Q: I recently bought an ink cartridge for my printer for €22. When I tried to use it, it did not work. It was meant to be compatible with my printer. I have bought similar ink cartridges from the shop and never had any problems.

I returned the cartridge to the shop to have it replaced but the salesperson refused my request. Instead, they requested that I take my printer to the shop so they could check whether the ink cartridge is really incompatible, whether I had used the cartridge and whether I was trying to get one for free.

It is inconvenient to take the printer to the shop, as it is quite bulky. Also, I do not see why I have to go through all this for ink I bought and paid for and which does not work. As the shop owner is insisting he does not have a printer on which to test the ink cartridge, it was finally decided we would wait until the seller could test the cartridge on a similar printer.

I have not heard anything from the shop owner. Since I needed the cartridge urgently, I had to buy another one from another shop, which works fine. So there must be nothing wrong with my printer. What are my rights? Can I lodge a complaint with the MCCAA?

A: Since the ink cartridge was only purchased a few weeks ago and it seems to be defective, the seller should provide you with a free solution, which should be a replacement of the ink cartridge. If the seller does not agree that the ink cartridge was defective, legally it is up to the seller to prove that you damaged it or that you have used it all. In other words, the burden of proof is on the seller.

If you do not manage to reach an amicable solution with the seller, you may file a complaint with the Office for Consumer Affairs within the Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority.