:00:02. > :00:05.You're watching X-Ray. On tonight's programme �2,000 for a roll of
:00:05. > :00:13.plastic - help us find the rogue traders who ripped off Terry and
:00:14. > :00:19.Anne. Lives on hold - Hannah couldn't get a new job because her
:00:19. > :00:29.neighbours' houses are full of cracks. And David and Ellie's dream
:00:29. > :00:39.
:00:39. > :00:42.campervan - unsafe to drive because It's the bane of our lives - the
:00:42. > :00:52.doorstep salesman, someone we've never seen before knocking on our
:00:52. > :01:05.
:01:05. > :01:10.door and promising the world. Bell where paving is run by a man called
:01:10. > :01:14.Tom Connors who has been ripping off innocent people around South
:01:14. > :01:21.Wales. Lucy has been to meet one couple who fell for the sales
:01:21. > :01:24.patter. And David and Ellie's dream campervan - unsafe to drive because
:01:24. > :01:27.of the rust. It's the bane of our lives - the doorstep salesman,
:01:27. > :01:29.someone we've never seen before knocking on our door and promising
:01:29. > :01:34.the world. And here in Pontarddulais, they're no strangers
:01:35. > :01:37.to the tactic. They had their lorry with the name on the side of it, so
:01:38. > :01:42.I thought, "They can't be that bad, they wouldn't be advertising that
:01:43. > :01:45.much." So when a company called Bellway Paving knocked on the door
:01:45. > :01:51.of their bungalow in Pontarddulais, Terry and Anne Lewis thought they
:01:51. > :01:54.were legitimate traders, and just the people to help them out.
:01:54. > :01:59.decided to have the front tarmacked or cemented, whatever, so that I
:01:59. > :02:04.could bring the car nearer the door. Because I am disabled, I have
:02:04. > :02:08.problems getting in and out. company initially quoted �1,000,
:02:08. > :02:18.but after a bit of haggling, Terry got the boss, Tom Connors, to agree
:02:18. > :02:18.
:02:18. > :02:21.What made you trust them? They seemed nice. You know, they did
:02:21. > :02:31.have paperwork, they had a card they gave out, "Bellway Paving and
:02:31. > :02:31.
:02:31. > :02:35.Tarmac Company" on it, well, they seemed genuine enough.
:02:35. > :02:39.company's paperwork certainly looked official. So the couple were
:02:39. > :02:44.happy for the work to start straight away. But within a couple
:02:44. > :02:51.of hours, there was a hitch! One of the fellas that was working and
:02:51. > :02:54.digging came in and said, "can you phone Tom?" Bellway Paving told
:02:54. > :02:57.Terry they needed to buy a protective plastic membrane to put
:02:57. > :03:07.under the tarmac, but it was going to cost an extra �2,100, and they
:03:07. > :03:10.needed the cash straight away. called it an aqua sheet, because
:03:10. > :03:20.the tarmac is breaking up and the cement is breaking up, so we need
:03:20. > :03:24.
:03:24. > :03:29.to put this down first. My stomach was telling me, "No, no,
:03:29. > :03:32.no, no, no," and I guessed then that was it. The couple were
:03:32. > :03:38.suspicious, but by then most of their existing driveway had been
:03:38. > :03:42.torn up. We had all the rubbish chucked virtually onto the road.
:03:42. > :03:48.You know, all the digging up they had done, all that was on the road,
:03:48. > :03:51.and who is going to move all this, and where was I going to put it.?
:03:51. > :03:56.They felt pressurised, and went to the bank to take out the extra
:03:56. > :04:01.�2,000 it would cost to get the job done. They were waiting for the
:04:01. > :04:05.money. They wouldn't do a thing until they had the money. With the
:04:05. > :04:10.cash in their pockets, the men got on with the job. Five days later,
:04:10. > :04:13.the drive was finished. So after answering a knock on the door and
:04:13. > :04:21.handing over almost �3,000 of their savings, what have Terry and Anne
:04:21. > :04:28.been left with? A pretty poor driveway, that's what. It's not
:04:28. > :04:35.level, it's not smooth, it's rough, everything sticks to it. I drove my
:04:35. > :04:39.car onto it, and it just seems to be sinking all the time. Terry rang
:04:39. > :04:45.Bellway Paving, but the owner, Tom Connors, was on holiday. Since then,
:04:45. > :04:49.Terry hasn't been able to contact anyone. And you paid a lot of money
:04:49. > :04:53.for this, didn't you. Where did that money come from? It is savings,
:04:53. > :04:56.yes, well we don't tend to waste our money, we tend to save our
:04:56. > :05:01.money and if we need anything, we go down and get the money and pay
:05:01. > :05:11.for it straight away. We don't have hire purchase or anything, we just
:05:11. > :05:16.like to pay off our debts as they So time to find out exactly how bad
:05:16. > :05:19.the driveway is - what's chartered surveyor Robert Fisher's opinion?
