:02:58. > :03:02.In the last year or so, as to the complaints we see about packaged
:03:02. > :03:06.accounts relate to people who tell us they didn't even know they had
:03:06. > :03:10.this kind of account. Or they were signed up to it without
:03:10. > :03:20.understanding it. What most people do understand it is the cost. Of
:03:20. > :03:24.the average annual fee has gone from �127 in 2006, up to 187 pound
:03:24. > :03:29.now and then there are the benefits themselves. Research shows nearly a
:03:29. > :03:33.third of customers they surveyed don't use any of them up and some
:03:33. > :03:35.like insurance and breakdown cover can be bought cheaper elsewhere,
:03:35. > :03:40.but the most serious complaint concerns the way some of these
:03:40. > :03:43.accounts were sold in the first place. Where we see problems and
:03:43. > :03:48.upheld complaints, it's usually because the information given to
:03:48. > :03:53.the consumer up front has not been clear enough. Maureen and Peter
:03:53. > :03:57.visited their local HSBC branch to tidy up their finances. They were
:03:57. > :04:02.enticed by the offer of a packaged account which came with a range of
:04:03. > :04:07.supposed insurance benefits. young lady went through all our
:04:07. > :04:12.outgoings with us. The life policies we were paying was costing
:04:12. > :04:17.us just under �60 a month, and she thought was quite a lot of money.
:04:17. > :04:23.And then she said, had we heard about this new Advanced account?
:04:23. > :04:30.She told us we would get �3,000 on death each, and the amount was
:04:30. > :04:35.�12.95 a month. I thought we were very lucky that date. We cancelled
:04:36. > :04:41.our other policy, and cancelled our other life policies. And were very
:04:41. > :04:44.happy. We thought things were going to be a lot easier. Months later,
:04:44. > :04:48.as they were preparing to on holiday, they checked the small
:04:48. > :04:53.print of their new account and were shocked to find the insurance
:04:53. > :04:57.policies only covered customers aged up to 70. As they were in
:04:57. > :05:02.their mid-Seventies, they had no trouble and virtually no life
:05:02. > :05:07.insurance. I put my hand up, we didn't go through the documents
:05:07. > :05:14.that day. Unfortunately, we are of an age, when the bank tells you
:05:14. > :05:20.something, you believe them. I had never for one minute suspected they
:05:21. > :05:26.would do this. They would give us an account. It was no good to us.
:05:26. > :05:30.Although their complaint happened, the bank said they were at fault
:05:30. > :05:35.for not reading the terms and conditions before signing up, so
:05:35. > :05:40.the couple were left and insured and it proved to be a critical
:05:40. > :05:45.moment in their lives. -- An insured. Since this has happened, I
:05:45. > :05:49.have been diagnosed with a cancerous growth. Obviously, nobody
:05:49. > :05:56.is going to touch me with insurance when you have been diagnosed with
:05:57. > :06:04.cancer. Whether the HSBC agree or not, it is their fault. We gave up
:06:04. > :06:10.our cover because we were offered cover by them with a new account.
:06:10. > :06:15.It is an unbelievably scary time, especially now with my illness.
:06:15. > :06:19.It's a shocking story. Yes, but there is a happy ending because
:06:19. > :06:22.HSBC have now admitted making an error. It says it appears they were
:06:22. > :06:28.told they could qualify for all the benefits that came with their
:06:28. > :06:32.account when they couldn't, so they have been refunded in full, plus
:06:32. > :06:36.extra as an apology. We have got a result. They have accepted the
:06:36. > :06:40.offer and said they are happy and relieved. OK, that's one couples
:06:40. > :06:44.sorted, but what about all the others paying for packaged
:06:44. > :06:49.accounts? Should they ditch them? Martyn Lewis has been putting some
:06:49. > :06:54.of the most popular ones to the test. Mobile-phone insurance,
:06:54. > :06:59.identity theft cover, three music downloads, Will Writing Services,
:06:59. > :07:03.airport lounge access, the list of added extras to seduce us into fee-
:07:03. > :07:08.paying bank accounts is seemingly endless. No wonder they have been
:07:08. > :07:12.able to flog so many of them to us. Are packaged account customers
:07:12. > :07:18.winners or losers? I have come to this north London high-street to
:07:18. > :07:20.set up my watchdog bank account clinic. My aim is to track down
:07:20. > :07:24.package account holders and challenge their assumptions to see
:07:24. > :07:33.if they would be better off back with their old free current
:07:33. > :07:43.accounts. Wright, who was first? Anthony. He pays �12 a month for
:07:43. > :07:43.
:07:43. > :07:49.his package account for the accounting. It gives you annual
:07:49. > :07:56.family worldwide travel insurance. I don't really use it. Do you have
:07:56. > :08:02.a car? Breakdown cover with Green Flag? Did you know that?
:08:02. > :08:08.Mobile-phone insurance? Do I have that? You need to register your
:08:08. > :08:11.mobile phone. But you have not registered it? No. You're paying
:08:11. > :08:17.for the birth of. What I would suggest to you is whether it's
:08:17. > :08:22.worth all that money. No. I believe that there are millions of others
:08:22. > :08:25.just like Anthony. They have been sold benefits would sound good and
:08:25. > :08:35.they don't need them, don't use them and don't want them, and it's
:08:35. > :08:36.
:08:36. > :08:44.a waste of money. Do you drive? It's irrelevant. My breakdown cover
:08:44. > :08:48.up. Their often less expensive ways to do it, anyway. You're a pain 96p
:08:48. > :08:58.will mobile-phone insurance. Could you could cheaper elsewhere? -- you
:08:58. > :08:59.
