0:00:00 > 0:00:03Hello. I'm Lucy Owen in Cwmbran. And I'm Rhodri Owen in Llangollen.
0:00:03 > 0:00:06You're watching X-Ray. On tonight's programme:
0:00:06 > 0:00:08Joe Calzhage's their front man - but are We Fight Any Claim pulling
0:00:08 > 0:00:15their punches when it comes to giving refunds?
0:00:15 > 0:00:18More Peugeots whose engines stop when you least expect them to.
0:00:18 > 0:00:28And the mysterious case of mistaken identity that left one man being
0:00:28 > 0:00:38
0:00:39 > 0:00:42Hello. Later on I'll be finding out why a court case involving a local
0:00:42 > 0:00:49butchers here in Cwmbran could end up changing the laws on how we
0:00:49 > 0:00:52label meat across the UK. But first, claims management firms. We've told
0:00:52 > 0:00:58you about their money grabbing tactics in the past, and it seems
0:00:58 > 0:01:05things aren't improving. We're still getting complaints from all
0:01:05 > 0:01:08over Wales, as Rachel's been finding out.
0:01:08 > 0:01:13They're quick to take your money, but often don't deliver the punch
0:01:13 > 0:01:18they promised. Thousands of claims management firms are battling it
0:01:18 > 0:01:27out for a piece of your payout. And one Welsh company, We Fight Any
0:01:27 > 0:01:30Claim, is making promises that just aren't true.
0:01:31 > 0:01:36The public face of Cwmbran-based We Fight Any Claim is boxing champ Joe
0:01:36 > 0:01:39Calzaghe. When the company rang Ceri Evans from Neath back in
0:01:39 > 0:01:49August 2010, they told her she could claim back over �2,000 of
0:01:49 > 0:01:57
0:01:57 > 0:02:00payment protection insurance, or PPI, they said she'd been missold.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03I didn't think I had PPI cos I'd used - my father was guarantor for
0:02:03 > 0:02:07the loan, so I didn't need insurance. They made out that in
0:02:07 > 0:02:10first phone call that they had my records in front of them and that I
0:02:10 > 0:02:13definitely had this PPI. And because of the company We Fight Any
0:02:13 > 0:02:17Claim, they kept on saying about who was fronting them, Joe Calzaghe
0:02:17 > 0:02:21- I thought it was a genuine case. To start the claim, Ceri agreed to
0:02:21 > 0:02:25pay �245. They said - all in all they said it
0:02:25 > 0:02:29would be a 30% fee, but I took it to be, we'd pay the remainder at
0:02:29 > 0:02:32the end when we had our claim through.
0:02:32 > 0:02:41But within days, the company was back on the phone wanting the rest
0:02:41 > 0:02:45of the fee. I panicked, because I didn't have that money. I asked if
0:02:45 > 0:02:48I could cancel, and he said no. If he cancelled, they'd take me to
0:02:48 > 0:02:52court for remainder of fees. In total, Ceri paid �700 on her
0:02:52 > 0:02:58credit card - hoping We Fight Any Claim had told her the truth that
0:02:58 > 0:03:04her bank did owe her over �2,000. Ceri's bank, Halifax, confirmed
0:03:04 > 0:03:08what she knew all along - there was no PPI on her account. But We Fight
0:03:08 > 0:03:11Any Claim refused to throw in the towel.
0:03:11 > 0:03:16They said they'd continue to chase Halifax, as banks often don't
0:03:16 > 0:03:23investigate claims properly! But 18 months on, there's still no sign of
0:03:23 > 0:03:27a payout. The last time I chased them up in June, I asked if I could
0:03:27 > 0:03:31cancel and have my money back. I was then told if I cancelled now,
0:03:31 > 0:03:39I'd end up owing them thousands of pounds for hours already put in.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42They've just taken my �700 and kept Whilst Joe Calzaghe's the public
0:03:42 > 0:03:46face, the man behind the company Simon Chorlton is someone X-ray
0:03:46 > 0:03:52knows well. He's also the boss of Yes Loans, another company that's
0:03:52 > 0:03:56left many viewers out of pocket. We Fight Any Claim say they'll
0:03:56 > 0:03:59fight your corner. But one customer from Gwynedd has been battling
0:03:59 > 0:04:01AGAINST the company for a year, trying to get back the huge fee she
0:04:01 > 0:04:10paid them. Yvonne Westmacott from Fairbourne
0:04:10 > 0:04:17was called out of the blue last February. Like Ceri, she didn't
0:04:17 > 0:04:20think she had PPI, but We Fight Any Claim insisted she did.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23He was very pushy, wouldn't give up, asked me some questions about what
0:04:23 > 0:04:26credit cards I've got and what mortgages and anything like that
0:04:26 > 0:04:30and told me after I'd given this information that I could possibly
0:04:30 > 0:04:40get �9,000 back. Then he said for the one claim we want �659 and for
0:04:40 > 0:04:45
0:04:45 > 0:04:52the other claim we want �2,121. And if we don't get you that money back,
0:04:52 > 0:04:55we'll refund your money straight away. So I thought, OK, then.
