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Buying Goods
I bought a CD player last week. It worked for a few days but now it just won't work at all. I brought it back to the shop but they say that as it was working when they sold it to me that they do not have to do anything. The sales assistant is implying that I have damaged it. I know I have not damaged it. What can I do?
Answer »I bought a digital camera 5 months ago. It worked for the first few times I used it but now it has just stopped working. I brought it back to the shop but they say that after 28 days it has nothing to do with them and I should send it back to the manufacturer. I would have to pay postage and insurance and I have no idea how long this might take. I am going to 2 weddings in the next month and I bought the camera to use at these weddings. What can I do?
Answer »I saw a wide screen television that I wanted to buy for sale in a local shop. When I went over to the counter to buy it the manager came over and refused to sell it to me. He said the price marked on was wrong and it should be an extra £100. He would not let me have it at the marked price. Can I insist that the shop sell it to me at the displayed price?
Answer »I saw some ornaments on display in a shop. They seemed to be very good value but when I brought them up to the till I was asked to pay a higher price. What are my rights?
Answer »I saw a suite, which I thought was the perfect colour match for my home. I ordered the suite there and then and paid a £200 deposit. When I got home I realised that although the suite was the right colour it was far too big for the room and would not fit. I phoned the shop the next morning to cancel the order and to ask for my money back. The shop has said that they will cancel the order with the manufacturer but that they will not refund my deposit. Can they do this?
Answer »Last week I bought my daughter a jumper to match her new skirt. When she tried it on at home it was the wrong shade and a bad fit. I brought it back to the shop for a refund because there was nothing else she liked in the shop and she really needs a jumper. The shop has said that they will give me an exchange or a credit note but not a refund. Can they do this?
Answer »I bought a pram last week but when I was using it the pram started to collapse and I think there seems to be a problem with the brakes. I brought it back to the shop and asked for a refund but they say I have to let them repair it. Is this right?
Answer »Credit
Turned down for credit
I wanted to buy a wide screen tv from my local electrical store. They were also offering a 12 month interest free credit deal so I applied for this. After I had filled in all the forms the salesman came back and told me that my application for credit had been refused. Can they do this and if so can I insist they tell me why they won't give me credit?
Answer »Becoming a guarantor.
My 19 year old nephew who lives at home has just started a new job. It is hard for him to get to work by public transport and he wants to buy a motor bike. He has found a new bike he likes but he can't afford to pay cash for it and he wants to take out a credit agreement. The garage has told him that he would need a guarantor and he has now asked me if I will go guarantor for him. The bike is costing over £2,000 and I am worried he might not be able to keep up the payments. What would happen if he lost his job and couldn't keep up the payments?
Answer »Cancellable credit
A salesman from a conservatory company called at our home last week and we agreed to buy a conservatory which was to cost £8,000. He told us he could arrange credit for us and we signed a credit agreement that same night. After the salesman left we realised that we could not afford to pay this at present and we decided to cancel. We phoned the company the next day but they told us we had signed a legally binding contract and that there was no “cooling off” period. Is this right?
Answer »Non cancellable credit
I visited a furniture warehouse last night and saw a suite I liked. The store was offering a good credit deal so I paid a £250 deposit and signed a credit agreement. When I got home I realised that I can’t really afford this suite and I phoned today to cancel my order. The shop said that they will not refund me my deposit and that I cannot cancel the credit agreement. I thought that all credit agreements had a “ cooling off period” What are my rights?
Answer »Faulty goods – under £100 – paying by credit card
I saw an advertisement in the classified section of a daily newspaper for a lightweight vacuum cleaner. It seemed very good value at £49.99 so I sent for it paying by credit card. It worked at first but after less than 3 months it just stopped. I have tried to contact the company but their line is dead and the newspaper says it is not covered under any mail order protection scheme. I have heard that if you buy goods and pay by credit card if you have problems you can complain to the credit card company. When I contacted my credit card company they said that they would not do anything for me. Do I have any claim against my credit card company?
Answer »Non Delivery – mail order credit card – over £100
My son is starting university and he wanted a lap top computer for his assignments. Friends had bought one from a company in England and were very pleased with it so I phoned the company and ordered one by phone paying by credit card. The computer did not arrive and I have just learned that the company has ceased trading. The lap top cost over £900 and I can’t afford to lose so much money. What can I do?
Answer »Services
I employed a decorator to wallpaper my living room. I supplied the paper and paste and backing paper. He finished the job in a day but when I saw the finished work I realised he had made a mistake throughout in the drop of the pattern and he had not matched the design correctly. The whole room will have to be redone. The decorator has agreed to redo the room but who is responsible for the cost of the paper?
Answer »I left a cream suit in to be dry cleaned. When I called to collect it the Dry Cleaner said that it had been damaged by another garment. There is a large mark on the front of the jacket where they have tried to remove a stain and another large mark on the skirt. The Dry Cleaners have said that another customer left a pen in the pocket of their garment and this pen leaked and damaged my suit. They have not charged me for the dry cleaning but my suit is ruined. Who is responsible?
Answer »One morning I discovered a leaking pipe and had to call out a plumber. Their advertisement said “small jobs are welcome” and did not mention any call out charges. The plumber was here for less than one hour but the bill was for over £250. The bill described the call out as an emergency and they also charged emergency labour charges. I feel the bill is excessive. Do I have to pay?
Answer »I booked an early morning taxi to take me to the ferry terminal. I emphasised when I was booking it that I was catching a ferry and I told the taxi firm the time of the ferry and when I had to check in. I had to phone on several occasions and each time I emphasised that I was catching a ferry and each time I phoned I was told the taxi was on its way. When it did eventually arrive it was over one hour late and when I arrived at the terminal I was too late for the boat and I missed my trip. Can I claim compensation for my lost holiday?
Answer »I have a video recorder which is almost 5 years old It has recently started to give problems and has damaged some tapes I took it to my local electrical repair shop to ask how much it might cost to get repaired. The said they could not give me a quote without examining it and that there would be a charge of £20 for a quotation. I don’t want to pay £20 only to be told that it would be very expensive to repair or that it might not even be repairable. Can firms really charge for quotations?
Answer »I have signed a contract for a firm to build a conservatory but we did not actually agree a specific starting date. I understood that they would start work in about 4 weeks but I have now been waiting over 4 months and they still have not started the job. Do I have to keep waiting until they decide to start or can I now go to a different company?
Answer »Consumer Poll Title Image
Do you know which items in your household can be recycled?
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