:00:00. > :00:09.Energy giant E.ON tells watchdog, we are entitled to make hundreds of
:00:10. > :00:13.millions a year. Sports Direct Online adding items to your basket.
:00:14. > :00:19.Barclays, Lloyds, Natwest and the rest, does it pay to switch? Plus,
:00:20. > :00:21.Flora, Thames Water and Asda. It's Watchdog, the programme you cannot
:00:22. > :00:45.afford to miss. Hello and good evening. Welcome to
:00:46. > :00:50.Watchdog, we are live, as usual, for the next 60 minutes. Tonight, energy
:00:51. > :00:55.companies. Last week, the first of the Big Six increased its bills, the
:00:56. > :01:01.rest will follow. Even though E.ON wouldn't admit it to us. SSE have
:01:02. > :01:07.announced an 8% rise, are you about to announce one? You know I can't
:01:08. > :01:10.talk about that. Also tonight: Sports Direct, received this
:01:11. > :01:16.magazine when you bought online? Presumed it was a gift? Check your
:01:17. > :01:21.invoice. Plus, HSBC, Santander, TSB, all begging us to switch banks and
:01:22. > :01:25.join them. Is it worth it? Undercover inside Britain's biggest
:01:26. > :01:30.limousine hire brokers. It's idea of customer service? Lying, pressure
:01:31. > :01:35.selling and breaking the law. All the sorts of things that tonight's
:01:36. > :01:40.Rogue might want to warn you against on his website. Paul Hinton is his
:01:41. > :01:44.name. His company replaces concrete gutters with plastic ones. If his
:01:45. > :01:53.website is giving advice, presumably, his testimonals should
:01:54. > :01:58.be brilliant. Let us hear one. I have dwoen gone through different
:01:59. > :02:00.emotions, anger and despair and a determination that I will do
:02:01. > :02:05.everything I can to bring him to task. We can understand her
:02:06. > :02:08.frustration. Look what a mess his workmen made of our roof. When we
:02:09. > :02:13.went to complain, it's fair to say that Paul Hinton didn't appreciate
:02:14. > :02:18.our feedback. Watch me try to get a foot, not to mention a shoulder, in
:02:19. > :02:22.the door later on. First, the energy companies. The amount of gas and
:02:23. > :02:27.electricity we are using is going down, while fuel bills are going up.
:02:28. > :02:32.SSE, the first of the Big Six, announced a rise of 8. 2% in
:02:33. > :02:39.November. Meaning, an SSE customer's bill will now be on average ?1400 a
:02:40. > :02:44.year. The other five are expected to follow. Three-and-a-half million
:02:45. > :02:52.families are unable to heat their homes. Here is one viewer's story.
:02:53. > :02:58.My name is Lorna, I'm a single mum of three children. I'm a, woing mum.
:02:59. > :03:03.I work in the tower Hamlet school kitchens as a dinner lady. It's a
:03:04. > :03:08.tight budget. By the time I have done my rent, shopping, school
:03:09. > :03:12.dinners, travel, gas and electric it's hard to budget for. I have
:03:13. > :03:17.noticed over the past two years how the energy has risen for myself. At
:03:18. > :03:23.one point, about a year ago, I was putting ?10 to ?15 a week on my
:03:24. > :03:27.electric, I'm now at ?25 a week. I'm terrified about the energy bills
:03:28. > :03:32.being risen. My budget won't change. I have to find extra money from
:03:33. > :03:39.somewhere to put on the electric and gas. That will be a struggle. It's
:03:40. > :03:44.been very tight and I have had to go without gas. Last winter we were
:03:45. > :03:48.sitting here and my gas ran out and I didn't get pay until the next day.
:03:49. > :03:54.We got quilts and sat on the TV. Outside the windows we could see
:03:55. > :03:58.HSBC and Canary Wharf and my youngest said, "we should go there
:03:59. > :04:01.because it's warm." I felt bad, he made the point that buildings over
:04:02. > :04:08.there have heating on and we haven't. I'm working, I'm trying to
:04:09. > :04:12.do my best, I still can't provide the basic needs that my children
:04:13. > :04:19.need. To me, that's heartbreaking. As cases like Lorna's become more
:04:20. > :04:24.typical, profits for the Big Six keep increasing. Take E.ON. It has
:04:25. > :04:30.four-and-a-half million customers. Its profits have doubled in three
:04:31. > :04:38.years. This year globally it's expected to reach two billion. I put
:04:39. > :04:42.your questions to E.ON Director of Strategy and Regulations, Sara
:04:43. > :04:47.Vaughn. How can you justify your company's profit margins when people
:04:48. > :04:53.are afraid to put the heating on? Our profit margin is less than 5%.
:04:54. > :04:57.What we are trying to do is to earn a fair profit. We are a business. We
:04:58. > :05:01.have employees. We have to ensure that we are able to stay in
:05:02. > :05:05.business. The important thing about people who are scared to put their
:05:06. > :05:09.heating on is that they are get get in conle tact with us. We do care
:05:10. > :05:13.about them and want to work with them. There are a number of things
:05:14. > :05:16.we can do to help, in terms of advice, of insulation, of talking to
:05:17. > :05:20.them about whether there any benefits to which they are entitled
:05:21. > :05:25.that they are not claiming or actually, through our trust fund, to
:05:26. > :05:30.help them actually buy appliances and to move on in that way. You are
:05:31. > :05:35.not going to pay their electricity bills? We want to do all they can to
:05:36. > :05:39.help them to pay their own electricity bills. Not much you are
:05:40. > :05:42.offering really? We would not want any elderly person to be sitting at
:05:43. > :05:46.home and be worried about paying their bill. There are, all over the
:05:47. > :05:50.country, there are? There are elderly people worried about their
:05:51. > :05:55.bills and putting their heating on? We will do what we can to help. For
:05:56. > :05:59.a company that is so concerned to help the elderly, why have you taken
:06:00. > :06:06.away their stay warm allowance? It was not compliant with Ofgem's
:06:07. > :06:11.proposed retail market review rules. Didn't order you to take away the
:06:12. > :06:15.stay warm offer, did th No, they didn't. I'm absolutely not saying
:06:16. > :06:18.that. It was our decision against the background of a tariff that was
:06:19. > :06:24.not compliant. We didn't see a way we could make it compliant. Why do
:06:25. > :06:28.you not put prices down when wholesale prices go down, but put
:06:29. > :06:35.them up when the wholesale prices go up? The way that we buy our energy
:06:36. > :06:40.is always in advance. It may be up to 18 months or two years, the point
:06:41. > :06:46.behind that is that we are not seeing the falls and rises directly
:06:47. > :06:50.impacting on prices. There is a lag usually until that works through.
:06:51. > :06:57.People aren't terribly convinced by that. Even Ofgem says the problem is
:06:58. > :07:02.a lack of transparency on behalf of the energy companies? It's a quite
:07:03. > :07:05.complicated industry. If you look at the bill and if you look at what
:07:06. > :07:10.makes up the bill, less than 20% of the bill is within our control.
