Episode 5 Watchdog

access to your money. Spanish hospitals demanding you hand

over money. Plus, Alton Towers, TripAdvisor.

LOVEFiLM. And Britain's pothole epidemic. Why

should you pay for the damage? It's Watchdog, the programme you

Hello and good evening. Welcome to Watchdog. We're with you, as usual,

for the next 60 minutes. Tonight: Banned from using your bank

account. No access to your money. No explanation why. It is like being

charged with a crime and not being allowed to defend yourself. Also

tonight: This card is supposed to guarantee you free medical treatment

in Europe. Watch out if you're going to Spain.

Potholes damaging cars, angering drivers. We show you how to fight

back. And Ideal World. Big promises from

this shopping channel, shame about these deliveries. Tonight's rogues

far from ideal but they do work in the TV business, so you would think

they would know about the watershed. How are you doing there? I'm not

going to bother with the handshake. Don't be stupid. (BLEEP). Four

bleeps. It has only just turned eight o'clock! Very poor reception

there from Gurdit Sharma, part of a family of TV rogues. He's a man who

has taken our money and who's been holding on to our telly. We want it

back, because we are on tonight, and so is he.

First, Barclays and NatWest denying customers access to their money.

Even those with a perfect credit history. The banks say they only

freeze accounts when they suspect fraud. And they do it to protect

you. But often they don't explain the reasons. Although they do tell

other banks, which means those customers can't open an account

anywhere else. The banks have eyes. They watch what comes into our

accounts, keep tabs on what goes out, and constantly monitor our

finances to ensure they add up. Why? Partly because of the growing risk

of fraud. Estimated to cost the UK the �73 billion a year. It is no

wonder banks want to stamp it out. What if in their eagerness to tackle

fraud banks treat victims like criminals? That's how Barclays

customer period warder left -- Peter ward has been left feeling. They

banned the pensioner from accessing his own money for 11 days. This

restricted availability of money for my wife and I for purchases of

groceries and I had no assurity of continue once of payment of bills or

anything. There was no explanation forthcoming. So what was the fraud

exactly? There wasn't one. Suspicions had been raised because

Peter had simply forgotten to log out of his online account. Because I

hadn't logged out, you've given me all this distress? This upset. I had

done nothing wrong and there's no reason why anybody should restrict

me from having my own money. Richard emmy is a card fraud investigator.

How does he think the bank acted? think Barclays have treated him

completely unfairly. Because they didn't investigate the matter before

making a vital decision. It can have an impact with direct debits and

Standing Orders not being honoured. Just 11 days is enough to cause

major problems. Although there was no fraud in Peter's crease the crime

is wide -- in Peter's case the crime is weed spread. If there is

fraudulent activity on your account you may be suspected of involvement

yourself. For many, there'll be no explanation. For some, there could

be no account. Under anti-money laundering laws banks don't have to

tell customers why their account has been closed or frozen. In case they

tip off fraudsters. And once you've been refused an account by one bank,

you are more likely to be turned down by other banks too. That's what

happened to one customer of this high street giant. Rajesh applied

for a job and passed on his details for salary purposes, but he

discovered that the company were scammers. I got in touch with Action

Fraud and my bank account got shut down and I was not able to open any

bank accounts anywhere with any other banks. I didn't know where to

go. NatWest suspended his account for almost two months, only

re-opening it after Rajesh complained to the ombudsman. During

all of that time he was unable to bank with anyone else. If one bank

thinks that you are guilty of fraud, it will be virtually impossible to

open an account with any other bank until you have cleared your name. In

this particular case it was resolved quite quickly but it still indicates

the banks failed at the very start of a process to investigate it

properly. I think I wasn't treated fairly. I'm the one who told them

about the scam and at the end of the day I was the one who was treated as

a criminal. So are banks treating innocent customers fairly when they

are suspected of fraud? The new Financial Conduct Authority set up

to police standards in the industry has been looking into complaints.

The current system is clearly not fair. What shocked us was that

people who are in this situation are being suspected of a crime and yet

they have no way of justifying what they were doing earthquakes

explaining what's was -- what they were doing, explaining what they

were doing, appealing and getting a judgment. The FCA is in talks with

all the major banks to find a way to tackle the problem, but the

complaints still keep coming. NatWest suspended 17-year-old Jordan

Rule's account in April. One month on it remains frozen. One day I got

four cards off NatWest. I went into the bank and asked what it was and

the woman said to me it was a computer error, so I thought nothing

else of it. A couple of weeks later I received a later saying they were

going to close my account within 14 days because of fraudulent activity

had been going on. She had received the cards because criminals had

opened four accounts in her name, using them to obtain payday loans.

