Episode 2 X-Ray

Rachel tackles the boss of one of Britain's worst claims firms.

Rachel, I have nothing further to add, I have made a statement

We investigate a terrifying spate of exploding e-cigarettes.

It was like a firework in your pocket.

And you don't have to be a James Bond super-villain

I'll be finding out why so many of us are investing in gold.

Wales's second largest city and home to hundreds of call centres!

Many are legitimate companies but over the years, plenty of others

have given the industry here a bad name.

PPI firm Rock Law was fined ?500,000 for its dodgy sales tactics.

And the bosses of bogus satellite warranty firm Aurora Logistics

were jailed for conspiracy to defraud customers.

Even call centre staff were taken to court.

You'd think that after all that

the industry would have cleaned up its act.

An ugly, lovely town...or so it was and is to me,

crawling, sprawling by a long and splendid curving shore...

Swansea - in the words of its most famous son, Dylan Thomas.

The lovely bit is here for all to see.

In business parks, and in neighbouring towns,

the shadier side of the call centre industry still lingers.

The cold-callers who promise the earth in return

A local claims firm has just been named and shamed as one of the most

JAS Financial Advisory Services Ltd has so many unhappy customers

that the Legal Ombudsman raised the alarm.

In the first six months of 2016, we received 92 complaints about JAS,

which was the most complaints we'd ever had for any open

People have felt very distressed, they have felt exploited and it

certainly isn't acceptable for a claims management company

Confusingly, JAS uses three different trading names -

Hampton Rae, Litchfield Price and NLC Solutions.

Louise O'Callaghan from Bridgend fell for their sparkling sales

I had a phone call one afternoon, and I was in a bit

of a rush, and this lady phoned me up, and she said you've got

They said it would be a few thousand.

Jazz trumpeter Mike Loizos from Cardiff was also

They said we can definitely get you ?1500 back,

and we'll definitely do it within a month.

Mike and Louise were also told they'd get their ?495

We spoke to a whistle-blower who worked in one of the company's

They'd promise them the world.

They'd tell them that they're owed so much money

and that they can get it back if they pay the ?500.

The woman agreed to talk anonymously about the pressure -

It used to be like a competition between everyone.

One of them was a weekend to New York, there was another one

that was a trip to Las Vegas, and everything was paid for.

There was another one that was a car.

But whilst some of the staff were quids in,

it was a very different story for out of pocket

I phoned a lot of times, emailed a lot of times,

and I was just trying to be a nuisance really.

It took Mike nearly two years to get his money back.

but is still waiting for her fee back.

They probably think, She'll give up in the end

Tales of shoddy service like this led the Ministry

of Justice to launch an inquiry into JAS.

So, with the company under investigation,

surely they'd mend their ways and stop making those promises

To find out, I called NLC Solutions -

one of their trading names - posing as a potential customer.

So there's an initial fee of ?495 that's fully

refundable to yourself whether you are unsuccessful

They later called back, eager to seal the deal.

What is your success rate like, then?

And it seems no-one is ever out of pocket.

That's not what the Legal Ombudsman think.

They say customers have ended up worse off after dealing with JAS.

Nothing was happening after they'd paid their up-front

fee, so not only were these people losing the fee that they'd paid,

most of those folks had paid for their fee on a credit card,

so they were also being charged interest on the credit card that

So what would they tell me when I asked how

I don't have that money - so I would have to put it

on a credit card if I was going to do that.

Our slick salesman insists I won't rack up

interest on my credit card, as I'll know whether I'm due

If I don't have PPI on anything, I'll still

He adds that I'll get any compensation within 12 weeks.

It's clear the company are still making the same dubious promises.

To find out why, we wrote to director Lloyd Davis.

He replied, but didn't answer most of our questions.

We're heading to Pontardawe, the home of JAS's call centre.

It's just before ten o'clock in the morning.

We're parked up outside the call centre waiting for Lloyd Davis

Why are you still promising fast PPI pay-outs?

I'm from BBC XRay and I want to know why you are still promising people

I understand that you have contacted my office,

Yes, and you haven't answered the questions I have.

Rachel, I have nothing further to add, I have made a statement

The legal ombudsman has felt the need to put a warning

about you in the public interest because you continue to do this,

92 people complaining about you this year.

a man who doesn't mind cold- calling you,

but when we come cold-calling on him

Well, as Lloyd Davis said there, he did send us

He insists there are many happy customers

He admits there have been flaws in the sales process,

he's apologised and says he's been working hard to put things right.

He does say though that he couldn't discuss Louise and Mike's cases

for 'legal reasons', which means there is no update

Now, if you've had dealings with JAS,

or there's anything else you want us to look into, remember to call.

The number as always is 03703 334 334.

You can email [email protected] or send us a tweet!

Still to come: The e-cigarettes causing fires

like this, and exploding in people's pockets.

We were quite surprised really when we were seeing more

and more patients coming in with these sorts of injuries.

