:00:10. > :00:19.You are watching the show that fights for your rights. If you have
:00:20. > :00:27.been ripped off... Or the deal turns out to be dodgy... We will battle it
:00:28. > :00:31.out on your behalf. Excuse me, do not manhandle me! You never check
:00:32. > :00:41.those vehicles. We are here to fight your corner.
:00:42. > :00:45.We go undercover at Direct Choice, the firm which doesn't
:00:46. > :00:52.give customers a choice about being cold-called.
:00:53. > :00:55.We just keep them on the phone basically until they say yes or hang
:00:56. > :01:02.After 23 calls, Chris had had enough.
:01:03. > :01:05.If you were the last company on earth I would never, ever,
:01:06. > :01:07.ever buy double glazing from Direct Choice.
:01:08. > :01:11.Now I would suggest you get off my property now.
:01:12. > :01:13.And there's no peace for the fed-up family with a very
:01:14. > :01:21.It sounds like somebody is downstairs with a motorbike,
:01:22. > :01:32.This week we're in Swansea - a city well known for
:01:33. > :01:37.We've featured a fair few of them on X-ray in the past -
:01:38. > :01:46.but tonight's rogue outfit takes some beating.
:01:47. > :01:50.Replacing your windows is a big expense -
:01:51. > :01:53.double-glazing, triple glazing, UPVC - whatever you go for,
:01:54. > :01:58.they're not much to look at - but then that's the point!
:01:59. > :02:01.You're supposed to be able to see through them -
:02:02. > :02:03.shame then that some double glazing firms are anything but
:02:04. > :02:10.transparent about the way they sell their windows.
:02:11. > :02:14.Take this lot - Direct Choice Home Improvements Ltd.
:02:15. > :02:17.Their website has a picture of Conwy Castle on it -
:02:18. > :02:21.strange because they're actually based in Swansea.
:02:22. > :02:25.Direct Choice is a company that keeps getting into trouble -
:02:26. > :02:28.either for being less than clear with its customers, or for not
:02:29. > :02:37.They've been fined repeatedly - in 2015 for falsely claiming
:02:38. > :02:43.their windows were A+ energy efficient, last March for illegally
:02:44. > :02:46.cold-calling 168 people on the Telephone Preference Service
:02:47. > :02:52.- the register for people who don't want sales calls.
:02:53. > :02:55.And in October last year - a ?10,000 fine after a sales rep
:02:56. > :03:03.pressurised a grieving widow into signing a finance deal.
:03:04. > :03:09.At first he seemed very nice, he was very respectable, nicely dressed.
:03:10. > :03:12.The woman has agreed to tell her shocking story to X-Ray,
:03:13. > :03:14.but she's been so traumatised by the experience, she's asked us
:03:15. > :03:24.He'd discovered that my husband had died and he used that
:03:25. > :03:31.How my husband would really want me to have these windows.
:03:32. > :03:36.After first quoting ?10,000 for bay windows, the price
:03:37. > :03:41.dropped to eight thousand - then six.
:03:42. > :03:53.I said I wasn't interested and I was really getting upset.
:03:54. > :03:57.I went into the kitchen to get a drink of water and to try
:03:58. > :04:06.He said right, just before I go can I make one more phone call..
:04:07. > :04:09.After 'calling his office' again, he dropped the price to ?4,000.
:04:10. > :04:19.And, desperate to get rid of him, the woman signed the contract.
:04:20. > :04:22.He said you know you've done the right thing,
:04:23. > :04:28.your husband would be very pleased and I thought just go.
:04:29. > :04:37.He did finally leave and I just collapsed in a heap.
:04:38. > :04:44.And other customers have told us that Direct Choice sales
:04:45. > :04:48.reps have pressured them into buying windows too.
:04:49. > :04:52.Malcolm and Elizabeth Jones from Gelligaer near Caerphilly wish
:04:53. > :04:56.they'd never agreed to a visit nearly two years ago.
:04:57. > :04:59.The rep started by quoting ?15,000 - then kept dropping the price
:05:00. > :05:06.We said we still need time to think about it,
:05:07. > :05:15.so she was back on the phone and came back and offered us ?5,400.
