Episode 1 Watchdog

Promises from Orange and T-Mobile - can you believe them? Wonga could

be fraudulent. Fisher Price toys - are they safe? Plus, Boots, Nestle,

and as water bills rise, the bosses who are making millions. It's

Watchdog, the programme you cannot Yes, hello, and good evening, and

welcome to Watchdog. We're live, as usual, for the next 60 minutes.

Tonight, Orange, T-Mobile, O2 - fixed deals, false promises caught

on camera. The companies are using their salesmen to say one thing,

and they're signing up consumers to a contract that says something very

different. That is inducing somebody to make a contract by

virtue of telling them an untruth. Also tonight: water - fortunes for

the bosses, big bills for the rest of us - why do the charges keep

rising? Plus, Wonga - it claims to be fighting for us, but just seeing

them taking money off - and the ink in your printer - it's becoming

more expensive than champagne. Bubbly - I'll give it a miss. I

have a car with me, you see. I think I am in enough trouble as it

is. Any chance we can have a chat with you, chef - or whatever he's

calling himself today? That is the police car coming to

get you. For us?Yeah, for you, mate.

Yes, it's all kicking off at tonight's big game. Rogue Traders

versus United Motor Limited of Southall. I wouldn't call it a

grudge match, but there are some scores to settle.

Thanks, Matt, but first mobile phone companies selling fixed-price

deals and increasing your monthly bills mid-contract. Vodafone and 3

did it last autumn, Orange followed suit. T-Mobile will raise their

tariffs next week. Legal? Yes. They can even stop you leaving if they

object, but they must warn you that they have those powers when selling

the contracts do. They? What do you think?

As surprises go, it's a nasty one - you sign up to a long-term mobile

phone deal typically for two years. You're told the price is fixed.

What? Then mid-way through, that price goes up. Last year, Vodafone,

O2, 3 and Orange all increased their monthly charges. Next

Thursday, nearly two million T- Mobile customers will be getting a

surprise of their own - their supposedly fixed-term tariffs will

be going up an average of 79p per month that doesn't sound much but

times that by two million and that is a lot of cash so why are all of

these providers allowed to do this? In the small print of all of their

contracts you'll find a clause saying that rises are permitted as

long as they're in line with inflation and provided companies

give you decent notice, and if you don't like it, well, tough. You

can't cancel the contract without paying a penalty.

So it's all legal - but is it fair? The fact that these clauses are in

these contracts is really quite surprising. I couldn't - I wouldn't

myself have wanted to sign up to such a deal in fact, I better check

I haven't. And that from a contract specialist.

Legally, the companies are empowered to make these changes

because that's what the contract says and the consumer has signed it.

The thing is what they have signed contains something they should have

been warned about. They should have been told these contracts provided

the flexibility on the company's part to change the deal. But in

many cases, the companies haven't been giving any warning. Back in

October, we visited the major mobile stores posing as customers

seeking fixed contract deals. Vodafone and 3 had already raised

their fixed tariffs and haven't put them up since, but they failed to

tell us they could increase them if As I said, Vodafone and 3 had

already announced increases when we did that filming, but O2 hadn't.

This is what they told us when we visited a couple of their stores.

What was the price per month on that? 27. Is that going to be the

same for 24 months? No, it's the same. Cool. On reflection that

answer wasn't strictly true, was it, O2? In fact, it was plain false

because just ten weeks later the company raised the prices of its

pay-monthly contracts by 3.2%. companies are using their salesmen

to say one thing, and they're signing up their consumers to say

something that's different. That is inducing somebody to make a

contract by virtue of telling them an untruth, and if you induce

somebody into making a contract by telling them a fib, then the law

doesn't let you stand by that contract. Last morning Orange

joined the ranks of mobile operators hiking their fixed-price

contracts. It came as a shock to their 3.5 million customers,

including Katherine Pike. We wanted to buy my daughter a 16th birthday

present. It was a mobile phone contract. She knew the phone she

wanted, so it was a matter of going around and finding the best deal.

