Episode 16 X-Ray

You're watching X-Ray, the programme that fights

If you have been slammed for Delta raw deal we are on your side,

exposing the truth and tracking down the rogues, and we will not take no

for an answer. new mum Debbie paid thousands

for a family car. But it spent most of the last year

in the garage which sold it to her. Now I just hate them.

I do. I don't understand how

they can do it to people. Have you thought of renting

your home to visitors? Rhod's been finding out whether it's

easy money or more trouble I'm so chuffed you've

booked this place. And Rachel's been on a very

glamorous assignment. We have done so many of these,

but we have never had to wait She's trying to flush out this

caravan con man who sold his customers' vans

and pocketed the profits. All that money, and your customers

only got back a fifth First tonight, Rachel's been

investigating a Cardiff garage that's quick to sell customers cars

riddled with problems, but takes a lot longer

to put things right. It's an iconic car famed

for its reliability. It even has its own film character -

Herbie, the VW Beetle that keeps Easy to see, then, why one garage

in Cardiff would adopt a car just Classic looks and dependable

motoring - what's not to like? There's a VW Beetle plastered

across the wesbite of C Automotive in Cardiff, along with its Facebook

page. No problem with that,

except some of the real cars they sell seem to leave rather

a lot to be desired. As I put my foot down

on the accelerator, it just stopped. The engine management

light came on again, It sounded like I was in

a helicopter, it was Over the last nine months,

a stream of unhappy customers have complained to X-Ray about the poor

service they say they've received A year ago, Debbie Lloyd,

who lives near Blackwood, splashed out almost

?4,000 on this BMW. She was desperate for a bigger,

family car, following the birth Diesel car.

