0:00:02 > 0:00:05You're watching X-Ray - the show that fights for your rights.
0:00:07 > 0:00:10If you've been ripped off...
0:00:10 > 0:00:14Or that deal turns out to be dodgy...
0:00:14 > 0:00:17We'll battle it out on your behalf.
0:00:18 > 0:00:20No, no, no! Excuse me - don't manhandle me!
0:00:20 > 0:00:23You never checked those vehicles when you sold them.
0:00:23 > 0:00:26We're here to fight your corner.
0:00:39 > 0:00:45Tonight, the residents facing big bills for parking in their own spaces.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49There's now a further 25 tickets.
0:00:49 > 0:00:53We are probably looking at upwards of £5,000.
0:00:53 > 0:00:56- It's stopped for a minute.- Oh, good!
0:00:58 > 0:01:01How's this for a relaxing holiday view?
0:01:01 > 0:01:05Angela's battle for compensation from her travel firm.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08What we went through there, it wasn't a holiday.
0:01:08 > 0:01:10It really spoilt it.
0:01:10 > 0:01:15The robots are rising, and they're buying up all our gig tickets.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18I'll be finding out what's being done to stop them.
0:01:21 > 0:01:26First tonight, the families who've been charged for parking
0:01:26 > 0:01:30in their own spaces outside their own homes.
0:01:32 > 0:01:39The Liberty Stadium - the jewel in the sporting crown of Swansea.
0:01:39 > 0:01:43This 20,000-capacity venue often hears the roar from fans
0:01:43 > 0:01:45of the Swans and the Ospreys alike.
0:01:47 > 0:01:52But when the Copper Quarter estate was built nearby in 2006,
0:01:52 > 0:01:57the people living there began to worry about their roads being clogged up by fans parking there.
0:01:59 > 0:02:01A new scheme was brought in here
0:02:01 > 0:02:04to manage parking problems on match day,
0:02:04 > 0:02:07but far from helping them,
0:02:07 > 0:02:10it's left some of the residents seeing red.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13The reason for this anger -
0:02:13 > 0:02:18local firm Millennium Parking Services, or MPS.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21Three years ago, they were contracted by landowner
0:02:21 > 0:02:26Barratt Homes to stop freeloaders using the estate as a car park.
0:02:26 > 0:02:30But it's residents like Naomi Joyce
0:02:30 > 0:02:33who feel THEY'RE in the line of fire.
0:02:33 > 0:02:34This is my space.
0:02:34 > 0:02:38On a morning of December, 2015, I came down to find
0:02:38 > 0:02:43a parking charge notice stuck to the driver's side window of my car.
0:02:44 > 0:02:47I was obviously flabbergasted.
0:02:47 > 0:02:49I've lived here for six years, I've always parked in this space,
0:02:49 > 0:02:52this has always been my allocated space, and yeah,
0:02:52 > 0:02:54very angry and upset about the whole thing, really.
0:02:54 > 0:02:59Naomi did have a parking permit, but MPS said she was still being
0:02:59 > 0:03:04charged £100, because it had been obscured.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06Another parking ticket had blown over the top.
0:03:06 > 0:03:10Does that justify a £100 fine? No, not in my book.
0:03:12 > 0:03:14To add insult to injury,
0:03:14 > 0:03:18Naomi's charge wasn't even issued on a match day, and neither was
0:03:18 > 0:03:23a parking notice slapped on her brother's car late one night.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26They tried to get the required visitors' permit
0:03:26 > 0:03:30from Barratt Homes' sales office, but it was closed.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33The only people that would be here at near midnight would be
0:03:33 > 0:03:38residents, owners or genuine visitors of residents or owners,
0:03:38 > 0:03:40so there's no excuse for it, really.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45On the other side of the Copper Quarter estate,
0:03:45 > 0:03:49tenant Kathryn Lacey has also had problems with MPS.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52Despite having a residents' permit,
0:03:52 > 0:03:56over a year, she racked up four £100 parking charges.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00So the first ticket was issued in this space here.
0:04:00 > 0:04:05MPS said Kathryn's permit wasn't visible on her dashboard,
0:04:05 > 0:04:09but she says she had a valid excuse.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12I looked to see where my permit was, and it was on the floor
0:04:12 > 0:04:15at the time, so it was visible from outside of the car.
