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Rip off Britain - Season 18 Episode 3 - Claim denied due to home’s past building work
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00:00Today, can you trust your home insurance?
00:03Well, we meet the couple whose £10,000 claim to fix a bathroom leak was rejected
00:09because they were with a different insurer when the dodgy work had been carried out
00:13five years earlier.
00:15I'm quite savvy, I keep a lot of the information, but I don't tend to keep a home insurance or
00:19any other insurance that we have from years ago. Why would I do that?
00:23Plus, claims of sinking sofas from SCS. After just four months, this couple say their £2,500 suite
00:31is too uncomfortable to sit on, but neither the warranty nor the protection plan will pay out.
00:38They sent an inspector out who said there was nothing wrong with it.
00:41More or less told us that we haven't walked after it, which was really hurtful.
00:46Always on your side, this is Rip Off Britain.
00:57Hello and a very warm welcome to Rip Off Britain HQ here in Salford.
01:02Home to the team that goes into bat for you when it seems no one else will listen.
01:07Now, coming up today, the mobility furniture specialists who left vulnerable customers
01:12without the furniture they needed or indeed the thousands of pounds that actually paid for them.
01:17As of today, we still have no city and no compensation in the bank.
01:26I am frustrated and fed up to the back teeth.
01:30Well, as our team started to investigate that particular case, we discovered a confusing and
01:35murky setup with dozens more unhappy customers, including television presenter Pam Rhodes.
01:42And I'm pleased to say she's going to be with us here in HQ later on.
01:45Now, I love this programme because every single time I learn something and this is something new on me.
01:51So you've both heard of insurance companies turning down health or travel claims because of customers pre-existing conditions.
01:57Yeah.
01:58Yeah, we all know about that.
02:00Have you heard of them turning down a claim on a home insurance because of a pre-existing condition?
02:06I'd never heard of it.
02:07Never heard of that, no.
02:07Neither had this couple we're about to meet.
02:09It's landed them with a £10,000 bill to fix damage they thought would be covered.
02:16Hello. Come on in.
02:19This is David and Jan Leek's forever home.
02:22This was one of the first rooms that we did, so we ended up with a new kitchen.
02:27We ended up, yeah.
02:28The retired couple bought the four-bed detached property in Bishop Auckland in 2020 and began doing it up that
02:35same year.
02:36One of the biggest jobs of the whole £60,000 renovation...
02:40The new main bedroom.
02:42..was when Jan and David installed a wetroom-style bathroom.
02:46So this is a huge rain shower, which when it rains, boy, does it rain.
02:51At first, the wetroom was a little slice of luxury for the couple.
02:55But by the summer of 2025, the pummeling from the power shower started to take its toll.
03:01We noticed that fairly large chunks of grout were coming out of the joints and water was escaping down.
03:09An initial attempt at repair failed almost immediately.
03:13Worse still, the company that installed the wetroom had disappeared.
03:18Not answering their phones, not answering any emails.
03:21So as far as I know, they're out of business.
03:24Stuck, David and Jan submitted a claim to their home insurer, Direct9.
03:29And during a phone call with the company, the call handler honed in on one detail in particular.
03:35He asked me, did I remember who we were insured with when the work was actually done?
03:42David didn't. It was five years ago, after all.
03:45I changed insurance probably four times since then. And so I couldn't remember who we were insured with five years
03:51earlier.
03:52And I certainly couldn't remember what the policy number was.
03:54And that was bad news because Direct9 said it was that insurer that would be responsible for covering the claim.
04:02And as he explained in great detail, David had no responsibility for that particular thing going wrong because it went
04:09wrong when it was first put in.
04:12And if you could remember who your insurance company was when that happened and particularly what the policy number was,
04:19I can go to that insurance company and legally make a claim for that work to be done.
04:24Direct9 pointed to its terms and conditions, so David checked for himself.
04:29Now, there's 60 pages of bracket small print. And this is on page 49. It talks about pre-existing damage.
04:37Just read what it says.
04:38We don't cover any pre-existing loss or damage that happened before your cover started. And that's why I was
04:45told.
04:48It was a revelation that hit David with all the angry force, but none of the rejuvenation of a particularly
04:56vigorous power shower.
04:58I've never, ever come across that before because you wouldn't think about if something goes wrong in five years' time
05:04that you'll need to refer back to that paperwork again, which you've thrown in the bin many years earlier.
05:09And because the damage hadn't been apparent until after they'd taken out the direct line policy, David believes it should
05:16cover the repair work.
05:18We took this policy out in May. That damage started to manifest itself in July. So a couple of months
05:23after we took the policy out is when we started to see the damage. So there was no pre-existing
05:28damage.
05:29Faced with stumping up the cash to sort out the wet room themselves, the couple are concerned about just how
05:35extensive the work might be.
05:37The subfloor is probably not balanced properly, and that is why we're getting all this cracking of the tiles outside
05:43the shower.
05:45They've asked local builder Paul West to provide an estimate for the work.
05:50Paul? Yes, Dave.
05:55Time for Paul to reveal his findings to David and Jan.
05:59The main issue is the fall that you have that goes from one end of the shower tray to the
06:05other end should be 10 to 15 millimetres from one end into the drain.
06:08You've got about two millimetres, which is why it's not draining away.
06:13I would also say that they've used the wrong sort of grout, so realistically you're going to need to retail
06:18an entire shower area and the whole bathroom floor.
06:21You'd probably be looking at £10,000 plus. You may even get up to sort of the £15,000, £16
06:27,000 mark if it's done extensive damage underneath the floor.
