Episode 21 X-Ray

Hello. I'm Lucy Owen in Cwmbran. And I'm Rhodri Owen in Llangollen.

You're watching X-Ray. On tonight's programme:

Joe Calzhage's their front man - but are We Fight Any Claim pulling

their punches when it comes to giving refunds?

More Peugeots whose engines stop when you least expect them to.

And the mysterious case of mistaken identity that left one man being

Hello. Later on I'll be finding out why a court case involving a local

butchers here in Cwmbran could end up changing the laws on how we

label meat across the UK. But first, claims management firms. We've told

you about their money grabbing tactics in the past, and it seems

things aren't improving. We're still getting complaints from all

over Wales, as Rachel's been finding out.

They're quick to take your money, but often don't deliver the punch

they promised. Thousands of claims management firms are battling it

out for a piece of your payout. And one Welsh company, We Fight Any

Claim, is making promises that just aren't true.

The public face of Cwmbran-based We Fight Any Claim is boxing champ Joe

Calzaghe. When the company rang Ceri Evans from Neath back in

August 2010, they told her she could claim back over �2,000 of

payment protection insurance, or PPI, they said she'd been missold.

I didn't think I had PPI cos I'd used - my father was guarantor for

the loan, so I didn't need insurance. They made out that in

first phone call that they had my records in front of them and that I

definitely had this PPI. And because of the company We Fight Any

Claim, they kept on saying about who was fronting them, Joe Calzaghe

- I thought it was a genuine case. To start the claim, Ceri agreed to

pay �245. They said - all in all they said it

would be a 30% fee, but I took it to be, we'd pay the remainder at

the end when we had our claim through.

But within days, the company was back on the phone wanting the rest

of the fee. I panicked, because I didn't have that money. I asked if

I could cancel, and he said no. If he cancelled, they'd take me to

court for remainder of fees. In total, Ceri paid �700 on her

credit card - hoping We Fight Any Claim had told her the truth that

her bank did owe her over �2,000. Ceri's bank, Halifax, confirmed

what she knew all along - there was no PPI on her account. But We Fight

Any Claim refused to throw in the towel.

They said they'd continue to chase Halifax, as banks often don't

investigate claims properly! But 18 months on, there's still no sign of

a payout. The last time I chased them up in June, I asked if I could

cancel and have my money back. I was then told if I cancelled now,

I'd end up owing them thousands of pounds for hours already put in.

They've just taken my �700 and kept Whilst Joe Calzaghe's the public

face, the man behind the company Simon Chorlton is someone X-ray

knows well. He's also the boss of Yes Loans, another company that's

left many viewers out of pocket. We Fight Any Claim say they'll

fight your corner. But one customer from Gwynedd has been battling

AGAINST the company for a year, trying to get back the huge fee she

paid them. Yvonne Westmacott from Fairbourne

was called out of the blue last February. Like Ceri, she didn't

think she had PPI, but We Fight Any Claim insisted she did.

He was very pushy, wouldn't give up, asked me some questions about what

credit cards I've got and what mortgages and anything like that

and told me after I'd given this information that I could possibly

get �9,000 back. Then he said for the one claim we want �659 and for

the other claim we want �2,121. And if we don't get you that money back,

we'll refund your money straight away. So I thought, OK, then.

But Yvonne's mortgage and credit card companies insist there was no

PPI on her accounts. Yvonne's had some of her fees back from We Fight

Any Claim, but a year on they still owe her more than �2,000.

The Ministry of Justice is supposed to act as a referee, checking that

claims companies aren't breaching of its code of conduct. But is it

doing enough to knock this industry into shape?

They are now monitoring We Fight any Claim closely and have placed

restrictions on the company, which is no longer taking upfront fees.

But in a recent undercover survey, We Fight Any Claim told a

researcher at Which? That their success rate was 90% compared to

10% if you claimed yourself. Little wonder the consumer organisation is

pushing for change it's absolutely not true that

claims management companies give you any greater chance of success.

It's absolutely not true claims management companies give you any

great chance of success. One of the things we want to see

the Ministry of Justice doing is banning cold calling, banning up-

front fees. There's absolutely no need to pay an up-front fee to a

claims management company. We don't think you should use one at all,

but if you really want to, at least go with one that doesn't charge you

a fee till end of process. There are still more than a hundred

Welsh claims companies and thousands more across the UK

competing for your business. So if one offers to fight your corner, be

warned - you may end up fighting THEM for your money back!