Orange was the best deal. A year letter, we get a letter through

from Orange saying due to inflation, it had gone up 99p a month. I was a

bit shocked, expected to - having a two-year contract, for it to stay

at a fixed price for two years. I was in the shop for about three

hours. At no point during this time did they mention they could put the

price up midterm. And we believe you, Katherine. Why? Because when

we visited Orange stores back in October, we too were assured the

And yet just five months later Orange announced those supposedly

fixed monthly bills would increase. Orange is now owned by EE, as is T-

Mobile, yet another company that was happy to sell us fixed-payment

deals on the basis of false As we now know, the company did

subsequently raise their prices, and the new charges come into force

on May 9. So with that T-Mobile rise about to kick in, surely now

their sales staff will be upfront about the clauses in their

contract! Well, no. This is what happened when we went back to a

number of EE stores five weeks ago inquiring about fixed contracts

with both T-Mobile and Orange. stays fixed for that whole two

years, then? Of course, yeah. changes on that? No.How much is

that, �26? The first one was �26 a month. Is that fixed throughout the

whole... Yeah, yeah, yeah yeah. It's fixed including VAT. Yet again

categorical assurances prices won't change even though we know the

companies involved are willing and able to raise them. In fact, both

Orange and T-Mobile have done so twice in little over a year. So it

will be �26 for two years. And it won't change for any reason? No, no,

no. We were given wrong information at all five EE stores we visited.

This says the mobile regulator Ofcom investigates complaints that

the mobile providers are treating customers unfairly by stinging them

with increases they never expected. The providers say we have to accept

the increases because of the get- out clauses in their contracts, but

if the customers have to play by the rules, why shouldn't they?

They're telling an untruth about the basis upon which the consumer

is being asked to sign up to an expensive contract. They are

misrepresenting the content of that contract. They are inducing the

person to sign up, and they are probably committing an unfair

trading practise. OK. Strong words from the lawyer. Response from the

company? OK. Firstly, EE say they're very disappointed with our

findings and are investigating the stores involved. They're

disappointed?! Yes. They say staff receive extensive training. They

should always be aware of pricing details for contracts and should

give that information to customers clearly. O2 says its sorry our

researcher was told sales would stay the same and sales advisors

now point out to customers that prices can go up and down. Vodafone

says it's consulting with Ofcom to ensure customers are protected

against unexpected increases and it's continuing to improve the

information it gives when they join or upgrade, and 3 says it

understands customers want clarity when choosing a contract and has

called on Ofcom to ensure all operators are open and transparent

about charges. Meanwhile, if you'd like to comment on that or any of

tonight's stories, here's how to do Coming up: Wonga.com, taking money

from people who never applied for loans - now even children's bank

accounts aren't safe. And of course, safety is very

important, especially when you're on the road - whether you're buying

two wheels or four, you need to trust the people who are receiving

you your vehicle. If you're buying used, well, you really need to keep

Last year we spent �24 billion on second-hand cars, and happily, most

of those were from reputable private dealers, but sadly, some

were from places like this, United Motor Limited of Southall. They

occupy one of those glass-fronted main corner blocks. They're not to

be confused with companies of similar names. They sell a lot of

cars, and according to buyers we have spoken to, they talk a lot

of... Balls! A big bag of balls! Who is going to help me with a big

bag of balls? That was a big bag of balls. United - football stadium.

Here's tonight's line-up of very unhappy United customers. They're

gutted about the state of their cars, and as furious as Fergie

about the customer service. Leanne paid �4,095 for a car to get her

and her baby from A to B safely, but it was unsafe. Within 48 hours

of having a car, I noticed that there was a light pop up all of a

sudden while I am driving, and theck isac sell rator wasn't

kicking in. I kept pushing it, then it would pick back up. It doesn't

sound terribly reassuring. In fact, it sounds dangerous. Yeah, every

time I had my baby in the car, I would panic a bit. The speedometers

would do whatever they like at the time as well. They'd just be like -

I wouldn't know what speed I am going. You went back to United and

presumably said hold on, we've got a serious problem with this car.

What was their reaction? They didn't care. They were being rude.

They'd twist my rules, acting like I was the bad one, telling me I was

aggressive. In the end, they'd end up putting the phone down in me. I

would end up in tears each time. They said to me as soon as you have

driven away, it's your responsibility. Which it wasn't.

They have ignored their duty of care. Leanne paid more than �1,000

to diagnose and fix the faulty engine management system. Also in

our squad is Yussuf and Michael. He took united to court after the

Nissan he bought for �3,400 broke down within 24 hours. From the

showroom to my home... They sold him a car with a faulty immobiliser

system that would cost �1,300 to fix. They then spent five-and-a-

half months giving him the run- around. When I went there in person,

it's very intimidating, and they're very aggressive, but they're not

like that before you buy the car it's just after you have bought the

car and paid your money. That's it. It's a different ball game. Nice.

