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Rip off Britain - Season 18 Episode 7 -
Fake review sites peddling dodgy goods
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Fake review sites peddling dodgy goods
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FunTranscript
00:00Today, the fake ratings websites whose so-called best buy products turn out to be total duds
00:06and your requests for a refund are ignored.
00:09A moment of panic. A moment of thinking, oh no, I could feel my stomach drop. Have I made
00:15a mistake here?
00:17Plus, is your home at risk of surface water flooding? Well, it's a much bigger threat
00:21than flooding from Swolden rivers and it's on the rise. We'll have details on how to
00:26check the risk in your area and what indeed you can do about it.
00:30Here to stop you getting caught out, this is Rip-Off Britain.
00:41Hello again from Rip-Off Britain HQ here in Salford, where today we're on the case for
00:46people who were hit by situations that came at them completely out of the blue.
00:51Including, by the way, the incredible case of the elderly couple whose passports
00:56were misplaced by airport special assistance staff whilst on their way to the gate itself.
01:01Now, unable to board without them, it meant that they were stuck in a Spanish airport without
01:06a clue as to what to do.
01:08I flatly refused to leave mum and dad in airport at 11 o'clock at night.
01:13My mum was traumatized. She was in tears. It was awful.
01:19Plus, would you know what to do after a car accident? Making the wrong calls at the roadside
01:25could seriously cost you. So, Harry Kind is going to be here with another step-by-step guide
01:30to make sure that you're prepared.
01:33But first, for any big ticket purchase, they often say that word of mouth
01:38is the best recommendation. But for me, I have to say a close second has to be the opinion
01:43of a real expert who's tried and tested a whole host of products and crowned the best.
01:48And the internet is full of sites that appear to feature just that sort of expert insight.
01:54But, as is so often the case online, all is not as it seems. What might appear to be unbiased,
02:02unvarnished, expert reviews might actually be big, fat lies. Unfortunately, they're so convincing
02:09that as the woman in our first film today learned, you only realise you've been lied to after paying
02:15good money for very bad products.
02:29I love that no two days are the same. Watching young people achieve and seeing them progress,
02:36there's something lovely about that.
02:38She also loves the books she teaches and diving into the research.
02:42Doing research is very important. I would spend a lot of time researching
02:47to find the answers that I need to different problems.
02:50And she applied that very same attitude when it wasn't the English books that needed her attention,
02:55but a condensation problem in her bathroom.
03:00There's a little bit up on the ceiling. You can see up there, some of the paint and things are
03:05peeling off already and it still keeps happening. It's just that the bathroom can't get rid of
03:08the steam quick enough.
03:11Beth borrowed a dehumidifier from her parents, which quickly solved the problem.
03:16You could see that the bathroom was clear, that the condensation issues weren't as bad
03:22as they had been before.
03:23So, in October 2025, Beth decided to buy one herself. And when she went online and typed in
03:30best dehumidifiers, review sites similar to this one, claiming to offer unbiased and independent
03:37reviews of the products by people who have actually used them, came up high in the results.
03:43Now I'm looking at one here, and it looks at a range of different things to consider when you're
03:49choosing a dehumidifier. And it gives ratings for energy efficiency, the durability, the ease of use,
03:55and even customer satisfaction. Beth followed the advice of one site called Top 5 Reviews,
04:02and purchased a top-rated dehumidifier made by a company called A Canvas, paying £118.
04:11But when it arrived, something just wasn't right.
04:15I realised this is quite a small packet. When I opened everything up, it was even quite light
04:21to take out of the box, and even the instructions weren't clear.
04:25But with those glowing consumer reviews still fresh in her mind, Beth persevered.
04:31Took it up, gave it a go in the bathroom, left it overnight. There were, you know,
04:38five millilitres maximum of water. Very little.
04:42This top-rated dehumidifier simply didn't live up to expectations, as Beth was keen to show us.
04:50Last night, I left it running all through the night, right up until about 10am, 11am this morning,
04:56and I'm going to show you just how much water actually came out of it.
05:00So you can see minimal water after it being left on for that length of time.
05:05We all showered this morning, and so there should have been a considerable amount of humidity in the
05:09air for it to dehumidify, and it just simply hasn't done that. I still had condensation along the walls.
05:16So Beth went online, looking for clearer instructions, just in case she wasn't operating it properly.
05:23But that search revealed a worrying set of results.
05:29As soon as I typed in instructions for the O'Canvas dehumidifier onto Google,
05:34it brought me up a number of social media sites saying that it was a scam.
05:39Over and over again, in capital letters, exclamation marks.
05:43A moment of panic. A moment of thinking, oh no, I could feel my stomach drop. Have I made a
05:50mistake here?
05:51But as she scrolled through the comments, Beth noticed a host of different brand names cropping up,
05:58all apparently referring to the same dehumidifier that she had purchased.
