0:00:02 > 0:00:03You're watching X-ray,
0:00:03 > 0:00:05the programme that fights for your rights on holiday.
0:00:06 > 0:00:08Are you jetting off abroad?
0:00:08 > 0:00:11Or enjoying Wales' stunning scenery?
0:00:12 > 0:00:14To celebrate summer, we've been out and about,
0:00:14 > 0:00:17finding brilliant ways to save you money.
0:00:17 > 0:00:19Yes!
0:00:19 > 0:00:23From cheap days out in Wales to designer looks.
0:00:23 > 0:00:27But we haven't forgotten to investigate your holiday horrors
0:00:27 > 0:00:28and confront the rogues.
0:00:28 > 0:00:30We're from X-ray... Excuse me!
0:00:42 > 0:00:43Tonight...
0:00:43 > 0:00:45We've all got a holiday beauty routine,
0:00:45 > 0:00:49but if yours includes a Botox treatment, you might want to
0:00:49 > 0:00:53avoid the cut-price clinic run by this bogus nurse.
0:01:04 > 0:01:08When we try to confront her, we get a hostile reception.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11We're from X-ray... Excuse me! Don't you...!
0:01:11 > 0:01:11Oh, gee whiz.
0:01:11 > 0:01:15Delayed flights - we all have a right to compensation,
0:01:15 > 0:01:18so why did Andrea find it so hard to claim?
0:01:18 > 0:01:22I've done everything by the book.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25I've sent everything they've asked for.
0:01:25 > 0:01:27And, literally, it hasn't got me anywhere.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31And we all love an ice cream on holiday,
0:01:31 > 0:01:34but how can you tell if it's safe to eat?
0:01:37 > 0:01:42Hello. Tonight, I'm in Barmouth, on the stunning Gwynedd coastline.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45Later, deal or no deal?
0:01:45 > 0:01:48I'll be asking if those airport bargains
0:01:48 > 0:01:51really are cheaper than the high street?
0:01:51 > 0:01:54And I'm a few miles up the road in the heart of the
0:01:54 > 0:01:56Snowdonia National Park.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59Where I'll be finding out if mountain biking is
0:01:59 > 0:02:03a cheap way to keep the family occupied this summer.
0:02:03 > 0:02:04But first...
0:02:04 > 0:02:08If you're planning some beauty treatments before you go on holiday,
0:02:08 > 0:02:10here's one place you might want to avoid.
0:02:12 > 0:02:14Got to look good on holiday.
0:02:14 > 0:02:16You've had your hair done.
0:02:17 > 0:02:21That is lovely, thank you!
0:02:21 > 0:02:23Your legs waxed.
0:02:23 > 0:02:25Ow!
0:02:25 > 0:02:27Your nails done.
0:02:27 > 0:02:29And, if you want to go further...
0:02:29 > 0:02:31How about some Botox?
0:02:38 > 0:02:41More and more people are putting the wrinkle-reducing
0:02:41 > 0:02:46injection at the top of their beauty list before they go on holiday.
0:02:48 > 0:02:52But beware of the Botox deals that seem too good to be true.
0:02:52 > 0:02:56You've been telling us about a backstreet practice
0:02:56 > 0:02:58called Botox Beauty,
0:02:58 > 0:02:59or Vizzy Bizzy,
0:02:59 > 0:03:02that's operating illegally in Porthcawl.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06The woman who runs the business is called Vivienne Baker.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13Award-winning mobile hairdresser, Richard Kerr,
0:03:13 > 0:03:16from Bedwas in Caerphilly, stumbled across her adverts when
0:03:16 > 0:03:19he wanted a course of Botox.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22On Facebook, her name was recommended.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25There was pictures and there was certificates,
0:03:25 > 0:03:27so you wouldn't think about looking into it.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29So I thought, I'll give her a go.
0:03:29 > 0:03:33She was a qualified nurse that trained in London.
0:03:33 > 0:03:37I just believed everything that I read.
