Episode 17 X-Ray

You're watching X-Ray. On tonight's programme: The garage where cars

like this one come with a dirty little secret.

It could collapse at any moment - why Nigel fears for his family's

safety. And the Wild West it ain't, but

Hello. We're back with a brand new series. Tonight we're in Merthyr

and we've got lots of great stories for you. Now, when you've bought

televisions or fridges, have you bought a warranty to cover you if

things go wrong? Later we'll be finding out if the big stores are

telling you the truth when they sell you that extra cover.

First, Rachel has been in Barry, investigating a garage where second

hand cars can come with a nasty surprise. You haven't seen this car,

have you? Black Renault Scenic we're looking for? Doesn't look

familiar at all? Haven't seen that anywhere? I'm on the hunt for the

Renault Scenic that's not been seen for weeks. One place you won't find

it is on the drive of Linda Savory, which is strange considering she

paid nearly �1,800 to buy it. And there's no sign of it here - the

Barry garage that sold it to her a few months ago. Linda left it here

last November so they could fix something which seemed pretty

simple, a key that didn't work. But she's not seen it since. If I'd

have known then what I know now, I would not have touched the car with

a barge pole. Searching online last September, Linda spotted the

second-hand Scenic Trade Price Cars Ltd had for sale. Back then, the

family were desperate for a car to get to work, school and lots of

hospital appointments for disabled son Tyler. I took it out for a

little drive with my brother-in-law and it seemed absolutely fine, it

drove like a dream. I kind of fell in love with it and thought, yeah,

this is the car that's just perfect for us. Not everything was rosy -

the car had no MOT, no spare tyre, no stereo and a broken window.

Linda says the salesman promised her they'd sort all the little

problems out and reassured her that buying from them meant she'd

nothing to worry about. If I had any problems, all I had to do was

come back and ask and he would rectify those problems. With the

jobs done, Linda collected her car. The salesman said the key card was

a bit temperamental but just needed a new battery. She tried that, but

it didn't work. I needed to be at the school and I couldn't get into

the car. Fixing the key would be no problem,

said Trade Price Cars, who told her to just bring it in and they'd sort

it out. If only! Over the next month, Linda spent far more hours

waiting for her car than behind the wheel. We think we had it for about

10 days. They were promising the fix the problem, deadlines would

come and go, the mechanic would never turn up. Totally fed up with

the sluggish service, Linda approached another garage for their

opinion. But she was in for a shock. A history check by the dealership

revealed there was outstanding finance on the car. Someone who'd

previously bought it hadn't finished paying for it. It's a

simple check that any of us buying a second-hand car can do. But the

important thing here is that all used car dealers should be doing

these checks anyway before selling us a car. Official guidelines tell

traders to check for things like outstanding finance to make sure

they're sticking to the laws that protect consumers. So why on earth

did Trade Price Cars sell that Scenic to Linda? That was a hell of

a shock. Not only was the car faulty, I really didn't know

anything about the car and the dealership said, "in a nutshell,

it's not yours". Linda might have had her receipt, but the car still

belonged to the finance company. They were owed more than �1,000 so

were keen track it down. Linda wanted nothing more to do with the

car. She says Trade Price Cars wouldn't give her a full refund but

eventually agreed to pay back just over �1,600. Did the money

materialise? No, after then were just constantly fighting on again.

On a daily basis I'd hound him and ask "when's this money coming?",

"can you give us dates, can you give us times?" And he would

promise a date and he would promise a time and he would never turn up.

Several weeks, many calls, texts and letters later, Linda was still

waiting for her money. It was time for direct action. I said, "I've

come for my money" and they said, "well it's not here, you're not

getting it". I said, "well I'm not leaving until I get it". It was

only when staff began shutting up shop that Linda had to abandon her

protest. So after a three-hour sit- in, Linda didn't get her refund

that day. There was also something else missing - the car at the

centre of this whole sorry situation. Today at Trade Price

Cars, there's still no sign of the Scenic but plenty of other motors

are on the forecourt. We decided to find out if any of them had a

hidden history buyers needed to know. X-Ray checked eight cars. A

silver Lexus on this forecourt right now is a category D write-off.