06:02From O'Canvas to Overly, Revexo, Covatar, Ravino, Corvex and Airvax,
06:11and all the units seemed to look exactly the same as well.
06:15It seemed that the same dehumidifier was being sold using an array of different brand names,
06:22which for Beth made all the research she'd done seem worthless,
06:26since beneath the packaging, the top-rated O'Canvas dehumidifier she'd plumped for
06:31was the same as plenty of others.
06:37So, she contacted O'Canvas for a refund.
06:41And so began a chain of emails. They asked for a picture of the dehumidifier
06:46to prove that the water level wasn't where it should be.
06:50They asked for a video of that. They asked for humidity levels in the home.
06:55Asked me, had I opened the doors and the windows in my home?
06:58Had I turned the heating off for three days?
07:01They simply didn't seem to acknowledge what I was asking for,
07:04and didn't seem to want to offer any sort of either return or refund.
07:10In all honesty, I think they were asking so many questions
07:12so that people would just give up.
07:15O'Canvas did eventually offer a compromise. Beth could keep the dehumidifier
07:20and it would refund her 30% of the cost, around £35. Beth rejected that,
07:27since it wouldn't cover the cost of buying a replacement. Instead, she went to her bank
07:32and got her money back for the faulty product through a chargeback.
07:36And Beth won't be relying on online review sites again, as she searches for a new dehumidifier.
07:43I trusted a review site and bought what they suggested was the top-ranked product,
07:49but it didn't work. And I obviously was left feeling both frustrated and totally duped.
07:57Well, I'm sorry to say that Beth is in good company, because we've heard from other people
08:02in exactly the same position, having bought suspiciously similar-looking dehumidifiers
08:08stamped with other brand names.
08:10So what's going on? Well, joining me now in HQ is Shari Val from Radio 4's You and Yours,
08:17who's been investigating these review sites, along with Pamela Petty,
08:21from British dehumidifier manufacturer Ebac, who knows a thing or two about all this,
08:27because these firms are taking her company's business.
08:32Pamela, it must really sting.
08:34Yeah, it does. We've been dealing with it for a long time now. We've been making dehumidifiers
08:39since the 80s. In fact, my dad actually invented the first dehumidifier for use in UK homes.
08:44So, yes. But in recent years, we've seen many more brands propping up overnight
08:49and then disappearing just as quickly.
08:51Well, here we have the dehumidifier that we bought, which looks very similar to Beth's,
08:56but it was actually sold under the name Corvix. What do you make of it?
09:01So, what we've got here is what we'd probably describe as a bit of tat.
09:06So this is a coil from our compressor system dehumidifier, and this here is a fan blade.
09:12And this is where, when the warm, wet air comes through, the moisture's in it.
09:17These are both going to be very cold. This one's going to be a lot colder than this one here.
09:23This is a much smaller surface area, so it isn't going to be able to actually trap as much moisture.
09:28This, when we look at it, is all made up as a series of fins, so the surface area of
09:32that
09:33is just so much bigger. So the compressor system gets much colder, got a bigger surface area.
09:39And not only that, but this is the fan blade, and we have a motor that runs this.
09:44There's a fan inside of here.
09:46I was going to say, try getting that in there.
09:47Absolutely, yeah. So they're just not fit for purpose when it actually comes to dehumidifying a whole house.
09:54But this doesn't stop at dehumidifiers, does it, Shari?
09:57It doesn't stop at dehumidifiers. I've spent a very long time looking for every single product I can think of.
10:05Hairdryers, electric toothbrushes, hedge trimmers, cordless vacuum cleaners, you name it,
10:11they will have set up a review site for it. They all look more or less the same,
10:17and ultimately, they're designed to lead you to the website for that product.
10:22This is a typical website, and what it's got on it is every feature that you will find
10:29in these fake sites. So first of all, what we've got up here is in-depth product analysis
10:36for informed consumer choices. It claims tried and tested consumer-tested reviews.
10:43This is all lies, by the way, because down here, you see the lovely picture of a very lovely looking
10:50man
10:51who's clearly really keen on vacuum cleaning because he's hugging a vacuum cleaner,
10:55so I call this man Cuddly Daniel. So he, in the top of this article, is called Daniel Warwick.
11:03Correct.
11:04But the next words immediately below it call him Daniel Thornton.
11:08Oops.
11:09So, my spidey senses tell me there's something not quite right here.
11:14Well, whoever he is, Cuddly Daniel, seems to have been busy.
11:20It says, over the past four months, we've methodically tested 30 cordless vacuum models
11:26across diverse price ranges and household environments. But what you start to see is
11:32the best one, AirVax. Look at the price, £199. So, as an ordinary consumer, you're looking at something
11:42that somebody who claims to have expertise is telling you is absolutely fantastic and only £199.