Even though she is too young to take out those loans themselves NatWest

still suspected she was behind the fraud. It has caused me so much

stress. My exams have been coming up, I've had an operation.

Everything has been piling up. It is something I have never experienced

before. I put my trust into this bank. Jordan is being treated

unfairly by the bank. There is no evidence to say that they opened

those four additional accounts. They have no evidence that we have seen

to show that she has acted fraudulently. If she doesn't have a

reference from NatWest, she will find it virtually impossible to open

a normal standard bank account anywhere else in the UK. Frozen out

by one bank, banished by them all. If fraudsters target your account,

you could be left in the financial cold, as well as being kept in the

dark. The one thing that is absolutely consistent is the banks'

failure to provide adequate information. All they are doing is

hiding behind an unwillingness to disclose information that would

allow the customer to clear themselves. It is like being charged

with a crime and then not being allowed to defend yourself.

Lateef reporting there. We've since spoken to Barclays who blocked Peter

Ward's account. They said they never freeze or close an account lightly.

The reasons are varied, involving fraud, or even terrorism. They say

the laws are clear about their obligation not to tip off customers.

They recognise not giving a reason can cause inconvenience but it is

the price of compliance with laws and regulations. Peter Ward was

badly inconvenienced and he was an innocent customer. And nat weather?

They say they don't take these decisions lightly and based on the

information they stand by their decision to close Jordan Rule's

account. They will look again if she has any more information. They

apologised to Rajesh and he did the right thing by contacting them.

They've contacted him, assured him his credit rating won't be affected

Twitter discussion: There was a big response to last

week's report and one in particular. Yes, contactless cards like these.

The ones you don't have to put in the payment machine. They've already

been complaints from M&S customers, whose bank accounts were wrongly

debited. Don't blame us, say M&S, our system is safe. But here's

another company whose contactless machines definitely can take money

from your account whether you like it or not.

They are supposed to make shopping quicker and easier, no more chip and

PIN, simply wave-and-pay. Contactless payment cards have been

around since 2004-05, and they are very convenient for paying for

goods. The person simply swipes their card over a reader and it

debits their account up to a maximum value of about �20. Since December

last year bus passengers in London have been able to use them too. Get

on board, touch in and your card is debited, which is fine, except that

Oyster Cards from London Transport work via the same technology. That

means if you have one of these as well as a contactless bank card in

your purse or wallet you can be charged for your journey twice.

get a bus every day to work and this is payment in advance. Usually I

keep my cards in the same wallet. Inside is my oyster, my Deb

independent and travelcards. I noticed my credit card is being

charged for some of the journeys. Oyster Cards and contactless payment

cards are different technologies but the readers for Oyster Cards are

able to read contactless payment cards as well. If a person has both

cards in a wallet, it can subtract payment from each card. You cannot

guarantee which card will be read. If you have already topped up your

Oyster Card but your fare is deducted from your contactless card

you've paid double for your journey, and it could push you into the red.

To find I've been charged for something I didn't need or want to

be charged for is irritating. It means that I have to contact my

credit card provider and ask them to refund it, which takes time and

efforts. I asked if there was anything I could do to change the

situation, can I change my card to one which isn't contactless or

switch it off and they said no, there's nothing I can do. With

contactless payments being rolled out on to the underground network

this year many more commuters will be at risk. So be careful where you

keep your cards For people who want to avoid payment being taken from

the wrong card they should simply separate the two, put their Oyster

Card in one holder or wallet and the credit card in another and present

them individually. You can also get shielded wallets that you can put

your card inside and they can't be read by the readers until you take

them out. Well, Transport for London says that when a contactless payment

card and an Oyster Card are presented together in a wallet or

purse there was no possibility of both cards being charged. But if

they are together, the wrong card can be debited. Nice of them to let

me know that. Well, to be fair, they did publicise

this when the contactless payments were launched. They continue to do

so on the countdown dot matrix system at the bus stops which I'm

sure, Annie, you are familiar with. Of course. And they'll be used on

the tram services later this year. Meanwhile they advise passengers to

choose which card they want to pay with and keep it separate when

touching the reader. Coming up: Going to Spain this

summer? Hope you don't need to visit a hospital.