Threatened with court action, United Motor Limited backed down,

made an offer and settled. Yussuf's not the only one to take United to

court, but at least he got some money out of them. There is another

county court judgment against them from another customer for �2,595,

but that one is still outstanding. And United's poor form just gets

worse. Ask Rachel Allen, whose car broke down on the way home from the

showroom with electrical problems or Daniel Fag, who was sold this

car with these horribly rusty brake disks, or our last customer who was

left so upset, she didn't want to be identified. She said she felt

forced into buying the car and signing their paperwork. That

paperwork is rather strange. Have a look at this hand-written bit at

the bottom: "Customer has happily bought car with no harassment.

Customer loses all legal rights to pursue any matter now or in the

future. By signing this agreement, customer test driven car, then paid

and driving away happily." I mean, is it just me, or is that a little

bit desperate? It's also impossible to sign away your legal rights in

the way that they're suggesting, so this, my friends, is complete and

utter... To be! To be! I am in space! -- tosh. That's a whole sub-

bench of United customers with angry, red faces - just like the

manager of a football team but not team specifically! So here's what

we found because we have done a bit of digging. United Motor Limited is

run by the same family and from the same premises as a previous garage

called Unique Cars. They both still advertise cars for sale online and

use the same land line number. In 2010 they were fined �10,000 for

vehicle clocking. Wind the clock forward three years, and we want to

know what's going on inside United. Before that we need an expert,

someone, who in his time has kicked his fair share of cars into touch.

What do you mean who is he? He's our star signing, and today he has

a hat-trick. He has to wear a hat, you see? He's going undercover.

Into United Motor Limited, where we have asked him to sniff out a

stinker of a vehicle, and it researchers. What will the salesman

say about it? Some of what you are name? Oliver. He is only four weeks

old. Finally you and your wife have got dizzy! He's not mine! I am

married to the job. But I have bought him this soft and cuddly

Soothe and Glow Sea Horse. It's from Fisher-Price. It costs around �18.

And it plays gentle lullabies, designed to soothe him, and send him

off to sleep. OK. What's wrong with Well, look at this home video taken

by new mum Danielle Ritchie. The trouble started after Danielle

replaced the batteries. They first glowed red, then started to smoke.

And this was the damage that was caused. Meanwhile another new mum,

Kerry Barker, has told us about a similar experience. We put her to

bed and put the seahorse on, woke up at about the night and I could smell

and electrical burning so we checked and I could not find anything. The

next morning, we went to put the seahorse on to calm her down and it

did not work. The batteries were all black and had melted. I am sickened

to think that the toy could have set the cut on fire and what could have

happened to the baby. Fisher-Price has since told us they take safety

very seriously. But they've had no reports of children being injured,

and have no plans to recall the product. Even though we've just seen

smoke coming from it? Yes. They say that in the rare instances of the

battery compartment heating up, the event will be brief. Since AA

batteries only have limited energy, that can be depleted quickly, this

won't create a fire risk. OK. That's their bedtime story. At least it has

got you into practice! Sleep well, Oliver.

Water Companies. Last year, the nine major suppliers made pre-tax profits

of �1.7 billion. So many naughts. But apparently not enough. Because

our bills have just gone up again. Welcome to Britain, where water

surrounds us and falls on us regularly. The heavens opened and

four months, it just kept raining. We are one of the wettest countries

in Europe, with rain falling 200 days a year. As water is an abundant

commodity, making use of it should not make the bank. But compare our

average bills to those elsewhere. They are twice the size of those in

Spain and three times bigger than in Italy. Hotter countries, dryer

countries. And yet our bills keep rising. One reason, the unique way

water providers in England are set up, according to one of the world's

leading experts in water management. It is the only part of the world

where water is completely privatised. That means the pipe, the

pumping stations, the sewer pipes, everything is sold to the tough. No

other country has done that. -- sold to the private sector. Not all water

companies in the UK are privatised. In Scotland and Northern Ireland

they are in public hands, and in Wales, it is a not-for-profit

company, at in England, it is all private. In the last ten years,

household water bills have shot up I60 4% and last month they rose

again. On average they increased by three and a half percent -- have

shot up by 64%. Countries in this part of the country has been hit

their customers with an increase of 6%, higher than anywhere else. For

Alex, that is a double whammy. He pays Mr water �235 a year for his

water and Wessex �310 a year for his superrich. I noticed in the summer

months I was spending �20 a month or less for gas and yet I am spending

�45 a month for water, and that makes no sense. How can it be more

expensive to get some water that is ten miles down the road than it is

for the gas companies to put an oil rig in the middle of the North Sea?

