. Tonight ` Everybody said the worst thing about New Zealand is you don't want to leave. Nothing beats a Kiwi roadie... ...unless, of course, it's gatecrashed by bedbugs! I had like everywhere ` here, even on the face. Their campervan was infested with bloodsucking creepy crawlies. And just like you want to scratch the whole time. It's really, really awful. Plus ` wedding woes continue. In the end, the thought of going to Rarotonga was making us feel a bit sick. The island drums have left this couple feeling very unwelcome. We didn't know what reception we were gonna get. And ` I'm gonna call you Dave. Are you happy with Dave? I'm happy with Dave. It's confessions from a call-centre operator. Turns out the headset mafia have feelings. Copyright Able 2017 Welcome to the show. It is hard to imagine anything worse than an infestation of rats or cockroaches. But there is. I've got one. They're called bedbugs. And if you've seen one, there are probably thousands of their mates playing hide-and-seek nearby under your sheets. Ugh, the nocturnal blood-suckers have left their mark on a German family, gatecrashing their roadie and turning a dream holiday into an itchy-and-scratchy nightmare. Here's Matt. It was always going to be epic,... always going to be memorable. I mean, it's a place packed with wonders. Five months down under in 100% pure New Zealand. Everybody said the worst thing about New Zealand is you don't want to leave. But right off the bat, there was trouble in paradise. For nearly two months, the family say, they were ravaged by bloodsucking bedbugs in their motorhome. I had, like, everywhere ` here and even in the face ` so there was and` just, like, you want to scratch the whole time. It's really, really awful. Here's the Kazmaier-Goelkel's story. The German family of four arrived here late December. In January they hired this Euro Campers motorhome for two months. The fee ` $21,000. That's 333 bucks a day, which they paid upfront. It was our very late honeymoon, so we said, 'Oh, we'll take the best we can get. The honeymoon didn't last long. Almost immediately the bedbugs starting biting. Though, they thought they were dealing with something else. During nights, I wasn't able to sleep. The kids we had to argue, 'Don't scratch. Don't scratch.' So that's not what you call holiday. So what did you think was biting you? I thought it was about sandflies. They say there are thousands sometimes, OK, so you get a lot of itches. With the critters incorrectly identified from the start, the bedbugs bit hard night after night for 54 long days. I used a lot of different creams. I tried this and that, and just it didn't go away and became more and more. So how did you eventually identify them correctly? Verena, she got hold of one and killed it, and then there was that hunch, so we looked it up on Google, bedbug, and then you see the photos, and we're like, 'Shoot, it is a bedbug.' Online that night, Helmet soon found another traveller who said she hired a Euro Campers van full of bedbugs. here's part of the review Singaporean Poh Ching left on Rankers. 'Irresponsible company. We got lots bedbug bites, 'and when reflect to them, they said they only do steam cleaning the cushions if got customer complaint, 'else just vacuum cleaning. All they can do to compensate is just say sorry.' Euro Campers deny ever receiving a complaint. However, Poh Ching told us last week that she complained when she returned the vehicle in December. Discovering their home away from home was a haven for bedbugs in February and that they weren't alone, Helmut rang Euro Campers and was told to visit their Auckland branch. The first reaction was, 'Oh, we're very sorry. This has never happened before,' and we're like, 'Yeah, but look at that review on Rankers,' so it did happen before. After some toing and froing, the German-owned-and-operated company put the family up in a motel for a night and washed their clothes. After we insisted that they do it. The van, and only the van, was treated with insecticide and growth inhibitor, even though many believe nowadays that pesticides alone don't kill bedbugs. We told them, 'This is not going to do it,' and they said, 'Yeah, but we hired a specialist, and this is what he says, and we're done.' They didn't see the need to treat your belongings? Oh, no, no, no not at all. I mean, fine, that you've supposedly solved your problem, but we still had the bedbugs in our luggage, I mean, and we should move back in to your motorhome. I mean, how crazy is that? The family organised a different pest-control company to treat the rest of their belongings. Euro Campers refused to pay for that $500 treatment. We told them, 'What about our electronic gear? 