Episode 3 Watchdog Daily

Hello and welcome to Watchdog Daily. We are with you live for the next

40 minutes, taking on businesses big and small. This morning, beware

of energy companies bearing gifts. The special deals that could cost

you even more. Boots, Tesco, Cow & Gate, the bereaved mums who have

tried to leave their mailing lists. Why won't they let them? Getting

texts like these? Don't believe all the promises. It's disgusting and

I'm not overexaggerating. There's sewage. The smell is awful.

perils of booking a holiday with an unlicenced agent. We join the

consumer cops taking on the cowboys of the travel trade. First, gas and

electricity prices, as winter closes in and we start turning up

the heat, five of the six biggest energy providers have decided to

raise their prices by up to 10%. The good news, the regulator has

stepped in to help the consumer. The bad news, it's unlikely to stop

those soaring fuel bills. What sort of action are the Government and

Ofgem promising? They say they'll force suppliers to simplify tariffs

and tell customers about their cheapest deals, but that won't

happen until next summer at the earliest. Until then, we have been

advised yet again to shop around for the best deal. It's certainly

true you can cut your bills by switching suppliers, but watch out

for some of those eye-catching deals, because although they do

look tempting, they could leave you paying more. It's the age-old trick

of the sales trade and almost energy supplier has cottoned on.

Throw in something special to make us think we're getting a great deal.

What do customers think? Are they tempted by the added extras? If it

was a case of choosing between two that were the same price and one

offered you a perk, yeah, you'll go for that, because everyone's trying

to get a bargain and save money where they can. So, yes, you would.

I get confused about what is the best deal and what's not. I think

there's some kind of catch. Why are they offering a perk? Some of the

offers are tempting, but you could end up paying more with a tariff

with perks, than if you were to get the cheapest deal and pay exactly

the same extras. How much more? Our teams have been dog the sums. Offer

the course -- doing the sums. Offer over the course of one day we

checked all the tariffs for one address in west London. They found

the cheapest overall tariff on the day and that was firstewe tillity.

-- first utility. Then donations to charity, or fee vouchers, then they

took to the street to ask the public what they thought of the

various offers. Looking at all of this on the table, what would you

go for? Not the I save one. They don't offer anything. What about

that one? I with probably go for the cancer research one, because

everyone's affected by it and it's obviously a great way to donate

money. Tesco club card vouchers. first glance, the offers were

attractive, but would anyone change their mind after they found out

what each tariff actually cost? Let's take a look. Firstutility,

the cheapest tariff was �1 account 054 for the year, as long as you

didn't want to switch within the first three months and it came with

no perks. Would any of the other tariffs work out to be better value

when you took their perks into account? To find out, we worked out

the monetary value of each reward. For npower, they were �45 worth of

football vouchers. For Scottish Power, it was a �15 charity

donation. E.On offered �94 worth of Tesco clubcard points and as for

the energy monitors from British Gas and Southern Electric, they can

be bought for �30 each. With detucted the monetary value of the

reward -- deducted the monetary value of the ward from the annual

costs. Would any of them work out to be better value than the

cheapest available tariff? First up, npower, this tariff would have left

us �51-62 worse off, even taking the vouchers into account. It was a

similar story with Scottish Power. They'll make a �15 donation to

charity, but opting for that tariff over the firstutility, would have

left us �55.55 worse off, even with the charity donation. You would be

worse off. �55.55 per year. What do you think? That's quite a lot.

Quite a lot. Yeah. I would probably go for the cheapest and give up the

�15 myself. The others tried to encourage to sign up with the

promise of free energy monitors, but they are only worth �30, so the

British Gas deal would have left us �41 poorer. You would be worse off

taking into account the energy monitors. We would have been a

massive �186.56 worse or with Southern Electric, but there is one

deal that did work out to be better. E.On's tariff comes with Tesco

vouchers and worked out to be �7.01 better value. Great, as long as you

like shopping in Tesco. While some tariffs with added extras might

seem tempting, it's always worth checking how much the rewards are

worth, because the chances are you'll get a better deal without

them. Worth doing the maths for. Rani Price is in the mail room.

