:00:08. > :00:15.You're watching X-Ray, the programme that fights
:00:16. > :00:22.If you have been scammed or dealt a raw deal, we are on your side.
:00:23. > :00:24.Exposing the truth and tracking down the rogues and we won't take no for
:00:25. > :00:38.an answer. Tonight - one family get some
:00:39. > :00:44.shocking news about their new car. My advice to you is that
:00:45. > :00:46.you don't even think about using this
:00:47. > :00:49.vehicle on the road. now you're telling us you can't
:00:50. > :00:55.believe how long you're I want something safe,
:00:56. > :01:06.and I need it now, not in November. He's just chucked a bucket
:01:07. > :01:09.of water over us... That was the last time
:01:10. > :01:12.we confronted a dodgy diet pill salesman - now Rachel
:01:13. > :01:21.is on the trail of another one. First, the garage that likes
:01:22. > :01:24.to tell its customers they've made But Rachel's been hearing
:01:25. > :01:29.from viewers who are wishing they'd Second-hand car dealers don't
:01:30. > :01:38.have a great reputation - they're happy to take your cash,
:01:39. > :01:42.but can be a lot less helpful if something goes wrong
:01:43. > :01:45.with your vehicle afterwards. That's certainly been the experience
:01:46. > :01:50.of these two busy young families who contacted X-Ray
:01:51. > :01:54.about the same garage. Last June the Edwards from Bridgend
:01:55. > :02:01.decided to upgrade the family car. It was the first time
:02:02. > :02:06.I got to choose a car, I saw the Empire Cars advertisement
:02:07. > :02:11.and I just went for it. Empire Cars operates from two
:02:12. > :02:16.forecourts in Llantwit Fardre They say they pride themselves
:02:17. > :02:21.on their customer service, and promises their cars
:02:22. > :02:25.undergo strict checks. But it seems Neil's Mondeo may have
:02:26. > :02:29.slipped through the net. I noticed the battery light
:02:30. > :02:32.was showing and there was black smoke coming out of the back
:02:33. > :02:35.of the car, and this is within 48 Empire Cars told him they'd fitted
:02:36. > :02:42.a new alternator, but on the way home from the garage warning
:02:43. > :02:58.lights started appearing. I drove it back home. What was
:02:59. > :03:01.showing up was a warning on the glow plug lights.
:03:02. > :03:02.The car was very sluggish, basically couldn't go
:03:03. > :03:06.The car is now a permanent fixture on the drive,
:03:07. > :03:08.with no sign that Empire Cars are willing to fix it.
:03:09. > :03:14.Sean Wilkin and Michelle Inch from St Athan are another family
:03:15. > :03:20.Especially as they run two businesses - Michelle
:03:21. > :03:26.has her own equine supply firm and Sean is a painter/decorator.
:03:27. > :03:29.With two small children and work on the increase,
:03:30. > :03:38.Last October, they found a Jeep for sale - also from Empire Cars.
:03:39. > :03:46.They liked the Jeep so much they booked a test drive.
:03:47. > :03:53.Did you pick up anything on the test drive?
:03:54. > :03:58.It didn't seem to work, pulled back up into the garage,
:03:59. > :04:00.and as I pulled the handbrake up we rolled backwards.
:04:01. > :04:02.Don't worry about it, we will get that fixed.
:04:03. > :04:06.He was going to put a brand new MOT on, brand new service.
:04:07. > :04:11.After handing over nearly ?4,000, Sean collected the Jeep
:04:12. > :04:20.We decided to go for a drive through the country,
:04:21. > :04:23.nice flashy new car, and come up to a hill to stop,
:04:24. > :04:27.like a junction, put the handbrake on, car started rolling back.
:04:28. > :04:32.Pull it up even further, it kept going, pull it up as far
:04:33. > :04:39.If anyone had been behind us, we would have had our first
:04:40. > :04:47.And the faulty handbrake was just the tip of the iceberg.
