Watchdog

First Choice Update - Dr Lisa Ackerley's report

2009-11-05T18:43:49Z

On 24th September 2009 Watchdog reported that hundreds of people had become seriously ill while staying at the Holiday Village in Sarigerme, South West Turkey. The Holiday Village is the largest resort offered by First Choice.

]]> The hotel is all-inclusive and most guests never leave during their stay, which is why so many of them believe something in the resort made them ill.

Families have complained about getting ill at the resort every summer since it opened in 2005. There are now 1600 people who are suing or are planning to sue First Choice because illness ruined their holiday, and hundreds more may join them.

The majority of people who have stayed at the resort over the last five summers have not become sick. However, hundreds have. There are three illnesses which have been identified so far: salmonella, often caused by food not being cooked or stored at the right temperature; campylobacter, often caused by cross contamination of food; and crpytospiridium, often caused by faeces in water.

Following our last report First Choice agreed to allow hygiene expert Dr Lisa Ackerley and our cameras access to any part of the resort. So, she went to the Holiday Village for two days with three colleagues to see it for herself.

On the surface the hotel was spotless, and all the right hygiene processes in the kitchens appeared to be in place.

However, she and her team found that there were was no hot water in some of the wash hand basins in kitchens and snack bars for food handlers to wash their hands. The hotel does have hand sanitising procedures in place, but Lisa says that's not enough.

There are guidelines laid down by the Federation of Tour Operators (FTO) which hotels abroad attempt to meet when they are part of a holiday package offered by big companies like First Choice. On hot water these guidelines state: 'Hand wash basins must be provided and supplied with hot and cold water, soap, and disposable paper towels or hot air hand-drying facilities at all times.' They also say: 'The temperature of hot water must exceed 50 degrees Celsius at all taps and faucets.'

The resort had been already warned about this issue in a previous audit commissioned by First Choice themselves a few months ago. The audit told them to address this immediately.

During their visit Lisa said: "Because some time has gone by since the audit, I would really have expected those things to have been dealt with before our visit."

While they were there, Lisa's team also found that food wasn't always being kept at the right temperature. They found that one of the holding cabinets, where food is placed between leaving the kitchen and being served to customers, held food at 52.7 degrees Celsius. The FTO guidelines state that if food is held in cabinets like these, the temperature should be above 63 degrees Celsius.

Over their two days in the resort Lisa's team found plenty which is positive about the way in which the hotel is run. However, they also found other hygiene failures during their time there.

Two dishwashers in the resort, which blast dirty plates in just four minutes with hot water in four minutes to clean them, were not using water at a hot enough temperature to kill bacteria. Lisa also observed a member of staff attempting to test the temperature of a burger without disinfecting his thermometer first. This could increase the risk of bacterial spread.

None of what Lisa found is the cause of the illnesses. But she does consider them fundamentals of food hygiene.

Lisa's team also swabbed and took water samples at the resort. The results came back mostly negative. Though they did find faecal matter on ice from one of the bars in the hotel, none of what Lisa found explains why so many people became seriously ill at the resort.

While at the resort Lisa was impressed by the determination First Choice showed to put things right, but she noted this hadn't stopped people getting ill. In the studio Lisa also mentioned she didn't feel the resort was doing enough to collect information about what people ate, where they ate it, and where they swam before becoming ill. Though there are sickness forms the hotel uses to record information from ill guests, she said these weren't enough to allow the resort to establish patterns and see where the illnesses might originate. Also speaking in the studio, Christian Cull from First Choice said he agreed that it was necessary to introduce these procedures.

First Choice Statement:

"At First Choice, the health and well-being of our customers is our primary focus. We were therefore very pleased that Dr Ackerley, who undertook the audit for Watchdog, was particularly complimentary about the high hygiene and operating standards at this hotel.

The Holiday Village Turkey is one of the biggest and most popular resorts in our programme, with nearly 48,000 customers visiting each year. Whilst we recognise that any level of sickness is unacceptable, the numbers of holidaymakers falling sick remains very low when the large population is taken into consideration.

We closely monitor all the hotels in which we operate with a view to ensuring that the strictest health and hygiene standards are maintained. In her report, Dr Ackerley stated that the hotel was clean and well run and that she was unable to find the sources of any illnesses.

She did raise some minor issues, of which we were already aware and which are not the source of any infections. The hotel management had already introduced stringent interim measures on these issues to ensure hygiene standards remain high and more than fill all legal criteria. We have taken advice from the travel industry's leading independent hygiene expert and consulted with other top independent hygiene professionals and without exception, they all disagree with the weighting and significance that Dr Ackerley is placing on some of the issues raised.

Having said that, we are always very pleased to find ways to continually increase hygiene standards and are taking further action to address the points raised over the winter months, while the hotel is closed.

The Holiday Village in Turkey is and continues to be very popular, with the substantial majority of customers rating the property highly in customer satisfaction surveys. In fact over 80% of our guests would recommend the resort to a friend. However, we will continue to do everything we can to ensure that all of our customers have a safe and enjoyable holiday."

Dr Lisa Ackerley says:

"As a food safety expert totally independent of the travel industry, I produced a balanced report for Watchdog which took into consideration the Federation of Tour Operators' Guidance (FTO) as requested by First Choice. From my 33 page report, the two issues about which First Choice say their experts disagree relate to the lack of hot water at wash basins and sinks and food being kept below 63 oC. These failings are contrary to this very FTO standard to which First Choice asked me to refer. I gave no special weighting to these issues. There are many other recommendations in my report which I hope will be taken on board in the spirit in which they were written - to help find a solution to the problem."

Home Office - sensitive document blunders

2009-11-05T18:11:42Z

5.4m of us apply for a passport every year and we relay on the Passport Office Service, a part of the Home Office to issue them.

They say their mission is safeguarding your identity but Watchdog has received complaints from viewers who say that the Passport Office Service have made basic errors meaning that their details have ended up with strangers.

]]> Melinda Atkinson needed to renew her daughter Alexandra's passport ready for the family's summer holiday to France. She sent the old one off nice and early but the new one didn't arrive.

Delivered without signature

She contacted the Passport Service who put her in touch with the courier company who, in turn said they had delivered the passport. Melinda asked them to prove it and they supplied her with a grainy black and white photograph of a gate which had with no date or name of the house on it. For Melinda this wasn't sufficient.

"To me this is no indication of proof of delivery. It's not a signature, it's a photograph of a gate that may or may not be mine." Melinda explained.

Melinda has two large dogs and her letterbox is under lock and key. She's adamant she would have known if the passport had been delivered and now she's worried about where it is:

"As a parent I am really concerned. My daughter's identity is in the hands of an unknown, someone else could be using her passport" Melinda told us.

In the end Melinda had to travel to London and pay for a premium service to get her passport.

Received someone else's adoption certificate

Hayley Densley applied online for a copy of her birth certificate through the Passport Service. She received a letter through the post addressed to her, but she was shocked to find that she had been sent someone else's adoption papers:

"I was disgusted to think that I received this lady's stuff and I could have used it fraudulently if I hadn't been honest to contact the right agencies and sort it out." Hayley told us.

Watchdog tracked down the person the papers belonged to and Hayley thought the most reliable way to return them was by hand. Hayley had to drag her young children out in the rain and travel two hours to get them to their owner. She was grateful that had they had been returned safely but was shocked at how this had happened:

"I don't understand how this administrative error can happen. One would expect that things like this would be double checked before they are sent out", she told us.

Strangely enough it is the Home Office that says protecting the public and our identities is a priority. So why can't they can find a way to ensure that passports and other confidential documents don't end up in the wrong hands?

Home Office Minister Meg Hillier said:

"The Home Office takes the security of personal information very seriously. We always endeavour to maintain the very highest levels of accuracy in issuing any identity documents.

"Last year IPS processed around 5.4million passport applications, while the UK Border Agency deals with over 3 million applications each year. We take every precaution to ensure personal data is safe, including tracking all file movements and immediately investigating any case in which documents are delivered to the wrong address.

"Despite our best endeavours, the occasional error will slip through our security and quality assurance procedures. We apologise for this and for any inconvenience caused."

Have you had personal documents go missing or received someone else's in error? Comment on this item or send us your stories.

Question master John Humphrys puts flat pack bikes under the spotlight

2009-11-05T17:56:13Z

If you can't afford an expensive bike you could pick up a flat pack bike. They're very cheap, and you assemble them yourselves. However, we wanted to find whether they are a false economy? More importantly, we wanted to know whether the bikes are safe?

]]> You can pick up a flat pack bike for less than £100. Among the names selling them are Tesco, Halfords, Toys R Us, Argos, and Asda. The major retailers would have you believe that these bikes are straightforward to build, you add the pedals, the seat and the handlebars and away you go. But if it really is that simple, how come ASDA, even in their own advert, couldn't get it right?

Asda launched a bike for just £70 back in June. Since then they've sold fifty thousand of them. That's despite having to pull their television advert when someone rather more practical spotted that the front forks were back to front. This meant that you wouldn't be able to steer the bike and the brakes wouldn't work. If Asda couldn't manage it, what hope is there for their customers?

We decided to find out by buying a flat pack bike from the five biggest names selling them and asked a volunteer to help build each one. We had two experts on hand to help judge how the bicycles were assembled, Paul Topham a bike mechanic and John Stevenson a leading cycling journalist. Both of them have strong opinions about flat pack bikes. Paul spoke about the ones we bought:

"They're very poor quality. There is the combination of the factor that they come un-built and the various bits that go to make them up leads to something that it's just not going to be much fun to ride even if you do manage to build it. Construction of these bikes is so shoddy that the wheels go out of true quickly brakes go out of adjustment quickly they stop working very quickly compared to a better quality proper bike from a bike shop."