And Omar's dazzled by a golden investment opportunity!

There was a bit of excitement when the brand new ?5 note

They're tougher - and more difficult to copy

so there should be fewer fakes about.

And these new notes could be worth an awful lot more than a fiver!

Some people have been cashing in, selling them for hundreds

Let's see what people here in Swansea

What do you make of the new ?5 notes?

I've had my first one today actually.

It's a little bit like Monopoly money I think,

If it is one of the very, very first you want it could be worth a lot

more. I will start looking for the descent. I checked the numbers

already. Really? Hang on! I saw that. What would you do if you find

one? I would keep hold of it, would you? Philip letter? I would be more

interested in finding the last series of the paper ones, because

both are going to be worth ten times more than plastic. I will check my

fivers, and everybody else's. Looks like people here in Swansea

are going to be keeping an eye But one crucial piece

of advice for you - This photo of a shrunken five pound

note appeared on social media after it apparently ended up

in the tumble dryer! Now, if you do accidentally

damage your new note You might be able

to get it replaced! We'll put details about that

and those serial numbers And talking about money,

with rock bottom interest rates, investing in coins and precious

metal is becoming more popular too. So we sent our very own 'golden

boy', Omar, to check it out. For more than 1,000 years,

the Royal Mint has been Here at Llantrisant they produce 850

coins every minute of every day. These days they don't just

make pounds and pence. This is one part of the Mint

you will never get to see, because here they make bullion

coins. Sovereigns, Britannias and Lunars,

you won't find these in your change They start at around ?150

and because they're legal tender they're exempt from VAT

and capital gains tax. And right now, we're

snapping them up. Gold is seen as a safe haven

among other investments. And you know that's really what's

happened in the last few months, with Brexit, and with the economy

in China and low interest rates. How are you going to create

a profit in your investment? Are they oligarchs and billionaires

or are they Dave in the pub? So we do have some real high net

worths, people who have a lot of money to invest and the really

interesting thing is we have people who are investing who are

just like you and me. The Royal Mint has only been selling

bullion coins online for two years. But in the days before the internet,

remember those, they produced some of the world's most sought

after and valuable sovereigns. This one was originally designed

for King Edward VIII, who then abdicated, meaning it

could never be issued. Antique coins could fetch me

a pretty penny. But if I fancy investing,

I'm going to need a heads up. And who better to speak

to that a numismatist. To save you Googling that,

that means coin collector. Anthony Halse has been buying

and selling antique coins for more than 30 years and knows the market

like the back of his hand. The big money is in what we call

the early milled series This is a George IV

sovereign of 1827. And this is a George

IV sovereign of 1823. This coin is worth ?450,

and this coin is worth ?1,350. The reason for the difference

is the quality. Quality will always increase

in value and has Try and buy coins that are a good

eye appeal, problem I want to take this

to the next level. I want to have big

blocks of? But how do I get my

hands on one of these? Well, the Royal Mint,

like other companies out there, offers investors the chance

to own their very own bar of gold. And they come in all

shapes and sizes! When people think about gold,

this is the traditional sort Do I need half a million pounds

for the big bar or can I invest Well, you certainly need half

a million pounds for the big bar, but you can start your investment

for as little as ?20. You can invest based on the amount

that you want to invest as opposed I'm looking at this bar of gold,

which is about almost half a million pounds, and I could own that

bit of it, or that bit So this could be owned

by hundreds of people? If you want to invest

in a whole bar. Maybe it's time for a change

of gear. Are there any risks in steering

all my savings towards gold? Before motoring on, I'd better get

some independent advice. If you've got a savings

account, the rates may be Poor, but at least

you're getting interest. The same with shares where you'll

be getting dividends. Or even holding it in property,

where rent is coming in. With gold you're reliant

upon the value of gold going up. If it goes down, then obviously

you lose money. Over the last few months gold

has done really well. Is it something you should invest

in short term or more long term? Obviously like any investment

it can go down in value. So that's why you need to look

at any kind of investment like this So if you invested between 2011

and 2015 you would have lost about 40% of your value, on average,

whilst the last year you would have You should only hold a small

proportion of your money in one For most investors it's just

too high risk. So gold may seem like a shining

investment right now, but just like any other commodity,

it's influenced by the ebb But you know what, if it's

all about the looks, When was the last time

you used a payphone? Thanks to mobile phones,

their use has fallen sharply. BT now plans to remove almost half

of them across Wales, CPRW are concerned that mobile phone

signals in many rural areas If this does go down, a payphone can

be a lifeline for many people. If you want to save your local phone

box, let your council know ASAP. Variable speed limit signs have been

flashing above the M4 near Newport for five years,

but no-one's ever been prosecuted! Anyone caught speeding could be

fined or get points And Christmas may be 11 weeks away

