Amazon seller sent me faulty lamp but I can’t get a refund

ON APRIL 9 I ordered a lamp costing £92.50 from a company on Amazon Marketplace. It arrived with a part missing. I contacted the seller and, after a lot of emails, they sent me a part which was the wrong colour and half the required size.

I told Amazon and they gave me a return address. I sent the parcels back using Parcelforce. They were delivered the next day and signed for. But Amazon now says I cannot be reimbursed as the seller claims they were not delivered. S.L., Middlesbrough

Something is seriously wrong here. You followed Amazon’s rules and you provided evidence, via receipts, that you both returned the item and that it was signed for by the retailer.

therefore there should have been no question about your right to a refund.

When i put your case to Amazon it agreed you should get your money back and has now refunded you.

Be aware that shopping on Amazon marketplace is not the same as buying things from Amazon itself.

Your contract is with the retailer and you must complain to it first. You must also abide by its return rules, which may mean paying return postage if you send something back unless it is damaged, defective or materially different from the item you ordered.

Your normal consumer rights for returning goods bought via the internet are not affected, which means you have 14 days to return most things, though there are exceptions such as for DVDs and computer software.

When refunding you the retailer should also refund any postage you paid — unless you are returning something you don’t like and have taken longer than 14 days after receiving it.

if, as in your case, the retailer does not stick to the rules, then Amazon should intervene.

the retailer has claimed that your package must have gone missing internally, but this is hardly your fault and your evidence of postage should have settled the issue without money mail having to get involved.

I MOVED house in April. I had been with Virgin Media for 17 years and paid my line rental annually in advance. Virgin called before I moved and said it could not provide me with a line at my new address, so I had to move to BT.

I had paid £196 on January 11 for my year’s rental. Virgin has refused to give me a refund.

I am 74 and live on a pension. Could you help get my refund? L.F., Lincolnshire

i Am getting thoroughly fed up with Virgin media’s attitude to people who move to an area which it does not supply.

if you have a business model that only allows you to supply part of the country then your terms and conditions should allow for this. to penalise loyal customers who move outside your service area is wrong.

Virgin media likes to paint itself as a consumer-friendly company. its behaviour in yours and similar cases that have arrived at my desk tells a different story. once i made contact, Virgin agreed to refund the £141.23 you are owed as a goodwill gesture. But payments such as this should be an automatic decision. And Virgin should not be enforcing fees or withholding line rental paid in advance when customers have to move supplier because it does not service certain areas.

Sort it out Virgin. this is not treating your customers fairly.

I OPENED an account for my first grandchild with Birmingham Midshires 18 years ago and again for my second and third.

It was not a lot of money but I put in what I could afford. Then all of a sudden I was told I could no longer pay money in. Years went by and I decided to contact Lloyds, which had taken over Birmingham Midshires.

It put every barrier it could in my way, so I sent the passbooks and letters to my daughter. She had the same problems.

Lloyds even talked her into sending the passbooks. I have tried to contact the bank again but it doesn’t bother replying. M.M., Cheshire

the money is still there, but the service you received was poor. the issue is that as these are your grandchildren’s accounts, they need to contact Lloyds.

it has now contacted you explaining the process by which your grandchildren can access this money which you have given them. Lloyds should have clearly explained this in the first place.

this is one of several cases i’ve seen where grandparents have set up accounts for grandchildren and are later frustrated when they cannot access them themselves.

i think banks — and in this i am including national Savings & investments — need to make it far clearer to those setting up accounts for grandchildren.

it needs to be spelt out that only the parent or guardian will have access to the account initially and then the account must be passed on to the child, who will deal with the administration.

As it is, banks seem far too happy to open an account and leave grandparents to struggle.

others with mislaid Birmingham midshires accounts should write to Birmingham midshires, po Box 81, pendeford Business park, Wobaston road, Wolverhampton, WV9 5hZ or telephone 0345 602 2828. provide your name, address, account number and previous address if you have moved. Be prepared to answer security questions and provide certified documents for identification.