:04:48. > :04:50.It just seemed on a daily basis things were going wrong.
:04:51. > :04:55.The turbo had gone and the car was overheating all the time.
:04:56. > :04:58.The Jeep went back to Empire Cars, but they strongly denied
:04:59. > :05:02.there was anything wrong with the turbo or coolant system.
:05:03. > :05:07.They did say, though, that they'd fixed the handbrake.
:05:08. > :05:14.Well, Sean's going to show me how good a job they did.
:05:15. > :05:15.So we are on a hill now and...
:05:16. > :05:25.If I pull the handbrake up, and that is like as
:05:26. > :05:31.Is there something coming the other way?
:05:32. > :05:39.There seems to be a bit of a pattern here -
:05:40. > :05:42.both cars developed faults within 48 hours -
:05:43. > :05:51.fixed them properly. to the garage, they still haven't
:05:52. > :06:09.I would love to show you a photo, but funnily enough
:06:10. > :06:14.So what we have got here is the near side front shock
:06:15. > :06:19.We've got front brake discs here excessively worn,
:06:20. > :06:22.and there are excessive oil leaks on this engine.
:06:23. > :06:25.And if all that wasn't enough, something catches Gareth's eye
:06:26. > :06:38.We have the nearside rear suspension bush kept in place by a host
:06:39. > :06:47.That's part of your suspension system, and if that comes adrift,
:06:48. > :06:50.it's a capability of the wheel shooting off, and it's
:06:51. > :07:01.My advice to you is that you don't even think about using this vehicle
:07:02. > :07:08.You have been driving around in this car as a family, particularly
:07:09. > :07:29.It is just horrendous to think that somebody...
:07:30. > :07:36.They have spent ?4,000 on a potential death-trap.
:07:37. > :07:41.This is the worst possible news for Michelle and Sean.
:07:42. > :07:45.They have been driving around with their family in that car.
:07:46. > :07:53.It seems to me that Empire Cars have got a lot to answer for.
:07:54. > :08:00.I am going to see if I can track down the owner.
:08:01. > :08:20.I have his number, but I am not going to ring him now.
:08:21. > :08:22.Not very helpful then, and no sign of Craig Thomas
:08:23. > :08:27.It says on his website that his is the smart choice
:08:28. > :08:35.Well, we've had a bit of a result here.
:08:36. > :08:38.The elusive owner, Craig Thomas, got back in touch with us
:08:39. > :08:41.after we went looking for him - and he accepts that the work
:08:42. > :08:48.He blames a poor mechanic, who has since been dismissed.
:08:49. > :08:51.He's now agreed to refund Sean and Michelle the full cost
:08:52. > :08:56.As for the Edwards family and their Mondeo -
:08:57. > :08:58.well he says they're happy to repair the car and ensure
:08:59. > :09:04.And if his garage can't do that, he says they'll offer them
:09:05. > :09:12.And if you've got a business you want us to investigate,
:09:13. > :09:17.get in touch, the number to call is 03703 334 334,
:09:18. > :09:26.Taking a trip to the top of the garden - why it's the only
:09:27. > :09:36.way for this couple to stay in touch with the rest of their family.
:09:37. > :09:40.Now I've come to the fire training centre at Briton Ferry near Neath,
:09:41. > :09:44.where firefighters get hands-on experience.
:09:45. > :09:48.New recruits here are learning how to deal with kitchen fires
:09:49. > :09:52.and many of the real-life fires they'll deal with are linked
:09:53. > :09:56.to faulty appliances and we've had a big response to the tumble dryer
:09:57. > :10:01.scare that we featured on last week's programme that's affecting
:10:02. > :10:11.Across the country dryers are being turned off in droves
:10:12. > :10:17.thanks to a fault which has caused fires like these and sent homes
:10:18. > :10:25.The brands affected are Hotpoint, Indesit and Creda, which are all
:10:26. > :10:31.And, if your dryer is on their list of problem machines,
:10:32. > :10:36.then you're entitled to a free inspection and repair.