What do the companies have to say? Five energy suppliers, four

responses. Npower haven't provided us with one. British Gas say they

strive to offer the best deals and they can assist customers with

cutting bills and energy monitors can save the average household �125

a year. E.On say they believe in complete clarity and are doing all

they can to make choosing the best tariff, simple fair and transparent.

Southern Electric they are dramatically simplifying tariffs

and offer three. Anyone choosing an optional extra won't pay further

costs. Customers will get support and advice to cut their energy use.

Finally, Scottish Power, they say unlike the firstutility product,

theirs comes with a small discount for standard prices. They say it's

good value, comes with no termination fee and has the

donation to a good cause. All the companies say that the price rises

are down to the extra costs associated with fuel efficiency and

transporting and buying energy. Meanwhile, if you would like to

comment on any of that, or any of today's other stories, he's a

reminder of how to do so. Send an e-mail: Or text us: start your

message with the letters WD. If you want to join the discussion on

Twitter, the address and hash tag is on the screen. Have you booked

next summer's holiday yet? If so, you're probably recognising this

sign. At ol stands for Air Travel Organiers' Licensing. By law --

ATOL stands for Air Travel Organiers' Licensing by law, all

companies must be bound by this, so you are not left out of pocket. It

means that the Civil Aviation Authority has inspected the company

to make sure its business is sound, but how much operators are flouting

the law and putting tourists at risk by operating outside the

scheme? Let's join Shefali Oza, who is following Trading Standards

officers in the West Midlands for us this week. Welcome to Birmingham.

Home to an international airport that handles around nine million

passengers every year. The overwhelming majority of

holidaymakers who depart from here will enjoy the peace of mind you

get when booking with an ATOL- registered company, but as we've

discovered, there are rogue operators in this part of the

country who show a disregard for the travelling public. The ATOL

scheme was set up in the 70s when foreign, package holidays were

relatively new. Some tour companies collapsed, leaving customers, when

had paid their money, little or no comeback, prompting the Government

of the day to give holidaymakers greater protection. The scheme's

been a big success. But companies who don't add deer can expect to be

pun -- adeer, can expect to be punished. You may not display ATOL

logos when you do not hold a licence. That is a criminal offence.

We can bring prosecutions against firms who do do that. Recently, the

officers who help police the scheme in Birmingham have been busy. The

city is among the most ledgically diverse in the UK and each year

thousands of local Muslims take part in the pilgrimage to Mecca.

Lots of companies have recently strung up. The hard package, what

they should have, is where they're staying, flight details, where

their flying from. The price, and what tends to happen, they are

promised all these verbally and when they get there it's often that

they are actually squatting other people in one room and they don't

get the hotel they were promised. Sometimes when they are promised

direct flights that's not often the case. Some of the companies

response are not ATOL registered when they should be. Today, in the

run-up to the hath, trading standard officer Mohammed is on an

intelligence-gathering exercise. will go into some supermarkets and

other places where they've been advertising and pick up a leaflet

and see what they're claiming. keeping an eye out for any

suspicious-looking billboard ads, like this one, which doesn't

display the ATOL sign. Next, he goes in search of leaflet at the

local mosque. He finds one, but it has no logo. He calls the number

posing as a potential customer. just saw your advert in the local

mosque. And food and direct flight and everything included? OK. Are

you ATOL protected so if there's a problem I'm not going to get any

hassle or nothing? Are you ATOL protected? It's not a problem then?

OK, then, brother, thank you very much. I asked him on two occasions

if he's ATOL protected, but erefused to answer that question.

With that company added to his list, he moves on to supermarkets and

other stores where hath tour companies advertise. By the end of

the trip he's picked up ten leaflets. Now, it's back to the

office to make more inquiries about them all. -- first of all, this

company that displays the ATOL logo wrongly, which he soon establishes.