The cost of that must be phenomenal. The average household in

England and Wales is paying 64% more for its water than ten years ago.

Painful, especially when you look at what has happened to wages in that

time. Average earnings have flat lined. The result, over the last

five years the number of people seeking help regarding water debt

has nearly tripled. In 2007, we were receiving 5000 calls for people

struggling with their water arrears. Last year that was 20,000.

Our fastest-growing debt complaint is payday loans. Second after that,

above mortgages and rent, is water depths. Jason from Northampton is

struggling with his water depths. started running into trouble three

years ago with having to pay the water bills. We are paying over �500

a year for a two bedroom place and it is horrendous. You have other

bills to pay. Anglia water gave me an arrears bill of �2000 and it is

mind blowing, really. It is very worrying. When you are unhappy with

the amount you are paying for your gas and electricity, there is

usually the option of shopping around and switching supplier. Not

so with privatised water companies who have no petition. They have

enjoyed a monopoly and big rises in earnings. In the last decade,

Southwest water's yearly operating profits have almost doubled. And

Northumbrian water's operating profits have more than doubled in

that time to over �338 million. Big profits, bumper pay packages. Last

year the chief executive of the ten largest privatised suppliers picked

up over �8 million in salaries and bonuses. According to the companies,

those profits mean more investment in infrastructure, but with sites

like this still common, are they investing enough? Progress has been

very, very slow in managing leak heat's -- leakages. The losses for

the system is 18 up to 25% and that is far too high for such an advanced

country. It is up to five times as high as the developing countries

like Cambodia, who has losses from the system of 5%. Until companies

here start to plug the leaks effectively, we will all continue to

pay. The end result is the consumer is paying for water which we are not

using. If you are losing 25% from the system, the company is still

making a profit, so that 25% is disappearing at the consumer is

still paying for it. With me now, chief executive of

Ofwat, the water industry regulator, Regina Finn. You are the regulator.

You have the power. How bad does it have to get? Before you intervene?

It is really important for customers to know that we are therefore you to

intervene and we have done. Without our challenge, the bills the water

companies will charge you today would be �120 higher. But customers

have no choice and they tell us that they do want their bills to be

affordable but crucially, they also want the service that you get for

the Bill to be top quality and continually improving. It is our job

to be inshore -- to be ensuring they get that. Your pledge was you would

make sure there was value for money. How can it be that if money that the

West Country, the rise is 82% in the last decade, but on average nearly

65%? Whatever investment, how can that be value for money? Bills have

gone up over the last decade, water bills have gone up I100 and. It

compares to energy is going up by �800 -- have gone up by �120. But

what is important is what customers get for that. Consumers understand

they need to pay the bills but what infuriates them is when the

companies let them down and we have taken action. We have hit these

companies in their pockets in the last five years. You say people are

happy because they get value but private companies are therefore

profit and it has shown, because in England Private companies, no choice

where you go, the rises are 64% in the last decade, and yet in Scotland

where they are not privatised, it is less than 28%. That is a really good

question. A lot of customers ask us why bills are different in different

places. If you look at a place that is similar to Scotland, the seven

Trent area, the bills are at similar levels. We have not got much time.

Tony from that area pocketed 1 million in salary last year, Peter

Simpson 1 million, 1.4 million, it is very hard for customers to see

their bills rising and people like that taking home huge pay packets.

That is a fair question for customers to ask because what is

important to customers is that what gets paid in salaries is related to

what these companies deliver and when those companies ask for �500

million... You have a professor saying we are worse than a

developing country when it comes to leakages! In Cambodia at the network

is ten years old and is only in cities. But we can't be complacent.

I have to finish you there. Water UK, which represents all the

major suppliers, say they've invested �108 billion over the last

25 years, improving water and sewerage services, and cleaning up

rivers and beaches. This has been made possible by private investors

who require a reasonable return on their money, currently allowing 5%.