We Fight Any Claim told us they're sorry Ceri and Yvonne aren't happy

with their service, and they've launched an investigation into

their complaints about aggressive staff behaviour. They also say a

member of staff should never have claimed that their success rate was

90%. And there's good news - because of the long delays, they're

going to give both customers full refunds - that's almost �700 for

Ceri and more than �2,000 for Yvonne! Both their banks have told

us there was never anything to claim anyway! As for Joe Calzaghe,

well, he's not involved in the day- to-day running of the company and

his father, Enzo, says the boxer doesn't want to comment.

And remember, you don't need to use a claims management company to

reclaim PPI from your bank or lender! You can do it yourself for

free. There are template letters you can copy on all the leading

consumer websites. Check out the X- Ray site for some useful links, and

let us know how you get on. Next, Lucy's on the case in Machynlleth.

Amanda and Guy Morgan have been left in the dark after spending

hundreds of pounds on a new flatscreen TV. I need to find out

more. We hoped a top-of-the-range TV

would last for years and it's broken already and we were hoping

you could come and help us? I'm on the case.

Amanda and Guy are busy parents on a tight budget, so a modern slim-

Hello, Amanda. How are you? Good to see you. Come in. See this TV.

Two years ago, Amanda and Guy decided it was time to trade in

their old TV. We thought we would splash out and

treat ourselves and get another one. The place was a bit bigger so we

thought we would get a bit bigger The couple searched online and

found an LG flatscreen on the Amazon website. They paid �480. Why

did you decide to go to Amazon? Well, I was happy with them buying

small things like looks and CDs and things, and we live in the middle

of no-where, so I thought it would be easier to do it online and get

them to deliver. We did spend a lot of money thinking it would last us

a long time, a TV like that. For a year, the family ebb joyed settling

down to watch their new TV until a problem occurred. We got up one

morning, and half the screen was missing. Would you like me to show

you? Yes, I would love to see it. If you can see, half the screen is

missing, so you just can't watch that it like that. I can't believe

it. I mean, it really is just completely dead, isn't it, on the

one side of the screen? Yes, yeah. And it stayed like that. The TV was

only 14 months old, so she got in touch with Amazon to report the

fault, but they told her it was out of warrantee. A TV is supposed to

be for a long period of time, not just 14 months. Undeterred, she

went back to Amazon. This is the reply you have had. There is the

offer... A �121 gift voucher... a refund of �73... Which won't fix

the TV. We spent a lot of money. I don't think I'll trust Amazon again.

All I want is either the TV to be fixed or a replacement. Amanda, I

am on the case.? Thank you. The couple have been left with an

expensive TV which doesn't work properly, so what are your rights

when it comes to returning faulty goods? Traditionally, it's down to

you to prove a product isn't up to standard, and getting a

professional to take a look is one way of confirming you aren't

responsible for a fault. So what about Amanda and Guy's TV? Well,

it's now been assessed by an engineer who found the faulty

screen wasn't down to them. I have been in touch with Amazon who say

they only refund or replace a product if there is a problem

within the first 12 months. However, after we sent them the engineer's

report, Amazon is now offered the couple a brand new television

completely free of charge. Thanks, Lucy. That's brilliant. The new TV

has arrived, and everybody is happy. Thanks so much. And that's another

case closed. Amman and did her family are really

happy to finally have a fully functioning TV. Last week, you may

remember Lucy was in Dolgellau hearing about the problems the

local sports teams were having with dog mess on their pitches. Well, it

seems this problem isn't just there. Lots have been in touch. Ruth from

Criccieth says people up there are tired of having to clean dog mess

off their shoes every day after the school run... Sam from Bargoed says

you have to side step like Shane Williams the problem's so terrible

there! But Jonathan Parker from Cardiff says please don't make this

an us and them issue. As a dog walker himself, he says he's also

fed up of dodging other dogs mess. We've heard from dozens of viewers

from Burrry Port to Bow Street, from Monmouth to Mumbles. Dog

fouling is a problem throughout Wales according to viewers. Clearly,

this is a hot topic across the country. If there is anything you

would like to say: 03703 334 334. Now, a few weeks ago we looked at

the mystery of why Mike Thane's Peugeot was cutting out. And since

then many more have you have been in touch with similar problems.

Tonight we look at a problem that's had some Peugeot drivers feeling

very nervous behind the wheel. Since we helped Mike Thane get his

308 fixed, we have had calls from other angry owners. And there's

pattern emerging with the same problem. The engine cuts out dead

leaving the driver helpless. car would all of a sudden come to a

complete standstill. It would lose power completely with no warning

and just die. O why have some Peugeot drivers

been spending so much time on the hard shoulder? Professional driver

John Vaughan from Wrexham would love to know what's wrong with his

Peugeot 307. It cost four thousand five hundred pounds but after only

three months it started cutting out. She looks like a lovely car. What's

going on? It would just cut out on you. The engine light comes on. The

anti-pollution light comes on. You turn on the key, off you go again.

