:00:14. > :00:19.BMW owners, your car at risk, wonga, your bank account at risk. First
:00:19. > :00:29.Choice Holidays, your stomach at risk, plus, Asda, nest lay, WH
:00:29. > :00:44.
:00:44. > :00:49.Smith, it is Watchdog, the Yes, hello and good evening. We're
:00:49. > :00:53.back with a new series of Watchdog, and we're live, as usual, from
:00:53. > :00:59.Television Centre. Tonight, BMW, they know their cars can be stolen
:00:59. > :01:04.in seconds, why aren't they warning owners. You spend �40,000, �50,000,
:01:04. > :01:10.more on a vehicle, and somebody can take your car without a key, it's
:01:10. > :01:16.ludicrous. Also tonight, uncooked chicken, unwell guests, Watchdog
:01:16. > :01:20.goes undercover, all-inclusive, with First Choice. First,ness lay,
:01:20. > :01:26.bigger box, less contents, same price, and Wonga, you may not have
:01:26. > :01:34.taken out a loan, but they can still empty your bank account.
:01:34. > :01:38.You might well need a loan if you deal with tonight's rogs, they sell
:01:38. > :01:48.you car that is are dangerous and they overcharge you, and don't take
:01:48. > :01:54.
:01:54. > :01:59.kindly to complaints. Who are you. The question that out of my face.
:02:00. > :02:04.Would you like us to leave now?Le He does go on a bit, that was the
:02:04. > :02:10.boss of Five Star Cars in Brentford, giving us service with a snarl, and
:02:10. > :02:18.sending our bleepbleep machine into overdrive. Find out what made him
:02:18. > :02:23.so BLEEPING angry later. BMW, the ultimate driving machine, for the
:02:23. > :02:28.car thief it is the ultimate gift. If you own one built between 2006
:02:28. > :02:32.and 2011, we can now tell you that, thanks to a gaping security risk,
:02:32. > :02:41.tens of thousands of them can be stolen. The thief only needs a
:02:41. > :02:47.couple of minutes, and he doesn't mean need your key. They cost
:02:47. > :02:50.between �17,000 and �100,000, proviegd owners with the last word
:02:50. > :02:56.in German engineering. But every day, more and more owners are
:02:57. > :03:01.waking up to find them gone. I woke up and the car wasn't there. Apart
:03:01. > :03:06.from some shattered glass on the floor and no vehicle, amazing.
:03:06. > :03:12.Stephen's BMW M6 convertible, was stole nonJanuary. After paying so
:03:12. > :03:17.much, he thought he had taken all the necessary safety precautions.
:03:17. > :03:21.had both keys in my possession, and spent �50,000 on a vehicle, and
:03:21. > :03:28.someone come and take your car without a key, it is ludicrous.
:03:28. > :03:31.the same night his car was taken, he met another BMW who had also
:03:31. > :03:34.been targeted, since then, more have been write to go Watchdog.
:03:34. > :03:38.Their cars have gone too, and all still have their keys. What is
:03:38. > :03:42.going on? It begins with the computerisation of cars. Most
:03:42. > :03:47.modern vehicles like the BMW now have an on-board computer hidden
:03:47. > :03:50.under the bonnet. This computer basically controls the engine, and
:03:50. > :03:56.making sure everything is working correctly. It also controls this
:03:56. > :03:59.the car's electronic key. All BMWs have had them since 2006. The key's
:03:59. > :04:04.communicate with the computer via radio signal, that, in turn, allows
:04:04. > :04:08.you to start the vehicle. But, crucially, the computer can
:04:08. > :04:13.also programme a Newquay, should the old one be lost. This used to
:04:13. > :04:18.be a complicated task, that took around 40 minutes to complete, and
:04:18. > :04:22.required specialist equipment. But someone has managed to simplify the
:04:22. > :04:26.process, which cracking BMW's technology. The result:
:04:26. > :04:30.We have discovered a device exist that is allows anyone to access the
:04:30. > :04:33.on board computer and programme a blank key. It is so easy, the
:04:33. > :04:37.process takes little more than three minutes. Once they have
:04:37. > :04:43.gained access to the vehicle, they can plug in the device, and
:04:43. > :04:46.programme a virgin key, to the computer, within the vehicle. That,
:04:46. > :04:51.in turn, overrides the immobiliser on the vehicle, which enables them
:04:51. > :04:56.to drive the vehicle away. The device was actually designed and
:04:56. > :05:00.marketed for garages and recovery agents, et cetera so, that they
:05:00. > :05:06.could use it over and over again on different vehicles. So the same
:05:06. > :05:10.would apply to the criminals. They could use it on many different BMW
:05:10. > :05:15.vehicles. Amazingly, the blank keys and the device are both available
:05:15. > :05:21.to buy on the Internet, no questions asked. At �6,300, the
:05:21. > :05:26.device isn't cheap, but, as it works on many models of BMW, and
:05:26. > :05:32.can be used repeatedly, the criminals are happy to pay.
:05:32. > :05:38.Here are some of them at work. It is 2.00am on March 31st this year.
:05:38. > :05:41.Steve Woods BMW 1M sits on a driveway in Sutton Colefield, three
:05:41. > :05:47.masked men approach, in less than three minutes the car will be gone.
:05:48. > :05:52.I had always wanted one, always worked towards having one. And just
:05:52. > :05:56.over �43,000, it was. The gang get in through part of the window, and
:05:56. > :06:01.a man in the pale grey jacket is holding one of the devices. They
:06:01. > :06:05.quickly gain access and are soon pushing the car, quietly, off the
:06:06. > :06:11.draifway, ready to be started and driven a-- driveway, ready to be
:06:11. > :06:19.started and driven away. I thought modern cars were unstealable, but
:06:19. > :06:23.found out different. Police in Warwickshire are so
:06:23. > :06:27.concerned, they issued this press release in April, warning BMW
:06:27. > :06:31.owners to take extra precautions because of the high number of cars
:06:31. > :06:35.being stolen. It clearly states that the thief use as device on the
:06:35. > :06:40.vehicle, which programmes a blank key. It is the same story in London.
