ASK TONY: Why does John Lewis keep sending me faulty iPads?

I bought an iPad from John Lewis in September 2017. I started having problems, so they suggested I send it back. Three weeks later, a reconditioned iPad was returned to me.

In the past three years, I have had three reconditioned iPads — always with problems.

With the latest one, I am having to charge it several times a day, and it keeps freezing so I have to turn it off and on again.

I wrote to John Lewis in Cardiff. It told me I had been sent a new iPad, but I believe it to be a reconditioned one. 

Mrs P. H., Carmarthenshire.  

Screen shot: Mrs P.H. keeps getting sent reconditioned iPads from John Lewis

You were right! It seems that Apple, the manufacturer, may send out reconditioned iPads when customers send back faulty ones.

This means you get an iPad returned faster — but can mean the one sent back is not the one you sent for repair.

It also means that parts are being reused, which is important to protect the environment. 

Apple’s policy is to: repair your product using new or used parts that are equivalent to new in performance and reliability; or replace it with the same model — or with your consent a similar product — formed from new and/or used parts that are equivalent to new; or refund your purchase.

An Apple spokesman says: ‘When a product or part is replaced or a refund provided, any replacement item becomes your property and the replaced or refunded item becomes Apple’s property.

‘A replacement part or product or a repaired Apple product assumes the remaining warranty of the original Apple product or 90 days from the date of replacement or repair, whichever provides longer coverage.’

With regards to your iPad, John Lewis has come to the rescue. You received a home visit to present you with a new iPad, which was personally set up for you. Now that’s service!

John Lewis says it operated to its usual return procedures — i.e. returning your iPad to Apple for repair — but it recognises the inconvenience caused to you.

It’s also worth bearing in mind that, in such cases, it doesn’t matter what the warranty says — your contract is with the retailer and, ultimately, it is for them to sort it out.

I will turn 90 in November and suffer from a bad memory bordering on dementia.

I have had a Gold account with TSB (and Lloyds) for around 40 years. This gives me certain benefits, as long as I have £2,000 in the account.

However, I was short of money at Christmas, and think I may have made a withdrawal.

I had a burglary in March when all my cards were stolen from my safe, which was ripped off the wall.

I have since noticed three sums of money taken from my account over three months, totalling £37.18.

When I approached TSB, it put me on a complaints list, but I cannot get an answer.

W. D., Nottinghamshire.

The good news is that this is not linked to the burglary. TSB confirms there is no fee on the Gold service account as long as your balance remains above £2,000. You ran your account within these limits for many years.

However, when you made a withdrawal that pushed you below this limit, an account fee was charged in February, March and April.

When you visited the branch, they arranged for your account to be downgraded to a Classic, which meant there would be no more fees.

Fair enough. But, given your age and your memory problems, I am at a loss to understand why the branch did not simply refund the three months’ money when you raised the issue.

TSB has apologised for any confusion caused and, as a goodwill gesture, refunded the £37.18.

A spokesperson says: ‘We’re really sorry for the experience our customer has had and the inconvenience this has caused him. It’s clear we should have refunded the fees when he initially visited our branch.’

Your initial upgrade was handled during the time that TSB was part of Lloyds. As a result, the branch — and a later letter — told you that you’d need to get in touch with Lloyds about any complaints regarding this.

However, your complaint was not about the initial upgrade — it was simply a misunderstanding over why the monthly fee had been charged.

One TSB customer said they were put on a complaints list and are still waiting for an answer

One TSB customer said they were put on a complaints list and are still waiting for an answer 

I am trying to trace a ten-year Royal Scottish Assurance (RSA) investment policy I was sold in 1984, which I’d forgotten about.

My husband contacted Aviva, which we thought had taken over some RSA policies.

It sent us to Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) — which sent us back to Aviva.

Aviva then wrote to say the policy matured in 1994, and it took over RBS policies in 2011.

I have been back to RBS several times, but appear to be receiving standard letters of dismissal.

Mrs L. M., Middlesex.

The first possibility that occurs to me is that the policy did indeed mature and you either spent or reinvested the money — 25 years is a long time, after all.

Nevertheless, I have tried to track down your policy. Aviva pointed out that RSA used Scottish Equitable to administer some policies, including those with numbers similar to yours.

This firm has since become Aegon, which was unable to find the specific policy you mentioned. However, it did uncover another policy belonging to you.

Yet you have told me this is a separate pension policy you took out. So we again draw a blank.

Perhaps you cashed in the policy — but we may never be sure.

STRAIGHT TO THE POINT 

I bought a multifunction oven from Currys in Chichester for £379, which came with £100 cashback. But the Currys website kept crashing when I tried to upload a photo of the receipt to claim the cashback, and I had to abandon the attempt. I am 83 and my wife is 78. If you can help, we will be very much relieved.

D. D., Chichester, W. Sussex.

Currys says it is sorry you experienced problems while trying to upload the receipt and it has now paid the cashback to your account.

A friend told me I’m eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment. What is this?

S. P., London.

The Winter Fuel Payment is a tax-free sum of between £100 and £300 to help with your heating bills. If you have had it before, you should receive your payment at some point between November and December.

If you think you are eligible and haven’t had it before, call 0800 731 0160 before March 31, 2020, to make a claim.

I read that you can claim a refund for faulty goods under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act if you use your credit card to make a purchase of less than £100. Is this right?

K. H., by email.

You are right that you benefit from extra protection if you spend using a credit card. To make a Section 75 claim, the item bought must have cost between £100 and £30,000. You only need to use your credit card to pay some of the bill — even just £1 — to benefit from the extra protection.

However, if you buy through a third party, such as PayPal, and not direct from a retailer, then you may not be covered.

We paid £66.60, plus £5 for parking, to stay one night at the Ibis Budget hotel in Barking. A security guard told us where to leave the car in the hotel compound but, a few days after we left, we received a parking fine for £100.

A. M., Portsmouth.

The hotel says there are clear signs in its car park explaining that guests need to pay and register their car at reception. It says you did not register your details, however it will be refunding the cost of your room and the £5 parking as a gesture of goodwill.

Write to Tony Hazell at Ask Tony, Money Mail, Northcliffe House, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TT or email [email protected] — please include your daytime phone number, postal address and a separate note addressed to the offending organisation giving them permission to talk to Tony Hazell. We regret we cannot reply to individual letters. Please do not send original documents as we cannot take responsibility for them. No legal responsibility can be accepted by the Daily Mail for answers given. 

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