:00:00. > :00:33.You're watching X-Ray, the programme that fights for your rights.
:00:34. > :00:38.Tonight, Halloween's just round the corner and customers
:00:39. > :00:43.of one Pontypridd builder are living in a house of horrors.
:00:44. > :00:46.Everything in this has got to be completely and utterly ripped
:00:47. > :00:53.Wales is through to the Euros, but what's the best tactic for football
:00:54. > :01:04.Whilst most airport parking companies have no problem looking
:01:05. > :01:07.after your car while you're away, we've heard about one that's
:01:08. > :01:18.Tonight, these construction students are hoping to become
:01:19. > :01:22.the next generation of builders, but on X-Ray we're hearing an awful
:01:23. > :01:28.And some of them are not doing a very good job.
:01:29. > :01:38.Rachel's been investigating one from just up the road in Pontypridd.
:01:39. > :01:46.Massive holes, piles of rubble, a dangerous tangle of wires.
:01:47. > :01:50.It may be Halloween this week, but a house of horrors was certainly
:01:51. > :01:56.not what customers of one south Wales builder were expecting.
:01:57. > :02:00.It was the worst decision of my life.
:02:01. > :02:03.He comes across as a very good businessman in the beginning,
:02:04. > :02:08.but then after a couple of weeks the cracks start to appear.
:02:09. > :02:11.The man responsible for their nightmares is Pontypridd
:02:12. > :02:18.He seemed to offer his customers a great deal but, once he had their
:02:19. > :02:25.The Cilfynydd Inn was a pub which held special memories for
:02:26. > :02:31.So much so that when it was put up for sale, she bought it.
:02:32. > :02:34.She planned to divide it into two homes,
:02:35. > :02:43.In July last year she hired Andrew Kelland to do the job.
:02:44. > :02:46.He just said, well, actually, I'm a builder, I've got loads
:02:47. > :02:50.of people, and we could get this done for you in no time.
:02:51. > :02:54.But, 15 months on, this is what more than ?17,000 worth of
:02:55. > :03:02.Not only is the job unfinished but the builders have caused huge
:03:03. > :03:17.The one thing they were told, don't damage the floor.
:03:18. > :03:20.Basically, this all has to be ripped up, the
:03:21. > :03:25.furniture, damage to the furniture, the ceiling is very bumpy.
:03:26. > :03:28.I've got to rip everything down and have it done again.
:03:29. > :03:33.And the electrics are truly shocking.
:03:34. > :03:37.Not one wire can be reused because you can't trust it,
:03:38. > :03:41.so everything in this has got to be completely and utterly ripped out
:03:42. > :03:50.It is, and it's just money after money that I just haven't got.
:03:51. > :03:53.OK, so watch the hole as you come in.
:03:54. > :03:58.When the property was divided, Emma Jane gave Kelland ?5,000
:03:59. > :04:03.He was supposed to pass it on to Welsh Water,
:04:04. > :04:11.So I give him the money, expecting that's going to get paid, and this
:04:12. > :04:16.is going to be done within a months' time, and it's gone, yeah.
:04:17. > :04:19.And the dangerous hole has caused other problems too.
:04:20. > :04:31.I hurt my back, I hurt my neck, I hurt my knee.
:04:32. > :04:33.To add to Emma's woes, when the boiler that was installed
:04:34. > :04:37.by Kelland's team was inspected by the government's Gas Safe Register,
:04:38. > :04:50.Not only does it say the boiler and pipework have 'significant
:04:51. > :04:53.'safety defects', the inspector fears the work has
:04:54. > :04:59.been carried out by a fitter who is not Gas Safe registered.
:05:00. > :05:03.The Health and Safety Executive are now investigating what could be
:05:04. > :05:15.Chartered surveyor Noel Iveson says that much of Kelland's work now
:05:16. > :05:18.needs to be ripped down and replaced, starting with the dividing
:05:19. > :05:27.I would expect to see two layers of concrete block, I'm only seeing one.
:05:28. > :05:30.A building inspector wouldn't pass it.