Buenas noches y bienvenidos a malos comerciantes. Sorry, I was just

brush being up on my Spanish for the holidays there and I forgot where I

was. It is always the same, when I pick up a book or watch a movie, I

It was a Tuesday, a black and white, grey Tuesday, and the rain fell in

sheets as thick as lead, and the BBC Weather Centre never forecast lead

rain. I was tense, edgy. I went to light a cigarette but didn't,

because it is illegal to smoke in the workplace, and I don't smoke. So

I revisited an old case. A TV repair company with a rep, for

overcharging, doing work you don't need and stealing TVs they've been

paid to office. Their top guy was Gurdave Sharma. We've heard from

customers who tell us that just like before their TVs are not coming back

to them. Two years later he went to the slammer, so why was I looking at

him again? Yes, a tip about bad goings-on in his old neighbourhood,

which came from Julie Creswell. I am asking for some help because I do

not know where my TV is. This is my son, Theodore. He has down syndrome

and his main entertainment quite a lot of times is the television.

her set broke on machine called a company called TV Repairs R Us,

based in Birmingham, like the other company. Funny. They had held onto

it for 15 weeks. And when she called them? It was an answering machine

and it said they would get back to you and your call was important.

They never returned her call and Theodore still has no TV, like other

customers we know about. I am sore, too, because let's face it, this is

ridiculous. Why are we doing this 1930s stuff? They did not have TVs

in the 1930s. Until late in the 1930s. On the subject of TV, I hate

repeats. OK, dad's Army is brilliant but I do not like repeats of rogue

businesses that quite frankly should have moved onto pastures honest.

That is what we could be dealing with. The complaints about TV

Repairs R Us are strikingly similar to those that we used to get about

the other company. So, is Gurdave Sharma back in business? We need to

find out, we need to break some sets. We need an expert who knows

about TVs inferencing detail. Meet TV and video specialist Keith Marsh.

With 50 years in the business, you knows it all. Mind you, I have a

pretty detailed knowledge of television engineering myself. Yes,

that is a big one. It is a 40 inch Samsung. A nice TV, if it was

working. What have you done to it? Taken the power source out and

created 2-macro dried joints, to make the stand-by light flash.

it need any parts to fix it? Not at all. The estimated cost of the

repair, �80. Our sabotage does not stop with one. We are breaking a

second one, a small, 32 inch TV with an smaller fault. We have put a

blown fuse inside and an engineer should fix it in minutes. He marks

the components in both televisions with a UV pen, so we will be able to

tell if they actually fit any new parts. The next step is to send them

to our two houses to be looked after by our two stooges. The one with the

blowing huge goes to Nottingham. Tina is in Redditch. I can never get

my remote to work either! Both households report their sets as

broken to TV Repairs R Us, and promptly dispatched to different

careers to pick them up, and who are in and out within about 2.5

minutes. Quite impressive. Having selected them for repair, we know

that the sets should have gone here, to the workshop in central

Birmingham. But we know at least one of them has not. I is in the back of

our heads, you see. Well, we don't, that would be weird. But we do have

a tracker which we fitted to Tina's broken set, which starts

transmitting as soon as it leaves her house. And we can see that it

goes not to the city centre but out to the suburbs, to another house.

But whose house, I hear you cry, altogether. I will tell you. The

house belongs to this man, Sukhdave Sharma, brother to Gurdave Sharma,

our old friend. It is a link, a sibling. Just like his brother,

Sukhdave has had his share of run-ins with the authorities. In

2011 he was given a court order prohibiting him from acting

dishonestly towards customers. If he is found to do so again, he will be

in contempt of that court order and could be facing prison. So, to TV

companies, but do they both act in the same way. Let's find out. 2.5

weeks after collecting Tina's set, TV Repairs R Us tell her it is back

in working order. And the man who returns it is Sukhdave Sharma

himself. What was wrong with it? There was nothing wrong with the

power inverter when you took it away. Now you are charging �165 for

a new one. We will need to get it checked out. Yes, it is time for

expert Keith to do his thing once more. The first question is, has

Sukhdave really put in a new power board, as he claimed? They have not

replaced it. We marked the original with the UV pen and you can see at

there. Definitely the original board. What they have done is a

simple soul the job, and they have charged double what they should

have. Your original estimate was �80. They have lied to us. We have

been had. Yes.Now for the second question, what has happened to the

other set resent for repair? You know it has been a month and I am

still waiting for a call. -- the other set we sent for repair. Hold

on. How convenient! What's that? But I have never taken out payment

protection insurance. Well, the real phone call did eventually come in,

but it turned out to be a bit of a surprise. And to know what it was?

No flipping. Next, holidays. This year, 30

million of us will travel to Europe, 12 million to Spain. An agreement

between governments means tourists are owned by -- entitled to free

emergency medical treatment as long as they produce a European Health

Insurance Card, EHIC. But some Spanish hospitals have been

rejecting the card, leading British tourists with big bills.