0:03:40 > 0:03:45Richard paid Vizzy for two visits at around £300 a time.
0:03:45 > 0:03:49For treatment on his forehead and fillers in his lips.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51But soon, cracks began to show.
0:03:53 > 0:03:57It worked for the first, I'd say, two weeks.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59And then my wrinkles came back.
0:03:59 > 0:04:03I didn't see no effect on my lips at all.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06So Vizzy told Richard she'd redo the procedures.
0:04:06 > 0:04:10But he'd have to pay another £70 for the privilege.
0:04:10 > 0:04:15This time, he was asked to come to her house to have the injections.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17It was a total nightmare.
0:04:17 > 0:04:23I sat in her kitchen with children running around the area.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26So it wasn't very clean.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29There was no anaesthetic on my mouth whatsoever,
0:04:29 > 0:04:31so I could feel every bit of pain.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34It was excruciating.
0:04:35 > 0:04:41And after Richard's nightmare experience, there was worse to come.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43The day after, that's when I had a mouthful,
0:04:43 > 0:04:45all round my mouth, of blisters.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52And it seems Vizzy's been very busy.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55We've heard from another unhappy customer
0:04:55 > 0:04:59who was treated at her home, here on this Porthcawl Street.
0:04:59 > 0:05:04She said her face was droopy, and she couldn't smile for months.
0:05:08 > 0:05:13We decided to take a closer look at Vivienne Baker's Botox business.
0:05:23 > 0:05:27Our researchers posed as customers, looking for treatment.
0:05:27 > 0:05:29Vizzy says she's been very busy.
0:05:41 > 0:05:43And it looks like she really does
0:05:43 > 0:05:45carry out the treatment in her kitchen.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55Let's get an expert opinion.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58Ashton Collins runs an organisation
0:05:58 > 0:06:01which inspects legitimate Botox clinics.
0:06:01 > 0:06:06Ashton, what do you make of the fact she's doing this in her kitchen?
0:06:06 > 0:06:08Yeah, it's such an unsuitable and unacceptable environment
0:06:08 > 0:06:11to inject any procedure, actually.
0:06:11 > 0:06:15She's opening her clients up to such unnecessary risks from an
0:06:15 > 0:06:17infection control point of view.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21It goes against all best practice, NHS guidelines.
0:06:21 > 0:06:25But Vivienne still claims we're in safe medical hands.
0:06:30 > 0:06:32Erm, no.
0:06:32 > 0:06:36Not according to the Nursing And Midwifery Council register.
0:06:36 > 0:06:40And practising without being on it is illegal.
0:06:40 > 0:06:45We also found her Harley Street accreditation certificate is false,
0:06:45 > 0:06:47as there's no such thing.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50This makes her next claims even more improbable.
0:06:57 > 0:06:59She'd have to have an additional,
0:06:59 > 0:07:02special qualification to be able to prescribe.
0:07:02 > 0:07:05The only people who can prescribe are doctors, dentists,
0:07:05 > 0:07:08nurses with the special prescribing qualification,
0:07:08 > 0:07:09and prescribing pharmacists.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12So it's a complete lie.
0:07:12 > 0:07:14She might not be qualified,
0:07:14 > 0:07:17but she wants to make sure everyone has access to her treatments.
0:07:24 > 0:07:30And even if you pay upfront, the prices are alarmingly low.
0:07:30 > 0:07:34She offered us three Botox injections for £150.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37What you make of that kind of pricing for treatment?
0:07:37 > 0:07:38It's worryingly cheap.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41I mean, reputable practitioners would find it difficult to
0:07:41 > 0:07:43source the product for that price.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46It would raise serious alarm bells as to actually what product she's
0:07:46 > 0:07:51using, where she's sourcing it from, and how safe and effective it is.
0:07:51 > 0:07:56Vivienne Baker also plays fast and loose with the facts about Botox.
