The DVLA have been sending in bailiffs and repossessing cars; fine if drivers have broken the rules. But some haven't. Victoria Derbyshire investigates further for Watchdog.
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1st Active Drainage Ltd (not to be confused with other firms with similar names) tell customers they're a local family run business who'll clear your drains fast. They also claim to have been running for 35 years. They sound just like your perfect drainage company.
Sadly, all is not what it seems. We've spoken to some unhappy customers who have had far from the perfect experience.
Motorola: recently purchased by Google for $12.5 billion dollars. But are their phones all they are cracked up to be? Watchdog investigated further.
Chris Hollins: he works hard and he plays hard - and he expects his mobile to do the same. So, based on their TV advert, the Motorola Defy looks like the phone for him. The advert suggests this phone can survive a hard night on the tiles. But can it handle some of the more mundane things life has to throw at it?
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Microsoft's Xbox was the biggest selling console in the UK last year, and millions of users have signed up to the Xbox Live service. It allows you to download new games and play online against friends.
But a growing number of people have discovered that Microsoft has banned them. Permanently. They won't tell you why, and they won't let you appeal.
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LOVEFiLM is an Amazon owned movie subscription service that delivers DVDs straight to the doors of its 1.7 million members. The LOVFiLM sales representatives operate in shopping centres throughout the country with the aim of getting more movie fans signed up to the service.
They offer free trials, discount vouchers and unlimited DVDs. Sounds tempting? BBC Newsround's Ricky Boleto reveals the truth behind their sales pitches...
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Airmiles. Twinings. HP sauce. All are household names and established brands - but all are changing. They are guaranteed to make traditionalists grumpy, namely one Rick Wakeman, who reported for BBC Watchdog on the issue of rebranding.
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If you used an I-phone, Blackberry or Android smartphone abroad this summer you may have come home to quite a large bill. However, if you used your smartphone outside of the EU you may have come home to a huge bill. But why?
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With electricity bills going up, there's huge interest in a government scheme introduced in April 2010 designed to help reduce your bills and promote the growth of 'green' energy.
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Travelodge is Britain's fastest growing budget hotel chain, with rooms available for as little as £19 per night. According to their ads, Mr Sleep will make sure you get a great night's rest - however, some Watchdog viewers have found that it is time for a wake up call. Rebecca Wilcox investigated further...
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Cathedral Damp Limited (not to be confused with companies of a similar name) is a nationwide damp proofing company. They're based in Derby and supposedly take their name from its famous landmark - Derby Cathedral.
The company is run by brothers Martyn and Tony Harrison, the same directors who used to run another company called The Damp Detectors Ltd, which just over a decade ago was fined tens of thousands of pounds for selling damp proofing when there was no damp... twice.
In April this year the high court ordered high street banks to pay back billions of pounds to millions of consumers after mis-selling them Payment Protection Insurance or PPI.
But if you're eligible - beware. Claims management companies offering to fight your case could see you losing out for a second time. Riz Lateef investigates.
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Want skin like Julia Roberts or Christy Turlington? Well if you think buying the cosmetic products they endorse will give you that long sought-after look - think again.
Liberal Democrat MP, Jo Swinson, has been challenging the images used in beauty advertising campaigns as part of her Campaign for Body Confidence - drawing attention to the level of enhancement and retouching applied to models and celebrity faces in order to sell products.
She recently complained to the Advertising Standards Authority and got two adverts banned for being overly retouched, and misleading to consumers. Yet cosmetic companies continue to use post-production techniques in their advertising. In a personal report, Jo looks at how they do it and how they get away with it.
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Haven Holidays are no stranger to Watchdog. Last year our researchers went undercover and visited three of their parks across the UK after we'd heard from Watchdog viewers about dirty caravans. Our findings were shocking, and Haven promised to clean up their act.
If this year's adverts are anything to go by, Haven camps looks like great places to stay, but we've continued to receive complaints from unhappy campers at Haven. So, despite their promise to improve standards, it looks like there may still be a problem.
