SALLY SORTS IT won back £1,064,994 for readers in 2024… here are her six top tips for complaining to companies

Sally Sorts is delighted to reveal that the column will earn back more than £1 million for readers in 2024.

While I’m thrilled by the total, I’m proud of every penny I’ve helped return to readers’ pockets.

The aim of the column is to help put things right for readers who are struggling to resolve matters on their own and hopefully achieve a fair outcome, whether the financial outcome is a few pounds or six figures refunded or wiped out.

One of the smaller victories was the cancellation of a £100 parking charge for a woman who had struggled to download and use a parking app and left the car park 15 minutes later without having parked her car.

My inbox is full of drivers frustrated by unfair fines imposed by parking companies.

The grand total included cash given as compensation, reimbursement of fraud losses, previously denied insurance payments, money released from accounts hitherto held captive or lost by banks and investment firms, legitimate reimbursements withheld, sometimes for up to a year , and erroneous refunds. waived invoices.

One of last year’s biggest wins was when a reader got in touch after estate manager St James’s Place made a mistake after cashing in his investments to pay a £213,197 inheritance tax bill, so he disappeared within HM Revenue and Customs.

Following my intervention, the company made a second payment of the same amount to the tax collector so that the reader would not be penalized for the late payment (and gave the reader £500 for the rush), while chasing the tax collector. taxes to refund the original misdirected payment. .

Adding together the large and small cases, the total recovered was £1,064,994. My mission is to ensure that financial providers and consumer businesses treat readers fairly.

Too often, it seems that organizations show a reckless disregard for their customers. Whether it’s overreliance on robotic customer service systems or poor staff training, there are many situations that leave customers furious because they can’t resolve a simple complaint.

It amazes me that some companies remove customers with valid issues too quickly. For example, I covered two cases where policyholders made a claim on critical illness policies but were rejected when they mentioned they had suffered cardiac arrest.

But following my intervention, their medical conditions were fully investigated and in the end, in both cases, the insurers involved, LV= and Aviva, found ways to pay out £50,000 each to their policyholders.

My hope is that organizations that slipped up in 2024 decide not to repeat the same mistakes.

But I confidently predict that consumer advocates will not be out of a job in 2025.

As with any long-running drama, some actors have regular roles in this column. Transport for London (erroneous charges), British Airways (unforeseen compensation) and Tesco Bank (several, including doubling of driver’s premium following a case of mistaken identity) have all appeared more than once over the past year.

Faceless scammers appeared on several occasions, from those posing as caring banks tricking victims over the phone into transferring their balances to “safe” accounts, to the nasty taxi scam in Paris, where a cheeky driver charged a reader 500 euros for a five-minute taxi ride. .

Some financial organizations offered refunds after I intervened (John Lewis for the taxi scam), but others (Revolut and Chase Bank) stubbornly refused despite my best efforts, forcing customers to seek help from the ombudsman.

There have been cases where money was not the most concerning aspect of a complaint.

One episode involved a woman whose late husband’s ashes were mislabeled by a funeral home attendant, leaving her tormented over whether they belonged to him.

At my request, Co-op Funeralcare carried out further investigations. He concluded that the ashes were his, but the widow remained upset.

It was a small compensation but he was awarded £750 and the company confirmed it had retrained staff.

The large number of cases investigated last year yielded a number of practical tips that all readers can use if something similar goes wrong. And if this doesn’t work, please contact me at the email below.

1. DRAFTING OF THE STUDY POLICY

A Curry’s customer was denied full cover for repairs to a computer damaged when it fell into a canal, despite paying £800 in insurance premiums over the years for the retailer’s policy which promised to repair it for free.

The wording showed that he was entitled to free repair. One point said: “If you need support and advice or for any reason your Product is not working.” . . we will repair the Product or replace it.’

2. KNOW WHERE THE PURCHASES COME FROM

A reader purchased a wig from what she thought was a British company: wigsell.co.uk.

But when she wanted to return the ugly hairpiece in the wrong colour, it turned out the products were sent directly from China and it would cost £50 to return the £66 wig.

At my suggestion, you made a successful chargeback claim through your credit card provider.

This is a voluntary scheme operated by banks where card transactions can be reversed if products turn out to be of poor quality, not as described or do not arrive.

Remember to check the return policy and where you are purchasing before making a purchase, and if all else fails, consider filing a chargeback claim.

With chargeback, a bank can withdraw funds sent to a retailer and return them to your account.

Typically, customers must do this within 120 days of the disputed transaction.

3. USE SECTION 75 OF THE CONSUMER CREDIT ACT

This important law helped several readers out of a difficult situation last year. Like chargeback, but established by law, it protects customers who make purchases of more than £100 and less than £30,000.

It means that a credit card provider is equally liable for a breach of contract or misrepresentation by a retailer.

In one case I solved, it allowed a woman to receive a full refund after she bought £12,000 worth of clothing from online fashion brand Matches shortly before going bankrupt.

4. SEEK HELP FROM THE SMALL CLAIMS COURT

It is often a last resort, but it can work. A reader who felt cheated by a stay at Alton Towers when its most famous attractions were closed has won his case for a full refund.

5. REMEMBER THAT INSURANCE DIES WITH YOU

The case of a man whose brother died leaving him with an uninsured car to care for raised the question of what happens to umbrella coverage when someone dies.

In another case, a widow had a £1,500 pet insurance claim rejected because she had left the policy in the name of her husband, who had died two years earlier.

I had assumed that the relevant name on the policy was that of the pet, not the owner. After my intervention, the insurance company resolved the policy and the claim was paid.

6. DON’T FORGET MY THREE P’S

PATIENCE, perseverance and courtesy are vital when filing a claim. Treat the person you deal with with respect and they will likely try to help you.

My perseverance paid off for a reader whose Revolut prepaid card was emptied by a scammer while on holiday in Africa.

I received the answer that I felt was correct: a full refund. I’m sure it helped me to keep my cool and my manners in check.

Sally@dailymail.co.uk