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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
00:08because they were with a different insurer when the dodgy work had been carried out five years earlier.
00:14I'm quite savvy. I keep a lot of the information,
00:17but I don't tend to keep a home insurance or any other insurance that we have from years ago.
00:22Why would I do that?
00:23Plus, claims of sinking sofas from SCS.
00:27After just four months, this couple say their £2,500 suite is too uncomfortable to sit on,
00:34but 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.
01:08Now, 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 CETI and no compensation in the bank.
01:26I am frustrated and fed up to the back days.
01:30Well, as our team started to investigate that particular case,
01:33we discovered a confusing and murky set-up with dozens more unhappy customers,
01:39including 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,
01:48and this is something new on me.
01:51So, you've both heard of insurance companies turning down health or travel claims
01:55because 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
02:03because 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
02:33and began doing it up that same 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
03:06and water was escaping down them.
03:09An initial attempt at repair failed almost immediately.
03:13Worse still, the company that installed the wetroom had disappeared.
03:17Not answering their phones, not answering any emails.
03:20So, 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,
03:31the call handler honed in on one detail in particular.
03:35He asked me, did I remember who we were insured with
03:39when the work was actually done?
03:42David didn't. It was five years ago, after all.
03:45I've changed insurance probably four times since then.
03:48And so, I couldn't remember who we were insured with five years earlier.
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
03:59that would be responsible for covering the claim.
04:02And, as he explained in great detail,
04:05David had no responsibility for that particular thing going wrong,
04:08because it went wrong when it was first put in.
04:12And if you could remember who your insurance company was
04:15when that happened, and particularly what the policy number was,
04:19I can go to that insurance company and legally make a claim
04:22for that work to be done.
04:25Direct9 pointed to its terms and conditions,
04:27so David checked for himself.
04:29Now, there's 60 pages of bracket small print,
04:34and this is on page 49.
04:35It talks about pre-existing damage.
04:37Just read what it says.
04:38We don't cover any pre-existing loss or damage
04:41that happened before your cover started.
04:44And that's why I was told.
04:48It was a revelation that hit David with all the angry force,
04:53but none of the rejuvenation of a particularly vigorous power shower.
04:58I've never, ever come across that before,
05:00because you wouldn't think about if something goes wrong in five years' time,
05:04but you'll need to refer back to that paperwork again,
05:06which you've thrown in the bin many years earlier.
05:09And because the damage hadn't been apparent
05:11until after they'd taken out the direct line policy,
05:15David believes it should cover the repair work.
05:18We took this policy out in May.
05:20That damage started to manifest itself in July.
05:22So a couple of months after we took the policy out
05:24is when we started to see the damage.
05:26So there was no pre-existing damage.
05:29Faced with stumping up the cash to sort out the wet room themselves,
05:33the couple are concerned about just how extensive the work might be.
05:37The subfloor is probably not balanced properly
05:39and that is why we're getting all this cracking of the tiles outside the shower.
05:45They've asked local builder Paul West to provide an estimate for the work.
05:50Paul?
05:51Yes, Dave.
05:55Time for Paul to reveal his findings to David and Jan.
05:59The main issue is the fall that you have
06:02that goes from one end of the shower tray to the other end
06:05should be 10 to 15 millimetres from one end into the drain.
06:08You've got about two millimetres.
06:10Wow.
06:10Which is why it's not draining away.
06:13I would also say that they've used the wrong sort of grout.
06:15So realistically, you're going to need to retile an entire shower area
06:19and the whole bathroom floor.
06:21You'd probably be looking at £10,000 plus.
06:25You may even get up to sort of the £15,000, £16,000 mark
06:28if it's done extensive damage underneath the floor.
06:30Wow.
06:31Well, we knew it was going to be expensive.
06:34We didn't think it was going to be that expensive.
06:36Their cost, the couple will have to cover themselves
06:39unless they can find out who their old insurance was with.
06:43And David feels that the very possibility of a situation like this
06:47needs to be made clearer.