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Complete Engine Solutions Ltd (not to be confused with companies of a similar name) is a North Yorkshire based company supplying reconditioned engines that claims to have the solutions to all your motoring issues.
We've heard from a number of customers that have told us that the company has given them more problems than solutions. The registered director for the company is Christopher Chilton, but the man who says he is in charge is Christopher Whyatt, alongside his wife Katherine Hardwick. A couple that is famous, or infamous, for their work.
Watchdog had a huge response to our story last week about rising household energy bills.
Rememeber the graphs? The big Six energy companies insist there's competition in the industry. Yet we showed how they often increase their prices in line with each other. The latest hikes mean the average family is paying 18% more for gas, and 11% more for electricity. So if you are thinking of cutting down your energy use, you migth be interested in this.
The RAC: the oldest motoring organisation in the country. They claim to have more patrols per member than any other breakdown provider. Because, they claim, every journey is important. Or is it? Dom Littlewood reports.
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Emergency plumber Express Plumbing Ltd of Bedford (not to be confused with companies of a similar name) could be the most expensive plumber in Britain.
According to some of the company's customers they have a history of charging too much.
We spoke to customer Tim Konig, who called out Express Plumbing in November last year to fix a leak on his boiler. Tim was visited by plumber Sam, who replaced two parts on the boiler, charging Tim a huge £1,406.60. When Sam left, Tim's boiler still wasn't fixed, and another plumber had to come along to repair it. We've spoken to five local plumbers and they said this job should cost £477.20.
What's the good of heat if you can't cool off? For millions of families looking to book summer and autumn breaks, hotel pool facilities are a high priority. And while there appears to be plenty on offer in the First Choice brochure, Chris Hollins took a closer look...
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Comet: it's one of the biggest electrical chains in the UK, with nearly 250 branches nationwide. They sell a huge range of electrical items, from kettles to fridges, Sat Navs to Plasma TVs.
If you're a customer the chances are that staff have also tried to sell you an extended warranty. It's a service plan that covers you if the item gets damaged or stops working. But are Comet employees selling them correctly? Riz Lateef reports on exactly how promises in store compare to the actual policy.
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Remember the old days of cinema? Ornate venues, classic movies, matinee idols - and when cinema snacks didn't cost a fortune. Rick Wakeman takes a look at the price of popcorn in our largest cinemas, and starts a little venture of his own...
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IKEA is the world's largest furniture retailer, and as a number of huge warehouse-style stores throughout the UK.
In July this year, Ikea offered a fantastic deal - the Smogen sofa which normally retails at £816 - reduced to just £204. Customers applied in their droves. Ikea accepted the orders, debited money from customers' cards, and gave them delivery dates. Customers were delighted. Until, that is, IKEA got in touch again shortly afterwards to tell them they wouldn't get their new sofas after all.
In the second part of our report on the Dukan Diet, Rebecca Wilcox signs up for the online diet plan to see how it measures up.
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A tip: a bonus given in addition to required payment; a gratuity or gift; a voluntary donation.
Most of us are happy to make a tip - it's a fitting reward for a job well done. But it can be a minefield. Who expects to be tipped? Do they get to keep the money? And how much do you give? Watchdog's resident grumpy man, Rick Wakeman, investigates the surprisingly complex issue of tipping.
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Feeling the heat over fuel bills? This summer five of the six big energy companies have announced average price increases of 18% for gas and 11% for electricity making household bills the highest on record. But the price the energy companies pay for their fuel is a third lower than it was at its peak in 2008 - So how do you know the bills you're paying are fair?
With the help of a street artist and industry experts, Chris Hollins investigates.
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Secure Park Heathrow Limited - not to be confused with other companies of similar names - is a valet company that promises to look after your car when you fly from the UK's largest airport.
We've heard from customers who came back from holiday to find their cars damaged and in one case an entire car part was missing. We even heard from one customer who had their car stolen altogether.
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