The annual exodus is just weeks away. Once the schools break up in

July, millions will head for Spain. Be sure to pack the proper gear, and

the right lotion. But perhaps the most important item will be this,

the EHIC, a free card that entitles you to free or reduced cost

emergency treatment throughout the EU and a number of other countries,

like Norway and Switzerland. Present it to any public hospital or clinic

and you should be guaranteed the same level of care as any local six.

With the cost being met by our own NHS. At least, that is what is

supposed to happen. For holidaymakers like Catherine Gerard,

the experience in Spain was different. Unfortunately, the day

before I was due to leave, I knew I was going to have an attack of

asthma. I have had asthma all my life. When I arrived at the

hospital, we went to the reception area, where we preferred my EHIC

card, which was dramatically waved away, and the request for only my

passport. The hospital gave her the treatment she needed, so she could

go on to enjoy the rest of her holiday. After she returned home,

they sent her a bill for 144 euros. I thought I would not have to pay

for anything. I offered my EHIC card and they waved it away. She called

the number printed on the card and an adviser suggested she paid up and

promised she would be reimbursed. could afford it, but a lot of people

can't. I became quite incensed that the British do believe in this

reciprocal agreement and we seem to adhere to it, but other countries in

the EU are not doing so. How did this happen? One theory is that some

Spanish hospitals are trying to bypass PE use system. They have

realised they can make more money and get hold of it quicker by making

tourists pay for their treatment, or claim for it on travel insurance.

Whatever the reason, the number of holidaymakers who find their EHIC

being rejected is rising. We have been asked to go to our members

telling them about the problem because the European commission is

aware of at least 100 cases of British nationals who have had

problems trying to use EHIC cards in Spain. Some believe that the euro

financial crisis is to blame, forcing cash-strapped hospitals to

look for additional revenue. Whether or not that is true, the European

commission is taking a dim view. They have announced they are taking

legal action against Spain, which could see the country find. Where

does that leave British holidaymakers? If you require

medical attention in Spain, check that the hospital is providing state

care, because the EHIC does not proper -- cover private hospitals.

But if you have problems with the acceptance of your card, contact the

local British Consul. There are many throughout the Spanish peninsula and

they will do their best to assist you. The Spanish Ministry of health

so that every hospital and National medical Centre takes care of

patients carrying the EHIC. And it does not know of any complaints from

patients who have been denied treatment when they produced it. It

says if visitors have private health insurance as well as an EHIC vomitus

for them to decide which to use, and this is explained to them in their

own language. It recommends that tourists carry a current EHIC and

make sure any private insurance covers them for all medical costs

and eventualities. More than 2 million potholes in

England and Wales, according to officials who estimate these things.

They are increasing in number and size. That news for drivers, and bad

news for their cars. -- bad news. You do not have to drive far to find

one and you are lucky if you miss it. For those who hit them, the

repair bill is more than �1 million a day. Potholes affect everyone who

uses the -- Road. It is something people do not think about, but when

they hit one, the effects are obvious. We have seen incidents

where it is in thousands of pounds. They form when water seeps into

cracks in the road, expands and contracts. As vehicles pass over the

weekend surface, the road begins to collapse and crumble. Following the

long cold and wet winter, the problem is worse than ever. Councils

have spent �338 million on maintenance, but drivers still

cannot escape the costs. Every time you hit a pothole, you are one

closer to seeing your suspension fail and having to visit a mechanic.

It really hits motorists in the pocket. On average, it is �270 to

fix an axle suspension failure. That is a considerable amount of money.

But as the repair bills rise, so do the claims for compensation. In the

north-west of England alone, last year councils paid out �8 million to

drivers whose cars were damaged. The trouble is, the road to getting

compensation can be very bumpy. How difficult is it to make a claim?

It should not be that hard because the authorities must keep roads in a

decent state of repair. The problem comes when you have to prove that

they have failed in their duty. And you will probably have to be very

determined to do that. The sort of determined viewer who writes to us

To my's consumer champion is a man of the military. He is Howard Floyd,

retired Army pilot from Hampshire. His complaint? Yes, pothole damage,

and his consumer weapon of choice, the Freedom of Information Act.

