Please chase progress with suppliers

While thanking you for your confidence in our efforts to help you, for the umpteenth time, I must ask complainants to chase the progress of their cases with the suppliers while copying me in.

After ten years of compiling this weekly column, we have hundreds of consumers who have mastered the art of using this column accordingly. They successfully resolve their cases by chasing the progress with the suppliers as explained above. Every chaser sent and copied in to us is followed by a chaser from us.

Most suppliers co-operate with us because they would rather not be publicly exposed as being unco-operative with their customers.

However, after all these years, despite the publication of our terms and conditions in bold print with every column and despite repeated messages, too many complainants refer their cases to this column and expect us to do the chasing on their behalf. Indeed, we still receive messages like "please could you chase on my behalf and advise".

At this point, with regret, we have no option but to ignore such messages exactly as these readers ignore our repeated pleas.

However, to encourage complainants, I will refer to one of the many cases which are positively concluded once they are referred to this column.

As often happens in such cases, the suppliers (Terranova) at first were not exactly co-operative. Therefore, on January 9, Roberta Vella wrote to me and copied Terranova in. Subsequently Terranova changed their stance. Indeed on having received their copy of the letter, their constructive reaction led to another positively concluded case. Here follows the concluding letter from a satisfied customer:

On January 9, I wrote to you about a Christmas present which cannot be changed. I had a problem with Terranova about a pair of trousers. I am pleased to write to you again but this time I am writing to inform you that the problem has been solved. Today they phoned me and assured me that they will give me a credit note which can be used till the sale ends.

Continue doing what you are doing because you are helping many consumers who have problems. (Roberta Vella)

While thanking Terranova for their co-operation and positive reaction, I encourage you, dear complainants, to chase the progress of your cases with the suppliers while, in the process, copying me in. On my part I am prepared to do as Ms Vella asked.