:07:11. > :07:13.Wholesale costs, transmission and distribution costs, all of the
:07:14. > :07:18.Government programmes, all of those are out of our control. Viewer says,
:07:19. > :07:23.why do energy companies all follow each other when they put prices up?
:07:24. > :07:26.We are all buying wholesale electricity in the same market and
:07:27. > :07:29.wholesale gas in the same market. We have transmission and distribution
:07:30. > :07:34.costs coming through. We are quite similar businesses in terms of our
:07:35. > :07:38.costs. What consumers think is you are all in this together making a
:07:39. > :07:43.huge profit for yourselves? I wouldn't say that we make a... Our
:07:44. > :07:48.profit is anything other than fair. We made less than 5% on our supply
:07:49. > :07:53.business last year. That really feels to me like a fair profit. Why
:07:54. > :07:58.do you put up your prices in the winter when we need more energy and
:07:59. > :08:04.not in the summer when we don't? If you looked at when price increases
:08:05. > :08:07.have come through you would find they were quite evenly spaced
:08:08. > :08:13.throughout the year. Last year alone we made a price promise to our
:08:14. > :08:17.customers, throughout 2012, that we wouldn't put our prices up. So when
:08:18. > :08:20.we did finally put them up, that was towards the end of February. Really,
:08:21. > :08:25.we were coming out of winter by then. Why do the energy companies
:08:26. > :08:33.make those people who have to pay their gas and electric on card
:08:34. > :08:39.meters pay the highest tariff? That's all about the infrastructure
:08:40. > :08:43.that supports PPMs, pre-payment meters. What we are looking forward
:08:44. > :08:49.to is when we move into smart meters. There will be no distinction
:08:50. > :08:53.between the card Meyers -- payers and the other payers. SSE announced
:08:54. > :08:57.an 8% rise, are you about to announce one? You know I can't talk
:08:58. > :09:05.about that. This viewer would like to know, in the future, the cost of
:09:06. > :09:09.improved energy efficiency should lower the supply? Yes. So will you
:09:10. > :09:14.be making up for that by charging more? We have been working for a
:09:15. > :09:23.number of years on trying to encourage our customers to use less
:09:24. > :09:26.energy. It is quite, sort of, counter intuitive. Really, it's
:09:27. > :09:29.about we want to change the relationship with our customers so
:09:30. > :09:33.they feel that we are on their side and working with them to reduce
:09:34. > :09:39.their energy use to make sure that they use no more than they need.
:09:40. > :09:45.Energy UK, which represents you, is suggesting that our lights might go
:09:46. > :09:50.out in the winter? That is not something that we have said. We have
:09:51. > :09:54.raised concerns around the uncertainty that the move that Mr
:09:55. > :10:01.Miliband has proposed might bring about. We absolutely haven't been -
:10:02. > :10:05.So no lights out this winter? We don't know. You are one of the Big
:10:06. > :10:11.Six, shouldn't you know whether the lights will stay on? The margin of
:10:12. > :10:16.security has reduced. I cannot see that the lights would be allowed to
:10:17. > :10:23.go out this winter. No. So no lights out this winter? No lights out. Very
:10:24. > :10:31.much. Thank you. Next week we will hear from another of the Big Six,
:10:32. > :10:34.SSE, Energy Secretary, Davey has urged consumers to switch providers
:10:35. > :10:40.in pursuit of cheaper bills. At the moment very few people do. Why? Do
:10:41. > :10:44.you shop around for your energy? No. You will get it cheap are for six
:10:45. > :10:51.months then they put theirs up. No, I don't really. I can't really be
:10:52. > :10:58.bothered. 12 months and then I will swap. I will get better by by
:10:59. > :11:02.swapping. Shop around? No. No? Utility bills are high. Shopping
:11:03. > :11:09.around for the sake of saving ?15 a year maybe ?30 a year, it's hardly
:11:10. > :11:11.worth it. Is he right? Is it worth it? Is it possible to get a
:11:12. > :11:16.significant saving if you switch? A full report next week. The In the
:11:17. > :11:18.meantime, if you have a story you would like us to investigate get in
:11:19. > :11:34.touch: Coming up. Sports Direct Online,
:11:35. > :11:44.beware of the items it drops into your basket. We like to keep up with
:11:45. > :11:50.the times. I have recently joined Friends Reunited and just got a
:11:51. > :11:55.mobile phone. Look. Built-in camera. Yeah! We also try to stay abreast of
:11:56. > :11:59.the latest developments in the world of Rogues, it never stands still.
:12:00. > :12:03.They are looking for new opportunities to exploit. New
:12:04. > :12:20.territories to grab. It's like the Wild West out there.
:12:21. > :12:31.Welcome to cowboy Street, 84Cowboy Street. It may look like an ordinary
:12:32. > :12:39.house in an ordinary street, it's not. It's in Cheshire, Kent or
:12:40. > :12:51.somewhere, it hes -- it is full of cowboys. There they are. The reason
:12:52. > :13:01.that these cowboys love 87 Cowboy Street is because, look, it's got
:13:02. > :13:08.concrete gutters. No, stop, stop! I hate this setup. It's ridiculous. Go
:13:09. > :13:16.on. I don't approve of that use of the world "cowboy" either. Here's
:13:17. > :13:22.why. Because I love cowboys, at least the old-style western home on
:13:23. > :13:27.the range type. I don't want them to be associated with someone like Paul
:13:28. > :13:30.Hinton. The boss of a number of companies past and present that
:13:31. > :13:36.specialise in removing costly to maintain concrete gutters. His
:13:37. > :13:42.current firm, Finlock Solutions limited, goes to pains to warn you
:13:43. > :13:52.off cowboys how does his own track record stack up? In 2011 he set up
:13:53. > :14:00.Roof Guard Solutions Limited. He continues to own half the company.
:14:01. > :14:08.In April 2012 he quoted a job for Kay Perkins. She paid ?2,100 to have
:14:09. > :14:13.her old concrete gutters cut off. They were replaced with PVC, like
:14:14. > :14:21.this. As soon as they finished she noticed some serious problems.
:14:22. > :14:28.The gutters themselves, all the joints, every joint, leaked, where
:14:29. > :14:30.they joined at the front and the back. There were insufficient
:14:31. > :14:36.brackets to support the weight of the gutter and the water so the
:14:37. > :14:39.water poured over the side. The fall of the gutter was incorrect so it
:14:40. > :14:43.ran backwards rather than forwards to go down the downspout. The
:14:44. > :14:48.pointing, where they had put the fascia board on, that hasn't been
:14:49. > :14:51.done, so there was damp coming in. This is not just cosmetic, but it
:14:52. > :14:56.sounds like it could actually affect the structure of your house
:14:57. > :15:01.long-term. Yes, it is caused damage internally, because it still leaks.
