Mis-selling of discount vouchers

[geoffwill]

My 16 year old daughter and her friend were harrassed into buying four vouchers at �10 each for discount sessions at a boutique chain, New ID. The sale occurred in Southampton, the outlets are in London, Brum and Manchester. In the Terms and Conditions, the vouchers can only be used by 18 year olds and over, and the seller had asked their ages. I have pursued the company, UK invites, and their boss James O'Brien who has given me false addresses and not replied having promised to return the monies within 28 days. I have a mobile number but no confirmed address. What are my options? Though the money isn't massive, the principle is, and the money was my daughter's own earned cash.

[bednobs]

does it say the vouchers can't be bought by anyone under 18 though - she could have been buying them for someone else? Did your daughter actually ask where the boutiques were? She presumably had the chance to say no if she wanted to? To be honest, it's probably best chalked up to experience on her part. Clever selling does not necassarily mean mis-selling if they out and out lied then yes, but it seems their sin was ommission

[geoffwill]

I understand the 'put it down to experience' line which I used myself when discussing it with my daughter. The fact that the seller commented 'I didn't want to hear that' on asking their age and then continuing to harass them is the initial point. Then the UK Invite boss, giving me an address he left two months prior (I tried to deliver by hand), then giving me a second false address (registered mail returned), and then promising to send a refund within 28 days and cancelling the vouchers. Clever selling maybe, but lying and deception is something else.

[fredpuli47]

Sounds like a case which may fall within the powers of your local Trading Standards Department in Southampton. Give them a try.Mis-selling of various kinds falls within their remit.
Like you, I'm not satisfied with 'put it down to experience' (though I'd tell my daughter that too, so she'd be more canny next time). If a trader is using questionable practices for gain it doesn't matter whether they make only a penny a time, thousands of times over, and rely upon thousands thinking 'it's not worth fussing over' or they do it once for a couple of hundred pounds or more.In both cases they are taking money they ought not to have .

[Buenchico]

I agree with Fred that you should contact Trading Standards. You can find your local office here:
http://www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/search/dbas e/searchlocal.cfm

However, you might get faster results through the media. Try the 'big guns' first:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/consumer/tv_and_radio/wat chdog/contact_index.shtml

If they're not interested, try BBC Radio Solent:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/hampshire/content/article s/2006/11/30/solent_contact_feature.shtml
or the Daily Echo:
http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/contactus/

Chris