Editor's Blog4 mins ago
Money Owed.. Or Is It?
14 Answers
(sorry if in wrong section)
I recently purchased a pram and car seat from babies r us using a service they call 'layaway' where you pay off bit by bit over a period of time and then receive the goods at the end. After various payments made by both my mother and I, I went in to pay the remainder and pick up the goods. I thought i had to pay off £75 which was left but when i got there the cashier only charged me £25 to which i replied 'oh is that all that's left to pay' and he replied yes. I assumed my mum had paid more than we agreed she would when she paid some off previous to me so i just went ahead and paid the £25 and took my pram and car seat home that day. When i got back i phoned my mum to thank her but she said she hadn't paid more than we agreed and therefore i should have been charged £75 not £25 however i now have the goods at home so thought nothing more of it to be honest just that I'd had a lucky day! Now four weeks on I've received a letter through the post from toys r us stating that 'although it was through no fault of your own you still owe us £50' and are demanding i pay it. Are they allowed to do that? Yes i should of owed that but it was their mistake and i now already have the pram and car seat so what can they do?
I recently purchased a pram and car seat from babies r us using a service they call 'layaway' where you pay off bit by bit over a period of time and then receive the goods at the end. After various payments made by both my mother and I, I went in to pay the remainder and pick up the goods. I thought i had to pay off £75 which was left but when i got there the cashier only charged me £25 to which i replied 'oh is that all that's left to pay' and he replied yes. I assumed my mum had paid more than we agreed she would when she paid some off previous to me so i just went ahead and paid the £25 and took my pram and car seat home that day. When i got back i phoned my mum to thank her but she said she hadn't paid more than we agreed and therefore i should have been charged £75 not £25 however i now have the goods at home so thought nothing more of it to be honest just that I'd had a lucky day! Now four weeks on I've received a letter through the post from toys r us stating that 'although it was through no fault of your own you still owe us £50' and are demanding i pay it. Are they allowed to do that? Yes i should of owed that but it was their mistake and i now already have the pram and car seat so what can they do?
Answers
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write back to them and say that you queried it at the time and was told that was all you had left to pay and that as it is their error you expect them to write the loss off. For £50 i think they probably would, its certainly worth a try
10:43 Fri 17th Jan 2014
They are perfectly within their rights to ask for the outstanding sum. Whether they would be prepared to pursue it through the Courts should you choose to ignore it is debatable. Why don't you acknowledge their mistake and make an offer of say £25 - that way you might get away with it without any hassle ?
As others have said, all that they are asking for is the balance outstanding on the amount that you agreed to pay at the outset. So yes you do owe the money. From a legal point you might be able to claim estoppel (see last night's thread on that !) but i don't think the case will be strong.
You could offer to pay it in instalments over maybe 3 months and they may accept that, or you could ask for a discount for the inconvenience (tell them you have now spent the money and will need to take out a loan)
You could offer to pay it in instalments over maybe 3 months and they may accept that, or you could ask for a discount for the inconvenience (tell them you have now spent the money and will need to take out a loan)
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