Ripoff Britain "Ravenous rats destroyed my car" (Converted transporter edition)

[Corradobrit]

Did anyone see the Ripoff Britain episode on the 14th Jan? Featured a new owner whose 63K T6.1 conversion was attacked multiple times by rats. The Motor Ombudsman was sympathetic but ultimately failed to side with the owner and force VW to fix the problem.

 

[Luke Sharp]

Did anyone see the Ripoff Britain episode on the 14th Jan? Featured a new owner whose 63K T6.1 conversion was attacked multiple times by rats. The Motor Ombudsman was sympathetic but ultimately failed to side with the owner and force VW to fix the problem.

I saw it, and funnily enough we have a recent problem with a rat(s) under some garden decking at the same time I’ve just bought a California Ocean. That’s the only reason it caught my ear.

The owner seemed to make claims that edible products have been used in the cable/sheathing manufacturing, that attracted the rats? Not sure that was ever going to hold up.

My background is mechanical/process engineering and 40 years ago vermin were munching through cables etc and taking the plants down. And even then, the retired engineer who warned us about it was in his seventies! So was talking about problems going back to the 40’s & 50’s.

It’s not new “greener” cable materials that are causing the problem.

 

[owen_h]

40 years ago vermin were munching through cables etc and taking the plants down.

Cables used to contain Lindane in the sheath to protect against rodents. We (I work for a major cable company) stopped using it many years ago and it was banned ~ 2008. By the time the rat was dealt with the damage to the cable & circuit had already occurred anyway. Protection now is more with tapes, braid or wire armour.
Wonder if something like Bitex (substance put on small cell batteries to stop small children swallowing them) is equally unpalatable to rodents. One for the suggestion box perhaps.

 

[WelshGas]

Basically it's all down to the local rat/rodent population outgrowing it's normal/natural food supply so they start roaming and eating anything that might be food. So the local population needs to be culled. Feeding stations laced with poison is the only longterm solution or get a cat, not a house only cat.