:06:40. > :06:44.There have been so many thefts here, that in August, the Metropolitan
:06:44. > :06:48.Police left these leaflets under windscreens, warning BMW owners,
:06:48. > :06:51.their cars were likely to be targeted. So, with the police going
:06:51. > :06:57.out of their way to warn the public of the dangers, you would expect
:06:57. > :07:02.BMW to be doing the same. Surely their they are contacted owners and
:07:02. > :07:06.letting prospective buyers know the risks? Well, not exactly we visited
:07:06. > :07:16.BMW dealerships in both the Midlands and London, both theft hot
:07:16. > :07:50.
:07:50. > :08:00.spots. What would they tell us A totally inconsistent message, do
:08:00. > :08:12.
:08:12. > :08:16.BMW know about this, or don't they. So, if head office are aware of the
:08:16. > :08:19.vulnerability, why aren't they telling their dealerships or
:08:19. > :08:23.customers? Perhaps they need more convincing about just how easy it
:08:23. > :08:27.is to break into one of their cars using this device. So, we are going
:08:27. > :08:31.to show them. Normally we would use a professional for this kind of
:08:31. > :08:36.thing. It is so easy, we are going to do it ourselves. This is blank
:08:36. > :08:41.key, which, as you can see, currently doesn't work to start
:08:41. > :08:46.this vehicle, just so there is no doubt it is a genuine test, we are
:08:46. > :08:51.gok going to mark the key -- going to mark the key. We can't show you
:08:51. > :09:01.precisely how this works, I will ask the cameraman to tilt up,
:09:01. > :09:06.
:09:06. > :09:16.whilst we do this. This is the key we marked earlier, just two minutes
:09:16. > :09:21.
:09:21. > :09:26.ago it wouldn't start this car. But now it does. A security system so
:09:26. > :09:34.compromised that even I can break it. How much more proof does BMW
:09:34. > :09:40.need that it's time for them to take action. OK, a huge increase in
:09:40. > :09:44.thefts, police going out of their way to warn owners, BMW, are
:09:44. > :09:49.perfectly aware of the problem, have we yet any evidence of
:09:49. > :09:52.customers being warned? We haven't met anyone yet warned by BMW before
:09:52. > :09:56.tonight. The company have told us they take security extremely
:09:56. > :09:59.seriously, and that all their cars meet all UK and global security
:09:59. > :10:04.standards. However, no car is completely unstealable, they say,
:10:04. > :10:06.and they, along with the police and other car-makers are in a constant
:10:07. > :10:10.battle against increasingly sophisticated criminals. They say
:10:11. > :10:14.it is a new type of high-tech crime, that simply didn't exist when the
:10:14. > :10:17.cars were manufactured, they first became aware of it last autumn, and
:10:17. > :10:21.immediately launched an investigation. But that's actually
:10:21. > :10:27.a year ago, they still haven't been in touch with owners, why?
:10:27. > :10:32.According to them, it's a problem that's not specific to BMW, and
:10:32. > :10:36.that other manufacturers' cars are also affected. They say none of
:10:36. > :10:42.their cars, built after September 2011, can be stolen by the method
:10:42. > :10:45.we have highlight, they have been enhancing the protection of X5 and
:10:45. > :10:49.X6 models built before then. Tonight, they saying, they can
:10:49. > :10:53.extend that protection to other models, free of charge. We are
:10:53. > :10:57.contacting all owners can advice on increased security, they have asked
:10:57. > :11:04.anyone with concerns to contact their dealer or the customer
:11:04. > :11:08.service department on the free phone number below.
:11:08. > :11:13.Any more advice from car security specialists? Well, basically, they
:11:13. > :11:18.advise that the key thing is adding extra layers of security, to make
:11:18. > :11:24.it harder to steal. Two relatively simple examples, putting on one of
:11:24. > :11:29.these, a steering wheel lock, or even a good old fashioned wheel-
:11:29. > :11:33.clamp, if unlike me, you can actually lift it up. That stops
:11:33. > :11:36.thieves driving off with your car. Alternatively, fitting another
:11:36. > :11:43.alarm, that isn't connected to the car's computer. All of these, a bit
:11:43. > :11:49.of a hassle, not ideal, but perhaps worth it, just for peace of mind.
:11:49. > :11:52.Meanwhile, as BMW claim other types of cars with similar technology are
:11:52. > :11:55.affected, please, please, let us know if you have had a problem?
:11:55. > :12:05.you would like to comment on that or any of tonight's stories, here
:12:05. > :12:14.
:12:14. > :12:18.Coming up: First Choice, thinking of a holiday
:12:18. > :12:28.at the four-star resort in Egypt, best have a word with other guests
:12:28. > :12:33.
:12:33. > :12:37.We're back, after an eventful couple of months, if you don't mind,
:12:37. > :12:41.I would like to focus on the reassuringly constant things in
:12:41. > :12:46.life, like wet summers, and not knowing 90% of the housemates on
:12:46. > :12:49.celebrity Big Brother. Then there are those companies who promise a
:12:49. > :12:59.lot, but whose service continues to be a million miles removed from
:12:59. > :13:14.
:13:14. > :13:21.Five stars is as good as it get, only the best films get five stars,
:13:21. > :13:25.like Citizen Kane. And King Kong is a five-star film. The Dorchester is
:13:25. > :13:31.a five-star hotel, and the Ritz, there is a couple more near Gatwick.
:13:31. > :13:38.Where as five-star films and hotels cost a lot of money, Five Star Cars
:13:38. > :13:44.at Brentford, say their cars don't. Their promise is, quality cars, at
:13:44. > :13:49.low, low prices. So, are they? Shall we find out? I just can't
:13:49. > :13:53.wait. We have heard their cars definitely don't match their
:13:53. > :14:03.quality promise, in fact, buy one, it could be damage, dufd up,
:14:03. > :14:13.dangerous, or, to use a deck kal term. It is a dodge em -- tell kal
:14:13. > :14:23.
:14:24. > :14:27.determine. It's a dodgem. didn't want a dodgem, he wanted a
:14:28. > :14:33.Fiat Ibiza for �5,000 last March. The company seemed friendly and
:14:33. > :14:38.reliable. When did you notice it wasn't quite what it should have
:14:38. > :14:41.been? On the motorway you got a sudden shake on the steering wheel,
:14:41. > :14:46.quite abrupt, as if you are going over speed bumps the whole way down.