Never mind what the experts say. What about the people they're aimed at? Students, commuters and amateur cyclists out for a bargain. We gave our team of testers two hours to build their bikes. Drama teacher Claire was tasked with assembling our most expensive model costing £99.99 from Toys R Us. Brian had the one from Halfords, Will had one from Argos and Wendy was going to tackle Tesco's.

Our cheapest bike cost £70 from Asda. We gave that one to Kulveer Ranger. He's the Mayor of London's Transport Adviser (and we all know Boris likes bikes). All of our volunteers had to construct the bikes without anyone's help. They were given the bike in the box with whatever instructions came with it and the tools provided - just an Allen key and a simple wrench. Our experts kept a watchful eye over the proceedings.

All of our volunteers struggled with their instructions and the tools often seemed inadequate for the job. All five made crucial mistakes that left their bikes unsafe to ride. But let's not be too hard on them - they're not experts and that's the point. Whether it was down to our cyclists and their assembly, or problems with the individual bikes we happened to buy, they all ended up with faults that only someone in the know would be able to put right. Paul inspected each bike and explained what he found:

The first bike he scrutinised was the one from Asda: He found "quite a major buckle in the front wheel." Next up he looked at the Halford's bike and again found a "Major buckle in the front wheel" which meant that the wheel was "rubbing against the brakes pad."

When Paul examined the Toys R Us bike he found that it had problems with its brakes. The Tesco bike had a buckled rear wheel and the chain jammed when the gears were changed. Paul said "If we pedal that on the ground that would just snap and break, it would be very dangerous as you would come to a halt and your new bike, all be it a cheap new bike would be broken." This happened with the Argos bike too.

All of the bikes came with gears, which needed tuning, and this can be tricky without specialist tools and knowledge. Putting a bike together yourself obviously isn't easy. The question is, is it safe? Well in France they reckon not. If you buy a flat pack bike there you have to have a professional to help you put it together. Here's where Halfords go the extra mile as they encourage you to have your bike checked or built in store, free of charge. Toys R Us offers the same service. Both stores, along with Asda offer a helpline. But with Argos and Tesco, you're on your own. Luckily our cyclists had mechanic Paul on hand who was able to make sure the bikes would be made safe enough to ride.

The view of the experts is that the bikes do work, at the moment, but for how long? They question whether they are they a false economy? Whether they are robust enough? and whether they are safe? These are things that these experts doubt.

Note:
John Humphrys chose not to wear a cycle helmet during the course of the film about flat-pack bikes. He made his reasons for this decision clear during the programme. Although wearing a cycle helmet is not compulsory and there is debate on the subject, there is strong evidence, endorsed by the British Medical Association, to say that cycle helmets save lives and prevent brain damage. Visit this site for more information.

Company responses:

Argos:
"Argos sells a wide range of excellent bicycles of all types for all ages and, in common with other retailers, many of them are delivered part-assembled and need to be completed by the customer. This is made clear in our catalogue Bike Guide as well as on our website.

Part-assembled bicycles (the majority of which arrive either 85% or 90% assembled) enable us to offer value for money, which our customers welcome. We provide full, clear and easy to follow instructions with all our bicycles and include the tools required for them to complete the cycle assembly at home. In addition, all our bicycles comply with the Pedal Bicycles Safety Regulations, which amongst other things covers bicycles that are to be self-assembled.

Finally, our customer services team have told us that they have had only a very small number of customers call to say that they have experienced assembly problems.

While we are confident that the vast majority of our customers appreciate the options that we offer, we are constantly reviewing our products and processes for areas of improvement and we thank you for bringing this to our attention."

Asda:
"The real experts here are our customers and almost 50,000 of them have bought the bikes since they went on sale in June. Assembled correctly, they offer a safe and affordable option for customers looking to get on their bike on a budget and we've sold them at no profit to give our customers the best possible price.

What's more, there's a step by step film on our website that shows customers how to assemble the bike. As you'd expect, all the bikes we sell are built and tested to the safety standards set by the European Commission Directive - if they weren't we wouldn't sell them."

Asda are committed to making cycling both accessible and affordable to all and this year have raised over £1.5million for local cycling groups as part of our Pedal Power campaign.

Step-by-step guide to self assembly on YourAsda.com

Halfords:
Halfords builds bikes for our customers free of charge and offers a free follow up 6 week service. We actively encourage everyone to take advantage of this to ensure that the bike is fully set up and ready to enjoy when it leaves our store.

Building and setting up is not easy for a non-expert; and some areas like brakes and gears are increasingly complex. Halfords bike servicing is carried out by in-store cycling colleagues who are trained through a programme developed with the British Cycle Association. Our advice is that customers should have their bikes built and set up to ensure they are safe and ready for use before leaving the store; and have the free 6 week post purchase safety check. Encouragingly 93% of bikes are now built by us, before customers take delivery and this percentage is increasing all the time.

Where customers do opt to build their bikes at home we provide detailed instructions. We also encourage them to seek advice from a Halfords cycle specialist if they need any assistance and to bring the bike into store for the free safety check once built.

Halfords go to every effort to ensure that the best quality parts are used for our bikes. As with all manufacturing however there is a low but measurable risk of defects on bikes - we take faults seriously and where they are identified we discuss them with suppliers to ensure they aren't repeated.

If customers find any such problems on Halfords bikes we will repair these free within the warranty period.

Halfords offers cyclists further information about the services

Tesco:
Tesco did not comment but passed on a response from their supplier Moore Large. This text includes Moore Large's responses to some of the findings of the experts featured in the Watchdog film:

"Needless to say, we at Moore Large are extremely proud of our very enviable record of selling quality bikes to consumers with a modicum of end-user adjustment required: we've been at it for over 25 years and today, just any other day we stand wholeheartedly behind our unblemished reputation and the quality of the product we supply."

Expert Opinion: The front brake is loose and doesn't seem to work at all - our mechanic believes this is down to poor adjustment by our non expert cyclist.

"This is undoubtedly down to poor adjustment by the assembler who has obviously not read the owner manual provided.

The inside front cover of the owner manual has the following statement:

'IMPORTANT: Read this manual before taking your first ride on your new bicycle, and keep this manual handy for future reference.

It has been written to help maximise your safety, comfort and enjoyment whilst cycling. It is important that you understand your bicycle's operations, limits and features to ensure you enjoy a lifetime of safe cycling from the very first ride.

This is the WARNING symbol. It is used throughout this manual to precede important safety instructions. Make sure you understand these instructions fully. Failure to do so may result in you losing control and falling. As any fall has the potential to result in serious injury or death, please pay particular attention to these warnings. If you are unsure of any aspect of these warnings you should consult a qualified bicycle technician before using this cycle.'

Additionally, pages 11-15 of the owner manual show the step-by-step instructions for correct adjustment of brakes along with a warning to check the brakes before every ride."

Expert Opinion: Front wheel has a lot of sideways movement - our mechanic believes this is down to poor adjustment by our non expert cyclist.
"Again, the assembler has failed to follow the supplied instructions and to heed the warning on the inside front cover. Front wheel attachment is adequately covered on page 6 of the manual."

Expert Opinion: Nuts on the front wheel are finger tight - our mechanic believes this is down to poor adjustment by our non expert cyclist.
"Answer as above. Correct tightening torque is also provided on page 27 of the manual."

Expert Opinion: Gears rattling but do work - our mechanic believes that whilst the gears did work they were of poor quality.
"As conceded by the mechanic, the gears do work. Adjustment instruction is provided on pages 17,18 & 19 of the manual with a warning at the foot of page 18 to not ride a bicycle that is not properly shifting."

Buckled rear wheel rubbing against brake pads, but the brakes do work - our mechanic believes this is a manufacturing error which would need tuning in a bicycle shop.
"Possibly. Unfortunately, we cannot anticipate and eliminate all damage that may occur on a bicycle during transit to the consumer. For this very reason, we include on page 26 a recommendation to check wheels before every ride. However, we would be very surprised and disappointed if the lateral movement of the wheel rim exceeded the ±2mm tolerance stated in BS 6102or indeed the ±1mm tolerance stated in BS EN 14764."

Not confident about plastic brake levers which flex - our mechanic believes these items are of inadequate quality for purpose.

"Your mechanic's personal opinions are not consistent with standards laid down by either the British Standards Institute or the European Committee for Standardization. Our over-riding interest and concern is providing a safe and functional bicycle to consumers. The brake levers exceed the requirements of all safety standards and I have never known there to be a brake failing attributable to plastic levers in the 25 years that Moore Large has been supplying such bicycles."

Right peddle incorrectly attached - our mechanic believes this is down to poor adjustment by our non expert cyclist.

"I should like to refer you to the instructions on the pedal wrapper, to the symbols on the pedals and cranks (left and right) and to the instructions on page 5 of the bicycle owner manual."

The chain came off the chain ring and chain guard and got stuck when the gears were changed. Gears not set up correctly - our mechanic believes that our non expert cyclist is not properly equipped to tune the gears and is not provided with the right tools to do this.

"We suggest that this is through lack of any adjustment -or incorrect adjustment- of the front derailleur. Instructions for the correct adjustment of the gears are stated on pages 17,18 & 19 of the owner manual.
The only non-supplied tool required to perform this adjustment is a screwdriver.
The Pedal Bicycles (Safety) Regulations 2003 state that all bicycles should be supplied with a list of readily available standard tools for assembly any special or non-standard tools that are required for correct assembly. The tools required for assembly and maintenance of the bicycle are listed on page 3 of the owner manual (with diagrams). Whilst common tools like pliers and screwdrivers are not included with our bicycles, we do anticipate that not all households may own Hex keys (Allen keys) and adjustable spanners. For this reason, a multi spanner and hex keys are included with all of our bicycles."

Instructions and tools inadequate:
"This allegation is groundless. The owner manual passes all safety standards for bicycles, we include less commonly found tools and as stated above, we anticipate most households have a screwdriver and pliers.
If not, I would refer the consumer to the warning on the inside cover of the owner manual."

