The Cook Report - Bags of Trouble/Black Bag Sales & Mock Auctions S16E04 (1997)

Roger Cook Reports
This is an independent, not for profit channel celebrating the pioneering investigative work of The Cook Report, its presenter Roger Cook and the team behind him. Nothing like his series was made before or has been made since.
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[@rogercookreports]

Coming Soon: Interview with Roger Cook. Leave your questions for Roger below, and if you're lucky, you might get yours answered.

[@theefishlippedone]

Are the Tories the biggest crooks of the lot?

[@catbreath007]

Please ask him "What happened to real journalism" ? Why do we no longer have journalists who have standards & the guts to get involved with todays unbelievable corruption ?

[@TheReverendJones-lv5bz]

Nice one, I didn’t think he was still of this world, I hope he’s doing well! Look forward to the interview

[@dspencer8827]

I would like roger to investigate cases of corruption with authorites . I got a case for him

[@TheReverendJones-lv5bz]

You do realise Roger is probably well into his 80’s now, and enjoying his retirement, he won’t have the time or inclination to give you the time of day! Have you tried contacting Donal McIntyre?

[@russell-di8js]

Every age & every where needs it's own Roger Cook!! Thanks for all your service Roger.

[@SophieCrane-o7v]

Wow, What an Outstanding edition of The Cook Report from the final season in 1997, Good Work Roger!🤗👏👏👏👏👏

[@db0800]

I can't stop watching it. It's like Vic and Bob. Comedy gold.

[@peterobinson8487]

I was always brought up to believe if it's too good to be true it probably is. That has served me well in life

[@russell-di8js]

Amen to that brother!

[@debbiedavis9523]

💯

[@uk80]

I've been looking for this episode for quite a while! Thanks for uploading.

[@gwheregwhizz]

I wonder how far the Post Office Horizon scandal would have gone if the Cook Report and quality investigative journalism had been around during the 2000s. Probably exposed right at the start.

[@altt-check1-2]

Amen to that

[@olivere5497]

Nah, the story was in the news since 2009, however people like you were distracted by other things.

[@TheReverendJones-lv5bz]

Maybe your beloved MSM only started covering the story circa 2009, whilst those of us who are able to think for ourselves and don’t rely on the daily tissue of lie’s the MSM like to peddle on the daily heard about Horizon in the early 2000’s, so Nah your wrong 😀

[@Markinlondon]

Not far

[@chrismanners9091]

It wasn't even in the trade press till 2009. So how did you hear about it in the early 2000s?

[@dspencer8827]

We need this bloke back

[@ethzero]

The one reboot/reimagining I heartily approve of 👍

[@Xt-tt6mc]

Crazy this brought back early early memories of that place in Blackpool, remember walking past it on the strip with my dad and Grandparents. Remember the tinny sound of the blokes speaking on microphones.

[@ComettableMabel]

Yeh I saw one of these in about 98 in Newquay and they were boxes and he kept saying don’t open it until you get home 😂

[@altt-check1-2]

Roger cook what a legend

[@justtango4741]

Not defending the criminals but you have to be pretty stupid to expect TV's and other electronic devices to be legit while being sold in those those conditions!

[@db0800]

I love the SONY print outs. I'd love to go there and see the gaff. Men who drink tea from Styrofoam cups and smell of burger grease.

[@matthewjones-i4k]

Great show, he really put the pressure on these guys. Roger Cook has guts that's for sure. Very entertaining

[@At_Ant]

Early 90s I was walking along Oxford Street with friends who didn’t know about these auctions. They wanted to go in anyway after I said it’s a con; I warned them not to buy anything. They had so much fun observing we paid to stay a round, then left when the buy in got expensive. We watched disappointed punters along Oxford Street opening black sacks of garbage goods, one guy had a used B&W TV.

[@howey935]

I was taught from a young if something seems to good to be true 999 times out of 1000 it is.

[@gthbtn]

They got me when I was in Blackpool!! The lure was a set of towels for a fiver and the mystery bag turned out to be a socket set that felt heavier than it should, like it was something electrical. I didn't go back - lesson learnt though it cost me 50 or 60 quid, can't remember which...

[@theemodancer]

I'm sure I remember when i was a kid and saw one of these mock auctions saying I want whatever, my dad of course stayed away from it I was moaning about it but didn't understand so my parents weren't duped or anything 🎉

[@andrewjames9996]

The one I went in to to be nosey was crazy. I didn't buy anything and stayed for about 30 mins, I was called out for for not bidding or showed interest in their goods. I do remember early emulator consoles, some smartphones which had nothing but Chinese writing on the boxes and a MP3 player which was also a MP4 video player which looked flimsy. The phone the auctioneer was waving was his own phone. I did overhear a woman who said 'Empty boxes', I think she returned after getting duped.