:08:59. > :09:04.are paying a �96 a year. All we have to pay his 86p a month. They
:09:04. > :09:08.didn't mention to you they offer lots of other accounts. For some,
:09:08. > :09:14.once they have got packaged accounts, switching would be a
:09:14. > :09:19.mistake. I have a large overdraft. For the size of the but so if you
:09:20. > :09:26.have got up to that limit, I think you're in the right area. And we
:09:26. > :09:31.found some who do make use of the benefits. You have annual cover you
:09:31. > :09:37.use and mobile-phone insurance that you use and Green Flag. It would
:09:37. > :09:42.have to be substantially cheaper elsewhere. Many add that bank
:09:42. > :09:49.customers need to look at their monthly fees. Airport access to,
:09:49. > :09:56.how many times a be used it? A not at all. If the added extras are
:09:56. > :10:05.worth the money, life cover or work through �1,000? Trouble planning
:10:05. > :10:12.and safety? I don't know what that is. You have a, report. A bouquet.
:10:12. > :10:19.You are paying �8 a month. The cost is �96 to you. IAD their
:10:19. > :10:26.persistence. It has a very limited value of. Some coloured cards give
:10:26. > :10:33.it free. Music downloads, a film at a rental, mobile-phone insurance.
:10:33. > :10:37.Yes. Are you getting a good deal for �96 for the mobile-phone
:10:37. > :10:44.insurance? That's all you're getting for your money. Martin,
:10:44. > :10:50.sadly, not in its amazing shirt. I'm in blue velvet for you. What
:10:50. > :10:56.more do you want? A lot of benefits but why are so many worthless?
:10:56. > :11:01.People really go in and ask for these accounts. They get called up
:11:01. > :11:05.on the telephone. You have got to multiply it by 12 and think of the
:11:05. > :11:12.annual cost. It's not a bank account but a package of insurance
:11:12. > :11:18.products you are buying. Does the person on the phone get a cat?
:11:18. > :11:24.but if you're paying �20 a month, for annual worldwide family travel
:11:24. > :11:29.insurance, but you don't go out of Europe, you could get one for �25.
:11:29. > :11:36.If you're at 78, and can't get cheap travel insurance, then it can
:11:36. > :11:40.be good. What about life assurance offered to allow a couple? It did a
:11:40. > :11:46.good policy to get for older people. For younger people, it's meant to
:11:46. > :11:52.cover 10 times your salary. �3,000 would not cover the average funeral.
:11:52. > :11:58.You would need another one on top. Is it difficult to change banks?
:11:58. > :12:03.they will let you drop down to free, unless you have a big overdraft.
:12:03. > :12:11.Look at the best free accounts out there. Nationwide gives you a good
:12:11. > :12:19.account. Halifax will pay you 5p a month on other accounts. There are
:12:19. > :12:23.good free deals out there. Chris. The major banks say their accounts
:12:23. > :12:27.harbour a few customer complaints and they advise customers of
:12:27. > :12:29.changes to prices to ensure they understand all aspects of their
:12:29. > :12:38.kind before signing up and are regularly remind them of the
:12:38. > :12:45.benefits. If you would like to comment on this, you can e-mail us.
:12:45. > :12:54.You can also send us a text message. If you want to follow as on
:12:54. > :13:00.Coming up, a scramble for those tickets for one direction continues.
:13:00. > :13:07.How does the website explain prices like this. Needs the new guests at
:13:07. > :13:15.pontoons. Their sheets are not exactly Snow White. We have come up
:13:15. > :13:17.with some great names for those talks, but dodgy were already taken
:13:17. > :13:22.because they are starring in tonight rogue traders which may
:13:22. > :13:27.once again enraged the many up standing men and women who strive
:13:27. > :13:32.to give excellent service at a fair price. We really have not got it in
:13:32. > :13:42.for them. In fact, tonight, we want you to do it up for the great
:13:42. > :13:53.
:13:53. > :13:58.Yes, believe it or not, we have always had a special bond with
:13:58. > :14:02.those who ply their trades honestly day after day. We're all on the
:14:02. > :14:06.same side, you see. We want to force the rogue trader's into
:14:06. > :14:10.cleaning up their act for the they want the rotten apples to be
:14:11. > :14:20.chucked out of the barrel. We see evidence of these shared values
:14:20. > :14:27.every time we pull up next to a white van. Hi, guys. Almost every
:14:27. > :14:31.time. Can you believe it? He's dodgy, you can tell by the eyes.
:14:31. > :14:36.The point remains to be said for sub we are there for the customer
:14:36. > :14:40.and a decent honest tradesmen and those who criticise us would do
:14:40. > :14:47.well to remind us of that. It looks like you got a chip on your
:14:47. > :14:57.shoulder. Really? Yes. Let's go. Sadly, there's no shortage of
:14:57. > :14:57.
:14:57. > :15:02.dishonest companies to focus on. Take tonight's. Not to be confused
:15:02. > :15:12.with other companies. By Our based in Kent of of of their offer and no
:15:12. > :15:14.
:15:14. > :15:21.There's a guy appeared with a great big bag. He went up to the shower.
:15:21. > :15:27.Turned it on. He said my thermostat had gone up. I said, I know that.
:15:27. > :15:34.He said, I can't get a part now, it's too late for that and he went.
:15:34. > :15:40.He later called Carol to say the part was obsolete. Basically, it is
:15:40. > :15:49.typical to work out what the �78 was for. Yes. Thank you so much.
:15:49. > :15:56.Feel free to close the door if you Carol Leatherby does not live in a
:15:56. > :16:03.shower, anymore than Yoko lives in a kitchen. We thought we would
:16:03. > :16:09.bring them together. Any way, when Yoko asked to fix a tap, they asked
:16:09. > :16:14.for her credit card details. So they could deduct money later, you
:16:14. > :16:19.may think, but then she found money debited from the card, before they
:16:19. > :16:25.completeed the job. It is like they decided how much you were to pay
:16:25. > :16:33.and made the job fit that? Exactly. How did they know what to charge?
:16:33. > :16:36.don't know. They did, �360, a massive overcharge and a figure
:16:37. > :16:40.strangely similar are to the estimate pending on her account.
:16:40. > :16:45.How did you feel after that? I was set up.
