:00:28. > :00:32.Hello and welcome to Watchdog Daily. We are with you live for the next
:00:32. > :00:38.45 minutes, taking on the companies big and small whose service, value
:00:38. > :00:41.and promises don't always measure up. This morning: Vodafone, Orange,
:00:41. > :00:45.T-Mobile - changing their mobile tariffs and failing to warn their
:00:45. > :00:50.customers. Have you added up all the extra
:00:50. > :00:54.charges you are paying for? The price tag looks cheap but don't be
:00:54. > :01:01.tempted. This is a problem product. Anybody using this is going to put
:01:01. > :01:05.themselves at risk of electrocution. First, mobile phones. Vodafone,
:01:05. > :01:09.Three, T-Mobile and Orange have all angered customers by raising the
:01:09. > :01:13.cost of tariffs that people were told were fixed but clauses in the
:01:13. > :01:16.smallprint of their contracts allow them to do this. Now the industry
:01:16. > :01:21.regulator is investigating to see whether they are treating customers
:01:21. > :01:25.fairly. So while we wait for the results, we carried out an
:01:25. > :01:30.investigation of our own. There are more than 80 million
:01:30. > :01:35.mobiles throughout the UK. Half of which are on contracts lasting up
:01:35. > :01:40.to 24 months. These contracts are often fixed which means customers
:01:40. > :01:44.can't cancel without paying a penalty. The companies can do
:01:44. > :01:48.almost anything they like. smallprint allows most of the
:01:48. > :01:53.companies to put the charges up or down, not just by inflation. Some
:01:53. > :01:57.of them do limit to inflation. There is wide freedom to alter
:01:57. > :02:01.those charges. Once you agree to those terms and conditions, you
:02:02. > :02:06.can't cancel without some penalty. In fact, all providers, apart from
:02:06. > :02:13.O2, have increased pay monthly tariffs for customers on fixed
:02:13. > :02:18.contracts in the last year. This woman signed up to a 24-month
:02:18. > :02:22.contract with Vodafone in 2011. 14 months into it, Vodafone put up the
:02:22. > :02:28.price. On 27th September I got a text from Vodafone advising me that
:02:28. > :02:32.the line rental would be increasing monthly from 1st November. I was
:02:33. > :02:36.surprised to have that. I presumed I was in a fixed-rate contract for
:02:36. > :02:42.the 24-month period. I know I can't break the contracts. I went on to
:02:42. > :02:45.the web and I had a look at how much it was going to go up. It was
:02:45. > :02:51.only 60p, but it is not about the money, it is about the fact they
:02:51. > :02:55.are putting the price up. I can't do anything about that. She was one
:02:55. > :03:00.of ten million Vodafone customers to receive such a text. Some just a
:03:00. > :03:03.month after taking out long-term supposedly fixed contracts. The
:03:03. > :03:07.company says they are allowed to do this as it is in the terms and
:03:08. > :03:11.conditions. Are these conditions always spelled out to customers?
:03:11. > :03:14.feel angry. No-one said to me, "Do you realise any time within this
:03:14. > :03:19.contract period, we can put the price up providing it is only
:03:19. > :03:23.within a specific range?" None of that was mentioned. At no stage did
:03:24. > :03:27.anybody say, "You need to refer to our terms and conditions." If the
:03:27. > :03:30.company has the right to change the price and there is no policy in
:03:30. > :03:33.place that they are not going to use that right, the customer should
:03:33. > :03:38.be told a price is fixed but it might go up. If that is left out,
:03:38. > :03:42.it is misleading. Just as most providers have been increasing
:03:42. > :03:46.prices, we have been hearing about them reducing benefits. These
:03:46. > :03:51.companies often use incentives or add-ons to persuade new customers
:03:51. > :03:55.to sign up or existing ones to stay loyal. Now, these incentives can
:03:55. > :03:58.range from free broadband to text message bundles. If you are tempted,
:03:58. > :04:05.beware. Just because they offer them at the start of the contract
:04:05. > :04:08.doesn't mean they will be available all the way through. David
:04:08. > :04:13.McWilliam is a cruise ship pianist, a job that takes him abroad for
:04:13. > :04:17.weeks at a time. So when he was shopping around for a mobile
:04:17. > :04:21.contract, Vodafone's data traveller package was the clincher. I signed
:04:21. > :04:26.up to Vodafone for the data traveller product which meant that
:04:26. > :04:32.for �10 a month while abroad I could keep in touch with home,
:04:32. > :04:36.through e-mails, contact family. I teach piano in the UK as well so it
:04:36. > :04:41.means I can - pupils may need to contact me. Just one month after
:04:41. > :04:46.David took out his 12-month contract, Vodafone removed the
:04:46. > :04:50.package. Now they have a product called Euro Traveller. For �3 a day
:04:50. > :04:55.you get access to your home price plan. The package now includes
:04:55. > :04:59.calls and texts but for David, it works out more expensive because
:04:59. > :05:04.the �10 he previously paid for a whole month of internet use now
:05:04. > :05:09.buys him four days. Because I'm away a lot, what used to cost me
:05:09. > :05:14.�10 a month now comes to �90 a month. Had I known, I don't think I
:05:14. > :05:18.would have signed up with Vodafone. There were lots of other providers
:05:18. > :05:27.offering equivalent UK minutes, some even better amount of UK
:05:27. > :05:37.minutes and a larger amount of data. Meanwhile, Orange pressed ahead
:05:37. > :05:39.