0:04:55 > 0:05:00But Yvonne's mortgage and credit card companies insist there was no
0:05:00 > 0:05:07PPI on her accounts. Yvonne's had some of her fees back from We Fight
0:05:07 > 0:05:10Any Claim, but a year on they still owe her more than �2,000.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13The Ministry of Justice is supposed to act as a referee, checking that
0:05:13 > 0:05:20claims companies aren't breaching of its code of conduct. But is it
0:05:20 > 0:05:23doing enough to knock this industry into shape?
0:05:23 > 0:05:30They are now monitoring We Fight any Claim closely and have placed
0:05:30 > 0:05:33restrictions on the company, which is no longer taking upfront fees.
0:05:33 > 0:05:38But in a recent undercover survey, We Fight Any Claim told a
0:05:38 > 0:05:43researcher at Which? That their success rate was 90% compared to
0:05:43 > 0:05:4510% if you claimed yourself. Little wonder the consumer organisation is
0:05:45 > 0:05:49pushing for change it's absolutely not true that
0:05:49 > 0:05:52claims management companies give you any greater chance of success.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55It's absolutely not true claims management companies give you any
0:05:55 > 0:05:58great chance of success. One of the things we want to see
0:05:58 > 0:06:01the Ministry of Justice doing is banning cold calling, banning up-
0:06:01 > 0:06:05front fees. There's absolutely no need to pay an up-front fee to a
0:06:05 > 0:06:09claims management company. We don't think you should use one at all,
0:06:09 > 0:06:13but if you really want to, at least go with one that doesn't charge you
0:06:13 > 0:06:15a fee till end of process. There are still more than a hundred
0:06:15 > 0:06:21Welsh claims companies and thousands more across the UK
0:06:21 > 0:06:29competing for your business. So if one offers to fight your corner, be
0:06:29 > 0:06:32warned - you may end up fighting THEM for your money back!
0:06:33 > 0:06:35We Fight Any Claim told us they're sorry Ceri and Yvonne aren't happy
0:06:35 > 0:06:39with their service, and they've launched an investigation into
0:06:39 > 0:06:42their complaints about aggressive staff behaviour. They also say a
0:06:42 > 0:06:47member of staff should never have claimed that their success rate was
0:06:47 > 0:06:5090%. And there's good news - because of the long delays, they're
0:06:50 > 0:06:57going to give both customers full refunds - that's almost �700 for
0:06:57 > 0:07:00Ceri and more than �2,000 for Yvonne! Both their banks have told
0:07:00 > 0:07:03us there was never anything to claim anyway! As for Joe Calzaghe,
0:07:03 > 0:07:11well, he's not involved in the day- to-day running of the company and
0:07:11 > 0:07:14his father, Enzo, says the boxer doesn't want to comment.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17And remember, you don't need to use a claims management company to
0:07:17 > 0:07:20reclaim PPI from your bank or lender! You can do it yourself for
0:07:20 > 0:07:23free. There are template letters you can copy on all the leading
0:07:23 > 0:07:33consumer websites. Check out the X- Ray site for some useful links, and
0:07:33 > 0:07:39
0:07:39 > 0:07:42let us know how you get on. Next, Lucy's on the case in Machynlleth.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45Amanda and Guy Morgan have been left in the dark after spending
0:07:45 > 0:07:53hundreds of pounds on a new flatscreen TV. I need to find out
0:07:53 > 0:07:56more. We hoped a top-of-the-range TV
0:07:56 > 0:08:03would last for years and it's broken already and we were hoping
0:08:03 > 0:08:06you could come and help us? I'm on the case.