06:30Wow.
06:31Thank you. Well, we knew it was going to be expensive, we didn't think it was going to be that
06:35expensive.
06:36Their costs the couple will have to cover themselves unless they can find out who their old insurance was with.
06:43And David feels that the very possibility of a situation like this needs to be made clearer.
06:49I'm assuming that all other home insurance providers have got very similar wording in the body of their document.
06:57It should be much clearer. Say something about, this home insurance only exists for the period that you're insured with
07:03us.
07:03Please keep this document in a safe place in case you need it in future.
07:07And I think it should say that, and that's disappointing that it doesn't.
07:12Bye-bye.
07:13Bye.
07:13Bye-bye.
07:14Bye.
07:17I'm with producer Katie Saatchi right now.
07:19I can really feel for David and Jan and see why they think this is unfair.
07:23I know you've been looking into it.
07:25What have Direct Line said about this case?
07:27Well, Direct Line told us it appreciates that this must be a distressing time for David and Jan,
07:32and it sympathises with them, but it said that, as we heard in the film,
07:36the underlying cause stems from the original installation,
07:40which took place before they took out the Direct Line policy.
07:43The insurer also said that home insurance policies are designed to cover specific events,
07:49and they do not cover the cost of putting right poor workmanship,
07:54which, it said, is standard practice across the industry.
07:57I know, you've checked that.
07:58So, tell us about the rest of the industry.
08:00Is it standard practice?
08:01Well, it is very common.
08:03We contacted some of the biggest home insurance providers about their policies,
08:07and of the five that responded to us, so Admiral, Allianz, Hastings Direct, NFU Mutual,
08:13and, of course, Direct Line, nearly all of them agreed that poor workmanship is generally excluded.
08:20However, NFU Mutual said it would consider the circumstances of the claim,
08:25whether that is clearly attributed to those previous works,
08:28as well as the length of time that has passed in between.
08:31And Hastings Direct said it would need robust evidence to decline a claim due to poor workmanship,
08:37where problems arise years later, and the workmanship has demonstrated durability over time.
08:44I know you've looked at it in more detail.
08:46So, talk about these pre-existing damage before you've taken out that policy.
08:50Do they treat this in the same way?
08:52Well, the overall picture was that you probably wouldn't be covered by your current insurer,
08:57and instead you would be redirected to whoever insured you at the time that this problem can be dated back
09:03to.
09:04Which is what has happened, right?
09:05Exactly.
09:06But Hastings Direct said if a customer has been covered for nearly a year or more and makes a claim,
09:11it would most likely be handled by them.
09:15Admiral also stated it may help with the claim if it's unclear when the damage began,
09:20and Allianz said it would depend on the type of damage and the specific circumstances surrounding the loss.
09:27And then, this is really relevant to David and Jan's case,
09:30NFU Mutual said that they consider the date of loss for a claim to be when the damage is discovered,
09:37and therefore such a claim would be considered,
09:39as long as the customer wasn't previously aware of the problem.
09:43So much to think about. Katie, thank you very much indeed.
09:45Armed with all of that insight, I'm going to try and find out what it means in a practical sense.
09:49I'm joined by Adam French from comparison site Money Facts and solicitor Denise Nurse.
09:54Adam, first of all, it's easy to see why David thinks this is unfair.
09:59Tell us from your opinion. What do you think?
10:02David has absolutely every right to feel really hard done by here.
10:05So I think you've got a nasty combination of a couple of little-known exemptions within home insurance.
10:10So pre-existing issues.
10:11You can think of that similar to things like travel insurance, for example,
10:15where you have to declare pre-existing medical conditions.
10:17And then similarly, you've got this issue with poor workmanship,
10:21and that's often exempted by home insurers as well.
10:23But if you don't know about it, you're going to be pretty miffed.
10:26If he'd stayed with the same insurer all this time, the claim would have been easier.
10:30But we're always sort of encouraged, aren't we, to swap, to switch.
10:34Should we be considering this before we switch?
10:37Generally speaking, if you want to save a few quid, switching home insurer is a really good idea.
10:42But you have to make sure you're really clear and upfront with all of the information about your property.
10:47You admit anything by accident, and that could be held against you when you go to make a claim as
10:51well.
10:51So yes, switching can be a good idea.
10:53But really, it's about getting into the detail of the policy as well.
10:57Because as we've seen, it can vary so much from insurer to insurer exactly what they'll cover you for.
11:02So don't just look at a headline price.
11:03Look at what you're being covered for.
11:05And that means digging into some slightly tedious documents, I'm afraid.
11:08There are so many kind of key phrases, Denise, here, including poor workmanship, pre-existing damage.
11:14What about people finding themselves in a similar situation?
11:18What steps should they be taking?
11:20I feel for David in this example as well, because you've gone to the original source, don't exist.
11:25You've gone to your insurance.
11:27A couple of things that came up there.
11:28The insurers, when they came back, have talked about a specific event would be covered.
11:33And I think that's interesting here, because there's the poor workmanship, but then there's any damage and consequential damage, we
11:40would call that in legal terms, that's happened because of that.
11:44So I'm curious about what damage has been caused to their property.
11:48For example, have the leaks gone into the ceiling and damaged carpets or walls or something like that, which might
11:55constitute a specific event and might be worth having a further discussion with his insurers about?
12:01So that might be worth what David picking up that conversation with his insurers and say, well, actually, if he
12:06can prove there is actual damage, maybe that might be a different conversation.
12:10Yeah, and that might bring down some of that overall costs of repair that he is looking at.