:16:45. > :16:50.Set up? This sounds like a great opportunity to do one of our stings.
:16:50. > :16:54.You're right, but you don't know everything. You know what? What?
:16:54. > :17:00.We've stung this lot before. Really? We called a subcontractor
:17:00. > :17:05.out to a house in Epsom. It is in here.
:17:05. > :17:11.Simple electrical fault, a loose connection in a plug socket. Easy
:17:11. > :17:20.to fix, �100 tops. How much did they charge us, then?
:17:20. > :17:28.�100, but once the workman took the cash, A Class debited the card, so
:17:28. > :17:32.then we ended up paying them twice. So they charge us twice, we sting
:17:32. > :17:40.them...? Oh, twice! So, we get a new house, this time in Ealing, and
:17:40. > :17:45.we set a new fault, this time, a loose connection in the socket
:17:45. > :17:50.switch. We put a call to A Class, who put their man, Lewis Barker on
:17:50. > :17:54.the case. So what is the issue? issue is that every time it is on.
:17:54. > :17:58.It works for a bit then cuts out. Leave it with me.
:17:58. > :18:03.OK, we will. We'll leave you to remove the
:18:04. > :18:09.switch cover, a promising start... Then we'll leave you to fiddle with
:18:09. > :18:19.your phone. A bit of texting going on... Oh, we
:18:19. > :18:20.
:18:20. > :18:23.all do that, don't we?! But... I wouldn't do this... He's touched
:18:23. > :18:30.the connection, it has sparked and it has given him a start.
:18:30. > :18:36.It would do, it is a live switch, as Lewis should know, what with him
:18:36. > :18:40.being an electrician. He says he needs to fetch a part. It may take
:18:40. > :18:46.a while. As he is being paid by the hour, time is money.
:18:46. > :18:51.I'll be as quick as I can. minutes later he returns with a new
:18:51. > :18:58.switch. How did you get on? Alright.
:18:58. > :19:05.Great, now he has to fix it with a bit of jiggery, and some pokery.
:19:05. > :19:11.Oops, that looks like harikari. That there is an earth cable he has
:19:11. > :19:16.pulled out. We may need that. Lewis, don't take it away! He's making a
:19:16. > :19:23.real job of this. Electrical masterclass over, Lewis
:19:23. > :19:30.says goodbye. He has taken a total of 1775 hours n for are a job most
:19:30. > :19:35.electricians would take 55 minutes. So what did we get for all of that
:19:35. > :19:43.time and money? He has not earthed the box. This was already efforted
:19:43. > :19:48.before he turned up. It -- that was already earthed before he broke it.
:19:48. > :19:52.That means that the back of the switch could become live, therefore
:19:52. > :19:57.dangerous should a fault occur in the cooker. Cheers, Lewis, you are
:19:57. > :20:02.in a class of your own. Or he would be if we had not gone and found
:20:02. > :20:05.someone just as bad. Yes, meet the electrician who came to fix our
:20:05. > :20:10.lights. That is all live, he is still
:20:10. > :20:16.pulling at it. He somehow survived. Keep watching
:20:16. > :20:21.it will make your hair stand on end. We had an unbelievable response to
:20:21. > :20:31.last week's story about the One Direction Tour. Seats for all dates
:20:31. > :20:36.were made available on line 12 days ago, but thousands of fans who had
:20:36. > :20:43.waited said that within hours the tickets were sold out. Then they
:20:43. > :20:48.arrived later on Get Me In. Now, one of the main selling agencies
:20:48. > :20:56.also owns Get Me In, and there is a re-sale fee.
:20:56. > :21:02.There are still secondary sale sites. This week we saw a �30
:21:02. > :21:10.ticket advertised for an incredible �2,139. You can also get Coldplay
:21:10. > :21:15.tickets on Here There, for �2,20. With me is Ed Parkinson, the UK
:21:15. > :21:20.head of viagogo. Thank you for coming in, Ed Parkinson. If those
:21:20. > :21:25.tickets for more than �2,000 get sold, what is your cut? Well, first
:21:25. > :21:30.of all it is important not to be distracted by chancers posting
:21:30. > :21:38.tickets up... Answer the question, what is your cut? We get 25%.
:21:38. > :21:44.So, on the � 2,000, there is �500. But no-one is buying the tickets.
:21:44. > :21:48.We are a marketplace. Sellers post the tickets for any price. The
:21:49. > :21:52.tickets on average, they sell for the face value and below. There are
:21:52. > :21:56.people that try their luck and sell them for high prices but they do
:21:56. > :22:01.not sell at them. Why not put a cap on the amount you
:22:01. > :22:06.let people put their ticks on sale for? There had been proposals for
:22:06. > :22:11.that, but they are flawed. You could impose a cap on legitimate
:22:11. > :22:17.resale services like viagogo, but not imposing a cap on the guy in
:22:17. > :22:21.the car park or at the venue. So the imthen is to drive the market
:22:21. > :22:25.under ground. The security we have put in place to clean up the market
:22:25. > :22:29.is then lost. But, if all of the tickets on your
:22:29. > :22:32.site were a reasonable price, no- one would have to go to touts?
:22:32. > :22:36.People are always going to buy and sell tickets. Individuals can
:22:36. > :22:40.decide to post a ticket for whatever price they want to.
:22:40. > :22:44.I can't get away from the fact that the more expensive the ticket, the
:22:44. > :22:49.better for you, you make more money? We make money when people
:22:49. > :22:53.buy tickets. They will do so when it is a fair price. Are you
:22:53. > :22:57.protecting the fans? We are providing fair prices for tickets.
:22:57. > :23:03.We are providing a guarantee. That if you buy a ticket on our website
:23:03. > :23:09.you get what you pay for. Before viagogo there were two chiess --
:23:09. > :23:13.choices for One Direction tickets, to stay at home or go on eBay.