knew nothing about it but I went online and read about it. I just

searched Freedom of Information Act, and it is amazing what you can

request. His battle was to be fought with Hampshire County Council for

damage to the car owned by his soldier son, David, caused why a

large pothole on a country lane. It was a battle he was determined to

win. After the incident, he deployed to Afghanistan, so he was unable to

follow it through. When I saw the size of the bill, I thought, this is

not fair. David's BMW sustained wheel damage when he was driving

home from a friend's house. There were two cyclists coming towards me

on the right of the road. Being a narrow road, I took up most of the

road, so I moved to the left, which made me hit the pothole with my rear

left wheel. The impact caused the wheel to crack, and the tyre to

deflate. When he took the car to a barrage, he was told the repairs

would cost more than �800. As he was due to serve abroad with the Army,

he asked his dad to take up his complaint with the council. It was a

massive pothole, four x 2'. And I had remembered that online I had

come along -- come across something advising how to make claims against

the council for this sort of thing. That was the prompt. By law, local

councils and the highways agency must keep public roads in a safe

condition. If they fail to do so and your car is damaged, you are

entitled to demand compensation. But first you have to prove they have

been negligent, and in order to do that, Howard made use of the 2000

act. The Freedom of Information Act is a crucial tool for anybody

wanting information from public authorities, which can be central

government, your local council, or any organisation that has a public

remit. You can get pretty much any information that a public authority

holds, whatever kind. Facts and figures, stories, policies, details

about anything. To make an application, you have to identify

the public body you want to apply to and write saying, I would like the

following information. They have to respond within 20 days, unless the

information falls into one of certain exemptions, in which case

they have to respond within a reasonable time. How often the

council inspected and maintained the road. The reply said it had last

been inspected in April that year but he had seen it before that date,

meaning that the council had either missed it or failed to repair it. He

compiled a detailed report with photographs, maps and measurements.

In submitting his compensation claim he enclosed the repair receipts.

was fairly confident because it allowed me to build a fairly strong

case, a case that they were unable to argue against. They can't argue

against their own facts that they have sent you. Howard was right to

be confident, because two months after submitting his claim, the

Confirmation for Howard that the pothole had been there when the

council last inspected the road. Freedom of Information Act is one of

the best things that has happened in this country for a long time. If you

have done your homework and you know that they are wrong, submit a claim,

because you stand a very good chance of recovering the money that you've

had to spend out because of their fault. Hampshire County Council says

it has investigated Howard's claim and decided it was legally liable

and therefore agreed to settle. It says it is not necessary to submit a

request under the Freedom of Information Act, as it investigates

and determines all claims applying normal legal principles. If your car

has been damaged by a pothole we've put together a guide which spells

out your rates. It is on our website. Bbc.co.uk/watchdog.

TripAdvisor - who is really writing the reviews?

Right, we've had been had by TV Repairs R Us of Birmingham. Not to

be confused with other companies of similar names. They lied about

putting a new part into our set and charged us double the correct cost

of fixing it. Meanwhile they have had hold of another of our sets for

a whole month, even though the only thing wrong with it is a blown fuse.

How do they explain that then? Well, guess what? After inventing a

problem with the first set, they are now lying about a fault with the

second. It needs an internal power supply unit. How much will that be?

�145. After a month of no telly and repeated phone calls our researcher

goes to collect it. Sukhdave Sharma is behind the counter, where he

takes our 145 ptsdz and assures us he's fitted a brand-new part. --

�145. Oh yeah? Yes, we are asked Keith our expert to give it the once

over. So they said that they've replaced this whole board here.

they haven't. This is the original board. We've marked the original

with the UV pen and there's the mark. Yep, I can see that clearly.

The indelible evidence that the company's lied to us again and

overcharged us, again. But we paid �145 for that. But it didn't need

the board anyway, so I don't know what the big wait was for. It is

what on rogue traders we call cobblers. OK, when I set out on this

investigation I wanted to know whether Sukhdave is operating like

his other brother Gurdit used to. Now we can safely say that he. Case

closed? Not quite, because another viewer has been in contact. He's

making some serious allegations and he needs to be seriously questioned.

Interview with Rob Smith about his telly. When did you last see that

television? September 2012.What's happened to it since then? It has

been in for repair. Tell me the whole story... Rob lives in Telford

and dealt with a repair company, TV Hospital. They turned out the be

based in Birmingham. They fixed the set but it didn't stay fixed for

long. Within two weeks it was broken again. You called them back?Yes, I

did. Six months on and �765 out of pocket, Rob still is waiting for his

set to be returned. You hear some terrible things in this job.

Sometimes it can get to you. Rob, what was the last programme you ever

watched on this television? Mickey must Club House. That is just not

right. OK then, TV Hospital of Birmingham,

it seems to be up so similar tricks to TV Repairs R Us of Birmingham.

