Episode 14 X-Ray

You are watching x-ray, the show that fights for your rights. If you

have been ripped off or that deal turns out to be dodgy, we will

battle it out on your behalf. Excuse me, you never checked those vehicles

when you sold them. We are here to fight your corner.

The 4x4S with some worrying rust problems!

It's dangerous and somebody's gonna get hurt.

Thomson's state-of-the-art Dreamliner promises

to "change the future of flying" sounds great - IF it turns up!

I didn't know how to tell my wife - this was our dream holiday

And it's every pet owner's worst nightmare -

we investigate the rise in dog thefts around Wales.

I don't know if he's alive, or I don't know if someone's got him

and if they're looking after him or if they're not looking after him.

First tonight - Rachel's been delving into a hidden problem

which is making some Nissan owners VERY nervous!

Sleek for the city and a popular off-roader too.

The D40 Navara's a 4 x 4 that not only looks good

but has some serious horsepower behind it too -

Since it went on sale in 2005, there's been no shortage of people

willing to fork out more than ?17,000 for one.

But underneath some of these 4x4s, there are flaws

that Nissan aren't quite so keen to shout out about.

Rust - causing serious weaknesses in the chassis,

The problem affects some models sold between 2005 and 2008.

But sheepdog trainer Malcom Jones from Swansea

He bought his 07 plate Navara five years ago.

Everything you wanted was in that car.

Sat nav, electric seats, electric windows and plenty of room

for my dogs in the back, so I couldn't wish for better.

Malcolm's Navara had served him well - until last November.

He and his wife were driving home when they heard a loud noise.

There was one hell of a mighty bang!

It was very frightening cos I didn't know what had happened.

And when Malcolm saw the damage, he couldn't believe his eyes.

All that was holding the car together was the tin

from the back where it's bolted onto the front.

Malcolm's daughter, Michelle, was shocked by her parents' close call.

They were going 60 on the motorway literally half an hour previous

to it snapping, so you know, dread to think

Nissan collected the car and agreed to pay Malcolm

And when Malcolm's family went online, they discovered

they weren't the only Navara owners with a problem chassis.

They found a facebook campaign, set up by Navara owners

Nissan has inspected - and offered to buy back

some vehicles with excessively rusty chassis.

But Gerwyn Davies from Pembrokeshire is far from happy

I dropped the car off down at the local MOT station.

The MOT inspector phoned me and said that there's a lot

Gerwyn, who bought his 55-plate Navara in May,

was surprised to learn of many other Navara owners

The problem was getting widescale,

and all of a sudden know I'm just thinking,

"Oh, my God, we've got a serious problem here."

I've got family who travel in the car with me.

I don't feel safe with them in there at all.

The local Nissan dealer arranged for the car to be inspected -

but Gerwyn says it was surprisingly brief.

He shuffled underneath my car with a camera phone.

Took photographs and told me the inspection was complete.

It's just not acceptable, in my own opinion.

And when Nissan delivered their verdict,

The car was fine to use and drive to which I replied

to Nissan how can you really tell that from a camera phone?

To which they reply I had also was that our technical team has

analysed the photographs and said it is fine.

So we asked independent vehicle inspector Gareth Rees

You can see there's quite a bit of corrosion

But Gareth suspects he's not seeing the full picture.

So he uses a special camera to look inside the chassis,

something Nissan didn't seem to do.

Immediately we can see quite a bit of corrosion

and deterioration on the interior of the chasis rail.

Now that's not displaying on the exterior of the chassis rail

so it's to a far higher degree on the interior.

There's aggressive corrosion going on.

There's a weakening from the inside out.

And it's only going to be a matter of time before that chassis

section's weakened to a point where it becomes unroadworthy

To me it seems to be a problem that's inherent from manufacture

because it's common to so many vehicles that I've looked at.

Gareth's urging Nissan to dig deep during their inspections -

because the extent of the rust could be well hidden.

I don't think in my opinion that taking external photographs

of the chassis is doing credit to the problem that's existing.

I think that there's got to be a more in-depth

examination and investigation to resolve this issue.

I think Nissan should recall these vehicles.

It's dangerous and somebody's going to get hurt.