:15:02. > :15:06.It was just a shoddy job from start to finish and I'm still having
:15:07. > :15:10.problems one year later. As well as damaging her house, the company also
:15:11. > :15:15.managed to damage one neighbour's fans, and the other's caravan during
:15:16. > :15:18.the job. Eventually, the neighbours received compensation but, despite
:15:19. > :15:22.saying they would fix their problems, no one ever came round and
:15:23. > :15:30.she didn't receive a penny back. So I took them to court. The court
:15:31. > :15:33.found in my favour, but I've never received the money, because they
:15:34. > :15:38.dissolve the company. How did it leave you feeling, this whole
:15:39. > :15:44.experience? I've gone to different emotions, anger, discussed, despair,
:15:45. > :15:49.and then a determination that I will do everything I can to bring him to
:15:50. > :15:56.task that discussed. OK. In summer 2012, the company ceased trading.
:15:57. > :16:02.Around the same time, Paul Hinton set up Finlock Solutions of Worcs,
:16:03. > :16:07.offering the same services. As another customer found, but offered
:16:08. > :16:12.the exact same problems. After paying ?2330, they ended up with
:16:13. > :16:17.leaks and poor finishing. The work was eventually ratified by Finlock
:16:18. > :16:23.Solutions, six months later, but refused to provide any compensation
:16:24. > :16:27.for the damage caused. And it doesn't end there. Paul Hinton was
:16:28. > :16:34.involved in another company. Tudor Home Improvement Ltd offering the
:16:35. > :16:37.same work which shut down leaving two County Court judgements are
:16:38. > :16:45.unpaid. With all this ammunition, it's time to saddle up and dried. To
:16:46. > :16:57.the big country. -- saddle up and ride. Leamington spa. We have hired
:16:58. > :17:04.a ranch and fitted it out with cameras. These gutters have sprung a
:17:05. > :17:09.leak. This is TV magic, so we call out a Finlock Solutions salesman who
:17:10. > :17:17.quotes 3575 to take down the concrete gutters, but somehow we get
:17:18. > :17:22.it down to ?2502. Two weeks later, the boys come round, arriving early,
:17:23. > :17:28.a good start, and they waste absolutely no time in setting up and
:17:29. > :17:37.springing into action. What is that? This is not a sparkling
:17:38. > :17:40.beverage break. He is not using safety equipment. Truthfully,
:17:41. > :17:41.ladies, did you ever realise the concrete gutters could be this
:17:42. > :17:50.exciting? Hot stuff. So, stick that in your
:17:51. > :17:54.vocabulary, Finlock. A word meaning a system of concrete guttering,
:17:55. > :17:57.popular in the 1950s and 60s. And Finlock Solutions are about to
:17:58. > :18:02.become a byword for bodges and boggling blunders. Get your
:18:03. > :18:06.thesaurus out. In a little while. Next Sports Direct. The UK's largest
:18:07. > :18:16.sporting retailer. Shop with them online? Be careful. We can reveal
:18:17. > :18:19.the company uses an underhand practice to get you to pay for
:18:20. > :18:29.products you had no intention of buying. Giles Long reports.
:18:30. > :18:33.When you go shopping, you don't keep looking at what's in your basket
:18:34. > :18:40.because it's just full of things that you put in there. Right? All
:18:41. > :18:44.right, mate. I mean, you don't expect new items are just be dropped
:18:45. > :18:51.in there by somebody else, do you? What's this? But that's exactly what
:18:52. > :18:55.happened to Wendy Graham, when she shopped online with Sports Direct. I
:18:56. > :19:00.ordered some items for my son, tracksuit top and bottom is, and I
:19:01. > :19:06.noticed there was an additional item on there, only when I put the
:19:07. > :19:10.invoice by the side of my desk. After the password been delivered.
:19:11. > :19:13.And I happened to glance over at unnoticed it wasn't two items but
:19:14. > :19:21.three on the invoice. The third item was this. Sports Direct's
:19:22. > :19:25.promotional magazine costing ?1 a copy. Whether it's a good read is
:19:26. > :19:29.irrelevant because Wendy wasn't aware she had ordered it. I haven't
:19:30. > :19:34.selected the eye to myself. I was a little bit surprised to see it on
:19:35. > :19:37.the invoice. And the fact I had been charged for it. Admittedly, it was
:19:38. > :19:41.only a pound but it's the principle of it, and it's made me feel like I
:19:42. > :19:46.never want to order anything from Sports Direct again. So how did
:19:47. > :19:51.Wendy" magazine in her purchases? Here is what happens when you order
:19:52. > :19:57.something from Sports Direct. I'm going to choose this holdall. I will
:19:58. > :20:01.click to go through to the checkout and here you can see that holdall
:20:02. > :20:08.I've ordered and just below that is a magazine and a mug for ?1. I
:20:09. > :20:11.didn't order that. This happens every time you make a transaction,
:20:12. > :20:15.whenever you buy something, Sports Direct will add this magazine or
:20:16. > :20:20.this mug, sometimes both come at the checkout for an extra pound. Unless
:20:21. > :20:24.you go back to another part of the site and remove these items, before
:20:25. > :20:29.you buy, you will be charged for them. Dozens of you have been in
:20:30. > :20:33.touch to say it's only when you're Sports Direct goods have arrived
:20:34. > :20:37.that you find out about these extra costs. And chances are it's quite a
:20:38. > :20:43.money spinner. When you consider they generate 15% of its ?1.5
:20:44. > :20:48.billion business online. And they are not the only ones doing this.