:05:39. > :05:43.with plans to withdraw its free broadband offer.
:05:43. > :05:47.Some were told that would be the case for life, but in August they
:05:47. > :05:57.were informed their broadband could only continue if they signed up to
:05:57. > :05:58.
:05:58. > :06:04.an Orange landline rental. The deal is �14 a month. I
:06:04. > :06:09.currently pay �9.19 for my line rental. And if I don't sign up with
:06:09. > :06:13.that, they will cut me off. Richard was nine months into a 24-month
:06:13. > :06:17.contract when the change was announced. He is adamant he wasn't
:06:18. > :06:21.warned this might happen when he renewed his contract. I checked
:06:21. > :06:27.with the sales person in the shop that the Orange broadband was still
:06:27. > :06:33.included in the offer to which he said, "Yes, your broadband won't be
:06:33. > :06:39.affected if you sign up now." I would not have signed the contract
:06:39. > :06:43.with Orange if I had not got the broadband deal. The companies have
:06:43. > :06:47.argued that their terms and conditions allow them to change
:06:47. > :06:51.fixed charges or remove incentives. Shouldn't they warn customers that
:06:51. > :06:58.they have this power before signing them up? For a consumer who signs
:06:58. > :07:08.up and the questions they are asking, it clearly indicates they
:07:08. > :07:12.are signing up because of that service. Rani is here. What do the
:07:12. > :07:16.companies say? Firstly, Orange told us free broadband for life wasn't a
:07:16. > :07:22.term used to promote its free broadband offer. It is looking into
:07:22. > :07:27.the circumstances surrounding the screen-grab image shown in our film.
:07:27. > :07:36.It says it still offers free home blord band to customers, but they
:07:36. > :07:46.are -- broadband to customers, but they are now required to switch to
:07:46. > :07:50.
:07:50. > :07:58.Orange home rental. As for Vodafone, it says the Data Traveller Price
:07:58. > :08:01.Plan that David McWilliams signed up for wasn't suitable for
:08:01. > :08:05.customers. However, the old plan is still available for people
:08:05. > :08:11.travelling outside of Europe. the companies' smallprint may allow
:08:11. > :08:14.them to change the terms of your contracts, but they should tell you
:08:14. > :08:24.they have the right to do that when you sign up. Are they doing so?
:08:24. > :08:31.
:08:31. > :08:35.That is a question for our Mystery Over the course of one day, we sent
:08:35. > :08:38.our undercover team to two branches of five leading mobile phone
:08:38. > :08:43.providers. Posing as potential customers, they enquired about the
:08:43. > :08:48.cost of a 24-month fixed tariff pay monthly contract. But the crucial
:08:48. > :08:53.question was this. It stays the same for 24 months. How did they
:08:53. > :08:58.respond? O2. They might not have increased their tariffs recently,
:08:58. > :09:02.but would they tell us they had the power to do so. This assistant told
:09:02. > :09:06.us a drop in VAT might lead to a decrease in monthly charges. We
:09:06. > :09:12.weren't warned about the contract clause stating that O2 reserved the
:09:12. > :09:17.right to increase those charges at any time. In a second branch, we
:09:17. > :09:25.were assured the price would remain fixed. Is that going to be the same
:09:25. > :09:30.for 24 months? It is the same. both branches, the staff gave no
:09:30. > :09:37.indication the company would change the price even though it is able to.
:09:37. > :09:41.Did T-Mobile do any better? Is that going to stay the same?
:09:41. > :09:46.necessarily. A similar clause also states that the price per month can
:09:46. > :09:53.go up at any time. This first branch didn't mention it and the
:09:53. > :10:00.second one didn't either. Would that stay at �26 a month? Next
:10:00. > :10:07.Three? The �29 a month one, does that stay at �29 a month for 24
:10:07. > :10:14.months does it? Yes. When we visited two branches of Orange, it
:10:14. > :10:20.was the same story. And so finally to Vodafone. Remember, they had
:10:20. > :10:24.just increased their prices. So surely they would tell us what
:10:24. > :10:31.their smallprint allows us to do? How long is the contract? 24 months.
:10:31. > :10:37.Is that �29 month the same for 24 months? If you stay on the same
:10:37. > :10:42.tariff. Both branches failed to refer us to the key contract clause
:10:42. > :10:44.despite us asking the question. Ten branches all failing to give us
:10:44. > :10:49.sufficient information. If a customer goes in and says they want
:10:49. > :10:52.to sign up on the basis of a fixed price contract, not to be told that
:10:52. > :10:56.the term can be altered and leaving the customer with the impression
:10:56. > :10:59.the price will be fixed is missing out a material piece of information
:10:59. > :11:03.and that is a breach of the consumer protection legislation.
