Episode 7 Watchdog

In the last year or so, as to the complaints we see about packaged

accounts relate to people who tell us they didn't even know they had

this kind of account. Or they were signed up to it without

understanding it. What most people do understand it is the cost. Of

the average annual fee has gone from �127 in 2006, up to 187 pound

now and then there are the benefits themselves. Research shows nearly a

third of customers they surveyed don't use any of them up and some

like insurance and breakdown cover can be bought cheaper elsewhere,

but the most serious complaint concerns the way some of these

accounts were sold in the first place. Where we see problems and

upheld complaints, it's usually because the information given to

the consumer up front has not been clear enough. Maureen and Peter

visited their local HSBC branch to tidy up their finances. They were

enticed by the offer of a packaged account which came with a range of

supposed insurance benefits. young lady went through all our

outgoings with us. The life policies we were paying was costing

us just under �60 a month, and she thought was quite a lot of money.

And then she said, had we heard about this new Advanced account?

She told us we would get �3,000 on death each, and the amount was

�12.95 a month. I thought we were very lucky that date. We cancelled

our other policy, and cancelled our other life policies. And were very

happy. We thought things were going to be a lot easier. Months later,

as they were preparing to on holiday, they checked the small

print of their new account and were shocked to find the insurance

policies only covered customers aged up to 70. As they were in

their mid-Seventies, they had no trouble and virtually no life

insurance. I put my hand up, we didn't go through the documents

that day. Unfortunately, we are of an age, when the bank tells you

something, you believe them. I had never for one minute suspected they

would do this. They would give us an account. It was no good to us.

Although their complaint happened, the bank said they were at fault

for not reading the terms and conditions before signing up, so

the couple were left and insured and it proved to be a critical

moment in their lives. -- An insured. Since this has happened, I

have been diagnosed with a cancerous growth. Obviously, nobody

is going to touch me with insurance when you have been diagnosed with

cancer. Whether the HSBC agree or not, it is their fault. We gave up

our cover because we were offered cover by them with a new account.

It is an unbelievably scary time, especially now with my illness.

It's a shocking story. Yes, but there is a happy ending because

HSBC have now admitted making an error. It says it appears they were

told they could qualify for all the benefits that came with their

account when they couldn't, so they have been refunded in full, plus

extra as an apology. We have got a result. They have accepted the

offer and said they are happy and relieved. OK, that's one couples

sorted, but what about all the others paying for packaged

accounts? Should they ditch them? Martyn Lewis has been putting some

of the most popular ones to the test. Mobile-phone insurance,

identity theft cover, three music downloads, Will Writing Services,

airport lounge access, the list of added extras to seduce us into fee-

paying bank accounts is seemingly endless. No wonder they have been

able to flog so many of them to us. Are packaged account customers

winners or losers? I have come to this north London high-street to

set up my watchdog bank account clinic. My aim is to track down

package account holders and challenge their assumptions to see

if they would be better off back with their old free current

accounts. Wright, who was first? Anthony. He pays �12 a month for

his package account for the accounting. It gives you annual

family worldwide travel insurance. I don't really use it. Do you have

a car? Breakdown cover with Green Flag? Did you know that?

Mobile-phone insurance? Do I have that? You need to register your

mobile phone. But you have not registered it? No. You're paying

for the birth of. What I would suggest to you is whether it's

worth all that money. No. I believe that there are millions of others

just like Anthony. They have been sold benefits would sound good and

they don't need them, don't use them and don't want them, and it's

a waste of money. Do you drive? It's irrelevant. My breakdown cover

up. Their often less expensive ways to do it, anyway. You're a pain 96p

will mobile-phone insurance. Could you could cheaper elsewhere? -- you

are paying a �96 a year. All we have to pay his 86p a month. They

didn't mention to you they offer lots of other accounts. For some,

once they have got packaged accounts, switching would be a

mistake. I have a large overdraft. For the size of the but so if you

have got up to that limit, I think you're in the right area. And we

found some who do make use of the benefits. You have annual cover you

use and mobile-phone insurance that you use and Green Flag. It would

have to be substantially cheaper elsewhere. Many add that bank

customers need to look at their monthly fees. Airport access to,

how many times a be used it? A not at all. If the added extras are

worth the money, life cover or work through �1,000? Trouble planning

and safety? I don't know what that is. You have a, report. A bouquet.