:05:16. > :05:19.The couple say the sales rep stayed for around three hours until just
:05:20. > :05:26.She just kept pressurising to say, if you don't do it now
:05:27. > :05:28.tonight it's gonna go, and you're going to
:05:29. > :05:37.In the end we give her a cheque because we thought
:05:38. > :05:40.Once the rep had gone, Malcolm and Elizabeth
:05:41. > :05:47.They did get their ?400 deposit back, but say Direct Choice's
:05:48. > :05:55.First of all he said it was too late to cancel...
:05:56. > :05:59.this is two days after we gave her the cheque.
:06:00. > :06:02.here's something wrong with you, he said.
:06:03. > :06:04.You don't know a good deal when you see one
:06:05. > :06:09.I said no, please just cancel and he just slammed
:06:10. > :06:15.And I've discovered that Direct Choice aren't too 'choosy'
:06:16. > :06:24.This is one of the company's two directors, Richard Norris.
:06:25. > :06:28.In 2015, he employed his brother Robert.
:06:29. > :06:31.Trouble is, Robert's a career criminal -
:06:32. > :06:36.and was jailed a few months ago, for burglary.
:06:37. > :06:42.Not someone I'd really want in my home.
:06:43. > :06:45.So some pretty dubious sales tactics - but what about
:06:46. > :06:50.the quality of their windows, doors and conservatories?
:06:51. > :06:52.Allan Jones, from Merthyr Tydfil, signed up for a ?12,000 conservatory
:06:53. > :07:03.I had to have them back in January because they hadn't sealed the sides
:07:04. > :07:11.Direct Choice has repeatedly promised to fix the problems -
:07:12. > :07:15.but a year on, the conservatory's still leaking.
:07:16. > :07:20.So Allan's taken matters into his own hands.
:07:21. > :07:24.Here I've had to erect troughing with a drainpipe
:07:25. > :07:37.If I didn't have this here I'd be standing in a paddling pool.
:07:38. > :07:40.I wouldn't let them build a dog kennel for me now
:07:41. > :07:44.They've actually phoned here since to ask if I want
:07:45. > :07:54.I couldn't believe it, young girl it was, and I said sorry love,
:07:55. > :07:58.I don't talk to liars and I put the phone down.
:07:59. > :08:03.We thought it was time to check out those 'lies' for ourselves.
:08:04. > :08:05.Later in the programme, we'll show you what happened
:08:06. > :08:07.when one of our researchers went undercover to work in
:08:08. > :08:14.It's not customer services we're doing, it's not
:08:15. > :08:17.thanks for your time, have a lovely day, enjoy yourself...
:08:18. > :08:19.whatever, you know - we keep them on the phone
:08:20. > :08:22.until they either say yes or they put the phone down.
:08:23. > :08:26.And if you're unhappy with the way a company has treated you,
:08:27. > :08:47.After two and half years of problems...
:08:48. > :08:52.Michelle's not impressed with Indesit.
:08:53. > :08:54.The milk had curdled in the fridge, the cheese had gone soggy,
:08:55. > :08:57.all the meats that I keep in the fridge - everything.
:08:58. > :09:01.I've got five children and nobody cares.
:09:02. > :09:04.Now, the Six Nations tournament is under way -
:09:05. > :09:09.and we've had a big reaction to last week's story about a new ticketing
:09:10. > :09:16.are on a limited income - so they weren't impressed
:09:17. > :09:19.with the Welsh Rugby Union's new website, as it doesn't allow
:09:20. > :09:24.them to state the price of tickets they want.
:09:25. > :09:27.Well, many X-Ray viewers were touched by their story -
:09:28. > :09:30.some of you even said you'd pay for the couple's tickets.
:09:31. > :09:34.And the good news is, the WRU have now offered
:09:35. > :09:36.Jeff and Sharn tickets to the Wales-Ireland
:09:37. > :09:39.home game on the 10th March - and they are absolutely
:09:40. > :09:59.But Welsh Water's urging households earning less than ?15,000 to sign up
:10:00. > :10:02.to their Help U tarif, to cap bills at ?190 a year.