Finally we plan to reflect the opinion of our mechanic who says that, in general, across all the bikes we tested, whilst many are 'easy' to put together - all needed some tuning of the gears and brakes. He believes that these are things a non expert cyclist could not achieve and that the correct tools for this tuning are not provided with the purchase of the bike.

He believes that anyone who purchases a bicycle of this sort should be strongly advised by the retailer to have it fine checked and adjusted by a professional bike mechanic and the bike should not be ridden until this has been done.

"We agree with the mechanic's opinion in so far as we suggest in the manual that any person unsure of their ability to assemble the bicycle or of the safety of their assembled bicycle should contact a local bicycle specialist for assistance before riding the bicycle.
I am a member of the technical committees of the Bicycle Association of Great Britain where we have input into and comment on any and all safety related standards and legislation that affects the bicycle industry in the UK and across the EU.

At Moore Large, we are very proud of our heritage and stand by all bicycles supplied to all of our customers. Please do not hesitate to contact me should you require any assistance or clarification regarding the issues raised."

Toys R Us:
"We take great pride in the bikes we sell and ensure all bikes conform to the toughest relevant British or European Bike Safety Standards.

We actively encourage all our customers to have their bikes built by our certified bike technicians COMPLETELY FREE OF CHARGE and mostly while they wait.

Our helpful bike advisors are keen to ensure our customers receive expert advice on which bike is suitable for their children and themselves... including important safety advice....and we stress that we'd like to build their bike for them - FREE.

As you appreciate Bikes come from the Bike factories in shipping boxes to facilitate transport and some self assembly is required if a customer insists on taking the bike home unassembled... some customers prefer this because it is sometimes easier to get into their car. There are clear instructions on assembly, but obviously a professional Bike assembler is likely to do a better job than an untrained person. We understand that some of our customers like to build their own bikes and we have worked hard over the years with our manufacturers to make bike self assembly easier to do.

Our Bike technicians are more than happy to build any bike bought from Toys R Us to ensure it is built correctly and safely which gives our customers 'complete peace of mind' when buying a bike from Toys R Us. Our bike building service is completely Free of Charge for our customers, unlike many of our competitors who either charge for this service or don't offer it at all. We will also check out bikes bought from us after the customer has assembled them if they have any concerns... again free of charge.

We do recommend to our customers that if they are in any doubt about building a bike themselves bought from Toys R Us, they let us build it for them at the time of purchase... if they have already taken it home unassembled we will be happy to build it for them if they return to the store with it."

Rogue Traders - updates

2009-11-05T17:30:40Z

What happens to the rogues after they appear on the show? This week Matt and Dan find out. Revisiting cases past to discover what happened to a rogue roofer when the authorities caught up with him and how other rogues claim to have changed their ways just because they've changed their name.

]]> ABBASEAL UK LTD

Adam Bickford, at just 21, was a director of roofing company Abbaseal UK Ltd when we first met him in 2007. We'd heard complaints about the Oxford based business and secretly filmed Bickford as he recommended a £1500 porch roof replacement to our elderly actress who was posing as a home-owner. In fact, our expert had told us she needed between just £50 and £100 worth of routine maintenance.

Matt had been secretly watching Adam at work and after confronting him Sandra Bickford (Adam's mother) also a director of the company, called Matt to say that Adam had been fired.

The publicity generated by our programme meant local Trading Standards officers received more complaints about the roofer and conducted their own investigation.

Matt met Richard Webb of Trading Standards in Oxford to find out more. He told us: "Thanks to the Rogue Traders programme a couple of people came to us so we looked into those complaints and in the end decided that there was enough evidence to charge Adam Bickford with three offences under the Fraud Act."

As a result, Adam appeared at Oxford Crown Court to answer a charge of fraud by false representation. In May of this year he received a six-month suspended sentence, and was ordered to do 150 hours of unpaid work, as well as paying £8,500 in compensation to his victims.

ANDURA GUARD

Back in 2006 we featured Mosaic ERP Systems Ltd, a company that sold a weather proof coating for the exterior walls of houses.

We secretly filmed a training session for their sales force and discovered that they use scare mongering techniques to convince home-owners to purchase a product that their home often doesn't need.

At the time, Mosaic told us they did have strict procedures in place, and they took our allegations very seriously and would take appropriate action.

A year later we featured Pearl XPS Ltd a completely different company who sold a similar product, had a very similar logo, a very similar promotional video and some of the same staff.

Again, secret filming revealed how salesmen grossly exaggerated deficiencies within customer's properties to secure sales of their coating.

Then earlier this year we heard from 78-year-old Mrs Pat Wicker, in August she had been visited by an Andura Guard salesman. She had a very similar story to tell.

The salesman was in her house for 6 hours and told her that without his product her home could "fall down about your ears". Eventually she agreed a deal worth £8,531. She handing over a £531 deposit and also signed up for a ten year loan to pay for the balance.

However, after Mrs Wicker spoke to her daughter the contract was cancelled and her deposit was returned.

So is there a link between Pearl XPS Ltd and Andura Guard - yes, they're the same company.

We contacted Chartered Surveyor Ralph Burkinshaw and after examining the property he told us: "There are no damp problems that need to be solved by application of external coatings. There are no structural problems that need to be solved by application of external coatings."

Andura Guard have responded stating:

We have vigorous checks and procedures in respect of elderly customers. Mrs Wicker was given the opportunity to consult with her family several times and she declined saying she was able to act independently. Contracts with customers who are over 65 are only processed once all procedures and checks have been completed fully and satisfactorily. Mrs Wicker expressed her views and opinions robustly confirming to our Senior Manager that there were existing problems with her property, she could afford to have the work done, she was very happy and grateful for the long time spent by our representative. She did subsequently inform us that she did not wish to proceed with the contract in accordance with her legal rights of cancellation which were clearly displayed on the contract. This was accepted by us without question. We deny that we have in any way acted improperly with regards to Mrs Wicker.

With regard to previous footage, at the time of these broadcasts we provided extensive investigation and explanation and were able to refute much of what was alleged. Where personnel were found to be in breach of the company's guidelines they were either dismissed at the time or redirected and trained as appropriate. The company continues to review and improve all procedures on an ongoing basis.

We communicate directly with over ½ million homeowners and provide our quotation service to over 100,000 homeowners every year. We complete contracts for our product and service to thousands of satisfied customers year on year. If complaints are received we work hard to investigate them fully and take whatever action is appropriate. Neither Watchdog nor Trading Standards have provided us with any details of any other complaints referred to in the programme. We are concerned about their failure to do so and are following this up with them.

LIFESTYLE PLUS (UK) Ltd

We featured Prestige Mobility Ltd. in October 2007 after receiving numerous complaints about the North Wales based company. Angry customers' main focus was pressure selling to the elderly.

Which was exactly what we found when we invited one of their salesmen to our house filled with secret cameras. The actress playing the part of a potential customer had to object more than 20 times before the salesman finally left two and a half hours after he'd arrived.

Prestige Mobility went into liquidation shortly after featuring on our programme. But, director Kevin Collinson had another company, Instant Mobility Ltd, waiting in the wings.

So had Instant Mobility learnt from the mistakes Prestige Mobility had made? It didn't appear so as the number of complaints started to stack up. The nature of the complaints were almost identical to those we'd seen about Prestige Mobility Ltd.

Mrs Elizabeth Fagan,77, and her husband were visited by two Instant Mobility representatives in 2008. They had recently bought a perfectly good second hand scooter for £400 and had no reason to purchase another.

However, the two sales reps from Instant Mobility didn't see this as an obstacle and were at the Fagan's home for four hours before they got their sale. Mrs Fagan told us: "I thought oh God please let me get rid of them and I thought that signing the piece of paper would do it."

The next day Mrs Fagan talked to her daughter, Mandy Cobb. She helped her mother to send off the necessary cancellation requests but there was no sign of a refund. Mandy called Instant Mobility day after day only to be fobbed off with different excuses. Eventually, three months later, the money was returned.

Earlier this year Instant Mobility went bust owing more than one million pounds. Now mobility mogul Kevin Collinson has started yet another scooter business - Lifestyle Plus (UK) Ltd - also in North Wales.

In a Rogue Traders first Matt took Mandy Cobb to meet Kevin Collinson amongst the beautiful Welsh mountains where his latest business is based.

Kevin Collinson claimed that was all in the past and now things have changed with customers getting a great service. He claims his latest scooter business has a different management structure and that will prevent future problems. We also spoke to two of his satisfied customers.

"With a promise of a written apology for her Mum, Mrs Fagan, Matt and Mandy said goodbye. At the time of broadcast no letter has been received by Mrs Fagan. Mr Collinson says the letter was sent by recorded delivery a week ago."

So will Lifestlye Plus (UK) Ltd endeavour to do better? We'll have to wait and see but one thing's for sure - Rogue Traders will be watching!

Energy firms scout for custom in high street shops and supermarkets

2009-10-29T17:09:43Z

First it was cold calling, and then it was a knock at the door. But now Watchdog is getting complaints about another tactic energy companies use to get you to sign up. Their salesmen are targeting you right in the middle of your shopping.

]]> We're all used to being approached when out on the high street or in a shopping centre but what some of you find more annoying is when the reps are working inside big-name stores or right by the aisle in the supermarket.

Some people done mind being offered a news deal on their gas or electricity but it't not what everyone wants when they've just popped out for a magazine or a tin of beans, especially if the salesman is on the pushy side.

Followed me
Karen Billing was approached by an Npower rep in her local WH Smiths where she'd gone to look at magazines. She says she told the rep immediately that she wasn't interested but he wouldn't take no for an answer.

"He followed me around the store harassing me, asking who my supplier was, how much I was paying" Karen told us.