12:14And I think for anyone who's going through this, it's the usual.
12:17It's like get evidence.
12:18So be taking photos, date stamp here, put that all in writing and share it with the insurers.
12:24So if there is damage, collect all of that evidence.
12:26It could be really useful for you.
12:28And I know the other issue he's got is, I mean, he's been told to go and look for his
12:33previous insurer and quite rightly said, I don't keep all of that paperwork.
12:37Even if you haven't, though, in this day and age, checking your emails, going through, like doing a search for
12:43policy might help you find it.
12:45Actually ringing your bank and seeing if they can see who you were making payments to.
12:50Yeah, so then you can try and work it out from that way and then have a conversation there.
12:53You're going to have to be a bit of an investigator, I think, to track down.
12:56And the best thing here is to keep that dialogue going, I think.
13:00Talk to the insurers.
13:01Thank you both very much.
13:02Sounds like I better go home and do my filing tonight.
13:06We'll put all that advice on our website, bbc.co.uk slash ripoffbritain.
13:10Thank you both very much indeed.
13:13When we spoke to the Association of British Insurers about all of this,
13:17it told us anyone discovering problems with their home should contact their insurer as soon as possible
13:23so that they can assess the situation and explain your cover.
13:27The ABI recommended that everyone keeps records of previous insurers
13:31as they may be responsible for a claim if your policy was with them when the damage first occurred.
13:41Time now for our advice clinic.
13:43And we've been on the road to bring the best consumer advice.
13:47So you need to basically gather as much hard evidence as possible.
13:52If something does look a little bit too cheap, there's probably a good reason for it.
13:56To you.
14:00Today we're in South Shields with two of our very best experts,
14:04Sarah Pennells and Nikki Stockford.
14:06The Wonder Women are on it.
14:12We're setting up shop in the heart of this historic coastal town,
14:16which sits at the mouth of the River Tyne.
14:19And as we settle into a comfy spot in the bustling Ocean Road Community Centre,
14:24we're joined by Sean and Elaine Turton from Yarm.
14:28In January 2025, after their 20-year-old sofa began showing its age,
14:34they decided it was time for an upgrade, choosing a brand new three-piece suite from SCS.
14:40We thought that they were a reputable company because we've seen them all over the place.
14:46So we had no worries about buying from them.
14:49The couple chose this cream, three-piece leather suite,
14:53complete with electric and manual recliners,
14:56costing just under £2,500.
14:59They paid a £250 deposit and set up a monthly finance plan to cover the rest,
15:05along with taking out an extra furniture insurance policy.
15:10The sofa arrived in May 2025,
15:13and Elaine and Sean were initially very happy with it.
15:16But then, everything changed.
15:20A nice creaking suite, leather's all gone, cushions have collapsed.
15:26In just four months, the couple say the furniture had deteriorated
15:30and become extremely uncomfortable to sit on.
15:33It seemed to go off to one side,
15:35and I have a funny back and it was giving me sciatica.
15:39And the leather, it just looks like it's stretched and it's really, really baggy.
15:45The couple believed their manufacturer's warranty
15:49and the £50 they paid for the extra furniture insurance policy would protect them.
15:54So they contacted SCS.
15:57We asked for a replacement or a refund.
16:03They sent an inspector out who said there was nothing wrong with it.
16:06More or less told us that we haven't looked after it, which was really hurtful.
16:10We hadn't followed the care plan, and as such,
16:14they didn't think that it was a manufacturing fault,
16:17and so they'd closed the case.
16:20The extra insurance cover they purchased
16:23only kicks in after the 12-month manufacturer's warranty expires,
16:28which means they're not covered.
16:30I'd like them to take the sofa away and give us our money back
16:34so that we can go and buy a sofa from somewhere else
16:38because it is so uncomfortable, I don't want to keep it.
16:44Meeting with Sean and Elaine to dig into the details
16:47are consumer champion Sarah Pennells
16:49and Ripoff Britain producer Liz Martin.
16:53I think what's really interesting about SCS for the Ripoff Britain team
16:56is that we hear from lots of people like you.
17:01So we've had 80 complaints in the Ripoff Britain inbox in the past 12 months.
17:06What are they actually complaining about?
17:08It's often bad customer service, in their opinion,
17:12late deliveries, and simply what they are arguing is poor quality.
17:17As Liz dashes off to another case,
17:20Sarah wastes no time in dishing out the advice.
17:23So just give us a little insight into how stressful this has been.
17:27It has been very stressful,
17:29and being told by the company that you're not taking care of your furniture,
17:34which we always have done,
17:36it's quite insulting and upsetting, and I did get very stressed.
17:41What do you make of this?
17:42The law says when you buy something, it's got to be fit for purpose,
17:45it's got to be as described,
17:47and it's something called the Consumer Rights Act,
17:49and it gives you very good rights if you buy something.
17:52So you said you had your sofa...
17:53Was it for longer than six months or shorter than six months?
17:57It's just over.
17:58While the couple noticed the fault after four months,
18:01they thought it might improve,
18:02and waited two more months before going back to SCS.
18:06If you buy something and it develops a fault
18:09within six months of you buying it or getting it delivered,
18:12you know, whichever's later,
18:14then the onus is on the company you bought it from
18:17to prove the problem wasn't there when you bought it.
18:20You know, you got in touch with them just after six months,
18:22so in that case, it is down to you to show there was an ongoing problem,
18:26not something that was wear and tear.
18:29Obviously, you want a sofa to last.
18:31You spent £2,500 on it.