:05:19. > :05:23.Well, we've done some drilling, haven't we, and this is the depth
:05:23. > :05:27.of the tarmac, I mean, what does that say to you? Well what we have
:05:27. > :05:31.here is about a two-inch core taken out - it's about two inches thick.
:05:31. > :05:34.Now, normally this would be at least four inches thick. The whole
:05:34. > :05:37.construction isn't strong enough to support the weight of a vehicle.
:05:37. > :05:42.And the hard core under the tarmac hasn't been treated properly,
:05:42. > :05:46.either. Another factor that's causing the driveway to sink. So
:05:46. > :05:51.what about that all-important roll of plastic? And this is the
:05:52. > :05:55.membrane that was laid - Terry and Anne paid �2,100 for this. What do
:05:55. > :06:01.you think taking a look at that? Very sad. I'm afraid that's heavy-
:06:01. > :06:06.gauge damp-proof membrane, probably �50-�75 a roll. More than enough to
:06:06. > :06:10.cover three times this area here. They have paid an awful lot of
:06:10. > :06:14.money for a product that's very cheap. So Robert, overall=, what
:06:14. > :06:19.have Terry and Anne been left with here? Unfortunately, it's going to
:06:19. > :06:24.carry on getting softer. Really, they need to cut it all out and re-
:06:24. > :06:34.lay it. That's going to be heartbreaking for them. It'll take
:06:34. > :06:36.
:06:36. > :06:42.a long time now to get over it. The driveway they put there was solid.
:06:42. > :06:52.-- the one made about. I wake up thinking, what did we do? If I'd
:06:52. > :06:53.
:06:53. > :06:55.known what I know now, they wouldn't have come near me. Earlier,
:06:56. > :06:58.I caught up with Andrew Bertie from the Trading Standards anti-fraud
:06:58. > :07:01.unit, Scambusters. Andrew, it seems you're interested in Bellway Paving
:07:01. > :07:03.and particularly interested in the man running the company. Yes, we
:07:03. > :07:06.are. We've had a number of complaints about Bellway Paving,
:07:06. > :07:09.whatever Bellway Paving is. The name we have on some of their
:07:10. > :07:12.paperwork is a T Connors, and we'd be very interested in speaking to
:07:12. > :07:15.Mr Connors. How do these companies operate. What should people look
:07:15. > :07:19.out for? They come round the doors saying they've got materials left
:07:19. > :07:22.over from a previous job. They'll do it cheaply, and they always ask
:07:22. > :07:25.for cash to try and avoid being traced. We know that similar
:07:25. > :07:27.companies do this use magnetic signage on their vehicles and then
:07:27. > :07:32.just simply remove that signage, replace it with new magnetic
:07:33. > :07:35.signage and call themselves something else. The other thing
:07:36. > :07:38.they'll do when canvassing for jobs, they'll send someone out with a
:07:39. > :07:42.suit and tie on who's got a clipboard, who looks like a
:07:42. > :07:48.professional, but this is all part of the facade to try and deceive
:07:48. > :07:51.people. And when you look at the paperwork, it's easy to see how Mr
:07:51. > :07:55.and Mrs Lewis were taken in? There's a company registration
:07:55. > :07:58.number, there's a landline, there's an address? It all appears quite
:07:58. > :08:02.legitimate. But there's phone numbers on that paperwork that
:08:02. > :08:06.can't be contacted. So, Andrew, what's your advice in a nutshell?