"In the end I just left the store because I was so angry at what I was subjected to." Karen added.

And after 17 years as a loyal customer with WH Smith, Karen says she won't be going back.

Misled by a rep
Julie Cox was approached by an EDF rep in her local Sainsbury's.

The rep offered her what looked like a cracking rate for her electricity so she signed up. However, when the bill came, she was horrified to see that she was on a different rate to the one she'd been promised.

"It said 8.93p per unit and it was even underlined by the rep. And he said the price was fixed. Then, I noticed with my first bill that they were charging me 12.2p per unit" Julie told us.

Julie had been charged nearly 40% more for her electricity and was really angry. She complained and got a refund for two energy bills but then EDF said the cheaper rate didn't exist and she's been stuck with the higher rate ever since.

Julie says she felt really "cheesed off".

New regulation on face to face selling
A new move by the Energy regulator, OFGEM should make what happened to Julie easier to avoid. From January, every customer approached face-to-face will then have to be sent a written quote, to ensure there's time to compare with other prices on the market.

But should energy companies been invading your shopping space at all? Tell us your thoughts.

WH Smith told Watchdog
"We have a strict code of conduct that third party organisations must follow when in any of our stores. This code clearly states that workers are only allowed to approach shoppers in the stand's designated area and not pursue them aggressively. All of our store managers are aware of this and are empowered to ask the workers to leave if the code of conduct is not being followed.

We have investigated Mrs Billing's complaint and it is clear to us that, in this case, the NPower sales staff had breached our contractual code of conduct. The two specific agency staff members manning the stand that day will no longer be allowed to represent NPower within any WHSmith store. We will writing to Mrs Billing directly to convey our apologies for any distress she may have been caused."

Sainsbury's told Watchdog
"Sainsbury's has enjoyed a successful relationship with EDF Energy since September 2006. EDF Energy appointed sales agents are scheduled to occasionally visit our stores to demonstrate to customers how they could save money on their energy bills by switching to Sainsbury's Energy. All sales advisors are fully trained and accredited under the EnergySure scheme, an initiative launched in 2003 to promote a high standard of service in the energy industry."

npower told Watchdog
"We were concerned to hear about the alleged incident - and very sorry if Mrs Billing was upset by it. We have looked into the occurrence and it appears that the sales agent, who we have identified as working at this particular venue, no longer works for us so therefore our ability to conduct a full investigation is somewhat limited.

We do have arrangements, which allow our sales advisers to work within various venues, such as major supermarket chains and shopping centres, major shows across the country, high street stores and town centres.

Energy suppliers are not alone in using these venues - car insurers, mobile phone retailers etc all use these venues to promote their products and services to people who may otherwise not be aware of them.

As a member of the EnergySure Sales Code of Practice, we do not condone 'high pressure' sales techniques. While we have received minimal complaints from this sales channel, any complaint is treated extremely seriously and is dealt with on a case by case basis and if necessary, appropriate action will be taken. We're proud of our sales force and there is absolutely no place for any misbehaviour in npower.

Regarding the figures you asked for, we have around 150 sales advisors working in approximately 40 venues per week."

EDF told Watchdog
"EDF Energy would like to apologise for any confusion caused to Mrs Cox.

We have undertaken a thorough investigation of her complaint. EDF Energy has agreed to provide Mrs Cox with a further goodwill payment in recognition of the distress and inconvenience she has been caused. We spoke to Mrs Cox on 26 October and she is now satisfied with the actions we have taken to rectify the account and explain her tariff.

Mrs Cox first agreed to become a customer in March 2008 but later changed her mind after speaking to her supplier. Following a further conversation with a sales agent working in Sainsbury in May 2008, she confirmed she was happy to switch her gas and electricity supply. Regrettably, when the sales agent advised Mrs Cox of the price of our fixed price product, she was incorrectly given the price of standard band B rates rather than band A rates.

EDF Energy is dedicated to achieving high standards in the training of all sales advisors and the advisor has been retrained to help ensure this incident does not happen again. All sales advisors are audited regularly to ensure customers receive the high standard of service we expect.

Sainsbury's & EDF Energy have been working in partnership since September 2006. Nearly 500,000 customers have chosen Sainsbury's Energy for their gas and electricity and those customers who have switched are benefiting from competitive prices."

"EDF Energy has rebilled Mrs Cox with the Band B rate she was offered in May 2008.

This rate will apply to her account until 31 December, 2009 when the fixed price offer ends.

This is a rare case as we receive very few complaints from Sainsbury's Energy Customers, the overwhelming majority of which are very happy with the service they receive."

British Gas told Watchdog
"We have no salespeople or any employees selling products in any high street stores or supermarkets and we don't have any affiliation partnerships with any retailers."

E.ON told Watchdog
"We have sales people operating on a daily basis in a number of high street stores and supermarkets.
"We have a sales team of around 130 people operating in this way and would normally be in a number of different locations at any time.
"Any complaint relating to sales that E.ON receives is fully investigated and resolved directly with the customer as part of our company complaints handling process."
"All of our in-store sales agents (the same as our field sales agents) must be compliant with the EnergySure code of practice for face-to-face selling which has specific requirements regarding contact with customers. Sales agents are continually assessed and monitored against the requirements of the code and any instances of non-compliance are dealt with accordingly. In addition, all of E.ON's sales agents are trained and must sign a code of conduct which details working practices which they must abide by and failure to do so could result in disciplinary action."

Scottish Power told Watchdog
"ScottishPower has a very small team working in supermarkets and shopping centres, operating in a maximum of six venues across the UK. All of our employees are trained to the highest standards and are Energysure accredited. We believe this sales route offers a valuable additional method for people to access information about energy tariffs that could help them to choose more suitable energy products or to save them money on their energy bills."

Scottish & Southern
Did not wish to comment.

Is your Wifi secure?

2009-10-29T12:55:39Z

Wi-fi hot-spots across the country are not secure and are vulnerable to attack.

An investigation by Watchdog has revealed that the UK's top three wi-fi providers; BT Openzone, The Cloud and T-Mobile are all susceptible to attack by hackers - leaving tens of thousands of users at risk of fraud.

]]> Thousands of these hotspots are available nationwide in hotels, trains, airport lounges and high street food outlets but they may not be as safe as some users had anticipated.

According to Tom Illube, from internet security firm Garlik, over the last year there has been a 207% increase in 'account takeover fraud', where criminals try and access existing accounts rather than using stolen identities. In light of this he thinks the vulnerability of wi-fi hotspots is worrying.

Tom Illube said: "I think a lot of people don't realise that using public wi-fi that's insecure is pretty much like writing your bank details onto a postcard and popping it in the post and being surprised that someone's read it."

Watchdog used equipment readily available on the internet to hijack wireless traffic at a variety of hotspots, while experts working with the programme-makers could have been able to take control of other hotspot users' internet accounts. Once inside these accounts, malicious hackers would have then been able to harvest masses of personal data which could enable them to access the users' accounts on a variety of websites, including those for shopping and banking.

Watchdog asked Crimewatch presenter and former policeman Rav Wilding to set up an email account on a laptop at a wireless hotspot. The Watchdog team were able to access Rav's email within seconds before freezing him out of his account altogether. So although Rav was no longer able to use his email, the team still had full access to it.

The Watchdog team were also able to access the email accounts of two members of the Watchdog audience viewing everything the users were doing online, including their email and social networking activities.

Believing the process demonstrated by Watchdog is particularly alarming as it does not require particularly high-level skills or know-how, Tom Illube also said: "You don't have to be a super hacker to get into this sort of information and therefore it's becoming more widespread and we as consumers need to be more careful about how we use them and what we use them for."

One way of protecting wi-fi connections at public hotspots is to use a Virtual Private Network or VPN. Although BT Openzone, The Cloud and T-Mobile all suggest using VPNs, only T-Mobile offer them as a software download when users log on.

Following Watchdog's investigation the three big hotspot providers told the programme that they would do more to encourage the use of VPNs to protect wi-fi users.

BT Openzone Statement:
"BT Openzone offers encryption at log-in, a standard used by all global Wi-Fi operators. To help customers receive a safe, reliable and robust Wi-Fi service we also advise using up to date firewall and anti-virus software to guard against most attacks. We have always strongly recommended a secure remote access virtual private network (VPN) to protect against data interception. The industry as a whole has a responsibility to give users the option to choose to keep their sessions secure."

"We constantly review our approach to security and there will now be a direct link to security guidance from the BT Openzone landing page. We are also reviewing our proactive approach to providing secure and user friendly authentication."

"Security threats evolve and we constantly review our policies to combat these. The security measures we recommend are adequate against most attacks. In the instance of a cookie-based attack, our advice protects customers to the best of our ability."
"Our security advice protects our users from most attacks if executed to the letter however the industry as a whole has a responsibility to give users the option to choose to keep their sessions secure."

"Following your investigation, our landing pages at the hotspots will now feature a direct link to the relevant BT security information."

"BT Openzone provides encryption at log-in, and we advise customers to follow basic and familiar security measures including firewall and anti-virus software, plus installation of a VPN. Solving this type of attack requires BT to provide the above solution and for all technology suppliers to give users the option to choose to keep their sessions secure, which means their cookies are not recorded."

"BT is in the process of reviewing its approach to providing secure and user friendly authentication. This will include continued review of our frequently asked questions ("Common questions") pages."

"...we constantly review our approach but will take two immediate steps regarding the location of security information and reviewing our provision of secure and user friendly authentication."

The Cloud:
"The Cloud welcomes the opportunity to respond to the questions posed by Watchdog regarding the security aspects of public Wi-Fi networks. We take security very seriously and adhere to all of the current industry standards and protocols to run our networks.
The Cloud operates an Open (unencrypted) Wi-Fi network in the UK. It is the industry standard for Wi-Fi Internet Service Providers and is adopted by the vast majority of operators worldwide. It is considered a reasonable trade-off between ease of use, simplicity of deployment and security of access."

