Episode 3 X-Ray

You're watching X-Ray, the programme that fights

for your rights on holiday.

Are you jetting off abroad,

or enjoying Wales' stunning scenery?

To celebrate summer, we've been out and about,

finding brilliant ways to save you money.

Yes!

From cheap days out in Wales, to designer looks.

But we haven't forgotten to investigate your holiday horrors

and confront the rogues.

We're from X-Ray. Excuse me!

On tonight's programme...

this travel agent sold customers coach holidays at the seaside.

Now, the shop's been abandoned

and the money has vanished.

I can't find words to say about him.

I really can't.

How dare he takes our money. How dare he.

I'll be finding out if splashing the cash on expensive sunglasses

really means better protection for your eyes.

And looking for a cheap way to occupy the kids over the holidays?

Is a fishing lesson the answer?

That was a disaster.

THEY LAUGH

Hello. Tonight, we are at the beach

in one of Wales' loveliest seaside towns.

Newquay - the perfect place for a picnic,

but how do you keep your lunch fresh?

I am going to be putting cool bags and cool boxes to the test.

And, for most of us, going on holiday involves a car.

Pretty nice, hey?

Well, I'm going to be finding out how you can save cash on car hire.

And what not to wear when you're driving in Italy.

If you don't fancy driving, how about a coach holiday?

It's a great way to see the country,

but customers who booked through one travel agent

won't be going anywhere.

Everybody loves a coach holiday.

But holiday-makers in the Gwent town of Newbridge

have been taken for a ride they'll never forget.

Earlier this year, pensioners David and Karine Tonge

were planning a break to Dorset.

We have family down in Weymouth,

David's sister and David's daughter.

And we decided to go down for a few days.

When Newbridge Travel opened its doors on the High Street,

they thought it would be the ideal place to book a holiday.

They were greeted by the manager, Eric Harvey.

I explained that my husband's knees

are a bit sore sometimes for walking.

And he said, "No problem. If I'm working that day, if I'm here,

"I'll come and pick you both up."

He was very charming, so we went back a week later and...

..booked the holiday.

The agent was taking bookings for a local company,

Gibbons Coach Holidays.

But paying the £360 for the four-day trip wasn't straightforward.

We wanted to pay on the card, but they said,

"I'm very sorry, but the card machine is broken."

So David went to the cash machine and drew the money out.

I felt it was good to give them money,

you know, to help the business, cos they'd only just started.

But two weeks before departure,

there was a shock in store for David and Karine.

We got a phone call from Gibbons, saying,

"You must go down to the travel agent in Newbridge

"and get your money back straight away."

It wasn't just the customers of Newbridge Travel

who'd been having problems with payments.

Gibbons Coaches were also having trouble.

We received a cheque and, in a few days,

the cheque got sent back to us - it bounced.

One more cheque arrived, but for a larger amount.

Got bounced as well.

Alarm bells really started ringing.

But smooth-talking Eric Harvey

persuaded Gibbons to give him five days to pay up.

I tried to contact him after the five days

and he started ignoring my phone calls.

So then I realised there was something very, very wrong.

Thousands of pounds worth of Gibbons holidays

had been booked here at Newbridge Travel,

but the coach operator hadn't seen a penny.

Gibbons were forced to pull the plug on their customers' holidays.

It really upset us, because we've been trading now for 20-odd years

and we've got a good, loyal base of customers.

We felt terrible trying to explain to people what was happening,

where their hard-earned savings had gone.

Once word got around, customers like David and Karine

returned to the shop to demand a refund.

The guy behind the counter was very nice and he said,

"I'm so sorry, we've gone bankrupt."

And, "You can have your money back."

My husband put his card in and he gave us the receipt.

And he said, "Don't worry, you'll be fine."

We waited two days, three days, five days.

No sign of the money appearing in the account.

The Tonges' £360 refund

has never materialised.

Newbridge Travel has now shut up shop,

leaving more than 40 customers,

many of them pensioners, in the lurch.

This abandoned office is all that's left of the business.

It appears that the only person taking a trip

from this travel agency is Eric Harvey.

David and Karine's holiday plans have been ruined.

It's all empty now. All gone.

It's hard.

It's really hard.

I can't find words to say about him.

I really can't.

How dare he takes our money. How dare he.

So, a disturbing story.

