STRAIGHT TO THE POINT

I BOUGHT a settee from SCS three years ago and was pressured into taking out a five-year warranty for £170. The seats have wrinkled up and I have repeatedly contacted SCS, who told me it would cost £75 for someone to come out to look at it.

R. W., Windsor. SCS has now agreed to go out at no cost to inspect the product. OUR home was flooded with sewage water after a drain on our property became blocked. We’ve been having issues with this drain blocking up for 18 months, but all the utilities company seems to do is come out and unblock it.

L. B., Smallfield, Surrey. ForTuNATELY, Thames Water arrived to clean up a few hours after you wrote to me.

It now has a work permit to investigate the problem later this month. I SIGNED up to language app Duolingo’s Plus membership at £6 a month. It took £80.39 immediately and I can’t find a way to contact it for a refund.

H. W., Bedworth, Warks. DuoLINgo says you actually signed up to the annual plan free trial, and were charged when it ended. The sum is initially billed in u.S. dollars and is therefore not divisible by 12. However, Duolingo has now refunded you because of the confusion.

I ARRANGED for a small caravan window to be collected from a dealership in West Yorkshire by courier firm Hermes. For three days in a row, Hermes told me it was unable to collect the parcel — and later admitted it had lost it. I had paid Hermes for insurance to ensure the safe delivery of the parcel, but have had no offer of compensation.

J. P., Chorley, Lancs. HErMES says the issue is with the seller rather than its collection service. A customer service agent incorrectly told you that Hermes had lost the parcel.

It has offered a goodwill payment — which you have rejected — and advised you to communicate directly with the seller.