Meanwhile Ofwat has asked water customers for their views on the

companies' services. You can complete their survey online. The

address is on your screen. Next, Wonga. The pay-day Lender with

staggering interest rates. An APR of 4,200%. Bad enough if you've

borrowed from them. Even worse when you haven't. Last year Watchdog

showed they were taking money from people who had never applied for a

loan. "Small problem" said Wonga. "We're tackling it". Here's

Crimewatch presenter Martin Bayfield.

If there is one thing we have learned at one guy, it is how to

move quickly! Malcolm had never applied for so much as a penny from

Britain's best-known payday lender but that did not stop them from

raiding his bank account. I went to the cash machine and found I had

insufficient funds. I found that Wonga had taken 15 transactions out

of my account, �3500, and I do not even deal with Wonga. I was shaking

like a leaf. I was worried, nervous, my stomach was terming.

Forster had taken out a loan using Malcolm's details. -- a fraudster.

Wonga had taken the money out of Malcolm's account and given the loan

to the criminal. Malcolm is not alone. When Watchdog first aired

this story last week, -- last year, there had been 30 complaints but

since then we have heard from 398 people. The sums raised from a few

hundred pounds up to �6,000. How is it happening? Identity theft. The

fraudsters need to get hold of your bank details. Fake websites are a

common method of gaining that information but it can also happen

in shops. At cashpoint is where you may leave a printout behind. Even at

home, where criminals have been known to sift through dustbins

looking for statements. However they get the personal information, they

can use it to apply for a loan. This simply give Wonga the details of the

account into which the money should be paid, but the details of your

account from which it will take the replacements. Two different anchor

councils. Surely that would get alarm bells ringing. -- two

different bank accounts. But it doesn't. Wonga say they'd check all

applications thoroughly, but how can they when they promised a decision

within just six minutes? Somebody making a large loan such as a

mortgage, they would require the borrower were to produce physical

evidence of their identity and that could take the form of something

with their photographs on, something Simon Oliver is proof those checks

aren't good enough. He could be the youngest victim of Wonga fraud.

Wonga took �260 from his account despite him being just 15 years old.

I was speechless. I didn't have a clue what to do. I was very upset

to think this could happen to my account. This is birthday money,

Christmas money I have saved up, and they have gone and taken it. I

can't drive, nor buy money nor buy alcohol. The fact I can have a loan

is absurd. Legally, you must be at least 18 to take out a loan, so to

apply for one in Simon's name, the criminals would have to make a fake

date birth. If they had checked it against his bank account, they

would have discovered the fraud, but they didn't. An invention with

speed and control? Sounds like you have just invented a Wonga loan.

They might be keen in promoting the speed in which they can get money

to you, but they aren't as keen to disclose how many cases of fraud

have been reported except to say it happens in less than one in a

thousand cases, but as the complaints to Watchdog continue to

come in, are they trying to downplay the scale of the problem?

You're up your trolley, Earle! MP Stella Creasey would say so

she's received 300 e-mails from Wonga customers saying they debited

their accounts for money they never have taken out. This has been going

on for months and we don't see any progress on this which makes me

wonder if Wonga is doing the correct checks. It is open to abuse.

I would certainly like to see what the police's response to this is.

But do the police even know this fraud is occurring? Apparently not

because Wonga haven't been reporting it to them. And that

means the people behind it are still at large, so we decided to

alert officers ourselves. We took our evidence to the City of London

Police, the force tasked with investigating fraud in the UK, and

the outcome of our meeting? Well, after we showed them our evidence,

they told us they will look into it, and they've asked for anyone who

has been a victim of identity theft to contact Action Fraud. Many of

those who had been in touch with us didn't do that because they

eventually got their money back, but if this has happened to you,

you're a victim of crime, and the police need to know about it,

because without that information, they can't go after the fraudsters,

the same sort of criminals who targeted Malcolm.

Wonga, straight-talking money. if Wonga have wrongly debited your

bank account, the police want you to contact Action Fraud on 0300 123

2040. You can also reach them online. The address is on your

screen and also on our website. bet they say this is absolutely

nothing to do with the speed they approve their loans. That's right.

And they say they're not complacent. They regret every case and

recognise it's distressing, which is why they write off the money

owed, issue refunds and make sure the victim's credit isn't affected.