:20:49. > :20:51.Take National Express, buy tickets on their site and they tick this box
:20:52. > :20:57.for you because they assume you want to pay an extra ?1 for travel
:20:58. > :21:04.insurance. Want to buy a credit with sky TV? -- Skype. They assume you
:21:05. > :21:14.want to pop up automatically with credit when you run low. And by
:21:15. > :21:19.certain flights from Monarch and the opportunity to pay for extra seats
:21:20. > :21:22.and luggage. At the moment, the letter of the law on the practice of
:21:23. > :21:29.opting you into extra purchases is a bit of a grey area. But industry
:21:30. > :21:32.experts say it isn't playing fair. This practice of pre-ticked boxes
:21:33. > :21:37.and hiding important information goes against the basic principles of
:21:38. > :21:42.contract law, which have been around forever a hundred years. Both
:21:43. > :21:47.parties need to be fully aware of what they are agreeing to, what is
:21:48. > :21:50.the product, what is the price? This tactic is all the more sneaky when
:21:51. > :21:55.you look at how websites are designed. We use a piece of kit
:21:56. > :21:58.called an eye tracker, which allows us to essentially see through the
:21:59. > :22:01.eyes of our users, so we can see what they're looking at and
:22:02. > :22:06.understand a bit better about their behaviour. I have come to our
:22:07. > :22:10.website design consultant to contest how different website influence
:22:11. > :22:15.decision-making. The red dot on the screen shows where I am focusing and
:22:16. > :22:18.eye movements are tracked and stored as I start to order things from the
:22:19. > :22:25.sites we know opted into extra purchases. First, the results for
:22:26. > :22:30.Skype and my eyes are actually drawn to the pre-ticked box, helping me
:22:31. > :22:35.make an informed decision about the automatic recharging operation. When
:22:36. > :22:40.he shows in my results for Monarch, I can see how I could miss optional
:22:41. > :22:43.items. We can see on the baggage, where you are prepaying for
:22:44. > :22:46.baggage, you definitely notice that because your eyes focused on it for
:22:47. > :22:51.a little bit longer, whereas for pre-booking your seat, you skimmed
:22:52. > :23:00.over it. Where the National Express, . -- with National Express... You
:23:01. > :23:06.didn't focus on the box. It hidden away at the top. And with Sports
:23:07. > :23:11.Direct? You can see as I was looking through the descriptions,
:23:12. > :23:15.essentially, I'm confused. There's so much information on the page to
:23:16. > :23:18.take in before I get to the items I'm actually paying for, I could
:23:19. > :23:22.easily have missed the cost for the magazine and the mug. The design of
:23:23. > :23:26.the website has a massive impact on the way you explore the website. You
:23:27. > :23:29.can basically be directed to a certain pathway through a website
:23:30. > :23:35.and Connor Dunbar to missing 70 things. I could end up with boxes
:23:36. > :23:39.checked that I didn't have any say whether I'd checked them or not? And
:23:40. > :23:44.end up with more than you expect that the end of it. Companies are
:23:45. > :23:47.opting you into purchases and possibly designing their websites in
:23:48. > :23:52.a way which makes them hard to spot. Hardly seems right, does it? The
:23:53. > :23:56.authorities agree. Next year, new law comes into effect which will
:23:57. > :24:01.explicitly make it illegal for companies to add goods and services
:24:02. > :24:04.to your account by default when shopping online. That will mean
:24:05. > :24:12.sites like ACPO couple will no longer be able to automatically add
:24:13. > :24:18.things to your basket or sign you up for things by ticking boxes on your
:24:19. > :24:22.behalf -- Sports Direct. Quite a few responses to get through. Sports
:24:23. > :24:25.Direct are unapologetic. They say they have simplified the process of
:24:26. > :24:34.removing the magazine from the online basket. They feel it is clear
:24:35. > :24:37.when it has been added and that it's also clear how customers can remove
:24:38. > :24:40.it if they don't want it. They also say they are aware other retailers
:24:41. > :24:43.adopt the same approach which presumably makes it all right!
:24:44. > :24:45.National Express believe their online booking process is clear,
:24:46. > :24:48.with optional insurance details displayed prominently at the top of
:24:49. > :24:52.the screen. They say they are committed to customer choice and
:24:53. > :24:56.this is why they offer travel insurance and other optional extras
:24:57. > :24:58.when you book a ticket online. Skype told us that they enable
:24:59. > :25:02.auto-recharge in order to ensure that users do not run out of credit
:25:03. > :25:05.during a call. There are no additional costs and auto-recharge
:25:06. > :25:11.can easily be disabled in the account settings at any time.
:25:12. > :25:17.Monarch declined to comment. Next. How long have you been with your
:25:18. > :25:25.bank? Research shows we stay with the same bank for a staggering 26
:25:26. > :25:30.years. Statistically speaking, you're more likely to get divorced
:25:31. > :25:33.than switch your bank account. Lengthy waits until completion,
:25:34. > :25:39.mountains of paperwork, and the risk of missing a payment, put people
:25:40. > :25:46.off. But last month the law changed all that. Bring more competition to
:25:47. > :25:52.high-street banking. In the past, switching bank accounts seemed to be
:25:53. > :25:57.quite a slow process. But now there is the guarantee. You can't have
:25:58. > :26:00.missed the adverts guaranteeing you can switch your current account
:26:01. > :26:04.along with your direct debits and standing orders. In just seven
:26:05. > :26:08.working days. The banks are falling over themselves to tempt you to join
:26:09. > :26:13.them but is it enough? Will we change the habit of a lifetime and
:26:14. > :26:20.break-up with our banks? Joining me now, personal finance analyst, Sarah
:26:21. > :26:25.Pennells. Is it worth switching? There are three groups of people who
:26:26. > :26:27.are to switching for. If you're always in credit but your existing
:26:28. > :26:31.bank doesn't pay you interest also on the other hand, if you always go
:26:32. > :26:35.overdrawn get charged a lot and lastly if your just unhappy with the
:26:36. > :26:40.service or getting. What if you look at another bank and then a few
:26:41. > :26:43.months later they have changed their tune and they are not offering the
:26:44. > :26:48.deal they did when you joined? That is possible with some of them. With
:26:49. > :26:51.some banks, the offers will last 12 months and then you may have to look
:26:52. > :26:55.again. There's no guarantee how long it will last so I would say look
:26:56. > :26:59.overall at what the bank is offering and don't just move for one thing
:27:00. > :27:01.because you don't want to have bad service because you've switched
:27:02. > :27:07.roadies and interest rate. Is there really a big variation of interest
:27:08. > :27:11.rates between the banks? There is, in terms of what they're offering if
:27:12. > :27:14.you're in credit and what they charge if you go overdrawn and even
:27:15. > :27:17.within the banks they will have at least three accounts paying
:27:18. > :27:21.different rates and charging different amounts. What will worry
:27:22. > :27:23.people is that mistakes will be made along the way, the mortgage will be
:27:24. > :27:29.paid, standing orders will get muddled up. The good thing about the
:27:30. > :27:33.seven-day switching isn't so much the time, but the fact that the bank
:27:34. > :27:36.or building society you move too has responsibilities to get it right,
:27:37. > :27:39.and if there was a mistake made, even if it's not their fault, they
:27:40. > :27:44.have too sorted out and, if necessary, they have to pay your
:27:45. > :27:49.overdraft charges. Is there any category of saver or user of banks
:27:50. > :27:51.who shouldn't switch? Well, if you're basically happy with your
:27:52. > :27:55.bank but say they done one thing which is annoyed you, I mean, it's
:27:56. > :27:59.quite good for you to say, I'm thinking of moving because that can
:28:00. > :28:04.focus their minds complaining can't. If you're applying from mortgage and