:14:46. > :14:52.I started thinking something was up. Did you get it looked at? I was
:14:52. > :14:57.told by a garage to get it looked at by an independent inspector,
:14:57. > :15:03.they are allowed to take you on a test drive, he said it's unroad
:15:03. > :15:08.worthy, his words were "it's a death trap". I presume you took it
:15:08. > :15:14.back to Five Star Cars? I rang them up and said it shouldn't be allowed
:15:14. > :15:18.near the road, what can you do. He said I have got the money, you have
:15:18. > :15:23.signed a contract, and do what you like with it. Five Star Cars has
:15:23. > :15:29.racked up over �15,000 in unpaid county court judgments, �3,000 of
:15:29. > :15:32.it Ben's money, when a bailiff advised the site, they said they
:15:32. > :15:38.didn't have enough assets to pay Ben back. Stuck with a vehicle they
:15:38. > :15:43.have been told is a death trap, Ben has sold it to a breaker's yard.
:15:43. > :15:46.have lost �2,200, the best price I could find was �800, I have made
:15:46. > :15:51.this loss, I won't see the money back. Five Star Cars are getting
:15:51. > :15:59.away with it. Yeah, maybe not for much longer, though, we have sent
:15:59. > :16:04.down our very own Scooby, and Scrappy do, our experts. They are
:16:04. > :16:14.look to go find their own five-star dodgem, it shouldn't be that
:16:14. > :16:16.
:16:16. > :16:21.difficult. Alarm bells are already ring beg this Kia Picanto. At
:16:21. > :16:27.�2,500, it should be in good condition. It spells like a dog has
:16:28. > :16:31.died. The tailgate on the right hand side doesn't need standards,
:16:31. > :16:37.the bonnet doesn't align properly with the bumper, a scrape there, it
:16:37. > :16:44.has been a bit of a dodgem. it's time to find out more, let's
:16:45. > :16:49.go for a test drive. I don't like the sound of that. Feeling loose or
:16:50. > :16:55.badly worn on the suspension, the suspension shouldn't sound like
:16:55. > :17:04.that. Five Star Cars's opinion of the Kia is a little different, meet
:17:04. > :17:12.Syed. It is very effective, once it is ready.
:17:12. > :17:16.So it's in very good condition, I will be driving it a lot.
:17:16. > :17:20.We say we're interested in buying the clapped-out keyia, John is
:17:20. > :17:27.watching the negotiation from his own dodgem, while Joe goes into the
:17:27. > :17:37.office. Just as he's about to hand over the deposit, Five Star throw a
:17:37. > :17:57.
:17:57. > :18:02.That's a lie, it is not MOT-ed. There are more pork pies to come.
:18:02. > :18:12.That's totally ridiculous, at the moment, it is not worth �1,000,
:18:12. > :18:22.
:18:22. > :18:26.heaven knows what it will be worth And on that promise, Joe pays a
:18:26. > :18:31.�500 deposit and arranges to come back for the Kia tomorrow.
:18:31. > :18:35.They have got the money, the car and the documents. There are no
:18:35. > :18:39.documents. I would say it's all going very well.
:18:39. > :18:46.Let's go home. # Bad boys
:18:46. > :18:51.It seemed to be going well, then that 24-hour wait for the car
:18:51. > :18:55.turned out to be more like two week, when we finally got hold of it, it
:18:55. > :18:59.was in an even worse condition than we first thought. How much worse?
:18:59. > :19:06.Find out later. Before that, First Choice, and its
:19:06. > :19:11.holiday village, Red Sea Resort in Sharm-El-Shek, three swimming pools,
:19:11. > :19:19.four stars, and hundreds of angry guests, no wonder.
:19:19. > :19:22.Scourging sun, and glistening sea, set against a stunning desert
:19:22. > :19:26.backdrop. First Choice says its relaxed atmosphere and fabulous
:19:26. > :19:29.range of restaurants all combine to provide the ultimate family holiday.
:19:29. > :19:34.Which is what a family of four would expect when they spend
:19:34. > :19:39.thousands of pounds to stay here. Sadly, where this resort is
:19:39. > :19:44.concerned, expectation hasn't been met by reality.
:19:44. > :19:52.Lisa and her family spent two weeks at the resort to celebrate her
:19:52. > :19:57.wedding anniversary, cost �3,500. would have said within three days
:19:57. > :20:01.of being there, the illness started. Both me and my husband, we started
:20:01. > :20:06.to suffer, sickness and diarrhoea. Chloe and Brad quickly fell ill too,
:20:06. > :20:11.and a few days later, another family came out to join them. What
:20:11. > :20:15.happened to them? All eight of us were poorly, three of which
:20:15. > :20:21.required attention by way of a drip from a doctor, six were on
:20:21. > :20:26.medication. So, not a good casualty list really. The holiday village
:20:26. > :20:31.was nicknamed to "horror village" Red Sea. The illness wasn't
:20:31. > :20:36.confined to Lisa's group. Other people started to suffer their
:20:36. > :20:40.illnesses to the point that bowel habits couldn't be controlled while
:20:40. > :20:45.in the pool. It was closed five times over three days, for reasons
:20:45. > :20:49.of either sickness or faeces being found in it. Chloe, a little bird
:20:49. > :20:53.told me you wrote something in the guest book? I wrote that we liked
:20:53. > :20:57.the pool, but we didn't like the poo in the pool. The I think that's
:20:57. > :21:02.fair enough, would you agree with that? I would agree with that.
:21:02. > :21:07.says dozens of other guests complained to reps about being sick,
:21:07. > :21:12.but, like her, they were told it was due to the heat, a normal case
:21:12. > :21:16.of Egyptian tummy. I never wanted to be home quite like I had done, I
:21:16. > :21:20.wanted to be home. Since coming home I haven't felt like I had the
:21:20. > :21:23.holiday you don't work and book yourself a holiday, to go through
:21:23. > :21:29.what we then went through, I don't want anyone telling me it was the
:21:29. > :21:34.norm, it wasn't norm, and since being home, I haven't felt right. I
:21:34. > :21:38.haven't felt like I have had it. one-off event? No. We have heard of
:21:38. > :21:44.more than 70 people reporting illness at the holiday village.