:08:06. > :08:10.My advice in a nutshell is this. If the contract's over �35, you've got
:08:10. > :08:12.a seven-day cooling off period. Take advantage of that seven days -
:08:12. > :08:16.think clearly about what you're getting yourself into, because once
:08:16. > :08:24.in it it's very difficult to get out of it. Really good advice,
:08:24. > :08:26.So did you get a knock on the door from Bellway Paving, here in
:08:26. > :08:31.Pontardulais or anywhere else? If you've got any information, then
:08:31. > :08:36.please let us know - give us a call on 03703 334 334 or send us an e-
:08:37. > :08:45.mail. This company needs to be Still to come - Hannah's dream
:08:45. > :08:52.home's in great condition. So why And its owner ran a garage, so how
:08:52. > :08:57.come he didn't spot the rust on Now, all you parents out there know
:08:57. > :08:59.all too well how expensive school uniform can be. Now a report from
:09:00. > :09:03.the Office of Fair Trading confirms what many have feared. It says
:09:03. > :09:13.we're paying �50 million a year too much for uniforms. What do people
:09:13. > :09:16.
:09:16. > :09:20.here in Pontarddulais think? Are they too expensive? Yes. They
:09:20. > :09:27.can be expensive, a cheaper than putting designer gear on them every
:09:27. > :09:31.day. Are they priced correctly? really, No. �7 roughly for a polo
:09:32. > :09:36.shirt, so probably more expensive than in Asda or ever, but when I
:09:36. > :09:41.have bought the cheaper stuff from Asda, it doesn't wash as well.
:09:41. > :09:45.should be available as a cheap cost to all parents. Why are they so
:09:45. > :09:49.expensive? They shouldn't be except for the emblems, they are
:09:49. > :09:51.embroidered. Well, the Office of Fair Trading is clear about the
:09:51. > :09:54.reasons that uniform is so expensive - a lack of competition.
:09:54. > :09:59.They've written to all headteachers asking them to look at how their
:09:59. > :10:02.school's uniforms are sold. But not everyone thinks you get a bad deal
:10:02. > :10:12.from uniform shops. Alan Horder's shop is a major supplier of uniform
:10:12. > :10:13.
:10:13. > :10:17.in Pontypridd. Alan, why are school uniforms so expensive? Are they
:10:18. > :10:21.really expensive? What are the alternatives? If we didn't have
:10:21. > :10:27.branded uniforms for children to wear, peer pressure would be
:10:27. > :10:30.enormous for children to wear the latest branded holiday. We strive
:10:30. > :10:34.to offer good quality product at a competitive price. The OFT say it's
:10:34. > :10:38.because most schools have a single supplier of uniforms.
:10:38. > :10:45.The competition in Pontypridd is quite big, there are 89 different
:10:45. > :10:50.uniform shops, and we all basically supply a different schools -- 8 or
:10:50. > :10:55.9. Is it the badges that make uniforms more expensive? It does
:10:55. > :11:01.put the price up but we invest heavily in machinery to do that. We
:11:01. > :11:07.also do a lot of badging up for people who bring in polo shirts
:11:07. > :11:11.they have bought in supermarkets. They bring more in at Christmas
:11:11. > :11:18.because the quality isn't there. We know our product will last, and
:11:18. > :11:24.more than that, we support the campaign to get the 80 removed from
:11:24. > :11:33.school uniform -- VAT. If it is discernible school uniform by
:11:33. > :11:36.having a badge on it, why should it be charged? Next, if you think
:11:36. > :11:39.there's something familiar about this next story, you'd be right. A
:11:39. > :11:42.year ago we highlighted the plight of homeowners on one estate in West
:11:42. > :11:45.Wales, and when we heard that things weren't getting any better,
:11:45. > :11:51.we sent Rachel back to find out why. It looks like an idyllic place to
:11:51. > :11:54.live. But Clos y Fferm in Aberporth has a problem. Exactly a year ago,
:11:54. > :12:00.I met people living in these properties and heard about the
:12:00. > :12:03.horrendous problems they'd had with their new homes. The estate was
:12:03. > :12:07.built by Rheidol Developments, owned by local builder, Ian Jones.
:12:07. > :12:16.It was completed in 2006. But a landslip has damaged many of the
:12:16. > :12:25.buildings. Rob and Dods Arnold bought there in 2007 and soon
:12:25. > :12:31.noticed cracks in their garage. Last year, they showed me around.