:23:13. > :23:20.Supposing a 13-year-old girl is desperate to see a One Direction
:23:20. > :23:23.concert, how are you helping her? As the concert approaches, the more
:23:23. > :23:28.people put them up for sale. It gets competitive.
:23:28. > :23:32.So it would not cost you much to stop the ridiculous prices, there
:23:32. > :23:38.is no need for an act of Parliament? No. When the show comes
:23:38. > :23:48.around, you can get the tickets for face value. Right now there are
:23:48. > :23:48.
:23:48. > :23:55.Rhianna tickets and Katie Perry. Ed -- Ed Parkinson, I have to stop
:23:55. > :24:01.you there. Now, Get Me In offers is a secure
:24:01. > :24:06.option for the market. That they never divert face value tickets to
:24:06. > :24:16.Get Me In. Next, Pontin's. Remember we visited
:24:16. > :24:16.
:24:17. > :24:25.the camber sands Pontin's last year. In January, the Pontin's was sold
:24:25. > :24:32.to the Britannia Hotel Group. It promised Disney-style razzmatazz
:24:32. > :24:37.at all five of the Pontin's resorts. So, has it been a Little Park of
:24:37. > :24:46.Horrors? Scenes like this hold a special place in our childhood mem
:24:46. > :24:50.res, the -- memories, the fun, the rides, the famous Blue Coats.
:24:50. > :24:54.Pontin's may be a great British institution, but the new owners
:24:54. > :25:01.stayed was right for an all- American makeover. Complete with
:25:01. > :25:06.costume characters that keep the crowds, entertained at Disney World.
:25:06. > :25:10.So, welcome to Pontin's, this is courtesy of a family holiday who
:25:10. > :25:16.have had a holiday there this year. So many people have been in touch,
:25:16. > :25:22.we have had to come up with a new filing system. There chp filthy?
:25:22. > :25:27.The bedding was horrendousous. There were urine stains on it,
:25:27. > :25:32.blood, dried faeces. There is Mouldy.
:25:32. > :25:37.There was a pillow case with mould spots on. I would not put my head
:25:37. > :25:42.on that. Certainly not my children's. In the bathroom, the
:25:42. > :25:49.shower hose was awful. Mould growing on it that had been there
:25:49. > :25:57.for weeks, months, even years. There is Greasy and Groimy.
:25:57. > :26:03.We looked at the windows, there was a greasy, fatty film area on it.
:26:03. > :26:07.the pool area, there was hair in the bathroom, it was disgusting.
:26:07. > :26:11.Nothing for getting Dusty and company shabby.
:26:11. > :26:16.There were cobwebs in the sky lights, it had not been cleaned for
:26:16. > :26:22.months. The apartments were shaby. The door frames falling apart, the
:26:23. > :26:29.window sills falling apart. Outside of our apartment there was a broken
:26:29. > :26:35.plate tarmacked into the floor. And finally, there is Stinky...
:26:35. > :26:39.was disgusting. It smelled of sick. The smell was unbelievable. You
:26:39. > :26:46.opened the door and the smell hit you with force.
:26:46. > :26:50.These reviews come 11 months after Pontin's former company was put
:26:50. > :26:57.into administration, nine months after the company was bought over
:26:57. > :27:02.by the new Britannia Hotel Group. The talk of changing the situation
:27:02. > :27:05.here, it tus not seem to have materialised. More than 100 of you
:27:05. > :27:09.have written in about the state of the parks and the living
:27:09. > :27:15.accommodation. So, me and the gang are going to investigate, but first,
:27:15. > :27:25.a qi question, thank you very much, Stinky, oh, mirror, mirror, on the
:27:25. > :27:27.
:27:27. > :27:31.wall, which is the grottiest Pontininess camp of them all? A
:27:31. > :27:36.tough choice, but it looks like this year's title goes to Green
:27:36. > :27:41.Sands in Somerset. Anyone think of a catchy ad slogan
:27:41. > :27:44.for it? The only way to describe Pontin's Green Sands is hell on
:27:44. > :27:50.earth. Let's see if you are right. The
:27:50. > :27:54.Watchdog team booked two apartments. As I wouldn't ask our dwaarves to
:27:54. > :27:58.do anything I would not, I sneaked in as well.
:27:58. > :28:02.The first thing as I walk into the room is the smell. It hits the back
:28:02. > :28:07.of the throat. It is like a mouldy smell, but it is really strong.
:28:07. > :28:12.This place is full of dust and around the toilet, well... It is
:28:12. > :28:18.not good. It's not nice.
:28:18. > :28:23.Oh, that is filthy! Have you seen this hole in the wall here. The cup
:28:23. > :28:29.boards are half falling apart and that is filthy.
:28:29. > :28:35.Look at the blood... The smell is coming from here. It's the carpet.
:28:35. > :28:39.Ch It's got a rather unique crispy feel to it. It is filthy. Outside
:28:39. > :28:44.we found grubby aund run down public toilets. Disused chairs by
:28:45. > :28:51.the play area, grime on the floors and dirt on the chairs and litter
:28:51. > :28:55.by the crazy golf. It looked like the swimming pool had had a lick of
:28:55. > :29:01.paint. Don't think I would describe it as Disney magic, though, but all
:29:01. > :29:06.is not lost, we can bring our own touch of Disney razzmatazz, well,
:29:06. > :29:16.at least to the Green Sands resort. It is time to bring out the
:29:16. > :29:21.dwaarves. # Just whistle while you work... #
:29:21. > :29:28.Start at the top and work your way down. What's with the grumpy face?
:29:28. > :29:32.You love this, Filthy! Get that spotless. Right, well done,
:29:32. > :29:42.everybody, great effort in here, now it is off to the rest of the
:29:42. > :29:48.park. Go on, quickly! Quickly. # Hi who, hi who, it is off to work
:29:48. > :29:53.we go # Are they tidying up for you? Yes, we don't even smoke, but
:29:53. > :29:58.that is disgusting. Make sure it is spik and span.