0:08:06 > 0:08:16Amanda and Guy are busy parents on a tight budget, so a modern slim-
0:08:16 > 0:08:22
0:08:22 > 0:08:25Hello, Amanda. How are you? Good to see you. Come in. See this TV.
0:08:25 > 0:08:31Two years ago, Amanda and Guy decided it was time to trade in
0:08:31 > 0:08:34their old TV. We thought we would splash out and
0:08:34 > 0:08:37treat ourselves and get another one. The place was a bit bigger so we
0:08:37 > 0:08:40thought we would get a bit bigger The couple searched online and
0:08:40 > 0:08:44found an LG flatscreen on the Amazon website. They paid �480. Why
0:08:44 > 0:08:49did you decide to go to Amazon? Well, I was happy with them buying
0:08:49 > 0:08:52small things like looks and CDs and things, and we live in the middle
0:08:52 > 0:08:57of no-where, so I thought it would be easier to do it online and get
0:08:57 > 0:09:06them to deliver. We did spend a lot of money thinking it would last us
0:09:06 > 0:09:10a long time, a TV like that. For a year, the family ebb joyed settling
0:09:10 > 0:09:14down to watch their new TV until a problem occurred. We got up one
0:09:14 > 0:09:19morning, and half the screen was missing. Would you like me to show
0:09:19 > 0:09:23you? Yes, I would love to see it. If you can see, half the screen is
0:09:23 > 0:09:27missing, so you just can't watch that it like that. I can't believe
0:09:27 > 0:09:37it. I mean, it really is just completely dead, isn't it, on the
0:09:37 > 0:09:42one side of the screen? Yes, yeah. And it stayed like that. The TV was
0:09:42 > 0:09:48only 14 months old, so she got in touch with Amazon to report the
0:09:48 > 0:09:52fault, but they told her it was out of warrantee. A TV is supposed to
0:09:52 > 0:09:58be for a long period of time, not just 14 months. Undeterred, she
0:09:58 > 0:10:04went back to Amazon. This is the reply you have had. There is the
0:10:04 > 0:10:09offer... A �121 gift voucher... a refund of �73... Which won't fix
0:10:09 > 0:10:14the TV. We spent a lot of money. I don't think I'll trust Amazon again.
0:10:14 > 0:10:18All I want is either the TV to be fixed or a replacement. Amanda, I
0:10:19 > 0:10:22am on the case.? Thank you. The couple have been left with an
0:10:22 > 0:10:30expensive TV which doesn't work properly, so what are your rights
0:10:30 > 0:10:33when it comes to returning faulty goods? Traditionally, it's down to
0:10:33 > 0:10:37you to prove a product isn't up to standard, and getting a
0:10:37 > 0:10:42professional to take a look is one way of confirming you aren't
0:10:42 > 0:10:45responsible for a fault. So what about Amanda and Guy's TV? Well,
0:10:45 > 0:10:49it's now been assessed by an engineer who found the faulty
0:10:49 > 0:10:52screen wasn't down to them. I have been in touch with Amazon who say
0:10:52 > 0:10:57they only refund or replace a product if there is a problem
0:10:57 > 0:11:02within the first 12 months. However, after we sent them the engineer's
0:11:02 > 0:11:08report, Amazon is now offered the couple a brand new television
0:11:08 > 0:11:12completely free of charge. Thanks, Lucy. That's brilliant. The new TV
0:11:12 > 0:11:17has arrived, and everybody is happy. Thanks so much. And that's another
0:11:17 > 0:11:22case closed. Amman and did her family are really
0:11:22 > 0:11:27happy to finally have a fully functioning TV. Last week, you may
0:11:27 > 0:11:33remember Lucy was in Dolgellau hearing about the problems the
0:11:33 > 0:11:38local sports teams were having with dog mess on their pitches. Well, it
0:11:38 > 0:11:48seems this problem isn't just there. Lots have been in touch. Ruth from
0:11:48 > 0:11:48
0:11:48 > 0:11:52Criccieth says people up there are tired of having to clean dog mess
0:11:52 > 0:11:55off their shoes every day after the school run... Sam from Bargoed says
0:11:55 > 0:11:57you have to side step like Shane Williams the problem's so terrible
0:11:57 > 0:12:01there! But Jonathan Parker from Cardiff says please don't make this
0:12:01 > 0:12:04an us and them issue. As a dog walker himself, he says he's also
0:12:04 > 0:12:07fed up of dodging other dogs mess. We've heard from dozens of viewers
0:12:07 > 0:12:10from Burrry Port to Bow Street, from Monmouth to Mumbles. Dog
0:12:10 > 0:12:14fouling is a problem throughout Wales according to viewers. Clearly,
0:12:14 > 0:12:24this is a hot topic across the country. If there is anything you
0:12:24 > 0:12:31
0:12:31 > 0:12:34would like to say: 03703 334 334. Now, a few weeks ago we looked at
0:12:34 > 0:12:37the mystery of why Mike Thane's Peugeot was cutting out. And since
0:12:37 > 0:12:41then many more have you have been in touch with similar problems.