This company does not hold a licence, so therefore the leaflet

breaches the trademark, but breaches other protections.

Although test possible for a company to act on behalf of another

company who is ATOL registered and still display the logo, it needs to

be made clear who that ATOL licenced operator is, otherwise

it's misleading. Next, a company whose leaflets have no logos at all.

Is the owner operating legally? I've just asked mim straight out

are you ATOL registered? -- him straight out, are you ATOL

registered. First he didn't answered, then he said, "Yeah, we

are all ATOL registered. You can't go to Mecca without being ATOL

ledge terd." Time for a quick check -- reg terd." Time for a quick

check: There's nothing on the database, contrary to what he just

told me over the phone. Tariq and his team can now planning

enforcement action. We have a few offences today which we'll have to

put together and start visiting the traders in the next few days.

find out what happens when he goes to visit them later, but if you

want to know what happens if you do book with a non-ATOL-registered

company, this is the so-called four-star trip that cost one family

Bucks macro, Tesco, Cow & Gate, all keen to sign you up to their

mailing lists and membership schemes. The more they know about

your shopping habits and lifestyle, the more they can target you with

offers you are likely to buy. But what if you want to leave their

schemes? It can be difficult, and for one group of customers,

extremely distressing. Junk mail, and wanted texts and

spam e-mail. They are the marketing message has none of us want to

receive. Then there are those we do want to hear about. A half-price

special offers, latest product releases and up-to-date information

on what is hard and what is not. To get these come many of us willingly

subscribed to company mailing lists. I signed up after my 12 week it

scanned to Boots and other companies, hoping to take advantage

of their two-for-one offers, and to learn about breast feeding and get

money off vouchers for the future. I also wanted about us and advice

on everything, down to mattresses, bottles and sterilises and what

formula to feed him. I was just after freebies, really! Direct

mailings from trusted companies such as Boots and Tesco are

extremely helpful for new mums. But for these women they became

incredibly Anbar come and upsetting. I went into labour at 23 weeks and

four days prematurely. I had an infection. The infection was all

within Siena as well. A mother would do anything to save her child

but there was nothing I could do. My son was diagnosed at birth with

a very rare and severe heart defect. Sadly, he only lived for 29 days.

When Lisa and Tanya lost their babies they were members of the

Boots parenting club, both receiving monthly e-mails and

leaflets from the company. I was inundated with various e-mails,

from weekly updates of how big she would have been was I still

pregnant, they just carried on and on. I just wanted them to stop.

This should have been straightforward because according

to the e-mails, if you wish to unsubscribe from the parenting Club

newsletter, you just need to click on a link within it. Doing so takes

you to a web page with ask you to confirm the decision. Both Laysan

and Tanya are adamant they did this, get the message has kept coming.

husband called the call centres between October and 5th May times

in total, to ask them to unsubscribe and stop sending me

these updates. Each time they said they would stop them but they kept

on coming. I tried several times, about eight times, to unsubscribe

through them -- to them through the e-mail system. I also sent an e-

mail to the customer-service department asking if I could be

removed from their mailing list. Still be post and e-mails kept

coming. It took six months but the e-mails to Tanya finally stopped. A

relief... But only a temporary one. In May this year I suddenly

received an e-mail from Boots again saying, your baby is 17 months old.

