Help me get back £187.50 in expired Nectar points

I CHANGED 37,500 Nectar points into Sainsbury’s vouchers worth £187.50 just before Christmas last year.

The Post Office special delivery envelope shows Sainsbury’s tried to deliver them on Christmas Eve to my office address, which was shut. I eventually received them on January 6.

I put them away to spend later as I don’t have a Sainsbury’s nearby and forgot all about them until June 20.

I spotted the use-by date was June 14 so contacted Nectar, which said I could not have the credit back but that I should contact Sainsbury’s, which would help me use to the vouchers.

I did this but was told it could not help. Nectar says I am not entitled to a refund, but I do not want this, I just want some replacement vouchers.

R.W., Norwich. I’M SuRe some people will be reading your letter and saying that, as the date was clearly shown, it’s really your own fault for putting them into a drawer and forgetting them.

But others, including me, will have some sympathy for you. I have failed to notice the date on gift cards myself. In my case this resulted in some frantic spending on clothes I didn’t really want. I took them back the next day and got a new gift card with a new expiry date.

The good news is that when I made contact with Nectar, the company immediately said it would reimburse your 37,500 points as a goodwill gesture.

Can I suggest that if you don’t have a convenient Sainsbury’s nearby then you spend them on something else. Nectar points can be exchanged for vouchers at plenty of other retailers.

It has been estimated that close to £6 billion on loyalty points are sitting on schemes such as Nectar, Boots, Tesco and various airline clubs.

So I suggest you, and others, get out there and spend them. I HAD a kitchen installed by B&Q in 2015. It was covered by a five-year guarantee.

In June, I was standing at the sink and noticed that water was dripping onto the floor.

The cupboard underneath was flooded. I called a plumber who explained that the sealant around the sink and worktop was not watertight and water had been seeping into the cupboard beneath for some time.

The waste pipe had been fitted in an uphill position.

The plumber charged me £30 for his time, advice and temporary sealing of the sink.

I have tried to contact B&Q on the local number, but no one answers. I called another number and was promised a call back which never occurred.

So I wrote to head office on July 12, but have heard nothing. I paid £7,905 for this kitchen, but the guarantee seems to be absolutely worthless. B.G., Cornwall. WhAT is it with companies that fail to return phone calls from customers or don’t even answer the phone.

Surely basic training for all staff should include making note of calls from customers and ensuring they are returned?

The good news is that B&Q has now returned to your home and your sink has been refitted properly. It has also paid the cost of your emergency plumber.

Incidentally, do you happen to have his number? I’m sure readers all over the country will be gasping at the fact that you were able to call out a plumber who did a temporary fix of a problem and gave advice for just £30!

Where I live, I’d expect to endure much sucking through the teeth, shaking of the head and then have to cough up two or three times what you paid. I’d put his number in your phone book in case you need him again. I WANTED a no-frills insurance policy to cover my funeral plus a small legacy for my children. I didn’t need any extras such as mortgage or cash payments.

I took a policy with Friends Life, but now find this only lasts for 15 years. I felt this had not been clearly explained.

I am only 65, but have cancer and no insurance company will touch me. My policy expires in November, but Friends Life says I’d have to take out a new life insurance policy and I wouldn’t necessarily be accepted. V.H., Blackpool. WheN I read your letter I suspected you may have misunderstood the policy you had been sold and there was a possibility of mis-selling. That possibility still exists, but you are barking up the wrong tree. I spoke to Aviva, which owns Friends Life. A spokesman confirmed that the policy was sold to you by an independent financial adviser (IFA). It was they who gave you the advice, and, if you feel it was not clear it is to them you must complain.

Your insurance is simple term life assurance which lasts for a fixed number of years, in your case 15. It would pay out £50,000 if you were to die within the term, but once that term expires, it is valueless.

You have made a mis-selling complaint to Aviva and it has forwarded a copy to the IFA to investigate.

There is a very important principle in uK financial services. This is that the person or company which provides the advice and instigates the sale is responsible in the case of any mis-selling — not the company which provides the product.

If the IFA does not respond to the complaint then you should contact the Financial Ombudsman Service on 0300 1239 123 or 0800 0234 567.