I was sent the wrong ink cartridges but I am unable to exchange them

I bought some inkjet cartridges from Ansa Retail Ltd for £11.99. I paid via Paypal but was sent the wrong cartridges.

I tried to contact the company but have not been able to get an answer by phone or email. I contacted Paypal and saw that the amount had gone from my account but hadn’t been claimed by Ansa, which Paypal verified.

Paypal said I would have to wait 29 days and if it hadn’t been claimed it would be refunded. If it is claimed within this time then I can raise a dispute but not until then.
John Stubbs

We also tried to get hold of Ansa and, like Mr Stubbs, our phone calls are not answered and there is no voicemail. We have also emailed the company but at the time of going to press have not heard back from Ansa.

However, it is still an active company and not one that has been dissolved or is in the process of doing this. We checked its status and found that in November last year, Companies House had moved to strike it off the register.

This is only because Ansa had failed to file some required documents. Ansa has now done this and its website and phone lines are also active.

We were able to get as far as placing an order with both Paypal and using a credit or debit card although we didn’t complete the transaction. So it would seem as if the company is still trading.

What is odd is that it has sent Mr Stubbs some cartridges, albeit the wrong ones, yet has not claimed the money from Mr Stubbs’ Paypal account. There is little that Paypal can tell us about the company and its account with this payment provider because this would be a breach of the Data Protection Act.

Paypal may well have some legal requirement that means that it has to hold on to the money for a stipulated period to allow Ansa to collect the funds. We are waiting for further information from Paypal about the statement given to Mr Stubbs.

But Mr Stubbs can start a claim for a full refund under Paypal’s Buyer Protection Policy. We suggest he begins this now so he does not fall foul of the 45-day cut-off period, as he has already tried to contact the seller. Paypal may be in a better position to get a reply from Ansa to find out what is going on.

It will be up to Ansa to contact Mr Stubbs to arrange for the cartridges to be collected. He is not legally bound to pay for the return because the wrong ones were sent and under the Sale of Goods Act these are goods not as described.