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Episode 10

Consumer magazine. News of a four-year investigation into a Welsh con woman who fleeced her customers out of more than 拢150,000. And do pricey detox products work?

News of a four-year investigation into a Welsh con woman who tricked her customers out of more than 拢150,000.

Lucy meets a minister whose insurance company threatened to void her policy because she had Christian car stickers on her car.

Rhodri investigates the pricey detox products available in high street shops and supermarkets - how far do they really go in detoxing you?

The team catch up with a Green Deal company boss as he appears in court for mis-selling.

30 minutes

Last on

Mon 2 Feb 2015 19:30

Ask the expert tonight

Ask the expert tonight

X-Ray is hosting an advice clinic with consumer law expert Professor Margaret Griffiths after tonight's programme.

Check out the between 8pm and 8.30pm, and put your questions to Prof Griffiths.

You won鈥檛 get formal legal advice but she should be able to give you pointers on how to solve most of your consumer woes.

Fraudster brought to justice

Fraudster brought to justice

X-Ray can finally tell the story of a rogue landowner who defrauded victims of over 拢150,000.

Reporter Rachel Treadaway-Williams first investigated the activities of Pembrokeshire con artist Caroline Henderson in November 2010, who was selling plots of land for holiday caravans.

Graham Emery from Ton Pentre in Rhondda Cynon Taff described the advert: 鈥淚t said, 鈥減lot of land in the beautiful Pembrokeshire countryside, yours to own forever鈥."

Caroline Henderson, who lived on the site at Llanteg near Narberth, promised that sections of the field that her bungalow was built on could be used as permanent caravan pitches.

She met customers at the plots and negotiated the sale of small portions of the land, claiming her victims could make the site their own for years to come.

They handed over thousands of pounds to secure their plots, but Henderson failed to mention there was no planning permission for the land to be used as a camp site, and she knew there never would be.

Tim Gapper from Caerphilly told Rachel in 2010: 鈥淚 think she鈥檚 advertising land for sale, I think she鈥檚 taking deposits off people, making up excuses and hoping we will just forget about it and walk away. I think Caroline is running a little scam.鈥

She was arrested in 2011 and police discovered that she鈥檇 expanded her property empire, taking on another site to exploit more victims.

She was advertising plots at a site at St Florence near Tenby for 拢12,500 each. There was no planning permission for this land either.

Diane Morgan and her sisters, Eileen Speight and Patricia Westow, from Newport, had spent many happy holidays in Pembrokeshire and were looking for a new site to base their family breaks.

The sisters had pooled their savings to buy two plots at St Florence costing 拢25,000.

DS Andy Wolley of Dyfed Powys Police said: 鈥淪he is a typical fraudster. She got to know her victims, knew the circumstances, and the reasons they had the money to purchase land, but still went ahead with the fraud."

The evidence against Henderson was overwhelming and when the case came to court in January she pleaded guilty to eight charges of fraud, totalling more than 拢150,000.

It鈥檚 small comfort for Henderson鈥檚 victims though. She鈥檚 been declared bankrupt, owing almost half a million pounds to creditors, meaning her victims are very unlikely to get their money back.

She鈥檚 due to be sentenced at Swansea Crown Court on Friday 13th February.

Christian car stickers confusion

Christian car stickers confusion

A 75-year-old independent minister from Cymmer in Neath Port Talbot feels she鈥檚 been treated unfairly because of her religious beliefs after a wrangle with Age UK鈥檚 car insurance service.

Reverend Wena Parry has been a driver for over 50 years and for 40 of those she鈥檚 chosen to use her car to promote her Christian values with specially made stickers quoting Bible text and gospel slogans adorning the bonnet, sides and rear of the car.

She told X-Ray's Lucy Owen that the stickers are an effective way of spreading the Christian message.

Wena said: "Every opportunity I have I want to tell people about Jesus. I reckon there must be聽at least a million people who have read them texts on my car. How many will read a text outside a chapel?"

Wena claims she鈥檚 never had any problems with the stickers until October 2014 when she needed to make an insurance claim from her provider, Age UK Insurance.

The 14-year-old Vauxhall Zafira was parked on her driveway when a thief attempted to steal the sump, causing oil to drain from the engine.

Wena didn鈥檛 realise anything was wrong and tried to start the car the following morning, which caused more damage, and when her system was examined by a mechanic the car was written off.

Expecting to have her claim honoured Wena contacted Age UK - but was shocked at their response.

A letter explained that Wena鈥檚 鈥済ospel text stickers鈥 were classed as a modification which she should have informed them about when she started the policy.

Age UK Insurance stated: 鈥淗ad we been aware of this when the policy was purchased, cover may not have been offered."

Wena was given 10 days to explain why she hadn鈥檛 told them about the stickers when she took the policy out, and was told if the information was not provided, 鈥渢he policy may be declared void".

She felt the issue wasn鈥檛 the stickers themselves, but the message they carried which caused the problems with her claim.

She told Lucy: "In their correspondence it keeps referring to the text, the text, the text; I don鈥檛 know why, otherwise, it must be religious persecution from them."

Motoring expert Tim Shallcross told Lucy the situation was ridiculous. He said: "The principle is to always tell your insurer if there鈥檚 a modification to the car.

"If your van got broken into and it had 鈥減lumber鈥 on the side they could argue it鈥檚 more likely to be broken into, but Christian stickers and someone having a go at stealing the sump are not related at all."

Tim claims the car was targeted because the sump would be hard to replace and it was specific to that model of Zafira.

He added: "The 1.6 is common, the 1.8 isn鈥檛. The only badge that made this car more liable to have an insurance claim is the one Vauxhall put on it in the first place."

Age UK Insurance eventually agreed to pay Wena 拢210 in settlement of her claim, but she would have to pay 拢100 excess and 拢75 in policy fees, leaving her with just 拢35 to replace her car.

After X-Ray got involved the company revised their offer to 拢725 and waived any charges as a gesture of goodwill.

A spokesman said: "The situation regarding Reverend Parry鈥檚 claim was in no way related to the Christian nature of her graphics. In reviewing her case our insurer has checked what happened during the sale of this policy.

"They have concluded that our request to declare all modifications was not make clear enough to Reverend Parry and therefore she did not know which vehicle enhancements should have been declared.鈥

Age UK Insurance are reviewing their sales process to make this clearer to customers in future.

Electric blanket advice all wrapped up

Electric blanket advice all wrapped up

The cold nights are here and you might be switching on your electric blanket to keep warm.

But they can be dangerous if they鈥檙e not looked after properly.

X-Ray reporter Rachel visited an electric blanket safety testing session, organised by Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service, to find out more.

Here are the top safety tips she picked up:

  • If your electric blanket is more than 10 years old the Electrical Safety Council advises that you get rid of it and buy a new one;
  • If you have a pink or blue electric blanket then there鈥檚 a good chance it鈥檚 an older model and might need to be replaced;
  • You should carry out a visual inspection of your blanket 鈥 look out for signs of overheating and any damage or exposed wires. Also check for stains which may have damaged the wiring underneath, as water and electricity don鈥檛 mix!
  • If your electric blanket (or any electrical device) comes with a paper wiring guide on the plug then make sure you take it off before using it to reduce the risk of fire.

You can find out more on the .

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Lucy Owen
Presenter Rhodri Owen
Reporter Rachel Treadaway-Williams
Series Producer Nick Skinner

Broadcast