06:49I'm assuming that all other home insurance providers
06:53have got very similar wording in the body of their document.
06:57It should be much clearer.
06:59Say something about,
07:00this home insurance only exists for the period that you're insured with us.
07:03Please keep this document in a safe place in case you need it in future.
07:07And I think it should say that.
07:09And that's disappointing that it doesn't.
07:12Bye-bye.
07:13Bye-bye.
07:13Bye-bye.
07:14Bye.
07:17I'm with producer Katie Saatchi right now.
07:19I can really feel for David and Jan
07:21and 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
07:29that this must be a distressing time for David and Jan
07:32and it sympathises with them.
07:34But 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
07:46are designed to cover specific events
07:49and they do not cover the cost of putting right poor workmanship,
07:53which 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
08:06about their policies and of the five that responded to us,
08:09so Admiral, Allianz, Hastings Direct, NFU Mutual
08:13and, of course, Direct Line,
08:15nearly all of them agreed that poor workmanship
08:17is generally excluded.
08:20However, NFU Mutual said it would consider
08:22the circumstances of the claim,
08:24whether 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
08:34to decline a claim due to poor workmanship
08:37where problems arise years later
08:40and 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
08:48before you've taken out that policy.
08:50Do they treat this in the same way?
08:51Well, the overall picture was that you probably wouldn't be covered
08:55by your current insurer
08:56and instead you would be redirected to whoever insured you
09:00at the time that this problem can be dated back to.
09:04Which is what has happened.
09:05Exactly.
09:06But Hastings Direct said if a customer has been covered
09:08for 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
09:17if it's unclear when the damage began.
09:20And Allianz said it would depend on the type of damage
09:23and 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
09:34to be when the damage is discovered
09:36and 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.
09:44Katie, thank you very much indeed.
09:45Armed with all of that insight,
09:46I'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
09:53and 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.
10:01What 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
10:06of 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,
10:29the 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,
10:39switching home insurer is a really good idea.
10:42But you have to make sure you're really clear and upfront
10:43with all of the information about your property.
10:47You admit anything by accident,
10:48that could be held against you when you go to make a claim as well.
10:52So 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,
10:57it can vary so much from insurer to insurer
11:00exactly what they'll cover you for.
11:01So 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,
11:11including 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,
11:22because you've gone to the original source, don't exist.
11:25You've gone to insurance.
11:27A couple of things that came up there,
11:28the insurers, when they came back,
11:30have talked about a specific event would be covered.
11:33And I think that's interesting here,
11:35because there's the poor workmanship,
11:37but then there's any damage,
11:39and consequential damage, we would call that in legal terms,
11:42that'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
11:51and damaged carpets or walls or something like that,
11:54which might constitute a specific event
11:57and might be worth having a further discussion
11:59with his insurers about.
12:01So that might be worth David picking up that conversation
12:04with his insurers and saying,
12:05well, actually, if he can prove there is actual damage,
12:08maybe that might be a different conversation?
12:10Yeah, and that might bring down some of that overall cost of repair
12:13that he is looking at.
12:14And I think for anyone who's going through this,
12:16it's the usual, it's like get evidence.
12:18So be taking photos, date stamp it,
12:21put 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,
12:31I mean, he's been told to go and look for his previous insurer
12:34and quite rightly said, I don't keep all of that paperwork.
12:37Even if you haven't, though, in this day and age,
12:39checking your emails, going through,
12:41like doing a search for policy might help you find it.
12:45Actually ringing your bank and seeing if they can see
12:47who you were making payments to.
12:49Good point.
12:50Yeah, so then you can try and work it out from that way
12:52and then have a conversation there.
12:53You're going to have to be a bit of an investigator, I think,
12:55to track down and the best thing here
12:58is 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,
13:07bbc.co.uk slash ripoffbritain.
13:10Thank you both very much indeed.