:28:05. > :28:08.had a lot of change in your life, switched jobs, moved house, your
:28:09. > :28:11.score could be affected negatively if you also switch banks, so maybe
:28:12. > :28:16.wait until after you got your mortgage. Are you suggesting you can
:28:17. > :28:21.trade a bit with your bank and they might do a special deal for you? In
:28:22. > :28:25.some cases. Certainly, when it comes to things like overdraft charges, I
:28:26. > :28:29.know people who have managed to get them wiped out, not so much if they
:28:30. > :28:33.don't offer interest on your credit, if you're in credit, because that is
:28:34. > :28:38.something which is standard. It's a very competitive market now and they
:28:39. > :28:43.know that. Do we have any idea of a reputation of various banks? There's
:28:44. > :28:50.a number of organisations that look at this and also have their own
:28:51. > :28:53.awards so they have a ratings service. There is definitely worth
:28:54. > :28:57.checking out the service because you don't want to move to a bank which
:28:58. > :29:01.has terrible service because we do tend to change banks quite
:29:02. > :29:06.infrequently. Can you name any banks which are good or bad? Any
:29:07. > :29:10.announcements due on them? The ones which seem to come out well on the
:29:11. > :29:15.service is first direct and smile. Some figures published today of
:29:16. > :29:21.complaints against banks against the regulator, and Barclays Bank top
:29:22. > :29:25.that league. OK. Are they bigger than the others? They would say of
:29:26. > :29:29.course, they have a lot of customers and that's why. I do think, looking
:29:30. > :29:32.at those complaints data, could be part of the data if you're willing
:29:33. > :29:35.to switch. Sarah Pennells, thanks very much for joining us. If you
:29:36. > :29:42.want more information about how to switch, go to the website. Still to
:29:43. > :29:53.come, Limo Broker limited. So why does its training manual instruct
:29:54. > :30:00.staff to lie to customers? Back to Finlock Solutions Ltd of
:30:01. > :30:04.Worcestershire, not to be confused can -- with companies of a similar
:30:05. > :30:10.name. You never know, there may be one. We have hired them. They
:30:11. > :30:18.stripped to the waist and fired up an angle grinder. What could
:30:19. > :30:23.possibly go wrong? Their first job is to take off the old concrete
:30:24. > :30:28.guttering. To see how they get on with the job we have brought in the
:30:29. > :30:35.sheriff to watch them at work, sheriff Barry Cross. The fastest gun
:30:36. > :30:41.in the West Midlands. That is probably the last cowboy reference
:30:42. > :30:45.we will make. Here is our lead tradesman, Tony. He is using a low
:30:46. > :30:51.level platform. I think that is a good thing. Safety seems to slip
:30:52. > :30:59.when they move onto ladders. I wonder what Barry makes of this and
:31:00. > :31:04.this, and then this? Look how that ladder is against the wall. It's far
:31:05. > :31:08.too wide. It's only the friction between the foot of the ladder and
:31:09. > :31:13.the ground keeping it in place. It needs to be at an angle. Yeah, I
:31:14. > :31:17.didn't think he'd like it. Now, the trader needs to remove this section
:31:18. > :31:28.of concrete from the wall. It's not an easy task. Rather than move that
:31:29. > :31:29.low level platform round, he has another
:31:30. > :31:36.despite advising him not to because it is a terrible idea, he goes ahead
:31:37. > :31:42.anyway using either the window sill or the neighbour's fence, or uneven
:31:43. > :31:48.chunks of concrete he's just cut off to lift him up a bit. Watch out for
:31:49. > :31:53.the tomatoes! He is gutting off concrete directly above his head. As
:31:54. > :31:59.Oscar wild once nearly said, he may be working on the gutter, but he
:32:00. > :32:03.could soon be seeing stars. So hazardous. I can see about five
:32:04. > :32:09.different ways that he could end up doing himself a mischief here? Yes.
:32:10. > :32:13.You have to have a hard hat. You have to have safety boots. It's
:32:14. > :32:18.concrete dust. It can be toxic. You have to be looking at a dust mask,
:32:19. > :32:22.minimum, whilst you're working in that kind of environment. With the
:32:23. > :32:27.last of the concrete off, they move on to attaching the new fascias and
:32:28. > :32:31.plastic guttering. Here is Tony again. No doubt he will be showing
:32:32. > :32:35.them how it is supposed to be done. Then again, maybe he won't. Keep an
:32:36. > :32:40.eye on the guttering in his hand when this happens.
:32:41. > :32:49.OK, let us watch that back, shall we? The bucket buckles. The
:32:50. > :32:53.guttering hits him smack on the head. It's clearly not Tony's fault
:32:54. > :32:59.that this happened. We need to blame it on the bucket. Yeah, that's it.
:33:00. > :33:04.He's kicked the bucket that thank goodness only in a physical rather
:33:05. > :33:08.than a metaphorcle sense. Yes. Whilst the boys are busy at work I
:33:09. > :33:12.check out their website. Lo and behold it makes for an interesting
:33:13. > :33:17.read. For instance, there is a stay out of trouble checklist. It is
:33:18. > :33:22.true, on their website they have included a handy things to check
:33:23. > :33:29.guide. It's there to help you to avoid un trades person peoples. For
:33:30. > :33:38.instance, if the company address is a home address, for example, 87
:33:39. > :33:42.Cowboy Street, that's what it says! Yeah! Then you know it's a small
:33:43. > :33:48.company or a one-man band. It's all here. The site warns against hiring
:33:49. > :33:51.companies with a residential address. We don't think there is
:33:52. > :33:57.anything wrong with that, guess what, it their own registered
:33:58. > :34:03.company address is a home address in Worcestershire. They list a number
:34:04. > :34:09.of impressive business addresses on their website. We went to Hampshire,
:34:10. > :34:13.Birmingham to check them out. It turns them -- it turns out they
:34:14. > :34:24.weren't at any of them. It's a great start. Another top finlock tip is to
:34:25. > :34:30.see the company's certificate. Surely, Tony will have one to hand.
:34:31. > :34:35.Have you public liability insurance? Have you a certificate? Fantastic.
:34:36. > :34:39.They do have insurance, but their workers don't carry it with them.
:34:40. > :34:43.Let us check back in on the bungalow.
:34:44. > :34:56.We are not adverse to nicknames on Rogue Traders. I have insisted that
:34:57. > :35:02.the team call me the Big Cahoona. Just to remind you, that is our
:35:03. > :35:06.leads tradesman calling himself that. They seem to be in quite a
:35:07. > :35:22.rush. They wouldn't be in such a rush that
:35:23. > :35:26.they would cut corners would they though, surely? The area he has been
:35:27. > :35:30.told to make look good is this tricky corner. One of the most
:35:31. > :35:33.important tasks of the job is to make sure the lower part of the roof
:35:34. > :35:38.is secured and waterproof. What they should have done is taken that
:35:39. > :35:42.corner tile off and used plastic underlay all the way round before
:35:43. > :35:46.putting the tile back. He opts for a different method. If you went to a o
:35:47. > :35:52.I boys' school you will recognise it. He is giving it a wedgy! He's
:35:53. > :35:56.pulling... He is pulling the underlay from the other side of the
:35:57. > :36:00.roof to try and cover the corner. Almost trying to pull your skirt
:36:01. > :36:05.down over your knees. It's not working. Obviously, I'm not looking
:36:06. > :36:13.at it with expert eyes, that to me looks like a pig's ear. So after a
:36:14. > :36:17.day-and-a-half of solid sawing, ut cutting and drilling with the new
:36:18. > :36:21.guttering just about in place and the house more or less clean they
:36:22. > :36:26.head off, still in such a rush they drive off with the van door open.
:36:27. > :36:31.Fair to say, from what he has seen, Barry is really not impressed. It's
:36:32. > :36:35.an appalling job. This doesn't come up even to the most basic standards
:36:36. > :36:40.of other rogue traders we have seen in the past. They are putting
:36:41. > :36:50.themselves at risk and putting the property at risk. It's a total bodge
:36:51. > :36:53.job. It turns out it is worse than anyone could have predicted. Look.