18:33Now, companies can say that we don't accept this as a complaint
18:37because we think you have treated it badly,
18:40but not something like a sofa where you're just sitting on it,
18:43you're using it normally.
18:44Where have you got to now?
18:45Where are things since you complained?
18:48They more or less washed their hands of us, didn't they?
18:50Yeah, we got a standard letter saying,
18:53very sorry, but there's nothing wrong with your suite.
18:56So we contacted the finance company,
18:59who we borrowed the money to pay for it,
19:02and actioned a section 75.
19:06So we're still waiting.
19:08Apparently that's going to take up to eight weeks.
19:10If the in-store finance company doesn't find in your favour,
19:16then you've got a couple of options.
19:17One is you can take that complaint
19:20to the financial ombudsman service
19:22because companies that provide credit
19:24are covered by this free-to-use ombudsman service.
19:27But I would also go online to the...
19:31It's called the Furniture and Home Improvements Ombudsman,
19:34and they've got a section on their website for consumers,
19:37and you can make your complaint online
19:40and say exactly what you've told us about what's happened
19:42and what you want to have done.
19:45So, Sean and Elaine leave the advice clinic
19:47with two potential courses of action
19:50if their section 75 claim isn't successful.
19:54And do let us know how you get on.
19:56Thank you both for coming in,
19:57and thank you, Sarah, for all that advice.
20:00Thank you for your help. Thank you.
20:03Well, since filming,
20:05Sean and Elaine's application to the credit provider
20:08for a section 75 refund
20:10has been rejected
20:12on the basis that no manufacturing faults were found
20:15during the independent inspection.
20:17When we spoke to SCS about their case,
20:20it said the inspection of their sofa
20:22was carried out by a highly experienced technician
20:26from a third-party company
20:27who found the product was performing as expected,
20:31but that, as we heard earlier,
20:33the care guide had not been followed,
20:35and this was the cause of some of the perceived issues.
20:40SCS said that a claim under the manufacturer's warranty
20:43would not be valid
20:44because the inspection could not find a fault with the sofa,
20:48and SCS confirmed that claims can only be made
20:51on the furniture insurance policy after 12 months.
20:56SCS reiterated that Sean and Elaine
20:58are free to have their complaint impartially reviewed
21:01by the Furniture and Home Improvements Ombudsman.
21:05SCS also told us
21:07all its products are highly tested
21:09to ensure they meet quality standards,
21:12adding that it takes all complaints and feedback seriously,
21:15ensures they are investigated thoroughly,
21:18and that this insight is used to make improvements.
21:24Well, if you've got a problem
21:25and you think our experts can help,
21:27it could be you in our advice clinic next time.
21:31To tell the team all about it,
21:33you can send us an email.
21:34The address is ripoffbritain at bbc.co.uk
21:38or send us a WhatsApp,
21:40the number 033 0678 1321.
21:45But now, it's time to get answers
21:48to your questions back in HQ.
21:55So, this is Odine's Nurses Bank.
21:57Nice to see Odine's there.
21:58And we're also joined by Consumer Rights Brain Box.
22:01It's Martin James.
22:03So, Martin, this is the first one for you.
22:05It's from Koshura Hackett from Birmingham,
22:07who sent this message.
22:09Last June, I had a medical emergency
22:12and had to pull over into a box lane.
22:14For doing this,
22:15the council sent me a parking ticket,
22:17which I appealed.
22:18They refused my appeal
22:20because it was out of time.
22:22I sent them four letters from the Royal Mail
22:24confirming that my mail had been delayed
22:26and they still refused to consider it.
22:29I appealed again
22:30because I had had a medical emergency.
22:34Later that day,
22:34I'd also had a stroke
22:35and ended up in hospital.
22:37But they refused to consider any representations.
22:41Now, the question is,
22:43if people need to pull over
22:44for a medical emergency
22:46and the councils have removed curbs
22:49for bus lanes,
22:50what should one do?
22:52Well, it depends,
22:54in terms of appealing these fines,
22:56where you go.
22:57You either go to your local council
22:58or you go via the police.
23:01It will say on the ticket
23:02what the appeals process is.
23:04Now, the good news is,
23:04through the council,
23:05you can take it to the next level.
23:07There are appeals processes
23:08that you can go through.
23:10But the central issue here,
23:12medical emergencies,
23:13it's just ridiculous
23:14that we should be in this situation
23:16a little bit more common sense
23:17and some compassion.
23:18We should never be in this position.
23:20If you have the medical evidence
23:21that this actually happened to you,
23:23surely that should overwrite
23:25whichever company you're going back to.
23:27Well, these are public charges.
23:29These are charges applied by the council
23:31or by the police
23:32and they often enforce them
23:34a lot more rigorously.
23:35But there is no reason
23:37why this can't be waived.
23:39Well, Denise,
23:40how about this one for you?
23:41Helen Keith says
23:42she's having problems
23:43with a parcel
23:43which she thinks
23:44might have been stolen
23:45from her doorstep.
23:46She says the driver
23:47was supposed to leave it
23:48in a safe place,
23:49but when she got home,
23:51it wasn't there.
23:52And now neither the delivery firm
23:54nor the retailer
23:54she bought the product from
23:56seem to want to help her.
23:57So what can she do?
23:58So just to break this down,
24:01the relationship
24:02and the contractual agreement
24:04is with the retailer.
24:05That's who you take the dispute to.
24:07So go to their complaints process,
24:08follow that procedure.
24:10Slight complication here,
24:11I think,
24:12is that it sounds like
24:13she may have dictated
24:15where the safe place was
24:17for them to leave the parcels.