13:13When we spoke to the Association of British Insurers
13:16about all of this, it told us anyone discovering problems
13:19with their home should contact their insurer
13:22as soon as possible so that they can assess the situation
13:25and explain your cover.
13:27The ABI recommended that everyone keeps records
13:30of previous insurers as they may be responsible for a claim
13:34if 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.
13:51If something does look a little bit too cheap,
13:54there's probably a good reason for it.
13:56To you.
14:00Today we're in South Shields
14:02with two of our very best experts,
14:04Sarah Pennells and Nicky Stockford.
14:06The wonder women are on it.
14:12We're setting up shop
14:14in 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
14:21in the bustling Ocean Road Community Centre,
14:24we're joined by Sean and Elaine Turton from Yarm.
14:28In January 2025,
14:30after their 20-year-old sofa began showing its age,
14:34they decided it was time for an upgrade,
14:36choosing a brand new three-piece suite from SCS.
14:40We thought that they were a reputable company
14:43because 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
14:52complete with electric and manual recliners
14:55costing just under £2,500.
14:58They paid a £250 deposit
15:01and 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.
15:17But then everything changed.
15:19A nice creaking suite.
15:22Leather's all gone.
15:24Cushions have collapsed.
15:26In just four months,
15:27the couple say the furniture had deteriorated
15:30and become extremely uncomfortable to sit on.
15:32It seemed to go off to one side
15:35and I have a funny back
15:37and it was giving me sciatica
15:39and the leather,
15:41it just looks like it's stretched
15:43and it's really, really baggy.
15:46The couple believed their manufacturer's warranty
15:48and the £50 they paid
15:50for the extra furniture insurance policy
15:53would protect them.
15:54So they contacted SCS.
15:58We asked for a replacement or a refund.
16:03They sent an inspector out
16:04who said there was nothing wrong with it.
16:06More or less told us
16:07that we haven't looked after it,
16:08which was really hurtful.
16:10We hadn't followed the care plan
16:12and 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
16:24after the 12-month manufacturer's warranty expires,
16:27which means they're not covered.
16:30I'd like them to take the sofa away
16:33and give us our money back
16:34so that we can go and buy a sofa from somewhere else
16:38because it is so uncomfortable.
16:40I don't want to keep it.
16:44Meeting with Sean and Elaine
16:45to dig into the details
16:47are consumer champion Sarah Pennells
16:49and Rip-Off Britain producer Liz Martin.
16:53I think what's really interesting about SCS
16:55for the Rip-Off Britain team
16:56is that we hear from lots of people like you.
17:01So we've had 80 complaints
17:03in the Rip-Off Britain inbox
17:04in the past 12 months.
17:06What are they actually complaining about?
17:08It's often bad customer service,
17:11in their opinion,
17:12late deliveries
17:12and simply what they are arguing
17:15is poor quality.
17:17As Liz dashes off to another case,
17:20Sarah wastes no time
17:21in dishing out the advice.
17:23So just give us a little insight
17:25into how stressful this has been.
17:27It has been very stressful
17:29and being told by the company
17:31that you're not taking care of your furniture,
17:33which we always have done,
17:36it's quite insulting and upsetting
17:38and I did get very stressed.
17:41What do you make of this?
17:42The law says when you buy something,
17:44it'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
17:48and it gives you very good rights
17:50if you buy something.
17:52So you said you had your sofa,
17:53was it for longer than six months
17:55or shorter than six months?
17:57It was just over.
17:58While the couple noticed the fault
18:00after four months,
18:01they thought it might improve
18:02and waited two more months
18:04before going back to SCS.
18:06If you buy something
18:08and it develops a fault
18:09within six months of you buying it
18:11or getting it delivered,
18:12you know, whichever's later,
18:14then the onus is on the company
18:16you bought it from
18:17to prove the problem wasn't there
18:19when you bought it.
18:20You know, you got in touch with them
18:21just after six months.
18:22So in that case,
18:23it is down to you
18:24to 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 two and a half thousand pounds on it.