Which in turn has been operating in much the same way as TV RC of

Birmingham. We know the connection between these two companies. This

one is run by Sukhdave Sharma. And this one was run by his brother,

Gurdit Sharma, until he was jailed. But this last one... Well... So

you've got the skinny by knew. We are going to ask this new company to

repair another of our televisions, one that Keith's tinkered with. He's

loosened the T-con cable. Obvious symptom - no sound or picture.

they've got to do is check the T-con or connections to it. A qualified

engineer would take one look? #24eshd find it - they should find

it pretty quick. No parts required. We give it to our new stooge, Tim,

who calms TV Hospital who asks if they can fix the fault and get the

picture back. Sure, they said, bring it in. So he does. I phoned up

Hold on, who is this? Well smell my scart lead, it is only Gurdit

Sharma! Like Sukhdave he has a court order prohibiting him from acting

dishonestly towards his customers. As you may have guessed from his

name, he is related to Sukhdave and Gurdit Sharma. But this is

surprising. While carrying out surveillance on TV Hospital we later

spot this figure opening up the shop. Cel kiss my Coe axe, it is

Gurdit Sharma -- it is Gurdave Sharma, who was jailed in 2011. I

told you I hated repeats. But it seems that repeats is what we keep

getting. TV Hospital hold on to our set for weeks, just like TV Repairs

R Us. They quote double what the work should cost, just like TV

Repairs R Us. And when we finally lose patience and go to see them

they start inhaven'ting faults like -- they start inventing faults

like... You know what I mean. There's nothing wrong with the

screen, Gurdit be. How much is a new Gurdit? You have already had it for

four weeks and the only thing you need to do with it is plug in a

loose cable. How much longer do you want? So at the end of this TV epic

what have we learnt? Well, that the three various Sharmas you've seen

are connected to a lot of different dodgy television repair companies,

but they share similar MOs, one of which is keeping hold of TVs for

weeks or even months while telling owners they need ridiculously

expensive repairs. No wonder some owners give up. After trying to

unravel this world of sets, lies and videotape is just what I'm tempted

to do. I think I've got it wrong. Yeah,

don't worry. We never give up. Especially now we know what Gurdit

Sharma is up to. We are going to pay the TV man a visit soon, so stay

tuned. Thank you Matt. Just getting an

update on your e-mails, texts and tweets. Lots of you are in touch

about contactless cards. Chris from Lincolnshire says he was sent one as

a replacement for his credit card. He never asked for one and didn't

want one but his provider said he had no choice.

An e-mail from a viewer which says when she expressed concern about the

security of her new contactless card, her bank said she could revert

to the old type if she put in a written request.

Next, Ideal World, the shopping channel where you can buy anything

from growths, jewellery and gadgets, even wigs in the style of Adele. But

Watchdog is getting complaints about quality, service and delivery. A

shame, because those shopping channel presenters are so good.

Aah, the weekend. No Annie to worry about. Time to myself. And there's

only one thing I want to watch with a nice cuppa. Shopping channels. I

love 'em. I could catch them for hours. The only problem is every

time I switch on, they are advertising something I really need.

It is called brush on a opportunity. What you do is connect it to the

vacuum and you go round the window frames and suddenly your fluffy faux

pass, your dusty problems have gone forever. You see what I mean? My

windows are really filthy. Hold on, what's this? Five years ago I was

getting a little bald on top until I found this, the hair-restoring

follicle foil... I don't need one of those! Do I? How do we get inside?

Here we are going to introduce to you the cake-cutting kit. It

involves a sharp blade on a handle. They just make everything sound so

great when they are selling don't they? But it is only once you've

been tempted that the problems can begin. At least if you are an Ideal

World customer. Complaints? They could fill a channel of their own.

In December I ordered a pressure washer from Ideal World and they

promised delivery would be quick and efficient. Seventh January I

received the pressure washer which should have come with two bottles of

detergents. But the bottles didn't come, so the machine was useless.