11:49And I've seen websites where their brand is at the top and genuine, proper, real brands that genuinely have much
11:57higher prices are underneath.
11:59And what that does is that makes you change your financial behaviour. And you will find a green box full
12:05of green written,
12:06wonderful pros about how great this product is. And also, you'll find cons. And the cons are always the same.
12:14They are only two. One is only available online and the other one is often sells out due to high
12:21demand.
12:21If you click on this, it will take you through to the website that belongs to that advert.
12:29And that's the operative word here, advert, because Shari's programme and ours has heard from plenty of people
12:37who've bought what they were told were the best products, only to find them barely functional.
12:43Is the goal just to sell poor quality goods? Well, partly, they just want your money. But actually,
12:50there's a more sinister side to this. Because don't forget, when you order one of these products,
12:56you hand over your home address, your telephone number, your email address, and sometimes your bank details.
13:03So there is a very dangerous point about these sites. You don't know who you're giving your details to,
13:10and people need to be really careful of that. And Pamela, returning to you,
13:15I know you've reported these sites to Google. What's been the effect of that?
13:19Yeah, we have. And eventually, they did actually take one of the sites down,
13:23but then literally another site with the same product under a different name came back again behind it.
13:28So it's a systemic problem, and we're not happy at all, because they just keep recreating themselves all of the
13:35time.
13:37Well, when we spoke to Google, it told us that protecting users is its top priority,
13:43and that it has strict policies that govern the types of ads and advertisers allowed on its platforms.
13:50Google added that it invests significant resources to stop bad actors,
13:55and is constantly evaluating and improving its technology.
14:02Well, Shari, I know you've contacted the Advertising Standards Authority. Any joy there?
14:08Well, yes, they've actually taken up our investigation, and they are investigating themselves into this,
14:13because they told me in a statement, they said,
14:17marketing communications must make clear their commercial intent if that is not apparent from the context.
14:23In other words, if it's an advert, which these things are, they must say they're adverts, and they don't.
14:29So what's your advice for anyone who understandably might turn to a review site to think about how to choose
14:35something?
14:36Well, one of the problems is there are some really brilliant, genuine review sites,
14:41where products have been tested by real people, and they look very similar.
14:46Actually, if I was going to buy a product and I wanted to know more about it,
14:49I would contact a retailer, so a high street retailer. They all have online websites,
14:55and they'll tell you lots about the products. And also search a trusted review platform that you do believe.
15:03You'll know very quickly if the products are worth it or really poor, like these ones that Pam's experiencing.
15:10Shari, Pam, thank you so much. And if you think you've been duped by one of these sites,
15:15we'd love to hear your experiences. So please do let us know about it.
15:19ripoffbritain at bbc.co.uk.
15:23We did, of course, try to contact all the dehumidifier brands mentioned in the film.
15:28Only one responded and mistakenly thought we were customers inquiring about our order.
15:37The Advice Clinic is on the road, bringing the best consumer advice.
15:42By being pushed onto social media, you are immediately exposed.
15:45The law says when you buy something that's got to be fit for purpose to you.
15:55Today we are in Mansfield and here with me, I have personal finance brain box, Amy Knight,
16:01and legal mastermind, Aaron Chohan, here to help the people of Nottinghamshire a bit like a modern day Robin Hood.
16:16We're settling in at the library in the heart of Mansfield for a session of top tier tips and advice.
16:22Joining us today, Marie Bacon and dad, Keith Bryan, from Sutton in Ashfield.
16:28Keith and Marie?
16:30Yes!
16:30Come on!
16:31They're looking for help after the joy of a family member's wedding in Ibiza turned into a horror show on
16:38the way home.
16:39And Amy is here to offer her advice.
16:43So we've got dad and daughter, you go away for a wedding, tell us, from the beginning, what went wrong?
16:53Initially, we flew out to Ibiza for my nephew, my dad's grandson's wedding.
16:58Exciting times.
16:59Absolutely fantastic.
17:00It took us six months to talk dad in to go in.
17:02Right.
17:03Since he went abroad last time, his mobility's become an issue and he was stressing.
17:07So we arranged for assisted travel. We went out, we had the wedding, it was absolutely fantastic.
17:13We got back to Ibiza airport to come home. Then, while dad was being pushed in his wheelchair,
17:19the assisted travel guy who was pushing dad said that dad had got to go through a different
17:27lane to me and my husband and he asked for dad and mum's passports.
17:31And basically mum and dad went off in one direction and we went through the other end.
17:36The group of four met again on the other side of passport control.
17:40The flight was called and they all got ready to board.
17:45I then sort of got our passports out and then couldn't find mum and dad's passports, obviously.
17:53He's still got them.
17:54Right, so you've given them him.