:11:03. > :11:06.The reporters were told the price would stay the same. They were
:11:06. > :11:12.specifically not told the price could or would be raised. If the
:11:12. > :11:16.prices were then raised, that is misleading. As well as being able
:11:16. > :11:20.to raise prices, the companies have the power to remove those add-ons
:11:20. > :11:25.that they use to tempt us into buying contracts. But you guessed
:11:25. > :11:28.it. They didn't tell us about this either. Not one of them. For a
:11:28. > :11:32.consumer who signs up and the questions they are asking are
:11:32. > :11:36.clearly indicating they are signing up because of that service, not to
:11:36. > :11:38.be the service can be taken away is is a breach of consumer legislation
:11:38. > :11:42.because you are missing out an important piece of information. The
:11:42. > :11:48.fact that you have got ten cases where there's incomplete
:11:48. > :11:53.information being given seems to be evidence of some sort of systematic
:11:53. > :11:58.problem. That is something Trading Standards might want to look at. It
:11:58. > :12:01.is something Ofcom might want to look at as well. Ofcom is also
:12:01. > :12:05.investigating whether the mobile companies are treating customers
:12:05. > :12:10.fairly. EE, which represents Orange and T-Mobile, told us it looks
:12:10. > :12:14.forward to working with them. It adds that it is working to improve
:12:14. > :12:19.transparency for customers at the point-of-sale. As does Vodafone and
:12:19. > :12:22.Three which says it welcomes Ofcom's efforts to give consumers
:12:22. > :12:28.greater clarity about what price changes are acceptable.
:12:28. > :12:32.As for the recent price rises, Vodafone says it is to cover rising
:12:32. > :12:35.business costs and it always gives customers notice. Three says it is
:12:35. > :12:40.the first price rise in nine years and is in line with inflation.
:12:40. > :12:43.Finally, O2. It says it hasn't increased any monthly contract
:12:43. > :12:48.prices in mid-term. That might explain why the topic wasn't front
:12:48. > :12:52.of mind for the staff we spoke to. It's sorry we weren't given the
:12:52. > :12:57.information in the two O2 stores we visited and it will be reminding
:12:57. > :13:03.stores that prices and additional services can always be subject to
:13:03. > :13:09.change. If you would like to comment on this, we would love to
:13:09. > :13:15.hear from you. Our address is Watchdog Daily. To text us it is
:13:15. > :13:19.88822. Start your message with "WD". If you want to join us on Twitter,
:13:19. > :13:23.our address and hashtag are on your screens now.
:13:23. > :13:27.Now, if you were watching yesterday, you will have seen our report about
:13:27. > :13:31.food product packaging. The viewer who complained about the amount of
:13:31. > :13:34.Wheat Crunchies she found in this pack. Now, at the end of the report,
:13:34. > :13:38.we mistakenly named the manufacturer of Wheat Crunchies as
:13:38. > :13:44.Dairy Crest. We would like to point out that the snack is in fact made
:13:44. > :13:51.by United Biscuits. Last week, we saw the Consumer Cops
:13:51. > :13:56.clamping down on the sale of fake designer goods. Today, we join
:13:56. > :14:00.their colleagues in Cardiff. Here is Rhodri Owen.
:14:00. > :14:03.Yes, we are talking about counterfeit cosmetics, fake medical
:14:04. > :14:08.products and dodgy electrical goods. It is a booming industry but one
:14:08. > :14:14.that is rife with dangers. Ensuring that all the goods on sale are
:14:14. > :14:20.legitimate and safe is a massive task for teams in Cardiff and in
:14:20. > :14:25.Bristol. We have on the frontline to see how they are tackling the
:14:25. > :14:30.problem head-on. It is.30am in Cardiff. In this city, there are
:14:30. > :14:35.some 11,000 businesses selling to the public. Today, Trading
:14:35. > :14:44.Standards officers have one of them in their sights. A company trading
:14:44. > :14:50.electrical goods over the internet. Are they breaching the trademark?
:14:50. > :14:57.Yes. We will have a list of what we are going to take and what we are
:14:57. > :15:00.going to leave. Sarah Smith began the investigation weeks ago. It
:15:00. > :15:04.started with a tip-off from colleagues in Devon that a retailer
:15:04. > :15:08.on their patch might be selling fake or dangerous products. Today
:15:08. > :15:15.we are looking at the more unusual products which are electronic dance
:15:15. > :15:19.mats that go with game consoles and travel adapters. Officers have
:15:19. > :15:24.already bought goods from the trader that can be sent off for
:15:24. > :15:30.analysis. This has established they are fake or potentially dangerous,
:15:31. > :15:36.like this dance mat. One of the test reports - this is for a games
:15:36. > :15:41.console dance mat. It goes into whether the wiring is OK, whether
:15:41. > :15:46.there is any potential electric shock hazards, which is one of the
:15:46. > :15:52.problems identified with this product. With consumers at possible
:15:52. > :15:55.risk, the investigation takes on a new urgency. The officers head to
:15:55. > :16:00.the trader's warehouse to confiscate his stock. The only
:16:00. > :16:07.information we have currently is that we know he imports items
:16:07. > :16:11.directly from China and then proceeds to sell them on eBay. The
:16:11. > :16:16.public are potentially in danger which is why when we have found out
:16:16. > :16:21.the test results, we want to ensure the integrity of the supply chain.