:05:31. > :05:36.Immediately below there's these pipes, which are
:05:37. > :05:42.The floorboard won't fit back down without sitting on top
:05:43. > :05:49.of the pipes, so I think it's really shoddy workmanship.
:05:50. > :05:57.And Emma's not the only one who's been chasing Kelland for their cash.
:05:58. > :06:01.Last December, Kelland began work on a double-storey extension
:06:02. > :06:07.I was 24-weeks pregnant at the time so we wanted
:06:08. > :06:12.Andrew Kelland could do it within six to eight weeks,
:06:13. > :06:15.which was perfect, which meant we had time to do our finishing touches
:06:16. > :06:21.But after paying him ?15,000, the due date for Kelland
:06:22. > :06:25.and his builders became far less predictable.
:06:26. > :06:28.Certain days they would just no show, they wouldn't turn up.
:06:29. > :06:31.No phone calls to say why they weren't here.
:06:32. > :06:35.You just felt frustrated and very upset about the fact that
:06:36. > :06:39.what you wanted for your new arrival wasn't actually going to happen.
:06:40. > :06:43.Baby Livvy arrived safely, but Rachel's extension was still in
:06:44. > :06:48.a shocking state with an unfinished roof and missing windows.
:06:49. > :06:52.We were now five of us living within two bedrooms.
:06:53. > :06:58.We were just living in a building site - it was a mess.
:06:59. > :07:02.Andrew phoned us when she was two and a half weeks old.
:07:03. > :07:05.He said that he would no longer be returning to do any of the work
:07:06. > :07:09.and if we wanted any of our money back that we paid him,
:07:10. > :07:14.Rachel and Stuart were then forced to find new builders to
:07:15. > :07:21.After battling with Kelland's insurers, Emma Jane received ?13,000
:07:22. > :07:30.But finishing the building work will still cost her many thousands more.
:07:31. > :07:34.I'd like it to be over, to be honest.
:07:35. > :07:41.Really, it's the worst decision of my life to trust Andrew Kelland.
:07:42. > :07:45.Andrew Kelland insists Emma Jane and Rachel will get
:07:46. > :07:49.their money back but Trading Standards are also investigating
:07:50. > :07:58.So how does Andrew Kelland explain this catalogue of problems?
:07:59. > :08:01.Well, he's sent us lots of e-mails blaming
:08:02. > :08:05.delays with planning permission and saying Emma Jane then expected
:08:06. > :08:10.That's why he says he kept the ?5,000 she paid him
:08:11. > :08:16.He's also refusing to accept responsibility for her dodgy boiler
:08:17. > :08:21.because he says another plumber worked on it after it was fitted.
:08:22. > :08:24.As for Rachel's extension, he said he couldn't finish it after her
:08:25. > :08:31.Andrew Kelland has now left south Wales and headed
:08:32. > :08:35.across the sea to Ireland, but I've got plenty more questions for him.
:08:36. > :08:50.Can you explain why you did such a shoddy job for Emma Jane Mantle
:08:51. > :08:56.I've given you a statement already that I'm standing by.
:08:57. > :09:01.But you still haven't explained why you did such a poor job for them.
:09:02. > :09:11.You take people's money, you start jobs but you don't see them through.
:09:12. > :09:14.It's not just Emma Jane and Rachel, there are others.
:09:15. > :09:17.Well, I've said to you, I've made a statement.
:09:18. > :09:21.I am not going to have a trial by TV.
:09:22. > :09:24.The trial, or anything that's thought to have
:09:25. > :09:27.been done wrong by me, will be dealt with by Trading Standards,
:09:28. > :09:33.Are these customers going to get their money back?
:09:34. > :09:35.They have had to prove what they're owed.
:09:36. > :09:39.They've been asked to prove it and to date they have not done that.
:09:40. > :09:42.Are you going to be doing more building work in the future?
:09:43. > :09:47.There will be no more future building work taking place anyway.
:09:48. > :09:58.So, Andrew Kelland is adamant he is blameless in the situation.
:09:59. > :10:02.Amazingly, he thinks he did a good job for his customers.
:10:03. > :10:07.He says Rachel and Emma Jane will be getting their money back,
:10:08. > :10:17.Now, nobody wants to find themselves in a situation like this.