:12:32. > :12:35.This is where we first discovered the cracks. This one up here. You
:12:35. > :12:38.can see where that is. Now, it's not just the people who've got
:12:38. > :12:43.cracks in their properties who are suffering. I've come to meet Hannah
:12:43. > :12:47.Jones, who thought she'd got a dream property. Aberporth is just
:12:47. > :12:51.such a lovely village, literally the house is just a short walk down
:12:51. > :12:55.the hill and you're on the beach. So how did you find this property?
:12:55. > :12:59.It was hot off the press, we literally rushed out to see it and
:12:59. > :13:06.we went and put the offer in the next day. Hannah bought her house
:13:06. > :13:10.in 2006 for �119,000 before it had even been built. I always thought
:13:10. > :13:13.that a new build was a good bet, because you knew what you were
:13:13. > :13:18.getting. And have you had any issues with the house? No, it's
:13:18. > :13:22.great, it's a lovely little property, a great starter home.
:13:22. > :13:26.structurally it's been solid for you? Yes, no problems that we've
:13:26. > :13:29.come across. But when the bank where Hannah worked offered her
:13:29. > :13:34.promotion, she was faced with the prospect of having to move out of
:13:34. > :13:43.the area. Looking forward to an exciting future, Hannah consulted a
:13:43. > :13:47.local estate agent, and what he had to say shocked her. I would be able
:13:47. > :13:53.to sell, but it would need to be for about 50 to 70 per cent of the
:13:53. > :13:56.market value, and that it would need to be to a cash buyer. How did
:13:56. > :14:01.you feel about that? It was devastating, really. The reason for
:14:01. > :14:06.such a dramatic drop in the price of her house? She only had to look
:14:06. > :14:08.out of her front window. The area opposite the property is just
:14:08. > :14:11.derelict and overgrown with these big barriers there, and dotted
:14:11. > :14:15.around are properties which are just boarded up, and it looks like
:14:16. > :14:25.an abandoned estate, really. it's not just the way the estate
:14:26. > :14:27.
:14:27. > :14:30.looks. Any surveyor coming along to look at a property for sale, or
:14:30. > :14:33.even if someone applies for a remortgage, will be obliged to take
:14:33. > :14:38.into account the condition of the adjoining properties. That is
:14:38. > :14:43.blight by association. So before Hannah can sell her house, the
:14:43. > :14:53.wider problems on the estate need to be sorted out. As far as Rob and
:14:53. > :14:55.Dods are concerned, that's not And we can't see a way forward, all
:14:55. > :15:03.we can see is our money deteriorating and our property
:15:03. > :15:06.deteriorating and all our hopes I suppose. Last year we also wrote to
:15:06. > :15:10.Rob and Dods' buildings insurers, Zurich, who said they were still
:15:10. > :15:16.monitoring movement in the ground. But they've still not sorted out
:15:17. > :15:19.the problems with their house. bought it in good faith thinking it
:15:20. > :15:26.would be a good investment, nice position to have a property, and
:15:26. > :15:31.it's just been a complete disaster. Builder Ian Jones has told us that
:15:31. > :15:34.his works to stabilise the site have been successful. And he says
:15:34. > :15:39.that a full investigation will produce a report as security for
:15:39. > :15:44.future surveyors, buyers and insurers. But there are still
:15:44. > :15:48.boarded-up houses on the estate - and cracks in Rob and Dods' garage.
:15:48. > :15:53.Ian Jones has said property prices on the estate will rise again - but
:15:53. > :15:58.in the short term things aren't looking good for Hannah. What's it
:15:58. > :16:05.like looking out on that every day? It can be quite depressing and it
:16:05. > :16:10.does get you down from time to time. Hannah's had to give up promotion
:16:10. > :16:13.at the bank until she's in a position to sell up and move.
:16:13. > :16:16.has been really restrictive and it's - whereas it would normally
:16:16. > :16:24.not be an issue for people, it's had quite a bearing on the
:16:24. > :16:30.decisions that we have made. Well, they've had a tough time. But we've
:16:30. > :16:33.got some great news. Rob and Dods' insurers, Zurich, have just told us
:16:33. > :16:36.that they have agreed a settlement of their claim and the couple will
:16:36. > :16:41.be refunded the current market value of their property as if it
:16:41. > :16:45.were undamaged. They're busy sorting out the detail of that.