0:08:12 > 0:08:14Botox exactly works by relaxing the muscles,
0:08:14 > 0:08:16so it's not an anaesthetic at all.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19It doesn't target the skin it targets the muscles.
0:08:19 > 0:08:21So completely inaccurate.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24None of these procedures are without risk, even in the most
0:08:24 > 0:08:27skilled and experienced of hands, they can carry complications.
0:08:27 > 0:08:29If somebody had an allergic reaction,
0:08:29 > 0:08:31they could go into anaphylactic shock.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34And if the practitioner was unable and unequipped to deal with that,
0:08:34 > 0:08:36the person could lose their life.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39Although she hasn't checked our researcher's medical history,
0:08:39 > 0:08:42she's getting ready to inject.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54Time for our team to make a sharp exit.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05You are compromising so many things by choosing
0:09:05 > 0:09:08a cut-price practitioner.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11Your safety, your health, your appearance -
0:09:11 > 0:09:12it's just not worth it.
0:09:12 > 0:09:14Well, we wanted to speak to Vivienne Baker,
0:09:14 > 0:09:18but she ignored all our efforts to contact her.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21Of course, on X-ray, we don't give up easily,
0:09:21 > 0:09:26so we sent Rachel along to ask her a few questions.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30- Vivienne Baker?- Yes?
0:09:30 > 0:09:33- Are you qualified to prescribe Botox? Is she here?- No.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36Yes, she is, I've just seen her. She put head around the fence.
0:09:36 > 0:09:37She's here.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40We're from X-ray... Excuse me! Don't you...!
0:09:40 > 0:09:42Oh, gee whiz.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45So she doesn't want to answer questions about the fact that
0:09:45 > 0:09:47she's not qualified to prescribe Botox?
0:09:50 > 0:09:51Try the front door.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55It didn't matter how many times Rachel tried,
0:09:55 > 0:09:58Vivienne Baker just wasn't going to talk.
0:09:58 > 0:10:02Still, at least you know where not to go for Botox.
0:10:03 > 0:10:05Still to come...
0:10:05 > 0:10:09You have a right to compensation for a delayed flight, so why did
0:10:09 > 0:10:14Gareth have to take a holiday giant to court to get his money?
0:10:14 > 0:10:16You're not after something for nothing, you're after
0:10:16 > 0:10:20something for the inconvenience of being left in Canada for 20 hours.
0:10:22 > 0:10:26In these long summer holidays, it can be a bit of a struggle to
0:10:26 > 0:10:30find something for the family to do that doesn't cost a fortune.
0:10:30 > 0:10:34So, how about digging those bikes out from the back of the shed
0:10:34 > 0:10:36and having a go at this?
0:10:44 > 0:10:47This is great fun, but it looks like a sport where you spend
0:10:47 > 0:10:50a fortune on fancy gear before you even get started.
0:10:52 > 0:10:54Can anyone really get involved?
0:10:56 > 0:11:00Let's ask cycling coach, Steve Beech.
0:11:00 > 0:11:01It's very easy to get into mountain biking.
0:11:01 > 0:11:03All you need is a basic bike with fat tyres,
0:11:03 > 0:11:06straight bars and the brakes and pedals work.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09I've seen a lot of flashy bikes around here?
0:11:09 > 0:11:11Yes, there are lots of lovely bikes around here,
0:11:11 > 0:11:13but you don't need to spend thousands to start off.
0:11:13 > 0:11:15You can hire a bike if you want to give it a go.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18Do you have to be superfit?
0:11:18 > 0:11:19You don't have to be fit.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22Mountain biking's hard work and you will get fit doing it. But, no,
0:11:22 > 0:11:25it's one of those things where you get fitter the more you do it.
0:11:25 > 0:11:26And in terms of cost then,
0:11:26 > 0:11:29- how much do you have to pay to go out on the track?- Everything's free.
0:11:29 > 0:11:31You pay to park, all the trails are free to use.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33And there's miles and miles of fabulous trail.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36Now, we're going to put all of this to the test, because we've got
0:11:36 > 0:11:40Chris, Riley and Noah from up the road in Machynlleth.