You are paying �8 a month. The cost is �96 to you. IAD their

persistence. It has a very limited value of. Some coloured cards give

it free. Music downloads, a film at a rental, mobile-phone insurance.

Yes. Are you getting a good deal for �96 for the mobile-phone

insurance? That's all you're getting for your money. Martin,

sadly, not in its amazing shirt. I'm in blue velvet for you. What

more do you want? A lot of benefits but why are so many worthless?

People really go in and ask for these accounts. They get called up

on the telephone. You have got to multiply it by 12 and think of the

annual cost. It's not a bank account but a package of insurance

products you are buying. Does the person on the phone get a cat?

but if you're paying �20 a month, for annual worldwide family travel

insurance, but you don't go out of Europe, you could get one for �25.

If you're at 78, and can't get cheap travel insurance, then it can

be good. What about life assurance offered to allow a couple? It did a

good policy to get for older people. For younger people, it's meant to

cover 10 times your salary. �3,000 would not cover the average funeral.

You would need another one on top. Is it difficult to change banks?

they will let you drop down to free, unless you have a big overdraft.

Look at the best free accounts out there. Nationwide gives you a good

account. Halifax will pay you 5p a month on other accounts. There are

good free deals out there. Chris. The major banks say their accounts

harbour a few customer complaints and they advise customers of

changes to prices to ensure they understand all aspects of their

kind before signing up and are regularly remind them of the

benefits. If you would like to comment on this, you can e-mail us.

You can also send us a text message. If you want to follow as on

Coming up, a scramble for those tickets for one direction continues.

How does the website explain prices like this. Needs the new guests at

pontoons. Their sheets are not exactly Snow White. We have come up

with some great names for those talks, but dodgy were already taken

because they are starring in tonight rogue traders which may

once again enraged the many up standing men and women who strive

to give excellent service at a fair price. We really have not got it in

for them. In fact, tonight, we want you to do it up for the great

Yes, believe it or not, we have always had a special bond with

those who ply their trades honestly day after day. We're all on the

same side, you see. We want to force the rogue trader's into

cleaning up their act for the they want the rotten apples to be

chucked out of the barrel. We see evidence of these shared values

every time we pull up next to a white van. Hi, guys. Almost every

time. Can you believe it? He's dodgy, you can tell by the eyes.

The point remains to be said for sub we are there for the customer

and a decent honest tradesmen and those who criticise us would do

well to remind us of that. It looks like you got a chip on your

shoulder. Really? Yes. Let's go. Sadly, there's no shortage of

dishonest companies to focus on. Take tonight's. Not to be confused

with other companies. By Our based in Kent of of of their offer and no

There's a guy appeared with a great big bag. He went up to the shower.

Turned it on. He said my thermostat had gone up. I said, I know that.

He said, I can't get a part now, it's too late for that and he went.

He later called Carol to say the part was obsolete. Basically, it is

typical to work out what the �78 was for. Yes. Thank you so much.

Feel free to close the door if you Carol Leatherby does not live in a

shower, anymore than Yoko lives in a kitchen. We thought we would

bring them together. Any way, when Yoko asked to fix a tap, they asked

for her credit card details. So they could deduct money later, you

may think, but then she found money debited from the card, before they

completeed the job. It is like they decided how much you were to pay

and made the job fit that? Exactly. How did they know what to charge?

don't know. They did, �360, a massive overcharge and a figure

strangely similar are to the estimate pending on her account.

How did you feel after that? I was set up.

