PIPPA WETZELL: Tonight ` Do you know which house Richard lives in? If there was an award for New Zealand's worst painter, this guy would be a contender. Shocking. There were parts of the house that I've done that i think are better than the painters have done. There was still money owed, obviously, after we finished. Excuses and half-finished jobs seem to be his speciality. I don't have to apologise to you. I don't actually know you, so... Plus ` (GROANS) It's gone viral on the internet. (GROANS) We unmask an internet sales trap that's a real beauty. I'm wishing that they will stop it, because it's ruining the people's trust. And ` There was mouse poo all around the edge. Do ultrasonic electromagnetic pest controllers really work? And the flies said, "Whoopee, this is a nice place to sit and watch," and they pooed all over it. Welcome to the show. Rogue, cowboy, rip-off merchant ` they're words that make our legal team very uncomfortable. But tonight we've got special permission to use 'em. We're allowed to use all of them to describe an odd-job man whose workmanship, well` it really has to be seen to be believed. Here's Anna. BOY: What are you doing? ANNA: Filming a story. This is a story about a well-known West Auckland odd-job man. Do you know which house Richard lives in? WOMAN: Straight down. The last one? Lovely, thank you. Richard Craven also goes by the names Richie Craven, West Craven and, most recently, Spilly Magee. Hello, I'm Anna from Fair Go. How's it going? We just wanna have a chat to you, cos we couldn't reach you on the phone today. Oh, yeah, nah, let's do it. Let's do it. Great. So, we just wanted to ask you a couple of questions about those customers that you haven't finished the jobs for. Are you willing to talk to us about that? Yeah, sure. Why not. All right. So what's happened with the situation` I guess, let's start with Teresa and Neil with the painting of the house. Um, well, basically,... um... Shocking. There were parts of the house that I've done that i think are better than the painters have done. The views from the deck of Neil Hannard's West Auckland home are to die for. But his house has become an ugly neighbourhood eyesore. Yeah, it's impressive. Yeah, but not for the reasons you were (CHUCKLES) hoping for, though. Richard's been paid $2000 by the Hannards. In return, he's done this. We've got a bit of a zebra house at the moment. When you look at your zebra house, what do you think of it? It's not quite what I was expecting as an end product, I must admit. That staggered line is where Richard's followed the slope of the land, painting at hand height. There always seemed to be excuses, and, you know, there were multiple different excuses through the time, to the point where he just stopped responding to messages and just didn't turn up any more. Like the paint job, the excuses were also pretty amateur. One sunny day, we` A day not unlike today. There wasn't a cloud in the sky. And we were waiting here to let him in, and an hour later than he'd said, he still wasn't here. So, we messaged him asking him where he was, and he said that the forecast was pretty bad, When I looked on the weather app at the forecast, there were five bright suns, just there. It didn't get better forecast than that. If there was an award for New Zealand's worst house painter, Richard would be a serious contender. He reckons he's given value for money. We spent $1200 on materials, and, um, we did three days labour. And, um, I feel that we did our` And there was still money owed, obviously, after we finished. Sorry, you say you finished? No, after we finished. Yeah, but you haven't finished. Nah, I wasn't able to finish. So why weren't you able to finish? Well, just because of stuff that was going on at the time. So what sort of things were happening at the time? Well, that's undisclosed, you know. I don't have to go into full detail there. Painting's not the only job Richard Craven's had a go at. There was his attempt at fixing Anton Ashcroft's gutter on his house ` another $700. I tried contacting him on a number of occasions, and he gave me a few different reasons as to why he couldn't turn up. And then he eventually did turn up with the materials, and he did some of the work. Um, he took some of the guttering off. He did the replacement fascia at the front of the garage but didn't taper off the ends, so it's, sort of, left a little untidy, I think. He then said that because it was raining, he couldn't complete the job. Richard's response ` Well, I did his job 80% complete, and, um, he asked for a discount, um, because we didn't show up on days that, like, I said that I was gonna