0:04:15 > 0:04:20Kathryn e-mailed MPS offering proof that she was a tenant.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23The lease-hold on her flat also shows that, as a resident,
0:04:23 > 0:04:26she has the right to allocated parking.
0:04:26 > 0:04:30A month later, she found another ticket on her windscreen, but
0:04:30 > 0:04:35she managed to corner the MPS patrol man and explain she was a tenant.
0:04:35 > 0:04:39He said it was too late, the ticket had been issued and I had to pay it.
0:04:39 > 0:04:43She was ticketed again just hours later,
0:04:43 > 0:04:48and then got a fourth parking charge ten months after that.
0:04:48 > 0:04:54Each time, MPS say her permit wasn't correctly displayed in her windscreen.
0:04:54 > 0:04:59They've been trying to make hundreds, possibly thousands,
0:04:59 > 0:05:04off of us in the end, and we're not standing for that.
0:05:04 > 0:05:08A number of residents voiced their concerns
0:05:08 > 0:05:10at a meeting with Barratt Homes last May.
0:05:10 > 0:05:15Soon after, the company terminated its arrangement with MPS.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18Most of Millennium's signage has come down,
0:05:18 > 0:05:21and the parking operator has long gone,
0:05:21 > 0:05:25but for the residents here, it isn't game over.
0:05:25 > 0:05:29The company is still threatening tenants with court action
0:05:29 > 0:05:33if they haven't paid outstanding parking notices.
0:05:33 > 0:05:38Kirsty is being chased for a whopping 28 tickets.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41We've already paid £600,
0:05:41 > 0:05:44and my understanding is that there's now a further 25 tickets,
0:05:44 > 0:05:50so we're probably looking at upwards of £5,000 for the privilege
0:05:50 > 0:05:52of parking in our own car parking space.
0:05:54 > 0:05:58Kirsty says she tried to get a permit from her letting agent,
0:05:58 > 0:06:03her landlord and Barratt Homes, but had no luck.
0:06:03 > 0:06:08In the end, she decided to move out to escape any further charges,
0:06:08 > 0:06:12but MPS says she still owes them the money.
0:06:12 > 0:06:16I think the saddest part is that moving out hasn't really helped, anyway.
0:06:16 > 0:06:18Two years down the line, we're still dealing with it,
0:06:18 > 0:06:22still being taken to court for it currently for another two tickets,
0:06:22 > 0:06:26out of the 28, and it's just quite stressful.
0:06:30 > 0:06:34Kathryn, meanwhile, has refused to pay her charges.
0:06:34 > 0:06:38It's finally her day in court against Millennium Parking Services.
0:06:40 > 0:06:44A little bit nervous, I suppose. This kind of thing should never
0:06:44 > 0:06:47have been allowed to escalate to the point that it has now.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52After half an hour sat in the same courtroom
0:06:52 > 0:06:55as Millennium Parking Services' owner, David Bellis,
0:06:55 > 0:06:58Kathryn's case was adjourned.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00Some of the tenancy agreements were missing,
0:07:00 > 0:07:04so we've got to provide the rest of the documents to complete that
0:07:04 > 0:07:08and prove our case, so we will send in our documents
0:07:08 > 0:07:10and we will complete the case and we will win.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13Well, Millennium Parking Services told us they have
0:07:13 > 0:07:15a legal right to enforce the charges,
0:07:15 > 0:07:18and that their terms and conditions were clearly displayed
0:07:18 > 0:07:21on more than 90 signs across the estate.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24They add that most of the residents living in the 600 homes
0:07:24 > 0:07:27were happy to display the permits clearly in the windscreens,
0:07:27 > 0:07:32but that didn't happen in Naomi, Kathryn and Kirsty's cases.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35They also told us any late call-outs were at the request
0:07:35 > 0:07:38of residents and the landowner, Barratt Homes.
0:07:38 > 0:07:42Now, if there's anything you want us to look into, please get in touch.
0:07:42 > 0:07:47The number to call is...
0:07:47 > 0:07:51You can e-mail...
0:07:51 > 0:07:54Or send us a tweet at...
0:07:54 > 0:07:55Still to come tonight...
0:07:57 > 0:08:00We ask shoppers here in Porthcawl
0:08:00 > 0:08:02what they make of the new pound coin.