With Malcolm, they didn't act swiftly. As for Simon Oliver, they

believe this is a case of card fraud where his card details had

been stolen. These were used to apply for money to pay off another

loan. If this is the case, the age of the criminal applicant would be

over 18. That Action Fraud line is going to be very busy. Still to

come, shrinking ink, the money- making secret hidden inside your

printer. Back to United Motor Limited of

Southall now. The showroom has been selling bangers for big bucks. We

have met customers who have driven away over-priced cars, clapped-out

cars, even dangerous cars, so today we're sending in a couple of

researchers posing as buyers themselves. What will they drive

away? This is the showroom in question, and this is our happy

couple, and this is the man who is going to try and sell them a car.

He's United's main salesman, and Good. Ray directs us to the car our

expert has already inspected, the one he says is riddled with faults

Well, that's nice. Look, Ray has told us the truth. That means he

must be a nice person. Yeah, he seems nice. This next bit

is more naughty. MOT's got till September. So it's a pretty nice

car. Actually, no. It's been out of MOT for a month, so to take it for

a test drive would be illegal. You're not going to take it for a

test drive, are you, Ray? # Breaking the law #

Yes, he is. Yeah, you can feel the clutch, can't you? Are you a

Do you think he teaches dance as well? OK. Ray's coughed up to the

clutch being faulty. Will he accept Well, �250 isn't that reasonable,

is it, Ray? Our own expert reckons the body work is so damaged, it

will take more than �1,000 to fix. We tell Ray we're still a bit

unsure, so enter stage right his colleague you sufficient, who

doesn't understand why we don't want to do a deal right away. I

mean, they're reasonable men. They You know what's really convincing -

is when people who want to prove they're honest say they're being

honest. It's a clincher. Right. We need to see whether they're

prepared to sell this car without fully highlighting all the work on

it that needs doing and what it will cost. The only way to do that

is to buy it, so we tell them we're going ahead, and two days later we

You don't like cash? Well, why is there so much of it about? Look at

this bundle here. That's not ours. The car we're buying isn't road

taxed, so our researcher asks him No, I can't use that. It's before

9.00. Piffle. OK. Yeah. That's a load of piffle. You can't do that.

It's illegal. Our couple complete the deal, paying � 3,095, including

a �95 admin fee. They do get it taxed straight away, mind, so

they're not breaking the law. OK. The car is now ours, and our

expert has been giving it the once- over. Time that I checked in. John?

Let's talk about this car. Mmm. What are the headlines? Where do I

begin? Body work, near-side front wing, near side rear door,

misaligned, and of course, there are a couple of dents to the sill,

very expensive to put right. Let's look under the bonnet. Start the

car up - one minute later, there's smoke coming from the top of the

engine. Now, that's an oil leak onto the man fold. They have sorted

out the clutch for us. That was the big problem. The worst part about

the clutch repair is not the clutch itself, but the damage they done to

the suspension. A competent garage wouldn't cause that damage.

John's found plenty of other things wrong with this car. The brakes

need replacing. The air- conditioning doesn't work, and the

we're wiper, lacking a blade, has scratched the windscreen. He still

values this car at �1,500, not the �3,095 we paid, and he says to put

it right would cost another two grand.

So you're a crime fiction fan, aren't you? Yes.You're in a car.

Where do you look for the smoking gun? Easy. It's in the glove

compartment. Go for it.And there it is! Yes, the plot thickens. This

document is a health check for the vehicle commissioned by the

previous owner and pasted on to United when they were sold the car.

It clearly shows the brakes need replacing and that there's an oil

leak. They have even flagged it as red, urgent. It's key information

that United ignored and didn't pass on to their customers. Time to put

in a complaint call. We know that both Ray and Yussuf are in the

showroom today. Why? Because we're Yeah, that's Ray talking to us

right - now! Sorry, Steve. Are you a manager? No, I am not a manager.

And you're not Steve either. Listen carefully. There is about to be

change of voice. Sorry? Yes, Ray is off. He's passed

the phone to Yussuf, who is also having an identity crisis.

But we are speaking to the people we have spoken to - first Ray, now

you. Ray and Yussuf are not around until then? No, they're not.Thank

you, bye. Well, you are around. We can see you. The time for hide-and-

seek is now over, and we're going to take matters into our own hands.

So we have a car with a few problems - one of which is body

work, but that we can do something Yeah, no-one is going to notice

that misaligned door now. There we And it's also ready to make a

return journey to United Motor Limited, so make sure you have a

ticket for the replay. The action is due to start in about ten

minutes. Next, HP, Epson, Cannon doing very well from selling ink

for your printer. Just how well? You won't believe it. Here's Rick.