show up. And, um, I said I wouldn't accept the discount. Um, I did 80% of his work, and I wasn't willing to finish the rest, basically. So why weren't you showing up to that job? Well it was wet weather at the time, and stuff, which` You probably saw the messages. And, um, yeah, if you check the weather reports and stuff, it was raining, definitely. And there were some sunny days as well. I mean, he's pointed out to you, "It's a sunny day today. Can you come?" Yeah, but I was busy on those days, you know, like, I had` I've got a life to, you know, worry about myself, so` You've got a life to worry about? You're leaving these people with jobs half done, Richard. And yeah, like I said, I apologise. Richard's also turned his hand to roofing. So, Eilish, this is the roof that you had Richard come and do? Yes, it was. The replacement of the roof. And happy with it? Very happy with it. He did a great job. Happy with it at first, but Eilish soon discovered the insulation Richard was supposed to put in the roof didn't actually exist. I was so shocked. I-I was stunned. I was angry. I was upset. I felt silly. As these photos show, Eilish paid for new insulation and install. All she got, though, was one roll of Batts over one room. And she only found out when another tradesman working in the ceiling told her. I said, "But at least I've got the insulation in there," and they said, "What insulation?" And what did you say? I said, "The new insulation that the chap who put the roof on put in." And they said, "There's no insulation "from the bathroom, down towards the bedrooms in the house whatsoever." Eilish forked out $8000 for the roof and insulation. Richard offered her a refund of $500, but it never came through. She's lodged a claim with the Disputes Tribunal. Because he'd obviously, I felt, purposely ripped me off, Thinking I was never going to see inside the cavity, and never know that he'd been paid for a job that he hadn't bothered doing. Richard's excuse ` Well, we are sorting it out between us, as far as i know. So, yeah. Well, she's taking you to the Disputes Tribunal because you wouldn't get in touch with her. We'll sort it out between us. You wouldn't reply. Well, she blocked me on Facebook, so I wasn't actually` Well, you knew where she lived. You could get in touch with her. Alright, yeah. Fair enough, I s'pose. What's going on? Why aren't you finishing these jobs? Well, like I said, I have stuff that I gotta worry about in my own life. So, yeah, that's that. So where does that leave his customers? Well, Neil Hannard's started painting his own house. Anton employed another tradie to fix his gutter. And Eilish found someone else to put in her insulation. I want him stopped. I don't want him to have an opportunity to carry on in this business any longer. I don't think he's what any community page needs. Richard's vowed to stop advertising for work on local community Facebook pages, but he won't be fixing his mistakes. I don't have to apologise to you. I don't actually know you, so, you know what I mean. Like, you've come onto my property, and, um,... yeah. So, where's the apology to them? Well, I can` I can do it to their face, you know, so... Otherwise I do` I do apologise for, um, mucking people around and stuff. But, yeah. So, if you're need of an odd-job man? Anything else you wanna say? Nah, that's pretty cool, yeah. Cool, thank you very much. When's it on TV? Here's some advice from Neil. If you cant do the job, just tell people you can't do the job, and give them back whatever they've given you so far. And maybe he just needs to start a little bit smaller than what he's trying to work on right now. You may find this hard to believe, but I'm a bit of an expert at doing half a job around the house. And I've also tried those excuses that Richard used, and they don't wash. Yes, and they certainly don't wash when you are being paid to do a job. But we are pleased to say Richard has returned some paint to Neil. Yeah, several pots, I believe. Not exactly $1200 worth ` more like, maybe, $400. Right, after the break ` buying something from a faceless stranger you'll never meet. What could possibly go wrong? (GROANS) It's the face peel that's got consumers screaming. (GROANS) But are the internet suppliers ripping off more than just dead skin? I'm wishing that they will stop it, because it's ruining the people's trust. Plus ` There was mouse poo all around the edge. Do ionic electromagnetic pest repellents really work? And the flies said, "Whoopee, this is a nice place to sit and watch," and they pooed all over it. 1 Welcome back. We turn our attention now to life insurance and the meaning