Small Claims Court is about as much use as a chocolate teapot! Their rulings against small businesses are unenforceable.
At the end of 2009, I put in a small claims case against the computer shop "Copyrite" in Seaview Road, Wallasey. My hard drive was failing and I needed a replacement. I asked the lad how much his new HD's were, and was given a hand written price list. I chose one and went to pay, but he didn't accept credit card payments, so I went to a nearby ATM and withdrew the cash.
When I got back 10 minutes later, he'd "lost" the drive I'd chosen, and after some half-assed looking around, he got me another off the shelf. I looked at the back of it and it was a different make to the one I'd chosen. I pointed this out and he said it was as good a brand. Regretably, I still went ahead with the sale.
Unfortunately, the packaging had obscured the words "refurbished"!
I paid to have it installed and got the "click of death" pretty much straight away. As I was already having problems with my PC, I assumed it must be something other than my "brand new" hard drive!
3 months went by with my PC limping and crashing, and then the HD crashed for good. I had my system checked out and it was only then I found out my new HD was actually refurbished. I took it back to the shop for a refund, to be told they only offer 3 months warranty, and I was ONE day out so I didn't qualify!
He didn't turn up to court, so judgement went in my favour and he was ordered to refund my £49. He didn't. I took legal advice and was told I could call in the bailiffs, but it'd be at my own expense, and they couldn't remove anything that might harm the creep's business. In short, it would cost me more money than I would be able to recover. If I was able to recover anything at all. No wonder he didn't bother his ass to turn up to court!
The creep has since renamed his business and moved to Liscard Road, Wallasey. I guess that's one way of dealing with all the CCJ's!
I sincerely hope your son has more success than I did in getting what he's owed!
yeah that guy is a complete and utter jerk
a few years back i ordered a gaming pc to be built, got it home and it couldn't run a simple game such as World of Warcraft, turns out he'd ripped me off on the Ram and the Graphics card , putting inferior quality parts in to those i had ordered and paid in advance for !
took 2 months for his monkey on the counter to get it sorted, this was only after threatening to call in legal action , i still had the receipt for the parts i had paid for which weren't even in the machine.
he closed down soon after this and moved to liscard rd
Since all this ive finally found a good computer shop, although i have to travel to get there going to The Doc's shop is a far better experience and would recommend people to go there