Set up? This sounds like a great opportunity to do one of our stings.

You're right, but you don't know everything. You know what? What?

We've stung this lot before. Really? We called a subcontractor

out to a house in Epsom. It is in here.

Simple electrical fault, a loose connection in a plug socket. Easy

to fix, �100 tops. How much did they charge us, then?

�100, but once the workman took the cash, A Class debited the card, so

then we ended up paying them twice. So they charge us twice, we sting

them...? Oh, twice! So, we get a new house, this time in Ealing, and

we set a new fault, this time, a loose connection in the socket

switch. We put a call to A Class, who put their man, Lewis Barker on

the case. So what is the issue? issue is that every time it is on.

It works for a bit then cuts out. Leave it with me.

OK, we will. We'll leave you to remove the

switch cover, a promising start... Then we'll leave you to fiddle with

your phone. A bit of texting going on... Oh, we

all do that, don't we?! But... I wouldn't do this... He's touched

the connection, it has sparked and it has given him a start.

It would do, it is a live switch, as Lewis should know, what with him

being an electrician. He says he needs to fetch a part. It may take

a while. As he is being paid by the hour, time is money.

I'll be as quick as I can. minutes later he returns with a new

switch. How did you get on? Alright.

Great, now he has to fix it with a bit of jiggery, and some pokery.

Oops, that looks like harikari. That there is an earth cable he has

pulled out. We may need that. Lewis, don't take it away! He's making a

real job of this. Electrical masterclass over, Lewis

says goodbye. He has taken a total of 1775 hours n for are a job most

electricians would take 55 minutes. So what did we get for all of that

time and money? He has not earthed the box. This was already efforted

before he turned up. It -- that was already earthed before he broke it.

That means that the back of the switch could become live, therefore

dangerous should a fault occur in the cooker. Cheers, Lewis, you are

in a class of your own. Or he would be if we had not gone and found

someone just as bad. Yes, meet the electrician who came to fix our

lights. That is all live, he is still

pulling at it. He somehow survived. Keep watching

it will make your hair stand on end. We had an unbelievable response to

last week's story about the One Direction Tour. Seats for all dates

were made available on line 12 days ago, but thousands of fans who had

waited said that within hours the tickets were sold out. Then they

arrived later on Get Me In. Now, one of the main selling agencies

also owns Get Me In, and there is a re-sale fee.

There are still secondary sale sites. This week we saw a �30

ticket advertised for an incredible �2,139. You can also get Coldplay

tickets on Here There, for �2,20. With me is Ed Parkinson, the UK

head of viagogo. Thank you for coming in, Ed Parkinson. If those

tickets for more than �2,000 get sold, what is your cut? Well, first

of all it is important not to be distracted by chancers posting

tickets up... Answer the question, what is your cut? We get 25%.

So, on the � 2,000, there is �500. But no-one is buying the tickets.

We are a marketplace. Sellers post the tickets for any price. The

tickets on average, they sell for the face value and below. There are

people that try their luck and sell them for high prices but they do

not sell at them. Why not put a cap on the amount you

let people put their ticks on sale for? There had been proposals for

that, but they are flawed. You could impose a cap on legitimate

resale services like viagogo, but not imposing a cap on the guy in

the car park or at the venue. So the imthen is to drive the market

under ground. The security we have put in place to clean up the market

is then lost. But, if all of the tickets on your

site were a reasonable price, no- one would have to go to touts?

People are always going to buy and sell tickets. Individuals can

decide to post a ticket for whatever price they want to.

I can't get away from the fact that the more expensive the ticket, the

better for you, you make more money? We make money when people

buy tickets. They will do so when it is a fair price. Are you

protecting the fans? We are providing fair prices for tickets.

We are providing a guarantee. That if you buy a ticket on our website

you get what you pay for. Before viagogo there were two chiess --

choices for One Direction tickets, to stay at home or go on eBay.