17:56Yeah.
17:56And you've only got two out of four passports.
17:57I've only got two out of four passports.
18:00In a panic, the family tracked down the assistant, but they say he insisted he'd given them back to Joan.
18:07Their airline, Jet 2, held the flight for around 15 minutes while airport staff searched for the two passports.
18:15But it was all to no avail. The flight had to leave without Keith, Joan or Marie and her husband
18:22on board.
18:24I flatly refused to leave mum and dad in airport at 11 o'clock at night.
18:29Your mum were terrible.
18:30My mum was traumatized. She was in tears, she was.
18:34And she had to keep walking out of the way so that nobody could see her crying and it was
18:38awful.
18:40The family booked a hotel room at their own expense and hoped it could all be sorted out the next
18:45day with help from the British consulate.
18:48But while they were waiting for news, Marie's phone rang.
18:53Picked it up and this guy says, is this Marie? I said, yes.
19:00And he says, I've just emptied my holiday bag.
19:03Yeah.
19:03And your mum and dad's passports are in it.
19:06Wow.
19:07The family were allowed to fly home that evening, but they had to pay extra for the flight.
19:13And along with the hotel, meals, taxis and other costs, they reckon they're around £1,100 out of pocket.
19:24But although they have their suspicions about what happened, they still don't know exactly how the other passenger, whose name
19:32is Josh, ended up with their passports.
19:34So we've been in touch with him to find out more, and we've got a clip from him to play
19:40to Marie and Keith.
19:43Before we walked in to get onto the plane, there was a man and a woman.
19:48The man actually handed me a set of passports.
19:51I was on crutches, so I just took them and put them in my bag.
19:56Clearly not realising that we already had a set of passports.
19:59I've got home, woke up in the morning, I checked my bag, and they were in there.
20:04So I just said, I'll send them straight back to you today, recorded delivery, and I wish you all the
20:12best.
20:13Which he did.
20:14Yeah, I did.
20:14He did.
20:16Josh's account contradicts that of the airport's special assistant operative, who insisted he'd handed the passports to Joan.
20:24And for Amy, this could be the key to resolving their problem.
20:30So once you were home safe and the passports were recovered, where did you go to first to try and
20:37get some sort of recompense or apology for that mistake?
20:42I wrote to the airport by email to their complaints.
20:46They sent us a letter back a couple of weeks later to say that the assisted travel people were actually
20:56an agent.
20:57They didn't. They didn't work for the airport. They're actually a contractor.
21:01Yeah.
21:02And basically there was nothing they could do about it.
21:04There is an organisation called the Spanish Aviation Safety and Security Agency.
21:10And there's a form on this website to submit details of an incident you're not happy with, with organisations in
21:20Spain.
21:20It might be difficult. It might be more stress and hassle than you are prepared to go through, but the
21:27option is there.
21:29Known by its acronym AESA or IASA, the organisation offers alternative dispute resolution for passengers.
21:37And Amy believes the family should make a formal complaint, including details of how Josh ended up with the passports
21:44and ask AESA to order the airport or the special assistance contractor to reimburse their out-of-pocket expenses.
21:52But it might not be the only option.
21:56Did you go back to Jet 2?
21:58I did.
21:58Did you put in a formal complaint?
22:00I emailed Jet 2 and I got an email from Jet 2 and that was followed up by a phone
22:05call apologising profusely, but in the end there was nothing they could do.
22:13Can I check whether you had travel insurance to claim on?
22:16We didn't. It was an extra cost that we couldn't really stretch to. So for three days it just didn't
22:23seem worth it.
22:25Marie says that because of her parents' age and existing health conditions, insurance quotes were prohibitively expensive.
22:33But Amy believes travel insurance would have covered the family for their losses.
22:37She says using a broker can help bring costs down.
22:42An insurance broker can sort of scan the whole of the market to help find some deals.
22:48And it can be worth it when you've got complex medical needs to factor in and when age is pushing
22:55up the price of premiums.
22:57So that's something to consider for next time.
23:00And the insurance packages for holidays sometimes include things that you don't need that you can strip out.
23:07So they can help you to strip that down to the minimum that you actually need.
23:12When it comes to risking it, my suggestion is, you can't get away without insurance, but where you could choose
23:22to take a bit more risk is with the excess.
23:25So if you've got a little bit of savings, then you can dial the excess up to the max to
23:32bring the premiums right down.
23:34And then you hope you're never going to have to dip into that pot of money, but it's there if
23:39you need it.
23:40However, the cost isn't the biggest impact of all of this, especially for Keith and Joan.
23:46It's quite a few months ago and you're both still pretty shook up, aren't you?
23:50Well, it's them saying, my mum's not here today because she just can't talk about it.
23:56She can't talk about it.
23:57So it's a really good occasion.