:16:45. > :16:49.We'll keep you up-to-date. Also, builder Ian Jones tells us he is
:16:49. > :16:52.now planning to demolish the empty houses on the estate. And, he says,
:16:52. > :17:01.Rheidol Developments are doing everything they can to restore the
:17:01. > :17:04.site's reputation. Next, Lucy's on For Kathryn Lawday it's vital to
:17:04. > :17:08.have a strong mobile phone signal, to keep in touch with her poorly
:17:08. > :17:18.sister. But for the last few months she's had major problems being
:17:18. > :17:21.
:17:21. > :17:27.heard. Hello, can you hear me? Kathryn's been a loyal Vodafone
:17:27. > :17:34.customer for years. But now she can't get a mobile phone signal at
:17:34. > :17:36.home. Hi, Kathryn. Hi Lucy, come in. Thank you, I want to hear what's
:17:36. > :17:41.been happening with this signal, sounds a nightmare. So, Kathryn,
:17:41. > :17:45.this is the phone. How long have you been with Vodafone? I've been
:17:45. > :17:49.with them for eight years now. why did you decide to go with them?
:17:49. > :17:52.They had really good signal in the area and really great deals around
:17:52. > :17:56.the time that I joined. But then what happened when you started to
:17:56. > :17:58.get a problem with the signal? I took out a new contract with them
:17:58. > :18:01.in April, then I just started losing signal intermittently at
:18:01. > :18:07.first and then for two months, maybe more, I've just had no signal
:18:07. > :18:12.at all in the house. Nothing. signal's so bad that Kathryn has to
:18:12. > :18:18.go for a bit of a stroll if she wants to use her phone. OK, let's
:18:18. > :18:22.do a check. We're right at the main road now, anything? Yes, we've got
:18:22. > :18:27.some signal coming through now. Finally! Very annoying. But for
:18:27. > :18:31.Kathryn it's a lot more important than that. I have a sister that has
:18:31. > :18:36.a condition that can be life threatening. And I have to be there
:18:36. > :18:39.to help and take her to hospital or anything like that. So I need my
:18:40. > :18:42.mobile signal to get in contact with her. And there was a recent
:18:42. > :18:47.emergency, wasn't there, when it really did cause you a problem
:18:47. > :18:50.because you didn't have this signal? Yes, she sent me a message
:18:50. > :18:54.to say her condition was flaring up and that she might need to go to
:18:54. > :19:00.hospital. I was at home at the time and didn't have the message until
:19:00. > :19:05.two hours later. How did you feel that you didn't get those messages
:19:05. > :19:10.when she needed you? I just felt awful. I wanted to be there then
:19:10. > :19:13.and there. I just couldn't believe it. I was worried. Kathryn first
:19:13. > :19:16.complained to Vodafone in May. They told her the poor reception was due
:19:16. > :19:20.to a fault with the local mobile phone mast. Vodafone has repeatedly
:19:20. > :19:24.told her the mast is being fixed, but Kathryn still can't get a
:19:24. > :19:28.signal at home. I'm just really upset. I didn't think this is how
:19:28. > :19:32.they'd treat me. No-one wants to help, no-one wants to listen. It's
:19:32. > :19:36.just a case of, that's the problem, off you go. You sound pretty fed up
:19:36. > :19:41.with Vodafone. I would just like to get a signal on my mobile! Kathryn,
:19:41. > :19:45.I'm on the case. Well, when we got in touch with Vodafone they had an
:19:45. > :19:48.interesting explanation to Kathryn's problems. They say
:19:48. > :19:54.overgrown trees are blocking the local mast and therefore the signal
:19:54. > :19:57.to Kathryn's phone. Cutting them would seem to be the answer, but
:19:57. > :20:01.Vodafone say they don't own the land the trees are on and therefore
:20:01. > :20:04.they can't take action. They say they are working on a solution, but
:20:04. > :20:07.in the meantime, where does that leave Kathryn? Vodafone have
:20:07. > :20:14.offered her a special signal device, completely free-of-charge, to boost
:20:14. > :20:18.reception in her home. Hi Lucy. I've got a signal on my phone at
:20:18. > :20:22.home at last! Thanks for all your help. And that's another case
:20:22. > :20:26.closed. Good work. Remember, if you need
:20:26. > :20:29.our help, pick up the phone. Our lines are open until 8.30pm. Now,
:20:29. > :20:36.tonight we've been looking at the cost of school uniform. Lucy's in
:20:36. > :20:39.Pontypridd - and she's found a cheap way to kit your kids out.
