Hi everyone Can someone please offer any help on what my rights are regarding a 'like for like' replacement for faulty goods? Does the term 'like for like' even have any legal bearing? I have recently bought a new TV as a treat when moving house. - a 47" Toshiba, 47WL968b. I considered myself lucky when I got it at a discounted rate via Groupon. The price I paid was £699 on 30th April. The retailer lists it on their site as £949. It arrived last week and worked without problems for a day. After that it present a catalogue of faults. The retailer confirmed these since they had other reports of the same. They sent me another of the same model which arrived yesterday. It too has the same faults. So, I've spoken to the retailer again this morning. I've told them that I'll be happy with a like for like replacement - to me meaning an alternative TV of the same size, standard, and spec as the one I bought. They've refused. The model I've pointed out with an identical spec is an LG listed at £999. The retailer says 'like for like' means replacement for a TV they price at £699 - what I paid for mine when it was on sale. I've even said I'll pay the £50 difference, but they're not interested. It's a refund, a TV listed at £699, or they'll arrange an engineer visit (which I think will be worthless since they've said themselves they think it's a firmware issue that might or might not be resolved in the future). Can anyone tell me where I stand here? Am I expecting too much? Or is the retailer supposed to replace my faulty product for one of the same grade? Cheers Mike

HI Just wandering if anyone can give some advice. My Mum has received a parking fine. A few weeks ago , she took My Grandad and his friend shopping at a local retail park near where I live, MY Grandad and his friend are both in their 90s and very slow on their feet, and my mum is in her 60's and has a displayed badge as she has difficulty walking far due to an accident some years ago. My Mum does not live in this area.... On the day in question I had met them for a coffee and then left them browsing the shops. It would appear that in the last month or so the retail park has introduced a 3 hour limit on parking for the shops, and my mum was there for a little over 4. As they had met me for tea, browsed the shops, had some lunch went back and tried some clothing on , made purchases and then left. Even I was unaware there was a restriction although we have now been back to check and there are signs … although they are quite high on the lampposts . She was parked in a disabled spot with a valid badge displayed, but the carpark take a picture as you enter and exit so would not be able to see a disabled car, nor does it say there is any difference for disabled people on the signs ... Apart from the fact its now put her off ever visiting those shops again , and it was a fairly regular outing for them , as with taking such elderly people around, wanting food etc, it takes time, which they now wont be able to do unless they rush , and as I say they live out of town so its not often they get a good look round ... My question is simply is it worth appealing this fine ? Or is there anything that can be done ..? its currently £60 which I think is very high! but goes up to 100 if not paid soon , my mums panicking it will go up if she appeals but I said it would be held while they deal with it, please help any advice appreciated.

Hi there i'm new to the forum. I have been browsing through a few posts but nothing seems to answer a question i have. I currently work for the ARCADIA group. Which is the business empire run by Sir Phillip Green. As an incentive for staff, like most retail companies we are offered a discount in store. To claim this discount we have to apply for an Arcadia staff store card which has an automatic credit value of £250. If we don't pass the credit check we are encouraged to apply again, then if again we are not accepted we have to wait for a photo id card (which i'm told by other members of staff takes forever). Is this legal? Can a company you work for actually force you to apply for credit to get a staff discount?

It would be very helpful to build up a picture of which parking companies manage which retailers carparks. If you know that XXX supermarket is managed by YYYY parking company, please let us know here. We aren't looking for individual carparks. Presumably each carpark owner only deals with one carpark operator. Thanks

RE New Mersey Retail Park As at today's date the presumed Landlord / Lessee website states the following :- PER newmerseyshoppingpark.com store _directory category SAT 15 DEC 2012 "Store Directory Category New Mersey Shopping Park has nearly 2,000 parking spaces - all of which are absolutely FREE!" The word ABSOLUTELY is of interest ! This surely negates all UKCPS "Parking Charge Notices". All such "charges" made for infractions must be Penalties. I am assuming that "New Mersey Shopping Park" is the trading guise of The Hercules Unit Trust and/or British Land, the ultimate Land owners, Landlords. I will be interested if anyone has an opinion on this. CORRECTION TO NAME New Mersey SHOPPING Park ADDL Ownership per BRITISH LAND website The Speke Unit Trust (The Hercules Unit Trust and Bank of Ireland) ADDL Hercules Unit Trust sells 50% interest in Speke Unit Trust June 2007 Jones Day advised Hercules Unit Trust in the £209 million ($412.5 million) sale of a 50% interest in Speke Unit Trust to Bank of Ireland Private Banking Limited. The Speke Unit Trust owns New Mersey Shopping Park, located in Speke, Liverpool, the seventh largest retail park in the U.K.