0:08:02 > 0:08:07- It's like a thruppence! - Oh, do you think?- Yeah, but posher.
0:08:07 > 0:08:11Now, we all look forward to getting away from it,
0:08:11 > 0:08:15a bit of relaxing summer sun, but what if your holiday
0:08:15 > 0:08:19doesn't live up to the promises made in the brochure?
0:08:19 > 0:08:24Well, that's the complaint we keep getting about one travel firm.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28Thomson family holiday...
0:08:28 > 0:08:31They're the world's largest travel firm.
0:08:31 > 0:08:35TUI Group, owners of Thomson and First Choice,
0:08:35 > 0:08:41with 20 million customers. But some of those customers aren't happy.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44Last autumn, Nev and Cynthia told us about
0:08:44 > 0:08:48the building work which ruined their holiday to Mauritius.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51- They actually drained the pool totally.- Scaffolding.- Scaffolding.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54There was dust absolutely everywhere.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56Three months earlier,
0:08:56 > 0:09:01Gary Williams and Jackie Lewis faced similar problems at the same resort.
0:09:01 > 0:09:04Thomson failed to warn either couple about the work.
0:09:06 > 0:09:10You'd hope lessons would have been learned,
0:09:10 > 0:09:14especially with so many of us looking to escape the Welsh weather
0:09:14 > 0:09:17over the next few months and go for our holiday in the sun.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19Brrr!
0:09:19 > 0:09:22But we're still getting similar complaints.
0:09:26 > 0:09:30Angela and Doug Powell wanted to celebrate their anniversary
0:09:30 > 0:09:33in style, so, just before Christmas,
0:09:33 > 0:09:38they chose a break with First Choice to Fuerteventura in the Canaries.
0:09:38 > 0:09:42It was our 59th wedding anniversary and because we hadn't had
0:09:42 > 0:09:45a holiday for eight years with my daughter,
0:09:45 > 0:09:48we took some of our savings and we thought, "Right,
0:09:48 > 0:09:52"this is going to be really lovely and it's going to be worth it."
0:09:52 > 0:09:56They couldn't wait to relax on their balcony and enjoy the view,
0:09:56 > 0:09:59but it wasn't quite what they'd hoped for.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01LOUD DRILLING
0:10:01 > 0:10:03When I looked out through the patio doors,
0:10:03 > 0:10:06I could see about six men and they were shouting on the top of
0:10:06 > 0:10:11their voices, then I see barrels coming down with loads of stuff,
0:10:11 > 0:10:14and there was one heck of a racket.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17- It's stopped for a minute.- Oh, good.
0:10:17 > 0:10:21All this started before seven o'clock this morning, wasn't it?
0:10:21 > 0:10:23DRILLING RESUMES
0:10:23 > 0:10:25There it goes again. Here it starts.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27On day two of their holiday,
0:10:27 > 0:10:31they were moved to another part of the complex opposite a noisy bar,
0:10:31 > 0:10:36and the building work continued around the pool and restaurant.
0:10:36 > 0:10:40They'd been hacking and knocking walls down, there was dust
0:10:40 > 0:10:43flying around - it was going on till seven in the night.
0:10:45 > 0:10:49Angela complained both, during the holiday and when she got home,
0:10:49 > 0:10:52but hasn't been offered any compensation.
0:10:52 > 0:10:56Travel lawyer Nick Harris says that's not good enough.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59In resorts, tour operators have a lot of staff who should be
0:10:59 > 0:11:01reporting these things back.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04If somebody books something, they're relying on the promises made,
0:11:04 > 0:11:07and, if those turn out to be false or untrue,
0:11:07 > 0:11:10then there should be no contract, it should be the tour operator
0:11:10 > 0:11:13that is putting this absolutely right for Angela.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20And it's not just holidays ruined by building work.
0:11:20 > 0:11:24We've heard from customers who said they paid for one thing only to
0:11:24 > 0:11:29discover they were actually going to get something very different.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32Simon Hughes from Rhyl was looking forward
0:11:32 > 0:11:35to two weeks in Cuba with his wife and family.
0:11:35 > 0:11:39I was just so excited to be going to somewhere different that I've
0:11:39 > 0:11:42never really envisaged that I'd be able to afford to go.