:20:39. > :20:49.Yes - I'm in a very different school uniform shop, the biggest
:20:49. > :20:51.
:20:52. > :21:01.difference being the price. So, Nigel Wheeler, you're the man
:21:01. > :21:09.behind the scheme. My sun is in a school, we notice the price, we
:21:09. > :21:13.thought we would trial the project. We had a seat successor would
:21:13. > :21:19.divert it further. How does it work? We get the children to donate
:21:19. > :21:23.to the school and we get it washed and ironed and whistle a pack of �5.
:21:23. > :21:30.Isn't some of it a bit tatty, have a child has already had wear out of
:21:30. > :21:34.it? Anything that is tatty, which you not use. It is only the quality
:21:34. > :21:38.material, the uniform that has not been damaged. What has to response
:21:38. > :21:43.been like? The trial was outstanding and that is why we have
:21:43. > :21:50.rolled out further. We up to about 80 schools taking part. Thanks very
:21:50. > :21:54.much. Now if you were going to buy a
:21:54. > :21:56.campervan and the man selling it to you was a mechanic - you would
:21:56. > :21:59.think you were buying a reliable vehicle, wouldn't you? Ellie Morris
:21:59. > :22:05.and her husband David, from Cardiff, have always been huge fans of the
:22:05. > :22:07.great outdoors. We do a lot of camping, it's good fun, just to go
:22:07. > :22:12.out with friends, bonfires, barbecues, being outside is just
:22:12. > :22:18.amazing. I mean, that was our escape from the city. Sleeping
:22:18. > :22:21.under the stars? That's the one, yeah. But in 2009 they were both
:22:21. > :22:31.involved in a terrible car crash, leaving Ellie in hospital with a
:22:31. > :22:36.broken back and David with a fractured spine. Just lost its grip
:22:36. > :22:40.in the tyres and careered off after a around about it. That is what
:22:40. > :22:44.changed, everything changed from then on. Sleeping under the stars
:22:44. > :22:47.was no longer an option. But when they got married the following year,
:22:47. > :22:50.some generous gifts meant they could revive their love of the
:22:51. > :22:54.outdoors. Ellie joked and said maybe we should get a campervan or
:22:54. > :22:57.something and I thought that was an excellent idea, yeah, let's get a
:22:57. > :23:00.campervan, that would be great. Computer whizz Ellie started the
:23:00. > :23:02.hunt and one eBay advert caught her eye.The description showed a
:23:02. > :23:11.fantastic van, in excellent condition, a reluctant seller, and
:23:11. > :23:15.said it drives perfectly. We kind of set a budget of about �3,500
:23:15. > :23:20.maximum and eventually we found the Ford Transit and it seemed like a
:23:20. > :23:23.really good deal. The seller was a man called Graham Moore, who at the
:23:23. > :23:25.time owned GMS Autocentre in Prestatyn. He was selling the
:23:25. > :23:32.campervan privately but, as a professional, Ellie and David
:23:32. > :23:35.thought they were in safe hands. trusted all of the stuff he was
:23:35. > :23:39.telling us about the engine because he's a mechanic, and you think,
:23:39. > :23:42.well, much prefer to buy from a mechanic who knows his own engine,
:23:42. > :23:52.MOT'd it himself in his own garage, was what he told us, just seemed
:23:52. > :23:53.
:23:53. > :23:56.really good. He asked for �3,550. We had our �1,500 from the wedding
:23:56. > :24:03.but obviously that wasn't enough so we needed to take out a loan from
:24:04. > :24:06.the building society, so that's an extra �2,000 that we've taken out.