That means it's been damaged in an accident. Now these cars can be

sold but they have to be repaired properly and a dealer should tell

what you're getting. Posing as potential customers, we paid the

garage a visit. And guess what? The salesman told us twice that the

Lexus hadn't been in any accidents and even assured us they'd checked

to make sure that was true. But when we tried to pass on our

concerns and get some answers, it seemed that the staff at Trade

Price Cars weren't too keen to see us. If I get out, I promise you

I'll smash down your (BLEEP) face, you idiot. They might not be very

happy but neither is Linda. just so angry and frustrated that

they will not give that money back. It's not theirs, it's my money.

Well, we do now have some good news for Linda! Just hours after we

delivered a letter outlining her problems to the garage, she got a

call from them. And they have now refunded her in cash! But as for

the other issues we raised with the garage, including that Lexus

classified as a category D write- off, we haven't heard a word from

them. And remember if you've got anything

to say about this story, or if there's anything you'd like us to

investigate, then get in touch. The details are on your screen now.

Coming up. Bob's certainly spent a few dollars more but he still

hasn't got that one special watch. And the wall that no-one will admit

to owning. Now, whenever you buy electrical

goods, it's almost certain that you'll be offered an extended

warranty. But are they worth the money? No, I don't like them at all.

I find you get a guarantee for one year, and after that they can keep

going for quite a few years. depends how much money you spend on

it. If I paid quite a high price, then I would. It gives me peace of

mind. There have been concerns about these warranties for years,

and there are now regulations to make sure that customers get a fair

deal. We've been undercover checking out if stores are sticking

to the rules. Shops like these are an invitation to splash the cash.

But however much I spend the sales assistant will usually to make me

spend a little bit more by selling me a warranty. But are the biggest

sellers of extended warranties playing fair with their customers?

Glen Sheriff from Carmarthenshire spent �750 on this HD telly from

Currys nearly five years ago and he signed up for an extended warranty.

I thought fair enough, �6.99, that's a couple of pints of beer or

a packet of fags these days. Last year it looked like the warranty

might come in useful. The sound, I just had to keep putting it up and

up and up to hear it. My sons kept nagging me that the telly is

rubbish. Currys have tried to fix the telly five times, but now

they're refusing to provide a replacement, which is what the

warranty promised. They will repair it to its full standard and if they

do not repair it within a certain time they will replace it with

something of an equivalent value. And they have not even offered that.

Glen is not the only one who is worried about extended warranties.

The Office of Fair Trading has been trying to get a better deal for

customers for more than a decade. Regulations published in 2005 were

designed to encourage competition and to drive down the price of

warranties. Stores had to publish leaflets like these giving

customers key information about their rights. The law says these

leaflets must be prominently displayed. They have to tell

customers they can shop around. And they don't have to buy the warranty

the same time you buy their goods. But are the shops sticking to the

rules? We've been undercover in Currys and Argos stores across

North Wales to find out. In many, we struggled to find leaflets

outlining our rights. In the TV department in Currys in Llandudno

we did find them. Tucked away underneath a television. They may

forget the leaflets but they rarely forget to try to sell you the

warranty! Do you want breakdown But how far would they bend the

rules to make a sale? Would I have to get it today or

would I be able to come back in? It's like an offer. It's like a

special offer with the televisions. OK. Do I have to get it today?

Really? The law say they have to keep their offers open for 30 days!

Let's ask another question. Can you get this anywhere else? Can you

No, you can shop around for warranties. And the salesman at

Currys in Bangor knew just where to Well, not quite. We checked out his

claim on the Protect Your Bubble website. They'd charge �4.49 a

month, not six quid. They also promise to replace your TV within

seven days just like Currys! We asked a consumer law expert to look

at our footage. The prices that other people may charge. It's quite

legitimate for them to say you can buy it elsewhere but I don't know

how much it would cost. But to actively give you a false statement

would be contrary to the law. the worst offender was Argos in

If that sounds too good to be true, it's because it is. Scratches are

just not covered. If they're saying it would cover you for a scratch

when it doesn't, then they are misleading you. Retailers are

relying on the fact that the customers are going to get swept up

in the excitement of buying their television or their video or

whatever and automatically say I don't want my �600 TV getting

damaged. Of course I shall buy an extended warranty. If you're

offered an extended warranty it might be an idea to follow the

advice of consumer group Which?. They say it's rare for new

appliances to break down these days, and you're probably better off

saving the cash and paying a repair man if the worst happens.