0:11:42 > 0:11:46They chose a suite at the Grand Memories Hotel,
0:11:46 > 0:11:50advertised on the First Choice website as new for 2017.
0:11:52 > 0:11:56The pictures drew us straight in. It looked absolutely fantastic.
0:11:56 > 0:12:00It was a brand-new property which was exciting, because we thought,
0:12:00 > 0:12:02it's going to be so clean and so modern.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05We absolutely fell in love with the place.
0:12:07 > 0:12:11But then Simon discovered the hotel wasn't new,
0:12:11 > 0:12:14but partly refurbished, and he wouldn't be getting
0:12:14 > 0:12:17the pristine room he thought he'd booked.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20We were just going to get an outdated and refurbished room
0:12:20 > 0:12:23that's been around for several years.
0:12:23 > 0:12:27I was absolutely fuming, because I paid £500 deposit
0:12:27 > 0:12:30so far and what for?
0:12:31 > 0:12:36Other holiday makers shared similar problems on this Facebook group.
0:12:36 > 0:12:40Simon complained to his tour operator, but also to Abta,
0:12:40 > 0:12:42the trade body for the travel industry.
0:12:42 > 0:12:47They fined the TUI group, owners of Thomson and First Choice 48 times
0:12:47 > 0:12:51in the last two years for breaching their code of conduct.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54If there was significant building work going on, we would
0:12:54 > 0:12:56require them first of all to tell you about it before you went,
0:12:56 > 0:12:59and, if it's going to significantly impair your enjoyment of the
0:12:59 > 0:13:01holiday, give the option to go somewhere else.
0:13:01 > 0:13:05When you book a room, you are very reliant on the description given
0:13:05 > 0:13:09to you by your travel company, so that needs to be accurate as well.
0:13:09 > 0:13:15When holiday makers fail to resolve disputes with their travel companies, Abta can step in.
0:13:15 > 0:13:20Last year, it received almost 13,000 complaints,
0:13:20 > 0:13:23but only fined its members 109 times.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26We will always fine somebody if they breach the code of conduct,
0:13:26 > 0:13:29but fines aren't always the best way to deal with a problem.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32It's about raising standards, making sure people have decent holidays
0:13:32 > 0:13:35and making sure the problems don't occur in the first place,
0:13:35 > 0:13:37that's the primary purpose of the code of conduct -
0:13:37 > 0:13:40it's not to raise money, it's to make sure that people have good holidays.
0:13:40 > 0:13:44And that's what Simon and Angela want, too.
0:13:44 > 0:13:49I will never book a hotel again, or a package deal, with Thomson.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52I've lost complete confidence in the company.
0:13:52 > 0:13:56We paid the money, we wanted a quiet holiday and a restful holiday,
0:13:56 > 0:13:59and we didn't get it.
0:13:59 > 0:14:01Did not get it.
0:14:02 > 0:14:07Well, Thomson say they're sorry that Angela was unhappy with her holiday.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10They blame a small amount of emergency maintenance work which
0:14:10 > 0:14:16began the day before she arrived, and they say this is rare... Hmm.
0:14:16 > 0:14:17But there is good news for Simon.
0:14:17 > 0:14:22Thomson have apologised, and they've given him a £700 upgrade
0:14:22 > 0:14:27to a different hotel, and he is delighted.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30Now, if you've had any problems with your holidays, please do let us know
0:14:30 > 0:14:35because we're back in the summer with a special travel programme.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38Next, if you have a dig around in your purse or pocket,
0:14:38 > 0:14:43chances are you may find one or two of these one pound coins.
0:14:43 > 0:14:47Now, they've been around for more than 30 years.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50But this week, a new pound coin has been launched.
0:14:50 > 0:14:54Let's see what shoppers here in Porthcawl make of it.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58- Did you know there was one coming in?- I didn't.- You didn't?
0:14:58 > 0:14:59- No idea at all?- No.
0:14:59 > 0:15:01- Have you seen one yet?- I haven't.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04Dah-dah! What do you think? Have a look.
0:15:04 > 0:15:06- Oh!- It looks more shiny than the other one.
0:15:06 > 0:15:10- It's quite light, isn't it?- Hm-mm. Have you seen one?- No.