:10:03. > :10:05.Dee Valley Water runs a similar scheme -
:10:06. > :10:07.better than pouring money down the drain.
:10:08. > :10:10.It's bad news for viewers who love their greens -
:10:11. > :10:12.wet weather in southern Europe has affected vegetable crops,
:10:13. > :10:16.leading to rationing in Welsh supermarkets.
:10:17. > :10:18.In Tesco, it's three iceberg lettuces per customer -
:10:19. > :10:22.and Morrisons has limited the sale of broccoli.
:10:23. > :10:26.Prices in other shops have also risen.
:10:27. > :10:29.And until now, many rail passengers have bought split tickets to get
:10:30. > :10:33.the best deal on cross country train journeys.
:10:34. > :10:36.But this Spring, a trial on three routes across England and Scotland
:10:37. > :10:38.will automatically work out the cheapest price.
:10:39. > :10:48.If successful, the scheme will be rolled out to Wales too.
:10:49. > :10:51.Next, Omar has been looking into whether life really
:10:52. > :10:59.does mean life when it comes to guarantees.
:11:00. > :11:05.These days many of us are on a mission to live longer.
:11:06. > :11:07.And if you're hoping to live to a ripe old age,
:11:08. > :11:09.buying things which will last the distance with you
:11:10. > :11:22.I will tell you how it is going to be...
:11:23. > :11:24.Lifetime guarantees have been around for a while.
:11:25. > :11:32.Every recording as good as the first - or we'll give you a new tape!
:11:33. > :11:40.30 years on, not many of us are watching VHS tapes.
:11:41. > :11:42.But on the High Street, a growing number of brands
:11:43. > :11:44.are pulling in the punters with goods they say
:11:45. > :11:49.But what does lifetime really mean? Let's see what
:11:50. > :11:56.If anything goes wrong with it you should get a replacement
:11:57. > :11:59.or your money back or something like that I should imagine.
:12:00. > :12:05.Unlimited, if it says lifetime, lifetime means lifetime.
:12:06. > :12:07.That's the guarantee, surely to God that's the guarantee.
:12:08. > :12:09.Lifetime should always mean lifetime?
:12:10. > :12:12.Yes definitely, without fail. I'll admit - I also thought it meant
:12:13. > :12:29.It should be repaired or refunded or replaced. Forever, a lifetime
:12:30. > :12:31.guarantee! I thought it meant the whole of my life.
:12:32. > :12:33.But it seems there's often a fair bit of small print.
:12:34. > :12:35.Take outdoor clothing company, Berghaus, which offers the guarantee
:12:36. > :12:42.So, Berghaus define lifetime as the length of time any piece
:12:43. > :12:45.of kit can reasonably be expected to keep delivering the same great
:12:46. > :12:54.Well, that's as clear as the mud these jackets get covered in!
:12:55. > :12:57.North Face and Camelbak make similar promises,
:12:58. > :12:59.but spell out that it doesn't cover your lifetime
:13:00. > :13:04.They don't make it clear how many months -
:13:05. > :13:07.or years - that is, though. I need some help to navigate
:13:08. > :13:17.A lifetime guarantee has no legally uniform definition.
:13:18. > :13:19.So it can vary and it's a bit of a grey area.
:13:20. > :13:22.A warranty or a guarantee is an offer over and
:13:23. > :13:31.reassuring but none of them actually mean it's lifetime.
:13:32. > :13:41.Why do manufacturers use this phrase, lifetime guarantee?
:13:42. > :13:46.So the lifetime guarantee actually helps people to gain confidence
:13:47. > :13:48.in what they're purchasing and usually luxury brand
:13:49. > :13:51.or high brand names you pay the premium for it so you get
:13:52. > :13:56.Because there can be lots of exceptions.
:13:57. > :14:04.Things like, colour fading, rips, scuffs and stains.
:14:05. > :14:14.Has the product failed as a result of its manufacture or construction?
:14:15. > :14:17.Or has it simply failed as a result of not using it correctly?