0:12:41 > 0:12:48Tonight we look at a problem that's had some Peugeot drivers feeling
0:12:48 > 0:12:54very nervous behind the wheel. Since we helped Mike Thane get his
0:12:54 > 0:13:00308 fixed, we have had calls from other angry owners. And there's
0:13:00 > 0:13:09pattern emerging with the same problem. The engine cuts out dead
0:13:09 > 0:13:12leaving the driver helpless. car would all of a sudden come to a
0:13:12 > 0:13:20complete standstill. It would lose power completely with no warning
0:13:20 > 0:13:24and just die. O why have some Peugeot drivers
0:13:24 > 0:13:27been spending so much time on the hard shoulder? Professional driver
0:13:27 > 0:13:30John Vaughan from Wrexham would love to know what's wrong with his
0:13:30 > 0:13:33Peugeot 307. It cost four thousand five hundred pounds but after only
0:13:33 > 0:13:36three months it started cutting out. She looks like a lovely car. What's
0:13:36 > 0:13:40going on? It would just cut out on you. The engine light comes on. The
0:13:40 > 0:13:43anti-pollution light comes on. You turn on the key, off you go again.
0:13:43 > 0:13:47If you're in a traffic queue, you never know what's going to happen.
0:13:47 > 0:13:51Does this happen all the time? Randomly. You never know if it's
0:13:51 > 0:13:58going to do it or not. Not good. Not good. Let's take a spin and see
0:13:58 > 0:14:01if it happens. Yeah. John drives a forklift for a living. He knows how
0:14:01 > 0:14:06to get the best out of a vehicle, but with this car he can't win.
0:14:06 > 0:14:10You're driving along. The engine cuts off. What happens next? I have
0:14:10 > 0:14:16to try to get to the hard shoulder as quick as I can. Five minutes
0:14:16 > 0:14:20later, off I go again. What's the worst case that's happened so far?
0:14:20 > 0:14:26One night coming home from work I was in single-lane traffic coming
0:14:27 > 0:14:32on to the bypass. There was a tanker in front of me. I put my
0:14:32 > 0:14:35foot down, but I up alongside it and the engine cut. He took his car
0:14:36 > 0:14:40to the local garage, but they couldn't work out what was wrong.
0:14:40 > 0:14:46After it happened five more times, he contacted Peugeot. What did
0:14:46 > 0:14:50Peugeot say? They told me to take the car in, but at this point in
0:14:50 > 0:14:53time, I can't afford to have it done. They said they were quoting
0:14:53 > 0:14:56about �500. It's only that I know how to drive the car that I can
0:14:57 > 0:15:06keep it on the road. My wife couldn't drive it really because it
0:15:07 > 0:15:09
0:15:09 > 0:15:14And John is not the only one with worries about safety. Hannah is
0:15:14 > 0:15:18stuck with a Peugeot that she pink is too dangerous to drive. I had my
0:15:18 > 0:15:23five-year-old son with me a few times in the car when it happened.
