SALLY COURT: Man who smashed cheap computers for leisure stole £4,200 | Tech Reddy

While on holiday in Tenerife in May, an electronics store clerk persuaded me to buy a tablet at a special price of €105 (£91).

I bought it with my NatWest credit card. While in the store I looked at my online account and saw two suspicious transactions totaling €4,862 (£4,197). I have requested to cancel the purchase.

The seller apparently agreed and talked to his bank to arrange it.

Instead of refunding my card for the tablet, he gave me 105 euros in cash, but said that he would provide a refund for the other charges. When I returned to the UK, I found this was not the case.

NatWest initially refunded the money and made a claim against the retailer’s bank under section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act.

On October 4, the bank returned the money, saying “Mastercard cannot proceed with my dispute through dispute resolution.” Basically, the retailer does not accept.

NM, East Grinstead, West Sussex.

Sally Hamilton replies: A quick search of Tenerife travel chat rooms shows that you’re not alone in being frustrated by some of the electronics retailers in Spain’s largest Canary Islands.

According to the information website tenerifeguru.com, you have refused.

The trick, it says, is “basically a ‘bait and switch’ where you are offered a product at a ridiculously low price, only to upgrade to a ‘superior’ product at a much higher price… which always goes up in price. or with an outdated model and ridiculously overpriced accessories.” may be accompanied’.

You are forced to add a “satellite app” which involves paying a subscription that allows you to watch 9,000 TV channels from around the world.

Another trick is that store owners “accidentally” overcharge the credit card.

The site says: “This can be a headache and often unsuccessful in trying to get the money back through your bank when you get home.”

Your story fits this scenario – and you certainly have a headache chasing compensation.

Your unfortunate experience, which can happen at almost any tourist destination, should serve as a warning.

The first red flag you run into is if the salesperson asks customers if they are vacationers and not residents. Being a tourist gives them a safe booty knowing that they will be back home soon and will not be able to file a complaint with the authorities.

For the same reason, predators recommend that victims return to the store on the last day – as you did – using the trick that their devices must be set up in English.

They also took you to another store to complete the transaction—another sign that the arrangements were not above board.

Alarm bells should be ringing on even simpler tactics (what happened to you) when a retailer dangles their hand in front of the payment terminal screen to hide the amount entered.

In your case, the seller also withheld your receipts, so you can’t check them. He said you will get them when the deal is over.

They were also asked to show the ID that the seller had copied. €105 is essential to purchase.

When you finally smelled a rat and left the store empty-handed but returned the €105 in cash, you hoped the retailer would refund the other card charges as promised; or, worst of all, it will be protected by your bank if it is not protected.

That’s why you didn’t file a complaint with the police or the local authorities. In my opinion, the reluctance of vacationers to formally complain has allowed such poignant experiences to endure over time.

Tenerife suggests that tourists may have more success in getting a full refund by asking the store to issue an official hoja de reclamaciones – complaint form, as the retailer is concerned about filing a complaint with the authorities.

NatWest will dispute any unwanted transactions with the merchant’s bank on your behalf. But the seller stood his ground, and in his reply produced (handwritten) copies of the receipts – which you have never seen before – and said that you still have the “high” that you bought.

It’s unclear why the store used the word “top” instead of tablet. To be honest, it was unrealistic that you could buy a “ball” for £4,000.

In addition, you received no text alerts or calls from NatWest about these high value transactions, which were made overseas.

NatWest claims that because you enter your PIN to verify transactions, they pass security. This means that your payment cannot be refunded.

I asked NatWest to reconsider as it was clear you were the victim of fraud.

I’m happy to say that after a few days the bank changed its mind and refunded your money — as a gesture of goodwill.

A NatWest spokesman said: “We always work to achieve the best outcomes for our customers and take cases on a case-by-case basis. We are delighted to have now reached a positive decision.”

You are delighted and as a token of thanks you will be making a donation to St Catherine’s Hospice in Crawley, West Sussex.

Readers planning to take a break from the sun this winter, be careful.

Why won’t Virgin give me the Netflix they promised?

In May we signed a broadband deal with Virgin Media which included a standard Netflix subscription. We received an activation email, opened our account, and started watching Netflix.

At the beginning of August, when I tried to watch something again, I got the message: “You can’t stream because of a problem with your account.”

I contacted Netflix and they said Virgin should sort it out. I contacted the latter many times and was told that there was a technical problem and that they would get back to me in a few days.

Nothing. Still no Netflix. Still no help from Virgin Media.

KC, Hemel Hempstead, Herts.

Sally Hamilton replies: You’ve been wanting to watch dramas on Netflix, but you don’t have long to deal with the technical issues of accessing it.

I have contacted Virgin Media and asked them to resolve your issue once and for all. Within a few days, it came back with a resolution, but not in the way you’d expect.

Virgin says it’s sorry for the inconvenience, but it looks like its technicians still can’t restore your Netflix account through your Virgin contract. Instead, the firm put together a complex solution.

This will give you £10.99 a month credit for the next 13 months – the remainder of your contract – which you can spend on a Netflix subscription if you like.

It will also pay you around £33 for three months without Netflix, plus an extra £50 for the hassle.

The total value of the prize is almost £226. You say that while you are pleased, you are disappointed with the complexity of the solution and the fact that you had to contact me to get the job done.

A Virgin Media spokesperson said: “We are aware of some technical issues affecting a small number of customers when trying to access Netflix. Our technical team is working as quickly as possible to resolve these issues and we apologize to customers who have been affected.’

• Write to Sally Hamilton at Sally Sorts It, Money Mail, Northcliffe House, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TT or email [email protected] — include your phone number, address and a note allowing the offending organization to speak to Sally Hamilton. Please do not send original documents as we cannot take responsibility for them. The Daily Mail does not accept any legal responsibility for the answers provided.