0:11:40 > 0:11:42Chris, how long have you had your bikes?
0:11:42 > 0:11:45We've had our bikes about five years now.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48- Have you ever come here as a family with your bikes?- No, we haven't.
0:11:48 > 0:11:52But as they're getting older now, I think we'll be up here quite often.
0:11:52 > 0:11:54- You fancy a go? You looking forward to this?- Yeah!
0:11:54 > 0:11:56- Yeah, it's going to be fun, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58I want to get muddy!
0:11:58 > 0:12:01These guys are off to get a lesson from Steve,
0:12:01 > 0:12:03we'll see how they get on a bit.
0:12:03 > 0:12:04Lucy.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09A day at the seaside wouldn't be complete without one of these.
0:12:09 > 0:12:13But how clean is your ice cream?
0:12:17 > 0:12:19Ice cream - we love it.
0:12:22 > 0:12:24But should we be wary before we take a bite?
0:12:26 > 0:12:31The hygiene of these soft ice creams has been under scrutiny.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34They've been popular ever since they were invented by a group of
0:12:34 > 0:12:38industrial chemists, including one Margaret Hilda Thatcher.
0:12:39 > 0:12:41We're aware, from work that's been done,
0:12:41 > 0:12:44that this sort of ice cream, soft stream ice cream, is the one
0:12:44 > 0:12:47that more often fails tests, bacteriological tests,
0:12:47 > 0:12:50that we would do.
0:12:50 > 0:12:52In here is a tank with ice cream in it,
0:12:52 > 0:12:55and there are pipes and a pump to pump it out through here.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58And the concern is that the proprietor isn't cleaning
0:12:58 > 0:13:00them often enough, so they just keep topping them up
0:13:00 > 0:13:02with the liquid that makes the ice cream
0:13:02 > 0:13:05without ever flushing the machine through and cleaning it.
0:13:05 > 0:13:07If there are bacteria in the machine,
0:13:07 > 0:13:11the bacteria can slowly grow, until they build up a presence,
0:13:11 > 0:13:14and then they will be dispensed through the machine into the
0:13:14 > 0:13:16ice cream that the customers eat.
0:13:16 > 0:13:18That could make someone ill.
0:13:18 > 0:13:19Ugh!
0:13:19 > 0:13:22Bacteria in your ice cream?
0:13:22 > 0:13:24That doesn't sound appetising.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29So how clean is Welsh ice cream?
0:13:31 > 0:13:35We joined Environmental Health as they tested premises along
0:13:35 > 0:13:36the South Wales coast.
0:13:38 > 0:13:42What we will be doing is we will be buying some soft serve ice cream,
0:13:42 > 0:13:44and then we'll be taking them to the lab,
0:13:44 > 0:13:47where they will check to see what bacteria, if any, are in there.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50And what that tells us that the hygiene of the premises
0:13:50 > 0:13:51that sold it to us.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56Over the next few hours, Julie and her team gather
0:13:56 > 0:14:00seven samples from local ice cream sellers.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04And then, it's off to the lab.
0:14:06 > 0:14:10- Hi, Julie from CIH with the ice cream samples.- Excellent.
0:14:10 > 0:14:14Our samples of soft serve are then put on plates to be tested.
0:14:17 > 0:14:22Three days later, and our scientists are ready to serve up the results.
0:14:23 > 0:14:25These are the plates from the ice creams that we tested.
0:14:25 > 0:14:27As you can see,
0:14:27 > 0:14:30we've got bacteria growing on pretty much all of the plates.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33- That's not necessarily a bad thing though.- Right, OK.
0:14:33 > 0:14:34Food isn't sterile,
0:14:34 > 0:14:37so you would expect to find some bacteria in the food.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40The important thing is the levels of those bacteria.