:10:37. > :10:38.Of course, no-one would blame you for drying your clothes
:10:39. > :10:41.the old fashioned way while you wait for your machine to be given
:10:42. > :10:46.You'd better hope for sunny weather though, because the
:10:47. > :10:52.More than five million dryers are affected and Whirlpool say
:10:53. > :10:57.they're currently repairing around 4,500 machines a day.
:10:58. > :11:02.This may sound impressive - but there's a big but!
:11:03. > :11:07.At that rate, it would take more than THREE YEARS to fix them all!
:11:08. > :11:12.And dozens of you have told us you are furious about the delay.
:11:13. > :11:15.Karen Guest from Bagillt says she's been trying to arrange an inspection
:11:16. > :11:20.for 16 weeks, but can't get through to anyone.
:11:21. > :11:25.Meanwhile, Mark Wickham from Pontypool says he won't put his
:11:26. > :11:27.family at risk while he waits for a repair, so he's forked out
:11:28. > :11:32.And they're not the only ones hanging around to get
:11:33. > :11:40.Susan Parry from Pontygwaith near Pontypridd has told us she has
:11:41. > :11:46.to wait until November for her inspection.
:11:47. > :11:50.I did have to cool down a bit before we spoke because I thought,
:11:51. > :11:54.all this time now, what am I going to use?
:11:55. > :11:59.But she's found a novel use for her dryer in the meantime.
:12:00. > :12:03.When my grandchildren come and they want sweets they won't find
:12:04. > :12:09.them in the cupboard, they will have to go in the tumbler.
:12:10. > :12:12.Susan is one of many who can't stomach putting washing
:12:13. > :12:15.in potentially dangerous dryers, even though Whirlpool say
:12:16. > :12:22.But there's a catch - you must clean the filter
:12:23. > :12:26.regularly and you can't leave the machines unattended.
:12:27. > :12:30.Now watching clothes dry isn't my idea of a good time.
:12:31. > :12:33.And neither is staying home to wait hours on end
:12:34. > :12:40.Sue Llewellyn's machine is also on the list of dodgy dryers
:12:41. > :12:43.and she was due to have it inspected at her Bridgend home
:12:44. > :12:49.But the technician left her high and dry.
:12:50. > :12:57.Nobody had the decency to telephone to say they weren't coming.
:12:58. > :13:03.In West Wales, Lisa Roberts from Saundersfoot is travelling back
:13:04. > :13:05.and forth to the laundrette to dry her clothes.
:13:06. > :13:07.She was told a technician would take a look her drier this month,
:13:08. > :13:14.Lisa has now lost all confidence in Hotpoint, and you can understand
:13:15. > :13:20.why after the nightmare she had with another of their appliances.
:13:21. > :13:22.About two and a half years ago I put the dishwasher on at lunchtime,
:13:23. > :13:28.Come back through to get something, thought what is that smell,
:13:29. > :13:37.It was just absolutely terrifying because if I had put that
:13:38. > :13:45.on at night and gone to bed we wouldn't be here.
:13:46. > :13:52.Lisa got a sparkling new kitchen and appliances, including
:13:53. > :14:02.The tumble dryer that we replaced from the fire is on the recall
:14:03. > :14:13.Yes, I phoned Hotpoint straightaway and they told me they would fix it
:14:14. > :14:14.and it would be some time in February.
:14:15. > :14:25.In spite of Whirlpool's reassurances, many people are too
:14:26. > :14:28.scared to use their driers until they're repaired.
:14:29. > :14:32.And one consumer expert says it's not reasonable for them to wait
:14:33. > :14:43.a repair must be carried out within a reasonable time
:14:44. > :14:44.and without significant inconvenience to the consumer.