:14:18. > :14:27.So the shoes behind you and the boots that we have,
:14:28. > :14:30.if the body of the boot fails that would be reasonable
:14:31. > :14:34.But if the laces failed after six months, are you really going
:14:35. > :14:45.And there are a few more things to look out for too.
:14:46. > :14:48.If you pass that buggy or car seat on to a friend the lifetime
:14:49. > :14:55.Usually you need to register the product soon after you buy it.
:14:56. > :14:57.And often you're not covered if you buy from somewhere
:14:58. > :15:05.So even if you live a long and happy life, don't assume those
:15:06. > :15:07.lifetime products will last the distance with you!
:15:08. > :15:09.Some useful tips there - definitely worth doing your
:15:10. > :15:14.Next - to Glynneath and a family who've been getting a frosty
:15:15. > :15:26.There are a lot of mouths to feed in the Curry household -
:15:27. > :15:28.so this family rely on their fridge freezer.
:15:29. > :15:31.At just over ?400 their Indesit model wasn't cheap -
:15:32. > :15:33.but it gave them the space they needed - and they
:15:34. > :15:40.Unfortunately their enthusiasm for Indesit quickly thawed
:15:41. > :15:45.as their appliance broke down again, and again, and again.
:15:46. > :15:55.Over the last two years I think we've had to throw out at least ?300
:15:56. > :15:58.- ?400 worth of food because everything in the fridge has had
:15:59. > :16:00.to go from, you know, butter was all melted
:16:01. > :16:02.because it was warm - everything went warm.
:16:03. > :16:05.The milk had curdled in the fridge, the cheese had gone soggy,
:16:06. > :16:08.all the meats that I keep in the fridge - everything.
:16:09. > :16:11.This has happened no fewer than 14 times in last two and a half years.
:16:12. > :16:16.And sometimes the Currys get a warning that trouble's on its way.
:16:17. > :16:20.It sounds like somebody is downstairs with a motorbike
:16:21. > :16:26.because it's horrendous, it happened any time of the day,
:16:27. > :16:29.two o'clock in the morning, whenever it decides to, really.
:16:30. > :16:32.It's woke us up, it's woke the children up.
:16:33. > :16:35.We've had to come down then and turn it off
:16:36. > :16:41.The fan in Michelle's freezer keeps icing up causing the whole
:16:42. > :16:48.Each time it happens, Indesit promise to sort it out.
:16:49. > :16:52.But, with so many hungry bellies to fill, Michelle's not impressed
:16:53. > :16:59.children and nobody cares - that's what it feels
:17:00. > :17:02.Last time it was just over two weeks.
:17:03. > :17:06.They left me two weeks without a fridge, in the middle
:17:07. > :17:13.of summer, beginning of the six weeks' holidays with five children.
:17:14. > :17:17.And, as she waits for yet another engineer's visit,
:17:18. > :17:19.she's relying on the kindness of her neighbour -
:17:20. > :17:22.who's letting her use the spare fridge in his garage.
:17:23. > :17:28.Not ideal in the middle of winter and with a sick one-year-old.
:17:29. > :17:32.The baby's got tonsillitis and he's on penicillin and that's got
:17:33. > :17:37.to be kept in the fridge, so four times a day I've got to come
:17:38. > :17:42.over to get his penicillin out the fridge because I can't store it
:17:43. > :17:45.Indesit have already replaced the fridge freezer once -
:17:46. > :17:50.But it developed exactly the same problems.
:17:51. > :17:53.I just want Indesit to give me a fridge freezer that works,
:17:54. > :17:57.I don't mind if it's a cheaper model, I just want a fridge freezer
:17:58. > :18:00.that I know every day I can get up and I'm not dreading opening
:18:01. > :18:04.the door to know if it's working or not.
:18:05. > :18:08.So what have Indesit said about this fridge-freezer fiasco?
:18:09. > :18:11.Well, they told us safety is their number one priority
:18:12. > :18:22.and they aim to resolve problems quickly and efficiently.
:18:23. > :18:25.Now, after more than two years, Indesit have given the Curry
:18:26. > :18:28.family a brand new fridge freezer - a different model -
:18:29. > :18:29.plus ?50 compensation, and Michelle and the whole
:18:30. > :18:35.Now back to that Swansea double glazing firm that just
:18:36. > :18:48.Double glazing companies don't have a great reputation.