:36:54. > :37:00.The weather is about to change and rain is on the way. Oh, yes, storm
:37:01. > :37:05.clouds are gathering. Will our guttering last the first night? What
:37:06. > :37:12.do you think? We will get right up boss Paul Hinton's downpipe in about
:37:13. > :37:16.10 minutes. Limo Broker Ltd, Britain's largest limousine hire
:37:17. > :37:20.company it acts as a go between. Dpraul from anywhere in the country
:37:21. > :37:24.it book as vehicle from a local firm on your behalf. Wedding, birth days,
:37:25. > :37:32.red carpet events, it guarantees an occasion to remember. So why do we
:37:33. > :37:39.keep receiving complaints? Watchdog has been in touch, they have told me
:37:40. > :37:44.a limo is coming to collect me. This never happens. A limo for me on
:37:45. > :37:48.Watchdog. It must be something special, Oscars, Emmies, I don't
:37:49. > :38:01.know, I'm really looking forward to it. -- Emmys. # I see, it's work,
:38:02. > :38:08.isn't it? I think I've misunderstood the whole invitation. We are going
:38:09. > :38:13.to be investigating the complaints we have had about Limo Broker
:38:14. > :38:17.limited. They are part of Transport Broker Group Limited based in
:38:18. > :38:21.Cardiff. They do coaches and hire cars. They say they offer the best
:38:22. > :38:26.hire deals anywhere in the UK. You call them, tell them what limo you
:38:27. > :38:30.want and for an arrangement fee they do you will a the leg work. Unlike
:38:31. > :38:35.my limo today, the the ones they book for you is sometimes wrong. The
:38:36. > :38:39.wrong vehicle, the wrong colour, the wrong time. That is if they actually
:38:40. > :38:46.turn up. From what we have been hearing, that's by no means
:38:47. > :38:50.guaranteed. Time for our first stop. Gemma's boyfriend, Matthew, used the
:38:51. > :38:55.company to arrange a surprise for her 21st birthday. My boyfriend had
:38:56. > :39:01.booked a limo to pick us up from the bar we were at and take us to
:39:02. > :39:07.London. All of our friends had come down. Everyone got dressed up and
:39:08. > :39:13.made the effort to come out. Matthew paid Limo Broker ?84 arrangement
:39:14. > :39:18.fee. The company left his plans for Gemma's special night in tatters. We
:39:19. > :39:23.waited two hours in the rain. He never turned up. Absolutely
:39:24. > :39:27.devastated I can imagine? Disappointment was completely
:39:28. > :39:32.overwhelming. Then the night was ruined. Gemma got her money back,
:39:33. > :39:36.she never got an apology, hardly behaviour you would expect from a
:39:37. > :39:40.firm that describes itself as the country's most trusted limo hire
:39:41. > :39:45.company. Time for another pickup, this time to meet Helen and Paul,
:39:46. > :39:49.they hired from Limo Broker for the most special event of their
:39:50. > :39:54.daughter's life, her wedding day. Thank you for joining us. Gemma has
:39:55. > :39:59.been telling me about her problems with Limo Brokers, what happened to
:40:00. > :40:06.you? I booked a Bentley, it was niceance and big, the car was to be
:40:07. > :40:11.decorated with ribbon and bows, that special moment between father and
:40:12. > :40:14.daughter. What did they promise you? A uniformed driver and to arrive
:40:15. > :40:20.before 1.00pm to take my daughter and myself to the hotel at 1.30pm.
:40:21. > :40:23.The limo didn't turn up on time. They hired a local taxi to get to
:40:24. > :40:28.the church. That meant their daughter was late for her own
:40:29. > :40:32.wedding. That moment of driving to the wedding venue with your daughter
:40:33. > :40:37.is a special moment for a father and daughter. Was it ruined that moment
:40:38. > :40:42.for you? Oh, absolutely. Yes. That's a moment you can never get back
:40:43. > :40:47.again. Consider did turn up. It was clear the driver had no idea about
:40:48. > :40:51.the occasion he had been hired for. Wrong car, wrong driver. The car
:40:52. > :40:57.wasn't decorated decorated properly. Had anies on, a black T-shirt, no
:40:58. > :41:02.ribbon on the car. They got their deposit of ?174 back. It was little
:41:03. > :41:07.consolation for the damage done on their daughter's big day. Will find
:41:08. > :41:11.out what has been going on. We sent team member Anna into the parent
:41:12. > :41:16.company Transport Broker Group Limited to train as a call handler.
:41:17. > :41:20.It becomes clear that the company is far more concerned about making
:41:21. > :41:29.sales than it is about ensuring bookings are being made correctly.
:41:30. > :41:36.Anna was taut to use techniques and I have spoke to Margaret Griffiths.
:41:37. > :41:38.She was in charge of HR -- this was the man in charge of HR and
:41:39. > :41:57.training. This is head of HR and Training
:41:58. > :42:00.giving us this advice? Horrendous. It's reasonable to assume as head of
:42:01. > :42:06.training every single person he trains will use these techniques. It
:42:07. > :42:10.was proved on the first day when this was handed to her, the
:42:11. > :42:16.company's training manual. This is called the Sales Staff Cheat Sheet.
:42:17. > :42:24.That doesn't bode well, does it? It doesn't, does it. Below are some
:42:25. > :42:27.para phrases that should always be incorporated into the conversation
:42:28. > :42:30.with the customers. I can hold the price for a couple of hours, after
:42:31. > :42:35.that the price will go up. I feel under pressure and I'm reading this?
:42:36. > :42:43.Absolutely. It's about putting pressure on the consumer. Can I pop
:42:44. > :42:47.you on hold. It says in brac etc, leave the customer on hold for a
:42:48. > :42:52.little bit longer than number making them fear a little bit more. I can't
:42:53. > :42:57.believe I'm reading this in black-and-white? Those statements
:42:58. > :43:00.are illegal. The purpose of which is to ramp up the pressure on a
:43:01. > :43:04.consumer and force them into a decision that they might not
:43:05. > :43:08.otherwise make. Here is the former head of HR and training again. He is
:43:09. > :43:15.in mid conversation taking a phone booking when he makes this gesture
:43:16. > :43:21.about the person he is speaking to. That is as bad as it gets?
