KEEP proof

RECEIPTS ARE VITAL IF YOU WANT FAULTY GOODS REPLACED

Your husband bought some trousers from a menswear chain. After four weeks of wear, they developed a fault. He took them back for a refund or replacement. The salesman remembered selling the trousers to your husband but said he wouldn’t replace them because your husband had thrown out the receipt. Is that fair?

How did your husband pay for the trousers? Unless it was cash, there will be a payment record on one of your statements. Locate a copy of this and you have proof. I think the salesman should give you a refund anyway. But he’s acting strictly by the store’s rules as he sees them. If your husband paid cash, get him to contact the store’s head office and tell them the salesman remembered him buying the goods but he still won’t refund or replace the item. Have the salesman’s name and the store location ready. I think you’ll be successful. I was once asked about the best advice to give a consumer. It was, “Get a box to throw all your receipts into. Every couple of years, you’ll really need one of them.”

You paid for some curtain material from an online trader six weeks ago but it hasn’t arrived. When you complained, you were told that no date was agreed for delivery and there were hold-ups with the importer. What should you do? The supplier, being in trade, is covered by the requirements of the Consumer Guarantees Act. This act says that when no delivery date is agreed on, the delivery time should be “reasonable”. “Reasonable” means a time adequate in the circumstances. I think that unless you were warned about delays, you had a right to expect the material was in stock and ready for despatch.

So I think three weeks was an adequate time to have to wait. You already would be within your rights to cancel the order and demand your money back. But you want the goods. I’d call again, tell the trader you’ll wait another two weeks and if the goods haven’t arrived, you’ll then demand your money back. And if necessary, that would include taking them to the Disputes Tribunal, or if you paid by credit card, using Chargeback.