Conmen are exploiting a flaw in new style MoT certificates to rip-off motorists. Watchdogs are warning that the new test certificates can be easily faked by crooks selling secondhand cars to give the impression that a car is road-worthy. The warning comes after a 38-year-old man was arrested by Cleveland Police on suspicion of forging MoT test certificates. He has been released on bail. The Trading Standards Institute has voiced concern over the new system, in which the paper certificates are simply receipts for work carried out and not proof that an MoT took place. Proof of a valid test is kept online by the Vehicle & Operator Services Agency, VOSA. "We are concerned that motorists still do not know that paper certificates are no longer proof of existence of a valid MoT certificate," said Gerald Taylor, the Institute's lead officer for motor vehicles. "The downloaded certificate be altered and abused at will using the simplest of computer software available with nearly every personal computer. "There is also the possibility that unscrupulous traders, and service and repair outlets, could agree to MoT a vehicle and charge accordingly but not carry out the test at all - the prospective purchaser would be none the wiser unless they go online." The advice from watchdog is: if a seller won't let you check a vehicle's MoT online before you buy, walk away. You can check MoT records through the VOSA website, enquiries@vosa.gov.uk or the MoT enquiry line 08703 300 444. http://blogs.mirror.co.uk/investigations/2012/09/beware-fake-mot-certificates.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+mirror%2Finvestigations+%28Mirror+-+Investigations%29

Yip folks. a lot of people have been ripped off and scammed by Dialarod..... where she is not finished yet..... the director is Charlotte Edney.. she resigned from Dial A rod in april 2012, and has set up boilercover.tv in april. they have now started to call dial a rod customers telling them dial a rod is no more but that they can sign up to them. BEWARE BEWARE BEWARE

Morrison Utilities. Beware of this company. Be very aware if Morrison Utilities come to your property to carry out essential gas maintenance work. They will follow procedures starting with a letter from your utility company (Wales and West Utilities in my case) to let you know when they will begin work. The letter will give dates etc and contain a leaflet and a DVD. They are then likely to rush the work which seems to be all about cost cutting and speed and will take little or no account of customer requests. They will turn up at your property as if they have the authority to do what ever they want. They do not, it’s your house. The work does of course have to be done so watch them very closely. • Do not let them bully or force you into having things done that you do not want just because they want to keep costs down. Remember, it’s your house and you will have to live with the results of the work. • Do not allow them to put a gas box on the outside of your house if you do not want it there. It’s your house so say no. Do not allow yourself to be forced into saying yes. • They might dig several holes in your driveway and garden and then say there are no more options the box has to go here. There are always more options; it just takes a little more time. So say no and do not let cost cutting force you into saying yes. • Do not be bullied by technical talk such as pipe sizes or types etc or any other technical talk, they will try this if you do not readily agree to what they want. • Do not allow them to put ugly copper pipes on the outside of your house which will detract from the appearance and perhaps the value. Or that are in a position where they can be easily be damaged. • Remember, the pipe from the new box to your old supply is suddenly your responsibility. When I pointed this out to a supervisor he could not resist a huge smile. Thought it very funny. • Once these things are in place they will not change them. The complaints procedure is a joke. I had a phone call from a manager who said they were not going to change anything, before he knew what the real problem was. • The supervisor who eventually came to see the work was the same one who oversaw it in the first place. How is that for an independent review? Yes, of course he is going to say he got it wrong. Eventually I received a letter which simply restated the same excuses they had used all along and in my opinion were just excuses. There were also inaccuracies in the letter. They were never going to do anything – just follow procedure then write a letter saying they had been right all along. Useless. Once again, beware Morrison Utilities.