So, what are those shops saying? Well Curry's have promised to

investigate the incidents we highlighted, and they'll be

offering their staff support and training where necessary. They're

surprised we couldn't find those leaflets. They say their own secret

shoppers seem to find them in 98.9% of shops. And there is good news

for Glen. As a gesture of goodwill, they've given him a new state-of-

the-art telly. And what about Argos? They're also investigating

the concerns we raised. They say that consumer rights are not only

displayed in leaflets, but on the website and in the catalogue.

Next, Lucy's in Anglesey, where a giant wall is causing a LOT of

worry. With its pretty marina and views

across the Irish sea, Holyhead on Anglesey boasts some lovely scenery.

But other parts of town aren't quite as picturesque. Behind these

bungalows, there was once an ugly, disused coal yard, until developers

bought the land to build a smart new housing estate. The residents

of Bryn Gwyn Road hoped the view from their windows was going to

improve - But instead they got THIS! An enormous wall, running

around the new estate and across the bottom of their gardens! Nigel

Moore and his family live at number five. To me, it looks like a prison

wall. We were never consulted, we used to have a wooden fence, when I

came back from holiday the wall had been started and the fence had been

taken away. And neighbours Iris and Griff Thomas were horrified by the

four-metre high monstrosity! looks like a jail, a prison wall.

Nobody asked her opinion how the war should look. Aside from looking

awful, there was another problem. Before the wall was finished, the

developers, TJ McCarter Ltd, went bust! The new estate was then

snapped up by the Royal Bank of Scotland. But in the summer of 2011,

when Nigel's young children were playing in the garden, he spotted

something very alarming. One of the boys kicked the ball onto the top

of the wall, I climbed up to retrieve it and noticed the cracks

were starting to appear in the top. It was worrying. When Anglesey

Council's building inspectors came out, they were shocked by the

dangerous leaning wall. They told Nigel to steer well clear and to

take it up with the new owners of the development behind his bungalow,

the Royal Bank of Scotland. phone calls started between myself

and RBS and emails were sent. sent out a surveyor but he said

there were two walls, not one. And the lower wall, which was leaning

into Nigel's garden, belonged to him. They told us that the bottom

wall was our responsibility and they were responsible for the top

wall. What was your reaction to that? It was devastating. We didn't

ask for the wall, why should it be me? Then, in May last year,

disaster struck in the middle of the night. We heard a loud bang,

the wall had collapsed completely. There was 40-50 tonnes of masonry

lying across the garden, it's just totally destroyed everything. If

we'd have been out here, it would have killed us. Without any shadow

of a doubt. A desperate Nigel asked the Royal Bank of Scotland for help

- but unlike the wall, the bank stood firm. RBS did pay for the

rubble to be taken away but they're refusing to compensate Nigel for

his damaged property or the cost of fixing the wall. Eight months on,

huge cracks have appeared in the remaining structure. Next door,

it's leaning so badly that pensioners Gruff and Iris are

living in fear. We're very worried about the current situation. If the

wall comes down, what are we going to do? It could damage our

conservatory plus the greenhouse. You've got it on your mind all the

time, do you know what I mean? called in surveyor Chris Armstrong

to take a look at it. This wall is not safe. It may have been built as

two walls but the actions of the developer by filling the gap and

capping the gap between the two walls has created a single wall.

Especially the filling between wall, the weight of that has pushed the

wall over. Is it fair Nigel has to pay? That's not fair, rubbing salt

in the wound. The wall wasn't built properly. The developer or

whoever's responsible needs to come and get this sorted out. And Chris

is even more worried about the wall next door. It's on the point of

collapse, it's dangerous, something needs to be done urgently. It's one

of the worst cases of any garden or retaining wall I've ever seen.

RBS's own surveyors agree that the poor design of the wall probably

caused its collapse. But they insist it's not their problem. For

Nigel and his family, and Iris and Griff next door, this giant

structure has made their lives a misery. And they're just waiting

for the rest of the wall to crumble. It could happen if I was putting

clothes on the line, it could go any time The children can't play

out, we won't let them in case something else happens. I didn't

build it, I didn't ask for it, why should I have to pay for it? It

could have killed my family! What a nightmare. Well, we asked RBS

whether they would reconsider their decision not to fix Nigel's wall -

and Iris and Griff's next door. They said that they don't believe

they own the lower wall. But because the residents don't agree,

RBS say they will pay for further investigation to clarify the legal

ownership of the wall - and if it does belong to them, they will

repair it. We'll keep our fingers crossed.