Unfortunately the pressure washer wouldn't work. Ideal World did sort

the problem, but that's little comfort for this customer who bought

this tablet for �300. I called customer service and they told us to

sent the product back to then. When it was returned to us it was in a

worse state. Some of the pixels were dead on the screen and when you held

the tablet you got a distorted image on the screen. We contacted them

again and again and again. Hell-sent the tablet back a second time. And

Ideal World returned it, a second time. Still damaged. They promised a

refund but she is still waiting. It is elegant, beautiful, and portable,

and it tells the time. And it is time for me to change the way you

live your life forever. Because this little baby can boil a kettle, make

you toast, and keep you cool in the summer. All you need are these

attachments. I know what you're thinking. Where have you been all my

life? Yeah, now there's a question. And it is one that some Ideal World

customers have been asking too. 18th October last year I ordered two

Go Note laptops from Ideal World... I purchased a Karcher pressure

washer from Ideal World... And the agent assured me it was ten working

days and it should arrive by the third at the latest... I waited for

the order to arrive. Unfortunately it didn't. Neither of them arrived

and I heard nothing from Ideal World. So I had to place another old

but unfortunately it didn't arrive either. Despite several e-mails they

never did explain what the problem was, just sent a text saying I had

been refunded. So we have goods with parts missing, goods that don't work

and goods that simply just don't turn up. It is definitely worth

calling customer services. Talking of which. Along with the phone it

comes with wireless headphones, so if you are put on hold you can get

on with your everyday chores, so no-one can fob you off. Hm, I wish.

I contacted Ideal World, spent over 35 minutes on the phone They told me

I couldn't claim my refund back unless I signed a non-receipt form.

When I eventually got through to customer services they cut me off.

They kept on telling me it was in the post but unfortunately I never

received that either. Later on I get really frustrated because I couldn't

get through to the customer service line, so I decided to tweet and

emill. It was only after I put something on Twitter that someone

came back and helped me. Ideal World say they offer an exciting,

personal, convenient home shopping experience. Despite that, some

customers have their own reviews. Ideal World did not keep their word

or their bond. I will not be ordering from them again. Poor

service, poor customer replies. I would never use them again. I will

not be giving them any more money. will have to give my shopping

channel amis, too. It is costing a fortune. So it is good night from

me, and it is good night from him. Good night. Are you having them? Are

you struggling to snooze because of snoring? Missing out on beauty

sleep? I might have the answer. Snooze lotion.

Quite enough from you! That the jacket is irresistible. You

could stop doing this and you could do panto in great Yarmouth, the

shopping channels. I have thought about it. Are you going to come with

me? I have not got the face, or the frocks. You would never be able to

replace me. Yes, I would. Ideal Shopping Direct Limited says

the overwhelming majority of its customers are satisfied with its

service, which is why they return repeatedly. It says it has

occasional complaints. However, it has had a higher number of

challenges than normal during a transition between customer service

providers. It apologises to any customers affected. It says it has

invested heavily to address this and it is pleased with the improvements

it is making. Thanks to everyone who has been in touch about that story.