Supposing a 13-year-old girl is desperate to see a One Direction

concert, how are you helping her? As the concert approaches, the more

people put them up for sale. It gets competitive.

So it would not cost you much to stop the ridiculous prices, there

is no need for an act of Parliament? No. When the show comes

around, you can get the tickets for face value. Right now there are

Rhianna tickets and Katie Perry. Ed -- Ed Parkinson, I have to stop

you there. Now, Get Me In offers is a secure

option for the market. That they never divert face value tickets to

Get Me In. Next, Pontin's. Remember we visited

the camber sands Pontin's last year. In January, the Pontin's was sold

to the Britannia Hotel Group. It promised Disney-style razzmatazz

at all five of the Pontin's resorts. So, has it been a Little Park of

Horrors? Scenes like this hold a special place in our childhood mem

res, the -- memories, the fun, the rides, the famous Blue Coats.

Pontin's may be a great British institution, but the new owners

stayed was right for an all- American makeover. Complete with

costume characters that keep the crowds, entertained at Disney World.

So, welcome to Pontin's, this is courtesy of a family holiday who

have had a holiday there this year. So many people have been in touch,

we have had to come up with a new filing system. There chp filthy?

The bedding was horrendousous. There were urine stains on it,

blood, dried faeces. There is Mouldy.

There was a pillow case with mould spots on. I would not put my head

on that. Certainly not my children's. In the bathroom, the

shower hose was awful. Mould growing on it that had been there

for weeks, months, even years. There is Greasy and Groimy.

We looked at the windows, there was a greasy, fatty film area on it.

the pool area, there was hair in the bathroom, it was disgusting.

Nothing for getting Dusty and company shabby.

There were cobwebs in the sky lights, it had not been cleaned for

months. The apartments were shaby. The door frames falling apart, the

window sills falling apart. Outside of our apartment there was a broken

plate tarmacked into the floor. And finally, there is Stinky...

was disgusting. It smelled of sick. The smell was unbelievable. You

opened the door and the smell hit you with force.

These reviews come 11 months after Pontin's former company was put

into administration, nine months after the company was bought over

by the new Britannia Hotel Group. The talk of changing the situation

here, it tus not seem to have materialised. More than 100 of you

have written in about the state of the parks and the living

accommodation. So, me and the gang are going to investigate, but first,

a qi question, thank you very much, Stinky, oh, mirror, mirror, on the

wall, which is the grottiest Pontininess camp of them all? A

tough choice, but it looks like this year's title goes to Green

Sands in Somerset. Anyone think of a catchy ad slogan

for it? The only way to describe Pontin's Green Sands is hell on

earth. Let's see if you are right. The

Watchdog team booked two apartments. As I wouldn't ask our dwaarves to

do anything I would not, I sneaked in as well.

The first thing as I walk into the room is the smell. It hits the back

of the throat. It is like a mouldy smell, but it is really strong.

This place is full of dust and around the toilet, well... It is

not good. It's not nice.

Oh, that is filthy! Have you seen this hole in the wall here. The cup

boards are half falling apart and that is filthy.

Look at the blood... The smell is coming from here. It's the carpet.

Ch It's got a rather unique crispy feel to it. It is filthy. Outside

we found grubby aund run down public toilets. Disused chairs by

the play area, grime on the floors and dirt on the chairs and litter

by the crazy golf. It looked like the swimming pool had had a lick of

paint. Don't think I would describe it as Disney magic, though, but all

is not lost, we can bring our own touch of Disney razzmatazz, well,

at least to the Green Sands resort. It is time to bring out the

dwaarves. # Just whistle while you work... #

Start at the top and work your way down. What's with the grumpy face?

You love this, Filthy! Get that spotless. Right, well done,

everybody, great effort in here, now it is off to the rest of the

park. Go on, quickly! Quickly. # Hi who, hi who, it is off to work

we go # Are they tidying up for you? Yes, we don't even smoke, but

that is disgusting. Make sure it is spik and span.

is not my type of cleaning. We had cups and knives and forks that were

dirty. If there are complaints, get one of

my men to come in. Just as we were making progress,

the security pointed us to the exits. It was hard on the dwaarves.