[@db0800]

Gutted out of the Smiths, no cd player and missed the Roses concert. Heaven nose I'm miserable now!!

[@darrenlennox2313]

Brings back childhood memories when I was around 9 years old standing with my dad and I was getting excited at the prices my old man hit me on the head and said that’s all scammers son 😂🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@GARYINLEEDS]

Thanks for sharing, shared.

[@KeithApp]

These crooks have now moved onto selling their stuff on eBay

[@db0800]

Fair play though that thing they do with the microphone is pretty special

[@andrewjames9996]

@@db0800 About 10 years ago there was an operation like this in Southend. I didn't buy nothing but you can tell it was junk, they were selling and knock off gadgets. "It's not Sony but it's close"

[@Steven.Cartwright]

I ended up in one of these in Paington many years ago lol Are we ever going to see Roger Cook do an interview again or back on TV or media? Would love to see what he looks like and how he is ?

[@TheReverendJones-lv5bz]

I don’t think we’ll see him on TV again, I think he’s earned his retirement and thankfully he got one, he’s a very lucky man that none of the OCG’s managed to do him any harm, hopefully the interview mentioned above comes to fruition because like yourself I’m curious to see how Roge is doing!

[@Pyramids19]

I think he’s dead 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@andrewjames9996]

He lives in a secured location in Wales I think, with a lot of secruity, he is probably no longer a target as most of the gansters he caugh are dead or just getting on. His autobiography is worth reading despite being years old.

[@pedclarkemobile]

1:16 meet Karl Sabel. He was later taken into the witness protection programme and he is now known as Karl Pilkington.

[@simonhodgetts6530]

Isn’t this basically Temu and Ali Baba? Great timing - an Amazon ad!

[@icilmaa]

I remember these auctions taking place on Oxford Street in London.

[@davidmellish3295]

Same here

[@cosmicdebris42]

When i was a young lad. We worked for these guys a couple of times. They would employ young lads such as my self from the town they were in. We would help unload there rubbish from the truck to the sales Room. It was all in Tea chests in those days. Then we would watch the sale. It was the same thing as this. they would lure people in by selling them a bag of cheap electrical stuff. This was around 1980. I think people that fall for this stuff are very naive. Even as a Kid we knew these guys were scam artists. "There is a sucker born every minute" as he saying goes.

[@jimmykrankee3965]

Spent a day at one once. Half way through an 'auction' some old boy walked in screaming saying his toaster had crumbs in it 😮

[@Andy-x3e4z]

Nice one MATHEWS I LOVE THESE GUYS.

[@stoopidvideoz]

I remember going to Blackpool around 1988 with my friend who went in one of those, spent a fiver and came out with a couple of pens 🤣

[@jamesmitchell8922]

I liked the original titles and music. The new titles and music were bland

[@tonyhaynes9080]

Used to be a regular event in Newquay, Cornwall. These sales just confirm the proverb, 'There's one born every minute.

[@Redchannelconditions]

Argh. I thought we were going to get a set of 90s ad breaks there. So close!!! (Normally hate ads, but if they’re period they cool!). Either way. Thanks for the upload. Love Roger Cook

[@duxberry1958]

i once meet Mr Roger Cook i worked in a Petrol Station in Grappenhall and he payed a call

[@buddy2016]

I remember this guy in blackpool my dad and me was at a auction and my dad ended up buyi g supposedly £1000 worth of gold for £100. It was all absolute piss, turned green i a day😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@blackpoolacer]

They were so aggressive in Blackpool. Dunno how they got away with it for so long. They were defo bunging the local cops.

[@jonnamechange6854]

That green gold could be worth a bob or two now

[@buddy2016]

@@jonnamechange6854 ye the copper price it pretty high

[@chrismanners9091]

I saw something similar on The Real Hustle, where they were in a van and kept selling basically worthless stuff and giving people their money back. They got to £20 and drove off when the audience were expecting their money back. But I don't really get how this works. I know that the programme had to be edited to get it all in (as ever, it's an excellent report) but I'd have liked to see how they built up to it. There were people who clocked the scam before the "auction" had even finished, and shouting about it. I don't get how the timing would work at all. How do you get to someone buying a television for £300?

