My order vanished . . . but they sued ME!

CONSUMER expert Martyn James ordered a 5 ft sensory mood light for his five-yearold niece, Evie, who has a rare genetic condition.

When the £119.99 light he ordered in February failed to show up five days later, he tried to call the firm.

An automated message said the company was unable to answer the phone due to an unprecedented number of calls. He tried the online contact form, but still received no response.

In March, a woman named Sophie finally emailed back. Mr James told her he was cancelling his order within the 14-day cooling-off period, as was his right under the Consumer Rights Act, and would be seeking a refund.

He reversed the payment under debit card chargeback rules and the money was returned on March 15. But a month later, he received a small claims court summons. Sensory Education insisted the light was sent out on March 29 — three weeks after the cancellation. The proof of delivery suggested it had been posted to a depot 300 miles from the delivery address in Manchester.

Mr James (pictured) says the signature looked like an ‘E’ for Evie. He says: ‘I find this particularly offensive. I ordered the light for my niece and put her name on the parcel, but she is five and cannot move very much.’

Sensory Education has since let the legal action lapse, but Mr James says it continues to chase him for the money.

The firm claims the signature was correct and the item was delivered to the address provided.