:21:44. > :21:48.They include Gregor and his family, who paid �4,000 for their two-week
:21:49. > :21:52.stay. Stomach pains were unbearable, and diarrhoea was constant. A lot
:21:52. > :21:59.of people were severely unwell. It effectively wiped out a week for
:21:59. > :22:04.both of us. We went to the Red Sea to do snoarkling and scuba diving,
:22:04. > :22:09.we couldn't go far from a toilet, it ruined the holiday. First Choice
:22:09. > :22:14.sell all-inclusive packages to the holiday village Red Sea, guests
:22:14. > :22:19.stay on the site the whole time. The families we spoke to say they
:22:19. > :22:25.never left the hotel complex before they fell ill. Which subjects,
:22:26. > :22:29.whatever the source is, it is within the resort. More worryingly,
:22:29. > :22:37.the outbreaks are recurring again and again. Two law firms have been
:22:37. > :22:42.collecting similar complaints for the past five years. We have spoken
:22:43. > :22:50.to three to four hundred people who have contacted us in relation to
:22:50. > :22:54.this resort. We have varying diseases from Sam nel that, and
:22:54. > :22:57.even E-coli and others, it would show a breakdown of food and
:22:57. > :23:01.hygiene standards. It is one of the worst quality complaints I have
:23:01. > :23:06.seen in 15 years working in this industry. Of course, people will
:23:06. > :23:12.always be ill on holiday. But this many people? At the same resort,
:23:12. > :23:15.every year? This look like a pattern.
:23:15. > :23:18.Yet, First Choice are still taking bookings for the resort. When we
:23:18. > :23:22.called them earlier this summer, they told us, three times, that
:23:22. > :23:26.there was nothing to be concerned about. Strange, then, that they
:23:26. > :23:31.also posted this message on their Facebook page, admitting that a
:23:31. > :23:34.small number of guests had fallen ill, and they were taking
:23:34. > :23:38.precautionary measures. When there is that many people falling ill,
:23:38. > :23:42.First Choice should have a big panic button that they push to try
:23:42. > :23:49.to identify why so many people are ill within the resorts. They should
:23:49. > :23:53.take the hard decision and stop sending people to that resort.
:23:53. > :23:56.obvious question, have First Choice finally got a grip on the problem?
:23:56. > :24:00.They have apologised to the holidaymakers we saw in the film,
:24:00. > :24:04.and offered both families a full refund. We have had lots of other
:24:04. > :24:08.complaints. We travelled to Sharm- El-Shek to look at the resort
:24:08. > :24:14.ourselves, the company promises a holiday beyond your expectations,
:24:14. > :24:21.and we certainly weren't expecting this.
:24:21. > :24:24.Two of our team booked themselves a week here, all-inclusive. First
:24:25. > :24:30.impressions were of a resort that was a little rough around the edges,
:24:30. > :24:35.a swimming pool with a layer of scum along the side. A pool side
:24:35. > :24:45.shower that was hardly gleaming, and exposed wiring around the site.
:24:45. > :25:00.
:25:00. > :25:04.Shabby, but not too serious, until In total, we met 24 guests all
:25:04. > :25:10.complaining of stomach pains and diarrhoea, even with all this
:25:10. > :25:20.illness, hygiene here was lacking. Anti-bacterial gel in some areas,
:25:20. > :25:26.
:25:26. > :25:30.good, no hot water in seven of the The drains didn't seem to be
:25:30. > :25:39.functioning well either, perhaps that explained the stench that
:25:39. > :25:43.greeted guests at the main entrance. There were questionable hygiene
:25:43. > :25:48.practices elsewhere. The main pool, normally packed with families and
:25:48. > :25:58.children, was suddenly closed, with staff chucking in heavy duty
:25:58. > :25:58.
:25:58. > :26:08.cleaning chemicals. Despite the obvious health risks, staff seemed
:26:08. > :26:12.
:26:12. > :26:15.desperate to reopen the pool as quickly as possible.
:26:15. > :26:20.Sure enough, within 20 minutes, children and adults were allowed
:26:20. > :26:23.back in, way too soon, according to one hygiene expert. I'm quite
:26:23. > :26:27.concerned about how they dealt with the incident, from what I have seen
:26:27. > :26:30.on the footage T appears they weren't testing the pool for levels
:26:30. > :26:35.of disinfection. More importantly, I just saw a lot of chemical being
:26:35. > :26:38.shoved into the pool at random, there wasn't any time for it to be
:26:38. > :26:42.distributed throughout the pool. This cues me a concern on two
:26:42. > :26:49.koupts. One, do we know the pool -- counts, one, do we know the pool is
:26:49. > :26:55.safe to use, and secondly, there may be pockets of chlorine in the
:26:55. > :27:00.pool that could give rise to a chemical burn. Staff unaware of
:27:00. > :27:04.risk, and kitchen staff too, they were laying out the buffet
:27:04. > :27:08.including this portion of chicken. Staff admitted it was undercooked
:27:08. > :27:11.and took the plate away. Later on we were served this, it is not
:27:11. > :27:21.salmon, it is chicken. This is chicken with stuffed vegtables, it
:27:21. > :27:30.
:27:30. > :27:40.is really pink. And another night Once again we challenged the
:27:40. > :27:41.
:27:41. > :27:45.kitchen staff? Clearly this is undercooked, it is so easy to get
:27:45. > :27:49.this right, all you need to do is cook it properly and check it, 75
:27:49. > :27:54.degrees, job done, it is not rocket science, it is really simple to get
:27:54. > :28:04.right. We know of one guest there at the same time as us, who was
:28:04. > :28:05.
:28:05. > :28:10.later diagnosed as having camila Campylobacter, a food poisoning
:28:10. > :28:15.linked to eating undercooked meat. Undercooked kitchen can be the
:28:15. > :28:19.cause, we know 60% of chickens in the UK have the disease, it means
:28:19. > :28:24.if you undercook chicken, there is a 60% chance it might be there and
:28:24. > :28:31.might have survived. It is infectious in very small doses. The
:28:31. > :28:35.other danger is you could find salmonella or E-coli surviving.
