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Rip off Britain - Season 17 Episode 18 -
I had to do the maths to prove my energy company wrong
I had to do the maths to prove my energy company wrong
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00:00Customers being forced to do their own sums to prove that the energy giant has got things wrong.
00:05They are leaving the customer to prove the case for them,
00:09otherwise you don't get a resolution to your problem.
00:12Plus, the mysterious cracks appearing in the laptop screens are one of the biggest names in electronics.
00:18It was spooky and I couldn't believe my eyes.
00:21I actually am seeing further cracks appear in the screen while she's using it.
00:27Fixing them is a pricey task, but no one can agree who should pay.
00:31You're watching Ripoff Britain.
00:40Hello and welcome to Ripoff Britain, on the case when the companies you trust let you down.
00:46Coming up today, the quick house sale company that promises a hassle-free sale,
00:50but whose contract terms have left some people feeling trapped in their own homes.
00:55I own that property.
00:57How can somebody else put that restriction on which is stopping me from selling my own house?
01:04Plus, in our advice clinic, we're helping one woman who's been locked out of her email account
01:09after the provider noticed some unusual activity.
01:13Now, the only problem is, however hard she tries, she now can't get back in.
01:17But first, to one of the most recognised businesses in Britain.
01:20Some might even say it's a national institution.
01:24And until not too long ago, it was the biggest energy company in the country.
01:28I'm talking about British Gas.
01:31Back in 2021, British Gas started to migrate its 7 million or so customers onto a new billing system.
01:38And soon after, some customers began to tell us about problems with their bills.
01:43We're still hearing from people who say that this overhaul has had a negative knock-on effect on customer service.
01:50But we'll have more on that shortly.
01:52Now, though, here's a reminder of our first report,
01:55reflecting just how disgruntled some customers have been left feeling.
01:58It's a household name, a national institution.
02:05Every month, millions of homes get a bill from British Gas.
02:09But you tell us too many of those bills are wrong.
02:13Back in 2024, John Everingham from Kent told us that British Gas's own mistakes
02:19were forcing him to do the sums himself.
02:21Oh, I'll get the double now, don't I?
02:28Like any good darts players, John and his teammate Pete have got a decent head for figures.
02:3417 you scored. That's five left.
02:36Five left, isn't it?
02:38But John's mathematical abilities have really been put to the test
02:41by some baffling numbers on his British Gas bills.
02:45No rhyme or reason of where they're coming from
02:48is saying that my total energy costs, excluding VAT, are £4,358.
02:54I wasn't expecting anything like this.
02:57There's no wonder it was a surprise.
03:00Just three months earlier, British Gas had told John
03:03that his £240 a month direct debits were spot on.
03:07But the next thing he knew,
03:09he apparently owed the equivalent of 19 months of payments,
03:13almost £4,500.
03:15So he obviously got straight on the phone.
03:18But British Gas insisted that the bill was accurate
03:21and John must pay it.
03:24They decided that because of the size of my debt,
03:29that the current £240 a month wasn't enough.
03:33So they decided to up it and take it back at £1,000 a month.
03:39Determined to prove British Gas wrong,
03:42John asked for copies of his old statements.
03:44The firm's response would turn out to be a clue
03:46to what might be going on.
03:49One of the first things they'd say is,
03:51you've actually been moved on to our new platform.
03:53I work on the old platform and I haven't got access to that.
03:57That new platform was a state-of-the-art billing system
04:00introduced in 2021.
04:02But despite reassurances that accounts and payments
04:05would not be affected,
04:07John began to suspect that his had been.
04:10John compared his recent bills with ones from the old system
04:13and discovered what he was convinced was a big error.
04:18This is my last statement from the old platform.
04:21I looked at a period when I used 305 units
04:24and it equates to 3,387 kilowatt-hours,
04:30whereas on the next statement that I've got,
04:34there's a period where I used 150 units
04:36and I used 4,685 kilowatt-hours.
04:42John had used roughly half the number of units of gas,
04:46but the bill converted that into far more kilowatt-hours.
04:49And after days and days of pouring over his bills,
04:54John finally hit the bullseye.
04:56It was gone one o'clock in the morning
04:58and I couldn't believe it.
05:00I thought, yes, this is it.
05:02They think that I've got an imperial meter.
05:05Bingo.
05:06An imperial meter records usage in cubic feet.
05:10While a metric meter uses cubic meters,
05:13British Gas was using the wrong formula
05:15to calculate John's bills.
05:16I decided to divide my figure into their figure
05:22and it came up with 2.83.
05:24And in a situation where you've got an imperial meter,
05:27you multiply it by 2.83.
05:29Then it all made sense.
05:31They think that I've got an imperial meter.
05:34John actually had a smart meter,
05:36but despite the error seeming obvious to him,
05:39when he complained to British Gas Customer Services,
05:43they kept telling him that they were unable to help
05:45because they did not have access to the new system.
05:49I think their customer service is dreadful.
05:52I shouldn't be having to tell them what to do.
05:54The customer does their own investigation.
05:56No, no, definitely not.
05:59In the end, John went to the Ombudsman,
06:02which ruled in his favour and agreed with his maths.
06:05And British Gas was asked to re-bill him
06:08and update his records.
06:10When we spoke to British Gas, it apologised
06:13and said John's problems were down to
06:15incorrect information on the industry database of energy meters.