:16:21. > :16:25.One of the things we will be looking to do is get a product
:16:25. > :16:32.recall in place for any of these products that may have been sold
:16:33. > :16:35.over eBay. Across the Severn a similar operation is unfolding.
:16:35. > :16:42.Police and Trading Standards officers have been tracking another
:16:42. > :16:49.suspect trader in Bristol. Today, they are ready to act. We have
:16:49. > :16:53.received some intelligence from the British music industry regarding
:16:53. > :16:58.illegal copies of DVD. We have a warrant that we will hand over to
:16:58. > :17:05.the persons at that address. If there is any need for an arrest, we
:17:05. > :17:09.will make the call to the police officers. The Trading Standards
:17:09. > :17:14.team believe the suspect is running an illegal DVD copying operation
:17:14. > :17:17.from his home address. We have gone through a few meetings with the
:17:17. > :17:20.police to assess the risks because we don't know whether he is a
:17:20. > :17:25.violent person, we don't know what sort of person we are going to meet.
:17:25. > :17:29.If we knock at the door, he is not answering, and we suspect there is
:17:29. > :17:35.somebody in the premises, the police have the power to bash the
:17:35. > :17:38.door. With police back-up in place, she serves the warrant. I'm a
:17:38. > :17:44.Trading Standards officer with Bristol City Council. We are here
:17:44. > :17:49.to inspect your premises. We have had some intelligence about films
:17:49. > :17:53.and DVDs. Although the suspect isn't at home, his wife lets them
:17:53. > :18:01.in without objection. And once inside, she and her team realise
:18:01. > :18:06.they have uncovered a major counterfeiting operation. 4,000
:18:06. > :18:11.discs containing music, movies and games. All illegally copied and all
:18:11. > :18:15.stored in one living room. Later, our cameras follow the Consumer
:18:15. > :18:19.Cops as they confront the owner of all those goods. Before that, has
:18:19. > :18:23.your council tax been frozen this year? Chances are it has as
:18:23. > :18:27.hundreds of local authorities have kept council tax unchanged, some
:18:27. > :18:31.for the third year running. That doesn't necessarily mean you are
:18:31. > :18:35.better off. Many of them have been clawing money back by racking up
:18:35. > :18:39.their fees on everything from parking, to school dinners, to the
:18:39. > :18:44.cost of burial plots. As authorities find ever-increasing
:18:44. > :18:48.ways to make up for lost income, we ask how much is your council
:18:48. > :18:52.actually costing you? Did you know nearly one in five councils has got
:18:52. > :18:56.rid of its pest control service? And that some of those who do still
:18:56. > :19:01.provide one now charge more for it? Yes, if you are in Gloucester and
:19:01. > :19:05.you have a rat problem, calling out the council's pest controllers will
:19:05. > :19:11.set you back �40 for the first visit when it used to be free. What
:19:11. > :19:14.about the fact that nearly a third of all councils now charge for
:19:14. > :19:21.collecting green waste including Wokingham in Berkshire, one of the
:19:21. > :19:25.latest to start asking you to pay? The cost there, �60 a year. As for
:19:25. > :19:30.you drivers, some councils have raised their parking charges by as
:19:30. > :19:35.much as 400%. Well, there might be a good reason for that. Councils
:19:35. > :19:41.are not going to be putting up posters in front of town halls,
:19:41. > :19:45.saying they are putting charges up. They are not going to want to do
:19:45. > :19:49.that. But I think people will notice the charges. At least we can
:19:49. > :19:53.choose whether to drive or call out pest control. But some other
:19:53. > :19:57.increased charges are harder to avoid, like those for social care
:19:57. > :20:01.services, such as Meals on Wheels and transport to day-care centres.
:20:01. > :20:07.So why are we having to put up with it? The Government is holding down
:20:07. > :20:12.council tax so it can only go up by typically 1-2% a year at most. The
:20:12. > :20:18.Government is also cutting the grants that it gives to councils
:20:18. > :20:22.substantially so with those two major income sources frozen or
:20:22. > :20:28.falling, then either councils have to cut services, or they will need
:20:28. > :20:30.to put up the fees and charges where they can. In Sefton another
:20:30. > :20:34.charge could be about to rise significantly. The council is due
:20:34. > :20:40.to vote on whether to increase the cost of burials and cremations by
:20:40. > :20:47.more than 20%. That means from next April, it could cost the bereaved
:20:47. > :20:50.�900 to buy a plot from the council. I feel it's just disgraceful that
:20:50. > :20:54.Sefton are targeting bereaved families. Some parts of my local
:20:54. > :20:58.area, there are people who are particularly finding it difficult
:20:58. > :21:02.to cope with the day-to-day living costs. They can't plan for a
:21:02. > :21:07.funeral. The fees went up by a large percentage last year as well.
:21:07. > :21:11.I don't think it is appropriate. The bereavement services from
:21:11. > :21:14.Sefton Council should be a service, not a profit-making business.