18:33Now, companies can say
18:35that we don't accept this as a complaint
18:37because we think you have treated it badly,
18:40but not something like a sofa
18:42where 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,
18:49didn't they?
18:50Yeah, we got a standard letter saying,
18:53very sorry,
18:53but 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
19:13doesn'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
19:36on for consumers
19:37and you can make your complaint online
19:40and say exactly what you've told us
19:41about 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
19:49if 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.
20:03Well, since filming,
20:05Sean and Elaine's application to the credit provider
20:08for a section 75 refund
20:10has been rejected
20:11on 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
20:25from 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.
20:39SCS 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
20:49that 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
21:06all its products are highly tested
21:09to ensure they meet quality standards,
21:11adding that it takes all complaints and feedback seriously,
21:15ensures they are investigated thoroughly,
21:17and 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 0306781321.
21:46But now, it's time to get answers
21:48to your questions back in HQ.
21:55So this is O'Donnelly's Nurses Bank.
21:57Nice to see you, Denise, 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, the council sent me a parking ticket,
22:17which I appealed.
22:18They refused my appeal because 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 because I had had a medical emergency.
22:34Later that day, I'd also had a stroke
22:35and ended up in hospital.
22:37But they refused to consider any representations.
22:40Now, the question is,
22:42if people need to pull over for a medical emergency
22:46and the councils have removed curbs for bus lanes,
22:50what should one do?
22:52Well, it depends, in 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 what the appeals process is.
23:04Now, the good news is, through the council,
23:05you can take it to the next level.
23:07There are appeals processes that you can go through.
23:10But the central issue here, medical emergencies,
23:13it's just ridiculous that we should be in this situation,
23:16a little bit more common sense and some compassion.
23:18We should never be in this position.
23:20If you have the medical evidence that 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 or by the police,
23:32and they often enforce them a lot more rigorously.
23:35But there is no reason why this can't be waived.
23:38Well, Denise, how about this one for you?
23:41Helen Keith says she's having problems with a parcel,
23:44which she thinks might have been stolen from her doorstep.
23:46She says the driver was supposed to leave it in a safe place,
23:49but when she got home, it wasn't there.
23:52And now neither the delivery firm
23:53nor the retailer she 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 and 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, I think,
24:12is that it sounds like she may have dictated
24:15where the safe place was for them to leave the parcels.
24:19And once you do that,
24:20you kind of enter a bit more of a grey territory
24:22because you've given them explicit 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 can access
24:34isn't a safe place.
24:35So if in doubt, just don't take that option.
24:37Great advice, and thank you both.
24:39Now, as you get older,
24:40you might start to need a bit of help getting around
24:43or some furniture at home
24:44that can keep you more comfortable.
24:46And when it comes to that sort of specialist kit,
24:49you'd be wise to turn to an expert.
24:51But be very careful how you choose that expert
24:54because even though the company in this next film
24:57seemed to be the real deal,
24:59things began to fall apart
25:00and dozens of people
25:01were left thousands of pounds worse off
25:04and without the furniture that they really wanted and needed.
25:09Mobility.
25:10It's a challenge for many of us as we get older,
25:13but there's an entire industry
25:15dedicated to making things easier.
25:17It's a business worth hundreds of millions of pounds
25:20in the UK alone,
25:21covering everything from mobility scooters
25:24to stairlips and specialist furniture,
25:27all of which is carefully designed
25:29to boost comfort and independence.
25:32A nice cup of tea.
25:33Yeah, a very nice cup of tea, isn't it?
25:35For Norman and Sally Craddock from Suffolk,
25:38it provided a lifeline in 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 I fell backwards very 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 weren't comfortable.
26:15I couldn't push up on my arms
26:17to lift myself up,
26:19the same as my wife.
26:20She couldn't do it either.
26:21So we decided to get some mobility furniture
26:25to ease our muscles and our well-being.
26:32So when the couple received a leaflet through their door
26:35from a company called the Mobility Furniture Company,
26:38offering a range of chairs and sofas,
26:41well, it looked just the job.