0:15:23 > 0:15:30It was quite scary because there was traffic all around. Once it was
0:15:30 > 0:15:39on the motorway. There was no prior warning. The car just dies. It is
0:15:39 > 0:15:43really awful. Hannah decided to drive her car around locally to see
0:15:44 > 0:15:49if the engine would cut out. It was not long before there were signs of
0:15:49 > 0:15:57trouble. This is what happens. The power will just complete the go.
0:15:57 > 0:16:05And then at a junction, it completely cut out. That was it,
0:16:05 > 0:16:12was it? Yes. The what has happened? As in previous times, there is no
0:16:12 > 0:16:18warning, the power just goes and it cuts out. It will be a lot of the
0:16:18 > 0:16:22draw whether I will be able to pull off again. After one minute, Hannah
0:16:22 > 0:16:29got the car started, but over the last eight months, the car has been
0:16:29 > 0:16:34looked at by her local garage and pleasure. They updated the computer
0:16:34 > 0:16:39software, but 10 days later the problem was back. This woman told
0:16:39 > 0:16:46us about her 207 convertible. It has the same problem with the
0:16:46 > 0:16:51engine cut it out. Peugeot has updated her computer as well. And
0:16:51 > 0:16:56three weeks ago we told you about this car. The engine it was cutting
0:16:56 > 0:17:04out and his garage could not tell him why. I think it is time we got
0:17:04 > 0:17:14to the but when it comes to cars, Gareth Rees is one of Wales's top
0:17:14 > 0:17:16
0:17:16 > 0:17:20experts. He has carried out an inspection on Hannah's car. The on-
0:17:20 > 0:17:25board computer is not recording the actual thought, so when it goes in
0:17:25 > 0:17:35for a diagnostic testing, it is not been picked up. We are aware of
0:17:35 > 0:17:35
0:17:36 > 0:17:40several cases. How common is it? you go onto the Internet, there are
0:17:40 > 0:17:43lots of other cases that are similar. Peugeot deny it is a
0:17:43 > 0:17:48common fault. They suggested the computer has not picked up a
0:17:48 > 0:17:54problem then perhaps there wasn't one, or it is outside the scope of
0:17:54 > 0:17:59the car's sensors. It could be warm components or poor-quality fuel.
0:17:59 > 0:18:03But there is good news. Peugeot say they will carry out a full
0:18:03 > 0:18:09assessment to try and identify any problems. We will let you know what
0:18:09 > 0:18:12they find. Now, it's one of those things that everyone's got an
0:18:12 > 0:18:14opinion on - when you should and shouldn't freeze or defrost meat.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17Well, there's currently a legal battle going on here in Cwmbran
0:18:17 > 0:18:20between this local butchers and Trading Standards and the result
0:18:20 > 0:18:23could change the way we label meat across the whole of the UK. Here's
0:18:23 > 0:18:26a bit of the backround. It all started when officers from
0:18:26 > 0:18:31Torfaen Trading Standards found meat that was past its use by date
0:18:31 > 0:18:34in the freezers of a meat processing company. The sausages,
0:18:34 > 0:18:40pig tongues and other cuts were originally to be sold fresh and
0:18:40 > 0:18:44that's what's the dates referred to. But then they were frozen. Some of
0:18:44 > 0:18:47the meats had been there for two years. In September last year they
0:18:47 > 0:18:50took Douglas Willis Limited to court over the matter But the
0:18:50 > 0:18:59butcher argued that because the meat had been frozen, the dates on
0:18:59 > 0:19:02the label were irrelavent - and the magistrates agreed.
0:19:02 > 0:19:07But when do the people of Cwmbran think it's OK to freeze meat that's
0:19:07 > 0:19:17already been chilled? This pack of meat's been in the fridge. The use
0:19:17 > 0:19:17
0:19:17 > 0:19:22by date is today, so would you freeze them? I would freeze
0:19:22 > 0:19:26something that is going out of date. I don't think there is a problem
0:19:26 > 0:19:32with that. What if your butcher was doing that and then selling it?
0:19:32 > 0:19:37would want to know. A packet of sausages here, going out of date
0:19:37 > 0:19:42today. Would you put them in the freezer? I wouldn't. I would use
0:19:42 > 0:19:52them straight away. You wouldn't feel comfortable using them again?
0:19:52 > 0:19:53
0:19:53 > 0:19:57I wouldn't. What if a butcher was doing that? I would be concerned.