:10:18. > :10:20.So if you're planning to have work done on your property, how can you
:10:21. > :10:27.Well, surveyor Tim Davies is here to give us a few pointers.
:10:28. > :10:30.Tim, how do you go about finding a good builder?
:10:31. > :10:33.I think the first thing you've got to do is try
:10:34. > :10:36.and get a personal recommendation from friends or work colleagues that
:10:37. > :10:42.If they don't mind, go and round and look at a project to see how
:10:43. > :10:46.Look at the quality of it, have a chat with them
:10:47. > :10:51.What about looking on online review sites?
:10:52. > :10:53.I have serious reservations about them because, basically, you
:10:54. > :10:56.can write a review yourself and put in online and say how good you are.
:10:57. > :11:00.Really, builders online, it's an unknown quantity
:11:01. > :11:05.How can you make sure you don't get stung on price?
:11:06. > :11:08.It's very important to make sure you have a quotation
:11:09. > :11:13.A quotation is fixed price for work they're carrying out
:11:14. > :11:19.Yeah, ideally you should have a contract in place -
:11:20. > :11:25.This is how much it's going to cost, you can get a simple contract
:11:26. > :11:36.Well, it basically sets out the rights and obligations
:11:37. > :11:39.for both parties in terms of the progress of the work, paying
:11:40. > :11:43.for extras, the price of the work, what happens if the job goes bad.
:11:44. > :11:47.In essence, it's a very good document and very useful to have.
:11:48. > :11:50.Tim, are there any absolute dos and don'ts?
:11:51. > :11:54.Make sure you've got your planning permission and your building
:11:55. > :11:57.regulation approval in place and make sure any party wall agreement
:11:58. > :12:02.If you don't, that could put the job on stop.
:12:03. > :12:09.Hold a little bit of money back at the end of the job to pay for
:12:10. > :12:14.Take photographs, keep a diary if there's any dispute.
:12:15. > :12:19.You've got a record of problems and you can refer to it.
:12:20. > :12:25.And if you've had any problems with building work, give us a call.
:12:26. > :12:31.The number as always is 03703 334 334 or email xray@bbc.co.uk.
:12:32. > :12:36.The airport parking firm which denied damaging Kelly's car
:12:37. > :12:44.There was a dent in the door here and that had split along there.
:12:45. > :12:51.The further round you went, there was just more and more damage.
:12:52. > :12:54.Now, the whole country is celebrating
:12:55. > :12:58.the fact that Wales' football team has qualified for Euro 2016.
:12:59. > :13:01.But if you're hoping to follow the national team to France next
:13:02. > :13:07.summer, there are a few things you should know.
:13:08. > :13:15.They're through to their first major football championships since 1958.
:13:16. > :13:20.In June, hundreds of thousands of supporters from right across Europe
:13:21. > :13:28.But getting to a game could prove tricky.
:13:29. > :13:31.There'll be 25,000 to 30,000 people wanting to go.
:13:32. > :13:36.There's 500 fans who go all the time and know what to do
:13:37. > :13:39.so then there will be 24,000 people who don't know what to do.
:13:40. > :13:42.It's not like going on holidays, it will be more difficult than
:13:43. > :13:47.The games will be spread across ten venues, all over France.
:13:48. > :13:51.At the moment, no-one knows when or where Wales will be playing and they
:13:52. > :13:57.won't know until the draw final draw is made on December 12th.
:13:58. > :14:00.We asked fans at a training session in Swansea
:14:01. > :14:07.We're just waiting to find out where Wales will be playing.
:14:08. > :14:11.Wait until after the draw and decide which game I am going to watch then.
:14:12. > :14:14.But waiting until then isn't the best strategy,
:14:15. > :14:21.I can tell you, the worst strategy, which is the one that many fans
:14:22. > :14:25.will be adopting, is to wait until the 12th of December
:14:26. > :14:34.Immediately, there will be the most massive surge on December in prices
:14:35. > :14:39.for airline tickets and hotel rooms because fans of every other team
:14:40. > :14:43.booked into that particular group will be trying to find rooms and
:14:44. > :14:48.trying to find transport to get them there. Hotels and flights.