"Wireless communication in a public place however is intrinsically subject to threats and malicious security attacks. The use of private keys, such as WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) and more recently, the not entirely secure WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) protocols, are not suitable for public hotspots particularly when using mobile and hand-held devices, as the users would have to obtain security credentials before being able to access the network. This would make accessing the Internet beyond the skill levels of ordinary consumers."

"The Cloud has put in place a number of features which allows safer internet access. These are within the limitation of using unencrypted channels for wireless transmission between the User's computer and the Wireless Access Point. Among other features, The Cloud network includes:

- Firewalling and Network Address Translation, ensuring protection of the users within the hotspot from attacks generated elsewhere on the Internet.

- SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) encryption technology to protect sensitive details such as user names, passwords and credit card details when you interact with any of our hotspots. The SSL standard is used by a wide variety of online providers such as online bank accounts and provides protection from the interception of sensitive data by third parties, as well as the misrepresentation of access control and credit card processing services.

- Unrestricted internet access and VPN (virtual private network) pass-through, which allows clients to use their own VPN clients to connect to their home or corporate network securely.

"Ultimately, when using an unencrypted wireless channel, the responsibility for securing the end user device (laptop or Smartphone) must rest with the end user. Many Wi-Fi hotspot users do not fully understand the risks associated with using open wireless networks, so it is imperative that users must also take precautions."

In response to some of the specific questions you raise:

Cookie replay and Man in the middle attack
Cookie-Replay and Man-In-The-Middle attacks are well-known threats for unencrypted wireless networks, which is the industry standard for providing public WiFi Internet Access.

The Use of VPN tunnels, which is fully supported by our network and encouraged in the support section of the website and landing pages, would minimize the risk of such attacks. We are looking at different VPN technologies for future developments with some of our partners, however many existing solutions are device specific making it difficult for the Wi-Fi operator to cover all eventualities.

Security awareness on The Cloud's hotspot landing page
We take on board your feedback regarding more obvious warnings about security vulnerabilities on The Cloud's hotspot landing page. We always intend to provide the clearest and most up to date information about security. Both our Website and landing page currently have a help section which covers security aspects of our Network (see below). We have already taken steps to ensure the section on security is more easily accessible via our website.

VPNs
"Our security information, accessible via our website and landing page recommends the use of VPN technology. However we do recognise that they are not currently user friendly, especially for consumers. We are looking at how VPN technology can be developed in the future with some of our partners, however many solutions are device specific making it difficult for the Wi-Fi operator to cover all eventualities."

"We should also point out that without sufficient security, the same type of attacks could happen on Home Wi-Fi networks, whereby a technically proficient person with ill intent can sit outside a domestic residence and carry out the same attacks as demonstrated by your researcher on our Hotspot."

T-Mobile:
"T-Mobile takes the security and privacy of its customers seriously, especially as broadband internet has become an essential tool for many people. Wherever people are accessing the internet, whether at home or on the move, there are a small number of hackers who will use their specialist knowledge to take advantage of others by accessing their information. While most of the time customers don't experience problems, T-Mobile takes steps to offer protection to users of Wi-Fi HotSpots. On the landing page of the HotSpot service, advice is prominently displayed alerting customers they should use free software provided by T-Mobile. This VPN (virtual private network) software encrypts the radio link between the laptop and the HotSpot, providing a level of security typically enjoyed by business users."

"While T-Mobile takes all reasonable steps to ensure the security of its infrastructure, security is also dependent on users taking care to protect their information. Basic best practice includes checking the privacy and security settings of their computers and that virus protection is in place. Additionally, when using sites which may involve providing confidential information, people should check that the closed padlock symbol is displayed, indicating that the site is encrypted and therefore secure."

"We have revised the wording on the HotSpot landing page to emphasise use of a VPN connection for optimal security."

Let us know what you think - have you had any problems? Are you worried about security?

Rogue Traders dig up the dirt on 'ATY gardens'

2009-10-29T12:13:59Z

John Doherty operates a company based in Leeds called 'ATY Gardening' also known as 'ATY', 'ATY Gardens' and 'All the Year Gardening', not to be confused with other companies with similar names. The company boasts a ten year guarantee and discount for OAP's in its adverts, but you might want to think twice before you pick up the phone.

]]> John Doherty and other Doherty's have been named in complaints regarding ATY Gardening, citing poor workmanship, work carried out at inflated prices, and feeling intimidated by John Doherty when they questioned his workmanship.

According to Trading Standards, John Doherty is known to use 27 other trading names, which have received no fewer than 95 complaints in the last three years. We decided it was time the Rogue Traders team had a look at what John Doherty was up to.

So Matt and Dan headed north to meet 88 year old Myra Batty and her friend 91 year old Alzheimer sufferer Daniel Hill. Myra and Daniel had the misfortune of encountering just how poor the Doherty's workmanship can be in January of this year.

Daniel's driveway was in dire need of an overhaul so Myra turned to the Yellow Pages to find someone who could do the job for him. She called up ATY Gardening and spoke to John Doherty who offered to come and have a look at the job and give her a quote. Myra found him very persuasive "he talks for England, he is very convincing"

John Doherty asked Myra for a written quote but when it didn't appear she phoned him to cancel the job.

But John Doherty took no heed of her message and showed up to start work much to Daniel's confusion. Matt listened as Myra told him Daniel's reactions when they showed up "When they arrived Mr Hill was very upset, very distressed about it. He told them to go away he didn't want them, he didn't want the work doing - if they didn't go he would call the police, but he didn't know how to ring."

The Doherty's stayed to finish the job as Myra felt she had little choice once they had commenced. But on seeing the finished job she wasn't happy with what the Doherty's had done and contacted the Yorkshire and Humber Scambuster Team and the Police.

John was persistent in demanding money from Myra and she felt he was quite menacing in how he behaved toward her, but she managed to put him off until the Police and Trading Standards could be there when he arrived. John was arrested but later released without charge albeit with a formal warning letter from Trading Stnadards.

Matt and Dan are not impressed with the condition of Daniel's driveway, which is lumpy, bumpy and has weeds growing through it. They are even less impressed with his behaviour towards Myra and Daniel. So with no further ado the Rogue team spring into action.

Having heard what happened to Mrs Batty, Matt and the team enlist the services of an actress - let's call her Anne, and the Don of driveway's Mitch Westwood to find out what the Doherty's are up to.

A house in desperate need of a new driveway is found and Mitch takes a look at the drive to assess what is needed for a good job to be done, he takes his measurements, and we set our rogue house with cameras. Our stage is set cue lights, camera, Doherty's - action!

Anne calls up our rogue John Doherty, and he comes over and gives her a quote which is 74% higher than it should be - a whopping £1950. Mitch is watching John as he looks at the driveway during the quote and he isn't impressed. John walks around with a tape measure but doesn't actually measure a thing, plus he is massively overcharging.

With a ten year guarantee in place and a promise from John Doherty that you will be able to drive a wagon on the drive once it's finished, work commences on the drive. The ATY gardening team that turn up to start work on the drive includes Tommy, John's business partner.

They start digging - an important stage in laying a drive as it ensures the foundation is deep enough and that the drive will not sink. One of the men doing the digging points out to John that it is a bit rocky by the garage door and they won't be able to dig down enough to lay the blocks properly meaning the garage door won't open. But John isn't bothered.

After three days' work the driveway is finished to the standards of the Doherty's but our expert is less than impressed. Cosmetically some of the blocks are not laid straight and the edging is not cemented in, plus we can't even open the garage door. But more fundamentally with insufficient foundations having been laid our expert has predicted that with a few weeks of normal use our driveway will sink.

When we point out we are not happy John's team endeavour to rectify some of the cosmetic faults with the driveway but the problem is not just skin deep.

So we decide to simulate using the driveway for 6 weeks. As we have only got a few days in which to do this we drive on and off the driveway a hundred and sixty eight times over a couple of days.

And we find our experts' predictions come true as the driveway sinks in several places. Mitch casts his eye over the results and is unimpressed with the dips and divots in the drive. And when he looks at the garage door he is shocked to discover they haven't bedded the edging blocks in concrete - a sloppy job.

But not to worry as John told us our driveway comes with a ten year guarantee so we call him up to tell him the bad news and explain that we lifted up a brick and found the foundations are too shallow.

ATY are less than not happy when we call to tell them of our sinking driveway, and tell us we have invalidated our guarantee. Although they do come and do a little remedial work- it is certainly not enough.

Not one to let them off the hook that easily the Rogue Traders team find another house in Leeds and call John up to see if he can come over and give a quote on relaying the driveway.

But when he arrives to the house John finds he has more to look at than just a dodgy driveway when Matt pops out for a chat about the poor quality of his work. Sadly John doesn't seem keen to stay and chat to Matt. With no more than a quick 'Goodbye matey' he hops in his van and drives off leaving Matt's questions unanswered.

So how do you spot and avoid a rogue trader and how do you find a reputable tradesperson? Read on to find out.

If you are thinking of getting some work done on your home do some research, ask friends, work colleagues and neighbours to recommend a tradesperson they have used.

Ask the tradesperson for references and ring up and speak to previous customers. Ensure that the company has a business address rather than a residential address and a landline as well as a mobile phone number.

Do not employ cold callers. They can often be quite persuasive pointing out problems with your home that you hadn't noticed. Try not to engage them in conversation explaining that you do not buy goods and services at the door and you will need to compare prices and discuss this with your son, neighbour, or friend before proceeding with any work.

If you do proceed with having work done on your property get a detailed brief drawn up and a written quote prior to work starting which lists everything included in the price. Work out a payment plan that you agree with the tradesperson before work commences and do not pay in advance of completion of the work. Do not pay all of the sum in cash try to pay for a minimum of £101 of it on your credit card as this can offer you more protection.

