:49.can be a convenient and cost- effective product when customers
:35:49. > :35:52.take advantage of the add-on services. Customers should shop
:35:52. > :36:02.around and choose an account suitable for their needs, including
:36:02. > :36:12.sticking with a free-in-credit account if it suits them better.
:36:12. > :36:23.
:36:23. > :36:28.When officers deal with illegally dumped rubbish some hazards are
:36:28. > :36:34.often. Cats and dogs - the waste spills out. You then have the
:36:34. > :36:38.possibility of rats in-and-out. Rats carry lots of diseases. So you
:36:39. > :36:45.don't want children exposed, or anybody, exposed to those types of
:36:45. > :36:52.dangers. But the teams sometimes encounter items posing more
:36:52. > :36:57.imminent danger. Today, Richard Waters is responding to reports of
:36:57. > :37:05.fly-tipping on the outskirts of Darwin. We can get the council to
:37:05. > :37:14.remove the litter but nothing of any major fly-tip. At first glance,
:37:14. > :37:19.it seems nothing worse than normal litter. But on closer inspection...
:37:19. > :37:23.There's quite a few needles there. This is an area that's been used
:37:23. > :37:30.for some type of drug activity. This makes it more serious now. Any
:37:30. > :37:34.type of needles like this in the open, exposed, is a potential
:37:34. > :37:38.health hazard to anybody nearby. They need to get picked up.
:37:38. > :37:48.Officers are prepared for discoveries like these. Richard
:37:48. > :37:51.begins clearing up the needles. have put gloves on. These will
:37:52. > :37:56.protect me from infections. I will have to be very careful when
:37:56. > :38:06.picking up the sharps. I will not pick them up with my hands. I will
:38:06. > :38:11.
:38:11. > :38:16.use these tweezers and put them in the sharps box provided. He may
:38:16. > :38:21.have cleared most of the needles away, but he also spots other
:38:21. > :38:25.hazardous items lying out in the open for anyone to find. He calls
:38:25. > :38:30.the council with a request to get it all cleaned up and removed as
:38:30. > :38:35.soon as possible. It is an accumulation of litter but there
:38:35. > :38:41.are quite a number of needles within the litter. So it needs to
:38:41. > :38:50.be litter-picked ASAP, really. residential areas, officers get to
:38:50. > :38:55.hear about fly-tipping cases quickly. Rural areas with no CCTV
:38:55. > :39:01.cameras are harder to police. Richard is heading to a second
:39:01. > :39:07.known problem area. This time, it is much more remote. We are coming
:39:07. > :39:13.to another local spot out in the countryside. A place of outstanding
:39:13. > :39:17.natural beauty, po ewe lar with walker and cyclists -- popular with
:39:17. > :39:27.walkers and cyclists. There we go. Somebody's dropped something off
:39:27. > :39:32.
:39:32. > :39:37.there. It doesn't look too big, but nevertheless. Upwards of 20 black
:39:37. > :39:45.bags. It will take quite a bit to have a look through this. So I
:39:45. > :39:51.shall get my gloves and my camera. Again, some of the rubbish is
:39:52. > :39:54.ininnocuous. You never know what is going -- Rubbish is innocuous.
:39:54. > :39:59.never know what is going to be thrown out in the waste. What type
:39:59. > :40:04.of person will wear those! After inspecting the bags closely, some
:40:04. > :40:10.of the contents cause Richard greater concern. Most contain large
:40:10. > :40:18.amounts of used compost. Within the waste are clay-potting pebbles
:40:18. > :40:24.which help with drainage. This and the fact it's been fly tipped leads
:40:24. > :40:29.Richard to a definite conclusion. As you can see, without a doubt
:40:30. > :40:33.what is going on there, in my view, would be the remains of some type
:40:33. > :40:37.of cannabis farm that's probably taken place locally. When it
:40:37. > :40:43.arrived here, we don't know. It is in the middle of no-where. It is
:40:43. > :40:47.quite secluded. If you look around, there is no residents really. No -
:40:47. > :40:51.the likelihood of being seen dumping this type of waste is slim.
:40:51. > :40:55.It will be reported through to the police. The police will take the
:40:55. > :41:03.location. They will make a note of it and use that information which
:41:03. > :41:09.ever way they can. But for now, all that can be done is to make sure
:41:09. > :41:13.the waste is cleaned up and disposed of properly. There will be
:41:13. > :41:18.lots of people using this road for walking. They will use it for
:41:18. > :41:24.cycling. It is a nice place to be. It never ceases to amaze me. I like
:41:24. > :41:29.the countryside. I like going out for walks. It is a blight. It
:41:29. > :41:37.spoils the entire aspect. You don't want to see it in such a nice area
:41:37. > :41:43.as this. It is a shame. Within 24/48 hours, this site ought to
:41:43. > :41:50.have been cleared and it will be a clear lay-by until somebody else
:41:50. > :41:55.dumps their waste on it, which hopefully will be a long time from
:41:55. > :41:59.now. The waste was cleared away and information passed to the police.
:41:59. > :42:03.So far, the origins of the cannabis farm remain unknown. Whilst fly-
:42:03. > :42:07.tipping is a crime, it is worth remembering that the Environmental
:42:07. > :42:10.Protection Act makes you responsible for the safe and legal
:42:10. > :42:14.disposal of your household waste so if you pay someone to get rid of it
:42:14. > :42:19.for you and they dump it unlawfully, you could still face prosecution as
:42:19. > :42:23.well as them. That is why you should always use a reputable waste
:42:23. > :42:32.disposal company. You will find details on our website -
:42:32. > :42:37.bbc.co.uk/watchdog. We have had a huge response to our story on EE
:42:37. > :42:42.and its 4G service. Lots saying since EE took over Orange, you have
:42:42. > :42:44.been losing the signal regularly. A few users are saying the poor
:42:44. > :42:48.signal is affecting 3G users as well.
:42:48. > :42:49.Thanks, Rani. And that's all we have time for this morning. On
:42:49. > :42:54.tomorrow's programme: Thinking of buying gift vouchers
:42:54. > :42:57.for Christmas? We put some of the most popular to the test - and find
:42:57. > :42:59.out what they're really worth. Simple mistakes. Big penalties. How
:42:59. > :43:07.some airlines are punishing customers for the tiniest booking
:43:07. > :43:09.errors. And taking on the loan sharks. The