:00:45. > :00:48.Rachel tackles the boss of one of Britain's worst claims firms.
:00:49. > :00:51.Rachel, I have nothing further to add, I have made a statement
:00:52. > :00:54.We investigate a terrifying spate of exploding e-cigarettes.
:00:55. > :01:00.It was like a firework in your pocket.
:01:01. > :01:02.And you don't have to be a James Bond super-villain
:01:03. > :01:12.I'll be finding out why so many of us are investing in gold.
:01:13. > :01:19.Wales's second largest city and home to hundreds of call centres!
:01:20. > :01:24.Many are legitimate companies but over the years, plenty of others
:01:25. > :01:27.have given the industry here a bad name.
:01:28. > :01:34.PPI firm Rock Law was fined ?500,000 for its dodgy sales tactics.
:01:35. > :01:37.And the bosses of bogus satellite warranty firm Aurora Logistics
:01:38. > :01:44.were jailed for conspiracy to defraud customers.
:01:45. > :01:46.Even call centre staff were taken to court.
:01:47. > :01:52.You'd think that after all that
:01:53. > :01:54.the industry would have cleaned up its act.
:01:55. > :01:58.An ugly, lovely town...or so it was and is to me,
:01:59. > :02:15.crawling, sprawling by a long and splendid curving shore...
:02:16. > :02:17.Swansea - in the words of its most famous son, Dylan Thomas.
:02:18. > :02:20.The lovely bit is here for all to see.
:02:21. > :02:27.In business parks, and in neighbouring towns,
:02:28. > :02:31.the shadier side of the call centre industry still lingers.
:02:32. > :02:33.The cold-callers who promise the earth in return
:02:34. > :02:46.A local claims firm has just been named and shamed as one of the most
:02:47. > :02:51.JAS Financial Advisory Services Ltd has so many unhappy customers
:02:52. > :02:57.that the Legal Ombudsman raised the alarm.
:02:58. > :03:00.In the first six months of 2016, we received 92 complaints about JAS,
:03:01. > :03:03.which was the most complaints we'd ever had for any open
:03:04. > :03:14.People have felt very distressed, they have felt exploited and it
:03:15. > :03:16.certainly isn't acceptable for a claims management company
:03:17. > :03:26.Confusingly, JAS uses three different trading names -
:03:27. > :03:32.Hampton Rae, Litchfield Price and NLC Solutions.
:03:33. > :03:36.Louise O'Callaghan from Bridgend fell for their sparkling sales
:03:37. > :03:43.I had a phone call one afternoon, and I was in a bit
:03:44. > :03:46.of a rush, and this lady phoned me up, and she said you've got
:03:47. > :03:51.They said it would be a few thousand.
:03:52. > :03:53.Jazz trumpeter Mike Loizos from Cardiff was also
:03:54. > :04:01.They said we can definitely get you ?1500 back,
:04:02. > :04:05.and we'll definitely do it within a month.
:04:06. > :04:07.Mike and Louise were also told they'd get their ?495
:04:08. > :04:18.We spoke to a whistle-blower who worked in one of the company's
:04:19. > :04:22.They'd promise them the world.
:04:23. > :04:25.They'd tell them that they're owed so much money
:04:26. > :04:31.and that they can get it back if they pay the ?500.
:04:32. > :04:33.The woman agreed to talk anonymously about the pressure -
:04:34. > :04:42.It used to be like a competition between everyone.
:04:43. > :04:46.One of them was a weekend to New York, there was another one
:04:47. > :04:49.that was a trip to Las Vegas, and everything was paid for.
:04:50. > :04:58.There was another one that was a car.
:04:59. > :05:00.But whilst some of the staff were quids in,
:05:01. > :05:03.it was a very different story for out of pocket
:05:04. > :05:06.I phoned a lot of times, emailed a lot of times,
:05:07. > :05:09.and I was just trying to be a nuisance really.
:05:10. > :05:11.It took Mike nearly two years to get his money back.