24:19And once you do that,
24:20you kind of enter
24:21a bit more of a grey territory
24:22because you've given them
24:24explicit instructions
24:25about where to leave it.
24:26And then if something happens to it,
24:28you may find yourself liable.
24:30I think leaving it behind a bin
24:32or somewhere that other people
24:33can access isn't a safe place.
24:35So if in doubt,
24:36just don't take that option.
24:37Great advice.
24:38And thank you both.
24:39Now, as you get older,
24:40you might start to need
24:41a bit of help getting around
24:43or some furniture at home
24:45that can keep you more comfortable.
24:46And when it comes to that
24:48sort of specialist kit,
24:49you'd be wise to turn to an expert.
24:51But be very careful
24:52how you choose that expert
24:54because even though the company
24:56in this next film
24:57seemed to be the real deal,
24:59things began to fall apart
25:00and dozens of people
25:02were left thousands of pounds
25:03worse off
25:04and without the furniture
25:05that they really wanted
25:06and needed.
25:09Mobility.
25:10It's a challenge
25:11for many of us
25:12as we get older.
25:13But there's an entire industry
25:15dedicated to making things easier.
25:17It's a business worth
25:19hundreds of millions of pounds
25:20in the UK alone,
25:21covering everything
25:23from mobility scooters
25:24to stairlips
25:25and specialist furniture,
25:27all of which is carefully designed
25:29to boost comfort
25:30and independence.
25:32A nice cup of tea.
25:33Yeah, it's a very nice cup of tea,
25:35isn't it?
25:35For Norman and Sally Craddock
25:37from Suffolk,
25:38it provided a lifeline
25:39in Norman's hour of need
25:41following an accident.
25:43I got to the top of the stairs
25:46before bags of shopping
25:48and suddenly
25:49I fell backwards
25:51very fast
25:53and tumbled down the step,
25:56bashed my head,
25:57fell onto my side
25:59and I was in so much pain.
26:03Norman cracked six ribs
26:05and when he came out of hospital,
26:07he was keen to do everything he could
26:09to speed up his recovery.
26:10The armchairs we had
26:12weren't comfortable.
26:15I couldn't push up
26:16on my arms
26:17to lift myself up
26:19the same as my wife.
26:20She couldn't do it either.
26:22So we decided
26:23to get some mobility furniture
26:26to ease
26:27our muscles
26:30and our well-being.
26:32So when the couple received
26:34a leaflet through their door
26:35from a company called
26:36The Mobility Furniture Company,
26:38offering a range of chairs
26:40and sofas,
26:41well,
26:42it looked just the job.
26:43In October 2024,
26:45the couple arranged
26:46for a company's salesman
26:48to visit.
26:50Salesman was a little bit pushy,
26:52but I thought,
26:53well,
26:53some salesman
26:54do carry on like that.
26:56She said,
26:57we can have it all set up
26:58for you before Christmas.
27:00The couple signed
27:01on the dotted line,
27:03paying £9,540
27:05for two dual motor chairs
27:08and a static settee
27:09with a deposit of £4,770
27:12paid up front.
27:14It took a lot
27:15of our savings we had,
27:16but in the long run,
27:18it looked like
27:19it's going to be well worth it.
27:20It will help us
27:22to live a little bit longer.
27:25But in November,
27:26a letter arrived
27:27saying the order
27:28had been delayed
27:29and now wouldn't be ready
27:30until January,
27:32much to Norman's dismay.
27:34I'm disappointed with them,
27:36so annoyed
27:36they're not keeping
27:38to their promises
27:39after confirming
27:40that all the material
27:41was in stock here.
27:43And he was even more
27:44cheesed off
27:44when on New Year's Eve,
27:46the Mobility Furniture Company
27:47called to ask
27:49that the remaining balance
27:50of £4,770
27:52be settled.
27:53So he complained.
27:55I said,
27:56well, I'm not happy
27:57with you lot.
27:59I said,
27:59I'm not paying you
28:00the balance
28:00until you give me
28:03compensation
28:04for the delay anyway.
28:07The company agreed
28:08to pay £400
28:09in compensation
28:10and so the couple
28:11settled the outstanding
28:12balance
28:13of just under
28:14£4,400.
28:16In January,
28:17the New Year
28:18brought the new furniture.
28:20Well,
28:20some of it.
28:22They turned up
28:23with two recliner chairs.
28:25So I said,
28:26the two and a half seat
28:27static settee?
28:28Oh, there's nothing
28:29on here
28:29about a settee.
28:32On top of a missing sofa,
28:34one of the chairs
28:35was also the wrong model.
28:37Rather than
28:37the dual motor chair
28:39they'd ordered,
28:39it was a cheaper
28:40single motor version,
28:42which didn't offer
28:43the range of movement
28:44that Norman needed.
28:45This chair of my wife's
28:47is the dual motor,
28:49which allows you
28:50more flexibility
28:52than what my one.
28:53This brings
28:54the footrest up.
28:57The top button
28:58allows you
29:00to go back
29:01further
29:02and props you up
29:04if you want
29:04so you've got comfy.
29:06The fact that I have
29:08to use a single
29:09recliner
29:10isn't all that easy
29:12for me
29:13to be able
29:13to get up and down.
29:14Norman complained
29:16yet again
29:17and in February
29:18was offered
29:19£1,000 in compensation
29:20for the delays,
29:22alongside a promise
29:23that replacements
29:24would be sent.
