Rip Off Britain

Angela Rippon, Gloria Hunniford and Julia Somerville return with a new series of investigations into viewer queries, customer service and the problems that consumers find themselves falling foul of.

In this edition, they explore the level of risk people face from hackers - and the impact it can have if they are able to get hold of anyone's personal details. With news that several big names have had their customers' details compromised, they ask if enough is being done to keep people's information secure. The team also test how open to attack the technology in people's homes can be, with advice to make sure that devices are not dangerously exposed to criminals.

In this programme, they unravel the story of a man persuaded to spend his life savings on seemingly valuable pieces of art, examining whether such investments can ever be worthwhile. Also, as a mum and daughter reveal how they have slashed the cost of their weekly shop, do the various apps and offers that suggest they can save consumers money really deliver on their promises? And there is a happy ending for an aspiring writer frustrated by the company he had hoped would help him realise his lifetime ambition.

In this edition, they unpick the door-to-door mattress scams conning households across the country and investigate other purchases that viewers are not convinced offer value for money. Lab tests reveal whether the cheapest toothpastes on the market do the job just as well as more expensive brands. Plus a bride who became unhappy at how quickly her designer shoes lost their sparkle gets help to take her complaint further, and there is advice to ensure that viewers get what they expect from every purchase.

In this edition, they investigate companies that have not stuck to even the most basic of promises, getting to the bottom of why viewers have not received the goods or services for which they paid. Including the stories of the music fans led on a wild goose chase after forking out hundreds of pounds for tickets they never received and a removal firm that kept one family waiting the best part of a year to get back its possessions. Plus how a business let down hundreds of people after claiming it stocked must-have goods no longer available elsewhere, and more viewers' problems are resolved at the Rip Off Britain pop-up shop.

The team reveal how people across the country are being tricked out of hundreds of pounds by a scamming technique that is becoming increasingly common - but is impossible to trace. Also, how the biggest fraud of its kind was stopped in its tracks, after the elaborate con bagged the criminals a small fortune. As the team unpicks the practices of vitamin companies targeting older people with products they can't afford and may not need, tests uncover whether some of these products are even what they claim to be. And there is plenty of advice to stop you being caught out by the scammers.

As the series of consumer investigations continues, Gloria Hunniford, Angela Rippon and Julia Somerville unravel the rising threat of ID fraud, with one of the most shocking stories the programme has ever featured. One man reveals how fraudsters set out to steal not just his identity, but also his home. And they very nearly got away with it. And the show goes behind the scenes with the police team cracking down on the criminals making fake IDs to order. With tests exposing how details on social media can be pieced together, are we making it all too easy for the criminals to get hold of the information they need to steal our identities?

Gloria Hunniford, Angela Rippon and Julia Somerville investigate whether Britain's sofas are as fire-resistant as the labels claim after the terrifying experience of a woman whose furniture caught alight. Are the industry tests and regulations designed to keep us safe still up to scratch? Also, the big name hotel chain with a fantastic collection of beautiful buildings - but do the standards of customer service match up to the surroundings? Plus, more problems resolved at the Rip Off Britain Pop-up shop, and the extraordinary story of a woman horrified to discover an air raid shelter at the end of her new home's garden. As she faces a hefty bill to have it removed, why had no-one told her it was there?

Julia Somerville, Gloria Hunniford and Angela Rippon hear viewers' extreme reactions to customer service, exposing big questions around some of our most vital businesses along the way. As one woman takes extreme action after her frustration with her patchy mobile phone signal reaches boiling point, how does Britain's mobile coverage compare with services elsewhere - and what is being done to make it better? Another woman reaches the end of her tether after spending a year arguing over the faults in her new build house. With the team constantly receiving similar complaints, are Britain's new homes just not being built properly? Plus, how a simple trip to the shops can prove deeply traumatic for anyone living with dementia and simple ways their experience could be improved are revealed.

Angela Rippon, Gloria Hunniford and Julia Somerville investigate the unexpected charges leaving viewers out of pocket, investigating why for many the dream of owning a new home has turned sour - thanks to a cost thousands of pounds higher than they had ever expected. As frustrations on this topic spiral, the team explores why some now consider the way new homes are increasingly sold to be a major scandal. Also, with continuing anger towards the big energy companies, a couple taking them on by setting up their own energy company reveals how they plan to do things differently. And, the case of a woman hit with an unexpected extra cost to bury her father exposes the country's growing shortage of burial plots - and a controversial solution.