06:20So not the new system.
06:22But whatever was responsible for John's problems,
06:25many other British Gas customers have had cause
06:27to complain about their bills as well.
06:30Between the first quarter of 2022
06:33and the same period in 2025,
06:36billing complaints increased approximately threefold at British Gas.
06:40And while the energy crisis meant
06:42complaints were up across the board,
06:45British Gas experienced a comparatively greater increase
06:48than any other energy supplier.
06:51And we are still hearing from people
06:53who say their billing problems started
06:55when they were moved to British Gas's new platform.
06:57People like Anne Smith, who's joining me now in HQ,
07:02along with consumer finance expert Sarah Pennells.
07:07So Anne, let's turn to you first of all.
07:10When did your issues really begin?
07:12In about August of 24, I renewed my tariff with them
07:17and they explained at the time that I would be going on
07:19from their old system to the new system.
07:22So in September 24, I received a final bill from the old system.
07:28Everything appeared fine.
07:30Then I didn't receive a bill for several months.
07:33I kept ringing up and asking.
07:35And then finally, I received a bill in January
07:39for £999.99p.
07:43Whoa, that's a bit of a change.
07:45So I knew that this must be wrong.
07:49Anne says her bills were normally around £90 a month.
07:53So even if this new bill was covering a four-month gap,
07:56that would make the monthly price £250.
07:59But, you know, finding out why there was such a jump wasn't easy.
08:03With her account now on the new system,
08:06Anne couldn't get access to her old bills.
08:09So she had to ask British Gas to send them.
08:11And when it did, she quickly realised the firm had got her bills wrong
08:14in a surprising number of ways.
08:18They'd failed to open with about £198 credit.
08:22They hadn't counted that.
08:23The next thing I noticed was that they hadn't counted
08:27any of the payments I'd made at all
08:29between September 23 and September or October of 2024.
08:33They hadn't taken any of those payments into account.
08:37The third thing I noticed is that they hadn't applied
08:40any of the peak save credits for low consumption.
08:45Then when I actually started looking at the allegedly transferred bills,
08:50bills, I noticed they were all estimated readings,
08:54where for the same period on the old system,
08:57I had actual readings.
08:59And finally, I noticed that the tariffs that they were charging
09:03were not actually in line with the tariffs I was on
09:07at that point in time.
09:09Anne says getting all those mistakes put right
09:12required her to send a bundle of evidence
09:14and make numerous follow-up phone calls.
09:17Well, finally, British Gas realised this error.
09:20What effect has this had on you personally?
09:24I should imagine it's all-consuming, really.
09:26It is all-consuming.
09:27And the only thing I had up my sleeve is that,
09:31under ordinary circumstances, you know,
09:34I wouldn't have been quite so emotional,
09:35but I knew I had all the evidence and the information I needed.
09:39When we first reported on this story,
09:42British Gas said there were no major issues with the new system
09:45that Anne has been talking about.
09:46So what do you think is going on here, Zara?
09:50Well, British Gas may be right that there isn't a fundamental issue
09:54with its new billing system,
09:55but there's no doubt that there have been some problems
09:57moving customers over onto it.
09:59Now, it's not the first energy provider to switch to a new billing system
10:03and have problems.
10:04So you think that, you know, for the energy sector,
10:06when it does a big technical IT project like this,
10:10it should make sure that it has that customer service in place
10:13so that in the event that things go wrong,
10:15for whatever reason,
10:17there are customer service agents in place
10:19who can take ownership and sort it out.
10:21If we look at British Gas in particular,
10:23in the three months from July to September last year,
10:26over 6,700 people complained to the Energy Ombudsman about British Gas,
10:31making it the most complained-about provider,
10:34even taking into account its customer base.
10:36Because it's shocking, really.
10:36Now, Citizens Advice also ranks energy suppliers for service,
10:40and up until the end of last year, in the three-month period,
10:43British Gas was sitting ninth out of 16.
10:45And what is the root of this problem, do you believe?
10:48It is the lack of communication between the old platform
10:52and the new platform
10:54and the lack of support and customer support
10:59on British Gas's behalf,
11:02basically that they are leaving the customer
11:04to prove the case for them,
11:06otherwise you don't get a resolution to your problem.
11:09What advice would you give to other people
11:11who might be in your situation?
11:13The first thing is keep a copy of your old bills
11:15because once you're transferred onto the new system,
11:18you have no access to those old bills to prove anything.
11:22And in my case, the second thing was I made a subject access request.
11:26You can request by law information from a company.
11:29So I gave them the timeframes and said,
11:31I just want clear billing with an audit trail,
11:34a mathematical audit trail I can follow.
11:36And for me, that's what broke the ongoing cycle.
11:40So, Sarah, finally, advice from you?
11:43Well, I mean, Anne's a very smart cookie
11:44and has taken a lot of the right steps.
11:46So I would say, first of all, complain
11:47and be very clear about what you want the company to do
11:50and when you want them to put it right.
11:52Escalate it if you aren't getting anywhere.
11:54Complain to the Energy Ombudsman Service,
11:56but you have to give the company eight weeks
11:57to resolve the complaint.
11:59If money is being taken that's putting you in difficulty,
12:02tell the company,
12:03contact a debt advice charity,
12:05such as StepChange or Citizens Advice.