0:19:57 > 0:20:03The use-by date, I look at it, smell it and if it looks OK, I will
0:20:03 > 0:20:10still use it. A packet of sausages going out of date today. Would you
0:20:10 > 0:20:13put them in the freezer? I wouldn't. I would not risk it.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16And neither did Torfaen Council. They felt that letting them do this
0:20:16 > 0:20:20might set a precident for other butchers and shops. So, they went
0:20:20 > 0:20:24to the High Court to ask for the case to be reopened and the High
0:20:24 > 0:20:27Court agreed that it should be. So now the case could go back to the
0:20:27 > 0:20:34magistrates court for re-hearing. So where does that leave us? Prof
0:20:34 > 0:20:39Robert Lee has written a book about food regulation. So tell us what
0:20:39 > 0:20:42the main problem is here. If you have chilled food and
0:20:42 > 0:20:46particularly chilled meat it will carry a use by date. That use by
0:20:46 > 0:20:49date is crucial. You have to use the food by that date. If you don't,
0:20:49 > 0:20:51you're running the risk of food poisoning or serious harm to human
0:20:51 > 0:20:54health. But here the status of the food
0:20:54 > 0:20:58changes because at some point it was put into the freezer. So the
0:20:58 > 0:21:01issue then becomes if it's found on the premises past its use by date,
0:21:01 > 0:21:05but its frozen, is it still highly perishable past it's use by date or
0:21:05 > 0:21:15not to be used, or can the butcher claim because its frozen, it's not
0:21:15 > 0:21:22perishable and its still safe food. So what are the potential risks?
0:21:22 > 0:21:25Why should it be of concern? It's a concern to local authorities
0:21:25 > 0:21:29because, of course, they want a certain and clear rule. They want
0:21:29 > 0:21:32to know that if they go into a premises and find food that has
0:21:32 > 0:21:38exceeded a use by label, that they can clearly prosecute and that they
0:21:38 > 0:21:42will get a conviction. Whatever the courts decide could
0:21:42 > 0:21:46mean some big changes in food labelling laws across the UK.
0:21:46 > 0:21:48And we'll be following this case, so we'll let you know what happens.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51Next, it's never pleasant to receive threatening letters from
0:21:51 > 0:21:59the bank, but it's particularly upsetting if you haven't done
0:21:59 > 0:22:04anything wrong in the first place. Meet Aaron Marshall, a coach
0:22:04 > 0:22:08builder from near Newport. He pays a lot of attention to the nuts and
0:22:08 > 0:22:13bolts of his finances. Well I've never been in debt, never
0:22:13 > 0:22:20had a loan, so I've always saved since I've been working. So I'm
0:22:20 > 0:22:24really careful with money. But back in December 2010 the bank
0:22:24 > 0:22:28put a spanner in the works. Aaron got a letter from Natwest demanding
0:22:28 > 0:22:35that he repaid his overdraft, but there was only one slight problem -
0:22:35 > 0:22:38he had never had an account with them, let alone an overdraft.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41They kept saying I owe them money and threatening me to take me to
0:22:41 > 0:22:51court and I have to pay em back soom. They just wouldn't stop,
0:22:51 > 0:22:55
0:22:55 > 0:22:58Over the following weeks he received more letters for unpaid
0:22:58 > 0:23:05debts and a serious demand. A formal notice that the bank
0:23:05 > 0:23:12intended to "file a default" and "take action to recover debt".
0:23:12 > 0:23:15Well I was really worried really. I don't know what might happen next.
0:23:15 > 0:23:25I mean I could have bailiffs coming into my home, taking things. I
0:23:25 > 0:23:29didn't know. I really didn't know what was going to happen next.
0:23:29 > 0:23:39Aaron Marshall had never banked with NatWest, so why was he getting
0:23:39 > 0:23:41
0:23:41 > 0:23:51these letters? Well, step in Aaron Marshall number-two. It was a case
0:23:51 > 0:23:54
0:23:54 > 0:24:02of mistaken identity. The bank had wrongly linked the two Aaron
0:24:02 > 0:24:10Marshalls. My name is so uncommon. I did not think it would happen to
0:24:10 > 0:24:14me. It can happen to anyone. So how on a to the mix up happen? Well, if
0:24:14 > 0:24:21you are in debt and the Bank is struggling to get hold of you, they
0:24:21 > 0:24:30can use tracing agents to track you down. By sheer coincidence, Aaron
0:24:30 > 0:24:36did not only shared the same surname but the other Aaron, he
0:24:36 > 0:24:44shared the same date of birth. I have looked on the electoral roll
0:24:44 > 0:24:49and there are 88 other Lucy Owens. If any of them shared a personal
0:24:49 > 0:24:54detail with me, we could be linked and I could be chased for her debt.