of 'life'. Yeah, we're a really deep programme, and the meaning of life has to be explored. More specifically, though, does your life insurance policy have a life expectancy of its own? Now, that is a question. Yes, and it is a question that got a Fair Go fan very concerned. (CAR HUMS) (AEROPLANE WHIZZES) Why don't they tell us when we sign up for these things? I started reading my insurance policy with more` more in details, and, um, I thought it was very confusing. I'm not really sure I'm insured. That was Helene's sobering realisation after getting in touch with her insurance company to talk about the premiums she's paying on her husband's life insurance policy. I actually asked her, I said, "Are you telling me that if my husband "doesn't die before age 80, um, i get nothing?" And she said, "Yes, that's what I'm saying." So I thought that was really outrageous. I couldn't believe it. I said, "You mean, 'life' here is till 79?" That's when Helene came to us, asking, "Does 'life' mean life? "Or, in the world or insurance, does 'life' mean 80?" Helene, you see, took out a life insurance policy on her husband 10 years ago for $25,000. She was committed to paying, but every year, the premiums for that life insurance kept going up and up and up. When Helene retired, those premiums starting making a huge dent in her budget. She decreased the payout to keep the premiums at a level she could afford. Now the policy's worth $15,000, but every year, Helene's facing increasing premiums. And then, following her conversation with her insurer, Helene was confused. And when it comes to life insurance, it seems that's not unusual. We find that there is a huge gap in understanding in a lot of these life policies` um, a lot of insurance policies, generally, about what people are covered for, what they expect to be covered for, what they assume they're covered for. We were really keen to shed some light on this for Helene, so we got in touch with BNZ Insurance to ask what the deal was. And there's some good news ` turns out coverage doesn't end at 80 after all. LifeCare says BNZ is a type of life insurance where ` So as long as Helene continues to pay her premiums, the cover will remain in force. But the premiums will continue to increase as the insured person gets older. And that could well be where things get tricky for Helene. If your husband lives to a ripe old age, what will you do? I won't be able to keep up the payment. That's definite. Unless New Zealand pension goes a little higher, faster, I won't be able to keep up. There'll come a time where I'll have to stop it, and I would have lost all that money. Aw, Helene. This is no good. No, it's not. And what I've discovered is that life insurance can be really, really confusing. But I do have some good news, because the BNZ has been in touch with Helene. They have further clarified things for her, and they have worked out a very favourable payment plan, which is fantastic. Great news. Now, our advice ` take your time before signing up for life insurance. Make sure it's what you need, and, please, review it to make sure it's still what you need when your circumstances change. Yes. Right, savvy fashionistas know the internet is a great place to shop. Oh, love it. But it is also not without risk. Cyberspace is full of sneaky merchants waiting to separate you from your hard-earned cash. Mm, that's the truth. Here's Garth with a one-click sales trap that's a real beauty. (GROANS) Shopping online can be a painful experience,... (GROANS LOUDLY) ...especially when you're dealing with a potential rip-off. I'm really looking forward to ripping this off. These charcoal masks suddenly seem to be everywhere you look. Just g` Honestly, go slowly. Is it hurting? Yes! Even our Fair Go friends, Toni and Sam, are getting on it. SHOUTS: Owwwww! (LAUGHS) When we can't stop watching,... Can you see that? I hope you can. ...online retailers are waiting, ready to pounce. I was just browsing my Facebook, and then I saw an ad. Like, it said 'blackhead killer'. Jessema's clicks took her to LuxStyle ` which has been running what you'll see is a pretty dodgy sales trap ` and Jessema was the next victim. You have to enter your details first, your email, your name and your address. All that before Luxstyle will show you the price. It was $30. Jessema said 'no, thanks'. I logged out from that link, and then after that, um, they sent an email to me saying that you've ordered the product ` the blackhead killer. No... Yeah, they did. A week later, the goods turned up, along with more emails from Luxstyle. We have your details, so we'll keep on sending reminders, invoices, late