:14:49. > :14:51.So how can you get ahead of the game?
:14:52. > :14:54.Well, you could follow the lead of super-fan Wayne Dibbs Anderson
:14:55. > :14:58.Well, we've got six coaches booked, then our hotels.
:14:59. > :15:01.They've now been booked in two regions of France.
:15:02. > :15:05.One which will cover the southern games and one which
:15:06. > :15:10.The finalising of the hotels will take place once we
:15:11. > :15:16.By booking early there is no payment needed
:15:17. > :15:20.So, you could book early on a website
:15:21. > :15:29.I reckon go for the gastronomic hub of France that is the city of Lyon,
:15:30. > :15:33.where there is a 50% chance Wales will play at least one game or
:15:34. > :15:41.Even if Wales is playing hundreds of miles away in Lille or Marseille
:15:42. > :15:45.you can just hop onto a high speed train and be there
:15:46. > :15:51.A train from Lyon to Lille takes just three hours.
:15:52. > :15:53.Paris is two hours away and Marseille,
:15:54. > :16:00.If hotels are out of your price range, here's another suggestion.
:16:01. > :16:04.You just pack a car with your mates, pack a tent or two you then plan to
:16:05. > :16:14.And fan Tony Sharpe is planning to splash out
:16:15. > :16:21.I have been talking to my mates, we will get a camper van in the new
:16:22. > :16:24.year and then just camp then, wait and see where we will be first
:16:25. > :16:32.Doesn't it worry you at all that you might end up paying over the odds if
:16:33. > :16:39.you book later I think it might be worth it, paying over the odds.
:16:40. > :16:46.If you're hoping to hire a campervan though, don't delay.
:16:47. > :16:48.Lots of rental companies are already booked up.
:16:49. > :16:50.But the biggest challenge of all could be getting
:16:51. > :16:54.The biggest block of tickets were released back in June.
:16:55. > :16:57.But fans didn't know which matches they were bidding for.
:16:58. > :16:59.More tickets for named matches, including Wales games,
:17:00. > :17:06.Then, from March, fans can buy and sell tickets
:17:07. > :17:12.But be warned selling elsewhere could mean trouble.
:17:13. > :17:14.It's against the law to resell football tickets
:17:15. > :17:22.Anyone convicted of ticket touting could face a fine of up to ?5,000.
:17:23. > :17:27.And whilst it's not illegal to buy black market tickets,
:17:28. > :17:29.you could end up being conned,
:17:30. > :17:50.and lots of you have been in touch on Twitter about this.
:17:51. > :17:59.Alan says he has booked his flight to Paris and is backpacking around
:18:00. > :18:02.France. And Mark said he cannot wait for the draw.
:18:03. > :18:04.If you're planning to travel to the Euros,
:18:05. > :18:06.tweet us to let us know what you're up to!
:18:07. > :18:09.Time now for an update on a story we brought you last October.
:18:10. > :18:12.John Williams from Mold had high hopes for his campervan.
:18:13. > :18:20.He bought it nine years ago at a cost of ?25,000.
:18:21. > :18:24.We were hoping to be able to use it to go away for weekends and travel
:18:25. > :18:29.But, over the years, John's had huge problems with the paintwork.
:18:30. > :18:34.Straightaway, I can see patches there.
:18:35. > :18:37.Yes, and there's a patch here by the door, on the other side
:18:38. > :18:42.in the guttering, you can see where it is just peeling.
:18:43. > :18:44.We showed John's campervan to a vehicle inspector
:18:45. > :18:47.What he found on the roof was shocking.
:18:48. > :18:50.There's not much you can do other than start again.
:18:51. > :18:56.That would mean stripping the paint completely off the vehicle
:18:57. > :19:00.You could be looking at something upwards of ?8,000 to
:19:01. > :19:06.So a very expensive job, which John couldn't afford.
:19:07. > :19:09.I'm on a pension now and I don't think I should have to pay out.
:19:10. > :19:12.Fiat are producing these vehicles they must know there is a problem.