26:43In October 2024,
26:45the couple arranged for a company's salesman to visit.
26:50Salesman was a little bit pushy,
26:52but I thought, well,
26:53some salesman do carry on like that.
26:56She said,
26:57we can have it all set up for you before Christmas.
27:00The couple signed on the dotted line,
27:02paying £9,540 for two dual motorchairs
27:08and a static settee,
27:09with a deposit of £4,770 paid up front.
27:14It took a lot of our savings we had,
27:16but in the long run,
27:18it looked like it's going to be well worth it.
27:20It will help us to live a little bit longer.
27:25But in November,
27:26a letter arrived saying the order had been delayed
27:29and now wouldn't be ready until January,
27:32much to Norman's dismay.
27:33I'm disappointed with them,
27:35so annoyed they're not keeping to their promises
27:39after confirming that all the material was in stock here.
27:43And he was even more cheesed off
27:44when on New Year's Eve,
27:45the mobility furniture company called
27:48to ask that the remaining balance
27:50of £4,770 be settled.
27:53So he complained.
27:56I said, well, I'm not happy with you lot.
27:58I said, I'm not paying you the balance
28:00until you give me compensation for the delay anyway.
28:06The company agreed to pay £400 in compensation
28:10and so the couple settled the outstanding balance
28:13of just under £4,400.
28:16In January, the new year brought the new furniture.
28:20Well, some of it.
28:21They turned up with two recliner chairs.
28:25So I said, the two and a half seat static settee?
28:28Oh, there's nothing on here about a settee.
28:32On top of a missing sofa,
28:34one of the chairs was also the wrong model.
28:37Rather than the dual motor chair they'd ordered,
28:39it was a cheaper single motor version,
28:42which didn't offer the range of movement
28:44that Norman needed.
28:45This chair of my wife's is the dual motor,
28:49which allows you more flexibility than what my one.
28:53This brings the footrest up.
28:57The top button allows you to go back further
29:02and props you up if you want,
29:04so you've got comfy.
29:06The fact that I have to use a single recliner
29:10isn't all that easy for me to be able to get up and down.
29:15Norman complained yet again
29:17and in February was offered £1,000 in compensation for the delays,
29:22alongside a promise that replacements would be sent.
29:24We thought, right, OK, good.
29:27They're really now recognising their errors
29:30and our furniture is on the way.
29:35But by July 2025, nine months after placing the order,
29:40the mobility furniture company still hadn't sent the couple their settee,
29:45replaced the incorrect chair or paid the £1,000 compensation.
29:49So Norman and Sally referred their case
29:51to the furniture and home improvements ombudsman,
29:54which found in their favour
29:55and ordered the company to supply the correct furniture
29:59and pay £500 in compensation.
30:03But less than a month after that,
30:05the couple discovered that the mobility furniture company
30:08had been suspended from the ombudsman scheme.
30:11It meant that even though the decision was still binding,
30:15the couple would need to explore routes
30:17such as trading standards or the courts to enforce it.
30:20When we spoke to the Furniture and Home Improvement Ombudsman,
30:24it told us that it suspended the mobility furniture company
30:28due to concerns about the firm's engagement
30:31with its dispute resolution process,
30:34including compliance with its decision in Norman and Sally's case
30:37and following repeated attempts to address these issues.
30:42Unfortunately, I'm afraid that wasn't a lot of help for Norman and Sally.
30:47As of today, we still have one recliner with dual motor,
30:54one recliner with single motor,
30:58no settee and no compensation in the bank.
31:03I am frustrated and fed up to the back teeth.
31:10Well, Norman and Sally are not the only rip-off Britain viewers
31:12who've been in touch about mobility furniture.
31:15We've had emails galore,
31:17and I'm very, very pleased to say that here at HQ
31:19is another normally very happy,
31:21but today unhappy mobility furniture customer.
31:24And I know you'll recognise her from songs of praise.