12:06Well, you've both given great advice
12:08and thank you very much for making the journey
12:10from Nottinghamshire to be with us.
12:12And thank you very much, Sarah.
12:15When we spoke to British Gas about Anne's case,
12:18it put the problems down to delays
12:20in applying a new tariff to her gas account
12:23and adding her husband's name
12:24to the gas and electricity accounts.
12:28British Gas apologised to Anne
12:29and said it had resolved the issue
12:31and applied a gesture of goodwill
12:34to the account earlier this year.
12:35British Gas added that
12:38when things occasionally go wrong,
12:40they could be down to
12:41a variety of different reasons,
12:43but its teams work hard
12:44to support its customers.
12:50Now time for our advice clinic
12:52where consumer expert Martin James
12:54is here to help Brenda Smith from Nottingham,
12:56who's been locked out
12:57of her Microsoft email account.
13:02Hello, Brenda.
13:03I understand you've had quite a few problems.
13:07Tell me where it all began.
13:09Hello.
13:10It started in February
13:12when I had a message to say
13:15that I had got unusual activity
13:17on my account
13:18and that I needed to verify my account.
13:21To do that,
13:23I had to send the last four digits
13:24of my phone
13:25and they would send me a code.
13:27I didn't receive any codes.
13:30So I completed the recovery form,
13:33got a message back.
13:34I hadn't given them enough information.
13:37Refill the form out.
13:39So I did that two more times.
13:42Was then told I'd done too many attempts
13:44and I was blocked until the next day.
13:46Oh my goodness.
13:48And every time I did one of their help tools,
13:51it then said,
13:53sign into your account.
13:54Oh, I couldn't sign into my account.
13:58When Brenda tried again the next day,
14:00it was still a case of
14:01computer says no.
14:03She continued to try
14:05but says after repeated attempts,
14:07she received a message
14:08blocking her for 30 days.
14:10My email is used for
14:13receiving any information
14:15from all of my accounts,
14:17such as my water rate,
14:20gas, electricity.
14:21I even get some information
14:23from the bank.
14:24And as a consequence,
14:26I was getting no information
14:28because I could not access this account.
14:30Oh, right.
14:31Well, I'm going to pick this up with Martin.
14:34So, I mean,
14:35this is so frustrating, isn't it?
14:37What do you make of what happened?
14:38Gosh, you know, Louise,
14:39I think one of the problems
14:40that we have here is
14:41because free email services
14:42are constantly under attack
14:44by fraudsters,
14:46they can be very sensitive
14:47about anything
14:48that might go a little bit awry.
14:51So, even if they misinterpret,
14:53putting in the wrong information,
14:55the wrong password,
14:56there are loads of things
14:57that can result
14:58in these security problems.
15:00Martin, what should Brenda,
15:02all of us do
15:02to make sure we're not locked
15:03out of our email accounts like this?
15:05Well, prevention
15:06is the best form of cure,
15:08I think, sometimes.
15:09If you go to the security settings
15:10on your email,
15:11you'll find on there prompts
15:13to actually help
15:14actually recover the email.
15:15It's worthwhile
15:16putting on things
15:17like an alternative email address
15:19or an alternative phone number
15:20just so that you have
15:21another way
15:22to get in touch
15:23with the company.
15:24Now, another thing
15:24that you can do
15:25is download
15:26the Microsoft Authenticator app.
15:28This is a free service
15:30and it's free to use
15:31and what it does
15:32is actually authenticates
15:33who you are
15:34without all of the fuss
15:35of all the additional passwords.
15:37Well, Brenda,
15:37we did contact Microsoft
15:39regarding your account
15:40and it shared some tips
15:41to help people
15:42recover their accounts
15:43more quickly
15:44and we will put those
15:45on our website
15:46which is bbc.co.uk
15:47slash ripoffbritain.
15:49It also told us
15:51that it had scheduled
15:52a call,
15:53a call,
15:54I shouldn't sound so surprised,
15:55directly with you, Brenda.
15:57Did that happen?
15:58It did happen
15:59and I have successfully
16:01got my account back.
16:03Gosh, I mean,
16:04look at the smile,
16:04but I imagine
16:05you've got quite a few emails
16:06to deal with in that case.
16:08Over 1,000.
16:09Oh, gosh.
16:11Well, good luck
16:11with all of that
16:12and I hope that doesn't
16:13happen to you again.
16:221,000 emails,
16:24she'll be at it forever.
16:25Well, if, like Brenda,
16:26you feel stuck in a situation
16:28you simply can't escape
16:29and you need our help,
16:31why not drop us a line?
16:32Our email address is
16:33ripoffbritain
16:34at bbc.co.uk.
16:36Now, you can also send us
16:37a message via WhatsApp
16:39on 033-678-1321
16:44or, indeed,
16:45through our Facebook page.
16:46All you have to do
16:47is search for
16:47BBC Ripoff Britain
16:49or, remember,
16:50you can always get in touch
16:51by getting out your stamps
16:53and just writing us
16:54a good old-fashioned letter.
16:55The address is
16:56Ripoff Britain,
16:57BBC Media City, UK,
17:00Salford,
17:01M50 to LH.
17:03But the point is,
17:04whatever way you get in touch,
17:06please include a number for us
17:07so that we can call you back.
