My son bought a music book as a gift from a Music Store that is a small chain of shops operating in the midlands and north-west. It was a gift but the recipient unfortunately already had that item. He returned the product within five days unopened with a receipt in the original packaging and asked for a full refund, as the item was clearly re-saleable. To his astonishment and despair, the manager of the shop made him feel like a criminal by suggesting that he could have simply bought the book to photocopy the music and return it. No refund was offered, no exchange, no credit note, nothing. Citizens Advice suggested to him that he should try to sell the book on EBay!! They also stated that the shop had every right not to refund and that they could set whatever terms and conditions they wished. Trading Standards, who are extremely difficult to get hold of nowadays, eventually suggested that the shop was also within its rights and should my son require any direct help, he should contact ...... Citizens Advice Bureau!! Once upon a time, Citizens Advice Bureau were quite useful and of service - they used to employ people who were qualified to offer legal advice. Nowadays, unfortunately, they are mostly run by 11,000 volunteers who do little more than look on-line for advice. But don't be put off. Stand up for your Statutory Rights. Who ever heard of such nonsense coming from a shop? This shop also failed to adequately display its Refund Policy, dubious as it was stating that all refunds/exchanges can only be offered at the manager's discretion if returned within 7 days. Trading Standards interested in visiting this errant shop? Absolutely not. I don't suppose this had anything to do with it being in the Intu Centre and part of a chain? No doubt Trading Standards find it easier to tackle the Corner Shop or independent restaurant etc. Martin's Money Tips helped. My son took this shop to the Small Claims Court and quoted the Sale of Goods Act 1979 (which has recently been superceded by the Consumer Rights Act 2015). The shop has been ordered to refund my son in full and pay his expenses in taking this action. Bailiffs next if they don't pay up. How ridiculous refunding or exchanging an item retailing at only £10.95 has come to this. The local newspaper are aware of this story but have so far not put it in print. No doubt keeping an eye on their reliance for advertising from the Intu Centre. That is the way the world works, isn't it?

Thanks for your input. I am in touch with the ICO. I was in touch with them 3 years ago regarding getting my son's medical records when he was first taken ill and it took them 18 months to respond! I have got my MP involved now and if I decide to get the ICO involved seriously, I'll ask him to do it. Surely, they will not take so long to answer him. We have had a bit more info this morning from social services. We are squeezing bits out of them gradually and they are still playing dirty in not setting out in correct order who contact whom (and still omitting content of communications). But gradually, they are implicating themselves more and more.

My son who was 17 last year (18 now) has suffered from paranoia on and off for 3 years. He has had three spells in hospital. Gladly, he is now making significant progress and there is light at the end of a very long tunnel, due mostly to the love and support of my wife and myself and our pursuit of alternative treatments not available on the NHS. However, living with a son suffering this illness I would not wish on anyone. The changes in his character to self-destruct and behave violently towards ourselves and our home coupled with no support whatsoever from the authorities, took some handling. Data Protection issues. The social services were involved without our knowledge or my son's knowledge and there were moves to have him accommodated with my estranged sister whom I or my family have had no contact with for more than 4 years. My sister had no knowledge that my son even had an illness, let alone that he was in hospital. Yet she was contacted and agreed to accommodate him over Xmas even though my son's discharge was not even on the agenda and home-leave over Xmas period had not been discussed with the hospital ward staff. My son was at home over Xmas and was eventually discharged in March this year. He now lives in community accommodation which is helping him to grow. Data Protection. The Council and Health Authority are ducking, diving, lying and omitting what went off. They know they have breached patient confidentality big time. As the courts are apparently hell-bent on protecting the authority against the common person, I think we may have more success finding out where the particular individuals at the centre of this scandal live and invoicing them directly on a personal level for damages, then taking them through the small claims courts for non-payment if they don't cough up. Anyone out there with knowledge of this course of action? It may be a first.