If you're in a traffic queue, you never know what's going to happen.

Does this happen all the time? Randomly. You never know if it's

going to do it or not. Not good. Not good. Let's take a spin and see

if it happens. Yeah. John drives a forklift for a living. He knows how

to get the best out of a vehicle, but with this car he can't win.

You're driving along. The engine cuts off. What happens next? I have

to try to get to the hard shoulder as quick as I can. Five minutes

later, off I go again. What's the worst case that's happened so far?

One night coming home from work I was in single-lane traffic coming

on to the bypass. There was a tanker in front of me. I put my

foot down, but I up alongside it and the engine cut. He took his car

to the local garage, but they couldn't work out what was wrong.

After it happened five more times, he contacted Peugeot. What did

Peugeot say? They told me to take the car in, but at this point in

time, I can't afford to have it done. They said they were quoting

about �500. It's only that I know how to drive the car that I can

keep it on the road. My wife couldn't drive it really because it

And John is not the only one with worries about safety. Hannah is

stuck with a Peugeot that she pink is too dangerous to drive. I had my

five-year-old son with me a few times in the car when it happened.

It was quite scary because there was traffic all around. Once it was

on the motorway. There was no prior warning. The car just dies. It is

really awful. Hannah decided to drive her car around locally to see

if the engine would cut out. It was not long before there were signs of

trouble. This is what happens. The power will just complete the go.

And then at a junction, it completely cut out. That was it,

was it? Yes. The what has happened? As in previous times, there is no

warning, the power just goes and it cuts out. It will be a lot of the

draw whether I will be able to pull off again. After one minute, Hannah

got the car started, but over the last eight months, the car has been

looked at by her local garage and pleasure. They updated the computer

software, but 10 days later the problem was back. This woman told

us about her 207 convertible. It has the same problem with the

engine cut it out. Peugeot has updated her computer as well. And

three weeks ago we told you about this car. The engine it was cutting

out and his garage could not tell him why. I think it is time we got

to the but when it comes to cars, Gareth Rees is one of Wales's top

experts. He has carried out an inspection on Hannah's car. The on-

board computer is not recording the actual thought, so when it goes in

for a diagnostic testing, it is not been picked up. We are aware of

several cases. How common is it? you go onto the Internet, there are

lots of other cases that are similar. Peugeot deny it is a

common fault. They suggested the computer has not picked up a

problem then perhaps there wasn't one, or it is outside the scope of

the car's sensors. It could be warm components or poor-quality fuel.

But there is good news. Peugeot say they will carry out a full

assessment to try and identify any problems. We will let you know what

they find. Now, it's one of those things that everyone's got an

opinion on - when you should and shouldn't freeze or defrost meat.

Well, there's currently a legal battle going on here in Cwmbran

between this local butchers and Trading Standards and the result

could change the way we label meat across the whole of the UK. Here's

a bit of the backround. It all started when officers from

Torfaen Trading Standards found meat that was past its use by date

in the freezers of a meat processing company. The sausages,

pig tongues and other cuts were originally to be sold fresh and

that's what's the dates referred to. But then they were frozen. Some of

the meats had been there for two years. In September last year they

took Douglas Willis Limited to court over the matter But the

butcher argued that because the meat had been frozen, the dates on

the label were irrelavent - and the magistrates agreed.

But when do the people of Cwmbran think it's OK to freeze meat that's

already been chilled? This pack of meat's been in the fridge. The use

by date is today, so would you freeze them? I would freeze

something that is going out of date. I don't think there is a problem

with that. What if your butcher was doing that and then selling it?

would want to know. A packet of sausages here, going out of date

today. Would you put them in the freezer? I wouldn't. I would use

them straight away. You wouldn't feel comfortable using them again?

I wouldn't. What if a butcher was doing that? I would be concerned.

The use-by date, I look at it, smell it and if it looks OK, I will

still use it. A packet of sausages going out of date today. Would you

put them in the freezer? I wouldn't. I would not risk it.

And neither did Torfaen Council. They felt that letting them do this

might set a precident for other butchers and shops. So, they went

to the High Court to ask for the case to be reopened and the High

Court agreed that it should be. So now the case could go back to the

magistrates court for re-hearing. So where does that leave us? Prof

Robert Lee has written a book about food regulation. So tell us what

the main problem is here. If you have chilled food and

particularly chilled meat it will carry a use by date. That use by

date is crucial. You have to use the food by that date. If you don't,

you're running the risk of food poisoning or serious harm to human

health. But here the status of the food

changes because at some point it was put into the freezer. So the

issue then becomes if it's found on the premises past its use by date,

but its frozen, is it still highly perishable past it's use by date or

not to be used, or can the butcher claim because its frozen, it's not

perishable and its still safe food. So what are the potential risks?