17:09That's exactly what
17:10some of the people
17:10in our next film did
17:12when they needed help.
17:13Their pricey new laptops
17:15all developed cracks
17:16right across the screen.
17:18But while the cause
17:19was a complete mystery to them,
17:21the manufacturer
17:22had other ideas.
17:26It was spooky
17:28and I couldn't believe my eyes.
17:30I'm absolutely livid
17:32with the response from Samsung.
17:33I was obviously shocked
17:36that it had spontaneously cracked.
17:39I felt like
17:40all the blame was put on me
17:41and it was my fault
17:42for the laptop breaking.
17:44These customers
17:45of premium electronics brand Samsung
17:47have been trying
17:48to get to grips
17:49with a mystery.
17:51Just why was it
17:52that the screens
17:52on one of the company's
17:54flagship laptops
17:55were starting to crack
17:56before their eyes?
17:58I noticed a crack
18:00when I opened the laptop
18:01and my heart just dropped
18:03because it is not
18:03a cheap laptop.
18:05There was a crack
18:05going from the top
18:07of the laptop
18:07sort of diagonally
18:09down to the very bottom.
18:16Dharmesh Mistry
18:17from Reading
18:18bought his Samsung Galaxy
18:19Pro 5 360
18:21direct from Samsung's
18:23own website
18:23in September 2024
18:25as a gift
18:26for his wife,
18:28Kirti.
18:28I thought I would
18:31treat her
18:31to the best laptop
18:33that I could find her
18:34with the view
18:35that these things
18:36tend to last
18:37for a good
18:38five to ten years
18:39if you buy
18:40the best one
18:40at the time.
18:42The premium bit of kit
18:43cost him
18:43almost £1,500
18:45which he put
18:47on his credit card.
18:48But within just
18:49hours of using it
18:50Kirti noticed
18:52a problem.
18:53She pointed out
18:54to me
18:55on the screen
18:56like a really
18:57long slim
18:59hairline fracture
19:01in the screen.
19:02Its cause
19:03was a puzzle.
19:05She hasn't dropped it.
19:06She didn't bang
19:07the lid
19:08or anything like that.
19:09It was just
19:10normal use.
19:12As the couple
19:13questioned
19:13what was going on
19:14things escalated
19:16fast.
19:17My wife's
19:18sitting next to me
19:19using the laptop
19:20and as she's
19:22typing
19:23I actually
19:24am seeing
19:25further cracks
19:26appear in the screen
19:27while she's using it.
19:30Angry that the screen
19:31on his wife's
19:32top of the range
19:33laptop
19:33seemed to be
19:34splintering in front
19:35of him
19:36Dharmesh wanted
19:37a refund.
19:38But Samsung's
19:39response was
19:40that his warranty
19:41didn't cover
19:42physical damage.
19:43However
19:44as far as Dharmesh
19:45was concerned
19:46there was no
19:47physical damage
19:48to the laptop.
19:49Rather
19:49he believed
19:50the machine
19:51was faulty.
19:53I'm absolutely
19:54livid with the
19:55response from
19:56Samsung
19:56because basically
19:58they're claiming
19:58no responsibility
19:59on this at all.
20:00I've
20:00literally used it
20:02for less than
20:03a dozen hours
20:04and also
20:05it's never been
20:06dropped
20:06nothing's been
20:07dropped onto
20:07the screen.
20:08We spend
20:08quite a lot
20:09of money on
20:10this
20:10and they want
20:11more money
20:12to get this
20:13fixed for their
20:14problem I believe.
20:15But Dharmesh's
20:18laptop isn't
20:19the only
20:20Samsung with
20:21a galaxy of
20:22cracks in the
20:23screen.
20:24Bethany Solomon
20:25from Bristol
20:25bought her
20:26Samsung Galaxy
20:27Book 4 360
20:28for £1,200
20:30from retailer
20:31Curry's in
20:32June 2024.
20:35I was excited
20:36to get the
20:37laptop home and
20:38I really wanted
20:38to open it
20:39straight away
20:39and when I
20:41opened it
20:41the graphics
20:41they were
20:42amazing.
20:42But just a
20:44couple of
20:45months later
20:45the cracks
20:46started to
20:47appear
20:47quite literally.
20:49So the
20:50crack started
20:51from the
20:51left hand
20:52of the
20:53screen
20:53right up
20:53to the
20:54top
20:54straight
20:54under the
20:55camera
20:55and it
20:56was a
20:56hairline
20:57crack.
20:59The next
21:00day Bethany
21:00took the
21:01laptop back
21:02to Curry's
21:02which sent
21:03it off
21:03for inspection
21:04and a
21:05week later
21:05she got
21:06a phone
21:06call to
21:07say it
21:07was back.
21:09The woman
21:09said on
21:09the phone
21:10no it's
21:11not been
21:11fixed.
21:12You're
21:12going to
21:12have to
21:13come and
21:13pick it
21:13up and
21:14I was
21:14really
21:14annoyed.
21:16Curry's
21:16said the
21:17crack was
21:17caused by
21:18physical
21:18damage and
21:19wasn't
21:20covered under
21:20warranty so
21:22she'd have to
21:22contact Samsung
21:23about the
21:24repair.
21:25It became a
21:26tennis match
21:27between Samsung
21:28and Curry's.