0:14:40 > 0:14:44So these two samples, even though there are bacteria growing there,
0:14:44 > 0:14:46they are actually of acceptable levels.
0:14:46 > 0:14:50But the other five contain higher levels of bacteria.
0:14:52 > 0:14:54And two of these even reveal traces of
0:14:54 > 0:14:59a bug called Enterobacteriaceae, commonly found in the human gut.
0:15:01 > 0:15:02So how could those bacteria
0:15:02 > 0:15:06have found their way into our ice cream sample?
0:15:06 > 0:15:08It could be poor hygiene on the part of the food handlers,
0:15:08 > 0:15:10poor handwashing, etc.
0:15:10 > 0:15:12Or inadequately cleaned work surfaces,
0:15:12 > 0:15:16or inadequately cleaned equipment or utensils.
0:15:16 > 0:15:20At higher levels, these bacteria could cause sickness or diarrhoea.
0:15:22 > 0:15:26What does Julie make of finding this bug?
0:15:26 > 0:15:29What I will be doing is saying to the environmental health
0:15:29 > 0:15:31departments concerned, look, these are what we've found,
0:15:31 > 0:15:34perhaps you would like to go along to the premises,
0:15:34 > 0:15:37take other sample maybe, have a look at what's going on,
0:15:37 > 0:15:38give some advice.
0:15:40 > 0:15:44Elsewhere in Wales, there have been more worrying results.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48A bigger survey in Anglesey found barely
0:15:48 > 0:15:52a third of soft serve samples were satisfactory.
0:15:54 > 0:15:56Half were borderline acceptable.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59And a fifth were deemed unsatisfactory.
0:16:00 > 0:16:04The premises concerned were told to clean up their act.
0:16:04 > 0:16:08So how can we avoid buying dodgy ice cream?
0:16:08 > 0:16:10Look at the state of the drip tray.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13Because that has to be cleaned fairly regularly.
0:16:13 > 0:16:14Have a look at the nozzle,
0:16:14 > 0:16:17because this is where the ice cream's coming out of.
0:16:17 > 0:16:18If it's running down, dripping,
0:16:18 > 0:16:20then air is able to get into the machine,
0:16:20 > 0:16:22and you don't want that either.
0:16:22 > 0:16:24Have a look at the food hygiene rating.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27If you're not happy, go somewhere else.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33I'm going to watch where I buy my ice creams from in future!
0:16:33 > 0:16:34For many of us,
0:16:34 > 0:16:39the holiday spending spree starts as soon as we get to the airport.
0:16:39 > 0:16:43All those bargains on booze, perfumes, electronics...
0:16:43 > 0:16:47Well, I've been doing a bit of research at Manchester Airport,
0:16:47 > 0:16:50where they boast prices to beat the high street.
0:16:50 > 0:16:54But are they really offering you a good deal?
0:16:54 > 0:16:55Time for a quiz.
0:16:57 > 0:17:01First up, this Gucci perfume.
0:17:01 > 0:17:0450ml eau de parfum spray.
0:17:04 > 0:17:09Is it a good deal at...?
0:17:09 > 0:17:10Let's find out.
0:17:10 > 0:17:14Probably no different to the perfume shops.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17- Extortionate.- Do you think?- Yes.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20- I don't think that's bad, actually. - Pretty good deal, you think?
0:17:20 > 0:17:21Yeah, yeah.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24Do you think you'd get that more cheaply in the supermarket?
0:17:24 > 0:17:25I reckon I could find that cheaper.
0:17:25 > 0:17:28Probably cheaper online, I should think, if you shop about.
0:17:28 > 0:17:30I think that's reasonable.
0:17:31 > 0:17:36So, this perfume was £54 at the airport when we checked...
0:17:37 > 0:17:41But we found it at for £46 in the supermarket.
0:17:41 > 0:17:46And online, you can get it for £39.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49Next up, this bottle of vodka -
0:17:49 > 0:17:53a whole litre at the airport for...
0:17:53 > 0:17:55Is that a deal?