A man who successfully fought back the fraudsters explains how he got back the money they had stolen from him, and more problems are solved at the Rip Off Britain pop-up shop.

Former neighbours relive the moment they watched as mysterious cracks suddenly appeared in their new-build homes, leading to their properties having to be demolished.

There is also a look at how a rogue builder who had left a string of houses damaged or uninhabitable was finally brought to justice, and why a product supposed to weatherproof a home has left one woman dreading what might happen every time it rains.

After claims that the black boxes supposed to bring down the cost of car insurancedon't work the way people would hope, the team tests them out - and Julia finds her driving skills under scrutiny like never before.

Plus why some viewers feel trapped in their homes after discovering that the scheme that helped them buy their property in the first place could also make it much harder to sell.

And the billing problems that have dogged drivers on Britain's busiest toll road are revealed, amid fears that the same issues will arise in parts of the country where the technology is about to be introduced.

Angela Rippon, Gloria Hunniford and Julia Somerville investigate big-name companies who have left viewers feeling let down, including the kitchen company whose delays and mistakes infuriated one couple so much that they ended up taking drastic action.

There is also a look at the household name whose delivery problems have left a string of customers wondering why it has been so hard for them to get the furniture they have paid for.

And, as the team meets people hounded for money they don't owe, one man reveals how he spent five years trying to convince one of the biggest energy companies in the country he was not its customer.

Among the stories is that of the patients left with pain and discomfort from side effects of laser eye surgery that are showing no signs of wearing off. Does the ease with which such procedures are available mean people aren't getting enough information about potential risks?

Plus the small energy company with big ambitions - and a long list of unhappy customers, including one woman asked to pay a £30,000 monthly direct debit.

And, as pet owners reveal problems they have had after buying their animals online, the team asks if the rules need tightening.

Julia Somerville, Angela Rippon and Gloria Hunniford investigate cases of elderly or vulnerable people who have felt pressured into parting with their money, either by legitimate companies or by out-and-out scammers. A man reveals how he confronted the double-glazing salesman he believes took advantage of his mother's dementia, and the team is on the trail of a father-and-son duo who have run a string of companies that have all attracted the same complaints about their tactics.

A new scheme to help people targeted by scammers is revealed, and more problems are solved at the Rip Off Britain pop-up shop.

Angela Rippon, Gloria Hunniford and Julia Somerville investigate the loopholes and gaps in the law catching many people out, and a surprising exemption to perhaps the best-known consumer protection is revealed - and it is one that could leave anybody making a purchase online exposed.

And, after warnings that millions of fridge freezers may not be sufficiently fire-resistant, a family reveals how a fire that began with their appliance destroyed their home. Plus the landlords accused of finding a new way to leave their tenants without the rights they're entitled to.

Gloria Hunniford, Angela Rippon and Julia Somerville unravel mysterious scams designed to get hold of either cash or personal details. As the team gets to the bottom of why residents of a sleepy village have all been targeted by letters about insurance policies they know nothing about, a major fraud that affects premiums is exposed.

Plus how fraudsters have found ways around the latest technology so that they can steal a car within seconds, and the fake websites that have left unwitting customers thousands of pounds out of pocket.

Julia Somerville, Gloria Hunniford and Angela Rippon investigate whether staff at one of the biggest names on the high street are telling shoppers the entire truth about a product they are very keen for people to buy. The team also finds out how long appliances and gadgets can really be expected to last. More problems are solved at the Rip Off Britain pop-up shop, and there is a look at why the companies that say they can help you reclaim tax you are entitled to are not providing anything more than you could do yourself, for free.

Angela Rippon, Gloria Hunniford and Julia Somerville investigate whether finance deals used by millions of people to buy a new car are all they are cracked up to be. Plus how fraudsters have left people selling goods online hundreds of pounds out of pocket, thanks to a surprising loophole that means sellers are completely unprotected. The team also learns why a pensions company hasn't been able to reassure its customers as to what has happened to their cash.