:29:58. > :30:01.is not my type of cleaning. We had cups and knives and forks that were
:30:01. > :30:05.dirty. If there are complaints, get one of
:30:05. > :30:10.my men to come in. Just as we were making progress,
:30:10. > :30:14.the security pointed us to the exits. It was hard on the dwaarves.
:30:14. > :30:18.I know you wanted to make sure it was all clean, but we've been asked
:30:18. > :30:23.to go. Maybe even worse news for the
:30:23. > :30:28.Pontin's' guests, who is going to clean up for them now? I could not
:30:28. > :30:31.let my children stay here. It is a health hazard. When my children are
:30:31. > :30:41.naughty at home, my threat is to take them back to Pontin's.
:30:41. > :30:44.
:30:44. > :30:48.OK, with me now is Eileen Downey from the Britannia Hotel Group who
:30:48. > :30:53.owned it pontoons. We do go for your holidays this year? I went to
:30:53. > :31:03.Majorca. You didn't have bloodstained sheets? Mouldy
:31:03. > :31:07.bathrooms? Let me tell you, we've owned these parks for 26 weeks.
:31:07. > :31:11.This programme is rather premature. When your camera crew were on our
:31:11. > :31:16.part, they were asked to to have a look at the improved apartments. We
:31:16. > :31:23.wrote to you and ask you again to have a look at another park. These
:31:23. > :31:30.parks are townships. They are three-and a-half 1,000 apartments.
:31:30. > :31:39.We bought them out of receivership and Rome wasn't built in a day. We
:31:40. > :31:44.had put into those parks, 1.5 million. OK. No, you listen. We are
:31:44. > :31:49.putting people but you say you've had complaints. We've had more than
:31:49. > :31:53.100 complaints and these people were in the your chalets with blood
:31:53. > :31:58.stained sheets, holes in the sofa, Knowles in the bathroom, crispy
:31:58. > :32:03.carpets, terrible smells, so what ever refurbishments you're doing,
:32:03. > :32:07.which I appreciate, they didn't experience them. They went for
:32:07. > :32:12.their break and that is what they found. Are you happy that people
:32:12. > :32:18.existed in those conditions? happy the have their wish was I
:32:18. > :32:22.going quicker... What about the people who didn't experience them?
:32:22. > :32:27.It was in a receivership, the company went bust. Nobody wanted to
:32:28. > :32:35.buy it. Why did you give out chalets and when they were not
:32:35. > :32:40.suitable? In this economic climate? To make people unemployed? We have
:32:40. > :32:47.a programme to close some of the parks. You didn't close them in
:32:47. > :32:56.greened Sanz, did you? In November, and out of 1.5 million people, on
:32:56. > :33:01.your account, and 99.9% had a good value. Are you happy they stayed in
:33:01. > :33:07.there? What about those who didn't have good value? What are you going
:33:07. > :33:14.to do about them? Once the refurbishments are done, everybody
:33:14. > :33:17.will have good quality. I'm not prepared to comment further. Back
:33:17. > :33:21.to this company from Kent, not to be confused with companies of the
:33:21. > :33:28.same name. They doubled charged us for one job and overcharged for
:33:28. > :33:33.another. Is there incompetence down to a few bad apples or the whole
:33:33. > :33:38.lot tree rotten? We are going to find the answer because it's now
:33:38. > :33:44.time to call them out again to a typical house with a typical home
:33:44. > :33:49.owner who has developed a problem with her lighting. I think I need
:33:49. > :33:58.and a Titian to look at my a lighting. Actually, our expert has
:33:58. > :34:03.broken up a wire under the Consumer Ewart -- unit. Should be no problem
:34:03. > :34:10.for the manner the company has sent to sort it out. Hello. What's the
:34:10. > :34:16.problem? I have got no lights. heads for the consumer unit to
:34:16. > :34:24.investigate, so why is he going to the light, instead? What is he
:34:24. > :34:31.doing? He should have started at the fuse box. He doesn't know
:34:31. > :34:38.whether it is alive or dead. After lowering the light fixing, he heads
:34:38. > :34:46.for the consumer unit, excellent. He's found a problem. Purple as
:34:46. > :34:52.you're coming out, because there's a bit of a issue. Ouch, his head.
:34:52. > :34:57.There is a consumer unit is on and this is live on. Don't put your
:34:57. > :35:04.fingers in there, mate. That is playing with fire. Strictly
:35:04. > :35:10.speaking, its wire, but I will have to go on this occasion. It's alive
:35:10. > :35:16.and he is pulling at it. Finally, 30 minutes later, he powered down
:35:17. > :35:26.the consumer unit. Will he fix it? Not quite yet. He decides to mess
:35:27. > :35:27.
:35:27. > :35:32.with the screws instead. He is checking the tightness. I think.
:35:32. > :35:42.There's no need for that. Why get on with the job when you can fiddle
:35:42. > :35:43.
:35:43. > :35:50.about, I suppose? Just clip it in. Fiddling about. He gets his torch.
:35:50. > :35:56.He is reconnecting it now. 1 hour later, he fixes it. A quick
:35:56. > :36:01.reassemble of the unit and he will be on his way. Not before getting
:36:01. > :36:05.his screwdriver out again! OK, let's fast-forward, because we kind
:36:05. > :36:12.of know how this N's. We don't want to sit through another 10 minutes
:36:12. > :36:22.of it. Wake up, you two. We may have been screwed over but at least
:36:22. > :36:29.there's a bright side, because the lights are back on! It is done, OK.
:36:29. > :36:37.The cable was burnt out. What did he to say? The cable was burnt out.
:36:37. > :36:47.I don't think that was a burned-out cable. It wasn't. Unfortunate, our
:36:47. > :37:09.
:37:09. > :37:15.So, he has lied about the cable been burned to justify the amount
:37:15. > :37:21.of time he has taken and now Nikola says she wants to see it, he says
:37:21. > :37:31.she can't because it belongs to her. His improvising like crazy. I would
:37:31. > :37:54.