29:25We thought,
29:26right, OK, good,
29:27they're really
29:28now recognising
29:29their errors
29:30and our furniture
29:33is on the way.
29:35But by July 2025,
29:38nine months
29:39after placing the order,
29:40the mobility
29:41furniture company
29:42still hadn't sent
29:43the couple
29:43their settee,
29:45replaced the incorrect chair
29:46or paid the £1,000
29:48compensation.
29:49So Norman and Sally
29:50referred their case
29:51to the furniture
29:52and home improvements
29:53ombudsman,
29:54which found in their favour
29:55and ordered the company
29:57to supply the correct furniture
29:59and pay £500
30:00in compensation.
30:03But less than a month
30:04after that,
30:05the couple discovered
30:06that the mobility
30:07furniture company
30:08had been suspended
30:10from the ombudsman scheme.
30:12It meant that
30:13even though the decision
30:14was still binding,
30:15the couple would need
30:16to explore routes
30:17such as trading standards
30:19or the courts
30:20to enforce it.
30:21When we spoke
30:21to the furniture
30:22and home improvement
30:23ombudsman,
30:24it told us that
30:25it suspended
30:26the mobility furniture company
30:28due to concerns
30:29about the firm's engagement
30:31with its dispute
30:32resolution process,
30:34including compliance
30:35with its decision
30:36in Norman and Sally's case
30:38and following repeated attempts
30:40to address these issues.
30:42Unfortunately,
30:43I'm afraid that wasn't
30:44a lot of help
30:45for Norman and Sally.
30:47As of today,
30:48we still have
30:50one recliner
30:53with dual motor,
30:55one recliner
30:55with single motor,
30:58no settee
30:59and no compensation
31:01in the bank.
31:03I am frustrated
31:04and fed up
31:05to the back teeth.
31:10Well, Norman and Sally
31:11are not the only
31:11rip-off Britain viewers
31:13who've been in touch
31:13about mobility furniture.
31:15We've had emails galore
31:17and I'm very, very pleased
31:18to say that here at HQ
31:19is another normally
31:20very happy
31:21but today unhappy
31:22mobility furniture customer
31:24and I know you'll recognise
31:25her from songs of praise
31:27and it is, of course,
31:28my friend Pam Rhodes.
31:29So good to see you again.
31:31Yes.
31:31So just tell me
31:32what happened.
31:33Well, the reason
31:34that we thought
31:35about mobility furniture
31:37at all,
31:37not so much
31:38the mobility bit
31:39but just thinking
31:39about future-proofing
31:40ourselves.
31:41Richard and I
31:41were downsizing
31:42family house
31:43we'd had for ages
31:44and we thought
31:44we'd treat ourselves.
31:46I looked at
31:46all sorts of companies.
31:48Mobility furniture
31:49was the biggest around,
31:50had a very good catalogue
31:52and I asked an agent
31:55to come and see me.
31:56This was in November 24
31:58and we chose our furniture.
32:00Very professional,
32:01very reassuring.
32:02At the end of it all,
32:03I paid £1,600.
32:05There and then.
32:06That's right.
32:07Took us six months
32:08to move.
32:09So it was May 25
32:10before he came back again
32:12to do the final order
32:13and I paid nearly £6,000.
32:16And then in June,
32:17suddenly a demand
32:18that came through
32:19was a text saying,
32:20please can you pay
32:21the nearly £7,000 balance
32:23and it will be delivered
32:25very soon.
32:25So how much
32:26are we talking about
32:26in total now?
32:27About £14,000
32:29over £14,000
32:30and from the moment
32:32I made that last payment
32:33I never heard
32:34another thing.
32:35No furniture either
32:37and just no phone calls
32:40returned,
32:41no letters answered.
32:43How were you feeling
32:43inside having paid out
32:45an enormous amount of money
32:47and nothing was arriving?
32:48Well, first of all,
32:49I was angry
32:50because it was obviously
32:51targeted at an older age group
32:54who were at the most vulnerable.
32:56Not us at that point
32:58but especially
32:58through Songs of Praise
32:59I've grown up
33:00with that generation
33:01and I just felt so angry
33:03for people
33:04who would have been
33:05drawn in to this.
33:06Did you take action
33:07on it at all?
33:08Well, I did report it
33:09to the bank
33:10and obviously to action fraud,
33:12the police,
33:13also to trading standards.
33:14The bank, in the end,
33:16with quite a lot of work,
33:18I got back most of it.
33:20So how much
33:20did you get back?
33:21I got nearly £13,000 back
33:24and the bit
33:24that I didn't get back
33:25was the bit from November
33:26because it was over six months.
33:29Pam and her husband
33:30and Norman and Sally
33:31all thought they'd never hear
33:33from Mobility Furniture again.
33:35But just before Christmas 2025,
33:38Norman and Sally
33:39received a leaflet in the post
33:40from another company
33:41called DR Mobility
33:43that looked surprisingly familiar.
33:46Exactly the same,
33:48apart from the name
33:50has changed
33:51from the Mobility Furniture
33:53Company
33:54to DR Mobility Limited.
33:57Different phone number
33:59but everything's the same.
34:02Truly made to measure
34:04rise and recline chairs
34:05and adjustable beds.
34:07Five-year warranty
34:09with every merchandise item.
34:12Well that is quite extraordinary.
34:15So do Mobility Furniture
34:16and DR Mobility
34:18share more than just a brochure?
34:20Well thankfully Pam
34:21is still with us
34:22but I'm now joined
34:23by producer Katie Saatchi
34:25along with solicitor
34:26Gary Rycroft.