31:27And it is, of course, my friend Pam Rhodes.
31:29So good to see you again.
31:31Yes.
31:31So just tell me what happened.
31:33Well, the reason that we thought about mobility furniture at all,
31:37not so much the mobility bit,
31:39but just thinking about future-proofing ourselves,
31:41Richard and I were downsizing family house we'd had for ages,
31:44and we thought, well, treat ourselves.
31:45I looked at all sorts of companies.
31:48Mobility furniture was the biggest around,
31:50had a very good catalogue,
31:52and I asked an agent to come and see me.
31:55This was in November 24,
31:58and we chose our furniture.
32:00Very professional, very reassuring.
32:02At the end of it all, I paid £1,600.
32:05There and then.
32:06Mm, that's right.
32:07It took us six months to move.
32:09So it was May 25 before he came back again
32:12to do the final order,
32:13and I paid nearly £6,000.
32:15And then in June,
32:17suddenly a demand that came through is a text saying,
32:20please, can you pay the nearly £7,000 balance,
32:23and it will be delivered very soon.
32:25So how much are we talking about in total now?
32:27About £14,000, over £14,000.
32:31And from the moment I made that last payment,
32:33I never heard another thing.
32:35No furniture either,
32:37and just no phone calls returned,
32:41no letters answered.
32:43How were you feeling inside,
32:45having paid out an enormous amount of money
32:46and nothing was arriving?
32:48Well, first of all, I was angry
32:50because it was obviously targeted
32:51at an older age group
32:54who are the most vulnerable.
32:56Not us at that point,
32:58but especially through Songs of Praise.
32:59I've grown up with that generation,
33:01and I just felt so angry
33:03for people who would have been drawn in to this.
33:06Did you take action on it at all?
33:08Well, I did report it to the bank
33:10and obviously to action, fraud, the police,
33:12also 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 did you get back?
33:21I got nearly £13,000 back,
33:24and the bit that 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 had received
33:39a 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 has changed
33:51from the Mobility Furniture Company
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,
34:21Pam is still with us,
34:22but I'm now joined
34:23by producer Katie Salci
34:25along with solicitor Gary Rycroft.
34:27So Katie,
34:28what have you discovered?
34:28Well, 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 and 2018,
34:39trading standards began
34:40to investigate Mobility Furniture
34:42Company's sales practices.
34:44And that resulted in the director
34:46being prosecuted and jailed
34:49for fraudulent trading last year.
34:51Back in 2022,
34:53the Mobility Furniture Company
34:55became a trading name
34:56of a different registered company
34:58with different owners
34:59and directors.
35:01And then in September 2024,
35:03which was just before
35:04you placed your order, Pam,
35:06they transferred ownership
35:07of the Mobility Furniture name
35:09to yet another new company
35:11called Loki Enterprises,
35:13which promised to fulfil
35:15all existing contracts
35:17from the Mobility Furniture company.
35:19In October 2025,
35:22the website for DR Mobility
35:24was registered.
35:26And around the same time
35:27or not long after,
35:29Mobility Furniture Company
35:30.co.uk seemed to disappear.
35:33So we spoke to DR Mobility
35:35and it told us
35:36it's a separate legal entity
35:38to Loki Enterprises Limited
35:40and that its owners
35:42did not acquire, purchase
35:43or assume liability
35:45for the business.
35:46But as Norman noticed,
35:48it uses the same brochure
35:50and we also noticed
35:52that the DR Mobility website
35:53has got the same photos,
35:56the same testimonials
35:57and the same claim
35:58of having more than
36:0030 years experience
36:01just as Mobility Furniture Company did.
36:04It also says
36:06we're full members
36:07of the Furniture Ombudsman,
36:09but we contacted
36:10the Ombudsman about that
36:11and it confirmed to us
36:12that that is not true.
36:13What this means
36:15is that two separate companies
36:17are involved,
36:18Loki Enterprises
36:19which owned
36:20the Mobility Furniture brand
36:22when Pam and Norm
36:23has placed their order
36:24and DR Mobility
36:26which says it has
36:27no legal connection
36:28to Loki Enterprises.