:14:45. > :14:51.And to expect someone to have to wait months to have something
:14:52. > :14:52.repaired, that's simply not reasonable, no!
:14:53. > :14:54.The manufacturers may be crossing their fingers that all this
:14:55. > :14:59.But with millions of people waiting to have their dryers looked
:15:00. > :15:07.at there could be a load more problems ahead.
:15:08. > :15:09.Well, trainee firefighters are still battling hard
:15:10. > :15:13.here and you can get a real sense of how devastating a kitchen fire
:15:14. > :15:19.would be and if electrical goods were involved here,
:15:20. > :15:26.Well, Whirlpool - the parent company of Hotpoint,
:15:27. > :15:29.Indesit and Creda - say they're recruiting hundreds
:15:30. > :15:41.But, if you register with them today, they say they'll get
:15:42. > :15:44.in touch, on average, within ten weeks.
:15:45. > :15:47.And that's just to give you an idea of an appointment for a visit
:15:48. > :15:54.Now the company insists their dryers are still safe as long as you follow
:15:55. > :16:00.Well, with me now is the Head of Community Safety for Mid
:16:01. > :16:03.and West Wales Fire Service, Karen Jones.
:16:04. > :16:06.Karen, how big a problem are tumble dryer fires?
:16:07. > :16:09.Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service attended 128
:16:10. > :16:15.tumble dryer fires just in the last five years and 11 people
:16:16. > :16:19.were injured in those fires during that time and some of them
:16:20. > :16:22.were taken to hospital because of smoke inhalation,
:16:23. > :16:25.so quite a significant problem for us.
:16:26. > :16:28.So what's your advice, Karen, if people are a bit worried
:16:29. > :16:35.I think it's important that people look at their manufacturer's
:16:36. > :16:40.guidance, make sure that they clean out the lint trap where the fluff
:16:41. > :16:44.gathers after every use really so that the appliance doesn't
:16:45. > :16:50.We'd also say, don't overload the tumble dryer and make sure
:16:51. > :16:55.that there aren't any flammable liquids on clothing or items that
:16:56. > :17:00.you're putting in there such as oils because that heated up again can
:17:01. > :17:04.cause a problem and don't leave your appliances unattended,
:17:05. > :17:07.you know, if you go to bed and switch the appliance on,
:17:08. > :17:11.or leave the house, you won't know if a problem occurs.
:17:12. > :17:13.Karen, thank you, and we'll put all of that advice
:17:14. > :17:20.Now just how hard would YOU find it to live without a phone line
:17:21. > :17:26.I might manage for a few days, but for one couple in Powys it's
:17:27. > :17:35.Lots of us dream of swapping city living for a quieter life
:17:36. > :17:41.That's just what Karen and Tim Thompson wanted
:17:42. > :17:44.when they moved last year from Coventry to Tafolwern near
:17:45. > :17:52.Coming to the country we wanted to turn the clock back but to live
:17:53. > :17:58.in the modern world you need a telephone line that's constant
:17:59. > :18:04.and you have to email and social networks you have to have
:18:05. > :18:05.all of these things to keep in contact.
:18:06. > :18:08.And the couple thought they'd done their homework before
:18:09. > :18:14.We were looking for two years before we found this property
:18:15. > :18:17.so we were really careful to check in every way we could that this
:18:18. > :18:21.house would have the appropriate connection.
:18:22. > :18:26.The couple choose Plusnet as their phone and Internet provider
:18:27. > :18:31.- they promised to get them connected quickly.
:18:32. > :18:33.You're the customer and if I'm not mistaken, the customer
:18:34. > :18:41.But that's not how it's turned out for Karen and Tim.
:18:42. > :18:43.Their escape to the country is a little too quiet
:18:44. > :18:45.After four months, Plusnet still haven't got them a working
:18:46. > :18:56.Just getting hold of them is a challenge in itself.
:18:57. > :19:04.Karen and Tim also have poor mobile phone signal.