24:00So, Keith, I mean, this is it, travel is over for you at this point, is it?
24:04Yeah, there's no way I'm going through it.
24:06It's bad enough when I get there, I can only sit in a chair, really.
24:10I can walk a fair bit, you know, but it's not as comfortable as sitting in a chair at England,
24:18you know.
24:19Thank you both for telling us this story because I think there's lots of things that all of us can
24:23learn from it, actually.
24:24And I'm so sorry that it put you in such a difficult situation.
24:27Thank you. Thank you for your help.
24:29Thank you very much, all of you, for your trouble.
24:32Well, after they left the advice clinic, Marie and Keith did contact IESA,
24:37which gave them advice on how to escalate their complaint with the airport first,
24:42and said, if that doesn't resolve things, IESA itself could get involved.
24:47We'll be keeping in touch to see how they get on.
24:53Well, what a story, Jules, you know, and I feel a bit sad, really,
24:56although we got his passport back, that, I don't know, it's put him off flying forever.
25:00Well, let's hope he gets his nerve back. He might.
25:02He might, you never know.
25:03Now, if you've got a problem that you'd like our help with, then do drop us a line,
25:07and the advice clinic could be heading your way very soon.
25:11The email address is ripupbrittain at bbc.co.uk,
25:15or you could also send us a message on WhatsApp.
25:18The number is, just to remind you, 033 0678 1321.
25:25And we'll remind you of those and other ways to get in touch later in the programme.
25:29But now it's time to put your questions to our experts.
25:33Shari Vahl is back, and we're joined by Consumer Rights Supremo, Martin James.
25:37And Martin, this one is for you.
25:39Paul Wilde in Northumbria says that when his mother died,
25:43there was £300 credit on her energy account,
25:46but the supplier won't release it unless Paul gets probate.
25:50He says that's going to cost more than the credit he'll actually get back.
25:54He's even been to the energy ombudsman, but with no joy.
25:57Is there anything he can do?
25:59Well, Paul, I'm so sorry that you've had to go through this,
26:02but the fact of the matter is, for such a small amount,
26:04it shouldn't be necessary to go through the process of probate.
26:08For the vast majority of utility companies,
26:10they're able to accept a certified death certificate,
26:14a will and just proof that you are the person who's entitled to act for the estate.
26:19It doesn't even need to be original copies.
26:21Now, sometimes when firms misunderstand this, you do get this problem.
26:25But pushback insists that they explain to you in writing why they require this information
26:31and then go back to the energy ombudsman and argue that they are not following the rules.
26:36This is outrageous. It should be happening for such a small amount.
26:39And I'm so sorry to hear this.
26:40Shari, this one is for you.
26:42Henry has sent a message.
26:43Now, he said that he has cancelled his mother's broadband contract
26:47because she's a pensioner and out of contract and paying just too much.
26:51He said, we were told that the service would end on the 1st of March,
26:54but another provider has now taken over and sent a welcome letter,
26:58even though his mum didn't agree to move to them at all.
27:01So he's been trying to contact them for days through their official channels,
27:06but nobody replies.
27:07He's worried that they'll start billing her.
27:09What can he do?
27:10So it's very possible there's been an admin error here.
27:13Now, he says he's tried to contact them a lot and he's had no response.
27:18You can find on their websites, I want to leave you.
27:22And funnily enough, you'll find a phone number very quickly.
27:26That works, does it?
27:26It does.
27:27So if he doesn't get any success with that, though,
27:29he can go to the communications ombudsman
27:33and they will sort out a dispute because that's what they're designed to do
27:37and they will do it without any cost.
27:39Another one for you, Martin.
27:41Reginald Graham from Essex says his daughter was in a car accident last year
27:45that wasn't her fault.
27:47She provided the police with the other driver's details,
27:50but he says the case went nowhere
27:52and her insurer has classed the claim as abandoned.
27:55Now, her renewal, quote, has nearly tripled,
27:58even though the accident wasn't her fault,
28:01and it sounds incredibly unfair.
28:03Well, it is unfair.
28:04What's happened here is a claimable incident
28:07and that means that it will have an impact on your premiums,
28:11even if you're not the person who's at fault.
28:13But this seems like a big old hike to me
28:15and they've failed to provide information as to why the claim was abandoned.
28:19And even though it will have had an impact on the premiums,
28:21if she makes a formal complaint about the whole process,
28:25asks them to explain why the rise has been so big,
28:28even if they can't change their premium assessment,
28:31they could still knock off a couple of hundred quid on the bill
28:34to keep her as a customer.
28:35And we know from our viewers that people are getting this
28:38when they phone up a complaint.
28:39So it's definitely worth a go.
28:41Is it fair?
28:42No, it's not.
28:43Well, thank you both very much indeed for some really, really good advice.
