Fri, Apr 21, 1978
What, if any, are your legal rights when you buy something which turns out to be unsatisfactory? What can you do to put matters right? Paul and Cathy Anchovy buy the classic consumer durable from a shifty salesman who appears to have broken the law into little pieces. But getting their money back isn't quite as straightforward as they think.
Fri, Apr 28, 1978
Have you ever bought something in a sale, or by mail order, and not been satisfied? Or bought something that works at first but then wears badly or breaks down? When is it reasonable to expect compensation or your money back? Paul and Cathy face these problems on their wedding anniversary - and then the man from Ripoffomatic calls to mend something that's gone wrong yet again.
Fri, May 5, 1978
Selling short weight is only one sort of sharp practice which the law forbids. Paul and Cathy meet an awful grocer who breaks the law five times in three minutes. Later they get confused over supermarket labelling.
Fri, May 12, 1978
What rights do you have if you buy something second-hand? Sue Cook reports on buying a second-hand car, with Tom Boswell, and Brian Redhead looks at the legal side of things with David Tench of Consumers' Association.
Fri, May 19, 1978
What are the cheapest ways of buying on credit? What are the pitfalls to avoid? What rights does the new Consumer Credit Act give you? Paul and Cathy Anchovy run into trouble when they try to buy a colour tv on credit: why will the Bank Manager not help? What did the Credit Reference Agency say?
Fri, May 26, 1978
Your rights when you buy a service are much more limited than for goods if things go wrong but new legislation may improve matters. A coat needs shortening but Delphine, the dim shop assistant. gets the instructions mixed up. When Paul and Cathy turn up to collect it the manager denies responsibility.
Fri, Jun 2, 1978
Buying on your doorstep or in your own home can be a way of losing a lot of money, especially if the salesman is unscrupulous. Paul and Cathy let in the seventh person who calls at their door and fall for his technique.
Fri, Jun 9, 1978
How can we sort the fact from the fantasy when we see advertisements for goods or services - including holiday brochures? Paul and Cathy fall for a ' dream holiday' ad but 'the ultimate in refinement' takes on a new meaning.
Fri, Jun 16, 1978
Anne Wilson has had work badly done for her by a local builder who refuses to put things right. Using a reconstruction based on an actual case, the programme looks at how to use the relatively new and informal small claims procedure in the county court. A similar system may soon be introduced in Scotland.
Fri, Jun 23, 1978
The last of ten programmes. 'If you want to get anything done in this country you've got to complain until you're blue in the mouth' says John Cleese in his famous 'Dead Parrot' confrontation with shopkeeper Michael Palin. But to whom? Brian Redhead finds out about the consumer watchdogs who look after the public interest. Plus a film of a Trading Standards Officer at work, a look at how Which magazine tests products for its reports, and the question 'Are we getting value for money from all this consumer protection?'