Here are a few more. Columnar faces at Alton Towers after

the first 14 loop roller-coaster, the Smiler, failed to open on bank

holiday weekend. The new ride had been advertised for weeks,

attracting visitors from all over the country. Just 24 hours before

the opening, it announced the delay, blaming unforeseen teething

problems. It now says it cannot put a timeframe on when the ride will

start, but anyone who bought specifically for the opening day can

get their ticket revalidated for a future date. But the problems were

not that unforeseen. Just a few days earlier, it broke down on a launch

event, leaving more than a dozen invited journalists dangling in

midair. No giggling! As well as major celebrities, like Jessica

Wright from the only way as Essex. Showbiz, Jess! One minute you are

up, the next you are down. LOVEFiLM, the subscription movie and

TV service owned by Amazon. You will not be seeing this advert again

because it has been banned for saying you could watch unlimited

content across loads of devices, even though you could not. The

company said that their statement that you could access content on

platforms like PS3s, iPads, Xboxes and LOVEFiLM ready TVs were correct,

and they gave as much information as was possible, but the Advertising

Standards Authority said they misled viewers because the entire catalogue

was not available on every device, and ruled that the commercial must

not run in the same form again. LOVEFiLM? Not so keen on the

misleading adverts. The website offering supposedly

impartial reviews of hotels, TripAdvisor. Millions check it for

deciding where to book, but how reliable are they? A senior

executive of one of the world 's biggest chains has admitted posting

glowing reviews about his own company's hotels. And critical

reviews about rivals. Peter Hook, whose Accor company owns hotel

brands like Novotel, used a false name and went writing on the site,

but he was caught out when TripAdvisor's new Facebook app

showed his photo. He says that his reviews were based on real

experience and did include positive verdicts on competitors. But

TripAdvisor says he broke the rules of the website. It has removed his

reviews, and what's more, Accor has given him leave of absence while it

investigates. So, no stars for him. We have been featuring a couple of

TV repaired businesses in the Midlands to night. Businesses that

both overcharge and invent unnecessary work and both run by men

called Sharma, who are related to another TV man named Gurdave Sharma,

who first featured on Rogue Traders in 2009. To Mike, he is back, with a

walk on role. Yes, that was Gurdave when I first caught up with him four

years ago. A couple of years later he went to jail for fit teen mums

for breaching court orders by continuing to behave dishonestly

with customers. But he has been spotted again, opening the premises

of TV Hospital in Birmingham, another repair business run by his

relative, Gurdit, Gurdit Sharma. Gurdit has a habit of keeping hold

of TVs and pretending they are in a worse state than they really are. He

has had Rob Smith's was six months, despite rocketing �165 in repair

fees. And he has had hours for four weeks, even though the only thing

wrong is a loose cable. Well, we are fed up with waiting. We want it

back. We are right outside the TV Hospital and we are waiting for our

customer, Tim, to go inside and try and find his TV. And to be sure that

Gurdit is on the premises, I am listening for a code word from Tim.

As soon as I hear the word spooky, that means we are going in. Just

wondering what is going on with my nothing wrong with the screen. That

is my cue to make an appearance. We are going in. Hello, Gurdit. How are

you? Matt all right from BBC Rogue Traders. How are you doing? Not

going to bother the handshake? We have left our TV with you. It did

not need any new parts and you were about to say it needed a new screen.

It does. It does not. The only thing wrong with it was the signal board

connector was very slightly pulled out. Hang on. If you disconnect the

panel or the connection, how are we supposed to know you have done that?

Do a voltage test? Don't talk stupid. Get a proper TV engineer to

work it out. How are we supposed to know that? Get your hands off me,

mate. You just push that back in. That is the signal. It comes out of

here. If you have messed about with it, how do you expect me, as an

engineer for 27 years, self-employed, to work out that you

have put a man-made part in there. How would we inspect you as an

engineer of 27 years to diagnose a fault on television? Not when you

have put a man-made fault on it. is simple and requires no part. My

name is Matt all right, BBC Rogue Traders. Rob Smith actually went for

your business because he thought it was local. You should not be

advertising yourself as a Telford business when you are based in

Birmingham. We can call ourselves what we want. You cannot pretend to

be local when you are not. We did not pretend to be local. It is a

name. The name is?Telford TV. you are not implying you are in

Telford? We found three members of the same family doing the same

thing. Are the companies linked? We have seen your brother's firm.

Separate entities. There are striking similarities between the

way that they operate. Gurdave does not work Mo more in the TV trade.

is here doing jobs for you. He might open the shop but that is it. That

is not against the law. Can we have robbed's TV back. Rob Smith from

Telford. His TV is missing, �600 of television, a repair you carried out

for 106 to �5 which broke straightaway. He is now on 606 �5,

no TV, no repair, no money. That is thoroughly dishonest. I am not

dishonest at all. Anyway, thank you very much. Can you except my shop? I

will get the TV back to Mr Smith. You should not be acting

dishonestly. You are hanging on to TV sets and not letting people know

what is going on. He thinks it is gone forever. Six months, you give

up eventually. He is wrong.Cheers. Well, it is a hospital. It is a TV

Hospital. But if you are going to put your TV in there, then you will

be the one requiring a lot of patience. Gurdit Sharma has since

reiterated that he is a hard-working TV engineer with 27 years experience

and many hundreds of satisfied customers. Once again, he says he

could not have diagnosed the man-made fault on the TV we sent in,

which is now ready for collection. He adds that he is still planning to

send Rob Smith's TV back. Well done, Gurdit. You have only had it

eight months. Sukhdave Sharma insists he does not work with other

family members. His businesses cover a wide area and as a result they

sometimes have difficulty collecting and delivering items, which they

regret. He says if any customer has a complaint, he will investigate and

rectify awareness of Surrey. He is also working with trading standards

to ensure he is running his business appropriately, which is nice.

Tonight, he and Gurdit Sharma become the latest faces on our rogue's

gallery. Thank you to everyone who has been

getting in touch about potholes. We heard from one viewer earlier,

Lawrence Stack, from Hertfordshire. He got so fed up with potholes in

his area that he started spray-painting around them to warn

drivers and cyclists. And once he did that, the council filled them

in. He reckons since he started back in December, around 200 holes have

been repaired, and there is one of them. We spoke to Hertfordshire

council which says they were planning to fix them anyway, as part

of their responsible at you to maintain the roads. How lucky is

that? I love his smile and his thumbs up. Happy consumer

champions, that is what we like. Please keep sending your stories and

tipoffs. You can do that by going to our website. You can always write to

us as well. That is always available as an option. Coming up next week,

making an insurance claim - why companies like Tesco are reluctant

to pay out. Plus, Apple, how children can run up big bills with

their so-called free apps. And ordering a restaurant takeaway