Why should it be of concern? It's a concern to local authorities

because, of course, they want a certain and clear rule. They want

to know that if they go into a premises and find food that has

exceeded a use by label, that they can clearly prosecute and that they

will get a conviction. Whatever the courts decide could

mean some big changes in food labelling laws across the UK.

And we'll be following this case, so we'll let you know what happens.

Next, it's never pleasant to receive threatening letters from

the bank, but it's particularly upsetting if you haven't done

anything wrong in the first place. Meet Aaron Marshall, a coach

builder from near Newport. He pays a lot of attention to the nuts and

bolts of his finances. Well I've never been in debt, never

had a loan, so I've always saved since I've been working. So I'm

really careful with money. But back in December 2010 the bank

put a spanner in the works. Aaron got a letter from Natwest demanding

that he repaid his overdraft, but there was only one slight problem -

he had never had an account with them, let alone an overdraft.

They kept saying I owe them money and threatening me to take me to

court and I have to pay em back soom. They just wouldn't stop,

Over the following weeks he received more letters for unpaid

debts and a serious demand. A formal notice that the bank

intended to "file a default" and "take action to recover debt".

Well I was really worried really. I don't know what might happen next.

I mean I could have bailiffs coming into my home, taking things. I

didn't know. I really didn't know what was going to happen next.

Aaron Marshall had never banked with NatWest, so why was he getting

these letters? Well, step in Aaron Marshall number-two. It was a case

of mistaken identity. The bank had wrongly linked the two Aaron

Marshalls. My name is so uncommon. I did not think it would happen to

me. It can happen to anyone. So how on a to the mix up happen? Well, if

you are in debt and the Bank is struggling to get hold of you, they

can use tracing agents to track you down. By sheer coincidence, Aaron

did not only shared the same surname but the other Aaron, he

shared the same date of birth. I have looked on the electoral roll

and there are 88 other Lucy Owens. If any of them shared a personal

detail with me, we could be linked and I could be chased for her debt.

It is a mistake that is on the rise. Four years ago, one million people

were traced for debt. Now it has risen to 9 million and the tracing

agencies say sometimes the wrong people are chased forget they do

not owe. Luckily though, Aaron proved to Nat West he was not be

Aaron Marshall they were looking for and they promised to amend

their record. It was great when they finally admitted

responsibility, that they were in the wrong. But then, it was not

over. Aaron continue to get letters demanding payment of debt that went

his, or because Nat West had passed the incorrect details to Experian,

a credit rating agency. There are lots of different addresses here on

this credit report. What did you think when this the right? I was in

complete shock. It has nothing to do with me. Imagine having a credit

report like this. It must be having a big impact on your life. It is. I

can't get a mobile phone, I cannot get a mortgage. It has just put my

life on hold basically. The problem is that every time you try to get a

loan or credit agreement, the lender looks at reports like these.

If there is a lot of debt, it could make you look like a risky bet and

prevent you from getting a loan. Incorrect credit report can have a

huge impact on your life. What to Aaron do about it? Well, Nat West

promised to do it, but after three months they haven't. I want it

sorted. It has affected my life in the last couple of years and who

knows what can happen in the future it if it is not sorted out now. --

if it is not sorted out now. Poor guy! Well, we got in touch

with Natwest and they apologised for the length of time it has taken

to sort out the mix up between the two Aarons. They've also promised

to make sure that all the incorrect information has been wiped from

Aarons credit report. They've also offered him �300 for the

inconvenience. Now since our item last week about

the collapsing SCS sofas, lots of you have been in touch with similar

problems. Roger Price from Denbigh says after a year his SCS sofa

cushion and seat has collapsed so low, it is difficult to get out of

it. Lorraine Tanner from Tonypandy says she had the same problems as

the Phillips family. The cushions on her sofa are saggy and she said

wood on the arms was poking through the leather of the suite. We'll be

passing these complaints and the others we've had on to SCS to see

what they have to say. And we do have some positive news on the

Phillips, who we featured on last week's programme. SCS have spoken

to them and agreed to add more filling to their sofa free of

charge, so hopefully they'll be sitting in comfort again soon.

That's all we've got time for this week.

And if you've got anything to say, wherever you are in Wales - get in

touch with us. The lines are open now. Or go to our website and just