'What about the children's books? What about our luggage?' The Kazmaier-Goelkels went further still, using ovens, freezers, hot dryers and alcohol to individually treat all of their belongings. Some didn't survive. If you miss that one egg, the whole epidemic will start again. With 11 days still running on the hire of their motorhome, which they'd already paid for, remember, the family says they were told they could move back in the day after that insecticide treatment, providing, they say, they cleaned the van themselves. I must clean their bedbug-infested motorhome. I mean, that's just insane. The rental company did offer them a car for three days and then the use of a different van, which they turned down. Since we had a look at their operations and knew how carelessly they were handling the situation, we were not confident that we were getting a car that was proper. And remember that review by Po Ching? An online chat confirmed the Singaporean and Germans shared the same bedbug-infested campervan. She sent me a picture. I saw the registration. Suddenly everything was like, 'Oh my God.' That's right. In January, the family had hired the same van Poh Ching complained about just a few weeks earlier. We explicitly asked them, 'Could it be that this was our motorhome?' And then she came back and said, 'No, no, I can assure you it wasn't yours. But it was! How has this whole bedbug saga affected your holiday? I mean, it really ruined a lot of those beautiful memories, just because we knew that everything we had to go through was totally avoidable. The family eventually hired a different vehicle, eventually started holidaying again, but because their motorhome wasn't fit for purpose. You're supposed to sleep in a motorhome. They continued trading emails with the Euro Campers GM, in German, seeking compensation. So you haven't progressed at all? No. How would you describe the way they've handled this situation? (LAUGHS) Actually, in the worst possible way that I couldn't even have imagined. The roadie with the bedbugs was over, but the nightmare continues. During the night I was lying there, and just I had the idea. Suddenly, something is crawling there. It's crawling there. It was just` It came back and back during the nights. As you've probably guessed, the family are very unhappy. They're adamant they are owed compensation and are determined to spread the word and warn others about their bedbug-riddled motorhome. If you have a customer complaining about bedbugs, you do everything to prevent that disease from spreading, and you sure as hell don't give the next customer a bedbug-infested motorhome. I just feel, even, a bit, kinda itchy thinking about it. Now, we had quite a few questions for Euro Campers. They declined to appear on camera, but in a statement they told us ` they have no record of Po Ching's complaint. And only learned about the possible bedbug bites when they saw the ranker's review. They also say it's possible the bedbug bites were actually sandfly bites. Hmm. Big sandflies. Now, Po Ching disputes that. So what about our German family? Euro Campers told us ` 'Customer Kazmaier complained in a very 'emotional' and 'unrespectful' manner. 'They do not believe that the motorhome had bedbugs on pick up. 'However, they immediately called a professional pest controller. 'They also washed their clothes, gave them a pool car for three days and a motel for one night.' They also say ` 'the family's eight-page email requesting 18,000 compensation was full of allegations and accusations 'and was tantamount to 'blackmailing'. Well, Euro Campers say bedbugs are a worldwide issue and have nothing to do with hygiene. They've received no other complaints from people using that motorhome, including the people who hired it after Po Ching and before the Germans. If you think this has soured New Zealand's reputation, you'd be wrong ` very wrong. The family has now seen more of Aotearoa than most Kiwis. There's been some highs. And as you know, there's been some lows. After all you've been through, what do you make of your Kiwi experience? I mean, we really separate those two things. The Kiwi experience was just amazing, and, uh, that can't be ruined, so` And the other thing, we want to put up with it and forget about it as soon as possible. Do you see the irony? You're German, you've come to the other side of the world, and it's Germans who have mucked you around? Yeah, that's just` Uh, we could have stayed at home for being mucked. (CHUCKLES) No, I mean that's really ironic, yeah, but actually I prefer that it weren't Kiwis, because now the Kiwi experience remains untouched. I think that is the very definition of resilience. Like, it's tough enough being in a campervan for six weeks with the wife and the kids, let alone with bedbugs or 'giant sandflies', as they say. Yes, exactly, and no compensation for that ordeal, which seems a little bit rough to us. All right, coming up after the break ` the island drums have turned a special day into chaos. It was supposed to be exciting, but it wasn't. Get ready for round two of Rarotonga wedding woes! The thought of going to Rarotonga was making us feel a bit sick. Their big day is awash with