:05:12. > :05:19.but is still waiting for her fee back.
:05:20. > :05:21.They probably think, She'll give up in the end
:05:22. > :05:38.Tales of shoddy service like this led the Ministry
:05:39. > :05:40.of Justice to launch an inquiry into JAS.
:05:41. > :05:41.So, with the company under investigation,
:05:42. > :05:44.surely they'd mend their ways and stop making those promises
:05:45. > :05:49.To find out, I called NLC Solutions -
:05:50. > :05:51.one of their trading names - posing as a potential customer.
:05:52. > :05:59.So there's an initial fee of ?495 that's fully
:06:00. > :06:01.refundable to yourself whether you are unsuccessful
:06:02. > :06:10.They later called back, eager to seal the deal.
:06:11. > :06:13.What is your success rate like, then?
:06:14. > :06:18.And it seems no-one is ever out of pocket.
:06:19. > :06:34.That's not what the Legal Ombudsman think.
:06:35. > :06:39.They say customers have ended up worse off after dealing with JAS.
:06:40. > :06:42.Nothing was happening after they'd paid their up-front
:06:43. > :06:45.fee, so not only were these people losing the fee that they'd paid,
:06:46. > :06:48.most of those folks had paid for their fee on a credit card,
:06:49. > :06:51.so they were also being charged interest on the credit card that
:06:52. > :07:02.So what would they tell me when I asked how
:07:03. > :07:07.I don't have that money - so I would have to put it
:07:08. > :07:19.on a credit card if I was going to do that.
:07:20. > :07:20.Our slick salesman insists I won't rack up
:07:21. > :07:23.interest on my credit card, as I'll know whether I'm due
:07:24. > :07:33.If I don't have PPI on anything, I'll still
:07:34. > :07:48.He adds that I'll get any compensation within 12 weeks.
:07:49. > :07:53.It's clear the company are still making the same dubious promises.
:07:54. > :07:59.To find out why, we wrote to director Lloyd Davis.
:08:00. > :08:02.He replied, but didn't answer most of our questions.
:08:03. > :08:08.We're heading to Pontardawe, the home of JAS's call centre.
:08:09. > :08:16.It's just before ten o'clock in the morning.
:08:17. > :08:19.We're parked up outside the call centre waiting for Lloyd Davis
:08:20. > :08:29.Why are you still promising fast PPI pay-outs?
:08:30. > :08:34.I'm from BBC XRay and I want to know why you are still promising people
:08:35. > :08:38.I understand that you have contacted my office,
:08:39. > :08:43.Yes, and you haven't answered the questions I have.
:08:44. > :08:49.Rachel, I have nothing further to add, I have made a statement
:08:50. > :08:54.The legal ombudsman has felt the need to put a warning
:08:55. > :08:59.about you in the public interest because you continue to do this,
:09:00. > :09:05.92 people complaining about you this year.
:09:06. > :09:07.a man who doesn't mind cold- calling you,
:09:08. > :09:09.but when we come cold-calling on him
:09:10. > :09:16.Well, as Lloyd Davis said there, he did send us
:09:17. > :09:19.He insists there are many happy customers
:09:20. > :09:24.He admits there have been flaws in the sales process,
:09:25. > :09:29.he's apologised and says he's been working hard to put things right.
:09:30. > :09:32.He does say though that he couldn't discuss Louise and Mike's cases
:09:33. > :09:36.for 'legal reasons', which means there is no update
:09:37. > :09:46.Now, if you've had dealings with JAS,
:09:47. > :09:49.or there's anything else you want us to look into, remember to call.
:09:50. > :09:51.The number as always is 03703 334 334.
:09:52. > :09:58.You can email xray@bbc.co.uk or send us a tweet!
:09:59. > :10:00.Still to come: The e-cigarettes causing fires
:10:01. > :10:06.like this, and exploding in people's pockets.