:19:13. > :19:16.I think they should step up to the mark and fix it.
:19:17. > :19:19.When we contacted Fiat at the time, they told us that they weren't
:19:20. > :19:22.going to put things right, because John's warranty had expired.
:19:23. > :19:24.But, after seeing our programme, they changed their mind
:19:25. > :19:35.And there's been progress on another story, too.
:19:36. > :19:37.Last October, we told you how lorry driver Graham Williams,
:19:38. > :19:43.from Cardiff, had been persuaded to transfer a ?100,000 pension to
:19:44. > :19:52.I feared the worst, I thought that I had been scammed.
:19:53. > :19:55.Carpenter Des Lewis, from Pontardawe,
:19:56. > :19:57.was convinced by the same sales team from Liverpool to move
:19:58. > :20:04.his pension to a scheme called the Henley Retirement Benefit Scheme.
:20:05. > :20:11.In total, the two pension schemes got hundreds
:20:12. > :20:16.of people like Graham and Des to invest nearly ?20 million.
:20:17. > :20:20.Well, now, a High Court judge in Manchester has described
:20:21. > :20:22.the schemes as "illegitimate" and the companies which persuaded
:20:23. > :20:27.The Official Receiver is now trying to trace any assets
:20:28. > :20:39.Now, you might think that booking valet parking at the airport would
:20:40. > :20:48.But some customers of a Gatwick based firm have had a bumpy ride!
:20:49. > :20:58.When you leave your car at the airport, you trust the
:20:59. > :21:02.parking company to take good care of it, to park it safely and securely.
:21:03. > :21:05.And for it to be in the same condition when you
:21:06. > :21:15.Or at least, that's how it should be!
:21:16. > :21:17.Whilst most airport parking companies have no problem looking
:21:18. > :21:20.after your car while you're away, we've heard about one that's
:21:21. > :21:31.Valet parking company Absolute Meet and Greet is based near
:21:32. > :21:37.The website boasts that they give "commitment" and "confidence" to
:21:38. > :21:41.But we have heard from people who think otherwise.
:21:42. > :21:44.When they've come to pick up their vehicles after their holiday,
:21:45. > :21:47.they weren't quite the same as they were before.
:21:48. > :22:01.Kelly Owen and her family from Bridgend used Absolute Meet
:22:02. > :22:06.and Greet Parking when they booked a holiday to Florida in May.
:22:07. > :22:08.To Kelly, it seemed a perfect stress-free option.
:22:09. > :22:10.So when you arrived at the airport what was
:22:11. > :22:14.They took photos because normally they do a handwritten inspection,
:22:15. > :22:17.which we thought was quite good, because they had the proof then.
:22:18. > :22:23.And we were literally minutes and took the car and we were
:22:24. > :22:27.The family had a great holiday in the States.
:22:28. > :22:29.And when they returned to Gatwick, Absolute Meet
:22:30. > :22:34.and Greet were waiting for them with Kelly's beloved Mercedes E Class.
:22:35. > :22:36.We literally put all the luggage in the car,
:22:37. > :22:46.We just couldn't wait to get home, cos we had another three-hour
:22:47. > :22:51.When did you first realise that there was a problem with the car?
:22:52. > :22:54.When we got to the Severn Bridge, a motor bike pulled alongside us
:22:55. > :22:55.and was beeping and frantically waving and...
:22:56. > :22:58.he pulled us over and said, "Your bonnet's open, your bonnet's open.
:22:59. > :23:02.When she got home, Kelly had a closer look
:23:03. > :23:06.at the car and was horrified to discover a trail of damage.
:23:07. > :23:08.It seemed that someone had tried to repair it...badly.
:23:09. > :23:12.The first time I spotted it, it was here where the badge had been taken
:23:13. > :23:16.off and glued back on and there was all runs down there and there was
:23:17. > :23:19.a dent in the door here and that had actually split along there.
:23:20. > :23:26.And the bonnet looked like it was open by that much of a
:23:27. > :23:31.gap and you could see then that all the wing was a slightly different
:23:32. > :23:36.And the further you looked, you could just see more and more damage.