Well, we asked Nissan what they're doing to reassure

worried Navara owners - and, crucially,

will they recall cars which could be affected?

Nissan insist there isn't a "safety issue", because corrosion

is a gradual process and routine maintenance should detect any

They admit they are aware of a "relatively small" number

of older D40 Navaras experiencing chassis corrosion.

They're offering free, independent inspections

"where appropriate" and, if issues are found,

which could include repairing or replacing the vehicle.

As for Gerwyn, who we saw in the film, they say their thorough

inspection didn't find excessive corrosion - but in light

of the concerns raised by our expert, Gareth Rees,

they're happy to look at the case again -

we've put Nissan's contact details on our website.

And if there's anything you'd like us to look into,

You can also send us an email [email protected] -

The angry Thomson's customers who didn't get the luxury trip

She said, sorry, we reserve the right to change the plane.

There's no compensation. There's no refund for the seating.

You can of course cancel but you'll lose all your money.

Next, I've been looking into a heart-breaking problem

affecting more and more families across Wales.

If you're a dog lover, you'll know all about that special bond.

They really do become part of the family!

We've had little Buddy here for about a year and a half

and I cannot imagine our lives without him.

But more and more pet owners like me are having to deal with

the sudden disappearence of the pet they love.

In the past three years, dog thefts have risen

and South wales is one of the UK's hotspots for dog-napping.

Two-year-old Sherbert is a Toy Poodle Bichon Frise cross

In October he was stolen from his home in Newport,

leaving owner Tricia Scott and her family devastated.

My son was only just 18 months when we got him

We'd had him from a puppy, brand-new, if you like.

My children kind of grew up with him,

so it was like having a third child, really.

So Tricia, this was the garden then that Sherbert was taken from?

He would come out to it from that cat flap, would he?

Yes, literally let himself in and out, as and when he needed to.

So I can see fencing and that gate doesn't open, does it?

No, that gate is actually nailed shut, and there's no way

it could have been left open accidentally,

So how do you think they got in then?

Well, on the other side of this fence is a public lane.

So I believe they would have come over the top of the gate

or the top of the fence, just down into the garden.

You wouldn't think that letting your dog out briefly

would put him in danger of being stolen.

Tricia has spread the word online and put up posters.

She's also sought the help of campaigner

and fellow Newport resident, Jayne Hayes.

Jayne set up her volunteer organisation from her home

In that time, she has dealt with 84,000 cases

Around a quarter of them were stolen.

I set it up after my own dog was stolen,

so I know exactly what these people are going through.

Though I had no idea how many other people were suffering.

Up to 20-25% more calls are coming in.

And trying to find these stolen pets keeps Jayne very busy.

Do you have much success reuniting dogs with their owners?

Yes, that's why I do it - that's why we all do it.

85% of dogs we get back. We believe nothing disappears into thin air.

You've just got to keep going and going.

Jayne shows me her list of dogs currently missing in Wales.

You get a whole profile, where he went missing, pictures,

posters, how many views - 10,547 so far.

That's amazing - there's been 10,000 views on him.

Then underneath, all the sightings, what's happening,

when the owner's posting updates and other dog owners

are coming on sort of giving encouragement.

Quite often people say that's the only thing

that keeps them going, knowing that someone cares,

total strangers willing to help them.

The most valuable targets for thieves are small,

pedigree breeds like French bulldogs and Chihuahuas -

along with working dogs in rural areas.

South Wales and Gwent police recorded more than 320 dog thefts

in the last five years - but only 14 people were charged.

The punishment does not fit the crime.

They hand out a sentence as though it were a mobile phone

And until we get those levels up of punishment,

we're going to see an increase even more and more.

In desperation, Tricia offered a reward for

Sherbert's safe return - but it brought more heartache.

We had one caller, literally a few days before Christmas,

And unfortunately it turned into more sort of harassment,

so he was constantly calling Christmas Day, Boxing Day,

In the end it was from five or six different numbers

and we did have to get the police involved in it.

He was claiming he had the dog

He sent a picture, one of my pictures in the house

of the dog, and was asking me to send the money up front.

It's been four months since Sherbert was stolen -

And not being able to tell my kids what's happening,

I don't know if he's alive, or I don't know if someone's got him

and if they're looking after him or if they're not looking after him.