0:17:55 > 0:17:57Good deal, very good deal. I'd by that.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00- Would you?- Yeah! Definitely.
0:18:00 > 0:18:02£11 in the airport, what do you make of that?
0:18:02 > 0:18:04Yeah, I think that's pretty good.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07That's a good price, I think.
0:18:07 > 0:18:11Probably a smidge cheaper in a supermarket, but not a lot.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14£11's good, I know, I can't get it anywhere else for that price!
0:18:15 > 0:18:21Well, that airport price of £11 was a good deal.
0:18:21 > 0:18:25The best we found in a supermarket was £19.
0:18:25 > 0:18:27Mind you, if you can wait,
0:18:27 > 0:18:30we found it for just 11 euros in Spain.
0:18:32 > 0:18:36And finally, another airport favourite - chocolate.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39The airport price is...
0:18:39 > 0:18:42Deal or no deal?
0:18:42 > 0:18:44That's about what I would say is about right for that.
0:18:44 > 0:18:45Definitely more.
0:18:45 > 0:18:46That ain't a bad price.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48£6?
0:18:48 > 0:18:49INHALES
0:18:49 > 0:18:51Yeah, that's pretty steep.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53These chocolates are actually...
0:18:53 > 0:18:55A terrible deal!
0:18:55 > 0:18:59You can pick them up for £3 in the supermarket.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02So you can get two boxes for the same price.
0:19:02 > 0:19:04Well, we spoke to Manchester Airport,
0:19:04 > 0:19:08who say the retailers there sell thousands of products
0:19:08 > 0:19:12which consistently beat high street prices.
0:19:14 > 0:19:16One thing that will have you spending lots
0:19:16 > 0:19:20at the airport shops is a flight delay.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23Consumers have been fighting for years
0:19:23 > 0:19:25for compensation from airlines.
0:19:25 > 0:19:28Last year, a European Court ruling seemed to signal
0:19:28 > 0:19:31a clear victory for passengers.
0:19:31 > 0:19:35But it seems, some tour operators are dragging their feet when
0:19:35 > 0:19:37it comes to paying out.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39Omar Hamdi's been investigating.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46When it comes to rules and regulations,
0:19:46 > 0:19:47we're a nation of sticklers.
0:19:51 > 0:19:52But there's always someone
0:19:52 > 0:19:56who thinks the rules don't apply to them.
0:19:56 > 0:19:57Oi!
0:20:01 > 0:20:04And when it comes to European Regulation 261,
0:20:04 > 0:20:09travel giant Thomson's aren't tripping over themselves to comply.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12Maybe that's because it forces them to pay you
0:20:12 > 0:20:15when your flight's delayed.
0:20:19 > 0:20:23Andrea Evans from Tongwynlais thought she was due a pay-out after
0:20:23 > 0:20:28her flight was delayed by 27 hours on her way to a holiday in Mexico.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33Really, you could say we lost nearly a day and a half.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36And by the time we got there as well, it was night-time,
0:20:36 > 0:20:40so it was literally just go in, unpack and straight to bed.
0:20:40 > 0:20:42So really, it was like two days.
0:20:42 > 0:20:46That was back in 2010, and it wasn't until five years later
0:20:46 > 0:20:50that Andrea first heard about the EU regulations.
0:20:50 > 0:20:52As she'd been flying long haul
0:20:52 > 0:20:54and had been delayed for more than four hours,
0:20:54 > 0:20:58she was in line for a payment of 600 euros per person.
0:20:59 > 0:21:04I thought, I'm going to do it myself. It looks straightforward.
0:21:04 > 0:21:06But when Andrea got touch in March last year,
0:21:06 > 0:21:09Thompson demanded lots and lots of information.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14- OVERLAPPING:- We need your booking reference number...departure date...
0:21:14 > 0:21:20outbound flight number...oversees airport...as well as copies...
0:21:20 > 0:21:23booking confirmation... Thank you.