I do like knocking out an old tune. You can get all the sheet music on

the internet these days. Just print it off, and away you go. Oh, no -

not again. Yeah, I know. You have been here too. Your ink's run out.

Everything goes smudgey, and you have to buy more. It's frustrating

and very costly. Printer ink is one of the most expensive liquids you

can buy, and HP's inks are particularly pricy. For example, if

you have an M301 cart Reg, which was one of their newer ones that 5

mils of ink in it, costs �12. If you add it up, it would mean one

litre of ink would cost you �2,400. �2,400 a litre? Do you know that

makes it more than 4,000 times more expensive than Crude Oil. It's 1800

times pricier than a litre of petrol. That's the same price as 68

bottles of premium whiskey and 21 bottles of vintage bubbly. I don't

know. It's enough to make you turn to whiskey and champagne! But the

big question is, why do we have to shell out so often? I don't know

about you, but the cart Regs on my printer seem to run out a lot

quicker than they used to. Turns out there's good reason for

that. It seems our ink is the latest

product to shrink. Check out these three HP cart Regs from the last

nine years. Until you actually open the cart Reg, you would not know

from the outside what you're actually getting on the inside.

These cartridges are all very similar on the outside. If you take

the lid off, you've got the size of the sponges changing dramatically.

The sponge is the bit that holds the ink. Look how much smaller

they've got over time. Obviously, we can't get as much ink in this

one here as we could in this one because the sponge is just tiny.

Now, to be fair, the newer cartridge is cheaper. In fact, it's

nearly half the price, but don't be fooled. The cartridge price may

have gone down, but it holds less than a third of the liquid, so the

latest add of HP ink is nearly 2,000 more than the latest model.

Cannon have cut the amount of ink in their cartridges too, an

increase of 25%. Meanwhile, since 2006, Epson have almost halved the

amount of ink in theirs. To be fair, they have also halved the price of

their cartridge, but according to the price on their own website,

that still means their their cartridge is the equivalent of

�1,410 a litre. How much does this mean for company profits? I am

going to try and work out just how much money I could make if I set up

my own printer ink cartridge company - if only I knew someone

who could tell me how much all the different parts of an ink cartridge

-- some prices. You say the sponge is what? Threepence. Threepence. The

flexible electric circuit is 3p and you will be on small quantity rate,

�15 a litre. How about the plastic lid? That will be 2p.Thank you.

Right. Let's add it all up. If we are making a cartridge with five

millilitres of ink in it, we will not be counting labour, production

and overheads, but the cartridge itself would cost 29p. These

companies flog them for a load more than that! That definitely beats

playing the piano for a living. Hang on. That's it! It is about time I

changed my line of business! OK, Epson's statement fresh off the

printer. Advances in technology means printers can now produce more

pages with the same amount of ink. Lots of compatible cartridges

available, but we can only guarantee printer performance when used with

Epson ink. And this from HP. Cartridge prices

reflect the huge investment in the technology. To save money they

advise buying the type of printer that best meets your needs, choosing

the right setting for each job, buying multi-packs to reduce the

cost long-term, and using original cartridges to avoid waste or damage

to your printer. I am none the wiser from that!

Thanks to all those who have been in touch about that story. Here's a few

more. The burning question. Does a

neutered cat need special food? Nestle-Purina, the maker of Go Cat,

said yes. It's been advertising this brand of food for moggies who have

been under the knife. It claimed it was specially formulated, to help

them maintain a healthy weight and a healthy urinary tract. And it told

the Advertising Standards Authority it had veterinary research to back

it up. But the ASA accused it of making

exaggerated claims. And banned the ads for being misleading. In other

words, the company's been done. Like the cat!

Still to book your summer holiday flight? You could get stung if you

don't compare the cost of all the added extras. The comparison site

Travel Supermarket, which surveyed 12 airlines, says extra fees can

make up 65% of the total ticket price. Thomson now charges �22 each

way to check in a 20 kilo bag on a short haul route. That's up from �15

last year. Monarch passengers who turn up to the airport to find their

hand luggage is too big will now be charged �50 instead of �30 to check

it in. While Ryanair has raised the cost of travelling with an infant

from �20 to �30. Oliver, I love you, but I am going on my own.