21:29Samsung didn't
21:30want to take
21:30any accountability
21:31Curry's didn't
21:32want to take
21:33any liability
21:33and it was
21:35just a back
21:36and forth
21:36between the
21:37both of
21:37them.
21:38I felt
21:38really angry
21:39and upset
21:39because neither
21:41of them were
21:42listening to
21:42me.
21:44Meanwhile
21:44other Samsung
21:45customers were
21:46experiencing a
21:47similar fate and
21:48posting about
21:49their mysteriously
21:50cracked screens
21:51online.
21:53Reading some
21:53of those posts
21:54Stacey Gray
21:55from Essex
21:55began to
21:56worry what to
21:57do when the
21:57screen on her
21:58£1,600
21:59Samsung Galaxy
22:01Book 5 Pro
22:02360 also
22:04cracked.
22:05I had read
22:06other people's
22:07experiences which
22:08basically simply
22:10said the laptop
22:11was beyond
22:12repair and
22:13this type of
22:14damage isn't
22:14covered and
22:14that was it.
22:15So instead of
22:17sending the
22:17machine off to
22:18retailer Curry's
22:19like Bethany
22:20did, she
22:20opted to get
22:21an independent
22:22assessment done
22:23first.
22:24And when the
22:25report came
22:25back, Stacey
22:26thought the
22:27mystery was
22:28finally solved.
22:29It was their
22:32opinion that
22:33the crack was
22:34caused by a
22:35manufacturing defect
22:37essentially, a
22:38flaw in the
22:39design rather
22:40than any
22:41external damage.
22:44Stacey asked
22:45her credit card
22:46provider for a
22:47refund but it
22:48wouldn't proceed
22:48until Curry's
22:50had inspected
22:50her laptop.
22:52Feeling she had
22:53no other option,
22:54Stacey sent it
22:55off and five
22:57weeks later she
22:58got a response.
22:59I was very
23:00shocked actually
23:01to get Curry's
23:03email confirming
23:04that they would
23:05refund me.
23:06I was not
23:06expecting that at
23:07all but yeah
23:08I'm very pleased
23:09to have the
23:10outcome that I
23:11wanted.
23:13Back in
23:13Bristol and
23:14Bethany's case
23:15went to a
23:16dispute resolution
23:17service which
23:18found in
23:19Curry's favour.
23:20But certain
23:21she was right
23:21Bethany also
23:23opted to get an
23:24independent
23:24assessment which
23:26found in her
23:27favour.
23:28When I received
23:28the independent
23:29report I felt
23:30validated and
23:31that it wasn't
23:32actually my fault
23:33it was a
23:34manufacturing issue.
23:36I don't want
23:36anything to do
23:37with the laptop
23:37anymore I just
23:38want them to take
23:38it and I just
23:39want a refund.
23:42That's a feeling
23:43Dharmesh shares but
23:44he bought direct
23:45from Samsung which
23:47is insistent that
23:48the cracks are not
23:49caused by a
23:50manufacturing fault.
23:52As a result he
23:53was unable to get
23:55his money back from
23:56his credit card
23:56provider and is
23:58unwilling to shell
23:59out for repairs for
24:00a laptop he believes
24:01was faulty from
24:03the outset.
24:04I think this is
24:05actually a
24:06fundamental problem
24:07with the quality of
24:08the laptop so it's
24:10more than likely to
24:10happen again.
24:11Online there are
24:12many complaints that
24:13it has happened more
24:14than once.
24:15I'd never buy another
24:16Samsung again based
24:17on this.
24:18We spoke to
24:23Samsung it said it
24:23regretted the
24:24experiences highlighted
24:25did not meet its
24:27usual high standards
24:28and said its Galaxy
24:29Book series undergoes
24:30rigorous tests designed
24:32specifically to simulate
24:33real world conditions
24:35and it stands by the
24:37quality of its
24:38products.
24:38But I am pleased to
24:39say it has now issued
24:40refunds to both
24:41Dharmesh and Bethany.
24:43All a good result for
24:44everybody who is in
24:45those cases that we
24:46featured.
24:47David McClellan joins me
24:48now with his many
24:49devices thank you very
24:50much.
24:51With technology
24:52progressing David how
24:53long should a screen
24:55last?
24:56It's a great question
24:57and I think that a
24:58screen like any other
25:00part of the device
25:01that you have it should
25:03as per the Consumer
25:04Rights Act last a
25:05reasonable length of
25:07time which is for
25:08years really and the
25:09fact is that I think
25:11the screen technology
25:12because it's so central
25:14to how we experience
25:15these devices we're
25:16wanting our devices
25:17bigger and thinner
25:19and with curved and
25:20flexible screens all of
25:21those kind of things
25:22the manufacturers are
25:24pushing the engineering
25:25to the limits and I
25:26think maybe that is
25:27why maybe we're seeing
25:29some devices that are
25:30being pushed a little
25:31bit too far which is
25:32why we're seeing some
25:33of these cracks perhaps.
25:34We spoke to Samsung
25:35they did also tell us
25:36that when they
25:37inspected all the
25:38devices in our film
25:39themselves the cracks in
25:40all three of them were
25:41caused by external
25:43pressure to the laptop
25:44screen rather than a
25:45manufacturing defect so
25:47usually they should last
25:48years if your screen
25:50breaks sooner how can
25:51you tell it's a
25:53manufacturing fault not
25:54user error?