:10:07. > :10:08.We were quite surprised really when we were seeing more
:10:09. > :10:13.and more patients coming in with these sorts of injuries.
:10:14. > :10:19.And Omar's dazzled by a golden investment opportunity!
:10:20. > :10:27.There was a bit of excitement when the brand new ?5 note
:10:28. > :10:33.They're tougher - and more difficult to copy
:10:34. > :10:38.so there should be fewer fakes about.
:10:39. > :10:42.And these new notes could be worth an awful lot more than a fiver!
:10:43. > :10:45.Some people have been cashing in, selling them for hundreds
:10:46. > :10:51.Let's see what people here in Swansea
:10:52. > :10:56.What do you make of the new ?5 notes?
:10:57. > :10:58.I've had my first one today actually.
:10:59. > :11:40.It's a little bit like Monopoly money I think,
:11:41. > :11:57.If it is one of the very, very first you want it could be worth a lot
:11:58. > :12:05.more. I will start looking for the descent. I checked the numbers
:12:06. > :12:09.already. Really? Hang on! I saw that. What would you do if you find
:12:10. > :12:17.one? I would keep hold of it, would you? Philip letter? I would be more
:12:18. > :12:22.interested in finding the last series of the paper ones, because
:12:23. > :12:25.both are going to be worth ten times more than plastic. I will check my
:12:26. > :12:33.fivers, and everybody else's. Looks like people here in Swansea
:12:34. > :12:36.are going to be keeping an eye But one crucial piece
:12:37. > :12:40.of advice for you - This photo of a shrunken five pound
:12:41. > :12:45.note appeared on social media after it apparently ended up
:12:46. > :12:47.in the tumble dryer! Now, if you do accidentally
:12:48. > :12:49.damage your new note You might be able
:12:50. > :12:52.to get it replaced! We'll put details about that
:12:53. > :12:54.and those serial numbers And talking about money,
:12:55. > :12:57.with rock bottom interest rates, investing in coins and precious
:12:58. > :13:00.metal is becoming more popular too. So we sent our very own 'golden
:13:01. > :13:06.boy', Omar, to check it out. For more than 1,000 years,
:13:07. > :13:08.the Royal Mint has been Here at Llantrisant they produce 850
:13:09. > :13:12.coins every minute of every day. These days they don't just
:13:13. > :13:18.make pounds and pence. This is one part of the Mint
:13:19. > :13:21.you will never get to see, because here they make bullion
:13:22. > :13:25.coins. Sovereigns, Britannias and Lunars,
:13:26. > :13:36.you won't find these in your change They start at around ?150
:13:37. > :13:41.and because they're legal tender they're exempt from VAT
:13:42. > :13:43.and capital gains tax. And right now, we're
:13:44. > :13:48.snapping them up. Gold is seen as a safe haven
:13:49. > :13:51.among other investments. And you know that's really what's
:13:52. > :13:54.happened in the last few months, with Brexit, and with the economy
:13:55. > :13:58.in China and low interest rates. How are you going to create
:13:59. > :14:01.a profit in your investment? Are they oligarchs and billionaires
:14:02. > :14:09.or are they Dave in the pub? So we do have some real high net
:14:10. > :14:15.worths, people who have a lot of money to invest and the really
:14:16. > :14:18.interesting thing is we have people who are investing who are
:14:19. > :14:21.just like you and me. The Royal Mint has only been selling
:14:22. > :14:27.bullion coins online for two years. But in the days before the internet,
:14:28. > :14:32.remember those, they produced some of the world's most sought
:14:33. > :14:36.after and valuable sovereigns. This one was originally designed
:14:37. > :14:39.for King Edward VIII, who then abdicated, meaning it
:14:40. > :14:42.could never be issued. Antique coins could fetch me
:14:43. > :14:51.a pretty penny. But if I fancy investing,
:14:52. > :14:57.I'm going to need a heads up. And who better to speak