Hello I have come home from work to find a court claim form - although I have a lot of debts this is the 1st time I have come across one of these. It is for a Next Directory that I owe £317.70 to and it is Howard Cohen and co solicitors address on the form and it is issued from Northampton (CCBC) court. Charges of £50 solicitors costs and £30 court fee added totallig £397.70 I admit to the full amount of the debt (I think?? :O) ) but I am unable to pay the full amount in one go. If I complete the form (that I am working through - it is hard to work out all of my costs as me and partners money is all together however I can seperate it out with a bit of working out) I have read the forms but I am a little confused... If I complete the Admission form is it correct I send it just to the solicitors address on the front and not the court... do I just send recorded so I have proof etc and do I send a 1st payment with it? At section 11 of the admission form which is the offer of payment if I offer monthly installments and they were accepted (I dont know what the likelyhood is? I was going to offer £50 pm?) does that mean that a CCJ is effectively issued to me or is that a repayment plan before a CCJ is issued? Sorry Im just a little confused by it all Also is it just the admission form that needs sending back?? (and payment installment??) thanks for help :O) x

Hi there, Hoping to seek some opinions as to how to deal with an online retail company. I purchased goods via their website for next day delivery. I wasn't avaliable to receive orders due not being at home. How as I requested order to be redelivered if not able to deliver I assumed they'd do just that. 2 days on, I decided to contact the company, and check the tracking system, only to find that it stated on their system that my order had been delivered and 'signed for by customer,' I asked them to explain how this was possible, and was told they'd contact their contracting courier company. It took several days of my enquiring, demanding to speak to the courier management team (but denied) and a finally being issued a £15 good will gesture before I was advised they'll send the courier back to the delivery address to retrieve the parcel??? Courier attended unsolicited and left a missed u card stating that parcel was left outside my property? I contacted the customer service manager via email and advised them of the discrepancy of the alledged delivery, and complained about everything from personal inconviniences, having to investigate an issue that wasnt my responsibility, to the embarrassment of my neighbours thinking I was questioning their honesty. I mentioned the Sales of good act, and distant selling reg and asked when I'd recieve my order? No reply given, so contacted them again. Without any personal reply I receieved an automated email advising me of a new dispatch date for my order in part as an item was no longer avaliable. I also noted that the partial refund they made for the missing item was for a sum lower than the item cost! I am extremely disgruntled as the customer service manager hasn't had the respect to reply to my email directly. I've had no formal apology. Nobody communicated with me to arrange a new delivery date one was just allocated. Given the circumstances I feel i should have been asked if I wanted an alternative item at the very least. And now I've been shortened a refund. Having shopped with them quite a few times in the past I'm so displeased at being treated this way.

I have been researching debt issues on this forum for a while now and feel that a request for help would be less time consuming, so here is a little background and then our problem. My Wife and I are Directors of a limited company and have been trading in the kitchen business for many years. All of our business is retail and we have managed to keep trading profitably through the recession because we do a good job, offer value for money and are honest people that treat others as we would expect to be treated. We design and install kitchens including project managing the complete process from start to finish, most of our projects are in the mid to high end of the market ranging from £15K to the most recent project of £75K although we have also completed this year a couple of £5k kitchens bgecause as they say..every little helps. Back in 2004 we took on a £120K complete house renovation for an english client that lived in the US but purchased a home in the UK to "do up" so when she moved back to the UK she would have the perfect home. The work commenced with a timetable and agreed staged payments throughout the 9 month renovation. Towards the end of the project her sister (who lived locally to the home) and her decided to spare no expense so accepted that the project could run up to £180k as the house was a bargain to buy and they would get their money back. They were sent prices by email and full photographic email updates during the project and were very happy with the service and quality of work. The last statement supplied showed that there was the agreed £25K invoice due immediately and another Invoice due early in 2005 for the additional £25K of extras due to be paid in the spring of 2005. A cheque was received for £25K in December '04 by courier and email receipt sent. The work was completed as promised and money chased a couple of times verbally and on good friendly terms. Mid 2005 the house was burgled whilst unoccupied so we were called out to put things right, they were politely reminded that there was still a large sum outstanding but in view of the emergency we would carry out the work for £975 which they agreed. Later that year they had some curtains made and fitted so now the total debt is around £31K. They have acknowledged the debt is still outstanding by email so we do not believe this debt to be statute barred although they claim it is. We started to agressively chase the debt once we found out that they had sold their US business and could now affort to pay all the debt off. They are now claiming that they did send us a cheque in 2005 for £25K but we have not received anything from them and have supplied a bank statement showing this amount leaving their account but of course this could have been made to anyone and does not prove that it was paid to us. I contacted their bank who said that as the cheque was over six years old they could not provide a copy but if there was any form of fraud that they could supply a copy of the cheque. This information was passed on our client but they emailed back that they wanted to go through their solicitors. We could instruct solicitors and run up thousands of pounds of costs or possibly use a debt collector, there must be someone here that has been in a similar situation that could advise us? We look forward to any help you can offer. Thanks in advance. Steve