Five-door because of the baby. Everything was fine

until the following day. It was starting and stopping on us,

an engine management light would come on,

we'd pull over. The car went into limp mode

and wouldn't start again. But Debbie was in for a shock

when she went to fill the lady in the kiosk said,

"The fuel's gushing out When we looked out,

there was a massive puddle underneath the car,

and you could blatantly see it. But just a few weeks later,

the warning lights came on again. Debbie took the car back

to the garage, who promised But when she collected it,

it still had problems. Not even a mile up the road,

and the engine management light came on again, and it went into limp mode

again on the roundabout. Scary, so we managed

to get back to the garage. The owner told me that he wouldn't

offer me a refund. If I wanted a refund I'd have

to take him to court. When Bryn St Clair from Cwmbran

visited C last November, he saw a very different

side to Jason John. Bryn was impressed by his sales

patter, and paid just under ?3,000 He said we were very lucky,

that his mate wanted the car, and we could have it

if we had it today. I took it out and had

a little test drive in it. So was this new car

a model of reliability? I come to approach a car,

put my indicator on, as soon as I approach the car

and put my foot down to give me a bit more speed,

it just stopped. The car just stopped dead,

and I'm very lucky that there's no other vehicles behind me because it

would have been a terrible accident. The car stopped, I turned

the ignition off and then on, Bryn took the car straight

back to C He says they told him

it was a problem with the diesel particulate filter,

but assured him they'd fixed it. Next day, my wife went to work

again, and it happened again, and then I said, "We've

got to take this back, Once again, he drove carefully back

to C, and they promised to sort out the problem,

but he's still waiting. Every time I phoned them

they'd have an excuse - the injectors hadn't come back,

they're still waiting for parts - but when I went to the garage,

I'd seen the car in the corner with four or five cars behind it -

hadn't been touched. They've got my car,

they've got my money. Two months on, and Bryn's car

is apparently still here at C When we spoke to him,

it hadn't been fixed, and he hadn't

received a refund either. Aditi Bharwaj also experienced

C's not-so-special take She had problems with the car

she bought soon after picking it up. All the dashboard lights were on,

and it started giving me a signal And it was a similar story for David

Evans. I got to the main road,

and to be honest it sounded Got to the house, and I noticed

it was leaking a lot of oil The following day, Aditi and David

took their cars straight back to the garage and

asked for a refund. Both say they had a rough

reception from C's owner, I was just wanting to know

if there's any procedure that Is there like a refund policy,

and he started shouting. I'd gone there rather expecting

to have a refund. He got quite in my face

and started shouting. Jason John denies being

aggressive to either of them. He insists Aditi's car

was fit for purpose, and says David knew about the oil

leak before buying the car. Both of them have now

had their money back, although David had

to wait five months. Meanwhile, two months after buying

it, Debbie's car was still at C Last April, she gave them one

more chance to fix it. But as the weeks rolled by,

the excuses mounted up. They kept on telling us

it'll be ready tomorrow. It's with this garage

and that garage. By now, all Debbie wanted

was a refund, and when that didn't In court, it was agreed that

Debbie's car would be independently inspected to see what

was wrong with it. But before that could happen,

she received a rather surprising My friend called me to say,

"Have you had the car back?" "Why's it in Cowbridge

on the High Street?" Debbie discovered her BMW had broken

down in Cowbridge while being tested Her friend filmed it

being towed away that evening. I was under the impression that

until the court case was over, they weren't going to be driving

that vehicle anywhere. I just had a feeling

they were going to be selling it, I looked on my phone,

and saw it up on their website. It's so soul-destroying when I'd

paid the money for it, they hadn't given me a refund,

but yet they were now They promised to pay Debbie back

most of her money as part of an out-of-court settlement,

but never did. Last month - a year

after she bought her car, and ten months after she was last

able to drive it, Debbie finally got a court judgement against C

for more than ?4,000. I honestly am not

expecting them to pay! Being without a car has had a big

impact on Debbie's life. She feels C have spoiled her

enjoyment of her precious With my maternity leave I couldn't

do things I wanted to do, that friends who had babies the same

time as me were going out and doing. I've had every emotion

possible, I think. Now I just hate them.