[@jonnamechange6854]

They explained it was their own undercover television report crew buying the £300 tv

[@chrismanners9091]

@@jonnamechange6854 Thanks for the reply. I get it now, thanks!

[@andyturner7963]

Would love know to what ever happened to any of them and what they are doing now

[@Pyramids19]

I knew a Irish fella he was doing it with tv’s back in the late nineties he had one working the rest was rejects sealed in box’s he use to go to car dealers I never forget it 🤔

[@Leon-lt5gv]

The oldest trick in the cook sorry book 👌 i felt like an idiot ' should've gone to currys ' & got rip't off !! 🤣

[@mohammaddavoudian7897]

Serves the greedy beggars right. No sympathy. Standing there with their cash and credit cards in the air ready to be conned!!!

[@herrlip72]

Mr No No No!!!!! Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease, make my life complete

[@glenmorgan4597]

The Arthur Daley & Del boy art of business

[@Chris_34]

"There's a sucker born every minute" *- P. T. Barnum*

[@Dan-78]

400k house was loads back then but now it’s an average home now. Crazy

[@markczarny7088]

Banks always been the biggest crooks

[@warbird1992]

I recall these pop up auctions in Blackpool as a kid. My parents always warned me away fortunately. Really, they were like the modern internet scams, designed to grab the naïve and greedy.

[@donny121able]

Balls of steel

[@guy4469]

Donald learnt everything from ROGER ,

[@TheReverendJones-lv5bz]

Roger was the OG McIntyre was just a plain grass!

[@LeTon75]

Legend

[@ArtVandelayOfficial]

Jane Grainger was a bit of alright 😉

[@jonnamechange6854]

A bit like posh and sporty spice rolled in to one

[@guy4469]

i bought 5 bags off ice cubes from here one summer for £5 when i got home too manchester it was 5 bags off water .

[@1gerard47]

😂

[@glenmorgan4597]

What a rip off

[@kenthall319]

The only thing people like that understand is pain, in large quantities.

[@ciaranrowe6477]

I remember once seeing a guy doing this with perfumes about 10 years ago

[@raynardhymen2139]

From a suitcase I bet, and a woman "buyer" saying how good they are.

[@grahamwhittle1971]

Wow if he still has that house now it's worth a good 4 to 5 million pound 💷 nice 👍

[@TheGodParticle]

I guess crime pays.

[@jonnamechange6854]

Maintaining a swimming pool requires hard work though. There's no cutting corners on that one

[@glovesoffofficial1382]

Roger PLEASE RETURN TO YOUR TV SHOWS...if not you could train others to carry on with your brave and Incredible work..WE NEED YOU

[@Robblue55]

He’s bloody 81 now 😂

[@jonnamechange6854]

This should be taught in schools and universities. Maybe journalism degrees are the new scam?

[@andrewjames9996]

@@jonnamechange6854 Roger Cook does give lectures in the Uni's around the country. I can't believe the closet we got after Cook Report was Rogue Traders and Dispatchers which is always anti Conserative and blame Brexit.

[@glovesoffofficial1382]

Exactly!!!!

[@MarK-x9y]

Saw this scam at the coast one summer. The host was there putting a high end MP3 player, a Nintendo ds XL and games into a black bin liner. The man paid his money and then complained that the ds wasn't red. The host laughed but the stooge in the crowd now had all the other punters raising their hands with cash.

[@andrewjames9996]

I remember an operation like this in Southend about 10 years ago, the MP3 player they were selling looked nasty and it was nothing like on the box.

[@mohammaddavoudian7897]

As the bandit said: Only schmuck people come in here. If that is not a confession I don't know what is.

[@necropink9200]

It's not that these criminals are particularly clever. It's just that people who fall for these obvious scams are stupid and gullible.

[@VicYo-en3wm]

You should know before even giving them money it's a con by the way they sell 😂😂😂

[@adielstephenson2929]

The consumer protection laws in the UK always were a joke.

[@MrGman2804]

These criminals are like social services. They just shit on you and leave knowing the law is an ass. Thats why I am leaving the UK.

[@therealisation5500]

They would advertise in national newspapers my brother in law went along he had to buy a catalogue or wouldn't get in and bought a few things Went around to collect it was just shite he complained and was told it was a mistake and to go around the back and get it sorted out once around the back he got slapped around the chops and told to fuck off Remember folks if it sounds too good to be true it is

[@mikeaaron2819]

These pop up auctions prey on the greedy materialistic mind-set. One popped up in Liverpool a good fifteen years ago across from central station. I was shopping with my then girlfriend before we went for a few drinks. I knew straight away what it was about as did my girlfriend who was well known for being “on the ball”. One of the men noticed me and called me over and he said to me, you know what’s really going on here” and winked at me and I was asked with a chuckle to leave and do we did. People really do need to wake up and these people aren’t all to blame in my eyes.