:24:07. > :24:13.So, in September, armed with their wedding money and that loan, Ellie
:24:13. > :24:16.and David took the four-hour journey to Prestatyn. It was
:24:16. > :24:22.sparkling, sparkling, brand shiny new, looked like it had been
:24:22. > :24:26.painted. The weather was really nice that day as well so we were
:24:26. > :24:30.driving around in it and it just hit us that we were going to be the
:24:30. > :24:34.greatest investment we would ever make. With an MOT certificate
:24:34. > :24:38.issued by Mr Moore himself and a successful test drive in the bag,
:24:38. > :24:44.Ellie and David handed over their cash. What did it feel like behind
:24:44. > :24:47.the wheel driving it? Oh, it was wicked. It was something we kind of
:24:47. > :24:51.could enjoy after everything that had happened. It's our ticket to
:24:51. > :24:54.freedom. You know, we can go wherever we want to go. Then, six
:24:54. > :25:03.months after buying the van, they took it for its annual MOT. The
:25:03. > :25:06.results were shocking. The van was declared un-roadworthy. We got this
:25:06. > :25:11.MOT back and the certificate was two pages long, and he was really
:25:11. > :25:18.going into it. He went through each bit, this is massively corroded,
:25:18. > :25:21.this is massively corroded, and I'm like "Argh!" Confused by the MOT
:25:21. > :25:27.results, they took the campervan to two other garages to get second
:25:27. > :25:32.opinions. None of them would touch it, you know, they said it's just
:25:32. > :25:37.not worth it. They were told it was beyond economical repair and
:25:37. > :25:41.possibly one of the worst cases they had ever seen. We weren't
:25:41. > :25:46.allowed to drive it, the only place I could drive it was to drive it to
:25:46. > :25:50.places to have it checked out. how bad is it? We asked expert
:25:50. > :25:54.vehicle examiner Gareth Rees to take a look at the van. Is it
:25:54. > :25:58.beyond repair? It's totally beyond repair, it's what we call the
:25:58. > :26:03.proverbial rust bucket. I mean it would be almost impossible to put
:26:03. > :26:07.this van right. You would be trying to weld rust to rust. So this
:26:07. > :26:10.hasn't just happened in six months? Oh, no. The amount of corrosion on
:26:10. > :26:15.here is consistent with having happened over a number of two to
:26:15. > :26:18.three years. It's shocking. And it not only puts the user of the
:26:18. > :26:22.vehicle in danger but other road users, because whoever drives this
:26:22. > :26:28.vehicle has got a potential of losing control. It seems this van
:26:28. > :26:30.was no stranger to rust. We looked into its history and corrosion has
:26:30. > :26:37.been reported on its annual MOT certificate every single year since
:26:37. > :26:40.2006. It even failed its MOT three times. But then in 2011, when Mr
:26:40. > :26:44.Moore wanted to sell the van, it passed first time with no mention
:26:44. > :26:47.of rust - strange that Keen to question Mr Moore about the state
:26:47. > :26:57.of the van, Ellie and David wrote him a letter on the advice of
:26:57. > :26:58.
:26:58. > :27:08.Trading Standards. And he said basically there's no problem with
:27:08. > :27:09.
:27:09. > :27:12.it, all checked out clear in his MOTs and the MOT that he did.
:27:12. > :27:15.disgraceful because it gives the motor trade a bad name and someone
:27:15. > :27:22.whose profession is a vehicle examiner, that can sell a vehicle
:27:22. > :27:25.in this condition, well, buyer beware. It was just a huge amount
:27:25. > :27:34.of money to put out on something that was completely undriveable,
:27:34. > :27:38.completely unsellable and just very, very frustrating. It's not just the
:27:38. > :27:43.money thing really, it's the dream, the dream has gone kind of thing,
:27:43. > :27:48.it's just really sad, really, really sad. Well we have, of course,
:27:48. > :27:51.written to Mr Moore but he's decided not to reply to us. But
:27:51. > :27:55.since we got involved he has been in touch with David and Ellie to
:27:55. > :27:58.discuss the situation. Fingers crossed. That's it for this week.
:27:58. > :28:08.Remember, if there's anything you'd like us to look into then get in
:28:08. > :28:13.
:28:13. > :28:17.. Next week, we're out with the police, who are cracking down