25:55Well look proving a
25:56cracked or damaged
25:57screen is as a result of
25:59a manufacturing fault
26:00rather than you know
26:01physical damage as our
26:02viewers found it can be
26:04a real challenge and
26:05manufacturers have
26:06specific exclusions many
26:08of them against cracks or
26:10damaged screens in their
26:12warranties which is really
26:13frustrating but I think
26:15there can be strength in
26:16numbers here and if a
26:18number of people who are
26:19experiencing damaged
26:20screens suddenly find that
26:22there are many more of
26:23them online then they can
26:24start to form a little bit
26:25of a huddle here and what
26:27do you know manufacturers
26:28retailers might start to
26:29take notice.
26:30These are incredibly
26:31expensive devices so is
26:34there any additional
26:34insurance or protections
26:36that we can buy take out
26:38that would be worth
26:39looking at?
26:40Oh yes speaking
26:41personally I'm a bit of a
26:43klutz there's a reason the
26:44screen on some of these
26:45devices is broken yes yes
26:47that is me so my take is
26:49that some of these gadget
26:51policies can be really
26:52worthwhile and some of them
26:54you can get from the
26:55manufacturer if you buy the
26:56device directly from them
26:58and they're also third party
26:59insurers who specialize in
27:01gadget protection so with
27:03some of these policies
27:04there is like a no
27:05questions asked replacement
27:07whether it is accidental or
27:09whether it is a
27:10manufacturing fault and they
27:11can also cover for things
27:12like loss or theft as well
27:14which is all good as always
27:16shop around check the terms
27:18and conditions check the
27:19exclusions and of course it
27:21should not be on us as
27:23consumers to pay to kind of
27:25top up to make up the
27:26shortfall for manufacturers
27:28who are releasing goods
27:30that are not fit for purpose.
27:32That is a very good point to
27:33end on thank you very much
27:34David.
27:34When we spoke to Curry's where
27:37Bethany and Stacey bought their
27:39devices it told us all customer
27:41cases are reviewed thoroughly and
27:43diligently and that it
27:45collaborates with suppliers to
27:47ensure product quality for
27:48customers.
27:49Now this is probably the most
27:57expensive thing you will ever buy
28:00a house it's a serious
28:01undertaking and another big
28:03stress even when you need to
28:05sell it complicated paperwork
28:07fees to pay not to mention the
28:09pressure of the dreaded chain.
28:11Step in we buy any house it
28:14sounds as simple as its catchy
28:16name a company offering a cash
28:18offer in 15 minutes sell in as
28:21little as three days hassle
28:22free.
28:24But we've been hearing from
28:25people who say their experiences
28:27with we buy any house have been
28:29anything but hassle free.
28:36This is the kitchen.
28:38A lot of happy memories of baking
28:40with the girls and all their
28:42friends and stuff in here.
28:43Denise and Crispin Maddox called
28:47this 350 year old property in
28:49Bedford home for 23 years but in
28:53September 2024 they decided it was
28:56time to move on.
28:58We had a lot of memories here but
29:00the children got too big for the
29:02house really young teenagers you
29:04have a lot of kid and you need
29:07more and more space.
29:08It was time to move on we'd
29:09outgrown it and start pastures new
29:12start and end of the chapter.
29:17The couple put their house on the
29:19market with a local estate agent
29:20with an asking price of £450,000
29:23but nearly three months later there
29:26was still no sale.
29:29However time was of the essence
29:31because Denise and Crispin had
29:33already bought and moved into
29:34another house and urgently needed the
29:37funds from this one.
29:38I looked at other options that being
29:41an auction being one of them and
29:43then I had this letter through from
29:45We Buy Any House.
29:47Online property sales company We Buy
29:49Any House offers customers a
29:52market leading service to sell their
29:54homes quickly and with ease.
29:57For Denise that seemed just the ticket.
29:59I think one of the main things that
30:02appealed to me was no estate agent's
30:05fees, no solicitor's fees, they
30:08handled everything for you and it just
30:10took all the hassle away.
30:12When Denise got in touch in January
30:142025 We Buy Any House immediately
30:17offered £325,000 for the property but
30:22when she explained that it was a lot
30:23less than the £450,000 she was looking
30:26for We Buy Any House offered an
30:29alternative.
30:31He said but if you know you're not in a
30:32hurry then we're going to sell it to
30:34investors and they are looking at giving
30:36you £400 to £415,000.
30:39I thought at that point they're offering me
30:41quite a good deal here.
30:43I've got nothing to lose really have I?
30:46It would still mean taking a financial
30:48hit but with no other buyers on the
30:51horizon Denise and Crispin agreed to let
30:54the firm sell to an investor.
30:56To get things moving Denise signed a
30:59contract and says she was told there was
31:01a cooling off period to fall back on if
31:03she changed her mind.
31:05I felt safe signing it because I had a
31:0714 day cooling off period and during that
31:10time I could get out of it.
31:13So when 13 days later their original
31:16estate agent secured a sale Denise and
31:19Crispin didn't anticipate any problems.
31:21During the cooling off period I got a call
31:24from the estate agents to say I'd had an
31:27offer on the house and I thought you know
31:29what let's take it it's I can get out of
31:33We Buy Any House it's not an issue.
31:36I accepted that and then we called We Buy Any
31:38House to cancel.