The company had obviously kept my details. Lisa finally lost

confidence in their ability to handle her complaint properly and

has since gone to the head of the company. I found the Co emo and I

e-mailed personally, appealing to him as a human being to help stop

this. I asked him to acknowledge my e-mail. I've never heard anything

from him since. She also wrote to the chief executive. But while the

mailings from that company have now stopped, she still receives

leaflets from Tesco. With Tesco, I tried to unsubscribe about five

times. My mother phoned the customer-service line after giving

them... That's still didn't help, so she went into the local store

and spoke to the manager. But two years later, I'm now getting tabla

magazines. For Samantha, whose baby was stillborn, it is Cow & Gate who

won't leave her alone. She tried to unsubscribe from the mailing list

in September 2011. A year on, the e-mails keep coming. Every Mumbai

receive an e-mail through from Cow & Gate. I've tried to unsubscribe

many times. I've done it through the e-mail link. When that hasn't

work, I've tried going on to their main website and e-mailing them

through their contact us button. It hasn't worked. Companies like these

spent millions on direct marketing every year, in a bid to reach

potential customers and get them on to their mailing lists. But

shouldn't they be putting at least some of that effort into making

sure - - into making sure their systems work? Individuals have a

right to object to receiving marketing communications. They have

a right to object to processing where that would cause them

unwarranted damage and distress. They also can be protected against

unfair processing. The Information Commission office is there to help

where it has been contravened. If people have asked an organisation

to stop sending these communications and they haven't

done it, contact the information Commission office. Life as a

bereaved mother is so hard on a day-to-day basis anyway, let alone

when you are getting the constant reminders through the post and e-

mails. We don't need that constant reminder. We know, we don't need a

written in black and white. Heartbreaking. One thing to lose

the baby but to be reminded of it week after week by these marketing

e-mails. They just couldn't get them to stop. It is not something

you'd imagine when you sign up to these e-mails, but they were so

brave to share their stories. hope it does stop now. What have

the company said? All three have expressed their deepest apologies

and say they are truly sorry to those families. Cow & Gate say

there are systems in place for people who want to unsubscribe.

They clearly didn't work for Samantha Kirby and they are

investigating why. They are looking at all additional measures they

should take. Tesco say they've made should Tanya perjure -- Tanya

Pledger won't receive any more e- mails and have taken steps to

prevent this happening again to any of their customers. Tanya was also

a customer of Boots, which has blamed the system upgrade resulting

in a technical error which led to some unsubscribe customers

receiving unwanted e-mails. They are confident his has been

rectified but are continuing to review this process. If you have

been affected by this issue and would like details of organisations

which offer advice and support, called the BBC Action Line to hear

a recorded information. The number is on screen. Lines are open 24

hours and are free from a land like Auster mobile operators will charge.

We are heading back to Birmingham where the consumer cops are

clamping down on travel companies operating without proper licences.

It's a big problem in the Midlands, especially among those companies

serving the regions large Muslim population.

In recent days, the officer has been gathering intelligence on

businesses he suspects false to claim to be part of the UK tour

operator's ATOL scheme. There's nothing on the Civil Aviation

database to say that they are ATOL registered, contrary to what he

just told me on the phone. The ATOL scheme ensures protection for

travellers and companies providing flight based holidays overseas must

by law be part of it. Although it only protects you have a company

goes bust or if you are stranded abroad, it should give you the

peace of mind that they are doing things by the book. So booking but

then none ATOL protect said to operator is fraught with problems.

In 2009, Mohammed bought a trip to Saudi Arabia where he and his

family were taking part in an Islamic pilgrimage. The company had

Kellett -- had claimed to be at -- ATOL registered. We were assured we

would have a good experience, forsake journey and would stay

comfortable. The reality could not have been more different. Despite

paying �10,000, the trip was a disaster. A disaster his daughter

has captured on camera. The area we are staying in has got a sanitation

problem. It is actually disgusting. There is sewage. The smell of

sewage. It is worlds apart from the area we were meant to be staying at.

Rubbish everywhere, dirt, stray cats, anything you can think of is

here. The company had made a series of false promises to the family.

The hotel wasn't four-star and there weren't separate rooms for

parents and children. This is the room we are staying in for four

people. It is me, my sister, my mum and dad that are staying in the

same room. It isn't ideal. It is a small room, very, very basic.

There's no natural light. You can see where the curtains are, that's

the window but it doesn't open so there's no natural light. There is

a fridge in here but every time you open the fridge there is a

cockroach which runs out of the fridge. The worst is the bathroom.