:18:49. > :18:52.But Direct Choice Home Improvements takes that to new lows.
:18:53. > :18:57.They've had fine after fine for their bad behaviour.
:18:58. > :18:59.From pressure selling to a vulnerable widow...
:19:00. > :19:08.How my husband would really want me to have these windows.
:19:09. > :19:10.To illegally cold-calling people on the Telephone
:19:11. > :19:12.Preference Service - the register for people
:19:13. > :19:17.Something they then promised to put right.
:19:18. > :19:20.But customers have been telling us that Direct Choice
:19:21. > :19:32.Mark Davies from Pembrokeshire is on the Telephone Preference Service.
:19:33. > :19:37.Just before Christmas, the company cold-called him.
:19:38. > :19:40.I pointed out that it was an offence now to phone people on the TPS
:19:41. > :19:43.and it was up to him to check our number against it,
:19:44. > :19:46.and he basically said if he did that he couldn't possibly
:19:47. > :19:53.from Tenby, is on the TPS too - he says Direct Choice have been
:19:54. > :19:55.pestering him on the phone for years.
:19:56. > :19:58.I've said, right, take me off your database.
:19:59. > :20:01.I've got no intention of ever buying anything from you,
:20:02. > :20:03.so you're wasting your time, and they say, oh yes,
:20:04. > :20:07.we'll take you off and you'll never get a call from us again.
:20:08. > :20:10.And then three days later you get another call.
:20:11. > :20:14.So Chris decided to start playing Direct Choice at their own game -
:20:15. > :20:17.and in March, agreed to a visit from a rep.
:20:18. > :20:19.I told them, look you've come on a wild goose chase,
:20:20. > :20:24.As you can see the house has got brand new double
:20:25. > :20:28.glazing, we don't want it, but stop calling me.
:20:29. > :20:30.Incredibly, that still didn't do the trick -
:20:31. > :20:37.So Chris said, come on over, so they could see his brand
:20:38. > :20:50.The last rep I told stop calling me and go away.
:20:51. > :20:52.You've been fined for mis-selling, you've been fined for
:20:53. > :20:54.mis-representation, you've been fined for cold-calling.
:20:55. > :20:57.If you were the last company on earth I would never, ever,
:20:58. > :20:58.ever buy double glazing from Direct Choice.
:20:59. > :21:00.Now I would suggest you get off my property now.
:21:01. > :21:16.Go back to Swansea and tell them to stop calling me.
:21:17. > :21:18.23 times, tell them to stop calling me.
:21:19. > :21:29.It's making me angry now that they're still calling me.
:21:30. > :21:34.I've done everything I can do, so I just don't
:21:35. > :21:43.We've spotted a job advert, for telesales staff to join
:21:44. > :21:48.So one of our researchers went undercover in their Swansea call
:21:49. > :21:50.centre, to find out exactly what they're telling
:21:51. > :21:54.I'm calling you from a company called Direct Choice.
:21:55. > :21:57.The call centre is right next to the office of company
:21:58. > :22:01.Training is pretty basic - our researcher is initially told to
:22:02. > :22:04.So that's the script - that's what you need
:22:05. > :22:09.That's what we read to people on the phone.
:22:10. > :22:12.It says here that Direct Choice are investing a quarter of a million
:22:13. > :22:15.pounds in the area by subsidising the installation of windows.
:22:16. > :22:26.Our researcher questions one of the managers.
:22:27. > :22:29.Is that just to get them to agree to us?
:22:30. > :22:39.Do we genuinely pay a lot of the price for them?
:22:40. > :22:43.The cold-calling script also says staff should say they're doing
:22:44. > :22:47.a survey and just need to ask a couple of quick questions.
:22:48. > :22:53.We ask the Direct Marketing Association, which runs
:22:54. > :22:57.the Telephone Preference Service, what they make of this.
:22:58. > :22:59.It's called "sugging" which is selling under
:23:00. > :23:07.It's actually illegal under the PECR, Privacy
:23:08. > :23:10.and Electronic Communication Regulations.