And, Rachel, it's not just customers who have been chasing Eric Harvey?

No, it isn't. We've spoken to quite a few people in Newbridge,

including some of the company's former employees.

Now they're also trying to track him down, because they say

they haven't been paid for some of the work that they did.

Leslie Jones is one of them.

He promised and kept promising

all of the time that you will get paid

every penny that you are owed.

I am owed around about 2,000 plus...

..for two months' wages.

Was it money you could afford to lose?

Not at all.

Not at all.

So, what does Eric Harvey have to say?

Well, that is a very good question.

It seems that Eric Harvey

is a false name that he used during his time in Newbridge.

We can't actually give you his real name for legal reasons.

But we have written to him at several addresses.

However, he has failed to get back to us.

But he was the man running the company.

Well, yes, he seems to be. There is another man.

Now, he was the registered director - Andrew Stuart Barnes.

Now, we've not been able to find out anything more about him.

And he's not responded to our letters either.

We haven't given up, though, so if anybody out there

knows anything about him or his whereabouts,

we would love to hear from them.

We certainly would.

And what can people do to avoid falling into this trap?

Well, if they are going to be using an agent,

they should be part of ABTA.

That gives you some security.

But, whoever they are, you shouldn't be paying cash.

If it's over £100, use a credit card if you've got one.

If not, a debit card.

And if they say that the machine isn't working,

you may want to consider returning at a time when it is.

Still to come...

the coach ticket was an absolute bargain,

but when Jenny's bag went missing,

she couldn't get anyone to help her.

They just showed a complete lack of sort of remorse.

Well, we have come down to Newquay beach with a picnic

to test how fresh it keeps on a sunny day.

We've packed food in a cool box

and a cool bag, both with ice packs.

And we've packed some more in just a carrier bag.

It is quite nice now, isn't it?

But it was a little bit overcast earlier.

So we've had to improvise with our heated tent.

And our cool boxes and bags have been in there.

It's about 28 degrees in there.

The sort of temperature you'd like to think you'd get

on a Welsh summer's day.

I am joined by our food hygiene expert, Angela Sawyer.

So, how are we going to test this?

Simply by opening each individual package and taking the temperature

of the sandwiches in each one and comparing them.

Ideally then, what temperature would you be aiming for?

Below five is the chill temperature

at which bacteria are very, very slow to grow.

Anything over that, they start to multiply faster

and that's when food starts to become unsafe.

OK, let's start with the cool box.

My tuna sandwiches are in there, so, how are they?

We pop the probe right into the middle of the sandwich

-to get the temperature.

-OK.

This one is stabilising at about 12 degrees.

-SHE GASPS

-That's quite high!

That is quite warm, yes.

What would you be doing with those sandwiches? Would you eat them?

Either eat them straight away or get rid of them now. Don't keep them.

Right. The cool bag next,

which I am assuming we'd expect to be a bit warmer.

Let's have a look.

And that's now showing about 15.5 degrees Centigrade.

I wouldn't be eating them.

OK. Now...

the plastic bag.

'This lot haven't been cooled at all.'

-LAUGHTER

-They feel warm and they are warm.

-They're 27.5 degrees Centigrade.

-Ooh!

So, what has been happening in that sandwich? Bacteria?

Bacteria have been growing in there.

They've been having a party in that sandwich by the look of it.

They have. The higher we get, closer to body temperature,

that's the optimum temperature for bacteria to grow.

Let's hope our sausages fare a bit better for our barbecue tea later.

We'll have to see.

Now, are the kids carping on about being bored this summer?

Well, have you ever thought about taking them fishing?

Omar Hamdi has been giving it a go.

Everywhere I look, I see people fishing.

But what is it about fishing that everyone loves?

For a start, it's cheap -

30 quid for a starter kit.

And no licence fees for sea fishing.

Everybody just goes out, we all have fun.

It's quite exciting, cos...

you never know what's out in the ocean.

How have you found the kids getting into it?

They like it.

I've got to sneak out of the house

if I want to go on my own these days.

'Now, the nearest I've got to fishing is opening a tin of tuna...

Hi, Paul!

'..so I am joining a group lesson, with Maisie and dad Paul.'

-Hi, Maisie.

-Hello.

-How's it going?

So, we're going to be learning how to fish today.

-Oh, my God. First time.

