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!
Rogue Traders - updates
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!
Rogue Traders - updates