0:24:54 > 0:24:59It is a mistake that is on the rise. Four years ago, one million people
0:24:59 > 0:25:03were traced for debt. Now it has risen to 9 million and the tracing
0:25:03 > 0:25:09agencies say sometimes the wrong people are chased forget they do
0:25:09 > 0:25:12not owe. Luckily though, Aaron proved to Nat West he was not be
0:25:12 > 0:25:16Aaron Marshall they were looking for and they promised to amend
0:25:16 > 0:25:23their record. It was great when they finally admitted
0:25:23 > 0:25:29responsibility, that they were in the wrong. But then, it was not
0:25:30 > 0:25:35over. Aaron continue to get letters demanding payment of debt that went
0:25:36 > 0:25:40his, or because Nat West had passed the incorrect details to Experian,
0:25:40 > 0:25:44a credit rating agency. There are lots of different addresses here on
0:25:45 > 0:25:54this credit report. What did you think when this the right? I was in
0:25:54 > 0:26:00complete shock. It has nothing to do with me. Imagine having a credit
0:26:00 > 0:26:05report like this. It must be having a big impact on your life. It is. I
0:26:05 > 0:26:10can't get a mobile phone, I cannot get a mortgage. It has just put my
0:26:10 > 0:26:13life on hold basically. The problem is that every time you try to get a
0:26:14 > 0:26:19loan or credit agreement, the lender looks at reports like these.
0:26:19 > 0:26:26If there is a lot of debt, it could make you look like a risky bet and
0:26:26 > 0:26:36prevent you from getting a loan. Incorrect credit report can have a
0:26:36 > 0:26:36
0:26:36 > 0:26:42huge impact on your life. What to Aaron do about it? Well, Nat West
0:26:42 > 0:26:47promised to do it, but after three months they haven't. I want it
0:26:47 > 0:26:57sorted. It has affected my life in the last couple of years and who
0:26:57 > 0:26:59
0:26:59 > 0:27:04knows what can happen in the future it if it is not sorted out now. --
0:27:04 > 0:27:07if it is not sorted out now. Poor guy! Well, we got in touch
0:27:07 > 0:27:11with Natwest and they apologised for the length of time it has taken
0:27:11 > 0:27:14to sort out the mix up between the two Aarons. They've also promised
0:27:14 > 0:27:16to make sure that all the incorrect information has been wiped from
0:27:16 > 0:27:18Aarons credit report. They've also offered him �300 for the
0:27:18 > 0:27:21inconvenience. Now since our item last week about
0:27:21 > 0:27:24the collapsing SCS sofas, lots of you have been in touch with similar
0:27:24 > 0:27:28problems. Roger Price from Denbigh says after a year his SCS sofa
0:27:28 > 0:27:31cushion and seat has collapsed so low, it is difficult to get out of
0:27:31 > 0:27:34it. Lorraine Tanner from Tonypandy says she had the same problems as
0:27:34 > 0:27:38the Phillips family. The cushions on her sofa are saggy and she said
0:27:38 > 0:27:41wood on the arms was poking through the leather of the suite. We'll be
0:27:41 > 0:27:45passing these complaints and the others we've had on to SCS to see
0:27:46 > 0:27:48what they have to say. And we do have some positive news on the
0:27:48 > 0:27:51Phillips, who we featured on last week's programme. SCS have spoken
0:27:52 > 0:27:58to them and agreed to add more filling to their sofa free of
0:27:58 > 0:28:01charge, so hopefully they'll be sitting in comfort again soon.
0:28:01 > 0:28:05That's all we've got time for this week.
0:28:05 > 0:28:11And if you've got anything to say, wherever you are in Wales - get in
0:28:11 > 0:28:17touch with us. The lines are open now. Or go to our website and just