28:46And on the subject of car accidents,
28:48if you're unfortunate enough to be involved in one,
28:50then there's every chance that you're not thinking straight.
28:53So might just overlook what to do or say.
28:55So in order to help focus the brain,
28:57here's Harry Kind on a how-to guide for just that eventuality.
29:03Rip-off Britain expert Harry Kind is on a mission
29:06to keep more money in your pocket.
29:08And these are his handy how-to guides.
29:15If you have a car accident, are you sure you know the law?
29:19Because not everyone has a copy of the Road Traffic Act of 1988
29:23in their glove box.
29:26There are hundreds of car accidents every day in the UK.
29:29So it's important that you know what to do if it happens to you.
29:32I'm Harry Kind.
29:33I'm the everyday expert.
29:35And this is my step-by-step guide on what to do
29:37if you're in a car accident and you're the driver.
29:41It's vital that you don't just drive off, even for a small bump.
29:45Firstly, and most importantly, safety.
29:48Take steps to put yourself and others in a safe position.
29:53Both drivers should exchange insurance details.
29:56And by law, you've got to hand over your contact details too.
30:00Ask other drivers for their details
30:02and confirm if they're the registered owner.
30:04If not, ask who is.
30:06If someone fails to give their details,
30:09contact the police on 101
30:10while you're still at the scene of the collision.
30:12However, not every accident has to be reported to the police.
30:16If the road remains unobstructed,
30:18no-one's been injured,
30:20and everyone has exchanged their details,
30:22then the only time you need to call the police
30:24is if someone has been injured.
30:25The same can't be said about your insurance provider though.
30:28They need to be informed about any collision,
30:30even if you're not planning on making a claim.
30:33It's likely included in the terms of your contract.
30:35And so if you don't mention it now,
30:37they may fail to pay out in future.
30:40It's important to save your insurer's number in your phone
30:43before any accidents.
30:45Because if you're searching the internet
30:47for their number on the side of the road,
30:49then in the stress of the moment,
30:50you're more likely to be taken in
30:52by misleading claims management companies.
30:54They often dub themselves accident helplines.
30:57These firms aren't usually necessary.
30:59It's best to communicate directly with your insurer
31:01so you don't lose out on any slice of a payout.
31:04Be wary of offers to settle things privately
31:07with the other driver.
31:09Because they may still then claim on their own insurance,
31:12leaving you liable
31:13because you haven't been up front with your own.
31:17While you're at the scene of the accident,
31:19be sure to collect evidence of what has just occurred,
31:22including the time and date of the crash.
31:24As long as it's safe to do so,
31:25you should get photos of the position of cars involved,
31:28any damage to cars or property,
31:31any injuries to drivers, passengers or pedestrians.
31:34Any potential causes such as poor quality roads or signage.
31:38Make sure to collect the contact details of any witnesses.
31:41They might be helpful later.
31:43With all of this information,
31:44you've got everything that you need
31:46to make a claim with your insurance company
31:48if you choose to.
31:52Another word of caution.
31:53Over the next few days,
31:54you may hear from the other party's insurance company.
31:57They might offer a cash settlement.
32:00This is known as third-party capture
32:02and is a way of them reducing costs
32:04before you're aware of the full extent
32:06of what you're entitled to.
32:07Take advice and don't let the insurance company
32:10pressure you into anything.
32:11You can report unfair practices
32:13to the insurance company.
32:17It says here I have to report any injury
32:20to any horse, cattle, ass, mule, sheep, pig, goat or dog.
32:27Bad luck sloth, I guess.
32:30Hmm.
32:32So there you have us some great advice from Harry Kind.
32:35And you can find more of his how-to guides on our website.
32:39It's bbc.co.uk slash ripoffbritain.
32:42But now we are turning to flooding.
32:46And I don't mean the type we're used to seeing on the news
32:49where rivers burst their banks
32:51and nearby buildings are submerged
32:52because there are actually far more properties
32:55at risk of flooding from surface water
32:57caused by heavy rain that can't drain away quickly enough.
33:01With extreme downpours getting more and more common
33:03thanks to climate change,
33:05shortly I'll be finding out how we can all check
33:08if our homes might be at risk
33:10and what on earth can we all do about it.
33:12But first, here's a reminder of the last time
33:15we learned of the absolute devastation
33:17that surface water flooding can cause.
33:22When we visited the home of Helen and Ashley Northway
33:25back in 2023,
33:27they told us scenes like these
33:29have become devastatingly familiar.
33:32In the six years following their purchase
33:34of this 380-year-old cottage
33:37in Rawns in Northamptonshire,
33:39it had flooded no fewer than six times.
33:42The first was just months after the family moved in.
33:46I was at work at the time.
33:48When I got back, it was already coming through the front door
33:51and by the time it had gone throughout the house,
33:55it was about four to five inches deep.