:43:22. > :43:24.Unacceptable. It's showing total disdain and disrespect for the
:43:25. > :43:42.consumer. Anna was also told: in just four days inside the
:43:43. > :43:46.company, Anna uncovered illegal pressure sales tactics, saw senior
:43:47. > :43:51.staff disrespecting paying customers and found out it was considered
:43:52. > :43:56.acceptable to lie about bookings. In hindsight it's no wonder that Gemma,
:43:57. > :43:59.Paul and Helen had such unpleasant experiences booking through Limo
:44:00. > :44:03.Broker. What do you make of this company? They seem to be absolutely
:44:04. > :44:07.without morals. Their behaviour is immoral. It is there purely and
:44:08. > :44:14.simply to take advantage of consumers. Some of what we have been
:44:15. > :44:19.saying is almost certainly illegally. Limo mow broker limited
:44:20. > :44:23.would like to personally apologise to Paul, Helen and Gemma for any
:44:24. > :44:27.inconvenience they caused. They would like to offer all of them a
:44:28. > :44:33.free hire on a date of their choice as a gesture of goodwill. They say
:44:34. > :44:36.in recent weeks they have made severe alterations to staffing and
:44:37. > :44:41.procedures inside the company. They have God rit of the training manual
:44:42. > :44:46.encouraging staff to lie and have appointed a new HR manager with 25
:44:47. > :44:51.years' experience to improve customer standards. Are we seeing
:44:52. > :44:57.improvements? I booked a limousine to celebrate my wedding anniversary.
:44:58. > :45:01.It had to be there by 2.00pm, a stretch limo and white. I ordered
:45:02. > :45:06.pink ribbons on the front. I'm that kind of guy. Why pink ribbons? I
:45:07. > :45:13.have no idea. That is what I wanted. This is what turned up.
:45:14. > :45:19.It is nearly two o'clock and the car has arrived so my wife will be
:45:20. > :45:23.really pleased. It is a stretch limo, however, it is not white and I
:45:24. > :45:30.wanted white, and I can't see any pink ribbons. 6.5 out of ten. I know
:45:31. > :46:06.it sounds harsh, but if you're going to get married,
:46:07. > :46:08.quickly, we've had complaints from people who say they have been misled
:46:09. > :46:13.when applying for a driving licence online. Tonight we'll try and clear
:46:14. > :46:16.up the confusion. Applying for a licence costs ?50 direct from the
:46:17. > :46:19.DVLA. Type 'Renew Driver's Licence' into a search engine and you'll find
:46:20. > :46:22.numerous options. But be careful, because many of these are actually
:46:23. > :46:26.what's known as check and send services. They want ?50 too. But all
:46:27. > :46:29.they'll do is fill out the application forms for you. And as
:46:30. > :46:34.16-year-old viewer Connor Dunbar found out, that means you still have
:46:35. > :46:40.to pay the DVLA fee on top. I know that my first step was to apply for
:46:41. > :46:45.my provisional licence. I went up on the website, the first thing that
:46:46. > :46:50.came up on Google. It said click here to apply for your driver 's
:46:51. > :46:54.license so I filled up my details, paid ?50, essentially, all the
:46:55. > :46:59.website did was fill out a form which I could have done myself. I've
:47:00. > :47:02.ended up paying ?50 twice, once for getting the form, and once for the
:47:03. > :47:06.actual driving licence. It's ridiculously frustrating how they
:47:07. > :47:10.can get away with that. So, very simply, if you are happy to fill out
:47:11. > :47:14.the application forms yourself, and only want to pay the ?50 once, you
:47:15. > :47:17.should go to www.gov.uk and search for DVLA. Alternatively, you can
:47:18. > :47:22.pick up a hard copy at the Post Office. Thanks for getting in touch
:47:23. > :47:37.with those stories. Here is a few more. Cambridge. It's in
:47:38. > :47:40.Cambridgeshire in England. Right? It appears ASDA aren't so sure.
:47:41. > :47:43.Customers in their Cambridge Beehive Centre branch were baffled yesterday
:47:44. > :47:46.when the stores unveiled these new signs in the fruit and veg aisles.
:47:47. > :47:50.They are written in both English and Welsh, despite the store being over
:47:51. > :47:53.200 miles away from the border. So is this a new ASDA programme to
:47:54. > :47:57.improve Anglo-Welsh relations? No. The supermarket say there was a mix
:47:58. > :48:01.up in the printers, and they had no choice but to put the signs up
:48:02. > :48:06.whilst they wait for the correct ones. Personally, I like this idea.
:48:07. > :48:10.You pick up a new language why you're doing your shopping.
:48:11. > :48:16.HE SPEAKS WELSH. What a tasty apple.
:48:17. > :48:24.Many apologies to Wales. Two adverts for Flora Pro-Active spread have
:48:25. > :48:27.been banned because the manufacturers couldn't back up
:48:28. > :48:30.claims they were making about the products' health benefits. The ads
:48:31. > :48:33.both ended with the assertion that 'no other food lowers cholesterol
:48:34. > :48:36.more'. But when this was challenged by viewers, makers Unilever said
:48:37. > :48:39.they hadn't ever meant to suggest the product was the best at lowering
:48:40. > :48:42.cholesterol. Just that no other foods or ingredients could do it
:48:43. > :48:45.better than them. In other words, they were all joint best. Confusing,
:48:46. > :48:48.isn't it? Unfortunately for Flora, the Advertising Standards Authority
:48:49. > :48:56.said the ads made an unauthrised health claim. And as a result, they
:48:57. > :48:59.must not be broadcast again. So Flora can lower your cholesterol,
:49:00. > :49:09.just not any better than anything else. Not a very catchy, that, is
:49:10. > :49:12.it? Water regulator Ofwat today announced it's refusing to allow
:49:13. > :49:15.Thames Water to raise its prices by 8%. Despite increased profits,
:49:16. > :49:18.Thames Water argues it needs more money. First for extra investment to
:49:19. > :49:23.cover the cost of a new super sewer under the Thames. And because it
:49:24. > :49:29.says, due to the economy, some customers are failing to pay their
:49:30. > :49:32.bills. However. Ofwat challenged the proposal on the grounds that Thames
:49:33. > :49:35.Water hasn't adequately maintained parts of its network. And has
:49:36. > :49:38.underspent on its sewage investment programmes. This morning Ofwat said
:49:39. > :49:41.they had looked at the evidence provided by the company and didn't
:49:42. > :49:43.believe the increase was justified. Good work, Ofwat! Maybe you could
:49:44. > :49:54.give some lessons to OFGEM. Time's up for Finlock Solutions now,
:49:55. > :49:57.the company which offers to get rid of unsightly and unreliable concrete
:49:58. > :50:00.guttering and replace it with unsightly and unreliable plastic
:50:01. > :50:10.guttering. Just how unreliable? Well, Mother Nature has something to
:50:11. > :50:14.say about that. The very day after Finlock Solutions finish the work on
:50:15. > :50:19.the house, it rained and this happened. The roof leaked and
:50:20. > :50:23.leaked. We brought Barry round a few days later for a bit of show and
:50:24. > :50:28.tell. I'm guessing that wasn't there before we had the work done?
:50:29. > :50:34.Certainly not, it's a direct result of their action on this job. What
:50:35. > :50:38.have they done? Quite honestly, you won't believe this, they have left a
:50:39. > :50:44.tile pushed back and now the rain has poured through. Wasn't that just
:50:45. > :50:49.a case of putting the pile back into place? That takes seconds to do. 30
:50:50. > :50:54.seconds, and that would have prevented that from happening. If
:50:55. > :50:57.this is weeks, you're talking about a serious problem. Yes, it would've
:50:58. > :51:09.destroyed the ceiling. They are unbelievable. Many more for me?