:14:58. > :14:59.to that a numismatist. To save you Googling that,
:15:00. > :15:05.that means coin collector. Anthony Halse has been buying
:15:06. > :15:08.and selling antique coins for more than 30 years and knows the market
:15:09. > :15:13.like the back of his hand. The big money is in what we call
:15:14. > :15:19.the early milled series This is a George IV
:15:20. > :15:27.sovereign of 1827. And this is a George
:15:28. > :15:29.IV sovereign of 1823. This coin is worth ?450,
:15:30. > :15:37.and this coin is worth ?1,350. The reason for the difference
:15:38. > :15:38.is the quality. Quality will always increase
:15:39. > :15:41.in value and has Try and buy coins that are a good
:15:42. > :15:46.eye appeal, problem I want to take this
:15:47. > :15:57.to the next level. I want to have big
:15:58. > :16:01.blocks of? But how do I get my
:16:02. > :16:14.hands on one of these? Well, the Royal Mint,
:16:15. > :16:17.like other companies out there, offers investors the chance
:16:18. > :16:22.to own their very own bar of gold. And they come in all
:16:23. > :16:27.shapes and sizes! When people think about gold,
:16:28. > :16:31.this is the traditional sort Do I need half a million pounds
:16:32. > :16:57.for the big bar or can I invest Well, you certainly need half
:16:58. > :17:00.a million pounds for the big bar, but you can start your investment
:17:01. > :17:03.for as little as ?20. You can invest based on the amount
:17:04. > :17:06.that you want to invest as opposed I'm looking at this bar of gold,
:17:07. > :17:12.which is about almost half a million pounds, and I could own that
:17:13. > :17:14.bit of it, or that bit So this could be owned
:17:15. > :17:18.by hundreds of people? If you want to invest
:17:19. > :17:23.in a whole bar. Maybe it's time for a change
:17:24. > :17:28.of gear. Are there any risks in steering
:17:29. > :17:31.all my savings towards gold? Before motoring on, I'd better get
:17:32. > :17:37.some independent advice. If you've got a savings
:17:38. > :17:41.account, the rates may be Poor, but at least
:17:42. > :17:43.you're getting interest. The same with shares where you'll
:17:44. > :17:45.be getting dividends. Or even holding it in property,
:17:46. > :17:48.where rent is coming in. With gold you're reliant
:17:49. > :17:51.upon the value of gold going up. If it goes down, then obviously
:17:52. > :17:53.you lose money. Over the last few months gold
:17:54. > :17:55.has done really well. Is it something you should invest
:17:56. > :17:58.in short term or more long term? Obviously like any investment
:17:59. > :18:01.it can go down in value. So that's why you need to look
:18:02. > :18:04.at any kind of investment like this So if you invested between 2011
:18:05. > :18:08.and 2015 you would have lost about 40% of your value, on average,
:18:09. > :18:12.whilst the last year you would have You should only hold a small
:18:13. > :18:16.proportion of your money in one For most investors it's just
:18:17. > :18:24.too high risk. So gold may seem like a shining
:18:25. > :18:27.investment right now, but just like any other commodity,
:18:28. > :18:29.it's influenced by the ebb But you know what, if it's
:18:30. > :18:39.all about the looks, When was the last time
:18:40. > :18:52.you used a payphone? Thanks to mobile phones,
:18:53. > :18:56.their use has fallen sharply. BT now plans to remove almost half
:18:57. > :18:59.of them across Wales, CPRW are concerned that mobile phone
:19:00. > :19:06.signals in many rural areas If this does go down, a payphone can
:19:07. > :19:13.be a lifeline for many people. If you want to save your local phone
:19:14. > :19:19.box, let your council know ASAP. Variable speed limit signs have been
:19:20. > :19:21.flashing above the M4 near Newport for five years,
:19:22. > :19:24.but no-one's ever been prosecuted! Anyone caught speeding could be