:19:05. > :19:08.so to make a call, or use their 3G, they have to trek to the top
:19:09. > :19:17.After several failed attempts, we finally get hold
:19:18. > :19:24.Do you know, the line is still not brilliant, is it?
:19:25. > :19:29.I think it's going to be best if I come and see you...
:19:30. > :19:34.What I'm struggling to understand is, in this hi-tech world,
:19:35. > :19:41.how is it SO difficult to get Karen and Tim connected?
:19:42. > :19:48.Is this where you have to come make your calls?
:19:49. > :19:53.Karen and Tim may be Plusnet customers but they're actually
:19:54. > :19:57.at the mercy of a different business to get them online.
:19:58. > :20:01.BT Openreach are responsible for the cables that bring phone
:20:02. > :20:05.and broadband services to most homes, and it's their engineers
:20:06. > :20:13.He wired all the inside of the house, he wired from the house
:20:14. > :20:16.to the pole and checked that was correct and then
:20:17. > :20:21.after about two hours, he came back into the house
:20:22. > :20:25.and said, "What you really need here is a brand new telephone line.
:20:26. > :20:27.Not the quick connection they were promised -
:20:28. > :20:31.and the start of a series of engineer visits from Openreach.
:20:32. > :20:36.Yet none of them installed the new phone line.
:20:37. > :20:40.We had four engineers all checking each other's work basically
:20:41. > :20:44.because they didn't really go any further from the first one
:20:45. > :20:50.If you'd come to me in November and said it would take six months
:20:51. > :20:53.to do this, I would work with you, that's fine, that's being honest
:20:54. > :20:57.and straight forward, but to constantly give promises
:20:58. > :21:01.Having no phone line or Internet is a huge inconvenience to Karen
:21:02. > :21:04.and Tim, which even saw them miss out on key family announcements
:21:05. > :21:11.like the birth of their grandson Max.
:21:12. > :21:14.Everyone else knew about it, everyone else was happy and relieved
:21:15. > :21:17.and we were over here thinking, "What's happened?
:21:18. > :21:23.Karen and Tim aren't allowed to complain direct to Openreach
:21:24. > :21:28.so they've been pleading with Plusnet to speed things up.
:21:29. > :21:31.But as it stands, they're still left making their phone calls
:21:32. > :21:39.At least twice I've been in tears trying to explain to people.
:21:40. > :21:43.You feel so isolated and cut off from everyone.
:21:44. > :21:47.There's no communication with anyone.
:21:48. > :21:54.Well, both Plusnet and Openreach have apologised to Karen and Tim.
:21:55. > :21:58.Openreach say they had to erect two new poles and fit a kilometre
:21:59. > :22:02.of cable, and that the rain and high winds over the winter
:22:03. > :22:08.But some really good news - the company say the couple should
:22:09. > :22:15.finally be connected up by the end of this week.
:22:16. > :22:21.Now a few weeks ago, we warned you about dodgy diet
:22:22. > :22:32.But another rogue seller has also been on our radar.
:22:33. > :22:38.Diet pills - supposedly a short cut for those trying to shed the pounds.
:22:39. > :22:43.But what's in them and how safe are they?
:22:44. > :22:47.There's a whole industry online prepared to supply pills
:22:48. > :22:59.And closer to home - there are also big problems.
:23:00. > :23:04.and the misleading claims it was making about its products.
:23:05. > :23:06.On average our customers lose between four to eight
:23:07. > :23:09.And when we confronted owner Lee Szuchnik, he couldn't wait
:23:10. > :23:17.Now we're on the trail of another dodgy diet pill seller -
:23:18. > :23:22.Jeffrey Young is the brains behind JY Nutrition near Risca.
:23:23. > :23:26.Here he is proudly buffing up his shop window.
:23:27. > :23:29.The problem is some of his products haven't been so squeaky clean.