-LAUGHTER

-Is this your first time?

-First time.

Your first time even touching a fishing rod?

-Never in my life.

-It would just be fun if I could catch a fish.

As long as it's bigger than mine?

Yeah. Competition.

Alan Duthie, from Swansea's SA1 Fishing Club,

is giving the lesson, which costs about £6.

First, Alan shows us the bait.

-What we do...

-Bleurgh.

-Just thread it.

-Ooh!

Now, it's Maisie's turn.

Skin first, your fingers.

You hold the hook.

Yeah, that's it.

'We're all baited up. Everything is in place.

'In PLAICE, get it?'

-Well done, Maisie.

-Bleugh.

THEY LAUGH

'Next up, casting.'

-What I want you to do...

-Yeah.

-..is aim up there.

-Yeah.

-And let go when your finger goes up.

Let go with your finger.

-OK, are you ready?

-Go on. Go.

THEY LAUGH

No, you let go, before you actually...

'Let's have another go.'

Go!

Yeah. That's up, but it's there.

-Wahey!

-Well, you hit the water.

-Yes!

-THEY LAUGH

-Brilliant. How good is that, Dad?

'Paul's casting is loads...BATTER!'

Amazing. Absolutely.

-Yes.

-THEY CLAP

'Now, it's my turn.'

That was a disaster.

-Whoa!

-THEY LAUGH

I used to play badminton. Does that help?

RATTLING

RATTLING

-Hooray!

-Wahey!

Yes! Where's is it?

'Now all we have to do is wait for the fish.'

Have you got patience?

-No.

-No?

-THEY LAUGH

'She doesn't have to wait long.'

-Maisie! We've got a fish. Come on!

-Right, OK.

This is what it's all about.

You can do this, Maisie. You can do it.

-Oh, it's a big one.

-Can you feel it? Can you feel it pulling?

Yeah! You can!

-You can? Reel in.

-That's amazing. You can actually feel the fish.

-I think you might have a whiting there.

-Oh!

Oh, he's really pulling, he's really pulling!

-It is.

-Look at that!

-THEY LAUGH

-Oh, my gosh.

Oh, it's come off.

You hit the wall.

-Oh.

-Oh, never mind.

-Oops.

That's the one that got away.

But you had a bite and you did feel a fish on the end of your line.

-Yeah, so good.

-Which your dad didn't.

-Ha-ha!

-Ha-ha!

'It's left to more experienced hands to reel in the catch.'

Hey!

-Fishy!

-Little whiting.

I got the fishy!

THEY LAUGH

My little fishy!

And the fish feels slobby.

Are you going to chuck it back in the sea? Is that what you do?

Go on, then. Yeah.

'For Paul and Maisie,

'the lack of a catch didn't spoil their day.'

Absolutely fantastic.

The stuff I learned today, I never thought I would be able to,

especially casting.

I just didn't know where to go or what to do.

Worried about hitting you.

But I think I had a great time.

Maisie, how was it for you?

It was really fun. I never knew that I'd get into fishing.

Would you like to do it again?

Yeah, definitely.

Looks like a lot of fun.

And fishing clubs across Wales run courses just like that one.

We've put links on our website to guide you to some in your area.

Now, renting a car on holiday can be expensive.

And, if you are not careful,

you could end up paying a lot more than you bargained for.

Well, Tim Shawcross knows all about those hidden costs.

Tim, we need your expert advice here.

-Hello, Lucy.

-Let's start, Tim, with the fuel tank.

Right. Check how you've got to bring the car back.

It might be bring it back empty,

it might be bring it back as you found it,

it might be bring it back full,

Bring it back full is best,

but fill it up at a local garage before you drop it off.

They will often say, "Oh, don't worry, we'll fill it up for you."

You will pay a rapacious price for that fuel,

so fill it up yourself and save some money.

Brilliant. OK. What about child car seats?

Right, the laws in most European countries are the same as here,

so if you need a car seat at home, you need one abroad.

A lot of airlines won't charge you to take your own,

so that's worth remembering. Check before you go.

If you can't take your own seats,

be wary of hiring a car seat from the car rental company.

They make a huge profit doing it,

but there are lots of companies abroad

who will rent you a car seat for the week.

So, again, get on the internet. Check before you go.

Hiring a sat nav can be pricey as well, can't it?