36:31Gary, obviously
36:32you've been listening
36:32to this melee of companies.
36:35What do you think
36:35about all of that?
36:36I do understand
36:37why Norman was suspicious
36:40about the brochure
36:42looking the same
36:43and I hear what you say
36:44about the websites
36:46looking the same.
36:47All of that though
36:48is circumstantial evidence
36:50so we do need to drill down
36:52into the hard legal facts
36:54and kind of understand
36:55the way that companies
36:57can change names,
36:59they can change
36:59what we call
37:00their trading styles.
37:02If it's a company
37:04that's changed its name
37:04but has the same company number
37:06then your consumer rights
37:08are solid
37:09but if it's
37:11a new company
37:12different number
37:14then your consumer rights
37:16don't necessarily
37:17trace through.
37:18In this case
37:19the Mobility Furniture Company
37:21and DR Mobility
37:22have different company numbers.
37:25Even though things
37:26might appear murky
37:27the two seem to
37:28only share
37:29marketing materials.
37:32At what point
37:33does it become a crime
37:34because they've taken
37:35the money of vulnerable
37:37elderly people
37:38and they've got nothing
37:40for it
37:40so is that a criminal offence?
37:42I 100% understand
37:44your concern
37:45Norman's concern
37:46but we've no hard evidence
37:47that anything illegal
37:49has actually happened
37:50and we have got to understand
37:52that on many occasions
37:54companies are trading
37:57and they get into trading difficulties
37:58and things sadly go wrong
38:01and they can't carry on trading.
38:03So Katie we have actually
38:04discovered of course
38:05that some people
38:06are having their orders fulfilled
38:07by DR Mobility
38:09and not Mobility Furniture.
38:12Certainly some customers
38:13have had orders fulfilled
38:15because DR Mobility told us
38:17that it honoured
38:18some of the orders
38:19that were left outstanding
38:20when Loki Enterprises
38:22stopped trading
38:23but only those
38:24for which the new company
38:25could be held
38:26financially liable
38:27if the customer
38:28was to ask for a refund
38:29and it's stressed
38:31that that was
38:31a goodwill measure
38:32and it was not the firm
38:33assuming any sort of
38:35contractual liabilities
38:36of Loki Enterprises.
38:39For anyone finding themselves
38:40in a similar situation
38:42as Palman Norman
38:42with unfulfilled orders
38:44from a company
38:45that's gone out of business
38:46Gary has some words
38:47of advice.
38:48If you pay using a credit card
38:50it means that the credit card company
38:52are what we lawyers say
38:54jointly and severally liable
38:55for the product.
38:57So it means
38:58if the product isn't delivered
39:00as happened in this case
39:01then you can ask for a refund
39:03from the credit card company.
39:06You don't have to pay
39:07the full amount
39:07on the credit card
39:08all you have to pay
39:09is some form of deposit
39:11and as long as it's
39:12between £100 and £30,000
39:13then you will get
39:14the section 75 protection.
39:17In terms of other practical things
39:19you can do to protect yourself
39:21if you're in this situation
39:22I think you can look at
39:24the history of a company
39:26on a company's house
39:27and you should also
39:28of course plan
39:29that things might go wrong
39:30and so keep a trail
39:31of potential evidence
39:32make sure that your
39:33communications are in writing
39:35even if someone's called
39:36to see you at your house
39:37and actually just jot down
39:39what has been agreed
39:40so that there's a kind
39:41of contemporaneous record
39:43of what you say the cost is
39:45and what you say
39:46the time will be
39:47that the item's
39:48going to be delivered.
39:49What have you learned
39:50by Adolpam
39:50with this whole experience?
39:52Well I think it's probably
39:53if I'd bought this furniture
39:55or anything online
39:56I would have done
39:57a lot of the checks
39:58that I just submitted
39:59because it was so professional
40:02I was just reassured
40:03lulled into a sense
40:05of security
40:05as I think many people
40:07who've been caught
40:07by this were.