0:15:10 > 0:15:12- Do you want to take a look? - Oh, my gosh!
0:15:12 > 0:15:15- It is...how many sided?- It's 12.- Oh!
0:15:15 > 0:15:17Giving it away, are you?
0:15:17 > 0:15:18No, I'm not giving it away!
0:15:18 > 0:15:20I'm hanging onto it, thank you very much!
0:15:20 > 0:15:22Do you know why they've brought them in?
0:15:22 > 0:15:25- Um... Is it because of fraud?- It is. - Copying the pound coins.
0:15:25 > 0:15:29- Won't take 'em long to forge it again.- Shape of it.
0:15:29 > 0:15:31Like the old thrupenny piece.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34- Let's have a look. What's this? - Thrupenny bit.- No way!- Yeah.
0:15:34 > 0:15:36- You're too young to remember. - Gosh, look at that.
0:15:36 > 0:15:38You're right - they are similar.
0:15:38 > 0:15:40Do you know how it's going to work with the changeover?
0:15:40 > 0:15:42Do you think your old ones will still work in the machine?
0:15:42 > 0:15:44Probably not.
0:15:44 > 0:15:46Are they going to change all the shopping trolleys,
0:15:46 > 0:15:48so that you can use them for that?
0:15:48 > 0:15:50It's going to be mayhem, isn't it?
0:15:50 > 0:15:53- Do you think?- I think so!
0:15:53 > 0:15:55Well, to clear up any confusion
0:15:55 > 0:15:57about the launch of the new one pound coin,
0:15:57 > 0:16:01I've come to the Royal Mint to talk to Chris Barker.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04- Hi.- Hiya.- You've been pretty busy here, haven't you?- We have, yes.
0:16:04 > 0:16:05For the last 12 months,
0:16:05 > 0:16:10we've been producing the one pound coin on 12 presses, 450 per minute.
0:16:10 > 0:16:12It equates to about four million a day.
0:16:12 > 0:16:14We're hitting new production records.
0:16:14 > 0:16:16How many are you producing in total?
0:16:16 > 0:16:18We have a roundabout stockpile at the moment of 700 million,
0:16:18 > 0:16:21and in total we're aiming for about 1.5 billion,
0:16:21 > 0:16:25so it gives you a huge idea of the job involved in producing this coin.
0:16:25 > 0:16:27So tell me a little bit about the new coin, then.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30Well, what you have here is you've got several features on there.
0:16:30 > 0:16:32So what you're looking at is the two-colour appearance,
0:16:32 > 0:16:35the bi-metallic appearance, this makes it more harder for
0:16:35 > 0:16:38counterfeiters to produce, as does the 12 sides that you see here.
0:16:38 > 0:16:40Much more difficult to make.
0:16:40 > 0:16:42Then you've got other special features on here,
0:16:42 > 0:16:46such as this below the Queen's portrait here.
0:16:46 > 0:16:48Now, this is like a holographic feature,
0:16:48 > 0:16:51so, if you turn it one side, you can see a one,
0:16:51 > 0:16:54turn it to another side, you'll see the £1 symbol.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56Then you've got things like covert security,
0:16:56 > 0:17:01which is the special additive to the nickel plating in the centre,
0:17:01 > 0:17:04which will then be picked up by machines in cash centres
0:17:04 > 0:17:08and banks in order for the security purposes to prevent counterfeiting.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11- And is that what the launch of this coin is all about?- It is, yeah.
0:17:11 > 0:17:13It's all about combating counterfeiting.
0:17:13 > 0:17:15The round pound has become susceptible to counterfeiting
0:17:15 > 0:17:17over the last few years,
0:17:17 > 0:17:20and round about 45 million round pounds today are now counterfeit.
0:17:20 > 0:17:22So this is an attempt,
0:17:22 > 0:17:25a way of dealing with that counterfeiting problem, and what
0:17:25 > 0:17:28we're producing here is probably the most secure coin in the world.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31So how is the changeover going to work, then, Chris?
0:17:31 > 0:17:34Well, there's going to be a period of six months where the two coins will run side by side,
0:17:34 > 0:17:38then, from October 15th, the round pound will be demonetarised.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41So we're hoping and encouraging people to get out there and spend
0:17:41 > 0:17:45their round pounds in that six-month changeover period, because what will
0:17:45 > 0:17:48happen is that those round pounds will come back to us and then
0:17:48 > 0:17:51we can re-use that metal for producing the new one pound coin.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54Do you anticipate any problems with the changeover?