Compare and contrast with http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?356933-Oxford-Retail-Loss-Prevention-A-Retailer-JudgmentDebenhams v Gee, transcript of hearing.pdf DEBE1105APP.pdf

Don't believe me? Hear it for yourself [video=youtube;LibdhY-ARlo]

Denis MacShane http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmpublic/defamation/120626/pm/120626s01.htm

As above, received a letter from a private company who patrol a retail estate on their "clients private property" "Reason: on roadway/pavement/grassed hatched or coloured area" they state they want "£75 or reduced to £65 if paid within 7 days" an extra £5 to pay by credit or debit card! £10 for photographic evidence on reading this site and elsewhere, ive decided its best not to appeal, ignore a few letters then throw bill of rights acts letter etc at them and anything i can to do with contractual law etc i know when the car was at the retail park, it was when the wife ran into a store to get something while i waited in the car with my sleeping child in the carseat, probably about 5-7mins tops, and although not in a designated parking bay, i wasnt in a throughroad or anything like that, i think there may be double yellows, but didnt see any wardens, or told to move or anything like that, not that any of it matters, but would you still suggest i just keep ignoring the letters etc? thanks M

Hello everyone, I'm a newbie here - and I think I may have made a dreadful mistake today... I'm sorry if the following sounds really flaky - we've not slept for a few days (newborn baby) and I think I've learnt a valuable lesson about shopping when sleep-deprived and not on the ball! I bought a bed in FV today, originally having just gone in to look at the model (they are very good salespeople, aren't they?). As part of the deal, I was told I had to buy 2 items to get the 15% discount. I bought a mattress protector but was a bit surprised to see that it was £119. I thought that might be what they cost and thought I could look up prices to check when I got home (I thought - perhaps erroneously - that I could take it back if it was overpriced). We ordered a bed this afternoon (Saturday) and took the 0% credit option. But as we've recently had account problems (phishing) there is a stop on our credit - and told FV this before we ordered (the bed is made to order). They said it would be fine - they'd take our deposit and if the stop was on, we could get it lifted and then they'd go ahead with the order. We signed the agreement, they haven't yet and it will only go through when the stop is lifted. I came home an googled mattress protectors and saw just how overpriced our was and to make matters worse the bed is overpriced by £££ too. Obviously, we wouldn't want to pay over the odds for the bed. Can we cancel the bed tomorrow (Sunday) and get our deposit back, as the agreement hasn't been activated - or does our signing it activate it? (We'd take the mattress protector back as well) Obviously if the bed had been made and the order was underway, we'd just mark it down to bad luck but can we cancel if we do it asap? I'm really sorry if this sounds like a really stupid thing to have done. But I'd be very grateful for any advice you could give me. And apologies if this post rambles a bit. Thank you v much Mme Cholet