33:58The floods all came after heavy rain,
34:01but with the local sewers unable to cope with the amount of water,
34:04it all rushed downhill to the lowest point,
34:07to Helen and Ashley's house.
34:09This is where a lot of the water comes running down
34:11and it's like a mini stream that comes down there
34:15and it can only go one place,
34:17which is the lowest point in the dip where the house is.
34:19And just before Christmas 2020
34:21was the worst flood of all.
34:25Water was entering the house
34:26and when it eventually stopped,
34:28it was at hip height on my husband,
34:31so approximately three and a half to four foot deep,
34:34all of which was contaminated black water
34:37containing hundreds of houses' worth of human waste.
34:43The damage was catastrophic,
34:45but after the four previous floods,
34:48the couple's home insurer
34:49would no longer cover them for flood damage,
34:52meaning that they were now facing an unimaginable repair bill.
34:55So the couple approached North, Northamptonshire Council,
34:58as it is responsible for surface water drainers from the roads
35:03and its insurers agreed to pay for the repairs.
35:07Ultimately, it took almost 20 months
35:09to reconstruct our property
35:12and by the time the cost of that was considered
35:15and the cost of the lost possessions,
35:18treatment, the flood defenders,
35:20all the services that have been involved,
35:22the total bill we estimated to be approximately £330,000.
35:28In the summer of 2021,
35:31the council installed two soak-aways
35:33to help absorb surface water outside of the house.
35:37And an investigation by Anglia and Water
35:39uncovered further problems,
35:41including surface water drains
35:43which were wrongly connected to the filed sewers.
35:46But still, heavy rain led to a number of near misses
35:50throughout 2021 and 2022.
35:54Each time it built up in the road,
35:56we had to stop everything,
35:59whether we were having dinner with our children,
36:01we were at a funeral,
36:03we were on our honeymoon,
36:04had to come back early because of the rain.
36:07So it created an overwhelming anxiety
36:10any time it rained.
36:12In response to our original broadcast,
36:15Anglia and Water,
36:16North Northamptonshire Council
36:17and the developer of a new housing estate nearby
36:20said they would be making improvements
36:22to alleviate flooding in the area
36:24while continuing to monitor the issue.
36:30Since 2023,
36:32when we first heard Ashley and Helen's story,
36:34the number of UK properties estimated
36:37to be at high risk of surface water flooding
36:39has risen sharply.
36:41Indeed, three times more properties
36:44are at high risk of this type of flooding
36:46than they are of flooding from rivers or the sea.
36:49Joining me in HQ now
36:50to talk about what this means
36:52and what homeowners can do about it
36:54is flood risk expert Simon Crowther.
36:59Well, Simon,
37:00I want to start with something
37:01that we heard at the end of the film,
37:03which is that there are three times more homes
37:05at high risk of flooding from surface water
37:08than from rivers or the sea, for example.
37:11And that surprises me
37:12because you tend to think of the sea,
37:14rivers, water being near your hands.
37:16That's the reality of surface water flooding
37:19can happen in a lot more places.
37:22If we think of rivers and the sea,
37:24the floodplain is confined
37:26to either side of the river.
37:28But surface water flooding
37:29can happen in lots of different areas.
37:32And if we compare
37:33most recent Environment Agency data,
37:36we've got 4.6 million homes
37:38predicted to be at risk
37:40of surface water flooding.
37:42This impacts so many people
37:44that it needs to become
37:45a regular topic of conversation.
37:47And there's obviously
37:48going to be an increasing risk
37:50as our climate changes,
37:52the climate can hold more moisture,
37:53we get heavier downpours.
37:55So this risk is going to only increase.
37:58In 2025,
38:00the Environment Agency
38:02introduced new technology
38:03to map surface water flooding.
38:05And the greater accuracy of his predictions
38:08led to a 43% increase
38:11in the number of properties deemed at risk.
38:13So it is well worth checking
38:15if your home could be amongst them.
38:18Can you show me how that works?
38:20Yeah, so what I'll do
38:21is pop in the postcode
38:24for Media City.
38:27This is the flood risk checker for England.
38:29So it's the Environment Agency one.
38:31But if we were to look at Northern Ireland,
38:33it would be Department of Infrastructure.
38:35Wales would be Natural Resources Wales
38:37and Scotland would be SEPA.
38:39And we'll see here at the moment
38:40it's showing a very low risk
38:42of surface water flooding,
38:43but increasing with climate change
38:45to low risk.
38:47So what I could do is contrast this
38:49and show you the risk
38:51for Helen and Ashley,
38:52who we saw earlier in the video.
38:55So we'll see there,
38:56property unfortunately has a high risk
38:58of surface water flooding,
38:59which means there's at least
39:01a 3.3% chance
39:02that it will flood every year.
