Conference govt02::basingstoke

    I'd advise going to the Trading Standards Department. I've found them very
    useful in the past for this sort of thing. I think the Basingstoke one
    is somewhere near the Job Centre.
    
    Ian.

Get it repaired elsewhere then sue...

    See if he's a member of a guild, (jewellers), then complain to them.
    
    	Any repair by anyone should carry some sort of warrenty.
    
    		Richard
    f

    
    Is this the jewellers opposite the Halifax? I don't think I'll use them
    if thats how they treat customers.
    
    Angela

    Re: the last note, as I'm not allowed to give the name in notes, I'll
    contact you separately.
    
    How do I find out if he's a member of the jeweller's guild?  Any help
    would be appreciated.  I've been trying to ring the CAB for the last
    three days.  They seem very hard to get in touch with!  So I'm planning
    to go in tomorrow as I think they are open for a couple of hours on
    Saturday mornings.
    
    Regards,
    
    Karen

    No need to give the name. Just tell us if it's the one opposite the
    Halifax!   (Handy if it is, it's just a stone's throw from the Tading
    Standards Office).
    
    Ian. 

    If the Halifax is on Winchester Street, just of the market square in
    the old part of town, then YES!
    
    I've just spoken to the CAB.  And it's bad news.  The woman there said
    I don't have a leg to stand on as I didn't get the quote for the
    exact work to be carried out in writing.  It will be my word against
    his.  I don't stand a change with the small cliams court, and the
    Trading Standards people don't look at individual cases!  
    
    I'm very upset.  How can this man get away with cheating me like this?
    It looks like I'm left with writing a complaint to him...
    I can't just give in, but with no paperwork the small claims will just
    dismiss it.  Any ideas?
    
    Thanks,
    
    Karen

    I agree with Ian. He is a trader, and he is bound by the Sale of Goods
    Act, and a repair he undertakes must be of reasonable quality, and it
    clearly was not.
    
    I would return, and ask him nicely once more to give you a refund. If
    he does not, write to him formally, stating the basis for your claim.
    
    If and when he replies - give him a reasonable deadline - you can
    decide how to proceed from there.
    
    Steve

	If after writing and asking nicely you get no satisfaction then perhaps 
at the risk of embarrassing yourself a little you might consider more direct 
action.

	Standing outside his shop and speaking to potential customers on the 
lines of "I was unhappy with a repair that I had done here" or walking around 
with sandwich boards that simply state :

	"I have not been satisfied with the service from this shop"

	Is not libellous but might make him think twice about treating you in 
such a blatantly unfair way.

	I can recommend the above approach (not the sandwich boards I must 
admit) as it forced a garage that I was in dispute with to come around to my 
way of thinking.

Nigel

    I think .10 is skating on slightly thin ice. If you approach somebody
    saying "I am dissatisfied with the service here", they will want to
    know more. Once you are forced into conversation, you start to get off
    your "script", and are more likely to be tempted into allegations which
    you cannot prove. In my judgement, once you are communicating with
    third parties, you are far safer doing it in writing, where you can
    ensure everything said is exactly what you mean.
    
    Steve

Thanks to everyone for your interest and encouragement...

I've now spoken to the Trading Standards office and they have told me 
that they think I have a fair case.  They've advised me to send a 
letter by recorded delivery to the jeweller explaining all the details 
and asking for a refund on the grounds that the repair was not 
satisfactory, and saying that I will be taking legal action if I do not 
recieve a reply.  Then, if I don't hear anything I should take the 
matter to the County Court. 

They said that I'm within my rights to complain and the fact that the 
jeweller wouldn't guarantee his work doesn't count.  I should be 
covered by the Supply of Goods and Services Act.

I feel it's worth going to go for this course of action.

Wish me luck!

Karen
 

    Good on ya!
    
    Let us know how you get on.
    
    Steve

As I haven't heard heard anything from the jeweller I'm now completing 
the form for the county court.

Regards,

Karen

    The jeweller has replied to the County Court summons saying he is
    within his rights not to refund me.  The preliminary hearing is
    now set for December.
    
    Regards,
    
    Karen

I feel I should convey my good news...

I went to the County Court today for the preliminary hearing.  As the 
jeweller had decided not to turn up the registrar made an award in my favour.
The jeweller has 14 days in which to pay for the cost of the repair, plus the 
court fee; in total 47 pounds.

As you can probably imagine, I'm feeling pretty happy right now.

Thanks again for all your support and good wishes.  It's been a long 
wait, but it's been a worthwhile one.

Karen

Well done Karen...

To be honest I'm surprised how quick this has been to be resolved...

I thought taking something through the Courts would taker much longer!


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