[@jonnamechange6854]

Who's to blame for all the potty mouth aggro then?

[@scottyk200]

Alls I wanted was a cheap roll of bin bags and I ended up with a dodgy PlayStation

[@frankez99]

Omg I forgot how horrible the Spice Girls were 😂 🤮

[@SophieCrane-o7v]

They Weren't, They were the Best Girl Group of the 90's in my Eyes!

[@manchegocheese997]

A fool and his/her money....

[@johnmc3862]

Are soon partying.

[@jazztheglass6139]

My ex girlfriends dad was one of the people running the shop auctions up north. It was very big business in the 90's. I also remember there was a south african guy called smiler, who ran the auctions in London, west end. He was caught when he tried to buy a rolls royce or a Bentley from the car show room on park lane. He tried to pay with a bin bag full of £20 notes, they called the cops, who contacted the tax man. Smiler ended up serving a sentence

[@raynardhymen2139]

Yeah a car dealer in ireland was telling me that he has to report any buyer with more than 10 grand cash.

[@Sweet.G]

My friend got scammed in rhyl ..lol the good old 80s

[@jamescook9775]

why would you not go to a shop

[@beefchops1400]

Classics case of if it’s too good to be true it generally is….some idiots out there!

[@astra47420]

If it to good to be true ???? 😅

[@edwardmills3825]

Greed gets you.

[@markczarny7088]

Blackpoo. Wonders why nobody goes there now i wonder why?

[@kenthall319]

The UK should take a leaf out of Malaysia’s book.

[@UXB-p5u]

Yes I feel incredibly sorry for these people..BUT you have to be seriously ignorant to get conned at a place like this!! It has RIP OFF written all over it!!!!!!

[@theefishlippedone]

Is that Mike Joyce from the Hoax/ The Smiths?

[@fredflintstoner596]

Mrs Richards: "I paid for a room with a view !" Basil: (pointing to the lovely view) "That is Torquay, Madam ." Mrs Richards: "It's not good enough!" Basil: "May I ask what you were expecting to see out of a Torquay hotel bedroom window ? Sydney Opera House, perhaps? the Hanging Gardens of Babylon? Herds of wildebeest sweeping majestically past?..." Mrs Richards: "Don't be silly! I expect to be able to see the sea!" Basil: "You can see the sea, it's over there between the land and the sky." Mrs Richards: "I'm not satisfied. But I shall stay. But I expect a reduction." Basil: "Why?! Because Krakatoa's not erupting at the moment ?

[@bradnixon6220]

Pay with a fake fiver or tenner see what they say then

[@gar8860]

There’s not an English man in Blackpool these days

[@davidfelix2594]

There's not many Englishmen left in the whole of England these days

[@michaelmccreery8192]

@@davidfelix2594 where have they gone???

[@johnmc3862]

@@michaelmccreery8192Brighton.

[@DDandrums]

What’s that got to do with anything? Blackpool has always been a dump.

[@ramalama9650]

As far as they can away from the cities.@@michaelmccreery8192

[@olivere5497]

There was oneof these on walworth rd, south london in 2007, squatting the old butchers, fuckiblng hell it was mental in there

[@andrewjames9996]

Do you remember East Street Market? A lot of pirated PS1 games were sold there that some how by-passed the secruity wobble on the console.

[@olivere5497]

@@andrewjames9996 yeah, east street and the vauxhaull sunday one!

[@andrewjames9996]

@@olivere5497 I remember the Vauxhall one, record dealers selling bootlegs and awful budget CDs from Europe at inflated prices. I do remember one selling knock off DVD's and Dreamcast games. I did get burnt a few times.

[@jasonhawkins4528]

How about we voted for a Conservative party but got a lot of unelected Traitors instead🤣🤣🤣🤣👍

[@mott2945]

They Should of told him they will stand outside ever time he’s trying to sell and warn the public he would of soon got a refund to get him gone

[@matthewpeppercorn3566]

L

[@dpmurray9795]

Poor quality of these videos are shite too.

[@rogercookreports]

🔔🔚

[@raynardhymen2139]

It's covert recording devices from the 80s/90s, what did you expect?