Boots has admitted it was wrong to describe a range of scientific toys

as being suitable for boys only. Really? It began taking down the

in-store signs after some customers complained they were sexist. Quite

right! The Science Museum, which made the products, also objected

saying they were designed to appeal to both genders. I bet they didn't.

After initially defending the labels, Boots backed down. Very

wise. And says it's always supported women persuing careers in science

and pharmacy. I wonder how many women are on the board of routes.

Anyway. So let's hear it for the girls. And the boys.

We're entering stoppage time in tonight's big match: Rogue Traders

versus United. United Motors UK Limited of Southall, that is - not

to be confused with companies of similar names. They sold us a car

for more than three grand. Didn't tell us it was riddled with faults.

And now won't take our calls. Well, they may think it's all over

but there's still time for a fightback.

We have given the car they sold us a respray and to cause confusion in

their defence, we have come up with a new plan of attack. This is a

completely different kind of United. East Thurrock United. They have

demonstrated they have got good engines on them every weekend this

season. Come on! They are understandably miffed at United

Motors for bringing their name into disrepute and have agreed to help.

The ladies of East Thurrock United and our researchers. The full

line-up. Everyone's sake, Kenny Dalglish!

First to enter the field of play is our researcher. She goes to confront

the man who sold her car and who has been refusing to take her calls.

Meanwhile, I am on the team bus. did nobody called me back? Who did

you speak to? I spoke to Steve. I haven't had no messages. Steve said

nobody was in and I could not speak to anyone. You told me it was in

good condition and you are still If you smell that, can you smell

that? You are not even listening to me. It is not the most subtle of

code words but it has done the trick. That is not good customer

service, is it. I am trying to sort something out! This is what I am

trying to say. You can't just leave me there. It is the other side you

need to have a look at. BBC. This is what we are saying. United Motors UK

Ltd are rogue traders. You sold us this car. You have information that

says it has got problems and you never pass the information on. It

has problem with the brakes, and you knew that because it had a health

check before. One minute, I will get my man down to speak to it -- speak

to you. My name is raised. Sometimes Steve? Because it seems like the

names that you use regularly change around and sometimes, like when we

called back to say there was a problem with this car, you actually

said you were not in. I will speak to the main guy who is dealing with

it and I will get him to call you back. So it would not be used then?

I was dealing, I sold the car but the man who is dealing with it is

not in. But you sold it so you should take some responsibility.

Just give us a few minutes. Hold on. I taking responsibility you are

getting somebody else then? I will take it off your hands and get the

work done. We are talking about selling a car with full information

about what you know about it before it is sold. It had an MOT.That just

means it is legal to go on the road, it does not mean it is roadworthy.

You had information before the car was sold and you failed to pass that

on to the customer so you can sell it at a higher price than what it is

worth, do you understand? We are talking about consumer protection

regulations which means that when you... Give me one minute.Ray has

obviously done talking. He also told us that the show room's main man is

not in today. Baby he is right. Maybe that is a hologram there. --

maybe he is right. The great thing about this particular office,

squeeze in, you can see everything that is going on. Ray is currently

wedged behind the door, and Yousef is behind the desk with two

customers. Ray? Any chance we could have a chat with Yousef or whatever

he is calling himself today? This is half-time. I could do with them with

some fruit. Here comes Chelsea. The boys in blue. I have a feeling that

the police van could be for arts, to ask us for Lee. The problem with

this is is when you know people are not telling you the truth, it casts

a shadow of doubt about all the cars in the show room. How can you be

sure? That is why it is time for us to place spot the balls. We are

questioning the way they deal with their customers and why they cannot

simply play fair. Defensively, this is what is known as parking the bus

across the face of the goal. OK, that seems to have pushed United

Motors over the edge. They have asked the police to give us our

marching orders. We have been asked to leave the premises so we will go.

I would just remind them that if you are selling a car, you have two give

the whole truth about that car. Otherwise, you saw it coming. It is

a red card. That is the final whistle. And the other lesson, if

you run a dodgy shop, call the cops. Meanwhile we called them and they

still have not given us any further action. Yousef, there he is. And he

becomes the latest face on our Rogues' Gallery.

Graham says one guy took money from his son's account even though he is

only 16 -- Wonga. Keep sending us your stories and

tip-offs. Coming up next week: Thomas Cook.

Monarch. A new rule says they must compensate you for delayed flights.

So why are they refusing to pay up? Indesit. Hotpoint. The design flaw

that makes machines explode. And as doctors predict the worst