31:41It just went badly wrong from there really.
31:45When the couple's solicitor started work on
31:47the house sale she found a restriction had been
31:50registered against the property with the land
31:52registry meaning Denise and Crispin couldn't sell
31:55without the permission of We Buy Any House's
31:58parent company.
32:00The couple were further confused when they found
32:03two more firms were also involved.
32:06Denise was working with one company and suddenly now
32:09we've got We Buy Any House, House Sales Direct and
32:12another company called Hawksmoor who were involved.
32:14So we didn't know what this web of companies was,
32:18how it was, what was going on.
32:20It turned out the contract contained two separate
32:23agreements, one with We Buy Any House and the other
32:27with a company called House Sales Direct allowing it to
32:31market the property like an estate agent.
32:34And while the agreement with House Sales Direct did have
32:38a 14-day cooling off period, crucially the agreement with
32:42We Buy Any House didn't, meaning that if the house was sold
32:45in the next 12 months Denise would have to pay a hefty fee
32:49even if she found the buyer.
32:52When the solicitor told me it's like how can they do it?
32:54It's my property, I've done nothing wrong, I own that property.
32:58How can somebody else put that restriction on which is
33:02stopping me from selling my own house?
33:04The couple's only choice was either to wait it out or pay to
33:09release themselves from the contract, a choice they never
33:12expected when they signed up for a supposedly hassle-free
33:16house sale.
33:20Meanwhile in Newport, Jane Dixon's brush with We Buy Any House
33:25came when she was trying to sell her late parents' house in June
33:282024.
33:31We were keen to make sure that the property was sold so that we
33:36could move on with our lives.
33:37So rather than go through a mainstream estate agent, because the
33:43process was advised as being quicker, then we decided to go down
33:49that route.
33:50Jane was offered £75,000 by We Buy Any House or she could get much
33:56closer to its £100,000 valuation if she allowed a second company,
34:01House Sales Direct, to sell it instead.
34:04They seemed very professional.
34:06The guy that we spoke with took all the details and he said,
34:10look, we can help you, we can help you quickly, there'll be
34:14minimal disruption and it just seemed that it was the right thing
34:18to do.
34:19There was no initial cost, but the contract did lock her into a
34:23six-month exclusivity deal.
34:25But by the end of the six months, and with no offers close to the
34:28agreed price, Jane decided not to renew with the company.
34:32And around three months later, she agreed a private sale for £95,000.
34:39But when her solicitor came to the paperwork, she uncovered a problem.
34:44She said, there's a charge on your property.
34:47I've contacted Land Registry and they cannot release.
34:52I was absolutely devastated.
34:54The company with the charge against the house was Hawksmore Equity.
34:59Just like Denise and Crispin, Jane had unwittingly agreed to its
35:04involvement when she signed the contract.
35:06But Jane was puzzled, since according to the same contract, if House
35:11Sales Direct hadn't sold her house after six months, all legal charges
35:15would be removed.
35:17We just bombarded them with emails.
35:20Please, can you remove the charge?
35:22Please, can you remove the charge?
35:24But despite promises to remove it, more than three weeks later, the charge
35:28was still on the property.
35:31The conveyancer sent an email and said, if you don't do this herewith, then
35:35I will take care of the proceedings.
35:38The next day it was removed.
35:41Much to her relief, the house sale went smoothly from there on.
35:45But for Denise and Crispin, the process of removing We Buy Any House from their
35:51house sale is going to be far from smooth.
35:54The cost of removing the charge against the house is £13,500.
35:58I suppose the quick way to get out of it is to just write it off as a bad loss, isn't it?
36:05Take your medicine.
36:06Made a mistake.
36:07That mistake is going to cost £13,500.
36:09End of story.
36:11We haven't got £13,500.
36:13Well, no.
36:13But that's a simple solution, is to walk away from it and just put it down to a bad experience.
36:19But that doesn't lie well, really.
36:21And for Denise, the price she's paid hasn't just been financial.
36:27I've just been railroaded, haven't I?
36:29I mean, you see these things all the time and people tell you, always read the contract.
36:33But I was told three times that I had a 14-day cooling-off period and no point did he say that
36:39there was two companies involved.
36:40Yeah, sorry.
36:42I'm just a bit emotional.
36:51Poor Denise.
36:52What a horrible position she's found herself in.
36:55Well, joining me now is solicitor Gary Rycroft.
36:57Welcome, Gary.
36:58How do these companies operate?
37:01Well, these kind of quick house purchase companies, they say it's going to be hassle-free.
37:06They say there are no fees involved.
37:07Well, that no fee thing, Julia, strikes me as being interesting because that means you're
37:13not getting legal advice.
37:15And I would say from the outset of these kind of transactions, that's precisely what you
37:19do need.
37:20So starting with Denise and Crispin, they say they were promised a cooling-off period over
37:24the phone.
37:25But when it came to cancelling just 13 days in, they discovered they'd actually signed
37:29two contracts, one with no cooling-off period.
37:33How can that be?
37:34Yeah, well, I feel really sorry for Denise because it seems that she feels that this was
37:38all on her shoulders.
37:40But actually, the evidence from the film seems to be that it wasn't fully explained to Denise
37:46that she was signing two different and distinct contracts.