Now, Rhodri's been to meet a viewer from Newport whose dream it is to

own a piece of movie history. It was one Newport man's dream to

own a Hollywood timepiece. But now Bob's a wily old watch collector

with a passion for Westerns. Howdy, Bob! Howdy, Rhod. Shall we get rid

of these silly accents and talk about the problem you have with

your watch? Right, that's better. Bob's been collecting rare and

unusual watches for years, building up a mighty impressive array of

timepieces. And here they all are. It's quite a collection, isn't it?

Yes, it is. I've been collecting for several years now. If I see a

nice watch, I've got to have it. what are your favourites here?

You've got the one for James Bond, Casino Royale. There's a watch

there from the Fast And Furious film. That's a proper sparkler that

one, isn't it? Oh, it is. It's very heavy and I like the bling ones. I

don't wear them. I daren't. They're mint condition and I want to keep

them that way. Obviously you're very proud of all of these but

there is one very special watch that's missing from your collection,

isn't there? Yes, I've always wanted a pocket watch from the film

For A Few Dollars More. The watch plays a crucial role in the film's

iconic final duel featuring Lee Van Cleef and Clint Eastwood. For

anyone who hasn't seen it, here is that scene. Newport style. OK,

Can we go back in the warm now? It's pretty hard to find a replica

of that all-important watch, so Bob was thrilled when he found one for

sale last July. I couldn't believe it, because the price was excellent

and I thought at last I can complete my collection. Bob found

the watch on a website called, aptly enough, The Musical Pocket

Watch. He was happy with the price and reassured by the promise of a

money back guarantee. So what was it about the website that made you

feel confident to hand over your money? He was obviously a fan

because he knew all about the film. I thought, I'm safe. Bob paid a 50%

deposit of �187 to Kalcium Limited, the company behind the website, who

promised delivery before Christmas. But was the seller's name a bad

omen? His name was Mr Lance El Indio Ward. Right, and El Indio? El

Indio is the baddie in the film. And he's the bad man in your story

now, as well? And he's the bad man in my story too. Time ticked by.

Bob kept asking for his watch. Until, in December, there was bad

news. He replied saying there was a delay, he's got to get the film

rights. He said he did not know he had to get the rights. I thought,

that doesn't sound right. Most people know there's a copyright.

What made it worse was he said this watch may be ready in December 2015.

That's a long time? That's too long. Bob asked for his money back. El

Indio refused to bite the bullet and accept defeat. He held onto

Bob's cash, saying it had already been used to make the watch. I went

back to him after but I got no reply whatsoever. He totally

ignored my emails and letters. I feel that they've taken advantage.

I mean, they've got my money and I haven't got nothing. I want my

money back! Well, we've written to Lance El Indio Ward. We've e-mailed

his office in Staffordshire and we've been ringing his mobile. But

he seems to be avoiding us - he's even changed his number. Short of

challenging him to a duel we're a bit stuck. But, fortunately for Bob

- he paid his deposit by credit card. And his card company have

agreed to refund him his �187. Yee- Now, some news of a familiar face

on this programme - Harby Panesar. He found fame as the dad who spent

a reported �20,000 on his daughter's televised 15th birthday

party. But we exposed Mr Panesar as the boss of Motorcare Elite, the

Llantwit Major-based company selling bogus warranties for

second-hand cars. So what's the news? Well, it's taken some time

but an investigation by the Financial Services Authority is now

complete. The headlines are that Panesar misappropriated over

�180,000 from Motorcare Elite and his previous company. As for his

customers, over 6,000 were left without the motor cover they'd paid

for, all as a result of his reckless business practices.

what's the punishment? They've banned him from working in the

financial services industry - a major plus for all us consumers.

And the FSA has fined him more than �212,000. He is a former bankrupt

but they say his misconduct is SO serious they'll put him into

bankruptcy a second time if he doesn't pay up. What about the

customers that have lost out? possible you're entitled to

compensation. You need to get in touch with the Financial Services

Compensation Scheme, the details of which are on our website.

Next week, we investigate the Swansea call centre that shut up

shop owing over a million pounds. And remember - we're here on a

Monday night all the way to Easter, so if there's anything you'd like

us to look into, pick up the phone now. The number, as always, 03703