:23:37. > :23:40.But, because Kelly had signed a form to say she'd checked her car
:23:41. > :23:43.when she collected it, Absolute Meet and Greet weren't keen to help.
:23:44. > :23:50.After a number of phone calls, eventually
:23:51. > :23:57.the manager rung me back two days later and denied it immediately.
:23:58. > :24:00.I asked him for the photos of the vehicle that they took.
:24:01. > :24:03.And since then myself and the insurance company have had
:24:04. > :24:10.But, instead of giving up, Kelly turned detective.
:24:11. > :24:14.I started to do some investigation work to find out who repaired
:24:15. > :24:20.Kelly phoned around garages near Gatwick Airport
:24:21. > :24:23.and found that a replacement grill for a Mercedes with her exact number
:24:24. > :24:27.plate had been purchased whilst she was out of the country.
:24:28. > :24:30.Kelly gave her evidence to her insurer, so they could claim
:24:31. > :24:35.But the company still denied it and refused to pay up.
:24:36. > :24:39.How much was the repair damage for the car?
:24:40. > :24:46.So, a one-off mistake by Absolute Meet and Greet?
:24:47. > :24:53.X-Ray has found more complaints from customers claiming to have had
:24:54. > :24:56.their cars damaged after leaving them with the company.
:24:57. > :25:00.He booked Absolute Meet and Greet for his family holiday
:25:01. > :25:05.Unfortunately, the day before he was due to travel,
:25:06. > :25:10.The car was safe to drive, just now dented and scratched.
:25:11. > :25:15.When we picked the car up, everything was as normal.
:25:16. > :25:18.You know, why would I, really, knowing it was damaged?
:25:19. > :25:21.Signed the form as quickly as possible, as most holiday makers
:25:22. > :25:29.But the next morning, Carwyn was in for a shock when he looked
:25:30. > :25:33.The wing was the wrong colour, the doors didn't shut properly,
:25:34. > :25:38.There was a rattle on the front on the wing mirror and, obviously, then
:25:39. > :25:41.you start worrying about whether there's been more damage to the car
:25:42. > :25:44.than the dents and the knocks that had happened to it previously.
:25:45. > :25:53.And, bizarrely, the dents and scratches caused by the lorry
:25:54. > :26:02.A car that was dropped off already damaged appeared to be
:26:03. > :26:09.Could someone at Absolute Meet and Greet thought they had caused the
:26:10. > :26:13.Well, that's certainly what Carwyn thinks.
:26:14. > :26:16.My insurers, they had to strip back everything that had been done to
:26:17. > :26:21.check that the car was alright to kind of re-repair it, so it did cost
:26:22. > :26:25.Luckily for Carwyn, his insurers covered the cost.
:26:26. > :26:29.But, in Bridgend, Kelly wasn't so lucky.
:26:30. > :26:34.Her repair bill stood at more than ?10,000 and Absolute
:26:35. > :26:39.Kelly's insurers did pay most of the costs, but she was hit with
:26:40. > :26:46.We're just really annoyed that we put our trust
:26:47. > :26:58.in a company to look after your vehicle while you go on holiday.
:26:59. > :26:59.And they've left us ?450 out of pocket
:27:00. > :27:02.and they're just not accepting any responsibility with it at all.
:27:03. > :27:03.Well, Absolute Parking aren't budging on this.
:27:04. > :27:08.They deny damaging or repairing Kelly and Carwyn's cars.
:27:09. > :27:12.They say both customers checked their vehicles before leaving
:27:13. > :27:18.the car park and failed to point out any problems at the time.
:27:19. > :27:21.And, as for the garage invoice, which showed that a radiator grill
:27:22. > :27:24.was ordered for a car with Kelly's exact registration number,
:27:25. > :27:28.Well, Absolute Parking say the garage could have incorrectly
:27:29. > :27:40.But, remember, we're here to help you.
:27:41. > :27:51.Send us an email, or follow us on Twitter.
:27:52. > :27:55.we go undercover to expose the roadside car dealer
:27:56. > :27:59.Selling write-offs, with no guarantees,
:28:00. > :28:05.With this, it hasn't been in any accidents?