The new BBC iD sign in system

2009-10-29T11:57:17Z

New BBC iD sign in system FAQs

BBC iD is the new sign in system for BBC Online. It's currently being rolled out across all services that require a user to register or sign in.

On Monday November 2nd we'll be switching all of the BBC's blogs to BBC iD from the previous BBC membership system. And in the New Year our message boards and other communities will be heading down the same route.

By March 2010 BBC iD will be the single sign in for all BBC Online services. If you have an existing BBC membership account for blogs, message boards or other services at some point in the next few months you will be automatically prompted to upgrade to BBC iD.

We do need to replace the old system, but we don't underestimate the inconvenience the transition will represent for some of our users. We apologise for this and hope that you will find the service improvements that BBC iD will support over the coming months for example, working on mobiles - make it all worthwhile.

We've tried to answer the questions you may have about the new system here.

If we've missed anything, please let us know. Most users should be able to upgrade their account from a BBC membership to a BBC iD when prompted with a minimum of fuss.

We'll be keeping you up to date with the roll-out of BBC iD via the BBC Internet blog.

NB: There's one thing you will need to think about if you have more than one BBC membership account:
If you have more than one BBC membership you'll only be able to upgrade one of those accounts to BBC iD using your preferred username and email address. That BBC iD account will retain links to your previous membership account and any comments and posts you made using it. So if you have more than one BBC membership, make sure you upgrade your favourite one.

New BBC iD sign in system FAQs

Alternative uses for cracked BMW alloys: update

2009-10-29T11:55:59Z

Watchdog has received a number of complaints from BMW owners who've suffered cracked alloy wheels.

BMW has blamed the drivers, saying they must have hit potholes or speed humps but the drivers say the damage isn't their fault and these expensive wheels should be replaced free-of-charge under warranty.

The damage mostly affects 19" rear alloy wheels, used in conjunction with runflat tyres. An expert engineer who examined the wheels, said there was no visual evidence of any road impacts. He told Watchdog that the wheels should be recalled by BMW on safety grounds.

Watchdog asked disgruntled drivers to send in their cracked alloys. Meanwhile, we turned some of them into instruments and created a musical message to take to BMW's UK headquarters in Bracknell.

]]> Original story: How would you re-use cracked BMW alloys? 29 October 2009

On 22 October we ran a story about BMW alloy wheels and how some of them weren't all they're cracked up to be; yes, certain expensive 19-inch alloys can crack. BMW maintain that the cracks are the fault of drivers going too fast over speedhumps or potholes.

Many of you have complained to us with the same problem and it seems quite a few of you are now are the proud owners of useless cracked BMW alloy wheels.

In light of this we want your creative and wacky ideas for alternative uses for the wheels. Could they be made in to some kind of art installation, a musical instrument or maybe something for garden?! Send in your ideas!

If you simply wish to comment on the original story please click here.

BT customers paying their bills and more

2009-10-29T11:40:19Z

Whether we use their phone service or not, most of us still rely on BT's 15 million residential lines. So if there's any sort of fault they'll try and put it right but who should foot the bill? BT or you?

]]> It's supposed to be straightforward. BT are responsible for everything to do with the phone line from the telephone exchange to the moment it enters the phone socket in your house. If anything goes wrong after that, whether to do with the wires or the phones, it's down to you.

If there is a fault at any point before that BT say that you shouldn't have to pay but in practice, BT don't always quite see it that way.

The Coopers are a family that know all about phones. Their home is full of them. When they stopped receiving calls last November mum Marcel tested every phone in the house, but she couldn't find an obvious problem. She had noticed, however, that the wires outside weren't in the best condition. So, she contacted BT, who sent an engineer from the part of the business that maintains their lines - BT Openreach. The fault was with BT's line, it was fixed and that should have been that. But a couple of months later BT sent her a bill for £300.

"I just thought 'this is outrageous", said Marcel. "Are you trying to tell me that all of these properties around here are responsible for maintaining BT lines? What are we paying rental charges for?"

Marcel refused to pay, and asked BT to explain exactly why she should have to foot the bill. But all she received in reply was a threat from BT to pass on her information to debt collectors, which is exactly what they did.

"It's actually quite scary having a debt recovery agency after you," she said. "And [when] BT won't respond, what must I do?"

The same thing happened to Blessing Onwuka after her line went dead in June. Blessing, who was about to give birth to her third child, contacted BT. They sent an engineer and said nothing about charges.

The problem was found to be on the line outside of her building, and therefore BT's problem, not hers. The engineer fixed the fault, but a couple of weeks later, BT sent her a bill for £211. They said she'd damaged the line and that she was responsible.

Knowing she'd done no such thing, Blessing saw the charge as unfair and refused to pay. BT, however, insisted that she was responsible and sent the debt collectors after her as well.

Engineer Richard Terrell experienced similar problems with BT. The company fixed two burnt-out wires in the BT box at his house in December last year.

BT claimed the fault on Richard's line was the result of lightning damage - an Act of God and that meant Richard would have to pay nearly £200 for the repair.

When Richard told them there was no way lightning had struck his house BT came up with a new reason as to why he should foot the bill, insisting that he must have damaged their equipment.

"Every time they twisted and turned I'd hit them back with another answer", Richard said.

Eventually, BT backtracked and dropped the charges after Richard raised the issue with the industry regulator, OFCOM.

BT response
"BT apologises for the mistakes it made in dealing with the customer repair bills highlighted by Watchdog. We have refunded the money owed to Richard Terrell and Blessing Onwuka and have cleared the debt on the account of John Cooper.

"We recently improved our processes to make sure that customers are always fully aware of when they may be charged for a repair and how much. BT pays for repairs to the line and network, but customers may be charged a flat rate of £125 for an engineer visit if the fault turns out to be as a result of things like customers' own extension wiring inside the home or their own equipment.

"As a gesture of goodwill, we have given three months free line rental to Richard Terrell and Blessing Onwuka.

"BT apologises to Mr Woodgett. He should not have been charged for this repair and we are happy to refund the total cost of the engineer's visit and to give him three months free line rental as a gesture of goodwill. We have also given Mr Hemming three months line rental free. The Coopers no longer have an account with BT.

"If you would like to email BT about any of the issues raised above please contact us now "

Supermarkets update - what's the deal?

2009-10-28T17:28:29Z

In an effort to cut food waste, Tesco announced on 16 October 2009 that they would be getting rid of all BOGOFS (Buy One Get One Free deals) and introducing a new 'Buy One Get One Free Later' initiative where customers could receive a voucher and get their free item at a later date. This will take effect in stores before Christmas, but Tesco couldn't tell us exactly when.

Prior to this change, Watchdog looked at Supermarkets and the way they use clever marketing techniques to entice customers to buy products - often spending more than they need to.

]]> Recently, members of the Watchdog team bought some looked into some supermarket offers that weren't all they were cracked up to be. We found that some multi-pack deals actually worked out more expensive than the smaller and single items. When we showed these items to the organisation that represents the supermarkets - the British Retail Consortium, their Director General - Stephen Robertson said he thought they must be mistakes. So, Watchdog went shopping again. This time we found yet more offers that worked out more expensive.

While Tesco claims its new scheme aims to cut down on waste, they still seem to be encouraging bulk buying and sometimes charging consumers more in the process.

In the case of a tub of Vanish Oxi Action Plus from Tesco, the BIG VALUE PACK cost £10.56 for 1.5 kilos. But in fact it's cheaper to buy half a kilo for £3. So, not such great value after all. This was also the case with Tesco Gold Coffee. A 200g jar cost £2.79, at 14p per 100g, while 100g cost £1.39, at 14p per 100g, so it was 1p cheaper to buy two of the smaller jars.

Watchdog found that Tesco and Morrison's still had the same deals on offer that we highlighted first time around. Tesco sold a single can of dog food at 43p and then a multipack of six dog food cans at £2.70 (45p per can), making the single can 2p cheaper than if you bought the multipack. In Morrison's case, a pack of six Special K bars cost £1.50 (25p per bar), which was cheaper than a pack of 12 bars at £3.22 (26p per bar). The smaller pack of bars was 1p cheaper per bar than the larger multipack.

Asda, Sainsbury's and Waitrose had changed the prices on their mistakes but we still managed to find other offers that weren't so great.

From Asda, which has the slogan 'Saving You Money Every Day', Watchdog purchased a pack of nine Triple Velvet Soft toilet rolls at £4.62 (51p per roll), while a pack of four rolls cost £1.70 (42p per roll). It was 9p cheaper to buy a smaller pack.

In the case of Sainsbury's, they had altered the prices of kitchen roll from last time, but we found a 200g jar of JSainsbury's coffee costing £2.79, while a 100g jar of the same coffee cost £1.39, making it 1p cheaper to buy two of the smaller jars.

Waitrose was found to be selling a multipack of seven bags of Original Hula Hoops at £1.11 16p per pack), while a bigger multipack of twelve bags cost £2.03 (17p per pack). Again, it was cheaper to buy a smaller pack.

Statements:
Tesco did not respond.

On 26 Oct 2009, Sainsbury's said of their own Gold Roast Coffee:
"I have checked with the coffee buyer and the price of the 200g Sainsbury's Gold Roast Instant Coffee was an oversight. It is in the process of being changed and will be at a new lower price by the time your programme is broadcast on Thursday."

On 26 Oct 2009, Asda said of their toilet rolls:
"All our multi-pack products are clearly labelled with a unit price so customers can check at a glance what is the best value. We have nearly 50, 000 products in our store and sometimes mistakes can happen but if customers do notice any errors before we do, they should just tell the store manager who will get it amended."