Bathroom nightmare! The shower is basically on top of the toilet, it

is disgusting. There is one tiny window which doesn't open. It is

just really awful, awful conditions to living. The family asked the

company to move them, even offering to pay extra. But with the

pilgrimage on, everywhere else was booked so they have to stay here

for almost three weeks. We've just had a delivery of dinner. This is

how it is delivered every day in carrier bags. Obviously there is a

hygiene problem again. We have the same food every single day, we

haven't got a choice. The travel agent promised that the food would

be all-inclusive. But when we got here the food was not included. The

complaint and then now we get a delivery of basically street food.

There is oar macro of us in this tiny room and we have to eat on the

floor. On arriving home, the family showed their evidence to trading

standards who agreed to investigate. 21 months later, the boss of the

travel agency appeared in court charged with fraud, along with a

number of other offences including unauthorised use of the ATOL logo.

In December 2011, he was jailed for 15 months. Birmingham Trading

Standards is at the forefront of the enforcement. We will continue

doing what we do best, which is protect the consumers of Birmingham

and prosecute where appropriate. is now well weeks since Tariq

started collecting intelligence on suspect travel agencies. Today, he

and his team are ready to confront the traders. We've had a few

complaints about certain individuals. We will make sure they

are complying with consumer protection and regulations, and the

package travel rates as well. Should you come across any

documentation or evidence that breaches this legislation, sees

them, back them, tag them and we'll be discussing the matter further

with the operator concerned. first visit is to a company that's

been circulating advertising leaflets saying they are ATOL

registered, even though the company isn't. And from Birmingham trading

standards. We've come here to do a routine inspection. You are

claiming to be ATOL. We've got statements, you are not licensed.

What is your comment on that? What relationship are you with the

owner? You are his son. We will issue a notice. We are going to

carry out an inspection. Anything that is infringing, we are going to

take it and then we'll have a chat with your dad when he gets back.

You are giving out leaflets and are saying that you are ATOL registered.

That is fraud. We will discuss it with your dad. Carrick speaks to

the owner of the business on the phone. He claims the business is

ATOL registered but through a different company. As that is not

what is written on the leaflet, further enquiries are needed.

are going to have a look around, we've got the powers to do that. If

you abstract as it is an offence to obstruct an officer. We will take

your computer. We can do that. We will take it and get it examined.

We will get it back to you. Put that back. Put it back. It doesn't

matter, it was in the computer. Put it back. Thank you very much.

officers leave. Computer and now memory stick in hand. They also

plan to question the owner of the business when he returns.

Find out what happens later on. How many of you have had a text or

phone call recently offering to get to compensation from the banks or

missold payment protection insurance? If you have, you are not

alone. A new report from the Citizen's Advice Bureau says nine

out of 10 of us are sick of being pestered by claims management

companies. What is more, if you are tempted to use such companies,

watch out because you can end up far worse off than if you'd handle

the claim yourself. Look at what happened to one viewer, Linda

The company cold called me and they persuaded me had -- I had enough

money back. I was charged �750 and I had one successful claim and it

was �795. After paying the company the High Commission fees and VAT I

was left with just over �500 and I still have two outstanding claims

which I'm waiting to hear from and they are ignoring my calls. I'm

over �200 out of pocket. It's been two years and they told me it would

take six months maximum to get any many back. I have paid more money

to the claims company than what I have received back from the one PPI

claim I did have. Basically, I should never have trusted them in

the beginning. What they did was unfair. I'm joined by Gillian guy,

Chief Executive of the Citizens Advice Bureau. She is �200 out of

pocket and she was persuaded to do this? It's not untypical. We have

had 5,000 calls to our helpline since April about claims management

companies. The way that people get persuaded is that it comes to them

direct on their mobile phone or on their land line at home and tells

them they have a claim without investigating whether they do. It's

quite tempting to go for it. Then they have to pay upfront fees. They

may have to pay a Fiat the end and never get compensation, so it's not

-- Fiat the end and never get compensation, so it's not unusual.