:28:35. > :28:45.Despite the number of guests falling ill last summer and this
:28:45. > :28:58.
:28:58. > :29:08.year, this First Choice rep refused How did she explain the widespread
:29:08. > :29:14.
:29:14. > :29:24.sickness. The resort doctor, according to him, some guests had
:29:24. > :29:36.
:29:36. > :29:40.So, we have heard the explanations and seen the problems for ourselves.
:29:40. > :29:44.What does our expert recommend? These things are so simple to fix,
:29:44. > :29:47.this is just a matter of cooking food properly and checking that
:29:47. > :29:52.it's cooked. With the pool, very, very simple, make sure that you
:29:52. > :29:57.test the pool, and that you manage it properly. Really simple fixes,
:29:58. > :30:02.let's see them happen. Obvious problems, easy solutions. After
:30:02. > :30:08.years of complaints, will First Choice now put measures in place to
:30:08. > :30:12.stop people falling ill at the Holiday Village Red Sea. OK, First
:30:12. > :30:15.Choice say they are sorry about the reported cases of illness. The
:30:15. > :30:18.guest we saw complaining about being sick has been offered a full
:30:18. > :30:22.refund and compensation. They say during July there was an unusually
:30:22. > :30:28.high level of reported sickness, with 40 of their 3,000 guests in
:30:28. > :30:31.the resort claiming to be affected. An expert has since been appointed
:30:31. > :30:35.to specifically monitor water quality in their pools. They have
:30:35. > :30:38.hired more quality supervisers, and are providing extra training to
:30:38. > :30:42.catering staff. They have added since July sickness cases have
:30:42. > :30:45.dropped significantly, and they are continuing to closely monitor that
:30:45. > :30:50.resort. That is all very well, but lawyers
:30:50. > :30:56.have been receiving complaints for the last five years? They say, that
:30:56. > :30:59.in that time they have made more than 200,000 guests, and
:30:59. > :31:06.overwhelmingly the majority have had an enjoyable holiday without
:31:06. > :31:08.incident. In Egypt they have highly-trained inspectors to to
:31:08. > :31:13.monitor hotels on health and safety standards.
:31:13. > :31:19.Wonga, they lend money with an APR of more than 4,000%. Even if you
:31:19. > :31:24.have never heard of Wonga, they can still empty your bank account.
:31:24. > :31:31.Back to Five Star Cars of Brentford now, the company that Proms quality
:31:31. > :31:36.vehicle, sells bangers and refuses refunds. We put down a �500 deposit
:31:36. > :31:39.on a used Kia Picanto, and told to come back in 24 hours, following
:31:39. > :31:44.its MOT. We were assured it was in good condition. Driving it away
:31:44. > :31:49.today shouldn't be a problem, should it? Well, let's find out.
:31:49. > :31:58.Our researcher Joe is back down as Five Star Cars, ready to collect
:31:58. > :32:04.the �2,500 Picanto. And one minute becomes 20, and after the Five Star
:32:04. > :32:14.boys tracted by a shiny new vehicle, and something else, our researcher.
:32:14. > :32:42.
:32:42. > :32:49.I think he's seen something he Any way, remember Five Star lost
:32:49. > :32:59.the documents for our Kia, that's why, they said they had to get it
:32:59. > :33:03.
:33:03. > :33:12.OK, so the car they sold us yesterday, the one they said was in
:33:12. > :33:22.good condition, is actually riddled with faults? Five hours later, and
:33:22. > :33:26.
:33:26. > :33:34.the diagnosis has got even worse. So there is now a catalogue of
:33:34. > :33:38.problems with our Kia, Dave assures us it will all be fine. Our four-
:33:38. > :33:47.day wait turns into a fortnight. Joe is being given the run around
:33:47. > :33:57.for his run around. You still have the car haven't you.
:33:57. > :34:01.
:34:01. > :34:06.It's the black Kia Picanto. Where's the car then? I don't know,
:34:06. > :34:14.it last been two week, they have my money, I don't know where it is.
:34:15. > :34:21.There is a bus stop just over there. Oh right. Only got one helmet.
:34:21. > :34:31.After two weeks the Kia finally passes its MoT, and Joe calls on
:34:31. > :34:53.
:34:53. > :34:57.Joe pays up the remainder of the cash. So, now, our car will be in
:34:57. > :35:02.perfect condition, won't it, like we were promise, or is it another
:35:02. > :35:12.dodgem. I have a long journey ahead to see John who has given it the
:35:12. > :35:36.
:35:36. > :35:41.once over, I maybe some time. So, John, when you first test drove
:35:41. > :35:46.this, what were your impressions? Was a absolutely awful, the noise
:35:46. > :35:50.out the front suspension was absolutely abysmal. It felt, I can
:35:50. > :35:54.only describe it as two skeletons having a fight on a tin roof.
:35:54. > :36:03.love that analogy. But much worse than that, is this car hadn't been
:36:03. > :36:08.used for two years, it hadn't had an MoT for two years. They let us
:36:08. > :36:16.out in it with a serious defect in the offside break, and it was
:36:16. > :36:21.losing fluid, and the brakes could have failed on the test drive.
:36:21. > :36:25.had a chance to service it and what happened? It is a very bad ka, we
:36:25. > :36:28.have a battery that is loose, with an unprotected terminal, that could
:36:29. > :36:35.cause a fire. We have a radio missing, this front bumper is
:36:35. > :36:41.hanging off. We paid �2,500, roughly, which was pretty close to
:36:41. > :36:46.the dealers -- dealer's top mark? Almost full retail price. What
:36:46. > :36:51.would you value this car at? This car is worth probably �1,000, tops.
:36:51. > :36:55.The cost of putting this right will cost in excess of �3,400, what can
:36:55. > :37:02.I say. No point. Thank you John. Always time for a second opinion,
:37:02. > :37:10.though. My opinion, I'm going to test drive it myself.
:37:10. > :37:15.It as an automatic, I'm so excited. Anyone got the keys.
:37:15. > :37:24.It sounds like a budgie being threatened. Some sign of rain, I
:37:24. > :37:34.will turn the rear windscreen wiper on. Let's try that air conditioning.
:37:34. > :37:38.