40:09Well I'm sorry
40:10you've had to go through
40:11this learning curve
40:12but your experience
40:13is hopefully helping
40:14other people
40:15but yes
40:15well I was just about
40:16to say Gary
40:17you've given great advice
40:18and Katie
40:19you did great research
40:20into the various companies
40:21and Pam
40:21so good to see you
40:22before you go
40:23I have to ask you
40:25by the way
40:25how long have you been
40:26doing Songs of Praise?
40:28It's 40 years
40:2940 years
40:30isn't that astonishing?
40:31I know
40:32Studio
40:32I think that deserves
40:34a rind of applause
40:35yay
40:35Maybe we should be
40:36singing a hymn
40:37you never know
40:38Well you can do that
40:38if you want Pam
40:39before you go
40:40No thanks
40:40Listen thank you so much
40:42for coming
40:42lovely to see you
40:43lovely
40:43Thank you
40:44Thank you
40:45We spoke to a director
40:47of Loki Enterprises
40:48which acquired
40:49the Mobility Furniture Company
40:50and after the period
40:52investigated by
40:53Trading Standards
40:53He told us
40:55that following
40:56a difficult trading period
40:58the firm's assets
40:59were sold to
41:00DR Mobility
41:01in September 2025
41:02to ensure
41:04all customers
41:05got their goods
41:05and all refunds
41:07were delivered
41:07But DR Mobility
41:09told us
41:10it did not acquire
41:11or assume liability
41:12for the Mobility
41:14Furniture Company's
41:15customer contract
41:16including
41:17Pam's and Normans
41:18DR Mobility said
41:20it supported
41:21certain legacy orders
41:22on a goodwill basis
41:23were operationally possible
41:25and stressed that
41:27where payments
41:27were made directly
41:28to Loki Enterprises
41:30contractual
41:31and financial liability
41:32remained with that company
41:35However
41:36while Pam successfully
41:37claimed a refund
41:38through her bank
41:39DR Mobility
41:40has stepped in
41:41and fulfilled
41:43Norman and Sally's order
41:44delivering the sofa
41:45that never arrived
41:46replacing the single
41:48motor chair
41:48with the dual
41:49motor model
41:50they ordered
41:50and paying the couple
41:52a thousand pounds
41:53in compensation
41:53Well
41:54as you can imagine
41:55Norman and Sally
41:56and their Westy Pui
41:58Bella
41:58are all very
41:59very pleased
42:00DR Mobility
42:02also told us
42:02it has now updated
42:04its website
42:04and web address
42:05and since filming
42:07we can confirm
42:08that the website
42:09no longer includes
42:10material associated
42:11with the Mobility
42:12Furniture Company
42:13or claims
42:14to be a member
42:15of the Furniture
42:16and Home Improvement
42:17Ombudsman
42:20If you've got a problem
42:21and you think
42:22our team
42:22might be able to help
42:24there are lots of ways
42:25you can get in touch
42:26You can email us
42:27ripoffbritain
42:28at bbc.co.uk
42:29or send us
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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
42:59from where to turn
43:00if an insurance claim
43:01has been denied
43:02to your rights
43:03over rejecting furniture
43:04you're unhappy with
43:05then you can catch up
43:06on today's programme
43:07and many more
43:08on BBC iPlayer
43:10There's also plenty
43:11of advice on all sorts
43:13of other topics
43:13on our website
43:14bbc.co.uk
43:15slash ripoffbritain
43:17Well at this point
43:18I'd like to say
43:18thank you very much
43:19indeed for being
43:20with us today
43:20We're going to be
43:21back again very soon
43:23but until then
43:24from all of us
43:25on the team
43:25here in Ripoff Britain
43:26bye bye
43:27Bye
43:27Goodbye
43:57We'll see you next time
43:57We'll see you next time
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