Well, Becky Baker from the Dogs Trust is with me -

Becky, this is a nightmare scenario for any family,

who is taking these dogs, what are they doing with them?

So unfortunately buying dogs online is a massive trade at the moment.

They're stealing dogs to put them into that trade, especially,

if they are designer breeds such as French bulldogs,

dachshunds, they are going to be fuelling that trade.

What can people do to reduce the chances

So it's always important to think about making your garden secure.

No obvious gaps in your garden, padlocks on gates,

make sure they can't climb over the fence as well.

And what about signs like this that some people have

in windows of their homes, what do you make of that?

Not ideal - you're advertising that that a dog lives there.

If they notice your car's not on the drive

or no lights on, people may use that as a target.

Microchipping is now law, it's been the law since April last year.

It's really important that whether you purchase a dog or rescue

a dog, make sure it's microchipped before you take it home.

Dogs Trust do it for free, and also your vetinerary

service in your local area will do it for a small fee,

So microchips are usually in the back of the neck but it's

important to check the shoulders as well, because they can slip.

You can see a 16 or 14-digit code on the back of the neck there.

If I put that into a database that would show all my details

Her breed, her age, so they could reunite Sansa with me.

What should you do if the worst happens and your dog is taken?

It's important to contact the police.

It's also important to contact the dog warden

and local dog rescue centres and veterinary surgeries

to see if anyone has brought them in.

Becky, thank you. Next, it's time for a news update.

Remember those faulty Hotpoint, Indesit and Creda tumble dryers

Anyone waiting for a repair had been told they could continue using them,

But Trading Standards has intervened, and now parent company

Whirlpool are telling customers to unplug them and not use them

Check out Whirlpool's website for details.

Could you sleep through a noisy smoke alarm?

Well, it seems that due to their high-pitched frequency,

Now, researchers have developed a new alarm with a lower pitch

and a woman's voice, warning that the house is on fire.

Derbyshire Fire Service are looking for 500 families

And we're often urged to switch energy suppliers

But British Gas will be rewarding its customers with

Millions of people will be offered deals and discounts for things

Next, if you're booking a trip of a lifetime,

you want to make sure every detail is planned to perfection.

But Rachel's been looking into one travel company which doesn't always

deliver the dream it describes in the brochures.

Air travel has changed quite a bit over the years.

As propellers made way for jet engines,

planes became larger, faster and altogether more comfortable.

Now let's face it, if you're flying halfway around the world on holiday,

you want that journey to be as relaxing as possible.

And if you want to go that extra air mile,

you might even consider booking a seat

on the latest luxury airliner.

Like this one - the Thomson 787 Dreamliner.

The company boasts it's the most stylish way to fly.

Well, it's spacious - with more legroom and head room.

It's got mood lighting that mimics dawn and dusk.

And it even has lower cabin pressure clock, apparently.

so more oxygen can be absorbed into your blood.

It certainly appealed to Garth and Sandra Caswell

Living just a mile from Cardiff airport,

they wanted to book the trip of a lifetime.

Sandra and I had always looked forward to using

our retirement to do, like most people, certain things.

And one of those was travelling on perhaps long haul flights.

For years, Sandra has suffered from chronic pain in her hips -

and wouldn't be able to spend nine hours on a plane,

So Garth popped into a Thomson travel agent for some advice

So you know the cruise we've just booked?

It was a two week Caribbean cruise, costing ?5,000.

They'd be flying from Cardiff airport - on the Dreamliner.

What they've said is, it's definitely a Dreamliner.

It's got all the comfy seats,

so you won't have to worry about your hip.

This lady confirmed it's true, look at the brochure,

And it was that that allowed us to book the flight.

So it seemed the Caswells' dream of jetting off

on a Caribbean adventure was finally taking flight.

But just a few days before departure,

Garth phoned the company to double-check

a few details about the holiday and the flight.

When I first asked the question about the Dreamliner, she hesitated.

And that was my first clue that something might be wrong.

She came back and apologised and said,

well actually, it was never going to be a Dreamliner.

She said, Sorry, we reserve the right to change the plane.

You can of course cancel but you'll lose all your money.

this was our dream holiday and suddenly it was shattered.