0:17:54 > 0:17:57Are people going to find themselves a bit frustrated if their coin
0:17:57 > 0:18:00doesn't work in the parking meter or doesn't work in the trolley?
0:18:00 > 0:18:05There may well be occasions when they come across some machines which will accept one or the other.
0:18:05 > 0:18:09We do know that about 60% of vending machines are ready to take both,
0:18:09 > 0:18:12and we also know that the vast majority of supermarkets are
0:18:12 > 0:18:15very confident that their trolleys will also accept both coins,
0:18:15 > 0:18:18so I would advise people, just for a safeguard,
0:18:18 > 0:18:21keep a stock of both coins handy, you know, in your car
0:18:21 > 0:18:24or in your pockets or in your purses, ready to use just in case.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27Good thinking. Chris, thank you very much.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30And we'll put all of that information on our website for you.
0:18:30 > 0:18:32Next, it's time for a news update.
0:18:36 > 0:18:42Changes that bring cheques into the 21st century are to be phased in from October.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45At the moment, it takes up to six days for money to clear after
0:18:45 > 0:18:50a cheque is paid into the bank, but soon, it'll take just a day,
0:18:50 > 0:18:53and some customers will be able to pay in cheques via pictures
0:18:53 > 0:18:55on their banking apps.
0:18:55 > 0:19:02Parking will be reduced or even free in some town centres from tomorrow.
0:19:02 > 0:19:06In a move to support local high streets, there'll be no charges
0:19:06 > 0:19:11to park in council car parks in Porth, Tonypandy and Mountain Ash.
0:19:11 > 0:19:16In Aberdare and Pontypridd, parking will cost no more than £2 a day.
0:19:16 > 0:19:23And there are fears changes to the rental market could push up rents for private tenants.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26From next month, tax relief on buy-to-let mortgage interest
0:19:26 > 0:19:30payments will be slashed, hitting many landlords financially.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33The National Landlords Association warns
0:19:33 > 0:19:35members may sell up or increase rents.
0:19:37 > 0:19:42Now, have you ever had trouble getting in to see your favourite band?
0:19:42 > 0:19:45Well, Omar's been investigating who or what
0:19:45 > 0:19:49has been snaffling up all the concert tickets.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56Olly Olly Olly! Oi! Oi! Oi!
0:19:58 > 0:20:02For music fans, there's nothing more exciting than seeing your
0:20:02 > 0:20:04favourite star perform in the flesh.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07We love Olly!
0:20:07 > 0:20:09But where there are excited music fans,
0:20:09 > 0:20:13there are ticket touts ready to take advantage.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16I always thought that a ticket tout was a dodgy guy walking up and
0:20:16 > 0:20:20down a queue like this in a trench coat saying, "Do you want a ticket?"
0:20:20 > 0:20:24But like many things, touting has now gone hi-tech.
0:20:24 > 0:20:28Sophisticated software known as bots is used to hoover up hundreds
0:20:28 > 0:20:33of tickets at a time before real fans get the chance to buy them.
0:20:33 > 0:20:37The touts will then sell them online at an inflated cost.
0:20:37 > 0:20:41It's a frustration music fan Bethan knows all too well.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44I was trying to get tickets for a Fallout Boy concert.
0:20:44 > 0:20:46As soon as the tickets went on sale,
0:20:46 > 0:20:49I went through all the process of putting in all your card details.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52When I pressed, "proceed to checkout", it came up saying,
0:20:52 > 0:20:55"Sorry, they're all sold out."
0:20:55 > 0:20:57It literally happened within minutes.
0:20:57 > 0:21:01Bethan was confused about how this could happen.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04I'm shocked that they could go that quickly. I couldn't have got
0:21:04 > 0:21:07in there any earlier. I couldn't have typed it in any faster.
0:21:07 > 0:21:11I understand why Bethan is so annoyed.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14Don't tell anyone, but I am a massive Coldplay fan,
0:21:14 > 0:21:18and this year they are only playing one city in the whole of the UK.
0:21:18 > 0:21:20Cardiff. So I thought it was a sign.