:37:54. > :38:01.OK, it's a good effort, Nicole, but give up. Meanwhile, he wants to be
:38:01. > :38:08.paid, �156, double what it should have cost it almost word for a
:38:08. > :38:11.performance worthy of Paul Merton. That was awkward. Yes, in an
:38:11. > :38:16.informative public service broadcasting kind of way. Are you
:38:16. > :38:19.going to confront him? Not yet. I think there's a couple of rotten
:38:19. > :38:24.apples in there but I suspect they are getting their instructions from
:38:24. > :38:30.above. I think this goes all the way to the top and what is better,
:38:30. > :38:37.I have got their way to prove it. Not without some body on the inside.
:38:37. > :38:43.Yes, Roy Ford. Our very own undercover penetration. We ask him
:38:43. > :38:47.to apply for a job using a fake name and CV. After a two-minute
:38:47. > :38:53.phone conversation, success. The next day, they gave him a simple
:38:53. > :38:57.job, resetting an appliance pulls up Roy is a consummate professional
:38:57. > :39:07.and completed in minutes. Surely his bosses will be happy. Won't
:39:07. > :39:13.
:39:13. > :39:18.they? I've done everything within OK, speed and efficiency don't
:39:19. > :39:28.impress Roy's new buses, one of whom introduce himself as James, so
:39:29. > :39:30.
:39:30. > :39:36.Yes, you heard that correctly, they want their sub-contractors to spend
:39:36. > :39:40.hours on the job. So they can make more money. How can they justify
:39:41. > :39:47.all that time when the job only warrants a few minutes? They will
:39:47. > :39:51.have to explain that to us later. Sky and Virgin battling it out for
:39:51. > :39:56.your custom. Sky's latest fairy tale marketing campaign says we
:39:56. > :39:59.should believe in better, while Virgin Media are trying to poach
:39:59. > :40:09.Sky customers and claimed only their fairy tales are a happy
:40:09. > :40:15.ending. Pool to trust? -- who to Once upon a time it there was a
:40:15. > :40:23.giant company called BSkyB. It promised customers a great services
:40:23. > :40:33.at lower prices up. I will grant you three wishes. What do you most
:40:33. > :40:35.
:40:35. > :40:39.desire? I want Sky TV. Fast broadband. Freephone calls. Wicked!
:40:39. > :40:44.But be warned, children, they don't always make people's dreams come
:40:44. > :40:49.true. In a land far, far away, Portsmouth, to be precise, there
:40:49. > :40:55.lived a man called Graham. He wanted to pay less for his broad
:40:55. > :40:59.band so he switched his contract from Sky which cost �17 a month, to
:40:59. > :41:07.Sky unlimited which should have cost seven pound 50 a month, and it
:41:07. > :41:12.all went well. Until the first invoice. It was 9p 50 more than I
:41:12. > :41:16.should have been paying. I immediately phoned up customer
:41:16. > :41:21.services are apologise to both of they reimbursed nine and 52. This
:41:21. > :41:26.went on for five consecutive months. Every month I had to phone them to
:41:26. > :41:33.get it rebated. He huffed and puffed but Sky have not been much
:41:33. > :41:37.help at all. I want to speak to your manager. They eventually
:41:37. > :41:44.offered Graham a small discount as the compensation. But he's not
:41:44. > :41:50.satisfied. It does that sound like happily ever after to you? No.
:41:50. > :41:54.wait until you hear about poor old Tan Sin. She asked a skied to go
:41:54. > :42:00.third television, broadband and telephone but they mistakenly said
:42:00. > :42:05.that two accounts so even though she paid the bills on time, the
:42:05. > :42:10.deeper could account went unpaid and Sky took a phone line and cut
:42:11. > :42:19.it off. She likes to talk on the phone to her friends. Do you like
:42:19. > :42:27.to do that? Yes. Tamsin couldn't talk on the phone up for two whole
:42:27. > :42:31.years. That's how long it took for Sky to fix the problem. But, just
:42:31. > :42:36.when she thought her troubles were over, they started sending
:42:37. > :42:45.duplicate bills again. I can't really believe that they had done
:42:45. > :42:52.the same mistake again. It's got so bad, I'd had letters from debt
:42:52. > :42:56.collectors, and they make things extremely difficult to resolve
:42:56. > :43:03.problems and close an account, but as they are more than happy to
:43:03. > :43:06.continue taking direct debits of up to �85 a month from me. All across
:43:06. > :43:12.the land Sky customers are being promised a fairy godmother style
:43:12. > :43:18.happy ending. More than 1,000 of them have complained to us in the
:43:18. > :43:26.last six months, so perhaps the big bad wolf is more fitting. And
:43:26. > :43:30.that's not the end of our story. Sky has a rival called Virgin Media.
:43:30. > :43:38.They scoffed at skies ads and tried to turn to have their broadband
:43:38. > :43:41.customers promising a real happy ending but Paul, Michael and this
:43:41. > :43:46.couple are review of the 500 customers who have contacted
:43:46. > :43:49.watchdog this year. Paul checked twice the good receive their
:43:49. > :43:55.services before cancelling his other phone and broadband contracts,
:43:55. > :44:00.only to be told they couldn't supply him after all. My broadband
:44:00. > :44:05.was disconnected and I had to wait almost two weeks to be reconnected.
:44:06. > :44:11.It caused me great inconvenience. What angers me is that all my
:44:11. > :44:17.neighbours have had a letter in the last few days from Virgin Media
:44:17. > :44:21.saying, come to us for high-speed broadband and quality TV. Michael
:44:21. > :44:24.switched to Virgin because they offer a cut-price deal but because
:44:24. > :44:30.the salesman put in the wrong code at the type a purchase, he never
:44:30. > :44:35.got a discount. I've never been charged the right price from day
:44:35. > :44:40.one to present day. Virgin Media customer service is abysmal. They
:44:40. > :44:46.will answer the phone in a short period of time but the actual
:44:46. > :44:50.response and sorting things out, never ever happens. Mary want to
:44:50. > :44:55.change her husband's account into her name after he passed away.