:37:38. > :37:43.That's full blast, nothing going on. It's automatic, it's asmathic, it's
:37:43. > :37:49.not Grease Lightning. It sends a strong message to the ladies, you
:37:49. > :37:57.know, I don't have to try hard, I have nothing to prove, you know,
:37:57. > :38:02.I'm driving a clapped out, overpriced, Kia Picanto, that's how
:38:02. > :38:06.I am, take me or leave me. Yeah, with a car like this, there
:38:06. > :38:09.is only one thing to do, get a refund and buy another one. But
:38:09. > :38:15.will Five Star, give us the cash back.
:38:15. > :38:19.Well, sadly, the answer is no. Remember, they told us they had
:38:19. > :38:23.lost the log book when they sold it to us, they now say they can't give
:38:23. > :38:28.us a refund unless we produce that log book, very convenient for them.
:38:28. > :38:37.So a duff car, a damaged bank balance, and one unhappy customer,
:38:37. > :38:41.who wishes to register a complaint. Don't miss it, it's a bit tasty.
:38:41. > :38:48.Next wonga.com, one of the biggest short-term loan companies in the UK,
:38:48. > :38:56.they even sponsor Red Or Black on ITV, latest profits �14 million, no
:38:56. > :39:02.surprise that APR is 4,000%. You might not want anything to do with
:39:02. > :39:05.them, but they might take money from your account. With a loan from
:39:05. > :39:11.wonga.com, you decide what you want and how long you want it for, we
:39:11. > :39:14.will tell you how it will cost, no hidden charges. It all depends by
:39:14. > :39:18.what they mean by nasty surprises. Over the last few months we have
:39:18. > :39:26.heard from over 40 viewers, who have been chased by wonga.com, for
:39:26. > :39:30.money they don't owe. Viewers like Dean from Cardiff, he did take out
:39:30. > :39:34.a Wonga loan lasty, but paid it off in full. Six months later he
:39:34. > :39:39.received an e-mail from them. said you have been accepted for
:39:39. > :39:43.your loan, �497, it has been processed now, and will be in your
:39:43. > :39:48.account within 15 minutes. You start to panic, you haven't taken
:39:48. > :39:57.out a loan, it is nothing to do with you. When Dean con tacted
:39:57. > :40:03.Wonga, they admitted someone else had accessed his details, and they
:40:03. > :40:07.said don't reply to any other e- mails. I went to get some cash,
:40:08. > :40:13.checked my statement on the cash machine, and all of my money was
:40:13. > :40:18.gone. Yes, despite knowing Dean has been the victim of fraud for nearly
:40:18. > :40:23.two week, Wonga proceeded to empty his bank account, taking more than
:40:23. > :40:27.�500. I was over my overdraft, direct debits were bouncing, I was
:40:27. > :40:31.incurring bank charges, I had no money whatsoever, I had no money
:40:31. > :40:35.for fuel to go to work, it was all because of their error. Wonga
:40:36. > :40:40.refunded Dean two weeks later, as a former borrower, he at least knew
:40:40. > :40:44.who they were when they started demanding money.
:40:44. > :40:48.Not so straight talking for other viewers we have heard from.
:40:48. > :40:54.received two letters, completely out of the blue, from a company
:40:54. > :40:58.called Wonga, asking me for payment of �421.62, never heard of Wonga,
:40:58. > :41:02.hadn't a clue who they were. Once Andrew contacted Wonga, they
:41:02. > :41:06.dropped their demand for payment. Again, they admitted there had been
:41:06. > :41:11.fraud, with a thief using Andrew's name to apply for a loan
:41:11. > :41:16.successfully. So why didn't their security system detect it? They
:41:16. > :41:21.made a mistake, they knew that they had apparently credit checked me
:41:21. > :41:26.and loaned it to somebody else, but they weren't prepared to do
:41:26. > :41:31.anything about it. Tony is another viewer who never heard of the loans
:41:31. > :41:38.company, it didn't stop them taking �262 from his account. Or, after he
:41:38. > :41:42.had complained, two further payments, for �508 and �260. I was
:41:42. > :41:47.panicking at this point, I'm thinking, oh my God, why are they
:41:47. > :41:51.taking this money, without any permission. Once more, the company
:41:51. > :41:56.acknowledged that personal details had been used fraudulently. Tony's
:41:56. > :42:01.bank had since helped him get his money back. But why did Wonga let
:42:01. > :42:06.the fraud happen in the first place? Wonga must have things in
:42:06. > :42:11.place that say this isn't right, rather than just taking money out
:42:11. > :42:15.of people's bank accounts. And yet it keeps happening to viewers like
:42:15. > :42:24.Michael, who had around �1,000 taken from his bank to Julie, whose
:42:24. > :42:29.account was debited by nearly �1300, and to Mr Babua from bril Bristol,
:42:29. > :42:33.who found over �2,500 had been taken, none had any dealings from
:42:33. > :42:37.the company. Failure to deal with fraud can have
:42:37. > :42:44.severe consequences. Last month the Office of Fair Trading closed down
:42:44. > :42:48.another payday lender, MCO Capital Ltd, partly for failing to
:42:48. > :42:52.adequately identify the identities of loan applicants, in around 7,000
:42:52. > :42:56.cases. Wonga say they have spent millions on their security system,
:42:56. > :43:00.but for some, they are simply not stringent enough. You absolutely
:43:00. > :43:06.should not be able to credit check me, and then loan to somebody else.
:43:06. > :43:16.It's a simple, straight forward, thing to sort. So Wonga should get
:43:16. > :43:16.
:43:16. > :43:22.their act together. Fair enough, and with me now from wonga.com, dar
:43:22. > :43:29.reel Bowman. I'm very seduced by your posh old deers and I realise I
:43:29. > :43:32.use someone else's name, apply for a loan, and seconds you say, lots
:43:32. > :43:39.of wonga in my bank account, and then you chase somebody who has
:43:39. > :43:42.never heard of you for the debt. First of all, I would like to say
:43:42. > :43:46.we deeply regret every case on the video. If you imagine, every time
:43:46. > :43:51.you are a victim of fraud, it is deeply traumatic, we understand
:43:51. > :43:54.that. That is why we take so much time and invest so much energy and
:43:54. > :43:58.focus on combatting fraud wherever it can occur. We work with some of
:43:58. > :44:03.the leading organisations in the UK. We spend millions on technology, we
:44:03. > :44:07.try our hardest to make, prevent fraud. For example, our fraud rate
:44:07. > :44:13.is actually ten-times better than the Friday average, and less than
:44:13. > :44:17.one person in a though thousand is a victim of fraud. -- In a thousand
:44:17. > :44:20.is a victim of fraud. We have shown you the evidence it isn't working?