:21:14. > :21:19.Government has cut its grants to local authorities and wants council
:21:19. > :21:22.tax freezes to continue. It says councils should save money through
:21:22. > :21:25.greater efficiency. But if they don't manage to do that, it looks
:21:26. > :21:31.like the public will have to continue making up the financial
:21:31. > :21:33.shortfall with even more increased charges. Joining me now is the
:21:33. > :21:37.councillor from the Local Government Association. Is that
:21:37. > :21:41.what is going to happen? Residents will have to make up this shortfall
:21:41. > :21:47.for years to come? It is for local councils to make local choices.
:21:47. > :21:50.They know best what they need to do to balance their budgets. It is a
:21:50. > :21:56.mixture of raising revenue and reducing costs and councils are
:21:56. > :22:02.doing that. A lot of the services being hit are essential services -
:22:02. > :22:06.Meals on Wheels, things that people can't do without? Councils have to
:22:06. > :22:10.provide many services, safeguarding children, filling in potholes for
:22:10. > :22:19.instance. There is a choice. The Government have reduced funding to
:22:19. > :22:23.local governments by 20 to 28%. We are freezing council tax. And there
:22:23. > :22:26.is local choices on how you balance the books. Is it fair that some of
:22:26. > :22:32.these services - essential ones - things that people can't do without
:22:32. > :22:37.- the elderly, people who are least able to pay, they are being hit,
:22:37. > :22:43.the cost of a meal going up by �1.50. It is a lot? I think it is
:22:43. > :22:46.important to point out these meals are still subsidised. Some councils
:22:46. > :22:50.are cutting those subsidies? Absolutely. They are not making
:22:50. > :22:55.profits out of these services. They are taking choices on how much
:22:55. > :23:00.subsidy they can put to certain services and then invest in others.
:23:00. > :23:05.It is about a balance locally. Local councils know best what works
:23:05. > :23:10.for their area. They put the choices to the electorate. It is
:23:10. > :23:14.turning into a postcode lottery, isn't it? You call it postcode
:23:14. > :23:18.lottery. Localism in action, local councils taking the decisions. Yes,
:23:18. > :23:22.they are tough decisions. But decisions locally which they think
:23:22. > :23:26.will be best for their communities. Make more efficiencies. Is that not
:23:26. > :23:32.possible to save people all this extra cost? Absolutely. Councils
:23:32. > :23:37.are doing it. Already, we have saved - councils have saved �1.4
:23:37. > :23:40.billion in staff costs across-the- board. You can only go so far with
:23:40. > :23:44.efficiencies without cutting services. It is people who provide
:23:44. > :23:46.services. They are the main cost for councils. If you haven't got
:23:46. > :23:50.people, you haven't got a service. Thank you.
:23:50. > :23:55.Let's see what the councils mentioned in our report have to say
:23:55. > :23:58.about those price hikes. Thank you. Gloucester City Council
:23:58. > :24:02.told us its pest control charges are the result of having to
:24:02. > :24:07.introduce significant cuts. Over the past three years, it's had to
:24:07. > :24:11.achieve �6 million worth of savings and further reductions are
:24:11. > :24:15.anticipated next year. As for Wokingham, it told us it is the
:24:15. > :24:18.worst funded local authority in England. It says a large majority
:24:18. > :24:24.of residents support its green ways collection scheme which has enabled
:24:24. > :24:27.it to maintain essential services. Finally, Sefton Council says the
:24:27. > :24:34.increase in cremation costs will be discussed tomorrow. No decisions
:24:34. > :24:39.have been made, but to balance next year's budget it must find �43.7
:24:39. > :24:42.million on top of �64 million already saved. It says it offers a
:24:42. > :24:47.valuable and supportive service to bereaved families and that
:24:47. > :24:51.cremation and burial fees make up only a small percentage of the
:24:51. > :24:55.average funeral cost. Earlier, we featured two undercover
:24:55. > :24:58.operations both designed to seize counterfeit goods being sold over
:24:58. > :25:02.the internet. Consumer Cops in Cardiff are on the trail of
:25:02. > :25:06.dangerous electrical products and in Bristol, they have uncovered a
:25:07. > :25:12.treasure-trove of fake films, music and games with a street value
:25:12. > :25:16.totalling more than �30,000 and the officers are about to confront the
:25:16. > :25:19.trader. Let's join Rhodri again. The trader
:25:20. > :25:29.wasn't around when the officers entered his home. As they started
:25:30. > :25:33.
:25:34. > :25:37.removing the confiscated goods, he makes an appearance. No comment.
:25:37. > :25:42.Although initially untalkative, the trader soon begins giving the team
:25:42. > :25:49.information they are looking for. He seems to have admitted the fact
:25:49. > :25:54.that we have sort of caught him out. And he's told us where the other
:25:54. > :26:00.copies, illegal copies are stored in the loft. I think this is just
:26:00. > :26:05.about a quarter of what we think we have got in there. This is one
:26:05. > :26:15.section, one wall. We have got four walls and the middle bits as well!
:26:15. > :26:15.
