大象传媒

It鈥檚 been a winter unlike any other in recent memory - and the clean-up is only just beginning.

听

Across Wales, communities are busy mending flattened fences and ripped up roofs.

听

But the chaos is a money-making opportunity for one group of people 鈥� doorstep conmen.

听

X-Ray has heard reports of rogue traders cashing in on the storms, offering to carry out repairs that aren鈥檛 actually needed.

听

Sadly, that鈥檚 what happened to the Ash family in Cardiff.

听

Kevin Ash and his elderly parents Audrey and Laurance were at home late one afternoon earlier this month when a man knocked at the door.

听

Kevin told X-Ray: 鈥淗e said 鈥業鈥檓 a roofing contractor and as I have been walking past I see your chimney pot is swaying, and it鈥檚 just about ready to fall鈥�. He said that could easily go through your roof, or your neighbour鈥檚 roof or hit somebody walking past and it would kill them.鈥�

听

The roofer offered to stabilise the chimney pot for 拢420. Worried that it might fall in the high wind, the family agreed to have it fixed.

听

But the price soared to 拢2,000 when the roofer said metal rods had to be placed down each pot.

听

The family didn鈥檛 have the money, so the roofer helped himself to 拢850 of Laurance鈥檚 money as a down payment.

听

听鈥淚 mean money is tight anyway you know,鈥� Audrey added. 鈥淚 thought well, he must be out having a nice time on our money.鈥�

听

Cardiff Trading Standards and the police are keen to catch the gang before they strike again.

听

They鈥檙e advising people not to do business with cold callers.听

听

If you听do have any storm damage here鈥檚 some tips:

听

鈥⑻齈hone your insurance company to make them aware of any damage incurred.

听

鈥⑻鼼et at least three quotes for any work to ensure you get the best possible price. Only use accredited, reputable businesses, and agree to all scheduled work and the total cost before signing anything.

听

鈥⑻鼵ontracts signed at home should be given a seven-day 鈥榗ooling off鈥� period and work should not begin during this time without the homeowner鈥檚 written permission.

听

鈥⑻齈ayment for any work should only be given after it鈥檚 completed to your satisfaction. For extra protection, you鈥檙e advised to pay by credit card for any costs over 拢100.

听

Anyone with information about the roofer is urged to contact South Wales Police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Terry Collins from Merthyr contacted X-Ray after being chased by debt collectors and receiving bills for a mobile phone contract he had never taken out.

听

In September, Terry signed for a delivery which was in his name, but was surprised to find that inside the parcel was a phone he hadn鈥檛 ordered.

听

Shortly after, Terry received a phone call from someone saying that the phone had been delivered to the wrong address and that someone would be round to collect it the following day.

听

Parcelforce picked the package up and Terry was given a receipt to say that the phone was being delivered to an address in Manchester.

听

Terry didn鈥檛 think anymore of it until a few days later when he received a bill from the mobile phone company EE. He went straight to his local EE branch and was told not to worry by a member of staff who said the phone had been cancelled.

听

But the bills didn鈥檛 stop. Terry visited the shop two more times. He called and emailed EE but to no avail. Then, in December, he received a letter from a debt collection company.

听

Terry contacted the X-Ray team when a bill came through his door for 拢945: 鈥淚鈥檓 chasing them, they promise to come back to me, and nobody comes back to me.

听

鈥淲e were very concerned now, to have all these threatening letters for something which we hadn鈥檛 ordered and didn鈥檛 possess.鈥�

听

After four months of receiving these bills, X-Ray contacted EE who agreed to stop sending any more to Terry.

听

The case was confirmed by EE as fraud. Scammers use the address of someone who has a clean credit reference to order a phone and have it sent to that person鈥檚 address. They then arrange for the phone to be collected and delivered to a place where they can get their hands on it.

听

EE have apologised to Terry. They say they take all reports of fraud seriously but administrative delays had caused the problems in Terry鈥檚 case.

It鈥檚 a craze that鈥檚 winged its way over from the aisles of American supermarkets.

听

This week X-Ray takes a look at how more and more of us in Wales are getting into extreme couponing. Savvy shoppers are leaving the supermarket having spent just pennies; and sometimes not even that.

听

Guy Anker from is putting together the 鈥楿ltimate Guide to Extreme Couponing.鈥� He says there are various degrees of couponing.

听

"Level one is using a coupon, cutting it out of a newspaper and using it for example. Level two is using a coupon when there鈥檚 already discount; money off, 2 for 1. But when you really get to the extreme level, level three it鈥檚 people using coupons on top of a coupon-stacking up on non-perishables that never go off."

听

Here鈥檚 our top tips on how to get the best out of your coupons:

鈥� Go online. There are often coupons you can just print off and use on sites including Facebook. Quite a few websites come up when you just type 鈥榩rintable supermarket coupons UK鈥� into Google. Have a look through newspapers and magazines, there are听often coupons you can cut out.

听

鈥� Read the terms and conditions. While some purchases will only allow one coupon per transaction others will have no limit. But you can attempt to beat the system. Don鈥檛 hesitate to do your shop in separate transactions or ask a family member to buy something for you.

听

鈥� Take time to organise your coupons. If you鈥檝e got ones with an expiry date on them, make sure you use them first and keep the others in order so you know which ones to use next.

听

鈥� Some supermarkets will allow you to use coupons from other stores but not all of them. Check individual supermarket websites for their own terms and conditions on what they will and won鈥檛 accept.

听

鈥� Stockpile nonperishable goods. Learn to be patient, wait for the item to go on sale and then use the coupon.

听

鈥� Some supermarkets will issue 鈥榬aincheck vouchers鈥� for products that are on offer but sold out. If you ask, they鈥檒l often give you a coupon so you can get it on offer at a future date.