On 26 Oct 2009, Morrisons said of their cereal bar promotion:
"The 6 pack of Special K bars were on promotion between 28th September and the 25th October, offering customers who purchase that size a good value deal for that specific period. The 12 pack of Special K bars were not on promotion and remain value for money even after the 6 pack promotion has finished. We display unit prices on our shelf edge label, allowing customers to make direct comparisons between various sizes of pack. We strive to offer our customers the best value for money at all times."

On 27 Oct 2009, Waitrose said of their Hula Hoop deal:
"Thanks for letting us know about this. We've reduced the price of our 12 pack Hula Hoops down to £1.80. This gives a 5% saving per individual bag for buying the larger multipack."

What do you think of Tesco's new BOGOFL initiative? Have you found that supermarkets' pricing is leaving you out of pocket? Have you spotted any more "mistakes"? Tell us what you think or send us your stories.

The trying tree surgeon

2009-10-22T14:02:51Z

This week Matt and Dan have been on the trail of a dangerous tree surgeon. Shaun Varey has been caught precariously wielding a chainsaw and overcharging his customers by hundreds of pounds.

]]> First off Matt goes to meet Peter and Pam Heath who employed Shaun Varey when he was trading as Beechwood Tree Services (based in Bromley, and not to be confused with any other businesses of the same name). Shaun approached Peter back in August 2009, when he was working in his front garden and asked him if he needed any work doing. Peter had a tree that he wanted taken down as it had been damaged in a storm six years previously. Shaun started the quote for the work at £700, coming down to £500, Peter told Shaun that he still could not afford that price and the pair settled on £250. Shaun started the work straight away.

Peter was horrified when he went to inspect his garden. Shaun and his men had left the tree strewn across the lawn; they had broken Peter and Pam's fence and damaged their shed. Despite this, Shaun still expected payment in full. Peter said, "They packed up their tools, and said that they was leaving but they wanted their cash and if they didn't get their cash they'd do damage to me property." Intimidated by Shaun's threats Peter paid up and the Heath's were left with a £150 bill to clean up the devastation.

Earlier this year Shaun signed undertakings with Bromley Trading Standards promising to amend his business practices. However, after talking to the Heaths it was apparent that Shaun had not changed his ways. Rogue Traders found a house in Bromley, rigged it with secret cameras and hired actress Pauline to invite Shaun Varey out to do some work.

Pauline's job for Shaun was a straightforward task. She wanted him to move three smallish trees from the garden along with the tree stumps. Our expert James Pinder stated that a reliable tree surgeon would charge no more than £200 for this job.

When Shaun arrived at our house he was no longer Beechwood Tree Services but now Green Leaf Tree Services (also not to be confused with any other businesses of the same name). Shaun inspected the trees, incorrectly identifying all of them. He called a Common Ash a Mountain Ash, he said a Prunus was part of the Lime family and he said a Viburnum shrub was a Bay tree. He also told our actress that the removal of the tree stumps would be impossible and suggested poisoning the stumps would be a more effective way of killing them. He quoted £630 for the job. Our actress asked him once again to remove the tree stumps, this time Shaun told her that if she really wanted them out it would cost her a further £1000 so Pauline settled on poisoning the stumps.

Shaun and his team got straight to work, but alarm bells started to ring straight away. Shaun's clothing and that of his teams, their behaviour and the way they wielded their saws lead our expert to believe that they were not trained tree surgeons. If Shaun is not trained to commercially operate chainsaws then he's breaking the law. Shaun's workers also put their hands dangerously close to the chainsaw, at one point Shaun stepped back onto a chainsaw and he even got something in his eye while was working. Shaun's team finished the job within 30 minutes, however he did not poison the stumps, despite telling Pauline he had.

Before he left Shaun offered to prune the Hazel tree which we decided to take him up on.

Shaun arrived back at the Bromley property a week later but before he started work Matt had a few questions about the way he conducts his business. Matt pointed out our expert had managed to remove the stumps that Shaun claimed were "impossible" to get out and informed him that he didn't poison the stumps even though he said he had. Shaun apologised and when Matt asked for a refund Shaun assured us that we'll get that back. Shaun also said that all the other customers who he'd overcharged, or done a bad job for, would also get a refund too.

We are yet to receive a refund from Shaun. He has told us that he has a cash flow problem and we will receive a refund in 3 to 4 weeks.

Are some BMW wheels all they're cracked up to be?

2009-10-22T09:55:04Z

BMW is a company that boasts in its adverts that it doesn't just create cars, it creates joy. But some owners of high performance BMWs have a completely different experience. Their wheels might promise great performance but it seems there's one thing some of them just can't cope with - the great British pothole.

Some BMW drivers are discovering that their expensive alloy wheels are cracking - making them potentially dangerous, and definitely in need of replacement at a cost of hundreds of pounds.

But BMW is blaming potholes, speed humps and other road surfaces that give a bumpy ride. The company says drivers are hitting them at speed, so the damage is their fault, and it's refusing to pay for replacement wheels under warranty.

]]> One particularly annoyed viewer who contacted Watchdog about this problem is Ian Bolderston. In the space of two and a half years, his BMW dealer advised him to replace six wheels. They found that one wheel had seven cracks on it. With new tyres and associated costs, replacing the six wheels set him back £4,000.

David Morgan is another disgruntled BMW driver. He's had to replace three wheels at a total cost of £1,200.

BMW tested Ian and David's nine wheels and decided that they had all been damaged by a road impact - such as hitting a pothole. But the drivers said they just drove normally, and weren't to blame.

"I asked BMW and the first thing they told me was perhaps you've hit a pothole, you've hit something," Ian said. "I'm a normal driver with three kids. I'm the wrong side of 40 to be racing around. As far as I'm concerned it's BMW's fault. They need to get to the bottom of the problem. It's not potholes as far as I'm concerned. I've driven normally. There's something fundamentally wrong with these wheels."

David reflected on the fact that that all the cracks appear on the inside wheel rims, and almost always affect the rear alloys. "You hit a pothole with a front wheel. I've had no front wheels damaged. There's more weight over the front of the car than the rear so I'm astounded as why the fronts haven't cracked," he said.

The problem centres on a particular combination of wheel and tyre. The cracking seems to only affect BMW 19-inch rear alloys, coupled with runflat tyres. The tyres are a safety feature designed so that they can still be driven on when they're flat - the idea is that if you get a puncture on the motorway at speed, with runflats you won't lose control and can continue driving to a garage where the problem can be sorted.

Watchdog researchers called BMW dealers posing as customers. These confirmed, in many cases, that BMW expected the cause to be potholes. One dealer thought the damage happened because the low-profile tyres may have been slightly underinflated meaning that hitting potholes at speed could crack the wheels.

Some of the BMW dealers seemed to wonder whether these flashy wheels are suitable for British roads. One dealer said, "The wheels and tyres aren't designed for the roads really as they are in Surrey at the moment." A second said, "They use the same wheel and the same tyres all over the world, and I think it's due to our road surfaces. We're the only country that has a problem with it."

Potholes and other road surface hazards certainly have an impact on drivers' pockets. The AA reckons there are 1.5 million potholes in UK roads, and it's estimated that they cause billions of pounds of damage to car drive shafts and suspensions every year.

But with at least two damaged BMW wheels, potholes don't seem to have caused the cracks. Self-confessed BMW fan, Dr Aamer Khan, was outraged when he was told he would have to pay to have three wheels on his car replaced while the car was still under warranty. So he decided to pay £1,700 for international experts MIRA to investigate. Their report strongly suggested that one wheel had a manufacturing defect; it implied a second wheel had the same problem, and it decided that a third wheel that a BMW dealer said needed replacing, was not damaged.

Aamer started legal action and 18 months later, BMW paid him £7,000 as a goodwill gesture. "However, they were not taking responsibility or liability for the damage to the wheels hence they were still saying there is no problem with the wheels, which I do believe is incorrect," Aamer said.

Watchdog wanted to try to get to the bottom of the problem, so we collected nine damaged wheels and asked engineering expert Mark Brown to investigate. He's been in the business for 30 years and had never seen this type of problem before.

BMW dealers had decided that all nine wheels had suffered impact damage. But Mark Brown could find no visual evidence of this. "There's just no evidence of pothole damage. There's no evidence of any impact damage of any significance around the inner rims of the wheels, the places where the wheels are cracked," he said. He added it was "unfair" for BMW to refuse to replace the wheels under warranty.

And he questioned the suitability of the wheel design. "It may well be that driving over speed humps and potholes is causing the cracks but the wheels should be man enough for the job. They should be able to withstand that sort of use," he added.

Mark believes BMW should take action to deal with the problem with these particular wheels. "I think they should seriously look at the design of the wheel and seriously consider a safety recall," he said.

BMW statement:

"We put customer service and satisfaction at the top of our agenda and so take any concerns from our owners very seriously. We have been contacted by a number of customers who have experienced cracks in alloy wheels. Every one of these has been investigated by our specialist technicians and in every case the wheels concerned have shown signs of impact damage, which have resulted in the cracking. This is likely to have been caused by driving at inappropriate speeds over speed humps or through potholes. Equally, curb impacts have been to blame in some cases.

"We have received calls from around 100 customers out of the total 1.3 million BMWs on UK roads from owners reporting problems with cracks in alloy wheel. Every one of these has been investigated by our technical experts and in every case the wheels concerned have shown signs of impact damage, which have resulted in the cracking.

"This is likely to have been caused by driving at inappropriate speeds over speed humps or through potholes. Equally, curb impacts have been to blame in some cases.

"BMW takes great pride in developing the highest quality equipment for all its cars, with some of the most rigorous test standards in the whole automotive industry. Wheels are tested on all manner of different surfaces before they are approved for use. However, no wheel is indestructible and if a car is driven too fast over a speedhump or through a pothole, damage can be done.

"A road tyre plays an integral part of any vehicle's ride and comfort systems. If the tyre pressures are not correctly maintained the tyre will not have the optimum absorbing properties allowing energy to pass straight into the wheel/suspension components, which in turn, if driven inappropriately, could damage both.