:26:15. > :26:21.These are films, X borks, Wi, games, -- Xbox, Wi, games. We also have a
:26:21. > :26:30.couple of monitors. We have DVD writers. There are still a hold lot
:26:30. > :26:34.of other copies in there. So yeah, it will take some time. In fact, it
:26:34. > :26:39.takes five hours with officers having to send for more cars in
:26:39. > :26:45.which to fit the sheer volume of counterfeits. Some 4,500 products
:26:45. > :26:49.in all. We have a van, don't we, an office van? We are trying the
:26:49. > :26:52.organise that. Following this operation, the dealer has been
:26:52. > :26:58.invited in for an interview and investigations are still ongoing.
:26:58. > :27:02.It was one of Colette's biggest counterfeit seizures. You expect a
:27:02. > :27:11.domestic premises to have probably a computer, DVD writer, which you
:27:11. > :27:14.have to take away. To see this many copies ready and we have got
:27:14. > :27:19.evidence of him having put an address, the different customers
:27:19. > :27:22.that are waiting for these discs, which we have also seized. There's
:27:22. > :27:27.a lot of people don't know that Trading Standards are concerned
:27:27. > :27:32.about things like this that are going on and it is to protect the
:27:32. > :27:37.community. I think it does send out a message that we are out there and
:27:37. > :27:40.we will find you. Back in Cardiff, the Trading Standards team are on
:27:41. > :27:45.their way to a warehouse they believe contains fake and dangerous
:27:45. > :27:51.goods. As they arrive, the trader is there to meet them. We have had
:27:51. > :27:57.the results back now. Unfortunately, they fail the relevant safety tests.
:27:57. > :28:04.All of them? I wanted to go through that with you. Before I run this
:28:04. > :28:07.business, I called Trading Standards. I asked my staff...
:28:08. > :28:11.owner seems to think the officers are there to provide free business
:28:11. > :28:17.advice. That is not their immediate concern. We can certainly help you
:28:17. > :28:21.with that. What we have to sort out today, we are aware now that some
:28:21. > :28:26.products that we sampled from you have failed safety tests. That is
:28:26. > :28:32.the priority number one. Today, is about resolving this situation.
:28:32. > :28:36.About potentially unsafe products. OK. Upstairs, they see the scale of
:28:36. > :28:41.the trader's operation. The warehouse contains the dangerous
:28:41. > :28:47.dance mats and adapters as well as other branded products the officers
:28:47. > :28:53.think might be fake. I believe this will breach trademarks in terms of
:28:53. > :29:02.Nintendo and Wii. These six or seven items, I will be taking as
:29:02. > :29:06.well today. Where have these come from? This one I think I bought
:29:06. > :29:12.from... I'm worried that this is breaching Microsoft again. We will
:29:12. > :29:16.also test this as well for safety. Despite the findings, the owner
:29:16. > :29:23.protests his innocence claiming that much of his stock has been
:29:23. > :29:28.inherited. I don't know what's wrong about me, because I just take
:29:28. > :29:32.this business from other people a few months ago. I want to make
:29:32. > :29:36.everything OK, but I still have problems. It is hard for me to
:29:36. > :29:43.understand what is wrong. By the end of the day, the officers
:29:43. > :29:46.have seized 600 items. But this operation is not over yet.
:29:46. > :29:52.owner was co-operative and helpful with us. He identified to us where
:29:52. > :29:55.the stock was. He got it out so we could process it and bag it and
:29:55. > :29:59.remove it. I think it's been very successful. We have come here and
:29:59. > :30:04.achieved what we wanted to do. We have removed the unsafe products
:30:04. > :30:09.from the market and we will do further checks. We will find out
:30:09. > :30:13.what happens later. Now an update on Monday's story about Persimmon
:30:13. > :30:17.Homes. Lots of new homebuyers have been in touch but we have heard
:30:18. > :30:21.from a group of owners all from one particular estate in Sussex. For
:30:21. > :30:26.years, they have been battling to get a water feature fixed. The
:30:26. > :30:30.delay has been bad enough, but now Persimmon wants them to pay.
:30:30. > :30:37.This is the water feature the residents were expecting. The most
:30:38. > :30:43.fantastic water feature of its kind. This is the one they got. It is
:30:43. > :30:51.just not good enough. I have lived here since 2004. This water feature
:30:51. > :30:56.has no water in it! This is rain water. It is an eyesore. It looks
:30:56. > :31:00.like this for most of the year. When it is up and running, it lasts
:31:00. > :31:05.for a month and the lights blow. The fountains stop working. To
:31:05. > :31:11.change the lights, you have to drain the water down. It goes on
:31:11. > :31:17.and on. The residents all have to look at this. When the homes were
:31:17. > :31:21.built in 2002, the residents agreed to sign up to a yearly service
:31:21. > :31:26.charge for the fountain. Due to some maintenance issues, they were
:31:26. > :31:31.never asked to pay. In 2006, Persimmon took over the development.
:31:31. > :31:36.Six years on, they say it is time for the residents to start shelling
:31:36. > :31:41.out. We are happy to pay. We all bought our houses knowing that. We
:31:41. > :31:46.want to pay for a water feature that has water in it and works for
:31:46. > :31:52.a period of time. We all bought in to a water feature that was
:31:52. > :31:58.supposed to enhance our property and our living here. This doesn't
:31:58. > :32:01.do that. Persimmon have given all 369 homeowners a deadline to sign a
:32:01. > :32:05.new agreement. And take over responsibility for the feature.