but now's the time to book for big savings on your

festive train travel. Ticket prices will shoot up

as the big day approaches. So be an early bird and use the cash

you save for some extra pressies! Now, if you walk down any high

street in Wales you'll spot people But here in Swansea,

they've been sparking E-Cigarettes came on the market

around 10 years ago and now they're everywhere, 140,000 of us

in Wales are vaping. Many smokers say it's helped them

cut down or quit smoking altogether. But recently, doctors

here at Morriston Hospital in Swansea have noticed a new trend

affecting e-cigarette users. Over the last year we've seen

about five cases of people referred to us because of burns

sustained by e-cigarettes. Adam Mosley from Maesteg started

smoking as a teenager. Four years ago he switched

to e-cigarettes. I can walk a distance now,

whereas before I was struggling. But back in March, while working

on a farm, the e-cigarette that was supposed to help improve

Adam's health had I went to make a phone call

and that's when the battery went off It was like a firework

in your pocket. I just put my hand in my pocket

and pulled out the battery. It felt like my leg

was still on fire. Adam was carrying a spare

e-cigarette battery in his pocket, when it spontaneously exploded,

burning a large area of his thigh. He was treated at Morriston

Hospital's burns unit. I think the concern

is that we haven't seen these cases before so it's all occurred this

year in 2016. It is a worry and we are quite

surprised really when we see patients coming in with these

sorts of injuries. This man had the e-cig

in his pocket and it exploded. He had the e-cig in his

hand and it exploded. Similar incidents have been

reported around the world. Like this one, caught on CCTV

in Kentucky in the USA. Explosions can be fierce,

causing severe burns which can take So what would your advice

be if somebody does If their clothes catch alight then

the first thing they should do And in rolling they can extinguish

any of the flames on their clothing. It's not advisable to pat the flames

out because you'll burn your hands. Then remove the burnt clothing

and then run the burnt area under cold water for at least 10 to 20

minutes to cool the burn. That's really, really

important because that And then call for help or go

to your local A department. And those small e-cigarette

batteries also have the potential to cause devastation

of a very different kind. Linda James-Davies from Cardiff

was at home one evening I noticed my e-cigarette

needed to be charged up. I put it on to charge up

and went downstairs. I could smell smoke,

went upstairs and just watched my The back bedroom which I was

sleeping in was gone. The little bedroom was all smoke

damaged and the front bedroom. A fire service investigation blamed

a faulty e-cigarette charger, which had caused the battery

to overheat and explode. Was it a massive shock that an e-cig

could cause a fire like that? It was frightening and to

know your home's gone. The fire forced Linda

to leave her home. She's now stopped using

e-cigarettes. If it was in the night,

perhaps I wouldn't. I tell you what, I wouldn't

recommend anyone to have them, There's little regulation

of the sale of e-cigarettes and chargers, especially online

where Adam bought his. Seven months on, he's

still recovering from his ordeal. The burn was so deep it damaged

the muscle on my leg. I couldn't walk, couldn't do

nothing. You've got to be careful,

you ve got to be mega careful. Don't keep a loose battery

in your pocket. If it s got the slightest

bit of damage on there, For the sake of a few quid it

could save you a lot of pain Now, the sale of dangerous

e-cigarettes and chargers is something Swansea Trading Standards

are keeping a close eye on, so I've come here to find out

more about the warning Rhys, is it the cheaper

batteries and chargers that Yeah, what we tend to find is,

it is the cheaper products that are coming in and the r'ason they're

cheaper is because they re not getting tested to the standards

to make sure they comply. The plugs themselves should

have a safety device to prevent excess power coming from the plug

and then in the device itself, either in the charging lead

or in the electronic-cigarette, there should be a device

in there that stops the battery from overcharging which is

where it could explode. Some people's e-cigarettes have just

exploded in their pockets! Yes and be careful when you're

carrying them round. If they're banged and knocked quite

heavily, discard them. And if you're charging them don't

leave them unattended. Don't leave them charging overnight

because again it could cause a fire and you're not going to be able

to be there to deal What should people look out for Rhys

when they're buying these products? All of these products should

have a CE mark on them to ensure that they have been tested

to a European standard, SGS are an international testing

company. They never tested these products

so if you have anything with an SGS mark on it that's a bit of a concern

because it shouldn't be on there. Go to a reputable retailer,

somewhere that's traceable that you can go back to, and if you get

a problem you can tell us It's a worrying story but some

potentially good news. From next May, tobacco

products will have to be That should make it easier to spot

the ones which don't But remember, we're here

to fight your corner. So if you need our help,

do get in touch. Next week: The lying landlord

who took a young couple's money All along, that's all he wanted

to do was have the ?900 and just go. We'll see you next Monday at the

later time of 8:30pm. Hello, I'm Riz Lateef

with your 90-second update. He went to post cards announcing

the birth of his daughter. London lecturer Jeroen Ensink

was stabbed to death by Femi Nandap, who had mental illness bought

on by cannabis use.