34:27So Katie,
34:28what have you discovered?
34:29Well if we begin
34:30with Mobility Furniture
34:31it seems to have been
34:32through a lot of hands
34:34since it started in 2012.
34:36Then between 2015
34:38and 2018
34:39trading standards
34:40began to investigate
34:41Mobility Furniture
34:42Company's
34:43sales practices
34:44and that resulted
34:46in the director
34:47being prosecuted
34:48and jailed
34:49for fraudulent trading
34:50last year.
34:52Back in 2022
34:53the Mobility Furniture
34:54Company
34:55became a trading name
34:56of a different
34:57registered company
34:58with different owners
34:59and directors
35:00and then in September 2024
35:03which was just before
35:04you placed your order Pam
35:06they transferred ownership
35:07of the Mobility Furniture
35:09name to yet another
35:10new company
35:11called Loki Enterprises
35:13which promised
35:14to fulfil all existing
35:16contracts from
35:17the Mobility Furniture
35:18Company.
35:19In October 2025
35:21the website for
35:23DR Mobility
35:24was registered
35:25and around the same time
35:27or not long after
35:28Mobility Furniture Company
35:30.co.uk
35:31seemed to disappear.
35:33So we spoke to
35:34DR Mobility
35:35and it told us
35:36it's a separate
35:37legal entity
35:38to Loki Enterprises
35:40Limited
35:40and that its owners
35:42did not acquire
35:43purchase
35:43or assume
35:44liability
35:45for the business
35:46but as Norman
35:48noticed
35:48it uses
35:49the same brochure
35:50and we also noticed
35:52that the DR Mobility
35:53website
35:54has got
35:54the same photos
35:56the same testimonials
35:57and the same claim
35:58of having
35:59more than
36:0030 years experience
36:01just as Mobility
36:03Furniture Company
36:04did.
36:04It also
36:05says
36:06we're full
36:07members of
36:07the Furniture
36:08Ombudsman
36:09but we contacted
36:10the Ombudsman
36:11about that
36:11and it confirmed
36:12to us
36:12that that is not
36:13true.
36:14What this means
36:15is that two
36:16separate companies
36:17are involved
36:18Loki Enterprises
36:19which owned
36:20the Mobility
36:21Furniture brand
36:22when Pam and Norm
36:23has placed their
36:23order
36:24and DR Mobility
36:26which says
36:27it has no
36:27legal connection
36:28to Loki Enterprises.
36:31Gary
36:31obviously you've
36:32been listening
36:32to this melee
36:34of companies
36:35what do you think
36:35about all of that?
36:37I do understand
36:37why Norman
36:39was suspicious
36:40about the brochure
36:42looking the same
36:43and I hear what you
36:44say about
36:45the websites
36:46looking the same
36:47all of that
36:48though is
36:49circumstantial evidence
36:51so we do need
36:52to drill down
36:52into the hard
36:53legal facts
36:54and kind of
36:55understand
36:55the way
36:56that companies
36:57can change names
36:59they can change
36:59what we call
37:00their trading
37:01styles
37:02if it's a company
37:04that's changed
37:04its name
37:05but has the same
37:05company number
37:06then your consumer
37:07rights are solid
37:10but if it's
37:11a new company
37:12different number
37:14then your consumer
37:16rights don't
37:17necessarily trace
37:17through.
37:18In this case
37:19the Mobility
37:20Furniture Company
37:21and DR Mobility
37:22have different
37:23company numbers
37:24even though
37:26things might
37:26appear murky
37:27the two seem
37:28to only share
37:29marketing materials
37:31At what point
37:33does it become
37:33a crime
37:34though
37:34because they've
37:35taken the money
37:36of vulnerable
37:37elderly people
37:38and they've got
37:40nothing for it
37:40so is that
37:41a criminal offence?
37:42I 100%
37:43understand
37:44your concern
37:45Norman's concern
37:46but we've no
37:47hard evidence
37:48that anything
37:48illegal
37:49has actually
37:50happened
37:50and we have
37:52got to understand
37:52that on many
37:53occasions
37:54companies
37:55are trading
37:57and they get
37:57into trading
37:58difficulties
37:58and things
37:59sadly go wrong
38:01and they can't
38:02carry on trading
38:03So Katie
38:03we have actually
38:04discovered of course
38:05that some people
38:06are having their
38:06orders fulfilled
38:07by DR Mobility
38:09and not
38:10Mobility Furniture
38:12Certainly some
38:13customers have
38:14had orders
38:15fulfilled
38:15because DR Mobility
38:16told us
38:17that it honoured
38:18some of the orders
38:19that were left
38:20outstanding
38:20when low-key
38:22enterprises
38:22stopped trading
38:23but only those
38:24for which the
38:24new company
38:25could be held
38:26financially liable
38:28if the customer
38:28was to ask
38:29for a refund
38:30and it stressed
38:31that that was
38:31a goodwill
38:32measure
38:32and it was
38:33not the firm
38:33assuming any
38:34sort of
38:35contractual
38:36liabilities
38:37of low-key
38:37enterprises
38:39For anyone
38:40finding themselves
38:40in a similar
38:41situation as
38:42Palmer Norman
38:43with unfulfilled
38:44orders from a
38:44company that's
38:45gone out of
38:45business
38:46Gary has some
38:47words of advice
38:48If you pay
38:49using a credit
38:49card it means
38:51that the credit
38:51card company
38:52are what we
38:53lawyers say
38:54jointly and
38:54severally liable
38:55for the product
38:57so it means
38:58if the product
38:59isn't delivered
39:00as happened
39:01in this case
39:01then you can
39:02ask for a refund