problems. Just an utter feeling of being just completely unwelcome. And ` We love to hate them, Are there any tricks to getting up the queue? But the call-centre mafia have feelings. . Welcome back. We all know sugar is bad and healthy food is good for kids. But how do we feel about snack shaming? It's a Sunday morning at the Avondale markets in Auckland. There's no shortage of good healthy food here. But how far is too far when it comes to sending home the healthy eating message? So a school or a preschool sends home a note about unhealthy foods in kids' lunches. Is that cool or creepy? I think it's a little bit troubling. Cool. I think that's cool. I think we should all be, um, a little bit more conscious about what our kids are eating, and so I'm OK with that. Maybe in the middle. In the middle? Cool or creepy? Uh, it's cool. I'm a teacher. It's cool. (LAUGHS) I think it's OK. I think it's OK. I mean, it gives parents, if they don't know that they're giving their kids the wrong food, you know, it gives them something to think about. Troubling. So that's OK, cos that's a good thing. Cool, really cool. Tell the kids. It's really cool. I've struggled a little bit with this one. There's definitely times where it'd be cool, but sometimes not so much, so I'm gonna go with so-so. and the primary teachers' union says... It really pains me to say this, but I think you're right. I'm` I was just sitting on the fence, really, cos I think it's just a very tricky issue. It is very tricky. Mm-hm. Well, it's so tricky, we're gonna move along. Do you know, a couple of weeks ago, we brought you Ali and Tracey story. Yes, they won a dream wedding in Rarotonga, but couldn't claim the prize because same-sex weddings are illegal in the Cook Islands. Now, we thought we'd negotiated a happy-ever-after ending. We were wrong. Here's Anna. The big day ` supposed to be one of the happiest days of our lives. But it can also be the most stressful. Just ask Ali Mcwatters and Tracey Strachan. It was supposed to be exciting, but it wasn't. It was just becoming too hard. Yep. Trying to tie the knot has become a complicated and frightening affair for this couple. It was getting a little bit tense in our house. We were` We were both, sort of, fairly over the fact that this wasn't working. In January, Ali and Tracey went to a wedding expo, and entered a competition for a dream wedding at the Edgewater Resort in the Cook Islands. So you entered` Entered. We did. And...? (LAUGHS) And won. And lo and behold, we won! (LAUGHS) What was your reaction when you won? Um, I was a bit of a maniac. (LAUGHS) Tracey leapt on the stage. I just jumped up from my seat. She nearly cried. (LAUGHS) But there was a problem ` a major oversight. There was no mention in the rules that same-sex marriage is illegal in the Cook Islands. Tracey and Ali tried contacting Edgewater and the wedding expo to sort it out, but they were met with silence. I've had no reply back whatsoever. How does that make you feel? Not very good. Yeah. (LAUGHS) That said, apart from being in limbo, it's, um` Yeah, it's almost like they've discarded us. After Fair Go got in touch with Edgewater, we had some good news. We have your ceremony in Rarotonga. Oh, no way! Oh, wow. Thank you. You're welcome. Thank you so much. Not a wedding, but an affirmation ceremony. The women would get to wear their dresses and share a celebration of their love with friends and family in a tropical paradise after all. ...go and have a holiday. How do you feel? Oh, fantastic. Brilliant, brilliant. But you know how life can be a bit complicated and sometimes it doesn't always turn out how you expect? Well, that's what happened to Ali and Tracey the second time they were given their prize. After our story went to air, the couple were told the religious council in the Cook Islands was not happy with the prize being reinstated. Tracey and Ali received an email from Edgewater Resort making it clear there could be no wedding and no affirmation ceremony either. I was summoned to appear before our paramount chief and the elder of the village to discuss the story aired on the Fair Go programme. The offer of the affirmation ceremony is no longer available. It will be near impossible to do anything here without drawing protest from our traditional leaders, and believe me, that will be worse than any negative publicity Fair Go can do to us. In the end, the thought of going to Rarotonga was making us feel a bit sick. Yeah. Because you didn't know what reception you were gonna get. Edgewater Resort did then offer the couple a feast for 30 guests and an accommodation package, but the gloss had well and truly been taken off this prize. Just an utter feeling of just, um, being just completely unwelcome. We can't change Cook Islands law, and we can't make the religious council back down on its views. What we could do was organise a wedding, a real one, for Ali, Tracey and their family and friends, not in the