:19:25. > :19:31.fined or get points And Christmas may be 11 weeks away
:19:32. > :19:39.but now's the time to book for big savings on your
:19:40. > :19:42.festive train travel. Ticket prices will shoot up
:19:43. > :19:46.as the big day approaches. So be an early bird and use the cash
:19:47. > :19:52.you save for some extra pressies! Now, if you walk down any high
:19:53. > :19:56.street in Wales you'll spot people But here in Swansea,
:19:57. > :20:00.they've been sparking E-Cigarettes came on the market
:20:01. > :20:09.around 10 years ago and now they're everywhere, 140,000 of us
:20:10. > :20:14.in Wales are vaping. Many smokers say it's helped them
:20:15. > :20:24.cut down or quit smoking altogether. But recently, doctors
:20:25. > :20:27.here at Morriston Hospital in Swansea have noticed a new trend
:20:28. > :20:35.affecting e-cigarette users. Over the last year we've seen
:20:36. > :20:38.about five cases of people referred to us because of burns
:20:39. > :20:47.sustained by e-cigarettes. Adam Mosley from Maesteg started
:20:48. > :20:51.smoking as a teenager. Four years ago he switched
:20:52. > :20:58.to e-cigarettes. I can walk a distance now,
:20:59. > :21:04.whereas before I was struggling. But back in March, while working
:21:05. > :21:07.on a farm, the e-cigarette that was supposed to help improve
:21:08. > :21:09.Adam's health had I went to make a phone call
:21:10. > :21:24.and that's when the battery went off It was like a firework
:21:25. > :21:32.in your pocket. I just put my hand in my pocket
:21:33. > :21:38.and pulled out the battery. It felt like my leg
:21:39. > :21:41.was still on fire. Adam was carrying a spare
:21:42. > :21:45.e-cigarette battery in his pocket, when it spontaneously exploded,
:21:46. > :21:51.burning a large area of his thigh. He was treated at Morriston
:21:52. > :21:56.Hospital's burns unit. I think the concern
:21:57. > :21:59.is that we haven't seen these cases before so it's all occurred this
:22:00. > :22:02.year in 2016. It is a worry and we are quite
:22:03. > :22:06.surprised really when we see patients coming in with these
:22:07. > :22:11.sorts of injuries. This man had the e-cig
:22:12. > :22:14.in his pocket and it exploded. He had the e-cig in his
:22:15. > :22:30.hand and it exploded. Similar incidents have been
:22:31. > :22:34.reported around the world. Like this one, caught on CCTV
:22:35. > :22:36.in Kentucky in the USA. Explosions can be fierce,
:22:37. > :22:41.causing severe burns which can take So what would your advice
:22:42. > :22:48.be if somebody does If their clothes catch alight then
:22:49. > :22:54.the first thing they should do And in rolling they can extinguish
:22:55. > :23:00.any of the flames on their clothing. It's not advisable to pat the flames
:23:01. > :23:05.out because you'll burn your hands. Then remove the burnt clothing
:23:06. > :23:08.and then run the burnt area under cold water for at least 10 to 20
:23:09. > :23:12.minutes to cool the burn. That's really, really
:23:13. > :23:14.important because that And then call for help or go
:23:15. > :23:22.to your local A department. And those small e-cigarette
:23:23. > :23:25.batteries also have the potential to cause devastation
:23:26. > :23:34.of a very different kind. Linda James-Davies from Cardiff
:23:35. > :23:37.was at home one evening I noticed my e-cigarette
:23:38. > :23:44.needed to be charged up. I put it on to charge up
:23:45. > :23:48.and went downstairs. I could smell smoke,
:23:49. > :23:52.went upstairs and just watched my The back bedroom which I was
:23:53. > :24:08.sleeping in was gone. The little bedroom was all smoke
:24:09. > :24:16.damaged and the front bedroom. A fire service investigation blamed
:24:17. > :24:20.a faulty e-cigarette charger, which had caused the battery
:24:21. > :24:25.to overheat and explode. Was it a massive shock that an e-cig