It can, but most people have a smartphone

and that's a perfect sat nav!

Check the data roaming charges, all the sort of free apps you can get.

Get a nice little stand for it and you've got it with you.

Now, are there any laws in other countries

that we should be aware of that could catch us out?

Yeah. There are things you've got to have in the car,

like warning triangles, but the rental company

will make sure those are in there. But you need to be aware of things

like if you wear glasses for driving and you're driving in Spain,

you must have a spare pair of glasses in the car.

It's actually quite a common sense rule.

In a lot of Mediterranean countries,

you'll get a hefty fine if you drive wearing flip-flops.

Again, actually quite a sensible rule.

Such good advice, Tim. Thank you.

And remember that, since the paper part

of the driving licence was abolished,

you now need to get a code from the DVLA if you are hiring a car.

No code, in some cases, means no car,

so watch out.

And, remember, have a look on our website

if you'd like to see more of Tim's advice.

Now, how do you like the shades?

They were a bargain at £5.

But are sunglasses like these

really going to protect my eyes?

With summer finally here,

I think it's time for a new pair of sunglasses.

But, when it comes to choosing the right ones,

it's not just about looking good.

It's about protecting our eyes from the sun.

What do you think of these? Nice?

It's essential for your shades to screen out ultraviolet radiation.

Too much of this can cause problems,

like cataracts and even skin cancer of the eyelid.

A bad pair of sunglasses can be worse

than wearing no sunglasses at all.

A dark-tinted pair of lenses

will dilate the pupil and, potentially then,

let in more of the harmful ultraviolet rays.

The problem is, quality sunglasses can come with a hefty price tag.

Does more money really mean more protection?

There have been claims cheap sunglasses can damage your eyes,

even leave you blind.

Well, I'm going to put this to the test.

We've bought 28 pairs of sunglasses from seaside towns

right across Wales.

All for under a tenner,

some costing as little as £1.

And I've brought them here,

to a lens manufacturer, to find out if they're safe to wear.

-Hi, Andy. How are you?

-Very well.

'Andy Hepworth is going to put our bargain shades to the test.'

This particular device

is going to measure exactly how much UV transmits through the lens.

First, he uses his own test lens to show us the results we should get.

And then what we can see is the exact transmission

of that particular spectacle lens.

That is actually transmitting zero amount of UV light.

So, this is a good lens?

This shows that no UVA or UVB rays are getting through it?

Correct. Correct.

And that's what you'll be looking for when you test these sunglasses?

Absolutely.

So, Andy, you've finished the testing.

-The results are in.

-They are.

-How did these sunglasses get on?

Well, they did a little better than I was anticipating.

They all passed the test.

Wow! A brilliant result for bargain hunters.

But it's not over yet.

I've got a new challenge for Andy.

These three pairs were bought from a market stall in Cardiff.

Counterfeit sunglasses.

-I wonder whether you could just give these a test for me.

-OK.

The first two pairs, both fake Ray-Bans, passed the test.

But there's still a pair to go.

Oh, my goodness. That shoots right up there, doesn't it?

Nearly 80% of the UV light is passing through that spectacle lens

and straight into the wearer's eye.

So, really, it seems that the cheaper sunglasses,

most of them are pretty much OK, as far as UVA and UVB rays go.

-Mm-hm.

-But the counterfeit ones, you need to be a little bit careful of.

I'd go further than that.

I'd tell you you need to be very, very careful.

You really, really don't want UV light within your eyes.

So, bargain hunters, it looks like cheapo sunnies

WILL protect your eyes from those harmful UV rays.

But the experts did also give me a few tips.

First, big is beautiful,

because they stop the sunshine

coming in around the sides of the glasses.

Also, make sure that you lookout

for that UV 400 stamp,

which shows that the glasses are up to scratch.

And, don't forget, if you still have concerns,

you can always check with your optician.

Next, travelling by coach can save you a lot of money.

But one passenger found, when it comes to customer service,

she got what she paid for.

Posh frock, sunnies,

shoes, make-up...

Hundreds of pounds worth of my favourite stuff

dumped on the pavement in the middle of a big city.

What could possibly go wrong?

Let's ask Jenny Lee.

She packed loads of her favourite things

when she headed home to Cardiff for a wedding.

Cos I was in a rush, I didn't really...