I know you wanted to make sure it was all clean, but we've been asked

to go. Maybe even worse news for the

Pontin's' guests, who is going to clean up for them now? I could not

let my children stay here. It is a health hazard. When my children are

naughty at home, my threat is to take them back to Pontin's.

OK, with me now is Eileen Downey from the Britannia Hotel Group who

owned it pontoons. We do go for your holidays this year? I went to

Majorca. You didn't have bloodstained sheets? Mouldy

bathrooms? Let me tell you, we've owned these parks for 26 weeks.

This programme is rather premature. When your camera crew were on our

part, they were asked to to have a look at the improved apartments. We

wrote to you and ask you again to have a look at another park. These

parks are townships. They are three-and a-half 1,000 apartments.

We bought them out of receivership and Rome wasn't built in a day. We

had put into those parks, 1.5 million. OK. No, you listen. We are

putting people but you say you've had complaints. We've had more than

100 complaints and these people were in the your chalets with blood

stained sheets, holes in the sofa, Knowles in the bathroom, crispy

carpets, terrible smells, so what ever refurbishments you're doing,

which I appreciate, they didn't experience them. They went for

their break and that is what they found. Are you happy that people

existed in those conditions? happy the have their wish was I

going quicker... What about the people who didn't experience them?

It was in a receivership, the company went bust. Nobody wanted to

buy it. Why did you give out chalets and when they were not

suitable? In this economic climate? To make people unemployed? We have

a programme to close some of the parks. You didn't close them in

greened Sanz, did you? In November, and out of 1.5 million people, on

your account, and 99.9% had a good value. Are you happy they stayed in

there? What about those who didn't have good value? What are you going

to do about them? Once the refurbishments are done, everybody

will have good quality. I'm not prepared to comment further. Back

to this company from Kent, not to be confused with companies of the

same name. They doubled charged us for one job and overcharged for

another. Is there incompetence down to a few bad apples or the whole

lot tree rotten? We are going to find the answer because it's now

time to call them out again to a typical house with a typical home

owner who has developed a problem with her lighting. I think I need

and a Titian to look at my a lighting. Actually, our expert has

broken up a wire under the Consumer Ewart -- unit. Should be no problem

for the manner the company has sent to sort it out. Hello. What's the

problem? I have got no lights. heads for the consumer unit to

investigate, so why is he going to the light, instead? What is he

doing? He should have started at the fuse box. He doesn't know

whether it is alive or dead. After lowering the light fixing, he heads

for the consumer unit, excellent. He's found a problem. Purple as

you're coming out, because there's a bit of a issue. Ouch, his head.

There is a consumer unit is on and this is live on. Don't put your

fingers in there, mate. That is playing with fire. Strictly

speaking, its wire, but I will have to go on this occasion. It's alive

and he is pulling at it. Finally, 30 minutes later, he powered down

the consumer unit. Will he fix it? Not quite yet. He decides to mess

with the screws instead. He is checking the tightness. I think.

There's no need for that. Why get on with the job when you can fiddle

about, I suppose? Just clip it in. Fiddling about. He gets his torch.

He is reconnecting it now. 1 hour later, he fixes it. A quick

reassemble of the unit and he will be on his way. Not before getting

his screwdriver out again! OK, let's fast-forward, because we kind

of know how this N's. We don't want to sit through another 10 minutes

of it. Wake up, you two. We may have been screwed over but at least

there's a bright side, because the lights are back on! It is done, OK.

The cable was burnt out. What did he to say? The cable was burnt out.