0:21:23 > 0:21:25I managed to get the flight numbers,
0:21:25 > 0:21:30I even told them when our original flight was, when we were going.
0:21:30 > 0:21:36But I think it's just tactics on their part.
0:21:36 > 0:21:40Andrea had to apply to Thompson from some of that information.
0:21:40 > 0:21:42It took eight months to get it.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46She submitted her full claim a month before the deadline.
0:21:46 > 0:21:50But she heard nothing until after it had passed.
0:21:52 > 0:21:56I sent an e-mail asking them what was going on with my claim.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59And I had an automated e-mail saying,
0:21:59 > 0:22:05"Thank you for your information, unfortunately you're now outside
0:22:05 > 0:22:09"the six-year limit, so you cannot claim."
0:22:09 > 0:22:10And at the bottom it said,
0:22:10 > 0:22:12"Do not respond to this e-mail."
0:22:14 > 0:22:16Under European regulations,
0:22:16 > 0:22:19passengers can claim for up to six years after a delay.
0:22:19 > 0:22:23And Andrea just can't understand why Thomson have behaved like this.
0:22:25 > 0:22:29To me, they're not playing the game.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32I've done everything by the book.
0:22:32 > 0:22:36I've sent everything they've asked for.
0:22:36 > 0:22:40And, literally, it hasn't got me anywhere. Nowhere at all.
0:22:40 > 0:22:45And I don't think I would ever travel with Thomson's again.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50Andrea was claiming years after the delay.
0:22:50 > 0:22:53Surely if you claim straightaway, things are different?
0:22:53 > 0:22:55Aren't they?
0:22:55 > 0:22:59I've come to Chirk to meet Gareth Baines,
0:22:59 > 0:23:01who's had his own battle with Thomson.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04He was flying home from a two-week break in Jamaica with his
0:23:04 > 0:23:09partner last October when they ended up making an unscheduled stop.
0:23:09 > 0:23:14We flew back from Montego Bay to Gatwick, and we were about
0:23:14 > 0:23:18three hours into the flight, and the map on the back of the screen
0:23:18 > 0:23:22showed that actually the destination was now Canada, not London.
0:23:22 > 0:23:24What exactly was wrong with the plane?
0:23:24 > 0:23:27There were two engines, one had completely failed.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30Their plane was diverted to Canada, and after an overnight stay,
0:23:30 > 0:23:34Gareth and his fellow passengers finally made it back to
0:23:34 > 0:23:36Gatwick Airport, around 20 hours late.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41- After all that, I assume they paid out?- No.
0:23:41 > 0:23:43- They didn't pay out?- No.
0:23:43 > 0:23:47We wrote the letter of complaint, as we were told to,
0:23:47 > 0:23:51to Thompson, and the response came a month later saying that it
0:23:51 > 0:23:53was an extraordinary circumstance.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56And what you think they meant by extraordinary circumstance?
0:23:56 > 0:23:58What were they getting at with that?
0:23:58 > 0:24:03I think they meant something that's completely out of their control.
0:24:03 > 0:24:04So, are Thomson right?
0:24:06 > 0:24:10It seems the firm hadn't been paying attention to the rule book.
0:24:10 > 0:24:12Because in September last year,
0:24:12 > 0:24:15the European Supreme Court ruled that technical errors
0:24:15 > 0:24:19could not be regarded as extraordinary circumstances.
0:24:19 > 0:24:21Even if they happen unexpectedly.
0:24:23 > 0:24:27That means airlines now must pay the legal compensation
0:24:27 > 0:24:30of up to 600 euros per person.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34So Gareth decided to take a big step and get what
0:24:34 > 0:24:38he was owed from Thompson by taking them to court.
0:24:40 > 0:24:44You can go online to the County Court and fill out a form.
0:24:44 > 0:24:48So we thought, rather than go back to Thompson and wait another
0:24:48 > 0:24:53month for a reply, we'll do this and see where we get with it.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56Were they quite cooperative? Or were they trying to get out of it?