Hi! I just joined to ask a question as I am in dispute with the sellers currently and need advice. I ordered some goods on Monday to be delivered on Wednesday between 9am and 5.30pm. I paid £9.99 for this exact delivery slot as it's the last day off I have before Christmas so I really needed it then. It didn't turn up and instead I got an email this morning saying they were delivering it today whilst I was at work. I'm angry because I now cannot get the item as I have no 'safe place' on the property to leave it, it's not suitable to be bought to work as I then would have to somehow get it home without a car and there is no one else around to collect it. All I am asking for is a refund but so far the company have been very rude and unhelpful about the whole thing. Where do I stand on this? Am I right to be complaining to the company who won't even refund my delivery charge let alone the items I now will not be able to get? I know the issue of the delivery lies with the delivery company but the sellers are the ones I paid so it is surely in their hands to make sure their side of the deal is lived up to? I'm getting very confused as I read somewhere I am entitled to a refund if the items did not come within 30 days OR ON DATE AGREED by seller and buyer. However I then read these rules aren't the same for perishable items like food. If anyone can help I am extremely grateful as the customer service of the place is awful, I'd like to know what is right and wrong.

Hi all, Purchased a "Hotpoint" fridge/freezer from Next (online) in Feb 2009 and it's now packed up (freezer section kept icing up really badly and fridge light kept going on and off and has now just shorted and electric my Husband). At time of writing it's 19 months after the purchase date so past the manufacturers 12 month warranty period. I did not purchase any extended warranty from Next or Hotpoint (Fridge/Freezer Manufacture). I just wondering what the next best action to take would be, should I contact Next or Hotpoint. Would be grateful if those in the know could let me know what they think. Any help/guidance appreciated, thanks.

I have been working for my employer, a supermarket for nearly 2 years. In the summer, our store had self scan tills installed. During the training, a person outside the company did it and showed all the screens. On the reused bags screen, a colleague asked on the lines of 'Whats there to stop you from entering the maximum number of bags everytime you use it?' The trainer laughed and said 'How much is few points extra to (supermarket). I work on the checkouts. On Saturday, I clocked in as per usual and reported to the supervisor station at the checkouts. Line Manager was there and asked me to go the Managers Office. In the office, I was told by the deputy store manager that out of the 40 times I have used the ss tills since they became live, I have inputted the maximum number of bags 22 times. He had print outs of my loyalty card transactions from the past 4 months. I was in a state of shock and was then forced to write down names of colleagues that were doing this as well as I commented that others were doing it. I was in shock and put names down which I couldn't acknowledge if they done it and put ? by those names. I was then suspended on full pay til further notice The thing is I have seen customers doing this as well. As an employee, I have been caught as I swipe my discount card after swiping my loyalty card. I reckon it happens across all stores and all those stores that reward extra points for reusing their own bags. I have my investigation on Thursday - won't get an outcome on that day. I feel bad, angry and ask why was I the one being caught. As part of the suspension rules, I am not allowed to talk to colleagues and visit the store. A few hours of me being suspended, I met up with the union rep - who works on checkouts at a pub carpark, 150 yards from work. Guess who walks past us? My favourite colleague who is such a dear friend to me. She asked what was I doing in my civvies with (UR's name) when I was at work. I said, 'I can't talk'. Her face sank. It was the most painful thing I have seen unrelated to illness and grieving for a love in anyone's face. It breaks my heart being unable to tell her or see her during the process. It looked like her heart was breaking too. At times of need and help, I am unable to get it! I am so worried that I will get dismissed. I will tell the deputy manager that I am regretting my actions, am ashamed and apologise. The thing is I did notice when I visited another store today. The manned tills' keypad has 123 as the top line of numbers. The ss tills top row is 789. I normally use 3 bags (as I walk home) and I just pressed the top right hand number on the bags reused without looking at the screen. I cannot justify this as a reason for all transactions - especially those that are just a few quid! Ok for £15. I am dyslexic and recently had an eye op where I had 2 weeks off sick. One of the problems with my eye condition pre and post op is that I experience bad glare. The angle of the ss screens along with the lights above them make them difficult to read at various angles, depending on which ss till I use. I don't have an issue working on manned tills as I can adjust the height and tilt of the screen. The ss tills are fixed. I did post a thread on another website forum and many posters kept mentioning my dyslexia and eye condition are just excuses. Work will not tell my colleagues why I'm not at work. They will say I am sick. I don't phone in sick willy nilly and this will raise suspicions This is really getting me down. I am fed up, unable to discuss this with my parents as they would make matters worse, unable to talk to my colleagues and cannot relax. I have times where I just cry - I am not a crying person and want to keep my job.