I don't think that was a burned-out cable. It wasn't. Unfortunate, our

So, he has lied about the cable been burned to justify the amount

of time he has taken and now Nikola says she wants to see it, he says

she can't because it belongs to her. His improvising like crazy. I would

OK, it's a good effort, Nicole, but give up. Meanwhile, he wants to be

paid, �156, double what it should have cost it almost word for a

performance worthy of Paul Merton. That was awkward. Yes, in an

informative public service broadcasting kind of way. Are you

going to confront him? Not yet. I think there's a couple of rotten

apples in there but I suspect they are getting their instructions from

above. I think this goes all the way to the top and what is better,

I have got their way to prove it. Not without some body on the inside.

Yes, Roy Ford. Our very own undercover penetration. We ask him

to apply for a job using a fake name and CV. After a two-minute

phone conversation, success. The next day, they gave him a simple

job, resetting an appliance pulls up Roy is a consummate professional

and completed in minutes. Surely his bosses will be happy. Won't

they? I've done everything within OK, speed and efficiency don't

impress Roy's new buses, one of whom introduce himself as James, so

Yes, you heard that correctly, they want their sub-contractors to spend

hours on the job. So they can make more money. How can they justify

all that time when the job only warrants a few minutes? They will

have to explain that to us later. Sky and Virgin battling it out for

your custom. Sky's latest fairy tale marketing campaign says we

should believe in better, while Virgin Media are trying to poach

Sky customers and claimed only their fairy tales are a happy

ending. Pool to trust? -- who to Once upon a time it there was a

giant company called BSkyB. It promised customers a great services

at lower prices up. I will grant you three wishes. What do you most

desire? I want Sky TV. Fast broadband. Freephone calls. Wicked!

But be warned, children, they don't always make people's dreams come

true. In a land far, far away, Portsmouth, to be precise, there

lived a man called Graham. He wanted to pay less for his broad

band so he switched his contract from Sky which cost �17 a month, to

Sky unlimited which should have cost seven pound 50 a month, and it

all went well. Until the first invoice. It was 9p 50 more than I

should have been paying. I immediately phoned up customer

services are apologise to both of they reimbursed nine and 52. This

went on for five consecutive months. Every month I had to phone them to

get it rebated. He huffed and puffed but Sky have not been much

help at all. I want to speak to your manager. They eventually

offered Graham a small discount as the compensation. But he's not

satisfied. It does that sound like happily ever after to you? No.

wait until you hear about poor old Tan Sin. She asked a skied to go

third television, broadband and telephone but they mistakenly said

that two accounts so even though she paid the bills on time, the

deeper could account went unpaid and Sky took a phone line and cut

it off. She likes to talk on the phone to her friends. Do you like

to do that? Yes. Tamsin couldn't talk on the phone up for two whole

years. That's how long it took for Sky to fix the problem. But, just

when she thought her troubles were over, they started sending

duplicate bills again. I can't really believe that they had done

the same mistake again. It's got so bad, I'd had letters from debt

collectors, and they make things extremely difficult to resolve

problems and close an account, but as they are more than happy to

continue taking direct debits of up to �85 a month from me. All across

the land Sky customers are being promised a fairy godmother style

happy ending. More than 1,000 of them have complained to us in the

last six months, so perhaps the big bad wolf is more fitting. And

that's not the end of our story. Sky has a rival called Virgin Media.

They scoffed at skies ads and tried to turn to have their broadband

customers promising a real happy ending but Paul, Michael and this

couple are review of the 500 customers who have contacted

watchdog this year. Paul checked twice the good receive their

services before cancelling his other phone and broadband contracts,

only to be told they couldn't supply him after all. My broadband

was disconnected and I had to wait almost two weeks to be reconnected.

It caused me great inconvenience. What angers me is that all my

neighbours have had a letter in the last few days from Virgin Media

saying, come to us for high-speed broadband and quality TV. Michael

switched to Virgin because they offer a cut-price deal but because

the salesman put in the wrong code at the type a purchase, he never

got a discount. I've never been charged the right price from day

one to present day. Virgin Media customer service is abysmal. They

will answer the phone in a short period of time but the actual

response and sorting things out, never ever happens. Mary want to

change her husband's account into her name after he passed away.