:23:30. > :23:33.In fact, some of them were downright dangerous.
:23:34. > :23:36.We catch up with him again at Cwmbran magistrates -
:23:37. > :23:39.he's up in court after a Trading Standards investigation
:23:40. > :23:42.found some of his diet pills actually contained
:23:43. > :23:48.We've received a complaint about these.
:23:49. > :23:53.It was an anonymous complaint from a father whose son had taken
:23:54. > :23:55.them having purchased them from the shop and had
:23:56. > :24:00.What concerned about this was the labelling.
:24:01. > :24:04.Specifically there were no ingredients, so goodness
:24:05. > :24:09.Trading Standards had these and two other brands seized from the shop
:24:10. > :24:20.One of the products, Limitloss, contained a controlled class B drug
:24:21. > :24:25.- Amphetamine, otherwise known as speed!
:24:26. > :24:28.Now it was only very small traces but of course the effects
:24:29. > :24:31.of amphetamines on people taking them, increased heart rates,
:24:32. > :24:33.so anybody with cardiac problems, high blood pressure,
:24:34. > :24:43.Jeffrey Young claimed he didn't know these tablets contained
:24:44. > :24:50.But he couldn't quite explain why alongside them he was also selling
:24:51. > :24:58.The label clearly states that these pills contain Sibutramine -
:24:59. > :25:03.a weight loss drug that's been banned in the UK since 2010.
:25:04. > :25:10.That's because it has been linked to heart problems.
:25:11. > :25:19.12 tubs of the product were found on the shelves of JY Nutrition.
:25:20. > :25:23.Fiona Parry's daughter Eloise started taking diet pills containing
:25:24. > :25:30.a different banned substance in her final year at
:25:31. > :25:39.And she was a student on course to get a first.
:25:40. > :25:42.But Eloise was battling the eating disorder bulimia and,
:25:43. > :25:45.without her mum knowing, she'd been buying diet pills
:25:46. > :25:55.Last April she took eight tablets in one day and ended up in A
:25:56. > :25:58.The first I knew about it was a phone call from the hospital
:25:59. > :26:06.And the first thing the doctor said was I'm afraid it's not good news.
:26:07. > :26:19.As her body overheated her heart stopped and they couldn't start it
:26:20. > :26:24.again because she literally had burnt it out.
:26:25. > :26:31.That's what the diet pills had done to her.
:26:32. > :26:35.Since the loss of her daughter, Fiona's been fighting to clean up
:26:36. > :26:43.They are not regulated, they are not licensed.
:26:44. > :26:44.You make the assumption is coming from a nice, clean
:26:45. > :26:51.The truth is it could be somebody's garage or shed.
:26:52. > :26:55.The pills sold by Jeffrey Young contained different ingredients
:26:56. > :27:02.Back at court he got his comeuppance, as he and his company
:27:03. > :27:08.admitted 26 offences under unfair trading and food regulations.
:27:09. > :27:10.Jeffrey Young, you've pleaded guilty and have been sentenced.
:27:11. > :27:18.You were selling diet pills that contained amphetamine.
:27:19. > :27:23.You don't think that's your responsibility to do that?
:27:24. > :27:29.I am sorry for the customer who had a reaction to a pill.
:27:30. > :27:34.But do you accept as a trader you have to know what's
:27:35. > :27:37.in the things that you're selling?
:27:38. > :27:45.So Jeffrey Young is telling us that he didn't know
:27:46. > :27:51.Unfortunately, as a trader, he needs to know.
:27:52. > :27:54.So Jeffrey Young clearly doesn't feel he's to blame here,
:27:55. > :28:00.They gave him a 26-week suspended jail sentence and ordered him to do
:28:01. > :28:09.Remember, if you've got a story you want us to cover,
:28:10. > :28:15.the number to call is 03703 334 334, you can email xray@bbc.co.uk,
:28:16. > :28:29.without having to pay those High Street estate agents' fees!