:24:26. > :24:29.could cause a fire like that? It was frightening and to
:24:30. > :24:36.know your home's gone. The fire forced Linda
:24:37. > :24:41.to leave her home. She's now stopped using
:24:42. > :24:44.e-cigarettes. If it was in the night,
:24:45. > :24:53.perhaps I wouldn't. I tell you what, I wouldn't
:24:54. > :24:57.recommend anyone to have them, There's little regulation
:24:58. > :25:06.of the sale of e-cigarettes and chargers, especially online
:25:07. > :25:10.where Adam bought his. Seven months on, he's
:25:11. > :25:17.still recovering from his ordeal. The burn was so deep it damaged
:25:18. > :25:20.the muscle on my leg. I couldn't walk, couldn't do
:25:21. > :25:24.nothing. You've got to be careful,
:25:25. > :25:28.you ve got to be mega careful. Don't keep a loose battery
:25:29. > :25:30.in your pocket. If it s got the slightest
:25:31. > :25:32.bit of damage on there, For the sake of a few quid it
:25:33. > :25:38.could save you a lot of pain Now, the sale of dangerous
:25:39. > :25:46.e-cigarettes and chargers is something Swansea Trading Standards
:25:47. > :25:49.are keeping a close eye on, so I've come here to find out
:25:50. > :25:52.more about the warning Rhys, is it the cheaper
:25:53. > :26:00.batteries and chargers that Yeah, what we tend to find is,
:26:01. > :26:07.it is the cheaper products that are coming in and the r'ason they're
:26:08. > :26:09.cheaper is because they re not getting tested to the standards
:26:10. > :26:12.to make sure they comply. The plugs themselves should
:26:13. > :26:15.have a safety device to prevent excess power coming from the plug
:26:16. > :26:19.and then in the device itself, either in the charging lead
:26:20. > :26:24.or in the electronic-cigarette, there should be a device
:26:25. > :26:27.in there that stops the battery from overcharging which is
:26:28. > :26:29.where it could explode. Some people's e-cigarettes have just
:26:30. > :26:34.exploded in their pockets! Yes and be careful when you're
:26:35. > :26:37.carrying them round. If they're banged and knocked quite
:26:38. > :26:40.heavily, discard them. And if you're charging them don't
:26:41. > :26:45.leave them unattended. Don't leave them charging overnight
:26:46. > :26:48.because again it could cause a fire and you're not going to be able
:26:49. > :26:51.to be there to deal What should people look out for Rhys
:26:52. > :26:57.when they're buying these products? All of these products should
:26:58. > :27:00.have a CE mark on them to ensure that they have been tested
:27:01. > :27:02.to a European standard, SGS are an international testing
:27:03. > :27:07.company. They never tested these products
:27:08. > :27:11.so if you have anything with an SGS mark on it that's a bit of a concern
:27:12. > :27:17.because it shouldn't be on there. Go to a reputable retailer,
:27:18. > :27:19.somewhere that's traceable that you can go back to, and if you get
:27:20. > :27:23.a problem you can tell us It's a worrying story but some
:27:24. > :27:28.potentially good news. From next May, tobacco
:27:29. > :27:31.products will have to be That should make it easier to spot
:27:32. > :27:36.the ones which don't But remember, we're here
:27:37. > :27:42.to fight your corner. So if you need our help,
:27:43. > :27:45.do get in touch. Next week: The lying landlord
:27:46. > :27:50.who took a young couple's money All along, that's all he wanted
:27:51. > :28:01.to do was have the ?900 and just go. We'll see you next Monday at the
:28:02. > :28:04.later time of 8:30pm. Hello, I'm Riz Lateef
:28:05. > :28:39.with your 90-second update. He went to post cards announcing
:28:40. > :28:42.the birth of his daughter. London lecturer Jeroen Ensink
:28:43. > :28:46.was stabbed to death by Femi Nandap, who had mental illness bought
:28:47. > :28:49.on by cannabis use.