:32:05. > :32:10.With so many problems, they have been unable to say exactly how much
:32:10. > :32:14.it will cost to fix the fountain and keep it running. We think it is
:32:14. > :32:19.grossly unfair, the situation they are putting us into. We would have
:32:19. > :32:23.expected from a developer of that size to have a moral obligation to
:32:23. > :32:28.hand something over to the residents that was functioning,
:32:28. > :32:33.looked nice, that worked. And to ask us to take responsibility for
:32:33. > :32:37.and to pay for, this as it is now, it is shocking. Well Persimmon say
:32:37. > :32:41.that apart from occasional drainage, their records show the water
:32:41. > :32:45.feature had been in continuous use until the end of last year. A leak
:32:45. > :32:50.meant that it had to be drained for repair work. It wasn't refilled
:32:50. > :32:53.because of a local water ban. And the need for further maintenance.
:32:53. > :32:59.Persimmon say they have agreed to deposit funds for the recoating.
:32:59. > :33:03.They say they provided residents with certified accounts for the
:33:03. > :33:07.period of March 2011 to April 2012. They have undertaken an independent
:33:07. > :33:11.survey of the feature and say it will be in working order before
:33:11. > :33:14.being passed to residents' control. In the weeks leading up to
:33:14. > :33:19.Christmas, many shoppers will be tempted to sign up for storecards,
:33:20. > :33:24.especially those offering discounts on presents you may be buying. But
:33:24. > :33:34.beware. The cost of using one of these cards could wipe out any of
:33:34. > :33:44.
:33:44. > :33:50.your initial findings. Let's hear Storecards. Also available online.
:33:50. > :33:55.They work a bit like a credit card. But can come with added extras such
:33:55. > :34:00.as 10% off your shop, or a voucher to spend, or invitations to special
:34:00. > :34:10.events in the store. What's the catch? Well, just like a credit
:34:10. > :34:11.
:34:11. > :34:18.card, you are charged interest. What is known as the APR. It is an
:34:18. > :34:23.interest rate thing. Annual something repayment. I don't know.
:34:23. > :34:26.Percentage repayment? Annual Percentage Rate. Yes, APR stands
:34:26. > :34:30.for Annual Percentage Rate. It essentially indicates the price at
:34:30. > :34:38.which you can borrow money and allows you to compare the true cost
:34:38. > :34:42.of different forms of credit. For a typical storecard, the APR might be
:34:42. > :34:48.29.9%. Compare that to a typical credit card rate of 17% and it is
:34:48. > :34:52.almost double so using a storecard could prove an expensive way of
:34:53. > :34:58.shopping. How much more expensive? Let's do the maths. If I were to
:34:58. > :35:02.buy this outfit straightaway, with cash or a debit card, it would cost
:35:02. > :35:07.me �200, the price on the label. But perhaps I would be offered a
:35:07. > :35:15.storecard with various incentives, maybe I could get a discount of 10%.
:35:15. > :35:19.10% is �20. So with that discount I could obtain this for �180. A nice
:35:19. > :35:24.saving. The problem is I now have to start paying it back. This is
:35:24. > :35:28.where it could get expensive. The first month's interest is almost �4.
:35:28. > :35:37.If I make the minimum payment each month, and in the first month I
:35:37. > :35:39.have to pay off only �5.77. But continuing to make the minimum
:35:39. > :35:46.payment, it will take me five-and- a-half years to clear everything
:35:46. > :35:52.because of the monthly added interest and in total, I would pay
:35:52. > :35:56.�345. That is �145 more than the original cash price of �200. It
:35:56. > :36:04.doesn't take long to wipe out any special deals of discounts you
:36:04. > :36:06.might get when you sign up for a storecard. There is a way to beat
:36:06. > :36:11.interest rates and use the storecards to your advantage.
:36:11. > :36:17.Suppose you get a 10% discount on a cash price of �200 and pay it off
:36:17. > :36:21.in equal instalments each month. If you pay it off in eight months or
:36:21. > :36:26.less, then you will pay less than �200. If you spread it over nine
:36:26. > :36:32.months or more, you will pay more than the cash price of �200. And
:36:32. > :36:36.the longer you spread it, the more it costs. Of course, each retailer
:36:36. > :36:40.may offer a different discount so it is always worth checking the
:36:40. > :36:44.smallprint. If no discount is offered, and you don't pay off the
:36:44. > :36:50.full amount each month, just like with the credit card, then you will
:36:50. > :36:54.end up paying more. Dr John Haigh. He knows his stuff.
:36:54. > :37:02.If you want more information on comparing interest rates between
:37:02. > :37:10.different types of credit cards, visit bbc.co.uk/watchdog. Now, it
:37:10. > :37:16.is time for today's last visit to South Wales. We followed the
:37:16. > :37:20.Consumer Cops. Those goods were not only fake, but they were also
:37:21. > :37:25.dangerous. How much of a risk did they pose to unsuspecting buyers?
:37:25. > :37:31.Here is Rhodri. The officers in Cardiff confiscated
:37:31. > :37:38.600 items from this warehouse. But it was certain electrical goods,
:37:38. > :37:42.like this fake PS3 charger that gave the most cause for concern.