fees. Hubby, Ron, hit Google. Threads and threads and threads of people complaining about them. That made me more worried. LuxStyle had apparently called in debt collectors in Australia and further afield to chase the money for these disputed orders. And I'm worried about the credit history, cos I never in my life was in trouble with borrowing money. He keeps on telling me that, "It's your mistake. It's your mistake. "Why did you need that product? You're beautiful already." Oh, that` that's the right answer. (LAUGHS) So, who is it behind the mask selling this stuff? LuxStyle also goes by lux.co.nz, but it isn't a Kiwi business. We doubt there are buzzy bees at their office or views of Rangitoto. LuxStyle hails from a land of Lego, bacon and Hans Christian Andersen. Yep, they're in Denmark. In olden times, they might just have pillaged your village. (SHOUTING, SWORDS CLINK) Instead, the business has just been slammed by Australia's competition watchdog. Denmark's consumer ombudsman called the cops, and the EU appears to have built a robot to warn everybody. ROBOTIC VOICE: The European Consumer Centre in Finland has tested LuxStyle's ordering process and found it highly defective. As a result, the consumer does not need to pay or return the product that was delivered to them without an order. Jessema tried to send back the masks. NZ Post has now told her it can't deliver to that return address. We reached out to Luxstyle, and they reached back from Denmark. They claim Jessema's order was legit. As for the official warnings issued from three separate countries, LuxStyle claims authorities haven't shared with them any details of the hundreds of complaints, which has led to a 'misperception' about their business, they say. I'm wishing that they will stop it, because it's ruining the people's trust; especially, um, with the technology now that we're almost buying everything online. You know what I've decided? What have you decided? I've decided you need to just be a little bit sceptical when you're buying things online. If you're buying off a trader you haven't purchased off before. Yeah, just keep the money close. Keep it tight. Right, After the break ` look at this. It's the old ` electronic, electromagnetic, ultrasonic pest controller. What she said. We're gonna put 'em to the test. The dog's unfazed, and the pests are partying. There was mouse poo all around the edge. Disgusting. Can this gadget really keep bugs and mice at bay? Do you think the ultrasonic sound is having any impact on the mice? None at all. 1 Welcome back. Have we got a deal for you ` but, first, a quick question. Are you sick of mice, rats, ants, bedbugs, beetles, centipedes, crickets, earwigs, flies, lice, mosquitos, roaches, scorpions, silverfish, spiders, termites, ticks and everything else? Well, this ultrasonic, ionic, electromagnetic pest repellent could be the cure to your creepy-crawly nightmares. That's right, Pippa. But don't go reaching for the wallet just yet, and certainly don't kick Tiddles the cat out of the house. Here's Matt. (UPBEAT MUSIC) Diane Calder's proud of her pad,... It's everything. but her rustic Rotorua home has a dirty skeleton in the closet. There was mouse poo all around the edge, right round like that. And this is your bedroom? This is my bedroom, and my granddaughter's. Disgusting. Talking about having rodents in your house, on telly, would be tough for some people. How difficult is it for you to talk about this? Not very difficult at all. (LAUGHS) Clearly not for Diane, who, a couple of years back, was inundated. You would see a mouse run along. They would run backwards, and then you could count to about 10-15, and the mouse would run back in the opposite direction. Did the mice make you feel a bit, I don't know, gross? Oh, yes. You don't want mice, because you know where they poo, but you don't know where they wee. The house-proud pensioner tried traps, but couldn't get rid of the rodents. Oh, let's just say I didn't want a mouse, let alone three, or however many decided to move in. Then one day, Diane came across a smooth-talking salesman with the silver bullet. Went to the Home Show and was confronted with this amazing talk, which said, "This is all you need," and, "Just plug it in, and you don't have to bother with all the traps and poisons." The Home Sentinel ` described as 'the industry's most advanced indoor pest repellent product' ` uses ultrasonic or high-frequency sound, undetectable to humans, to repel rodents and insects. I was told that we couldn't hear it, but my dog might. The high-pitched alarm sound supposedly piercing rodents ears, driving them out the door. That all sounded