Instead, Virgin set up a new account, cut off their phone and

temporarily then it reactivated it with a different number. All

without telling her. It's the same direct debit which I've always had,

the same bank account, and all we wanted was a husband's name taken

off the mailing list with my name on it and we've had all this

trouble. Nothing about a new number because she's had that original

number ever since she had a phone, 50 years. So, children, who still

believes in fairy stories? And who believes in stories by pigeon media

Rebecca Wilcox reporting there. Sky have apologised to the customers

featured. They have resolved their complaints. They say they came out

top in customer satisfaction in a recent Ofcom revue. Anyone unhappy

with the service should contact them. The details are on the screen

now. As for Virgin Media, they have also apologised. It was incorrect

advice inherited from previous cable companies and Michael Froom

did not get his account because of an administrative error. They are

reviewing the process for handling such cases and are asking customers

to contact them, the details are on the screens now. Thank you to

everyone in touch about that story, here are a few more.

Smoking on TV? It should be banned. Apart from on Mad Men, of course.

That is quite cool. Any way, smoking television sets are not so

cool. Sony has admitted that a component 6 eight versions of its

BRAVIA model is potentially faulty and could overheat. It followed

incidents in Japan where owners found their sets emitting smoke.

All models have been sold since 2007, Sony stopped issuing a recall

but has offered customers safety inspections. It says that the sets

are not at risk when switched off it has warned customers to look out

for ununusual noises and smells coming from the sets as opposed to

the usual ones coming from the kids! To cut down on household fuel

bills maybe you should not rely on energy companies for advice. A

survey found them giving out dodgy guidance when people rang up to

inquire by transferring to another supplier. The research asked for

all big six companies to ask for details on the tariffs, but they

were nearly given wrong information in all. Southern electric said

there was not a big price difference between the tariffs. It

makes you wonder why there are about 50, then? Aberdeen Angus

cattle, the finest breed, chompioned by the Prince of Wales.

The Co-op are selling a steak for a premium price of �9 .3 3 a pound.

Why not it is reared in Scotland and with unique marbling and

guaranteeed flavour for tenderness, but when you peel back the label

there is this: The meat originating from a pure bred Aberdeen Angus

bull, but crossed with a cow from another breed. Steve Partridge

complained and demanded an explanation, Co-op said that this

is permitted under irGovernment regulations but is reviewing the

position of its cross-breed statement. Why hide it in the first

place? When we last saw A Class UK LTD of Kent, they had given Roy a

job as an electrician and stopped telling him to be so fast and

efficient and told them to spin the jobs out in order to charge more

money. Unusual advice? Or standard operating procedure? There is own

one way to find out. Roy has told A Class that he is available for the

next job that comes in. Guess where that is going to be? Is that A

company class? Yes, speaking. having a problem with the lighting.

Yes, it is back to ours, or at least the place we have hired for

the day. A Class have texted to see who is closest for the yob, it is

Roy who gets this there first. It is a tripped switch on the consumer

yuent. Roy can fix it in 30 seconds, but knows that the speedy work will

land him in trouble. He better call the head office for advice.