37:51One of them was an option to buy the house, and that means that other people are blocked
37:55from buying the property.
37:57The second agreement was a standard estate agency agreement.
38:03Now, the standard estate agency agreement certainly does go with a 14-day cooling-off period.
38:09But the thing about the earlier agreement, that doesn't have a 14-day cooling-off period.
38:15Now, Denise will say that that wasn't fully explained to her.
38:18And if that's the case, then it was, in my view, misleading.
38:21Well, what about Jane's case?
38:23What rights does she have over that?
38:25Well, in fairness to We Buy Any House, I've looked at the documents that they provide to people.
38:32I can't comment on how those documents are explained.
38:34But I can comment on the wording, which is relatively simple, that people should be able
38:40to understand what's happening if they actually had the time to go through the contracts and
38:45had it explained to them.
38:46When we spoke to We Buy Any House about Denise's situation, it told us that it has lifted the
38:53restriction against her property and has now informed her that it will no longer be pursuing
38:58her for any settlement payment.
39:01As for Jane, it said it had acted professionally and responded promptly to all concerns raised.
39:08Having told Jane she was free to sell the property in March 2025, it said it considered the matter
39:13concluded.
39:14We Buy Any House stressed that, as part of a regulated industry, it was required to adhere
39:20to established codes of practice.
39:23It said it was committed to delivering a fair and transparent service and said online customer
39:28reviews consistently rated its service as excellent.
39:33We also spoke to House Sales Direct, which told us that when Denise chose to withdraw from
39:38its service, the firm honoured that decision in full.
39:41Bottom line, is there such a thing as a hassle-free house sale?
39:47Well, as we often say to clients, there's many a slip between cup and lip.
39:52But yes, I think what I would say is to make it as hassle-free as possible, get your lawyer
39:58involved as soon as possible.
40:00So it's not exactly a straight no.
40:02It's not a straight no, it's very much a lawyer's answer.
40:05Do you know, I noticed that, Gary.
40:07Gary, thank you very much.
40:08Now, we're back here on the rip-off Britain's surface with our fabulous experts, Sarah Pennells
40:19and Martin James, and some of your questions to fire at them.
40:22First one for you, Sarah.
40:24Sarah Verrill bought a second-hand phone from a retailer eight months ago, which arrived
40:28scuffed.
40:30Sarah was absolutely fine with that at the time, but the phone has now stopped working properly.
40:34She says it came with a 12-month warranty, but the retailer has now said it can't be
40:39repaired under warranty because of the scuff marks.
40:42What can she do?
40:43Well, this is an interesting one.
40:45So lots of manufacturers and some retailers offer warranties, and these can have conditions
40:51to them.
40:51But that aside, a warranty is on top of your consumer rights.
40:55It's not instead of them.
40:57So if Sarah doesn't get anywhere going back to the retailer and saying, actually, what is
41:01the link between a scuff and the phone not working, then she should use her consumer rights
41:05under the Consumer Rights Act.
41:07So she bought this phone eight months ago, and you would expect a second-hand phone to
41:11last for more than eight months.
41:13So because she's had it for a while, she probably can't get a full refund, but she should ask
41:17for a repair.
41:18And if they don't repair it properly, then she should ask for a replacement instead.
41:23OK.
41:23OK, Martin, you're on.
41:25Because Mary McGreal says that she purchased a balloon ride and she got vouchers for her 70th
41:30birthday, but four years on and several cancellations later by the company, they have now expired
41:35unused.
41:36She paid 380 quid for them, and the company refuses to refund.
41:40So what can she do to get the balloon ride?
41:42This is actually a really common problem because, let's face it, a balloon ride in the UK sounds
41:47like a wonderful idea, but it's still in the UK, and they do repeatedly get cancelled.
41:53Now, there will be terms and conditions attached to these vouchers, but the fact of the matter
41:57is, if the business was unable to carry out the service it's agreed to, they should be
42:01giving her a full refund.
42:02I would threaten to go to the small claims court.
42:05Sarah, this is for you.
42:06Tracy Wood says she bought a bunch of flowers from an online florist, which arrived dead.
42:12She emailed the company and has had no response, and has also seen other customers in the same
42:16boat.
42:17What can she do?
42:18With online retailers offering sort of, you know, subscription floral bouquets and things
42:22like that, issues with kind of wilting wisterias and desiccated dahlias are actually much more
42:26common than you think.
42:28Again, the Consumer Rights Act will be Tracy's friend here because it's the retailer's
42:32responsibility until the bouquet is delivered for the condition it's in.
42:38Now, if she doesn't get any joy with the retailer, and she's obviously tried already,
42:42then the other thing to fall back on is how she paid.
42:44So whether she paid by debit card or credit card, she can ask for something called a charge
42:49back, which is essentially a reversal of the transaction.
42:52Love the idea of desiccated dahlias coming back to life, but thank you very much indeed
42:56for all of that.
42:57On which note, I'm sorry to say, it is time for the end of today's programme, but if you've
43:02missed any of the advice we've packed in from how to navigate the tricky world of house
43:06sale contracts to advice on getting your energy company to behave itself, catch up on today's
43:11programme and many more on BBC iPlayer.
43:13But until then, from all of us on the Rip Off Britain team here in Salford, it's time
43:18to say goodbye.
43:20Bye-bye.
43:20Bye.
43:21Bye.
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