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Watchdog
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What a good job this program does ! This week, they exposed the fraud perpetrated by KwikFit, in charging people for the totally unnecessary nitrogen in tyres. And Vauxhall has at last decided to recall Zafiras over the fire problems.
A few weeks ago, they also exposed how child car seats were being fitted wrongly.
The next time the usual suspects starts moaning and whinging about the BBC, just mention Watchdog !
A few weeks ago, they also exposed how child car seats were being fitted wrongly.
The next time the usual suspects starts moaning and whinging about the BBC, just mention Watchdog !
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Quite honestly, Mikey, anybody who pays KwikFit to pump Nitrogen into their tyres deserves to be conned :-)
Formula One car tyres are inflated with Nitrogen because it is less prone than air to expansion and contraction with changing temperatures and every little detail is critical to the performance of an F1 car. However, to suggest you need such a thing in your Fiesta to pop down to Tescos is stretching things a bit.
I gave up Watchdog some time ago. Each item seemed to be split into three or four segments spread across the programme; at the resumption of the item we were treated to a full résumé of the story so far - a story we had been told not ten minutes previously. Of course this is now a well used time waster and money saver for many programmes - especially those on commercial TV where advert breaks lend themselves nicely to this tool.
Formula One car tyres are inflated with Nitrogen because it is less prone than air to expansion and contraction with changing temperatures and every little detail is critical to the performance of an F1 car. However, to suggest you need such a thing in your Fiesta to pop down to Tescos is stretching things a bit.
I gave up Watchdog some time ago. Each item seemed to be split into three or four segments spread across the programme; at the resumption of the item we were treated to a full résumé of the story so far - a story we had been told not ten minutes previously. Of course this is now a well used time waster and money saver for many programmes - especially those on commercial TV where advert breaks lend themselves nicely to this tool.
NJ..........as you don't watch "Watchdog" any more, you will have missed the KwikFit expose this week.
The main point of the program, was that KwikFit were adding nitrogen to people bills without asking them if they wanted it or not.
Anyway, ordinary air contains 78% nitrogen as it is, so any more is entirely unnecessary.
Watchdog then did a "mystery shopper" exercise, and found that KwikFit were billing people for adding just air to their Tyres...ie, saying that nitrogen was used when it wasn't. Clear case of fraud to me.
As a result of the program, Kwikfit had to admit that "mistakes" had been made and offered everyone who felt they were being overcharged a refund.
A clear result for Watchdog !
The fitting of the child seats episode was really shocking and much worse. Had Watchdog not exposed the situation, it would have gone unreported, with possible awful repercussions for the children involved.
Without a doubt, while Watchdog can be annoying times, it undoubtedly does a sterling job
The main point of the program, was that KwikFit were adding nitrogen to people bills without asking them if they wanted it or not.
Anyway, ordinary air contains 78% nitrogen as it is, so any more is entirely unnecessary.
Watchdog then did a "mystery shopper" exercise, and found that KwikFit were billing people for adding just air to their Tyres...ie, saying that nitrogen was used when it wasn't. Clear case of fraud to me.
As a result of the program, Kwikfit had to admit that "mistakes" had been made and offered everyone who felt they were being overcharged a refund.
A clear result for Watchdog !
The fitting of the child seats episode was really shocking and much worse. Had Watchdog not exposed the situation, it would have gone unreported, with possible awful repercussions for the children involved.
Without a doubt, while Watchdog can be annoying times, it undoubtedly does a sterling job
## gingejbee....I kind-of agree about the long-winded approach, and the attempts at comedy are becoming tiresome. ##
Me too.
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## at the resumption of the item we were treated to a full résumé of the story so far - a story we had been told not ten minutes previously. .##
I agree NJ, lots of programmes do this now, as if we haven't got a memory from 10 minutes ago.
I think the worst programme for this is Grand Designs, when they return to a project 1 or 2 years later.
The first 50 minutes is taken up showing you the start of the build to finish, then the last 10 minutes chatting with the owners about did they keep to budget etc.
Me too.
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## at the resumption of the item we were treated to a full résumé of the story so far - a story we had been told not ten minutes previously. .##
I agree NJ, lots of programmes do this now, as if we haven't got a memory from 10 minutes ago.
I think the worst programme for this is Grand Designs, when they return to a project 1 or 2 years later.
The first 50 minutes is taken up showing you the start of the build to finish, then the last 10 minutes chatting with the owners about did they keep to budget etc.
Yes I do take your point, Mikey. My flippancy was perhaps a bit misplaced because as Mamy quite rightly says, nobody deserves to be conned however gullible they may be. And from what you say this was more a case of charging for things which had not been provided so good on WD for exposing it.
On a general note it is a shame the programme has been dumbed down so much. It used to be a good consumer protection programme and I used to watch it avidly. But I just cannot stand hearing about a story three or four times in case I had "forgotten" what had gone previously. Plus, of course, if they told the story in one lump there would be no need for reminders anyway. But then of course they'd have to produce a lot more original material to fill the programme up.
On a general note it is a shame the programme has been dumbed down so much. It used to be a good consumer protection programme and I used to watch it avidly. But I just cannot stand hearing about a story three or four times in case I had "forgotten" what had gone previously. Plus, of course, if they told the story in one lump there would be no need for reminders anyway. But then of course they'd have to produce a lot more original material to fill the programme up.
To add to my reply above...its only fair to accept that Watchdog is primarily an entertainment program and that its not Panorama.
But I can recall when Panorama was a flagship BBC program...on for an hour, at a prime time. But these days, its seems to be only 30 mins long.
Part of the general dumbing down I suppose.
But I can recall when Panorama was a flagship BBC program...on for an hour, at a prime time. But these days, its seems to be only 30 mins long.
Part of the general dumbing down I suppose.
I was looking forward to a coruscating piece, from AOG, about those "tree surgeon" scammers, helping themselves to £4k of an old person's life savings, as he has a penchant for posting about serious crimes. However, perhaps the Daily Mail doesn't like to take up stories first aired on the BBC and he isn't a fan of Watchdog, either.
I agree with the critical comments, above, about its presentation style but I suspend my annoyance for the duration of the show, so as to concentrate on the content.
I agree with the critical comments, above, about its presentation style but I suspend my annoyance for the duration of the show, so as to concentrate on the content.
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