Nine out of ten people? Massive numbers. It won't be unfamiliar to

people, because I haven't met anyone who hasn't been conducted. I

get daily complaints asking what we're doing about it. When you

think the banks have set aside �10 billion to deal with this, the

companies are making huge amounts of money? Potentially, a quarter of

that. They often charge 25% upfront. They sometimes take money from the

compensation too. How are they allowed to get away with it? Thraif

been allowed because originally, observe -- They've been allowed to

get away with it, because originally the banks weren't quick

enough. There was a gap in the market to come into this and then

are now burdening the banks with about 50% of bogus claims, so the

banks have an excuse for not having dealt with them. If you think you

really have a genuine claim. You don't have to go through the

companies. The most important thing is that it's free to make a claim.

The compensation should be all yours and not saird. The easy way

to do that is to -- shared. The easy way to do that is to write to

your bank. We have template letters on the website. You send it off and

you will be told whether you have a claim and you get to keep the

compensation. Thank you very much. Over now to Rani Price. Lots of you

have been emailing in, but I should point out that the Claims Standards

Council have told us they recognise there are options to make PPI

claims for free. They say if people choose a management company they

can make sure it's signed up to an industry Code of Conduct and they

along with professionals say they support a call for a ban on upfront

fees and while non-compliant companies should be penalised,

there are a lot that operate within the rules. They say they are

committed to increasing professionalism and level of

services by regulated claims management companies. Also, a big

reaction to our story about the bereaved mothers and those

marketing e-mails. Now, we have some e-mails here. People are

unable to unsubscribe to emailing lists. Lorna says she is still

getting company e-mails after losing her baby son eight months

ago. Despite trying to unsubscribe many times, that is. Helen says

that this happens to her seven months after losing her baby son.

It's appalling, she says, a really sensitive topic. Thank you for

getting in touch. Back now to Birmingham, where rogue travel

agents have been operating without proper licences. Earlier, we saw a

raid on the offices of one company, who had falsely claimed to be part

of the travel industry's ATOL scheme and as Shefali Oza other

companies in the city are also in for some surprise visits. There are

around 140,000 Muslims living in Birmingham. Their religion requires

them to take part in the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, the Hajj.

Companies offering packages regularly hand out leaflets outside

the moss -- mosques. Leaflets that do not carry the ATOL logo are of

special interests to Trading Standards teams. I need to speak to

you about your leaflets. It's not going to take very long. Today,

officer Hannah Davies is visiting a man whose company literature

doesn't display the logo. According to his company his company is

merging with another that is apparently ATOL registered. If you

don't understand them, then phone me up and I'll go through them with

you. What you have to understand is if you put a leaflet like this out

and it doesn't say that you are acting for an agent with somebody

with an ATOL. Pick them up. How many did you have printed? I go

myself to pick up. Are they at the mosque? All right. OK. Thank you.

Goodbye. He's now said he'll go to the mosque and pick up all the

leaflets and he'll not do it again. Well, we'll see what happens,

because I'll check in the mosques or my colleague will do and isle

confirm in writing and probably look to take this further. The team

later check the mosques and the leaflets had been removed. During

earlier intelligence gathering, Hannah's colleague spotted this

banner from another company, offering Hajj tour packages. This

too didn't display the ATOL logo. Posing as a customer, he has since

phoned the company and been assured by the owner he's registered with

the scheme, but he isn't. This means he's breaking the law by

taking any money from potential customers. He's expecting me to

meet up with him in the next hour and bring a deposit of �5,000. He's

not supposed to handle any money or if she is, that should go straight

to an ATOL-bonded licencee. I don't believe for one minute he's going

to hand that money over to anyone else. The trader thinks he's going

to get �5,000, but instead of collecting money, he's going to

face some serious questions. He's caging about where to meet and he's

not given me a door number. Hello, there. I'm Mr Tariq. I'm from

Trading Standards. We just need to talk about your sign. You told me

you are ATOL registered, right and I've checked up and you're not.