I do. I don't understand how they can do

it to people and think they can get C have now given Debbie

more than ?4,000 back - And Bryn has also

had his money back - almost ?3,000,

plus ?150 in shopping vouchers. Owner Jason John has

apologised to both of them. In Debbie's case he says he fully

appreciates the impact not having a car had had on her,

but says he was let down by another garage he'd contracted

to fix her car. Mr John, though, denies ever been

aggressive towards customers He says C sells 1,500 cars every

year which are thoroughly inspected before being sold, and any

complaints are dealt If you have a story you'd

like us to investigate, do get in touch - call

us on 03703 334 334, or you can email [email protected] -

or send us a tweet. Still to come - five years ago,

these customers trusted John Gould to sell their caravans,

but he never paid them a penny. You've already admitted that

you were dishonest. Yes, you have to talk

to the insolvency service. You've admitted that

you were dishonest. Now, if you're lucky enough to live

in a beautiful place like here in Colwyn Bay,

you may have thought about renting out a room in your

house to visitors. More and more people are doing it,

but Rhod's been finding out if it's I'm so chuffed you've

booked this place. Have you ever thought

of renting out your home? Or just a room in your house

to make some extra cash? TV room, perfect for a little relax,

nice little log burner there. Well, online platforms like these

make it really easy. You simply create a profile,

advertise the property you want to rent out,

and the sites connect you with paying guests looking

for a place to stay. Most sites make their money

by taking a percentage Millions of people all over

the world are using these sites - whether that's people

like you who are looking for accommodation, or people

like myself who are looking to host. Llinos Metcalfe from Wenvoe

in the Vale of Glamorgan has been This is the main room

we have to rent. Two single beds and

an en-suite bathroom. She's had all kinds

of people to stay - from tourists to students

to sports fans. The other room that we have

available for families or larger When Llinos travelled with work,

she regularly booked short stays But now she's the host,

and has had dozens of guests by a middle-aged couple who came

to stay, and they told us it was to stay in this room,

so this where he stays. He seems housetrained,

but what about her guests? They trust me to honour

their booking and to provide what I've said I would provide

and I trust them Llinos hasn't had any

real problems as a host, but there are some horror

stories out there. Some unsuspecting hosts have even

come home to find a party I'm sure we won't have

problems though. You asked if I was insured

to rent out this place. In most circumstances,

your home insurance won't cover paying guests who stay

in your house, which could lead If your insurance company finds out

you've been a host and you haven't told them, the worst case scenario

could be that they cancel your home insurance policy or they could not

honour a claim that you make as a direct result of being a host

and ultimately then you're going to have to carry the financial

burden of any damage that may The largest company, Airbnb,

provides a 'Host Guarantee', which they say will reimburse hosts

for damage caused by guests. But there are limits and exclusions

and Airbnb stress it isn't a replacement for

your own insurance. If you're a guest and your host

doesn't have proper insurance in place, in particular

personal liability cover, it could mean that you're not able

to pursue them for any losses that you may encounter by being

a guest in their property. Mind the step, I don't

want you tripping up. Well, with egg on your face or worse

if you don't make sure your home or the room you're renting

out is safe and secure. You as a home owner

and as the occupier of the property owes anyone who visits you a duty

of care to make sure they aren't You just have to make

sure your house is reasonably maintained, so roof tiles aren't

coming off the roof and floorboards aren't loose and people

can fall over. Your garden, if you have a garden,

is clear of any mishaps that can happen when people are

coming into your property You must also tell your mortgage

provider and the taxman what you're up to and before people come

to stay you should make Make sure the property is well

ventilated and all locks Child proof your home and warn

guests of any hazards. And provide emergency numbers

and details of the local hospital. Oh, I'm sure a first aid kit

wouldn't go amiss either. But what if you're the one looking

for a place to stay? Well, make sure you read

those reviews carefully. And remember, if the reality doesn't

match the glossy pictures, your protection may be limited

because your contract's with your host, not

the booking site. Llinos, who's been a host

and a guest, says overall, As long as they show the respect

you feel you deserve and you provide the service they are expecting,

there are no problems at all. Right, well, I think

that's everything. If there is anything else you need

just give me a ring and most And if you live in a tourist hotspot

like the North Wales coast, you can understand that it may be

tempting to rent out your home. But North Wales Fire

and Rescue Service do Bob, how aware do you think

homeowners are that they have a responsibility for

their guests' safety? Lucy, a lot of homeowners are very

aware, but we need to make sure that They have a legal responsibility

for any paying guests Should a guest be injured due

to fire in their property, there is very real potential

for them to be prosecuted. I'd imagine that because it is your

home, you may not think you have the same responsibilities

as say a hotel or a B though. That's a very good

point you make, Lucy. As an absolute minimum,

homeowners should have interlinked smoke detection within the property

to give early warning of a fire, They should also make their guests

aware of how to leave the property, where their nearest exits are,

and any other particular safety measures regarding that property

from a fire safety point of view. It sounds like there's

a lot to think about. Is there anywhere that people

can get advice on this? Airbnb give quite detailed

information to owners about how to make themselves as safe

as possible and their guests The fire service and Welsh

Government have provided a document That's available on the website,

and that will guide the owner making their property

safe from fire. If they find that document doesn't

meet their requirements or they feel their property is more

complex, then they can always contact their local Fire Service

who will be more than willing to assist them to make

their properties safe. And over the next few months,

holidaymakers will be flocking to this part of the world

and many of them will be staying But Rachel's been meeting some

furious viewers whose caravans have simply vanished, thanks

to a very brazen businessman. And when that happens,

customers can lose money. If you've paid for something

like a sofa, and the business collapses before it gets delivered,

then there's a good chance But when you take your car

to the garage and the garage goes It's your car and you'd

expect to get it back. And that's what should have happened

to customers of a caravan selling agent based in the Vale

of Glamorgan. Caravans are pretty hefty things

but I can make them disappear. But it was a serious

story about this man. His company, Vale of

Glamorgan Caravan Sales Ltd, was based on an industrial

estate near Cowbridge. He promised customers

from across South Wales One of them was Linda

Davies from Cardiff. He was going to have a look at it

and see what needed doing. He was going to put them right

and put it up for sale. So I had no reservations in leaving

the caravan with him. But as time passed, there was no

sign of her caravan being sold. He rang my other son

and they decided to pay him a visit. When they got down there

it was closed up, and there was a liquidators

notice on the gate. In the weeks after the business

closed, customers were turning up, many of them in tears,

trying to find their caravans. Even when they met Gould face

to face they go no answers. In fact, somebody there said,

"Could you please take that smug Chris Callaghan had also trusted

John Gould to sell his caravan. All of us were surprised how

casual he seemed to be. It just seemed water

off a duck's back. I actually looked him

in the eye and asked him how Since we ran that story

a lot has happened. Victims like Steve Wall

from Llantwit Major have waged a long and determined

campaign for justice. I've been five years trying to get

some help from the police. I've gone to Companies House and got

all the records off them. I got a solicitor involved as well

and tried it that way, It's cost me more than

I was going to get back. But there have been official

investigations into the company For a start, John Gould has owned up

to his shoddy business practices. In a statement to the insolvency

service he admitted lying to customers, selling their caravans

and keeping the money! But he was banned from being

a company director for nine years. But victims like Linda

weren't impressed. Until last year, she was still

making paying monthly payments That doesn't help us whose

caravans he actually took, When Vale of Glamorgan Caravans

collapsed, it owed hundreds of thousands of pounds to creditors,

including caravan owners But John Gould's financial troubles

had been brewing for a long time. He'd known for months

that he was going bust And it's unlawful and it meant

he could be held personally liable The caravan owners had

high hopes that justice With some clever legal manoeuvring,

he managed to dodge the bulk of his debts, agreeing

to pay his creditors ?100,000. Victims like Linda will now get

a fifth of what they are owed. I'm owed ?6,500 and out of that now

I will get back about ?1,300. John Gould now has to sell

one of his two houses. In my book, in my honest opinion,

he has had a slap on the wrist. And I still don't know

who he sold my caravan to and I still don't

know where it is. It's a frustrating situation

for these innocent customers and I want to know how this has

been allowed to happen. It seems crazy that people

could lose their property like this. The business collapsed

and that money became part They have a cast iron case

against him, but the problem is with the civil

system of enforcement. They have got to pursue

the case against him. They have got to take him

to court and enforce it. Four years on, he

still won't comment. So, I have made an appointment

with his new business. We're going to hide

in here to wait for him. I've done this many times,

but this is the first time I've had You've already admitted

being dishonest. Yes, you have to the

insolvency service. If the customers are unhappy

it is for them to speak All that money and your customers

only got back a fifth You knew your company

was going under. You still took those

people's caravans knowing So John Gould has clearly washed his

hands of the whole affair. But his customers have been left

paying for his actions. We've spoken to the police who say

they have investigated the caravan owners' complaints and passed a file

to the Crown Prosecution Service, who decided not to prosecute John

Gould. But when we asked them why,

they weren't able to tell us. But if there's a story you want us

to look into, do give us a call. Next week: Voice recognition

is on its way and your bank password Rhod puts the new

technology to the test. Dwi lawr yn Llundain yn ffilmio gyda

X-Ray heddiw.