:44:55. > :44:58.Instead, Virgin set up a new account, cut off their phone and
:44:59. > :45:03.temporarily then it reactivated it with a different number. All
:45:03. > :45:08.without telling her. It's the same direct debit which I've always had,
:45:08. > :45:12.the same bank account, and all we wanted was a husband's name taken
:45:12. > :45:17.off the mailing list with my name on it and we've had all this
:45:17. > :45:25.trouble. Nothing about a new number because she's had that original
:45:25. > :45:29.number ever since she had a phone, 50 years. So, children, who still
:45:29. > :45:39.believes in fairy stories? And who believes in stories by pigeon media
:45:39. > :45:42.
:45:43. > :45:47.Rebecca Wilcox reporting there. Sky have apologised to the customers
:45:47. > :45:55.featured. They have resolved their complaints. They say they came out
:45:55. > :45:59.top in customer satisfaction in a recent Ofcom revue. Anyone unhappy
:45:59. > :46:07.with the service should contact them. The details are on the screen
:46:07. > :46:11.now. As for Virgin Media, they have also apologised. It was incorrect
:46:11. > :46:17.advice inherited from previous cable companies and Michael Froom
:46:17. > :46:21.did not get his account because of an administrative error. They are
:46:22. > :46:26.reviewing the process for handling such cases and are asking customers
:46:26. > :46:32.to contact them, the details are on the screens now. Thank you to
:46:32. > :46:37.everyone in touch about that story, here are a few more.
:46:37. > :46:41.Smoking on TV? It should be banned. Apart from on Mad Men, of course.
:46:41. > :46:48.That is quite cool. Any way, smoking television sets are not so
:46:48. > :46:52.cool. Sony has admitted that a component 6 eight versions of its
:46:52. > :46:57.BRAVIA model is potentially faulty and could overheat. It followed
:46:57. > :47:04.incidents in Japan where owners found their sets emitting smoke.
:47:04. > :47:08.All models have been sold since 2007, Sony stopped issuing a recall
:47:08. > :47:14.but has offered customers safety inspections. It says that the sets
:47:14. > :47:18.are not at risk when switched off it has warned customers to look out
:47:18. > :47:24.for ununusual noises and smells coming from the sets as opposed to
:47:24. > :47:29.the usual ones coming from the kids! To cut down on household fuel
:47:29. > :47:36.bills maybe you should not rely on energy companies for advice. A
:47:36. > :47:40.survey found them giving out dodgy guidance when people rang up to
:47:40. > :47:46.inquire by transferring to another supplier. The research asked for
:47:46. > :47:50.all big six companies to ask for details on the tariffs, but they
:47:50. > :47:54.were nearly given wrong information in all. Southern electric said
:47:54. > :48:01.there was not a big price difference between the tariffs. It
:48:01. > :48:05.makes you wonder why there are about 50, then? Aberdeen Angus
:48:05. > :48:10.cattle, the finest breed, chompioned by the Prince of Wales.
:48:10. > :48:16.The Co-op are selling a steak for a premium price of �9 .3 3 a pound.
:48:16. > :48:20.Why not it is reared in Scotland and with unique marbling and
:48:20. > :48:25.guaranteeed flavour for tenderness, but when you peel back the label
:48:25. > :48:31.there is this: The meat originating from a pure bred Aberdeen Angus
:48:31. > :48:35.bull, but crossed with a cow from another breed. Steve Partridge
:48:35. > :48:39.complained and demanded an explanation, Co-op said that this
:48:39. > :48:44.is permitted under irGovernment regulations but is reviewing the
:48:44. > :48:53.position of its cross-breed statement. Why hide it in the first
:48:53. > :48:57.place? When we last saw A Class UK LTD of Kent, they had given Roy a
:48:57. > :49:02.job as an electrician and stopped telling him to be so fast and
:49:02. > :49:06.efficient and told them to spin the jobs out in order to charge more
:49:06. > :49:12.money. Unusual advice? Or standard operating procedure? There is own
:49:12. > :49:19.one way to find out. Roy has told A Class that he is available for the
:49:19. > :49:23.next job that comes in. Guess where that is going to be? Is that A
:49:23. > :49:28.company class? Yes, speaking. having a problem with the lighting.
:49:28. > :49:34.Yes, it is back to ours, or at least the place we have hired for
:49:34. > :49:39.the day. A Class have texted to see who is closest for the yob, it is
:49:39. > :49:44.Roy who gets this there first. It is a tripped switch on the consumer
:49:44. > :49:48.yuent. Roy can fix it in 30 seconds, but knows that the speedy work will
:49:48. > :49:54.land him in trouble. He better call the head office for advice.
:49:54. > :50:04.So, if I reset it everything is done within the hour, but the last
:50:04. > :50:09.
:50:09. > :50:13.Not exclusively. Roy's last set of instructions came from someone
:50:13. > :50:23.called James. Sounds like a different person but with the same
:50:23. > :50:23.
:50:23. > :50:29.guidance. Isn't there something you have
:50:29. > :50:33.forgotten? Yeah, absolutely. Take three unnecessary hours, buy an
:50:33. > :50:43.unnecessary part and stick the old one back in. Like any honest
:50:43. > :51:01.
:51:01. > :51:05.tradesman, Roy is outraged. You tell them, Roy, that there is
:51:05. > :51:14.the difference between a grafter and a shafter. If you are still in
:51:14. > :51:20.doubt... So, the company motto, the customer is always... Rich? Who
:51:20. > :51:25.exactly is in charge of A Class? We have heard orders from a man called
:51:25. > :51:30.James, the director on paper is a man called Jake Mott and there have
:51:30. > :51:36.been a series of other names. As for the address on the company's
:51:36. > :51:40.invoices, that is just a PO box. We need to gem them out to us. We have
:51:40. > :51:45.chosen a meeting place in Bromley and asked a member of the team to
:51:45. > :51:55.pose as a businessman with money to spend. In a blue checked shirt is
:51:55. > :51:56.