0:21:20 > 0:21:22I went online, tried to get a ticket,
0:21:22 > 0:21:24it was sold out within minutes.
0:21:24 > 0:21:25I was heartbroken.
0:21:25 > 0:21:29But when I checked on resale sites like these, tickets were
0:21:29 > 0:21:33being advertised for hundreds of pounds above their original price.
0:21:33 > 0:21:35Now, we've got no way of knowing for sure,
0:21:35 > 0:21:39but some of these tickets could have been bought by the bots.
0:21:39 > 0:21:46So what is a bot? Catherine Tryfona knows all about them.
0:21:46 > 0:21:51A bot is a piece of software that does a task that a human would normally do,
0:21:51 > 0:21:54and, if you've ever bought tickets online,
0:21:54 > 0:21:57you will know that it can be a little bit tedious.
0:21:57 > 0:22:01You have to put in your contact details and your payment details,
0:22:01 > 0:22:07but bots are able to do that automatically and they can do it very accurately and very quickly.
0:22:07 > 0:22:09When I go on a website to buy tickets,
0:22:09 > 0:22:11it says that I'm limited to a certain number per person.
0:22:11 > 0:22:13How do the bots get around that?
0:22:13 > 0:22:18Quite often, these organisations will have lots of different addresses to use in the form,
0:22:18 > 0:22:21or they may have lots of different credit cards, and usually
0:22:21 > 0:22:24a combination of the two, but that's usually their workaround.
0:22:24 > 0:22:31Very sneaky, but what about the seemingly foolproof "I am not a robot" test?
0:22:31 > 0:22:32So, when you tick that box,
0:22:32 > 0:22:36the software is checking things like how long it took you to fill
0:22:36 > 0:22:40out the form, or the way you moved the cursor into the box
0:22:40 > 0:22:43to determine whether you are in fact a human or a robot.
0:22:43 > 0:22:47They will sometimes give you an additional puzzle.
0:22:47 > 0:22:51Some organisations are hiring lots of people in essentially what
0:22:51 > 0:22:55are sweat shops to solve these images and send the answers
0:22:55 > 0:22:59- back live to the bot software. - So the bots are definitely winning?
0:22:59 > 0:23:01At the moment, yes.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04It doesn't seem to matter what sort of barriers we put up,
0:23:04 > 0:23:07these companies will often find ways around it,
0:23:07 > 0:23:09because it's worth a lot of money to them.
0:23:10 > 0:23:15So bots are always going to be faster than us at getting hold of tickets.
0:23:15 > 0:23:21That's why the UK government has just announced new legal measures to try to stop them.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26Britain's battle against the bots has begun,
0:23:26 > 0:23:33cos soon touts who use them could be fined, and the amount is unlimited.
0:23:34 > 0:23:38And the music industry is also getting tough at the gig doors.
0:23:38 > 0:23:43Marcus Russell has managed big names like Oasis and the Super Furry Animals.
0:23:43 > 0:23:47He wanted to make sure that only genuine fans bought tickets
0:23:47 > 0:23:51to see Brit-award-winning band Catfish And The Bottlemen.
0:23:51 > 0:23:58We had a deluge of screaming fans and parents of fans going,
0:23:58 > 0:24:00"We tried to buy tickets, we couldn't.
0:24:00 > 0:24:05"We sat online at nine o'clock on the Monday morning and now we find
0:24:05 > 0:24:08"that there's a whole load of tickets for sale on these
0:24:08 > 0:24:12"unauthorised secondary sites for four, five, six times the value."
0:24:12 > 0:24:15And we decided that enough was enough, and the band said,
0:24:15 > 0:24:18"We can't stand this, we want to do something about it."
0:24:18 > 0:24:22What we did was make sure that everyone who purchased
0:24:22 > 0:24:25the original ticket had their name on those tickets.
0:24:25 > 0:24:29And if the name on the ticket didn't match your ID,
0:24:29 > 0:24:31you weren't getting in.
0:24:31 > 0:24:35It's difficult to police, it's a little cumbersome and it takes
0:24:35 > 0:24:38a bit of time getting everyone into the event, but it worked.