very plausible? I believed it at the time. Having paid $79 for the Sentinel, and believing she now had the answer, Diane soon plugged the 'just plug-and-go' product in to the hall wall. It did not work at all. The mice appeared to increase. So, to your mind, the product was more a mouse magnet than repellent? You began to think that. Diane often saw mice running directly under the Sentinel, even discovered them living just across the hall from it in the hot water cupboard. They just moved in and kept on coming. Diane, did you follow the instructions correctly? Yes, I was very careful. With no luck on the mice, come summer, Diane moved the Sentinel in to the kitchen to send those flies packing. And the flies said, "Whoopee, this is a nice place to sit and watch," and they pooed all over it. Unhappy, Diane sat on what she thought was a dud product for a couple of years. Home Sentinel did not work. Before packing it up and sending it off to Fair Go. What do you hope we would achieve? That no one else buys one. We googled the Home Sentinel and soon found this. That's gotta be it, right? Kiwi company PestGard appear to be selling the same product, but when we call them, they say they aren't. It looks like the exact same product, with your brand name on it. Yeah... Pestgard quickly pointed us in the direction of Urban Adventure New Zealand Ltd, which matched Diane's docket, saying their product was a cheap knock-off. (RINGING TONE) But getting in touch with the people who sell Home Sentinels at trade shows isn't easy. So, they're not picking up the phone, no message service and hard to know whether they're reading our emails. (WHEEL SQUEAKS) So, do these ultrasonic, electromagnetic, ionic gadgets really work? Now, Diane's Home Sentinel is one of many on the market, and with it no longer working, we thought we'd put a similar product to the test. Thanks to zoologist Sally Hibbard from Auckland's Pet Party. So, we'll have four mice in here. And this is what happened. No mice were hurt, or even phased, in the making of this item. Sally, I know what I'm seeing. Do you think the ultrasonic sound is having any impact on the mice? None at all. They're carrying on as they were before, so no change. Sure, our test is far from scientific,... Oh, we've got Snow Boots in there too. ...but, interestingly, in 2004, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission ruled that devices like these had been advertised with false claims, and ordered the company selling them to refund some of its customers. I'd like a refund, thank you very much. I'd spend it all on poison. (CHUCKLES) Just five years ago, the Advertising Standards Authority here upheld a complaint against Pestrol ` another company selling one of these products ` for its misleading advertising, because it couldn't substantiate the claims it was making. We eventually tracked down the director of Urban Adventure New Zealand ` the man selling Home Sentinels at trade shows. We wanted him to show us how his product works. We talked for about 15 minutes. David Morris wouldn't talk to us on camera. He told us it was Diane's job to prove the machine didn't work. He says he's no longer selling this particular model, because he was unhappy with the quality of it. But told us he is still selling these products at trade shows. He also gave us a cheque for $79. That's a refund for Diane, but the million-dollar question is, how do these things work? What's the science behind them? We went back to PestGard, who are also selling the home sentinel. Can you explain to me how they work? You didn't reply to my last email. I'll show you where the mice had their favourite residence. As for Diane, she eventually got rid of the mice using bait. That killed the mice off very quickly. Ya can't beat the old, traditional methods, Diane, can you? No, it would seem so. Her moral of the story ` If it seems too good to be true... It is. (LAUGHS) Now, my wife, who I love dearly, says I've got cloth ears. So I didn't pick up any of that. Did you hear, like, a noise? I did not hear that. And I am` I have got good hearing. Hmm. That is the show for tonight, but we will be on Facebook for the next half hour to answer your questions. Now, as always, our programme is all about your problems and your thoughts and issues; so, please, do contact us. We're sitting here. We're just gonna be waiting for your call. Yes. Join us on Facebook. Email us ` Write to us ` That's our show. We're taking a break on Easter Monday. I've got lawns to mow, and you're, uh... Ohh... eggs to eat. She's gonna be busy. But we'll be back in a fortnight. Until then, goodnight. Goodnight. Copyright Able 2017