:51:56. > :52:01.our producer, John. He has told the meeting that he needs a land Lord -
:52:01. > :52:05.- he has told A class that he is a land Lord with many places that
:52:05. > :52:09.need maintenance. A Class are coming here in 20
:52:09. > :52:13.minutes. They tonight realise it, but they are getting the full
:52:13. > :52:20.English when they arrive. This is our cafe now, all of these people
:52:20. > :52:28.are with me. Are you with me? OK, a bit half-hearted. At 2.00pm,
:52:28. > :52:34.the man from A Class arrives. It is Lewis Barker. The same Lewis
:52:34. > :52:39.who shocked himself on our job in Ealing... But he's had a haircut,
:52:39. > :52:45.look... Why has he come forward to talk on behalf of A Class.
:52:45. > :52:48.What is your role? I'm an electrician, but I supervisor of
:52:48. > :52:58.other electricians. That is interesting, tell me more.
:52:58. > :53:04.I'm doing my listening face. Lewis is really bigging himself up.
:53:04. > :53:10.Don't we need to see the director, Jake Mott? All the man Lewis says
:53:10. > :53:14.is the managing director, is James... He trusts me, whatever I
:53:14. > :53:18.say to do, he will do. Brilliant.
:53:18. > :53:23.Don't you hate it when someone at the next table ear holes your
:53:23. > :53:26.conversation and then butts in. It is so rude.
:53:26. > :53:33.But at what point, Lewis is the bit where you have taken the money
:53:33. > :53:38.before the job's begun, before you have worked out what the yob is --
:53:38. > :53:44.job is, and then the job is longer than it should be as you have gone
:53:44. > :53:50.to get a part which you didn't need? You haven't explained that.
:53:50. > :53:53.This is BBC Rogue Traders. It is all in there. We've been charged in
:53:53. > :53:57.cash and you have taken the money from the credit card and we have
:53:57. > :54:01.asked for a refund and it has never come back. The problem being, when
:54:01. > :54:04.people try to find where you are, there are a number of addresses
:54:04. > :54:08.which are not your operating addresses.
:54:08. > :54:13.But I'm a self-employed lex tradition.
:54:13. > :54:17.But you told our man that you are a supervisor? Yes.
:54:17. > :54:21.You have told him you can look after problems that he has got?
:54:21. > :54:28.Exactly. So, you're the guy in charge?
:54:28. > :54:32.still work for this company. Yeah? So, OK, but you... Hang on,
:54:32. > :54:36.one second, mate. How can you say that we go around ripping people
:54:36. > :54:40.off. We have evidence of you doing that.
:54:40. > :54:45.You are coming out, touting for business.
:54:45. > :54:49.You're touting for business here, that is what you are doing.
:54:49. > :54:53.You are clearly not a monkey, you are an ordering guy.
:54:53. > :54:58.Lewis is adamant he has no responsibility, despite telling
:54:58. > :55:03.John he is a supervisor. He does not know the other than, apparently,
:55:03. > :55:06.so how do they communicate? I get the e-mails, I get these through
:55:06. > :55:16.the post. So you are like our guy operating
:55:16. > :55:21.on the end of a text. You have never met James? 100%.
:55:21. > :55:28.A guy called Jake Mot trbg? I don't know.
:55:28. > :55:38.-- a guy called Jake Mott? If is he is not involved with the company,
:55:38. > :55:44.why is he wearing an A Class LTD T- shirt? Driving an A Class van. As
:55:44. > :55:49.for not knowing Jake Mott who is this, he is Jakey Mott on Facebook.
:55:49. > :55:54.You see, Lewis, you post a face, we find a trace. He told us that he
:55:54. > :56:00.claimed to be a supervisor to get more work. He put the A Class logos
:56:00. > :56:08.on the van himself and maintains he has never met the other than. That
:56:08. > :56:13.his friendship with Jakey Mott is irrelevant. Meanwhile, Jake Mott is
:56:13. > :56:22.grateful we have brought the failings of the company to him.
:56:22. > :56:26.He says he disassociates themselves to staff who string out work and
:56:26. > :56:31.say that Lewis is an honourable trader, not a rogue and he,
:56:31. > :56:36.incidentally, says if he did leave the cooker switch unearthed, it was
:56:36. > :56:40.a genuine mistake. They say that complaints are few, but have sent a
:56:40. > :56:47.dedicated team to deal with him. They have funded us for the double
:56:47. > :56:52.charge, but are unsure about the no-fix, no-fee policy. As for Jake
:56:52. > :56:57.Mott, he needs to check our Rogue's Gallery. There he is
:56:57. > :57:01.Loads of texts from you. Lots of you getting in touch about the
:57:01. > :57:07.packaged bank accounts. Alexander says his account came with break
:57:07. > :57:14.down cover, but when the car broke down it was no use, it applied to
:57:14. > :57:18.within a ten-mile radius of his own. -- own home. A few of you have
:57:18. > :57:25.looked around at your accounts, and you are saying that you don't need
:57:25. > :57:32.them. We have had over 2thouztweets with
:57:32. > :57:38.-- we have over 2thouztweets with regards to the -- we have had over
:57:38. > :57:43.thousand tweets are regards to the woman from Pontin's. Keep sending
:57:43. > :57:47.your stories and tip-offs, just visit the website at
:57:47. > :57:52.watchdog@bbc.co.uk. Click where it says, "Your story ." Or you can
:57:52. > :57:57.write to us, I believe that the address is on the screens now.
:57:57. > :58:01.Coming up next week: British Gas, Scottish Power and the rest. Fancy
:58:01. > :58:05.leaving your supplier for another? It could be harder than you think.