So, if I reset it everything is done within the hour, but the last

Not exclusively. Roy's last set of instructions came from someone

called James. Sounds like a different person but with the same

guidance. Isn't there something you have

forgotten? Yeah, absolutely. Take three unnecessary hours, buy an

unnecessary part and stick the old one back in. Like any honest

tradesman, Roy is outraged. You tell them, Roy, that there is

the difference between a grafter and a shafter. If you are still in

doubt... So, the company motto, the customer is always... Rich? Who

exactly is in charge of A Class? We have heard orders from a man called

James, the director on paper is a man called Jake Mott and there have

been a series of other names. As for the address on the company's

invoices, that is just a PO box. We need to gem them out to us. We have

chosen a meeting place in Bromley and asked a member of the team to

pose as a businessman with money to spend. In a blue checked shirt is

our producer, John. He has told the meeting that he needs a land Lord -

- he has told A class that he is a land Lord with many places that

need maintenance. A Class are coming here in 20

minutes. They tonight realise it, but they are getting the full

English when they arrive. This is our cafe now, all of these people

are with me. Are you with me? OK, a bit half-hearted. At 2.00pm,

the man from A Class arrives. It is Lewis Barker. The same Lewis

who shocked himself on our job in Ealing... But he's had a haircut,

look... Why has he come forward to talk on behalf of A Class.

What is your role? I'm an electrician, but I supervisor of

other electricians. That is interesting, tell me more.

I'm doing my listening face. Lewis is really bigging himself up.

Don't we need to see the director, Jake Mott? All the man Lewis says

is the managing director, is James... He trusts me, whatever I

say to do, he will do. Brilliant.

Don't you hate it when someone at the next table ear holes your

conversation and then butts in. It is so rude.

But at what point, Lewis is the bit where you have taken the money

before the job's begun, before you have worked out what the yob is --

job is, and then the job is longer than it should be as you have gone

to get a part which you didn't need? You haven't explained that.

This is BBC Rogue Traders. It is all in there. We've been charged in

cash and you have taken the money from the credit card and we have

asked for a refund and it has never come back. The problem being, when

people try to find where you are, there are a number of addresses

which are not your operating addresses.

But I'm a self-employed lex tradition.

But you told our man that you are a supervisor? Yes.

You have told him you can look after problems that he has got?

Exactly. So, you're the guy in charge?

still work for this company. Yeah? So, OK, but you... Hang on,

one second, mate. How can you say that we go around ripping people

off. We have evidence of you doing that.

You are coming out, touting for business.

You're touting for business here, that is what you are doing.

You are clearly not a monkey, you are an ordering guy.

Lewis is adamant he has no responsibility, despite telling

John he is a supervisor. He does not know the other than, apparently,

so how do they communicate? I get the e-mails, I get these through

the post. So you are like our guy operating

on the end of a text. You have never met James? 100%.

A guy called Jake Mot trbg? I don't know.

-- a guy called Jake Mott? If is he is not involved with the company,

why is he wearing an A Class LTD T- shirt? Driving an A Class van. As

for not knowing Jake Mott who is this, he is Jakey Mott on Facebook.

You see, Lewis, you post a face, we find a trace. He told us that he

claimed to be a supervisor to get more work. He put the A Class logos

on the van himself and maintains he has never met the other than. That

his friendship with Jakey Mott is irrelevant. Meanwhile, Jake Mott is

grateful we have brought the failings of the company to him.

He says he disassociates themselves to staff who string out work and

say that Lewis is an honourable trader, not a rogue and he,

incidentally, says if he did leave the cooker switch unearthed, it was

a genuine mistake. They say that complaints are few, but have sent a

dedicated team to deal with him. They have funded us for the double

charge, but are unsure about the no-fix, no-fee policy. As for Jake

Mott, he needs to check our Rogue's Gallery. There he is

Loads of texts from you. Lots of you getting in touch about the

packaged bank accounts. Alexander says his account came with break

down cover, but when the car broke down it was no use, it applied to

within a ten-mile radius of his own. -- own home. A few of you have

looked around at your accounts, and you are saying that you don't need

them. We have had over 2thouztweets with

-- we have over 2thouztweets with regards to the -- we have had over

thousand tweets are regards to the woman from Pontin's. Keep sending

your stories and tip-offs, just visit the website at

[email protected]. Click where it says, "Your story ." Or you can

write to us, I believe that the address is on the screens now.

Coming up next week: British Gas, Scottish Power and the rest. Fancy

leaving your supplier for another? It could be harder than you think.