0:24:56 > 0:25:00They did absolutely the opposite of cooperate.
0:25:00 > 0:25:04They tried twice to have the case moved from our local County Court,
0:25:04 > 0:25:06which is Wrexham, to Luton.
0:25:06 > 0:25:08It's almost to push you as far away
0:25:08 > 0:25:10from wanting to go through the process.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13You're not after something for nothing, you're after
0:25:13 > 0:25:17something for the inconvenience of being left in Canada for 20 hours.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20In May, seven months after the flight delay,
0:25:20 > 0:25:23a court in Wrexham finally ordered Thompson
0:25:23 > 0:25:28to pay Gareth £1,135.
0:25:28 > 0:25:32The company didn't even bother to show up to court.
0:25:32 > 0:25:34You can see how it would be really daunting,
0:25:34 > 0:25:38to someone out there, to all the other Gareths across Europe
0:25:38 > 0:25:43who are thinking, "Shall I give this a go? Shall I take the risk?
0:25:43 > 0:25:46"Shall I hold out for it?" What would your advice be to them?
0:25:46 > 0:25:47Just go for it.
0:25:47 > 0:25:52It's a straightforward process that anybody should be able to handle.
0:25:52 > 0:25:55We took up both these cases with Thompson.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58They refused to say anything about why Gareth
0:25:58 > 0:26:02had to drag them through the courts to get his money.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05In Andrea's case, though, they did apologise.
0:26:05 > 0:26:10And, good news, they've now paid her more than £900 in compensation,
0:26:10 > 0:26:13which is a fantastic result.
0:26:13 > 0:26:17Now, Britain has, of course, voted to leave the European Union,
0:26:17 > 0:26:20but for the time being, you can still make these claims.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27Earlier, we sent the Roberts family out to see if mountain biking
0:26:27 > 0:26:32is a cheap way to get the children out and about this summer holidays.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35Of course, using the trails here at Coed y Brenin, or at other
0:26:35 > 0:26:39centres across Wales, is completely free, as long as you've got a bike.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42So let's see how their lesson went.
0:26:44 > 0:26:48First, Steve takes them to a gravel area to practise the basics.
0:26:48 > 0:26:52OK, the first thing we're going to practise is braking.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55It's all about how not to skid.
0:26:55 > 0:26:57Oops!
0:26:57 > 0:26:58Keep going, keep going.
0:26:58 > 0:27:02And how to balance over the bumps.
0:27:02 > 0:27:06With the basics out of the way, it's out on the trails.
0:27:06 > 0:27:08Yeah, let's go!
0:27:23 > 0:27:26Wow, that looked like great fun. So how was it?
0:27:26 > 0:27:28It was really good.
0:27:28 > 0:27:30Really good, wasn't it, boys? Really enjoyed that.
0:27:30 > 0:27:31Steve's very good at his job.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34We've learned, we've listened, and we'll be up here again, I think.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37- How was it, Riley? - It was really good fun.
0:27:37 > 0:27:39Was it? And did you go fast?
0:27:42 > 0:27:44And if you fancy having a go yourself,
0:27:44 > 0:27:48we've put information about centres near you on our website.
0:27:48 > 0:27:52And that's all we've got time for this week.
0:27:52 > 0:27:53Next week...
0:27:53 > 0:27:58This travel agent sold customers coach holidays at the seaside.
0:27:58 > 0:28:03Now the shop's been abandoned and the money has vanished.
0:28:04 > 0:28:06I can't find words to say about him.
0:28:08 > 0:28:10I really can't.
0:28:10 > 0:28:12How dare he take our money, how dare he?
0:28:17 > 0:28:20Until then, if there's anything you want to get in touch with us about,
0:28:20 > 0:28:22you can give us a call...
0:28:25 > 0:28:26You can e-mail...
0:28:29 > 0:28:32And of course, you can follow us on Twitter. For now, bye-bye.