:51:10. > :51:15.Plenty more. In fact, this house is now as leaky as San Marino's back
:51:16. > :51:17.four. The gutters leak. Gaps of being left behind the windows and
:51:18. > :51:22.the facias which, you've guessed it, could now leak. Remember the
:51:23. > :51:27.corner which just had to look good? Aside from the obvious, to protect
:51:28. > :51:31.doesn't reach the corner and the waterproof underlay definitely
:51:32. > :51:36.shouldn't be screwed on, leaving this leaking. The windowsills been
:51:37. > :51:41.scratched by falling concrete. Look at the tomatoes. Well, at least they
:51:42. > :51:46.are not leaking. In your lifetime experience in the building trade,
:51:47. > :51:50.what do you make of this job? This needs to be taken down and we need
:51:51. > :51:54.to start again. And the reason for that is that we need to make sure
:51:55. > :51:58.the weathering behind the guttering is sufficient to prevent any water
:51:59. > :52:04.getting into the house. It was a barge from start to finish. When we
:52:05. > :52:07.complained to Finlock Solutions, they offered to come and look at the
:52:08. > :52:11.problems but, as they wanted to send round Tony who bodged it in the
:52:12. > :52:15.first place, we didn't want to take the risk, so we got a reputable
:52:16. > :52:19.trader to replace everything and repair the damage, costing us more
:52:20. > :52:26.than the original job itself. From the work we have seen, it's clear
:52:27. > :52:31.Finlock Solutions where the problem and it's a problem that needs a
:52:32. > :52:36.concrete conclusion. We need answers but firstly, we need an address.
:52:37. > :52:42.Remember, they are not the ones they list on their website. We eventually
:52:43. > :52:45.managed to track them down to their real office in Kidderminster in the
:52:46. > :52:52.West Midlands. Kidderminster is lovely, as this 80s Betamax footage
:52:53. > :52:58.shows. Seriously, is that the best footage we could get? Right,
:52:59. > :53:04.anyway, enough of that. It's showdown time. No pistols required.
:53:05. > :53:09.My weapons, a camera crew and a dam fine shape. This is actually my own
:53:10. > :53:12.and this is not a proper. I'm wearing it because we are about to
:53:13. > :53:21.meet the Mayor of Cowboy Street, Paul Hinton, and it's a matter of
:53:22. > :53:25.waiting until he turns up. We don't have too wait long. It is Paul
:53:26. > :53:34.Hinton, very much at home on his range. Hello, BBC Rogue Traders.
:53:35. > :53:45.This must be 87 Cowboy St, then? 87 Cowboy St? On your website, that's
:53:46. > :53:47.what you call the residents of fly by night roofing solutions providers
:53:48. > :54:00.like yourself. That's the residential address. That's what he
:54:01. > :54:06.put on the website, isn't it? And what we found from the job that you
:54:07. > :54:11.did for us, was that, actually, the work you do is appalling. The work
:54:12. > :54:34.that Finlock Solutions carries out is appalling, it's dreadful,
:54:35. > :54:37.that Finlock Solutions carries out it was completed, the first rain
:54:38. > :54:42.that we had committed leaked through the roof afterwards, causing damage.
:54:43. > :54:45.Have you spoken to the service team? We are speaking to you now because
:54:46. > :54:49.the evidence we have seen is that when customers try to get back in
:54:50. > :54:55.touch with you, you end up leaving them out of pocket, you have County
:54:56. > :55:00.Court judgements. We don't have any of those? You do for the previous
:55:01. > :55:07.company you were the boss of. I retired as a director. And what you
:55:08. > :55:13.did, you actually dissolve back company. You dissolve back company.
:55:14. > :55:19.Do you remember? Once you dissolve the company, voluntarily, the
:55:20. > :55:23.insurers who offers no longer valid. Unfortunately, it's only if you go
:55:24. > :55:27.bankrupt or are liquidated. You dissolves involuntarily and that
:55:28. > :55:31.means insurers isn't worth anything. You leave your customers in the
:55:32. > :55:35.lurch, in the same way that we got a job that didn't work. We now have to
:55:36. > :55:39.spend more than the value of the job trying to put that roof right. Do
:55:40. > :55:44.you understand what I'm saying? That's why you are the king of
:55:45. > :55:51.Cowboy Street, so are you going to pay back Kay Perkins, who you owe
:55:52. > :55:54.from your previous company? It's not my company. You think you can escape
:55:55. > :56:00.your responsibilities? You can't, because we know what your next
:56:01. > :56:05.company is going to be called. Does it sound like we have done research?
:56:06. > :56:08.We know all about you and when you come up with another company, we
:56:09. > :56:13.will be there to check it out as well.
:56:14. > :56:18.I also spotted Tony. Tony, you have got to be careful on jobs. You are
:56:19. > :56:22.going to hurt yourself. OK? You have got to look after yourself otherwise
:56:23. > :56:25.you're not going to be able to work again and that goes for all of the
:56:26. > :56:30.guys who are looking after, as well. We want the money back. Any other
:56:31. > :56:34.customers that come forward, we want their money back. It's going to
:56:35. > :56:48.happen, isn't it, Paul? You're going to pay as the money back? So that is
:56:49. > :56:55.Paul Hinton from Finlock Solutions. And that felt like high noon.
:56:56. > :57:00.Paul Hinton says he's extremely disappointed with the job his
:57:01. > :57:04.workers did at our property and is upset that we didn't allow him or
:57:05. > :57:11.his men to rectify the work they carried out. He's supplied us with
:57:12. > :57:14.over 150 signed letters he says are from satisfied customers and
:57:15. > :57:17.promises he does everything possible to resolve complaints when he gets
:57:18. > :57:21.them. He says that he's happy to discuss repairs and compensation for
:57:22. > :57:25.our work as long as it hasn't been tampered with. I'm afraid it's a bit
:57:26. > :57:29.late for that, Paul. It was so bad we had to take it all down for fear
:57:30. > :57:38.of damaging the house. However we have put up this. Your face on our
:57:39. > :57:42.Rogue's gallery. Well done. Loads of tweets from customers of Sports
:57:43. > :57:44.Direct. Keep them coming in. Do keep sending us your stories and
:57:45. > :57:50.tip-offs. Just go to our website, bbc.co.uk/watchdog and click where
:57:51. > :57:54.it says "Your Story". There is the option to write to us as well. The
:57:55. > :57:59.address is on your screens now. Thanks, guys. Coming up next week.
:58:00. > :58:03.Premium bank accounts where you pay and get added extras. As many as one
:58:04. > :58:06.in five may have been mis-sold. Railway fares. They are the most
:58:07. > :58:10.expensive in Europe. And the most confusing? And SSE. It's put its
:58:11. > :58:12.prices up. Now it has to answer your questions. That's all on Watchdog.
:58:13. > :58:14.Next Wednesday at 8.00pm. Until then. From all of us here,
:58:15. > :58:18.goodnight.