Let's take for argument's sake you're not, who do you do your ATOL

booking with? Why is it not on the poster then? Why? If you're taking

money? You were about to take �5,000 from me. One second. You

were about to take �5,000 off me. Right, you know the ATOL

requirements, the CAA requirements. What would you have done with the

money? What receipt would you have given me? No you don't. You've got

your own company. That's my different one, but I work for them.

Excuse me. As you can see, that's what you get for your �3,500.

There's nothing on the actual manner to say that it's ATOL

registered or there is any other company involved. I was about to

hand him �5,000. What receipt would I get? I got the door slammed in my

face. We'll be taking the matter up further and we'll call him for a

PACE interview. Should he fail to come in, I'll report him for legal

consideration. Since we filmed that, tar reek here has been continuing

his investigation -- Tariq here has been continuing the investigations.

How do things stand? The tour operators, we have been gathering

evidence, so what we are doing now is waiting for the man to return

back from Hajj and call him in for a PACE interview and put the

allegations to him and the evidence. Depending on what they say, further

action may or may not be taken. This year's season has finished and

people are returning. Have things gone well? Not really. There's room

for improvement. We received a lot of complaints from the public where

they've been allegedly ripped off and promised five-star hotels or

four-star hotels and direct flights, and none of that happened. What we

tend to do is get the complaints from the members of the public and

put the allegations to the tour operators and if there's any

breaches of the package regulations or fraud we'll pursue further.

Thank you very much for talking to us. Shefali Oza will be back

tomorrow. Right now, if you want to make sure you are protected on an

upcoming holiday, or you've returned from one where things

weren't quite as promised, you need to know your stuff, like James

Daley. The good news is that from 1st October knowing whether or not

you're protected is much easier. By law, every ATOL-protected provider

needs to issue you with one of these when you book a holiday. It's

a certificate of protection. The other advantage of a certificate is

that it contains a unique reference number, so if you need to claim you

bring that up. It means if the company goes bust before you leave

you'll get your money back if it's protected. But if your holiday

company goes bust while you're away, ATOL won't leave you stranded, but

get you home as no extra cost. What if you haven't booked a package

holiday? Fear not, ATOL may also cover you if you booked flight and

accommodation separately and car hire from the same provider. ATOL

calls this is the flight plus. Under this, if part of the holiday

goes bust, then the seller must replace that holiday or provide a

refund. Careful though, airlines are exempt from this, so if you

book a hotel through an airline website you wouldn't be covered.

What happens if you book the flight and accommodation through separate

companies? Well, in that situation ATOL won't protect you. However,

your travel insurance might. It's important to check you've got a

policy that covers what the industry calls supplier failure.

Check the small print. You might also want to book your holiday on a

credit card to give you extra protection. What if your holiday

isn't quite as you expected? You know, building work, facilities

promised that didn't exist? Under the regulations, your holiday needs

to be provided as described, whether that's regarding location,

cleanliness or the facilities. If you're not happy, report problems

as soon as they happen and ask to fill in a written complaints form

and take photographs of anything you're unhappy with. You should

make a complaint to whichever company gave you your protection,

whether it's the tour operator or travel agent, but remember you have

a duty to give them a chance to put things right. One last thing, if

you are taking out insurance, whether or not you've booked a

holiday with an ATOL-protected provider, do so and have happy

holidays. To find out more about checking the small print for

yourself, check out the links on our website. We've had some big

talking points today. To find out what you're responding to here Rani

Price. We are getting loads of e- mails about that story on merge

companies. Offering perks and incentives to new customers there.

But a lot of you are unhappy they offer nothing to existing, loyal

customers and more rebeefed mums have been in touch. Quoch thank you

for highlighting this. These companies -- "Thank you for

highlighting this. The companies don't understand the pain they

cause." Thank you. Private parking companies, could drivers still get