0:24:38 > 0:24:44Putting names on tickets is one measure to stop the touts.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47Fans will be hoping that that, along with big penalties
0:24:47 > 0:24:51for those using bots, will mean a better deal for them in future.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54Up until now, I'd just given up on seeing my favourite band live.
0:24:54 > 0:24:56It was too expensive.
0:24:56 > 0:25:00But hopefully soon, I'm going to get my hands on some Coldplay tickets.
0:25:00 > 0:25:03# Para para para paradise... #
0:25:04 > 0:25:07And that's just about it for this series of X-Ray.
0:25:07 > 0:25:11Thank you for watching and for all your calls and e-mails.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14Before we go, here's a quick look back at some of the investigations
0:25:14 > 0:25:17we've brought to you over the last six months.
0:25:19 > 0:25:23This series, we've exposed scams and shoddy service,
0:25:23 > 0:25:27and we've tracked down some of the people responsible.
0:25:29 > 0:25:31- Dan Cassar?- Yeah.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34Dan Cassar's waste collection business really was rubbish.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37Just ask his customers.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39I think he's a conman and a worm.
0:25:39 > 0:25:42- Why didn't you put a stop to this sooner?- I should've.
0:25:42 > 0:25:44I was just stupid and foolish.
0:25:44 > 0:25:46And I'm really sorry to everyone who's been affected in this.
0:25:46 > 0:25:51Dan promised he'd quit the waste collection trade, but he hasn't.
0:25:51 > 0:25:56Instead, he's launched a new business called Broomsgardens.
0:25:56 > 0:25:58We'll be keeping an eye on him.
0:25:59 > 0:26:01And remember Direct Choice Home Improvements,
0:26:01 > 0:26:04who were cold-calling people they shouldn't?
0:26:04 > 0:26:08We went undercover in their call centre to reveal their tactics.
0:26:12 > 0:26:17After our investigation, Direct Choice closed down its call centre.
0:26:17 > 0:26:22And JAS Financial Advisory Services was the most complained about
0:26:22 > 0:26:25claims company in England and Wales.
0:26:28 > 0:26:32We confronted their boss and, weeks later, they shut up shop.
0:26:34 > 0:26:39Rogue letting agent Neil Bradbury stole more than £70,000
0:26:39 > 0:26:42from tenants and landlords in Monmouthshire,
0:26:42 > 0:26:47but with X-Ray's help, he's now serving 28 months in prison.
0:26:49 > 0:26:54There was a great result on this night raid with Trading Standards and police, too.
0:26:54 > 0:26:59More than £1 million worth of fake goods were intercepted and taken off the streets.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03And all for a lot of Apple chargers.
0:27:03 > 0:27:07Big concern, really, as far as the safety is concerned.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10Viewer Mel Davies reported on the poor service
0:27:10 > 0:27:13she'd experienced with Onmiserv,
0:27:13 > 0:27:18a company which is supposed to help disabled air passengers.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21But they lifted Mel, who's had breast cancer, by the chest,
0:27:21 > 0:27:24and left her stranded in the airport.
0:27:24 > 0:27:26Shocking.
0:27:26 > 0:27:27Let's do this.
0:27:30 > 0:27:34- Omar's been busy, too. - Is this how rich people do sit-ups?
0:27:34 > 0:27:37Sometimes he seems to be having a bit too much fun!
0:27:38 > 0:27:40Oh! Can you see that?
0:27:40 > 0:27:42So, in December,
0:27:42 > 0:27:46we got our own back by checking him into the Big Sleep Hotel in Cardiff.
0:27:46 > 0:27:48Oh, my gosh!
0:27:48 > 0:27:50That is a gargantuan stain.
0:27:50 > 0:27:53But as always, X-Ray's keen to help.
0:27:53 > 0:27:57Hopefully, this'll be enough for you to clean up your act, OK?
0:27:57 > 0:27:59Thanks very much.
0:27:59 > 0:28:04The Big Sleep promised to take action to raise standards.
0:28:04 > 0:28:08Some great results there, and, this series, we've managed
0:28:08 > 0:28:12to get back more than £20,000 for our viewers,
0:28:12 > 0:28:15so, if you need our help, you know what to do.
0:28:15 > 0:28:17Our contact details are on the screen now.
0:28:17 > 0:28:20We're back in the summer with some special programmes.
0:28:20 > 0:28:22We'll see you then. Bye-bye.