:44:21. > :44:24.Every single one of those cases is deeply regretable. We hate fraud as
:44:24. > :44:27.much as everyone else, fraud is committed by criminals, and we
:44:27. > :44:31.really try our hardest, every time we see a situation like that, to
:44:31. > :44:36.learn from it, because clearly it is far from ideal. Let's take
:44:36. > :44:42.Andrew, never heard of you, you take more than �1,000 out of his
:44:42. > :44:48.account, you credit check him, then you give the money to someone else?
:44:48. > :44:53.As you can imagine I can't comment specifically on any case, fraud is
:44:53. > :45:00.very complicated, he was a victim of identity fraud. As I mentioned,
:45:00. > :45:03.on the whole, one in, less than one in 1,000 is a victim of fraud, what
:45:04. > :45:11.we try is to learn from those. Another thing, is, clearly, when
:45:11. > :45:15.you are a victim of fraud it is deeply traumatic, we are a
:45:15. > :45:19.responsible business. Your you are head of marketing? Yes. The big
:45:19. > :45:24.attraction with old dears is how quickly, 15 minutes to get approved,
:45:24. > :45:33.then, I think you say, ten minutes.48, the average length of
:45:33. > :45:38.time it takes to get that money into your account -- 10.48 minutes,
:45:38. > :45:43.the average length of time it take the money to get into your account.
:45:43. > :45:48.I would say at the expense of checks, nobody else takes that
:45:48. > :45:57.little time to get money into accounts Our customers love us for
:45:57. > :46:03.that. I haven't got a lot of time. Your rates of over 4,000%? This is
:46:03. > :46:11.the biggest misconception about Wonga. On the website, supposing I
:46:11. > :46:15.borrow �400, 30 days later I pay you back, it costs me �525?
:46:15. > :46:20.charge 1% day interest. Those people who have had money taken
:46:20. > :46:27.from their account, are you going to repay them at the same rate, if
:46:27. > :46:31.you took �400, you will pay back �525, just answer, yes or no?
:46:31. > :46:37.Really, you will pay at the same rate to replace the money that you
:46:37. > :46:42.took by mistake, at your rates, 4,000 APR? If anyone is a victim of
:46:42. > :46:48.fraud. APR, your rate of more than 4,000, you will pay them back,
:46:48. > :46:51.anyone you took say �400 from, you will give them back �525, they can
:46:51. > :46:55.be assured? We guarantee that no- one will suffer, if we can prove
:46:55. > :46:59.that person was a victim of fraud, we will guarantee they will suffer
:46:59. > :47:04.no financial loss. You will pay them back at the rates? We will pay
:47:04. > :47:07.them exactly the amount of money they will loss. Thank you.
:47:07. > :47:12.We have plenty of e-mails from viewers saying Wonga took money
:47:12. > :47:19.from them even though they didn't apply for loans. This viewer said
:47:19. > :47:22.two payments were taken for �257 and �504, another one from Sandra
:47:22. > :47:25.saying �260 was taken from her elderly mother.
:47:25. > :47:32.That is for all those in touch about the stories, here is a few
:47:32. > :47:39.more. Asda has said sorry to a customer,
:47:39. > :47:43.turned away for trying to pay her �100 bill in �2 coins. Staff told
:47:43. > :47:49.ice-cream lady, Joanne Bath to come back with notes, after she tipped
:47:49. > :47:54.50 of the coins out on the check out. She went to complain, only to
:47:54. > :48:00.find her items had been taken from her trolley on to the shelves.
:48:00. > :48:06.Joanne who run as Mr Whipy with her husband, says she always pays with
:48:06. > :48:11.her takings. Asda have apologised and said it was a mix-up.
:48:11. > :48:17.Apparently it is legal to settle any amount in �2 coins. So, I'm
:48:17. > :48:22.just off to pay the mortgage! Everything, defined by the
:48:22. > :48:27.dictionary as all, the whole lot, the entire thing, not according to
:48:27. > :48:33.WH Smith, who have a sale starting this Sunday, handing out vouchers
:48:33. > :48:40.promising 20 % off, yes, everything, except newspapers magazines,
:48:40. > :48:47.confectionery, CDs, DVDs, games, gaming console, stamps, toe bab co-,
:48:47. > :48:53.stickers, collectables, gift vouchers, phone cards, e top ups, i
:48:53. > :49:00.tunes, e gift cards, magazines, subscriptions, gift experiences and
:49:00. > :49:04.lottery products. They have since withdrawn the voucher replacing it
:49:04. > :49:07.with this one, telling you what is covered. Everything you need to
:49:07. > :49:14.know. Size is shrinking, prices staying the same, quality street
:49:14. > :49:19.tins already cut by nearly a fifth, nest lay is reducing another
:49:19. > :49:25.product, honey cheerio from 600 to 500 grams, but the box has become
:49:25. > :49:31.taller, sneaky. Walls are at it too, their Soft Scoop Vanilla Light Ice-
:49:31. > :49:35.Cream down from two litres to 1.8. Downseizing is spreading well
:49:35. > :49:38.beyond the food shelves, Anadin Extra Soluble have dropped from 16
:49:38. > :49:42.to 12 tablets, as usual the companies claim they don't set the
:49:42. > :49:49.price, retailers do. However the companies do decide the size. If
:49:49. > :49:52.you see any others, please let us know.
:49:52. > :49:56.We're closing in on Five Star Cars of Brentford now, they promised
:49:56. > :50:01.quality vehicles but sell bangers fit for the scrap heap, they have
:50:01. > :50:08.done it to you, and to us. So, let's go and do them.