:37:42. > :37:49.This is a typical product that we have seized. It is a two-pin flat
:37:49. > :37:55.plug and not a conventional UK plug. If someone tried to force that in,
:37:55. > :38:01.it could have repercussions for electrical shock and injury.
:38:01. > :38:10.PS3 charger is sent to this lab for thorough safety tests along with a
:38:10. > :38:14.fake PSP adapter and Xbox slim adapter. We are looking for
:38:14. > :38:20.protection against electric shocks. This is protecting users and people
:38:20. > :38:25.that come into contact with this to make sure they remain safe.
:38:25. > :38:28.Compliance Service Manager Richard begins by carrying out an
:38:28. > :38:38.electrical strength test. We will use these two probes here. On our
:38:38. > :38:43.
:38:43. > :38:53.screen, it will tell us the applied voltage and the leakage current.
:38:53. > :38:55.
:38:55. > :38:59.The first test is on a counterfeit X borks 360 -- Xbox 360 slim
:38:59. > :39:03.adapter. We have a genuine test failure. Once the adapter is taken
:39:03. > :39:08.apart, more problems become apparent. Like this one with a
:39:08. > :39:11.circuit board. It is difficult to say whether there would be an
:39:11. > :39:18.electrocution risk with this. The design is not in accordance with
:39:18. > :39:24.the standard. It is very deficient. I wouldn't want to be using this.
:39:24. > :39:32.The next product to be tested is a counterfeit PSP adapter. We have a
:39:32. > :39:37.leakage current well above two. We have a failed condition on there.
:39:37. > :39:41.There may be some insulation problems inside. The conclusion is
:39:41. > :39:45.alarming when he does examine the interior. This is a problem product.
:39:45. > :39:49.There is insufficient isolation in the transformer, there is
:39:49. > :39:56.insufficient design on the circuit board. Anybody using this will put
:39:56. > :40:03.themselves at an increased risk of electrocution. He also went on to
:40:03. > :40:08.test a fake charger. It meant all three products failed their safety
:40:08. > :40:13.tests. The fact that they are on the market is a particular worry
:40:13. > :40:16.for us. The other worry is the enforcement authorities do a
:40:17. > :40:20.fantastic job, but this could be the tip of the iceberg. Nobody
:40:20. > :40:26.should be subjected to a risk of electrocution when they go to use a
:40:26. > :40:33.product like this. You should be able to use it safely. Joining me
:40:33. > :40:38.now is Sarah Smith from Cardiff Trading Standards. The risk of
:40:38. > :40:42.electrocution is terrifying. Is there an update on the trader
:40:42. > :40:47.selling the goods we just saw? are awaiting a bit more information.
:40:47. > :40:51.What we want to know is perhaps how widespread the supply of any of
:40:51. > :40:56.those products have gone and that may have a bearing on the decision
:40:56. > :40:59.we then choose to take with him in terms of enforcement action.
:40:59. > :41:02.must stress the products we are talking about are counterfeit. We
:41:02. > :41:07.are not talking about those produced by legitimate
:41:07. > :41:12.manufacturers and sold by reputable shops or on reputable websites?
:41:12. > :41:19.That is quite correct. Quite often, these products come in from abroad
:41:19. > :41:23.and outside of Europe. And they generally tend to be counterfeit
:41:23. > :41:28.products taken off more well nen brands. What is the -- Well-known
:41:28. > :41:32.brands. What is the best way for consumers to know they are buying
:41:32. > :41:36.legitimate goods? Look at where it is coming from. That will perhaps
:41:36. > :41:41.be more of an indication that it might not comply with UK or
:41:41. > :41:48.European legislation. The price as well. When they are cheap, that is
:41:48. > :41:52.an indication that they might not be that safe. Other things - look
:41:52. > :41:55.at the packaging, look at the language that is on there. There
:41:56. > :42:02.are some really good examples here that would perhaps tell you it
:42:02. > :42:09.might not be up to scratch. This one here says "attention, do not
:42:09. > :42:12.place adapter into hot, humid or under straight sunshine" -
:42:12. > :42:17.meaningless and there are spelling mistakes as well. That will give
:42:17. > :42:19.you a good idea that it is not all that it seems to be. Thank you very
:42:20. > :42:27.much. Be careful what you buy. Lots of
:42:27. > :42:30.talking points today. Which of our stories has got you going?
:42:30. > :42:34.It is the one about mobile companies raising tariffs for
:42:34. > :42:39.people on fixed contracts. Now, Laura says, "I can't believe these
:42:39. > :42:42.companies with increase their charges when it suits them. I was
:42:42. > :42:49.not notified beforehand." Brad says, "Raising charges without warning
:42:49. > :42:54.customers when they sign up should be illegal." Peter, "If your
:42:54. > :42:57.contract is altered, you should be able to cancel without charge."
:42:57. > :43:00.Lots of you also unhappy about councils raising their charges as
:43:00. > :43:08.well. Thank you so much. More tomorrow.
:43:08. > :43:15.That is all we have time for today. Tomorrow, buying from John Lewis,
:43:15. > :43:19.Curry's or Argos, you better know your rights as those stores don't.