Consumer rights expert Scott Dixon is known as the UK’s biggest complainer - but far from being an insult, this is actually something he is very proud of.
Over the past eight years, Scott has won back £5,230 by fighting his corner.
Some of his successes include money back from a second-hand car, a payout from a denied insurance claim and cancelling a speeding fine.
“I have had a lifetime of bad and unique experiences to draw on which I successfully resolved alone with only an A Level in Law to fall back on,” he told The Mirror.
“This qualification has given me the tools to scrutinise and interpret legislation to apply it on complaints to get the right outcome. I have a natural aptitude for it.”
But Scott says you don’t need to have a background in law to fight for your rights.
He now helps others recognise when they could be due money back through his The Complaints Resolver blog - where he has saved other disgruntled customers thousands of pounds.
There are many routes you can take if you think you've received bad customer service, or a product is not up to scratch.
You should always start with a formal - but polite - written complaint to the company.
If this doesn't achieve the outcome you desire, then Scott has described some of the other routes he has taken to secure his money back.
'How I won back £5,230 in eight years'
Car that only lasted 11 weeks - £2,000 won back
Scott says his first big success came in 2014, when he claimed back a full refund worth £2,000 for a second-hand car that only lasted him 11 weeks.
This one was slightly more complicated than some of the other complaints, as the dealership had denied there was anything wrong with the car.
This led to Scott seeking an independent report, which backed up his complaints, and then threatening action from the small claims court.
"The independent report proved that it was unroadworthy and riddled with faults that I wouldn't have known about as a layman," said Scott.
"I escalated it to the CEO by email with a draft copy of a Small Claim and the independent report citing that they had seven days to settle it before I proceed with legal action.
"This is known as a pre-action protocol letter before claim, giving them one final opportunity to resolve the dispute. They did in less than one hour - the garage agreed to give me a full refund."
There are fees involved when going to the courts, starting at £35 and rising up to £455 - so keep this in mind before going down this road.
If you don't win, you could end up paying legal fees for the other side - so be sure you have a good case on your hands first before going ahead with an application.
But if you win your case, you should win back your court costs.
You’ll need to be trying to win back £10,000 or less to open a case through the small claims court in England and Wales.
The figure falls to under £5,000 in Scotland or £3,000 in Northern Ireland.
Denied travel insurance claim - £1,300 won back
Scott was left £1,300 out of pocket when his dream trip to Australia was cancelled due to the Icelandic volcano eruption which grounded many flights.
The insurance company said that it was a natural disaster that would be considered an “act of God”.
Scott fought against this and took his case to the free Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) - where he won back £1,300.
“I delved into the terms and conditions of my travel insurance policy and found that this wasn't specifically excluded in the policy,” he said.
Before contacting the FOS, you do need to give the company a chance to respond to your complaint first.
If you don't get a reply within eight weeks, or you don't think the outcome is fair, then the FOS will investigate.
Denied scooter warranty claim - £1,000 won back
Scott was awarded £1,000 after a scooter he paid £4,500 for suffered a series of issues while under warranty.
Despite being backed up by the dealership where he purchased the scooter, Scott was forced to take action after his warrant refused to pay out.
"I had to submit claims for a corroded engine casing, corroded front wheel, rear springs, right hand side fork and mirror stems," he said.
"This was fully supported by the dealership and they vouched that the scooter had been fully maintained in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations and service schedule.
"But my final warranty claim was rejected for £1,000 - so I filed a Small Claim.
"They settled it as a goodwill gesture without admission of liability within one hour of receipt of the court papers."
Car 'riddled with faults' then put back on sale - £500 won back
Scott was left unimpressed after a car he'd returned to a dealership after three months - due to it being "riddled with faults" - was put back on sale at a higher price.
He got £500 back as a goodwill gesture after making a complaint.
"They put it back on the forecourt for £500 more than I paid for it based on all the faults I had fixed on it that I pointed out!" he said.
"One letter elicited a £500 goodwill cheque."
Late sofa delivery - £200 won back
Scott also managed to get a £200 refund for late delivery of a sofa bed, which cost him £680, simply by writing to the furniture company.
Always make sure you use recorded delivery for any written complaints, so you have proof that it has been sent, or use email so you have a record of your message.
"I had waited more than six months for a two seater sofa bed which was promised within about six to 12 weeks. No special delivery - just an ordinary order," said Scott.
"The shop was giving me the run-around continually fobbing me off and gave me the wrong contact details to escalate it.
"I just took it to the CEO escalated complaints resolution team and they rang me straight away with an offer of £170, which I got rounded up to £200 by asking nicely."
Speeding ticket cancelled - £170 saved
Scott was able to fight a speeding fine after successfully arguing that a 30mph road sign was obscured by a hedge.
If a sign is obscured, it cannot be said that the road was adequately signed, he told The Mirror.
"I went to the local library and found the paragraph relating to road signs in the Road Traffic Act and read the law back to those who were trying to enforce it," explained Scott.
"The local Sergeant came to my house the night before I was due up in court and cancelled my court summons.
"I saved £170 (£10 for every 1mph over the speed limit) plus costs and increased insurance premiums."
Parking ticket cancelled - £60 saved
Finally, consumer rights hero Scott was able to save his parents £60 by helping them cancel a private parking ticket on a little-known technicality.
Private parking tickets - known as Parking Charge Notices - need to be issued within 14 days, explained Scott - but this wasn't the case when it came to his parents' fine.
"This was issued 25 days after the parking event, so I got it cancelled," he said.
"That saved them £60 as they wrote a cheque to pay it before speaking to me afterwards.
"They put a stop on the cheque and appealed the invoice as being invalid. They haven't heard anymore since."
Penalty Charge Notices - which are ones issued by councils - are different as they are issued for infringements on public roads and highways
There is no time limit on councils issuing parking tickets, although the Penalty Charge Notice will say that you have 28 days to pay it.
Appealing a fine - whether it is from a council or private firm - is free to do.
- Scott is the author of How To Complain: The Consumer Guide to Resolve Complaints and Motoring Disputes
