The ABC of teleshopping

The letter TV Shopping by Patricia Falzon (August 20) brings to mind a similar experience my wife had with A to Z TV Shopping.

It all started with my wife ordering a four-piece radio offer for Lm13 by phoning A to Z TV shopping on 2149 0004/5. This was on the October 24, 2005, and on the 28th the goods were delivered to our door. When we tried to operate them we found that the hair dryer did not function on one of the three different modes; the radio had a permanent hissing sound and the rest were all defective.

Within two days of the delivery, we took them back for a refund, as per the law that gives the buyer of goods delivered to one's door 15 days grace to get his money back, whatever the reason. We searched all over Triq is-Sebh, Qormi for a door with the misnomer Eversweet, of all names! When we asked at the workshops and shops around the area we were told that, probably, it was a dirty white door with four steps leading to it; no name.

We were met by a very young lady, with the door just ajar, who gave us a credit note that was valid for just two months. We refused the credit note and insisted on having our money back, upon which the young lady said: "If you take the credit note at least you'll have something to show that you returned the goods!" So we had no other option, except to make a scene, but accept the credit note.

Next day we went to the offices of the Consumer and Competition Division in Valletta, where, after stating the facts about the case, we were given a standard receipt of our claim. Later on we were asked to pay Lm4 administrative fees and the first sitting of the tribunal was held on April 20, 2006. Needless to say, A to Z never even showed up for that or any other sitting of this tribunal.

Eventually, after many enquiring phone calls to their offices, on August 31, 2006 we were given the official ruling by the tribunal that A to Z should reimburse us the initial outlay plus any additional expenses incurred.

Though we have been contacted a few times by the office of the Consumer Tribunal to ask whether we have heard anything from A to Z nothing else happened to vindicate our cause.

This experience thought me that if one finds oneself in a similar situation, one should count one's losses and let it go. That is better than ending up in trouble or, worse, six feet under with a burst vein!