"If the wheel is above the tolerance then the wheel has suffered an impact. As a result of poorly maintained roads, it is well publicised that on average across the UK, six per cent of all vehicles will suffer pothole damage in a 12-month period.

"In some instances no visible damage will be apparent. As mentioned above, the tyre can absorb energy to a certain degree. Once beyond this threshold, the excessive loading is transmitted to the wheel and may cause cracking, although the tyre may protect it from obvious visible damage apart from the cracks.

"Under the terms and conditions of the warranty, BMW will always pay for defects that are attributed to a manufacturing defect. However, our investigation of these cases has shown no signs of such a defect, but rather that the damage is due to an impact. In this set of circumstances there is no case to cover the repair costs under warranty. If a wheel rim is presented with cracks, a full technical evaluation is made in every case. If the wheel is found to be deflected from a perfect circle by 0.3 mm or more this is evidence that an impact has taken place and this has been the cause of the cracks. In this case the customer would be responsible for the repair. If the wheel is deflected by less than 0.3 mm and yet is cracked, then it will be replaced under warranty.

"If any BMW customer is concerned about this, or any other issue, they should not hesitate to contact our customer helpline on 0800 777 129."

THE SOCIETY OF MOTOR MANUFACTURERS AND TRADERS (SMMT) TOLD WATCHDOG:

"Motor Codes Limited is the body responsible for the self regulation of the motor industry through consumer codes of practice. Supported by government and the motor industry they aim to raise standards and increase consumer protection for motorists. Their Codes cover garages, vehicle manufacturers and extended warranty administrators.
They can be contacted on 0800 692 0825 or at http://www.motorindustrycodes.co.uk."

Watchdog finds "bomb switch" on eBay

2009-10-21T15:36:34Z

Earlier this year, Watchdog alerted eBay to the sale of dangerous and illegal knives on their UK and Ireland sites.

In response, eBay banned trade in all knives, except for cutlery. Recently, we came across another alarming item being sold on the site - a type of tilt switch, described by the seller as a "bonnet light, boot lid, Al Qaeda bomb".

]]> The object appears to be a light which you can attach to a car battery and stick under the bonnet. When the bonnet is raised, the switch forms a connection and switches the light on. In itself, this type of light is a legitimate item sold on the high street, however, according to the seller, it would also be "...ideal for any bomb maker ...alright if you're working for Al-Qaeda, or the latest IRA...".

These comments were made in a video posted by the seller on eBay, in which he dismantles the device to expose the switch inside.

One of the Watchdog team bid for the item and won the auction. The light was sold for 99p, plus £2.50 post and packaging.

The seller may have thought that describing the item as suitable for "any bomb maker" was just a bit of a joke. But the fact is that switches like this have often been used in bomb making. They've been used in various Irish paramilitary bombs - including the car bombs that killed solicitor Rosemary Nelson 1999 and MP Airey Neave in 1979.

Watchdog spoke to expert Steve Bevan, a former Warrant Officer 2nd Class in the Royal Engineers who has served in the Falklands and Northern Ireland.

According to Steve, "These are exactly the sorts of devices used as triggers. They are either used as a primary trigger for a booby trap, or an IED as they are these days, or they are used as a secondary trigger for anti-handling. They are quite easy to get hold of, but I am very surprised to see one listed like that on eBay. That's very naughty."

In response to Watchdog's findings eBay said:

"eBay regrets the ill-judged description used by this seller when he listed his item for sale on eBay. We have spoken with the seller who accepts that the description was inappropriate and may have caused offence to the small number of people who viewed it.

"The listing related to a common type of electrical component which is widely used in cars, motorcycles and domestic appliances, and is widely available on the high street. The sale of this component is legitimate and is not subject to legal restrictions.

"The seller recognises that it was irresponsible to market the item in the way he did and we have sought assurances from him that there will be no repeat incident."

Do you think eBay should they have spotted an item with the words "Al Qaeda" and "bomb" before Watchdog got in touch? Please post your comments and send us your stories.

A little extra from the Halifax

2009-10-21T13:49:47Z

It's been a turbulent couple of years for our banks. They've not only been fighting for their own survival, they've also been fighting their own customers on bank charges.
For four years now consumer champion Martin Lewis has been campaigning about what he believes are legally unfair charges levied by banks when you go beyond your authorised overdraft limits.

Their charges have caused such outrage, that six million of you have downloaded his letter to help you claim them back. The Office of Fair Trading took the case to court to get a ruling. The case has dragged on for more than two years but the result of the case is now due before Christmas.

]]> Whatever happens in the courts we have already seen banks having to bring down their unauthorised bank charges. However, one bank has used this as the perfect excuse to re-jig its entire overdraft structure.

In 2000 the Halifax pioneered its all singing all dancing TV ads making stars of its own staff. But nine years later, is anyone still singing? During last year's economic crisis, the bank faced collapse and had to merge with Lloyds and be rescued by a government handout.

Last month, the bank we now own a huge chunk of, repaid us by writing to its 10 million customers telling them that it was about to make their charges much simpler. With great fanfare it announced it would slash its unauthorised overdraft charges from £35 per transaction to a £5 a day. If you spend beyond your limit you will be better off which is good news.

However, for many other customers, who stick within their overdraft limits, it's a different story. For most customers, the Halfiax has chosen to ditch free overdrafts and replace all its interest charges with a flat fee. If you're within your limit and borrowing up to £2,500 it will cost £1 a day. If your overdraft is more than that it doubles to £2 a day.

Halifax says it's making things simple and conceptually it is, the problem is for some people it's simply going to cost a fortune. Imagine you slip £10 overdrawn without realising it until 20 days later when you get your statement, that'll mean you pay £20 on a £10 overdraft. In fact, for someone £10 overdrawn, £1 a day is equivalent to 36,500% interest per year.

These changes happen on 6 December, and many of the Halifax's customers will pay more.

While Halifax isn't the only bank that's starting to use this way of charging, the real problem is how much it could cost you. The Alliance and Leicester caps its maximum authorised overdraft fees at £5 a month, but with the Halifax it could be up to £60. What the Halifax is doing might be simple but it's a slap in the face for many customers who make sure they stick within their limits.

Find out more about the new Halifax charges on Martin Lewis' site.

The Halifax told Watchdog:
In December 2008 we announced our intention to launch our new Reward Current Account in February 2009. The Halifax Reward Current Account replaced the traditional existing interest (credit/debit) and fee structure with a new approach based on simplicity and an even better deal for customers.

A market leading benefit
For the new account, credit interest was replaced by a cash payment of £5 per month irrespective of balance when accounts are funded with £1,000 or more a month - that's potentially £60 a year. Traditional arranged and unarranged overdraft fees and interest rates were replaced with a daily fee. Unlike other offerings on the market, the account does not require a cross product holding and there is no annual fee. The Halifax Reward Current Account is open to both new and existing customers. For overdrafts the new structure is as follows:

• Traditional unarranged overdraft fees were removed - no debit interest, no monthly unarranged overdraft charges and no fees for paid or unpaid items are applied. No charge is made if an account is brought into credit by the end of the banking day.
• Currently, for many Halifax customers the unarranged overdraft charge is £28 a month, with paid and unpaid item fees at £35 (subject to a maximum of three a day). The new Reward Current Account and daily overdraft charging structure does not feature these.
• Customers using an arranged overdraft of up to £2,500 will be charged £1 per day for each day they use their overdraft. The OFT study into 'Personal Current Accounts in the UK' published in July 2008 showed that around two-thirds of all active accounts don't use an arranged overdraft.
• For those using an arranged overdraft of over £2,500 a charge of £2 per day will be applied for each day they use their overdraft. The OFT study revealed that 95% of people who utilised an arranged overdraft had an average daily balance of less than £2,000.
• Customers who use an unarranged overdraft will be charged £5 each day they are over limit. We will write to customers immediately to inform them that they have exceeded their arranged limit and again every seven days after they remain over limit.

Informing customers of our changes.
In accordance with the banking code, we will always give customers at least 30 days notice of any changes. For many customers we will have given them significantly more time than this. We started to write to customers about the changes at the beginning of October and every affected customer will have been notified by the end of the month.

Overdraft limits
As a responsible lender; Halifax regularly reviews customers' accounts to make sure that their overdraft arrangements are appropriate. Overdraft limits are based on a customer's personal circumstances and can go up as well as down.

As part of these changes we have taken every opportunity to encourage customers to get in touch so we can review their banking needs and ensure they are in the best account for their individual circumstances.

The vast majority of our current account customers don't use their overdraft facility in an average month and for those that do they only go overdrawn for a few days usually at the end of the month. If these customers opt for our reward account they will be better off under the new structure as provided they pay in £1000 per month they will receive a payment of £5. For those customers who use their overdraft on a more regular basis we have specifically asked these customers to contact us so we can review their banking needs and ensure they are in the best account for their individual circumstances. We have a range of products and tools which can help these customers avoid these charges altogether.

We would advise any customer who is concerned about these changes to get in touch with us - we will always do everything we can to help.

Additional information:
In terms of the additional customers you are talking to many of them would benefit from changing to our reward current account or ultimate reward current account as they fund their account with £1k or more. As mentioned the Reward account comes with a £5 a month cash payment irrespective of balance and the Ultimate Reward comes with a £300 interest free overdraft. And for one of the customers where they regularly incur fees they would be better off under the new charging structure.
The new daily overdraft charging structure will take effect from December 2009.
This new simple charging structure is already in place on our Reward Account and customer feedback has shown that they find the daily overdraft charging structure clear and easy to understand.
Halifax writes to customers immediately to inform them that they have exceeded their arranged limit and again every seven days after they remain over their limit.
No charge is made if an account is brought into credit by the end of the banking day."