Brassed Off Britain

Episodes - Brassed Off Britain

• Banks (2004) Matt Allwright investigates cases of shocking consumer service in the banking sector, meeting a couple whose branch lost their life savings and customers angry about high charges. He also visits Stockholm, where he discovers money can be transferred in a matter of hours, whereas it can take up to five days in Britain
• Call Centres (2004) Matt Allwright investigates call centres, and discovers that common customer complaints include long queues, confusing menu options and irritating background music. He also visits Delhi to find out why many companies are relocating to India, and asks how the trend will affect British consumers
• Deliveries (2004) Matt Allwright investigates delivery firms, meeting children who've spent the past six months sleeping on the floor because their beds still haven't arrived and questioning why companies find it so hard to stick to agreed dates. On a more positive note, a well-known retailer outlines exactly how they have made customer service their first priority
• Estate Agents (2004) Matt Allwright investigates cases of shocking consumer services nominated by the public, giving viewers the chance to vote for Britain's worst company, whose management will be called to account at the end of the series. The first episode focuses on much-maligned estate agents, featuring a visit to a street where 'for sale' boards have been appearing in front of properties that aren't on the market
• Holidays Matt Allwright meets holidaymakers whose most vivid memories of their hotels are rats, cockroaches and even fire, and he attempts to discover how effectively package holiday companies act to resolve any problems
• Home Improvements (2004) Matt Allwright investigates cases of shockingly bad standards among home improvement companies, exposing cowboy builders and disreputable workmen and offering viewers their chance to pick the worst company on display for the series finale. Plus, a visit to Maryland to reveal what legal protection American homeowners can claim in similar circumstances
• Junk Mail (2004) Matt Allwright investigates the unending flow of junk mail, as every year 235,000 tonnes pour through the nation's letterboxes, most of which goes straight in the bin. Matt finds out why it just keeps coming - and if there is anything that can be done to stop it
• Mobile Phone Companies (2004) Matt Allwright investigates complaints against mobile phone companies, visiting a town in Northern Ireland where residents are charged international rates for calling their neighbours and questioning why contracts and tariffs are often so complicated. Plus, a report from Denmark, where mobile phone charges are considerably lower than in the UK
• New Cars (2004) Matt Allwright investigates complaints about cars, revealing some are riddled with problems before they roll off the forecourt, and asking why many garages seem incapable of doing anything about it, even after multiple attempts. He also visits Detroit to see how American drivers are much better protected against this sort of problem than their British counterparts
• Package Holidays (2004) Matt Allwright investigates cases of shocking consumer services nominated by the public, giving viewers the chance to vote for the worst company in Britain, whose management will be called to task at the end of the series
• Rail Travel (2004) Matt Allwright investigates Britain's railways, and assesses the validity of travellers' complaints and mounting bad press. He meets commuters furious at escalating ticket prices, overcrowding and delays, as well as a man who is so fed up he is planning to charter his own train. In a bid to discover if the UK's rail service is as bad as it seems, Allwright compares the nation's service with that of Switzerland - do their trains run like clockwork?