39:04So you're effectively rolling the dice every year.
39:07And if you think of the time
39:09you're going to live in a property
39:10or over a mortgage period,
39:11the risk can really quite add up.
39:13But being basic about it,
39:14is it just the drains
39:15are just not good enough,
39:17strong enough to take the rain away?
39:19The problem is drainage
39:21doesn't remove flood risk.
39:23It just reduces it.
39:24So you could have the best drainage
39:26in the world
39:27and still have a storm
39:29that exceeds the design criteria
39:32of that drainage.
39:33And that's why a lot of design now
39:35is how do we actually slow
39:37that exceedance flow?
39:38How do we contain it?
39:39How do we stop it impacting communities?
39:41But that requires joined up thinking,
39:43usually requires a lot of effort
39:45from a community group
39:46and working with the council,
39:48with the MPs,
39:49to try and drive change
39:51and improve the community.
39:53We've had a letter
39:54from one of our viewers
39:55in Rip O'Britain called John.
39:56And he says his garden
39:58has been regularly flooded
39:59in the last 12 or so years
40:00because the drains in the lane
40:02that runs next to his garden
40:04are not cleared
40:04or maintained properly.
40:06John says he regularly
40:07goes to the council
40:08and the water company
40:09asking them to clear the drains,
40:11but it doesn't happen.
40:12And he says that he often
40:13clears the drains himself.
40:15Is there anything else he can do?
40:16So if I was John,
40:17I'd be asking the council
40:19what that drain is
40:20and where it goes.
40:21I think on your own property,
40:23things like clearing gutters,
40:25clearing drains
40:26on your own property,
40:27they are things you could do
40:29ahead of a storm event,
40:30but I would not advise
40:32going out in the road
40:33to clear council drains.
40:34So too many dangers.
40:35Too many dangers.
40:36Particularly under flood water,
40:38you can have manholes
40:40that have lost their lids.
40:41So if you were to walk along,
40:42you could effectively
40:43have an open hole in the ground.
40:45And there are really unfortunate events
40:49where people have lost their lives
40:51in trying to help the community
40:53and clear drains.
40:54So it's not something
40:55that I would advise doing.
40:58So when it comes to flood insurance,
41:00I mean, do you think
41:00that would help people
41:01make changes to their homes
41:02to protect against
41:04surface water flooding?
41:06Insurance is good for helping
41:07after an event,
41:09but not necessarily before.
41:11There is something
41:12that can be really helpful
41:14after a flood
41:15that's provided by Flood Re,
41:17which is the agreement
41:20between insurance
41:20and the government
41:21as to how they'll handle properties
41:23at risk of flooding.
41:24And this scheme is called
41:25Build Back Better.
41:26And it is a £10,000
41:28additional payment
41:30towards making your property
41:32more resilient to flooding.
41:34So that might be fitting
41:35a flood barrier on the doorway.
41:37It might be a valve
41:37to stop sewage coming back up
41:40through the toilet.
41:41But it might be things
41:42like changing MDF skirting boards
41:45to hardwood
41:45so that if it does flood again,
41:47the damage is a lot less.
41:49And is that accessible
41:50to the majority of people?
41:52Yes, it should be available
41:53on comparison sites.
41:55So check your insurance policy,
41:56walk around your house,
41:58think about what could be impacted
42:00if I had 30 centimetres
42:02of flood water here.
42:03Fascinating material.
42:05Thank you very much, Simon,
42:05for joining us.
42:07And of course,
42:08we will be putting
42:09all of that advice
42:10on our website.
42:10Just to remind you of it,
42:12bbc.co.uk
42:13slash ripoffbritain.
42:18If you've got a problem
42:19and you think our team can help,
42:20there are lots of ways
42:21you can get in touch.
42:22You can email us
42:23at ripoffbritain
42:24at bbc.co.uk
42:26or send us a WhatsApp message
42:29to 0333 0678 1321.
42:33We're also on Facebook.
42:35Just search for BBC Ripoff Britain.
42:38Or you can always write a letter.
42:40The address is
42:41Ripoff Britain,
42:42BBC Media City UK,
42:44Salford, M50 2LH.
42:47Please include your phone number
42:49if you can
42:49and don't send us
42:51any original documents
42:52because sadly,
42:53we won't be able
42:54to return them.
42:58Well, we're very nearly
42:59out of time for today
43:00but there's just time
43:02to remind you
43:02that you can catch up
43:04on anything you might have missed
43:05like how to spot
43:06a bogus ratings website
43:08to how to check
43:09if your home is at risk
43:10of surface water flooding.
43:11Just head to BBC iPlayer.
43:13But for now,
43:14thank you so much
43:15for joining us today.
43:16Until we see you again,
43:17bye-bye.
43:18Goodbye.
43:32Bye-bye.
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