I'm a bit indecisive, so I didn't really know to put in,

so I literally put half my wardrobe in.

Nice dresses, jumpsuits,

blouses, trousers, heels.

Lots of heels.

Lots of make-up.

And then different jewellery

to go with the different outfits I put in the case.

Wow, that is one bulging suitcase.

To get home from London,

she got a super-cheap £3 deal on the Megabus.

The company doesn't allow cases on board,

so they have to go in the hold.

We took my suitcase and my boyfriend's suitcase

and put them in the luggage hold.

And we saw them go in.

Jenny and her boyfriend grabbed some of the last remaining seats

at the back of the packed bus.

It was late when they got to Cardiff.

It was about 11 o'clock at night, so it was dark.

Jenny was at the back of the queue to get off.

The driver had almost finished unloading the luggage.

The bus diver was offloading, you know, the last two suitcases.

And I could see that neither of them were mine, so I said...

I had a look inside and I said, "Have you got my suitcase?"

And he said, "Oh, that's all that's left."

I just felt...

completely panicked.

It seemed obvious to Jenny that her case had been stolen,

but the driver didn't seem interested.

He was sort of concerned with, you know, getting away.

You'll just have to ring Customer Services in the morning.

It was just so frustrating.

SHE TALKS ON PHONE

Jenny wasted no time in getting on the phone to Megabus.

She wasn't impressed.

It was about two weeks of constantly calling Megabus.

It just completely felt like, you know,

they were just sat in their chair,

just typing it up and nothing was going to happen.

The company wouldn't accept a claim for the bag

until it had been missing for 28 days.

I heard nothing from them and I e-mailed them on the 28th day,

letting them know that I wasn't prepared to just give up,

cos I think that's what they are expecting, if they don't respond.

But, try as she might,

Jenny just couldn't get any satisfaction from Megabus.

I feel very angry towards Megabus.

I just don't think anyone should be treated like this.

And they just show a complete lack of sort of remorse.

Well, after we got in touch,

Megabus did finally send Jenny some claim forms

and have now paid her £500 in compensation.

That, though, is just a fraction

of what she says her belongings were worth.

It has been a long day at the beach, here in Newquay.

I am hungry, so I've got the portable barbecue.

My sausages have been keeping cool in here.

Or have they?

'We've been storing our cool box and cool bag

'in a heated tent, to mimic a scorching day at the beach.

'After five hours, I want to see if we've managed to keep

'our tea safe to eat.

'Food hygiene expert Angela Sawyer is testing it for me.'

And here we go. The plastic bag.

RACHEL CLEARS HER THROAT

They are very warm to the touch.

But how high?

Just over 24.5 degrees Centigrade.

And they've been at that temperature for hours now.

Now, the cool bag.

Again...

looking a bit peaky.

They look as if they've been a bit heat stressed.

RACHEL LAUGHS

19.4. Nearly 20 degrees Centigrade.

And, finally, the cool box...

-13.3 degrees Centigrade.

-Ooh! That's not good, is it?

-Not for how long they've been in there.

-That is not good.

'So even these sausages have been so warm for so long,

'Angela says they shouldn't be eaten.'

So how do you keep your food cool?

Buy a cool box suitable for the size of the amount of food you're putting

in it, so there is not a lot of space, like in this one.

The more air space you have,

the less efficient keeping it cool will be.

If you can, with drinks like this, if they can be frozen,

freeze them, because they act as an ice pack.

What about the ice packs then? Where do you put them?

On the top.

But, if you can, position them around the outside

or even through the food as well.

'So, here's a cool box Angela packed, using all her tips.

'Can we put THESE sausages on the barbecue?'

Are you feeling confident?

Quietly confident.

THEY LAUGH

Still well below 5 degrees Centigrade.

And, in fact, going down below 3...

About 2.8 degrees Centigrade, this sausage.

That is very impressive.

Brilliant news. Looks like we've got something for tea.

There will be. And that is it for our holiday series.

But we'll be back in the autumn

with loads more advice and investigations.

It might seem like a long way away, but we are already working on them.

We certainly are, so, if there's anything you'd like us to look into,

then please do get in touch.

The number to call is...

You can e-mail...

At, of course, you can keep up with us on Twitter, too.

So, until the autumn...

-BOTH:

-Goodbye.