:50:08. > :50:13.This is Ben's Saturday Ibiza, a death trap, forced to be sent to a
:50:13. > :50:19.breakers' yard. This is our clapped out Kia Picanto, sold by business
:50:19. > :50:27.manager, Syed for �2,500, this is colleague Dave who promised perfect
:50:27. > :50:31.condition. Now you are up to speed. As for us! We believe the backspot,
:50:31. > :50:34.Dave is in the office. We are off to see Five Star Cars, like many of
:50:34. > :50:39.their other customer, that we know of, we have pointed out our car is
:50:39. > :50:43.not what we asked for or what we were promised, and it has problems,
:50:43. > :50:53.and we have asked for a refund, they have offered us, nothing.
:50:53. > :50:56.
:50:56. > :51:06.Really, we have to go and find Dave, and Syed and talk to them.
:51:06. > :51:16.No sign of Dave to the right, let's go straight to the office.
:51:16. > :51:19.
:51:19. > :51:26.Is Dave around at all or Syed? No sign of Dave or Syed at all, just
:51:26. > :51:30.wanted to? Do you know where they are? 1.00pm, all right if we hang
:51:30. > :51:38.around, OK. You guys thinking of buying a car were you, we bought
:51:38. > :51:44.this from them for about �2,500, front bumper is hanging out, the
:51:44. > :51:50.alternator needs a change, the brakes aren't secured, it is worth
:51:50. > :51:57.�1,000 tops, rather than �2,500. Seriously. Thank you for coming
:51:57. > :52:01.today. A pleasure, mate. Five Star, not terribly keen to
:52:01. > :52:11.talk to us. So, we got these made up, which are actually strikingly
:52:11. > :52:13.
:52:13. > :52:17.similar. Hiya, it seems to be stuck. Is
:52:17. > :52:24.there any chance you could get a word through to Dave or Syed just
:52:24. > :52:30.to come and have a chat to us? Hey Syed how is it going, mime' Matt,
:52:30. > :52:35.BBC Rogue Traders, we wanted to talk about the Kia Picanto. It is
:52:35. > :52:40.really bad. Do you want to talk to the manager, he will look after you.
:52:40. > :52:44.You did sell us the car, Syed. didn't want to refund him?
:52:44. > :52:48.because you said he would have to come back with the log book. I will
:52:48. > :52:55.get the manager out for you now. Should he give us a refund?
:52:55. > :52:58.should do. We could, we could be ending up with �2,500 in our hand,
:52:58. > :53:08.if Five Star Cars do what Syed seems to be indicating they are
:53:08. > :53:22.
:53:22. > :53:30.Hello, how is it going. What's your name, Sir? That's not Dave, we
:53:30. > :53:38.don't know who that is, do we know who it is? Who are you? Can I ask
:53:38. > :53:42.you the name? I need to know who you are. It's your yard. So you are
:53:42. > :53:52.in charge here? I would like to talk to you about this car, it was
:53:52. > :53:52.
:53:52. > :53:57.sold to us for �2,500. You're making something out of
:53:57. > :54:03.nothing. It is something out of something. You are asking us to
:54:03. > :54:11.leave, I ask who you are? You don't need to know. I do. I actually do.
:54:11. > :54:21.I tell you, if you are asking us to leave. Who are you? What's your
:54:21. > :54:22.
:54:22. > :54:31.name? My name is Matt Alright, from BBC Rogue Traders. This is a car
:54:31. > :54:40.that you sold to us. I don't understand why you are so
:54:40. > :54:45.angry. If we move the car. Those are our sign, you screwed up all
:54:45. > :54:49.our signs, they say "zero star cars, shocking cars at shocking prices",
:54:49. > :54:53.that is what we have discovered and your customers have discovered. I
:54:53. > :54:57.need to know who you are before I do it, I don't believe you are the
:54:57. > :55:03.owner. You are just some guy who could have walked off the street.
:55:03. > :55:13.Tell me your name. Is that your first or second name. You just have
:55:13. > :55:16.
:55:16. > :55:20.the one name. We are going to get a refund? Our refund of over �2,500.
:55:21. > :55:25.Move the car, seriously we have been promise bid this gentleman,
:55:25. > :55:33.who claims to be the owner of Five Star Cars, own giving his first
:55:33. > :55:38.name, and he's promising us �2,500 as a refund.
:55:38. > :55:40.Get that camera out of my face, man. Can you explain why there are over
:55:40. > :55:45.�15,000 outstanding in county court judgments against this company,
:55:45. > :55:55.which it is not paying, to customers who have come back and
:55:55. > :55:56.
:55:56. > :56:06.who have made the point. You would like us to leave now? We take it on
:56:06. > :56:28.
:56:28. > :56:35.the basis that you are the owner. Servat with a smile, that is Five
:56:35. > :56:39.Star Cars, giving us the four- letter treatment.
:56:39. > :56:42.# Bad boys # What you gonna do
:56:42. > :56:45.# Bad boys # What you gonna do
:56:45. > :56:51.# When they come for you # Bad boys
:56:51. > :56:55.# What you gonna do # When they come for you.
:56:55. > :56:59.I think we should go. A wet and wild finish, not for the
:56:59. > :57:03.last time this series, at least it was just water, you will see what I
:57:03. > :57:09.mean in a couple of weeks. Unfortunately it doesn't wash clean
:57:09. > :57:15.the reputation of Five Star Cars, or the man who calls himself Servat,
:57:15. > :57:20.he finds himself the very first face of this series Rogues' Gallery,
:57:20. > :57:24.mercifully no more words from him, just a photo. Keep sending us your
:57:24. > :57:29.tip-offs on the website. Click where it says "your story",
:57:29. > :57:33.you can always write to us, the address is on your screens now.
:57:33. > :57:38.Many thanks to Watchdog and One Show viewers who have e-mailed
:57:38. > :57:42.about stolen BMWs, more 200 say they have been taken over in the
:57:42. > :57:45.last few months. Some saying insurance companies refuse to
:57:45. > :57:52.believe they can be stolen without the keys. I have a feeling we will
:57:52. > :57:57.be returning to that quite soon. Um coming up next week, Shell, Esso
:57:57. > :58:01.Bp, as the cost of fuel rises, guest what they are up to on the
:58:01. > :58:05.forecourts. Inside Pets At Home, the truth about conditions at the