Unfortunately, Garth and Sandra aren't the only Thomson customers

who've had Dreamliner nightmares.

Jason Edwards from Aberdare paid extra to fly from Manchester

airport, just so his family could have the Dreamliner experience

But the aircraft wasn't available on the way out

And spare a thought for Rebekah Ings from Narberth in Pembrokeshire.

Her dad had paid for the whole family to fly off to Florida,

on a holiday that cost more than ?12,000.

But when they all arrived at Gatwick, guess what?

In Cardiff, Vicky Ward only booked her cruise around

the Persian Gulf with Thomson because the Dreamliner came as part

My partner and I recently got engaged so it was going to be

a lovely holiday, the two of us, first time abroad together.

I was very disappointed. there and back on a 767.

It was just not what we thought it was going to be.

At one point I almost burst into tears.

It's the same story, over and over again.

Thomson brochures - and staff - seem to promise

But tucked away in the small print,

there's a get-out clause, which says...

"Occasionally it may be necessary to change the aircraft type".

And the customers we've spoken to insist that wasn't made clear.

Our holiday wasn't what it was supposed to be.

That it was going to start and finish with something

It left a nasty taste in our mouth.

And for me personally I'd always wanted to go on such a plane.

And I feel betrayed by Thomson for that reason.

they're sorry for any about this and they say

"misunderstanding and disappointment".

They insist they sometimes have to change their "flying schedule",

And they say their terms and conditions state

that the availability of certain aircraft is never 100% guaranteed.

So I'm afraid they won't be paying out.

Now if you're in the market for a new motor, you may

want to check out its history before you buy.

But one viewer from Aberdare wasn't too impressed

with the "deal" on offer at his local garage.

When Evan Macier spotted a Ford Focus he liked online,

he headed to Evans Halshaw in Treforest to take a closer look.

While I was waiting for the salesman to become available I was just

having a look at some of the other cars and then that's when I noticed

The notice on the windscreen advertised

a "vehicle administration fee" on top of the price of the car.

It said for ?99 they would tax the car, register the car,

but also carry out checks for you to make sure

there's no outstanding finance, the car wasn't stolen

and it wasn't involved in an accident.

But charging for these checks set alarm bells ringing for Evan -

who was once Wales' youngest magistrate!

I asked him, were any of the cars stolen - he said no.

I said have of these cars had outstanding finance -

I said so what's the ?99 fee for, and he goes, it's like an insurance.

That seemed a bit strange to me because surely

if you've done your checks correctly, that shouldn't happen.

the admin fee was "optional" - eye" noticed

but he says the salesman didn't agree!

He told me it was a compulsory thing.

So for them to charge this fee which for me was unjustified,

So Evan, I take it you didn't buy the car?

Well, we asked Evans Halshaw about this.

They insist their ?99 vehicle administration fee is optional.

They're investigating why our viewer Evan was told that it's compulsory

and say they'll carry out extra staff training if it's needed.

Well, motoring expert Tim Shallcross is with me.

but in my view it's definitely sharp practice.

The price on the windscreen should be the price you pay.

They're trying to charge you over some flimsy excuse over things

they would do for their own peace of mind like checking

no outstanding finance or checking the car hasn't been stolen.

They do that before they put it on the forecourt.

Registering the sale with the DVLA, that means putting a form

in an envelope and putting it in a letterbox.

They've got to do it by law, they're trying to charge you for it.

It takes ten seconds and you can do it online.

Yes, these are all checks we can do ourselves.

Yeah, you can check the entire MOT history of the car from a government

And if you do want to do a vehicle history check, which is important,

you can get those checks between ?10 and ?30.

And thanks to technology, a lot of these checks you can do

on your mobile phone yourself on the garage forecourt.

Absolutely. There are apps all over the place.

Standing on the forecourt, enter the registration

number and it'll tell you the complete history.

You pay a small charge for that, but it's well worth it

Brilliant, Tim, thank you so much.

And that's it for this week - but if you need our help

with anything at all, get in touch!

why did Clifford send thousands of pounds worth of music vouchers

They're very clever - you do feel as though you've been

hypnotised by them and you're completely

We'll see you at the same time next Monday.