:23:11. > :23:13.Our researcher is also told to call former customers to persuade them
:23:14. > :23:30.But many aren't too pleased about it.
:23:31. > :23:42.The manager's talking about existing customers.
:23:43. > :23:47.ignoring that request is against the law.
:23:48. > :23:52.It's probably one of the worst attitudes I've seen in the way
:23:53. > :23:57.Next we ask a legal expert to look at some of the tactics
:23:58. > :23:59.used by Direct Choice, like claiming to have
:24:00. > :24:20.It's all about keeping the consumer on the phone,
:24:21. > :24:22.keeping the conversation going, because they believe the longer
:24:23. > :24:24.you're on the phone the more likely you are to ultimately say yes,
:24:25. > :24:28.so they haven't sent a letter at all.
:24:29. > :24:45.if they'd like cheap or even free windows.
:24:46. > :24:48.They're all about making you think you're going to get a really good
:24:49. > :24:51.deal because they're going to cover a significant amount of the cost.
:24:52. > :24:56.Whether they are actually is a different matter entirely.
:24:57. > :25:14.Finally, a fake discount code given to customers - BS 179.
:25:15. > :25:16.I think we can guess what Direct Choice's
:25:17. > :25:23.That again is a misleading action about the specific price,
:25:24. > :25:27.the price advantage you think you're being given and to do
:25:28. > :25:33.We put the findings of our investigation to Richard Norris,
:25:34. > :25:37.The company told us they've now sacked one manager
:25:38. > :25:44.They claim their system does now filter out people on the TPS and say
:25:45. > :25:47.they will make sure all staff are trained to use
:25:48. > :25:52.Since their fine for pressure selling, they say reps have
:25:53. > :25:56.They've now fixed Allan Jones' conservatory -
:25:57. > :26:04.And as for employing Robert Norris, a convicted criminal,
:26:05. > :26:06.they say he only worked there for a week.
:26:07. > :26:09.But they didn't explain why they're still harassing customers who've
:26:10. > :26:11.asked not to be rung, and why their sales
:26:12. > :26:18.So I'm heading off to their Swansea call centre to see if I
:26:19. > :26:26.It's just before nine o'clock now and we're parked at the side
:26:27. > :26:28.of the Direct Choice offices, waiting to see whether Richard
:26:29. > :26:40.Then a few minutes later we spot him, and I head into the offices
:26:41. > :26:51.They claim he's off today - although we'd spotted him earlier.
:26:52. > :26:59.We just want to talk to him and ask him a few questions.
:27:00. > :27:03.So we check round the back, but it seems he's keeping
:27:04. > :27:05.a low profile, and then the shutters come down.
:27:06. > :27:09.So Direct Choice and its boss Richard Norris choosing not
:27:10. > :27:12.to answer our questions, but this is the company that doesn't
:27:13. > :27:20.respect your choice not to be called by them.
:27:21. > :27:22.Very frustrating - but we're going to be keeping
:27:23. > :27:25.an eye on Direct Choice, and if you've had any dealings
:27:26. > :27:30.Now, if you're being bothered by cold callers, make
:27:31. > :27:33.with the Telephone Preference Service.
:27:34. > :27:35.It only filters out companies based in the UK -
:27:36. > :27:38.but the good thing is, you can now register your mobile
:27:39. > :27:47.But, as we know some companies - and scammers - ignore this.
:27:48. > :27:52.If you're still getting calls a month after you've registered,
:27:53. > :27:55.get the name of the firm and take down the times and dates
:27:56. > :27:58.of the calls - and report it either to the TPS,
:27:59. > :28:00.or to the Information Commissioners Office,
:28:01. > :28:05.That's it for this week, but if there's anything
:28:06. > :28:08.you need our help with we are here for you, so please get in touch.
:28:09. > :28:10.The contact details are on the screen.
:28:11. > :28:17.Manhandled and abandoned - the shocking treatment of disabled
:28:18. > :28:21.air passengers by a company that's supposed to help them.
:28:22. > :28:24.I really, strongly feel that I will not fly on my