39:03from the credit
39:05card company
39:06you don't have
39:06to pay the full
39:07amount on the
39:08credit card
39:08all you have to
39:09pay is some
39:10form of deposit
39:11and as long as
39:12it's between
39:12£100 and £30,000
39:13then you will
39:14get the section
39:1575 protection
39:17in terms of
39:18other practical
39:19things you can
39:19do to protect
39:20yourself if you're
39:21in this situation
39:22I think you can
39:23look at the
39:24history of a
39:25company on
39:26company's house
39:27and you should
39:28also of course
39:28plan that things
39:29might go wrong
39:30and so keep a
39:31trail of potential
39:32evidence
39:32make sure that
39:33your communications
39:34are in writing
39:35even if someone's
39:36called to see you
39:37at your house
39:37and actually just
39:39jot down what
39:39has been agreed
39:40so that there's a
39:41kind of contemporaneous
39:42record of what you
39:44say the cost is
39:45and what you say
39:46that the time
39:47will be that the
39:47item's going to
39:48be delivered
39:48what have you
39:49learned by Adolpam
39:50with this whole
39:51experience
39:52well I think it's
39:53probably if I bought
39:54this furniture or
39:55anything online
39:56I would have done
39:57a lot of the
39:58checks that I
39:59just submitted
39:59because it was
40:01so professional
40:02I was just
40:03reassured
40:03lulled into a
40:05sense of security
40:05as I think many
40:06people who've been
40:07caught by this
40:08were
40:08well I'm sorry
40:10you've had to go
40:10through this learning
40:11curve but your
40:12experience is hopefully
40:13helping other people
40:15but yes well I'm just
40:16about to say Gary
40:17you've given great
40:17advice and Katie
40:19you did great research
40:20into the various
40:20companies and Pam
40:22so good to see you
40:22before you go
40:23I have to ask you
40:25by the way
40:25how long have you
40:26been doing songs of
40:27praise
40:28it's 40 years
40:2940 years
40:30isn't that
40:31astonishing
40:32studio I think
40:33that deserves a
40:34round of applause
40:35yay
40:35maybe we should be
40:37singing a hymn
40:37well you can do that
40:38if you want
40:39before you go
40:40no thanks
40:41listen thank you so
40:42much for coming
40:42lovely to see you
40:43thank you
40:44thank you
40:45we spoke to a
40:47director of Loki
40:47enterprises which
40:49acquired the mobility
40:49furniture company
40:50after the period
40:52investigated by
40:53trading standards
40:54he told us that
40:56following a difficult
40:57trading period
40:58the firm's assets
40:59were sold to
41:00Dior Mobility
41:01in September
41:022025
41:02to ensure all
41:04customers got their
41:05goods and all
41:06refunds were delivered
41:07but Dior Mobility
41:09told us it did not
41:11acquire or assume
41:12liability for the
41:13mobility furniture
41:14company's customer
41:15contract including
41:17Pams and Normans
41:18Dior Mobility said
41:20it supported
41:21certain legacy
41:22orders on a goodwill
41:23basis where
41:24operationally possible
41:25and stressed that
41:27where payments were
41:28made directly to
41:29Loki enterprises
41:30contractual and
41:31financial liability
41:32remained with that
41:34company
41:34however while
41:36Pam successfully
41:37claimed a refund
41:38through her bank
41:39Dior Mobility has
41:41stepped in and
41:42fulfilled Norman
41:43and Sally's order
41:44delivering the sofa
41:45that never arrived
41:46replacing the single
41:48motor chair with the
41:49dual motor model
41:50they ordered and
41:51paying the couple
41:52a thousand pounds
41:53in compensation
41:53well as you can
41:55imagine Norman
41:56and Sally and
41:57their Westy Pui
41:58Bella are all
41:59very very pleased
42:01Dior Mobility
42:02also told us it has
42:03now updated its
42:04website and web
42:05address and since
42:06filming we can
42:07confirm that the
42:08website no longer
42:10includes material
42:11associated with the
42:12Mobility Furniture
42:13Company or claims to
42:15be a member of the
42:16Furniture and Home
42:16Improvement Ombudsman
42:20if you've got a
42:21problem and you think
42:22our team might be able
42:23to help there are lots
42:24of ways you can get in
42:26touch you can email us
42:27ripoffbritain at
42:28bbc.co.uk or send us
42:31a whatsapp message to
42:32033 0678 1321
42:36we're also on
42:37facebook just search
42:39for bbc ripoff
42:40britain or you can
42:41always write a letter
42:42the address is ripoff
42:44britain bbc media
42:45city uk salford
42:47m52 lh
42:53well i'm sad to say
42:55that's almost all
42:56we've got time for
42:57if you've missed
42:58anything we've talked
42:59about today from
43:00where to turn if an
43:01insurance claim has
43:02been denied to your
43:03rights over rejecting
43:04furniture unhappy with
43:05then you can catch up
43:07on today's program and
43:08many more on bbc
43:09iPlayer there's also
43:11plenty of advice on
43:12all sorts of other
43:13topics on our website
43:14bbc.co.uk
43:15slash ripoff
43:16britain
43:17well at this point i'd
43:18like to say thank you
43:19very much indeed for
43:20being with us today
43:20we're going to be back
43:22again very soon but
43:23until then from all of
43:25us on the team here in
43:26ripoff britain bye
43:27bye-bye bye
43:27goodbye
43:28bye bye
43:42bye
43:56so
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