Cook Islands, but in... Hawaii. Are you ready? So we're here, at the old St Paul's in Wellington to give the couple the good news. OK, hit play. Of course, any destination wedding first requires a way to actually to get there. Aloha, Ali and Tracey. On behalf of Air NZ, we would like to offer you return air fares to Honolulu for your upcoming wedding on our Economy Skycouch. Or cuddle class as some of our passengers like to call it. Congratulations. We look forward to welcome you on board and celebrating with you both soon. Oh my God, Oh my God! (BOTH LAUGH) It's amazing. And then they'll need somewhere to stay ` We're really rapt to be able to help you out with your wedding plans, Ali and Tracey. At House of Travel, we'd love to give you seven nights' accommodation at Waikiki, and we hope you have a fantastic time with your friends and family. Oh my God. Fantastic. Oh, look at that. As for the big white wedding Ali and Tracey have dreamed about? Well, we've got that covered too. Aloha, Ali and Tracey. Congratulations on your upcoming wedding. We here at the Best Hawaii Wedding is so excited to be help you on your special day. We are going to be giving you a wedding ceremony at the beautiful White Beach chapel on the Hilton Hawaiian village. You'll also be getting photography from Chrissy Lambert photography. Uh, Nancy will be doing the ceremony as well as local musician Brian Chang, who will be serenading you. # ...cos we're living in the moment. We look forward to seeing you in October, and, again, congratulations and aloha. Wow, oh my gosh. Aloha. (BOTH LAUGH) That's gonna be fantastic. Oh, that's unbelievable. That's just amazing. I'm gonna cry. (BOTH LAUGH) And I'm the tough one. Oh, wow. Oh my God, that is fantastic. This is just` Fantastic. Yeah. This is an absolute dream come true. Oh my gosh. It's better than` I can't believe everybody's generosity. Wow. Oh my God. It's just` It's fantastic. I mean, they don't know us. They don't` Nobody had to do this. No. So, yeah. Wow. Bloody hell, fantastic. (LAUGHS) Wow. Wow. Wow! (BOTH LAUGH) Oh, I think I've got something in my eye. Oh, look at you, the romantic. It's a bedbug. (LAUGHS) Great prize, though, and on top of that, the expo organisers have offered $3000-worth of dresses, so... Whoa. ...a very nice way to end that story. Awesome. After the break ` what's it like to deal with consumer hate 24/7? I'm going to call you Dave. Are you happy with Dave? It's confessions from a call centre. They're on the frontline of the consumer backlash. Dealing with disgruntled customers all day every day can take its toll. . Welcome back. Negativity, abuse and death threats ` no, it's not a Jones family reunion, it's the world of a call-centre operator. Yes, after our call-centre Olympics, we got a call from an operator who wanted to tell us the other side of the story. We love to hate them, but the 'headset mafia', they've got feelings. Yes, to protect the identity of our caller, we have disguised his voice and we've used an actor. See if you can pick who it is. Today in the Taranaki bureau, I've got a call planned with someone who gets paid between $16 and $22 an hour. They get abused personally on a daily basis, often hung up on. Sometimes they break down. Many people quit this job in the first few months. We have to protect this person's identity so they don't get in trouble for telling us exactly how life is on the end of a phone. (DIAL TONE) How are you? I'm gonna call you Dave. Are you happy with Dave? Dave, what do you do for a job? What's that like? You might be ringing to complain to a bank, but these guys work for heaps of companies. Let me get this straight. If I ring a bank or an insurance company, is it likely that the person that I get doesn't actually work for the company? You said you pretend you are from that company? So multiple phones, multiple companies ` who gets priority? How do you decide which call you pick up? When we ring call centres, often we get angry. What's that like for you at the other end? And what's the thing that's got to you? Here's a tip for disgruntled consumers. Threats of violence and death don't get you better service. Are there any tricks to getting up the queue? Thank you so much for taking my call. I'm just gonna say, that's got all the hallmarks of a regular segment ` confessionals. Oh, yes, confessions from the other side. Oh. Oh, it's even got a title now. Yeah, parking wardens ` I wanna know what the job is like. Yes, mm-hm. Our fast-food restaurant workers. Yes, shop assistants. Oh. Caterers. Oh, anything with a wedding, we wanna know about it. That'd be gold. Well, that is the show for tonight, but we will be on Facebook for the next half hour to answer your questions. Our programme is always about your problems, your thoughts. If you're in a bit of a pickle, please do get in contact. Yes, join us on Facebook, or you can email us ` or write to us ` That's our show. Until next week... ...goodnight.